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  • Аннотация:
    Не могу читать через переводчик на оригинальном сайте - https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14205469/1/The-New-Normal-A-Pokémon-SI .Так что, выкладываю здесь, чтобы спокойно читать. Текст не мой, права не мои, выкладываю без разрешения автора. Ссылка на произведение выше. Для большинства попадание в Элитную Четвёрку стало бы кульминацией их Путешествия. Великое достижение, закрепившее бы ваш статус в анналах истории. Для меня это было лишь началом моего пути. Надеюсь, всё останется как прежде. Это пре-канон, вставка персонажа в мир покемонов.
  The New Normal - A Pokémon SI
  by CartecFF
  For most, becoming a member of the Elite 4 would be the culmination of their Journey. A great achievement that solidified your status in the annals of history. For me, it was just the start of my journey. Hopefully, everything stays Normal. A pre-canon self-insert into the world of Pokémon. Inspired by Hard Enough. Crossposted SB/QQ. Updates every Mon/Fri. Short Interludes on Wed.
  
  Original source: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14205469/1/The-New-Normal-A-Pokémon-SI
  
  Chapters: 433
  
  Words: 1569956
  
  Rated: Fiction T - Language: English - Genre: Adventure - Characters: Giovanni/Sakaki, Cynthia/Shirona, Karen/Karin, OC - Reviews: 4,485 - Favs: 3,629 - Follows: 3,987
  
  Exported with the assistance of FicHub.net
  
  The New Normal 1-1
  The New Normal 1-2
  The New Normal 1-3
  The New Normal 1-4 - INTERLUDE: GIOVANNI
  The New Normal 1-5
  The New Normal 1-6
  The New Normal 2-1
  The New Normal 2-2
  The New Normal 2-3
  The New Normal 2-4
  The New Normal 2-5
  (Non-Canon) The New Normal - April Fools
  The New Normal - 2-6 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 2-7
  The New Normal - 2-8 - INTERLUDE: KAREN
  The New Normal - 2-9
  The New Normal - 2-10
  The New Normal - 2-10 -Interlude- Drake
  The New Normal - 2-11
  The New Normal -2-12- INTERLUDE: WHITNEY
  The New Normal - 2-12 -Interlude - Karen
  The New Normal - 2-13
  The New Normal - 2-14
  The New Normal - 2-13-Interlude - Walker
  The New Normal - 2-15
  The New Normal - 2-16
  The New Normal - 2-16 - Interlude -Lance
  The New Normal - 2-17
  The New Normal - 2-18
  The New Normal - 2-18-Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal- 2-19 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 3-1
  The New Normal - 2-19 -Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 3-2
  The New Normal - 3-3
  The New Normal - 3-3 -Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 3-4
  The New Normal - 3-5
  The New Normal -EXTRA- League Government
  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Mother
  The New Normal - 3-6
  The New Normal - 3-7 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 3-7 -Interlude- Lorelei
  The New Normal - 3-8
  The New Normal - 3-9
  The New Normal- 3-9 - Interlude - Agatha
  The New Normal - 3-10
  The New Normal - 3-11
  The New Normal - 3-11 - Interlude -Karen
  The New Normal - 3-12 - INTERLUDE-Proton
  The New Normal - 3-13 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 4-1
  The New Normal - 4-1 - Pryce & Lance
  The New Normal - 4-2
  The New Normal- 4-2 -Interlude-Mrs Smith
  The New Normal - 4-3
  The New Normal - 4-4
  The New Normal - 4-4 -Interlude- Lorelei
  The New Normal - 4-5
  The New Normal - 4-6 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 4-6 - Interlude -Shelly
  The New Normal - 4-7
  The New Normal - 4-8 -INTERLUDE- Whitney
  OMAKE - The Hero Ingame Snippets v2
  The New Normal - 4-9
  The New Normal - 4-10
  The New Normal - 4-11
  The New Normal - 4-12
  The New Normal - 4-12-Interlude-Pokenet
  The New Normal - 4-13
  The New Normal - 4-14
  The New Normal - 4-14-Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 4-15
  The New Normal - 4-16 -INTERLUDE-Whitney
  The New Normal - 4-16 -Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 4-17
  The New Normal - 4-18
  The New Normal - 4-18 - Interlude - Will
  The New Normal - 4-19
  The New Normal - 4-20 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 4-20-Interlude-Proton
  The New Normal - 5-1
  The New Normal - 5-2
  The New Normal - 5-2-Interlude-Scientist
  The New Normal - 5-3
  The New Normal - 5-4
  The New Normal - 5-5 - INTERLUDE-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 5-6
  The New Normal - 5-6 - Interlude - Flint
  The New Normal - 5-7 -INTERLUDE-Whitney
  The New Normal - 5-8
  The New Normal - 5-8 - Interlude - Bruno
  The New Normal - 5-9
  The New Normal - 5-10
  The New Normal - 5-10 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 5-11
  The New Normal - 5-12
  The New Normal - 5-13
  The New Normal - 5-14
  The New Normal - 5-14 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 5-15
  The New Normal -5-16-INTERLUDE - WHITNEY
  The New Normal-5-16 - Interlude - Proton
  The New Normal - 5-17
  The New Normal - 5-18
  The New Normal - 5-18 - Interlude -Drake
  The New Normal - 5-19 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 6-1
  The New Normal - 6-2
  The New Normal - 6-2 - Interlude - Lance
  The New Normal - 6-3
  The New Normal - 6-4
  The New Normal - 6-4 - Interlude -Proton
  The New Normal - 6-5
  The New Normal - 6-6
  The New Normal -6-6-Interlude - Giovanni
  The New Normal - 6-7
  The New Normal - 6-8-INTERLUDE-Whitney
  The New Normal -OMAKE-Ingame Snippets v3
  The New Normal - 6-9
  The New Normal - 6-10 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 6-10 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 7-1
  The New Normal - 7-2
  The New Normal - 7-2 - Interlude -Steven
  The New Normal - 7-3
  The New Normal - 7-4
  The New Normal - 7-4 - Interlude - Misty
  The New Normal - 7-5
  The New Normal - 7-6
  The New Normal - 7-6 - Interlude - Karen
  The New Normal - 7-7 - INTERLUDE-Whitney
  The New Normal - 7-8
  The New Normal - 7-8 - Interlude - Clair
  The New Normal - 7-9 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 7-10
  The New Normal - 7-10 - Interlude - Oak
  The New Normal - 7-11
  The New Normal - 7-12
  The New Normal - 7-13
  The New Normal - 7-14
  The New Normal - 7-14 -Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 7-15
  The New Normal - 7-16
  The New Normal - 7-16 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 8-1
  The New Normal - 8-2
  The New Normal - 8-2 - Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 8-3
  The New Normal - 8-4 - INTERLUDE- JANINE
  The New Normal - 8-4 -Interlude - Lucian
  The New Normal - 8-5
  The New Normal - 8-6
  The New Normal- 8-6 - Interlude - Karen
  The New Normal - 8-7
  The New Normal - 8-8
  The New Normal - 8-8 - Interlude -Proton
  The New Normal - 8-9
  The New Normal - 8-10
  The New Normal - 8-10 -Interlude- Blaine
  The New Normal - 8-11-INTERLUDE-Sabrina
  The New Normal - 8-12
  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Survivor
  The New Normal - 8-13
  The New Normal - 8-14
  The New Normal - OMAKE - April Fools
  The New Normal - 8-14-Interlude- Pokenet
  The New Normal - 8-15
  The New Normal - 8-16
  The New Normal -8-16-Interlude - Lorelei
  The New Normal - 8-17
  The New Normal - 8-18
  The New Normal - 8-18-Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 9-1
  The New Normal - 9-2
  The New Normal- 9-2 - Interlude - Steven
  The New Normal - 9-3
  The New Normal - 9-4
  The New Normal - 9-4 -Interlude- Cynthia
  The New Normal - 9-5
  The New Normal - 9-6 -INTERLUDE -WHITNEY
  The New Normal - 9-6 - Interlude - Bruno
  The New Normal - 9-7
  The New Normal - 9-8
  The New Normal - 9-8 - Intermission
  The New Normal - 9-9
  The New Normal - 9-10 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 9-10 - Interlude - Shin
  The New Normal - 9-11
  The New Normal - 9-12
  The New Normal - 9-12 - Interlude- Lance
  The New Normal - 9-13
  The New Normal - 9-14
  The New Normal - 9-14-Interlude- Steven
  The New Normal - 9-15
  The New Normal - 9-16
  The New Normal - 9-16-Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 9-17
  The New Normal - 9-18 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 9-18-Interlude- Cynthia
  The New Normal - 10-1
  The New Normal - 10-2
  The New Normal - 10-2 -Interlude-Volkner
  The New Normal - 10-3
  The New Normal - 10-4
  The New Normal - 10-4 -Interlude- Proton
  The New Normal - 10-5
  The New Normal - 10-6
  The New Normal - 10-6 - Interlude -Drake
  The New Normal - 10-7
  The New Normal - 10-8
  The New Normal-10-8-Interlude-Live React
  The New Normal - 10-9
  The New Normal - 10-10
  The New Normal - 10-10 -Interlude-Archer
  The New Normal - 10-11
  The New Normal - 10-12
  The New Normal-10-12-Interlude-The Loser
  The New Normal - 10-13
  The New Normal - 10-14
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Tournament
  The New Normal - 10-15
  The New Normal - 10-16
  The New Normal - 10-16-Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 10-17
  The New Normal - 10-18
  The New Normal - 10-18- Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 11-1 -Interlude- Archer
  The New Normal - 11-2
  The New Normal - 11-2 -Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 11-3
  The New Normal - 11-4
  The New Normal - 11-4 -Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 11-5
  The New Normal - 11-6
  The New Normal - 11-6 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 11-7
  The New Normal - 11-8
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Mystery Dungeon
  The New Normal - 11-9
  The New Normal - 11-10
  The New Normal - 11-10 - Interlude- Koga
  The New Normal - 11-11
  The New Normal - 11-12 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 11-12 -Interlude-Steven
  The New Normal - 11-13
  The New Normal - 11-14
  The New Normal - 11-14 -Interlude-Blaine
  The New Normal - 11-15
  The New Normal - 11-16
  The New Normal - 11-16 -Interlude- Karen
  The New Normal - 11-17
  The New Normal - 11-18
  The New Normal - 11-18 - Interlude -Will
  The New Normal - 11-19
  The New Normal - 11-20-Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 11-20 -Interlude-Blaine
  The New Normal - 12-1
  The New Normal - 12-2
  The New Normal - 12-2 - Interlude - Will
  The New Normal - 12-3
  The New Normal - 12-4
  The New Normal - 12-4 - Interlude - Will
  The New Normal - 12-5
  The New Normal - 12-6
  The New Normal - 12-6 -Interlude-Proton
  The New Normal - 12-7
  The New Normal - 12-8
  The New Normal - 12-8 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 12-9
  The New Normal - 12-10
  The New Normal - 12-10 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 12-11
  The New Normal - 12-12
  The New Normal - 12-12 -Interlude-Agatha
  The New Normal - 12-13
  The New Normal - 12-14
  The New Normal - 12-14 - Interlude-Roark
  The New Normal - 12-15
  The New Normal - 12-16
  The New Normal - 12-16 -Interlude-Proton
  The New Normal - 12-17
  The New Normal - 12-18 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 12-18 - Interlude
  The New Normal - 13-1
  The New Normal - 13-2
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Anime: Cerulean
  The New Normal - 13-3
  The New Normal - 13-4
  The New Normal -13-4-Interlude-Daisy
  The New Normal - 13-5
  The New Normal - 13-6
  The New Normal - 13-6 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 13-7
  The New Normal - 13-8
  The New Normal -13-8-Interlude-Pokenet
  The New Normal - 13-9
  The New Normal - 13-10
  The New Normal -13-10-Interlude-Galactic
  The New Normal - 13-11
  The New Normal - 13-12
  The New Normal -13-12-Interlude-Galactic
  The New Normal - 13-13
  The New Normal - 13-14
  The New Normal - 13-14 -Interlude-Sinnoh
  The New Normal - 13-15
  The New Normal - 13-16
  The New Normal-13-16-Interlude-Battlers
  The New Normal - 13-17
  The New Normal - 13-18-INTERLUDE-Pokenet
  The New Normal-13-18- Interlude - Smiths
  OMAKE - Meeting a Monster (WormPokemon)
  The New Normal - 14-1
  The New Normal - 14-2
  OMAKE - Legendaries Awaken DLC
  The New Normal - 14-3
  The New Normal - 14-4
  The New Normal -14-4-Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 14-5
  The New Normal - 14-6
  The New Normal - 14-6 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 14-7
  The New Normal - 14-8
  The New Normal - OMAKE - April Fools-PMD
  The New Normal - 14-8 - Interlude-Archer
  The New Normal - 14-9
  The New Normal - 14-10 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 15-1
  The New Normal - 15-1 -Interlude-Alder
  The New Normal - 15-2
  The New Normal - 15-2-Interlude-Steven
  The New Normal - 15-3
  The New Normal - 15-4
  The New Normal - 15-4-Interlude-Grimsley
  The New Normal - 15-5
  The New Normal - 15-6
  OMAKE - Anime - Public Reactions
  The New Normal - 15-7 - POKENET REACTION
  The New Normal - 15-8
  The New Normal - 15-8 - Interlude - N
  The New Normal - 15-9
  The New Normal - 15-10
  The New Normal - 15-10 - Interlude-Drake
  The New Normal - 15-11
  The New Normal - 15-12
  The New Normal - 15-12 -Interlude-Looker
  The New Normal - 15-13
  The New Normal - 15-14
  The New Normal - 15-14 -Interlude-Archer
  The New Normal - 15-15
  The New Normal - 15-16
  The New Normal - 15-16-Interlude-Others
  The New Normal - 15-17
  The New Normal - 15-18 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal-15-18-Interlude-Professor
  The New Normal - 16-1
  The New Normal - 16-2
  The New Normal - 16-2 -Interlude-Steven
  The New Normal - 16-3
  The New Normal - 16-4
  The New Normal - 16-4 - Interlude -Other
  The New Normal - 16-5
  The New Normal - 16-6
  The New Normal - 16-6 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 16-7
  The New Normal - 16-8
  The New Normal - 16-8 - Interlude - N
  The New Normal - 16-9
  The New Normal - 16-10
  The New Normal - 16-10 -Interlude-Looker
  The New Normal - 16-11
  The New Normal - 16-12
  The New Normal -16-12-Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 16-13
  The New Normal - 16-14
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Black&White
  The New Normal - 16-15
  The New Normal - 16-16
  The New Normal - 16-16 -Interlude-Others
  The New Normal - 16-17
  The New Normal - 16-18-Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal-16-18-Interlude-Blaine
  The New Normal - 17-1
  The New Normal - 17-2
  The New Normal - 17-2-Interlude-Volkner
  The New Normal - 17-3
  The New Normal - 17-4
  The New Normal - 17-4-Interlude- Drake
  The New Normal - 17-5
  The New Normal - 17-6 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 17-6 -Interlude-Elite 4
  The New Normal - 17-7
  The New Normal - 17-8
  The New Normal - 17-8 - Interlude-Looker
  The New Normal - 17-9
  The New Normal - 17-10
  The New Normal - 17-10 - Interlude
  The New Normal - 17-11
  The New Normal - 17-12
  The New Normal - 17-12 - Interlude-Aaron
  The New Normal - 17-13
  The New Normal - 17-14- POKENET REACTION
  OMAKE - Anime - Public Reactions 2
  The New Normal - 18-1
  The New Normal - 18-2
  The New Normal - 18-2 - Interlude-Allies
  The New Normal - 18-3
  The New Normal - 18-4
  The New Normal - 18-4 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 18-5
  The New Normal - 18-6
  The New Normal - 18-6 -Interlude-Pokemon
  The New Normal - 18-7
  The New Normal - 18-8 - POKENET REACTION
  The New Normal - 18-8-Interlude-Juniper
  The New Normal - 19-1
  The New Normal - 19-2
  The New Normal - 19-2-Interlude-Roxanne
  The New Normal - 19-3
  The New Normal - 19-4
  The New Normal - 19-4 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 19-5 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 19-6
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Kitakami DLC
  The New Normal - 19-7
  The New Normal - 19-8
  The New Normal - 19-8-Interlude-Pokemon
  The New Normal - 19-9
  The New Normal - 19-10
  The New Normal - 19-10-Interlude-Various
  The New Normal - 19-11
  The New Normal - 19-12
  The New Normal - 19-13
  next chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 1-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  The New Normal 1-1 - Returning Home
  
  Flying home from winning the Indigo Conference definitely felt different. A lot of stress and anticipation had gone away, and I felt far more relaxed than I ever was before. Sure, I still had things to worry about, especially from my latest victory, but I can at least tell myself that I had not wasted this second life in the Pokémon world.
  
  From my view up above on Port, I could already see the family home on the outskirts of Cerulean City, which the farm seemed to have grown larger since the last time I visited, and my parents holding up a large red banner that said, "Congratulations John!" and little Whitney was holding up her own small banner of "Best Elite 4 Member!" I smiled despite myself; it was always nice to see the support and encouragement that my family unhesitatingly provided to me.
  
  Port landed safely on the edge of the farmhouse, and I was quickly glomped by my sister. Whitney had a beaming smile on her face and was babbling her congratulations to me. My parents also joined in the hug with their own smiles and I had to hold back tears at our joyful reunion.
  
  "I'm home." I managed to eek out, eliciting small smiles from my family.
  
  "Welcome back, John. We're so proud of you." My mother said while hugging me ever so tightly. My father also nodded and patted me on the shoulder in agreement.
  
  "Mantine! Mantine!" exclaimed Port in happiness, making Whitney giggle as she ran over to pat my Mantine on the head.
  
  After the moment of reunion passed, I was invited back home to have dinner with my family. As I saw the great piles of food that my mother had prepared for dinner, I smiled again at the newfound prosperity that my family had finally achieved through my own success. No more vegetable and rice dinners.
  
  Whitney spent the entire dinner being super excited about my final battle against Shin, with my parents failing to try to curb her enthusiasm. She went on and on about how cool my Normal types were, and wanted to know everything that I knew. I happily doted on Whitney's enthusiasm as usual and answered as many of her questions as I could. She also talked about her new Miltank, which our parents had finally allowed her to begin training, and she asked for as many training tips as I could provide. I promised that before I left, I would oversee her training process and give her advice as needed.
  
  "John, your swearing in ceremony is tomorrow, right?" My father cut in. I gave a hum to that as I shovelled more rice into my mouth.
  
  "I don't mean to overly worry you John, but those Johto Elite 4 members might not be very welcoming to a Kantonian like you. Especially with your age." I frowned slightly at that, but it was not something that was unexpected, and I said as much to my father.
  
  "You're right dad, but they will respect my strength if nothing else. Walker is on the way out anyways, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was replaced soon."
  
  "And Agatha is from Kanto anyways, Jack." My mother said to my father before patting his hand with hers to reassure him, "John's already done so much and has gone so far, I believe he can handle a bit of politicking."
  
  "Yeah!" my sister chimed in, "And brother's Slaking will beat them up if they're mean!"
  
  We all chuckled at that. Whitney always had a way of bringing up the mood. She was such an innocent ball of boundless enthusiasm and positivity. As a reward, I patted her on the head while giving her a piece of meat from my plate that I knew she liked. She gave me a cheeky smile in response.
  
  The remainder of dinner passed by uneventfully, though happily. As my parents somehow managed to coax Whitney to bed, my parents and I settled down in the living room to discuss the family business.
  
  "Your mother has told me that the family business has been doing very well ever since you advertised it in your matches," father started, "She ran the numbers, and we agreed on purchasing more Miltank so that we can increase Moomoo milk production."
  
  "The new Miltank have been doing well," my mother continued while looking down at the paperwork, "and honestly our profits from our Moomoo milk business are much larger than what Jack and I have initially predicted." She passed the paperwork to me.
  
  I looked through the numbers on the account. It was clear that the small family business was small no longer. With me acting as free advertisement, the Smith's Moomoo milk was becoming a staple amongst trainers and its popularity was booming. We were selling our Moomoo milk directly to Pokéshops around Kanto, which was always a sign that something was in high demand and becoming mainstream.
  
  Unfortunately, that meant that the demand for the Moomoo milk was much higher than what we could produce with our farm. I pointed this out to my parents and suggested that we buy more land.
  
  "Yes, that's what Angela and I thought as well." My father said. "We've already filled in the paperwork to apply for the purchase of more land, but we want you to sign it before we send it in."
  
  I was confused for a moment, and my mom caught on to that confusion.
  
  "You see, John, many in the Cerulean council still know us as those poor country-hicks running a run-down farm. Those in the council look down on the Smith name, as it is both a common name and does not have an affluent reputation." My mother said with a slight grimace, as if remembering our poorly past, "However, if you sign it and make it clear who you are and the title you hold, that will make things much easier for us."
  
  I unconsciously grit my teeth as I heard that and fought to prevent a scowl from showing. I knew how hard my parents struggled to raise myself and Whitney with their mediocre income, and I saw time and time again how many in Cerulean shunned and mocked us for our miserly lifestyle.
  
  'No, you don't have to worry about it anymore.' I assured myself, 'I made it to the Elite 4. They won't look down on us anymore. I'll make sure my parents business thrives even more.'
  
  I gave my parents a nod of agreement as I reached over to sign the paperwork. As I did so, I reaffirmed my vows to make sure that my family will be able to live prosperous lives and not have to worry about money ever again. I had already achieved great personal success, and now I had to make sure that I could share my personal success with my family.
  
  After signing the paperwork, I asked what the plan was for the new land.
  
  "Well, Jack was saying how we should wait until the new Miltank have adapted to the new land." My mother said, "We wanted to see how much space the Miltank have to roam and if we can manage the feeding and maintenance of so many Miltank with just us 2 in the long-term."
  
  "Have you considered hiring a couple of employees to help with the Miltank?" I asked.
  
  "Of course," my dad remarked, "But we didn't want to hire any before we needed them. We will see how many Miltank we can manage ourselves, and if we need more hands or if we want to purchase more Miltank than yes, we'll be getting a few employees."
  
  I smiled at that, "It looks like we'll be becoming more than just a simple family business." I joked.
  
  My father gave a small laugh at that, "yes, we're becoming successful businessmen." My mother leaned into my father as he said this, and they rested their heads on each other.
  
  I knew that my dad had always wanted to run a successful business, and my mom was always supportive. I gazed upon my parents embracing with a solemn, yet happy, mien and I captured this image of happiness and stored it deep within my heart. This happiness was what I worked so hard to achieve. But this was just the beginning.
  
  I would ensure my parents would want for nothing. I would ensure that Whitney would never have to worry about doing odd jobs just to bolster the family income. I would ensure that none would look down at my family with scorn and disgust ever again.
  
  This I do swear.
  
  With the business discussion out of the way, my parents retired to bed for the night. I told them I would join them after releasing my Pokémon in the farm, as they were too big to fit in the house.
  
  As I walked into the stables, I could see that the Miltanks were already asleep in various spots and positions around the stable. However, one Miltank that was far muscular than its counterparts was still awake, and it mooed at me when it saw me. I immediately recognised that this was Whitney's starter.
  
  I gave a wave in response as I walked slowly towards it. I patted it on the head as it mooed quietly in appreciation.
  
  "It's good to see you again Miltank," I started, "I can see that Whitney has already begun your training."
  
  "Moo, mooooo, mil." I smiled in response to Miltank's bragging. Although humans were unable to understand precisely what a Pokémon was saying, those who spend enough time around a specific Pokémon will eventually unconsciously be able to understand and interpret what that Pokémon is saying.
  
  "Yes, I can see that you're very strong now Miltank," I praised, "But don't get too cocky. There will always be Pokémon stronger than you. Always keep training and never give up." I admonished slightly with a waggle of my finger.
  
  Miltank nodded at this, and I gave it another pat on the head in return. Then I grabbed the Pokéballs on my belt and released my Pokémon into the field.
  
  Eight pokemon of varied sizes emerged onto the field with a white glow. I looked around with a proud nod as I watched my Pokémon all having their own prideful satisfactions on their faces. They were still cheerful about our recent victory, and deservingly so.
  
  "Blissey! Blissey, Bliss!" Klee wrapped me in a careful hug of her own that I returned. Despite her rotund appearance, Klee was more than capable of crushing every bone in my body if she wished. Not that she would, she was always the most motherly of my Pokémon and often gave the most hugs.
  
  Our hug was rudely interrupted with a loud groaning noise from Smough's stomach. Despite feeding him less than 3 hours ago, Smough unsurprisingly had an insatiable appetite. Snorlax in general were often prohibitively expensive to raise and maintain due to their eating habits, and if it were not for my successes, I would not have been able to raise him.
  
  "Ok Smough I got it." I broke away from Klee's hug as I reached into my backpack for the giant Pokéblocks that I had specifically for Smough. I grabbed a few blocks that were half a square meter each and fed them to Smough, who ate them with relish.
  
  Smough groaned happily at the food, which made me smile and I patted him softly on the belly. Seeing Smough's snack, Vordt also lumbered forward on all fours for a snack. It tried to persuade me by giving me its Baby Doll Eyes, but they aren't as effective as they were when he was a small Teddiursa. An Ursuluna looking at you with baby doll eyes just looks scary and unsettling, not cute.
  
  Still, I thought about his request for a brief moment, before deciding to allow it as we were all in a celebratory mood. I fed him a few smaller Pokéblocks with some berries as a snack for Vordt.
  
  As I gazed away from Smough and Vordt's happy eating, I watched Zephyr flying around as Pidgeots are wont to do with Port with Klaus galloping after them on the ground as usual. Despite its non-avian appearance and lack of wings, Klaus was actually able to chase after the two Flying Pokémon in the air through the creative use of Psychic shields that he leaped on to gain and maintain height. The three of them always had far too much energy to expend and loved racing each other, but I happily allowed it as it was good training for them.
  
  In complete contrast to this, my starter, Tyrant, was predictably already asleep on the ground. While that was extremely common for Slaking, Tyrant was always an Early Bird, so he was much less lazy than his other Slaking counterparts. He was also a complete battle lover, and that offset much of his laziness as he actually often preferred to train and battle instead.
  
  I looked around again to see Luna in a group with Klee and Miltank, gesturing happily with each other. They seemed to have become fast friends and were quick to share stories of their training with each other. I laughed softly to myself as I watched them communicate, imagining my two greatest defensive Pokémon training Miltank to be another unstoppable wall.
  
  I sat down on the grass as I continued watching my Pokémon with content and pride. No matter what anyone tells me, I will always attribute my victories and successes to my Pokémon. Sure, I had an advantage with my past life meta-knowledge, but it was only through my Pokémon's strength and determination that carried me through both Kanto's and Johto's gyms to become the victor of this year's Indigo Conference and the youngest member of the Elite 4.
  
  Before I headed off for bed though, I reached for my notepad as I went over my personal notes again. Everything in my notes was written in English, which differed from the standard Pokémon language that they used in this world. This meant that anyone who secretly read my notes would be unable to understand anything.
  
  Contemplating my notes for a moment, I thought about my next steps in gaining more personal success. My rebirth into the world of Pokémon was an unexplained blessing that I would forever treasure and be thankful for, and I promised myself that I would make the most of it.
  
  To that end, I have been making great use of my meta-knowledge to deliberately put myself in the spotlight and to generate popularity. So far, I have used my meta-knowledge to 'find' two new evolutions for Pokémon. Looking through the Pokénet, my victory in the Indigo Conference and my discovery of the new evolutions have brought me international recognition across all three regions, with many acknowledging both my strength as a trainer and my scientific mind.
  
  In the future, I planned to release my 'discovery' of the Fairy type, using Luna as a shining example of the 'new' type. Of course, I had already informed my Pokémon about Luna's pure Fairy typing, as a few of my more observant Pokémon like Vordt and Tyrant have already sensed that Luna's typing differed from the rest. Luckily, my Pokémon had no problems with this and they also promised to keep it secret from other Pokémon.
  
  However, I reminded myself to make sure that I stagger my discoveries, both because I only have a limited amount of meta-knowledge and because too many discoveries within a short period lessens the impact. Through careful planning, I should be able to stretch out my discoveries to maximize my own popularity.
  
  Though it may seem overly calculating for me to do this, I inwardly justify my desire for popularity as I intend to use that popularity to both improve my family's business, and also prevent some of the disasters that the evil teams are always scheming with in the Pokémon world.
  
  No matter how strong my Pokémon may be, they would be crushed all the same by a Legendary. And I highly doubt that I have the power of anime or protagonist power necessary to befriend and calm them, so I won't be taking my chances with them. It would be better for me to stop the evil teams before they awaken their Legendaries, rather than after.
  
  And in order to stop the evil teams, especially the ones outside of Indigo, I would need to be a popular and respected public figure that people can trust. Thus, my selfish desire for popularity is actually a selfless desire to save the world from rampaging Legendaries!
  
  At least that's what I tell myself.
  
  I ended up putting down my notepad before browsing the Pokénet for a while. Already there were plenty of articles and comments about my latest battle and I could see that a couple of articles were spreading about my family's business, meaning that attaching the family's Moomoo badge on my jacket during the battle had paid off. Hopefully, that's going to lead to more sales in the future.
  
  There was a ton of speculation about whether I would challenge Pryce for the title of Champion, but that was never in my plans. I was cautiously confident in my ability to beat Pryce, but even if I were to attain the title, many would see a 16-year-old champion to be unsuitable for the position and there would be much opposition. It would be safer to remain as an Elite 4 member for some time to both prove myself as a trainer and as a pillar of Indigo before making any future plans about becoming Champion.
  
  Besides, being Champion was overkill anyway. Being the youngest Elite 4 member was sufficient enough for my purposes.
  
  I ended up yawning, checked the time, and found that it was almost midnight. I looked around and saw that my Pokémon had dispersed into familiar groups, where they were either chatting quietly or sleeping. I said my goodbyes to them and went back into the house.
  
  Before I went to into my room though, I quietly entered Whitney's room to make sure she was safe and asleep. I smiled as I found her snuggling her Teddiursa plushie that I bought for her years ago and sleeping soundly. I patted her softly on the head, making sure not to wake her, before heading back to my old room.
  
  I performed a quick check to make sure that I had a good suit and tie for my swearing in ceremony tomorrow, and then went to bed. My old bed creaked loudly at my weight, and the mattress was clearly old and needed to be replaced.
  
  Despite the fact that it wasn't the comfiest of beds, it was still good to be home.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 1-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  The New Normal - 1-2 - The Ceremony
  
  I was jolted awake the next day by Whitney, who pestered me incessantly to watch and help her train her Miltank. Her enthusiasm eventually won over my sleepiness, and I dragged myself out of bed to handle my morning ablutions.
  
  A very quick breakfast later, I joined my sister in the fields to oversee her training. My parents were already out taking care of the other Miltanks, and they said they didn't need my help.
  
  "Ok Miltank, we're going to be continuing your strength training so keep breaking those boulders!" Whitney had already told me in advance what she wanted me to help with, so I sent out Vordt to create rocks for Miltank to smash.
  
  "Miltank! Miltank! MILLLLTANK!" With each thrust of its deceptively stubby arms, Miltank managed to smash a rock into pieces. I looked carefully at Miltank as she continued smashing rocks, and noticed that though it was breathing heavily, it impressively still had plenty of energy left.
  
  I was amazed at Whitney's and Miltank's progress. Despite just being 11-years-old, Whitney's determination and persistence in training her Pokémon in a healthy and efficient manner was extremely eye-opening and remarkable.
  
  Admittedly, I did the same thing. But I had the benefit of my past-life to rely on. Whitney was just that naturally determined even as a child. And I couldn't be prouder.
  
  "Good job Whitney," I said as I patted her head with pride, "you've made incredible progress with Miltank's training. I believe you'll be one of the strongest starting trainers next season."
  
  Whitney turned to me with a bright smile on her face, "Thanks John!" she hugged me, "I just followed the tips you gave me in your letters. So you helped a lot too!"
  
  "Mil, Miltank!" Miltank clearly overheard our conversation and gave me a thumbs up with a smile on her face. I couldn't help but laugh at that.
  
  "Ursa, Urs, Luna" Vordt cut in. I nodded in agreement to Vordt's observations and looked at Whitney again.
  
  "Vordt's right Whitney. You and Miltank are definitely strong, but that's only for starter trainers." I tried to put a serious expression on my face as I said this, "Never let yourself become overconfident and rest on your laurels too much. There are -"
  
  "Always stronger opponents, yeah yeah I get it brother." Whitney snarked, "But I get it John, I really do. I'll never stop training my Pokémon." Miltank nodded alongside her.
  
  "Good. I know I say it a lot but it's the most common failing of an aspiring trainer to become arrogant and rush into things without proper preparation and training." I then gave her another pat on the head, "Besides, it's my duty as a brother to make sure you're going to be successful in whatever you do."
  
  Whitney turned red at this and punched me in the stomach in embarrassment, which I barely felt but pretended that it hurt, before turning away from me and telling Miltank to start with dodge training.
  
  I nodded to Vordt as he began throwing rocks at Miltank, who dodged the rocks with various degrees of success.
  
  "Miltank's dodging still needs work," I noted to Whitney, who didn't react to my comments, "But his endurance is quite good. She got hit by several rocks and shows no sign of injury."
  
  I was clearly talking to myself because Whitney ignored me as she continued watching Miltank struggle to dodge the incoming rocks.
  
  Whitney then cupped her hands and shouted, "Miltank! Use your fists to break the rocks that you can't dodge!" I smiled as I heard this. This was the exact conclusion I hoped Whitney would bring up herself without me telling her.
  
  With his added rock smashing, Miltank managed to avoid far more rocks than she did previously. Whitney allowed Miltank to persist for a few more minutes before ordering a break. Klee, who was watching carefully on the sidelines, went up to Miltank to heal him up.
  
  "Blissey, Blissey." Klee seemed to lecture Miltank about not training too hard and harming himself.
  
  "Mil, Mil." Miltank sighed and nodded at Klee, probably too tired at the moment to argue anyway.
  
  After seeing Miltank in action, I thought that, overall, it was well-balanced in its areas of training and the training regime didn't need any major changes. I told Whitney as such and she smiled and pumped her fists in the air.
  
  "Ok gang!" I shouted at my own Pokémon, "Miltank's already working hard, so let's start our own Gravity training now!"
  
  My training-obsessed team all cheered at this, which honestly sounded more like a battle roar than a cheer, before Klee and Luna quickly used Gravity on them. Though I can't say for certain if I 'discovered' Gravity training, but I was sure that it wasn't a widespread method of training Pokémon despite how effective it is at building strength. Of course, I had already explained in great detail to Whitney in my letters about the benefits of Gravity training.
  
  "Do you want to join in with your Miltank?" I asked Whitney, "We can start at a lower intensity of Gravity to start with, then increase or decrease it as necessary."
  
  Miltank excitedly agreed before Whitney could and got up and called out to Klee to use Gravity on him too. Miltank's excited expression quickly warped into one of intense concentration as she struggled with the newfound weight of his body.
  
  The morning and early afternoon passed like this as Whitney and I continued training our respective Pokémon. Overall, it was very productive and helped take my mind off of this evening's ceremony.
  
  It was late afternoon when the family gathered in the living room again, this time all formally dressed. My parents seemed to be a mix of excitement and nervousness, while Whitney was so excited that she could barely sit still in her pink frilly dress.
  
  We would be splitting up to travel to Indigo Plateau. Sadly, I was the only person to have a Flying License, so I could ride on Port with Whitney, as she was the lightest, while my parents would have to teleport there with Wyrdeer and Luna.
  
  While my mother fussed over everyone's appearance, I double checked my planned speech was still in my pocket. I was nervous about my upcoming speech as I knew that this speech would serve as a first impression for many, especially the Gym Leaders. There were some Gym Leaders that I desperately wanted to make a good impression with, as they would help greatly with my plans.
  
  "Ok lets go lets go!" Whitney complained, "We're going to be late! Gogogogogoo!" And she was already out the door and saddling herself onto Port. My parents shook their heads in exasperation while I just gave them a grin of my own before following Whitney and climbing onto Port and fastening myself in.
  
  I looked back and made sure that Whitney was securely fastened before waving to my parents, "See you there!" and flying off into the air with Port.
  
  Once in the air, Whitney gave whoops of excitement as she looked down at the many bright lights of Kanto. As we continued to fly over Kanto, Whitney asked me a question.
  
  "Hey John, when do you think I can get my own Flying License?! This is so cool!"
  
  I chuckled at her question before responding, "Honestly getting a Flying License is very similar to getting a driving license for a car. First, you need at least 5 Gym Badgers from any region to qualify. Then, for each region, you need to pass a practical and written test to show that you and your Pokémon are capable of flying safely in that specific region."
  
  "Aww poo. That sucks" Whitney whined, "that's gonna take so longggggg."
  
  I chuckled again at her complaining, "Just be patient Whitney. Don't worry, if you train hard, you'll get those badges in no time!" I encouraged.
  
  Whitney adopted a thoughtful look at that, and the rest of the flight passed in comfortable silence. Not long after, we landed at the League Headquarters, where the ceremony would take place.
  
  I was busy readjusting my own wind-battered appearance when a flash of light signified my parents' arrival via Teleport. I allowed myself to be given another once over by my mother before gently escorting my family past security and into the ballroom.
  
  Fortunately, we had chosen to arrive early, ahead of the photographers and media, so we weren't immediately mobbed by a crowd of frantic reporters. I made sure that my family managed to settle down at our designated table before making my way backstage as instructed in my invitation letter.
  
  I was immediately greeted by Mr Charles Goodshow, the President of Indigo League. Charles serves as effectively the permanent secretary to the Champion and handles much of the mundane paperwork of the League. Essentially, the Champion choses the direction and the big picture, while Charles handles the minutiae.
  
  "John! Good to see you! Your journey to the Elite 4 was remarkable, and so young too! I was in awe!" Charles simpered while reaching to shake my hand. I immediately disliked him but returned a false smile.
  
  "Thank you, Mr President. I hope to be of service." But not to you.
  
  "Excellent! Well, why don't you go meet your other colleagues in the Elite 4? I'm sure you'll be the best of friends soon." He patted me on the shoulders condescendingly as he said this, obviously judging me by my young age. I grit my teeth at that, but merely gave him a terse nod in response. No need to antagonize him so soon.
  
  Quickly separating myself from his odious presence, I made my way into the private lounge for the Champion and the Elite 4. Entering it, I could see that it was luxuriously decorated in red and gold with a giant carpet, so much so that it was gaudy and excessive, and I thought that it was a huge waste of wealth.
  
  More importantly than the décor though, were the individuals sat around the room. Champion Pryce, Elite 4 Agatha, Elite 4 Lance, and Elite 4 Walker. They all looked much younger than what was portrayed in the games, but by now I was used to people having different appearances as I recognized early that I was a few years before 'canon'.
  
  Funnily enough to Charles statement that we'd all be friends, the current members of the Elite 4 could not be seated any further apart from each other.
  
  Pryce was seated and reading the news, and studiously ignoring the stares that Lance was shooting at him from across the room. Which was hardly surprising, it was almost an open secret that Lance was eyeing Pryce's title as Champion. Agatha was speaking to a Gengar, but she was speaking quietly enough that I couldn't overhear their conversation. Lastly, Walker was looking through a journal about bird Pokémon.
  
  Agatha was the first to spot me, and she hobbled over with her cane tapping across the carpet as she inspected my appearance.
  
  "Ah, the newest and youngest of our prized Elite. To replace poor old Blaine. Hah!" She cackled, "Well at least you're from Kanto, we have enough of those Johto scoundrels here already."
  
  "Hey, hey, be nice to the newbie Agatha." Walker gently reproached before approaching me with a smile on his face, "I'm Walker, the older brother of the Violet City Gym Leader. My brother said some great things about you John, so it's nice to meet you." We shared a smile at that before shaking hands.
  
  Agatha snorted at that, "Bah! You and your brother think everyone is talented compared to you louts. You're all so past your prime that it's embarrassing that you even hold the titles that you do." She taunted.
  
  Walker's smile quickly disappeared, and he glared at Agatha with an angry expression on his face.
  
  "Now listen here you bit-"
  
  "Enough." Pryce interrupted from his seat, "Sit down and stop making a scene." He then turned his attention to me, still remaining seated. "I've seen your battles, John, and I approved your appointment despite your age, as we needed someone urgently to replace Blaine. Don't make me regret it." He then turned back to his book without acknowledging me any further.
  
  My fists clenched at his rude dismissal, but I held my tongue. I was still unproven, and so I didn't want to rock the boat until I had solidified my position.
  
  "John." Lance suddenly called out, gesturing with his hand for me to sit opposite him. He waited for me to sit down before continuing, "I've seen your Pokémon and your battles. How did you discover those evolutions for your Ursaring and Stantler?"
  
  Obviously, it was because of my past life meta-knowledge, but I couldn't say that. Luckily, I had some bullshit prepared for these types of questions.
  
  "Some timely observations, mostly luck. For Ursaring, I noticed that he enjoyed playing around with peat blocks, and I thought that teaching him to manipulate it would be a useful surprise attack. Instead, he actually evolved from it. For Stantler, I found that its species possesses many psychic type moves, which I thought to enhance. Eventually, I had enhanced it enough to trigger its evolution."
  
  "Fascinating. And to discover it as such a young age too." Lance praised. "You have a fascinating mind, John. No wonder you became the youngest member of the Elite 4."
  
  "Thank you, Lance. But that most of that credit goes to my Pokémon. They did the hard work." Agatha cackled once again at my statement, making it clear that she had overheard our conversation.
  
  Lance ignored Agatha, "A good sentiment. I can see from your words and actions that you care greatly for your Pokémon and are determined to make them the strongest they can be. Good. I look forward to working with you." We shook hands at that, and I couldn't help but smile as I took in Lance's approval.
  
  Despite Pryce's position as Champion, I saw Lance as the most important figure in the room. I knew that Pryce's days as Champion was numbered, even without relying on my knowledge of canon, as I believed that Lance was stronger than Pryce and would make an official challenge soon.
  
  With almost perfect timing, Charles popped into the room and announced that it was time for the ceremony to begin and that we should make our way onstage.
  
  As I followed my new colleagues onto the stage, I was hit by another bout of nervousness which I failed to shake off. Walker took notice though, and he patted me reassuringly on the shoulder.
  
  "Come on, your family is cheering for you." He said as he gestured to my family's table. I looked over at them and saw my family all waving at me with bright smiles, which caused one to quickly spread across my own face. Feeling much less nervous now, I thanked Walker and took my place to the right of Lance on the stage as the second member of the Elite 4, with the first being Walker.
  
  The order of the Elite 4 has nothing to do with strength, though it typically is seen as such. And to be fair, I thought Walker was the weakest of the Elite 4 by far.
  
  I was broken away by my thoughts as cameras started to flash wildly as Charles approached the microphone.
  
  "Thank you! Thank you! Today, I have the honour of introducing the latest, and youngest, member to the Elite 4. Please welcome, John Smith." He gestured to me as the cameras rapidly turned towards me and began their onslaught of flashes again. "Would you like to say a few words, John?"
  
  Charles stepped away from the microphone as I replaced him, prepared speech in hand. Honestly, I thought I would be feeling more nervous, but all I could feel was calm acceptance and pride as I realized that I had achieved one of my long-time goals.
  
  I took a deep breath to settle myself before beginning.
  
  "Thank you everyone. I am very honoured and humbled to accept the position of being the newest Elite 4. Of course, I would not have been able to do this without the unconditional support of my family and Pokémon, both of which I relied on heavily to push myself to where I am today. I hope that I will prove to be a pillar and icon of strength and safety for the people and Pokémon of Indigo for many years to come." I paused slightly at that before continuing.
  
  "Despite my young age, I am not blind to the many problems that plague our young union of Kanto and Johto. Thus, though it may be outside the normal purview of an Elite 4, one of my long-term goals as a member of the Elite 4 will be to aid both nations and create shared prosperity for all." As I said this, I could feel Pryce glaring at the back of my head, "Thank you. I will be taking questions."
  
  A sea of hands were raised at that, and I picked one out at random. "Sir, can you explain what you meant by bringing prosperity? How does being an Elite 4 allow you to do that?"
  
  Thank Arceus I actually anticipated these questions. "You're right, being an Elite 4 member doesn't allow me to do anything directly. But I hope to facilitate connections with individuals that share my goals to help me improve both nations' economies and integrate them together. I may be young, but that doesn't mean I should sit still and do nothing."
  
  I got a loud applause in response, before I fielded another question, "Are you going to challenge Champion Pryce for the title? You'd be the youngest Champion ever!"
  
  Wow, I could feel the hole Pryce was drilling into the back of my head widen even further at that question. Worse, I could feel Lance doing the same.
  
  "No, I don't." I responded with as much seriousness as I could muster, wanting to shut down this line of questioning as soon as possible. "I am happy enough with being in the Elite 4. I don't have any ambitions for being Champion anytime soon, and I feel that I should definitely settle into the role of Elite 4 first before making any future plans at becoming Champion."
  
  Fortunately, the next topic veered widely away from any talk of me being Champion, "Sir, do you have a girlfriend?"
  
  I couldn't help but laugh at that, "No, I don't. And on that note, that's all the questions I will be answering today. Thank you all for coming." With that, I walked away from the stand despite the vocal protest of reporters desperately trying to ask more inane questions to fill their headlines.
  
  I took my place solemnly opposite of Pryce, who didn't look happy but at least wasn't glaring at me anymore.
  
  He recited, "Do you, John Smith, solemnly swear on Arceus that you will serve the interests of Indigo as the newest member of the Elite 4?"
  
  "I do."
  
  "Then with my position as Champion, I grant you the honour of joining the Elite 4." I was almost blinded and deafened by the bright and frantic camera flashes and the loud cheers that erupted from the audience.
  
  From then on, the ceremony was over, and everyone proceeded to the party itself. After being swarmed with congratulations by strangers that I never spoke to, I re-joined my family at our table.
  
  "You did well, dear." My mom said as she palmed my hand and fought back the tears welling up in her eyes, "You've made us all very proud."
  
  My father rubbed my shoulders at that. He didn't say anything, but I could tell that his eyes were moist too.
  
  "That was so cool bro!" My sister broke in, blissfully shattering the moment, "I want to be on stage with all those cameras too! Do you think I can do that one day?"
  
  "Of course, Whitney. If you keep training hard, I'm sure one day you'll be on that same stage too." I responded with confidence. What I didn't say was that I believed her capable of being the Goldenrod Gym Leader like she was in canon.
  
  "Ah, I'm sorry to bother you and disturb your family time, Elite John." A deep voice caught my attention as I turned around and saw a familiar-looking black-haired man wearing what looked like an expensive suit. He looked middle-aged but was clearly aging well.
  
  "Ah, yes. Gym Leader Giovanni." I stood up and greeted him with a handshake, "How may I help you?"
  
  "Well, as the 8th Gym, I work very closely with members of the Elite 4. I wanted to discuss with you about your ideas of helping Kanto prosper a bit further." He looked me directly in the eyes as he said this, likely taking my measure.
  
  "Of course, I'd love to." I responded. I had intended to initiate contact with Giovanni myself but seeing him approach me first was both a blessing and a curse.
  
  Throughout my journeys in Kanto and Johto, I remained wary and alert about rumours about Team Rocket's activities but found nothing. Thus, I believed that Team Rocket had either not formed yet, or they were still in the early stages. That was crucial, as I hoped to influence Team Rocket away from traditional villainy. And to do that, I needed to speak with Giovanni.
  
  "I also had a few things I wanted to talk about with you as well." I continued, "But I don't believe that this is a very suitable environment to speak in. Maybe we can speak in private later?"
  
  "Of course," said Giovanni, "I admit to being intrigued to listen to what you wanted to speak about, so perhaps we could talk in my office in Viridian afterwards."
  
  "Sure, and thanks for coming when you didn't have to." I said, since attendance was optional for Gym Leaders. Though the entire ceremony was open to the public.
  
  We parted ways with that after exchanging contact details, and I turned around to return to my family's table. However, before I could sit down, Agatha approached me with a very familiar and beautiful teenage girl at her side.
  
  "John, getting a big head from all the congratulations you're getting?" Agatha mocked, and she continued before I could reply.
  
  "Well, that doesn't matter. Come, I wanted to introduce you to my apprentice, Karen." She gestured to the tall teenage girl standing next to her.
  
  'Wow she's hot.' Was my first thought when looking at Karen. I mean I knew that her sprite was attractive back in the games but looking at the real deal in front of me really put that to shame.
  
  Shaking off my inner thoughts about her appearance for a moment, I shook Karen's extended hand, "Nice to meet you Karen, I'm John."
  
  "Wow, not even using your new title huh? Did you forget about it already?" Karen teased, but not maliciously.
  
  I grinned in response, "Of course not, but I'm not someone who waves their title around in search of validation. I know my Pokémon are strong, and that's all I need."
  
  Karen's eyebrows raised in approval, "That's good. Glad to see you're not one of those boys who see a pretty face and feel the need to show off."
  
  "A pretty face? Where?" I pretended to look around and she lightly slapped me on the arm in response which brought grins on both of our faces.
  
  Agatha coughed loudly and tapped the floor with her cane, "Well, I'm pleased to see you two young'uns are getting on so well." Agatha interrupted, turning serious for a moment, "John, Pryce is going to tell you later that you'll be sent to Hoenn on some diplomatic mission to improve relations between them and Indigo. I want you to bring Karen along. After all, you seem to be getting on quite well."
  
  I blushed slightly at her final comment, causing Agatha to cackle again as she saw it. But then I became focused again and asked Agatha.
  
  "Why is Pryce sending me to Hoenn so soon? I've just been sworn in as the newest Elite 4!" I asked with some confusion.
  
  Agatha gave me a pitying look, "Pryce never liked you, boy." She said bluntly with a shake of her head, "He thought you were too young to handle the responsibilities of your position but chose you anyways because you won the Indigo Conference. And now with your speech about wanting to help with the politics of Indigo? Pryce hates you even more now."
  
  I took in her words and paused to consider them. I knew from the news articles that Pryce was considered a stable leader, which in other words meant that he liked doing nothing and maintaining the status quo. I guess that's why he's sending me away so that I don't upset anything.
  
  I frowned at my realisation. I was annoyed that I was being side-lined for wanting to help, but I knew protesting against this was useless.
  
  "Well, I can't say that I'm not frustrated about this, but thank you anyways for the warning, Agatha." I said to her, before turning my attention to Karen who had been standing there silently, "And yes, Karen, I'd love to bring you along with me to Hoenn. Can I get your contact details so that we can meet up later?"
  
  Karen gave me a sultry smile at that, before taking out a pen and paper from her pockets and writing down her phone address on it. "Call me anytime." She smirked.
  
  I gave her a smile of my own before turning back to Agatha, who had been eyeing my interactions with Karen with a sharp look, "Is there anything else?" I asked.
  
  "No," she said with a shake of her head, "But I think introducing you to Karen is going to go better than I thought it would." She said with a grin and a gleam in her eyes. Agatha then turned and ordered Karen to escort her away.
  
  I stopped to watch them leave momentarily before returning to my family. Both my mom and Whitney gave me cheeky smiles when they saw me talking to Karen, but I ignored their teasing looks as I tried to absorb everything that just happened.
  
  Of course, that was when Pryce approached me with a blank expression on his face.
  
  "John, I'm sending you to Hoenn tomorrow evening by ship. You'll be communicating with the Hoenn League to show off the strength of Indigo and to ensure that we can work closely with each other. While in Hoenn, you will act and behave as a member of the Elite 4 should. Understood?" Pryce said sternly with a curt tone that warranted no response.
  
  I held in my annoyance and managed to give off a "Yes, Sir." Where he merely nodded in response and walked away. I clenched my fists as I watched him leave.
  
  "Problems?" Asked my mother with a worried look.
  
  I held her hand in reassurance and shook my head, "No, it's ok. I can handle it."
  
  "The Champion looked unhappy to see you." Whitney mumbled with a frown, "He looks so mean."
  
  "Don't worry sis. That's just how he is." I comforted my sister with a pat on the head, making sure not to mess up her carefully crafted hairstyle.
  
  I then took out my phone and texted Giovanni, I wanted to meet him tonight.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 1-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  The New Normal - 1-3 - An Important Meeting
  
  I was too caught up in my own thoughts to mingle any further at the ceremony, so I left and made my way to Viridian by flying on Port after making sure that my family were able to be Teleported home.
  
  As I was flying to meet with Giovanni, my thoughts lingered on Pryce's attitude towards me. Although I had assured my parents that there were no issues, I knew that I was lying. I was upset at Pryce but couldn't say anything due to my juniority.
  
  I could only hope that Lance would replace Pryce soon. I had a better first impression of Lance, and he seemed to genuinely respect me. I hoped to foster good relations with Lance; he and the Blackthorn clan would be valuable allies to have.
  
  Speaking of plans, I refocused my attention to the upcoming meeting with Giovanni. When I first met Giovanni during my match against him for the Earth Badge, I saw him as someone who deeply cared for his Pokémon. I don't believe someone like that would resort to stealing other people's Pokémon for money unless he had no other choice or was doing so to serve a larger goal.
  
  Therefore, for our meeting, I had two goals going in. One, I wanted to ascertain the status of Team Rocket. Ideally, I hope to steer Giovanni away from Team Rocket if that was possible. To do that, I would need to know more about Giovanni's aims and persuade him that the use of Team Rocket was unnecessary. Secondly, if he proves to be receptive, then I wanted his help in integrating Kanto with Johto on a greater level.
  
  I managed to go through my plan once more before I landed just outside the Viridian Gym. It was very late at night, so the streets were empty. The lights at the Gym were all turned off, and I wondered how I would get to Giovanni's office by myself.
  
  Just as I thought that a lone security guard waved at me at the unlocked back entrance and gestured for me to head inside. I gave him my thanks as I followed him into the building. As I walked with the security guard, I noticed that he had a familiar purple goatee that I swore I recognised somewhere. However, as it was dark, I couldn't properly make out his identity.
  
  Neither of us said a word to each other as we walked to Giovanni's office. Once we arrived, he simply knocked on the door and left us alone.
  
  "Ah, come in John, good to see that you're someone who honours their promises." Giovanni greeted, "please, have a seat. Do you want something to drink?" He gestured to the many, likely expensive, bottles of alcohol stored in his wine cabinet.
  
  "Um, no, that's fine. I'm too young anyways." I responded as I sat, and I really didn't want to get drunk for this conversation. I waited as he poured himself a drink.
  
  "So, John, I hope you don't mind if we skip the pleasantries." I nodded at that, "What did you think of Champion Pryce?"
  
  I carefully considered my response before I said anything. I knew that any potential friendship or alliance with Giovanni would be made or broken by my next few sentences.
  
  "Well...I think that he could be doing a lot more with his position than what he is currently doing." I stated diplomatically, thinking carefully before I continued, "I think that his inaction blatantly favours Johto, and us Kantonians are suffering from it."
  
  I saw that Giovanni agreed with my statements, as he leaned forward slightly, and his eyes gleamed with interest.
  
  "I think that, while Pryce has provided stability to Indigo, that stability came at a cost of Kanto's economy as Johto's stronger economy encroaches more and more on Kanto's for every passing year." I continued, now speaking with a bit more confidence and passion in my voice, "The Indigo League sits around and does nothing about it...if anything, they're the ones benefiting from this. I'm wary that if this continues, Kanto will be subordinated to Johto and we will no longer be equals."
  
  I saw a smile spread across Giovanni's face as he nodded to this, unconsciously tapping a finger on the table, "Yes, you're right," he replied, "It's surprising how someone as young as you can see the exact problems facing Kanto that I saw."
  
  Giovanni got up and started pacing around the room, "Continuing with the administration's current course would be disastrous for Kanto in the long-term. They would use their economic advantage to create a military advantage against us." He stopped and turned to me, his face now adopting a furious expression and his tone becoming increasingly enraged, "and I will not allow Kanto to be subordinated to Johto."
  
  Giovanni exhaled and took a deep breath to calm himself before questioning, "Tell me, John, what do you think we should do about this?"
  
  "We should find ways to improve Kanto's economy and circumvent the League." I responded immediately, "Encouraging more private businesses and trade to be based in Kanto will help bolster the economy and hopefully allow Kanto's economy to catch up with Johto's. Currently, many businesses and industries are based in Johto due to their better economic situation, but if we could persuade them to move to Kanto, then our economies would be more balanced and we wouldn't suffer from such a large trade deficit as we do now."
  
  Giovanni gave a hum of approval at that, "Yes, that's what I thought of too, but that isn't enough."
  
  "It isn't." I replied, "Therefore I believe that we should also work to integrate the two nations closer together. After all, we already share many similarities in our culture, so we would just need to change the way people think. If everyone didn't think of 'Johto' or 'Kanto', but rather the combined 'Indigo', then Kanto will never be subordinated to Johto because both will be one in the same."
  
  Giovanni listened to this with a stoic expression as he locked eyes with me. A part of me wanted to look away, but I reminded myself that I had stared down greater threats than Giovanni, so I refused to break eye contact.
  
  "Hmmm, I must admit that your ideas are novel and are something I hadn't previously considered." Giovanni allowed, "You know, my late mother was convinced that the only way for Kanto to maintain its position in the world was to create a paramilitary group of trainers that operated in the shadows to prevent and undermine a Johto invasion."
  
  "That seems like an incredibly terrible idea," I quickly cut in, understanding that this was Team Rocket's true purpose, "not to mention very short-sighted. Hoenn wouldn't stand for that either and they'd quickly ally against such an organisation."
  
  "Perhaps," Giovanni permitted, though he clearly didn't agree with what I said, "But I did think that doing so would be a last-ditch resort." He paused to take a sip of whiskey before giving me a look, "You know, Pryce was planning on directly appointing his niece, Lorelei, to replace Blaine as the newest member of the Elite 4. He felt that having another member of the Elite 4 that was supportive to him would let him stay as Champion for longer. Luckily, the fact that you won the Indigo Conference and discovered two new evolutions made you the far better appointment than Lorelei, so Pryce was practically forced to appoint you. He hated doing that and has been trying to find a reason to get you removed."
  
  I blinked at that, since I didn't know that was how Lorelei got appointed. Giovanni chuckled at my surprise, before his expression darkened.
  
  "If Lorelei had been appointed instead of you, we would have had no representation within the upper echelons of the League." Giovanni scowled as he began to rant, "Kanto would have been side-lined! Those Johto parasites would make us poorer and poorer until we were nothing more than their servants! I would do ANYTHING to prevent that from happening. You understand, don't you, John? You came from poverty too, didn't you?"
  
  "Of course I understand." I bit out before I could stop myself, my fists clenching beneath the table reflexively. A thought suddenly came up, "What about Agatha? She's from Kanto." I pointed out.
  
  Giovanni shook his head at that, "No. Agatha may be from Kanto, but she is entirely unconcerned about anything that isn't related to Lavender Town." He took another sip of whiskey, "She has Lavender Town under her iron grip. It is her legacy. She would ensure that Lavender Town, and only Lavender Town, remains strong, regardless of what happens to Kanto. No, we can only rely on my-...ourselves to protect Kanto."
  
  Giovanni then checked the time on his expensive wristwatch, "Ah, it's getting late." He noted, "Regardless, I was very pleased to see you and to discuss things with you, John. You have some interesting ideas, and I think you and I will be able to work well together." He extended a hand towards me.
  
  "Yes, I agree." I said, shaking his hand, "This was an enlightening conversation." I said, surprisingly honestly. I learnt a lot more than I thought I would about the politics of Indigo from this conversation. Then again, considering how involved and passionate Giovanni seems to be about it, maybe it isn't so surprising.
  
  "Oh, and before you leave, John, did Pryce give you a task to do as a member of the Elite 4?" Giovanni ventured.
  
  "Ah, yes, he did actually." I said, which caused Giovanni to raise an inquisitive eyebrow, "I'm being sent to Hoenn on a 'diplomatic' mission and to show off the strength of Indigo. It's all a lie though, they bought me an economy class seat on a standard ship and are sending me by myself!" I said the last part with more bitterness than I was expecting.
  
  Giovanni rubbed his mouth with a considering expression, "Hmm, he's clearly trying to move you out of the way, so you don't do anything he doesn't like. That, or he's trying to trip you up." I nodded at that, "That's disappointing, but not surprising."
  
  He thought about it for a bit, before snapping his fingers and a cunning smile spread across his face, "But that gives us an opportunity." He turned towards the closed door, "PETREL, get in here!"
  
  I had to fight to prevent the look of surprise and recognition from appearing from my face. I knew that name. So, it seems that the Team Rocket admins were founded from Giovanni's close friends. Interesting. I wonder if I would be able to identify the other executives through this way of thinking.
  
  I dismissed my errant thoughts as Petrel walked into the room, looking exactly like his in-game sprite, though he wasn't slouching and instead stood ramrod straight. Giovanni nodded at Petrel as he arrived and said, "Petrel, go to the lab and fetch a Porygon for John here. I want to present it to him as a gift."
  
  My eyes widened at that. I obviously knew that Team Rocket had produced Porygons, and obtaining one was one of my goals, but I never thought I would just be given one. From Giovanni no less.
  
  I barely even noticed Petrel leaving the room before I saw Giovanni turning to me again, "Porygon was a Pokémon that my scientists created out of computer code," he explained, "We all thought it was an Electric type at first, but it's proven to be a Normal type. I thought that it would be a suitable gift for you, considering your type specialty, and you could bring it to Hoenn and show it off. Just don't forget to mention my name." He chuckled.
  
  "Oh, um, yes, of course." I babbled in surprise, "Thank you, Giovanni, I do really appreciate this."
  
  "Don't worry about it," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "After all, we're friends, right?" He smiled at me as he said this, but I noticed that his smile didn't reach his eyes and that he was staring deeply at me. I gulped involuntarily, realizing that I may have just accepted a gift from Giratina.
  
  "Yes, friends, of course," I agreed, hopefully without any nervousness in my voice, "was the discovery of Porygon your idea?" I said, hoping to change the topic.
  
  "Hmmm, no. I didn't think of it." Giovanni stated, "I don't have your talent for discovering new Pokémon. My talents lie more in delegation and leadership." He boasted.
  
  "Maybe you can teach me more about delegation one day." I joked but realized that Giovanni had a considering expression on his face.
  
  "Maybe." Was all he said in response, which made me nervous once again.
  
  Luckily, Petrel re-entered the room carrying a Pokéball, breaking me from my thoughts. He passed the Pokéball to Giovanni, who grabbed my hand and placed it carefully on my palm.
  
  "Here you go, John. Make sure you treat it well." He said with a weird look in his eyes that I couldn't quite place.
  
  "I will." I promised, before releasing my newest Pokémon into his office. The Porygon was so small, and despite its blocky appearance I found it to be very cute. I smiled as I thought about how Whitney would react to it.
  
  Giovanni saw my smile and gave one of his own, "I can see that you like it already." He chuckled slightly before donning a more neutral smile, "Sadly, we still aren't able to mass produce Porygon at this time. We also haven't figured out if it can evolve yet. But who knows, maybe you'll be able to figure out if it can evolve!"
  
  'Oh, I'm sure it can.' I thought to myself, 'Just need to figure out how to create an Up-Grade and a Dubious Disc.'
  
  I returned my new Porygon back into the Pokéball and bowed slightly to Giovanni. "Thank you again, Gym Leader Giovanni. I promise to treat Porygon well and train it to be the best it can be."
  
  Giovanni simply nodded in acceptance before glancing at his watch once again. "Hmm, it's really late. And you have a long journey ahead of you to Hoenn tomorrow, so I better let you go." He snapped his fingers at Petrel and gestured towards the door, "It was nice meeting you, John. Let's talk again soon."
  
  "Yes, it was nice talking to you. Have a good night, Giovanni." I followed Petrel out the door and was once again escorted by him back the way we came. As we walked, I engrossed myself in my own thoughts and pondered the meeting I just had.
  
  Overall, I considered the meeting a great success. I believe that I may have managed to avert Giovanni from forming Team Rocket, not with my smart and intelligent arguments, but with the sheer coincidence that my appointment to the Elite 4 managed to prevent the worst-case scenario. Not that I'm complaining of course, preventing Giovanni from creating Team Rocket was one of my biggest goals, after all.
  
  Though I knew that it didn't mean that Team Rocket was gone forever. Circumstances may change that would cause Giovanni to resort to using Team Rocket. Or perhaps Team Rocket would be formed under another leader. But I couldn't do anything about that now, so I forced myself not to worry about it.
  
  My friendship with Giovanni was definitely a welcome surprise though, especially with him gifting a Porygon to me. I was hesitant to admit it, but I could relate to Giovanni. If something or someone threatened to return my family back into poverty, I believe I would also do anything and everything to ensure my family's prosperity, no matter the cost. The thought that I was similar to Giovanni scared me, but I assured myself that I wouldn't allow such a scenario from occurring in the first place.
  
  "You have my thanks, Elite John." Petrel suddenly said with a surprisingly refined voice, breaking me away from my dark thoughts as I turned to him with a curious expression. "Giovanni had been overly stressed that Lorelei would be the new member of the Elite 4 to replace Blaine. I doubt you did it on purpose, but your appointment really alleviated a lot of the worries on Giovanni's shoulders."
  
  I wasn't too sure how to respond to that, so I simply said, "Well, you're welcome, I think?"
  
  Petrel chuckled at that, "Yes, I'm also glad that you saw past Giovanni's unflattering reputation and agreed to work with him." He said loyally, "Giovanni may act unscrupulously at times, but he does so for the good of Kanto. I hope you'll be able to understand his motivations and continue your friendship with him in the future."
  
  I only nodded at that, and we walked the rest of the way in silence until we arrived back outside the Viridian Gym. I released Port from his Pokéball and began saddling myself up. Petrel spoke up one last time before I flew off, "Good luck in Hoenn, Elite John. Please call Giovanni if you need any help or if you have any news that he'd might want to hear."
  
  "I will." I said honestly, as I did intend to foster my newfound friendship with Giovanni, "Have a good night, Petrel." And I flew off back towards the farmhouse, deep in my thoughts once more.
  
  'On the whole, being friends with Giovanni could only be a good thing, right?' I convinced myself.
  
  Not long after, I arrived back at home and noticed that all the lights were off, meaning that my family was most likely already asleep.
  
  I walked to an empty space in the fields, being careful not to wake any of the sleeping Miltank that were scattered around, before releasing all my Pokémon except for my new Porygon.
  
  "Ok gang," I called out, "We have a new team member," I was cut off by the cheers and roars of my Pokémon, "Yes, yes, quiet down, I know it's very exciting but please don't wake everyone up." I said, trying to calm my Pokémon's excitement.
  
  "Bliss, Blissey!" Klee said excitedly, before running over and grabbing Porygon's Pokéball from my belt and releasing my new Porygon.
  
  "Porygon? Gon?" My small Porygon only had a small window of relief before it was immediately mobbed by my Pokémon. Klee was holding it in her arms, patting it down and checking it over. My larger Pokémon, Smough, Vordt, and Tyrant, were looming over it at a distance. I wasn't sure yet if Porygon's had emotions, but if they did then the looming presence of my three largest Pokémon must have made an intimidating sight.
  
  My remaining Pokémon all took turns with Klee inspecting or holding my new Pokémon, and my poor Porygon was subjected to a mixture of hugs, soft pecks, and antler rubs.
  
  I stood back and happily watched my Pokémon play with my new Porygon as I struggled to think of a good name for it. Not only that, but I had to think of a plan on how to train it. Most importantly, I needed to find out if my Porygon could feel or could learn to feel emotions. My training methods would vary heavily if it couldn't.
  
  I took out my notepad and started scribbling some notes as I drowned out the sounds of my Pokémon playing around in the background. Though it was late, apparently for my Pokémon the excitement of greeting a new teammate was more important than sleep. To this day, I am still surprised, and proud, by the fact that Smough, Vordt, and Tyrant were so active and energetic. That was very unlike their lazy counterparts.
  
  "Clef! Clefable." Luna suddenly called out to attract my attention as she lifted Porygon in her arms and carried it over to me. Apparently, she wanted me to name it as soon as possible as she didn't want it to feel left out by not having a nickname.
  
  As I looked down at the tiny Porygon being cradled by Luna, I had a sudden urge to take a picture of this scene and show it to Whitney. As I thought that, a name suddenly sprang to mind.
  
  "Pixel. I'm going to name you Pixel, Porygon." I declared and patted its blocky head. Honestly, its blocky frame was a bit awkward to stroke, but I'm sure I'd adapt soon enough. It was too cute to resist anyways.
  
  "Porygon? Pory. Gon! Gon!" Pixel cheered. I could tell that it liked its new name as I saw its eyes turning into small crescents as it brightened. It was very subtle, but it proved that Pixel was capable of feeling emotions, though its appearance made expressing that emotion to be very subtle.
  
  "Clefable! Clefable!" Luna was obviously equally as delighted as Pixel and carried it back over her head back to my other Pokémon, who all joined in on the enthusiasm.
  
  Amusingly, I watched as Tyrant bent over more than ninety degrees as he carefully picked up Pixel in his giant hands, which seemed to make Pixel look even smaller, and placed it on Smough's belly, who was lying down on the grass.
  
  Pixel looked down and inspected the new 'ground' that it was on, before bouncing slightly on Smough's belly, eliciting cheers from Klee and Luna and a disgruntled groan from Smough. Soon after, Klaus levitated Pixel on his back before galloping quickly around the fields, Pidgeot and Port flying after them.
  
  Although I wanted to join in on the fun, I was feeling too tired to do so after the long and exhausting day that I had. Seeing that most of my Pokémon didn't seem like sleeping anytime soon, I allowed them to continue their fun before I made my way back to my room and promptly fell asleep.
  
  A.N: Thank you all very much for the support and comments! It really does motivate me to write more. I hope that I have managed to write a Giovanni that isn't just a 2D villain.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 1-4 - INTERLUDE: GIOVANNI
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - INTERLUDE - Giovanni
  
  Giovanni watched as John left the room with Petrel. He leaned back heavily against his chair as he pondered about the newest member of the Elite 4.
  
  John was clearly very intelligent; after all, it took a very creative and inventive mind to discover two new evolutions at such a young age. Not only that, but John also was very passionate about influencing the geopolitics of Indigo. Would that be something to nurture further as another person to bounce ideas off of?
  
  Nurturing John's intelligence and passion for politics further would make him another valuable tool for ensuring Kanto's prosperity. However, could John be trusted to always work for the benefits of Kanto, like Giovanni was? Giovanni noticed that John was an ambitious individual, and so would such ambition cause John to sell out Kanto for his own selfish desires?
  
  Could he trust John to share his burden of ensuring a prosperous Kanto? Or would he be more effective as a figurehead for Giovanni's own ideals? No, John was much too opinionated and strong for him to effectively puppet. Giovanni noted that John clearly had his own goals that he was stubbornly fixated on, which would make him a poor puppet.
  
  Giovanni supposed that he could employ some forceful persuasion to encourage John's cooperation. He knew blackmail was an extreme option and would certainly sour the relationship forever. But if it was for the greater good for Kanto, then it might be worth it.
  
  With that in mind, Giovanni reached over and opened his laptop, browsing his files until he found the new one that he created for John.
  
  Said file contained almost everything Giovanni could find out about John through the Pokénet and through his own private investigations. The file listed John's entire family, where he lived, their business interests, John's Pokémon, and a summary of his employed experts' observations about his Pokémon's battles.
  
  Clearly, John greatly loved his family and took nearly opportunity to ensure that his family's would remain prosperous, which was something Giovanni could respect. Giovanni's psychologists all stated that John was heavily affected by the poverty he and his family endured during his childhood, which was the main event driving John's current ambitions and something Giovanni himself could relate to.
  
  Giovanni drummed his fingers across the table as he thought about his options. He supposed that he currently had made a positive first impression on John, so there was no need to tarnish it by resorting to blackmail or threats so soon. He mentally filed it as a last resort option if John no longer chose to work for the good of Kanto.
  
  As always, it fell to him to ensure the future of Kanto, as he knew it would be.
  
  As Giovanni reminded himself of his destiny once again, a familiar pattern knocked on his door briefly before Petrel walked into the room. Petrel gave a subtle hand gesture to indicate that there were no problems and that the room was not being monitored, Giovanni nodded at that.
  
  "Petrel." Giovanni started, "Did you listen to my conversation with John?"
  
  "Yes Boss, heard every last word." Petrel stated. "Do you want the recording of your meeting?" He gestured to a small voice recorder that he had hidden in his jacket pocket that was connected to a tiny microphone hidden in Giovanni's office. The recorder itself was also disguised to look like a normal walkie-talkie.
  
  "No need," Giovanni said with a nonchalant wave of his hand, "just store it under John's file. Make a new tab."
  
  Petrel merely nodded at that before falling silent once more as he loyally waited for Giovanni to provide further instructions and a few moments passed in silence between the two before Giovanni spoke up once more.
  
  "What did you think of John? Is he receptive to our goals?" Giovanni asked.
  
  "I think he would prove useful to you, Boss." Petrel remarked, "His ideas about encouraging and relocating more private businesses into Kanto are very similar to our own ideas, Boss. He may have some unusual ideas about integrating Kanto and Johto together, but I believe his ideas come from an honest desire to better Kanto."
  
  Giovanni nodded at that; it was what he thought too but it was always useful to have a second opinion. Giovanni noticed that Petrel had more to say so he gestured for him to continue.
  
  "I don't think blackmailing or threatening him would be a good idea, Boss." Petrel had clearly predicted Giovanni's line of thinking, "If he reacts negatively to it, we could be in for a bad time." Petrel hesitated slightly as he said this.
  
  "Speak freely, Petrel, I want to hear your true thoughts about what would happen if I chose to blackmail John." Giovanni encouraged.
  
  "Yes Boss. I think we should avoid becoming antagonistic with John. In a direct fight, I definitely couldn't beat him. And I'm not very confident in your chances either, Boss." Petrel declared, "And John's family is the only thing holding his leash. If we go after them, we have more to lose than he does."
  
  Giovanni agreed with his analysis. He knew that his talents laid more towards leadership and strategy than it did as a trainer. Giovanni thought that he was a great trainer, but he could admit that he wasn't the best. Additionally, he knew that a public fight between himself and John would destroy what remains of Kanto's already meagre political influence.
  
  "Do you think he could be manipulated? Perhaps we could use him as a figurehead?" Giovanni suggested.
  
  "Unlikely, Boss, I think he'd eventually notice that he was being manipulated and would not react well to it. It would only really work in the short term." Petrel replied, "I think it best to work with him rather than try to force him to work with us."
  
  Giovanni accepted that; it was his preferred way to work with others rather than with forcing them to work for you. The latter often ended messily, he learned.
  
  "How did he react to my gift?" Giovanni asked, "Did he think of it as a gift or a bribe?"
  
  "The latter, Boss." Petrel responded, "He was clearly taken aback and was surprised by it, though it was obvious that he was very happy to receive it. As I escorted him out, he was thinking very deeply about something. I believe he was thinking about your gift, and how he would pay you back for it."
  
  "Good, then my actions paid off." Giovanni declared, though he inwardly confessed that he would be fine if John saw it as a gift too. Giovanni really wasn't as mercenary as others were made to believe. He could tell instinctively that John would greatly care for Porygon, and Giovanni still sought for his Pokémon's happiness.
  
  He would never voluntarily give a Pokémon away to someone that would abuse them, not again.
  
  Returning back to the topic at hand, Giovanni resumed his questioning, "How do you think we should proceed with our relationship with John, going forward?"
  
  Petrel considered this for a moment before replying, "I think John thinks of you as a friend, Boss. I believe he would be willing to help you if you asked him to, so long as he sees your request is reasonable." Petrel paused momentarily, "However, as with all new relationships, I recommend proceeding with caution and to continue observing him. We shouldn't make any big requests to John based on our perceived assumptions before we can get a better measure of him. Maybe he could surprise us."
  
  Giovanni contemplated Petrel's words. He supposed that there was no harm in maintaining a positive relationship with John for the moment. John currently provided little reason to force Giovanni to make use of his more extreme options.
  
  Giovanni gave a simple nod at Petrel to signify that he agreed, before moving on to the next topic.
  
  "For the past few weeks, I have been considering reforming my mother's project. But John's statement that it would be a terrible and overly short-sighted idea has caused me to hesitate. I want your opinion, Petrel."
  
  Giovanni was pleased to see that Petrel showed no sign of confusion or hesitation at the change in topic. He always appreciated intelligent subordinates, just so long as they weren't more intelligent than himself.
  
  "I think that...with John's appointment to the Elite 4 and his newfound friendship with you, Boss, that it might be overly hasty to reform Team Rocket at this point." Petrel cautiously stated, stopping for an instant to observe Giovanni's expression before continuing "I believe that there are too many unforeseen consequences with being associated with Team Rocket, Boss, and it would be disastrous if the public found out. You would be deemed persona non grata."
  
  Giovanni grimaced at that but kept his silence. So far, he had, at worst, made use of legally questionable acts in his quest to restore Kanto to its proper place, nothing that couldn't be denied with the right bribes or blackmail.
  
  However, employing Team Rocket would be a shift towards violently ignoring the laws of the League and it would bring unwanted attention towards himself. If his connection to Team Rocket was disclosed to the public, it would undermine everything that he worked so tirelessly to build up.
  
  "That was in-line with my own thoughts as well," Giovanni conceded, grimacing slightly at the thought of losing everything. He shuddered at the thought of Kanto's future without his guiding hand, "We shouldn't allow Kanto's reputation to be sullied with her association to brutes and thugs. She must be better than that." Though he may change his mind on that if the situation got took a turn for the worse.
  
  Petrel gave a respectful nod to his statement before continuing to maintain his silence, waiting to see if Giovanni had any further questions to ask.
  
  Giovanni took a few minutes to go over his meeting with John once more just in case he missed something. After thinking through it and finding nothing and seeing that nothing else needed to be discussed, Giovanni dismissed Petrel with a wave of his hand. Petrel gave him a deep bow and left without another word. Alone in his office again, Giovanni took a quick glance at his watch and groaned as he saw how late it was. Nevertheless, he still had a few calls to make before he could end the day.
  
  He called his second-in-command, figuring that Archer wouldn't be asleep yet until he heard back from Giovanni regarding the meeting. He was proven correct as Archer answered after a few short rings.
  
  "Boss? Is there something you need?" Archer greeted with a tired voice.
  
  "I will be sending you the recording of the meeting I had with John. Go over it carefully and call me if you spot any glaring problems that I should be informed about." Giovanni stated with a tone that demanded compliance, "I also want you to contact Proton and make sure that his grunts remain on a tight leash. I do not want to hear anything about the crimes committed by Team Rocket. No fighting, no stealing, nothing. Do you understand?"
  
  "Yes Boss, understood." Archer affirmed, before continuing with a hint of uncertainty, "But Boss, I think that Proton and his subordinates are...displeased...with their lack of action. I think that-"
  
  "I do not care if Proton and his grunts are displeased, Archer." Giovanni interrupted, "I am ordering you, and him, to sit still and not create more problems for me. There will come a time where his expertise might be required, but now is not the time. Do I make myself clear?"
  
  "Yes Boss, but I still think it would be better if you were the one to tell him." Archer tried.
  
  "No." Giovanni denied firmly, "There must not be any evidence that directly links myself to Proton, and by extension, Team Rocket. I must maintain a degree of separation from any of their actions." And Archer would prove to be a convenient fall-guy if Team Rocket proved to be uncontrollable.
  
  "Yes Boss, understood. I'll inform them right away." Archer replied warily.
  
  "Good." Giovanni ended the call. He could tell that Archer didn't believe he could persuade Proton to back down, but Giovanni was far too tired at the moment to care. Besides, Giovanni thought that Proton and Team Rocket remained too dependent on his financial backing to go against him. Reassuring himself, he then quickly dialled another number.
  
  "Boss? Everything okay?" A female voice asked.
  
  "Yes, Ariana, everything is fine." Giovanni responded, "I will be sending you the recording of the meeting with John. Go over it and tell me what you think."
  
  "Of course, Boss, I'll get on that right away." Ariana remarked. They then proceeded to talk about how the various science projects were undergoing and if they needed to change anything.
  
  "Oh, and before I forget," Giovanni cut in, "I gave John a Porygon as a gift. I will let you know if he makes any discoveries regarding it."
  
  "Wonderful," Ariana cheered, "Arceus knows that my scientists aren't making any progress. Perhaps a new perspective would be useful."
  
  "Oh, and the Masterball project with Silph Co. is progressing smoothly, Boss." Ariana continued, "We should be able to manufacture a prototype within the next few months."
  
  "That's good," said Giovanni, "Have we found a way to make the Masterball able to capture other trainer's Pokémon?"
  
  "Unfortunately not, Boss." Ariana replied regretfully, "Both my scientists and the scientists working for Silph Co. agree that finding such a method would take too much time or is outright impossible. I am sorry that we are unable to meet your expectations, Boss."
  
  "No, that's fine," Giovanni conceded, "I have decided against making use of Team Rocket at this time anyways, so such a function would be wasted on the Masterball."
  
  "Oh? I see. Thank you for your understanding, Boss." Ariana remarked with mild surprise, as if she wanted to say more but held her tongue, "That's all I have to report, is there anything else that you need?"
  
  "No, that's all. Have a good night." Giovanni hung up.
  
  Giovanni looked at the time and groaned again at how late it was. He could already anticipate the tiredness that is bound to plague him tomorrow.
  
  Ah, well. He had already endured many sleepless nights on the road to achieving his destiny. It was just another price to pay to ensure Kanto's greatness.
  
  A.N Thanks to everyone who commented; I really appreciate the support. A bit of a shorter chapter this time, but I hope this chapter fleshes out Giovanni and his motivations. He's an important character to my story, and I hope that I've created a character that you can believably understand.
  
  For clarification, Whitney's Miltank is Female, and I've tried to go back and edit/change all previous references to it being male. But, if I missed any (which I probably did), this is just to confirm that it is female.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 1-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 1-5 - Leaving for Hoenn
  
  I groaned as I awoken by the tell-tale noises of a Pokémon battle. I had poorly slept the night before, undoubtedly because I had gone to sleep still full of thoughts regarding the yesterday night's events. From Pryce, Lance, and Giovanni, I still had not managed to process everything that happened.
  
  I forced myself out of bed and looked out the window, seeing Whitney train with her Miltank while my Pokémon were either watching on or undergoing their own training in the distance. After rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes, I noticed a small extra addition to Whitney's normal training routine.
  
  My new tiny Porygon, Pixel, was training alongside Miltank, seemingly attacking with weak Tackles as it tried to imitate Miltank. I could see my Blissey, Klee, cheering Pixel on, doing a little hop everytime Pixel attacked.
  
  Seeing my new Porygon reminded me that I still hadn't even begun to pack for my trip to Hoenn later this evening. The resulting scramble around my room as I haphazardly packed my luggage in mild panic was more effective than any coffee at waking me up.
  
  The result of my scramble was one questionably packed luggage that would never pass my mother's standards, but she wasn't home at the moment and what she doesn't know won't hurt her.
  
  "JOHN! WAKE UP ALREADY! GET DOWN HERE AND HELP ME TRAIN!" Whitney shouted from the fields, catching me by surprise and almost causing me to trip.
  
  Hearing her shouts led me to hurry down the stairs into the fields as soon as possible, knowing that any more delays would cause Whitney to go with the Legendary option of telling mom and dad that I overslept.
  
  Elite 4 I may be, but at home, your parents' always rules supreme.
  
  I managed to rush to the field with a light sprint, just in time to see Whitney 'coincidentally' turning around to face me just as I arrived with her hands on her hips. She mustered up the most serious expression I believed possible before laying into me.
  
  "John! I can't have you be sleeping in when you're about to go to Hoenn! I need you to help me train for as long as possible!" Whitney complained while pointing a finger at my stomach.
  
  "And one more thing!" Whitney continued, before crouching down and picking up Pixel, "How could you come home yesterday and not tell me that you got a new Pokémon?! I was so surprised when I saw it today! I mean I thought it was a wild Pokémon so I tried to catch it but I couldn't catch it and was so sad until Klee told me that it was your new Pokémon and I hate you for not telling me." She rambled without pause.
  
  In this situation, there's only one thing I could say. Sometimes, appeasement is the only option.
  
  "I'm sorry." I bowed my head.
  
  "Good." Whitney nodded, which she probably thought was her being magnanimous, "Now, what's he? She? Its? nickname?" Whitney questioned while stroking Pixel.
  
  "Its name is Pixel, and yes, it has no gender." I explained, "It's a new Pokémon that Giovanni and his team of scientists discovered and created out of data."
  
  "Wow! That's so cool!" Whitney gushed like the 11-year-old she was, "Giovanni must be so smart!"
  
  I had mixed feelings about that statement. I didn't want to badmouth Giovanni, especially because I wasn't sure if Whitney had loose lips or not, but I definitely didn't want Whitney idolizing Giovanni or spending any amount of time around him. I might be friendly with him now, but I definitely didn't trust him.
  
  "Yes, he is a great Gym Leader." I said diplomatically, before trying to change the topic, "But anyways, speaking of new Pokémon, Whitney, I had a question to ask you."
  
  Whitney stared at me expectantly as she waited for my question.
  
  "I know you're starting your journey in a few months. Do you want me to catch you some new Pokémon in Hoenn while I'm there? Or would you rather catch them all yourself?" I questioned seriously.
  
  On the one hand, I wanted to help Whitney make the strongest team she could. On the other, I didn't want to take away the experience of going on a journey and catching her own Pokémon. It was a tough balance.
  
  "Hmmmm..." Whitney mumbled to herself, closing her eyes, and tilting her head in thought, "I think I want to mostly catch my own Pokémon, bro, but I won't be able to catch anything from Hoenn until I get at least four badges, right?" Whitney asked.
  
  "Yes, that's right." I confirmed. The current rule set by the League was that you needed at least four badges from your birth region to catch Pokémon or challenge Gyms from other regions. This rule caused me a few problems when I first started out too, as a Slakoth was not a native Kanto Pokémon. I had to explain many times that it had stumbled across my farm and that I hadn't caught it in Hoenn.
  
  "Then can you catch me a cool Pokémon from Hoenn bro?!" She asked, hopping with excitement, "I want a Normal type Pokémon from Hoenn!"
  
  "Of course." I promised, knowing of her unspoken desire to also become a Normal type specialist, "I'll catch you a 'cool' Normal type for Hoenn and have it sent to you before your journey. That way, you can train it with Miltank and allow them to get used to each other."
  
  "YAYY! Thanks John!" She cheered and gave me a hug, which I returned. My hug became more serious as I realized that I was already leaving my family again for Hoenn after just having arrived back for a few days. Not that this was unexpected; I knew being a member of the Elite 4 would require me to travel a lot, but it still sucked regardless.
  
  Breaking up the hug, I kneeled down and patted Pixel on the head before picking it up. I walked over to where my other Pokémon were training, and I noticed that my Snorlax, Smough, was on break from his gravity training. Perfect.
  
  I called out to Smough to get his attention as he sat upright. I gestured to Pixel that I was still cradling in my arms.
  
  "Smough, I need your help to train Pixel here." Smough tilted his head in response, "You see, I want Pixel training its Tackle move, and you'd be the perfect target for it to train with."
  
  "Snor, lax?" Smough doubted, gesturing to the sheer size and strength difference between himself and Pixel.
  
  "No, no, no Smough I didn't mean it like that," I shook my head, "I don't actually need you to do anything honestly. I just need you to meditate like you're practicing using your Slack Off while Pixel here tries to disrupt it with its Tackle."
  
  Smough nodded at that before slumping back onto the ground and closed its eyes as it began its meditation. I looked down at Pixel, who was now squirming in my arms.
  
  "You got that?" Pixel nodded before jumping free from me and Tackled against Smough with much enthusiasm. Sadly for Pixel, that enthusiasm didn't translate into strength as it merely rebounded off Smough's big belly and was knocked into the dirt.
  
  Seeing that happen was such a funny sight that I had to hold back my own laughter. I didn't want to laugh at Pixel's attempts and ruin his enthusiasm. With any new Pokémon, encouraging good training attitudes at an early stage is crucial for their development.
  
  "Good job Pixel! That was a great first attempt!" I praised.
  
  Pixel gave me an odd look with its eyes that was tinged with some sadness. Clearly, it was upset at the pitiful damage that it dealt with its Tackle. Or at least I thought so, it was sometimes difficult to understand what a new Pokémon was saying because you haven't 'bonded' sufficiently with it yet.
  
  I kneeled down as much as possible so that I was eye-level with Pixel, "No need to feel sad, Pixel," I said gently, "Smough is a really strong Pokémon that I spent years training. I wouldn't expect you to do much to him right now. But it would be REALLY impressive if you managed to hurt him. So keep trying! Never give up!"
  
  Luckily, my motivation seemed to have hit the mark as I saw a fire ignite in Pixel's eyes as it Tackled against Smough's belly once again, with similar results. But Pixel filled me with pride as it merely got up and did it again, and again, and again.
  
  Before long, we had an entire audience consisting of my entire team and Whitney's as we all watched and cheered as Pixel slam repeatedly into Smough, getting up and trying again after every failure to the sounds of praise and encouragement. After several attempts, Klee approached Pixel and checked it over for any injuries, before commanding it to rest for a while. Pixel protested this and tried to wriggle free, so I had to step in.
  
  "Hey, Pixel, it's okay. A good training routine must have rests to allow yourself to recover and recharge." I lectured, before I switched to a lighter tone, "I know you want to get strong immediately, but if you don't take rests and train yourself too hard, you'll hurt yourself in the long run."
  
  "Pory? Porygon?" Pixel seemed confused as my latest words contrasted with what I said previously.
  
  "Yes, you can do both together." I clarified, "You can and should train as hard as possible, but you should also take rests to make sure you don't hurt yourself. There's no point in training so hard if you'll hurt yourself too badly to make use of training. Do you understand that Pixel?"
  
  Pixel nodded a bit sullenly at that but allowed itself to be mothered by Klee.
  
  "Don't worry Pixel!" Whitney encouraged, "All Pokémon are like this in the beginning. You'll be strong in no time, just like my Miltank!" Miltank mooed in support of Whitney's declaration as she began to flex her arms.
  
  With Pixel now resting, the crowd scattered as the Pokémon returned to their training, except for Klee, who stayed to monitor Pixel. Whitney and I stepped back a bit and just watched our Pokémon train. They didn't need our instructions for this very general training.
  
  "Hey, John, I was just thinking...if Pixel is a new Pokémon, does it mean it's not in the Pokédex?" Whitney suddenly asked.
  
  "Yes, it isn't. Porygon are too new and there are too few of them, so their data have yet to be entered into the Pokédex." I confirmed, "Why do you ask?"
  
  "Then, how do you know what basic moves it can learn?" Whitney questioned with a confused expression.
  
  Ah, I understood what she was asking. Basically, every Pokémon had a list of basic moves that it could learn, even as a 'baby'. Advanced moves, like Thunderbolt, would have to be trained, taught via TM, or discovered through the Pokémon's trainer's efforts. The list of basic moves serves as a starting point for what moves you could train with to begin to develop those advanced moves.
  
  However, if a Pokémon wasn't entered into the Pokédex like Porygon was, then a trainer would have to use trial and error to figure out what its' basic moves were so that they may develop them further into the corresponding advanced moves. For example, trying to teach a Porygon to use Water Gun wouldn't work, but Thunder Shock would. And later, you could teach it Thunderbolt by first mastering Thunder Shock. Then again, you could always tell your Pokémon to attack and then try to figure out what attack it was using to figure out what its basic moves were.
  
  Of course, I knew Porygon's basic moves because I had meta-knowledge, but Whitney doesn't know that.
  
  "Well, consider it a lucky guess." I said with a cheeky smile, which Whitney scowled at and started poking my sides.
  
  I decided to placate her, "Okay, to give a serious answer. It was an educated guess based on the fact that most Pokémon either start with Tackle, Pound, or Scratch as one of their basic moves. So, you could always start with those if you don't know what a Pokémon's basic moves are."
  
  Whitney nodded at this and took out her pink notepad before jotting it down, causing me to smile as I saw it. My pride as a role-model was growing!
  
  I let Pixel continue practicing its Tackle against Smough for a little while longer before I could see it becoming almost too fatigued to continue. I ordered it to stop.
  
  "Pixel, I want you to see how far you've come since this morning." I told it, while waving at Klee to come over. I pointed to Klee, "Before resting, I want you to use Tackle against Klee."
  
  Pixel gave me a worried look that I chuckled at, "Don't worry Pixel, Klee is more than able to take it. You won't hurt her." I reassured.
  
  Klee chirped in agreement as she stood straight and gestured at Pixel to come at her. Seeing this, Pixel threw off the last of its' hesitation as it Tackled into Klee with as much determination and force as it could muster.
  
  The damage was still miniscule, but Klee visibly recoiled slightly at Pixel's attack. Pixel cheered at its success, before quickly turning towards Klee in concern that it may have hurt her. Klee giggled at that, patting Pixel on the head to reassure it that she was unharmed. Pixel's eyes visibly brightened at the praise it was receiving and it buzzed happily.
  
  I was also happy to see that Pixel was already growing to care about my Pokémon and vice versa. Maintaining a good team dynamic was a necessity for any competent trainer, which was why many were so hesitant to catch new Pokémon in case they ruined said dynamic.
  
  Also, unless you had a really large stable, you couldn't really catch that many Pokémon because Pokémon needed to occasionally spend some time outside of a Pokéball. We didn't have a suitable stable as our family farm wasn't that suitable, despite the spaciousness, because foreign Pokémon may interfere with the Miltank and Tauros and disrupt the farm's productivity.
  
  Thus, despite literally being a member of the Elite 4, I wasn't actually able to catch that many Pokémon for the time being until I could afford to rent out or buy a stable to store more Pokémon. This wasn't that big of a problem for the time being, as I didn't really foresee myself expanding my team that much, but it was something to consider for the future.
  
  Unfortunately, my musings were ruined by the sound of a stomach groaning. I instinctively turned to Smough, but then realized that the sounds were coming from my own stomach as my body reminded me that I hadn't had any food ever since I had woken up.
  
  Fortunately, I checked the time and saw that it was lunch time anyways and that my parents should have been back in time to eat with us.
  
  I called out to Whitney to tell her that it was lunch time, and we walked back together to the house to see my mom, alone, setting up the table.
  
  "Where's daddy?" Whitney asked, as we both moved to help my mother set up the table.
  
  "Your father is still stuck at a meeting with the distributors that has overrun." My mother replied, "He'll be back later but told me to send you his well-wishes, John, since he can't see you off to Hoenn."
  
  I nodded sadly at that but understood that it was the price to pay for the increase in popularity that our family business was blessed with. Besides, I preferred my parents being busy dealing with these kinds of problems rather than dealing with the struggles of poverty.
  
  Shaking away my negative thoughts, I returned to having a calm but happy lunch with my family that was slightly marred by the fact that it was my going to be my last meal with them for a while, again.
  
  Once we finished, my mom ordered me to my room and to 'make sure I packed everything' as she handled the washing up with Whitney. I double checked my luggage and made sure that I had everything I thought I needed for my trip and convinced myself that anything I forgot could be purchased in Hoenn.
  
  I headed back downstairs and said my goodbyes to my mom and Whitney, all of us trying not to tear up at my departure, before heading back into the fields and rounding up all my Pokémon and setting off on Port to Olivine City, where I had arranged to meet Karen at, for our ship to Hoenn.
  
  Unfortunately, the frequency of volcanic ash being spewed by Mt. Chimney made travelling by plane to Hoenn unsafe. Thus, you were forced to go by ship, which was much slower and tedious.
  
  I sent a quick text to Karen as I flew on Port, reminding her of our meetup. It was only a few minutes later that I received a garbled reply from Karen.
  
  'hmMM?' she texted unintelligently.
  
  'Did u forget?' I replied 'we have meetup at Olivine for Hoenn.'
  
  'Oh fk shit ok I wake up now' she texted back. I chuckled at her text, her disorganisation seemingly so at odds with her more refined and sculpted appearance at the ceremony.
  
  'Meet you there.' I texted dryly.
  
  Not long later, I landed in the busy Olivine City. Fortunately, the lack of ceremony at my arrival and my unassuming clothes meant that no one recognised me as the newest Elite 4 member. Otherwise, I fear that I may have been swarmed with those seeking a picture and/or autograph.
  
  I made my way to the Olivine Café and sat myself down with a cup of coffee as I waited for Karen to arrive. My luck held as none of the many sailors in the Café seemed to recognise me, so I remained undisturbed.
  
  A few minutes passed before my phone vibrated as I received a text.
  
  'where r u? im at lighthouse now.' Karen's text read.
  
  'Coming now' I replied as I got up and left the Café and walked towards the lighthouse.
  
  As I approached the lighthouse, I could see Karen's distinct figure leaning over the rails with a small luggage placed next to her, her yellow top and light blue hair separated her from the many sailors loitering about. Despite her windswept hair, her appearance had no sign of her rushed awakening.
  
  Karen turned to me with her arms crossed as I neared her with a fake scowl on her face.
  
  "You're late." She had the audacity to say to me.
  
  "When did you go to bed?" I shot back.
  
  "I'm not good with mornings." She confessed, averting her eyes away from me.
  
  "I texted you at noon." I said dryly with a raised eyebrow.
  
  "Afternoon is morning for me." She replied confidently, as if what she said wasn't completely outrageous. Before I could respond with sarcasm, she grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the pier where our ship awaited.
  
  "Come on, we're going to be late." She declared, despite us actually being over half an hour early.
  
  Nevertheless, I decided not to point that out and walked with her towards the pier. I thought that getting onboard early could only be a good thing anyways, less risk of being swarmed by fans that acted like starving Carvanha.
  
  We showed our tickets to the bored guard waiting near our ship, which he barely glanced at before letting us in. As we went abroad the crowded ship with our luggage, Karen started to complain.
  
  "Why is this ship so crowded?" Karen growled, "Couldn't the League have privately chartered a ship just for you?"
  
  "Well, yes they could have." I admitted, "But I think they did this because they want to embarrass me and make me cause an incident. I think they were hoping I would cause a scene or prove myself incompetent, and that way, they can use that as a reason to kick me out of the Elite 4." I explained with a nonchalant shrug, though inwardly I was still as mad as Karen was.
  
  "What?! But they've only just appointed you!" Karen nearly shouted, "Why do they want you to kick you out already?"
  
  "Again, you're right." I replied, "But you need to realize that some of the upper administration of the League, and especially Pryce, favour the current status quo. My appointment and speech probably upset them, and thus they want me out."
  
  "That sounds dumb. Don't they realize that embarrassing you in Hoenn might be damaging for Indigo's future?" Karen asked with a dumbfounded expression.
  
  I shrugged again. "Politicians." I said simply. Though inwardly I didn't think many of them cared about Indigo at all. They were probably more concerned with their own positions.
  
  "Hey, no need to swear." Karen snarked, before we both chuckled.
  
  "Waittt a minute," Karen suddenly said with narrowed eyes, "I just realized you're also a politician now. Gonna start jockeying for favours and influence? Is that why you wanted to go with me? To find dirt on Agatha?"
  
  I gave her a bewildered look at that before her serious expression broke and she started to laugh even harder, and I found myself quickly joining in.
  
  We had to split up shortly after that though, because of course her room was in the first-class area whereas mine was in economy with everyone else. At least I didn't have to share my room, small mercies.
  
  I looked around the small room that I would be staying in for the next couple of hours and sighed as I realized it was too small to release any of my Pokémon in besides Pixel. Then I saw a sign that said that Pokémon weren't allowed to be released inside of rooms and I sighed even harder.
  
  So, before the ship set off and I lost connection to the Pokénet, I sent a few messages to my family and one to Karen asking her for her room number and giving her mine so that we could meet up.
  
  Putting down my phone, I fell back onto the hard bed as I stared at the ceiling, my mind roiling with thoughts at my upcoming journey.
  
  'At least Karen is coming with me', I thought with a smile.
  
  A.N Thanks again for all the comments and support! After reading a few comments saying that it might be difficult to remember some of John's Pokémon's names, I've tried to make them clearer in the chapter. Hope it helps!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 1-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 1-6 - Shipping with Karen
  
  I quickly got a text back from Karen giving me her room number. Deciding that hanging out in her room was leagues better than staying alone in my own cramped room, I went to sought her out.
  
  But before leaving, I quickly changed my clothes into something more suitable for the temperate and sunny Hoenn weather. I replaced my jacket with a thinner vest and donned a bucket hat. I also changed my shirt and trousers to their short variants. I went to check my appearance using the standing mirror, and a young, tall, teenager with black hair and brown eyes with a hint of baby face stared back at me. Over the years, I've accepted the fact that I basically look like a generic background character, fitting, considering my generic name. Combined with my new clothes, I looked like your standard Hoenn NPC tourist.
  
  I felt that my new outfit was working rather well at disguising my identity as I wasn't accosted once as I walked past the many crowds on my way to Karen's room. Soon after, I had arrived at her room and was allowed to enter after a brief knock on her door.
  
  I was immediately jealous that Karen's room was over twice the size of mine, and I also failed to hide that jealousy as I saw Karen giving me a smug smirk.
  
  "Like what you see?" Karen grinned, and I wasn't sure if she was referring to herself or her room. Either way though, my answer was the same.
  
  "Yes." I replied wryly, managing to somehow not blush at that.
  
  Karen gave me a nice smile at my reply, before flicking her hair over her shoulder and gesturing for me to sit down on the cushioned chair near the table. She sat down opposite me on the edge of her bed.
  
  "Say, Karen, why are you coming to Hoenn in the first place?" I asked, "I know Agatha wanted you to accompany me, but surely she couldn't have forced you to go to Hoenn against your will, right?"
  
  "Yes, you're right that it was my own decision to come to Hoenn." Karen nodded, "You see, I'm a Dark type specialist, which I've never regretted, but I admit that finding new Dark type Pokémon to catch has been challenging." Karen admitted as she shuffled herself backwards so that she was leaning against the headboard.
  
  She continued, "But, I did my research and found that there were plenty of Dark types in Hoenn that I've yet to catch. And so, I wanted to head over there and see if they'd be suitable for my team."
  
  "Yeah I can relate to that," I agreed, "My typing doesn't have a lot of Pokémon suitable for high-level battling either."
  
  She hummed appreciatively at that before asking a question of her own.
  
  "How are you finding your new responsibilities as an Elite 4?" She inquired in a tone that was more serious than I was expecting, "Is it tough?" Her eyes suddenly widened as she facepalmed herself, "Wait, no, I'm being stupid. You've only been in the Elite 4 for less than a day. That was a dumb question."
  
  Hearing how serious she was, I decided against mocking her and instead giving her an honest answer, "Mhm...as you say I've only been an Elite 4 for a day but, I can tell you that there's a lot more politicking involved than what the public might think." I answered while scratching my head.
  
  Karen frowned at me, "What do you mean? You mean the stuff with Pryce that I overheard? And with you being sent to Hoenn?" She asked.
  
  I shook my hand in the so-so gesture, "Well, yes, but there's more than just that. Once you enter the ranks of the Elite 4, you are forced to enter the world of politics whether you like it or not. People WILL try to use you for their own benefit and likely to your detriment. The stuff that you overheard between Pryce and I is just one element of that."
  
  Karen listened and scowled with a serious expression on her face, and I wondered why she was so curious about this. Then I remembered that she would eventually join the Elite 4 and probably wanted to know more about it so that she could prepare for it.
  
  "Hold on," I suddenly thought aloud, "Surely you could've asked Agatha about this? She's definitely more experienced than I am at being a member of the Elite 4."
  
  Karen shook her head at that, "No, asking Agatha would've been pointless." She bit out with slight annoyance in her tone, "I may be her apprentice, but Agatha really just does her own thing and damns everyone else. She has her own way of dealing with things that I could never replicate, so asking her would not be useful."
  
  I frowned at that, though considering my own interactions with Agatha I couldn't say that I found that overly surprising. She really was a prickly and ornery person.
  
  "Besides, Agatha has the entirety of Lavender Town backing her up," Karen continued with a bitter tone, "So does Pryce, Lance, and Walker. They all come from important backgrounds that give them influence beyond their own as a member of the Elite 4. It's why I wanted to ask you, John, since you also come from nothing. I wanted to know about your experiences because I felt like I could relate to you the most."
  
  I had to restrain my grimace at the reminder of my poorly past but acknowledged that she didn't mean it as an insult and instead found it relatable. Admittedly, it was weird to have someone sympathize with the fact that you used to be poor.
  
  Perhaps it was because of that sympathy that led me to open up to her. "Yes, you're right. During the Indigo League, when I was close to reaching the finals, I realized that even if I won and was selected to join the Elite 4, I would still be a relatively unknown name with no influence beyond what being an Elite 4 gave me. The public still didn't really recognise me from my discoveries of Ursaluna and Wyrdeer. Thus, I feared that I would be side-lined as an Elite 4 or simply become a puppet for others to use."
  
  "Then what did you do-"
  
  "Therefore, I decided to meet with Giovanni after the ceremony." I continued past her interruption, "I won't announce exactly what we discussed, but I have tentatively gained his support and friendship, meaning that I at least have some political influence to make use of."
  
  Karen got a thoughtful look in her eyes, "And you intend to make use of that relationship to grow your influence even further by making use of Giovanni's own connections."
  
  "Exactly." I confirmed with a nod. "Hopefully, I would be able to build enough personal influence to solidify my position in the Elite 4 for the future. I know many hate politicians for how they act, but as a member of the Elite 4 you HAVE to act like one in order to be successful."
  
  I got a considering look from Karen as she took in my words and plan. I could tell that she was out of her element; many Pokémon trainers are unfamiliar with politicking. Admittedly, I would be as lost as she was if not for my past life's knowledge.
  
  Honestly, joining the Indigo Elite 4 was like making a job application. You needed to have at least 8 badges, and you needed to win the Indigo Conference. Then, you were allowed to challenge a specific Elite 4 of your choice, and if you won, you would replace them and join the Elite 4.
  
  However, if there is a free spot in the Elite 4 available like I had with Blaine's retirement, then a selection committee consisting of the Champion and other senior League officials would have the discretion to choose the next Elite 4. They could select anyone they like, but an unpopular choice would spark public outrage, so they often chose the Indigo Conference winner or someone with equal achievements.
  
  We both sat there in silence as I allowed her to contemplate and think about what I just told her. A few minutes passed before she turned to me and gave me a small smile.
  
  "Thank you, John." She said gratefully, "You have given me much to think about...I assume you've probably guessed by now that I also want to join the Elite 4, probably after Walker inevitably gets kicked out. Would you mind if I asked you more questions like this in the future?"
  
  "Of course." I answered immediately, "Feel free to ask whatever you'd like. I'll be happy to answer." I gave her a goofy thumbs up to lighten the mood.
  
  She chuckled at my gesture before checking the time. I copied her and not only noticed that it was lunch, but that the ship had already begun its journey to Hoenn without me noticing.
  
  I asked Karen if she wanted to have lunch, since I was starting to feel hungry, and we both made our way to the crowded dining area to pick up some food.
  
  Nearly half an hour later pushing past the many passengers, we both managed to abscond with a sandwich and a bottle of water each and made our way back to her room to eat.
  
  As we munched on our sandwiches, I noticed that Karen was eating with a slight scowl and that she was thinking deeply about something. For some reason, I instinctively felt like I should cheer her up, so I decided to ask her a question to distract her.
  
  "So, Karen, how did you and your starter meet? What is your starter anyways?"
  
  "Hmm?" She mumbled distractedly, before visibly brightening as she processed my question. "Oh! Yes, my sweet little Murkrow." She instinctively reached for her Pokéball but then frowned and stopped herself as she remembered that she wasn't allowed to release Pokémon on the ship.
  
  She turned back to me before continuing, "I found Murkrow badly hurt on the outskirts of Saffron City, around Route 7, and I rushed her back to the Pokémon Center to be healed. I stayed while she was being healed and I fed her after it was done being healed and made sure she was nice and full. Then, I carried her to release her back into the wild. But she wouldn't leave and kept following me around!" Karen exclaimed with a fond smile as her eyes glazed over in reminiscence.
  
  She shook her head to snap herself out of her memories, "Eventually, I understood what she wanted and went to the Pokémart and spent all of my pocket money to buy a Pokéball to capture her in. We've been partners ever since." Karen sat there with a fond smile as she finished her recollection, and I couldn't help but find her smile mesmerizing.
  
  "What about you?" She asked back, "How did you meet your starter? Isn't it your Slakoth?"
  
  "Yes, my Slakoth." I affirmed, "I'll be honest. My family barely had any money, and we definitely had no influence to get sponsorships, so for the longest time I thought I would likely have to settle for one of the common Kanto Pokémon like Pidgey, Rattata, or Caterpie for a starter. I thought that, maybe if I was lucky, I would be allowed to capture one of the Miltank or Tauros that we had around the farm. But my family probably couldn't afford for me to do so."
  
  I could still distinctly remember the despair and anger I felt at that time. I remembered raging about the unfairness of being reborn into the world of Pokémon, yet not having the money necessary to go on a journey or even capture a starter.
  
  Karen was giving me a look of sympathy as she heard this, and I gave her a smile in return before continuing, "One day our distributor came by with his cart that unknowingly had a Slakoth that had climbed onboard his cart sometime during his trip in Hoenn. The distributor didn't realize he had picked up another passenger as he ignorantly ferried the Slakoth all the way to our farm. I only noticed him when I was helping my dad pack things onto the cart that I saw the lazy thing sleeping in the corner. The moment I saw it, I knew that this was a gift from Arceus. And as luck would have it, Slakoth also seemed to react well to my presence and allowed me to carry it off the cart. When the distributor saw it, he laughed and said that I could keep him if I wanted to. Despite not having enough money for a Pokéball, Slakoth was willing to hang around me until I was able to afford one. And I'll always be grateful for his dedication."
  
  I patted Tyrant's Pokéball affectionately with a smile as I ended my story. My journey to the Elite 4 had not always been smooth sailing, but Tyrant stood by me as we overcame the many challenges together. I turned that smile to Karen as I saw her watching me with a smile of her own.
  
  "You know, John, I think you've done very well for yourself." Karen complimented, "Hearing about your struggles in your youth, I'm honestly amazed that you managed to become as successful as you were. It's rare for those without sponsors to make it to anywhere close to the Elite 4, let alone joining it."
  
  I blushed heavily at that, but still managed to mumble out a "Thank you." Wanting to avoid further embarrassment, I quickly changed the topic.
  
  "Say, why do you want to become an Elite 4 anyways? Do you just want to follow in Agatha's footsteps, or do you have something to prove?"
  
  Karen grinned mischievously as I changed the topic but didn't comment on it. Instead, she pondered for a bit before replying.
  
  "It's a bit of both," she admitted, "I do want to make Agatha proud. I do find her to be a pain sometimes, but I do still care about her and want to prove to her that her efforts haven't been wasted. But more importantly, I want to show the world the power of Dark type Pokémon."
  
  I nodded with sympathy, I also found that people tended to underestimate and looked down upon Normal types during my own journey.
  
  "So, if I make it to the Elite 4 with my Dark types, I'd prove to Indigo that this 'new' type isn't as weak as people believe. I want to prove that Dark types are more useful than just to counter Psychic and Ghosts types! They have such a varied move-set that allows for unusual styles of fighting that can be extremely effective! The haters are just using it wrong!" Karen passionately declared.
  
  I stared entranced by Karen as she passionately began to list out the many strengths of Dark type Pokémon. I felt increasingly that, more than her appearance, it was her personality that I found the most attractive.
  
  I quickly refocused my attention back onto what Karen was saying before she could catch me staring; I didn't want to be teased by her if she had noticed.
  
  "...Don't you agree, John? Don't you think Dark types are cool?!" Karen excitedly asked with an intense gleam in her eyes.
  
  "Yes, of course." I immediately agreed without thinking, though luckily, I said the right thing. "Although my team often relies on brute strength and simple fighting styles to achieve victory, I have members like my Blissey and Clefable that use more 'intelligent' ways to win. So, I can understand that brute strength isn't everything." Although my Pokémon were definitely very good at it, especially my three big boys.
  
  "Mhm, you get it!" Karen nodded sagely, "Isn't it satisfying when you beat a trainer who relies entirely on brute strength alone? Watching them seethe as their much stronger Pokémon is slowly worn down without them being able to do anything about it? It's amazing." She cackled in a familiar way that reminded me that she was undoubtedly Agatha's apprentice. They even had the same cadence.
  
  "Although, I do admit that Dark types aren't very good in a straight up fight." Karen admitted sadly, "I currently don't have anyone on my team that can actually win a straight fight against another Elite level Pokémon with no tricks involved. I do have a Pupitar, but I feel like it's a while away from becoming a Tyranitar, and I'm not confident in my training methods to help it with its raw strength."
  
  I almost choked when I heard that she had a Pupitar, though in hindsight that wasn't very surprising as Tyranitar was the only currently discovered Dark types that actually had brute strength and good durability.
  
  "...Maybe I could ask Flint about how to train a defensive Rock type, I'm sure he knows-"
  
  "I can help you," I quickly interrupted. I felt oddly possessive and didn't want Karen asking others for help for some reason. I wanted her to rely on me. "I'm confident that my experiences with my Ground type Ursaluna will be useful for training your Pupitar. I'll help them train together when we get to Hoenn."
  
  Karen gave me a teasing smile at my quick interruption, and I quickly realized that I had fallen into her trap. She never intended to ask Flint; she just wanted me to offer my help. I sighed as I realized this, which only caused her to break out in laughter.
  
  "Ah you're adorable, John." She wiped her eyes, "But thank you, I do appreciate the assistance." Karen's smile was more sincere now, and I felt that I didn't mind being teased if this was my reward.
  
  We devolved into happily talking about more mundane topics as we travelled slowly to Hoenn. If this had been a proper diplomatic trip, I would have spent time tidying up my appearance and being lectured by the League officials to not embarrass Indigo and to maintain proper decorum.
  
  However, since the whole reason for the trip was to side-line me anyways and they decided to send me there alone, I decided not to worry about it. I was mostly done being annoyed, so I might as well just enjoy my time there.
  
  Who knows, maybe I'll meet some new people and get to make new discoveries? Maybe I'll find some way of getting back at Pryce while I'm there? Or, more importantly, maybe I'll be able to spend more time around Karen.
  
  As I was a teenager again, I couldn't help but think that the last point was the most important.
  
  We talked for many hours before she eventually got hungry again and decided to head down to the canteen to grab more food. I was feeling pretty tired myself, and not wanting to head down to my room again, I just decided to take a quick nap on the chair.
  
  I told myself that it was just a quick nap, and that Karen would bound to wake me up soon. Sadly, I ended up sleeping until we arrived at Hoenn.
  
  A.N This is the final chapter of the Introductory Arc, next chapter will be the beginning of the Hoenn arc. Thank you all very much for the support and comments.
  
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  The New Normal 2-1
  John's Team:
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-1 - Arriving at Hoenn
  
  As I woke myself from my nap and realized that we had arrived at Hoenn, I looked around and saw Karen had also chosen to take a nap. I forced myself not to ogle her as I woke her up and, ignoring her mumbles of protest, told her that I would come back up with my luggage and we would head down together. I didn't wait for a response as I left the room.
  
  I returned shortly after a few minutes and already saw that Karen had woken up AND tidied up her appearance. It took me by surprise to see how someone so seemingly lazy and disorganized could also make herself look so put together. Of course, I didn't voice these thoughts aloud, I wasn't stupid.
  
  As we left the ship and stepped into Ever Grande City, the place where the Hoenn League was based, I was unsurprisingly not greeted by anyone. In fact, I wasn't even sure if the Indigo League had even properly informed Hoenn of my arrival.
  
  I could see that Karen was confused and annoyed at the lack of ceremony, but I patted her on the shoulder to reassure her and said more calmly than I felt, "Hey, it's ok. I expected this."
  
  "How are you okay with this?" Karen hissed, "How could they not say anything about the arrival of their own Elite Four?!"
  
  "Karen, it's okay. I'll be fine." I tried to tell her, "How about this, why don't you walk around Ever Grande City for a bit and enjoy the sights. I'll just pop into the Hoenn League for a bit and see what's going on. I'll let you know when I'm done." I said with a fake smile.
  
  Karen was evidently still unhappy about me being snubbed, but she left it with a sniff and walked away. I watched until I was sure she couldn't see me before my smile dropped and was replaced with a frown.
  
  Although I promised myself that I wouldn't be affected by it, I still felt my anger rising deep within my heart. I had to force myself to calm down before I ended up saying or doing something that would have caused a diplomatic incident, causing me to get kicked off the Elite Four.
  
  I wouldn't give Pryce or his sycophants the pleasure of seeing me kicked out. No, I'll pay them back soon enough.
  
  Apparently, I didn't reign in my emotions tight enough as I could feel Tyrant's Pokéball shaking in response to my vows of vengeance. Tyrant was always my most loyal supporter, and I cheered up at his unwavering support.
  
  Patting his Pokéball, I made my way into the Hoenn League feeling much calmer. I was going to see if I could talk to some Hoenn League official and figure out what I could do here. But as I walked through its grand entrance hall, I noticed the sheer amount of people walking about and I was almost overwhelmed with the thought of trying to ask for assistance.
  
  "OI! It's John, right?!" I was startled by someone shouting my name, and I turned towards the direction of the voice as I saw an old, grizzled, man in a sailor outfit sitting down on one of the sofa chairs. I immediately recognized him.
  
  "Yes, and it's Drake of the Elite Four, right?" I asked as I approached him. He nodded back and we both shook hands.
  
  "Aye, it's great to meet you lad. Heard about your progress and your victory in the Indigo League. Great stuff at your age. You've done well." Drake complimented, and I tried not to blush too hard at that. It was nice to actually be recognised for my hard work, though.
  
  "Thank you, Drake. I've also heard much of your own achievements. I wish I could have sailed the world as you did, it would've been so cool to explore and see all those new Pokémon." I praised back honestly and respectfully.
  
  Aside from his personal strength as a Dragon specialist, Drake was well-known for his numerous voyages around the world to many unexplored regions. From my own meta-knowledge, I believed he had managed to explore both Sinnoh and Unova, as well as all the currently discovered regions.
  
  "Aye, it was." Drake responded, "But I wasn't allowed to catch any of them or bring them back. Stupid politicians didn't want me to cause a fuss. Said that it might be 'illegal kidnapping of Pokémon'. Bah!" Drake loudly snorted with a shake of his head.
  
  "Anyways, I heard about why you're here." Drake continued, "I know that you've been sent here to be moved out of the way so you can't disturb the politicians while they're busy kissing their own arses. I can tell you that they told us that you were coming here on holiday, nothing more."
  
  I fumed at that and was about to correct him out of frustration before Drake raised a palm.
  
  "Yes, I figured it was a whole crock of shit." Drake sighed, "I believed that they hoped that we would ignore you and that you would make a fool of yourself when no one was there to greet you. I didn't want that to happen, so I looked up your ship's schedule and waited for you here for when you arrived. Sorry that the others aren't here, Champion Wallace is busy with his contests as usual, and the other Elite Four members didn't realize that you weren't coming here on holiday." Drake said with surprising sincerity that took me aback.
  
  "Oh, um, thank you, Elite Drake." I bumbled out, "What made you stay here and wait for me?"
  
  "Hah! As if you needed to ask!" Drake laughed, "Who wouldn't want to meet the youngest Elite Four ever seen?!" Drake said that so loudly that I was sure that everyone in the entrance hall heard it. Sure enough, I suddenly felt many pairs of eyes staring right at me.
  
  "Not only that, but I've seen your team, they're damn strong!" Drake continued, ignoring the stares and my embarrassment, "I'd be honoured to battle them one day!"
  
  Fortunately, my embarrassment was drowned out by the sea of people that finally realized who I was and swarmed me like Beedrills. They overwhelmed me with requests for autographs or interviews and I struggled to maintain my composure. They kept trying to push microphones into my face or pens into my hands so that I could sign something.
  
  "ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Drake shouted out as he shot up, suddenly looming over everyone with his over 6 feet stature, "GIVE THE NEW ELITE Four SOME SPACE YOU FUCKS! HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!" To compound his point, Drake sent out his Flygon who roared loudly at the ceiling, terrifying the crowd, and causing most to disperse.
  
  One braver individual decided to remain though as she yelled at Drake, "Who are you to tell us to leave?! We have the right to demand an autograph!"
  
  Drake gave her a furious look, "Well I have the right to tell you to FUCK OFF!" Flygon swooped in front of the complaining lady and reinforced Drake's statement by screeching in her face, causing what remains of her bravery to leave her as she promptly made her way out.
  
  "Ahhh, peace and quiet." Drake sighed contentedly while returning Flygon, as if he didn't just threaten multiple people with a fully evolved Pokémon just moments ago. He looked back towards me and patted me on the shoulder, "You okay there, lad? Sorry about the people. Price of fame, I'm afraid."
  
  "No, no, I'm okay." I said awkwardly, still a bit shocked at what just happened, "Um, thanks for helping."
  
  "No worries lad, I was annoyed with them anyways." Drake smiled, before snapping his fingers, "Right, just remembered that I wanted to get you a Flying License for Hoenn. Let me ask someone to get one for you." He walked over to the receptionist, who somehow didn't flee or looked shocked at all from Drake's Flygon like everyone else was and asked them to approve a Flying License for me. Perhaps they were already used to Drake's outbursts?
  
  I regained my wits in time and remembered that I was travelling with Karen, and I shamelessly asked if I could get another one for Karen too. Drake nodded and changed his request.
  
  "Here you go, lad." Drake returned shortly with two approved Flying Licenses, "Now you can freely explore Hoenn. Maybe you can catch some new Normal types to add to your team, eh?" Drake slapped me encouragingly on the back that nearly knocked me over.
  
  I regained my balance before I smiled gratefully back at Drake, "Thank you very much for this Elite Drake." I used his formal title, "I thought my 'mission' to Hoenn would have gone far worse than this. Thank you for your aid." I bowed to Drake, who shrugged awkwardly.
  
  "No need for that lad, when I knew you were being screwed over, I couldn't not try to help." Drake scratched his head in slight embarrassment, "I would have hated it if a talented trainer like you got kicked off of the Elite Four because of politics." He spat the last word out if it was a curse.
  
  Drake coughed and decided to change the topic, "Anyways, why don't you use your new Flying License to check out some of Hoenn's gyms? We have a new Normal Type gym at Petalburg, run by Norman, I think. Maybe you can check it out for yourself."
  
  I nodded at that, it seemed like a great idea and would give me something to do with my time. Plus, I could argue that visiting gyms was in line with my 'diplomatic mission', so the Indigo League couldn't blame me for ignoring orders.
  
  I said as much to Drake, who simply laughed and nodded at my thinking. We exchanged contact numbers, though I had to help Drake as he couldn't really figure out how to use his 'new-fangled communication thingy', before we parted ways.
  
  Before I left though, Drake told me that the Hoenn League might have something to discuss with me later, so be on the lookout for that. I accepted his warning, and I thanked him once again before leaving the building and texting Karen that I was done and to meet up at the docks where we arrived.
  
  Remarkably, I still had not received a phone call from the Indigo League inquiring about my arrival and status.
  
  I quickly met up with Karen at the docks, who was leaning over the fence like she was in Olivine, where she turned and greeted me with an expectant look on her face.
  
  "Well, how'd it go?" Karen demanded, "I heard some shouting, was everything okay?"
  
  Her concern towards me caused me to smile, and I assured her with a shake of my head.
  
  "Everything's fine." I comforted, "In fact, everything is better than fine."
  
  "What happened?" Karen asked with a puzzled frown.
  
  I joined her in leaning over the fence as I explained to her my meeting with Drake and what had happened. I told her about how surprisingly friendly Drake was to me and how he helped with the sudden onslaught of people. As I was speaking, I remembered that Drake had gotten us both Flying Licenses and passed the one that had her name listed to her.
  
  "Thanks." She said with a bit of surprise as she listened to my recounting, "I guess things went well then."
  
  "Yes, it did." I smiled as we both took in the seaside view from Ever Grande City. We enjoyed ourselves for a few minutes before Karen broke the silence.
  
  "So, what are you planning on doing now?" She asked while still admiring the view.
  
  "Well, Drake did tell me to visit the Hoenn Gyms. I might take him up on that and visit the Normal Gym at Petalburg. It just seems appropriate." I thought aloud. Also, I couldn't help but want to show off the strength of my Pokémon in Hoenn. Of course, not to the point of being a braggart, but just enough to demonstrate why I deserved to be in the Elite Four.
  
  I didn't want people forgetting that I earned the position DESPITE my youth, after all.
  
  Karen hummed thoughtfully at that before she said, "Hmm, that's a good idea actually. I came to Hoenn to catch new Dark types and heading to Petalburg might be good for that. I might also consider battling the Hoenn Gyms as well while I'm here. Wait a minute." Karen grabbed her phone out from her pocket and started browsing the Pokénet. I shamelessly looked over her shoulder to see what she was searching for.
  
  "Oh! It's perfect! Look, John!" She dragged my head down and gestured towards her screen, "You can catch Corphish in Petalburg and they evolve into the Dark/Water Crawdaunt! That's what I wanted!" Karen exclaimed excitedly before realizing that she had my head resting on her shoulder.
  
  She blushed slightly as I moved my head off of her with a grin. She tried to respond with a grin of her own, but she realized it was awkward and stiff, so she turned away and coughed lightly before putting her phone away.
  
  "A-Anyways, you could go challenge Norman while you're there and I can try to catch my Corphish. It's late in the season too so there'll probably be fewer trainers there too." She stated somewhat embarrassingly.
  
  Not wanting to tease her any longer, I simply nodded at that and summoned Port on the edge of the docks and began saddling myself up. Meanwhile, Karen released her Honchkrow and did the same.
  
  As I waited for her to saddle up, I inspected Karen's Honchkrow. I noticed that it was far more muscular than its wild counterparts, and its eyes shined with intelligence and experience. Without a doubt, this was an Elite level Pokémon.
  
  Karen noticed my inspection as she gave me a questioning look. I merely gave her a thumbs up as I gestured to Honchkrow, which Karen laughed at.
  
  Port was significantly faster at flying long distances due to him being a specialized transport Pokémon, so I allowed Karen to fly first so that I could match her speed. We were both amazed at the sight of Hoenn from above, which was only slightly marred by the ever-present volcanic fumes spouting out of Mt. Chimney. The minutes flew by as we admired the view of Hoenn from our mounts.
  
  We descended as we saw the vast forest of green that was Petalburg Forest. We circled around for a bit before landing on the outskirts of Petalburg City, near the beach. Conveniently enough, there was a Karp and Chips stand right next to where we landed, and we quickly bought a set and drink each and scarfed it down before we headed into Petalburg City.
  
  We headed to the Petalburg City Gym and luckily it wasn't too busy at the moment, probably due to it being late in the season. We walked inside the dojo-like Gym which seemed brand new, I guess that Norman had just finished getting it redecorated after taking up the new position as the new Gym Leader.
  
  I probably should've researched more into the history of Norman and his Gym before coming here, but it was too late now.
  
  We approached the brown-haired receptionist and asked if Norman was available.
  
  "I'm sorry," she said politely, "I'm afraid that Gym Leader Norman's currently battling a few trainers that had reserved a Gym Challenge against him. Maybe I could spare him a message?"
  
  "That's okay, we're in no rush." I said lightly, "But could you let him know that John Smith from the Kanto Elite Four is here to see him?" Her eyes shot up in surprise as I said that, "It's nothing serious, I just wanted to talk to a fellow Normal Type specialist." I reassured her.
  
  "Oh my." The receptionist said in shock, taking a moment to recover, "Of course, yes, I'm sure my husb- I mean the Gym Leader would be happy to see you! I'll let him know right away. Could I have your contact details?"
  
  I gave her my phone number and she quickly scribbled it down before rushing into the battle stadium. Karen and I shared an exasperated shrug before we walked out of the Gym.
  
  "So, what now?" Karen asked, looking around the streets of Petalburg as if she was finding something to do.
  
  "You said you wanted to catch a Corphish here, right?" I confirmed as she nodded, "Then let's get started on it now, surely it couldn't be that hard." As soon as I said that I winced, I should know better than to tempt fate.
  
  Fortunately, Karen seemed unaware of my challenge to fate, and we walked together back to the beaches, where we assumed would have Corphish. I asked her if she wanted to buy a Good Rod so that she could fish out a Corphish, but she shook her head.
  
  "Why waste money on a Good Rod when I can just ask your Mantine to catch me one?" She said shamelessly. I had to admire the audacity of that statement but admitted that it was a good point. It was literally the reason I decided to catch a Mantine, after all, for my surfing and underwater diving needs.
  
  So, I released Port onto the beach and instructed it to go and find a Corphish for Karen. This was probably illegal, but I was a member of the Elite Four and what's the point of power if you can't abuse it for your own convenience?
  
  "This is nice," Karen suddenly stated, "sitting on the beach like this, on your own adventure in a foreign land, it's very relaxing."
  
  I nodded in agreement, Hoenn really was a beautiful place if you enjoyed the sea. Too much water my ass.
  
  "Shame that I couldn't get changed into more beach-appropriate clothes." Karen said with false nonchalance, "I think I would look good in them, don't you think so, John?" I choked as I heard that, and she leaned over at me with a fake look of seriousness on her face.
  
  I summoned whatever dense anime protagonist power that I had within me to not blush, and I managed to eek out a "Yes, you're right."
  
  Judging by the smirk Karen gave me, I think I failed to stop my blush. Still, her putting that image of her in beachwear in my head was a good trade. I blamed puberty for this.
  
  My puberty-addled thoughts were interrupted by a cry of "Mantine! Mantine!" as Port leaped up from the sea and briefly soared through the air before he landed carefully on the beach, making sure not to splash us with any sand or water.
  
  I noticed an additional orange figure that had amusingly hitched a ride on Port's back. Without prompting, Port gestured to the Corphish and explained how and what happened. Apparently, Port was trying to find a Corphish that would voluntarily go with him, and this Corphish only consented if it was allowed to ride on Port's back and experience flying through the air.
  
  Looking back at Karen, I noticed that she had pounced on the Corphish like a Persian on a Rattata. She gazed at it with an intense look in its eyes, but to Corphish's credit, it, no, he wasn't scared off. Instead, they both seemed to have entered a stare off with each other.
  
  Karen broke first as she a smile formed on her face and she kneeled down and patted Corphish's head, which Corphish snapped his claws happily at.
  
  Karen didn't catch him right away, but rather chose to play around with him as she released her Sneasel, and they both play fought with each other, with Sneasel obviously holding himself back significantly as to not overwhelm Corphish. Seeing this, I thought that Karen was trying to 'advertise' the benefits of joining her team by showing off her Pokémon, which I felt was a smart idea.
  
  I watched the two Pokémon play around for a bit, before Port decided that he wanted to join in. Surprisingly, Port offered himself as a moving platform for the other two to spar on, and before long Karen and I shared a laugh as we watched the other two cautiously sparring while Port flew around slowly in the air. The two were sparring much more carefully as they tried to not fall off.
  
  Sadly, my entertainment was cut short by the sound of my phone ringing, but my annoyance faded when I saw that it was Norman that was calling.
  
  I informed Karen about Norman's call before picking up, "Hello, John speaking."
  
  "Hello, Elite John. I am Gym Leader Norman of the Petalburg Gym. You said you wanted to speak to me?" He introduced politely, with a much younger voice than I was expecting.
  
  "Yes, well actually I just wanted to meet you and discuss things as a fellow Normal type specialist. I've been sent to Hoenn by my Champion and Drake of your Elite Four suggested that I come here." I answered.
  
  "That would be great!" He responded excitedly, "Hmhm, I mean, yes I would like to meet you too." I held back a giggle at his attempt to put on a serious tone, "Please come to the Gym. I'll be glad to meet you there."
  
  "Sure, thank you. I'm coming over with my friend now." I snapped my fingers at Karen and gestured that I was leaving for the Gym. Karen nodded at that before she waved at our Pokémon to return.
  
  I watched as Port landed and deposited his two passengers back onto the beach and Karen kneeled down next to the Corphish before raising a Pokéball in her hand.
  
  "Corphish. Do you want to join my team?" Karen asked, and I could detect a hint of nervousness in her voice that she was trying to hide.
  
  "Corphish! Corphish, Corphish." Corphish nodded affirmatively, before reaching over with his claws and capturing himself with the Pokéball.
  
  Karen and her Sneasel both cheered at that and gave each other small high-fives. She then released Corphish briefly to pet it on the head and give him a high-five on his claws too before withdrawing him again.
  
  Humming happily, she turned and withdrew her Sneasel as well before skipping towards the Gym. She didn't even bother to wait for me!
  
  I gave out a sigh of fond exasperation before I returned Port and chased after Karen to the Gym.
  
  I was excited to meet Norman, and I was especially excited at the prospect of battling him.
  
  A.N And we have started the Hoenn Arc! John's going to be meeting a whole bunch of new people and also have some big battles. Thank you so much for sticking with my work until now.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 2-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  A New Normal - 2-2 - A Normal Battle
  
  We arrived at the Gym and were promptly greeted by Gym Leader Norman. At first glance, I noticed that he was much younger than his in-game counterpart and he lacked his stern and stoic expression that he was known for. He also wasn't balding and still had a full head of hair, which I found quite amusing. Instead, Norman's eyes were shifting around, and his posture seemed a little too forced.
  
  I saved him from any potential embarrassment by ignoring his nervousness and shook his hand, "Nice to meet you, Gym Leader Norman." I greeted and gestured towards Karen, "This is Karen, my friend and travelling companion. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to humour me."
  
  "Not a problem, Elite John." Norman said back with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, "It's an honour to meet you as a fellow Normal type specialist." I could tell that he was trying to conceal his nerves by forcing himself to act formally and stoically, with mixed success.
  
  "Agreed, it would be nice to compare our teams." I nodded, before deciding to cut to the chase, "How about we battle each other if you have the time? A 3v3 fight, no stakes. I think a battle would be better than any conversation." I asked with an excited gleam in my eyes.
  
  "Oh! Um, sure-I mean, yes, of course. I would be honoured to have a battle against you." Norman stuttered out before regaining his composure, "I will make the announcement now and have the arena cleared out in preparation."
  
  I nodded and Norman dashed off to finish the preparations. I absentmindedly fiddled with my Pokéballs as I waited in anticipation; it's been only a few days since my last proper Pokémon battle, and yet I couldn't help but feel excited.
  
  More importantly, it was a chance for Tyrant to challenge another Slaking. Throughout my journey through Kanto and Johto, we had never encountered a Slaking that was at the Elite level. That was likely due to the fact that it was a Hoenn Pokémon, and also because of how unpopular it was due to how difficult it is to overcome Slaking's inherent laziness to make it an effective fighter.
  
  Admittedly, if this was a proper match that had stakes in it, I would have researched all of Norman's Pokémon and his fighting styles instead of going into the fight blindly like I am right now. But I was confident that my Pokémon were well-trained enough that could handle anything that Norman threw at them.
  
  I thought about the differences between the games and the Pokémon world. For one thing, there were no such thing as held items. The use of berries and such were only allowed post-battle. Also, while abilities did exist, it needed to be trained up. Consequently, that meant that a Pokémon's ability could become far stronger or weaker than they were in the game, but it also allowed Pokémon to sometimes develop new abilities that weren't available in the games.
  
  Therefore, the tactics and strategies that worked for the games often didn't work in the Pokémon world.
  
  I was too distracted in my thoughts that I failed to notice that Norman had called out to me telling me that the arena was ready. Karen, seeing my lack of response, elbowed me in the side and pushed me forwards towards the arena, which caused me to stumble but it brought me back from my thoughts.
  
  With renewed focus, I kept a lid on my excitement as I followed Norman into the arena. I immediately noticed that there was a sizeable audience sitting at the sides of the arena. I guess these were the audience members from Norman's previous battles that took place today.
  
  Without prompting, Karen gave me a quick "good luck." and separated from me and made her way to join the other audience members, who were all chattering excitedly as some recognised who I was.
  
  I turned back to see that Norman had taken his place on his side of the arena on the elevated platform, so I copied him and did the same.
  
  At this distance, I couldn't make out Norman's exact expressions, but I could instinctively tell that he was as excited as I am for this battle. You couldn't call yourself a serious Pokémon trainer if your blood didn't get pumping at the prospect of a good battle. In the end, we were all battle junkies.
  
  "Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to this very surprising match between Gym Leader Norman and John of the Indigo Elite Four!" A loud voice yelled out with a microphone, eliciting many cheers and screams from the audience. "This will be a 3v3 battle! Each trainer is allowed 1 switch!"
  
  I was a bit surprised at the showboating, considering how solemn and serious the in-game Petalburg Gym felt, but I suppose that this was supposed to be an impromptu show-match anyways, so some degree of hype was to be expected.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Norman and I both nodded and we released our Pokémon simultaneously. The announcer paused dramatically for a moment before saying "BEGIN!"
  
  "Go! Smough!"
  
  "Come, Linoone!"
  
  Linoone landed onto the arena with a graceful huff that heavily contrasted with the loud boom coming from Smough's entrance. The sheer size and weight difference between the two Pokémon immediately informed any reasonable viewer that Linoone had to keep its distance from Smough in order to win. There could not be a contest of strength.
  
  "Linoone, dash backwards and set up a Belly Drum!" Norman evidently thought the same, as Linoone rapidly pedalled backwards as it then began to set up his Belly Drum.
  
  "Smough, disrupt it with an Earthquake!" Smough roared and the arena started shaking heavily and cracks were appearing throughout the arena. Linoone cried out in pain, but it clearly showed its training as it held its balance and maintained the Belly Drum despite the damage it was taking from the Earthquake.
  
  Seeing that the Earthquake was unable to break Linoone's Belly Drum, I kept up the offensive.
  
  "Smough! Hyper Beam! Don't let it finish!" Smough instantly fired off a powerful beam of energy that shot towards Linoone almost without any charge-up time, but Linoone had managed to finish its Belly Drum and dived out of the way, causing the Hyper Beam to only land a glancing blow. The remaining beam of energy continued and tore out huge gashes in the arena as it melted through the ground.
  
  Still, a glancing blow from Smough's devastating Hyper Beam still did noticeable damage to Linoone, as even the heat that was emitted from the Hyper Beam was intense enough to cause Linoone's fur to briefly catch fire from where the beam had glanced off Linoone. I saw it stumble slightly to put out the fire as it recovered from its hasty dive.
  
  "Now, Linoone! While it's vulnerable, Extreme Speed! Full Power!" Despite its injuries, Linoone pushed through the pain as it began glowing with a white light as it rapidly picked up speed and charged at Smough with all the force that it could muster.
  
  Now, if this was the games, then Smough would be forced to recharge from his Hyper Beam and promptly be knocked out by a Belly Drum boosted Extreme Speed from Linoone. Likewise, even in the Pokémon world, most Elite trainers would still expect a Pokémon to have to be tired after firing off a Hyper Beam and thus would be vulnerable to attack.
  
  Therefore, it was reasonable for any trainer to expect the same for my Smough, and Norman believed no different. In his eyes, the moment my Hyper Beam failed to interrupt Linoone's Belly Drum and knock it out meant that Linoone's victory was secured. No ordinary Snorlax could withstand the incoming boosted Extreme Speed from a trained Linoone.
  
  Except Smough wasn't an ordinary Snorlax.
  
  "GRAB IT SMOUGH!" To everyone's surprise but mine, Smough stood tall and barely stumbled backwards as he tanked Linoone's Extreme Speed with an audible groan. Before Linoone could respond to Smough's unexpected endurance, one of Smough's arms swooped in from above and latched onto Linoone's much smaller body in a tight grip. The audience gasped and shouted as, without pause, Smough then slammed Linoone powerfully into the ground repeatedly; each impact from Smough causing the ground to shake briefly and for loose rocks to be shot into the air.
  
  "Hammer Arm, Smough!" I ordered, taking full advantage of the trap that I had set and Norman's inaction and shock to continue the offensive.
  
  Smough let go of Linoone and clasped his hands together before he smashed them into Linoone with such strength that it cracked a hole into the arena that Linoone fell into with a howl of pain.
  
  "Linoone! Protect! And Quick Attack to get away from there!" Norman recovered from his shock and tried to separate Linoone from Smough. Linoone painfully scrambled away with a short burst of speed from the hole that it was in and threw up a Protect as it tried to create some distance.
  
  "Don't let it go! Body Slam!" Smough rushed at and shouldered through the hastily made Protect, shattering it and failing to reduce his momentum, before crashing into Linoone. The sheer weight and strength difference between the two caused Linoone to be punted across the arena, screeching painfully as it slid across the ground involuntarily, leaving large trails behind in the arena. It was undoubtedly knocked out.
  
  Smough's victory was greeted with shocked silence from the audience. The quick battle just now possessed none of the fancy manoeuvring that was commonly seen in Elite level fights. There were no fancy tricks, no surprise moves, no narrow dodges.
  
  It was just a pure, simple beatdown that made use of Smough's inherent strength and bulkiness to overwhelm and pummel Linoone. At such close range and being trapped in Smough's vice-like grip, it couldn't make use of its nimble and agile dodges that it was so well known for. As I thought at the beginning, the moment Linoone got in range of Smough, the battle was over.
  
  "Return, Linoone. Good job out there." Norman mumbled out, which broke the audience from their collective stupor as they screamed out their cheers. It may have been an unusual fighting style, but the audience didn't care so long as it looked cool. And it did.
  
  "Linoone is unable to battle!" The referee finally announced, "The Gym Leader has thirty seconds to send out his next Pokémon!"
  
  I noticed that Norman was staring at Smough thoughtfully before sending out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Go! Swellow!" Swellow emerged with a loud cry and landed on the arena accompanied by a gust of wind.
  
  I stared at Swellow with a concerned look. Nomran clearly learned his lesson from Smough's earlier showing by choosing to use Swellow. I knew Smough was injured from Linoone's attack, and I also knew that Swellow could easily keep its distance and continue hitting Smough with a mixture of long range and hit-and-run attacks that would eventually wear him down. I needed to find a way to ground Swellow so that Smough could get close enough to knock it out.
  
  Like it was with Linoone, if Smough got into grabbing range of Swellow, the battle was over.
  
  "Trainers! Are you ready?!" I shook myself out of my thoughts as I nodded with Norman. "BEGIN!"
  
  "Swellow, take to the skies! Keep your distance!" Swellow immediately swooped into the sky and stayed far out of reach of Smough.
  
  "Smough! Slack off and Amnesia!" Knowing that this might be a much longer battle of attrition, I decided to allow Smough to recover his health and bolster its defences.
  
  I watched as Smough seemingly slumped over as he rested and restored his health, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. But I had trained all my Pokémon to remain alert during their recovery moves so that they could instantly counterattack if an opposing Pokémon tried to attack them while they were vulnerable. I was hoping that Swellow would take the bait and try to hit Smough with a Brave Bird, but it didn't fall for the trap.
  
  "Swellow, Hurricane!" Swellow flapped her wings as the wings started to swirl around it, eventually forming a large tornado that quickly shot forward and devoured Smough within it. I briefly saw Smough getting battered and cut up by the howling winds before I lost sight of him within the tornado.
  
  Although I could barely see Smough or hear anything in general due to the dust and rocks that the tornado kicked up and surrounded itself with, I shouted out my order hoping that Smough could still hear it.
  
  "Disperse it and convert it into a sandstorm!" I think I made out Smough's roar of agreement through the howling wind as I noticed that the tornado was slowly dissipating and being converted into a general sandstorm that covered the entire arena.
  
  "Swellow! Air Slash while it's busy!" Taking advantage of Smough's momentary distraction as he focused on creating a sandstorm, Swellow fired multiple blades of air that gouged painfully into Smough. Smough gave off a groan of pain as he tanked the hits to finish dispersing the tornado and creating a sandstorm.
  
  "Now! Smough, Rock Slide!" Making use of the abundant rocks that were now being carried around the battlefield by the sandstorm, Smough manipulated the rocks and shot them towards Swellow.
  
  "Dodge them, Swellow and keep Air Slashing!" Showing off its aerial prowess, Swellow managed to dive, swerve, and veer past all of the incoming rocks while continuously firing Air Slashes between its dodges.
  
  I grimaced as I watched Swellow's display of skill. I knew that Smough wasn't the most talented at manipulating rocks, Vordt was far more skilled at that, and this weakness meant that Smough's ability to knock down aerial targets was poor. I had hoped that the sandstorm would force Swellow to fly slower to adapt to the unfriendly weather, but Norman had evidently trained Swellow to maintain its ability to dodge even from within the sandstorm.
  
  I was tempted to switch out to Vordt, but I realized that I wanted this match to show the world my abilities as a trainer. Withdrawing Smough could imply that my team had weaknesses, and it might be construed as me being undeserving of my new title. It was probably just paranoia, but I wanted to be stubborn and not withdraw Smough. I wanted this match to be perfect.
  
  Thus, the battle entered into a stalemate, with both sides seeing who would trip up first. If Smough could land a good hit with his Rock Slide that caused Swellow to fall out of the sky momentarily, then Smough would win. If Swellow could maintain its dodges and wear down Smough with its Air Slashes, then it would win.
  
  Luckily, I had a trick up my sleeve.
  
  "Smough, Yawn!" Smough stopped firing rocks as he let out a gaping Yawn. Swellow had been laser-focused on Smough in order to dodge the incoming rocks, so it couldn't tear its' gaze away in time to avoid the Yawn.
  
  Swellow's eyes began drooping as it was overwhelmed with a need to sleep, and it was dropping steadily out of the air as it began to fell asleep.
  
  "No! Keep yourself awake with a Boomburst, Swellow!" Normal quickly ordered with a panicked look in his eyes.
  
  "Smough, Protect!" Swellow forced itself to stay awake as it let out a piercingly loud screech, waking it up and firing out sound waves that were so powerful that it actually managed to create tears in grounds of the arena as it blasted against Smough's hastily erected shields and also caused the arena's psychic shields to flicker dangerously.
  
  Fortunately, the psychic shields held on, and the sound waves were dampened so that the Boomburst wouldn't destroy and likely cause permanent damage to the crowd's ears.
  
  While the Boomburst did manage to negate the effect of Smough's Yawn, Swellow had already lost a lot of altitude from its earlier Yawn-induced descent. In fact, Swellow was currently only a few meters off the ground, which was something that both trainers noticed.
  
  "Swellow, fly higher! Make some distance!" Norman quickly commanded with noticeable alarm.
  
  "Smough, Shock Wave! Stun it!" Smough stomped and discharged a wave of electricity that zapped Swellow as it tried to take off into the air again. Strictly speaking, the electricity that Smough emitted was far weaker than attacks coming from most electric types, but it was sufficient in making sure that Swellow couldn't take flight.
  
  Norman saw that Swellow wasn't able to fly up quick enough to avoid Smough's inevitable follow-up, so he changed tactics.
  
  "Boomburst again!" Swellow again let out a penetrating screech, the sound waves this time impacting Smough directly as he was too close to dodge or block them. Smough was blasted backwards to the edge of the arena and let out a groan of pain as his feet slid backwards from the force of the attack.
  
  "Swellow, Brave Bird! Hit and run!" Swellow squawked loudly as it did an aerial somersault to pick up momentum as it also started to become surrounded with silvery energy. It rapidly sped up and fell in a dive towards Smough as its surrounding silver energy was radiating with so much brightness that it was nearly blinding to look at.
  
  Time seemed to slow as I quickly dived into my thoughts to analyse my next move. Smough was already hurt from all of Swellow's earlier attacks, though due to the Amnesia he probably wasn't as injured as Norman was expecting, but I wasn't confident that Smough could endure a Brave Bird right after taking a Boomburst. Similarly, I couldn't just order an Iron Defence to bolster Smough's defence, because Swellow would simply use the momentum of the attack to fly into the air again and remain out of reach of Smough's attacks.
  
  Well, if playing defensive was no longer an option, then it made my next command very simple.
  
  "Smough, Giga Impact. End it." Smough gave out a bellowing roar and rapidly broke out into a sprint as his own bright orange glow started to form and spread from within him. Smough's charge was rapidly picking up speed as he continued towards the incoming Swellow, now completely surrounded with his own bright orange glow that transformed into a purple orb with streaks of orange. Norman's eyes widened in alarm as if he wasn't expecting this course of action, but there was no stepping back now. Both Pokémon were far too committed in their attacks to stop.
  
  Without any more commands that either trainer could give, we watched in solemn silence as we watched our Pokémon advance closer to each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that the psychic shields were being reinforced in preparation.
  
  And I could feel my heart beating out of my chest in controlled anticipation as I braced myself with the railings as the two got closer.
  
  And closer.
  
  And suddenly I was nearly knocked over as a wave of force crashed into me and I had to grip tightly onto the railings to avoid getting blown back by the resulting cascade of energy. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears as my platform was engulfed by a wave of dust as they continued to spill outwards. I forced myself to keep my eyes open and remain focused on the impact.
  
  Apparently, the resulting boom from their collision caused waves of dust and energy to explode out from the point of impact. The psychic shields around the arena that had been reinforced flickered rapidly as they barely withstood the resulting impact and the blast of energy.
  
  Members of the crowd, especially those of a younger age, were knocked over as the psychic shields failed to fully dampen the outward blast of force from the collision. A part of me wanted to look over at the audience and check to make sure if everyone was okay, but the competitive part of me kept my eyes locked on to the slowly dissipating smoke cloud that marked the impact point between our two Pokémon.
  
  I wanted, no needed to know who had won. Cold-hearted as it may seem, but I owed it to Smough to not be distracted and be ready to give commands to finish the battle if necessary. Besides, I told myself that I didn't know if I could do anything to help anyone that was injured anyways. A traitorous image of Karen's face appeared in my mind briefly before I dismissed it as I remained focused on the arena.
  
  The dust slowly scattered to reveal the damage to the arena, and I saw that there were numerous cracks that seemed to spread out from their point of collision. The immediate area where they collided was completely ruined, and all that remains was a giant hole that exposed the structural foundations of the arena that was still filled with dust.
  
  Eventually, the remaining dust cleared to reveal a very badly injured Smough standing victoriously over a knocked over Swellow. When I saw him, I gave out a loud cheer and Smough responded by weakly raising his arms and letting out a roar that almost managed to disguise his very damaged state.
  
  "SNORLAXXXX! SNORLAXX!" I watched as Smough continued roaring out victoriously, but I quickly noticed that he was wobbling uncertainly from his injuries that he tried to power through as he awaited the announcer's call.
  
  "Swellow is unable to battle!" the referee declared as they recovered from the explosion and saw Swellow's fainted expression.
  
  Not wanting for Smough to feel embarrassed by fainting in front of the audience, I quickly withdrew him and informed the referee that I was retiring Smough from the match, which he announced.
  
  Norman withdrew his Swellow with a grimace, and he signalled to the other gym trainers to fix up the gym, as it was too damaged to be used for our last battle. As the arena was being fixed, he left his platform and walked up to where I was standing, gesturing with his eyes that he wanted to talk. Seeing this, I got down from my platform and waited for him. I heard the crowd muttering to each other as we approached each other. As he got close enough, he began to speak.
  
  "I wasn't expecting that." He admitted, "I thought you would have tried to make use of your Snorlax's bulk to withstand the attack before following up with a counterattack like you did with my Linoone."
  
  "You're right. It was my first instinct." I confessed, "But I realized that, with your Swellow's momentum, it would have been really hard for Smough to pin your Swellow down like I did with your Linoone. If that had failed, then you would be free to take to the skies again and continue your long-ranged attacks. Thus, I had to go on the offensive." I explained.
  
  "I see, so it wasn't actually a calculated gamble." Norman thought aloud, "But rather it was your only sensible option left in this scenario." Norman shook his head as he finished his own explanation.
  
  I remained silent as I allowed Norman to figure out his own thoughts. After a moment to think, Norman turned his attention back to me and asked.
  
  "For our final battle, would you mind if we went Slaking vs Slaking?"
  
  "Sure, that was what I was hoping for too." I said excitedly, "I've been looking forward to facing your Slaking. I wanted to see how Tyrant matches up."
  
  "Ah, well, please take it easy on me." Norman spoke uncharacteristically nervously, "I'm sure my Slaking isn't as strong as yours."
  
  "No promises," I joked, before turning serious as I saw Norman remained nervous, he really lacked his in-game stoicism. "Norman, take a deep breath and regain your calm. If you are nervous when it comes to a battle, your Pokémon will be negatively affected by that. You owe it to your Pokémon to stay calm and direct them as best you can."
  
  It was weird giving advice to someone who was nearly twice my age, especially since that person was Norman, but I instinctively maintained a mentoring tone as I tried to reassure Norman. I blame Whitney for developing my mentoring instincts.
  
  I watched as Norman took a deep breath and exhaling. After repeating this a few times, he looked back at me. "Thank you, Elite John. You're right of course, I owe it to my Pokémon to be the best that I can." He sighed and shook his head, but had a smile on his face, "I still have a lot to learn as a trainer and as a Gym Leader."
  
  "Don't worry Norman, I'm sure you'll be able to get it in the future." And I knew that because canon Norman was stoic and always appeared calm.
  
  One of the Gym Trainers approached the two of us to inform us that the arena had been fixed and that we may continue our battle. We both nodded at that, and I gave Norman a thumbs up before we separated and returned to our platforms.
  
  As I stood on my platform while fiddling with Tyrant's Pokéball, I put my recent conversation with Norman in the back of my mind. I did want to discuss things further with him later, but now wasn't the time for it.
  
  I felt my heart pumping eagerly in my chest again. It was time for Tyrant to battle.
  
  A.N This was my first ever try at writing a battle scene, and I struggled really hard when writing this chapter and had gone through multiple revisions. But I hope that you were satisfied with the final edit and that the battle was exciting even if the battle didn't really follow what you might be used to in the games.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 2-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-3 - Tyrant
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" The referee announced once more, receiving nods from both trainers. My grip unconsciously tightened around Tyrant's Pokéball as I prepared to release him.
  
  This was it. I would show Hoenn just exactly how I earned my title. Tyrant will show them all.
  
  I barely even heard the "Begin!" as I reflexively threw Tyrant's Pokéball, releasing him onto the arena.
  
  "SLAKINGGGG!" Tyrant powerfully let out a roar out to the ceiling that managed to shake the very foundations of the Gym as he made his grand entrance, causing the psychic shields to flicker slightly from the power of Tyrant's roar. His scarred body landing onto the arena on all fours with an audible crack as the newly repaired arena fractured slightly at his weight and power. All eyes were on him as his presence radiated with such strength of presence that he caused lesser Pokémon to cower in fear. Tyrant was certainly living up to his name.
  
  In comparison, Norman's Slaking was a fine specimen of his species too, and definitely was well-trained by maintaining an alert and non-lazy posture. If it was not currently facing my Tyrant, it would definitely have made an impressive sight on its own, easily worthy of being a Gym Leader's Ace. However, when compared to Tyrant, it was noticeably smaller, its muscles were less defined, and it still had a hint of laziness that it failed to shrug off.
  
  Unlike the games, where Slaking was severely hampered by its Truant ability, the Pokémon world's version of Slaking was similarly hampered by its inherent laziness that could cause it to ignore its trainer's orders and laze around. If this happened in a serious battle, the results were catastrophic because if it disobeys a command and lazes around during a critical moment of the battle could cause the Slaking to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
  
  Hence, it was why Slaking was a very rare Pokémon to see in the ranks of the Elite. The trainer must have sufficiently trained the Slaking to go against its own inherent lazy nature and to develop battle instincts that would distract it from wanting to laze around during a battle.
  
  Yet, this was much easier said than done and that was why, despite Slaking's prodigious strength, many trainers skipped over Slaking in their considerations as there were other powerful Pokémon that they could use that didn't require so much training.
  
  But, if you DID manage to overcome a Slaking's inherent shortcomings, then you had a powerful, Elite level Pokémon that had a great combination of strength, endurance, and speed.
  
  And Tyrant had done more than just overcome his laziness, he had surpassed it and transformed his laziness into a raging lust for battle that made him into an unstoppable monster that could fight with such immense strength and endurance that he would break even the strongest of Pokémon.
  
  As a result, the moment Tyrant locked eyes with Norman's Slaking, without warning, Tyrant shot forward like a bullet and sprinted on two legs like an Olympic athlete straight at the opposing Slaking. I could see the surprise in the opposing Slaking's eyes as it could barely comprehend what was about to happen as Tyrant closed the distance.
  
  Speed was always something that I emphasized with my training of Tyrant. For some reason, even most elite trainers would not realize just how fast Tyrant could be. They all saw Slaking as a 'slow and lazy' Pokémon and believed the same for Tyrant. My opponent in the finals of the Indigo League Conference certainly believed so. They could not be more wrong.
  
  Thus, before Norman could issue a command, Tyrant had already closed in on the Slaking and crashed into it with a Body Slam with such force that it sent shockwaves exploding outwards.
  
  I could hear the various gasps and shouts of surprise from the audience that I ignored as I watched Tyrant transitioning his slam into a charge that carried and dragged Norman's Slaking far backwards, creating several tears in the arena that trailed behind Norman's Slaking as it was forcefully dragged along by Tyrant, before eventually Tyrant slammed into it once more as they collided with the psychic shields at the edge of the arena.
  
  The sound of glass shattering could be heard as the psychic shields creaked and flickered at the strain of the impact. I inwardly hoped that Norman had some way of reinforcing the psychic shields, as I highly doubted that it could endure more than a few more attacks like that.
  
  "Slaking! Get up! Hammer Arm!" To Norman's credit, he responded quickly to Tyrant's sudden burst of aggression, but Tyrant was not one for allowing his opponents to fight back. Tyrant easily caught Slaking's descending arm with his own, and not letting up on the offensive, Tyrant roared and, in an impressive display of his immense strength, lifted Slaking's fallen body by the arm, carried it over his head, and suplexed it back into the ground with a loud bang that shattered and shook the ground of the arena once again.
  
  Tyrant's preferred method of fighting was unbelievably aggressive; he would close the distance on his opponents before unleashing an onslaught of attacks at such close range that would disorient the opponent so that they couldn't make use of their long-ranged attacks or fancy tricks and dodges.
  
  To compliment this fighting style, I had trained Tyrant's combat instincts so that he didn't need to rely on my commands before attacking, which was beneficial at such close ranges as it allowed him to react quicker than if he needed to wait for me to give him commands. This led to Tyrant adopting an almost completely barbaric way of fighting that abused Tyrant's unbeatable strength, endurance, and his own battle lust.
  
  Against less experienced Pokémon or trainers that were not used to such a method of fighting, they could find themselves overwhelmed and too disorientated to fight back. This was why I told Norman to clear his emotions and to not allow his nervousness to affect his judgment.
  
  "Get on top of it, Tyrant!" Continuing with the aggression, Tyrant pounced on top of Slaking's prone state and ferociously Headbutted it as he pinned it down underneath him before he raised his arms and struck them down savagely with a Hammer Arm. Each blow by Tyrant caused the arena to crack more and more, until eventually, the ground separated into a large gash that both Pokémon fell into.
  
  The sudden displacement didn't deter Tyrant though, as he continued hammering into Slaking with focused rage that Slaking could barely block or fend off. Each subsequent strike by Tyrant was accompanied by a loud thud and dug them both deeper into the hole, until eventually all you could see was the top of Tyrant's head.
  
  But Norman's Slaking proved that it was a powerful and well-trained Pokémon in its own right as, despite the pummelling it was receiving, it still had plenty of vitality and spirit to keep fighting.
  
  Fortunately, as it made the match more exciting, I could see that by this point of the battle Norman's Slaking had lost all of its earlier laziness as it brought its full attention back into the battle at hand.
  
  "Slaking! Use Low Sweep on his legs!" Slaking fought back and cleverly kicked out at one of Tyrant's legs that was keeping it pinned down, causing Tyrant to stumble and miss his next attack as he fell over.
  
  "Now! Brick Break!" Taking advantage of Tyrant's stumble, Slaking sliced downwards with a powerful chop into Tyrant's shoulder that forced him down onto his knees.
  
  "Drain Punch!" Slaking roared and followed up his attack with a critical Drain Punch that crashed into Tyrant's face, knocking him back and allowing Slaking to regain some health.
  
  "Hammer Arm, Slaking! Keep going!" Pushing the offensive, Slaking brought up both of its arms and was about to smash them into Tyrant's face, as if it was trying to crack Tyrant's head in two.
  
  "Sucker Punch, Tyrant!" Much faster than you would expect from such a large Pokémon, Tyrant's fist shot out like a snake and found purchase in Slaking's stomach, interrupting its attack, and breaking its stance.
  
  "Giga Impact, Tyrant!"
  
  Norman shouted out in alarm, "Prote-"
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" Before Slaking could create a shield, Tyrant erupted with a shattering roar and exploded in an orange light as he rocketed forwards, tearing deep trenches in the ground in his wake as he did, and collided into Norman's Slaking with a humongous BANG. The impact blasted Slaking backwards and it completely shattered the psychic shields as it hurtled through them. It continued to fly uncontrollably past them before eventually crashing into the concrete walls of the Gym and falling to the floor. The Gym shook momentarily as the Gym's foundations worryingly wobbled from Slaking's unceremonious crash into the wall and the resulting ripple of force that Tyrant's Giga Impact generated.
  
  The audience screamed in panic, with many ducking for cover, as the energy from the Tyrant's Giga Impact caused the Gym to shake and also managed to scatter many of the benches and chairs that were not properly fastened into the ground as if a large gust of wind had blown through the stadium. Many had become momentarily deafened as the psychic shields failed to dampen the piercing BANG that Tyrant caused with his attack.
  
  To my admiration and respect, I could see that, despite the wounds that it suffered, Norman's Slaking was still determined and capable of continuing the fight as it pulled itself back into a fighting stance. There was a short lull in the action as Tyrant and I waited for Slaking to pull itself back into the arena, so that we wouldn't be fighting outside the psychic barriers when they were repaired.
  
  I could see that Tyrant was also giving Slaking a nod of respect as he watched Slaking re-enter the arena, before Tyrant roared out once more and once again charged towards Slaking, not even pretending to be winded by his use of Giga Impact.
  
  "Slaking! Slack Off and Counter!" Norman's Slaking slumped over as it rested its eyes and its wounds visibly healed at a rapid rate. However, much like how I trained my own Pokémon, an observant eye could see that Slaking was ready to fight back at a moment's notice despite its use of Slack Off.
  
  "Flamethrower, Tyrant!" Tyrant halted his charge before letting out a pillar of flame that engulfed Slaking and interrupted its healing. At this point, the psychic shields had been repaired and recharged and were put back in place.
  
  "Interrupt it with a Rock Throw!" Despite being scorched in flames, Slaking powered through the flames as it tore up a large chunk of flooring and heaved it towards Tyrant, battering him and causing him to cancel the Flamethrower.
  
  "Giga Impact, Slaking! Full power!" Norman abandoned all defence as he knew that a battle of attrition would not end in his favour. His only chance was a decisive blow.
  
  "Tyrant, BRACE!" Tyrant took on a defensive posture and crossed his arms in a 'X' shape as Slaking also started to glow with orange energy as it shot towards Tyrant with a thundering roar of its own.
  
  In that brief moment before impact, Norman's Slaking forgot about all of its injuries as it rushed forwards. It forgot about how it was slammed around and nearly knocked out by Tyrant's Giga Impact. All it cared about was that one decisive blow. That one hit that would take advantage of Tyrant's momentary distraction and crash into him with everything that it had.
  
  Slaking rammed into Tyrant with as much force and determination as it could muster and the silver glow around it detonated simultaneously as Slaking tried to will every inch of strength and power that it had against Tyrant. The psychic shields warbled once again as another wave of force crashed into it, and the arena was now scarred with huge gouges from the two Giga Impacts.
  
  Despite all this, I remained supremely confident that Tyrant would be able to withstand the blow. He was my partner, my ace, and my confidant. He had been with me since the beginning, and he grew up with me and was by my side through every battle, thick and thin. He wasn't going down, not to this, not to anything. He would rather die by my side than surrender a fight. And I loved him all the more for it.
  
  And so, Tyrant determinedly dug his heels in and endured the blow with a pained, but determined, grunt. That grunt transformed into a roar of "SLAKINGGG!" as Tyrant grabbed on to Slaking's shoulders as the Giga Impact petered out and exhaustion began to set in for Norman's Slaking, and Tyrant Headbutted the opposing Slaking with a savage grin.
  
  "Tyrant, Suplex!" Slaking stumbled back from the Headbutt, and before it could reorient itself, Tyrant surged forwards and grabbed Slaking by the sides and threw it over himself as he slammed it again into the ground.
  
  "Slaking, Rest!" "Tyrant, throw it!" Slaking tried desperately to enter a recovery state with Rest, but before it could Tyrant grabbed it by the legs and threw him viciously into the psychic shields. The poor abused shields flickered once again as Slaking crashed into them.
  
  "Finish it Tyrant! Mega Kick!" Tyrant took off in a running start before leaping into the air and diving forward towards the Slaking. The opposing Slaking was too slow to react in time and Tyrant's feet smashed critically against Slaking's face, battering him further against the psychic shields and almost causing the latter to shatter once again.
  
  At this point, Norman's Slaking had unfortunately expended all of its energy with its all-out Giga Impact, and when that failed it could no longer sustain itself from Tyrant's onslaught and fell over unconscious.
  
  "SLAKING! SLAKINGGG!" Seeing his opponent knocked out, Tyrant roared out towards the ceiling and beat his chest in a primal show of strength at his victory. He was injured, sure, but I knew that it would take far more than a couple of hits and a Giga Impact to knock him down. The crowd soon joined in his revelry, chanting, and cheering at the magnificent battle that had just taken place, conveniently forgetting about how they were almost injured and deafened by the ferocity of the battle.
  
  "The Gym Leader's Slaking is unable to battle! Elite John is the victor!" The referee announced. As I saw Norman nodding with a satisfied smile as he withdrew his Slaking, I looked around and saw that a few people in the audience had their phones or other video recording devices out and had probably recorded most of the battle.
  
  I replayed the battle in my own mind as I thought about how others would have thought about the battle just now, and Tyrant's performance within it. I felt that Tyrant had achieved a decisive victory, and the injuries he sustained were an inevitable consequence of his primal and almost reckless fighting style. Besides, I had yet to make use of his recovery moves, meaning that Tyrant still had plenty of juice in the tank to continue fighting.
  
  Distancing myself from my thoughts, I ran up to where Tyrant was still basking in the attention of the crowd before I gave him a proud hug.
  
  "Way to go, Tyrant! You showed them all!" I praised, eliciting another roar from Tyrant as he expressed his joy.
  
  "Yes, it certainly was a good battle." Norman cut in as he approached, "Congratulations on your victory. You really are deserving of the title of the Elite 4." Norman complimented with a smile that lacked any bitterness at his recent loss, which I was happy to see. I didn't want to have soured our relationship just because of my victory.
  
  "Thank you for your kind words." I accepted, "But, as you saw, I barely had to give any commands to Tyra-my Slaking, he just reacted instinctively most of the time." I gestured to Tyrant, who flexed at my words with a goofy grin on his face.
  
  "Ah, but you were the one that trained your Slaking to be able to react instinctively, didn't you?" Norman countered, "If it wasn't for your own abilities as a trainer, your Slaking would not have become so strong, right?"
  
  "I suppose so." I said as humbly as I could, before changing the topic, "Do you still have time to discuss things further? I would like to go over the battle with you and talk about some other matters." I asked.
  
  "Of course!" Norman replied, "In fact, I was just about to ask you. Give me a few minutes to make sure all the audience members are doing okay and to make sure that there are no problems with resetting the arena; we did do a number on it. Oh, and before I leave, here's your Balance Badge." He chuckled as he handed over the Balance Badge to me and I received it with both hands and a slight bow.
  
  Then I watched as he turned away to talk to his Gym Trainers. In the meanwhile, I withdrew Tyrant as he was having a bit too much fun before I looked around to see if I could spot Karen, but she was already making her way towards me.
  
  "Good work out there." She congratulated, "Your Tyrant really is something isn't he? You really need to tell me one day how you got your Pokémon to become this strong. You're making a girl jealous." Though she said that, I could tell that Karen's words had no bite in them.
  
  "Perhaps I could do that sooner than you think." I responded with a smirk, which caused her to raise her eyebrow inquiringly, "Norman and I wanted to discuss our match and a few other topics in a few minutes. Would you like to join?"
  
  "Do you even have to ask? Of course I will." Karen replied sarcastically.
  
  "Are you alright?" I suddenly asked, and Karen looked at me with confusion at the change in topic, "I meant that when the psychic barriers failed during the fight, did you get hurt?"
  
  "Awww, you're so sweet." Karen teased, "Were you worried about me?"
  
  Determined to not let her get the better of me, I simply nodded in response as I put on my best poker face. Karen clicked her tongue at my lack of embarrassment.
  
  "Tch, you didn't even blush." Karen said with a frown before it turned into a small smile, "but thanks for looking out for me. I was fine. I'm an experienced trainer too y'know, I'm more than used to these sorts of things happening during a battle."
  
  I nodded at that. Many scientists in the Pokémon world have documented that, as a trainer spends more time with their Pokémon and their Pokémon grows stronger, the trainers themselves become quicker to heal, stronger, and more resistant to injury. No one could really understand why this was the case, so it remained unexplained.
  
  Personally, I thought that it was because of aura, and that by developing a stronger connection with your Pokémon, you yourself grew stronger because of your aura. However, that was still complete guesswork and not something I could intellectually debate about.
  
  I was brought back from my musings as Karen tapped me on the shoulder and pointed over to the corner of the Gym. I looked at where she was pointing to and could see the receptionist from earlier standing next to a doorway. She was signalling to me and gesturing for me to enter into said doorway that I assumed was Norman's office.
  
  I walked over with Karen, and as we neared Norman's office, I thought about the things I wanted to ask him about. Besides the battle, I did want to ask him a few questions about the politics of Hoenn, in case he has any good ideas that I could replicate in Kanto.
  
  I hoped Norman wouldn't get annoyed at me asking him questions about politics.
  
  A.N Similar to the previous chapter, this chapter had gone through many revisions before I was happy with it. It seems to me that I struggle quite a bit with writing fight scenes, but I hope that this finale for the Norman fight was able to meet your expectations. BUT! Thank you so much for all the positive comments from my last battle, it really made my day to see them.
  
  Also, I hope that I showed Tyrant to be the monster that I imagined him to be. Writing a badass Slaking was like 50% of the inspiration for writing this fic.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 2-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-4 - Making new friends
  
  We walked in and my guess proved correct as I saw Norman sat down in a simple office chair.
  
  "Sorry for the wait." Norman began politely, "There was considerably more damage to fix for the arena than usual. Please take a seat."
  
  "No worries," I stated, especially because I was certain that most of that damage came from Tyrant, "I hope you don't mind if Karen joins us in our discussion?"
  
  "Oh, of course not. Please make yourself comfortable." He gestured to a seat for Karen. "Do you mind if I start?" He asked.
  
  "Go ahead." I allowed.
  
  "How did you get your Slaking and Snorlax to become so physically strong?" He asked politely but with an undercurrent of excitement, "I have tried to ensure that my Slaking gets all the necessary nutrients that it needs every day. I also make sure to train it very hard every day to build up its strength. And yet, your Slaking towers over mine. Could you explain why that is?"
  
  "It's because of a technique that I created," I answered, though I most certainly did not create it but rather 'borrowed' it from my meta-knowledge, "I call it Gravity training."
  
  "Gravity training? Fascinating." Norman exclaimed excitedly and I spent a few minutes explaining how it worked to him, "Hmm...I think I understand the gist of it. So, basically you force your Pokémon to exert themselves greatly under the influence of Gravity, which allows them to build up their strength beyond their usual limits." He asked.
  
  "Yes, that's exactly it." I confirmed, "I found that, with the right application of Gravity training, it can be very beneficial to the Pokémon's development and strength. Just be careful to not overdo it or it may cause permanent damage to your Pokémon." I warned.
  
  "I see. Thank you very much for your advice." Norman thanked, visibly reigning back on his excitement, "I'll be looking into experimenting with this technique. I hope it proves fruitful."
  
  "I wish you the best of luck." I remarked, "Also, don't forget to try to keep a lid on your emotions during battle. A calm mind can think of vital solutions and answers in a battle that a panicked mind cannot."
  
  "Yes, I will definitely remember that. I thank you once again for your advice." Norman said thoughtfully.
  
  "Hmm, unfortunately, I do not have anything to give you in return." Norman then commented with a frown.
  
  "No, no, that's okay." I quickly interjected, "You really don't have to give anything in return."
  
  "Nonsense, your advice would likely prove to be incredibly valuable for my future as a trainer." Norman denied, "On my honour, there must be something that I can give you in return."
  
  "I do have a few questions about politics that I'd like you to answer. I hope that doesn't ruin our friendship." I joked, trying to divert the topic away.
  
  "Ah, politics. The bane of every Pokémon's trainer existence." Norman quipped with a chuckle and shook his head, "Nevertheless, I am willing to listen to your questions. Go ahead."
  
  "Could you tell me what your thoughts are, as a Gym Leader of Hoenn, on the integration of Indigo? How has Indigo affected Hoenn?" I began.
  
  "Hmmm, that's a tough question." Norman thought aloud, "I want to say that the integration of Indigo has been very beneficial to Hoenn in general. As a Gym Leader and trainer, I'm personally very happy about the integration because it has opened future opportunities for me to catch and train new Pokémon that were previously unavailable to us. Also, without Indigo, we wouldn't have had access to the Pokédex, at least not so soon, and many other essential technologies would have remained out of reach if we had not combined our technologies."
  
  "Also, the opening of the Indigo markets for Hoenn has been a boon for our economy as well." Norman continued, "I know that as the Gym Leader of Petalburg City that the economy of Petalburg has noticeably increased as we began trading with Indigo. I'm honestly not the most versed in economics, but the business owners I've spoken to have all stated positive things about having access to Indigo's markets." Norman continued listing a variety of positive aspects of Hoenn's integration of Indigo for a few minutes. Occasionally, I piped up and asked for clarification in certain areas. Overall, it appears that Norman is greatly in favour of it.
  
  I nodded thoughtfully at his comments and took my time to think of a response. "I see, thank you for your comments, Norman. That actually is a great segue to what I wanted to ask of you." I took out Pixel's Pokéball and released it in the corner of the office.
  
  "Pory?" I could see both Norman and Karen's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as they stared in open surprise at Pixel. I gave them a while to digest their shock before I began.
  
  "You see, this is Pixel, my Porygon." I explained as I watched Porygon waddle around as it inspected its new surroundings, "I was given it as a gift by Gym Leader Giovanni of Viridian City. It is a Normal type Pokémon that was created by a team of scientists led by Giovanni, and they created it out of data."
  
  I paused to make sure that Norman was actually listening before continuing, "I won't even pretend to tell you that I understand how it was created. However, they've been struggling to find ways of mass producing it, you see. That was why I was hoping that, with your permission, to perhaps set up a few of Giovanni's scientists here in Petalburg to allow them to work together with scientists in Hoenn to hopefully develop a new perspective on things."
  
  "That sounds like a great idea!" Norman praised with his eyes still locked onto Pixel's in some weird staring contest. I watched as Pixel tilted its head in confusion which shook Norman out of his stupor. "Sorry, I was a bit distracted there. But yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm all for supporting research into discovering new Pokémon, especially new Normal types. Unfortunately, I don't have any scientists at hand, nor do I have the authority to force scientists to work here."
  
  Norman tapped his fingers on the table in consideration as he contemplated the situation. "Okay, I have an idea. I will give you preliminary permission to make use of the unused land here in Petalburg to build a research facility for the scientists to use. However, assuming you have permission from Giovanni about your plans, I think you would have to speak with Devon Corp to obtain the scientists that you need from Hoenn. They probably have most of Hoenn's scientists under their employ." Norman explained to me.
  
  I accepted that and took out my notepad to write things down; I didn't want to forget anything. In the corner of my eye, I could see Pixel trying in vain to climb up on to Norman's desk but failing. Then, Pixel decided to vent its frustrations by trying to headbutt the table, and with that I decided to withdraw it before it could damage the table or harm itself.
  
  "You know, John, that if you accomplish this it's going to be a great achievement for you as a member of the Elite 4, right?" Karen suddenly spoke up. I gave her a confused look at that which she shook her head at it. "You silly man, did you forget that the whole reason you came here was on a 'diplomatic mission' from the Indigo League?"
  
  "What!? Elite John, you were sent here to Hoenn on a diplomatic mission?" Norman blurted out in surprise, "Why didn't any of us Gym Leaders hear about this? It wasn't even on the Pokénet or the news!"
  
  Karen nodded in my place and began explaining to Norman, "Yes, that was the official reason cited by the Indigo League to John about why they were sending him here. But the real reason was because some of the senior members of the Indigo League were dissatisfied with John's appointment in the Elite 4 and wanted him out of the way."
  
  Norman reacted with a mixture of confusion and anger, "That's ridiculous! Being the youngest member to join the Elite 4 should have been seen as a great honour! It's absurd that they tried to side-line you, John." Norman said sincerely while giving me a look of sympathy. "It makes me glad that I moved from Olivine to Petalburg; Hoenn seems to have far less political tensions."
  
  I shrugged at that, grateful for his support but not really wanting to speak anymore on the topic. "Well, that's how it is. Thanks, Karen, for bringing it up though. I didn't realize that setting up a way for the scientists to cooperate would be seen as a great diplomatic achievement, although I'll certainly milk it like a Miltank now that I know."
  
  I certainly wasn't going to complain about this revelation. If it all went well, I could see my reputation being bolstered back in Indigo for managing to set this up. That would be amazing. On that note, I should probably call Giovanni and make sure he was actually okay with this before I got too ahead of myself.
  
  "Excuse me, Norman, do you mind if I call Giovanni right now just to make sure he's okay with this. I don't want to make plans without his permission." I asked. Norman simply waved his hand in the 'go ahead' gesture, so I took out my phone and called Giovanni.
  
  "Yes?" Giovanni's smooth voice flowed through my speakers.
  
  "Giovanni, this is John. I'm currently sitting in Gym Leader Norman's office in Petalburg City. I have an idea I would like to go through with you." I announced.
  
  "Oh? Go ahead." Giovanni said with a hint of curiosity.
  
  "You see, I told Norman about the Porygon that you gifted me and how your scientists had created it. I also told him that you mentioned that you were having issues with mass producing Porygon. Thus, this led me to have an idea about having your scientists cooperate with scientists from Hoenn to see if you can all get a fresh perspective on things." I described.
  
  "Hmmm, that is a very interesting idea." Giovanni declared, "And what has Gym Leader Norman said about your idea?"
  
  "He liked the idea a lot, Giovanni, and has allowed us to make use of some of the unused land in Petalburg for the research facility. However, he doesn't have any scientists that could work with yours and suggested that we could go to Devon Corp and make a request that way." I explained.
  
  "Ah, yes, I know about Devon Corp." Giovanni stated, "I had the idea of working with them in the past, but the opportunity hadn't come up. This might be a great way of establishing a connection with them. Great idea, John." He complimented.
  
  "Thank you, Giovanni. So, should I take it that I have your approval to negotiate the establishment of a research facility in Petalburg for undergoing joint research between your scientists and theirs with Devon Corp.?" I asked politely.
  
  "Yes, you may." Giovanni confirmed, "Please let me know once you've arrived at Devon Corp, I would like to discuss a few things with Joseph. I may have a few other ideas that I would like to bring up with them."
  
  Giovanni having 'other ideas' seemed to stoke my paranoia and made me feel a tad worried; I still didn't fully trust him, after all. But I didn't let my doubt show in my voice and gave him a polite 'of course, is there anything else?' before hanging up the call.
  
  I put away my phone before turning back to Norman, "Thank you very much for going along with my ideas, Gym Leader Norman." I said formally and with a slight bow of my head, "I hope that this project will turn out fruitfully."
  
  Norman accepted my thanks with as much dignity as he could muster, but it still looked a bit stiff to me. Don't worry Norman, you'll become the stoic and cool Gym Leader eventually!
  
  "It is not a problem, Elite John." Norman said, "After all, this project will be beneficial to Petalburg anyways if it does turn out successfully. Please do not feel that you may need to owe me, I was just doing my duties as the Gym Leader of Petalburg."
  
  "In fact, I feel like I still owe YOU for your advice about the Gravity training, John." Norman suddenly stated, and before I could deny it Norman continued, "Please do not deny me this, John. Your advice about Gravity training could prove to be a huge boon to my abilities as a trainer and Gym Leader. On my honour as a Gym Leader, I will give you something in return for this."
  
  Norman sank back in his chair deep in thought as he pondered about what he should give me in return. I mostly stayed silent and glanced at Karen as a silent plea for help. Karen considered things for a moment.
  
  "How about an egg for a Normal type Hoenn Pokémon?" Karen unexpectedly asked, "Besides your Slaking, you don't have a Hoenn-based Normal type, right John?"
  
  "That's a great idea!" Norman quickly replied before I could, "In fact, I just had an egg be born from my Linoone a few days before our battle. I would be delighted to fetch it for you." Before I could say anything else, Norman had already dashed out of the room.
  
  I sighed, giving Karen a false look of annoyance which she simply grinned at. With just Karen and I remaining in the room, I turned to her and told her that she didn't need to ask Norman to give me an egg in return. Karen shook her head at that.
  
  "You're wrong, John." She stated, "You may not have wanted anything for your advice about Gravity training, but Norman would have felt awful if he didn't give you something in return. He's a very nice man, and nice people really don't like not being able to return the kindness that has been given to them." Karen noted sagely.
  
  I could only shrug at that. Truthfully, I wouldn't have rejected an egg, but I still didn't want my interactions with Norman to be so mercenary. I told him about the Gravity training because I liked Norman, and from our battle I thought him to be a worthy trainer that could make good use from practicing Gravity training with his Pokémon.
  
  As we waited for Norman to return, I chatted with Karen about what she thought about my recent battle.
  
  "I was surprised at how vicious your Slaking was." She commented, "I thought you said that you didn't rely on a Pokémon's brute strength to win your battles."
  
  "That's not what I said." I replied, "I said that I knew how to make use of other methods aside from just relying on a Pokémon's strength, but not that I didn't make use of it. With Pokémon like Ursaluna, Snorlax, and Slaking, I would be a fool to ignore their inherent talents in their great strength and endurance."
  
  "Well, yes, you certainly showed that off really well." She snarked, "I don't think anyone who watched that match would ever underestimate your Snorlax or Slaking again. And that's not even mentioning how fast your Slaking was! I can't even begin to imagine how you trained your Slaking to become so fast." She complimented.
  
  "Well Slaking are naturally pretty fast Pokémon." I stated, leading her to give me a look of disbelief. "It's true. If you can get over a Slaking's inherent laziness, they are remarkably fast Pokémon. Many just don't notice it because of how lazy they are. Thus, once I got over my Slaking's laziness, it was much easier than you'd think to train his speed to the level that you saw."
  
  "I see." Karen said and took on a thoughtful expression, "Do you think that Gravity training would work on my Pokémon?" She asked.
  
  "Hmm, I'd think so." I remarked, "Gravity training is meant to improve on your Pokémon's strength by forcing them to exert themselves in harsh scenarios. Maybe aside from Ghost type Pokémon, I don't see why Gravity training wouldn't work for you."
  
  "Oh, well, that's great!" Karen exclaimed with a smile, "Could you teach me how to make use of Gravity training then? I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly and not hurting my Pokémon."
  
  "Of course," I responded, "Once we finish up my talks with Norman, I'll help you with your training."
  
  "Thanks, John." Karen replied with a sincere smile that I couldn't get enough of, "You've been a great help."
  
  We both gazed into each other's eyes as something seemed to pass between us. Unfortunately, Norman's return to the room broke whatever spell had occurred between us.
  
  "Sorry for the wait!" Norman apologized, as he walked in carrying an egg, "I had to make sure that my Linoone was willing to part with its' egg. Fortunately, when I told it that you were the recipient, it became quite eager to give this to you. Apparently, your Snorlax has proven you worthy to take care of this egg." He carefully handed the egg to me, which I received slowly with both hands.
  
  "Thank you very much for this gift, Gym Leader Norman." I said politely, "May I assume that your Linoone is the mother?"
  
  "Yes, she is." Norman confirmed, "She recently found a mate with one of my Gym Trainer's Mightyena and produced the egg that you are carrying now. Please take care of it."
  
  "Of course, I promise you that I will raise it well." Suddenly, a thought sprang to mind, and I thought that I could make another 'discovery'. It was about the right time for it, anyways.
  
  "Say, Norman, did you look into how I discovered that Stantler could evolve into Wyrdeer?" I asked, causing Norman and Karen to blink confusedly at my non-sequitur.
  
  "No? Sorry, I'm afraid I haven't." He responded guiltily, "Why do you ask?"
  
  "Well, it's because of the criteria for Stantler to evolve into Wyrdeer involves it mastering many Psychic type moves." I explained, "Once a Stantler possesses a certain level of mastery in its Psychic moves, it evolves into a Wyrdeer and gains the Psychic typing." I rubbed the egg affectionately as I said this.
  
  "It was the same for Ursaluna. If an Ursaring masters several Ground type moves, it becomes eligible to evolve into an Ursaluna." I continued, "And, with these discoveries, I have a theory that other Pokémon could also have undiscovered evolutions that we have yet to discover."
  
  Karen's eyes shot up in realization as she understood what I was getting at. Norman still looked a bit confused as if he didn't realize why this was relevant.
  
  "You see, if my theory proves true, then what better way of testing it then with an egg?" I said, to which Norman finally gained a look of realization as he pointed questioningly towards the egg that he had just given me. "Yes, that's right, I did my research and found that Linoone had plenty of Dark types moves that it can learn. Similarly, Stantler has plenty of Psychic type moves that it could learn. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
  
  Karen nodded excitedly, "You mean to say that Linoone may have an undiscovered evolution that may be found if we trained it to master Dark type moves?!"
  
  Norman frowned at that, "That can't be the case. I can see how you would think so, John, but I believe that my Linoone has mastered many Dark type moves already. Mine even knows Night Slash. If your theory was true, then shouldn't my Linoone have already evolved?"
  
  I adopted a thoughtful expression as I started to think. I already knew about Linoone's 'undiscovered' evolution, after all. What I didn't know was how I could evolve a Linoone into an Obstagoon. I didn't even know how to create a Galarian Zigzagoon!
  
  "Hmm, you make a good point." I conceded after a bit of thinking, "Then perhaps I should alter my theory. For some reason, my gut is telling me that the Linoone line has more to it than what we currently know, likely to do with some kind of Dark type evolution. That's my hypothesis for why it has so many Dark type moves."
  
  Again, I tilted my head as I absent-mindedly rubbed the egg and thought about how I would evolve a Linoone into an Obstagoon.
  
  "What about infusing the egg with Dark type energy?" Karen suddenly suggested, and I shot out of my seat at her comment.
  
  "Yes! That's it!" I shouted with excitement as I gave Karen a kiss on the cheek. I was so thrilled about the possibilities that I didn't even notice that I had done so. "Yes, that's brilliant, Karen! Perhaps if we could carefully infuse the egg with Dark type energy, then we could perhaps create an alternate form of Zigzagoon that might be Dark type!"
  
  I really hoped this worked, though I was confident that it would. If you could create the alternate forms of Pokémon by infusing them with the correct energy while they're in an egg, then we could have access to many new Pokémon that were normally limited to the other regions!
  
  "Hmm, that could work." Norman said consideringly, breaking me out of my enthusiasm. I began to blush deeply as I turned to Karen, remembering what I had done. Fortunately, she only seemed shocked and not disgusted. We needed to talk about this later.
  
  "...but you would have to be careful not to harm the Pokémon in the egg." Norman finished after a minute or so; I didn't catch most of what he said but only nodded in response. My mind was too distracted and was awhirl with thoughts. I took a deep breath to calm myself down before I returned my attention to Norman.
  
  "Yes, I'll be sure not to harm the egg." I replied, "In fact, I'll ensure that my Blissey is always monitoring the egg to make sure that we aren't harming it."
  
  I then turned to Karen, ignoring the awkwardness between us, "Karen, this was your idea as well, so I'd like your help." She gave me a look of confusion, "I don't have any Dark type Pokémon, but you're a Dark type specialist. I think it would be safer, and more effective, if you would help me to infuse the egg and monitor it. This will be a joint project, what do you think?"
  
  Karen brightened and nodded at my question. That was a good sign that I didn't ruin things with my impromptu kiss.
  
  With that revelation out of the way, I continued giving a worried Norman a few more reassurances that I would do my best not to harm the egg. I couldn't guarantee that the process would be 100% safe, as no one had ever attempted it before, but I did promise him that I would be careful and would halt the experiment if I noticed that the Pokémon was at risk.
  
  After he was appropriately reassured, we discussed a few more things together about the training of Normal types before eventually saying our goodbyes and leaving. I found that we had a lot of similarities in what we focused on for our training, mainly maintaining the discipline of our Pokémon and working to cover our areas of weaknesses.
  
  Before we left, Norman asked if we had any accommodations for the night, which we didn't. He then booked us in at the Pokémon Center and told us we can stay there on him. We both thanked Norman for that, and we left the Petalburg Gym. Overall, I felt like my trip to Hoenn was going to turn out far better than I expected, especially if my theory about infusing an egg was correct.
  
  I considered letting Giovanni know about what I was experimenting but decided against it as I didn't want him to interfere unnecessarily with the experiment. I forcefully reminded myself that Giovanni and I weren't friends. Besides, the experiment could fail, and I didn't want more people knowing about the project if it did.
  
  Seeing that I still needed to heal my Pokémon, I started walking to the Pokémon center, with Karen following distractedly behind me. Noticing that she was being uncharacteristically silent, I asked her if there was anything wrong, and received no response.
  
  As I was about to ask her again, she turned to me and finally spoke up.
  
  "Hey, John, can we talk about that kiss?" She said with a carefully blank expression.
  
  Ah, shit.
  
  A.N I would just like to reassure people that there will not be any relationship drama and teenage angst. That's not what I like to write about, so I promise that this will be resolved very soon. I really debated hard with myself with including this, but I thought that this 'confrontation' was necessary to establish their relationship going forward since the two of them were beginning to act on their hormones too much.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal 2-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-5 - Thoughts and Discussions
  
  We made our way silently to the Pokémon Center, my new Zigzagoon egg still in my hands, but my head was roiling with thoughts. I had kissed Karen as a spur of the moment kind of thing out of pure excitement at her comment, and I immediately realised that it was a mistake to have done so. But the fact that I even kissed her did bring up questions in my mind. Was it a kiss that was done out of excitement? Or was it the beginning of something more? Was I ready to accept that it might be the latter case?
  
  Upon reflecting on my actions throughout the previous days, I admitted to myself that I did enjoy spending time with Karen, and maybe I even enjoyed it too much. However, we've only known each other for a short while, and I really didn't want to rush into things. I realized that I was probably acting on my hormones too much, leading to my mistaken actions, and that I wasn't thinking over things rationally like I usually do. I was too excited, too eager, and I ended up kissing her because I didn't keep a lid on that excitement.
  
  A part of me wanted to blame my hormones, but I knew that I was as much at fault for letting my impulses run free and unchecked. And I felt horrible for doing so.
  
  We kept our silence as we entered the PokeCenter, and I distractedly greeted the Nurse Joy before depositing my Pokéballs for Smough and Tyrant to be healed up. Technically, Klee could've taken up the healing duties instead of bringing them to a Pokécenter but doing Pokécenter style healing took a lot out of her, so I found that just making use of a Pokécenter was easier.
  
  After that, we went to the nearby vending machines to grab some dinner and we made our way to our reserved rooms, courtesy of Norman. We quickly settled into my room and made sure the egg was placed safely before we sat down to eat our meals. After a moment of quiet eating, Karen spoke up.
  
  "Ok, this honestly shouldn't be that awkward." She began with a false bluntness that I felt was a façade to hide her nervousness, "It was just a kiss on the cheek, and I'm probably overreacting, but I need to ask what that kiss meant and why it happened."
  
  "Well honestly I wasn't thinking that hard when I did it." I admitted guiltily while scratching my head, greatly hoping that she wasn't mad at me. "I was just so excited at your comment that I kissed you, I didn't really mean anything by it." I shrugged.
  
  My tone shifted to become more serious and nervous, "I can only apologize if that kiss made you uncomfortable. I certainly shouldn't have done it, and I feel terrible for having done so. I can understand if you are angry or upset at my actions. However, I am willing to say that I still value you as a friend, Karen, but I'm not ready for anything more yet." I bowed my head deeply in apology.
  
  Karen let out a big sigh in relief, which I wasn't sure if I should be offended by or not, "That's good...Oh, shit, sorry I didn't mean it that way." She quickly backtracked as she saw the hurt spread across my face, "Look, John, I've only known you for a short while. And I'm not mad, just mostly surprised really." She sighed out again. "I realize that I probably share some of the blame as I can be a bit of a flirt thanks to Agatha's teachings, but I do only see you as a friend, and I would rather keep it that way for the time being. So please, no more of that." She looked away and couldn't meet my eyes.
  
  "That's understandable, and I was thinking the same thing too." I told Karen honestly, who turned to look back at me, "Honestly, I think you're a great friend and I really enjoy your company, Karen, despite only knowing you for a few days. And I will take the blame and apologize once again for making this situation as awkward as it is and am genuinely sorry that I did it. But I'd like to spend some more time with you in Hoenn getting to know you better for the time being." I admitted with a slight blush.
  
  "It's alright, John. Just make sure to not do that again, I'm definitely not ready for it. And sure, I'd like that to get to know you better too." Karen said and gave me another one of her sincere smiles. Damn, she really needs to stop doing that.
  
  We held each other's gazes for a bit before we both simultaneously broke into relieved laughter.
  
  "I'm glad that's over with." Karen laughed out.
  
  "Yes, I wouldn't want to be confronted on something like that again." I responded with a smile as I was filled with relief at her acceptance. Inwardly, I hated how my teenage hormones made me act like this. I was very fortunate that Karen was understanding, otherwise I would have been in the shit. I vowed to myself that I would try harder to keep a lid on them so that I wouldn't act up like this again.
  
  Oh, the horror of going through puberty a second time.
  
  With that little bit of relationship drama out of the way, we both settled in and finished our dinners while returning to our regular small talk. We had a few discussions on how we wanted to infuse the egg with Dark type energy and how we were going to document our experiment.
  
  Though, with both of us airing how we wanted our relationship to move forward for the future, I felt that a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was happy to be friends and spend time with Karen, but anything more needed to wait until much later.
  
  With dinner done, I split up with Karen as she returned to her own room to start preparing to go to sleep while I headed down to the reception to pick up my healed Pokémon. Pokécenters in this world healed quickly like the games, unless the Pokémon was severely injured to the point where its life was threatened, then they took more time to heal.
  
  "Here you go, sir." The Nurse Joy greeted me as she returned my now healed Pokémon to me.
  
  "Thank you very much." I said in response and returned Smough and Tyrant's Pokéballs to their rightful place on my belt.
  
  "I hope you don't mind me saying this but thank you for having that battle with Gym Leader Norman." The Nurse Joy suddenly said to me, which caused me to adopt a look of confusion.
  
  "Uhhh, you're welcome?" I said confusedly, "I didn't think it was such a big deal."
  
  "Well, you might not know this as someone who isn't from Hoenn, but Gym Leader Norman was not actually born here in Hoenn. He's actually from Olivine City in Johto but married his wife who is from Hoenn." She explained, "Which meant that when he was made Gym Leader at Petalburg, there were some that looked down on him because he was a foreigner."
  
  I frowned when I heard that, I had forgotten that bit of trivia from canon. After my talks and battle with Norman, I considered him a friend, and I was mad for him on his behalf.
  
  "But I watched your battle with him today on the Pokénet, and I'm sure many others have done so as well." The Nurse Joy continued, "He might have lost, but he did really well today and really showed why he deserves to be the Petalburg Gym Leader. Hopefully, with his good showing from today, he'll have more respect from the people of Petalburg."
  
  I nodded as I understood what she was saying. Basically, the situation that Norman was facing was very similar to what I was currently facing as the newest member of the Elite 4. We both had to prove to the public that we deserved our positions through a display of strength and ability.
  
  Although, the fact that Norman was a foreigner and was still able to become a Gym Leader of Hoenn did make me consider a few things that I could apply in Indigo for the future. I thought about how, in canon, Whitney became the Gym Leader of Goldenrod. Could I encourage her to do the same here? If so, it would prove to be a great boon for my goal of achieving unity between Kanto and Johto. It was a very far off goal, but I hoped it would work out. Of course, I would actually ask her if she wanted to do it; I wouldn't force her into anything.
  
  I broke myself from my thoughts and thanked the Nurse Joy for her explanation but said that she didn't need to thank me because it really wasn't a big deal and that I was happy for Norman.
  
  After that, I made my way back to my room, got myself cleaned up, and collapsed on my bed. It's been a long day. Just before I fell asleep though, I texted my parents to make sure everything was okay and let them that I was doing fine and double checked to make sure the egg was in a safe position. I quickly got a text back that everything was fine, but Whitney had seen my battle against Norman, and she really wants to talk about it soon. I told her I would do so later, then I put my phone away and quickly fell asleep.
  
  I found out quickly the next morning that the disadvantage of travelling with Karen was that she absolutely refused to be woken up in the mornings. I had already gotten ready and bought breakfast, and yet she still hadn't left her room yet. I was pretty certain that she hadn't even woken up yet.
  
  She remained absent even until I finished my breakfast, so eventually I lost my patience and decided to knock on her door and force her awake. After a full minute of knocking on her door, I was finally greeted with the sight of a newly awake, and utterly dishevelled Karen.
  
  "Let me die." She told me dramatically with barely opened eyes.
  
  "Well, good morning to you too." I said dryly and she merely groaned unintelligently in response. She really was acting like a zombie, hell, she even looked like one too at the moment.
  
  "Come on, I want to start making our way to Rustboro City today so that I can discuss things with Devon Corp." I nudged her, but seeing that she remained unwilling I changed tactics, "Come on, didn't you catch a new Corphish yesterday? Wouldn't he be excited to come out and play? If you go back to sleep like that, he'll be very sad in his Pokéball."
  
  "Ughhhh, fine, let me go get ready." She finally conceded as she rubbed her eyes sleepily and closed the door on me.
  
  Admittedly, I was worried that she would just close the door and immediately go back to sleep, but not too long later she made her way down and somehow didn't look like a freshly revived zombie. She had a quick breakfast and then we left for Rustboro City, but we decided to go the scenic route and walk through Petalburg Woods rather than just fly straight to Rustboro.
  
  I still felt bad about kissing her like that, but she seemed to not really have any problems with it after our conversation yesterday, or at least she wasn't bringing it up, so I decided to let it go.
  
  We quickly bought a few more supplies at the nearby Pokémart before we head off for Petalburg Woods, our luggage transferred into big rucksacks that were far easier to carry. I had also bought an incubator for the egg so that it could hopefully remain undamaged and stored it safely in my rucksack as we travelled.
  
  Karen considered releasing her new Corphish as we walked, but I told her that it might be better to save Corphish's energy for some potential battles and training in Petalburg Woods, since I was planning to do the same with Pixel, and she agreed.
  
  By noon, we had already made it to the entrance of Petalburg Woods, and we both decided to have a quick lunch before we made our way in. If we had stopped to eat within the woods, we might have attracted a few too many Pokémon with the smell.
  
  With lunch wrapped up, Karen and I released our Corphish and Porygon respectively. From my memory and the research that I did on Petalburg Woods, it was mainly inhabited my weak, 'lower-level' Pokémon and it was a suitable area for new trainers to go and train in. Thus, the wild Pokémon there should be at a suitable level for our new captures to battle and train with.
  
  Sure enough, we had only just ventured into Petalburg Woods for a few minutes when a lone Shroomish approached Corphish with a challenging expression. I saw Karen give it a quick glance before nodding and gesturing for Corphish to step up.
  
  "Corphish! Cor!" Corphish snapped his claws in what he thought was a show of aggressiveness, but to me it only looked cute.
  
  "Shroom! Shroomish." Shroomish growled back, and both Pokémon started circling each other as they continued their posturing.
  
  Deciding that the two had done enough posturing, Karen gave her first order. "Okay Corphish, show me what you can do. Hit it with a Slash!"
  
  Corphish charged forward and sliced Shroomish with one of his claws, eliciting a cry of pain from the wild Pokémon. However, Shroomish countered and slammed into Corphish with a Tackle of its own.
  
  "Keep Slashing, Corphish!" Corphish surprisingly didn't wince at the Tackle from the Shroomish and continued Slashing at it until eventually the Shroomish fainted.
  
  "Good job, Corphish!" Karen praised, "That was a great first battle!" Corphish raised his claws in the air as he cheered and puffed out slightly at his victory.
  
  "Pory?" Pixel suddenly called out, "Pory. Pory pory." With Pixel being so new to my team, I still struggled with understanding what it was saying. Pixel evidently caught on to my confusion as it began to gesture with its head towards the fainted Shroomish.
  
  "You want to fight that Shroomish?" I guessed, but Pixel shook its head at that, "OH, uh, you want to fight a Shroomish?" Pixel nodded excitedly and I had to think about it.
  
  Not to look down on Pixel, but I really didn't feel like it was ready to fight a Shroomish yet. It was still very new to battling, and I really didn't think it was ready until it got more training in with my own Pokémon. Still, I saw the value in getting some hands-on experience for it, so I made a compromise.
  
  "Hmm, Pixel, I don't think you're ready to take on a Shroomish just yet." I said carefully and I saw Pixel predictably wiggle in frustration, "But, I think I'll let you battle a Wurmple if we find one. I think you can handle that." Pixel's frustration was quickly replaced by excitement and joy as it cheered out with a mechanical whine.
  
  With Pixel's sudden request sorted out, I nodded to Karen who had been waiting patiently and we headed deeper into the woods. I hung back with Pixel as we watched Corphish take on a few other wild Pokémon, such as Poochyena, Taillow, and Zigzagoon. Sadly, we didn't come across any Slakoth's, which I suppose wasn't that surprising considering that it was supposed to be rare.
  
  Luckily for Pixel, though, we soon ran into a Wurmple and Silcoon pair that was just minding their own business. Sadly, Pixel was too excited to battle and decided that them 'minding their own business' was an insufficient excuse to avoid battling, and so quickly approached them and challenged them to fight.
  
  I could tell from the Wurmple's expression that it was clearly reluctant to battle, but Corphish had joined in on Pixel's enthusiasm and wanted to continue his winning streak. Thus, the two wild Pokémon had no choice but to fight.
  
  I let Corphish deal with the Silcoon as I focused on aiding Pixel in its battle against Wurmple. "Okay Pixel let's go. You can do this. Tackle it!" Pixel beeped in response and charged at Wurmple like it had practiced so many times against Smough and rammed into the small Bug type, landing a good blow and knocking the Wurmple back a few paces.
  
  "Keep using Tackle, Pixel, you got this!" Wurmple fired back a String Shot to trip up Pixel but Pixel powered through it with another Tackle that, this time, managed to knock out the Wurmple. Overall, it really wasn't that exciting of a battle for a trainer at my skill level, but Pixel definitely saw it as the most exciting thing to ever happen to it and was cheering happily as its victory.
  
  "Congratulations Pixel, you won your first battle!" I patted Pixel on the head over its epic victory against a wild Pokémon that really just wanted to be left alone, and I saw that in the corner of my eye Corphish had already wrapped up his battle with the Silcoon. Despite how simple the battle was, I felt that it helped Pixel get into the right mindset for future training and ensured that it saw that it was making progress and steadily getting stronger.
  
  With the battle wrapped up, we continued making our way through Petalburg Woods mostly uneventfully. Any wild Pokémon that we encountered would either be handled by Corphish or Pixel, and both Karen and I were ready to release our much stronger Pokémon just in case we ran into anything that our two newer captures couldn't handle. Sadly, we didn't encounter any Slakoth's. If we did, I'd definitely catch another one to send to Whitney.
  
  It was late in the evening when we managed to make our way out of Petalburg Woods and into the outskirts of Rustboro City. I asked Karen if she wanted to slow down and camp out for a night or speed up so that we could make our way to Rustboro and hopefully find a room in the Pokécenter. She decided on the latter, so we withdrew our now tired and battered Pokémon and quickened our pace as we walked to Rustboro City.
  
  We arrived just as it started to turn dark, and luckily, we were both able to find rooms for the night at the Pokécenter. We were both pretty tired from today's walk, but I told Karen that I wanted to get started on our experiment with the egg. She agreed, and we both had a quick shower and scarfed down our dinners before we both went back to my room to check on the egg.
  
  "Okay, how are we doing this?" Karen asked as she carefully inspected the egg. I could tell that she was both equal parts excited and nervous about the experiment.
  
  "Well, it's not like I've ever done this before." I replied, to which she frowned at. I guess she was hoping that I had a more confident plan or something. "Wait, let me release my Blissey so that she can make sure what we're doing is safe."
  
  I released Klee into the room, and she immediately hugged me as she always did. But, this time, she had a look of surprise as she saw Karen sitting next to me. After a short pause for Klee to inspect Karen, she immediately let go of me and glomped Karen with a hug of her own. Karen was briefly surprised at the hug, but eventually returned a hug of her own to Klee.
  
  "Wow, she's a real hugger, isn't she?" Karen remarked.
  
  "Yeah, she is. She's almost a second mother to me." I said fondly. I watched the two hug for a while before I coughed to regain their attention. "Okay, Klee, sorry to disturb you but I need you to make sure that we aren't going to be damaging the egg."
  
  Klee turned back to me with a questioning look, as if asking why we would even consider hurting a Pokémon egg.
  
  "No, we're not going to be harming the egg on purpose, Klee." I said placatingly, "But, Karen and I came up with an idea on how we could discover a new evolution line for a Zigzagoon. We think that if we can infuse the egg with Dark type energy, then we can create an alternate form of Zigzagoon that would be a Dark type. But we need you to make sure that we aren't harming the egg while doing so." I told her.
  
  I could tell that most of what I said flew over Klee's head, but she understood the 'not damaging the egg' part and so nodded and proceeded to carefully inspect the egg and started monitoring it.
  
  "Ok, Karen, I want you to use your most skilled Pokémon at manipulating Dark type energy." I told her, and she nodded and thought for a bit before releasing her Umbreon. With two Pokémon and two people sharing one room at once, it was starting to get a little crammed.
  
  "Umbreon?" The Umbreon barked out confusedly. Karen began explaining to the Umbreon what they were doing with the egg as I turned my attention back to Klee.
  
  "Any problems?" I asked Klee, and fortunately she shook her head. I looked back at Karen, and she gave me a nod to show that Umbreon understood its, no, his assignment.
  
  "Ok, are we ready?" I asked the Umbreon, and I got a nod in return as he began to release a very faint and weak burst of Dark type energy that slowly seeped into the egg.
  
  I saw that Klee's eyes were narrowed in focus as she continued staring at the egg, making sure that there was nothing going wrong and that the Zigzagoon inside remained healthy and unharmed.
  
  "Should we send another pulse of Dark energy?" Karen asked Klee. Klee went over the egg once more before giving a careful nod. With that, Umbreon sent out another weak pulse of Dark energy towards the egg that was also quickly absorbed.
  
  We repeated this process a few more times, each time double checking with Klee to make sure that things remained safe. Although we had allowed a few pulses of Dark energy to be absorbed by the egg, we noticed no noticeable change in the egg's outer appearance, nor did Klee or Umbreon notice any changes happening to the Zigzagoon inside the egg.
  
  We decided to stop it there for the night, both because we didn't want to accidentally damage the egg by sending too much Dark type energy in a short period of time, and also because it was getting late.
  
  I was about to return Klee to her Pokéball but she waved her hands as if she wanted to say something.
  
  "Bliss...Blissey Blissey?" My eyes widened as I listened to Klee's suggestion. Of course! I totally forgot that I could use Klee's Fairy type moves to disperse any excess Dark type energy in case the egg absorbed too much of it.
  
  "Thank you, Klee, that was a great suggestion. I can't believe I didn't think of that." I praised Klee, giving her a thankful hug that she returned before I withdrew her back into her Pokéball. Karen gave me questioning look, but I just shook my head at that. She let it go but instead asked me a question of her own.
  
  "So, what do you think of the today's process with the egg?" She asked with a bit of disappointment. I guess she was hoping that we would make noticeable progress today.
  
  "Well, I wasn't that surprised that nothing occurred honestly." I told her, "I didn't think that a night's work of infusing Dark type energy would be enough to change a Pokémon's typing while they are still in an egg. It probably takes a lot more work than that." I answered honestly.
  
  "That's true." She nodded her head in acceptance before letting out a sigh. "I guess I was just really hoping that this experiment would work out. Not just because we'd be able to discover a new Pokémon if it really works, but also because it'd give me the fame that I need to prepare for a run for the Elite 4." Karen admitted.
  
  I rubbed my mouth thoughtfully at that. I hadn't previously considered how Karen would run for the Elite 4, but now that she had explained it makes sense why she wants this experiment to work out. But I remembered how, despite my discoveries of two new evolutions, I still didn't have much personal influence so when I was made an Elite 4, so they were able to side-line me to Hoenn.
  
  I told her my thoughts and I got a solemn nod in return.
  
  "I know that. But your discoveries still gave you a measure of personal influence for when you eventually became an Elite 4. If I also made a big discovery, then if Walker does retire or gets kicked out and a spot becomes open on the Elite 4, then having this discovery would make me a better candidate to be chosen. I would show another aspect of myself that isn't just my ability at battling...and I would be known as something more than just being Agatha's apprentice." She said seriously.
  
  I could tell that she was a bit bitter and nervous about her chances of joining the Elite 4, and I could certainly empathize with her. I gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulders, careful to remain platonic not go any further than that, and she gave me small smile as thanks.
  
  "I believe you can do it, Karen." I told her sincerely, "Regardless of whether this experiment is a success, I truly believe you can make it to the Elite Four on your merits alone, and not just because you are Agatha's apprentice."
  
  "Thank you, John." She said with a slight frailness that I hadn't seen on her before, "I hope that one day I can join you in the Elite Four."
  
  "Yes, that would be great." I replied with a slight chuckle.
  
  Inwardly, I hoped that she had forgiven me for my previous kiss. I was tempted to hug her, to reassure her, but I stopped myself as I didn't want to make the same mistake as I did the day before. We then wrapped up our conversation with some mundane topics before she eventually calmed herself and thanked me for my reassurance before heading back to her room to sleep.
  
  I stared briefly at her retreating back before I got up and showered and prepared to go to bed. With a quick check on the egg and a few texts to my parents, I fell onto my bed as all the exhaustion seemed to hit me all at once and promptly fell asleep.
  
  A.N A bit of a slow chapter, but I hoped to clarify John and Karen's relationship as well as just giving them a few more moments together. They aren't ready to jump into a relationship, but I hope that I showed that they still care for each other despite their short friendship. But the kiss was supposed to be the 'oh shit' moment that would hit the brakes on their hormones.
  
  This chapter was supposed to be 2-6 but seeing the feedback from the last chapter (On SB) made me move it up to 2-5 so that the situation could be resolved quicker, which was fine, the original 2-5 was just a Pokenet interlude chapter anyways. I spent a lot of time making small edits to this chapter, so I hope this resolution is satisfactory.
  
  And thanks for all your comments on FF. I do read them and try to implement your suggestions, but FF doesn't really have a good way for allowing me to respond to them.
  
  Also, I know that Corphish isn't supposed to have Slash unless it comes via an egg move. But that's just dumb. It has claws. It will use them.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  (Non-Canon) The New Normal - April Fools
  The New Normal - Non-Canon Side Story - The Masterball
  
  I woke up the next day with a surprising call from Giovanni. Apparently, he and his future scientists had discovered something incredible, and he wanted to give one to me for a field test. Not knowing what it was, I decided to indulge my curiosity and made my way all the way back to Viridian to meet up with him.
  
  I made my way into the Gym and into his office, once again being escorted by Petrel. He greeted me politely but didn't say much else, and I was happy enough just staying silent.
  
  Once we entered Giovanni's office, Petrel left the two of us alone. Giovanni and I spent some time catching up and going through the pleasantries before we got down to the reason why he called me here.
  
  He gestured for me to look at the TV screen that he had setup in his office.
  
  "This is a recording of the new Pokéball that we created. My scientists are all confident that this new Pokéball, what we are going to be calling the Masterball, can catch any Pokémon in the world." He told me as we watched the recording. And sure enough, the recordings showed that the Masterball was indeed capable of catching the many Pokémon used in the tests.
  
  Of course, I knew about the Masterball already from my meta-knowledge, so this wasn't that surprising. However, I wasn't sure if the Masterball from the games matched with the Masterball that Giovanni's team had just created. Thus, I asked about it.
  
  "This is fascinating stuff." I admitted with my eyes sparkling with wonder. "Is it able to catch any Pokémon?" I tried to maintain my calm and push down my excitement. If it really was able to catch anything, then oh Arceus I had ideas.
  
  "Yes, that's what my scientist have said." Giovanni responded, not recognizing my growing excitement at the potential opportunities. "They say that the inner mechanism of the ball allows it to capture any Pokémon that you use it on. Including powerful ones like Dragonite."
  
  At this point I was barely listening to Giovanni's explanation. I just wanted to take the Masterball that he had displayed on his desk and run away with it. I knew just the perfect Pokémon to catch with it.
  
  Thus, I just listened distractedly and nodded my head at appropriate times as he spoke to me about what he wanted me to do with the Masterball. He said something about it being very difficult to mass produce, but he still wanted to show it off to the world as something that he had achieved and brought to the world.
  
  "Why don't you go catch a Normal type Pokémon or something with it, John." Giovanni told me. "I'm sure you can add a new Normal type Pokémon to your team at this point, and what better way than to use a ball that can catch anything?"
  
  Giovanni handed me the ball, which I took and gave him a wicked smile, which I think took him aback. Still, it didn't rouse his suspicions enough for him to take the Masterball back from me, so I suspect that he thought that it was just a smile of excitement.
  
  He asked if I had anything else to talk about, and I told him that I didn't. He then wished me the best of luck and hoped that I could catch something powerful to 'match the grandeur of the Masterball'. I promised him that I would and set off immediately to catch the Pokémon I wanted.
  
  Oh, if only Giovanni knew what he had just done.
  
  With the Masterball properly secured and stored safely on my belt, I quickly took off on Port and made my way to my destination. Technically, finding Sinnoh was a bit of guesswork, but I had a general idea of where it was going to be and I knew that Drake had already explored it before, which meant that it shouldn't be too far away.
  
  Regardless of how long it took to find Sinnoh, the end result would be worth it.
  
  I ended up flying around for almost half a day, with most of that time spent flying above the empty sea. But eventually, we found a familiar mountain that I eventually recognized as Mount Coronet. And I nearly leapt out of Port in excitement as I spotted it; we were so close to my goal.
  
  I got Port to fly towards the top of Mount Coronet and we landed on the summit. No one was there, which was perfect because I didn't want any witnesses to see what I was about to do. I looked up to the sky and saw that there was a strange floating platform above the summit of Mount Coronet that looked like it defied gravity.
  
  I didn't have the Azure Flute to summon the stairs, but I had something even better. Something the developers thought that humans would never possess.
  
  The ability to just fly wherever you want and ignore map boundaries.
  
  With barely restrained glee, I tasked Port with flying the both of us up there. As the two of us circled around the strange floating platform, I saw our objective just standing there idly and non-responsively.
  
  Arceus was here, just like in the games.
  
  With Arceus just remaining there and not moving, I reached for my Masterball and I nearly dropped it in my excited fumbling. With sweaty hands, I held the Masterball nervously in my hand and I approached Arceus.
  
  Once I was in touching range, I lightly tapped Arceus with the Masterball in my hand. Immediately, a bright light engulfed Arceus and it was absorbed into the Masterball.
  
  I watched anxiously as the ball wobbled once.
  
  Then twice.
  
  Then thrice.
  
  Then it clicked shut and I screamed in joy as I caught my newest Normal type. What a perfect addition to round off my Normal type team.
  
  I have acquired God. The power of God is now in my hands.
  
  A.N Happy April Fools! I totally forgot about April Fools so I had to quickly write up this chapter. I don't actually know if I'm going anywhere with this, but hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. And thanks once again for sticking with my story thus far despite my recent errors.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-6 - Pokenet Reactions
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-6 - Interlude: Pokénet reactions
  
  [NEWCOMER JOHN SMITH IS THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S INDIGO CONFERENCE! NEWEST ELITE FOUR?!] by BattleCast
  
  As any BattleCast reader should know, the Kanto newcomer John Smith has become the winner of this year's Indigo Conference, beating out the Johto favourite Shin in a decisive victory. Though many supporters from Johto may have been unhappy with John's victory, it is undeniable that John's unusual Normal type team was able to demolish Shin in the final battle.
  
  John's starter, a Slaking of all things, was nigh unstoppable on the battlefield, taking out THREE of Shin's Pokémon and looking none worse for wear! An unbelievable performance from a Pokémon with such a young trainer; how did John manage to train the normally lazy Slaking into such a powerhouse? Even Shin's Ace Pokémon, Scizor, responsible for knocking out the other Johto's favourite, and niece of Champion Pryce, Lorelei, fell to Slaking's immense strength and surprising proficiency with the use of Fire Punch and Flamethrower.
  
  Through careful study of the battle, our experts at BattleCast are certain that John's Slaking's possesses a diverse move pool consisting of all three elemental punches; an unbelievably strong variety of moves that our experts say was one of the major factors that allowed John to become this year's Indigo Conference winner.
  
  Let us not forget about John's other Pokémon, as they are all very formidable in their own right. His Ursaluna, a completely new evolution of Ursaring discovered by John himself, is a very powerful Ground/Normal type that John relied on heavily to smash through the many Fire, Steel, and Electric types that were a common sight in this year's Indigo Conference. Although his Ursaluna was overshadowed by his Slaking's incredibly dominant performance, this writer is going to keep an interested eye on Ursaluna and its future battles.
  
  With John's victory at the Indigo Conference coinciding with Elite Blaine's recent retirement from the position to take up Gym Leader duties at the Cinnabar Gym, some are beginning to speculate if this mean that John will become the next trainer to join the prestigious ranks of the Elite Four? This writer certainly hopes so. #John4Elite4
  
  [Comments]
  
  FutureAce
  
  John's Slaking was a fucking beast! Holy shit! Shin stood absolutely no chance in that last match. Did you see Shin's Scizor getting pulverised into the ground by that thing? Absolute monster. I have no idea how you would actually fight that thing, but I really do hope John gets into the Elite Four, he absolutely deserves it. #John4Elite4
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hell yes! I've been following John's progress ever since he was in the news for his discovery of Ursaluna and Wyrdeer. John's proving to the world that Normal type Pokémon aren't just 'safe' Pokémon for children to practice with! They're powerhouses in their own right and John's going to prove that to the world! Let's GOOOOO! #John4Elite4
  
  FightClub
  
  Bah! You Normal type fanboys always get so excited when someone wins using their Normal types. Everyone knows that all it takes to beat a Normal type is a strong Fighting type Pokémon. John just got lucky that Fighting types were so rare in this year's Indigo Conference. One Machamp and John's entire team is done.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  What kind of crack are you spouting?! Did you even watch the match? John's Slaking took a Superpower from Shin's Scizor and shrugged it off if it was nothing. You must be high on those revival herbs if you think that John's team will lose to a Machamp. #John4Elite4
  
  FightClub
  
  Yeah okay pal so his Slaking took one Superpower and didn't fall over, big deal. We'll see what happens when he's up against a real Fighting Type move.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  HAH! Get fucked Shin! That's what you fucking get for knocking out Lorelei! Lorelei would've whooped your ass if not for you abusing your type advantages like that. Fucking loser.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Why are you blaming Shin for making use of type advantages? That's like, the first thing you're taught at trainer school. Don't blame Shin for doing what he's supposed to.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Shut up hater! Shin should've fought Lorelei like a real man! Lorelei would've easily beaten John if only Shin didn't cheat!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Okay buddy, whatever you say. The next time you get into a Pokémon battle, don't make use of type advantages, and see how that goes. I'm rooting for you.
  
  [FROM RAGS TO ELITE FOUR! JOHN SMITH OFFICIALLY SWORN IN AS THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR! A HISTORICAL OCCASION!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Yes, you read that right dear readers! Just after a day since newcomer John Smith won this year's Indigo Conference, he has been sworn in as a member of the Elite Four! Not only that, but John is the youngest trainer in history to join the Elite Four, at only 16-years-old! What a magnificent feat that really highlights his strengths and achievements as a trainer.
  
  At his swearing in ceremony, John made a speech about forming closer ties between Kanto and Johto and hopes to solve some of the issues that plagues both nations. Does this mean that the now Elite John will be active in the political sphere with his newfound influence as a member of the Elite Four? What does this mean for the future of Indigo? What part will Elite John play in shaping it?
  
  Nevertheless, Elite John's story and journey to become a member of the Elite Four is equal parts inspiring and depressing. From his poverty-ridden youth as a son of poor farmers, it was reported that he had no chance of getting a sponsor and that he was barely even able to afford a Pokéball to catch his now infamous starter, to a successful trainer and researcher with two new Pokémon discovered and has now managed to get himself chosen to join the Elite Four at such a young age.
  
  And now that John has made it into the Elite Four; what new wonders will he bring to the table? This reporter is eagerly watching John's story and wishes him all the best.
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO! JOHN DID IT! HOLY SHIT HE'S MADE HISTORY! NORMAL TYPES FTW!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Very happy about seeing a Kantonian replace Blaine, especially one that takes an interest in helping out Kanto. Arceus knows that we don't need the divide between Kanto and Johto to become worse!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  *sigh* another paranoid fool that once again overdramatises the divide between Kanto and Johto. Relax, dude, it's not that bad.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Not that bad?! Have you even taken a look at the two regions' economies? Kanto is consistently lagging behind Johto and it gets worse every year! The gap is REAL!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  ...there's no arguing with idiots.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  OMG they chose John over Lorelei to become the next Elite Four member? Do the selection committee have eyes?! Why would they choose that simpleton over our QUEEN!?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Um, you realize that Pryce was involved in choosing John right? You know, Lorelei's own UNCLE chose John over her?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Okay okay enough with the politics. Where do you think John ranks in terms of strength within the Elite Four?
  
  FutureAce
  
  Definitely stronger than Walker, but then again that's not a high bar to clear. How is he even still in the Elite Four?
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Obviously because Pryce still needs a loyal Johto lapdog to remain in the Elite Four! Why else would he still be there? Walker is weaker than Giovanni!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Ignoring the politics once again, I do agree that Walker is easily the weakest of the Elite Four. So, what about Lance or Agatha? Do you think that John is stronger than them?
  
  DragonPower
  
  LMAO are you serious?! Do you think John's Normal types even have a chance to win against Lance's DRAGONS?! Lance would demolish John if they ever fought, just you wait.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Did you even watch John's past matches? His Pokémon have destroyed Dragon type Pokémon before, how would Lance be any different?
  
  DragonPower
  
  'How would Lance be any different' LMAO OK buddy. You can't compare those baby ass dragons to Lance's monsters. Lance is on a different level from all you posers. He'll be Champion one day, just watch. #ChampionLance
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  HAH! Like that's ever going to happen. Pryce's Ice Types will destroy Lance. Don't you know Dragons are weak to Ice? Fucking idiot.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...What was that about not abusing type weaknesses that you were saying before?
  
  [AD: Why use potions when you can use the Smith's family MooMoo Milk? Used by Elite Four John!]
  
  The MooMoo milk produced by the Smith family is an inexpensive alternative to potions that is both capable of healing your Pokémon as well as developing their muscles and strength. Our MooMoo milk also provides important nutrients so that your Pokémon is able to grow strong and healthy.
  
  One MooMoo Milk a day keeps the Nurse Joy away!
  
  Don't believe us? Just ask Elite Four John!
  
  "I'm John Smith, and this is my favourite MooMoo milk brand in Indigo." - Now Elite Four John.
  
  Topic: [NEWEST ELITE FOUR ALREADY BUSY WITH THE GILRS? ELITE FOUR JOHN SEEN FLIRTING WITH AGATHA'S APPRENTICE!] by Baby Doll Eyes
  
  [Image attached]
  
  Look what I saw at Elite John's swearing in ceremony! He's already talking up Agatha's apprentice while Agatha's standing right there! Is Agatha already trying to get her hooks in John by seducing him with her apprentice? Or is John already using his newfound title as a way of getting girls? OMA the DRAMA!
  
  Comments
  
  AttractIsNotConsent
  
  Typical powerful male using his power to get a girl just because he can't get one normally. I bet if John wasn't a member of the Elite Four, Agatha's apprentice wouldn't even give him the time of day!
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  AttractIsNotConsent ...but they look cute together.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Honestly, I wouldn't mind getting to know that girl a bit better if you know what I'm saying? How does she even get her hair to stay like that? I'm jealous!
  
  [OPINION: ELITE FOUR JOHN TOO YOUNG FOR POSITION? ELITE FOUR MORE THAN JUST A MEASURE OF STRENGTH!] by Exploud Reviews
  
  In the wake of Elite Four John's swearing in ceremony as the newest member of the Elite Four, I have read many articles praising how young Elite John is and how amazing he must be to earn the title of Elite Four at such a young age. And yet, the people who mindlessly praise him have yet to consider the consequences of entrusting such an important political system in the hands of someone so young.
  
  To be clear, I am not doubting his strength as a trainer. I believe that his match record is clear evidence to demonstrate that he is deserving of the position from his efforts as a trainer. However, a member of the Elite Four NEEDS to be more than just a trainer, they must have the political wit, intelligence, and skills to be able to represent Indigo in a multitude of matters....(Click Here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Hell yes! Replace John with Lorelei! She'll be good enough to handle all the political thingies! And if not, she can ask her uncle, literally CHAMPION Pryce, to do it for her! Win-Win!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Bro...just no. That would be so bad on so many different levels that I can't even explain it to you.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Yea, what he said. Also, having 3 members of the Elite Four being from Johto is going to make things even worse for Kanto! We're already behind Johto! We don't need to give them more fuel!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Ignoring your obsession with the 'divide' between Kanto and Johto, I think the author is right that John might be too young for the position. Maybe he's only a member of the Elite Four temporarily? Until they can find someone better?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Kinda agree tbh. I mean, I like John as a trainer, and he has proven himself to have a clever mind with his new Pokémon discoveries. But I think someone more experienced and older would be more suitable.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WTF?! You want to kick out Elite John because you think he's 'too young'? That's such a dumb reason he hasn't had time to prove himself yet! And come on, someone who can train his Pokémon to be that strong can't be a bad member of the Elite Four.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Eh, that's true. Blaine was more focused on being a scientist than he was as a member of the Elite Four. Not surprised he quit tbh.
  
  [ELITE JOHN SPOTTED IN HOENN! What is he doing there?] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Video clip of Drake yelling at everyone to leave them alone]
  
  The newest and youngest ever member of the Elite Four, John Smith, has recently been spotted in Hoenn just a few days after his swearing in ceremony! What is he doing there? And why was he spotted talking to a member of the Hoenn Elite Four, Drake?
  
  This reporter was attempting to interview John before being rudely told to leave by Elite Drake. He even threatened this reporter with his Flygon! This reporter thinks that the behaviour shown by the Hoenn Elite Four has been completely unacceptable and utterly barbaric and should be reprimanded harshly for his poor behaviour.
  
  So, what is Elite John doing talking to such a rude individual? Why has he made his way to Hoenn so soon? This reporter leaves the speculation to the readers!
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Obviously, he's there to catch more Normal types. I mean, now that he's won the Indigo Conference, why wouldn't he go to Hoenn to catch more Pokémon? Seems like a reasonable thing to me!
  
  DragonPower
  
  Hell yeah look at that Flygon! That's such a cool Dragon type - wish I had one.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  WTF?! Is nobody going to comment about how atrocious that Hoenn Elite Four member was acting? Who the fuck gets a Flygon to yell at people just because they were trying to talk to you? And he was openly swearing in public too! Disgraceful!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Yeah but, it's DRAKE. Shouting at people and threatening people with his Flygon is like, his thing.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  ?! How are you not ashamed about his behaviour? He literally told that reporter to fuck off!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Yeah, but we like him anyways. He's DRAKE for Arceus sake, the dude's way too cool not to be a member of the Elite Four. And besides, us Hoenn folks are all used to it by now. Him telling you to fuck off is basically his standard greeting.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Drake is a boss! He's not even that scary! If you just look past his swearing, he's actually a nice guy!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  ^Exactly! Besides, Glacia is way scarier. Those eyes man, those eyes.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Do you think John is there to fight Drake? To show off the power of Kanto or something? If so, my money's on Drake. Those Dragon types will crush John.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Dude, aren't you from Indigo? Shouldn't you be supporting OUR Elite Four Member?
  
  DragonPower
  
  My loyalty is only to DRAGONS!
  
  [ELITE JOHN TAKES ON NORMAN AT THE PETALBURG GYM! A STUNNING 3V3 MATCH BETWEEN TWO NORMAL SPECIALISTS!] by BattleCast
  
  [Edited video of the fight]
  
  We had an amazing surprise match today from our very own Elite Four John against the Petalburg City Gym Leader, Norman. Both Normal specialists, the two had apparently met up and decided on a friendly 3v3 match between them, and what a spectacle it was!
  
  Thanks to the many video clips that were sent by our dear readers to us at BattleCast, we were able to compile a complete showing of the fight between Elite John and Gym Leader Norman! Gym Leader Norman really put up a fight with his Swellow, almost knocking out Elite John's Snorlax with a devastating Brave Bird that managed to break the psychic shields around the arena!
  
  BUT, Elite John's Slaking continues its dominating streak as it pummelled Norman's own Slaking to the ground, tanking Norman's final Giga Impact without breaking a sweat. An absolutely incredible showing once again, and we at BattleCast are very lucky to have it all on tape for your viewing pleasure.
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  HELLL YEAH! Two Normal Type specialists duking it out? It's like my dream come true!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Glad to see that Elite John isn't embarrassing us over there in Hoenn. Keep up the victories John! Show Hoenn what us Kantonians can do!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Despite losing, I was pretty happy with Norman's performance against a member of the Elite Four. His Swellow and Slaking really managed to stand up against John's stronger Pokémon. Sure, it was a pretty decisive loss, but it's not like anyone was expecting a Gym Leader to beat a member of the Elite Four, even if it is from another region. 7.8/10 great job from Norman.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Did you see that explosion from Swellow's Brave Bird and Snorlax's Giga Impact?! That was BEAST. Destroying the psychic barriers like that? Crazy shit. I love it. Wish I was there. Must've been COOOOL!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...you know that the people that were at the fight were at risk of getting injured or worse right? The psychic barriers BROKE. You know? The barriers meant to protect you from getting hurt? And you wanted to be THERE?
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  I was there at the fight, and yes, I was momentarily deafened. Yes, I was almost hit by a flying rock. Yes, I had to go to the Pokémon center afterwards because dust got into my mouth and nose. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. THAT SHIT WAS SO COOL!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Norman really put up a fight! Fucking awesome battle. The Slaking v Slaking fight was amazing to watch. It was so brutal, and I love it. Hope we can see more battles like this in the future!
  
  FightClub
  
  Y'all are making a big fuss about nothing once again. Two so called 'elite' trainers fighting each other when they both lose to a single Fighting type. Get real. Wake me up when something interesting actually happens.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  OMA did you see Agatha's apprentice appear in that one second where the camera was knocked over from the impact? Is she there to watch John battle? OMA that's so cute!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...So instead of paying attention to the big explosion from two powerful Pokémon slamming into each other with their most powerful attacks...you focus on a girl that you don't even know the name of that appears for less than a second?
  
  ...I don't get some people.
  
  A.N This chapter and its layout was inspired by WiseTypeWriter's Pokenet Interlude in The Most Evil Pokémon Trainer (also thanks for the comments!) and of course the multitude of PHO interludes out there. This was a very experimental chapter, and I've certainly never written anything like this before, so I hope I got it right.
  
  IF people like it, then maybe I'll do another one of these later down the road. I hope this chapter provides a bit of insight into the public perception of John and his actions.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-7 - Devon Corp
  
  I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and excited for the day ahead; today was the day that I was going to head to Devon Corp to discuss the joint research plan with them. I texted Giovanni to let him know that I was in Rustboro and that I was going to visit Devon Corp before noon. I got a quick 'okay.' back from him.
  
  I also texted Karen and let her know that I was leaving and that, unfortunately, she couldn't accompany me to this meeting. I didn't wait for a response from her as I figured that she was probably still asleep and not going to visit Devon Corp was probably a good thing for her as it allowed her to sleep more. Sometimes, I could relate to that.
  
  With breakfast eaten and my new egg appropriately secured and stored away safely in my room, I made my way to the Devon Corp building. I had expected to need to wait at the reception for a few moments before anyone would come and see me, but apparently Giovanni had called ahead and told them to expect me, which meant that I was promptly escorted by a nice lady at the reception to the CEO's office. It was moments like these which made me appreciate my connections with Giovanni...if only I could trust him.
  
  After experiencing one of the smoothest elevator rides ever, I was standing in front of the door with the sign 'Joseph Stone, CEO' hanging ceremoniously on it. I knocked softly on the door and after receiving a 'come in' I opened the door and was greeted by Joseph Stone.
  
  "Ah, Elite John, it's a pleasure to meet you. Giovanni told me all about you." Joseph greeted kindly.
  
  "Mr. Stone, it's an honour to meet you too." I replied politely. Suddenly, my nervousness came back to me, and I started to become worried that Joseph would refuse my proposal or that I would blunder my speech. I ruthlessly quashed that nervousness though; I was a member of the Elite Four, and I forced myself to act like one.
  
  "No, it really should be me saying that to you, Elite John. My son, Steven Stone, is a huge fan of yours." He responded back.
  
  "Oh?" That name certainly piqued my curiosity. I knew that Steven hadn't become the Champion of Hoenn yet, so I had been wondering when he would make his challenge for the position. "Is your son a trainer?" I asked as I pretended not to know.
  
  "Oh yes, he's an amazing trainer, especially for how young he is. I actually think he's of similar age to you. Very talented, much better than I was at his age." Joseph gushed fondly, "I might be biased as a parent, but I think he has real potential at making it into the Elite Four! Maybe he'll become the greatest Steel type specialist in Hoenn!"
  
  "Steven is a Steel Type specialist?" I asked, pretending to be curious.
  
  "Yes, he is. And his team is very strong! Oh, you know his starter, well it's now a Metagross, and he also has a...." Joseph began listing Steven's team and how strong they all were.
  
  I gave an exasperated smile as I listened to Joseph ramble and gush for minutes about Steven's talents as a trainer and how proud he was of him. Although I didn't really care too much about his praise for Steven, his very obvious love for his son was a good indicator that he was a good person deep down and that I could trust him and work with him in the future. It was very difficult to fake love like that.
  
  After a few minutes, Joseph suddenly widened his eyes and coughed embarrassingly.
  
  "Uh, sorry about that. I can get quite passionate when talking about Steven." He said awkwardly.
  
  "No, it's fine." I allowed, "And, honestly, your praise for your son has made me interested to meet him one day. Especially since you said that he was a fan of mine and that we're of similar ages. Maybe after our discussion, we can arrange for a time for us to meet?"
  
  "Absolutely! Yes, I think he would love that." Joseph agreed immediately with a bright smile, "I'll be sure to let him know after our discussion."
  
  Joseph's face then lost all of his earlier cheerfulness as it became serious. "Alright, I think we've wasted enough time with the pleasantries." I nodded, straightening up as I listened carefully. "From what Giovanni has told me, you wanted to set up a joint research project with scientists provided by myself and Giovanni to see if we can discover how we can mass produce this 'Porygon' and if we can find out how to evolve it, amongst other things, is that right?"
  
  "Yes, that's correct." I confirmed, "And Gym Leader Norman of Petalburg City has already given preliminary permission for us to make use of a currently unused plot of land in Petalburg to build the research facility."
  
  "That's good, finding the land for these projects is often one of the hardest and most expensive steps." Joseph commented with a thoughtful look on his face, "do you know how we will discuss the division of costs? Who is going to pay for what?"
  
  "Uh, no I don't know anything about that." I admitted with some embarrassment, "But, Gym Leader Giovanni did want me to call him when I met with you, Mr. Stone. So, with your permission, I'd like to video call him and add him to this discussion. I'm sure he'll be able to answer the more logistical questions."
  
  "Yes, that's fine. Please call him now." Joseph said, and I grabbed my phone and dialled Giovanni.
  
  "Hello?" Giovanni answered through my phone.
  
  "This is John. I'm currently meeting with Mr. Stone, and I will be switching to video call so that you can join in on the conversation." I told him.
  
  "Yes, do that." He replied, and I swapped to video. I balanced my phone on a small cigar box on Joseph's desk so that we both could see Giovanni and he could see us via the camera.
  
  "It's a pleasure to speak with you again, Mr. Stone." Giovanni began easily, "Has John brought you up on our proposal?" I could hear the emphasis that Giovanni placed on 'our', but I didn't mind. After all, his scientists were a vital component of my proposal.
  
  "Yes, he has." Joseph responded, "He has told me that you were willing to send out your scientists to collaborate with mine in order to undergo further research about Porygon. He has also told me that Gym Leader Norman was amenable to allow us to set up a research building in Petalburg. So far, I do like what I'm hearing, but I had a few logistical questions that John told me to ask you about."
  
  "Of course, please, go ahead." Giovanni smoothly replied. The two of them began discussing how they would handle the more administrative aspects of my proposal. They talked about how many scientists would be sent over, how they would be paid, who would pay for the rent for the building, and so on and so forth.
  
  Listening to them hash out the details made me very glad that I didn't need to think of these things. I may be a good trainer, but these logistical matters were far out of my field of knowledge. Thank Arceus Giovanni was more than capable of handling these matters; I would have fumbled them so hard.
  
  However, I made a mental note to myself to learn more about how to handle these administrative matters in the future; I didn't want to rely on Giovanni or others to deal with these matters for me forever. Learning how to talk logistics could prove fruitful for my future plans as a member of the Elite Four.
  
  After several minutes where I just sat there silently and listened as Joseph and Giovanni went back and forth as they negotiated the finer details, they eventually came to an agreement about how the joint research project will go forward.
  
  Essentially, each side will be paying the salaries of their own scientists. However, Giovanni wanted to ensure that the project would be headed by someone under his employ, and in return, he would be paying for the construction of the research facility. Joseph agreed with these terms, and they metaphorically shook on it.
  
  Joseph said that he would forward the proposal to Norman after the meeting and asked if we had any other topics to discuss with him, since he didn't even have any other meetings for the rest of the day.
  
  "I do, actually." I suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Stone, from my understanding, Devon Corp currently doesn't have any branch offices set up in Indigo, is that correct?"
  
  "Ah, I see where you're going with this." Joseph replied thoughtfully, "You want me to set up a branch office in Indigo? Do you have a place where we could do this?"
  
  "Well, I was thinking that, in light with your newfound cooperation with Giovanni, why not set up a branch office in Viridian?" Even through the video camera of my phone, I could see Giovanni's eyes light up as his mouth morphed into a feral smile as he heard my proposal. That was good, I wanted him to know that I was someone who would pay back their debts and favours.
  
  "Yes, that's a good idea." Joseph responded, then he sighed. "I can't believe I didn't make this offer myself, it seems so obvious in hindsight. And I assume that you are okay with this, Gym Leader Giovanni?"
  
  "Of course, John's idea is a huge gift for me." Giovanni answered with a hint of something in his voice that I couldn't quite place. "Oh, and John, you should sign off on this project too using your position as a member of the Elite Four. It'll allow you to get the credit and it'll also ensure that no one can demand Devon Corp to move their branch to Johto."
  
  Ah, I understood where Giovanni was saying with this. He wanted to ensure that Kanto would reap the benefits of Devon Corp's move, not Johto. And to do this, he needed my influence as an Elite Four to deter the Indigo League from demanding that Devon Corp should move to Johto instead of being set up in Viridian.
  
  "Of course, I will sign off the proposal when it comes." I told them, before something concerning sprung to mind, "However, what about Silph Co.? Wouldn't they make a fuss about having to compete with Devon Corp?"
  
  Giovanni gave out a surprising bark of laughter when he heard this. Joseph and I turned to him in confusion before he coughed and regained his composure. "My apologies, I shouldn't have laughed at that." He said, "But I can assure you both that Silph Co. will not make a fuss about it. That is my guarantee."
  
  Joseph nodded happily at that, thinking that Giovanni's statement was innocuous. I nodded too, but I had my suspicions that Giovanni's 'guarantee' was because he had dirt on Silph Co., or members of their board, that he would use as leverage to ensure their cooperation. If that was true, then while I wasn't super comfortable with the idea that Giovanni was blackmailing or threatening people, it really wasn't something I was going to pick a fight about.
  
  I knew that these were the risks of working and collaborating with Giovanni, and for the most part, I can wilfully ignore these kinds of under-the-table activities. Sure, I found these kinds of actions unpleasant and would be extremely enraged if he ever tried to blackmail or threaten me or my family, but I can generally overlook it unless they escalate further into more extreme forms of crimes such as openly stealing Pokémon from others and general thuggery, like what Team Rocket was doing in the games. That would be crossing the line.
  
  It was a bit hypocritical of me, but I justified it by thinking that the use of blackmail and bribes were all too common in politics anyways, so what Giovanni was doing was not too different from how other politicians acted behind the scenes. Admittedly, it was a flimsy justification, but it was what I was sticking to for now. I didn't want to, nor could I afford to, alienate Giovanni over a dispute of morals right now.
  
  Focusing back on the discussion, I listened carefully as the two began discussing the details of how they would set up the branch office in Virdian, and I made sure to write down notes on their discussion. I wanted to be able to at least talk about the finer details if I was ever asked about it by a reporter so that I could present myself as a mature member of the Elite Four that was actively helping out the economy and knew what they were doing.
  
  They finished their discussions after a few minutes, and after confirming that there was nothing else that needed to be discussed, Giovanni thanked us both for our time before hanging up the call. I was putting my phone away before Joseph spoke up.
  
  "John, would you like to have a tour of Devon Corp?" he suggested, "I have some free time, and I wouldn't mind showing you around."
  
  "I would love to." I replied instantly, a bit of my excitement leaking through. "I hope it isn't too much of a bother."
  
  "Nonsense!" Joseph said happily as he stood up, "Please, come with me. I have a few projects that we are working on that I wanted to show you."
  
  Joseph then took me to the elevator which deposited us on the second floor. As the elevator doors opened, I was faced with a horde of scientists rushing about as they some of them fiddled with a gigantic machine that had so many attached components and pipes that it looked like something out of a Steampunk novel.
  
  "This is my personal pet project." Joseph declared eagerly, "It is what I call the Pokémon Producer. Its purpose is to be able to regenerate a Pokémon Fossil to the Pokémon that it was before it became a fossil. I intend to use it as a means of reviving long-forgotten Pokémon and make them available in our world once again."
  
  "That's amazing!" I said honestly, "Is the machine working?" I asked hopefully.
  
  "Unfortunately, it's still a work-in-progress." Joseph shook his head sadly, before brightening up. "But I hope that we can get the machine working within the next few years. I really wanted to be able to give Steven the first ever revived Fossil Pokémon as a gift!" He said excitedly.
  
  Joseph then spent some time talking about science stuff with the scientists and thanking them for the hard work. After he was done, he escorted me to a different floor of the building. This time, instead of a gigantic machine, I was faced with a huge snaking conveyor belt covered in Pokéballs.
  
  "This is where we do most of our research and development for our new Pokéball designs." Joseph told me, "I brought you here because we've just come up with a new Pokéball design that I wanted to show you." He gestured for us to move forwards towards a line of white and red Pokéballs that I recognised were the Premier Balls from the games.
  
  "This is our latest design, what we call the Premier Ball." He picked one up to show me. "They are functionally identical to the Pokéball, and are essentially just redesigned Pokéballs, but we were hoping to market them to Ace trainers as some kind of status symbol for themselves and their Pokémon. I was hoping that, with your assistance, John, we could start marketing them right away." He explained.
  
  "What would you need me to do?" I asked non-committedly; I wanted to know more about this before committing anything.
  
  "Nothing much, but I was hoping you would allow us to transfer your Pokémon from their current Pokéballs into these Premier Balls and then use them in a battle. That way, we can begin an advertisement campaign that would suggest that these Premier Balls were for ace trainers that wanted to let others know how strong they were." He detailed, and to me it sounded like a pretty standard marketing campaign for a 'luxurious' product.
  
  "I'll do it." I accepted after thinking about it for a bit, "But I want 5% on all sales of the Premier Ball for the next three months."
  
  Joseph stared at me tightly as he thought about it. I met his stare unflinchingly and after a few seconds he extended his hand, which I shook. "Deal, I accept. But you must give an interview or a public speech talking about the new Premier Balls and how you like them." He countered.
  
  "That's perfectly fine, I accept." I responded.
  
  "Good, I'll have someone draft up the contract for you to sign later." He told me. He then reached for his phone and texted someone briefly before turning back to me.
  
  "Ok, with business out of the way, I do actually want you to meet someone." He said, "She's going to be the one that I plan to appoint to run the branch that will be set up in Viridian. I felt like you should meet her as I assume that you'll be in contact with her the most when you return to Indigo."
  
  I nodded at his words as they made sense. Joseph escorted me to a small office in the corner of the Pokéball production line and knocked on the door.
  
  "Come in!" a female voice shouted out.
  
  Joseph opened the door and as I stepped into the office my eyes nearly shot out of their sockets as I saw the person sitting inside. She was wearing a blue shirt that remained visible under her lab coat and had wavy black hair with blue highlights that looked purposely untamed. Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I immediately recognised who she was.
  
  "John, this is Shelly. She'll be the new branch manager for the branch that will be set up in Viridian. It'll be announced formally later." Joseph introduced.
  
  "Uh, I am?" Shelly asked confusedly.
  
  "Yes, sorry for the short notice Shelly. Don't worry, you'll be mostly doing the same things there." Joseph apologised, "But you told me at the recent senior meeting that you had wanted to 'spread your wings' a bit and travel, so when John here made the proposal, I thought you were an appropriate pick for this."
  
  "Oh, yes, I remember saying that. And sure, I don't mind going." Shelly shrugged casually, "So, who is this, Sir?" She gestured to me.
  
  "Ah, this is Elite John of the Indigo Elite Four. I presume you'll be seeing a lot more of him as you take up your duties in Indigo." Joseph responded and I waved politely at Shelly, who had a look of surprise as she was introduced to me.
  
  "It's nice to meet you, Shelly. I hope we can work well together in the future." I politely told her, concealing my surprise and shock deep within me. I didn't want to alert her to my suspicions anytime soon.
  
  "Oh? You're very interesting, Elite John. It's nice to meet you." She said with what I thought was a friendly tone, "Though, I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing in Indigo at the moment, so if you have any questions for me at the moment then I'm afraid I can't help you."
  
  "No, it's alright." I replied, "I don't have any questions for you right now either, but I expect that I'll be speaking to you more in the future if I have any proposals for Devon Corp."
  
  "Exactly, so don't worry about it, Shelly." Joseph chuckled, "I'll be sending you the details later so that you'll have an idea about what you're working on. I just wanted you to introduce the two of you together because you'll likely be working together on something in the future." He explained kindly.
  
  "I see, well thank you Sir for the heads up." She told Joseph formally and gave him a slight bow, before turning back to me. "In that case, I look forward to working with you more in the future, Elite John. I know from your reputation that you have an intelligent mind, especially at such a young age, so I would be glad to listen and discuss any ideas that you have." She extended her hand for me to shake.
  
  I shook her hand and stepped back to allow Joseph and Shelly to discuss a few things about her upcoming move to Indigo. All the while, I started to pick my mind as I tried to remember what in Arceus was Shelly doing in Devon Corp? Wasn't she supposed to be a Team Aqua Admin? What was Team Aqua doing right now? Had they even formed yet?
  
  Going through my memories, I recalled that Shelly was a scientist working at Devon Corp before she eventually left to join Team Aqua. Does that mean that Team Aqua hadn't formed yet? Did Shelly currently believe in Team Aqua's vision of flooding the world with the power of Kyogre in their idiotic quest to wipe out humanity? What about Team Magma? What were they doing?
  
  There were too many questions going through my head that I didn't have the answers for, so I forcefully shelved them away for the time being as to not leave myself distracted.
  
  Soon enough, Joseph and Shelly had finished their discussion and we left Shelly's office. Joseph then asked if I wanted to have my Pokémon transferred from my Pokéballs to the new Premier Balls right away. I accepted and he brought me over to this machine that would do the transferring.
  
  As we waited for my Pokémon to be transferred, he told me that, sadly, Steven was not in Rustboro at the moment and that he would be unable to meet me. However, he said that, perhaps in the future, we could meet up. I told him that I'd love to meet him one day and talk to him about our experiences as a trainer.
  
  With a small 'Ding' that signified the completion of the transfer, I picked up my new Premier Balls and released each of my Pokémon one by one just to make sure that it was working properly. Luckily, the floor had high ceilings so that my larger Pokémon wouldn't accidentally smash their way through the ceiling as they were released.
  
  After testing each of my new Premier Balls, I thanked Joseph for the tour and for considering my proposals and he told me that he would send over the Premier Ball contract shortly via email.
  
  Suddenly remembering about Whitney and Karen, I asked if I could have a few Premier Ball to spare so that I could give them to my friends and family. Joseph happily agreed and gave me a case of 10 Premier balls. I thanked him once again and, seeing that nothing else needed to be discussed, I said my goodbyes and made my way back down the elevator and eventually left Devon Corp
  
  I sent out a text to Karen telling her that I had finished my business and that I'd be waiting for her at the Pokécenter. Luckily, she was actually awake and responded affirmatively so I made my way there.
  
  Overall, I was very happy with the discussions that took place with Joseph. I managed to pay back Giovanni for gifting Pixel to me, and I was also able to hopefully improve my credentials as a member of the Elite Four. Also, with the establishment of the joint research project and the future branch offices, I hoped that this will improve relations between Hoenn and Kanto as the two nations become more economically linked to each other.
  
  However, the issue of Shelly was still unresolved. What in Arceus was I going to do with her? Did I even need to do anything?
  
  A.N Many thanks for your comments on my previous chapter - I'll definitely be keeping them in mind. As for this chapter, I hope I've conveyed that John is starting to really kickstart his career as an Elite Four member and getting stuff done.
  
  I also hope that I've shown that staying 'friends' with Giovanni is a big part of why he's able to do all these things. Giovanni might be 'evil' and 'untrustworthy', but he's undoubtedly useful.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-8 - INTERLUDE: KAREN
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-8 - INTERLUDE: Karen
  
  Karen felt great as she made her way down for breakfast. After several days of being forcefully dragged out of bed by John at times that should be considered far too early for a person to be awake at, she was finally afforded the luxury of actually being able to sleep in and wake up on her own terms.
  
  Not that she was annoyed at John for waking her up early; she knew that he had a schedule to stick to and had legitimately important things to do, so she didn't begrudge him on that. Still, some people just aren't made for mornings, like herself.
  
  As she took her time to enjoy her breakfast, she got a text from John telling her that he was finished with his business at Devon Corp and that he was making his way back to the Pokécenter. Truthfully, she had wanted to accompany him to Devon Corp; after all, she wanted to get herself more involved in the more political and business side of things as preparation for if and when she became a member of the Elite Four.
  
  But she understood why she couldn't go as some of the discussions were definitely private and not meant for her to overhear. She was satisfied and excited enough with being able to participate with John on their experiment with the Zigzagoon egg; she really hoped that the experiment would be successful as she thought that it would be such an important breakthrough in the world of science about alternate Pokémon forms. It would also do wonders for her own reputation too.
  
  While she sat back and waited for John to arrive, she thought over the time that she spent with John. Spending time and journeying with John was very different to her relationship with Agatha. She found him to be remarkably friendlier and easier to be around than Agatha; she was allowed to be far more open and less guarded around John, and she enjoyed it. Their newfound friendship almost went too far for a moment, but she was glad they got control of themselves and explained and understood each other's limits.
  
  Agatha was strict and demanding, and she had little to no patience for idiocy or incompetence. She was harsh and exacting, and her presence loomed over you wherever you went. Honestly, although she still loved and respected Agatha for taking her in as her apprentice and teaching her many things, she didn't really like spending more time with her than was strictly necessary.
  
  Most people would feel bad about admitting such a thing, but Agatha would've probably shrugged such a comment off with her typical nonchalance and say that there's no value in having people like you, only that they fear and respect you. Despite being exposed to that statement hundreds of times over the years, Karen never could adopt it as her own.
  
  She could admit that, whether out of vanity or a desire to be adored, on some level she wanted to be admired by the public for her abilities as a trainer. Of course, she wanted respect too, but she wanted to have a mixture of love and fear, rather than just the latter like Agatha does. Karen also didn't like how guarded Agatha had taught her to be, and she didn't really enjoy being as manipulative as Agatha wanted her to be. She much preferred gaining reputation and status through her own actions instead.
  
  On that note, she decided that she wanted to challenge the Hoenn Gyms while she was here. She had already considered it before when she first arrived at Hoenn but initially dismissed it as a waste of time and because she had already beaten all of the Gyms in Indigo as per Agatha's instructions.
  
  However, watching John's incredible battle against Norman had inspired her to challenge the Hoenn Gyms as well. Besides, she had already decided to spend a bit of time here in Hoenn to catch more Dark types, so she might as well use that time productively and challenge the Gyms now that she was already here.
  
  Furthermore, Karen knew that defeating all of the Gyms in Indigo was an unofficial requirement for being selected to join the Indigo Elite Four if there is a vacant spot, which was why she went around Johto defeating all of the Gyms there in the first place. Yet, if she could continue her winning streak against the Hoenn Gyms as well, it would hopefully serve to increase her chances of being selected as the next member of the Elite Four in the event of a vacancy and it would also be useful as a means to continue training her Pokémon.
  
  She knew that her team was strong, but especially after seeing John's Pokémon in action, she was starting to get worried that they might not be strong enough for her to challenge and win against a member of the Elite Four. But perhaps by integrating John's new training methods and fighting against the Hoenn Gyms would allow her Pokémon to improve and become strong enough that they'd fit in with the rest of the Elite Four.
  
  "Hey, you okay there, Karen?" John's voice surprised her and shocked her out of thoughts. She turned to look at John who was looking down at her with a face of concern. She didn't realize he had already returned.
  
  "Oh, yeah, it's nothing, I was just thinking deeply to myself." She replied, shelving her thoughts for later.
  
  "Oh, okay then. I'm sorry you couldn't come with me to Devon Corp, but the conversation we had was pretty private." He apologized.
  
  "No, it's fine." She said with a shake of her head, "I knew that I wasn't allowed to come anyways, and I'm not upset about it. Besides, I could finally sleep in for once instead of being dragged awake by the taskmaster that you are." She quipped and gave him a smirk.
  
  "It's not my fault that you don't wake up at normal times like a normal person." He said as he let out an exaggerated sigh, "I dread to think what your journey to Hoenn might've been if I wasn't accompanying you. You'd probably spend more time out at night than during the day."
  
  Karen shrugged at that; he probably wasn't wrong. She did prefer walking around at night than during the day, it was just more refreshing and atmospheric.
  
  "Oh, John, I've decided that I'm going to be challenging all of the Hoenn Gyms now that I'm here." She announced, "I hope you don't mind accompanying me as I do so."
  
  "Not a problem." John replied easily, "I don't have anything specific to do while I'm here anyways, so I don't mind accompanying you."
  
  Karen could hear the slight bitterness at the reminder that John was here because he was being side-lined by the Indigo League. Honestly, Karen was amazed that John remained as calm as he was. She was positive that she would've reacted far more harshly if she was in his place.
  
  Regardless, she told John that she had already scheduled a match against the Rustboro Rock-type Gym Leader, Roy, in about 30 minutes, so they started to make their way there.
  
  Karen had already looked into Roy's previous battles the night before, and she knew that he favoured a defensive battling style that made use of his Pokémon's inherent defensiveness to allow them to set up and buff themselves before going on the offensive. If everything goes to plan, then she would have the perfect counter for his battling style.
  
  The two of them arrived at Rustboro Gym shortly after, and the receptionist told the both of them to wait for their turn. It amused Karen that the receptionist didn't seem to recognise who John was in what he called his 'Hoenn tourist getup', but if he didn't want to be recognised then she wouldn't draw attention to him either.
  
  Soon, it was her turn, and she was directed to the arena where she stood on the platform while John got seated at the audience section. She could tell that the battle section of the Gym was vastly different to the museum-like exhibit that constituted the waiting area, and that the arena was decorated with many scattered rock formations.
  
  "Trainers, this will be a 3v3 8-badge match between challenger Karen and Gym Leader Roy! Each trainer is allowed 1 switch!" The referee announced, and Karen refocused herself for the upcoming match. She had her plan, she just needed to stick to it.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Karen nodded and she could see Roy doing the same before they both released their Pokémon. "BEGIN!"
  
  "Sneasel, you know what to do!"
  
  "Golem, do what you're best at!"
  
  Having already been told what her plan was, her Sneasel hit the ground running as he dashed rapidly towards the Golem with swiftness that demonstrated the effort that Karen put in to training her Sneasel and improving his speed.
  
  "Stone Edge, Golem!" Golem started tearing up the battleground as it began launching large chunks of rocks at the speeding Sneasel. Each rock almost matched Sneasel in size and, coupled with Sneasel's inherent frailness and type weakness, would have led to a quick knockout if Sneasel was hit by them.
  
  Karen had more than enough confidence in her Sneasel, though, and Sneasel affirmed her belief in him as he nimbly dodged past the storm of rocks with such ease that it barely seemed like Sneasel was in any danger.
  
  Seeing that Sneasel was rapidly closing the distance, Roy switched tactics.
  
  "Earthquake, Golem!" Golem stopped firing rocks before it started stomping on the ground, causing the arena to begin shaking widely.
  
  "Into the air, Sneasel!" Sneasel nimbly leapt into the air, keeping its momentum, and avoided getting caught in the Earthquake. Now in striking range, Sneasel's hands glowed a bright orange as he clapped his hands right in front of Golem's face with a Fake Out, creating shockwaves that caused the Golem to flinch and interrupted its Earthquake.
  
  "Sneasel, Low Sweep!" Sneasel landed and quickly dived for Golem's legs and struck one of them with a powerful sweep of his legs, tripping and knocking Golem over onto its back. Normally, being knocked over was a disastrous position for most Pokémon to be in, but Golem was one of the few exceptions.
  
  "Gyro Ball on your back, Golem!" "Fall back, Sneasel!" Using its round shaped back, Golem started spinning quickly on its back and spun towards Sneasel, who had jumped backwards to avoid getting caught in the spin.
  
  "Ice Shard, Sneasel! Keep your distance!" Sneasel made use of his superiority speed and agility and kept his distance from the spinning Golem while firing off Ice Shards at Golem. As it was stuck in its spinning, it wasn't able to create any rocks to block the shards and was hit by the super-effective move.
  
  "Golem, stop spinning! Bunker yourself and Flamethrower!" Golem stopped spinning and started simultaneously surrounding itself with on all sides with a wall of rocks that were able to shield itself from Sneasel's Ice Shards and firing off a stream of fire that tracked after Sneasel.
  
  "Agility then Icy Wind, Sneasel!" Sneasel was briefly engulfed by a pink glow before he started to speed up to the point where Golem's Flamethrower was unable to follow him. Then, he summoned a gust of chilling winds that swept into Golem's makeshift bunker and transformed it from a safe haven into a prison of ice that rapidly threatened to freeze Golem within.
  
  "Dig and get out of there, Golem!"
  
  "Taunt it!"
  
  "No! Just Dig Golem! Don't fall for it!" Roy shouted in a panic. But before Golem could start digging its way down, Sneasel shot a burst of Dark-type energy towards Golem that caused it to become rapidly enraged. No longer heeding Roy's commands, Golem broke through its own rock walls and charged towards the Sneasel.
  
  Karen smirked to herself as she saw this, it was one of her favourite tactics to use against other trainers that hadn't trained their Pokémon to resist her Pokémon's Taunt. They would fall into an uncontrollable state of rage, perfect for her plans.
  
  "Ice Punch now, Sneasel!" With the Golem no longer surrounded by its own rock walls and now charging mindlessly towards Sneasel, it was the perfect opportunity for Sneasel to dash towards as he easily dodged under a swipe of Golem's Hammer Arm and he crashed his fist into Golem's face with a critical Ice Punch.
  
  The Golem barely held on with its Sturdy, but a swift follow-up Ice Shard to the face knocked it out.
  
  "Golem is unable to battle!" The referee announced, "The Gym Leader has thirty seconds to decide on his next Pokémon!" The crowd burst with excitement and cheers at Sneasel's flawless victory against Roy's Golem.
  
  Karen tuned out the crowd and started thinking through her plan once again. She thought that her plan was going smoothly as she watched Roy withdraw his Golem. Sneasel remained undamaged and was definitely able to take on another of Roy's Pokémon. As she was thinking to herself, she felt Roy staring intently at her, so she decided to match him with a stare of her own as she awaited his next Pokémon.
  
  After a brief stare down, Roy looked away and sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Probopass!" Probopass whirled as it was released and floated slightly off the ground. Karen had to hide her grin, it was another defensive and slow Pokémon, just like she was hoping for.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Both trainers nodded to the referee, "BEGIN!"
  
  "Ice Shards, Sneasel!"
  
  "Power Gem and match them, Probopass!"
  
  Sneasel started circling around the Probopass while shooting out Ice Shards that were quickly matched by Probopass' Power Gem. The Power Gems fired by Probopass actually were stronger than Sneasel's Ice Shard, and Sneasel was forced to dodge several incoming gemstones that his shards failed to break.
  
  "Iron Defense, Probopass!" Seeing that Sneasel appeared distracted by the fired gemstones, Roy mistakenly thought that he had the opportunity to buff up Probopass' Defenses.
  
  "Now! Icy Wind, Sneasel!" Making use of his boosted speed from his previous Agility, Sneasel shot forwards and was easily able to both dodge the incoming gemstones. Taking advantage of the opening, Sneasel fired off an Icy Wind that engulfed the Probopass. The damage was minor, but chunks of ice started to form on Probopass' exterior as it began to freeze over.
  
  "Lock on and Flash Cannon, Probopass!" Switching it up, Roy went on the offensive as Probopass began spinning around as it attempted to lock on to Sneasel and fire a Flash Cannon.
  
  "Keep avoiding it and Icicle Crash!" Maintaining his speed, Sneasel quickly formed large chunks of Ice in his mouth and fired them into the air. However, when Sneasel slowed down slightly to fire off the icicles, Probopass had managed to Lock On to the Sneasel and it fired a powerful Flash Cannon that homed into and blasted Sneasel backwards.
  
  In return though, the icicles that Sneasel fired fell upon Probopass like a heavy torrent of rain and caused Probopass to buckle on to the ground so that it was no longer levitating.
  
  Karen quickly glanced at both Pokémon. Sneasel was badly injured by that Flash Cannon, but she saw that he still had some fight left in him. In comparison, Probopass remained mostly unharmed thanks to its boosted Defenses, but it was noticeably slowed down from being hit by the repeated Ice attacks.
  
  "Again!" Roy shouted with a sweep of his hand.
  
  "Dig to dodge!" Karen quickly ordered, and Sneasel dove into the ground to avoid the sweeping gaze of the opposing Probopass.
  
  "Earthquake, Probopass!"
  
  "Jump out and Icy Wind!"
  
  Karen saw that Sneasel was still agile enough to leap out of the ground just in time to avoid the Earthquake from landing a critical hit on him and fired off another gust of freezing winds at the Probopass. At this point, Probopass' exterior was almost covered in icicles and its movements were heavily slowed. It was frozen.
  
  "Lock On and Flash Cannon once more, Probopass!" Roy commanded worriedly, but Probopass was too frozen to respond.
  
  "Brick Break and finish it now, Sneasel!" Sneasel rushed towards Probopass as it struggled to break free and move from its frozen state.
  
  "Shit! PROTECT!" Roy shouted desperately, but Probopass was unable to unfreeze itself and Sneasel landed a critical Brick Break that struck Probopass' frozen exterior. Probopass whirled in pain as it was hit by the 4 times supereffective move and was quickly knocked out.
  
  "Probopass is unable to battle! The Gym Leader must send out his final Pokémon in the next thirty seconds!" The referee announced and the crowd cheered at Sneasel's second knock out, and Karen could hear that a few members of the audience were chanting for Sneasel to do a clean sweep. Karen considered it for a moment, but once she carefully observed Sneasel's condition she decided against it. Sneasel was already too damaged and had done enough already.
  
  "I'm withdrawing my Pokémon!" Karen declared as she withdrew Sneasel, and she could hear that a few members of the audience booing her decision. But she ignored them, her plan was going better than expected she could almost taste her impending victory.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" For what Karen felt should be the last time, she nodded with Roy and they both sent out their Pokémon. "BEGIN!"
  
  "Umbreon, win this for me." Her Umbreon landed gracefully onto the ground as he gave off a growl.
  
  "Aggron, show her what we're made of!" Aggron crashed on to the ground of the arena and left a sizeable dent in the ground. Karen recognised it as Roy's Ace and it was known for having a mixture of powerful attacks and a solid Defense.
  
  "Calm Mind, Umbreon! Start setting up!" Karen started, seemingly going against her previous aggressive actions with Sneasel.
  
  "Iron Defense and do the same, Aggron!"
  
  Both Pokémon were beginning to boost their stats, exactly as Karen was hoping for.
  
  "Ok, Shadow Ball." Umbreon stopped setting up and fired off a Shadow Ball.
  
  "Protect and Iron Defense again." Roy said calmly as he allowed Aggron to raise a shield to block the incoming Shadow Ball as it continued boosting its Defense.
  
  "Set up a Light Screen, Umbreon!" Umbreon growled and a faint wall of light shimmered into existence in front of it.
  
  Karen noticed that Roy had barely reacted at Umbreon's Light Screen, probably because he never intended to make use of Special Attacks in the first place, which made sense for an Aggron.
  
  "Ok Aggron, Body Press and Stone Edge. Enough setting up." Roy commanded and Aggron let out a roar in agreement and began lumbering towards Umbreon, while rocks began simultaneously firing off towards Umbreon. Roy clearly intended to use the added weight from Aggron's Iron Defenses to cause its Body Press to become so powerful that it would instantly knock out Umbreon if it hits.
  
  Each step Aggron took caused the ground to shake slightly as Aggron's heavy body charged forwards, each stomp of its legs leaving a crack in the ground and a cloud of dust trailing behind it. Umbreon showed off his mobility as he nimbly dodged past the incoming Stone Edge. All the while, Aggron continued glaring at Umbreon with its Scary Face in an attempt to unnerve the smaller Umbreon and make him freeze-up in terror.
  
  Despite the incoming freight train of an Aggron that was about to slam into her Umbreon, Karen made no commands as she patiently waited for Aggron to approach. She could see that Roy was giving her a look of confusion and suspicion, obviously expecting her to order Umbreon to dodge or to react at all.
  
  But no, Karen was content to wait. The trap was about to be sprung.
  
  She waited until Aggron got closer. It was still too far away.
  
  And it got closer, and Karen was gripping her own arm so tightly that she unknowingly left a mark on herself.
  
  And the moment Aggron got within several meters of Umbreon, she sprung the trap.
  
  "Confuse Ray, Umbreon!" Umbreon used a small gap in the rocks to fire off a ray of light.
  
  "SHIT! DODGE IT AGGRON!" Roy shouted out in alarm, but it was too late. Aggron wasn't able to divert or pivot itself in time and was struck head on by a small ray of light that quickly disoriented it.
  
  Aggron wobbled on its feet unsteadily as it became so disorientated that it could barely keep itself upright; its' previous charge long forgotten as it now stumbled around as it tried to regain its bearings. The rocks that were previously being fired off in a constant barrage now all fell to the ground, forgotten. In the distance, Karen could hear Roy shouting at Aggron to snap out of it to no avail.
  
  With Agatha's help, Karen had meticulously trained her Umbreon to use Confuse Ray as a trump card against Pokémon that relied on brute strength. She found it to be the perfect counter against them as often times trainers would neglect to train up a Pokémon's mental strength and leave them susceptible to mental attacks like this.
  
  And so, with Aggron thoroughly confused and unable to snap out of it, Karen moved to close out the battle.
  
  "Guard Swap, Umbreon." Taking advantage of Aggron's confusion, Umbreon sent a pink line of psychic energy that latched on to Aggron before each Pokémon emitted a small pulse that swapped between them. Now, Umbreon had taken on Aggron's boosted Defense while Aggron lost all of it, and thanks to Agatha, Karen's Guard Swap was also unique in that it also dropped both of the target's Defenses proportional to the Defenses gained if it is successful.
  
  "Dig into Double Kick, Umbreon." Karen watched as Umbreon quickly burrowed himself into the ground. Aggron was still stumbling around the battlefield and had no idea what was going on. In its confusion, it was randomly swiping at the ground with its tail and created huge gashes into the arena.
  
  Suddenly, Umbreon emerged out of one of Aggron's created gashes with a growl and slammed into the Aggron with his head, knocking it back slightly and causing Aggron to react confusedly with a flurry of disoriented Dragon Claws.
  
  Not needing further instructions from Karen, Umbreon dove to the side and kicked Aggron in the side of its head with his two hind legs, causing Aggron to fall onto its knees as it growled in pain from the boosted damage caused by its own lowered Defenses.
  
  "Again, Umbreon! Finish this!" Karen shouted.
  
  "Protect, Aggron! Snap out of it!" Roy responded, but Karen could hear it in his tone that he knew that the battle was lost.
  
  Aggron did actually manage to form a shield, but it was formed in the wrong location and Umbreon slammed both of his hind legs into the back of Aggron's head once more, causing Aggron to crash its head face first into the ground, knocked out.
  
  The crowd went wild as they witnessed Umbreon's turnaround and Karen adopted a beaming smile as her plan went off perfectly. From her research, she knew that Roy favoured using set up moves before attacking, so she led off with her Sneasel to go hyper aggressive to stop Roy's Pokémon from setting up and prevent Roy from using his preferred fighting style.
  
  Then, when she swapped to Umbreon, she initially held back on the aggression so that Roy would be tempted to fall back on his more preferred battle style. Then, by setting up a Calm Mind and a Light Screen, that would encourage Roy to charge in with his Pokémon as any Special Attack move would be heavily reduced by Umbreon's set up.
  
  Of course, that was exactly what Karen wanted as she could then hit them with a Confuse Ray + Guard Swap combo to quickly strip the opposing Pokémon of its defenses while making it so completely disorientated that the opponent loses all ability to fight back. Then, it was a simple matter of just knocking out the effectively defenseless Pokémon to secure the win.
  
  Admittedly, there were many things that could've gone wrong with the plan, but Sneasel's incredible performance in managing to knock out two of Roy's Pokémon basically ensured her the win even if the plan fell apart.
  
  As she noticed that Roy had already withdrawn his Aggron and was now approaching her side of the arena, Karen decided to stop praising herself for the plan as she went down to meet him. On the way, she kneeled down towards her Umbreon that had puffed up in pride at his victory.
  
  Karen gave him an affectionate rub on his chin and gave him murmured words of praise before withdrawing him. Looking up, she could see that Roy was patiently waiting for Karen to finish up with her Umbreon.
  
  "Congratulations on your victory, trainer Karen." Roy said with a smile that held no bitterness at his defeat, "That was an incredible showing from you. I felt like I was being strung along the entire time!"
  
  Karen had to fight down the smirk that almost appeared on her face, she reminded herself that wanted to be humble in victory, unlike Agatha. "Thank you, Gym Leader Roy. I had done my research before approaching you, and I just stuck to the plan." She acknowledged.
  
  "Well, it was a very good plan indeed, Miss." Roy replied, before giving her a scrutinizing look, "I can tell that you're here to challenge yourself, isn't that right Miss?"
  
  "Yes, that's right." Karen confirmed, "I came to Hoenn with a friend, but I'm mostly here to catch new Pokémon and challenge myself further for when I return to Indigo."
  
  "Ah, yes, I see that often is the case with ambitious trainers." Roy said with a friendly smile, "Truth be told, I'm getting a bit too old to be a Gym Leader, and I've been looking for someone to replace me, so I know I'm not the strongest of trainers anymore." He admitted with a hint of embarrassment.
  
  "If you want a challenge, trainer Karen, you should keep going to challenge the other Gyms. I'm certain that you'll at least find something to improve on while you're there." Roy advised.
  
  "That's what I'm planning on doing." Karen admitted, "Thank you for your advice though."
  
  "No problem, and oh, before I forget, here is your Stone Badge as proof of your victory. Congratulations once again." He awarded her the Stone Badge, and they shook hands before Roy departed.
  
  Karen looked around and saw that John was smiling at her before gesturing with his head towards the door of the Gym. She nodded at him and walked towards the entrance while giving polite smiles and thanks to a few members of the audience that congratulated her on her victory.
  
  As she left the Rustboro Gym, she thought to herself that while this victory was a great start, Karen wouldn't rest on her laurels until she made it to the Elite Four.
  
  Or, perhaps, maybe even further than that.
  
  A.N I hope this battle showcases the differences between Karen's style of battling and John's and yet still remains exciting. Of course, John is more than able to fight tactically like Karen does, but his Pokémon aren't as suited for it and why would he force himself to do that when he has a Slaking?
  
  I took some creative liberties in the fight and changed a few of the moves to be more powerful or have slightly differing effects than they had in the games. Hope you guys didn't mind that.
  
  For those curious, the full scope of Karen's team will be revealed next chapter.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-9 - Training to Mauville
  
  I watched as Karen left the Rustboro Gym with a satisfied smile on her face, she approached me, and we started making our way to the Pokécenter to heal up her Pokémon.
  
  "That was a great battle." I told her, "Did you predict how it was going to go?"
  
  "Thanks, and yeah I did." Karen replied, "I had a basic idea of what I thought Roy would do, and I tried to manipulate the battle so that things would go how I wanted them too." Her voice took on a hint of pride as she proceeded to explain her thinking and her plan to me. I have to admit, it was a good plan and really showed off her tactical thinking and skills as a trainer.
  
  "You planned it out well." I praised, making her proud smile grow even wider, "And yeah, you're right that most trainers haven't really trained their Pokémon to resist mental attacks. It's something I had to remind myself to practice training because it's all too easy to focus on developing your Pokémon's attacks and strength."
  
  "Mhm, these kinds of tactics are my favourite." Karen admitted, "Though I have to thank Agatha for teaching me about it; she's much better at it than I am."
  
  "Well, now that you have the Stone Badge, which Gym are you going to head to next?" I asked, "I don't have any plans, so I don't mind following you." And I really just wanted to relax for a bit. It's been a rather stressful morning.
  
  "Hmm, well traditionally the next Gym that we would head to would be the Dewford Gym, but that requires us to take a boat from Petalburg to Dewford unless we choose to fly there." She thought aloud, "Or, we could make our way to Mauville City...we could probably even just fly there to save time. It's much closer than Dewford anyways."
  
  "Yeah, that makes sense." I agreed, "I'm not too keen on wandering through Rusturf Tunnel either. Exploring the many caves of Indigo were the least favourite part of my own journey through Indigo back then."
  
  "Same. I just hate sleeping or trying to rest on the hard terrain of the caves. And you can never really feel safe enough to sleep comfortably. It's horrible." Karen remarked with an exaggerated shudder.
  
  Our conversation paused as we had arrived at the Pokécenter. Karen went to the Nurse Joy to get her Pokémon healed up while I checked the Pokénet as I waited for her.
  
  Due to how busy I was over the past few days; I hadn't checked the Pokénet for a while and missed what kinds of articles were being posted. Browsing through them, I was filled with a mix of happiness and disappointment.
  
  On the one hand, I was happy to see how much coverage I was getting on the Pokénet. Getting more exposure meant that you were relevant and interesting to the public, which was a great thing to prevent myself from being side-lined by the Indigo League any further. There were also many who praised my performance in the recent battle against Norman, which was nice. On the other hand, there were a few articles criticising my appointment and deeming me unfit to be a member of the Elite 4. Not unexpected, but I still found it a bit frustrating to see.
  
  Perhaps after the news of my participation in working together with Devon Corp might change a few people's minds? One can hope.
  
  "I'm done...something wrong?" Karen returned and gave me a look of concern as she saw how my brows furrowed as I read through the Pokénet.
  
  "Nothing unexpected, it's just that I was disappointed to see that there were quite a few people criticising my appointment to the Elite 4." I told her slightly despondently.
  
  "Aww, well I'm sure you'll be able to prove them wrong soon enough." Karen comforted sympathetically while giving me a pat on the shoulder, "Come on, stop looking at the Pokénet and making yourself more depressed. We've got to head to Mauville City so I can book a match with Wattson."
  
  "Fine, fine." I said and put away my phone before following her out of the Pokécenter. "Have you even prepared for your match against Wattson yet?"
  
  "Not really." Karen admitted with a shrug, "But I should have time before the match to prepare a simple plan."
  
  I nodded at that, and we both proceeded to saddle up on our Port and Honchkrow respectively before we flew to Mauville City. It was a very short flight, and we probably could have just walked there, but I was happy to not have to risk spending the night inside Rusturf Tunnel.
  
  Before long, we were both circling around the enormous construction site that was Mauville City. The wonderful complex that could be seen in the ORAS games was still in construction, but the construction of the Mauville Gym had been prioritised and had already been built.
  
  We both landed in an empty spot of land on the outskirts of Mauville City to avoid the hustle and bustle of the many construction workers and Machokes that were running around hauling building material and equipment. Even now, after spending sixteen years in the world of Pokémon, I still marvelled at how efficient the Pokémon was at getting things done.
  
  At this rate, Mauville City should be pretty much finished by this time next year. Which was an insane rate of progress compared to my old world.
  
  "Let's go get my match booked." Karen announced as she walked towards one of the entrances to Mauville City with me following behind her.
  
  As we entered Mauville City, I was once again taken aback at just how big Mauville City was. The games really failed to show just how large the city was and how many shops it would eventually contain.
  
  Immediately my mind jumped to the potential investment opportunity here for my family's Moomoo milk business. Despite the predictably high rent for setting up a shop here, I knew that Mauville City would be a popular location for shoppers around the world when it finally opened, so it might prove to be a fruitful business venture.
  
  I quickly jotted down my thoughts in my notepad just so I wouldn't forget about it. Karen gave me a curious look, but I just shook my head. I could tell that she wanted to ask, but we had just arrived at the Mauville Gym, and I gestured for her to go inside.
  
  A quick few minutes later, Karen came out again with a smile on her face. She said that she had a match scheduled in two days, and so it was a perfect balance of giving Karen enough time to prepare and create a plan while also not forcing us to wait a long time for her battle.
  
  With her match scheduled, we went to the Pokécenter to reserve rooms for the next two nights and then we bought takeaway for lunch at the partially opened food hall and made our way back outside to the outskirts of Mauville so that we could release our Pokémon to train and feed them.
  
  We then spent the next half hour just making sure that ourselves and our Pokémon were all appropriately fed. I was just packing away the remains of Smough's Pokéblocks before Karen came up to me with a request.
  
  "Hey, John, since my next battle is against Wattson, who's an Electric type specialist, I thought that this might be a good time for my Pupitar to brush up on his Ground type attacks." She said, "Would you mind if he trains up with your Ursaluna?"
  
  "Of course not, it's no problem." I immediately replied, "I promised you before that I would help." I called out to Vordt to get over here to help Pupitar train.
  
  As I did so, I thought to myself that this would be a great opportunity if all our Pokémon trained together. It would do them some good to have go up against a different sparring partner than what they're used to.
  
  I relayed my thoughts to Karen who nodded back.
  
  "That's a great idea," Karen agreed, "Let's pair up our Pokémon so that each of them would have a suitable partner."
  
  After a quick discussion, we decided on the following pairings.
  
  Pupitar would be training with my Ursaluna so that Pupitar could practice using his Ground type attacks while Ursaluna would teach Pupitar how to improve on them. I noticed that, while Pupitar certainly wasn't bad at using Ground and Rock type attacks, I could understand why Karen had asked for additional training because there was a lot to improve on. Its Rock Throws were inaccurate and slower than what you'd want, and its' Earthquakes lacked power.
  
  Sneasel would be training against my Snorlax so that her Sneasel could train and improve the stopping power of his attacks, while Smough would be practicing trying to hit a very nimble and evasive target with his Rock Slide, as I realized that he was a bit lacking in that aspect as demonstrated by his fight against Norman's Swellow.
  
  Soaring through the air, Honchkrow was flying around with my Pidgeot and Mantine to practice their aerial manoeuvres. Specifically, they were focusing on trying to land Wing Attacks on each other without being hit themselves. Surprisingly, despite being not as trained for battle as the other two, Port was able to best the other two Pokémon in terms of flight speed. Perhaps that was because it had so much practice as a transport Pokémon that it had become very fast at flying.
  
  Her ace, Houndoom, and my Wyrdeer were running around trying to blast each other with their Special Attacks while avoiding getting hit by the other's. Sometimes, they would also charge against one another to see who had the greater endurance and strength. Watching them spar, I was surprised at how much Klaus was struggling against her Houndoom; she was really good at pursuing Klaus and timing her attacks so that Klaus wasn't really able to fight back. It was a really impressive showing and really demonstrated why her Houndoom deserved to be Karen's ace.
  
  Umbreon and her Spiritomb would be practicing their regeneration and status-based moves with my Clefable and Blissey. They would also be firing and blocking the occasional Special Attack moves from each other as they all mostly relied on Special Attacks as their main source of offense.
  
  I was really surprised when I saw Karen sending out her Spiritomb. I didn't realize that people had even discovered that Pokémon yet. I managed to conceal my shock from appearing on my face though, and when I asked Karen where she got it, she told me that it was a gift from Agatha.
  
  "She never told me where she got it from." Karen admitted to me, "She just said that it was some Lavender Town secret and that all Ghost Pokémon fell under her domain, whatever that means."
  
  "It has no weaknesses though!" Karen continued as she boasted, "It's Ghost/Dark typing means that nothing can hit it for supereffective damage. It's still relatively untrained as the Pokémon was one of the newer ones to join my team, but once I start training it to reach the level of my other Pokémon then I'm sure it'll be a powerhouse."
  
  I didn't correct her statement about Spiritomb having no weaknesses because I didn't want to reveal my knowledge of the Fairy type just yet. I'm saving that 'discovery' for much later when I can justify 'finding out' about it. So instead, I kept my silence as I patiently listened to her describing how strong her Spiritomb was going to be in the future.
  
  And lastly, our newest captures, Corphish and Porygon were paired together. Unsurprisingly, the fact that they trained and battled together in Petalburg Woods did wonders for their friendship and bond. Thus, they had no problem practicing their basic moves against each other; each of them trying to dodge the other's attacks while landing their own. I could see that Corphish had the upper hand in most engagements, but Pixel was catching up and didn't let itself fall behind.
  
  After a while, I had Tyrant join in to help out as a pseudo-punching bag for the newer Pokémon to practice their attacks against, since he didn't have a suitable partner to spar against. Sometimes, I had Tyrant attack with slow and highly telegraphed sweeping strikes that the two had to dodge.
  
  In the meanwhile, Karen and I were tasked with just making sure everyone was training properly. After a while and seeing that none of our Pokémon really needed our assistance, Karen went on her phone to watch Wattson's previous battles so that she could begin formulating a strategy against him. In the meanwhile, I sat down and made sure that the egg was still healthy and remained undamaged.
  
  Our Pokémon continued training together for a few hours, until eventually most of them got tired and demanded to be fed. Considering that it was already late in the evening, we decided that we would wrap up the training shortly after a quick round of intense Gravity training to finish off the training session for all the Pokémon that would actually benefit from it.
  
  This was Karen's Pokémon's first-time undergoing Gravity training, and I noticed that her Pokémon really struggled to adjust and power through the sudden weight caused by the shift in Gravity. However, none of her Pokémon complained or tapped out and they all managed to endure through it, to the cheers of myself and Karen as we watched them endure through with their grit and determination.
  
  After our Pokémon had finished undergoing their Gravity training, we wrapped up the training and began setting up for dinner. Karen had decided to treat her Pokémon for their efforts in going through their first Gravity training, and I joined in since I didn't want my Pokémon to feel left out.
  
  Thus, we had placed all the food on a large picnic blanket that Karen had brought in her rucksack and allowed our Pokémon to chow down on it. Except for Smough, he was quickly banned from the feast because he would have just hogged all the food and eaten it all before anyone else could. So, as punishment, he had to eat his own meal separately. He gave me a lazy shrug when I told him that he had to eat by himself, he didn't really care so long as he could still eat.
  
  I relaxed and sat back with the egg cradled in my arms as I watched dinner progress, basking in the warm atmosphere of the evening rays as all of our Pokémon were chatting to each other and developing friendly rivalries from our earlier training session. This was the idyllic Pokémon life that I wanted, and I watched it all with a content smile on my face.
  
  It was a day of aimless wandering and training, and while I didn't have a set schedule planned for my next few days in Hoenn, I didn't mind. Sure, I could be doing other, more productive things, like the hunting of Mega Stones, but I didn't have a clue where to find said Mega Stones as I didn't remember where they were found in game. Plus, I didn't even know if the Mega Stones would be in the same place as they were in the games.
  
  So, I just treated this as a nice relaxing break that I hadn't really had time to enjoy ever since I won the Indigo Conference became a member of the Elite Four. I would worry about my other problems another time.
  
  "You look happy." Karen commented with a smile of her own.
  
  "Yes, I am." I replied relaxedly, and we both sat there in comfortable silence as we watched our Pokémon polish off their dinners and playfully fight for the scraps. Amusingly, we saw that Sneasel had the bright idea of trying to steal from Smough and take one of his large Pokéblocks but was forced to quickly retreat as Smough gave him a glare that threatened death if Sneasel dared touch his food.
  
  Suddenly, my happy spectating of my Pokémon was interrupted by an unfamiliar soft cry of a Pokémon.
  
  "...Whismur?" I could barely make it out over the din of noise from our Pokémon. It was so quiet that I thought that I was just imagining things. But the sound was getting louder.
  
  "...Whis? Mur? Whismur?" No, at this point I knew that I wasn't imagining things and that I could clearly hear the Whismur. Apparently, Karen heard it too as we both got up and started looking around for it.
  
  There! I could see a small Whismur shyly hiding behind a tree that was just outside of our designated training area. I thought that it got attracted to the food that we had laid out but was too shy to approach.
  
  I calmly called out to my Pokémon to quiet down with the noise and Karen did the same; we didn't want to frighten the Whismur unnecessarily. Our Pokémon quickly obeyed, and I could see the immediate effect as the Whismur was now no longer cowering completely behind the tree and it started to poke its head out more often, but it still seemed too shy to approach.
  
  I passed the Zigzagoon egg over to Karen as I picked up one of the medium-sized Pokéblocks and then slowly and carefully made my approach to Whismur with the Pokéblock outstretched in my hand.
  
  "It's ok, you don't have to be scared." I said comfortingly, "Do you want some food?" I asked and motioned to the Pokéblock that I had in my hand.
  
  The Whismur still seemed very uncertain, and I could see that a part of it wanted to back away as I slowly approached it. However, it seemed to get over its timidity and slowly waddled up to me.
  
  As it got close enough to me to eat the Pokéblock, it curiously sniffed at the Pokéblock before taking a small nibble. I could see that it enjoyed it as it continued to nibble on it even further until it eventually finished the entire Pokéblock. It gave me such a cute look of sadness when it realized that it had finished the Pokéblock that I couldn't resist not feeding it another, so I took a step backwards and extended an empty hand towards Karen for her to pass me a Pokéblock to continue feeding the Whismur.
  
  This time, as it was eating the second Pokéblock, I used my free hand to pat it gently and slowly on the head. The Whismur jolted at my touch, but eventually eased into it and allowed me to slowly rub its head as it ate the Pokéblock. I waited for it to finish before speaking.
  
  "Hey, do you want to hang out with the rest of our Pokémon?" I asked softly before gesturing to our two teams that were all standing still and trying to not make any noise that would scare off the Whismur.
  
  Unfortunately, Whismur took one look at them and immediately wrapped its ears around itself as if to hug itself out of fear. I sighed but continued patting it on the head.
  
  "It's okay, they're not going to hurt you." I comforted, "They might look scary, but I promise they won't do anything to you."
  
  "Whismur...Whis, Whismur..." It said, and I couldn't really figure out what it was trying to say. Whismur saw my confusion before it gestured to Pixel and Corphish with its stubby arms. I gave both of my Pokémon a considering look before guessing what it was trying to convey.
  
  "You're not afraid of the smaller Pokémon?" I asked, and it nodded. I motioned for Pixel to come to me, and I asked it to introduce itself to Whismur.
  
  "Pory, Porygon. Porygon."
  
  "Whismur, whis...."
  
  "Pory? Pory.....Porygon!"
  
  I watched the two communicate with each other as I tried to figure out what they were talking about. Luckily, by now I was close enough with Pixel that I could mostly understand what Pixel was saying and, from that, figure out the gist of the conversation.
  
  Basically, Whismur really wanted to find a trainer that would help it get stronger and overcome its shyness. But it was still too terrified of my larger Pokémon and really didn't want to be in the same team as my Elite level Pokémon as they unconsciously radiated an aura of danger that Whismur couldn't really handle.
  
  I was disappointed to hear about this, as that meant that I really couldn't have Whismur joining my team. I thought about trying to persuade it, but ultimately decided against it as it looked like it was one misstep away from just bolting away. I sighed and was about to let Whismur go before I remembered about Whitney and how she wanted a Normal type Pokémon from Hoenn.
  
  "Whismur, I have a suggestion for you." I told it, and I could see its ears perking up in interest. It really was a cute little thing. "I have a sister, Whitney, who's looking to become a Pokémon trainer in a few months' time. I promised her that I would send her a Normal type Pokémon for her to train up. She doesn't have any large Pokémon like I do, just her Miltank, so I don't think you'd get scared." I began to explain.
  
  Seeing that Whismur was listening attentively, I pushed on, "If I catch you and give you to her after my time in Hoenn, would you want to be part of her team? I promise that she's a good trainer and that she'll help you become the best that you can be."
  
  I watched patiently as Whimur tilted its big head to the side as it thought about my proposal. Pixel buzzed and beeped as it tried to encourage it to do so; Pixel was trying to sell Whitney to Whismur by listing how good of a trainer she will be and how she'd love to have it as part of her team and that she was a really kind person.
  
  Eventually, Whismur nodded and wrapped its small hands around my own as it accepted my proposal. I personally thought that it was Pixel's encouragement that led it to accepting rather than my speech, but I was happy with the outcome regardless.
  
  I quickly fetched a Premier Ball that I was given from Devon Corp and, double checking that Whismur actually wanted to be caught, threw it towards Whismur as it voluntarily allowed itself to be captured. Without any resistance, the Premier Ball clicked shut and I sighed with relief as I caught the Whismur.
  
  I gave out a wide smile at my newest capture and I hugged Pixel tightly in thanks. Suddenly, the bubble of silence that engulfed the rest of our Pokémon was blown as all of our Pokémon that had watched our conversation cheered and howled as they celebrated.
  
  I felt Karen's hand tapping me on the shoulder.
  
  "Good job with that Whismur, John. Real smooth. You handled that really well." She commended with a smile that suddenly turned curious as she saw my Premier Ball, "What kind of Pokéball is that, John? It looks cool and unique."
  
  "Oh, damn, I knew I forgot to tell you about something." I replied while glancing at my Premier Ball, "This is a new design created by Devon Corp that they've asked me to market for them. They've given me ten Premier Balls extra to gift away."
  
  "They look really good; I can already see people lining up to buy it. How are they going to market it?" Karen asked and I proceeded to explain Devon Corp's marketing strategy. I also gave her four Premier Balls as a gift, saving the rest for Whitney, which she thanked me for.
  
  I left her to inspect her new Premier Balls while I almost instinctively released Whismur into the midst of my Pokémon so that it could be introduced to my team before remembering that it was scared and that I promised it that it would go to Whitney. Thus, I kept it safe in its Premier Ball for the time being.
  
  With that bit of excitement over and dinner also finished, we decided to pack up and make our way to the Mauville Pokécenter to rest for the night. In my room once again, Karen and I did another round of Dark energy infusion on the egg before she returned to her room, and I got ready for bed.
  
  Before sleeping though, I texted Whitney that I had caught her Pokémon for her but wouldn't tell her what it was as I wanted it to be a surprise. She immediately responded demanding to know what it was, but I left her in suspense. I did ask once more to confirm that she didn't want me to catch anything else and she said that one Pokémon was enough and that she really wanted to catch her own Pokémon.
  
  I was more than happy to encourage her independence, so I didn't ask her again and put my phone away for the night as I went to bed, happy that I managed to catch a Whismur for her.
  
  I dreamed of a day where Whitney would evolve the Whismur into an Exploud that would sweep all before her with powerful Boombursts. That'd be incredible.
  
  A.N Sorry for those that may have wanted Whismur to go to John, but I felt that it would be far more suitable on Whitney's team considering that John is already training a new Porygon. I didn't want to train two 'new' Pokémon at the same time.
  
  Also, regarding the Mega Stones, I was tempted to have John just find one during his journey around Hoenn, but I felt that it was unrealistic for John, even with meta-knowledge, to remember where each Mega Stone is. I certainly don't know any of their locations on the top of my head.
  
  That doesn't mean there won't be Mega-evolution in the future, but just not now.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-10 - Preparations
  
  The next morning, I spent some time checking over the egg with Klee in my room to try to see if there were any differences that could be found with the dark energy infusions. Sadly, there didn't seem to be any progress made yet, but at least Klee informed me that the egg was still growing up healthily and that the Zigzagoon inside remained safe.
  
  I had hoped to spend today just relaxing and training with my Pokémon and Karen's, but those hopes of another peaceful day were promptly shattered as I heard my phone ringing.
  
  "Hello, John speaking." I answered.
  
  "John, lad, it's me, Drake." I heard his gruff voice through the phone, "Since I was the first to speak to you, the Hoenn League wanted to pass on a request for you on behalf of the Hoenn League." Normally, such a sentence would have immediately made me nervous, but the fact that Drake said it so casually managed to alleviate most of my unease.
  
  "Oh, sure, what is it?" I responded curiously. "Is it something serious?"
  
  "Nothing like that lad, the idiots up top have finally decided to do something about the fact that you're here, though they most of them still don't know why you've come. I guess they just didn't think of asking any extra questions and just accepted your presence here. Fucking idiots." Drake grumbled. "Anyways, they must have saw your match against Norman and wanted to get in on that. I guess they finally fuckin' realized that you being here was an opportunity for them to get their shit together and plan something."
  
  "Uh, okay, I can understand." I replied, "So what do they need me to do?"
  
  "They want you and the rest of the Hoenn Elite Four to do a few photoshoots in a week's time so that they can publish it in their newspapers and milk it for their own popularity." Drake grumbled before becoming a bit more excited, "But then, the League finally decided to say something intelligent for once and asked for a show match between you and another member of the Elite Four after the photoshoot was done. They're going to be announcing that later today to hopefully draw in a big crowd. They're hoping that it will be a great spectator event."
  
  "That's great!" I exclaimed excitedly, "I'd love to battle one of the Hoenn Elite Four!" Not to mention, if I won against someone of Drake's calibre and reputation, it would really solidify my position as a member of the Elite Four. It would be a message to my critics that, despite my age, I deserved to be here. Of course, I had to win first.
  
  "That's what I thought kid, and I still remember saying that I'd like to battle them one day. So, I told the rest of the Elite Four to fuck off and that I'd be the one to battle you." He declared, "Phoebe and Sidney didn't really mind, but Glacia was giving me the look. Fortunately, I was the one that met up with you back when you first arrived here, so the League officials sided with me."
  
  "Well, that's great." I remarked, though I realized that pitting me against Glacia would draw some unfortunate comparisons with Pryce that the Hoenn League smartly wanted to avoid. "I'd be honoured to battle you. But what is the battle format going to be?"
  
  "6v6, 3 switches, no stakes, with your annoying commercial break after someone gets 3 knockouts. Just your typical show match stuff." Drake responded, but then his tone took on a bit of excitement, "But! Don't you dare hold back, lad. I'll be bringing in my best Pokémon to fight against you. You're the first challenge that I've had in a while outside of our Elite Four." He chuckled.
  
  He couldn't see it, but I was also grinning in excitement, "You're on, Drake. I'll start getting ready now. No hard feelings if I study up on your previous battles, right?"
  
  "HAH! Of course not, lad, I'll be doing the same." Drake laughed, "Well that's all I have to say to you, lad, so go get yourself ready for our match. My dragons and I are gonna be waiting for you."
  
  I smirked, "You better get ready too, Drake, I didn't come to Hoenn just to lose." We shared a few more similar comments before eventually hanging up.
  
  I gripped my phone tightly in excitement as I hung up from the call. I was nearly shaking with delight and anticipation at the challenge. I was starting to get slightly concerned about not knowing what to do in Hoenn aside from following Karen around to watch her Gym fights. I even considered beginning a likely fruitless hunt for Megastones just to try to be productive with my forced stay here.
  
  But now, with this show match against Drake, I was given a purpose again and something to train towards.
  
  I looked at the time, and seeing that it was approaching noon, I hurried to get a quick breakfast and returned to my room to eat it. I texted Karen telling her that I had a show match with Drake and that I was in my room preparing for it.
  
  Then, I immediately started preparing for my match against Drake. I most certainly wasn't going to go in blind like I did with Norman, I needed to know everything about Drake's team and his battling style before the match.
  
  A quick search on the Pokénet listed Drake's past matches and the Pokémon he used. Unsurprisingly, his team was filled with mostly Dragon types, but he had a few non-Dragon Water types like Blastoise and Gyarados that he also favoured using. From his past battles, I saw that he favoured using an aggressive battling style that made use of his Pokémon's strength and raw power to overwhelm his opponents, which was a very similar battling style to what I used.
  
  I read through a few articles about Drake and found that the public, overall, felt that Drake was the strongest of the Hoenn Elite Four at the moment. He had lost against Glacia previously, but most of the public attributed that to the poor Type matchup rather than any weakness on Drake's part.
  
  This was going to be a challenge, but it was a challenge that I would relish in. Truthfully, my previous battle against Norman and Shin were not that great of a challenge for my Pokémon, but Drake's team was a very different beast entirely.
  
  I knew that, going into the battle, our Pokémon are likely going to be evenly matched when it comes to raw strength and power. I couldn't just brute force my way to victory like I did with Norman. Thus, in order to win, I needed to plan tactically and create opportunities for my Pokémon to capitalize on to secure victory.
  
  I took out my notepad and started to brainstorm about what I could use to win. Without realizing it, a few hours had passed since I had begun, and it was already time for lunch. I was only shaken out of my thoughts by the sound of the door knocking.
  
  "Hey! John! Get out of there already! Stop being so lazy!" I could hear Karen's voice complaining through the door. I checked the time and my eyes widened as I saw how late it was.
  
  I hurriedly put away my phone and notepad and opened the door to reveal an impatient looking Karen.
  
  "Come on, you're late." She told me, and I wondered if this was how she felt when I dragged her awake every morning. "I know you're busy preparing for your match against Drake, but I still need to prepare for tomorrow's match against Wattson. And I want my team to continue training with yours, so come on! Let's go" She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room.
  
  Before leaving, we both quickly went to the vending machine to buy another takeaway lunch before we headed back out to the training area that we used yesterday.
  
  Once we arrived in the training area, Karen asked if it was okay if our Pokémon would train with the same partners as they did last time. I thought about it for a moment, thinking through if my upcoming battle with Drake would require me to train up my Pokémon in any specific technique or attack.
  
  After thinking through it, I couldn't think of any reason to train specifically in one area or another, so I accepted Karen's request, and our Pokémon were organized into the same training partners that they had yesterday. I considered conducting a specialized routine for my Pokémon to practice their Ice Beams, but then decided against it as it might cause them to be overly fixated on using Ice Beam instead of a potentially more appropriate move. They were sufficiently proficient at it regardless.
  
  Before they were split up, though, I told all of my Pokémon about are upcoming battle with Drake, and they all responded with cheerful howls and roars. My Pokémon were always excited and ready for a fight, and I owe it to them to prepare myself the best I can to allow them the greatest chance of victory.
  
  Knowing that she had a battle tomorrow, I told Karen that I wouldn't recommend undergoing any Gravity training for her Pokémon today as they were still getting used to it and needed to greatly exert themselves while doing it. If they participated in it today, then I was worried that they might be too tired and may not be in perfect condition for her battle tomorrow against Wattson. Luckily, Karen ceded to my expertise and nodded without arguing.
  
  With that out of the way, we both sat back and continued studying the previous battles of Wattson and Drake respectively as we continued to try to make and refine our plans against them. After some time had passed, I noticed that Karen had scooted over and was now leaning her head on my shoulder and had joined me in watching Drake's previous battles on my phone.
  
  "He's really strong." Karen commented, "I can see why he was made one of the Hoenn Elite Four. Do you think you can beat him?"
  
  "I think I have a chance." I said with a sense of confidence that I wasn't sure that I should be feeling, "If you notice, he fights very similarly to how I fight. So, it's just a matter of outsmarting him and creating advantages for my Pokémon to use."
  
  "That's easier said than done." She noted, and I nodded my head at that.
  
  We both silently continued watching the recording as we saw Drake's ace, Salamence, pounded his opponent's Donphan into the ground with a vicious Wing Attack. His Salamence was a fearsome Pokémon, having a powerful combination of speed, strength, and endurance. Predictably, I thought that it was going to be my hardest Pokémon to beat.
  
  "I don't think my team is capable of beating Drake." Karen muttered glumly as she watched the recording, "I don't really have anything that can take on multiple Pokémon that are as strong as that Salamence. My team is good at trickery and sudden reversals, but not so good against Pokémon like your Slaking or Drake's Salamence."
  
  "It's alright." I comforted, though inwardly I agreed with her self-assessment. Her team lacked the tenacity to beat Drake's team, "You still have time to train your Pokémon. It's not like you're going to make a run for the Elite Four right now. You still have time."
  
  "And besides, Drake's supposed to be the strongest of the Hoenn Elite Four." I continued, trying to make her feel better, "So you shouldn't feel too bad if you can't match up favourably against him. Most people can't. I think a better target for you to compare yourself to would be the Dark type Elite Four member Sidney, since you both share a Type specialty."
  
  "That's true" she replied, but I could tell that she was still feeling upset about it. She stared down sullenly for a moment before she patted herself on the cheek and shook away those sad thoughts. "Okay, never mind about that for now. I still have a battle to prepare for and I can't let my sudden sad thoughts cloud my judgment or affect my planning." She then turned away from me and went back to looking at her phone to study the plan that she had begin typing up on her phone.
  
  I hoped that Karen would not feel too bad about her perceived weakness; I did think that her team wouldn't realistically stand a chance against Drake's, but I still stood by the fact that her team just needed more time to train.
  
  If she could catch a few more Dark types to expand her options, or just get a few key evolutions to her team like evolving her Pupitar into a Tyranitar or her Sneasel into Weavile, that would greatly improve her team's overall strength.
  
  Speaking of Weavile, I knew that in order to evolve a Sneasel into one you needed to give it a Razor Claw and then level it up at night, or at least that was how it was in the games. The problem was that I wasn't sure how you would get a Razor Claw in the Pokémon world, nor what a Razor Claw was.
  
  Funnily enough, the Pokémon world was already aware of Sneasel's evolution into Weavile, but they didn't know what caused it at the moment. Many suspected that the evolution occurred after a Sneasel was able to defeat many other Sneasel's until it eventually evolved into a Weavile.
  
  But, with my meta-knowledge, I believed that a wild Sneasel was able to evolve into a Weavile because with each victory it instinctively takes a portion of the defeated Sneasel's claw as its trophy, until eventually he had enough trophies to form a Razor Claw that the Sneasel would use to evolve itself.
  
  I wonder if Karen would eventually learn about this method because I knew that she had a Weavile in her Elite Four team in the games. Still, I made a note of it on my notepad, and I would tell her about it in the future when she returns to Indigo.
  
  Although I wanted to tell her my theory immediately, I opted to wait until she returned to Indigo as she wouldn't be able to make use of this information in Hoenn anyways as there are no Sneasel to be found here.
  
  Refocusing myself from my own internal tangent, I continued studying Drake's team and a plan was beginning to take shape in my notes. It was nothing too complicated, and I half-expected to need to abandon it as soon as things went awry as they often do, but it did give me an idea on which Pokémon I would be sending out first and what matchups I wanted.
  
  After an hour or so that Karen and I spent planning on our respective battles, we both decided to take a break and check up on our Pokémon to ensure that everything was going well. As we checked up on our Pokémon's training, I noticed that despite only undergoing less than two days of tutelage under my Ursaluna, Karen's Pupitar had noticeably improved its use of Earthquake, an important improvement for Karen's next battle.
  
  Similarly, it seemed like my Porygon was putting up more of an even fight against Karen's Corphish, as it previously struggled against him and frequently lost its spars. I kneeled down to hug Pixel as it floated to me in happiness at its visible improvement. As I hugged Pixel, I noticed that Karen was staring at her Corphish with a weird expression.
  
  "Is something wrong?" I asked her. Corphish joined me in giving Karen a look of concern.
  
  "No, nothing's wrong." Karen muttered distractedly, still staring at Corphish. "I just realized that even after Corphish evolves, it's still going to be quite small."
  
  "...Yes, but how is that a problem?" I questioned. Sure, I could understand that even a Crawdaunt was still only around a meter tall, but I didn't see how that was a problem. Corphish whined sadly at Karen's disappointment.
  
  "Oh, no, it's nothing wrong with you, Corphish." Karen quickly comforted Corphish and rubbed his shell, "I'm not upset about you or anything. It's just that, I realized that I still don't have a Pokémon that I can surf with since even a Crawdaunt is still too small for me to ride on."
  
  I couldn't help but burst out laughing as I heard that; it was just such a random statement that came out of nowhere that I couldn't help but laugh at it. As my laugh eventually settled, I looked up and saw that Karen and Corphish were both frowning at me.
  
  "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself." I apologized as I took a deep breath with Karen still grumbling at me, "It's just that it was such a random comment from you that I just found it funny. So, what are you going to do about it?"
  
  Karen stopped grumbling and tapped her chin in thought, "Well, I know that I can catch another Water/Dark type here in Hoenn through a Carvanha. I'm pretty sure that a Sharpedo would be a suitable Pokémon for me to ride on for surfing purposes. Might catch one soon if I can find one that wants to join my team."
  
  I nodded at that and turned back to my notes once more. There was a lot to prepare for my match against Drake, and I needed to focus on preparing.
  
  We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening undergoing light training with our Pokémon and making plans for our respective battles before we retired to my room at night to continue our experimentation on the egg.
  
  "I don't see any changes." Karen commented disappointingly as she inspected the egg, "Were you hoping to see anything at this stage?" She asked me.
  
  "Relax, Karen, it's still early days yet." I reassured, "Big changes like this takes time. After all, Norman did say that the egg was newly hatched, so I wouldn't be surprised if any changes took longer to become noticeable."
  
  "Yeah, okay, sorry. It's just that I really want this to work out." Karen admitted, "A part of me wants to try infusing it with more Dark energy to see if that will cause any changes, but the more sensible part of me doesn't want to do so to prevent the Zigzagoon from being hurt."
  
  "Blissey! Blissey! Sey!" Klee took on a stern expression as she lectured Karen about the dangers of rushing through with these things. Her Umbreon joined in and pawed at Karen's legs. Karen hung her head apologetically.
  
  "I know, I know, I'm trying to be more patient." She apologized before she turned to me, "What do you think of the progress so far, John?"
  
  "Well, it's really hard to say at this stage since nothing's visibly happening and Klee is unable to detect any changes." I told her, "But as Klee mentioned, I'm not willing to risk damaging the Zigzagoon by increasing the Dark energy that we are infusing into it, so I'm going to maintain our current level for the time being. Maybe I'll increase it later, but I'm not taking any risks right now."
  
  Karen nodded at that and fell silent as she continued looking at the egg. In the meanwhile, I went to write up my notes on our experiment and the procedure that we were using. I didn't want anyone to denounce my experiment with not following proper scientific procedures.
  
  After writing everything down, I spent a bit more time talking to Karen about her thoughts on the project and continued to reassure her that she just needed to be more patient. I seemed to have gotten through to her as she regained her typical confidence, and she promised me that she wouldn't allow herself to become overly worried and ruin the experiment by doing something out of panic before retiring to her room for the night with her Umbreon.
  
  Of course, I couldn't be certain that what we were doing was right, but I felt it in my gut that this way was the method of producing a Galarian Zigzagoon.
  
  I could hope that my gut was right.
  
  A.N ANNND John will be fighting Drake soon! I acknowledge the similarities between this fight and Brock v Lance, but I wanted to try my hand at writing something similar, yet distinct, because of just how much I liked that scene by Viva01. I truly hope I do it justice.
  
  And yes, I'm diverging slightly away from the games in regard to Drake's team. But I felt like as a sailor, he should probably have a few Water types. Oh, and just to clear up any misunderstandings and clarify something, John IS training his team for Drake's fight. He just doesn't want to tunnel vision his training and accidentally make things worse. He's not just lazing about. Thanks again for all the comments!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-10 -Interlude- Drake
  A.N Thanks to the support my Pa tr eons and my extra free time, I've decided to try to write Omakes that will MOSLTY be canon to be uploaded every week on Wednesday (though this may change if I don't have the time). They will (hopefully) be around this length, and if you have any suggestions for the future, I would love to see them.
  
  The New Normal - 2-10 - Interlude - Drake
  
  Hanging up the phone with John, Drake sat back in his chair and thought about his upcoming battle against John.
  
  As soon as he heard that the Hoenn League was finally arranging something interesting for once, he had hopped on board and volunteered to be the one to battle John. Like he said to John, the other Elite Four members were mostly ambivalent, but Glacia had also wanted the opportunity.
  
  He could understand her reasons, Glacia was a very sheltered individual who hadn't been really able to visit other regions, so being given an opportunity to battle a foreigner was a particularly appealing for her.
  
  However, Drake wouldn't let his sympathy get in the way of a good challenge. Well, that's not true, he DID feel bad for taking away Glacia's opportunity, and did promise to make it up to her some other time.
  
  Despite Drake's gruff exterior, he knew that he did care in his own way for his fellow colleagues in the Elite Four.
  
  He then decided that he should probably get started on actually researching John's team. He couldn't be doing his best if he didn't know what he would be facing, after all.
  
  After a quick few minutes of research, Drake realized that it was surprisingly difficult to find good clips of John's previous battles. Sure, it was easy enough to find his recent battles against Norman and Shin during the Indigo Conference, but any further than that was really stretching Drake's ability to make use of all this new-fangled technology.
  
  He supposed he could have asked one of his more tech-savvy colleagues to help him, like Sidney, but that might be a bit too embarrassing for even him to do. He'd just get called an old man again.
  
  Well, accepting that he might have to just work with what he had found out so far, Drake began compiling information about John's team.
  
  Unsurprisingly, Drake placed most of his attention on John's trio of bruisers, his Snorlax, Ursaluna, and ESPECIALLY his Slaking. While Drake himself had never fought against Norman or his Slaking, he still recognized that to be able to become a Gym Leader, your Pokémon must certainly be strong and well-trained.
  
  Yet, despite this, John's Slaking was about to throw Norman's Slaking around like it was nothing. He watched the recording of the fight a few times, and he was certain that John's Slaking had hardly broken a sweat after defeating the other Slaking. Drake was undoubtedly wary about facing off against such a powerful Pokémon, but he remained confident that his Salamence was up to the task.
  
  Fortunately, most of John's remaining Pokémon weren't nearly as threatening in Drake's opinion. He dismissed John's Blissey and Clefable as threats to his team, because though he was sure that they were likely strong in their own right, he was certain that they wouldn't be able to match up against the raw strength of his team. He was not trying to be dismissive, but he knew that Blissey and Clefable just lacked the power to knock out his Pokémon.
  
  Similarly, while his Pidgeot and 'Wyrdeer', that new Deer Pokémon of his, were powerful Elites of their own, he didn't think that they were anything special over another Elite-level Pokémon. That didn't mean they weren't threats, but that Drake was confident that he could handle them without too much difficulty. His Flygon would be ready and waiting.
  
  Of course, that just left his Snorlax and Ursaluna. He was concerned about Snorlax's endurance, but again, he mostly saw the Snorlax as just another strong Elite-level Pokémon that didn't really have any standout ability or moves. It certainly fought well and hard, and could tank powerful attacks, but Drake's entire team was built around those exact same ideas, so Drake wasn't too worried.
  
  However, there was a distinct lack of information about John's Ursaluna. Not only was it a relatively new discovery by John himself, meaning that there wasn't that much information available about its battling abilities, but John also didn't really use his Ursaluna in any of his recent battles that Drake could find.
  
  Drake didn't like being left in the dark, but he could say with some confidence that at least his Ursaluna wouldn't be as strong as his Slaking. That was cold comfort, since he predicted that he would struggle to find some way to counter John's Slaking, but he supposed that John would be saving his Slaking until he sent out his Salamence, for a starter vs starter fight.
  
  Drake then suddenly had an amusing realisation, the two of them probably had very similar fighting styles, in that they both preferred to get close with their Pokémon and brawl. It was a rather mindless method of attacking, but Drake was very interested to see who would win in a brawl between their Pokémon.
  
  Drake would bet that his Dragons would be the ultimate victors.
  
  A.N Slight foreshadowing, and hope you enjoyed it! Again, I'll try to upload these shorter OMAKES every Wednesday.
  
  Also, for clarification, both John and Drake are training very hard for their upcoming fight and aren't just lazing off. Just wanted to make it clear in case it was vague in the previous chapter!
  
  EDIT: THIS IS A CANON OMAKE AND IVE CHANGED IT TO SHOW THAT. I didn't want to label it 'interlude' because these are supposed to be much shorter chapters so you can distinguish them easily enough.
  
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  The New Normal - 2-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-11 - Karen vs Wattson
  
  The next day, I somehow found myself seated in the audience stands in the Mauville Gym. As I blinked away my confusion, I recalled that I had apparently overslept and nearly missed Karen's match against Wattson. Fortunately, and slightly degradingly, I was forcibly dragged out of my room by an impatient Karen to the spectator stands.
  
  I didn't even realize I was so tired when I went to bed last night. Perhaps I had slept restlessly the previous night because I was too caught up in my own thoughts and excitement about my match against Drake? I had done some good planning and training, after all.
  
  Regardless, I pulled myself out of my thoughts and I focused on the battle that was playing out in front of me. Currently, Wattson was finishing up on a 3-badge battle against a new trainer and Karen's turn was next in line.
  
  The battle was simplistic, and I saw that the trainer wasn't really good enough to put up a fight against Wattson's Electabuzz. The trainer's Pokémon just wasn't trained enough and was too slow to respond to the trainer's commands. Sure enough, I watched as Wattson's Electabuzz Thunderbolt the trainer's Ponyta, knocking it out and finishing the battle.
  
  However, I felt a spark of inspiration as I saw Wattson's finishing move get replayed on the massive television that hung above the arena. I had been struggling to figure out how I would continue training Pixel in order for it to learn how to utilize its Electric type attacks, since I didn't have any Pokémon that really specialized well enough in Electric type moves for them to Pixel.
  
  Sure, Klee, Luna, and Klaus all knew Thunderbolt and Thunder, but I wasn't too confident that they were the best teachers for Pixel considering that they only learnt those moves through TMs. I had been planning on using TMs as well on Pixel for it to learn its Electric type attacks but seeing Wattson's battle in front of me gave me a different idea.
  
  Being a Pokémon that was capable of moving through cyberspace, I knew that Pixel was effectively living data turned into a Pokémon. That meant that it had perfect memory and could replay a scene that it had witnessed in its own head as many times as it wanted with perfect recollection. Thus, I thought that if I released Pixel right now and had it watch the upcoming battle between Wattson and Karen, it could probably pick up a few techniques on how to make use of Electric type attacks.
  
  Nodding to myself, I released Pixel into the stands, which fortunately the people sitting next to me barely noticed.
  
  "Pory? Porygon?" Pixel asked curiously as it looked around the Gym in wonder. I supposed that this was the first time for it seeing so many people crowded together in an area before.
  
  "Yes, this is a Gym battle, Pixel." I explained, "I want you to study the upcoming fight between Wattson and Karen and record it for you to use later. Maybe you can learn how to make use of Electric type attacks by studying how Wattson does it."
  
  Pixel buzzed in agreement and settled into my lap just in time for Karen to make her entrance on to the arena.
  
  "And for our next battle! We have an exciting 3v3 8-badge battle between challenger Karen and Gym Leader Wattson! Each trainer is allowed 1 switch!" The referee announced, and I felt Pixel squirming in my lap out of excitement.
  
  Personally, I thought that Karen likely had this battle in the bag. But I kept my expectations low as to avoid any unwanted surprises.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" I could see the both of them nodding and they released their Pokémon, "BEGIN!"
  
  "Sneasel, you're up."
  
  "Electrode, go get'em. WAHAHHAHA!"
  
  Immediately after both Pokémon landed on the field, they instantly started circling each other and making use of their high speeds. I noticed that, despite how agile Sneasel was, Wattson's Electrode was still noticeably faster.
  
  "Ice Shard into Agility!"
  
  "Magnet Rise and Agility! Get faster!"
  
  Both Pokémon wrapped themselves in a pink glow as Sneasel quickly fired off sharp shards of ice that sped towards the Electrode, but they were easily dodged as the Electrode started levitating into the air and began bouncing around the arena. They had both boosted their speed, but Electrode was getting so fast that it was almost impossible to follow with your eyes.
  
  The audience gave appropriate noises of 'oohs' and 'aahs' as they admired Electrode's speed. It was nothing more than a blur. It was obvious that Karen's Sneasel had no chance of out speeding the Electrode, and it needed to switch tactics.
  
  "Electro Ball!" Wattson ordered, and a small orb of electricity rocketed towards Sneasel. All the while, Electrode didn't even slow down and was still continuously racing past the battle arena like it was a speeding pinball.
  
  "Detect and Icy Wind!" In a feat of impressive acrobatics, Sneasel dove and spun past the rapid Electro Ball and fired off an Icy Wind in a wide cone that managed to almost cover half of Wattson's side of the arena. Despite all of its speed, Electrode wasn't ready for the unexpectedly large cone of ice that was coming its way, and it failed to dodge out of the way in time and was struck and slowed by the chilling gust of wind.
  
  I could understand Karen's plan, she needed to slow down the Electrode with Icy Winds before her Sneasel got overwhelmed by its' blistering fast speeds.
  
  "THUNDER! Don't let it continue!"
  
  "Keep up the Icy Wind and Metal Claw into the ground!"
  
  Sneasel immediately stabbed a metallic claw into the ground just as a loud BOOM resonated across the arena. Sneasel was struck dead-on by a huge bolt of Thunder that he failed to dodge. However, by using Metal Claw and stabbing into the ground, Sneasel had managed to mitigate some of the damage by dispersing some of it into the ground, though he still had to end to endure through and brunt a majority of the damage from that powerful bolt of Thunder.
  
  I frowned slightly at that; it was a very high-risk strategy to use and was notoriously unreliable, since you risked paralysis every time you attempted it.
  
  Remarkably, Sneasel didn't falter despite his injuries and continued maintaining his Icy Wind, catching the Electrode in a net of chilling winds that caused it to become increasingly slower as it tried to manoeuvre through the Icy Wind.
  
  "Thunder again! Stop it!"
  
  "DIG TO DODGE!" Karen shouted and Sneasel stopped its Icy Wind and barely scrambled underground in time to dodge the next Thunder, which created another loud boom that caused cracks to appear from the impact area.
  
  "Agility again, Electrode, maintain your speed!" Despite having fired off multiple powerful Thunders, the Electrode hardly looked winded as it began wrapping itself in a pink glow once again.
  
  "Taunt it and Ice Shard!" Sneasel quickly popped up from the ground and fired off a faint blast of Dark energy that wrapped around the slowed Electrode, causing its expression to morph into one of pure anger as it no longer bothered to use Agility and instead dove straight through the incoming Ice Shards to the Sneasel.
  
  "Electrode?! Calm yourself!" Wattson shouted out but Electrode wasn't listening to its trainer, being too angry and tunnel-visioned to care at the moment.
  
  "Ice Shard again and get close to it!" Sneasel obeyed and shot another round of Ice Shards at the incoming Electrode that it also didn't bother dodging. Instead, the Electrode instinctively fired off a Discharge and exploded with electricity, sending out a powerful shockwave that spread throughout the arena and it was only contained through the psychic shields.
  
  "Get close and Metal Claw the ground!" Sneasel continued his charge as he raked a Metal Claw through the ground despite the oncoming burst of electricity, which allowed him to power through the shockwaves as it helped divert some of the incoming Electric damage and dispersed it into the ground. I could see Sneasel wincing in pain as he charged through the shockwave but was lucky enough to avoid paralysis. It was another high-risk move, but now it paid off as Sneasel was now in striking range of the Electrode.
  
  "Damn! Get back, Electrode!" Wattson ordered, but Electrode still refused to listen, and Wattson changed his order, "Fine! Then Discharge again!"
  
  "Ice Punch, Sneasel!" Electrode once again charged up for another Discharge, but just as the Electrode was about to release its stored electricity, Sneasel smashed its Ice-infused claws into its face and interrupted its attack. Coupled with the Icy Wind and multiple Ice Shards that it had taken, Sneasel's Ice Punch caused ice to begin rapidly spreading across Electrode's shell as it was beginning to freeze over.
  
  Seeing Electrode was about to freeze over, Wattson recognized that the battle was over as Electrode was unresponsive to his commands and had no way of preventing itself from being frozen. Thus, he steadied himself and calmly employed his last resort.
  
  "Explosion."
  
  "FALL BACK NOW!" Karen yelled out. I could hear the audience scream as I watched Sneasel hurriedly backpedal away from the Electrode as he tried to scramble away to avoid Electrode's desperate Explosion, but it was no use. Wattson had evidently trained his Electrode very well in the art of exploding, and the Electrode Exploded quickly and without hesitation. The resulting blast created a wave of force that quickly erupted from the Electrode that the psychic shields struggled to maintain itself as they flickered briefly at the incoming blast.
  
  Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, the result of Electrode's explosion was a double knockout as Sneasel couldn't avoid the blast radius in time.
  
  "Both trainers' Pokémon are unable to battle! Each trainer has 30 seconds to send out their next Pokémon!" I looked at Karen as both trainers withdrew their Pokémon, and I noticed that she didn't look unhappy at Sneasel's fainting. Perhaps she had expected something like this to happen? I guess that when you're dealing with an Electrode, expecting it to Explode is a reasonable thing to plan around.
  
  I watched as she tapped a Pokéball with her finger briefly before sending it out.
  
  "Let's go, Pupitar! Show your training!"
  
  "Ampharos, show them what you got! Wahahahah!"
  
  I sat up with more focus as I adjusted Pixel on my lap, I wanted to see how Pupitar would stand up in an actual battle and if his training with my Ursaluna had led to him improving.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Both nodded, "BEGIN!"
  
  "Pupitar, Earthquake!"
  
  "Get in the air, Ampharas! Dragon Pulse!"
  
  As Pupitar started to hop up and down as it began to shake the earth, to our collective shock, Ampharos had coiled up its tail and sprung up into the air, using its tail to bounce off the ground and managing to avoid a large portion of Pupitar's Earthquake. Ampharos landed surprisingly gracefully just as the Earthquake petered out and fired off a Dragon Pulse straight towards the Pupitar.
  
  "Protect!" Pupitar was quick enough to form a shield in front of himself that managed to block the Dragon Pulse.
  
  Just from that one exchange, it was obvious to any adequate trainer that this battle would not be anywhere close to the battle of speed between Sneasel and Electrode. Both Pupitar and Ampharos were much slower Pokémon that weren't able to dodge attacks nearly as well, but instead traded that speed for power.
  
  "Dragon Pulse again!"
  
  "Dark Pulse, Pupitar!"
  
  A torrent of powerful Dark energy exploded outwards from Pupitar that crashed against Ampharos' incoming Dragon Pulse. The two bursts of energy struggled against each other as they pushed each other back and forth as they vied for dominance and each Pokémon strained to break through the other's attack.
  
  "Aerial Ace and dodge to the side, Pupitar! Then Stone Edge!" Just as it appeared to be a stalemate, suddenly, Pupitar cut off its Dark Pulse and launched himself through the air with his Aerial Ace, eliciting gasps of surprise from the audience as they watched the unusually nimble Pupitar deftly fly past and dodge Ampharos' Dragon Pulse.
  
  Ampharos tried to track Pupitar with its Dragon Pulse but a barrage of rocks from Pupitar's Stone Edge crashed into it before it could do so. Ampharos stumbled backwards and cancelled its Dragon Pulse, and Karen capitalized on the opportunity.
  
  "Earthquake, Pupitar!" Pupitar slammed into the ground in front of Ampharos, unleashing a powerful point-blank Earthquake that Ampharos couldn't dodge in time. Ampharos quickly lost its balance as the ground began to shake heavily and it fell over with a shriek of pain as it endured through the Earthquake.
  
  Unfortunately for Karen, Pupitar's lack of proficiency in using Ground type attacks was a flaw that reared its head at this very moment, as despite taking the supereffective Earthquake Ampharos was still not out of the fight just yet, which caught Karen and Pupitar off-guard.
  
  "Ampharos, get up and Dragon Tail!"
  
  "Protect-"
  
  Pupitar only managed to create a partial shield that was quickly cracked and shattered by the hammering blow from Ampharos' tail that broke through the shield and slammed into Pupitar, cracking his shell, and hurling him across the arena until he crashed against the psychic shields. It was a heavy blow, but Pupitar managed to scrape himself off the ground and continue the fight. He wasn't out yet either.
  
  With that, I noticed that both Pokémon were pretty badly injured. Pupitar's shell was chipped and cracked in a few places, and it wobbled unsteadily as he tried to keep himself upright. On the other hand, Ampharos had an eye that was sealed shut from its injuries and had a plethora of scrapes and cuts that were littered throughout its body.
  
  Both Pokémon and trainer were now staring the other one down as they both dared the other to make the first move. I knew that this was a critical moment in the battle. Both Pokémon were far too tired and hurt to carry out any more complex manoeuvres, and so it was now a battle of endurance to see who had more left to give.
  
  Karen's impatience broke their stare down as she ordered the first move.
  
  "Pupitar, Dark Pulse. Win for me."
  
  "Ampharos, Hyper Beam. Match it."
  
  The air grew tense. This was it.
  
  Pupitar's Dark Pulse shot forwards and once again crashed against Ampharos' Hyper Beam as both Pokémon were once again locked in a stalemate as they tried to overpower the other's attacks. It was a test of willpower, strength, and raw determination.
  
  The other audience members and I all held our collective breaths as we watched their two bursts of energy push back and forth against each other as they both tried to overwhelm the other. I heard a few people muttering about how surprised they were about the power of Pupitar's Dark Pulse, which I supposed Karen had focused on training instead of its Ground type attacks.
  
  I didn't even know how much time had passed as I continued to stare fixedly at the two rays of energy that were still locked together in a battle of wills, but I knew that something had to give soon. Sure enough, Ampharos must have been more injured than it appeared as its Hyper Beam started to falter and was being pushed back by Pupitar's Dark Pulse. I took a quick glance at the Ampharos and noted that it was breathing heavily and was exerting itself to its very limits. It looked like seconds away from falling over.
  
  Suddenly, Ampharos' collapsed in exhaustion, causing Pupitar's Dark Pulse to rapidly shoot forwards, blasting the Ampharos back into the psychic shield and pinning it to the flickering shields momentarily. Pupitar quickly cut off his attack as soon as he recognized that the Ampharos was knocked out.
  
  A collective silence surrounded the Gym for a moment as the audience took time to process what had just happened before it was broken by Wattson.
  
  "WAAHAHHAHA! That was a great battle, lass!" Wattson shouted out as he withdrew his Ampharos.
  
  I couldn't hear Karen's response as she was interrupted by the referee and the shouts of excitement from the crowd.
  
  "Ampharos is unable to battle! The Gym Leader has 30 seconds to send out his next Pokémon!" I could barely hear the referee's announcement as the audience erupted with cheers and shouts at the conclusion of that epic battle. I looked around and saw that most of the audience members were standing up and applauding Karen's Pupitar, and some of them even had their phones out and had likely recorded the final exchange.
  
  I wondered if I would be seeing Karen's Pupitar show up on the Pokénet? That'd be great for Karen's popularity and bringing her into the public spotlight. I looked down at Pixel who I had almost forgotten was on my lap and watched as it buzzed in excitement at the match. I guess it was finding these sorts of high-level matches entertaining. In that case, I should probably bring it to more matches.
  
  I pulled myself back from my idle thoughts as I heard Karen's announcement that she was retiring for Pupitar. Understandable, it was far too tired to put up any sort of fight against Wattson's next Pokémon.
  
  "Challenge Karen has retired her Pupitar! Both trainers now have 30 seconds to send out their next Pokémon!" Before the referee had finished speaking, both trainers had already sent out their next Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Magnezone."
  
  "Houndoom. It's your turn."
  
  My eyes shot up in surprise as I saw Karen send out her ace. How did she guess that Wattson was going to send out Magnezone? I looked towards Wattson and noticed that he had a slight frown on his face; I guess he knew that this was a bad matchup for him.
  
  Unfortunately for Wattson, poor type matchups would be the least of his problems.
  
  "BEGIN!" "Fire Blast!" The moment the referee announced the start of the battle, Houndoom charged forwards and a pulsing ball of flames shot out of her mouth. Houndoom's flames burned with such intense heat that I could feel it even through the temperature regulation of the psychic shields.
  
  "Magnezone! Magnet Rise! Dodge it!" Magnezone levitated itself into the air as it swerved around Houndoom's Fire Blast, causing it to explode powerfully on the psychic shield, but Karen wasn't done yet.
  
  "Flamethrower, Wide!" Maintaining its' rapid approach towards Magnezone, Houndoom spewed forth a huge cone of flames that Magnezone couldn't possibly dodge with its meagre speed, even if it was levitating. Wattson clearly noticed this too as his eyes widened in alarm.
  
  "Protect and Thunder!" Showing off its training, Magnezone was both able to deploy a shield while simultaneously firing off multiple Thunders. However, Houndoom was able to leap forward and dodge past each of the incoming bolts of Thunder as her flames managed to completely engulf Magnezone's shields and spilled across the sides and on to Magnezone's shell.
  
  Magnezone futilely fired off more Thunders as it tried to interrupt Houndoom's Flamethrower, but Houndoom managed to nimbly dodge past each one and she continued with the pressure and maintaining the stream of flames that was steadily spilling past Magnezone's Protect shield and slowly consumed the Magnezone. Houndoom barely even looked like she had exerted herself despite her relentless attacks and dodges.
  
  The situation was rapidly deteriorating for Wattson. I could tell that Magnezone didn't have the speed to avoid Houndoom's flames and Houndoom was too nimble to be struck by half-hearted attacks. Attempting to play defensive like this wasn't working, and Wattson knew it. I watched as his face slowly settle into one of calm determination as he uncrossed his arms and gripped his hands together tightly on the rails.
  
  "Magnezone. Artillery Mode. Full offense." My eyes widened as I saw that Magnezone had dropped its Protect shield and became completely engulfed in Houndoom's flames. Before I could understand why it had done so, Magnezone began firing.
  
  And firing.
  
  And firing.
  
  "PROTECT!" Karen quickly shouted out. I could see that Karen was gripping the safety rail in alarm as I watched in fascinated awe as bolts of Lightning rained across the battlefield, with large orbs of electricity and steel also shooting across the width of the arena and blasting large holes into the ground before a large beam swept across the field and added more scars on the arena.
  
  Wattson's Magnezone was firing a barrage of Zap and Flash Cannons, Thunderbolts, and Charge Beams in an overwhelming array of attacks that flooded across the battlefield. I could barely tell what attacks were being fired as all manner of bolts and balls and lights flashed and whizzed across the battlefield. I was mesmerized as I watched all sorts of explosions rained across the arena.
  
  Magnezone had completely abandoned all defense and movement as it continued firing attack after attack in an overpowering barrage that filled the arena. Fortunately, it appeared that Magnezone had also sacrificed its accuracy in order to fire off this many attacks in such a short period of time, but the sheer number of attacks were still so overwhelming that Houndoom had to dedicate all of her attention to dodging and blocking the incoming attacks.
  
  Houndoom narrowly leapt past a Thunderbolt before quickly needing to put up a shield that barely blocked an incoming Zap Cannon, and even before the Zap Cannon could fully dissipate on her shield, a Flash Canon slipped past it and slammed into her side, causing Houndoom to stumble. She had no time to recover though as she quickly had to fire off another small plume of flames to block an incoming Electro Ball before she pivoted on the spot and shot off another Dark Pulse to shield against another Charge Beam.
  
  Her Houndoom barely had time to breathe in between the attacks! It was utter chaos! The arena was so absolutely scorched with flames and electricity that it was adorned with scars and small craters from Magnezone's bombardment of attacks. The psychic shields surrounding the arena were tested to the very limits as they valiantly continued to protect the spectators from the onslaught of explosions and impacts.
  
  Despite all of this, I saw that Houndoom was doing a commendable job continuing to evade and block Magnezone's attacks, especially considering the sheer volume of attacks coming her way. Although she certainly wasn't unharmed, I noticed that Magnezone was slowly faltering as it gradually began to tire. A minute had barely passed since the beginning of Magnezone's artillery fire of attacks, but it clearly could not maintain this bombardment for much longer, no matter how trained it was. And Karen knew it.
  
  For a brief moment, Magnezone's attacks slowed down, and Karen immediately jumped on it.
  
  "It's tiring! Fire Blast!" Taking advantage of the brief window of opportunity, Houndoom had the space to fire off a Fire Blast that flew unimpeded as it struck Magnezone, rapidly engulfing it in a prison of flames and interrupting its constant barrage of attacks. Magnezone shook desperately as it tried futilely to shake off the flames, but it was no use. And Magnezone was slowly scorched ablaze as it failed to escape from the cage of fire.
  
  The flames eventually dispersed, revealing a completely exhausted and badly damaged Magnezone that didn't even have enough energy to maintain levitating and was littered with scorch marks. Magnezone let out a weakened buzz as, coupled with its injuries, it didn't have the energy left to continue maintaining its attacks.
  
  I watched as Karen and Wattson stared at each other for a moment, before Wattson eventually let out a big sigh and withdrew his Magnezone. Wattson looked at Magnezone's Pokéball for a moment before muttering something that I couldn't pick up on and pocketed the Pokéball.
  
  As he looked back up, he lost all traces of his earlier solemn expression as he once again adorned his signature easy-going smile.
  
  "WAHAHAHA! That was an amazing showing, lass! I'm surprised you were able to endure past Magnezone's barrage! Truly impressive! I hadn't had such an exciting battle in a long time!" He laughed, and the audience joined in with their shouts of cheers. Pixel also seemed to really enjoy the match as it wiggled happily and excitedly alongside the cheers of the crowd, and I had to hold on to it tightly to ensure that it didn't accidentally jump out of my lap.
  
  "KAREN! KAREN! KAREN!" I smiled as I heard some beginning to chant that Karen easily overheard and turned to face the audience. Of course, I joined in with the chanting while looking Karen straight in the eye as I saw her blushing slightly at the chanting. But Karen didn't let any embarrassment show on her face besides a faint blush on her cheeks as she waved back confidently towards the audience.
  
  Hearing the chanting only reinforced my idea that Karen was now slowly entering the public eye. Idly, I hoped that recordings of Karen's battle against Wattson would spread on the Pokénet; it would do wonders for getting her recognized and as a way to show off her strength.
  
  Wattson stood patiently as he allowed Karen to wave to the crowd and bask in the attention for a few moments before she turned back to face Wattson. They exchanged words that I couldn't hear, but I did see Wattson awarding Karen with the Dynamo Badge. I saw her giving a slight bow in thanks before she turned to me and gave me a happy smirk, which I returned.
  
  I did consider getting up and introducing myself to Wattson at the moment, but I felt like I had enough on my plate with my upcoming battle against Drake as well as my plans with Devon Corp and Norman. It might be a missed opportunity, but I wasn't perfect, and I didn't really have anything I wanted to discuss with Wattson at the moment anyways.
  
  Also, it was nice seeing Karen so happy and cheerful. She seemed to really enjoy the attention that she was receiving from the crowd as she continued waving to the crowd as she made her way out of the arena.
  
  I hoped that this battle was the start of Karen's rise to fame.
  
  A.N What did you guys think of Magnezone's barrage of attacks? I wanted to write something unique because I thought that these kind of 'big combo moves' would be more common in high level battles. I might not add too many of them in future battles, so this was just a kind of taster to judge your responses.
  
  Also, this is going to be the last battle with Karen in the Gyms. I only wanted to show 2 battles, one to show Karen in her element with a minor curbstomp, and another where she struggles more against a harder opponent just to give a sense of where she's at strength wise.
  
  Also, really enjoyed all of the speculation and comments from my last Interlude (and yes, that's what I'm calling those chapters from now on, sorry for any confusion). Also, uh, ever since the Drake Interlude I think I've accidentally gaslit everyone into thinking that Fairy types were about to dominate everything. That was never going to happen and I'm really sorry if I gave off that impression (I'll be more careful next time but wow I didn't expect everyone to focus on that!).
  
  Fairy types are strong against Dragons, sure, but just like how just having an Ice type doesn't mean it's an auto-win (even if its 4x effective against Dragon/Flying), the same applies to Fairy. Dragons have other moves too and aren't about to be one-shotted just because of a type weakness.
  
  Still, I am very appreciative of all the comments, as always, and I thank you for adding to the discussion. Though it does add lots of pressure for me to make the fight vs Drake as good as possible and live up to the hype, so I REALLY hope I can deliver.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -2-12- INTERLUDE: WHITNEY
  The New Normal - 2-12 - INTERLUDE: WHITNEY
  
  Whitney took another look through her notes as she allowed her Miltank to rest for a moment from her training. She wanted to make sure that she was training Miltank properly and that she was focusing on the things John told her to focus on.
  
  Speaking of John, she knew that he was doing some cool things in Hoenn. She watched on the news that he won a big battle against the Normal Type Gym leader of Hoenn. She couldn't remember his name, but he had a Slaking too! Of course, John's Slaking was much stronger, but it was still a cool battle to watch. She hoped that John was doing well there.
  
  Although she didn't know why John had to go to Hoenn so soon, but she saw that daddy and mommy weren't that happy that John had to leave for Hoenn. She wanted to know why, but when she asked if there was anything wrong, they all denied it and said was that there was nothing wrong and that they're happy that John is doing so well over there.
  
  Maybe this is one of those things that John keeps saying that she'll understand when she grows older; he said that it was something called 'politics'. She didn't like that explanation, but no matter how much she weaponized her pouts John refused to explain further, so she was forced to let it go. She had tried to think about it and figure it out by herself, but she just didn't understand.
  
  She returned to focusing on her notes, her head hurt if she did too much thinking on 'politics', and she was still supposed to be training her Miltank. Whitney had set a strict schedule everyday for training her Miltank; she really wanted to impress John when he got back home! John had always told her that she'd be a powerful trainer like him one day, and while she didn't know where he got his confidence in her from, she promised him that she would live up to it.
  
  Looking back at her Miltank, she could see that her Miltank was far more muscular than the other ones that were on the farm. Compared to the ones that the family used for Moomoo milk, her Miltank was larger, her muscles more obvious, and her posture was far less lazy. She was proud of how much progress Miltank and her have made together, and John has told her multiple times that she was way too strong for a trainer with no badges.
  
  She hoped he was telling the truth; she couldn't wait until she got 4 badges and could explore and catch Pokémon from other regions.
  
  Yet, she still remembers his repeated saying that there are always stronger opponents, and while she did find it annoying to hear that phrase over and over again, she understands that he's only saying it for her own good. She knew that, as strong as her Miltank was, she would stand no chance against any of John's Elite Pokémon, so she shouldn't get comfortable with her training.
  
  "Mil, miltank?" Miltank suddenly called out questioningly and brought Whitney back from her distracting thoughts once again. She inwardly shook her head as she forced herself to refocus, she really shouldn't let her mind wander like this.
  
  "Sorry Miltank, I was just thinking about a few things." She muttered out, "Anyways, we still have a bit of time in today's training session, so why not practice on your....Rollout!" She exclaimed and Miltank gave out an affirmative moo before curling up into a ball and rolling around the fields and practiced slamming into rocks.
  
  As Whitney watched Miltank practicing her use of Rollout, she remembered that John had told her that it would be great if her Miltank got really good at using Rollout. She could still remember his teachings as she had made sure to write them down.
  
  'Rollout is a very important and versatile skill for your Miltank to learn. It has both offensive and defensive uses, you can use Rollout to dodge out of the way of attacks, and also use it as a means of closing the distance between yourself and your opponent and get in range to land other attacks on them.'
  
  'You can also use Rollout to quickly transition into another move. The most common example is going from a Rollout into a Defense Curl so you can dodge an attack and then boost Miltank's defenses. Similarly, you can go from a Rollout and use the momentum from the Rollout to transition into a powerful Body Slam. Be creative with it!'
  
  With John's words in mind, Whitney tailored and adjusted her training with Miltank so that, instead of making Miltank constantly smash into rocks with Rollout to train its power, she got Miltank to practice transitioning from her Rollouts into her other moves.
  
  She discovered quickly that Miltank found it difficult to transition from a Rollout into a Body Slam or a Headbutt, and she frequently lost her balance as she attempted to do so. Despite the difficulties, Whitney was actually somewhat glad that she found out that Miltank was struggling with this now, because at least she found out the problem now and could try to improve on it so that it wouldn't remain a problem when she actually started her journey.
  
  Nearly an hour passed as Whitney and Miltank continued focusing on her Rollout. The more she watched Miltank use Rollout, the more she understood what John was trying to tell her. On paper, Rollout seemed very simplistic and wasn't a move that needed a lot of practicing, but it had so many different uses that Whitney was now more determined than ever to train Whitney into mastering Rollout.
  
  She saw it clearly now; she would make Rollout to be her Miltank's signature move.
  
  Eventually, Whitney had to stop training with her Miltank because it was time for lunch. Normally, she would have made a fuss about needing to stop training with her Miltank, but she knew that today John had promised to call because he had something important to tell the family.
  
  It was probably something to do with the family business, and while Whitney didn't really understand what they were talking about or why it was important, her parents and John always encouraged her to sit in and listen to their discussions so that she could learn more about it. She liked that; she really hated feeling left out.
  
  She arrived back home and saw that daddy and mommy were already seated at the table and that everything had already been set up. She dutifully washed her hands before she sat down and enjoyed a nice lunch with the two of them.
  
  It was a simple fare, some rice with meat and veggies, but although it felt like forever ago, she still remembered how difficult even such a simple meal was for them to eat when she was younger and before John went on his journey. That's why although the meal was simple, she never complained about it because she knew how much better it was then what she had previously.
  
  As they ate their meal, someone switched on the television, and they were all idly listening to the news. Suddenly, a piece of news caught their attention.
  
  '...and there has been reports of an increase in crime throughout Indigo as a group of thugs have been seen terrorising the public and stealing Pokémon. But, onto happier news, the Hoenn League has just made a very exciting announcement declaring that they are going to be hosting a show match next week in Ever Grande City between the Hoenn Elite Four Drake and the Indigo Elite Four John! They have announced that this will be a full 6v6 fight between the two Elite Four members. Officials from Hoenn have stated that they would hope that this show match would be able to demonstrate the strengths of both regions and that it would also foster better relations between them.'
  
  'As always, tickets can be bought online or in person at the Hoenn League headquarters at Ever Grande City, and they're first come first serve. Of course, the show match will also be broadcasted live on this channel, so feel free to turn up and watch it live on our channel on the day.'
  
  Whitney's eyes widened in her surprise as she listened to the newscaster. Is this what John was going to call them about? A battle between him and a member of the Hoenn Elite Four?! Whitney was both shaking in glee and excitement while also being worried for John.
  
  Would John be strong enough to beat a member of the Hoenn Elite Four? She knew that he had never actually fought against an Elite Four member before, so is his team strong enough? She thought so, but she knew that there were plenty of strong trainers out there as well. She looked to her parents, who also had similar expressions of surprise and shock, though it was far more muted than hers, and asked them.
  
  "Do you think John can win?" She must have looked very worried because her dad was giving her one of those comforting smiles that he always did whenever she was upset.
  
  "He'll be fine. John's been training for a very long time, and I'm sure he will at least put up a good fight against Drake." Her dad said gently.
  
  "Your father is right, dear, we're worried about John too, but I choose to believe that he'll be fine." Her mom added, "Besides, he did make it into the Elite Four, and he did recently win that battle against the other Normal type Gym Leader, so I'm sure John knows what he's getting into."
  
  Whitney could only nod at that, not fully reassured but understanding that worrying about it wouldn't accomplish anything. Almost on cue, the family phone started ringing. It was John. They set up the phone on the table so that they could all see John's face on the video camera and vice versa.
  
  "Hello?" John greeted normally with a wave, as if he didn't have a huge battle against another Elite 4 member to prepare for tomorrow.
  
  "JOHN! How could you not tell us that you were going to fight Drake?!" She shouted into the phone, "Are you going to be okay? I mean Drake's pretty strong and although I know you're strong too I'm not sure that you can beat him and I don't want to see you lose like that and..." She couldn't help but start rambling and venting her worries at John.
  
  John allowed her to continue for a few moments before he interrupted, "It's okay, Whitney, calm down." He paused to allow her to take a deep breath and calm herself. Her parents just stared at her silently with knowing smiles, "Don't worry too much Whitney. I can't tell you that I'll win for certain, but I do think that I have a solid chance. So, while I appreciate your worry, don't stress yourself too badly about this, sis." He gave her a smile as he said this.
  
  "Whitney was just worried for you." Mom cut in, "After all, we did just find out a few moments before you called."
  
  John scratched his head at that, "Sorry, I forgot to mention it to you. I've been pretty busy ever since coming to Hoenn, especially now that I have to also prepare for my battle against Drake. It definitely hasn't been a vacation."
  
  "Has everything been okay there?" Dad asked, glancing at Whitney briefly for some reason before continuing, "I know that you were sent there to be side-lined, but have you been managing? No problems so far?"
  
  "Well, I wouldn't say there had been no problems at all." John grumbled, and she knew that he was referring to the fact that he was sent there by himself and that there was no ceremony to greet him. She didn't really understand why that was so important, but she knew that her parents and John were upset about it.
  
  "But besides that, things have been going well here." John continued more happily, "I actually managed to talk with Devon Corp about a few things and they want me to advertise their new Pokéball design." He showed off a white and red coloured Pokéball, "It's called a Premier Ball, and I've been asked to sponsor it in return for 5% of all sales on it for the next three months."
  
  "That's great, John!" Mom congratulated, "It's always nice to earn a bit more money and having connections with Devon Corp would definitely prove useful for the future. Good job!"
  
  "Yeah...actually, since we're on the topic of business, I wanted to talk to you about a few ideas that I had regarding how we should develop our business in the future." John said seriously as he took out a notepad. Whitney looked around and saw that her parents had also turned serious and had also taken out some paper.
  
  "Go ahead, John, we're listening." Her father said after they prepared themselves.
  
  "So, I had a few ideas for our short-term development. I had an idea for a marketing campaign for our Moomoo milk. What we could do is that we could start putting small pictures of Pokémon or important trainers on our bottle caps that wouldn't be visible until you opened the bottle. Then, we could advertise that you could trade in a certain amount of bottle caps for a full scaled poster of said trainer or Pokémon." John explained.
  
  "That way, it'll allow us to tap into my popularity as a member of the Elite Four, and people can be incentivised to buy our Moomoo milk so that they can start collecting bottle caps for posters that they want of my Pokémon. If this idea proves successful, we can also expand it later on to include other important trainers like the other members of the Elite Four or even Gym Leaders and their Pokémon. As long as we give them a cut, they should go for it, especially since it also boosts their own popularity."
  
  Mom and Dad took a few moments to write a few things down on a piece of paper before they tapped their pens in thought. She didn't really understand what John was saying, but it sounded smart.
  
  "I think that can be a pretty good idea, John, and I don't think it'll be super expensive to do either." Mom commented with a thoughtful expression, "If we start with only photos and posters of you and your team, that'll definitely bring down costs. The only major expenses would be producing those large posters, but even then, our business is doing well enough that we can afford such an investment. What do you think, Jack?" My mom turned to my dad.
  
  "I like the idea, John. It's definitely a new take on things. I agree with Angela that it wouldn't be too expensive to set up." Dad paused for a moment as he thought about it some more, "I think I'm going to agree to it. We can definitely get started on finding a company to produce our posters for us, while also discussing with the Pokémarts about allowing people to exchange their bottle caps for posters."
  
  I could see John smiling as our parents accepted his proposal. "That's great! I'm glad you like it and I do hope it works out. Once I get back from Hoenn, which I suspect would be pretty soon, we can sort out the posters for me and my Pokémon then. We'll start small, with just me and my team, and if customers are receptive to our new marketing strategy, then we can discuss expanding it to include more trainers and Pokémon after that."
  
  "Why do you su- suspect that you'll be coming back pretty soon, John?" Whitney interrupted with a curious expression. "Did the Champion say something to you?"
  
  John shook his head, "No, no, he hasn't said anything to me. But if I stay around in Hoenn for too long after my show match against Drake, people will start asking questions about what I'm still doing there. It'll make sense if Pryce decides to recall me after the show match to avoid those kinds of questions from being asked...not that I'm going to let him sweep everything under the rug."
  
  Whitney tilted her head in confusion at that; even with John's explanation she still didn't really understand, but when she turned to her parents, they were all nodding in agreement, so maybe it's just a grown-up thing.
  
  "Oh yea, and I had another idea that I thought of during my time in Mauville City." John continued, addressing our parents once again. "Mom, dad, have you taken a look at the potential of the new Mauville City?"
  
  Our parents looked at each other questioningly before shaking their heads. Mom spoke up, "No, we haven't, John. Could you tell us what you were thinking about doing with Mauville City?"
  
  "Well, it's still under construction at the moment, but it's going to a very big building once it's finished." John explained, gesturing with his hands to try to show how big it was. "It's a very deluxe and modern building, and I'm almost certain that it's going to be turned into a huge shopping mall once it's done. It's definitely going to popular with both locals and tourists alike once it's finished."
  
  "I think that we could definitely consider setting up a shop here for our Moomoo milk business, but this time focusing on creating drinks and more novelty drinks that use our Moomoo milk. I think that setting up such a shop in such a busy and popular location for tourists will be very profitable." John finished.
  
  "Do you have any idea of the rent and construction costs for setting up a shop there?" Dad immediately asked.
  
  "No, I don't." John denied with a shake of his head, "As I said, Mauville City is still under construction for the time being, with only the Gym and food hall being currently finished. But, in the future, I can guarantee you that it'll be a popular place to have a shop in. That's why I'm suggesting that we should keep an eye on it and get in early while it's still cheap so that we can maximize our profits there. It's not something that we need to be immediately concerned about, but something to consider for the long-term."
  
  "I agree with John." Mom declared after a moment to think, "Listening to what John has said, I think that, considering how confident he sounds about how popular Mauville City is going to be, setting up a shop there would certainly be profitable, and it would also allow us to have a foothold in Hoenn that we can eventually expand from."
  
  Dad clearly was still a bit uncertain about this idea, but a considering look from Mom eventually got him to concede. "Fine, I do think it's a bit of a risk expanding to Hoenn so soon, but I guess you did say that this was something to consider for the future. I'm just not too sure that we have enough supply of Moomoo milk to sustain this."
  
  "That's true enough." John said with a frown, "I was also worried about having insufficient supply to meet our demand levels, especially if my suggested marketing campaign takes off. I did have a solution though beyond just buying more Miltank and expanding the farm."
  
  "Oh?" Dad asked curiously, "Do tell."
  
  "Well, did you know that my Slaking is able to breed with Miltanks?" John announced, and Whitney's eyebrows shot up in shock as she heard this.
  
  Of course, she knew all about Pokémon breeding and the different egg groups, it was pretty much compulsory for her to learn as the daughter of a pair of Miltank farmers, but she never thought that John's Slaking would be capable of breeding with Miltanks. She must have overlooked this when she studied the tables for the egg groups.
  
  She looked towards her parents but found them to be calm and completely lacking the shock that she felt. Huh, maybe it wasn't that weird.
  
  "No, but I see your point." Dad mumbled while rubbing his chin, "I can't believe I overlooked this when considering the breeding of new Miltank. I always imagined that our Miltank would be breeding with the Tauros that we have, but I can totally see the advantages of having our Miltank breed with your Slaking."
  
  "Yes, exactly. In fact, my Wyrdeer and Ursaluna are also capable of breeding with our Miltanks. So, and I've already checked with my Pokémon and they're happy to do so, we could easily have my eligible Pokémon breed with the Miltank and advertise the next batch of milk as from a 'Elite-level stock' of Miltank. That way, we can kill two Pidgeys with one stone and both increase our supply of Miltank in the long-run while also bolstering sales." John explained.
  
  "A fine idea." Mom complimented, "I also didn't think about using anything other than our Tauros to breed with our Miltank. I guess that it's just been so commonplace to pair Tauros with Miltank that I didn't even consider any other options. Good catch, John."
  
  Whitney stayed silent as she happily listened to her parents and John continuing talking about the family business and ironing out the details. She dreamed about being able to participate one day and help out like John was doing. She knew how much her parents had struggled to provide for her, and so she wanted to make sure that she could pay them back somehow.
  
  After a short while, John had finished talking to their parents and they knowingly passed the phone to Whitney so that she could talk with John about how she's been training her Miltank.
  
  She spent the next few minutes gushing to John about the progress that she had made with her Miltank. She saw John nodding appreciatively as she talked about how she's focusing on using Rollout as a way of transitioning her moves. He praised her for remembering what he's said and not focusing too much on brute strength. She liked it when he praised her; she felt that she was making him proud.
  
  Before John had to leave to continue preparing against Drake though, he reminded her once again that 'Psychic beats Fighting' and that training your mind and being creative is more important than just focusing on brute strength. Whitney could understand that, and she told John that she'd keep it in mind before John eventually had to go.
  
  After hanging up, she asked her parents if she could continue training with her Miltank now that lunch was over. She'd thought they'd say no, but they were either too distracted or busy with John's new ideas that they let her continue training until dinner.
  
  What luck! Whitney did a little hop as she quickly made her way back to the fields to continue training her Miltank. After all, they still had to practice Rollout until they mastered it.
  
  A.N A slower chapter focused on the business side of things, and of course Whitney's training progress. She's been a minor character for now, but I hope to develop her into the Gym Leader we all know eventually.
  
  Also, to differentiate between the shorter Interludes and the full chapter INTERLUDES, the full chapter ones will be in full caps in the threadmark.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-12 -Interlude - Karen
  The New Normal - 2-12 - Interlude - Karen
  
  It was a day or two after Drake told John that they were going to be fighting each other. John had unsurprisingly become hyper-focused in his training for the battle. He only had the week, but he was very busy trying to figure out what was the most likely Pokémon that Drake would send out and how best to deal with them. She knew that he had scoured through many of Drake's old battles in order to do so.
  
  Karen wasn't privy to most of his inner thoughts, and she didn't want to disturb him while he was doing some serious thinking either. She understood how important this upcoming match was to his reputation, and if he could either win or get close to a win, then she knew that he would finally be acknowledged by the public as a worthy member of the Elite Four.
  
  They even toned down their training together since John wanted to focus on his specialized training for a bit. Which she was more than fine with.
  
  She had read through the Pokénet and saw that many were less than optimistic about his chances against Drake, but Karen begged to differ. Sure, Drake was more experienced, but John had that instinct where he was able to recognize exactly how he should train his Pokémon to maximize their potential. Coupled that with his frequent use of Gravity training, and Karen was now confident that John had a good chance of winning outright.
  
  ...or maybe she was just biased? Who knows.
  
  Still, she did manage to overhear John planning his strategy one day. John didn't realize she was listening to him as he was probably deep in thought trying to create a possible plan for Drake, but he did mutter something in frustration about his Blissey and 'unreliable stall tactics', and 'can't cheese'. Karen didn't know exactly what that meant and what food had to do with it, but she assumed that it was something about John's battle plans.
  
  Karen was able to guess what Pokémon John would be bringing in though. She noticed that John was training especially hard with all three of his brawlers, and they spent much of their time in uncontrolled brawls where John didn't issue a single command and allowed his Pokémon to fight instinctively. Perhaps John realized that close-ranged fighting was likely going to occur during his match against Drake? Considering Drake's potential line-up of Pokémon, that was a very reasonable assumption to make.
  
  His Pidgeot, Wyrdeer, and Clefable were also getting a lot of attention from John, so perhaps he'd be bringing them in as well? She thought that his Pidgeot was on the weaker side of John's team, but she saw previously how it was capable of flying laps around her slower Honchkrow, so perhaps it fulfilled a niche? He did spend some time with his Blissey but stopped after a while and returned to practicing with his Wyrdeer. Perhaps whatever he was doing wasn't working out.
  
  Karen also spent a bit of time pondering about how she would beat Drake herself. Unfortunately, any good trainer like Drake would likely do a lot of research on her team, and they'd be quick to realize that Karen favoured the use of tricks and surprises to win. And her Confuse Ray strategy didn't really work if her opponent was ready and waiting for it, since Confuse Ray was a slow-moving attack that was easy to avoid and exploit.
  
  Sure, she still had a few extra tricks up her sleeve, but that wasn't going to be sufficient to beat all 6 of Drake's Pokémon. Perhaps she could knock out 3 or 4 of them? If she was being optimistic about her own chances.
  
  Karen recognized that she really needed a tanky Pokémon of her own that could take and dish out hits. Or barring that, just a Pokémon that could really brawl with another and be the victor.
  
  She hoped that her Pupitar would be able to fulfil this role when it eventually evolved into a Tyranitar. As she idly watched John's Slaking jump up high into the air and try to grab onto his Pidgeot, she knew that she needed to get stronger and stronger, and it felt like, some days, that John was getting further away from her in strength.
  
  If John, Drake, and Agatha were the level that she needed to reach to make it into the Elite Four, then she was worried that she would never catch up to them.
  
  A.N A bit more foreshadowing! The fight is soon! Really hope you enjoy it!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-13 - The Hoenn Elite
  
  The next few days flew past as I spent most of the time talking with my family, celebrating Karen's victory against Wattson with another light training session with her uninjured Pokémon, and planning and training for my battle against Drake. Overall, it was a rather enjoyable and productive week of just training and preparation, with some moments of relaxation scattered about and just enjoying Hoenn like an actual tourist should. Sadly, we made little progress with the egg, but I was going to worry about that later.
  
  We spent most of the time hanging around the outskirts of Mauville, with the occasional trek into Route 119 to train with our Porygon and Corphish. Speaking of Pixel, after it watched and recorded Karen's match against Wattson, it seemed to be very enthusiastic about training and practicing its Electric type attacks. Apparently, it had gotten very inspired by the fight and wanted to replicate some of the Electric type moves that it saw. Of course, I encouraged its practicing.
  
  Karen also decided to take a break from the Gym battles for the moment, in order to 'build up hype'. She explained to me that she had a plan to maximize her popularity.
  
  Now, a week later, I found myself at Ever Grande City once again, trying my best to not be nervous and maintain some level of respectability as a member of the Elite Four.
  
  "You doing okay? You look nervous." Karen asked with some concern, which meant that I clearly wasn't hiding my nervousness well at all.
  
  "Of course, I am." I admitted, no longer trying to conceal how I felt. "No matter how many times I do this, I always get nervous when I'm about to face up against strong trainers. And Drake is no mere 'strong trainer'."
  
  "I get that." Karen replied, "When I get nervous, I tend to get a bit silent and focus on my plans for the battle. I find that helps settle my nerves a bit."
  
  I nodded distractedly and didn't offer a response. Karen sighed slightly and patted me on the shoulder.
  
  "Look, you'll be fine, John." She comforted, "It's just a show match, and so what if you lose? Drake is a well-respected and powerful trainer, losing to him would not be that damaging to your reputation if you're worried about that."
  
  I turned to her and gave her a small smile in reply. "Thanks for that, Karen. But I'm going to be okay. Like I told Norman, I can't afford to be nervous in the battle itself or else I might hinder my own performance and give bad orders, and I owe it to my Pokémon to not let them down like that."
  
  I took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm only being nervous now because I know I will force myself not to be nervous later. So, in a way, I'm just venting out my nervousness now, so it doesn't affect me during the battle later."
  
  "That's good." Karen remarked and we fell back into silence once more as we walked towards the Hoenn League building. I had already called ahead and told them that I was arriving shortly with a friend, and I had also requested that Karen be provided some VIP seating for the upcoming match. They easily agreed and said that they would be handing those out when we arrived.
  
  Shortly later we could see the entrance hall of the Hoenn League, and unlike the first time I was here there was an actual reception to greet me, consisting of all of the Hoenn Elite Four and a few League officials. There was a line of Machamp on either side of them that were blocking the screeching fans from swarming them like a hive of Beedrill.
  
  Overall, this was a much grander affair than the complete silence and indifference that I got when I arrived here, though they were not at fault for that. And I could see many photographers started taking photos of Karen and I as we walked forwards towards them. Fortunately, I had anticipated having my photo taken so I had changed into a slightly more formal and photogenic outfit before arriving.
  
  As we walked, I noticed in the corner of my eye that Karen took a step back to allow me to walk forwards, signifying that I was the important one here, and so she wouldn't be stealing my spotlight.
  
  Personally, I thought that it was way too late as I was certain that there would be photos circulating of my arrival with Karen and what that meant for the two of us. I looked back and asked a silent question with my eyes to Karen to make sure she was okay with this, and she gave me a subtle nod to tell me that it was fine, so I let it go.
  
  I felt that the two of us have come far ever since my mistaken kiss, and now we understood how to read each other and remain comfortable.
  
  Looking forwards again, I wanted to greet the Hoenn Elite Four and ignore the League officials, but they quickly approached me and physically blocked me from moving forward until I addressed them. With an inward sigh, I turned and greeted them politely.
  
  "Thank you very much for hosting such a grand entrance for me." I politely stated as if I was giving an interview. But considering how many people could overhear my words at the moment, I'm sure someone was recording my every word. "I'm very much looking forward for my match against Elite Drake, and I hope that it will be a memorable battle for those watching here or at home."
  
  "Thank you for coming, Elite John. It's an honour for us to host you for this show match." An official simpered, "Of course, before your match, we would hope that you could allow us to take a few photographs of you and the other members of our Elite Four. I'm sure you understand how important these photos are for the unity of our two regions."
  
  I had to hold back yet another sigh at his words before I nodded and allowed him to finally escort me to greet the Hoenn Elite Four. And, once again, before I could say anything, I was cut off by another League official that insisted on doing the greetings.
  
  "Elite John, may I have the pleasure of formally introducing the Hoenn-" And to my utter relief, he was interrupted by what I now believe was the typical bluntness of Drake.
  
  "Arceus you're boring us to fucking death here." Drake snapped in frustration, "Shut your fucking trap and let us do the talking. We're not statues for you to parade around. We all agreed to your fucking photoshoot, so shut up and let us talk."
  
  The League official was about to retort to Drake's words before an icy glare from Glacia caused him to reconsider. He endured Glacia's stares for a short moment before he bowed politely and backed off with the other League officials, finally giving us the peace and quiet to talk. Before they left though, I noticed one of them passing a ticket to Karen and escorting her to the viewing area.
  
  "Finally, the parasites are all gone." Drake spat out. "Worst part of the job is to deal with those snivelling little shits. All puffed up with unearned importance and yet when they talk, they act like they're just asking to be punched in the face."
  
  "Ok, ok, we get it gramps. Chill out." Sidney interrupted, before turning to me with a surprisingly kind smile that was very unlike the cruel and mocking expression that he adopted in the games, "It's nice to meet you, Elite John. And on behalf of the remaining Elite Four we are deeply sorry for not being there when you arrived in Hoenn. We were foolishly led to believe that you were here on holiday, but Drake has since corrected us on our mistaken assumptions."
  
  "Yeah, sorry about that, Elite John." Phoebe spoke up, "We didn't know that you were getting screwed over like that, I totally would have met up with you if I had known better!"
  
  Glacia didn't say anything but simply nodded silently and gave me a small smile, which I thought was supposed to be supportive but only managed to look creepy.
  
  "Well, thank you all for your apology, though I think that it's not needed." I told them with a polite smile, "After all, you were not the ones who sent me here in the first place, so I'm not going to hold anything against you."
  
  Then I looked around and realized that someone was missing.
  
  "Hey, um, where's Champion Wallace?" I asked, "I don't mean to be rude, but for such a big show event like this wouldn't it be normal if he was here?"
  
  "Ahahaha, yeah sorry about that." Phoebe answered sheepishly, "He'd normally love to participate in these big events, and he can't normally stay away from the spotlight. But, today he's busy with something in the cave of-" Phoebe suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth as if she said something she shouldn't have.
  
  "What Phoebe meant to say was that Champion Wallace is very sorry that he can't be here, but he is currently doing something very important that requires his attention." Sidney interjected a bit forcefully.
  
  "Ah, well that's fine. I can understand if he's too busy." I replied. I felt that I should be concerned about what Phoebe was leaving out, but for some reason I couldn't place my finger on why that was.
  
  "Aight, enough talk." Drake stated, "It's nice to see you again, John, but I want to get this stupid photoshoot over with so that we can get to battling." He stared at me with an excited gleam in his eyes, and I gave him a grin of my own in reply.
  
  "You still owe me for allowing you to battle, Drake." Gloria suddenly spoke up, as she stared serenely at Drake with a painted smile that was a little too calm that greatly unsettled me. Arceus this woman was scary. Drake clearly agreed with my own thoughts as he coughed slightly and looked away, refusing to meet her eyes.
  
  We then all walked together towards where they were going to host the photoshoot. It was in a large studio with an enormous green screen that was easily bigger than even my Tyrant. I supposed that having such a large green screen was a necessity when working with larger Pokémon.
  
  As we entered the studio, we were once again set upon by a few League officials and photographers that wanted to greet us but luckily Drake shooed them away with his typical impatience. Before long, I was then seated in a chair in the makeup room and being fussed over by a few makeup artists that tried their best to make something of my generic face. They even had a set of fashionable clothes that they wanted me to wear.
  
  Despite their pleading, I stuck to the clothes that I was currently wearing as I thought that a white suit and tie with white pants was far too unnatural for me to actually wear. What kind of entitled rich boy did they think I was?
  
  I gave myself a once over in the mirror when they were done, and I literally couldn't tell the difference in how I looked before and after they applied the makeup. I shrugged to myself since I didn't really care that much, but as I was about to get up and leave the makeup room, they asked me if they wanted me to add any makeup or decorations to my Pokémon as they had a wide variety of Pokémon-friendly makeup products that they commonly used.
  
  I gave them a wide look of surprise as they told me this. I didn't know they even had makeup for Pokémon, though I guess it would make sense considering the Pokémon contests that they held. After a short moment of consideration, where I made myself laugh as I imagined Tyrant wearing a silly pink bow on his head, I told them that my Pokémon didn't need any decoration and that they were fine.
  
  Finally done with the makeup, I was allowed back into the studio where I saw that the other members of the Elite Four were standing, besides Sidney. They literally all looked the same. Maybe someone with a better eye for fashion could have pointed out the differences, but with the exasperated and impatient look that Drake had I could tell that we both thought that it was a huge waste of time.
  
  Besides, why does Glacia even need makeup anyways? She's already so pale that any makeup would ruin her appearance.
  
  Almost a minute later, Sidney came out of his own makeup room and I, once again, couldn't tell the difference. With that waste of time out of the way, Drake and I were instructed to stand together for a few photos for the upcoming show match.
  
  The photographers instructed us to stand in all these different poses, some back-to-back, some while holding out our Pokéballs, and with my request some with a closeup of me holding my Premier Ball.
  
  The other Elite Four members did notice and question me about my Premier Ball, and I explained to them that it was just a new Pokéball design created by Devon Corp and that they've asked me to market it for them. Sidney was the most interested, and he asked if I could get him some for his own team. I told him that sadly I had already given away the extras that I had but that I was sure that he could simply ask Devon Corp to give him a few.
  
  I finished off my set with Drake with a few photos of us posing with our starters. The moment we released our starters, Tyrant and his Salamence immediately locked eyes and gave out powerful roars that nearly knocked over the cameras as they attempted to exert their dominance on the other. We had to reign them both in to prevent the destruction of the studio.
  
  To our amusement, and to the dismay of the photographers, they couldn't get Tyrant and Salamence in the same shot as if they tried to move the two Pokémon together, they would almost instinctively lock heads and a fight would almost break out. So, they had to settle with taking individual shots of our Pokémon and then putting them together in the edit.
  
  Once they had finally taken enough photos of Drake and I, they then moved on to photos with the other members of the Hoenn Elite Four. The entire shoot was so mind-numbingly boring that whenever it wasn't my turn I just daydreamed and went through my plan once again for my battle against Drake.
  
  Luckily, the Hoenn Elite Four seemed to share my boredom, and I found them to be surprisingly friendly and personable as we chatted about mundane topics as we struggled through the photoshoot. Eventually, and nearing afternoon, they said that there would be a break and lunch would be provided.
  
  I was graciously invited to join the rest of them for lunch, and we ate together contentedly while continuing our discussion on whatever topics came to mind. I asked them a few questions about what it was like to be a long-standing member of the Elite Four, and they all unanimously said that they all hated doing publicity events after a while.
  
  I could see why, just this one photoshoot was enough to bore me to death. I couldn't imagine going through another one of these on a frequent basis.
  
  Then, we moved on to more serious topics as they asked me about my journey to the Elite Four and what I thought about the political situation there and why I got side-lined. I decided to indulge them, since the truth would eventually be revealed anyways, and I explained what I thought were the reasons for sending me to Hoenn and why they wanted me out of the way.
  
  They all listened attentively and were all sympathetic to my plight, which was nice.
  
  "If your reasonings are correct, John, and I suspect that they are, then I have to say that I'm quite disappointed with the actions of your Champion." Sidney remarked seriously, "I may not have a full understanding of the situation in Indigo, but it seems to me that Champion Pryce may have been corrupted from staying as Champion for too long if he is now resorting to using such distasteful and underhanded methods to stay in power."
  
  I was taken aback at just how intelligent Sidney sounded. It really was at odds with his rebel and punk appearance. I think my face showed my surprise as he chuckled.
  
  "Ah, were you surprised by how different I am to how I look?" I nodded sheepishly but fortunately he only chuckled again and didn't seem offended. "Ah, don't worry about it. I intentionally play up the punk aesthetic for the crowds, because that's what people 'think' Dark type specialists should look like."
  
  "Do you mind playing into the stereotype?" I asked, now seeing Sidney in a new light.
  
  "Not really." He shrugged, "I mean, it does wonders for my popularity and I honestly quite like the punk look. I also love it when people are taken aback at how different I truly am from how I look. Always good for a quick laugh."
  
  "Yeah, like, Sidney's a really kind guy." Phoebe giggled, "He just looks scary, but he's a real softie."
  
  Sidney gave Phoebe a kind smile as he rubbed the top of her head affectionately. I looked at this and thought that the two of them had a nice, almost familial, dynamic. But looking at how happy and friendly the Hoenn Elite Four were too each other really emphasized the difference between them and the Indigo Elite Four. I remember how distant and almost hostile they were, and how they had been sitting in the room in near silence before I arrived.
  
  A frown must have appeared on my face as Glacia addressed me with a touch of concern.
  
  "What's wrong, John? You look unhappy about something." She asked softly and slightly worriedly. Truthfully, I thought that she no longer looked so scary when she didn't have a blank smile on her face. Now, she just looked like a concerned mother, which was a huge improvement.
  
  "Ah, there's nothing wrong exactly." I claimed as I rubbed the back of my head, "it's just that you guys are all so friendly with each other. And I really admire that dynamic. I just wished that the Indigo Elite Four were as friendly with each other as you guys are."
  
  I then began to explain what I saw when I was first introduced to the Indigo Elite Four, and how hostile and distant they were to each other. Except for Walker, but even his friendliness was unable to shine through the mire of hostility that radiated between the rest of them.
  
  "That's terrible!" Phoebe blurted out, with a shake of her head. "I would hate it if my fellow members of the Elite Four were so rude and hostile to each other. It would be such a nightmare to work with." She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was hugging herself.
  
  "Aye. That sounds horrible, lad." Drake spoke up, "I might not be the friendliest of peoples, and I do let my temper go sometimes, but I'd like to think that I'm not a horrible person to work with."
  
  "Awww, don't worry, Drake, we all like you." Phoebe interjected with a smile that got a chuckle out of Drake.
  
  "Thanks, lass, but as I was saying, even I wouldn't like it if I had to work with people that I couldn't stand. Not only would that be a pain in the ass to do, but sometimes us Elite Four are required to attend to big emergencies that require us to work together. And I'm not sure I could work well with someone that I hated no matter how professional I am." Drake stated seriously.
  
  The other members shared similar thoughts of sympathy towards me and how they hoped that the situation would improve soon. I was grateful for their kindness and understanding, and it gave me hope that one day that the Indigo Elite Four could be more like the people that I was spending time with now.
  
  Then I remembered that, in canon, the future of the Indigo Elite Four consisted of Will the psychic, Bruno the musclehead, Koga the stoic ninja, and Karen. While I obviously had no problems with Karen and would be happy to see her join me in the Elite Four, I had serious doubts that any two of the other three members of the Elite Four from canon would be 'nice' to hang around. That really killed my optimism.
  
  Though I hoped that some of them were similar to Sidney and Drake, as in their gruff or unfriendly appearance didn't reflect on their inner kindness. I desperately hoped so, as I didn't want to spend the rest of my time in the Elite Four mired in hostility and competition.
  
  Eventually, our lunch break was over, and we were dragged back into finishing the photoshoot. Luckily, our earlier discussions had revitalized me, and I managed to get through the remainder of the shoot without feeling too bored.
  
  Finally, after almost another half hour of photos, we were all done. The other members of the Elite Four gave Drake and I their well-wishes and hoped that we would have a great battle. They also informed me that if I wanted to make a fuss about my side-lining to Hoenn, they would say something in my support if I wanted them to. I thanked them before I turned to Drake and gave him a respectful nod before we parted and went to register our Pokémon with the officials.
  
  I still had another 20 minutes before the battle. I texted my parents and asked them if they were going to be watching it live, and they quickly replied back that they had their snacks ready and waiting. Karen replied similarly and told me that she was already seated and that most of the audience had also arrived.
  
  She then asked me about the photoshoot and if I was doing okay. I told her honestly that the photoshoot was boring and that I was surprisingly not nervous at this moment. Instead of nervousness, I was nearly shaking with excitement for the battle.
  
  I knew that win-or-lose, it was going to be my greatest and hardest challenge to date. But I had prepared for it. Studied for it. And now, my Pokémon were all ready and willing to show the world their strength.
  
  Dragon types were commonly seen as the most powerful type, and for good reason. However, I was going to show the world that there were always exceptions to every rule. And that my Normal types were not going down without a fight.
  
  A.N The battle against Drake is finally here, I hope it does not disappoint! Also, hope you liked my characterisation of the Hoenn Elite Four and just how different they are to the ones in Indigo; I wanted to show some contrast.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  The New Normal - 2-13 - (Non-Canon) - OMAKE - Future Indigo Elite Four
  
  I walked into the room and greeted my three new members of the Elite Four. Although I had low expectations that they would be friendly and warm individuals, I hoped that I could still strike up a conversation with them just so we got to know each other. I still fondly remembered the camaraderie that the Hoenn Elite seemed to have with each other and wished to develop the same. They would be my colleagues for the foreseeable future, after all.
  
  "Hey guys! Welcome to the Elite Four. It's very nice to meet you all." I greeted, hoping to start up a conversation.
  
  "..." Bruno stared at me unresponsively as he continued lifting his weights.
  
  "..." Koga inspected me stoically as he continued mediating.
  
  "..." Will closed his eyes while facing my direction. 'It's good to meet you too, Elite John.' He spoke directly into my mind. 'I'm sorry for greeting you like this, but I'm more used to communicating telepathically than with speech. Hope you can understand.'
  
  He winced as I screamed silently in my own mind.
  
  A.N. Don't worry, this doesn't count towards the Wednesday bonus chapters. It was just something I thought up when writing.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-14 - The Man Who Sailed The World
  
  I barely felt the twenty minutes pass by as I sat there in the waiting room fiddling with my Pokémon's Premier Balls. And I almost didn't hear the voice of the League official telling me that it was time to go.
  
  I wasn't nervous, no, I had gotten over my nervousness a few hours ago. Now, I just wanted to prove to the world that I deserved to be here, that I deserved to be a member of the Elite Four alongside the rest of them. I wanted to use this battle, and my victory, to get back at Pryce and all those who side-lined me here.
  
  Drake was certainly one of the stronger Elite Four members, and this was the time to show the world that I deserved to stand alongside him. As equals.
  
  But more importantly than my own status, I wanted to show off my Pokémon's strength and training to the world. I knew that my Pokémon were strong enough; I just needed to make sure that I did my job and direct them properly so they can show off their full potential. That was what consumed my entire focus. I wished for them to be engraved into the annals of history, just like THE Samuel Oak's Pokémon were.
  
  This was just the first step into making my Pokémon a household name, and I wouldn't squander this opportunity by messing up.
  
  I stepped out of the waiting room and was escorted through a small tunnel until I was greeted by the bright sunlight of Hoenn. I could see on the opposite side of the arena that they had synced up my entrance and Drake's, probably for dramatic effect. I looked up and saw a massive television screen that was currently showing some dude with a microphone in his hands which I assumed was the announcer.
  
  Sure enough, the moment we made our entrance, the announcer's voice boomed out through the speakers.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE SPECIAL SHOW MATCH BETWEEN THE ELITE FOUR OF TWO REGIONS!" The entire stadium erupted with deafening cheers and shouts from the audience. "TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THESE TWO POWERHOUSES FIGHT WITH THEIR BEST POKEMON IN AN EPIC BATTLE TO SHOW OFF THE BEST OF BOTH REGIONS!"
  
  I looked around and, unsurprisingly, I could see a few banners with "GO DRAKE!" and similar ones that were all supportive of Drake. But what was a pleasant surprise was that I spotted a few banners and signs that were cheering me on.
  
  That made me smile. I was happy to see that even in a foreign region I was still popular enough to have fans. The announcer allowed the audience to go wild for a moment before he continued.
  
  "AND, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN HIM ON THE NEWS RECENTLY, BUT COMING ALL THE WAY FROM KANTO, PLEASE WELCOME, THE NEWEST AND YOUNGEST EVER ELITE FOUR MEMBER, ELITE JOHN!" The crowd once again exploded with excitement and cheers as the cameras focused on me and my face was shown on the large screen.
  
  With some quick thinking, I took this opportunity to fulfil my promises to Devon Corp, I waved around to the audience while I held a Premier Ball in my hand, making sure that the Premier Ball clearly visible on the large screen. I hoped that this would certainly fulfil my portion of the contract.
  
  "AND HIS OPPONENT, PLEASE WELCOME OUR FAMILIAR ELITE FOUR MEMBER, THE GRUFF AND TOUGH, THE MAN WHO SAILED THE WORLD, MASTER OF DRAGONS, ELITE DRAKE!" The support from the crowd was considerably louder from what they gave me, but I wasn't offended since obviously Drake would be more popular in his home region than some foreign Elite Four member. Also, unlike me, Drake didn't even react to the cheers of the crowd and stood stoically with his arms crossed. Typical Drake.
  
  At this moment, I felt his stares on me and I matched it with a stare of my own. I could barely hear the announcer listing the rules of our upcoming match, which was fine because I already knew them. They were just the typical show match rules of a 6v6 with 3 switches allowed.
  
  "GENTLEMAN! ARE YOU READY?!" That broke through my staring contest against Drake, and I forced myself to focus on the battle and my plan. I gripped my Premier Ball tightly in my hand and I nodded to the announcer. "THEN LET'S COUNT DOWN TOGETHER! RELEASE YOUR POKEMON ON ONE!"
  
  I could feel Drake's eyes lock onto me once again as the countdown began, but I didn't bother meeting his gaze. I didn't feel like there was a need for posturing or intimidation at this moment. I had studied him, looked through many of his previous battles, and noted down his strategies. I knew his strengths, and what Pokémon he was likely to be sending out. I kept going over what I knew one more time in my head in some ritualistic routine to maintain my calm. And so, I just stared at my Premier Ball as the crowd slowly and dramatically counted down around us.
  
  "TWO!" This was it, no more time for idle thoughts. I reflexively put a foot forward as I prepared to release my first Pokémon. I was tempted to send out Luna first, but I knew she was best saved as a reserve surprise factor to knock out an unsuspecting Dragon. She wasn't strong enough to fight against Drake's non-Dragon Water types.
  
  "ONE!" I didn't even realize that I had released my Pokémon until I saw the distinctive white glow spread out and Klaus, my Wyrdeer, landed majestically in front of me. Although Klaus lacked the intimidation and size that my other Pokémon had, he had a natural grace and a distinct sharpness that subtly revealed his offensive capabilities and relentless training.
  
  I looked up and saw that Drake had released his bulky Blastoise. That wasn't the Pokémon I was hoping for as I eyed the two cannons on its back warily, but at least it wasn't his Flygon or Salamence. Nevertheless, I still had contingencies planned for such events, and I immediately started to enact my plan.
  
  "To the air and Sunny Day, Klaus!" Klaus started off the battle by showing off his Psychic mastery and creating panels of pure psychic power that he could leap off and effectively gallop through the air. All the while, he fired off a white beam of light into the sky and made the already bright sunlight of Hoenn even harsher. I needed to lower the power of Blastoise's Hydro Pumps.
  
  "OH, WHAT'S THIS?!" The announcer shouted out in surprise, "IT LOOKS LIKE JOHN'S WYRDEER IS ABLE TO STAY IN THE AIR USING ITS OWN PLATFORMS! WHAT A DISPLAY OF SKILL!"
  
  "Cannon Mode, Blastoise. Double Dark Pulse." Drake said calmly. Blastoise firmly planted its feet into the ground before rapidly firing orbs of darkness towards Klaus like it was trying to replicate an anti-aircraft gun. I forced myself not to be overly worried about Blastoise's sheer rate of fire.
  
  "Light Screen, Klaus! And Solarbeam!" A faint screen of light shimmered into existence in front of Klaus as he continued leaping from one platform to another to dodge the incoming barrage of Dark Pulses that were being launched by Blastoise.
  
  Then, Klaus paused momentarily and began to quickly gather energy into his horns causing them to glow brightly, as he allowed the Light Screen to block a few of the incoming Dark Pulses that he didn't manage to dodge, before unleashing a wide gold beam of light that shot towards Drake's Blastoise, disintegrating any Dark Pulses in the way.
  
  "Shell form, Protect!" Blastoise stopped firing off his Dark Pulses and immediately withdrew itself into its shell while surrounding itself with a shield. The Solar Beam bounced off the Protect shield harmlessly and Blastoise remained unscathed.
  
  That was fine though, as while he was avoiding the Dark Pulses, Klaus had intentionally dodged in a manner that allowed him to get progressively closer to the Blastoise. The Solar Beam was also just another distraction to force Blastoise into going defensive so that Klaus could land safely on the ground close to the Blastoise without being bombarded by Dark Pulses.
  
  "Psyshield Bash, Klaus!" Taking advantage of Blastoise's lack of firing, Klaus surrounded his head with a pink glow as he charged towards Blastoise. Drake clearly noticed the approaching danger as he reacted.
  
  "Dragon Pulse, Blastoise! 6 o'clock!" Without withdrawing from its shell, Blastoise spun around so that its cannons were now facing my charging Wyrdeer and fired off a continuous geyser of draconic energy. However, Klaus used his psychically reinforced horns to cleave through the Dragon Pulse and deflect it off to the sides as he maintained his charge.
  
  Because Blastoise's view was limited when it was hiding in its shell, it couldn't see that its Dragon Pulse failed to deter Klaus' charge and couldn't set up any defensive measures before Klaus rammed into its shell with his horns, blasting Blastoise with psychic energy that knocked it high into the air and forcing Blastoise out of its shell.
  
  However, Drake remained calm and continued giving orders. "Cannon Mode, Double Dark Pulse." Showing off its discipline and training, Blastoise spun itself while still mid-air and began firing off a storm of Dark Pulses once again towards Klaus.
  
  I debated using Protect to keep Klaus safe from the attacks, but I decided to take a risk and hope that Klaus' Light Screen could mitigate most of the incoming damage so that I could continue the offense.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Klaus!" Klaus pointed his antlers towards the sky, thrumming yellow with electricity, and sent out bolts of thunder that struck Blastoise while it was in the air and unable to dodge out of the way. I could see that the Thunderbolt struck true as Blastoise momentarily stopped firing as the Thunderbolt painfully coursed through its body.
  
  However, Klaus also didn't come out of the exchange undamaged either. To my slight surprise, Blastoise had quickly managed to break through Klaus' Light Screen with just a few of Dark Pulses and the remaining Dark Pulses pummelled painfully into Klaus and caused him to slide back and buckle slightly from the force of the impacts.
  
  I knew that Klaus' Light Screen was far from weak or fragile, so the strength of Blastoise's attacks really took me by surprise at how powerful since they were to be able to rip through Klaus' Light Screen with such ease. From that exchange, I immediately realized that trading attacks with Blastoise would not end in my favour, so I had to find and make use of other methods to win.
  
  "WHAT A POWERFUL EXCHANGE OF ATTACKS!" The announcer hyped up, "THAT MUST HAVE BEEN PAINFUL! BUT IT LOOKS LIKE BOTH POKEMON STILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF FIGHT LEFT IN THEM!"
  
  I looked towards where Blastoise had landed and noticed that our Pokémon were once again rather far apart. Using the newfound distance between Blastoise and Klaus, Drake decided that he wanted to get rid of the debilitating weather so that Blastoise's Water attacks wouldn't be hindered.
  
  "Rain Dance, Blastoise!" Blastoise started summoning dark rain clouds that threatened to block off the sun, and I immediately shouted out my next command that I had planned just for this situation.
  
  "Imprison it, Klaus! And charge forward!" I could see Drake's eyebrows rise in surprise as Klaus' eyes glowed briefly before he created a force field that surrounded the Blastoise and imprisoned it within, preventing it from moving. However, more importantly than restricting Blastoise's movement, Imprison also had the benefit of temporarily preventing the opposing Pokémon from using moves that the caster knows so long as the victim remained caged.
  
  It was for this reason that I had trained Klaus learn Rain Dance in the past, just so that he could prevent others like Drake's Blastoise from cancelling out his Sunny Day through denying its use through using Imprison. This was a crucial element of my plan, as if Blastoise was able to change the weather into Rain, its' attacks would become so powerful that Klaus would not be able to withstand them.
  
  "That's a nice little trick, John." Drake complimented before pointing forwards and directing his Blastoise, "Cannon Mode. Double Dark Pulse."
  
  Despite the fact that Blastoise was now immovable, it didn't mean that its firepower had lessened at all. And as Klaus closed the distance between them, it would only make it harder for Klaus to dodge the incoming barrage of Dark Pulses as he had less time to react. I couldn't just rely on dodging.
  
  "Solar Beam, Klaus! Blast through them!" Once again, Klaus' horns started to glow as he charged up and energy gathered into them before he fired off another gold beam that overwhelmed and cut through all of Blastoise's incoming Dark Pulses. However, this time, instead of going on the defensive like he ordered previously, Drake instead tried to match the Solar Beam.
  
  "Double Dragon Pulse." Blastoise braced itself once more and stomped its feet into the ground to steady itself before firing off Dragon Pulses from both of its cannons. Unlike the time when it was firing from within its shell, now that Blastoise could properly brace itself, it didn't have to worry about managing the recoil of its attacks and could devote more strength into the Dragon Pulse.
  
  The two beams smashed against each other, but it became clear almost immediately that Klaus' Solar Beam couldn't match up against Blastoise's double Dragon Pulse and was quickly pushed back. But that was fine, I just needed to use the Solar Beam to buy time for Klaus to get even closer to Drake's Blastoise.
  
  And so, just seconds before the Dragon Pulse would break through Klaus' Solar Beam and blast him, I changed tactics.
  
  "Partial Dig, Klaus!" Just before the Dragon Pulse broke through, Klaus stopped firing off his Solar Beam and burrowed rapidly into the ground by surrounding his hoofs with a psychic aura to increase how fast he could burrow, and Klaus did so just in time so that the Dragon Pulse only managed to graze past the top of his head for minimal damage.
  
  "Earthquake, Blastoise!" Unsurprisingly, Drake tried to capitalize on Klaus' dig by trying to land a double damage Earthquake against him. This was why I had Klaus only dig slightly into the ground so that it could quickly get out again.
  
  "Get out and stay in the air!" Klaus fortunately was able to quickly leap out of the small pit in the ground moments before the Earthquake hit, and quickly created more psychic platforms in the air to leap from to stay off the ground and avoid the Earthquake.
  
  Seeing that the Earthquake wasn't accomplishing anything, Drake cut it off with a flick of his arm. I chose that exact moment to continue my assault.
  
  "NOW! WILD CHARGE!"
  
  "Double Focus Blast!"
  
  With the Earthquake stopping, Klaus was freely able to land on to the ground once again as he surrounded itself with a barrier of electricity and continued his assault towards Blastoise. By now, the two of them were getting so close that it was impossible for Klaus to dodge the incoming barrage of Focus Blasts.
  
  Klaus continued to charge towards the Blastoise despite the veritable tide of devastating fire coming his way, making a valiant attempt of deflecting continuously with his antlers, but many were still able to slam into him. Still, in an inspiring display of determination, Klaus pushed through his injuries as he continued with his attack despite being hammered by Blastoise's Focus Blasts and continued closing the distance.
  
  "Shell form! Iron Defense!"
  
  "Thunder Wave! Interrupt it!"
  
  Seeing that Klaus was nearing striking distance, Drake tried to get Blastoise to protect itself from most of the damage by withdrawing into its shell once more before boosting its' defences. However, just before it could do so, Klaus emitted a faint spark of electricity that managed to interrupt and briefly paralyze the Blastoise as it was trying to withdraw into its shell.
  
  Even worse for Drake, Blastoise was no longer attacking and was now paralyzed with his soft underbelly exposed to Klaus. Taking advantage of this perfect opportunity, Klaus rammed into Blastoise's exposed stomach and landed a critical hit with his Wild Charge, discharging all of his accumulated electrical energy and causing a miniature explosion that blasted Blastoise backwards as he broke through the Imprison and spun uncontrollably through the air.
  
  I could hear the announcer shout something that elicited a loud cheer from the audience, but I ignored it as I focused on Klaus' condition. I could tell that Klaus was tired and reaching his limit after being battered during his relentless Wild Charge, but I could see that Blastoise still wasn't out of the fight yet. So, I clenched my fists and clamped down on my instinct to withdraw Klaus in order to prevent any more harm from coming to him and commanded him to continue the assault.
  
  "Psychic it while it's vulnerable!" Even though Klaus was now panting heavily as he was wracked with injuries, Klaus still managed to lift his horns once more and fire off a burst of Psychic energy that crashed into Blastoise while it was still defenseless in the air, propelling the Blastoise backwards and causing it to slam painfully into one of the psychic barriers of the arena.
  
  I paused briefly and waited to see if Blastoise was knocked out, since I didn't want to injure it any further if it was already unconscious. However, I saw that the Blastoise was slowly getting up from where it had landed, and so I waved my arm once more to gesture Klaus to attack.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Klaus! Finish it off!" Klaus bellowed out and forced through the pain as his horns glowed a bright yellow as he fired off another Thunderbolt. However, just before the bolt of lightning crashed into Blastoise from above, I saw a faint Protect shield shimmer into existence just above the Blastoise and protected it from the Thunderbolt.
  
  Apparently, Drake's Blastoise still had some fight left in it. I could tell that Drake's eyes sharpened as he saw this unexpected second wind.
  
  "Cannon Mode and double Dark Pulse! Show'em what you've got!" Blastoise groaned as it managed to slowly push itself upright. I ordered another Thunderbolt in hopes of knocking it out before it could fire, but Klaus' injuries and exhaustion meant that he took longer to charge up the energy needed for another Thunderbolt.
  
  And with that delay, Blastoise was able to force itself into its natural firing position as it fired off a short burst of dark orbs that shot towards Klaus.
  
  I stared dispassionately at the dark orbs that were rapidly speeding their way towards Klaus. I knew that Klaus had already gone beyond his breaking point, and that he was only running off pure determination. In such a state, I didn't think that Klaus would be able to dodge or block the incoming Dark Pulses, even if they were weaker than usual due to Blastoise's own drained state.
  
  With this realization, I knew that the best outcome of this fight would be a double knockout. So, I closed my eyes briefly and reopened them with newfound determination. It was slightly cruel, but I needed Klaus to focus all of his attention into landing the supereffective Thunderbolt that he was currently charging up, even if meant getting knocked out by the Dark Pulses as a result.
  
  "Keep charging that Thunderbolt, Klaus! Full power!" Klaus sounded out his agreement as his horns started to glow brighter and brighter before he eventually lifted them into the air and shot off a huge Thunderbolt that smote down on the Blastoise like the wrath of Arceus.
  
  Second wind or not, the Blastoise failed to create another Protect shield as the final bolt of Thunder finally descended from the sky like a spear from Arceus and struck Blastoise down, utterly knocked out. At the same time, Blastoise's Dark Pulses detonated viciously into Klaus and blasted him into unconsciousness as well. Silence seemed to descend momentarily on the arena as both Pokémon were knocked out.
  
  "OH! WHAT AN EXCITING FINISH! BOTH TRAINER'S POKEMON MANAGED TO KNOCK EACH OTHER OUT WITH THEIR FINAL ATTACK! IT'S A DOUBLE KNOCKOUT!" The announcer's loud voice cut through the silence. That led to the crowd joining in as they started shouting and applauding the battle that just occurred. Amusingly, I could hear some people were starting to chant our names in support.
  
  "CRUSH HIM NEXT TIME DRAKE!"
  
  "LET'S GO JOHN! YOU GOT THIS!"
  
  I didn't let myself get distracted for too long though, as I took out Klaus' Premier Ball and withdrew him. As I held his Premier Ball in my hand, I muttered softly to him that I was proud of him and that he had done a great job. And I wasn't lying, Drake's Blastoise was one of the greatest threats on his team despite not even being a Dragon type and managing to achieve a double knockout against it was a great accomplishment.
  
  I patted Klaus' Premier Ball affectionately for a short moment before I placed it back on my belt and refocused myself on the battle.
  
  Knocking out Drake's Blastoise was a great start, now I just had to make sure that I could continue it.
  
  A.N The first of several rounds against Drake. Hope you enjoyed it. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-13-Interlude - Walker
  The New Normal - 2-13 - Interlude - Walker
  
  Walker was exceedingly worried when he heard the announcement of a show match between John and Drake. Though he had never met Drake, he certainly knew him by reputation as a strong Dragon Trainer with a very foul mouth. Truthfully, he had no idea why Drake wasn't Champion, as he certainly was strong enough to fulfil that role.
  
  But it was this strength and reputation that worried Walker. As soon as he saw that a match had been announced between John and Drake, Walker was very quick to pick up on the political implications of this battle. If Drake won, which Walker and the rest of the public would expect, then John's reputation wouldn't really be harmed since Drake was known to be so strong unless John was utterly defeated.
  
  However, if John won, then that would upset the status quo within the Indigo League. At the moment, despite John's recent successes in making a deal with Devon Corp, his fighting prowess was still untested and unproven. Many, though far fewer than there were at the beginning, were still curiously wondering if John was even deserving of his title in the Elite Four.
  
  Now, Walker wasn't a mean person, but he recognized that he still had to look after his own self-interest at times to maintain his position in the Elite Four. The scrutiny facing John was a welcome thing for him because it distracted the public away from scrutinising HIS own strength. Oh, he certainly wasn't as weak as the public were made to believe, but he knew that he was no match for Lance or Agatha, and maybe even John.
  
  So, deep in his heart, Walker regretfully admitted that he was rooting for Drake to completely dominate John. That would be in both his and Pryce's best interest, even if Pryce hadn't realised it yet, and Walker had long since aligned himself alongside Pryce. He previously figured that it was the best way to keep his position, though he was starting to increasingly regret that decision with Pryce's recent actions against John. However, no matter how disgusted he was about agreeing Pryce's recent decision to John's side-lining to Hoenn, he would still stand by Pryce. It was necessary for him to do so.
  
  He knew that Lance was angling himself to recruit John as an ally, and from his first impression of John, Walker observed that John had an instinctive dislike of Pryce that he lacked towards Lance. Walker had tried to befriend John when they had first met in hopes of pulling him towards Pryce's camp indirectly, but John was sent away to Hoenn before he could really establish a connection with him. If John really did ally himself with Lance in the future, that would inevitably mean that he and John would become enemies as Lance would undoubtedly pit himself against Pryce.
  
  Walker wasn't liking his own chances of staying in the Elite Four if Pryce and Lance came to blows. He was certain that whoever won would result in a lot of political upheaval, as the winner inevitably decides to clean house and replace many of the loser's previous supporters with their own within the League. And Walker wasn't certain that he would survive the fallout of a Lance victory.
  
  Truthfully, Walker was not fond of making enemies, and would much rather have everyone just get along and be friends. However, the reality of politics dictated that you had to make enemies if you wanted to remain in power, and Walker was forced to slowly discard his ideals over time, though at least he tried to keep up his friendly façade. Perhaps that was the reason why he was labelled as being overly sycophantic and weak, at least for a member of the Elite Four.
  
  Some days, the vitriol against him got so bad that many believed he was undeserving to remain in the Elite Four! That wasn't true of course, as he had fended off several challengers over the years during his time in the Elite Four.
  
  Who knew that 6 Flying types would be extraordinarily annoying to defeat if you didn't have the right Pokémon for it?
  
  There were a few close calls, but after a while many people just stopped challenging him. He didn't understand why, and he suspected Pryce had something to do with it, but he kept his mouth shut and pretended to not know what was going on. And so long as Pryce continued to support him politically, he knew that his position was safe outside of him losing a direct challenge for his position.
  
  This was why Walker's eyes were nervously glued to the screen as it became time for John's match against Drake. For Pryce's sake, and his own, he hoped that John would lose. He once again felt a pang of guilt for rooting against his fellow Elite Four member, but that was the cost of politics.
  
  A.N. A short perspective on Walker and his inner conflicts, as well as some hints towards the next arc, and just a glimpse of how someone supposedly so weak was able to stay within the Elite Four.
  
  Also, a reminder that these Wednesday 'bonus' chapters are meant to be short interludes! Full chapters come on Mon/Fri.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-15 - Here be Dragons
  
  "AND WITH THAT DOUBLE KNOCKOUT, WHICH POKEMON WILL OUR TRAINERS BE SENDING OUT NEXT?!" The announcer boomed out, "LET'S COUNT THEM DOWN NOW!...THREE!"
  
  As I distractedly listened to the countdown, I quickly contemplated which Pokémon I would be sending out next.
  
  With Blastoise already knocked out, that gave me the reassurance I needed to send out my Pidgeot, Zephyr. Also, I was still fairly certain that Drake would leave his biggest threats for the latter half of the match, since I had noted down that he had done so in many of his previous matches.
  
  "TWO!" Thus, I knew that I had to also retain my own big boys to counter his. And since I was keeping my Clefable, Luna, as insurance in case something goes wrong, that really means that realistically I had only one choice here. I sighed internally as I thought that I really needed to catch a few more powerful Normal types in the future. At least Pixel was training hard.
  
  "ONE!" No longer hesitating, I threw out Zephyr's Premier Ball and released him, with Drake doing the same.
  
  Two white glows appeared onto the arena momentarily before it disappeared to reveal my Pidgeot and Drake's Altaria, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed that the harsh sunlight was instantly receding to become milder.
  
  Zephyr let out a confident screech as it faced down against Drake's Altaria, and I had to fight down a smirk of my own. To Zephyr, other Flying types were simply its prey. And he was their predator.
  
  "OH, WHAT A COINCIDENCE! BOTH TRAINERS HAVE SENT OUT THEIR FLYING TYPE POKEMON? ARE WE GOING TO SEE A BATTLE IN THE SKY-"
  
  "IN THE AIR, ZEPHYR!" I ignored the announcer and commanded Zephyr to immediately swoop high into the air and started using Work Up like we practiced. In fact, telling Zephyr to go 'in the air' was just a coded command for him to start buffing up. I knew that Altaria was quite a bit tankier than most other Flying Types, so Zephyr's natural offenses might not be sufficient to knock it out.
  
  "Cotton Guard, Altaria." As I predicted, the Altaria started to create spores of cotton that wrapped around itself, forming a protective shield of cotton that an unbuffed Zephyr would be unable to break through.
  
  So, I allowed Zephyr to continue staying high in the air as he continued using Work Ups to buff himself. The longer he could do so without being interrupted, the better. As the seconds ticked by as Drake continued to stare suspiciously at my Zephyr as if he was trying to figure out why it wasn't attacking.
  
  Suddenly, he lurched forwards and gripped tightly onto the platform's rails in alarm as soon as he realized what was happening.
  
  "Dragon Pulse, Altaria! Stop it from setting up!" Altaria hummed in response and quickly fired off a beam of draconic energy at Zephyr, but he easily dodged around it with his aerial manoeuvrability. Repeated Dragon Pulses were met with the same futility as Zephyr dodged past them all with contemptuous ease.
  
  Altaria may be strong and well-trained, but its Dragon Pulses easily fell short of the devastating torrent that Blastoise was able to rapidly fire out like an artillery cannon. If Zephyr had matched up against Drake's Blastoise, I was certain that Zephyr would be quickly knocked out.
  
  Yet now, Zephyr was almost relaxedly able to continue buffing up with Work Ups as Altaria's Dragon Pulses failed to even get close to Zephyr, to Drake's growing frustration. He knew that the situation was getting more tenuous for him the more Zephyr was able to set up, so he had to do something about it, and fast.
  
  "Sing, Altaria!" Switching tactics, Altaria cut off its Dragon Pulse before starting to sing melodically, blanking the arena with a level of calm and peace that even I found to be extraordinarily soothing. But I quickly snapped myself out of my daydreaming as I forcefully refocused on the battle, just in time to catch Zephyr falling out of the sky as he drifted to sleep.
  
  "Uproar, Zephyr! Don't let yourself fall asleep!" I shouted out with a small amount of panic. Zephyr luckily still had the presence of mind to react to my commands as he started letting out a horrendously loud screech that drowned out Altaria's melodious singing. The audience, who were previously falling asleep or becoming entranced from Altaria's Singing, were now clutching their ears in pain from Zephyr's ear-piercing screeches.
  
  Even better, the effect of Zephyr's Work Ups was noticeable as Altaria was blown backwards as it got hit by the tide of booming sonic waves from Zephyr's Uproar. The situation was going from bad to worse for Drake, and I knew that now was the time to finally go on the offensive.
  
  "Air Slash, Zephyr!"
  
  "Aerial Ace, Altaria, and Protect! Get closer to it!"
  
  Zephyr thankfully stopped screeching and started gathering a ball of wind around his wings before he slashed them repeatedly towards Altaria, creating multiple sharp blades of wind that sliced through the air. In response, Altaria demonstrated its own proficiency at aerial acrobatics as it quickly veered and swooped over many of the incoming Air Slashes and using Protect to block against those that it failed to dodge.
  
  However, Altaria's dodges were less smooth, its corners were wider, and it had a distinct lack of grace that Zephyr had. I had initially contemplated continuing to keep Zephyr at a distance from Altaria so he could attempt to slowly wear it down with his boosted Special Attacks and to prevent Altaria from getting close to him, but its weaker aerial manoeuvrability was something I could capitalize on.
  
  "Brave Bird, Zephyr! Hit and Run!" Zephyr called out in agreement and started to surround itself with a silver glow before he dove ninety degrees downwards and swooped forwards into Altaria, taking it by surprise at the sudden burst of aggression, and slammed into it with his glowing wings.
  
  However, despite the impact and its inability to counterattack, Altaria practically shrugged off the Brave Bird due to his Cotton Guard and continued closing the distance. The armour of cotton acted as a shield for Altaria and significantly dampened the impact from Zephyr's Brave Bird.
  
  I grimaced and realized that, without getting rid of the Cotton Guard, I had no way of causing any significant damage towards the Altaria with Zephyr's Physical Attacks.
  
  Of course, this is when Drake decided to punish me for trying to make use of an opportunity, since now Zephyr had voluntarily closed the distance for him and entered Altaria's striking range, unable to fly away in time.
  
  "Dragon Rush and get close to it, Altaria!"
  
  "Protect and make some distance!"
  
  Capitalizing on the fact that Altaria was effectively immune to physical attacks, Drake tried to turn the aerial battle into a brawl so that Zephyr couldn't make great use of his better manoeuvrability.
  
  Altaria suddenly exploded forward with a blue glow as it slammed into Zephyr, who barely had time to create a Protect shield that was instantly broken by the impact from Altaria, but still managed to halt most of Altaria's momentum.
  
  "Dragon Claw and stay close to it!" Before Zephyr could fly away and create more distance, one of Altaria's claws narrowly raked past Zephyr, almost ripping through one of his wings with practiced ease.
  
  Zephyr struggled with slight panic at the numerous near-misses from Altaria's attacks, and he was trying desperately to make some distance between himself and Altaria, where he would be able to make the most use out of his training. He was unused to close-range fights like this, unlike Drake's Altaria, who seemed to relish in it.
  
  I cursed inwardly as, despite having watched Drake's use of Altaria in his previous battles, I really did underestimate just how fearsome his Altaria was at close range.
  
  All of his Pokémon really were close-range monsters, huh.
  
  Nevertheless, I knew that I had to quickly separate the two before Zephyr got entangled by Altaria. I also needed to find a way to get rid of Altaria's Cotton Guard. I desperately tried to think of a solution when one popped into my head as I saw that a few pieces of cotton had fallen onto the ground after being carried along by gusts of wind.
  
  "Whirlwind, Zephyr! Blow everything away!" Zephyr narrowly swerved past another powerful swipe from Altaria's claws and started flapping his wings rapidly and creating a strong gust of wind that blew everything back. Altaria tried to fight against with powerful flaps of its own much larger wings, but the tyrannical gale storm eventually overwhelmed Altaria's efforts and forced it backwards.
  
  Not only that, but the intense whirlwind also managed to blow away much of Altaria's Cotton Guard, leaving Altaria exposed to physical attacks from Zephyr. I instantly capitalized on this opportunity.
  
  "Brave Bird, Zephyr! Strike it while it's vulnerable!"
  
  "Protect, Altaria!"
  
  Zephyr once again quickly fell into a dive as he began to be engulfed by a silvery glow as he swooped down rapidly against the opposing Altaria. Realizing that it didn't have time to set up a Cotton Guard, Altaria formed a haphazard Protect shield that Zephyr easily shattered through and smashed right into Altaria's center, eliciting a cry of pain, before using the remaining momentum to fly away before Altaria could recover and counterattack.
  
  "Again, Zephyr! Don't let up!" Before the silver glow surrounding him dissipated, Zephyr reignited it and performed a 180 degrees aerial somersault before diving into Altaria once again. Altaria didn't have time to reorient itself from the impact of the first Brave Bird or set up another Cotton Guard before Zephyr crashed into it yet again.
  
  Seeing that Altaria was starting to waver from its injuries, I took advantage of the momentum and ordered another Brave Bird.
  
  "Outrage, Altaria." Drake said with determined resignation. Recognizing that the situation had gone out of his control, and that Altaria was heavily injured, Drake's sole recourse was to do as much damage as it could against my Zephyr, choosing to allow Altaria to fall in a blaze of glory rather than be switched out.
  
  Altaria's eyes lit up with rage as it went berserk. It wrapped itself with the distinct deep blue glow of draconic energy and thrashed out wildly at everything. I couldn't get Zephyr to stop his Brave Bird at this moment, so I could only hope that he would make it out mostly unscathed.
  
  I watched stoically as Zephyr dove towards Altaria with another Brave Bird, and although the distance between the battle and where I was standing was far enough that it made it difficult to see precisely what had happened, I saw that Zephyr was almost knocked to the side for a moment following a swipe from Altaria before he stabilised himself.
  
  Fortunately, Zephyr seemingly held firm and continued his final dive straight straight into the center of Altaria with his boosted Brave Bird, throwing his everything into that attack. After taking three consecutive Brave Birds in a row without the absorption provided by Cotton Guard, Altaria wasn't able to continue fighting even after going berserk with Outrage and fell out of the sky, fainted.
  
  Zephyr gave off a victorious screech that was soon joined by the audience as he began circling around in the air like a vulture stalking its' prey as Altaria slowly fell downwards, and Drake managed to withdraw it before it crashed into the ground.
  
  "WHAT A KNOCKOUT! IT SEEMS THAT JOHN'S PIDGEOT WAS A BETTER FLYER THAN DRAKE'S ALTARIA AND MANAGED TO KNOCK IT OUT WITH A DEVESTATING SERIES OF BRAVE BIRDS!" The announcer called out, "JOHN NOW LEADS THE MATCH 2-1!"
  
  I could hear a few more people in the crowd chanting my name at Zephyr's victory, and as much as I wanted to acknowledge them and wave to them, I focused my attention on Zephyr's condition. Sure enough, as Zephyr circled around my side of the field, he was flagging slightly, his wingbeats were no longer as even as they were at the beginning of the fight, and his face was lined with exhaustion.
  
  However, this level of injury wasn't really enough for me to justify withdrawing him. I knew that Zephyr was unlikely able to beat another one of Drake's Pokémon, but unlike my battle with Norman where I held onto my pride and hoped for a perfect match, I knew that I needed every little advantage possible against Drake.
  
  So, seeing that Zephyr showed no sign of wanting to be withdrawn either, I kept him out in the battle so that he could do as much damage as he could against Drake's next Pokémon by making use of its boosts.
  
  Surely enough, after only a few seconds, Drake ignored the announcer's attempts to hype up his next Pokémon and just casually sent it out, ignoring all sense of dramatic tension.
  
  "...AND IT LOOKS LIKE DRAKE HAS IMPATIENTLY DECIDED TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON, HIS KINGDRA!"
  
  Drake's Kingdra emerged with a small spout of water out of his snout. It radiated majesty, and my gut quickly told me that it was at the same level as his Blastoise. My thoughts were quickly confirmed when I felt the power that it unconsciously exuded from itself, and I knew that the plan I had thought up was correct.
  
  Zephyr had no chance to win.
  
  "BEGIN!" "Dragon Dance, Kingdra." "Brave Bird! Don't let it set up!"
  
  Drake clearly realized that the threat to his Kingdra wasn't my Zephyr, but whatever I was going to send out next. I couldn't afford to allow Kingdra to set up for my next Pokémon.
  
  Fortunately for me, although Zephyr was flagging and wavering slightly, his retained his impressive flight speed, and he rapidly charged at Kingdra once more with his Brave Bird.
  
  "Stop dancing, Kingdra, and Hydro Pump!" Kingdra quickly stopped its Dragon Dance before it completed, and a huge torrent of water shot out from its snout like a bullet that Zephyr was clipped briefly in his left wing, almost causing Zephyr to spin-out in mid-air. Fortunately, Zephyr was able to swoop to the right and avoided being blasted backwards by the Hydro Pump as he continued his descent.
  
  "Protect." Moments before Zephyr was about to slam into it, Kingdra stared arrogantly at the approaching Zephyr and drew up a Protect shield that managed to withstand and block Zephyr's boosted Brave Bird. As Zephyr tried to fly back into the air, my eyes widened in alarm as Kingdra's head tilted back once again.
  
  "Zephyr, Quick Attack and get out of there!" I shouted out desperately and Zephyr barely managed to dive away just before a huge blast of water struck where it had been flying just a second ago.
  
  Not wanting to risk having Zephyr anywhere close to Kingdra, especially with a damaged wing, I decided to rely on long-range Special Attacks to harass the Kingdra.
  
  "Air Slash and keep your distance, Zephyr!" Zephyr formed another ball with his wings before firing off a series of wind blades at Kingdra.
  
  "Flash Cannon at the incoming blades, Kingdra." Showing off its impressive accuracy and precision, Kingdra calmly fired a barrage of Flash Cannons that blocked and shot down all of Zephyr's wind blades, some of them even nearly clipping Zephyr's wings. As this continued, Kingdra's Flash Cannons continuously fired off Flash Cannons, serving as a defensive screen against Zephyr's Air Slashes, and none were able to get anywhere close to Kingdra.
  
  The battle entered a sort of stalemate as Zephyr was unable to land an Air Slash onto Kingdra as his attacks were being shot down but was proving a good enough distraction to stop Kingdra from setting up with a Dragon Dance. I was very tempted to try to heal up Zephyr with a Roost, but I knew that landing to heal right now would result in Zephyr getting promptly knocked out by a powerful stream of water.
  
  As Zephyr started to slowly waver and flag while he endlessly fired off Air Slashes despite its injuries, I realized I was faced with a choice. I had to either keep up harassing Kingdra in hopes that I got a lucky hit in before Zephyr fainted from exhaustion, or I could gamble and risk an all-out attack to do as much damage as I can while Zephyr could still fight.
  
  I grimaced and bit down on my lips, before ultimately deciding to take a risk and ordered the full-on assault.
  
  "Get close and Hurricane, Zephyr!"
  
  "Pidgeot!" Zephyr saluted with a screech as he swerved in the air and dove towards Kingdra. He recognised what I had just ordered, and he valiantly proved his determination to me as he nevertheless charged towards the Kingdra.
  
  "Ice Beam, Kingdra." Kingdra switched from its Flash Cannons and started firing short bursts of Ice Beams at the incoming Zephyr. I clenched my fists reflexively and tried to clamp down on my nerves as Zephyr determinately flew around in an unorthodox and almost random manner in order to dodge past the many incoming Ice Beams while a visible gust of air started being formed in his wings.
  
  As Zephyr was just about to fire off the Hurricane, an Ice Beam suddenly clipped him in the wings and began to freeze it over. Zephyr rapidly started falling out of the sky as he lost usage of one of his wings.
  
  However, in an act of tremendous valour, he still managed to fire off the gathered wind that he had stored in his wings, forming a violent hurricane that sped towards the Kingdra as it started to consume all in its path.
  
  "Keep the Ice Beam on Pidgeot." However, Drake and his Pokémon remained unfazed at the incoming Hurricane and instead prioritized knocking out my Pidgeot to prevent him from using Roost from healing up. Another Ice Beam this time easily struck Zephyr critically in the chest, and he fell unconscious, knocked out.
  
  Nevertheless, Zephyr had done his duty. With his suicidal last resort attack, Kingdra was forcibly engulfed by the Hurricane and was forcefully spun around before eventually getting spat out by the Hurricane before it gradually petered out.
  
  As I watched the Kingdra pull itself off the ground, it was noticeably swaying unsteadily, and it had trouble pulling itself upright. I gave the Kingdra a sharp look and I noticed that its eyes were glancing around confusedly. It was confused!
  
  "...AND WHAT A FINAL ATTACK FROM JOHN'S PIDGEOT, MANAGING TO DIVE PAST ALL THOSE ATTACKS FROM KINGDRA AND STILL FIRING OFF A HURRICANE BEFORE GOING DOWN TO A POWERFUL SHOT FROM DRAKE'S KINGDRA! AN IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF DISCIPLINE FROM JOHN...AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE HE'S ALREADY SENDING OUT ANOTHER POKEMON?!"
  
  I couldn't let this opportunity pass by with Kingdra's confusion. I didn't bother listening to the announcer's increasingly grating voice as I immediately withdrew Zephyr and sent out my next Pokémon as quickly as possible.
  
  Smough landed onto the field with a roar, and I instantly started giving him commands before Kingdra could recover.
  
  "Body Slam while it's confused, Smough! Quickly!" Smough bellowed out another roar as he started his charge towards Drake's Kingdra. Drake's eyes widened as he realized my plan.
  
  "Focus Energy, Kingdra! Snap out of it!" Kingdra seemingly looked around blankly before slowly beginning to channel its own internal energies and refocused itself, snapping out of its confusion. However, the confusion still bought Smough precious seconds that it needed to get closer to the Kingdra.
  
  "HYDRO PUMP, KINGDRA! FULL POWER!" In a valiant attempt to deter Smough's charge, Kingdra made use of his regained focus and fired off an enormous stream of water at Smough. Unfortunately, Smough was far too used to taking heavy Special Attack hits like this, and as powerful as Kingdra's Hydro Pump was, it really wasn't sufficient at stopping Smough's unrelenting assault.
  
  As a result, Smough pushed through the torrent of water, remained mostly unharmed as he slammed into Kingdra with his full weight behind him, sending the much lighter Kingdra flying backwards. It landed in an unsightly heap on the floor and was struggling to stand up.
  
  "Earthquake, Smough!" Taking advantage of Kingdra's fallen state, Smough bellowed out and started an Earthquake that caused the ground of the arena to shake intensely. Kingdra was helpless to do anything as it wasn't able to pull itself off the ground, and it shook violently on the ground as it took the full brunt of the Earthquake.
  
  "Rest, Kingdra!" Drake ordered in an attempt to get Kingdra to restore enough health so that it could continue fighting, but another Earthquake from Smough quickly put an end to those hopes as Kingdra wasn't able to endure two back-to-back Earthquakes and was subsequently knocked out.
  
  "ARCEUS WHAT A QUICK KNOCKOUT BY JOHN'S SNORLAX! IT SEEMS LIKE JOHN NOTICED THAT KINGDRA WAS CONFUSED FROM THE HURRICANE AND QUICKLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT BY ATTACKING WITH HIS SNORLAX AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!" The announcer helpfully explained to the audience what had just happened, "AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY!"
  
  A mixture of cheers and boos resonated from the crowd at Kingdra's possibly ignoble defeat. I ignored the crowd, choosing instead to stare carefully at Drake.
  
  I knew that everything that I just did was within the rules, even if it was a little dishonourable, but I understood that people were fickle and were stubborn with their own opinions. If Drake had wanted to make a fuss about this, it would likely cause a huge debate that would potentially sour my reputation.
  
  Fortunately, Drake just gave me a grin as if he understood what I was trying to convey to him with my stares. I gave out a sigh of relief and gave him a small smile as thanks, thankful for his understanding.
  
  "JOHN IS NOW 3-2 IN THIS BATTLE AND MAINTAINS HIS LEAD! WILL DRAKE BE ABLE TO TURN IT AROUND WITH HIS NEXT POKEMON?! FIND OUT AFTER A QUICK COMMERCIAL BREAK!" I audibly groaned and could see that Drake was similarly scowling at the unnecessary pause of our battle.
  
  I sighed out in frustration before I went through Drake's remaining Pokémon in my head. If I was right, his most likely remaining Pokémon should be his Gyarados, Flygon, and of course, his Salamence.
  
  I really didn't know which Pokémon he'd be sending out next, but I believed that Smough would be able to deal with anything and everything.
  
  After all, I had promised Smough that if he did well, I would feed him an all-you-could-eat buffet of his favourite berries.
  
  And nothing is more motivated than a Snorlax that wanted to eat his favourite meal.
  
  A.N. I made some improvements to the fight based on feedback from the last chapter, so I hope this chapter flows more smoothly and has more show not tell (but that's definitely a work-in-progress). And to explain power levels, Zephyr would have beaten Altaria 9 times out of 10 but would almost certainly lose to Kingdra 1v1 (even if they were both at full health).
  
  Smough would have beaten Kingdra 1v1, but it would have been much more injured if Kingdra wasn't confused.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-16 - Wrath vs Gluttony
  
  Sitting through the forced commercial break was an exercise in patience, and from my booth I could see that Smough wasn't happy with the forced break either. He was repeatedly pacing up and down and fidgeting with his hands, and since he wasn't allowed to do anything that would be seen as suspicious, he just had to stand there idly while they fixed up the arena and until the commercial break was over.
  
  He wasn't even allowed to take a quick nap! Because otherwise the officials might think that he was using a 'healing' move and subsequently disqualify Smough from the match.
  
  Still, I tried to not allow my annoyance to distract myself from focusing on preparing for Drake's next Pokémon. In a way, fighting with Smough was rather simplistic. No matter if he sent out his Gyarados, Flygon, or Salamence next, Smough really only had one method of battling against them, which was to get close and pummel them before they could do the same.
  
  I forced away my distractions as I realized that the commercial break was about to end. I trusted in Smough to do his best and achieve victory, especially as motivated as he was, so all I had to do was keep my faith in him no matter the opponent Drake sends out.
  
  "...AND WE'RE BACK FROM OUR COMMERCIAL BREAK! WELCOME BACK EVERYONE TO THIS INCREDIBLE MATCH BETWEEN OUR TWO ELITE FOUR MEMBERS!" Shouted the announcer, "SO FAR, ELITE JOHN HAS BEEN LEADING THE MATCH 3-2! LET'S SEE IF DRAKE CAN CLAW HIS WAY BACK!"
  
  As soon as the announcer finished talking, both Drake and I were allowed back into the arena. I kept my gaze onto the Pokéball that Drake had clutched in his hand, and he grinned at me as he noticed my gaze.
  
  "An impressive showing!" Drake yelled out to me, "But I've still got far more left in the tank!"
  
  Before I could respond to that, Drake threw out his next Pokémon, which turned out to be his fearsome Gyarados. His Gyarados casted a long shadow into the ground and was littered with scars of previous battles. As it emerged from its Pokéball madly thrashing about, kicking up a small cloud of dust as its tail violently rampaged on the ground, I could tell that every inch of this horrifyingly remarkable Gyarados radiated pure anger and ferocity. I had seen plenty of ferocious Gyarados during my journey, but none like this.
  
  Despite not being the target of its anger, I could still feel like the Gyarados was trying to rip Smough apart with its anger alone. It really was an Intimidating visage, and a lesser Pokémon would easily run away, terrified and in fear.
  
  However, despite being the target of Gyarados murderous rage, Smough seemingly remained unaffected; perhaps he was just a little too unaware of such things. To Smough, a battle was just something he had to do in between meals. Of course, he still took it very seriously and would fight extremely hard like all my other Pokémon, but eating was always going to be his number one priority.
  
  "LOOK AT THAT! DRAKE HAS REALLY UPPED HIS GAME AND HAS SENT OUT HIS TERRIFYING GYARADOS! BUT IS IT ENOUGH TO TURN THE TIDES AGAINST JOHN'S LEAD?! LET'S FIND OUT...AND BEGIN!"
  
  "Smough, get close to it." I began, knowing that this battle would be fought and won from a very close distance. Neither Snorlax nor Gyarados were known for their Special Attacks, so this battle would inevitably end up in a vicious brawl.
  
  "Oh, you're approaching my Gyarados?" Drake grinned as Smough started his steady approach towards Gyarados.
  
  "Smough can't beat the shit out of your Gyarados without getting closer." I responded with my own grin, before I turned serious again and cut off the banter as Smough got close.
  
  "Body Slam, Smough!"
  
  "Waterfall, Gyarados!"
  
  Both Smough and Gyarados charged forwards and rammed each other with great force, creating a minor shockwave that managed to blow up a small cloud of dust. Neither of them pushed the other backwards as they grappled with each other; Gyarados was wrapping its body around Smough while Smough was trying to smash Gyarados into the ground.
  
  Both Pokémon were now too entangled with each other to move around freely, and the battle now truly devolved into an almost senseless brawl.
  
  "Hammer Arm, Smough!" Smough lifted one of his arms before hammering it downwards into Gyarados' skull.
  
  "Aqua Tail, Gyarados!" But Gyarados took the hit with only a slightest flinch and responded by slamming his powerful tail into Smough's side, the sheer force of which nearly knocked Smough over.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Gyarados!" Trying to make use of Smough's stumble, Gyarados began charging up a powerful Hydro Pump in its jaw.
  
  "Rock Smash his jaw, Smough!" Smough managed to steady himself and crashed his fist straight into Gyarados' jaw, cutting off the Hydro Pump and causing Gyarados to writhe in pain.
  
  "Again, Smough!" Smough brought his other fist forward and tried to follow up on his first punch.
  
  "Iron Head, Gyarados!" But before Smough could land another powerful hit into its jaw, Gyarados reinforced its head and bashed their heads together, pushing Smough back and causing him to flinch.
  
  "Aqua Tail again!"
  
  "Counter!"
  
  Gyarados roared out in fury and smashed its tail into Smough's side yet again, but this time Smough's body became outlined in orange as he stored up the damage that he took and transferred it back with a vengeance as he landed a powerful return punch that found purchase into Gyarados' body.
  
  The two Pokémon continued fighting back and forth like this. There was no way to really see who was winning or who even had the advantage, as both Pokémon were just continuingly battering each other with powerful attacks over and over again and at such close range that it was nearly impossible to dodge the incoming attacks. I couldn't even try out my planned Yawn strategy when they were this close together.
  
  Unlike our previous battles, there was absolutely no strategy involved here. It was just two very strong and powerful Pokémon trying to see who could out last the other by continually pummelling the other Pokémon until they fainted.
  
  It was at this moment that I regretted not training Smough in the use of the elemental punches. If Smough knew Thunderpunch at this moment, I'm sure that he'll be able to deal a lot more damage than he was currently doing. Sadly, Smough wasn't the most eager of learners and so I had unfortunately put off his training in the elemental punches until later, which I now regretted.
  
  Nevertheless, it seems that Smough was still going strong despite the beating that it had taken from the Gyarados. Both were wounded and breathing heavily, though Gyarados masked its exhaustion much better with its expression of eternal rage, yet both were still roaring to fight and still were ready and willing to beat the other into unconsciousness with the same enthusiasm and energy as when they first started.
  
  As I watched the two continue trading blows, I thought that the battle would stay like this until one of our Pokémon eventually fainted. But suddenly, Gyarados started thrashing out wildly as it exploded in pure and uncontrollable rage and frustration. I watched with some trepidation as it started glowing and was surrounded by a deep blue aura, the murderous aura radiating off it was seemingly visible and palpable to the naked eye.
  
  It had used Outrage. And a quick glance at Drake's uncertain expression told me that he didn't order Gyarados to use Outrage either. It must have gotten too frustrated and enraged at the exchange of attacks between itself and Smough that it lost control of its temper and began its Outrage.
  
  This did present an opportunity to me. If Smough could endure through Gyarados' Outrage, then Smough could once again take advantage of his opponent's resulting confusion and land a critical hit to knock it out.
  
  However, that did require Smough to be able to endure the Gyarados' Outrage, which was much easier said than done. Gyarados' attacks were far more vicious and brutal now, and its attacks were now almost completely unpredictable. And one look at the sheer violence in Gyarados' expression told me that trying to stall with defensive moves like Iron Defense and Protect wouldn't work; they both would be quickly shattered by the unrelenting ferocity of Gyarados' attacks and would leave Smough far too vulnerable and at risk of being knocked out.
  
  Thus, I was only left with the hope of using Smough's attacks as a form of deterrence.
  
  I watched stoically as Smough blocked an incoming Aqua Tail with one of his arms, before Gyarados smashed their heads together viciously with another Iron Head. Smough could barely raise his arms defensively before Gyarados brutally slammed into him with its entire body, forcing Smough backwards as his feet skidded across the ground.
  
  "Brick Break, Smough!" As Gyarados continued its ceaseless onslaught of attacks as it surrounded itself with veil of water and rushed towards Smough again with another Waterfall, Smough caught it with a powerful chop to the neck as it approached. However, Gyarados simply shrugged off the Brick Break as it continued its unstoppable charge, and Smough groaned out in pain and stagged backwards as Gyarados once again ruthlessly crashed into him with a devastating Waterfall.
  
  Despite being completely enraged, Gyarados still possessed its predatory instincts and was still coherent enough to take advantage of an opportunity. With Smough currently exposed as it stumbled backwards from the previous attack, Gyarados capitalized on it and savagely struck Smough in the side of the head with another brutal Aqua Tail, landing a devastating critical hit and knocking Smough unceremoniously into the ground.
  
  Before Smough could get up, Gyarados took revenge for Drake's fallen Kingdra as it mercilessly Earthquaked Smough while he was still on the ground, forcing Smough to take the full impact of the Earthquake.
  
  Fortunately, it was at this moment that Gyarados' Outrage wore off, and Gyarados nearly slumped over as it was suddenly hit with a simultaneous burst of exhaustion and confusion from its use of Outrage.
  
  "OH! IT LOOKS LIKE JOHN'S SNORLAX WAS UNABLE TO WITHSTAND GYARADOS' ASSAULT AND HAS BEEN KNOCKED DOWN!" The announcer commentated, "BUT IS IT KNOCKED OUT?!"
  
  I kept the announcer tuned out as I watched uncertainly at Smough's fallen figure, narrowing my eyes in hopes that it might help me see if Smough was conscious. I desperately hoped that he wasn't, and that he could still get up and continue the fight. This was a critical moment of the battle, and I had long since put aside my earlier hesitation of not wanting my Pokémon to get injured.
  
  I needed Smough to finish off the Gyarados while it was weakened.
  
  "COME ON SMOUGH, GET UP!" Seeing no immediate reaction, I tried again with a more materialistic persuasion. "I PROMISED YOU THAT YOU'D GET TO EAT ALL OF THE BERRIES THAT YOU'D LIKE IF YOU WON! AND I BELIEVE YOU CAN KEEP FIGHTING! COME ON SMOUGH! DO IT FOR THE BERRIES!"
  
  Fortunately, my belief in Smough was rewarded as he suddenly jumped upwards, eyes almost gleaming red as he charged towards the winded Gyarados with newfound determination and energy, somehow ignoring its litany of injuries.
  
  "SNORLAXXX! SNORLAX!" I gave a wry grin and held back a laugh as I heard Smough's roar. To those who didn't understand Smough, it was as if his warrior spirit had reawakened in him and given him a second wind so that he could regain his lost glory in battle. But, since I could actually understand what Smough was saying, I knew that he was just shouting out because he was determined to get his berries, and nothing in his way could separate him from his promised berries.
  
  "OH, WHAT DETERMINATION! I COULD REALLY FEEL SNORLAX'S BATTLING SPIRIT AS IT CONTINUES FIGHTING THROUGH HIS INJURIES!"
  
  Still, motivation was motivation, and I was definitely on board with taking advantage of Smough's second wind.
  
  "Giga Impact, Smough! Full power!"
  
  "Fuck it! Gyarados, just Thrash!"
  
  Knowing that Gyarados was still unable to snap out of its confusion, Drake decided to make use of the one resource that was in endless supply for any Gyarados, its rage. Despite how tired and confused it was, a Gyarados' rage was so all-consuming that it managed to break through its tiredness and confusion by falling into a state of rage once again and it began thrashing around wildly.
  
  However, even to the untrained eye, it was clear that Gyarados' wild thrashes weren't as strong as its initial Outrage. It was still vicious and powerful, but the Gyarados was slowly wavering even if it maintained its anger.
  
  On the other hand, Smough was a force of nature as he determinedly ignoring his injuries as he started glowing orange and purple as he charged forwards and built up an increasing amount of energy for his Giga Impact. Despite Gyarados' thrashing about, Smough remained undeterred as he tanked a wild Aqua Tail before crashing into Gyarados with all the gathered force in his Giga Impact.
  
  Gyarados' thrashing was forcefully halted as it was blown backwards across the arena by Smough's powerful Giga Impact, crashing into and briefly cracking the psychic shields. The dust slowly settled, revealing a Gyarados that was so covered with injuries that, though it was still as angry and murderous as ever, it simply didn't have the strength continue fighting. Smough met Gyarados' unyielding stare with his own as he almost willed Gyarados to stay down.
  
  Gyarados certainly wasn't 'knocked out', but it really wasn't capable of continuing to fight. It was one of those rare cases where a Pokémon's fighting spirit, or in this case its anger, was so unstoppable that its body failed it first rather than its mind. However, Drake ultimately deemed that Gyarados could no longer fight and got out its Pokéball and returned it.
  
  And just like that, I let out a sigh of relief as I watched the greatest Gyarados I had ever seen be retired from the battle.
  
  "AND WITH THAT POWERFUL ATTACK FROM SNORLAX, DRAKE RETIRES HIS GYARADOS!" The announcer shouted, "JOHN IS NOW LEADING THE MATCH 4-2! INCREDIBLE!"
  
  "SNORLAX! SNORLAX! SNORLAXX!" As soon as he saw Gyarados get engulfed by the signature red light from a Pokéball, he raised its arms into the air and began cheering. The crowd joined in, with many chanting out alongside Smough as they celebrated his victory. I laughed to myself as Smough wasn't technically celebrating his victory, as all he was shouting was 'FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!'.
  
  Smough's eternal gluttony aside, I wanted to go up to him and give him a big hug, only barely stopping myself as I remembered the match's rules. Being able to defeat two of Drake's Elite level Pokémon was definitely an incredible performance from Smough and he definitely deserved his promised reward, no matter how expensive I knew it was going to be.
  
  Happy thoughts aside and cheering aside, Smough was wobbling slightly, and his roars had a distinct hoarseness to them that he usually lacked. He was battered, covered in injuries, and was clearly unfit to continue fighting. Also, to Smough, he probably already believed that he had done enough to earn his reward, so he might not be overly willing to continue fighting if I made him.
  
  Which was fine, he had done enough, and I knew that he would be a poor matchup against Drake's remaining Flygon and Salamence anyways. I raised his Premier Ball and returned Smough to his Pokéball and informed the announcer that I was retiring Smough from the battle.
  
  "AND IT APPEARS THAT JOHN IS ALSO RETIRING HIS SNORLAX FROM THE BATTLE, MEAING THAT THE SCORE IS NOW 4-3!" The announcer commented, "NOW BOTH TRAINERS HAVE 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  I was starting to feel more confident now with the 4 to 3 lead that I had against Drake. Not only that, but I was betting on the fact that Drake would be leaving his Salamence for last, meaning that his next Pokémon should be his Flygon.
  
  With that in mind, I had the perfect Pokémon to give Drake a nasty surprise. I took out their Premier Ball and waited for the announcer to start the next round.
  
  "...ANDDD BEGIN!"
  
  "Flygon, bring me victory."
  
  "Tyrant, go for it."
  
  Tyrant emerged from its Pokéball with his signature roar and locked eyes with the opposing Flygon, before immediately charging towards it without needing any prompting from me. He knew what he had to do.
  
  "IT LOOKS LIKE JOHN HAS DECIDED TO BRING OUT HIS STARTER, SLAKING, TO FACE OFF AGAINST DRAKE'S FLYGON! AN UNEXPECTED DECISION THAT...OH LOOK AT THAT SLAKING GO!"
  
  Drake's eyes widened at Tyrant's sudden charge, and he quickly started giving commands to Flygon.
  
  "Flygon, to the air and Dragon Pulse!" Flygon buzzed out and started flying into the air while simultaneously charging up a Dragon Pulse in its mouth.
  
  However, what Drake and his Flygon didn't expect was for Tyrant to relentlessly chase after the Flygon and be able to leap into the air with such height that he was able to grab onto Flygon's tail as it was trying to fly upwards. The audience gasped out in shock at Tyrant's incredible jump height, and I inwardly smirked. While many looked down on Slaking for being lazy and unmotivated, they were almost unanimously taken by surprise whenever I showed off Tyrant's surprising mobility.
  
  And this time was no different.
  
  Focusing back on the battle, Flygon was trying to desperately try to shake Tyrant off of its tail, but Tyrant held on with an iron grip and refused to be shook off and, using his weight and strength, pulled Flygon back down and slammed it ruthlessly into the ground, causing the ground to snap with an audible crack.
  
  This was what I had spent a good part of the week practicing for. I had observed from Drake's previous battles that while Flygon was certainly a capable flyer and was quick enough to dodge attacks while in the air, it didn't tend to fly that high off the ground. Its flying style differed from common flying Pokémon, as they liked to fly high into the air, but Flygon only really chose to levitate a couple meters off the ground.
  
  That would normally be enough for Flygon to remain out of reach for most Physical attacking Pokémon, but I made use of Flygon's complacency and Tyrant's unexpected mobility to force it back down onto the ground.
  
  Right where Tyrant wanted it to be.
  
  "Ice Punch, Tyrant! Finish it!"
  
  "Dragon Tail and knock it away, Flygon!"
  
  Flygon raised its tail and tried to smash Tyrant away from it so that it could pick itself off of the ground, but Tyrant blocked the tail with one of its arms before the other one critically bashed Flygon's face. Not letting up, Tyrant then latched onto its extended tail with both arms, and then lifted Flygon off of the ground before brutally slamming it back down again.
  
  "Boomburst, Flygon!" Drake ordered with an uncharacteristic degree of panic. He hoped that the powerful sonic waves would force Tyrant back and buy Flygon enough time to take into the air again.
  
  But Tyrant was not one to let its prey go, and he muscled his way through the powerful sonic waves that Flygon screeched out before continuing his unrelenting assault by colliding another Ice-covered fist into its jaw, slamming its jaw shut and preventing it from continuing with the Boomburst.
  
  Before Drake could issue another command, Tyrant pounced on top of the fallen Flygon, trapping it underneath him, and gripped tightly onto Flygon's face, savagely lifted the Flygon by its head before pummelling it repeatedly and ruthlessly into the ground. Drake was forced to watch helplessly as Tyrant finished off Flygon by stomping downwards and firing off a point-blank Earthquake that rocked Flygon's entire body, knocking it unconscious.
  
  And then there was silence. A Dragon was felled by a Tyrant.
  
  "SLAKING!" Tyrant broke the silence with a challenging roar to the skies, and I alone was the only one that cheered alongside him at his dismissive win. Eventually, the crowd joined in as they shook out of their collective shock.
  
  I grinned despite myself, excited about how perfectly my plan worked out, knowing that with Flygon's quick defeat, I had secured a massive advantage against Drake's sole remaining Salamence with my three remaining Pokémon.
  
  Victory was within my grasp, and I did not intend to let it get away.
  
  Of course, I remained cautious about Salamence's strength. It was strong, remarkably so, and was likely the strongest Pokémon I had ever faced in my career as a trainer. However, it was alone and isolated, and I was confident that even in the worst-case scenario where it was able to set up with multiple Dragon Dances, I would be able to wear it down and achieve victory.
  
  "...FANTASTIC! AMAZING! WHAT A SURPRISING VICTORY BY JOHN'S TYRANT!" The announcer finally pulled himself together from his shock to continue his commentating, "WHO KNEW THAT DRAKE'S FLYGON, A POWERFUL STAPLE OF DRAKE'S TEAM, WOULD BE KNOCKED OUT SO QUICKLY?!"
  
  While the crowd continued to cheer and applaud Tyrant's win, Drake's eyes remained locked and seemed to be appraising Tyrant. He must have expected that Salamence's greatest opponent would be my starter, as it was commonplace to have a starter vs starter battle amongst trainers.
  
  Unfortunately for both Drake and Tyrant, I had other plans for dealing with Salamence. Yes, I was tempted to challenge Drake with Tyrant, to prove to the world that my starter was stronger, but during my planning I coldly pushed down on my more excited impulses and remembered that I had a much better and far more suitable Pokémon for fighting against Drake's Salamence.
  
  Drake must have had plenty of plans and strategies in place for dealing with my Tyrant. And now I was going to flip the entire board over, refusing to give him the battle that he wanted. With that in mind, I fidgeted in anticipation with the Premier Ball on my belt.
  
  Vordt was joining the fight.
  
  A.N Hope you enjoyed the battle thus far! The next chapter is going to be the final chapter for the battle.
  
  I'm sorry if some of you wanted to see a Starter vs Starter and Tyrant vs Salamence fight, but starter vs starter was getting so cliché that I really wanted to try to change it up a bit. I hope my justification for not using Tyrant is satisfactory next chapter, and I really hope you're happy about the battle so far.
  
  Thank you all so much for reading and to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-16 - Interlude -Lance
  The New Normal - 2-16 - Interlude - Lance
  
  Lance stared intensely at the screen as he studied the battle between Drake and John. He was dismissive of the battle at first, but Clair was insistent for him to sit down and watch, and he could see why.
  
  The battle between the two of them was far more intense and interesting than he expected. He always knew that Drake fielded a similar team to himself, but watching John take down his Flygon with his Slaking was both worrying and exciting.
  
  Worrying, because he really did underestimate the strength of John's team. Despite John's impressive record of wins, John never really had to fight against strong opponents during his time as a trainer. He didn't even need to fight and defeat a member of the Elite Four to join, since he was selected by committee to fill in the vacancy caused by Blaine's departure.
  
  So, watching how his Slaking almost instantly demolished Drake's Flygon was definitely eye-opening. Lance inadvertently thought about how his own team would match up against his Slaking, and he wasn't certain that, outside his starter Dragonite, he could defeat John's Slaking in a one vs one.
  
  Oh sure, he could just use his Pokémon's ability to fly to just stay out of range of his Slaking and slowly wear it down with long-ranged attacks, but Lance despised winning like that. No, if he were to ever fight the Slaking in a real battle, he was determined to win by demonstrating his Pokémon's own strength and surpassing John's Slaking in a proper battle.
  
  And this was why Lance found this whole situation equally as exciting. He admitted to himself that ever since he joined the Elite Four, he never really had the opportunity to battle to his full potential. Understandably, the Blackthorn name deterred many challengers from challenging him for his spot in the Elite Four, as they assumed that he was probably too strong from them to defeat.
  
  They weren't wrong, but that did mean that Lance was deprived of good battles for the past few years.
  
  "So, what are you thinking about, cousin?" Clair's voice broke through his thoughts and Lance turned to face her. "You're probably measuring yourself up to him." She guessed.
  
  "Yes, and I find myself pleasantly surprised by John's performance." He admitted easily. "I haven't had a real challenge in a very long time, and John might be a great opponent for me to test my skills against one day."
  
  "Hmmm." Clair hummed thoughtfully. "Do you think I have a chance of defeating John with my team?"
  
  "Not a chance." Lance denied with brutal honesty, causing Clair to frown. Lance felt a bit bad for crushing Clair's pride like that, but she was better off not deluding herself. "I know that you have a lot of pride in yourself and your team, but you're definitely not at John's level."
  
  "I'll have you know that I was chosen to be the Blackthorn Gym Leader-" Clair spluttered out indignantly, but Lance interrupted her.
  
  "Yes, I know you were. I was there. But there was a reason that the Clan selected me to join the Elite Four and not you." Lance said seriously. "You forget yourself in your own pride sometimes, Clair, but I'm saying this for your own good, do not let your pride rule your head. You'll become a worse person and trainer if you do." Lance warned, though he was self-aware enough to realize how hypocritical that statement was.
  
  "Hmph." Clair snorted dismissively and left the room, not even bothering to finish watching the battle between John and Drake. Lance watched her leave with a shake of his head; he already told her everything that she needed to here, but he wasn't about to coddle her until she understood.
  
  That was not the way that things were done in the Blackthorn Clan.
  
  Returning back to the battle, he saw that Drake was about to send out his Salamence. Lance instantly regained his focus; he knew that Drake's Salamence was stronger than his own and wanted to see how his Salamence would match up against John's Pokémon. It would be a good indicator of how strong John's team was at compared to his own team.
  
  John had already beaten Drake's Gyarados with his Snorlax, and while Lance didn't know exactly how strong Drake's Gyarados was compared to his own, it was still a good point of measurement. He should also probably schedule in a time to actually speak to John more in person, just to get a better measure of his character.
  
  He seemed shy and rather humble the first time they met, but Lance wondered if his forced trip to Hoenn would have changed him any. That would be interesting to see.
  
  Lance wished that Clair did stay to watch the rest of the battle, she had much to learn from it. If only she didn't let her pride blind her so. It was especially ironic since she was the one who told him to watch it at first, and now she's the one who left.
  
  Nevertheless, Lance put those thoughts aside and continued watching the match. He was impressed by John's performance, and now wanted to ensure that he would not be blindsided by his strength.
  
  His ambitions would not allow him to be careless like that.
  
  A.N And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-17 - Vordt's Finale
  
  Unfortunately, I had to wait for Drake to send out his Salamence before I was allowed to switch Pokémon. I patiently stared at Drake as he withdraws his Flygon. For once, Drake's expression was one of genuine surprise, and he seemed to not be able to comprehend what had just happened.
  
  He gazed intensely at Flygon's Pokéball before he shook his head and put it away, before looking up and giving me calculating look while fiddling with a Pokéball on his waist. We both knew what it was, the crowd knew what it was, the announcer knew what it was, and you could feel the excitement that was now radiating throughout the arena.
  
  No matter the outcome of the next round, both of our hearts were pumping in excitement at what was about to happen. I held a significant advantage at the moment, leading 5-3, and I once again vowed to myself that I was going to win. Drake would not snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I was so close now; I could almost taste the victory.
  
  And then none would look down on me anymore.
  
  "So, this is it, lad, eh?" Drake spoke out, "I admit, you took me surprise there with your Slaking. Never thought that my Flygon would ever be defeated so quickly."
  
  I grinned, just enough to show confidence but not enough to seem arrogant, "Yeah, well, we did practice for it. We were ready and waiting for you to send out your Flygon."
  
  "Ah, and do you have another trick up your sleeve for my next Pokémon?" Drake asked.
  
  "No tricks, just power." I responded as my grin became far more challenging.
  
  Drake smirked back before the announcer finally decided that we had bantered enough and started the next round, "AND WITH THAT, DRAKE IS GOING TO BE SENDING OUT HIS FINAL POKEMON! AND WE ALL KNOW WHO IT IS!...BEGIN!"
  
  Drake finally threw out his Pokéball, revealing his ace, his tamed monster, his greatest dragon, his Salamence. It emerged with a mighty roar, as it extended its wings that were stretched so wide that it nearly casted a shadow over Drake's half of the arena. As it brought itself to its full height, Salamence towered over Drake and matched my Slaking in height.
  
  As it roared out, its sheer presence almost caused me to stumble as a wave of Intimidation washed over Tyrant and I, causing the hairs on my arms to stand and nearly causing me to shudder in fear. However, seeing that Tyrant merely grunted dismissively at Salamence reassured me and I was able to stabilize myself.
  
  Yet, its draconic rage was still palpable, endlessly radiating out of it like a beacon. Its rage was distinct from the primal rage of Drake's Gyarados, as there was a sense of discipline and control that Gyarados lacked, which only served to emphasize its power and strength. This was not some mindless raging beast, good only for destruction and vengeance. No, this was a tamed, proud, and dominating Dragon that had been carefully trained and raised to become the powerhouse that it is now.
  
  A powerhouse meant to overpower and crush everything in its way with contemptuous ease.
  
  Despite all this, and my tendency to fall into bouts of nervousness when I spoke to important figures like Giovanni or my colleagues in the Elite Four, I only felt a sense of anticipation and excitement as I stared down Drake. When it came to Pokémon battles, I knew that I deserved to be here, that my Pokémon deserved to fight, and win. My pre-battle jitters were long gone now; the only feeling I felt right now was pure determination as I focused myself and gazed upon Salamence's menacing visage with a trance-like calm.
  
  There was no use for other thoughts now. It was only time for action. It was time to show them all.
  
  Tyrant undoubtedly shared my thoughts, as he continued to glare tauntingly at the newly revealed Salamence, just like he did back at the photoshoot. I mentally praised Tyrant for sticking to the plan and to be prepared to be switched out. It was likely that every instinct of Tyrant was for him to immediately charge towards Salamence and begin to brawl with it, so I was thankful for his discipline.
  
  I put my plan into action as I suddenly withdrew Tyrant into his Premier Ball.
  
  "I'm using my first switch!" I announced, and I saw that Drake raised an eyebrow, surprised at Tyrant's sudden withdrawal, but he instantly snapped out of his shock and started ordering his Salamence to make use of this free turn.
  
  "Dragon Dance, Salamence!" Salamence roared out and deep blue energy started to swirl around it as it spun around several times.
  
  "IT LOOKS LIKE ELITE JOHN IS USING HIS FIRST SWITCH, DOES HE HAVE A PLAN FOR DEALING WITH DRAKE'S SALAMENCE?!"
  
  Unsurprisingly, Drake chose to buff up his Salamence, boosting itself for whatever I'll be sending out. That was fine, one Dragon Dance was within acceptable limits, but it would be problematic if he managed to buff itself up any further and I sent out my next Pokémon before it could do so.
  
  "Come Vordt!"
  
  Vordt's bulky frame emerged from his Premier Ball and landed on the ground with a solid thud, his protective figure easily matching Salamence's weight and size. His figure was wrapped within a thick layer of fur, forming a defensive layer of armour around him. He looked like quite the beast, a fitting analogy for one about to take on a Dragon.
  
  "Stone Edge, Vordt!"
  
  "URSAAAA!" Vordt began his assault as he stood up on all fours and roared out powerfully towards the sky as he immediately started tearing up the ground into chunks of rocks before they rose to the air and shot off like a storm of bullets toward the Salamence.
  
  "Fly up and Stone Edge, Salamence!" Salamence immediately shot up into the air at speeds that didn't seem to be possible for a creature of such size and strength before it started firing off rocks to block against the oncoming storm of rocks from Vordt.
  
  Rocks began to smash and shatter against each other as the two Pokémon vied for dominance, though Vordt seemed to be winning with contemptuous ease. However, Salamence had sufficiently managed to shatter or block enough of the incoming rocks that he could easily dodge past the few remaining ones.
  
  The arena, already destroyed and torn apart by our previous battles, continued to be broken apart as Vordt endlessly tore up the arena as the rocks continued flying. Yet Salamence still was able to avoid being hit.
  
  "Dragon Dance in the air!" Drake commanded, hoping that Salamence would be able to continually avoid being hit by Vordt's onslaught of rocks for long enough that it could continue setting up.
  
  "DON'T LET IT SET UP! SHOOT IT DOWN!" However, the arena's rapid deterioration by both Pokemon's use of Stone Edge also created more loose rocks for Vordt to fire off, causing the barrage of rocks that were being fired at Salamence to gradually increase in intensity, forcing Salamence to dedicate more time and focus into dodging the artillery of rocks coming its way. It even suffered from a few near misses despite its' surprising aerial manoeuvrability, an unfortunate disadvantage of its inherent large size.
  
  Salamence swerved repeatedly to the side, almost flying in a nearly random manner, in order to try to make enough space for it to complete its Dragon Dance, to no avail. The unrelenting cannon fire of rocks homed into Salamence like tiny micro-missiles that denied every and all opportunity for it to setup.
  
  It was a matter of time before Salamence would get unlucky just the once and be struck by an incoming rock. If it faltered even just for a brief moment, then Salamence was going to be forced down by the veritable avalanche of rocks being fired its way.
  
  I could see the realisation slowly settle into Drake's eyes as he recognized the situation he was in and was forced to begin his counterattack.
  
  Drake clearly saw the same, as he decided to begin his counterattack.
  
  "Draco Meteor, Salamence!" Draco barked out, and Salamence bellowed into the air as an orange sphere started to quickly form around its chest, growing rapidly into a giant sun that Salamence fired it into the sky. The sphere shoots up into the sky and explodes with a loud bang, filling the sky with enormous meteors of energy, making it look like the apocalypse had come early as they began their destructive descent from above.
  
  "Target them down and Protect!" Despite the sense of impending doom, I kept my cool and ordered Vordt to switch to the defensive, knowing that this was likely the beginning of a long battle of attrition. Vordt bellowed out and started to target down the raining meteors with a concentrated fire of rocks while he formed a Protect shield around himself.
  
  Explosions rocked the sky as the meteors rammed into the rocks in mid-air, detonating the orbs of energy early, and causing a hail of rock debris to rain down from the sky like they were large grains of sand.
  
  I braced myself alongside Vordt as the remaining Draco Meteors crashed themselves into Vordt's Protect shield like they were hammers of a vengeful god. Each meteor that collided caused shockwaves that exploded outwards from the impact area and blanketed everything with a thick cloud of dust and rocks that concealed Vordt's figure.
  
  The immediate area surrounding Vordt after the Draco Meteors fell was completely obliterated, with nothing remaining aside from crater-sized holes and cracks that were filled with translucent wisps of energy, remnants of the devastating attack before. A quick look around the arena revealed the true scale of the attack's destruction, as the arena was littered with craters and cracks that nearly managed to break through the foundations of the arena. As weak as they were, I was very surprised to see that the psychic barriers were still operational; I thought that they would have been destroyed from the resulting outward force of the impact alone.
  
  And yet, despite the sheer destruction of the attack, I remained confident in Vordt, and in our training. Vordt was unbreakable and unyielding against all adversaries, and this should prove no different. Even an unboosted Draco Meteor from Drake's ace would not be enough to break through Vordt's Protect shield.
  
  "Dragon Rush!" Drake ordered without waiting for the dust to settle. Salamence roared out once more as its body becomes outlined in blue, before it sharply dived down towards Vordt; its blue outline glowing brighter as it rapidly built-up speed. Salamence's figure blurred as the energy that surrounded it quickly grew so intense that it was igniting the air around it as it continued its descent.
  
  Vordt's figure was still concealed by the kicked-up dust, but I renewed my trust towards him juat as Drake's Salamence descended like a blue missile towards him. Just before he collided with Vordt, I gave my order.
  
  "Counter, Vordt!" Rewarding my faith in him, a faint light of an orange glow revealed itself from within the dust clouds, literally just before Salamence slammed powerfully into Vordt, their impact causing yet another explosion of force that dispersed all of the dust clouds, revealing a growling Vordt that was gripping tightly onto Salamence's body and refusing to be pushed back.
  
  Then he responded with a devastating counterattack, using the energy that he had absorbed from Salamence's powerful Dragon Rush and paid it all back in a crushing reversal, delivering all of that stored energy back towards the Salamence.
  
  Vordt's reversal generated a huge blast of wind that forced Salamence backwards with a pained grunt. However, Salamence held strong and immediately went back on the assault.
  
  "Dragon Claw!"
  
  "Ice Punch!"
  
  With both Pokémon now so close together, the fight inevitably turned into yet another brawl. Salamence raked a claw across Vordt's shoulder, easily cutting through Vordt's thick fur. But Vordt countered by bashing his Ice-infused claw into Salamence's face, knocking Salamence's head to the side. My gravity training was paying off in spades right now as it allowed Vordt to go toe-to-toe against a monster like Drake's Salamence.
  
  However, even from that one exchange, Salamence's attacks were seemingly landing considerably harder than Vordt's, likely from the boost that it received from its earlier Dragon Dance. If this continued, Vordt was going to be pushed back from that difference in strength.
  
  Fortunately, I had a trick of my own to even the field.
  
  "IGNITE YOURSELF AND PLAY ROUGH, VORDT!" Vordt thundered out with a roar before flames started to emerge and wrap around Vordt's body, spreading rapidly across its fur and igniting every inch of himself. Before Drake could react, a pink aura enveloped Vordt as he lunged forwards, slamming supereffectively into Salamence, and continuing to grapple it with his heavy body in a bear hug.
  
  Salamence let out a groan and retaliated by trying to knock him away by surrounding its head with Psychic energy and bashing a Zen Headbutt into Vordt's chest, but Vordt endured it with a pained grunt and held strong, trying to position himself for another Play Rough.
  
  Drake was quick to understand the consequences of Vordt's self-immolation and hurriedly tried to detach and separate Salamence from continuing to brawl with a soon-to-be Guts boosted Ursaluna.
  
  "Dragon Tail and Earthquake, Salamence!" Salamence brought his tail around and slammed into Vordt's side with a savage blow from his Dragon Tail. His tail collided into Vordt like a giant hammer, causing Vordt to stumble and swatting him away. Then, using the momentum from the attack, Salamence slammed its tail repeatedly into the ground, its tail managing to smash a hole into the ground and starting an Earthquake.
  
  However, Vordt quickly steadied himself by dropping to all fours, as he easily tanked through the Earthquake while only giving off a small grunt of pain. As soon as the attack ended, Vordt went back on the offensive.
  
  "Ice Rush, Vordt!" Combining both of the moves Headlong Rush and Ice Punch, Vordt quickly recovered from Salamence's attacks and straightened his hind legs while engulfing the front of his body with a layer of ice that remained frozen despite the flames dancing across his body and fur.
  
  Vordt suddenly shot forward like a speeding bullet. It was an intimidating sight to see a flaming huge bear charging at you menacingly at full speed, his eyes filled with determination and rage. Vordt's charge tore up a huge gash in the arena in the wake of his assault, before eventually slamming into Drake's Salamence with the full force of a freight train.
  
  Salamence withstood the attack badly and was sent careening backwards with an audible thump, though it extended its wings like a parachute to halt its backwards momentum so that it could stabilize itself. I tried to capitalize on that successful attack.
  
  "AGAIN!"
  
  "Dragon Rush!"
  
  Recovering quickly, Salamence charged to meet Vordt's assault head on, with both Pokémon locking onto each other and created two huge gouges that were formed in the ground as the two rushed at each other. They became little more than blue and brown blurs as they rammed into each other, creating a deafening BANG that exploded outwards with a cascading wave of force throughout the arena as the two collided into each other.
  
  The impact caused the ground around the immediate collision area to shatter and break apart until a huge circular pit formed around the collapsed impact area. Scattered bits of exposed wires that sparked occasionally and warped steel frames used for the arena's foundations could be found amongst the loose rocks within the gigantic pit.
  
  That single collision from the both of them caused more devastation than the previous Draco Meteor.
  
  I could only take a brief glance at the destruction before I was forced to shield my eyes from the storm of dust and debris that was whipped up by the impact was blasted my way. I gripped tightly on the rail to steady myself so that I wouldn't get knocked over by the impromptu dust storm.
  
  Behind me, I heard the sound of glass shattering as I felt the psychic shields go down, unable to resist the veritable tide of force generated from the impact of our Pokémon's collision. Over the howling winds of the dust storm, I was barely able to make out the faint shouts of people getting knocked over as the force dampeners around the arena failed.
  
  It seemed like utter chaos in the audience stands, but I ignored it for now as I tried to struggle through the dust storm so that I could see what happened with our Pokémon, but the visibility was so poor that I was eventually forced to just wait it out.
  
  One anxious moment later, the dust had finally settled enough that I could actually look around and view the damage. Quickly glancing around, I saw that most of the audience were in various states of disarray as people had fallen off the chairs or over each other. Fortunately, the audience stands were sufficiently reinforced and sturdy enough so that they didn't collapse, which would have caused many injuries.
  
  Seeing that the audience was mostly ok, I focused back on the battlefield and our two Pokémon.
  
  Aside from the collapsed circle in the centre where our Pokémon had collided, there was a huge gash that ran in a straight line throughout the centre of the arena, almost like a ravine had formed and divided the arena into two separate halves. Spiderweb like cracks spread out randomly throughout the arena, and at this point the once pristine arena was unrecognizable and looked like the remains of a warzone.
  
  As chunks of the arena continued to fall and break apart, I grew concerned about the stability of the arena. It was certainly unsuitable to continue fighting on, but since the announcer didn't make a statement about fixing the arena, I kept my silence.
  
  I tore my gaze away from the arena and focused on the state of Vordt. Flames continued to dance across his figure, wearing him down gradually as he traded his life for power. He was breathing heavily, and seemed less steady than usual, but there was only pure strength and determination to be found in his eyes. He would continue to fight.
  
  In the distance, Drake's Salamence was much the same, its own eyes alight with resolve and as intimidating as ever. Thus, as battered as our Pokémon were, neither were going to concede the fight just yet. This was going to the end.
  
  However, with the arena in such a dilapidated state, I knew that any attempt to charge across the arena would be a precarious and foolhardy decision. The arena was just not stable enough at the moment to support another charge from Vordt. On the other hand, the destroyed arena would make it very easy for Vordt to fire off another barrage of rocks at Salamence.
  
  Coupled with its own injuries, I highly doubted that Salamence would be able to dodge the bombardment of rocks from Vordt even if it took flight. Likewise, it also wouldn't be able to use Rest and heal up because both trainers likely knew that any healing attempt by Salamence would be instantly disrupted by a brutal volley of rocks.
  
  Yet, I held the advantage as Vordt's actions weren't as limited. I had the option to choose between using Rest myself to heal up Vordt or I could maintain the offensive and hope to knock out Salamence. I decided to play it safe and order for Vordt to Rest-
  
  "Draco Beam, Salamence! Finish it off!" Drake cut off my thoughts and made the decision for me, as I watched Salamence charge up a bright blue orb in its draconic maw. My gut screamed to me that there was nothing I could do to block such a move; it would overwhelm and annihilate anything and everything in its path. This was Drake's final gambit, a symbol of challenge to prove myself worthy to be his rival. To be the victor.
  
  And thus, I knew that there was only one course of action available to me. I was not about to switch out in an act of cowardice. I ignored the traitorous thought in my head that reminded me I had two more Pokémon as backups even if Vordt was knocked out, but I still had my pride. And I knew Vordt had his.
  
  No, I would match offense with offense.
  
  I wanted Vordt to win by his own merits. I wanted his strength to be recognized. I wanted to leave no doubts about the fact that my Pokémon were capable of beating Drake's ace one on one. And, with that, I solidified my decision.
  
  "Stone Edge, Vordt! TO THE END! FOR VICTORY!" Vordt roared out with determination and stood on its hind legs as huge chunks of rocks around the arena were torn up and hurled forwards towards Salamence. In almost perfect synchronicity, Salamence released his draconic Hyper Beam that ripped through and disintegrated anything in its path before the beam slammed into the center of Vordt.
  
  Vordt roared out in pain as the beam struck him. He gritted his teeth and painfully pushed through the power of the Dragon-type Hyper Beam and continued bombarding Salamence with a continuous avalanche of rocks. As the battle raged on, the beam only continued to get stronger and brighter, and if Vordt hadn't already previously set himself on fire, then I was certain that the Draco Beam would have set him alight.
  
  Yet Vordt was able to bravely withstand the pain as rocks endlessly continued hammering down onto Salamence, with each powerful impact almost causing Salamence to flinch slightly. However, it too was also able to persevere and continue channelling every inch of its own determination into that beam.
  
  There was nothing more that either trainer could do at this point. We had both given out our final orders, and now it was a pure test of endurance between our Pokémon. Both completely and fully resolved to win the match by putting their all into their attacks. Rocks were hurled and disintegrated in equal measure as both Pokémon vied for dominance. For glory. For victory.
  
  Then Vordt suddenly gave off a triumphant roar of determination and blasted a particularly large chunk of rock from the arena that slammed into Salamence, critically colliding into it, and successfully caused Salamence's head to be knocked to the side and causing his Hyper Beam to veer off and away from Vordt.
  
  Capitalizing on the sudden relief from enduring Salamence's Hyper Beam, Vordt gave out one more roar as he could now devote his full effort into his assault and fired off a huge tomb of rocks that rained like falling meteors onto Salamence, eliciting a screech of pain from the dragon, and burying it within.
  
  There was a moment of silence as all eyes were locked onto the pile of rocks that Drake's Salamence was buried under, everyone watching carefully to see if there were any signs of movement from under the pile of rocks.
  
  I don't even know how much time had passed, and I could barely register the relief I was feeling when I heard the announcer's statement.
  
  "AND DRAKE'S SALAMENCE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO BATTLE! ELITE JOHN IS THE VICTOR!"
  
  The excited and frantic cheers of the audience seem muted in my ears, I almost fell over in relief when the announcer's words finally registered themselves in my head.
  
  My eyes were only on Vordt. He was so tired and injured that he couldn't even raise himself onto his hind legs to celebrate his victory. He was always overshadowed by Tyrant, as unfair as that may have been, and he had finally proven to the world that he was an equal. And, as Vordt turned around with an expression of pride and satisfaction, I gave him a wide smile in return.
  
  We had won.
  
  A.N Also, because I won't be here next Monday, the next chapter (2-18) will come out on Sunday instead. Everything else will remain the same afterwards.
  
  I hope you enjoyed the finale of the battle against Drake, I had gone over so many times to make sure it was as best as it could be. This also marks the penultimate chapter (not including the Interlude) for the Hoenn Arc before we move back to Indigo and start the next Arc.
  
  Thank you for sticking with me thus far, and I hope you've enjoyed the story. As always, I am sincerely appreciative of your support. I understand a few of you may have wanted this fight to go differently, but I hope you are happy with the outcome regardless.
  
  To explain a few things, John's 6-4 (since Vordt would be too tired to continue fighting) victory against Drake came from a few factors, and one of them is luck.
  
  Drake was one of the better opponents for John to face, despite being known as the 'strongest' of the Hoenn Elite 4. Drake's strength lies in his Pokémon's inherent bulk and strength, which is exactly what John specializes in (as people previously pointed out). Drake also loves brawling, which is what John's Pokémon are best at.
  
  Also, John got lucky with the confusion from the Hurricane, and Flygon's complacency. Most importantly, if Flygon hadn't gotten knocked out so quickly, it would have been one of the hardest Pokémon for John to knock out because it wouldn't be susceptible to being knocked down by Stone Edge and could harass John's Pokémon from the skies. Probably requiring John to bring out Luna to Gravity into Moonblast.
  
  John also kept Clefable (Luna) in reserve because she really isn't as strong as John's other pokemon, and the only advantage she has is her supereffective and immune typing (and against Drake's non-Dragon water types, not even that!). Thus, she was a powerful trump card, but best kept in reserve until needed. The Fairy reveal will be saved for later!
  
  Basically, John IS deserving of his victory against Drake, but that doesn't mean he's strong enough to beat all the other Elite 4 members. In fact, against someone like Agatha, he would have a much more difficult time since her Pokémon are all super nimble and evasive.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 2-18
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-18 - Victory Ceremony
  
  After the conclusion of our battle, I was barely allowed to bask in my victory and give Vordt a nice tight hug before I was quickly escorted away from the arena and asked to make my way onto the stage.
  
  I had wanted to speak to Drake and thank him for a battle well fought, but the League officials insisted that there would be time to mingle later and that it was more important for me to give a winner's interview. At least they allowed me to heal my Pokémon before they made me have the interview.
  
  A part of me wanted to tell them to stuff it; I was tired and way too excited and just wanted to calm down and celebrate my victory with my Pokémon. However, I knew that it wasn't worth it kicking up a fuss at this stage, so I stifled a groan and sigh as I reluctantly followed their instructions.
  
  My instinct to just run away was made even stronger as I saw the veritable sea of reporters and cameras that were aimed my way when I got to the stage. I was instantly blinded by the continuous flashes of the cameras, and I almost stumbled over a small step on the stage that I couldn't see because of all the flashes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Drake was also being dragged onto the stage, but he looked like he was about to pop a vein.
  
  As I finally settled down in my seat, I adopted a blatantly false smile as I braced myself for the barrage of questions that I knew were coming; I could hope that they didn't ask anything too sensitive or controversial.
  
  Although that hope was slowly dwindling as I saw the hungry expressions on the faces of the reporters who swiftly swarmed me like unfed Snorlax with their microphones outstretched.
  
  "ELITE JOHN! How does it feel to win against Elite Drake?" The questions began, "Did you expect yourself to win?"
  
  "I feel elated, and very pleased with my Pokémon." I answered as humbly as I could, I really didn't want to see articles appear on the Pokénet about me bragging about my victory. "Of course, I have the fullest of respect for Drake's team and was very thrilled and honoured to be given the opportunity by the Hoenn League to fight against such a strong opponent."
  
  I made sure to placate the Hoenn League and give them the credit for hosting the event. I didn't want them to cause problems for me in the future.
  
  "But were you confident in your victory against Elite Drake?" Another reporter pressed, "After all, you did win 6-3!"
  
  "I was confident in my Pokémon to perform to the best of their ability." I answered evasively, "And I was in no doubt that they would provide a good fight against Drake. But luck played a heavy factor in my 6-4 victory against Drake today, and if events had happened slightly differently, then perhaps today's victor would have been Drake."
  
  That was true, Zephyr was very lucky that his final Hurricane was able to confuse Kingdra, which then allowed Smough to quickly knock it out. Also, if Flygon had decided to fly higher off the ground, then there was no way that Tyrant would have been able to knock it out so quickly.
  
  And it was the quick defeat of Flygon that was the most important factor in securing my victory. I didn't really have any good options for defeating Drake's Flygon, as it wasn't susceptible to my most common method of using rocks to knock down opposing Flying Pokémon. Thus, I would be forced to use Special Attacks like Ice Beam to hopefully snipe it down, but my Pokémon weren't the most proficient at that.
  
  Strangely enough, looking back with hindsight, Drake's Flygon might have been the most problematic Pokémon on his team for my Pokémon to fight against. I made a mental note to see if I could train my team to be more able to fight against Flying type Pokémon who are resistant to Rock-type moves.
  
  "Elite John! What did you think of Elite Drake's performance in today's battle? Do you think he might be unsuitable to be part of the Elite Four?!" Wow, I could feel the malice in that question. I turned to the reporter who asked and answered with the most serious expression as I could muster.
  
  "Elite Drake is absolutely deserving of being a member of the Hoenn Elite 4." I locked eyes with the reporter who asked, "The battle against Elite Drake just now was by far the hardest battle that I have ever had to fight in my career as a trainer, and I know for a fact that if I hadn't gotten as lucky as I did, Drake would have been the one who won, not me."
  
  That reporter frowned and gave me an angry look as I clearly didn't answer the question as he had hoped I would, but I ignored him. Besides the fact that Drake was a friend, there was no doubt in my mind that he deserved to be in the Elite 4.
  
  Then, another one of the more excited reporters almost shoved their microphone into my mouth. "Are you going to be doing anything else this exciting while you're in Hoenn?! Maybe another battle against another member of our Elite 4?! Who would you like to battle the most among the remaining three?!"
  
  I politely pushed the microphone away from my mouth because I wasn't sure that the reporter wouldn't shove the microphone down my throat if I started talking. When I made sure that the microphone was an appropriate distance away, I responded.
  
  "I'll be very honoured if I ever got the opportunity to battle against another member of the Hoenn Elite 4." My smile turned genuine for a moment as I said that, before returning to the fake one that I often adopted for the cameras, "However, as much as I would love to have another great battle like the one I just had against Elite Drake, my Pokémon very much do need to rest and recover from their gruelling battle. However, if I was offered the opportunity to battle the Hoenn Elite in another show match sometime in the future, I would be very happy to accept."
  
  As soon as I finished answering that question, another round of microphones were pushed forwards. This time, I just selected one at random.
  
  "Elite John, why were you sent to Hoenn in the first place? Did you just come on vacation like the Pokénet rumours suggest?"
  
  This time, I gave myself time to think before I responded. I knew that the official reasoning by the Indigo League for my trip to Hoenn was never disclosed to the public, and I also knew what a shitstorm I could cause if I told them that I was here on an official visit for diplomatic reasons.
  
  Since the Hoenn League has made it very clear to me that they didn't receive any notice that the Indigo League was sending me on a diplomatic mission, it wouldn't be long before the public realized that that the true reason that the Indigo League sent me here was to side-line me to Hoenn and keep me from interfering with the political affairs of Indigo.
  
  I was so tempted to kick the hornet's nest and stir up the shit for Pryce. The more vindictive part of myself, the part of myself that held my pride, wanted to get revenge for Pryce by telling the world about how he fucked me over. A part of me wanted to watch Pryce get the comeuppance he deserved. For the dishonour and the humiliation of sending me away to Hoenn.
  
  But the more rational part of myself started to weigh the pros and cons of such a decision. I knew that the moment I did this, I would make an enemy in Pryce for life. There would be no going back for this, and I would irreparably damage my relationship with Pryce and a few other members of the Indigo League that supported my 'trip' to Hoenn.
  
  Also, I felt like I would come off as whiny and immature if I ratted on Pryce at this moment, since many could simply say that this was 'not a big deal' and that I was just making a childish tantrum. Airing out the dirty laundry of Indigo like this might breed resentment and be seen as traitorous by those who supported Indigo, and many would say there would be more mature ways of handling the situation.
  
  I clenched my fists as I had to hold down my anger and my need for revenge. Once again, I found myself needing to restrain myself for the sake of not making unnecessarily enemies. I hated the fact that I agreed with my more rational arguments compared to my more instinctual and emotional response.
  
  But, for the sake of a united Indigo, I needed to not inflame tensions between Kanto and Johto and airing out Pryce's dirty laundry right now would also create negative implications for Johto. Furthermore, it could shatter my political aspirations of fostering closer relations with the two regions.
  
  On the other hand, I knew that my patience and resolve was waning quickly. I promised myself that the moment I got home to Indigo, I would speak with the right people to see if I can my revenge against Pryce. I wasn't going to allow this humiliation to be swept under the rug and be conveniently forgotten.
  
  No, now was not the time to expose Pryce. Today was one of celebration, to honour my victory against Drake. I wouldn't ruin the festivities by stirring up a shitstorm right now; that would also end up annoying the Hoenn League as well. However, that didn't mean I couldn't throw out some hints in my answer.
  
  "Thank you for that question. Champion Pryce sent me here." I said without elaborating, setting up the bait for the follow-up question.
  
  "If Champion Pryce sent you here, does that mean that you were here on official reasons? If so, why weren't we informed about it?" The reporter asked the question that I was hoping for.
  
  "I'm afraid that I wasn't privy to the details as to why I was sent to Hoenn so soon after my appointment, I only followed their orders." I answered technically truthfully, before deciding to twist the knife a little, "I'm sure Champion Pryce will be able to answer those questions if needed."
  
  The reporter backed away, seemingly satisfied with my answers. I had to fight down a smirk that threatened to appear on my face; I thought that I had given a very carefully crafted response that avoided immediately exposing Pryce's misdoings while also leaving enough hints to imply that there was something nefarious going on in the background.
  
  "Elite John! What were the special Pokéballs that you used for your Pokémon? Where did you get that from?" One reporter asked.
  
  I grinned inwardly at the question, and I adopted what I thought was my most marketable smile as I answered, "Ah, these special Pokéballs are called Premier Balls. They were designed and created by Devon Corp, and they gave me a few when I visited them a couple of days ago."
  
  I took one of the Premier Balls out and started showing it to the cameras, "I really like their design, I think it looks really sleek and minimalistic. I believe having their Pokéballs with this design is a great way for more elite trainers to show their status by having their Pokémon in these Premier Balls. As you can see, I replaced all my old Pokéballs with these new Premier Balls and all my Pokémon are stored within." I gestured to the other Premier Balls on my belt.
  
  With that, I felt that I had marketed the Premier Ball sufficiently enthusiastically to fulfil my portion of the contract with Devon Corp. I hoped that these Premier Balls would sell well, as I'd get a nice chunk of income from my 5% of sales as per my contract with Devon Corp.
  
  Afterwards, the next round of questions was comparatively mundane and were all focused on my match against Drake. Some asked about how I managed to get so strong, some asked if there were any training techniques that I could share, and another one asked if my family's Moomoo milk business had anything to do with my success.
  
  To the last one, I gave them a proper response by saying that my family's Moomoo milk business was invaluable in providing support throughout my journey to being a member of the Elite 4, and I doubted I would make it to where I was without it.
  
  While nothing I said was technically false, I only really meant that they had supported me emotionally, but if the public misconstrued my words and assumed something different...well that would only prove beneficial for the family business.
  
  A few more questions later and we finally wrapped up my winner's interview, and I was told to pose for a few pictures with the 'trophy' before I was finally allowed to leave, and Drake was forced to take my place and be the victim of the next barrage of questions. I gave him a pitying look and a smile as I left.
  
  Finally free from the hound of reporters, I slumped slightly against the nearby wall and let out a sigh of relief. At this point, all I wanted to do was to find some Pokécenter and just relax and wind down in one of their rooms. Of course, just as I was thinking about this, my phone started ringing. I quickly forced down my annoyance though when I saw that it was Giovanni that was calling.
  
  "John speaking." I began.
  
  "John, it's Giovanni." He sounded strangely happy, which was a bit unnerving. "Congratulations on your victory against Elite Drake. I think all of Indigo had their eyes glued to the broadcast, me included, and I could say that we were all very happy about your victory."
  
  From the tone of his voice, he was legitimately congratulating me and seemed happy for me. I was seriously weirded out by a happy Giovanni, but I tried to not let it show as I responded.
  
  "Thank you very much for your congratulations, Giovanni." I replied, "But I did get quite lucky with my match against Drake, and I'm not sure that I could secure another victory if I fought him again."
  
  "As humble as ever I see." Giovanni chuckled, "Well, John, I didn't call you just to congratulate you on your victory, but also on your restraint in not exposing Champion Pryce for his true reasons for sending you to Hoenn."
  
  I grinned as I heard this, glad to see that my decision to keep silent for the time being was not wrong. "Thank you, I didn't think it was the right time to do so either, but could you elaborate on why you thought I shouldn't have done so?"
  
  "Of course." Giovanni answered smoothly, "You see, John, if you had decided to expose Pryce's actions at this moment, I guarantee you that while some of the public would have been sympathetic to your plight, many other members of the public would have just seen it as a childish outburst that ultimately demonstrates that you were unsuited for your position as the Elite 4."
  
  I nodded at his reasoning, since that was what I was thinking as well, before staying silent as he continued, "More importantly, as you still aren't back in Indigo, you wouldn't really be able to control the narrative and influence public opinion as well as the Indigo League and Pryce could. You would be at a huge disadvantage in the war for public opinion, and your reputation may be very quickly tarnished and irreparable."
  
  I grimaced, but understood what Giovanni was telling me. Fortunately, my patience had won out today and I hadn't started a war against Pryce that I wasn't sure that I would be able to win.
  
  Seeing my continued silence, Giovanni kept going. "However, and I would like to applaud you for doing this, your response was vague enough to not immediately warrant a response from Pryce, but also hinted to all those starving reporters that there might be something to investigate. And, better still, even if they do discover something, you'd mostly be in the clear because you weren't the one who 'deliberately' brought it up."
  
  Well, this is one of those times where I thank myself for not being ruled by my temper. Still, I reigned in my relief as I refocused myself and responded to Giovanni.
  
  "Yes, thank you for your explanation, Giovanni, it was very helpful." I remarked, "I'm very glad that I managed to avoid making a huge mistake."
  
  "Mmh, you did." Giovanni replied before pausing slightly for a moment before continuing, "John, you've proven to be a valuable ally for me to have, and I could definitely see us maintaining our friendship for a long time." My eyebrows shot up with surprise, "With that in mind, I have some important news for you."
  
  "What is it?" I asked, unable to stop my curiosity.
  
  "Ever since your journey to Hoenn, Lance has been making moves to replace Pryce to be the new Champion of Indigo. He's still in the preparation stages, but he's been making it increasingly obvious that he intends to challenge Pryce. Just the other day he openly called out Pryce for trying to appoint Lorelei to be the next Gym Leader of Mahogany Town."
  
  "That's quite the move." I answered with open surprise; I didn't think Lance would be making his move so soon. "Thank you for telling me this, Giovanni, but do you have anything in mind about what we could do about this?" I deliberated emphasized the word 'we' so that Giovanni could know that I was with him on this.
  
  "Thank you for your support, John, I'm glad to see you understand the value of this information." Giovanni spoke, "I wanted to discuss this with you more when you get back to Indigo, but I want to know what your preliminary thoughts are about this?"
  
  I carefully thought about the issue for a few moments, Giovanni staying silent as he allowed me to think. A short while later, I stated my thoughts.
  
  "I think that this is an opportunity for us to gain some important influence within the Indigo League." I explained, "I think that, if Lance proves to be worthy of our support, we should support his challenge against Pryce so that we may extract more favours from him and increase our own influence in the Indigo League. We should especially prioritise extracting a promise from him that he would ensure that Kanto doesn't stagnate and fall behind Johto like it has under Pryce."
  
  Giovanni remained silent, so I continued, "Also, while Lance is also from Johto, I feel like he would be more supportive of a united Indigo and is not in favour of the current status quo. Overall, I believe that he would be a better Champion to have for our goals of an improved Kanto."
  
  Giovanni gave out a considering hum as I finished, and I allowed him to think over what I had just said. After thinking it through, he replied.
  
  "Though I am not as optimistic as you about Lance's views for a united Indigo, I do agree that Lance would most likely be a better Champion to have than Pryce." He admitted, "Of course, I am hesitant to act so quickly without knowing more, but assuming that my investigations into Lance prove fruitful and positive, then I see no reason why we shouldn't follow through with your plan."
  
  "Thank you, Giovanni, I'm glad that we could see eye to eye on this matter." I said with concealed relief, I really didn't want Giovanni going against Lance, "Perhaps we should discuss this further when I return from Hoenn." I suggested.
  
  "Yes, we should." He affirmed, "And with that, I think I have taken up enough of your time. Congratulations once again on your victory, John."
  
  I thanked him again for his words and we politely hung up on each other. As I hung up, I smiled down at my phone, happy to see that my connections to Giovanni had only strengthened during my time in Hoenn. I still didn't fully trust him and would continue to remain cautious during any of our interactions, but the conversation we just had was another reminder of how useful Giovanni was as a friend, since he had a vast network of connections that I could make use of.
  
  Knowing that Lance was going after Pryce's position so soon was definitely a big surprise, but it also presented a huge opportunity for me to hopefully make use of. I quickly took out my notepad and reminded myself to at least speak with Lance when I returned so that I could get a better measure with him.
  
  Just as I finished writing down my reminder, my phone rang again. My eyes shot up with surprise yet again as I saw who was calling, Champion Pryce.
  
  "Champion Pryce, how may I help you?" I answered politely, keeping any hint of frustration and annoyance out of my tone.
  
  "Elite John, well done on winning." He said as coldly as ever. Though I didn't manage to detect any hint of anger or frustration in his tone. "You did well in Hoenn, but now I need you back in Indigo."
  
  "Thank you for your words." I replied, maintaining my politeness, "I'll be happy to return to Indigo. Can I ask how I will be returning?" I was tempted to ask why I was being returned, but I didn't want to risk aggravating him at the moment, so I kept the question to myself.
  
  "A private ship will be chartered for you." He answered blandly, "It will be departing the day after tomorrow in the afternoon. Don't miss it."
  
  At this point, I could tell that Pryce genuinely wasn't angry at me at all for winning against Drake or from my interview. He was just his normal unpleasant self, which was somewhat reassuring. And surprising.
  
  "Of course, I'll be there. Is there anything else that you need of me?"
  
  "No. There'll be a welcome committee to meet you when you get back. I'll speak with you then." Then he hung up.
  
  I frowned as I put down my phone. I was more confused than angry at the conversation we just had. What was that about? Why wasn't he angry? Why did he want me back so soon? I had a few guesses, but did it have something to do with Lance's actions?
  
  I mulled over it in my head for a moment, before deciding that I didn't have the answers and would only be able to find out more when I got back. So, I pushed those thoughts about politics of Indigo to the side and allowed myself to relax once again.
  
  I quickly texted Karen telling her to meet me at the Ever Grande City Pokécenter, and I strapped myself onto Port as I started making my way there.
  
  As I enjoyed the short flight from the stadium to the Pokécenter, it hit me that my journey in Hoenn was at an end, for now. I thought back over the many things that took place during my trip here, and I felt that I had accomplished much throughout my pseudo-exile. Obviously, I wasn't about to thank Pryce for side-lining me here, but I did come to enjoy and appreciate my time in Hoenn.
  
  I hoped that one day, I could return.
  
  A.N And this is the end of the Hoenn Arc! I hope you've enjoyed it so far and was happy with John's decision to not expose Pryce at the moment. Even I was tempted to have him do it, but I thought about how it would be seen and decided against it. And as I mentioned earlier, I uploaded this chapter today because I am unavailable on Monday. No future chapters should be changed/affected.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 2-18-Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 2-18 - Interlude - Giovanni
  
  Giovanni sat back and watched the re-run of John's winner interview against Drake. He was being truly genuine when he gave his congratulations to John about his victory, and he was very pleased to see that John wasn't someone who let their anger guide them into making bad decisions. He wasn't lying when he said that John's decision to not announce Pryce's failings at the moment was the correct one.
  
  And yet, even then, he was taken aback by John's victory over Drake.
  
  Despite all of the information that Giovanni had compiled about John, somehow the fact that John's battle prowess was so high seemed to slip under his radar. This obviously had Giovanni rearranging his evaluations about John's team and power. He remembered previously asking Petrel if he had a chance of beating John in a fight, and now he realized that Petrel's cautious estimation of John's strength was actually a vast understatement! Giovanni knew that he had no chance to win, not unless he played dirty.
  
  Giovanni felt that it was very fortunate that they discovered John's true strength like this; it would have been disastrous if he had made an enemy of John without realizing just how strong he truly was. Of course, he never intended to break his friendship with John, not when they had accomplished much together, and Kanto's future was, for the first time in a long while, looking very bright.
  
  He was very pleased about their cooperation together as it brought the both of them many benefits. John was very active in making new connections with important figures in Hoenn, and he never forgot to share some of that credit back with Giovanni too. It was good that John understood the need to pay back his debts.
  
  The joint research project that they established in Petalburg was already in the process of being set up, and the fact that he had indirect control over the entire project through Ariana could only be a good thing for Kanto's future. Obviously, he would ensure that any new discoveries and inventions made there would be sold and distributed in Kanto first.
  
  However, the real winner in Giovanni's eyes was the building of the new Devon Corp branch offices in Viridian. International cooperation aside, so long as Johto never gets their own Devon Corp branch, anyone looking to purchase Devon Corp products will be forced to come to Kanto to do so. He felt that it would do wonders for our balance of trade.
  
  Not only that, but with the new branch's inevitable success, more foreign businesses will look to Kanto as a means of increasing profits and set up their own branch offices here as well. The more that foreign businesses invest in Kanto, the more jobs that can be potentially created in Kanto. Thus, the more businesses get established here, the better for Kanto.
  
  An unintentional benefit for Devon Corp's new branch offices that John would likely never realize is that it provides a legitimate reason why Viridian City remained so prosperous despite Kanto's poor economy. Before the new branch was set up, Giovanni had to be very careful about how he used his less legitimate funds into improving Viridian City and its infrastructure.
  
  He knew that savvy investigators would realize that the amount of money flowing around Viridian City was unusually high, and they might unravel Giovanni's schemes as a result. However, with the new Devon Corp branch being created, Giovanni thought that many would just see how successful the Devon Corp branch was and immediately assume that they were the reason for Viridian City's prosperity, not bothering to look further into Giovanni's underground funds.
  
  This also meant that Giovanni would be able to increase the amount of underground funding into Viridian if he wanted to, but he didn't see the need for that at the moment.
  
  He went to pour himself another drink and thought carefully about the future of his cooperation with John. With Lance making a move to be the next Champion, he remained cautious that a Johtonian like him would make for a good Champion, though he certainly would be better than Pryce. Likewise, he agreed with John's assessment that this would be a perfect time for the both of them to capitalize on the political turmoil to grab some extra political capital for themselves.
  
  As a 'mere' Gym Leader, his actions were far more restricted than John's, so he hoped that John would be able to fulfil what he said he would do. He would wait and see and guide John if that ever became necessary. As always, his guiding hand was always ready to steer Kanto in the right direction. Giovanni let out a content smile as he leaned back in his chair and enjoyed his drink.
  
  However, just as he did that, his phone pinged as someone sent him a text.
  
  Giovanni took one look at the message and shot out of his seat with his drink long forgotten. He grabbed his coat and hat and hastily made his way out of the office.
  
  He bumped into Petrel on the way out, and he simply told Petrel to handle his calls and inform everyone that he would be unavailable for some time. Petrel saw the uncharacteristic alarm on his face and immediately nodded without questioning his orders.
  
  Giovanni then made his way out of the Gym in a rush and into the night.
  
  A.N More foreshadowing!
  
  Thanks to my s for all your support! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal- 2-19 - Pokenet Reactions
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 2-19 - INTERLUDE: Pokénet Reactions
  
  [DEVON CORP TO SET UP NEW INDIGO BRANCH IN VIRIDIAN CITY! Is this the start of something special?] by The Indigo Post
  
  Dear readers, just moments ago, Devon Corp and Gym Leader Giovanni of Viridian City have made joint announcements announcing the establishment of a new Devon Corp branch office that will be set up in Viridian City! Interesting enough, they both openly thanked our newest Elite Four member, Elite John, for being a vital intermediary to facilitate and approve the cooperation between the two. Gym Leader Giovanni especially stressed how this new branch would create new jobs for the residents of Viridian, and he hopes that this is one big step into helping out those who remain unemployed despite their best efforts.
  
  Although some initially feared that the establishment of the new offices would be met with hostility from our local Silph Co., it appears that the two rival businesses have somehow managed to resolve their differences and there appears to be no signs of protest coming from Silph Co.
  
  Not only that, but the two have also reported that, with the help of Elite John, they will also be sending their scientists to cooperate on a joint research project to discover the potential evolutions for a recently created Pokémon, Porygon. This new research facility will be built in Petalburg City, with the blessing of their Gym Leader Norman.
  
  This writer believes that this newfound cooperation between Devon Corp and Viridian City will be the beginning of a series of foreign cooperation and investment from both regions, which this writer hopes should prove prosperous for both regions. What do our readers think? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Interesting to see Viridian City cooperating with Hoenn's Devon Corp. On the one hand, I'm concerned that this expansion from Devon Corp into Kanto may eventually be revealed to be exploitative and hurt Kanto's economy. On the other hand, I'm cautiously optimistic that Gym Leader Giovanni knows what he's doing and won't allow Devon Corp to just take advantage of us.
  
  Hope this will all turn out well! I'm staying hopeful.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  ...can't you just be happy that Indigo will have more access to Devon Corp products instead of being paranoid over every little thing? Also, when is Johto going to get a Devon Corp branch?! It's unfair that only Kanto gets one.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hell yeah! John's doing work while he's in Hoenn!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Huh. I admit to being very surprised that this newfound cooperation was facilitated by Elite John. Never thought that he had the political maturity and skills to pull something like this off. Colour me pleasantly surprised.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hah! That's what you get for looking down on Elite John! Just you wait! He's going to do something even more amazing while he's there, I'm sure of it.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  About time we got some foreign investment and cooperation into Hoenn! Despite having integrated with Indigo all those years ago, it did seem like Hoenn wasn't really attracting much foreign cooperation. Glad to see that's no longer true though, and I agree with the article that I hope to see more inter-regional cooperation in the future!
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  You know, this is probably what happened. Elite John beat Norman, and then used his victory to get Norman to agree to the proposal! Like, they must have bet before their match that the winner could order the loser to do anything!
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  OMA that's so romantic! I need to write this down!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  ...it probably wasn't as dramatic as that. But I do agree that Elite John probably met up with Gym Leader Norman after their match to discuss this. Proud of the both of them for being able to work together despite not coming from the same regions!
  
  [AN ELECTRIFYING BATTLE! AGATHA'S APPRENTICE DEFEATS GYM LEADER WATTSON IN AWE-INSPIRING DISPLAY OF SKILL AND POWER!] by BattleCast
  
  [Edited video of the fight]
  
  Today we were blessed with an unexpected fight between Agatha's apprentice, Karen, and the Mauville Gym Leader Wattson! What was supposed to be a relatively mundane 8-badge fight between the two ended up transforming into an all-out match filled with excitement and skill!
  
  In their final round, Wattson's Magnezone really showed off why it deserved to be called his Ace as it unleashed a blistering fast onslaught of attacks that would have overwhelmed and devastated most Pokémon. But to the surprise and cheers of many, Karen showed the world why she was Agatha's chosen apprentice as her Houndoom managed to not only endure through Magnezone's barrage but also fight back and even secure a decisive knockout against it.
  
  This is Karen's second Gym badge at the time of writing that she has won in Hoenn, on top of the full roster of badges that she has already earned from Indigo. Is Karen going to be challenging the remaining Hoenn Gyms? This writer is excited to see more from Karen in the future!
  
  Thanks once again to our many dear readers for providing us their video clips for us to compile together. We at BattleCast are always grateful for your support.
  
  Comments
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Holy shit! That final round was so coooool! Never thought that Wattson had it in him to be so strong! Since when could his Magnezone do that? Why has he never done it before?!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Agreed. That was a surprising performance by Wattson even if he did end up losing. But I'm honestly more surprised at the power of Karen's Pokémon. After reading through this article, I went back and looked over her performance against Gym Leader Roy, and she completely dominated him. Makes me think about how strong Karen truly is.
  
  FightClub
  
  Another fanboy of a type weak to Fighting...it's like you guys never learn. Watch, Karen is going to get it in her head that her Dark types will be able to take out the mighty Fighting type Gym in Dewford before her Pokémon gets smashed to the ground where they belong.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Although I wouldn't put it as harshly as FightClub, I do wonder why more people don't use generalist teams with multiple types to prevent their Pokémon from all being weak to a single type. Surely that would make more sense?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  It's because it's easier to train more Pokémon together and to maintain cohesion within your team if they all share a type. Referring to Karen's match against Wattson, even though her Pupitar wasn't a Dark type, she obviously trained it well to prepare for its evolution into a Tyranitar, as you can see her Dark Pulses are very much well-trained and powerful.
  
  That's why a huge majority of our Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion, all specialize in one type. It's not only easier to just have all or most of your Pokémon sharing a type, but also because it allows you to pass and share training techniques between your Pokémon. It's just much more efficient that way.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  FearTheRat - Sure, I get that. But, in theory, wouldn't a trainer who could train up a full Elite level team with Pokémon of different types be the strongest trainer we've ever seen? I mean, that way their Pokémon could cover each other's weaknesses and they'd be unstoppable. That's what Samuel Oak did, and he became Champion. Just curious why we don't see more generalist trainers at the Elite level.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  GeneralistGeneral - In theory, yes, but that's MUCH easier said than done. In the history of Indigo and Hoenn, besides the Legend that is Samuel Oak, I don't think we've ever seen a generalist trainer rise high and become a member of the Elite Four or higher. It's just too difficult.
  
  But Ex-Champion Oak definitely proves that if you can manage to train a generalist team to that level, then yes, you'd be likely one of the strongest trainers in the world. Heh, now that you mention it, maybe one day there will be another generalist trainer that rises to be the Champion.
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  OMA yesssss we need some girls getting in on that Champion position! Hope one day we get a hot blondie to be Champ!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Ok enough with the tangent. Didn't everyone forget that Karen was travelling with Elite John? Does that mean John saw Karen's potential and is now trying to train her up as well to join the Elite Four!? How exciting! And did you see Elite John in the stands holding up that new Pokémon of his?! I think he's training it up to add to his team!
  
  EDIT: Why do I hear piano?
  
  FightClub
  
  Hah! Weaklings training weaklings. Couldn't be a better pair.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Just looked up the Pokémon that John was seen carrying during the match - it's a newly created Pokémon by the Viridian City scientists called a Porygon. It's also what the newly created joint research project in Petalburg is going to be researching. Exciting news!
  
  And pleasantly surprised to see John carrying one around - probably means that he's cooperating or involved with the research project too! Good to see an Elite Four member taking such initiative.
  
  Topic: [ELITE JOHN SPOTTED TRAVELLING AROUND HOENN WITH AGATHA'S APPRENTICE! ROMANTIC GETAWAY TO HOENN AND THE START OF SOMETHING SPECIAL?!] by Baby Doll Eyes
  
  [Collection of photos of Karen and John]
  
  Look at this! They've been travelling around Hoenn together and spending time together! They even trained their Pokémon together and they both watched each other during their Gym battles. It's so romantic! I'm pretty sure they've already gotten together. What do you guys think?!
  
  Comments
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  OMA They look so cute together! I hope they both get into the Elite Four together - they'd be such a power couple! 3 3 3
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  NOooooo I was hoping John would get together with Norman after he defeated him...They would have made such a good BL relationship....
  
  AttractIsNotConsent
  
  Anyone think they're getting together too quickly? Feels unrealistic...Their relationship needs more build-up...
  
  [HOENN INDIGO LEAGUE ANNOUNCES SHOW MATCH BETWEEN ELITE DRAKE AND ELITE JOHN! HOSTED NEXT WEEK!] by BattleCast
  
  The Hoenn League has just made an exciting surprise announcement declaring that they will be hosting a show match next week between the Indigo Elite Four member, John, and the Hoenn Elite Four member, Drake. This is guaranteed to be a fantastic opportunity for trainers all over the world to witness the techniques and strengths of the most highly trained Pokémon in the world - an absolutely must-watch match.
  
  For those among us that are unfamiliar with either of their teams, here is a nice graphic that displays the Pokémon that the two of them have used in their previous matches.
  
  [Graphic that lists John's and Drake's Pokémon]
  
  As for our predictions regarding the match, as an Indigo-based newspaper, of course we will remain supportive of Elite John's chances. As many of you should remember, we had recently witnessed the power of John's Slaking and Snorlax, and hope that we can see another strong repeat performance from the two of them.
  
  Of course, Drake's mix of Dragon and Water Pokémon are no slouches either, and each of his Pokémon are proven powerhouses of their own. Drake is rumoured to be the strongest of the Hoenn Elite Four, and we at BattleCast are certain that this will be an uphill battle for our youngest Elite Four member, but we hope he can prevail regardless! Go John!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  HOLY SHITTTTT! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO COOOOL! I'M SO MAD THAT IT'S IN HOENN WHY CAN'T THEY HOST IT IN INDIGO SO I COULD BE THERE IN PERSON?!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  OMA JOHN IS GOING TO FIGHT AGAINST DRAKE!? HELL YESSSS, it's about time that John gets the opportunity to show the world just how strong his Normal Types are! GO JOHN!
  
  DragonPower
  
  HAH! Can't wait to see Drake's Dragons stomp John's puny Normal type team into the ground. Everyone knows that Dragon types are the best type! Too bad that Drake has a few Pokémon that aren't Dragon type - waste of team space if you ask me. He could be so much stronger if he just had a full roster of Dragons...
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Oh wow! Drake's widely considered to be the overall strongest amongst the Hoenn Elite Four despite his losses to Glacia. Wonder how Elite John is going to match up against him? I know John is a strong trainer in his own right, but Drake might just be on another level. Very excited to see what happens!
  
  DragonPower
  
  You're delusional if you think that John has a chance. Just get ready to see Drake sweep his whole team.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  HELL YEAH DRAKE IS HERE! The coolest of the Hoenn Elite Four is here to battle! LETS GO DRAKE KICK HIS ASS!
  
  FightClub
  
  YEAH can't wait to see your Normal fanboys cope and seethe as Drake crushes your favourite poster boy.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  So...what do people think about Elite John's chances are against Elite Drake? I personally think that there's a lot we haven't seen from John yet and we might be pleasantly surprised in the upcoming battle.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I've been mistaken about my thoughts about John over the past few days - so I'm definitely curious to see how John measures up against a tried and tested member of the Elite Four. He hasn't really been in many high-level battles yet, so this would be a true test of his power.
  
  [ELITE JOHN BEATS ELITE DRAKE 6-3! AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY FROM THE UNDERDOG! ELITE JOHN PROVES HIMSELF WORTHY OF THE TITLE OF ELITE!] by BattleCast
  
  As any loyal reader of BattleCast should know, we were blessed with a surprise announcement last week that there would be a show match between Indigo's Elite John and Hoenn's Elite Drake. Although many of us were supportive of Elite John, it was within the common consensus that Elite Drake would be the ultimate victor because of his longer experience and powerful Pokémon.
  
  But the result shocked us all! After a devastating and shocking final exchange of attacks between Drake's Salamence and John's Ursaluna, John walked away with a 6-3 victory! John's team managed to catch Drake's Pokémon off-guard twice, leading to very decisive knockouts for Drake's Kingdra and Flygon.
  
  This time, we have managed to compile our own highlight reel of the event here:
  
  [Highlight reel of their match]
  
  And now, moving on to a more detailed analysis of the fight, we'll be starting with the first round where Drake's Blastoise went against John's Wyrdeer...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat
  
  R.I.P all those keyboard warriors saying that Drake would sweep John. See you in the next life!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  HAHAHAHAHHA SUCK IT HATERS! I TOLD YOU ALL THAT JOHN'S TEAM WOULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE ON DRAKE! AND JOHN ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED DRAKE 6-3! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW HAHAHAHA!
  
  DragonPower
  
  This is why I said that Drake was wasting spots on team by not filling them with Dragon Types! If Drake had a full team of Dragon types instead of wasting 3 team slots for stupid Water types, then Drake would have won! I demand a refight with a team full of Dragons!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  To be fair, the final result was more like 6-4 than 6-3 since I think everyone could see that John's Ursaluna was in no condition to continue fighting after knocking out Drake's Salamence. Not that winning 6-4 lessens John's achievement here, this really was an incredible match, and I was really surprised (but in a good way) to see just how strong John's team was.
  
  He's definitely earned my support at this point - keep it up John!
  
  FightClub
  
  Can't believe that a team so weak to Fighting types would manage to beat a team of Dragons. WTF is Drake even doing?! Is he starting to lose it? Absolutely fucking shameful from Drake.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  With John's recent victory and his previous efforts at facilitating cooperation between Devon Corp and Viridian City, I'm really turning around on my initial scepticism on having John appointed to the Elite Four. I used to think he was unsuitable and too young - but I'm now starting to be cautiously optimistic about him.
  
  I hope that he's able to keep up his good work, because if he does, I'll think he'll be one of the staple members of the Elite Four in the years to come.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  ...Drake Lost?...I mean I watched the battle like everyone else, and even though the situation looked bad when Drake was down to his Salamence I still held on to hope that he would win...but it didn't happen.
  
  Honestly still shook by Drake's defeat, never thought that he would lose to someone outside of Glacia. John didn't even have a type advantage on him...
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  A very surprising defeat by Drake - but I'm confident that this loss wouldn't negatively affect Drake's reputation too much. Besides, I don't even think that Drake cares that much about this loss, I've always seen him as someone who was secure about his position in the world and wouldn't allow himself to be affected by this.
  
  [AD: Exchange your Smith farm MooMoo milk bottle caps for exclusive posters at your nearby Pokéshop!]
  
  Starting today, all future purchase of MooMoo milk produced by the Smith family will come with a small sticker on the inside of the bottle caps. Next month, if you managed to accumulate 10 stickers of the same type, you can trade them in at the nearest Pokéshop to acquire an exclusive poster!
  
  Each sticker can be traded for a different poster, currently consisting of specially taken photos of the Pokémon on Elite John's team! Start collecting those bottle caps today!
  
  [CRIME WAVE IN INDIGO! REPORTS SHOW A HUGE SPIKE IN POKEMON THEFT AROUND MANY MAJOR CITIES OF INDIGO!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Dear readers, we have been alerted by the Indigo Police and by our hardworking Officer Jennys that there has been a huge spike in Pokémon theft throughout the entirety of Indigo. Many suspicious individuals have been spotted banding together to engage in criminal activities, normally targeting weaker trainers and stealing their Pokémon after overwhelming them with superior numbers. Beyond that, the reports show that these individuals have been targeting people indiscriminately and seem to be solely concerned with the theft of Pokémon.
  
  The Officer Jennys are issuing a warning to all individuals to keep a lookout for any suspicious individual wearing a black shirt with the letter R being displayed on them, as this seems to be a symbol that connects the many criminals together. Is this shared symbol a sign that the spike in Pokémon thefts is related to organized crime? If so, what is their purpose of stealing all these Pokémon? Why have they just appeared now?
  
  This writer is filled with questions, and he hopes that the Indigo Police can provide answers to soon and is curious to see what the readers think. Please comment down below!
  
  Comments
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  WTF are the Jennys even doing!? How could they even let this happen! We spend so much of our taxes to fund the Indigo Police and they still let this happen?! Disgraceful!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Can't believe I'm agreeing with ILoveGoldenRod but yes, wtf are the Indigo Police even doing to allow these thugs to continue their criminal activities like this. Shame!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Anyone have any idea what that 'R' symbol is supposed to stand for? I understand that it is highly likely that these criminals are linked to organized crime, so perhaps understanding the symbol on their shirts would be a clue in identifying them?
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Hi all! Just thought I would finally show myself after years of lurking around in the shadows. Hope you guys are all well off!
  
  [ELITE LANCE SLAMS CHAMPION PRYCE FOR NEPOTISM! CALLS OUT INAPPROPRIATE APPOINTMENT OF NIECE TO MAHOGANY GYM LEADER!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Elite Lance recently called out Champion Pryce for acts of nepotism for appointing his niece as the Mahogany Gym Leader! Elite Lance is quoted to have said, "This type of behaviour is unbecoming of the Champion of Indigo. Gym Leaders are titles with much honour and responsibility, and they must be carefully selected for their positions! Appointing one based on familial relations is irresponsible and disgraceful!"
  
  When one reporter asked what the difference was between Pryce's appointment of his niece and the appointment of his cousin, Clair, as the Blackthorn Gym Leader, Lance answered,
  
  "For one thing, I did not choose to appoint Clair as the Blackthorn Gym Leader. Nor did I use my position as a member of the Elite Four to influence the decision. The elders of the Blackthorn clan decided that Clair was the best candidate available to take up the position, and I had nothing to do with the decision. However, Champion Pryce has directly intervened in the selection process, which is a blatant display of nepotism."
  
  Lance refused to talk anymore about it, but this writer is speculating that...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Lance should go and mind his own business! Why does he have to stick his stupid head into matters that don't concern him! Besides, everyone know that Lorelei would be able to handle the job of being a Gym Leader! You just need to look at her performance in the Indigo Conference!
  
  GO LORELEI! YOU'LL BE A GREAT GYM LEADER!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...The point isn't whether Lorelei is going to be a good Gym Leader or not (though I have my doubts as she's definitely unproven), the problem is that Champion Pryce deliberately disregarded the common methods of appointing a Gym Leader and directly appointed his niece. That's just not done.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Absolutely horrid behaviour coming from Pryce. Can't believe our Champion is condoning and engaging in this blatant act of nepotism. Lance was right to call him out for it!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Not that I'm against Lance's actions here, but why couldn't Lance have confronted Pryce privately about it instead of announcing it on the news? Now it's going to look like there's discord between the high rank members of Johto. Like, why couldn't Lance just have kept silent about it...
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Hope this is going to force Pryce to step down as Champion, he's been Champion for too long and Indigo needs some change! I wouldn't even mind Lance stepping up to replace him - I feel like he'd be a much better candidate, even for a Johtonian!
  
  A.N This Pokenet interlude is less meme-y than the last one to reflect the more serious subject matter. As per previous comments, it's also a lot plot-heavier, so I hope you can forgive me for making this slightly longer than the previous Pokenet interlude because I had more to cover. Huge thanks to all your comments from the last interlude.
  
  This is also the final chapter of the Hoenn Arc, next chapter is going to be the start of the Indigo Politics Arc. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-1 - The Return
  
  While I was travelling in a much more luxurious boat than the one that I was in when I first came to Hoenn, I spent some time reflecting over my trip to Hoenn and the goodbyes that I had to make in the past two days before my departure. It really was as busy as I expected it to be.
  
  To start with, I was able to speak to Drake after he apparently got annoyed and flew off midway during his interview and asked him if there were any problems that he anticipated regarding his most recent loss. Fortunately, Drake simply laughed that off and he said that he wasn't and wouldn't be bothered by any 'shit they give me' but thanked me for my consideration regardless. I was just happy that there were no hard feelings between us.
  
  I also made my way back to Petalburg City so that I could speak with Norman. On the way though, I called Joseph Stone and informed him that I would be leaving Hoenn and returning to Indigo. He said that it wasn't a problem and thanked me for informing him, and he also praised me for fulfilling my side of the contract and promoting the Premier Ball. He predicted that the Premier Ball would become a very well-known and popular design in the future.
  
  Joseph also let me know that the branch office was already set up in a temporary building in Viridian already, and they had a few staff members over there who were still setting up and establishing themselves. He said that, by the time I returned to Indigo, they should be free to talk to if I had anything to discuss with them. I thanked him for that and told him that I would certainly visit them in the future.
  
  As I arrived in Petalburg, I went around to speaking with Norman before I left just to make sure everything was going well with the establishment of the facility for the joint research project. He told me that everything was fine and that things were running even smoother than he expected.
  
  We chatted for a bit, and he asked me a few questions about the situation about the egg, to which I honestly said that we weren't making much progress at the moment but that we were being very careful, and I was sure that the egg remained unharmed, which reassured him. He asked me if or when I would be back to Hoenn, but I had to tell him that I didn't know and that it would be up to the Indigo League. He accepted that and wished me the best.
  
  Most importantly, I met up with Karen at Fortree City since she was going to be challenging Winona for the Feather Badge. We spent a lot of time discussing what we would be doing with the egg, since I would be returning to Indigo and Karen wanted to stay in Hoenn for the time being as she challenged the remaining Gyms.
  
  Ultimately, we decided that she would keep the egg with her and rely on the Chansey/Blissey provided by the PokéCenters to monitor the egg and make sure that it wasn't harmed by the dark infusions, since she was the only one who could infuse the egg with Dark energy. To ensure that the Nurse Joys would be cooperative, I went to them and issued a letter signed in my name requesting their cooperation and explaining the nature of the experiment.
  
  Luckily, the Nurse Joy I spoke with was eager to accept and to help out, and she told me that she'll let the other Nurse Joys know as well if Karen would provide her travelling plans in advance. They also agreed to keep it hush-hush, which was fortunate. Karen was, of course, more than willing to do so and I let out a sigh of relief as I no longer needed to worry about delaying the experiment because of our temporary separation.
  
  With that sorted, I spent my remaining time with Karen as we trained our Pokémon together as usual. By the time I needed to leave, I wished Karen the best of luck with her remaining Gym challenges and that I was hoping to see her again. She returned my sentiments, and that she said that she hoped she would be ready to win the Indigo Conference and challenge the Elite Four the next time we saw each other. We hugged each other for a brief moment, and as I parted ways with her on Port, I admitted to being sad about saying goodbye to her, even if it was only temporary.
  
  The time we spent together in Hoenn wasn't really that long, looking back in hindsight, but considering that we nearly did everything together it was a bit lonely to suddenly being by myself again. Still, I comforted myself with the fact that I'd soon be seeing my family once again, and I definitely did want to spend more time with them.
  
  Exiting from my state of reminiscence, I looked around my luxurious private room abroad a private ship and, since there was no internet access on the ship, I didn't have access to the Pokénet and really didn't have any way to kill time. I even asked Pixel if it was up for some light training while we were travelling, but Pixel said no as it was tired.
  
  Failing to think of anything else I could do, I finally decided that I might as well get some shut eye before I arrived in Indigo so that I would be fully rested. And being fully rested was going to be important, as I predicted that once I arrived, I'll be immediately greeted and bombarded by reporters coming along with the welcoming committee.
  
  Though it wasn't the reporters that I was worried about, no, I was far more concerned about my inevitable conversation with Pryce. He had to have called me back for a reason, and while I suspected that it was due to Lance's badly hidden challenge for the title of Champion, I didn't know for sure what Pryce wanted from me. Though I was certain that I was about to be thrown into the deep end of Indigo's politics.
  
  Deciding that thinking about it now was just going to add to my stress levels, I leaned back and allowed my head to rest on the soft and fluffy pillow and relaxed. I wasn't a very materialistic person, but after spending so long living between Pokécenters, it was quite nice to be able to actually sleep on a deluxe bed for once.
  
  And, without realizing it, I ended up sleeping for the entire journey.
  
  I woke up to the blaring of the ship's horn, signalling that we had arrived at Indigo. After fighting against the instinct to just wrap myself in the comfort of the bed, I managed to pull myself awake and started to make sure that I was presentable for the inevitable welcome committee.
  
  At least I was getting one this time, although I still wasn't sure if that would end up being a blessing or a curse.
  
  Once I finally thought that I looked presentable, I made my way down the walkway and into the waiting crowd of the Indigo Welcome Committee. I could see cameras had been set up along the sides and they were rapidly flashing to take my picture. I tried to ignore this as I glanced around to see if I could spot the more important figures that should be here.
  
  And sure enough, the entirety of the Indigo Elite Four and Champion Pryce were in attendance, even Agatha! I could see that Champion Pryce was standing ahead of the others and was clearly waiting for me to approach.
  
  Of course, the moment that I did, a circular wall of microphones instantly surrounded me as the reporters eagerly began to fight to get their microphones closer to my mouth. Luckily, I didn't have to say anything to them as Pryce was the one who greeted me.
  
  "Elite John, welcome back to Indigo." He began with his typical cold demeanour as he extended his hand for me to shake. I observed him carefully as I reached out for his hand, cameras flashing as photos were taken, but it really did seem like he had no issues with me currently.
  
  "Champion Pryce, thank you for welcoming me back." I answered politely, not letting any of my inner sarcasm leak out in my tone. I was very much aware of the cameras that were currently pointing at us at the moment, and I didn't want to give off a bad impression. "I very much enjoyed my time in Hoenn."
  
  "Yes, I can see that." He noted, before he gave off a very begrudging smile that was clearly for the cameras, "I would be remiss if I did not say that you did good work in Hoenn as a representative of Indigo, so with my position as Champion, I thank you for your hard work."
  
  Wow, that couldn't have been more forced and stiffer if he tried. Of course, I'm sure that the headlines would report on this favourably for Pryce, which I supposed was the point. I knew that Pryce was eager for some good headlines at the moment.
  
  Regardless, I wasn't going to burst his bubble at the moment, so I just gave him a polite nod of thanks and turned to the reporters who were waiting impatiently to ask me a few questions.
  
  "Elite John! How did you feel now that you're back?!" The nearest reporter asked me, and I inwardly hoped that all future questions would be this mundane. "What are you going to be doing first?"
  
  "I feel great to be back." I answered truthfully, "And the first thing I'm going to do when I'm free is that I'm going to be heading home to visit my family. It has been a while and I've been longing to see them."
  
  "How did you arrange for Devon Corp to set up a branch in Viridian and for the joint research project to be established in Petalburg?" Another reporter asked, and since that was a legitimately good question I decided to think through my answer before speaking.
  
  "A bit of it was luck, admittedly. I had just fought Gym Leader Norman, and after our battle we both wanted to discuss a few things about our training techniques together." I replied while stroking my chin. "During that discussion, I brought up the fact that we could collaborate on a joint research project, and we started to put the details in place. However, Norman told me that I'd have to visit Devon Corp to procure the scientists on Hoenn's side, so I went there."
  
  "And because of that, I visited Devon Corp to ask them about if they were interested in lending their scientists to participate in the project. And while I was doing so, I asked whether they were interested in setting up a branch in Indigo, and they agreed." I continued. "So, as you can see, it was quite a bit of luck and a string of coincidences. But I'm certainly happy with the results!"
  
  My answer glossed over a lot of the finer details, and I made the decision to deliberately keep Giovanni's name and his actions out of my answer. I didn't want to seem like I was just a puppet of Giovanni that was doing his bidding, that would be bad for both of our reputation's. I feared that, if I had told the truth about Giovanni's involvement, many would see him as being far too powerful for a Gym Leader and it might bring unwanted suspicions to him.
  
  At the moment, I didn't think either of us wanted that to happen, so I downplayed his involvement. I'm sure he would understand.
  
  The rest of the questions asked very similar things, and fortunately most of them revolved around my match with Drake. I gave them similarly inane and inoffensive answers, mostly repeating what I had said in the winner's interview, and before they could ask me another round of dumb questions, I was rescued from them by an unexpected saviour.
  
  "Alright, that's enough attention for you, young man." Agatha's cackling voice cut in and I could feel her surprisingly strong grip on my arm. "I need this young man for something, so shoo, shoo, go away." She shooed away the reporters with repeated waves of her walking cane. A few of the braver reporters almost wanted to protest against this, but then I felt a wave of pressure suddenly emerge from Agatha that finally drove away the reporters.
  
  Agatha seemed satisfied at finally having some peace and quiet, but her face turned into a frown as she addressed the remaining Elite Four members that were standing there impatiently. "Off you go, gents, I have something to speak to with young John here. You can bother him about your problems later." She mocked.
  
  I saw that Walker simply shrugged and walked away, but both Lance and Pryce both scowled at Agatha. Ignoring both of their stares, she forcefully gripped my arm and pulled me aside.
  
  "So, tell me about Karen." She began once we were out of earshot. "Did you fuck her?"
  
  I coughed and spluttered at just how blunt Agatha was. I gave her a questioning look to see if she was simply mocking me, but I could see that she was fully serious. Seeing that she was actually asking a serious question, I decided to match her gaze.
  
  "No, I didn't." I replied uncomfortably, and she stared at me with discerning eyes that felt like they were seeing through me. "I'm telling the truth. I won't deny that there's probably something between us, but we never acted on it yet. We both thought it was too soon."
  
  Agatha stared at me for a few more moments, as if trying to determine whether I was lying or not before she nodded and gave me a devilish smile. "Good, glad to see the both of you aren't as controlled by your hormones as I feared."
  
  I didn't know how to respond to that, so I kept silent. Agatha saw my silence and continued her questioning.
  
  "What do you think of her skills as a trainer? She told me you trained together frequently."
  
  "Yes, we did." I confirmed, happy to be talking about anything else besides our relationship status. I took on a more wistful tone as I spoke about our time together. "I could see that her Pokémon were all very well-trained, and even her non-Dark type Pokémon were all extremely proficient in their use of Dark type moves. She certainly lives up to the title of a Dark type specialist."
  
  "Yes, yes, I know how good she is with her Dark types." Agatha waved her hands dismissively, "But is she ready for the Elite Four?"
  
  I frowned and thought about it for a moment. A part of me wanted to tell Agatha that Karen was ready, and that I believed her capable of being in the Elite Four right now. But the more rational part of myself realized that Karen's team was too lacking in heavy hitters to really secure her position in the Elite Four in the long run. She needed to win decisively and unquestionably to deter any future challengers, and I wasn't sure she could do that at the moment.
  
  Sure, she had a bunch of tricks and tactics that could make up for that deficiency, but sometimes as an Elite Four there are situations where raw strength is all that's needed, and Karen currently doesn't really have that and was overly reliant on her tricks. Even her Houndoom was more of a jack-of-all-trades Pokémon than an actual heavy hitter.
  
  With that realization, I decided to stick to the truth while still painting Karen in as positive of a light as I could. "Karen could most certainly take on Walker. And, she just needs to add a heavy hitter into her team, and I would be confident in her chances of making it into the Elite Four for the long-term." I told Agatha.
  
  But Agatha just snorted, and gave me a mocking smile, "You think I can't see through what you're saying?" She cackled to herself, "Almost half of the Gym Leaders in Indigo can take on Walker, it's no hard feat. I can see what you're trying to do, but don't think I can't see through it."
  
  I shrugged shamelessly at that, and I stayed silent as I watched Agatha ponder something. A few moments passed by before she spoke up again.
  
  "Well, it's not like I didn't know this already. After all, I did watch all of her matches in Hoenn." She told me, and I gave her an annoyed look. Why did she ask me all that if she already knew about it anyways?
  
  Agatha clearly read my thoughts from the annoyance that was on my face, and she cackled once again. "I asked you those questions because I wanted to know how you would react to my questions." She admitted with a sardonic grin, "It's not like I would have trusted your judgment on her strength anyways."
  
  Her mocking response only served to further frustrate me. I felt played with and used, and I was about to walk away from her word games towards where the remaining Elite Four were before Agatha interrupted my thoughts once again.
  
  "John, a word of advice." She said uncharacteristically seriously and without a trace of mockery in her voice. I turned back to her and gave her a look that told her to get on with it. She continued with an enigmatic smile, "Pryce is distracted right now, and he's more worried than he's letting on about Lance. The recent scandal against him has really unnerved Pryce, and he'll be looking for support from various important people to secure his position as Champion."
  
  My eyes widened with astonishment at the information. Why was she telling me this? Before I could think about it, Agatha resumed her explanation, "I also know that Lance is looking to seek support from those same people against Pryce. And while I personally do not give a whit which egotistical person remains or becomes Champion, I just thought I'd let you know as a favour of sorts and as thanks for helping out with Karen."
  
  Before I could even respond, Agatha suddenly snapped her fingers and a Gengar revealed itself out of nowhere and the two of them were abruptly covered with a large shadow before they both disappeared.
  
  I stared blankly at where Agatha disappeared from, both mildly confused and impressed by that display. I then quickly shrugged off those distracting thoughts and focused on what Agatha had just told me. I didn't know why she had chosen to tell me this, but it was undoubtedly useful.
  
  I went over her words a couple of times before I realized that the rest of the Elite Four and the Champion were still waiting for me. It was definitely unusual that they were just waiting there and, considering their personalities, I fully expected them to have tried to interrupt our conversation. Yet the fact that they didn't only gave credence to what Agatha had told me; that they wanted my favour and were trying to play nice with me.
  
  Not wanting to keep them waiting any longer, I turned around and started making my way back. I could see that Walker was off to the side just standing there idly, he was obviously uninvolved with the matter but didn't want to leave while the others were still there, and Lance and Pryce were visibly glaring at each other. I supposed that it was no secret that they both knew what the other was planning.
  
  Like I told Giovanni, I wanted to support Lance over Pryce. I knew that he would end up being Champion as per canon, but I couldn't be certain that I hadn't accidentally butterflied canon away through my actions. Also, I definitely wanted to hear from the both of them before I decided on who to support.
  
  Lance was the first to see me approach, and I could tell that he was about to say something before Pryce rudely cut him off and spoke first.
  
  "Elite John, I would like to speak with you about some important matters regarding the safety of Indigo and her future." He said while ignoring the hole that Lance was glaring into the back of his head. "Let us make our way to my office and discuss this further. Come."
  
  I hated the fact that he made it sound like a command, but I gave Lance a quick glance and he subtly shook his head to signal that he wasn't willing to speak up now. Having no other choice, since refusing Pryce at this moment would be basically saying that I was going to be Pryce's enemy, I followed Pryce as he summoned one of the League provided Kadabra's to Teleport us back to his office.
  
  Just before we were Teleported to Pryce's offices, I briefly saw Lance giving me a considering look. I didn't have time to realize what that meant before Pryce and I appeared in his immaculate office.
  
  Pryce casually made his way and seated himself on his fancy and very expensive chair before he gestured for me to sit down opposite him.
  
  "Please sit, John." He said as if it was a command rather than an offer. "We have much to talk about."
  
  A.N The first chapter of the Indigo Politics Arc! As you can probably tell, this Arc is going to have a lot more politics than the Hoenn Arc. But don't worry, there'll be battles too...eventually.
  
  Thank you for sticking with me all this way and continuing to read my work. As always, I am thankful for your support.
  
  Oh, and about John's and Agatha's analysis of Karen, you have to realize that they're both unconsciously comparing Karen to the current members of the Indigo Elite Four. Excluding Walker, that would consist of John, Lance, Agatha. A very strong lineup.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already.
  
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  The New Normal - 2-19 -Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 2-19 - Interlude- Lorelei
  
  Lorelei knew accepting the title of Gym Leader of Mahogany was a mistake, even before all of the backlash occurred towards her uncle, Pryce. She knew that she was certainly unqualified for this prestigious role, but she was going to do her best running the Gym anyways. It's just too bad that the public, justifiably, weren't willing to put their trust in her just yet. Or ever.
  
  She supposed she could redeem and prove herself over the next circuit, although she was pessimistic about her chances about gaining the public's favour. She expected to be labelled as a Gym Leader who was undeserving of her title for a long time, and she anticipated that she wouldn't be able to scrub the mark of nepotism off of her.
  
  What was worse than the negative public opinion was that she didn't garner any respect from her Gym Trainers either. Many of them had worked very hard and dedicated themselves to the Mahogany Gym for a long time before they were able to earn their positions, and they saw Lorelei being 'gifted' the title of Gym Leader to be a massive insult to all their efforts. And since her uncle didn't deign to give her any help in the form of loyal assistants and Gym Trainers, she had to manage all of this by herself!
  
  That was far more problematic to solve. She needed the help of her Gym Trainers to be able to effectively run the Gym, but most of them either treated her with polite disdain or outright hostility. And none of them were willing to respect her authority as a Gym Leader.
  
  Lorelei desperately hoped that she would be able to reign them in and assert her authority by the time the new circuit revolves around. She would have no hope of salvaging her public reputation if she couldn't manage her Gym properly, which she needed the assistance of her Gym Trainers to do. It was a vicious cycle and certainly an uphill battle that Lorelei wasn't looking forward to, but she willed herself to at least try.
  
  But with every day that passed, it was increasingly apparent that becoming the Gym Leader of Mahogany was far more trouble than it was worth.
  
  Of course, she couldn't exactly say no to the position either. Despite their best attempts, her parents weren't the greatest of trainers, and neither were most of her extended family, so her uncle dismissed them as useless for helping him maintain power as Champion. However, once she came along and started showing off her potential in the Indigo Conference, that was when she caught the attention of her uncle. But only as a pawn to be used.
  
  Although she was unable to win the Indigo Conference, settling for a 'mere third place' according to her uncle, he was satisfied enough that he could make use of her to further his own interests. Much of Pryce's support base was located in Mahogany, and he pressured them into accepting Lorelei as the new Gym Leader after the previous one stepped down. She didn't really have a choice to refuse, unless she chose to leave Indigo entirely, but that was never a realistic option.
  
  He had made her a Gym Leader in order to assert a further level of control over the Johto Gyms, but that seemed to be an overly ambitious idea from Lorelei's perspective. And to make matters worse, her uncle was getting raked over hot coals on the Pokénet and the news for appointing her as a Gym Leader anyways! Lance was really trying to drive a stake through her uncle's cold dead heart, and on some nights, she wanted to help him!
  
  She knew that her uncle wasn't always like this. Her parents had told her that he used to be a bright and capable trainer that many in the family saw as an inspirational leader. But that was before he became the Champion. That was before the power of his title went to his brain and rotted him from inside out. That was before it was rumoured that he turned to bribery and intimidation to maintain his position. Lorelei had serious trouble reconciling her parents' description of a younger, more innocent Pryce, to the stern, cold, and uncaring uncle that she always knew.
  
  She sighed as she leaned back in her seat in her new office; she didn't even have the time to redecorate it with her personal items, so it was still as the old Gym Leader left it. She looked and the clock and saw that she had already spent ten minutes just moping about. She sighed once more as she pulled herself out of her chair as she adorned her haughty façade once more.
  
  It was time to confront the world.
  
  A.N. Although Lorelei isn't going to be a major character in this story, I felt like a short Interlude about her would be nice to show how she's doing at the moment. We will be seeing more of her later!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 3-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-2 - A Chilly Conversation
  
  I sat down in the chair across from Pryce, who was continuously staring at me as if he was trying to observe my every movement. Being in someone's office like this reminded me of the time I was invited to speak with Giovanni. It was admittedly rather unnerving to be the subject of Pryce's cold stare, but I was no longer the fresh newbie member of the Elite Four who was insecure about his position.
  
  No, after my victory over Drake and with my bolstered relations with Giovanni, I knew that my position was far more secure than it was the last time I met with Pryce before I went to Hoenn. I would remain respectful, but I was not going to be intimidated.
  
  I held Pryce's stare for a moment, until he eventually eased up and leaned backwards, no longer trying to intimidate me.
  
  "Firstly, before we move on to the main topic that I would like to discuss with you, I would like to give you my sincere apologies for sending you to Hoenn on such short notice and in such poor conditions." He began, although I noticed that his face had no trace of guilt or apology at all.
  
  "John, I did not do this out of some malicious intent to move you away. You must understand that, as the newest and youngest member of the Elite Four, there were a few in the Indigo League that were worried that you would let your newfound title go to your head and cause problems for Indigo. Thus, we had to send you there as a sort of test to see if you would be suitable for the position in the long-term." He explained.
  
  I thought about his explanation for a moment, and I eventually found them to be unsatisfactory. Whether that was because his reasoning didn't really make sense to me, or because of the lack of sincerity in his tone, I just couldn't get myself to believe in his words. My gut was screaming to me that Pryce was lying to me, but I didn't let my suspicions show on my face.
  
  "You've changed." Seeing that I wasn't saying anything, he continued. "You seem much more confident and surer of yourself. That's good. A proper member of the Elite Four should be confident in themselves, just like you are now."
  
  I only nodded in response and stayed silent once again. His tone of voice was as cold and as unfriendly as usual, and so even though the words itself were complimentary, it was very difficult for me to treat them as such. Also, a part of me suspected that he was just trying to flatter me so that I would react positively to his request.
  
  Seeing my silence, he kept going, "You have also made great strides for Indigo in furthering our relations with Hoenn. I'm sure that the business opportunities that you have created for the two regions as a result of your cooperation with Devon Corp will easily prove fruitful in the future. It seems like my decision to send you to Hoenn to test out your capabilities was successful, then. I would be happy to keep you on the Elite Four for the future as well."
  
  Okay, now I was almost certain that he was trying to flatter me. In fact, his attempts to praise and compliments me were so stiff and unnatural because of his constant monotone voice that it was almost comical to listen to. I supposed that Pryce really hadn't had the need to compliment or praise someone in a while.
  
  ...I wonder what that says of him as a person?
  
  Deciding that I had to actually respond to Pryce's comments, I finally spoke up, "Thank you for your words, Champion Pryce." I remained respectful even though I knew his words were insincere, "I hoped to prove that I deserved to be a member of the Elite Four and that I would work hard for the benefit of Indigo. I am glad to be recognized for my efforts."
  
  Pryce frowned slightly at my response, before he quickly pulled his face back into his usual neutral expression. I guess he was hoping that his words would have caused me to react more favourably towards him. But he was delusional if he thought that anyone would have been comforted or enthused by anyone speaking with his tone of voice.
  
  If he truly wanted to appear like he was giving you genuine praise, he should probably stop speaking with his cold and monotonous tone of voice.
  
  "Well, regardless, let's get on with what I wanted to speak about today." Maybe seeing that his words weren't having the affected that he was hoping for, Pryce skipped over the pleasantries and moved to what he wanted to speak about.
  
  I sat up straight and leaned forwards as I focused on his next words; I knew that the next few moments of our conversation would be extremely important to shaping the future of Indigo.
  
  "I'm sure that despite your recent return from Hoenn, you surely must have seen the news on the Pokénet that Lance has recently attacked me for my rightful appointment of my niece as the Gym Leader of Mahogany?" He asked rhetorically, but I nodded anyways as he continued, "Ignoring the ridiculousness of that claim, what you might not know is that my sources tell me that this is just the beginning of Lance's attempts at discrediting me in the public eye before he makes his eventual challenge against me for the position of Champion."
  
  Of course, I already knew all of this, but I still tried my best to look surprised at this revelation. Luckily, Pryce didn't seem to have caught on to my fake surprise and kept speaking.
  
  "I hope you can understand the severity of the situation which I am describing, John." He continued, "The fact that Lance is seeking to make himself the Champion already shows that he is far too ambitious for his own good. As if a Dragon type trainer could ever defeat the likes of me. It only adds to his arrogance to think that his Dragons could ever defeat my team of Ice types." I hid my disbelief at his confidence that Lance had no chance of defeating him. Despite Lance's type disadvantage, I KNEW that Lance was far stronger than Pryce perceived.
  
  Pryce fixed a serious look towards me, "You understand that this cannot be allowed to happen, right John? For the good of Indigo, Lance must not take my place as Champion. I will not allow him to take it away from me."
  
  Before I could even nod in response, Pryce carried on, his speech turning more and more passionate until it almost turned into a rant. "I have been Champion for a very long time, John, and Indigo has prospered under my leadership. There have been no wars, no big protests, and no big issues that have managed to threaten the peace of Indigo. That is all due to my leadership, and because I remained as Champion. John, if I were to lose my position as Champion to a militant like Lance, what do you think would happen? I couldn't imagine how Lance's short-sightedness will doom the many achievements that I have accomplished."
  
  Pryce kept on going and I actually ended up tuning Pryce out as he continued with his ranting and self-praising, to the extent that I wasn't even sure if he was talking to me or talking AT me.
  
  But WOW. Listening to Pryce's speech was eerily familiar to me. I definitely felt like I had heard someone saying something very similar to this not too long ago. I spent a few moments trying to place that sense of familiarity before the realization finally hit me.
  
  Pryce's current rambling speech was just like the rant that Giovanni gave when I spoke with him for the first time all that time ago!
  
  With that realisation, I ended up comparing both of their words, and found that the two of them mirrored each other quite well with their power complexes. On the one hand, based on my memory of Giovanni's rant, I could feel in his words and demeanour that he was genuinely passionate about maintaining and furthering the prosperity of Kanto at any cost, and that he wanted and needed power in order to make sure that he could work towards improving Kanto. He was a true nationalist, to the point of obsession, but I respected him for that regardless.
  
  On the other hand, Pryce was clearly focused on maintaining power as Champion as his first priority. Sure, he also occasionally looked out for the prosperity of Indigo, but that was just the side product of his actions in trying to maintain his title as Champion. Pryce only served Pryce. Perhaps he felt differently at first, and perhaps he had once strived to be a great Champion for Indigo's sake. But that man is now gone, leaving only the withered husk of selfish ambition that was the current Pryce. A man now so consumed and possessed by the need to maintain his power at any cost.
  
  Ever since becoming an Elite Four, I worked hard in hopes of bettering Kanto and Indigo as a whole, and to do that I was determined to work for the better of Kanto and improve its economy so that the Kantonians wouldn't become discontent and cause problems like forming or joining Team Rocket. In that way, I could see the similarities between myself and Giovanni. We both needed power in order to be able to enact the changes we wanted. Unlike Pryce, who I was certain wanted power for the sake of being able to wield it.
  
  It was at this point that I recognized that I could never forgive myself if I chose to support a man like Pryce, a man who was willing to do everything and anything to keep his position as Champion. I didn't dare to think of all the other underhanded actions that Pryce must have taken over his long reign as Champion to maintain his position.
  
  And I felt that it was this difference between the two that made me gravitate towards Giovanni more than Pryce, even though I knew that Giovanni was probably a worse person than Pryce and had done worse and likely more illegal things in the past.
  
  Was it wrong of me to be more trusting and supportive of Giovanni despite his likely affiliations with Team Rocket? Probably. I didn't trust either of them, not completely, but Pryce was just so utterly repulsive to me that I really couldn't see myself supporting him.
  
  I hadn't even spoken to Lance yet, but I could see that a future with Pryce remaining as Champion would be bad for the future of Kanto AND Johto. No, Pryce needed to be removed as soon as possible.
  
  To explain how the Indigo system functions, basically, the Champion serves as the leader and face of the Indigo League. The Champion is mostly responsible for setting the overall direction of Indigo and can pass proposals to a committee for approval. The Elite Four and the League officials serves as the arms that supports and enforces the Champion's policies.
  
  The Champion also doesn't have the power to directly appoint members of the Elite Four or Gym Leaders. Instead, they sit on a committee consisting of many high-ranking League officials where the Champion has a large, but not majority, vote. There, the committee decides who to appoint into the Elite Four, which sometimes also includes promoting a Gym Leader into the Elite Four. The Champion may also directly dismiss a member of the Elite Four by defeating them in a Pokémon battle with no more than 2 losses suffered by the Champion, or by sitting on a committee to vote them out through a majority vote.
  
  However, the Champion can be removed in two ways. The most common way was through a Pokémon challenge, where a challenger who had defeated all of the current members of the Elite Four in any order may challenge the Champion and replace them if the challenger wins. If the challenger is already a member of the Elite Four, they may challenge the Champion directly without having to deal with the other members of the Elite Four. This encourages prospective Champions to join the Elite Four first to gain leadership experience before trying to become the Champion. Similarly, any Gym Leader can challenge an Elite Four member and replace them if they win.
  
  Alternatively, and this applies to any member of the Elite Four as well, the Champion may be removed if 80% of the public votes to remove them. Thus, the Champion is incentivised to remain popular with both the Elite Four and the public, as if the Champion is hated by the Elite Four, then they can simply refuse to obey the Champion's orders with little consequences if the public or a majority of the committee doesn't vote to remove the offending Elite Four member. Likewise, and often linked with the previous scenario, if the Champion is unpopular with the public, then the public can directly vote to remove them.
  
  With these checks and balances in place, it hopefully serves to prevent a Champion from becoming a dictator and taking full control of Indigo. That's how Pryce was held in check for the past couple of years but holding him in check doesn't mean that he wasn't going to continue causing damage to the future of Indigo through his constant enforcement of the status quo and the subsequent resulting stagnation that followed.
  
  I knew that he still had a large support base that was still interested in keeping Pryce as Champion, mostly to serve their own interests, but that was always going to be the case with any reigning Champion. With that in mind, I recognized that, realistically, Pryce could only be removed through a direct confrontation in a Pokémon battle. But I had to be careful with the way that Pryce was removed.
  
  Thus, I had to ensure that Lance obtained enough support for when he replaced Pryce so that there wouldn't be too much opposition against him, which would stifle his policies and heavily distract Lance during the early periods of his reign. Therefore, it would be best if Lance could prove himself to the public that his challenge for the title of Champion was done out of goodwill, to benefit both the public and the people of Indigo, and not because he was power-hungry.
  
  He would have to prove that Pryce was unsuitable to remain as the Champion, and that he had an overall direction and goal that would suit and benefit the future of Indigo.
  
  This meant that I had to check with Lance to make sure that he actually had the support base necessary to be a successful Champion in the long-term, but for now, I refocused myself so that I could actually respond to Pryce, who was finally wrapping up his rant.
  
  "...And, it is because of this, Elite John, that I am seeking your support to ensure that Lance doesn't end up destroying the very pillars that make up and support Indigo." Pryce finished with a darkened expression.
  
  I matched his stare with a blank one of my own, pretending like I had just listened to his possessed ramblings. However, since I had made my choice that to not support Pryce, keeping my true allegiance from him was paramount. This meant keeping his suspicions down for the time being and placating him with words that he would want to hear before extracting myself from this conversation before I gave anything away; I wasn't ready to fight a political battle against Pryce at the moment.
  
  "I can certainly understand your perspective, Champion." I responded, carefully controlling the words that I used to technically avoid lying while not giving him any explicit promises for support, "I can certainly understand your motivations and where you're coming from; especially with how hard you seem to be working towards achieving your own goals. Furthermore, I understand that Lance may be untested as a Champion and may bring the instability you so fear to Indigo. While I may not have the level of political awareness required to fully understand the scope of the situation, I will happily defer to your expertise."
  
  I tried to cover up my intentions with my flowery language and flattery, and luckily Pryce bought into it and seemed pleased by my answer.
  
  "John, I'm glad to see that you see the truth of things." He pretended to say pleasantly, and I had to hold back from rolling my eyes. "I assume that I can count on your support for the future?"
  
  "I will always work for the betterment and interests of Indigo, Champion Pryce, and I thank you for your words once again." I answered with a smile, while not actually giving any explicit promises of support.
  
  I concealed a smirk as Pryce failed to see through my veiled words and nodded, his face never even breaking into anything that could resemble a genuine smile. I guess this was the other reason I disliked Pryce, he was just so cold and unfriendly that it was hard to bond or have positive feelings for. Idly, I wondered if this was the result of years of being the most powerful person in Indigo.
  
  I then decided to take a risk and ask a few more questions towards Pryce, both so I could hopefully learn more about his support base and also to try to trick and convince Pryce into thinking that I was asking these questions because I wanted to know more about his other supporters so that I could support him better.
  
  "Champion Pryce, may I ask about the other Elite Four members? What do they say about Lance's challenge for your position?" I questioned.
  
  Pryce actually scowled at my question, but I could tell he wasn't scowling at me. "Among the remaining Elite Four, only you and Walker have the sense to do what's right. Agatha insists on playing as the petty ruler of Lavender Town, and she stubbornly refuses to do what's right and provide me the support that I should be receiving."
  
  I saw Pryce's fist clench momentarily as he continued tightly. "At least she isn't supporting Lance either, but I'm suspicious of her intentions. Normally, I would ask to send you to investigate and to learn more, since you have a reason to talk to her through your connections with Agatha's apprentice, but you're too young and inexperienced and she'd see through you in an instant."
  
  "I understand, thank you for the information, Champion Pryce." I simply said back, keeping the smile on my face despite the backhanded insult that he just gave me.
  
  Just earlier he was praising me for having grown and matured, but now that he thought that he had my support he was back with the condescension. Sure, he probably wasn't wrong because Agatha most certainly would see through my intentions and know that I was sent by Pryce, but Pryce's two-faced attitude was just another factor that rubbed me the wrong way.
  
  A part of me wanted to say more and ask a few more questions, but I decided that I should end the conversation here while Pryce still believed that I was on his side. Thus, seeing that we were both silent, I spoke up and asked him if there was anything else he needed for me to do as the Champion.
  
  "Just one more thing." Pryce requested sharply. "What will you be doing next after you leave here?"
  
  I told him truthfully that I was feeling tired and wanted to go home to see my family as soon as possible. As he heard that, he simply shook his head and told me that the conversation was over and asked for me to make my way out.
  
  I gave him a polite goodbye and left his office. Of course, since Pryce's offices were located in a private area that for security reasons was inaccessible to the common people without a Kadabra to Teleport you, I had to then request to be teleported to the entrance of the Indigo League building.
  
  As I left the building, I was texting my family saying that I was coming home before I was spotted by a few members of the public that recognized me and politely if they could have an autograph and a photo. Seeing that they were being polite, I indulged a few of them before I told the rest of them that I was tired and needed to go and left before I was overwhelmed by the growing swarm of people who all wanted the same.
  
  I breathed a sigh of relief as I soon found myself in the air riding on Port, away from the crowd of people and slowly making my way home. As I flew on Port, I went over the entire conversation I had with Pryce and reaffirmed my choice in not supporting him. I wasn't certain that I made the choice entirely rationally, but I knew that I could not endure working for Pryce in the long-term.
  
  It was a short flight, but I quickly found myself circling over my family farm. They had clearly received my text as I saw the entirety of my family standing out in the open waiting patiently for my return.
  
  A smile broke out on my face and a familiar warmth spread throughout me. The familiar atmosphere and scenery served as a reminder of my true allegiances, and why I worked so hard to strive for a better Kanto and Indigo. It was this image of peace, filled with freely given familial love, that formed the foundation for all of my actions.
  
  I landed on Port and the moment I stepped down from Port, I was immediately hugged by a pink blur that revealed itself as Whitney.
  
  "Welcome home, John!" Whitney beamed excitedly, and I quickly gave her a one-armed hug while my other hand rubbed her head. Soon enough, my parents joined in on the hug while saying similar sentiments.
  
  "Thanks, sis. I'm happy to be home." I told her.
  
  A.N I hope that explanation of how the League works made sense, I spent way too long thinking about it and putting it together. I hoped that it was a marriage between the more strength-based system of the Pokémon games and a more democratic system like you'd see in our world.
  
  There will be an info chapter about it in the future to go into more detail - I didn't want to turn this chapter into an exposition dump. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 3-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-3 - Unpleasant Discoveries
  
  Home was always a place where I thought I could sit back and relax and allow all of the accumulated stress that I had built up over the past few weeks to fade away. Initially, my return home this time was no different.
  
  After our family hug was over, I was almost immediately pestered by questions about how I was doing from my parents and demands for training from Whitney. I begged off the both of them and told them, since it was getting late and I hadn't actually eaten anything, that I would address a few questions at dinner, but I wanted to go to bed earlier because I was awfully tired.
  
  Whitney pouted at that. Clearly, she had wanted me to help her with her training as soon as possible. Normally, I would be more than happy to, but I really did just want to rest for the moment.
  
  Thus, after a quick dinner where my parents and I had a short, but pleasant conversation where we both caught each other up on what was going on with our respective lives, I quickly found myself laying down in my bed and fast asleep.
  
  In hindsight, I wished I had at least skimmed through the Pokénet before I went to bed last night. That way, I wouldn't have been caught by surprise during lunch the next day while we all sat together and watched the news.
  
  I nearly choked on my rice as I heard what the news was reporting.
  
  'There has been no new information about the new gang of criminals that have been terrorising the streets of Indigo as of late. Our hard-working Jennys have reported that they have arrested several members from this 'R' gang, but they have yet to unearth the true leadership that are behind this slew of criminal activity. However, at this point the Indigo Police is certain that these criminals are a part of an organized crime group and have announced a monetary award for any relevant information regarding this group.'
  
  "What's wrong, John? You look like you just saw a Ghost." My mom commented with concern as she watched as my eyes nearly shot out of their sockets. I wasn't able to answer her at the moment as alarm bells were ringing loudly through my head.
  
  What the fuck was this? Why is Team Rocket on the news and stealing Pokémon already? Didn't Giovanni say that he was cancelling the project? Did he lie to me? Questions were running through my brain at a mile a minute, and I was tempted to rush to my room in a panic.
  
  I forced my panic down, "Just...something came up." I answered unconvincingly, before trying to fish for some information. "Do anyone of you know anything about this recent crime wave? Has it been on the news for a while?"
  
  "I think so..." My father responded, "We've been quite busy the last few days, but yes, I think it came up in a couple of headlines. Why?"
  
  "Just something on my mind." I answered evasively, my mind a mixture of confusion and anger towards Giovanni. I didn't understand what he was doing, and my mind screamed for answers.
  
  "Sorry, I'm not hungry." I said quickly as I stood up, ignoring their questions of concern before I dashed back to my room, locking the door behind me.
  
  A part of me felt bad for brushing off my parents like that, but I was way too distracted at the moment to care. I hastily fetched my phone and dug through the Pokénet to see if there were any previous news reports that I missed when I was travelling back from Hoenn.
  
  Sure enough, there had been a few reports regarding Team Rocket and their acts of Pokémon thievery. That seemed to be all they were doing now, which was a cold comfort, but at least that probably meant that they were still in the beginning stages of their criminal activities.
  
  Still, that didn't explain why they existed in the first place. I had hoped, and I certainly had reason to believe, that my first meeting with Giovanni and my subsequent actions managed to persuade Giovanni away from forming Team Rocket. He even told me himself that he was abandoning it!
  
  I paced around my room uncertainly, contemplating on what I could do, before eventually just damning the consequences and making the call anyways. I needed answers and standing around idly was never going to achieve anything.
  
  Curiously enough, it was not Giovanni who picked up the phone.
  
  "Hello, John, this is Petrel." A familiar refined voice answered, and I was taken aback with the fact that it was Petrel on the line instead of Giovanni.
  
  "Hello, Petrel." I said, my surprise helping to temper my anger at hearing about Team Rocket. "It's a surprise hearing you on the phone instead of Giovanni. Why are you the one on the line right now? And may I please speak to Giovanni as soon as possible."
  
  "I'm sorry, John, but Giovanni is currently unavailable at the moment, which is why I am the one currently in charge of handling his calls." Petrel replied apologetically, and was it me or did I hear a hint of nervousness in his voice?
  
  Also, the fact that Giovanni was unavailable was certainly even more alarming. What in Arceus was going on?
  
  "I see." I responded more calmly than I felt. "Petrel, I've just heard a very concerning report on the news about this crime wave, and I need to ask Giovanni some questions. May I ask what Giovanni is currently doing? It is certainly unusual for him to be away from his personal phone." I asked suspiciously, trying to extract whatever information I could from Petrel.
  
  Petrel noticeably paused for a moment before he responded to my question, which only confirmed to me that Giovanni was currently dealing with something urgently. I suspected that it might have to do with Team Rocket, but I didn't know what his involvement with the latest iteration of Team Rocket was. As the leader? Or as something else?
  
  "...Gym Leader Giovanni is currently dealing with the latest group of criminals that have been seen throughout Indigo." Petrel answered evasively. But I pushed him for more.
  
  "Petrel, that's not good enough for me." I insisted more forcefully, losing my previous politeness. "You can probably guess why I am looking to speak to Giovanni so urgently, especially with what Giovanni revealed to me when we spoke together that night all those weeks ago. So, for the peace of my mind and for Giovanni's sake, I. Need. To. Know. What's. Going. On." I ordered.
  
  I could hear Petrel hesitating over the phone. I guess my line of questioning was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but I wouldn't let him go without at least having a few of my questions answered.
  
  Seeing that Petrel was still unwilling to speak up, I decided to push him a bit harder.
  
  "Petrel, I'm sure that you are more than just some random security guard for Giovanni and that you know more than you let on." I persisted, deciding to reveal just a little bit of what I knew. "So, you must know just how important Giovanni values my friendship, and vice versa. And, at this very moment, I am considering severing my relations with Giovanni if I do not get a satisfactory answer of what his involvement is regarding the latest crime spree. I do not want to become enemies with Giovanni, but I will if I have to. So, TELL ME, Petrel, What. Is. Giovanni. Doing?"
  
  I injected as much force as I could into that last sentence to show Petrel just how serious I was taking this situation, and how important his next few sentences were going to be for the future of my friendship with Giovanni. It was a reminder to him that I was more than just some random teenager, but that he was speaking with a member of the Elite Four with all the power and influence behind said title.
  
  I also convinced myself that it wasn't a bluff. As useful as Giovanni has been for me, if it was revealed that he was the leader of Team Rocket, I told myself that I would immediately cut off any connections with him. I saw it as too much of a risk to be associated with Team Rocket.
  
  I heard Petrel audibly exhale at the other end of the phone, and after a brief moment of hesitation he decided to give me a few answers.
  
  "Giovanni...is not directly involved with the situation at hand." Petrel said cautiously, his voice no longer as refined and taking on a hint of fear and worry. "I suspect that...he is as worried as you are about this whole affair...and is trying to handle the situation before things get any worse for him."
  
  I hummed thoughtfully at Petrel's reply. He could have been lying to placate me, but my gut told me that he was telling the truth. Nevertheless, I continued pressing Petrel for more information.
  
  "So, and answer me plainly, Petrel. Is Giovanni responsible for the latest wave of criminals?" I demanded.
  
  "...No. He isn't." Petrel answered after a moment, and he paused a bit before he elaborated. "...Giovanni initially had much different intentions for these individuals, but they have decided to disobey Giovanni's orders and have gone off on their own."
  
  Ah, now the picture was becoming clearer. From what Petrel was saying, it appears that a group of individuals under Giovanni had gone rogue and decided to form Team Rocket without Giovanni's consent. But who was the leader? And what were their goals if they were no longer following Giovanni? What about the other admins? What were they doing?
  
  I mentally gauged if I could demand more information from Petrel, and I decided that he was currently sufficiently pliable and that there was no harm in continuing my questioning.
  
  "Petrel, tell me everything you know about these criminals. What are their goals? And who's leading them?" I demanded again.
  
  "I truly don't know anything about them, Elite John." He responded quickly, and he could clearly feel my disbelief even over the phone as he explained. "Giovanni really didn't tell me anything regarding this. As soon as he heard about it, he quickly rushed out of the room after telling me to handle his calls without explaining anything else to me. I figured all this out myself and I'm still not sure when he'll return."
  
  That was a reasonable explanation, and my gut was telling me that he was being honest with me, so I decided to believe him. But even though a few of my worries were assuaged by Petrel's answers, namely that I truly didn't think that Giovanni was in charge of the new Team Rocket since it didn't make sense with his own actions, I still needed to speak with Giovanni urgently.
  
  I asked Petrel when Giovanni was available because I had many questions that have yet to be addressed, and Petrel promised that he would get back to me as soon and arrange a meeting as soon as Giovanni was available.
  
  Before I hung up the call, I went through my list of questions in my head to see if there was anything else I could extract from Petrel, but then quickly realized that Petrel wouldn't be of help and that it was very likely that only Giovanni had the answers I sought.
  
  Thus, with a terse 'goodbye', I hung up the call with Petrel and grabbed my notepad as I started scribbling down notes from our recent conversation. I definitely needed to write all this down, so I didn't forget anything, especially for something this important. Not that I'd trust everything that Petrel told me, and much of what I learnt today would have to be verified and compared with Giovanni's responses.
  
  I was almost done writing everything down when I heard a knock at my door.
  
  "John, are you okay in there?" My mom's voice came through, "We're all worried because you just suddenly got up from your seat and left. Is everything okay?"
  
  "Um, just give me a second." I responded lamely while I finished off my notes. Finally satisfied, I stored my notepad back in my pocket before I went to open the door and found my mother standing outside with a worried expression.
  
  "Hey, sorry about that, mum. But I had something very important to do and had to try to sort it out straight away." I told her apologetically.
  
  "No, that's okay, son." My mom replied softly, "We know that you have your own matters to deal with now that you're in the Elite Four. We were just concerned and worried because you looked like you were almost about to panic."
  
  Well, I didn't realize that my expression was so panicky back then, but then I supposed that I may have looked like that due to just how surprised I was. As I hesitated about how I would explain myself, my mom just patted me on the head and looked me over.
  
  "It's okay, John." My mom comforted, "You don't have to explain everything to us now. Your father and I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."
  
  I gave my mom a small smile and tried my best to reassure her. "Everything should be okay, mum. I just called someone I knew, and they've sort of reassured me that things aren't as bad as I initially thought they'd be."
  
  "But things are bad, aren't they, John?" My mom asked perceptively, and I poorly hid a wince that she immediately caught and sighed. "Well, whatever it is you're dealing with, your father and I hope that you'll be able to resolve it quickly. We don't like seeing you stressed out like that."
  
  "Thanks mum, I'll definitely try. And sorry for worrying you all." I apologized.
  
  "It's okay, John, we understand." She responded kindly, before she gestured towards the fields. "But Whitney really wanted you to train with her today. Why don't you go to train with her?"
  
  I nodded at her suggestion and made my way to the fields where Whitney was; it was a good way of keeping my mind off things. Despite the reassurance I received from my mum, I still felt uncomfortable about not knowing the full situation regarding Team Rocket. A part of me wanted to dash off to Viridian City and demand more information from Petrel in person, but I felt that was a step too far for the time being and would ultimately be a fruitless effort.
  
  Admittedly, my more calculating side reminded me that Team Rocket going rogue was not the worst-case scenario. Team Rocket was far from the evilest of the villainous teams, nor were they the most problematic. At least for the Team Rocket under Giovanni in canon, they were mostly focused on stealing Pokémon and experimenting on them.
  
  Sure, it was definitely evil for them to engage in Pokémon thievery and experimentation, but from my understanding of canon, beyond the creation of Mewtwo, they didn't and wouldn't do anything that was likely to end the world and only strived for profit. And I felt confident that, so long as they didn't create Mewtwo, the Indigo League would be sufficient at stopping whatever plans they have.
  
  Though that was only in canon, and I couldn't be sure that the current Team Rocket would follow the same actions as canon, especially because their leader may not be Giovanni according to Petrel. The thought of a more extremist Team Rocket filled me with worry, and I was itching to get out there and try to stop them. After all, their actions were still repulsive and immoral.
  
  But without knowing more about their leadership and infrastructure, my hands were tied. I couldn't just break down every door in a futile manhunt for them.
  
  "John, you've finally stopped thinking so hard!" Whitney's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I found myself staring at my sister with her arms crossed. "You promised yesterday that you would show me my new Pokémon! And yet you woke up so late and then you suddenly ran to your room without explaining and then you made me wait here by myself did you know how excited I was to see my new Pokémon-"
  
  "Okay, okay. I get it" I stopped her rambling before it could go on any further. "I'm sorry for not showing you your new Pokémon until now, it's just that I was dealing with a lot of stuff and was busy." I apologized with a slight bow to Whitney. Inwardly, I held back a sigh as I was still really distracted and didn't really feel like dealing with Whitney at the moment, but I would never forgive myself if I ignored Whitney and dismissed her, so I forced myself to pay attention to her.
  
  "Hmph!" Apparently, my sister wasn't in a quite so forgiving mood as she turned her head away in an attempt to look angry, but she just looked cute to me. "Well, hurry up then! Show me my new Pokémon!" She demanded impatiently.
  
  I gave her a wry smile before I found and released the newest addition to Whitney's team. Whismur emerged with a soft yet cute cry that immediately landed a critical hit in Whitney's heart.
  
  "ARCEUS THAT'S SO CUTE!" Whitney squealed, her earlier annoyance completely forgotten, before she immediately embracing the new female Whismur in a tight hug. "YOU'RE SO SMALL AND SO ROUND AND CHUBBY AND I LOVE YOU ALREADY!"
  
  I watched as Whitney continued smothering the Whismur, who panicked at the sudden contact and was trying, but failing, to wriggle free. I let Whitney have her fun for a few moments before I coughed to grab her attention.
  
  "Um, sis, you know that you're making the Whismur uncomfortable, right?" I told her, and Whitney let out a gasp and instantly released the Whismur while apologizing profusely. "Maybe give her some space so that she can get use to you first?" I suggested.
  
  Whitney complied and backed off slightly, admiring her new Pokémon for a moment before turning to me. "John, I'm not familiar with her kind. You called her a Whismur, but what is she like?" She asked and I inwardly slapped myself on the forehead for forgetting that Whitney wasn't as knowledgeable as I was with Hoenn Pokémon.
  
  I quickly gave Whitney an explanation of Whismur and her evolutions, as well as some general ideas of how they are normally used in battle. Whitney studiously noted everything down, and even Whismur was listening to me intently. I thought that the two of them made a great pair.
  
  Soon enough, Whitney's Miltank wandered over and waved casually to me before her eyes snapped to the new Whismur.
  
  "Miltank? Mil. Tank?" Miltank asked Whitney, and she gave her a nod and a bright smile.
  
  "Yes Miltank, Whismur is the newest addition to our team that I told you about before!" Whitney said excitedly, before her expression turned worried. "I hope that you don't think I'm replacing you, Miltank, you'll always be my starter and I'll never leave you behind! I hope you know that." She said anxiously.
  
  Luckily, Miltank was more than understanding as she patted Whitney on the head with a smile of her own, reassuring Whitney that she understood and that things were fine. Maintaining that cheerfulness, Miltank carefully crouched down and approached the shy Whismur.
  
  "Miltank? Miltank." Miltank greeted softly.
  
  "Whis...Whismur." Whismur replied nervously, but I noticed that the Whismur wasn't as intimidated as she was when dealing with my Pokémon.
  
  "Mil...mil, tank." Miltank nodded, and I watched as Miltank slowly extended an arm and delicately patted Whismur on the head, which Whismur seemed to enjoy.
  
  I looked over at Whitney and saw that she was looking at all this with a proud and bright smile. I guess she was happy that all her Pokémon were getting along well. Whitney noticed my stare and turned to me questioningly, but I shook my head and gave her a thumbs up, which she smiled at.
  
  I then stayed there as I peacefully watched Whitney start to bond her with her newest team member for almost an hour. We were supposed to be training but interacting with your newest Pokémon was definitely more important.
  
  Unfortunately, my idle spectating was cut short by the sound of my phone ringing. As I reached for my phone, all sense of relaxation and peacefulness rapidly fled from my body as I saw who was calling.
  
  It was Lance.
  
  A.N I had a few comments in the past saying that John was a bit too passive and 'weak'. So, I hope that now, with his newfound confidence beating Drake, John is going to finally act more confidently and actually be more comfortable as a member of the Elite Four. Thanks to those who pointed it out, and I hope that the changes I'm beginning to show are satisfying.
  
  I hope that his convo with Petrel was just the right enough of pressure to not be overly dominating, but just enough to be believable for a teenager that is a member of the Elite Four.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-3 -Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 3-3 - Interlude - Giovanni
  
  Giovanni hung up the call from Petrel and frowned deeply. The news that he had heard from Petrel was concerning, as he had just been informed that John was seemingly on the warpath and trying to reach him. Giovanni cursed his unluckiness once again. His friendship with John was finally on the rise after the recent events, and now this whole debacle with Team Rocket was threatening to bring this all down. He remembered, and now regretted, previously mentioning to John that he had such a team in storage for such purposes, and John must have remembered that admission from him and probably blamed him for the current incident.
  
  Giovanni was willing to shoulder any blame for the greater good of Kanto, but this incident wasn't even his fault to begin with! That was what was the truly enraging part about it. He didn't form Team Rocket, his late mother did, he just kept them around as an emergency plan in case Johto needed to be dealt with through other means. They were often just a drain on his resources, though they were occasionally useful when dumb muscle was all that was needed.
  
  And now they dare to bite the hand that fed them before they ran off and abandoned their given duties?! It was disgraceful that these supposed 'warriors' of Kanto would abandon their obligations like this. Giovanni vowed to himself that he would put the Poison that was Proton into the Ground for leading his men astray if he ever got his hands on him.
  
  His Pokémon would make sure that there was nothing left to bury but dust and ash.
  
  Giovanni had spent the last day or two with Archer, going through all their files on Team Rocket to try and figure out where Proton was. Giovanni initially hoped that he could remove Team Rocket before they ever became a threat to his plans and Kanto, but now that seemed like an impossible dream.
  
  Despite Archer and his subordinates' due diligence, Proton had managed to sneak away with an unknown number of resources and issued Pokémon, though at least Giovanni had some idea of the members that left with them. It was more than he expected, but less than he feared. Archer predicted that, if left unchecked, Team Rocket would be able to run rampant throughout Indigo unless they were forcefully stopped. And, to make matters worse, even with all the intelligence available to him, he still had no idea where Proton had run off to.
  
  Giovanni wasn't that concerned about the crimes they would commit, so long as that didn't affect his interests in Kanto or risk the exposure of his underground activities, but he WAS more troubled about whether Proton could link anything back to himself. Archer assured him that they didn't know about him, but Giovanni wasn't satisfied and had demanded that everything be checked to ensure that there was no plausible connection between him and the now rogue Team Rocket.
  
  Fortunately, their intense search found nothing that could be used to link back to him, and, as the only person who knew about the connection between Giovanni and Team Rocket, Archer swore himself to secrecy once again. He trusted Archer, just like he trusted Ariana and Petrel. They were his trio of loyal subordinates that answered directly to him, and he's known them all for the longest time. They've all pledged their lives to him, to Kanto, and he knew that it was impossible for them to consider betraying him.
  
  At times like these, he was grateful for their loyalty.
  
  But now he had wasted enough time trying in vain to curtail Team Rocket before they exposed themselves to the public, and it was too late to stop them. Team Rocket was out and running around like idiots as they led a chaotic mess of attacks across Indigo and bringing way too much attention onto themselves. Their attacks were disorganized, inefficient, and reckless. Proton was making a complete mess of his once honourable organisation!
  
  Within days, the media was already made aware, and now more importantly, John was certainly wary of them and calling for Giovanni to demand some answers from him. And Giovanni knew that if he answered incorrectly, then this may be the end of their friendship.
  
  Giovanni wasn't confident that he was able to provide the answers that John sought.
  
  A.N Some more foreshadowing and build-up! As I mentioned before, John's relationship with Giovanni is going to be very important moving into the future, so I chose to spend extra time delving into his perspective.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-4 - Lance
  
  A part of me was tempted to just ignore the call from Lance. I was already dealing with enough things and juggling many plates all at once; I really didn't want to deal with any more of this stuff.
  
  However, I let that thought pass and breathed in and out to stabilize myself. I understood and accepted that this was the burdens of responsibility for being an Elite Four member, and that there would be hectic periods like this that I would have to deal with in the future as well.
  
  I let out a big exhale before I decided to answer his call.
  
  "Hello, this is John."
  
  "Elite John, this is Lance." His strong voice sounded out. "Are you free to talk right now?"
  
  "Yes, just give me a moment." I signalled to Whitney that I would be busy, and I walked away slightly so that I wouldn't be disturbed by the sounds of Whitney's training. "Okay, yes, I'm here. How may I help you, Lance?"
  
  "I understand that you have spoken to our Champion Pryce recently." Lance began, "I assume that you both spoke about my attempts at becoming the Champion?"
  
  "Yes, we did." I answered easily, not seeing any reason to deny it.
  
  "And I also assume that he has requested for your assistance to stop me from becoming Champion?" Lance asked.
  
  "Yes, but I wasn't entirely certain that supporting him was something that I wanted to do." I risked, since I thought that it was the quickest way of getting Lance's attention.
  
  "Ah, yes, I'd thought so." I could feel the smirk on Lance's face. "I saw how you looked at Pryce when you got off that ship from Hoenn. You were almost glaring at him at times. So, I didn't think you'd be supportive of him."
  
  Huh. Lance seems more observant than I first thought, though I didn't let my surprise show in my voice. "Well, maybe I'm just being cautious about the whole thing, but I wanted to know your perspective as well." I replied with false meekness, "I only want to do the best for Indigo, so I want to be making an informed decision before I do anything." I added.
  
  "That's an excellent mindset, John." Lance chuckled, "And, on that note, would you care to meet up with me at the Blackthorn Gym as soon as possible, if you're free now. I would like to discuss things with you in person."
  
  I groaned inwardly at the fact that I would have to be travelling again, but I quickly sucked up my complaints and told Lance that I was free and would meet him there as soon as possible. He thanked me for being able to come over so soon, and informed me that his cousin, and Gym Leader, Clair would be there in the meeting with him.
  
  Since being accompanied by his cousin wasn't that weird for such a meeting, I easily accepted and told him that I would be there as soon as possible.
  
  I hung up the call with him and immediately went to tell Whitney that I had to be go and meet someone soon. She was upset that I had to leave, but she showed off her maturity by saying that she understood that I was a busy brother and that she'll forgive me if I help her out tomorrow as well.
  
  I chuckled and told her that I would certainly try my best and thanked her for understanding. I also got her to relay to our parents that I was heading off to meet up with Elite Lance.
  
  Then I strapped myself to Port before we took off for the Blackthorn Gym, using the flight time there to ponder about what I would be saying to Lance. Obviously, I had hoped to go through the possibilities and plan things out with Giovanni first, but after the Team Rocket incident I was starting to become increasingly wary about my overreliance on him.
  
  I may have been too dazzled by the benefits he brought me and forgot about the dark underbelly and consequences of working with a man like Giovanni. The resurgence of Team Rocket was a timely reminder that I had to ensure that I was independent from Giovanni, regardless of our friendship together.
  
  With that in mind and lacking any other information about my upcoming meeting with Lance, I ultimately decided to wing it and go in blind. I would just hope that I could react to whatever requests and situations he would throw at me. After all, I could just not agree to anything if I really wanted to play safe.
  
  Strictly speaking, Lance didn't actually need the support of the Blackthorns or myself to become the Champion. Technically, any prospective Champion could earn the title so long as they defeated the Champion and the rest of the Elite Four, and the latter was only a requirement if they weren't already in the Elite Four. With all the research that I had done on Lance and Pryce, and from what I knew of canon, I was confident that Lance would have no issues defeating Pryce in a Pokémon battle.
  
  However, the public are evidently wary of being led by someone who doesn't know what they're doing, and so gaining the support of the Elite Four, Gym Leaders, and other important groups are important to make sure you don't get voted out by the public or get stonewalled by the committee.
  
  Likewise, gaining the support of the Elite Four is especially important as the Champion and the Elite Four often work closely together on a lot of matters, so getting their public endorsement is a good sign for the public that the candidate actually knows what they're doing and is suitable to be the Champion.
  
  Just over an hour later, I found myself flying over the outskirts of Blackthorn City. In the far distance, I spotted a few moving dots of what I suspected were flying Dragon types that were just casually flying about. It was a sharp reminder that this was the powerbase of the powerful Blackthorns, the clan of Dragon masters that have built up their power here for hundreds of years, and who were the greatest supporters of Lance's possible ascension to Champion.
  
  It was humbling to see that, regardless of my achievements in Hoenn, they were a tiny speck compared to the support that Lance had as a representative of the Blackthorns. Even Giovanni's underground network likely was dwarfed by the influence of the Blackthorns. It made me slightly jealous, but I had long accepted that even the world of Pokémon was unfair and that some were just luckier than others.
  
  However, I pushed away those feelings of jealousy as I finally landed at the entrance of the Blackthorn Gym. As the 8th Gym and the final gate for the Indigo Conference, it was undoubtedly a popular Gym for trainers to either challenge directly or to loiter around to challenge others to improve themselves.
  
  Also, with the abundance of Dragon types in the area, many trainers hoped that they would be lucky enough to catch one if they just stayed around for long enough. It was normally a fruitless effort, and heavily frowned upon by the local Blackthorns, but that didn't stop those who were more fanatical for a Dragon type of their own.
  
  I made my way into the Blackthorn Gym, and I was quickly spotted and escorted by one of the Gym trainers that had been evidently told of my arrival. They greeted me politely and escorted me to a large conference room which I assumed were for the Gym Trainers to use.
  
  As soon as we arrived, the Gym Trainer informed me that the two Blackthorns were inside and that the room was completely soundproof. I thanked them and they bowed deeply before leaving.
  
  I stood in front of the door and tidied up my appearance slightly before I finally walked in. As soon as I walked in, both Lance and Clair stood up and greeted me politely with handshakes and we exchanged the usual pleasantries before we seated ourselves in the very expensive leather chairs.
  
  "Thank you for coming over so quickly, John." Lance started while Clair remained silent, "I didn't want to waste any more of your time, so let's just get right to the point of our meeting."
  
  I nodded and Lance continued, "We Blackthorns have always sought the title of Champion, and with our power and influence, we felt that it was the only title worthy of our status in Johto. However, with Oak and even initially with Pryce, we acquiesced to their leadership because we saw that they had a good handle on Indigo, and our interests were not harmed."
  
  "However, with Pryce's complete mishandling of the situation, coupled with his passivity over the last few years, the Blackthorn clan has finally decided that it can tolerate no more and have sought me out to become their representative as the Champion of Indigo since I was already well-positioned to do so. Thus, I ask you, John, what would it take for me to gain your support for my bid to become Champion? Please, do not hold back." He asked directly, and I felt his intense gaze lock directly onto me.
  
  It was like a Dragon sizing up his potential prey, looking for any signs of weakness or hesitation. But I was no meek prey to be devoured.
  
  I kept my calm and thought about it for a moment before deciding to just say what I felt in my heart. "Before we begin Lance, I want to make something very clear. I will not suffer that indignity again where I was unceremoniously sent to Hoenn. That is not a request. You should know that it was because of my lack of personal influence that allowed Pryce to send me over to Hoenn, and I want your guarantee that such an event would not occur again under your reign as Champion."
  
  "Done." Lance agreed easily. "I thought that it was foolish and overly paranoid for Pryce to have sent you to Hoenn in the first place. In fact, the whole incident disgusted me. A trainer of your strength should not be subjected to such humiliation, and so it is an easy promise for me to not subject you to the same thing. Please be assured that, even if you did not make me promise this, I would not side-line you the way that Pryce did." Lance stated, and I was starting to see why Lance became Champion in the future; I could tell just from his voice alone that he certainly had the charisma needed to win over the public.
  
  Regardless, I was thankful for his words, but before I could keep going, I was interrupted by Clair.
  
  "But why did you choose to support Lance over Pryce?" She interrupted curiously. "Surely you could have made the same demands of Pryce and he would have easily agreed." She narrowed her eyes at me. "So why are you supporting Lance over the man who has been Champion for the past decade?"
  
  I took a quick look at Lance and saw that he appeared unbothered by Clair's questioning, and instead continued to observe me intensely, so I suspected that this was the tactic they agreed upon to fish out more information from me. Though it was a fair question; I could technically ignore it, but I saw no reason to be rude at the moment.
  
  "That's simple, Gym Leader Clair." I addressed her evenly, "I found Champion Pryce to be generally unpleasant to be around. When he spoke to me, I noticed that he was utterly unconcerned about working towards the benefit of Indigo and was solely interested in maintaining his position. His act of sending me to Hoenn is just one of the many examples of this. So yes, while Pryce would have offered similar things for my support, I told myself that I couldn't work with someone that would doom Indigo just to keep himself in power." I explained.
  
  Clair didn't seem to react at my explanation, but I could see that Lance was nodding in agreement. I had to hide a wry smile when I saw it; it appears that Lance shared my distaste for Pryce. Perhaps that was why he was aiming to be the Champion.
  
  I waited a few moments to see if Clair was going to speak up again, but after I saw that she had no intention of doing so I returned to speaking to Lance. "Furthermore, unlike Pryce, I could tell that you were, at least, not doing this solely for your own benefit. You are not simply seeking power for the sake of power; else you would have acted long ago instead of waiting until you received orders from the Blackthorns. Not only that, but you at least aren't willing to sink to the lows that Pryce is absolutely willing to; your earlier explanation made that clear enough to me."
  
  Neither of them responded to my remarks, though I noticed that Lance's smile became a bit less rigid. I continued. "With that in mind, if you would like my support, then I would request that, as Champion, for you to ensure that Kanto would not be left behind Johto economically. You must have seen that, under Pryce, Kanto has been allowed to fester while Johto has reaped all the benefits." I paused to allow Lance to nod. "I want there to be more balance between the two regions, and I hope that as Champion, you will work to create and maintain that balance. Furthermore, there will be also other proposals that I will be announcing towards the public in the future, and where reasonable, I will want your political backing on those areas as well."
  
  Though his chances were high, it was not a certainty that Lance would become Champion. Thus, having the political support of the Blackthorns would still me to push forward my agenda even if Lance's bid fails.
  
  I could see that Lance was thoughtfully mulling over my request and was carefully considering what I was asking for. He was also giving some discreet side glances to Clair, which I wouldn't have caught if I wasn't carefully observing his every movement. I also glanced at Clair, only to see her deep in thought as well. I guess that my request was more complicated than they had initially expected.
  
  I allowed them to think things through before eventually Lance spoke up.
  
  "What do you think that would look like, in your mind?" Lance asked, and I was glad I had at least thought things through before coming here.
  
  "Well, under Pryce, many new businesses over the years have decided to establish themselves in Johto rather than Kanto, because the infrastructure of Johto has been more developed than Kanto thanks to Pryce. While that isn't the most alarming of issues in the short-term, I foresee that if this imbalance remains, then in the future Johto will remain economically dominant over Kanto, and Kanto's economy will suffer greatly and cause widespread unemployment. Thus, I am asking for you to ensure that, as much as possible, new businesses and investments are equally balanced between the two regions so that Kanto can catch up and not remain destitute. Most of my proposals will be aiming to correct this injustice as well." I explained carefully but strictly.
  
  "That's a very interesting perspective." Lance spoke up, "Forgive me for my curiosity, but why are you making this one of your requests? Why is the imbalance and its potential consequences your concern?"
  
  I paused to think things through for a bit before responding. "It's because if and when the Kanto economy suffers, it is the common people that have to endure the consequences. And when the common people are collectively going through hardship, they turn to crime when the government fails them. They start getting more radical ideas, and they start believing that perhaps Kanto would be better off separating from Johto."
  
  I could see that both of them were grimacing at my words, so I knew that I was on the right track. "You surely must know about the recent crime wave that's spreading throughout Indigo." They both nodded. "I'm not saying that the crime wave is directly related to Kanto's neglect, but you can see how easy it is for the discontent to start rallying against the government if that's what they think is the only option available to them. THAT is what I'm trying to prevent, and that is my price for my support for your bid to be Champion." I described sincerely, speaking from my heart.
  
  Lance looked at me thoughtfully, as if he was seeing me in a new light. Clair looked a bit more uncertain and was giving side glances towards Lance. I watched as Lance tapped his fingers on the table momentarily before responding.
  
  "I underestimated you, John." He admitted with a pleased smile. "I never realized your love for Kanto and its citizens, it's refreshing to see someone who genuinely cares for once and isn't just looking for votes. You also managed to explain yourself very well despite being in the presence of an Elite Four and a Gym Leader."
  
  I wasn't sure what he was getting at, so I stayed silent and nodded politely, allowing him to continue.
  
  "I understand the point that you're making, and I agree with your evaluation. It would not be in the interests of Blackthorn to allow Kanto to continue its' current rate of deterioration. Although we may be primarily concerned with the interests of Johto, we aren't blind to fail to see that an outbreak of crime and a serious imbalance between Kanto and Johto would also be bad for our interests. In fact, a few of our elders thought that the recent crime wave was due to the misfortunes of Kanto. So yes, I can agree with your proposal, and I promise that, if I am made Champion, I would work to maintain a sense of balance between both regions." He declared authoritatively, and his voice oozed with charisma. Lance really was a natural leader, and hopefully, someone I could respect.
  
  "Thank you for your promises, Lance." I responded politely and formally, "However, we both know that it is not a certainty that you will become Champion." Lance frowned but remained silent. "Thus, I will also request that you open up Blackthorn City to start exclusively selling my family's Moomoo milk in any Blackthorn owned Pokéshops, since Blackthorn City is notoriously stringent on what goods are sold there. If you can agree to everything I have requested today, then in return, I promise to support you in your bid for Champion." Left unsaid was the fact that this would be a great way to tie our new friendship together.
  
  Lance took some time to consider that last part, but a nod from Clair seemed to make up his mind as he reached forwards, and we shook hands.
  
  Of course, just because he made a promise to me right now doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be sticking to it in the future. So, while I couldn't exactly relax just yet, I at least was comforted by the fact that I managed to extract some kind of agreement from Lance.
  
  Clair's expression seemed to ease off as we made our agreement, but she still spoke up. "Okay, considering that you have now promised to support each other, what can we expect your support to look like?" Though I was certain they already had an idea, since they had directly sought me out, but I suppose she just wanted to hear me say it verbally.
  
  I straightened myself up again as I replied to Clair. "It depends on what you need me to do, although it must be reasonable. I could honestly tell you that if you're hoping that I could help you attract the other members of the Elite Four to your side, then I'm sorry to say that while I could try, I can almost guarantee that I won't be able to sway Walker, and even I know that Agatha is notoriously stubborn and implacable." I told them honestly.
  
  Lance chuckled and shook his head at that. "No, and I didn't expect you to be able to do so anyways. Even I couldn't persuade Agatha, and I certainly wouldn't want the support of someone as undeserving of the title as Walker." He grumbled bitterly as he clasped his hands together. "But I do hope that you'll be publicly declaring your support for me. I have some issues that I will using to attack Pryce with, and I hope you will support me on them."
  
  "What issues are they?" I asked curiously.
  
  "First, I will be blaming Pryce for trying to side-line you to Hoenn and then trying to hide the information. His actions have and will damage our relations with Hoenn in the future, and hopefully we can divert most of the blame onto him alone." He raised a single finger as he started listing them off. "Rumours have already been spreading throughout the upper echelons of the Hoenn League, which I assume is your doing, so he won't be able to just sweep all of this under the rug."
  
  He waited for my nod and raised another finger and continued. "I also intend to use the recent crime wave to demonstrate Pryce's incompetence and the consequences of his actions. As much as I find it distasteful to capitalize on the suffering of the citizens of Indigo, I believe that it is undoubtedly partially Pryce's fault that has caused these people to turn to crime, and so I will also use this to attack him. But I will be looking to clean up these scums soon enough. They will be brought to heel, one way or another." Lance let a bit of his anger leak through as he said that.
  
  I frowned at Lance's words. However, I understood that no matter how unpleasant it was to 'exploit' this recent wave of crime for political purposes, this kind of thing was done by politicians all the time, and I shouldn't blame Lance for doing the same. Though since Lance was just pointing fingers instead of actively making the situation worse to push forwards his agenda, I was alright with it. Besides, I believed that at least this would be done for the greater good. Thus, I simply nodded in reply.
  
  It also had the added benefit of adding more pressure towards the Indigo government to deal with and crack down harder on Team Rocket, which I saw as a benefit. At this point, I didn't really care if that would cause Giovanni problems, as neutering Team Rocket was my greater concern. I thought that since Giovanni created this mess, he could now lie in it.
  
  I then reminded Lance that he couldn't only be seen to be attacking Pryce without offering solutions himself, but fortunately Lance was prepared and had his own proposals at hand. He said that, to counter any negative consequences from Indigo's failure to inform Hoenn about my visit, he will be looking to allow and encourage more businesses and investment to set themselves up in Indigo, just like how I did it with Devon Corp.
  
  He predicted that Indigo's reputation in Hoenn would be damaged momentarily because of the scandal, but he thought that after he took up the position as Champion and gained enough of the public confidence, he would be able to prove that Indigo remained united, and the damage would be repaired. He also told me that he would be working closely with Hoenn shortly after he became Champion to reassure them that we were still cooperative and to dispel any ill-feelings.
  
  Likewise, and also to deal with the crime wave, Lance said that he would propose to Hoenn that they should work together and coordinate their police forces together, which should help repair any damaged relations between our two regions. Lance said that he hoped that one day an international police force could be set up to ensure the proper policing of crime.
  
  He told me that he envisioned this would be a separate organisation different from the current Indigo Police in that they'll be mostly working against greater threats normally beyond the scope of the rangers and the police.
  
  I was worried that this proposal might be stepping on the toes of the current Indigo Police, but Lance reassured me that the Blackthorns would have that handled. I took that to mean that he would be leveraging the influence of the Blackthorns to ensure that it will pass through smoothly. He hinted that he would likely be looking at increasing the funding that would be given to the Indigo Police in order to secure their cooperation.
  
  If that was the case, then I had no problems with either of his proposals as I thought they were all reasonable solutions. Honestly, I was less concerned about his ideas of creating an international police force, and was more focused on making sure that Lance would maintain the economical balance between Kanto and Johto.
  
  We then spent some more time discussing how we would be able to help each other. Clair occasionally added a few things, but I was starting to notice that she wasn't really that interested or capable at handling these things. I could also observe that she wasn't as unfriendly as she made herself seem to be, as most of her concerns were aimed at reducing the collateral damage to the public of Lance's challenge to Pryce.
  
  Part of our discussions involved debating over when and how I should reveal my support of Lance. I warned Lance that if I revealed my hand too early, Pryce would do everything he could to discredit me and neuter my support for him. I wasn't about to support Lance if it meant shooting myself in the foot politically. Lance said that he understood, and that he had accounted for that before he came and asked for my support.
  
  "We will wait until I have attacked Pryce on sufficient issues so that the public realize that Pryce's credibility is no longer as sturdy as it used to be and begin questioning his legitimacy as Champion." Lance explained. "Once his credibility has been questioned by the public, then he wouldn't be able to discredit you so easily. It is at that moment when you will make your announcement of your support for me, which should both be an opportune time to drive the nail further into Pryce's coffin and also prevent you from suffering from too much backlash from Pryce and his supporters."
  
  I agreed and accepted his plans, pleased to see that he wasn't about to make demands of me. He then asked me what I would be doing after this meeting, and I said that my main priority was just spending time with my family, but I would also look to help out to crack down on the recent surge of organized crime.
  
  I did ask if he knew anything, but both Lance and Clair said that all they knew was that the members were a part of organized crime. They didn't know who the leaders were nor where they were based. However, the both of them did say that they wouldn't allow criminals to act with impunity and said that they would be more than happy to assist me if I found out anything, which I thanked them for.
  
  After that, Lance asked me if I had questions for the two of them, which I said that I didn't after thinking it through. Then we wrapped up our meeting and the two of them thanked me for my support, and we exchanged a promise to honour our agreements. Lance also informed me that he will be writing to the clan shortly to allow my family's Moomoo milk to be sold in Blackthorn, and that they should contact my parents shortly.
  
  Additionally, as a show of good faith, he wrote an initial order for their Pokeshop, authorized in his name, for an order of Moomoo milk to prove his sincerity. I thanked him.
  
  I then managed to slip out away from the crowd from one of the Gym's side entrances, before I hopped onto Port and made my way back home again.
  
  Overall, I was more than happy with how the meeting played out, more so that I didn't need to depend on rely on Giovanni at all to get through it. I was happy to foster good relations with Lance, and I hoped that this would be the start of a long-lasting friendship. I felt that I had earned his respect, both with my victory over Drake, and now with me being able to stand up to the two of them with my requests. Not only that, but I had gotten what I wanted. A promise to end the stagnation that was currently plaguing Kanto, as well as his political support on any of my own proposals, and a reaffirmation that I would not suddenly be kicked off the Elite Four. Sure, they were just promises, but there were no such thing as contractual agreements in politics.
  
  After all, I had no intentions for removing Lance as Champion, so I hoped we wouldn't have any conflicts of interests in the future.
  
  Of course, my enthusiasm was stifled by the fact that Team Rocket was still a very huge problem that I didn't currently have any solutions for, but I had to take my wins when I got them.
  
  I just hoped I would finally have a week or so to actually relax and unwind, but I knew that, with the current political climate of Indigo, it was a fool's dream.
  
  A.N ANND John's finally teamed up with Lance. Hope you enjoyed their conversations together. I realize that the politics might be a bit basic, but I hope it's good enough and clear enough for the story.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already! Big thanks to my p atreons for commenting and helping out with this chapter!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 3-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-5 - Catching up
  
  As I was flying back on Port, I suddenly remembered that I had promised Smough his berries for his victory against Drake's Gyarados and almost forgot to fulfil my end of the deal. Obviously not wanting to go back on my promise, I took a quick detour away from home and landed at Celadon City so that I could hopefully bulk buy some berries at the Celadon Department Store.
  
  Over the years, I've learnt that while Smough was certainly a big eater, he wasn't really a picky eater and would value quantity over quality. So, for his 'berry feast', I simply decided to cheap out and just bulk buy a variety of cheap berries for him to scoff down.
  
  Besides, Smough eats like 10-20 berries per mouthful, so I wasn't exactly certain that he could actually distinguish between high quality and lower quality berries anyways. So, there was no need for me to waste money buying higher quality berries when he couldn't even taste the difference.
  
  I landed in the middle of the busy Celadon City and immediately regretted it as Port, as a Mantine, was unique enough of a Pokémon that it drew the attention of the crowds, meaning that it took a few seconds before the several surrounding onlookers saw that I was at Celadon City. Which meant that my presence at Celadon would be quickly reported to all the relevant news stations who would then send their hordes of reporters over to ask me more mundane questions to generate more headlines.
  
  I groaned silently at the thought of being surrounded by reporters yet again, but I hoped that I could get my shopping done before getting disturbed. Thus, I quickly dashed into the Celadon Department Store and tried to purchase everything I needed before the reporters could arrive.
  
  Of course, it was the moment that I left the Department Store with Smough's heavy haul of berries that I found myself expectedly encircled by a crowd of overeager reporters. I visibly sighed out as I braced myself for yet another interview. I was starting to see why Drake was so irate with the media at this point.
  
  "Elite John! Do you have any comments about Champion Pryce's recent scandal regarding his appointment of his niece as the newest Gym Leader of Mahogany City?" One reporter asked as they rudely tried to shove their microphone into my face.
  
  "...I have no comments on the situation because I do not know enough about the situation to properly comment on it." I answered evasively, not wanting to give away the fact that I was going to be supporting Lance, but also making sure that I didn't accidentally say anything that would discredit Lance's position as well.
  
  "Do you think that Lorelei is suitable for the position of Gym Leader?" Another asked, and I gave the same non-committal response. The next few questions went similarly, and I managed to find a bit of joy at irritating the reporters by not responding to their questions.
  
  "Did you learn anything new during your trip to Hoenn? Was there anything interesting that you observed?" I was going to answer with the same non-response, but then I suddenly had a thought that I could actually use this impromptu interview to forward a few of my own positions as well.
  
  "Yes, actually." And I could see many reporters' faces brighten at the fact that I actually was going to answer a question for once. "If there was one thing that inspired me throughout my trip to Hoenn, it is that my brief time in Hoenn has allowed me many opportunities to both make connections and experience new different types of Pokémon that normally could not be found in Indigo."
  
  "In fact, I thought that it would be amazing if trainers would be allowed the freedom to travel between Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto more freely without requiring 4 badges like it does now. I currently feel like the 4-badge requirement is too stifling and prevents many trainers who would like to explore newer regions from doing so just because they lack the necessary 4 badges." I explained passionately.
  
  This was something that I have always wanted to encourage more of for the trainers around the world. I truly believe that by allowing trainers to freely travel the regions and capture Pokémon would improve international cooperation, team diversity, as well as the average levels of trainers internationally. It would also be good for Kanto as it would bring in more foreign investment and tourism as more people visit.
  
  Also, the fact that I had just announced my proposal to several news stations means that my idea was now out there in the open, free to be discussed by the public, and most importantly, impossible to silence. If I had brought up this topic privately with either Lance or Pryce, it ran the risk of them disagreeing with my idea and requesting concessions if I did push for it.
  
  However, by doing it this way, it meant that they couldn't deny my proposal if they wanted to gain or keep my support. And by now I recognized just how valuable of a position I hold between Lance and Pryce, as I was the only remaining Elite Four member that could be swayed to either side, so I knew that they wouldn't fight me over this and instead would try to show their support to gain my favour.
  
  "Does that mean you're in favour of abolishing the 4-badge rule?" A reporter questioned.
  
  "That depends on what would be best for the future of Indigo." I replied. "The 4-badge rule was implemented during a time when Indigo was still in its infancy, and cooperation between Kanto and Johto was timid and distrustful. The 4-badge rule was created as a means of lowering competition between trainers and to protect a region's Pokémon from being captured by 'foreign' trainers." I explained informatively.
  
  "However, the situation has changed greatly now to the point where tensions between Kanto and Johto are almost non-existent." I continued my lecturing. "This means that the 4-badge rule may be an outdated rule that is currently more harmful than it is helpful. Thus, while I am not requesting that the 4-badge rule be removed entirely, I am asking that the Indigo League should carefully examine whether the 4-badge rule should remain as it has been so far? Or should the number of badges required be reduced to allow more trainers that want to travel to new regions to be able to do so." I finished.
  
  "Elite John, you've clearly thought about this proposal a lot. So, what do you personally think should be the requirement?" Another reporter inquired, and I immediately went back to becoming evasive again.
  
  "I don't want to influence the opinion of others, so I really shouldn't say." I replied carefully. "I will say that I believe that 4 badges are simply too much and definitely should be lowered, but without more information I couldn't say what the new requirement should look like."
  
  Personally, I feel that needing 2 badges is a sufficient requirement to allow trainers to capture Pokémon from other regions, but I was going to keep that to myself for the time being because I really didn't know enough about the statistics or the relevant information to give an informed opinion at this time. And I didn't want to make a fool of myself by giving an opinion without the relevant facts to back it up.
  
  Many more reporters clamoured after me to ask more questions, but I decided that I had said what I had wanted to say and now was time for my exit. I told the reporters that I had to get home to return my shopping, then promptly ignored their cries and questions as I flew off on Port back home.
  
  It was nearly dinner time when I got back, so as soon as I landed, I quickly got to work preparing Smough's feast of berries as well as dinner for my other Pokémon. I even invited both of Whitney's Pokémon to join in too as I felt that I had plenty of food to go around. They could share some of Smough's berries too.
  
  At first, I was concerned that Whismur might still be too scared of my Pokémon to join in, but apparently spending some time around Miltank gave her the confidence to at least remain and join in the feast. I was glad to see that progress was being made.
  
  I then happily watched Smough eagerly devoured his feast of berries, his spoils of victory. The enormous pile of berries disappearing into his gullet almost in seconds. He seemed to be in a sharing mood though, or perhaps he was just satisfied with his food, since he allowed my other Pokémon to share his berries instead of hoarding it to himself like he usually does.
  
  I was content to leave my Pokémon to their own devices as I went back inside and had dinner with my family. They asked why I had to leave so urgently, and I explained to them that Lance had called and that he wanted to speak to me.
  
  Whitney didn't seem to realize the implications, but my parents grilled me about my involvement with Lance and why he wanted to see me. I summarized our meeting to them, and while they were concerned at the high-level politics that I was now playing around with, they told me that I had done well for my age and that they would support my plan of action no matter what it may be.
  
  I also let them know that I had secured, showing my written agreement from Lance, to allow our family to sell Moomoo milk in Blackthorn. My parents were surprised, but ecstatic since the markets of Blackthorn City are notoriously difficult to break into, and they said that they'll begin setting that up tomorrow.
  
  We then turned on the news, and sure enough, my most recent interview was being broadcasted. My parents praised how handsome I looked and gushed over how their son was now 'becoming an adult and how mature I looked. I blushed bright red in embarrassment as Whitney joined in on the teasing. I told them to enjoy my time in the limelight while it lasted, as I was sure that my ideas would be buried as soon as the news had something else to report on.
  
  We then moved onto more serious topics, and my parents asked when I could arrange for the photos of my Pokémon to be taken for the planned posters. They told me that they already had a photographer selected, and now they were just waiting on the photos themselves. I thought about it and told them that tomorrow should be fine, barring any emergencies, so my mom briefly left to contact the photographer and to get them to come tomorrow.
  
  Whitney then piped up and asked if she could be in a poster, but my parents and I all said no in unison. She was disappointed and tried to persuade us with a pout, but we explained to her that appearing in a poster as a newbie trainer would place unreasonable expectations on her future performance, and we didn't want to add that level of stress onto her. She gave us a sad nod of acceptance and went back to her room as it was about time for her to go to bed anyways.
  
  My parents and I remained in the living room and continued our discussions on the family business. Apparently, the newfound confidence in my ability to remain as an Elite Four member in the long-term has boosted the reputation of our family's business and led to an increase in sales around the board.
  
  Shops were becoming increasingly eager to stock our products, as there was a sizeable demand of trainers purchasing our Moomoo milk in bulk in the belief that it makes their Pokémon stronger. No wonder my parents were so eager to get our new poster strategy in play; it was the perfect time to capitalize on the recent boom in demand for our Moomoo milk.
  
  I did ask about whether our supply could meet the new demand, and they answered that their new supply of Miltank is currently able to match the heightened demand, and they saw no problems for the foreseeable future. However, with the sudden entrance into Blackthorn City, my parents said that they would probably like to have more supply just in case. It was also why they were hesitant to invest into my proposal to set up a shop at Mauville City, since that might be stretching our business too far.
  
  To that end, they also delicately asked if my Pokémon were happy to breed with the Miltank soon so they could start raising a 'higher-quality' line of Moomoo milk to sell. I chuckled at the question and told them I would talk to my relevant Pokémon soon to see if they were still amicable.
  
  With that, we wrapped up our conversation and we all headed to bed. I didn't sleep just yet though, as I scoured through the Pokénet to see if there was any new information either regarding Team Rocket or my latest interview.
  
  Sadly, there was no new information regarding Team Rocket, but my interview seemed to have been well-received by the public. There were numerous comments praising how well I articulated myself and that I seemed genuinely passionate about the subject - which I thought helped with showing off my more mature and responsible side to the public.
  
  It was then that I realized that I had a few unread texts from Karen.
  
  'How was ur return to Indigo? Saw ur interview. U spoke nicely.' she texted me.
  
  'Enjoyed seeing my family, but there was a lot more politics to deal with than expected.' I replied.
  
  '? What do u mean?' She quickly responded. 'Pryce giving u shit?'
  
  'Not exactly...' then I summed up to her what I had been dealing with ever since my return to Indigo.
  
  'Wow. Seems painful. Would hate to be in ur position.' She said sympathetically. 'Is being in the Elite4 that busy? R u going to be ok?'
  
  'Yeah, I'm doing fine for now. Better than expected actually.' I told her and then I moved away from the talk of politics to discussing about the egg.
  
  Karen told me that the egg was doing well, but there was no progress being made in terms of the Dark infusions. She said that the Nurse Joys were all very accommodating and that they were eager to see if the experiment would succeed, but Karen told me that she was getting anxious about the lack of progress.
  
  I frowned slightly when she said that there was still no progress being made yet, but I convinced myself that it was just because it was still very early and that perhaps progress would be visible later. I repeated my thoughts to Karen, and even over text I could tell that she wasn't reassured by my words, but there was nothing either of us could do about it at the moment.
  
  I thought that perhaps we were doing something wrong, or that we were missing a crucial element of the puzzle that we had yet to realize, but I came up blank. But my gut was telling me that I was missing something - I just didn't know what it was.
  
  Eventually I gave up on thinking about it and went to bed.
  
  The next morning was hectic for me. I had to wake up early and tidy myself and my Pokémon up for the poster's photoshoot. Luckily, my parents had hired a professional who was very efficient with his work, so the whole event didn't take as long as I was expecting. They even said that I came out better than expected, which I chose to accept as a compliment.
  
  The photographer then told us that the photos should be ready to turn into posters shortly, and that they'll visit us with the final product when it's done. The shops had already agreed to trade the posters for the bottle caps when they are released, for a small fee of course.
  
  With the photoshoot over, I quickly rung up Giovanni to see if I could reach him, but Petrel once again picked up the phone and apologized to me for Giovanni's absence. I was frustrated, and demanded to know when he would be available, and Petrel finally coughed out that Giovanni should return tomorrow so I could probably meet up with him then. I told him that I would before I hung up on him.
  
  With nothing better to do for the rest of the day, I decided that it was about time that I honoured my promise to Whitney and oversee her training regime once again. Of course, I used the opportunity while Whitney was distracted to discretely go up to where my Pokémon were training and ask Tyrant, Vordt, and Klaus if they were still happy to breed with a few of our Miltank.
  
  Amusingly, they were all more than eager to and I let them go about on their business. There were things I didn't want to know about - and this was one of them.
  
  Shaking myself free from those disturbing thoughts, I quickly found Whitney training with her Miltank while her Whismur simply watched for the time being. I was hit with a mixture of shock and pride as I saw that her Miltank was repeatedly practicing her Rollout, and now was easily able to transition from the Rollout into a Body Slam or another offensive move. Likewise, it could also quickly Rollout for a short burst of speed to quickly dodge away from attacks.
  
  I had to actually hold in my laughter as I witnessed her Miltank's proficiency and skill. She really was an unreasonable monster of a Pokémon for a trainer with no badges yet. Even with my meta-knowledge, my Slakoth wasn't nearly as strong when I first started my journey, though Whitney had plenty more time to train with her Miltank compared to me.
  
  Whitney eventually noticed that I was looking, and quickly ran up to me.
  
  "John! How was the photoshoot? Mom and Dad didn't want me to be there because they were scared that I would mess things up for them..." She pouted, before she shook her head and pointed towards her Miltank. "Also, John! Did you see my Miltank and her Rollouts? I told you that I listened to you - and look! She's so good at it now! I totally understand what you mean now about Rollout being a useful move; it's now one of my favourite moves to use!" She rambled happily and I listened to her with a smile.
  
  "You've done really well by your Miltank, Whitney. Good job." I praised her honestly, eliciting a wide smile from her. "If you train up your other Pokémon as enthusiastically, I'm sure that you'll be able to catch up with me very quickly."
  
  She looked shocked to hear that, but that shock quickly transformed into an eager nod as she started to ramble about how she planned to train her Whismur. She told me how she realized that Whismur was still shy, so she intended to instil Whismur with some confidence before she got into the serious training that she did with Miltank.
  
  It was a remarkable and well thought out plan for a 11-year-old, and I nodded in agreement while patting her on the head. I also suggested that perhaps she could focus on having Miltank master the elemental punches soon to give her more Type coverage, which she eagerly nodded at and made a note.
  
  As I watched Whitney remain concentrated on her notes and planning for Miltank's future training, I could see how she could become the Gym Leader of Goldenrod at such a comparatively young age. Speaking of which...
  
  "Say, Whitney, what are your plans for becoming a trainer in the future?" She looked confused at my question, so I clarified myself. "What do you want to be in the future? What are your goals? You can just say you don't know if you're not sure."
  
  Whitney's face scrunched up cutely as she pondered my question. I made sure that I wasn't staring at her while I let her think, since I didn't want to seem like I was pressuring her into giving an answer.
  
  After almost a minute of silence, my sister spoke up hesitatingly.
  
  "I know I want to be a great trainer like you are, John." She said uncertainly. "I'm not sure what I would want to be after that though..." She seemed upset that she didn't know, but I was quick to reassure her. Besides, I didn't need to know immediately if Whitney wanted to be a Gym Leader or not.
  
  "Hey, hey, you don't need to feel bad if you don't know yet." I comforted gently, as I crouched down to match her height. "You're still very young, and you haven't even started your journey yet! There's no need to decide now, but I was just asking to see if you have any ideas. But it's totally okay if you don't - you have plenty of time to decide later."
  
  Apparently, I had said the right thing because she brightened and gave me a nod. I gave her a gentle pat on the head once more before I gestured for her to go back to training with her Pokémon.
  
  I watched her train for a few more moments before I returned to where my own Pokémon were training. Although they were training rather autonomously, I had tailored their recent training sessions to fix some of their shortcomings that I noticed from the battle against Drake.
  
  More specifically, Smough was temporarily working with Klee and Luna and even Pixel, since three of my Pokémon were currently 'unavailable', to manipulate the elements and learn how to infuse them into his attacks. I hoped that since Smough knew Shock Wave that he would be able to quickly learn Thunder Punch since they shared an element.
  
  To my pleasant surprise, Pixel was mastering its Electric type attacks very quickly. It seems that, by being able to refer to Wattson's battles as a guide, Pixel was learning even faster than I had expected. I hoped he reached proficiency in that attack soon so I could get him training on higher level battles.
  
  As for Zephyr, I did feel that he was reaching the limits of his ability as a Pokémon. The unfortunate truth was that Pidgeot just wasn't that strong of a Pokémon to begin with, and it was only because of my relentless training was he able to catch up with my other team members. But, outside of his specialized role as an anti-Flying type attacker, Zephyr was easily the weakest of my Elite team. And we both knew it.
  
  However, Zephyr was never one to give up on training and was always eager to get stronger, and I would strive to honour his determination by doing my best to think of new and improved training regimes that would allow him to catch up with the rest of my team. For now, I felt that his strength still needed to be improved as I noticed that against Drake's Altaria, Zephyr's Brave Birds weren't hitting as hard as I hoped for.
  
  As a result, I had Zephyr work on a balance between Gravity-induced strength training and general speed training with Port so that his Brave Birds were able to hit as hard as possible. It was what he was doing previously anyways, but this was his niche, so I wanted to ensure that he could perform that niche as best as he could.
  
  I also had a few more ideas about trying to train a few of my Pokémon to learn different abilities, namely Zephyr and Tyrant, both of whom had poor abilities in Keen Eye and Truant respectively. In Tyrant's case, even though he had overcome the weaknesses of Truant, it would be even better if he could actually adopt an ability that was actually helpful. I salivated at the thought. It would make him even stronger than he already was!
  
  For now, I jotted down that I should aim to train Pidgeot to develop the Reckless ability, if possible, and for Tyrant to try to train the Guts ability. I thought those would be excellent abilities for them and would suit their needs the best. It certainly wasn't going to be easy, but I had the time right now to invest into these long-term training endeavours.
  
  To clarify, it wasn't as if I was actually training my Pokémon to develop a new ability. Technically, all I was doing was trying to bring my Pokémon to a level of training in a certain aspect so that it could mimic the ability's effect.
  
  Thus, the rest of my day was spent just watching over my Pokémon's training as I got in a few rounds of exercise myself, and the remainder of the day passed without any issues.
  
  As I scrolled through the Pokénet while I was in bed, I smiled as I saw that Lance was quick to jump onto my interview and announce his support for my proposal to potentially lower the 4-badge requirement; I was pleased to see him honouring our agreement. It seemed that the public was generally receptive to my idea, and I hoped that there would be sufficient support for the Indigo League, or Pryce, to approve of my ideas.
  
  Seeing that there was nothing else of import going on, I briefly texted Karen to make sure everything was ok before I tossed my phone away and tried to get some sleep. I knew that, with Giovanni's supposed return, tomorrow was going to be the day where my future relationship with Giovanni will be decided.
  
  A.N A slower chapter, but I felt that it was necessary to wrap up/touch up on a few plot points that I had brought up in the previous arc that remained unaddressed.
  
  And regarding abilities, I will be going it over in more detail in a future chapter, but basically it's like having your Pokemon train up extensively in an area so that, through the training, it was as if it had the ability in the first place.
  
  Big thanks as well to Allute for BETAing this chapter. Thanks, man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -EXTRA- League Government
  The New Normal - League Government
  
  Champion
  
  -Directs policy and sets overall direction of Indigo by making proposals that need to be accepted by a committee of high ranked League officials.
  
  -Can sit on the committee and have a large, but not majority, vote to select and appoint Gym Leaders and Elite Four members.
  
  -The committee is ultimately the one that decides who to appoint and can ignore the Champion's opinion.
  
  -Can remove Elite Four and Gym Leaders if Champion challenges them to a battle and defeats them without losing more than 2 Pokémon in the battle.
  
  -Should not be done recklessly, as it can be bad for public perception. Also, an Elite Four/Gym Leader can only be challenged this way once per 6 months.
  
  -Can be removed if 80% of the public votes to impeach them. Alternatively, if a challenger (who has won the Indigo Conference) has defeated all the Elite Four members, they may challenge the Champion and replace them if the challenger wins.
  
  -If the challenger is originally a Gym Leader or an Elite Four member, then they do not need to challenge the other Elite Four members and may directly challenge the Champion.
  
  -A Champion may be replaced at any time, but a new Champion cannot be replaced until the end of that circuit.
  
  -Therefore, it may be beneficial for challenges to occur at the start of a circuit to allow for a longer grace period.
  
  Committee
  
  -Made up of high ranked League officials and the Champion. Committee members are all appointed by the public by vote and need to be re-elected.
  
  -Popular support is very important to keeping their positions.
  
  -Has the power to appoint Gym Leaders/Elite Four through a majority vote. Can also vote out a Gym Leader/Elite Four by the same majority vote.
  
  -Discusses policy created by the Champion. Can stonewall the Champion if the committee disagrees with their course of action by voting against it.
  
  -Can create own laws/policies but the Champion can vote against it. Can bypass the Champion's vote simply by having more than the majority vote in approval.
  
  -Effectively serves as a check on Champion's power and gives representation to the public, as committee needs the public to remain elected. Thus, the Champion must keep an eye on public opinion to pass things through the committee.
  
  Elite Four
  
  -Is responsible for carrying out the orders given by the Champion and the committee. Sort of like the 'arms' of the Champion. Often serves as diplomats and representatives.
  
  -Can be appointed to their positions by the committee. Alternatively, a challenger who has won the Indigo Conference or a Gym Leader can challenge a member of the Elite Four directly and replace them if they win.
  
  -Can be removed either by a majority vote from the committee, or an 80% public impeachment vote. Can also be removed if they lose to the Champion without defeating more than 2 Pokémon.
  
  -Can technically ignore the orders of the Champion if the committee and the public are hostile to the Champion.
  
  -Hence, winning the Elite Four over is important for any good Champion.
  
  -Elite Four members can be challenged at any time by challengers. They have a one-month Grace period where they cannot be replaced.
  
  Gym Leaders
  
  -Technically they share power with the mayor of their cities but are definitely more respected.
  
  -The mayors are often more concerned with the development of the city itself, while Gym Leaders are more focused on running their Gyms.
  
  -In charge of the stability of their cities and to ensure the steady continuation of the circuit.
  
  -At minimum, each Gym Leader should be strong enough to fend off at least 7-badge challengers.
  
  -Their ability to serve as a 'learning block' for trainers are more important than their overall strength. Though strength is always valued.
  
  -Can directly challenge a member of the Elite Four and Champion to replace them.
  
  -Are given their positions by the committee or are inherited from their family members.
  
  -Can be voted out by the 80% public impeachment vote or by a majority vote from the committee.
  
  -Can only be replaced during the off-circuit, barring emergencies or a special vote of no-confidence. Gyms can sometimes continue functioning without their Gym Leaders if the Gym Trainers take up the task.
  
  The Challenger
  
  -Must have 8 badges and win the Indigo Conference or is at least a Gym Leader/Elite Four member.
  
  -Any challenger may only challenge an Elite4/Champion once every 3 months.
  
  -Challenges who have only won the Indigo Conference and are not a Gym Leader/Elite Four have a limitation period of 3 years to challenge for a position. After 3 years they must requalify.
  
  -No penalty for losing a challenge, but repeated losses look bad on your reputation and makes it less likely for you to be selected in case of a vacancy.
  
  A.N Thought I would write this up to clarify some aspects of the political scene of Indigo. Sorry for the overlap between them, but I just wanted to make it clear what they all do. I stressed about this part of my story way too much, and eventually this is what I came up with. Once again, it's definitely not perfect, but I at least hope it's serviceable for my story's purposes.
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Mother
  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Mother
  
  Everything was burning.
  
  She grabbed onto her child and carefully made her way through the forest, moving slowly and carefully, making sure that none of the burning trees would accidentally fall onto them.
  
  In the distance, the screams and anguished shouts of the dying men and women reverberated around the forest before they were cut short by another breath of fire. The humane part of herself wanted to run in and help them, to drag whoever she could find out of the burning remains of the village, but a small gasp of pain from her child brought back her rationality, and she realized she was gripping his hands too tightly.
  
  "I'm sorry, dear." She apologized as she released her grip on his hands. "Come, we need to avoid that Typhlosion." Her son nodded stoically and kept going without making a noise of complaint. She was very proud of her son, and she hated the fact that he had to be so brave at such a young age, but there was no choice. Peaceful lives only existed in fairy tales.
  
  Everything was burning.
  
  They made their way into the forest, away from that monster. They took small breaks to rest, both to scarf down their dwindling rations, and to make sure that they hadn't accidentally scraped themselves in their hasty escape. An infection could kill them just as easily as a Pokémon.
  
  It was why she was a widow.
  
  They kept moving. She was determined to find another source of food before darkness set in. The forest was dense, but years of experience has taught her enough to maintain her sense of direction, and they continued moving forward with purpose.
  
  Suddenly, they stumbled across a small clearing in the forest with a few tents lying about. She could make out a small group of soldiers lying about, with some of them fast asleep. Her first instinct was to just silently move away, but then she saw the stack of canned food in the center of the camp. Food that was desperately needed.
  
  And with that, she had already made her decision.
  
  She gestured for her son to stay hidden, and she gave him one of her spare Pokéballs just in case something happened to her. Her son looked like he was about to protest, but eventually conceded and slowly hid behind a tree, far enough away from the clearing that he could easily escape if needed.
  
  She then took out her two Pokéballs and quietly released them behind a tree to conceal them from the soldiers.
  
  "Raticate...." Her Raticate mumbled out, and she quickly shushed him before he accidentally alerted the soldiers. Her Arbok took the hint, and quietly slithered behind the tree.
  
  "Ok, you know what to do. We need the food, so get in, kill everything quickly." She told them, even though she had given these sets of instructions dozens of time by now. She took out her machete, which was worn and heavily stained by its frequent usage. But it did the job.
  
  Still, her Pokémon nodded, and she continued, "Raticate, you're on the right, Arbok, you're on the left. Keep it quiet, and let's go."
  
  They snuck in together as silently as possible. It was a stroke of luck that she got Pokémon as useful and versatile as a Raticate and Arbok. They were not strong fighters, and would never be, but they were excellent scouts and assassins.
  
  And for a survivor like her, they were invaluable.
  
  She stuck next to her Arbok as her Raticate approached from the other side, forming a pseudo-pincer attack against the soldiers. As soon as she stepped into the clearing, one of the soldiers, who had been idly playing cards, spotted her.
  
  "HEY! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!" He immediately shouted out, alerting his friends. As soon as she was spotted, she abandoned her careful approach and broke into a sprint and ran straight at the soldier.
  
  The soldier quickly shook awake his buddy, but before his friend could even comprehend what was going on, Arbok clamped down on his neck with a vicious Bite, causing the light to instantly leave his eyes.
  
  "OH SHI-" The soldier that spotted her tried to scramble for his Pokéball, but in his panic he fumbled his hands and couldn't release the Pokémon in time before her machete pierced through his chest. She instantly knocked the Pokéball aside to prevent him from releasing whatever was inside before ramming her machete deep into his lungs once again.
  
  "PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBO-" She snapped her head toward the side as she watched a Pikachu slowly charge up a Thunderbolt, but just before it managed to unleash its attack, her Raticate came up from behind it with a Hyper Fang. His large teeth crushed the smaller mouse's head, instantly killing it.
  
  Not even blinking at this, she dove into cover in case he had any other weapons before a short scream signalled the end of the remaining soldier's life. She stayed behind cover for a moment, before she saw her Arbok, now covered in blood, slither his way back to her. The coast was clear.
  
  She sighed in relief as the fight ended, and she bent down and wiped off the blood from her machete on one of the dead soldier's clothes. Then, she ordered her Raticate to check the surrounding area to make sure no one heard the fighting, and then for him to get her son to come here.
  
  As she waited for Raticate to return, she scavenged through the pockets and clothes of all the dead soldiers. Besides a few packs of cigarettes, and some Johto money, there was nothing else of value.
  
  Otherwise, the grand prize was the food and the pack of cards, she figured she could probably trade the latter some day for some extra supplies. The sound of footsteps instantly put her on alert, but she relaxed when it was just her son and Raticate returning.
  
  She sent a silent question with her eyes towards the Raticate, asking if the coast was clear and that there were no prying eyes. Her Raticate simply nodded, and she finally dropped her guard slightly and relaxed.
  
  She quickly packed up all the food, which was probably sufficient for at least a few days, and then started to leave the clearing. She turned to her son, who was staring blankly at the bodies of the dead soldiers. She frowned and quickly spoke to him to draw his attention away.
  
  "Come, Giovanni, we need to leave before they realize what we've done."
  
  A.N. After speaking with one of my supporters, I wanted to try my hand at writing something completely darker and different in tone from my normal story. Feel free to consider this Canon or Non-Canon depending on your preference; it has very little influence on the actual story itself.
  
  Hope you like the darker tone! It was very interesting to write! If you guys enjoyed this, then I might write a sequel to this sometime in the future. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  Thank to Allute for BETAing this chapter.
  
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  The New Normal - 3-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-6 - Confrontations
  
  It was afternoon the next day that I found myself on the phone looking for Giovanni once again; I had spent the morning distractedly training with my Pokémon. I slept restlessly the night before as I tossed and turned in my bed worrying about what was going on with Team Rocket and Giovanni.
  
  Petrel said that Giovanni would be here today, and if he didn't pick up this time, I would personally make my way to Viridian and forcefully try to find out what's going on.
  
  Fortunately, after a few rings, I had finally gotten through to Giovanni.
  
  "Hello? This is Giovanni." His smooth voice was finally on the phone.
  
  "Giovanni. This is John." I said shortly, no longer concerned about being polite for the moment. "I'm not sure if Petrel has told you, but I've been looking for you for the past few days to discuss some things." I didn't let him respond as I continued. "Since I finally got you on the line, I'm letting you know that I'll be visiting your offices shortly, so be prepared to meet me."
  
  I could hear Giovanni spluttering at my demand before his confusion morphed into rage. "John, do not forget who you are speaking to-"
  
  "Oh no, I definitely remember who I am speaking to, Giovanni." I cut him off warningly. "Did you think I was trying to reach you for the past few days because I was desperate for your help?! No. I was trying to talk to you because I wanted to know if you had FUCKED EVERYTHING UP!" I shouted, letting out my stored frustration over the past few days.
  
  Giovanni was uncharacteristically at a loss for words, and I took a moment to breathe in and out to calm myself down.
  
  "Giovanni, I'll speak to you further when I get there. See you soon." I hung up the call without letting him reply.
  
  Was it wrong for me to have shouted at him and taken out my anger at him before I knew any better? Perhaps. It was possible that Giovanni had absolutely nothing to do with the recent resurgence of Team Rocket, but I highly doubted it. I knew that some way or another, Giovanni was involved with the mess and thus I was justified in letting out a bit of my anger.
  
  Although I did want us to continue our friendship into the future, this was not something that I was willing to shove under the rug to preserve it. Plus, I wasn't even sure if our friendship would even have a 'future'; it would all depend on this meeting.
  
  I told my mom that I was off to another meeting; dad had left earlier to handle the new posters, and my mom said to be careful and asked if I would be back for dinner. I said that I would be, as I figured that the meeting shouldn't extend that long even if it devolved into the worst-case scenario.
  
  I quickly collected up my Pokémon and made my way to Viridian to confront Giovanni.
  
  I landed in Viridian City in record time, and I found Petrel waiting for me patiently at the entrance of the Viridian Gym. I greeted him a terse nod, and he silently escorted me to Giovanni's office.
  
  I tried to read Petrel's body language to gauge what he was feeling right now, but his posture was rigidly stiff and didn't give anything away aside from the fact that he was wound up really tightly. Perhaps he was nervous about the outcome of this meeting as well?
  
  Nevertheless, he deposited me outside Giovanni's office, and I quickly made my inside. I was quickly greeted by Giovanni, who I noted looked a bit more harried and uncomfortable than when I had met him last, and he gestured to the glass of water that he had already prepared for me. I didn't touch it as I skipped over the pleasantries and went straight into the main topic of discussion.
  
  "Giovanni, it is good to meet you after so long." I began, but my face had no trace of humour in it. "It's a shame that we had to meet again under such unpleasant circumstances, but I will not apologize for my words or for my demands for this meeting." I told him strictly, letting him know that I was being entirely serious.
  
  "I need to know what your involvement is with the recent crime wave. And don't try to deny responsibility either. You previously told me that you and your late mother had plans to make use of a paramilitary group to fight for the future of Kanto, and I can see MANY uncomfortable similarities between your ideas and this wave of criminals." I locked eyes with him. "Gym Leader Giovanni. I need to know, as a member of the Elite Four, if you are involved with these criminals."
  
  We locked eyes for a moment, before Giovanni's eyes eventually shifted away slightly as he failed to meet my gaze. He looked far more rattled than I had ever seen before, and I could see that he really didn't want to talk about this topic. But I remained silent as pressured him with my eyes until he eventually broke and let out a sigh.
  
  "You're right, John." Giovanni finally admitted with a sigh as he rubbed his face. "These criminals were supposed to be under my control as a last-ditch emergency option in case the Indigo League continued to side-line Kanto for Johto. But, like I told you, I abandoned those plans when you were appointed as a member of the Elite Four. And from what I could see, you've been doing quite well there too!"
  
  I ignored his attempts at humour, my face as still as stone as I silently pressured him to continue. Giovanni coughed as his joke failed to land. "Anyways, yes, that was the plan, at least. However, some members of the group decided to spit on my generosity, and they decided that they would be split off from my control and begin doing their own thing." He explained.
  
  I frowned at his explanation; it wasn't detailed enough and there were definitely things that Giovanni was still withholding from me. Unfortunately for him, my patience was at its limits, and I wasn't about to let him off so easily.
  
  "Giovanni. We both know that that isn't the end of the story. You definitely know more. So, spill it. What have you found out in the past few days when you were absent?" I demanded irritably, and I saw that Giovanni was wavering, so I decided to continue the offense. "Let me remind you that you are speaking to a member of the Elite Four, who is currently trying to decide if he should continue maintaining his friendship with you. So, before you decide to withhold more information from me, do remember that I could make things very difficult for you if I do not receive the full picture. Now." I leaned forward to punctuate my point.
  
  I could see a hint of rage flash past Giovanni's eyes as I hurt his pride, but it quickly faded away. Sure, Giovanni could also make problems for me considering that I had previously worked with him, but it would hurt him a lot more than it would hurt me since I hadn't actually done anything illegal so far whereas Giovanni certainly had. And I'm sure he had also realized this.
  
  He fidgeted with his sleeve for a moment before I noticed that a level of calm descended upon his face and his whole body relaxed.
  
  "Alright, John. The truth then. As soon as I realized that the organisation, which is called Team Rocket, had gone rogue, I immediately set out to confront their leader, Proton, but couldn't find him. He used to be one of my subordinates, but I saw him as more of an attack dog than an assistant or a thinker." He carefully explained to me, deciding to come clean with me.
  
  "Since I couldn't find where Proton was, I contacted my second-in-command, Archer, who was previously in charge of communicating with Proton and leading Team Rocket in my stead to ask if he knew where Proton was and what had happened to cause the split. Archer informed me that Proton was missing and had taken many of the more violent members away and that they were looking for a new financial backer. Fortunately, Archer said that a few members of Team Rocket who were generally more intellectually minded decided to stay loyal to him, and me in turn, and not join in on the violence."
  
  I nodded slowly as I took in his explanation and allowed him to carry on.
  
  "I had no intention of joining in on their doomed crusade, nor do I endorse their current actions, and I spent the last few days tidying up a few loose ends that could have linked back to me. Now, I am rather confident in the fact that, barring yourself and a few other trusted individuals, no one knows who founded Team Rocket, not even Proton, since I never revealed my identity to him. As far as he was concerned, Archer was the original founder." He told me and I watched him carefully as I listened to see if he was lying to me. But my gut told me he wasn't. However, a thought did come up.
  
  "But do you trust Archer to not reveal who you are if he gets captured by those who believe that he founded Team Rocket?" I asked him concerningly, and Giovanni waved it off.
  
  "I appreciate your concern, John, but I assure you that Archer would not dare betray me." He said confidently, and I couldn't tell whether he was being overconfident or not. After all, it was more than possible that Giovanni had something on Archer to ensure his loyalty.
  
  "I see...And I think I've heard enough from you, Giovanni." I told him thoughtfully as I went over what he had just told me. From my memory, it matched what Petrel had told me. I contemplated deeply on whether I should continue my connection with Giovanni in light of this revelation. I could choose to not believe him, but then that would be an implicit severing of our friendly relations. Did I need to continue being Giovanni's friend in the future?
  
  On the one hand, I realized that I was growing into being an influential figure on my own, even without Giovanni's help. I managed to secure my position in the Elite Four with my achievements in Hoenn and with my support of Lance, so I didn't strictly need to rely on Giovanni's support to maintain a degree of personal influence. It would also be less risky as I wouldn't get involved in any future evil schemes that Giovanni might have.
  
  On the other hand, beyond the advantages that Giovanni's network could provide me, severing my ties to Giovanni would mean that I wouldn't be able to influence and provide oversight to what Giovanni was doing. I believed myself to be a good influence to temper Giovanni's more extremist actions, and I feared that breaking off relations with him would cause him to lean further into extremism. I didn't think sending him to prison would neuter his influence either.
  
  Ultimately, after a moment to think things through carefully, I decided that I would continue my 'friendship' with Giovanni so that I could remain in contact and ostensibly monitor his activities. Thus, I accepted his explanation, and I could rationally believe in the events that he presented.
  
  "I'm choosing to believe your words, as I've detected no lies in your words, and this leads me to my most important question, Giovanni." I finally said seriously, but then I returned to my questioning. "What are you going to do now that your previous 'employees' have gone rogue on you?"
  
  Giovanni massaged his head as he pondered my question for a moment before responding, "I intend to silence Proton permanently so that I can tie up the remaining loose end, but beyond that, I don't see a need to do anything in particular. After all, we could easily take advantage of the recent crime wave to further our own and Kanto's interests and try to control them so they target areas and people that could benefit the future of Kanto, so I see no reason why we couldn't just leave it to the League to mop them up while we exploit them for our own purposes."
  
  My anger rose at his callous answer that I missed the fact that he had just casually told me he planned to murder Proton. I might have been okay with allowing Giovanni his vices and his manipulation and bribery, but I was not okay with allowing the general public to be harmed due to his actions, intentional or not.
  
  "Giovanni." I said with false calm, a hint of my smouldering rage leaking out at my tone. "I'll pretend that I didn't just hear that answer, and I'll tell you what I want you to do. Consider it a request for keeping up our friendship together."
  
  Giovanni frowned at my answer, and I could tell that he wanted to protest, but he quickly caught on to my simmering rage and realized that he had likely crossed a line somewhere. I watched him hesitate slightly as he mentally debated whether to lower his pride and accept my request or not.
  
  Eventually, he nodded.
  
  "Fine. I will bow to you on this, only because I have found great value in continuing our friendship. But do not push me any further than this, John." He warned me with another glare that I matched. I wasn't going to let him cower me on this. His sharp eyes locked onto mine as a silent battle of wills raged on between us. I did not hesitate though, and I was determined to not let Giovanni to have his way on this.
  
  I recognized that this was a pivotal moment in establishing how our relationship would be moving forwards, and I was determined to ensure that Giovanni would view me as an equal. We may help each other, but I was, and would never be, subordinated to him.
  
  I had to get him to recognize that I was no puppet for him to manipulate.
  
  Eventually, our stare down ended, and I could see Giovanni giving me a subtle nod as he recognized my status and power. Accepting his subtle gesture for what it was, I continued in a friendlier tone.
  
  "I want you to help out in subduing the recent crime wave. I want you out in the public, working hard to pacify this threat." I told Giovanni, and I could see that he instinctively frowned at the thought of taking orders. Luckily, I had something to sweeten my request with.
  
  "If you do so, I will be giving you my public support for your actions in helping to clean up Indigo. And I will also promise to keep silent about your involvement with Team Rocket so long as you do not do anything else like this again, since revealing your involvement would cause irrevocable and long-lasting damage to Kanto's reputation." I could see a considering look in Giovanni's eyes. "This way, you can bolster your popularity with the public as you'll be seen as one of the first Gym Leaders actively cracking down on the criminals. You can even make charitable donations or set up public work schemes to prevent such a crime wave from happening again. Feel free to milk it for your own popularity. I don't mind so long as you're actively fighting back against Team Rocket." I finished.
  
  Of course, I concealed my true reason for having Giovanni publicly fighting against Team Rocket, which was to force him to be an enemy of Team Rocket and Proton. I didn't want him to be sitting on the fence, as that means he might be continuously tempted to re-join or support Team Rocket in the shadows. However, if he were to fight Team Rocket publicly, that would permanently cut off his ties to Team Rocket.
  
  Eventually, Giovanni broke his silence. "Alright. You make a convincing point, John." He admitted. "I can see that there are many advantages to declaring my intentions to fight back against these criminals, so I'll play along with your scheme for now." He glared at me again. "I hope that this is the last demand you will make to me."
  
  I nodded back this time. So long as he stuck to the promises that he just made to me, I believed we could have a functional friendship moving forwards. I eased back and switched the topic to something more friendly.
  
  "Changing the topic now that we've agreed on our course of action, I thought I'd let you know that both Pryce and Lance have approached me about gaining my support for their battle over the title of Champion." I informed Giovanni, and he took the hint that I was looking to repair our connection.
  
  "Oh? That's not unexpected. But what did the two of them say to you?" He asked, relaxing his posture.
  
  "Pryce offered an apology and a list of reasons why he had to remain Champion." I scowled at the memory, and I could see Giovanni frowning as well. He hated Pryce more than I did. "But Lance was far more forthcoming. He offered me a guarantee that he would not side-line me as Pryce did, and he also gave a general promise to look out for the balance between Kanto and Indigo as well as his political support for my political endeavours towards this aim. It was a vague promise, but I could tell that he had no intention of favouring Johto so heavily like Pryce did, since it's not in his interest to do so." I explained.
  
  "Also, I'm not sure if you saw my recent interview about re-evaluating the 4-badge restrictions." Giovanni nodded. "But Lance also gave his public support for that as well, honouring our agreement. And as a result of all of this, I decided that I found Pryce generally too distasteful to support and decided to support Lance."
  
  Giovanni thought carefully as he listened to my explanation, and his face turned into one of serious concern. "Do you truly believe Lance will be able to defeat Pryce in a Pokémon battle? Because all of this support is moot if Lance can't beat Pryce."
  
  I gave Giovanni a smug smirk. "Oh, I'm very confident that Lance can beat Pryce despite the type disadvantage. It would take a miracle for Pryce to win." I answered with confidence.
  
  Giovanni stared at me for a moment before he eventually formed a pleased smile. "You did not disappoint me, John. I admit to being previously uncertain about your ability to handle high-level politics, despite your negotiations with Devon Corp and Gym Leader Norman, but if the things you tell me are true, which I suspect they are, then I'm glad to see that you have exceeded my expectations."
  
  I accepted the compliment and thanked him politely. Giovanni continued.
  
  "As you know, the Blackthorns have been a huge element of the politics of Johto and now Indigo, and with Lance as both their representative and the possible future Champion, it would give him an enormous amount of influence over the future of Indigo. Aligning yourself to him and being able to influence his decisions will be a huge boon for the future and ensuring the prosperity of Kanto." He explained.
  
  "Of course, I would have preferred to have gone through a plan with you of what we would request of Lance or Pryce, but I can admit to being at fault for being absent over the past few days. However, the promises you have extracted from Lance are more than sufficient for the time being, and we can easily hash out the details later." He finished pleasantly.
  
  We then proceeded to discuss what we knew and felt about Lance and his future proposals. I told him about Lance's idea for an international police force, which Giovanni dismissed as overly ambitious and naïve but ultimately harmless to his goals, so he let it slide. He asked several questions about Lance's personality, so I told him that my impressions of him was that he could be prone to arrogance, and respected those with strength, but my gut told me that he did have the well-being of Indigo in mind.
  
  I also informed Giovanni about my plans with Lance and how I would stay silent for the time being as to not give away the fact that I was going to be supporting Lance so that Pryce could not discredit me. Then I told him about how Lance was planning on attacking Pryce on my side-lining to Hoenn and the recent crime wave. Giovanni approved of our proposal and told me that if he thought of anything else he would let me know as soon as possible.
  
  Since he said that, I asked Giovanni if he would be supporting Lance as well, to which he said that he would do a bit more research first. Though he conceded that he was definitely leaning towards supporting him. I requested that, if he chose to support Lance, if Giovanni could also reach out to other Gym Leaders so that they could offer their support as well. Giovanni easily agreed.
  
  Giovanni then switched topics and notified me that the new Devon Corp branch had already been established in Viridian City, although it was very basic and small for time being. He thanked me for helping out with the discussions, which I accepted, and told him that I would visit the new branch soon enough. Then, I asked him about the progress of the joint-research facility, and he informed me that the scientists were still being selected and the building was still being rebuilt to be suitable for their needs.
  
  A thought suddenly popped up in my head, and I asked Giovanni if I could have some way to contact the head of the joint-research project in case I had any insights into Porygon that I wanted to share.
  
  "That's no problem." Giovanni said as he quickly took out a piece of paper and jotted down a number. "Here you go. I'll let Project Manager Ariana know that you'll be in touch."
  
  I was surprised to hear the name of another future Team Rocket admin, but by this point I've accepted that the Team Rocket admins were just selected from Giovanni's closest subordinates, so I easily took it in stride. I quickly put it out my mind and just thanked Giovanni.
  
  Eventually, we decided that we had spoken enough and started to wrap up our meeting. I reminded Giovanni that I expected him to make a public statement soon denouncing the recent crime wave but appeased him by thanking him for his work and hoping that we could work together more in the future.
  
  I could see it in Giovanni's expression that he also hoped for our friendship to continue in the future, as this time he barely reacted to my reminder and said that I had his word that he would do so. We shook hands as a symbolic gesture of our revitalized relationship, and I was then escorted out by Petrel.
  
  "Thank you for not breaking your friendship with Giovanni." He told me quietly as he walked me out of the Gym, "I understand that you may have been outraged by Giovanni's past actions, but like I said before, Giovanni truly does everything for the betterment of Kanto. And having your support would make things much easier for him."
  
  "I understand, Petrel." I said politely. "Still, there are lines that I will not allow to be crossed. So long as Giovanni doesn't cross that line with his actions again, then I foresee no problems with continuing to work with him in the future."
  
  Petrel simply nodded at my words before we continued walking in silence until we eventually exited the Gym through the side entrance. He thanked me again for my continued support and I waved back at him as I took off on Port back home.
  
  I reflected on our meeting while I flew home. It was probably the most important and tense meeting that I've ever had in my life, but I was proud of myself for not being intimidated and asserting myself as Giovanni's equal.
  
  I would be keeping a stricter eye out for Giovanni's actions in the future. But I personally hoped that we wouldn't need to have another one of these meetings ever again.
  
  A.N I hope that John was the right amount of forceful in this chapter, and I hope that following advice from my commentors that John properly respects his status in the Elite Four. This chapter was very important in establishing the future of Giovanni's and John's relationship, so I hope I resolved it well.
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already
  
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  The New Normal - 3-7 - Pokenet Reactions
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-7 - INTERLUDE: Pokénet Reactions
  
  [GYM LEADER GIOVANNI SEEN FIGHTING AGAINST CRIMINALS! FULFILLS HIS PREVIOUS PROMISES!] by the Indigo Post
  
  [Image of Giovanni patrolling the streets of Viridian City and arresting criminals]
  
  A few days ago, Gym Leader Giovanni held a press conference where he denounced the recent crime wave and promised quick and decisive action to curb the recent outbreak of criminals. It seems like the Gym Leader is now backing up his words with actions as he has been seen patrolling the streets of Viridian City alongside the Indigo Police and assisting in the capturing of criminals.
  
  Many have commended Giovanni's recent actions, and Elite John has declared his support of Giovanni's actions and has joined in with a speech that encourages action from all Gym Leaders across Indigo to follow Giovanni's inspiring actions and help defend the public from the terrible acts of these criminals.
  
  Elite John is quoted to have said, "This recent wave of criminals is a plague on Indigo. These criminals are indiscriminately targeting innocent members of the public and using violence to forcefully separate them from their Pokémon. A lifetime of bonds made between trainer and Pokémon, broken in an instant because of the malicious actions of these criminals. This cannot be allowed to stand. I encourage and call upon all Gym Leaders and Elite Four members to follow the example of Gym Leader Giovanni and fight against this infection of criminals. Let's make Indigo safe again!"
  
  This writer is in complete agreement with Elite John's words. Dear readers, please do everything you can to help out our valiant and brave Indigo Police members in fighting against this tide of crime. Don't be a spectator!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Glad to see that SOMEONE is doing something about these criminals. Proud of Gym Leader Giovanni and Elite John for taking the initiative and spreading the word that we all should be fighting against these terrorists! And shame on the Indigo Police and others for dawdling until now. Down with criminals!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Yesss! About time we saw some actual action being taken against these scums. But why is it that both people that have pledged their support to fight against this scum are both from Kanto? Where are those from Johto who are supposed to fight for our protection? And, despite how I disagree with KantoRepresent at times, shame on those who were idle and apathetic until now. Shame!
  
  The leaders from Johto better step it up and get their shit together to fight against this threat. Utterly disgraceful at their lack of action so far.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WOOO happy to see Elite John delivering the good news once again! So proud to see that he's active and advocating for action! I knew that my support for him was never unjustified and I'm glad to see that John is proving it every step of the way!
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Hey guys, chill on the bloodlust. Even if these 'criminals' are really doing bad things, we should be careful that we aren't overly violent with their arrests. They are people too, with their own lives and families. Have some sympathy.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Fuck that RockGetGrunt! Didn't you see the latest report of these criminals stealing a Dragon type Pokémon! THEY STOLE A DRAGON TYPE. That poor Dragon was taken away and likely raised by some sub-par trainer where it is forever unable to reach its full potential. What a tragedy! These criminals must be punished with force for their crimes against Dragons!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...they should ALSO be punished for their crime against US TRAINERS. But DragonPower has the right spirit; these criminals need to be cleaned up!
  
  [GYM LEADER GIOVANNI ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIPS FOR PUBLIC WORK SCHEMES AND OTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORT! ELITE LANCE PLEDGES BLACKTHORN SUPPORT!] by the Indigo Post
  
  It seems like Gym Leader Giovanni has been very active the past week as he has made yet another announcement detailing his plans to provide financial support for numerous public work schemes and towards the Indigo Police. Giovanni has stated that he hopes that this increase in funding towards public work schemes will encourage the poor and other more unfortunate members of society to remain productive instead of joining up with organized crime and other criminal gangs.
  
  And now, Elite Lance has also jumped up to support his fellow Elite Four's efforts as he pledges the full support of the Blackthorn clan into repelling these criminals.
  
  In his recent press conference, Elite Lance had this to say. "Members of the public! You have my sincerest apologies for my delayed reactions in responding to the recent crime wave that has been terrorising our population. However, I am here now to pledge the full backing of the Blackthorn clan to eradicating this threat, and I will not rest until the threat of these criminals are dealt with and utterly destroyed. To all citizens of Indigo, I promise you that every effort and resource will be used to uncover the leaders behind these criminals, and they WILL be brought to justice! This will be a war on crime, and I implore every able hand to join in to assist us in this fight! And if those leaders are listening now, then heed my words. Turn yourself in now, before my Dragonites inevitably hunt you down. You will NOT like it if that happens."
  
  With more and more public officials turning their attention to fighting against these criminals, this writer hopes that the situation will be resolved in short order and that the leaders are found and arrested. Let peace return once more!
  
  Comments
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  About time we saw some Johto people start doing something! Took a while, but at least Elite Lance seems very serious about fighting this threat. Might be a bit late, but I'm all for it and I wish him the best of luck!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Wow, didn't think we'd see such a large scale action by Lance today. He's really stirring the pot if he's declaring that all of Blackthorn's resources will be used to fight against the criminals. Very serious rhetoric too since he called this a 'war on crime'. Wonder what he's going to be doing next and hope he's successful with his efforts.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  About time we got something done. We here at Fuschia have been dealing with these nutjobs from Team Rocket for far too long. They've even been stealing Pokémon from even the Fuschia Clan unimpeded! Something must be done! I hope having the Blackthorn Clan finally step in is going to put a stop to this.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Guys does no one think that Lance's speech was way too aggressive? Look at what he's calling it! A 'war on crime'! That kind of aggression is completely unwarranted and really shows how bloodthirsty Lance is! Don't let him sway you with his words!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Man, what is going on over there in Indigo? Over here in Hoenn we just got reports about the recent crime wave that's been spreading rapidly across Indigo, but is it really that serious? I mean I saw the first reports and thought most of them were just exaggerated for the views. But now I'm not so certain after I've seen that all these prominent names are stepping up to do something about it. Can anyone tell me what it's like there?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  It's pretty bad IMO. Well, to clarify, it's not like everyone's getting robbed or attacked. But if you've got a large group of friends or just know a lot of people, then chances are that one of them have been targeted before by these criminals. I'm certain that there has been an attack at least once per city. So, while it's not prolific as the news make it seem, Gym Leader Giovanni and Elite John and Elite Lance are absolutely in the right to take action against them. I predict that the situation was only going to get worse if nothing was done.
  
  [ELITE JOHN VS ELITE DRAKE: A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF ELITE JOHN'S TEAM AND HOW THEY WON] by BattleCast
  
  Every BattleCast reader knows that Elite John had recently pulled off a surprising win against the more veteran and experienced team of Elite Drake in a stunning 6-3 victory. Yet, why was John able to win with his team of Normal types, a typing which is not seen to be nearly as strong as Drake's mixture of Dragon and Water types.
  
  It may just be easy to state that John's win was due to luck. And yes, there were a few situations where luck was on John's side, such as Kingdra's confusion after Pidgeot's last-ditch Hurricane, which allowed John to quickly knock it out without his Snorlax taking too much damage, allowing it to subsequently defeat Drake's Gyarados as well.
  
  However, claiming John's victory was purely to luck ignores the many more important factors that led up to John's victory. After reviewing and going through John's previous matches, it becomes obvious that John's most favourable battling style is to force his opponents into a brawl, where he is able to make use of his Pokémon's high endurance and strength to just outlast and outfight his opponents.
  
  And, coincidentally enough, anyone who is familiar with Drake also knows that brawling is Drake's favourite battling style as well. Thus, Drake was either intentionally or unintentionally playing straight into John's hands by choosing to fight in the manner that John's Pokémon were best at. As we've seen time and time again with John's battles, as soon as one of his heavy hitters gets in close, the battle almost always ends in his favour. It is easily visible to see that John has tailored every Pokémon on his team to revolve around and be extremely proficient at this style of fighting. Perhaps this is why it should have been unsurprising in hindsight that John was able to beat Drake this same way.
  
  Of course, battling style aside, it is impossible to ignore the significance of John's actual Pokémon themselves. While his Pidgeot and Wyrdeer were certainly no slouches and definitely powerful Pokémon in their own rights, it is inevitable that people will focus more on his trio of Snorlax, Ursaluna, and Slaking. Those three Pokémon form the core of John's team and are easily capable of taking on an Elite level Pokémon by themselves without much difficulty. Special mention must go to his Slaking in particular, which has never been knocked out throughout John's battling career ever since its evolution into a Slaking.
  
  Thus, it is a combination of his powerful Pokémon coupled with a synergistic battling style, and a sprinkle of luck, that allowed John to take on Drake and win his famous 6-4 victory.
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  So TLDR - John's strong and can't be beaten?! Sounds good to me! Can't wait to see more high levels battle from John. LET'S GOOO!
  
  FutureAce
  
  WOW! Never really looked at John's team that way. I always knew that his Pokémon were complete BEASTS but didn't actually realize that he revolved his whole strategy around them. WAIT does that mean that John would be weaker against opponents that don't rely on brute strength?! Maybe more agile Pokémon or something like Ghost type trainers or something?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Well, looking at John's battle against Shin's Scizor, which was renowned for its incredible speed and agility, it was very obvious that John had absolutely no trouble smashing it into the ground with his Slaking. Now, while I suspect that his Slaking may be anomalous, I feel that John has strategies or Pokémon who are adept at dealing with faster threats.
  
  We've actually never seen his team go against a Ghost type specialist though, so perhaps that would be his weak point. Ghost types are normally very good against teams that rely on their physical bulk due to their abundance of evasive moves and mental attacks.
  
  FutureAce
  
  ^Thanks man! Now you're making me hyped about John battling against Agatha? Who would win? I mean, I get what you're saying, but I'm still going to have to put my vote for John.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Eh...I might have bought into the recent John hype train, but I think my vote would still be on Agatha. She's far too experienced against trainers like John, and her Pokémon are probably the most veteran and experienced of the current Elite Four, excluding Pryce. I like John, but my votes on Agatha.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Yeah, and Lance will crush them both. Dragons FTW!
  
  [ELITE LANCE CALLS OUT INDIGO LEAGUE FOR THEIR INACTION AGAINST THE RECENT CRIME WAVE! DEMANDS MORE ACTION AGAINST 'TEAM ROCKET'!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Elite Lance has just denounced the Indigo League for their relative inaction against the recent crime wave that has been spreading throughout Indigo. He declares that their actions were "slow" and "apathetic" and says that if it was not for the heroic actions that have been taken by several Gym Leaders and Elite Four members ever since Elite John's call to action, the situation would be a lot worse.
  
  Lance said this in his speech:
  
  "I understand that the Indigo League, and Champion Pryce, have not been inactive. I acknowledge that they have announced a proposal to improve funding and support for the Indigo Police, and Champion Pryce has been seen aiding the public and patrolling the streets like many others. However, why did it take the call of an Elite Four member to mobilize the Indigo League like this? What caused the delay in the Indigo League's response? They should have acted immediately instead of waiting until now!"
  
  Lance also made sure to thank those who have helped out so far. And according to the extensive reports gathered by the Blackthorns, incidents of crime have been severely reduced throughout Indigo, and many arrests have been made of these criminals, which we now know from the police interviews that this organisation is called 'Team Rocket'.
  
  Unfortunately, the leaders of this 'Team Rocket' remain elusive. This writer hopes that Lance's words manage to reinvigorate the Indigo League to work harder and bring these terrible leaders to justice once and for all.
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Can't believe I'm actually saying this about a Johtonian but LET'S GO LANCE CALL OUT THE CORRUPT LEAGUE! Very happy to see that Lance is willing to actually bring up what the public always knew - that the Indigo league is corrupt and slow. Maybe a League under Lance would not be so stagnant like it is now.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Proud of Lance for doing his duty as a citizen of Johto and looking out for the common people. The reports produced by the Blackthorn are so helpful! Hope this leads to more arrests! We got to get rid of these criminal 'Team Rocket' scums as soon as possible! Glad to see that the tide is finally turning!
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  ...Uh oh.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Anyone notice that Lance's recent statements have been overly critical of the League, and by extension, Champion Pryce? Is it just me or has Lance been throwing a lot of criticism at both the League and the Champion recently? Just look at his previous comments about Pryce's acts of nepotism, and now with the Indigo League's inaction. Methinks a plot is being hatched.
  
  [PRYCE IN TROUBLE FOR FORCEFULLY SENDING ELITE JOHN TO HOENN! LANCE OPENLY DENOUNCES THE CHAMPION!] by the Indigo Post
  
  In an earth-shattering announcement made today by Elite Lance, he reveals that the recent trip of Elite John to Hoenn was ordered by Champion Pryce as a 'diplomatic mission'. While normally that isn't anything unusual, Lance demonstrated evidence showing that the Hoenn League was not informed about John's arrival to Hoenn and there were no plans to accommodate John for his supposed diplomatic mission!
  
  Lance explains that the true reason why Champion Pryce had sent John over to Hoenn was to side-line him and to prevent John from disrupting Pryce's political plots. He provides evidence of reports showing that several anonymous members of the Indigo League had agreed with Champion Pryce's plot and decided on this course of action to protect their own interests.
  
  We managed to reach out to several members of the Hoenn League and their testimonies matched with Lance's words. Even more damningly, Elite Drake had this to say.
  
  "I received a very brief note one day that the recently appointed Elite John was coming to Hoenn on vacation to celebrate his victory. I was suspect of this, and I checked his arrival times and went to meet him. As soon as I met him, I realized that this whole 'holiday' thing was a whole pile of steaming shit and that John was forced to be here. I spread the news to my other colleagues in the Elite Four, and we're all in agreement that the Indigo League's reasonings for sending John here were full of shit and lies. Not that I expected any better from that tower of crap that you guys call your Indigo League..."
  
  Very strong words coming from the veteran Elite Four member Drake! Furthermore, we also managed to reach out to Elite John, who had this to say.
  
  "It was a great shock when I realized that I was being sent off to Hoenn so quickly after taking up my new position. Regardless of the reason, I felt greatly hurt by the lack of support given to me by the Indigo League for their act of sending me to Hoenn. However, I am very thankful for the understanding and support that I received from the members of the Hoenn League. They are great people, and I am honoured to have their friendship. I wish our two regions will continue to improve and develop our relations further for the years to come."
  
  We have yet to hear a response from Champion Pryce yet, but this writer is eagerly awaiting Pryce's reply because he has a lot to answer for!
  
  Comments
  
  [Comments have been temporarily disabled in lieu of the inappropriate language that has repeatedly been used within]
  
  [PRYCE PUSHES BACK! DENIES ALL ALLEGATIONS MADE BY LANCE AND DENOUNCES LANCE AS A POWER-HUNGRY MANIPULATOR!]
  
  Just a day later after Lance's condemning report of Pryce's actions regarding his alleged side-lining of Elite John, Pryce has finally replied and is fighting back against Lance's statements. In his recent interview, Champion Pryce commented:
  
  "I was very saddened to hear Elite Lance's accusations against me. Not only are his words unfounded, but I can see that Lance had made a common mistake that can be found in untested and inexperienced politicians. Namely that they have chosen to interpret and warp the evidence to fit their own pre-determined conclusions. Lance chooses to see malice in areas where there isn't any to be found."
  
  "I chose to send John to Hoenn not out of some malicious intent like Lance foolishly claims, but rather to test and train his skills so that he can grow and become an effective member of the Elite Four. As many know, the position of being in the Elite Four is one that requires someone who is careful and calm, and my colleagues and I needed to know if John would measure up by agreeing to send him to Hoenn. Lance has chosen to ignore this fact in lieu of pushing forward his own agenda and slandering me over something that was done out of a desire to see John grow into his full potential. Lance's actions were not done out of some false concern for a friend, but rather his actions are akin to a power-hungry manipulator who seeks to bring the public over to his side before seizing power. Do not allow yourselves to be tricked!"
  
  Very powerful words from the Champion. This writer isn't sure who to believe at this point, so we'll let you decide in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  I'll say it again because the last comment section got scrubbed - but this is such a typical slimy response by that condescending old fossil. Don't listen to Pryce's words guys! He's clearly trying to weasel his way out of the accusations made by Lance. He's provided no evidence to support his claims, unlike Lance, and he's just running damage control! Don't trust Pryce!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Not sure who to trust at this point. On the one hand, I believe that Lance's evidence is indisputable, especially with the Hoenn Elite Four testimonies, and that Elite John had been sent to Hoenn without them being informed of his trip. However, I also believe that Pryce was just doing what he was doing because he thought it was the right thing to do to test if his newest Elite Four member was up for the job, especially considering John's young age. Either way I hate to see the two Johtonians fight it out like this! I want Johto to be united on the political stage!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  OMA I'M STILL SO MAD AT PRYCE! How could he just send John away to Hoenn like that!? And why didn't' John say anything? He could've made a huge fuss about it the moment he was there! Maybe he was bullied into saying nothing?! GRR gets my blood boiling just thinking about it! HOPE YOU'RE OKAY JOHN!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  We're mad over here in Hoenn as well. How dare the Indigo League manipulate us like this for their own selfish purposes? Don't they realize that they could have severely damaged our relations if John had caused a diplomatic incident over here in Hoenn due to the lack of provided guidance?
  
  Of course, nothing like that happened, and I'm glad that John acknowledged being welcomed into Hoenn regardless. But things could have gone really bad and I'm furious at the Indigo League for acting like this! Leave Hoenn out of your schemes!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Ok, now this solidified my theories. Lance is going to make a play for being the Champion. There's no way he's doing all this without a goal in mind, and I am confident that his aim is to replace Pryce and become the new Champion. Honestly, hope it works out for him. I do feel that the Indigo League has become overly stagnant and is dire need for some change.
  
  A.N A much bigger focus on the politics this time, and less space for memes. And yes, there will be a short timeskip as the chapter shows.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute. Thanks!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-7 -Interlude- Lorelei
  The New Normal - 3-7 - Interlude - Lorelei
  
  Her uncle may have thought of her as an incompetent fool that was unable to even run the Gym that he gifted to her, but even this 'incompetent fool' could read the writing on the wall.
  
  Pryce was in trouble, and his hold on the title of Champion was slipping away from his grasp.
  
  Oh, when she was on the telephone with him the other day and expressed her concern about his ability to stay as Champion, he scoffed at her and denounced her for fearmongering and being swept up in the public opinion. Her uncle offered no reassurances other than the determined, obsessive insistence that he would be able to maintain his power as Champion for the years to come.
  
  Lorelei really doubted that would actually be the case.
  
  Lance was making a very good challenger against her uncle, and he was rapidly gaining powerful supporters to back up his claim. She was practically the only Johto Gym Leader that wasn't directly in support of Lance, and that was solely because of Pryce's looming hands endlessly pressing down on her shoulders.
  
  To make matters worse, she realized that all of her Gym Trainers would much rather have Lance as their Champion, and the fact that she was forced to support Pryce did not endear her to them any further. Not that they needed any more reason to hate her, they were practically revolting in silent mutiny against her leadership.
  
  And as the days crept ever closer to the restarting of the circuit, her despair grew as she realized that she would never be able to reign in her Gym Trainers in time to form an effective Gym. Oh, they would do their duty to not completely shame the Mahogany Gym, but they would make it clear to the challengers that she was not in charge of the Gym.
  
  Initially, seeing the hopeless situation laid out before her, Lorelei was tempted to just wallow in her despair and moan about the unfairness of life to kill the potential of a promising trainer like herself by dragging her down with politics. And yet, one day, as she was browsing through the Pokénet, she saw her old opponent, and now the youngest Elite Four member, John, speaking in an interview and giving his thanks for the kind treatment that he received in Hoenn.
  
  Oh, she knew all too well what her uncle did to Elite John. Even before Elite Lance called out her uncle for his disgraceful actions, she knew that he had planned to do something like this as soon as she was knocked out of the Indigo Conference. It wasn't anything personal to John, but her uncle was so consumed with the status quo that he could see nothing else beyond it.
  
  But unlike her, Elite John was able to rise above her uncle's machinations and even turn the tables on him. John's popularity had skyrocketed ever since his defeat of Drake, and now went even higher as he continued getting involved in the politics of Indigo. He seemed to adapt to the treacherous waters of Indigo like a fish to water, and she had to fight down her jealousy at the fact that he seemed to be thriving while she was stuck in a hopeless cycle as a doomed Gym Leader with a reputation that was tarnished by the stigma of nepotism.
  
  Absently, she ended up looking through his match against Drake that she had saved into her phone once again. Initially, she had just wanted to see how far the winner of her Indigo Conference could go against someone of Drake's strength but seeing him win so convincingly was a huge surprise. She had never faced up against John in any of her matches during the Indigo Conference before she was knocked out by Shin, but to see the enormous canyon between their respective strengths was both humbling yet frustrating, and she couldn't help but feel bitter.
  
  But as she continued re-watching John's match against Drake, that bitterness slowly morphed into ambition as an idea settled into her mind. Suddenly, she could see a way out of this vicious cycle of hopelessness. She recognized that, if she continued to do nothing, then she would eventually be removed as a Gym Leader and be banished to obscurity, with nothing but her irreparable tarnished reputation to her name.
  
  However, there was an opportunity available to her to break free from the chains that shackled her. One way to repair her reputation and to clear her name from the stench of nepotism.
  
  She had to make use of the loophole that Gym Leaders could challenge a member of the Elite Four, even if they have yet to win the Indigo Conference.
  
  If she could just win her place in the Elite Four, it would prove to the world that she EARNED her strength, and it would separate her from just being known as 'The Champion's niece'. Oh, she realized that this wouldn't be an easy task, nor would making it into the Elite Four suddenly mean that she would be well-liked. In fact, she might just be seen as an ultra-ambitious woman who made use of a loophole to force her way into the Elite Four.
  
  But at this moment, she didn't care. It would still be a better outcome than whatever awaited her if she continued down her current path. She quickly got up out of her chair, put away her phone, and grabbed the Pokéballs of her team.
  
  She had one chance to make something out of her life, and she wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away from her. She had her target, and now she would do everything she could to surpass him.
  
  'Walker, you're in my way.'
  
  A.N. Huge thanks to my patrons for suggesting this idea. And thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-8 - Scientific Discussions
  
  It's been two weeks ever since my tumultuous meeting with Giovanni, and a fire seems to have been lit under the Indigo political scene. Of course, despite the turmoil, I was pleased with the way things were going.
  
  For one, my idea to get Giovanni to publicly fight against Team Rocket was paying off with greater dividends than I expected. After all, my main intention was to just force Giovanni into becoming enemies with Team Rocket so he couldn't sit on the fence. However, it appears that Giovanni was able to reap the benefits of being the first Gym Leader to 'step up' and actively combat against Team Rocket's criminal actions.
  
  I got a lot of the credit as well for quickly endorsing his actions, which was nice. I was always pleased to see the many comments of praise that were thrown about on the Pokénet; it was doing wonders for my reputation as a member of the Elite Four. This, in turn, meant that my influence and status as a member of the Elite Four was also growing.
  
  I intended to make use of my boosted status soon enough when I officially declared my support for Lance and to push forward any other proposals I may have, such as my ongoing proposal to change the 4-badge requirement. Though that was slow going due to all the other more important political matters going on at the moment. I hoped to at least get it pushed through by the time, or just after, Whitney was able to go on her journey, so that she would benefit.
  
  Speaking of Pryce, he really was in trouble now. Lance was really putting the pressure on him by frequently attacking him on a myriad of issues, including blaming him for running Indigo incompetently and indirectly causing this crime wave to happen. It appears that it was an open secret that Lance intended to challenge Pryce for the title of Champion. I predicted that Lance only delayed in making the announcement because he wanted to shore up his own support base and continue whittling down and converting those who would support Pryce behind the scenes.
  
  The power of the Blackthorns truly was frightening, as I'm sure that Pryce was slowly re-learning. It's not like Pryce wasn't trying to fight back, but the way the news was portraying it definitely made it seem like he was losing the war of public opinion.
  
  In the meanwhile, all over the news and forums were a plethora of debates and discussions about Lance's probable leadership challenge and what it would mean for the future of Indigo. It got to the point that many news agencies and reporters were starting to bother the Gym Leaders and Elite Four in order to find out more about our opinions on the issue.
  
  I even had to throw out a few reporters out of the family farm who had tried to sneak in. Luckily, the Cerulean police were happy to assist in the protection of our farm, especially after I announced my support for the increased funding towards the Indigo Police.
  
  Sometimes, it was nice to have power.
  
  Besides all the politicking, I lived a relatively quiet life for the past two weeks. Whitney was soon to be starting her own journey in a few weeks' time, and I spent most of my days just training with our Pokémon to make sure that she was as ready as she could be. I also had the great idea of telling her to study up on Gym Leader Norman's battles, since I thought he'd be a good role model for her, and with Norman's permission I even gave her his number so that she could ask him the occasional questions.
  
  She seemed very ecstatic to be talking to such an esteemed figure, so I encouraged her interactions with him. Of course, she conveniently forgot that her brother was also a supposed 'esteemed figure', and I lamented about the fickleness of youth.
  
  More gravely, my parents and I had spoken to Whitney about taking care of her behaviour while she was on her journey. While she had no history of bad behaviour, we unfortunately still had to remind her that since I was now a public figure, her actions could affect my reputation. It took a while, but she accepted that any adverse actions from her could cause significant damage to my reputation, and she should try to behave as much as possible to prevent this.
  
  I hated that my newfound status meant that my sister would be placed under increased scrutiny, but that was the unavoidable reality of politics. At least I was comforted by the fact that Whitney understood the reasoning and didn't seem to hold a grudge, if anything, she seemed to hold her head higher as she accepted the responsibility.
  
  I was proud of my sister for being so mature.
  
  Speaking of maturity, I finally decided to get a start on trying to learn about logistics and business matters. I even went to my parents when they were free to see if they could assist me in learning about it. I didn't need to be proficient or be an expert in it, but I wanted to at least be able to understand and participate in logistical discussions if need be. After two weeks, I felt like I was good enough to at least speak about logistics on a very basic level.
  
  My recent 'disagreement' with Giovanni was another reminder that I could never be too dependent on him. At least it appeared that our relationship was rekindled though by our recent shared prosperity.
  
  Of course, I also spent much time chatting and texting with Karen. Her name did occasionally show up in the news as she continued clearing through the Hoenn Gyms and winning badge after badge. I think that the only badges that she had left to claim were the Knuckle and Heat badges.
  
  She frequently told me about her exploits and how her Pokémon were getting stronger. Her Pupitar had yet to evolve into a Tyranitar, but she told me that she could feel that it was very close to doing so. Likewise, her Corphish had settled in well with the rest of her team and was slowly mastering his Water-type moves.
  
  Karen also happily told me that she finally caught herself a Carvanha, but unfortunately, she didn't have much luck finding an Absol. I expressed my worries about whether she might be catching new Pokémon too quickly before they could properly settle in, but she told me that her newly caught Carvanha was very easily adapting to her team as well and that she foresaw no problems.
  
  That couldn't be said for the Zigzagoon egg that she was carrying around, though, and now the both of us were increasingly concerned that our experiment might fail. Despite the two weeks of relative free time that I had and the constant discussions that we had about it, there seemed to be no changes in the egg despite the amount of Dark type energy we have infused into it.
  
  Our lack of progress annoyed the both of us greatly, and I was especially frustrated because I was sure that this was a viable method for converting a normal Zigzagoon egg into a G-Zigzagoon. My gut was screaming at me that I was missing something crucial, but I still couldn't figure it out yet.
  
  I sighed to myself as I returned to where my Pokémon were training. At least I was seeing some progress here with Smough finally starting to become proficient at Thunderpunch.
  
  Pixel was also making incredible progress with its own training and was starting to be able to fight at higher levels. It was starting to work on its mobility by training up on Magnet Rise and practicing manoeuvring in the air while simultaneously firing off Thundershocks. Having the power of flight was so important in high-level battles, and although it wasn't the most proficient at it yet, I was sure that it would become much better with enough training.
  
  In the distance, Zephyr was constantly doing dives and smashing through trees using Brave Bird, recklessly continuing his attacks despite the damage that he was taken. He was slowly moving to smashing through stronger and stronger targets as he repeatedly pushed himself to the limits and continued developing an all-or-nothing mindset.
  
  Zephyr was making good work developing his ability. From my research on how others did it, I understood that trained abilities were more like badges to show that a Pokémon had reached a particular proficiency, meaning that they can be trained and developed. In Zephyr's case, by continuing to develop an unyielding and all-or-nothing mindset with recoil moves and mastering them to such a high degree of proficiency, through his training, he'll be able to add a bit more power to the recoil move. Hence, when he does so, he'll have 'earned' the ability Reckless, a symbol to signify his achievement. Thus, the 'earned' ability does not actually give a boost of its own, but rather, just shows that the Pokémon has trained in a specific area so greatly that it was as if it had that ability to begin with.
  
  Of course, developing abilities were much easier said than done, and should only be attempted by extremely well-trained Pokémon to begin with, like Zephyr. Moreover, there were just some abilities that couldn't be trained, depending on the Pokémon, like Water or Volt Absorb. Still, I had confidence that he would be able to develop the ability Reckless so long as he could maintain this level of training.
  
  "...Does that mean you're still unsure on who their backer is?" I asked Giovanni over the phone an hour or so later.
  
  "Yes, unfortunately so." Giovanni replied seriously. "Despite the many arrests I made and personal interviews that I had with the criminals, even with my own network I am still unable to find out who precisely is funding Team Rocket."
  
  I grimaced as I listened to Giovanni. Overall, the Indigo League had worked together and made significant progress in pushing back Team Rocket, and the jail cells were overflowing with their grunts. However, it appears that, even with the help of Giovanni's underground network and the resources available to the Blackthorns, we were still no closer to finding out where Team Rocket was getting their funding.
  
  And they must have gotten it from somewhere, as Giovanni had told me that he had deliberately cut off funding to Team Rocket when he realized he wouldn't be using them.
  
  "...I see...thank you for letting me know about this." I finally responded. "I admit to finding it rather unsettling that we still aren't able to find their backer, but at least we're pushing them back within every major city."
  
  "Mhm. And at least they aren't damaging the reputation of Kanto." I rolled my eyes silently; leave it to Giovanni to be tunnel-visioned on his own priorities. "I'll keep looking into it; I'm as curious as you are about their mysterious backer and where they got their resources from."
  
  Left unsaid was that Giovanni likely wanted to take in their resources for his own personal use, but it's not like I could really stop him from doing so.
  
  "Oh, and one more thing." Giovanni spoke up again. "I was just informed by the new Devon Corp branch office that they want to speak with you. It's not urgent, but apparently their new manager forgot to give you her number and she wanted me to pass on the message."
  
  "Ah, ok thanks. I'll be sure to visit them soon." I thanked him. I totally forgot to visit the new branch ever since they were properly set up. Whoops! I checked the time and saw that I still had plenty of time until dinner, so I decided to go right now.
  
  I finished up my conversation with Giovanni before I told Whitney that I was heading off again. She just gave me a distracted nod as she was busy training Miltank to use the elemental punches, as she was inspired by my own efforts at training Smough and wanted to join in.
  
  I left her to it and quickly wrapped up my Pokémon's training session as I then made my way on Port towards Viridian City. On the way there, I reminded myself that I shouldn't treat Shelly any differently just because she might become a Team Aqua admin in the future.
  
  Obviously, I would stay alert, but I shouldn't be overly suspicious of her just because of her potential future affiliations. After all, if I could accept and work with Giovanni, I should be able to do the same with Shelly.
  
  Probably.
  
  Another short flight later and I landed outside the new Devon Corp Viridian Branch office, fortunately unspotted. I made my way to their reception and spoke to the receptionist that I was expected. I also had a quick look around and realized that the new offices were rather plain with a distinct lack of décor compared to the main building in Rustboro, unsurprising for a new building. I also noticed that they didn't have anything on sale at the moment, so I supposed that this building was mostly for R&D for the time being.
  
  Luckily, the receptionist recognized me but didn't make a fuss about my appearance and quickly told me that Shelly was waiting for me in her office. I thanked her and made my way there to her office via the elevator.
  
  Soon, I found myself standing outside her door before I knocked politely and waited for a "come in" before I entered.
  
  "Ah, Elite John, thanks for coming by." Shelly greeted me, dressed in her previous lab coat and blue shirt getup. "I've been seeing you a lot on the news recently, so I'm sorry for taking up your time like this. I apologize for any inconvenience."
  
  "No worries, and please call me John." I greeted back. I instantly went back on my previous decision to not be suspicious of her and began making some small talk, both to get to know her better, but also to hopefully sniff out if she's a part of Team Aqua already.
  
  Just to sate my lingering paranoia.
  
  "How are you finding Indigo, Shelly?" I asked casually, "I hope that you're used to the fact that there's a lot less water here." My words were tinged with humour, but my eyes were focused on her reaction.
  
  Shelly didn't seem phased at all at my potentially strange choice of words. "Well, I haven't had much time to explore the whole of Indigo yet, but I do intend to explore a bit once I have some free time. I was feeling very cooped up in Hoenn, and I almost wanted to run away from everything, so this was a nice and needed change."
  
  "Well, that's good to hear that you're looking to explore Indigo." I told her. "Exploring around Indigo was always one of my favourite things to do while I was on my journey. However, it might not be the best time right now considering the whole Team Rocket criminal stuff."
  
  "Yes, it's unfortunate that some people seem to think that it's right to steal Pokémon like that." She said with what I thought was genuine sadness. "You have my sympathies for having to deal with them. I hope you can clean up these criminals soon."
  
  I nodded in reply and eased back on my pseudo-interrogation. I didn't spot anything suspicious in her answers, which might not mean anything, but at least her responses didn't trigger any alarm bells. Thus, I decided to switch topics before I accidentally embarrassed myself.
  
  "So, not to rush you or anything, but why did you ask me to come here?" I asked curiously.
  
  "Oh, yes! So, some of my colleagues in Hoenn wanted some information about a 'trained' Porygon so they could use the data to help them with their research so they can get started as soon as the research facility is set up. They asked me to inspect your Porygon and do a few tests to see if that can give them a few ideas. Would you be okay with this?" She explained.
  
  "Oh sure, let me ask Pixel and see if it's up for it." Shelly nodded and waited patiently as I released Pixel and explained to it what Shelly wanted to do. Pixel buzzed thoughtfully before eventually agreeing and the three of us were brought over to another room filled with complex machinery as Shelly began her inspection.
  
  I wasn't worried that Shelly or some other person would implant some kind of monitoring virus into Pixel, as Pixel assured me that it was able to detect such malicious implants and remove them before they could collect anything. Not that I felt that Shelly was going to do anything nefarious. Thus, I felt safe allowing Shelly to run her tests.
  
  We spent some time just running over a battery of tests, most of which involved Pixel using a move of some sort and then Shelly writing something down on her notepad. I truthfully didn't understand what was going on, but Shelly seemed satisfied with whatever was happening, so I just waited patiently.
  
  After a few more tests, Shelly finally spoke up.
  
  "Thank you for waiting so patiently, John." She thanked me as she released the straps on Pixel. "Your Pixel was very well-behaved. You must have trained it very well." She complimented.
  
  "Well, I can't take all the credit. Pixel deserves much of the credit as it is very eager to train and improve itself." I said humbly before asking, "Also, did you find out anything useful from these tests?"
  
  She scratched her head for a bit and looked down on her notes again before responding. "The tests were certainly useful, but we definitely need a larger sample size before I can say anything definitive. From what I can see though from collating today's data with the others, if your Pixel is capable of evolving, I think an external stimulus is likely going to be required since your Porygon, I'm sorry, I mean your Pixel, seems to not show any common signs of evolving with on its own."
  
  She then continued to explain herself in increasingly scientific jargon that I failed to understand but nodded politely anyways to show that I was still engaged. Eventually, Shelly realized she had lost me and blushed slightly in embarrassment.
  
  "Sorry, I tend to get a bit obsessed with my research at times." She apologized. "It's a bad habit of mine that I've been trying to curb."
  
  "No, it's alright." I told her. "It's good to see that you're so passionate about Porygon, makes me think that Pixel is in safe hands." I praised, before I remembered something about Porygon-Z's Pokédex entry from the games. "Also, could you tell your colleagues that if you're looking into researching potential evolutions for Porygon to please ensure that these evolutions are stable and don't cause any adverse effect for the Pokémon."
  
  She nodded seriously and jotted my comments down and then excused herself so that she could copy down her notes more formally and send it to her colleagues. She quickly came back and apologized once again for the wait, but I easily waved it off as it wasn't a problem.
  
  While she was gone, I had the idea that I should ask her a few questions about Pokémon eggs to see if she could help me realize what I was doing wrong. I asked her the moment she returned.
  
  "So, Shelly, I did have a question that I wanted to ask about Pokémon eggs." She looked confused at my sudden question but gestured for me to proceed.
  
  "Are the Pokémon within the eggs normally influenced by external factors?" I inquired.
  
  "Yes, it's common knowledge within the scientific community that external factors have an impact on the Pokémon within the egg." She replied. "For example, it's very common for Pokémon to come out of the egg already knowing who their trainers are because the trainer has unconsciously showered the egg with their own feelings of love."
  
  I stood up straight as something clicked in my head. "Wait, so you're saying that emotions are able to affect the Pokémon while they're inside the egg?" I asked excitedly.
  
  "Yes, in fact, it's one of the most common ways that you can affect a Pokémon while they are inside an egg." She responded easily before my eyes shot up in surprise as the gears finally began to click together in my head. There was a small detail in G-Zigzagoon's Pokédex entry that differentiated it from a regular Zigzagoon, Dark-typing aside, which was its' signature love for battle.
  
  I reached for my phone and began texting Karen.
  
  'Karen, I think I figured out what was missing. U are infusing Dark energy without emotion. U need emotion to affect the egg. Infuse the egg with emotions of a love for battle, like battlelust. Be careful tho, don't get too excited.'
  
  I momentarily ignored Shelly as I read through my text to make sure nothing was wrong before I sent it. If my theory was correct, then this was exactly what I was missing. I knew that G-Zigzagoon were known to be far more aggressive and hungrier for battle than their Hoenn counterparts, and I thought that these emotions were what was missing from our infusions. I didn't realize that this process needed to be so exact.
  
  My phone buzzed as I quickly got a reply from Karen.
  
  '! Wait ok let me do this right now.' She texted.
  
  'No rush but do it over a few days and let me know if things changed. Remember, infuse with emotion for love for battle.' I reminded her, and she responded affirmatively.
  
  I looked up and saw that Shelly was curiously waiting for me to finish up, and I put my phone away and explained myself with a hint of embarrassment.
  
  "Sorry about that, but I think your words sparked a revelation into an experiment that I'm doing." I explained to her.
  
  "You're doing an experiment regarding an egg?" I nodded, and her eyes flashed with interest and excitement. "Could I know more? Maybe I could help out?" She leaned forward with sparkling eyes.
  
  I resisted her enthusiasm and shook my head. "Sadly, not right now. Maybe I'll discuss things with you further if it works out. I'll definitely be happy to share my notes once I'm done!" I quipped with a cheeky grin.
  
  Shelly gave me a big pout, but I was unaffected by her pleading, and she eventually gave up. She did extract a promise from me that I'll discuss things with her in more detail in the future, and I easily accepted that.
  
  After all, there would be no harm allowing a more scientific eye look over our notes once we were done. I just wanted to ensure that our project stayed OUR project for the time being.
  
  Our discussion then briefly shifted to the Premier Balls, and she asked if I enjoyed the look of them. I replied that I did, and then I asked if she knew anything about the sales, since I should be receiving my first cut from my 5% very soon.
  
  Shelly told me that she didn't know anything about it since most of that data was still back in Hoenn, but she did tell me that this branch would be looking to sell Premier Balls in the future. She informed that she had full authority to handle the marketing campaign as she saw fit, and so asked if I was interested in participating in their marketing for another three-month extension on my 5% cut.
  
  I told her that I was, but that would be heavily dependent on my schedule and that we should probably table the discussion for later. Since we were on the topic, I did ask what kind of research that this branch would be focusing on in the future, and Shelly told me that it was very likely that they would be involved with inventing new Pokéballs that were more than just aesthetically different, and she explained that they already had a few projects in the works already.
  
  I immediately had a few ideas based on the games, but I kept them to myself for now. Perhaps I'll share them with Shelly later down the road. Shelly also very kindly gave me a few extra Premier Balls as a gift, since she had some sent over for advertising purposes and had a few spares.
  
  I looked out the window of the office and realized that it was already rather late in the evening, so I politely asked if she had anything else she wanted to discuss with me before I left the branch office. I reflected on my meeting with Shelly, and I thought that I could see us working together on projects in the future, and I didn't notice any signs that she might be a part of Team Aqua already.
  
  As I was about to saddle up on Port, I was blessed with a hilarious sight. Just opposite me, Petrel was walking down the road carrying two heavy bags of groceries from the local Pokémart, looking like some tired salaryman. He didn't spot me, but I had to stop myself from laughing my head off at the sight.
  
  The image of a Team Rocket executive looking like your average salaryman coming back from work was hilarious to me.
  
  Eventually I got control of myself and I flew back home on Port. Idly, I hoped that the scientists would discover the 'Upgrade' soon as I really wanted to be able to evolve Pixel into a Porygon2. As soon I got home, I found my parents with their eyes glued to the television, and they shushed me as I was about to ask what was going on.
  
  '...And thanks to the hard work of Champion Pryce, we have begun to enter into diplomatic communications with the new region of Sinnoh. The Indigo League has announced that they hope that our two regions will be willing to open our borders to each other very soon...'
  
  How interesting...
  
  A.N As promised, Sinnoh is here! But it will be some time before John actually gets over there to explore it. This was a very delicate chapter, so I hope everything was handled satisfactorily.
  
  And, to not be coy, the final aspect of ensuring the egg's transformation is done. I made emotion/intent to be an important aspect because it is specifically said that for G-Zigzagoon that they are far more aggressive than their counterparts. Thus, it took three factors to achieve success. 1) the father was a Dark type, and the mother was proficient in dark type moves, 2) The egg has been constantly infused with Dark type energy, 3) The dark type energy has been properly directed with the correct emotions/intent to ensure the change (if relevant). Some eggs will require the correct emotion to cause a change, others won't. Depends on the Pokemon.
  
  Repeating myself, there will be NO fakemons. The process MUST be exact to achieve success. No abominations here.
  
  Also, regarding abilities, I hope my explanation made sense as this was a mini-experiment to see if this could work. Basically, trained 'abilities' just prove that a pokemon is capable of doing something. For example, Early Bird proves that a pokemon can wake up earlier with less sleep needed. So, if a pokemon can train itself to do that, then it will EARN Early Bird as an ability. The ability doesn't do anything, but rather shows that the pokemon is able to do this. Another example, Guts allows a pokemon to gain a boost from status effects and resist the attack drop of burn. But, if a pokemon can train itself to do that, then it will EARN Guts as an ability.
  
  TLDR: The ability doesn't provide a boost, but it's just a mark of recognition that a pokemon has reached such a high level of training that it duplicates the effect of an ability.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Pokemon Gamer POV
  
  Eric was an 18-year-old university student who had recently bought the new Pokémon game. Normally, he would consider himself too old to play games like this, but out of nostalgia and procrastination to avoid doing any more uni work, he decided on a whim to try out the new game.
  
  At least it got good reviews. This recent game was apparently famed for the fact that you could travel between the 3 regions of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn.
  
  And like any true gamer, he played for hours non-stop and rushed through the game as fast as possible, skipping all cutscenes and dialogue because he didn't want to waste time reading a cookie-cutter Pokémon story meant for children.
  
  Now he found himself staring down the next Elite Four member.
  
  "Phew, that last Elite Four really took a lot out of my team. Thank God I have potions and revives aplenty." He remarked to himself.
  
  "Right then, time to do the next one." He said as he approached the overworld sprite of the next Elite Four member in his way and initiated the conversation.
  
  ["Hello, I am John Smith of the Elite Four. I see you're the rare sort that's decided to challenge the Champion directly. That's very ambitious...especially for an 11-year-old kid like you. I mean, even if you win...I'm not sure if the public would want a kid as their Champion, you know? Anyways, that's none of my business. That's just how this world works I guess."]
  
  Okay, that's true. But what the fuck was this fourth wall breaking?! Also, weren't they supposed to reveal their Typing by now?
  
  ["Ah...I remember who you are now. You're the one that made my sister cry after you defeated her Gym Challenge. Well then, that makes my next task easier."]
  
  [*Doodododoodo*]
  
  [The game flashes as the trainer versus battle screen appears. John's Smith pixelated avatar appears on your screen.]
  
  [You are challenged by Elite Four John!]
  
  [Elite Four John sent out his BLISSEY!]
  
  Eric sent out his trusty and overlevelled starter, his Blastoise, and frowned. He initially assumed that he could just Hydro Pump his way through anything. But against a Blissey, that wasn't going to happen.
  
  At least he knew now that John was a Normal-type trainer.
  
  ["BLASTOISE, switch out! Come back!" Your avatar says as he swaps out his Blastoise. "Go! MACHAMP!"]
  
  [The foe's BLISSEY used Toxic!] [MACHAMP was badly poisoned!]
  
  Eric's frown only deepens as his Machamp is badly poisoned. Since he refused to use items in battle out of pride, it meant that his Machamp was now on a time limit for the rest of the match. Well, he guessed that there would be no problems so long as he could knock out the Blissey in one hit.
  
  [The foe's BLISSEY used Protect!] ["MACHAMP used Drain Punch!"] [The foe's BLISSEY protected itself!] [MACHAMP is hurt by poison!]
  
  Bruh. What the fuck was this cheap stall tactic. Did this AI plan to just out stall his opponents with toxic stall? That annoyed Eric, but he knew that at least his next move would finish off the Blissey for sure.
  
  [The foe's BLISSEY used Psychic! It's super effective! MACHAMP has fainted!]
  
  ...
  
  ...
  
  ...
  
  FUCKKKKKK! SINCE WHEN WAS A BLISSEY FASTER THAN A MACHAMP!? He KNEW he should have EV trained his Machamp in speed!
  
  A few infuriating minutes later, he was finally at John's last Pokémon. It was a struggle, honestly, because John seemed to have really powerful Pokémon on his team. From the recently released and never before encountered Wyrdeer and Ursaluna, to his extremely fast and surprisingly hard hitting Pidgeot, Eric had to slog through each one of those battles to get to where he was.
  
  And now he was here, down to John's final Pokémon. And he wondered what it would be. He still had three Pokémon left of his own, his starter, an Ampharos, and a Gengar. He figured he should be fine for whatever was left.
  
  ["Go! Gengar!"] [Elite Four John sent out his SLAKING!]
  
  ["You know, it's been a while since someone pushed me this far. But it's time for you to try again."]
  
  Well, this would be easy. Slaking were weak Pokémon because they could only move once every two turns due to Traunt. He could probably dodge the first move with his Gengar's type immunities and just slowly wear it down for a quick win.
  
  At least, that was what Eric was thinking.
  
  [The foe's SLAKING used Sucker Punch! It's super effective! GENGAR has fainted!]
  
  ...Bruh. Okay, that was fine, it couldn't attack the next turn, so his Ampharos should be able to land a quick Thunder Wave to paralyze it.
  
  ["Go! AMPHAROS!"]
  
  [The foe's Slaking used Earthquake! It's super effective! AMPHAROS has fainted!]
  
  WAIT, WHAT THE FUCK?! DID THIS SLAKING NOT HAVE TRUANT OR SOMETHING?!
  
  HOLD THE FUCK ON WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!
  
  ["Go! BLASTOISE!"]
  
  "Okay, calm down. With Blastoise's high defenses and the fact that he's 10 levels overlevelled, everything should be ok. We're not wiping." Eric mumbled to himself as he ordered his Blastoise to use Hydro Pump.
  
  [The foe's Slaking used Giga Impact! BLASTOISE has fainted!]
  
  [ERIC is out of usable Pokémon! ERIC whited out! Lost $11037 to the victor!]
  
  FUCKKKK!
  
  Eric was so mad at his loss that he forgot that he could just reset the game instead of having to trudge through the Elite Four again. But his anger currently consumed his rationality, so he used the first two Elite Four members as vents for his anger.
  
  With his anger partially vented, he returned to the room to face off against Elite Four John once more.
  
  ["Hello, I am John Smith of the Elite Four. Are you back so soon? You know, I don't really like taking money from 11-year-olds..."]
  
  ["But hey, if you want to win, have you considered purchasing some of the Smith's family Moomoo milk? I guarantee that it'll give you a better chance at beating me. Trust me!"]
  
  Minutes later, Eric nearly broke his gaming device as barely stopped himself from throwing it against the wall at yet another loss.
  
  A.N. Huge thanks to ChocoRon for the idea on SB for this random OMAKE idea that I quickly wrote up! And yes, this is an AU Pokemon game. Any prompt inconsistencies with the game are because of that. Please don't think too hard about it.
  
  And yes, I recently learnt while writing this chapter that Blissey and Machamp share the same Speed stat. Who knew?
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 3-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-9 - A New Horizon
  
  I sat down curiously with the rest of my family as we all silently watched the news. Apparently, Sinnoh was currently in the process of being brought into the fold and the Indigo League is looking to see if they will be opening their borders for Indigo trainers and citizens.
  
  Though the report said that the opening of Sinnoh's borders was not going to happen anytime soon, both for trainers and Pokémon. However, the Indigo League proudly announced that they have already compiled much of the data of Sinnoh's Pokémon and have already released them to the public on their website. Furthermore, some Pokémon would naturally be sent over for research purposes.
  
  That was a huge, but pleasant, surprise. I didn't think that they would have entered into diplomatic talks with Sinnoh this early, but they must have been doing that behind-the-scenes. I grabbed my phone and browsed through the Indigo site until I found the one specifically for the new Sinnoh Pokémon entries.
  
  Since I already knew what the Sinnoh Pokédex was going to look like, I was more concerned about seeing whether anything differed from my meta-knowledge. Comparing the released information with my meta-knowledge, I found that they were mostly the same. However, there were some notable missing Pokémon like the lack of Porygon-Z, all of the fossils and their evolutions, and obviously all of the Mythical and Legendaries.
  
  I did note with some surprise that apparently all of the Generation 4 evolutions were there, even the ones that 'we' didn't know about like Roserade and Togekiss. Apparently, the scientists over at Sinnoh had managed to discover Roselia and Togetic evolve into Roserade and Togekiss respectively using a Shiny Stone. They also discovered Gallade and Froslass and how to evolve them. I imagined that this would be a mind-blowing discovery for most others; the Pokénet was already going wild over it.
  
  Though it seems like they still didn't really know how to evolve Rhydon into a Rhyperior, or Dusclops into Dusknoir, since they still didn't manage to figure out the specific item that was required for those types of evolutions. At least they knew about them, rare as they were.
  
  Thinking over what I knew about Sinnoh, I was willing to bet that they were able to make this discovery when the Indigo and Hoenn League couldn't was because of the relative abundance of Shiny and Dawn Stones present in Sinnoh as compared to Indigo and Hoenn. This meant that the scientists were able to experiment with it more over the many long years of Sinnoh's history.
  
  As I was browsing through the webpage, an errant suspicion appeared in my head. Why did the Indigo League choose NOW to release their 'discovery' of Sinnoh?
  
  After some thinking, I realized that Pryce had probably asked one of his supporters to reveal this information to buy him good headlines and grant him another huge achievement to distract the public and recover his reputation. After all, the public do have short memories. Perhaps Pryce's administration had already been in talks with the Sinnoh League for a while, and only recently accelerated their discussion so that Pryce could release the good news at such a critical moment.
  
  I felt my phone ring and saw that it was Giovanni. I picked up and we quickly discussed how the discovery of Sinnoh would affect our plans. We both concluded that it didn't really have that big of an effect on our future course of action. Sure, this would probably be seen as a huge win for Pryce's foreign policy ability and that we didn't really have any way of throwing mud on him for this, but we could easily just continue our strategy of attacking him on his many other failings until the public realizes that he's unsuitable to be Champion again.
  
  When we finished speaking, I returned to my family where Whitney eagerly bounded up to me.
  
  "John! John! Did you see all those new Pokémon?!" She asked excitedly and I barely had time to nod before she continued. "There're so many cool new Normal types in Sinnoh! Oh, did you see that new 'Bidoof' and 'Lopunny' and 'Staraptor'! Oh, and that 'Purugly'! It's all so cool bro!" Whitney gushed.
  
  "Now now, dear, try not to get too excited or else you won't be able to eat your dinner. The news report did say that they wouldn't be opening up their borders to trainers for a while." My mom remarked gently, hoping to temper Whitney's enthusiasm. "Besides, didn't you say that you didn't want John to catch any new Pokémon for you?"
  
  Whitney pouted at my mom before she whined, "Yeah...but they're still so cool though!" Then she turned those pleading eyes onto me. "John, you have to promise me that you'll bring me to Sinnoh one day! I want to see what cool things are in Sinnoh and catch a few of those Pokémon!"
  
  I pretended to think about it for a moment, "Hmm...only good girls get new Pokémon. Have you been a good girl, Whitney?"
  
  Her head bobbed up and down rapidly, and I had to fight down a smirk as I pretended to say seriously. "Well, good girls finish their dinner before they ask their brother for things. Have you finished your dinner yet, sis?"
  
  Whitney realized what I was doing and mock-glared at me before she settled down and visibly tempered her excitement. My mom gave me a pat on the shoulders for the assist as my dad finally finished serving all of the food.
  
  Despite this, it seems that my parents were excitable as my sister and we spent most of the dinner discussing all of the new discoveries we thought would be found in Sinnoh, and I had to carefully watch my words while doing in case I accidentally gave something away. I was more than content to just listen to Whitney's excited babblings.
  
  Over dinner, I thought that it would be nice to add a Lopunny to my team. Not only did I need another agile physical fighter, but it's potential to Mega-Evolve would be a huge boon for my team as well. That is, assuming that I could find its Mega Stone.
  
  Whitney perked up at that and demanded again for me to catch her one, or to at least bring her to Sinnoh. I couldn't promise anything, but I told her that I would try my best. She nodded, seemingly satisfied with my promise.
  
  Before I left the dinner table, my dad tapped me on the shoulder and hesitatingly asked if I could look into whether Sinnoh would be suitable to expand the family business, and to make use of my influence if so. My dad looked uncomfortable having to rely on his son for stuff like this, but I gave him a hug to ease his worries and told him that I would be happy to help.
  
  After dinner I quickly went to my room and texted Karen to ask if there was any progress with the egg. She said that she was working on it, but that no progress could be seen yet. I told her to relax and that I had a really good feeling about this. It probably just needed a few more days, and hopefully we'll be seeing some notable progress soon.
  
  We then switched to a more casual conversation, where we discussed what we had been doing. Obviously, most of our conversation was focused on the new discovery of Sinnoh and the potential new Pokémon that were there. I was happy to sit patiently and listen as Karen spoke animatedly about the new Dark types, although she was bitter that there were only two new ones in 'Drapion' and 'Skuntank' since the others were already discovered in Indigo and Hoenn.
  
  Like my sister, she then asked if, one day, we could explore Sinnoh together. I thought about it and cautiously agreed, though I warned that our ability to do so was highly dependent on our future schedules and whether it would conflict with our duties. She accepted my promise regardless.
  
  Still, I was looking forward to exploring the many ruins of Sinnoh with her; we could even perhaps make another discovery to work together on!
  
  Beyond our discussions about Sinnoh, Karen told me how she had recently won the Heat Badge from Lavaridge, and this time I stayed silent as she ranted and complained about how the ash filled areas around Lavaridge and Mt. Chimney completely ruined her hair and complexion. I mean, I WAS sympathetic, but I just didn't know what to say to her.
  
  Our conversation proceeded among similar lines for the rest of the night, and I happily spoke to Karen about a whole host of different topics like we often did. Most memorably for me, she said that she was proud of me for my growth as a pillar of Kanto.
  
  Overall, I felt that, despite the distance between us, we were still able to connect with each other and I very much enjoyed our conversations together. I also noticed that, over time, our conversations became more casual, and we were more at ease with each other. Likewise, a hint of my inner sarcasm often unconsciously leaked out when I spoke with her.
  
  Of course, I was excited to see her in person again, and she told me that she'd be back soon enough after she cleared out the final remaining gym, probably in a few days' time. I told her to let me know when she'd be back, and that I would pick her up at Olivine for a meal together. She agreed. Seeing that it was late, we both decided to end the conversation here and head to bed.
  
  The next day was mostly spent helping out with running and learning about the family business with my parents. They told me that our posters were now in the shops, and that there has been a noticeable increase in the sales of our Moomoo milk ever since. I groaned when they began to tease me about the fact that I seemed to have fangirls that eagerly chased after the posters of me posing with my Pokémon.
  
  Seeing the success of the posters, my parents asked if I could spend some time hanging around specific Pokémarts to help advertise the posters. I hesitantly agreed; I had bad memories of my Hoenn photoshoot and didn't look forward to effectively being a statue for photographs.
  
  However, I did tell them that I wouldn't be doing any advertising for the time being, because any kind of situation where you were exposed to the public ran the risk of affecting your public reputation, and the political situation in Indigo was so volatile at the moment that I needed my reputation to be as pristine as possible for the near future. My parents accepted that and said that they could delay it until later. Though they also brought up expanding the posters to include other prominent trainers like I mentioned before and asked me if I could be one to bring it up to them. I accepted.
  
  A quick customer survey discovered that many buyers were especially interested in getting a poster with my trio of bruisers, especially Vordt since he had skyrocketed in popularity after his victory over Drake's Salamence, which were apparently the most popular Pokémon on my team.
  
  I did feel bad for my other Pokémon that were lower down on the popularity, like Klaus, who I felt deserved equal share of the limelight. However, there wasn't really anything I could do about it. I hoped he would get his time to shine in due course.
  
  In the meanwhile, our 'Elite' line of Miltank were underway as the Miltank eggs had already been laid and were currently being incubated. Our Miltank were very eager and willing to 'spend time' with my trio of males, and vice versa, so it seems that we didn't have any problems on that front.
  
  My parents and I agreed that we would do some testing to ensure that the new Moomoo milk produced by these 'Elite' Miltank were actually noticeably different from our standard stock. We didn't want to actually advertise them as being different unless they actually were, after all. But we had high hopes that this idea would turn out to be successful.
  
  I spent some time running through the numbers with my parents, and they taught me a few tricks about negotiating with suppliers and other business partners, such as the difference between being respectful and being weak during business and political discussions. More importantly, they spent some time discussing with me about the structure of our family business in case I had to take it over for some reason, though that was less difficult than it sounded.
  
  They said that, assuming that the family business continued to grow at its current rate and if it didn't conflict with my duties in the Elite Four, they would appoint me to be the head of some branch office to gain some valuable experience about running the company in the future. They would do the same with Whitney as well when she grew older.
  
  While I didn't foresee myself ever retiring from the Elite Four, I wanted to be able to be in a position to handle the family business if it ever fell into my lap. I was somewhat confident that I could balance both my responsibilities as an Elite Four, and as a businessman. But that was something to worry about in the future.
  
  Once that was done, I was about to head out and have another idle training session with my Pokémon when my phone started to ring. Curious, I picked up the phone and saw that it was Karen.
  
  "Hello? What's up?" I answered, only to wince as Karen shouted into her phone.
  
  "JOHN! ITS WORKING! THE EGG!" She exclaimed with so much excitement that she failed to form full sentences. "LOOK LOOK LOOK THE EGG HAS CHANGED COLOURS!" My phone pinged as she made a request to switch to video. I quickly accepted.
  
  "DO YOU SEE IT JOHN?!" She pointed to the egg on my screen, and although the video quality wasn't great, I could still make out the fact that the egg had turned from a mixture of white and brown to white and black. My mouth broke out into a wide smile, it was working!
  
  "Holy shit! I see it!" I said in excitement. "How many times did you infuse it with your emotions? Did you write all of this down?"
  
  "I only channelled my emotions thrice!" She told me, having calmed down slightly. "I did it once last night after you told me, and then twice again this morning and afternoon since I had some free time. But the moment I did it for the third time I noticed that the spots on the egg turned from brown to black!" She gestured to the black spots. "That means it's working right?!"
  
  "I think so." I stated carefully. "Of course, we need to check with a Chansey and a Nurse Joy to make sure that everything's still okay inside the egg, but I'm confident that our experiment was a success!" I cheered.
  
  "Okay, okay. Yes, you're right. I'm going to go downstairs and check up with the Nurse Joy to make sure everything's okay, and then I'm going to document everything down." Karen said as I watched her pace around the room. "Okay, yes, I'm going to do that now. I'll call you back later." And then she hung up the phone before I could say anything else.
  
  I smirked amusedly at seeing Karen so worked up, but I could understand. This was a huge discovery that I foresaw would open up many different possibilities for discovering new evolutions for existing Pokémon. Of course, that was much easier said than done, but I was certain that with the publication of our discovery, there would be a whole host of scientists looking to copy our methods in hopes of finding out new evolutions and forms as well.
  
  Likewise, I wasn't worried about the egg accidentally 'imprinting' on Karen or whatever. It was more than common in this world to have eggs be raised and born by one person, only to be given and trained by another. Otherwise, Pokémon breeders would be out of a job.
  
  "I recognize that girl, John. I think I saw her at your Elite Four swearing in ceremony." I was jolted out of my thoughts as I heard my mom's voice speak up from behind me. I turned around and saw her looking at me with a pleased smile. "You seem to be very excited to speak to her about something. What were the two of you talking about? You seem very close." She noted with a knowing grin.
  
  "Uh...It's an experiment that the two of us had been working on." I muttered embarrassingly. "I just got excited because it finally worked out."
  
  "Uh huh. Sure, John. I'm sure that's all that was." She commented with a hint of something in her tone. "It looks like you had something to do, so I'll leave you to it." She patted me on the head and walked away, leaving me at a loss.
  
  I shook my head from that conversation and went back to my room and checked up on all of my current notes that I had typed up for the Zigzagoon egg experiment. I carefully went over all of my notes just to make sure that everything was orderly and properly written so that they could be shown to a scientific board for review. I trusted that Karen had appropriate documentation as well since I constantly reminded her to take notes.
  
  Luckily, I still had my old notes and reports regarding the evolution of Ursaluna and Wyrdeer, so I used those as references to ensure that my documentation would be up to standard.
  
  I had just finished going over everything when Karen called me again.
  
  "I've checked everything over with the Nurse Joys, and they said that there's no problems!" She said excitedly, "They even said that there was no damage to the Pokémon inside, but they were certain that the Pokémon had undergone a transformation of some sort. This is amazing, John! We did it!"
  
  "That's amazing! Oh man, that's incredible!" I repeated myself in my excitement, "Well done Karen, can't believe we actually did it. This is going to be big!"
  
  Then I forcefully calmed myself as I focused on the more serious issues, "Have you made sure you got everything written down? If we want to publish this soon, we can't afford to have sloppy notes." I warned.
  
  "I do, I do." She assured me, "I know how big of a project this is, so relax. I'm a big girl too y'know. You can trust me."
  
  I sighed in relief, but Karen continued, "Anyways, what are we going to call this new type of Zigzagoon? We obviously need a new name for it."
  
  That actually brought me up short, because I realized we couldn't just call it Galarian Zigzagoon considering that the way we discovered it had absolutely nothing to do with Galar.
  
  "Hmmm...how about something like D-Zigzagoon?" I said, and I heard Karen sigh over the phone, "What? No good?"
  
  "John...for all your smarts, your naming sense sucks." She muttered.
  
  I frowned, "Do you have a better name, then?"
  
  "Well, no...but..." Then the two of us went back and forth, until ultimately, we decided on D-Zigzagoon out of a lack of better alternatives.
  
  It was utterly uninspiring, but I hoped that it would at least make it easy for others to recognize what it was just by looking at the name. Admittedly, it was going to be slightly odd for me to call it a 'D-Zigzagoon' in my own head, but I'm sure I would get used to it soon enough.
  
  "I've got the Knuckle Badge booked in for tomorrow morning, then I'm taking the next ship back to Indigo as soon as possible." She told me after we had decided on the name.
  
  "Oh? Are you that confident that you'll win? After all, you'll be at a type disadvantage going in against a Fighting Gym." I said with a grin.
  
  "Please, who do you think you're talking to?" She boasted, "Anyways, I'm going to do some last-minute prep for the match and then double check my notes before I send them over. I'll talk to you soon."
  
  We exchanged goodbyes and then hung up. Afterwards, I made my way to the fields where my Pokémon were training; I had something to announce to them.
  
  "Everyone! Gather over! I have some news for you all!" I shouted out once I arrived and my Pokémon all paused their training and made their way over. I had to stifle a laugh as I watched Klee and Luna try to put out a slowly burning Tyrant with small pulses of water, since he had been in the middle of training his resistance to Burn.
  
  "What's up bro? Why'd you call for a meeting?" Whitney curiously asked me, pausing her own training as she overheard my announcement.
  
  "Oh, it's nothing special, but I would just like to let my team know that we are going to have a new addition joining us in the future!" I announced excitedly, and I was glad to see that my Pokémon shared my enthusiasm as they all cheered as well. I had already agreed with Karen that I would be one to own the new Zigzagoon, since it was originally a gift from Norman, and it would be disrespectful to just offer it to Karen.
  
  "BUT! Our new addition is still an egg at the moment, so when it does join us, please make sure to be gentle and give them a warm welcome." I reminded my team.
  
  "Bliss? Blissey." Klee asked, and I nodded.
  
  "Yes Klee, it's the Zigzagoon egg that we were experimenting on. It's been successful!" I told her happily. And Klee bounced on the tip of her feet as she congratulated me for my success.
  
  "Wait, bro, what do you mean?" Whitney tilted her head, "What experiment are you talking about?"
  
  I then proceeded to explain to Whitney what Karen and I had been doing with the egg. Whitney's eyes widened like saucers as she listened to me detailing my experiment and our thought process. By the end of it, she looked really excited about the experiment as if she had participated in its discovery.
  
  "Wow! I didn't know you were doing something that cool, John!" Whitney exclaimed, "I wish that I could do something like that in the future! I would love to discover new Normal types on my own!"
  
  "I'm sure you will one day sis." I told her gently, "And if you need any help, I'll be sure to be there for you if you need it."
  
  "Hehe, thanks bro. Maybe I can discover a new evolution for Miltank! She could be even stronger!" Whitney declared excitedly.
  
  "Mil, Miltank!" Miltank cheered in agreement.
  
  Whitney then thanked me sincerely before she went back to training with her Whismur, who waved at me with one of her ears as I looked at her. I waved back before I turned my attention to my Pokémon, who were either curiously discussing who they thought the new Pokémon would be or had already returned to their training.
  
  I spent the rest of my day training with my team and making solid progress while at it. It seems that my Pokémon were all inspired by the fact that they would be gaining a new member and were all training hard so that they could show off to them. Pixel especially seemed especially eager to show off to someone that would be 'weaker' than it, which was an amusing sight.
  
  I hoped that the new D-Zigzagoon would be happy to be a part of my team. As always, every new Pokémon that joined your team would run the risk that they may break the team's cohesion, but I hoped that it wouldn't happen. I was also confident that I could discipline the D-Zigzagoon if needed to behave itself, if necessary.
  
  I couldn't wait for Karen to return and for the D-Zigzagoon to hatch. I foresaw our new discovery just utterly dominating the headlines within the scientific committee once it was announced.
  
  However, I didn't realize at the time just how big of a deal this discovery would turn out to be.
  
  A.N And G-Zigzagoon (or, in story, 'D-Zigzagoon') is here! Soon. I also just wanted to clarify that we won't suddenly be seeing an explosion of new alternate region forms just because of this one success; there were many factors that had to happen in order for a normal Zigzagoon to transform into its Dark variant. Without meta-knowledge, I would say that it would prove VERY difficult for another to make the same discoveries with other species.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute. Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal- 3-9 - Interlude - Agatha
  The New Normal - 3-9 - Interlude - Agatha
  
  She gazed upon her wrinkled and frail hands with a solemn grimace. For all of her achievements as a trainer, age was not something that she could stop. Time continues to pass, unheeding of your wishes.
  
  If she was honest, her age was one of the main reasons she was so bitter and spiteful. She hated feeling powerless to stop the steady march of time; and she detested and, admittedly, feared being weakened by her growing age.
  
  As each day passed, she knew her time in the Elite Four grew shorter. Her enemies started to circle around her like scavengers to a dying prey. Her grip on power was waning, and they knew it.
  
  She would be the first to admit that her abrasive attitude made her little friends, but in her youth that hardly mattered as she had the power and capacity to back up her vicious tongue. She would have never foreseen the day where her body would betray her like this, gradually turning her too weak to even command her team properly.
  
  It was like she was failing her Pokémon. As Ghosts, they hardly changed with age, and unlike her, only grew stronger with time as they continually refined their skills. It was a bitter situation to be in, and her mouth only grew more acidic as reality closed in on her. To know that all that she had done would eventually collapse on itself when her body eventually failed her, and she would finally be removed from the Elite Four, and possibly as the unofficial puppet master behind Lavender Town as well.
  
  However, her unexpected apprentice has been a recent spot of hope for her old bones. She certainly never expected to obtain an apprentice in the first place, but a sudden bout of sympathy for a lost orphan has proven to pay unexpected dividends as she discovered and nurtured her apprentice's innate talent as a Pokémon trainer.
  
  Karen has come far since the day she took her under her wing. Agatha had all of her recent battles saved somewhere on her new digital computer, with the help of her assistants of course. A feeling of pride coursed through her as she watched her apprentice tear through the Dewford Fighting type Gym with dismissive ease, making use of her Sneasel's superior mobility to avoid and dodge attacks while retaliating with hard-hitting attacks of his own.
  
  Then when the Gym Leader sent out his Hariyama, a single Confuse-Ray was enough to end the match. Oh, it took a bit longer before it got knocked out, but the confusion rendered it useless. Agatha let out a small smile of pride at the sight of her apprentice winning using the methods that she had taught.
  
  If her apprentice proved to be a successful trainer in her own right, then Agatha would have been satisfied knowing that she had someone who would remember her and carry on her legacy. However, when a boy far too young to be in the Elite Four suddenly joined their prestigious ranks, and her apprentice managed to catch his wandering eye...well, then things changed.
  
  At first, Agatha half-expected Karen to be leading the boy by the collar by the end of the week. John looked so taken with Karen that she thought that hormones would do the rest. But from the conversations she had with Karen, that never happened. Oh, it got close, but apparently John had some brain in that skull of his.
  
  Although she was initially disappointed at missing an opportunity to put the newest member of the Elite Four effectively under her thumb, later events made her reverse her opinion. As John won his great victory against Drake, she realized that he was no young boy, but rather a formidable and strong political figure in his own right that would likely affect the course of Indigo.
  
  And thus, when John returned to Indigo, she forcefully dragged him aside and took his measure. He seemed kind, easily impressed, and somewhat naïve, but not so much so that he would become easily led around the nose and still had strength in spades. But most importantly, he clearly cared for Karen, and that's all she wanted to know. She came out of that conversation with a smirk, knowing that her plans to use John to support Karen's career was likely going to work.
  
  That opinion only solidified itself as Karen continued to speak about John while she remained in Hoenn. It only proved to Agatha that, despite the two of them not giving into their baser instincts, they both seemed to enjoy each other's company and treated each other as close friends. That was perfect for her purposes.
  
  Then John impressed her even more, showing off his mind for politics as he began working with Gym Leader Giovanni to publicly fight back against that horrid tide of criminals, further boosting his popularity. He then went one step further and made a deal with Lance to install the latter as Champion. Oh, the two of them may have tried to hide the fact between them, but Agatha was no idiot and was able to read between the lines of the news reports. If those two were successful, and they most likely were going to be since Pryce still had his head firmly up his own arse, then John would only continue to grow in popularity and influence.
  
  She recognized that as talented as Karen was, there was a cap to her potential. Considering the other contenders in her generation, Karen was not strong enough as a trainer to challenge for the Championship. But with John in the picture, who had already proven himself to be a great trainer in his own right, then who's to say how far the two of them could reach together?
  
  Just look at the new egg experiment that Karen was aiding with. Though the egg had yet to hatch, Karen had excitedly informed her about the possibilities stemming from such a critical experiment. Agatha herself didn't particularly care about discovering new Pokémon, not at her age, but she understood that this would likely give her apprentice an in with the respected scientific community.
  
  Agatha wanted to ensure that the responsibility of maintaining the prosperity and safety of Lavender Town could be passed down to safe hands, someone who would have the influence and power necessary to continue her legacy of a strong and secure Lavender Town. And it had to be protected, as Lavender Town did not possess a Gym Leader to call its own. And now, she saw the union of John and Karen as a vehicle to continuing her legacy. If Karen could persuade John to help maintain and grow Lavender Town like she knew Agatha wanted, then Agatha could rest easy.
  
  She just had to make sure that they got together.
  
  A.N. The ageless tradition of a grandmother trying to get her 'granddaughter' set up with a guy she approves of + Foreshadowing. Hope this shows that John's mark on the world is increasing!
  
  TLDR - Agatha wants her successor to be powerful enough to protect Lavender Town. Sees John and Karen as the perfect power couple, one with influence and one with loyalty to Agatha, to protect Lavender Town. Thus, she tries to play matchmaker.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute. Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-10 - An Afternoon in Olivine
  
  I found myself sitting down at the same coffee shop that I was at the first time when I was waiting to meet Karen at the lighthouse. I was wearing an outfit akin to the tourist getup that I wore in Hoenn, and I donned a fisherman's hat to hopefully conceal my identity. So far, it seemed to be working as no one had approached me yet for my autograph or photo.
  
  It was a few days after Karen's exciting announcement about D-Zigzagoon's transformation, and I got a message from her yesterday that told me that she was coming home to Indigo on the next ship back from Hoenn.
  
  As she predicted, she easily defeated the Dewford Gym for the final Knuckle Badge; the Fighting Types falling for the exact same tricks that Karen used against Roy for the Stone Badge. I had watched the fight over the Pokénet, and it was a huge and embarrassing stomp for Julian, the Gym Leader of Dewford.
  
  Although I didn't think Julian was that great of a trainer, and that I felt that he squandered the fact that he had a significant type advantage over Karen, I nonetheless congratulated for her impressive win.
  
  Now, with her string of victories, Karen was gaining notoriety for her unusual methods of defeating her opponents. BattleCast were also highlighting a few of her more impressive showings, and I thought that she was starting to appear on the radars of the more serious trainers.
  
  So, this was how I found myself idly waiting about until Karen's ship would arrive back at Olivine. I was excited and happy about finally getting to see her again; talking to her through texts just wasn't the same as talking to her in person. Obviously, I was equally glad to see the egg and my soon-to-be newest addition to my team. Having an actual Dark type joining my team would prove invaluable for dealing with the frustrating Ghost types that my team is relatively weak to.
  
  Of course, the past few days haven't been quiet. With the reveal of Sinnoh, there was an expected explosion of theories and innovation that engulfed almost everyone in Indigo and Hoenn. The newly discovered evolutions of Gallade, Togekiss, Roserade, and Froslass were unsurprisingly causing a lot of uproar from the populace, as many were now either desperately trying to acquire their own Dawn or Shiny Stones to evolve their own Pokémon, though the supply of which was very limited in the current regions.
  
  And with all of the public's attention on the new evolutions, the public were thoroughly distracted from the slew of bad headlines that were targeting Pryce, and even the news agencies seemed to temporarily avoid politics for the moment as they continued to discuss and analyse the new Pokémon from Sinnoh. I suspected that Pryce was pleased about this turn of events.
  
  Similarly, my brief foray into the scientific forums revealed that many were discussing what the Dawn and Shiny Stone evolutions meant for other Pokémon. Many theorized that there were other evolution stones that could be used that just haven't been discovered yet. Understandably, the news reported an increase in funding for many research projects as scientists around the world were now inspired to try and discover new evolution stones and where they could be used.
  
  I personally wasn't optimistic about their chances. From my meta-knowledge, I was fairly certain that there weren't any undiscovered evolution stones just availably lying about at the moment. Yet I wished those scientists all the best. Who knows, perhaps they'll make a miraculous discovery that proves me wrong.
  
  Besides the scientific boom, I participated in my first patrols around the nearby Cerulean City. Admittedly, I didn't really do much and was mostly doing so just to show the newspapers that I was active and doing something. I did make a few arrests, but only one of those were Team Rocket and they immediately surrendered when I appeared on the back of Klaus. And that Team Rocket member was likely at the bottom of the Grunt totem pole because he knew nothing and was just some mook.
  
  All in all, while my patrols didn't suddenly uncover some massive conspiracy, I knew that a few reporters took pictures of me, so I believed that I had done my civic duty in keeping the streets safe. At least I also managed to speak to a few members of the Cerulean Police, and they seemed to be big fans of mine and we exchanged promises to help each other when necessary.
  
  I had sent them a crate or two of our family's Moomoo milk as thanks for helping to keep the reporters away from the house, which they seemed to really appreciate.
  
  It felt nice to have fans and to be respected like that.
  
  I was brought back from my thoughts as I heard the alarm that I had previously set on my phone going off. I quickly disabled it before I disturbed the other patrons and finished up my coffee before I made my way to the port. Karen was arriving!
  
  As I left the shop, I noticed just how crowded the Olivine Ports were. The ports seemed to be packed full of people to the point where it was difficult to walk through. It got to the point where it was going to be impossible to spot out Karen in the midst of this maze of people.
  
  Not wanting to fight my way through the crowd, I decided to wait at the beach, which still gave me a good view of the arriving ships and it was also far enough that I wasn't caught up in the mob of people. In case she didn't spot me, I also made sure to text Karen that I would be waiting at the beach.
  
  I paced back and forth around the beach with a smile on my face as I eagerly waited for Karen's ship to dock. When I returned to Indigo, it was not uncommon for me to reminiscence over the time I spent with Karen in Hoenn. It wasn't even out of a desire for romance, but I simply just enjoyed the companionship that she provided me. I wanted to see how our friendship dynamic would be like when we were both in Indigo; I hoped that we would stay close in Indigo like we were in Hoenn.
  
  I was distracted enough with my thoughts that I failed to notice the growing commotion from the mass of people waiting around the docks.
  
  Not long later, I spotted an arriving ship that I believed was the one that Karen was on. It was just one of those commercial ones that did frequent trips between Indigo and Hoenn. And sure enough, I was quickly proven correct as it got closer.
  
  I made my way closer to the port, still mindful to keep my distance from the crowd so I wouldn't be jostled aside by them. Still, I could barely see anything over the huge gathering of people that were waiting around the port today. It wasn't a holiday or anything, so why were there so many people waiting to take a ship to Hoenn?
  
  It was very odd.
  
  I put that out of my mind for now as I struggled to watch the people alighting from the ship. And then I saw her, Karen's distinct hair and typical yellow outfit was just about visible even through the crowd of people. I tried to wave my hand to get her attention, but I don't think she was able to see anything as surrounded as she currently was by the crowd.
  
  I continued waving my hands in the air to grab her attention as she carefully pushed her way out of the crowds, until eventually her eyes snapped to mine, and she broke out into a small smile as she made her way towards me.
  
  The moment she got close I embraced her into a hug, which she happily returned. I was careful to make sure to not accidentally knock over or crush the egg that I knew was carefully stored in her rucksack.
  
  "It's weird seeing you in person rather than over a phone screen." I welcomed her with a grin. "It's been a while."
  
  "Yeah, don't you think I look better in person? I heard that the camera adds a few pounds." She responded in kind before she looked around Olivine as if to admire it. "I did miss this place you know. I think I've spent enough time in Hoenn for the time being. There's just a bit too much water there for my tastes."
  
  I laughed at her comment, which received a raised eyebrow from her. I waved her off before gesturing to her rucksack. "Okay, I can't wait any longer, can I see the D-Zigzagoon egg, pleaseeeee." I begged.
  
  She smirked before carefully dropping her rucksack onto the sand and slowly and dramatically took out the incubated D-Zigzagoon egg and presented it to me. Just like on the video, it was no longer brown and white like it was initially but was now sporting very dark black spots across its white surface. Without thinking about it, I immediately released Klee from her Pokéball to inspect it.
  
  "Klee, can you make sure that the Pokémon inside is unharmed? It should have transformed into a Dark type." Klee nodded happily and quickly went about with my request. It wasn't like I didn't trust the Nurse Joys, but I just wanted to make sure. Karen was content to just wait silently as we watched Klee finish up her inspection.
  
  "Blissey! Bliss, Bliss." Klee informed me, and I broke out into a wide smile as I thanked Klee for her efforts. Klee accepted my thanks with a smile, then she looked around before deciding to run towards the sea to play around with a few of the Pokémon casually hanging about there. I was happy to let her do so.
  
  I turned back to Karen with a large and excited smile on my face. "Everything's safe and it's worked!" I confirmed, which elicited a big smile from her as well. "Thanks for all your hard work!" I high fived her.
  
  Unfortunately, our moment of celebration was cut short by the sounds of someone shouting. My head snapped towards the cry, and I found myself staring at a nearby ship. That cry rapidly multiplied as the entire horde of people began to start shouting and running away.
  
  I watched with mounting horror as the crowd of people turned into a chaotic stampede that began trampling over each other.
  
  Recognizing the severity of the situation, I quickly gave the egg back to Karen before I released Klaus and Luna; it was too crowded to make use of my larger and physically oriented Pokémon.
  
  "Karen, come with me. Store the egg safely." I commanded, instantly putting her in high alert. I snapped my fingers and called out towards Klee and ordered her to return to me. As soon as she did so, I ran over to the stampeding crowd, using my Pokémon to push past them while being careful not to tread on the fallen civilians. Karen followed a few paces behind me after she safely stored the egg away.
  
  Injured people tainted the once clean streets and ports, but I couldn't afford to stop and help them. I had to keep going. At least nothing was on fire just yet.
  
  My eyes swept through the crowd as I tried to figure out what was going on amidst the panicking horde of people. Eventually, I caught sight of a Pokémon fight breaking out between the security guard of the ship and a few gruff looking adults near the ramp of the ship. The guard's lone Machoke was getting overwhelmed by the trio of Raticate and Golbats while an Eevee cowered behind the security guard.
  
  I understood exactly what was going on as soon as I saw the Raticate and Golbat. Even without my meta-knowledge, it was now widely known that these Pokémon were frequently employed by members of Team Rocket.
  
  I had no idea what Team Rocket was doing here, but I wasn't going to allow them to succeed in whatever they were plotting.
  
  I rushed forwards and quickly ordered a Thunderbolt from Klee and Luna that instantly knocked out their Golbats, and a swift Psyshield Bash from Klaus knocked out the remaining Raticate. Without letting them react, I commanded for Klee and Luna to quickly knock out the Team Rocket grunts with small blasts of Psychic.
  
  I heard a few more shouts from above, and I glanced up at the docked ship and saw that a few equally gruff looking individuals were peering down at me from above. A few of them were shouting something at the others that I couldn't make out, but then they suddenly released a flood of Raticate, Golbats, and Arboks at me.
  
  I remained unfazed as I faced down the approaching Pokémon and positioned myself on the ramp in front of the security guard as I gestured for him to get away. The grunts' Pokémon instantly began their staggered assault as they charged at me randomly, often stumbling over each other as they tried to make their way towards me. Some were charging far ahead of the others, while others tried to hang near the back. Their assault was uncoordinated, but no less threatening considering the sheer number making their way down towards me.
  
  Klee and Luna stood by my side as if to serve as my bodyguards, while the Eevee hid behind me. I contemplated sending out the rest of my team, but there just wasn't space for my bigger Pokémon. I made up my mind and sent forward Klaus to charge into the incoming Pokémon, using his psychic shields as platforms for additional range of movement, hopefully disrupting them and preventing them from ever attacking as one cohesive whole. Simultaneously, I sent out Zephyr and directed him to harass the approaching wave of Pokémon at a distance and to pick off any stragglers.
  
  Klaus slammed powerfully into an Arbok, knocking it out just as a translucent screen of light shimmered into existence in front of me as Luna deployed a Light Screen to protect me. A loud screech from above drew my attention as I turned to find a screeching Golbat diving straight towards me, but a precise Ice Beam from Klee sniped it out of the air.
  
  Despite the two quick knockouts, that was just a small droplet in the veritable tide of remaining Pokémon that were looking to trample me and my team. But I knew I could not run since I was currently positioned at the ramp where you would typically alight from the ship, so my Pokémon and I were serving as the main and only roadblock preventing Team Rocket's Pokémon from running rampant around the docks.
  
  They shall not pass.
  
  A part of me should have been afraid to be facing so many Pokémon like this, but my faith in my team was absolute. We had been through so much together, facing off against far stronger threats than this tide of vermin. I knew they would not falter. Thus, I stood strong as I continued directing my Pokémon where necessary. I had no idea where Karen was, but I couldn't stop to think about it at the moment.
  
  The battle rapidly devolved into a chaotic mess. There was barely any time to give individual commands, as the battle was so chaotic that I had to mostly rely on my Pokémon own battling instincts to carry the fight.
  
  A swarm of Golbats and Raticates were all simultaneously shot down by a burst of Ice Beams and Thunderbolts from Klee and Luna, while a nest of Arboks were all blasted into unconsciousness by Klaus' Psychic. Klaus then pivoted on the spot and charged forward once again, cleaving through the opposing Pokémon with his Psyshield Bashes and managed to break up the enemy's formation.
  
  We were knocking out Pokémon left and right, but despite this, I must have underestimated the sheer number of Team Rocket grunts on that ship, as it appeared like no matter how many Pokémon that I was knocking out, more were endlessly streaming off the ship in a never-ending tide of Raticates, Golbats, and Arboks. There must have been north of twenty Team Rocket members on that ship, all packed to the brim with Pokémon!
  
  Suddenly, Eevee grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled me down, just as a fainted Raticate soared past my head. I didn't have time to thank it as I quickly looked around and saw that a fight had broken out behind me. Apparently, there were more Team Rocket members hiding about in the crowd, and a few members of the crowd had also decided to join the brawl. A loud screech filled the air as someone's Ampharos took down another Golbat with a surprisingly powerful Thunderbolt.
  
  I even spotted Karen's Honchkrow, Sneasel, and Houndoom participating in the fight as well. But I didn't have time to study what was happening before my attention was pulled back to the fight in front of me. The Light Screen that was protecting me suddenly shimmered as it blocked an incoming Sludge Bomb from a lone Arbok before it was swiftly picked off by a Wing Attack from Zephyr.
  
  Then, Klee suddenly shoved me aside as a stray Rock Throw crashed into where I was just standing. At this point, so many different attacks were being thrown and fired from our two battlefields in all directions that, at the rate things were going, there was going to be a serious risk of friendly fire. I needed to take control of the battle somehow.
  
  Thus, as another Golbat was sniped mid-dive by Klee's Ice Beam, I began shouting out to grab everyone's attention. As soon as I did, I started to direct the friendly Pokémon from the crowd to stay near the sides and focus on preventing Team Rocket's Pokémon from running loose. Then I turned to Karen and ordered her to focus on hunting down the larger groups of Pokémon since her Pokémon were stronger than the others. I got a few shouts of confirmation as people began to relay and spread my orders.
  
  The Team Rocket grunts tried to adapt to my new orders, but they lacked the leadership and discipline to do so.
  
  Slowly, the battle behind me was steadily becoming less chaotic as people began following my orders and working together. The risk of friendly fire was heavily reduced, and as time went on, it was becoming increasingly obvious that the Team Rocket members were being penned in and systematically knocked out.
  
  In the meanwhile, my Pokémon were also fighting admirably and were unleashing an array of attacks into the enemy lines, continuing to defend the ramp from the grunts' Pokémon as a growing mound of unconscious Pokémon littered the area. Of course, I still had to keep an eye out for stray attacks that were heading my way from the other battle, but Klee and Luna were doing an excellent job protecting me.
  
  Eventually, the flood of Pokémon charging recklessly down the ramp had slowed down. With the pressure lessening, I made use of this opening and decided to push forwards onto the main deck of the ship. Surprisingly, the Eevee joined me.
  
  As soon as I boarded the fortunately large ship, I sighted a man in the distance that was seemingly giving orders to the others. He was clearly the leader of this group, but he wasn't anyone that I recognized. More concerningly, it appeared that the Team Rocket had taken a few hostages onboard as well, who were fortunately unharmed. For now.
  
  I made use of the newfound space on the ship's deck to release Smough as well. I didn't trust Vordt and Tyrant to not accidentally tear up the ship when they fought, which was a problem because I couldn't risk accidentally harming the hostages.
  
  The leader grimaced as he saw me before he snapped his fingers and a wall of plain clothed Team Rocket grunts formed in front of him, who all immediately sent out a new horde of Pokémon similar to the one that I had just faced.
  
  "Give it up, John!" He yelled out angrily, while sending out his own Crobat. "We have you surrounded on all sides!"
  
  I laughed out loud, infuriating him even more. As if these grunts were going to frighten me.
  
  "All I'm surrounded by IS FEAR! AND COWARDICE!" I declared provocatively, immediately commanding Smough to charge forward into the group of enemies. I remained hesitant to use any large area moves, because I didn't want to damage the ship and potentially accidentally injure someone from any falling debris, so I was forced to limit myself to more precise attacks.
  
  Even with that limitation and the overwhelming numbers, my Pokémon still utterly dominated the Team Rocket grunts. Smough slammed into a Raticate with a Body Slam and sent it flying like a bowling ball, knocking over many other opposing Pokémon before it crashed into the railings. Another Raticate tried to pounce onto Smough and bite into him with a Super Fang, but it was blasted aside by a Psychic from Klaus.
  
  With Smough properly distracting everyone, Klee then warped the gravity on the ship, easily grounding all of the Flying Golbats before Luna came up and cleaned them all up with a casual sweep of her Ice Beam.
  
  While the leader's Crobat was outside of Klee's Gravity field, it found itself in an aerial duel against Zephyr. But it found itself quickly unmatched as Zephyr easily swooped past and dodged all of its attacks while slamming into it repeatedly with Brave Birds and flying away before it could counterattack. Before long, Zephyr dodged past a Cross Poison and smashed into the Crobat with a final Brave Bird and knocked it out.
  
  As my team continued knocking out more Pokémon, one of the Team Rocket grunts, either out of rage or just genuine stupidity, actually charged me in person and tried to punch me in the face, but Luna got in front of me and folded him in half with a Rock Smash to the stomach and knocked him out.
  
  Making use of the space created, Klaus was able to finish channelling his Teleport and successfully warped all of the hostages off the ship. I breathed a sigh of relief as Klaus and the hostages disappeared into small motes of light.
  
  With the hostages hopefully safely out of the way, I unleashed Vordt and Tyrant as well. Moments later, Klaus also Teleported himself back onto the ship and charged back into the fray as well.
  
  The instant Tyrant was released from his Premier Ball, he charged forwards straight towards the leader and ploughed through everything in his way. A pair of Arbok tried to stop him, but he simply grabbed one of the Arboks and used it to smash the other one aside as he continued his unstoppable dash towards the enemy leader.
  
  Vordt went and joined Smough and the two of them were now deep in the middle of the fight, drawing almost all of the attention onto themselves. Not that it mattered, as each swing of their arms crushed another one of the grunts' Pokémon into unconsciousness. They continued fighting back-to-back, supported by the occasional bolt of Thunder that crashed down from above and instantly took out a few Arbok, before another Psychic blasted a group of Raticates off the ship.
  
  A bark from the Eevee alerted me to a Golbat that had sneaked up behind me before it was promptly slammed into sea by Zephyr's Wing Attack.
  
  My head turned to the panicked shouts coming out from in front of me, and I watched as members of Team Rocket panickily dove out of Tyrant's way as he continued his unstoppable assault.
  
  "ARCEUS! HELP ME YOU FUCKS KILL THIS THING!" The leader shouted out in fear as he watched as the avatar of his death continue bulldozing through the grunts' Pokémon. He fumbled briefly with the Pokéballs on his belt before he released all of his remaining Pokémon in a desperate attempt to stop Tyrant, and a Cacturne, Weezing, Mightyena, Claydol, and Primeape all appeared onto the deck.
  
  Half of them tried to stop Tyrant while the other half went to deal with my team to prevent them from supporting Tyrant. Cacturne, Mightyena, and Claydol were charged with the unfortunate task of stopping Tyrant.
  
  I noted that most of the remaining grunts wanted to help their leader, but Smough and Vordt were their most immediate threats, so they ordered most of their remaining Pokémon to pile onto the both of them in order to hopefully knock them out, but that was a poor decision. Smough easily tanked through their attacks and dismissively swatted away the Raticates before he grabbed an Arbok by the neck and threw it like a missile into the remaining enemies, knocking several of them over.
  
  Apparently the Primeape had broken away from its teammates and tried to capitalize on my Pokémon's distracted state and made a beeline straight towards Vordt. It hammered into him with a Close Combat, unleashing a series of powerful punches into Vordt's side. Vordt's only acknowledgement of this attack was a grunt of pain and was distinctly unamused by this interloper. His head craned downwards to face the Primeape before he bashed their heads together with a Zen Headbutt that instantly caused the Primeape to collapse and crumple into itself due to its decreased defenses.
  
  In the skies above the ship, Weezing was having trouble trying to land a Sludge Bomb on my much faster Zephyr. It eventually swapped over to the more accurate Flamethrower, but Zephyr was more than proficient at avoiding the stream of fire before continually striking with hit and run Brave Birds, always managing to fly away before Weezing could land a hit. Understanding its inevitable defeat, Weezing ultimately decided to Explode just as Zephyr was approaching to strike once again with another Brave Bird. Fortunately for Zephyr, he had caught onto Weezing's intentions and managed to swoop away and form a Protect shield just before Weezing exploded, protecting himself from the brunt of the damage.
  
  Back down on the ship, the force from Weezing's Explosion actually caused many of the grunts' remaining Pokémon to stumble and fall over, allowing my Pokémon the freedom to focus down the larger threats for a brief moment. Using this opportunity, Klee and Luna both targeted down as many of the grunts' Pokémon as they could with a dual sweep of Ice Beams before they blasted everything with a Psychic to ensure that they stayed down.
  
  One of those Raticates was knocked far into another corner of the ship, separated from the rest of the battle, where the leader's Cacturne, Claydol, and Mightyena was battling and getting figuratively torn apart by Tyrant. Tyrant had savagely pounced onto the Cacturne, ignoring a Pin Needle to the face, grabbing it by the waist and mercilessly bashed it repeatedly into the enemy Claydol. The Mightyena tried to sneak around Tyrant and deliver a critical Crunch to the neck, but Tyrant realized its' plan and punted it off the ship with a devastating Mega Kick.
  
  Tyrant then turned his attention back to the Claydol, who was about to charge up a Psychic, before he struck it with a brutal sucker punch to its body. Showing no mercy, Tyrant then slammed the two weakened Pokémon together, creating a loud BANG, and knocking them both out together.
  
  Seeing that the battle was rapidly turning in my favour, I spared a quick glance down below to see how the others were managing. I was greeted with the sight of a mass of fainted Pokémon scattered around the port, turning the once pristine and bustling port into the aftermath of a warzone.
  
  In the distance, I could see the distinctive blue uniforms of the Officer Jenny's hurriedly approaching the port on their Arcanine, reassuring me that the bystanders would be safe. Turning my attention back towards the rest of the ship, I saw a slew of unconscious Pokémon forming a semi-circle around where I was standing like something straight out of a horror movie. The remaining grunts that hadn't managed to run away in time had also been knocked out by a small blast of Psychic from Klee and Luna.
  
  In the corner of my eye, I saw the Eevee tapping a few of the unconscious grunts with its paws to make sure they were actually unconscious. They were. Tyrant picked up his new fainted toys one more time and smashed them against each other, just for good measure, before casually discarding their fainted forms.
  
  The leader himself tried to escape as soon as he noticed that the battle was lost, but Klaus caught onto that and rammed him with his horns and slammed him into the ground, leaving him lying prone on the on the deck of the ship, gripping his stomach while groaning in pain. Flanked by Klee and Luna, I made my way to the supposed leader, whose face was now a mixture of despair and rage. His eyes were ablaze with anger as he saw me approach.
  
  "Fuck you. You dog of the League." He spat out into my face, before Luna punched him again in the gut and pinned him into the ground. "Fuck you! I ain't saying shit!" He tried, and failed, to wriggle free from Luna's solid grasp.
  
  "You will." I replied coldly. "I don't think you're in any position to resist." I secretly gestured with my hand to Klaus, who silently fired off a small Confuse Ray at the downed leader. If he were a stronger trainer with a closer bond with his Pokémon, then there was a chance that his innate resistances would have allowed him to resist the effects of Confuse Ray. However, judging from his Pokémon's performance just now, he was nowhere close to that level.
  
  Thus, the confusion instantly took hold, and I watched as the leader's eyes glazed over, turning from burning anger into unfocused uncertainty. I gestured for Luna to release her hold on him.
  
  What I was doing was definitely illegal, but I didn't quite care at the moment, and I was sure that there were no witnesses as Klaus reassured me that all of the surrounding Team Rocket grunts were knocked out.
  
  "...wha-what? Where am I?" He muttered blankly, and I watched as his eyes slowly focused on me. "Did...did you help me?" He asked confusedly.
  
  "Yes, I did." I lied, my face a mask of false concern as I helped him to sit up. "Could you tell me how you got here? Why were you on this ship?"
  
  "Uhhh...wait...that sounds familiar...I think I was trying to go somewhere..." He mumbled slowly, evidently trying to piece things together in his head. "Yes...I think someone told me to take a ship somewhere...but I...don't remember..."
  
  Unsurprising, considering that there were so many Team Rocket members on a ship. Did they intend to commandeer this ship and take it somewhere? This ship was typically headed for Hoenn, so perhaps that's where they were going.
  
  I also noticed that all of the Team Rocket members on the ship weren't wearing their typical uniforms, choosing instead to don regular outfits that wouldn't stand out in the crowd. Was that it? Did they disguise themselves to not alert the authorities about their plans?
  
  I needed to know more. I crouched down so that I was at his eye-level and continued to gently probe him for more information. "I'm sorry, but this is important. Do you remember anything else about why you're here on this ship? Who gave you the order?"
  
  "...the boss..." His face scrunched up in thought as he pushed himself to recall things through the fog of confusion. "...he said we were moving somewhere...said that it was...too dangerous...to stay..."
  
  "I see...is there anything else that you know? What is the name of your boss?" I asked once more, and this time the leader just furrowed his brow before eventually shaking his head.
  
  "Understood. Thank you very much." Having extracted as much information as I could, I gestured with my hand and Luna struck the leader with a restrained Brick Break to the back of his head, knocking him out cold. I could've asked more questions to fish for more information, but I didn't want to risk him breaking through the confusion and remembering this conversation.
  
  I was sure that the confusion would run out by the time he was questioned by the Jenny's at the station so that there will be no traces of my illegal confusion remaining; Klaus was amazing like that. With the battle finally over, I let out a sigh of relief as the tension began to leave my body. It had barely been over ten minutes, and yet I was exhausted.
  
  I regretted having to resort to such methods of gleaning information, but in my mind, I labelled these sorts of actions against terrorist groups as warranted considering the potentially world-ending scenarios that they often get tangled up with. If I could obtain information to stop them from messing with Legendaries, then I would.
  
  From what I could glean from his words, it appears that Team Rocket was trying to flee from Indigo due to the strict crackdown on all of Team Rocket activities. I suppose that Proton wisely decided to cut his losses and move away to potentially safer ground, since he probably believed that staying in Indigo was far too great of a risk at the moment.
  
  And this explained why all of the Team Rocket grunts were wearing plain clothes and were loaded with Pokémon, because they wanted to sneak away to Hoenn before anyone realized that they were gone. However, with this group in particular, someone must have made a mistake that brought attention onto themselves, which led to my intervention and their subsequent arrest.
  
  Despite this, I remained concerned about what I had just learnt. Considering that Proton isn't here, I suspected that this group was just one of the many groups that were leaving to Hoenn. So, how many of Team Rocket's members managed to make their way to Hoenn undetected?
  
  And then another concerning realization popped into my head. I glanced around and looked for the knocked-out Pokémon that the leader used, and there were a couple of them that were from Hoenn. Did this mean that Team Rocket already had a base of operations somewhere in Hoenn already so that they could procure these Pokémon for their leaders to use?
  
  Giovanni had been repeatedly saying how annoyed he was that he failed to locate Team Rocket's new backer, was this because the backer was located in Hoenn, outside of Giovanni's reach?
  
  I quickly noted all of these thoughts down in my notepad before I heard footsteps slowly approaching from behind me. Sensing no hostility from whoever it was, I finished up writing down my thoughts in my notepad before I turned around and was greeted with a solemn Karen with her huge rucksack and her Houndoom, who looked very winded and was panting heavily. It must have been difficult to have been fighting while carrying the D-Zigzagoon egg.
  
  "Woah, hell of a party here, wasn't it?" She deadpanned tiredly as she looked around at all the fallen bodies.
  
  "Got a bit out of control, but I'm fine." I quipped back and she smirked for a bit before she turned serious.
  
  "Everything okay?" She asked, and I shook my head. She grimaced before continuing. "Well, good news is that, luckily, the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. It looks worse than it is. The Jennys say that we had quite a few injuries, many broken bones that probably need to be looked at, but most of that was self-inflicted from the initial stampede. It seems like the Team Rocket members weren't here to explicitly hurt people. Plus, once the other trainer's Pokémon joined the fight, they were able to at least put a stop to more injuries. But the Port itself was badly damaged and in need of repairs."
  
  "That's good...it could have been a lot worse. Thanks for helping to keep everyone safe." I thanked her, relieved that my decision to focus on defeating the leader didn't inadvertently expose the civilians to any serious injuries. I would have been very upset with myself if it did.
  
  "So...did you get them all?" Karen asked as she gestured to the many unconscious Pokémon and grunts.
  
  I nodded and pointed towards the unconscious leader. "Bagged the big guy, at least. But he was only the leader of this lot, and I think more of them escaped to Hoenn on other ships."
  
  Karen frowned and remained silent. It was then that Eevee suddenly bounced up to me and I watched curiously as it started rubbing itself on my leg. Karen saw this and looked amused.
  
  "Where did you find this little guy? It looks like it likes you." She observed with a grin.
  
  I crouched down and picked up the Eevee, carrying it in my arms while stroking the top of its head. Upon closer inspection, I could see that it was female.
  
  "You have an owner, little girl?" I asked softly, and the Eevee shook her head. I frowned slightly, did a member of Team Rocket try to steal this Eevee? Was she the cause of the fight? I remembered seeing that the Eevee was cowering behind the security guard at the beginning of the fight. Did the guard notice that the Eevee was acting suspiciously and went to investigate, causing the fight?
  
  I was broken from my thoughts as I heard a few people shouting from below. I looked down from the ship and saw that the Officer Jennys were busy handcuffing all of the Team Rocket members and interviewing the eyewitnesses. One of the Jennys then spotted Karen and I abroad the ship and waved at us before starting to make her way towards us, obviously intent on questioning us about what happened here.
  
  I sighed as I knew that I would be drilled over my involvement here. Karen gave me a sympathetic smile and a pat on the shoulder as Eevee copied her actions and rubbed her face against mine. I smiled at just how cute the Eevee was, before a thought popped up.
  
  "Hey, Eevee, would you like to join me?" I asked her gently. "I know we've only known each other a short while, but you were brave enough to join me on the ship when you could have run away. You even helped and warned me twice during the fight." I praised while continuing to rub her head. "I can see that you have potential, so I would love to be your trainer and watch as you grow into your full potential."
  
  Eevee quickly nodded and wrapped her tail around my neck and pushed herself deeper into my neck, and I let out a quiet chuckle as I rubbed it once more on the head.
  
  "Always the charmer, aren't you?" Karen spoke up as she stared at the cute scene in front of her, and I chuckled slightly at her words.
  
  Hearing the sound of the approaching Jenny's footsteps, I straightened myself as I gently moved Eevee over to Klee's arms, who immediately started cooing over her. I then tasked Klaus and Smough with guarding the unconscious grunts and their Pokémon just to make sure they weren't about to cause any harm if they woke up. I then tried to tidy up my appearance as much as possible before Karen and I got ready to speak to the Jenny.
  
  I also made a mental reminder to contact Drake, Giovanni, and probably Lance and inform them in person about my suspicions that Team Rocket already had a base ready for them in Hoenn. I was determined to make sure that Team Rocket was not allowed to freely re-establish itself in Hoenn.
  
  I could only hope that my actions here would stop the remaining Team Rocket members from escaping to Hoenn.
  
  A.N Hope you enjoyed this BIG chapter (longest chapter to date!) and that chaotic battle! This was my first time writing such a big battle, and it was much harder to write than I expected. I spent way more time than I wanted to try to flesh it out, so I hope it remained coherent, understandable, and most importantly, enjoyable.
  
  Also, I know Wyrdeer doesn't use Teleport in the games, but I figured that if a non-psychic like Blissey can learn it, then it would reason for Wyrdeer to do the same.
  
  This chapter was BETAed by Allute. Thanks again! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  The New Normal - 3-11 - Aftermath
  
  "Elite John, thank you for your efforts here." The Officer Jenny told me as she approached me. Even while speaking to me, she was looking around and inspecting the unconscious criminals and their Pokémon. Despite her best efforts to conceal it, she appeared take aback by the sheer number of criminals and Pokémon lying unconscious on the ship.
  
  "It's not a worry, Officer, thanks for coming by so quickly." I said with a nod.
  
  "Yes, but we definitely could have arrived faster if we knew what was going on earlier." The Jenny muttered bitterly, before returning to her professionally blank tone. "If you don't mind, I would like to ask the two of you a few questions about what happened here."
  
  Karen and I proceeded to describe the course of events. I started with my explanation about how I heard screams from the crowd, which led me to confronting the first few Team Rocket grunts attacking a security guard, before the whole thing escalated and I boarded the ship to take out the leader.
  
  In the meanwhile, Karen spoke about her experiences helping out with the crowds and trying to minimize injuries. She informed the Jenny that, before I started to give commands and directed the friendly Pokémon to the sides, the battle was complete chaos, and it was near impossible to distinguish friend from foe. She described that the Team Rocket grunts prioritized doing as much damage and spreading as much chaos as they could so they could escape into the crowds, but fortunately weren't looking to deliberately injure anyone.
  
  However, after the civilians started to band together and fight more cohesively and as a team, they started to surround the Team Rocket grunts and prevent most of them from escaping, though Karen mentioned that a few probably still managed to get away amidst all of the chaos.
  
  The Jenny dutifully recorded all of our words in her notepad before she turned to me.
  
  "Elite John, it seems like from your words that you managed to confront and defeat the leader of this group." I nodded in confirmation. "Did you manage to find out anything important about why there was such a large concentration of Team Rocket grunts here?" She asked me.
  
  "Yes, once I had defeated all of the remaining Team Rocket grunts and confronted the leader, they briefly commented about their objectives here." I replied, concealing how I truly got the info. "It seems that the true leader of Team Rocket had decided to move their operations to Hoenn because they believed that remaining in Indigo was far too big of a risk. So, and this is my own speculation, I believe that the grunts were ordered to disguise themselves and make their way to Hoenn on ships such as these before they would eventually restart their operations there."
  
  The Jenny frowned at my words but accepted them with a stiff nod. I guess she realized how bad of a situation this was, since Hoenn could very justifiably blame us for 'sending' our criminals over to them. Reading the thoughts from her expression, I decided to comfort her.
  
  "I understand that the situation is going to look very bad for the Indigo Police, but I will try to limit the damage as much as I can when I speak to the reporters." I told her with a small smile. "Your department responded as quickly as they could and instantly moved to assist the civilians in the combat zone, so I would feel terrible if you took undeserved blame for this."
  
  The Jenny let out a sigh, "Yes, that would be very much appreciated, Elite John. Still, I dread to see what the news would come up for their headlines tomorrow." She gave me a helpless smile. "Nevertheless, thank you very much for answering my questions. There are Nurse Joys stationed around here for any Pokémon of yours that needs to be checked." I thanked her and began to make my way off the ship as the Jenny started speaking on the radio asking for more hands to help her arrest all of these grunts and their Pokémon.
  
  Just before I left though, I decided to formally capture the Eevee and become her trainer. I crouched with a Pokéball in my hand to where Eevee was resting in Klee's arms and asked her gently.
  
  "So, Eevee, are you sure you want to join me?" I gestured to the Pokéball in my hand. But, to my surprise, Eevee pounced off of Klee's arms and tapped the Pokéball with a paw and captured herself. As the Pokéball clicked shut, Klee started to cheer, and I shared a laugh with Karen.
  
  After that cute moment, I withdrew all of my Pokémon into their Premier Balls and started to make my way off the ship with Karen.
  
  As we were walking off the ship, Karen suddenly prodded me. I turned to her with a questioning look as she pointed towards where several civilians and their Pokémon were being tended to by the Nurse Joys or being directly transported to a Pokécenter if their injuries were more serious. I recognized a few of them who had helped out in the fight.
  
  "John, do you mind if I went over there and thanked them for their efforts?" She asked softly, "They really helped a lot with dealing with the grunts, and I want to at least show my appreciation."
  
  "Of course." I answered instantly. "Actually, I would like to accompany you too. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to arrest the leader if it wasn't for their help." She nodded thankfully and the two of us then made our way to the Nurse Joys.
  
  I let Karen take the lead as she began to check up on everyone and thanked everyone there if they had helped out in the fights and received many murmured thanks from the group. She checked up on a few people that I didn't recognize, and she expressed her wish that they would recover quickly. I went around and exchanged thanks with a few of them as well, some of whom I had rescued as hostages before I noticed that the reporters had arrived and were pointing cameras our way. Fortunately, they were being held back for the moment by a few Jennys to prevent them from disturbing the Nurse Joys.
  
  I tried to ignore them for a moment as I continued giving my thanks before Karen eventually tapped me on the shoulder.
  
  "Hey, John. Why don't you say something to them? Give a small speech or something so that they know they've done something incredible today." She suggested with a whisper as she gestured behind to the civilians, some of whom had participated in the battle. I was a bit surprised at her request but quickly recognized the opportunity this provided and accepted.
  
  I moved to face the wall of reporters and loudly cleared my throat to catch their attention, and they quickly quieted down.
  
  "Before I answer any questions, I would like to thank each and every one of the civilians who had assisted me in the fight today. Whether out of a sense of duty or confidence in themselves or their teams, they have all chosen to step up and fight against these criminals terrorising our home, when none would have blamed them for choosing to hide away. From the depths of my heart, I am truly grateful for your aid today, and you have my sincerest thanks. If it were not for your bravery, we may not have managed to capture as many of these criminals and they would have likely caused far more damage to the city of Olivine. Thank you for your efforts." I bowed my head deeply towards the cameras.
  
  I continued bowing for a few seconds before eventually raising my head and continuing. "As for what happened today, the members of Team Rocket here were attempting to sneak away to Hoenn to continue their criminal operations in a region not actively hunting for them." Gasps could be heard amongst the crowd, and I paused to allow the crowd to digest what I had just said.
  
  Many were making noises of concern that I eventually silenced with a sweep of my hand as I continued. "This was not the first time they have done this, and after questioning the leader of this group, they have revealed that other Team Rocket members have already made their way to Hoenn with similar methods. Thus, I am afraid to say that Team Rocket may have already established themselves in Hoenn at this very moment." This elicited more gasps of shock and alarm from the reporters and the other audience members.
  
  Was I fearmongering? Yes. But I figured that since the news was going to get out eventually, warning Hoenn as soon as possible using my position as an Elite Four was for the better. Besides, I felt like causing a bit of fear was justified if it meant that Hoenn was going to take the threat seriously. I knew how much harm Team Rocket could cause if left to their own devices for too long, especially when they had access to an 'unknown' backer.
  
  "Elite John!" One of the reporters spoke up. "Who do you think is to blame for this incident? And for letting Team Rocket escape to Hoenn?"
  
  Ah, here comes the expected blame game. "It is far too early to say if negligence was the reason why Team Rocket was able to go through with their plans." I said evasively.
  
  "However, I would like to emphasize that, under no circumstances, should the Indigo Police be blamed for this incident. As we've seen from their actions today, the Indigo Police responded swiftly and efficiently as soon as the incident occurred, and even if I was not there today to help assist in the arrest of this group's leader, I express my utmost confidence that the Indigo Police would have been sufficient at apprehending these criminals." I stated clearly to the wall of reporters.
  
  I wanted to make it clear that I did not want the public to be blaming the Indigo Police, as I didn't need that kind of anti-police sentiment being spread across Indigo. That would only benefit Team Rocket.
  
  "But, sir, don't you think that the Indigo Police deserve some of the blame for not being able to detect Team Rocket's movements?" Another reporter added snidely, looking like he was trying to stir up some controversy. Well, I was going to put a stop to it.
  
  "With all due respect, I do not believe that asking such questions is conducive for the continued safety of the public." I asserted while looking that reporter in the eye. "Attempting to place the blame on the Indigo Police for this incident, when they have done nothing wrong, is both foolish and detrimental to society. After all, aren't our fine members of the Indigo Police simply acting on the evidence that is available to them? Aren't they just using the resources they have been provided by the Indigo League?" The reporter looked like he wanted to say something, but I kept going and cut him off.
  
  "No, as I have mentioned before, the Indigo Police is not to blame for today's events. After all, they do not dictate the policy of the League. They did not inadvertently cause many disenfranchised individuals to turn to crime because of the economy's stagnation. They did not choose to allow a system of corruption to exist to allow these criminals to thrive in. No, they did none of these things. Instead, when it mattered, the Indigo Police and the brave Jennys stepped up to the plate and efficiently cracked down on all criminal activities throughout Indigo until Team Rocket was forced to flee the region to avoid being caught. If anything, that just demonstrates how hard the Indigo Police have been working over the past few weeks, and they should most certainly be commended for their hard work and efforts." I declared confidently.
  
  A loud applause broke out behind me, and I turned around and saw there were many spectators applauding my sentiments. Apparently, my speech had drew in many of the surrounding civilians into listening to what I had to say.
  
  Of course, an astute listener would have realized that my speech was a roundabout denunciation of the Indigo League, and Pryce. I hinted at the fact that Team Rocket's existence was created due to the League's mishandling of their domestic policies, which was Pryce's responsibility.
  
  I hoped that a few of the more cunning and observant listeners would become enlightened at my words and see for themselves how Pryce was an incompetent Champion who was very much not deserving of his position.
  
  "Elite John!" A reporter asked as the applause died down. "Do you have anything to say to those listening in Hoenn at the very moment? Since you said that Team Rocket may have set up a base there?"
  
  I carefully worded my answer as to not accidentally step on anyone's toes in Hoenn, "I would not presume to make any statements that may influence the decisions of the Hoenn League, as that would be a grave overreach. Instead, I would just like to say, not as a representative of the League but as a private citizen, I apologize for not being able to stop the Team Rocket menace from spreading past our borders to yours." I said solemnly.
  
  I knew that the Indigo League was about to be in some deep trouble in the future with Hoenn. Both with their exposed side-lining of me to Hoenn without informing them, and now with Team Rocket spreading to their borders due to our mismanagement. Thus, I wanted to directly separate myself from the actions of the Indigo League to show that I was not connected to their incompetence.
  
  It was the same idea as what Giovanni did with Team Rocket, as soon as he realized that they had become a liability, he quickly acted to separate himself from them. I was just copying him. It seems that I did learn a thing or two from Giovanni after all.
  
  Suddenly one of the reporters recognized Karen, who had been standing behind me chatting with the injured civilians and rushed forwards to ask her a few questions. Seeing the sudden interest of one of their colleagues, the other reporters realized the untapped goldmine that Karen represented and joined in to extract everything they could from Karen.
  
  I could see Karen being briefly surprised by all of the sudden attention, but then her posture suddenly changed, and she stood up straight and proud as if a switch had been flicked as she confidently fielded the reporters' questions. I guess Agatha must have tutored her about how to handle the press. Or perhaps she was just naturally inclined to being in the spotlight. I thought both were reasonable assumptions.
  
  Although I was finally free from the reporters, I couldn't just leave because I had to stick around to wait for Karen, which was the whole point of why I came to Olivine in the first place. I decided to spend a bit of time mingling with some of the less busy looking Jennys, just to see their thoughts.
  
  When I approached, they were all very happy and thankful for my speech. Evidently, the Jennys were all very worried that they would have been bashed and attacked on the news for not doing more, even though there was nothing more they could really do. I replied that I was just doing the right thing to ensure that they weren't wrongly blamed, which seemed to have been the right thing to say as they all expressed their thanks once again.
  
  With that, I left them to their duties and was about to reach for my phone to contact Giovanni and Drake about today's events when I spotted a VERY familiar girl with light brown hair standing next to an equally recognisable Ampharos. I contemplated for a moment whether to approach them, but I made my decision after I saw that Karen was still bogged down and dealing with the reporters.
  
  The pair of them looked up as I approached, and the girl gave me a shy smile as she recognized me.
  
  "Thank you, Elite John, for helping out today at Olivine." She told me, and her Ampharos joined in with a small noise of agreement. I waved off her thanks.
  
  "No, it should be me expressing my thanks to YOU." I replied. "I was just doing my duty as a member of the Elite Four. However, as I said to the press, you could have easily just left and ensured your own safety. Instead, you chose to be brave and help out with the battle. To me, that is far more impressive and shows off your strength of character."
  
  She blushed embarrassingly and couldn't meet my eyes, only giving me a whispered murmur of thanks. Deciding that I didn't want to embarrass her any further, I simply shook her Ampharos' hand, since she seemed too shy at the moment, and walked away to finally call Giovanni. I didn't think we'd meet again, but I was glad to have met her.
  
  Once I walked a short distance away from everyone to prevent eavesdroppers, I called Giovanni, who promptly picked up.
  
  "John, I've just been watching the interview you gave at Olivine. Great work." He praised, and I gave him my thanks. Our friendship seems to have repaired itself after the exposing of Team Rocket, which I was thankful for.
  
  Then he sighed, "I cannot believe that this incident would happen in the first place. Never did I think that these scoundrels would try to escape to Hoenn." He grumbled, "I do apologize for this oversight, but they must have concealed their actions better than I anticipated when they began making their move to Hoenn."
  
  A part of me wanted to get angry at Giovanni, but I didn't really think that this was his fault. Sure, he may have previously funded Team Rocket, but I didn't consider him responsible for the attack. Besides, I didn't want to harm our newly repaired friendship. Seeing that I wasn't saying anything, Giovanni continued in a friendlier tone.
  
  "I was very pleased that you tried to divert the blame from the Indigo Police to the Indigo League, hopefully that would provide some fuel for Pryce's critics." I could hear his smirk through the phone. "I'm not sure if the public is going to heed your words and not blame the Indigo Police, but I'm sure that the Indigo Police will be very grateful for your efforts for trying. They are a valuable ally to have, and you definitely don't want to get on their wrong side." He advised, and I hummed to show that I understood before I started talking.
  
  "Thanks, Giovanni. I'm also about to jump on a call with Drake after I finish speaking with you. Is there anything you want me to say to them?" I asked.
  
  "Hmmm...not particularly. Just try to make sure that you can direct any anger or indignation that they may have towards the CURRENT Indigo League government. Try to reassure them that all of the recent troubles can be laid solely on the current administration's heads. We don't want to risk them breaking off relations with Indigo just because of these incidents." He stated seriously.
  
  "I understand." I replied. "Is there anything else?" Giovanni said no so I hung up on him and dialled up Drake, who quickly accepted the call.
  
  "John, I thought I would be getting a call from you." Drake's gruff voice spoke up, "I just saw the news. Terrible stuff. Glad you were there to help."
  
  "Thanks Drake." I said before asking, "Listen, do you know what the sentiment is like over there in Hoenn at the moment? How are the people reacting to this revelation?"
  
  "Well, I had just spoken to the other members of the Elite Four as soon as your interview was over, lad, and it's safe to say that we're pretty mad." He explained. "Not that we blame you of course, and we're glad that you 'fessed up, but those fuckin' idiots running your League have been cocking up massively over the past few weeks, and this is just another shit in the already big pile of steaming shit stinking up our garden." He grumbled.
  
  "I see..." I replied slowly, thinking through my words. "Well, like I said in the interview, I do apologize for pushing all this onto you-"
  
  "Ah, no need to apologize lad." Drake interrupted. "Everyone in Hoenn knows you're not to blame, and if they don't, I'll set them straight." He remarked gruffly. "And don't you worry yourself about Team Rocket. You might have beat me in a battle, but I bet you my fucking stash that these chumps aren't nearly as strong as the news make them out to be."
  
  "...Well, alright, but please don't them lightly. I suspect that they have a backer in Hoenn who are funding them." I finally said, revealing a little of my suspicions about Team Magma and Aqua. "Just remember that if you ever need my help, I'll be there as soon as I can. I truly hope that we can repair any damaged relations between our regions as soon as possible."
  
  "Aye, and we thank you for your offer." He said approvingly. "But we can take care of them."
  
  There wasn't much else to say after that, so the two of us just made some small chat before Drake told me that he had to go, and we hung up. I felt like that our conversation went well, and hopefully when Lance becomes Champion, he'll able to repair any damage that has occurred between our two regions.
  
  Just as that thought rolled through my head, I felt my phone ringing once again. My parents were calling.
  
  "JOHN, ARE YOU OKAY?" My mom's worried voice came through, "We saw that you were in Olivine and your interview, but are you unhurt?"
  
  "It's fine, mom." I replied, trying to ease her worries. "I probably took no more than a few scratches. You know my team will always be there to protect me."
  
  "I know, I know, but it's a mother's prerogative to worry." She said, fortunately sounding far less worried. "Are you coming home soon?"
  
  "Yes, I think I'm done with all the interviews, so I'll be coming back." I spoke.
  
  "Good, good...Oh, and John? We're very proud of what you did there. Your dad and I are glad you were there to help out." My mom remarked, her words turning my cheeks red as I blushed.
  
  "...Thanks mom. And thank dad for me too. I'll be coming back soon." I simply said, trying but likely failing to keep the embarrassment out of my voice. Then we hung up.
  
  Before I could put my phone away, it rang again as I received another call.
  
  It was Lance.
  
  "John, good work on the interview." He greeted me, his voice a bit more rushed than usual. "I don't have much time at the moment, but I wanted to just let you know one thing."
  
  "What is it?" I asked curiously.
  
  "Thanks to your words today, my sources tell me that it's chaos in the League building right now. Everyone's panicking as they all realize how the public is going to react. Pryce is in big trouble, and everyone's jumping ship." He informed me, with a trace of excitement and confidence in his voice.
  
  "Well, that's good. Isn't it?" I asked perplexedly.
  
  "Yes, and it's why the Blackthorn Clan and I have finally decided that now is the time to strike." He took in a deep breath, "I'm going to be announcing my challenge to replace Pryce as Champion." He declared.
  
  A.N And that's the final non-interlude chapter for the Indigo Politics Arc, with Lance finally about to make his announcement to become Champion!
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-11 - Interlude -Karen
  The New Normal - 3-11 - Interlude - Karen
  
  They had barely managed to save the port of Olivine, though it was undoubtedly in need of repair. Despite their best efforts to stop the plans of Team Rocket, having hundreds of Pokémon on a rampage is always a recipe for disaster.
  
  She couldn't even imagine thinking what the damage could have been if they weren't there to stop it. If John had not chosen to rush onto the boat by himself to confront the huge group of Team Rocket members and crush them before they could do any more damage.
  
  Oh sure, she helped too. The grunts were hardly a match individually against her Pokémon, but that was where lied the problem. Against huge groups of enemies like this, even with undisciplined and relatively untrained Pokémon, her Pokémon didn't have the overwhelming power to easily dispose of them.
  
  During the fight, she managed to take a few glimpses of John's Team, and what a sight they were. A fully coordinated team of destruction, completely and utterly dominating the fight against a flood of enemy Pokémon. There was no need for smart tactics, but John's Pokémon were just so strong that they muscled through every threat with a versatile range of attacks.
  
  From the ranged attacks of his Clefable and Blissey, to the pure pressure exerted from his powerful bruisers and the speedy flankers of his Wyrdeer and Pidgeot, John was able to sweep through all in his way.
  
  And Karen's Pokémon were unable to do that.
  
  She knew that her team was lacking in versatility and relied heavily on the use of tricks, but it was one thing to know about it intellectually and another to see just how different her team performed against the grunts. Sure, her Houndoom and Honchkrow were versatile and strong enough to overwhelm most Pokémon, but her other Pokémon just weren't able to perform at that same level.
  
  Her Sneasel hit hard, of course, but he was ultimately too fragile and too reliant on dodging to stay in the fight. One or two stray hits would have knocked him out. Likewise, her Umbreon was too passive and didn't hit hard enough to instantly knock out the grunts' Pokémon. Perhaps her Pupitar and Spiritomb would have done better, but she didn't use them in the fight.
  
  Regardless, this incident was an eye-opener for Karen, and allowed her to truly understand why Agatha, and sometimes John, nagged her so much that she needed a true frontline Pokémon that could be able to brute force through things. So far, in her 8 badge trainer battles, her strategy to manipulate and trick opponents into exploitable positions served her well, but that was only applicable in trainer battles with rules.
  
  In real situations like this where everything goes to shit, she couldn't rely on such tactics. Her Confuse Ray strategy would never have worked; there were far too many Pokémon to handle. Likewise, making use of status and regeneration moves to stall out the fight is useless when the goal is to defeat and capture the assailants before they could do more damage.
  
  And not only that, but the attack also exposed something she truly never considered before, her leadership abilities during an actual attack. Or in this case, the lack thereof.
  
  Before John stepped in and started to give commands to the civilians who had participated in the fight, the fight was utterly chaotic. She herself was so lost in the fighting that she was unable to make up who was friend or foe; nor did she think to consider friendly fire at such a moment. She was so consumed by the battle in front of her that she was blind to the events happening around her.
  
  She recognized that she had narrowly avoided disaster with friendly fire. With all the Pokémon attacks being thrown around in such a small space, eventually one of those stray attacks would strike her Pokémon, and if she was unlucky might have actually knocked her frailer Pokémon out.
  
  No, she understood now. If she wanted to be in the Elite Four, she needed to show more than just tricks and smarts. She needed to show raw strength.
  
  It was...upsetting to see the gap between herself and John once again. She had thought that, during her time in Hoenn, that she had trained up her Pokémon sufficiently to legitimately catch up to John, or at least be treated as his equal in terms of strength.
  
  But now she saw that she had been deluding herself. And wasn't that a depressing thought. At least she had discovered her mistake now, while she still had time to improve herself before her eventual run for the Elite Four.
  
  She swore by Arceus that she would catch up to John, one way or the other. She refused to be anything less than his equal.
  
  A.N. Wanted to show a little bit of how Karen fared in the big battle. Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-12 - INTERLUDE-Proton
  The New Normal - 3-12 - Interlude: Proton
  
  Proton entered the facility's basement, which was surprisingly well-lit for a so-called 'secret' facility, with an unusually thoughtful expression on his face. He knew that he wasn't one for circumspection, but even a self-proclaimed brute like himself realized that the meeting that was about to happen would require plenty of thought and consideration.
  
  As Proton seated himself at the cheap wooden table in one of the steel chairs, he thought about his escape from Indigo and into Hoenn.
  
  When he realized that his mysterious, now ex, boss was no longer planning on making use of him and his Team, Proton was livid. Oh, he knew that his ex-boss probably had some big scheme that he previously needed the muscle for, but Proton never really cared about that. He was self-aware enough to recognize that all he valued was for the freedom to rob, steal, and indulge in whatever struck his fancy that day, which was usually violence.
  
  So, when he realized that his boss planned to retire his services for the near future? Proton couldn't have that. In hindsight, it was probably very impulsive of him to just leave like that without knowing if they would have the resources to maintain their operations for the future, but the original founder, that cunning old lady, had stashed away enough resources for them to hang on for a little while.
  
  Initially, Proton believed that in order for Team Rocket to continue maintaining its operations, he needed to secure resources by stealing Pokémon and selling them on the black market to receive a steady supply of funds. At first, this succeeded, and Proton naively thought that they were able to continue doing this until the end of time.
  
  He also had plans to extort his ex-boss and blackmail them in order to ensure a steady supply of resources from them, but then Proton realized that he never actually knew who his boss was. Sure, he could have recognized his face, but he had no idea what his name was or what he even did. As far as Proton was concerned, his ex-boss was a nobody that appeared out of nowhere and just gave them money and Pokémon.
  
  However, everything started going to shit when that nosy Gym Leader Giovanni and his Elite Four pet of his decided to ruin everything by rallying the people like they were heroes of some historic drama. Giovanni's involvement also killed Proton's plans to recruit a few Gym Leaders secretly into his ranks. He thought that a few Gym Leaders would be pliable with sufficient persuasion, and he thought that Giovanni was one of those that could be corrupted! Oh, how wrong he was! Giovanni was easily their biggest public threat!
  
  Who did they think they were trying to eradicate crime in Indigo? Crime was always going to exist, and if anything, Proton was doing everyone a favour by attracting all of the criminals to his cause.
  
  Alas, his fun had to end sometime and the crackdown in Indigo and the mass arrests of his subordinates had caused huge problems for Proton. His subordinates were becoming too fearful to continue, and Proton could feel the discontent slowly rising through his ranks towards his leadership as the arrests mounted.
  
  At the time, Proton knew that his worries would have been solved if he could just find someone who could provide funding for Team Rocket. Then, they could easily just lay low for some time and focus on actually training up his grunts so that they'd be much more capable at completing their objectives. Of course, Proton had no idea where to find said financial backer, so he simply made pleas on the black market and hoped for the best.
  
  And Proton's luck would turn for the better as an anonymous figure reached out to him and promised Proton everything that he wanted. Proton was naturally suspicious of this sudden turn of luck; it seemed too good to be true. However, the figure was quick to reassure Proton and invited Proton to hide out in Hoenn for some time to get away from all the heat in Indigo. Faced with no better choice, Proton warily accepted.
  
  With that in mind, Proton made his way to Hoenn in disguise with only his most loyal subordinates. Once there, he was introduced and shown the vast facilities that they had for his Team's use, and Proton was instantly sold.
  
  Oh, he knew that he was probably just a pawn for a greater purpose, but Proton didn't care. He was too busy salivating over all of the violence that he could do with this new backing, and he would happily play as the loyal soldier if that was what this person needed him to be.
  
  With facilities and living quarters properly secured, Proton decided to move all of his operations to Hoenn and ordered his Team to start making his way here too. Although there was that one incident where his subordinates were caught by that boy of an Elite Four member who thought himself a hero, most of his subordinates managed to arrive safely and unnoticed in Hoenn.
  
  Truthfully, Proton was glad that guy was caught in Indigo; he was one of Proton's more ambitious rivals and was always eyeing jealously at Proton's position, so seeing him removed and out of the way was a net positive in Proton's eyes.
  
  With his Team well-hidden in one of the facilities, the figure finally decided to invite Proton to a meeting where they would be discussing their operations in the future. Which was where Proton found himself now, sitting in a steel chair too small for him and leaning across a cheap wooden table and waiting for an unknown amount of people to arrive.
  
  Just before he could begin grumbling, the door opened behind him once more and two people walked in. Just by looking at their shadowed silhouettes, it was obvious that both of them were large and muscular individuals, though one appeared to be almost purely made of muscle. As they entered the light, he realized that they were both strangely dressed like pirates, which Proton inwardly scoffed at.
  
  If his bosses proved to be the nutcases that they looked like, then he was going to take the money and run.
  
  The two of them sat down in chairs as well, before the smaller one on the right spoke up first.
  
  "The name's Archie, and I'm the boss." He introduced himself, "The guy's over there my friend and admin, Matt. It's good to meet you, Proton."
  
  Proton greeted them both with a silent nod, and Archie accepted that before he kept going. "Now, I'll skip over the pleasantries since it's obvious that you're not one for chit-chat. We recruited you because you had what we needed, an already organized Team that would serve as additional muscle. It was a bit of a coincidence that you reached out when you did, because it was just about the right time when we decided to go looking for someone like you."
  
  Proton nodded again; it was what he expected. "Okay, I understand, so what do you need me to do, Archie? I can see that you clearly have the resources, and from the guards just standing outside I'm fairly certain you have your own muscle to make use of, so why do you need me and my Team?" Proton asked, as he locked eyes with Archie.
  
  "Heh. Well, we're quite the ambitious lot you see." Archie chuckled before his face turned serious. "We need all the muscle that we can get for our new goal."
  
  "...and that goal is?" He questioned.
  
  "You see, our original goal was to harness the power of Kyogre to flood the world and remove all traces of humanity from it for the betterment of all Pokémon." Proton's eyes must have revealed his shock because Archie chuckled at his expression. "Yes, in hindsight, that was a short-sighted idea. But recently, we had a new backer that made me reconsider our goals. Now, our goal is to harness the power of Legendaries to remake the world so that it can be made perfect."
  
  Proton noted the fanaticism in his eyes, and he seriously was reconsidering whether he had made the right call joining up with his team, but he decided to force down his instinct to just leave and start asking some more questions.
  
  "And why would you want to remake the world?" Asked Proton snidely, "I like it the way it is."
  
  "Do you?" Archie challenged, his smile not breaking, "I've done my research on you, Proton, and I know you're a violent man who would love nothing more than to act on those impulses. But aren't you here in Hoenn because you couldn't act on those impulses in Indigo, and were forced to flee?"
  
  He bristled at Archie's words but couldn't deny them. Archie seemed to take Proton's silence as agreement and carried on.
  
  "But could you imagine a world where you didn't need to hide and run? A world where you were free to act out your every desire and impulse, free of consequence? With just a snap of your fingers, you could indulge yourself in whatever vice you choose. Violence? Women? Both? All at your fingertips."
  
  Proton allowed himself to be suckered in by that glorious vision for a moment before he dragged himself back down with reality. He sneered at Archie, "Is that why you're so bent on creating a new world? Because you just want to indulge in women and violence like I do? There are easier methods for that, you know. Unless you're having trouble getting it up."
  
  Matt grunted angrily at Proton's disrespect, but Archie's smile never faltered, "No, I don't indulge in that kind of thing, as hard as it is for someone like you to believe. I truly am looking to create a new world for the betterment of all Pokémon."
  
  Proton scoffed at Archie's idealism, "And how do you plan on re-creating the world to whatever you want it to be? Everyone knows that Legendaries are impossible to control."
  
  "Are they?" Archie challenged again, this time with a knowing smile. "Yes, it is common knowledge that Legendaries are beyond the control of man. But I can assure you that we are making progress into finding a way to control them. And when we do, the world is ours to reshape!"
  
  He sneered again, "And what if I don't believe you?"
  
  "That's perfectly fine." Archie remarked easily, surprising Proton. "I understand that simple words were not likely to persuade you to understand our goals, but it is not understanding that I seek with you. Even if our final goal doesn't work out, what do you have to lose? You'll still be receiving the funding for your time here, and you're too smart to be used as a pawn to be sacrificed. No, you'll bolt and leave as soon as you catch wind of anything like that."
  
  Proton nodded, that was exactly the sort of thing that he would do. Archie continued, "If I wanted a dedicated fanatic, I would have looked to recruit someone else. But no, I chose to recruit you, because you are a practical man with experience leading a Team of grunts to complete an objective, and perhaps indulge in those desires of yours on the way. Again, you do not need to believe in our final goal, you just need to serve as our muscle. Leave the thinking to me."
  
  Proton thought about it for a moment and realized that Archie was right. There was truly no downside to him accepting the deal. His boss may be a fanatical lunatic looking to reshape the world or some nonsense, but so long as he remained paid, and could act out his desires through his raids, then why did Proton even care? Also, Proton was smart enough to realize that, if he declined this deal, he truly had nowhere else to go and he would be monumentally screwed. No, he had to accept this offer.
  
  Besides, this would just be like his time leading Team Rocket, except with an additional safety net and funding. Proton truly saw no downsides to this agreement. Even if his boss was a nutjob.
  
  "Alright...I understand. I'm willing to join our Teams' together and be your muscle." Proton said carefully, "But first, where am I in the pecking order? Who am I going to be in charge of?"
  
  Archie smiled as he heard Proton's agreement, "You'll be made an Admin once you join, sharing your authority with Matt here. We originally had a different candidate, as you might have expected, but she is now unavailable. So, you've taken the spot."
  
  "Fine. And what do you need me to do?" Proton asked.
  
  "For now, you're going to have to lay low for the time being." Proton frowned at being told that he had to sit still once again, but Archie was quick to placate him. "It's too risky to go out at the moment, especially with all the heat that's been focused on Team Rocket. We can't risk stirring the pot for the time being. I don't want to see you arrested after you've just arrived, after all."
  
  Proton was angry but accepted Archie's reasoning. He agreed that the Hoenn League would also be like starving Houndooms looking to eat whatever scraps of Team Rocket they could find just so that they could fill a headline and prove to the public that they were actively doing something. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
  
  "Hey, Archie, why don't we sacrifice a few of our own grunts to the League?" He suggested with a malicious smile, and Archie gave him a questioning glance, "Well, like you said, the Hoenn League are currently baying for Team Rocket with everything they have. So, instead of risking them finding something you don't want them to find, why not we throw some grunts out and allow them to get caught. They'll play it up as a big win, and we get to protect our more valuable assets since they'll likely not be looking as hard after they get some good headlines."
  
  Archie pondered his suggestion for a moment, before he turned to Matt and received a nod from the man. "That does sound like a good idea. I agree. Why don't you go arrange that, after this meeting?"
  
  Proton accepted with a nod, and then returned to his questions.
  
  "So, besides that, what do you need me to do specifically? Spending so much time lying low sounds like a huge waste of time. And I'll get antsy." He asked.
  
  "I'll need you to be training the grunts up to be up to standard." Archie replied instantly, "I understand that you didn't have a lot to work with, since you were running on limited resources and had to act fast to secure a steady stream of income to survive, but your grunts aren't exactly at the level of training and discipline that I hoped for."
  
  Proton frowned but didn't correct Archie and stayed silent, "From what I've seen, your troops are decent enough at smash and grab jobs, but with our steady source of funding from our backer, we don't actually need to do too much of those anymore. What we'll be needing is precision strikes on high value targets to secure a specific resource, asset, or person. And THAT is what I hope to train the grunts to be able to do. To help you with this, our backer has secured you extra resources and Pokémon that have already been distributed to your team. You may check them out yourself after this meeting."
  
  "Fair enough. I can understand that." Proton remarked before gesturing to Matt. "So, what's your friend going to be doing? He hasn't said a thing this whole meeting."
  
  "Matt will be doing the same with the grunts under MY Team, Team Aqua." Archie explained, with Matt nodding in agreement. "I recognized that our two Teams may not respect the authority of a stranger, so you'll be training your own Teams individually. Later on, as our two Teams get more familiar with each other, we can start arranging training sessions together."
  
  Proton nodded, accepting the explanation. At least it gave something to do with the downtime, and he could always beat up some unruly grunts to satisfy his violent desires if he wanted.
  
  "Oh, and one more thing." Archie spoke up again, interrupting Proton's imagination where he was brutalizing a random grunt. "I should let you know of our allies. There's a Team called Team Magma, they used to be our enemies, but we've recently joined under a common banner. However, I suspect there will certainly still be bad blood between our two groups, so keep an eye out on them and make sure that they're actually behaving as they should; I still don't fully trust them. Though if they need some disciplining, I'm sure you'll win out easily. After all, they're mostly the nerdy scientist type. I'm sure you would have no problems." Archie finished with a smirk.
  
  Proton shared his boss' smirk and nodded, before asking if there was anything else. Archie shook his head. "No, I think that's everything that I wanted to cover with this meeting. Listen, I understand that you aren't much of a believer towards the ultimate goal of our Teams, but I hope that one day you'll be able to see that what we're doing actually has a great chance of success and that it IS possible to remake the world."
  
  He scoffed, "Hah! I don't think so. I'm not as naïve as you two. Nor am I some bright-eyed idealist. No, I'll follow your plans, but if you expect fanaticism out of me, then you'd best pick someone else."
  
  "No, and that's fine. Just remember my words. I hope you can come to agree with me in the future." Archie said, before he extended his arm. "Let's shake on our newfound friendship."
  
  "Yeah...'friendship'..." Proton remarked sarcastically but shook Archie's hand regardless. Archie and Matt then said their goodbyes, stating that they had something else to do, and wished him well on the training before they left the meeting room.
  
  Proton himself got up from the chair moments after they left, and quickly inspected the room for any secret recording devices or microphones that may be used against him. He didn't find any, though that could just mean he merely failed to spot them. After that, he finally made his way out of the facility to where the remaining members of Team Rocket were training up.
  
  As he observed them, he noticed the 'gift' that Archie's backer must have provided, as his grunts were now training with a much larger and diverse group of Pokémon. He even saw Pokémon that he had never even seen before, such as some big grumpy cat thing, which he thought were from the newly introduced region of Sinnoh. Although there weren't many Pokémon that were from Sinnoh, it still made him wonder how Archie or his backer were able to secure these Pokémon already. Still, so long as it made him and his team more powerful, he wouldn't question it.
  
  And, with a bit of training and discipline, Proton could really envision that Team Rocket would transform from a team of general thugs and lowlifes to a proper army that would loot, plunder, and steal on his command.
  
  Seeing the new additions for his Team reminded Proton that, despite the unhinged fanaticism of Archie and his insane goal of trying to remake the world, his resources were still very much appreciated. Proton could tolerate working for a nutcase if that nutcase gave him everything that he needed to indulge and sustain his vices.
  
  Now, Proton went over which of his grunts and captains were recently expressing their displeasure for his leadership. He had some garbage to dispose of...
  
  A.N I hope you enjoyed this Interlude about Proton and what the other evil teams were doing; I really struggled with it. I wanted to show that, despite John's recent victories and crackdown against Team Rocket, the evil teams certainly aren't just sitting by idly and are reacting (hopefully) reasonably. John has also caused a few butterflies with his actions, as I'm sure you picked up.
  
  BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 3-13 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 3-13 - INTERLUDE: Pokenet Reactions
  
  [TEAM ROCKET STRIKES AGAIN IN THE WORST ATTACK TO EVER HAPPEN TO INDIGO! MANY INJURED IN TERRIBLE ATTACK IN OLIVINE CITY! MANY TEAM ROCKET MEMBERS ESCAPED TO HOENN!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Collated pictures from the scene, including injuries suffered]
  
  Unfortunately, today was almost one of significant tragedy as Team Rocket has made an appearance once again and terrorized the ports of Olivine City. The air of a peaceful afternoon at Olivine City was shattered by the screams and shouts of innocent civilians trying desperately to get away from Team Rocket's attacks.
  
  According to many eyewitnesses, Team Rocket seemingly showed up out of nowhere and began to indiscriminately attack everyone at the pier. Many were injured in this initial assault as the people frantically tried to scramble away from the assailants.
  
  Fortunately, Elite John was there at the scene within moments of the outbreak occurring and immediately rushed into the fray and began rescuing civilians while his Pokémon dealt with the threat. A security guard that was rescued by Elite John confirms that the Elite Four member had positioned himself between the fleeing civilians and a large group of Team Rocket members, blocking the Team Rocket members from leaving the ship and preventing further damage.
  
  In an act of great bravery, many civilians also joined in the fighting and began helping the Elite Four member by battling against a few Team Rocket members that Elite John missed. As soon as he realized he had backup, Elite John took command and began giving out orders to better coordinate their efforts while corralling the members of Team Rocket into more manageable groups so that they could be more efficiently defeated and detained.
  
  As the dust settled and the battle was over, many civilians were found to be injured by Team Rocket's acts. Those same civilians had to be sent to the nearby Pokécenter to receive treatment, while others were tended to by the Nurse Joys. Elite John himself received no injuries, though he did manage to capture the leader who led this attack and detain all of the Team Rocket members that were onboard the ship. Unfortunately, there are still no reports regarding who and where the true leader of Team Rocket is.
  
  Furthermore, the damage to the ports of Olivine were significant. With the docks torn up due to collateral damage from the fight, and with many other ships similarly damaged, the ports of Olivine are in serious need of repair. Officials have stated that, while the ports don't need to be completely shut down, citizens should expect reduced activity from Olivine City while the ports undergo repairs.
  
  To make matters even worse, Elite John confirmed that the Team Rocket members in Olivine were looking to escape and relocate their operations to Hoenn, and that there were many other groups like this one that had been undoubtedly missed. Already, we have received reports of outrage from the Hoenn League as this news was announced.
  
  Despite this, in an interview after the battle, Elite John emphasized his thanks for the volunteers who helped him and participated in the battle, and he stressed that he was pleased with the Indigo Police's performance and response in this incident. He did not indicate who should be blamed for the incident when asked.
  
  On the other hand, in the midst of all the messages of sympathy from important figures across Indigo and Hoenn, there were also many within the public that placed the blame of this incident solely on the Indigo League, and Champion Pryce, for their complete mismanagement of domestic policies that allowed such a tragic incident to occur.
  
  We at the Indigo Post express our deepest sympathies for anyone caught or injured in the attack. And, readers, what are your thoughts on this terrible attack on Indigo? Please let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Had a friend that was injured (luckily, only minorly!) in the attack, and I'm enraged by the fact that this happened at all! Why couldn't the Indigo Police react faster and contain the whole situation?! Why didn't Elite John do more to protect the civilians?! How did the entirety of the Indigo League miss such a large group of Team Rocket members?
  
  What the fuck are we spending our tax dollars on if they're unable to handle something like this?! Disgraceful! We need to see some resignations and arrests over this for such mismanagement!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  ILoveGoldenRod Arceus, you need to think over about your priorities! Why are you placing the blame on Elite John when he was the only Elite Four member or Gym Leader that actually responded to the scenario?! Sure, he couldn't keep everyone safe, but no one could! And he clearly did his best! Read through the article again CLEARLY this time and you'll see that he positioned himself to block Team Rocket members from harming the civvies!
  
  Go point fingers somewhere else next time! And check out your reading skills beforehand!
  
  EDIT: Holy shit, John's 'Fear and Cowardice' line hits so hard. Those grunts better be scared!
  
  FutureAce
  
  Hey, did anyone see that video of the fight! Wow it looked like complete chaos out there! There were so many cool Pokémon just fighting it out against so many Raticates, Golbats, and Arboks! I would have loved to be there, not for the attack of course, but just to see all those cool fights!
  
  EDIT: Also, anyone else notice how powerful John's Blissey and Clefable were as bodyguards?! Never thought about those Pokémon as strong before, but they did work! They smashed those grunts like it was nothing!
  
  DragonPower
  
  ANormalFan HAH! If it was Elite Lance with his Dragons, I can guarantee you that there'll be no casualties, AMONGST THE CIVVIES AT LEAST! Lance would probably Hyper Beam them all to death with his Dragonites! No mercy to the scum who steal dragons!
  
  DarkManager
  
  I'd like to thank everyone that was there who helped out in the fight when you didn't need to. Like John said, thank you for being brave and stepping up. You guys were the true heroes.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  About time Team Rocket suffered a setback like this. And what does it say about the Indigo League that the biggest loss ever suffered by these criminals was due to the coincidence of having an Elite Four there?
  
  On the one hand, I'm pleased to see Team Rocket finally getting what they deserved, and yet I'm upset that it they almost got away with it due to the League's inefficiency.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Ok before the comments inevitably go down some random tangent again, I would just like to express my sympathies for anyone caught up in the attack, like your friend ILoveGoldenRod.
  
  But the article is right that there needs to be someone to blame, or at least, be held accountable for what happened at Olivine today. How did this even happen when everyone was hunting for Team Rocket? Why was Champion Pryce's administration so poor at handling the situation?
  
  I want answers!
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Man, I'm so glad I wasn't there! Hope you guys get out soon! Those remaining among us give our sympathies to those that were caught up in that!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  You mean to say that those scumbags are coming over to Hoenn?! WTF is wrong with you guys at Indigo that you have to spread your problems here to Hoenn! We already have enough shit to deal with! We don't need yours added to the pile!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  RockGetGrunt ...who are you referring to?
  
  ["GET YOUR SHIT SORTED!" ELITE DRAKE SLAMS THE INDIGO LEAGUE FOR THEIR INCOMPETENCE AND MISTAKES!] by The Hoenn Times
  
  With his trademark gruff and tough mannerisms, Elite Drake once again slammed the Indigo League for their latest mistake, and this time he was not holding back with the comments! This is what Elite Drake had to say about the issue:
  
  "Congratulations, Champion Pryce. You have now dropped another pile of shit into Hoenn. And this time, the shit will spread and multiply, and if we don't handle this right then all of Hoenn will be covered in the shit that YOU sent over. If you wanted to fuck us over, then well done."
  
  "Now, I will have to ask the Hoenn League to pull their heads out of their asses and start organizing our police to clear out this Team Rocket before they can harm our citizens. Arceus knows how difficult it's going to be to actually get them to spend money to keep the public safe. But now, you have all the warning you need, so DO YOUR JOBS! Also, get the fuck out of your office Pryce. You don't deserve to be there. I hope Lance at least has a brain."
  
  Expectedly harsh words from our experienced Elite Four member. And yet, Elite Drake is right that the spread of Team Rocket into Hoenn will inevitably be a further drain of Hoenn's resources and may even undermine the safety of the public.
  
  Following on from his Elite Four's statement, Champion Wallace had this to say.
  
  "The events at Olivine are a tragedy. That cannot be denied. And yet, it was a preventable one. The secret relocation of Team Rocket into Hoenn is greatly unfortunate. And yet, it was preventable. I can only hope that any further incidents from the Indigo League may be preventable. This cannot happen again."
  
  This writer hopes that the Hoenn Police are able to rapidly respond to this new threat on our shores.
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Can't believe the Indigo League dropped the ball this hard. I hope you guys in Indigo really kick out Pryce. I'm mad as hell that he was indirectly responsible for causing us problems. Hope Lance or whoever is more capable than this.
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  Is Drake always so foul-mouthed? I feel like he swears at least twice per sentence. Not that I mind, of course, swearing is cool!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I'm pretty sure Drake was born with a potty mouth. I couldn't imagine him NOT swearing, to be honest.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  I truly hope that the Hoenn League is able to deal with Team Rocket better than the Indigo League. If it weren't for our Gym Leader Giovanni, we would have never been able to fight back against Team Rocket! Giovanni truly is incorruptible and the best person we have to destroy Team Rocket!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I'm not happy about the situation as the next guy, but I still can't tolerate Elite Drake's rude manner of speaking. He's an Elite Four member, for Arceus' sake, he needs to be held to a higher standard! How are our two regions meant to cooperate if all we hear from your Elite Four is a constant slew of insults and swears?!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I hope that tensions don't get any worse between our two regions. As unfortunate as the circumstances are, I sincerely doubt that any of this was intentional by our government. Perhaps it was negligence, but not malice.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I think we in Hoenn understand that; but it's still aggravating when we have to clean up what was supposedly YOUR mess. I can't speak for the others, but I do hope that we in Hoenn see some attempt to repair or compensate us for the damage that we have received based on your region's actions, intentional or otherwise.
  
  Topic: [I, ELITE LANCE, AM MAKING A BID TO BE THE NEXT CHAMPION!] by DragonKnight (Verified POG)
  
  I am releasing this statement in conjunction with a press announcement, but as the title of this post says, I am seeking to replace Champion Pryce and become the next Champion of Indigo.
  
  I have spoken to the Blackthorn Clan, and they have all agreed with my decision to commit to this course of action. But, most importantly, I have spoken to my own heart and decided that I could not tolerate my inaction any longer!
  
  Everyone has undoubtedly seen the recent attack in Olivine, which was just a culmination of all of the Team Rocket attacks so far throughout Indigo. And, while I must express my thanks to those who have rallied against these terrorists, it is certainly clear at this point that the Indigo League has failed to do enough, and the people have suffered for it!
  
  AND Champion Pryce is the one responsible for all this chaos! He is the one to blame for all those injuries! Champion Pryce, in his obsession to maintain the status quo, has allowed the economy of Indigo to stagnant and fester in his negligence. It's no wonder that Team Rocket managed to source so many members when Pryce was in charge, since they had no other alternative but crime!
  
  To make matters worse, not only has Champion Pryce purposely side-lined a member of the Elite Four, but also, he has embarrassed us on the international stage when he sent Elite John over to Hoenn without informing anyone on their side of things just to fuel his petty agenda. This risked years of carefully cultivated friendship with Hoenn in his foolish attempts to maintain the status quo.
  
  These are not the actions of a Champion! And it is due to this that I, with a heavy heart, am seeking to challenge Pryce and replace him as Champion! I hope that I will have your support!
  
  Comments
  
  DragonLady (Verified POG)
  
  Elite Lance has the full support of the Blackthorn Clan to replace Pryce as the next Champion and wishes him all the best! We in the Clan have been greatly dissatisfied with Pryce and cannot allow him to remain as Champion any longer!
  
  SkyWalker (Verified POG)
  
  Champion Pryce advocates for everyone to not act on their immediate emotions and recognize that, under the leadership of Champion Pryce, peace has been achieved and maintained throughout Indigo throughout his entire reign. Champion Pryce has served in his capability as Champion dutifully, and his stable and experienced leadership is what is needed during these trying times!
  
  ChuckNorris (Verified POG)
  
  I DON'T CARE WHO BECOMES THE NEXT CHAMPION I JUST WANT TO SEE A GOOD FIGHT! BUT I WANT LANCE TO WIN MORE BECAUSE DRAGONS ARE MORE OF A CHALLENGE TO FIGHT THAN ICE TYPES HAHAHAHA!
  
  EDIT: HOW DO I TURN OFF CAPS
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Arceus - that's a stacked comment section. But yea, saw this announcement coming ever since Lance was making those statements two weeks or so ago. Definitely predicted that the attack in Olivine was finally going to light the fuse for Lance. Very excited to see what happens next.
  
  EDIT: Also, noticed that in the other news articles that most of the Johto Gym Leaders seem to be supportive of Lance's attempts, and so am I!
  
  EDIT2: Elite John declared his support as well!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  JUST SAW ELITE JOHN ANNOUNCING HIS SUPPORT LANCE TOO! Well sign me up then! All hail Champion Lance!
  
  DragonPower
  
  [This user has been banned from this thread. Please do not ask Gym Leaders to send pictures of their Dragons]
  
  FightClub
  
  [This user has been banned from this thread. Please do not ask Gym Leaders to send pictures of their glute spread]
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  [This user has been banned from this thread. Please do not join in and randomly ask the Gym Leader of Mahogany for nudes]
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...Again, wtf is wrong with you people?
  
  [AD: Premier Balls now being sold at the new Devon Corp branch in Viridian City! Pick them up now while stocks last!]
  
  As used by Elite John's heart-stopping match against Elite Drake, Devon Corp's newest high-tech Pokéball design, the Premier Ball, is now on sale! For the Elite Trainers that want to show off their skills outside of battle!
  
  "I'm John Smith, and this is my favourite Pokéball in Indigo." - Elite John
  
  [TEAM ROCKET CRIPPLED! MANY MEMBERS ARRESTED IN JOINT RAIDS OF KNOWN FACILITIES! AMAZING FEAT BY THE HOENN POLICE!] by The Hoenn Times
  
  Ever since it was announced that Team Rocket had made their new base here and were planning on continuing their operations on Hoenn soil, our brave and daring fighters in the Hoenn Police have worked hard day after day, leading up to today's simultaneous raid against multiple of their bases.
  
  Our Hoenn Police force successfully stormed into their buildings, and quickly detained all of the Team Rocket members inside without suffering a single casualty. A huge success for the Hoenn police, and as a result of the Hoenn's Police hard work, we can be sure that the Team Rocket numbers have been significantly whittled down from all the arrests!
  
  This writer hopes that the Hoenn Police will be able to put an end to these terrorists once and for all. Make Team Rocket a problem of the past!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Definitely happy for you guys in Hoenn for your success! I just wish the Indigo Police were as efficient as yours were...
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  KantoRepresent Thanks for your thanks, but you gotta know that all news agencies, in Hoenn and Indigo, like to exaggerate their success for the headlines. So, while I don't doubt that they made arrests, why did they not announce the leader of Team Rocket has been arrested?
  
  Probably because they haven't caught him yet. The threat is not over.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Well, exaggerated or not, I'm happy to see the Hoenn Police initiate their raids on Team Rocket. They belong behind bars!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Yeah, the news probably just exaggerated it to make the Hoenn League look good. Typical corruption!
  
  [NEW HOENN-KANTO RESEARCH FACILITY FINALLY BUILT IN PETALBURG! A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT! AND A SIGN OF COOPERATION?!] by The Hoenn Times
  
  After a surprisingly quick and efficient building process, the new joint-research facility promised by both Devon Corp and Kanto's Viridian City has finally been constructed and is now in use! Scientists from both regions have already moved into the facility and begun researching the new Pokémon, Porygon!
  
  After speaking to a few of the scientists, we were able to find out that the intention of the facility is to discover if this completely new Pokémon has any potential to evolve, and whether it can be mass produced since it is a Pokémon made of pure data! They even told us that since they had managed to make use of the time when the facility was still under construction, they had gathered quite a bit of data already and hope to see results soon! A very interesting development, and this writer wishes them the best in their endeavours.
  
  For more information regarding the new Pokémon Porygon, click here.
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  This is some great news after hearing about all of the scandals and criminals that have been brought over here from Indigo. It gives me hope that the recent incidents were just caused by a few bad apples and that the majority of citizens in Indigo do appreciate Hoenn and want to actively cooperate with us. Hope this works out, we don't need more bad news.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  NotTooMuchWater Don't forget about that new Devon Corp branch in Viridian City! The current Indigo League might be screwing up, but I guarantee you that the common Indigo Citizen is more than welcoming of our friendship with Hoenn!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hey doesn't John have a Porygon of his own?! Maybe if they discover any future evolutions they'll give one to him! Hope John gets even stronger by this WOOOO!
  
  FightClub
  
  Why are these nerds wasting time on researching a stupid Normal type. Why can't they use their time better like finding out new Fighting types! Productive Fighting types Useless Normals. SMH all these nerds don't know anything about Pokémon.
  
  DragonPower
  
  ^Agreed! Why couldn't they discover more Dragons! There's only 5 evolution lines of Dragons right now! We need more! Or make Charizard into a Dragon already!
  
  [AN ANALYSIS OF ELITE LANCE AND CHAMPION PRYCE! WHO WOULD WIN THEIR UPCOMING MATCH?!] by BattleCast
  
  [Cool graphic of the two of them staring down each other]
  
  Everyone and their mother are talking about Elite Lance's recent challenge against Champion Pryce to become the next Champion. However, we here at BattleCast don't care about all this political nonsense! We just care about WHO WOULD WIN IN A POKEMON BATTLE!
  
  Now, a more novice reader may immediately assume that Pryce would be the eventual winner, due to the fact that Pryce's Ice types are supereffective against Lance's Dragon types. However! More experienced readers of BattleCast should know that at such high-level battles, type matches matter a lot less!
  
  Now, Champion Pryce hasn't actually had a Pokémon battle in a long while, but we can go through our old records of his battles and look at his team. His old team consisted of a Glalie, Dewgong, Glaceon, Sneasel, Jynx, and of course, his starter Mamoswine. Now, this team may be outdated, but we can assume that Pryce will be using most of these Pokémon in his upcoming match.
  
  On the other hand, Lance's team is very well-documented and well-known. His team of 'dragons', include a Gyarados, Charizard, Salamence, and of course his trio of Dragonites (including his starter!). Those are some serious powerhouses! No wonder Lance was chosen to be the Blackthorn representative on the Elite Four.
  
  Now, while Lance's Pokémon are typically stronger...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  DragonPower
  
  LETS GO LANCE LETS GO! LANCE WILL WIN WITH HIS DRAGONS! ICE TYPES BE DAMNED!
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  HEY SHUT UP YOU IDIOT ARE YOU BLIND BECAUSE ICE TYPES BEAT DRAGONS EVERYONE KNOWS THEIR TYPE MATCHUPS! LORELEI'S UNCLE IS GONNA WIN!
  
  DragonPower
  
  ICE TYPES WIN?! HAVE YOU SEEN ALL THOSE DRAGONS!? Did you think that Lance wouldn't have trained his team to resist Ice type attacks?! Keep dreaming kid.
  
  Also, those Ice types are all so fragile! One attack and Lance is going to break them apart. So, get ready to cry kiddo!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Yea, politics aside, I definitely am rooting for Lance to win. I feel like his team is a lot better and more well-rounded than Pryce's, and I just think that, individually, Lance's team is more powerful than Pryce's. Of course, Pryce has that type advantage over Lance, but I'm certain that Lance has his own countermeasures for that.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  FearTheRat Mostly agree, although I'm also willing to bet that Pryce has his own secrets up his sleeve that he's hidden from the public up until this point. Unlike Lance, who openly shows off his team at basically every opportunity he gets, Pryce is much more secretive of his team, and like the report said, we haven't really seen him in a full Pokémon battle in a while.
  
  My money's still on Lance, but I think that Pryce might surprise us a bit.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Does anyone realize that all of Lance's Pokémon are Flying types? In fact, he has more Flying types than Dragons. Weird huh. Maybe we should reclassify him as a Flying type specialist.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  If we do that, then Flying type specialists everywhere are gonna cry. Lance's standards for 'Flying' types are way too high. Dragonites should not be counted as a 'Flying' type, they are most certainly Dragons.
  
  DragonLady (Verified POG)
  
  FlyingHigh No.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...yes ma'am.
  
  A.N And this is the final chapter of the Indigo Politics Arc. Next chapter will begin the Champion arc! Thanks for sticking with me and for reading. And yes, 'Verified POG' = Verified Person Of Glory. Used for Gym Leaders/Elite 4/Champion, and other prominent individuals.
  
  Also, because I was wary of having too many Interludes back-to-back, Wednesday's chapter will be 4-1 instead of a short interlude, while Friday will be the 4-1 short interlude.
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  The New Normal - 4-1 - The Road to Champion
  
  "I can't believe that they're still discussing the attack at Olivine, haven't we caught all the stragglers anyways?" My mom spoke up at the lunch table as we all gathered to eat, "It's already been a week and a half, surely we don't to focus on all the doom and gloom."
  
  "I was surprised they weren't talking more about Lance's announcement that he was going to be Champion." My dad muttered, "Did you know about that, John?"
  
  I swallowed my food, "He gave me a heads-up two days before he made the announcement, though as I said before I was helping him behind the scenes."
  
  Which was smart of him. It allowed the Team Rocket attack to gain sufficient traction in the news, and THEN made his announcement when the attack was still fresh in everyone's minds.
  
  This way, Lance was able to capitalize on the Team Rocket attack as a means to prove Pryce's incompetency and provide a legitimate justification in the public's eyes for his challenge against Pryce. Furthermore, emotions were high days after the attack by Team Rocket, and so Lance was able to benefit from the public's outrage and funnel them into support for himself. The final showdown between Lance and Pryce would take place exactly a month after Lance's announcement, plenty of time for both of them to shore up support from the public.
  
  It was a shrewd plan, and I truthfully didn't think Lance was capable of such political manoeuvring. That was not to say that Lance was dumb or political unaware, but I personally believed that this plan of action was probably thought of and put into play by the wiser elders of the Blackthorn Clan, and Lance was simply following their instructions.
  
  "Hmm..." My dad frowned, "I hope you and him know what you're doing. It's a big risk to aim to replace the Champion." He said with concern. "Say, John, since you've actually spoken to Lance, is he just a puppet for the Blackthorns? Or is he his own man?"
  
  "Definitely the latter." I replied instantly, "I'm sure he has Blackthorn's interest in mind, but he's too arrogant and strong to be anyone's puppet. That I can be certain of."
  
  "Will you be the Champion one day, John?" My sister cut in. "Maybe one day you can challenge the Champion and beat them up with Tyrant and become the Champion."
  
  I chuckled at Whitney's innocence, "Being a Champion is a lot more trouble than it's worth, Whitney. I'm happy with my current position, and I don't want to get too greedy. Maybe someday I'll try for it, but not now. I wouldn't even be able to gather up the support for it."
  
  "Speaking of support, I was surprised that Gym Leader Giovanni chose to support Lance as the next Champion." My mom added, "I'm not surprised that the Johto Gyms would support Lance, but I never thought a Kanto Gym Leader would vote for a Johto Champion after all of the shenanigans with Pryce. I remember it was a pretty big deal on the news."
  
  "True enough, dear." My dad remarked, "The Blackthorns were always very popular and influential in Johto, so gaining the support of the other Gym Leaders wouldn't have been too difficult for them. Though yes, seeing the Viridian Gym supporting Lance too was surprising. But I think Giovanni's support of Lance probably swayed a few Kantonians to Lance's side."
  
  My mom's eyes narrowed suspiciously at me, "Did you have something to do with it, John?"
  
  "Perhaps." I answered, refusing to say more. Though I was certain that my parents had inferred that I had advised Giovanni to do so since they knew of my friendship with him. "He'll probably be the only one to support Lance though. The other Gyms won't be as keen. But at least they won't support Pryce either!"
  
  "Hah! Certainly not." My dad spat out, "After everything Pryce has done leading up to the attack at Olivine, there'd be riots in the streets! It's about time that fu-...rascal finally got removed as the Champion!" My dad censored himself as he realized that Whitney was still here, who just rolled her eyes at the obvious censorship.
  
  She probably knew her swears, which was probably due to me. Whoops!
  
  Then the phone in the living room started to ring, and my mom quickly got up to get it while the rest of us continued to eat our food. She came back hardly a minute later with a slight scowl on her face, causing us to all stare at her.
  
  "It's another one of your fans, John." She answered our silent question, "You have more reporters looking to speak to the 'Hero of Olivine'." She said that last bit in a teasing tone, knowing how much I hated the nickname.
  
  "Hehehehe...When I start my journey I'm going to tell everyone that my big brother is a Hero! They'll all be so jealous!" My sister joined in, twisting the knife even further as I groaned. That caused everyone to laugh.
  
  Terrible nicknames aside, I couldn't deny the benefits of helping out at Olivine, not that I did so for such mercenary reasons. My popularity had been steadily on the rise ever since my return from Hoenn, but after my efforts to defend Olivine port and shutting down the Team Rocket attack, my popularity skyrocketed even further.
  
  I was lauded as a hero in the news, and my reputation in the Elite Four, at least temporarily, couldn't be higher. Thus, when I announced my support of Lance and claimed that he was someone who would be able to regain control and stability against the tide of criminals, THAT brought Lance a lot of support and credibility.
  
  Likewise, Lance was also making claims that he would enact proposals such as the International Police in order to prevent future crime waves from occurring again. This was unsurprisingly extremely popular in today's political climate, and I'm sure that Lance was very happy with the amount of support that this got from the public.
  
  "...Anyways, changing the topic a little bit." I spoke up, trying to move away from embarrassing nicknames, "Any thoughts about the chances of Pryce getting impeached by the 80% public vote?"
  
  My dad thought about it for a moment, "Unlikely. Not because Pryce's still popular or anything, but simply because I think the public would like to see if Lance has the strength to beat Pryce in a battle first." He said, unconsciously mirroring what Giovanni had also told me.
  
  "I agree." My mom added, "Besides, Pryce probably still has a few loyal supporters that would save him from the 80% public impeachment vote. He's been Champion for too long to not have sycophants."
  
  I nodded to my parents' statements. I also thought that a vote would not be held at such time, as it was far more common to allow the challenger and the Champion to battle beforehand rather than by removing existing Champion through a public vote. This way, the public would use the current Champion as a sort of test for the challenger to test and evaluate their abilities in a Pokémon battle.
  
  In the world of Pokémon, winning a Pokémon battle was everything and would heavily influence public opinion. While there were democratic elements to our government, such as the 80% public impeachment vote that remained as an eternal threat to all sitting Champions and Elite Four members, that vote was never actually used in practice. As far as Indigo and the wider Pokémon world was concerned, the most important element to see in a leader was their ability to defeat any and all challengers.
  
  To the public, the candidate's Pokémon team's strength was always the most important aspect of their candidacy.
  
  Thus, all of the support that Lance has received from the Gym Leaders and from myself, while undoubtedly useful at reassuring the public that Lance was a suitable candidate to be the next Champion and deterring any future potential challengers, would all be for naught if Lance failed to defeat Pryce.
  
  "But what if Lance loses to Pryce?" Whitney remarked, unknowingly mirroring my thoughts. "Who would be the Champion?"
  
  "...That would be the worst-case scenario." I replied, getting nods from both my parents, "If he won, then he might get to stay as Champion since the public still respect strength, and his victory would prove that he still had sufficient strength to hold the title."
  
  "I doubt that though. He's public enemy number one at this point. Even his own sycophants are starting to point fingers at him to avoid the blame." My dad interrupted me. "They'll probably impeach Pryce afterwards even if he wins. But Lance would also be seen as weak and be discredited for not being strong enough to beat Pryce."
  
  "That would be really, really, bad." I said to Whitney, who still looked a bit confused. "If that happens, then the new Champion would likely be decided by the Committee, which I am certain would cause complete chaos that no one would want or benefit from."
  
  Of course, Giovanni and I did discuss contingency plans for this extremely unlikely scenario since I had every reason to be confident in Lance's ability to defeat Pryce from my research. Obviously, due to my relative inexperience and lack of political connections, I wasn't a realistic candidate to be the next Champion in the event of a vacancy despite my temporary surge in popularity, but I hopefully should still be able to position myself to be a powerful influence on whoever that next Champion would be.
  
  Still, there was no real need to worry about all this yet. It's only been a week and a half since the Team Rocket attack in Olivine, and there was still two and a half weeks before the final showdown between Lance and Pryce. I had mostly done my part for Lance, and so long as he could beat Pryce his ability to remain as a Champion was a shoe-in.
  
  "That's true, Whitney." My mom continued, "If it wasn't for the foresight and leadership of Champion Oak to ensure a stable transition of power, Indigo would have likely shattered before Pryce, the chosen successor of Oak, could even take up the mantle as Champion."
  
  My sister listened to all this with an 'O' on her face. I guessed that she probably understood most of what was being said but was finding it hard to process. Still, I was glad to she was actually putting in the effort to learn more about the politics of Indigo. It would serve her well in the future on her journey.
  
  The thought of my sister starting her journey put a frown on my face as I remembered the still-in-hiding Team Rocket. They were still unaccounted for despite running away from Hoenn, and while they did make a few arrests, I was concerned that Proton still hadn't been located. The Hoenn news agencies were playing it up as a massive success by their police force, but I knew that they were severely exaggerating their achievements.
  
  I wouldn't be satisfied until all of Team Rocket's facilities and funding were completely dismantled, and Proton arrested. In my eyes, that was the only way to stamp out the Team Rocket threat. Sadly, I couldn't just head over to Hoenn to do that, and I wouldn't even know where to start finding them!
  
  Even though I suspected that more things were at play, especially with the still 'undiscovered' Team Magma and Aqua, I couldn't just go through a fruitless manhunt through Hoenn. I needed information before I could act. Still, I vowed to keep a close eye on what was happening over in Hoenn for any big incidents just in case.
  
  Giovanni was equally unable to do anything about it as well. But at least he was thoroughly converted to my side and was fighting back hard against Team Rocket; he realized the benefits of doing so and was now seen as one of the leading figures of Kanto! He was very happy about that.
  
  "Come, let's table the discussion for now and finish up lunch." My mom exclaimed, cutting through my thoughts. "The food's getting cold. So, eat up." And we all obeyed.
  
  After lunch was over, Whitney and I went back to the fields to continue training with my Pokémon in preparation for the upcoming regime change. Giovanni had advised me that it was very common for Elite Four members to receive challenges whenever there is a new Champion, so I followed Giovanni's advice and began training up my Pokémon even more. Our mom also joined us to help milk the Miltanks.
  
  Not that I felt like my Pokémon were going to lose to anyone, but I wasn't about to rest on my laurels and risk losing everything just because of my overconfidence.
  
  As we arrived at the field, I saw Eevee being playfully chased around by Klee, who was purposely running a bit slower to give Eevee a chance. Eevee was too distracted running away from Klee and bumped into a grunting Vordt. Despite Vordt's menacing visage, he merely let out a snort and patted the smiling Eevee gently on the forehead, before turning around and continuing to train up its new combination move of Earthquake + Stone Edge. It was a move I called Seismic Eruption, where Vordt would unleash an Earthquake that would also cause rocks to erupt from below and impale the enemy.
  
  It was still very much a work in progress, but with Vordt's proficiency with geokinesis, I was certain he could manage.
  
  Speaking of training, I needed to focus on my new Eevee.
  
  "Euphie! Come over here!" I shouted out, using the new nickname that I had for my Eevee. I gave it to her as I felt that it matched her kind innocence and eventual pink appearance when it evolved into a Sylveon.
  
  Euphie heard my shouts and came dashing over, an Everstone properly secured around her neck on a nice and sturdy chain.
  
  "Okay Euphie, I want you to continue your spars with Pixel and Whismur. Are you up for that?" Euphie's head rapidly bobbed up and down, so I chuckled and let her run off to do that.
  
  I had ideas of evolving her into a Sylveon, though I knew that would take some time. She and Pixel were getting along very well as sparring buddies, as they were about equal in terms of their level of training, and they often included Whismur in their spars as well.
  
  When I first showed Whitney my new Eevee, she immediately cooed and awed over my new Pokémon, and she threatened bodily harm towards me if I ever hurt Euphie. I repeatedly swore to my sister that I would never do anything of the sort, and only then did she nod to me. I suspected that a part of her wanted to ask me to get her an Eevee of her own, but she was determined to stick to her previous promise of not asking for any more Pokémon. I was proud of her for doing so.
  
  I knew that discovering Euphie's evolution into a Sylveon would make the Fairy type impossible to hide anymore. Yet, what better way would there be to prove the existence of a Fairy type than with a new Eeveelution? Plus, I figured that it was as good of a time as ever to 'discover' the Fairy Type, as when Lance replaces Pryce as Champion, there will inevitably be a major reshuffling of all of the Elite Four positions.
  
  Not only would having another big discovery put me back into the center of the public eye at such a critical moment, but it would also cement my scientific mind and my reputation as a researcher. That was a respected attribute in Pokémon society, which should hopefully open doors for me to build and reinforce future political connections, thus giving me a larger say in the discussing and creation of new policies.
  
  Similarly, it will make it much more difficult for any League official to ignore me if I continue to maintain my popularity within the public eye. If I got particularly lucky, I could be the right-hand man of whoever will be the next Champion. It would also provide an additional layer of protection to prevent me from suddenly getting kicked out of the Elite Four. I just needed a good opportunity to do so.
  
  Also, my first cheque from Devon Corp finally came in, and the amount was quite a bit higher than I was expecting. I quickly put that into my personal account for emergency use.
  
  Likewise, as I idly watched my new Euphie spar with Pixel, I reflected on one of the surprisingly mundane changes to my life. Karen's return.
  
  Unsurprisingly, we weren't always hanging around each other like we did in Hoenn, as she frequently had to return to her place in Lavender Town and discuss some things with Agatha. I wasn't privy to most of their conversations, nor did I expect to be.
  
  I just presumed that Agatha was just preparing Karen for a potential run at the Elite Four, if she felt that Karen was ready for it. This did mean that we didn't get to spend much time training and just hanging out each other like we used to, though we texted often, and she did have an open invitation to my house. I obviously much preferred to actually see her in person, but nevertheless was still thankful for our continued friendship.
  
  Traitorously, Karen told me that she wanted to meet Whitney and "show my sister the ways of Dark type Pokémon" and try to convert my sister away from being another Normal type specialist like me. I scoffed and replied that I was confident that Whitney was strong enough to resist the temptation of the dark side.
  
  However, just as I was reminiscing about that, I received a sudden text from Karen stating that Agatha was inviting me to speak with her in Lavender Town. I frowned, but nonetheless accepted the invitation with much curiosity swirling about in my mind.
  
  Why was Agatha inviting me there?
  
  I hated Lavender Town. It had nothing to do with the people, but there was this presence to Lavender Town that just gives me the creeps.
  
  I figured that it was because of all the Ghost type Pokémon living here, but it was very unsettling regardless. I also hated their speciality food, something they called 'Creepypasta', some kind of black garlic pasta with a ketchup and pumpkin sauce that tasted awful. I really didn't want to be here, but I wasn't going to turn down a rare invitation from Agatha for such a stupid reason.
  
  I suspected that Agatha wanted to speak to me about Karen about her opportunities to join the Elite Four, but I couldn't be certain. So, it was with curious interest that I stepped into the large, yet surprisingly undescriptive, mansion where Agatha was staying at.
  
  "Ah, you took your time getting here, didn't you boy?" Agatha's gravelly voice sounded through the entrance. "I would have thought that you would have tripped over yourself trying to see my apprentice again."
  
  I ignored her barbs as I looked around her mansion. Despite the size, it was sparse of décor. There were no gaudy displays of wealth. Just an empty, and old, mansion that seemed to be slowly falling apart. If I had paid closer attention, I would have noticed that some of the furniture moved on its own, but I missed this as I made my way to where they were.
  
  I found Agatha seated next to Karen on a pillow while sipping tea from a coffee table. This very mundane sight was ruined by the fact that there was literally nothing else in the room besides the two of them, three pillows, and the table, which actually made the sight rather spooky. Still, I didn't let that deter me.
  
  "Thank you for your invitation, Elite Agatha." I greeted, ignoring her earlier comments. "I hope you're well-"
  
  "Yes, yes, I'm well enough that I'm not just about to fall over and die if that's what you're hoping for." She interrupted me while waving her hands dismissively. "Now enough with the pleasantries. Sit down and let's talk. I don't have much time left in this world and I don't intend to waste any of it." She gestured to a spare pillow next to the table.
  
  Despite her macabre bluntness, I was getting used to her mocking mannerisms, and found that they lacked any cutting power. Agatha wasn't trying to insult me; this was just who she was. Sort of like how Drake swore like a sailor; often times he didn't mean any offense. So, I just seated myself in the pillow silently, waiting for her to tell me what she wanted to say.
  
  "Now, as you probably guessed, we're going to be talking about Karen here." Karen winked at me when I turned to her, but otherwise kept her hands on her legs and didn't say anything else as Agatha continued. "Since Pryce still has his head up his rear, he'll be losing to Lance, and Walker's going to be kicked out soon enough after that. Therefore, we're going to have two openings in the Elite Four since I don't plan to fall down a flight of stairs just yet and you're obviously not going to be leaving. So, I want to discuss about how Karen will make it into the Elite Four."
  
  I nodded at her explanation; it was what I expected honestly. Lance's move to Champion meant that there will be two spots available in the Elite Four since Walker was inevitably going to be moved out of the way either by Lance or by a challenge from someone else. What Giovanni had previously explained to me when I asked was that the only reason Walker remained in the Elite Four as long as he did was that Pryce wanted a yes-man in the Elite Four and buried all potential challengers using a mixture of bribes and threats before they had an opportunity to challenge Walker.
  
  This was all kept very hush-hush to the point where I doubt Lance knew about it, but I suppose Giovanni had alternate information sources to rely on. I wasn't even sure if Walker knew about how Pryce was keeping him in the Elite Four!
  
  "But that's actually not as easy as it sounds." Agatha continued. "Unfortunately, many other ambitious challengers will inevitably decide to stick their noses in and try to compete for the positions as well. As you know, anyone who wins the Indigo Conference may challenge the Elite Four or Champion within three years of their victory, meaning that we'll probably have at least two challengers for Walker's spot since you're already in the Elite Four. Karen hasn't won the Indigo Conference yet, meaning that we'll have to wait until the next circuit for her to have the opportunity to join."
  
  "What about the committee-" I tried to ask before Agatha cut me off again.
  
  "I will not suffer the embarrassment of relying on the committee vote for Karen's entry into the Elite Four, nor would it be a reliable method for Karen to be selected." Agatha told me, "It is very likely that the committee will choose a Johtonian to join the Elite Four, since with Lance's upward promotion to Champion, the committee members will quickly realize that you and I will be the only members of the Elite Four left after Walker gets the boot. And we are both from Kanto. Thus, those busybodies will scramble to find a Johtonian to fill in the ranks."
  
  I nodded. That was a very reasonable prediction. "Do you have any idea of who they'll choose from Johto, then?" I asked.
  
  "Do I look like I can just Will the answer into existence like a Psychic?" Agatha replied sarcastically. "No, I do not. Knowing how incompetent the League always is, I doubt they'll know about it either until the day that the committee is held." She paused and took a sip of her tea. "Moving back to Karen. It is unfortunate that Karen has not yet won the Indigo Conference before Lance challenged Pryce, as this would have been a perfect opportunity for her. However, I didn't expect Lance to make a move so quickly, so now we have to work with what we've got."
  
  "Well, it's not like the situation is that bad." I remarked thoughtfully. "Karen's still going to have a good opportunity to join this League season as well."
  
  "True, and that is why I've invited you here today, John." Agatha explained. "Whatever happens, Karen MUST win next year's conference. No exceptions. I am already delaying my retirement until she can replace me, but eventually the public will catch on to my frailty and weakness and vote me out. If that happens, then the committee will have a free hand at picking my successor, and I refuse to leave the Elite Four to someone not directly picked by me."
  
  I was shocked by the admission. I didn't think that someone as strong in spirit as Agatha was going to be voted out. She must have seen the shock on my face as she began to explain.
  
  "Yes, I can see your surprise. But, the Indigo League and the Champion, whoever they may be, won't like an Elite Four member that is unable to act on their orders or help out in times of crisis." Agatha informed me. "I may have a strong team, but my ability to direct them wanes with each day that passes. Truthfully, I do not think I will be in the Elite Four for much longer." She admitted bitterly, and I could see that Karen was giving looks of sympathy to Agatha. I guess Karen did care for her, despite not always getting along together.
  
  "Therefore, John, I want you to do everything that you can to ensure that Karen wins the next conference. Of course, I will also be helping out where I can. However, I am not blind to your miraculous ability to find discoveries and hidden Pokémon evolutions that others missed. I want you to use that brain of yours to train Karen to be the strongest she can be. And in return, during my remaining time in the Elite Four, or until Karen makes it into the Elite Four, I will back you in everything that you need. Karen has also agreed, written if you'd like, to not challenge you for your position in the Elite Four as well." She proposed to me.
  
  "Not that I would fight you anyways, that would be stupid." Karen added.
  
  "Yes, yes, I didn't raise an idiot. You don't need to let him know." Agatha fake-grumbled, "Now stop distracting your friend and let him think."
  
  I was surprised at her proposal but didn't allow it to show on my face. Still, I wondered why Agatha was even offering me such a proposal; she must have known that Karen and I were close and that I had helped her train in the past. My parents had taught me to always question deals that were too good to be true, and I spent some time thinking about whether this was one of them.
  
  "Do you intend for Karen to beat you in a challenge?" I asked, but Agatha shook her head.
  
  "No, that would be unnecessary. So long as she makes it into the Elite Four through a successful challenge before I retire, then I will be satisfied. The public will know that the torch has been passed and my legacy will be safe." She replied.
  
  "Aww, do you not have faith in me to defeat you?" Karen teased, only to get shushed by Agatha, causing her to laugh. I ignored their byplay and continued to think.
  
  After some time to think, I ultimately decided to accept Agatha's deal anyways. I didn't think that my friendship with Karen would be cut anytime soon, and I did want to help her train and get stronger even before Agatha's proposal. Ultimately, she was still my friend. All this proposal did was solidify my decision to help Karen.
  
  I also appreciated the line about Karen not challenging me for my title in the Elite Four, since it reduced any conflict of interests. Obviously, such an agreement would never hold up to any scrutiny, but I was close enough with Karen to know that she was not someone to go against an agreement like this even if Agatha ordered her to. Thus, I was relatively assured of the fact that training Karen wouldn't bite me in the ass down the line.
  
  I was less certain about how much Agatha's political sway was going to help me in the Elite Four, since by her own admission she was on the way out and was unlikely going to be of much help otherwise. Additionally, Agatha already had a reputation of being an ornery and aggravating person to work with in the League, so I doubted she had many friends there.
  
  Still, it was better than nothing, and she was still considered a wise and experienced member of the Elite Four with a lot of influence over Lavender Town. Plus, it wasn't like I was about to stop training with Karen. So, there was only one real thing I could say to her proposal.
  
  "I agree."
  
  A.N. AND this is the Champion Arc! Unlike the last arc, which was almost purely politics, this is probably going to a mix of politics and battles as you can imagine.
  
  I've read your comments about toning down on the Interludes and will adjust future chapters in this arc to hopefully cut down on them. As always, thank you for sticking with me thus far, and I thank you for reading.
  
  As a reminder, this chapter was swapped with the 4-1 Interlude, which will be on Friday. No other chapters will be affected.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute. Huge thanks, man!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-1 - Pryce & Lance
  The New Normal - 4-1 - Interlude - Pryce & Lance
  
  Pryce sat alone in his office, staring blankly as the news droned on about Lance's upcoming challenge against him, of all things. He didn't understand where Lance had received all of his ill-found confidence to dare to challenge him for the position of Champion, the position that has, and will always, belong to HIM.
  
  What did this Dragon trainer think he was anyways? To go against a master of Ice? Pryce didn't understand why his supporters all looked so nervous when they warned him about Lance and his prowess, do they truly think that Lance had a chance of winning?
  
  He sighed at the incompetence of his fellows; as always, it was so hard to find good help before they betray you. Unconsciously, an image of John floated to the top of his mind, causing Pryce to snarl.
  
  HE was the one who elevated John into the Elite Four, as he was able to spot out the talent that was John and how best to cultivate it. HE was the one who magnanimously allowed John to train up and develop his reputation in Hoenn. HE was the one who welcomed John back into Indigo with warm and welcoming hands, and this is how John repays his favour?!
  
  Both him and Lance were wilful traitors to Indigo, allowing themselves to be emboldened and corrupted by their unending and insatiable greed and ambition. Never once pausing to look at the damage and harm that they would cause in their pursuit of more power.
  
  If John had accepted his hand of friendship, Pryce could hardly imagine what greatness that he would be able to achieve together with John. But no, John, like all ambitious men, sought to bite the hand that fed him in order to gain more power. In order to enrich themselves on the suffering of others.
  
  Pryce would see them both ended. If they dared to step out of line to take what was rightfully his, then he would forcefully show them the errors of their ways and crush them so thoroughly that they could never dare rise up against him ever again.
  
  The Blackthorns especially must be punished. They were too powerful, too grasping, and must be put in check. Pryce tolerated them over the years, but now that they have chosen to show their traitorous hands, he vowed to deal with them soon enough.
  
  Blackthorn City needed to be renamed anyways.
  
  Before he could properly decide on how best to punish the Blackthorns for their overreach, he felt one of his Pokéballs shaking on his belt. He sighed and released the offending Glalie.
  
  "What is it?" He asked his Glalie sharply.
  
  "Glalie...Glalie..." His Glalie replied hesitatingly, and Pryce frowned. Even his Pokémon felt like he had to train up against a pretender like Lance?
  
  "Do you not have faith in your trainer?" He glared at his Glalie, who seemed to falter slightly at his glare, but maintained his insistence.
  
  "Glalie. Glalie!" His Glalie said more forcefully, eliciting a sigh from Pryce.
  
  "Fine. I suppose there's no harm." He replied reluctantly, before he pulled himself out of his seat and, accompanied by his Glalie, made his way to the underground training grounds of the League.
  
  As soon as he arrived, he released the rest of his team onto the field.
  
  "Right then, let's get this over with."
  
  "Are you sure you're ready, cousin?" Clair's voice broke through Lance's thoughts as he continued studying and making notes of Pryce's previous battles.
  
  "You know that I have been preparing for this moment for a long time." Lance simply replied, still continuing to finish writing his notes. "And I have studied Pryce's tactics extensively. I have pride in my Pokémon to deliver me the victory."
  
  He finished writing the last sentence and looked up to Clair, "Besides, Pryce is far past his prime. He is no longer the prodigy he used to be. He has hardly had to fight a real challenge ever since he became Champion, and that was a long time ago."
  
  "Neither have you." Clair pointed out, and Lance conceded the point.
  
  "Neither have I, but we both know that I have been training more than Pryce. Do you think that grump even visits the training fields while he's not busy doing nothing?" Lance scoffed, sarcasm leaking from his tone. "You know that I've spent every moment since the elders decided on this course of action preparing for the battle, so relax, Clair, I'll be fine. Besides, my pride won't allow me to fail."
  
  Clair gave him a scrutinizing look before she sighed, "...If you're sure. But at least you won't be lacking on popular support."
  
  Lance frowned, "That's true, though I hate that lives were nearly lost before the public were finally able to see the true extent of Pryce's incompetence and misrule. I certainly would have never allowed such an incident to occur."
  
  "Yes, thank Arceus that John got there in time." Clair agreed before she tilted her head curiously, "...Don't you think that we've seen John a little too much on the news recently?"
  
  "Frankly, I'm not surprised." Lance remarked, "Don't you remember what he was like during our meeting? He was practically frothing at the bit to defeat Team Rocket. And all his recent actions only backed up what he told us in that meeting."
  
  "True. He has really lived up to his words." Clair nodded, then suddenly adopted a look of concern. "Aren't you worried that he might challenge you for the title of Champion?"
  
  Lance paused. It was not something that he had previously considered happening, but with John's recent success...
  
  "...Well, I cannot deny that John's popularity is likely going to be very high for a while. Undoubtedly, his heroic actions were truly able to mitigate much of the disaster at Olivine. He doesn't strike me as particularly ambitious for the role of Champion though..." Lance thought aloud.
  
  "At least he still lacks much of our political connections." Clair said, but they both knew that was cold comfort. Any competent Elite Four member would be able to garner political connections given sufficient time. And John was no mere competent one, he was proving to be exceptional!
  
  "...I guess we have to keep an eye on him then." Lance said, "Though I truly don't think he's looking to become Champion any time soon. He lacks my charisma."
  
  "For now." Clair pointed out, and Lance nodded.
  
  "For now. But we'll deal with that when it happens." Lance stated, "Admittedly, I respect John. And he managed to pull himself to the top of the region from less than nothing and reverse his fortunes. I admire it. And he may be the closest member of the Elite Four to match my strength." Though John would not win against him; his Dragons were a very different foe from Drake's despite their type similarities.
  
  "Maybe you can make friends with him then?" Clair suggested, "He's not a bad friend to have politically. Plus, you can possibly persuade him to not challenge you for the role of Champion. Also, I'm fairly sure that he is friendly with you."
  
  "...Perhaps." Lance allowed, "But now is not the time to think of such things. John is not some power-hungry monster, so let's not treat him as one." Clair nodded, "Now, would you like to accompany me to the training yard? I have something to test out."
  
  Clair agreed and the two of them proceeded to the Blackthorn training field. And as soon as Lance arrived, he released his Pokémon.
  
  A Gyarados, Charizard, Salamence, and three Dragonites, one which was significantly bigger than the others, were released on to the field. He had other Pokémon too, but this was the team he was going to bring. A team that encompassed his power as a trainer. Lance smiled as he allowed himself to bask momentarily in the sheer strength of his team, before finally addressing them.
  
  "Come, let us practice!" He announced to his Pokémon, and the ground shook as his Pokémon roared out in agreement.
  
  A.N. I wanted to show off the differences between Pryce and Lance. One deluded and blinded by his pride, the other allows his pride to better himself and to train harder.
  
  For the sake of clarity, Pryce never lost his starter Piloswine and became bitter as a result. I felt that, if something like that happened, he would never have been chosen to become Champion. Instead, his source of corruption comes from staying in power for too long.
  
  Once again, next week's chapter will return to the regular schedule.
  
  Thanks Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  The New Normal - 4-2 - Progress
  
  I flew home after that conversation with Agatha. I did ask Karen if she wanted to accompany me so that we could get started on training immediately, but Karen had something to discuss with Agatha and wasn't available. I accepted that and made my way out by myself.
  
  It was already past nightfall as I got home shortly later, and I found Euphie, Pixel, and Whismur all playing together. I had left my newer Pokémon behind so that they could play around with Whismur, and I was very happy to see all three of them getting along. The three of them might not be in the same team but learning to make friends and interact with other Pokémon is never going to be a bad thing.
  
  I watched as the three of them continue their playfighting, and I was proud to see that Pixel was dominating their fights. Sure, it was a very low-level fight, but Pixel had gotten very good at using Thundershock and was able to use the occasional Thunderbolt. That gave it a huge advantage over its more melee focused companions.
  
  Euphie on the other hand seemed to be prioritising her physical attacks as newer Pokémon were often to do, which wasn't ideal for a future Sylveon, but I was okay with allowing her to train this way for the time being. Besides, I realized that she seemed more content to just goof and play around, so I suppose I shouldn't get too greedy and just be satisfied that she was improving at all.
  
  Eventually, I would have to knuckle down and actually train Euphie in preparation for her evolution into a Sylveon, even if she didn't take to training all that easily, like Smough did originally. I would just have to be patient when training her. And besides, it was still early days yet, and she had plenty of time to get stronger.
  
  For the time being, I remained content to let her spend some time playing around and integrating herself into my team. But as I watched Euphie snuggle tightly into Klee's arms after her 'defeat', tailed wrapped around her neck while being patted on the head, I felt comfortable that I didn't need to interfere there.
  
  Speaking of children, I needed to make my way back to my room to check on the egg. I've been checking up on the egg very frequently recently as I was certain now that the egg was close to hatching and that it was going to successfully hatch into a D-Zigzagoon. I couldn't wait! With all the research reports and notes already completed, all that was left to do was to see the final results of our experiment.
  
  Of course, before I got into the house I was waylaid by Zephyr, who flew around me while chirping to catch my attention.
  
  "What's up, Zephyr?" I asked him. "Did you want to show me something?"
  
  "Pidgeot! Pid..." Zephyr nodded eagerly and then took off to the skies. I watched as he swooped around in the air before he fell into a blistering fast nosedive that looked like he showed no regard to the fact that he was about to crash straight into the ground. Of course, Zephyr then managed to pull up just before he hit the ground.
  
  He went and did this over and over again for several minutes, sometimes he would be surrounded by a tell-tale silvery glow of his Brave Bird before he surged forwards in the sky, smashing almost recklessly through branches and fallen logs. It was not just a matter of strength, but I marvelled at the way that Zephyr intentionally angled itself when colliding into object to give it as much striking power as possible. It was a combination of these very minor, yet overall important details that demonstrated his near-perfect mastery to maximize the impact of his recoil attacks using Brave Bird.
  
  It took me a while to figure out what he was trying to demonstrate to me, but I finally got it.
  
  "Zephyr!" I called out to him. "Did you manage to train your new ability like I told you to?!" Zephyr squawked affirmatively in the sky before he finally settled down again next to me, preening with pride and happiness.
  
  I smiled at his preening and rubbed and scratched his chin. "Well done! I can't believe you mastered the Reckless ability so quickly! That's incredible, Zephyr!" I gushed excitedly, and Zephyr responded with a happy chirp of his own.
  
  As I mentioned before, mastering a new 'ability' was really just your Pokémon pushing themselves to the very limit of their training in one area or another so that it can mimic the effects of an ability. By being able to drive himself into the opponent so deeply, Zephyr was able to re-create the power boost to recoil attacks from Reckless. In a way, because Brave Bird was the only recoil move that Zephyr knew, mastering Reckless could also be seen as just mastering Brave Bird to its extreme.
  
  I supposed part of the reason why he was able to master Reckless so quickly was that he was both a well-trained Pidgeot that was already extremely proficient at using Brave Bird, on top of his sheer determination to grow stronger and catch up with the stronger members of my team. Thus, it was mostly a natural progression for Zephyr to have mastered Brave Bird to such an extent that it was as if Zephyr had the Reckless ability in the first place.
  
  I knew that Tyrant was having far more trouble with trying to re-create the effects of Guts.
  
  Still, he really deserved all of the praise considering just how quick he was able to learn the ability. He was one of my most enthusiastic Pokémon when it came to training.
  
  But first, I wanted to double check to see just how much of a difference there was.
  
  "Zephyr, Vordt, get over here!" A distant grunt sounded out as Vordt slowly lumbered his way here from where he was busy destroying the ground as he practiced his new combination move. Vordt was making good progress with Seismic Eruption, but the follow-up eruption of rocks was a bit too delayed for my liking, so I had him continue practicing.
  
  As my two Pokémon arrived, I pointed to Zephyr. "Zephyr, I want you to hit as hard as you can with Brave Bird on Vordt. I want to see just how much power you can put into it. You both okay with that?"
  
  My Pokémon squawked and grunted respectively, before Zephyr took off into the sky while Vordt began to brace himself and dug his claws into the ground. I watched as Zephyr somersaulted in the air, before he began his meteoric decent into Vordt, glowing silver all the while.
  
  Then, the two collided as Zephyr struck the center of Vordt's chest. Vordt let out a growl of pain as he was physically pushed back by the supposedly much weaker and lighter bird, highlighting the sheer power of Zephyr's Brave Bird.
  
  Zephyr in the meanwhile looked almost like he had taken a hit from Vordt from the recoil damage alone. One of its eyes was bruised, and its wings were flapping unevenly.
  
  Despite this, I was more than satisfied with that performance. For Zephyr to be able to deal some serious damage to Vordt with his Brave Bird was a testament to the dedication that he put into his training, being able to immerse itself in a state of deep focus to remove all hesitation from within himself when attacking with Brave Bird so that it carried just a bit more power.
  
  As I mentioned before, Zephyr's issue that caused it to be the weakest member of my team was that Pidgeots were just not known as powerhouses at the Elite level, since they were comparatively weaker than the other Pokémon you'd see at this level. However, now that Zephyr had learned Reckless, I hoped that it could improve on his niche as a pseudo-duellist against other Flying type Pokémon like him.
  
  "Come down, Zephyr! You did great!" I proudly exclaimed, receiving a proud squawk in return before Zephyr landed next to me.
  
  I patted him on the head. "Well, it seems like you had a much easier time learning a new ability than Tyrant, Zephyr." I joked, while gesturing to Tyrant in the distance, who had set himself on fire once again trying to practice resisting the effects of Burn. "He's having a little trouble getting fired up." Zephyr squawked indignantly at my terrible pun, and I let out a chuckle.
  
  I continued scratching at Zephyr for a while before a grunt from Vordt reminded me of his presence, and I sheepishly sent both him and Zephyr to Klee to be healed up.
  
  Despite his injuries, Zephyr gave another excited chirp before he took off into the air, eagerly showing off to the world. I chuckled to myself as I saw it before I made my way back to my room, though I made a mental note to give Zephyr a new training target soon enough. This time, I felt that he had mastered Brave Bird enough that it was probably unnecessary to train it further for the time being.
  
  Instead, I wanted to bolster my team's effectiveness against Ghost types. Thus, I made a mental note to begin training soon with Zephyr about training him to learn Foresight. It was normally an egg move, but with enough instruction from myself, Zephyr should be able to learn it anyways. I figured that, since Zephyr was effectively the only member on my team who could directly match the commonly speedy Ghost types, he could help me fulfil another needed niche on my team.
  
  Sure, Smough already knew Odor Sleuth from when he was a Munchlax, but more counters against Ghost types were never a bad thing.
  
  As soon as I went into my room, I quickly checked on the egg. I could see that it was wobbling slightly in its incubator, a sure-fire indicator that it was getting very close to hatching. That made me excited once again, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to remain patient.
  
  Still, I somehow dragged myself to bed and, despite my impatience and excitement, forced myself asleep.
  
  "Thank you for coming in once again, John." Shelly told me with a smile. It was the next day, and Shelly had called for me in the afternoon to come visit her branch once again. She also told me to bring along Pixel, which probably meant that she had some news regarding Porygon.
  
  "No worries, Shelly, I'm happy to be here." I answered pleasantly, "So, what's going on?"
  
  "Well, apparently your scientists from Giovanni had done a lot of previous research on Porygon, which I guess isn't that surprising considering they were the ones to create Porygon in the first place." She explained. "However, my colleagues at Petalburg were able to make a lucky breakthrough of sorts regarding a possible Porygon evolution."
  
  "Oh? That's very interesting. Could you elaborate?" I asked curiously.
  
  Shelly nodded. "So, remember how I told you that Porygon was probably going to need a particular item to evolve?" I nodded. "Well, our researchers there have confirmed it that Porygon is able to evolve with an item. But not only that, according to what they told me, they've managed to narrow down the factors needed to evolve a Porygon." She explained to me.
  
  She then went on to describe with her scientific terminology how the scientists were able to compile the data that they collected from Pixel and combine it with data that they've gathered from other Porygon to determine what kind of item is needed to trigger an evolution. They said something about specific data packs and digitalized genomes, but I didn't understand any of it. I just knew that they were doing something exciting, and that Pixel might be able to evolve into a Porygon2 soon enough.
  
  "I apologize if I'm oversimplifying what you're trying to tell me, but from what I understand, you and your colleagues are getting very close to creating an item that can be used to evolve my Pixel into its later evolution." I interrupted her after a while.
  
  "Ah, yes, that does cut through to the heart of the matter." She chuckled embarrassedly as she realized that she had lost me with her explanation. "But you're correct. We are getting close and hence why I have invited you here today. I assume you've been training your Pixel here even more since we last met." I nodded affirmatively. "Well, we just want to collect more data on it to see if that can help with finalizing our creation of the evolution item."
  
  "Oh sure, no problem, right Pixel?" I turned to Pixel and saw it buzz happily. "Yeah, we're both fine with this. Lead the way."
  
  She led me down to the room where she had previously run some tests on Pixel. As I watched Shelly carefully strap Pixel into the machine, I suddenly remembered the disaster that was Porygon-Z and needed to make sure that they weren't accidentally going to drive Pixel insane.
  
  "Ah, I do have a question regarding the evolution of Porygon." She turned to me curiously. "Remember when I mentioned last time that I wanted to ensure that the evolution of Porygon was going to be safe? Have you followed up on that?"
  
  "Well, I did make a note of it. But I'm not sure there's anything to worry about?" She gave me a questioning look. "All evolutions are safe. It's been repeatedly documented that Pokémon only evolve if it's safe for them to evolve into their new forms. There has never been an incident where a Pokémon accidentally mutilates themselves by evolving."
  
  I shook my head. "That's not what I mean. I understand that that may be the case for MOST Pokémon, but you understand that Porygon aren't biological Pokémon like the rest of them are. It's literally created out of data." She still looked confused, so I tried to clarify myself. "You told me that your colleagues intended to evolve Porygon using an item that would essentially feed specific data into it to artificially trigger the evolution. And since Porygon are literally created from data, what's to say that you don't accidentally harm the Porygon or drive it insane if you created an unstable evolution by feeding it the wrong sort of data." I explained to her, hoping to justify and prevent the tragedy that was Porygon-Z.
  
  Shelly's eyes widened as she adopted a look of understanding. "Oh! Yes! That's a great point to make. Wow, I would have never thought of that." She took out her notepad and scribbled something down. "I need to tell my colleagues about this. We never once considered that we might accidentally create an evolution that may be harmful to the Pokémon themselves. We always assumed that, so long as we could actually trigger an evolution, that the resulting Pokémon would be fine afterwards. But yes, considering Porygon is made out of data, we may have additional considerations to think of. Thank you for this." She rambled excitedly.
  
  I just nodded easily and said that I was just looking out for my own Porygon. I really didn't want to give Pixel an Up-Grade or a Dubious Disk that may cause Pixel to become insane afterwards. Even if Porygon-Z was a powerful Pokémon, I would rather have a sane, but weaker, Porygon2 instead.
  
  After Shelly had written down my concerns, she went back to her tests with Pixel. I waited patiently once again for her to finish, and about half an hour later she was done and returned Pixel to me. As we made our way back to her office for her to type everything up, Shelly made some comments and praised me for how much stronger Pixel was compared to the last time we were here, and I just told her that Pixel was just a hard worker and deserved all the credit. Pixel buzzed and whirled happily at our words.
  
  "Oh, speaking of which..." Shelly suddenly turned to me away from her computer. "I wanted to ask if you would like to be the honoured as the first person to own an evolved Porygon. If so, we would simply create the item first, but allow your Porygon to be the first one we tested it on."
  
  "Uh, thank you for that offer, but I definitely don't need to be honoured that way." I said immediately. "Firstly, I didn't really do anything to deserve that honour, and I feel like your research team should get the credit and honour for the discovery and the evolution. Also, and please don't take this the wrong way, I would much rather make sure that the evolution goes well before subjecting my own Porygon to it. I don't want to accidentally drive Pixel to insanity." I half-joked.
  
  Luckily, Shelly took no offense to my words and just chuckled. "I understand. I'll let my other colleagues know that. Of course, I'll leave that last part out." We shared a small laugh together.
  
  We then chatted a bit about the timeline about getting Pixel evolved, and she said that you never knew for sure with this kind of thing but to expect it hopefully within the next month or so. She told me she would call me as soon as they had done a few successful tests with their item, and I thanked her for that.
  
  "Oh, and just one more thing." Shelly called out to me. "Mr. Stone wanted to give this to you." She rummaged briefly through her cupboard before she fished out a pouch. Inside that pouch was a couple of TMs. One was pink, another purple, and the last one was green. My eyes gleamed with interest as I saw them.
  
  "As you probably recognized by now, these are the TMs for Psychic, Shadow Ball, and Solar Beam respectively. Apparently, he had read from the reports that you were helping out greatly with their research project back in Hoenn, so he wanted to gift these to you as thanks." She explained as she handed the TMs to me.
  
  "Oh...wow!" I was pleasantly taken aback as I carefully received the TMs. "I'm not sure I did anything worthy enough to deserve this gift, but please pass on my thanks to Mr. Stone for me. I'll be sure to put them to good use."
  
  "You're welcome. And of course, I will pass on your thanks to Mr. Stone. We would prefer it if you could use those TMs to continue training up your Pixel. We picked them specifically for your Porygon, you see, because we thought that the stronger that Pixel gets, the better data we can get out of it to improve our abilities at researching its evolutions as well as potentially demonstrating how we can more efficiently mass produce Porygon." She explained to me.
  
  I nodded to signify that I understood, and I pocketed the TMs safely back into the pouch. As I was doing so, Pixel recognized the TMs and buzzed happily.
  
  "Pory! Pory! Pory!" Pixel whirled, and I gave a genuine bark of laughter at his excitement. My eager Porygon wanted to learn all three of the TMs as soon as possible and get to training right away! I made sure the TMs were safely stored away before I crouched down and spoke to Pixel.
  
  "You can't learn all three of them at once, you silly little thing." I said, and Pixel buzzed in annoyance. "Calm down, Pixel. I know and am happy that you're so eager to learn, but sometimes you have to take things one at a time. You'll get overwhelmed if you try to learn all three of these TMs at once."
  
  Pixel didn't seem satisfied and continued buzzing about, so I decided to put my foot down. "Pixel. Enough of that." I said sternly, which seems to have at least caught its attention. Seeing that it was now in a listening mood, I relaxed my tone of voice, "You need to learn to be patient. I will always work hard to make sure you're going to be as strong as you can, and I'm as excited as you are about learning these new TMs, but you won't be able to learn all of them at once."
  
  Pixel whirred sadly at that, but I wasn't finished yet. "Don't worry, Pixel, we can learn them one at a time. It won't take too long, and I assure you if we do it this way, you'll end up stronger than if you had just rushed through the training. Can you please trust me? I've done something like this many times before."
  
  Pixel looked up and stared at me, probably trying to see if I was telling it the truth. I met its gaze. After a while it looked away, buzzing happily, and hopping up and down. I smiled at its' antics.
  
  "No wonder you made it into the Elite Four at such a young age." Shelly spoke up, reminding me that she was still there. I scratched my head embarrassedly.
  
  "Heh, well, I have had a lot of practice with training my other Pokémon." I told her, "I never really liked using TMs that much unless I had to. Both because they were, at the beginning, prohibitively expensive for me to use, and also because I found that relying too heavily on TMs to train your Pokémon in certain attacks often makes their attacks very stiff and inflexible. I prefer using the TMs as a template to get started, then building on it naturally until my Pokémon can develop their own method of using that attack."
  
  "That's an interesting way of thinking about it." Shelly replied. "I never really was that great of a trainer, as you can see by the fact that I became a scientist." I nodded as she chuckled, "So I never really thought about the consequences of being too dependent on TMs. Now that I think of it, my colleagues and I often use TMs for testing purposes, so we may have accidentally made our testing Pokémon a bit too dependent on TMs...and I don't even think my colleagues have thought of it like that." She admitted ruefully.
  
  "Well, it's something to consider." I remarked, before Pixel started buzzing about impatiently once again as it saw that we weren't leaving. I shook my head bemusedly.
  
  "Ok, sorry about this, but dear old Pixel over here is being very impatient. If I don't head back now, I'm not sure if it'll try running off on its own." I joked and Pixel narrowed its eyes indignantly at my comment. Shelly laughed at that and told me that it was fine. She thanked me for my help once again and let me be on my way.
  
  Before I was about to leave though, she did ask about if I had any possible names for the Porygon evolution. I instinctively just said "Porygon2", and she criticised me for my terrible naming sense. I shrugged; I was getting blamed for using the official name!
  
  Shaking my head at that, I just left the building and was about to fly back home. Just as I was about to fly off though, I received a call from Giovanni.
  
  "Hello, John speaking."
  
  "John, it's Giovanni." He greeted. "I have a small proposal for you."
  
  "Oh? What is it?" I asked curiously.
  
  "You know how the next circuit is about to begin, right?" I answered affirmatively. "Well, you have sold me on the idea of playing nice with the public. So, I had an idea. Why don't we host a charity show match to help donate to those who were injured at Olivine City?"
  
  A.N And Zephyr 'develops' Reckless as a new ability! As I mentioned before, some abilities will be easier to 'develop' than others. So, don't expect new abilities to come too often or too easily. This was really just me opening the door to future possibilities, and to test the waters. Mastering 'reckless' as quick as he did was only possible because Zephyr was extremely proficient at using Brave Bird user anyways, so this was just the result of his training.
  
  Also, the next non-Interlude (4-3) chapter will come on Thursday instead of Friday. Sorry about that!
  
  After going through the comments on all 3 sites, I decided that many enjoyed the Wednesday Interludes enough for me to continue them (and I personally like writing them because they let me try out new POVs). Just a reminder, the Wednesday Interludes ARE BONUSES that I write if I have the time, so even if you don't want them, I can't just replace them with a full chapter due to time constraints.
  
  Yet, I want to write things that readers enjoy, but it's hard to strike a balance when people want different things. Regardless, thank you for being polite with your criticism and I thank you for your continued support. I will strive to see if I can find a better solution for presenting the Interludes.
  
  However, I will try to cut down on full length Interlude chapters as much as I can, especially back-to-back ones.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal- 4-2 -Interlude-Mrs Smith
  The New Normal - 4-2 - Interlude - Mrs Smith
  
  With John out again dealing with who knows what, and Whitney in the fields preparing for her journey, Angela was alone in the living room with her husband, Jack, discussing business.
  
  They had scoured through the numbers, and they were both very pleased with what they saw. The posters, for how little they cost, were a huge success and greatly boosted the sales of their Moomoo milk.
  
  Who knew that her son and his Pokémon would be so popular and in such high demand that many people would want to collect posters of them? But she understood, her son looked very handsome in them. She was proud of him for being a role model for others to look up to.
  
  "We're making a very healthy profit." Her husband spoke up, making her refocus on the documents in front of her. "I think it's best if we were to reinvest some of this and expand our business even further."
  
  "I agree completely, and I've already thought about how to reinvest this." She said, and Jack gave her a questioning look.
  
  "I think that now that we have an exclusive deal with the Blackthorns, we really need to increase our supply of Moomoo milk." She started, and she continued after Jack nodded in agreement, "But we can't just keep buying more Miltank and leaving them here in the family home; we're almost at capacity."
  
  Her husband nodded again, so she kept going.
  
  "Therefore, I propose that we should start a new branch of the business in Johto. We certainly have the popularity and brand recognition to do well there. Plus, it'll make it easier to continue supplying our Moomoo milk to Blackthorn since we'd be much closer. Also, if we ever expand to Hoenn like John previously mentioned, then a branch in Johto would also make it easier to supply stuff there as well through Olivine."
  
  Her husband thought about it for a moment while he flipped through a few documents before saying, "That makes sense...but wouldn't we have to compete with the Moomoo farm near Olivine?"
  
  "We're already competing with them NOW." She stated, "Setting up a new branch in Johto isn't really going to change all that much. Our distributors already work in Kanto and Johto, we're just making it easier for our product to reach them and expanding our supply."
  
  "Besides, I think you're really underestimating our son's popularity at this point. After what our son did in Olivine, and the posters that we have, I'm sure his fans would flock to buy our family's Moomoo milk over the others." She said confidently.
  
  "...It's weird to think of our son as a celebrity, but he truly is one, isn't he?" Her husband asked rhetorically, but she could tell that he shared her pride in him. "But you're right. I don't foresee any huge risks with setting up a new branch in Johto, so I think we should go for it. Do you have any ideas on location?"
  
  She checked through her notes until she found the one she wanted and showed it to Jack. "Here, it's a nice place to the side of Route 34, near Goldenrod. It's nice and out of the way, with plenty of space for rearing Miltank. And it's quite cheap too."
  
  Her husband inspected her notes for a moment, "Huh...that's interesting. I like the price, but is it exposed to wild Pokémon?"
  
  She frowned for a moment as she tried to remember what she had researched, "...I don't think so, but there's no harm in checking it out and making inquiries before we buy it. I'm fairly certain that the wild Pokémon in the area are likely to be fairly weak and docile, so there shouldn't be much to worry about."
  
  "Fair enough." Jack stated with a shrug, "You know that we're going to need to hire assistants at this point to help out with all the extra Miltank that we're going to be buying. There's no way we can just handle it ourselves like we had done. We're going to also need a manager to handle the new farm." He pointed out.
  
  Angela sighed, "Yes, I agree. And it's going to be a hassle trying to find and hire suitable candidates for the farm. We could get my brother Milton to help manage it perhaps?"
  
  Her husband took one of her hands in his, "Let's not worry about that for the moment." He reassured her, "First, we should go to the location first and scout it out and see if it's suitable and affordable. If so, THEN we can worry about hiring people to help manage it. I'm sure they can't be that hard to find."
  
  "In fact, we could probably hire some farmhands to work here as well and have the both of us move entirely to administration and managerial positions." He suggested thoughtfully. "It'll be a much better use of our time anyways...and to be honest is something we should have done quite a while ago."
  
  She thought about it for a moment before nodding, "Fine. It does make sense. But would the extra farmhands live here?"
  
  "No." Her husband instantly denied, "They'll just come work in shifts and then head home. We can pay for their travel expenses, if necessary, but they won't be living here. Not when our son is an Elite Four member. That just sends a bad image."
  
  Oh, she hadn't even considered that, but she let out a breath of relief. "That's good, I wouldn't really want them to live here anyways." She then looked over her papers once more to see if she's missed anything, but she was pretty sure she hadn't. Then she noticed the time.
  
  "Is there anything else we needed to discuss, Jack? If not, I'm going to get started on dinner." She asked, and Jack also checked through the papers once again before shaking his head.
  
  "Nah, think that's it." He stated, and then the two of them began tidying up the table for dinner. "Oh, what are we having for dinner?"
  
  "Steamed Karp with rice." She replied.
  
  "Again?! We just had that two days ago!" He mock-complained.
  
  "Yes. And we're going to keep having it until you lose some weight, my dear." She smirked as she poked her husband's stomach, which wasn't actually as fat as she made it out to be, before she made her way to the kitchen.
  
  She ignored her husband's grumblings as she started to prepare dinner.
  
  A.N. A bit of insight into how the family business is developing - hope everything makes sense!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks again!
  
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Conversation Snippets
  
  First time meeting, with John standing outside of a Pokéshop in Cerulean.
  
  ["...Hey kiddo. Do you need some help beating the Gym Leader? Well, you can buy some of the Smith family Moomoo milk. They're better than potions!"]
  
  When defeated:
  
  ["...Huh. Wow. You really do have talent, don't you? It's strange that you're the second 11-year-old to have defeated me today. I guess this is what happens when you're no longer the protagonist. Anyways, I think your 'rival' is up ahead. Pretty sure he already beat the Champion."]
  
  ["...oops. I wasn't supposed to spoil that, was I? Oh well. What are they gonna do, fire me?"]
  
  When defeated, but your rival is named something ridiculous:
  
  ["...Huh. Wow. You really do have talent, don't you. It's strange that you're the second 11-year-old to have defeated me today...though at least your name isn't BUTTFACE. I swear to Arceus, please defeat your rival so that he's no longer the Champion. Indigo cannot afford to have a 11-year-old Champion named BUTTFACE. PLEASE!"]
  
  ["...Also, we should introduce a new law to ban names like that. It should be a crime."]
  
  When battling him with a team full of Gardevoir:
  
  ["Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. That's not happening. I'm not about to let you get pass me with a team like that. Sorry, but not sorry, your journey ends here."]
  
  When battling him with a team full of Legendaries:
  
  ["...Can I just surrender so you can move on? Saves us both the time and trouble."]
  
  When speaking to him after you become Champion:
  
  ["You really did it huh...can't believe we here in Indigo are celebrating having a 11-year-old Champion. I can't tell if Hoenn is going to be laughing at us, or terrified that someone as young as you managed to become our Champion."]
  
  ["Why are you looking at me like I'm being a hypocrite? I was SIXTEEN when I became an Elite Four! That's very different!"]
  
  When trying to enter John's house:
  
  [The door is locked.]
  
  When trying to enter John's house part 2:
  
  [The door is locked, and will remained locked.]
  
  When trying to enter John's house part 3:
  
  [The door is lock...hang on, there's a note that was just slipped underneath the door.]
  
  [It reads 'To whom it may concern, please stop knocking on the door. It is locked for a reason. If you would like to explore a fancy house for items or people to talk to, I suggest visiting the vacation house in Undella Town. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Now, please go away.']
  
  When asking about Team Rocket:
  
  ["They are a plague on our society. I'm only glad that we were quick to act and fight back against them. Who knows what kinds of damage they could have done?"]
  
  ["Wait...why are you looking upset about that? Don't tell me that a 11-year-old like you wanted to fight against Team Rocket by yourself! That's pure lunacy!"]
  
  ["Stop looking at me like that!"]
  
  When asking about Team Rocket, with Giovanni nearby:
  
  ["They are a plague on our society. I'm very thankful that Giovanni led the charge against them and helped Indigo push them back. I'm very proud to be his friend."]
  
  ["Wait...why are you looking suspiciously at Giovanni? He's a great man! He's the last person to be associated with Team Rocket! Just ask anyone! ...What's making you so suspicious of him?"]
  
  When speaking at the Celadon Game Corner:
  
  ["I'm not much of a gambler, but is it me or are these slots rigged AGAINST the house? It seems like I win more than I lose when I'm here."]
  
  ["Also, what are you doing snooping around like that? And why are you looking at that poster? There's nothing suspicious about it, it's just a poster. Of a lady wearing a bikini. Actually, why ARE you looking at a poster like that?"]
  
  ["In fact, how did you even get in here? I thought this was for 16+ only? Who let you in? Even I got IDed before I could come in, AND I'M IN THE ELITE FOUR!"]
  
  When speaking to John before heading to Hoenn:
  
  ["You know...I envy you for being so free to travel around wherever you like. Though I do hope you have a good time in Hoenn, I certainly did."]
  
  ["Oh, and uh, just a word of advice. Just be careful around Drake. I'm pretty sure someone as young as you don't deserve to be assaulted by what comes out of his mouth. I'm pretty sure 80% of what he says is not for children. But otherwise, he's a pretty cool guy."]
  
  When walking around a city with an unreasonably large 'follow' Pokémon:
  
  ["Look. I can understand that walking around with your Pokémon are one of the greatest joys of life. Trust me, I get it. But...how do I say this...your Pokémon isn't going to fit on the streets, and in fact is already tearing up the pavement as it is walking around."]
  
  ["I really hate to be THAT guy, but I'm gonna have to ask you to put that away. You're scaring the children."]
  
  When speaking at the Moomoo Farm on Route 39:
  
  ["It's a true tragedy to see a sick Miltank, unable to produce any Moomoo milk. But hey, if you want Moomoo milk, I can assure you that the Smith family's Moomoo milk is a much better alternative!"]
  
  ["Why are you looking at me like I'm scum? It wasn't ME that made the Miltank sick. I'm just an honest businessman!"]
  
  Before the Champion rematch challenge:
  
  ["Look...I get that you're a strong trainer. Really, I'm sure everyone knows this by now. But ever since you've become Champion, you haven't touched any of the paperwork, and you haven't attended a single committee meeting. Things are about to implode back there in the office."]
  
  ["So...no hard feelings, but I've got to get you out of there. Oh, and before we begin, I'd just like to say three words."]
  
  ["Huge. Power. Slaking"]
  
  A.N. Just another random OMAKE that I came up with after I got so inspired by that last one. I'm glad you all enjoyed the previous one.
  
  And yes, this is in no actual order, nor should you take anything in this OMAKE seriously. Again, it's supposed to take place in an AU pokemon game. Don't think about it too hard. If people like this too, I might write more in the future too!
  
  BETAed by Allute. Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  The New Normal - 4-3 - Training and Preparations
  
  "A show match? Between the two of us?" I repeated curiously to Giovanni.
  
  "Yes, what do you think? I believe that it would be a great way to generate some more goodwill from the public, both towards us and towards Kanto." Giovanni said.
  
  "Well, yeah, sure, I'm on board." I replied. "But why are YOU doing this for Olivine? I thought you were against helping the Johtonians."
  
  "Ah, I can understand your confusion, and normally I would agree with you. But you're thinking too narrowly." Giovanni admonished, "My first reason for helping is that there were people from Kanto injured at Olivine as well, and I'm not about to let their sacrifice be unawarded. I will make sure that they will receive the compensation they deserve and then some." Okay, that made sense, and I nodded despite Giovanni being unable to see it.
  
  "Secondly, the ports of Olivine are very important for facilitating trade between Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. The unfortunate reality is that Olivine City is, and will remain as, the main port between Hoenn and Indigo, and between Kanto and Johto. If I could change it so that Vermillion City was the main port, then I would have." Giovanni admitted with some bitterness.
  
  "But the geography of the world dictates that Olivine City is the best place for trade, and thus, we need to both rebuild it to its former glory and also re-establish the public's trust that the ports will be safe from future attacks. If the public either refuses or is unable to make use of the ports, then the trade industry of Kanto will suffer as well. This is why I planned to use this event to both donate money towards rebuilding the ports and also make it clear to the public that such an attack will not happen again." Giovanni explained slightly begrudgingly. I guess he really disliked the fact that he NEEDED to support Johto.
  
  "Oh...I never thought of it that way. That's very smart." I admitted with some genuine praise in my voice. "You've clearly thought through this more than I did. But yes, I like the idea and I'm certainly willing to do it. Do you have everything planned yet? When and where is it going to take place?" I questioned.
  
  "Of course, it will take place in Viridian City. It will be in a week's time so that we can get the advertisements out to the public, and the match should just be a 3v3 match with 1 switch. Just like your typical 8-badge Gym challenge match." Giovanni instantly replied in a tone that made me look foolish for asking. "That way, I, I mean we, can have complete control over the event and we don't need to ask permission for hosting the event from the League. Not that they'll be in any position to refuse a charity event like this at the moment. I'm sure they would even welcome having this kind of distraction in the headlines!" Giovanni said amusedly.
  
  I quickly realized that Giovanni also wanted the event to take place in Viridian so that he could further boost the economy of his own city, but I didn't need to point that out to him. I understood that Giovanni was always looking out for his own interests, even when he was being 'charitable'. Besides, it wasn't like his points weren't valid, so I just agreed with everything and told him that I'd be there.
  
  "Oh, and John." Giovanni spoke up again. "Petrel did have this idea when I brought up this whole event to him. He said that to remind you that you shouldn't take this event too seriously. It isn't like with your match against Drake where your prestige is on the line. Your prestige has already been solidified, and this match is for fun. So, Petrel suggested to try to play to the crowd a little during the fight, showboat a little. It might be a good boost to your popularity if you seem personable."
  
  "Oh, uh...yeah sure. I understand." I said after a moment of hesitation. "I'll try to think of something."
  
  "Good. Well, if there's nothing else..." A part of me wanted to speak up about my new agreement with Agatha, but I reminded myself that I needed to be independent from Giovanni and keep a few things to myself, so I kept silent. Besides, I didn't think letting him know would change anything anyways.
  
  Seeing that I had nothing else to add, he finished. "I'm going to leave and get this event properly organized. I'll let you know if anything happens." I thanked Giovanni and he hung up on me.
  
  I stared down at my phone with a weird expression on my face. I didn't think that Giovanni had any malicious intent with telling me to play it up for the crowd during our battle, and his reasoning did make sense. I recognized that it would look bad if the show match ended too quickly because we went all out. This was supposed to be a feel-good event anyways.
  
  Oh well, I guess I'd just have to think about how I could ham it up. I guess I had a couple of ideas. As I thought about it, an image of Tyrant trying to flex his muscles with a goofy grin to the audience appeared in my head, and it was so out of character for his normal battlelust that I ended up laughing out loud.
  
  This might be more fun than I expected.
  
  Apparently, both my mom and I had surprises for each other. She started off with telling me that she would be looking to hire a few farmhands to help manage the Miltank's at home and asked to make sure that I was okay with it.
  
  I replied that I was fine with it, and truthfully expected it to happen much sooner. Though I reminded her that I would like it if they didn't take photos of me or my Pokémon around the house, and to make both this and a mandatory background check to be a stipulation into their employment contract. She easily agreed and would extend such protections to the entire family.
  
  She also let me know that they were looking to set up a branch near Goldenrod, though that would be handled by a hired manager, possibly by my uncle Milton. I just nodded and wished them luck on that one.
  
  Then it was my turn to tell her that I was going to invite Karen over the next day to our house. I explained that I had been wanting to train with her. Though I was also doing this to honour my promise with Agatha and see how much she had improved ever since she had cleared out all of the Hoenn Gyms; I knew from her text messages that she had struggled with a few of them, but still managed to clear everything from the first try.
  
  Of course, I forgot about the unsurprising consequences that comes about telling your parents that you're inviting a girl over to your place. Thus, the next day I found myself standing outside our house with my mom waiting for Karen to arrive.
  
  "Karen said she'd be here any moment, right John? Oh, I can't wait to properly meet her!" My mother asked with a mischievous smile. And I prayed to Arceus that she wouldn't embarrass me too badly with Karen. I let out a sigh that my mom chuckled at before I responded.
  
  "Yes, she said she'll be here in a few minutes." I answered exasperatedly. "You know we don't have to be standing in the doorway like this, we could just wait inside and let her in once she knocks on the door."
  
  "Nonsense! This is the first time I'm meeting her properly. Of course, I have to make a good impression! Now stop slouching or you'll crease your shirt." My mom then began to fuss over me as she tidied up my clothes, even though I knew they were inevitably going to get dirtied as we started to train. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
  
  Luckily, Karen's Honchkrow appeared on the horizon, signalling the beginning of my end for this display of public torture.
  
  "She's coming." I told my mom as I pointed towards Karen's Honchkrow.
  
  My mom immediately stopped fussing me and stood ramrod straight, which I struggled to not laugh at. I didn't understand why she was so nervous, but I supposed that it was just a mom thing.
  
  Karen landed moments later and got off her Honchkrow before she withdrew it into a Premier Ball. She turned to the two of us and gave a wide smile as she saw my mom standing there with me, approaching the two of us with a hand extended towards my mom.
  
  "Mrs. Smith, it's a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for allowing the two of us train to train today." They shook hands, and I noticed that my mom was very carefully observing Karen.
  
  "It's very nice to meet you too, Karen, and please call me Angela. I remember you from John's swearing-in ceremony. You looked great in that dress of yours!" My mom complimented, and the two of them began trading compliments. I just had to stand there silently and patiently wait for this to be over.
  
  "...Ok, I think John's going to get annoyed at us if we keep talking so I'll leave you two to it. If you want, I can bring out some lunch for you, Karen, if you haven't eaten already." Karen said that it wasn't necessary, and my mom tried to insist before eventually made her way back into the house while Karen and I went to the training yard.
  
  As soon as the two of us were finally left alone, Karen spoke up amusedly. "I didn't think I'd be ambushed like that by your mom."
  
  "Me neither, I didn't think she'd make such a big deal of you coming here." I responded ruefully, "Sorry if that made you uncomfortable."
  
  "No, of course not, it was nice to meet her too. And I should've expected it anyways." She shook her head. "Oh, and thanks for having me over. I know you and Agatha had that agreement to train me, but I know that you would have trained with me anyways, so thanks for that." She said genuinely, without a trace of her usual teasing. Instead, her gaze was one of focus and determination, which I couldn't help but find all the more attractive.
  
  "No worries, I'm happy to help." I replied easily, and the two of us continued walking to an empty spot in the field where Whitney and I usually trained. She wasn't here at the moment since I think she was out shopping or something.
  
  As we walked to the field, I explained to Karen about my earlier conversation with Giovanni and about the show match that we would be having in a week's time at Viridian City.
  
  "And how are you planning on 'showing off'?" She asked with a chuckle, "Using your Tyrant to beat up Giovanni's Pokémon does not count as showing off, you know. That's just a beatdown."
  
  "I'll think of something." I shrugged. "I doubt I'll be using my stronger Pokémon against Giovanni though; it would be very unfair."
  
  "I hope you do come up with something..." She put her arms behind her head, "I'll be looking forward to seeing you hold back. Still, I hope you have fun. And raise a lot of money for charity. Those people at Olivine deserve it." I nodded seriously to her remarks.
  
  We continued our banter until we arrived at the training fields, where I then cut off all the banter and turned serious.
  
  "Ok, in order for me to properly help you, I need to know how much stronger your Pokémon have become ever since I left Hoenn. Maybe we can arrange a few spars with my Pokémon as demonstrations." I suggested.
  
  Karen agreed, and we both released our Pokémon into the field. We split our Pokémon into their usual pairings, and we had them trade attacks one by one so that we could see where they were at.
  
  As I watched our Pokémon start duelling or practicing against each other, Karen started going over her own observations and notes about her own Pokémon. She informed me that her Pokémon had all grown stronger across the board, and I observed them to verify her words.
  
  From what I could see, the more notable standouts were her Pupitar and her Sneasel, though her Houndoom and Corphish deserved an honourable mention as well. Houndoom was just continuing to prove herself as Karen's Ace as she quite rapidly overwhelmed Klaus, and Corphish and was definitely becoming a strong Pokémon in its own right as well, just like Pixel was in my team.
  
  On the other hand, Pupitar's improved strength was definitely recognisable, and I could see that it was almost ready to evolve into a Tyranitar. I watched as Vordt and Pupitar fired off rocks at each other, and Pupitar was putting up a decent fight against my much stronger Vordt, though Vordt was still holding back. Regardless, Pupitar was much better with his Ground and Rock type attacks than he previously was, which I heard proved helpful in Karen's battle at the Lavaridge Gym. That was good to see; Karen definitely needed some more type diversity in her Pokémon's attacks.
  
  In the meanwhile, as I watched her Sneasel land a flurry of rapid slashes against Smough, all while continuously dodging under Smough's much slower swipes, I thought that he had reached, or nearly reached, the pinnacle of what he could achieve as a Sneasel. He was only held back by his relative lack of power, but that could be resolved if he evolved into a Weavile. Thus, I turned to talk to Karen about my theories.
  
  "Hey, Karen, are you planning on evolving your Sneasel into a Weavile?" I asked her, and she turned to stare at me curiously.
  
  "Of course, why do you ask?" She shot back. "In fact, it was something that I planned to do as soon as I got back to Indigo."
  
  "Well, did you ever figure out how Sneasel evolves into a Weavile?" I queried, and she tilted her head in thought.
  
  "Hmmm...I've heard that the common theory is that a Sneasel evolves into a Weavile by defeating other Sneasel in the wild, until eventually they've defeated enough to trigger their evolution. That was why I planned to make a trip to Mt. Silver so that I could get my Sneasel to battle some wild ones and hopefully trigger his evolution." Karen described to me, but then frowned. "But I heard that this is a rather unreliable theory as it never seemed to be successfully replicated under test conditions."
  
  I nodded my head in agreement, "Yes, I've heard of this theory too. However, I have my own theory that I had previously thought up when I was doing research into Pokémon evolutions while trying to figure how to evolve my Ursaring into a Ursaluna. You see, I thought that the current prevailing theory was missing something. Why would a Sneasel just evolve into a Weavile after defeating enough of its brethren? If it was just a matter of needing sufficient strength, then it would evolve after it got strong enough just like every other Pokémon." I explained carefully so that Karen could follow my train of thought. I waited for her to nod in understanding before I continued.
  
  "So, I thought that it was more likely that defeating other Sneasel specifically was causing the evolution. However, as you know, the scientists were never able to replicate this under test conditions. Thus, I figured that there was likely something that differentiated defeating a Wild Sneasel with defeating a captured Sneasel. This had led me to believe that there was likely some kind of trophy or item that a Sneasel collects from defeating other wild Sneasel, and THAT triggers its evolution into a Weavile." I finished, using backwards-logic from my meta-knowledge to try to theorize how a Sneasel evolves via a Razor Claw.
  
  Karen blinked at me blankly for a couple of moments before she replied, "Huh, that does make a lot of sense. I never really thought about it that way...but I can see why you'd think so." She crossed her arms and tapped a finger on her elbow, "I see no harm in testing out your theory when I head out to Mt. Silver in the future, and I could probably bring a camera or something to document everything. This is another research paper in the making!"
  
  I nodded at that, and we started to discuss how we would split the research. Karen was definitely more excited than I was; I never really expected to turn this into yet another scientific paper, but Karen was right that there was no harm in doing so. After all, more popularity and recognition were never a bad thing and would just add to my credentials.
  
  After that, we returned to focusing on our Pokémon's training. After our Pokémon completed their spars, which were just warm-ups, we decided to move to a round of Gravity training. Karen unfortunately lacked a Pokémon that could use Gravity on her team, like my Klee and Luna, so she had slacked on that aspect of her training when she was alone in Hoenn.
  
  However, it seemed like her Pokémon were determined to make up for that lost time as they pushed and exerted themselves to their limit as we began the Gravity training. Seeing Karen's Pokémon training so hard encouraged my own to match their determination, which I found greatly inspiring.
  
  Karen was almost concerned with how hard her Pokémon were pushing themselves, but since I was more familiar with Gravity training, and with Klee at hand to prevent any serious injuries, I comforted her and insisted that things were fine.
  
  We then spent a few hours just training with our Pokémon. During that time, I pointed out that Karen needed to rely less on her tricks to win fights, and she agreed with me. She told me her plans of getting bulkier Dark types that are able to withstand attacks and actually be able to brawl against her opponents, gesturing to Pupitar as an example.
  
  I accepted that explanation but warned her that just having one brawler wasn't enough. She nodded and said that she was planning to catch more in the future. Suddenly, I had a thought and gestured to her Spiritomb.
  
  "Hey, what about your Spiritomb? Couldn't you use it as a brawler as well?" I asked her, and she raised an eyebrow at me as if to tell me to clarify what I had just said.
  
  "You're already having Spiritomb practice its regeneration moves like your Umbreon, and I can guarantee that your Spiritomb will hit a lot harder than your Umbreon, so why not train it to be able to take hits as well?" I suggested, causing her to frown thoughtfully at my words while observing her Spiritomb carefully.
  
  "...I never really thought of Spiritomb that way. Now that I think of it, I have been slightly neglecting its training ever since I received it from Agatha because it came pre-trained and seemed strong enough. I didn't even realize that it could be used like that." She admitted to me. "That's something I've definitely overlooked. Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention, or else I would have completely missed and underutilized my Spiritomb for Arceus knows how long."
  
  I nodded easily enough before I spoke up again, "Have you looked through the Sinnoh Pokédex yet and check out their list of Pokémon?" I questioned, and she shook her head.
  
  "I gave it a quick look, mainly for the Dark types, but I didn't really look into them with much detail. Why?" She replied.
  
  "Well, you should check out that new Pokémon called a Skorupi and its evolution into a Drapion; you brought it up before. It's a Dark/Poison type, which is crucially not weak to Fighting, and it's also got some very good bulk for a Dark type. I think it would be a great addition to your team if you ever acquired one from Sinnoh." I explained to her.
  
  Karen's eyes widened with interest, and she agreed with my explanation, promising to check it out in the future. She then moved to check out her Spiritomb and actually get to know it better. I was pleased to have caught onto the fact that Spiritomb was being somewhat neglected by Karen, as it is a great Pokémon in its own right with a fantastic typing and good potential. It would have been a huge waste if it never was able to reach its full potential as a Pokémon.
  
  Besides that, the most interesting thing that happened was that Pixel was finally winning spars against her Corphish, which never really happened before. I suppose that it was because of the fact that Electric attacks, which Pixel was getting very proficient at, was supereffective against Corphish, giving Pixel the advantage. And hopefully, as Pixel began to master the newest Psychic TM that I gave to it, it should be able to continue achieving victories against Corphish.
  
  More amusingly, Euphie and her new Carvanha were also sparring against each other, and Euphie was trouncing Carvanha with her Tackles. That was probably because we were fighting on land, where Carvanha was really unsuited for. Perhaps I should arrange some sparring matches for the Carvanha against my Port in the water for the future? Port wasn't really a fighter, nor did he want to be, so they should be rather evenly matched in the future when Carvanha got stronger.
  
  As we neared the end of our training session, I did contemplate whether to talk to her about training her Pokémon with new custom moves. It was a rather common sight within the higher levels of battling, and I figured that it would a great boost to Karen's overall strength. Custom moves would allow her Pokémon to have more versatility in their moves as well as hit harder, both areas that Karen needed to work on.
  
  However, this took time, and I wasn't sure if it was something that Karen should worry about at the moment.
  
  Ultimately, I decided to wait to tell her about this. I felt like we had made good progress with today's session, and I thought that she had enough on her plate to focus on at the moment. Prioritising getting her Sneasel to evolve into a Weavile and properly training up her Spiritomb was definitely a better use of her time at the moment.
  
  With that in mind, I returned to Karen and wrapped up our training session, and just in time for my mom to invite Karen for dinner. Karen said that it really wasn't necessary, but this time my mom's insistence won out and Karen conceded and hesitantly joined us for dinner.
  
  It was a relatively peaceful dinner, since my dad and Whitney were away at the moment, but of course we were still subjected to my mom's 'interrogation'.
  
  "You know, Karen, John never told us what you got up to in Hoenn." She began in a teasing tone, and I could feel the headache slowly starting to rise. "All I know is that you both spent a lot of time together."
  
  Karen was seemingly unaffected by my mom's teasing, "That's true. We were together for a lot of that time, and I could say that I very much enjoyed our time together. Didn't you, John?"
  
  Fuck, they had allied together! "...Of course. I felt that our training together was very fruitful."
  
  "Oh, don't be so shy, John. You can just say how you feel!" My mom said with a smirk, then she turned to Karen, "Speaking of which, Karen, you're welcome any time in our house. I'm sure my husband and my daughter would love to spend more time with you. Not as much as John though..."
  
  She chuckled, but gave my mom a nice smile, "I'll take you up on that, Mrs. Smith, and thank you very much for your offer."
  
  The rest of the dinner progressed on similar lines, though they only kept it to a light level of teasing. I joined in sometimes, but overall, it was a very happy atmosphere. I was glad to see that my mom approved of Karen; it would have made things more difficult to train together if Karen rubbed my mom the wrong way.
  
  Things almost went awry for a moment when my mom asked about Karen's family, and she responded that she didn't have one. I had never directly asked Karen about her family, but I figured that she was probably an orphan based on the fact that she had never mentioned them.
  
  My mom looked horrified at that, but Karen explained that Agatha was taking care of her and that the worst has passed. I could see that that triggered my mom's motherly instincts, but she let it go for the moment, though she insisted for Karen to at least finish the food. Karen grumbled good-naturedly but obediently followed through. I had to hold back a chuckle at Karen's expression.
  
  Overall, it was a peaceful meal, and I was happy to see that my mom was approving of Karen and vice versa.
  
  Before dinner was over, I brought up to my mom that I was going to having a charity match against Giovanni in a few days' time.
  
  "Oh, well I wish you all the best, dear." My mom remarked, though her expression turned weird after a moment. "Do you think you're going to win?"
  
  "I wouldn't be worried about that." Karen spoke up, "He's won against Elite Drake from Hoenn. I'm sure your son wouldn't have any issues with a Gym Leader."
  
  "I know, I know." My mom said, "Well, anyways, I'm glad that you're thinking of doing something for those poor souls at Olivine. I guess you're really living up to your title as the Hero of Olivine, huh."
  
  My mom and Karen broke out into huge grins, and I groaned as I was subjected to their torture.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter more focused on training and some setup for future chapters, and to mainly catch up with Karen and her training progress. And I hope my justification of what a Razor Claw makes sense, the wiki description on its own gives very little to work with.
  
  Also, big thanks to those who gave suggestions for how to incentivise donations for charity matches. While I might not be able to apply them to this match, I have already made a note of them for future battles!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  The New Normal - 4-4 - A New Member
  
  If there was anything good that I could say came out of Lance's challenge towards Pryce for the position of Champion, it is that us Elite Four members were basically on vacation until the whole thing blows over. Pryce didn't even try to give orders towards the Elite Four, probably since he must have realized that he currently didn't have the authority or the backing to order us to do anything, and we could easily just ignore his commands without consequence. This meant that we were effectively on holiday for the next week or so until Lance wins.
  
  Sure, as soon as Lance takes up the mantle of Champion, or if Pryce somehow keeps his position, then the next few weeks after that are going to be extraordinarily busy once the status quo is overturned, but I was content to just enjoy the 'vacation' time that I had.
  
  And it was great to see just how fruitful our training sessions were now that Karen and I didn't need to worry about travelling to a different location or training specifically for a battle. The lack of a time limit meant that we could focus on more long-term training goals rather than less impactful short-term ones. We were able to get in some very productive training sessions for a few days, including some intense Gravity training sessions, and I finally managed to get a start on training Euphie with Fairy type moves, as I felt that it was better to start early, and she had acclimatised well to my team.
  
  Thus, since Euphie seemed to really enjoy practicing with Tackle, I decided that the first Fairy type move that I would train towards was Play Rough, which was effectively just a slightly stronger Tackle than was infused with Fairy energy. To make things easier, I had Luna help out in providing the Fairy type energy for the time being, since Euphie was unable to make use of it at the moment.
  
  One day, Karen had asked me about why Tyrant was constantly setting himself on fire, so I had to explain to her that I was trying to get Tyrant to be able to mimic the Guts ability. That led to us having a conversation about getting her Pokémon to train to mimic their own unique abilities, but I warned her about how difficult the process could be. Nonetheless, she once again thanked me for these suggestions.
  
  "You know, it's hard to not get jealous of that brain of yours." She jokingly said to me one day.
  
  "Well, what can you do? I suppose I just have a unique insight into things." I returned with a smirk.
  
  "Bah, don't be smug. I guess I should be glad Agatha got you to use that brain to help me." She shot back.
  
  "I would have helped you even if she didn't ask, you know?"
  
  "I know."
  
  She was currently at Mt. Silver trying to evolve her Sneasel, but I wasn't able to accompany her as I had to watch over Whitney, since both my parents were heading out to handle a couple of business matters over at Hoenn and to scout out the possibility of my proposal to set up a new shop at Mauville City. I never really understood why Whitney needed a babysitter considering she was about to head out on her journey on her own, but I guess that was just the culture of this world and I gave up trying to wrap my head around it.
  
  Karen didn't mind though, and she promised that she would update me about Sneasel's evolution progress as she was there. I guess I was going to find out more about it tonight or tomorrow, depending on if she decides to camp there for the night or not.
  
  In the meantime, I spent today helping out with Whitney and training her Miltank in the Elemental Punches, which she was now somewhat proficient at. She was about to set out on her journey, so I felt that I should get as much training done with her in the time we had remaining. All the while I was carefully cradling the D-Zigzagoon egg in my arms, glancing at it every once in a while, in anticipation for its hatching.
  
  Her Miltank was definitely at the level where I would say that she could solo most 4 badge Pokémon, and probably a few 6 badge ones too if she got lucky. Her current proficiency with the Elemental Punches were certainly sufficient for those kinds of fights, and coupled with all the other powerful Physical attacks that she knew, I was pretty confident in her chances at steamrolling through at least the earlier badges.
  
  "It would be much easier for you to train your Rock type attacks like Rock Tomb and Rock Throw by yourself, Whitney, since those don't really need much outside assistance." I lectured. "However, the Elemental Punches are different and are often considered very hard to master. So I think that the best of use of your time until you set out on your journey is to get as much progress as you can in these moves while I'm able to help you."
  
  Whitney accepted my explanation and was now sitting next to me with a juice box watching her Miltank train the punches with Smough and Vordt. Smough was also getting good at the elemental punches and was just slightly edging ahead of Miltank.
  
  Miltank kept giving calculating glances towards Smough as they practiced together, and I think Miltank saw it as a competition against Smough. But I was pretty confident that Smough didn't really care. He was probably, as usual, just thinking about whether he would be getting a second lunch. Spoiler, he wasn't.
  
  Overall, it was another well-deserved break from all the turmoil and annoyance of the past few weeks, and I can't say that it wasn't appreciated. The only thing that I really had to be concerned about was the show match against Giovanni in a few days, but since that was just supposed to be a nice chill and entertaining event with extremely low stakes, I didn't feel the need to set a specific training session for it.
  
  Amusingly, I knew for certain that I wasn't going to be able to make use of Tyrant during that fight. I loved Tyrant, but he had no chill. He goes from 0 to 100 in intensity as soon as the match starts, and I wasn't confident that he was capable of holding back enough. With all due respect to Giovanni, I did my research on his team a while ago before I had met him formally as a member of the Elite Four, and I had refreshed that research as soon as I realized that I would be fighting against him in this show match, and he just wasn't at the same level as me. Tyrant would be completely overkill, and so would most all my stronger brawlers.
  
  Sure, Giovanni probably had a few secret tricks under his sleeve that he would definitely deploy against me in a proper fight, but this was just a casual spar for the masses. I highly doubt that he would be employing any trump cards here. It would be the height of stupidity.
  
  Likewise, I figured that I should probably try to make things fair and avoid using my strongest Pokémon. After thinking it through for a bit, I ultimately decided to use Klee, Luna, and Klaus, despite the fact that two of them were very poor matchups against what I suspected would be Giovanni's duo of Nidoqueen and Nidoking. However, it would also be good training for Klee and Luna, who were both traditionally on the weaker side of my team, to go against Pokémon that they were disadvantaged against.
  
  It might be a tactically bad decision to do this, but since this was just supposed to be a casual show match meant to raise money for charity, I felt that deliberately handicapping myself was fine. Plus, even with a weaker showing, I was pretty confident that my reputation for being a strong and capable trainer was fairly entrenched at this point, especially with my victory over Drake, and my participation in stopping the attack at Olivine only boosted that even further.
  
  I even asked Giovanni if we were able to just fight with much lower-level Pokémon like with Pixel, but he shut that down and said that that might be going a bit too far. After all, the crowd did still want excitement, and it was an undeniable fact that it was far more entertaining to watch higher level Pokémon duke it out than a lower-level one.
  
  "Hey, John...John...BRO!" Whitney broke me out of my thoughts about the show match as she tugged increasingly frantically on my sleeve. I turned to her with a silently questioning expression, and she kept pointing at the egg in my arms.
  
  "JOHN, THE EGG!" My head snapped downwards towards the egg, and I could see that egg was shaking and wobbling more than it usually did. A small crack could be seen at the tip of the shell. It was hatching.
  
  As soon as I realized it was hatching, I yelled out to my Pokémon. "EVERYONE, STOP!" All of our Pokémon froze on the spot before they all turned to me to see what the commotion was.
  
  "Blissey! BLISSEY!" Klee made a beeline towards me with eyes sparkling with excitement the moment she realized that the egg was hatching. I carefully placed the egg on the ground so that my clothes wouldn't be ruined by the inner liquids that were in the eggs when they hatched.
  
  A small crowd slowly formed around it as our Pokémon slowly gathered around to witness the hatching.
  
  The crack became larger. I heard a gasp from Whitney.
  
  And larger. I was now holding my breath.
  
  And suddenly the egg snapped open, breaking into two halves. Before I could even shuffle forwards to get a better look at the new hatchling, a black and white figure leapt out of the egg and immediately attacked Klee. Klee was momentarily surprised, but then tried to hug the new D-Zigzagoon.
  
  "Zigzag! Ziggggg!" Seeing that it was doing no damage to Klee, it jumped out of her hands and decided to change targets. This time charging at Smough. That proved to be a foolish decision, because Smough was not only a much stronger target, but his belly was also naturally bouncy due to his physique.
  
  Thus, when the D-Zigzagoon leapt towards Smough, it struck Smough's belly and was promptly and unceremoniously bounced off and landed headfirst into the dirt. I burst out laughing at that ridiculous sight, and Whitney quickly joined in on my laughter.
  
  The D-Zigzagoon gave out what it probably thought it was an intimidating snarl, but to my ears, and probably the other Pokémon's ears too, only managed to sound cute. Regardless, it was undeterred by its previous failure and charged at Smough once again, only to be met with similar results as it bounced off Smough's belly once again and was knocked back into the dirt.
  
  Klee was clearly more caring than I was, as she immediately ran up to where the D-Zigzagoon had fallen to check up on it, but it was stubbornly shrugged off her offers of assistance and went back on the offense again. Though this time, Smough had likely run out of patience and decided to just pick up the ornery Pokémon by the scruff of its neck and carried it in the air, leaving it dangling fruitlessly and unable to move or break free despite its incessant struggling.
  
  Smough patiently waited for it to calm down before he carried the new hatchling over to me, and carefully dropped the new Pokémon in my arms. As soon as it was free from Smough's grasp, it tried to break free from my arms and almost scratched my face in the process, eliciting a gasp of concern from Whitney which I waved off. It really didn't want to be restrained!
  
  I told Whitney to carry Euphie and to step backwards for a moment as I didn't want either of them to accidentally be harmed by the D-Zigzagoon, and she silently obeyed.
  
  Luckily, before it broke free and ran off again, a delicate Psychic from Luna managed to hold it down and prevent it from running off. While the D-Zigzagoon was supposed to be a Dark/Normal type, as a newly hatched Pokémon, it had yet to develop its Dark typing enough to become immune to Psychic attacks, and so it was gently, but forcefully, held down by Luna's Psychic.
  
  "Ok, that's enough out of you, newbie." I said sternly to the new D-Zigzagoon, who was still looking around and trying to break free from Luna's Psychic hold. "Hey! Listen up!" I snapped my fingers at it and gestured towards Smough, who roared out to punctuate my point.
  
  Smough's roar finally managed to pacify the D-Zigzagoon, who had now curled up slightly within itself in fear. I could see that it was trying to shuffle as far away as possible from Smough, but it was still unable to move due to Luna's Psychic. Smough stepped up towards the now fearful D-Zigzagoon and pointed my way, which it hurriedly obeyed as it turned to face me.
  
  "Do I finally have your attention now?" I asked, and I saw the D-Zigzagoon take a quick glance at Smough, who glared back at it, before it nodded his head towards me. "Good. Now, do you know who I am? Or what I am to you?"
  
  "Zig...Zigzag..." It said, and I turned to Smough who translated what it was saying.
  
  "Snorlax. Snor..." Smough translated, and I was satisfied at this answer. At least this D-Zigzagoon recognised me as its 'trainer' of sorts and understood that I was the one who helped take care of it while it was still in its egg. Now that I was able to get a closer look though, I saw that it was a male.
  
  "Well, I'm glad you understand the basics then." I addressed the new hatchling. Recognizing that I couldn't approach this D-Zigzagoon the same way I initially approached Whitney's Whismur and Euphie, since those were both Pokémon that were slightly afraid and required a comfortingly soft approach. No, with this D-Zigzagoon, I needed to show off an image of strength and respect and intimidate him into respecting my authority.
  
  Thus, I crossed my arms and walked closer towards him, looming over him threateningly next to Smough before speaking. "Listen up!" I made sure that our eyes locked on to each other. "I can respect your eagerness and desire for battle. And at times, I will even encourage such behaviour, especially during your training. But, for right now, you will have to learn to obey the rules of this team, and to respect your teammates. I won't have you attacking your teammates like a rabid beast, do I make myself clear?" To punctuate my point once more, I gestured towards Smough, Vordt, and Tyrant, who all let out deafeningly powerful roars that easily cowed the D-Zigzagoon.
  
  It might have been eager to fight, but even the most reckless of fighters were still bound by their survival instinct. And seeing D-Zigzagoon meekly nod at my words, I was confident that it was finally listening to his survival instincts for once.
  
  Seeing that it was now in a listening mood, I swapped from the stick to the carrot. I eased off my serious expression and now crouched down next to him. "Hey, I'm sorry for having to scare you like that, but you wouldn't listen to what I was g oing to say otherwise." I spoke carefully as I focused on observing his expressions. He just stared at me blankly, so I continued.
  
  "Look, do you want to be as strong as Smough? Or Vordt? Or Tyrant?" I pointed at each of them in turn, with the D-Zigzagoon following my finger. He eventually gave off a small nod, and I smiled.
  
  "If you choose to follow me, I promise you that I will one day make you as strong as they are. I promise you that I will give it my all training you to become as strong as you can be. I promise you that you'll be in the best fights of your life." I can see that his eyes gleaming with interest, now it was just time to reel him in. "But in order to do that, I need you to listen to me. I need you to understand that the Pokémon around you right now are going to be your lifelong teammates, and that you shouldn't just fight with them for no reason. If you are willing to listen to me and give me the chance to train you, I guarantee you that you will not regret it."
  
  I took out one of my new Premier Balls and placed it in front of him and glanced at Luna to release the Psychic on him; I wanted him to capture himself on his own accord. The D-Zigzagoon hesitated momentarily, looking around at my team as my Pokémon started to encourage him with a mixture of growls, cheers, and grunts. Eventually, he reached forwards with a paw and tapped on the Premier Ball, before he was engulfed in a red light and sucked into the ball. The ball immediately snapped shut without wobbling.
  
  As soon as my Pokémon and I saw that he had been successfully captured, we all let out roars and cheers of congratulations. Klee immediately glomped me with a hug, and Whitney also ran up to me and joined in on the hug excitedly.
  
  I had just captured my latest Pokémon!
  
  We celebrated for a short moment before I released my new D-Zigzagoon once again onto the field. He looked around for a moment and inspected himself before he turned to me and leapt up into my arms. I was alarmed for a moment, but instead of scratching my face like he tried to do at first, this time all he did was just lick my face.
  
  Disgusting, but it was still better than the alternative.
  
  Whitney giggled at my predicament, and I tried to pull him off of me before eventually managing to set him back down on the ground. Before I could be fully content with my latest capture, I needed to make sure that he was capable of getting along with my team.
  
  "Ok, newbie, thanks for joining the team. I am very happy that you joined, and I hope you are too." The hatchling yipped happily at me, and I smiled at him before continuing. "Ok, since it's getting late and you have just hatched, I'm not going to do anything too intense with you at the moment. However, if you want to, you could play around with Eevee, Porygon, and Whismur. They should be at around your level." I gestured to all three of them who all waved back at him with various levels of enthusiasm.
  
  The hatchling turned warily to Smough, as if seeking his approval. Only after receiving a small nod from Smough did he immediately leap out from my arms towards the trio. I watched with some trepidation at the beginning but relaxed as soon as I saw that they were getting along well, and that the newbie wasn't getting too aggressive with them. Just to play it safe though, I asked Klee to keep an eye out on them for now just to make sure they didn't accidentally hurt each other, but she was already making her way there.
  
  "It's a very lively one, isn't it bro?" Whitney spoke up next to me as we watched our Pokémon play around with each other.
  
  "Yeah, he is. But that's not a bad thing in the long-run, I just need to make sure that he learns enough discipline to temper himself in battle." I replied.
  
  "Hmm...have you ever had to deal with something like this before, bro?" Whitney asked, and I nodded.
  
  "Yes, though I probably haven't told you about it." I remarked wistfully, remembering my experiences during the earlier parts of my adventure. "Fortunately, I didn't need to deal with problematic Pokémon that often, but Smough was an unruly Pokémon when I had newly captured him as a Munchlax."
  
  Whitney looked at me curiously, so I continued. "He was basically the opposite of the D-Zigzagoon, instead of hyperactive and eager to fight, Smough as a Munchlax was lazy and unwilling to do anything besides eating. He was completely unmotivated to fight or train and was initially just a huge drain on my resources as he would vacuum up piles of food at a time. It took some time, but eventually Tyrant, Vordt, and I were able to beat some sense of discipline and fire into him and he actually began to train and slowly transformed into the Elite level Pokémon that he is now." I explained.
  
  "Wow...I never knew that about Smough..." Whitney replied fascinatedly. "Do you think I would have to deal with this kind of thing when I go on my journey too?"
  
  "Probably. It's quite common for newer Pokémon especially to be unruly and disobey you." I told her. "It's a mark of a great trainer that they are able to calm and discipline these unruly Pokémon and persuade them to join your team."
  
  "Do you think you can teach me how to do it?" She asked excitedly, and I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head.
  
  "Hmm...I don't think so." She frowned, and I quickly clarified myself. "It's not that I don't want to teach you, sis, but every trainer should have their own methods of getting their Pokémon to obey. I think it's something that you need to develop yourself, and I think you'll hurt yourself in the long run if you try to just copy my methods. It should be something instinctual." I explained.
  
  Whitney seemed unhappy at my words but nodded acceptingly anyways. Personally, I was confident that she had nothing to worry about and that she had the strength of character and will to get any Pokémon to obey her, but I kept that to myself as I didn't want to accidentally hype her up and make her overconfident.
  
  The two of us then continued watching over the quartet as they were playing around, and I made sure to text Karen to inform her that the egg had hatched. She didn't respond, but that was expected for someone currently hiking around in Mt. Silver.
  
  I also needed to think of a nickname for the D-Zigzagoon, as I didn't want to be calling him 'newbie' forever. I was having trouble coming up with a suitable name as I watched the quartet rush towards Smough together to use him as a training dummy. The D-Zigzagoon in particular seemed to be fixated on Smough and seemed especially determined to surpass him.
  
  And it was then when a nickname hit me. It wasn't a perfect fit, as he was definitely no Dragonslayer, at least not yet, but with the almost immediate fixation and potential rivalry with Smough, I felt that no other nickname would do him justice.
  
  And thus, Ornstein joined the team.
  
  A.N. ANNNNND THE EGG FINALLY HATCHED! I had no idea how long an egg was supposed to take to hatch, but I judged that this was long enough.
  
  And yes, I'm calling the D-Zigzagoon 'Ornstein' because I like it and I've had his name stuck in my head since the beginning. Besides potentially Zangoose, I didn't really see another other Pokemon that would fit the nickname, and I hadn't really planned to add Zangoose to my team at this point.
  
  And yes, now that he's called Ornstein, they will be spending a lot of time with Smough and properly developing a rivalry/friendship together in the future. I hope I can make him live up to his name.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute. Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-4 -Interlude- Lorelei
  The New Normal - 4-4 - Interlude - Lorelei
  
  Training to defeat a member of the Elite Four was much easier said than done. Especially when there was no one around to support you while you did so.
  
  For the past week or so, her life has been an exhausting balance between maintaining her duties as a Gym Leader, while fervently training for her battle against Walker. Her life at the moment was sustained only through pure spite, determination, and an overdose of coffee.
  
  To that end, she had to ensure that she knew every little detail about Walker and his strengths and weaknesses.
  
  And one of the more important things that she noticed was how Walker relied on hit and run tactics like a crutch. In fact, all of his Pokémon seemed to fight in the exact same way. They would first fly up high into the air, and then make use of the space to either buff themselves up to the point where you couldn't resist their attacks, or to slowly ground you down with long range moves while staying out of your reach.
  
  It was, at its core, a very basic strategy, but Lorelei couldn't deny its effectiveness. In order to beat it, you would have to either have superior long-range firepower to be able to disrupt his setup moves and bring down his Flying types, or you would need to have some way of challenging Walker while in the air, in his field of expertise. And while Flying types weren't the greatest of powerhouses, their mobility and flight allows them to dodge through many powerful attacks if given the opportunity to.
  
  Of course, you could just beat Walker using sheer volume of firepower or strength. She recognized that the other Elite Four members would hardly break a sweat at defeating Walker, just by using their overwhelming strength or firepower. Even her uncle, who Lorelei thought was long past his prime, would find it a simple matter to defeat Walker. But Lorelei recognized that she lacked the raw strength of those in the Elite Four.
  
  Thus, she understood that, for her to win, she needed to take full control of the battlefield with her Ice moves and prevent Walker from taking advantage of his superior mobility and flight. Since she lacked any Flying types, she knew that there was absolutely no point trying to contest Walker in the skies.
  
  In practical terms, that meant training up her Pokémon to prioritize their ranged Special Attack and large area-of-effect moves, as she predicted that those would be the moves that would be most effective against Walker. His Pokémon were mostly superior in speed and agility compared to hers, so her best option was to blanket the entire battlefield in Ice and hope that his Pokémon gets caught up in it.
  
  Coupled with her type advantage, and his Pokémon's lack of endurance, a well-targeted attack from her should be able to bring down most of his Pokémon, or at least slow them enough so that her Pokémon could get in range to finish them off.
  
  Luckily, or annoyingly, her connections to Pryce as her uncle actually proved their worth for once, as they allowed her to secure an important item from Sinnoh that would have been unavailable to her if she was not family. She was gifted the package because she was her uncle's niece, and the gift, likely from a notable politician in Sinnoh, was probably to butter up her uncle for some political reason or another.
  
  Normally, she would be upset about the corruption, but she kept her mouth shut in this case. The Dawn Stone in front of her was a very precious possible trump card she needed to secure her win against Walker.
  
  With one hand, she carefully lifted the Dawn Stone out of the box, and with her other hand, she released her most recent capture, a Snorunt.
  
  "Snorunt?" Her Snorunt questioned, before her eyes gleamed interestedly as she stared at the Dawn Stone. "Snorunt! Snorunt!"
  
  "Yes, Snorunt. It's finally time for you to evolve." She replied, slowly moving the Dawn Stone towards her Snorunt and pressing it down on her forehead.
  
  Instantly, a bright white light filled the room as her Snorunt's figure slowly started to morph and change. As the light faded, a newly evolved Frosslass was revealed to the world.
  
  "Froslass! Fros! Lass!" Froslass cheered at her new evolution while inspecting herself and her new form. Lorelei allowed herself to smile for a moment and indulge in her Pokémon's happiness, before reality caught up with her and she smothered her smile.
  
  Her newly evolved Froslass was certainly going to be a nice surprise addition to her team, especially since she knew that Froslass was going to be the fastest Pokémon that she had, but she recognized that she was also the least trained.
  
  With whatever time she had left before the match, she would have to train her new Froslass as much as she could to ensure that she would be able to match up against Walker's Pokémon.
  
  There was no way she could actually train up Froslass to surpass Walker's Pokémon in terms of training, so she knew that she was going to be mostly relying on pure surprise to offset her Froslass' lack of training.
  
  But she also needed to challenge Walker as soon as possible, right after the battle between Lance and Pryce, so that none could challenge him before her. Not that she cared who won between those two; at this point she was solely concerned about digging herself out of the pit that she was in.
  
  It was a race against time, but she was determined to win. She couldn't afford to lose.
  
  A.N. A quick Interlude on Lorelei to remind everyone that she's still training up, and that she hasn't been forgotten. Hope you enjoyed her new acquisition.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute. Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-5 - Playing for the Crowd
  
  Karen was expectedly very excited to hear about D-Zigzagoon's successful hatching, and eagerly came over the next day to check up on him. As soon as she laid eyes on Ornstein, she wouldn't let go of the little guy and spent a good moment just excitedly examining him.
  
  "I want one of my own." She said immediately. I promised Karen that as soon as Ornstein was able to lay eggs, we could redo the process with another Linoone egg to hatch another D-Zigzagoon for her.
  
  That wasn't the end of the surprises though, as she also proudly showed off her newly evolved Weavile. She told me that she had paid close attention to her Sneasel during her time in Mt. Silver and noticed that her Sneasel would frequently challenge other Sneasel's and pick up bits and pieces of other Sneasel's claws after every victory.
  
  "I didn't see what happen after we won our 9th victory, since I was blinded by the blinding white light as my Sneasel began to evolve." She said to me, "Honestly, his evolution came by quicker than I expected, maybe because my Sneasel had long been ready to evolve. I probably spent more time trying to locate wild Sneasel to defeat." She remarked humorously.
  
  She did ask when or if we were even going to publish these notes regarding Sneasel's evolution, and I figured that, due to the small sample size, we should probably just bring it up as a possible research topic and submit our notes as a data point. But that was for later.
  
  The both of us spent the next few days acclimatising to the latest changes to our teams, with me having to split my focus between getting Ornstein to actually focus on training, while also trying to develop Euphie's Fairy affinity.
  
  On one hand, Ornstein was too busy trying to get into fights and wasn't focused on my training, and while he was nowhere as disobedient as he was the moment he was born, he was still driven by his instincts to fight everyone and everything that he laid his eyes upon, especially Smough for some reason. I knew that this bad habit of his was going to take a some time to break.
  
  On the other hand, Euphie was just a bit too playful and too easily distracted to really knuckle down and focus on training as well. I believed that she saw the training for developing an affinity for Fairy to be too boring, and so always wanted to distract herself by playing around with Whismur, Pixel, and now her new overly energetic friend, Ornstein.
  
  However, I was determined to eventually get through to the both of them and actually make them want to train on their own volition. I knew that I had a fantastic opportunity in front of me with both the newly hatched D-Zigzagoon and Eevee to mould the two of them to create two more powerful and versatile Elite level Pokémon for my team, so I wanted to make the most of the early stages of their development to really get as much efficient training done as possible, since like with human babies, newly hatched Pokémon are most receptive to new techniques and training while they were still young.
  
  And, judging by her natural curiosity, I was increasingly certain that Euphie was a rather newly born Pokémon as well.
  
  In the meanwhile, Karen was spending most of her time testing out the strengths of her new Weavile. There was a little initial awkwardness between trainer and Pokémon, as Karen had to get used to Weavile's increased stats, but she was able to quickly adapt and give commands that matched Weavile's new capabilities.
  
  As I watched Smough and Weavile duel once again, what was immediately noticeable was that her new Weavile hit a lot harder and quicker than before, and I could see that Smough was occasionally struggling to resist against so many quick and hard-hitting attacks, whereas before Smough could pretty comfortably shrug most of them off after a small break.
  
  But despite the boost to his speed and attack, Weavile was almost equally as frail as it was before it evolved. Overall, his evolution still didn't really change his role in Karen's team, which was to be a fast and agile attacker that could deal large bursts of damage but was frail and easily knocked out.
  
  Based on my observations, I judged that her Weavile was now easily her second strongest Pokémon, just trailing slightly behind her Houndoom. Though Karen and I did notice that during our testing with Weavile, Corphish was sending envious looks his way, likely eager for his own evolution. Karen immediately went to reassure him and promised that his evolution would come soon enough.
  
  Later, we spent some time compiling our shared notes for the D-Zigzagoon project, wrote up an article, and sent it off to the scientific community for it to get peer reviewed. Karen was very confused yet excited about the whole publication process, and while she pestered me with increasing impatience to publish it, she ultimately left it to me as I had the experience after I published my articles about both Ursaluna and Wyrdeer. She was clearly very eager to make her entrance into the scientific community.
  
  I had double checked the article multiple times before I eventually submitted it, because I wanted to make sure our entire process was as detailed as possible to avoid criticism from those snobby and detailed-oriented scientists. Such a big discovery like this was bound to attract plenty of criticism and envy from some of the scientists, so I wanted to give them as little ammunition as possible.
  
  Just like they did with Vordt and Klaus, I informed Karen that they were probably going to send a few scientists over to poke and prod at Ornstein to actually verify my claims, which was going to be annoying. Secretly, I hoped that Ornstein would bite one of the scientists if they ever got too nosy.
  
  I also made sure to add as many warnings as I could fit in the article to remind all the undoubtedly overeager scientists about the inherent risks of the process. I knew that there were bound to be those that would ignore the warnings and incite tragedy, and there was nothing I could do about it, but I wanted to at least avoid being blamed for it.
  
  However, now that it's been sent off, there was nothing I could do about it anymore. Thus, I tried to stop worrying about it and focus on the show match that was taking place later this afternoon.
  
  I had done SOME preparation, and now it was just a matter of putting up a good show for the crowds.
  
  "Are you ready for this?" Giovanni asked me casually. We were both standing backstage waiting for the announcer to call us onto the arena. Giovanni had temporarily redecorated and closed the Viridian Gym so that it could be used as the venue to host the charity match. He had also set up many charity stalls around Viridian City, effectively turning this one charity match into a city-wide charity event. Access to which was included in the ticket.
  
  I even saw an impromptu tournament being hosted outside that anyone could participate in so long as they paid a small fee, everything except a small prize pool going to charity of course.
  
  Still, I think Giovanni had underestimated just how many people would be coming to this show match, and he had really torn up his Gym in order to make more space for the crowd to fit in. Perhaps he overbooked the tickets?
  
  "Yeah, sure." I answered distractedly, still looking around at just how many people were in the audience right now. It looked so crowded that I was worried we might have a few accidents from overcrowding. At least Karen wasn't here, she was busy doing something with Agatha at the moment.
  
  "Hey, why are there so many people here? I didn't think that this many people would be interested in watching a charity match in person. Don't most people prefer to watch it at home?" I asked bewilderedly.
  
  Giovanni coughed awkwardly. "I...may have suggested that I would buy and give away several tickets to the public as my own contribution...and I may have overestimated just how many people were going to come. Petrel has been running around in a panic trying to reorganize the Gym to fit everyone in."
  
  I couldn't help but laugh at his admission, and luckily Giovanni took no offense and laughed with me. It was nice to see that even someone of Giovanni's status could make dumb mistakes like this.
  
  "ANNNNND WELCOME TO TODAY'S CHARITY SHOW MATCH BETWEEN TWO OF OUR GREATEST AND MOST ESTEEMED INDIVIDUALS OF KANTO! THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY DONATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS!" The announcer's voice suddenly boomed out, interrupting any further conversation as cheers rang out throughout the Gym. "NOW, PLEASE WELCOME, OUR GRAND HOST, AND ONE OF TODAY'S PARTICIPANTS, THE GREAT GYM LEADER OF VIRIDIAN CITY, GIOVANNI!"
  
  Giovanni straightened up and walked out into the roaring crowds, easily basking in the attention and the limelight like he always belonged there. He waved evenly to the crowds as he walked slowly to his side of the field.
  
  He looked every bit like your generous philanthropist, and a model Gym Leader. Oh, if only they knew.
  
  The announcer waited for the applause to die down before he continued, "ANNNNND HIS OPPONENT, THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR, THE HERO OF OLIVINE, ELITE JOHN!"
  
  I tried to keep my cringe from showing on my face as I walked out. Arceus, who wrote these nicknames? Luckily, the immense cheering from the crowd kept that out of my mind. Although I tried my best to not get a big head, I couldn't help but smile widely at all the attention I was getting.
  
  This was finally the time where I could feel that I had finally made it in life, and that I hadn't wasted the Arceus given second chance in this life. My family was doing so much better now, my Pokémon were strong and respected, and I was a beloved figure in Indigo and was working hard to improve Kanto. A part of me, taking in the full excitement of the crowd, wanted to just sit back and rest on my laurels.
  
  I took a deep steadying breath to refocus myself and reminded myself once again to not become arrogant. I knew that all of my successes could easily be washed away if I didn't remain diligent. I shook my head and began waving politely to the crowd just like Giovanni did.
  
  Eventually, both Giovanni and I were at our positions, and we waited for the announcer to start the match. Unlike the match against Drake, I was completely calm. In my head, I treated this match as just another, slightly more intense, training session.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" The announcer finally calls out, and we both nodded our heads. "THEN LET'S COUNT DOWN TOGETHER!...THREE...TWO...ONE!" Giovanni and I threw our Pokémon out at the same time.
  
  "Rhydon, do your best."
  
  "Luna, give them a show!"
  
  Our two chosen Pokémon could not be more different. Giovanni's Rhydon landed with an audible thump as it let out a powerful bellow, showing off its power and strength. Conversely, Luna emerged gracefully with a cheerful wave towards the crowds.
  
  "Earthquake, Rhydon! Split the ground!" Giovanni ordered, wanting to start off strong. Rhydon gave out a grunt and stomped his feet repeatedly, causing a tremor of energy to erupt into a large crack in the ground that seemed to rush towards where Luna was.
  
  "Tank through it and Grass Knot, Luna!" Despite the ground shattering around her from the Earthquake, Luna stood firm as her eyes glowed green, summoning small tendrils of vines that wrapped around Rhydon's legs, causing it to trip over and plant its face into the ground.
  
  "Get close to it and Brick Break!" Despite this being a terrible idea in a serious fight, I nonetheless ordered Luna to get in close and start brawling. In the corner of my eye, I saw that Giovanni give me an odd look at the move, but Luna didn't even hesitate and began rushing towards the fallen Rhydon.
  
  "Get up and Dragon Rush, Rhydon!" Rhydon broke free from the vines and sprinted forwards while surrounding itself with a Dark Blue glow as draconic energy rapidly formed around it. Seeing the move, I just smirked and ordered Luna to continue her assault.
  
  The two Pokémon quickly collided together, but to the huge surprise of both Giovanni and the rest of the crowd, Luna came out almost completely unscathed by the attack and took advantage of Rhydon's surprise by landing a vicious chop to Rhydon's neck, causing it to stumble backwards.
  
  "WAIT, IT LOOKS LIKE JOHN'S CLEFABLE JUST CAME UP UNSCATHED?! DID THAT CLEFALBE JUST PUT UP A PROTECT SHIELD?!" The announcer shouted out curiously, but I ignored him and continued giving commands.
  
  "Drain Punch now, Luna!" Without allowing Rhydon to recover, Luna smashed a fist solidly into its face. Small particles of energy were extracted from the attack, healing up Luna from whatever damage it took from Rhydon's previous attacks. Giovanni eventually steadied himself and shouted out.
  
  "Hammer Arm, Rhydon! Don't let yourself lose to a Clefable at close-range!" Rhydon forced itself off the ground and slammed one of his arms powerfully into the side of Luna's head. But to both trainer and Pokémon's surprise once again, Luna shrugged off what was supposed to be a supereffective hit.
  
  "Drain Punch again!" As she was barely fazed by the attack, Luna was able to quickly drive her fist straight into Rhydon's stomach. Even more energy was drained away from Rhydon as Luna healed to full health once again.
  
  "...what is going on here?! Never mind, Rhydon, Dig and get away from that Clefable!" Giovanni ordered, slightly flummoxed and losing his signature cool. Rhydon quickly separated from Luna and dug its way into the ground, safe from the power of Luna's fists.
  
  It was still a mistake. There were many things I could do at the moment, but I decided to play it to the crowd and make things more exciting. "Luna, Belly Drum! Start setting up!"
  
  Making use of the space from Rhydon's retreat, Luna began beating her chest as she powered herself up and rapidly maxed out her attack. Her Belly Drum was a little sloppy but considering that I had only taught it to her in a few days in preparation for this match, it was good enough. I was certain that it was the right move though as I listened to the crowd scream in excitement; they loved the high-risk, high-reward battle style that they were seeing.
  
  On the other hand, Giovanni's eyes tightened in both surprise and alarm as he watched Luna setting up. He probably never thought that I would use a Clefable as a brawler like this. I shrugged inwardly; he was the one who told me to showboat a little!
  
  We both knew that he needed to think of something quickly before Luna became too strong to stop. If this was a proper battle, Giovanni was running the risk of having Luna being able to buff herself so much that she would be able to sweep through his team. However, I wouldn't have allowed that to happen since that would be boring for the crowd.
  
  "Rhydon, come out and keep your distance with Stone Edge!" No longer wanting to contest my buffed bruiser of a Clefable, Rhydon leapt up and emerged from the ground on the far side of the arena, almost as far away as possible from Luna, before beginning to hurl rocks towards Luna.
  
  "Luna, Rock Smash to break the rocks and get close!" In a very strange and unusual display of martial ability from what was basically a cute pink fairy-looking Pokémon, Luna continually bashed through the hail of rocks with her glowing fists, looking like an unstoppable pink juggernaut as she steadily made her way towards the Rhydon.
  
  "Earthquake as well, Rhydon!" Showing off its training, Rhydon also created a powerful Earthquake while continuously firing rocks at Luna. The addition of the Earthquake caused Luna to occasionally lose her balance as the arena cracked and shattered around her, causing her to be struck by rocks as she failed to break them in time.
  
  However, it was too late. Luna was now in striking distance for the finishing move.
  
  "GIGA IMPACT, LUNA! END IT!" Luna let out a melodic cry as she suddenly burst forwards, moving faster than anyone expected, surrounding herself with a purple and orange aura that seemed to disintegrate the incoming rocks as she charged past them.
  
  "BRACE AND PROTECT!" Giovanni tried, and Rhydon did try to get itself into a defensive stance, but it was too late. Luna smashed into it like a speeding comet, breaking past its hastily created Protect shield like it was nothing, and the force of the impact blasted Rhydon straight into the psychic shields of the arena.
  
  The maxed-out attack Giga Impact was too much for Rhydon to handle, despite its normally impressive defenses, and it slowly slid down the psychic barrier, unconscious.
  
  "ANNNND GIOVANNI'S RHYDON GOES DOWN TO WHAT WAS A VERY UNUSUAL BRAWLING CLEFABLE FROM ELITE JOHN!" The announcer called out amidst the cries of excitement from the audience, "I HAVE CERTAINLY NEVER SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT BEFORE! WHAT AN INTERESTING WAY OF FIGHTING FROM OUR ELITE FOUR MEMBER! GYM LEADER GIOVANNI NOW HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  Luna was cutely hopping and waving to the audience, looking nothing like the terrifying monster that just took out Giovanni's Rhydon in one hit. I was more than satisfied with her performance since we had only decided to practice fighting like this just for this show match. It was not every day that you saw a Rhydon get knocked out by a physical attack from a Clefable, and the crowd was eagerly lapping it up. I allowed her to bask in the limelight a while before I withdrew her.
  
  "I'm retiring my Clefable from the match!" I announced while looking at Giovanni, who just gave me a nod of understanding as he realized that I didn't intend to humiliate him by sweeping him with a Clefable. We both knew that I could.
  
  "AND ELITE JOHN HAS ALSO DECIDED TO RETIRE HIS CLEFABLE! WHAT A DISPLAY OF SPORTSMANSHIP!" The announcer declared, "BUT NOW BOTH TRAINERS HAVE 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  I didn't even have to think about it as I readied Klee's Premier Ball.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY FOR ROUND 2?!" We both nodded. "ANNNND BEGIN!"
  
  "Klee, do your best!"
  
  "Nidoqueen, it's your turn."
  
  Just like with Rhydon and Luna, there was a clear contrast between the powerful and intimidating Nidoqueen, and the seemingly innocent and weak Blissey. But unlike with Luna, I knew and predicted that this matchup would be absolutely terrible for Klee. Between Nidoqueen's Poison typing making her immune to Toxic stall, and Klee's horrible physical defenses, I knew that this was going to be an uphill battle.
  
  Which was exactly why I had sent out Klee in the first place; it would serve as excellent training.
  
  "Psychic, Klee! Keep your distance!" I knew that the only way for Klee to win this matchup was for her to constantly keep away from Nidoqueen while attacking with as many Special Attacks as possible to deter her from approaching.
  
  "Dig to avoid and get closer to it, Nidoqueen!" Nidoqueen rapidly dug into the ground and just narrowly avoided being blasted by Klee's Psychic. Normally, I would instantly respond with an Earthquake to do double damage to a digging Pokémon, which usually would be an instant knockout. But, with Klee's pitiful attack, I wasn't sure if Nidoqueen would even feel the attack coming, forcing me to be a bit more creative.
  
  "Reverse Gravity!" Klee shut her eyes in concentration as she began manipulating the surrounding gravity around herself. Demonstrating the sheer expertise in the move from hundreds of repeated uses when we were training, she surrounded herself with a pink glow and started to levitate herself into the air as she reversed the flow of gravity around herself, just in time to avoid Nidoqueen's Dig attack.
  
  The crowd gasped in surprise and shock as they watched as Klee floated just far enough above the ground so that Nidoqueen couldn't reach her. Giovanni was equally as surprised as the rest of the audience as he stood momentarily frozen, with mouth agape, as he witnessed the absurdity of a flying Blissey.
  
  Eventually, he shook himself out of his surprise and ordered, "Stone Edge, knock it out of the sky!"
  
  "Don't let the rocks fly with Gravity! Keep them down!" I instantly countered, and Klee suddenly heavily intensified the Gravity around the arena, causing Nidoqueen to buckle on her knees and making it so that Nidoqueen's geokinesis was utterly crushed by the sheer intensity of the Gravity.
  
  Seeing how futile it was to continue with this course of action, Giovanni switched tactics.
  
  "Dragon Pulse, Nidoqueen! Shoot her down!"
  
  "Light Screen, Klee!"
  
  Infuriatingly, for Giovanni at least, Klee easily created a screen of light that shimmered into existence in front of her which had no problem blocking the incoming Dragon Pulse. I gave out a smug grin towards Giovanni, who looked like he was getting increasingly frustrated at being unable to deal with Klee. Sure, I hadn't actually done any damage to Nidoqueen either, but I was definitely winning the mind games.
  
  Ah, the joys of having a fully trained Blissey.
  
  In full fairness to Giovanni, he wasn't one to let his actions be dictated by his anger or emotions like a lesser trainer would. He quickly reigned himself back in and calmly gave the next order.
  
  "Superpower. Launch yourself forwards, Nidoqueen."
  
  "PROTECT!"
  
  Quickly understanding what Nidoqueen was about to do, I urgently shouted out for Klee to form a Protect shield. But it wasn't enough. Nidoqueen was outlined in a light blue aura as she channelled energy into her arms and legs, before she leapt up like a rocket, seemingly ignoring the intense gravity trying to weigh her down and launched herself into Klee.
  
  Nidoqueen devastated past the Protect shield, which put up a good, but ultimately insufficient resistance, before she grabbed onto Klee with both arms and forcefully slammed her down into the ground as if she was trying to vent all of her previous frustrations with that one attack.
  
  The two of them crashed back down into the arena, and I knew that I had to get Klee away from Nidoqueen.
  
  "Klee, get up and Psychic, NOW! Get away from her!" Despite her injuries, Klee managed to fire a blast of supereffective Psychic energy that knocked Nidoqueen off of her and, using that tiny window of space, managed to scramble away on her pudgy little legs.
  
  "Brick Break, Nidoqueen! Don't let it get away and keep up the pressure!" Wanting to end the fight here and now, Nidoqueen recovered quickly, and her arms glowed brightly and threateningly as she chased after the escaping Klee.
  
  "Icy Wind, Klee! Slow her down and keep getting away!" Klee let out a breath of freezing winds that wrapped around Nidoqueen.
  
  "Break through it and Brick Break!" Frost crystals rapidly began to spread across Nidoqueen's body, but it wasn't enough to stop her advance as she continued to power through the Icy Wind. I could have ordered Klee to just cancel the attack and kept running, but I wasn't certain that I would have another opportunity like this to knock out Nidoqueen in the future. My win was guaranteed if I could just freeze Nidoqueen like this.
  
  Yet, it was definitely the safer and more sensible option to just run and continue stalling out the Nidoqueen with Klee's plethora of regeneration and defensive moves, but it was also a lot more boring to watch. So, I decided to play to the crowd and take a risk, keeping silent and allowing Klee to continue her attack.
  
  Thus, it was now a matter of seeing if Nidoqueen would freeze over first before reaching Klee, or if Nidoqueen could power through the freezing winds and knock out Klee with a supereffective blow.
  
  The audience watched with bated breath as Nidoqueen slowly closed the distance as she pushed forwards through the Icy Wind, her face lined with exhaustion as she struggled through each step. Yet her arms were glowing ever brighter; the channelled power clearly visible and radiating outwards from her claws.
  
  And Nidoqueen took another step forwards, one arm raised above her head.
  
  And then she suddenly kicked forwards, giving her just enough reach to land a devastating Brick Break that struck down critically on Klee's head. I knew it was over.
  
  Klee was unconscious before she even hit the ground. There was not even a need for a follow-up move.
  
  "OH! AND WE HAVE A ONE HIT KO FROM GIOVANNI'S NIDOQUEEN! WHAT A RIVETING AND NAIL-BITING PERFORMANCE FROM BOTH POKEMON! WHAT A SHOW OF DETERMINATION! BUT NOW, ELITE JOHN NOW HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON!" The announcer's voice boomed out, inciting a deafening cheer and applause from the audience. I could even make out a few of the louder voices from the crowd.
  
  "THAT WAS AMAZING!"
  
  "IT WAS SO CLOSE, I THOUGHT JOHN'S BLISSEY HAD IT THERE!"
  
  I smiled despite Klee's defeat. I was definitely going to find a recording of this video and show it to Klee later after she recovered; she would love to see just how happy she made people with her performance. I was confident that she wouldn't be upset by this defeat as we both knew going into this battle that it was supposed to be entertainment first. And what a performance she gave.
  
  Of course, I would not dare do something like this with my more serious Pokémon like Tyrant or Vordt, or else they would lose all their respect for me.
  
  "I'm retiring my Nidoqueen." Giovanni called out as he withdrew his Pokémon. I couldn't tell if he had done so out of sportsmanship, or if Nidoqueen was too frozen to fight whatever Pokémon I sent out next. I gave him the benefit of the doubt this time.
  
  "AND GYM LEADER GIOVANNI RETURNS THE SPORTSMANSHIP BY RETIRING HIS NIDOQUEEN AS WELL! WELL, FOLKS, IT LOOKS LIKE ITS DOWN TO THE FINAL SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THESE TWO TRAINERS, WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO WIN?!" The audience screamed and shouted once again, all of them calling out who they thought was going to win.
  
  As I took in the excitement and the atmosphere of the crowd, I suddenly had an idea. I gestured towards one of the Gym Trainers who were currently employed to help run the event, and when he approached, I asked if I could have a microphone to address the audience. The Gym Trainer gave me a curious look but didn't say anything as he went to fetch one.
  
  He quickly returned and passed me a microphone, and I walked into the center of the arena to address the audience, who gradually quieted down as they realized I was about to give a speech. I tapped the microphone a couple of times to make sure it was actually on before I began.
  
  "Before we begin the final round, I would just like to thank every single one of you who donated money to help those who had been injured in the attack and with the rebuilding of Olivine City. As someone who was there during the attack, I can say with utmost certainty that every single Pokédollar that you donate will be appreciated, and I hope that I am not being too presumptuous when I say that your donations will have made a difference." That got a huge applause from the audience.
  
  I gestured for Giovanni to come over as I continued, "However, I would be remiss if I did not thank Gym Leader Giovanni with coming up with and hosting this event. Giovanni is a paragon of what a model Gym Leader should strive to be, and his goodwill, hard work, and charitable intentions are all things we should strive to emulate! Please give a big round of applause for Gym Leader Giovanni!" This time, the cheers and applause from the audience threatened to break through the glass windows of the Gym as Giovanni received a standing ovation. It was so loud that I had to fight to keep a wince from showing on my face. But more importantly than that, I turned to Giovanni and studied his expression.
  
  As he basked in the applause and cheers of the audience, he was standing a little straighter and looked proud, and dare I say it, even happy, at the attention he was getting. That was good; I wanted him to remember that doing good things could grant you the love and adoration of the people. He didn't need to always lurk in the shadows with underhanded deals, he could get what he wanted just by using his now massively improved public reputation to legitimately get things done.
  
  As Giovanni bowed towards the audience, I hoped to have demonstrated to him that things had changed, and that he had no reason to turn to crime to get what he wanted. To the public, he was a hero in his own right, and there was no need to dirty his hands any further.
  
  As soon as Giovanni stood up from his bow, I passed him the microphone in case he wanted to say a few words. As I did so, he patted me twice on the shoulder, and I felt that was all that I needed to know that I did the right thing.
  
  "Thank you, John, for those very kind words. I hosted this event because John had told me about the horrific incident that happened in Olivine, and as any good Kantonian should, I stood up and decided that something must be done to help them. If Kanto is supposed to be joined in a union with Johto, then is this not the best time to prove our unity? To prove that Kanto will make the effort to support our friends in need? We may have had our differences, but Kanto will not standby and allow thugs to freely terrorise our great union!"
  
  He waited for the applause to die down before he continued, "Once again, thank you to all those who have donated towards such a common cause. For those of you who want to contribute, but do not have the funds to do so, please consider volunteering for the Viridian Public Works Venture. We have many public works projects that require more hard-working hands, and you will be fairly compensated for your efforts! Thank you to those who have contributed already! You have done your region proud." He bowed once again as the applause and cheers hit the roof. Before he went back to his spot, he gave me a subtle nod that I returned.
  
  We then both made our way back to our positions as the announcer said a few encouraging words as well. I ignored him and distractedly fidgeted with Klaus' Premier Ball. To be honest, I didn't really care at the moment if I won or lost the next round; seeing Giovanni's reactions had showed that I had already won.
  
  But, for Klaus' sake, I would give it my all.
  
  "TRAINERS! ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINAL ROUND?!" We nodded for the last time. "AND...BEGIN!"
  
  "Klaus, just like we practiced."
  
  "Nidoking, show them the power of the Viridian Gym!"
  
  For the first time, my Pokémon's entrance actually matched the majesty and grandeur of Giovanni's. Both Pokémon were clearly strong and powerful, and both were great representations of their respective trainers.
  
  "Agility, Klaus! Start circling it!" I began the battle as Klaus enveloped himself in a pink glow as he started picking up speed while continuously circling around the Nidoking, preventing it from landing an easy shot.
  
  "Toxic Spikes, Nidoking! Spread them out!" Understanding that I was trying to make use of Klaus' increasingly boosted speed to overwhelm Nidoking, Giovanni decided to limit the available space by scattering Toxic Spikes everywhere, threatening to inject their poisonous barbs into Klaus.
  
  As the available safe space on the ground steadily shrunk due to Nidoking, I decided that Klaus had done enough setting up.
  
  "Klaus, to the air and Psychic!" Using his old trick of creating Psychic platforms to leap into the sky, Klaus was able to jump from platform to platform while avoiding the Toxic Spikes on the ground and fire off repeated blasts of Psychic towards the Nidoking.
  
  "Stone Edge, Nidoking! Fire them and block those Psychic blasts!" Nidoking roared out and lifted large stones into the air and launched them at Klaus and into the path of the incoming Psychic blasts, forming a solid wall of stone that threatened to crash into Klaus.
  
  However, Nidoking clearly underestimated the power of Klaus' Psychic as that wall of stone shattered like glass as the powerful waves of Psychic energy ripped through them like they were barely an obstacle, before slamming supereffectively into a very surprised Nidoking and causing it to slide backwards from the impact.
  
  "Again, Klaus!"
  
  "Ice Beam, Nidoking! Target the platforms!"
  
  Nidoking recovered quickly and immediately fired off a very fast beam of Ice straight at the platform that Klaus was standing on, causing it to break and Klaus to fall out of the sky before he could fire off another Psychic.
  
  "MEGAHORN NOW, NIDOKING!"
  
  "Psyshield Bash, Klaus! Meet it head on!"
  
  Even after falling, fortunately not on any of the Toxic Spikes, Klaus managed to prop himself upright and channel Psychic energy into his horns just in time to block Nidoking's Megahorn. One horn met two antlers as the two Pokémon battled against each other in a competition of strength.
  
  Klaus' legs were buckling slightly, but he held firm and pushed back against Nidoking's assault, his horns now slowly glowing a brighter pink as Klaus continuously channelled a veritable tide of Psychic energy into it. On the other hand, Nidoking's horn slowly began to dim as he lacked the ability to continually channel Bug type energy into it.
  
  It was this difference in type familiarity and strength that decided the winner, as Klaus was more comfortable with using Psychic energy and had much greater reserves than Nidoking, allowing him to eventually overwhelm Nidoking and slam it backwards, leaving the Nidoking wide open to a follow up attack.
  
  "Psyshield Bash again, Klaus! Hit it as hard as you can!"
  
  "No! Prot-"
  
  But Giovanni was unable to finish giving his command before Klaus rushed forwards, using all of that stored up momentum from having to push back Nidoking, and smashed into Nidoking with as much force as he could muster, instantly folding Nidoking in two and sending it flying backwards towards the psychic barriers of the arena.
  
  "Psychic and finish it off!"
  
  Wanting to make sure that Nidoking was down for good, Klaus fired off another blast of Psychic that exploded on Nidoking mid-air, knocking it out into unconsciousness.
  
  "ANNND...THAT'S IT FOLKS! GIOVANNI'S NIDOKING HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT! MEANING THAT ELITE JOHN IS THE WINNER! FOR THOSE INTERESTED, PLEASE STICK AROUND FOR THE OTHER UPCOMING FIGHTS!"
  
  I waved and bowed to the crowd as they cheered my name and celebrated my victory while I made my way towards Giovanni.
  
  "It was a good match, Giovanni." I told him as we clasped hands together.
  
  "Yes, you fought well. Congratulations on your victory." He replied back, seemingly pleased despite his defeat. We made sure to smile for the cameras as our photos were taken. I was certain that our photo would end up on the headlines tomorrow.
  
  A.N. Another big chapter, and I really hope that the speech that John gave with Giovanni was good. I wanted to show some character development; that Giovanni was changing from the villain that we all know to someone with slightly more noble intentions, beginning to understand that he can get more done through 'good' means than evil ones, which John was trying to show him.
  
  Also, hoped you like the more unusual battle. John wasn't really trying that hard, but even while holding back there was very little chance that Giovanni's Nidoking was going to be able to beat John's Wyrdeer. It was heavily disadvantaged both in training and type matchup. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-6 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 4-6 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [GYM LEADER GIOVANNI OF VIRIDIAN CITY ANNOUNCES UPCOMING CHARITY SHOW MATCH AGAINST ELITE JOHN! ALL DONATIONS WILL GO TO THOSE INJURED AT OLIVINE AND THE REBUILDING OF THE PORT!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Just moments ago, Gym Leader Giovanni made the exciting and very much welcome announcement that he will be hosting a charity match to raise donations for those who have been injured by the dastardly attack by Team Rocket at Olivine City, and to help fund the necessary repairs of the historic trading port. The event will be hosted next week at Viridian City, and you can buy tickets right now!
  
  Gym Leader Giovanni has also promised his own contribution to this cause and has promised to give away free tickets to the event to a few lucky guests. In the press conference hosted by Giovanni, he had this to say:
  
  "...I could not sit back after I had seen the devastation and the heartbreak that had occurred in our great city of Olivine. The ports of Olivine are the lifeline between Kanto and Johto, and it is the duty of every good Kantonian to help repair and improve the future of our region. Thus, I quickly reached out to Elite John, who easily agreed to help out with this charity event. We both sincerely hope that those interested will donate their money towards a good cause."
  
  This is just another item in a long list of charitable actions that Gym Leader Giovanni has sponsored or proposed over the past few weeks. Already, his Viridian Public Works Venture has seen significant numbers of people join up. When questioned by our interviewers, many of these volunteers expressed their happiness and thankfulness to Gym Leader Giovanni for providing them with a stable income and productive work where they are also able to help out their communities.
  
  This writer finds it inspiring and remarkable that a Gym Leader and businessman like Giovanni is so willing and eager to sponsor charitable programs like this, and hopes that other leaders of Indigo will take note and emulate his heroic actions.
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Already bought the ticket as soon as I heard the announcement and thank Arceus that I did because these live tickets are running out quick! Honestly not sure how we're all going to fit inside the Viridian Gym, but I missed out on watching John's match against Drake live in Hoenn, and I'm definitely not going to miss this one!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hi all! In light of the recent explosion in popularity regarding Elite John, I've decided to set up an unofficial fanclub for him. You can find it here. Please check it out if you're interested, we'll be discussing and following events regarding Elite John, and we might even have giveaways and stuff to matches like this one!
  
  Of course, I bought my own ticket!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Also bought a ticket. Remember that if the tickets are sold out, you can still donate to the cause. People have been harmed by the foul terrorists of Team Rocket, and we should do our bit to ensure that they are well-compensated for their injuries!
  
  DragonPower
  
  ...but are the trainer's Dragon-type Pokémon going to receive compensation? I'm still donating on the off-chance that my money could be used to help a poor Dragon-type recover more quickly from their injuries and become a majestic beast once again.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Also bought a ticket! Excited to see a match against one of the more powerful Gym Leaders against a member of the Elite Four. Anyone have any predictions about how they'd match up?
  
  My money's still on Elite John, the guy beat Drake!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Definitely going to place my vote on Elite John here. Don't know much about Giovanni besides his reputation as a good Gym Leader, but yeah, John beat Drake. Not going to top that in my mind.
  
  And, do people remember John crushing all those mooks in Olivine? No way he's losing.
  
  FightClub
  
  We literally have a Fighting Gym here in Indigo and we chose to match the Normal guy against the Ground type Gym Leader? Whoever hosted this event clearly wasn't thinking.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  How are people receiving the compensation? Can anyone receive the compensation if they were injured in the event? Some of my friends were injured but they don't know how to receive it.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  If your friends were there and injured during the attack, their names should have been registered by the Indigo Police so that they could interview you and check on up you. Your friends should be on that list.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  FlyingHigh ...that's disappointing. I don't think my friends want to be on any kind of list, so thanks anyways.
  
  [AN EXCITING SHOW MATCH BETWEEN GYM LEADER GIOVANNI AND ELITE JOHN! ELITE JOHN WINS 3:2!] By BattleCast
  
  [Edited highlight video of the fight, speeches edited out] [Picture of Giovanni and John shaking hands at the end]
  
  Although we here at BattleCast don't usually focus on the political aspects of our fights, we feel like we should make an exception for this match and announce that the donations to charity from the show match have exceeded Giovanni's initial goals for the event. Thank you to all those who donated, we here at BattleCast are certain that it'll make a difference.
  
  But, returning to the battle itself, we got a very unusual match from Elite John! While it looks like Giovanni went with his expected team of a Rhydon, Nidoqueen, and Nidoking, Elite John seems to have chosen a much more uncommon trio of Clefable, Blissey, and Wyrdeer.
  
  And when we got to the battle itself, things got even weirder from our Elite Four member. We saw a Belly Drum punching Clefable, who somehow hit hard enough to knock out Giovanni's Rhydon! Then, even more crazily, we saw a flying Blissey by making use of Gravity to lift herself up into the air! This writer has certainly never seen something like that before, and even though Blissey did eventually lose to Giovanni's Nidoqueen in a nail-biting display of willpower, I think that memory of a flying Blissey will forever etch itself into the minds of many.
  
  Ultimately, Elite John proved himself to be the victor by showing off his famed Wyrdeer, battering aside Giovanni's Nidoking with practiced ease. Perhaps this was why he chose to hold back on his more powerful Pokémon to make the match fairer between the two of them. This writer certainly isn't going to complain; the match was plenty interesting enough!
  
  We here at BattleCast will be releasing a more detailed analysis of their fight soon, so please stay tuned for that, dear readers!
  
  Comments
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I was hoping to see some more cool and badass moments from John's team, but all we got was his Clefable and Blissey. I thought they were pretty weak stuff at first, but then Clefable Giga-Impacted Rhydon into the wall and I thought that was the coolest thing I've ever seen.
  
  Flying Blissey was cool too, though she lost. Then Wyrdeer came up and destroyed Nidoking. Was still one of the COOLER matches between Gym Leader and Elite Four.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WOOOOOOOO John won! As expected, but he won with STYLE!
  
  FutureAce
  
  SlugmaBalls It was WAYYYYY cooler if you were actually there at the event. Everyone was so hyped and stuff; it was great! And then John and Giovanni gave these really inspirational speeches and it really fired everyone up. They are such cool people!
  
  Yeah, it was no John v Drake, but ARCEUS was it still COOOOOOOL! Never thought I would see a Clefable actually dominate a match before!
  
  FightClub
  
  I don't know what John was thinking trying to get his weak Clefable to imitate what its Fighting type betters are able to do so easily. If he wanted to get a Pokémon that could throw hands, why not choose an actually good Pokémon?
  
  And what's worse, can't believe Giovanni actually lost to that weak thing. Really shaking my head at the weakness of our current Gym Leaders. I TOLD YOU ALL we should have gotten Gym Leader Chuck to fight.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I was VERY surprised to see Clefable beating down on Rhydon. I have absolutely no idea how she managed to do that after tanking what should have been one very powerful Dragon Rush and a supereffective Hammer Arm.
  
  If you look at the video, it really looks like Clefable just shrugs off both attacks! Did it form a Protect shield like the commentator said?! Very confused.
  
  EDIT: Got too absorbed into the battle, but huge props to both of them for stepping up and continuing their charitable efforts. These two are becoming real heroes nowadays!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  TangelaThoughts It was probably just from very good training from John. He was good enough to train his Normal types, Pokémon that are seen as traditionally average, to beat Drake's combination of powerful Water types and Dragons. I don't think seeing his Clefable being able to shrug off two attacks like that is a big surprise.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Yeah, I agree with FearTheRat, definitely just some good training on John's part. Or probably some kind of defensive move that we just didn't see. Or even maybe just bad execution on Giovanni's part.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Thanks to everyone who donated! Hope that the League can rebuild Olivine Port to be even bigger and better than it used to be! Big thanks to Gym Leader Giovanni for hosting everything! What a great Gym Leader!
  
  [ELITE JOHN MAKES HUGE NEW DISCOVERY ABOUT POKEMON FORMS? NEW WAY OF CREATING NEW POKEMON?!] By The Indigo Post
  
  A new scientific paper has just been released by our beloved Elite John! In it, he described how he had worked with Agatha's apprentice, Karen, to carefully create a new, previously undiscovered form for a Zigzagoon that is Dark/Normal type! This has been verified by a team of scientists who have checked up on the now named 'D-Zigzagoon', and they confirm that it is a truly genuine new form of Pokémon with no defects or abnormal mutations.
  
  Previously, we had all thought that the common consensus was that Pokémon could have different forms and evolutions based on their gender, but we have never seen a completely different form like the way Elite John has presented.
  
  Elite John has repeatedly claimed, both in his article and in interviews, that he doubts that he has created a completely new form of Pokémon, but rather he has just rediscovered a form that has been either lost to time or from the war. He also insists that recognition should rightfully be shared with his research partner, Karen, who he says was instrumental in making the discovery. Gym Leader Norman from Hoenn's Petalburg City was also credited for providing the egg used in the experiment.
  
  More importantly, John has also frequently warned any aspiring scientists to please be careful when trying to replicate his methods. He cautioned those without the right scientific knowledge to not attempt the experiment and reminded everyone who wanted to experiment on their own to remember to have safety measures in place to not accidentally harm the Pokémon egg, and to perform frequent checks to ensure no lasting damage has been done.
  
  However, this writer is more than excited to see what kinds of new Pokémon forms are going to be discovered through the use of Elite John's methods, which has now been colloquially coined as the "Parent, Intent, Type (PIT) Technique". With John's method being verified by scientists from all over Indigo, this writer hopes that we can see a boom of new Pokémon discoveries in the near future!
  
  Comments
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  I have read through John's published article, and I can say that despite how crude and haphazard John's process was, he seemed to have lucked out with this admittedly fascinating discovery. This will open up new horizons for the discovery of new Pokémon! I cannot even begin to imagine what kind of discoveries would make now that actual professionals will be doing the researching.
  
  Leave the intellectual work to us and stick to battling.
  
  VeryBalanced (Verified POG)
  
  I would like to take this time to thank Elite John for crediting me with providing the egg, though I saw it as an unnecessary display of thanks. However, I would also like to repeat the same warning that I told John when he first informed me of his plans to infuse the egg with Dark energy.
  
  Please be careful - make sure the egg is safe after each infusion and take things slowly, do not get overly excited and infuse too much energy in one instance. It may end poorly for you and the Pokémon within the egg. Please stay cautious, thank you.
  
  DragonLady (Verified POG)
  
  The Blackthorn Clan are looking to hire some scientists to work and explore the PIT Technique on various Dragon eggs. Rest assured that all safety protocols will be scrutinizingly followed to ensure no harm comes to these valuable eggs.
  
  If you would like to apply, please click here. We would like to also extend our thanks to Elite John for discovering this technique and wish him the best on any future experiments he may embark on.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WHAT A THING TO READ IN THE MORNING! Was John doing all this while also trying to settle into the Elite Four AND fighting against all those people?! He's built different for sure.
  
  FightClub
  
  So, the guy has finally discovered something useful after all. Why aren't the scientists immediately infusing every egg they find with Fighting type energy? Imagine something like a Fighting type Donphan or something! Would probably be the most used Pokémon ever!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  As my username implies, I really hope we don't discover even MORE Water types. I don't hate Water types, but we already have enough, don't we?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I'm just really excited to see how this is going to affect the battling scene. Will there be a huge boom of discoveries forcing everyone to adapt to new Pokémon quickly? Very interested to see how this goes.
  
  [INDIGO LEAGUE WARNS: DO NOT ATTEMPT THE PIT TECHNIQUE UNLESS YOU ARE A QUALIFIED EXPERT OPERATING UNDER STRINGENT SAFETY PROCEDURES!] by The Indigo Post
  
  The Indigo League has just issued a warning and a ban against any and all trainer and scientists who attempt to make use of the PIT Technique without the necessary safety procedures in place. The Indigo League have also announced that the technique must only be performed in certain pre-approved research facilities that have been verified by them. Anyone caught doing so illegally will be subjected to a heavy fine and possible imprisonment time.
  
  This new policy was created after there has been widespread tragedy regarding amateur and ultimately reckless attempts at the PIT Technique without following safety protocols. Reports indicated that an estimated three hundred Pokémon eggs have been irreversibly damaged or destroyed by individuals who have improperly attempted the experiment.
  
  The Indigo League spokesperson had this to say when asked about why they were implementing such a policy:
  
  "It is the unfortunate reality that, with every new discovery, many will believe themselves the next one to find the next big thing. With John's discovery of the new D-Zigzagoon, and sharing how he had done so, this had unsurprisingly caused many to try their hand in hopes of discovering a new form of Pokémon in their own right. However, most of these attempts were not done by professionals, but by overeager trainers who hope to get famous off of a lucky break, and inadvertently damage or even destroy their eggs when they push too hard and don't get lucky. This policy is to target those reckless trainers, in hopes of ensuring that more eggs don't get damaged in the future."
  
  When they were asked if Elite John was to blame, the spokesperson had this to say. "While Champion Pryce has not commented on this issue, I can say that the committee have mostly been supportive of Elite John and do not blame him for this turn of events. They refer to the fact that John has given numerous warnings, and yet the people still did not heed them. Thus, the committee hopes that this new policy will serve to discourage future trainers from experimenting like this on their own."
  
  We at the Indigo Post share our hopes that future trainers will not carelessly experiment on their Pokémon eggs and sincerely hopes that our readers will absorb this message and spread it on our behalf. If you would like to see which facilities have been verified and approved by the League to undergo these experiments, click here.
  
  Comments
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  I hope none of you fools were dumb enough to experiment on your Pokémon eggs. Who am I kidding? Of course, you were. And you probably broke your egg while doing so too. Idiots. This is why I said to leave it to the professionals. You can't all get lucky like John did.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  OMA I'm so glad that my friend got me to stop before I could accidentally harm my Meowth egg. I was trying to infuse it with Dark energy because I've always said that cats were evil and wanted to do it as a joke. But I never knew they could harm the egg like that! OMA!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Gardevoir34 You're very lucky that your friend isn't nearly as foolish as you were. Experimenting on a Meowth egg and infusing it with Dark energy just because you thought they were evil is beyond idiotic.
  
  AttractIsNotConsent
  
  WHY ARE PEOPLE NOT POINTING FINGERS AT JOHN FOR CAUSING ALL THIS?! Pokémon have died just because he wanted to publish his 'theories' to make himself more famous! I don't know why you're all so willing to forgive him for causing so many deaths! He's a murderer!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  AttractIsNotConsentI can feel my IQ dropping to the level of a Slowpoke the more that you type, so I will only deign to respond to you just the once. It is the DUTY of every reasonable citizen to share their scientific knowledge to the wider world for the greater good. To hide it is to withhold progress from society, and that is a far greater crime than all of these deaths combined.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Ok, I'm not about to support what ResearchMagnet just said, because honestly that's an inhumane perspective, but I also am not about to cast blame onto Elite John just for publishing his article as he did.
  
  He gave ample warnings; many just chose to ignore them. The way I see it, it may actually be the responsibility of the League for not implementing this proposal sooner to prevent such tragedies from happening in the first place.
  
  [THE NEW LEAGUE CIRCUIT IS STARTING! HAS EVERYONE PACKED THEIR BAGS AND RECEIVED THEIR POKEMON!?] by The Indigo Post
  
  It is that time of the year again to celebrate the restarting of the League Circuit! Trainers above the age of 11 may register as trainers at their nearest Pokécenter to enter into this year's circuit.
  
  Please remember that certain Gym Leaders only accept challengers that have a certain number of badges or above. Please double check that you meet those requirements before issuing a challenge to those Gyms as to not waste time. For any returning trainers from previous circuits, those requirements and Gyms have not changed for the upcoming circuit.
  
  As always, the recommended traditional routes regarding the Gyms of Kanto and Johto are as follows:
  
  [Graphic to show the order of Gyms that the Gyms should be challenged in for Kanto and Johto respectively, which are the same as the games]
  
  A reminder for anyone who has yet to receive a Pokémon, but who would like to enter into the circuit, to apply to your nearest Pokémon laboratory or Gym to receive a starter Pokémon! Your starter Pokémon selections may vary based on which Gym you choose to visit, so decide wisely!
  
  As always, please treat your fellow trainers with dignity and respect, and to report any signs of improper and/or abusive behaviour from any trainer towards their Pokémon. Thank you! And we wish to see you the best among you at the Indigo Conference!
  
  Comments
  
  TheRealBoss (Verified POG)
  
  As the final Gym of the Kanto Circuit, I would like to remind any prospective challengers on behalf of myself and Gym Leader Clair that receiving your final 8th badge is both an achievement, and a responsibility. Receiving your 8th badge means that you are technically qualified to join the upper ranks of the Indigo League, and thus you will be held to a much higher standard than others.
  
  Please ensure that you are content with these heavier responsibilities before you make the challenge.
  
  DragonLady (Verified POG)
  
  Following on from Gym Leader Giovanni's statement, the 8th badge challenge is always the most stringent and toughest to collect out of all of the badges. Therefore, please do not feel discouraged if it takes multiple tries before you can earn your 8th badge.
  
  It is MEANT to be tough. It is MEANT to challenge you. It is MEANT to prove to the Indigo League and the wider world that you have what it takes to win the Indigo Conference and make it into the upper echelons of the Indigo League.
  
  So, prove to us that you can take those defeats and power through. We will be waiting.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I always get so excited every time a new circuit rolls around! I've spent the entire off-circuit training up my Pokémon, and I'm definitely going to get my 8th badge this time around, just you wait!
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  WE LOVE YOU GIOVANNI! 3 3 YOU'RE THE GREATEST GYM LEADER IN KANTO! CAN'T WAIT TO FIGHT AGAINST YOU FOR MY 8TH BADGE!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  With all of the changes happening in the leadership of the Indigo League, I hope that it won't have a direct impact on the circuit. However, so long as the Gym Leaders aren't affected, there should be no problems.
  
  The start of the circuit is going to be wild with Lance vs Pryce battling for the title of Champion.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  OH man, I can't wait for the Indigo Conference from this year's circuit. With all those changes up top in the League, we're bound to see some interesting people entering the conference for a chance to make it into the Elite Four or even as Champion. That's going to be SICK!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Mannnnn I wish we had some cool action like that in Hoenn, but I guess we don't have all that political infighting that you guys have. Wallace is pretty cool, and I would like him to stay.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Wishing everyone luck! Hope to see you at the Indigo Conference! Hope a Johtonian wins this time!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Wishing everyone luck! Hope to see you at the Indigo Conference! Hope a Kantonian wins again!
  
  EDIT: Lost to a Johtonian because Kanto has poorer connection speed, just another example of how Kantonians are structurally disadvantaged because of our poor infrastructure.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  KantoRepresent Cope and seethe.
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  ...Wait the circuit is starting already?! Where did all the time go?
  
  A.N. A short timeskip as events unfold. Just to remind everyone that we won't be seeing any Fakemons. The 'PIT Technique' only works if there is a canon alternate form and a) that pokemon's parent is the right type, b) you are infusing the right type of energy, c) if the alternate form has different emotions/personality to the original, that emotion needs to be infused too.
  
  Also, as I mentioned in the comments, regarding the Fairy type reveal, it'll come later. The use of Luna against Giovanni wasn't distinct enough to warrant a huge amount of suspicion, but perhaps a more distinct fight would...
  
  And yes, the circuit is starting! Meaning that Whitney is finally going to go on her journey with her way-too-powerful Miltank. Whoops!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-6 - Interlude -Shelly
  The New Normal - 4-6 - Interlude - Shelly
  
  Despite the hints that John gave her that he was working on a scientific experiment regarding Pokémon eggs, Shelly was still taken aback at WHAT John had truly been working on. The idea that there were still hidden, undiscovered forms of Pokémon that were just waiting to be discovered lit a fire under her, as well as almost every other scientist around the world.
  
  Though it was tragic that many amateurs tried to recklessly replicate John's successes, only to be met with disaster and misfortune. Hopefully, now that there were new rules in place to prevent such reckless experimentation from taking place, she hoped that it should prevent many future tragedies from occurring.
  
  Fortunately for her, she was in a position where she was able to continue her experiment under League-approved conditions.
  
  She had sent a request to Mr. Stone asking for the expansion and construction of new facilities that would allow her a place to perform the experiment as per League-approved guidelines, and Mr. Stone was quick to accept and even provided the funds to do so. Construction should hopefully be underway shortly!
  
  Despite the massive popularity of John's new experiment, she did not feel jealous of his luck or scientific successes. After speaking with John a few times in person, she saw that he was someone who was able to see things differently, able to connect dots that other people couldn't see or realize needed to be connected. It was a commendable ability, and something that Shelly would always admire.
  
  Besides, she still considered herself blessed that she was able to be working on the Porygon project, despite not being at the joint-research facility. To her, it was getting the best of both worlds. She was allowed to explore new scenery and Pokémon while not feeling so stifled by the overly familiar Hoenn environment, and at the same time be able to work towards discovering more about Porygon and its potential evolution and uses.
  
  As a Pokémon made of pure data, many foresaw that Porygon, if it could be mass produced, would have many applications in cyber-security and cyber-warfare, as well as just the general maintenance and organisation of data. That was mostly outside her expertise, as she was more interested and knowledgeable about developing Porygon as a Pokémon and as a battler.
  
  Suddenly, her computer pinged as she received an email in her private email account. Shelly frowned as she went and read the very familiar email and its repeated proposition.
  
  She remembered receiving the first email from this mysterious sender a while ago. It was a simple email, detailing how they wanted to better the world and how they needed a scientist to help them with their goals. It was a slightly unusual job offer, with a more lucrative salary than the one she got from Devon Corp, but Shelly's scepticism won out, and she politely declined it.
  
  But then more emails started coming, but this time they weren't job offers. They were just simple emails asking for her professional opinion on certain topics, mostly revolving around how to improve the world. One common topic was about how to reverse the damage done by humankind onto the environment. It was an enlightening back-and-forth, and Shelly admitted to herself that she enjoyed the intellectual discussions over email, despite not knowing who exactly she was speaking to. Slowly, her scepticism began fading away.
  
  They never moved away from intellectual topics, though the other person often mentioned how freeing it was to explore the world and see more of it. They claimed that, in order to properly understand the damage that humans were causing to the world, one needed to see it with their own eyes. At the time, Shelly partially agreed; she WAS feeling stifled in Hoenn and would have welcomed a break from the region.
  
  But then she had a lucky break and was sent over to Indigo to as manager of the Viridian Branch office, both giving her a promotion and her wish to work in a different environment. That was exactly what she had wanted, and she very much enjoyed handling all of the new responsibilities and duties that she had been given.
  
  And then she became the first point of contact with John and his Porygon. That, in turn, bolstered her influence within the Porygon project and she became an important researcher of the project. THAT had reignited her scientific mind and she threw herself headfirst into the work and project, becoming too busy to even think about the notion about exploring the world and her mysterious online conversation partner.
  
  So, to see another email from this mystery person brought up weird feelings. According to their most recent email, they were beginning to start a very important scientific project, and this was the last chance to join. They never specified what it was doing, citing security concerns, but they promised that it would be extremely intellectually stimulating. Of course, a hefty salary was included.
  
  If Shelly had been stuck as one of many simple project managers in Hoenn, she may have accepted the offer. She could see herself as being too stifled by the mundanity of her job and might have taken the risk and jumped onto this new and exciting opportunity.
  
  But now, with her new responsibilities and projects in Kanto, she couldn't see herself leaving her job. She enjoyed it, and it fulfilled her. She saw no reason to give up such a wonderful opportunity for the unknown.
  
  And so, without needing to think deeply, she wrote an email declining the invitation, and returned to her work on figuring out how to evolve a Porygon.
  
  A.N. A Shelly Interlude showing that she's been spared from making the bad decision of joining up with Team Aqua! Just wanted to show that she's on a different life path now. So now, she'll just have to be satisfied with her high paying respected science job at Devon Corp! Oh no!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-7 - A New Journey
  
  Perhaps unsurprisingly, the charity match against Giovanni was very well received by both the public and by the other leaders of Indigo. I was obviously very pleased by the outcome of the match, both with the victory and with the positive feedback that we got from it. We had raised more money than both of us expected, and we made a very public donation to Olivine with the big fake cheque and all. It was very good for PR.
  
  Although the thing that made me very pleased was seeing just how elated Giovanni was after we met up to speak after the battle. He hinted that the charity match has led him to reconsider a few things about his operations in the future, and once again thanked me for 'opening his eyes to other possibilities', as he said. Also, with his recent success, I asked if he wanted to be in the posters that we had for the family business, and he agreed for a cut of the profits and if he could take his own photographs. We easily accepted.
  
  We were aiming to milk his recent popularity and roll out Giovanni's posters as quickly as possible while he was still trending.
  
  I truly wished that he meant what I thought he did and that he was going to start turning over a new leaf. Oh, Giovanni would probably still be a manipulative and scheming man, that was always his nature, but hopefully he would now be a more heroically inclined one.
  
  The charity match and the discussions that came out from it dominated the headlines for a few days, and was still received sporadic mentions even now, a good two weeks later. The Viridian Gym was now known far and wide as THE Kanto Gym, and had gained a reputation for being a strict, but fair and charitable Gym that perfectly exemplified the best qualities of a Gym. Giovanni as well got a lot of credit, both for his charitable management of the Gym on top of his respectable personal strength, which I'm sure pleased him greatly. I idly wondered how many more challengers he would receive when the circuit finally started up again with his boosted reputation.
  
  Of course, the other incident that took up most of the headlines for the past 2 weeks was about my so-called 'PIT Technique'. Scientists and sceptics had made their way over to 'check over' my process, but fortunately for me they were quick to approve and verify my results.
  
  As I sadly expected, many had tried to attempt to replicate my actions with their own eggs to try to create or discover a new Pokémon, only to be met with failure and tragedy in a large majority of cases. This forced the Indigo League to actually have to react and pass a new policy to ban all non-authorised experimentation, which did succeed in preventing more future damage or deaths towards the Pokémon eggs.
  
  Still, that meant that hundreds of thousands of Pokédollars were now being funnelled into scientific research, which I approved of.
  
  Interestingly, Lance did actually message me on behalf of the Blackthorns and asked if I had any ideas about any kind of alternate forms for Dragons, but I simply said that I didn't know anything at the moment, nor was I working on 'discovering' other Pokémon using this method either for the time being. Giovanni also asked about it as well, but only on behalf of Ariana, who said was interested to doing some research with me if I wanted to. I told him I would consider it.
  
  I even got thanked by Agatha for allowing her apprentice to participate in the experiment, and for allowing Karen a foot in the door of the scientific community. Sure, Karen's participation in the experiment was seen by the public as a footnote to my success, but it still put her name in the spotlight. Agatha promised to pay me back in some way in the future if I continued to develop Karen's scientific credentials, which I was happy to hear and do.
  
  In the meanwhile, I was glad to at least avoid much of the blame for the sheer number of failed experiments and lost Pokémon eggs, with the Indigo League suffering some of the blame for failing to implement these new laws in time. On the other hand, I still got a few angry letters from people about how my experiment caused them to lose their precious egg or what not, but I was mostly able to just ignore and dispose of them since I knew I wasn't responsible for their recklessness.
  
  On a happier note, I knew that the next week was going to be full of excitement and surprises, with both the circuit starting up and Lance's battle against Pryce happening at the end of the week. Poor Whitney was a mess as she spent her remaining time at home in an almost crazed mix of both anticipation about the journey ahead and sadness at the thought of leaving home for such a long period of time.
  
  I frequently reassured her that she could call home anytime that she'd like, and I would even visit her sometimes during her journey if I had free time to do so.
  
  My parents were equally as worried as my sister, though they were able to hide it a lot better. Also, the fact that I had went through my journey beforehand and turned out so successful somewhat eased their worry, although that would never fully alleviate their concerns. I was able to reassure them all that Whitney's Miltank was sufficiently strong enough to serve as a guardian and protector, so Whitney should be safe from harm.
  
  My father was still a bit unwilling to send his 'baby girl' out on her own, but he eventually acquiesced as he realized that forcing Whitney to stay at home would be a huge waste of her potential. My parents weren't great trainers, but even they could see that Whitney had the potential of becoming something great.
  
  Nevertheless, Whitney roped me into spending much of our remaining time together making sure that she was ready for her journey. However, instead of more training like she expected, I actually spent more time with her going over some of the tips that I learnt while I was on my journey.
  
  I spoke about how you should always pack more food than you think you need, and how to properly plan your journey so you don't end up stuck in a cave for too long. I explained the need to leave a Pokémon on sentry duty if you're in hostile territory with plenty of aggressive wild Pokémon.
  
  I also warned her about stranger danger, since I wasn't exactly sure if my parents had gone through this with her or not, and told her to be friendly, but wary, of any strangers. I also told her to immediately report any suspicious activity to the Indigo Police, and to drop my name if you have to. I made sure that fact was properly ingrained into her head by the time she left on her journey; her safety was my number one priority.
  
  More jokingly, I told her that she should probably warn a few of her earlier Gym Leaders about how strong her Miltank just so she didn't accidentally harm their Gym Pokémon. She gave me a cherubic smile at that.
  
  Then we moved onto the more practical demonstrations, and I had her repeatedly demonstrate to me that she knew how to set up a tent and cook food. Eventually, I was satisfied that she knew what she was doing and would be able to make it through her journey and the circuit safely.
  
  Truthfully, I considered getting a protection detail for Whitney, but ultimately thought that protection was probably overkill and would be far too stifling, especially after Giovanni informed me that his sources were saying that Team Rocket had been all but expunged from Indigo. I didn't know what they were up to in Hoenn, but they seemed to be lying low for the moment, meaning that I wasn't too concerned about Whitney being in danger from them.
  
  With any extra time we had left between those 'survival skill' training sessions, I focused on having Whitney train with her Whismur. I noticed that she was starting to make the overly common newbie mistake of focusing too heavily on her starter, so I wanted to correct that before it became a bigger problem. I also made sure to remind her to be careful with new captures, and ensure that any new addition to her team would actually fit in. She nodded, but I wasn't exactly sure if she really understood.
  
  Now that Whismur was far less shy than she first was when I first found her in Hoenn, I got Whitney to work with her to train her sound attacks, practicing with attacks such as Echoed Voice, Disarming Voice, and eventually, Uproar. The latter was still very much a work-in-progress, but I was at least satisfied that Whismur would be more than capable of handling a 1st badge battle.
  
  I even told Whitney that if she wanted a challenge to try to have Whismur fight the first gym by herself, and to only use Miltank as a backup. Her Miltank was far too strong anyways.
  
  And so, the days flew by, until it was almost time for Whitney to set off for her journey, but I had a final challenge for her to overcome before she could start her circuit.
  
  (Whitney POV)
  
  Whitney marched out nervously into the fields with her Miltank and Whismur. Apparently, John said that he had something he wanted to do with her before she left on her circuit tomorrow. He wouldn't say anymore though, and Whitney was left nervous and confused about what it was.
  
  As she arrived, she saw that John was standing there idly in the clearing. She couldn't see any of his or Karen's Pokémon around, which was very unusual. Normally, she would find the two of them training with each other if John wasn't focused on her.
  
  The lack of Pokémon only served to make her more nervous though, and she carefully made her way to where her brother was standing.
  
  "It's a shame that I don't have a piano for this." She heard him mutter as she got close, then he suddenly turned around and she felt the air get colder as he faced her down.
  
  "I hope you've been keeping well Whitney." He started, and she was confused for a moment before she saw him draw two Premier Balls from his belt. "On your journey, you and your Pokémon will need to overcome the many challenges that you will face, however difficult. You will need to battle against your own personal weaknesses too, and triumph over them. You will need to learn to make use of your Pokémon's power, and how to wrangle it to your benefit. But that's enough talk. Let's get on to why you're here. Tomorrow, you will head off on your journey, but not before you show me everything that you've learnt so far."
  
  As she listened to John, she grew increasingly wary and instinctively took a step back while her Miltank stepped in front of her protectively. Miltank began growling as she felt the familiar aura of battle that was radiating out of her brother.
  
  "Come, sister, and show me your determination!" Her brother declared while throwing out two Premier balls, revealing his Porygon and his D-Zigzagoon.
  
  Before she could properly react, she saw his D-Zigzagoon bounding straight for her Whismur. Miltank quickly tried to get in the way and block him, but a Thunderbolt from his Porygon cut her off.
  
  "You need to react quicker than that, sister!" Her brother taunted, before he gave new commands to his Pokémon.
  
  "Tackle and get close to her Whismur, Ornstein!" "Keep your distance and Thunderbolt, Pixel!"
  
  Whitney quickly snapped out of her confusion as she watched her Whismur falling backwards, panicking slightly, but not completely lost yet. Fine. If her brother wanted to test her like this, then she would show him what she could do.
  
  "Whismur, Pound that Zigzagoon! You're stronger than him! Don't be scared!" "Miltank, you need to get close to Porygon and knock it out!"
  
  Miltank roared out and charged at the Porygon, but her brother just smirked.
  
  "It's not going to be that easy, Whitney! Pixel, Magnet Rise!"
  
  Her Miltank just barely missed reaching his Porygon and was forced to watch helplessly as it floated out of range of her devastating strikes. She needed to change tactics.
  
  "Rock throw, Miltank! Knock it out of the sky!" She ordered, and Miltank quickly hurled a huge slab of rock at Porygon, but it was easily dodged.
  
  "Thunderbolt her Whismur now, Pixel!" Whitney rapidly turned around in alarm as she remembered that her Whismur was busy fighting his D-Zigzagoon too, only to see her Whismur getting struck by a strong Thunderbolt before a follow-up Tackle from his D-Zigzagoon finished off her Whismur.
  
  "You weren't properly keeping track of things, Whitney." Her brother admonished, less softly than he usually did. She almost let out a growl of frustration at herself for forgetting about her Whismur and promised to make it up to her later.
  
  "Thunder Wave, Pixel!" Whitney almost let out one of those curses her brother and Karen often use when they thought she couldn't hear them; she was letting herself get distracted again even when she had just told herself not to be!
  
  "Rollout and dodge it, Miltank! Focus down his Zigzagoon!" She commanded.
  
  Luckily, her training with her Miltank paid off as she was able to quickly curl up into a ball and dodge to the side, avoiding the Thunder Wave entirely. Her Miltank then continually rolled around the battlefield and chased after the D-Zigzagoon, slowly catching up to him.
  
  "Keep running, Ornstein!" "Thunderbolt her, Pixel!" John tried to use Pixel's Thunderbolt to disrupt her Miltank's Rollout, but she proved far too manoeuvrable for Pixel's Thunderbolts to catch up with and was now in striking distance of his D-Zigzagoon.
  
  "Body Press him, Miltank!"
  
  "That's enough! Return, Ornstein."
  
  Before her Miltank was able to crush his D-Zigzagoon with a supereffective Body Press, John quickly withdrew his Pokémon from the field. Whitney gave a questioning look to her brother before it turned sheepish at the stern expression that John had.
  
  "Whitney, I warned you about how powerful your Miltank was. If that move had successfully landed on my newly hatched Ornstein, you might have done some serious damage to him. Others may not have the reaction time or the awareness to withdraw their Pokémon like I did; you have to keep this in mind during your journey." He reminded her sternly, and all she could do was nod sheepishly.
  
  "I will." She promised, and he gave her a scrutinising look before he nodded.
  
  "Good, then let's return to the fight. Thunderbolt NOW, Pixel!" Before both herself and Miltank could respond, his Porygon landed a direct hit with his Thunderbolt.
  
  "Hey, that's cheating! I wasn't ready!" She complained, scowling at her brother. But John simply shrugged dismissively.
  
  "Some people won't fight fair against you, Whitney." He lectured solemnly, totally pretending to not be the cheater that he was, "Not everyone will play by the rules. Some trainers will do everything they can to win, even using underhanded methods like cheating. You need to be ready for them."
  
  She gave him a dubious nod and then returned to giving commands. "Miltank, keep dodging the Thunderbolts with Rollout! We need to wear it down!"
  
  Miltank obeyed and started rolling around the field in a random manner that managed to avoid Porygon's attacks. Whitney frowned as she realized a critical weakness of her team, she seriously lacked any ranged options to knock down flying targets that were out of reach of her Miltank.
  
  She also realized that that was probably why John chose to fight this way; he wanted her to think of how she would counter this method.
  
  She locked her eyes onto John's Porygon, trying to spot any potential weaknesses that she could exploit. She furrowed her brow as she stared hard, and eventually, she spotted something. His Porygon would temporarily slow down when trying to fire off a Thunderbolt and seemed to need to take some time to recover after every attack.
  
  She could use this! "Miltank, you have to endure past the Thunderbolts and just Rock Throw!"
  
  Her Miltank gave a Moo of approval and transitioned out of her Rollout as she suddenly stood still in the open. And, just as Whitney hoped, Porygon took the bait and decided to strike with what it thought was an easy Thunderbolt onto Miltank, but then this inadvertently exposed itself by being too slow to dodge the incoming boulder that was being hurled its way.
  
  Whitney let out a small cheer as she finally saw Porygon be knocked out of the sky as the boulder smashed into it; and she missed the smile that John was directing her way. She was about to order Miltank to finish off the Porygon but John cut in before she could.
  
  "I withdraw my Porygon." He announced, looking pleased. He patted his Premier Ball for a moment before turning to face her. "You did well. I'm sure you realized by now that your team is weak against Pokémon that can fly out of range of your Miltank. You should probably think of ways to counter that, either with specific moves or by catching other Flyers to deal with them."
  
  "Yeah, I get it, bro. Thanks." She said idly, as she went to hug her Miltank and congratulate her on a job well-done. John seemed to let her indulge herself for a few moments before he interrupted her with a cough.
  
  "I'm glad to see you celebrating your victory, Whitney, but we're not done yet." He replied with a sad smile, which felt ominous to Whitney. "I have one more test for you. I'm sorry to have to do this, but this might be your most important lesson yet. Are you ready?"
  
  She looked to Miltank and received a firm nod in return, and she did the same to John. John smile then suddenly turned wrong, and without any more warning, he sent out his Pokémon.
  
  "SLAKINGGGG!" His mighty Slaking roared out as he emerged from the Premier Ball in all of its glory. As Tyrant lowered his gaze onto Whitney, it was like she couldn't breathe. The air felt heavy, every single instinct of hers was telling to run away, but no matter how much she willed her limbs to move, they refused to.
  
  Then, suddenly, Tyrant charged straight towards her Miltank faster than the two of them could react and backhanded her Miltank across the field and outside the fenced area where they had been training. Whitney remained frozen, both in panic and in despair.
  
  W-what was that?! What could she do against that?! Her brother must know that she had no chance of winning against his Tyrant, so why would he even send it out against her?!
  
  Without any commands, her Miltank charged at Tyrant in a futile attempt to try and take out his Slaking, with expected results. Tyrant easily caught her Miltank's extended arms with his hand, before effortlessly lifting Miltank up by the arm and smashing her into the ground.
  
  "Whitney!" John's voice suddenly snapped her out of her despair, and she turned her frightened eyes towards her brother. "Remember what I said! Sometimes, there are fights you CANNOT win!"
  
  Suddenly, it clicked. She understood what she had to do. She nodded to herself and willed herself to move and took off with a sprint to where her Miltank was.
  
  "Miltank, we need to leave, NOW!" She shouted out in a hurry, "We can't win, we need to run!"
  
  Her Miltank quicky listened and followed after her in a sprint, staying just behind her to protect her from any attacks from Slaking. Sure enough, Slaking started hurling huge rocks towards the two of them, forcing Miltank to slow down to smash them apart before they could harm Whitney.
  
  If she hadn't been so occupied with running away and escaping, perhaps she would have noticed that Slaking was easily capable of firing far more and larger chunks of rocks than he currently was. Furthermore, she probably should have realized that her Miltank should not even be conscious at the moment after taking two hits from Slaking, and yet here she was continuing to protect her by smashing through one rock after the other.
  
  Eventually, the barrage of rocks seemed to peter out as Slaking seemed disinclined to chase after them from beyond the fenced area. She looked around with Miltank, and seeing nothing, the two of them gave off synced sighs of relief.
  
  "Congratulations." The familiar voice of her brother startled her so much that she fell onto her butt. "But you must remember that nowhere is safe until you make it to a Pokécenter. You shouldn't have relaxed until you returned to somewhere you know is certain to be safe, in this case, that would be our house."
  
  "...How did you get behind us like that?" She asked after she recovered from her surprise.
  
  "No one bothers to look up." He said simply, casually reminding her that he probably flew ahead of her using his Pidgeot or Mantine. She nodded simply at that, too tired to fire back a remark.
  
  "But I was being sincere when I gave my congratulations. You did well, sister, and I'm proud of you. You have passed my ridiculous final test. I'm sorry if you got scared, but learning when to run is always important. You can't win everything." He patted her on the head and carefully lifted her by the arms. It's been a long time since he had carried her like this. She missed it.
  
  "Come, it's already getting late. Let's get you home and get some food in you." He told her before he turned to her Miltank. "Klee is waiting for you back at the field, Miltank, so you can go to her to get healed." He said kindly, and her Miltank waddled away with a happy smile and left the two of them alone.
  
  Whitney allowed herself to be carried back home, and she barely remembered showering, sitting through dinner, and falling asleep. All she could barely remember was her mom scolding John for being too harsh on her or something. She was just that tired.
  
  She woke up much earlier than she usually did the next day, and she wasn't sure if it was because she went to sleep earlier than usual or because she was excited to finally start her circuit and her journey.
  
  She went down to the breakfast table and was surprised to see the entire family, plus a surprisingly awake Karen, waiting for her there. Her surprise must have shown on her face as her mother chuckled.
  
  "Are you surprised, dear?" She asked rhetorically. "Did you think that we wouldn't have realized that you were going to wake up earlier? Do you remember how your brother was when it was time for his journey?"
  
  Karen turned to her brother with a smirk and seemed to be laughing at him with her eyes. Her brother blushed slightly before trying to change the topic, "Whitney, everyone in this room knows how hard you've prepared for your journey. And we know that you move on to do great things. So, we all got a small farewell gift for you before you leave."
  
  She wanted to say that it was unfair since her brother didn't get anything before his trip because they were too poor to do so, but her slight edge of maturity pushed through for a second and told her to keep her mouth shut and just nod.
  
  "Your mother and I got you this, sweetie." Her father said, as he passed her a small, wrapped package. She inspected it curiously for a moment before her father gestured for her to unwrap it, which she proceeded to do, revealing a small rectangular flip phone. She turned to her parents with a surprised, but happy, expression.
  
  "Now that you're going to be on your journey, we felt that you needed some way to communicate with us." Her father explained, "Your brother helped us with the model, and said this model was famous for being unbreakable and waterproof. It's nothing fancy, but it should be reliable."
  
  She marvelled at her gift for a moment before she put it down and hugged her parents, her eyes moist. Her parents hugged her tightly for a few moments before her mom started to cry, causing her to start as well.
  
  Her brother and father tried to remain stoic, but she could tell that they were just holding it back. Karen looked a bit uncomfortable, but then patiently waited for them to break off the hug and for her to clean herself up before passing the gift to her.
  
  "It's a TM for Shadow Ball." She explained, looking a bit embarrassed. "I really had trouble trying to find something personal to give you, but John said that this would be a very good gift to get you started. Use it well, and take care of yourself out there, Whitney."
  
  Whitney carefully pocketed the TM before she engulfed Karen in a hug, which was promptly returned.
  
  "Take care of my brother for me." Whitney whispered cheekily.
  
  "I will." Karen whispered back, and the two of them shared a knowing smile together as they broke apart.
  
  John then made his way forwards and crouched down to her level, before passing a very small metal box towards her, giving her a look to open it. She did so, revealing a stack of printed business cards with his brother's name and contact details on it, with the genuine mark of the Elite Four stamped on each one.
  
  "I told you before that I would be there if you need me." Her brother said, "If you ever need to use my name to get yourself out of trouble, use those to prove my identity to them, and I'll be there as soon as I can. Now, go out there and make some friends! Enjoy yourself! We'll always be proud."
  
  She glomped her brother and gave him whispered appreciation and thanks, ignoring the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes once again. He simply told her to stay safe out there and to come back home every once in a while. She promised to do so.
  
  Then, the family, and Karen, all shared breakfast together. It was the last breakfast that she would have with her family for a while, but she tried to not let that get her down. Surprisingly, Karen seemed more uncomfortable just joining them at the table, but her mother repeatedly insisted that they were fine with it and that she was welcome to be there.
  
  "I'm sure you will be joining us more often, Karen, so don't feel shy!" Her mother teased, causing both her brother and Karen to blush. Though Karen recovered quicker.
  
  "Yes, unfortunately, your son insists that we train often so I'm always forced to be here. He's quite the slave driver, am I right?" Karen teased back.
  
  "Oh my, I never knew our John was so possessive. He's just like his father." Her mom said with fake surprise, causing both her brother and father to share a look of shared commiseration, and John muttered a few words to himself that she was sure she wasn't meant to overhear.
  
  While they were eating, her brother asked if she wanted him to drop her off at Pewter, but she told him that she would make her way there herself.
  
  Eventually, breakfast was over, and it was time for her to go. She spent the next few minutes double checking everything, making sure that she had her trainer ID and registration on hand. Then she had to double check everything AGAIN after her parents kept asking if she had forgotten something.
  
  Then it was finally time to leave the house. Her mother insisted that they take a photo before she left, and they all squished together in front of their doorway for a picture. Karen said that she shouldn't interrupt a family photo, but both her parents insisted, and she caved.
  
  Photo taken, she gave all of her family members, and Karen, one last hug before she stepped out of her house and started on her journey.
  
  Whitney turned around one last time and looked at her family, trying to engrave their expressions and faces into her memory. She saw that there was not a single dry eye among them, and she realized that she was on the verge of tears as well.
  
  No, she refused to cry again. She was not a cry-baby any longer.
  
  Before her resolve could falter, she gave one last wave towards her family and turned around again, leaving her family behind, and starting on her journey.
  
  It was time for her to pave her own path.
  
  A.N. AND Whitney is finally on her journey! Sorry for the POV shift like a third of the way into the chapter; hope it wasn't too jarring.
  
  Also, I hope I dropped enough hints for people to realize where John's pre-battle monologue is from. I just repurposed it. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big Thanks!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-8 -INTERLUDE- Whitney
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Whismur
  
  The New Normal - 4-8 - INTERLUDE - Whitney
  
  Whitney finally arrived from Pewter City after she practically sprinted from her home, only to despair as she witnessed just how long the queue was to reserve a match for the Gym Battle. She cursed inwardly; John had warned her about this and even offered her to ride on his Mantine so that she could arrive earlier, but she was stupid and didn't listen.
  
  She was still pretty early, but even then, she had to wait in line like the rest of them.
  
  Whitney resigned herself to stand in line for the next few minutes, barely moving forward as the time ticked by. This was not how she imagined her journey beginning. She had expected grand encounters and battles, not this...monotony of waiting in a line to wait your turn for the battle.
  
  She resignedly let out a big breath as she inched forwards a little bit more. This line was going to drive her crazy! In a bid to stave off her boredom and impatience, she felt like she had to talk to someone. She remembered her brother telling her to make friends, and she supposed that being stuck waiting line was as good of a time as any.
  
  Luckily, just standing one space behind her, was a black-haired girl that was of similar age to her. Deciding that she was going to at least strike up a conversation, Whitney made the first move.
  
  "Hello, I'm Whitney. It's good to meet you." She said to the girl with a smile, only to be faced with the girl's very intense gaze. The girl's pink eyes looking like they were able to stare deep into her mind. But Whitney casually shrugged off the gaze and maintained her wide smile.
  
  Eventually, the other girl caved. "...your thoughts are very straightforward." She said in reply, and that made Whitney very confused.
  
  "Um...what do you mean?" Whitney asked.
  
  "You. Your thoughts. They are so easy to read." The girl bluntly replied, before her a hint of confusion entered her eyes. "...Why do you want to be friends with me?"
  
  OH! She got it now! This girl was one of those Psychics that she sometimes saw on the news! That's so cool!
  
  "Yes. I am cool. Now why do you want to be my friend?" The girl asked again, making Whitney blush. Whoops!
  
  "Oh, um. It's because-"
  
  "Because you have nothing better to do and your brother told you to make friends." The girl interrupted, reading her thoughts once again. This time, Whitney frowned.
  
  "Hey, it's not nice to read other people's thoughts like that. And at least let me finish my sentence!" She scolded.
  
  The girl looked at her weirdly, "But why?"
  
  "Because it's rude!" Whitney explained, "You have to be polite or else people won't like you."
  
  "People don't like me because they are afraid of me. Whether I am rude or not will not change that." She remarked blankly, but there was a hint of bitterness in her voice.
  
  This time, it was Whitney's turn to be confused. "Why are people afraid of you? You're not scary."
  
  The girl looked at Whitney as if she was dumb, "They are scared because I can read their minds. Because I am a powerful Psychic. Even my parents don't really know how to deal with me, even if they try their best anyway."
  
  "That's dumb. Just because you might be a powerful Psychic doesn't mean they have to be scared of you." Whitney said, conviction leaking from her tone. "My brother has very scary Pokémon too, but I know they won't hurt me. So, I'm not scared of them, and I'm not scared of you."
  
  Sure, Whitney got scared when her brother suddenly sent out Tyrant to fight against her Miltank, but that was more out of surprise than anything. She knew it in her bones that John would never deliberately hurt her. He was too nice for that.
  
  The girl's gaze turned intense for a moment, before it then softened as the girl nodded her head slightly, "...You are telling the truth. You are not scared of me. Even after knowing my powers...you are not scared?" The girl said that last part with just a bit of hope in her voice.
  
  "Nope." Whitney replied simply, emphasizing the 'p', "Besides, even if you wanted to hurt me, my brother will protect me. So, I'm not scared. I just want to be your friend."
  
  The girl continued staring at Whitney for a moment, but Whitney refused to look away. She would not be stopped from making a new friend! Eventually, the girl broke the stare-down and clasped her hands together, suddenly adopting a hint of red on her cheeks.
  
  "...my name is Sabrina. And...I would like to...be your...friend too...?" The girl stuttered out embarrassedly, and Whitney had to restrain herself from squeeing from how cute that was.
  
  Sabrina only turned even more red at that. Oops, Whitney forgot that she could read minds.
  
  "I'd love to be your friend too, Sabrina." She excitedly clasped Sabrina's hands in her own, which she seemed surprised by, "Arceus, I can't believe we're actually friends! So, Sabrina, tell me all about yourself! Do you have a brother as well? I have a brother and he's helped me train up my Pokémon a lot too and I've been so excited to go on my journey and yet I was really sad about leaving my family behind and -"
  
  Suddenly, Whitney couldn't move. An invisible force seemed to be pressing down on her and restraining her movements, cutting off her rambling. After a brief moment of panic, she relaxed when she realized that it was just Sabrina using her Psychic powers again. Arceus! That's some power!
  
  After a moment of wiggling, Whitney managed to break free from Sabrina's Psychic hold.
  
  "You talk too much-"
  
  Whitney interrupted her new friend with a flick to the forward.
  
  "Ow! Why did you hit me?" Sabrina scowled, clutching her forehead.
  
  "You can't just use your Psychic powers like that!" Whitney lectured, "It's rude!"
  
  "Why?" Sabrina asked with a tilt of her head.
  
  "It just is!" Whitney said once again, but Sabrina still seemed to not understand, and continued giving Whitney a strange look.
  
  "...Are you truly not afraid of my powers?" Sabrina asked again, "Most children would have run away after I silenced them like that."
  
  "Well, I don't really see it as a big deal." Whitney admitted with a shrug, "It's just a bit rude to shut someone up like that. But I know you don't mean me any harm, so like I said, I'm not scared."
  
  Sabrina looked shocked at that, which Whitney found a bit strange, but she ultimately ignored it and continued talking.
  
  "Anyways, sorry for rambling. I have a bad habit of doing that. But, come on, tell me a little bit about yourself! What do you like doing?" Whitney asked.
  
  "...I like getting stronger." Sabrina stated simply after a brief moment of staring blankly at Whitney, "I like training with my Pokémon and developing them further."
  
  "Me too!" Whitney gushed excitedly, "I only really had my brother to train with in the past, so I'd love to train with someone else as well! It's going to be so cool!"
  
  "Is your brother strong?" Sabrina asked. "You have mentioned him a lot."
  
  "Yes! He is! He helped me train my Pokémon as well." Whitney said, "Hey, how about after we register for a match, we should find somewhere to train together. Show off each other's Pokémon?!" Whitney suggested.
  
  "You will lose." Sabrina remarked blankly, but Whitney could see the corners of her lips rising just ever so slightly.
  
  "We'll see about that. My brother has praised my Pokémon for being much stronger than what they should be as a beginner. I'm gonna prove your words wrong." She boasted.
  
  "My father is the Saffron Gym Leader." Sabrina replied boastingly, "I am far stronger than you think you are."
  
  "Nuh uh. I'm definitely stronger!" That was all Whitney said, before she had to turn around and actually move forwards in the line.
  
  Huh, apparently, she was so distracted during her conversation that she didn't realize that it was almost her turn. Finally. She couldn't wait to register her battle for the Gym Badge and then prepare for her first proper fight as a trainer against Sabrina.
  
  She wouldn't lose against her new friend!
  
  "NEXT!" The overworked receptionist called out, and Whitney finally moved forwards and faced the receptionist, who looked extremely overworked already.
  
  "I need your Trainer ID Card. And I assume that you would like to schedule your match for the next available slot?" The tired receptionist said without even looking up from her desk. Whitney didn't mind and just shuffled through her wallet to fetch her brand-new Trainer ID Card and hand it to the receptionist.
  
  Her Trainer ID Card lacked any badges next to it for the moment, but Whitney vowed that would change in the future.
  
  "...Whitney Smith. Alright." The receptionist mumbled to herself as she scrolled through to find the next available slot. They didn't seem to recognize her name, but Whitney was more than fine with that and supposed that 'Smith' was a common enough surname.
  
  She didn't want any special favours just because she was the sister of an Elite Four member. She wanted to make it through her journey using her own abilities, and not rely on her brother's borrowed strength. Fortunately, she looked nothing like her brother with her pink hair, so it was near impossible to make that connection unless you saw them interacting together.
  
  "Right, you're booked in for tomorrow afternoon." Huh, she guessed that wasn't too bad. She must have been earlier than she thought. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
  
  "Uh...is the Gym normally so busy?" Whitney blurted out curiously, then winced as the receptionist sighed with an expression that screamed that she didn't want to actually want to answer any questions.
  
  "Yes. It normally is this busy at the beginning of every circuit. I don't mean to be rude, but I have a lot more people to get through today, so unless you have any other urgent questions, could you please save them for later?" The receptionist said, visibly holding back her annoyance, and Whitney quickly moved on before she could annoy the receptionist any further.
  
  She then turned to Sabrina and said, "I'll wait for you outside so that we can head to the training fields together." Sabrina simply nodded and Whitney made her way outside.
  
  As she waited outside for Sabrina, the reality that she was going to be challenging for her first Gym Badge began to set in.
  
  John had repeatedly told her to not worry, but if you ever got worried then the most productive thing to do was to do as much research and preparation for the upcoming battle. Whitney had already done plenty of research into Flint, with the help of her brother, even before the journey had started.
  
  And although John said that she was far past Flint's first badge team, and to be honest she thought that Flint was fairly weak even for being the first Gym Leader, she was still unable to settle her nerves. Sure, she rationally knew that her Miltank was strong enough, but she was worried that she would fumble it during the match.
  
  'No', she told herself as she took a deep breath. She had worked hard for years for prepare herself for her journey, and she wouldn't let her nerves trip her up. Her brother had come out of his journey with such success that he was able to provide for their parents and Whitney.
  
  She wanted to prove herself to be able to do the same. She loved her brother, but he casted a long shadow over her. Yet, Whitney was determined to step out of that shadow, and defeating Flint would be the first steppingstone to do so.
  
  "Your thoughts are admirable." Whitney was jolted out of her thoughts by the sounds of Sabrina's voice. She turned towards the direction of the voice and saw Sabrina walking towards her.
  
  "Hey! Don't read my mind!" Whitney mock-scolded, but then it turned into a smile, "But thanks anyways. I hope I can make my brother proud."
  
  Sabrina just nodded at that and the two of them began making their way to the outskirts of Pewter City where the designated training fields were located. As they walked, Whitney asked when Sabrina's match was, only to be pleased to hear that it was directly after hers.
  
  As they walked, Whitney admitted to herself that she was fairly nervous about having her first battle against someone that wasn't her brother, but she was also super excited to finally fight her first battle. Regardless, she vowed to give it her all, she wouldn't let her Miltank down.
  
  She would use this battle as a warmup to reassure herself that she was able to defeat Flint.
  
  In an attempt to break away from those stressful thoughts, she struck up another conversation with Sabrina.
  
  "So, how does your Psychic powers work? They seem so cool!" She gushed. "Are you able to always read my mind?"
  
  Sabrina shook her head, "I am not powerful enough to read minds so casually. I have to focus. And I can only read surface thoughts. For now."
  
  "But you were able to hold me down with your Psychic powers!" Whitney continued excitedly, "I want to be able to do that too!"
  
  "You cannot unless you have the gift." Sabrina replied immediately, causing Whitney to pout. "Anyways, I am not powerful enough to restrain a stronger trainer. Yet as I get older, my Psychic powers will similarly gain in strength. You are weak, so I was able to."
  
  Whitney's pout grew as Sabrina casually insulted her, but Sabrina seemed unaware of this as she kept walking forwards in silence.
  
  Eventually, they made it to the training fields and stood opposite each other, both ready to battle.
  
  "Are you ready?" Sabrina stated as she psychically levitated a Pokéball in the air, cutting through her thoughts.
  
  "I am!" She said as she clenched her fists around Miltank's Premier Ball. "Let's do this on the count of three." Sabrina nodded.
  
  "Three...Two...One...Release!"
  
  Her Miltank emerged from her Premier Ball just as a Kadabra emerged out of Sabrina's. Not very surprising, considering everything Whitney had observed so far. But enough distractions, time to battle.
  
  "Rollout and get close to it, Miltank!"
  
  Miltank quickly started rolling around the field to get close to the Kadabra before she was suddenly blasted back slightly by a Psychic. Both Whitney and Sabrina looked surprised at that, though for different reasons.
  
  Sabrina was surprised because her Kadabra's Psychic barely even caused Miltank to stumble. It was as if Miltank had simply shrugged off what was normally an instant knockout. That was very unusual; she had trained up her Kadabra significantly and was usually able to just overpower other Pokémon with raw Psychic strength alone, so Miltank's endurance was alarming.
  
  On the other hand, Whitney was surprised because Sabrina hadn't actually said anything, and yet her Pokémon attacked as if it was following a command. Fortunately, she was quick to realize that Sabrina was likely telepathically communicating with her Pokémon. That's so cool! And unfair! She wanted to do that too.
  
  But they both shook off their distractions and refocused on the fight. In their distraction, Miltank had almost closed the distance with Kadabra.
  
  "Body Slam into it, Miltank!"
  
  Her Miltank obeyed and transitioned out of her Rollout into a devastating Body Slam, but Kadabra suddenly teleported out of the way before Miltank could slam into it. Kadabra made use of this opportunity by firing another blast of Psychic energy at Miltank, and yet it was once again simply shrugged off.
  
  The two of them frowned at that exchange. Whitney was annoyed at the teleporting, while Sabrina was frustrated that her Psychics were being shrugged off.
  
  But Whitney quickly came up with a plan.
  
  "Rollout again, Miltank! It can't keep dodging forever!"
  
  Once again, Miltank began rolling around the battlefield and got close to the Kadabra, tanking another full powered Psychic that managed to push her back slightly, but not enough to interrupt the Rollout.
  
  "Body Slam again, Miltank!"
  
  And, just as Whitney predicted, Kadabra teleported away before Miltank could strike with her Body Slam, but Whitney had a different idea in mind.
  
  "Earthquake, Miltank!" Using the momentum of her Body Slam, Miltank slammed into the ground belly first as a huge tremor shook the ground. Kadabra, who had just teleported, was caught unaware by the surprise Earthquake and was unable to dodge in time.
  
  "Rock throw, Miltank!"
  
  "Teleport again, Kadabra!"
  
  The urgency of Sabrina's situation showed itself as she panicked and actually verbally gave out an order instead of relying on her telepathy. But, with the paper-thin defences of Kadabra, it was unable to regain its focus from the damage that it took from the Earthquake before a huge rock crashed into it, knocking it out.
  
  Sabrina stared silently at her fallen Kadabra with a look of utter shock on her face.
  
  Whitney was respectful enough to not adopt an expression of smug superiority, even though she really wanted to scream about her first victory. But she wouldn't rub her victory in on her friend.
  
  "...An impressive showing." Sabrina finally said reluctantly as she returned her Kadabra to its Pokéball, "I can see why you were so confident. Your Miltank is far stronger than anything else I have seen at this point."
  
  "Yeah! I've been training for a long time. Technically, my brother says my Miltank is probably too strong for the first few badges...but I just wanted to show her off anyways. I hope you don't mind." Whitney replied.
  
  Sabrina shook her head, "I do not. I had once thought the same of my own Kadabra. As the daughter of a Gym Leader, I naturally had an advantage over other trainers our age. I once thought that this would have been enough to secure me an easy path through the Gyms, but I see now that I was mistaken. I do have a second Pokémon, but I do not believe that it would have stood a chance against your Miltank, so I forfeit. It is your victory. Your Miltank truly is formidable."
  
  Whitney preened at the praise, "Thank you! The two of us have been working hard to get as strong as we are! But you're pretty strong too, Sabrina! Your Kadabra is no joke! You would have easily beaten my Whismur."
  
  Sabrina gave a small bow, "Thank you. But I can see now that I have more training to do. I had thought that my Kadabra would have been sufficient to beat all foes, so I have neglected training up my Natu. You have shown me my arrogance and opened my eyes, and for that I thank you."
  
  Whitney didn't really get all of that, but smiled anyways, "No worries! It's what friends are for, after all. Come on, let's get your Kadabra healed up at the Pokécenter and we can discuss training tips. I heard that it's a good way to learn!"
  
  Sabrina tilted her head once again, "...You still want me to accompany you after we had finished our battle? I thought we would go our separate ways after this."
  
  Whitney turned to Sabrina with an incredulous expression, "What are you talking about? We're friends now. Come on, don't say such things. Friends don't leave friends behind. So, let's get going to the Pokécenter."
  
  To emphasize her point, Whitney wrapped an arm around Sabrina's shoulder and pulled her along to the Pokécenter. Sabrina resisted at first, but eventually relaxed and allowed herself to be pulled along.
  
  In the corner of her eye, Whitney saw Sabrina adopt a small smile, perhaps the first time she had ever seen her smile this entire time, and she couldn't help but break out into a smile of her own.
  
  They were going to be great friends! She just knew it!
  
  A.N. This is the beginning of the Whitney mini-series, which will be scattered sporadically across many chapters, like snippets. This is the first one. Don't worry, the focus will still primarily be on John.
  
  And for the first chapter, a wild Sabrina appears! Slightly shorter chapter, but...Friend get! And yes, Whitney isn't scared of Sabrina because, like she said, she's been living and training with John's far scarier Pokemon for a while now. So, Sabrina's Psychic powers aren't that scary to her in comparison.
  
  This chapter is basically TLDR: Normal extrovert adopts Psychic introvert.
  
  And yes, Sabrina is weaker than Whitney. Hopefully that isn't too surprising. That being said though, she is far stronger than most trainers at her level, but she hasn't been grinding like Whitney has.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  OMAKE - The Hero Ingame Snippets v2
  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Hero
  
  As the young man finished placing his saddle onto his Dragonite, he turned to look over the huge cliff. In the distance, a large tribal city was located just below, as if it was being protected in a nest of cliffs and mountains. This seemingly innocent city was actually the powerbase of one of the most powerful factions of Johto, and one of their greatest sources of military strength.
  
  The Blackthorns had been Dragon breeders and caretakers for centuries and had contributed greatly to the Johto war effort. Unsurprisingly, their monopoly on Dragons was one of Johto's greatest strengths, and the devastating power of said Dragons almost brought Kanto to its knees many times over.
  
  Throughout the war, Johto ruled the skies, their Dragons completely outclassing Kanto's Flying types. After all, what was a bird to a Dragon, if not prey?
  
  Of course, Kanto learned to adapt to its enemy's reliance on Dragons, and soon learned to train up their own Pokémon to master Ice type moves to fight back against the dominance of Johto's Dragons. But it was still not enough.
  
  The Dragons proved too mobile, too strong, and too versatile. Instead of relying on all out attacks like they were doing previously, Johto quickly adapted and started to rely on hit-and-run attacks by making use of their aerial superiority to strike like thunder and escape before Kanto's reinforcements could arrive.
  
  For a while, Kanto's leaders despaired as they realized that they would slowly lose the war of attrition. For a while, Johto went from strength to strength as their Dragons continued their reign of domination; Kanto's Pokémon simply unable to win against a horde of Dragonites in hit-and-run engagements.
  
  For a while, all seemed lost.
  
  Until one day, a young boy stumbled onto an injured Dratini in the wild by a complete stroke of luck. The young boy, although scared, helped nurse this weak Dratini back to health. In gratitude, the young boy became the first Kantonian to win the loyalty of a Dratini in years.
  
  As the years went by, the bond between the Dragon and its rider grew stronger. And the now young man became a prominent trainer and soldier in his own right, with a full team of diverse Pokémon loyally standing by his side as he fought through battlefield after battlefield. Winning victory after victory.
  
  His now evolved Dragonite turned the tides of battles that they would have once lost, and Kanto slowly started to win back the aerial superiority that they had always lost. Furthermore, by allowing Kanto the opportunity to properly research his Dragonite, they managed to learn much about the strengths and weaknesses of their greatest enemy. And from that, how best to counter them.
  
  Over time, the young man's infinite kindness and mercy brought him many friends and allies, who admired the strength of his will to maintain his humanity despite the sea of suffering that always surrounded him. It was this bravery and strength, tempered by a sense of mercy and morality, that would cause many to later dub and honour him as the Champion of the war.
  
  And now, the man, one of the prominent leaders of Kanto, was determined to end the war. He saw that both regions had long grown tired of the seemingly endless conflict, and the suffering that it brings to their people. Generations had died for a war that hardly anyone remembers why they were even fighting in the first place.
  
  Hence, this man believed that the time was ripe to finally bring about peace. To convince the other side to lay down their arms, and hopefully find a compromise that would satisfy both regions and finally end the war.
  
  However, the man knew that the only language that his opponent spoke was the language of violence. He recognized that, without being in a position of strength, he would never be able to bring Johto to the negotiating table.
  
  And thus, it was why he and his chosen Elite trainers were now preparing to strike at the heart of the Blackthorn Clan in order to cripple their ability to continue fielding Dragons for Johto. If they could remove Johto's greatest advantage over Kanto, then Johto would be much more willing to negotiate some form of peace.
  
  He let out a sigh. He had done this many times before, but the act of killing and destruction never truly became easier. He just learned to better harden his heart.
  
  "Sir, we are ready when you are." One of his Elites approached him and saluted.
  
  "Understood. Let's go. As planned, follow my lead." He strapped himself onto his ever-loyal Dragonite and took flight, carefully maintaining his speed as to not break formation with his superior Flying speed.
  
  As they got close to Blackthorn City, he could hear the sounds of blaring alarms and shouts spreading throughout the city. As expected, they had realized that they were about to be under attack and were quick to rally their Dragons to prepare for aerial combat. Soon, the Blackthorns had assembled over two dozen Dragonites that flew up into the sky, prepared for combat.
  
  But the man was not scared, even as he saw a few of his Elites falter slightly at the sheer number of Dragonites coming their way and continued to fly forwards into the incoming Dragonites. He had faith in his Dragonite, and his allies, to see them through, as they always have.
  
  He watched steadily as the enemy Dragonites continued to get closer and gripped tightly onto his harness as they finally got in range. He gave the order that would spell the beginning of the battle.
  
  "Annihilate them."
  
  And suddenly, the sky was split apart as a devastating beam of draconic energy from his Dragonite's maw devastated everything in its path. Swaths of enemy Dragonites were instantly felled and began falling out of the sky as they were obliterated by the attack before they could even react. Their long-term reliance on hit-and-run attacks making them unused to direct confrontations like this.
  
  As the enemy suddenly halted their assault as they witnessed the sheer destructiveness of the attack, his Dragonite took advantage of their surprise as it suddenly surged forwards with Extreme Speed, gouging an enemy Dragonite with one of his claws, before a quick bone-shattering swipe of its Dragon Tail slammed another Dragonite out of the sky. Unrelenting, it continued charging forwards at any Dragonite that it saw in its path, attacking repeatedly with ruthless Dragon Rushes that ferociously tore through the enemy lines, leaving a trail of fallen Dragonites in its wake.
  
  His Dragonite was a whirlwind of violence and destruction, reigned in only by the iron will of its trainer. It unleashed a vortex of Draconic energy that violently swept through the battlefield, consuming all resistance in its path.
  
  Having dealt with their immediate opponents, the trainer and Dragonite turned around and surveyed the damage. A huge bulk of the enemy's Dragonites had already been defeated, and the remaining ones were being tied down by his Elites.
  
  The man gestured forwards and they went to finish off the remaining Dragonites. It was time to finish the battle.
  
  "Finish them off! Watch out for friendly fire!"
  
  They spun around and fired off another pulsating ray of energy that took the enemy Dragonites by surprise and ruthlessly decimated what remains of their opposition. Perhaps some might have found it dishonourable to attack from behind, but the man was more concerned about prioritising the safety of his fellow Elites.
  
  "Captain! Report your losses!" He barked out at one of his Elites that was riding on a heavily panting and injured Pidgeot.
  
  "James, Michael, and Catelyn are all down. They fell to the initial rush of the enemy Dragonites. There's only four of us remaining." The Elite replied with a hoarse voice.
  
  The man grimaced and gritted his teeth at hearing about his fallen comrades. His heart clenched as he was forced to endure yet more loss to this pointless war. But now was not the time to mourn them. He stoically nodded at the captain and ordered the remaining Elites to follow him to finish what they had come here to do.
  
  His Elites continued to circle the skies above as he landed in the center of a small clearing within the buildings of Blackthorn City, where a crowd had gathered and witnessed the defeat of their prized Dragons. The man landed graciously, covered and splattered with the blood of his fallen enemies, looking like a splitting image of a victor and warrior.
  
  Or, perhaps, a conquering hero.
  
  In a matter of minutes, the man and his Dragonite had annihilated any form of resistance from the Blackthorns and brought an end to their reign of power, at least for this generation.
  
  And the residents of Blackthorn knew it.
  
  "Young warrior!" An old, grizzled elder called out towards him. "I am the patriarch of the Blackthorn Clan, and we know when we are defeated. Speak your terms, honourable warrior."
  
  He didn't know what was so honourable about fighting a war, but he knew better than to gainsay the elder at the moment.
  
  "I am looking to end the war!" The man declared as he projected his voice loudly and clearly, eliciting sharp gasps from his audience. "I did not attack you out of malice, but because this was the only way to bring Johto to the negotiating table. I am sorry for your fallen soldiers, but I hope that these will be one of the final casualties that we will have to endure before we can bring about an era of peace."
  
  He continued before anyone in the crowd could interrupt him. "The war has gone on for long enough! How many of your brothers, sisters, and children, have died fighting in a war that seemingly has no end!? There is no victory, only more death and suffering! If our two regions are to heal, we must bring peace! Therefore, I ask of you, citizens of Blackthorn City, will you surrender to me and help bring an end to the suffering that plagues our two regions?!"
  
  That started a round of whispers and mutterings from the audience. The patriarch himself also turned and whispered to a small group of elders that surrounded him. The tense silence stretched on for a moment before the patriarch eventually spoke up once again, "We too, believe that the war has gone on for long enough. And as you say, peace is something that we in the Blackthorn Clan have also long sought out. We would be honoured to discuss terms with you if you can assure our safety."
  
  "Bend the knee, and none shall be harmed! I swear this on my word." He declared, but then the man signalled his Dragonite with a small tap, and a huge orb of energy flew up into the air, eliciting gasps of horror and surprise as the blinding energy from the Draco Meteor loomed threateningly over the gathered residents of Blackthorn City.
  
  "BUT! If you betray my trust, then I will devastate what remains of your city. I will wipe Blackthorn City off the face of the map if you dare break your word." He warned threateningly, his eyes sweeping over the gathered people as if to scan for any signs of defiance.
  
  Somehow, this act of ruthlessness seemed to garner more respect in the eyes of the elders. "Ah, that is the move that you have developed...isn't it?" The elder asked rhetorically as he stared at the glowing orb of energy in undisguised awe and admiration.
  
  Eventually, the elder turned back to face the man with a look of faint recognition. "I have heard tales of a young warrior from Kanto who was the first and greatest Dragon rider to ever emerge from your region. A young warrior who matured and honed his skills on the battlefields and grew into a great leader. And now that warrior has begun his journey to seek peace. A very admirable sentiment." The elder gave the man a surprisingly respectful smile before continuing.
  
  "We are honoured by your presence, young warrior, and we can reassure you that none will dare harm you while you are here. But, before we bend the knee, can we know the name of the great warrior?"
  
  "My name is Samuel Oak." The man declared to the world, as if engraving his name into Legend, "And I ask the citizens of Blackthorn City once again! Will you kneel and join me on my quest to restore peace?!"
  
  And, as one, Blackthorn City knelt.
  
  A.N. I spent WAYY too long for what was supposed to be just a bonus OMAKE. Hope you like it and that I've done the character justice.
  
  Just to be clear, like The Mother Omake, this is either canon or non-canon depending on your own preference. Oak's background is not and will never be a big part of my story. However, one takeaway you should have is that Oak is EXTREMELY respected.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers!
  
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Conversation Snippets v2
  
  When speaking to John at Seafoam Island:
  
  ["Blaine is an...impressive Gym Leader. I mean, what kind of guy watches his life's work and Gym get destroyed by a volcano, and relocates everything to some cave in the middle of nowhere?"]
  
  ["I'm not sure how 11-year-old kids like you are supposed to find his Gym in the first place. But I mean, if you could do it, surely the other kids would be able to too. Right?"]
  
  When speaking at Goldenrod City:
  
  ["When I received news from my sister that someone defeated her and made her cry, I was most wroth. But then I heard it was some punk 11-year-old kid that did it, and I contemplated how best to avenge my dear sister."]
  
  ["Don't look at me like that. I wouldn't do anything to harm you. Not directly, at least."]
  
  Random occurrence when speaking to John:
  
  ["Hey, wouldn't it be CRAZY if it turned out all of us Elite Four members were secretly terrorists looking to genocide the world? And wouldn't it be CRAZIER if some of the Gym Leaders that you know were also criminals too? I mean, in such a world, who would stop us?"]
  
  ["It's okay. I wouldn't do something like that. I mean, taking over the world by force is too much work, and you always get stopped in the end. I'm not interested in something like that."]
  
  ["Oh, speaking of which, did you know that the Smith family Moomoo milk is about to form a monopoly on milk? What a coincidence, huh."]
  
  When speaking at the bottom of Cerulean Cave:
  
  ["Oh, hey there. Didn't expect to see you here. ...You look disappointed at finding me here? Why is that? Were you expecting something else? Perhaps a Legendary?"]
  
  ["Welp, hate to break it to you, kid, but there are no Legendaries down here. Just me. Hey, while you're here, want to buy some Moomoo milk for the journey back? I always have some on hand!"]
  
  When speaking at the top of Bell Tower/bottom of Whirl Island:
  
  ["Oh, uh, did I interrupt something? I just saw a whole bunch of Kimono Girls dancing and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about...but it seems like I ruined things. Oh well, you probably weren't doing anything important right?"]
  
  ["Anyways, you Kimono Girls look frustrated about something. Um...as an apology, here's some Moomoo milk to calm you guys down. Sorry about this once again."]
  
  ["Hey, why are you looking at me like you want to punch me? I already apologized!"]
  
  When speaking at Silph Co.:
  
  ["It's a remarkable thing, this Master Ball. A Pokéball so powerful that it can catch anything with a guaranteed catch rate. I wonder if it'll work on Legendaries...not like anyone's going to get an opportunity to test it."]
  
  ["Oh? You seem to be eyeing this Master Ball very eagerly. Did you want it?"]
  
  ["Unfortunately, this is the only Master Ball that Silph Co. has at the moment, and it shall remain in their hands. I'm only here to inspect it on behalf of the League. Anyways, we wouldn't give away such a powerful Pokéball for no reason, especially not to some random 11-year-old. No offense intended."]
  
  When speaking at the Safari Zone:
  
  ["...I still can't believe such a facility is allowed to exist in this world. I mean, who was the idiot that thought it could POSSIBLY be safe for trainers to walk around a huge field full of dangerous Pokémon WITHOUT being able to use Pokémon of their own?"]
  
  ["And to make matters worse, these trainers are then encouraged to throw rocks and carry around huge amounts of bait. What were they thinking?! Who allowed this?!"]
  
  When speaking at Lavender Town:
  
  ["No idea why people find this place so spooky. I understand that the Pokémon tower is located here, but that shouldn't make things scary. Hell, the only thing I'm afraid of is the old lady that constantly haunts me."]
  
  ["Her name is Agatha, and she's a real pain in my...I really shouldn't say more."]
  
  When speaking at Pallet Town:
  
  ["I really like hanging around here. For some reason, this and New Bark Town really give off a certain energy that really makes me feel like I'm about to embark on a grand journey. You'd know, wouldn't you?"]
  
  ["Also, was it just me, or did I see Professor Oak just leave your house in a rush? Huh. Wonder what he's doing there."]
  
  When speaking at the Lake of Rage:
  
  ["This place is really too hostile and dangerous for 11-year-olds to be in; and if it were me all children should be banned from entering a Gyarados infested Lake. That just sounds like a quick way to meet Arceus to me."]
  
  ["Why are you looking around so much? ...Oh, if you were looking for that Red Gyarados, I'm sorry, but the League already caught and dealt with it. It was doing too much damage and had to be relocated somewhere else."]
  
  ["...Why do you look so upset?"]
  
  When speaking at the top of Mt. Silver:
  
  ["..."]
  
  ["..."]
  
  ["..."]
  
  ["...Oh, were you expecting me to say something or battle you? Nah, no thanks. I'm just here to enjoy the view."]
  
  A.N. DOUBLE OMAKE! John Smith, S tier cockblocker. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this OMAKE as well! Once again, don't think too hard about it.
  
  BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-9 - The Showdown
  
  I sat down in the VIP viewing room for the Elite Four, overseeing the upcoming match between Lance and Pryce. Agatha sat down on my right, accompanied by Karen, who Agatha had invited into the normally exclusive room; the security guards hardly even batting an eye at her intrusion.
  
  Even Walker, who I would have thought would have at least spoken up to criticise Agatha, was silently hanging around the buffet table and pretending to not be noticed. He looked like a man awaiting his turn for the executioner; at least he knew when he was unwelcome.
  
  Pryce would probably throw a fit at this 'impropriety' if he was here, but he definitely had a different problem to deal with at the moment. The more malicious part of me was salivating at the thought of witnessing his defeat, to see him humbled to the world. But I kept my rationality.
  
  As I sat, I thought over the events that had occurred since Whitney's departure from home as she set off for her journey. It was a bittersweet event, and I occasionally felt melancholic as I walked around an emptier house. At least I was comforted by the fact that she was doing well.
  
  A few days since her departure and she had already defeated Flint for the Boulder Badge, not that I foresaw any challenge in that respect. She probably had more trouble trying to wait her turn - I bet she regretted declining my offer to fly her there by now to get ahead of all the people.
  
  Still, it was a big brother's duty to worry, and even amidst the barely contained excitement of the crowd, my thoughts still occasionally strayed to how Whitney was doing.
  
  "Worried about your sister?" Karen's voice brought me back from my thoughts as she hovered over me with concern. She knew that I'd been acting weird for the past week, and that I hadn't been at my usual level of focus during our training sessions. "She'll be fine, you know."
  
  "Yeah...it's just unusual with the house so empty at times. I guess I've always been used to seeing her at home." I admitted with a sad smile, and Karen patted me comfortingly on the shoulders for a moment.
  
  "Thanks though, and I'm fine. Besides, I'll have this exciting match to distract me soon enough. I've been waiting ages for this." I said while gesturing to the window overlooking the arena.
  
  Karen gave me an inspecting look for a moment before she nodded and left me be, returning to where Agatha was sitting. The large screens hanging on the wall continued showing analysts trying to predict the outcome of the match, with several speculating that Pryce might actually be knocked off his throne.
  
  And the best part was that I didn't have to lift a finger to see it happen. For the first time in a while, it was no longer up to me to decide the future. What happened between Lance and Pryce during the battle would be solely out of my control, and while a part of me was worried about the lack of control, the other part was grateful to be temporarily free from the responsibilities.
  
  "I'm not sure why you're brooding when this was supposed to be a happy moment for you." Agatha suddenly said, forcing me to turn towards her. "I would have thought you would be jumping for joy at the thought of seeing Pryce on his knees and defeated. Arceus knows this was a long time coming." She said that loud enough, likely deliberately, so that Walker could overhear her. I wasn't able to see his expression as he simply walked further away from the two of us.
  
  "I'm not, I was thinking about something else...but I suppose I was just a bit worried about the outcome of this match." I replied unexpectedly truthfully.
  
  "Bah. You'll learn eventually that some things are simply out of your control. This is one of them. Get used to that or else you'll never be a good leader." She said in a dismissive tone, though I felt like she was trying to give me advice. I simply nodded and was about to stay silent before another question popped into my head.
  
  "Didn't you go through with this before? When they had to find a replacement for Oak?" I asked her.
  
  "That's Champion Oak to you, boy." Agatha corrected sharply, before an uncharacteristically fond expression appeared on her face. "But yes, when Champion Oak stepped down, the nation mourned his decision. He was, and still is, the best Champion Indigo has ever seen...but some things are just outside of our control, no matter how much you beg or plead." She said that last part with some regret and bitterness, but I knew better than to question her about it.
  
  I simply stayed silent, continuing to wait with anticipation for the match to start. I heard Agatha muttering something about "reclaiming the title", but the announcer boomed out before I could really think about it.
  
  "WHAT A MONUMENTAL OCCASION THIS IS FOR EVERYONE IN INDIGO! FOR YEARS WE HAVE NOT HAD A DIRECT CHALLENGE FOR THE POSITION OF CHAMPION, AND IT IS A GREAT HONOUR TO BE ABLE TO HOST TODAY'S EVENT!" I swear I saw the supposedly reinforced glass window wobble when the crowd cheered.
  
  "AND TODAY, WE HAVE A FANTASTIC MATCH FOR YOU! ON THE ONE SIDE, THE DEFENDING CHAMPION, THE SUCCESSOR, AND THE ICY PRODIGY, PLEASE WELCOME YOUR HONOURABLE CHAMPION, PRYCE!" Despite all of the recent controversies regarding Pryce, the crowd nonetheless roared as he made his way onto the arena, the cameras instantly zoomed into him, capturing every microdetail of his posture and expression, which I'm sure analysts around Indigo were desperately scrutinising in order to come up or support whatever theory or headline they were spouting.
  
  Pryce entered looking stiff yet unconcerned, and even giving off an air of confidence or arrogance that the cameras managed to capture.
  
  "AND TODAY'S CHALLENGER, YOU ALL KNOW WHO HE IS. AN ESTEEMED MEMBER OF THE BLACKTHORN CLAN, A MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR, THE DRAGON MASTER HIMSELF, PLEASE WELCOME, LANCE!" On the other hand, Lance's entrance didn't lack for any flair, with his cape bellowing in the wind and his arms outstretched, looking everything like a conquering hero ready to accept his grand prize.
  
  There was nothing to analyse with Lance, every bit of him SCREAMED confidence bordering on arrogance, and power. There was not a single trace of worry on his face, as if the idea of losing this upcoming match was inconceivable to him.
  
  I would even call it overconfident if I didn't know just how strong Lance's Pokémon were from watching his previous battles. It took a certain level of insanity and strength of character to be able to train the Pokémon he did to the level they were at.
  
  One Dragon was hard enough, let alone multiple.
  
  "AND TODAY'S MATCH WILL BE A SIX-ON-SIX BATTLE, THREE SWITCHES ALLOWED. STANDARD RULES. THERE WILL BE NO COMMERCIAL BREAK AFTER THREE KNOCKOUTS." The announcer stated after the applause died down. "NOW, TRAINERS, I HOPE YOU'RE READY BECAUSE THE MATCH IS STARTING. COUNT DOWN WITH ME!"
  
  "THREE!" I leaned forward with both worry and excitement. There was nothing I could do but wait to see the fruit of our efforts.
  
  "TWO!" If Lance lost, then I knew I was likely on my way out of the Elite Four. I had caused too many problems for Pryce, inadvertently or otherwise, for him to allow me to stay. Lance had to win. I had worked too hard to allow any other outcome.
  
  "ONE!" They both released their Pokémon.
  
  A raging Gyarados emerged on Lance's side of the field, comparable in every way to Drake's own Gyarados. A paradox of wrath and discipline; yet entirely obedient to its owner. A calamity taken the form of a water serpent. I instinctively knew that I would not want to face down against such a Pokémon.
  
  On Pryce's side of the field, a powerful Glalie floated off the ground, looking alert and unfazed by Lance's Gyarados. Despite being much smaller in size and lacking that distinct intimidation factor that the Gyarados had, the Glalie looked very much like a warrior of old bravely staring down the monster he was going to defeat.
  
  Pryce was prepared. But would his preparations prove sufficient?
  
  "Waterfall, Gyarados! Smash it apart!"
  
  "Ice Wall, Glalie!"
  
  Gyarados immediately threw itself into the fray as it began its vicious assault against Glalie. Glalie quickly responded by erecting a huge wall of ice in Gyarados' path, but Gyarados easily smashed through it with an expression that almost seemed insulted that Glalie thought such a meagre wall could halt its charge.
  
  "Freeze Dry, Glalie!"
  
  Glalie then reacted with Pryce's signature move, and the one he invented, as he fired off a wave of chilling water straight towards Gyarados, which should have been supereffective against the Water type Gyarados, but the attack only caused Gyarados to give off an enraged snarl as it forced itself forward and slammed into Glalie, as if to try to shatter the smaller Ice type with its larger body.
  
  "Ice Spinner! Knock him away, Glalie!"
  
  "Fire Fang. Don't let go, Gyarados."
  
  Gyarados latched onto the Glalie with its giant maw, fangs alight with scorching flames that slowly consumed the flailing Glalie. To its credit, Glalie put up a remarkable effort trying to shake off the Gyarados as it spun like a whirlwind of ice, but like a predator that had finally caught its prey, Gyarados refused to let go.
  
  As the two of them thrashed wildly on the ground, Glalie suddenly managed to shake itself free from Gyarados' gaping jaws, and Pryce quickly tried to turn the situation around.
  
  "Freeze Dry, Glalie! Propel yourself backwards!"
  
  "Fire Fang again, Gyarados!"
  
  Glalie fired off a torrent of water and propelled itself backwards by taking advantage of the expelling pressure, pushing itself just far enough away to dodge out of the way of another supereffective crunch from those searing fangs of Gyarados.
  
  "Dragon Rush and chase after it, Gyarados!"
  
  "Giga Impact, Glalie!"
  
  "Iron Head instead, Gyarados, fight it head on! You can take it."
  
  Like a man who was utterly unworried about his Pokémon's ability to take a hit, Lance didn't even bother trying to get his Gyarados to set up a Protect shield as he ordered his Pokémon to continue the assault and match Glalie's attack literally head on.
  
  "The fool thinks he can win in a battle of strength? He's really lost his touch." I heard Agatha mutter next to me. Sure enough, Glalie shot forward like a bullet as it threw itself towards Gyarados with as much power as it could muster.
  
  However, Glalie's fully charged Giga Impact was met with an equally powerful Iron Head from Gyarados, who barely flinched from the attack's impact as they smashed their heads together. Gyarados let out a mocking snarl as they collided together, as if to taunt the Glalie and asking if that was the extent of its power.
  
  The difference in their Pokémon's inherent strengths was obvious; no matter how much Glalie was better trained compared to Gyarados, it was lacking in both strength and endurance to beat it in a straight up fight.
  
  Without allowing Glalie to recover from its attack, Gyarados retaliated with a bone-shattering Aqua Tail that smashed directly into Glalie's side, sending the Glalie careening through the air and landing in an unsightly heap on the ground.
  
  "Stone Edge! Don't let it get up, Gyarados!" Showing no mercy, Gyarados continued its relentless assault as huge pillars of stone rose up from the ground and crashed down on it like a landslide, burying the Glalie under a tomb of rock.
  
  "Hyper Beam, Glalie! Break free!" Glalie remained stoic despite its injuries and shot out a powerful beam of energy that disintegrated the rocks in front of it, momentarily freeing itself from its tomb as the ray of energy struck Gyarados in the center. But Gyarados merely grunted in pain as it tanked through the attack.
  
  "Dragon Rush! Push through it, Gyarados!"
  
  Gyarados immediately obeyed as it rushed towards Glalie, seemingly unconcerned about the intense ray of energy trying to bore a hole into its body. It was not about to lose a battle of raw strength, and it refused to show any weakness as it enduringly pushed back the Hyper Beam and smashed straight into Glalie, cutting off the Hyper Beam and sending it tumbling down onto the ground.
  
  "Earthquake!" In what was almost certainly overkill, Gyarados slammed its tail into a ground, sending huge tremors through the ground that violently shook the buried Glalie, ensuring that it had absolutely no chance of getting back up.
  
  The crowd waited in silence to see if Glalie was going to rise up or not, but after ten seconds of no movement, the announcer called it.
  
  "AND PRYCE'S GLALIE HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT! WHAT A QUICK AND DEVESTATING FIGHT! I CANNOT BELIEVE THE STRENGTH OF THAT GYARADOS! LANCE NOW LEADS THE MATCH 1-0!" The crowd didn't seem disappointed at all at the quick defeat and were instead roaring out their approval towards Lance. "CHAMPION PRYCE HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  "Feh. That was disappointing." Agatha said bitingly, though I partially disagreed with her words. Yes, sure, Pryce's Glalie was knocked out quickly. But that was to no fault of his own, but rather, Lance was just THAT strong.
  
  "Indeed, Pryce has lost sight of what made him strong in the first place." Walker surprisingly sighed out.
  
  "Hah! I'm surprised you opened your mouth, Walker." Agatha mocked cuttingly, but Walker didn't rise to the bait. "But you're right. Pryce's forte was never about the pure strength of his Pokémon, but rather the fact that his Pokémon are so able to control fights with freeze strategies."
  
  "...he's been Champion for too long." I also spoke up, getting nods from everyone including Walker. "When I spoke with him a while ago, I noticed that his ego had gone to his head. I don't think he could even comprehend losing this match."
  
  Walker let out another breath, "...no, you're right. I must have realized this long ago but refused to acknowledge it." He didn't say anything else as he wandered off into the corner, declining any further conversation.
  
  I gave him a pitying look for a moment before I turned back to the arena. Pryce was sending out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Abomasnow."
  
  I heard the entire arena gasp in unison as the Abomasnow revealed itself onto the battlefield as Snow began to descend on the arena. I too was surprised; how did Pryce manage to train up a Pokémon from Sinnoh to the level where he was confident in using it against LANCE?!
  
  "WAIT, WHAT IS THAT POKEMON!? I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS SETUP THE SNOW!" The announcer supported my thoughts, "WELL IT LOOKS LIKE OUR CHAMPION HAS SOME SURPRISES UP HIS SLEEVE!"
  
  "Isn't that one of those Pokémon from Sinnoh?" Karen asked aloud as a look of recognition appeared in her eyes, "I think I saw it a few times when I was looking into their Dark type Pokémon."
  
  "...It must have been a gift from the Sinnoh League when Pryce revealed them to the public." Agatha spoke out seriously as she observed the Abomasnow. "Pryce must have kept it secret as a trump card against Lance...well played."
  
  "Surely it couldn't have been that well-trained though. Sinnoh was revealed only a few weeks ago!" Karen exclaimed, but I shook my head.
  
  "Not unless they were given to Pryce pre-trained." I replied, the puzzle pieces clicking together in my head, "Sure, it probably isn't as trained as his other Pokémon, but I wouldn't count it out just yet." That, and I wasn't certain for how long Pryce has had that Abomasnow. Plus, having an advantageous type matchup and surprise went a long way to securing a victory.
  
  I turned and gave Walker a questioning look which he simply shook his head at. I frowned, hoping that Lance had studied the Sinnoh Pokédex sufficiently to understand what type it was.
  
  But seeing the confused expression of Lance, the first crack in his normally confident appearance, I figured that he probably doesn't know.
  
  This was going to be bad.
  
  "Blizzard, Abomasnow."
  
  "Waterfall, Gyarados! Just get close to it quickly!"
  
  I winced as Gyarados charged right into the center of Abomasnow's Blizzard. It was less foolhardy than it might seem, as Gyarados was always going to be a physical attacker that needed to get closer to its opponent. So given that Lance didn't know what type Abomasnow was, or its strengths, this was likely the most reasonable choice.
  
  However, boosted by the snow like this, even the battle-hardened Gyarados slowly froze over by the Blizzard's freezing gales of winds that sliced at it. It continued to push forwards nonetheless, valiantly ignoring the small frost crystals gradually growing along its body as it continued to writhe angrily, determinately struggling to get closer to Abomasnow before it froze over.
  
  Yet Abomasnow's relative lack of training began to show itself. I knew instinctively that if this Blizzard was fired off by any of Pryce's regular, more-trained Pokémon, Gyarados would have frozen near instantaneously.
  
  Eventually, likely out of sheer wrathful determination, Gyarados managed to force itself through the Blizzard, charging headfirst with murderous rage in its eyes as it angled itself to slam straight into Abomasnow with what Lance thought was going to be a devastating Waterfall.
  
  However, with the Snow boosting his Pokémon's defenses, this just played right into Pryce's hands.
  
  "Wood Hammer, Abomasnow!"
  
  Just as Gyarados slammed into Abomasnow with his ineffective Waterfall, Abomasnow brutally retaliated as it morphed one of its arms into the shape of a stump and bashed it hard into the side of Gyarados' head.
  
  "AGAIN!"
  
  "Aqua Tail, Gyarados! Fight back!"
  
  Gyarados was able to quickly respond by whipping its tail around and pummels it into the side of Abomasnow. Yet, despite the sheer power behind the blow, Abomasnow's typing proved its worth as it shrugged off the ineffective attack and responded with another crushing Wood Hammer to the face, landing a critical hit on the Gyarados that caused it to stagger backwards in pain.
  
  Without allowing it to recover, Abomasnow relentlessly clobbered the Gyarados one more time as it brought another powerful strike down onto its head, smashing the Gyarados into the ground.
  
  "Protect and reorient yourself, Gyarados!"
  
  "Wood Hammer again, Abomasnow! Smash through that shield!"
  
  A faint shield hastily formed in front of the Gyarados as it writhed painfully on the ground, but Abomasnow shattered through that flimsy Protect shield with a powerful chop that struck down mercilessly on the top of Gyarados' head, knocking it once again into the ground.
  
  "Earthquake and finish it off, Abomasnow!"
  
  Abomasnow slammed into the ground and unleashed a powerful tremor that sent cracks spreading throughout the arena, violently shaking the Gyarados as it laid prone on the ground and taking the full brunt of the attack. An attack like that would normally be more than sufficient at finishing off an already wounded Pokémon.
  
  And yet, Gyarados refused to fall.
  
  "Outrage, Gyarados! You're not done yet!"
  
  Understanding just how far he was able to push his Gyarados, Lance refused to allow Gyarados to go down just like that. Despite being battered, beaten, and knocked repeatedly into the ground, Gyarados' unending rage continued to drive it forward.
  
  As Gyarados wrapped itself up in that familiar draconic energy, I noticed that the blue aura around it was literally pulsating outwards. The power that I could feel radiating out of Lance's Gyarados, even through the window, was almost incomparable to Drake's. And then, without warning, it burst forwards off the ground as it shot towards Abomasnow, tearing a huge gash in the arena in its wake.
  
  "Blizzard, Abomasnow! Stop it in its tracks!" Pryce shouted, showing the slightest bit of panic at Gyarados' rapid approach, his first hint of emotion since the start of the battle.
  
  Abomasnow roared out and formed another intense Blizzard in its wake, engulfing the Gyarados within once again. However, unlike before, Gyarados was hardly deterred by the freezing winds, its anger now so all-consuming and explosive that none could stop it. Realizing that Gyarados was undeterred by the Blizzard and was not slowing down, Pryce changed tactics.
  
  "Leaf Storm, Abomasnow!"
  
  As soon as Gyarados broke free from the Blizzard, a torrent of leaves shot themselves towards Gyardos, inflicting a litany of cuts and wounds as they sliced into it. Gyarados roared out in determination as it continued to ignore its growing injuries and exhaustion and forced itself through the storm of razor-sharp leaves and slammed itself into Abomasnow.
  
  However, its once pulsating aura of Draconic energy was rapidly dimming, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before Gyarados' exhaustion caught up with it. Pryce must have had the same realisation too, as he tried to stall for time.
  
  "Protect and Giga Drain, Abomasnow!"
  
  A sturdy cyclical shield formed itself in front of Abomasnow, shattering but successfully blocking an Iron Head from Gyarados. Making use of that space, Abomasnow fired out small green tendrils that attached themselves to Gyarados, gradually draining away its health and healing Abomasnow in return.
  
  Blinded by murderous rage as it was, Gyarados was unable to realize what was happening as it continued to ignore the life-draining tendrils and continued its volley of attacks against Abomasnow. But now, Abomasnow was starting to get used to Gyarados' wild attack patterns and was now able to occasionally parry the attacks using Wood Hammer to transform its arms into stumps and using them as makeshift shields.
  
  Gyarados must have realized that its energy was waning, that the plague of exhaustion was just around the corner. And yet, Gyarados refused to lose. It refused to fall to some unknown Pokémon that wasn't even a Dragon. Its pride, its anger, its loyalty, refused to allow such an outcome. So, it roared towards the sky above, willing itself to just land one more attack in the hopes that it would finally bring down that blasted Abomasnow before it as it continued lashing out.
  
  But sometimes, rage, raw power, and determination alone is insufficient. Although Abomasnow was not the bulkiest of Pokémon, nor could it match Gyarados' level of training, its grass-typing paid dividends in being able to resist the normally devastating Water attacks from Gyarados. Without being able to detach itself from the life-draining tendrils, Abomasnow was continuously able to heal itself through its Giga Drain and endlessly resist even the Outrage boosted attacks from Gyarados.
  
  By now, Lance likely realized his mistake at trying to bring down Abomasnow with purely Water-type attacks; and I'm sure that he even figured out what Abomasnow's typing was. Still, he was forced to stoically watch as Gyarados' attacks grew weaker and weaker, until eventually its reserve of Draconic energy ran out and its Outrage petered out, its once deep blue aura dimming completely, causing Gyarados to slump over in exhaustion.
  
  Pryce spared no time for it to recover as he gestured forwards.
  
  "Abomasnow, finish it off with an Energy Ball."
  
  Abomasnow casually fired off a green sphere of energy that struck the exhausted Gyarados in the face; Gyarados no longer having any energy to dodge and was blasted backwards. At this point Gyarados was so injured and damaged that even Abomasnow's Giga Drain was unable to drain out any health.
  
  Yet it continued to struggle.
  
  "Again."
  
  Abomasnow fired another blast of energy, once again striking Gyarados center mass as it roared out in pain.
  
  And yet it remained defiant.
  
  "...Its tenacity is impressive, but no matter. Again."
  
  I turned to Lance, watching him as he continued staring stoically at Gyarados. I wondered why he wasn't returning his Gyarados; he must have known that it was clearly unable to battle. So why was he allowing his Gyarados to tank further punishment like this?
  
  I gave a questioning look towards Agatha, and she answered my question before I could even ask it.
  
  "Silly boy, don't you know that a Dragon has its own pride?" Agatha mocked, "And Lance's Pokémon has more pride than most. They value that over everything else. The fools."
  
  I gave a nod of understanding as I refocused on the fight, just as Abomasnow landed yet another round of Energy Balls that detonated themselves on Gyarados. Gyarados was so covered with wounds at this point that it was unable to move its body, and yet its eyes remained alight with vengeance and rage.
  
  Its eyes were screaming to the world that it would not concede defeat. Not yet. But Pryce was going to force the issue one way or another.
  
  "Enough of this. Abomasnow, get close and Wood Hammer it."
  
  Abomasnow obeyed and dashed towards Gyarados, one of its arms raised menacingly as it glowed intensely with energy, ready to bash the defiance out of Gyarados.
  
  But just before Abomasnow could strike down with its arms, it accidentally got too close to Gyarados' head.
  
  "FIRE FANG!"
  
  Gyarados' head suddenly whipped forwards with a surprising burst of speed as it pushed itself far over its limits and it crunched down supereffectively with its flaming fangs onto Abomasnow's shoulder, eliciting a cry of pain from Abomasnow as Gyarados struck with all of its accumulated rage. Abomasnow quickly retaliated by bashing down powerfully at the top of Gyarados' head, striking it with a savage critical blow that finally knocked out the Gyarados.
  
  But the final blow from Gyarados could not be ignored, as small flickers of embers continued to spread across Abomasnow's body. I saw Lance smirk smugly towards Pryce for taking him off-guard with that final attack.
  
  "OH, AND LANCE'S GYARADOS FINALLY GETS KNOCKED OUT AFTER LANDING A LUCKY FIRE FANG ON PRYCE'S POKEMON, TYING OUT THE MATCH 1-1!" The announcer shouts out, before pausing to allow the crowd a moment to cheer. "AN INSPIRING PERFORMANCE FROM LANCE'S FIRST POKEMON! IT JUST REFUSED TO GO DOWN! WILL WE SEE MORE LIKE THAT FROM OUR CHALLENGER? WE WILL SEE IN THE NEXT THIRTY SECONDS!"
  
  Lance withdrew his Gyarados with a proud expression. And I couldn't help but reflect on the battle that had just occurred, measuring his Gyarados up to my own Pokémon. Smough was barely able to beat Drake's Gyarados, but could the same be said against Lance's?
  
  Although Smough has gotten stronger and has become proficient at using ThunderPunch, but that level of determination from his Gyarados was always going to be a frightening prospect to face off against.
  
  Especially if Gyarados' determination was the norm on Lance's team for his Pokémon. What kind of monsters remained on his team?
  
  A.N. And that's the start of the fight between Pryce and Lance. As I mentioned before, we will be seeing more Whitney chapters in the future, but they will be scattered throughout future chapters. However, I promise that there will be a much larger focus (With more dedicated interlude chapters) on Whitney now that her journey has started to see how she's progressing.
  
  And yes, I hope I made it clear that while Abomasnow isn't as well-trained as Pryce's other Pokemon, it makes up for that fact with surprise and typing. Of course, as soon as Lance realizes, Abomasnow quickly becomes a liability in such a high-skilled fight.
  
  Also, I made the decision that, under Snow (which is the weather condition I'm using for this fic instead of Hail), Ice type attacks are 'boosted'. Nowhere near as much as in Rain or Sun, but it rationally makes sense to me if Ice type attacks either hit slightly harder or had a better chance of Freezing the targets while in Snow.
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-10 - Burn them all
  
  We didn't have to wait long before Lance sent out his next monster.
  
  "Charizard, it's your turn."
  
  Lance's Charizard emerged from its Pokéball with a terrifying roar, sending out a huge plume of searing flames towards the sky and allowing small embers to descend onto the ground like droplets of fire. It looked every bit like a fearsome Dragon that was eyeing down its prey.
  
  The clouds of snow in the sky immediately began to recede as Charizard sent an intense ray of light into the sky, gradually being replaced by a scorching harsh sunlight that illuminated the entire arena.
  
  Even before Charizard made its first attack, I knew that this was going to a horrible matchup for Pryce's Abomasnow. The type matchup was just too imbalanced in Lance's favour. And, just as I was thinking it, Pryce made the move to immediately swap out his Abomasnow.
  
  "Return, Abomasnow!"
  
  "FIRE SPIN, CHARIZARD! Don't let it escape!"
  
  Before the red light of the Pokéball could reach the Abomasnow, Charizard reacted quickly, releasing a quick burst of flames that snaked out and wrapped up the Abomasnow in a vortex of fire, blocking it from being withdrawn from the fight.
  
  Pryce frowned as his Pokémon was trapped. The Fire Spin tore through Abomasnow, dealing constant supereffective damage that gradually chipped at its health. It was in a really bad spot.
  
  But, faced with no better option, Pryce's eyes narrowed and he went on the offensive, likely hoping to do as much damage as he could.
  
  "Rock Slide, Abomasnow!"
  
  "Into the air, Charizard! Break down those rocks with Focus Blasts!"
  
  As Charizard flapped his massive wings and took off into the air, rocks began being ripped out from the arena from around Abomasnow before being fired off in a barrage towards Charizard. Without slowing down, Charizard sent out a volley of Focus Blasts that shattered all of the incoming boulders while using his aerial manoeuvrability to dodge the rest.
  
  However, as Abomasnow continued firing out rocks towards Charizard, the volley of rocks started to become staggered and weak, as if the Abomasnow was unused to maintaining continuous geokinesis like it was currently doing, especially while it was burned. And unlike my fight against Drake's Salamence with Vordt, Charizard was far from being pressured from the far weaker onslaught of rocks.
  
  This was the disadvantage of relying on a Pokémon purely for its surprise factor. Once that surprise factor was exposed and the momentum lost, you had a weaker than average Pokémon that wasn't up to your usual level of training.
  
  And, with that gap between the barrage of rocks, Charizard was able to begin his attack.
  
  "Incinerate everything, Charizard! Flamethrower!"
  
  A torrent of blue flames shot out like a long spear of fire out of Charizard's gaping maw, burning with such intensity that the flames were able to melt through the volley of rocks coming its way.
  
  "Chilling Water, Abomasnow! Match it!"
  
  Abomasnow retaliated as it fired out its own stream of freezing water towards the incoming spear of flames, and the two attacks clashed against each other. Normally, common sense dictates that fire ought to be put out by water. Similarly, a torrent of flames should be pushed back by a stream of water. But Charizard's blue flames were no ordinary fire.
  
  And the result only became more skewed as Charizard's flames were boosted by the harsh sunlight, while Abomasnow's stream of Water was weakened.
  
  A horrible hissing sound emerged from where the two streams met, and the crowd and I stared with enraptured silence as we watched as the blue flames literally evaporated the stream of water where they collided, forming a huge wall of steam that increasingly concealed the fight occurring below.
  
  And so, the rest of us watched as Pryce's attack was slowly beaten back by the realities of physics, and his powerful geyser of water was nullified and pushed back by the immense heat from Charizard's flames.
  
  Likely recognizing that he was not about to win this exchange of attacks, Pryce went on the defensive.
  
  "Protect! Shield yourself, Abomasnow!"
  
  Abomasnow quickly cut off his attack as a Protect shield formed around it, before it quickly got engulfed by searing hot blue flames that began to melt the ground from underneath it. Though at least Abomasnow remained safe from within the Protect shield.
  
  However, this focus on defense now gave Charizard free reign to make use of its more devastating attacks.
  
  "Flare Blitz, Charizard! Annihilate it!"
  
  With a deafening roar, Charizard surrounded itself with a ball of flames as it started its apocalyptic descent into the Abomasnow, looking every bit like a sun was about to crash into the ground of the arena.
  
  And, surrounded by flames that as it still was, Abomasnow didn't even realize that its doom was rapidly descending from the sky. But Pryce knew that the end was coming, and so, with a determined frown, he gave his Abomasnow his final command to make its last stand.
  
  "Outrage, Abomasnow. Fight till the last."
  
  But Draconic energy was barely able to surge around the Abomasnow before Charizard crashed into it like a descending meteor, knocking up a huge cloud of dust. The cloud of dust blocked the spectators from seeing what was happening below, but it didn't take a genius to guess what had happened.
  
  I heard Walker sigh from next to me before he got up and made his way to the buffet table once again, likely to pour himself another drink. Poor guy, I knew that he was likely friends with Pryce, so seeing him in this state was likely a sad affair.
  
  I stared patiently as the dust slowly settled, revealing what I had expected. Abomasnow was lying unconscious in a center of a newly created crater, small wisps of flame still dancing across its badly charred body, while Charizard stood triumphantly over it, barely scratched and hardly winded.
  
  "WHAT A CONVINCING VICTORY FOR LANCE'S CHARIZARD! MANAGING TO BLOCK OFF PRYCE'S ATTEMPTS TO SWITCH OUT HIS ABOMASNOW JUST TO FINISH IT OFF WITH AN EXPLOSIVE FLARE BLITZ! LANCE REGAINS THE LEAD WITH 2-1!" The announcer called out over the excitement of the crowd, "HOW WILL PRYCE RESPOND TO THIS DEFEAT? HE HAS THIRTY SECONDS TO DO SO!"
  
  Pryce withdrew his Abomasnow and gave Lance an angry glare, no longer maintaining the indifferent stoicism that he had previously. Perhaps he was starting to realize how big of a threat Lance truly was at his ability to maintain his title as Champion, something I'm sure literally everyone else had realized by now.
  
  He fidgeted with a few of his Pokéballs before eventually deciding to send out his chosen challenger against Lance's monstrous Charizard.
  
  "Dewgong, you're up."
  
  Pryce's Dewgong slammed onto the wrecked arena as the sheer weight of its body cracked the ground. Its normally friendly expression at odds with its size and heft. Even more importantly, a thick layer of fat could be seen wrapped around its body, which only serves to improve its distinct bulky appearance.
  
  "AND PRYCE HAS BROUGHT OUT HIS FEARSOME DEWGONG! THE FAMED ICE-TYPE DRAGON SLAYER HAS BROUGHT DOWN MANY A BEAST BEFORE, BUT WOULD IT BE ENOUGH TO BRING DOWN THE FIERY CHARIZARD?!" The announcer hyped up for the crowds.
  
  Dewgong was an excellent choice for Pryce. Lance had no good swaps; Charizard was his only Pokémon left that wasn't weak to Ice. But with Dewgong's ability Thick Fat, Charizard wasn't the best Pokémon to fight with either. It was a dilemma between choosing between two bad decisions, and I wondered which choice Lance was going to make.
  
  "Aqua Ring, Dewgong. Prepare yourself."
  
  "Flare Blitz, Charizard. Start out strong and pummel it!"
  
  With a reverberating roar, Charizard burst forwards as it engulfed himself in flames once again, leaving a trail of scorch marks in the wake of its attack, before the two Pokémon slammed together.
  
  Fire met Ice, but the Ice refused to melt. The Thick Fat surrounding the Dewgong insulated it from the sunlight-boosted scorching flames of the attack, leaving Dewgong mostly unharmed and healthy. As if to take its endurance as a personal insult to its pride, Charizard roared out and unleashed a stream of blue flames point-blank straight towards Dewgong.
  
  "Ice Slam, Dewgong."
  
  Making use of its inherent bulk and resistance to fire, Dewgong elected to simply tank through the meltingly hot blue flames and shielded itself with an aura of ice and charged through it to land a powerful Ice-infused Body Slam against Charizard.
  
  Charizard stumbled back as the impact cut off its own stream of fire as he was forced to take a breath. Pryce was unwilling to allow Charizard room to breathe and pressed on.
  
  "Again!"
  
  Dewgong pulled its weight to the front and remorselessly slammed into Charizard once again, this time able to land a direct hit into the center of the Charizard as it couldn't raise its arms in time to block the attack. Charizard roared out in pain and indignation, enraged at the fact that this oversized slug was able to hurt a Dragon like it was.
  
  Thinking that Charizard was on the backfoot and not really able to harm his Dewgong, Pryce used this moment to hopefully secure his lead.
  
  "Set up the Snow, Dewgong!"
  
  Dewgong seemed content to ignore the raging Charizard before it as it began to release a gust of cold air around it, causing thick clouds dripping with snow to descend from the sky and shield against the once harsh sunlight.
  
  Being ignored only seemed to infuriate the Charizard even further, and Lance seemed to share in his Pokémon's frustration.
  
  "Dragon Claw, Charizard! Overwhelm and crush that thing before you!"
  
  "Aqua Tail, Dewgong! Hit it hard!"
  
  No longer being weakened by the harsh sunlight, Dewgong followed up with a powerful swipe of its tail that was blocked by one of Charizard's arms. However, fuelled by its pride, the Charizard ignored the pain of the supereffective move as it charged forwards and raked its claws violently across Dewgong's fatty body; Dewgong tanked through the attack with barely a reaction.
  
  The lack of effective damage from its attack only further incensed Charizard, who, unprompted, recklessly slashed again with another Dragon Claw, but it failed to do much damage to the Dewgong. Worse, by attacking recklessly like this, Charizard had unintentionally overextended and exposed itself to being counterattacked, which Dewgong quickly capitalized on with another hefty Aqua Tail to the chest.
  
  To add insult to injury, this kind of meagre damage from Charizard was quickly healed up by the Aqua Ring that Dewgong had deployed at the beginning of the fight. Realizing that the Dewgong proved resistant to its Dragon Claw, Lance took command of his Charizard before it could lose itself in its rage once again.
  
  "Brick Break instead, Charizard! Smash it!"
  
  "Waterfall, Dewgong! Put your weight behind it!"
  
  Its rage now tempered by its trainer's command, Charizard refocused itself on the fight and was no longer lashing out. This renewed discipline allowed it to brace itself for Dewgong's incoming Waterfall and partially blocked the attack with a defensively raised arm before its other arm descended from above and chopped supereffectively into Dewgong.
  
  Dewgong stumbled backwards with pained surprise; this was the first attack that managed to actually hurt it throughout the entire battle. Lance immediately pounced on the sudden distance between the two Pokémon.
  
  "Focus Blast, Charizard!"
  
  A volley of Focus Blasts almost instantaneously shot out from Charizard's claws, detonating savagely as they impacted on Dewgong before it could even form a Protect shield to block the damage.
  
  "Again!"
  
  "Hydro Pump, Dewgong!"
  
  Two instances of damage were hardly enough to fell a tanky beast like Dewgong, and it reared its head backwards and unleashed a powerful torrent of water that collided against the barrage of Focus Blasts. A series of detonations followed as the Focus Blasts repeatedly detonated against the stream of water, the two attacks constantly pushing back and forth against each other.
  
  However, the deciding factor revealed itself to be the energy reserves of the two Pokémon. While Charizard was an extremely well-trained and all-round terrifying Pokémon, it ultimately wasn't a Fighting type. Sure, it was more than proficient at using Focus Blasts, but Dewgong simply had more energy in reserve to use its same type Hydro Pump compared to Charizard.
  
  Thus, as the two Pokémon continued to give their all with their two attacks, Charizard slowly wavered as it gradually bottomed out its Fighting type energy reserves. Its attacks were starting to get pushed back.
  
  I wasn't sure if Lance had realized this, or if his pride stayed in the way of him ordering Charizard to switch attacks, which would effectively be conceding defeat in this exchange, but he made no move to change tactics.
  
  Of course, the result was that Charizard inevitably ran out of energy and was blasted backwards as the torrent of water slammed it unceremoniously into the psychic shields.
  
  "Typical Blackthorn pride." Agatha scoffed as she watched Charizard remained pinned, "Any idiot can see that it was about to lose that exchange, and yet Lance insists on continuing because his Pokémon would never forgive him if he didn't allow them to give it their all and TRY to win."
  
  That was very interesting to hear, but Karen spoke up before I could. "You mean that Lance had raised all of his Pokémon like this?"
  
  "Of course." Agatha answered as she rolled her eyes. "Were you blind when his Gyarados refused to stay down? That's the famed Blackthorn pride at work. All of his Pokémon think they're some mighty Dragon that can never be defeated. Oh sure, it has its upsides, as you saw, but then you get stupidity like this because they're so unwilling to bend or concede." She scoffed once again.
  
  "That's ridiculous. A Pokémon should use every little inch to their advantage." Karen said, like the Dark-type specialist she was.
  
  I agreed with Agatha about the drawbacks. I could never see myself encouraging my Pokémon's pride to such an extent that they would literally refuse to back down from an engagement due to their pride. Despite the advantages and obvious power that such a training method allowed for, I thought that this way of fighting was far too restricting and prone to being exploited by crafty opponents.
  
  Pride was important for a Pokémon to have, but never to such an extent that it consumes your every action. Perhaps it was suitable for a team as strong as Lance's, but since Normal types weren't traditionally powerhouses like Dragons were, this method of fighting was entirely unsuitable for me. Even Tyrant, with all his battle lust, can still reign himself in when necessary, such as when he allowed me to withdraw him against Drake's Salamence because he knew that was what we had planned for.
  
  Although, the tenacity shown by Lance's Pokémon was truly impressive.
  
  Despite being blasted with a supereffective torrent of water that kept it pinned against the psychic barriers of the arena, Charizard's eyes remained alight with rage and defiance. Its eyes told the world that it would not be defeated so disgracefully, and Lance understood that.
  
  "Rock Slide, Charizard! Fight back and interrupt it!"
  
  Impressively, Charizard was able to push past the pain of being endlessly blasted by a stream of water as it still managed to focus itself and start levitating the many surrounding rocks around it. I knew just how difficult it was for a Pokémon to be able to concentrate on their attack like that WHILE it was still being pinned by a supereffective attack, so it was remarkable that Charizard had the willpower to push through the pain.
  
  With intense concentration fuelled entirely by its unyielding pride, the rocks shot forward like bullets that crashed into Dewgong's side, eliciting a moan of pain, and cutting off its Hydro Pump. As Charizard was finally free from being pinned by the Hydro Pump, Lance went back on the offensive.
  
  "Flare Blitz, Charizard! Show your strength to the world!"
  
  With a defiant roar, Charizard surrounded itself with a pulsating flames as it blitzed towards the Dewgong.
  
  "Glacial Impact, Dewgong! Crush this usurper!"
  
  Dewgong let out a powerful bellow of its own, ignoring its many injuries that had gradually built up over the course of the battle, before it rapidly charged up its own Ice-infused Giga Impact and burst forwards like a rocket.
  
  A deafening BANG exploded across the arena as Fire met Ice once again and the two Pokémon collided with their most devastating attacks. An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object as a cataclysm of opposing energies crashed against each other, causing a veritable eruption of power.
  
  And then, there was nothing left. Not even steam. Even the clouds of Snow above were dispersed by the attack.
  
  The arena shattered instantly at the impact, ripped entirely apart. The first layer of psychic barriers utterly failed at containing the blast, almost as if it they didn't exist entirely. The second layer, held in reserve to protect the audience for destructive attacks like this, flickered widely as it strained to maintain itself.
  
  The VIP room was far more protected, the reinforced glass and stronger psychic barriers managing to protect us from feeling most of the impact, but glass and plates shattered as the force of the impact still managed to send tremors through the room. Though the trainers in the room all remained unfazed as we were more than used to enduring through these kinds of attacks. You didn't make it this far without being able to do so.
  
  As the tremors ended and the aftershocks of the impact went away, we were all able to observe the results of that attack.
  
  Unsurprisingly, the arena was devastated. Cracks spread out from the center of a massive crater that was almost artistic in appearance. In the middle of the crater, both Charizard and Dewgong laid unconscious at the center of the crater, almost looking like an entire portion of the arena had just collapsed on itself from the attack. From my high-up viewing point, it was almost like a reverse pedestal for the two Pokémon. A very fitting result for an attack of that calibre.
  
  I was somewhat surprised at Charizard's defeat, thinking that it would be like Lance's Gyarados and fight to the end. However, I suppose that its pride may have been sated by going out in a 'blaze of glory' like this, or possibly because it had just suffered from too much damage throughout the fight that it could fight no longer.
  
  "AND BOTH TRAINER'S POKEMON LIE DEFEATED AFTER A DEVESTATING FINAL ATTACK FROM THE BOTH OF THEM, PUTTING THE SCORE AT 3-2!" The announcer cut through the silence with his booming voice. "HOWEVER, THE REFEREES HAVE JUDGED THAT THE ARENA IS NO LONGER SUITABLE FOR FIGHTING AND THAT THE BARRIERS NEED TO BE RECHARGED, SO THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK TO FIX EVERYTHING!"
  
  Then a few commercials started playing on the big screen as the repair crew went and tried to fix up the arena. I was almost amused by the fact that they had saved commercials in advance just to be played during situations like these even when they had previously announced that there wouldn't be commercial breaks. The consumerism was almost impressive.
  
  "Any thoughts on the battle so far, John? Put that brain of yours to good use." Karen said as she poked me in the face before she stood up and stretched from her seat. My eyes lingered slightly too long before I responded.
  
  "...Despite his recent showing, Pryce threw away a big advantage early on." I remarked, trying to avoid her gaze. "He wasn't utilizing his Pokémon properly up to now, but I fear it might be too late."
  
  "Oh? Now that's a very interesting thing to say." Agatha suddenly interrupted us. "Go on, explain why you think Pryce is using his Pokémon badly."
  
  I was slightly surprised by the question, but I mulled it over in my head before responding. "...Well, like you said before, Pryce should have tried to make use of his freeze strategies that he so favoured using in the past. He underutilized his Glalie and Abomasnow against Gyarados by trying to brute force his way to winning." I replied and then continued when I saw Agatha give me a 'keep going' look.
  
  "He could have focused on maintaining the Snow and made use of Snow-based weather strategies, or just used it to boost his Ice type attacks and make it easier to freeze his opponents. He had a huge advantage with Abomasnow's ability to instantly set the Snow, and with careful switches could have maintained the Snow for the entire fight and set up powerful support moves like Aurora Veil. But he was careless and utilized and got it knocked out far earlier than I would have anticipated, losing a very useful Pokémon. He's doing better now with his Dewgong, but it might be too late." I explained thoughtfully, digging into some of my meta-knowledge. Though, to be fair to Pryce, that was all on paper. Everything could go wrong in an actual fight.
  
  "...Good, well explained." Agatha said after she gave me a considering look that flicked between Karen and I. "Glad you're using your brain of yours to do proper research against your enemies. Don't let yourself get caught off-guard. And don't let yourself get ruined by pride like the two fools battling right now. You're on a hot streak, boy, don't let it get to your head."
  
  I nodded while trying to keep the surprise off my face. That was probably the friendliest interaction that I had ever had with Agatha, and she even gave me advice!
  
  "Why are you staring at me like that, boy. Go on, they've almost finished repairing the arena." She said with a visible smirk, and I felt like I was missing something. Still, I turned back to the now repaired arena and tried to put it out of my mind.
  
  I would think about Agatha's sudden friendliness another time. For now, I had a match to watch.
  
  A.N. Thanks for the feedback last chapter, I've made some changes to the fight to make it more balanced. Hope it worked and that you've enjoyed the match between Lance and Pryce so far. Unfortunately, there won't be an in-between Interlude chapter on Wednesday, so the next chapter will come out on Friday.
  
  I hope that the way that the two of them battle matches their personalities. Pryce is well-trained, disciplined, but he was previously misusing his Pokemon due to his ego. Lance is powerful and full of pride, to the point where his pokemon are unyielding monsters that sometimes act stupidly because of said pride.
  
  In this chapter particularly I wanted to highlight both trainer's flaws, yet also show that Pryce IS able to be a match when he snaps out of it.
  
  This chapter has been BETaed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-11 - A Fight to the Finish
  
  "ANND WITH THE ARENA FULLY REPAIRED, WE CAN GET BACK TO THE BATTLE!" The announcer declared to the sounds of cheers from the audience. "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!"
  
  Both trainers nodded. "BEGIN!"
  
  "Dragonite, win."
  
  "Weavile, you have the advantage."
  
  Both Pokémon couldn't be more different as they appeared on the battlefield. While Dragonite emerged with a thundering roar, as if announcing its presence to Arceus itself, Weavile was silent, remaining completely still with hardly a twitch. One flaunted its power openly for everyone to see, the other chose to hide it like a concealed blade.
  
  Their respective presences rolled off each other as if they didn't exist. Weavile was not going to be Intimidated, nor was Dragonite going to be affected by the silent pressure that Weavile emitted.
  
  "That's not Lance's starter is it?" Karen asked as she stared carefully at the posturing Dragonite.
  
  "No, it isn't. His starter is far larger. Trust me, you would know if he ever sent it out." I replied, before I pointed towards Pryce's Weavile. "You should study his Weavile, see how it matches up to yours. Maybe you could learn something. Or perhaps it could just serve as a good point of comparison."
  
  Karen accepted my advice with an easy nod, and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Agatha's mouth twitch upwards in approval momentarily before it settled back to its signature enigmatic expression. Could have just been a trick of the light.
  
  "Focus Blast, Dragonite! Knock it out with one good hit!"
  
  "Dodge and Ice Shard, Weavile. Keep your distance."
  
  The battle began as Weavile took off with a running start as it began circling around Dragonite while firing off small shards of ice, who was charging up a volley of Focus Blast in its hands. Dragonite easily tanked through the Ice Shards, allowing its Multiscale to tank through the first volley of ice shards without disrupting its Focus Blasts.
  
  Then, it unleashed a barrage of Focus Blasts that blasted towards Weavile. However, Weavile began dodging the attacks with contemptuous ease as it made use of its innate agility and speed to duck, jump, and slide under the volley of Focus Blasts, while hardly seeming winded while doing so.
  
  Lance realized that he had to stop Weavile from making use of its greater mobility and changed course.
  
  "Heat Wave, Dragonite! Burn everything around you!"
  
  "Ice Spinner, Weavile! Flood everything!"
  
  A veritable tide of flames exploded outwards from Dragonite, scorching the ground around it as the circle of flames spread out from it. As the ring of flames was about to incinerate the Weavile, it leapt over it while it covered its feet with a layer of ice as it then began to spin around, flinging ice everywhere around it and creating a safe platform to land on and putting out some of the burning ground.
  
  "Earthquake, Dragonite! Shatter that Ice!"
  
  "Interrupt it with Ice Punch, Weavile! Don't touch the ground!"
  
  I understood Lance's plan. He realized that if Dragonite could break Weavile's makeshift Ice platforms, then Weavile would start taking damage over time if it was forced to fight on the scorching hot ground, probably even being inflicted with a Burn.
  
  However, Weavile showed off its extreme mastery with Ice moves as it leapt from one hastily created Ice platform to another as it jumped quickly with huge strides towards Dragonite. The earth shook first, shattering all of the thin ice platforms that Weavile created, but Weavile anticipated the attack and jumped into the air just in time, twisting its body mid-air for just slightly more reach, and pummelling a critical Ice Punch straight into Dragonite's face.
  
  Yet, despite being punched with a 4x critical Ice Punch, Dragonite roared past the pain as it refused to flinch with its significant Inner Focus and glared murderously at the Weavile that had now entered its range.
  
  "Body Press into it, Dragonite! Hit it as hard as you can!"
  
  "Protect and get back with Ice Spinner, Weavile! Make some distance!"
  
  Weavile quickly kicked off the side of Dragonite's face and flipped backwards, spinning around in mid-air as it began to cloak itself with a layer of ice once again, while rapidly forming a shimmering Protect Shield between itself and Dragonite.
  
  Then, Dragonite rushed forwards in a rage, throwing its entire body into the attack with a Body Press. The shield shattered as Dragonite smashed into it, but it managed to block some of its momentum. As it broke past the Protect shield, Dragonite was met with a flurry of Ice from the spinning Weavile that repeatedly cut into it. Yet, its fury remained unabated as it charged forwards regardless, ignoring its ramping injuries from the supereffective hits, and managed to slam into the Weavile with its Body Press.
  
  Weavile was flung across the field from the impact and crashed unceremoniously into the dirt. In a way, it was lucky that it was thrown so far back as the ring of fire had yet to scorch the outer most area of the arena.
  
  Still, the damage taken was severe. An already fragile Pokémon by nature, taking a 4x supereffective attack like that, though partially blocked by the Protect Shield, still devastated the glass-cannon Weavile.
  
  On the other hand, Dragonite wasn't looking much better either. The terrible type matchup really started to show itself as even that quick exchange was able to demolish Dragonite's health. But there was no way both trainers didn't plan around this reality; with Charizard and Gyarados knocked out, most of Lance's remaining team were going to be extremely weak to Ice.
  
  "Why doesn't Lance just order his Dragonite to fly up into the air and harass the Weavile with Special Attacks?" Karen spoke up and asked, "Knowing Weavile, they all have terrible Special Attacks and Lance would probably be able to win a battle of attrition that way. Seems like the smart thing to do."
  
  This time, Agatha spoke up and responded before I could. "Hah! Haven't you been listening to what your boy has been saying, Karen? Lance would never do something as unsightly as winning like that. His pride wouldn't let him." Agatha mocked, before turning with a wry smile towards Walker. "Unlike this guy here. That's his favourite strategy."
  
  Walker simply shrugged and continued ignoring Agatha's taunts while Karen nodded in understanding. Personally, like I thought when I battled Drake, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to win, pride and honour be damned. This fight between Weavile and Dragonite wouldn't be as close as it is if Dragonite simply stayed out of range, and it would have likely forced Pryce to switch from Weavile to something else that could handle a long-range fight, giving Dragonite the freedom to start setting up.
  
  Of course, at this point, it would be a terrible idea for either Pokémon to switch out. If either Pokémon tried switching out, the other would be quick to pounce on the opportunity to either heal up with Rest or start buffing up against whatever came next. Considering both of their vast experiences as Elite trainers, they would never allow the other to gain such an advantage and would rather fight to end with their current Pokémon.
  
  Just as I thought that, both trainers went back on the offensive, trying to finish off the other.
  
  "Shardstorm, Weavile."
  
  "Dragon Rush, Dragonite! End this fight!"
  
  A huge whirlwind of chilling winds and ice shards started to be formed in front of Weavile, a powerful combination of both Ice Shards and Blizzard that formed a deadly vortex that threatened to shred any that dared enter its gaping maw with a tornado of shards. In fact, the sheer amount of ice shards within the Blizzard made it impossible to see inside it, as the spinning shards formed a thick wall that blocked all sight.
  
  However, never one to back down from a fight, Dragonite surrounded itself with an abundance of Draconic energy, before it shot forwards and charged fearlessly into the midst of the icy whirlwind. I couldn't tell if it was doing so because of pride, or because it genuinely believed that it could endure through an attack that it was 4x weak to.
  
  And thus, Dragonite disappeared into the center of the vortex of ice, completely disappearing from view.
  
  The crowd all held their breath as they waited to see the outcome of Dragonite's charge. Undoubtedly, if it broke through the vortex, Weavile was in no position to dodge or tank another hit as it was consumed with maintaining the Blizzard. But breaking through was no easy matter for the Dragonite.
  
  The silence extended for a moment, until suddenly, a small plume of flames shot out from within the whirlwind of ice, briefly scorching Weavile before it was quickly cut off. However, that small burst of fire was enough to Burn the already weakened Weavile and interrupted its Shardstorm. But there was still no sign of the Dragonite.
  
  Eventually, the icy vortex slowly faded away, revealing the frozen form of the Dragonite.
  
  Its mouth was still open, and its face was warped into one of defiant resignation, likely to force itself to shoot out that one last breath of fire when it realized that it was unable to go any further. Yet, its arms were limp, and its eyes, while open, were devoid of any energy.
  
  It was clearly knocked out, but perhaps its pride demanded that it unleashed one final attack before going down? Considering my observations of Lance's other Pokémon, that seemed very likely.
  
  The crowd went wild seeing Pryce actually defeating one of Lance's Dragonites, normally a symbol of strength and pride for the Blackthorn Clan, and to see one actually fall was certainly a momentous occasion.
  
  Lance grimaced as he withdrew his Dragonite, though I could not tell if he was disappointed or angry. And at whom.
  
  "OHH, IT LOOKS LIKE LANCE'S DRAGONITE HAS BEEN DEFEATED! IT WAS UNABLE TO WITHSTAND THE FREEZING WINDS FROM THAT UNIQUE BLIZZARD FROM WEAVILE AND WENT DOWN! THE MATCH IS NOW TIED UP AGAIN 3-3!" The announcer shouted out over the noise of the crowd. "LANCE HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  "I'm withdrawing my Weavile as well." Pryce announced as he returned his burnt and limping Weavile back into its Pokéball, obviously in no condition to continue fighting.
  
  "...AND WITH PRYCE'S WITHDRAWAL, THE SCORE IS 4-3! EACH TRAINER HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!" The announcer corrected himself.
  
  "...An impressive performance still from that Dragonite, to get an effective draw against that a Pokémon that it was 4x weak against." I muttered absentmindedly.
  
  "Bah, he was foolish to charge into the midst of that Blizzard." Agatha scoffed dismissively, before she turned her attention to Karen. "Karen, you learn anything from watching Pryce's Weavile?"
  
  "...It's much better at using Ice type attacks than mine." Karen said after she mulled over it but elaborated when she saw Agatha roll her eyes at that basic answer. "With my Weavile, our only reasonable long-range option is with Icy Wind to hopefully slow and freeze enemies down so that Weavile can get in range to finish them off, but we don't really have any long-range attacks like Pryce's does."
  
  "And do you think that you should work on developing these long-range attacks for your Weavile?" Agatha asked, surprisingly seriously. I supposed that this was a teaching moment for Karen.
  
  "Yes, I think I can see the use of it. I would need some way of forcing enemies to fight Weavile in close range, so developing some attacks that could hit far away opponents would prove useful." Karen replied confidently. Agatha smiled at her answer.
  
  "Do not try to copy Pryce. You are not him, after all. Develop your own strategies to deal with your Pokémon's weaknesses." Agatha reminded her, and Karen nodded.
  
  Before the conversation could continue though, both trainers had sent out their next Pokémon.
  
  "Glaceon, strike down that Dragon."
  
  "EMPEROR! IT. IS. TIME!"
  
  All eyes were locked onto the appearance of Lance's starter Dragonite. He towered over everything and was almost a head taller than the Dragonite he had sent out just before. He didn't roar out, as he had no use for such common methods of Intimidation. No, his presence alone was enough to cause most Pokémon to shudder in fear.
  
  His royal gaze swept across the field, briefly locking on to Glaceon before his gaze moved on dismissively, as if he hardly recognized the Glaceon as a threat. And perhaps, he was right.
  
  This was the alpha of alphas. The Dragon to beat all other Dragons. I had never met a Legendary or a Mythical Pokémon before, but I would imagine the sheer Pressure radiating out of Lance's Emperor would likely be a close match for a few Mythicals. I gripped the armrests of my seat in excitement; I wanted to learn everything I could about this prime specimen of a Pokémon.
  
  In my mind, a single line of thought repeated itself. Could Tyrant defeat such a foe in a straight-up fight, with no tricks involved? If not, then what could I do to ensure Tyrant's victory?
  
  "Your strength is respectable, Pryce!" Lance shouted out, "However! I will not allow another Dragonite to fall to your hands. This Champion match has been a fun challenge for me, but IT ENDS NOW."
  
  "Extreme Speed, Emperor!"
  
  "Protect and Ice Beam, Glaceon."
  
  To Pryce's credit, he hardly reacted to Lance's threat aside from a slightly raised eyebrow. That stoicism held on even after Emperor rushed towards Glaceon at such speed that he was little more than a blur. Emperor smashed through the Protect shield with ease before he easily tanked the incoming Ice Beam, shrugging it off as the attack bounced off its Multiscale before a devastating Fire Punch pummelled into the Glaceon.
  
  Glaceon fell backwards helplessly as it whined in pain, as if Emperor had struck with such strength that he completely disregarded the defense boost from the snow.
  
  But Emperor was unrelenting, unleashing a huge ball of flames that ruthlessly blasted the helpless Glaceon even further backwards before it could recover. Hardly twenty seconds had passed since the start of the round, and already Glaceon was severely wounded by the two super-effective attacks.
  
  Fortunately, it didn't share the frailty of the previous Weavile, or else it would have been knocked out already. Though that was a cold comfort since it was still in a horrible position.
  
  "Snowstorm, Glaceon! Get control of the weather!"
  
  "Extreme Speed again, Emperor! Finish it off!"
  
  Impressively, despite the sheer speed of Emperor's charge, Glaceon was still able to form a powerful Blizzard that managed to also change the weather of the battlefield to a moderate Snow. Another vortex of ice and snow formed itself between the two Pokémon, its icy maw once again daring Emperor to enter its frozen depths.
  
  However, just like its weaker counterpart, Emperor simply let out a dismissive snort and charged headfirst into Blizzard, utterly fearless. The Blizzard ripped through Emperor, causing a litany of wounds to appear on his body, but it failed to halt his charge. Within seconds, Emperor emerged out the other sight with a ferocious expression before he rammed the Glaceon with yet another merciless Fire Punch.
  
  Glaceon cried out in pain, but Emperor refused to allow Glaceon any chance to recover and savagely continued his onslaught by ruthlessly slamming their heads together with a disorientating Iron Head, flinching the Glaceon and interrupting any potential counterattacks. Then, without any prompting from Lance, Emperor picked up the disorientated Glaceon and lifted it into the sky, before Emperor brutally slammed it back down into the ground.
  
  Even after all that, Emperor moved to charge up one last Fire Blast to ensure its opponent stayed down before Lance interrupted it.
  
  "Stop. That's enough, Emperor." Lance said while staring down at Pryce, as if silently messaging him to withdraw his Pokémon. His Glaceon was lying pitifully in a small crater; its only movements were the slight twitching of its legs.
  
  It was obvious enough to the audience that it could no longer fight any further.
  
  Pryce met Lance's stares unflinchingly, but ultimately conceded and withdrew his Glaceon from the fight to the sounds of applause and cheers from the crowd.
  
  It had lasted barely over a minute against Lance's starter.
  
  Against any other Pokémon other than Emperor, it would have been a poor showing for a Champion's Pokémon to be knocked out so quickly, but I'm sure anyone who had been in the presence of Emperor would forgive Pryce for his quick defeat.
  
  "WOW! THAT WAS A FRIGHTENING PERFORMANCE FROM LANCE'S STARTER, MANAGING TO KNOCK OUT GLACEON WITH RECORD SPEED! THE SCORE IS NOW 5-3! CHAMPION PRYCE IS NOW ON HIS FINAL POKEMON, WILL HE BE ABLE TO TURN THIS MATCH AROUND?!" The announcer hyped up.
  
  To me, Glaceon's defeat was unsurprising, though I was slightly surprised at just how quickly it was knocked out. From that performance alone, I as starting to think that Pryce's starter might not be able to match up to Emperor, and I was feeling a plethora of different emotions.
  
  On the one hand, I was both excited and relieved at the fact that Lance was likely going to win this match, meaning that he was about to supplant Pryce as Champion and that all of our political manoeuvrings over the past month or so haven't been wasted. That relief also extended to the fact that Lance was indisputably going to be a strong Champion, who would be awfully difficult to supplant through a battle. That was good, since I had tied a lot of my political influence to supporting Lance and needed him to stay as Champion to make use of it.
  
  On the other hand, witnessing the true power of Lance's starter was equal parts worrying and inspiring. Worrying, because any trainer would start to doubt themselves when they compared themselves to such a monstrosity, and inspiring, because I was now determined to continue training up my team to be strong enough to confidently overcome such a strong Pokémon.
  
  Of course, I knew that I was deliberately aiming far higher than I needed to. I didn't NEED to be as strong, or stronger, than Lance, and my current level of strength was more than sufficient for the Elite Four. In fact, compared to Pryce's arguably mediocre performance in this battle, I would say that my team had a much stronger showing against Drake.
  
  Yet, I was not one to rest on my laurels and accept such concepts as 'good enough'. Yes, I was in a solid position right now, both politically and in terms of my Pokémon team's strength. However, it was unwise to build a foundation on something as volatile as temporary esteem and strength. I knew that, if I did not continue to work hard, I may end up as conceited as Pryce was, and may one day be facing against an opponent that I was too egotistical to defeat.
  
  No, I would learn from Pryce's mistakes and would continue to strive forwards. And just as I reaffirmed my will, Pryce sent out his final Pokémon and his starter.
  
  "Mamoswine, do NOT lose."
  
  My head snapped towards where Pryce was standing when I heard those words. I stared carefully and Pryce and saw the cracks starting to appear in his previous stoic exterior. It was inevitable that he was starting to feel worried; he was down to his last Pokémon after his previous one got decimated by an awfully powerful Dragonite. And he was one step away from losing the title that he had been holding on to for many years.
  
  Yes, his Mamoswine was very clearly a powerful Pokémon, well deserving to be the ace and starter of a long-time Champion. Its huge ivory tusks shimmered menacingly like daggers of bone in the snow and coupled with Mamoswine's large and bulky frame that hinted at its massive strength, it would normally be an Intimidating sight on its own.
  
  And yet, Emperor simply stared at Mamoswine with a mixture of amusement and arrogance. Even when Mamoswine raised its tusks threateningly at Emperor, he continued remaining unfazed as the two Pokémon stared each other down.
  
  Looking at Pryce, the terrible situation that he was in finally must have set in for Pryce, as he realized that he was probably about to lose all of the power that he possessed for years. I was truly curious about what thoughts were going through his head at the moment; was he in despair at the realisation that he was about to lose everything? Was he in denial, refusing to accept reality? Or would he finally accept the situation that he was in and accept his demise with dignity?
  
  Sadly, I could not tell what Pryce was thinking from his reformed blank expression, so his inner thoughts remained unexplained to me as Pryce's final stand began.
  
  "Icy Wind, Mamoswine! Take advantage of the Snow and slow it down!"
  
  "Draco Meteor, Emperor! Enough games!"
  
  Pryce, obviously aiming to try to slow or freeze Emperor by slowly wearing it down with Icy Wind, was immediately interrupted as Emperor, in a mighty display of his power, roared out to the skies and shot out a radiant ball of energy that loomed threateningly in the sky. The sphere of energy quickly detonated, forming colossal meteors of destructive energy that rained down apocalyptically towards the arena, the snow seemingly forgotten as the Draco Meteor took over and dominated the skies.
  
  However, Mamoswine had not been idle, and a chilling gust of wind, further enhanced by the cold weather conditions, snaked itself around Emperor. Without Multiscale, Emperor let out a grunt of pain as it tanked through the 4x supereffective move. Despite its show of strength, Mamoswine's attack was a humbling reminder to Emperor that his opponent was far from someone he could simply overlook.
  
  Yet it was Pryce who was in more trouble, as with the imminent threat of Draco Meteors crashing down destructively from above, Pryce was forced to change tactics.
  
  "Icicle Crash, Mamoswine! Shoot them down!"
  
  "MAMO! SWINE!" Enormous icicles that matched the size of its tusks formed around the roaring Mamoswine, before they fired off like giant spears of ice into the air to shoot down the incoming meteors.
  
  The spears impaled themselves deep within many of the falling meteors, causing them to detonate in mid-air. However, many more orbs continued to descend unimpeded, overwhelming Mamoswine's admittedly admirable attempt at shooting them down.
  
  They continued to fall, and it quickly became obvious that it was far more than Mamoswine could handle. Knowing that Mamoswine was about to be overwhelmed, Pryce went on the defensive.
  
  "Mamoswine, Brace and Protect!"
  
  "Dragon Rush, Emperor! Don't let it hide away!"
  
  Gasps and shouts could be heard from the surprising command. Yet Emperor unquestionably obeyed his trainer as it burst forwards and smashed into Mamoswine's Protect shield, shattering it and grappling onto the Mamoswine, preventing it from forming another one.
  
  Mamoswine tried to force Emperor away by spearing it with a deadly Ice Fang, but Emperor narrowly dodged out of the way of the ice-infused tusks and crashed their heads together with a powerful Iron Head.
  
  The meteors continued to descend ever closer to the ground, and yet Emperor still showed no signs of hesitation as it continued to grapple the Mamoswine. In fact, Emperor continued trading blows with Mamoswine, not giving it a single moment of repreieve as Emperor relentlessly pummelled it with an onslaught of Brick Breaks. In a display of supreme confidence in his strength and his trainer, Emperor willingly remained in the destructive path of its own attack and prevented Mamoswine from trying to get away or shield against it.
  
  However, Mamoswine was not willing to simply fold over. With a defiant roar, it managed to wrestle back against Emperor and impaled it with one of its deadly tusks, causing Emperor to stumble backwards from the powerful hit. Not wasting the opportunity, Mamoswine crashed into it with an Ice-Infused Take Down before Emperor could recover.
  
  And then, the meteors fell.
  
  The first layer of psychic shields shattered instantly, hardly putting up any resistance as the tidal wave of force from the explosive bombardment blasted past it. The second reserve layer were strained to its very limits as they flickered harshly as they were barely able to withstand the veritable tide of force slamming against it.
  
  Some in the audience stands were knocked off their seats as the psychic shields failed to withhold all of the destructive energy. Fortunately, the stadium and the force dampeners were built and reinforced to meet these standards of high-level attacks, so no further damage was done.
  
  The VIP room was similarly unharmed, though I think most of the food from the buffet table behind me had clattered onto the ground. At least someone saved the bottles of expensive alcohol.
  
  "You think Lance's Dragonite was knocked out as well?" Karen suddenly asked me as we waited for the dust to settle, and I shook my head.
  
  "...I don't think so." I commented, "From what we just saw, it felt like it knew it could survive an attack. And I'm not willing to bet against that."
  
  Karen accepted my explanation with a nod, "I wonder if my own Tyranitar will ever become so powerful." She muttered to herself.
  
  "...With good training, who knows? Gravity training is definitely going to help. And lots and lots of sparring and training." I whispered to her, and she shot me a grateful smile before she turned back to observe the match.
  
  The battle certainly wasn't over yet, but I knew that we were in its final moments.
  
  With the dust finally settled, the announcer made himself known once again.
  
  "ANOTHER POWERFUL ATTACK FROM LANCE'S STARTER, CHOOSING TO FORCE MAMOSWINE INTO AN UNFAVOURABLE BRAWL JUST SO THAT IT COULDN'T SET UP ITS DEFENSES! A RISKY PLAY, BUT HAS IT PAID OFF?!"
  
  And sure enough, the scene laid out before us was one of familiar destruction. Just like most of Lance's devastating attacks, the arena was once again a complete ruin, and had basically transformed into one gigantic crater, with many smaller craters dotted around it.
  
  But more importantly were the states of the two Pokémon. Mamoswine's once pristine fur was now cut up and lightly singed in various places, its magnificent tusk was chipped and covered with dirt, and one of its eyes were sealed shut due to its injuries. It was clearly on its last legs.
  
  In comparison, Emperor initially looked hardly winded even though it also took the brunt of its own supereffective attack. However, a closer inspection using the cameras revealed that it was panting harder than it was before, and that its wings hung weakly on its back. It looked like it was holding itself together to stop it from collapsing, but it was doing an admirable job not allowing these injuries to slow it down and maintained a façade of indifference and strength.
  
  Pryce grimaced as he saw the state of his Mamoswine, but Lance reacted before he could do anything.
  
  "Emperor! This is the final moment! Overwhelm it with a Dragon Pulse!"
  
  "Mamoswine! Do NOT fall! Blast it back with an Ice Beam!"
  
  Both Pokémon roared out and unleashed a powerful beam of Draconic and Ice energy respectively that both collided in the center of the field in a blinding burst of light. This was it, the final exchange of match.
  
  Dragon and Ice clashed against each other. The beam of Ice normally had a significant advantage piercing through the draconic beam, but both attacks were hindered by the wounded and damage state of their source. It was now a battle of pure determination, a manifestation of each challenger's respective ambitions.
  
  Was Pryce's desire to stay in power stronger? Or would Lance overcome him with his own ambitions to become Champion?
  
  The battle of wills extended for some time, each Pokémon putting their all into the attacks, acting as a physical manifestation of their trainer's spirit. But, in the end, Mamoswine was the first to fall.
  
  It slowly started to slump over, succumbing to the weakness of its injuries. Its beam of frost gradually getting weaker as exhaustion and tiredness rapidly built, until eventually Mamoswine was blasted backwards by the victorious Dragon Pulse.
  
  Not having any more energy left, Pryce's final Pokémon, his last hope, collapsed to the floor. And with it, so did his chance of holding on to his title as Champion.
  
  On the other side, Emperor wobbled uncertainly on its feet, swaying slightly as it looked about to fall over. Its victory came at a cost, and it looked like it was moments away from collapsing as well. However, in one final display of its pride, it let out a triumphant roar to the skies as it forcefully held itself together until the end. And with that, the battle was over.
  
  "ANDDD PRYCE'S FINAL POKEMON GOES DOWN! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION! GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE NEW CHAMPION OF INDIGO, CHAMPION LANCE!"
  
  And a new Champion was finally here.
  
  A.N. Thus ends Pryce's reign, long live Lance. Hope you enjoyed the three-part battle! I recognize I made some mistakes regarding my portrayal of Pryce, but I hope I can learn from this and make future fights more balanced.
  
  Something I've tried to show in the battles is that Pryce's Pokemon are actually more trained than Lance's, as they use more custom moves throughout the match. Lance has more raw strength sure, but at his prime, Pryce may have beaten Lance, or at least had a much closer match.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-12 - A New Champion
  
  I watched as Lance posed proudly as the announcer finally declared his victory. His expression was one of proud triumph, but there was still a hint of arrogance in there as if he thought that his victory was an inevitability.
  
  Though, anyone who had just watched the match would probably think that his arrogance was well-deserved.
  
  Pryce looked the exact opposite. There was no sign of anger in his expression at his defeat, nor was there any bitterness. Rather, he had stood there blankly, looking like he was unable to comprehend the fact that he had lost both the battle and the title of Champion. Although, unlike with Walker, I didn't feel any pity for him.
  
  He was a thoroughly self-absorbed man who could not even see beyond his own ego. He was generally unpleasant and condescending to everyone he spoke to and showed little regard for those he thought were beneath him, which was practically everyone. While I was not about to rub his loss in his face, the more vicious side of me was pleased with his defeat and that he was finally humbled.
  
  Suddenly, the door to the VIP room opened and a League Official made his way inside. He briefly made a questioning glance to Karen's surprising presence before he addressed the other Elite Four members.
  
  "Members of the Elite Four, would you please accompany me to the stage for the ceremony of our latest Champion?" He asked politely, but formally. It was kind of a rhetorical question since we didn't exactly have a choice.
  
  "Oh, right, almost forgot about the pageantry." Agatha scoffed, before she carefully pulled herself up from the chair, bones creaking slightly. Karen went to help her, but Agatha waved her off and said that she was fine.
  
  "Karen, you stay here for now while we handle this. Meet with me afterwards once we're done." Agatha said to her, and she nodded. The League Official wanted to protest having a non-VIP remain in a VIP area, but a sharp look from Agatha silenced him. The official turned to Walker and I for support, but Walker was likely too distracted to notice the implied question, and I simply shook my head at the official.
  
  He sighed, realizing he would get no support, and simply began to escort the three of us out of the room as we made our way very slowly to the victor's podium. We walked as slowly as we did so that Agatha could catch up, but I was almost certain she was deliberately walking even slower than she had to just to mess with us.
  
  Either way, we eventually made our way to the stage, where a grinning Lance welcomed us with wide arms. In the corner, Pryce seemed to have gotten out of his shock and was now glaring at everyone with open hatred. We of course, ignored Pryce.
  
  "Welcome, everyone!" Lance greeted us with a smile, with the cameras pointed towards our group. "I hope you enjoyed the battle."
  
  "Congratulations, Lance, it was a well fought battle." I praised, making sure that I tended to his ego. "You'll make a great Champion."
  
  "Of course, of course, and I thank you for your words, Elite John." Lance easily replied, "We both know how much you have helped to get me where I am now, so you deserve some of the credit too." He said for the benefit of the cameras.
  
  I realized that he was saying this to tell the world about our political ties, both to give me credit for aiding his victory, and to also make use of my currently excellent reputation to solidify the early days of his rule. That was fine, I expected it anyways.
  
  Then the other two members of the Elite Four similarly gave their congratulations, though theirs were far more lukewarm than mine. Nonetheless, Lance was happy to accept them.
  
  Afterwards, he was escorted onto the stage where he would be sworn in as Champion. A very senior looking League Official made his way on stage. He made a few choice, but ultimately meaningless, words about the importance of the title of Champion, and their responsibilities towards the continued protection and safety of Indigo.
  
  Then, in something that I had completely forgotten about, he proceeded to invite both Lance and Pryce to the front so that Pryce may pass the title of Champion to Lance. That must have really been rubbing salt on the wound for Pryce.
  
  In fact, when Pryce made his way to the front with a smug Lance, I had to hold in my laughter. His face screamed to the world that he wanted to be anywhere else but here, and his gait was no longer as steady as they used to be. In contrast, Lance just took it all with a smugly satisfied smile.
  
  "Champion Pryce, as the leaving Champion, do you agree to pass down the position of Champion, and all of its associated responsibilities and power, to your successor, Lance?" The League Official began.
  
  "...I agree." Pryce bit out reluctantly, but there was something else in his tone that I couldn't quite place.
  
  "Lance, do you accept the position of Champion, understanding the necessary responsibilities and duties that comes along with the position?" The official asked Lance.
  
  "I accept this duty." Lance said solemnly, though his eyes gleamed with pride and eagerness. To Lance's credit, he was doing a good job not acknowledging whatever look that Pryce was giving him.
  
  "Then, congratulations, Champion Lance! You are the newest Champion of Indigo!" The official declared, and crowd went wild with applause and cheers. Some had even unrolled banners that said "CHAMPION LANCE!" to show their support; I casually wondered if they were members of the Blackthorn Clan.
  
  The official allowed the crowd to cheer for a little while before he interrupted them. "Normally, we would move straight into the interview, but a surprise guest wanted to speak a few words to you, Champion Lance, if you were to allow it."
  
  Lance looked surprised for a brief moment, but then recomposed himself. "Oh? Well, certainly. I would love to speak to whoever this is."
  
  The official nodded, looking a little bit relieved that Lance didn't decline, which only stoked my curiosity further about who this individual was. Especially one that was influential enough to disrupt such a momentous occasion. Soon enough, I realized what the fuss was about when a very familiar looking person made his way on stage. The cameras flashed rapidly as they took pictures of the newcomer.
  
  My jaw nearly dropped when I saw who it was.
  
  "Hello, Champion Lance, it's a pleasure to meet you like this. Congratulations on your win." said a smiling Professor Oak, walking onto the stage donning his usual lab coat. He looked like he had just come down straight from his laboratory, and he certainly wasn't dressed for such a formal occasion. But seeing the sheer surprise in everyone's faces, including mine, I didn't think anyone cared to mention it.
  
  "...oh, uh, yes, it's an honour, Champion Oak." Lance stuttered out, genuinely surprised at Oak's appearance. "And thank you very much for your words. I am undeserving of the honour." He said as he bowed in deference, which caused my eyes to nearly pop out.
  
  I never knew that Lance had the ability to be deferential.
  
  But then I noticed that the other members of the Elite Four, including Pryce, were all bowing slightly in respect to Oak, and I quickly followed suit despite not fully understanding why.
  
  "Ah, you don't need to use that title anymore. I retired from that position a long time ago." Oak said humbly while scratching his head, "I'm just here to congratulate you on your successes and to say a few words of advice, to the both of you, if you want to hear them."
  
  "Of course, Champion, I mean, sir. Please, go ahead. I'm honoured to listen." Lance said respectfully.
  
  "I'm sure you are very excited to be the newest Champion of Indigo, but remember that all power corrupts eventually, and it is an eternal struggle for those in power to fend off the darker temptations that are inherent to all positions of power." Oak advised with a calm smile, "If you don't, you may find yourself lost to that obsession." He glanced towards a surprised Pryce, who seemed to have been shocked out of his anger.
  
  "Of course, sir. Thank you for your advice." Lance replied, understanding the warning that Oak had given.
  
  "Good...good. I would hate to see the latest generation repeat the mistakes of the past." He said pointedly, before turning his full attention towards Pryce.
  
  "Pryce, do you still remember what you were like when you were chosen to be my successor?" He asked, and Pryce seemed taken aback for a moment before he gave a small nod. "Do you remember how bright-eyed you were, how excited and honoured you were to continue my actions as Champion?" Another hesitant nod, one that had a mixture of bitterness and nostalgia. "Well, you may have lost your way in the past few years, but I believe that you will be able to return to that bright-eyed successor that I had personally chosen. Do not hold on to your bitterness, and I'm sure you'll be able to return to being the great man that you once were."
  
  The two of them shared a meaningful look for a moment, one that must have held a plethora of different emotions for Pryce. The silence extended for some time, with none daring to break it.
  
  Eventually, Pryce nodded, concluding whatever silent conversation took place between the two of them. Oak smiled, and patted Pryce on the shoulder. Then he began to address the rest of the Elite Four.
  
  "And to the rest of the Elite Four, I look forward to seeing all of you continue your good works. You have the potential to do great things! And I wish you the best in all your endeavours. And Agatha, good to see that you're still doing so well in your advanced age." He said jokingly, and to my further surprise, Agatha didn't even respond with her signature cutting tongue.
  
  "Thank you, Champion Oak. Your words do me a great kindness." She bowed deeply, and I had to force myself not to react. Oak just smiled in response.
  
  "Please, Agatha, you don't need to do this. But I think I've wasted enough of everyone's time. Thank you very much for allowing this washed-up old man to say a few words." He turned to Lance. "Champion Lance, I hope you do your new position proud, and that you continue to uphold the oaths that you once gave." He said that friendly, but in his tone was a forceful reminder of his newfound responsibilities. Lance nodded firmly.
  
  "Then I'll be off. Thanks for having me!" Before anyone could stop him, he released an Alakazam onto the field. And then, with a quick explosion of powerful Psychic power, he was swiftly teleported out of the arena.
  
  Oak's abrupt exit left us all still in various states of confusion and awe, though as Elite trainers, we all recovered very quickly. The League Official coughed to grab our attention.
  
  "Champion Lance, if you could please make your way onto the interview podium right now. I'm sure you would appreciate the opportunity to answer some questions." The official gestured to a lectern with multiple attached microphones, and Lance made his way there. The rest of the Elite Four stood to the side just in case any reporters wanted to ask us any questions. I sincerely hoped not.
  
  "...Thank you all very much for bestowing the honour of becoming the newest Champion of Indigo. As I have previously vowed, I swear to work hard for the continued prosperity and safety of our two regions, and to work hard to bolster the unity and friendship between us. Also, I would like to thank Champion Oak for his kind words and wish him the best in his retirement. I will now open the floor to questions." As soon as he finished speaking the reporters were finally let in and they surged in like they had just bypassed an open dam, hungry to question the new Champion.
  
  "Champion Lance! How are you feeling right now?! Do you feel happy that you've beaten Champion Pryce?!" The first of many reporters asked.
  
  "Of course, I am feeling very proud of my achievement. Becoming Champion is no easy feat, and I'm very thankful and proud of my Pokémon for being able to carry me to where I am today." Lance replied, "As for Pryce, any issues that I had with him was purely political and had nothing to do with my personal opinion of the man. Champion Pryce was a great man, and someone who had led Indigo for many years. Despite our recent disagreements in his choice of policy, I still remain very much honoured to follow his footsteps and to fill his shoes."
  
  "And how do you think you will stop yourself from making the same mistakes that you claimed Champion Pryce made?" Another reporter questioned the moment Lance finish speaking.
  
  "That's a great question. And I'm glad someone asked that." Lance commended, "Well, I initially intended to tell the other Elite Four members about this privately, however, this is as good as an opportunity as any. To ensure that I will not be repeating the same mistakes as Pryce, I will be inviting the other Elite Four members to listen in on any proposals that I may have during the early periods of my new reign as Champion. That way, I hope that by opening up discussions and increasing transparency, I will stop myself from being blinded by overconfidence until I can properly get a handle on things."
  
  I was not particularly surprised by this announcement; truthfully, I had expected Lance to do something like this to differentiate himself from Pryce. It's no good calling someone out for being a corrupt dictator when you proceed to just do the same thing as they did. This way he gets to preach about his transparency and how he's making changes compared to what Pryce did. A smart move.
  
  "Does that mean you'll be excluding the Elite Four from future discussions after you get a hang of being Champion?" A different reporter inquired.
  
  "No, and do not twist my words." Lance answered firmly, glaring at the reporter. "I will always welcome any solid advice from my Elite Four. It's just that, during the earlier periods of my new reign, I will be more open to advice until I can get the hang of things. I would NEVER exclude the opinions of the Elite Four. And, who knows, if I find that the Elite Four give me prudent and reasonable advice, then I may maintain this transparency for the entirety of my time as Champion."
  
  "Do you have any new proposals in the works that you would like to announce right now?" Someone else asked.
  
  "Yes, but I'm not willing to announce anything right now until I've conferred with the other members of the Elite Four and the Committee. I believe it would be overly hasty do make an announcement now without checking on its feasibility. Rest assured that announcements will be made relatively shortly." Lance declared.
  
  Of course, the fact that Lance had something in the works spawned a swarm of questions all asking about what it was, but Lance simply said he wasn't going to talk about it and to switch to a different topic. Eventually, the reporters complied.
  
  Lance then proceeded to answer similar questions about his new Championship. I almost began to tune everything out before a reporter went up to Pryce and started asking him a few questions.
  
  "Ex-Champion Pryce, I'm sorry for your loss." The reporter said unsympathetically, clearly not caring for Pryce. "How do you feel right now? I'm sure you must be devastated with the loss of your position."
  
  Wow, I had to hold actually force my mouth to remain closed at the sheer disrespectfulness of that question. That was like twisting the knife that was already stabbed into Pryce. Suddenly, Walker, who had been silent and morose this entire time, spoke up to defend Pryce.
  
  "That's a very disrespectful way of addressing the recent Champion, sir." Walker stated firmly, walking up to the reporter. "Being a reporter does not mean you get to forget your courtesies, so I demand that you apologize to Pryce for your malicious words or to leave this venue entirely."
  
  Walker's demand seemed to draw the attention of all the reporters in the area, even Lance stopped answering his question and nodded in support of Walker's words. The reporter, suddenly the center of attention, quickly grew flustered and stammered out an apology, before fleeing the scene.
  
  I heard Pryce mutter a very quiet "thank you" to Walker, which he accepted with a small smile and a shrug. I smiled too, mostly for Walker's sake. As much as I thought he was unsuited for the role of Elite Four, I didn't hate him, and was happy for him that a small spark of his previous friendship with Pryce still remained.
  
  After that interruption, the questions resumed. Pryce was interviewed a few more times, this time far more politely, and one of the questions that caught my attention was that they asked where he was going to go now that he was no longer Champion.
  
  He spoke out about returning to his hometown of Mahogany, and perhaps being an advisor to the Gym for some time. He gave no further details than that, but I thought that if he could finally get his head out of his arse then he would make a great and experienced advisor for Lorelei.
  
  Then the reporters began to hound us three members of the Elite Four. They generally asked us the same few questions, mostly inquiring about our thoughts on Lance as a Champion, and what we thought of the battle. We mostly gave similar answers; that we thought that Lance had great potential to be a Champion and that we wished him the best, and we thought the battle was well-deserving of a challenge for the title of Champion.
  
  However, they singled me out in particular and asked me a few more detailed questions because of my explicit support for Lance to become the next Champion.
  
  "Elite John, what made you support Lance in the first place? How did you and Lance decide to join forces as you did?" They asked me.
  
  "Well, I had just returned from my forced visit to Hoenn, and I was displeased with many aspects of Pryce's leadership." I explained, "I spoke to Pryce about them, but then realized that he was not able to assuage my concerns. This led me to speak with Lance, who also shared my displeasure with many elements of Pryce's time as Champion, and we both felt that the only path forwards was to replace Pryce as Champion with Lance. We got to discussing on the details after that."
  
  "Then why did you not offer to become Champion yourself? You did defeat Drake after all, so it's not like your strength was in question. And you seem to be doing a great job at handling the politics of Indigo, despite your age, so why did you not nominate yourself?" They pushed.
  
  "Strength isn't everything." I quickly answered. "And I certainly feel, even now, that making a play to become the next Champion at my age would be far too soon. I have only been a member of the Elite Four for a few months, which would not reassure many that I am ready to become the next Champion. Moreover, I definitely have no intention of becoming the Champion, and I'm more than content with remaining as a member of the Elite Four." I remained very careful with my words to not accidentally frighten Lance with the impression that I'd be looking to replace him soon. I wasn't and had no plans to do so.
  
  "Does that mean you might change your mind in the future?" They kept asking, perhaps trying to generate some scandal or some gossip.
  
  "I cannot answer that, because I could not possibly know about the thoughts of my future self." I answered dryly, resisting the temptation to be sarcastic. "I will say that I am more than happy to see Lance become the next Champion, and I look forward to working with him productively in the future."
  
  The reporters left, seeming satisfied with my answers even if they didn't get the juicy scandal that they likely hoped for.
  
  The interview eventually wrapped up after a final question where a reporter asked who would be replacing Lance in the Elite Four. It was a very good question, and one that Lance truthfully didn't have an answer to. He said that this would be one of those topics that he will bring up with the Elite Four and the committee, and that they'll make an announcement when a decision has been made.
  
  Lance then ended the interview after that, refusing to answer any more questions and leaving the stage. Before we were allowed to leave though, a League Official told us to all to shake hands with Pryce as a gesture of farewell before we were all led backstage together and back to the VIP room.
  
  As we entered the VIP room, Karen greeted all of us with a very formal bow, and introduced herself as Agatha's apprentice, while thanking her with the opportunity to stay in the room and witness the match from here.
  
  Pryce frowned, but surprisingly kept silent. Lance gave her an inspecting look, then smiled knowingly at me and Agatha before he went and greeted Karen politely and said that he was looking forwards to seeing more of her battles in the future. Karen was momentarily flustered, but quickly recovered her composure and thanked Lance for his kind words, before congratulating him once again for becoming Champion.
  
  Walker of course made no comment either way, content to just grab his briefcase before getting ready to leave. Agatha in the meanwhile slumped into a chair, obviously tired from all that standing around. I gave Karen a smile as well before I went to grab a bite to eat, since they had restocked some of the food and I was starving.
  
  Pryce then spoke up, "I understand that I am unwelcome, so I'll be making my leave now." He then was about to leave before he abruptly stopped and turned around, "Walker, thanks for speaking up. I hope to see you again soon." Walker actually smiled at that, and Pryce finally left the room.
  
  Lance waited for a few moments for Pryce to leave the room before he spoke up, "Right, Karen, I'm sorry, but I'm going to be discussing a few things with the Elite Four at the moment, and you can't be here. Remind me next time to invite Clair to these VIP rooms, I keep forgetting I could have done that now that since Pryce wasn't here." He muttered that last part to himself.
  
  Karen understood and quickly left the room after whispering a few words to Agatha and getting a nod in return. With one last wave to me, she left the room.
  
  "Okay, well now that the ceremony is over with and that I'm the Champion, I'll be looking for someone to take up my spot in the Elite Four." Lance explained, "I believe that the Committee is looking for a Johtonian to replace me, so that we would have a good balance within the Elite Four, so if you have any ideas, please let me know. Otherwise, like I said in the interview, I am openly inviting all of you to sit in on the discussions that the committee will be having so that you can provide input as well. You won't get any votes though."
  
  The three of us all nodded, and Lance looked around to see if we had any suggestions.
  
  "And who are the committee going to suggest?" Agatha asked, "Or are we going in blind?"
  
  Lance shrugged, "I don't know either. So yes, we'll find out on the day or close to that. I'll be using my own resources to see if I can find out earlier." Agatha muttered something indecipherable but was probably rude, but Lance pretended he didn't hear anything and looked around to see if we had anything else to say.
  
  Seeing that we all remained silent, he clapped his hands. "Well then, seeing as no one has anything else to say...then you're free to leave. We'll be discussing any future policies that I will be making in the future, but I have taken up enough of your time today with the whole challenge as well, so I'll not hold you any longer. I will be seeing you all later."
  
  As soon as he finished speaking, Agatha released a Gengar and quickly teleported out of the room, with the chair. I shook my head at Agatha's antics and left the room with Walker, Lance staying behind for some reason.
  
  Walker surprisingly spoke up as the two of us were leaving the building.
  
  "John, I would like to apologize to you for your forced exile into Hoenn. It was not my idea, though I will not excuse myself for my complicity, but it was unfair of Pryce to have done so." I raised my eyebrow questioningly, and he continued. "I am not saying this as a last-ditch opportunity to win you over, but simply because I understand that my time in the Elite Four is likely rapidly coming to an end, and I would just like to make amends before that happens." He said solemnly.
  
  I thought over his words for a moment before responding, "...well, thank you for giving an apology, Walker. For what it's worth, I never hated you either. We were just on different political sides, and I understood that whatever animosity was between us wasn't personal. So, thanks again for apologizing, and I am sorry that your time in the Elite Four might be coming to an end. Even if it does, I wish you all best in whatever you end up doing."
  
  He nodded and we remained silent again. We both understood that while I may have forgiven him for his complicity, that doesn't mean that I was about to do anything to stop him from being kicked out. And he understood that too.
  
  Eventually we went our separate ways, and I flew back on Port to make my way home. With Lance now replacing Pryce as Champion, I felt that we had entered a new era for Indigo.
  
  Hopefully one for the better.
  
  A.N. A cameo appearance from Oak! Hope you liked his personality and his reputation. Now that Lance is Champion, we'll be exploring how his leadership will change Indigo.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-12-Interlude-Pokenet
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-12 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [LANCE WINS! WE HAVE A NEW INDIGO CHAMPION!] By the Indigo Post
  
  In a stunning match between now ex-Champion Pryce and Lance, Lance came out on top and secured his new title as Champion with a convincing 6-3 win against Pryce! An unbelievably exciting match between the two trainers at the pinnacle of skill, but Lance's Dragons managed to overcome Pryce's Ice types in the end.
  
  Despite the final score, the match was not without its tense moments. Pryce really surprised all of us with his never-before-seen Abomasnow, which he cunningly used to knock out Lance's Gyarados. However, Lance was quick to adapt and caught it in the fiery grasps of his Charizard, preventing the Abomasnow from switching out and finishing it off with a devastating Flare Blitz.
  
  The match remained close until Lance sent out his starter. The regal Dragonite lived up to its title as Lance's ace as it tore through the remains of Pryce's team. Pryce's Glaceon was quickly knocked out, failing to achieve much of anything, while Pryce's own starter and ace, Mamoswine, was able to put up more of a fight, but nonetheless fell when faced up against the overwhelming might of Lance's Dragonite.
  
  And thus, Indigo is blessed with a new Champion. And with the necessary might to back up his title, this writer hopes that this is the beginning of an age of prosperity for Indigo.
  
  Comments
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  WHAT THE FUCK?! HOW COULD AN ICE TYPE LOSE TO A BRAINDEAD DRAGON TRAINER?! Pryce really must have lost it in his old age. LORELEI would not have performed so badly! Let her have a shot!
  
  DragonPower
  
  IceColdSimp HAHAHAHA! I don't know what you expected. Puny Ice types get crushed by their mighty Dragon masters. Dragons win, as is normal. All is right in the world.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  DragonPower but what about John's victory over Drake?! He crushed those Dragons!
  
  DragonPower
  
  Don't even get me started on that Water trainer. He's a disgrace to the Dragon community for having field 3 Water types instead of just relying on Dragons. Only a fool would do that.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  *cough* Lance has 6 Flying types *cough*
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Anyone else think that the match should have been a lot closer than this? I mean, considering Pryce's experience and type advantage, I was kinda expecting a closer match between the two.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Yeah...I mean Pryce even had a better variety of types and fighting styles compared to Lance, who mainly just relied on overwhelming force. I mean, it worked out for Lance, but...
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Now THAT was a match! I haven't been so hyped for match since Drake's battle against John! We haven't had any recent challenges for the position of Champion and Elite Four in a while in Hoenn, which is kinda boring. Hope things get shaken up soon!
  
  FutureAce
  
  WOOO LANCE IS CHAMPION! Now that we have a new Champion, do you think we'll be seeing more challenges towards the Elite Four?!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  FearTheRat Yeah, I thought the same too while I was watching the battle. Now, this is just some armchair analysis, but I feel like Pryce underutilised his Pokémon and failed to play to his strengths. His Pokémon were strong and well-trained, sure, but I felt that they should have been able to achieve a bit more.
  
  FutureAce Yep. Fully expect to see some turmoil within the Elite Four soon. It's very common to expect challenges after there is a change in Champion; it's just how our society is like.
  
  [WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM LANCE AS THE NEW CHAMPION OF INDIGO? AN EDUCATED PREDICTION AND ANALYSIS OF HIS POTENTIAL FUTURE POLICIES!] by The Indigo Post
  
  With Lance as our new Champion, he spoke in his winner's interview that he intends to diverge away from Pryce's politics. Most notably, he has explicitly invited the Elite Four to sit in on Committee meetings and add their opinion towards any discussed proposal.
  
  He then refused to make any more comment about his potential future policies until he has discussed it with the Elite Four. Thus, what we expect is that the political role of the Elite Four may rise during Lance's reign as Champion, and we may see them play an increasingly large role in determining the policies of Indigo.
  
  As for his other potential policies, we here predict that, in line with his stated comments about going against Pryce's politics, we think that...[Click here to continue reading].
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Hmm...this is a very interesting period that we're going to be going through. I like the fact that the Elite Four are getting involved, especially with John and Agatha being able to Champion the Kanto cause. Hope Kanto doesn't get left behind again!
  
  Good riddance that Pryce is finally out though.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Arceus, is it always about Kanto with you? I just hope that Lance doesn't go too far with favouring Kanto that he forgets about Johto! He has to spread the love!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I will admit to being very intrigued about what's happening over there in Indigo with a new Champion. Pryce has done a lot of damage to the Indigo-Hoenn relations, so I hope Lance is ready and willing to address this and repair our friendship.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Well...it's going to be very interesting to see what Lance does in the future. I agree that I like that he's going to be communicating more with the Elite Four. I think one of the bigger issues with Pryce's reign as Champion was that he didn't let anyone but himself make decisions, which proved detrimental to Indigo in the long run.
  
  Here's hoping that, with advice from the Elite Four, Lance won't make the same mistake!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  OF COURSE! Now that John is there being a proper advisor, things are going to be better than ever! You'll see!
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  At least with someone like Lance in charge I doubt that we'll be seeing a resurgence of Team Rocket any time soon. Lance doesn't strike me as someone who would allow these criminals a free hand.
  
  [CHAMPION OAK SPEAKS TO AND CONGRATULATES OUR LATEST CHAMPION LANCE! WHAT DID THEY CONVERSE ABOUT?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Ex-Champion Oak graced us all with his presence today as he came by to congratulate Champion Lance for his victory against Ex-Champion Pryce. Unfortunately, our reporters were not able to overhear the discussions that took place between the group, but Ex-Champion Oak was seen conversing with both new and old Champions.
  
  We here at The Indigo Post are very curious about what was discussed, although we understand that whatever wisdom that was passed on by Ex-Champion Oak was likely not meant for outsider's ears. We very much respect the privacy of the esteemed Oak and wish him all the best.
  
  We believe that his blessings towards the new Champion Lance is a great omen for Indigo, and we have faith that Lance will deliver on Ex-Champion Oak's expectations. What do you all think about this encounter?
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  If Oak is willing to personally come down and give his blessing towards Lance, then I am willing to believe that we have good times ahead. Really hope that Lance lives up to this.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Same. With Oak's blessing, Lance surely is the best Champion for us!
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  I don't get it. Why is Oak's blessing such a big deal? I mean, he gave one to Pryce too, but look how he turned out.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  AreYouSlowBro It's because it's Samuel Oak. I can understand that, since you're not from Indigo, you are unable to comprehend the enormity that is Champion Oak. But Pryce is responsible for his own failings.
  
  FutureAce
  
  ALL HAIL OAK! My parents always say that he should be Champion again! Hey, if Lance doesn't work out, why not have Oak replace him?! That would be so cooool!
  
  A.N I didn't think this Pokenet Interlude about the champion battle warranted a full chapter, so I hoped you still enjoyed this much shortened version.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-13 - A Lunch Date?
  
  I arrived home after the match and found my parents were already eating dinner. Seeing that they had cooked a little extra, I joined them since I was still feeling a bit hungry. They had been watching the match on the TV, and they were appropriately excited about the whole thing and asked me a bunch of questions.
  
  "The way that the match was recorded made Lance seem really strong." My dad said, "Was he as strong as he looked?"
  
  "Yeah, he was." I replied, "His starter especially was incredible to see. Definitely the strongest Pokémon I've ever been in the presence of during my career as a trainer. And his other Pokémon were definitely no slouches either."
  
  "Think you can match it with your Slaking, Tyrant?" My dad asked, and I had to take my time to think about it for a bit.
  
  Tyrant had a slew of his own long-range options that I kept 'secret' just in case Lance tried to wear him down at a distance, though it wasn't his preferred way to fight. After a moment, I'd thought that Tyrant would have decent odds at coming out on top, even after seeing that spectacular performance against Pryce.
  
  "Hmm...I'd probably have a 50/50 chance of winning, I'd say." I answered. "It would be very close though, much closer than I'd like to be honest."
  
  "It's already very impressive that you're able to match up the CHAMPION's starter, John." My mom commented, "You don't need to push yourself further than that."
  
  I gave a non-committal hum but didn't voice my disagreement. I knew that in the world of Pokémon, there were always going to be more challenges that I would have to face with the strength of my team, so I couldn't just rest on my laurels. Still, I appreciated the vote of confidence regardless.
  
  "Oh, and your sister is going to come visit for lunch tomorrow." My mom added after she had another bite of rice, and my eyes widened in surprise. My mom saw the question in my eyes as she continued, "Yes, Whitney's currently waiting in line for her turn at the Cerulean Gym, so she decided to come visit for lunch while she was waiting."
  
  "Great! I'd love to see her again." I remarked and waited to swallow before continuing. "Did she say how she was doing? I haven't checked up on her ever since she got the Boulder Badge."
  
  "Well, she did mention that she found a friend-" The sound of my phone ringing cut my mom off, and I gave her an apologetic look as I went to pick it up.
  
  "Hello, John speaking."
  
  "John, it's Giovanni. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." Giovanni's voice filtered through the speakers.
  
  "Ah, hello Giovanni." I replied, causing my parents' heads to turn towards me as they realized who I was speaking to, "I was just having dinner with my parents, so I'm not too busy at the moment. Is there anything you need?"
  
  "Oh, well, I apologize for interrupting your dinner. But I've called you just to ask if you have heard anything about what Lance plans to implement now that he's Champion." He explained, "As I mentioned before, the period after a new Champion is appointed are often filled with political strife and turmoil, so getting ahead of the competition is crucial during such times."
  
  "Yes, I remember. Well, Lance did mention to us that he would be honouring the statements that he made in his interview about transparency and openness, so he does intend to invite the Elite Four into listening in and discussing his proposals in the committee meetings, at least during the early periods of his reign." I told Giovanni.
  
  "I see. Well, that is a bit of good news." He replied, and I could tell that he was deep in thought as he processed what I had just told him. "Do you have any clues about what he might be thinking of?"
  
  "No, unfortunately not." I said, thinking things through, "I haven't spoken to Lance enough to know much about his greater plans, besides his International Police idea...Although he did mention that the committee were going to be discussing who would be Lance's replacement in the Elite Four...and he mentioned something about how they wanted a Johtonian to replace him."
  
  "Oh...that's interesting." Giovanni commented, "Well, I cannot say that I am not disappointed by the committee's stubbornness to appoint a Johtonian, but I can understand their reasoning..." He paused and I heard a few papers being shuffled, "...I'm sure I have notes on potential candidates somewhere. Why don't you come over tomorrow, and we can go through the best suggestions for who to recommend joining the Elite Four. I'm sure you have your own plans as well that we could discuss together."
  
  "Sure, I could probably make my way over there tomorrow." I said, but then I was interrupted by a deliberate cough from my mom.
  
  "John, did you forget that your sister is coming over for lunch tomorrow?" She reminded me, "And I'm sure that she would be very upset if you aren't here."
  
  Oh, shit. "Right. Yes, I forgot about that." I apologized, then went back to speaking to Giovanni, "So, yeah, sorry Giovanni. But I can't make it there for tomorrow lunch, maybe we could meet at night?"
  
  My mom answered before Giovanni did, "Or perhaps we can invite Gym Leader Giovanni over for lunch tomorrow?" My face must have warped into one of complete surprise as it caused my mom chuckled, "Why do you look so surprised, dear? We've heard of your accomplishments with him on the news, and you both seem to have political connections together at least. Why don't you invite him over? I'm sure Jack and I would love to meet him. Whitney too!"
  
  I was made speechless by my mom's suggestion, and the silence from Giovanni probably suggested the same, though he recovered faster than I did. "...I would not decline such an invitation. Your mom does speak the truth, after all. If you would have me, then I would not mind coming down for lunch to meet with your family."
  
  "That's great!" My dad cut in, evidently overhearing what Giovanni had said, "Your mother's right, son. I've seen the both of you on TV together a lot in support of each other, so I'd love to get to know the man who has decided to help out my son. A meal would be a great way of doing that."
  
  I couldn't believe Giovanni was going along with this, and that my parents were so eager to meet him, but I forced the surprise off my face and answered, "Yes, that's fine. I suppose we can meet at my place for lunch. It's going to be simpler fare than you might be used to though, just warning you." I added at the end.
  
  Giovanni chuckled, "It's fine. Believe it or not, I'm very much used to having simpler meals as well, despite my relative wealth. I'll survive."
  
  "Well, if you're sure...then I'll see you tomorrow then." I said awkwardly, still feeling a bit confused about how this came about.
  
  "Yes, see you then." Then he hung up.
  
  I stared awkwardly at my phone as the call ended, still not fully able to process INVITING GIOVANNI OVER FOR LUNCH. I knew rationally that he was turning over a new leaf, but it was still very weird to think about.
  
  "John, you okay there, son?" My dad asked, snapping me out of my confusion.
  
  "Yes, just slightly weirded out about how all this came about." I replied truthfully.
  
  "Hah! I understand. Sometimes it's weird when your professional and private lives intertwine. But it does happen. And sometimes you'll find yourself more able to deal with your partner professionally when you actually know each other on a personal level." He said sagely, and I nodded in agreement after thinking about it. Though if he knew what I knew about Giovanni, I bet he wouldn't have been so eager.
  
  "Well, let's not think about it anymore and finish up on your dinner. You've barely touched your bowl of rice." My mom lectured, so I put away my phone and decided to finish up my dinner, discarding my thoughts for later.
  
  At least this time I was inviting Giovanni over cordially to my house. Knowing of his mafia-esque background, him coming to my house could have a very different meaning.
  
  It was the next day, and my dad and I found ourselves standing outside the house waiting for our guests to arrive. Suddenly, a pink blur started running past the fence straight toward us.
  
  "You're here, you're here!" My sister ran up to me and gave me a tight hug the moment she saw me at the front of the house.
  
  "Hey, what about me?" My dad mock-complained, and my sister quickly released me and gave my dad a tight hug of his own.
  
  The two of us were standing outside of our house waiting for our two guests, and one had just arrived. Whitney and my dad shared a few words for a moment before she went to take off her shoes and make her way inside.
  
  However, seeing that we made no move to go in, she turned around and asked us.
  
  "You're not coming in?" She said, and we both shook our heads.
  
  "No, there's another guest coming. We're going to wait for him to arrive. Should be soon." My dad responded while checking his watch.
  
  "Oh? Is it Karen?" Whitney asked excitedly, but I shook my head.
  
  "No, it's not. It's actually Gym Leader Giovanni." I told her, and her face morphed into one of utter confusion. I could relate.
  
  "Did you know Gym Leader Giovanni, bro?" She asked me.
  
  "He's a friend." I replied simply, not wanting to go into the details of my complex relationship with Giovanni. It was technically the truth, though our friendship was currently walking on a thin tightrope, but at least for now it was going well.
  
  "Oh, that's cool. I didn't know you knew any other Gym Leaders besides Norman, John." Whitney said, and I gave her an odd look.
  
  "Since when did you call Gym Leader Norman, 'Norman'?" I said curiously.
  
  Whitney simply shrugged, "He said to do so. And it was much easier than calling him Gym Leader all the time, so I did it."
  
  Huh, I guess Whitney and Norman were on better terms than I expected. Well, I knew Norman to be a good guy, so that couldn't be a bad thing. I gave Whitney a small smile and a pat on the head before I told her to help out mom set up lunch. She eagerly complied and bolted to the kitchens.
  
  "She misses you; you know. Probably more than us." My dad said as Whitney went to the kitchens. I scratched my head embarrassedly.
  
  "I'm sure she misses you too." I replied with awkwardly.
  
  "Of course, but it's you that she looks up to." He remarked, and before I could say anything else a distinct flash of a Teleport appeared in front of us. Giovanni's figure emerged from the light alongside his Claydol. I noticed that he was rather underdressed compared to his usual attire of fancy suits and ties, wearing only a pressed shirt and pants with no tie, probably because he realized that this sort of thing probably required less formality. Giovanni quickly withdrew his Claydol and made his way to us.
  
  "I apologize if I'm late, but it's good to meet you." He says smoothly as he extends a hand for my dad to shake, his other hand was occupied holding a briefcase.
  
  "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Gym Leader Giovanni." My dad said respectfully with a slight nod as they shook hands before gesturing to me, "And I'm sure you know my son, John."
  
  "Of course, we've spoken plenty of times." Giovanni said, "Good to see you again, John. We have plenty to talk about."
  
  "Yes, but let's have lunch first." I said, and he nodded easily enough as he followed us inside. As he entered our house, he displayed no sign of his usual arrogance and proceeded to respectfully take off his shoes and comment politely about how organized our house was.
  
  It was mostly meaningless platitudes, but it was nice to for him to be accommodating to my parents.
  
  My mom and sister were just finishing up the final touches of our lunch preparations just as we arrived in the dining room. The two noticed our entrance and shared their greetings with Giovanni, who responded in kind.
  
  Then the five of us sat down for lunch. It was a simple fare, like I had told Giovanni to expect, consisting mainly of rice, some steamed Karp, some veggies, and some cheesy baked potatoes. I did glance over at Giovanni to see if he was unhappy with what he was served, but I saw no trace of dissatisfaction in his eyes. Perhaps he wasn't lying after all?
  
  After we had all divvied up the food and began eating, my mom kicked off the conversation.
  
  "I hope you enjoy the food." My mom began, "I know you said you were happy with a simple fare, but from our experience most rich people have more luxurious tastes."
  
  Giovanni gave my mom a polite smile, "It's no matter, Mrs. Smith. And please, call me Giovanni. While I would not deny that my wealth has allowed me access to finer cuisine, I would never balk at the chance of eating a delicious home-cooked meal." He flattered.
  
  "In fact, my assistants aren't great cooks, so I normally have to eat takeaway or have to make something myself. And I can guarantee you that your cooking is better than whatever I could whip up." He elaborated, and the mental image of the Team Rocket Executives failing to make a good dish made me want to laugh, but I held it in.
  
  My mom smiled kindly at the compliment before continuing, "Do you have any family, Giovanni? Maybe a wife and kids?"
  
  A flash of surprise flickered through Giovanni's face for a moment before it swiftly disappeared as Giovanni composed himself, "I do have a son, but the mother and I are currently...estranged."
  
  "Oh...I'm sorry to hear that." My mom said apologetically, "Well, um, I wish you all the best at hopefully repairing your relationship with your family."
  
  "Thank you, Mrs. Smith. Those are...very kind words." Giovanni hesitated a bit there, and his eyes adopted a faraway look for a moment. I wondered what that was about.
  
  My mom coughed and switched topics, "So, how did a long and established Gym Leader like you start talking to my son?" My mom inquired kindly, "Not that we aren't appreciative of course, but it's not something you see every day. Oh, and please call me Angela."
  
  Giovanni was brought back from his thoughts and nodded towards me, "Well, we met formally for the first time during his swearing in ceremony for the Elite Four. He was the youngest person ever to make it into the Elite Four, so that intrigued me, and I invited him to speak with me so that I could get to know him better. Then, after we got to know each other better, we found that we had similar goals politically, so we vowed to work together to achieve them. Our cooperation and friendship have only grown since, and I can reassure you that this is definitely an equal partnership." He emphasized the word 'equal' to reassure my parents that I wasn't being used.
  
  "And what would those goals be?" My father asked as we continued to eat, "We have been following what's been going on from the news, and obviously we hear a bit from John, but what are your overarching goals, in your mind?"
  
  Giovanni turned to me, and I gave him a subtle nod to tell him that I was comfortable disclosing my political objectives. He returned the nod before explaining, "John and I have been working hard together to reverse the damage caused by Pryce's poor leadership and to hopefully improve the welfare of Kanto so that we can reach parity with Johto. A lot of the work that you've seen on the news are steps towards achieving that goal."
  
  Both my parents nodded at this, "It's a worthy goal." My dad remarked, "I'm glad you brought my son along with your plans. We were afraid that, with his young age, he might have been suckered into some nefarious criminal plots!" My dad chuckled.
  
  Giovanni and I chuckled too, but it had a forced quality to it that I hoped went unnoticed. Oh, how right you are, dad!
  
  "So, what are two of you working on now then, if you can tell us." My mom asked, "You both seemed pretty serious on that call."
  
  I spoke up this time, "Well, with a new Champion, Giovanni and I expect a lot of changes will be occurring over the next few weeks. We want to be able to anticipate and be prepared for such changes and react advantageously."
  
  I got a look from my mom asking for an elaboration, so I continued, "I think Giovanni and I are going to be discussing who we think is going to be the new Elite Four member to replace Lance, or rather, who we would PREFER to replace Lance. Lance has said that he's open to suggestions from the Elite Four, so we want to make the most out of this opportunity."
  
  My dad's eyes went wide for a moment, "That's very important stuff. Are Gym Leaders normally so connected?" He asked Giovanni.
  
  "No, but as you said, I've been in my position for a long while, and I have plenty of connections that I can make use of. But I'm still only a Gym Leader, so most of what I contribute to my partnership with John is that I give him access to the information that he normally couldn't find himself, and we form up a plan together so that he can use his influence in the Elite Four to further our shared goals."
  
  "Don't worry dad, Giovanni's been extremely helpful for me." I cut in, backing up Giovanni's words. "Without his help, I wouldn't be able to properly manoeuvre through the Indigo political scene like I did." I made sure to praise Giovanni to stroke his ego, even if he seemed to be happy enough with answering my parent's questions.
  
  "Thanks for helping my brother, Gym Leader Giovanni." My sister suddenly interrupted all of us, and all pairs of eyes turned to her. She looked shocked at the sudden attention, but she soldiered on with what she was going to say, "...John says that having friends are important because they help you when you need it...and you should also return that friendship...so thanks for helping John, and I hope he's helped you too!"
  
  Giovanni was momentarily speechless and had completely lost his composure, but he shook himself out of his shock and responded with a kind smile, "Thank you, Whitney. Your words are very kind, and yes, I'm very glad to have a friend like John. We have helped each other a lot, and we hope to continue that into the future."
  
  I heard him mutter something about "out of the mouths of babes" quietly, and I inwardly agreed with him. Whitney seemed surprised about something else, though.
  
  "How did you know my name, Giovanni?" My sister asked, surprised.
  
  Giovanni simply chuckled, "Your brother mentions you from the time to time. He's very fond of you, you know? Family is very important to him." That caused my sister to blush a bright red, and this time we all chuckled.
  
  Still, Whitney's bit of wisdom would not go unrewarded, and my parents and I quickly rubbed her head affectionately for her comment. Lunch mostly continued the same way, keeping with the same friendly atmosphere that had been established until we were finally done.
  
  Giovanni praised my mom once more for her cooking skills, and even offered to help tidy up afterwards, although that was utterly shot down by everyone, including me. After that, my parents dragged Whitney outside so that Giovanni and I could continue with our more serious discussions in the living room. I spoke up as he started to unpack his briefcase.
  
  "Thanks for indulging my parents' questions." I said to him, but he easily waved me off.
  
  "It's no bother. I understand that I can be prideful, but I'm not so far gone that I can't be polite to the nice people that invited me to their home." He replied pleasantly. "Besides, I wasn't lying when I said that was a good meal. Home-cooked meals are a rarity for me, and I very much enjoyed your mom's cooking. Brings me back." He said that last part wistfully, and there was a hint of something in his eye, but I didn't have any time to interpret that as he placed a slim folder onto the desk.
  
  "Right, here are the most likely candidates that I've found that will probably be chosen to join the Elite Four to replace Lance." He started as he started taking out a few documents from his folder and passing them to me, but he seemed oddly distracted for some reason.
  
  I ignored his slight distraction as I gazed quickly over the documents as he passed them to me, finding it slightly surprising that I actually recognized the people there were displayed.
  
  "I'm sure you may recognize a few people here." Giovanni said, "But these are the more 'prominent' trainers that are likely to be selected. At least, that's what I heard. Take your time and go through them." And then he turned away to ponder something.
  
  That was a bit unusual, but I chose to ignore it as I inspected the first document containing the eye-catching, mask-wearing, young man and read his name and details.
  
  Will. A Psychic type trainer that had won last year's tournament before me, but instead of challenging into the Elite Four directly, chose to use his newfound fame to make buddies with some of Johto's more influential figures. He was likely a rich man, with plenty of resources to make use of, but Giovanni had him only marked down as 'marginally influential, with a few worthy connections and resources.'
  
  Ouch. I guess when compared to Giovanni, those didn't really mean anything.
  
  The next picture showed someone that was the peak of human athleticism and looked like he was someone who could wrestle against a Machamp and win.
  
  Bruno. Another winner of the Indigo League tournament two years before me, but apparently, he was unsatisfied with his narrow win and withdrew to train up even more. This was the last year before he lost his chance to fight again due to the limitation period, so it was likely he would make a challenge. A singularly minded individual who sought to pursue strength and improvement above all else, which Giovanni also described as 'politically unambitious and single-minded'. Giovanni doubted he would even accept to be part of the Elite Four unless he earned it himself, which was good to know.
  
  The next person was a familiar face, and someone not actually in canon. Shin, my final opponent from the Indigo Conference and a Steel-type specialist. Since anyone could technically be selected into the Elite Four, and his performance in this year's Indigo Conference was certainly outstanding, despite losing to me, Giovanni considered him a possible choice. He was a young man like me, with little influence beyond his strength as a trainer, which made him a perfect political puppet.
  
  And when I got to the last person, I raised a singular eyebrow at Giovanni when I saw Professor Oak's smiling face staring back at me.
  
  "Is this a joke? He's not even from Johto!" I asked him, and Giovanni stared at me blankly before he realized I was speaking to him.
  
  "No. Though Champion Oak's chances of accepting such an invitation is minimal, one will always be sent regardless. But the chance is always there that he will accept, and I will guarantee you that he will be welcomed with open arms. They won't care where he's from."
  
  Huh. I was impressed with Oak's influence when he was able to speak with Lance after he won, and from the deference he received from practically everyone. This only solidified his incredible influence even further.
  
  That was interesting to think about, but now was not a suitable time. I put Champion Oak's picture to the side, as even Giovanni said that he was an extremely unlikely choice.
  
  Thus, the most likely three candidates that Giovanni could find were Will, Bruno, and Shin. Though Bruno would likely be a future challenger and not someone who would accept an invitation.
  
  That left Will and Shin as Giovanni's most likely candidates, and one of them had to be selected. It was a pick between a moderately influential rich person, with some corporate backing and political experience, or a complete newbie like I was who was only known for his strength as a trainer and was likely easily manipulated. The former would likely appeal to those within the committee with a financial background, while the latter to those who wanted a more pliable member to mould into becoming their creature.
  
  Hard choices.
  
  A.N. This was a bit of a slower chapter, but now we're starting to see some more of the canon Elite Four members! Also, a reminder that, just because some members may be selected to join the Elite Four, doesn't mean they'll stay there! Even if they're canon!
  
  Also hope you like that John has extended his trust towards Giovanni now that they've worked together more. Giovanni is less crime boss, and more model Gym Leader at this point.
  
  And I haven't forgotten about Lorelei. She'll make her splash very soon!
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-14 - An Upgrade
  
  Ultimately, after a back-and-forth discussion between myself and Giovanni, we both decided on a potential course of action. With my limited influence in the committee, we both understood that I would not be the deciding vote here. Instead, we would rely on our influence with Lance, and his likely desire to try to appeal to his new Elite Four members, to leverage our political position within the committee.
  
  In other words, we would be looking to 'sell' our influence. Since neither of us cared who was chosen between Will or Shin, it mattered not what the final outcome was. They were both equally inoffensive to our plans. Thus, the most important thing was what we could gain out of leveraging our position from the other members of the committee.
  
  Giovanni asked that I 'sell' a public endorsement to whoever was chosen, so that that person could gain an immediate boost in status and at least extend their duration within the Elite Four, but I hesitated to agree. I argued that my greatest asset right now was my pristine and heroic reputation, and that to squander that for something like this was a terrible idea and wholly short-sighted. Giovanni eventually came over to my way of thinking, and we limited our 'sellable' actions to just our influence with Lance.
  
  For the same reason, I would not be making any agreements in exchange for boosting my family's business. I felt that would inch too close to corruption for my tastes and would risk destroying the reputation of my family's business. Furthermore, I did not want to gain a reputation amongst the political circles for being able to be bought; my deal with Lance was the singular exception since that deal was too important to pass up.
  
  Therefore, Giovanni and I agreed that any kind of deals would likely be limited to gaining their political support for my policies. I brought up my desire to reduce the 4-badge policy, and Giovanni said that was a good one to barter with since it was inoffensive enough to not drive off any potential 'customers'. I had already gotten Lance on board with our previous agreement, so just getting a few extra votes should be able to ensure that it gets passed through.
  
  These kinds of actions rubbed me the wrong way, but I understood the necessity of it. If I was unwilling to play politics like this, then any number of people could use that against me. I could not allow that, so I was forced to sink to their level since this kind of thing was what everyone did.
  
  But I vowed to never sink any further than that.
  
  On that note, Giovanni asked me if I had any further political ambitions that I wanted to pursue, or any other new policies that I wanted implemented. I knew the unasked question involved whether I wanted to push Kanto's supremacy even further and start implementing policies that would favour Kanto over Johto, such as tax cuts.
  
  But I thought that would be going too far in the other direction, and it may lead to Kanto oppressing Johto in the future, something that I didn't want to happen. Some inequality between the two regions were inevitable, but I only wanted to bring balance, not the supremacy of Kanto. Unlike Giovanni, I advocated for the unity of Indigo. And I didn't want to make unnecessary enemies in Johto if I could avoid it.
  
  Still, I did have a few more ideas.
  
  "I did have a proposal to have Gym Leaders be able to be selected from both regions. I think that'll be a great way to promote unity between our two regions." I told Giovanni, and it says a lot of his respect for me that he didn't immediately lash out in anger at my proposal.
  
  Gym Leaders were an important part of a region's defenses, and to employ a 'foreigner' in the position suggested a big deal of trust in that individual.
  
  "...and what makes you want to implement such a suggestion?" Giovanni asked diplomatically, obviously restraining the comment at the tip of his tongue.
  
  "I won't deny that it's an ambitious plan that won't likely be passed, certainly not right now, but I think that having such a policy in place would be an enormous step, a true rapprochement between the regions." I replied, "It'll show that Kantonians and Johtonians no longer hate each other, and that they can be trusted to aid in the defence of the region. Likewise, it'll be a big step in removing the regional identities of 'Kanto' and 'Johto', and just turning it into 'Indigo'."
  
  "It's not going to be passed easily." Giovanni remarked, and I nodded in agreement. Such a thing was going to receive plenty of backlash from the nationalists, like Giovanni. Thus, I knew I had to bring Giovanni on board before I could hope to make such an announcement to the public.
  
  "After the attacks at Olivine from Team Rocket in Indigo, the entire region rose up as one to fight back against the common enemy of Team Rocket. It shows that we are able to work together, and we could leverage this sense of unity into support for such a policy." I explained, "Besides, I'm sure that the increasing unity of these two regions will only be beneficial financially and economically, which many should appreciate."
  
  Giovanni hummed thoughtfully at my explanation, and I waited patiently for his response. After some time, he spoke up. "Let's table this discussion for now. I'm not going to outright disagree with you, even though I'm wary of how successful such a policy would be, but I will say that it is too soon to announce something like this. If we were going to announce something of this scale, we would have to build up towards it first with smaller proposals that are more easily palatable to whet the public's appetite for unity."
  
  I nodded in agreement. Pushing something like this would definitely be too soon, and I was at least pleased to see that Giovanni wasn't immediately disagreeing with me. I hoped to eventually be able to sway him into my way of thinking.
  
  I truly believed that a united Indigo would be a great thing for everyone involved.
  
  After that, we moved away from foreign politics to something more local. Giovanni brought up something I hadn't previously considered but, in hindsight, really should have. He asked me if I wanted to entrench the Smith family as a pillar of Cerulean City.
  
  He pointed out that with the family business rapidly growing in success as it was, we were being a household name in it of itself. Eventually, the business would grow so profitable that it would actually make business sense to make donations for tax reasons. He explained that this was how he got started in investing and influencing Viridian City, and he advised me to do to the same with Cerulean.
  
  Furthermore, he also explained that, with my massive political influence, I could start making connections with the movers and shakers of Cerulean and nudge them into the direction that I wanted. Coupled with the future economic power of the family business, Giovanni said that he foresaw us being able to be a huge part of the politics of Cerulean in the future.
  
  It was a very interesting thought, and it brought me back to my memories of Cerulean city from canon. I thought back to how the Waterflower sisters, whether out of wilful negligence or not, mishandled and neglected the Cerulean Gym and plummeted its reputation. This led to Cerulean City being nothing more than just a cultural and tourist hotspot for their, admittedly popular, performances.
  
  Cerulean City in canon was far from poor or unsuccessful, but I agreed with Giovanni that there was no reason why I couldn't use my influence to make it better. For example, if the Cerulean Gym would eventually be known for its performances, then why couldn't we turn the entire city into one big city for festivals and tourists, becoming THE tourist hotspot for Kanto? Furthermore, with things like the undeveloped and entirely unsafe Cerulean Cave; there was much that could be done with that, especially given the relative strength of the wild Pokémon within and how relatively unexplored it was.
  
  Snapping out of my thoughts, I replied to Giovanni that I thought it was a great idea, and that I would get started on thinking up some plans for now. Giovanni nodded with a pleased smile, and advised me to speak to my parents, since they would likely be familiar with handling this kind of stuff, before doing anything. I easily accepted and thanked him for his advice.
  
  At this point, it was already getting late into the evening, and I did want to spend a bit of time with Whitney before she had to leave again, so I apologized and told Giovanni I wanted to spend time with my sister. He was understanding and told me to thank my parents for the meal once again before he made his way out of the house, so I escorted him to the front yard.
  
  "Before you head off, have you found out anything about Team Rocket in Hoenn?" I whispered to him.
  
  He shook his head, "No, not a whisper. Unfortunately, we might have to rely on the Hoenn League to deal with Team Rocket or until Proton resurfaces with whatever idiotic scheme he has cooked up in that violent mind of his."
  
  I grimaced but thanked Giovanni for the information anyways. Then with another spark of light, I watched as he Teleported out of our yard with his Claydol.
  
  As soon as Giovanni left, I managed to eke out some time with Whitney before she had to leave again. I listened as she talked about a whole host of topics, including describing her first experiences with camping in the wild, how she failed to catch a Pidgey, her intentions to capture more Pokémon, her victory over Flint, and how she had made a new friend during her journey.
  
  She spoke with such speed that I had a hard time actually listening to what she was saying, but I could tell that she was both excited and happy during her journey so far, which was all I really cared about, in the end. Still, I was happy to listen to Whitney talk about things, and she showed off how much her Whismur had improved since the start of her journey, having far more confidence that when she was first caught.
  
  The time flew by as she spoke, and after dinner she told us that she had to make her way back to the Pokécenter to sleep.
  
  My parents and I obviously invited her to stay the night, but she insisted that she had to be more independent and that she couldn't leave her friend alone. That shut us all up, but I could tell that we were all proud of her.
  
  Before she left, I reminded Whitney that she could call me up anytime if she needed help. She said she would but said that she wanted to try to be independent, and then left.
  
  Seeing my little sister grow up was a bittersweet thing, but I could tell that her journey was going to be remarkably rewarding for her. Just like it was for me.
  
  The next day, I found myself at the Viridian Branch of Devon Corp once more. I had gotten a text from Shelly saying that she had exciting news and for me to come over as soon as possible. I was intrigued enough that I ended up cancelling the training session with Karen, saying that I had something urgent to do. Karen was more than understanding.
  
  I also informed Karen to tell Agatha about my wishes to push through my proposed reduction of the 4-badge policy, and that I hoped for her support in the matter. Karen told me she would pass it through.
  
  I was escorted to Shelly's office without much fuss and was promptly greeted by a very excited Shelly.
  
  "John, it's good to see you again! It looks like we've both been busy the past few weeks!" She said with a wide smile. "Congratulations on your success with the egg and developing the PIT technique! It was very interesting to read about! I've read that scientists all over the world are trying to emulate your actions! Even this branch office is building a new facility so that my team and I can conduct our own experiments!"
  
  "Oh, wow, thank you." I responded slightly embarrassedly, "I admit that I had gotten lucky with the egg. I didn't realize how much of a big deal this was going to be. Though, you do seem very excited today. What's that about?"
  
  "We've finally discovered and tested the Porygon2 evolution!" The words came tumbling out of her mouth, and while I did suspect this, it was still a minor shock to have it confirmed. "We remembered what you said about making sure that there were no side-effects with the evolution, which delayed this announcement slightly so that we could do more testing, but now we're confident that it is a safe process!"
  
  I clapped my hands impressively, "That's amazing, Shelly! Wow! Would you pass my congratulations over to your team in Hoenn as well?"
  
  She waved me off, "I didn't do much, I was only responsible for getting some extra data from your Pixel and sending it over to them. The ones in the joint-research facility did the bulk of the work." She answered humbly, before she then turned around and started digging something out of her cupboard, eventually taking out a small rectangular disk.
  
  I could feel Pixel's Premier Ball shake on my belt as she took it out, and I placed a hand on its ball to calm Pixel down.
  
  "This is what we called an 'Up-Grade'. It's a box of specially crafted data that we use to evolve Porygon into their evolution, Porygon2. It's a terrible name, but apparently the people in Hoenn shared your terrible naming sense, so we're stuck with this name now." She mock-grumbled, eliciting a chuckle from me.
  
  "Anyways, we followed your advice and tested this thoroughly, though we are obviously still unsure of any long-term effects. It's yours to use if you accept." I almost grabbed the Up-Grade out of excitement, but then my worries about inflicting Pixel with potential insanity held me back. Shelly read the hesitation on my face before she then clicked through her computer for and brought up a few video files. "Would you like to have a look at how the evolutions went, just so that you know things won't go wrong?"
  
  I nodded, and then she played the video. It contained clips where a Porygon scanned the data in the Up-Grade, before starting to glow brightly as they evolved into a Porygon2. The scientist then commented a bunch of things that all basically pointed to the fact that the evolution was stable and that they could detect no other side effects.
  
  They even had the Porygon2 execute a few moves from TMs, like Thunderbolt and Psychic, and saw no problems.
  
  "We couldn't really run too many test evolutions because the supply of Porygon is still limited at the moment." Shelly admitted, "It's been a much bigger struggle finding ways of mass producing Porygon, unfortunately."
  
  I waved her off, still focused on the video. "It's fine. I'm more concerned about the evolution at the moment, to be honest. Just want to make sure that nothing would go wrong after I evolve Pixel." I confessed.
  
  Luckily, Shelly was not offended at my paranoia, and she just gave me a smile before passing me a highlighted document.
  
  "If you want to look at something more detailed, you can read through this summary of the evolutions. The highlighted bits are the important parts if you can't make sense of the scientific terms." She told me, and I thanked her before inspecting the document.
  
  If I trusted the document, then nothing seemed out of order and the process should be entirely safe. At this point, if I still demanded more proof, then that would be going too far in indulging my paranoia. So, I eventually relaxed and passed the document back before releasing Pixel.
  
  Pixel emerged whirling excitedly as it almost leapt up to scan the Up-Grade, only holding itself back because of my ingrained training.
  
  "Pixel, you know what that is, right?" I asked to confirm, and it nodded its head rapidly. "Then, it's up to you if you want to evolve or -"
  
  I didn't even get to finish my sentence as Pixel leapt up onto the table and scanned the Up-Grade, immediately triggering a bright flash of light that engulfed Shelly's office, causing me to step backwards instinctively. After a moment, the white light receded and a newly evolved Porygon2 appeared in the room.
  
  "Pory! Pory, Pory, Porygon!" Pixel whirled happily, spinning around as if to inspect its own new evolution. I shared its happiness, both because I was happy that Pixel was rewarded for all of its hard training, as well as because now Pixel was actually a viable Pokémon to use in high-level battles as a long-range special attacker with surprisingly good bulk.
  
  And with Pixel's new evolution, it opened up many different training paths that I could go down with it. While it was still a Porygon, it was too weak to engage in any recovery tactics, but it was a whole different story as a Porygon2. I foresaw Pixel being able to take on a very similar role to Luna in my team in the future, which was excellent.
  
  I turned to Shelly, "Thank you very much for this. You've made Pixel and I very happy." And there doesn't seem to be any trace of insanity, which was good.
  
  Shelly waved me off, "Not a problem. Besides, you did help with making this discovery, since you were the reason why we could work together with Viridian in the first place and also because you contributed that data. We're more thankful than you know." She insisted, and I gave her another round of thanks in response.
  
  Pixel in the meanwhile kept buzzing around the room looking like it wanted to test its newfound power, and it was slowly infecting me with its excitement. Shelly noticed the obvious excitement on my face and spoke up, "If you don't mind, John, would you like to throw around a couple of attacks to test out Pixel's new power? We want to monitor that data as well and compare it to the ones we already have from our own Porygon2's."
  
  Pixel buzzed in agreement before I could respond, so I relayed that to Shelly and the three of us made our way to our usual testing room, though I noticed there were a few more additions since last time. Perhaps they had gotten some extra equipment since last time? I did notice the reception looked a lot fancier than before when I came in.
  
  As soon as we arrived, Pixel was strapped into the machine once again before Shelly directed it to firing off some moves. Even without reading the data from the machine, I could tell with my bare eyes that Pixel's Thunderbolts were far stronger than they used to be and struck the ground with a far louder bang. This increase in power was maintained as Pixel cycled through its moves, and overall, I was very pleased with the increase in power from the evolution.
  
  "...And we're done." Shelly remarked as she began detaching Pixel from the machine, and then looked down at her notes with mild surprise.
  
  "Wow! The numbers here are really impressive. It's very different from the results that we got back in Hoenn with the untrained Porygon2's. The leap in power is far greater than we had anticipated." She commented fascinatingly.
  
  "Is that a bad thing?" I asked with some concern, but she just shook her head.
  
  "Nope. None of the tests revealed any instability in your Pixel, just as we hoped for. So, the fact that your Pixel got so much stronger is only going to be a good thing." She replied.
  
  "That's good. You feel good as well, Pixel?" I asked it, and it quickly spun around and gave me a happy nod, causing me to relax and smile. I was glad that my paranoia about Pixel being inflicted with insanity was unfounded. Looking at my new Porygon2 though, I had a question.
  
  "Have you published this discovery yet?" I asked.
  
  "Not yet, we were waiting for more data to guarantee as much as possible that the data was as safe as it was going to be." She answered, "But, I think they're going to do a reveal with Gym Leader Giovanni soon. To show off our cooperation or something."
  
  I didn't know that Giovanni would be heading over to Hoenn, but I supposed that he didn't feel the need to tell me. That was fine; it wasn't like this was some big secret.
  
  Out of the corner of my eye, despite being able to fire off a few moves during the tests, I noticed that Pixel was still buzzing in excitement as he wanted to get into a proper spar to accurately test out his new strength. I realized that I was the same.
  
  "Hey, Shelly, is there anything else you needed us for? I think Pixel here wants to spar with my team as soon as possible." I said with a chuckle, one that she shared.
  
  "Not at the moment. Perhaps Mr. Stone might have a few new business deals for you, but not for now. As for me personally, I was very interested with your discovery of the PIT technique, and I'd love to work with you on a future project like that. As I mentioned before, we're looking into inventing new Pokémon ball designs, and you seem to be a font of new ideas."
  
  "I just get lucky sometimes." I said humbly, "Though I'll let you know if I think of anything. But, considering we just got a new Champion, I might be a busy dealing with politics to handle the science stuff for the time being." I replied, though obviously I still had my meta-knowledge to dig into as a crutch if needed.
  
  "That's fine." She said as Pixel continued to buzz impatiently, causing Shelly to smile, "Okay, it looks like your Pixel is getting impatient, so I won't keep you. Thanks for coming!"
  
  "No, thank you for the Up-Grade. I'll certainly put it to good use." I thanked her in return, then we exchanged goodbyes before I left the building. I couldn't wait to start properly training up my new Porygon2.
  
  But as I was flying home from Port, my phone pinged an alert. It was a message from Lance. Reading through it, my eyebrows shot up. Then he sent another text saying that the committee meeting to decide the next member of the Elite Four had been pushed up.
  
  Lorelei had officially challenged Walker to take his place in the Elite Four.
  
  A.N. AND PIXEL HAS EVOLVED! Finally, it's got the stats to be a part of the Elite Team, though it still needs the training. Also, with Lance finally Champion, it's open season on the Elite Four, and Lorelei has finally decided to strike. Technically, the challenge could have come at any time, but she was still training up and its standard practice for big changes to happen when a Champion changes, so it just looks better this way to the public.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-14-Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 4-14 - Interlude - Giovanni
  
  As he teleported away from John's house, Giovanni's mind was unable to focus on the politics that they discussed. John likely noticed that he had been fairly distracted during their talks on politics but was polite to not point it out, which Giovanni appreciated.
  
  He settled down on his desk and poured himself another drink, just in time for Petrel to come into the room. Petrel saw the pensive expression on Giovanni's face and decided to ask a question.
  
  "Is there something wrong, Boss? Did the lunch not go well?" Petrel inquired with a hint of concern, but Giovanni waved him off.
  
  "...No, nothing to worry about. It's just that having lunch with John's family brought up some memories. Memories of family." He admitted after a short pause as he continued to swirl the whiskey in his glass. A hint of recognition flashed through Petrel's eyes.
  
  "Oh." He said after a moment. "I understand, Boss...Would you like me to call Ariana?" He asked politely.
  
  Did he? His relationship with Ariana was rocky at best, though she had certainly cheered up ever since she was sent to Hoenn. Her loyalty was unquestionable, but his decision to distance himself from her ever since he became responsible for a potential liability in Team Rocket had caused a strain in their personal relationship, and they kept themselves strictly professional since then.
  
  It was one of Giovanni's regrets, but he knew he was making the best possible decision at the time. A necessary one to continue pursuing the greater good of Kanto.
  
  But the situation was different now, wasn't it? He was no longer the newbie Gym Leader looking to make a mark on the world to save Kanto at any cost. He was now respected, loved, and had a great reputation within Indigo and Hoenn. He was a role-model for many, and he ran the most prestigious Gym in Kanto.
  
  Most importantly, he had given up on his more overtly criminal actions. They were just no longer worth it when 'heroic' actions served him so well. So, what reason did he have to keep himself separated from Ariana anymore?
  
  He took a sip of his drink to fortify his resolve, then went to dial Ariana's personal number before he second-guessed himself. Petrel left the room as he did so.
  
  "Hello, this is Ariana. Something wrong, Boss?" Her voice filtered through the phone.
  
  "No, nothing's wrong." He replied, and then hesitated slightly before deciding to just get it off his chest. "Listen, I'm going to visit the Petalburg research facility soon, just to show my face around there and congratulate a few scientists for your success at discovering Porygon2...While I'm there, would you like to grab a meal together?"
  
  His question was met with a painful silence for a few moments, and Giovanni was about to withdraw his statement before Ariana spoke up again, a hint of surprise in her voice. "Yes, I heard about your visit...May I ask why you're offering?"
  
  The lack of an instant acceptance hurt, but Giovanni could understand her wariness. They didn't end on good terms, after all. "Things have changed here in Indigo...and my position is less at risk than it was before. And I was just reminded of a few things. Things that I cared about." He replied carefully. "I thought that...perhaps...we could, rekindle somethings that we lost?"
  
  A pause descended on the conversation once again, but Ariana eventually spoke up, "...Do you really think we could have what we had before?" Her voice came back with a mixture of hurt and hope.
  
  "I don't know." He answered truthfully, "But I want to...to at least try." He said, exposing his vulnerabilities to her.
  
  He was greeted with more silence, but eventually he heard her let out a big breath before she responded. "Do you want me to bring Silver along as well? Or are you afraid of a scandal?"
  
  Ah, Giovanni winced at the reminder of his seven-year-old son. He admitted that he was not a good father figure, having spent most of life dedicated towards the improvement of Kanto. He simply didn't have time for handling a child and offloaded all those duties to Ariana.
  
  He justified it by saying that his time could have been spent more efficiently to continue saving Kanto, as it was something that only he entrusted himself with. Even Ariana agreed, seemingly happy to take care of Silver so that Giovanni could focus on the more important tasks.
  
  But seeing John's family spending time together so happily did bring up fond memories of his late mother, and how she devoted her entire being to ensure that he would have a future, despite the lack of a husband. He remembered wondering when he was a child how much better their lives would have been if his father hadn't died.
  
  And now, with Silver, did his son have the same thoughts as he used to? Did he also want a father in his life?
  
  "Hello, Giovanni, you still there?" Ariana asked, breaking him from his thoughts.
  
  "Yes, I am. Sorry, I was just thinking about things." He admitted.
  
  "...I see." She replied, likely guessing what he was thinking about. Giovanni let out a sigh, before finally deciding.
  
  "Yes, you can bring Silver along. I'm not worried about a scandal at this point." He answered honestly, and he heard a sharp intake of breath from Ariana before she replied.
  
  "...Then the two of us will meet you in Hoenn then. Book a nice restaurant, won't you Gio?" She said, using the nickname she had for him. And even through the phone he could tell she was noticeably more cheerful.
  
  "Sure. I'll see you in a few days. Talk to you soon, Ari." He responded in kind, before hanging up the phone. Then he saw his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall.
  
  He was smiling.
  
  A.N. Yes, probably a very strange chapter, but I hope that I've built up Giovanni's character enough that this scene is possible, and to show how he's changed. I wanted to humanize him a bit more, especially now that he's more or less turned over a new leaf. Hope you enjoyed this unusual take on his character.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-15 - Political Kindergarten
  
  I awoke early the next morning as I quickly made my way to the Indigo Plateau on Port to attend the rushed committee meeting; I didn't even have time to test out my new Porygon2, which I apologized to Pixel profusely for. While Lorelei's announcement was not as momentous as Lance's declaration to challenge Pryce and replace him as Champion, it was still all over the news, and many were still caught flat-footed as her announcement seemingly came out of nowhere.
  
  From the way the newscasters were speaking yesterday on the TV, it felt like the majority sentiment was that everyone thought that Lorelei was just Pryce's figurehead for the Mahogany Gym and didn't expect such ambition from her. I guessed they all expected her to fade into obscurity after Pryce's defeat.
  
  I was no different, in all fairness. I knew that Lorelei was in the Elite Four in canon, but I thought that I might have upset that after winning the Indigo Conference instead of her. Either way, I didn't have any problems with her challenging for Walker's position in the Elite Four, but I WAS concerned about how she would lean politically.
  
  I don't think anyone wanted a second Pryce.
  
  I still remembered Giovanni's reaction when I informed him of the news last night; the man almost blew a gasket until I reminded him that Lorelei was unlikely to share Pryce's political ideas considering she almost got screwed over by her uncle. That managed to calm Giovanni down to his more reasonable self, but he warned me in no uncertain terms that Kanto could not afford to deal with a second Pryce and advised me to observe Lorelei carefully. I agreed, though I was more optimistic about Lorelei than Giovanni was.
  
  And this is why I found myself arriving at the Indigo Plateau, where a patiently waiting Lance was there to greet us.
  
  "John, it's good to see you again. You're first to arrive." He began, and we shook hands in greeting.
  
  "Happy to be here." I replied, before I shifted to something more serious. "Hey, what are your thoughts on Lorelei's challenge? Especially after just defeating her uncle?" Perhaps that question might have been too blunt, but I saw Lance as someone who respected straight questions and answers.
  
  "Hmph. Good of you to not dance around your point." He remarked, proving me right. "And admittedly, I never gave a thought to Lorelei before this. I only really used her as a means to attack Pryce. That being said, I would have petitioned to remove her as the Mahogany Gym Leader if the reports landed unfavourably against her leadership sometime in the near future."
  
  "As for her challenge towards Walker in 2 weeks' time...I respect it." He declared firmly, "I have not tried to hide my dislike of Walker, and I can respect the ambition to push yourself even further. If Lorelei wins, then she will have earned her position in the Elite Four in my eyes."
  
  I nodded, but before I could ask who he felt like was going to win, the two of us were covered by a large shadow as Walker arrived and descended next to us on his Fearow.
  
  "Hope I'm not late." He greeted the two of us.
  
  "You're not." I replied, "...How are you feeling?"
  
  Walker scratched his head, "Honestly, a bit surprised that I am receiving a challenge already. It's a bit too soon, and I would have liked more time to prepare. Two weeks isn't a lot of time."
  
  "Think you can win?" I asked, observing him carefully.
  
  "Well, I'm not about to just roll over and give up if that's what you mean." He said with conviction, getting a respectful nod from Lance at his words. "I recognize that Lorelei has a type advantage against me, but I'm the more experienced trainer. That should mean something."
  
  I couldn't tell if his words were one of confidence, or just self-reassurance to assuage his own doubts, but I nodded all the same and said nothing. The three of us just stood there in silence as we waited for Agatha to arrive.
  
  Finally, I saw a large shadow extend out from one of the pillars as Agatha arrived via Teleportation.
  
  "What are you three standing around for? Let's go." Agatha mocked the three of us and slowly made her way into the building, not even bothering to turn around. The three of us hardly reacted and followed her inside the building and to where the Committee meeting was being held.
  
  We arrived at a huge circular room with an enormous meeting table in the center. As soon as Lance entered the room, everyone stood up for their new Champion.
  
  "Right, thank you all for coming." Lance began, sweeping his gaze over the many committee members in the room. "As I stated before, I've invited the current Elite Four members to sit on and join in on today's discussions, but they will not get a vote. Does anyone have a problem with this?"
  
  Unsurprisingly, no one spoke up, likely unwilling to gainsay the new Champion. Lance nodded before continuing,
  
  "In light of the challenge against Walker, the appointment of a new member of the Elite Four has become even more urgent. I hope that we can finalize a member by the end of today's meeting." He got nods all around, "Then, from my understanding of the documents that I received before this meeting, I believe that your two main candidates are between Will, winner of the second last Indigo Conference, and Shin, last year's runner-up, both from Johto. Is that correct?"
  
  Lance received murmurs of 'yes' and other affirmations.
  
  "Good. Then I'll open the floor to the discussion. Let's start from those who want to support Will." Then Lance sat down as another member stood up, almost as if it was all rehearsed. A scribe stood waiting in the corner, ready to write down these speeches to be publicized in the news later.
  
  "Thank you, Champion. We believe Will to be the most suitable candidate to join the next Elite Four because of his already proven leadership abilities and his connections to many prominent members of the Indigo League. He has shown his financial and political capabilities through his time working with many prominent businessmen in the area, and he is also a winner of the Indigo Conference. Something that Shin has not managed to achieve. In fact, that is a common theme for Shin in general. He has failed to achieve anything, possibly due to his inexperience, but Will is a proven and capable person that would make a great fit for the Elite Four."
  
  The member received mild applause for his words, but Lance just stared blankly and nodded. "Thank you for your words, now, could we hear why we should appoint Shin into the Elite Four?"
  
  Another member stood up, "Although Shin lacks the experience of Will, have we not already proven that inexperience is not something that must be a limiting factor in their success in the Elite Four?" The person gave me a pointed look at that, and while I didn't like being dragged into this, I couldn't disagree with the sentiment and nodded back.
  
  He continued, "What we need right now in the Elite Four is stability. Here, Shin's lack of experience is actually a strength. He has no political leanings and no influential sponsor. He's a blank slate, which is perfect right now to avoid causing more turmoil after we have just gotten a new Champion. Besides, despite the fact that Shin failed to win the Indigo Conference, anyone who has watched his matches knows that it is not his strength that is lacking as a Steel type specialist, but simply because his opponent is too strong."
  
  They once again turned to me, "John's victory against Drake is now so well-known that the public would find it more than understandable for Shin to have lost against John. Thus, Shin is most certainly not weak, and would definitely deserve to be on the Elite Four based on his strength alone."
  
  I forced down a grin at the back-handed compliment. In fact, I felt suspicious about just how complimentary that speech was towards me, as if they were looking to flatter me. That raised my hackles, and I suddenly grew wary of their intentions.
  
  "Thank you for your words. I assume that those statements were made as representations of both positions?" Lance stated, which got a round of nods from everyone. "Good. Now, I'll like to open the floor for open discussion. You are free to mingle amongst yourselves." He declared formally, causing everyone to disperse and start talking to each other.
  
  I understood that this was when many backroom discussions would be held, and agreements and promises would be made between people. Obviously, this part of the meeting won't be shown to the public. A quick glance towards Lance saw him frowning, but I guessed that even he knew that such deals were the backbone of the Indigo League and could never be removed.
  
  "Elite John, it's a pleasure to speak with you." My focus snapped to the person speaking in front of me, and I was faced with a group of committee members who had all made a beeline straight towards me. I recognized them as a mix of members who supported Will or Shin, and they were clearly here looking to seek out my support for their chosen Elite Four member.
  
  I plastered on my signature false smile. Time to be a merchant.
  
  "Hello, how may I help you?" I asked politely, pretending to not know what they were here for.
  
  "We were just wondering which of our speeches resonated with you more, Elite John." A member simpered, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I was certain that the speeches were just a formality just so that they had something to show to the public.
  
  I kept up my fake smile, "Well, they were both very good, so it's very hard to say." This told them that I had no preferences either way, "But I do hope that whoever joins the Elite Four will be amenable to my political goals as well." Meaning that I would support whoever would also support my future policies.
  
  The members evidently caught on to my doublespeak, and they smiled, "Well, it's always good for an Elite Four members to have clear political goals, and I'm sure that we'll be willing to help, whatever they may be."
  
  "That's good to hear." I replied, "Because I'm really looking to enact my previous proposal of reducing the 4-badge limit...I was thinking perhaps we could lower it to 2 for Indigo, and have the rest be determined on a case-by-case basis. Do you think that is something of interest to you all?" I laid down my terms. I would sell my support in exchange for their support for said reduction.
  
  Of course, I couldn't support both members simultaneously, so if both groups decided to accept my proposal, then I would still have to pick one in the end. However, it looked like that wasn't going to be a problem.
  
  "Well, I'm sure that Will would be very amenable to such policies, if he were to be selected." One of the members who supported Will replied quickly, giving an implicit promise of support towards my policy, and I could see other Will supporters nodding their heads in agreement. In the meanwhile, the supporters of Shin looked more uncomfortable with my proposal and were hesitating.
  
  It makes sense, since most of Will's supporters were rich businessmen who would likely support such a change in policy even without giving anything in exchange, as making travelling easier would only benefit their businesses. On the other hand, Shin's supporters were more nationalists and traditionalists, some of whom were holdovers from Pryce's time as Champion and were more hesitant with breaking the status quo.
  
  Well, that makes my choice easier then. "Thank you for your support. I'm sure that Will would make a great Elite Four member once he's selected." I replied, and I got big smiles from Will's supporters and frowns from the others.
  
  After that, I shook the hands of the Will supporters as a symbol of our 'transaction', and then I left them be as I made my way to Agatha, who was mostly standing alone as she drove away everyone who came to talk to her. Time to extract her end of the bargain.
  
  "Agatha, I would like to support Will to be the next member of the Elite Four." I told her without preamble. Agatha stared at me with a considering look for a couple of seconds before she nodded.
  
  "That's a good choice, since Will as a Psychic specialist would be the better target for Karen to defeat over a Steel specialist like Shin. Smart decisions, John, even if you weren't thinking that." She remarked, before breaking out into a crafty smile, "And yes, you can calm down now; I'll support you in front of Lance. Let it not be said that I am unable to hold up my side of the agreement."
  
  I thanked her anyways, and I decided to make use of the remaining time to speak to Lance, since he had just finished his conversation with a few other committee members. I got to him before anyone else could approach me.
  
  "Lance, can we talk?" I asked as I approached, and he nodded and excused himself to the corner of the room. Many eyes followed the two of us, but we both ignored them.
  
  "You've spoken to a few of the members here, am I to assume that you're here to persuade me of something?" Lance said with a wry grin, and I grinned back shamelessly.
  
  "I detest doing this as much as you do, but that is the nature of politics." I replied, getting a nod of agreement from Lance. Then my expression turned serious. "I won't hide it, since I'm sure you would figure it out by yourself, but I have decided to support Will and hope that you will too. If you vote for Will, then his selection is secured."
  
  "And what did they give you in exchange for your support?" Lance asked directly, giving me a scrutinising look.
  
  "Nothing offensive, they just promised that they would vote with me in exchange for reducing the 4-badge trainer travel policy to 2 badges, at least within Indigo. I know that it was something that you supported before, but I just wanted to make sure it passed." I remarked openly, meeting his eyes.
  
  "That is...surprisingly un-mercenary of you, John." Lance said truthfully, "I thought you would have aimed higher. Asked for more."
  
  I shrugged, "Perhaps, but I do have a reputation to live up to. Did you hear that they're calling me the Hero at Olivine now? It's an embarrassing nickname." I saw Lance's lips twitch upwards slightly as he nodded. "Yeah, well, I felt that I should probably live up to that nickname now that I have it. I do truly want to improve Indigo, and if such deals are what's needed to obtain such improvements, then I'll do it to secure their political support. But I will do all I can to prevent government corruption from getting as bad as it did during Pryce's era; that would be a betrayal of everything I stand for." I said firmly to Lance.
  
  Lance gave me a slow nod and a look of approval. "I respect that. I'm glad to see that someone in this cesspit that is the League is still striving to do the right thing. Now that I'm the Champion, and am responsible for the continued well-being of Indigo, I appreciate having people who are willing to be more than just a political toady."
  
  I stayed silent and he continued to observe me for a bit longer before he nodded again, "Very well. I too have no preferences between Will and Shin, and they both definitely meet the strength requirement to be in the Elite Four. Likewise, I have not forgotten our agreement for my political support of your policies, but even without that I can agree with your reasonings to support Will, and since I can't abstain, I will vote in support of Will."
  
  "Not only that, but you may also count on my support for the change towards the 4-badge policy as well." He added, "I promised before to support you on this proposal, and especially now, with our relations with Hoenn as damaged as they are, opening our borders further for Hoenn will be a good thing. Shows that we're trying to extend a hand of cooperation and repair the damage."
  
  I gave a small bow to Lance and thanked him for his decision, silently pleased by the fact that he was honouring our previous agreement, but Lance waved it off and just told me to maintain that moral dignity of mine. I thanked him once again and left, finding the supporters of Will and giving them a nod, letting them know that I fulfilled my end of the bargain. They returned the acknowledgement.
  
  Finally, after several more minutes of discussions, which Lance had spent mostly being mobbed by many different people seeking his vote, including Walker, Lance banged a gavel, and everyone fell quiet.
  
  "Right, I hope that everyone has had their meaningful discussions." He said loudly, "Before we move on to the voting, I will pass the floor to our Elite Four members in case they wanted to say a few words." I saw a scribe getting themselves ready to record what we had to say.
  
  I took the initiative and spoke up first, "Thank you all. After listening to points made by both sides, I would like to offer my support towards appointing Will as a member of the Elite Four. While I have the utmost respect for Shin's strength, as he was my final opponent during the Indigo Conference, I think that, after the recent exposure of Pryce's corruption, we should return to a more traditional selection. To that end, Will would be the more suitable candidate because he has actually won the Indigo Conference, and thus would actually fulfil the requirements of being a legitimate challenger for the Elite Four."
  
  I paused to allow everyone to digest my words before I continued, "In addition, Will already has some leadership experience, something that would be very quickly put to use during his time in the Elite Four. While I will not disparage Shin for lacking that, since I lacked such experiences as well, I believe that Will is overall the safer option in such times of political turmoil. Hence, he has my support." I finished.
  
  Agatha spoke up before anyone could applaud, "I agree with John. We got lucky that John had the brains and intelligence to learn on the spot and be the great Elite Four member that he is today, but we cannot guarantee the same for Shin. Will has the experience, and the qualifications, so he should be chosen."
  
  That was an oddly flattering speech from Agatha, so much so that I questioned it. I sent a look towards her, but she gave me a wry grin but refused to elaborate before Walker began his speech.
  
  "I am of the opposite opinion. Shin is exactly what is needed in such times. As my other two colleagues have acknowledged, Shin has the strength to belong here. But not only that, it is commonly known that it is adversity that breeds strong men. Such political turmoil would be a great opportunity to mould another great Elite Four member for the years to come. I believe that Shin has the willpower and ability to learn on the spot and transform himself into a great Elite Four and trainer."
  
  All three of us got a round of applause before Lance silenced them. "Thank you all for your speeches. Now, I would like to begin the voting stage."
  
  Everyone sat up straight as President Charles Goodshow spoke up. "Please raise your hands if you are in support of Will." Lance himself raised his own hands, to the quiet mutterings of many. A few non-committee League officials walked around to tally the vote. But I was fairly certain with Lance voting in favour, Will was going to win.
  
  "Now, please raise your hand if you support Shin." Less hands rose up this time, and I heard many quiet grumblings.
  
  The tally counters got together and compared their results for a few moments before announcing, "Then the committee has chosen. Will is your next member of the Elite Four."
  
  There was just polite applause at the announcement. Unlike with press conferences or public speeches, these people were more than used to these kinds of things and had gotten accustomed it.
  
  "Thank you all for being here. We will be reaching out to Will and let him know of his successful appointment. We will be hosting the swearing-in ceremony in a few days-time." He looked to the Elite Four members, "Please be there to welcome him." We all nodded.
  
  "Then that wraps up today's Committee meeting. Thank you all for coming. You will be informed when the next one will be hosted." He announced and received many mutterings of thanks in return before everyone started to filter out of the room.
  
  Before the Elite Four members could leave though, Lance held us back to discuss something with us. We waited patiently for everyone else to leave first before Lance spoke up.
  
  "Thank you for your participation today. I think that went well, don't you?" He received nods from Walker and I, and a blank stare from Agatha as if to tell him to hurry up.
  
  "I felt like we could make this the norm to invite the Elite Four to listen in on these meetings. It would certainly differentiate my time as Champion compared to Pryce, and I think the public would enjoy seeing the transcript of your speeches. It's a win-win."
  
  "Hah! Didn't think a Blackthorn would be so willing to share power like this." Agatha mocked, but it wasn't as cutting as it could be. "Well, I can't deny that getting out of Pryce's shadow is a bad thing, so I'm all for being part of these meetings, boring as they usually are."
  
  Walker and I nodded in agreement, though I doubt we would have put it as harshly. Lance gave us a small smile at our agreement.
  
  "Good. Then in that case, we'll keep this as our usual policy moving forwards unless something terrible happens, which I doubt it will. I'll let the others know." He said before checking the time. "Right, I won't keep you any longer. I'll see you all at the swearing-in ceremony." Then he left the room.
  
  "Finally." I heard Agatha mutter before she then poked me with her walking cane, "Come with me, John, I have something to tell you."
  
  I gave her a curious look but followed after her anyways, waving goodbye to Walker. Agatha and I made our way outside one of the side entrances of the building before she turned to me.
  
  "If Will can stay in the Elite Four until Karen can win the Indigo Conference, then that would be a great opportunity. He has as terrible type matchup against Karen."
  
  Ah, I quickly realized what Agatha wanted. She wanted to have Will to keep Karen's seat warm before she eventually took him down from his spot. It was cunning, and rather underhanded, and exactly what I had expected from Agatha. I wasn't entirely comfortable with these kinds of schemes, but ultimately accepted it since we weren't actually doing anything illegal.
  
  "So, would you like me to train Karen so that she could overcome Will?" I asked to confirm.
  
  "Naturally, but don't tunnel vision on just him." She replied, "She still has to win the Indigo Conference after all, and I'll be damned if Shin and all those other competitors don't participate in next year's Indigo Conference against Karen. She has to beat them all." Then Agatha's gaze turned sharp.
  
  "And you can't afford to get kicked out of the Elite Four as well. I'm sure you don't need this old lady to remind you, but as I'm sure you figured out by now, I need both you and Karen to stay in the Elite Four." She admitted, and that got me curious.
  
  "Didn't think you valued me so highly." I joked but turned serious as I saw Agatha's lack of humour. "...And why do you want me to stay in the Elite Four? I thought all you cared about was Karen."
  
  "That's true, but you're important to my plans as well. After all, I'm sure you will be sharing your influence with Karen in the future." She said with a wry grin, before she teleported out of the Plateau, leaving me standing there alone and flabbergasted.
  
  For fuck's sake.
  
  A.N. A very heavy political chapter which really fought me as I wrote it, but I wanted to show how the Committee functioned and how the backroom dealings were done. Hope that came out well; I only have a layman's knowledge in politics and really tried to make this at least feel reasonable. Future chapters regarding the committee will unlikely be as detailed.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-16 -INTERLUDE-Whitney
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Whismur
  
  The New Normal - 4-16 - INTERLUDE: WHITNEY
  
  "Use Rollout, Miltank! Win this for me!" She yelled out. Her Miltank mooed and obeyed as she dodged under a swipe of Tyrant's arms and crashed into him with her Rollout.
  
  "Transition it into a Brick Break, Miltank!" She directed.
  
  "PROTECT!" Her brother yelled out in panic.
  
  Her Miltank's arm descended, slicing cleanly through the Protect shield and hitting Tyrant hard in the face.
  
  "Finish it off with a Body Press!" Her Miltank mooed once again as she pounced onto the stumbling Tyrant, ready to finally finish it off and grant her the victory...
  
  *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
  
  Whitney groaned as she was forcefully snapped out of her dream by the wail of her phone's alarm. She cursed at how busy the Gyms were that she was forced to book her match for early in the morning. She was not as much of a heavy sleeper as Karen, but she doubted anyone liked being dragged out of the bed as soon as the sun rose.
  
  It also didn't help that the beds in the Cerulean Pokécenter were nowhere near as comfortable as her bed at home; she should have taken the offer to stay at home with her family a few days ago so that she could enjoy the comfort of her own bed instead of being so insistent. But it was too late now.
  
  Both she and Sabrina had handily defeated Flint for the Boulder Badge. And to be honest, he was kind of disappointing. Even though Whitney restricted herself to only using her Whismur, it was far too easy to just dodge around in a circle while firing off Echoed Voices until Flint's Geodude fainted.
  
  Whitney had honestly expected more of a challenge, though she supposed it was only the First Gym badge and those were meant to be easy. Still though, Sabrina had utterly stomped the fight with her Kadabra, and she also made comments about how disappointingly simple it was.
  
  Perhaps they would find more challenges later.
  
  Then Whitney suddenly got a surge of new energy as she remembered what she and Sabrina had been doing yesterday. The two of them had been training around Route 5, and to Whitney's immense luck, she managed to catch two new additions to her team.
  
  Yes, her brother had repeatedly told her to be careful with catching new Pokémon and to always ensure that they would actually fit her team, but Whitney was just too caught up in the excitement at the time. Oh well, at least from what she saw yesterday everything seemed fine between them.
  
  But her Hoothoot and Jigglypuff were just SOOO CUTEE!
  
  Coupled with the fact that she had a Gym fight to catch against the Cerulean Gym, Whitney managed to motivate herself enough to force herself out of her bed to complete her morning ablutions. With that out of the way, she went to wake up her friend, since her match was straight after hers.
  
  "Sabrina! Are you awake?" She knocked on her door, before she heard a thump like something had just been thrown at the door. Whitney frowned and knocked even louder this time. "If you don't wake up then we won't make it to the fight. Hurry up! We still need to eat breakfast!"
  
  Eventually, her door unlocked itself and Whitney was greeted with the sight of Sabrina's room. She was still lying on the bed asleep, her black hair tangled in a great mess, looking nothing like her normally put-together appearance.
  
  Evidently, she had unlocked the door psychically, and yet still refused to get up. Whitney sighed and decided to take matters into her own hands.
  
  "Come on then, let's get you up." She poked and prodded her friend with her fingers, trying to tickle her awake. She saw Sabrina's mouth curl upwards as Whitney continued to tickle her, until suddenly Whitney felt a weight press down on her and she became unable to move her body.
  
  Normally, losing complete control of your body like this would be a cause for concern, but despite the short time she's spent with Sabrina, Whitney was already used to it and simply sighed. Besides, she was starting to get the hang of breaking free from the Psychic hold.
  
  "Come on, Sabrina, if you're already using this much Psychic power then you can wake yourself up. Also, how many times do I have to tell you that it's rude to restrain someone like that?" She scolded softly, causing Sabrina to frown and release her.
  
  "...Sorry." Sabrina quietly apologized, but that was enough for Whitney to adopt a beaming smile. She never used to apologize for using her Psychic powers like this; it was a huge improvement!
  
  "You actually apologized, WOOO!" She exclaimed happily as she hugged her friend, ignoring her muffled protests as Sabrina tried to bury herself deeper into the pillow. "We're making progress! Okay, come on then, let's celebrate this with a nice breakfast and another Gym Badge. Let's go let's GOOO!"
  
  With much reluctance, Sabrina finally pulled herself out of bed and started to prepare herself for the day ahead. Since she never explicitly kicked Whitney out of her room, she stayed to observe how Sabrina used her psychic powers to levitate objects to her so that her hands could remain free; she was pretty jealous about that.
  
  After Sabrina got ready, the two of them went downstairs to have a quick breakfast. They still had some time before their match, so they didn't need to rush through breakfast.
  
  "Your brother is on the news again." Sabrina suddenly spoke up as she gestured to the TV. Whitney had quickly told Sabrina about who her brother was after they both got the Boulder Badge, but Sabrina was hardly surprised. Considering Whitney's far above average strength, Sabrina told her that it was obvious that her brother was likely a very powerful trainer.
  
  Whitney didn't know if those high expectations were a good thing or not.
  
  Regardless, Whitney turned and saw that, sure enough, there was a news report that mentioned her brother's recent participation in the first new policy of Lance's Championship.
  
  "...coupled with the support of both Elite John and Elite Agatha, the Champion's deciding vote in the recent Committee meeting means that a new Elite Four member has been appointed, Will from Johto! There will be a swearing-in ceremony in two days' time, which will be streamed live on this channel. So please check it out!"
  
  Huh. Her brother didn't tell her about this. But she supposed that a new Elite Four member wasn't something that she had to urgently know about. Was this what him and Gym Leader Giovanni were discussing at home? Either way, it was interesting, but nothing too important for her.
  
  If it was important, then her brother would have likely called her on the phone by now.
  
  Anyways, the two of them then continued to scarf down their breakfasts while they made some small talk.
  
  "How are you feeling today, Sabie? Are you ready for the Cerulean Gym?" Whitney asked using the nickname she had given Sabrina. It had annoyed Sabrina at first, but now she was resigned to it. Whitney felt like she secretly enjoyed it but didn't want to admit it. Sabie was cute like that.
  
  "All research points to the Waterflower sisters being far weaker than their father. We should have no problems." Sabrina stated casually, then sighed. "I had honestly hoped for more of a challenge."
  
  Whitney tried not to let the disappointment show on her face as well, even though she completely agreed with her friend. All of her research pointed towards the new Gym Leaders of Cerulean not being the greatest of trainers. They seemed to be more focus on their, admittedly amazing, shows rather fulfilling their duties as actual Gym Leaders.
  
  But Whitney would remain optimistic! Maybe the Waterflower sisters were just going through a few bad days; Whitney really wanted something that could give her Miltank the chance to go beyond her limits.
  
  She put that out of her mind for a moment before she ate up the rest of her meal. She thanked Arceus that she was never a picky eater or else she likely would have starved to death on the first few days of her journey. Home-cooked food this was not.
  
  A few minutes later, and Sabrina stood up from her seat, "Let's go. We should head there early." She said, and Whitney nodded, finishing up the last bite of her sandwich and joined her after wiping her mouth.
  
  The two of them proceeded to the Cerulean Gym. She had seen it plenty of times since she had lived nearby, but it was still an impressive sight. Especially now that she had seen what the Pewter Gym looked like, which was just a large, slightly decaying, boulder; the Cerulean Gym had an artistic grandeur that really drew in crowds.
  
  The inside of the Gym was no less grand. The Aquarium inside was amazing as always and was always filled with tourists. Whitney could see the appeal, though she would never visit one by herself.
  
  Then the two of them entered into the main chamber of the Gym where the Gym fights took place, and she mentally kicked away all of those distractions. It was almost time for her Gym Fight!
  
  The two of them waited patiently in the audience stands for a few minutes, though it didn't take long before it was their turn. Since Whitney went first last time, Sabrina had registered before Whitney this time around, so Sabrina went up first.
  
  Before long, Sabrina had cleared through the very...'average' Gym Trainers practically unscathed. Her Natu blew past them without issue.
  
  "Trainers, this will be a 2v2 2-badge match between challenger Sabrina and Gym Leader Daisy! There will be no switches!" The referee announced, but Sabrina looked as unfazed and as cool as usual.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Both trainers nodded, "BEGIN!"
  
  "Shellder, go!"
  
  "Natu."
  
  Oh? It looks like Sabrina was copying her strategy of not using her Kadabra first in order to make things more challenging for herself. Whitney smiled at that.
  
  "Water Gun, Shellder!"
  
  A small stream of water shot out from Shellder's mouth, but Natu was able to hop to the side and fire off a small Confuse Ray towards the Shellder. The ray of light struck the immobile Shellder head on, and things quickly devolved from there.
  
  "Oh no! Snap out of it and Water Gun again, Shellder!"
  
  But Natu didn't give Shellder to recover, and with a few quick blasts of Confusion knocked Shellder out and ended the fight.
  
  And Daisy's next Pokémon fared no better either. This time it was a Seel, and while this time it managed to make use of the water within the Gym to manoeuvre around a lot quicker, Natu remained safely out of reach by continuing to fly high above the pool and eventually wearing down the Seel with Confusion. And just like that, Sabrina had won and earned herself the Cascade Badge.
  
  And then it was Whitney's turn.
  
  She similarly blew past the Gym Trainers without any difficulty; it was almost boring to see how her Whismur stomped past them with an Echoed Voice or two each. It was almost insulting to the training that she did!
  
  ...Regardless, she now found herself matching up against the Cerulean Gym Leader. Inwardly, she hoped that there would be a challenge.
  
  "Trainers, this will be a 2v2 2-badge match between challenger Whitney and Gym Leader Violet! There will be no switches!" The referee announced, and Whitney forced herself to focus and to ignore the sense of inevitable disappointment in the back of her mind.
  
  "Goldeen, come!"
  
  "Whismur, it's your turn once again!"
  
  Whitney chose to send out her Whismur instead of her newer captures as she felt that the latter weren't ready for a Gym Battle yet. As soon as the two Pokémon emerged from their Pokéballs, Whitney went on the offensive.
  
  "Echoed Voice, Whismur!"
  
  "Water Pulse, Goldeen!"
  
  Violet tried to match Whismur's Echoed Voice with a Water Pulse of her own, but the sound waves fired off from Whismur actually blasted right through the Water Pulse, dispersing the water harmlessly onto the floor and slamming into the Goldeen.
  
  "Echoed Voice again, Whismur!"
  
  Whismur yelled out and fired off more sound waves at the Goldeen, who was still reeling from the previous attack. Thus, it was unable to form up any sort of defense and went down to the second Echoed Voice.
  
  ...That was disappointingly easy.
  
  Whitney could see Violet grimace for a moment at Goldeen's defeat, but she didn't know whether that was out of shame or annoyance that her Pokémon fell so quickly. The Gym Leader withdrew her fallen Goldeen and sent out her next, and final, Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Seel!"
  
  ...And yet another Seel came out onto the field, looking nearly identical to the one Sabrina faced. The Seel dove straight into the water to take advantage of its aquatic manoeuvrability. This turned out to be a huge mistake though, as Whismur's Echoed Voice actually travelled faster through water than through the air, and Seel was pummelled repeatedly by Whismur's sound waves.
  
  In a last-ditch effort, the Seel leapt out of the water and tried to tackle into Whismur, but she dodged out of the way and slammed into it with a Pound to finish it off. Thus, Whitney was able to, quite easily, secure the Cascade Badge as well.
  
  The two of them then made it out of the Gym, but Whitney was unable to hide the disappointment that she felt at her easy victory. Sabrina evidently caught on and tried to comfort her by awkwardly patting her on the shoulder, which caused Whitney to smile weakly at the attempt.
  
  "...Thanks, Sabie. I'm ok, just thought that the fight was too easy." Whitney said sadly.
  
  "I understand." Sabrina replied, before she levitated Whitney's phone from out of her belt. "Call your brother. You will feel better."
  
  Whitney's smile turned thankful as she grabbed her phone out of the air and proceeded to dial up her brother. She agreed that venting to him would probably help.
  
  "Hello? John speaking." Her brother said through the phone.
  
  "John, are you free to talk right now?" Whitney said, trying to hide her sadness, "I want to tell you some things about my journey so far."
  
  "Oh sure, sis, no problem!" John said happily, "Actually, are you still in Cerulean? If so, I'll pick you up and we can discuss at things over lunch if you haven't eaten yet."
  
  "Oh, ummm...yeah sure!" Whitney replied, before she looked to her Sabrina and frowned, "Actually, is it okay if I bring a friend home with me? I'll feel bad if I leave her here by herself."
  
  She could see Sabrina gesturing that she would be fine alone, but John responded first. "Sure! Feel free to bring your friend along. I'll be happy to meet them." Whitney let out a breath that she didn't even realize she was holding; it was nice to know that her brother was open to meeting her friends.
  
  "Say, Whitney, where do you want to be picked up?" John asked, "Because if I just land in the center of Cerulean City then everyone's going to know who you are. I don't mind, personally, but it's up to you if you want that kind of attention."
  
  Oh! Whitney hadn't even been thinking of that. While a part of her wanted to show off her relation to her brother, she realized that she had come to enjoy the anonymity for now and didn't want it exposed so quickly. So, she just told John that she would just walk home instead since it was pretty close. John accepted that and said that they'd be waiting for them at home, then hung up.
  
  "Are you sure you want me at your house?" Sabrina spoke up, with an undercurrent nervousness under that usual blank façade, "I do not want to be intruding, after all."
  
  "It's okay! Don't worry about it." Whitney reassured with a hug, "Come on, let's get going."
  
  Sabrina made no further protests and the two of them proceeded to head back to her home. The walk took about half an hour, but that time flew by as the two continued making small talk together and discussing the battle that had just taken place.
  
  Sabrina pointed out that she was a little surprised by the fact that Whitney didn't rely purely on physical attacks to win, saying that the way that Whismur won was very different to Miltank's fighting style. Whitney replied that John had taught her to not tunnel-vision yourself down one singular fighting path, and to make use of the Normal type's large moveset to come up with various different techniques and fighting methods.
  
  "You know, when you meet him, you should ask him for some tips. John might not be a Psychic specialist, but I'm sure he knows a few things that could help you." She remarked. Her friend hummed thoughtfully at that.
  
  Soon enough, the two of them arrived at the gate of her family home. And, just like before, John was there to greet them at the door, but this time he was accompanied by Karen.
  
  Whitney immediately took off into a sprint and grabbed her brother into a hug. Karen just waved from the side.
  
  "Hey, Whitney, good to see you again. Who's your friend?" She greeted, and Whitney broke herself out of the hug to greet Karen.
  
  "It's good to see you too, Karen. And this is my new friend, Sabrina!" She introduced her friend to the two of them. She noticed both Karen and John's eyes widen almost imperceptibly, but it quickly went away.
  
  "Hello, Sabrina, I'm John. You probably recognize me from somewhere." John greeted, extending his hand for a handshake. Sabrina narrowed her eyes at John.
  
  "I cannot read your mind." Sabrina simply stated, and this caused both Karen and John to chuckle.
  
  "That's not surprising. Trainers at our level are pretty resistant to type energy, so being able to resist mind reading is quite normal." Karen remarked, "Though I finally recognize why you look so familiar. You're the daughter of the Saffron Gym Leader, right?"
  
  Sabrina nodded carefully, and Karen continued, "Ah, yes, you're that prodigy with all of that Psychic talent. Agatha's heard of you. Hmm...speaking of which, are you able to read your parents minds?"
  
  "A little bit. Though it is harder than with children. I can pick up fragments of their thoughts." Sabrina responded, getting an approving nod from Karen.
  
  "Fascinating. No wonder Agatha was so interested in you." Karen praised, causing Sabrina to blush slightly, "But, like I was saying, if you continue to develop your own powers as a Psychic, then perhaps you'll even able to glean OUR thoughts as well in the future. That would be remarkably impressive."
  
  John clapped his hands, "Right. That's enough talk about that for now; let's not scare off Whitney's new friend, shall we?" Karen looked away sheepishly, "Come, sis, let's have lunch together. We can talk about your journey over some food. I have some news to tell you as well."
  
  Then Whitney and Sabrina were invited into the house and sat themselves around the dining table. John informed them that both their parents were out in Johto for the moment to handle some business matters, so he himself prepared lunch with Karen.
  
  While the two of them prepared lunch, Sabrina was fidgeting awkwardly in her seat. Whitney turned to her with a look of concern.
  
  "Is there something wrong?" Whitney asked her.
  
  "No. Not really." Sabrina admitted embarrassedly, "...It's just that I'm not used to having people so openly welcoming of me, outside of my family. Between you and your family, it is...unusual."
  
  Karen spoke up from the kitchen before Whitney could, "I can understand that. When I first got started as a Dark type specialist trainer, I got weird looks from everyone because of the stigma that's attached to Dark type Pokémon as being 'evil' and 'untrustworthy'. People were afraid of me, and distrusted me, just because I liked using Dark type Pokémon and cause I was an orphan."
  
  Sabrina nodded, evidently listening with rapt attention as Karen continued, "But then I met Agatha, my mentor, who didn't care at all about the Dark type stigma and took me in as her own granddaughter." She reminisced fondly, "And then I learnt not to care about how others look at you, so long as I was still loved by those that I cared about. And besides, that stigma against Dark types is not as bad now."
  
  Sabrina fell silent as she pondered over Karen's words. Whitney kept staring at Sabrina with concern, but then Sabrina turned to Whitney and hugged her. The hug was stiff and awkward, but Whitney could feel how thankful Sabrina was to Whitney for taking her up as a friend, and so eagerly returned the hug to her first and closest friend.
  
  The two of them stayed like that for a while before she heard the signature click of a phone camera.
  
  Whitney quickly scrambled away from Sabrina to see her brother smiling while holding up his phone, having taken a picture of their hug.
  
  "BRO!" She shouted out, embarrassed. Next to her, Sabrina was blushing red as well.
  
  "Don't worry, sis, I'm sure that our parents would love to frame this photo somewhere in the living room. They'd love to see you spending time with your first friend." He laughed.
  
  In embarrassment, Whitney shot out of her seat to grab his phone, but her stupidly tall brother simply held his phone too high for her to reach. She retaliated by pounding his stomach, to no avail. The picture was already sent.
  
  "I'll get you back for this, John!" She swore to Arceus, but her brother just laughed off her threats and patted her on the head, leaving her to fume silently.
  
  "Okay, okay, enough teasing your sister. Lunch is ready, so let's eat." Karen calmed everyone down, and the two of them made their way back to the seat. But not before Whitney kicked her brother in the shin once more, making him fake hobble as he pretended that he was in pain.
  
  Then the four of them sat around the dining table to enjoy some home-cooked lunch. Even though it was just some Tauros steak and Miltank cheese sandwiches, she really did miss this.
  
  As they ate, John asked the two of them how they had found their journey thus far, and while Whitney initially wanted to hide her disappointment from her brother, Sabrina made the choice for her.
  
  "It has been quite disappointing, to be honest, John." She announced, causing both her brother and Karen to frown. "Before we came here, Whitney and I had just won our Cascade Badge, but the match against the Waterflower sisters were very disappointing."
  
  "...I see." John replied seriously as he listened to Sabrina's description. He put down his sandwich and wiped his hands before he clasped them together, "Right, this actually segues into what I wanted to tell you, Whitney."
  
  Whitney gave John a curious look as he explained, "Actually, there will be a new policy coming soon that will reduce the number of badges required to travel and capture new Pokémon from other regions from 4 to 2. Which means that, as soon as it's passed, you'll be able to travel to Johto to capture new Pokémon. Hoenn might not get changed though."
  
  Sabrina and Whitney's eyes widened in surprise at that, but John wasn't done. "But not only that, I've realized that I should probably spend more effort building up Cerulean City now that I have the influence and power to do so. I've heard from a few people that the Cerulean Gym has been rather lacklustre recently, and I want to be looking into that to see if we can repair its reputation and to fix any problems. We don't want the League rescinding the Gym from Cerulean, after all."
  
  Karen smirked at his words, "Are you finally going to be throwing your weight around?"
  
  John nodded, "Yes. My reputation and power are solid enough to do so, and I might as well improve Cerulean since I am able to. I've already arranged to speak to Mayor Henry tomorrow."
  
  Whitney spoke up with a question on her mind, "John, would the other Gyms be more difficult? I haven't really had a challenge for Miltank." She said gloomily.
  
  "...Maybe. It's been a while since I challenged the Gyms, but I can say that Surge is probably going to give you some challenge." He answered consideringly, "Though remember what I told you. Your Miltank is far too strong for some of the earlier Gyms, so it's natural for you to not find it challenging. Don't let it get to you though, as I've repeatedly said, there are always stronger trainers ahead. You just need to find one."
  
  "And finding a good training partner really helps." Karen added while gesturing to John, "I travelled to Hoenn to challenge the Gyms to get stronger, but I learnt just as much if not more just by practicing with John. If you can find a good partner to train with, you'll see some great progress with yourself and your Pokémon." She gave Sabrina a pointed look as she said that, and Whitney nodded at the implied meaning.
  
  "Oh, and that reminds me." Her brother spoke up again, "If you and your friend plan to travel to Johto to train or catch more Pokémon, I suggest you not to challenge any of the Gyms." Whitney and Sabrina stared at him puzzlingly, "The reason why is because you should wait until you've cleared all of the 8 badges from Kanto before moving on to challenge the Johto Gyms. That way, you can challenge them at their strongest and go in blind, which should let you learn more from the battles."
  
  "...That is some good advice, thank you." Sabrina replied with a slight bow, "I will keep that in mind for the future." Whitney nodded in agreement.
  
  "Good. Now, while you're still here, what do you say we get in some training after you finish up on lunch? Maybe you can show off what you've learnt so far on your journey? I have something cool to show as well." John suggested, and Whitney's head bobbed excitedly, causing John and Karen to chuckle.
  
  "Oh, and Sabrina, feel free to join in too. You're Whitney's friend, so you're always welcome here." He added, getting a shy, but genuine smile out of Sabrina.
  
  The four of them proceeded to chow down their lunch before they made their way to the training yard to train.
  
  A.N. Unsurprisingly, Whitney is having difficulties finding a challenge in the first few Gyms, but that's just because she truly is way too overprepared. Whoops! Things will get harder for her though in the future. And she'll face greater fights.
  
  I hope you enjoyed the interactions! Sabrina and Whitney are becoming closer friends, and likely lifelong partners.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-16 -Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 4-16 - Interlude - Lorelei
  
  To say that announcing her challenge to Walker for his position in the Elite Four was poorly received would be an understatement.
  
  She knew that her reputation was poor, but she didn't realize just how tarnished it was until she popped open the Pokénet one night after her announcement and saw the tide of criticism and anger pouring out towards her. Fortunately, not everyone was condoning such behaviour. Most notably, the Elite Four, including Walker, had been telling people to lay off with the vitriol.
  
  Still, the public were enraged at the fact that she was making use of a loophole to issue her challenge towards the Elite Four, since she never actually won the Indigo Conference and was appointed to the Gym Leader position through nepotism.
  
  Even with Walker's less-than-stellar reputation, the public at least felt that he was more deserving of the title than some greedy schemer like Lorelei. Plus, at least he was the brother of the respectable Violet City Gym, whereas Lorelei was the niece of the corrupt Pryce.
  
  At first, she wanted to rage and scream that this wasn't her fault, that her damned uncle had pushed her into this position unwillingly. But she knew that her cries would fall on deaf ears.
  
  The public had decided to crucify her, and no amount of pleading or apologizing would change that.
  
  But, with that realization, came clarity and determination. She hardened her heart. Grit her teeth. And blocked out all of the unnecessary noise from the public. She forcefully reminded herself that she had one goal, and no amount of bleating from the public was going to dissuade her from achieving it.
  
  Thus, she continued to dive headfirst into training. Distracting herself from the harsh words of the public and letting out all of her frustrations by pushing her Pokémon to be even better.
  
  Fortunately for her, her Pokémon were more than understanding of her situation, and her determination seemed to inspire them to push themselves harder. Plus, her Gym Trainers, whether out of a desire to isolate her further from the Gym or to simply get her off their hands, were more than willing to take over some of her more neglected duties as she devoted more and more time to training.
  
  Regardless of their intentions, she was appreciative of the extra free time they provided her.
  
  Throughout her entire career as a trainer, she didn't think she had pushed herself or her Pokémon as hard as she did within the past few weeks. And the growth was noticeable. Moves and commands were smoothened out, and strategies were planned and understood. TMs were purchased and trained to supplement any areas that she thought needed to be covered in preparation for the fight.
  
  Her Pokémon had all grown far beyond what she had expected was possible, and she was endlessly appreciate of their efforts.
  
  Her once haughty façade had been disposed of alongside her pride. She would make use of any tactic, even ones outside the usual scope of an Ice type specialist, to secure her victory.
  
  She would leave nothing to chance.
  
  Training aside, she also studied, studied, and studied. She repeatedly looked through Walker's matches again and again, determined to learn every single weakness that she may have missed. She looked through the other Elite Four's battles, to see if she could learn anything from them that she could apply to her own battles. And she looked through her own previous battles during the Indigo Conference, trying to see if she could spot any weak points in her own battling style that she could correct.
  
  The recent battle between her uncle and Lance only served as a reminder of what NOT to do. She groaned as she saw her once genius uncle resort to using brute tactics with his Pokémon, completely forgetting what it meant to be an Ice specialist. There was no proper use of the weather, no moves that really took advantage of the Ice, and no attempts to use attacks to lower the stats of Lance's Pokémon. And when he did pull things together, it was already too late.
  
  It was no wonder that he lost when he had handicapped himself like this! She vowed she would not make the same mistake.
  
  Furthermore, what her studies revealed was that she was correct in her decision to make her Froslass her trump card, and a huge part of her strategy revolved around her success. It was, admittedly, a lot of pressure to be putting on a newly evolved Pokémon like this, but she needed the surprise factor to go a long way.
  
  At least training her Froslass had gone better than expected. Probably sensing the urgency and desperation of her trainer, Froslass pushed herself harder than any of Lorelei's other Pokémon and achieved rapid improvements.
  
  She still wasn't at the level of Lorelei's other Pokémon training-wise, but that was offset by her high base speed and unique move pool. Lorelei could only hope that it would be enough.
  
  She knew that her preparations were entirely focused on winning against Walker, and that she had made no political preparations for what she would do if she won. But she couldn't find herself to care about that right now.
  
  Right now, all she was concerned about was winning the battle. And looking at the determined expressions of all her Pokémon, she knew they were thinking the same.
  
  Victory would be theirs. She would make sure of it.
  
  A.N. Another Interlude to delve into the mind of Lorelei and how her preparations are going. As you can see, she's getting blasted for her challenge, but she's ignoring it and working and training very hard. She won't let this opportunity slip away from her.
  
  And for anyone wondering, this will be the final Lorelei Interlude until her battle.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Huge thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-17 - Local Developments
  
  The four of us made our way to the yard. I was very happy to see that Whitney had made a friend, even if that friend was the future Gym Leader of Saffron. Sabrina was far from the emotionless doll-creating Psychic that she was in canon and seemed to be far easier to embarrass and poke fun of.
  
  I won't deny that I was initially concerned about Whitney's first choice of friend, but just by reading their body languages during our meal was enough to tell me that they had grown very close. Even without considering the political benefits of their friendship, I truly did hope that they would stay close friends for life.
  
  Not only that, but I was confident that Sabrina was going to be good for Whitney's potential as a trainer, both as a friend and rival. I was fortunate that meta-knowledge allowed me to grow even without a rival, but I could see that Whitney desperately needed one to continue to push herself further.
  
  I could not be that person for her. I was more of a goal for her to work towards, rather than a rival.
  
  I broke away from those thoughts as we arrived at the training fields. Before I could say anything, Whitney dashed forwards and released her new Pokémon.
  
  "All of you, come out!" She said excitedly, as her Miltank, Whismur, Hoothoot and Jigglypuff came out. Not overly surprising choices, and they were fairly common in the routes that she should have explored.
  
  Still, I made sure to react appropriately, "Wow, Whitney, you've already caught 4 Pokémon already!" Then I gave her an inspecting look, "Are you sure they'd work and get along well with your team?"
  
  Whitney gave me a sheepish look, but Karen spoke up first, "Come on John, lay off it." She turned to Whitney, "Ignore your brother's nagging. Congratulations on all those captures. It's a good start for any trainer."
  
  Whitney smiled at Karen and ditched me as she began to spout out happily about how cute her new Pokémon were. I smiled as I idly listened to her rambling before I turned to Sabrina, who had been remaining silent.
  
  "Hey, Sabrina, thanks for being friends with my sister. It does mean a lot." I said to her as I shot her a grateful smile. I saw a hint of red appear on her cheeks as she refused to meet my eyes.
  
  "It is no problem, John. Whitney...has helped me a lot with my own issues, so I am grateful for her friendship." She replied, trying to hide her embarrassment. I could guess what those issues were, and if we could see a less psychically insane Sabrina, all the better. Still, I thanked her regardless and told her that I hoped to see them staying as friends into the future.
  
  "John, John! Didn't you say you had something cool to show me!?" Whitney shouted out, as she ran over and shook my arm impatiently. I rolled my eyes at her impatience, but grinned.
  
  "Fine, fine." I grabbed Pixel's Premier Ball, "Say hello to the all-new Pixel!" I released my new Porygon2.
  
  Whitney's eyes widened comically as she saw the newly evolved form of Pixel. Even Sabrina's eyebrow rose slightly, which was probably what was considered to be a surprised reaction from her.
  
  "Pory! Pory!" Pixel preened at the attention, before it then swooped down to greet Whitney's Whismur, as if to show off its new form to its former sparring partner.
  
  "Whismur? Whis?" Whismur asked.
  
  "Porygon! Gon!" Pixel replied, reassuring Whismur that she would be evolving soon enough.
  
  "How much stronger is it?" Whitney asked as she excitedly observed my new Porygon2. Karen answered before I did.
  
  "It was sparring against my Corphish, and my Corphish didn't stand a chance. It really has gotten a lot stronger from before it evolved." Karen remarked.
  
  I clapped my hands together before we could get even more distracted, "Right, since we still have a bit of time together before I assume you and Sabrina will be making your way to Vermillion, why don't we get in some light sparring with some of our weaker Pokémon?"
  
  Both new trainers brightened at my suggestion, "Yes! I can't wait to show off my newer Pokémon! How are we doing this, bro?" Whitney exclaimed excitedly.
  
  "I think both Ornstein and Euphie would make appropriate sparring partners for your newer Pokémon, and maybe we could have both Whismur and Corphish challenge Pixel 2v1?" I suggested, "Sabrina, what Pokémon do you have?"
  
  Instead of replying, she sent out her Kadabra and Natu. I nodded when I saw them.
  
  "Right, then we could have Natu vs Karen's Carvanha. And with Kadabra and Miltank...let's have the both of them fight against Klaus. I think they would get the most out of that." I said, and everyone seemed to nod at my suggestion.
  
  We got all of our Pokémon together and split them up into their assigned groups, and then we set them loose and they began sparring together. I made sure to keep an eye on everything to prevent any unnecessary injuries.
  
  Going from the least to most skilled of the battles, I started with Ornstein and Euphie vs Jigglypuff and Hoothoot. My Pokémon were winning pretty handily, unsurprisingly, both in terms of teamwork and strength. Still, I was glad to see that Whitney's new Jigglypuff and Hoothoot weren't overly prideful Pokémon or have other potentially inhibiting characteristics or traits. They obviously needed a lot of work before they would become strong, but I was confident that Whitney was up to the task.
  
  Moving on, Natu vs Carvanha was a pretty even stalemate. Natu had the mobility and range, but it was far worse in close range than Carvanha. Natu was forced to keep its distance and harass Carvanha at a distance, but Karen hadn't neglected Carvanha's training, and it was able to dodge past most of the attacks using Aqua Jet to move around even while out of the water.
  
  And when my eyes turned to Pixel's fight against Whismur and Corphish, I noticed a very interesting sight. Pixel had been handily winning the fight with its now superior stats and firepower, especially now that I taught it Psychic with the gifted TM, it dominated both foes for the first part of the match.
  
  Yet, things began to change. Despite being blasted by a Psychic, Corphish stumbled backwards but refused to go down. He glared defiantly at his old sparring partner, and I wondered what it was doing before I noticed one of its claws started to glow with Dark energy.
  
  Pixel didn't spot this and fired off another Psychic. But this time, Corphish was ready. He cleaved through the incoming Psychic with a Night Slash, nullifying the incoming attack and suddenly putting him in a great position to land a follow up attack on Pixel as he immediately committed into an Aqua Jet and launched itself forwards.
  
  Pixel immediately retaliated with a powerful Thunderbolt that struck the incoming Corphish supereffectively, but to my surprise, Corphish defiantly stayed standing. Instead, he started glowing with a harsh white light, and I heard a gasp from Karen as she saw what was happening.
  
  The white light glowed even brighter, grabbing everyone's attention as many of the other battles paused to look. Eventually, as the light settled, a Crawdaunt emerged with a blisteringly fast Aqua Jet that slammed straight into a blinded Pixel, knocking it backwards.
  
  Whismur, who had previously been lying low due to her injuries, chose to reveal herself at this very moment and screamed out a powerful Uproar that crashed into a defenseless Pixel. Still, with its now improved defenses, Pixel was barely able to stay afloat. But Whismur seemed to grow even more determined at Pixel's endurance, and she stood tall once more and unleashed another Uproar. As she did so, she too began to glow with a harsh white light.
  
  I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And considering the shocked gasp from everyone else, neither could they. A Loudred roared out from within the white light, blasting Pixel with yet another Uproar.
  
  But this time, the newly evolved Loudred was able to put even more power into her Uproar, and this boost in power was finally able to knock Pixel out. As soon as Pixel fainted, loud cheers emerged from the spectators as they congratulated the two newly evolved Pokémon for their victory. I joined in on their enthusiasm; I felt that it was well-deserved considering the amount of training I knew they both put in.
  
  "That was incredible." Karen breathed out, "I knew Corphish was close to evolving, but I didn't think he would evolve in such a spectacular way." I nodded in agreement as I went to check up on Pixel. It was fine, just knocked out.
  
  Whitney was far less circumspect, and immediately went and gave her new Loudred a big hug, who simply laughed happily at her trainer. A quick glance at the Loudred revealed that she was far more confident than when she was a Whismur, and I hoped that Loudred would serve Whitney well in her Gym Challenge.
  
  After that, I gave the two newly evolved Pokémon and their trainers space to inspect the new changes. I went to Sabrina who had been silently concentrating on the match between the resumed fight between Klaus against Kadabra and Miltank, but it was a bit of a curbstomp.
  
  Miltank and Kadabra might be Whitney's and Sabrina's respective aces, but Klaus was far above them as an Elite level Pokémon. Still, I noticed that Sabrina was not upset at how one-sided the fight was, but instead was intensely staring at Klaus' use of Psychic moves.
  
  I decided to not interrupt her and allow her to learn as much as she could. I admitted that my knowledge of Psychic moves was limited to what I knew from meta-knowledge and wasn't comparable to a true Psychic prodigy like Sabrina. So, I left her to it. Maybe she'd learn something.
  
  Overall, we had a very productive training session, and considering this was my second one today after I had just finish thinking up custom moves with Karen, I was exhausted.
  
  The next day, Whitney and Sabrina had sadly already left the house as they began making their way to Vermillion City. They stayed the night, with two of them sharing a bed together, which I felt was cute.
  
  Before they left though, I had quickly written up some very rough notes about possible training techniques for Whitney's Loudred. I mentioned that she was capable of attacking on both the physical and special side, so equal emphasis should be placed on both areas of training. I didn't have anything for Sabrina, unfortunately, but she still thanked me for allowing her to observe Klaus up close. I wondered what she had learnt from that.
  
  But today I had an appointment to keep with Mayor Henry of Cerulean City in the late afternoon. I had a few proposals in my head, and I hoped he would be an amenable guy. Or at least, I hoped he would be accommodating of my status as a member of the Elite Four.
  
  I flew on Port and soon arrived at the main government building of Cerulean, where the mayor was. Before I could even land, I saw a swarm of reporters that were already ready and waiting for my arrival.
  
  It seems like someone had leaked my appointment to the press. Honestly, that was to be expected of a government functionary.
  
  I pushed my way into the building, ignoring the many camera flashes and hordes of eager reporters trying to get a quote out of me. I was sure they would be waiting for me to come out, so I was going to have to avoid them again.
  
  As I entered the building, I was promptly escorted by a stern, no-nonsense looking receptionist to Mayor Henry's office. Soon enough, I found myself knocking on his door and being let in to meet him.
  
  "Elite John, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." The mayor greeted as we shook hands. He was younger than the other cities' mayors, probably somewhere around his late thirties, which I hoped would be a good thing.
  
  "Mayor Henry, it's good to meet you too. And I apologize for the short notice." I said, as we both sat down opposite each other. I noticed that his office was heavily decorated, but not with luxuries and displays of wealth, but rather with pictures of Pokémon. I even recognized some photos were taken from recent contests in Hoenn.
  
  "Now, what can I do for you?" He asked, maintaining a friendly smile. "I'm sure an ambitious buck like you must have had a reason to meet me."
  
  "True enough." I chuckled, liking his friendliness, "To be honest, I came here for two reasons. The first, I want to help out with the development of Cerulean and its future. More specifically, I aim to transform Cerulean into the cultural hub of Kanto. Secondly, I want to ensure that the Cerulean Gym is receiving any help that they might need to maintain the high standards required of all Gyms."
  
  Henry rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Well I can't really help you on the second part, though I can give you the Waterflower sisters contact details if that would help?" I nodded and he quickly jotted them down and passed it to me. "But I am very intrigued about how you intend to turn Cerulean City into the cultural hub of Kanto. Please, I would like to hear more." He offered.
  
  I smiled, "Right, well that comes in two parts. The first part is the trickier bit, where I would be suggesting hosting contests from Hoenn in Cerulean. I will be making this proposal to the Champion, who if he accepts, would forward this to the Committee to see if it would be pushed through."
  
  "And do you think it is likely to be passed?" Henry interrupted curiously.
  
  "I am confident that it would." I stated firmly, "That's because this is the perfect way of improving our damaged inter-regional relations with Hoenn. It costs Indigo very little, and it's the ideal puff piece for the headlines. I'm fairly certain that it would be approved by the Committee. Champion Lance would love it too as it earns him brownie points with the Hoenn League and separates him further from Pryce."
  
  "But this project might be very costly for Cerulean. Contest halls are big investments for cities." Henry warned concerningly, and I nodded.
  
  "Perhaps. But I do have a workaround. I think it would be fairly easy to persuade the Committee that the Indigo League should sponsor the construction of the contest halls as an act of good faith to Hoenn. After all, it would hardly be a drop in the budget of the Indigo League. That way, they'll get the credit for it, and we in Cerulean get free Contest Halls. Again, it's a cheap way for them to generate good headlines." I explained.
  
  Mayor Henry leaned back on his chair as he pondered what I had told him. After a moment, he responded with a grin. "I like it. If everything goes as well as you say it will, which I believe it would, then yes, I'm definitely on board with this plan. Cerulean City has always gravitated towards the arts, and I believe that this would further solidify our status within Kanto."
  
  I smiled back at him, pleased to see his acceptance of my plan. Then I continued, "Thank you. The second part of the plan is more small-scale, but it involves the establishment of a sponsorship program for the purpose of promoting the arts. Now, while I'm no expert at this, I could foresee the benefits of things like sponsoring small tournaments with modest prize pools, setting up a museum for the appreciation of our artistic culture, or even sponsoring talented individuals so that they may continue participating in contests. Although we might not see any immediate benefits, I am confident that these would make Cerulean City a very attractive option for tourists with an eye for art and culture."
  
  Henry frowned slightly, "These are good ideas, but how are we going to pay for all of this? The unfortunate reality is that Cerulean City just isn't as prosperous as something like Viridian City."
  
  "Well, my family business is willing to offset some of the costs through charitable donations. Likewise, I'm sure I can think of some other businessmen who would want to attach their name to something like this." I replied, thinking of Giovanni. "After all, it's tax-deductible." That caused Henry to chuckle.
  
  "Very clever." He praised, but then he leaned forwards. "Now, while I do like your plans, all you've given me are ideas. Good ideas, admittedly, but I have been in politics long enough to know that most good ideas are often killed by the realities of the world."
  
  "I understand." I said easily, "I was just here to inform you about my ideas and whether you liked them or not. Since you find them agreeable, I'll work on my end to see them turned into a reality."
  
  Henry looked at me consideringly, "...you're really like what the news says you are, aren't you?" I gave him a questioning look at that, causing him to chuckle, "Sorry, but I had initially thought that your reputation on the news was overblown at first. Thought they were putting you on a pedestal to show off how a new young face was doing some good in Indigo. But I can see now that I was mistaken with my first impression of you." He complimented.
  
  I coughed sheepishly, "...well, uh, thank you for that. I am glad to have met your expectations." I simply said, trying to force away my embarrassment at his praise.
  
  "Oops, my apologies." He laughed good-heartedly, "But yes, I'm looking forward to seeing these plans actually put in place." He handed me a slip of paper with his contact details, "Let's stay in touch. Please let me know how things progress."
  
  We then exchanged thanks and then I left the office and the building. I dutifully ignored the swarm of reporters as I made my way home on Port. I was very pleased with the meeting with the mayor, it was a good first step, and I was glad to see that I could build a working relationship with him. That certainly made things easier.
  
  As soon as I arrived home, I dialled up Lance.
  
  "Lance speaking." He greeted on the phone.
  
  "Lance, I have a proposal I would like for you to bring up in the next committee meeting." I began.
  
  "Oh? Do tell. I thought we were going to be proposing your reduction to the 4-badge rule in the next meeting." He questioned.
  
  "Yes, but I have another proposal for the meeting after that one, and I think you'll like it." I replied.
  
  "Go on." He said, interest piqued.
  
  "I understand that you've been looking for a way to restore our relations with Hoenn. Thus, I had an idea where we would build Contest Halls in Cerulean and invite participants from Indigo and Hoenn to participate, on our Pokédollar of course. After all, contests are a big thing there, and establishing contests here shows that we're willing to integrate with their culture and would serve as the perfect generator of good headlines for the news." I explained.
  
  "Even better, I know that you're looking to push forwards your International Police proposal, so I think that this idea would be a great appetizer to whet the public's appetite for large-scale international cooperation. It's cheap too!" I added.
  
  Silence descended on the call as I allowed Lance to ponder my proposal.
  
  "...I like it." Lance replied after a moment, "I agree that this is just the kind of thing that we need. But why does it need to be established in Cerulean?" He asked pointedly.
  
  "Well, that's because I want to turn Cerulean City into the cultural hub of Kanto." I replied, not intending to hide anything since I felt that Lance would respect my honesty better. "I just spoke to the mayor a few moments before calling you, and he was in favour of the idea after I suggested the same proposal to him."
  
  "I see. Well, I can see why you want it in Cerulean." He remarked unoffended, and I could feel the gears churning in his brain, "Alright. How about this. I definitely like your idea, and since I previously promised you that I would be supportive of any ideas that you propose that would be of benefit to Indigo, then you have my support on this. However, if you want me to push for the Contest Halls to be developed in Cerulean, I'm going to need a direct promise from you to support my International Police idea."
  
  I hesitated for a moment, but eventually agreed as I realized that getting Lance on board was necessary to ensure that the Contest Halls would actually be established in Cerulean. "Yes, sure. I will offer my public support for your International Police within reason, and I must be able to go over your proposal before it gets voted on by the Committee." I said to him.
  
  "Agreed." Lance stated. "I had feared that some of the public and the committee might see my idea as overly dictatorial, so getting your public support on this would definitely calm their nerves."
  
  He then asked if there was anything else he could help me with, and after I said no, he hung up after promising that he would discuss this idea with his counterparts in Hoenn and make sure that my proposal would come up in the next Committee meeting after this one.
  
  I smiled as the call ended, pleased to see that there were no foreseeable problems with my plans. I really hoped to be able to enact my vision of Cerulean City; I think that it would both serve to help leave a family legacy behind as well as bolster Cerulean to become a vital pillar of Kanto.
  
  Before I forgot though, I quickly dialled up Agatha as well.
  
  "Oh, John? If you're looking for your girlfriend, I'm afraid you called the wrong number." Agatha answered with an audible smirk.
  
  I ignored her, "Agatha, I have a new proposal that I want to get passed through the Committee. It involves building Contest Halls in Cerulean City and then inviting participants from Indigo and Hoenn to participate. I already have Lance on board, I just want to make sure that I would have your support, even if the two of us couldn't vote." I explained.
  
  "Hmm...looking to play city builder, eh?" Agatha remarked, "Don't worry, boy, you'll get my support. I'll approve of your practice run. Now, is there anything else boy?"
  
  I said no, and she hung up before I could ask what she meant by 'practice run'. Eh, probably wasn't a big deal.
  
  "We're home!" My mom called out as she arrived home with my dad, shaking me out of my thoughts.
  
  "Hey, just got back from Johto?" I asked as I turned around to greet my parents.
  
  "Yeah, we had a look at the new location for the farm near Goldenrod. It looks good, and the price is acceptable, so we've already put a deposit down on it." My dad explained to me.
  
  "Oh, great!" I remarked, "Glad to see that your efforts are going well too."
  
  "How was your talk with the mayor?" My mom asked, "From what you said just now, it seems like it went well."
  
  "Wait. Let us all get settled in first, and we'll discuss this over dinner." My dad cut in, and we all nodded.
  
  Thus, over dinner, I proceeded to explain to my parents everything that I had discussed today with the mayor and Lance. I had already told them beforehand I was going to do so, since I needed their permission so that they would know about the potential sponsorship donation from our family business.
  
  They weren't exactly eager to jump on board with the sponsorship discussions, but they agreed that the further development of Cerulean City could only be a good thing for us.
  
  "Does that mean we're going to have a hall named after our family?" My dad jokingly asked, causing us to all laugh. We ultimately decided to table the discussion of sponsorships for later when more information was available.
  
  After dinner ended, I headed up to my room and texted the Waterflower sisters using the contact details provided by Mayor Henry to ask if they were amenable to a meeting tomorrow. I emphasized that I was coming as a private citizen, and not under any capacity as an Elite Four member. I hoped that would ease any panic they might have had.
  
  Just before I fell asleep, I got a text back from them letting me know to meet them early in the morning. I sent back an acknowledgement and went to bed.
  
  I hoped tomorrow's meeting would be as fruitful as today.
  
  A.N. Lots of things happening in this chapter, from the double evolutions to the local developments in Cerulean. Hope you've enjoyed!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-18
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-18 - The Waterflower Sisters
  
  Early the next morning, I rushed off to Cerulean City to meet the famed Waterflower sisters. I honestly didn't know what to expect going into the meeting, as they were barely developed characters in canon and were regulated to an extremely minor role. I hadn't even met them during my first run through of the Gyms all those years ago, as they hadn't become the Gym Leader yet.
  
  Despite this, I hoped to at least build friendly relations with them. Not only were they a cornerstone of Cerulean City, but I did intend to prevent any of their future problems regarding the Cerulean Gym as soon as possible.
  
  I quickly arrived at the Gym and found no one there to greet me, which was a bad start. Still, I made my way inside of the Gym to see the Gym Trainers running around frantically as they got ready for the day ahead.
  
  I couldn't help but comparing the conditions of the Cerulean Gym with Giovanni's Gym. Compared to the Viridian Gym, the Gym Trainers looked a lot more harried and disorganized, and I could see from some of the Pokémon idling about that they were far weaker than they should be, even for a Gym normally meant to be challenged at 2 badges.
  
  Fortunately, I thought it wasn't unsalvageable. As I walked to the Waterflower sisters' office, I felt that many of their problems could be fixed just with some better organisation.
  
  Soon, I arrived and knocked on their door, and was promptly greeted with a trio of 'hellos' and 'come in'.
  
  "Hello all, thank you all so much for accommodating my private visit. I hope I won't be intruding." I greeted the teenage trio of sisters, who all seemed flummoxed and nervous to greet me. Oops?
  
  "Oh, uh, thank you for coming!" The oldest, and blonde Daisy greeted nervously, her eyes shifting around slightly as she spoke. "I hope everything's been okay with you, Elite John."
  
  "Yeah, we were kinda surprised when we heard you were coming." The blue-haired, and middle sister, Violet added uncertainly, "We really weren't expecting a visit."
  
  "Of course! We are welcome to help you with anything, uh, Elite John." The pink-haired and youngest, Lily, continued anxiously, "So, uh, how may we help you?"
  
  Wow, they were a bundle of nerves at the moment. I tried to calm them down, "Well, thank you for letting me visit regardless, and I apologize for how unusual this is." I said, "As I mentioned before, I'm not here in any capacity as an Elite Four, I'm just here as a citizen of Cerulean who wants to do his best to help out the Gym where possible."
  
  Fortunately, that seemed to calm their nerves a bit. "Well, I'm glad for that." Daisy remarked after she let out a breath, "Are there any issues you see with the Gym you can point out?"
  
  I tried to put on as friendly of a smile as possible, "Well, actually, yes. My sister had come through the Gym recently, and I'm sorry to say that she was fairly disappointed in the strength of your Gym." That caused all of the sisters to wince, "I followed on my sister's words with more research, and I realized that on the Pokénet that others have made similar complaints. Now, I really do hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries, but may I ask if you have noticed these problems as well?"
  
  The sisters glanced uncertainly at each other before Daisy sighed and turned back to me, "Yes. Unfortunately, it's been pointed out to us by some of our Gym Trainers as well. Truthfully, we aren't at the same level as our dad; our interests lie more in the shows and contests, rather than as traditional Gym Leaders. We've tried to make do, of course, but I guess we just aren't doing enough." She shrugged.
  
  "I mean, it's not like we don't put in the effort. But this isn't where our interest lies, y'know?" Violet added.
  
  "Yeah, we don't want to disappoint our late dad, but we're not really cut out for this kind of thing." Lily finished sadly.
  
  I nodded thoughtfully as I listened to them; this was about what I expected from what I knew of canon. But this was far from the worst-case scenario, I was glad to see that they were at least willing to put in the effort.
  
  "Well, that's fine, and I'm sure your shows are very good." I praised, and they all blushed. "It's alright to not be the best at everything, especially since you're all very new to the position of Gym Leader anyways. Trust me, I know how that feels." That caused them to split into small smiles of their own.
  
  "Now, the reason I'm here to offer my assistance is because I have ambitions to transform Cerulean City into one of the pillars of Kanto. And to do that, I want to ensure that the Cerulean Gym, a crucial element of our city, will maintain its stability and prosperity into the future. So, in this case, I would like to offer a helping hand to see if I can help solve any problems that you might have, if you'd have me." I explained carefully.
  
  That seemed to catch the sisters off guard, and they seemed to silently communicate with each other before Daisy spoke up, "...Honestly, we would very much like the help. We're still very new into our positions of Gym Leaders, and there's a been a lot to manage that we're still very unsure of. Many of our Gym Trainers are new hires as well, and they don't have the experience to help out with the administrative aspect of the Gym."
  
  "I see." I responded thoughtfully, "Could you let me know what those problems are? Maybe I could help you, or at the very least, find someone who I think is trustworthy to help."
  
  The girls looked at each other again before Daisy spoke up again, "I think our main issue is being able to source and train up Pokémon that can fight at the 2-badge level. Our problem right now is that we either can't find new Water Pokémon to train up, or dedicate enough time to train them up, and the Pokémon that we do train up get misused by our Gym Trainers and they get too strong too quickly and eventually have to be retired because they become unsuitable for the 2-badge level."
  
  "And we're not really sure how best to manage the Gym's finances. Running this Gym is more expensive than we thought, and we don't have much in our budget to buy all these new Water types for our Gyms. Our shows bring in decent income, but nowhere near enough for everything that we need." Violet explained.
  
  "Also, because we need to spend all this time between managing the Gym and to perform our shows, we don't have any time in our schedule to train up our 8-badge team, so we've really fallen behind on that front." Lily sighed out as she finished.
  
  I hummed consideringly as I pondered what they had just told me. It seems that while they were far from incompetent, they just didn't have the necessary experience to run the Gym effectively and the problems simply compounded on themselves.
  
  However, I thought that most of their problems could just be handled if they just had a good administrator who knew what they were doing and could teach the three young sisters about how to manage the Gym appropriately.
  
  I suspected that, in canon, they likely didn't receive this support and the Gym continued to spiral downhill as their unresolved problems continued to mount, until the sisters eventually gave up entirely on the Gym and focused on their performing passions. But I hoped that I could provide enough assistance that they would choose to instead split their focus between their performances and the Gym.
  
  "It seems like most of your problems could be solved if you just got yourselves a good administrator." I told them, "If someone could be assigned to handle all of these problems, and free up time for you to properly train up yourselves and your Pokémon, then I'm certain that the Gym would be able to run far more smoothly."
  
  The three sisters nodded, "Yes, we've thought of that too. But we don't really have anyone that we could ask to help us. As we said, our Gym Trainers are all young hires, and are all inexperienced. In fact, we've also had problems with our Gym Trainers being too tough or too weak on the challengers, and a few of them have problems showing up on time. It's a mess." Violet lamented.
  
  A smile appeared on my face, "Well, you're in luck. I think I have just the person to ask for." The girls looked at me curiously, "Do you mind if I call Gym Leader Giovanni and explain your problems to him?"
  
  The girls all gasped, "G-G-Giovanni? Uh, uh, you don't have to bother someone like him! I'm sure he's very busy!" Lily exclaimed anxiously, with the other two nodding in agreement.
  
  I smiled, "No, no, I'm sure he's more than willing to help you." I turned serious, "But it does mean that you would have to explain your problems to him. Are you comfortable with that?"
  
  The sisters all looked at each other, and after a silent agreement, nodded back to me. "We can trust someone as kind as Giovanni."
  
  I had to really hold in my laugh that time; to think that Giovanni's name was now associated with trustworthiness and kindness. Still, I nodded back to them and made the call.
  
  "Hello? Giovanni speaking." He answered.
  
  "Giovanni, it's John. I'm currently in a meeting with the Waterflower sisters in their capacity as the Gym Leaders of Cerulean. I have been speaking to them about some of their problems that they're facing, and I was hoping I could get some assistance from you here." I responded formally, making him aware of the seriousness of this conversation.
  
  "Oh? That's very interesting." Giovanni chuckled, "Please, go ahead."
  
  "Mind if I move it to speaker?" I asked and switched to speaker after Giovanni agreed. "Right, I'll let the Waterflower sisters explain their issues to you."
  
  And so, I stayed silent as I allowed the sisters to explain the problems to Giovanni. As I silently listened to their conversation, I reflected on how I truly felt that recommending Giovanni's assistance to the Waterflower sisters was the right and surprisingly trustworthy thing to do.
  
  After all, it was not unusual for Gym Leaders to help out other struggling Gym Leaders if need be. And Giovanni doing so would just be furthering his image as a model and kind Gym Leader, which I'm sure he would be appreciate of. And, not only that, but by establishing public ties with Cerulean, Giovanni would also want to ensure that the Cerulean Gym is a success, or else his name would be tarnished as well.
  
  And I'm sure he knew that as well, so I was confident that he wouldn't act maliciously towards the Cerulean Gym.
  
  "...I see. I think I have a good understanding of the problem." Giovanni spoke as he finished listening to the sisters' explanation, "And I think I understand why John reached out to me. John, you're looking for someone who can help them with the administrative aspects, right?"
  
  "Yes. And I know that you have some very capable subordinates of yours who might be free at the moment. Do you think Petrelcould help out?" I asked.
  
  "Petrel?" Giovanni chuckled, before he hummed thoughtfully. He replied after a moment, "Yes, I think that's a good choice. I was initially going to suggest another individual, but I like your choice more. Petrel hasn't had much to do at this point, and his role could easily be taken up by one of the Gym Trainers."
  
  "Ummm...Sorry to interrupt, but who's Petrel?" Lily spoke up questioningly.
  
  "Oh, Petrel is one of my most trusted subordinates who helps me with the administrative areas of the Gym. He's my administrative assistant." Giovanni explained, "I agree with John that he'll be a great choice for helping out with your Gym."
  
  "Of course, you don't have to accept our help if you don't want to." I immediately interrupted, emphasizing to them that I didn't want to pressure them into accepting our help. "Actually, why don't we set up an interview for Petrel, and you can interview him for a job like you would for any normal administrative assistant. If you're happy with him, then you can make the choice to hire him yourselves."
  
  "Yes, that would be better." Giovanni said, "I apologize if it seemed like I was pushing Petrel onto you."
  
  The sisters' shook their heads, "No, no, it's fine. We didn't mind at all...and, um...yes, we'd really like to interview him for his help. We think we really need it." Daisy replied, and the others nodded.
  
  "Excellent. I'll let him to know to come over when I get back from Hoenn." Giovanni accepted. Huh, he must be in Hoenn for that Porygon2 discovery. "John, thanks for arranging this. We'll speak later." He hung up the call after that.
  
  I put away my phone and addressed the sisters, "Well, that's that. I apologize again if I was too pushy with this. But I really want to help make Cerulean City as best that it can be."
  
  The girls waved me off, "No, it's fine! It's fine! We understand, and honestly, we're very happy that you came to check up on us. I think it would be worse if you just ignored us and left us with our problems." Violet said for the three of them.
  
  "Well, thank you for your understanding." I bowed slightly, "I consider it my duty and pleasure to ensure that Cerulean City is as prosperous as it can be, so if you three need any more help in the future, with anything, please let me know. I'll try my best to help."
  
  That got the three of them giving out murmurs of thanks.
  
  "Oh, speaking of which, I do have some news for you. It's not confirmed yet, but I'm in the process of getting some new contest halls built in Cerulean, and we're going to be hosting people from around Hoenn and Indigo to participate in these competitions. I feel like this is something you'll be interested in, no?" I informed them.
  
  THAT got their eyes gleaming excitedly, "WOW! That's amazing! We'd always wanted to have a contest hall of our own!" Daisy exclaimed eagerly, "Do you think we'll be able to participate?"
  
  I shrugged, "I'm not sure, though I don't see why you wouldn't be able to. My job really is to just get the thing passed by the Committee, but Mayor Henry should be dealing with the actual running of it. I think if it passes and you let him know that you're interested in being a part of it, then he'll arrange something for you three." I told them.
  
  The trio bobbed their heads excitedly, and I could see in their eyes that ideas were flickering through at a mile a minute. I guessed that this was a dream come true for them.
  
  "Is there anything else I can help you with, while I'm here?" I asked them once more before I left, breaking them from their daydreaming.
  
  The three of them looked to each other, before Lily stepped forwards hesitantly, "Um...could we get an autograph? And a photo?" She mumbled out embarrassedly, causing me to chuckle.
  
  "Sure." Was all I said, and the girls quickly rushed around to grab a piece of paper and a polaroid. They quickly stood next to me, and we all posed for the photo, which I then signed after it was printed and developed.
  
  They then thanked me once again before I left the Cerulean Gym, very pleased about the meeting. So long as the Cerulean Gym would never fall into disgrace, I was confident that I could transform Cerulean City into a pillar of Kanto in the future.
  
  As soon as I returned home, I made sure to dial up Mayor Henry and inform him of everything that happened.
  
  "Mayor Henry, it's John." I greeted him on the phone.
  
  "John, good to hear from you again." He replied, "How are things going on your end?"
  
  "Better than expected." I told him, "I have Lance on board with the idea, and I'm confident that it will pass through the Committee."
  
  "Excellent! We here in Cerulean would very much appreciate the new investment and tourism." He remarked pleasantly, "How was the talk with the Waterflower sisters at the Gym?"
  
  "It was a very fruitful discussion, thank you." I replied, purposely leaving out of all the details from our discussion. I may like the mayor, but I didn't feel he should be privy to what was discussed.
  
  Clearly, he knew where to draw the line and didn't push any further than that. "I'm glad. It's good to finally have an Elite Four member from Cerulean that is actually invested in the continued growth and prosperity of our city. Arceus knows that some Elite Four members are concerned with nothing else than their position and strength." Mayor Henry grumbled.
  
  "I hope to be of service in the future as well." Was all I said, getting a chuckle from the mayor as he wished me good luck with my endeavours. We ended the call on that pleasant note.
  
  With the phone call over, I figured that I had the rest of the day free before I had to attend Will's swearing-in ceremony tomorrow.
  
  Deciding that I had nothing else better to do, I went to the training fields and quickly got to training. There wasn't anything new that I wanted to work on, so this session was more focused on just continuing what my Pokémon had previously been practicing.
  
  More specifically, I had really doubled down on trying to perfect custom moves for my Pokémon. I felt that it was currently the best path forwards to developing my Pokémon's strength in a battle; providing a bit more power in certain moves could be the deciding factor in a match.
  
  On that front, I was very pleased with Vordt's progress mastering the new Seismic Eruption. Seeing the move in action, I felt that it would serve as an excellent surprise finisher for a wounded opponent, since the tremors from the Earthquake make it difficult to dodge the subsequent spears of rocks. Perhaps I could have a few of my other Pokémon, like Tyrant and Smough, learn this move as well?
  
  As I thought that, I also figured that I should probably advise Karen to start developing custom moves of her own, if she hadn't already started. I'm sure that watching that battle between Pryce and Lance must have sparked a few ideas in her mind by now.
  
  My other priority was to ensure that Pixel, Euphie, and Ornstein were training themselves appropriately, and that they were developing healthily and not picking up on any bad habits. On that front, things seemed to be going smoothly.
  
  Pixel was very pleased about its new power level and has thrown itself headfirst into its training to master its newfound evolved capabilities. Despite its' very wide potential array of attacks, I decided to focus on the more basic, but universally useful, attacks such as Psychic and the newly TM taught Shadow Ball. As soon as it got sufficiently proficient in those attacks, then I was confident in transitioning into more supportive and utility moves like Recover and Conversion.
  
  Euphie hadn't lost her innocent curiosity, but after weeks of training, she's finally tempered some of that curiosity so that she could focus better on training. She was continuing to practice her Fairy type moves, and was now somewhat proficient in Play Rough, but she still took some time to gather up enough Fairy aura before she attacked. Still, pairing her up with Luna had proved itself to be a great decision.
  
  Meanwhile, Ornstein was just as overly energetic and fight hungry as ever, but at least he actually listens to me now. He still recklessly challenges my Elite Pokémon, especially Smough, on the regular, but since he uses these challengers to push himself even harder with his training, I allowed it to continue. He was already very experienced with the more basic Normal and Dark type physical attacking moves, such as Payback and Headbutt, which was always good for practice.
  
  Just as my Pokémon continued training, my phone vibrated as it received a message. I went to check it and saw that it was from Karen.
  
  'What time should we meet tmr for the swearing-in ceremony?' She texted me. She was my plus one tomorrow for the ceremony. My parents had chosen to stay at home this time round, since the ceremony wasn't for me.
  
  'I can't afford to be late, so let's arrive on time. Ideally, a couple minutes early.' I replied.
  
  'Fine. At least it's in the evening so I don't have to wake up early. Besides, I do want to meet Will.' She wrote.
  
  'Why? Scoping out your competition?' I remarked, smirking.
  
  'Of course ;). Can't let myself be caught off-guard; you know?' She replied.
  
  We made some small talk after that, but then I put my phone away and returned to training with my Pokémon. But as I did so, my thoughts wandered back to Karen and our relationship together.
  
  Strangely, I didn't know where to place our friendship. Were we friends? Or did we want to be more than that? Sure, I had messed up at the beginning and was over-eager, but what were we now? We spent almost all of our free time together, and I was most certainly attracted to her. Likewise, I was fairly confident that the same could be said for her as well.
  
  And then there were all the comments from Agatha about us being together. Even the densest of individuals would be aware that Agatha was trying to push the two of us together, likely for her own personal reasons. She had been increasingly obvious about her attempts recently, to the point where I didn't feel like she was even trying to hide it.
  
  Not that my parents were any different. My mom especially had been giving me hints for a while for a while now that she greatly approved of Karen and had basically been treating her as her own daughter every time Karen came over. Even Whitney thought of her as a big sister!
  
  What did that mean for the two of us though? I certainly wanted to advance the relationship, but not if Karen was uncomfortable with it.
  
  After fretting over it for a bit, I decided that I would speak to her about it tomorrow at the ceremony. I felt like we had danced around the topic enough, and we should finally set clear lines of communication with each other going into the future.
  
  With that plan in mind, I tried to pull myself back to focusing on my Pokémon's training, with little success.
  
  Then, I was hit with the realisation that I had come full circle; I had attended my own swearing-in ceremony a relatively powerless teen where I was first introduced to Karen, and now will return to a different swearing-in ceremony as a powerful political figure in Indigo with Karen as my date.
  
  It was nice to see how far I've come.
  
  A.N. Hope you enjoyed the conversation with the Waterflower sisters. I had always planned from the beginning to get Giovanni's aid in helping out the Cerulean Gym, and I felt that Petrel was a suitable person for the task. Might have an Interlude in the future about Petrel's POV in handling the Gym.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-18 - Interlude - Will
  The New Normal - 4-18 - Interlude - Will
  
  Will stared down at the official letter from the League with a bright smile on his face as he stood in the middle of his decorated living room in his expensive apartment. Finally, the League had begun to recognize his brilliance and properly rewarded him for the hard work that he had done.
  
  To be fair, he had expected such an invitation a few months ago when Blaine stepped down in the Elite Four, but the League could be forgiven for choosing a Kantonian to replace Blaine. But now, with a Johtoninan spot that needed to be filled, it was only natural that they selected him.
  
  After all, who else in Johto could be his match? Outside of the Elite Four, of course.
  
  None. That was the easy answer. No one else had his drive and determination to dive headfirst into business and politics as soon as they won the Indigo Conference. None had his savvy to start making powerful connections with businessmen and other friends in high places. None had been able to transform themselves from a relative nobody into someone who the League recognized and WANTED to be in the Elite Four.
  
  Admittedly, there was that weird buff guy from Johto as well, but Will didn't think he had the pizazz or star power that you REALLY needed to be in the Elite Four. He was strong, undoubtedly, but the public wanted a show. They wanted someone who could wow them with cool stunts and Pokémon, with a personality to back that up. Not someone who immediately absconded themselves up a mountain after their victory in the Indigo Conference, even if his strength might have been deserving to be in the Elite Four.
  
  The previous winner of the Indigo Conference before him might be the stronger trainer, but that didn't matter when he had the personality and likeability of a fist to the face.
  
  Speaking of the Elite Four, he idly wondered if any of the Elite Four were fans of his too; they must have at least known who he was before they invited him! He saw in the news who had chosen to vote for him, and he was eternally grateful for their recognition. He held a great respect for the institution, and he wished to prove himself worthy in their eyes.
  
  Especially the Champion. In his eyes, Lance really had everything. Not only did he have strong and powerful Pokémon, but his choice of attire was also fantastic. It really matched the Dragon trainer vibe and gave him a distinct identity to the public. Honestly, if Lance hadn't effectively nailed that idea down, Will might have tried wearing a cape for himself to finish off his look.
  
  Alas, at least he was adorned in purple. The colour of royalty.
  
  Still, he made sure not to overly indulge in his fantasies. He recognized that although the League sought out his talents and ability, he would still need to prove to the world that he deserved to keep his position. After all, even if he was confident that he would become one of the more popular members of the Elite Four, that meant nothing if he couldn't hold his position in a battle of strength.
  
  Which was why Will was not one to give all of the credit to himself. Indeed, his powerful Psychic type Pokémon deserved much of the credit for his success. After all, their elegant fighting styles focused on skilfully evading and overpowering their enemies were always a sight to behold, if Will could say so himself.
  
  It would take a blind fool for one to not be able to appreciate the elegance and splendour of his Pokémon. Just ask his many fans who had all supported him during his run through the Indigo Conference; none managed to stand up to him and his Psychic types!
  
  The reason was simple. Psychic types needed an intellectual trainer to command them, because Psychic type Pokémon relied on clever strategies rather than barbaric brute force. And Will knew that he HAD that cleverness, as seen by his undefeated string of victories ever since he entered the Indigo Conference.
  
  He still remembered the time where his starter Xatu was able to flawlessly able to knock out an opposing Typhlosion with proud ease. And how his Hypno was able to do the same, winning flawlessly through a powerful Hypnosis that allowed him to freely earn his victory with Dream Eater. The crowd went wild when that happened.
  
  It was no wonder that he got a reputation for never being hit in battle.
  
  And Will himself was more than just a trainer, he was someone that was more than capable of handling business affairs and politics as well, and from what he had read was ultimately the reason why the League chose him in the first place. He might have been self-taught but mingling and forming connections with his many 'friends' in business and politics taught him a lot about how to handle the gentlemen that backed up their society; skills that would definitely be put to use when he was in the Elite Four.
  
  Especially in the Elite Four, when almost all business and political deals were about give-and-take and trying to get what you wanted for as little as possible. That was the main goal of many politicians. Will understood this very well; it was what he had learnt from his many interactions with other businessmen.
  
  And now, as he placed the official letter confirming his appointment in the midst of his collection of business cards, he was grinning from ear to ear.
  
  It was time to show the world his brilliance!
  
  A.N. This was a fairly hard chapter to write. I wanted to nail down Will's personality as rather intelligent, but he's quite the show-off (although not blindly so). I think I made Pryce a bit too unlikeable, so I tried to make Will less of an ass but still not that pleasant. I hope that comes through, and you'll see more of him very soon!
  
  And yes, I recognize that the comparison between this Will and Hard Enough's Will is inevitable. Unfortunately, I had already planned and written this before that whole fight went down. Still, I will do my best to try to make my Will distinct enough from Hard Enough's. I can only apologize for the similarities.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-19
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-19 - Déjà vu
  
  I was dressed to the nines the following evening, wearing a proper suit and tie as was expected for any grand ceremony like this. I had spent the entire day training with my Pokémon, so I made sure to take a thorough shower before I attended Will's swearing-in ceremony.
  
  Admittedly, I was fairly nervous about the ceremony. Not because of Will, though, but because my mind was filled with thoughts about my conversation with Karen. How would she react? Did she think I was pushing things too fast again? Was I about to make the same mistake?
  
  My thoughts were clearly visible on my face because my mom looked me over with a questioning frown.
  
  "What's wrong John? I didn't think you would be nervous about this." She asked me. "Surely you aren't intimidated by that Will person. I bet you're much stronger than him!"
  
  I smiled wryly at my mom's praise, "Thanks, mom. But no, I'm not worried about that." I replied, before deciding to come clean with what was bothering me.
  
  "I've just been thinking about my relationship with Karen." I admitted, and my mom remained silent, listening intently, "We've been hanging out a lot, training and spending time together, but we've never actually clarified what we are. We danced around the topic a lot, but now I really want to know what we are to each other."
  
  My mom just chuckled at that and gave me a soft smile, "Oh, John, that's a very normal to be worried about. In fact, I can bet you that there isn't a person in the world who hasn't agonized over such a thing."
  
  She brushed my hair with her fingers, "There's no need to stress over such a thing, John. From what I've seen with how you interact with Karen, there's no way she would misunderstand your intentions at this point. But it's always good to openly communicate with each other."
  
  I coughed to conceal a blush, "...Thanks, mom." Then I quickly checked the time, "Oh, I think it's almost time to pick up Karen, so I'm going to head out now."
  
  My mom gave me a knowing grin and patted me twice on the shoulder before she set me free. I quickly made my way out of the house and released Klaus to Teleport me to Lavender Town, where I would pick up Karen.
  
  Normally, I would fly straight to the ceremony, but I think Karen would neuter me if I suggested that. Thus, I slowly Teleported my way to Lavender Town, having to wait in-between jumps to allow Klaus to regain his energy.
  
  After a while, I eventually found myself outside a non-descript house near the edges of Lavender Town. I took a breath and knocked on the door.
  
  "About time you got here." I heard a very familiar voice come through the door as it opened, revealing Agatha in her usual violet dress. Behind her stood Karen, wrapped in a black dress that I had felt was at odds with her usual casual appearance, yet suited her magnificently all the same. It was as if it was almost painted to her frame, and I-
  
  I forcefully held those thoughts back; my breath caught in my throat, stunned as I was by her appearance. But a cough from Agatha tore my gaze away from Karen.
  
  "You can ogle my apprentice all you want later." She said with a mocking grin, "But don't get too distracted with her. Make sure you at least take Will's measure before you go fooling about."
  
  Karen sighed and whacked Agatha over the head softly with her hand, causing Agatha to chuckle, "Oh please, you can torment poor old John later. I would have appreciated the compliments."
  
  Agatha interrupted me before I could speak up and waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, yes, rely on your looks while you still have them. All youth dries up eventually." She said bitingly. Karen just rolled her eyes and grabbed onto my arm.
  
  "Come, John, let's leave this old lady to her grumblings. We have a ceremony to arrive at." Then she pushed me along with her as we left the house.
  
  "...you look great, by the way." I whispered to her as Klaus got ready to Teleport us. She responded just by leaning in closer on my arm.
  
  The two of us were quickly Teleported to the Indigo Plateau, where the ceremony was being hosted. Shortly after our arrival, a large shadow appeared on the ground as Agatha seemingly spawned in next to us.
  
  "Should we make an entrance?" Karen whispered with a teasing grin, her eyes gleaming with mischief. And I felt myself smile as I escorted her into the building, Agatha trailing slightly behind us.
  
  As soon as we entered the hall, heads were turned our way as cameras flashed wildly as reporters frantically tried to take our picture.
  
  My friendship and connection with Karen were an open secret at this point, but now walking in like this, arm in arm with Karen with Agatha following behind us; it was a statement. We were telling the world that Karen and I were allied, and that Agatha supported this relationship.
  
  It showed the world that, within the Elite Four, Agatha and I were political allies. And through my connection with Lance, it meant that 3 out of 4 of the Elite Four were currently, at least on paper, in lockstep with each other. Not only was this a strong show of support for the current administration, but it also elevated my own status as the bridge to facilitate such cooperation.
  
  Obviously, the three of us had discussed this before we arrived today. Agatha wanted to ensure that the world understood that her apprentice was developing her own political connections and making it very clear that she saw Karen as her legacy. As for me, in lieu of the inevitable turmoil within the Elite Four, I wanted to remind the world that I was a vital part of the Elite Four and that my position, at least politically, was unassailable.
  
  After we made sure that the reporters had their fill of photographs, I escorted Karen to her seat in the ceremony, then Agatha and I made our way backstage to the private room reserved for the Elite Four.
  
  As soon as we got there, I was greeted, just like last time, by President Charles Goodshow.
  
  "John! It's good to see you again! We didn't really get a chance to speak during the Committee meeting, but I was very impressed by your ability to handle yourself there." He praised sycophantically, and he was about to continue before Agatha interrupted him.
  
  "Save your flattery for Will, Charles." She remarked cuttingly, "I'm sure that John's long seen through your simpering attempts to flatter him."
  
  "Haha, I was just offering my greetings, Elite Agatha, no harm done." He lied shamelessly, but quickly removed himself from our presence. Thank Arceus for that, my blood boiled at the reminder of his condescending attitude towards me the first time I was here.
  
  Nevertheless, I shook away those unpleasant thoughts as I entered the room with Agatha, where a very familiar vision greeted me. The room was as ostentatious as ever, filled to the brim with unnecessary luxuries that I still felt was gaudy and excessive.
  
  The only difference this time was that the atmosphere of the room was far less frigid than when Pryce occupied it. Very fittingly so.
  
  Lance and Walker stood up as they saw the two of us enter, "John, Agatha, glad the both of you could be here." Lance greeted us warmly. "John, may I speak to you for a bit?"
  
  I nodded and followed him into the corner of the room, "Just wanted to let you know that things are on schedule. The Committee will be hosted in a few days' time, and we'll be voting on your proposal to reduce the number of badges required for trainers to travel and capture Pokémon from Indigo from 4 to 2." He told me.
  
  "Ah, thanks for letting me know." I replied, pleased to hear it. "Do you think it's likely to be passed?"
  
  Lance smiled, "Oh, I'm sure it'll pass, at least the section from within Indigo. Still unsure if we're able to lower the restrictions to Hoenn. I brought it up in private conversation with many committee members. With Pryce's cronies either on the way out, or already switching sides, there's much less pushback against pro-unity policies. Besides, in their eyes, these proposals of yours are real vote winners, and they'd be foolish not to support them. I hope they will maintain this attitude for when I propose to set up an International Police force."
  
  I nodded in understanding. Right now, with the public still focused and engaged with Pryce's mistakes, any kind of effort to correct them are going to be widely popular. Thus, I was pleased to see that the committee understood where the wind was blowing and how to vote accordingly. I hoped that I could make use of this public consensus to push through as many pro-unity policies as I could.
  
  I then voice out a question that I had to Lance, "Have you heard anything about Sinnoh? Does it look like they're going to be opening their borders anytime soon?"
  
  Lance shook his head, "Unfortunately not. It seems like Pryce really did rush out the announcement." He grumbled, "However, they did mention that they will be sending over more Pokémon and scientists soon enough so that they could learn more about our Pokémon and society and vice versa."
  
  I nodded my head. Disappointing, but not unexpected. I was personally hoping for Sinnoh to be opened up as soon as possible so that I could get to explore it and its new Pokémon. More specifically, I was really hoping to see if I could find any ruins or Pokémon that survived from the Hisuian Era.
  
  Before our conversation could continue any further, the door to the room opened up.
  
  A mask-wearing man dressed in all purple entered the room. His entire outfit screamed ostentatious and gaudy, matching the overly luxurious décor of the room. It was like he was using his outfit as an exhibition of his wealth, flaunting it openly.
  
  "Greetings everyone! Thank you so much for appointing me into the Elite Four! I assure you all that you will not regret your decision!" He announced pompously as he spread his arms out wide, taking off his mask with a quick flourish, as if expecting to be received with applause.
  
  Instead, he was greeted by a very unamused silence from the four of us.
  
  I watched as his eyes flickered between us, the realisation of the awkwardness slowly building in his eyes. The silence was almost painful. Fortunately for Will, he was saved by Walker as he coughed and finally broke the silence.
  
  "It's nice to meet you, Will. Welcome to the Elite Four." Walker greeted him, standing up and shaking his hand.
  
  That immediately brought back the flamboyant smile on Will's face, "Ah, it's a pleasure to meet such an esteemed member of the Elite Four! I am greatly pleased to join your fine institution! In fact, I hope you could give me the opportunity to show off my new acquisitions! I'm sure you will find them interesting!"
  
  Walker's smile turned strange as he visibly hesitated on how to respond, but he was 'saved' by Agatha bursting out in laughter.
  
  All heads turned to her as she continued laughing, eventually devolving into hacking coughs as she ran out of breath. After a moment, she got control of herself and wiped a tear from her eye.
  
  "...Arceus, I thought we had just gotten rid of the guy with the stick up his ass, but it seems we just replaced him with a younger version!" She cackled amusingly, but her eyes were intensely focused on Will.
  
  Will looked visibly taken aback by the insult, and he spluttered incomprehensibly with an offended expression on his face. Will clearly had a retort at the tip of his mouth but forced himself to stay quiet, possibly out of respect for Agatha. Fortunately, Walker took mercy on him.
  
  "Will, let me give you some advice." Will turned his head to Walker, "You're in the big leagues now. You might have been important before, but that doesn't matter anymore. Not to us. You have may have hundreds or thousands of overly excited and swooning fans outside of the Elite Four, but so do we. You may have had plenty of powerful connections to important individuals, but so do we. You may be wealthy, but so are we. There's very little that would impress us, outside of raw strength, so your attempts to flaunt yourself only looks juvenile to us. You were a Big Magikarp in a small pond, but now you've entered the ocean where the Gyarados swims." Walker advised seriously.
  
  I found myself nodding unconsciously to Walker's words, fully agreeing with him. Once you were in the Elite Four, the connections and influence you were able to forge far exceeded anything that you could possibly do before, and that just brought you onto a whole different level compared to ordinary trainers.
  
  Even for a relative nobody like me, within just a few months and some good decisions, I was able to transform myself to becoming a political powerhouse in Indigo. As Walker said, someone of Will's status, while impressive on paper, was nothing compared to the rest of us.
  
  Will stared silently at Walker as he slowly digested his words, and I looked around and saw that Lance and Agatha were both staring intently at Will. The three of us just continued to observe Will, waiting to see how he would react.
  
  Would he be humbled by Walker's words? Or would he lash out with indignation as he refused to accept the new reality he was thrust into?
  
  The seconds ticked by as Will visibly swallowed his anger and silently nodded his head, eliciting a smile and a nod from Walker. Before Walker could say anything else though, Lance spoke up for the first time since Will's arrival.
  
  "Will, please sit." He said commandingly, gesturing to a seat in front of him. Will obediently obeyed and sat across from Lance, looking around anxiously as all eyes were focused on him. He may have been older than me, but currently everyone seemed to treat him like a young kid.
  
  I could instantly tell that Lance was sizing Will up, taking a measure of him and his strength. Will met his stares for a moment before eventually looking away; Lance never broke his stare.
  
  Nevertheless, Lance continued, "As you may have heard in the news, I have been trying to improve the transparency of the League's actions for the public, and I've also been trying to allow the Elite Four to get more involved with the decision-making process. Thus, at the next Committee meeting, I will be expecting your attendance and for you to give your opinion, if any, during those meetings. I do hope you are ready for this."
  
  Will looked surprised for a moment, but firmly nodded his head with a smile. "Yes, Champion. Handling politics is something I am very much experienced in, and I will endeavour to prove myself to you." He said formally, but he couldn't stop a hint of satisfaction from leaking from his voice.
  
  Lance just nodded, "Good. Now, I hope you have been training up your team properly. I would not let you disgrace your honourable position by being too weak to hold your title."
  
  This time, Will's smile widened with a hint of arrogance, "I assure you, Champion Lance, that any who would challenge me on the field of battle would find themselves very much humbled by my Pokémon. You will find no greater trainer than I...except for the few in this room, of course." He added the last part quickly as soon as he realized the dirty looks that he was getting from the room from his boasting.
  
  Lance was the only one to not react, however, and instead he simply shot him a nod before thanking him for coming. He gave Will a quick reminder to get ready to answer some questions for when he was sworn in, then left to fetch some food.
  
  In the meanwhile, I felt like I had a good idea of Will's personality based on how he interacted with the members of the Elite Four. He definitely felt like someone who was used to being praised and relished being in the spotlight, likely due to his capabilities as a trainer. He's certainly not unintelligent, as proven through his business connections, but I felt that he liked showing off his abilities as much as he could.
  
  In a way, he was similar to Lance. Lance was prideful, but he didn't feel the need to show off his strength because he was so secure in his power and exuded such confidence that such displays of strength and influence was unnecessary to him. In contrast, Will was 'new money', and likely wanted everyone to remember his importance and status. But he wasn't too big of an ass with it.
  
  Still, that kind of flaunting rubbed me the wrong way, but I was going to mostly reserve my judgment until I got to know him better. For better or worse, I was stuck with Will as a colleague for at least a month, so I better learn to deal with him.
  
  The sounds of footsteps caused me to look up, and I saw that Will was approaching me before the door to the room suddenly opened as Charles Goodshow entered the room and announced that it was time for the swearing-in ceremony.
  
  I gave a quick acknowledging nod to Will before we all slowly made our way to the stage, where we stood at our places. Unlike last time, this time I was the second member from the left of the Elite Four, standing on the right of Agatha. Again, though the positioning of the Elite Four wasn't a display of strength, it was commonly acknowledged as such.
  
  And, idly, I wondered if I could beat Agatha in a straight up fight. Her battling style was far trickier than my usual opponents, but I pondered if my team's versatility could overcome her tricks.
  
  I shook away those thoughts as Charles began his introduction.
  
  "Thank you! Thank you! Today, I have the honour of introducing our latest Elite Four member! Please welcome, Elite Will!" The cameras began flashing as Will slowly made his way to the front, basking heavily in the attention. He looked every bit the showman that he was dressed up as, acting like he was born to be in the spotlight.
  
  Then, he pompously began as he thanked everyone for his newfound position while remarking about how he hopes to serve the region for many years to come. Pretty generic stuff, but he had a natural charisma to him that made his words seem more intelligent and deeper than they actually were. Of course, like before, questions were immediately raised to him questioning him about this and that.
  
  Mostly, the questions revolved around what Will's political aspirations were. To my surprise, he answered that he hoped to increase the number of businesses that can be established in Indigo and hoped to attract more foreign investment by reducing business taxes. Otherwise, he didn't seem to have an opinion one way outside of financial policy.
  
  ...That was interesting to know. Considering his background and connections with several prominent businessmen, his political leanings shouldn't have beens all that surprising. But, more importantly to me, they weren't incompatible with what I wanted. So long as he didn't interfere with my own plans for increased unity and economic parity within Indigo, I would leave him to his own agenda.
  
  Regardless, that was for the future, and Will had finally gotten through all of the questions and was now being sworn in as he stood opposite of Lance.
  
  Lance recited, "Do you solemnly swear on Arceus that you will serve the interest of Indigo as the newest member of the Elite Four?"
  
  "I do." Will responded with a pleased grin.
  
  "Then with my position as Champion, I grant you the honour of joining the Elite Four." The surrounding cameras went into a frenzy to capture the moment, and loud cheers erupted from the audience.
  
  Then, the ceremony was finally over, and the afterparty began. I quickly found my way back to where Karen was seated.
  
  "You're finally back." She said as I sat opposite her, "How was the newest Elite Four member? I saw him preening like a Ninetales out there."
  
  "Well, he's pretty much exactly as you saw." I replied as I sat down, "Pretty full of himself, and loves the spotlight. But not so much so that he's blinded by it." Unlike Pryce, I didn't need to say.
  
  "You know anything about his team?" Karen asked, likely the topic she was most concerned about since Will was planned to be her designated target for when she challenged the Elite Four.
  
  I shook my head, "No, nothing. Though he seemed eager to show off his team when he made his entrance." I chuckled at the memory of his boasting, "He seemed strong and competent enough from the research that I've done, but nothing overwhelmingly so for a member of the Elite Four. Above Walker, obviously, but below myself and Agatha."
  
  "Hmm." Karen muttered, eyes shining with determination. Along with the black dress that she was wearing, I couldn't help but find her supremely attractive. Before I found myself lost in those eyes of her, I pulled myself together and finally voiced the question that I had been waiting to ask for the entire day.
  
  "Say, Karen, what are we?" I suddenly asked, causing her to look at me questioningly. I clarified myself, "We've been hanging around each other for quite some time now. I want to say that we're each other closest friend, and while I know that you previously said that you wanted to stay as friends, do you still think so now?"
  
  She stared at me silently for a few moments, before her lips turned upwards into a small smile, "I was wondering if you would ever ask, John." She replied kindly, "What made you ask me such a thing right now?"
  
  I scratched my head in embarrassment, "Your master was teasing me as usual, but she's been especially obvious about it the past few times I've spoken to her. I know she was just teasing me like she usually does, but she's been hinting at it so much that even I'm caught up in her tempo." I admitted, "I know she's betting a lot of her political ambitions on us sharing our influence with each other, and I know that the public think we're close. I just...wanted to get a feel of how you thought about us."
  
  Karen rolled her eyes and cut me off, "Bah. That old crone always wants to meddle with other people's lives. I'm pretty sure it's just what old people do. Don't take her words seriously."
  
  I nodded, "Well, yeah, but I also wanted to clarify what we are. I don't want to accidentally overstep any boundaries of yours like I did before." I admitted.
  
  She shot me a soft smile, and she took one of my hands in hers. "I'm glad you can still worry about these sorts of things. It would be a sad thing to let your newfound status go to your head. You've already seen what happens when that occurs." She reminded me with a sharp look.
  
  But then her expression quickly returned to one of gentle fondness, "As to answer your question. We're friends." I had to clamp down on the bitterness that rose up to her words, but clearly, I did a bad job as she immediately let out a hollow chuckle, "I'm sorry if that isn't the response that you wanted, John. It's nothing to do with you, but I refuse to enter into a relationship with you until I'm sure that I've secured a future for myself."
  
  She said that firmly, as if she was making a statement that she would never be dissuaded from. I gave her a questioning look.
  
  "May I ask why? You're already an excellent trainer." I asked gently, causing her to return a brittle smile.
  
  "You know how I'm an orphan right?" She replied after a slight pause, and I nodded. "Before Agatha took me in, I've seen plenty of times how parents have abandoned their children to an orphanage because they are unwilling or unable to take care of them. And when I spoke to those children, they all had similar stories."
  
  "In so many of those cases, the parents got into a relationship before they were able to take care of themselves and before they were able to ensure a safe and secure future for their future child." She continued, her eyes lost in thought, "Often, these were parents that got together in the throes of passion during their journey. Getting together too quickly before reality sets in and they realize just how big of a mistake they have just made."
  
  "...And in all those cases, they almost always abandon their child to an orphanage as they are unwilling to accept responsibility for their mistakes. And I refuse to follow in their footsteps." She stated as if she was uttering a vow, "I promised myself that, until I was sure that my future was secured, I would not enter into a relationship till then. I could not condemn any future children to what I went through."
  
  She turned back to me, staring me down with eyes filled with sorrow, "...That's why, John, I cannot be what you want me to be. I know that deep in my heart, that I'm delaying things for no good reason other than pure paranoia, but I..."
  
  I cut her off as I put my other hand on top of hers, "It's okay, you don't have to explain yourself any further. I understand where you're coming from." I told her softly.
  
  I leaned forwards, "As I'm sure you know, before I went on my journey, my family was dirt poor. We had almost nothing to our name, and I even started out on my journey late because we couldn't afford a Pokéball or the lost labour. Whitney and I never went to school, so everything we learnt was self-taught. During my journey, I was so single-mindedly focused on pulling my family out of the pit of poverty that I isolated myself in my drive for success. I made little friends, choosing instead to push myself further and further for my family."
  
  "And, during those moments of hardship, I made a vow to myself that I would never allow my family to fall back into those times of poverty. This singular vow has driven all of my actions since then and has been the source of my determination for my success. So, while our experiences were different, I can understand your troubled history." I explained, opening my heart to her.
  
  "I guess we both have had troubled pasts." She said sullenly, and the two of us fell silent. Instead, I was content with locking my eyes with hers, silently conveying my sincerity and feelings towards her. I politely ignored how Karen's eyes had turned momentarily wet for a brief moment, nor how she wasn't acting like her usually confident self.
  
  The silence extended for some time before my mouth broke into a small grin, "You know, if you want me to wait for you, I'll do it. It's not like I have anyone better to go for at the moment." I said jokingly, trying to bring up the mood.
  
  It seemed to have worked, as she let out a small chuckle, "Thank you, John." She replied, her voice slightly tinged with humour, "And, call me selfish, but I certainly don't hope you find anyone else. The old crone might keel over if you did." We both broke into quiet laughter at that.
  
  Then, I simply shot her a small smile, staring into her eyes all the while, with neither of us needing to say anything more.
  
  The two of us avoided any more serious talk for the rest of the night, but it was clear that the two of us conveyed everything that we wanted to. No one approached the two of us for the entire night, leaving us into our own little world as we continued to make small talk until the party was over. The actual purpose of the ceremony long forgotten.
  
  As we left, the two of us shared a 'friendly' kiss as we parted ways. The first one ever since that mistaken kiss all that time ago. It was brief yet filled with many unspoken emotions. We both understood that, come tomorrow, our relationship was going to return to one of friends.
  
  But at least now, the two of us knew that 'staying friends' was just a temporary state of affairs. I knew that, in both of our eyes, we longed for the day that we could comfortably be together as more than just that.
  
  A.N. So...I realized that this chapter, which reflects on John's adventure coming full circle, is coincidentally also marking the half a year mark since I started publishing this story. I never truly thought that I would come this far, and so I'd just like to thank all of you for sticking with my story thus far. Thank you. Really. Your support is my motivation.
  
  And this was my first chapter with a heavy focus on romance since my mistake back in Arc 2. I hope that this time around, I've written things much better and that the relationship between Karen and John is more believable. I'm very much a novice at writing romance, so I hope this scene came out well, because I do want to get better at writing this stuff. If not, then I apologize for the amateur attempt.
  
  Like in his Interlude, I've tried to show how the Elite Four would react to a showboater like Will. I didn't want to make him completely dislikeable and wanted to show off some of his more positive qualities (namely, that he isn't dumb) despite his showboating.
  
  This is the penultimate chapter of the Champion Arc. Thanks for reading thus far! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 4-20 - Pokenet Reaction
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 4-20 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [OLIVINE PORT REPAIRS UNDERWAY! CHARITY DONATIONS FUNNELLING IN AS INDIGO RECOVERS FROM THE TYRANNY OF TEAM ROCKET!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of construction workers and their Pokémon repairing the Olivine ports]
  
  The wonderful people of Indigo have proven to the world once again that they refuse to bow down to terrorism as many have flocked to Olivine on a volunteer basis to help with the repairs from the attack by Team Rocket.
  
  Not only that but coupled with the money coming in from the charity event hosted by the illustrious Gym Leader Giovanni, the mayor of Olivine claims that the port should be fully repaired and back to full operations within the next month!
  
  Of course, the charity money was not solely going towards the repairs of the port. Indeed, any unfortunate victims of the attack have also been dutifully compensated for their suffering, and those who heroically stood up to defend the port during the attack were also rewarded by Gym Leader Giovanni.
  
  We interviewed a few brave individuals who had fought back against Team Rocket during the attack:
  
  "I'm really thankful for the charity shown by Gym Leader Giovanni. I mean, my injuries weren't that severe, so I would have been fine anyways, but just the act of showing that you care does mean a lot. I didn't do much during the fight, but I'm proud to have my efforts recognized by the pillars of Indigo. It means a lot to someone like me."
  
  "My Ampharos and I really didn't do that much...but Elite John did come to thank me in person after the fight, which made me really happy. And embarrassed...but I'm really happy about the compensation. I didn't do it to be compensated...but I guess the money does show that some people within Indigo do care about the people...which is nice."
  
  Overall, it seems that many are appreciative of the Gym Leader's charitable effort. When we approached Gym Leader Giovanni and questioned him about what he thought about the response, he had this to say.
  
  "I was just doing my duty as a Gym Leader to offer help and reward people when it is required of me. I am thankful to those who have praised my efforts, and I hope that they are able to hold on to their brave spirit and work hard for the good of Kanto...and Johto."
  
  In honour of his efforts, the mayor of Olivine City is suggesting that they would rename one of the docks after Giovanni, to widespread approval. We here at The Indigo Post are proud of our leaders' efforts to take care of the public and hope to see more stories like this in the future!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Definitely a nice bit of news to read in the morning, and glad to see that the charity event hosted by Giovanni is actually accomplishing something for once. Kanto taking the charge to repair a Johto port is definitely a good thing to highlight our unity. Hope to see the same from Johto!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  KantoRepresent Agreed! Come on Johtonians, step it up! Also, very pleased to see our heroes get appropriately rewarded! Nice to see that some in the Indigo League still care!
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Glad to see that something's being done. A shame that this had to come from charities and donations rather than our taxes. Wish the League did more!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Very fortunate that the ports of Olivine are going to be repaired so quickly, and that Giovanni is honouring his promises. They're definitely one of the more important areas of Johto, and the damage would be far more significant if repairs weren't done as swiftly as possible. Happy to see that the problem is getting addressed quickly!
  
  Also, hope this is a good sign that the new League administration is willing to get things done.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I am remarkably surprised, and jealous, about how efficient your leaders have reacted to the attack at Olivine. Honestly, even with a competent Champion like Wallace in charge, Hoenn's bureaucracy is no better than yours. Such a project might take an additional month, and there certainly wouldn't be as much compensation to the injured and heroes.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Speaking of which, anyone heard anything about Team Rocket on the news recently? Feels like they've just disappeared when they came to Hoenn. There was the big arrest, and then a whole lot of nothing. Maybe they're all gone?
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Maybe they're all just lying low for the moment and recuperating their strength? Maybe they're just hiding because there was too much heat on them and they're waiting for it to die down? Maybe they're unfamiliar with Hoenn and need time to acclimatize themselves?
  
  Maybe.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  RockGetGrunt Huh. Good point. It definitely makes sense for them to be lying low for the moment. I hope the Hoenn League won't be caught unprepared if they ever resurface. We don't need a Hoenn version of the Olivine attacks.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  I'm sure any future Rocket attacks won't be like Olivine.
  
  [A NEW EVOLUTION OF PORYGON HAS BEEN DISCOVERED! PLEASE WELCOME THE NEW PORYGON2 INTO THE WORLD!] by The Hoenn Times
  
  [Picture of Gym Leader Giovanni and Steven Stone shaking hands with scientists holding up a Porygon2]
  
  The scientific world celebrates once again as a new Pokémon evolution has been discovered! This comes right off the back of Elite John's PIT technique, which really goes to show how the world is currently undergoing a scientific boom in recent times!
  
  As for the details of this new 'Porygon2', it evolves from a Porygon after a Porygon is given a very specific evolution item, named an 'Up-Grade'. An 'Up-Grade' is an entirely artificial item, created by scientists, and is effectively just a box of specifically crafted data that causes the evolution.
  
  Steven Stone, standing in as representative of Devon Corp, had this to say about their successful cooperation.
  
  "While my father is sadly unable to be here to celebrate this momentous occasion, he has repeatedly praised the joint-research team stationed in Petalburg City. My father has always had an interest in science, and he is extremely pleased by the efforts shown here. He hopes for more successes in the future and is highly encouraging of future cooperation."
  
  Unfortunately for our more battle-oriented readers, there have not been many tests done regarding the combat strength of this new evolution. However, there is a silver lining! The scientists at the joint-research facility have mentioned that Elite John, as thanks for helping with the experiment, has received and evolved a Porygon2 of his own and is training it up!
  
  Hopefully, we will get to see more of Porygon2's battle abilities in the future!
  
  Comments
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  See? This is the result of when actual scientists PROPERLY cooperate with each other to work on a project together. Hope to see a way of increasing the manufacturing of these Porygon's. Would love to see more in the future.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  LET'S GOO! Another opportunity for John to show off his battling prowess with a whole new Pokémon! Can't wait to see it in action in a big battle!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  ResearchMagnet You seem the science-y type, what kind of thing do you think can be created now that we have a Pokémon made out of data?
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  TangelaThoughts Please, any good scientist should be able to come up with many potential theories about Porygon's potential uses. To focus mainly on Porygon's battling ability is pure barbarity.
  
  As a Pokémon made of data, its use obviously lies its potential in improving our computer systems and cybersecurity. Imagine the new heights we could use if our computers were supported by Porygon?
  
  FutureAce
  
  Yeah yeah, tons of scientific and research potential blah blah blah. I just want to see a cool new Pokémon kick some ass! Anyone think it's got another evolution in it?
  
  FightClub
  
  Can't believe we're spending so much money on researching evolutions for dumb Normal types like this one. These 'scientists' have too much brain, and not enough sense.
  
  [NEW DISCOVERIES VIA THE PIT TECHNIQUE! D-RATTATA DISCOVERED! THEORIES ABOUND!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Compilation of pictures of the new D-Rattata]
  
  Following up from the recently discovered Porygon2 evolution, the scientific community continues to astound us once again as a successful application of the PIT technique has resulted in a newly discovered alternate form of Rattata!
  
  Now dubbed the D-Rattata, following from Elite John's naming scheme for his D-Zigzagoon, this new Dark/Normal Rattata was recently hatched by the good scientists at the Cinnabar Lab. The former Elite Four member, and now Gym Leader of Cinnabar, Blaine gave his congratulations to his team for the discovery and promises that more successes will follow.
  
  According to the scientists that were interviewed, the discovery of D-Rattata gives credence to the idea that Pokémon that are able to learn multiple moves of a certain type may have an alternate form related to that type. In the case of Elite John's D-Zigzagoon and the new D-Rattata, both Zigzagoon and Rattata are known to have extensive Dark type attacks within their possible move pool. Thus, it is perhaps this factor that may hint at a Pokémon having an alternate type!
  
  Of course, many have speculated that with the discovery of a D-Rattata, that a D-Raticate should also follow. And indeed, the scientists have confirmed that they will be looking to evolve their newest addition as soon as possible to determine whether an evolved form exists. Readers should keep an eye on the news to find out if such a theory bears fruit!
  
  If you would like to find out more about the process of creating a D-Rattata, you may find the extensive notes here. A fair warning that none of this should be attempted without being in a League-approved facility!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Wow, yet another new Pokémon discovery?! That's the second one in a short while! And with the very likely discovery of D-Raticate in the future, then that's a total of 3! These big brain scientists are on a roll these days!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  FutureAce Unsurprising. Ever since Elite John's lucky break, the scientific community have naturally turned their attention to PROPERLY explore the new avenues of potential from John's lucky discovery. Especially with all the research grants being approved, expect to see more like this in the future.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Yeah, we're really undergoing a big science-y boom nowadays. Very happy to see it! Though I doubt that even a Dark/Normal Raticate will see any popular use in high-level battles; Raticates just aren't that strong to begin with!
  
  DarkManager
  
  Hope we get to see more Dark type alternate forms in the future! We're really lacking in high-level Dark type Pokémon at the moment, so any extra options are always going to be appreciated!
  
  [THIS YEAR'S INDIGO CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALIST, AND NEW GYM LEADER OF MAHOGANY, LORELEI CHALLENGES WALKER FOR THE POSITION OF ELITE FOUR!] by BattleCast
  
  Lorelei, most famously known as being the niece of ex-Champion Pryce and her position as the Gym Leader of Mahogany, has just declared her challenge to Walker for his position in the Elite Four!
  
  While there are many within the political circles who are very busy discussing the implications of this challenge and the rationale behind such a decision, especially with her blanket refusal for any and all interviews, we here at BattleCast are more concerned about the upcoming battle itself! We'll leave the politics to the boring people.
  
  Lorelei, famous for her semi-finalist run in this year's Indigo Conference, is an Ice specialist like her uncle. Looking at her last few battles in the Conference, her team consisted of a Cloyster, Jynx, Dewgong, Slowbro, Glalie and her starter and ace, Lapras. A powerful Ice team that harkens back to her uncle's own team.
  
  In the meanwhile, looking and compiling from all of Walker's battles, we know his team to consist of a Pidgeot, Crobat, Noctowl, Pelipper, Tropius, Gligar, Fearow, and his ace and starter, Skarmory. That's plenty of Pokémon for Walker to pick and choose from, and we're excited to see what Walker will come up with to defend his title.
  
  As many are likely going to be aware by now, Lorelei does have a significant type advantage against Walker with her Ice types against his Flying types. However, we here at BattleCast believe that Walker's experience as a long-time Elite Four member should be able to easily overcome this handicap...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  LET'S GOOO LORELEI WE LOVE YOU! YOU'LL CRUSH THAT FLYING NOOB WALKER AND GET INTO THE ELITE FOUR AND FINALLY GET THE POSITION YOU DESERVE! YOU DESERVE TO BE CHAMPION MY QUEENNNN! #Lorelei4Elite4
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...wow, that is a very ambitious move by Lorelei. I'm hesitant to call it exploiting a loophole, but Lorelei used her (very likely) nepotistic appointmentas Gym Leader of Mahogany to directly challenge the Elite Four despite not winning out in the Indigo Conference.
  
  ...That's a hard pill to swallow for many that didn't manage to win the conference and weren't given this opportunity. I'm not sure I like this.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  FlyingHigh Yeah, I completely agree. I'm pretty pissed at this move to be honest. Many trainers struggle to win the Indigo Conference just for the one opportunity to challenge the Elite Four, and Lorelei just abuses her silver-spoon position to challenge Walker?
  
  Pathetic. I don't even care about the type matchup or if she's likely going to win. I hope she loses.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  [This user has been banned from this thread. Please do not insult others on this forum just because their viewpoints differ from yours.]
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Yeah...I can see why some people are mad. Even if this took place in Hoenn people would be mad too. But I really just care about the battle! Who do you think's gonna win? My vote is on Walker. I know he has a poor reputation for battling within the Elite Four, but he's still been an experienced trainer for far longer than Lorelei. I'm voting for him.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Definitely supporting Lorelei on this. Walker's a weakling! And now with Pryce gone, we should finally be able to get rid of him for someone more suitable. I think Lorelei's gonna be the one to replace Walker at last.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I very much agree with the sentiments stated in this thread. But I'm more curious about how the other Gym Leaders are going to be looking at this. You have a new Gym Leader, who may have been undeservingly awarded the position, looking to immediately strike for the Elite Four.
  
  I wonder if they're insulted by this.
  
  [AD: NEW SMITH FAMILY POSTERS RELEASED! GIOVANNI AND HIS TEAM NOW AVAILABLE TO BE REDEEMED!]
  
  Following our highly popular posters displaying Elite John and his team, we at the Smith family are now cooperating with Gym Leader Giovanni to produce posters for him and his team!
  
  Get them now while stocks last!
  
  [NEW ELITE FOUR MEMBER APPOINTED BY COMMITTEE TO REPLACE LANCE! PLEASE WELCOME ELITE WILL INTO THE RANKS OF THE ELITE FOUR!] By The Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of Will]
  
  The Committee just announced after their most recent meeting that they have voted to appoint Will, who was the winner of the previous year's Indigo Conference, as the newest Elite Four member of Indigo.
  
  Not only that, but under Champion Lance's initiative to increase the transparency of the Indigo League's actions, he has graciously published the transcript of the speeches made by himself, and the other Elite Four members, and who they chose to support.
  
  Reading through the inputs and opinions of the pillars of Indigo is very interesting, and we here at the Indigo Post highly recommend any politically inclined reader to read through the transcript, if you haven't already. You may find the entire transcript here.
  
  Looking at the transcript, we can see that the other individual that was considered to be selected was this year's Indigo Conference finalist and runner up, Shin! Unfortunately, the Steel-type specialist was not selected by the Committee, though his appointment was supported by Elite Walker, but we hope to see more of him in the future! Good luck Shin, and this writer wishes you all the best!
  
  Moving on from the political side of things, Will, as expected of an Indigo Conference winner, is an experienced Pokémon trainer with a diverse and powerful team of strong Psychic types. Although we were unable to find an up-to-date version of his team, the team that Will used during his final match in the Indigo Conference consisted of a Exeggutor, Slowbro, Jynx, Hypno, Mr. Mime, and his starter and ace, Xatu.
  
  [Graphic of Will's team and previous analysis done on his team]
  
  You can find more information about his team here.
  
  Will's swearing-in ceremony will be hosted shortly, so we at the Indigo Post hope to see you there to celebrate the appointment of our newest Elite Four member! We have high hopes for him, especially with the success of Elite John, and hope that Will is going to be another success story!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Can't say I'm pleased to see another Johto Elite Four member be appointed, but at least this was within my expectations since they're obviously looking for another Johtonian to replace take up Lance's old spot.
  
  Well, since both Elite John and Elite Agatha have vouched for him, I guess I'll see if he lives up to expectations.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  ...yeah, while I'm happy to see a Johtonian like Will be appointed, I was kinda hoping to see Shin get appointed instead. I really liked his performance in the Indigo Conference and was rooting for him to win.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  With Elite John's support of Will, I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him! He can't be that bad of a guy since John endorsed him, after all!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  ANormalFan I'm pretty sure the Elite Four and the Champion's endorsement of a certain candidate has very little to do with if they actually like them or not. There's probably a lot of political discussions that we aren't privy to that contribute to the decision.
  
  While I'm not saying that Will is a bad choice, I'm just saying that these endorsements aren't actually a statement about their character.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  TangelaThoughts Yep, though I will say that I believe Will to be at least strong enough to be in the Elite Four. I personally don't see Champion Lance ever giving his support for someone who doesn't deserve it. It's an open secret that he disdains Walker being in the Elite Four for the latter's weakness.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I wonder if Will is gonna get challenged after his one-month grace period is over? His Psychic team doesn't look THAT strong...
  
  FearTheRat
  
  FutureAce I disagree. I think we've just been spoiled with the strength of some of the recent Elite Four members. The current roster (excluding Walker) of Lance, John, and Agatha are much stronger than the average. I think Will is definitely strong enough to meet the average standard of an Elite Four.
  
  FightClub
  
  Will is an absolute coward for using the type that is strong against the strongest type. Him and Walker both are undeserving to be in the Elite Four for relying on such a crutch. BOOOOO!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  FightClub Then what about Agatha?
  
  FightClub
  
  Her too, of course. To use a type that is immune to the strongest type is more of a crutch than her walking cane. In the meanwhile, John lucked out and made it into the Elite Four with such a weak type. No idea why he's still there!
  
  EDIT: In fact, I'm disappointed at our current Elite Four and their chosen typings! Can't wait for an ACTUAL Fighting type specialist to show them how things are done.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...man, you really need to touch some grass.
  
  FightClub
  
  Why would I need to touch grass? My fists can punch straight through those weaklings.
  
  Topic: [ELITE JOHN'S ENTRANCE WITH AGATHA'S APPRENTICE AS HER DATE?! RELATIONSHIP APPROVED BY AGATHA?!] by Baby Doll Eyes
  
  [Collection of photos of John and Karen's entrance, hand-in-hand]
  
  It's finally come full circle girls! All our theories have turned out to be true as the Elite Four member was clearly bringing the beautiful Karen as his date for the swearing-in ceremony. All those times training their Pokémon together and spending time with each other must have allowed their relationship to blossom and bloom!
  
  Can't wait to see more of this relationship in the future! What do you guys all think!?
  
  Comments
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  I've been a fan of these two from the very beginning; they're so cutee! 3 3 I'm so HAPPY that they're still together AHHHH!
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  BeautyIsFree And the best part of it is, you can clearly see Agatha in the photo following after them! It means she approves! On the one hand, I was hoping for some spicy drama. Like could you imagine if Agatha didn't approve of John and there would be this drama between the two! OMA that would've been so cool!
  
  But I like this too. Sometimes you just want to see people get together with no fuss! I wish they were meeee!
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  Gardevoir34 IKRRRR! OMA I wonder if Karen would have to fight off any other suitors for John. Or maybe she's into Harems?! Can't wait to see more!
  
  [HOOLIGANS AND THUGS DISRUPT THE RESTING PLACE OF MANY AT ! HOENN POLICE DISPATCHED TO SECURE THE AREA!] By The Hoenn Times
  
  Unfortunately, there have been multiple reports of suspicious thugs and hooligans that have been loitering around the area of Mt. Pyre. While most are respectful and no overt damage has been done, there have been complaints by some visitors about the 'rudeness' shown by some individuals towards what is likely the resting place to many a Pokémon.
  
  This has forced the Hoenn Police to be dispatched to ensure that the dead are not disturbed by these individuals. This writer would like to take the time to remind everyone to please be respectful of Mt. Pyre and the Pokémon that are resting there. It is a place of deep sentimentality and emotion to many, so please give them the proper respect that they deserve.
  
  This writer hopes that, with the Lilycove Police on patrol, we will see less incidents.
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  It's offensive and frankly, disgusting, how people are so willing to disturb and disrespect the dead like that. I'm glad that the Hoenn Police are putting a stop to it, though. These miscreants should be ashamed of their actions!
  
  Didn't their parents raise them properly?
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  NotTooMuchWater Yeah, wtf are these people doing? Do they have nothing better to do than to disturb the dead! They really need to make something out of their lives.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  EDIT: Oops, didn't mean to send that out by itself. I meant 'Oi! These ruffians sure are rude, right!?' Haha.
  
  UnderTheSea
  
  Yeah, those thugs disrupting the dead should learn to behave and to actually follow what their elders tell them to do!
  
  FloorIsLava
  
  UnderTheSea Yeah, the youth of today really act like disobedient pirates who have never properly learned their manners.
  
  UnderTheSea
  
  FloorIsLava Hm, well it seems like the teens of today are really reckless and just love to play with magma, don't they?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  What on earth are you two on about?
  
  A.N. For those of you who didn't see the comment on SB/QQ; I thank you for your constructive criticism regarding the previous chapter. I know I'm not the best at writing romance, but I want to try to improve my skills through writing this story regardless. I can only apologize for any poor writing.
  
  And this is the final chapter of the Champion Arc. Thank you so much for sticking with me, and for reading thus far.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks!
  
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  The New Normal - 4-20-Interlude-Proton
  The New Normal - 4-20 - Interlude - Proton
  
  This 'meeting between the bosses' was quickly devolving into a shit show. He didn't even know how two people could hate each other that much, but looking at the barely restrained look of fury on Archie's face, he knew better than to voice that at the moment.
  
  Proton was currently just standing around like an idiot as him and all the other admins from Team Aqua and Team Magma were standing around, waiting for their bosses to stop wanting to punch each other in the face.
  
  Though if it ever came time to throw hands, he was very confident that he could beat up his counterparts. Arceus, he was in pretty good shape physically, to say nothing about his partner who was basically just a wall of muscle. Compared to the both of them, the admins of Team Magna consisted of a girl with an, admittedly unnerving, blank stare, and some fat lard with a dumb smile.
  
  "You know these delays are all your fault, right Maxie?" His boss sneered, bringing Proton back from his daydreaming, "If you and your eggheads could just finish your research instead of dillydallying, then we could actually move forward."
  
  "You can't just rush research, that's just not how it works!" The other boss, Maxie, replied with a scoff, "Not that I'm surprised by your lack of knowledge. It's expected that a dumb brute like yourself wouldn't know anything about the intellectual prospects of what we're doing."
  
  "You're right, I don't." Archie shot back, "But, what I can tell you is that my grunts ARE properly trained and ARE ready for standard operations. But we're waiting for you slow nerds to actually do your jobs!"
  
  Maxie clearly wanted to say something back, but Archie forestalled it with a raised palm, "No, I don't want to hear your excuses. Let's face it, we're here today because we're running out of funds. You know as well as I do that our backer isn't willing to supply more funding until we can actually produce results."
  
  Maxie gritted his teeth, but then eventually let out a weary sigh. "Hmph, unfortunately, you are correct, Archie." He bit out with extreme reluctance, "But I can understand that we've probably been lying low for too long. But doesn't our sponsor realize that if we act recklessly, we're just going to invite retribution?"
  
  Proton unconsciously nodded to Maxie's words. He knew more than anyone how powerful the League was if they truly wanted to crush a threat. They were bumbling idiots most of the time, filled to the brim with easily corruptible and converted moles, but if you made yourself too much of a public threat, they would mercilessly crush you with an unending wave of trainers.
  
  Proton had been spending much of his time in Hoenn training up himself and his team, and while he could proudly say that he had made great improvements, he remained hesitant to test the strength of the League, not without more time and training.
  
  Luckily, his boss seemed to understand that too, and nodded to Maxie, "Yes, of course I know that. But the fact of the matter is that we NEED something to show for it. You said your research isn't ready yet, but surely you must have some idea of what we need to do?"
  
  Maxie rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, quietly whispering something to the fat admin, and then responded, "We do. After some extensive discussion with our backers, we realize that there IS a way to properly enforce control on even the most powerful Legendaries."
  
  "Then what are you waiting for? We should go for it right now!" Archie interrupted and slammed the desk impatiently, but Maxie simply sneered at that.
  
  "It's not so simple, fool." He received and ignored the glare from Archie, "The issue is that we're not entirely sure how such a system would be made. However, our current hypothesis suggest that we might find some clues regarding this if we can just study the Red Orbs and Blue Orbs."
  
  "Why those?" Archie questioned confusedly, "Wait, what even are they? I thought they were just some ceremonial relics."
  
  Maxie smirked with a look of superiority, "According to our hypothesis, those Orbs have a mystical element to them where they should be able to provide some controlling influence towards a specific Pokémon." He explained, "This was supported by the preliminary scans that our scientists managed to do on the orb while we were at Mt. Pyre, but further research is absolutely needed to see if we can repurpose that aspect of the orb for control of Legendaries."
  
  "Why didn't your grunts just take the orb, if it's so important?" Archie asked with a grin, "Or perhaps, were your grunts too weak to act?"
  
  Proton sighed as the conversation quickly devolved into more stupid bickering. Despite the fact the two of them were legitimately ambitious and were far more competent criminals than Proton had ever seen, they just simply couldn't handle being in a room with the other for more than a few seconds before devolving into more pointless arguments.
  
  After a moment, the two of them seemed to finally have gotten the current round of bickering out of their systems and returned to their serious conversation.
  
  "Right, well, I understand what you're trying to say." Archie spoke, "I'm assuming you want us to target the orb? Retrieve it for you?"
  
  "No, though you might need to do that in the future." Maxie denied, "The Orbs have huge cultural significance, and are heavily monitored if not heavily guarded. Scanning it from a long distance was just about all we could manage without alerting them. Any overt action against them will bring the entire League down on our heads. We need to be absolutely sure that stealing them is necessary before we do anything."
  
  Archie grimaced, but didn't gainsay Maxie and allowed him to continue, "Instead, Tabitha has very kindly informed us that Devon Corp has previously done some research regarding the Orb, before quitting due to a lack of funding and results. These notes are under lock-and-key, and despite being a scientist at Devon himself, Tabitha won't be able to access these notes without outside help. The notes would help confirm our hypothesis about the Orbs and would hopefully be less of a risk."
  
  Proton could agree with that assessment; their spies in the Hoenn League did inform them that the League weren't very interested in hunting down Team Rocket and other criminals after their 'big success' where they had made the headlines with some arrests. According to their moles, while the Elite Four and Champion were still wary, the Committee very much wasn't. Thus, a covert strike at Devon Corp might not attract much of the League's attention. Or in fact, the Committee might even be so kind as to help them cover it up.
  
  "I see, so that's where we come in, right?" Archie clarified, getting a nod from Maxie, "Okay, I can understand that. So, what do you need us to steal?"
  
  "We need the files, and nothing else." Maxie stated, "I'll begrudgingly leave the planning to you, since you're more suited to this kind of thug work. Just give us some time to properly locate the files and to make sure that they're what we're looking for. BUT! Try not to bring down the League on us when you do so, we're not ready to handle that level of attention. At least not yet."
  
  "Che, don't you worry your nerd brain, I'll come up with a plan." Archie responded with a sly grin, before he turned and locked eyes with Proton.
  
  "Proton, you and your team still have your old Team Rocket uniforms, right?" Proton nodded, "Good. Then you'll be in charge. We'll work out the plans later, but it looks like we're about to see if your grunts have been taking to your training effectively."
  
  Proton only responded with an evil grin.
  
  A.N. Hope you enjoyed this insight into what the evil teams are doing. The plotting continues! They're being more careful now; they need the files (or at least think so), but they also don't want a repeat of what happened in Indigo.
  
  I've always been excited to take the plot in this direction, while also trying my best to keep it recognisable among familiar canon lines, so I hope you like where this is going.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-1 - The Calm before the Storm
  
  A few days later, with the ceremony come and gone, Karen and I resettled into our normal relationship. While on the surface not much seems to have changed, but I felt that since we opened up to each other on how we wanted our relationship to progress, there was a lot of cleared air between us.
  
  It was hard to describe...but I just felt more at ease when I spent time with her. With our boundaries properly defined, there was no need to tip toe around things.
  
  And even though she had told me that I was free to pursue others, I truthfully didn't have anyone else in mind, at least not for the time being. I told her so, and she just shot me a teasing smile that implied many things, but she just said that I was free to look elsewhere, but she would prefer to get a heads up on it. I was just glad she wasn't enforcing double standards.
  
  Of course, my mom was very pleased with how we handled it when I spoke to her about what we talked about. I left out some of the details of Karen's trauma, but my mom was still very pleased with how we went about it.
  
  "As I told you, it's good that the two of you have communicated what you wanted to do." She said to me the day after the ceremony, "With boundaries properly set, you'll hesitate less and enjoy spending time with each other even more. Trust me."
  
  And her words proved true enough as Karen and I went back to train together a few days after the ceremony, our steps light. We had wanted to train up before, but we both had different commitments occupying our time. Karen was with Agatha, and I was helping out my parents with a few business matters.
  
  Luckily, we had finally made time today to train up together, which was where we found ourselves now, heading towards the fields. Though, she had an odd look as she looked around our usual training fields.
  
  "Hey John, did your family hire some more people to help out around the farm?" She asked, gesturing towards our latest farmhands.
  
  "Yes, we figured that we needed some help with working with the Miltank since we're also expanding to Johto. I think my uncle's helping out my parents with that." I replied, "Why? Is it a problem?"
  
  "Not really." She shook her head, though her eyes kept swivelling around, "Though they are looking at me quite intently."
  
  I shrugged, "Why are you surprised? You're the one that's been doing interviews for the past few days. Trying to 'get people to know you'" I said in air quotes. "You're basically a minor celebrity now. Of course people will begin to recognize you."
  
  Being seen as my date in such a public event skyrocketed the public's interest in Karen, and she was a common topic that was being thrown around by reporters and newscasters ever since the ceremony. Many people were interested to see who Agatha's apprentice was and her potential as a trainer.
  
  This all fell within Agatha's expectations, though, and she was quick to instruct Karen to participate in interviews so that the public would get to know her better. Unsurprisingly, many people started digging up her past match history, most notably her most recent run through the Hoenn Gyms, and people were beginning to recognize her as one of the upcoming premier Dark type specialists in Indigo.
  
  Not only that, but people NOW remembered that she was also co-author to the PIT Technique. Sure, she was previously overshadowed by my own fame, and she had publicly stated that the project was more my own than hers, but people still acknowledged her contributions to science.
  
  Being recognized for her scientific contributions did wonders for her budding reputation, as it meant that she was more than just a brute that knew nothing else but battling. Pokémon researchers and scientists were very respected in this world and were good signs of leadership.
  
  Overall, Agatha was very pleased with how Karen's reputation has developed. If she was able to stay within the public eye, that would give her a solid foundation for which to use when she eventually made it into the Elite Four.
  
  "Are they going to take any photos of us?" She asked me worriedly, shaking me out of my thoughts.
  
  "No." I firmly stated, "They're contractually forbidden from taking or uploading any photos of us while they are under our employ. They also have NDAs and have undergone background checks. Can't have them whipping up scandal for an Elite Four member otherwise."
  
  "That's good." She sighed out in relief, before her expression turned excited, "Anyways, let's not worry about that now. Come, didn't you say you had some ideas for how we would train up custom moves?" She excitedly pulled me forwards as she jogged to the training yards.
  
  I chuckled and allowed myself to be pulled along, only speaking up when we arrived at the training fields. "So, for custom moves, you realize that it's very common for them to take a long time for your Pokémon to master, right?"
  
  She nodded, and I continued, "Thus, its best for you to choose a custom move that can be shared among as many of your Pokémon as possible. For me, I have something I've named as 'Seismic Eruption', which is effectively just combining Stone Edge and Earthquake together. Vordt has already gotten pretty proficient at the move, so now I'm using him to instruct Smough and Tyrant to learn the move as well."
  
  "Ah, so that way you can save the time and effort on creating specific custom moves for every one of your Pokémon." She replied, understanding.
  
  "Yep." I confirmed, "And on that note, I do have one possible example for a custom move that you can start working on, if you want to hear it." She nodded, "Well, I've come up with a combination of both Dark Pulse and Snarl. If you can infuse the Special Attack lowering effect of Snarl into your Dark Pulse, then it'll make it far easier for you to win longer battles of attrition between other Special Attackers. You'll turn your most common attacking move into a potent debuffer as well." I explained.
  
  She digested my words for a few moments before breaking out into an excited smile, "That's a great idea. And both Snarl and Dark Pulse are both common moves that all my Pokémon can learn and are proficient in. That's an amazing idea, John! I'm going to get started on that right away."
  
  And then, with our goals properly set, the two of us got to work. Karen quickly released all of her Pokémon and explained to them what she wanted them to do. The idea of combining moves was received well by her team, and they quickly turned it into a friendly competition to see who could master it first.
  
  On my end, I split up my Pokémon. The trio of Smough, Vordt, and Tyrant would be training up on Seismic Eruption, since the latter had at least learnt how to use Facade. Then, I grouped Pixel, Luna, and Klee together so that the former could be tutored on how to use and develop its recovery moves and Gravity. I also grouped Klaus, Euphie, and Ornstein together, due to their currently similar fighting styles, and made the former tutor them on how to add more power into their Normal Physical attacking moves.
  
  Unfortunately, that left Zephyr on his own. But was fine, as Karen generously offered to allow me to make use of her Spiritomb as a target dummy to let Zephyr continue practicing his Foresight on.
  
  That was how we proceeded to spend most of the day. Occasionally, I would step in and give some tips on how I thought I could improve her training process. For example, I told her that she should try to develop the move using her Pokémon that were most proficient with Dark type attacks first, such as her Houndoom and Honchkrow.
  
  That way, after they actually managed to combine the moves together, it would be far easier then to just teach her remaining Pokémon how to do the same.
  
  "You know, training my Pokémon like this to start using custom moves really makes me appreciate the fact that Pryce's Pokémon were so well-trained that they were able to have a variety of custom moves." She admitted to me as we trained, "It makes me think back to how he still managed to lose despite all that training."
  
  "It's because he lost sight of what truly made his Pokémon strong." I informed her, "Pryce initially tried to use his Ice types to fight straight-up against Lance's Draconic brutes. No number of custom moves or training would allow him to win that kind of fight."
  
  "And that's why you must not lose sight of what makes you and your Pokémon strong in the first place." I reminded her, "My Tyrant may be currently trying to learn the new Seismic Eruption, but I'm always going to be reminding myself that his strengths lie in his close quarters fighting ability, not his geokinesis. You should remember the same for your own Pokémon."
  
  "Yeah, tricks and subterfuge are always going to be the backbone of my team. I'm just developing more moves to give myself more options if I need them, or if my tricks aren't working out." She affirmed.
  
  "Exactly." I remarked. And I truly hope that she would remember this too. Even if her Pupitar evolved into a Tyranitar, or if she mastered all sorts of custom and combined moves, I highly doubted that her Houndoom or any other of her Pokémon would be able to beat Tyrant in a straight-up fight without any tricks. It was good for her to remember where her strengths lay, and how best to capitalize on them.
  
  And thus, the hours flew by as the two of us continued training together.
  
  A few hours later, with our Pokémon either thoroughly exhausted or bored of training, I was about to order a break and invite Karen for dinner with my family before my phone started to ring.
  
  Interestingly, I saw that the Waterflower sisters were calling me.
  
  "Hello? This is John." I picked up.
  
  "Elite John? This is Daisy, speaking on behalf of the Cerulean Gym." She replied.
  
  "Oh? How may I help the Cerulean Gym?" I asked, slightly surprised at the call.
  
  "Well, uh...we wanted to invite you and the Mayor to visit the Gym tomorrow...as a favour. Our new secretary...that is, the one you recommended...we uh, really like him, and he had some good ideas. So, we wanted to have this PR event where we showed you around and take some photos for the public."
  
  Huh. That was very interesting. "I see...can I ask why you wanted the mayor and I to participate?"
  
  "Yeah, so like, we recently made some improvements to the Gym, and wanted to inject some confidence in the public towards the Gym. At least, that's what Petrel told us, but we agreed! And we would like to bring up some things with you in person."
  
  "I see." I said after I went over her words, "Sure, I'll come over. When should I arrive?"
  
  Daisy then told me that we should arrive during the one-hour lunch break at the Gym, if possible. I said that it was fine; the Committee meeting wasn't until the day after tomorrow anyways. Daisy then thanked me for my time and hung up.
  
  Well, tomorrow would prove to be interesting.
  
  The next afternoon, I ensured that I was properly dressed up to suit the expected formality of the invitation before I made my way to the Cerulean Gym.
  
  As I arrived, I was greeted this time by a tired looking, yet still professional, young Gym Trainer that quickly escorted me to Waterflower sister's office. As I entered, I found that I was the last to arrive and that Mayor Henry was already making small talk with the Waterflower sisters and Petrel.
  
  "Hello all. I apologize if I'm late." I greeted as I made my way in.
  
  "Ah, John, it's good to see you again." Mayor Henry replied, shaking my hand. "And you're not late. We were just making some small talk about what to expect from today's invitation."
  
  "Oh?" I asked curiously, "I would like to know too, if someone could explain things to me."
  
  "Certainly." Petrel stepped forwards, speaking on behalf of the sisters, "As you know, I've been recently appointed by the Cerulean Gym as their personal secretary and administrator. And over the past few days, I've been trying to reorganize and fix some of the major problems of the Gym. We wanted to get a grip on these problem before the League gets alerted and sends their own investigation team down here."
  
  He smoothly lifted a finger, "First. I had to improve the discipline and standards of the Gym Trainers. That isn't something I can achieve in such a short time, but luckily, I managed to hire a new Head Gym Trainer that should hopefully fix most of the problems over time."
  
  He raised another finger, "Second, and this is linked to the first issue, the Gym needs time to train up a greater reserve of Water type Pokémon to handle challenges outside of the usual 2-badge challenge. We're handling that internally, but we do have a proposition for the both of you."
  
  We both gave him curious looks, prompting him to continue, "As soon as I was hired on, I realized that the sisters' water shows that they performed were a huge untapped market for advertising and sponsorships. Thus, we would like to offer the opportunity to the two of you, or in your case Mayor Henry, your supporters, to make use of the sister's shows as advertisement opportunities for your companies."
  
  Wow. I had to hide back my surprise at Petrel's proposal. And yet, it made so much sense. The sisters' show was surprisingly popular in Indigo, and they performed the show frequently enough that any astute businessman would see the marketing opportunity for what it was. As expected of Giovanni's personal assistant.
  
  I was brought back from my thoughts as Petrel continued speaking, "Of course, you don't need to decide that now. As for today in particular, we wanted the two of you to be seen 'inspecting' the premises and shaking hands with people where necessary. In essence, we want to prove to the public that the Gym is making improvements, and that we are actively addressing their concerns."
  
  Mayor Henry cut in, "And this also boosts our own reputation as well, doesn't it?" He stated rhetorically, "Because we'll be seen as 'doing something' and actively helping out with the continued prosperity of the Gym."
  
  "Exactly." Petrel nodded, which the sisters' joined in, "Right now, things aren't as bad as they could be. But we need to act quickly to restore the public's confidence before the rumour-mongering spirals out of control. That was why I invited you both on such short notice."
  
  "I see." I muttered, "Well, I don't have any problems with this. So, I'm happy to go along with your idea right now."
  
  Mayor Henry stated the same, eliciting a small nod from Petrel, and wide smiles from the sisters. The group then proceeded forwards to the main battling hall of the Gym, which was currently being cleaned during the lunch break.
  
  As we entered, a very familiar looking teal haired man made his way forwards to greet us. "Ah, Petrel, you're here. And these must be Mayor Henry and Elite John. I'm Archer, the newly appointed Head Gym Trainer here. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said formally with a short bow.
  
  My fists clenched instinctively as I took in his appearance, and I had to fight down my surprise. I was about to question him about what he was doing here before he began his introduction into his duties and how he's trying to improve the standards of the trainers.
  
  He explained to us that the initial problem the Gym faced was that it was seen as a low-level Gym of relatively little importance. Thus, being a Gym Trainer here wasn't an attractive option, especially when the Waterflower sisters didn't have stellar reputations themselves as trainers. This led to most of the Gym Trainers being hired were people of similar ages to the sisters, and teenagers were never going to be the most disciplined of workers.
  
  Archer described that his solution was two-pronged. First, to fire any Gym Trainer that failed to pass a certain standard after a week of observations. That lit a fire in most of them to behave properly to the standards expected of a Gym. Second, was to divert and limit all non 2-badge challenges to a separate time slot on the weekends.
  
  He explained that this served two purposes, one, to discourage trainers from challenging the Gym outside of the usual order, which often placed a lot of stress on the Gym Trainers to adapt to the different level of challenge. Secondly, it was so that Archer and Petrel, both of whom were very experienced trainers, could temporarily handle all those challenges in the meantime to alleviate some of the burden on the Gym Trainers as they still got used to their duties.
  
  Furthermore, this would also give the girls the time and space to work on their shows and continue training up their personal teams. I knew that, according to the official League standards, they had to match up well against 7-badge challengers. I wondered how strong the sisters were.
  
  "It's not a perfect solution, I admit." Archer stated, "But Petrel and I, along with the sisters, believe that this is the best solution available to us at the moment. At the very least, it'll show that we're trying to make a difference."
  
  The mayor and I both nodded at that; we both agreed that the plan made sense. Still, I had a few worries of my own, and I quickly took the time while we were being shown around the Gym to quietly speak to Archer.
  
  "...I think I recognize you from somewhere. I'm pretty sure Giovanni's brought you up before." I whispered to him.
  
  Archer only chuckled at my words, "Well yes, I'm sure he has. You see, I found myself...unemployed recently, and Giovanni was kind enough to offer me this job when it came up."
  
  "...and no one from your previous job will give you any grief for your sudden change in job?" I asked. Is anyone going to recognize you as the former leader of Team Rocket?
  
  He shook his head, "No, of course not. I was more careful than that and always wore a disguise. You can ask Petrel; he helped me design it. Don't worry, Giovanni also made sure of that none of it can be traced back." He replied, assuaging most of my concerns. Still, it was really weird to see another one of Team Rocket's executives just working a legitimate job. Especially as a Gym Trainer.
  
  "Are you going to be here permanently?" I asked out of curiosity.
  
  Archer shook his head. "Unlikely. I'm not sure what Giovanni's plans are for me after this, but I know he won't keep me here forever." He explained, "I'll stay for long enough to help out with the Gym so that it doesn't fail; can't have Giovanni's reputation being attached to a failure, after all. But after that, only Giovanni knows."
  
  Huh. That was interesting, and good to know. Though I might still bring it up with Giovanni in casual conversation. Just in case.
  
  With my main concerns resolved, I allowed myself to be dragged along with the group to take some photos. They mainly consisted of me shaking hands with a few people or be seen pretending to inspect some aspect of the Gym or another. Basically, the usual fluff piece for the news.
  
  As we neared the end of our 'tour', we bumped into someone very interesting. The Waterflower sisters were quick to take over from Archer and introduce the little girl to our group.
  
  "And this pretty little girl here is our youngest sister!" Daisy gushed, messing up Misty's hair to the latter's annoyance, "Petrel and Archer both suggested that she should be involved in the running of the Gym. And Misty was very excited to do so! So, she's now a junior Gym Trainer here at the Gym!"
  
  "It makes for good PR." Was all Petrel said when we turned to him.
  
  "Oh, ignore the serious guy." Lily playfully fake-grumbled, "At first, we didn't want to involve our sister in the Gym because we all thought she was too young. But Petrel was quick to point out that we should have just asked to see if she wanted to. And now it seems like she's really enjoying herself! Isn't that right Misty?"
  
  The young Misty broke out into a wide and excited smile, "Yep! And I get to play with all these cool Water types! I can't believe that I wasn't doing this earlier! This is so fun! I can't wait to go on my own journey!"
  
  We all chuckled at her childish enthusiasm. As for me personally, I felt that this was a surprising, yet not unwelcome development; getting Misty involved early would probably be a good thing for her own development. Afterwards, Petrel asked if the sisters wanted to take a photo playing around together, Misty included, so that they could show off how 'personable' and 'likeable' they were.
  
  With that done, Archer and Misty returned to their duties and the rest of us all reconvened in the sisters' office where they all thanked us for our time. We went over all of the photos today to make sure that we were happy with them being published, which we were. Then Petrel reminded us that if we were interested into having our advertisements be played during the sisters' water shows, we were free to get back to them to secure some contractual agreements.
  
  I spoke up and told them that I would speaking to our parents about it soon, but that I was interested to see if we could make it work. Similarly, the mayor pointed out that many of his supporters would be eager for said opportunity, and he could really boost his own reputation if he could facilitate such an agreement.
  
  With that done, we ended the meeting there, and the sisters thanked us for coming and for our time before we made our way out. I parted ways with mayor Henry then, making my way back home.
  
  Overall, I was very impressed with the changes that the Cerulean Gym was implementing. While I couldn't say for sure that they would work, I was at least hopeful that with Petrel guiding the Waterflower sisters, that they wouldn't allow the Cerulean Gym to fall to the state of disrepair that it was in canon.
  
  And, with a strong and secure Gym, it was looking increasingly likely that my vision of Cerulean would be able to be put in place.
  
  A.N. TLDR, Petrel flexing his administrative muscles and slowly pulls the Cerulean Gym out of the pit it was in.
  
  So, this chapter was primarily focused on the development of the Cerulean Gym. I doubt there will be future chapters as detailed as this one regarding the Gym. I just wanted to show how the Gym is going to develop and grow so that it isn't going to end up like canon.
  
  This also marks the beginning of Arc 5 - the New Elite Four Arc. Hope you enjoy it!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-2 - Political Sparring
  
  Unfortunately, politics rests for no one. And the day after my meeting with the Waterflower sisters I found myself at the Indigo Plateau sitting in and listening to one of the committee meetings.
  
  I guess I shouldn't be complaining that hard, as it was at least my proposal that they were currently discussing. And, considering the current mood of the members, it really looked like my proposal to reduce the number of badges was going to be passed. At least in Indigo.
  
  "...While I am in full agreement that it would be beneficial to all parties that the number of badges required to travel and capture Pokémon from a different region from within Indigo should be reduced from 4 to 2, I am hesitant to approve of such a reduction for trainers travelling to and from Hoenn." One of the Committee members stated.
  
  He continued, "These trainers, when on foreign soil, are representing the Indigo League through their behaviours and actions, and I believe that we should ensure that these trainers are at least up to a certain standard before we allow them to be sent off like this."
  
  Many people nodded their heads at his words, which I too found was quite reasonable. It was a long shot for me to encourage more freedom of movement between Indigo and Hoenn, especially considering our recently deteriorated relationship, but I was happy enough with just lowering the restrictions for trainers when within Indigo.
  
  Besides, this still worked towards my goal of creating a more united Indigo, so I considered this a win regardless.
  
  I began zoning out as the political back-and-forth and posturing continued on for several more minutes, choosing instead to turn my attention to the other members of the Elite Four. That proved to be a far more interesting sight.
  
  Agatha looked like she was about to fall asleep on the spot, with her face twisted with open regret of having attend this meeting in the first place. Perhaps if it was not for our agreement, she might not even have showed up at all! Lance was doing no better, despite him actually having a vote, and I could tell that his boredom was slowly growing as it looked like he just wanted to end this discussion as soon as possible.
  
  Will and Walker were a story in opposites. Will actually looked interested, the only one out of the Elite Four to do so, and he seemed to be listening carefully to the arguments given by the other committee members. On the other hand, Walker while pretending to be interested, actually had a blank look on his face.
  
  Unlike Agatha and Lance, his lack of attention likely did not stem from boredom, but rather it was probably due to his upcoming battle against Lorelei in a few days' time. Understandably, with his Elite Four position on the line, Walker had other things to worry about. I wondered how high he evaluated Lorelei's battling capabilities, and if he was confident about his chances of winning.
  
  Out of respect for his previous apology, I had the tact to not ask him.
  
  Eventually, the committee members finished their discussion and Lance stood up and finally announced that it was time for the Elite Four to give their opinions on the matter if we so wished. Since this was my proposal, I had to actually speak up and reaffirm my position. Agatha did the same, supporting me as per our agreement.
  
  I reiterated my hopes that this would be a step towards properly uniting our two regions, and that we were finally setting aside our old grievances in favour of a brighter and more cooperative future. Agatha followed on from this and gave her support to my statement.
  
  Will also took the opportunity to establish his political position within the Elite Four, and just like he brought up in his swearing-in ceremony, he stated how supportive he was of this reduction and how he hopes that with the greater influx of trainers between the two regions, he hopes that this would open the door to more 'welcoming' policies for businesses and foreign investment within Indigo.
  
  With our speeches done, Lance began the vote count, with him in support of the reduction as per our previous discussion. Looking around, even without needing to count, it was obvious that the proposal was going to pass.
  
  After Charles Goodshow went around and properly tallied up the votes, Lance spoke up once again.
  
  "...and the committee has chosen. The proposal to reduce the number of badges required for trainers to travel and capture Pokémon from outside their originating region is to be reduced from 4 to 2 within Indigo. This proposal will be put into place within the following weeks. No changes will be made to the number of badges required for trainers to travel and capture Pokémon to and from Hoenn."
  
  A polite round of applause broke out from his statement, and Lance eventually wrapped up the meeting with people eventually leaving. Lance stopped the Elite Four before we could do the same.
  
  "Can the Elite Four please meet me in my office? I would like to speak to you all before you leave." We all nodded at this, and we all made our way to his personal offices at the top of the League building.
  
  "Huh. It's a strange feeling to not see statutes of Ice Pokémon everywhere." Walker commented as we walked into Lance's office. True enough, it was filled to the brim with symbols and statues depicting Dragons. As expected of a Blackthorn.
  
  "Can't let them forget who's in charge." Agatha mocked, "Men and their needs to always show off their egos. I hope you're not like this when you grow up, John."
  
  I shrugged, "I wouldn't know. I still live with my parents after all. I don't really see the need for all this décor."
  
  "You still live with your parents?" Will asked, his face etched with surprise. "Why? Why would you do that to yourself? As a member of the Elite Four, no less."
  
  I turned to him in confusion, "Why wouldn't I? I like living near my parents, and they have a big enough training field to train my Pokémon. Why would I need my own house?"
  
  Will looked like I had just slapped him in the face, but Lance spoke up before he could respond.
  
  "Right, leave your conversation for later. I don't have much time until my next appointment, and I purposely scheduled this meeting just so that I could listen to the opinions of my Elite Four." We quieted down and nodded, "So, for the next proposal that the committee would debate about, do you have any suggestions that you would like to recommend to me?"
  
  Of course, Lance knew, and agreed with, my next proposal about setting up more contest halls in Cerulean, but we still had to pretend that I was just presenting my idea to him so that our 'underhanded collusion' would remain undiscovered.
  
  "Yes, Lance, I actually had the idea to set up a few contest halls..." I proposed, explaining for the benefit of the others my ideas about wanting to set up new contest halls in Cerulean and how that would benefit and improve our Indigo-Hoenn relations.
  
  Lance expectedly agreed with my proposal and said that he would bring it up. What WAS surprising was that Will did the same.
  
  "I'm in full agreement with John here. I think that this would be a great opportunity for my frie-, I mean, other businessmen to get involved into the creation of these contest halls. I think that this also be an encouraging sight for any foreign businessmen, whether they are from Hoenn or from the newly discovered region of Sinnoh, that Indigo is willing to adapt to their culture and their business. Opens up many business opportunities for the future." Will described.
  
  "Is there a need to set up everything in Cerulean, though? Surely, we could develop these contest halls elsewhere. Perhaps in Johto?" Will added curiously, and I knew I had to speak up to defend my proposed location.
  
  "Cerulean is well-known already to be the cultural center of Kanto. While Celadon can boast a larger population, it is far more of a commercial city than a cultural one. I think it's best if we set up these new contest halls in a city that is already going to be receptive to such an idea." I argued.
  
  Will looked at me consideringly, his eyes flashing with interest and curiosity as he pondered my words. A hint of understanding flashed past his eyes, and his mouth widened into a knowing smirk.
  
  "I see...well, I can certainly approve of such ideas, so long as these contest halls are going to be receptive to businessmen and investment." He said, "I'm sure such a large undertaking will generate plenty of very profitable opportunities, right?" In other words, Will was saying that if I wanted his support for the contest halls to be built in Cerulean, he wanted opportunities for his business 'friends' to invest into Cerulean City. Preferably with favourable deals.
  
  I gave him a calm smile, "I'm sure there will be. Although I can't guarantee anything at the moment, I will hopefully be able to arrange things with the mayor of Cerulean."
  
  "Perfect. Then I'm sure that your proposal will be passed with no problems." Will smiled back, our eyes met another as we both silently agreed to the deal. Inwardly, I was confident that, with Will's cooperation tentatively secured, the proposal would pass as per my expectations with no problems.
  
  Agatha was on board, and Walker currently didn't have much influence to his name. And he was probably too distracted at the moment to even worry about these political matters.
  
  "Well, I'm glad that's sorted." Lance interrupted, "If that's all, then I think I've taken up enough of your time already. If there's nothing else, you're free to leave."
  
  With a quick by-your-leave, Walker quickly left. Agatha followed slowly behind him, and I was about to join her when Will tapped me on the shoulder.
  
  "Elite John, would you care for a quick spar?" He asked me, his eyes filled with challenge. "You know, I don't think I've ever lost more than a few matches ever since I won the Indigo Conference last year, and I would really like to test out some of my newer acquisitions against some of your Pokémon. How about it, want to challenge yourself against me?" A hint of superiority leaking out of his tone.
  
  My eyes twitched at his words; I felt condescended once again, even though I knew that he meant no harm. Still, inwardly vowing to knock him down a peg, I pretended to shrug nonchalantly at his proposal. "Sure, if you want to challenge yourself, who am I to stop you?" Also, I knew that this battle was a great way to test out Will's strength and to shake some of my rust off; it has been a while since my last battle against Drake.
  
  However, my main motivation was to just to wipe that annoying smirk off his face.
  
  "Excellent." His grin turned feral, "I can't wait to show off my talents. Come, let's make our way to the training field. Champion Lance, would you like to join us?"
  
  Lance's eyes gleamed with interest, and after a moment of hesitation, he pulled himself out of his chair and accompanied us, saying that the meeting could wait. Considering the huge grin that he had, I felt that he just wanted an excuse to avoid the paperwork or that meeting of his. Not that I blamed him.
  
  We took the elevator down to the basements, where the reserved training fields were located. Obviously, we were able to just walk right in without needing to occupy it.
  
  "So, how do you want to do this?" I ask Will as we arrived.
  
  "Hmm...let's make it more interesting. Let's do a quick double battle. 2v2. No switches. What do you think?" He suggested, to which I agreed.
  
  We informed Lance of our decision, who agreed to referee for us, and took our places opposite each other on the field. Unlike Will, who had probably planned for such a scenario and had likely made battle plans already for our match, I barely had a minute to come up with something. Oh well, if all else fails, there was always a tried-and-true strategy that I could use.
  
  I stared down at Will, who had a smug glint in his eye. As if he was about to win something big. Realizing his plan to use me as a steppingstone, my annoyance flared, and I carefully schooled my expression to not give anything away.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Lance called out, and I grabbed both of my chosen Premier Balls as I nodded alongside Will. My plan already in place.
  
  Lance counted down for us, "Three...two...one...BEGIN!"
  
  "Klee and Klaus, become the wall!"
  
  "Espeon and Gardevoir, show the world your majesty!"
  
  Klaus and Klee emerged from their Premier Balls and faced off against Will's Espeon and Gardevoir. The first thing I noticed was just how immaculately groomed and majestic his Pokémon looked. Though behind that beauty was a font of strength that identified them as Elite Pokémon in their own right.
  
  But I was going to make Will regret challenging me.
  
  "Klee, go on the defense and Shadow Ball!" "Klaus, set up with Agility!"
  
  "Blast them down with Psychic! Show off your power!"
  
  With impressive reaction speeds, both of Will's Pokémon fired off powerful blasts of Psychic that would have knocked back a lesser foe. Unfortunately for Will, Klee stepped up in front of Klaus and shrugged off those blasts like they were nothing, hardly even flinching from the miniscule damage inflicted, while firing off her own Shadow Balls that Will's Pokémon nimbly dodged past.
  
  I smirked at Will. Klee could devour Special Attacks like that endlessly.
  
  In the meanwhile, Klaus, who was snugly hiding behind Klee and using her as a Pokémon-shield against the attacks, had used the space created to set up an Agility.
  
  As soon as I saw the signature pink glow of the Agility fade from Klaus, I went on the offensive.
  
  "Klaus, Megahorn the Espeon!" "Klee, cover Klaus with a Light Screen!"
  
  Klaus shot out from behind Klee, abandoning his cover and charging straight towards Espeon using his boosted speed. A small shimmer of light formed in front of Klaus as he charged, forming a protective shield against opposing Special Attacks.
  
  Will grimaced as he realized what my plan was, and he quickly barked out new orders.
  
  "Espeon, Reflect and shield the two of you!" "Gardevoir, Focus Blast and blast that interloper back!"
  
  Another shield of light flickered into existence in front of both of Will's Pokémon, while Gardevoir started firing off volleys of Focus Blasts against Klaus. But Klaus continued forward, undeterred by the incoming fire of Focus Blasts, fully trusting in the Light Screen that Klee formed to protect him from the brunt of the damage.
  
  That faith was quickly tested as the Focus Blasts collided into the Light Screen, but they failed to halt Klaus' charge as a majority of the impact force was absorbed.
  
  "Klaus, continue your charge!" "Klee, Helping Hand on Klaus! Boost him!"
  
  "Gardevoir, switch to Will-O-Wisp and burn the Wyrdeer!" "Espeon, Brace and Protect!"
  
  Small wisps of flames formed in front of Gardevoir in a circle, before they suddenly darted forwards and landed on the charging Klaus. The flames quickly spread and danced across his body, burning Klaus right before his Helping Hand boosted Megahorn crashed into Espeon's Protect shield.
  
  The shield flickered as the force of the impact coursed through it, but it stood strong with the help of the additional absorption from the Reflect. Additionally, the burn inflicted on Klaus cut his attack just in time to save Espeon from the attack.
  
  But at such close distance, it made it very difficult for Espeon to dodge Klaus' follow up move.
  
  "Klaus, Thunder Wave the Espeon!" "Klee, Heal Bell and Shadow Ball the Gardevoir! Suppress it!"
  
  A quick burst of electricity shot towards Espeon from Klaus, rapidly paralysing Will's Espeon as I hoped. I had been briefly worried about Espeon having Magic Bounce, which would have reflected back my Thunder Wave, but it looks like I bet correctly that Will might not have trained his Espeon to have that ability.
  
  Of course, Espeon's Synchronize ability would have normally reflected the paralysis back at Klaus, but both it and the burn were soon purged by the rejuvenating chimes of Klee's Heal Bell.
  
  Gardevoir wanted to come and help, but it was distracted by having to dodge the supereffective volley of Shadow Balls shot out by Klee.
  
  This was an ideal position for me to be in. With Gardevoir slowly being cut off from assisting Espeon due to Klee's constant spam of Shadow Balls, I was free to overwhelm Espeon with Klaus. Especially with the paralysis, it was only a matter of time before the battle became a 2v1. And Will knew it.
  
  But it seems like Will still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
  
  "Gardevoir, Teleport and Helping Hand!" "Espeon, wait for the Helping Hand and Hyper Voice! Knock the Wyrdeer back!"
  
  "Klaus, Protect!" "Klee, Softboiled and heal yourself!"
  
  With a near-instant flash of pink light, his Gardevoir suddenly Teleported and reappeared next to Espeon, clapping its hands together to power up Espeon's Hyper Voice. With the boost from the Helping Hand, Espeon's Hyper Voice blasted back Klaus, who was unable to generate a Protect shield in time due to the surprise of the attack.
  
  Klaus flew backwards and nearly slammed into the walls of the arena. That was far more damage than I was expecting, and Klaus struggled to pull himself back up. More importantly for Will, this also put both of his Pokémon together again, where they were able to fight together.
  
  I frowned. If I was going to win this battle, I was going to need to separate the two once again and defeat them piece-meal.
  
  I knew that, unlike my battle against Drake, I didn't have an advantage in support and utility moves. Will likely matched me one-for-one in terms of supportive moves, which was expected since he was a Psychic specialist. I didn't dare underestimate Will and think that I could simply outsmart him in a battle of wits.
  
  Thus, I was just going to play to my strengths.
  
  "Klee, Seismic Toss the Espeon! Get close to them!" "Klaus, run around and fire off Shadow Balls!"
  
  "NO! Stop that Blissey at once! Both of you, Psychic it down!"
  
  Will quickly caught on to what I was doing and frantically tried to knock down my Blissey, who had now begun her, admittedly rather slow, charge towards his two Pokémon. But with Klaus distracting them with his own barrage of Shadow Balls, the two weren't able to focus their attention at bringing down Klee and stopping her assault.
  
  It was a brainless strategy, relying entirely on Klee's natural bulk to tank through the attacks. But it was working. Maybe I should have done this from the start.
  
  And now Will's Pokémon were staring down an unstoppable pink and smiling juggernaut that met all of his attacks with the same unfazed expression. It was almost a comical sight to see the ever friendly and cute Klee terrify an Elite trainer like Will as she continued shouldering past his attacks like they were nothing. The blasts of Psychic continually blasting into her non-stop, but they all failed to halt her charge.
  
  "Gardevoir, switch to Focus Blasts! You have to stop it!"
  
  With ramping panic, Will ordered Gardevoir to swap to the supereffective, yet more demanding, Focus Blasts to hopefully bring down the incoming Blissey. But in his state of panic, he forgot about Klaus, and I quickly pounced onto that opportunity.
  
  "Megahorn, Klaus! From the back!"
  
  While Gardevoir and Espeon were too busy trying to bring down my charging Klee, Klaus pivoted on the spot and suddenly charged in from behind, forming a pseudo-pincer attack with Klee to surround Will's Pokémon.
  
  Realizing the desperate situation that he was in, Will was forced to go on the defensive.
  
  "Gardevoir, Teleport away!" "Espeon, Protect and Endure!"
  
  Gardevoir quickly blinked out and away from both of my Pokémon's strike zones, while Espeon once again began to brace and formed a Protect shield to withstand the incoming attacks. Will was clearly hoping that moving to pure defense would allow Espeon to Endure past both attacks and give Gardevoir the opportunity to counterattack.
  
  Alas, it was an overly optimistic dream.
  
  Klaus slammed into the Protect shield at full force, no longer having a Burn to cut his attack in half. This time, the shield fractured as it failed to block the entire force of the attack, causing Espeon to be exposed to the incoming Megahorn as Klaus brutally collided into it.
  
  Espeon let out a cry of pain and was sent skidding across the ground from the super-effective move, right into the waiting arms of Klee, who expertly picked up the disoriented Espeon and jumped up into the air with surprising mobility, before slamming Espeon powerfully back into the ground in a well-practiced Seismic Toss.
  
  Espeon whimpered painfully on the ground as it tried to recover from the attack.
  
  To Will's credit, Espeon still wasn't out of the fight just yet, but the situation had turned from bad to worse for Will. He had a paralyzed Espeon with low health that was on the verge of fainting, and he had a Gardevoir that, while healthy and still capable of fighting, wouldn't be able to stand up against both of my Pokémon alone.
  
  Sure, he had a lot of regeneration options available to him, but my next actions quickly put a stop to any of those hopes.
  
  "Klaus, charge at Gardevoir with another Megahorn!" "Klee, don't let up on the Espeon and finish it with another Seismic Toss!"
  
  "Gardevoir, keep Teleporting and Icy Wind! You have to slow it down!" "Espeon, Teleport and Morning Sun!"
  
  Klaus immediately began a renewed assault as he began dashing towards Gardevoir, while Klee quickly pounced on top of the helpless Espeon, too injured from its wounds to Teleport in time, and leapt into the air with it before crashing down with it once again as they both slammed powerfully into the ground.
  
  Klee may be the most motherly and kind of all my Pokémon, but she was as good of a fighter as the rest of them. And, in the end, the repeated Seismic Toss proved too much for the Espeon, and it was knocked out of the fight before it could restore its health.
  
  With that, the battle became a 2v1 and I was confident that my victory was assured. Gardevoir, despite all of its mobility afforded by its Teleports, was not strong enough to overwhelm both of my Pokémon and would eventually be worn down.
  
  Admittedly, I thought that Will had the right idea in mind. His plan was to have his Gardevoir repeatedly Teleport away from Klaus to prevent him from landing a decisive Megahorn, all while firing off Icy Winds in hopes of slowing down Klaus enough so that he could no longer continue charging towards her.
  
  I realized that I could easily end the match by just having Klee charge once again into Gardevoir, and the combination of both of my Pokémon would definitely prove too much for Will's remaining Pokémon. However, I instead realized that this was a perfect opportunity to gauge Will's level of training.
  
  With my mind made up, I decided to 'play with my food'.
  
  "Klaus, swap to Shadow Ball!" "Klee, Softboiled to heal yourself then Shadow Ball as well!"
  
  With both of my Pokémon firing off their own intersecting barrages of Shadow Balls, I was looking to push Gardevoir to its limits to see how much it could dodge with its Teleport, and how far its stamina went. I recognized that Gardevoir was not Will's strongest Pokémon, but I wanted to see how far it was able to go.
  
  In a way, this was both equal parts revenge and research. Revenge, because his showing off rubbed me the wrong way, even if it was petty of me. Research, because I wanted to use this opportunity to learn more about Will. He was a showboat, that much was obvious, but I was curious to see if he could back up his words.
  
  Returning to the battle, I watched intently as Gardevoir made an admirable effort at dodging the sweeping volley of Shadow Balls with its Teleports. To Will's credit, it was probably the most impressive display of Psychic skill that I had ever witnessed. Gardevoir's Teleporting barely had any charge-up time and didn't seem to disorient Gardevoir at all even while it blinked rapidly around the battlefield.
  
  Gardevoir was never in more than one place for more than a second before suddenly reappearing elsewhere. It was practically impossible to pin down.
  
  However, I noticed that Gardevoir seemed to struggle to form attacks in time to counterattack during the brief openings afforded by its Teleports. Perhaps Will hadn't been properly training his Pokémon under high pressure scenarios?
  
  Either way, even with Gardevoir's impressive showing, it inevitably ran out of Psychic stamina and was unable to keep up its series of Teleports, quickly succumbing to the assault of Shadow Balls and quickly being knocked out.
  
  Huh, was it me or did that Gardevoir seem quite frail? Was that another potential weakness? Something to make a note of later.
  
  "ANNND...the fight is over. John wins!" Lance called out as he began to approach us with a pleased grin. "That was a great fight from the two of you. This was way better than sitting through yet another meeting."
  
  We both withdrew our Pokémon and offered him our thanks, though Will's was far more subdued. Lance saw this and patted him on the shoulder, "Chin up, Will. Don't you remember what Walker said? You're in the big leagues now, you can't expect yourself to be as dominant as you were once before. Still, that was a great performance. Good job."
  
  With his piece said, Lance waved the both of us goodbye as he rushed back to his office to attend his abandoned appointments. I decided that there was no need to rub salt on the wound and extended a hand towards Will.
  
  "That was a good fight. Congratulations once again for making it into the Elite Four." I praised. Will paused as he looked at my hand for a bit, before letting out a deep breath as he shook my hand.
  
  "Indeed. I apologize for my earlier words. They may have been...too boastful. That was well fought from you too. I see I still have a long way to go." He said, swallowing his desire to show off and his pride. "Thank you for the match. You truly are deserving of your position."
  
  Without saying anything else, he gave me a complicated smile before he quickly made his escape from the training arena while I watched him curiously as he departed. That...went better than expected. I thought he would be more resentful. Hm.
  
  Either way, I hope that the battle had reminded him to not test me.
  
  I re-released my victorious Klaus and Klee and made sure to properly praise them for their victory. Or at least, I tried to, because as soon as I released Klee she immediately gripped me in a tight hug and refused to let go, ecstatic as she was about her own victory. Still, I didn't begrudge her for it and allowed her to indulge in the hug.
  
  We spent some time like that as I made sure to acknowledge and celebrate their victory over Will's Pokémon. In all honesty, it wasn't a very close battle, as I was confident that Klee could have tanked all of their Special Attacks without much issue while Klaus repeatedly sought to hit hard with flanking attacks.
  
  With that done, I made my way out of the training area and started heading home, pleased with today's events. Not only was I able to get a start on passing through my idea about the contest halls, but I was also able to reassert my strength in front of Will and Lance. Overall, a great achievement.
  
  When I got home, I found my mom watching the news as they reported about the successful passing of the reduction to the 4-badge policy. My mom asked me a few questions about my involvement, and over dinner we chatted a bit as I discussed my intentions. I also made sure to text Whitney to inform her about this new opportunity.
  
  Then, since it was already late, I made sure to send a quick text to mayor Henry to describe the discussions that took place today, and Will's 'proposal' towards him. Then, I was about to settle into bed when I received a text from Lance. Curious, since we had just spoken not long ago, I went to check it.
  
  'John, I've got good news for you. The Sinnohians are sending over scientists to Indigo, among other delegates, to do some research on our Pokémon. But they've specifically asked to speak to you.' He wrote.
  
  'Oh, that's nice to know. But why do they want me specifically?' I asked.
  
  'Apparently, they want to speak to you about your Ursaluna and Wyrdeer discoveries. They said that they'll tell you more in person. They're going to be arriving the day after tomorrow, and they said that this is the beginning of them opening their borders to us. Make sure to be there.'
  
  Ah, it seems like my Hisuian evolutions have attracted some attention after all.
  
  A.N. The first proper double-battle in the story! Hope you enjoyed it. It was also meant to show off Will's particular strength, which I hoped show that he is a competent fighter, but not perfect. His Pokemon are very impressive psychically, but they are quite frail.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-2-Interlude-Scientist
  The New Normal - 5-2 - Interlude - Devon Scientist
  
  His frustration grew. Why was it so difficult for his colleagues to understand the potential of the evolution device that he created for Porygon? Science was all about discovering the unknown and furthering the gaze of humanity, so he failed to comprehend why his superiors and colleagues almost unanimously rejected his newly created evolution device for Porygon2.
  
  When his colleagues developed an evolution device they called an 'Up-Grade', which successfully evolved Porygon into a Porygon2, he naturally took the device one step further. He felt it obvious that if he just took the data that triggered the evolution of a Porygon and extrapolated it even further, then he hypothesized that they would be able to trigger yet another evolution for Porygon2.
  
  And yet, when he shared his very reasonable proposal to his superiors and colleagues, they all blabbered on about 'inherent risks' and 'reckless testing'. He just couldn't understand why no one else saw the things he did; this was the ONE opportunity to push the Porygon2 evolution even further!
  
  According to the data that they were already receiving from Porygon2, it was already a rather formidable Pokémon already and was able to fight at the higher levels of Pokémon battles. He could just imagine how powerful an evolved form of Porygon2 would be, and what uses it could bring to both the battling and scientific world.
  
  Which was where he found himself now. He had successfully 'persuaded' a colleague of his to grant him access to one of the Porygon2 scheduled for routine testing. He only had an hour, but that should be enough to do what he needed to do.
  
  He didn't have a name for his evolution disk, but he knew that he would be dead before he allowed it to be called a 'Dubious Disk', like one of his colleagues had jokingly named it. Putting that out of his mind, he released the Porygon2 from its Pokéball and slowly approached it, evolution disk held in hand.
  
  As he got closer, the Porygon2 seemingly backed away nervously, its eyes staring frighteningly at the disk. As he noticed this, a part of himself was warning him that this was a bad idea, and that he should stop and actually listen to his colleagues. But the more stubborn part of himself, the one that was endlessly focused on his ambition to prove himself as a great scientist, ignored this.
  
  Thus, he thrust his arm forward and nearly punched the Porygon2 with the disk in hand.
  
  "Pory! Pory! Pory!" The Porygon2 whirred in panic, but it was unable to run away in time before he managed to inject the data set from his disk into the Porygon2.
  
  Immediately, his eyes gleamed with excitement as the signature white glow of evolution engulfed the room. Finally! He knew that his foolish colleagues were simply too cowardly and cautious. And with this success, he knew that his name would be catapulted to the heights of the scientific world!
  
  He had already thought of a name for this evolution! It was going to be called 'Porygon-Z'; named after himself, of course.
  
  As the bright white light of evolution slowly started to settle, a spherical cylinder toy shaped Porygon greeted him. He smiled happily as he saw this.
  
  "Porygon-Z, you're going to be my legacy." He spoke to it, as he began gathering up some monitoring equipment. "Now then, let's see what you can do..."
  
  Unfortunately, as he was distracted with collecting the monitoring equipment, he failed to notice the confused and almost frantic buzzing that was coming out of the Porygon-Z. The whirring and buzzing gradually intensified, and by the time he turned back to face the newly evolved Porygon-Z, the buzzing almost had a maddening edge to it.
  
  "Hey, what's wrong with you?" He asked confusedly, "And can you cut it out with the sounds, it's getting really irritating...Woah!"
  
  He ducked out of the way when the Porygon-Z threw himself against a wall, creating a dent as it crashed headfirst into it. It was spinning around maddeningly and almost seemed like it had no control over itself.
  
  "Pory! GON! GON! GONNN!" It cried painfully to the world, unable to break free from the corrupt data circulating through it.
  
  Okay, he really was starting to worry now. He didn't know what in Arceus was going on, but the new Porygon-Z was acting very unstably and seemed to be plagued by something. He looked around desperately as he tried to think of something to solve this mess, something that could hopefully calm down this Porygon-Z and so that he could still classify his experiment as a success.
  
  He refused to be ruined like this! He had worked so hard to climb the ladder of Devon Corp and to be assigned to this project. He would not let his career end because of one error!
  
  And yet, despite his frantic struggling, he was once again forced to dive away as the Porygon-Z once again threw itself at him, this time smashing and destroying the monitoring equipment that had been brought in.
  
  Which, of course, automatically triggered the safety alarms that were attached to them.
  
  Red lights and sirens began flashing and blaring across the facility, and he knew it was over. Soon, the door to the room slammed open as the security guards burst in with their Machoke's and Kadabra's. One of them roughly grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him backwards, out of the room and into safety.
  
  As he looked up in a slight daze from where he had fallen on his back, he was faced with the furious visage of his superior staring down at him.
  
  "You fool." His superior spat at him, "I've already been told what happened. If you only could actually put aside your ego for once and actually LISTEN to what we've been trying to tell you, then this incident wouldn't have happened."
  
  He stayed silent, bitterness warring with shame, as his superior continued, "Fortunately, these Porygon aren't trained for power. Otherwise, this incident might have caused far more structural damage. You're lucky that it didn't bring down the whole facility."
  
  His superior grabbed him by the scruff of his coat, glaring at him furiously. "I want a full report on the incident detailing everything that went wrong and how to avoid creating an unstable evolution like it again. Hopefully we'll get something out of studying your new Porygon evolution so that this entire thing wasn't a waste."
  
  Then his superior released him, pushing him back onto the floor, and he let out a colossal sigh. All things considered; it could have been worse.
  
  "Also, you're demoted. Effectively immediately. You're lucky you didn't get fired." His superior added, before walking away.
  
  Fuck.
  
  A.N. Just wanted to show what would happen if someone used the Dubious Disk as per canon. TLDR - it doesn't go well. Which was why John was so hesitant with his Porygon2 evolution to begin with. Luckily, his turned out fine.
  
  So yeah, the scientists are going to need to find a way to make the Porygon-Z evolution stable and safe first before releasing it.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-3 - A New Generation Arrives
  
  I was joined by all the other members of the Elite Four, and Lance, as we waited at the Vermillion Ports for the Sinnoh delegation to arrive, since it was the closest port available for them to travel to. It had been a few days since my spar against Will, and while I saw that he wasn't exactly pleased to see me, he at least wasn't holding it against me.
  
  Of course, he might have been a tad more annoyed if he knew that I had spent the past few days analysing our battle and relaying what I observed to both Karen and Agatha. Although I was only working with a small sample from Will's team, it was still a good piece of knowledge to have.
  
  But I surmised from our battle together that Will's greatest strength was likely in his proficiency at making good use of the full range of Psychic moves available to him. Especially with the more common support moves like the screens and Teleport; Will's Pokémon were excellent at those. On the other hand, he was no brawler. In fact, his Pokémon seemed quite frail for an Elite Four member.
  
  I concluded that it was probable that Will was unused to his Pokémon taking damage. He likely was used to overwhelming his opponents with skill and speed alone and hadn't really been focused on training his Pokémon to take hits. Likewise, his Pokémon seemed to struggle against opponents who could get in really close and force them into close-range engagements where they couldn't properly make use of their Psychic moves.
  
  From our previous battle, I could see that once Klee got in close and was unable to be deterred by Will's Special Attacks, he suddenly wasn't able to deal with her and almost fell into a state of panic. Therefore, I felt that if I, or anyone else, could replicate my ability to get in close with tanky or fast physical attackers, Will would be put on the backfoot.
  
  Of course, I shared these thoughts with Karen and Agatha as well, with an added warning to take my words with a grain of salt and to not tunnel-vision on such a strategy. If Karen was to ever battle will, it would be far into the future and there was every possibility that Will would iron out his weaknesses by that time. Still, they both thanked me for my information.
  
  Returning back to the present, the distant blaring of a ship's horn let us know that the Sinnoh delegation was about to arrive. Before they did, Lance quickly turned to us.
  
  "Right, I know some of you here would rather be somewhere else at the moment." He focused his look on Walker, who had his match against Lorelei scheduled for tomorrow, "But it's important that we are in full attendance today. I know that within the Sinnoh delegation is someone from their Elite Four, so I expect your full courtesy today."
  
  We all nodded, and Lance continued, "Good. Don't worry Walker, you're all free to leave after we get through the diplomatic courtesies. I look forward to seeing your battle tomorrow."
  
  Walker gave a small word of thanks before returning to his stoic expression, trying but failing to conceal his nervousness. Inwardly, I wished for him to give the best performance of his career. I too was looking forward to an exciting match.
  
  Moments later, the ship had finally docked itself in the ports of Vermillion. A bridge was quickly dropped down over the side, and many very official looking people started making their way down the steps as the reporters, who had attached themselves to us, began snapping shots of them.
  
  Among the sea of faceless League officials, I spotted a familiar old lady descending from the ship, followed by another less-familiar looking old lady. What's with today and old ladies?
  
  "Champion Lance, may I have the honour of introducing to you Elite Bertha, of the Sinnoh Elite Four." One League official greeted before he stepped back to allow Bertha to take his place with her own greetings. She was looking rather similar to her in-game appearance, with her hair already fully grey.
  
  "Champion Lance, it is an honour to meet you." They shook hands together and as they quickly exchanged introductions, "Behind me today, I have the honour to present a few of Sinnoh's prominent scientists and archaeologists that have travelled here today, both to learn more about your Pokémon and culture, but also to share ours as well."
  
  "And, as thanks for hosting us and your lovely reception, we have also brought gifts for the Indigo League." She waved a hand behind her as a League official brought forwards a decorated box that was opened carefully for the wall of cameras, revealing a small assortment of stones cushioned in red velvet, "We offer a gift of Shiny stones and Dawn stones for the Indigo League to make use of. This is just a small sample size of them, more will be provided later."
  
  Lance received the box with both hands, inspecting the stones inside for a moment before responding with a polite smile, "You have our thanks for this magnificent gift, Elite Bertha. Please, allow me to introduce the Indigo Elite Four." He then gestured to the four of us, each of us bowing politely as he did so.
  
  Then came the mandatory photo session. Pictures were quickly snapped of us shaking hands and smiling for the cameras. I noticed that, amidst the Sinnoh delegation, they had brought their own reporters as well.
  
  With the photo-op done, we moved out of the Vermillion Ports and were escorted to a reserved hotel that specialized in hosting diplomats where we would separate. I followed them silently as Lance and Bertha began a quiet conversation.
  
  As we walked, I was approached by the other familiar-looking old lady in a lab coat.
  
  "Elite John, it's so good to finally meet you. You don't know how many questions I have for you." She greeted excitedly.
  
  I gave her a confused look for a moment before my eyes snapped to her lab coat and hair. It took me a moment, but I realized that these were the people Lance had mentioned to me before.
  
  "Ah, yes, it's good to meet you too...?" I replied, the name just missing from the tip of my tongue.
  
  "The name's Carolina, Professor Carolina." She replied, and I nodded as the pieces finally fell in place. "I'm the head of the Celestic Town Historical Research Center, where we specialize in researching Sinnoh's historical ruins and other archaeological sites. I'm not sure if your Champion informed you, but we were particularly interested in your Ursaluna and Wyrdeer evolutions."
  
  "Yes, Lance did inform me, and I'm honoured to be meeting someone as esteemed in Sinnoh's scientific community as you." I said with a little flattery, "How may I help you?"
  
  She looked around and saw that a few people were trying to eavesdrop on our conversation, "Not here." She remarked, "I hope you don't mind if we discuss this later, ideally in someplace more private."
  
  I nodded and ended our conversation there. The rest of the walk went quietly before we all eventually arrived at the reserved building. As we all arrived, Lance spoke up.
  
  "My thanks once again to the Sinnoh delegation for journeying all the way here with their gifts. For anyone with no further appointments, please feel free to rest and relax." He explained as he gestured to the many rooms of the hotel, "Otherwise, this hotel is specialized for hosting diplomats and comes with many conference rooms and other workspaces. It has been reserved entirely for your use, so feel free to make use of them."
  
  With the announcement out of the way and the formalities properly adhered to, everyone began splitting up. I noticed Bertha accompanying Lance with a small delegation where they headed off somewhere, probably to discuss the possibility of the opening of Sinnoh's borders to Indigo. Most others, including the other 3 members of the Indigo Elite Four, chose to head home or to their new rooms.
  
  I looked around to see if I could spot Professor Carolina before I was flagged down by one of her assistants and escorted to one of the private conference rooms. Inside, I found Professor Carolina and a few other lab coats were waiting for me.
  
  "I think this is a better place to host our discussions, don't you think?" Carolina said to me as I entered before she gestured to the other members around the table. "These are my fellow scientists and assistants from the Celestic Town Research Center."
  
  We quickly went through a round of introductions before Carolina got to the heart of the matter.
  
  "Now, as I said, we here are all very curious and excited to learn more about your Ursaluna and Wyrdeer evolutions. You might not know this, but we have long-held evidence that your evolutions had once existed in Sinnoh but had gone simply extinct overtime. Thus, when I heard that a young man in Indigo had made such discoveries which proved our theories correct, we just had to meet you and see them for ourselves."
  
  "Oh? Well consider me flattered." I said, trying to stay humble, "Well, I'd be very honoured to help you learn more about these long-forgotten discoveries. What would you need me to do?"
  
  Carolina looked around at the other scientists before speaking, "We don't have any equipment at the moment do any large tests, but we do want to make our initial observations first. Not here though, there's not enough space. Today, we're just here to discuss the future of our relations with you. Am I correct in saying you want to work with us more in the future?"
  
  I nodded, "Yes, I'm very interested in learning more about new Pokémon. One of the main reasons I was so excited for Sinnoh to open their borders was for the opportunity to learn about the unique Pokémon that you have in your region."
  
  Carolina gave me a rueful grin, "Well, many of us in Sinnoh also want to open our borders to you for similar reasons, although those crusty traditionalists on the committee are being stubborn as usual." She grimaced, "Anyways, I'm glad that you're so interested in helping us. Of course, we won't be asking for your assistance without giving anything back, so what kind of compensation would you be seeking for your time?"
  
  I frowned and contemplated about it for a bit. What DID I want for my time that these people could offer me?
  
  I suppose my biggest interest would be to be able to explore and catch new Normal types in Sinnoh. Like I mentioned before, I was very interested in catching myself a Lopunny. Also, I was also very interested in seeing if I could 'discover' any more Hisuian evolutions. In particular, I would love to have a Hisuian Zoroark if I could find one; that would be an amazing addition to my team.
  
  I inwardly nodded as I made my decision, "Well, I hope this isn't too big of an ask, but I would love to be able to explore more of Sinnoh when you finally open your borders. I would love to be an honorary explorer and be given supervised access to any ruins that you might have discovered."
  
  Carolina's eyes widened slightly with surprise at my request, "That's...an unusual request. Truthfully, I thought you would have asked for something more monetary. Or perhaps a rare Pokémon from our labs."
  
  I shrugged, "Money's not really an issue for me anymore." The family business was raking huge amounts recently, which my parents and I were very pleased about. "And I much prefer to catch my own Pokémon if I could. I find that it helps establish a closer bond between Pokémon and trainer."
  
  "I see." She replied, before she looked around at the other scientists as she they shared a silent discussion, "Well, I don't think there'll be any problems on that front accommodating that request. Though, I am curious, what makes you so interested in exploring our ruins?"
  
  "This is just a theory of mine, but I believe that, when Pokémon are left to their natural environment free from human interference, then we are more likely to see the true potential of the Pokémon." I explained.
  
  "Could you elaborate on that?" A random scientist asked.
  
  "Okay, let's look at my newest discovery of the D-Zigzagoon. I assume you've all read through my article on it." They all nodded, "Right, I hypothesized in that article that these 'alternate forms' are just undiscovered potential forms of the Pokémon. Thus, in the case of a D-Zigzagoon, if we had just placed a Zigzagoon in an environment where it would be exposed to Dark type energy over a long period of time, it might have naturally laid eggs that would have transformed into D-Zigzagoon."
  
  "Using that logic, I figured that these ruins, which are often in areas of unusual or hostile environments, lend the most potential to creating alternate forms of Pokémon as they have to adapt to their environments." I continued, "This is why I want to be given an opportunity to prove my theory by investigating more ruins in Sinnoh."
  
  This was a hypothesis formed from what I knew of canon. Obviously, I knew that regional and alternate forms existed, and they were likely created from their unusual environments. From that, I extrapolated that Hisuian forms were likely created from similar conditions. Thus, I figured that the best place to be hunting for Hisuian forms would be in those ruins.
  
  I couldn't guarantee that my theory was correct, but anyways I felt that given the opportunity to explore the ruins would be a great trade for my time.
  
  "...that's an interesting hypothesis, and something well worth testing out." Carolina admitted, "Truthfully, we've held on our theories that a few Pokémon that are currently labelled as extinct aren't actually extinct but are hiding in some undiscovered ruin in Sinnoh. We're hoping that some intrepid explorer could shine a light on our theories one day."
  
  "Anyways, thank you for indulging this old lady's curiosity." She said, adopting a small smile, "Returning to the point, I would be very happy to grant you permission to explore the ruins under our supervision. Of course, you'd have to wait for those old fogeys in the Sinnoh committee to open up our borders first."
  
  "It's not a worry. Thanks as well for granting my request." I replied, "Okay, so how are we going to work together? I assume that you've got a place in mind for setting up all your big research equipment?"
  
  Carolina nodded, "Yes, I think our assistants and some handymen are hauling most of our equipment off the ship now towards our new lab. Your Champion has helped us obtain permission from Vermillion City for establishing a small temporary research facility here. We'll be staying in Vermillion for the time being, and maybe if our research proves fruitful, we might look into setting up a branch office here in the future."
  
  "Oh, that's very interesting." I remarked, "So, I guess then I'll be meeting up with you at your new building when you've finished moving everything in?"
  
  "Yes, that's the plan, at least." She replied, "From what we've been told, it's a repurposed office building, so it shouldn't take too long to set everything up. Please, let us exchange contact details so that we may communicate and decide when we should meet up."
  
  With that, we exchanged contact details and a promise to continue our discussions at a future date.
  
  "Oh, John, before you head out, do you have any theories on why you were able to discover Ursaluna and Wyrdeer?" She asked curiously, "I mean, there are plenty of regular Ursaring and Stantlers' in Indigo, and yet none have recorded to have evolved. So, how did you figure it out?"
  
  "Luck." Was what I said immediately, obviously hiding my meta-knowledge, "There aren't that many Normal specialists out there, as many see Normal types as just one of your more basic types to let newbie trainers learn about training their Pokémon. But, since I was one of the few that actually took Normal types to the Elite level, I was able to train with my Ursaring and Stantler to practice high level moves that most others wouldn't bother to try."
  
  "Then, it just a matter of luck to get the evolutions. With Ursaring, I wanted him to learn and master Earthquake and Rock type moves for general type coverage. That mastery of geokinesis ultimately triggered his evolution into an Ursaluna. Later, with my Stantler, he naturally knew a lot of Psychic types moves from his movepool. So, I ended up triggering his evolution into a Wyrdeer as I naturally began to train his Psychic moves."
  
  Left unsaid was the fact that I deliberately trained my Pokémon specifically to trigger the evolution, but the Sinnoh scientists seemed to buy my explanation.
  
  "That's a very lucky coincidence then, though I'm sure you were just being humble." Carolina remarked, "Hmm...that could mean that there are other evolutions that we've missed that could be evolved like this. Well, thank you anyways for that explanation. As usual, it's always better to actually speak to a person than to read through an article. I hope for our cooperation together to be fruitful and productive."
  
  With that, I shook hands with each and every one of the scientists, before I said my goodbyes and exited the room. I started to make my way out of the hotel, and as I turned a corner, I suddenly stumbled as I bumped into one.
  
  "Oh, pardon me." I said, apologizing. Then I paused as I recognised who I had just bumped into. It was Bertha.
  
  "No worries." Bertha said, looking me over with scrutiny until her eyes widened with realization, "OH! You're the young Elite Four member. Champion Lance spoke very highly of you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Elite John. I'm Bertha."
  
  I shook her hand, "Please, just call me John. And it's a pleasure to meet you as well. How have you been finding Indigo so far?"
  
  "Well, it was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be." She admitted, causing me to raise an eyebrow curiously, prompting her to explain, "You see, I had the displeasure of meeting your previous Champion when he spoke with our Sinnoh League about opening our borders. I didn't have the best impression of him and was worried that this trip to Indigos would be a terrible thing."
  
  "Luckily, speaking to your new Champion has alleviated most of my concerns, and hopefully most of the concerns of the Sinnoh committee." She continued, "Champion Lance has been more than accommodating with our concerns, and I predict good things to come out of our two regions."
  
  "Well, I'm very happy to hear that." I replied with a small smile, "Champion Pryce...wasn't the best for Indigo during his later years, and I've been hopefully optimistic about Lance's leadership. I was one of his greatest supporters, you see, and I'm glad he lives up to my expectations."
  
  "Oh? Someone so young is so influential?" She chuckled as I hid a blush, "Ah, I think the other members of the Sinnoh Elite Four would have loved to meet you. Unfortunately, they're stuck back there in Sinnoh and sent me instead. Still, it would be great to show you around Sinnoh one day."
  
  "I'm sure I would love it." I said truthfully, "I'll be looking forward to that."
  
  The two of us parted ways after that, and I returned home with a slight spring in my step as I reflected on the discussions that I had today.
  
  From what I've inferred, it seems like Sinnoh was getting close to opening their borders to Indigo, which I hoped meant that I would have the opportunity to explore Sinnoh soon. There were so many things I hoped to achieve there, and I really hoped that I was allowed to do so.
  
  As I flew back home on Port, I made sure to text Giovanni about Bertha's comments about Lance and her confidence in him. I figured that I should reassure him that the new Johto Champion wasn't about to sink Kanto like Pryce was. He was already having a conniption over his fears regarding Lorelei; there was no need to add to the stress.
  
  Idly, I also realized that with the closest Port between Sinnoh and Indigo being at Vermillion City, this did open up more avenues of investment opportunity for Kanto. I made a note of it and promised to discuss this detail with my parents. Who knows, maybe this would be another opportunity to expand the family Moomoo milk business?
  
  Either way, tomorrow was proving to be exciting. Lorelei's challenge against Walker was tomorrow, and I really wondered if she was going to win.
  
  If she did, how would she stir up the politics of Indigo?
  
  A.N. And John's making more connections with the Sinnoh delegation. Hope you enjoyed his conversations, and the setup that's being done for later!
  
  To clarify a few thing regarding John's descriptions of Ursaluna's evolution, you STILL need Peat. But because Peat is realistically something very common (its just mud), and full moons are common enough, I added the geokinesis requirement because it made more sense that way considering Ursaluna becomes a Ground/Normal type. Otherwise, you'd just have plenty of ursaluna everywhere when it's supposed to have been 'lost to time'.
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-4 - A Battle for their Futures
  
  Once again in under a month, the next day I found myself sitting within the VIP section of the spectator stands for the upcoming match between Lorelei and Walker. Obviously, unlike last time, Karen wasn't here as it was far from appropriate. Instead, her presence was replaced by Lance and Will, the latter of which seemed to be silently avoiding me.
  
  I wonder how long it would take for his ego to recover from his loss against me. At least he was trying to hide it.
  
  "Has anyone looked into Lorelei?" Lance asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
  
  "I have." I answered, accidentally cutting off Will who was about to speak. "Though I never fought her during my time in the Indigo Conference, my research of her previous matches shows that she's basically Pryce Jr., which isn't that surprising. She's been known to make great use of her Ice type Pokémon to control the arena and the fight."
  
  "Yes, my contacts have said the same." Will added, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the blatant attempt to show off. "She failed to achieve much of anything during her short time as a Gym Leader, but many suspect that she's been secretly training for this match against Walker."
  
  "Arceus! The youth these days really enjoy saying a whole lot of nothing, don't they?" Agatha scoffed, causing Will's eyes to narrow in anger or embarrassment.
  
  "The both of you make good observations." Lance spoke up placatingly, "I myself also checked up on Lorelei as well after her announcement, and I've been fairly impressed with her battles. She is nowhere near as strong as Pryce, but she doesn't seem to make the same mistakes that he did."
  
  "Hah! Yes, the girl's too young to have a stick up her backside like her uncle." Agatha chuckled, "Maybe that would be enough for her to overcome Walker."
  
  Before she could say anything more, the announcer began his opening speech in his usual booming voice.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO ANOTHER FANTASTIC OCCASION FOR EVERYONE IN INDIGO! NOT LONG AFTER CHAMPION LANCE'S ASCENSION, WE HAVE A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THE ELITE FOUR! AND IT IS A GREAT HONOUR TO ONCE AGAIN BE YOUR HOST FOR TODAY'S EVENT!"
  
  I thanked Arceus again that I didn't need to be in the regular stands as the crowd began loudly cheering. I did not want to become prematurely deaf. And I felt bad for Karen for having to endure it.
  
  "NOW PLEASE WELCOME TODAY'S DEFENDING MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR, THE ACE OF FLYING TYPES, ELITE WALKER!" Despite his relatively poor reputation amongst the Elite Four, Walker still got a huge roaring cheer as he made his way into the arena. As the cameras got closer, it was evident that he was filled with stress and nervous energy. But upon closer inspection, his eyes were focused and ready, and his head held high. He might be walking to his defeat, but he would not simply fold over.
  
  "AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, PLEASE WELCOME TODAY'S CHALLENGER, THE NIECE OF THE PREVIOUS CHAMPION, GYM LEADER LORELEI!" Unlike Walker, my eyes widened with surprise as the only reception that Lorelei got as she entered the stage was a stifling and condemning silence, with only sporadic clap from a few spectators. I thought I heard the occasional boo from the crowd as well.
  
  The cameras quickly snapped to Lorelei to take in her reaction, but all they got was stoic acceptance and determination, as if she had anticipated and accepted her frosty reception.
  
  "The girl's got spunk, that's for sure." Agatha commented as she stared at Lorelei, "She's definitely not the fan favourite between her and Walker. And I didn't think that was a sentence I would ever say."
  
  "Well, I think she deserves the cold reception she got." Will said, crossing his arms, "The way she exploited her undeserved position as a Gym Leader to challenge the Elite Four without winning the Indigo Conference is disgraceful!" He turned to me, "Don't you agree, John? After all, you worked hard to win the Indigo Conference."
  
  I shrugged, "Eh. I had time to think about it when I heard that she was making the challenge. Honestly, I'm indifferent. If she wins against Walker in this match, then I'd support her entry into the Elite Four. I'm fairly sure that this is something that was carefully weighed and planned by her, so she must have decided that the alternative was worse."
  
  "Fully agreed." Lance added, causing Will to frown, "I was against her appointment as the Gym Leader of Mahogany because of how nepotistic it was. But, if she wins against Walker in a fair challenge like this, then who am I to hold her back? If she wins, then she has proven her strength, and thus deserves her position. Whether she can keep it though...that's another matter entirely."
  
  The announcer's voice boomed out before Lance could say anything more. "AND TODAY'S MATCH WILL BE A SIX-ON-SIX BATTLE, THREE SWITCHES ALLOWED. STANDARD RULES, WITH NO COMMERCIAL BREAKS!"
  
  "NOW LET'S START THE BATTLE! COUNT DOWN WITH ME!" I heard many of the crowd roaring in support of Walker. Personally, I had no idea who was more likely to win.
  
  "THREE!" Both trainers looked ready. Walker had swallowed his nervousness, while Lorelei looked as stiff as a statue.
  
  "TWO!" Their eyes both narrowed into glares, but Lorelei's was far more intense. It was as if she was putting her hopes and dreams into this match and would knock over anything in her way.
  
  "ONE!" They both released their Pokémon.
  
  A Pidgeot and a Cloyster emerged onto the field. At first glance, both appeared to be highly trained Pokémon that were obviously at the Elite level but compared to the Pokémon used by Pryce and Lance...they were honestly a little underwhelming. They lacked the presence of the Champions' Pokémon.
  
  Regardless, it seemed like Lorelei sought to prove my thoughts wrong as she immediately started off the battle.
  
  "Icicle Spear, Cloyster!"
  
  "Quick Attack and make some distance, Pidgeot!"
  
  Cloyster quickly began rapidly firing off a volley of Icicle Spears in 5-round bursts, forcing the Pidgeot to show of its impressive flight speed as it flew away just before the Cloyster quickly blanketed the area in sharp spears of Ice.
  
  Seeing that the Pidgeot began flying away, Lorelei quickly gave a new command.
  
  "Set up the Snow, NOW!"
  
  Before Pidgeot could counterattack, Cloyster instantly started releasing a gust of cold air from its body that wafted towards the sky, forming dark clouds that began to snow.
  
  Just by seeing her opening moves, I felt that I had pieced together Lorelei's plan. She was making use of her Cloyster's naturally high defenses, coupled with an intimidating salvo of Icicle Spears, to quickly discourage any close-range engagements from Walker. Then, using the opening provided, she would quickly set up the Snow for her team that hopefully would last for the entire battle.
  
  With the Snow in place, I expected that she hoped to use her Snow-boosted Ice attacks and inherent type advantage to win in a long-range battle. It was a good plan, and honestly what I believed Pryce should have done against Lance in his battle.
  
  Considering the grimace on Walker's face, I'm sure he had also comprehended Lorelei's plan as well. However, whether he was able to do anything about it was a completely different story.
  
  But Walker seemed to be able to read my thoughts as he ordered his next move.
  
  "Hurricane, Pidgeot! Overwhelm it!"
  
  "Blizzard, Cloyster! Match it!"
  
  Two huge pillars of swirling winds formed in front of each Pokémon, one made of powerful and cutting gales, while the other of chilling and freezing winds. As each Pokémon fired off their attacks, each of their own tornados threatened to consume the other, eventually colliding in the middle of the arena.
  
  However, whether due to the boost from the Blizzard or from the inherent type disadvantage of Flying types against Ice, the Blizzard broke through the gales of the Hurricane and rushed towards the Pidgeot.
  
  "Dodge and Air Slash, Pidgeot! Speed up!"
  
  "Ice Beam, Cloyster! Keep up the pressure!"
  
  Pidgeot let out a screech as it dove away from the speeding vortex of ice and frost, which spun dangerously close towards Pidgeot. To its credit, Pidgeot quickly showed off its speed once again as it dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the ensnaring gales of wind and firing off its own Air Slashes.
  
  Wind blades met beams of Ice as both attacks smashed against each other in the air. This exchange of blows continued with some time, with Pidgeot making use of its superb mobility to fly circles around the stationary Cloyster. However, for all of its mobility, Pidgeot was unable to break through the superior power of Cloyster's Ice Beams.
  
  It was an admirable display of all the training Lorelei must have done with her Cloyster for it to maintain such stamina and accuracy, where it still managed to track and pressure the Pidgeot with a constant barrage of precision shots. And a mobile Pidgeot, especially one as well-trained as Walker's was, was not an easy target. Not at such distances.
  
  After the stalemate lingered on for some time, Cloyster's persistence finally paid off as it landed a lucky shot. A lone Ice Beam seemed to come at an unexpected angle towards Pidgeot, surprising it and clipping one of its wings with a glancing shot. Boosted by the Snow as it was, frost crystals rapidly spread across its wing, freezing it over.
  
  With a panicked screech and deprived of one of its wings, Pidgeot rapidly began falling uncontrollably out of the air as it could no longer steady itself.
  
  "Icicle Spear, Cloyster! While it can't dodge!"
  
  "Dodge and Roost, Pidgeot! You need to recover!"
  
  Lorelei was quick to pounce on this new opportunity as Cloyster fired a barrage of Icicle spears at the falling Pidgeot. Despite Walker's orders to dodge, Pidgeot's frozen wing ripped away all of its famed mobility, and it was unable to dodge out of the way in time before a hail of spears crashed into it. Pidgeot was subsequently buried in an avalanche of Icicle Spears, defeated and unconscious.
  
  "AND WALKER'S PIDGEOT GOES DOWN! A DECISIVE KNOCKOUT BY THE CHALLENGER LORELEI, WHO NOW LEADS THE FIGHT 1-0!" There were no boos coming from the crowd, but the audience's response to her victory was quite lacklustre. Still, the announcer continued on as if he didn't notice. "ELITE WALKER NOW HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON! WILL HE BE ABLE TO REVERSE HIS FORTUNES?!"
  
  "Hmm...not a bad start." Lance commented thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he observed Lorelei's Cloyster, "Definitely than a better showing than I feared. Looks like she really put in work to it."
  
  "Bah. Of course, she did." Agatha bit out, "You were going to kick her out of being Gym Leader soon enough if she didn't make the challenge. Of course she's going to go all-in on this match. This is her future, after all."
  
  "I'm surprised she didn't ask for help." I said, "Maybe she could have offered something in exchange for help."
  
  But Agatha shook her head at me, "No, think harder, boy. Then that would undermine the message that she's trying to show. Her victory must be achieved from her own merits to prove her strength to the public. Getting help would compromise that."
  
  I nodded in understanding just as Walker sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Avenge your friend, Pelipper! Start setting up with an Agility!"
  
  "Set up the Snow again and Icicle Spear, Cloyster! Knock it out!"
  
  As soon as the Pelipper emerged from its Pokéball, it started glowing with a faint pink glow as it began boosting its speed. Furthermore, Pelipper's Drizzle immediately caused rain to pour from above. But Lorelei was quick to act on this, choosing to make use of the precious seconds while Pelipper was setting up to reinforce her control of the weather by returning it to Snow. Then, Cloyster sent out another wave of Icicle spears that blanketed the skies once again as they began their deadly descent. But Walker seemed ready for them.
  
  "Protect and rush them, Pelipper!"
  
  Using its boosted speed, Pelipper immediately began rushing towards Cloyster while forming a Protect shield above itself to protect against the rain of Icicle Spears. The Protect shield managed to block a significant number of spears, and Pelipper's natural bulk allowed it to withstand against the rest.
  
  "Get as close to it and Air Slash, Pelipper!"
  
  "Make some distance, Cloyster! Drive it off with a Rock Blast!"
  
  Walker cunningly capitalized on Cloyster's poor Special Defenses as his Pelipper began bombarding the Cloyster with a barrage of close-range Air Slashes. The blades of gale winds cut deeply into the Cloyster, causing the occasional flinch that interrupted its attempts to fire off its own volley of rocks.
  
  This was Walker's favourite tried-and-true strategy that he frequently employed; making use of his higher mobility Flying Pokémon to doggedly harass and wear down a slower opponent. A simple plan that nonetheless remained effective at whittling down his opponents.
  
  Here, Cloyster was unable to break away from the hounding Pelipper, the latter making use of its superior boosted speed to continue its assault endlessly. All the while firing off cutting bldes of winds with each flap of its wings. Things were going from bad to worse for Cloyster, as it rapidly began running out of options while it constantly was pummelled by an unending wave of Air Slashes that chipped away at its health as it was unable to back away and make space.
  
  Perhaps Lorelei could have switched out her Cloyster earlier to prevent such a scenario, but it was too late now. Cloyster had taken too much damage to be useful in the future, even if it was swapped out.
  
  Realizing the situation was doomed, Lorelei resorted to a final attack.
  
  "Icy Wind, Cloyster! You NEED to lower its speed!"
  
  Understanding the desperation in its trainer's command, Cloyster visibly braced itself as it fired off one last gust of freezing wind towards the Pelipper, just as the Pelipper fired off one more round of Air Slashes.
  
  Both attacks struck their targets, and Pelipper was engulfed and slowed by the freezing Icy Wind. However, an Air Slash cut right into the core of Cloyster, landing a critical hit that Cloyster was no longer able to endure and was knocked out.
  
  "OH, AND A QUICK RETALIATING KNOCK-OUT FROM ELITE WALKER'S PELIPPER! OVERWHELMING THE CLOYSTER BEFORE BRINGING IT DOWN WITH AN UNRELENTING SERIES OF ATTACKS! THIS PUTS THE SCORE AT 1-1!" The announcer's voice boomed out once more, the crowd cheering wildly at Walker's victory. "CAN LORELEI RESPOND TO THIS THREAT? SHE HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT-"
  
  "Go, Froslass! As we planned!"
  
  A small white Ghost floated on the battlefield, and the entire Elite Four, plus Lance, all jerked forwards with various degrees of surprise as we were all stunned by Lorelei's next Pokémon.
  
  "Where did she get that?!" Lance half-asked and half-demanded, "She shouldn't have access to Sinnoh Pokémon so soon!"
  
  "Perhaps she was gifted a Dawn Stone from her uncle? Or maybe she just had a Dawn Stone lying around somewhere." Will suggested, and Lance nodded after a moment to think. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Will smirking to himself, proud at the praise.
  
  "Yes, that does make sense. Damn Pryce and his nepotism." Lance muttered angrily as he settled back into his seat. "His Abomasnow nearly humiliated me, and I'm displeased to see another 'surprise' like this showing up."
  
  "Oh, calm it with your incessant pride." Agatha cut in with a scoff, "I thought all you cared about was if she deserved her title. Well, let her prove it to you."
  
  Lance didn't respond, but he visibly calmed himself with a few deep breaths. "Fine. We'll see how she utilizes it."
  
  And Lorelei seemed to have unconsciously heard Lance's words, because she started off with a bang.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Froslass! Bring it down!"
  
  "PROTECT! NOW!"
  
  A small explosion rocked the battlefield as Froslass began the battle with a bang as she struck the Pelipper with a bolt of Thunder, who narrowly blocked it in time with a Protect shield. Then, with her vastly superior speed, she continued bombarding the slower Pelipper with an onslaught of 4x supereffective attacks, constantly crashing down Thunderbolts against her opponent.
  
  Honestly, I think any Elite trainer could tell that they Froslass' Thunderbolts weren't that powerful, and that Lorelei had clearly used a TM to teach her the move. But that didn't really matter; Frolass was able to make use of her inherently superior speed and Pelipper's devastating typ weakness against Electric attacks to her advantage.
  
  "Quick Attack and get out of there, Pelipper!"
  
  "Keep up the pressure, Froslass! Chase after it!"
  
  Pelipper tried to use Quick Attack to dash away with a burst of speed, but Froslass' insanely fast base speed quickly caught up with the fleeing Pelipper and chased after it with a stream of continuous Thunderbolts, targeting Pelipper's critical weakness. Pelipper valiantly tried to swoop and dive away from the rain of Thunderbolts, but Froslass was in hot pursuit and continued to pile on the pressure.
  
  It was solely due to Pelipper's aerial manoeuvrability that allowed it to dodge the attacks. It seemed to know just when to fake a dive before swerving somewhere else, or when to suddenly adjust its speed and when to burst forwards. Even with a traditionally slower Flying type, Pelipper's surprising agility made it incredibly difficult to hit.
  
  This was why Walker was a famed trainer, even if he was considered to be the weakest of the Elite Four. This level of aerial manoeuvrability was envious; Zephyr could not perform to this level with technique alone.
  
  But, even with this display of skill, Walker remained in a bad position.
  
  "Air Slash, Pelipper! Knock it away!"
  
  "Dodge in the snowstorm, Froslass! And keep chasing it!"
  
  Pelipper attempted to retaliate by firing a few Air Slashes backwards towards the chasing Froslass to hopefully buy some space, but Frolass made use of its own excellent mobility and speed, as well as the concealment provided by Snow Cloak in the Snow, to nimbly evade past the incoming attacks. All the while never letting up on the pressure and repeatedly firing off Thunderbolts.
  
  The situation was ironic. Whether intentionally or otherwise, Lorelei had flipped the table on Walker and was now making use of his own preferred strategy against him. Walker likely never expected Lorelei to have an Ice type that could be faster than his own Flying types. Which wasn't an unfair assumption, considering how naturally slow most Ice types were.
  
  Increasingly desperate, and realizing the situation was only going to get worse from here, Walker switched tactics as he realized that his Pelipper was unable to escape.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Pelipper!"
  
  "NOW! THUNDERBOLT!"
  
  I winced as soon as I heard Walker's command. I knew it to be a mistake. And sure enough, as soon as Pelipper stopped to begin charging up its Hydro Pump, a devastating Thunderbolt crashed down from above, causing it to fall out of the sky, barely holding onto consciousness.
  
  "Finish it off with another Thunderbolt!"
  
  Despite remaining unscathed, Froslass had exhausted most of her energy with her constant spam of Thunderbolts. Still, she had enough left in the tank to fire off one last burst of Thunder that crashed down like a glowing spear from Arceus on the fallen and helpless Pelipper to knock it out of the battle.
  
  There was no getting up from that one.
  
  "OH, WHAT AN AMAZING SHOWING FROM THAT RARE POKEMON FROM LORELEI! I THINK I RECOGNIZE IT FROM SINNOH; HOW DID SHE GET THAT POKEMON!? REGARDLESS, SHE NOW LEADS THE MATCH 2-1!" The crowd once again gave another half-hearted applause at her victory. Some were probably upset at her use of a 'unobtainable' Pokémon giving her an unfair advantage, which I personally felt that such sentiments were ridiculous. "AND NOW WALKER HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  "Hmph. It doesn't look that well-trained to me." Lance muttered bitterly, though there was no heat in it.
  
  "Oh, are you a child?" Agatha scoffed scathingly, eyeing Lorelei with interest. "She did fine with it. She made great use of its strengths to beat out a more well-trained Pokémon. Personally, I can't wait to see what she'd do next. Stop projecting your bitterness on her, she doesn't deserve it."
  
  Lance frowned but didn't say anything more. I was amused at Lance's petulance but kept it to myself. Who knew that Lance could hold grudges like this? I didn't have a chance to dwell on this further as Walker sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Crobat, it's your turn."
  
  A large purple bat appeared on the battlefield, quickly swooping up in the air with powerful flaps of its wings, hinting at its well-trained speed and mobility. I saw Lorelei stiffen with a frown as she took in Crobat's appearance. She must have known that this was the fastest out of all of Walker's Pokémon, and he had likely sent it out now to out-speed and dominate Lorelei's Froslass. In fact, I was fairly certain that even my Zephyr would not be able to out-speed it.
  
  I wondered what she would do in response.
  
  "Steel Wing, Crobat! Get in close!"
  
  "Aurora Veil, Froslass!"
  
  With hardly a warning, Crobat shot forwards like a bullet, being little more than a blur with its wings gleaming in the air as it charged towards the Froslass. Amidst the Snow, Froslass cried out and became surrounded by a veil of rainbow-coloured aura, which gradually expanded outwards from it to form an intangible yet persistent shield around Froslass. The shield managed to form just in time before Crobat came crashing into it with a gleaming Steel Wing, mercilessly bashing the Froslass aside as she cried out in pain from the super-effective hit.
  
  Froslass was barely able to recover from that attack, and I suspected that only the Defense boost from the Snow kept it conscious.
  
  "Refresh the Snow, Froslass!"
  
  "Steel Wing again, Crobat! Finish it off!"
  
  My eyes bulged at the command. What was she doing?! Shouldn't she be making use of her high Special Attack to at least damage the Crobat? Why waste time idly setting up the Snow when the next attack threatened to knock you out?
  
  But my thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of Agatha's laugh.
  
  "HAHAHA! What a clever girl!" She cackled, a hint of pride and satisfaction in her voice. "My...if I hadn't taken in Karen for an apprentice, I would be very interested in her." Her words elicited confused looks from Will, and a considering one from me and Lance.
  
  I turned to Lorelei to see if I could gauge anything from her reaction. She was stoic, with fists tightly clenched as she stared at the approaching Crobat like a hunter waiting for its prey.
  
  And then it clicked for me. The gears snapped in place. It was a trap!
  
  "DESTINY BOND!"
  
  "STOP, CROBAT-!"
  
  Walker screamed out to his Crobat to abort the attack, but it was too late. Froslass' eyes glowed a menacing purple just as Crobat's Steel Wing smashed powerfully into her, promptly knocking her out. But from her fainted body, a ghostly energy emerged and wrapped itself around the Crobat, instantly causing it to faint.
  
  Silence descended momentarily on the battle as the audience tried to comprehend what just happened. I could understand; I was in a similar state of shock.
  
  Then, almost in sync, the crowd exploded in a mixture of jeers and cheers as the crowd didn't know what to make of Lorelei's strategy.
  
  The announcer said it best, "OH, WHAT A SURPRISING DOUBLE KNOCKOUT PLAY FROM LORELEI! USING DESTINY BOND TO BRING DOWN A SUPERIOR FOE AFTER SETTING UP THE SNOW ONCE AGAIN! WAS THIS A CUNNING PLAN? OR A DISHONORABLE TACTIC?! EITHER WAY, THE BATTLE IS NOW 3-2! BOTH TRAINERS HAVE 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  "...An impressive strategy." Lance admitted slightly begrudgingly, though he seemed to be viewing Lorelei with a new light. "I was curious to see how she would bring down Walker's second strongest Pokémon, and this certainly was not what I was expecting."
  
  "Hah! That's why Ghost types are the best." Agatha bragged haughtily, "Walker was a fool to not expect such a plan. After all, he's spent years hanging around a master like me. He should have known better."
  
  Inwardly I shook my head, partially disagreeing with Agatha. Yes, it was a REALLY painful mistake for him to make, but considering the high-stakes circumstances that he was in, a lapse in memory could be expected. Especially from a non-Ghost specialist.
  
  I turned to where Walker was and could see a bitter and angry expression on his face. I could sympathize; I would be mad as well if a 'rookie' mistake like that cost me my second strongest Pokémon.
  
  "True enough, though I will give credit to Lorelei's plan." Lance said, tapping his fingers on the chair, "She made great use of her Froslass to both knock out two of Walker's Pokémon, and also refresh the Snow and set up the Aurora Veil for her future Pokémon. She's in a great spot and she fully utilised her Pokémon to the max. I approve."
  
  I nodded in agreement; Lance basically took the words out of my mouth. Lorelei had clearly planned extensively for this battle, and the results spoke for themselves. If she could keep this up, then she might be able to surpass Walker and earn herself a position in the Elite Four.
  
  I found that thought to be extremely exciting.
  
  A.N. I hope I showed that, even though Lorelei's much weaker than Pryce, she has a clearer mind and is able to properly utilize her Ice types to a great extent. Less brute force, and more strategic planning.
  
  Also, there unfortunately won't be a chapter on Wednesday, so the next chapter will come Friday. I'm sorry about this.
  
  BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-5 - INTERLUDE-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 5-5 - INTERLUDE - Lorelei
  
  'Three down, three to go. Halfway there.' She thought to herself as her eyes remained locked onto Walker's figure in the distance.
  
  Everything else didn't matter. Not the cheers or jeers that were being shouted out from the crowd, nor the obnoxious calls from the announcer. Her target was remained stubbornly in her way, and she refused to lose to him. It wasn't personal, but her future depended on this victory.
  
  She had a great start, with everything mostly going to plan. She had utilized her Froslass excellently, knocking out two of Walker's Pokémon, one of which was his powerful Crobat. She didn't intend for her Cloyster to go down to his Pelipper, but at least she knocked out Crobat with her Froslass. That was a key knockout.
  
  Now it was just about securing her victory using the advantageous position that she was in. She was not about to let victory slip through her hands.
  
  Absently, she heard the announcer say something about the need to send out her next Pokémon. She quickly ran through both her own options as well as Walker's likely choices in her head before she eventually grabbed hold of her next chosen Pokémon.
  
  They both released their Pokémon at the same time.
  
  "Jynx, you have the advantage!"
  
  "Tropius, shut her down!"
  
  As soon as her Jynx emerged on the field, she held back a smile as she watched the Aurora Veil slowly wrap around Jynx. Similarly, she felt a sense of relief wash through her as Walker chose to send out his Tropius against her Jynx; it would have been far more problematic if she had chosen her Slowbro instead.
  
  Putting that aside for the time being, she mentally dove into her research. Remembering what she had noted down, she was confident what Walker was likely intending to do with his Tropius, which was...
  
  "Sunny Day, Tropius! Get rid of the Snow!"
  
  "TAUNT, NOW!"
  
  A quick pulse of Dark energy shot out from Jynx, enveloping the Tropius before it could finish dispelling the Snow and setting up the Sun. Tropius' head snapped towards the Jynx as its expression reddened with rage.
  
  That was good. Denying Tropius the ability to fight underneath the Sun was critical for her chances of victory. She knew that Walker loved to make use of the Chlorophyll boosted Tropius to out-speed and overwhelm opponents with a spam of Solar Beams. Denying him this was an essential part of her plan.
  
  "Fine then. Tropius, Steel Wing! Cut through them!"
  
  "Ice Beam, Jynx! Strike it down!"
  
  The Tropius roared out into the air as it began its rage-fuelled charge towards her Jynx. Its large frame exploded forwards, causing Ice to collide with a reinforced Steel blade as the Tropius tried to cut through the Ice Beam with his Steel Wing. Tropius continued its charge forwards; its Steel blade deflecting the Ice Beam harmlessly to the side.
  
  She grimaced at the sheer speed shown by Walker's supposed 'slowest Pokémon', even without the Chlorophyll boost. Whoever had given it that misnomer was seriously misrepresenting things. Even with its large size, it easily outpaced most Pokémon, with a level of agility that you wouldn't expect from such a commonly slow Pokémon.
  
  This was Walker's training at its finest.
  
  Her frown grew as the two battled it out in a contest of strength. She cursed as she regretted not training her Jynx harder to bolster her Special Attack. She had thought that her Jynx would be strong enough to blast it backwards, but clearly not.
  
  Her fists clenched painfully as she watched on with increasing worry as her Jynx pushed herself to the limit to try to beat back the approaching Tropius. The Ice beam grew more intense, causing small crystals of frost to form on the ground below. But his Tropius appeared like an unstoppable juggernaut, his Steel Wing continued to cleave endlessly through her Ice Beam as Tropius continued to push forwards.
  
  Ultimately, with her Jynx's strength slowly waning as time went on, Tropius's Steel Wing suddenly sliced though the remains on the weakening Ice Beam before descending on Jynx with a supereffective crushing Steel Wing.
  
  Jynx cried out painfully as the Steel Wing slammed into her, sending her flying from the impact before eventually just landing short of the psychic barriers. Fortunately, as she watched Jynx scrap herself off the ground and pull herself back up, she was thankful that Jynx was spared from some of the damage due to the lingering protection from Froslass' Aurora Veil. However, Lorelei knew that the Aurora Veil won't last forever, so she had to make the most out of its provided protection before it went away.
  
  Thus, she decided to take a risk and made use of the sudden distance between their Pokémon.
  
  "Nasty Plot, Jynx! Boost yourself!"
  
  "Air Slash, Tropius! Interrupt her!"
  
  It was a huge risk to put her Jynx in such a vulnerable position, but she trusted in her Aurora Veil to protect her Jynx from at least being knocked out. It wasn't the best place to be, but she realized her Jynx really didn't hit hard enough to bring down the Tropius, despite her 4x type advantage.
  
  ...she really needed to train more.
  
  Jynx began to channel Dark energies within herself. But what took Lorelei off-guard was that, instead of a singular Air Slash that she was used to, Tropius retaliated with a volley of Air Slashes that were fired off two at a time that ripped through the battlefield as they shot forwards, gale wings blowing heavily in their wake, leaving a small trench that cut through the length of the arena as the attack flew. Tropius was making full use of its giant wingspan to maximize the power of the attack.
  
  She winced as the Air Slashes shredded through Jynx, and her fists clenched once more as she hoped that Jynx wouldn't flinch. But, as if to add insult to injury, the gale wings generated from the Air Slash was so strong that it actually began carrying rocks along too, causing Jynx to be peppered by these additional small projectiles.
  
  But her long hours of training had paid off, as Jynx was able to hang on using the waning strength of the Aurora Veil. Lorelei inwardly cheered as she saw a Dark aura settle within her Jynx, signifying that Jynx had successfully channelled her Nasty Plot; the onslaught of Air Slashes being just barely insufficient at knocking her Jynx out.
  
  Her Jynx was injured; cut up with a litany of wounds with her 'hair' now sliced and damaged. But now that they were on a more even field, it was time to retaliate.
  
  "Blizzard, Jynx!"
  
  "Charge up a Hyper Beam, Tropius! Annihilate her!"
  
  Both Pokémon immediately began charging up their most devastating moves. Yet she knew that if Tropius ever fired off that Hyper Beam, it was going to be the end for her Jynx. There was no chance she was going to be able to endure past such a powerful attack. Thus, Lorelei knew that her only hope was if Tropius got knocked out by the Blizzard before it could fire off the Hyper Beam.
  
  Fortunately for her, with the Snow still set up, her Blizzard was able to form instantly as freezing winds barrelled into Tropius, who was forced to remain stationary and charge up its own Hyper Beam. The Blizzard, boosted by Nasty Plot, quickly blanketed the entire arena in snow. Tropius roared in anguish as the Blizzard dug painfully into it, taking full advantage of its 4x weakness, with the freezingly cutting winds slicing endlessly through Tropius.
  
  But it frustratingly refused to fall, continually charging up that damned Hyper Beam from its mouth. Lorelei clenched her fists tightly as she stared at the Tropius, wishing to Arceus that it would JUST. GO. DOWN!
  
  But her pleas to Arceus were once again unheard, as the Tropius fired off its Hyper Beam, ripping right through Jynx's Blizzard like a glowing lance. The beam of energy radiated with such energy that the snow rapidly melted around it, causing small pools of water to form on the arena.
  
  Unable to dodge, the Hyper Beam slammed mercilessly into Jynx, launching her poor Pokémon backwards and pinning her helplessly into the arena's psychic shields. The shields cracked and flickered at the impact, barely holding on as they continued to withstand the power of the Hyper Beam. The beam of energy was so intense that even while pinned to the wall, Jynx gradually caught fire as she was ignited by the Hyper Beam.
  
  Lorelei was biting her lip so hard that it nearly bled. She couldn't afford to have Tropius stay up and replace the Snow with a Sunny Day! That would be the worst-case scenario.
  
  Eventually, the Hyper Beam came to an end, revealing a huge crack in the Psychic shield from its impact. Her Jynx came sliding off the wall, her form completely scorched from the attack as she fell limply onto the ground. She was knocked out.
  
  Luckily, Arceus finally showed its mercy, as right after knocking out her own Jynx, Tropius eventually succumbed to its wounds and fell over unconscious as well. Lorelei let out a huge sigh of relief as she saw the fainted Tropius.
  
  That meant that things were still salvageable, and another one of Walker's larger threats were down. She hadn't wanted her Jynx to fall, but she could adapt.
  
  "OH! ITS ANOTHER DOUBLE KNOCKOUT FROM THE BOTH OF THEM! WHAT A NERVE-WRACKING FIGHT THAT WE'RE SEEING! THE SCORE IS NOW 4-3!" The announcer shouted out, with the audience beginning to boo and cheer at her in equal measure. She forced out the crowd and the announcer from her mind, as usual, and focused tightly on what Pokémon to send out next.
  
  Walker only had two Pokémon left. One of which was his Skarmory. But she knew that he preferred saving it for last, as did most trainers with their starters and ace. That meant that his next options were between a Gligar and a Swellow.
  
  She bet he would choose to bring his Swellow over a Gligar, considering the latter was extremely weak to Ice. If so, then her Slowbro would be a better choice over her Dewgong, considering it had much greater Physical defenses.
  
  Decision made; she threw out her next Pokémon just as Walker did the same.
  
  "Slowbro, it's your time!"
  
  "Swellow, I choose you! Into the air!"
  
  Her Slowbro slammed lazily into the ground, its derpy face hiding its surprising ability to tank and dish out damage. In the meanwhile, Walker's Swellow began circling around it menacingly with its eyes locked onto Slowbro like a hunter scoping out its prey. Unfortunately for her Slowbro, the Snow wouldn't be beneficial to it here since it wasn't an Ice type, meaning that it wasn't going to get the Defense boost.
  
  She shook away those thoughts; she knew that this was just the calm before the storm that was Swellow would begin its unrelenting series of attacks. She had to get ready.
  
  "Iron Defense, Slowbro! Start setting up!"
  
  "Focus Energy, Swellow! Do the same!"
  
  Her Slowbro became momentarily outlined in white and its body briefly shined as a thin layer of Iron seemed to surround it for a moment, boosting its Defenses. However, she frowned as she watched the Swellow close its eyes midair and start channelling its own internal energies, which would boost its critical hit chances. If Walker landed a powerful critical hit on her Slowbro, it might just be enough to knock it out despite the Defense boosts.
  
  But what she was more afraid of was if Swellow started buffing its Special Attacks with Work Up before unleashing a barrage of Special Attacks towards her Slowbro. Her Slowbro was not trained to dodge attacks, preferring to rely on its natural bulk to just tank through most attacks. However, if Swellow buffed itself enough, then Slowbro would have no chance at being able to endure through them.
  
  She needed to start putting pressure on Swellow so that it couldn't set up any further. She couldn't afford to stay passive.
  
  "Blizzard, Slowbro!"
  
  "Heat Wave, Swellow! Disperse it and ignite yourself!"
  
  Slowbro opened its mouth and unleashed a field of snow towards the flying Swellow, who retaliated with a threatening squawk of its own and expelled its own scorching wave of heat that blasted over the incoming Blizzard, instantly melting the incoming Blizzard, and causing pools of water to form on the ground as the attack was mostly nullified.
  
  However, more concerningly, the Heat Wave also successfully set the Swellow on fire, triggering its Guts ability.
  
  Lorelei didn't need to rely on her research to guess what was coming next.
  
  "Brave Bird NOW, Swellow! Full power!"
  
  "Blizzard again, Slowbro! Bring it down!"
  
  Swellow screeched into the air as it performed an aerial somersault before it started glowing a bright silver as it transitioned into a meteoric descent towards her Slowbro, cutting through the sky like a sword as it blitzed downwards in a freefall. Lorelei barely had time to blink, and her Slowbro was just able to fire of another powerful Blizzard that threatened to engulf the descending Swellow in a freezing coffin of ice.
  
  Lorelei hoped that the supereffective attack would be enough to knock out the Swellow before it could land a hit, but alas, that didn't happen.
  
  But, once again, Walker proved that his mastery of speed as Swellow shot straight through the tomb of freezing winds like a missile. The supereffective winds ripped and slashed through the speeding Swellow, but it preserved and maintained its momentum with its dive, its flaming body helping offset some of the damage, and it cut straight through the Blizzard as if it wasn't affected by it. Lorelei's eyes widened in alarm as she underestimated Swellow's capabilities.
  
  "PROTECT, now!"
  
  But her order came too late. Her Slowbro didn't have time to form a Protect shield before the Swellow slammed straight into its center, unleashing all of that built up energy that it accumulated during its near-suicidal dive.
  
  A small, yet audible BANG erupted as Swellow smashed into Slowbro with a critical hit, striking him right in the center and kicking up a small cloud of dust.
  
  Slowbro stumbled back with a groan of pain as the momentum of the attack caused it to skid backwards, looking like it was moments away from falling over. It tried to steady itself, but it was panting heavily and was clutching painfully at its stomach, and even now was continuing to wobble uncertainly on its feet. Its previous Iron Defense proving futile as the critical hit ignored its boosted Defenses.
  
  On the other hand, and luckily for Lorelei, Swellow wasn't fairing much better. Not only did the recoil damage from its Brave Bird result in a lot of self-inflicted damage, but having to tank through the supereffective Blizzard wasn't good for its health as the freezing winds ripped through it. In fact, when she observed Walker's Swellow, it looked like it was favouring one of its wings very heavily and wasn't able to turn very easily in the air as she spotted lingering crystals of frost scattered across its wings that refused to melt.
  
  To make matters worse for Walker, Swellow was still suffering from its Burn, continuing to take damage over time. Both trainers knew that it was only a matter of time before Swellow would be knocked out.
  
  In that brief pause when both Pokémon stabilized themselves, Lorelei understood that she had two choices before her. One, to push onwards and try to land another hit on Swellow, which would most certainly knock it out. Or two, to try and heal up and outlast the Swellow before it succumbed to its Burn.
  
  Similarly, Lorelei knew that Walker couldn't make use of his favourite hit-and-run strategy anymore. Not with Swellow so badly injured and with its mobility severely hampered. He too needed to choose between unleashing an all-out final attack or try to heal up Swellow with a Roost.
  
  She paused for a moment due to her indecision, but Walker showed no signs of hesitation.
  
  "Brave Bird again, Swellow! END THIS FIGHT!"
  
  Not giving Lorelei any chance to think things through, Swellow fell into one final dive that was infused with all of its stored energy, shooting towards Slowbro like a missile. But, just before the attack landed, her body moved on its own.
  
  "FROST STEP!"
  
  She didn't know what made her command her Slowbro to perform a move that it hadn't perfected, but it was too late to take it back. It was all up to her Pokémon now.
  
  Slowbro's figure blurred slightly, before it dashed backwards a small distance so quickly using a burst of Ice energy that it left an icy mirage in its previous position. Swellow, completely taken by surprise by this sudden manoeuvre, tried to adjust its dive at the last minute to avoid hitting the ground.
  
  With a herculean effort that once again showed off its mastery of flight, Swellow pulled up at the VERY last moment and narrowly avoided crashing into the ground. However, this put it right in front of a waiting Slowbro.
  
  "ICE BEAM!"
  
  Her command was ultimately unnecessary, as Slowbro had already fired off a piercing beam of Ice before she could order it to. The Ice Beam struck Swellow in the chest just as it was trying to recover from its failed attack, and frost crystals rapidly spread across its chest as a wave of frost enveloped it. Nearly completely frozen, Swellow tumbled out of the air and crashed unceremoniously onto the ground, defeated.
  
  Walker blinked at her, surprised etched on his face. He clearly hadn't been expecting that. Yet Lorelei herself was in the same position, not having expected Slowbro to be able to pull off the mood. Yet she was very glad that it did.
  
  It was supposed to be last-ditch defensive move for the normally immobile Slowbro, and she was so glad that it paid off here. And as soon as she saw Walker withdraw his Swellow, she instinctively released a huge, relieved breath as the threat was finally removed from the battle. His Swellow hit harder and quicker than she had ever expected.
  
  But then, turning back and seeing the rampant injuries on her own Slowbro, she then quickly grabbed Slowbro's Pokéball and withdrew it, announcing that she was retiring it from the battle.
  
  "AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS YET ANOTHER DOUBLE KNOCKOUT FROM OUR TRAINERS TODAY! IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SHORT BATTLE, BUT LET NONE SAY THAT IT WAS NOT A BRUTAL ONE! THE SCORE IS NOW 5-4!" The announcer hyped up over the screaming crowds, "THIS LEAVES ELITE WALKER WITH HIS FINAL POKEMON! ARE WE FINALLY GOING TO SEE HIS STARTER IN ACTION!? BOTH TRAINERS HAVE 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  Lorelei was absent-mindedly listening to the announcer's words before his last few sentences pulled her back together. This was it. Walker was down to his final Pokémon. The final obstacle between her and the position of the Elite Four.
  
  She didn't even know if she was going to be able to keep the position in the long-term, but she reminded herself that she wasn't doing it for power. Or for fame. Or for family. No, the only reason she decided to push herself this far, to force herself and her Pokémon into a gruelling and unrelenting training regime where she barely survived on over 4 hours of sleep per day, was all for this moment.
  
  To triumph over Walker and to show that she wasn't just some silver-spooned trainer coasting by off the power and influence of her now disgraced uncle.
  
  No, she was here to prove to everyone watching, especially those in the VIP booth, that she was more than just Pryce's niece. She was a master of Ice in her own way too.
  
  And the stage was now set to instil this image into everyone's minds, using her most beloved and trusted starter.
  
  "Lapras, just one last push! Show the world your glory!"
  
  "Skarmory, it's all on you now. Remind the world of your strength!"
  
  Her Lapras emerged with a noble roar, slamming its huge weight into the ground of the arena, and knocking up a small cloud of dust with its weight alone. To an outsider, the first thing they would notice was that her Lapras was far larger than most wild Lapras. And, if they looked closer, they would be able to tell by the intense and battle-hardened look in its eyes as well as the numerous scars on its shell that it was clear that this was no transport Pokémon like so many other Lapras were.
  
  No, this was a Pokémon trained to battle. To bring glory. To win.
  
  On the other hand, Walker's Skarmory emerged and screeched menacingly as it spread its wings wide, forming an intimidating visage that almost caused Lorelei to step backwards. Furthermore, the armoured carapace on Walker's Skarmory looked shined to a mirror's sheen, its head ever so angled to give off a sense of aggression and danger. This all reinforced the image of a Pokémon with a perfect mixture of mobility, aggression, and endurance.
  
  Still, her Lapras responded with another proud roar, settling Lorelei's nerves and reminding her of the plan that she had made just for this situation. If it were allowed, then a small part of her would have treacherously taken the win by making use of Perish Song. Yet the rules stopped those temptations; it was forbidden to use moves like Perish Song or Destiny Bond if your opponent was on their last Pokémon.
  
  But that was fine, she didn't want to win like that anyways. It would only worsen the criticism being levied against her. No, she had her own plan ready. One that would prove her abilities. She took a very quick breath to stabilize herself before her eyes refocused and she immediately started giving out orders.
  
  "Rain Dance, Lapras!"
  
  "Sword Defense, Skarmory!"
  
  Her Lapras raised its two front flippers into the air, causing the once snow-filled clouds to transform into ones heavy with rain and water. The once Snow-filled sky quickly changed as a torrential downpour began to set in, greatly buffing up Water attack moves.
  
  In the meanwhile, Skarmory rapidly shined a mix of white and blue before it encased itself in another layer of Iron. She knew that this was one of Walker's custom moves where he had successfully combined both Iron Defense and Swords Dance together, allowing Skarmory to quickly boost both its Attack and Defense simultaneously.
  
  But that was fine. Allowing Skarmory its boost was still a worthy trade in exchange for setting up the rain. It meant it allowed her to do this.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Lapras! Fire in short bursts!"
  
  "Iron Head, Skarmory! Get close and pummel it!"
  
  A huge torrent of water gushed out from Lapras' maw like a laser beam, which Skarmory was able to dismissively dodge by tilting slightly to the side. But this was all within Lorelei's prediction.
  
  Thus, instead of firing the Hydro Pump in one continuous torrent, Lorelei had ordered her Lapras to fire in short bursts so that it had a better chance of sniping the diving Skarmory out of the air with a rain-boosted Hydro Pump.
  
  Her Lapras transformed into a pseudo anti-aircraft cannon as it constantly fired volley after volley of devastating Hydro Pumps that always narrowly missed the Skarmory, who was able to dodge past the attacks through a mixture of impressive last-second dives, rolls, and swerves. And this was all done without any speed boosts, instead all achieved through incredible amounts of training and pure technique alone.
  
  It was a truly praiseworthy performance, and Lorelei would have been similarly impressed if she currently wasn't facing off against it. Skarmory's mobility and evasiveness was become more than a growing concern, as her Lapras still failed to land a hit as it got closer.
  
  But that was fine, she still had a back-up plan in mind. It was far riskier, but as Lapras continued to miss with its Hydro Pumps, she steeled herself for what was to come.
  
  Unaware of her intentions, Skarmory continued its dive towards her Lapras, its head glowing as it prepared to smash into her Lapras with a powerful Iron Head. It dodged past yet another Hydro Pump, before it angled itself forwards and committed itself fully into the attack to do maximum damage.
  
  Exactly what Lorelei had been waiting for.
  
  "Icy Wind, Lapras! Tank through the attack and slow it down!"
  
  Moments before Skarmory crashed into it with an Iron Head, her Lapras quickly changed attacks and released a huge fog of Icy Wind that swiftly surrounded the incoming Skarmory. The freezing fog was so cold that the falling droplets of water instantly turned into Ice as they contacted the fog. The ground itself froze over as the surrounding temperature rapidly plummeted.
  
  Frost crystals spread rapidly across Skarmory's carapace, but contrary to her expectations, it seemingly ignored it and pummelled her Lapras with a brutal boosted Iron Head, causing Lapras' head to snap back as it groaned in pain from the attack. Not allowing it to recover, Skarmory let out an angry Screech to lower Lapras' defence as it used its other wing to bash Lapras across the head with another Steel Wing.
  
  Then, Skarmory continued its onslaught of attacks by pivoting in the air while repeatedly slicing into it with Steel Wings and Iron Heads, keeping as close as it could to Lapras so that it could not have the time to fire off an attack. It also managed to mix in the occasional Screech into its attacks, adding further vulnerability to her Lapras.
  
  Not being proficient at close range fighting, Lapras was unable to fend off Skarmory's aggression. Its feeble attempts to fend it off with its flippers were no match for Skarmory's skill and speed.
  
  While she had not underestimated Skarmory's abilities, she didn't realize how her Pokémon would be unable to deal with just how oppressive Skarmory could be at close range. Lapras simpl wasn't used to being pressured like this, and its injuries rapidly started to build as Skarmory repeatedly slashed it with its wings.
  
  It was not a very destructive way of attacking, but the constant defence drops through Screech meant that it was having a devastating effect on her Lapras as each hit landed progressively harder. Obviously, her plan had backfired. She knew that she had to do SOMETHING before her Lapras eventually went down.
  
  And then, as if it was getting used to Skarmory's attack pattern, Lapras just barely managed to deflect one of Skarmory's Iron Heads with one of its fins, throwing the Skarmory wide as it was pushed aside.
  
  THIS WAS HER CHANCE!
  
  "Thunder! STRIKE IT DOWN!"
  
  "PROTECT! AND DODGE! NOW!"
  
  Her Lapras roared into the air, before summoning huge bolts of Thunder that crashed down from the sky like huge spears of light. To its credit, Skarmory took the opportunity to Slash at Lapras with its sharp talons before forming a Protect shield just in time to block against the first volley of Lightning spears, but the attack wasn't over yet.
  
  "Keep going, Lapras! BRING IT DOWN!"
  
  "Double Team, Skarmory! Get out of there and make some distance!"
  
  Skarmory screeched in the air as its figure started to flicker and blur before a few illusionary copies of itself appeared in the sky, making it hard for Lapras to determine which was the real one. Instead of staying to fight, Walker had instead chosen to pull his Skarmory back, hopefully to safety, to lower its chances of being struck out of the air. Thus, he likely hoped that the illusory copies would distract Lapras enough to build distance so that it could reposition and recover.
  
  But that just gave Lorelei to make use of what she was good at.
  
  "Switch to Blizzard, Lapras! Wipe them all out!"
  
  The bolts of Lightning stopped, only to be replaced by an enormous Blizzard that almost covered half of the arena. Even without the Snow, her Lapras so proficient in the attack that, even through its injuries, it barely took a few seconds for an all-consuming vortex of snow to form.
  
  The true Skarmory revealed itself as it squawked in pain when all of its illusions were promptly destroyed by this tidal wave of frost. And yet, the Blizzard only continued to grow, engulfing the entirety of the arena in an Ice Age that threatened to freeze everything over.
  
  Despite herself, she found herself grinning as she witnessed the sheer scale of her attack as Ice blanketed everything in a field of frost. THIS was why she became an Ice specialist, after seeing her uncle accomplish this exact feat with such ease in the past. She was not close to her uncle's full strength in his prime, but she knew she was slowly getting there.
  
  This was her statement to all the naysayers. No matter their jeering, she WAS a master of Ice. And this attack would prove it!
  
  In the distance, Lorelei could see Walker gritting his teeth in desperation as Skarmory slowly froze over and was battered by this unrelenting storm of ice, with thick frost crystals spreading rapidly across its frame. He realized that he had misread the situation and things had gone from bad to worse.
  
  "Agility, Skarmory! Tank through the attacks! You MUST increase your speed!"
  
  "Thunder again, Lapras! Now's your chance!"
  
  But even with the unyielding Blizzard in place, she knew she could not allow Skarmory to get any faster, or else the tables would be quickly turned on her.
  
  Fortunately, just as Skarmory began glowing a faint pink as it began recovering its lost speed, a humongous boom shook the sky as a singular bolt of Thunder violently pierced through the clouds of snow and crashed brutally into the Skarmory, forcing an unhealthy amount of electricity through its body, paralyzing the once mobile Pokémon, and causing it to begin its involuntary descent.
  
  "Roost, Skarmory! QUICKLY!"
  
  "FINISH IT OFF, LAPRAS! WIN IT ALL!" She screamed out loud, her heart beating out of her chest as she realized that her victory was close. Thunder was a demanding move, and she wasn't sure if her Lapras could sustain many more attacks like this.
  
  But she didn't care. All she could hear was her heart was screaming out VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!
  
  With one final roar of power, another spear of lightning came crackling down from the rainclouds above, critically striking the Skarmory as it fell out of the air as an unhealthy amount of electricity surged through it, smoke wafting from its body from the impact. Her eyes remained locked to the falling figure in the distance, her fists clenched so tightly that she feared that she might break the bones in her fingers.
  
  But she NEEDED to know if Skarmory was knocked out or not. Her entire future was riding on this, and she was willed with every bit of strength that she had for the Skarmory to stay down. She knew that her Lapras was running on fumes at this point and couldn't sustain another assault. Unknowingly, blood dripped down from her mouth as she was biting down hard on her lip.
  
  She looked around idly to see that the entire battlefield was covered in a layer of frost, with various spears of Ice decorating the landscape. The consequences of her earlier Blizzard and a testament to her power.
  
  And then, after what felt like an eon of nervous waiting, the announcer finally said the words that she had been yearning to hear for so long.
  
  "AND WALKER'S FINAL POKEMON GOES DOWN TO A DEVESTATING THUNDER! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR! PLEASE APPLAUD FOR THE NEWEST ELITE FOUR MEMBER, ELITE LORELEI!"
  
  She wanted to cheer, she wanted to scream, she wanted to throw up. But she did neither of those things as she forcefully crushed down on those feelings and tried to calm herself.
  
  She had won the first battle. But she knew that if she was going to keep her position in the Elite Four and slowly repair her reputation, she needed to keep winning. But for now, she could take a sigh of relief as a heavy burden was lifted from her shoulders.
  
  She had done it.
  
  A.N. AND LORELEI WINS! Meaning that she now replaces Walker in the Elite Four! Hope you enjoyed the fight, I tried to make it distinct from the Pryce vs Lance fight despite Lorelei's and Pryce's similar fighting styles. This was a long chapter to write, so I really hope it was everything you had hoped for.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-6 - A Frosty Transition
  
  The sound of polite applause reverberated throughout the VIP room as we all clapped for Lorelei's victory.
  
  "It looks like Walker's finally on his way out." Agatha commented with a smirk, "Shame, he was such an easy target for my barbs."
  
  "I'm sure he would be happy enough to escape from your tormenting." Lance replied sarcastically as he stood up. "Come, we should make our way down to greet our newest Elite Four member. Remember, whatever disagreements you may have with her personally, it is our duty to welcome her into the Elite Four. Don't let the reporters whip up a scandal." He reminded.
  
  After that, we all followed Lance and made our way to the arena, where a sullen Walker was shaking hands with an ecstatic Lorelei. The latter looked like she was doing her best to restrain her displays of enthusiasm.
  
  As soon as Walker saw us approaching, he said a few more words to Lorelei before he separated from her, walking away to confront the line of reporters that were waiting starvingly to question the two.
  
  "Congratulations to you, Lorelei." Lance greeted the winner with a smile, "I hope you are ready for the new responsibilities and duties that you have just earned yourself."
  
  "My thanks, Champion Lance." Lorelei replied formally with a slight bow, trying but failing to conceal her excitement, "I am most honoured to have won myself this position."
  
  "Indeed, I should hope so." Lance said. "Admittedly, I was concerned about the method by which you used to challenge for the Elite Four. It reminded much of what I disliked about the latter period of your uncle's reign as Champion. However, I have witnessed your determination and struggles through your battle just now, and I can safely say that I approve of your drive to free yourself from the pit that you found yourself in."
  
  Lorelei gave off a small smile at the praise, "...I'm glad you don't hold my uncle's mistakes against me, Champion. I...was not the biggest fan of my uncle either, and would never intend to follow in his footsteps. At least, not politically."
  
  "Does that mean you've no intention to reach out to his ex-supporters in order to solidify your political base?" Will quickly cut in with a curious look on his face, "I'm sure you would be a great rallying figure for them if you wanted to be."
  
  She shook her head, "No. To be fair, I haven't really given much thought to the politics of being in the Elite Four." She admitted shamelessly, "I've been far more focused on preparing for the actual match against Walker."
  
  "That's-! Sure, I can understand that you might have other priorities, but why would you not-" Will spluttered out before being cut off by Agatha.
  
  "Because most people have other things in their minds besides politics, young man." She said before laying a comforting arm on Lorelei. "Ignore the bluster of men. You did very well, dear. And you should be proud of your efforts."
  
  Lorelei stared in utter surprise at Agatha's gesture of kindness but recovered quickly and nodded softly towards her. "Thank you, Elite Agatha. There is...much that I need to learn now that I'm in the Elite Four. Unfortunately, my uncle never really got the opportunity to inform me about how I should act, so I'm really learning as I go."
  
  "Ah, don't worry about it." I said to her, "I didn't really know what I was doing either. I flew by the skin of my teeth for the most part, and sometimes I still think I'm just making stuff up as I go. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."
  
  "You better get a hang of it fast, though." Lance added seriously, "Your victory over Walker was a good one, but it was also a very close thing. I'm not sure if such a victory could deter any future challengers looking to make a name for themselves in the Elite Four. I hope you don't forget that your position here is only determined by your ability to hold it through your own strength."
  
  Lorelei nodded firmly at Lance's words, a steely look coming through her eyes. But before we could talk any further, a League Official hesitantly came up to us and told us that they had finished speaking with Walker and now it was time for the winner's interview. Nervously, Lorelei was escorted onstage as it was time for her to face the horde of reporters.
  
  As Lorelei was tasked with herding off the hungry reporters' questions, I walked over to where Walker was standing by himself.
  
  According to the rules, any fallen Elite Four member was allowed to make one challenge within a month of their defeat to any other Elite Four member. This was a one-time thing, and a subsequent loss meant that you had to re-challenge the Indigo Conference to re-earn your challenge rights.
  
  Thus, Walker technically had the opportunity to challenge any other Elite Four member to regain his old position, though I sincerely doubted that would happen.
  
  "Walker, I'm sorry that your time in the Elite Four is over." I said to him.
  
  "Oh, John? Didn't expect you to be speaking to me." He turned to me with slight surprise, "But yes...I'm afraid that my skills just weren't good enough. Maybe there were some truths in all those slanderous rumours after all..." He sighed, but he didn't seem too bitter. If anything, I felt a sense of relief from him.
  
  "Well, try not to linger on it too much." I comforted, "After all, you still have a Gym to return to, right? I'm sure your brother would be happy to welcome you to help out around the Violet City Gym if you need something to do."
  
  "That's true enough. I guess it's not like I'm returning to nothing." He said, slowly forming a fond smile, "I guess I could use my newly found free time to start training up my son, Falkner, for when it's his turn to be the Gym Leader. He just started his journey a few weeks ago, but I'm sure now that I'm out of the Elite Four that I can find more time for him."
  
  "Are you going to be speaking to the others before you leave?" I asked, gesturing to where the other Elite Four were standing.
  
  Walker shook his head, "No...I don't think I'd be welcome. Agatha would probably say something cutting again, and Lance never hid the fact that he disliked me. I'll make my way out myself."
  
  "I see." Was all I said, "Well, in that case, I wish you all the best. Maybe we'll see each other again. And, for what it's worth, your few words of kindness to me when I was first introduced in the Elite Four helped me more than you knew. So, thank you for that, Walker." And I truly meant that.
  
  He looked surprised for a moment, before a small, yet genuine smile slowly formed on his face. He took a step forward and patted me on the shoulder. "You're welcome, John. And I was just doing what I felt was right at the time."
  
  He looked around at the stadium, as if he was trying to imprint the view into his memory. "I've been an Elite Four for quite some time...and yet I've never really enjoyed the dirtiness of politics. I just wished that we could all get along together - that kindness should be something that is given freely whenever possible. I know this sort of thinking has not served me well...but I do stand by it. Hold on to your kindness, John. That's all I ask of you."
  
  "I will." I promised, giving him a firm nod.
  
  He nodded, then fell silent for a moment as he simply took in the atmosphere of the crowd for a moment. Eventually, he turned back to me, his voice laced with a sense of finality. "Good luck John. I wish you the best. And I hope to see you again one day."
  
  We shook hands, possibly for the final time, before the two of us separated. Walker went away, likely going home. I watched his retreating back for a moment before I turned around and reconvened with the remaining Elite Four members.
  
  "I miss anything?" I asked them as I returned.
  
  "You missed something fairly interesting." Agatha replied with grin, "Lorelei openly stated that she wasn't going to be following Pryce's old policies, and she openly distanced herself from Pryce's old supporters. Those idiots are in for a nasty surprise."
  
  "Oh, wow. Huh. That's interesting." I commented, "So, that means that we aren't going to get a resurgence of Pro-Pryce policies. Thank Arceus." I thought aloud.
  
  "Indeed, I'll be looking forward to seeing what she proposes in the future." Lance said with a nod, "Though, this definitely has turned out better than expected. I respect her more for not just following in Pryce's footsteps. Oh, speaking of which, where's Walker?"
  
  "He left. I just said goodbye to him." I answered.
  
  "Oh? He just left? Well, okay then." Lance dismissed with a wave before he turned his attention back to Lorelei. "Come, I think it's time to rescue our newest member from those nosy reporters. Let us reconvene at the VIP room, I have some small announcements to make."
  
  Several minutes later, the five of us met up once again in the VIP room.
  
  "Right then. Unfortunately for you Lorelei, you're going to have to pick up about how we do things here pretty quickly." Lance said as Lorelei frowned worriedly, "We're going to be having the next committee meeting tomorrow. I expect you all to be there."
  
  Lance turned to Lorelei, "That does mean that you won't be able to have any time to gather up any political support or make deals before the meeting, but it does mean that you'll have the opportunity tomorrow to start making yourself known. It's up to you to start building yourself up. Otherwise, I'll see you all there. Thanks for coming today."
  
  After that, we all split apart. But before I left, I caught in the corner of my eye Agatha beginning to converse with Lorelei about something. I was curious about what they were speaking about, but ultimately left the two of them alone as I made my way out as well.
  
  Perhaps I'll find out more during the committee meeting.
  
  The next day, I found myself waiting inside the committee conference room for the meeting to start when Lance came up to me with a concerned expression on his face.
  
  "John, I have something I may need you to do in the future." He began.
  
  "Uh, okay. What's up?" I asked.
  
  "Unfortunately, Lorelei's victory over Walker has generated some criticism from a few of the more prominent members of Indigo last night, mostly from Johto. Nothing overt of course, and you certainly won't see any of this on the news, but my sources from Blackthorn tell me there is some rising discontent at her victory." He explained.
  
  "What? Why is that? She won fair and square." I puzzled. "Don't they have other things to worry about?"
  
  "Yes, and I agree with you." Lance nodded, "But apparently some people were upset that Lorelei made use of a loophole to earn her chance to fight Walker in the first place. Mind you, it is a very small minority, but as a new Champion, it's something that I need to be concerned about. I hate dealing with these whiners as much as you do, but it's part of my job now."
  
  "I see, so what do you need me to do?" I asked, crossing my arms.
  
  "I figured that this might be a good opportunity to hit two Pidgey with one stone and hopefully smooth over any possible dissent before it gets worse." He replied, leaning forwards, "You see, I've always intended to do a quick inspection of all the Gyms in Indigo as soon as I had settled in as Champion. And now that I am, I thought why not use this opportunity to scout out the Gym Leaders and see if they're discontent with anything; see if we can try to resolve any issues they have with my leadership."
  
  "I plan for you to be assigned to the Kanto Gyms, and Lorelei to the Johto ones. It'll give her the opportunity to make nice and prove herself to them. I'm sure she'll welcome the opportunity." He continued, "You'll likely be accompanied by a few League Officials so that they can actually do a preliminary inspection of the Gyms while you're at it."
  
  Thank Arceus I checked up on the Waterflower sisters before Lance did something like this, "Yeah, sure, I have no problems with that. Let me know if you're going through with it." I replied.
  
  "Good, and thanks. I'll owe you one for this. I'll speak to Lorelei and make the announcement soon. Thanks for this. And I do hope the committee passes the proposal as you hope. It'll do great for our relations with Hoenn." He nodded to me before walking off, finishing off his preparations to host the committee meeting.
  
  With that done, the committee meeting fortunately proceeded with no big issues. Lance proposed for the Contest Hall idea to be implemented, and there must have been a lot of backroom dealings because it was almost unanimously approved.
  
  The more debated topic was about where these Contest Halls would be established. That moved us to the discussion phase, where people began mingling around to secure and reaffirm any agreements.
  
  I already made all the deals that I needed to, so I ended up just observing how our two new Elite Four members interacted with the Committee. Unsurprisingly, Will proved himself once again to be an eager politician as he began speaking to a few members that I recognized were all representatives or Indigo's larger business interests.
  
  On the other hand, Lorelei, true to my expectations, was not approached by anyone. Her denunciation of Pryce's old policies isolated her from would-be supporters, and many others likely were hesitant to approach who they saw to be no more than Pryce's niece.
  
  Ironically enough, Lorelei's lack of support for Pryce's ex-supporters probably was the final nail in the coffin for them. And I expected them to be relegated to political obscurity and be voted our shortly.
  
  Feeling bad, I decided to approach her.
  
  "Hey, how are you settling into the Elite Four? Must be a lot to take in at once." I said to her. "Did Lance tell you about your upcoming trip to visit all of the Johto Gyms?"
  
  She blinked, surprise colouring her features at my approach, "It's fine, and yes, he did. Besides, my position now might look bad, but I can guarantee you that my victory over Walker has opened up many opportunities to me that weren't available before. This is nothing."
  
  "Well, it's good that you're able to see the bright side of things." I replied with a smile, "Oh, and in case I didn't say so yesterday, congratulations on your victory. I hope we can work together well in the future. Good luck dealing with the Johto Gyms." With your poor reputation was left unsaid.
  
  "Thanks John." She said, before a nostalgic smile formed on her face. "You know, you were partially the reason why I decided to challenge Walker in the first place. I saw how successful you became, and I asked myself why I couldn't achieve the same. From then on, I trained and prepared for my battle, and did everything that I could to ensure my victory."
  
  "Hah! That's very good of you." Agatha interrupted with a bark of laughter, stepping into the conversation, "Don't let yourself be held down by the idiocy of others. Pave your own path. That's what I did. How else did you think a female Ghost specialist like me managed to make it in the Elite Four?"
  
  Agatha then gestured towards me, "If you're looking for political support, this young man over here is probably your best bet. He doesn't have the ego the other two have. I'm sure he'll be willing to help."
  
  Lorelei looked surprised at the offer of support as she looked between the two of us, but a nod from me seemed to reassure her. "Um, okay. Thank you very much for this, both of you. But what is it that you need me to do?"
  
  This time I answered, "Honestly, this would be like an investment for me. You have no political support now, but that's not going to be true forever. If you manage to hold on to your position, then you'll eventually become a political powerhouse in your own right. Thus, I'm looking to 'invest' into you by sharing my power with you to earn your support and favour so that I may make use of your power and connections later."
  
  In other words, I would hang around Lorelei and introduce her to a few committee members that were friendly with me, so that she could advertise herself and start making acquaintances. In exchange, when she does have some power of her own, I'd hope that she would be more favourable with me thanks to my earlier support.
  
  Demonstrating that she had inherited more from her uncle than just his love for Ice types, she readily agreed to my offer. "I accept. I definitely need to get my foot in the door, so I'm more than happy you introduce me around. Uncle never really talked about this aspect of running the League."
  
  "Just don't seduce him!" Agatha mocked with a grin, "My apprentice has already marked her claim! And I won't let her lose!"
  
  I only rolled my eyes at her comment and ignored her, gesturing for Lorelei to follow me. Lorelei chuckled at my expression, and the two of us started walking around where I helped introduce Lorelei to a few friendlier committee members.
  
  Those mostly consisted of those who approved of my ideas of further unity with Indigo. In fact, Lorelei's origin as a Johtonian actually endeared her more to them, and they mentioned that a political friendship between a Kantonian and a Johtonian to work together for a united Indigo was good optics. I agreed, though time will tell if such a thing could work out in the long-term.
  
  Surprisingly, Lorelei said that she was also very much in favour of working to unite Indigo. She said that the continued divide between Johto and Kanto would only make things worse in the long run.
  
  And even more remarkably, she also began speaking about her goals to make use of her position in the Elite Four to root out corruption and other blatant acts of nepotism.
  
  "Corruption and nepotism has been commonly associated with my uncle's time as Champion, and I am sad to say that I have been similarly affected by such claims." She said to the committee members, "Therefore, I hope that by proving to the public that I will take a firm stand against such acts, I will be able to scrub off the stigma of nepotism from my own reputation and earn back the public's trust once again."
  
  That was well-received by everyone, and I similarly agreed with her thoughts. I didn't want Indigo to be brought low by rampant corruption and nepotism, so I was happy to support a full cleanse. And I figured that going down this route was a good choice for her. As she said, she wanted to distance herself as much as she could from her uncle's fallen reputation.
  
  Although, that might put her at odds with Will since pro-business policies and corruption were often found in bed together. But that was no skin off my teeth. Besides, despite all his posturing, my gut told me that Will was a pretty honest person. I didn't think he would be against such policies either. I couldn't say the same for business 'friends', though.
  
  After a quick round of pleasant introductions and discussions, Lance called for the end of the discussion phase and moved on to the speeches and voting. I gave my own standard speech about wanting to support inter-regional relations, and the other Elite Four joined in on my comments.
  
  Lance evidently came through with his end of the agreement, as Cerulean City was proposed and agreed upon by a good majority. Perhaps seeing that it was likely to pass even without his contributions, Will also made sure to get his money's worth and joined in on the agreement. This both ensured that the proposal to construct the Contest Halls in Cerulean were guaranteed to pass, but also so that he would fulfil his end of the bargain, meaning that I would have to fulfil mine as well.
  
  That wasn't really an issue. I had already informed mayor Henry about what Will wanted, and he was more than happy to allow for more investment into Cerulean.
  
  Anyways, I was very happy and relieved to see my first 'big' idea passing like this. Since it had foreign policy implications, Lance was off to inform his counterparts at Hoenn about the idea, and to start issuing invitations for anyone who wanted to come over when the facilities were built.
  
  In the meanwhile, the Indigo League had their own specifications for what they wanted to be built. Since the Contest Hall was supposed to be a grand display of Indigo's cultural history and wealth, it needed to be a grand and spectacular building which would be able to accommodate any and all visitors from Hoenn.
  
  It was going to be an expensive undertaking, which fortunately meant that the Indigo League was going to foot the bill. That was relieving; I was worried that Cerulean City might not have been able to afford to build such a structure.
  
  Furthermore, Lance also informed the committee that he would be making a public announcement shortly after, where he would be announcing an inspection of all of Indigo's Gyms, overseen by Elite John and Elite Lorelei for Kanto and Johto respectively. Since this was something that didn't need the approval of the committee, they couldn't do anything to stop it.
  
  That caused many to break out in hushed whispers, and some were looking around nervously. I wondered what that was about.
  
  Lance said more details would be shared in the announcement itself, but aside from myself and Lorelei, we were all free to leave.
  
  As people started to leave, Lorelei and I made our way to Lance.
  
  "Okay, as I said, you two will be overseeing the inspections of the Gyms." He said to the both of us, "But, you don't really need to do anything. The League inspectors will do the heavy work. Instead, I want you two to try to talk to the Gym Leaders, and hopefully identify any grievances they may have." We nodded.
  
  "Now, there is a reason why I chose to send the two of you." He turned to me, "John, you're very well liked in Kanto. Even a blind person could tell that. And I figured that you would be best to send to speak to the Kanto Gym Leaders about what they think about having a Johtonian Champion once again. They were burnt by Pryce before, so I hope to not follow in his footsteps."
  
  I nodded understandingly, and Lance turned to Lorelei. "Lorelei, you're the opposite. You're not liked at all." Lorelei grimaced at his words, but Lance kept speaking, "But, frankly, I find that quite ridiculous. I enjoyed your battle against Walker, and I was pleased to see your determination. Thus, I am giving you an opportunity to prove yourself to both the members of the League and the Gym Leaders of Johto that you aren't the villain some are making you out to be. Are you able to do this?"
  
  "Yes sir." She said firmly, eyes blazing determinedly once again. It reminded of the look that she had during her battle against Walker. "I won't disappoint you."
  
  "Excellent. Like I said, you'll be sent off tomorrow early in the morning. Don't worry, you won't be expected to stay at each Gym until the inspectors are finished, since they'll be doing most of their investigations off-site." He explained, "They told me that they shouldn't take too long per Gym, so it won't be long before you can move onto the next Gym. Of course, if you want to stay for longer to chat or to look up something yourself, you may."
  
  "Try to get all this done within the next few days before the next Committee meeting. Anyways, that's all. Good luck." I nodded once again and began making my way out, though Lorelei was stopped by Lance before she could do the same.
  
  "Oh, and Lorelei, let's exchange contact details so you can forward me any ideas you might want to propose for the next meeting." I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye as I left.
  
  I left the Indigo Plateau and sent out a quick message to mayor Henry, informing him that the proposal had passed just like I hoped and that the Contest Hall would be built in Cerulean City, paid for all by the League. I also let him to know to expect to be contacted by some construction workers in the near future.
  
  He quickly responded back with a thankful message and seeing that he didn't need me for anything else, I made my way home to wind down after another day of politics.
  
  As I got home, I quickly changed and joined my parents at the dinner table, who had just come back from their little trip from work, where I discussed the latest events with them.
  
  "So, how was Lorelei?" My mother asked curiously, "She seemed stiff and unfriendly on television."
  
  I rolled my eyes, "They were probably trying to villainize her so that it could fit their narrative. She's actually quite nice in person."
  
  "Oh? Really? That's interesting." My dad commented as he chewed on his food, "Is she better than Walker?"
  
  "Dunno about that one yet." I shrugged as I swallowed some rice, "Walker was actually a good man, despite our differences. I'm actually a little sad to see him go."
  
  "Hm...he looked much stronger than I thought he would be." My mom said, cutting through some vegetables, "Thought he'd lack that little bit of 'oomph' in his fight. But he seemed to fight quite hard."
  
  "Everyone made him out to be a weakling because he was compared to the likes of John and Lance." My dad remarked, "But he still made it into the Elite Four. That counts for something."
  
  Then he continued, "Oh speaking of which, we got invited to a luncheon with some other big businessmen of Cerulean. Was that your doing, John?"
  
  "Uh, no. Not directly, at least." I answered with a shake of my head, before shooting them a smile. "But congratulations! Is there something you'd like to achieve there?"
  
  My dad shrugged, "Not really, besides just introducing ourselves. If it goes well, we'll have an in with the big movers and shakers."
  
  "I'm quite nervous about that, to be honest." My mom admitted, "We were only poor farmers a little while ago, I'm not sure-"
  
  "You can." I interrupted, a little more forcefully than I intended. But she was about to say something I really didn't want to hear from my mother. "You are NOT just poor farmers. You are more than that. We've all worked hard to do so. You can stand up to them and be proud of all you've accomplished with the family business."
  
  "Our son's right, Angela." My dad added with an approving nod, as he patted my mom gently on the shoulder. "Now, no more of that. Let's just finish this dinner and head to bed early. We have a big day tomorrow."
  
  My mom nodded, and with a small smile, she continued with her dinner. We continued making some idle conversation before dinner eventually wrapped up and I made my way back to my room to get some rest.
  
  I had a full day of Gym Inspections coming up tomorrow, and I needed to be well-rested for it.
  
  A.N. And Lorelei's beginning to settle into the League! She's not exactly popular right now, but maybe that'll change in the future!
  
  And I hope you all enjoyed that sendoff to Walker. He's not a bad man, so I didn't want to bash him. I hope it was a good goodbye.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-6 - Interlude - Flint
  The New Normal - 5-6 - Interlude - Flint
  
  The TV remote clattered to the ground as Flint listened with growing horror to the announcement being broadcasted by the news.
  
  "In light of my recent ascension as Champion, I have just ordered a full inspection of all Gyms within Indigo to ensure that they live up to the high expectations demanded of them by the Indigo League. It is my hope that, through these inspections, we will be able to root out any source of corruption before they can take hold and ruin this year's circuit."
  
  "In addition, Elite John and Elite Lorelei will be deployed to the Kanto and Johto Gyms respectively to oversee these inspections as soon as possible and to..."
  
  Flint wasn't able to hear the rest of the announcement as dread slowly built up from within, almost causing him to puke from the stress and nerves.
  
  This was his greatest fear come to life. He always knew that he wasn't suitable to be running the Gym; much of his earlier success was due to Lola's support and assistance. However, when she ran off for reasons unknown, he desperately tried to hold everything together using his meagre abilities.
  
  But alas, it wasn't enough, as was expected from a failure like him. Lola was always the smarter one, the one that knew what to do, and honestly, she was the true guiding hand behind the Gym. It was through HER actions, not his, that the Gym survived and ran as well as it did. He was simply the figurehead. And now, with her running off, everything was starting to fall apart.
  
  However, for years, even with the continued deterioration of the Gym and the mounting complaints from trainers, no one ever really did anything about it. Flint assumed that Pryce just wasn't interested in what his Gyms' were doing, and he was more than happy to bury his problems for a future date.
  
  But Lance was clearly less willing to be ignorant of his Gyms' activities, and now all of the problem and mistakes that Flint had hoped to bury forever were about to be brought to light.
  
  In a panic, he rushed back to his Gym's office and hastily scrambled through his paperwork. He hoped to Arceus that he had done enough due diligence over the years to satisfy the League inspectors. It was at this time that Flint really regretted not hiring a personal assistant or a secretary to help him with these tasks, but he had foolishly and stubbornly held on to hope that Lola would return and resumed her duties, so he continued to leave that position open.
  
  And now, he was forced to frantically gather up everything to be presented to the inspectors.
  
  A part of him was tempted to call up Brock and ask for his assistance, but he knew that would shatter the façade and the image of competence that he hoped to present to his children. He knew it was all a lie, and couldn't be maintained in the long-term, but he didn't want them to worry about further troubles when their mother left them.
  
  And it wasn't like Brock's help would matter at this point. It was far too late.
  
  All he had wanted was to prove to them that he was capable of filling the hole caused by Lola's absence, even if he knew that it would never be the same without her. It was impossible for him to fill in both the role of a father and mother, but he felt that he owed it to them to try. Even though he knew that it was little more than putting tape on a leaking pipe.
  
  He knew that his image of competence as a Gym Leader was nothing more than a thinly held-together lie that was likely about to be exposed, but if he could shelter his children them for one more day, then it would be worth it in his eyes. Perhaps when it was time for Brock to inherit the Gym, he would do a much better job than a failure like himself.
  
  After over an hour of scouring and gathering old paperwork, he set them all down in a messy pile on his old office desk. He knew that a few documents were likely missing, but there wasn't any time to do anything about it. Nor would he be able to dig through the years of paperwork to find out what was missing.
  
  Maybe he could get lucky, and the League inspectors might not look through things too deeply? Besides, surely he couldn't be the only Gym having problems. He knew that the Cerulean Gym wasn't run as effectively as they should be ever since the role was passed to those trio of sisters. And he was pretty sure that there must be a few Gyms in Johto that were having similar issues.
  
  Perhaps, the Gym might overlook his failures as other Gyms might be worse off? Pryce WAS negligent to all Gyms as a whole, after all. And also, maybe the standards might be lower for him as he was responsible for the first-badge challenge. Since it's supposed to be the 'easiest' Gym.
  
  Flint hoped to Arceus that was the case, and that the League would be lenient on him. He didn't know how he would face his children if the League clamped down on his Gym and exposed him for the failure that he was.
  
  From the depths of his own heart, he apologized to his children for being unable to take care of them as well as Lola could. He apologized for not being the Gym Leader that they hoped he could be. He apologized for all the burdens that he might leave onto them if his failures were exposed.
  
  And ultimately, he apologized for wanting to do the same as Lola.
  
  A.N. This is mostly foreshadowing for what's going to happen in future chapters. I hope you liked how I portrayed Flint's inner thoughts; I didn't want him to be likeable, but he's certainly not evil. Just slightly pathetic and trying to do too much and failing. Which, in a way, is pretty bad already.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-7 -INTERLUDE-Whitney
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Loudred
  
  Jigglypuff
  
  Hoothoot
  
  The New Normal - 5-7 - INTERLUDE - Whitney
  
  Whitney and Sabrina, fully rested from their long trek from Celadon City, made their way to the Fuschia Gym. They had arrived at Fuschia City the evening before and had managed to reserve an appointment for their 5th badge Gym Challenge for the next morning, which was where they were heading to now.
  
  Fuschia City was quite far away from all the other cities, especially compared to how close Vermillion and Celadon City were to each other. But speaking of the 3rd and 4th Gyms, Whitney was pleased to at least found them relatively challenging, at least compared to the first 2 Gyms.
  
  However, for one reason or another, Whitney actually found them a little easier than she was expecting. And ironically, despite how different Surge and Erika were, they had surprisingly similar styles of fighting.
  
  During her battle against Surge, Surge had apparently looked down on her and tried to force a quick knockout with his Jolteon, using a quick Thunder Wave to paralyze and shut down her Loudred. As soon as the Thunder Wave hit, he followed up with a swift assault of powerful and quick electric attacks. At first, Loudred struggled to handle his faster Pokémon especially after he got paralyzed, but then Surge's Jolteon reckless attacking meant that, as soon as Loudred broke through the paralysis, she was able to land a critical Uproar against his Jolteon and knocked it out of the battle.
  
  It was a different story with his Raichu. This time, she wore it down using her Jigglypuff with a quick Sing to shut down his Raichu. Surge's Raichu was certainly fast and hard hitting, but just like Karen's Pokémon, it wasn't very tough and couldn't take hits. Thus, as soon as it was put to sleep by a Sing, her Jigglypuff was able to spam it down with repeated Echoed Voices.
  
  Then, against Erika, Whitney actually found it to be the easier fight compared to Surge. Not because Erika was a bad trainer, but that her tactics to stall out her opponent wasn't very good against her Loudred. Her standard strategy involved putting your Pokémon to sleep with Spore before wearing them down slowly with various Grass type moves like Giga Drain and Leech seed.
  
  If you weren't able to find a way to either remove her inflicted status conditions from your Pokémon or couldn't overwhelm her defensive Grass types as they slowly drained you, then Whitney could see how it would be a hard fight.
  
  However, for Whitney, Loudred seemed to be the perfect counter to Erika's team. Loudred refused to be put to sleep by using Uproar, which gave her the freedom to bash down her Pokémon without needing to be worried about being affected by status conditions. Unlike Surge, her Pokémon weren't particularly fast or able to hit hard either, preferring to wear your Pokémon over time with a mixture of restorative moves, so Loudred alone single-handily won her the battle with the Flamethrower TM that she bought for him in preparation for the fight.
  
  Still, now with both battles successfully won, that meant that she and Sabrina had secured her 3rd and 4th Gym Badges. Now, they sat down in the stands of the Fuschia Gym, preparing for their upcoming battle against Koga.
  
  As they waited, Sabrina began whispering to her.
  
  "I am wary of Koga." Sabrina said as they watched a trainer step up to fight against Koga. "I believe him to be the hardest challenge we've faced so far."
  
  "Why'd you think that?" Whitney asked curiouslys, "Surely your Kadabra would be enough to overcome any challenges. I mean, you hardly struggled against Erika as well."
  
  Sabrina shook her head, "Erika and Koga are on very different levels. My parents have great respect for Koga, and him and Giovanni have always been regarded to be the strongest of the Kanto Gym Leaders."
  
  "Oh. Well, John never said anything about Koga." Whitney admitted, "But, then again, he did say that I would find things challenging in the future, so maybe this is what he meant?"
  
  "Just watch." Sabrina said, gesturing to the trainer fighting against Koga. Whitney nodded and turned her attention to the match.
  
  The trainer currently matching up against Koga was, to put it politely, not doing so well. The trainer's Marowak was being blinded by a cloud of poisonous smog from Koga's Weezing. And despite being resistant to Poison attacks, that resistance proved futile when the Marowak was utterly incapable of landing a hit on the extremely agile Weezing, a Pokémon that was not normally known for its speed.
  
  And to make matters worse, as Marowak was slowly brought down by the overwhelming onslaught of Poison, Koga began setting up the battlefield for whatever the trainer sent out next by scattering a minefield of Toxic Spikes everywhere.
  
  In a last-ditch effort before it succumbed to the Poison, Marowak threw out a Bonemerang that broke through the poisonous clouds. But Koga ordered Weezing to use Double Team to avoid the Bonemerang, dodging the final attack from the Marowak before it fell to the effects of Poison.
  
  And with the battlefield completely covered in Toxic Spikes, Whitney didn't have much hope in the trainer's victory. Indeed, the trainer's next Pokémon was a Flaffy who immediately got badly poisoned from the Toxic Spikes. With the Flaffy badly poisoned as soon as it was released, it was child's play for Weezing to simply stall out the fight with its evasiveness and a barrage of Sludge Bombs knocked it out of the fight. Finally, the trainer's last Pokémon succumbed to the same tactic, and they lost the fight.
  
  From that fight alone, Whitney could see why Sabrina was being wary. Koga's fighting style was basically a combination of the strengths of the Surge and Erika put together. He hit hard, and had fast and nimble Pokémon, but at the same time slowly wore you down with Poison and forced you to commit to bad moves until you lost.
  
  He applied a lot of pressure on both the trainer and their Pokémon to react quickly and decisively, which seemed to test the trainer's ability to make decisions in battle and adapt to unfavourable circumstances. It was no surprise why Sabrina said that Koga was likely one of the strongest amongst the Kanto Gym Leaders.
  
  However, the realisation of the challenge ahead did nothing to deter or frighten Whitney. Instead, she became even more excited to finally be facing off against a truly strong and difficult opponent to test herself and her team against.
  
  Maybe finally this was the battle where she didn't need to hold back her Miltank.
  
  Suddenly, a young girl dressed up as a ninja descended from the ceiling in front of Sabrina, almost causing Whitney to shriek in surprise. Sabrina, however, was unaffected by the sudden intruder, probably having already sensed her with her Psychic powers.
  
  "Challenger! Gym Leader Koga calls the two of you to the front! He has something special to say to you, so please make your way down!" The girl announced, before backflipping away from the stands and disappearing out of Whitney's sight and into the crowds.
  
  "Do not be alarmed, she is just moving back to her hiding spot in the ceiling above." Sabrina stated calmly, but her lips were twitching in amusement at Whitney's surprise. "Come, let us make our way forward. I believe that the Gym Leader has something to say to us."
  
  Curiously, the two of them made their way down to where Gym Leader Koga was standing. As they arrived, he greeted the two of them with a stoic nod before speaking.
  
  "Welcome to my Gym. I have an offer for the both of you." He said, "I know that the two of you are far and beyond the toughest challengers that I will be facing off against today, and so I have a request for you."
  
  "The two of you will not need to fight against my Gym Trainers, as I know that will not be educational for you. Instead, you will fight me directly, at a level higher than what I normally fight at for a 5th Gym Badge challenge." He explained, "Furthermore, whichever of you isn't about to fight me, please step away from the arena so you cannot witness the battle. I would like for you to go into the battle as blindly as possible, to properly test yourself and your ability to react on the spot to whatever comes your way. I will not force you to do this, but I believe that the both of you are seeking a challenge, no?"
  
  "Yes, we are." Whitney replied for the both of them, "But what do we get if we win?"
  
  "Nothing but the challenge that you seek." Koga answered, "And if you lose, you will not be able to gain the 5th badge that you seek until you rechallenge me and beat me. Yet, if you truly are here to test yourself and your Pokémon's limits, then I would seriously suggest taking me up on my offer."
  
  The two of them shared a look for a moment before they replied at the same time, "We accept."
  
  Koga nodded, "Good. Now, Sabrina, please come up first. Whitney, please make your way to the visitor's office for refreshments. It's the least I could do for you. Janine, please escort her there."
  
  As soon as Koga finished speaking, the same little girl from before descended from above and landed next to Whitney, eliciting another squeak of surprise from her. Then, the girl patiently escorted the surprised Whitney to a small room in the side of the Gym, where they would be waiting.
  
  As Whitney sat down, the little girl, who she now knew was called Janine, passed some hot tea to her.
  
  "Thank you." Whitney said, receiving the tea with both hands. Janine simply nodded silently and remained silent. Whitney herself sipped her tea in silence. But as the silence stretched on, she was getting increasingly unnerved by the silent studying stares from Janine. Wanting to break the tension, she spoke up.
  
  "So, uh, Janine, why did Gym Leader Koga make this offer to the two of us?" She asked, hoping to start a conversation.
  
  Luckily for her, Janine was quick to respond. "I asked Fath-Gym Leader Koga the same thing. However, he simply told me that his sources informed him that the both of you were powerful up and coming trainers that easily went through the previous Gyms and was interested to seeing how far you could go when pushed."
  
  "Oh. Hehehehe, thank you!" Whitney smiled at the compliment, "I didn't realize he was so interested in us. That makes me very happy to hear."
  
  Janine nodded, "Of course. Gym Leader Koga has always been prudent in checking up on promising trainers. I was...curious to see why he was so interested."
  
  "But how did you find out about us?" Whitney asked, "We haven't really been on the news or anything."
  
  "We are ninja. We have our ways." Janine said, trying to be mysterious, but the slight smile that she had made her seem like she was childishly bragging more than anything. "We know that Sabrina is the daughter of the Saffron Gym Leader, while you are the sister of Elite John. That explains your strength, which may be why Gym Leader Koga wanted to test you."
  
  Whitney nodded at her words, then remained silent as she started formulating a plan in her head. If Koga wanted to test her, then she would be sure to bring her best.
  
  The minutes silently ticked by, with Whitney almost unaware of the passage of time as she concentrated on coming up with a plan based on how little of the fight she saw and from her previous research. Yet, she had seen many of her brother's battles, and she was going to copy how he had dealt with evasive fighters that were reliant on status conditions.
  
  And moments before Janine tapped her shoulder to let her know that it was her turn, she successfully formed a plan.
  
  With a silent nod towards Janine for the tea and the silence, she made her way to the arena where Koga was waiting with crossed arms. She briefly looked around the stands to see if she could spot Sabrina but failed to find her.
  
  "Your friend has been taking somewhere else." Koga stated, understanding who she was trying to search for. "I did not want to spoil the outcome of her battle, so you will find out after our fight."
  
  She gave an understanding nod, and he continued, "Good. Now, take your positions. Get ready."
  
  Whitney slowly made her way to her side of the arena while forcefully clamping down on her nerves and excitement. This was it. Her time to shine.
  
  "Trainers, this will be a 3v3 5-badge match between challenger Whitney and Gym Leader Koga! There will be one switch available!" The referee announced, and Whitney grabbed hold of her chosen Pokémon.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" Both trainers nodded. "BEGIN!"
  
  "Muk, you're up first."
  
  "LOUDRED, COME OUT AND UPROAR!"
  
  Her Loudred emerged with a deafening roar, immediately unleashing a powerful sonic wave that caused Muk's mucous form to vibrate uncontrollably. She knew that she couldn't afford to give Koga any time to set up his stall strategies and needed to constantly pressure his Pokémon so that they didn't have space to do so.
  
  Here, offense was the best defense. And hesitation was defeat.
  
  "Keep up the Uproar and get closer, Loudred! Don't let up!"
  
  "Toxic! And fall backwards, Muk!"
  
  Tanking past constant barrage of sonic waves, Muk spat out a huge globule of poisonous sludge, drenching the approaching Loudred as it continued blasting the Muk with its incessant Uproar. She could see her Loudred wince as her skin took on a sickly purple complexion, a tell-tale sign that Loudred had become badly poisoned.
  
  But that was fine; she didn't have any intention of allowing the battle to go on for much longer. And now that Loudred had gotten close to the Muk, she went for the kill.
  
  "Bulldoze, Loudred!"
  
  "Interrupt it with a Brick Break, Muk!"
  
  Loudred cut off its Uproar and began stomping up and down, causing powerful tremors to spill out towards Muk as the ground shook violently. In response, one of Muk's arms transformed into a solid hand that viciously chopped down on the stomping Loudred.
  
  Both Pokémon winced in pain as they endured through each other's attacks. She had hoped that the supereffective Bulldoze would have finished off Muk, but it seems like she had underestimated Muk's endurance. From appearance alone, Whitney felt like the Muk was more injured, but her Loudred was still on a ticking clock as she slowly succumbed to the powerful poisons coursing through her.
  
  She didn't have any time to waste. There was only one correct move for her if she wanted her Loudred to come out on top. It was all or nothing.
  
  "Loudred, TAKE DOWN! GIVE IT YOUR ALL!"
  
  "Brick Break, Muk! Bring it down."
  
  With a defiant roar, her Loudred determinedly ignored her injuries and rushed straight towards the Muk, who was preparing to deliver another brutal chop to the head of its own. The two attacks savagely slammed against each other as the two struck each other with whatever power they had remaining.
  
  There was no victor. Both Pokémon almost instantly collapsed against each other as their attacks landed, succumbing to the injuries that they had accumulated throughout their quick fight.
  
  "And both trainer's Pokémon are unable to continue battling! Putting the score at 1-1!" The referee announced, "Each trainer has 30 seconds to send out their next Pokémon!"
  
  Whitney withdrew her Loudred with a complex expression. On one hand, she had hoped to achieve more with Loudred before she fainted. On the other hand, taking out Koga's powerful Muk was still an acceptable outcome. For some reason, a part of her felt like the Muk could have achieved more than that, but she didn't want to think about that now.
  
  Instead, she realized that this left her Miltank as the only viable option of her team to fight against Koga; her other two Pokémon weren't strong enough to match up against Koga's threats.
  
  That was fine. Miltank would destroy them both. That, she was sure of.
  
  "Golbat. Take flight."
  
  "MILTANK! ROLL THROUGH YOUR ENEMIES!"
  
  Once again not wasting time on posturing, her Miltank rolled out from her Pokéball as she began picking up speed as she rolled around the area. Seeing that Miltank was seemingly not looking to attack, Koga made the first move.
  
  "Air Slash, Golbat!"
  
  But that was a mistake. As soon as Golbat slowed down to fire off an Air Slash, Whitney made her move.
  
  "Miltank, BOUNCE INTO THE AIR!"
  
  As they had trained, her Miltank suddenly did a small hop and slammed into the ground powerfully, creating a small dent in the arena, then used the reverse momentum of the attack to leap into the air.
  
  Gasps of surprise were heard from the audience as her Miltank leapt into the air. Even Koga, famed for his stoic nature, had his eyes widen in stunned surprise at the feat before him.
  
  As her Miltank bounced towards the Golbat, she ordered the coup de grâce.
  
  "Thunder Punch, Miltank! KNOCK IT OUT!"
  
  "PROTECT! NOW!"
  
  Her Miltank's fist crackled menacingly as lightning began to form around them. Koga's Golbat valiantly tried to dive out of the way while attempting to form a Protect shield, but it was too late.
  
  Miltank critically smashed its lightning infused fist straight into the Golbat's large mouth. The Golbat screeched in pain as the supereffective lightning coursed through it, and it started to fall out of the sky.
  
  "BODY SLAM, MILTANK! END IT!"
  
  Chasing the falling Golbat, Miltank grabbed hold of Golbat, trapping in an inescapable hug underneath her, before brutally slamming the two of them into the ground. Golbat was knocked out.
  
  Silence descended on the crowd for a moment before the crowd burst out in applause at the brutal takedown of Koga's Golbat.
  
  "And the Gym Leader's Golbat is unable to battle! The challenger now leads 2-1!" The referee stated, "The Gym Leader now has 30 seconds to send out their next Pokémon!"
  
  A stunned silence descended on the battlefield, but Whitney simply shot them all a pleased grin. THAT was what she was talking about!
  
  "An impressive display." Koga admitted as he withdrew his fallen Golbat, "I can see that my eyes did not deceive me. You truly are one to look out for."
  
  "Thank you, Gym Leader." She replied, still very pleased with herself. "But I know I still have a long way to go."
  
  "You do." He said, as he took hold of another Pokéball, "But, first, you still have one more Pokémon to get past. And I have no intention of making it as easy as my Golbat."
  
  "Come, Weezing."
  
  Another Weezing appeared on the battlefield. But even with a quick look, Whitney could tell from its solemn expression that this Weezing was different than the one he sent out before against the trainer.
  
  It had a more observant and experienced gaze in its eyes, subtly hinting to the much larger level of training that it must have had.
  
  But no matter. Her Miltank would crush all in her path. She had no intention of hesitating and playing into Koga's hands.
  
  "Start your Rollout, Miltank! Circle around it!"
  
  "Poison Gas, Weezing. Flood the arena."
  
  Her Miltank immediately rolled herself into a ball and started speeding around the stationary Weezing, who was busy expelling a thick cloud of poisonous gas everywhere. Fortunately for the spectating audience members and her, the seating area and trainer platform was properly protected from any toxic gases.
  
  But as the toxic smog began spreading, Whitney was beginning to find it difficult to see through the smog and accurately direct the battle. She couldn't see what was happening!
  
  Panic began to settle in as she started anxiously running through her options in her mind. How was she going to win if she couldn't order her Miltank to fight?! How would her Miltank know what move to use?!
  
  But, as if sensing her trainer's distress, a comforting Moo came out from within the poisonous clouds. Another set of calming Moo's came out from her Miltank, reassuring her that there was no need to panic, and that she could handle it on her own.
  
  Understanding what her Miltank was trying to tell her, Whitney took a few calming breaths to stabilize herself. Yes, there was no need to panic. After all, didn't she have full trust in her Miltank to deliver her victory?
  
  Let Miltank have her fun. Let her show the world her own abilities. Let her bring in the victory.
  
  "COME ON, MILTANK! YOU GOT THIS!" She shouted out through the Gym.
  
  As if resonating with her trainer's thoughts, her Miltank let out a defiant Moo before Whitney could just barely make out the silhouettes of large rocks being thrown from within the purple cloud.
  
  A foreign grunt of pain notified Whitney that her Miltank had landed a hit with one of the rocks. Immediately afterwards, a slight pink glow suddenly began shining through the thick cloud, telling Whitney that her Miltank was charging up a Zen Headbutt.
  
  Another pained grunt sounded out from within, hopefully meaning that Miltank had successfully landed the supereffective Zen Headbutt on Koga's Weezing. Whitney also noticed that toxic sludge was beginning to leak out from within the cloud, which probably meant that Weezing had clearly not been standing idle.
  
  The battle continued in a similar fashion, with her mostly unaware of what was going on from within. The only hints of the battle even happening was the odd grunt of pain from both Pokémon, as well as the small flashes of light and silhouettes that occasionally appeared.
  
  But, as the battle raged on, she noticed that the cloud of smoke was beginning to disperse, and visibility was slowly returned to the fight. Her own eyes narrowed as she waited patiently for the cloud to fully disperse and for full visibility to be restored.
  
  And suddenly, a large rock thrown from her Miltank managed to disperse the last of the poisonous clouds, revealing both battered Pokémon. Her Miltank panted heavily, was covered head to toe in a poisonous substance, and had an unhealthy purple complexion. On the other hand, Koga's Weezing looked like it was barely able to keep itself afloat, and one of its heads had its eyes sealed shut from its injuries.
  
  She could have ordered her Miltank to play it safe and use Milk Drink to heal up, but with Koga's Weezing on the ropes like this, she stuck to her strategy of all-out offense and commanded Miltank's final move.
  
  "Giga Impact, Miltank! Blast that thing!"
  
  Her Miltank let out one last Moo of determination as she shot forwards in a burst of orange light, seemingly ignoring the poison inside her as she charged unfalteringly towards the enemy Weezing, who seemed to be watching idly as the Miltank rushed towards it.
  
  But then, moments before collision, Koga sprung his trap.
  
  "Destiny Bond."
  
  "WAIT, STOP!"
  
  But her cries came too late as Weezing's eyes flashed a haunting purple just as Miltank slammed unstoppably into it, knocking out the Weezing. But then two swirling purple lights came out of the fainted Weezing and surrounded her Miltank with a creepy purple aura, promptly knocking her out as well.
  
  "Both trainers' Pokémon are unable to battle! The challenger is the victor!" The referee declared, to the sound of applause and cheers from the crowd.
  
  But Whitney didn't feel much joy from the victory, whatever celebrations she might have held was ripped away from her as her Miltank went down to a Destiny Bond. An attack that she SHOULD have foreseen and anticipated, but she was too eager to end the fight to realize until it was too late.
  
  "Do not beat yourself up over this." Koga said, as if reading her mind, "It was a grand victory for a trainer of your age. You cannot be expected to remember everything."
  
  "But I should have." She said petulantly.
  
  "Yes, you should. Let this be a reminder to not be overcome with emotion during a battle. Defeat can easily be snatched out of the jaws of victory, and vice versa." Koga replied sagely, "However, I battled you at a level much higher than what should be expected of a 5th badge battle, so while you should reflect on your mistakes, be proud of your achievement."
  
  Whitney took in Koga's words before she nodded to herself, understanding what he was trying to say to her. Seeing that she had resolved whatever ills in her heart, Koga took out a heart shaped badge and passed it to her.
  
  "Congratulations, trainer Whitney. For your victory, I hereby award you the Soul Badge. And I wish you the best in the future." He said with a slight smile, before gesturing towards one of the office rooms with his head. "Come, I have a gift for you and your friend. Please wait a while in the office while I finish up here."
  
  "Thank you." Whitney remarked as she carefully received her latest badge before she then made her way to the spare office where she found Sabrina sitting and chatting with Janine. Sabrina's head turned to hers as she entered.
  
  "Congratulations on your victory, Whitney." She said with a smile, "It was a well-fought battle."
  
  "Indeed, both of your battles were remarkable performances!" Janine added with a nod, before seemingly shrinking into herself. "...I wish I could give my father a performance like that."
  
  "Oh, Koga is your father?" Whitney said excitedly, finally understanding why Janine looked so familiar to her, "That's so cool! Your father's such a cool guy! He's definitely the strongest Gym Leader we've met so far!"
  
  Janine seemed to flush, both in embarrassment at revealing her relation to the Gym Leader and with pride at Whitney's words. Overall, it was a very complex, yet amusing expression.
  
  "You do not need to compare yourself with us, Janine." Sabrina suddenly said as she stared at Janine piercingly, "It is not healthy to do so."
  
  "How did you- right, you're a powerful Psychic. How could I forget." Janine lamented with a shake of head, "Anyways, stop reading my mind! And that's not the point. Father said he wanted me to go on a journey to explore the world, but I felt that I could get stronger staying at the Gym and learning from him..."
  
  "But now you're not so sure anymore." Sabrina finished for her, causing Janine to nod her head.
  
  "...I think your father is right, Janine." Whitney remarked, "I once thought the same as you with John. He was the greatest trainer I knew, and he was so strong and smart. I wanted to learn everything from him and stay with him until I was as strong as him."
  
  "But he always insisted that I had to go on my journey, that there were plenty of things that I could only learn when I experience it myself." She continued, as her voice took on a reminiscent tone. "And now that I've been on my journey for some time, I completely agree with him. Sure, I was able to train a lot with my Miltank and learn some powerful attacks that I might not be able to if I was by myself, but I learnt more overall ever since I went on my journey than compared to the years I spent just training with my brother."
  
  "Yes, I think I can see that now." Janine replied as she nodded, "I think I was just being wilfully blind to the fact that I was slowly starting to stagnate, and it might be why Father told me to experience new things and to explore the world."
  
  "Going on your journey is best done with a friend." Sabrina added as she directed a smile towards Whitney, "Whitney and I have learnt and improved a lot by spending time together."
  
  Janine nodded, "Yes, that's what Father said too. But I didn't have anyone to go with-"
  
  "Why not come with us then?" Whitney interrupted as she leaned forwards towards Janine with a bright smile, "Honestly, I think I want to get you know after speaking to you, and I won't turn down an opportunity to make more friends! Isn't that right, Sabrina?"
  
  Sabrina didn't seem to share Whitney's enthusiasm, and she hesitantly looked between Whitney and Janine before eventually nodding with a sigh, "Yes. New friends are a good thing." Whitney squeeed and glomped Sabrina in a tight hug, causing Sabrina to let out a rueful smile.
  
  "Um, are you sure it's okay?" Janine asked nervously, "I mean, I do want to go with you but-"
  
  "It's fine, it's fine." Whitney waved her off, "Trust me. It'll make things more exciting if you come along!"
  
  "Yes. You should go with them." Koga said as he suddenly appeared in the room, causing everyone but Janine to exclaim out in surprise. Was Sabrina not able to detect him?
  
  Ignoring the commotion that he created, Koga turned to his daughter. "Janine, I am glad to hear that you have let go of your stubbornness and are willing to travel. I truly believe that you'll be able to grow as a person as you experience new things on your journey."
  
  "...Do you think mom would be happy about this choice?" Janine almost whispered out, and Koga's eyes widened for a moment before he grabbed his daughter into a comforting hug.
  
  "She would be happy if you are, Janine." He whispered softly as he patted his daughter.
  
  "...Then I think I want to go, Father." She admitted, "I think I want to go with them."
  
  "Good. I hope you enjoy yourselves then. And always remember that you will be welcome back to the Fuschia Gym at any time. And that goes to the both of you too." He said to Whitney and Sabrina, "Please take care of my daughter for me. And I hope you all become fast friends."
  
  "We will, Gym Leader Koga." Whitney replied solemnly, "Thank you for your trust."
  
  Koga simply nodded at that before he withdrew two black TM cases from his clothes and handed one each to Sabrina and Whitney. "Here, as a reward for your victory over me, and now for choosing to accompany my daughter on her journey. That is the TM for Taunt, please use it well. Normally, I would have given you a TM for Toxic, but I figured this would be more useful considering both of your Pokémon."
  
  The two of them thanked Koga for his gift, and Janine shared one last hug with his Father, before they all made their way out of the Gym together.
  
  "Hey, so what are we going to do first?" Janine asked, "I still haven't gotten any badges yet, so I'll be a bit behind the rest of you."
  
  "Um, actually, we had planned to get our Flying Licenses after we beat the Fuschia Gym." Whitney admitted, "If you don't mind waiting a few days for us to do so?"
  
  "No, that is fine. But after you do so, would you be able to ferry me to the previous Gyms so that I may also collect my badges?" Janine asked sheepishly, "It shouldn't take too long."
  
  Whitney and Sabrina shared a look before Whitney nodded to Janine, "We don't mind. We also discussed having a break as well since we've been rushing through the Gyms pretty quickly. We could make use of the time to train up our Pokémon or maybe catch new ones."
  
  Janine gave them a relieved smile, "Thank you. I intend to challenge Father for my second last Gym Badge if possible, just to show him how much I've grown."
  
  "Then let us head back to Celadon right now. Since there isn't anywhere to apply for a Flying License here in Fuschia." Sabrina said as she began walking forwards, "Come, before it gets dark."
  
  "Wait for us!" Whitney shouted as she chased after her, with Janine soon joining in.
  
  And thus, the new trio started off on their journey together. It would be a start of a brand new adventure.
  
  A.N. And yes, Janine joins the party! Hope you enjoyed Whitney's battle against Koga, it was the first proper fight of Whitney that I actually wanted to showcase. She's getting strong, but still has a long way to go!
  
  I apologize for skipping over some of the Gym fights; I just didn't think they would be very interesting to see. Koga proves more of a challenge, so I wanted to highlight this fight in particular, and I hope I did it justice with this longer chapter. Things should slow down with Whitney now that she surpassed the 5th Gym.
  
  BETAed by Allute! Huge thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-8 - Inspector Smith
  
  The next day proved to be a busy one as I pulled myself awake early in the morning, hardly having any time to scarf down my breakfast, before I made my way to Pewter City to meet up with the League Inspectors.
  
  I arrived early, and I was promptly greeted by the group of League Inspectors, all wearing their signature black and gold Pokémon Inspection Agency badge, that seemed to have been waiting for me.
  
  "Good morning, it's a pleasure-"
  
  "Welcome, Elite John." An official interrupted, "Apologies for the interruption, but we have a busy day ahead of us, so let us get started as soon as possible." He said in a no-nonsense way, his voice teeming with impatience. I just nodded my head and followed him into the Pewter Gym.
  
  When we arrived at the Pewter Gym, I realized just how disappointing it looked when compared to even the Cerulean Gym. While appearance wasn't anything, the anime really underplayed just how plain looking it was. It looked like someone attached some rocks in front of a large barn.
  
  It really didn't give off any sense of professionalism or grandeur. Quite disappointing for what was supposed to be the first step of a Kanto's trainer journey.
  
  During my own journey, I was blinded, like so many others, by the thrill of a new adventure that I had ignored all of the MANY glaring flaws of the Pewter Gym. But now that those wondrous and exciting days were behind me, those flaws only seemed to stand out even more. The Gym desperately needed a makeover, at the very least.
  
  And from what I knew of canon, it likely needed A LOT more than that.
  
  I put aside my musings as we entered into the Gym and was greeted by a very familiar looking young teenager. If I were to guess, he looked around 13 years old.
  
  "Welcome to the Pewter Gym." The young Brock squeaked out, desperately trying to sound mature. I guess he wasn't able to go on his journey if he was stuck helping the Gym. "The Gym Leader is waiting with you in his office. Allow me to es-escort you there."
  
  The League inspectors all gave him a stiff nod before following him to the Gym Leader's office. Inside, we were greeted by the sight of a very harried and nervous looking Flint, who was surrounded by an ocean of hastily put together paperwork and folders.
  
  Not the best first impression.
  
  "Hello, hello, thank you for coming." Flint said with a nervous smile as he shook everyone's hands, "Please feel free to look through all of the paperwork. I hope everything is to your liking, haha."
  
  The League Inspectors ignored his nervous chuckle before they started dismantling and picking through all of the paperwork and photographing everything. A couple inspectors left the room to record some of the Gym Trainer and their battles. Flint watched them all with a nervous eye, shifting side to side like he wanted to escape the room. I took this opportunity to approach him.
  
  "Gym Leader Flint, it's good to meet you." I said with a nod, which he returned somewhat shakily, "How do you think you're handling things here?"
  
  "Oh, uh, I think things are going pretty well." He said with a nervous chuckle, "The start of this year's circuit was a little rough, but I've got things handled."
  
  I sincerely doubted that, but I didn't let any doubt show on my face, "Well, that's nice to hear." I replied, "Being a Gym Leader is a duty and a responsibility, so the League is always looking for people who are up to handling the task."
  
  Flint's eyes seemed to dart around anxiously at my words, but I ignored it and continued, "Anyways, Champion Lance sent me out here to do more than just accompany the inspectors. With his new Championship, he wanted to ask around to see if there were any things you were discontent with regarding his reign, and what you hoped to see improved."
  
  "Uhh...nothing much really." Flint scratched his head awkwardly, "I've been too busy running the Gym to notice or care about things like that, haha. I didn't even remember Champion Lance was challenging Pryce until my kids yelled at me to watch the match."
  
  My eyes twitched at the sheer ignorance coming out of his mouth, but I managed to maintain my politeness, "I see. Well, I can understand that being a Gym Leader is a tough position. But, I'm sure the League will be willing to provide assistance if you ask for it."
  
  "No, no, no, I can handle it." He said firmly, shaking his head. "Yes, things might be a bit hectic, but it always is at the start of each circuit. I can handle it. Don't worry about it."
  
  I REALLY wasn't sure if he could, and I knew he had run off from the Gym in canon. But was there anything I could do to stop it? Was there anything I could say to prevent him from running off and leaving the Gym to Brock?
  
  After pondering things over a bit, the unfortunate answer was a resounding no. If Flint wanted to live up to being a deadbeat dad and run off on his children, I didn't have any way to stop him.
  
  It was aggravating, but I had to accept that there were some things I couldn't fix. I had already made the offer to him to ask for assistance if he needed it, but his refusal meant that I couldn't really push any further. He had every right to deny it.
  
  With a mental sigh, I finished up my conversation with Flint and went to look around the Gym as I waited for the League Inspectors to finish up what they were doing. But everywhere I looked reminded me more and more of Flint's failure.
  
  The interior of the Gym looked no better than the exterior, and everything had a second-hand and run-down look. Even the stands, which was currently occupied by a spectator watching the Gym Trainers battle a few challengers, creaked loudly, and felt like they were moments away from snapping in half.
  
  Overall, if this was the Gym that Brock was going to inherit from his deadbeat dad, then unless he was a true genius, I couldn't see him being able to refurbish the Gym into something splendorous, not with the Gym's likely poor finances.
  
  Despite all of this, I vowed to myself that I wasn't about to leave Brock to the Houndoom when it was time for him to take over the Gym. I might not be able to prevent Flint from running off, but I could aid Brock, in some form or another, to help him out during these tough times.
  
  A quick tap on my shoulder brought me back from my thoughts, "Elite John? We are ready to leave." A League Inspector told me. I just nodded and made my way out of the Gym, giving a quick goodbye to Flint as we left.
  
  The Inspectors all seemed to have Kadabra's ready, and so with a quick Teleport later we found ourselves at our next destination at the Cerulean Gym.
  
  I had to held in a pleased grin at just how much better the Gym looked compared to the one in Pewter. Appearance wise, the Gym looked immaculate and majestic. And I, surprisingly, trusted Petrel and Archer to do a good job with the paperwork to not raise any alarms with the inspectors.
  
  As soon as we entered, Petrel immediately appeared in front of us and politely welcomed and escorted us to the Waterflower sisters' office. There, the Waterflower sisters greeted us with calm smiles as they gestured towards the stacks of folders and files that were displayed in a tidy and organized fashion.
  
  While the League Inspectors began going through the paperwork, I was taken aside by Daisy for a conversation.
  
  "John, thanks again for helping us with the Gym." She said to me, looking relieved. "I couldn't have imagined what would happen if the Gym wasn't reorganized in time for this inspection. We might have even lost the Gym!"
  
  I comforted her with a smile, "Well, no need to worry about that anymore. From what I've seen, the Gym looks miles better than what it was when I first came. You've made plenty of improvements."
  
  She chuckled, "Yes, I would hope so. Petrel and Archer have been running the three of us ragged trying to teach us how to run the Gym properly and train our Pokémon." She fake-grumbled, "Even our little Misty was forced to join in!"
  
  I laughed, "No pain, no gain."
  
  "Yeah, I guess. I mean, we all complain a lot, but we're all very thankful we had someone to guide us and train us." She admitted, staring thankfully at where Petrel was speaking to a League inspector. "It would have been a lot worse otherwise."
  
  Inwardly, I was very pleased to hear that. It was nice to confirm that my efforts in improving the Cerulean Gym were bearing fruit. Who knows, maybe the Cerulean Gym could transform into one of the greater and more respected Gyms of Kanto?
  
  "Oh, speaking of which, we just heard about the new Contest Hall being built here in Cerulean. We know you had something to do with it, so we just wanted to thank you for it. We're very excited to have a bigger stage to perform on." She said with a smile.
  
  "That's not a problem." I waved her off, "I'm just glad you're so excited for it. Have you made plans?"
  
  "We sure did." She nodded, "My sisters and I have started thinking up a new routine now that we have more free time with Petrel helping us out. It's so nice to actually be able to focus on the show for once without having to worry too much about our other duties. It really lifted a weight off our shoulders."
  
  From then on, our conversation devolved into mostly small. I did do my duty and ask about what she felt of Lance, and she truthfully told me that the four of them didn't really have much of an opinion. Like Flint, they were too busy with the Gyms and their shows to care about what was happening outside of the Gym.
  
  Although Daisy said that she found Lance charming enough, and far more pleasant on the eyes than Pryce. It sounded more like a teenage crush than anything else, but it was still good for Lance to have made a positive reputation on them.
  
  Soon enough, the inspectors requested that we moved on, and I continued on my busy day as we hit every single Gym possible.
  
  "Well, son, I'm not the biggest fan of having another Johto Champion, but at least he's doing a better job than Pryce so far!" Surge answered boisterously as he rubbed his chin, "Still, I'll be keeping an eye on him. I don't trust those Johtonians!"
  
  "You should be careful too, John." He said to me seriously, "Those Johtonians might stab you in the back if you aren't careful!"
  
  "Thanks, Gym Lea- Lieutenant Surge. I'll be sure to keep an eye out." I replied placatingly, remembering to call him by his 'proper' title. "Anyways, I hope the Gym inspection goes well."
  
  "HAH! Any good soldier knows the importance of logistics! I wouldn't slack on something like this." He boasted proudly, "Let those eggheads bury themselves in paperwork. And my Gym Trainers know better than go against the command of their superior officer! They'll find nothing to complain about!"
  
  "Anyways, kiddo, you've done a good job showing up Johto already." Surge continued, "You're practically Kanto's golden boy, so keep up the good work!"
  
  Surge was very enthusiastic, and was a bit too much at times, but I didn't sense a single malicious bone in him. He might be vocal in his distrust of Johtonians, but he didn't feel like a rabble rouser to me.
  
  "Oh...I hope the inspectors don't find anything to complain about...I'm worried that I've upset them somehow." Erika said to me worriedly as we walked around the beautiful gardens of the Gym. Honestly her Gym easily had the best aesthetic so far, and felt more like a place of peace and comfort rather than a stadium.
  
  "I'm sure that you have nothing to worry about. Even minor infractions could be easily forgiven." I reassured her, "Besides, I don't think I've seen a more beautiful Gym than this one in Celadon. It's a testament to your hard work that you've managed to maintain the Gym to such a high standard despite your relatively young age."
  
  "Well, if you want to get into ages, then should I comment on how much you've done despite being the 'youngest of the Elite Four'?" Erika chuckled with a serene smile. "You've done far more than I have with a single Gym, and I'm very happy to see the brighter faces of the residents of Celadon as things start to improve here in Kanto."
  
  "Could you tell me more about it?" I asked, "It's sometimes hard to see the effects of the policies that I'm having without being able to see it in action."
  
  "Well, I can tell you that Celadon City, as one of the larger commercial cities in Kanto, has been seeing an uprising of foreign business." She answered as she gently brushed her hand across a few flowers, "I'm not sure whether that's a direct result of the new policies, or just from a general increase in confidence amongst businesses, but things are looking good for Celadon. I hope things keep improving as they are."
  
  She began going into more detail about the improvements occurring around her city. I was impressed with her knowledge; even as one of the younger Gym Leaders, her competence could easily be seen. She might look like a dainty flower, but she possessed great intelligence.
  
  Still, I nodded to myself, pleased to hear that things WERE actually looking better for Kanto.
  
  "In your opinion, do you think Champion Lance will allow Kanto to continue prospering?" I inquired.
  
  "Hmm...well, I think he's doing a better job than Pryce. At least he doesn't seem to be acting against us." Erika replied thoughtfully as she began watering a few flowers with a watering can, "From the impression that I get from Lance...I think he's a good guy. Proud, but good. And I hope he stays that way in the future too."
  
  "...your sister was here recently." Koga said to me as we stared idly at the League Inspectors taking pictures of the paperwork.
  
  "Oh? I hope she did well." I replied. Whitney hadn't given me an update yet on what she was doing, but I guessed that if she was already past Koga then she was doing well.
  
  "She won, even after I raised the challenge for her." He told me, and I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his words, prompting him to continue, "I knew she was a trainer far above the 5th Gym Badge level before I battled her, and I wanted to test her limits. See what she could accomplish."
  
  "And how did she do?" I asked curiously, accidentally interrupting him.
  
  "She did well, and so did her Psychic friend." He said, ignoring my interruption, "They both won despite me using higher-level Pokémon. Your sister is one to watch. I suspect that she will grow into a very capable trainer."
  
  I felt a surge of pride go through me on behalf of Whitney, and I smiled despite myself. "Thank you for keeping me in the loop, Gym Leader Koga. I'm very glad to hear that she's doing so well on her journey."
  
  "It's a brother's prerogative to worry." He nodded, "Besides, I am sympathetic to your feelings. My daughter Janine seems to have befriended your sister and has joined her on her journey."
  
  "Oh! Uh, wow. That's...quite the surprise." I replied bafflingly, not really able to comprehend that Whitney was somehow able to befriend and travel with two future Gym Leaders. "...I hope that they can get along together."
  
  "So do I." Koga concurred, a hint of fatherly pride leaking into his voice that he tried to hide. "Even though I was the one to encourage her to set of for her journey, I worry as a father that she may get into danger." He shook his head, "Regardless, I will not coddle her. And I hope that she gets along with her sister and her friend."
  
  "I have every faith that your daughter will get along with Whitney; I've never known my sister to be anything less than friendly." I said reassuringly, "Anyways, speaking of getting along, how are you finding our new Champion?"
  
  "I have no opinions. I like him more than Pryce, but I felt that Pryce was a blind fool." Koga grunted, "So long as the security of Indigo is not neglected, then I have no other concerns."
  
  "Oh? You're the brother of our daughter's best friend, aren't you?" Samson, the Gym Leader of Saffron and Sabrina's father asked with a jolly smile. "We were ecstatic when we heard that our daughter finally made a friend. Please, make sure to pass on our thanks to your sister. We're very thankful that someone her age is finally able to look past her Psychic abilities."
  
  "Yes indeed. We were over the moon when we found out that our daughter had made a friend." Katrina, the personal secretary, and Sabrina's mom added, "We were so concerned that her Psychic gift would isolate her. I'm so glad that's not the case."
  
  "Well, she's been a great friend to Whitney, so there's really no need for thanks I'm sure." I replied slightly embarrassedly, "Though I definitely will pass them on."
  
  "Please do." Samson said as he patted me on the shoulder, "We'd love to meet her one day in person. Though I think that day might come sooner rather than later as Sabrina told us that she would be coming to Saffron soon."
  
  "Then I'll entrust you to look after my sister when she's in Saffron. But don't make things too easy on her for her Gym Challenge!" I joked, before switching to a more serious topic.
  
  "Anyways, any thoughts about how this inspection is going to turn out?" I inquired, looking around as the League inspectors somehow still had the energy to continue working even after going through 5 Gyms at this point.
  
  "There shouldn't be any issues." Samson replied, sharing a confirming look with his wife, "We've been very careful to make sure things are up to scratch so that Sabrina will have no problems inheriting the position. Arceus knows that she'd do a better job at it then I am."
  
  Something shined in his eyes then, a hint of latent Psychic power that showed itself for a moment then. The pitcher of water on the table levitated in the air and filled up a glass before she moved the glass into his hands and took a sip of water.
  
  "I'm sure you're doing a fine job as it is." I praised, tearing my eyes away from that display. "But I'm glad to hear your confidence. Oh, and while I'm here, can I ask if you two have any thoughts about Champion Lance and his new leadership?"
  
  "I like him." Katrina answered instantly, "We had problems before with Kanto's failing economy, as Saffron would be similarly hurt by the growing unemployment. That Karate lunatic Kiyo over at the Fighting Gym used to be crowing to the skies every day about our incompetent leadership, even though NONE of this was our fault." She spat angrily, and I felt a wave of psychic energy wash over me, causing the nearby bookshelves to shake. Realizing she was losing control, she took a quick breath to calm herself down.
  
  "But with Pryce out of the way, things have been looking better. I'm not sure if Lance is responsible for our recent good fortune, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. I do hope thing continue in a similar manner in the future." Her husband gave similar nods of acknowledgement.
  
  Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short as the League inspectors requested that we move on. I could have forced them to stay for longer while I finish up my conversation, but I felt bad for these poor and tired individuals, so I ended our conversation there and moved on to our next destination.
  
  "You're a scientist, John!" Blaine loudly praised as he clapped me on the back, ignoring the weird looks he was getting from the inspectors, "I don't know why you're mucking about with those Arbok in politics. You should do what I did and retire to be a scientist."
  
  "I'm still a teenager, Blaine." I replied wryly, "I think it's a bit early for retirement."
  
  "Nonsense! I spent a few years in that pit and I lost all my hair!" He exclaimed, before bending down and showing off his shiny head. "LOOK! MY HAIR! I USED TO HAVE HAIR! AND NOW ITS ALL GONE! You could say that the stress burnt it all off!"
  
  I choked out a laugh at that terrible pun, causing him to grin at his 'successful' joke. Then he turned serious.
  
  "Listen, John, joking aside, I wasn't kidding when I said you should become a scientist." He looked me in the eye, "You clearly have the potential for it with all your discoveries. And I will tell you that it's likely more fulfilling that being in the Elite Four. Arceus, I'm balancing two responsibilities as a Gym Leader and a scientist, and yet I still enjoy it more than I did when I was in the Elite Four."
  
  "Take it from me, kid. Unless you're a ratchety old lady like Agatha is, being in the League will corrupt you eventually." He warned, "Just look at Pryce. He used to be...better than what he is now. Used to be someone you could look up to. But now he's this frozen husk that's better off dead. Thank Arceus you helped Lance knock him off." There was a lot bitterness in his voice when he said that. Was there a past connection between him and Pryce? It wouldn't surprise me if they were previously friends or something.
  
  "...I will take that in mind. Thank you for the advice." I said after a moment, before deciding to switch topics, "Anyways, speaking of Lance, what do you think of him?"
  
  "Oh, the young Dragon looks to the sheep for opinions? I thought they didn't care for our bleating." He chuckled sardonically, "Anyways, I don't like him, but I'll pick him over Pryce any day." He started to rub his chin thoughtfully, "Maybe he has started to mellow over the years. He was a cocky brat when he first entered the Elite Four, but if he's willing to actually ask around for opinions? Maybe he's changed for the better."
  
  "I hope he has." I replied, "He's our Champion now, after all."
  
  "Hmph. Champion or not, he has a long way to go before he actually earns my respect." He spat, but it lacked any real heat. "Anyways, enough of this, let's see if any of the inspectors accidentally hurt themselves in my Gym. I'm not having them give my Gym a failing grade when I wasted all this time on it because one of those bootlickers hurt themselves like the fools they are."
  
  "Good to see you again." Giovanni said to me, in his office "Is there anything urgent you have to tell me?"
  
  "Not really, I'm just supposed to be here on Lance's behalf to ask around about how you Gym Leaders think of him." I informed him, looking around at the new decorations, "Anything you have to say to our Champion?"
  
  "Ah, well, tell him to keep up the good work then. Of course, try to get him more focused on Kanto." He smirked, "Arceus knows that Johto doesn't need any more of an advantage."
  
  "Will do." I nodded, before lowering my voice to a whisper, "Have you heard anything regarding the problem at Hoenn? I'm getting concerned that the Hoenn League still haven't found anything."
  
  "Nothing that I felt like had to be urgently brought to your attention." Giovanni whispered back, "But I have heard some rumours about funds being shuffled around in the black market. That usually means something's happening."
  
  My fists clenched at his words, "Do you think I should find my way over there and deal with this problem?"
  
  Giovanni looked at me like I was an idiot, "And how would you do that? Even I don't know where they are. It'll be trying to look for a needle in a haystack." He shook his head, "Look, I know you're anxious about crushing Team Rocket, I am too, but you're better off spending your efforts here to improving Kanto rather than being all worried about something you and I can unfortunately do nothing about."
  
  "Crime will always exist, John. It's not something you can get rid of." He stated. "I'm as angry as you are about Proton's betrayal, despite it being a blessing in disguise, but I know that I can't just go looking for them without knowing more. We've been over this before. You have to stay patient."
  
  Despite my desire to rush over to Hoenn immediately, Giovanni's words helped my rational side to win and I let out a deep breath to calm myself. He was right, I had already decided before that rushing over to Hoenn wouldn't do me any good. Sometimes, the problem with being on the side of the law was that you were almost always forced to be reactive and not proactive.
  
  It was frustrating, but there was not much I could do until we found out more. "Fine, fine. I'll do my best to be patient." I said to him, before switching topics, "Anyways, should we look over at what the inspectors are doing to just in case they've found anything they're not supposed to find?"
  
  Giovanni chuckled, "There will be nothing for them to find."
  
  With all 8 Gyms finally done, we were finally released from our duties. The exhausted League Inspectors all gave me a tired nod before they were Teleported away to finish up whatever they needed to do. Fortunately for me, I wasn't on the clock, so I went straight home.
  
  I had done enough mingling for the day, and my social battery desperately needed recharging. I had sent a quick text on my way home to Lance to say that I encountered no problems, and that I would inform him properly about my observations tomorrow.
  
  It was around dinnertime when I got home, and I expected to find my parents chatting idly around the dinner table while watching TV.
  
  Instead, the two of them sat with stiff silence as they mechanically ate their dinners, with a single official-looking letter sitting in the corner of the table.
  
  "John, you're back." My mom greeted with a worried smile, "I think you have a letter."
  
  With a careful nod, I went over to open it. And inside, was an official letter of challenge in two weeks' time for my position in the Elite Four.
  
  From challenger Bruno.
  
  A.N. AND BRUNO APPEARS ONCE AGAIN AND MAKES HIS CHALLENGE! Next chapter will go into more reasons about Bruno and why he chose to challenge John specifically, so don't worry about that!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-8 - Interlude - Bruno
  The New Normal - 5-8 - Interlude - Bruno
  
  Bruno rested near his newly built campfire and tent as he watched the sun slowly setting in the distance, a fitting reward for another hard day of training. He had taken the time when he had entered Viridian City, where he had issued his letter of Challenge towards John, to also restock his supplies for the next 2 weeks while he continued his training on Mt. Silver.
  
  Unlike what many likely thought of him, Bruno had no particular political reason why he chose John as his target for his challenge. Indeed, many might have thought that Bruno should have been patient and waited for Will's and Lorelei's grace period to expire before challenging them for their title of the Elite Four.
  
  It would have been the smarter thing to do, which was entirely beside the point and completely undermined what Bruno really desired.
  
  Ever since he had won his year's Indigo Conference, he was dissatisfied with himself. He had spent much time ruminating over his victory, and how narrow it was. He may have won against his final opponent, but it was a victory that had little to do with his skill and training and almost everything to do with luck.
  
  When he appeared on the victor's podium, he felt no happiness or joy. Instead, all he felt was the burning desire to continue his training and bring his Pokémon to further heights.
  
  And so, he disappeared into the wilderness as he and his Pokémon underwent a vigorous and extensive training regime to better himself in the best way he saw possible. With his pure Fighting type team, that meant training them in being the absolute masters of close quarters combat, to let none best them in a battle of technique.
  
  Furthermore, Bruno was diligent and would not neglect training his Pokémon's mental discipline. He knew all too well that being a martial artist was more than just hitting hard, it was also about training your mind and body to be able to wall off most common mental intrusions. Especially with his Pokémon's weakness to Psychic types, he made sure that common status moves like Confuse Ray or Hypnosis that were frequently employed by said Psychics would not easily take hold in his Pokémon.
  
  Now, some may find it odd, or perhaps even stupid, for him to field a team consisting entirely of pure Fighting types. These were the type of people that could often be found on the Pokénet screaming about why one trainer would win over another because their type was weak against another.
  
  Bruno despised those kinds of people, because they failed to understand that type matchups were only the most basic level of battling. There was far more consideration to be had beyond that. Oh, Bruno admitted that it would probably be smarter to at least have Fighting types that had another type to protect against common Fighting weaknesses, but that went against his desire as a trainer.
  
  Bruno understood that he wasn't really a conventional trainer, nor would he label himself as one, but rather as a martial artist that just made use of Pokémon. It was like running a pseudo dojo, where he and his Pokémon aimed to reform themselves into the best that they could be, both physically and spiritually.
  
  As a result of that, Bruno prioritized very different things to most other trainers. He cared little about creating a 'balanced' team that covered each other's weaknesses. Indeed, his Pokémon were all very similar in both fighting styles, speed, and method. Rather, his goal was to mould and craft his Pokémon into the ultimate martial artists by tempering them with sufficient experience and training.
  
  Therefore, he deliberately left in those weaknesses, such as his Pokémon's near inability to use long-range Special Attacks, so his Pokémon could strive to overcome them with their own techniques and methods. The fact that all of his Pokémon shared similar skills, techniques, and weaknesses meant that any solution created by one could be shared with all. This led to all his Pokémon often competing against each other to discover their own breakthroughs first, and Bruno was always quick to foster such cohesion to boost their motivation and teamwork.
  
  Thus, after around two years of dedicated training, where he alternated between training in the wild and participating in every battle competition he could find, he finally wanted to test out his Pokémon, and see how much they improved.
  
  And because of that, he challenged John not because he yearned for his position in the Elite Four, and in all honesty he wasn't very interested in the political responsibilities such a position would force on him, but solely because he saw John as a fitting test for his skills and an appropriate wall for him to overcome.
  
  While some debated that Agatha might be the stronger of the two, Bruno had absolutely no intentions of challenging the old lady.
  
  Not because he was afraid of losing, but rather Agatha's Ghost types wouldn't be an effective tool to measure his Pokémon's strength against. Fighting Ghosts required a very different methodology and training than fighting other types, and Bruno knew that his Pokémon weren't ready for that yet.
  
  With that in mind, he knew that John would be a formidable opponent for him, having already solidified his standings within the Elite Four with his defeat of Drake and his subsequent defense of Olivine. He had watched the battle against Drake with restrained excitement and realized that John's way of fighting was exactly the perfect opponent for him to test his Pokémon against.
  
  It would be even more ideal if John was a Fighting type trainer like himself, instead of using Pokémon that he had a type advantage against. However, Bruno was confident that John's Pokémon were trained to resist and overcome their inherent Fighting type weaknesses, meaning that Bruno shouldn't have an unfair advantage because of that.
  
  He clenched his fists excitedly as he thought about the battle ahead. He looked forward to overcoming it with his Pokémon.
  
  A.N. I hope the way I described Bruno's inner thoughts was satisfactory. I wanted to highlight some differences he had with 'normal' trainers, and how he prioritized different things. I didn't want to portray him as a pure musclehead, but just someone outside of the norm.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-9 - Concerns and Preparations
  
  "Are things going to be alright for you, dear?" My mom's worried voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "Do you think you can win?"
  
  I fiddled with the letter in my hands for a moment as I pondered my mom's question. Did I think I could win?
  
  Admittedly, I was VERY taken aback by this sudden challenge. I would have thought that my strength within the Elite Four was cemented enough that none would challenge me. And yet, I had overlooked a few things in that assumption.
  
  One, the only Elite Four members available to be challenged at the moment were myself and Agatha, as Will and Lorelei were still under their 1-month grace period due to their new appointments. Secondly, I bet Bruno was the type of guy that looked to challenge himself against what he saw was the strongest target around to test his strength.
  
  Sure, Agatha might be considered by some to be stronger than me, but her way of fighting was so different from most trainers that, for a Fighting specialist likely focused on brute strength and discipline, she wasn't a target for a test of strength. Therefore, I realized that I was the only good option for him to choose.
  
  "I don't know yet, but I intend to find out." I stated firmly, "I've too much riding on my position in the Elite Four to lose it now, so I'll be making use of these 2 weeks to know everything I can about Bruno. And crush him."
  
  "Good." My mother nodded, "Do your best. We're cheering for you." She then waved me off from cleaning duties since I had already eaten, and I quickly returned to my room and began to do some research on Bruno.
  
  Quite quickly, I managed to find videos of Bruno's previous battles, as he seemed to spend much of his time wandering around Indigo and participating in unofficial and official tournaments alike. Expectedly, Bruno's team was very straightforward, and assuming that he didn't make any new captures, then his team consisted of pure Fighting types with no dual types.
  
  More specifically, I found that he favoured the use of primarily 6 Pokémon, a trio of Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, and Hitmonchan, as well as a Primeape, Hariyama, and his starter Machamp. He also had two Onix, but I was fairly certain that he mostly used those as weights rather than as actual battlers.
  
  Still, despite how seemingly straightforward his team appeared to be; I knew that they were undoubtedly very well trained. I knew from my meta-knowledge that Bruno made it into the Elite Four, and managed to STAY within the Elite Four, so his strength must be formidable.
  
  I also knew that he was the stereotypical martial artist, enforcing a very strict sense of discipline for him and his team. I was willing to bet that most mental attacks wouldn't work on him unless they were particularly potent. My initial assessment of him was that he really was the ultimate close range fighter, and against most opponents the match was over if his Pokémon managed to get close.
  
  With that in mind, I began to form a simple two-pronged plan to deal with his team. Since his team had no ranged attackers, beyond the use of thrown rocks, I could use my ranged attackers to slowly wear down his team and blast them down from a distance. Pokémon such as Zephyr, Luna, and Klaus are particularly good choices for this.
  
  Then, my remaining 3 Pokémon should be ones that should be able to win in a close-range fight outright, which were obviously Smough, Vordt, and Tyrant. I was confident that, despite their type weakness, they should be able to hold their own even against Bruno's stronger attackers. Although, ideally, those stronger close-range attackers should be dealt with by my ranged attackers first.
  
  And hence, with a plan in mind, I laid down on my bed and began jotting it down in my notepad so that I could refine it later. I did this for a few minutes before my phone began buzzing incessantly as I started receiving texts from people.
  
  I reached over to check it and found out that practically everyone that I knew had texted me, wishing me luck for the upcoming battle. Apparently, the challenge had found its way to the relevant news channels and was now being broadcasted all over the world.
  
  I ignored the temptation to turn on the TV and just quickly sent out replies to everyone thanking them for their words before I stared at the last message I received from Karen.
  
  'U better not lose. Or else how would I show my face if I was trained by a failed E4 member? Call me if u want to train together.'
  
  A small smile formed across my face at her concern, before I put everything away and tried to go to sleep.
  
  ...And of course, that was when my sister decided to ring me up.
  
  "John! Bro! You there?!" She shouted out into the phone, causing me to wince.
  
  "Yes, yes, no need to shout. What do you want? It's late." I replied, slightly irritably due to my fatigue.
  
  "No need to be grouchy, bro, it's not even that late." She remarked, and I could feel her sticking out her tongue at me. "Anyways, heard you were going to fight against Bruno. You ready for that?"
  
  "Why, you worried?" I smirked, even though she couldn't see it, "Don't worry, I'm going to get to preparing soon. I won't let myself lose like this."
  
  "Good! I don't want to see you lose. But make sure you train up well, though, Bruno looks really tough! Maybe even Drake tough!" She replied, some concerning leaking into her voice. And I chuckled at her use of Drake as a descriptor. Honestly, it fit.
  
  "...You're right, Bruno is tough. But I'm going to be ready for him. I won't let him get the better of me." I reassured, before changing the topic, "Anyways, I heard from Koga that you've joined up with his daughter Janine. How did that happen?"
  
  "Well...she just wanted to join! And I really wanted to spend time with a new friend as well and..." My sister began her signature enthusiastic rambling, spewing out whatever came to mind. But I was used to this at this point, and I simply listened to her speak about her new friend as I relaxed on my bed.
  
  Eventually, she tired herself out and hung up. But I was already well asleep at that point.
  
  Despite my upcoming battle, I couldn't just neglect my duties to the Elite Four, and so I reluctantly dragged myself to the Indigo Plateau to report on my observations of Kanto's Gyms from yesterday.
  
  This must have been what Walker felt like when he was waiting for his challenge against Lorelei. I just hoped that mine wouldn't end up the same way.
  
  Still, I forced away thoughts about my upcoming battle as I entered into the building and made my way to Lance's office. He immediately greeted me when I arrived.
  
  "Ah, John, good luck once again for your upcoming battle. I would certainly be disappointed if I lost access to your wise council. Though, from what I've seen of your previous battles, I'm sure you'll do fine." He joked and we shared a small chuckle before he continued, "Anyways, Lorelei came in earlier to report about the Johto Gyms, but I want to hear what happened on your end. Anything interesting to report?"
  
  "Yes, but not all of it is good." I replied, and Lance frowned slightly as he gestured for me to proceed, "To start with the good news first, most of the Kanto Gym Leaders are either indifferent or warily supportive of you. They can see that you've done good things for Kanto's economy, and you've made their jobs easier as the economic conditions of Kanto improve. I believe that so long as you continue with this, you'll be able to earn their trust."
  
  "I see..." Lance said thoughtfully, "But you said MOST of the Gym Leaders were either indifferent or supportive, was there any that disliked me outright?"
  
  "Blaine and Surge, though the former seems to like you more than Pryce and the latter seems to just dislike Johtonians in general." I informed him.
  
  "Ah, those two...Well, that's okay then, I was never going to get on either of their good sides, so it's no matter." He said dismissively with a wave. "Well, either way, I'm glad to hear that I'm more well-liked than Pryce, even if that isn't a very high bar to clear. Are there specific requests or concerns that they wanted to address?"
  
  I went through my conversations with the Gym Leaders before shaking my head, "No one had any specific requests, aside from general comments to keep up the good work. Like I said, I think most of them had similar comments about how an improved economy benefits them, as a better and happier populace means less complaints aimed their way, and also allows them access a larger budget to ensure that their Gyms could be run properly. For now, they seem to just want more of the same."
  
  "Right, I'll make a note of that. Though, like I promised you, I have no intention of chucking Kanto to the wayside like Pryce did. Now more than ever, I can clearly see how foolish Pryce's decision was to do so. We are stronger together. As Indigo." He stated with a shake of his head.
  
  Then he clasped his hand together and leaned forwards on his chair, "So what's the bad news? Because I've had some pretty unfortunate news from Lorelei too, and I REALLY hope that you're not about to add to that headache."
  
  I gave him a rueful smile, "Unfortunately, I probably will." I ignored his groaning, "I'm not sure what your inspectors are going to tell you, but I can safely say that just from my preliminary observations alone, I am VERY concerned about the state of the Pewter Gym, which only worsened after speaking with Gym Leader Flint."
  
  Lance let out a sigh, "How so?"
  
  "I can list a few reasons." I raised a finger, "Firstly, the Gym itself looks like someone stuck boulders onto a rundown shack, and it looks horrible and unprofessional." I raised a second finger, "Secondly, Flint was a nervous wreck when he met me, and I don't think that it was due to nerves alone. His paperwork looked extremely unorganized, so I would be very surprised if his paperwork was actually in good condition." I raised another finger, "Thirdly, when I suggested that he asked for help from the League, he firmly refused such an offer and claimed that he could handle it himself, which I sincerely doubt."
  
  "Overall, I am almost certain that the Pewter Gym is not currently running to the standard expected of a Gym, and the League will likely need to step in to rectify this issue." I finished.
  
  Lance let out another sigh and dropped his head into his hands, "...Stubborn and incompetent. What a terrible combination...thanks for letting me know in advance. I guess this is likely the third Gym that's going to need some assistance from the League."
  
  "Wait, THIRD Gym?!" I asked, my eyes bulging slightly.
  
  "Yes. THIRD!" Lance growled out, "I don't know what Pryce was doing when he was Champion, but he clearly didn't keep an eye on the state of his Gyms. Lorelei informed me yesterday that, similar to your report on the Pewter Gym, the state of the Olivine Gym and the Mahogany Gym needs work and likely assistance from the League."
  
  Ah, I wasn't that surprised about the Mahogany Gym, considering that it didn't have a Gym Leader at the moment with Lorelei moving up to the Elite Four. But I WAS surprised to hear about Olivine Gym being such a mess; was that why Team Rocket was able to sneak away to Hoenn?
  
  Unaware of my thoughts, Lance continued, "I'm probably going to have an urgent committee meeting to discuss the likely results for the inspection...in fact, I'm going to rush the inspectors to prioritize those problematic Gyms to see if they truly need the help."
  
  He turned back to me, "Anyways, thanks for coming in. I won't hold you for any longer since I know you'd rather be training. Check your messages though, we might have a committee meeting soon."
  
  I nodded to Lance and made my way out, deciding to quickly return home so that I could begin my preparations for my fight against Bruno. I only had 2 weeks to prepare, and I intended to use the most of it.
  
  As I quickly flew home, I sent a quick text message to Karen on my way back.
  
  'Are u free to duel tmr, have to train up for Bruno.' I sent her.
  
  'K. Will see u there tmr. Have lunch ready! :)' She wrote back.
  
  With that sorted, as soon as I got home, I quickly made a beeline to the training fields and released my Pokémon there. They already knew about the upcoming match against Bruno, so they were all pumped and ready to go.
  
  As I still needed to do more research about Bruno, I just set my Pokémon to engage in some high intensity general training for the time being while I continued researching Bruno's previous battles. Thus, I found a nearby tree to lie back on and began browsing through his old battles on my phone.
  
  From my research, I quickly confirmed my initial plan to use the same Pokémon that I used against Drake, namely Tyrant, Vordt, Smough, Zephyr, Luna and Klaus, an equal mix of bruisers and long-range fighters. However, unlike my battle with Drake, my priority right now was not to think of strategies to overpower Bruno.
  
  While Drake and Bruno were fought similarly, Drake definitely leaned more into overpowering his opponents with the sheer power of his Pokémon, as befits a Dragon type trainer. However, Bruno differed from that as his Pokémon, while they certainly were formidable attackers, weren't traditionally the strongest Pokémon around.
  
  Instead, I found from my research that what set him apart from so many other Fighting type specialist was his Pokémon's technique, honed extensively by almost insane levels of training. Despite first appearances, Bruno's Pokémon were all surprisingly nimble fighters that were quick dodgers and were capable of using strategies other than just 'hit the enemy as hard as you can'. Clearly, Bruno was more than just a musclehead.
  
  Thus, my concern was not whether I could overpower Bruno's Pokémon, since I remained fairly confident that my trio of bruisers were physically stronger than his, but rather if my Pokémon could win despite being not as technically skilled as his.
  
  I needed to find some way to nullify Bruno's technical superiority over me. If I could find a way to take him unawares, then that would be ideal.
  
  Fortunately, I did have a few tricks still left that I had yet to show in my battle against Drake. And the most powerful of which was the fact that Luna was a Fairy type that was actually RESISTANT to Fighting type attacks. If I could nail him with a surprise Moonblast at just the right time, I might swing the tides of battle into my favour with a quick knockout.
  
  Of course, using Luna in this way in such a public battle would definitely raise suspicions about her true typing, since a 'Normal' type should be WEAK to Fighting Type moves. But I figured that now was the best time to begin revealing this secret to the world, since I also knew that Euphie was getting close to being able to evolve into a Sylveon with her developing ability to manipulate Fairy type energy.
  
  Once Euphie does evolve into a Sylveon, I was confident that it'll prove beyond any doubt that Fairy types are a real thing. But that was an issue for later.
  
  Deciding that I had done enough research for now, I got up and performed a few quick stretches before I walked over to where my Pokémon were just finishing up with a round of intense Gravity Training.
  
  "Right, Luna, you're going to be center stage for the battle." I said to her as she squeaked in acknowledgement, "It's time to show the power of your true type to the world. But first, I need to make sure you're able to tank through even the most powerful of Fighting type attacks."
  
  Luna nodded and prepared herself, so I pointed towards Tyrant, "Tyrant, use Hammer Arm on Luna, full power."
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" With a powerful roar to the skies, his fist descended like an anchor onto my braced Luna. Luna staggered backwards with a cry of pain, but she managed to stop herself from falling over entirely. That was good, but I needed it to be better.
  
  "Good job, Luna." I praised, "That's a good start, but we're going to need to keep practicing. Bruno is probably THE Fighting type specialist in Indigo, so I'm not going to take any chances. You're going to be my trump card in this battle, Luna, so I hope you can step up to the challenge."
  
  Luna let out a cry of affirmation as she nodded solemnly to my words. She proceeded to quickly heal herself up with a Soft-Boiled and prepared herself for round 2. I nodded to Tyrant as he crashed down with another Hammer Arm into Luna, with similar results.
  
  I allowed this to continue for some time before I moved onto my other Pokémon. Later, if Luna proved capable of comfortably tanking through Tyrant's Fighting Type moves, I was going to make Luna try to endure against a Guts-Boosted Vordt. If she could comfortably tank through THOSE attacks, then I was confident that Bruno's Pokémon should pose no issues.
  
  In the meanwhile, I turned my attention to focusing on Vordt and Zephyr and had them pair up. For Vordt, his job was to try to hit a mobile Zephyr, while Zephyr's job was to evade as many rocks as he could. This served two purposes. One, it allowed Vordt more practice in hitting a nimble and small target, which I suspected many of Bruno's Pokémon would be, and two, it allowed Zephyr to get more practice in dodging past incoming rocks, which I was absolutely certain that Bruno would make use of.
  
  My last pair consisted of Smough and Klaus, where I had Smough try to catch up to the much quicker and more nimble Klaus while Klaus tried to fend off the incoming Smough with only using Psychic. Once again, this was done for two reasons. One, I needed to make sure to make Smough have as much training as possible with fighting against a more mobile opponent, and two, I wanted to ensure that Klaus' Psychics were as powerful as possible. Smough was the perfect training dummy for such purposes.
  
  Of course, I made sure that my other Pokémon received attention too, even if they weren't going to be used in the fight. In the distance, my trio of new Pokémon, Pixel, Euphie, and Ornstein were all sparring against each other.
  
  It was a surprisingly even battle, though since Pixel was an evolved Pokémon with access to powerful moves, it was holding back a little. Ornstein had gotten quite good at wielding his secondary Dark typing and was trying to setup situations where he could strike with a boosted Payback or Assurance. On the other hand, Euphie was steadily getting the hang of manipulating Fairy type energy, and I could see a very dim pink aura surrounding her when she launched herself forwards with a Tackle.
  
  I knew that her evolution into a Sylveon would trigger as soon as she was able to infuse her attacks with Fairy type energy. I couldn't wait for that.
  
  And Pixel was also starting to diversify its movepool too; it was beginning to make use of powerful supportive and regeneration moves so that it was no longer just a pure attacker. Pixel was making repeated use of Recover during his 2v1 battle during moments where Ornstein and Euphie were unable to attack him.
  
  I could tell that this was the beginning steps of transforming Pixel into a mobile long-ranged artillery that was also able to sustain itself with a plethora of regeneration moves. And even better than that, I imagined that when it mastered the use of Conversion to freely switch its typing, it would be an impossible Pokémon to defeat.
  
  Regardless, I reserved those thoughts for the future. Seeing that it was getting close to dinnertime, I spent the rest of the time primarily focused on my main fighters against Bruno and making sure that they were training properly.
  
  I still wasn't quite sure why Bruno had decided to challenge me, but I honestly couldn't care less for his reasons. If he wanted a battle, then he was going to get one. My team and I would be ready-and-waiting to crush him and any other challengers for my title.
  
  I WOULD NOT roll over for anyone.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time focused on setup and John getting ready for Bruno. He's not going into this unprepared and will do everything he can to hold his title. I hope that came out well.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-10 - A Practice Duel
  
  I continued working on training my Pokémon for my upcoming battle the next day. Naturally, I had also texted everyone to not look for me unless my presence was absolutely necessary, as I was going to be devoting all of my time to train up.
  
  Of course, Karen was the one exception to my 'not meeting anyone' rule, since she was here to spar with me. This was where I found myself now, idly walking to the training fields with Karen after a shared late breakfast. We had to walk extra far today, because of the potential property damage we might accidentally inflict through our moves.
  
  "So, how are we doing this?" She asked as we were walking, "I assume you had an idea of which of my Pokémon you wanted to practice against."
  
  "I did." I confirmed, "Obviously, I want to simulate conditions that would be similar to battling against Bruno, so I've already chosen the matchups. They're going to be your Weavile vs my Snorlax, your Houndoom vs my Wyrdeer, and your Pupitar vs my Ursaluna."
  
  "Okay...I can see the logic behind that." She said with a nod after thinking through my proposed matchups.
  
  "Also, I don't want you overly relying on your tricks against me today." I told her as she looked at me curiously, "Bruno isn't one for it. I've studied his previous battles, so it won't be an accurate practice fight if you rely too much on it."
  
  "Plus, weren't you trying to focus slightly more on making use of your Pokémon's raw strength?" I continued and asked rhetorically, "This would be a good opportunity. Remember, don't hold anything back. Treat this as a proper 3v3 fight."
  
  Karen just smiled, "That's fine. I've been training a lot outside of my tricks anyways. The old hag has been running me dry...You're lucky you're not related to her."
  
  "My condolences for your suffering." I deadpanned. "Anyways, we're here. Let's get into positions."
  
  The two of us stand opposite each other as we stared each other down. We had done a few practice duels during our time training together, but those were mostly just one on one spars between partnered Pokémon to train a specific move or aspect. But this was going to be the first time we would have a proper spar without holding anything back.
  
  I could see Karen's eyes narrowing in determination, and I braced myself for the onslaught to come. I knew she would be taking this opportunity to push me as far as she could.
  
  "On the count of three." I said, "Three. Two. One. GO!" We both threw out our Pokémon.
  
  "Weavile! Show off your training!"
  
  "Smough, time for another beatdown!"
  
  Weavile emerged from his Pokéball with a running start, immediately trying to circle around the newly emerged Smough and hit him in the flanks. I knew that the speed difference was too much for Smough; Weavile was just too fast for him to hit without him slipping up.
  
  Thus, I had to go wide.
  
  "Seismic Eruption, Smough! Shatter the ground!"
  
  "UP AND ROLL, WEAVILE!"
  
  Weavile leapt up into the air just before the ground shook and shattered as Smough's Earthquake ripped through the ground. Weavile quickly transitioned into a roll as huge pillars of rocks erupted from the ground soon afterwards, impaling the spot that Weavile was in moments ago.
  
  "Brick Break, NOW!"
  
  "COUNTER, SMOUGH!"
  
  Smough's outline rapidly turned orange, which flashed brightly just as Weavile landed a powerful chop to the head. Quickly retaliating, Smough converted the damage into energy and threw one of its arms forwards in a devastating counterattack.
  
  However, Weavile's agility proved its use once again as he nimbly dived under Smough's arms and hopped backwards out of his range. But my counterattack wasn't over yet.
  
  "Heavy Slam! Forwards!"
  
  "Ice Spinner and fall back!"
  
  With an agile twirl, Weavile flung himself backwards while firing off small chunks of Ice that embedded themselves in my charging Smough, who barely missed the Weavile with his Heavy Slam. I grimaced at Weavile's dodges, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Karen shooting me a smug smirk at Smough's inability to just LAND A HIT.
  
  I knew that if I could just land one good hit on her Weavile, then the round would be over. Her Weavile was extremely fragile, but I had just been reminded that he compensated for that by being so nimble that he was near impossible to hit.
  
  It was likely going to be the same with Bruno's Pokémon as well. I was certain that his Pokémon would be able to outmanoeuvre Smough, and so I needed a way to force them to overextend themselves and provide an opportunity for Smough.
  
  However, Karen obviously wasn't going to just give me an opportunity to think.
  
  "Step back and Swords Dance, Weavile! Set up!"
  
  But then, as I watched Weavile begin setting up, an idea popped into my head.
  
  "Belly Drum, Smough! ALL OR NOTHING!"
  
  Karen's eyes widened with surprise as Smough started beating his belly like a drum. Anyone familiar with setup moves would know that Belly Drum was the ultimate high-risk-high-reward move. With Smough now at maxed attack, I was confident that even a glancing blow from Smough would be enough to end the fight.
  
  However, Smough was also now at half health, and so could be taken out with a powerful enough hit from Weavile, especially with his Swords Dance boost. And I was banking on Karen to know this.
  
  I had chosen to go this route to bait Karen into attacking. I couldn't do anything to her if she continued slowly whittling down Smough with short bursts of attacks before retreating. However, now that Smough's attack was maxed, even such attempts would be extremely high risk. Just a single glancing blow from Smough might be enough to take Weavile out.
  
  And yet, I knew that she would be tempted to go for the decisive blow against Smough. One supereffective hit was likely enough to finish off the wounded Smough. And if Weavile really committed into his attack, then he might be able to achieve it.
  
  Which was what Karen did.
  
  "GET IN CLOSE AND BRICK BREAK, WEAVILE! YOU CAN FINISH THIS!"
  
  "COUNTER, SMOUGH! BRACE AND GET READY!"
  
  Karen's eyes grew sharp and she narrowed them at me as she heard my command. We both knew what this meant. I was betting on the fact that Smough could tank through her Brick Break and land a decisive counterattack, and she was betting on the opposite.
  
  But I had faith in Smough. After all, he frequently had to take hits against Tyrant.
  
  Both of our eyes locked onto the charging Weavile, who was blazing forwards with ruthless determination as he approached my waiting Smough. Weavile let out a sharp cry as he got close, before he shot forwards in a blur of colour and crashed into Smough with a devastating Brick Break, chopping down powerfully onto Smough's center.
  
  Smough let out a long painful groan as the attack landed and stumbled backwards from the sheer power of the attack, leaving trails in the ground. A lesser Snorlax would have crumpled immediately, but I knew Smough was made of stronger stuff.
  
  He wobbled uncertainly on his feet, clearly woozy and disorientated from the pain, but his eyes suddenly flashed with rage and resolve as he let out a vengeful roar. A roar to declare to the skies above that he would not fall.
  
  Weavile immediately tried to backpedal and get out of Smough's range, but he had committed too much into the attack and wasn't able to react in time. Using all of the accumulated energy from the Counter, Smough brought one of his arms down in a powerful Hammer Arm that just barely glanced off of the fleeing Weavile, but that was enough to cause Weavile to stumble over in pain.
  
  Seeing Weavile trip over himself, Smough let out another roar as he charged forwards without needing me to say anything and smashed into the exposed Weavile with a Body Slam, sending the Weavile tumbling through the air as it was blasted backwards from the force of the attack. His body skidded across the ground, unconscious.
  
  But not a moment later, Smough collapsed onto his knees as the fatigue and damage caught up with him, panting heavily with exhaustion. Understanding that he had pushed himself to his limits, I withdrew Smough and patted his Premier Ball gently. He had done well.
  
  "Feh, I knew that was a bait." Karen sighed as she withdrew her fallen Weavile. "Still had to go for it though."
  
  "Why?" I asked curiously. I knew she was more patient and cunning than that.
  
  "This is just a practice match, after all." She explained with a shrug, "Might as well test out the limits of my Weavile's strength. Seems like it still isn't enough though."
  
  "It was still very impressive." I reassured honestly, "Just a little bit more and the outcome would've been reversed."
  
  But instead of feeling disappointed, she only shot me a mischievous grin, "Well it's a good thing I have just the thing up my sleeve for if we ever got into a real battle."
  
  I looked at her curiously, "What do you mean? And why didn't you just use it?"
  
  "Well...you're practicing for Bruno after all. So I thought I'd stick to Fighting type moves since those would be more helpful." She explained, "But...I do have a much more powerful move that I've recently come up with that would have likely brought down your Snorlax. It's a Dark type move that reverses the enemy's buffs to do more damage."
  
  ...That sounded very familiar, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it yet. Still, I didn't let my smirk drop, "Sure, whatever you say. We both know that my Snorlax is on a different level. Perhaps it would've managed to tank it as well."
  
  She rolled her eyes, "Okay, show-off. Why don't you send out your next Pokémon so that we can actually continue."
  
  I shot Karen another smirk before I wiped it away as I grabbed hold of Luna's Premier Ball. Honestly, despite what I said to Karen, the battle was far closer than I'd like. But it did reaffirm the fact that I needed to continue training with Smough so that he could become even more resistant against Fighting attacks.
  
  Right, enough of that. It was time for the next fight. I signalled to Karen with a nod that I was ready.
  
  "Houndoom! Blast them away!"
  
  "Klaus! As we practiced!
  
  Her Houndoom emerged with a menacing howl, letting out a stream of flames that scorched the air around her. She quickly locked eyes with Klaus, looking every bit like a predator about to pounce on its prey.
  
  In return, Klaus just let out a snort as he regally raised himself to his full height, easily towering over Houndoom. And yet, despite his appearance of arrogance, his eyes were wary as he recognized his old rival. But he was not intimidated. He would never be.
  
  I decided to end this stare down before it could go on for any longer, making the first move.
  
  "Earth Power, Klaus! Shatter the ground!"
  
  "Circle round and Dark Pulse!"
  
  Klaus raised his two front legs and stomped the ground, creating a large crack in the ground that snaked its way to Houndoom. However, just before she was caught in the eruption of power, Houndoom leapt to the side as she fired off a pulsating stream of Dark energy towards Klaus.
  
  But Klaus showed off his own mobility by easily dodging to the side while stomping on the ground once more, firing off yet another Earth Power to where Houndoom was. I was hoping to catch Houndoom with a supereffective attack to injure her so that she would be less mobile, but Karen wasn't giving me that opportunity.
  
  "Dark Snarl, Houndoom! Weaken it!"
  
  "Swift, Klaus! Hit it fast!"
  
  Houndoom let out a terrifying howl into the air, which seemingly transformed into visible dark sonic waves that launched towards Klaus. Evidently, Karen was trying to make use of her new custom move, combining both Snarl and Dark Pulse, to hopefully weaken Klaus' Special Attack so that her Earth Power's wouldn't hit as hard.
  
  Klaus tried to cut her off by firing a quick burst of starry rays that shot towards Houndoom. Houndoom tried to dodge out of the way, leaping off the ground as she tried to put distance between herself and the attack, but the starry rays still found their way and struck at the Houndoom.
  
  Houndoom let out a grunt of pain, but the attack was not enough to disrupt her concentration. With another roar, she let out a vortex of Dark sonic energy that seemed to corrupt the air that it travelled through, its dark tendrils spreading along the ground as it flew.
  
  Klaus instinctively formed a Light Screen to block against the attack, but the attack still slammed painfully into him as the malignant energy forced its way into him.
  
  I frowned. I needed a way to stop this.
  
  "Disable, Klaus! Shut it down!"
  
  "TAUNT! NOW!"
  
  Almost as if she was waiting for me to do so, Karen quickly moved to prevent me from disabling her attack as Houndoom fired off a near instantaneous shroud of Dark energy that enveloped Klaus. His eyes narrowed, and I could tell that, while he was making an attempt to fight off the sudden surge of impulses with his mental training, the Taunt had still taken hold.
  
  But I had expected that too.
  
  "EARTHQUAKE, KLAUS! PUNISH IT!"
  
  "RUSH HIM DOWN, HOUNDOOM! CRUNCH!"
  
  I tried to take advantage of Klaus' sudden anger to fire off a quick Earthquake to catch Houndoom off-guard, thinking Karen wouldn't be ready for it. But even as the earth shook and tremors shattered the ground, Houndoom had the presence of mind and the reaction speeds to dash forwards, narrowly avoiding the main focal point of impact, and rushed towards Klaus.
  
  Damn, and I knew that with Taunt in effect, I had no way to just back away. There was only one option.
  
  "Double Edge, Klaus! Slam it hard!"
  
  Klaus let out a roar as his antlers started shining a brilliant white, before he slammed them into the charging Houndoom. Both Pokémon collided together, with Houndoom managing to land a vicious crunch into Wyrdeer's neck while Klaus' horns found purchase into Houndoom.
  
  Both Pokémon's faces contorted in pain as they exchanged blows, breaking apart from each other to recover. Their injuries were significant, but it wasn't over yet. I knew this was going to be the best opportunity I had to bring down Houndoom. Klaus was very likely outclassed everywhere else.
  
  "AGAIN, KLAUS! BRING IT DOWN!"
  
  With a determined snort, Klaus channelled his anger into more power as he went on the offensive, galloping towards the Houndoom with horns bared threateningly.
  
  But then I saw the smirk on Karen's face, and I knew I had gotten myself into a trap.
  
  "Torment."
  
  "Megahorn instead, Klaus! Quickly!"
  
  Another shroud of Dark energy emerged from her Houndoom before it wrapped around my approaching Klaus. Instantly, the charge broke as the effects of Torment took hold, Klaus letting out a confused cry as he was suddenly unable to attack with Double Edge.
  
  Despite my instructions, the second that it took for Klaus to reorient himself was all the time that Karen needed.
  
  "Fire Blast. Full power! INCINERATE IT!"
  
  A scorching swirl of flames exploded out of Houndoom's mouth, surging forwards and detonating on Klaus. Klaus whined out in pain as the flames danced across his body. I winced; Klaus had taken the full impact from that Fire Blast. He couldn't have been doing well.
  
  And I knew a follow-up attack was coming, and my mind raced for options. Unfortunately, being unable to make use of Klaus' Psychic moves offensively against Houndoom was really limiting my options here.
  
  Not having enough time to think things through, I settled with the first available path that I thought of.
  
  "Take Down, Klaus! Bring it to the ground!"
  
  "Sucker Punch and finish it off!"
  
  Klaus let out a defiant roar and was about to charge forwards once more before Houndoom suddenly burst forwards in a flash of speed and used her front leg as a fist and jabbed a paw into his side, turning that defiant roar into one of pain.
  
  "THRASH, NOW!"
  
  "CRUNCH AND BRING IT DOWN!"
  
  I had expected the Sucker Punch - it was one of Karen's favourite tactics to employ in situations like these. And now with Houndoom and Klaus so close to each other again, I had hoped to bring her down with a Thrash, making use of Klaus' superior strength to smash down Houndoom before she could take Klaus out.
  
  It was a risky move. And one that didn't pay off this time.
  
  Despite Klaus' maddened thrashing, where he tore up the ground with wild and brutal swings of his antlers and hooves, Houndoom nimbly ducked down under a savage swipe of Klaus' horns and struck at his exposed neck with a precise Crunch.
  
  Klaus let out one final howl of pain before going down. Unable to get back up. I let out a sigh and moved to return Klaus to his Premier Ball
  
  "You did well." I whispered to Klaus's Premier Ball, "You'll beat your rival one day. It might not be today or tomorrow, but I believe you will be able to defeat Karen's ace. You had a wonderful showing, so don't feel bad."
  
  I turned back to Karen, "I know I've seen her in action a bunch of times, but your Houndoom's strength still managed to catch me off guard with both how agile and powerful she is." I admitted, "And it's not even a well-known 'powerful' Pokémon either."
  
  This time it was Karen's turn to be smug as she gave off a shrug that was filled with false humility, "To put it in your own words, my Houndoom is just on a different level. Try harder next time." She shot me a grin full of teeth.
  
  "Haha, very funny." I deadpanned, "Anyways, it's not over yet. Mind withdrawing your Houndoom? I want our final battle to be a 1v1."
  
  She nodded at me and withdrew her Houndoom, before switching her Pokéball out for a different one as I did the same. Then, almost in sync, we sent out our last Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Vordt!"
  
  "Pupitar, you can do it!"
  
  Once again, Vordt thundered onto the training field with an intimidating roar. The first time Pupitar had encountered him, he almost flinched back in fear. But now, they had trained together so much that Pupitar stared blankly at Vordt's display of power, utterly unaffected.
  
  Instead, Pupitar's eyes narrowed with determination towards his training partner. He must have known that Vordt was stronger than him, but Pupitar was determined to prove himself and his power today. Vordt must have liked what he saw, since he responded with an amused huff at Pupitar's determined glare.
  
  I played right into that determination with my opening move. I wanted to see just how far Vordt could go with his geokinesis.
  
  "Stone Edge, Vordt!"
  
  "Do the same, Pupitar!"
  
  The arena instantly crumbled like a cookie as the ground was ripped apart by both Pokémon. Rocks hovered briefly in the air from both sides before launching themselves against each other. Rocks crashing against rocks as both Pokémon vied for dominance, and both Pokémon rapidly escalated as more and more rocks were torn up from the ground.
  
  Both Pokémon were rapidly pushing their geokinesis to the very limit, and the arena quickly looked like a warzone as both sides endlessly fired off volley after volley of rocks at the other.
  
  But it was obvious that Vordt was winning handily. His rocks were larger, thrown faster, and managed to smash through more of Pupitar's without much difficulty. Even while Pupitar strained himself to his limits, making use of every single bit of training that he tried to muster up at this very moment, he still couldn't match the sheer firepower from Vordt.
  
  He was gradually being pushed back, and there was little he could do about it. It's face morphed into one of sheer frustration as his efforts were betrayed by its relative lack of power. Vordt was just so much more powerful than him on a baseline level, and Pupitar's body was just too weak to fight at such a high level.
  
  Pupitar had hoped that all of his time training and practicing with Stone Edge would have granted him some level of parity with Vordt. Vordt had always dominated their training sessions together, and he had hoped that he could prove himself to his training partner today. Pupitar had hoped to prove to his trainer that the time and investment that she put into him wasn't wasted.
  
  But even then, it seemed like his training proved fruitless because of his inherently weaker body. It was never enough. Pupitar was always going to be limited by his comparative weakness, compared to the raw power of Vordt. If only he could push himself further. If only he could gain the strength to match up against Vordt. If only he just had a LITTLE! MORE! POWER!
  
  And then, all of that frustration and determination unleashed the inner energy from deep within Pupitar, which began coursing endlessly throughout his body. Power that had always been yearning to be manifested, to be used. And now, the time had finally come.
  
  I stepped back almost involuntarily as Pupitar began shining with a blindingly white light, my eyes widening with surprise even as I was blinded by what was about to come. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Karen grinning wildly as she stared excitedly at her evolving Pupitar.
  
  Within that bright white light, Pupitar's form shifted and grew, transforming himself from a once small grey cocoon to a towering monstrous beast of green that lumbered onto the field with an audible thump each time it took a step.
  
  The newly evolved Tyranitar bellowed to the skies, showing off its newfound frightening power and might as if he was announcing his increase in power to the world, before he locked eyes with his opponent. Vordt met his eyes with a challenging glare, as if demanding Tyranitar to prove his strength.
  
  Tyranitar smirked at the non-verbal challenge before he roared once again, only too happy to oblige, as a sandstorm immediately forming around the arena. Vordt met Tyranitar's roar with one of his own, and both Pokémon resumed their previous duel as they tore up more of the field for ammunition.
  
  Vordt actually grunted in concentration as he fought to match up against Tyanitar's newfound power. Though Tyranitar lacked training with his new body, the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) that he had helped balance the scales against Vordt's more refined barrage.
  
  Before long, it was obvious that the two were evenly matched. The training fields were going to be completely destroyed before either one of them could overpower the other. Thus, I knew I had to change tactics.
  
  "Headlong Rush, Vordt! Get close to it!"
  
  "PROTECT NOW!"
  
  Vordt immediately became nothing more than a blur as he tore through the field, charging forwards straight towards Tyranitar. Tyranitar managed to form a Protect shield just in time as Vordt slammed into it. The shield flickered rapidly as cracks quickly formed and spread across it, but it managed to hold and block the attack.
  
  Still, I knew that I had the advantage here. Tyranitar was undoubtedly very strong, but it was still unused to its body and had no training with physical attacks since it was previously reliant on long ranged attacks as a Pupitar.
  
  Thus, I took advantage of this weakness mercilessly.
  
  "Hammer Arm, Vordt! Stay close and pressure it!"
  
  "Crunch, Tyranitar! Fight Back!"
  
  Tyranitar tried to grab hold of the incoming Vordt with its arms, but it proved futile. The more experienced Vordt smashed his arm supereffectively into Tyranitar's center, causing him to roar out in pain as stumbled backwards. Without letting up, Vordt followed up the attack with yet another Hammer Arm, this time striking downwards directly onto Tyranitar's head.
  
  "Dark Pulse, Tyranitar! Drive it away and make some distance!"
  
  To his credit, Tyranitar proved his determination once again as he endured past the pain and unleashed a burst of Dark energy that blasted into Vordt. But Vordt hardly even flinched from the attack.
  
  He had Tyranitar on the ropes, and we both knew it.
  
  "Finish it off Vordt!"
  
  With one last thunderous roar, Vordt's arm descended like an executioner's blade onto the fallen Tyranitar, striking it one last time straight in the neck. Tyranitar couldn't even emit a roar of pain as he instantly collapsed into unconsciousness, his injuries proving too much to handle.
  
  Vordt bellowed triumphantly to the skies as he stood victoriously over Tyranitar, and I smiled despite myself.
  
  "Damn, I was hoping that it would be like on TV." Karen said with a small smile as she withdrew her fallen Tyranitar, "You know, where the protagonist gets a power up at just the right moment so that they win the battle? Normally, an evolution is that powerup."
  
  "I guess you're just not the main character." I quipped, "Maybe you're just one of the supporting cast."
  
  "Please, as if someone like me would be side-lined." She fired back with a chuckle, before her eyes turned to Tyranitar's Pokémon with a soft smile, "He did very well. I always knew he was close to evolving, but he must have really wanted to push himself today."
  
  "He did." I nodded, "I can't imagine what he'd be like when he finally gets used to his body and when you start properly training him to be a Tyranitar rather than a Pupitar. He'd be a true monster." Inwardly, I wondered if Tyranitar would ever become stronger than Vordt to beat him in a 1v1. That would be a day to see.
  
  Karen smiled brilliantly, "Yes, he would be. And I couldn't be prouder of him for it."
  
  After that, we had to spend quite a bit of time repairing the destroyed training field. Luckily, we hadn't exhausted all of our Pokémon, so the ones that didn't participate in the match were drafted as labourers to help repair the damage.
  
  I was sure that Agatha would be very pleased to hear about the evolution. Both her and I had nagged Karen incessantly to train up a proper frontliner, and now she finally had one. And a Tyranitar at that.
  
  It was really looking like Karen's goal of joining the Elite Four were actually going to be achieved.
  
  A.N. AND KAREN GAINS A TYRANITAR! This was a long time coming, and I hoped that you were satisfied with how things went. Just to clarify myself, both Karen and John weren't fighting as optimally as they should because this match was supposed to be practice for Bruno.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-10 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 5-10 - Interlude - Brock
  
  They were abandoned. Again.
  
  He had just woken up one morning to find an empty bed with a note on it. There was no explanation written on it, other than a simple "I'm sorry."
  
  Brock didn't even bother to show that letter to his younger siblings; he had just ripped it apart and disposed it before they could see it. He didn't want to break their hearts any further. At least he could spare them from this.
  
  Brock supposed that he should have saw it coming; his fath- Flint had been acting strangely over the past few days after they had announced the League inspections. But he had bought into his...Flint's reassurance that they everything would be fine. That Flint could handle it. Brock now realized that he had just tricked himself into believing the lie.
  
  Brock knew that the Gym wasn't in a good repair, and that Flint's management of it wasn't exactly ideal. It hadn't been in good condition ever since his...mother...left the Gym behind. But he had bought into the Flint's lie that things were being handled and that no one had really complained, and that the other Gyms were in similar conditions.
  
  He should have known better. Over the years, he had glanced at some of the paperwork that Flint accidentally left hanging around, and even though his young mind couldn't understand everything, he knew that things weren't running nearly as smoothly as Flint wanted him and his siblings to believe. But he ignored it, even when his gut was screaming at him to DO SOMETHING, because he wanted to think that everything was okay.
  
  That he and his siblings could still be okay even without a mother.
  
  But now, the illusion had broken, and Brock was forced to grapple with the harsh reality. Flint had abandoned his family, just like their moth-Lola did, leaving him and his siblings to fend for themselves, with only a ruined and failing Gym to support them.
  
  At first, Brock remained optimistic. 'It will be fine' he told himself and his siblings, 'I'll just become the new Gym Leader and work to improve the Gym. I'll make sure that everything will be fine.' He lied to himself and the others.
  
  However, he quickly realized the crushing weight on his shoulders when he arrived at Flint's old office and began digging through the paperwork. That was if he could find the paperwork that needed to actually be completed! The office was in such a mess that it was as if Flint alone knew how to navigate it. There was no way he could get any work done in this sorry state.
  
  Files were organized without rhyme or reason and important documents were left scattered around randomly. Brock KNEW that they had just submitted these documents for review for the League inspectors, and if THIS was the state of the Gym's paperwork, he could understand why Flint had panicked.
  
  There was no chance in Arceus that this Gym would pass the inspection, not in the terrible state that was in. In fact, Brock swiftly realized that the situation was a lot worse than that. Since he couldn't actually decipher Flint's terrible organisation, Brock didn't know the first thing about how to handle the administrative side of the Gym.
  
  And to make matters worse, the Gym was behind in Pokémon acquisition for the first badge challenge too. The Pewter Gym still had a stockpile of Geodude and other common Rock types to use, but they would eventually grow too strong to handle the standard first badge challenge. And Brock hadn't a clue where to acquire more, or where they would find the funds for it.
  
  There was just too much he didn't know, and no one around that was available to teach him. Self-learning and determination could only go so far.
  
  The other Gym Trainers and staff members around the Gym were of no use either. Brock KNEW that they were there only for the paycheck and little else; his attempts to befriend them over the years were met with cold nods and terse greetings. Brock was fairly sure that Flint garnered very little respect from them, if he got them at all.
  
  Fortunately, the circuit was already well underway, meaning that the busiest periods had already passed. But, after spending the better half of an afternoon trying to understand the inner workings of the Gym and how to be an effective Gym Leader, he finally gave into despair as he realized that he couldn't possibly hold the Gym together. Not like this.
  
  And so, refusing to follow in Flint's footsteps, he told his younger siblings about the disastrous state of the Gym and his inability to manage it. There was an outcry at that, and Forrest, as the second oldest, was angry at Brock for his 'failure', but Yolanda managed to calm him down. Still, the hurt and frightened faces of his siblings tore at Brock's heart; it pained him to see his younger siblings like this.
  
  All he ever wanted was for them to remain a happy family...how hard of a wish was that? Why couldn't his pare- Flint and Lola just understand that? Why did they have to run? Why would they abandon them like this? Why was he asked to stay at home to run the Gym instead of going on a journey? Why? WHY? WHY?!
  
  But before he could lose himself to his rage and despair, he felt Yolanda's small hands grasp his shoulders comfortingly. He opened his eyes and, seeing the worried expressions on their faces, let out a deep breath as he forced himself to calm down.
  
  He couldn't give up and react emotionally. His family was depending on him now, and he couldn't fail them any more than the adults already had.
  
  He gave off a small thankful smile to Yolanda before he started to go through his options one more time in his head. He couldn't possibly run the Pewter Gym; he simply didn't know enough to fix the myriad of problems plaguing it. And the Gym Trainers weren't at help either-
  
  "Can we ask for help?" His younger brother, Salvadore, asked. "Didn't dad say something about that?"
  
  "Oh, that's right! He did!" Forrest exclaimed excitedly, "He was talking to me about how the Cerulean Gym might need to ask the League for help since they weren't doing so great...I guess we aren't that much different, huh." He finished bitterly.
  
  Yes, they could ask for help from the League. But to do so might cause them to lose ownership of the Pewter Gym if the League found them incompetent at running it. A part of him, the part of him that shared Flint's pride, wanted to refuse immediately. Surely, he could run the Gym by himself, and therefore convince the League that everything was fine. They didn't need to suffer through the humiliation of asking for help.
  
  But, as he stared at the faces of his siblings, he threw away his pride. If they lost control of the Gym, so be it. He would not follow in Flint's footsteps; his priority would always be to protect and provide for his family.
  
  And right now, the best way to do that was to lower his head and be at the mercy of the League.
  
  A.N. This time we see Brock's POV on Flint's leaving. Parental abandonment is hard to write, and I REALLY hope I sufficiently conveyed Brock's emotional state well.
  
  I understand this was not the most pleasant of chapters, and I do apologize for that, but is some setup for the future.
  
  BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-11 - Gym Troubles
  
  As exciting as Tyranitar's evolution was, it didn't change the fact that I still had to train up for my match against Bruno. We spent the next few days continuing to train together, and Karen discovered with increasing joy just how much of a powerhouse her Tyranitar had become.
  
  As soon as he got used to his new body, it was easily THE most powerful member of Karen's team. Sure, her Houndoom might be more versatile and nimbler, but in terms of raw power, nothing hit as hard as her Tyranitar. Over many consecutive spars with my own bruisers, Tyranitar managed to hold his own against all but Tyrant, which was definitely a very impressive accomplishment.
  
  It truly was a Pokémon worthy of a future Elite Four trainer.
  
  The best part was that he was nowhere close to reaching his limits, and still had much to grow. Once Tyranitar got more proficient at fighting in close range, I was sure that he would become even more fearsome.
  
  On that note, I had intended to pair off Tyranitar against Tyrant today to see how far they could push each other, but Karen was called away by Agatha in a very last-minute phone call last night. Apparently, something very important had come up and Agatha wanted Karen to be able to take advantage of the opportunity.
  
  When I asked what it was about, Agatha just said that I would be informed very shortly and that it wouldn't be bad news. I spent the whole night pondering about what it could be, and it was only this morning when I received a call from Lance that I realized what it was about.
  
  "John, we need you at the Indigo Plateau as soon as possible." He said urgently, "The Committee is hosting an emergency session about the Gyms."
  
  Oh shit. "Is it as we feared?" I asked while I dashed out of my house.
  
  "Yes. Actually, it's worse than that." He growled, "Come quickly. I'll explain when you get here."
  
  Hanging up the phone, I quickly got on Port and flew quickly towards the Indigo Plateau. I suspected that whatever was troubling Lance likely involved the Pewter Gym, and if canon serves, then I could understand why he had called an emergency meeting. Damn it Flint!
  
  One quick flight later, I landed outside the League building and quickly made my way inside before I was greeted by a very annoyed looking Lance.
  
  "Thanks for coming here so quickly." He said to me hurriedly, "The meeting is starting soon, but the gist is that Gym Leader Flint has apparently run out of his Gym, leaving it to his 13-year-old son, Brock for the time being. And things aren't going well."
  
  That was a colossal understatement if I ever heard one, but I kept my mouth shut considering how mad he currently was.
  
  "So...what's the plan?" I asked.
  
  "No idea." Lance admitted with a frustrated frown, "I pity Brock, but the last few days have seen a surge of complaints from the trainers at the Gym's mismanagement. The Committee is meeting to decide what to do next. Anyways, make your way to the committee meeting, I'll join you in just a moment."
  
  I nodded to him and made my way to where the committee meeting was being held. Looking around, I could see practically everyone had arrived by now, including the other Elite Four members.
  
  I gave a few quick nods to my colleagues in the Elite Four, but Lance arrived before I could say anything to them, the room quickly quieted down as he did.
  
  Lance spoke up from the lectern, "Right, let's not waste any time here. You should all have been briefed about the issues concerning the Gyms, which is why we are hosting this emergency meeting. My apologies if you didn't; we've been trying to move very fast on this and I haven't had the time to inform everyone."
  
  He received nods from around the room and continued, "Firstly, we're starting off with the problem concerning the Pewter Gym, since it's more urgent. To summarize, the supposed current Gym Leader of Pewter, Flint, has run off from the Gym for unknown reasons. I do not care WHY he has run off, but interviews with his 13-year-old son and the current Gym Leader, Brock, suggest that this isn't a temporary thing, and he is unlikely to come back in a short period."
  
  Many people began grumbling, but Lance ignored them, "Worse, the report from the Inspectors have come back, and the Gym has been horribly mismanaged even before this disaster. This issue is only being compounded by the fact that Brock, to no fault of his own, is utterly unable to run his Gym. We have received a mountain of complaints from trainers about the Gym, and thus we must act NOW to resolve this issue."
  
  Lance turned his gaze to the committee, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we need a solution. Putting aside Flint's irresponsibility for now, standard procedure indicates that the League appoint a regent to the Gym to oversee and support the Gym until the Gym Leader turns 16 and reaches their majority. Once there, the committee will once again decide whether to entrust the Gym to their continued hands, or to pass on the Gym to someone more suitable. Do we all vote in favour of this? As a reminder, as this matter involves a Kanto Gym, only those representing Kanto may vote."
  
  Many hands went up at Lance's suggestion, which was unsurprising. What was going to be more debated was WHO would be appointed as regent to the culturally significant Pewter Gym. It was a prestigious position to have, and I was certain there would be a fight over it.
  
  As expected, the vote easily passed through. "Good. Now then, we move onto the matter of WHO we should appoint for this position. Does anyone have any suggestions? And please, one at a time."
  
  The committee almost immediately descended into chaos as everyone from the Kanto contingent of the committee instantly began nominating themselves or someone that they were politically connected to. It was almost like watching the beginnings of a brawl, with how the committee members were glaring each other and vying for Lance's attention.
  
  I rolled my eyes and began to tune things out before I heard a very familiar quiet cackle from my right. Turning to the noise, I saw Agatha staring at the committee members with an evil grin on her face.
  
  Then she slammed her walking cane against a nearby chair, toppling it over and drawing the gaze of everyone in the room.
  
  "My word, you lot truly are rude aren't you. You wouldn't even let an old lady speak. Look at what you made me do just to get your attention." She cackled mockingly, ignoring the glares that she was getting for her interruption. She turned to Lance; her voice laced with sarcasm. "Oh, Champion Lance, if you could allow this old Elite Four member to speak."
  
  Lance raised an amused eyebrow and gestured for her to proceed, which she did with a large and confident smirk on her face, "It seems like the committee, as usual, is unable to decide and choose instead to waste everyone's time by squabbling over it." She received more glares, "However, instead of having them fight over it and creating more unnecessary delays, why not give the position to me, at least temporarily?"
  
  "You?!" Lance asked with surprise, which was likely shared by everyone in the room, me included. "YOU want to be become regent of Pewter? Why?"
  
  "Not just me alone, but I'll be getting my apprentice to assist me." She said, and this time my eyebrows rose to my hair, "As for the reason, who else is it going to be, Lance? Everyone here knows that I'm more than experienced enough, and it prevents these idiots from having to fight over it and wasting more of everyone's time."
  
  "And it's not like the others could do it. They don't have the experience." She pointed out, "No offence intended to our dear new Elite Four members." She said, shooting false smiles at us. We all brushed her off.
  
  Lance looked curious, "...That may be true, but are you sure you want the position? Especially because it's only temporarily. It just seems quite sudden. And will you be able to handle both your duties as an Elite Four member and as regent?"
  
  "Of course. I might be old..." She gestured to her walking cane for emphasis, "But I'm not about to quit the Elite Four just yet, even if many within the committee probably want me to fall down a flight of stairs." She cackled, receiving more unamused glares from the committee.
  
  She continued, "As you said, I'll just be holding the position temporarily. A few months at most to make sure that the Gym doesn't fall apart before the committee makes a decision. In the meanwhile, you lot in the committee would be free to bicker and shake whatever hands you need to before you all can agree to appointing a more permanent regent to the position."
  
  "And how do we know that you're capable of running the Gym?" An unknown committee member spoke up, rather foolishly in my opinion.
  
  "Are you deaf? Do you need your ears fixed? Or perhaps you should get a new pair of eyes as well since you clearly seem to be blind." Agatha retorted with a mocking sneer, "And you all call me old. I know how to run a Gym, I can guarantee you it's much easier than what I've been doing with Lavender Town all this time."
  
  She tapped her cane on the floor, "Besides, if that fool Blaine could run a Gym where he always has his head in some project or another, then I can guarantee you that I could do it too. And since you clearly weren't listening properly, my apprentice will provide the necessary youthful energy and enthusiasm where I lack. The Gym will work fine underneath our oversight."
  
  "But you aren't even a Rock type trainer!" A different committee member said, equally foolishly I thought.
  
  "Bah! If you think that I need to be a Rock type trainer to handle a first Badge Gym, then you need to reconsider re-entering schooling. Or is the old rumour true that many committee members earn their positions without having ever fought a Gym battle in their life?" Agatha scoffed dismissively, "Any other foolish questions, or can we move the discussion back to Champion Lance so we can finally vote and get this out of the way?"
  
  The committee grumbled, but they eventually went silent, and a satisfied Agatha turned back to Lance and gestured for him to continue.
  
  Lance gave her a nod before he addressed the committee once again, "As per Elite Agatha's words, we'll be moving onto the voting stage. Does the majority agree to appoint Agatha as the temporary regent of Pewter for 2 months until a more permanent one can be found?"
  
  At this point, I felt that the Kanto portion of the committee understood where the winds were blowing, even if it bristled them to do so. Even though Agatha's appointment to regent was unusual, the fact that it was ultimately a temporary appointment likely soothed a few ruffled feathers. I bet they would have fought against it much harder if Agatha's appointment was to be permanent.
  
  Regardless, after a few more murmurings from the committee, a majority eventually agreed and voted for Agatha's temporary appointment as the regent of Pewter Gym, to very tepid applause. Then, in an attempt to limit the inevitable political gridlock that comes with fighting over a position, Lance stated that if the committee failed to agree on who would become the permanent regent after those 2 months, then Lance will be given authority to appoint whomever he liked.
  
  This put an effective deadline on the discussions, since I was certain that no one from Kanto would want a Johto Champion to be making decisions regarding a Kanto Gym. And I idly wondered who would become the new regent afterwards. Plus, I hoped, for Brock's sake, that he would be given the opportunity to learn as much as he can to hopefully salvage the Gym's reputation ever since Flint left it in the dust.
  
  I turned to Agatha, wanting to speak to her, but she signalled to me that now wasn't the time and that we would speak later. I just nodded.
  
  With the discussions regarding the Pewter Gym over, Lance moved on to the next topic. "Unfortunately, the Pewter Gym was not the only Gym in need of League intervention. The next topic is regarding the newly vacated Mahogany Gym, and what we should do with it."
  
  Many eyes snapped to Lorelei, who seemed to shrink into herself in embarrassment. However, as if a switch had been flicked, her expression changed and she forced herself to stand tall, staring down haughtily at all those questioning gazes, as if to dare them to speak out against her or question her decision. It worked, and many within the committee averted their eyes elsewhere.
  
  But with me standing so close to Lorelei, I knew that her haughty façade was just that, a façade. She seemed like she was desperately trying to project strength; likely from understanding how shaky of a position that she was in and was trying to deter those from questioning her position and strength within the Elite Four. I approved.
  
  Which reminded me of the fact that Lorelei was sent to inspect the Johto Gyms. I wondered how that went? I doubted many of her interactions would have been friendly as mine were with the Kanto Gym Leaders.
  
  Regardless, I refocused myself as Lance continued speaking, "With Lorelei having moved up to the Elite Four with no immediately apparent successor, a replacement Gym Leader MUST be found. Does anyone from the Johto section of the committee have any suggestions?"
  
  It was amusing to see how the Johto members of the committee darted their eyes around nervously as they all seemingly tried to avoid answering the question. Some even shot Lorelei expectant glances, as if hoping that she would speak up on their behalf.
  
  The reasons for their actions were obvious; no one wanted to be the person to suggest Pryce to become the Gym Leader. Not because he wasn't suitable; he clearly had the reputation and the experience to handle a Gym. But rather, it was because no one wanted to be seen as the person to support Pryce, not after his reputation was torn to tatters after his fall from grace. After all, many in the public still hadn't forgiven Pryce for his gross mismanagement of Indigo.
  
  It was so bad that many of Pryce's ex-supporters, at least those who hadn't been already voted out and replaced, were refusing to raise it up. None of them were fanatical enough with their support of Pryce that they were willing to risk their political careers like this.
  
  Even Lorelei was staying silent, which to be fair wasn't all that surprising considering how badly she was almost screwed over by her uncle's actions. I guess she was very reasonably nursing a grudge against him.
  
  After a moment of silence, where no one volunteered to say anything, Lance let out a huge sigh. "Fine. I can guess the reason for your hesitance, so I'll be the one to say it. I may have my differences with him, but I cannot deny he is suitable for the position. Therefore, I am willing to put aside any previous animosity with him, and thus am nominating ex-Champion Pryce to become the new Mahogany Gym Leader. Please vote on it."
  
  I raised an eyebrow, impressed by how Lance worded it. The way he phrased it made it seem like he was willing to put aside his grievances in order to acknowledge his former rival and offer him a prestigious position. Furthermore, I figured that giving a position like this to Pryce would help placate his older supporters, both within the committee and the public, since Pryce still had people who even now were hoping for his reinstatement as Champion.
  
  He probably did this intentionally so that if and when this gets released to the news, it would likely show Lance in a very positive light for being forgiving and not holding on to unnecessary grudges.
  
  Likewise, now that someone else had nominated Pryce, the Johto committee members all jumped to vote in favour of his appointment. With Pryce's appointment having the Champion's blessing, none wanted to miss out on the bandwagon. They likely wanted to be similarly seen as being 'forgiving' and 'soft-handed'; all good adjectives for any politician seeking to stay in power.
  
  I noticed that Lorelei wearing a complicated expression on her face. Maybe she didn't want to leave her uncle in the lurch, or did she fear a resurgence of her uncle's authority over her?
  
  Either way, Pryce was easily voted and appointed to become the new Gym Leader of Mahogany. Hopefully he had learnt his lesson after his eviction from being Champion and had or was in the process of turning over a new leaf.
  
  With those 2 more urgent emergencies out of the way, Lance also announced a few more positive news to the committee. "Finally, I have some more positive announcements to make for the committee. Fortunately, the report from the inspectors regarding the Olivine Gym have not been as bad as initially feared, so League intervention is not directly at such a time. Instead, with the Gym Leader of Olivine stepping down, they have nominated young Jasmine as their replacement, as per the previous wishes of the Gym Leader."
  
  The committee broke out into hushed whispers, but Lance continued, "As Jasmine has already reached her majority, the League need not send and observer to oversee their management of the Olivine Gym. Instead, we will be monitoring the Gym regularly to ensure that it has not received too many complaints. We wish Jasmine all the best as the new Gym Leader."
  
  That got a few polite claps from the committee. As for me, I was pleasantly surprised to see Jasmine appointed as Gym Leader; I liked what I saw when she bravely helped me out during the attack at Olivine. I wished her all the best.
  
  Lance waited for the applause to die down before resuming, "Lastly, there have been no other concerns or complaints, beyond some very minor paperwork errors, from the other Gyms of Indigo. I am proud to say that the Indigo Gyms are running optimally, and that we at the League see no concerning issues regarding this year's circuit."
  
  That got another round of applause from everyone. "And that's all I have to say regarding today's Committee meeting. Thank you all for coming."
  
  With that done, everyone started making their way out. Before I left though, I approached Agatha to ask her a few questions.
  
  "Was this why you pulled Karen away so urgently?" I whispered to her as we began leaving the League building. We had stayed back for long enough that none were around to overhear us.
  
  "Of course." She replied, some exasperation in her tone. "Once I overheard from a few sources of mine that Lance was about to host an urgent meeting like this...well the idea just sprung to mind. It seemed like a waste to let this opportunity go. Besides, it'll be better for the Pewter Gym if we were assigned to them over some fool picked by the committee. They run things too by the book." She smirked.
  
  "This is a fantastic opportunity for me too." She continued, "Taking control of a Gym like this - even if temporarily, is great optics. I have plans for this regarding Lavender Town - but you don't have to know about that." Her smirk turned into a mysterious smile; obviously hiding more than she was saying.
  
  "And I won't actually be doing much of the work - I'll leave it to Karen to sort things out. It'll be a good test to see if she can learn on the fly." She added smugly. "Besides, the position is only going to be held for 2 months anyways. That's short enough that she'll be free to pursue other things before the Indigo Conference occurs. It's not a big commitment."
  
  "And I suppose the fact that it allows you to train up Karen in things other than battling is just a perfect coincidence which just so happens to be useful for a potential run for the Elite Four, isn't it?" I replied rhetorically, rolling my eyes. I left out the fact that Agatha was practically dumping all of the work on her. That was just a given, knowing Agatha.
  
  "Naturally. We don't want people to think that Karen is undeserving of her position because she won based on pure strength alone." Agatha said, "I intend for her to be my successor in every way that matters. No doubt such a task would stress her out significantly, especially as I will be doing little else but observing her actions, but that is the price that she agreed to pay when she said she would follow in my footsteps."
  
  "She'll be the de-facto regent for a majority of the Gym's decisions." Agatha continued explaining, "She'll either make something or herself, or she won't, and I'll take up the reins in her place and readjust my plans to account for her incompetency. Either way, I'm able to advance my own plans."
  
  I nodded, unsurprised at the harshness of her words. In Agatha's eyes, time was running short, and Karen had to be whipped into shape sooner rather than later. I expected future preparations to follow a similar path.
  
  "It does mean that Karen will have less time to train, though." I pointed out.
  
  "You say like that is a concern." Agatha shot back with a grin, "I heard from her about her newly evolved Tyranitar. It's about time she got something that could actually stand up and take a hit. Good job on that, by the way. You helped her evolve it earlier than I expected."
  
  I quickly accepted her thanks which she waved off, "Don't think anything of it, boy. It was part of our deal, after all. Your help in exchange for my support. Speaking of which, I was fully expecting your relationship to have progressed by this point. And yet you and Karen still aren't making kissy eyes at each other. What went wrong? Or do your eyes wander elsewhere?"
  
  My eyes bristled at her words, though at this point I knew she was intentionally trying to rile me up, "We actually spoke about it." I said, meeting her stare as I tried to project a sense of calm. "I'm not sure if she told you the reason, and I won't be the one to disclose it if she hasn't, but we've come to an understanding about how things will proceed in the future."
  
  "Ah, it's to do with that nonsense about her hang-ups, isn't it." She bit out with an annoyed sigh, "No need to respond, I already know all about. Unfortunately, despite my sage advice, she stubbornly refuses to listen to me and continues holding on to her past experiences." Despite the harshness of her voice, a hint of worry lingered in her tone. She still cared.
  
  But I couldn't help and let out my own sigh, my true feelings coming to the fore. "I can't say I'm completely satisfied with that response, but it's not like I have my eyes on anyone else at the moment." I admitted, and Agatha sported a devilish grin at my words. However, I thought I spotted a glint of relief as well.
  
  "HAH! She must have been glad to hear that." She barked out a laugh, "Well, as her guardian, I won't deny that I'm pleased to hear it, though I personally wouldn't blame you if you looked elsewhere. Obviously, I'd prefer you didn't - both of you are my greatest investments, after all, but my plans are adaptable for a reason. I can work with whatever happens."
  
  "How do you mean?" I asked, though by this point I had an idea of her intentions.
  
  Agatha just shot me another mysterious smile before her shadow elongated and she disappeared into it, leaving me all alone at the entrance to the League building.
  
  I let out another sigh. At least whatever she was intending likely wasn't malicious. With that small comfort in mind, I flew back home and got ready to continue my training and preparations for Bruno.
  
  Today's meeting about the Gyms were undoubtedly important, but I was honestly more concerned about winning my match. The match was only a week away, after all.
  
  And I had a title to defend. And a challenger to crush.
  
  A.N. AND some more politics regarding the Gyms and what happens when they're mismanaged. I really struggled with this chapter and went through many revisions, so I hope you like this final version. The League isn't about to leave the Pewter Gym hanging, so they're going to be stepping in now to help out.
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-12 - A Fighting Fight
  
  I arrived at the Indigo Plateau where my fight against Bruno would be hosted in less than an hour. The previous week had flown by quickly, yet fruitfully, as I continued pushing my Pokémon in preparation for the battle against Bruno. I had politely called off and delayed any unessential meetings in order to not distract myself from the coming battle, which thankfully they were accommodating.
  
  After all the complications with the Gym, Agatha and Karen had apparently settled in quite well in running the Pewter Gym. Though considering the amusing texts that I had received from Karen, Agatha was apparently disgusted with the sheer incompetence that she discovered within the Gym. Unsurprisingly, she forcibly roped Karen into helping to sort out through all the backlog of paperwork.
  
  As she told me, despite all of the work that needed to be done, Agatha was hanging back and getting Karen to do all the work. I heard that Agatha was supposed to be 'overseeing' the work done to make sure it was all done properly, but that sounded just like a justified excuse to me. It was delegation at its finest.
  
  The side effect of Karen's new role was that she was far too busy to train together, but that was along the lines that we expected. And with how poor the state of the Pewter Gym was and how they were behind in their paperwork, Karen was forced to work through the nights to get everything in order. I even heard that Agatha authorised the hiring of a few extra temporary assistants to help out with the work. I guess this was all the 'leadership experience' that Agatha wanted Karen to gain.
  
  I did not envy her. I didn't think anyone sane would actually voluntarily subject themselves to paperwork.
  
  Despite this, from the reports that I got from Karen, she found the entire experience of running a Gym to be novel and interesting. Sure, she complained about how hectic and busy it was, and how it caused her to have a constant headache, but she still found the work very fulfilling.
  
  Still, she told me that she never really saw herself as a Gym Leader in the long-term, as administration and paperwork weren't really what she enjoyed doing, and she really wasn't used to having to hold back as much as she did for the 1st Badge challenges. She said that after the first battle, it quickly became monotonous and a chore to do. However, she recognized the value of Agatha's plans and would do her best, even if it greatly pained her at times.
  
  Furthermore, she sympathized greatly with Brock and the other children's situation with their parents walking out on them. "I've seen this situation far too many times." She told me over the phone one night, "So if there is anything I can do to make these kids have a more comfortable future, then I will."
  
  She reminded me that the situation brought up many unpleasant similarities to the stories she was told while she was in the orphanage and was determined to improve the Gym to be the best that it could be before their time as regent was over. At least so that the kids could have a slightly brighter future ahead of them.
  
  It was a mixture of spite and sympathy that drove her, and I encouraged her all the way. I was happy and proud to see Karen working towards an objective like that. I wished her all the best.
  
  "Elite John, please make your way to the waiting area." A League official approached me, "Your battle is about to begin."
  
  I gave him a nod and made my way to waiting area, my six Premier Balls carefully fastened to my belt. I pulled my thoughts away from Karen and focused on the battle ahead. I knew I was ready; I had studied and trained extensively for this battle.
  
  Now it was time to put that effort into use and secure myself a convincing victory.
  
  I sat back down in the waiting area and passed the time idly by going over my plans and thoughts once again. Unlike when I was sat waiting for my battle against Drake, I wasn't as nervous as I was then.
  
  Perhaps it was arrogance, but I liked to believe that I had developed a newfound confidence. A confidence that was born from my previous victories, which served as proof that my Pokémon most certainly had what it takes to win.
  
  I reminded myself constantly to not underestimate Bruno. He made it into the Elite Four in canon, and so I knew to never treat him lightly.
  
  He was a threat, but I was confident that I could overcome him as well.
  
  "Elite John, it's time." Another official said to me. I wordlessly got up from my seat, and the official escorted me through a small tunnel into the arena, where I was promptly greeted by the blinding sunlight and the roars and cheers of the crowd.
  
  As I shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight, I saw that many in the audience were waving or displaying my posters.
  
  "YOU GOT THIS JOHN!" I heard someone scream out,
  
  "YEAH, YOU WON'T LOSE!" Another cried out.
  
  "SHOW THAT JOHTONIAN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRAINER!" Another cheered.
  
  I felt a smile form on my face as I felt their support wash over me. The cheers of supporters from the audience only bolstered my desire to win; I would not let myself disappoint my supporters by losing here.
  
  On the other side of the field, my opponent walked onto the field. Bruno received muted cheers from the crowd, but I felt that he barely registered the crowd; his eyes were locked onto me, as if he was trying to observe my every movement. It was a gaze lacking in hostility, but to simply size me up and to take my full measure.
  
  After a moment, he nodded, satisfied in what he saw. I didn't have time to think about what that meant before the announcer made his presence known.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THIS EXCITING MATCH! NOT LONG AFTER OUR PREVIOUS CHALLENGE BETWEEN NOW ELITE LORELEI AND WALKER, WE HAVE A NEW CHALLENGER SEEKING TO MAKE HIS MARK ON THE WORLD BY CHALLENGING A MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR!"
  
  "NOW PLEASE WELCOME OUR DEFENDING MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR, THE HERO OF OLIVINE, ELITE JOHN!!" The cheers from the crowd were deafening, but I did my best to ignore them, even though a part of me wanted to cringe at the nickname. I gave the crowd a small wave, but now was not the time to acknowledge them and bask in the attention. Now was a time for focus. I could celebrate after my victory.
  
  "AND HIS OPPONENT AND CHALLENGER, PLEASE WELCOME THE YEAR BEFORE LAST'S WINNER OF THE INDIGO CONFERENCE, AND A FIGHTING TYPE SPECIALIST, BRUNO!" His reception was expectedly rather tepid, but he seemingly paid no attention to that. His posture was firm, yet relaxed. But every part of him screamed discipline.
  
  This was a man that looked like he could stare down a Dragon and not flinch.
  
  I zoned out the announcer, who began once again listing the rules and how the battle would be a 6v6 with 3 switches as usual and stared down Bruno. He was far bigger than me, and almost seemed like he was formed out of pure muscle. But I refused to let him intimidate me.
  
  Drake's Dragons couldn't unnerve me, so what was his Fighting types to a Dragon?
  
  "AND NOW, IT'S TIME TO START THE BATTLE! LET'S COUNT DOWN TOGETHER!" The crowd roared out in approval.
  
  "THREE!" I took a deep breath and let a feeling of calm wash over me.
  
  "TWO!" I clutched onto my chosen Premier Ball, remembering the plan that I had laid out for this battle.
  
  "ONE!" We both released our Pokémon.
  
  On his side, a Hitmontop landed gracefully on the arena, spinning repeatedly as it balanced nimbly on the tip of its head. As it spun, it began kicking the air as if it was dancing, but each kick was delivered with such precision that it belied the technique and strength behind them.
  
  On my side, Luna emerged from her Premier Ball with a wide smile, which quickly morphed into determination as she observed her opponent. I had spent the most time training with Luna out of all of the Pokémon on my team, so I was confident in her ability to secure an early lead.
  
  Bruno made the first move.
  
  "Fake Out, Hitmontop."
  
  "Cosmic Power, Luna."
  
  Hitmontop rapidly spun on the spot before it flung itself towards Luna, arms outstretched. Luna immediately began channelling mystical energies within herself, only to be almost immediately interrupted as Hitmontop clapped its hands right in front of her, causing her to flinch.
  
  Before I could give another command, Hitmontop immediately followed up with a powerful straight jab to the gut. Luna cried out in pain as she stumbled backwards from the attack. Immediately afterwards, Hitmontop performed an impressive somersault kick and backflipped away from Luna, exiting her immediate range and creating distance.
  
  I frowned at the sudden retreat. I had hoped that his Hitmontop would have sensed Luna's weakness and committed further into attacking. Before the battle, I had discussed with Luna my plan to have Luna fake her injuries by making it seem that she was weaker than she was to Fighting type attacks, hopefully causing Bruno's Pokémon to overcommit. But it seemed like Hitmontop chose to play safe and scout.
  
  I knew that, with all the training that I had done, Luna's Moonblast was a formidable attack that was more than capable of badly wounding or even instantly knocking out Bruno's squishier Fighting types. While Hitmontop was the most defensive of the trio, I highly doubted that it could withstand a direct hit from a supereffective Moonblast. Or if it could, it would be severely injured afterwards.
  
  I just needed to bait it in so that I could land it.
  
  "Reflect, Luna!"
  
  "Close in, Hitmontop."
  
  Hitmontop flung itself forwards while spinning once again as it rapidly closed in on Luna. A shimmer of light barely managed to manifest in front of Luna before it was promptly shattered by a Brick Break from Hitmontop, kicking down from above and slamming its leg into Luna's skull. But Luna brushed the attack off.
  
  "Psychic, Luna!"
  
  "Fall back with U-Turn, Hitmontop."
  
  Showing off its impressive reaction speeds, Hitmontop immediately threw a kick to Luna's face, knocking her back, and used it as a springboard to create distance from Luna. Then, showing off its pure martial ability, it began to spin mid-air to control its descent so that it could dive out of the way of the incoming Psychic, narrowly avoiding it.
  
  "AGAIN, LUNA!"
  
  "Power through, Hitmontop!"
  
  Hitmontop spun and dashed right back into the fray, charging straight towards Luna. Luna let out a cry as she fired off a powerful Psychic that ripped through the ground of the arena. But Hitmontop continued its charge stoically as it began to channel Dark energy in one of its palms.
  
  And then, just as the Psychic was about to land, it thrust its Dark-infused arm forwards, shattering the incoming Psychic as it dissipated on the Dark type attack. Bruno immediately exploited this vulnerability.
  
  "Close Combat, Hitmontop! Follow through and commit!"
  
  Making use of the sudden opening where Luna wouldn't be able to fire off another attack, Hitmontop closed in on Luna and began delivering a series of devastating punches straight into Luna; each punch powerful enough to cause an audible 'thump' as they impacted explosively on Luna.
  
  Against a standard Normal type Pokémon, Hitmontop would have knocked them out already. Close Combat was already a very powerful attack, but Bruno had clearly trained up his Hitmontop to be able to deliver punches that were somehow even more destructive. He must have thought that the pain from receiving the supereffective Close Combat would stifle any attempts to counterattack. Which meant that his victory should have been secured.
  
  Unfortunately for him, he had put Hitmontop exactly where I had wanted it.
  
  "GRAVITY, LUNA! INTO MOONBLAST!"
  
  "FALL BACK, HITMONTOP! PROTECT!"
  
  Bruno's eyes widened slightly as he ordered his Hitmontop to fall back, clearly not expecting Luna to be able to form a counterattack at this moment.
  
  However, the sudden shift in gravity slammed down on Hitmontop, slowing its normally agile movements as it struggled to adapt to the intense gravity. Hitmontop stumbled in its attempt to escape, tripping over its legs as they failed to move as it wanted them to.
  
  And Luna was able to take advantage of Hitmontop's self-entanglement to charge up a blindingly large Moonblast, the light from the attack casting a huge shadow across the arena. Luna shot Hitmontop a victorious grin as she launched the orb of heavily condescended Fairy energy straight at her.
  
  Unable to escape or dodge out of the way in time, Hitmontop formed a last-ditch Protect shield. Yet, the flimsy shield did little to protect it against the Moonblast, which crashed through it with contemptuous ease and ruthlessly detonated on Hitmontop, launching it across the arena as a crater formed where it once stood.
  
  The crowd gasped at the sudden turnaround. But, surprisingly, despite being hit by such a devastating supereffective move, Hitmontop refused to go down just yet as it twitched slightly on the ground. Using what remains of its energy, it struggled to pull itself up as it continued to be pressed down by the intense gravity. It wasn't knocked out yet, but clearly could not fight any further.
  
  I commanded Luna to cut off the Gravity, but before I could order her to finish it off, Bruno raised Hitmontop's Pokéball.
  
  "Retire yourself, Hitmontop. You have lost today."
  
  The crowd let out a cheer as Bruno retired his Hitmontop, understanding that it wouldn't be able to push itself any further. The announcer cut in over the crowd.
  
  "WHAT A START TO THIS FIGHT! IN A SURPRISING TURNAROUND FROM JOHN'S CLEFABLE, IT MANAGED TO WITHSTAND THE SUPEREFFECTIVE CLOSE COMBAT FROM BRUNO'S HITMONTOP AND RETILIATED, KNOCKING OUT THE LATTER WITH A SINGLE MOVE! THIS PUTS THE SCORE AT 1-0!"
  
  The announcer paused dramatically for the crowd, before continuing, "CHALLENGER BRUNO NOW HAS 30 SECONDS TO CHOOSE HIS NEXT POKEMON! I WONDER WHAT IT'LL BE!"
  
  While Bruno pondered about his next Pokémon, I took the time to observe Luna's state. She had a big grin plastered on her face, but one of her eyes was unable to open fully. Furthermore, she seemed to be favouring her right side more, and had a small limp. I guess even with a resistance to Fighting type moves, Bruno's attacks really hit hard.
  
  Still, Luna remained in fighting condition, and I trusted that she would be able to stay in the fight.
  
  In the corner of my eye, I noticed that Bruno was eyeing Luna warily, as if he was trying to understand how she managed to tank through a Close Combat like that. Evidently, he was gauging whether she could endure through another. Bruno was far more than a musclehead.
  
  And just before his 30 seconds was up, Bruno sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Hitmonlee, avenge your partner."
  
  His Hitmonlee appeared on the arena bouncing on the balls of its feet while firing off a series of kicks in the air, just like Hitmontop did. However, while Hitmontop's kicks were nimbler and came from multiple angles, Hitmonlee's kicks were quicker and seemed to cut through the air itself. The difference in power was staggering.
  
  Bruno made the first move.
  
  "Focus Energy, Hitmonlee. Concentrate, and gather up your strength."
  
  "Softboiled, Luna. Heal yourself."
  
  Bruno surprisingly gave me the opportunity to heal up Luna. I would have thought that he would capitalize on Luna's wounded state and pressure her so that she couldn't heal. And yet, he chose to spend time setting up instead and allowing Luna to restore most of her injuries.
  
  A strange choice. It was almost like he was trying to give his Pokémon more of a challenge.
  
  "Mach Punch, Hitmonlee. Close in."
  
  "Icy Wind, Luna! Slow it down."
  
  One of Hitmonlee's fists began glowing as it suddenly dived towards Luna. In response, Luna began letting out a freezing gust of wind that would have slowed the incoming Hitmonlee. However, seeing the attack coming, Bruno quickly switched tactics.
  
  "Switch to Blaze Kick, Hitmonlee. Use the momentum."
  
  Still being driven forward by the momentum from its Mach Punch, Hitmonlee quickly transitioned into a spinning kick of flames, burning through the incoming Icy Wind and striking directly at Luna's side.
  
  Luna let out a genuine cry of pain from that attack, not like the fake ones she did against Hitmontop, and stumbled to the side. Bruno rapidly capitalized on that opportunity.
  
  "Mega Kick, Hitmonlee."
  
  "PROTECT!"
  
  And yet, my order came too late. With near instantaneous reactions, Hitmonlee kicked through the air like a speeding bullet, smashing critically against Luna with an audible crack and causing her to careen backwards through the air as she crashed into the psychic shields of the arena.
  
  I casted a worried look at Luna, unsure if she was able to continue the fight. Fortunately, despite being blasted backwards, Luna proved that her training was worthwhile as she pulled herself up with only a slight stumble from where she had fallen. I shot her a proud grin at that.
  
  Seeing that Luna was still in the fight, Bruno gave his next command.
  
  "Stone Edge, Hitmonlee."
  
  "Psychic, Luna. Blast through them."
  
  Hitmonlee began lifting up huge rocks around it, before kicking them towards Luna like they were huge projectiles. They flew with incredible accuracy, and I knew that Bruno had perfected his use of rocks as projectiles as counters for potential flyers. The rocks weren't voluminous, like with Vordt or Tyranitar, but rather they just flew with blisteringly fast speeds and with dangerous sniper-like precision. This was a clear example of quality over quantity.
  
  Even Zephyr would have a hard time dodging past such accurate rocks flying at such high speed.
  
  However, before they even managed to get close, Luna fired off a destructive Psychic that ripped through the incoming rocks like they were nothing more than chunks of loose gravel, dissipating the incoming volley of rocks entirely.
  
  "Earthquake and close the distance with a Mach Punch, Hitmonlee. You can't fight from afar!"
  
  Hitmonlee pivoted out of the way of the incoming Psychic before it stomped on the ground with one of its legs. A terrible tremor shot through the ground, as a huge crack started snaking its way towards Luna.
  
  "Protect, Luna!"
  
  A circular shield formed around Luna just in time to protect herself against the Earthquake, but Hitmonlee exploited Luna's inability to attack by getting in close and timed it perfectly so that it struck Luna critically in the face with its fist just as the Protect shield dissipated.
  
  "Low Sweep, Hitmonlee. Trip her up."
  
  "Zen Headbutt, Luna. Knock it away!"
  
  Luna recovered quickly and began channelling Psychic energy in the dome of her head, but before she could strike at Hitmonlee, it swept its powerful legs underneath Luna and knocked her off her feet. She fell helplessly onto the ground, and before she could pull herself up and reorient herself, Hitmonlee quickly followed up with a devastating series of kicks that all struck at Luna's critical points, the previous Focus Energy paying dividends right now as Hitmonlee narrowed down Luna's weak points.
  
  I winced as I watched helplessly as Luna fell to the ground while being brutally hammered by an onslaught of kicks. Despite all the training that we had done, Luna still wasn't the best at fighting at close range. She had neither the physique nor the speed to take advantage of a close-range fight. If this kept up for even a short while longer, I knew that Luna would be knocked out even with her resistance to Fighting type moves.
  
  I struggled to think of something, before my eyes flashed as I remembered what Hitmontop did to separate itself from Luna earlier.
  
  "Psychic, Luna! Blast yourself away!"
  
  Luna admirably pushed through the pain as she unleashed a blast of Psychic energy that detonated right in front of her. The force from the attack launched Luna backwards through the air, and more importantly, separating herself from Hitmonlee. Her injuries were severe, but Luna valiantly stood tall despite her battered body. She may have been on her last legs, but she wouldn't fall just yet.
  
  In the meanwhile, Hitmonlee was unable to react in time to the sudden explosion of Psychic energy and was blasted backwards as well. Hitmonlee briefly fell onto a knee, its lack of endurance proving crippling as it struggled to recover its stance after tanking through one supereffective Psychic. Although its injuries looked far less serious than Luna's, I recognized that another good hit might be enough to take out the Hitmonlee.
  
  Both Pokémon were injured, but neither refused to fall just yet. But I felt it in my gut that the next round of attacks would decide the victor.
  
  A strange sense of calm settled down on me as I analysed what Bruno's next move would be. I was confident he would try to get in close once again; since that was what he had been doing every time and I knew that he had no long-ranged attacks to rely on. Thus, the question was how could I knock out Hitmonlee in close-range when it was superior at fighting in close range over Luna?
  
  Then, my mind flashed back to my fight against Giovanni, and the odd training that I did in preparation for the match. And I had my solution.
  
  "Mach Punch, Hitmonlee. Again!"
  
  Almost feeling like déjà vu, Hitmonlee sped towards Luna with fist extended as it threatened to strike Luna with yet another critical attack. But this time, I waited patiently for Hitmonlee to strike, hoping that Luna's inherent resistance to Fighting type attacks would be sufficient at keeping her on her feet.
  
  Hitmonlee crashed into Luna with a powerful strike of his fist, landing a savage blow that struck Luna critically. Luna skidded back, letting out a cry of pain, but held on enough to launch her own counterattack.
  
  "Zen Headbutt, Luna! Meet it head on!"
  
  Luna's psychically infused head descended downwards like a hammer, but to my surprise, Hitmonlee reacted quicker than I expected and struck at Luna's head with a Dark-infused kick, which knocked her backwards and also SOMEHOW nullified the attack entirely. Luna's head snapped backwards from the blow, and she wobbled in confusion before fortunately pulling herself together.
  
  I was shocked at Hitmonlee's reaction speed to not only recover from its attack but to also nullify Luna's; it was an incredible display of discipline and focus. But I knew that we were at the critical moment in the fight.
  
  "Play Rough, Luna!"
  
  "Dispel it with another kick, Hitmonlee!"
  
  Dark energy rapidly formed around one of Hitmonlee's legs, wrapping around it like a bandage before it was thrust out like a spear at my charging Luna. However, this time Bruno was the one to be surprised, as instead of dispersing the Psychic energy like he did with the Zen Headbutt, Luna's Play Rough seemed to cut right through the Dark energy.
  
  But even after being caught out by surprise, Hitmonlee quickly surrounded itself with an orange glow as it instantly prepared a Counter just moments before Luna crashed into it with a Play Rough.
  
  Both Pokémon fell onto the ground from the attack, and Hitmonlee let out a grunt of pain as it was struck by the supereffective move. And yet, channelling its mental discipline, it directed the stored energy from the Counter and retaliated with a brutal Mega Kick that critically smashed into Luna's side.
  
  Luna was launched away by the attack, and this time, I knew she wouldn't be getting up. She slammed painfully into the psychic barriers with a loud cry of pain, and unfortunately slumped over; her injuries proving too much to handle. With a sigh, I grabbed Luna's Premier Ball and withdrew my fainted Pokémon from the fight.
  
  Seeing my Luna go down, Bruno pondered things over for a moment before eventually deciding to also withdraw his severely injured Hitmonlee, retiring from the battle. He likely realized it was only going to be detrimental to leave it in the fight.
  
  Even though that was the smarter move for him to do, I still breathed a small sigh of relief as Hitmonlee vanished into its Pokéball. What a monster that was.
  
  "AND BOTH TRAINERS HAVE RETIRED THEIR POKEMON, AND WHAT A SHOW THAT WE JUST GOT!" The announcer's voice boomed out. "IN A DOUBLE KNOCKOUT, BOTH POKEMON HAVE GONE DOWN AFTER A BRUTAL CLOSE-RANGE BATTLE! THE MATCH IS NOW AT 2-1! EACH TRAINER HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  The crowd cheered wildly at the effective double knock out, but I didn't have it in me to join in on their enthusiasm. I wasn't disappointed at Luna's performance, but I was hoping that Luna could have achieved more with her hidden typing and resistances.
  
  I recognized that, if it weren't for the element of surprise, Luna would not have won in that final exchange, and probably would have just been knocked out unceremoniously. Bruno must have expected Play Rough to be a Psychic type move like Zen Headbutt, and it was only the surprising fact that my Fairy type attack nullified his Dark type move that secured me a double knockout.
  
  Still, I took a breath to calm myself down. Things don't always go to plan, and Luna HAD secured me a one Pokémon lead over Bruno.
  
  I just had to make sure that lead could sustain itself.
  
  A.N. John's finally capitalizing on his Fairy type meta-knowledge here! Yet, Bruno's Pokémon are undoubtedly better at close-range combat, so I hoped the fight balanced itself out. I hope you were satisfied with how the fight played out.
  
  Unfortunately, there will be no Wednesday chapter. Once again, I am sorry about this.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-13 - Fighting Power
  
  I hesitated for a moment before sending out my next Pokémon, which I had planned to be Zephyr. Originally, I had hoped to send out Zephyr to finish off whatever weakened Pokémon that Luna would have been dealing with, since I was confident that Zephyr should be able to evade enough attacks from one of Bruno's injured Pokémon.
  
  From the research that I had done, I had seen countless times how Bruno's Pokémon were able to secure a victory despite going against Flying types, reversing the Fighting type's normally unfavourable conditions, and striking the offending Flyer out of the sky with precise attacks.
  
  But now, I was wondering if Zephyr could actually deal with an uninjured Pokémon from Bruno.
  
  However, after taking a moment to think things through a bit and going over Bruno's entire team once again, I realized that it didn't matter if I sent out Zephyr next or not. I recognized that, despite differences regarding strength, speed, and bulk, ALL of Bruno's Pokémon fought the same way and with similar anti-air techniques. Therefore, it didn't really matter WHEN I chose to send out Zephyr, as any Pokémon that Bruno chose would try to knock Zephyr out of the air by firing rocks at him.
  
  With that decided, I grabbed hold of his Premier Ball as I got ready to send him in. As I looked up, I felt Bruno's eyes scanning me. I refused to meet his stares as I readied myself mentally for the next round.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" The announcer hyped up as our 30 seconds were nearly up. We both nodded. "BEGIN!"
  
  "IN THE AIR, ZEPHYR!"
  
  "Hitmonchan, go!"
  
  Foregoing any posturing, and just like when I went up against Drake, Zephyr emerged from his Premier Ball as he immediately screeched out and acknowledged my hidden command to swoop high up into the air and begin setting up with Work Up.
  
  However, Bruno wasn't going to make things easy for me.
  
  "Stone Edge, Hitmonchan. Punch it down."
  
  Just like with Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan began tearing up the arena as large slabs of rocks floated around it. Then, with a hammering strike from her fists, one for each rock, she launched each slab like a missile that shot towards Zephyr, cutting through the air like bullets.
  
  Even with all the training that we did against Vordt and his Stone Edge, I was unpleasantly surprised at just how close those rocks were to knocking Zephyr out of the air. Each rock narrowly whistled by Zephyr, despite his impressive flying speed. While Hitmonchan could not match the sheer volume of rocks that Vordt could fire off, but by physically slamming each rock forwards with its fists like it was doing, it meant that each rock shot through the air with dangerously fast speeds.
  
  Instead of an overwhelming barrage of rocks, Hitmonchan fired them off like sniper rounds. Precise and deadly.
  
  I had hoped that my practice with Zephyr against Vordt would make it easier to dodge past the rocks. It was one thing to witness this technique over a screen, but now, seeing it in person like this, I began to truly understand how Bruno was able to bring down the many Flying types that were commonly arrayed against him.
  
  Despite Zeyphr's best and admirable efforts in utilizing the full range of his aerial manoeuvrability, performing an impressive combination of swoops, dives, and swerves to dodge out of the way, each slam of Hitmonchan's fists only caused more rocks to shoot forwards. As the rocks continued to fly, I was uncomfortable allowing this situation to continue any further as the pressure started to build up. Furthermore, Zephyr had quickly abandoned his attempts to setup with Work Up, as he couldn't afford to distract himself and was forced to dedicate all of his focus into purely dodging.
  
  My fists clenched as I realized the horrible situation Zephyr was in. Unable to set up with Work Ups, Zephyr was effectively wasting time until one rock eventually knocked it out of the air.
  
  I was tempted to swap Zephyr out, but I feared giving Bruno the opportunity to allow his Pokémon to set up. His Focus Energy boosted Hitmonlee was practically able to land critical hits with every one of its attacks, and I didn't want to face down another of his Pokémon like that. So the only option was to risk everything and go on the offensive.
  
  It was now a matter of choosing between two bad choices, and I wasn't given any time to decide between them. I allowed myself a second to think, before an idea popped into my head and I discarded my hesitation and gave a new command, trusting in Zephyr's abilities.
  
  "Fall into a dive, Zephyr! And set up Agility!"
  
  "Knock it out, Hitmonchan."
  
  With an affirmative screech, Zephyr began an almost meteoric descent out of the sky, diving down in a straight line as quickly as possible while his eyes shut in concentration as he began to set up with Agility.
  
  I knew that Zephyr couldn't afford to slow down or else he would be struck out of the sky with consecutive impacts from the fired rocks. So instead, I ordered him to dive straight down like an arrow so that he could maintain his speed while also giving him the opportunity to set up.
  
  Of course, now that Zephyr was moving almost perfectly in a straight line, Hitmonchan was given free reign to smash Zephyr out of the air with a perfectly shot slab of rock. However, I was betting on the fact that Zephyr could set up his Agility faster than Hitmonchan could line up a shot.
  
  It was a huge risk. And I'm sure Bruno knew it too. Zephyr just had to hang on.
  
  My eyes locked on to Zephyr's falling figure as I started unconsciously gritting my teeth in anticipation. I could hear the signature SLAM from Hitmonchan's fist launching yet another rock at my vulnerable Zephyr, and I had to hold back a wince as the rock narrowly missed him.
  
  My fists clenched even tighter as another rock barely missed Zephyr.
  
  I started holding my breath as the third rock almost clipped him in the wings.
  
  And then, just as the pink glow surrounding Zephyr started fading, signifying the completion of his Agility, my frown deepened as a rock nailed him in his left wing. Zephyr let out a painful screech as he tumbled uncontrollably out of the air. He was hit!
  
  I steeled myself and gave my next order, knowing that the next few moments would make-or-break the fight.
  
  "Air Slash, Zephyr, then Roost! You need to cut down those rocks while you heal yourself up!"
  
  "Move in closer and fire off more rocks, Hitmonchan."
  
  Hitmonchan gave off a quick nod before it started sprinting towards Zephyr's falling figure, all the while maintaining its barrage of rocks as it swung its fists repeatedly. In the meanwhile, in a display of incredible discipline, Zephyr ignored the pain while he held off the incoming boulders by cutting them out of the air with powerful Air Slashes with its uninjured wing.
  
  Hitmonchan easily sidestepped out of the way of any Air Slashes that came its way, not even hindered by Zephyr's attacks.
  
  Rocks continued to fly and be slashed out of the sky in equal measure, and luckily for Zephyr, Hitmonchan's ability to perform geokinesis was slowly weakening as time went on as its' reserves of rock energy waned; allowing him to actually fend off the reduced volley without being knocked out.
  
  After a moment of tense back and forth, Zephyr managed to land safely on the ground as he rapidly began healing up with Roost. However, he was barely able to begin the healing process as Hitmonchan quickly closed the distance.
  
  "Mach Punch, Hitmonchan. Strike it while it's vulnerable!"
  
  "Wing Attack, Zephyr. You have to block it!"
  
  Fist struck wing as both Pokémon's attacks collided against each other. Here, type advantages once again proved fortunate for me as Zephyr managed to hold off against the much more powerful Hitmonchan simply through the fact that his Wing Attack was supereffective and resistant against Hitmonchan's Mach Punch.
  
  Zephyr struggled and tried to bash Hitmonchan with its wing, but Hitmonchan simply ducked under the way before it dedicated even more raw power and punched even harder. One punch suddenly turned into a barrage as Hitmonchan landed a flurry of explosive punches on Zephyr. A Protect shield instinctively formed in front of Zephyr, only to be immediately shattered by a Brick Break from Hitmonchan, who continued laying into Zephyr with a brutal series of punches.
  
  The whole exchange barely lasted over a second, but as Zephyr cried out once again, I knew I had to quickly find a way to make space for Zephyr to heal up so that he could fly again. Otherwise, with just a few more hits, Hitmonchan would have pummelled Zephyr into the ground.
  
  My mind flashed through all of Zephyr's known moves before I found an answer.
  
  "WHIRLWIND, ZEPHYR! PUSH IT AWAY!"
  
  "Close Combat, Hitmonchan! Knock it down, NOW!"
  
  Zephyr covered himself with a wing as he began gathering up a huge storm of wind within his bosom. Realizing what he was doing, Hitmonchan's punches intensified as its fists started glowing white, but it only managed to land a few punches from its savage pummelling before Zephyr unleashed his tidal wave of stored wind.
  
  A huge torrent of wind unleashed itself directly at Hitmonchan, instantly blowing back loose rocks and clouds of dust. It tried to stand firm, placing its feet wide as it shielded itself from the howling winds with its fists, but it ultimately proved futile.
  
  As if it was nothing more than a dust in the wind, Hitmonchan was carried away by the gale winds and was almost pinned against the far wall of the arena as the howling whirlwind engulfed the entire arena. Cries could be heard in the audience as some of their food items were knocked aside as well, the psychic barriers failing to completely stop the pressure from the winds.
  
  Almost immediately after pushing Hitmonchan back, Zephyr immediately cancelled the Whirlwind and shifted his focus back to healing himself up.
  
  "Get back in there, Hitmonchan! Don't let it heal!"
  
  As the Whirlwind died down, Hitmonchan pulled itself off the ground and rushed back into the fight, leaping over much of the scattered debris as its eyes flashed with eagerness as it sought to interrupt Zephyr's healing with another ruthless pummelling. However, even while sprinting as fast as it could, the distance between Hitmonchan and Zephyr was too great for it to close the distance in time before Zephyr finished healing.
  
  Thus, seconds before Hitmonchan reached striking distance, Zephyr let out a triumphant squawk as he swooped into the air, his wing now recovered sufficiently so that he could fly again.
  
  Despite this, I knew that I didn't hold the advantage here. Even with the speed boost provided by Agility, it would only take one lucky strike from one of Hitmonchan's rocks to knock Zephyr out of the air once again. And I doubt that Bruno would be so merciful as to allow him to heal once more.
  
  Therefore, I couldn't allow Hitmonchan to continue firing off rocks.
  
  "Brave Bird, Zephyr! Keep up the pressure!"
  
  "Get ready to Counter, Hitmonchan. Brace yourself."
  
  Zephyr immediately pivoted and swooped high into the air before beginning his Agility-boosted rapid descent out of the sky once again, cutting through the air like a knife through butter. Seeing its prey was looking to come to it instead, Hitmonchan paused its pursuit and stood firmly still.
  
  An orange aura began to surround Hitmonchan's still figure as it waited for Zephyr to get into its striking range. Its legs were spread slightly apart, its fists were raised to its head, and its eyes were alight with pure concentration as Hitmonchan tracked Zephyr descent through the sky. It was ready and waiting, seeking to deliver a devastating counterattack to knock Zephyr out.
  
  It was now just a matter of execution; there was no strategy left to be had. We both knew what the other intended. Could Zephyr's speed and agility overcome Hitmonchan's concentration so that he could land a decisive Brave Bird? Or would Hitmonchan's battle senses be sufficient to predict and react to Zephyr's incoming assault and punish him for entering its' striking range?
  
  I didn't even have time to hesitate as Zephyr suddenly shot forwards with an additional burst of speed and rammed straight into the waiting fists of Hitmonchan...
  
  BUT THEY BOTH MISSED!
  
  My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to confirm what just happened. From what I saw, Hitmonchan had intended to pivot out of the way of the attack and retaliate with a devastating punch; but it failed to account for the sudden burst of speed and mistimed its counterattack. On the other hand, Zephyr failed to realize that Hitmonchan was going to dodge and misjudged his angle of the attack.
  
  As a result, both Pokémon seemed to only manage to land glancing blows against each other. I quickly turned my eyes to Zephyr and saw that while he was suddenly favouring his right side more than his left, he was still able to fly and continue attacking. Likewise, Hitmonchan's left arm was flailing slightly, as it if couldn't really put much strength into it.
  
  Seeing Hitmonchan's injuries, a part of me wanted to play it safe and spam Hitmonchan down with long range attacks. But then I was reminded of the fact that Hitmonchan didn't need BOTH hands to punch rocks like they were bullets, so I recognized that I couldn't take the risk. The battle had to be over NOW.
  
  "ONCE MORE, ZEPHYR! PUT EVERYTHING INTO IT!"
  
  "Get ready, Hitmonchan. No more chances."
  
  Zephyr gave off one last affirmative screech as he performed an aerial somersault to position himself into yet another dive. A silver-aura encased him as he plunged downwards at such blistering fast speeds that he was little more than a silver blur.
  
  In the meanwhile, Hitmonchan repositioned itself once again as it stoically prepared to meet Zephyr's all-out strike. Its right fist, the one that remained uninjured, began to glow as it readied its own avenging strike. This time, Hitmonchan's eyes seemed to promise as they flared in determination, it wouldn't miss.
  
  Then, with another sonic boom, Zephyr launched itself forwards just as Hitmonchan thrust forwards with its fist as the two Pokémon collided against each other.
  
  There was no cloud of dust, no dramatic explosion. But the instant that both Pokémon impacted against each other, they collapsed near instantly like they were puppets that had their strings cut.
  
  It was almost too quick to see, but I thought I caught a glimpse of Zephyr's wing smashing straight into Hitmonchan's core, while Hitmonchan's fist landed a precise strike that found purchase in the side of Zephyr's face. Both landed direct blows against the other, and they both fainted instantly.
  
  It was a double knockout.
  
  A solemn silence descended onto the arena momentarily as the crowd attempted to process what they just saw. Of course, the announcer quickly dispelled the silence as he made himself known again.
  
  "ANNND WHAT A DEVESTATING AND HEART-PUMPING ENDING TO THAT SPECTACULAR BATTLE! A SURPRISING DOUBLE KNOCKOUT FOR BOTH TRAINERS YET AGAIN! THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE MATCH TO WATCH! THE SCORE IS NOW 3-2!" His voice thundered across the arena. "AND NOW, EACH TRAINERS HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  I withdrew Zephyr into his Premier Ball before whispering a few words to him. "Great job, Zephyr. You did better than I could have ever hoped for." His Premier Ball wiggled slightly, giving me all the acknowledgement I needed.
  
  And now, with Bruno's trio of Hitmon's already knocked out, that left him with his Primeape, Hariyama, and Machamp. Annoyingly, I couldn't be sure which one Bruno would choose to send out next. At least I was confident that it wouldn't be Machamp.
  
  If it was his Hariyama, then I would want to send out a faster Pokémon that could take advantage of Hariyama's terrible speed. Klaus would be the best option there to wear it down at a distance.
  
  If it was his Primeape, then I would be more confident sending out one of my bruisers to fight against it, since it didn't hit as hard as Hariyama and had much less endurance. However, I knew from my research that it was surprisingly fast for a Pokémon not normally known for its speed and would easily catch an unprepared trainer unawares. Thus, I felt that I would have a better chance sending out Smough or Vordt to win against Primeape, relying on their overwhelming bulk to withstand against its attacks.
  
  No matter which I decided, I had to commit to the decision because I couldn't afford to give Bruno time to set up when I swapped out. But I only had 30 seconds to choose.
  
  In the end, I felt that I had better odds if Klaus matched up against Primeape than if Smough or maybe Vordt matched up against Hariyama. The former still had his type advantage, and he could hopefully still wear Primeape down with ranged attacks. I should still be able to pull out a win with him.
  
  "TRAINERS, YOUR 30 SECONDS ARE NEARLY UP!" The announcer's voice cut in, "ARE YOU READY?!" I clutched tightly onto Klaus' Premier Ball and nodded.
  
  "RELEASE!"
  
  "Klaus, prove your training."
  
  "Primeape, exploit your rage."
  
  I cursed to myself as my guess proved wrong. Primeape came out from his Pokéball while hardly making a noise. It was unnerving to see a Pokémon that was normally full of rage and furious energy to be so calm and still. It spoke to the sheer amount of training that Bruno must have put his Primeape through to be able to achieve such mastery and control over its inherent rage.
  
  The only hint of its signature rage was in its eyes, which were shining with restrained anger that was begging to be released, like a volcano waiting to erupt. To give credit to Klaus, he met Primeape's smouldering glares with a proud and dismissive snort, holding his head high as he emerged from his Premier Ball.
  
  But just seeing the threatening aura that Primeape was exuding, combining with my memories of just how brutal Bruno's Pokémon were at close range, I had absolutely no intention to allow Klaus to get anywhere close to him. My plan was to just wear it down at a distance, and I started to enact it.
  
  "To the air, Klaus! Set up with Calm Mind!"
  
  Klaus immediately took to the air as he began forming floating Psychic platforms to leap from. But Bruno was not going to give Klaus any opportunity to set up.
  
  "Stone Edge, Primeape. Just like we practiced!"
  
  Stones began levitating around Primeape just like they did with all of Bruno's other Pokémon, before Primeape began hurling them like a pitcher. Klaus quickly began leaping away to dodge the rocks, but quickly realized that Primeape wasn't aiming to hit him.
  
  Instead, Primeape was cunningly using those thrown rocks to shatter the Psychic platforms as soon as they formed, giving no opportunity for Klaus to escape into the sky. I grimaced as I understood Bruno's plan; he was looking to deny Klaus the ability to blast down his Primeape from above and forcing Klaus to remain grounded, where Primeape was able to reach him.
  
  Fortunately, Klaus was able to finish channelling the Calm Mind just as the final psychic platform shattered from Primeape's rock missiles, forcing Klaus back down onto the ground as he tumbled out of the air. And Bruno rapidly took advantage of this.
  
  "Close in, Primeape! Savage it!"
  
  "Psychic, Klaus! And back off!"
  
  Klaus quickly righted himself before firing off a boosted blast of Psychic towards Primeape, hoping to knock it away as he swiftly backpedalled away from the approaching Primeape. Yet, with an almost dismissive reaction, Primeape formed a large orb of Dark energy in its hands before punching towards the incoming Psychic, causing an explosion of darkness that safely dispelled it without interrupting Primeape's charge.
  
  I frowned instinctively. This ability to just nullify my Psychic attacks was annoyingly impressive, and I didn't want to know just how much time Bruno put into this to be able to perfect it to this level. But, now with my supereffective attack nullified, I needed some other way to bring down Primeape.
  
  But as I saw Primeape maintain its unrelenting charge towards Klaus, I realized what I had to do.
  
  "AGAIN KLAUS! AND GET CLOSE TO IT!"
  
  Displaying the full trust that he had in me, Klaus immediately pivoted away from his retreat and charged unquestioningly towards Primeape. As the two got closer, another blast of Psychic energy shot forwards from Klaus, only to be nullified once again by another swipe of Dark energy.
  
  However, just before the two collided, I shouted out my next command.
  
  "THUNDER WAVE, KLAUS! AND ZEN HEADBUTT!"
  
  Just as Primeape was about to unleash its rage in the form of devastatingly powerful punches, Klaus sent out a small wave of electricity that Primeape was unable to dodge. As the sudden jolt of electricity coursed through it, Primeape's muscles were locked in place, greatly slowing down its movements as it became paralyzed.
  
  But Primeape's willpower showed itself at this very moment as it forcefully pushed through the paralysis and savagely slammed its fist straight into Klaus, who was looking to follow up with a Zen Headbutt. The Close Combat struck Klaus hard, and he let out a bellow of pain as he cancelled his Zen Headbutt. Recognizing that staying in close range would be bad, Klaus immediately moved to retreat, but Primeape stepped forwards as it prepared another haymaker into Klaus' retreating form.
  
  Luckily for Klaus, the paralysis took hold once more before Primeape could follow-up, hindering it for just long enough for Klaus to exit its immediate striking range as a follow-up punch narrowly fell short.
  
  Just from that one exchange, I nodded towards Klaus at his decision to get out of range; there was no way we were going to get the better of any close-range exchanges. Even with just that one strike, the damage to Klaus was concerning, with Klaus now breathing hard with a visible limp as he staggered away in retreat, no longer galloping like he used to. A SINGLE hit did that!
  
  But, even with his injuries, I was confident that this was a worthwhile trade for Klaus. Primeape HAD to be paralyzed to cut down on its speed and mobility. With no way to heal itself, the paralysis would cripple its' ability to close the distance and buy Klaus more time to blast it at range.
  
  Klaus' new limp might be problematic, but I hoped that Primeape's own paralysis would make up for any loss of mobility on Klaus' end. That, and overwhelming firepower.
  
  "Sunny Day, Klaus! AND SOLAR BEAM!"
  
  "Rush it down, Primeape! Charge through it!"
  
  With a defiant bellow, Klaus sent out a beam of light towards the sky that dispelled any clouds, causing the arena to be blanketed by a harsh sunlight. Immediately after, his horns began glowing brightly as radiant energy gathered within them.
  
  In the meanwhile, Primeape exploded forwards with furious wrath in a burst of speed while valiantly pushing through the effects of paralysis. Its eyes were now completely consumed with rage, and it kept picking up speed as its now unleashed rage further drove it forwards. It looked completely unbothered by the attack that was about to come its way.
  
  "RELEASE!"
  
  On my command, Klaus released all of its stored energy as a wide gold beam of light cut through the arena, illuminating the entire battlefield in blinding radiant light as it shot straight towards Primeape. Primeape made no effort to even dodge as he took the Solar Beam head on, only stumblingly slightly as the beam impacted it.
  
  And yet, it refused to be pushed back. With a howl of pure rage and frustration, it pushed against the Solar Beam and demonstrated its raw defiance by taking a step forwards. And another. And another.
  
  And even though the Solar Beam gradually grew wider and brighter and was now almost boring a hole through Primeape, Primeape refused to fall. Refused to stop. Refused to allow the target of its rage to win. Even as Primeape caught fire from the intense ray of energy, it continued to push forwards. It was a figure of pure determination.
  
  My jaws and fists clenched anxiously as I watched Primeape continued to fight against the Solar Beam. Klaus was straining himself to the limits as he continued channelling his Solar Beam as best he could. I recognized that I couldn't shift tactics now, as cancelling the Solar Beam would leave Klaus too vulnerable to the incoming Primeape. No, there was no going back now.
  
  I gritted my teeth. I had never intended for this to become a battle of wills; I had expected Primeape to try to block or dodge! I wanted to wear it down over time! Not this!
  
  But now both trainers were now forced to watch helplessly once again as our Pokémon determined their own fates. The battle was no longer in our hands.
  
  Primeape continued to press forwards, each step seemingly more laborious than the last as the damage built up, and his energy and willpower gradually failed him. I was almost certain it was running off pure rage now, literally being too angry to go down. But at the same time, Klaus' Solar Beam was weakening as he began to tire, and his reserves began to dwindle. The once brilliant beam of radiant light was now dim and narrow.
  
  I stared with tense anticipation as Primeape eventually got into striking range. It was stumbling heavily, almost like it was drunk, and both of its eyes were almost sealed shut from the injuries. But it held on for long enough for Klaus' Solar Beam to peter out, and as Klaus collapsed from exhaustion, I knew the battle was lost.
  
  "Seismic Toss, Primeape! Throw it!" Bruno shouted out unnecessarily.
  
  With whatever vestige of energy that it had left, Primeape lifted my exhausted Klaus and hurled him ruthlessly into the psychic barriers with a Seismic Toss. Klaus slammed into them, his body twitching as it did. But he did not get back up.
  
  Fortunately for me, Klaus' fall meant that Primeape no longer had a target for its ire, and it too collapsed as the injuries and exhaustion finally kicked in. It was yet another double knockout, and this time I was deeply unsatisfied with it.
  
  I shut out the announcer and the cheering audience as I withdrew Klaus. I gave him a few terse, but sincere, words of praise before I put away his Premier Ball. My mind racing with thoughts about what to do next.
  
  The score was now 4-3, and while I still had a lead, Bruno's two remaining Pokémon were his two greatest fighters, his Hariyama and his Machamp. And I was all out of Pokémon that resisted Fighting types.
  
  I could feel the self-doubt and uncertainty creeping up into my mind before I clamped down HARD on it.
  
  'No.' I said to myself, 'Have faith in your team. You didn't train your trio of bruisers so much just to expect them to lose. No, they will bring you victory, just as you trained them to do.'
  
  That's right. I reaffirmed my strength in my team, cursing at myself for ever doubting their capabilities. I still had my lead. And so what if Hariyama's or Machamp's typing countered my team? So what if Bruno put up a better fight than I expected? Plans always went wrong, and besides...
  
  He hadn't met Vordt and Tyrant yet.
  
  A.N. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really wanted to highlight just how much of a tough opponent Bruno is for John, and how things in battle don't always go as planned.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-14 - Fighting Back
  
  "WHAT AN AMAZING FIGHT EVERYONE! DESPITE BEING DOWN BY ONE POKEMON, CHALLENGER BRUNO HAS REALLY SHOWN THE WORLD HIS STRENGTH! I SUSPECT THAT THIS BATTLE HAS BEEN CLOSER THAN WHAT MANY WERE EXPECTING. LET'S SEE IF BRUNO CAN OVERCOME HIS DISADVANTAGE AND CLAW HIS WAY TO A SURPRISING VICTORY!"
  
  I felt my eyes twitch as the announcer tried to hype up the crowd, but I managed to shrug off and ignore his words. Bruno might have pressured me more than I was strictly comfortable with, but now he needed to deal with my three strongest Pokémon with only two of his.
  
  I wasn't going to make things easy for him. No, I was going to use Bruno to remind the world why I managed to beat Drake. He had a good showing against me so far, but with my remaining Pokémon, I was going to do everything that I can to crush Bruno so completely to remind everyone why it would be a bad idea to challenge me.
  
  "THE 30 SECONDS IS NEARLY OVER!" The announcer declared, "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!"
  
  I took a deep breath to calm myself down before I nodded to the announcer alongside Bruno. "RELEASE!"
  
  "Vordt, crush them."
  
  "Hariyama, power through."
  
  Vordt emerged with an earth-shaking roar as he proudly displayed his strength to the world that seemed to overshadow Hariyama's own presence. The ground tremored and shook as Vordt landed on the ground with an audible thump.
  
  On the other hand, Hariyama appeared with a silent grunt as it emerged from its Pokéball, looking like a menacing wall of bulging muscles had just appeared on the battlefield. The muscles in its arms and legs were so thick that they seemed to have enough strength to smash through anything.
  
  Time seemed to freeze as the two bruisers stared each other down. At their level of training, they wouldn't be intimidated by anything, but instead seemed to be taking each other's measure.
  
  After a moment of silence, Vordt let out a growl, eliciting a snort from Hariyama. Vordt gave off a small nod, before turning to me.
  
  "Ursa...Ursa..." He said to me, asking for permission. My eyes widened momentarily as I listened to Vordt's request, but I nodded to him after thinking it through. In the distance, Hariyama had clearly done the same with Bruno and received the same affirmation.
  
  Then, almost in sync, flames began spreading across the two of them as they both ignited themselves, simultaneously triggering their Guts ability and boosting their attack. This was what our two Pokémon agreed upon, to fight to their utmost capabilities with their Guts boosted attack.
  
  The two of them wanted to challenge the other at their best. And given Vordt's sincerity; I wasn't about to say no to that.
  
  And thus, I knew that this upcoming battle was going to be a quick and brutal one. With both Pokémon's attack skyrocketing from Guts, and since they would both be slowly worn down by the continuous damage from the Burn, there was no chance to play things safely.
  
  It was going to be all-or-nothing. There would be no opportunity to test the waters, or to simply scout things out. This was going to be a beatdown, one way or another.
  
  "HEADLONG RUSH, VORDT! SMASH IT!"
  
  "Close Combat, Hariyama! PUNISH IT!"
  
  Vordt let out another bellow towards the skies before he shot forwards like a speeding flaming bullet with blistering determination, his eyes alight with fury. Vordt's charge created a trail of blackened gash in the arena as the ground was torn up in the wake of his assault before he crashed into Hariyama with his full weight behind him.
  
  Hariyama let out a pained grunt as it bore the full brunt of Vordt's assault, skidding back a bit as the full weight of Vordt slammed into him. But it quickly reoriented itself and with a grunt of its own retaliated with a devastating series of punches that repeatedly smashed into Vordt's face.
  
  Without needing me to command him, Vordt immediately began reinforcing his head with Psychic energy, forming a protective shell around his flaming skull that blunted the impact from Hariyama's punches before letting out a roar as he smashed their heads together with a brutal Zen Headbutt.
  
  Hariyama's body snapped backwards as it recoiled from the supereffective critical hit, and I swiftly capitalized on the opportunity.
  
  "PLAY ROUGH, VORDT! NOW!"
  
  "PROTECT AND COUNTER, HARIYAMA!"
  
  A Protect shield quickly formed in front of Hariyama just before Vordt smashed into it. But the sheer might of Vordt's attack instantly shattered the Protect shield as it utterly failed to stop Vordt's ferocious momentum. Then, with a brutal swing of its Fairy-infused fists, Vordt savagely clobbered the retreating Hariyama in the neck.
  
  Hariyama winced in pain and let out a groan as the Fairy type energy slammed into it. It tried to counterattack with the stored energy that it had gathered, but Vordt reacted quicker and grabbed hold of Hariyama with its arms in a vice-like clamp. Now desperate, Hariyama tried to break free and with a strike to the face, but Vordt let out a powerful roar before he lifted Haryiama's entire body as he threw Hariyama towards the psychic shields with a Seismic Toss.
  
  "Stone Edge, Vordt! Follow it up!"
  
  Not content to just let Hariyama fly harmlessly through the air, Vordt roared out once again as huge pillars of rocks impaled the vulnerable Hariyama while it was still in the air. Although the Rock-type attacks weren't very effective against the Fighting type Hariyama, it was enough to serve as a continuous distraction to prevent Hariyama from recovering from the attack.
  
  All in all, this series of attacks had barely taken a few seconds. And Hariyama was already in a very precarious position.
  
  Bruno looked surprised at the sudden turn of events. I saw that his eyes had widened when Vordt smashed through the Protect shield, and his fists clenched reflexively when Vordt tossed Hariyama into the air before it could land its counterattack. Did he underestimate the strength of Vordt? Or did he expect his Hariyama to be able to power through my attacks? If so, then I would punish him for his overconfidence.
  
  Eventually, Hariyama smashed into the psychic shield and fell unceremoniously onto the ground, but I was unwilling to give the Hariyama any opportunity to reorient itself.
  
  "Play Rough again, Vordt! Don't let up the pressure!"
  
  "BLOCK AND CROSS CHOP, HARIYAMA! FIGHT OUT OF THERE!"
  
  Vordt instantly wrapped himself in a thick, pulsing layer of Fairy energy that glowed a bright pink, before disappearing in a blur as he charged forwards, leaving a trench in the ground as he did. In the meanwhile, Hariyama pulled itself up from where it had fallen before its eyes refocused and it raised its arms as it took up a defensive stance, bracing for the incoming impact.
  
  I noticed that this was the second time that Bruno had attempted to get Hariyama to block an attack before retaliating. He must have trusted his Hariyama's natural bulk to be able to tank through whatever attack was thrown its way. Such a strategy likely worked well against other opponents, allowing the enemy to get close enough to Hariyama that it couldn't avoid its counterattack. It was a good way to exploit Hariyama's natural bulk to make up for its poor speed.
  
  Unfortunately, Hariyama wasn't bulky enough to stand against the pure destructive strength of Vordt. A Guts-boosted Vordt was NOT something you wanted to try your luck against, and Hariyama was about to take a beating for this mistake.
  
  With a thunderous bellow, Vordt ruthlessly slammed straight into Hariyama, the force of which was so overwhelming that it forced its arms aside, the Guts-boosted attack proving too much for Hariyama to block. Haryiama's guard instantly shattered as it was unable to endure and block the supereffective attack, leaving it wide open and exposed.
  
  Hariyama immediately moved to cover up this weakness, but Vordt's reacted quicker, pouncing on the opportunity as he struck Hariyama with a devastating strike with his paw, finding purchase in Hariyama's exposed belly.
  
  Hariyama almost crumpled in on itself; the strike must have landed a critical hit. Recognizing the opportunity, I pushed to end the fight.
  
  "FINISH IT!" I shouted.
  
  "Reform your stance, now!" Bruno said, with a hint of desperation. The first time he gave off any sort of emotion in the fight thus far.
  
  Hariyama threw its fists forwards blindly, hoping to catch Vordt off-guard and push him backwards. But whether it was something born out of pure technique or just luck, Hariyama managed to catch Vordt off-guard with a lucky punch that smashed straight into Vordt's face, landing a direct hit to the eye. Vordt stumbled backwards, a paw clutching his eye as he let out a groan of pain. And like a switch had been flipped, Hariyama's eyes flashed as it instantly shifted onto the offensive.
  
  Not giving Vordt any time to recover, Hariyama stepped forwards with a powerful uppercut right into Vordt's chin, creating a loud crack as Vordt's head was snapped backwards. With the momentum on its side, and with its Guts-boosted attack, Hariyama then burst forwards and delivered a destructive series of punches with a supereffective Close Combat, each punch landing explosively as they impacted Vordt's center, before finishing off his combo of moves with a mighty Force Palm that knocked Vordt into the ground as he roared in pain.
  
  "Ursa..." Vordt groaned out as he struggled to recover from the devastating onslaught of attacks, barely pulling himself off the ground. His once noble fur was now covered in bruisers, one of his eyes was sealed shut, and h was no longer able to stand on his legs.
  
  In just a singular combo of attacks, Bruno's showed off Hariyama's devastating strength as he practically turned the fight around and evened the playing field, with both Pokémon injured and on a time limit as the Burn slowly leeched away their health.
  
  But unlike before, I did not hesitate. Vordt may have taken a beating, but my earlier Play Rough against Hariyama proved that I could break through his defenses if I went all-out, which should be enough for me to secure my victory.
  
  Not wanting to give Bruno any more to think, I made my move.
  
  "Earthquake and Play Rough, Vordt! It's all down to this!"
  
  "Counter, Hariyama. Flow like water!"
  
  Exploding forwards in a blur of pink, Vordt rushed towards Hariyama as the latter braced itself for the attack as the ground cracked from the unleashed Earthquake. However, this time, Hariyama had adopted a slightly different stance, with one foot in front of the other, and had instead tried to narrow his frame as much as possible. All the while it had steadied itself to resist the incoming Earthquake, maintaining its centre of balance so that it didn't fall over and simply tanked through the tremors. I didn't have a chance to think any more of it before Vordt crashed into it with reckless abandon.
  
  Hariyama instinctively flinched from the pain of the supereffective Play Rough, but this time, Vordt failed to break its guard as Hariyama took on a more flexible defensive stance. Immediately, Hariyama channelled all of that stored power from its Counter and threw it all back in a singular punch, slamming it straight into Vordt's jaw. A loud crack resonated across the battlefield as Vordt was sent instantly onto the floor from Hariyama's retaliation.
  
  "HARIYAMA!" It shouted, grappling with the fallen Vordt as it tried to follow up as his other arm glowed with a bright light as it looked to finish the fight with a final retaliatory blow. But Vordt was not one to give up, and with defiance burning in his eyes, he forced himself through the pain and slammed the ground with his arms, sending powerful tremors that shattered the ground around him as he unleashed another powerful Earthquake.
  
  The ground immediately began to shake violently as a spiderweb of cracks spread across the battlefield. Hariyama, this time unprepared to take the full brunt of the Earthquake, stumbled as the intense tremors coursed through its body and was unable to follow through with the punch. Then, while it was still unbalanced from the Earthquake, Vordt swiped an arm towards Hariyama's legs, causing it to stumble and trip over.
  
  As Hariyama fell to the ground, Vordt fell on all fours and let out another deafening roar as he intensified the Earthquake, while rocks from all over the arena started to gather in the air. Then, before Hariyama could recover from the violent shaking and pull itself up, the enormous boulders all came crashing down like an avalanche, burying the Hariyama in a tomb of rocks.
  
  Hariyama repeatedly tried to break free, using its raw muscle strength to try to shatter the rocks that kept it pinned down, but Vordt's geokinesis was eventually able to overwhelm what was left of Hariyama's energy. The barrage of rocks kept coming, repeatedly smashing Hariyama back down into the ground, and Hariyama was never able to reorient itself as it remained entombed by the constant barrage of rocks.
  
  And finally, Hariyama's spirit finally broke under the unending onslaught of attacks. It tried for one final struggle as it tried to shatter the mountain of rocks that it was buried under, but it no longer had the strength to break more than a few. Despite the exhaustion evident on his face, Vordt kept up the pressure with his unending onslaught of rocks until Hariyama was finally knocked out of the fight. And I let out a sigh of relief as I watched Hariyama's head slump to the ground.
  
  The crowd broke out into a roar as Hariyama finally went down. Despite how close that match was, I didn't let any of that showed on my face as I shot Vordt a proud smirk. Seeing my expression, Vordt raised its arms into the air, ignoring his litany of injuries, and let out a victorious roar as it waved his flaming arms triumphantly into the air while standing over the unconscious figure of Hariyama.
  
  Though it was a closer fight than I liked, Vordt's performance and strength once again impressed me. Hariyama was a worthy foe, easily one of the strongest I had ever had to face, but I had won. Vordt's strength was once again reaffirmed. And I was greatly satisfied with Vordt's victory.
  
  "...WHAT A BRUTAL TAKEDOWN FROM OUR ELITE FOUR MEMBER! JOHN REALLY MANAGED TO SHOW OFF HIS STRENGTH THIS TIME! THERE WERE SO MANY REVERSALS IN THAT FIGHT THAT I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT THE ENTIRE TIME!" The announcer finally spoke up after he recovered, "BUT THIS PUTS THE SCORE AT 5-3 FOR JOHN! IT LOOKS LIKE THE CHANCES OF A REVERSAL GROW EVER SLIMMER FOR CHALLENGER BRUNO, AS HE IS NOW DOWN TO HIS STARTER! HE HAS 30 SECONDS TO MAKE ANY PREPARATIONS!"
  
  As the crowd continue to cheer my name excitedly, I was about to withdraw Vordt from the fight due to its injuries before I heard Bruno speak up.
  
  "Elite John!" He shouted out from across the arena, "I have a request for you!"
  
  The crowd quieted down as everyone, me included, turned to Bruno, curious about his request. "And what would that be?!" I shouted back.
  
  "I understand that I have likely lost this match, though I will not concede defeat quite yet." He said, eliciting surprised and shocked gasps from the crowd. "However! Before I face my inevitable defeat, I would like to challenge your strongest Pokémon with my own. I want to test how far I've come, and how far I need to go."
  
  A grin split across my face as I heard his request. "I ACCEPT!" I replied immediately. If Bruno was so eager to challenge me at my best, then who was I to say no? "Can I assume that you would allow me a free switch to the Pokémon of my choice?"
  
  "Of course." He nodded, and I gave a quick glance to the referees from approval. They nodded hesitantly since there was no explicit rule banning something like this from happening, which was enough for me to withdraw Vordt into his Premier Ball.
  
  The announcer chose then to make himself known once again, "OH, WHAT A STRANGE REQUEST WE JUST GOT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! APPARENTLY, WE ARE GOING TO SEE BOTH OF OUR TRAINERS MAKE USE OF THE STRONGEST POKEMON! WHAT A TREAT!"
  
  I ignored him as I patted Vordt's Premier Ball in apology; in my haste and excitement, I forgot to ask if he was okay with being withdrawn. Luckily, a slight wobble from the ball reassured me that he was fine with it.
  
  I gave off a slight smile as I put away Vordt's Premier Ball before swapping him out for Tyrant's. My fists clenched with excitement as I prepared to release Tyrant to the world. He hadn't had much of a time to show off during my fight against Drake. Maybe this would serve as another excellent reminder.
  
  I would demonstrate once again that, despite the devastating power of Vordt, Tyrant remained my ace and strongest Pokémon.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY FOR WHAT MIGHT BE THE FINAL BATTLE!?" The announcer shouted out. We both stared each other down and nodded, determination firmly fixed on our faces. "BEGIN!"
  
  "Machamp, time to show your training."
  
  "Tyrant."
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" Tyrant emerged with a humongous roar, which was powerful enough to kick up some loose pebbles and dust scattered across the damaged arena. He slammed both arms down against the ground, cracking the ground and forming small holes in it, a quick reminder of his devastating power that was just screaming to be unleashed. Bloodlust lined Tyrant's face as he readied himself for his first real battle in a while. However, he made no effort to charge forwards, instead choosing to hang back and observe.
  
  Opposite him, Machamp shimmered into existence with its muscled arms already pre-crossed in a defensive guard stance. Its stance was as perfect as I could see, two of its arms were crossing defensively to protect its core, while the other two waited patiently behind, perfectly positioning Machamp to be able to land a clean counterattack if Tyrant approached, and it was a clear demonstration of the sheer level of training that Bruno must have put it through. But it was braced for an attack that never came.
  
  After a moment, Machamp looked around warily before dropping its guard when it saw that Tyrant made no move to approach it. Instead, Tyrant merely chose to stare at Machamp with an amused look in his eyes, as if mocking him for being afraid.
  
  In my head, I smirked at Machamp's pre-emptive defensive actions. Bruno must have done his research on how Tyrant preferred to immediately close the distance with his enemies before pounding them into the ground with his raw strength. And normally, Tyrant would have done exactly that.
  
  Which was why I had specifically informed Tyrant before the match that if I ever needed to release him, he wouldn't simply charge forwards without a plan. His usual strategy of getting in close and pressuring the enemy would work against a lesser foe, or a trainer that wasn't used to dealing with threats at such close ranges. But I knew that Bruno was neither of these.
  
  In fact, looking at our battle thus far, I thought that he might be the most proficient trainer at battling at close range. He was certainly the strongest that I had fought from a technical perspective. Thus, making use of Tyrant's pure battle-lust driven rage would not be smart.
  
  Instead, I was going to make use of Tyrant's full move pool to completely overwhelm Bruno's Machamp, to remind the world that Tyrant was more than just my strongest bruiser. He was also my most trained Pokemon, and the one that I had dedicated the most time into perfecting into an utterly unstoppable force of nature. If Bruno was expecting a pure brawl, then he was about to be sorely disappointed.
  
  This fight had been far closer than I had anticipated, so I was going to take no chances. Tyrant's victory would be absolute.
  
  "Flamethrower, Tyrant! TORCH IT!"
  
  Bruno's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what I wanted to do.
  
  "Get in close, Machamp! Quickly!" He hastily commanded.
  
  Machamp let out a grunt as it rushed forwards in a burst of speed, its muscled legs being put to use as it sprinted across the arena in a grey blur in hopes of pummelling Tyrant before it could charge up its attacks.
  
  However, despite Machamp's impressive speed, Tyrant responded first, unleashing a scorching torrent of fire that was boosted by the harsh sun that still remained from after Klaus had set it up.
  
  The stream of fire spread out in a wide cone, and while Machamp was able to quickly throw up a large chunk of rock to serve as an impromptu shield, the flood of flames quickly spread around the makeshift shield, continuing to engulf the charging Machamp in a coffin of flames.
  
  "Push through it, Machamp! Drain Punch!
  
  "Cancel it and Aerial Ace backwards, Tyrant. Kite it."
  
  Machamp remained stoic, tanking through the Flamethrower as if it wasn't being affected it. Then, as soon as it got in range, a fist struck like lightning as it struck forwards with such speed that it was nothing more than a blur.
  
  But Tyrant was ready, having already launched itself into the air with a backwards jump as it cut off the Flamethrower, quickly separating himself from the Machamp.
  
  "Bulk up, Machamp! NOW!"
  
  Thinking that an airborne Tyrant posed no threat to his Machamp, Bruno tried to capitalize on the opportunity by boosting its Attack. However, I was quick to disabuse him of that notion.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Tyrant. Disrupt it."
  
  Even as he soared through the sky, Tyrant was still able to channel enough electrical energy to summon a bolt of Thunder to crash down explosively from above, striking the Machamp when it thought it was safe and cancelling its Bulk Up. Further bolts of lightning smashed down right afterwards, following up on the initial strike.
  
  I grinned at the surprised look on Bruno's face. He must not have expected Tyrant to have such a wide arsenal of moves besides simple close-range attacks. And that was where he was wrong; while Tyrant certainly preferred fighting at close range, he had the speed and mobility to be a terrifying long-range fighter with his functional Special Attack.
  
  Sure, he didn't hit nearly as hard on the Special side as he did on the Physical one, but Tyrant was more than just a brute. And right now, I intended to engrave this very fact into everyone's very minds.
  
  Despite the surprise on his face, Bruno showed no sign of hesitation and he continued to push on the offense.
  
  "Stone Edge and Mach Punch, Machamp! Close in and stick to him!"
  
  Shaking off the lingering traces of electricity, Machamp broke into a charge as it shot forwards with surprisingly fast speeds that would have left an ordinary Machamp in the dust. In a blink of an eye, Machamp had crossed the distance and rushed into striking range, all the while it constantly shot rocks forwards like huge sniper rounds. Its' entire stance was completely defenceless as he recklessly dedicated every little inch of itself into its attack, a side effect of his No Guard ability.
  
  However, I gave no commands and patiently waited for Machamp to get closer. Tyrant, almost unconsciously understanding what I wanted to do, dug his feet into the ground as he prepared himself, and dismissively bashed the rocks out of the air like they were mere annoyances.
  
  Not realizing the danger it was in, Machamp's fist began to glow as it readied itself to deliver a devastating pummelling towards Tyrant. One that was sure to do some serious damage to even my Tyrant.
  
  Which was exactly what I was hoping for.
  
  "GIGA IMPACT, TYRANT!"
  
  "BRACE AND COUNTER-"
  
  Realizing what was about to happen, Bruno desperately tried to order his Machamp to cancel its charge and transition into a defensive stance.
  
  But it was far too late.
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" Tyrant let out a shattering roar as he exploded in an orange light as he erupted forwards, tearing up a huge trench in the wake of his assault. There was no warning. No charge-up time. It was just a complete and sudden shift, one that gave Machamp absolutely no time to react before Tyrant came slamming into him with the force of a meteor and collided into it with an ear-rupturing BANG.
  
  The impact sent Machamp careening backwards that sent it flying through the sky. Machamp smashed into the psychic shields, crashing into them with such force that it left a crack in them from the backwards force alone.
  
  Though Machamp fell limply onto the ground, it immediately tried to pull itself up and tried to reorient itself. But Tyrant's beatdown had only just begun.
  
  Remaining completely un-winded despite just unleashing such a destructive Giga Impact, Tyrant immediately followed up on his attack by slamming both arms against the ground. The already shattered ground fractured even further as a violent Earthquake sent powerful tremors that coursed painfully through Machamp's fallen form.
  
  The violent shaking forced Machamp onto its knees twice, but it still managed to pull itself up and tank through the Earthquake. But just before it could properly reorient itself, as if to add insult to injury, it was promptly knocked down again as huge rocks suddenly erupted from the ground, impaling Machamp from where it was trying to get up. The finishing 'gift' from Tyrant's Seismic Eruption.
  
  Machamp let out a roar of pain as the rocks smashed into its body. In what was effectively 2 rounds of attacks, Tyrant had nearly knocked out of the battle. Yet, Machamp refused to fall. Not like this. Not so soon. No, the look in its eyes symbolized its determination to me, the flames of defiance burned brightly within. And I knew the fight wasn't over. Not yet.
  
  It gave off a grunt of resolve before it ripped the rock spikes out of the ground, the crowd gasping as it did so, freeing itself from the impromptu cage and launching those rocks towards Tyrant as a return gift, and began stepping forwards to confront Tyrant once more.
  
  Tyrant easily dodged out of the way of those rocks or simply smashed them out of the sky, before staring down at Machamp's approaching figure. Machamp was badly wounded, two of its arms hung limply at the side, and its eyes were almost sealed shut. Yet, it continued to move forwards, stalwartly ignoring its injuries as it continued to fight. Until the very end.
  
  Bruno clearly thought the same. "MACHAMP, CHARGE FORWARDS! EVEN IF YOU LOSE, SHOW TO THE WORLD YOUR FINAL ROAR! YOUR LAST STAND!"
  
  Machamp let out a defiant battlecry, one that was imbued with its full determination to see this through to the end. As if it was actively ignoring its injuries, it began to rapidly pick up speed as it broke out into one final sprint towards Tyrant.
  
  It was a charge towards certain defeat. But one that was willingly sought.
  
  I nodded at the display of willpower in front of me; I could have tried to kite it further with Tyrant and spam it down with ranged moves. Unlike with my non-bruisers, Tyrant had the sheer durability of being able to ignore Bruno's long-range options. Meaning that he was free to just slowly wear down Bruno's Machamp with ranged attacks until it was knocked out.
  
  However, perhaps influenced by Bruno's martial spirit, I decided against doing that, even if it was the smarter choice. No, I felt that I should respect the effort that Machamp was putting in to land at least one good hit against Tyrant.
  
  Thus, I simply said, "I'll leave this to you, Tyrant. End it as a warrior deserves." Tyrant let out an affirmative snort as it braced itself for Machamp's attack.
  
  And then, Machamp slammed into the waiting Tyrant, putting every last bit of its energy reserves into unleashing a ferocious barrage of explosive punches, as if it tried to will every inch of strength and power into each of its punches. It refused to let its injuries blunt its attacks and used its unrelenting resolve as a warrior as fuel to allow it to continue driving one savage blow after another into Tyrant. Each punch landed explosively on Tyrant; each with enough force to shatter a large boulder. And Machamp was firing off a storm of them.
  
  Tyrant roared out in pain as the devastating series of supereffective punches impacted his body, stumbling slightly from the impacts. To an unobservant viewer, it might have just looked like Machamp was about to suddenly turn the entire situation around and bring down the previously dominant Tyrant. A punishment for my arrogance.
  
  Unfortunately, a turnaround was not going to happen. Despite putting its all into its final attack, emotion enough was not enough to bring down Tyrant. The attacks certainly hurt, but this was far from enough to bring down my starter.
  
  And now, enough was enough. As soon as Machamp overextended itself with a punch, Tyrant let out a grunt and swung his arm in a powerful backhanded blow that simply overwhelmed Machamp's attempts to block it, and it knocked Machamp's arms wide, leaving it exposed as Tyrant stepped forwards and brutally bashed their heads together in a vicious Zen Headbutt.
  
  Machamp instantly crumbled to his knees from the supereffective attack. And, not giving Machamp any time to recover, Tyrant took advantage of the momentary confusion and grabbed hold of Machamp's head in a crushing grip before he violently slammed Machamp face-first into the ground repeatedly. The ground cracked and shook each time Tyrant ruthlessly pummelled Machamp into the ground.
  
  Not satisfied with that, Tyrant immediately pounced on top of Machamp, straddling its fallen body before releasing its full pent-up battle lust upon it in a barbaric series of punches with its Fairy infused fists. In an admirable display of discipline, despite having its faced repeatedly and painfully bashed in, Machamp tried to retaliate by thrusting blindly with its arms in hopes of landing a lucky strike against Tyrant.
  
  But the strikes lacked momentum, and Tyrant's bloodlust was now in full display, the adrenaline allowing him to easily ignore the counterattack, merely grinning viciously at Machamp's efforts to fight back as he continued pummelling the helpless Machamp into the ground. Each strike of from Tyrant's monstrously strong arms cracked the ground beneath it, and Tyrant kept pounding ruthlessly onto the helpless Machamp until the ground beneath it cracked apart from the consecutive impacts and the two fell into a small hole of Tyrant's creation.
  
  Despite not being able to see Machamp's body, everyone knew it was over when Tyrant suddenly stopped its barrage of punches and let out a triumphant roar to the skies.
  
  "SLAKING!" He shouted victoriously, pounding his chest repeatedly as he posed over the unconscious Machamp.
  
  The audience didn't even hesitate as they immediately joined in on Tyrant's cheering with their own. I let out a breath of relief that I didn't realize I was even holding at my victory, before shooting Tyrant a proud smile at his fittingly tyrannical performance.
  
  "...AND BRUNO'S MACHAMP IS NO LONGER ABLE TO BATTLE! THE CHALLENGER IS OUT OF POKEMON! ELITE JOHN IS THE VICTOR!"
  
  That only caused the excited cheers and shouts from the crowd to grow even louder. I was tempted to simply bask in the praise, but I had more important things to do. I turned to Bruno, who had withdrawn his unconscious Machamp and was now making his way towards me with a complicated expression.
  
  "Well fought, Elite John." He said as he approached.
  
  "Thank you. You did well too, Bruno. It was most impressive." I replied with a smile.
  
  "I lost, but I was proud of my Pokémon's efforts." He said instantly, speaking shortly but firmly. "However, I did think I would have come closer to defeating you. Your Ursaluna and Slaking really took me by surprise. They were beyond my expectations and ability."
  
  "I'll be sure to pass on your words to them." I said jokingly, "But I hope your Pokémon wouldn't take this loss too badly. I certainly struggled much more than I expected against you."
  
  "Thank you, and no, they will not." He shook his head, "They knew that I had only challenged you as a way of testing their strength. They will not be too affected by their loss. In fact, I'm sure that it will only drive them to continue their training even further, as they now have a new challenge to overcome."
  
  I let out a grin at the implied challenge, "I'm sure my Pokémon and I will be waiting for you. Don't keep your hopes up, I'm not one for neglecting my training either."
  
  "Good." He nodded, "Then I hope to challenge you once more in the future. Well met, Elite John. And thank you for the battle. I hope we can meet each other again."
  
  We shook hands and parted ways at that. As I walked out of the arena, I unconsciously glanced towards the VIP section of the spectator stands, where the other members of the Elite Four were.
  
  I made a mental note to review the recording of the match to see what went wrong and how I could have done better, especially in the earlier parts of the fight. I knew I would be carefully thinking over this fight in the coming few days to see how I could improve. This victory was not as clean as I wanted it to be.
  
  Also, I wanted to see how those on Pokénet were responding to the fight. As much as I enjoyed battling, training for these kinds of challenge matches required a lot of time and was a huge distraction from my political pursuits, so I hoped to not have to face many other challengers in the future.
  
  But for now, my victory ensured that the world was reminded once again why challenging me was a foolish proposition.
  
  A.N. And that concludes the battle against Bruno! I hope you enjoyed it! This fight had really gone through many revisions, but I can say that I'm satisfied with what I eventually finished with. I didn't even realize how long this chapter got!
  
  I hope I showed both trainers' strengths sufficiently in this battle. And, more importantly, that while John is still extremely strong, he still has some ways to go.
  
  Yet, I wanted to demonstrate that for all of Bruno's innovations, they wouldn't have been able to bring down Tyrant. Definitely not 1v1. Bruno's sniper rock shots would not work against the durable Tyrant, meaning Tyrant would have had free reign to spam down most of Bruno's team with relative ease.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-14 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 5-14 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES! ELITE JOHN ISSUED OFFICIAL CHALLENGE BY CHALLENGER BRUNO! WHO WILL WIN?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  We got some exciting news today that threatens to knock over the entire political scene of Indigo as Challenger Bruno has issued an official challenge to Elite John for his position in the Elite Four! If John is unseated, who knows how that will change or affect the political landscape of Indigo!?
  
  But first, as many of you are likely asking, who is Bruno and does he have a shot at winning? After doing some research on our mysterious challenger, we can find that he's not so mysterious after all! Though many of our readers may have forgotten, Bruno is actually the winner of the Indigo Conference from two years ago and is a Fighting type specialist who uniquely only used pure Fighting type Pokémon. But he never went onto making a challenge towards the Elite Four, choosing instead to withdraw to somewhere unknown to continue his training.
  
  That is some hardcore dedication to training!
  
  Considering that he is now here to challenge Elite John, we can safely assume that he has completed his training and is now ready to test himself against a worthy opponent.
  
  Looking at his previous team that he had used to narrowly win the Indigo Conference, Bruno fielded a trio of Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Hitmontop, followed by a Primeape, Hariyama, and a Machamp. Since he has continued to only use these 6 Pokémon during the many fighting tournaments that he had participated in during these two years, this writer suspects that this may be the team that Bruno employs against John as well.
  
  This writer is very excited to see what happens and who will come out on top, especially after Lorelei's defeat of Walker. Will we see another shake-up in Indigo? Who will win? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Woah! This came out of nowhere! Really didn't expect John of all people to be challenged. I mean, I get that Bruno has a type advantage over him, but surely there were easier targets for him to choose if he just wanted to get into the Elite Four?
  
  After all, John BEAT Drake. Doesn't Bruno know how strong Drake was?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Bruno couldn't have challenged anyone but John or Agatha at the moment, since Will and Lorelei are still protected by their one-month grace period. But you're right. Wouldn't it be smarter for Bruno to just have waited for the grace period to expire before making a challenge? Seems like he jumped the gun to me.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  LETS GO JOHN! Can't wait to see him smash another contender to the ground! Honestly, I have to thank Bruno for giving us the opportunity to see John in action again. We haven't seen much of him since his battle against Giovanni!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Really hope John doesn't lose. He's been a huge part of restoring Kanto's economy and losing his influence in the Elite Four would be a deathblow to our recent recovery. Plus, Bruno replacing John would mean that the Elite Four would be unfairly balanced towards Johto, which is unacceptable!
  
  Rooting for John to win!
  
  FightClub
  
  FINALLY! SOMEONE WITH THE BRAINS TO USE THE RIGHT TYPE TO ACTUALLY WIN A FIGHT! JUST YOU WAIT ALL, BRUNO IS GOING TO CRUSH JOHN AND HIS PATHETIC TEAM, BEFORE BEATING UP LANCE'S DRAGONS AS WELL! AND BRUNO KNOWS WHATS UP WITH A PURE FIGHTING TYPE TEAM. NO IMPURITIES HERE!
  
  FIGHTING TYPE CRUSHES ALL! YOU ALL FOOLS WILL SEE THE TRUE STRENGTH OF THE STRONGEST TYPE! ALL HAIL THE NEW ELITE FOUR MEMBER! ALL HAIL THE STRENGTH OF FIGHTING TYPES!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Wish we knew more about Bruno outside of his battling abilities. He's obviously a capable battler, but just in case he does actually win I'd want to know more about his political leanings and what his plans are for Indigo. Being an effective member of the Elite Four is more than just being a good battler, after all!
  
  FightClub
  
  THAT'S JUST COWARD TALK! Being in the Elite Four should only be about STRENGTH! Who cares if you can 'talk' and 'be political'! The Elite Four is about WHO IS STRONGEST!
  
  AND FIGHTING TYPES ARE THE STRONGEST OF ALL! FINALLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE AN ACTUALLY STRONG TRAINER IN THE ELITE FOUR! INSTEAD OF THESE DISGRACES WITH THEIR WEAK TYPINGS!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...Are you really calling AGATHA a disgrace?!
  
  [ELITE JOHN HOLDS HIS POSITION! DEFEATING CHALLENGER BRUNO IN A BRUTAL BRAWL!] by BattleCast
  
  In a match that deserves to be watched by everyone, John has managed to hold his Elite Four title and defeated the challenger Bruno in a brawl that was equally as exciting as the match that we got between Champion Lance and Ex-Champion Pryce! This was really a showdown between two excellent close-range fighters, and Bruno really put up a show today!
  
  Throughout the first few rounds of the fight, there were moments where this writer believed that Bruno could turn his initial disadvantage around to winning the match. Bruno's Pokémon really showed off their trainings and skills, managing to overcome the inherent weaknesses found in his entire team of pure-Fighting types.
  
  That move of his that managed to dispel John's Psychic attacks? And to use it with such casual ease? Incredible! And really speaks to the training that Bruno must have undergone with his Pokémon. This writer didn't even know it could be done! It really goes to show just how much Bruno has managed to push the limits of what it means to be a Fighting type specialist.
  
  But John definitely had a few tricks up his sleeve too! This writer has no idea what John did to train his Clefable, but it was able to almost shrug off Bruno's devastatingly powerful Fighting type attacks, which should have been supereffective!
  
  Not only that, but John then reminded all of us how and why he earned his position in the Elite Four by sending out his powerful Ursaluna to finally crush Bruno's hopes of winning the fight by knocking out Bruno's Hariyama in a very tense and exciting all-out brawl between the two. The two really gave us a powerful showing of what it means to fight at the Elite level as they both hammered the other with back-and-forth exchanges of devastating attacks.
  
  Though John's Ursaluna came out the victor in their final exchange, Hariyama certainly proved itself to be a formidable opponent for Ursaluna to face. And this was the Pokémon that defeated Drake's Salamence! A well-known and dominant powerhouse!
  
  And then, to top this already excellent battle off, Bruno made a direct challenge to John for the two of them to duel with their starters. John accepted, and we discovered a previously forgotten side of John's Slaking; its sheer variety of moves. While you may be forgiven for thinking that John's Slaking was nothing more than a VERY powerful brute, John reminded the world today that his Slaking WAS a capable long-range attacker with a huge versatile movepool that he could capitalize on even when not engaging in close range.
  
  That was, until John secured his victory with a savage beatdown of Bruno's Machamp after tanking through Machamp's onslaught of attacks.
  
  With the match over, we here at BattleCast have been analysing the...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  FightClub HAHAHAHHAHA WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MIGHTY FIGHTING TYPES NOW?! Bruno lost! Who's the fool now? LOL!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I just went on FightClub's profile, and I think he deleted everything since I can't see anything. Uh, guess he couldn't stand up to the shame after his previous declaration? RIP, you won't be missed.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  HAHAHA! Who's the coward now! Running off in shame because he looked bad HAHAHAHAH!
  
  DragonPower
  
  This is why Dragon types are better! You won't ever see a Dragon trainer running off in shame like that! We're too strong for that! This is what happens when you support the wrong type! HAHAHAHA!
  
  FutureAce
  
  WHAT A BATTLE! I really thought Bruno had a chance for a second there, who knew that Slaking could actually use Special Attacks like that? The article was right - I thought it to be nothing more than just another physical fighter in his team!
  
  And after seeing Lance's starter Dragonite, I'm starting to wonder who is stronger! Oooh this is so exciting!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Thank Arceus that John won. I was wracked with worry that he might have lost and that Johto would once again continue to oppress Kanto again. Luckily that didn't happen.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Chill, dude. Just learn to celebrate a cool victory like the rest of us. Johto will have its chance to shine again later anyways.
  
  EDIT: Though I am curious on what Bruno would be like as an Elite Four member if he won. What kind of policies would he try to bring in?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Welp, that was a battle. I've seen a lot of people heap praise on Slaking, deservingly so, but I'm curious on how Clefable managed to withstand Bruno's attacks for so long? That's more impressive to me.
  
  Definitely don't think we will be seeing any more challenges to John for the future. Not after that performance. John really crushed it there, and his strength was clearly on full display. In my opinion, he's easily the second strongest amongst the Elite Four so far, tied with Agatha.
  
  Maybe it's time for one of the other Elite Four to be challenged next? My vote is on Lorelei! Maybe even Will - he's not been tested either!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Huh. After watching that battle, I'm no longer as disappointed at Drake's loss to John now. I mean, that was crazy. John's Slaking is insane. How in Arceus did it get so strong?
  
  But now I'm wondering how a fight would go between Drake's Salamence and John's Slaking. Slaking doesn't have Ursaluna's geokinesis, so maybe Salamence could kite him in the air?
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  I'm petitioning for a fight between Bruno and John. No Pokémon. Just themselves. And their sweaty bodies...
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Gardevoir34 Absolutely not. And I hate you for putting that image in my head.
  
  A.N. And with John's victory over Bruno serving as a deterrent, we won't be seeing many more challenges for his position! No one's that reckless. Hope you enjoyed the Pokenet reactions! Sorry for those who wanted a longer Pokenet Chapter, but since this one was purely focused on the battle, I didn't feel like it deserved to be a full chapter.
  
  And this won't be the last you see of FightClub! He'll be back!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-15 - Strategies and Schemes
  
  Surprisingly, my parents weren't home when I got back from my match against Bruno. Though they did send me a text saying that they watched my final duel between our starters and congratulated me for my victory. I lumped those in with the rest of the congratulations I got from practically everyone I knew.
  
  Lance in particular was very happy about it. "I'm glad that you won, John. We don't need any more reshuffling in the Elite Four anytime soon." He told me. "We, as in the rest of the Elite Four, watched your match together. I swear I heard Will breathe a sigh of relief when you won; he said he didn't want to work with a musclehead like Bruno."
  
  "Bruno didn't seem that bad." I tried to defend him, "He just...doesn't seem very interested in dealing with politics."
  
  "That's already bad enough." Lance deadpanned, "Anyways, I'll leave you to your rest. You more than deserve it. We can talk soon."
  
  I went to bed straight after that phone call, too tired to do anything else. The next morning, my parents had returned home from whatever they were dealing with, and I found them stumbling towards the breakfast table looking like they hadn't slept a wink. Which might have been true.
  
  To be fair, I wasn't looking much better either. After I came down from the high of my victory against Bruno, I was quickly reminded of the MANY responsibilities and meetings that I had pushed back in favour of my continued training, and I had spent the entirety of last night trying to sort through those in order of urgency to see what I had to address first.
  
  "You doing okay there, son?" My dad asked as he practically collapsed into his seat, "You look as bad as we do. Thought you'd be happy about your victory. Oh, and congratulations again on that."
  
  "Thanks, and I was. Until I remembered about all the meetings that I had missed." I grumbled tiredly as I idly fiddled with the TV remote. "I have a meeting to get to with the Sinnoh scientists later."
  
  "Ah. Well, good luck with that." He said tiredly, visibly holding back a yawn, "Hope you get used to adult life soon. It isn't as fun as you might have thought."
  
  I nodded, "How's the business looking? You handle the stuff from yesterday?" I asked.
  
  My dad sighed, "Things are going well, it's just busy. Expanding means making decisions and doing last-minute organisation when things inevitably go wrong. It's just very tiring, but things are going fine with the Johto branch."
  
  "Oh, well good luck with that." I said. "I could help, but I'm not sure if I have the time."
  
  He waved me off, "Don't worry about it. You just focus on your own business. Your mom and I can handle it..." He said as he broke out into a yawn.
  
  The two of us fell into a comfortable silence as we waited for mom to serve breakfast. We let the TV play idly as we waited. Coincidentally, the news was playing a re-run of their interview with Bruno yesterday, where he thanked everyone for a great battle.
  
  He also stated that he did not intend to make any further challenges before the year was up and that he reaffirmed his promise to seek greater challenges to test himself. He would not let one defeat stop his strive for improvement.
  
  I was about to tune the TV out before they switched over to something far more interesting.
  
  '...And following on from John's victory over Bruno, we have some exciting news to share as well. According to anonymous reports that our network has received, which has also gained traction over the Pokenet, the Sinnoh League are looking to open their borders soon! We haven't heard much official word from the Sinnoh League, but when we reached out to Elite Bertha for confirmation, she simply said that she was 'unable to comment' and did not outright deny the claims!'
  
  'This is some very exciting news for the whole of Indigo! We might be seeing access to the new region of Sinnoh and their Pokémon very soon!'
  
  My eyes blinked blearily as I listened to the newscaster continue to explain the wonders of Sinnoh and how the opening of their borders would affect us. It was a pleasant surprise to hear that the borders were opening; this might have been a development that I had missed while I was busy training for Bruno.
  
  ...I guess I could just ask Professor Carolina for more information.
  
  Soon enough, my parents and I finished up with our breakfasts before we left for our separate jobs. I made my way to Vermillion City, where Professor Carolina and the rest of the Sinnoh scientists have set up a temporary facility there.
  
  It took a bit of time before I found their facility, but eventually I landed just outside of a non-descript and plain-looking apartment building that really didn't look like a research facility at all. The only way I recognized it was because of a small sign planted out front that read "Kanto-branch, Celestic Town Research Center".
  
  I made my way in, and the newly hired receptionist at the front barely even glanced at me before gesturing for me to follow her, evidently expecting my arrival when I had contacted them last night.
  
  I was promptly delivered directly to Professor Carolina's office, which I entered after a short knock on the door.
  
  "Ah, John, congratulations again for your victory. Please, come in." Carolina said as she got up and greeted me.
  
  "Thank you. And I'm sorry for being unavailable for the past 2 weeks." I responded.
  
  "Nonsense. You had your own priorities." She waved me off, "Anyways, now that you're here, could you please come with me to the experiment room. We can talk as we walk."
  
  I nodded and followed her out of her office. As we walked, I looked around and found the interior of the building to be surprisingly modern, looking nothing like the plain exterior suggested.
  
  Carolina speaking up pulled me back from my sightseeing, "Also, I hope that you have a free afternoon. There's someone who wants to meet you after we get done with all the experimenting."
  
  I shot her a curious look, "Sure, I'm free. But who is it?"
  
  "Just someone with the authority needed to approve a few things we might be discussing." She said cryptically. My eyes narrowed with further curiosity, but I let the topic slide for now.
  
  "Right...well, anyways, can I know what we are going to be doing today?" I asked.
  
  "Ever since our last meeting, my team and I have been busy gathering as much data as we could from back home at Sinnoh and here in Indigo." She explained, "Mainly, we prioritized gathering data regarding the native Ursaring and Stantler to see if there are any particular differences between them. There aren't."
  
  She continued, "Now that we've done that, we've been looking to try to recreate the conditions listed in your article to see if we can replicate your evolutions. Unfortunately, scientists aren't the best at getting powerful and prideful Pokémon like Ursaring and Stantler to obey them, so we've been having a bit of trouble on that front." She said, chagrined.
  
  "But, to hopefully streamline that process, we want to run some tests on your Ursaluna and Wyrdeer to see what they look like and how they compare to their unevolved forms." She finished.
  
  "Oh, sure. No problem." I said, before shooting her a hesitant expression as I looked around the room. "But...I'm not entirely sure if this building is built for something of Ursaluna's size."
  
  "Don't worry, we've taken that into account when the construction was done here." She reassured me. "And that's why we're heading to the basement. It's much safer that way."
  
  I nodded and the two of us fell silent as we made our way to the basement for the tests. Once we arrived, Carolina immediately began barking out orders to the scientists and they all scrambled to get things ready for my Pokémon.
  
  As I waited for them, I suddenly had a thought that I immediately brought to Carolina.
  
  "Say, if your scientists are having problems with training the Ursaring and Stantler, why not hire some professional trainers to help you with that." I suggested. "They likely would have much more experience than your scientists and would probably help make sure things are being done correctly. Training powerful Pokémon and researching them are two different skillsets, after all."
  
  Carolina looked at me contemplatively as she thought about my suggestion. After a moment to think, she responded. "It's been suggested by one of my scientists before, but it was initially shot down as we wanted to have more control over the process. But...now that we're running into problems, I could see the merit in what you've suggested."
  
  She tapped her finger on her elbow, "...I'll bring it up at the next meeting. Thanks for the suggestion." She said to me.
  
  "The trainers you hire might be more incentivised if you let them keep the Ursaluna or Wyrdeer that they manage to evolve." I added. "That way, you can ensure that they'll put their all into training them, all the while you get to monitor them and their progress. Or, you could even add in a condition that after their evolution that they would have to report in every once in a while, for further testing."
  
  Carolina nodded, "That seems prudent, yes. We don't particularly need to keep an Ursaluna or a Wyrdeer on hand, just their data, so this would serve to get rid of two problems at the same time."
  
  And this meant that they wouldn't need to ask me to come in all the time just to monitor my Ursaluna or my Wyrdeer. As much as I didn't mind coming in, I felt that this was just the most reasonable course of action that they could pursue.
  
  With that out of the way, and with the equipment finally set up, I released Vordt and Klaus for them to analyse and then spent the next half hour patiently waiting for the scientists to do their thing.
  
  Amusingly, both Klaus and Vordt wore pleased expressions as they allowed the scientists to poke and prod them with their science machinery. Especially when a random scientists would gasp or make awed expressions as they studied them. Nothing too dramatic, but just enough to let me know that they were suitably impressed by what they found. Perhaps my Pokémon felt like this was a type of 'showing off' for them? Strange, but not unwelcome.
  
  The scientists carried on for a bit longer before they were finally done with their tests, and Vordt and Klaus were returned to me. A few of the scientists trundled off to inspect their latest results, but Carolina and I stuck around so that she could speak to me further.
  
  "Thanks for waiting." She said as she approached me, "And if you could make your way to my office first, I think our latest guest is waiting for you there. I'll join you shortly." She gestured to a nearby intern to escort me.
  
  I nodded and made my way to her office, before I was greeted by a very surprising sight as I found Bertha sitting there patiently in her office.
  
  "Ah, John, it's nice to meet you again." She said kindly, her eyes crinkling as she spoke.
  
  "Oh? Didn't expect to see you here, but it is nice to see you." I admit, "You must be the one that Carolina said wanted to meet me."
  
  "Yes. I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you." She told me, "But first, how have you been? I saw your recent battle against Bruno, very good work on that."
  
  "Um, thank you. It was a tough fight, but I'm glad I got through it." I replied, before I remembered about today's news report about the rumours from Sinnoh. "Say, Bertha, do you know anything about that report about Sinnoh opening their borders?"
  
  "Ah, yes, of course I do." She smiled conspiratorially, "I'm just officially not allowed to say anything. Though, unofficially...that's another matter."
  
  Oh, I was beginning to understand, "So, hypothetically, is there any truth to the matter?"
  
  "Hmm...how do I put this..." She muttered, "Traditionally, it is well-known that the current Committee in Sinnoh are staunchly against the opening of our borders and have been frequently stonewalling such attempts out of some ridiculous idea of traditionalism. However, there have been reports that there is a growing desire from the public that disagrees with this view."
  
  I nodded in understanding, so she continued, "...In more recent times, this growing desire has swelled up significantly, and it has become a major point of contention within our political circles. These rumours about us opening our borders may simply be an attempt to increase the pressure on the Sinnoh Committee to stop being so stubborn and to open our borders."
  
  Right, I understood what she was trying to tell me. Basically, to get around the fact that the Committee members were trying to stall their opening of borders with Indigo, there was an idea in Sinnoh to subvert the Committee and push for the opening of the borders regardless.
  
  I wasn't entirely sure if Bertha was supportive of such ideas, but considering her behaviour and the way she described the situation, I strongly suspected that she favoured them. But seeing that she was purposely being vague about her own leanings, I didn't push her any further.
  
  Then Bertha leaned back casually on her chair and switched topics, "Anyways, I had another reason to invite myself over, which I'm sure Carolina will bring up when she gets back."
  
  "Yes, I did." A voice suddenly said from the door, and I turned around to see Carolina coming into the room. "Thanks for waiting, John, and nice to see you again Bertha."
  
  She continued as we nodded, "Returning back to the topic at hand...John, I have not forgotten our previous promise to grant you access to Sinnoh's ruins. After speaking it over with Bertha, she has agreed to submit a request to the Sinnoh League to grant you permission to come over as a temporary explorer to the Celestic Town Research Center."
  
  "What that means is, assuming permission is granted, that you'll have access to any ruins that are under the umbrella of our research center." She explained, "I'll be happy for you to capture any Pokémon you find, so long as the capture of which doesn't affect the ecosystem that they were found in."
  
  Bertha cut in, "I don't exactly have a timeframe of when you could be sent over here. It might be after the border opens, or before it. It would depend on both the decisions of the leaders of both regions. Sorry if that crushes your hopes a little."
  
  "I don't mind. I'm just thankful for the opportunity regardless. Even so, I'm definitely very happy with the arrangement." I replied with a smile, "And, not to sabotage anything, but why invite me over like this?"
  
  "Us Sinnoh natives have always prided ourselves on our region's rich culture and history. There's no harm in creating a positive impression in showing that off to an influential member of the Indigo Elite Four." Bertha smiled wryly. "Especially when that Elite Four member has been known to promote unity and international cooperation." Which she supported, was what she didn't need to say.
  
  "Besides, we have been trying hard to get a head start in integrating ourselves with the rest of the international scientific community." Carolina added, "Even if its just for show, having you working alongside us, with your strong scientific reputation, would only help us grab a foothold within the scientific community. It's a win-win for everyone."
  
  "Well, like I said, I'm not about to say no." I grinned, "But I probably would have to arrange things with Lance to make sure I'm actually free to head to Sinnoh." No need to risk stepping on any toes.
  
  "We can send a joint message together." Bertha responded, "We can phrase it as 'developing inter-regional relations' or something. I'm sure he wouldn't say no. It's our own Committee that I'm more concerned about".
  
  I nodded, though I felt like I had to bring something up, "That's true, but I do also have my own commitments and meetings, even outside my usual duties as a member of the Elite Four. Meaning that I might not be able to head out to Sinnoh for very long - maybe no more than 2 weeks at a time."
  
  As much as I'd like to take a vacation in Sinnoh to just explore the ruins and capture new Pokémon, my earlier decisions to take a bigger role in the development of Cerulean and the continuous strive for greater unity in Indigo means that I'm not able to just set aside those political commitments for too long. I'd have to return eventually to check up on things.
  
  But even then, two weeks was more than enough time to really get things done in Sinnoh. It gave me enough time to explore the region and/or catch whatever Pokémon I wanted to add onto my team. Overall, it was still an excellent opportunity.
  
  Luckily, Carolina seemed to be understanding, "That's alright. We took into account that you may have had other commitments, and I promise you that the Celestic Town Research Centre can easily accommodate you regardless of your own personal schedule. It's really no burden to us to host you there."
  
  I thanked her for her consideration, and we got started talking about the arrangements for my journey to Sinnoh. Bertha informed that she would be sending messages to both her League and to Lance to request for permission for me to head over.
  
  After that, Carolina and I fell into a discussion about the ruins that were available to be explored. She explained that the Celestic Town Research Center had access to not only the Celestic Ruins, but also the large and mostly unexplored cave network connected to the North, near Snowpoint. She told me that the cave network was a relatively new discovery, and that they hoped that they could make some interesting discoveries regarding it soon.
  
  "If you don't mind, I could employ a tour guide for you." Carolina says to me, "You probably need someone who would be more familiar with the layout of the ruins, since they can be pretty dangerous to someone who is unfamiliar with cave exploration, so the use of a tour guide is probably prudent."
  
  "Oh yeah, sure. No problem." I replied, curious about who she would employ. "I'll leave it in your hands."
  
  We continued discussing a few matters for a bit longer before Bertha excused herself since she had other duties to attend. Similarly, Carolina realized how much time had gone by and said the same, saying that she had to get back to her research. After a quick exchange of thanks, we parted ways.
  
  I headed home with a slight skip in my step; I was very happy with the arrangement to head to Sinnoh. I wasn't sure WHEN I would be allowed to go, but just being able to be given the opportunity to head to Sinnoh and catch whatever Pokémon I found that I wanted to include to my team, was more than enough for me.
  
  As soon as I got home, I was about to head back to my room to sort out my other meetings before I received a phone call from an unexpected caller. Joseph Stone was calling.
  
  "Hello?" I answered.
  
  "John, it's Joseph. I hope you're doing well, and congrats on the win!" He said cheerily.
  
  "Thank you, and yes, I'm doing well. How can I help you?" I asked.
  
  "Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to let you know that my son, Steven, is in Indigo right now." He said, surprising me, "I don't really need you to do anything about that, this is just a courtesy call after all. But if you don't mind, could I share your number with him so that he knows who to contact if something goes wrong? I'll give you his as well."
  
  It was an...unusual request, but I didn't see the harm in it, "Sure, no problem. Is he looking to challenge the Gyms?"
  
  "He sure is. Said that he's doing it as warm up before he goes and challenges the Hoenn Elite Four." Joseph boasted proudly, "He might be making a public statement soon, though I'm taking my hands off it. He said he wanted to achieve things himself."
  
  "I see, well thank you for telling me." I reply, "And it's been good catching up with you."
  
  "Nonsense, I heard from Shelly that you've done much for our new branch in Viridian and with the research into Porygon. I'm very thankful for your contributions." He chuckled.
  
  "Anyways, if you need anything, please let me know. I'll do my best to accommodate you." He told me, and after exchanging numbers with him I thanked him before ending the call.
  
  Steven Stone being in Indigo was definitely an interesting thing to note. I made a mental note to at least speak to him while he was here. No harm making acquaintances with a possible future Champion.
  
  After that busy day, I collapsed into my bed as I idly browsed through the Pokénet, just to see what people were talking about. Unsurprisingly, there were many articles about my match against Bruno, but there was also an article or two about Karen's recent actions in Pewter.
  
  I read through and smirked. Apparently, she had done a complete overhaul of the Gym, ripping everything out by the roots and starting all over again. She performed a full audit, practically replaced all of the current staff, and was leveraging whatever personal connections she had to fill in as staff members.
  
  It was still slow going, but I could foresee the success of Karen's efforts here. I made sure to send Karen the article - she deserved to know she was doing well.
  
  Besides that, many were trying to analyse the reasons for my victory. Something that I noticed was that many were trying to deduce the reason behind Luna's initial victory. That reminded me that I still had a lot to improve on in terms of my team's training; I had apparently not covered my weakness to Fighting types as well as I thought I might have. That needed to be worked on.
  
  And I probably needed to train up my 'weaker' Pokémon up a bit more. The fight against Bruno showed that there was much to improve on with Zephyr, Luna, and Klaus.
  
  Furthermore, the more observant pointed out in a few articles that there were inconsistencies in the fight that couldn't be attributed to just 'good training'. They suspected that there was more at play here that they simply didn't understand yet.
  
  I frowned; I figured that the secret of the Fairy type was about to be realized soon. But the question was, what could I do about it?
  
  A.N. A slower chapter aimed at setting up a few things happening in the future. And yes, John WILL be heading to Sinnoh in the future, and I do have plans for what he will be doing there.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -5-16-INTERLUDE - WHITNEY
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Loudred
  
  Jigglypuff
  
  Noctowl
  
  The New Normal - 5-16 - INTERLUDE - Whitney
  
  Whitney slowly stirred awake after a good night's rest, feeling refreshed and relieved from yesterday's journey towards Saffron City from Celadon. Ever since Janine had joined their little group, they had been taking things much slower as she had said.
  
  Firstly, they had spent a few days earning Sabrina and her Flying Licenses at Celadon. Whitney easily aced those tests, but Sabrina had a bit more trouble and had a couple of close calls. But they both passed.
  
  Then, with their licenses secured, they each shilled out to rent a single large Fearow to carry them from city to city, as they didn't have a Flying type which was large enough to actually carry the three of them. Whitney vowed to train up her newly evolved Noctowl to be able to do so; renting Pokémon was expensive!
  
  And so, the three of them had slowed down and spent a few days helping Janine collect the first few Gym badges. They went in the recommended order, but wow was she surprised when she found out that Karen was Janine's opponent in Pewter. Clearly, she had slacked on reading the news to miss out such a momentous appointment.
  
  She was happy for Karen, though. It seemed like she fit in well with her new role.
  
  Janine still had no problem defeating Karen of course; the latter was restricted to making use of 1st badge Pokémon. But still, she remembered the smug smirk on Karen's face when she knocked out Janine's Koffing with a Self-Destruct from her Geodude. That really took Janine by surprise.
  
  And the surprises didn't stop there. The Waterflower sisters were also a much greater challenge than before, fielding a greater variety of Pokémon that were definitely more well-trained than when Whitney faced them. However, she didn't let herself become jealous of that, instead choosing to be thankful that her brother seemed to be making great strides in improving Cerulean City.
  
  Even with those changes though, Janine proved herself to be a talented trainer and swiftly earning herself the Thunder and Rainbow badge. All the while, Sabrina and Whitney continued to train up their Pokémon, especially their newer captures, so that they could have a more well-balanced team.
  
  And thus, this was where they found themselves now. With Janine understandably choosing to leave Fuschia City for later, probably before Giovanni, they had made their way to Saffron City to prepare to face off against the Saffron Gym, and Sabrina's parents.
  
  She was excited to meet Sabrina's parents! Especially if they had any more embarrassing stories about Sabrina's childhood. Those were always fun.
  
  She felt even better when she realized that her alarm had yet to ring, meaning that she still had a few precious minutes to snuggle and just enjoy the comfiness of the blankets.
  
  Of course, that hope was quickly dashed.
  
  "You have awoken. Please get up." A voice appeared next to her, and Whitney was startled awake, almost falling out of the bed in surprise.
  
  That surprise quickly turned to annoyance as she realized who this intruder was.
  
  "Janine...please don't just break into my room." She sighed out, taking a breath to calm herself down, "You know we've talked about this."
  
  Janine looked down at the floor sullenly, "Sorry...I am just used to being ready to go before sunrise. It is typical of ninja to always be prepared."
  
  Great, now Whitney felt bad. Putting up a reassuring smile on her face, she patted Janine gently on the shoulder. "I'm not mad, just surprised at your sudden entry. If you want to wake us up normally, please just knock on the door."
  
  Janine nodded, so Whitney continued in a brighter tone, "Anyways, feel free to stay if you like. I'm going to get ready for today."
  
  Whitney then went about her morning ablutions. While doing so, she idly thought to herself that, sometimes, interacting with her friends was more akin to herding Meowth more than anything else. She smiled wryly at the realisation that she was likely the only sane person of her group.
  
  Despite this, she wouldn't trade her friends for anything. In her eyes, their weird quirks were just part of what made them so unique.
  
  As she was almost done with her morning routine, she spoke up once again, "Janine, why don't you go wake Sabrina up? You know how she gets in the mornings."
  
  Janine frowned but nodded, "...Her psychic powers are annoying to deal with."
  
  Whitney let out a chuckle, "She's doing better now. She was a lot more...loose with her power originally."
  
  "That might be the case, but being unable to make use of my nin- training is frustrating. I swear I will find a way to push back against her psychic hold." She said as she left the room.
  
  Mentally, Whitney wished Janine the best of luck on that front. She knew that Janine was undoubtedly her father's daughter and was easily the most physically trained girl that she knew. But Sabrina's psychic prowess was on another level entirely.
  
  Still, she was on Janine's side. Sabrina had been getting a little too smug with her developing psychic powers. Maybe some humility would be funny.
  
  Anyways, she finished off her morning preparations and made her way down for breakfast. Knowing the other two's antics, they would join her shortly.
  
  Sure enough, just as she found a seat at the Pokécenter's cafeteria, the other two made their way down, looking like a study in contrasts. Sabrina looked utterly pristine, without a hair out of place, while Janine looked like she had just come out of a Hurricane. It was clear who the victor was.
  
  The three of them ate their breakfast silently for a moment before Janine broke the silence, "We are visiting your parents today, right?" She said to Sabrina.
  
  "Yes." She confirmed, with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "It...will be nice to see them after so long. I hope they will be happy with my progress."
  
  "Of course they will!" Whitney said immediately, patting Sabrina on the shoulder reassuringly, "You've gotten far stronger. And I've overheard some of your conversations on the phone. Relax, they'll be happy to see you!"
  
  Sabrina shot Whitney a small smile, and the trio returned to finishing up their breakfast. At first, Whitney suggested that they meet up with Sabrina's parents as early as possible, but Sabrina surprisingly disagreed and said she wanted to at least spend the morning training up their Pokémon even more first.
  
  Whitney suspected that Sabrina just wanted to show off as best as she could, so easily agreed. They could meet up later in the afternoon anyways.
  
  Thus, after breakfast, the trio made their way to the training fields, where they all released their Pokémon.
  
  She broke out into a smile as she gazed upon the newly evolved form of her Noctowl, which had evolved in one of her training sessions during the time Janine was going through the Gyms. Her Jigglypuff, however, had sadly yet to evolve. She had yet to locate a Moon Stone, and while her brother did offer to help her look for one, Whitney asked him to give her some time to try to find one herself.
  
  And besides, she felt like she should train up her Jigglypuff more before initiating the evolution. Jigglypuff was still her weakest Pokémon, and she felt like a lot more work could be done securing the basics before she evolved.
  
  Speaking of evolved, Sabrina had also recently evolved her Natu into a Xatu, as well as catching a new Staryu. Whitney knew that Sabrina was tempted to capture a Drowzee, but Whitney successfully persuaded her to catch a purely physical attacker next for a more balanced team. Sabrina agreed.
  
  "So, are we sparring again?" Janine asked as she approached with her starter Golbat, Ariados, and Koffing following behind her.
  
  "Standard pairings." Whitney nodded, "Loudred still needs more practice handling your fast Golbat."
  
  "I want Xatu to face off against your Ariados this time." Sabrina added, "I need to work on her attacks."
  
  "Then since Kadabra needs to continue meditating, Miltank against the rest? I kinda want to train his decision-making ability." Whitney asked, getting nods from everyone.
  
  Thus, they all split up to their assigned groups and begun sparring against each other. Whitney focused on her own Pokémon for a moment and was very pleased to see their different and diverse fighting styles.
  
  Jigglypuff was a cute little ball that constantly tried to whittle you down with a myriad of status effects. If she wasn't putting you to sleep, she was trying to paralyze you and generally being a huge nuisance. She didn't have much power, but she was supremely annoying to deal with. Even more so when she got more training and more power.
  
  In the meanwhile, Noctowl and Loudred fought rather similarly, though Noctowl was far more mobile and had more supportive moves like Jigglypuff did while Loudred just brute forced everything with hard hitting Special Attacks.
  
  Then there was her Miltank, who was a perfect mix of brute strength and endurance. Even now, she was rather easily dealing with the small horde of weaker Pokémon trying to bring her down; using Rollout to dodge out of the way of a Hypnosis before narrowly missing a Body Slam against Staryu. Even with a huge numbers disadvantage, she was holding her own.
  
  Of course, her friends' Pokémon were just as well-trained as hers. And, as she continued training with her friends, she began to truly understand what John meant about the benefits of having rivals and friends that she could train with.
  
  Every time they hosted this joint-training session together, Whitney was motivated to push her Pokémon to surpass her friends'. Not out of some desire to be better, but just because of the friendly competition that such an atmosphere naturally fostered. It was this desire to catch up, to not fall behind, and this shared brainstorming of ideas, that made their collective strength rise together.
  
  Time passed as the training session continued. Despite the intensity of the training, Whitney felt like there was a distinct sense of meditative calm that settled on them all. She felt that this was a good sign that while their training was tough, it wasn't pushing their Pokémon to the point of exhaustion.
  
  Her thoughts were interrupted as Sabrina approached her, "Hopefully we can start on Gravity training soon. Your brother was most vocal about its effectiveness." She said with a pointed look to her meditating Kadabra.
  
  Whitney nodded; Sabrina's Kadabra was currently the Pokémon best suited to learning Gravity due to its psychic prowess. Jigglypuff could eventually learn it too, but her psychic proficiency was far too lacking for the moment.
  
  But just as Whitney began fantasizing about the new heights that she and her friends could push their Pokémon to with the use of Gravity training, a rude voice barked out from behind her.
  
  "OI! What are you lot doing training here with such shitty Pokémon?!" She turned around and saw two teenagers walking towards them, both sneering at them.
  
  Sabrina's face immediately blanked at their words, and Janine looked like she was about to pounce on them. Despite the provocation, Whitney maintained a cheerful expression, "How can we help you? Is our training disturbing you in any way?"
  
  "Yes, it is. Your Pokémon personally offends us." The same person said with an arrogant smirk. "Not a single Fighting type between the three of you when you're in the home of Kanto's greatest Fighting Gym."
  
  "What Fighting Gym?" Sabrina spoke up, raising a curious eyebrow as she pretended to look around, "I only know of the Saffron Gym, and that's a Psychic Gym. Or are you referring to the Dojo that styles itself as a Fighting Gym even though it isn't one?"
  
  The more vocal of the duo narrowed his eyes as Sabrina, a hint of recognition flashing in his eyes. "Ah, I know you. You're the daughter of the usurpers. The so-called Psychic prodigy that everyone says will become the new Gym Leader."
  
  He spat on the ground, "Newsflash kid. You're old news. Master Kiyo will beat you and your family into the ground and reassert himself as the true Gym Leader of Saffron, as it should be!"
  
  "Oh, and how do you think your master can defeat the Gym Leader? Has he not lost repeatedly before?" Sabrina replied with false curiosity, needling the duo even further.
  
  They sneered, "Aren't you supposed to be able to read minds or some other nonsense? Come, read ours and find out just how badly your precious parents are going to lose."
  
  Sabrina shook her head, "Unfortunately, your thoughts are incomprehensible to me. I cannot lower myself to your level to understand them. You have my sincere apologies for your stupidity." She mockingly bowed to them.
  
  Whitney burst out laughing despite herself, which only caused the two to grow in ire. After a moment, the two looked at each other before nodding in agreement.
  
  "We challenge you to a 2v2 match." The more vocal one said with an arrogant grin, "We'll prove to you the sheer superiority of the Fighting type." He turned to Whitney, "And you, girl, you're the one using those dumb Normal types like that Elite Four member does, right?"
  
  He sneered, "Well, if you're such a fan of that cheating fool-"
  
  "Enough." Whitney interrupted with a cold voice, her eyes no longer possessing any of the cheerful light that it used to. Her face was carefully blank, with only a small, unnerving smile that failed to reach her eyes. The duo shut their mouths at Whitney's sudden interruption.
  
  Her fists clenching reflexively as these bastards dared to insult her brother, and she allowed a little of that anger to leak out of her voice, "We accept your challenge, isn't that right, Sabrina?"
  
  Sabrina took one look at her and nodded immediately, so Whitney turned back to Janine, "Officiate this for us." Janine stared at her uncertainly, but eventually nodded as well.
  
  One of the duo scoffed, "And how do we know your friend won't play favourites? This isn't fair-"
  
  "Be quiet." Whitney cut him off once again, before signalling to her Miltank to step up in front of her; Sabrina copying her with her Kadabra. "Release your Pokémon. Don't waste any more time." She commanded.
  
  One of them looked a bit more uncertain at the sudden shift in demeanour, but the loudmouth simply formed a smug smirk as he released his Pokémon. The other soon following.
  
  A Primeape and a Machamp emerged, flexing their muscles threateningly at her Miltank and Kadabra. But their attempts at intimidation failed to unsettle her Pokémon.
  
  Inwardly, behind all the anger, Whitney was actually excited to face off against two fully evolved Fighting types. She had watched John's battle against Bruno and had taken copious amounts of notes about how to deal with Fighting types. And now, she hoped to put some of those strategies to good use.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?" Janine's voice sounded out through the training field. The four of them nodded, "BEGIN!"
  
  "Split them up but focus down Primeape. Get ready for Ally Switch." Sabrina's voice filtered into her mind. And Whitney grinned as she figured out Sabrina's plan.
  
  "Miltank, Rollout! Start building up speed!"
  
  "Machamp, Rock Throw the Kadabra!"
  
  "Primeape, close in on Kadabra!"
  
  Miltank immediately began rolling around the battlefield as he rapidly picked up speed. The two Fighting types seemed content to ignore her as they both prioritised bringing down Kadabra, which they understandably saw as the greater threat.
  
  But Kadabra wouldn't make things easy for them as it casually Teleported out of the way of the incoming Rock Throw before blasting the Primeape back with a Psychic. Primeape winced in pain but powered through the supereffective attack while constantly closing the distance. It seemed like, unlike Bruno's Pokémon, this Primeape wasn't able to disperse Psychic attacks like Bruno's did.
  
  "Get ready." Sabrina said to her in her mind, and Whitney gave a mental nod in confirmation.
  
  "Miltank, rush them from behind! Slam into them!"
  
  "Machamp, block the Miltank! Close Combat it!"
  
  "Primeape, grab hold of the Kadabra and Cross Chop! Don't let it escape!"
  
  Miltank began to roll in from behind like a speeding boulder. Machamp immediately stepped between Miltank and Primeape and readied itself to smash the incoming Miltank with its hardest hitting move. Even with all of Miltank's training, tanking through a supereffective Close Combat would severely injure her.
  
  That was why they had no intention of allowing such a thing to happen.
  
  "Now."
  
  Suddenly, a flash of light pink light engulfed both her Pokémon as the use of Ally Switch swapped their positions. Suddenly, Primeape was faced down with an unstoppable rolling Miltank while Machamp was caught offguard with a powerful Psychic blast to the face.
  
  Machamp stumbled backwards from the sudden attack, giving Kadabra the opportunity to aggressively Teleport right behind the Primeape. At the same time, Primeape was smashed backwards as Miltank crashed into it with the full momentum of her Rollout.
  
  Primeape fell backwards from the brutal impact from the Rollout, right into the waiting arms of Kadabra, who immediately capitalized on this opportunity by blasting it with yet another supereffective Psychic. This time, the blast of Psychic managed to knock Primeape into the sky, where it flew helplessly through the air.
  
  "NO!" Primeape's trainer yelled out, but the onslaught of attacks wasn't over yet. Showcasing the move she demonstrated against Koga, Miltank performed a small hop and slammed into the ground powerfully, launching herself up into the air.
  
  "Body Slam! Finish it!"
  
  Grappling the vulnerable Primeape in the air, Miltank shrugged off its ineffective punches before savagely slamming the two of them back into the ground, with Primeape pinned powerlessly beneath her. The impact formed a small crater in the ground that kicked up a small mound of dust, which eventually cleared to reveal a victorious Miltank standing over a fallen and unconscious Primeape.
  
  In the meanwhile, Machamp had been trying and failing to catch the Kadabra with its attacks, the latter always Teleporting out of the way just before they could land. In a fit of anger and frustration, its' trainer demanded that it switch targets to Miltank.
  
  Machamp immediately began rushing the Miltank, but Sabrina apparently had no intentions of even letting it land a hit on her.
  
  "Prepare for another Ally Switch." And Whitney gave a small nod to confirm.
  
  "Miltank! Brace yourself!" She ordered, and Miltank instantly adopted a defensive posture as she braced herself for Machamp's incoming assault. Of course, this was all a bait.
  
  Seeing Miltank taking a defensive stance, Machamp's trainer doubled down, "GO ALL OUT! CLOSE COMBAT!"
  
  Machamp threw itself recklessly into its next attack, lowering its guard completely as it dedicated everything into offense.
  
  "Now."
  
  And then another pink light flashed across the arena as Miltank and Kadabra swapped positions once again. With what looked like a taunting grin, Kadabra fired off yet another Psychic that detonated harshly on Machamp, launching it backwards into Miltank's waiting arms.
  
  "Seismic Toss, Miltank! Suplex it!"
  
  With a guttural moo, Miltank grabbed hold of the stumbling Machamp by the waist and threw it over her head with a suplex, slamming it powerfully into the ground. Without needing further commands, Miltank immediately crashed their heads together with a supereffective Zen Headbutt, before pounding on Machamp's fallen figure with her fists until Machamp fell into unconsciousness.
  
  The battle was over. It was a perfect victory.
  
  "And Whitney and Sabrina are the winners!" Janine declared with a smile. "Congratulations!"
  
  The two Fighting type teens looked shocked at their defeat, but the vocal one recovered quickly as his mouth returned to its usual sneer. "Fucking cheaters. I guess you can't expect anything more from a bunch of Psychic and Normal type trainers."
  
  The two of them returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs before turning around, "Screw you all, we're leaving. I'm going to see if anyone recorded this match and post it online to expose you all for cheating, just you wait."
  
  His friend(?) whispered, but loud enough that Whitney could still hear it. "Wait, didn't you delete your FightClub account after Bruno lost?"
  
  "...Shut up." He bit out, "Let's just go." The two of them walked away from them, their voices slowly fading away.
  
  Whitney stared at their departing figures for a moment before suddenly glomping Sabrina into a tight hug. "That was AMAZING! We completely stomped them! Your plan was so good!"
  
  Sabrina struggled to break free from her hug, but eventually just allowed it to happen. "Your Miltank did much of the heavy lifting. Kadabra just had to use Psychic."
  
  "It was a coordinated team effort. You both did very well." Janine added with a smile, "I hope I can fight at that level one day."
  
  "Of course you can!" Whitney responded encouragingly, "In fact, let's get on that right away!"
  
  But Sabrina cut them off with a cough, "Um...I think we have to go meet my parents now."
  
  Oh, whoops! Whitney had completely lost track of the time! A quick glance at her phone showed that it was already afternoon, and they were supposed to meet Sabrina's parents for lunch! Oops!
  
  They quickly returned all of their Pokémon to their Pokéballs before getting them all healed up at the Pokécenter. Once that was done, they made their way to Sabrina's house, which was appropriately next to the Gym.
  
  Sabrina visibly grew nervous as they drew nearer, so Whitney was quick to pat her reassuringly on the shoulders, reminding her that there was nothing to worry about.
  
  A short walk later, they arrived at the steps in front of the house. However, before they could even knock on the door, the door swung open, revealing both of Sabrina's parents, smiling widely.
  
  "HONEY! You've grown up so much!" Sabrina's mom immediately pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "And these must be your friends! It's so good to finally meet you!"
  
  Her husband was less animated, but no less happy about their appearance as he extended a hand towards them. "Forgive my wife. She gets excited sometimes. I'm Samson, and my lovely wife is Katrina. It's a great pleasure to meet the both of you."
  
  Whitney and Janine shook his hand and introduced themselves, only to elicit a laugh from Samson, "No need to introduce yourself. I already know who you are. Both the esteemed daughter of Koga and the brilliant sister of John. I'm very glad that Sabrina has made such good friends."
  
  They both blushed at the praise, which caused another bark of laughter from Samson as he gestured for them to head inside. "Please, make yourself comfortable. As soon as my wife finishes messing with my daughter, she'll prepare lunch for all of us."
  
  After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the three children made their way over to the dining table and settled down into the chairs. Idly, Whitney noticed that even though Sabrina's family lived in a much nicer looking house than her own, it didn't spark a single sense of jealousy within her. That made her proud.
  
  Eventually, Sabrina's parents brought out the food and jointed them at the dining table, where they broke out into casual conversation.
  
  "So, how did you all start travelling together? Sabrina only really told us the basics. She's cagey like that." Her mother teased.
  
  Sabrina frowned and remained silent, so it was up to Whitney to pick up the slack, "Well, I was at Pewter City idling in line when..." She fell into a summarized explanation of their meeting and their journey thus far. It probably wasn't the most interesting of topics, but Sabrina's parents listened to it intently as if it was some kind of formal declaration.
  
  After Whitney finished her story, Sabrina's mother clasped Whitney's hands with hers, "You cannot believe how glad we were when Sabrina told us that she had made a friend. We were so worried that she would go through her journey by her lonesome, with everyone too scared of her Psychic powers to approach her. We are so very grateful that you could see past that and befriend our daughter." She shot Whitney a grateful smile that had her blushing profusely.
  
  "Please stop embarrassing her." Sabrina said with a sigh.
  
  "Nonsense. She should know her worth." Katrina replied, before turning to Janine. "And Janine, thank you as well for accepting Sabrina for who she is. I'm sure Sabrina probably frustrates you at times, so thank you for your patience when dealing with her."
  
  Sabrina grew visibly more annoyed at her mother's words and was about to unleash her Psychic powers to get back at her, but her father flicked her in the forehead before she could do so.
  
  "No psychic powers at the dining table. You don't want to accidentally launch a plate at the TV like you did last time, now do you?" Her father scolded.
  
  Properly reprimanded, Sabrina slumped into her seat and silently continued to eat her lunch. Whitney chuckled at the interaction, glad to see that Sabrina's family was a lively one, despite the difficulties of raising such a prodigious daughter.
  
  "Oh, and speaking of which..." Katrina spoke up as she turned to look at Sabrina, "What are your plans for the next few Gyms? Are you going to be challenging us next? We can schedule you in for tomorrow if you are." Samson nodded in agreement.
  
  However, Sabrina shook her head, "No, we're planning to head to Johto after a quick stop here."
  
  "Johto? Why there?" Samson asked, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just curious."
  
  "We want to catch a few Pokémon there and get stronger before we continue our Gym challenges." Whitney explained, "We've been rushing through the Gyms quite a bit, and some of our newer Pokémon need more time to train up. Plus, maybe we can get lucky and catch a full roster before we return."
  
  "Ah, so you do have a plan for it." Samson exclaimed thoughtfully. "Well, if that's what you want to do, I won't gainsay you." Then he broke out into an excited grin, "But when you do come up, don't expect me to go on easy on you. I'll make you earn that Marsh Badge."
  
  Sabrina let out a scoff, "You wish dad. We'll beat you." Before shooting her parents a proud smirk.
  
  The conversation quickly devolved into casual, but enjoyable chatter, and they all began to relax. Before long, Sabrina's parents had to cut the meeting short and return to their usual duties at the Gym, but they were told to come over any time if they wanted to visit.
  
  Overall, it was a very nice meeting, and Whitney was really glad to finally be able to meet Sabrina's parents. She knew that Sabrina was too, even if she disguises it with the occasional reprimand.
  
  She knew that, with their lunch meeting over, they would now be making their way to Johto. They had already registered and collected their permits to be allowed to catch Pokémon, so they were all set.
  
  Johto, here they come!
  
  A.N. ANNND the trio start making their way to Johto to catch Pokemon and continue their training! I already had some additions planned, so I hope you do enjoy them when the time comes.
  
  Also, I hope the battle was satisfactory. With all their training together, Sabrina and Whitney make a powerful duo, and I wanted to showcase their teamwork and their strengths. Hope you liked it!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-5-16 - Interlude - Proton
  The New Normal - 5-16 - Interlude - Proton
  
  The facility was filled with a sense of anticipation as the final preparations were being made for their raid against Devon Corp that was going to be launched very soon. And thus, instead of continuing to train up the grunts as was his usual duties, he was instead forced to accompany his boss to participate in the last-minute prep.
  
  "...We've confirmed that the data and files are indeed there." Maxie's voice filtered through the digital screen of their computer. "Tabitha almost exposed himself doing so, so I hope you're ready to execute the plan." Maxie glared at his boss, though it was simply ignored.
  
  "Relax! The team is trained and ready for deployment. Isn't that right, Proton?" Archie said as he gestured towards Proton, who stood forwards.
  
  "Yes, as you may have read in my previous reports, the old Team Rocket has integrated well into Team Aqua and can act efficiently as one cohesive unit. Or at least, as best as we can considering the dwindling funding and time constraints." He said formally. Normally, he hated this using this stuffy language, but it was better than wasting time when Maxie had his dumb sensibilities triggered by his normal way of speaking.
  
  He withheld the urge to curse as he pushed forwards, "And, I am confident that the grunts are proficient at performing hit-and-run operations, and that they will operate at a professional level. I am assured that they have gotten rid of their more impulsive actions."
  
  He was overselling it a little, and left unsaid was the fact that he had literally beaten it out of them in some cases. But his boss didn't complain, so who was he to say no to free beatings?
  
  "Good. And so, are we still running with the plan of having Tabitha grant them entry?" Maxie asked with some concern.
  
  "Yes, it's the best way to do it. While the main Devon Corp building is no fortress, we'll be able to avoid causing a lot of property damage if we were simply let in." Archie explained with a nod, "Less heat on us that way."
  
  "True...but I'm loathe to sacrifice Tabitha's position in the company." Maxie grumbled as his head fell into his hands. Tabitha, the fat lump who was also in the call, shared a frown with his boss. But, after a moment, Maxie shook his head as he gathered his resolve. "No matter, we must all make sacrifices for the greater good. And yes, we can't afford to generate too much heat with this attack. We cannot afford for the League to escalate too harshly, not at the moment."
  
  Archie let out a huge sigh, "I thought we already went over the plan to trick the League. We are going in as Team Rocket to throw them off. Then, we'll be sending off some of our stolen info to our corrupt director at Silph Co and frame them for the attack. Make it look like one big act of corporate espionage gone wrong. Calm your tits, Maxie, we already planned for this. We even got lucky with that stupid silver spoon heir being in Indigo."
  
  Maxie spluttered, "Well, yes, but...fine." He straightened up his tie, "As much as it pains me to do this, I'll trust in your judgment...THIS time."
  
  Archie smirked, "Don't worry your brainy little head, we got this. Even I know the stakes here. We've already discussed it plenty of times that we need this to be a clean operation-"
  
  "No unnecessary violence, no hostages, no excessive property damage." Maxie interrupted, listing each item off his fingers. "We need the League to think that this is JUST an act of corporate espionage. NOT terrorism. That way, we can buy time to launch the operation for the Orbs before they their guard up and come down on us like an avalanche. The events at Indigo should have taught everyone here a lesson here on what happens when you play with fire."
  
  Proton could feel everyone's eyes shoot to him at that comment, and he visibly withheld a snarl. Yes, he overplayed his hand back in the Indigo League, but he was forced to due to a lack of resources. Hiding and laying low wasn't an option back then.
  
  It frustrated him that these colleagues of his would dare to lecture HIM on how to run a team? Sure, they had good ideas at times, but they mostly stayed afloat due to the funding they received. But they didn't know how to run a criminal gang besides just spending resources. Unlike Proton, they never had to make hard choices when they had everything given to them.
  
  Even the threat of cutting off funding was more a temporary concern than anything else.
  
  It really pissed him off. And his anger was made worse by the fact that the ONE opportunity that he was finally let off the leash, they weren't allowed to brutalize anyone. No, the two bosses drilled it into his head that he had to behave. Well, screw them! It's not like a bit of violence would really be that bad for them. Not too much; he wasn't stupid, but just enough to let him satisfy his urges.
  
  "...Is that understood, Proton? You'll be leading the mission, so I expect the best from you." Archie spoke to him, wearing a friendly smile that didn't reach his eyes.
  
  "Yes, boss. Understood." He simply said, withholding the urge to roll his eyes. He just wanted to just be done with this stupid meeting already.
  
  "Good, then I think we can safely adjourn this meeting." Maxie nodded, "Go through your final preparations. And best of luck. The future of this world rests in our hands."
  
  "Yes, it does." Archie replied seriously. And this time Proton couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. Even after all this time, he never could understand his boss' fanatical devotion to this goal. It was always a ridiculous sight to him.
  
  Still, at least this meeting was finally over. He pushed himself off his chair and made his way back to the underground training yard, putting on his mask to conceal his identity. There, he found HIS grunts training with a good mixture of Pokémon from all 4 regions. At this point, he figured that their mysterious backer likely had some connection with the new region, but he didn't care to look into it any more than that.
  
  The Pokémon they supplied were of good stock and obedient, which was all Proton was concerned with.
  
  Letting his gaze fall over his grunts, he couldn't help but smirk viciously as he watched them train. Like he told the others, his grunts were much better trained than when they had made their embarrassing retreat out of Indigo. And now, they were far above the level they were at previously.
  
  They would definitely be a match for your average trainer, especially if they ganged up on them. And, against more proficient trainers, a group of his grunts would be able to beat them down without much issue. And this army was under his command. And soon, they would finally be put to use.
  
  Proton let out an evil laugh as he was filled with anticipation. This was going to be fun!
  
  A.N. Some foreshadowing and build-up. The downtime for the evil teams is almost over, and they'll be making a splash VERY soon.
  
  TLDR, the criminals have learnt their lesson from Proton, and are TRYING to not escalate things by disguising their operation as corporate espionage. That way, they hope the League might be more think that Team Rocket has 'rebranded', or just won't come down as heavily on something that isn't as scary to the public.
  
  I'm very excited to be bringing down the story down this path. I really do hope you like it. Don't worry, the story won't suddenly shift into a darker tone.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-17 - Fairy Odd Discoveries
  
  After a moment to think things through, I decided to stick to my previous plan and take the initiative to publish and announce the Fairy typing on my own terms. However, even with my notable scientific reputation, a discovery of this scale would be even greater than when I had created the PIT technique. This was something that was going to need plenty of verification from many esteemed scientists if I didn't want to be tied down with academic debates and naysayers.
  
  Fortunately, these limitations would also apply to other scientists as well, so at least I wouldn't realistically have to worry about anyone 'discovering' this before I could act on it. Definitely not anytime soon.
  
  But I still wanted to get ahead of the curve. And to do this, I figured that I needed to share my 'ideas' with some very reputable scientists so that they could back my observations up. It would mean sharing the credit, but I didn't care much about that. This was going to be a huge discovery, with plenty of glory to go around once it gets out.
  
  To that end, I made the decision to write out a few invitations to some of my scientific friends for them to come over tomorrow afternoon. And I chose my selection carefully.
  
  First, I invited Shelly via text. Not only did I think of her as a friend, but she shared important connections to Devon Corp, a leading entity in the scientific community. Her approval would mean a lot for getting the Hoenn scientific community on board.
  
  Then, I sent another text to Carolina. Similarly, we had a developing friendship, but she was also a very important, if not the only, scientific representative from Sinnoh. Getting her involved would go a long way at ensuring that the publication of the Fairy type won't be stifled in Sinnoh.
  
  After that, I sent out a much more formal email to invite Professor Oak. With his gigantic reputation, and his genuine interest in science, I felt that he would be an essential person to have onboard to give undisputable legitimacy to my observations.
  
  Lastly, and I hesitated a bit before sending it, I also sent out an invitation to Gym Leader Blaine. Despite not having previously interacted much with him, I felt that inviting him would prove to be a good idea. Firstly, it would allow me to establish connections with an ex-Elite Four member and a prominent Gym Leader, and it would show that I was an Elite Four member that didn't forget about the importance of Gym Leaders.
  
  Inviting Blaine was definitely more of a political decision than anything, but he also had a robust scientific reputation that would be appreciated.
  
  It was already pretty late, so after sending out those invitations, I went to bed and hoped that they would be free to come over tomorrow. It WAS fairly short notice, but I hoped that my invitation would be interesting enough to attract their attention away from their busy schedules.
  
  Fortunately, my luck turned out for the better. When I went to check my phone the following morning, I had received responses back from everyone stating that they were free to come over. Also, Lance had given me the thumbs up to go and explore Sinnoh on behalf of Indigo, but the when and how still needed to be arranged.
  
  Which was why I found myself standing in the fields under the bright sun, waiting patiently for their arrival. I had already sent out a message to everyone informing them of my address and how to get here, and I made sure to clear out any of our new farmhands to prevent them from accidentally disrupting any observations that we made.
  
  And suddenly, the signature flash of white from a Teleport heralded my first arrival. Professor Oak casually walked out of the light with his Alakazam and greeted me with a smile. He seemed to not be aware of the sheer Psychic energy that his Alakazam was radiating.
  
  "John! It's good to see you again." He began as he withdrew his Alakazam, extending his arm for me to shake. "I've heard great things about you from others. Glad to see you're doing well."
  
  "Thank you, Professor Oak, and I am very thankful that you chose to accept my invitation." I replied with a slight bow.
  
  "Nonsense! I could tell by your words that this was likely something very important. And from what I witnessed during your battle against Bruno, I think you're about to reveal something VERY interesting." He predicted, his eyes observing me intensely.
  
  I didn't let myself be intimidated, and simply nodded, "That's right. I think this would definitely shake up the paradigm of what we know about Pokémon, but do you mind if I wait till the others get here before I explain myself? Saves me from having to repeat it."
  
  "No worries." He waved me off. "Anyways, if you don't mind, could we discuss more about possible alternate forms that could be discovered through your PIT technique?"
  
  The two of us then began an animated discussion on the possible undiscovered alternate forms of Pokémon as we waited for the others. Of course, I was careful to ensure that I wasn't giving away more than I should know and kept my commentary on a purely hypothetical basis.
  
  A short while later, and another flash of light appeared, revealing the second representative of Kanto.
  
  "John, I was very surprised by the invite-" Blaine began to say as he stepped out of the light, before cutting himself off as he was taken aback by Oak's presence.
  
  "Oh. Um, Samuel, it's good to see you again. I didn't expect you to be here." Blaine greeted with a respectful bow.
  
  "Haha! Blaine! It's been a while!" Oak said jollily, slapping Blaine on the back. "I hope retirement has been treating you well."
  
  "Not as well as yours." He smirked with a fond smile, before turning to me. "And John! How could you leave out the fact that Samue- Professor Oak was going to be here? I would've definitely came earlier!"
  
  I rubbed my head embarrassedly, "Whoops? I sent those invitations pretty late...must have forgotten it."
  
  He grumbled good-naturedly, "Rookie mistake. Anyways, now that Professor Oak is here, I'm sure that this wouldn't be a waste of my time. Very interested to see what you've invited us all here for. You could say I was burning in excitement!" Only he laughed at that.
  
  Blaine then returned his attention back to Oak as they began making small talk and catching up. From the outside, they definitely seemed to be good friends and looked like they knew each other well. Considering Blaine was an ex-Elite Four member during when Oak was Champion, this wasn't very surprising.
  
  I joined in on their banter occasionally, and eventually after another short wait the remaining invitees arrived together, which was a nice coincidence.
  
  "Sorry we're late." Shelly said, brushing her fingers through her hair, "Turns out the Kadabra used for Teleporting provided by your League are shared between us, so we ended up just going together coincidentally." Carolina nodded in agreement.
  
  "Don't worry about it." I waved her off, "Anyways, now that you're here, let me introduce everyone." We all moved to exchange brief introductions.
  
  Shelly look a bit starstruck at the presence of so many other scientific giants, but she managed to remain calm and professional. After that round of introductions, I finally explained why I had gathered everyone here.
  
  "Firstly, thank you once again for coming. I appreciate you taking your time out of your busy schedules for something like this. Now, onto why you're here." I released both Luna and Euphie from their Premier Balls. "It's to do with something I had noticed over time with both of these Pokémon."
  
  Except for Oak, they all shot me looks of confusion. Oak instead stared fixedly onto Luna, as if trying to piece together a puzzle in his head. I kept going, "Ever since I caught my Clefable, I noticed that during our training sessions together that she was unusually resistant to Fighting type moves. And for those of you who saw my match against Bruno, she was able to brush off even the greatest of Fighting type attacks with unusual ease."
  
  "And while I'd like to believe that I'm a good trainer, I know I'm not THAT good. I started to realize that there may be other factors in play here that are the cause of this unusual resistance to Fighting." I explained, "And, after some time, I've come to the conclusion that we may have had a new type that has always existed, but we've previously not looked into."
  
  THAT caused everyone to gasp in surprise, Oak included, though his was significantly more subdued. A new type was a BIG deal, and it spoke to their professionalism that didn't instantly bombard me with questions. I gave them a moment to digest what I had just said before continuing.
  
  "I realized that I had discovered something more than just a generic resistance to Fighting because my Clefable was able to generate attacks with a different sort of Energy. One that I hadn't seen before." I gestured to Luna for her to start generating Fairy energy around her, and a small pink orb formed in her hands.
  
  "At first, I thought that pink energy was just Psychic energy, especially considering how similar their colour palette is. But, after I did some tests with Dark type moves, I found that it wasn't nullified by it. Instead, whatever this energy is, it crushes through Dark types, as if it was supereffective towards it." That got more noises of surprise.
  
  "Then I remembered that I've seen my Clefable take damage from Ghost type attacks back when she was a Clefairy when she really shouldn't have. Individually, each factor alone wouldn't have roused my suspicions. But a combination of all 3 factors? I started to realize that I might have something here. I'm not exactly sure, which is why I've invited you all here to go through my observations and bring up any questions you might have." I finished, opening the floor to the others. Inwardly, I was pleased with my explanation that should hopefully be logical enough to not trigger any suspicions about my otherworldly knowledge.
  
  Oak spoke up first, "And I assume you have brought your Eevee here because you intend to see if you can evolve it with this new type, right?" He glanced at Euphie who had been running around playfully while we talked.
  
  I nodded; Oak was very observant. "Yes. I felt that a good way to prove a new type would be to get Eevee to evolve using it. After all, Eevee are well-known to be very adaptable and to have many evolutions with different types, so I felt that this might be a good way of proving it in addition to whatever other research and evidence we are able to provide."
  
  "Have you tested anything else with your Clefable? Other types of moves?" Blaine asked curiously, his eyes observant.
  
  "Yes. I've made some observations that whatever this type is, it's practically immune to Dragon type moves. It's even more effective against it than against Fighting or Dark." I told them.
  
  Oak's eyebrows rose to his head as he looked at me with surprise. On the other hand, Blaine started laughing loudly. "If that's true-" He took a second to wheeze, "Then we finally have a type to crush those pesky Dragons! Imagine the look on the Blackthorn's face if this gets published!" Blaine laughed even harder.
  
  Oak looked away and muttered something about "if we had this during the war...", which shut Blaine up really quickly. Fortunately, Carolina spoke up before an uncomfortable silence could descend.
  
  "This is all well and good and all, and while I'm not fully doubtful of your suspicions, John, I would really like to see more evidence of your claims first." Carolina said to me. "After all, the fact that we somehow missed a type for all this time is a rather extreme claim to make."
  
  "Certainly. Let me show you what I mean. Professor Oak, could you release a Dragon type Pokémon for this demonstration?" He nodded, and casually released a Flygon. I blinked, taken aback. I wasn't expecting him to have a Flygon of all things.
  
  But upon closer inspection, the Flygon evidently wasn't trained and was likely used for research purposes only. Still though.
  
  "I was looking into Flygon recently because I thought it was actually a Bug/Dragon type." He said, pre-empting my question. "Sadly, I am highly doubtful that it is actually the case."
  
  He shook his head, "Well anyways, what do you need me to do? Fire off a Dragon Pulse?" He confirmed, and I nodded.
  
  "Yep. It'll be a good demonstration." I replied, and Luna let out a supportive cry.
  
  With a quick gesture towards Flygon, it unleashed a respectable Dragon Pulse that slammed into Luna. However, besides a slight stumble, Luna managed to shrug off the Dragon Pulse entirely, completely devoid of any injuries. Seeing the attack be nullified, Oak gave off a satisfied nod and withdrew his Flygon.
  
  "Fascinating." Shelly muttered, looking over my unharmed Clefable, "More data is definitely needed, but if it's true, then the implications of this would be staggering."
  
  "Yes, it would be." Carolina agreed, "But how much of this resistance is due to your Clefable's status as an Elite Pokémon? Surely a less trained and wild Pokémon sharing this type would not be able to shrug off an attack this casually."
  
  "Sure, which was why I wanted to do further testing before making such an announcement." I responded with a shrug, not minding her skepticism. "After all, we need to still confirm the other resistances and strengths of the type."
  
  "Do you have a name for it?" Shelly asked, "We can't just keep calling it 'the type', after all."
  
  I nodded, "Considering the pink energy that it gives off, I thought calling it the 'Fairy' type would be a suitable name."
  
  Blaine let out another bark of laughter, "FAIRY! THE TYPE THAT BEATS DRAGON IS CALLED 'FAIRY'?!" He snorted loudly, "Oh, John, I'm liking you more by the minute." He wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.
  
  Oak stifled a smile of his own as he spoke, "I admit to finding it a very...fitting nickname. I quite like it, in all honesty." But then his face quickly turned serious once again.
  
  "You know, John, the idea of a hidden type isn't a remarkably surprising concept to me." He admitted, "I've long thought that it was the height of arrogance for us humans to believe that we knew everything there was about Pokémon. There will always be more to find, more to research, and more to discover."
  
  We all stayed silent and listened with rapt attention as Oak spoke, "While I was in the process of creating the Pokédex, I had spent a lot of time doing research on a large variety of Pokémon to ensure that the information would be as accurate as possible. However, I admit to being unable to verify everything, and with my reputation, many were unfortunately more likely to accept anything I published as the truth."
  
  He sighed, "It was here where my reputation actually backfired on me. After my release of the Pokédex, I noticed that research on already existing Pokémon stalled, with none wanting to challenge my conclusions about Pokémon. No matter how many times I repeated myself that my research was not as detailed as I wanted it to be, it fell on deaf ears as people blindly sang my praises."
  
  "This 'Fairy' type must be something that slipped through the gap due to a lack of comprehensive testing for each and every Pokémon for all the Pokémon between Hoenn and Indigo, which was what was available when I created the Pokédex. Regardless, I'm thankful that someone has managed to catch this slip-up. If we can receive accurate confirmation that such a type exists, then I'll be sure to scrounge through the Pokédex and update each and every Pokémon that this new type actually applies to." He said as if making a vow.
  
  I was thrown for a loop at Oak's explanation. He was seemingly putting the blame on himself for our collective failure to discover the new type. While I could see where he was coming from, I felt that he was being far too harsh on himself. I was about to speak up before Blaine cut me off.
  
  "Bah! To put all this on your shoulders is going a bit too far, don't you think Samuel?" He snorted, "This is something we all missed. And who could blame us? How often do you see people pitting a supposed Normal type against a Dragon anyways?"
  
  "Yep. Even in Hoenn, it was our decision to simply accept the Pokédex information we received from you without accurately checking through it." Shelly added, "Our failure to find out about the Fairy type comes from our COLLECTIVE negligence. Not from any fault of yours, Professor Oak."
  
  "Not only that, but even in Sinnoh, we don't often do tests with Dragon types because of how rare the Garchomp line are, which are practically the only Dragon type that we experiment with." Carolina concurred, "It's no surprise that there may be Fairy types that exist within the Sinnoh Pokédex that we similarly missed."
  
  Oak let out a breath, "Yes, I can see that. Anyways, I think I might have distracted you all enough with my tangent. Let us get back to the subject at hand."
  
  We all nodded and returned to the matter at hand. I coughed and spoke, "Does anyone have a Dark type? I wanted to demonstrate Fairy's type supereffectiveness against one."
  
  Shelly nodded and sent out her Sharpedo, which snarled menacingly as it appeared. It was to everyone's credit as professionals or Elite trainers that none of us flinched.
  
  "Dark Pulse, Sharpedo." Shelly ordered, causing Sharpedo to launch a wave of Dark type energy towards Luna.
  
  "Moonblast, Luna. Make it weak." I returned. Luna nodded and shot a small orb of Fairy energy towards Sharpedo, managing to rip through the incoming Dark Pulse like it was nothing, before blasting the Sharpedo backwards supereffectively. It looked like it was about to faint from the one attack.
  
  Shelly frowned, "Return, Sharpedo. I think that was enough of a demonstration." Then I heard her mumble to herself, "Probably should train up my Pokémon more. That was a pathetic showing."
  
  Oak stepped up once again with a thoughtful expression on his face, "That was a good example...but I can't help but think that I've seen your other Pokémon use similar moves like this before. Even your non-fairy ones." He pointed out observingly.
  
  "Yes, they do." I nodded, not bothering to hide anything, "I suspect the move Play Rough that my other Pokémon use is also Fairy type-"
  
  "Which is how you did so much damage against Drake and Bruno!" Blaine finished for me, looking astounded at the discovery. I nodded again in confirmation.
  
  "Yes...I pieced that together too after your demonstration." Oak commented, his eyes sharp as a Noctowl, "...You've been sitting on this for some time, huh?"
  
  I moved to speak up, but Oak waved me off. "I'm not accusing you of anything if that's what you're worried about. I can appreciate keeping cards close to your chest for an advantage in battle, especially when the information overturned what we previously knew about Pokémon's types."
  
  I could only nod in response. Oak shot me a knowing smile before moving on.
  
  "...Anyways, we've gotten distracted again, and we definitely should be doing more testing. There's only so much we can do with just a single Fairy type Pokémon to test with. John, do you have any ideas on how you want to proceed?" He asked.
  
  I went through my pre-arranged answer in my head before I spoke up, "I do. A part of the reason why I invited all of you here today was so that we could set up a joint-research project on the Fairy type. Collectively, you are all important representatives from the 3 regions. If we were to publish our joint findings together, people would be hard-pressed to outright deny such claims, as surprising as they may be."
  
  They all nodded, so I continued, "To that end, I was hoping that this project could be run by you, Professor Oak, since out of everyone here you are the one with the greatest access to the necessary scientific facilities as well as an ample supply of Pokémon." I also wanted to make sure that his name would be front and centre of this project.
  
  I didn't need to hog the glory; I just wanted to make sure that such a discovery would actually be accepted by the public.
  
  Oak nodded, "I can see where this is going. Yes, I'm happy to take the lead with such a project. You may all consider that my laboratory in Pallet town to be open for you." He declared. "I assume you want us to undergo tests on this Fairy type to accurately determine what resistances, weaknesses, and strengths that it possesses?"
  
  "Yes. That's exactly right." I confirmed, "It's not going to be a cheap project, or one that could be done in the short-term, but I'm willing to contribute whatever resources I can to help out if necessary."
  
  Oak waved me off, "No need. I assure you that funding won't be a problem. I have tons of grants lined up that I could easily accept if I wanted to. Leave that to me."
  
  I let out a sigh of relief, "Well, that's good. One less problem to worry about. Oh! And one more thing." I gestured to Euphie, who throughout our discussion had been running around playfully in the field while being happily chased by Luna, "I've already spoken to my Eevee about this, but I would also be happy to lend you my Eevee for the time being so that we can study more about to see if we could trigger her evolution with the Fairy typing."
  
  "And how far have you come with that?" Blaine asked.
  
  I shook my hand in a 'so-so' manner, "I think I'm halfway there. I've had Eevee train with Clefable to learn to manipulate Fairy energy. I'm not sure if she'll also need a specific stone to trigger the evolution, but for now I'm hopeful that just being proficient enough at using Fairy energy might be enough."
  
  I wasn't entirely lying. Unlike in the games, where the method to trigger an evolution to an Umbreon or Espeon was just with Friendship alone. Here, friendship was insufficient, since you actually needed your Eevee to be proficient at using Dark or Psychic type moves respectively before it could evolve. Hence, this was why I assumed the same for Sylveon, though I couldn't confirm it until the actual evolution triggered.
  
  "Well, I'm more than okay with that, so long as you're happy." Oak replied as he shot Euphie a smile, "It's been a while since I've worked with an Eevee, but I'm sure I'll manage. Don't worry, she'll be in safe hands."
  
  "Let me help out with that as well." Blaine cut in, "I work with Eevee all the time since I'm often the guy people come to for Flareons, so I should be an old hand at this."
  
  I nodded towards the two of them, before Carolina spoke up, "So, what would our roles be?" She gestured towards herself and Shelly.
  
  "I was thinking Pokémon acquisition, unless you have the time to help out with the researching." I suggested, before turning to Oak, "What do you think, Professor Oak?
  
  "Hmm...I'm confident that I can handle most of the research by myself or with my assistants, but yes, having someone on hand who could have easy access to Hoenn or Sinnoh Pokémon would make things much easier. Of course, an extra pair of eyes and hands wouldn't go amiss either."
  
  The two ladies nodded. And then the discussion devolved into talking about the finer details about how we would tackle such a project. In the end, Professor Oak suggested that we should first focus on identifying the type matchups of the Fairy type, which shouldn't take too long. That would involve capturing a few Clefable or Clefairy to test with, but luckily Oak had a few already on hand.
  
  After that, he explained that we could use those results as a guide to identify other Fairy types. Which would also have to be tested to ensure that their type matchups prove the same as Clefairy's. Then it's going to be a long slog of going through the many Pokémon in the Pokédex and checking through each one manually. There were a lot of Pokémon to check through.
  
  We also unanimously agreed to uphold secrecy as far as possible. While a project of this size was impossible to keep a secret, the finer details should be kept under lock-and-key so that no one could steal credit. Oak informed us that rumours were undoubtedly going to spread, and at a certain stage of our research we could afford to confirm some of it, but for the time being he urged everyone to keep quiet about this.
  
  Still, with that plan sorted, and with the sun slowly started to set, we all shared our numbers with each other before we all split up. Interestingly enough, Shelly opted to stay behind for a while.
  
  "Hey John, wanted to speak to you for a bit." She spoke up after the others left.
  
  "Oh? What's up? Something the matter? Unhappy with the project?" I replied curiously.
  
  "No, no, no, absolutely not." She quickly denied with as she waved her hands, "I don't think you really understand the grand opportunity that you've just given me. Compared to everyone else here today, I'm just some head of a branch office."
  
  "Technically, that's not too different from Professor Carolina's position." I responded, trying to reassure her. "She's only the head of one of Sinnoh's research laboratories, after all."
  
  "That's different. It's...never mind, that's not what I wanted to say to you." She changed the topic, "I just had something to bring up regarding the Porygon project. There's been an incident."
  
  "Oh? Tell me more." I asked, suddenly curious.
  
  "One of the other scientists working for Devon Corp got a bit too overeager and tried to force an evolution on a Porygon2 with an unapproved evolution item." My eyes widened, "It worked, and we're calling this new evolution a Porygon-Z, but we quickly realized that the new Porygon-Z was completely unstable."
  
  She sighed, "It was just like you feared. New evolution or not, it wasn't a Pokémon that we could make use of with its current insanity. Fortunately, it was quickly contained before it could do too much damage, but we're currently going through everything to make sure there won't be a repeat."
  
  "Ah...well I'm glad that this incident didn't escalate any further." I commented, inwardly sighing in relief that my Pixel wasn't subject to such a fate. "Still, good to know that such an evolution exists."
  
  "Yes...that's the silver lining. Now we just have to find a way to trigger such an evolution WITHOUT inducing insanity. It's harder than it seems." She frowned, before she shook it off and reformed her smile. "Oh, and on better news, I think I'm coming close to creating a functional replacement to the Premier Ball. Funding has been coming in easily recently, especially with the success of the Premier Ball."
  
  "Hm? What do you mean?" I asked.
  
  "I mean, it will be a Premier Ball that actually lets your Pokémon remain in a more luxurious state while they're inside. So, instead of just LOOKING luxurious, it actually WILL be luxurious." She explained.
  
  "So...a 'luxury ball'?" I replied.
  
  "Yes! That's the name I was going to go with too." She bobbed her head excitedly, "Once I do have everything finalized, I'll be happy to show you the prototype."
  
  "Sure, I'm excited for it." I nodded.
  
  "Great! Anyways, I really do have to be off. Thanks once again for inviting me. See you soon!" She waved me goodbye before she released a Kadabra and Teleported out.
  
  I let my hand fall back to my sides. Then, figuring that I still had a few moments before I had to start making dinner, I started ruffling Eevee's fur as I idly went over everything that had happened today.
  
  I was VERY pleased with being able to secure the joint-cooperation of so many esteemed individuals. With such a stacked roster, I was very confident that my goal of revealing the Fairy type would be a success.
  
  A.N. And here comes the start of the Fairy reveal! It's been a long time coming, and yes, John has basically assembled the Avengers of scientists. This will be something going on in the background for quite a while, but I hope you enjoyed all the interactions.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Huge thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 5-18
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 5-18 - Following Up
  
  I dragged myself out of bed early the next morning because I wanted to spend a bit more time with Euphie before I had to drop her off at Professor Oak's. After hastily putting together a quick breakfast, I met with the rest of my team in the training fields.
  
  There was no training session today. It was just an opportunity for all of them to frolic around and enjoy the morning breeze. And of course, to say a temporary goodbye to Euphie, who I estimated would be gone for at least a few weeks.
  
  Obviously, we could visit her any time we wanted. But it was still a separation of sorts. And Klee and Luna looked the most devastated.
  
  "Blissey..." Klee whimpered sadly as she embraced Euphie, almost unwilling to let go.
  
  "Clefable. Clefable." Luna stood to her side, patting Klee comfortingly on her shoulder. The scene WOULD have been very sad, if not for the fact that Euphie didn't appear sad at all, and instead was excited about having the opportunity to meet new friends.
  
  "Eevee! Eevee!" Euphie replied reassuringly, trying her best to comfort the sullen Klee. She brought her tail up and wrapped it around Klee's arms in a tight hug, which seemed to soothe Klee's spirits.
  
  I continued to watch as my Pokémon continued to spend some time together. After being sufficiently pampered by the two females, Euphie broke away and tried to rush up to her sparring partner and friend, Ornstein. The two of them immediately started chasing one another in what looked like a game of tag.
  
  "Snorlax...Snor..." Smough said as he waddled up to me. I nodded at his words; I was happy to see that Euphie's temporary departure wouldn't put a damper on my Pokémon's moods. Though, according to Smough, Ornstein was a little upset at losing his friend and partner, but it was buried deep beneath his usual enthusiasm for a good scrap.
  
  I guess this was the type of thing that you notice when you spend so much time around Ornstein, and Smough was easily the one who accompanied him the most as Ornstein's designated 'rival'.
  
  "Slaking." Tyrant suddenly spoke up, and I must have been too distracted to notice his approach. "King...Sla...King."
  
  I chuckled at his words; Tyrant was grouching like an old man and saying how all this was too much excitement for him, before making his way over to where Luna and Klee were cheering Euphie on. But I knew he was really just watching over everyone, and like Smough, was just making sure that my team wasn't going to be too despondent about the temporary separation.
  
  An excited cry caught my attention, and I turned back to see Klaus running around with Euphie on his back. Euphie cried excitedly as she held on to Klaus, who seemed to be picking up speed as he galloped around the fields. In the air, Zephyr hovered protectively over the two of them, ready to catch Euphie in case she accidentally fell off.
  
  "Ursa..." Vordt grunted, creating small pillars of stone that acted as steppingstones for Klaus to leap off of. Klaus shot Vordt a thankful nod, before he leapt from platform to platform before leaping into the air, Euphie cheering enthusiastically all the while as she clung onto Klaus.
  
  "Eevee! Eevee!" Euphie chanted, begging Klaus to go again. Klaus gave off an amused huff, but then broke out into another gallop as he prepared to leap into the air once again. Then, with a sudden burst of inspiration, I decided to film this cute scene and send it to Karen and Whitney.
  
  Hopefully it would be a nice distraction for Karen from her work at running the Gym. She had been complaining recently about Agatha practically dumping all of the work on her. From what I heard; she was practically running the Gym by herself. But at least she was doing a good job of it, even though she was severely overworked.
  
  I guess those management training that Agatha drilled into her wasn't for nothing.
  
  Thus, the rest of the morning flew by as I gave my Pokémon the opportunity to enjoy themselves before Euphie's temporary departure. In the end, the fun times came to an end, and I picked up a satisfied Euphie and headed over to Professor Oak's laboratory in Pallet Town.
  
  A short flight on Port later, I landed safely on the outskirts of the Town. It really was a quiet place, with just the right number of buildings to give off a cosy, yet not depopulated, atmosphere. Honestly, I could see the appeal. Pallet Town was very idyllic.
  
  I put aside those thoughts as I made my way to the gleaming white building, the odd one out int the entire town. As I went inside Oak's lab, I was immediately greeted by the receptionist and quickly ushered into one of the testing rooms, where Professor Oak was busy on his computer typing something up.
  
  "Oh, hello John, thanks for coming." He greeted, "Blaine was just here a moment ago. I think you just missed him."
  
  "Oh? That's a shame." I said, before settling down into a chair. "How're things going?"
  
  "Since yesterday? It's been good." Oak replied, gesturing to his computer. "I already got started on collecting data on the Clefairy that we already had at the ranch. And I'm trying to secure lots of Pokémon for testing to update the Pokédex. It's why Blaine was here earlier; he was helping me acquire some harder to obtain Pokémon."
  
  "Thanks for being so productive." I said, "I'm just here to drop off Eevee for you and pass you some notes I jotted down yesterday. Maybe this will help." I was careful to make to seem like my notes were done by someone who had no idea of the type's existence beforehand, only revealing moves like Disarming Voice and Play Rough alongside Moonblast.
  
  "Fantastic." He smiled, getting up from his chair. "I need to take a break anyways. Let's head to the ranch where she'll be staying for the next few weeks."
  
  I nodded and followed after him. As we walked through the lab, I felt that many of his co-workers were staring at Oak with curious stares. And I felt a question bubble to the top of my head.
  
  I waited till we were outside before I sprung the question, "Does anyone else in your lab know what we're working on?" I asked, making sure my voice was barely above a whisper.
  
  "Inevitably, yes. But they know better than to blurt this kind of stuff out." He whispered back, "Though I do intend to bring some of my assistants and former students on board once we made some more progress, just for their added expertise. Not to worry - I'll ensure they're all trustworthy."
  
  I nodded, agreeing with his words. And I sincerely doubted anyone working here would go against Oak's orders. I could tell from what I saw that they likely respected him too much to do so.
  
  We continued walking further into the ranch, and I marvelled at the sheer size of it. Everywhere I looked I saw a huge variety of Pokémon from all regions casually hanging about. I thought that it was easily larger than Pallet Town itself. I wondered if anyone else in Indigo had a ranch that was larger or matched the size of Oak's.
  
  "We're here." He said as we entered one of the many fenced off areas of the ranch. Once again, I was stunned by the horde of different Pokémon just casually milling about the area.
  
  "How do you keep control of all these Pokémon?" I asked distractedly as I looked around, "Surely you're going to run into discipline issues eventually when you have so many Pokémon interacting with each other."
  
  Oak just shot me a smile, "A Dragon goes a long way in keeping the unruly pacified. After a while, they all learn to not cause too much trouble. And those who don't cause a fuss are rewarded. It's win-win."
  
  That was an understatement if I ever heard one. I could imagine that Oak's Dragonite was a VERY large stick. If I hadn't seen Lance's Emperor before...I shook myself from my thoughts as I released Euphie into the ranch.
  
  "Eevee...?" Euphie muttered confusedly as she took in her new surroundings. In the distance, a few of the other inhabitants of the ranch stared at Euphie curiously, obviously trying to learn more about this newcomer.
  
  I was about to speak up, but Euphie shot forwards before I could, running excitedly towards the onlooking crowd. They were hesitant at first, but they quickly accepted Euphie into their ranks, and they all began chatting happily.
  
  "Well, she sure is lively, isn't she?" Oak chuckled as the two of us watched Euphie chatting animatedly with the others.
  
  "She is." I replied, "I'm sure she'll get along well with the other inhabitants of the ranch."
  
  "Definitely looks like it." He smiled, "Anyways, I'll give your Eevee a day or so to get comfortable with her new living conditions before I introduce myself to her properly and get started on the testing. She knows what we're doing, right?"
  
  "Yep, already told her. She knows and is comfortable with it." I confirmed. "I hope she enjoys her stay."
  
  "I swear on Arceus that no harm will come to her." Oak says solemnly, "I will inform you as soon as possible when Eevee can be returned to you. You have my word."
  
  I nodded, accepting the oath. The two of us made some small talk regarding the project, but everything important had already been discussed yesterday. So, he just went through once more about the kinds of testing he would do with Euphie, including testing her ability to Fairy energy and practicing using Fairy type attacks. Basically, the same as what I was doing before, just in a more 'professional' environment.
  
  So, after just a bit, I started making my way back to Cerulean City where I had to attend my next appointment for the day.
  
  From what I saw, Euphie was in good hands. I hope she'll be happy making new friends.
  
  I had totally forgotten about lunch, so after a quick stop at the house to make myself a quick sandwich, I swiftly made my way to Cerulean City, fortunately still with enough time to spare. It wouldn't do to be late.
  
  I landed just outside the city hall, and I quickly made my way inside before I got mobbed by the rapidly gathering horde of spectators and fans that had seen my arrival. Fortunately, none were reckless enough to try to force their way into the city hall just to get my picture.
  
  Then, I entered the meeting room and was greeted by mayor Henry, accompanied by a small number of strangers, and my parents, who were also there.
  
  To clarify, this meeting was a gathering of many important individuals within Cerulean to discuss the latest developments of the city. Hence, those in attendance were either important figures, like myself, the Waterflower sisters, and mayor Henry, or individuals who were of significant prominence within the community. This latter group included many affluent businessmen, which my parents were now a part of.
  
  "Ah, John, thanks for coming." Mayor Henry greeted me with a smile. I responded in kind before shooting my parents a quick nod, to which they returned with a smile of their own.
  
  I was about to initiate some small talk when the door swung open once more, revealing the three final members of this meeting.
  
  "Hope we're not late!" Daisy said for her sisters as they all made their way in.
  
  "Yeah! The Cerulean Gym Leaders are here, reporting for duty!" Lily chimed, before getting swatted by Daisy to keep it down. The newly arrived Gym Leaders exchanged cheerful greetings with everyone for a moment before we all settled down. I noticed that some were giving approving looks towards the Waterflower sisters, which I hoped represented that their new reforms have begun improving their reputation.
  
  "Now that we're all here, I think we can safely begin today's meeting." Mayor Henry began as he swept his gaze across the room. "Firstly, I would like to greet all our newcomers. For those unaware, this gathering is to gather up the opinions of those with significant influence with Cerulean City to discuss matters related to the city."
  
  It was flattery, but I could see many pleased smiles from his words. He continued, "As for today's meeting, our agenda is to discuss how we will move forwards with the nearly completed construction of the first new Contest Hall. Then, we will be moving on to discussing any future actions that you all think the Cerulean council should consider."
  
  "Let's start with the first item." He declared, "With the first new Contest Hall nearly finished, the most important matter is about sending out the invitations." He turned to me, "John, could you send them out on our behalf for those in Hoenn? You're most suitable for it."
  
  I nodded; I was going to do it anyways even if didn't ask. "Sure, that's no problem." I said, "I already planned to send them out to Elite Drake of the Hoenn Elite Four, amongst others."
  
  "...you think Drake is going to come and participate in a Contest?" A businessman asked me, only to cause me to laugh. The absurdity of that image was too much.
  
  "Of course not." I said after I calmed down, "I'm only writing it to him because he's a friend. I fully intend for him to pass it on to whoever in the Elite Four is interested. I'll probably also send one to Gym Leader Norman, even if he can't come."
  
  "...Having someone within the Elite Four attend would definitely boost the prestige quite a bit." Mayor Henry commented, "Please let us know if that's the case. We'll have to prepare for such an arrival."
  
  Then he turned to the Waterflower sisters, "Next, if I could ask the Gym Leaders to send out invitations to known Contest participants in Indigo...I understand that you are familiar with some of them?"
  
  Daisy nodded on behalf of the sisters, "Yes. We're friends with a few of them, and many others can be considered our acquaintances. Leave that to us."
  
  Henry smiled, "Good. Then I'll arrange for the city hall to send out an open invitation for the grand ceremony for residents of Cerulean. We'll make an event out of it. John, if you're able to participate?" He asked me.
  
  I gave him a 'so-so' gesture, "I'll have to see. I would love to, but I have many other commitments that I might have to attend. I'll let you know."
  
  "Of course, no worries. We all understand that you're a busy Elite Four member. Don't worry about this." He reassured.
  
  "Hey, John." Lily spoke up, "If you have the time, would you like to participate in our show? We would really welcome it!"
  
  Daisy looked at her sister in horror, "LILY! You can't just ask that!" She turned to me apologetically, "We're sorry John, you can ignore what my stupid sister just said. We understand that you're busy."
  
  I chuckled, "No, no, it's fine." I waved her off, "I don't particularly mind, but like I said, I might be busy. I'll let you know in the future." I was about to leave it there, but the growing frown on Lily's face made me reconsider, "...And if I can't make it to the first event, I might join in on a future one."
  
  Lily shot me a beaming smile, "REALLY!? That would be so cool! Thanks John, we'd love to have you." Daisy tried to calm down her rowdy sibling but shot me a grateful smile as well.
  
  Admittedly, I didn't think I was a good fit to participate in Contests. However, I felt that doing it as one-time thing could be interesting. And I knew that Klaus, with his tendency to preen and show off, might be interested in this kind of thing. I'll have to ask him later.
  
  A cough drew our attention back to the meeting, "Sorry to switch the topic, but what about our sponsorship and advertisement opportunities?" One businessman asked, and the meeting quickly devolved into a discussion about business opportunities. I mostly tuned them out, but I kept an eye out to make sure that my parents didn't need any assistance. They didn't.
  
  Interestingly, Daisy was also an active participant in the discussion. I guess she was fulfilling her old promise about wanting sponsorships for their own show. I mentally wished her luck.
  
  Several minutes later, and the business talk finally began to wind down.
  
  "Great, I'm glad we got through that." Mayor Henry stated, "For now, let's table any further discussion until later. You can always reach out privately to discuss terms at a later date."
  
  He took a swig of water before continuing, "And now, to the second topic on our agenda, the future of Cerulean."
  
  He gestured to me and the Gym Leaders, "Recently, our status within Indigo has risen significantly as a result of these few individuals. Obviously, John's influence on us need not be stated, but the recent improvement of the Cerulean Gym in the public eye has been a boon for the city. We have benefitted greatly from their actions, so now let us discuss what we should do with our newfound prestige."
  
  A local councilman raised his hand, "We could push for sole authority over Mt. Moon." His suggestion was met with gasps of surprise from nearly everyone, except for me and the Waterflower sisters. We were just confused.
  
  Seeing our confusion, the councilman explained himself, "For years, we've been sharing authority over Mt. Moon with Pewter City. That's because Mt. Moon is unfortunately located right between our two cities, and we could never argue for holding sole authority over it as a result. And it's led to much inefficiency and communication problems."
  
  "But now that Pewter City is having trouble with their Gym, and with our own high prestige, we could push for it. Finally bring it all under our jurisdiction." He finished.
  
  Mayor Henry stroked his chin as he thought about it. "...Hmm. It's ambitious, but I see your point. We've been locked in a stalemate for so long that now is the best chance we have to break free from it. Arceus, even the Indigo League wants this over with."
  
  "Are we able to patrol it and manage everything?" Another councilman asked.
  
  "Easily." Mayor Henry replied, "The Cerulean police have received plenty of new funding recently. They should have no problems managing the entrance to Mt. Moon. The rangers can take care of the rest like they've always done. What does everyone else think?"
  
  Many immediately signalled their agreement with the plan. Apparently, getting jurisdiction over Mt. Moon was a very popular topic amongst the Cerulean council. The purely businesspeople were rather apathetic, but they still saw the benefit of a more prestigious Cerulean City.
  
  In the meanwhile, I took a moment to think about what I wanted to do here. But ultimately, while I didn't want Cerulean to overreach, I decided that this was the probably the next step forwards for ensuring the continued prosperity of the city. There were plenty of valuable resources and Pokémon that would be under our authority.
  
  Eventually, I spoke up, "I agree with this. So long as the Indigo League doesn't disagree, I think pushing for sole authority over Mt. Moon is worth it." Others shared similar sentiments.
  
  Mayor Henry nodded, "Then it's agreed. I'll speak with the Indigo League soon to see if we can successfully push for it. I'm sure that they'll be persuaded..."
  
  He was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing. Embarrassedly, I realized it was mine. With reddening cheeks, I turned to turn it off before I saw who it was. It was Drake.
  
  "Drake, how can I help you?" I said out loud, causing everyone to turn to me as they realized who I was speaking to. They all turned silent as they tried to listen in on our conversation.
  
  "John. It's Team Rocket. They've struck again." He growled out, with unmistakable rage in his voice.
  
  "Where?!" I demanded, my own anger rising at his words. The other members in the room were now looking at me with concern as they as they heard the tone of my voice.
  
  "Devon Corp. No deaths, some serious injuries. They've stolen some stuff and a few files." He told me. "I'm at the crime scene now. The Hoenn Committee is panicking and thinks that this was just an act of corporate espionage, but my gut tells me that it's more than this. Call Lance, I want you over here as the expert. I'll let Wallace know; he won't say no. Get here as soon as possible. I'll meet you at Rustboro."
  
  "Done. Talk to you soon." I quickly hung up. I quickly apologized to everyone before hastily leaving the conference room before I dialled up Lance.
  
  "This is Lance speaking." He picked up.
  
  "Lance, Team Rocket has just resurfaced and struck at Devon Corp. Drake is calling me over there to investigate with him." I told him without preamble. "He's getting permission from Wallace as we speak."
  
  "...Understood. I approve. Head over there as soon as possible and let me know about the situation as soon as possible. You have my full support to crush this scum." He said seriously, a slight hint of his anger showing through.
  
  Thanking him, I hung up the call and proceeded to take to the skies on Port to fly my way over to Hoenn. Normally, I wouldn't do this because flying such long distances places a lot of strain on your Pokémon, but in emergencies like these where time was of the essence then I had no other choice.
  
  On my way there, I texted my parents that I was needed over at Hoenn for an emergency before I called up Giovanni.
  
  "Giovanni, it's John. Team Rocket has just struck at Devon Corp, and I'm on my way there now with permission." I relayed to him.
  
  "What?!" He shouted in surprise, "Right, okay, I see. Good luck out there. I'll try to see if I can find out anything for you, but you might be on your own. Please keep me informed."
  
  "Will do. Talk to you later." I hung up and focused on maintaining Port's flight speed. Fortunately, I was confident that Port was able to sustain this speed for quite a while. He had far more stamina than your average transport Pokémon.
  
  Still, as we flew over, my mind remained riddled with thoughts. Wasn't Team Magma or Aqua supposed to be the main villains of Hoenn. What was Team Rocket doing there instead?
  
  Unless...unless one of those Teams took Team Rocket under their wing and enlisted their services. I could reasonably seeing that happening...but that also meant that the situation was DEFINITELY far more serious than just your average corporate espionage attack. Not that I bought that reasoning for even a second.
  
  I just hoped that I would be there in time to stop their plans, whatever they might be.
  
  A.N. Just letting you know that there will be a double upload on Wednesday with the Interlude. This is the penultimate chapter of the Elite Four Arc.
  
  As I said before, I'm very excited to be bringing this arc to you all. I really hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far and will continue to enjoy the arcs to come. Thank you all so much!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-18 - Interlude -Drake
  The New Normal - 5-18 - Interlude - Drake
  
  Drake had rushed over to Devon Corp as soon as he heard about the attack. Fortunately for Hoenn, Joseph Stone had the decency and integrity to not let such an attack remain secret, even if it might hurt his stock prices. A couple of shareholders may have complained, but Joseph seemed keen to find the truth.
  
  Drake could respect someone who valued the greater good over their personal needs. Drake always believed that it was only in adversity that a person's true character would be revealed. And here, his respect for the long-time businessman only grew. Turns out there WERE businessmen that could be respectable and weren't just in it for the money. Go figure.
  
  Still, that small silver lining was not enough to cover over the attack, which was, politely speaking, a disaster in the making. Sure, Team Rocket had actually minimized their damage, only inflicting several injuries and relatively minor property damage, but the idea that Team Rocket was resurfacing was one that Drake was imminently concerned about.
  
  Unlike the rest of Hoenn, he wasn't surprised at Team Rocket's reappearance. He always knew, from his own gut instincts and from John's warnings, that Team Rocket had yet to go to ground entirely. He KNEW that they were simply biding their time until the right opportunity presented themselves for them to strike once again. Because idiots like these would not simply go away with one ass-kicking. And, just like he predicted, they had shown up once again.
  
  What was concerning to Drake, which the Hoenn League seemed to be blindly ignorant about as usual with their incompetence, was the fact that Team Rocket were acting with far more precision and professionalism than they had previously seen from their time in Indigo, showing off a remarkable sense of discipline that they previously lacked. Moreover, this attack at Devon Corp was more akin to a precision strike than anything else, and the military man in Drake was deeply troubled by such realisations.
  
  They had gotten in somehow, raided the storage facility where Joseph said valuable files were being stored, and then left before the Hoenn Police could catch them. They left no stragglers and very little evidence to go with. It was nothing like how they used to act, which was obviously very haphazard and undisciplined.
  
  In fact, their operation was clean enough that Drake heard that some within the Hoenn League were looking to try to sweep this whole incident under the rug. Once he had heard that, it had taken every little bit of self-control for Drake to not explode into a furious tirade. He would have quit the Elite Four ON THE SPOT if the Hoenn League tried to cover up an attack like this for something as stupid as POLITICS!
  
  Fucking imbeciles and their greed to stay in power. He always said that the Hoenn League would function better if they could get rid of the layabouts in the committee pretending that they were important when all they did was contaminate the air with their existence.
  
  Fortunately, Wallace was quick to jump to his defense. He argued that with people hurt, they had to do right by Joseph Stone and his wounded employees so that the Hoenn League is seen doing something. Privately, Wallace had informed Drake that he was on his side, and that Wallace would use his position as Champion to support Drake in his pursuit of Team Rocket.
  
  Drake was proud of his Champion for his support and fighting back against the committee to do the right thing. Their Champion might be a little too interested in Contests and competitions, but he was undoubtedly a good leader and had Drake's respect. The other Elite Four were similarly supportive, which he was thankful for.
  
  And hence, this was where Drake found himself now. He had the unofficial backing of the Champion, but many in the Hoenn League were against further escalation. They had demanded that Drake and the other Elite Four members to not act out in a way that might cause a public scare, stupidly tying their hands.
  
  But Drake was a military man. He fought in the war as part of the navy. He wasn't about to let some pencil pusher forcefully order him around.
  
  He would protect his beloved region no matter what. He would be the guardian that shielded Hoenn from the rot that was Team Rocket, and he would root out the source of this rot and corruption and purge it from Hoenn entirely. He was not about to let some two-bit thugs spread their poison around Hoenn like they did in Indigo.
  
  The problem now was that he hadn't a clue where to start. Drake knew he was good in a fight, one doesn't get into the Elite Four without being a good fighter, but the problem now was trying to FIND Team Rocket so that they could destroy them. Their cowardice frustrated Drake; he was a man that was used to using mass destruction techniques against his enemies, not precision strikes.
  
  There was a reason he favoured Draco Meteor and Hyper Beam over something more precise, after all.
  
  The other members of the Elite Four might have been more suited to this but getting them actively involved would really be stretching the tolerance of the Hoenn League. It was frustrating, but even the Elite Four couldn't simply disobey the committee so easily. Not without being able to influence public opinion firmly to their side.
  
  But he knew that this was more than some corporate espionage, no matter what the committee tried to stupidly push for. Even Joseph agreed with him when he shared his suspicions. While Devon Corp was a very big company, this kind of direct attack from another company just didn't happen; nor would they hire Team Rocket to do it. Something was definitely fishy, but Drake didn't know what.
  
  That was why he had called in John in hopes that he had more insight, and for the backup. Out of everyone, John was given the firsthand opportunity to learn about Team Rocket's movements from his time in Olivine, and Drake hoped that he would have insights here. Plus, with his reputation for intellectual activities, he hoped that John would do a better job than he could to parse through their plans, whatever they might be.
  
  And once their plans were unravelled, then Drake would be there, ready to crush these defilers back into the dirt where they belonged. His Salamence would not be merciful.
  
  He clutched at one of the sleeves of his old uniform, a reminder of his glory days. Nowadays, he mostly wore it out of tradition, but perhaps it may be time for Drake to remind the world WHY he wore such a uniform, and what it truly represented.
  
  Team Rocket would regret making an enemy out of him. And Dragon fire would be their fates. This he vowed.
  
  A.N. This was Drake's initial thoughts on the whole incident, hope you liked them. His hands are tied by the Hoenn League, who don't want to risk causing a public scare and making them look bad. He's playing by the rules for now, but if push comes to shove, he's going to damn the Committee and go on the hunt anyways. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 5-19 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 5-19 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [HUGE CHANGES REGARDING THE PEWTER GYM AFTER INSPECTION RESULTS FALL FLAT! AGATHA APPOINTED AS TEMPORARY REGENT TO THE PEWTER GYM!] by The Indigo Post
  
  For those of you who are more aware of the current status of the Indigo Gyms, you may have saw that Lance had recently dispatched the Pokémon Inspection Agency to undergo inspections with all the Indigo Gyms. In most cases, the inspectors found nothing of concern, but this was not the case when it came to the Pewter Gym.
  
  The inspectors ruled that the Pewter Gym was "...wholly inefficient, completely disorganized, and utterly incapable of handling the duties that is required of a Gym Leader." Normally, such a damning report would see flocks of reporters and news agencies being sent to interview Flint for his response, but that would not happen this time.
  
  Because upon hearing the damning results, Flint had already fled the Gym, leaving authority over the Gym to his 13-year-old son, Brock.
  
  According to insider sources within the Indigo League, this sparked an emergency meeting as the Champion, Elite Four, and the committee immediately tried to resolve this scenario as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we weren't able to discover the specifics of what was argued, but the end result was equally as surprising.
  
  Lance made the announcement the next day, appointing Elite Agatha as the temporary regent to oversee the Pewter Gym and to ensure its' continued running. All the while, the committee would continue to deliberate to decide who they would appoint on a more permanent basis as regent.
  
  But for now, Elite Agatha is running the Gym alongside her apprentice, and newest rising star in Indigo, Karen. We managed to snag a quick interview with the busy apprentice to ask her a few questions about the Gym under their new management, since Agatha has expectedly denied us an interview.
  
  "The League Inspectors ruling definitely understated the problem." Karen said in the interview, "I've been running around ragged for the past few days trying to sort through all of the paperwork and to fill in the blanks when documents were missing. Fortunately, Agatha is here to assist and oversee all matters regarding the Gym and is more than experienced enough to run a Gym. We should see improvements to the Gym very shortly."
  
  We then asked her a few questions about Brock, and about his capabilities to run the Gym in the future if Flint never returns. Karen had this to say, "No 13-year-old should reasonably have been given the responsibilities that he had, but Brock acted decisively and made the praiseworthy, yet very difficult, decision to ask for help. He alerted the League to the Gym's problems before they could grow worse, which was an extremely mature decision that he should be praised for. Ever since then, he's been an attentive helper that is eager to learn more about how to run the Gym. If he keeps this up, I am confident that he would make a great Gym Leader once he reaches his majority."
  
  This writer is keeping a watchful eye on the Pewter Gym to see more about its future developments. Although the future might look bright, it's undeniable that the current state of the Pewter Gym is a disappointment in the eyes of many. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  I knew it! When I made my run through the Pewter Gym all that time ago, I commented about how rundown it looked. But at the time I tricked myself into thinking that it was part of the rustic appeal. But no, turns out the Gym's deterioration was not intentional. Shame on Flint for failing to keep things running!
  
  The first Gym is important!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  FutureAce Big agree. The first Gym is often the first impression many trainers get of the circuit and the League. It's supposed to be an amazing moment that fills you with awe. Although I haven't visited the Pewter Gym in a while, for it to receive such a negative denunciation by the inspectors is a terrible sign.
  
  The first Gym is meant to spark your enthusiasm as a trainer. But that isn't possible when it's as rundown and poorly managed as the inspectors say that it is. Shame.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Is everyone sure that the League inspectors aren't just overplaying this? I mean, they could just be exaggeration because they want to pin the Pewter Gym as an enemy, you know? Don't trust everything you hear! The Pewter Gym might be totally fine.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  KantoRepresent ...yeah no. Not in this case. It's good to be sceptical of what you read in the news but considering that I've walked past the Pewter Gym recently with a friend, I can say for certain that they haven't been exaggerating.
  
  Unlike the Cerulean Gym, which at least has a pristine exterior, even if the Gym Leaders aren't the best at running the Gym, the Pewter Gym doesn't even try. The inside of the Gym, both in its trainers and appearance, is just as bad as the exterior.
  
  The League wasn't lying here.
  
  DarkManager
  
  Karen here. Like I said in the interview, the Gym isn't in a good condition right now, but it WILL be. Agatha and I are hard at work at repairing the Gym after Flint made a mess of it, and Brock is an eager learner that I have no doubts would be a far greater successor than his father.
  
  Please look forward to seeing the Gym improve. And I thank you all you for your patience.
  
  TheRealBoss (Verified POG)
  
  DarkManager Wishing you all the best here from Viridian. The Pewter Gym is an important staple of Kanto, and I sincerely hope that it can be quickly restored to its former glory. But I'm sure Agatha has a firm hand on the situation.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Woah, surprised to see both of them in the comments. But yes, I agree with the Gym Leader. The Pewter Gym might be in a poor state now, but with Agatha's competent hands at the helm, I expect it to get better soon.
  
  Hope Brock is able to be a better Gym Leader than his father.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I mean...if Brock proves to be a bad Gym Leader as well, then surely we can just remove their titles and replace them with someone more competent. Of course, I'm hoping it won't come to that. But just putting it out there...
  
  [SINNOH BORDERS ABOUT TO OPEN? FOLLOW-UP LEAKS RECEIVED FROM THE SINNOH GOVERNMENT?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  Previously, the Indigo Post reported about how there were unconfirmed and anonymous reports from Sinnoh that their administration was seeking to open their borders. While we did report on it, considering the unverified source of the information, we here at the Indigo League were rightfully sceptical of such reports.
  
  However, it seems like the rumours and reports were more factual than we suspected, as we have now received another round of, again anonymous, reports that the Sinnoh League is under heavy pressure to open up their borders.
  
  According to the report, which we here at the Indigo Post believe that it must have come from someone from within the Sinnoh League, the previous leaks discussing the possible opening of Sinnoh's borders have sparked widespread enthusiasm within the Sinnoh populace. Apparently, the people of Sinnoh are seeking to open their borders as soon as possible and are pushing back against the stubborn insistence of the traditionalists within the Sinnoh committee.
  
  And as the pressure mounts, the report states that protests have broken out as the populace cries out for their demands to be heard. Though this might be an exaggeration of the situation.
  
  Unfortunately, while we are unable to keep a close eye on what is going on over in Sinnoh, we here at the Indigo Post promise to keep you informed about any progress as soon as possible. This writer personally hopes that the border between our two regions will open soon; there are plenty of Pokémon and wonders to explore and see!
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Woah! What a surprise to see. Would be absolutely thrilled to have Sinnoh opening their borders sooner rather than later. A whole new region, with new Pokémon?! How exciting!
  
  Hope those in the Sinnoh League stop being so stubborn! Give the people what they want!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Yeah, I can remember when Indigo was open to us in Hoenn. I was much younger then, but it was an incredible time filled with excitement. Always an amazing time when new regions get discovered and open up.
  
  Fully agree that the borders should open soon. Hurry up! I can't wait to catch some of those Sinnoh Pokémon!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I'm just curious when the Pokénet will be linked to Sinnoh. I know they still haven't been linked yet, but for me personally I would love the opportunity to be able to speak to those in Sinnoh about their experiences and the differences in their culture.
  
  And of course about their Pokémon as well. Very interested in that.
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Agreed. It would be best if the Sinnoh League would stop doing their best to stop the progress of science. We NEED access to their scientific research as soon as possible, and these stubborn fools are actively hindering the progression of humanity by continuing to deny us an opportunity to do research.
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  I want a penpal in Sinnoh. I had a penpal in Kanto when it first opened up to us in Hoenn, but I forgot to respond to their letter...and then I forgot about their address...oh well.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Still can't believe that there's only one new Dragon type in Sinnoh...at least it's powerful. Can't wait to see people fielding Garchomp in the battles. I guess being a Ground type is pretty cool too, but the Ground type is more like a poor man's Dragon type.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  DragonPower How dare you! I'm excited for Garchomp too, though. Hopefully Gym Leader Giovanni gets his hands on one! Might become his new ace!
  
  [STEVEN STONE SPOTTED IN INDIGO! AIMS TO CLEAR THE INDIGO CIRCUIT!] by BattleCast
  
  Steven Stone, the heir to the illustrious Devon Corp, has recently been spotted in Indigo. Though he initially made no public announcement for the reasons for his arrival, he has been very forthcoming with his reasons to any reporters that approached him.
  
  In the interview, Steven said this. "Many of you know me as the son of one of the wealthiest businessmen in Hoenn. Indeed, that is what I am. I cannot deny the luxuries and opportunities that my wealth has provided me. But what many do not know is that I am also an aspiring trainer looking to make my mark on the world like so many others have."
  
  "As a result of this, I am seeking to prove to the world that I am more than just the son of a businessman. My team and I have been training for years, and now we seek to prove our strength to the public. I am officially announcing my participation in the upcoming Hoenn Conference and am here in Indigo to tour and challenge all of the Gyms at their best to both prove my abilities and to shore up on any weaknesses in preparation for the Conference."
  
  When asked about the order that he would pursue the Gyms in, Steven replied, "I'm not going to be challenging the Gyms in any order. Otherwise, if I were to go with the standard route, I would be challenging either Agatha or her apprentice first. I would prefer to challenge myself on a softer target first before I challenge that hurdle."
  
  After that interview, we here at BattleCast were quick to dig up Steven's old battle records from his time in Hoenn, and we were fascinated by what we discovered. Looking at his previous battles, Steven is evidently a powerful Steel type specialist with his starter Metagross, an infamous powerhouse known for its ability to completely dominate their opponents.
  
  With that in mind, it looks like Steven's boasts were unlikely to just be hot air after all. This writer is extremely excited to see more about Steven's journey and how he will overcome the many battles ahead. Stay tuned for more!
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  No way...You mean to tell me that the boy with born with the biggest silver spoon in his mouth is looking to become a trainer? And that he's ACTUALLY strong?! WTF!
  
  Most rich kids of businessmen are often spoiled brats. Wonder if he'd be any different?
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  NotTooMuchWater Yeah I was pretty surprised by this too, but didn't you see Steven's previous battles in Hoenn? His Metagross (Metang at the time) was no joke. Like seriously, he breezed past the Hoenn Gyms like it was nothing.
  
  Frankly, I'm not surprised by his announcement.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I mean, I knew that he had fought the Hoenn Gyms, but I really thought that it was money carrying him through. Never knew he was actually a good trainer. Huh.
  
  I guess first impressions can be wrong. He still might be a spoiled brat, though.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Ooooh a Steel Specialist. How exciting! We haven't seen much of those in a while. Though honestly, with all Steven's money, I was hoping he would be a more versatile trainer so that we could finally have a high-ranking generalist trainer like many of us hope for.
  
  I mean, surely he has the money to just buy/acquire whatever Pokémon he'd like right? So I'm a bit disappointed he's choosing to stick to one type.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Steven's challenging all of the Gyms in Indigo at the 8 badge level right? Well then, he's definitely going to be in for a challenge for some of them.
  
  As a Steel specialist, he might be naturally immune to Poison type moves, but I have full confidence in Koga's ability to fight around that. If Steven's expecting a clean sweep of the Indigo Gyms, then he's about to be disappointed.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  YEAH! Time to show off the Kanto Gym supremacy. We have the BEST and TOUGHEST Gyms in Indigo. Don't look to those pansy ass Gyms in Johto. We're the greater challenge.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Don't listen to KantoRepresent usual propaganda. After all, isn't the Pewter Gym currently being held by a regent because of how badly the last one managed it? Don't cash checks you can't pay for.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  Gym Leader Giovanni for the win! His Ground types are definitely going to put an end to Steven's winning streak! I promise!
  
  DragonPower
  
  No, Clair is going to do it! Her Dragon types are simply too powerful for those dull Steel types to fight back against. Clair will put Steven in his place!
  
  [An insightful analysis into John vs Bruno. How did John win?] By BattleCast
  
  Previously, we here at BattleCast published an article describing, in broad details, the many factors that led to John's victory over Bruno. However, like many have pointed out over the past few days, John's Clefable was able to perform to a level beyond many reasonable expectations, even by the standards of an Elite trainer, which was instrumental to John's final victory.
  
  But if we look carefully into Clefable's performance, we can see that it was able to tank through many Fighting type hits that would usually be supereffective against it. His Clefable was able to shrug off repeated impacts from Bruno's Mach Punch, and even a Close Combat, which were from Pokémon that have proven themselves to be devastatingly powerful fighters. An opinion that is similarly supported by the comments from many Ace trainers that also spectated the battle.
  
  Not only that, but the pink energy, which we assume was Psychic energy, was also somehow able to cut through the Dark type energy from Bruno, which should normally have nullified the Psychic energy entirely. And yet...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  ...Surely this is just the typical conspiracy nonsense being peddled out by the news for views. Pretty sure most of these so called 'anomalies' could be just explained by good training. We've seen Elite John surprise us so many times that we shouldn't be surprised at this point. And Elite Pokémon are KNOWN to be able to take attacks like that repeatedly, its part of why they're so strong.
  
  Don't fall for it guys. It's fake news.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Don't listen to the naysayers in the comments! BattleCast is right! There IS something fishy going on here. AND THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE!
  
  John's Clefable is clearly cheating. He must have had done some preparation beforehand to allow Clefable to resist against attacks like this. Tut tut. Naughty Elite Four member.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  DetectivePikachu No...just no. You think a high stakes match like this wouldn't be heavily supervised beforehand? Any attempts to cheat would be caught and called out ages ago. With their strengths and status, the two of them wouldn't risk everything to cheat like this.
  
  Also 'preparation' is also known as 'training'. You should try it sometime.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Yeah that's right! Don't you dare accuse John of cheating! He's too honourable for that anyways! Don't try to make something up when the answer is clearly just 'good training'. SMH these people sometimes...
  
  EDIT: Also, it's weird not having FightClub screaming his head about Fighting types. I swear this would be one of those moments where he would use this as validation for why his precious Fighting types lost. Glad he's gone!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Hmm...definitely an interesting observation here. I'm no scientist or researcher, so honestly, I haven't a clue what it could be. Perhaps someone with more battling or research experience could come up with something?
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Without access to better equipment to properly scan and analyse John's Pokémon, I couldn't say. However, I believe that John should immediately allow a qualified scientist to investigate his Pokémon and find out the reason for such an anomaly.
  
  The world DESERVES to know. Science should never be held back. No secrets should be allowed. They should be ripped out and exposed for all to see.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...You're really going to be like that, huh.
  
  [The beginnings of a new project? Professor Oak sends out acquisition requests for many Pokémon!] by The Eye of Science.
  
  Something of interest that has popped up on our radar recently was unusual activity from our esteemed Professor Oak. According to reliable sources, Professor Oak has begun acquiring a huge variety of Pokémon on a temporary basis so that he may run tests on them.
  
  The last time Professor Oak did something like this, he ended up creating one of the most important inventions of our time, the Pokédex. This writer is extremely excited to see what Professor Oak comes out with this time, and what he's trying to investigate. And I'm sure many within the scientific community have been thinking similarly, with many trying to seek out the reason for Professor Oak's sudden actions.
  
  Has this got anything to do with the PIT technique, which has been making rounds around the scientific community for being THE thing to research at the moment? If so, then it is very likely that Professor Oak will be able to discover a new alternate typing, considering his achievements thus far. We wonder what he will be able to come up with.
  
  This writer is eagerly watching this space to catch any future developments.
  
  Comments
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Interesting...Well whatever it is I can safely say the project is in good hands. Leave it to Professor Oak to continue making advancements to improving our understanding of the world and Pokémon.
  
  And if anyone in this project is reading this comment thread, please send me a direct message if you would like my involvement. A critical project needs a critical eye, which I do possess.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Hmmm...it might actually be something to do with the Pokédex. I mean, it's been a while since he has updated it. And with Sinnoh coming around the corner, maybe Professor Oak is just getting ready for the incoming influx of Pokémon. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
  
  Or perhaps he's just discovered a new alternate form via the PIT Technique. That works too.
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Gardevoir34 ...From your previous comments on the Pokénet, I thought you were the type of person that didn't even have enough braincells to rub together. I'm honestly speechless. Since when were you interested in this?
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Hey! Just because I like to fantasise about inappropriate topics doesn't mean I'm not smart! I just like to keep my personal and private lives separate. I'm a scientist too! Don't judge a book by its cover.
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  ...That's true, but when the cover is about two men in a relationship, it's hard to not think the book is going to be focused on romance...
  
  A.N. This is the final chapter of the New Elite Four Arc! Once again, I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, and I thank you again for reading up until now. Big thanks to all your support. I hope you enjoyed the double upload.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-1 - The Hunt Begins
  
  I had a lot of time to think while I was flying over to Hoenn on Port. Namely, what did I think the goal of Team Rocket was when they made this attack on Devon Corp? Drake had said that he felt that there was more to this than just some random attack, and I agreed wholeheartedly with his analysis.
  
  Team Rocket wouldn't have dragged themselves out of hiding for no reason, after all. They had to be planning something. And I suspected that what they were planning had to do with the specific files that they stole from Devon Corp.
  
  But from canon, I didn't remember anything about Devon Corp that was relevant to them. In fact, they weren't even IN Hoenn. Only Team Magma and Aqua were. And regarding the latter two teams, I know in the games they stole the submarine parts for their underwater expedition from Devon Corp, so perhaps this was what they were going for again? Was that it?
  
  I let the thought sit in my head for the entire journey through as I tried to come up with a better explanation, but in the end the whole exercise was just a huge waste of time. Without knowing more from the facts, my internal explanations were no better than just random guesses.
  
  Therefore, I tried to keep my calm as I waited out the rest of the journey to Hoenn. After a couple hours of exhaustive flying, Port valiantly delivered me to Rustboro City, where I saw many different people rushing about urgently. From Jennys to Joys, it was a whole debacle.
  
  With a thankful pat to Port, I withdrew him to his Premier Ball and allowed him to rest. He had done very well today. And just as I put away his Premier Ball, a few Jennys immediately mobbed me.
  
  "Elite John, thank you for coming over so quickly. Elite Drake has asked me to escort you to him." She said in a rushed manner, her faced lined with exhaustion and stress that only highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Not wanting to cause her any further trouble, I simply nodded and allowed her to escort me to the Devon Corp building.
  
  As the building drew near, I frowned as I bared witness to the damage. In truth, it was far from as bad as it could've been. There was no fire or smoke, meaning that the property damage was probably limited to just internal damage. If it wasn't for the large police cordon surrounding Devon Corp, you would be hard pressed to find out that the building had been recently attacked unless you looked really closely.
  
  Eventually, I found Drake standing there with a grim mien. Joseph Stone was standing next to him with a similarly unhappy expression. At least their eyes brightened as I made my approach.
  
  "Ah, John! Great of you to come here so quickly." Joseph greeted with a small smile, "You have my thanks for your timely assistance."
  
  "It's nothing, Joseph. I'm just happy to help. I'm sorry for your loss." I replied, trying to put as much sincerity as I could into my voice.
  
  "Don't worry about it. It could've been far worse." He waved me off easily, but I could tell that he was inwardly quite concerned about this whole incident. "I got enough worrying from Steven. He almost took the next ship back here to check up on me; but I convinced him otherwise."
  
  I nodded just as Drake gave his own greetings, which was far less joyous.
  
  "Thank fuck you're here John, this isn't my speciality." Drake said to me with his signature roughness. "They're still digging through the files now to see what went missing. You came at a good time; they should be done pretty soon."
  
  "I see." I nodded, idly staring at the building, "And what of the injured? You mentioned that before."
  
  Joseph spoke up, "A couple of my employees that were on the floor were pretty heavily roughed up, but the Nurse Joys have assured me that there isn't anything fatal." He frowned, some anger leaking into his tone, "I already offered them huge bonuses for their bravery. I hope it sees them through."
  
  I saw Drake's mouth curl upwards for a brief moment before it quickly disappeared back into a grimace, "In a way, we got lucky that Team Rocket got a bit too fist-happy when in there. Otherwise, the Hoenn League might really be able to shove all this under the rug."
  
  I gave Drake a curious look, "Is it really that bad? Is the Hoenn League really looking to try to cover up something like this?"
  
  Drake nearly snarled, "Yes, though using the term 'cover-up' might not be fully accurate. Otherwise, Joseph over here would definitely make a ruckus that they won't be able to silence."
  
  He shook his head, "No, it's more like they'll designate this whole incident as a lone event, and so there will be no need to mobilize anything more than the standard Hoenn Police." He explained, "No disrespect to the Jennys, but they alone won't be able to uncover anything without more direct action from higher up."
  
  "And this is where me trying to stay politically neutral has bit me in the ass." Joseph sighed, "Devon Corp might be one of the largest businesses in Hoenn, but most of that money is reinvested into science and R&D. Not politics. We don't have the political influence that others might have in our position."
  
  "It's not all bad, though." Drake continued, putting his hands into his pockets, "Wallace is firmly on my side, and he's given me unofficial authority to hunt down Team Rocket. He's also given you official permission for you to be here and help out, and the Hoenn committee won't be able to revoke that. But if we aggravate the public too much with our actions, then the Hoenn League might forcefully step in and shut us down. It's why the other Elite Four aren't here, their presence would signal a massive escalation and the committee don't want that."
  
  "So...basically what you're saying is that we need to hunt down Team Rocket WITHOUT risking widespread panic?" I confirmed, getting two nods in response. My face quickly turned into a frown; I thought the Hoenn League would have a more proactive response to this. This was far too half-hearted.
  
  But then again, I could see why the politicians were so eager to bury this incident. Any kind of unrest looked bad for them and harmed their chances of re-election. It was a decision born from selfishness, but it was far too common of a sight.
  
  Drake must have saw the expression on my face because he patted me on the shoulder, "Don't feel too down by this. I'm fucking pissed too, but I've come to expect such stupidity from politicians. We just have to make use of what we have and work around them. Fortunately, most of them are idiots, so it shouldn't be too hard."
  
  Joseph nodded, "Indeed. And I was just telling Drake before you arrived here that we've already figured how they got in."
  
  "How?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I listened intently.
  
  "One of our employees was a turncoat and simply let them in through the employee-only entrance." Joseph said, his face slowly morphing into one of rictus fury. "I never expected one of my employees would stoop so low as to support terrorists, but I suppose a company-wide inspection might be necessary after this. I must have gotten lax with the hiring procedures. THAT, or HR is going to have some very serious explaining to do."
  
  That was a side to the usually joyful Joseph that wasn't commonly seen, but I returned my focus to the matter at hand, "Where is this employee now?"
  
  "Gone in the fucking wind." Drake growled, "Must have left with his criminal pals of his. The coward. But we do know who he is. He's called Tabitha, and was a scientist working at the company."
  
  My eyes widened in recognition as I heard the name. Tabitha. An admin of Team Magma. Suddenly, the puzzle pieces were starting to come together. Team Magma must have recruited the remains of Team Rocket, likely under Proton, and used their outfits to disguise the existence of their own team.
  
  It was a cunning plan. After all, who would suspect a Team known for their acts of terrorism and Pokémon thievery to suddenly be planning to terraform the world using a Legendary? No wonder many suspected this to be an act of corporate espionage, it was a reasonable fit for Team Rocket's previous money-driven actions.
  
  But I, and I suspected Drake as well, knew better. If this really was a Magma operation, then the files MUST have something to do with the Legendaries of Hoenn. I couldn't think of any other reason why they would reveal themselves like this otherwise.
  
  A sting of guilt ran through me as well. Did my actions accidentally cause this to happen? Was I responsible for this attack taking place? But then, as quick as it came, I quickly shook those thoughts away. Blaming myself for something out of my control was not productive. At least not now, I could berate myself for these mistakes later.
  
  For now, I tried to wrack my brain for what I remembered of Team Magma's actions from canon.
  
  "You're thinking hard, John." Drake suddenly spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. "Something you figured out?"
  
  "Maybe..." I said unsurely, "I think I have an idea. But I have to see what files are missing before I say anything else."
  
  "Then let's go." Joseph declared, walking forwards into the building. "The Jennys must have had enough time by now. I'm not going to waste any more time standing around; this is MY building damn it. I'll bring you to the files myself."
  
  We quickly followed Joseph into the building. Some gave us curious looks, but none barred our way. We swiftly made our way to where the files were being stored, and I looked around to survey the damage as Joseph and Drake addressed the Jennys.
  
  I think I saw marks of what was likely a Pokémon battle, but the battle must have been either over quickly or utterly one-sided. Filing cabinets were smashed and knocked over, and the entire room in general was trashed as Team Rockets must have scrambled for the paperwork. Considering they had insider access, the fact that they couldn't IMMEDIATELY find what they were looking for meant that the files they were searching for were likely very important.
  
  That only added to my theory of what the true goal of Team Magma was.
  
  I turned to ask Joseph a question, "How high of a rank was Tabitha at your company? What level of security access did he have?"
  
  He rubbed his chin as he pondered the question, "From his employee file, he was just some middling scientist. One of many that we employ, so he wouldn't have high level access to many important files. But what was concerning was that Tabitha was not a recent hire. He was someone who had stuck it out at the firm for many years."
  
  "Very odd for a long-time employee to defect like that." Drake commented, "Any sign that held grievances against your company?"
  
  "Not that I know of." Joseph responded, "I like to think that my company's policy for employees is fair and reasonable. If he had worked here for as long as he did, he should have been due for a promotion any time soon now. But you make a good point, I'll speak to his supervisor to see if he knows anything else."
  
  "Good. You do that." Drake said, before turning to the Jennys. "Hey! Did you go through the record for the most important files? I'm fucking sure that that those files were their target."
  
  One of the Jennys nodded before bringing out a record of said files to Joseph, who casually passed it over to us. Apparently, Joseph didn't care about accidentally revealing company secrets to us. Which was a nice show of trust.
  
  The three of us silently inspected the list. Immediately, one item caught my eye. It was an old piece of research into the functionality of the Red and Blue Orbs, and their supposed properties to be able to control Legendaries.
  
  "There!" I shouted, pointing to the Orb research. "That's what they were looking for."
  
  "...The Red and Blue Orb research? Why would they go for that? It says here that the project was deemed to have gone nowhere." Joseph questioned with a frown as he looked over the notes. "Wouldn't they go for something like my fossil research machine? It's far more valuable. In fact, I'm surprised they didn't even touch it."
  
  I shook my head, "Monetarily, you're right. But these are terrorists. What they value can be completely different to what we value."
  
  "And what's so important about the Orbs?" Drake asked, equally as confused. "Sure, they're culturally significant. But I don't think terrorists care much about cultural significance unless it can earn them a lot of money."
  
  Because they were the key to controlling Legendaries! Is what I screamed in my mind. But I had absolutely no way of proving that, not without bringing up far more questions that I did not want to answer. I frowned; my gut was yelling that this was what Team Rocket was going for, but how would I prove it to these two?
  
  And then, almost like I had been struck by divine inspiration, the bullshit just started to flow out of my mouth.
  
  "Back in Olivine, when I arrested the leader of the Team Rocket cell that was trying to escape, he mentioned that the leader of Team Rocket was a very power-hungry man, who wanted to rule the world." I explained, "I didn't think much of it at the time, but he also mentioned about how the leader of Team Rocket believed that there was power in Legends. And how acquiring such power would give him the ability to rule the world."
  
  Drake snorted, but not in disbelief, "That's fucking stupid. They're just orbs. Culturally significant maybe, but not much else."
  
  "And don't the records say that the project was a failure?" Joseph interjected, "What use do they have of notes that went nowhere?"
  
  "No, look here." I pointed, "The project was cancelled due to a lack of funding and interest, not because it was proven that the Orbs were not of importance. And by the looks of it, they've done extensive research into it before it got cancelled."
  
  "...And since the leader of Team Rocket is apparently obsessed with the power of Legends, he would have wanted something to confirm his delusions." Drake finished for me, his head tilted in thought.
  
  "Exactly." I nodded, "And now that they have the notes in hand, it is very likely that they will target the Orbs next."
  
  "...But they'll never get away with stealing such priceless cultural artifacts." Joseph stated with a frown, "They'd have to know that the Hoenn League would be forced to respond if they did."
  
  "You're right. But trying to understand the reasonings of a deluded fool will get us nowhere." Drake exclaimed, "So far, John's theory is the only lead that we have on their future actions. Admittedly, I still have doubts about this, but I've been at this crime scene for long enough and still don't have any better ideas. Still, it doesn't matter what Team Rocket are planning to do after they take the Orbs, we need to be there to stop them."
  
  He turned to me, "Are you sure about this theory? It's a lot to bank on."
  
  I met his stare with one of my own, trying to project the surety that I felt from my gut. "It is."
  
  Drake's eyes searched mine for a moment, and I could feel his eyes boring deeply into mine. It took some time, but eventually he nodded, "Good. Then we have a plan. I'll speak to Wallace. Thank Arceus you were here to think through this shit, John, because I wouldn't have been able to." He then reached for his phone to dial up Wallace.
  
  "Wallace, it's Drake." He said into his phone, "...Yes, we think we've figured it out...we believe it's to do with the Orbs...yes...ok...I'll put him on now." He then switched his phone to speaker mode and brought it closer to me.
  
  "...Hello? Can you hear me, John?" Wallace's effeminate voice came crackling through the speakers, but luckily remained audible enough for a conversation.
  
  "Yes, I can. How can I help you, Champion Wallace?" I asked politely.
  
  "Please, no need for the pleasantries. We here in Hoenn all share our sincerest appreciation for your timely assistance." He replied pleasantly, "I heard about your theory from Drake, and he assures me that you're confident with it. Is that right?"
  
  "I am." I confirmed. "Targeting the Orbs makes the most sense for them." I then went through a summary of what I had just explained to Drake and Joseph.
  
  "Good. Then, with my position as Champion, I will grant you both the authority to pursue and capture Team Rocket before they can achieve their objectives." He stated, "I will give you authority over the Hoenn Police for you to use. Feel free to include them in your planning."
  
  "Thank you." I replied, "That would be most helpful."
  
  He chucked bitterly, "Don't thank me just yet. Drake might have told you this, but the committee aren't exactly happy with pursuing this much further. While I can pressure them with my own influence, I cannot authorize a full region-wide manhunt. That means no breaking into houses, no collateral damage, no doing anything that might cause the public to panic."
  
  "However, if you DO manage to successfully capture a few Team Rocket grunts, then I think I'll be able to persuade the committee to be more lenient on your actions." Wallace added, "Capturing a few grunts would go a long way in painting your actions as justified."
  
  I shared a look with Drake before saying, "We understand. We'll keep it in mind."
  
  "Marvellous! Otherwise, Champion or not, this single incident wasn't enough to rile up public opinion enough to warrant such large-scale actions like you did in Indigo." He reminded with a slight warning, "The committee here might be able to convince the public that you and Drake's actions were overly aggressive and reckless. So please try to minimize damage as much as possible."
  
  "Understood. We'll do our best to keep the damage to a fucking minimum." Drake growled, "And thanks for the support, Wallace. I'll buy you a drink later. The good stuff."
  
  "Hahaha! I'll be glad for it." He laughed melodically, "In the meanwhile, I'll be back here playing damage control as best I can. Anyways, good luck boys, I look forward to the good news." He then hung up.
  
  "...I couldn't help but overhear that." Joseph said as he approached us, "So you have your marching orders?"
  
  "We do." Drake replied gruffly, "It isn't ideal, but better than I was hoping for. Come, John, let us share our findings with the Hoenn Police so we can start coordinating together."
  
  We then parted ways with Joseph, but only after exchanging a promise to find Team Rocket and punish them for their crimes. In return, if we proved successful, then Joseph promised that I would be 'suitably rewarded', whatever that meant.
  
  After that, we headed over to the temporary command tent that the Jennys had set up and begun explaining our observations to them.
  
  Fortunately, it seemed like my reputation preceded me. Being known for being one of the principal reasons for why Team Rocket was driven out of Indigo gave a certain weight to my words. That, coupled with the fact that my theory was better than the random guesses they were previously thrown out, and it didn't take long for them to be brought on board as well.
  
  This just left us to decide what we were going to do in the future. While we wouldn't be putting all our eggs in one basket, we unanimously agreed to set up a trap for Team Rocket, but we differed on how we would execute it.
  
  The Jennys initially suggested ramping up the protection for the Orbs, but that was quickly shot down. Drake and I didn't think that Team Rocket was suicidal enough to target something that was obviously going to be heavily guarded. Plus, it would give away the fact that we had cottoned on to their plans, which would just give them the opportunity to slink away back into the shadows.
  
  No, we had to bait them into launching an operation, where we could then catch them in the act and interrogate the captives for further leads. We all knew that preventing them from stealing the Orbs was only the first step in eradicating Team Rocket; we also had to target their main bases and the source of their manpower and funding.
  
  We were also going to be tracking the money to see if we can find anything from there, but I wasn't too hopeful about our chances on that.
  
  However, the Jenny's opposed such a plan, saying that it put too much of the public at risk. They ideally didn't want a fight at all; and thought prevention was the best way forward. In turn, we disagreed, thinking that a trap was the best way in order to obtain information.
  
  Thus, after a heavy back-and-forth discussion, a plan finally came into place. We agreed that if Team Rocket were to ever launch an attack, it would be very similar to the attack at Devon Corp; a precision strike consisting of a small group of grunts. Speed was likely the key for their success, so they wouldn't bother trying to overwhelm us with pure numbers.
  
  That gave us an opportunity. If we could somehow hold off the initial assault until reinforcements could arrive, then cut off their attempts to escape, then mopping them up would be easy.
  
  Hence, the plan was to replace all 4 of the usual patrolling Jennys at Mt. Pyre with their elite counterparts, since we felt that this number was just low enough to not arose any suspicion. They would be fielding their strongest Pokémon in hopes to buy as much time as possible. And, to reinforce them, I would be entrusting a heavily vetted Nurse Joy, which was a common sight at Mt. Pyre, with Klee.
  
  Klee would be disguising herself as a 'regular' Blissey, the ones usually assigned to Nurse Joys. If Team Rocket did strike, she was under orders to buy as much time as possible to fend off Team Rocket from stealing the Orb and escaping. It was a high-risk role, but she agreed with the plan. Plus, none of our other Pokémon could reasonably be disguised in this way.
  
  In the meanwhile, Drake and I would make ourselves visible actively running around Hoenn, pretending to be searching for them. That should give them the confidence to launch the operation and also minimize the chances of them launching other operations in other areas.
  
  It was a risky plan, and a lot of it came down to my prediction being right and the Jenny's and Klee's ability to hold off Team Rocket for enough time for us to arrive, but it was the best that we could come up with.
  
  Just in case my prediction was wrong though, the rest of the Hoenn Police would be engaged in regular patrols as was standard procedure.
  
  The issue now was that we didn't know when the operation was going to be launched. It could be in the next hour, or the next week. So, we had to maintain a state of alertness for a long period of time.
  
  Still, we didn't have any better plans, so we spent the next several minutes or hours trying to refine the plan and locating a Nurse Joy that we could unequivocally trust with Klee. Eventually, we did find one, and I might have accidentally intimidated her when I gave her Klee's Premier Ball. Whoops.
  
  With that out of the way, the meeting was about to wrap up, and I was about to leave the room with Drake before I heard all of the Jennys' phones pinging simultaneously. They all went to look at it before a look of horror etched itself on their faces.
  
  "Sirs, you need to check the news." One Jenny told us firmly with a frown.
  
  With a sense of dread coursing through my veins, I went to check the Pokénet, and my eyes widened with alarm as I read the first news article I saw.
  
  "Silph Co responsible for the attack at Devon Corp?! Porygon information stolen from Devon Corp?!"
  
  "Fuck." Drake uttered, which I wholeheartedly agreed with.
  
  This might turn into quite the shitshow.
  
  A.N. ANNNND here is the first chapter of the "Environmental Terrorists Arc". Hope you enjoyed all the conversations here in this slower chapter. Plenty of setup for the rest of the arc! Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! Cheers!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-2 - Orb-ital Warfare
  
  As soon as I read the title of the news report, my mind began whirling a mile a minute as I tried to process the consequences. I didn't believe for a moment that Silph Co. would be behind such an attack; it would be far too daring and out of character for them. Nor would they bother trying to steal the Porygon research; it wasn't THAT valuable to them and I'm pretty sure they had some access to it already anyways.
  
  But the Porygon research WAS valuable to the evil teams, since being able to produce Porygon would always be valuable.
  
  Putting the pieces together showed that this was likely all just a smokescreen for Team Rocket. I could only hope the public to be smart enough to figure out that out for themselves, though I wasn't going to stay very optimistic on that. Worse, the accusations against Silph Co. also threatened to drag Indigo's reputation through the mud as well, shattering our newfound attempts to rebuild our relations with them.
  
  According to the news report, an anonymous whistleblower pointed fingers towards Silph Co having received the Porygon information that was just stolen from Devon Corp and that they were their backer. Obviously, that evidence was a plant, but the news agencies were still doing what they do best, stirring up drama and making things generally difficult for everyone.
  
  I cursed their callousness. Didn't they know that this was exactly what Team Rocket wanted? Or did they simply not care, so long as they got the views that they wanted?
  
  I shook off those thoughts. I could continue cursing the news agencies later. Right now, I had to do something about this before Indigo got dragged in the mud alongside Silph Co. I feared that, if this situation isn't handled quickly and effectively, I might be withdrawn from Hoenn and barred from helping out with the investigation.
  
  That would be bad enough, but Indigo CANNOT afford to damage our relations with Hoenn any further. It would risk them threatening to break off relations entirely, which would be utterly disastrous. And a huge win for Team Rocket and Team Magma, who I suspect were behind this ploy in the first place.
  
  Thus, I racked my brain for ways to solve this. I needed someone who could properly dispel such accusations within Silph Co yet be trusted enough amongst the community that their word would be trusted.
  
  Suddenly, a person came to mind. And I let out a laugh tinged with bitter irony. Drake gave me a weird look at that.
  
  "Something funny?" He asked with a frown.
  
  I shook my head, quickly calming myself down. "No, no. Just a humorous thought. Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed in such a situation. But I do need to make a phone call."
  
  "You got a plan? Cuz this is going to be a fucking mess for both of us if we don't deal with it right now." He said, and I simply nodded to him as I dialled up a number.
  
  "Giovanni speaking." Giovanni's smooth voice came through the phone, but oddly enough, it sounded a little breathless.
  
  "Giovanni, it's John. Did you see the news recently?" I asked.
  
  "No, I've been a bit preoccupied recently." He said, and was it me or did I hear a hint of embarrassment in his voice? "Is there something wrong?"
  
  "Yes. And I might need your help. Or in fact, Indigo might need your help." I said, trying to convey the seriousness of the situation through my tone.
  
  "Oh? That doesn't sound good. Right then, give me a second." I heard some shuffling, whispering, and then the sound of a door closing. I didn't know what was going on, but now wasn't the time to ask. "Right, I'm ready. What's going on?"
  
  "Look at the news. Apparently, an 'anonymous whistleblower' just announced that one of the directors at Silph Co has just received some of the information regarding the Porygon and their evolution process that was just stolen from Devon Corp. AND that they hired Team Rocket to do it." I explained.
  
  "Silph Co!?" He asked, astonished, "Impossible. They would never dare to do something like that, not without telling me- I mean, I'm on the board of directors too, and I never would have voted in favour of that. Nor did I hear anything about it. WHICH director was it?!" His fury was palpable, even through the phone.
  
  I was fairly certain that Giovanni was far more than just a simple director at Silph Co. In fact, I'm confident that he was basically the puppet master behind the whole company. But I didn't voice that out loud. No need to reveal more than I needed to.
  
  "No idea, they never said. And I agree that it's a ridiculous accusation." I concurred, "But the issue is that the news agencies are running wild with the accusations, like they always do. Soon enough, the whole of Indigo and Hoenn are going to know about it, and people are going to get very upset very quickly."
  
  "Hmm...I can definitely see that happening." Giovanni agreed, and I could hear the gears turning in his head. "Damn, I really picked a bad time to slack on the news...I assume you want to counteract such statements as quickly as possible?"
  
  "Yes, because I'm almost certain that this is a ploy by Team Rocket to distract us." I replied firmly, "While we're all running around like fools trying to deal with the fallout, they're going to use that as a distraction to launch their real operation."
  
  "Yes, all very sensible." He stated, sounding like he had thought of using a similar plan before and was very familiar with it. I put that thought aside for now.
  
  "And even if Silph Co releases a statement denying the claims, no one's really going to believe them. It's going to sound like they're just trying to deflect the blame." I continued, "They're going to need someone trustworthy to clear their name."
  
  "You mean someone like me?" He assumed, and I hummed in affirmation. That seemed to cause Giovanni to break out in laughter, one very similar to the one I had earlier.
  
  "...I never thought the day would come where I would be the one to clear Silph Co's name rather than the other way round." He remarked wryly. I stayed silent at that, but inwardly I agreed with his thoughts. It WAS quite strange.
  
  "Damn. Right then, I can see the urgency. Leave it to me, I'll deal with it." He declared with conviction, "You're right in that Indigo can't afford the damage that might be caused if we don't clamp down on such accusations right away. And I personally would prefer Silph Co to remain untarnished. So you have my support."
  
  "May I ask how you'd deal with this?" I asked politely.
  
  "Best not to." He stated firmly, as if it was an order. "What I CAN do is assure you that I'll do my best to solve this problem without having anything show up on the news. This will be handled quietly and internally. But I will do everything I can to ensure that Silph Co's name is cleared, and the ploy exposed as a lie."
  
  I hummed, understanding what he was implying. I didn't approve of such methods...but I wasn't going to complain about it now. Not when we needed this framing attempt to be stopped as soon as possible. In the end, I voiced my agreement.
  
  "Good, then I'll get on that right away." He said curtly, a tinge of urgency in his voice. "I'll let you know how things go. Keep up the good work John, speak soon." We exchanged farewells and then hung up the phone.
  
  I put away my phone and walked back to where Drake was, who had recently just finished up with a phone call as well. He spoke up as I approached.
  
  "Good news?" He asked, and I nodded.
  
  "Probably. I called up Gym Leader Giovanni who has connections to Silph Co. He promised to deal with the rumours." I told him, leaving out HOW he was going to do it.
  
  "Excellent." Drake replied with a firm nod, "I just got off the phone with Wallace again. He's been on the phone with Lance, assuring him that this was all a plot and that we weren't going to do anything. Lance seemed reassured but urged a quick resolution. I hope you have this handled."
  
  I nodded, but inwardly I was still a bit unsettled. I had totally forgot about Lance's possible response with this; I was just glad that he was staying calm.
  
  "Then are we sticking to the plan to trap them?" I asked, putting any of my doubts aside.
  
  "Yes. Let's get the fuckers." Drake replied with a smile full of teeth.
  
  (Rocket Grunt POV)
  
  He was a simple grunt of Team Rocket, though if he pulled off this mission then he was unlikely to remain a mere grunt for much longer. He had been due for a promotion for a long while, and this was the chance to earn it.
  
  He and his team were discretely making their way through the graveyard that was Mt. Pyre. It had been a few days since that other team successfully acquired the files from Devon Corp, and apparently the bosses were satisfied with what they found out, because he and his team were now deployed to acquire the two Orbs.
  
  They were disguised as your typical grieving trainer travelling as a large group of friends, pretending to pay their respects to a fallen Pokémon. Inwardly, he snorted at the idea of ever doing something like this; Pokémon were useful, but he could never see himself ever mourning their loss.
  
  After all, who would mourn a tool when it breaks? That just reeked of weakness.
  
  Still, his internal thoughts aside, he and his small team of about a dozen grunts had to be very careful as they climbed the many floors of Mt. Pyre. They couldn't afford to get caught before they had even reached their goal. While he and his teammates had been through rigorous training in preparation for this operation, it had been drilled into him that surprise was their biggest factor to succeed. Blowing their cover now would doom them.
  
  They could not afford to spend too much time tangling with the Hoenn Police or else the Elite Four would arrive. And then they would be screwed, training or not.
  
  It was why the bosses spent so much time and effort preparing the distraction. He had heard on the news about the huge drama that 'Silph Co's conspiracy' had kicked up, and how that had led to the possible straining of Indigo-Hoenn relations. Truthfully, he didn't care about any of that. All he and his bosses were concerned about was whether the Hoenn League would be too busy dealing with the fallout for them to realize their true plan at securing the Orbs.
  
  They had already sent in a few forward scouts yesterday to make sure there wasn't a sudden increase in security, and the scouts all said that there were no changes.
  
  He did hear a few concerned whispers about how the distraction wasn't working as well as they had expected but looking at the lack of new or additional patrols here at Mt. Pyre, they probably bought enough time for this mission to be a success. That, or the idiots in the League weren't smart enough to figure out their plan. He didn't care either way; he'd leave it to the bosses to do the bigger picture thinking. That's what they were good for, after all.
  
  He took a discrete look around to check for any nearby Jennys and nearly tripped over a grieving trainer, a young kid bawling his eyes out in front of a tombstone. Fortunately, he stopped himself just in time and walked around the pathetic kid, plastering an apologetic smile on his face. In reality, he was holding back the urge to curse at the boy for almost drawing attention to himself. He had to restrain himself from kicking the kid into the very tombstone that he was crying at.
  
  As he reached the stairs ascending upwards to the next floor, he had to force down the panic and surprise that he felt as a Jenny walked down the steps, his veins turning cold as ice. Technically, they had yet to do anything wrong; yet the very presence of a Jenny, and the danger of breaking their cover, greatly rattled him. It took all of his willpower to keep a straight face, and he hoped to Arceus that he had drilled enough of a sense of discipline into his fellow grunts standing next to him that they would not break under the pressure.
  
  As if sensing his nervousness, the Jenny paused and gave them a considering look. He tried to give off a reassuring smile, but if he could react, he would have scowled as the Jenny took in his appearance. In order to avoid suspicion, he and his team weren't allowed to wear full face coverings, so his face was completely exposed to the world. He hoped that this wouldn't bite him in the ass later.
  
  He could feel her eyes boring into his, as if she was trying to drill a hole into his very soul to ferret out his deepest secrets. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest, and he prayed that she couldn't hear the loud thumps of his heart. In a moment of weakness, images flashed through his head where the Jenny would expose their identity and catch them, and he had to force himself not to bite down on his lip reflexively.
  
  After what felt like an eternity later, the Jenny gave a small nod to their group before walking off. Without looking back, he quickly walked up the stairs before letting out a sigh of relief as soon as he was sure that the Jenny couldn't hear him.
  
  "That was too close." One of his fellow grunts whispered to him, and he had to agree. They were still a few floors from the summit, so they couldn't afford to have their cover blown now.
  
  He took a moment to recollect himself before he continued making his way up Mt. Pyre. Fortunately, there were no other close encounters with the Jenny's, and progress was smooth. It only took them a short while before they reached the summit. They were in the home stretch now.
  
  As soon as he made his way outside onto the summit, he was immediately blasted by the howling wind and cursed. The winds meant that their prepared smoke bombs would be ineffective as the smoke would be quickly dispersed by the wind.
  
  But there was nothing he could do about it, so instead he and his team performed one final check through of their Pokéballs in preparation for the inevitable fight. They had gotten lucky to not have been discovered so far, but there was no chance he could simply walk out with the Orbs without a fight.
  
  He sent a quick message to command to check on where the Elite Four were. After a few seconds, he got a response saying that Drake's Altaria was spotted over at Mt. Chimney, while John's Mantine was spotted near Mauville. He let out a sigh of relief as his luck; that meant that he had more time than he had expected before their arrival, hopefully enough time for him to escape and reach the backup teams.
  
  After making sure they were all ready, they proceeded up the summit at a steady pace. They walked past many a grave as they continued to get closer to where the Orbs were being displayed. But then, his luck eventually came to an end as a Jenny called up to them.
  
  "Hey! Could you come over here for a minute?" She ordered, calling them to her. Next to her was a fearsome Arcanine, looking far scarier than the ones that he saw in his briefings. He reflexively stepped backwards, recognizing this was not the usual Arcanine deployed by the Jennys. This was something far stronger.
  
  Time seemed to slow for him as he pondered his choices. Did he think he could trick the Jenny into letting him pass? But even if he did, how much time would that buy before he and his team eventually got exposed? Did he want to risk getting close, without his Pokémon, to a deadly Arcanine that could maul him in an instant?
  
  No, he realized that the jig was up, and that the time for stealth was over. Making up his mind, he let out a sharp whistle, signalling to his team that it was time to fight. The Arcanine immediately made a beeline towards him, but he already had released all of his Pokémon out on to the field.
  
  White lights flashed all around him as his team released all of their Pokémon simultaneously. A small horde of Golbat, Mightyena, Dustox, Weezing, Claydol, and Hypno suddenly surrounded him. These Pokémon were specifically chosen and trained for this operation in order to quickly suppress their foes and buy time for the team to escape.
  
  His team appeared just in time as Arcanine slammed straight into one of them, putting their Extreme Speed to good use. But like they had practiced, they quickly made use of their significant numbers advantage to pile on and beat down the lone Arcanine. A quick Psychic from a few Claydol broke its charge before it was immediately pounced upon by a pack of Mightyena. Taking advantage of the chaos, a Hypno fired off repeated pulses of Hypnosis before the Arcanine was finally removed from the fight.
  
  Despite quickly dealing with the Arcanine, he knew there was no time to waste. Securing the Orb and escaping had to be their first priority before the reinforcements arrived. Already, he could see the Jenny barking orders into her radio, and he knew it was a matter of time before their numbers advantage would be flipped around.
  
  So, like they had planned, his team rushed forwards with their Pokémon. The Jenny quickly released a few more Pokémon, including a few more Arcanine and a Meganium of all things. One of his team members immediately diverted his Pokémon to deal with the new threat, and the rest of them continued moving forwards, running up a flight of stairs.
  
  As he got to the top, he could see in the distance the two pedestals that held the two Orbs. They were so close!
  
  Of course, his elation was immediately ruined as he saw more Jennys rushing over with their Pokémon. Oddly enough, a Nurse Joy was joining them with her Blissey. He guessed that, when you were desperate enough, you had to throw everything at the problem. He would have sneered, but there wasn't enough time for that.
  
  He knew that this was likely the last line of defense before they could take the Orb. If they could just deal with these busybodies quickly, then they could escape with their prize before the Elite Four arrived.
  
  "Take them down! Rush them!" He commanded, his tone urgent and filled with adrenaline. His fellow grunts let out a yell of their own and ordered their Pokémon to charge forwards to meet the Jenny's head on. Their Pokémon might be inferior to theirs, but they still held a significant number advantage on them. If he could defeat the Jenny's piecemeal, then their victory should be in the-
  
  Suddenly, a huge pressure started pressing down on him, and he instantly collapsed to his knees. His joints felt like they were about to be crushed from the sudden pressure, and his neck nearly snapped as he hit the ground. As he struggled against the force to raise his head to look around, he found that his team and their Pokémon were all in a similar state.
  
  Taking advantage of their sudden inability to fight, the Jennys went fully on the offensive as powerful attacks were unleashed with wild abandon. Instantly, multiple torrents of flames scorched his Pokémon as the Arcanine released their Flamethrowers simultaneously. The battle was bathed in a sea of flames, and his Pokémon writhed in pain as they quickly burnt up in the pulsating heat. He realized he needed to do SOMETHING before they would all be defeated!
  
  His eyes frantically searched around to find the source of the sudden pressure when he suddenly locked eyes with the Blissey, realizing that they were glowing a powerful pink as they channelled a Gravity. Recognition coursed through him, and he could feel the fear starting to surge through his veins.
  
  This wasn't an ordinary Blissey at all! This was JOHN's Blissey! What the fuck was it doing here?!
  
  Still, fighting against an Elite Four Pokémon or not, he was in too deep to stop now. Plus, he figured that even such a powerful Blissey would not be able to suppress so many Pokémon at the same time. If they could disable it first, then they would be given free reign once again.
  
  Luckily, his Pokémon must have been thinking the same thing, as their small group of Claydol immediately fired off repeated blasts of Psychic towards the Blissey. Blissey instantly formed a Light Screen in front of it to protect it from the blasts, but their Hypno quickly joined in as well, and they eventually overwhelmed and shattered the Light Screen and blasted the Blissey backwards, cancelling the Gravity.
  
  With the Gravity finally nullified, his other Pokémon finally regained their mobility and dove back into the fight. A couple of Sludge Bombs from their Weezings detonated on the enemy Arcanine, interrupting their Flamethrowers. The Jennys tried to retaliate as they sent their Arcanines forwards, charging them in with Extreme Speed as they looked to maul his Weezing. He tried to order his Mightyena to intercept, but they were busy dealing with the Meganium, who had been slapping them around with large and thorny roots that it had grown.
  
  The fight quickly descended into a disorderly brawl, and he was barely able to remain in command as he ordered his team to make full use of their enormous numbers advantage and slowly encircle the Jennys and pick their Pokémon apart one by one.
  
  To his great frustration, the Jennys were putting up a much tougher fight than they were anticipating, and their Pokémon were clearly far more well-trained and powerful than the usual fare. A huge part of that frustration came from John's damned Blissey, who continuously forced back his Pokémon as it fired off wave after wave of Psychic, Shadow Balls, and Thunderbolts, all the while endlessly healing up any of the Jennys injured Pokémon.
  
  The fucking Blissey was single-handedly stalling their efforts.
  
  They WERE winning, but he was growing increasingly worried that they were rapidly running out of time. He didn't know how much time had passed, but his gut was screaming to him that he had to end the fight NOW before it was too late.
  
  And yet these stupid Jennys and their Pokémon refused to fall. That annoying Blissey, despite all the punishment sent its way, refused to go down and still was able to maintain healing up its allies. And his lesser trained Pokémon were slowly being worn down, their numbers gradually dwindling as the barrage of attacks continued to take out more of their number.
  
  But they continued to make progress, and as a lucky Air Slash from one of their Golbats landed a critical hit on one of their last few Arcanine's, knocking it out before Blissey could heal them, the tide was began shifting in their favour.
  
  However, just as he could taste the victory, a thunderous roar filled the skies as a large shadow enveloped the summit. Dread immediately filled his veins as he realized that too much time had passed, and that the reinforcements had successfully made their way here.
  
  He dared to look up, and he saw the rapidly falling figure of John's Ursaluna descending from the sky like a meteor from space. Panic immediately set in.
  
  "SCATTER!" He shouted to his team, "I'm going for the Orb! Join me or distract them! QUICK QUICK QUICK!"
  
  To their credit, his team were swift to respond to his commands, and he was joined by a fellow grunt as they frantically rushed to the Orbs. Behind him, he could hear the signature sounds of rocks shattering as the Ursaluna immediately dominated the battle with its geokinesis. Rocks were ripped out of the ground and he could hear his Pokémon crying out in pain as they were impaled upon a landslide of rocks.
  
  Panic immediately filled in his mind; his training long forgotten. He had seen the footage of John's battle at Olivine, and he was absolutely certain that he and his team stood no chance against his, better training or not. Still, a tiny part of his mind, the one that clung to hope, believed that he could still make it out if he could just fly off and scatter into the crowds, orb in tow.
  
  But just as he thought that, another thunderous roar boomed out from the skies, this one so deafeningly loud that he instinctively stopped to cover his ears. This time, he didn't even bother wasting time looking up as he continued his single-minded charge towards the Orbs. He was barely a couple feet away before a terrifying blue beast landed in front of him, and he found himself staring face to face with Drake's Salamence.
  
  Possibly out of desperation, his fellow grunt and his Claydol fired off an Ice Beam at the Salamence, only to be met with a searing vortex of flames that quickly engulfed the lone Claydol and swiftly burning it into unconsciousness.
  
  Drake merely stared at them with an unimpressed look, raising a lone eyebrow as if daring them to make another move. Despite not saying a word, his eyes stared at them with such anger that it seemed to match the wrath coming out in torrential waves from his Salamence. He could feel his face rapidly paling as something warm filled his pants.
  
  Knowing that the fight was lost, he was about to raise his arms up in surrender before he was blasted face first into the ground from a Psychic. As his consciousness slowly started to fade, he caught a glimpse of the Blissey walking up to him, an uncharacteristic look of anger on its face with its eyes glowing a powerful pink.
  
  And then another impact slammed into the back of his head, and he passed out before he even hit the ground.
  
  A.N. Mission failed! We'll get'em next time. Or has it? Hope you enjoyed the fight and the shift in POV. I thought it would be more interesting if you saw the operation from the Grunt's POV rather than John's, just because I felt it would be more tense.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 6-2 - Interlude - Lance
  The New Normal - 6-2 - Interlude - Lance
  
  "...Yes, thank you...I am glad to hear that...yes, we can finalize those discussions soon...yes, speak to you later. Thank you." Lance put down the phone and let out a relieved breath; it seems like his efforts at bringing Sinnoh on board were finally bearing fruit. They had finally given confirmation that, within a certain timeframe, they would be opening their borders. He supposed he would get any further details from Elite Bertha soon.
  
  Though Lance couldn't be sure if it was his attempts at diplomacy that was the tipping factor; he was aware of the growing internal strife within Sinnoh where the public was pushing for the opening of their borders. He suspected the real reason for their sudden desire to open up their borders were more to cater to their public opinion rather than his own actions.
  
  No matter, so long as the borders got open, then that was all Lance truly cared about. Accomplishing a feat like that would be a great milestone and demonstrate to Indigo that he was working hard to be an effective and successful Champion.
  
  A big win was something that he felt was needed considering the turmoil surrounding the Gyms and the attack at Devon Corp. Suddenly feeling the urge to check up on the former, he quickly went through some of the paperwork on his desk and retrieved the reports that he had about the current status of the Indigo Gyms.
  
  That was the thing about being Champion, it was all about dealing with one problem after another and trying to stop the entire region from suddenly bursting into flames. No wonder Pryce was such a grouch after so many years of running this.
  
  At least he had kept good council to support him that was willing to tell him what they truly thought. If he was surrounded by only those yes-men in the Committee, then he truly believed that he might turned out like Pryce. He shuddered at the thought.
  
  But reading through the document in front of him allowed him to relax slightly. It detailed that the Gyms were mostly running smoothly. When he first became Champion, it had been a great shock to find out that the Gyms hadn't been doing nearly as well as he thought they were. And he knew that, even if blamed Pryce for his negligence for the Gyms' poor running, he knew that the public would still end up blaming HIM if the situation wasn't quickly resolved.
  
  He was glad that the bigger concerns had mostly been laid to rest. Pewter City remained the most problematic of the Gyms, but Agatha had a firm hand on it. Or, like the report was suggesting, Agatha was practically on a vacation while she had her apprentice Karen doing all the work on her behalf. At least Karen seemed up to the task; even if the report labelled her as "competent yet overworked".
  
  Before, Lance would have scoffed at her laziness. But now, as he settled into his position as Champion, he envied Agatha's ability to delegate so shamelessly. If he could throw everything at Clair without being fed to one of his own Dragonites, he would have.
  
  Surprisingly, with Pewter City under new, and competent management, it was the Johto Gyms that were currently more of a cause for concern for Lance. The status of Olivine's Gym was still mostly up in the air, but they had appointed a new successor who should hopefully be able to tackle the problems with a new perspective.
  
  Then came the report about the Mahogany Gym, and how Pryce was installed as its new Gym Leader. Initially, Lance had received a few reports about how difficult Pryce was to work with. Knowing what working with Pryce was like, he had fully expected those. With how Pryce had been Champion for so many years, becoming a Gym Leader was quite the step down. It was an entirely new environment for the ex-Champion, and Pryce was likely very unused to it.
  
  However, the more recent reports that Lance had received revealed a different picture. After the initial rocky stages of settling in, Pryce seemed to have calmed down and become more accepting of his new position. He was probably still an ass, but so long as he could maintain this new 'positive' attitude, coupled with his impressive reputation as an ex-Champion, Lance could cautiously say that the Mahogany Gym was in safe hands.
  
  After skimming through a few more reports, he let out a satisfied smile as he put them all down. It appeared like, at least temporarily, Indigo wasn't suffering from any noticeable internal issues at the moment. Which was good, because this gave him time to focus on developing their foreign relations, which was badly needed considering the recent events with the resurgence of Team Rocket.
  
  Speaking of Team Rocket, he felt like now was finally the time to start pushing through his long-stated ambition of establishing an International Police force. After all, what better time to create such an institution when there was an immediate need for international cooperation to deal with an international terrorist threat?
  
  Despite this thought, Lance felt a bit scummy for taking advantage of such a scenario to push through a political agenda, especially when it seemed like he was playing politics while lives were at real risk. At least John was over there doing good work. He wished him all the luck with capturing those criminals.
  
  A part of him had wanted to rush over to Devon Corp to personally aid Hoenn with their struggles, but he couldn't just put down the responsibilities as Champion to do so. It was unfortunate, but this was one of those times where he would have preferred the freedom of the Elite Four over the responsibilities and powers of being Champion.
  
  Shaking himself out of his introspection, he grabbed a nearby notepad and started jotting down a few ideas he had about how he would start implementing the creation of the Indigo Police. He had previous plans of course, but those would likely have to be scrapped considering the unusual circumstances that they were in.
  
  After a few minutes of jotting everything down, he folded the page and left a reminder to call John about it later. He wanted to have a better idea on the current status of Hoenn, and the last thing Lance wanted to do would be to accidentally push too hard on an idea and unintentionally isolate the region even further. Especially not with the suspicions that were currently being levied against Silph Co.
  
  Lance was sure those were bogus, but he knew that Gym Leader Giovanni was tasked with officially investigating the 'claims'. As far as he saw, Giovanni was doing good work to make use of his reputation to shield the company from the worst of the consequences while the investigation continued, buying time for the company and temporarily keeping a lid on any public outrage. He could only hope that it was enough; he really didn't need more problems.
  
  With that done, Lance slumped into his chair and massaged his head with his fingers as he checked the time. He groaned when he saw that he was still in the early hours of the afternoon. A further sigh came out of him as he realized that it meant that he still had half a day of meetings to sit through.
  
  Sometimes, he really did regret challenging Pryce for his position. He really wasn't that suited to dealing with the monotony of paperwork that accompanied his new position. But then he thought about all the positive changes that he did, and all the prestige that came with it. He comforted himself with the fact that, if Pryce was still at the helm, it was almost guaranteed that he would have muddled through their new relations with Sinnoh and may have failed to maintain healthy relations with Hoenn. That would have been disastrous. And indeed, a few newspapers had recognized and praised his actions.
  
  His achievements were what made dealing with the paperwork worth it. And he still let out the occasional smile as he saw the title of 'Champion' in front of his name. He had yearned for the position for so long - it was only right that he enjoyed it.
  
  And it was why he felt that his most important decision, ever since becoming Champion, was to get the Elite Four more actively involved in providing him with advice and interacting with the Committee. They all had great ideas, but more importantly, kept him honest and grounded so that he wouldn't turn out like Pryce did.
  
  Then his thoughts were broken as someone knocked on his door. He let out an "enter", and his secretary carefully walked in, balancing another tower of reports in their hands that he was going to have to go through.
  
  And he immediately took everything back. He hated this.
  
  A.N. I felt like I needed to write a catchup Interlude to cover a few plot points that hadn't been addressed. I hope this covers them while finally giving some insight into Lance's POV as Champion!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-3 - Q&A Session
  
  As soon as I got the notification that the raid was taking place, I rushed out of my hiding spot in Lilycove and jumped onto Zephyr's back as we rapidly made our way to Mt Pyre. I knew that Drake was doing the same from Sootopolis City.
  
  When planning the trap, both Drake and I realized that we would be the ultimate deciding factors in halting the operation, and our swift arrival was vital to the plan's success. Thus, we also knew that Team Rocket would not launch their operation unless they were confident that we couldn't interfere with their operation in time. It would be idiotic otherwise.
  
  But the both of us were very conspicuous individuals, and we couldn't be certain if they had informants scattered around Hoenn informing them of our location. Furthermore, if we ventured too far away from Mt. Pyre in order to bait them into attacking, we risked not being able to respond in time and letting them get away with the Orbs.
  
  However, Drake actually came up with a clever plan. He said that, when in the air, recognition revolved around the Pokémon, rather than the trainer. For example, if one of the Team Rocket informants saw Drake's Altaria flying around Mt. Chimney, then they would assume that Drake was at Mt. Chimney as well.
  
  With that in mind, Drake came up with the simple, yet effective, plan of having our signature and recognisable mounts flying around Hoenn far away from Mt. Pyre. Then, Drake and I would squirrel away somewhere where Team Rocket couldn't find us, while also remaining close to Mt. Pyre, so that we could respond quickly.
  
  That was why I found myself hiding out in a cave in Lilycove, where in canon Team Magma or Aqua used as their base. Evidently, they hadn't moved into here yet, because the entire cave was empty barring a few wild Pokémon. Still, it made for a convenient hiding place.
  
  And now, I suddenly got pinged that Drake was on his way. The trap was sprung. I quickly took off as well, hopefully arriving in a few minutes, which should be quick enough to capture Team Rocket before they could escape.
  
  Just as I thought that, my radio sprang to life, "This is Jenny, the back-up team is in position. The exits are all monitored, and the anti-Teleportation field set around the perimeter."
  
  "Understood. ETA 4 minutes until my arrival. Any news on the battle?" Drake asked.
  
  "This is Joy. I'm currently hiding near the edges of the battle, and Team Rocket seems to have been temporarily halted in their advance. But I'm not sure if this stalemate can be maintained." The Nurse Joy who had been charged with Klee reported.
  
  "We hear you." I responded, "I can see Mt. Pyre in the distance, just give me a few minutes more."
  
  "Hurry!" She replied urgently, "Your Blissey is doing much to hold them back, but she's growing tired!"
  
  I grimaced and pushed Zephyr to fly even faster. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I took deep breaths to keep myself calm. There was no time for inner doubts; I had a duty to perform.
  
  Team Rocket will fall. And this operation would prove to be the beginning of the end for them.
  
  Zephyr let out a squawk to inform me that we were moments away from arriving at the summit of Mt. Pyre. I could just make out a number of moving dots in the distance which were undoubtedly where the battle was taking place.
  
  I spoke into the radio, "This is John. I'm about to arrive. Less than a minute."
  
  Drake spoke up through the radio as well, "Drake here. I'm just a minute behind John. We're nearly there."
  
  As we drew even closer, to the point where I could see the battles and clashes taking place below us, I clutched Vordt's Premier Ball tightly in my hand. And as soon as we flew over the top of the fighting, I released Vordt into the air.
  
  His large figure rapidly descended out of the sky like a falling meteor, before eventually slamming into the ground with an audible crack and boom. Vordt immediately dominated the battlefield by ripping out large chunks of rocks and fired them in huge devastating volleys that quickly decimated ranks of Team Rocket's Pokémon.
  
  To the grunts' credit, their Pokémon swiftly retaliated with a barrage of Ice Beam from their Claydol. But Vordt was made from far sturdier stuff than that, and rushed straight towards the Claydol, throwing himself straight into the fight. The Claydol didn't stand a chance, and Vordt was on a rampage as he smashed his way through all of the grunts' Pokémon with an onslaught of Night Slashes and Hammer Arms.
  
  I took this opportunity to fly down from behind them and released Luna and Smough to join in the fight, encircling the grunts and preventing them from escaping. I didn't give the chance to react, and my reinforcements instantly began blasting them down, rapidly thinning out their numbers. Many of the grunts, realizing their imminent doom, suddenly threw themselves on the ground in surrender, not wanting to take a Psychic to the face.
  
  And then, as if to rub salt on the wound, a thunderous roar shook the skies as Drake's Salamence made his appearance. And with that, even the foolhardiest of grunts must have realized that it was over.
  
  With Drake's arrival, rounding up the remaining grunts was just a matter of clean-up, where we quickly but ruthlessly suppressed and knocked out all of their Pokémon. Of course, just for safety purposes, I had Luna knock out all of the grunts with a light Psychic blast to ensure that they didn't have any clever ideas.
  
  As soon as the last grunt went down, one of the Jenny's who had been part of the initial patrol at Mt. Pyre, despite the tiredness and exhaustion lined her face, started barking out orders on her radio, "This is Jenny. The grunts have all been subdued. I want the back-up team doing a large sweep of the perimeter to clear up any escaping grunts and to capture their extraction team. We know they had one."
  
  She got a round of affirmatives back, and continued, "Anyone that we have spare, make your way over here with more handcuffs. Arrest them all, and as planned, we're holding them at Sootopolis."
  
  The Jenny's all began rushing around to arrest all of the unconscious Team Rocket grunts, and I carefully took a step back and allowed them to do their work. Now that I could actually count the number of fallen grunts and their Pokémon, I frowned as I observed the grunts' Pokémon. As I feared, it was pretty obvious that their Pokémon were more trained and more developed than what I had faced back in Indigo. That was a concerning development.
  
  It showed that the evil teams were becoming far more organized. So even though we were successful in our operations here today, we couldn't afford to slack off and give the evil teams time to build and continue training up their troops. We needed to strike hard and fast.
  
  The sounds of huge thumping footsteps from behind me pulled me from my thoughts. I turned around to see Drake approaching me, followed by his signature Salamence, who seemed pleased by this victory.
  
  "John, good work today." He patted me on the shoulder, a small smile breaking out on his lips. "Thank Arceus they decided to strike sooner rather than later. I would have gone mad if I had to stay hidden for any longer."
  
  I shot him a wry smile, "True. I didn't like having to hide out in a cave any more than you did. I really should have picked a better hiding spot." And I probably smelled something nasty. Being deprived of Klee and Mantine meant that I had no Pokémon that could use Water moves on hand. So I hadn't showered since a few days ago. Ew.
  
  "At least this operation was a success. It made the suffering worth it." I joked, getting a small chuckle from Drake.
  
  "That's true enough." But then his face turned serious as he turned his gaze towards the grunts, "Damn these terrorists. We got lucky that with the collateral damage. It would be a very bad look if we had accidentally torn up the graves of some of these fallen Pokémon. Not that we had a choice otherwise."
  
  I winced; I was careful, but clearly not careful enough. Drake must have saw the look in my eyes because he waved me off, "It's no fault of yours John. Team Rocket decided the battlefield, not us. It's just another crime that we can pin down towards them."
  
  I hummed, trying to not be affected by this, "So what happens with them now? We're obviously going to question them, right?"
  
  Drake nodded, "Of course. This is only the beginning, after all. Let's hope these grunts will be able to provide significant leads for us to follow. We probably only have a short window of time before news of their failure spreads. So we must act fast."
  
  I agreed, time was of the essence. Then, a thought popped into my mind that I voiced, "Are we allowed to use psychic interrogation techniques?" I asked, my voice lowering to a whisper.
  
  Psychic interrogation techniques were, in a sense, a technical term for ripping the information straight out of their minds. It was definitely not a pleasant process and could sometimes do significant harm to the victim, occasionally leaving them completely comatose. That was rare, but the probability of permanent damage was why, generally, it was illegal to perform. The only exception to this was against direct threats against the League, which included terrorists.
  
  In Indigo, Team Rocket WERE labelled as terrorists due to the widespread harm that they caused with their previous actions. But here in Hoenn, they hadn't made that distinction yet because they had mostly gone into hiding. Without this label, we couldn't actually employ such tactics on them.
  
  Drake shrugged, "That's not up to me. I'll be speaking to Wallace after this to see if we can finally get the committee to see the threat that Team Rocket poses." He grimaced, "Especially with all this new training. It speaks of further backing and resources. That's greatly concerning."
  
  I nodded, not knowing what to think. On the one hand, I was uncomfortable with being so blasé about forcefully ripping information out of their minds. On the other hand, I could see the necessity and I knew better than anyone what the threat these evil teams posed to the world. They MUST be stopped.
  
  In a way, I was fortunate that the decision was left out of my hands. I could tell myself that I wasn't responsible for the decision.
  
  It took some time, but eventually we had all the grunts properly cuffed and transported to Sootopolis, where they would be held for questioning. The Jennys chose to hold them at Sootopolis because it was one of the hardest cities to escape from, since you practically had to be flown out of there. Teleportation would work too, but you had to have a very powerful Teleporter to teleport out of Sootopolis in one jump.
  
  Unfortunately, Drake got back to me and informed me that, despite telling Wallace about our successes, the Committee was still unwilling to label Team Rocket as an outright terrorist group just yet.
  
  Apparently, Wallace told Drake that the Committee didn't want the situation to escalate any further and labelling the so-called 'diminished' Team Rocket as a terrorist group, especially after their recent loss, would be far too premature and would 'cause widespread panic'. And already, considering how loud and eye-catching our capture operation was, I was certain that the news agencies would have picked up on something happening and would do their utmost to find out what was going on.
  
  Which meant that it was only a matter of time before Team Rocket found out about their failure, if they hadn't already.
  
  Still, it wasn't all bad news. With our success, the Committee was more willing to give us a free hand at disposing of the Team Rocket threat. Thus, they wouldn't be shutting us down anytime soon, which was a silver lining. An unquestionable success made them look better, after all.
  
  Furthermore, to get around the restriction of not being able to employ psychic techniques, Drake had requested for me to ask Lance if it would be okay if we transferred some of the prisoners from Hoenn to Indigo after they had done questioning them with more mundane methods.
  
  Which was why I found myself on a call with Lance, looking to seek his approval.
  
  "Lance speaking." He picked up.
  
  "Lance, it's John." I greeted, "Not sure if you heard, but the operation was a success. We defended the Orbs and had the grunts all arrested. They're waiting in holding cells now."
  
  "Fantastic news." He cheered, "Glad those scumbags are being put away. But what do you need me for?"
  
  "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but Hoenn hasn't actually labelled Team Rocket to be a terrorist group yet." I explained, "And despite our efforts, they still aren't willing to slap that label on them. Which means we can't employ Psychic interrogation techniques."
  
  "Ah. I understand." He muttered, "I guess you want to bring them over here so that we can interrogate them psychically?" His voice took on a bit of an edge to it. I guessed that he was still rather furious about Team Rocket's actions in Indigo.
  
  "I do." I replied, "I think that it would help speed up the investigation."
  
  "Done." He said instantly, "Send them over whenever. We'd be ready to pick them up."
  
  "...Actually, now that you're here, I have something to propose as well." He added, "I was thinking that this would be a great opportunity to kickstart the International Police idea. If I could talk Wallace into agreeing with it, what would you think of having some more assistance?"
  
  I stopped to think about his proposal for a moment. I certainly wouldn't mind the manpower, but I needed to know more, "What kind of people would you be sending over? And how many? Would I be responsible for them?" I asked.
  
  "In order, just a handful of candidates that I had already pre-picked in advance. They're very professional, and certainly have the skills. I assure you that you won't be disappointed." He responded, "And no, you wouldn't be responsible for them. If Wallace gives permission, Lorelei will be overseeing them. She specifically requested this, after all."
  
  "Lorelei? That's surprising." I commented. But after I thought about it for a bit, I realized it was actually quite reasonable. I knew that Lorelei was trying to angle herself as incorruptible to distinguish herself from Pryce, so managing something like this would be right up her alley.
  
  Shaking myself from my thoughts, I continued, "And no, I don't mind. This seems like a good opportunity to finally get those plans of yours in place. I'm sure you've been waiting a long time for the chance." I joked.
  
  He chuckled, "True enough. But I do hope that I didn't need to take advantage of such circumstances." I could sense him frowning, "Anyways, thanks John. I'll let you know if Wallace agrees. Keep up the good work and I wish you luck."
  
  After he hung up the call, I relayed the information back to Drake, who nodded. "Huh, it WOULD be interesting to finally meet another Elite Four member from Indigo. Anyways, we can discuss this another time. Let's not waste any more time. I think they're starting in on the questioning."
  
  I silently followed him as we made our way to the holding cells, where the prisoners were brought in one by one to be questioned. It took some time for the Jennys to properly secure them and separate them from their Pokémon before they could begin their questioning.
  
  The questioning process was...difficult. After observing for a little while, I could split up the prisoners into two groups. The first group consisted of the mercenary types, those who were doing crime for the payday, and nothing else. These guys were annoying to deal with, because they only looked out for themselves and were doing everything they could to avoid a lighter sentence, but they were at least willing to negotiate and feed us the occasional morsel of information.
  
  On the other hand, there was the other group. The true fanatics. These were completely and utterly unwilling to even give out the slightest hint of information. They were truly devoted to the cause, and no amount of persuasion could steer them off their course. Without psychic interrogation, we would never be able to get anything out of them.
  
  Fortunately, there were far more of the former group than the latter, but the existence of these fanatics confirmed something horrifying for me.
  
  At first, I had suspected that Team Rocket had probably joined up with Team Magma, since Tabitha was a Team Magma admin in canon and here had been the one to let Team Rocket into Devon Corp to steal the files.
  
  However, as I listened to the fanatical ravings of the prisoners, I realized that my assumptions were wrong. I had expected to hear statements regarding the "expansion of land" or "terraforming the ocean", but instead all they rambled about was the "remaking of the world".
  
  ...I did not like the sound of that. A sneaking suspicion started forming in my mind, and my gut was screaming at me that something was wrong. That something was happening outside of my initial expectations. I needed to know more.
  
  Without even thinking about it, I made my way into the interrogation room. I heard Drake ask me what I was doing, but I ignored it as I sat myself opposite of one of the fanatical grunts.
  
  He immediately began rambling and let out a slew of insults. I ignored all those and asked the question I wanted to ask.
  
  "Why do you want to remake the world?" I said as I stared deeply into his eyes, trying to take in every detail.
  
  My question seemed to have taken him aback for a moment, before he formed a wide, slightly crazed smile, "The world is corrupt and impure. Humanity has made many irreversible mistakes. They have polluted the ocean, ripping away the habitats of many Pokémon. No, in order for Pokémon to flourish, the world must be remade anew, where the oceans will be reformed and purified, cleansed of all its impurities. It will be a perfect utopia." He said as if he was reciting the words that he had fanatically devoted himself to.
  
  He didn't eve need to finish his words, and my heart had already sunk as the horror set in. This wasn't a Team Magma grunt. This was a Team AQUA grunt! And worse, that meant that Team Magma and Team Aqua were likely working together now, for a different goal than the one they were aiming for in canon.
  
  But then what was Tabitha doing working with grunts from Team Aqua? Unless Tabitha had somehow switched loyalties and joined Team Aqua, but I didn't see that happening. I was fairly confident in his canonical loyalty towards Maxie and didn't think that he would somehow switch Teams like this. As a result, I thought it was very likely that Team Aqua and Team Magma had, for whatever reason, chosen to combine their forces for a shared goal.
  
  "And how do you plan to accomplish that?" I asked, shoving down my instinctive horror as I steeled myself and faced down this madman once again. I needed more answers.
  
  The man only sneered at me, "Our plans are not for the unfaithful to know. Just know that you are standing on the wrong side of history! When the world is remade, you will only be able to lament your decisions in life, your blindness and inability to see what a better world would be! The endless possibilities awaiting us..."
  
  I tuned the guy out as he continued his mad ramblings; he clearly wasn't going to give me anything more that I could use. Instead, I chose to focus on what I knew. I knew that, in canon, both teams either wanted to awaken Groudon or Kyogre to terraform the world to their liking. Which was why I was confident that they had been aiming for the Orbs to awaken them. It was also why them joining forces together was such a surprise for me, as their original goals were mutually exclusive from one another.
  
  But now, these claims of 'remaking the world' implies that they had a different plan in mind. They were no longer satisfied with mass terraforming, but they wanted to reshape the world itself.
  
  My eyes narrowed as I remembered the only evil team that had wanted this as a goal.
  
  Team Galactic.
  
  A.N. John finally pulls the strings together and realizes just how much the butterfly has flapped.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-4 - On the Hunt
  
  It was a momentous realization.
  
  To think that, for whatever reason, Team Galactic had gotten involved with the evil teams in Hoenn. It horrified me to imagine all of the evil teams working together under what was likely a common goal, and I instinctively wanted to let out a scream of anger.
  
  But before I made a fool of myself, Drake bumped me on the shoulder and turned to me with a concerned look on his face. "What is it, John? You look like you realized something terrible."
  
  His words pulled me back from the brink, and I managed to hold on to my rationality. Drake's presence reminded me of where I was, and most importantly, how I wasn't alone. Yes, the fact that the evil teams were cooperating together was a terrifying thought, but their combined manpower was still dwarfed by the forces of the League.
  
  If we could just locate where they were, we could crush them before they could start anything.
  
  With that silver lining, I took a deep breath to calm myself before I addressed Drake, "Let's speak outside. In private."
  
  With a silent nod, he followed me out and into an empty interrogation room. Before I started talking, I released Pixel from his Pokéball, and gestured for him to scan the room.
  
  Drake raised an eyebrow at my actions, "So what did you realize that requires all this secrecy? Did their fanaticism unnerve you?"
  
  I stayed silent until Pixel let out an affirmative buzz, signalling that the room was clear of any recording devices. Only then, did I speak.
  
  "In a sense." I said, before letting out a breath as I steeled myself for what I had to say, "Their words about reshaping the world is deeply concerning to me, especially when you consider their actions."
  
  "What do you mean?" Drake asked as he crossed his arms.
  
  "Considering the cultural significance of the Orbs, Team Rocket must have known that there was no chance that stealing the Orbs would not lead to an immediate region wide manhunt like what we did in Indigo." I explained, "And yet, despite all the effort they put into lowering their perceived threat level during their raid at Devon Corp, they were still willing to try to steal the Orbs."
  
  "Surely that's just because they're fucking idiots, like I mentioned before." Drake interrupted, "Must have gotten greedy as criminals usually do."
  
  I shook my head, "I highly doubt that it's so simple. Did you notice how there seemed to be two groups of criminals, one that was in it for the money, and the other were far more fanatical? I believe the former to be the remnants of the old Team Rocket, but the fanatics must be from a different criminal group entirely."
  
  Drake tilted his head in thought, "...It makes sense." He eventually said, "A group of career criminals don't suddenly become fanatics out of nowhere." He sighed, "So what you're saying is that we actually have a new group of criminals that have joined up with Team Rocket and are working together for a common goal?"
  
  "Exactly." I nodded, "And THAT common goal is what I'm particularly concerned about. Especially when the fanatics continually harping on about 'remaking the world'."
  
  "You don't think it's a bunch of nonsense?" He questioned, "Fanatics aren't known for their rational state of mind."
  
  "Sure, that's true." I nodded, "But what if they could?"
  
  I was testing the waters here to see if Drake could be persuaded to realizing the evil teams' true goals, as farfetched as they were to someone without meta-knowledge. Awakening and controlling Legendaries just wasn't a thing that was done.
  
  "Impossible." Drake stated, like I expected, "There's nothing in this world that could do something like this except for...the...Legendaries..." His eyes widened in horror and realization, but he quickly shook off those thoughts as he returned to his usual gruff frown, "No. I refuse to entertain such a thought. Obtaining control over a Legendary is inconceivable. They are far beyond the realms of man and science."
  
  I shrugged, trying not to wince at how wrong Drake was, "I can't be certain, but it would be the worst possible scenario, wouldn't it?" I said rhetorically, "But even the simple act of awakening any of the Legendaries could risk incalculable amounts of destruction. Everyone knows that Legendaries are more like pure forces of nature. We can't risk them ever being summoned, especially not by these fanatics."
  
  "Is that why that so-called legend-obsessed leader of Team Rocket went for the Orbs?" Drake frowned thoughtfully, "Because he thought they could grant him control over the Legendaries? Preposterous!"
  
  "Maybe. But ultimately whether they ARE able to awaken these Legendaries or not is going off topic." I said, switching topics as I realized I couldn't persuade Drake of the evil teams' true goals. "The main issue for now is what I brought up before. There are two teams operating here. One is the former Team Rocket, and the other consists of fanatics."
  
  "Aye. And that means we've been looking at this whole thing wrong." Drake grumbled, "We were under the assumption that Team Rocket was a far smaller operation than this, but between this revelation and the increase in training that we saw...this means that the scale of their operations must be far larger than we first thought."
  
  I nodded, "Yes, and that means we have our work cut out for us." I sighed, "And to make matters worse, their leaders should have already been informed of the mission's failure, which means they'll be trying to squirrel away and hide as soon as possible."
  
  "Fuck. You're right." Drake snarled, "Then let's not waste any more time. You said Lance gave approval right?" I nodded, "Then let's get these fanatics transferred over to Indigo as soon as possible. I doubt we'd get anything out of them otherwise."
  
  He stalked out of the room, "Come. We need to strike them hard and fast before they can hide away once again. Let's hope the Jennys' got something for us."
  
  We made our back to the viewing room, and Drake immediately approached the Jenny to see if we had found any leads for us to go on. However, just before he could ask, Pixel started buzzing widely.
  
  "PORY! PORY! GON! GON!" It whirled loudly, and my eyes widened in alarm as I realized what Pixel was saying.
  
  Without a second thought, I rushed into the interrogation room with Pixel, where a grunt was in the middle of being questioned, and Pixel immediately slammed into the grunt.
  
  "ELITE JOHN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The interrogating Jenny shouted, but I ignored her as I kneeled down to where the grunt was groaning in pain on the floor. Pixel then fired off a weak Psychic to ensure that he stood down before its eyes glowed as Pixel began to perform a full scan on the grunt.
  
  "GON! GON!" It buzzed to me as it levitated a tiny object off of the grunt's clothes. I inspected it and realized that, just like Pixel was shouting about, it was a miniature scanner. If it wasn't for Pixel's scanning abilities, it would have been near impossible to spot.
  
  I quickly turned to the Jenny, "My Porygon has just informed that the grunt has a miniature scanner on him that was able to scan and send off the data from the Orb." Her face widened in surprise as I continued, "We need to check all of the other grunts to make sure they don't have similar devices. Pixel here will help with that."
  
  She nodded and immediately set to work, Pixel following after them as I told it to. I let out a breath as I watched them hurry away, as my mind started to process the implications of the scanner.
  
  The fact that they had managed to scan the data and send it off meant that their mission was likely a partial success, and there was nothing we could have done about it. Even if we had detected the scanners earlier, before the questioning even began, they would have still been able to send off the data that they scanned.
  
  "FUCK!" I couldn't help but shout out in a statement of anger and frustration. I didn't know how much data the scanner could transfer, nor what they managed to scan, but any kind of progress was not something I wanted them to have. They might have been able to start and proceed to the next step of their plan, whatever it might be.
  
  I let out a frustrated grunt as I approached Drake and explained to him the ramifications of the scanner.
  
  He growled, "Arceus, does this shit never end!? Thought we could finally taking a fucking breather before they pull this kind of shit on us. Fucking shit!" He continued to let out a few more swears before he took multiple deep breaths to calm himself down. "...But then this means that the leaders are going to have already known that their operatives were captured. They might already be making plans to escape or withdraw from a few of their bases."
  
  "We need to strike NOW!" He snarled, slamming a fist into his palm. I nodded in agreement.
  
  After a few minutes, the Jennys returned to us and informed us that they have extracted the scanners from all of the captured grunts. Likewise, Pixel confirmed to us that they had all sent off whatever data they had.
  
  But there was a silver lining. Thanks to Pixel, we KNEW where that location was.
  
  "Then what are we waiting for?" Drake asked as he started making his way out the door, "Let's get a move on and strike while the iron is hot!"
  
  And with that, we split up. Drake and I would take a few of the Jennys to form a perimeter around the location, while the rest would stay and continue to identify more leads. On the way there, Drake informed Wallace of what was going on, and asked him if we could bring the entirety of the Elite Four to bear.
  
  Unfortunately, Wallace regretfully denied the proposal, saying that the Committee was adamant in not escalating the situation any further. Plus, with only one known location, bringing the entire Elite Four would be overkill. Drake reluctantly agreed with the latter. And at least he gave us full authorisation to strike and capture those found at valid targets.
  
  Still, Drake and I were more than enough to handle them, so we made our way to where Pixel directed us, towards a nondescript warehouse at the outer edges of Slateport City. Our small group landed a small distance away to avoid being spotted, and Drake quickly informed of the plan.
  
  His Pokémon were a bit too destructive for such an operation. So, he would be focused on circling around the building with his flyers to support the Jennys and ensure that no one tried to escape. Then, I would be in charge of breaking in with the remaining Jennys to capture them all.
  
  We all agreed. And with the plan in place, we double checked our radios and made our move.
  
  Within under a minute, we had the entire warehouse surrounded. Not needing to announce ourselves, I released out Smough, Klee and Luna and busted down the gate using Smough as a battering ram.
  
  "PUT YOUR HANDS UP! HOENN POLICE!" One of the Jenny's shouted out as we immediately funnelled inside.
  
  As the dust settled, we were greeted with the sight of many a surprised grunt, all wearing Team Magma uniforms. That was a shock, but I quickly put it out of my mind as I directed my Pokémon to attack before the grunts could recover.
  
  "BLAST THEM DOWN!" I ordered.
  
  Klee and Luna immediately shot out a wave of Psychic that crashed into a few surprised grunts, quickly knocking them out of the fight. The others, shaken out of their stupor, rapidly scrambled to release the rest of their Pokémon as they either stood and fought or tried to escape out of the back.
  
  To my left, an Arcanine blitzed into the fray as it tackled one of the grunt's Arbok. At the same time, Smough slammed his head into a Weezing with a devastating Zen Headbutt, which fainted instantly.
  
  Klee's eyes flashed as a large screen of light formed in front of us like a barrier, the Light Screen protecting us from the incoming ranged attacks. I heard a howl of pain coming from my right, and I turned to see a Mightyena getting blasted back by a Moonblast before another Arcanine slammed into it while it was on the ground.
  
  With the first wave of Pokémon knocked out, we had established a firm foothold within the warehouse and were beginning to push the grunts back. Making use of the extra space, I released Tyrant into the fight.
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" He roared as he charged straight into where the fighting was thickest, unheeding of the opposition in his way. I saw him casually grab a Claydol before using it as a Pokémon shield against any attacks while it struggled helplessly in his grasp until Tyrant disposed of it by tossing the Claydol like a missile at a group of Weezing.
  
  A Golbat tried to swoop in from above, but it flew too close to Smough and got pulled out of the air and savagely thrown onto the ground. An Ice Beam from Luna ensured that it stayed down.
  
  While Tyrant was pulling all of the attention onto himself, the Jenny's Arcanine were flanking around and striking at a few stragglers that were trying to hide away on the sides. The Arcanine made use of their impressive speed to rush them down and savage them at close range, playing to their own strengths.
  
  In the meanwhile, Klee was focused on maintaining the Light Screen while also firing off the occasional Heal Pulse to ensure that our Pokémon were all in fighting condition.
  
  Seeing how quickly they were losing the fight, a few of the more cowardly grunts tried to escape out the back with their Pokémon. However, as soon as they did so, a huge pillar of stone erupted from below them and crushed their Pokémon in an avalanche of rocks as Drake ambushed them with his Flygon. Others were less fortunate, as they failed to scramble away before a sweeping Dragon Pulse from his Altaria blasted their Pokémon away.
  
  The grunts' Pokémon were being blitzed down and encircled. From the front, Tyrant was leading the charge as he ripped apart their Pokémon with brutal ease, while Smough and the rest were making sure that any and all stragglers that he missed were quickly knocked out. From behind, Drake and his Dragons had their only escape route under lockdown, and trying to escape through it was a doomed affair.
  
  At this point, I thought the battle was effectively won and done, but then a grunt's shout suddenly cut through the entire battle, "BURN THE DATA SERVERS! DON'T LET THEM GET ACCESS TO IT!"
  
  Shit! "PROTECT THE SERVERS! WE NEED TO SEE WHAT'S INSIDE!" I commanded, pointing towards where the servers were located at the far end of the room. Although losing the data servers wouldn't be too big of a loss, it meant that we wouldn't be able to glean more about what they had learnt from their attack at Devon and Mt. Pyre.
  
  One of the grunts immediately made a dash towards the servers with his Houndoom. I quickly turned to a nearby Jenny, "MOVE YOUR ARCANINE! STOP THAT HOUNDOOM!"
  
  Without needing me to clarify, she swiftly ordered her Arcanine to intercept the Houndoom. Arcanine rushed forwards with Extreme Speed and arrived just in time to absorb the stream of flames with its Flash Fire, protecting the data servers from being burnt down.
  
  Realizing their first attempt had failed, the grunt who had made the order initially barked out another command, "TEAM MAGMA, GET TO THE DATA SERVERS NOW! ABOVE ALL ELSE!"
  
  And, just like the fanatics they were, the Team Magma grunts put aside all of their self-preservation instincts as they all charged towards the data servers with their Pokémon. Some of them were even using themselves as human meatshields for their Pokémon to buy time, knowing that we couldn't seriously injure them.
  
  It was a disgusting action that took advantage of our mercy to stop us from attacking. But just as I was about to wrack my brain for options to stop the grunts, a huge section of the warehouse's roof was suddenly ripped out.
  
  A terrifying roar filled the now exposed warehouse as the battle seemed to pause as everyone and their Pokémon stared up to where the source of that roar came from. And that answer quickly revealed itself as Drake landed with his Salamence and Blastoise standing by his side, right in the path of the charging grunts.
  
  "JOHN, SHIELD THE JENNYS NOW!" Drake shouted out as both of his Blastoise's barrels began to gleam a dangerous blue. Understanding instantly flashed through my eyes.
  
  "GET TO COVER!" I yelled to the nearby Jenny's while Klee and Luna rapidly shouldered in front of me while they both reinforced the Light Screen and surrounded us with a Protect Shield. The Jenny's swiftly recalled their Pokémon before huddling up next to me within the safety of the shields. I shouted to Drake the moment they did so.
  
  "NOW!"
  
  And not a second later, Blastoise unleashed a devastating double barrel Hydro Pump that swept through the entire warehouse. Screams of pain rang out as all of the charging grunts and their Pokémon were ruthlessly blasted with an enormous torrent of water. Some of the more intelligent grunts had tried to put up Protect shields to block the incoming attack, but to no avail. Those Protect shield were shattered just like all the rest.
  
  Drake showed absolutely no mercy as he stared impassively as the grunts and their Pokémon were all knocked down by Blastoise's attack. The only exception was Tyrant, who stood outside of the Protect shield and simply tanked through the attack with a pained, yet stoic, grunt.
  
  As Blastoise's attack petered out, I glanced over the flooded remains of the warehouse to find that all of the remaining grunts and their Pokémon had been knocked out, barring a few lucky survivors. A swift command to Luna and Klee resulted in a quick barrage of Psychics that knocked out the last few Pokémon.
  
  Because of where Drake had landed, his side of the warehouse, which was also where the data servers were, remained intact. Everything else had been smashed apart by the sheer power of his Blastoise's Hydro Pump, with only rubble remaining. It was as if the entire place had been hit by a devastating flood.
  
  Not wanting to risk anything, I rushed over to where Drake was and released Pixel to scan and save all of the data. Unfortunately, Pixel could only do so at close ranges, otherwise I would have deployed him as soon as the data servers were under threat. Luckily, with an affirmative beep, Pixel informed me that it had saved everything, and my phone immediately pinged as the information was sent.
  
  I gave Drake a nod and he started barking out orders to the Jennys. "Data secured. Let's clean all this shit up."
  
  The Jennys rapidly began making calls to the nearby Pokécenter at Slateport for some Nurse Joys to carry out all of the fallen Pokémon and the grunts. I took a quick glance and winced as I saw that a few of the grunts were pretty badly injured by the attack. I turned to Drake with a questioning glance, but he just shrugged.
  
  "Reasonable force." He simply replied, "They shouldn't have gotten in my way or use themselves as fucking meatshields. This is just the result of their idiocy."
  
  I agreed, but still had to voice out my concern anyway, "Wouldn't you get told off for causing undue harm against the grunts?"
  
  "HAH!" He barked out a laugh, "Just leave that shit to me. I'd like to see them try." And I nodded as I let the topic drop. If Drake seemed unconcerned about it, then I certainly wasn't about to make a fuss. In my eyes, these grunts deserved it.
  
  "But I guess this proves us right about the fact that there are two different teams in play." Drake supposed as he glanced down at the uniforms of the fallen grunts, "They're wearing a very different outfit to Team Rocket. I think I heard one of the grunts shout out something about 'Team Magma'. A shitty name." He scoffed.
  
  "But they're very fanatical." I frowned, "Takes a lot more than money to put yourself in harm's way for the cause. This is some devotion."
  
  "Aye. And that makes them dangerous." Drake agreed, "We got lucky today. Let's keep up the momentum and destroy as much of their organisation while we still can." I nodded.
  
  The clean-up took a while, which I used to inspect the information that we had so painstakingly retrieved from the data server. In it, we found what we suspected, which was that the scanners had been used to scan the Orbs at close distance and send off that data. However, whatever they had picked up from those scanners were immediately wiped from the server as they got sent out, and we had no way of retrieving that data or the location of where it was sent to.
  
  However, there was a silver lining. The retrieved data still consisted of a few undeleted financial transactions and other leads, which I hope we could make use of to quickly locate more of their hideouts. Thus, I quickly forwarded the data to Drake and the Hoenn Police so that they could extract whatever they could from it.
  
  I only hoped that they could find out more soon. I knew that, with each hour that passed, more and more of the grunts would wise up to our raids and quickly remove themselves and anything incriminating.
  
  And with the data they obtained from the scanner, I was growing concerned about what they insane plan they would come up with next.
  
  A.N. And the beginning of the raids against the evil teams. And John and the team got some confirmation of their theories. But, like I mentioned in the chapter, the evil teams aren't just going to sit down and let themselves be captured. They're going to fight back or hide as much away as possible.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 6-4 - Interlude -Proton
  The New Normal - 6-4 - Interlude - Proton
  
  "Why are we running away?! What have we been training for if not to stand and fight?!" Proton shouted frustratedly at his boss, who was busy rushing around and directing orders to remove all of the evidence around their base.
  
  It was a few days after their successful attack at Devon, and a day after their less-than-successful attempt to retrieve the two Orbs. However, the silver lining was that the specially made hidden scanners that they had discretely planted on the grunts' uniforms were able to collect whatever data was so important to his bosses.
  
  And we got the Porygon research, whatever the fuck they thought it was so useful he couldn't understand. The eggheads were up to their usual shit as usual, and Proton didn't have enough fucking patience to listen to their endless droning.
  
  But now, for some dumb reason, Team Magma and Team Aqua seem to have both agreed to start moving away their operations as soon as they realized that their operation had failed, and that retaliatory strikes were likely underway. Already, they were getting reports that a couple of bases were already being raided, and his bosses seemed to not be doing anything in response!
  
  Or perhaps this was the plan all along.
  
  Proton just didn't fucking understand. It was like his bosses suddenly lost all of their spines when it came to dealing with the Hoenn League. They had the numbers! They could fight! They could ambush them and sow chaos among those fucking do-gooders before they could react!
  
  "Answer me, Archie!" Proton demanded furiously, pushing up to his boss who had been continuing to ignore him. "We have the numbers, and the training, so why should we rush off to someplace else without even TRYING to put up a fight?! We could engrave fear into their minds with the damage we'd sow! I didn't take you for a coward!"
  
  Upon hearing that last comment, Archie turned and glared at Proton, "You fucking fool. Have you not learnt from your mistakes in Indigo?!" He spat out, "It doesn't matter how many numbers we have, you fucking idiot, because they will NEVER be enough!"
  
  "And how do you know that?!" Proton argued stubbornly, "We have yet to try! We do all this training, and you're not even willing to put it to use!"
  
  Then suddenly, Archie lashed out with a fist that smashed straight into Proton's stomach, causing him to double over in pain as he collapsed to the ground. Archie grabbed Proton by his hair and dragged him up painfully so that his face was inches away from his.
  
  "IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY GRUNTS WE HAVE!" Archie yelled angrily, "THEY WILL NOT BE ENOUGH! The League will ALWAYS have more! And if the Hoenn League lacks in numbers, they can always call on the Indigo League for even more! We would EASILY be overrun!"
  
  Archie let go of Proton's head as he continued while ignoring Proton's coughs of pain, "This is one of the rare times where both Maxie and I are in agreement. Even if we were to stand and fight, we would gain nothing." He explained, "We have the data. Sure, it isn't as complete as we have hoped, but we have to make do with what we have. And from what Maxie tells me, what we have is mostly sufficient for the project our backer needs it for. I'm confident that the first step has been achieved towards making our goal a reality."
  
  "So what? Because you have what you want, you're just going to leave?" Proton sputtered out as he tried to pull himself up.
  
  "Yes. And that's because we do not think like you and your thugs, Proton." Archie responded, "We are visionaries. We seek to remake the world anew so that a utopian paradise can be created. Now that we have the first step of achieving our goal, what reason do we have to stay? We do not need to project strength. We don't need to preserve our reputation. None of those things matter to us."
  
  Archie bent down and almost pressed his face against Proton's, "Our grunts understand this. They understand that sacrifices are needed for the creation of our eternal paradise. That's why, amongst Team Aqua, only you and the remnants of Team Rocket are questioning this decision. Look around you, and you will see that all the other grunts are willing to do what's best for the greater good." He gestured an arm to the rest of the base.
  
  "They know that the best choice of action right now would be to leave all this behind and maintain as much of our strength as possible." Archie explained as if he was speaking to an idiot, "We will be making counterattacks, but only as far as necessary to cover our retreat. We cannot afford to relax until our final goal is finally achieved."
  
  And indeed, as if to prove Archie's words right, Proton looked around and saw that on the faces of the Team Aqua grunts rushing around, there was no sense of dissatisfaction. Even if they KNEW that their retreat would likely cause many of their own to be captured and imprisoned, they accepted it with a determined mien. Or perhaps, a fanatical one.
  
  Eventually, Proton shook his head, realizing that there was no winning an argument against his fanatical boss. Sometimes, he really regretted betraying the old Team Rocket. They might have kept him on a tight leash, but at least they were fairly reasonable about it.
  
  "So, where are heading to now?" Proton asked, reigning in his temper and blatantly changing the topic. "If we're trying to get away from the authorities, where can we even head to?"
  
  Archie shot him a grin, "Oh, curious now aren't we?" He chuckled, "Well, if you must know, Maxie and I have spoken to our backer, and all three of us agree that it's time to finally combine our forces. Our operations in Hoenn have come to a, mostly successful, end."
  
  "You still haven't answered the fucking question." Proton grumbled.
  
  "Come now, use your brain, Proton." Archie replied snidely, "I know that's not what we brought you on for, but you've been really disappointing me these past few minutes. I'm sure you could figure it out."
  
  Proton bit back a retort and physically held himself from punching his boss in the face. For one, he would immediately be dogpiled by all of the other grunts that clearly held more loyalty to Archie than himself, and second, Archie was a BIG man. Proton was many things, but he knew a lost fight when he saw one.
  
  So, he held himself back and wracked his brain for where else they could go. Obviously, they couldn't go back to Indigo, not since they had labelled all of Team Rocket as terrorists. That would be idiotic. And since they can't stay in Hoenn...that only left one place.
  
  Sinnoh.
  
  A.N. I tried to capture the difference in mindset between Proton and Archie. Proton has never subscribed to the more fanatical thinking and is more of a traditional thug. Here, I wanted to show how different Team Magma/Aqua operates compared to Team Rocket, since they are driven by fanaticism rather than profits. Of course, Proton doesn't get why.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 6-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-5 - The Hunt Continues
  
  We made use of the time where the Jennys were parsing through all of our collected information to rest up. Drake and I knew we were going to be pushing our Pokémon very hard over the next few days, so we cherished any available time to take a break.
  
  Drake got admonished by Wallace for his 'over-enthusiasm' when it comes to dealing with the grunts. But I could tell that Wallace was only telling Drake off because he had to, and not because he was genuinely upset with Drake hurting the grunts too much.
  
  Drake shot me a thumbs up after Wallace hung up.
  
  Of course, that didn't mean that we weren't discussing things while we rested. And we had slightly differing opinions on what we should be prioritising.
  
  "Our goals should be prioritising the infrastructure of these teams." Drake argued, "These fanatics are far too entrenched into Hoenn, and we need to make sure to destroy all of their foundation so that they won't be able to recoup their losses."
  
  "But a decapitation strike against their leaders should be a bigger priority." I tried to argue, "Yes, they're much harder to find. But I guarantee you that without their leaders, their grunts will be nothing. They will have no direction." And I knew that the true danger behind the evil teams were the insane ambitions and determination leaders, not their individual strengths.
  
  "And how are we going to find these leaders, John?" Drake shot back, "You can't expect us to hold off on raids just for the small chance we locate them. I get that taking them down is important, but we can't just spend time overanalysing every single clue to try to find them, nor waste time trying to set up bait to lure them out. No, we need to strike back as hard and as fast as we can."
  
  I frowned, but I eventually yielded to Drake's logic. He had more experience at handling such matters than me, so I followed his expertise.
  
  Drake sighed as he patted me on the shoulder, "I appreciate your concern for the state of Hoenn, and I get that you're worried about whatever data they were able to retrieve from their scanners. But things don't always go your way; you're going to have to adapt to situations like this from time to time where you're on the backfoot."
  
  "I understand." I nodded back.
  
  "Good." Drake smiled for a moment before his signature frown returned, "Then what do you think they'll be doing about the Porygon research? They must have stolen that for a reason."
  
  "Mass production of unstable, yet powerful Pokémon to use to fight against us." I instantly replied, "It's not cheap, but Porygon ARE Pokémon that can be produced entirely from scratch. This means they don't have to take risks wandering outside of their bases to capture Pokémon for their grunts and are able to just produce it from their facilities."
  
  "Wait, how powerful are these Porygon anyways?" Drake interrupted to ask, "I know you have that Porygon2, VERY creative name by the way, but I heard from Joseph that they found a more powerful, but unstable evolution to Porygon2?"
  
  "Yes, Porygon-Z." I confirmed, "...Imagine if you traded your Pokémon's mental stability for raw offensive power. Porygon-Z are powerful Pokémon, but due to their mental instability I doubt they'll ever be well-disciplined or even be able to obey anything other than the simplest of commands."
  
  "Ah, so they'll be like your standard artillery barrage of ranged attackers then." Drake nodded in understanding. "Well that's just fucking great - but that only emphasizes the need to shut these bastards down before they can get started on production."
  
  "What I'm more afraid of is the hacking ability that having Porygon will provide them." I added with concern, "It's not completely all-powerful, and the Porygon WILL have to be trained up to get good at it, but it'll give them a significant boost to any technological espionage that they'll attempt. Fortunately, I seriously doubt they'll be able to mass produce that many Porygon nor train them up anytime soon."
  
  Unlike what I initially believed, Porygon were not automatic super hackers just because they were created out of data. It was the same as how humans didn't have a full understanding of other humans despite being the same species. It still took time for them to learn the intricacies of hacking. But Porygon just picked it up faster, which was still very valuable to have.
  
  "...Technological security is outside of my comfort zone." Drake admitted, "I'll inform Wallace to help look out for this, but I think this is something Joseph might be help out with. I'm the last person to ask about this."
  
  He turned towards the clock nearby, "You should get some sleep, John. We have a long couple of days ahead of us." He told me, "Oh, and I just remembered. I need to tell Wallace to move the Orbs from Mt. Pyre to a safer location. Now that we aren't using them as bait and we don't need to conceal our intentions from their spies, I think I'll get him to store the Orbs with himself for the time being; I can think of no safer place than that." I nodded at that prudent suggestion.
  
  The next day, we both awoke early as we headed straight to the Jennys to inquire about any updates regarding other locations for the grunts. Unfortunately, we got a little more than that.
  
  "I heard from other branches of Jennys that they've been diverted to help control the protests that have broken out against Silph Co's alleged espionage attempt." A Jenny informed us, "The protests aren't very serious for now, but there are fears that the longer that we don't hear a proper response from Silph Co, the worse that these protests might get."
  
  "Shit." I muttered, "Thanks for letting me know. Let me make a call." I walked away and dialled up Giovanni.
  
  "Giovanni, I hope you're making good progress on clearing Silph Co's name." I told him as soon as he picked up the call, "I don't mean to rush you, but things aren't looking great here in Hoenn. The longer this goes on, the worse it's going to get." I quickly described the protests that were taking place around the region.
  
  "I have already prepared a public statement that I will be making tomorrow." Giovanni responded firmly, "In the statement I will be revealing to the world that the accusations have been completely false, and that the evidence against us has been manipulated. I have also conducted a formal audit against the company to prove that no such payments have been made towards Team Rocket."
  
  "Are you sure that will be enough?" I asked back, trying to make sure his confidence wasn't overblown. I knew Giovanni could be prone to arrogance at times.
  
  "At the very least, I'm confident that it should placate most of the public in Hoenn." He reassured me, "After all, Team Rocket don't have the most stellar of reputations, so any kind of formal refutation from a trusted source should be sufficient to discredit their claims."
  
  "Alright, thank you Giovanni. I look forward to the good news tomorrow." I thanked him before hanging up. Drake, who had been overhearing the call, nodded to me.
  
  "I'm glad you have some trustworthy allies, John. Competent and trusted allies certainly make things easier." He smiled, "I should probably send Giovanni a gift or something for helping out like this."
  
  "I'm sure he'll appreciate it." I replied, before turning serious once again. "Any news on the hideouts?"
  
  "Yes, we got lucky and managed to recover a whole bunch of locations from the data servers." Drake responded with a frown as he pointed at the map where the Jennys had marked down the locations of the bases. Many of them were on the outskirts of major cities, but there was one particular base that seemed to be in the centre of Slateport City.
  
  I studied the map at the moment, concern lining my face, "I'm very concerned about attacking that base in Slateport. There's a huge risk of collateral damage."
  
  "Let us handle it, John." One of the Jennys spoke up, "We've been trained to handle threats like these while minimizing collateral damage. We can do this." The other Jennys nodded in agreement. I shot Drake a look and he gave me a slight nod.
  
  I turned back to the Jennys. "Thank you, then I'll leave that one to you." They nodded and one of them starting barking order as a group of them rushed out.
  
  "John, you and I should split up." Drake suggested, "There are too many locations to hit for us to go together. Just bring a few Jennys each, but I'm sure you can handle it."
  
  "Are you sure we can't bring in the other Elite Four members?" I asked with a frown.
  
  Drake shook his head, "I spoke to Wallace last night before heading to bed. He said that our early success has bit us in the ass. Because we seemed to have the situation handled, the Committee are now even more insistent in putting their fucking heads in the sand and pretending that the situation isn't as big of a shitshow as it really is. They won't be authorizing the other Elite Four to be sent out - no matter how much the others want to help. They think that this way, we can 'avoid panic' or whatever fucking nonsense they're still trying to peddle."
  
  "Fuck." I bit out frustratedly, "Fine, we'll do it ourselves."
  
  "That's the spirit." Drake chuckled, though I could tell it was slightly forced. "Come on then, pick your targets. And happy hunting."
  
  And with that, Drake and I split up the targets between us, and then we were off. I set off on Port with a few Jennys on their Swellow trailing after me for one of the bases on the outskirts Dewford Town.
  
  However, as soon as I arrived, I quickly realized that unlike when we hit that first base, these grunts KNEW we were coming. And they were ready for us.
  
  A small group of grunts were waiting for us outside the base, accompanied by their Crawdaunts, Mightyena, and Golbats. The Crawdaunts immediately fired off a barrage of Ice Beams as they tried shooting us down out of the sky, and the Golbats took to the air and began firing off Air Slashes as they tried for the same.
  
  "SPLIT UP!" I commanded to the Jennys, "We need to land!" In order to cover the Jennys, I released Klee onto Port as well. She immediately created a large Light Screen that was able to absorb most of the incoming hits. And Port, being a Water/Flying type, wasn't particularly vulnerable to Ice Beams anyways.
  
  "Ice Beam, Port! Knock out those Golbat!" Despite not being specifically trained for battle, Port had still spent enough time around my other Pokémon to fight back if he needed to. As we continued our descent, he let out a sweeping beam of Ice that was mostly used to cut through any of the incoming Air Slashes and to force the Golbat to dodge out of the way, buying time for us to land.
  
  Around me, some of the Jennys had already landed, only to immediately be swarmed by the Mightyena that had been patiently waiting for them. But they had their own Arcanine ready and waiting, and the fight turned into a brawl as the two groups began to fight. In the distance, I saw a few grunts trying their best to run away while carrying a few briefcases of something.
  
  I was not going to allow them to escape.
  
  "Klaus!" I sent out him out as soon as I landed, pointing towards the escaping grunts, "Go after them! Don't let them escape!"
  
  With an affirmative snort, Klaus began leaping through the air on psychic barriers as he chased after the escaping grunts. The Golbats and Crawdaunts tried to stop him, only to be given a harsh reminder of who they SHOULD keep their focus on as Klee sent a flurry of Thunderbolts that crashed down onto them. A few Golbats fell out of the sky as they were struck down by the supereffective attack.
  
  "Port, support Klaus!" I ordered, thinking that his speed would be more useful there. "The rest of you, come and fight!"
  
  My whole team, minus Ornstein, emerged around me. In the meanwhile, the Jennys had already taken down the Mightyena and now joined me in the fight against the remaining grunts. Both sides charged at each other as the grunts refused to surrender to overwhelming numbers. They were met with a full onslaught of rocks, flames, and lightning. And fists.
  
  The fight was brutal, but ultimately short. They stood no chance against our combined Pokémon, and they were quick to be defeated. Furthermore, the grunts that had tried to escape had all been forcefully knocked out by Klaus and Port, and we managed to retrieve the money that they were trying to hide away from us.
  
  It was another successful attack, but it was only the first of many. I only had a few moments to rest as the Jennys quickly arrested everyone, and then we were off again to our next location.
  
  The raids continued. The grunts were increasingly prepared for our arrival, and it had become almost routine that we were met with an onslaught of attacks from the grunts as we neared their base. But the outcome was always the same, the grunts never really outnumbered us too much and our Pokémon were always leagues stronger than theirs, allowing us to overwhelm them in a straight up fight.
  
  And it was because of these series of successes that I may have gotten overconfident. I had gotten it into my mind that the raids would always be as easy and simple as before, so I never thought that the grunts would have the coordination to try to adapt to our plans.
  
  That proved to be a mistake.
  
  As I was flying over the outskirts of Pacifidlog Town with the Jennys towards our next base, I had seen in the distance a cloud of small dots suddenly take flight from the floating town. Neither myself nor the Jennys really paid much attention to this at first and continued flying away from the town, our guards not raising until we realized the dots were slowly gaining on us.
  
  It was only when they got even closer did I even realize what those dots were. But it was already far too late, and I found myself surrounded by a small swarm of Golbat-riding grunts, who subsequently released even more Golbats and Weezing. My stomach dropped as I took in the overwhelming number of Pokémon arrayed against me and the Jennys. This was nothing less than a planned ambush.
  
  I was in serious trouble.
  
  "INCOMING! DIVE AND DODGE!" Not wasting a second, I shouted out to Port as a flurry of Air Slashes narrowly missed us.
  
  The Weezings that were in front of us tried to incapacitate us as they expelled a cloud of Poison Gas that Port nearly flew into. Luckily, he had the reaction speed to use a quick Defog that quickly dispelled the toxic fog before it could poison him.
  
  But the Weezings weren't done yet, and they tried again by shooting out a barrage of Sludge Bombs. However, their attacks were slow, nor could the Sludge Bombs travel very far, and Port was easily able to make use of his superior flight speed to swoop out of the way and out of the line of fire.
  
  However, the Jennys weren't as lucky as I was. Their Swellow clearly were not actually trained for battle, especially not in such unfavourable conditions, and many of the Jennys found themselves falling out of the sky as their Swellow were quickly taking down by a series of attacks by the grunts.
  
  I grimaced, a part of me wanted to prioritize escaping this obviously pre-planned trap by the grunts. But I refused to allow a Jenny to fall into the deprivations of these grunts. And so, I forced myself to turn around and moved to protect the falling Jennys. Unfortunately, they didn't have any Pokémon that could fight in mid-air and help them.
  
  "Come out and protect us!" The fact that we were flying over the deep blue ocean of Hoenn meant that I was unable to make use of my stronger Pokémon, such as Vordt and Tyrant, because they couldn't fly. Therefore, I was forced to rely on my three Pokémon that COULD fight in the air, namely Klaus, Zephyr, and Pixel. There was just enough space on Port for Klee or Luna to also join in as well. I chose Klee due to the more favourable type matchup.
  
  I ordered my Pokémon to try and shield the Jennys as they fell and take down the enemies surrounding us, but things were looking grim. Heavily outnumbered as I was, and without my strongest Pokémon available, this was going to be a very difficult battle.
  
  "BLISS!" Klee shouted as Gravity suddenly intensified in an area around us. A huge group of Golbat suddenly fell out of the air as they were pushed down into the waiting depths of the ocean by the intense Gravity, unused to flying in such conditions. Simultaneously, her eyes flashed blue, and a Light Screen formed in front of me, protecting me from a barrage of Air Slashes that just barely got blocked in time.
  
  In the meanwhile, Zephyr let out a screech as he formed a huge Hurricane in the air that tore through the grunts' ranks, forcing their Pokémon to dodge out of the way or simply be consumed within the devastating Hurricane. Several of them failed to avoid it in time, and they were violently tossed around by the powerful gale winds.
  
  Similarly, Klaus prioritized catching the falling Jennys with his Psychic. As soon as he had them safely within his Psychic grasp, I gave him a new command.
  
  "Teleport them out to safety! They can't fight like this!" I ordered Klaus, who looked unhappy with my order. He must have wanted to stay and fight, but he knew better than to gainsay at this moment. With an affirmative snort, he disappeared alongside the Jennys as he Teleported himself out of the fight. I breathed a sigh of relief as the Jennys were safely removed from the fight.
  
  But that meant that I was down another Pokémon, at least temporarily.
  
  "BLISSEY!" Klee suddenly shouted out in an alarm, and my head swivelled to see a diving squad of Golbats coming straight at me with their Brave Birds. In those terrible few seconds, I finally came to the horrible realisation that THIS was the whole point of their trap. The ambush, the choice of the battle, the attack on the Jennys, all of this was just a setup to take ME out specifically, by putting me in as disadvantageous of a position as possible.
  
  Klee wasn't able to shift the Gravity field fast enough in time to stop the diving Golbats. Pixel stepped in and tried to fire off a Thunderbolt to shoot them down. One of the diving Golbat was clipped in the wings and fell out of the sky, but the rest kept coming. And Zephyr was too entangled dealing with the Weezing to be able to help out.
  
  I immediately ordered Port to perform a dive to try to get out of the way, but the Golbat were coming in too quickly for me to move out of the way.
  
  But then, in a move that I will never forget, Klee suddenly shoved me backwards as she stepped in front of me. With determination lining her face, and a slowly forming Protect shield shimmering into existence in front of her, she threw herself in front of me, using her body as a wall that separated me from the incoming Golbats.
  
  The Golbats came crashing into her, slamming into her hard with their Brave Birds. Her hastily formed Protect shield shattered instantly, barely able to block the first attack. But the Golbats kept coming, having perfectly lined themselves up to attack one after the other. Klee cried out in pain, but even as she stumbled backwards as the incoming Brave Birds savagely slammed into her again and again, she continued to hold on.
  
  I saw Klee's legs wobble as the injuries built up. She was breathing heavily, and the last Protect shield that she tried forming was paper-thin and utterly ineffective. But she continued to shield me, her arms outstretched, and her eyes alight with pure and unyielding resolve as she continued to serve as my barrier keeping me safe from the incoming rush of Golbats.
  
  She would protect me with her body until she could stand no longer. No, even then, she would not falter. Until I was safe, she would not fall.
  
  A few of the other Golbats also joined in and fired a few Air Slashes at us to try to snipe me out of the sky, but Klee once again stood in their way. Even as the attacks left a litany of cuts on her body, she continued to be my shield, continuing to hold on.
  
  And Klee's efforts had bought me the time that I desperately needed. With the Golbats fully tunnel-visioned into bringing me down, Zephyr had free reign to tear through the enemy ranks, knocking out many of the Weezings that the grunts had sent out; their slower speed making them no match for Zephyr's blitz of attacks.
  
  Realizing we had entered the turning point, I moved to redirect Zephyr's focus, just as an Air Slash managed to sneak past Klee and narrowly glanced past me, leaving a small cut on my shoulder. I winced in pain, but I pushed past it and started giving out commands once again.
  
  One of the Air Slashes managed to sneak past Klee and left a small cut on my shoulder as it glanced past me, but I ignored it and quickly took stock of the fight. I noticed that Zephyr had torn up a majority of the Weezings that the grunts sent out, their slower speed making them no match for Zephyr's blitz of attacks. I moved to redirect his focus.
  
  "Zephyr, Whirlwind! Blow them all away!" "Pixel, continue using Thunderbolt!"
  
  Letting out an affirmative cry, Zephyr gathered up a huge vortex of wind within his wings and unleashed a huge storm of wind that blew everything away. Port only barely managed to swoop out of the way to not get caught up in the powerful Whirlwind. Not letting this opportunity go to waste, Pixel continued firing off Thunderbolts, striking down the surprised Golbats as they were blown away helplessly by the Whirlwind.
  
  The Whirlwind was exactly what I needed. With their Pokémon suddenly being blown away, it completely arrested the grunt's momentum and bought us the much needed breathing room to recover. And as soon as the Golbats were forced away, Klee collapsed onto Port, her duty finally completed.
  
  "You've done well." I muttered to her with pure gratitude in my eyes, "Thank you for everything, Klee." I withdrew her into her Pokéball, allowing her a much-deserved rest.
  
  I knew that if it wasn't for Klee's determined protection, I would be knocked out and in a similar state as the Jennys, likely badly injured as well. And so, with a mixture of gratitude and resolve swirling in my heart, I promised I would honour Klee's determination. I would win this fight and bring the Jennys to safety.
  
  In her place, I sent out Luna. The battle was still not over yet.
  
  And almost in perfect coincidence, I felt a shimmer of Psychic energy appear besides me as Klaus Teleported back into the fight. His presence sent a wave of calm to wash over me, as I now recognized that the balance of power was finally tilted in my favour. All the grunts had left of their once overwhelming ambush was a handful of Golbats, the rest of their Pokémon were likely sinking into the watery depths below. Pixel had been doing an excellent job sniping them out of the sky with its Thunderbolts.
  
  If these were your standard criminals, they would have backed away seeing that they had already lost a good majority of their Pokémon and that my Pokémon were still in good fighting condition. But these were fanatics, and I knew in my mind that they were going to fight to the end.
  
  Instantly, Luna reformed a double layer of Light Screen and Reflect in front of us, ready for the incoming assault once again. Seeing our reformed defences, the Golbat hesitated slightly, but were pushed forwards by the unrelenting determination from their trainers.
  
  "Follow Me, Luna!" "The rest of you, blast them down!"
  
  However, taking no chances with my own safety, Luna drew their attention with a Follow Me, forcing the Golbats to have no choice but to direct their attacks against my well-protected Luna, only to be shot down shortly afterwards by a burst of Thunderbolts and Psychics from my team.
  
  Seeing their brethren being knocked out so quickly transformed the Golbats hesitation into terrifying fear. They knew they had no chance against us, and they refused to be knocked out and fall into the watery depths below. Nor did they have enough loyalty to their trainers to perform what was effectively a suicidal last-ditch dive towards us.
  
  Their trainers may have had the fanatical zeal to charge in regardless of the costs to themselves, but their Pokémon did not.
  
  And so, to my complete surprise, the Golbats suddenly turned tail and ran, flying away from the fight and dragging their trainers along with them. Their trainers protested and screamed against their retreat, but their mounts refused to listen to them, and they slowly disappeared into the horizon as they flew away.
  
  I was tempted to chase after them, but I decided that I had already pressed my luck enough today. There were far too many occasions where if I had nearly been hit by a direct attack. And if it was not for Klee's pure determination, I may have been knocked out of the fight entirely and severely injured.
  
  And as the adrenaline gradually faded, I suddenly felt my arm flaring up in pain. I turned and realized that the earlier cut by from the Air Slash was much deeper than I initially thought, and my arm was bleeding profusely. Luna shot me a look of concern, but I waved her off.
  
  That, coupled with the sudden reminder of my mortality, led me to instead decide to check up on the Jennys to see how they were doing. Giving Port a few taps, we slowly flew downwards back to Pacifidlog Town, and Klaus directed me to where he had deposited off the Jennys.
  
  As I landed, what greeted was the sight of a few Nurse Joys running around with their Chansey and tending to the Jennys, who I realized were also injured from the attack. The Nurse Joys suddenly spun towards me as soon as they noticed my injury.
  
  "Elite John! You have to rest!" They admonished me and practically forced me into a makeshift bed that they had set up. "We understand that you have to be rushing around, but you have to take care of yourself. Do your Pokémon need to be healed?"
  
  I nodded, caught up in their pace. But then I shook myself out of it and asked them, "How are the Jennys?"
  
  "Some worse than the others. One was caught in a Poison Gas by a Weezing and needed to be rushed to Sootopolis for more intensive care." She informed me as she carefully disinfected my wound. I winced as I felt the sting of the alcohol. "The others had the wind knocked out of them as they fell off their Swellow. They're technically perfectly healthy, but we wanted to check up on them just in case."
  
  I frowned as I heard that one of the Jennys was badly hurt in a trap that was set out for ME, and I felt guilty that I unintentionally dragged them into it. Nevertheless, I thanked the Nurse Joy as she finished covering my wound with a bandage and, with some hesitation, decided to listen to their advice and give myself some time to recover.
  
  Of course, that was when I received a call from Drake.
  
  "John, you doing okay?" He asked, his tone noticeably rushed.
  
  "They tried to ambush me, but I'm fine." I said, trying to play it off.
  
  "THEY WHAT?! Did they get you? You doing okay?" The concern was clear.
  
  "Just got nicked in the shoulder, but otherwise I'm fine." I replied, pulling myself up from my bed. "What's wrong?"
  
  "...I'm sorry to ask you this, but if you can, I need you to get to Mt. Pyre as soon as possible." He said regretfully, "We collected a few phones from our raids, and I was just told that the grunts are planning another raid at Mt Pyre for the Orbs." He explained, "But this time, the bastards aren't sneaking in. It's going to be a full on aerial assault."
  
  As I listened to Drake, the pieces clicked together in my mind, "They must have tried to knock me out of the fight for long enough so that they could conduct their raid at Mt. Pyre without me to interfere."
  
  And yet my gut was telling me that this wasn't the full story. But I didn't have time to think it over any further for the time being. Luckily, we had already removed the Orb from Mt Pyre. Those were safe. And I think we even finally got the replicas made and put in their place.
  
  "Perhaps, but we can leave the speculation for later." Drake replied tersely, "If you're healthy, get over here to Mt. Pyre. Your presence will help out a lot."
  
  "I'll be there." I promised him and I let out a sigh as the call ended.
  
  So much for getting some rest.
  
  A.N. I hope you enjoyed the ambush, I really struggled with this one! I wanted to put John in a scenario where he's forced to fight in a scenario where he's not able to use his full strength. AND I wanted to show that despite John's overwhelming strength compared to the grunts, he himself is still vulnerable and that the grunts are not going to just roll over, even if they are retreating.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Huge thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-6 - Battle for Mt Pyre
  
  Allowing Port to rest, this time I travelled on Zephyr as he flew over to Mt. Pyre. We prioritised speed over anything else, as I was determined to arrive before the grunts launched their assault. My Pokémon were not in the best condition, but at least this time we were going to be fighting on solid ground, where I could properly utilize the full scope of my team.
  
  My injury still stung, and I was admittedly exhausted as I came down from my previous burst of adrenaline, but I still soldiered on.
  
  Even if the Orbs had been switched out for fakes, and Mt. Pyre had long since been evacuated and cleared of any civilians, the grunts would still be able to cause chaos if they weren't dealt with. Or worse, if the grunts discovered that the Orb was a fake, then who knows how they would act next?
  
  At least their focus was temporarily focused on Mt Pyre and the Orbs for now. This made them predictable and easier to defend against. If they decided to just cause widespread chaos like Team Rocket did back in Indigo, then the situation in Hoenn would become far worse.
  
  However, as Mt Pyre came into view, I noticed that a huge flock of flying Pokémon were swarming down from above as all sorts of attacks were exchanged. Most noticeably, I spotted Drake's Blastoise suddenly fire off a huge torrent of water that shredded through the grunts' lines, blasting many of their Golbats out of the air as Blastoise swept the skies with its powerful Hydro Pump.
  
  At the same time, Drake's Salamence was a true beast as it dove straight into the centre of the grunts. It was like a whirlwind of destruction as its Dragon Claws dismantled the grunts' assault, each furious rake of its claws bringing down another one of the grunt's Pokémon. And its tail smashed into their ranks, breaking apart their Pokémon with trained ease.
  
  And while Drake's Pokémon were certainly the star of the show, the small army of Jennys that had gathered here were also helping. While Drake was primarily focused on taking down their flyers, the Jennys dealt with any stragglers that decided to fight on the ground. Their Arcanine mauled and overwhelmed the grunts' Mightyena and occasionally assisted with the aerial battle by sending out streams of flames that scorched a few unaware Golbat or Weezing in its path.
  
  Not wanting to be left out of the battle, I dove in as well, staying low to the ground so that I could release my own Pokémon.
  
  "Tyrant, Smough! Support the Jennys!" "The rest of you, focus down the flyers!"
  
  My three bruisers emerged with a collective roar that stunned the battlefield. I could feel the gaze of every trainer fall upon me for a moment, evidently realizing what my entrance into the battle meant for their success.
  
  The three bruisers landed on the summit with an audible bang, and Smough even managed to adjust himself so that he crushed a Mightyena underneath his full weight as he landed. Tyrant immediately took off, throwing himself straight into the middle of the fight as he grabbed a Mightyena into a chokehold before smashing it into another Mightyena. Simultaneously, Smough charged in as he grabbed a large slab of rock from the ground and fired it straight into a group of Mightyena, blasting them face-first and knocking them out.
  
  A Camerupt tried to fight back with an Eruption, spewing out a geyser of fire and lava from its back. But an unamused Smough simply tanked through it, hardly even flinching as the scorching lava stuck to his body. The Camerupt eyes widened and it shot Smough a fearful look at the lack of damage before a devastating Hammer Arm came smashing down into Camerupt's head, burying it into the ground.
  
  The rest of my team moved in to support Drake and the Jennys in their battle. And for a while, I was too busy focusing on the battle and my feeling of vicious satisfaction at seeing the grunts' assault crumble at the sheer might of our Pokémon.
  
  Vordt joined up with Drake's Blastoise and Kingdra and together they formed the main trio that were tasked with primarily shooting down the enemy flyers. They positioned themselves right next to the fake orbs and Vordt launched an unending barrage of rocks that filled the sky, while Blastoise and Kingdra fired off sweeping beams of Ice and Water that tore through anything unlucky enough to be caught in its path.
  
  Luna and Klaus switched roles as Luna took on more of an offensive role as she carefully manipulated Gravity in a large area, sending large groups of Golbats and Weezings coming crashing down into the ground. In the meanwhile, Klaus formed a large Light Screen as he protected the Jennys and their Pokémon from an incoming barrage of lava and rocks from the other Camerupts. Immediately after, Klaus retaliated with an earth-shattering Earth Power that sent powerful tremors towards the Camerupts, knocking them out of the fight.
  
  But then, a couple of Mightyena had broken free from the rest of the Jennys and dove straight towards me. But before they could even reach me, a sudden Dragon Pulse from Drake's Altaria shot down from above and blasted the Mightyena out. Altaria gave me a small nod before swooping back into the fight in the skies, firing Air Slashes towards a group of Weezing before they could flood the area with their Poison Gas.
  
  But then, as my rationality returned to me, I realized something.
  
  This assault by the grunts was never going to work. There were too many things that could have gone wrong for them.
  
  Firstly, they communicated such plans over the phone, when they knew that their bases were being raided and their grunts were being captured. There was barely even an attempt to try to hide the message from unwanted eyes. Any reasonably competent leader should have expected for these messages to have been intercepted and for us to be ready.
  
  Secondly, they must have expected us to increase the defences around Mt Pyre ever since their first failed attempt to sneak the orbs out. Attacking into extra-prepared positions, when you knew your grunts had weaker Pokémon than your opponent, was a terrible idea.
  
  So then why did they choose to attack like this? When they must have expected this attack to be doomed from the very beginning. These criminals have been avoiding getting themselves entangled in a straight-up fight for some time, and had been cleverly relying on quick ambushes and precision strikes, so why would they commit to one right now?
  
  But as I looked around, and I saw how a huge group of Jennys had gathered here to fight back against the grunts', alongside both Drake and I, the pieces clicked into my head.
  
  This was a distraction. Whether the purpose of this entire doomed assault was to force the Hoenn League to respond to their massed assault and buy time to cover the retreat of their leaders, or they intended to strike elsewhere. But none of our other patrols that remained on the lookout had reported anything back before my arrival into this fight, so I felt that the latter was unlikely.
  
  That meant that the grunts were all here on a doomed mission to buy time for their retreat. Probably to extract their high priority assets out of Hoenn, while most of Hoenn's law enforcement was relocated here to hold off against their assault.
  
  This was a plan that could only be achieved by these insane fanatics. After all, the common criminal would not be so self-sacrificing as to agree to such a plan.
  
  Shit. This realization left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I forcefully pushed those thoughts aside for the time being as I refocused on the fight ahead of me. My wounded arm served as a constant reminder of the dangers of being overconfident, and I refused to allow myself to fall victim to my own hubris again.
  
  I couldn't leave the fight now, not while it was still raging on, so I committed to wiping these grunts away so that we could refocus ourselves to arresting those that are trying to flee from Hoenn.
  
  The fight didn't last much longer, and the grunts quickly found themselves overpowered as their numbers dwindled while ours remained strong. None of them even managed to get close to touching the replica Orbs.
  
  I approached Drake as he descended from his Salamence, a deep frown on his face.
  
  "Drake, good work out there." I told him, "But this entire battle has been nothing more than-"
  
  "A distraction?" He cut me off, his frown deepening, "Yes, I guessed that halfway during the battle as well. I don't have much fucking respect for criminals, but even I know that they aren't normally this idiotic. They're probably covering for their leaders to retreat. Fucking fanatics."
  
  "We better try to stop them." I stated, but then I looked around and saw all of the fallen grunts and their Pokémon. But more importantly, I noticed that our fighting had accidentally torn up many of the graves that were buried around the summit. It was a grisly scene, with the surrounding area completely devastated by our attacks and looking like the broken remnants of a battlefield.
  
  I frowned, "On second thought, I think we need to clean all this up first. This is not the sort of collateral damage that we want to be showing in the news." Not when Mt. Pyre was known as the graveyard for many trainers and their Pokémon. It being in this state would not be seen well by the public.
  
  Drake followed where I was looking and nodded, "...Aye, what a fucking mess this was. And it's not like we could have avoided causing this damage considering how many of them there were." His gaze turned sad as he saw all of the destroyed graves, "I think you're right...we can't leave Mt. Pyre like this."
  
  He sighed, "Okay, let me talk to the Jennys a bit and see if we can redistribute the patrols to try to catch anyone trying to escape from Hoenn, but I'm not liking our chances. And I'm also going to call Wallace and inform him of what just happened."
  
  And so Drake dialled up Wallace and explained everything to him. However, to my surprise, Drake suddenly passed his phone to me and switched it to speaker mode.
  
  "Hello? Can everyone hear me?" I heard Wallace's voice filtering through the speakers.
  
  "I can." I replied, "How can I help you, Champion Wallace?"
  
  "Ah, good. Now, Drake has filled me in on what happened at Mt Pyre and the situation that you got yourselves caught up with beforehand. He also informed me that the current situation at Mt Pyre...isn't looking great. Is that correct?"
  
  "Aye. It looks like a tornado smashed through everything." Drake responded, "It's not a pretty sight."
  
  "Hmm...that's not great. I'm not looking forward to what the headlines look like when they hear about this." Wallace commented thoughtfully, "However, I'm not about to leave you two in the lurch for this. You both have been doing a great job repelling the threat of these criminals while having a hand tied behind your back, so I think it's about time that I step in and take responsibility as your Champion."
  
  "I'll be heading over to Mt Pyre now, where I will be inviting over the press to make an announcement commending your actions." Wallace explained, "I will also be shifting the blame for this damage over to the criminals. I'm not about to let you both be slandered in the news for something that was out of your control."
  
  "Thank you, Wallace." Drake replied respectfully, "We appreciate your assistance."
  
  "Think nothing of it. It is merely my duty as Champion." He waved us off, "The committee might not be in favour of escalating the situation any further, but they cannot stop me from doing something like this. Regardless, I'll see you all soon. Oh, and get ready to answer some questions. You both are bound to be asked a few." We both stated that we understood.
  
  After hanging up the call, the two of us continued coordinating with the Jennys to ensure all of the grunts were securely arrested and sent off for questioning and imprisonment. Then, we tried to tidy up the surrounding areas as best we could, cleaning up some of the loose rubble. Just so that when the reporters got here, the immediate area wouldn't look so much like it had just been through a warzone. Even though that was exactly what happened.
  
  Not long after, a familiar sounding cry called out from the skies. I looked up and saw a Mantine descending gracefully from the skies, carrying a man dressed in eye-catching and colourful clothing. I couldn't help but note that the Mantine was significantly more intimidating than my own Port, clearly trained for battle.
  
  The Jennys all bowed slightly in respect as the Champion of Hoenn landed on the summit of Mt Pyre.
  
  He made sure to respectfully wave off the signs of respect and requested everyone to continue their duties before he turned to us. "Drake, well done out there!" He smiled at the Elite Four member, "I knew I could count on you to handle these criminals. I'm very pleased to see that my trust wasn't misplaced. You've done a fantastic job, very much like the hero that I know you are." Drake gave Wallace a slight nod, but I could tell that he was pleased by Wallace's words.
  
  "And John, it's lovely to finally see you in person." He turned to me with a bright and genuine smile, "You have done much for the continued prosperity of Hoenn, even when it was not your responsibility to help out. As the Champion of Hoenn, we sincerely thank you for all that you have done for us."
  
  "I was only doing what I had to in order to stop these criminals from causing more damage." I tried to say humbly, "Please don't put me on a pedestal for my actions. I'm sure any other member of the Elite Four would have done the same. From both regions."
  
  Now that I was actually seeing him in person, my first impression of Wallace was that he was remarkably similar to Lance, although there were several key differences. Both of them just radiated with charisma and presence, making it so that they were easily the centre of attention at any given time.
  
  However, where Lance achieved this through his strength of character and unrelenting confidence in himself, Wallace had this easy grace to him that granted him this noble mystique. It was like he was born to be a celebrity. Yet, much like how Lance was far more than a prideful brute, there was an unmistakable gleam of intelligence in Wallace's eyes, carefully observing his surroundings and taking a measure of everything around him.
  
  "Your humbleness is only another sign of your good character! However, there is no need for you to downplay your magnificent contributions, for I will ensure that you are properly awarded for your actions!" He said graciously, "Nevertheless, we will speak more about this matter later. I believe we have a press conference to prepare for."
  
  Then he looked around and took in the devastation and destruction that had taken place here as a result of our battle, a small frown forming on his face. "Whoof. There really was a big fight taking place here, huh? I guess you can't underestimate the tenacity of fanatics."
  
  He turned back to the two of us, "Drake, John, I need another rundown of everything that has happened thus far and what your plans are for dealing with what comes next. I want to make sure we are on the same page."
  
  And so we summarized what had taken place over the past few days, going over our thought process and all of the revelations that we had uncovered leading up to today's battle. Wallace just listened silently, his face one of careful consideration.
  
  "And lastly, we're pretty fucking sure that the committee is compromised." Drake finished, "There's no way they could be THIS stupid if it wasn't the case."
  
  "...I understand, thank you for your thorough explanation." He thanked us.
  
  "I agree with you about your point on the Committee." Wallace said thoughtfully, "But there's not that much I can do about it short-term. There's just no way to quickly separate the corrupt traitors and those who are just voting out of their political interests. We'll have to do a deep cleaning soon, but not now. Not when the situation is still so volatile."
  
  Neither Drake or I were happy with that, but we realized that it was the best we were going to get. Wallace clearly wanted to say more, but then the reporters began flooding in. He shot us a wry smile, "Don't worry, I'll handle these reporters. I believe it is showtime!"
  
  The reporters all swarmed around Wallace, who made sure to stand on a rock to use as a makeshift speaking platform. For extra dramatic effect, he even released his Walrein just to hang about in the background and look intimidating. The man had a good eye for giving off the right impression. "My good people of Hoenn! Over the past few days, our fair region has been the subject of many heinous and malicious attacks from evil criminals and thugs that sought to disturb and disrupt the peace and security that we have fought so hard to maintain!"
  
  "And today, they have struck hard! Driven by their insatiable avarice and battered ego, they sought to try to steal the famous Red and Blue Orbs by launching a full on aerial assault! Unfortunately, in their spite, the criminals showed off their malice as they decided to unleash a trail of destruction, destroying the many treasured graves and memories that were stored here on Mt Pyre. These criminals defiled Hoenn's resting place for our treasured Pokémon! Disturbing the peaceful rest and slumbered that they should have been allowed! All for their greed!" Wallace's face transformed into one of genuine sorrow as he gestured towards the destructions that surrounded him.
  
  The sheer emotion in Wallace's words were undeniable, to the point where I was caught up in the emotions of the crowd. He was an excellent orator, and I had no doubt that his words had the effect that he wanted them to have.
  
  Through his excellent and careful construction of a specific narrative, he placed the blame for the destruction strictly on the heads of the criminals and their failed attack, absolving us of any responsibility. But more importantly than that, he was able to direct the emotions of the crowd to one filled with righteous anger at the criminals and their actions.
  
  And it was clearly working. The crowd were horrified as they took in the sheer devastation, with ripped up and smashed gravestones and caskets littering the place. That horror quickly turned into anger, but it wasn't directed at us.
  
  And Wallace leveraged that anger excellently, "BUT! Thanks to the bravery of the Jennys, Elite Drake, and Elite John, all of whom have been working extremely hard over the past few days to repel and capture these criminals, have managed to fight back and punish these criminals for their reckless greed! Thanks to their efforts, the criminals who participated in this heinous attack have all found themselves in shackles and imprisoned for their actions!" There was a huge wave of applause from the crowd, and Wallace waited carefully for it to die down before continuing.
  
  "YET! The fight isn't over. The criminals are still out there, lurking in whatever dark hole they crawled out of. As such, the Hoenn Police will be continuing their hard work in ensuring that all these criminals are captured and given their righteous punishment for their actions!"
  
  "MOREOVER! As Champion of Hoenn, I promise to enact new policies in the future that will aim to crack down harder on these criminals and prevent them from taking root in our region. And I believe that working closely with other regions to share resources and intelligence is the best way forwards to achieve this! I have been in active communication with Champion Lance, and we believe we have something in store that will greatly improve our abilities with dealing with these threats in the future!" The applause grew to deafening heights, with many reporters now actively cheering in support of Wallace's words.
  
  Wallace waited patiently for the applause to die down, before gesturing for me to come on stage. I shook my head at him, but he gave me a look that insisted for me to do so. Reluctantly, I complied and joined him on his makeshift platform.
  
  "However, I would be remiss if I overlooked the heroic actions of our Indigo Elite Four member!" He announced grandly as he gestured for me to stand in front of him, "Even though he isn't from Hoenn, John quickly answered the call for help when it was asked of him, dropping everything he was doing and immediately making his way to help out. And he played an active and essential role in helping stop the threat of these criminals from causing further damage on our beloved region."
  
  I had to do my best to not let the embarrassment show on my face. I never was good with compliments.
  
  "Aye! And he even came to fight in Mt Pyre despite having just been injured in an ambush too! Smashed them up for the attempt real good too!" Drake shouted out from behind us, and I wanted to strangle him. Fortunately, the crowd was all too busy looking shock to notice the sudden look I gave Drake.
  
  Wallace only nodded in agreement, "Yes, and so, as Champion of Hoenn, I thank John on behalf of our grateful region for your assistance and support during these troubled times! This just goes to show the heights that we can achieve through international cooperation. And Hoenn will always welcome our friends from Indigo and are ready and willing to lend a helping hand if they ever ask for it!"
  
  The crowd went wild once again, and Wallace used that opportunity to whisper to me, "Anything I can do in my personal capacity as Champion, and I will. Just ask for us at any time, and I will do my best to come and help." He finished off his sentence by patting me twice on the shoulder.
  
  I thanked him quietly and allowed him to finish off the rest of his speech, carefully stepping away from the spotlight. I took the moment to think over everything that had happened today.
  
  From a rapid series of raids, to getting out an ambush, to being caught up in a full out assault against Mt Pyre. Today was a very busy day, and I just wanted to find a bed and get some rest.
  
  Although we fell for the evil team's distractions, we undoubtedly brought down many of their numbers and resources after their failed attack. I was confident that they wouldn't be able to recover from this, or launch something of this scale, for a VERY long time.
  
  And while they continued to retreat, we would be there to ensure that all they had were destroyed and reclaimed. Every asset, every facility, all would be found and turned over.
  
  We would bleed them out of Hoenn. One step at a time.
  
  A.N. John gets the acknowledgement from Hoenn for his actions! And Wallace finally takes the stage! I hope you enjoyed the interactions and the speech! The evil teams are fully on the backfoot now, and they're almost out of places to hide and run.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal -6-6-Interlude - Giovanni
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-6 - Interlude - Giovanni
  
  The directors at Silph Co. all fell silent as he stalked into the meeting room like he owned the place. And, technically, he did. Though not everyone knew that.
  
  Giovanni paused as he walked in, allowing himself to bask in the power that he had over these men for just a brief moment, before he casually sat down at the seat that was just one space away from the head of the table. Although on paper he was just a common director like many of them were, none dared to start the meeting without his say so. Even those who did not know of Giovanni's true position within the company; they were likely too cowed by his presence to do so.
  
  He held back a smirk before he gave a small nod to the managing director sitting at the head of the table. Only when he gave his permission did the managing director begin.
  
  "Gentlemen, I've asked all of you to gather here with such urgency because of the recent matter regarding the slander that is being targeted our way." The managing director stated, drawing the eyes of everyone. "In that regard, you should be aware of our response to such accusations, which was to bring in an outside auditing company to check through our finances to prove once in for all our innocence in this heinous crime against our friends at Devon Corp."
  
  The managing director tried to subtly look his way, but Giovanni ignored him. Within those aware of Giovanni's true influence, it was practically an open secret that Giovanni had forced the audit through. Those even smarter or more observant would likely realize that the audit team was firmly under Giovanni's control, as they naturally would be.
  
  Only an idiot would allow an outsider to check through their finances freely. And Giovanni certainly was no idiot. He would never let an auditor within a mile of his finances until he was sure that the auditor would not find anything he didn't already want them to know. The results were obviously completely doctored to his liking.
  
  Furthermore, with the auditing team investigating Silph Co fully under his control, it gave him another opportunity to clean house within Silph Co and remind everyone that those who did not meet his high expectations did not deserve their place within the company. Silph Co was a foundation of Kanto; an important pillar that allowed for the continued economic prosperity of their dear region.
  
  So, when he found out that one of the newer director had been secretly taking bribes from an unknown source...the director had been quietly 'disappeared', following standard procedures. Archer assured him that it was dealt with.
  
  Giovanni wouldn't allow anyone to tarnish HIS company's reputation.
  
  But it was not only the corrupt that he found, as the audit revealed the sheer inefficiency and laziness that had somehow pervaded the upper echelons of Silph Co. These wastrels that called themselves directors had somehow infected the beating heart of Kanto! But not anymore.
  
  He had no tolerance for their Slakoth-like behaviour that a few of the directors had shown. He would see them kicked off the board as a demonstration and a reminder to everyone else that being a director of the company was a privilege, not an Arceus-given right.
  
  Actually, come to think of it, he really shouldn't use Slakoth as an insult anymore. Knowing John, it was probably a bad idea.
  
  "Fortunately, the auditing team has come back to us with a positive result which should clear us from all of this absurd suspicion that we were somehow backing these heinous criminals." The managing director continued, "In addition, director Giovanni will be making a public announcement and present this good news to the public to finally demonstrate our innocence. The results found by the auditing company will be simultaneously published freely to the public to support our statements."
  
  There were a round of nods from that, though Giovanni noted that some of the directors were trying to conceal their anxiousness at the news. He held back a scoff; those wastrels were already on borrowed time. They just didn't know it yet.
  
  After these allegations with Team Rocket were cleared up, then he was going to clean house. Maybe the company needed more a more youthful outlook? It WAS easier to obtain the loyalty of the young and inexperienced. They were...more impressionable, and more trusting of a senior authority figure like him.
  
  "Giovanni, do you have anything else to add regarding the audit? Any news or change of plans? You're the one that has been hardest at work defending our company from these baseless accusations over the past week." The managing director asked him, obediently deferring to him like the loyal subordinate that he was.
  
  He simply shook his head, "No, everything is going as planned. Now, if you don't mind, I have a speech to prepare for. Is there anything else?" In other words, wrap this up now because you're wasting my time.
  
  The managing director took the hint and the meeting ended shortly after, stating that other menial discussions could be simply made over email. The meeting immediately broke up into useless bickering, but Giovanni ignored them all and went back to his office as he went over his speech one last time.
  
  An hour or so later, the time had come for him to make his public announcement. The reporters were swarming around the reception area, eagerly awaiting the news from the company, hoping for anything they can use to put in tomorrow's headline.
  
  He had to hold back an urge to frown as he casted his gaze on these parasites, all of them who wanted nothing better than to extend the drama just so they could print more of their drivel, completing ignoring the damage that they would do to the prestige of Kanto.
  
  But he didn't let any of that show on his face. He walked on stage, a confident smile on his face as the cameras began their barrage of flashes. He had made sure to change his clothes into something more suitable for his position. He wasn't about to look cheapin public.
  
  As he approached the stand, he patiently waited for the crowd of reporters to quiet down before he began. It was a reminder that they were here to listen to HIS words, not the other way round.
  
  "Over the past week, Silph Co has been subjected to baseless and malicious rumours that sought to shatter the ironclad integrity of our fine company. Team Rocket slandered us with their spiteful LIES about how we were somehow involved with attacking our dear and longtime friends at Devon Corp."
  
  "And somehow, overnight, the many news agencies of Indigo suddenly turned on us. They chose to believe the poison that was being spewed by a known terrorist organisation rather than the long-running honest reputation that our company has carefully preserved over our long history. The overeager news agencies pointed at the evidence found at Devon Corp, not even pausing once to think that these terrorists may have been attempting to frame us. They published damning headlines that completely ignored the fact that we would NEVER betray our friends at Devon Corp in this way."
  
  He got several hostile looks from the reporters, but he ignored them. His speech was intentionally so aggressive to remind the reporters who they OUGHT to have sided with, and to remind the public more importantly to be wary of the over-dramatized headlines of the news.
  
  "However! This ends today!" He lifted the printed results of the audit towards the cameras, "With me are the results found by an INDEPENDENT auditing company. They have meticulously combed through the finances of our company and prove BEYOND ALL DOUBT that our company has not done something as foolish as to sponsor a terrorist organisation to attack our friends in Hoenn."
  
  The reporters began to mumble, but he silenced them all by slamming a fist onto the podium. "These results will be published openly, free for the public to access, after this press conference is over." He stated firmly, "And yet! I would like to use this opportunity to remind the public that Silph Co is here to conduct honest business that aid in the continued prosperity of our region. We would NEVER stoop as low as to aid or assist a terrorist group and their actions." His eyes stared straight towards the cameras that were pointed his way as if to demonstrate the honesty of his words.
  
  "I will now be taking a few questions." The reporters were quick to pounce on him with their onslaught of questions, but he only humoured a few of them before calling an end to the press conference and headed home. He was confident that this would put an end to this ridiculousness.
  
  As soon he arrived home, he opened the door and was promptly met with silence. He let out a sigh, realizing that his son still wasn't comfortable spending time with him.
  
  "Silver! You there?!" He asked and was greeted with another round of silence.
  
  It was only after a while that a response was heard. "Yes Father, what do you want?" His son's reluctant voice echoed through the house, filled with annoyance.
  
  Giovanni tiredly dragged a hand over his face. Even after these few weeks, he still refused to call him 'dad'. And he knew that he was the only one to blame.
  
  Fatherhood was proving more difficult than politics.
  
  A.N. Giovanni succeeds in business, but then struggles with family. Oh well. His and Silver's relationship will hopefully get better as time passes! And this is just another reminder that while Giovanni has 'abandoned' his evil ways, he's still ruthless when push comes to shove.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-7 - Raid Rewards
  
  Fortunately, the attack at Mt Pyre seemed to be the 'last hurrah' for the grunts. Between their doomed assault and their failed ambush, that seemed to have used up whatever remained of their fighting strength left.
  
  That didn't mean our job had become that much easier, though. Throughout the next week, we continued to raid hideout after hideout, and it was one of constant movement and tension. Now that we were sure that the grunts were in full retreat, it started a race against time to see if we could catch all of the grunts before they retreated to whatever hole they crawled out of.
  
  On the bright side, Wallace's speech did everything it intended to, riling up the public and throwing his full weight behind our actions in driving out these criminals. With the Champion publicly supporting us, and our undeniable string of successes, we were able to paint a very favourable narrative that caused the committee to finally realize the way the wind was blowing. Not wanting to be caught on the wrong side, they stepped back and allowed us free reign to do as we pleased.
  
  Though we now had access to additional reinforcements, Drake and I still ran our Pokémon to exhaustion as we skipped out on sleep and rest to bust down more locations. There was no need for subtlety. The evil teams knew we were coming for them. In light of the damage caused at Mt Pyre, we did our best to minimize collateral damage...but we were not always successful. Common office buildings, warehouses, random bases in the middle of nowhere, none were safe from us.
  
  It had almost become routine at this point, and the Hoenn Police were rapidly becoming experts at raiding locations. At some point, I trusted them enough to outright loan them Smough and Klee while I took the rest to attack some other location. The grunts had learned to fear the signature roar of Salamence, which was now an indicator of their impending doom.
  
  Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, it quickly became clear that it was a losing battle on our end. Though we continued to cooperate heavily with the Hoenn Police to coordinate and locate the grunts' hideouts, following any found memos and tracing back the money, each raid turned up with increasingly diminishing returns.
  
  What became increasingly clear was that the criminal's retreat had been a partial success, and at least the leaders had successfully escaped from us. It was annoying, but even with our increased patrols around the borders of Hoenn, the availability and manoeuvrability granted by Pokémon made it near impossible to properly secure all exits.
  
  But it was far from a total loss. We had captured many of their grunts, foot soldiers, and stolen Pokémon while also destroying most if not all of their infrastructure that they had set up in Hoenn. There was absolutely no chance that they could rebuild in Hoenn any time soon, and we were confident that their organisation numbers had been severely crippled.
  
  Team Aqua, Magma, and Rocket wouldn't prove to be a problem for some time. Not without some serious time to recover.
  
  The Committee were horrified to find out just how far the evil teams had infiltrated Hoenn, and I knew Drake had to resist giving them a "I told you so". But they were placated by the fact that most of the stolen assets were now back into their hands, which was a nice win for everyone.
  
  On a more amusing note, I had heard bits and pieces about what went on with their attempted allegations at Silph Co., which I realized quickly went nowhere. I wasn't sure what Giovanni did, but I had seen and read that he had been working hard at dispelling the allegations and protecting Silph Co's reputation. His recent public statement seemed to have done the job.
  
  And now, Drake and I were waiting for the prisoners to be transported to Indigo to be psychically interrogated to see if more information would come up through that. Drake had petitioned the committee again to label the evil teams as terrorists, but this was where our rapid and constant success bit us in the ass.
  
  Although the Committee were willing to give us free reign, they saw our rapid success as proof that things were being 'handled' and there was no need to 'escalate the situation and cause further panic'. What was worse was that they weren't exactly wrong; we had been taking big wins and we had pretty much dismantled their operations. Even at this point the public thought that the matter was slowly settling down.
  
  That really drove Drake up the wall, but he distracted himself by throwing himself into more raids, taking out his annoyance on any grunts that were unlucky enough to find themselves in his path.
  
  Regardless, this meant that Drake and I needed to wait for the prisoners to be transported to Indigo before they could undergo psychic interrogation. The fact that I sustained an injury actually helped here, since I had been injured as a member of a foreign Elite Four in Hoenn territory.
  
  The Hoenn Committee desperately did not want it to be a talking point. I was tempted to make it one, but my more rational side prevailed. So instead, I leveraged it for everything I could.
  
  First, I told Lance about it and he used my injury to pressure the Hoenn Committee and smooth over any jurisdictional issues with the prisoners, and we got authority over the prisoners without any issues as an 'apology'.
  
  Then Wallace got told. And he used that to rake the Hoenn Committee over the coals and was finally able to cow them into compliance, for now. That allowed them to approve the transport ship containing the International Police members that were being sent over from Indigo. They would be arriving later this afternoon.
  
  But I also made sure to get my own cut of the profits. Both Lance and Wallace were able to advance their own agendas by leveraging my successes, so they acknowledged that they owed me for my efforts. For Wallace, this was separate his promise to aid me if I called for him, which I was glad for. And the Hoenn Committee knew that my injury served as a black mark for them, as the public would not forgive them for their inaction when I went out and got injured on their behalf. They knew I could hold this incident over them.
  
  All in all, I would say the whole 'getting injured' thing was worth it in the end, as I managed to push my own agenda of being one of the primary brokers that allowed for a closer bond between Hoenn and Indigo, extending my own influence even further. I was sure that the connections I had made and reinforced during my time here would serve me well.
  
  Despite my success, I would not like to repeat getting injured like that again - after settling down from all the battles, it had taken me some time to process that near-death experience. But I refused to be unnerved by these grunts.
  
  This also symbolized the beginning of the end of my time in Hoenn, at least for the time being, as Lorelei would be replacing my duties here and overseeing the first ever deployment of the International Police in foreign territory.
  
  Lance successfully persuaded me that, considering the raids were being increasingly sparse and failed to obtain much new information, there was really no need for me to stay there and act as the Houndoom. I had done enough, and now it was time for me to return to my duties in Indigo.
  
  Surprisingly enough, Drake agreed with Lance. He said that, with the evil teams in full retreat, a lot of the investigation work now would be done by the ones sitting behind the desks pouring over the collected information. Thus, staying here would just be a waste of time for me, and any of my previous duties could easily be handed over to Lorelei.
  
  But Drake was quick to remind me that, just like how Wallace promised me that he would come over and help when it was needed, he would do the same and more.
  
  "You're a fine lad, John. I would be honoured to fight alongside you once again in the future." He told me. "You bled for our region - that means a lot to an old fighter like me. And I'll always have your back for it."
  
  "Thank you, Drake." I smiled. "I'll keep that in mind." And he patted me on the shoulder.
  
  So it wasn't long after that where it was my last day here in Hoenn. To my surprise, I got a call from Joseph even before my last day became public knowledge, who asked me to come over to visit him at Devon Corp if I had the time.
  
  Considering I didn't have anything better to do until the afternoon, I made my way over there, curious to see what he needed me for. As soon as I arrived, the receptionist hastily escorted me up to Joseph's office, where he promptly greeted me with a wide smile.
  
  "Ah, John! Just the man I wanted to see!" He said cheerily, "I'm sorry for taking up more of your time, but I really wanted to thank you and give you something for your efforts in helping me find justice for their attack on my company."
  
  I tried to put on a humble smile, "It was no problem, Joseph. These criminals were a threat to Hoenn as a whole, so I felt like I was just doing my duty anyways as a firm ally of Hoenn. I do hope that your company is recovering smoothly from whatever damage it suffered."
  
  He nodded, "Thank you, and it is, thanks to your help. So, I would be remiss if I didn't appropriately award you with something. Look here, I have something to show you." He fiddled with something underneath his desk before he brought out a small chunk of rock with a peculiar pattern on it. My eyes widened as I immediately recognized what it was.
  
  A fossil. And a very well-kept one too considering how distinct its shape was. But did that mean...
  
  "Yes, I can see it in your eyes that you recognize what this is." Joseph spoke up, a hint of pride in his voice, "Like I mentioned to you the first time we met, we here at Devon have been trying to create a machine that would reliably allow us to revive these fossils into living Pokémon. Fortunately for us, the attack at our company failed to damage any of that research, so I can proudly say that we almost have a finished prototype working."
  
  "Wow!" Was all I could say to that. I didn't think a working fossil machine could be created so soon, even if it was still a prototype. "That's incredible!"
  
  "Thank you. It's my pride and joy." He said gleefully, looking like a young child on his birthday, "But that's not all, of course. We're going to be running real tests hopefully soon with the prototype, and I just wanted to let you know that, if we are successful, I'll be gifting you the first Normal type fossil that we get!"
  
  Ah. I had to hide a wince as to not shatter his enthusiasm. From my metaknowledge, I knew that there was no such thing as a Normal type fossil. Thus, I highly doubted that I was going to actually receive anything. Still, I really appreciated the gesture, and so I made sure to respond accordingly.
  
  "That's very nice of you, Joseph. You really didn't have to." I said kindly, making sure that I put on my best thankful smile for him. Even if I wasn't going to be getting anything, his kindness was still a nice substitute.
  
  "Nonsense! Besides, if we do get a Normal type fossil, who better than you to discover its' full potential?" He responded rhetorically, "I'll be sure to let you know if we are successful, or you could check on the news, I'm sure it would be in the headlines." He joked.
  
  "Oh, and speaking of which, I saw that your family's business had been popping up a little bit in the business section of the news." He continued, to which I nodded, "Glad to see that you're all moving up in life. And I figured that - as part of my thanks for all your hard work in avenging and protecting Devon Corp - if you or your parents ever decide to start expanding into Hoenn, be sure to let me know. I'll see what I can do for you."
  
  Okay, that was far more of a gift than the fossil. Sure, one new Pokémon to have on my roster would have been nice, but having access to the many business connections that Devon Corp had was invaluable. It would likely make setting up a branch in Hoenn much easier.
  
  "That would be incredible, Joseph." I replied sincerely, "I'm sure my parents would be very appreciative of this as well."
  
  He just waved me off, "It's the least I could do. And besides, it's not like helping you would hinder us. In fact, we'd probably make some money off your ventures as well!" He laughed.
  
  And with that, the two of us continued making small talk for a while longer. On my end, I mostly chatted about the investigations' progress, making sure to leave out any confidential information. In return, Joseph proudly gushed about Steven's progress in Indigo and his successes when challenging the Gyms. He insisted that I meet with him at least once, and I promised that, as soon as I got back, I'll make try to make time.
  
  But before long, it was time for me to head to Ever Grande City to meet up with Drake once again for the Indigo delegation to arrive. And for my own departure from Hoenn.
  
  And so, with one last goodbye, I made my way to Ever Grande City.
  
  Turns out, there was more than just Drake waiting for me here, as standing right next to him was a familiar face that I hadn't seen since my show match here. Sidney of the Elite Four was there, chatting away with Drake about something. They turned to me as soon as I approached.
  
  "Ah, John, you're here." Drake greeted, before gesturing to Sidney, "Sorry for not letting you know about this, but this was a last-minute thing. I'll let Sidney explain."
  
  "It's nice to see you again, John." Sidney shook my hand, "When the committee was informed that a delegation from Indigo was coming over, they realized that we had received much from Indigo and haven't really been giving anything back. So, as a result, they're sending me over there as a diplomatic gesture and to speak with the people from Sinnoh as well."
  
  "Of course, I have my own reasons for going there." He added, "There are a few people I'd like to meet. I'm sure you know who she is; she's practically the only other Dark type trainer on the radar these days." He smiled.
  
  Karen. I nodded, "Can't say that was unexpected."
  
  He chuckled, "Yes, as I'm sure you realized, I would love for the opportunity to finally meet another Dark type specialist. I've recently come into a bit of a funk with my training, so I thought that maybe an alternate perspective might shake things up for me. And even if that doesn't happen, chatting and discussing things with a fellow Dark type specialist wouldn't hurt."
  
  "She would certainly welcome that." I agreed, "It'd be a welcome break from her effort in running the Gym. And I'm sure she will provide some insight into Dark types. She's the best Dark type trainer I know."
  
  "How many Dark type trainers do you know besides me and her? We're rarer than a shiny!" Sidney quipped, "But yes, that's what I'm counting on. It's been hard to find another Dark type specialist that actually is strong enough to reach the Elite level. It'll be nice to compare our methods and strategies."
  
  I laughed, "Well, I'm sure Karen would appreciate it. She can be an ambitious person. But also one burdened by high expectations."
  
  "Ah, high expectations...I can definitely relate to that." He nodded sympathetically.
  
  "Just be careful of Agatha." I joked, "She'll probably be there if you ever meet with Karen."
  
  "Her? What's wrong with her?" Sidney asked confusedly, "If you mean that she's a Ghost specialist, I can assure you that I have plenty of practice dealing with mischievousness from Phoebe."
  
  "...Agatha is nothing like Phoebe." Was all I said, which only served to confuse Sidney even further. Before I could warn him further, I was interrupted as a ship appeared on the shoreline, signalling the arrival of the Indigo delegation. Oh well, he'll find out the hard way.
  
  We stayed silent as the ship carrying the visitors from Indigo arrived into port. The exiting ramp extended, revealing the suit-adorned figure of Lorelei in the front, followed by many other individuals wearing a dark blue uniform that I recognized were likely the members from the International Police.
  
  Lorelei approached us first, making sure to address the many members from Hoenn, "Elite Drake, Elite Sidney, it's a pleasure to meet you both." She said formally, before gesturing to the small group people following behind her, "Behind me are our most prestigious members of the newly formed International Police, and we hope that we can serve you well with continuing to uncover the plans and designs of these criminals."
  
  Sidney stepped up, "Thank you, Elite Lorelei, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well." He replied diplomatically, "On behalf of the Hoenn League, we are greatly thankful for your assistance. Now, let us not take up any more of your time and escort these fine individuals to their temporary office, where they can get started."
  
  Lorelei nodded to the leading member of her group, "Looker, I'll meet up with you later. Please get yourself settled."
  
  The aforementioned Looker, and wasn't that a surprise, nodded back before making his way to the Jennys, where they were escorted elsewhere. In my mind, I wished them all the best. I hoped that they could at least further dismantle whatever foundations and remains that the evil teams left behind.
  
  As the International Police group made their exit, Lorelei turned to me, "John, thanks for handling all of this until now. If Lance hadn't told you yet, you're free to head back to Indigo if you'd like."
  
  "Thanks, and yeah, I will be." I replied, "You know Sidney is coming with me, right?"
  
  "Yes, Lance told me before I left." She confirmed, before looking around curiously, "Where are the prisoners? I thought they'd be here."
  
  "They're going to be Teleported straight onto the ship, one at a time." Drake interrupted, "Less chance of them getting away this way. Even if it is much fucking slower."
  
  "And I think that's our cue." Sidney added, as he started making his way onto the ship, "Come on gramps, let's check on the prisoners to make sure everything's going okay."
  
  "Call me gramps one more time and you're going to join those fucking prisoners, sonny." Drake growled, only to elicit a laugh from Sidney. The two of them walked away as they made their way on board the ship.
  
  As I watched them leave, a thought suddenly sprang to mind, "Who's going to be overseeing the psychic interrogations?" I asked Lorelei, "Do you know?"
  
  "I think we all are." She answered. "But everything's going to be overseen by the Indigo Police as well, just in case."
  
  "Wait, how long are you staying here for?" I cut in.
  
  "Lance didn't exactly say, but probably around how long you stayed for." She replied, "I'd say a few weeks is most likely."
  
  Then she looked around hesitantly for a moment to see if anyone else was nearby before lowering her voice to a whisper, "John, can I have your honest opinion of the situation here in Hoenn? I'm in charge of overseeing the International Police and to see their effectiveness. Lance wants this to be a test run for them to see if we can actually turn this into a long-term thing. I would really appreciate any advice you have to give." She said, a trace of nervousness in her tone despite her confident façade.
  
  I could sympathize, I knew that Lance had a lot riding on ensuring that the International Police would turn out to be a success. Thus, by appointing Lorelei to oversee it, while it was a great opportunity for Lorelei to show off her leadership skills, it also would ruin her if she made a mess of it. It was no wonder that she was doing everything to ensure that it was a success.
  
  I hummed thoughtfully for a moment as I went over the last few days of raids in my head. "Honestly, Drake and I are fairly certain that the criminals are in full retreat." I said carefully, "I'm confident that we've handled most of the raids, but I'm sure you can find more once you actually delve deeper into the evidence that we collected. You will need to act fast on whatever you uncover, though, since they're definitely getting rid of everything incriminating as they retreat."
  
  "I see." She responded, "And from what I understand from Lance, thanks to you, we have plenty of goodwill with the Hoenn Police at the moment. Enough to hopefully ensure that this cooperation will be rather smooth."
  
  "Speaking of which, what were the raids like?" She asked curiously, "Admittedly...I haven't actually participated in a battle that wasn't under tournament or League rules, and yet you and Drake have already fought in so many. Even the other members of the International Police have only really participated in simulated battles, and not the real thing. Not in such large scales at least. What's it like? Is it dangerous?"
  
  "Yes, and you should not underestimate anyone." I stated immediately, "The grunts and their Pokémon are much weaker than you, sure, but all they need one lucky strike against YOU, and then suddenly your Pokémon will be devoid of any leadership. And, in a lot of cases, you WILL be outnumbered, and you're going to have to act fast to quickly nullify their numbers advantage before their numbers overwhelm you. That's what I did at Olivine where I held the ramp."
  
  "That's..." She exclaimed concernedly, but I wasn't done.
  
  "In fact, this wasn't in the news, but I was caught in an ambush over Pacifildog Town. The grunts tried to take advantage of my lack of fliers to bring me down before backup could arrive. It was partially luck that I got out of it mostly unscathed." I patted at my arm, where a bandage was still wrapped around the room, "But I did get cut in the arm for my efforts."
  
  She nodded solemnly, "Yes, I heard that from Lance too. Was it serious?"
  
  "No, and it's already mostly healed up." I reassured her, keeping up a nonchalant look on my face, "Just don't get overconfident like I did and you'll be fine. The grunts don't have nearly as much manpower anymore anyways, so I highly doubt they'll be able to pull something like this off again."
  
  She didn't look very reassured, so I continued in a lighter tone, "Furthermore, the Hoenn Police are all very experienced at this, so just follow their lead. Your Pokémon are definitely going to be the strongest thing in the fight, so never forget that and use it to your advantage. Don't try to make use of Snow strategies like you would against a normal trainer, instead focus on large area-of-effect attacks to quickly cripple your opponents."
  
  I proceeded to list off most of the advice and strategies that I had picked up over my numerous raids. At one point, Lorelei took out her phone and started making notes on it. I felt oddly proud at that; it was like I was mentoring a pupil. It reminded me of what it was like when I taught in the past, and I curiously found it to be very satisfying.
  
  Eventually, I ran out of things to say, and Lorelei finished typing up the rest of her notes before bowing thankfully towards me, "Thank you, John. I'm sure this'll be a great help going forwards." She raised her arm to check the time, "Ah, I think I've taken up enough time here. I should head over to check out how the group is settling in. Thanks again, John, and I'll see you later."
  
  "Kick their ass for me." I said to her before making my way onto the ship, figuring that it was probably about time to leave anyways. My guess quickly proved right, as one of the Jennys kindly informed that the ship will be departing soon, and that they were just going through some final checks.
  
  I thanked her before heading over to where Sidney and Drake were chatting, overhearing bits of their conversation.
  
  "...I don't think the committee are going to be very eager for something like that." Sidney remarked sadly to Drake, who seemed to be growing irate. "Even if Wallace did agree."
  
  "Those fucks are in hot water right now. Wallace will get them to agree. They won't dare refuse considering how much shit they're in. And we're going to look really ungrateful if Indigo sends us their International Police members and we don't do the same!" Drake explained frustratedly, "Look, unless the group that just arrived massively fucks up, the International Police idea WILL gain traction. We might as well jump on board."
  
  "Something wrong?" I asked, joining into the conversation.
  
  "Nothing much, son, just trying to get Sidney to understand that we need to be training up our own branch of International Police members as soon as possible." Drake answered with a sigh, "We can't just take advantage of your kindness forever, and we're going to have to give back soon enough."
  
  "Drake, I'm on your side." Sidney said, before he let out a sigh, "Okay, maybe you're right and that the Committee are more amenable than usual. I'll scout out the mood of a few members and see what I can do. Maybe they'll see sense with the Indigo group here."
  
  "I fucking hope so." Drake grumbled, before he let the topic drop and turned back to me. "John, once again, thanks a lot for coming over on such short notice. We might not have managed to get them all, but I can safely say that we managed to catch a lot more than if you weren't here. You have my thanks."
  
  I waved him off, "It's not a problem, Drake. I'm happy to help. Now that I'm leaving, I hope you can keep up the good work." I joked.
  
  "HAH! I'll be sure to." He barked out a laugh, "Anyways, I think this ship is setting sail very shortly, so I'm going to make my leave. Enjoy your time in Indigo, Sidney, and have fun back at home, John." Drake and I shook hands, as our eyes exchanged a look of mutual respect.
  
  We had done a lot together for the past week. And, after fighting in so many battles together with Drake, I felt confident that Hoenn would remain in safe hands.
  
  As if on cue, an announcement blared through the ship, signalling its departure from port. Drake exchanged a few final words with us before he promptly left the ship.
  
  Before I lost reception, I quickly sent out a text to Karen, Whitney, and my parents to inform them I was on my way back. Then, I made some small talk with Sidney about his plans in Indigo, which mostly amounted to 'being a diplomatic and going on holiday', before I eventually excused myself and retired to the room with some food that I bought before I left.
  
  As I slowly chewed through my lunch, my thoughts turned to the many events that had taken place since I had arrived in Hoenn. Although I was confident that we had crushed a large portion of the evil team's influence here, I knew the battle was far from over. And that the next battlefield would be in Sinnoh.
  
  Which meant that my standing invitation to visit there was all the more important.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter to wrap up John's stay in Hoenn. Unlike Arc 2, I didn't have any reason to let John stay for much longer, and I didn't want to spend TOO much time on dealing with the evil teams. I hope this was a good balance for everyone.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 6-8-INTERLUDE-Whitney
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Loudred
  
  Jigglypuff
  
  Noctowl
  
  The New Normal - 6-8 - INTERLUDE - Whitney
  
  If there was one thing that Whitney was smugly superior about, it was the fact that she didn't get seasick. Nor did Janine, for that matter. And yet, their resident 'genius' psychic, who had recently gotten a little too big for her boots, had barely survived their short journey by boat from Vermillion to Olivine.
  
  She had to suppress her laugh as she watched Sabrina pull herself off the boat before almost collapsing to the ground, dry heaving as she did so. She allowed Sabrina to suffer for a few moments before reaching out to pull her up.
  
  "You okay?" She said as she stifled a chuckle, only to receive a weak glare from Sabrina that promised retribution and suffering. She ignored that and simply escorted Sabrina to a nearby bench near the lighthouse to sit down and recover.
  
  "This is why physical training is just as important!" Janine lectured with a blank expression, although her eyes were lit up with amusement, "You can't just rely on your psychic powers for everything. It isn't able to stop seasickness, now was it?"
  
  Instead of responding, Sabrina simply let out another groan as she leaned her head back onto the bench, causing both Whitney and Janine to break out in laughter. Still, not wanting to make fun of their friend's suffering for much longer, Whitney asked Janine to look after Sabrina while she went to a nearby vending machine to buy some water for Sabrina.
  
  Eventually, Sabrina recovered from her malaise and the trio proceeded with their plan of heading to Goldenrod City. Whitney had wanted to check out their family's new farm, and her parents had contacted ahead and told uncle Milton to expect her. She was excited to see her uncle; it had been some time since his last visit.
  
  But besides a quick visit to the farm, they didn't really have any further plans beyond that. They had come to Johto mainly to continue training up their Pokémon while also capturing anything else that caught their fancy. Sabrina did mention that she wanted to see if she could catch herself a Slowpoke from Azalea Town, and they didn't have a problem with that.
  
  Honestly, Whitney was hoping to find a Stantler like her brother did. Klaus had always been one of her favourites. Speaking of her brother, he seemed to have been a big hero in Hoenn after helping to clear out those criminals. She hadn't had time to speak to him yet, but she was proud of his actions. Not that she expected anything less from him; he was always like that.
  
  Anyways, fortunately for them, their Flying licenses were also applicable in Johto, and so they were able to fly their rented Pokémon from Olivine to Goldenrod. As they flew around the outskirts, Whitney spotted a small clearing with a few fence posts that they landed nearby. A few farmhands had spotted them, but one in particular stood out, a man with greying hair wearing a distinct brown cowboy hat waved to them. Whitney immediately brightened as she recognized him.
  
  "Little Whitney!" Her uncle Milton called out, "It's been a while! And you've grown so much! What has my sister been feeding you?"
  
  She didn't respond, instead running up to her uncle and wrapping him in a tight hug. Her uncle chuckled as he returned her embrace, "Oof. You're a strong one. Must be all that travelling that you're doin'."
  
  "Uh huh." Whitney nodded into his stomach, before remembering about her companions, "Oh, uncle, please meet my friends, Sabrina and Janine!" She gestured towards them, who responded with small waves of their own.
  
  "Oh? These're the nice people that you made friends with?" Her uncle smiled as he glanced at her friends, "Well it's a great to meet you two lasses as well. Now, let's not stand in the sun. Come inside, we have some fresh milk for you three."
  
  Whitney and her friends accompanied her uncle as they walked towards the red-tiled house. Along the way, she took the time to look around the new farm and admired the many Miltank lazing about. Even the farmhands, while hard at work, weren't running around in a rush. Instead, they were careful and made sure to pamper the Miltank while they fed them. But more importantly, everyone seemed content with their jobs.
  
  It was very peaceful and idyllic, and served as a contrast to what she remembered from her childhood.
  
  She remembered how her parents and her brother used to have only a few Miltank on hand to raise. And how desperate they were to ensure that they could milk them on time. If anything went wrong, it would spell disaster for them as they were entirely reliant on the small supply of Moomoo milk to support their livelihood. She remembered resenting the life of a farmhand, and wanted to do anything else but that when she grew up.
  
  But as she grew older, and with money becoming increasingly less of a problem, she found herself recognizing the many benefits of living a peaceful life in the countryside. Even though she spent some time as a trainer living in the hustle and bustle of city life, she never really got used to it. Whitney found that she much preferred her home in the countryside, where the only noises were from the occasional mooing of their Miltank.
  
  And now, as she gazed fondly upon their new farm, she realized that this was something that she wanted to do when she grew up. Oh, she wouldn't give up her dreams of becoming an Ace or even Elite Trainer, but she wouldn't be giving up on the family business. In fact, when she got home after securing all 8 badges, she promised to ask her parents if she could become more involved in helping out.
  
  Actually, why didn't she start now? As the three of them entered the house and were seated at the small dining table while her uncle served them some fresh Moomoo milk, she spoke up.
  
  "Uncle, how's the new farm going? Are there any problems?" She asked him.
  
  Her uncle set down three glasses of Moomoo milk as he responded with a thoughtful expression, "Things are going well here, don't you worry about that, oh niece of mine. Why do you ask?"
  
  Whitney took a delicious sip of the Moomoo milk before answering, "Because...I want to work here. I want to help. After I get all 8 badges, I want to spend some time working in the farm and learning how to manage it."
  
  Her uncle raised an eyebrow, "You do? Are you sure about that Whitney? Runnin' a farm is quite different from handlin' things as a trainer."
  
  "Well...I want to do it eventually." She said, a little hesitantly, "I'm not sure if I want to do it immediately after I get all 8 badges, but I definitely want to learn."
  
  Milton chuckled, "Sure, you don't have to decide anything now." He patted her on the shoulder, "In fact, I'm happy for your interest, as I'm sure your parents will be too. I'll speak with'em and see if we can arrange something. No need to decide now though, we can be flexible."
  
  Whitney gave him a thankful nod, and Milton continued, "Actually, why don't you three stay the night. We have some spare rooms for y'all. And we can give you the full tour of the farm while we're at it. Unless you have someplace to be?"
  
  The three of them shared a look before Sabrina shrugged, "Up to you, Whitney. We aren't in a rush. And we can still fit in a training session tonight if you want."
  
  "Indeed. It'll be good to spend some time with your uncle." Janine added. "And truthfully, I would love to see more of the farm. It's very different to what I'm used to."
  
  Whitney smiled at her friends before agreeing to her uncle's suggestion. "Then let's not waste any more time. Finish up your milk and let's head out right now. Time's a wastin'." He said.
  
  It turns out the tour was more of a one-day crash course about the inner workings of running a farm. Whitney was more familiar with it than her friends, as she had some experience as the daughter of two farmers. Still, everything proved very interesting, and she knew that her earlier wish wasn't wrong. Working as a farmer WAS hard work, but it was a good kind of hard work that made you feel fulfilled and accomplished afterwards.
  
  Plus, she would never say no to spending more time around Miltank. She had always found them too cute. And she knew that her friends did too, even if Janine tried to play it cool. But she saw how her hands were always inching closer to pet the Miltank, so she wasn't fooling anyone.
  
  She chuckled as she remembered the one funny moment when she spotted a wild Dunsparce just randomly drilling holes on the outskirts of the farm, as if that was all that it wanted to do. When she asked her uncle about it, he just laughed and said that it was practically a resident of the farm at this point, and since it was doing no damage and got along well with the Miltank, they just let it be.
  
  Overall, it had been a productive day that reminded Whitney of what she wanted to do in the future, and Whitney was a little sad to leave her uncle behind. But Milton gave her a hearty chuckle and left an open invitation for Whitney and her friends to visit at any time, which she promised she would.
  
  Now, as she promised Sabrina, they had made their way to Azalea Town. She was really excited to pay a visit to the Slowpoke well, and Whitney knew that Sabrina was hoping to get lucky and acquire a Slowpoke.
  
  It had been a suggestion from Whitney. Before they came over to Johto, the three of them had tried to brainstorm what would make great additions to their team if they could catch them. Here, Whitney had suggested to Sabrina that instead of catching yet another fast, hard-hitting, yet fragile Psychic type, why not catch one that would be far sturdier and could actually take a hit or two?
  
  Sabrina agreed. Apparently, she was inspired after seeing her brother's Wyrdeer and recognized that Psychic types could be more than just your standard glass cannon. And thus, she eventually realized that a Slowpoke would be a great addition, especially after it evolved.
  
  Therefore, a relatively short flight later, they found themselves landing at Azalea Town. The first thing that immediately came to Whitney's mind was just the sheer number of Slowpoke that could be found just idly hanging around the town. Despite how many there were, the local town folk were completely unbothered by their presence, treating them like regular citizens of the town, which really demonstrated just how integrated the Slowpoke were towards the identity and culture of Azalea Town.
  
  Similarly, there seemed to be warning signs scattered aplenty on practically every wall - each of them reminding visitors that you were forbidden from freely catching Slowpoke. According to the sign, you could only catch a Slowpoke that voluntarily approached you and agreed to travel with you. She supposed that this was to protect the local population and prevent overeager trainers from disrupting their numbers.
  
  In the meanwhile, Sabrina stared at the signs attentively before making her way to the Slowpoke Well. Janine and Whitney followed after her, only to be stopped by a local Jenny guarding the Well.
  
  "I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to approach the Slowpoke Well." The Jenny said kindly, but firmly. "Unless you have special permission from the Azalea Council, the Slowpoke well remains off limits."
  
  "I see. Thank you for letting us know." Sabrina replied, before she eyed the nearby Slowpoke with a considering expression on her face. She silently stared at a few of the Slowpoke lazing around in the sun before turning back to the Jenny.
  
  "Is there a nearby training ground I can use that's available to the public?" She asked. "And, if possible, can it be one that is relatively close to the Slowpoke Well?"
  
  The Jenny shot her a knowing smile, "Ambitious, aren't you? Well, to answer your question, there is one just over there." She pointed towards a small clearing further ahead, "It's not very big, and you're forbidden from doing anything more than a light spar, but I'm sure it would suit your purposes just fine. The occasional Slowpoke do hang around that area, so please be careful not to accidentally harm them."
  
  "I understand. Thanks again." She gave a small bow towards the Jenny before heading to the training field. Curious, Whitney and Janine moved to follow her. As they walked, Janine brought up the question that was on both of their minds.
  
  "I know that look. What are you planning, Sabrina?" She tapped Sabrina on the shoulder as she asked.
  
  "I want a Slowpoke." She simply replied, "And I have a plan to catch one."
  
  "How?" Whitney asked with a tilt of her head.
  
  Sabrina shot her a knowingly smug grin, "You'll see."
  
  A short walk later, they arrived at the training field and Sabrina immediately released her Kadabra and Xatu.
  
  Without giving out a verbal command, her Pokémon began cycling through their wide range of Psychic moves. The two of them showed off their rapid ability to Teleport around the training field while also maintaining a Reflect and Light Screen respectively.
  
  Whitney quickly understood what Sabrina was trying to do as soon as she saw the enamoured expression on the nearby spectating Slowpoke. Despite their natural laziness, Slowpoke were still like every other Pokémon, in that they have the innate desire to grow stronger and to unlock their true potential.
  
  Thus, what Sabrina was doing at the moment was a demonstration of her Pokémon's Psychic abilities, in order to awe and convince the spectating Slowpoke to join her. It was like she was showcasing how her proficient her Pokémon were at using Psychic attacks and was giving an unspoken promise to the Slowpoke that, if they joined her, they would be able to manifest the same level of power as Sabrina was currently exhibiting.
  
  Wanting to help out her friend, Whitney whispered to Janine.
  
  "Hey, let's help out Sabrina." She said softly.
  
  "How?" Janine asked.
  
  "Let's spar against her. 2v2. But don't use your strongest Pokémon. Just one that's strong enough to let Sabrina truly show off." She suggested, getting a nod from Janine.
  
  "Thank you." Sabrina suddenly spoke into both of their minds, "That would be ideal."
  
  Whitney grinned at her friend before she released her Pokémon alongside Janine.
  
  "Come, Loudred!"
  
  "Ariados, fight!"
  
  Her Loudred and Janine's Ariados emerged on the field, facing off against the Kadabra and Xatu that took up positions opposite them. Whitney shot Sabrina a short nod, signifying the start of the fight.
  
  "Uproar, Loudred!" "String Shot, Ariados! On the Xatu!"
  
  Loudred began stamping on the ground as he let out an ear-shattering burst of noise, while Ariados quickly skittered forwards as it shot out a rope of strong towards the Xatu.
  
  Of course, Sabrina stayed silent as she telepathically relayed her commands to her Pokémon.
  
  Her Kadabra quickly retaliated by firing off a Psychic blast that halted the incoming sonic waves from Loudred but failed to break past it. It appeared that both Pokémon were evenly matched, in terms of raw power.
  
  In the meanwhile, Ariados was having a much harder time dealing with Xatu. Xatu swiftly took to the skies and easily cut through the String Shot with a sharp Air Slash that nearly clipped the Ariados in one of its many legs.
  
  "Dig, Ariados! Ambush them!" "Keep up the Uproar, Loudred! You got this!"
  
  Janine's Ariados narrowly avoided an incoming Air Slash before burrowing into the ground. Whitney could guess that Janine had been hoping to coordinate with Whitney to take out the Kadabra first, because her Ariados was not going to be able to deal with Xatu alone.
  
  In the meanwhile, Loudred and Kadabra were locked in a stalemate as they continued vying for dominance with Uproar and Psychic respectively. Kadabra was trying to outmanoeuvre Loudred by repeatedly Teleporting around the training field as it continued firing off Psychic, trying to catch Loudred off guard. But Loudred remained focused, not letting Kadabra sneak an attack past her.
  
  Suddenly, a screech emerged from below as Ariados burst forwards from underneath Kadabra, its mandibles posed threateningly as it was about to land a supereffective Leech Life. However, just before the attack could land, a sudden explosion of Psychic energy detonated just where Ariados had emerged from, completely taking it unaware and blasting it backwards.
  
  "What!?" Janine shouted in surprise. "What was...no...Future Sight..." She murmured in frustration as she pieced together what just happened. It really was an incredible prediction made by Sabrina to counteract Ariados' ambush, and if Whitney wasn't currently distracted, she would have praised Sabrina for her forethought.
  
  And yet, the sudden attack might have just doomed their chances to win.
  
  Xatu was quick to pounce on the exposed Ariados, slamming into it hard with a strong Aerial Ace that slashed through it supereffectively. Ariados tried to fight back by expelling a globule of Toxic at Xatu, but its Magic Bounce simply allowed it to harmlessly reflect the attack back to Ariados before it finished Ariados off with another Aerial Ace.
  
  And with that, the battle devolved into a 2v1. Whitney let out a sigh as she knew that it was just a matter of time before Loudred lost. And soon enough, as Xatu joined the fight against Loudred, her Pokémon quickly found herself overwhelmed as she was attacked from two different angles.
  
  Loudred was quickly bombarded by an onslaught of Psychics and Air Slashes. Despite how much Whitney had trained her Loudred in order to maximize her raw power, she wasn't the bulkiest of Pokémon. And when she found herself facing off against an onslaught of attacks from various different angles, her Loudred unfortunately fell soon after to a surprise Air Slash from behind.
  
  "Slow...Slow..." One of the spectating Slowpoke seemed to cheer at Sabrina's victory as it slowly crawled closer to the grinning Sabrina.
  
  "Did you like what you see? The power on display?" Sabrina asked as she stared knowingly at the Slowpoke, flanked by both of her victorious Pokémon.
  
  "Poke..." The Slowpoke nodded slowly and continued its slow crawl towards her. Despite how slow it was, Sabrina made no move to assist it and allowed the Slowpoke to slowly make their way to Sabrina in a show of its determination.
  
  "Slow? Poke...?" It seemed to say as it looked upwards and met Sabrina's eyes with a determined stare of its own. Then, Sabrina's eyes flashed a brilliant blue, causing Slowpoke to do the same as the two began to communicate telepathically.
  
  Whitney didn't know what they were saying to each other, but she and Janine remained silent as they simply watched Sabrina work her magic. In the distance, she could see the Jenny that had been guarding the Slowpoke Well walk over, observing Sabrina with a small smile. After what felt like a good minute of silent conversation, Slowpoke let out a cheerful cry.
  
  "Slow! Slow! Slow!" It raised its small stubby arms into the air as its tail slapped the ground repeatedly in excitement. Apparently, whatever they said had thoroughly convinced the Slowpoke.
  
  With a slight smile, Sabrina took out a free Pokéball from her belt and tapped the Slowpoke with it, causing it to instantly disappear into motes of light as it got absorbed into the Pokéball. The ball didn't even shake as the Slowpoke voluntarily captured itself.
  
  "Well done!" The Jenny congratulated, approaching the trio while clapping her hands. "I knew you had it in you to secure the friendship of a Slowpoke. It was a smart plan of yours. I hope you treat it well."
  
  "Thank you, and I will." Sabrina said firmly as she released her newly captured Slowpoke.
  
  "Poke!" It said happily, and Sabrina shot it a happy smile as she shared in her Pokémon's enthusiasm, lifting the pink blob of a Pokémon into her arms.
  
  Whitney and Janine quickly approached Sabrina and exchanged their own round of congratulations; both of them were truly happy for their friend for being able to capture a Slowpoke.
  
  But, since it was starting to turn dark, Whitney suggested that they head back to her farm at Goldenrod to rest up for the night before they continued their journey. The other two agreed, and Janine even asked if they could visit the Safari Zone, since that should be a great location for them to catch some of the more rarer Pokémon available in Johto.
  
  They all nodded; it was a plan!
  
  A.N. Slowpoke get! Definitely more slice of life this time, but I hope that I'm showing that Sabrina's team is slowly being rounded out, and that she's really turning to a formidable trainer and rival to Whitney. And while Janine's performance this time wasn't the best, that's mainly because Sabrina is aware of Janine's strategies and has already adapted to them. I hope to show Janine in her element in the future.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -OMAKE-Ingame Snippets v3
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Snippets v3
  
  When speaking at Dewford Town:
  
  ["I have no idea why this is supposed to be the second Gym that you're meant to fight. I mean, you have to take a ship to get here! The logistics behind this is ridiculous!"]
  
  ["Do the ferries have blackmail on the League or something? Who suggested that the Gyms should be done in this order? There's literally a better way to do it if you just ferry people over from Slateport after they've gotten their badge at Lavaridge!"]
  
  At Sea Mauville:
  
  ["I know I was complaining about how unsafe Safari Zones were earlier, but this really takes the cake. Whose idea was it to turn a SINKING SHIP into a tourist attraction?!"]
  
  ["Look, I don't care if the League thought it was safe or not. But you CANNOT possibly have children coming over here like it's some kind of playground. THE FLOOR IS FALLING OUT IN PLACES!"]
  
  ["AND there are NO safety rails ANYWHERE! On a TILTED ship! Arceus, it's like they want to be sued for negligence!"]
  
  At Pacifidlog Town:
  
  [There is a sign that has been placed somewhat haphazardly next to the Pokémon center. There are words written in big bright red font.]
  
  [It reads: 'To any trainer looking to release their Pokémon out for a walk. Please remember that the entire town is built out of wood. So please, do not release your Fire type Pokémon while on the WOODEN walkways. You might burn everything into the ground.']
  
  [In smaller font, it also reads: 'I don't know why my sign is the only warning sign here and why the League hasn't already thought of this, but I'm not going to allow some idiot to burn the entire town down because they weren't using their brain.' -Elite John]
  
  At Island Cave/Desert Ruins/Ancient Tomb:
  
  [On the wall, an unknown language seems to have been carefully inscribed onto it. However, on closer inspection, you can see that much more recent additions have been made in a similarly unknown language. What could this mean?]
  
  (If you translate it from Braille)
  
  ["This is an empty cave."]
  
  At the Fighting Dojo:
  
  ["Hey, fancy seeing you here. I don't know why all the Gym Leaders decided to gather around here today, but since my sister was here, I came to hang out with them too and do a little networking."]
  
  ["Anyways, I accidentally turned this whole thing into a proper business meeting to allow these Gym Leaders to air any concerns they might have about the current League policies. Might as well make use of the opportunity since they're all here, right?"]
  
  ["Oh, did you want to battle them? Well, sorry, but I think we have more important things to do now. Maybe next time."]
  
  At the Goldenrod Gym:
  
  ["Oh, hello. Are you looking for my sister? Unfortunately, Whitney came down with something today, so I'm filling in for her as a Gym Leader until she gets better. I'm sure I can handle it."]
  
  ["And don't you worry about me not giving the trainers enough of a challenge. I'll have you know that I taught Whitney everything she knows about Rollout Miltank. Did you struggle with it? I hope you did."]
  
  ["Anyway, I don't have a Miltank of my own, but I do have a Blissey. I've asked her to take things easy, but I'm sure she'll prove a sufficient challenge for the upcoming challengers...Why are you giving them such pitying looks?"]
  
  [Topic: What do you guys think of the new Pokémon game that just came out?] By BigBoiGamer
  
  [So, I've been looking to buy the game since it actually got good reviews for once. I haven't watched any of the Let's Plays on the web, but it seems to be quite popular. Any thoughts from anyone playing the game? Is it a good buy?]
  
  Comments
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Absolutely! Shit's great. It's probably the biggest Pokémon game that they've released. And thank god they didn't use shitty Chibi graphics like they did in the previous game. I much prefer the pixel design over that shit.
  
  Definitely worth a buy.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Has anyone managed to catch any Legendaries yet? I thought that the game was pretty unique for not having the player catch a Legendary before going into the Elite Four, but even after beating the Champion I still haven't managed to catch any.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  MadCuzBad Yeah, it's fucking weird. I go to all the secret location and all I get is this fucker John who keeps trying to sell me his fucking Moomoo milk.
  
  What the fuck is this cockblocker doing everywhere anyways?
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Dude, fuck John. I know people were asking for the Pokémon games to be more difficult, but he is actually just ridiculous. His Slaking especially is just what the fuck were they thinking?
  
  Him and his sister can go fuck themselves. Fuck Miltank, and Fuck that Slaking.
  
  GitGud
  
  MadCuzBad Maybe the fact that there wasn't a box Legendary this time mean that there aren't any Legendaries to capture? After all, the box shows a Slaking of all things.
  
  KeyboardWarrior
  
  Well, if you look at the Pokédex, it doesn't show any Legendaries are available to catch. So maybe that's why?
  
  XxEpicGamerxX
  
  WHY CAN'T I BEAT THE ELITE FOUR I HAVE A LVL. 100 BLASTOISE WITH HYDRO CANNON AND I STILL CANT BEAT THE BLISSEY WHY IS PROTECT AND TOXIC SO ANNOYING HOW DO YOU BEAT IT
  
  GitGud
  
  Git Gud.
  
  A.N. Since people seemed to enjoy that last one, here's the third chapter of this. I felt like now would be a good time for it since it's been some time since the last one. Might be the last, who knows? Anyways, as always, hope you enjoyed and don't take any of this seriously.
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 6-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 6-9 - A Fairytale Homecoming
  
  I soon found that staying on a moving ship filled to the brim with potentially dangerous prisoners was far less exciting than I expected. In fact, it was just as boring as a multi-hour cruise with no access to the internet. In other words, a dull pain in the ass.
  
  The prisoners weren't in any position to break out. So, with nothing else better to do, I decided to wander around the boat and catch some fresh air and hopefully decompress after my last few busy days of running around trying to catch the many grunts of the evil teams.
  
  After a small walk around, I found a nice spot in the shade that still managed to capture the pleasant and refreshing sea breeze. I stayed there for a moment, allowing myself to bask in the natural wonders of nature as I allowed my mind to wander. In the distance, small flocks of wingulls and Pelippers flew in the sky, while small schools of Remoraid swam around in the bright blue ocean. It was truly an idyllic view.
  
  I don't know how much time passed as I sat there, reflecting on the events that had taken place in Hoenn while also trying to anticipate the many changes that must have happened in Indigo while I was away. I looked forward to catching up on what I had missed.
  
  The sounds of footsteps caused me to look up, and I saw Sidney casually walking up to me with his hands in his pockets.
  
  "Hello." He greeted politely, which was once again a little jarring when you considered his outwardly punk rock appearance, "I'm sorry for shaking you out of your relaxation, but I thought I might join you."
  
  "That's no worry." I replied easily, "Please. Take a seat."
  
  "Well, if you insist." He chuckled as he sat. I watched as a content smile slowly formed on his face as he too recognized the calming effect of nature. He indulged in it for a moment like I did, before speaking up once again.
  
  "I have to apologize for something, John." He said. I turned to him curiously, not knowing what he was on about, "About not participating in the raids with you and Drake. The rest of the Elite Four wanted to, but we couldn't."
  
  "And why not?" I said, not trying to accuse him. I knew that Drake had said something similar, but I wanted to hear what Sidney had to say.
  
  "Because that would be seen as an extreme escalation by the rest of the League. Having the entire Elite Four acting together to deal with a threat is only really seen in the direst of circumstances, which was why the Committee was so against us getting involved as well." Sidney sighed, "Maybe you're unaware of this because you're still relatively new to your position, and frankly, your time in the Elite Four has been quite unusual. Even in the Elite Four, it is rare to get involved in terrorist attacks as often as you did."
  
  I stayed silent, allowing him to continue, "The three of us had petitioned Wallace to let us come and assist. Especially after your string of successes, we felt that the committee SHOULD have been calm enough to allow us to assist. But Wallace, perhaps wisely, refused. Honestly, I felt bad for him, he was doing a huge juggling act trying to keep the committee from imploding on themselves and ordering something stupid, while at the same time trying to muster up whatever political support he could for you and Drake. He worked himself tirelessly to do so, and the three of us were so inspired by his actions that we quickly joined in. After all, we couldn't leave him to deal with all the burden."
  
  "Wow." I said aloud, "I knew Wallace was doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes, but that's something else." It really put in perspective why Drake had nothing but praise for him. He was not prone for shows of strengths like Lance, but he was great all the same.
  
  Sidney continued with a fond smile, "You know, he told me just yesterday when he asked me to head to Indigo that he very desperately wanted to me in my place. He was really excited to be a participant at your newly opened Contest Hall! He's always been one to enjoy the spotlight in contests, and I'm pretty sure he's still sulking about it."
  
  I laughed. Yeah, that sounded just like the Wallace I knew from my meta-knowledge. Then, an amusing thought popped up, "Hey, you think Wallace is a better Contest performer than the Waterflower sisters?"
  
  "Perhaps!" Sidney chuckled, "Truthfully, I have not seen much of the Waterflower sisters. Hoenn TV don't often cover their performances, which is a bit of a shame. I have heard of their great talent, and I'd be honoured to see them in person."
  
  "You can see them in Indigo while you're there." I pointed out, "You probably could make the time for it. I'm sure Wallace wouldn't begrudge you."
  
  "He might, if only out of jealousy." Sidney replied amusingly, "But you're right. I'll try to make time for it."
  
  "Anyways, I'm glad that the two of you managed to deal with them." He continued, returning to our previous topic, "I know some escaped, but you honestly did a great job with capturing many of them as well as dismantling their operations. This ship filled with prisoners is only proof of that."
  
  "Thanks." I replied awkwardly, still not used to praise, "Are the others getting involved with the clean-up now that I'm gone?"
  
  "I think so. At least, that's what Phoebe told me." He replied, "The committee finally let loose the shackles a bit for the free PR and to show that they were doing something." He said that part a little reluctantly, as if he disagreed with their course of action. I could understand.
  
  "It's a little strange to me how powerful your committee is compared to ours." I admitted, "In Indigo, it would be rare for the committee to be able to browbeat someone like Lance. Normally, what he says will be what gets passed through."
  
  "Wallace and Lance are different." Sidney explained slowly, "Despite my full confidence and respect for Wallace, he is not as politically influential as Lance. In fact, I find it pretty absurd that Lance managed to earn his position as Champion while also being from such prominent and influential group in the Blackthorns. I'm guessing that's why he's been able to be so forceful and able to cow the committee like he does; Wallace couldn't do that because his influence as Champion isn't enough."
  
  "And that's not all, of course." He continued, "Professor Oak, when he was Champion, did a lot to install that kind of attitude within your Committee. After all, with his reputation and achievements, who would dare challenge him? Then Pryce, as his chosen successor, inherited that attitude from the committee, and that still carried on to this day. We don't have something like that in Hoenn."
  
  I tilted my head in thought, never even considering that. I had totally overlooked how much Oak's and the Blackthorn's influence could have had on the Committee. Now that Sidney pointed it out, it seemed obvious why our two Committees had become so different.
  
  I was just so used to the fact that, both under Pryce and Lance, the Committee were nothing more than puppets that had to be occasionally fed the odd morsel or so. Both Champions were able to cow the committee in their own ways.
  
  "I never realized the difference." I said to Sidney, "My impression of the Committee have always been that they were meek, often with more bark than bite."
  
  "Some of them are like that." Sidney nodded, "But you can't expect everyone to be a fool. Or rather, you can't expect everyone to be as easily cowed. Not without some serious political backing. And unfortunately, Wallace doesn't have what Lance has. Which makes our Committee meetings far more argumentative and combative, with many of them often challenging the Champion's policies out of a desire to posture if nothing else."
  
  I agreed, understanding that both had their advantages and disadvantages. This is one of the times that I actually would have preferred dealing with Indigo's committee, sycophantic as they were.
  
  "Is that why you didn't simply ignore their orders?" I asked him. "I mean from what you've said it really feels like you three were chomping at the bit to actively get involved."
  
  "Yeah. Phoebe especially was raring to go, but I reluctantly talked her out of it." He admitted with a shake of his head, "It just wouldn't have been worth antagonizing the Committee against us. They might have tried to set up a smear campaign against us out of spite, and they would almost certainly have done everything they could to block our future policies. They're unreasonable like that. And so, after some careful consideration, we reluctantly realized that the long-term costs of our unauthorized intervention would have been a little too high of a price to pay. And since you and Drake seemed to have things handled, we ultimately let it go."
  
  "Though I did hear from Wallace that you gave him some much needed ammunition to finally wrangle the Committee into submission, at least temporarily." He grinned at me, "Thanks for that."
  
  I waved him off, telling him that he didn't need to thank me. But I understood what he was saying. Getting involved against the orders of the Committee would have stepped on all of their pride, which was always a bad idea with overly prideful people in positions of power. So, I could get where he was coming from.
  
  We winded down a little after that surprising bit of comparison between our respective Leagues. Our conversation quickly adopted a more casual focus once again, as we talked about a few of the more interesting sights in Indigo.
  
  I reminded him of my invitation to visit the newly built Contest Hall once again before we finally parted ways as I made my way back to my room. Deciding to rest my head for a moment, I eventually fell asleep on the bed, unknowing to the surprising turn of events that was taking place in Kanto at this very moment.
  
  (Oak POV)
  
  John's Eevee, which he later learnt was nicknamed Euphie, was a real feisty one that was almost always in a playful mood. That was often a double-edged sword, as though her friendliness allowed her to make fast friends with many other Pokémon at the ranch, there were several times that Oak was alerted by his assistants because Euphie had broken out of her enclosure in an attempt to make friends on the other side. Which almost always turned out poorly for Euphie.
  
  Unfortunately, it takes more than a friendly attitude to get a Seviper to NOT try to eat you. Still, Euphie was far from any real danger, and it was nothing that Oak and his Pokémon couldn't handle. The Pokémon on his ranch knew better than to go against his orders.
  
  The Pokémon all understood who was in charge. Even if he wasn't their trainer.
  
  Regardless, just like how busy he saw John was in Hoenn from all the news reports, he had been hard at work over the past week or so training with Euphie in hopes that she would eventually evolve like they were hoping for.
  
  Speaking of John, he was impressed by far how along Euphie was in regards to training up its Fairy type affinity. He realized that John was really underselling just how long he had been working on this; to have been able to progress his Eevee to this level would have taken far more than a month. And the more that he discovered about the potential of the Fairy type, the more he regretted overlooking such a pivotal type for as long as he did.
  
  But he was determined to correct this oversight as soon as possible. He brought his old friend, now Professor Elm, to help him both with the training of Euphie and updating the Pokédex to identify any Pokémon that had been previously misidentified as a Normal type or had missed out on the Fairy type label. Elm was especially helpful in helping him identify the signs of a possible evolution when it came to Euphie, and his keen insights aided them greatly in developing her Fairy affinity even further.
  
  And Carolina and Shelly pulled their weight as well, helping them acquire many of the harder to obtain Sinnoh and Hoenn Pokémon respectively for him to examine and study, though he had to inspect some of the former remotely. Carolina and Blaine would also occasionally pop in and work effectively at his assistants, aiding him with his tests and helping him pour over results whenever they were free. He really appreciated their help; he would have seriously struggled to handle most of these tasks by himself.
  
  Besides that, he made sure to introduce Professor Elm to all of the other members, barring John because he was unreachable. None of them had any problems with bringing him officially onboard, recognizing just how much his expertise could bring to the table.
  
  And after some gruelling weeks of work, he had come up with a pretty efficient and convenient method for testing out whether was a Fairy type or not. Single type Fairy Pokémon were the easiest, as he could just copy over the method that he used for Clefairy and apply it to them. Dual typing took more time, but that was why he left them for later.
  
  Some of the new discoveries that he made really did surprise him. For instance, who knew that a Granbull was actually a Fairy type?! He certainly didn't. He even tripled checked his results to make sure he didn't get anything wrong. But no, Granbull was indeed a Fairy type. A remarkable yet odd discovery.
  
  Anyways, over the last week or so, he had wanted to call John and inform him of all the progress that he had made with his Eevee, but ultimately, he decided against it when he saw just the sheer chaos that had been taking place in Hoenn. The newspapers didn't make it sound so bad, but he knew how to read between the lines, especially when it came to conflict like this.
  
  He knew better than anyone that John was in the thick of it.
  
  A part of him, the part of him that he had kept deeply buried ever since he retired from being Champion, screamed at him to join in. To let his blood run wild once more. But he managed to keep that part of himself tempered. His glory days were long over, he reminded himself, and it was no longer his fight. Not unless they really needed him.
  
  Shaking himself from his more nostalgic thoughts, Oak returned his attention to his ranch as it was time for Euphie's daily training session once again. A few of his assistants waved to him as he walked past, which he returned. A few others gave him curious looks, likely wondering what he was doing spending so much time with an Eevee.
  
  Oh, they probably suspected that he was trying to discover a new Eeveelution; that was hardly difficult to figure out. But he simply allowed them to speculate, it did him no harm after all. And it was here when he was actually thankful for his, in his opinion, overinflated reputation. He was confident that none would try to leak what he was doing, because to be shunned by him would be the equivalent of shunning yourself from Indigo. It was useful, in times like these, to have your privacy be so respected like that.
  
  Even the nosiest of reporters would not dare to bother him.
  
  After a short detour around his ranch to pick up a few of the other Clefairy that weren't currently undergoing tests, he finally arrived at Euphie's pen. As soon as he approached, Euphie quickly rushed up to him with her tail wagging excitedly. She knew that his arrival always signalled the beginning of 'play time'.
  
  With a smile, he stepped aside and allowed Euphie and the Clefairy to play around together. Elm had pointed out that young and baby Pokémon often learn better when they're paired up in groups of Pokémon with similar interests and skills. He explained that being able to relate more with each other improved a Pokémon's ability to develop and nurture the group's shared skills, which in this case revolved around manipulating the Fairy energy. The relaxing environment also allowed Euphie to develop her skills at her own pace, without being weighed down by unnecessary pressures often unintentionally forced upon them by their trainers.
  
  And Elm's advice was paying off with huge dividends. More so than when he tried to teach Euphie directly, simply allowing Euphie to spend her free time around the Clefairy had allowed her to grow her affinity with Fairy energy by leaps and bounds. Oak suspected that it also helped that now Euphie was constantly exposed to Fairy energy and was now much more comfortable with it.
  
  Seeing this, Elm had helped him create a schedule that would efficiently split Euphie's time between playing freely with the Clefairy while also spending time under dedicated training sessions, where they would look to nurture and train up a specific area that they found needed improving.
  
  And the results of all this training was shown yesterday, where Euphie had managed to create a small pink glow within her paws, but it failed to manifest any further. Still, that was an excellent sign, and he hoped that Euphie could develop even further.
  
  And so, today, both he and Elm once again simply stood a small distance away as they idly watched Euphie frolicking around the field with the other Clefairy. Every once in a while, the group would stop to show off a move or two, before they dashed off once again. This pattern would constantly repeat itself for quite some time, the Pokémon seemingly having infinite energy to play around with.
  
  However, after this pattern repeated itself a few times, something interesting began to occur. In one of their 'breaks' to show off their moves, this time ALL of the Clefairy decided to form a small orb of Fairy energy in their little pudgy hands. 5 small pink balls began to surround the lone Euphie, who also had her eyes shut, hard in concentration. Oak took a step forward to have a better view of what was going on.
  
  "Clef! Fairy!" One of the Clefairy's cheered as she waved her hands above her head. The others quickly joined in, forming a circle around Euphie as they waved their fairy-infused hands around in the air.
  
  Euphie's eyes remained shut in concentration, and a very faint pink aura managed to shimmer around her small form for a brief moment before it quickly faded away. Euphie drooped in disappointment as her recent attempt seemed to have resulted in failure.
  
  "Clef! Clef! Clefairy!" Unwilling to allow Euphie to simply give up, another Clefairy let out an enthusiastic cheer before it suddenly threw the small orb of pink Fairy energy that it was holding straight towards Euphie.
  
  "Eevee!?" Euphie cried out in surprise from the attack. However, the sudden influx of Fairy energy seemed to have broken whatever barrier that held Euphie back, and suddenly her entire form was surrounded with a faint, but noticeable, glowing pink aura.
  
  "Eevee!? Eevee! Eevee! Eevee!" She exclaimed with astonishment as she was suddenly filled with an unfamiliar sensation. Before the sensation disappeared, she shut her eyes once again as she tried to focus on the sudden burst of energy. With immense concentration, a small, yet distinct, pink orb slowly coalesced in front of her, hovering slightly in the air.
  
  Just then, the pink aura surrounding her grew even brighter, as she continued to channel more and more fairy energy into that pink orb. Until suddenly, the pink aura emanating from her transformed into a harsh white light that quickly grew blindingly bright, covering up her form entirely.
  
  At this point, Oak had broken out into a small sprint as he wanted to witness what was about to happen first hand, with Elm following right behind him. Was this finally it? Was their hypothesis about to be proven right? What kind of Pokémon would this Eevelution be like? He assumed it was going to be pink, but what would it actually look like?
  
  His answers couldn't come soon enough as the blinding white light of the evolution faded, revealing Euphie in all her magnificent glory. Just like Oak had imagined, her form was a bright mix of pink and white, and there seemed to be many feelers attached to her form that swayed in the wind like ribbons.
  
  "...We did it." Elm's breathless voice came out, and he couldn't help but agree. The form that stood in front of them was utterly remarkable. Elegant, yet cute. It was practically the perfect representation of the Fairy type.
  
  "Sylv! Sylveon!" She sang out excitedly, as she straightened herself as if to bask in the attention of her new form. The other Clefairy quickly surrounded her, eager to inspect and explore her new evolution.
  
  Oak allowed them a few moments to enjoy themselves before he unfortunately had to intervene. There were so many tests that he wanted to run. A new evolution, especially with an Eevee, was always extremely exciting, and he was having trouble holding himself together as is.
  
  Fortunately, despite her obvious desire to continue playing around, Euphie remained obedient and, slightly reluctantly, allowed Oak to return her to Pokéball so that she could be brought back into the lab discreetly. Having a new, undiscovered, Pokémon simply walking around his lab was a recipe for disaster.
  
  He shared a giddy look with Elm before they quickly headed back to his lab, both equally eager to run tests on their new evolution. The trainer side of him wondered how strong his new evolution was compared to the other eevelutions. Many of the eeveelutions were all coveted Pokémon for their strengths, so he hoped that this one would be no different.
  
  Before he forgot, though, he made sure to fire off a message to all the other members of their little group to inform them of the good news. He was sure that some of them would be quick to visit them as soon as they read his message.
  
  And what a surprise they'd be in for. And he was particularly excited to see the look on John's face when he got back.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time, but I wanted to provide a different insight to what happened behind the scenes in Hoenn politically. I also wanted to give a more detailed reason into why the rest of the Hoenn E4 didn't get involved. I hope you found that interesting!
  
  And yes, Sylveon is here! And with that, the Fairy type will be revealed to the public very soon. As I mentioned before, the non-stone evolutions for Eevee also require a sufficient proficiency with that type, hence why Euphie only evolved after finally becoming somewhat able to manipulate Fairy energy.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 6-10 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 6-10 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [IS SILPH CO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACK AT DEVON CORP!? An anonymous report states that this was an act of corporate espionage!?] By The Hoenn Times
  
  [Picture of Silph Co, Team Rocket, and Devon Corp side by side]
  
  [Picture of Drake and John talking in the distance]
  
  After our report yesterday detailing the attack at Devon Corp, it has appeared that more alarming information has just been released.
  
  According to a few unconfirmed reports, there seems to be evidence that links the large business titan of Indigo to the attacks at Devon Corp. If this proves to be true, then that gives a huge amount of evidence to the theory that Team Rocket had been contracted to perform an act of corporate espionage, where they would steal certain files from Devon Corp and sell them to Silph Co.
  
  Unfortunately, as the reports remain unsubstantiated at the moment, we decided to reach out to our colleagues in Indigo where they managed to snag an interview with Steven Stone, the heir to Devon Corp. When asked about his thoughts on the incident, he had this to say.
  
  "As soon as I heard about the attack, my first instinct was to rush back to check if things were okay. Then, my next thought was that I would do all that I could to punish these criminals for daring to strike out at my company. But my father managed to reassure me, and ultimately persuaded me to remain in Indigo."
  
  "As for these 'reports' about Silph Co's involvement, I don't buy it for an instant. As one of Silph Co's greatest competitors, I naturally have had frequent correspondences with their board of directors. They would not do something like this; it is far too much of a risk for too little gain. Therefore, I am almost certain that the real culprit is trying to frame Silph Co to disguise their own actions."
  
  When asked about who he suspected that culprit was, Steven unfortunately had no answers. However, he remained adamant in his statement of Silph Co's innocence. And now, this writer is unsure of what to think.
  
  And an important event to point out is Elite John's arrival into Hoenn, where he was found deep in conversation with Elite Drake and Devon Corp CEO Joseph Stone. What were they discussing? And why was he called over here so quickly? Could the situation be more serious than what we expected?
  
  What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Silph Co is as innocent as Steven claims they are? Tell us in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Okay, what the fuck?! I thought Team Rocket were dead in the water. Firstly, how the fuck did they suddenly resurface like this. And secondly, since when did Silph Co perform sneaky shit like this?!
  
  What is going on!?
  
  ANormalFan
  
  If John's here, then the situation must be serious! I'm proud of him for helping out, but the last time he was there we had the battle at Olivine!
  
  Well if the hero of Olivine is there, then I'm sure he'll help handle everything in Hoenn!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  I have never been more furious at seeing such SLANDER on the news. Silph Co is a pillar of Kanto, and a shining example of our success! It is one of Kanto's greatest businesses. It would never lower itself to employ the likes of Team Rocket! Never!
  
  This has 'criminal scheme' written all over it. I refuse to believe that this could ever be true!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I'm hesitant to believe this. It really feels like something coming of left field, with little to no evidence supporting it. And if Steven Stone, the heir to Devon Corp, is denying the validity of these accusations, then I certainly won't be disagreeing with him.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I don't know what to think. Until I can see clear evidence from a more reliable source that Silph Co is truly innocent, then I'm going to remain wary. I totally believe that big businesses would engage in corporate espionage like this.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  [This user has been banned from this thread. You are not allowed to verbally harass someone just because they do not share the same views as you.]
  
  FutureAce
  
  Yeah...I don't really see it. But I do also want to see some evidence that Silph Co is actually innocent in this. If they are, it shouldn't be hard to prove, right?
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Not to be THAT guy, but anyone know what kind of Pokémon that Team Rocket are fielding now? They used to use only use Pokémon like Raticate, Arbok, and Golbat, so I was wondering if they had anything new now?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  GeneralistGeneral That's actually a good question, since if we knew about the type of Pokémon they were using, we could try to prove if Silph Co was the one backing them after all.
  
  But unfortunately, the news has been silent on this. Hopefully they'll give the public more information soon.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  I don't believe it. This is way too stupid for Silph Co to attempt. They barely even covered their tracks!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Ehhh this is the kind of scheme-y stuff that happens behind the scenes. Who knows if it's true or not. If it is, I hope Hoenn doesn't unjustly blame the entire region for the actions of one company. That would be unfair!
  
  RocketGrunt
  
  See! I told you all that the next time Team Rocket would attack it wouldn't be like Olivine!
  
  [HUGE ATTACK AT MT. PYRE! DOZEN OF GRUNT CAPTURED BY A JOINT OPERATION WITH THE ELITE FOUR!] By The Hoenn Times
  
  [A view of Mt. Pyre from the bottom. Smoke clouds can be seen rising into the air from the summit]
  
  Today proves that those who had assumed that Team Rocket had been collared and neutered were wrong, as a huge raid had taken place by their members on Mt. Pyre. According to the reports, they were seeking to steal the Red and Blue Orbs, priceless cultural artifacts of Hoenn that they likely intended to sell for huge amounts of money.
  
  Luckily, the Hoenn Police were either able to respond in time, or more likely, they had been aware of this attempt and had acted alongside Elite John and Elite Drake to ambush and capture these grunts before they could escape with their stolen treasures.
  
  According to many eye-witness reports, the fighting broke out on the summit, very near where the Orbs had been located. The Jenny's were able to put up a good fight, but they were slowly overwhelmed by the grunt's greater numbers and surprising level of training. Yet the tides were quickly turned with the arrival of the two Elite Four members, who were able to round up and eliminate the threat before they could do any more damage.
  
  Overall, it was a very successful operation, and this writer hopes to see more like it, as it has become clear that the threat of Team Rocket still remains.
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Holy shit...this is huge. So glad they didn't get away with this, because what the fuck!? How long was this planned for?! At least it was only to steal something that, while culturally significant, isn't something else of importance.
  
  Still, glad they were stopped in time.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WOO! John at it again with crushing Team Rocket! Knew he would do it!
  
  FutureAce
  
  Wow! What is going on in Hoenn these days!? First the raid on Devon Corp, and now this attack at Mt. Pyre?! This is crazy!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  As bad as this looks, it seems that at least Team Rocket is still pretty monetary focused if they're targeting something they can probably sell. It could be worse.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Once again, did anyone see what kind of Pokémon they employed? Or did they really do this with a horde of Raticate, Arbok, and Golbat?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  GeneralistGeneral Nope. Everything's being kept under lock-and-key for the time being, which is understandable considering what just took place. I imagine the Hoenn Police are very keen to keep every bit of information under wraps for the time being.
  
  Maybe we'll hear more about it after everything's been wrapped up. Hope that does happen soon. I really don't want to see Team Rocket rampaging around Hoenn like they did in Indigo.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Oh shit. This is really going to turn into a huge mess.
  
  UnderTheSea
  
  As I said, they played with magma, and now they got caught. Typical scum.
  
  FloorIsLava
  
  Wasn't this those pirates we saw last time? I told you they were up to no good.
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  Woah...so much has happened...since when did Team Rocket become a thing again?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...Have you not been on the news?
  
  AreYouSlowBro
  
  ...no.
  
  [RAIDS BEGIN AGAINST TEAM ROCKET! HOENN POLICE STRIKING BACK AGAINST COMBINED TEAM OF CRIMINALS!] by The Hoenn Times
  
  [Picture of a raid in progress, with Drake circling a building on his Flygon while John's Snorlax can be seen busting in a door]
  
  It seems that the Hoenn Police have been very busy and active after their successful ambush at Mt. Pyre, as they have been hard at work busting in doors and raiding facilities of what appears to be criminal hideouts.
  
  Just like their ambush at Mt. Pyre, these raids seem to be very fruitful as hordes of grunts could be seen being marched out in handcuffs after each raid. While the Hoenn Police has adamantly refused to comment about what they have learnt, this writer is confident that they have made great strides into eliminating the threat of these criminals once in for all.
  
  In a recent public statement, a prominent and long-serving committee member had this to say:
  
  "...I am fully confident that the Hoenn Police, with the help of Elite Drake and Elite John, have this matter fully in hand and their efforts will prevent these criminals from causing any more harm. Once again, I would like to remind the public that these criminals are no threat to the average Hoenn citizen, and that there is no need to panic. Everything is well in hand, so please carry on with your daily lives."
  
  However, what a few members of the public have noted is the noticeable absence of the other Elite Four members. They wonder why is it that Drake is the one participating on these raids. Fortunately, we managed to reach out to Elite Phoebe, who provides a little bit of insight into what was going on behind the scenes:
  
  "The rest of us in the Elite Four were very eager to get involved like Drake is. Even the Champion wanted to get involved. However, the Committee, after much deliberation, has decided that it would be an unsuitable use of our time since Drake and John clearly have it handled. While I'm sure that they do, I believe that our participation would have added to the safety of these raids while also allowing us to strike at more locations to capture more of these criminals."
  
  "It is safe to say that I am disappointed in the Committee for their decision, though I will reluctantly acquiesce to their judgment. Despite this, I know for certain that we have all been hard at work, especially Wallace, in ensuring that Drake and John get the support that they need to continue their string of successes. I really do wish them the best of luck!"
  
  So, it appears that the Committee had apparently chosen to keep the other Elite Four members back to handle other matters. A very useful insight. Personally, this writer feels that the Committee should have prioritised ensuring the elimination of Team Rocket over any other priorities. But what do our readers think? Feel free to let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FrostQueen (Verified POG)
  
  I would just like to back up Phoebe's statements here. If the Committee has chosen a course of action, it ultimately is the duty of the Elite Four to stick to the majority decision of our publicly elected servants. Regardless of their reasoning.
  
  DarkRebel (Verified POG)
  
  Likewise. Though it may pain us to do so, this is the decision that the Committee has come to, and we shall uphold it. And, truthfully speaking, the Committee are not wrong when they say that Drake and John have things well in hand. They have my full trust and support that they can handle such matters.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Well...I can't really say that the committee are fully in the wrong. The situation right now is far from what had occurred in Indigo, so I can't say that the full deployment of all the Elite Four would have been necessary.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Glad that these criminals are getting hit and are hurting! About time we delivered some payback! Also, don't really care either way if the other Elite Four get involved, so long as the threat is handled.
  
  If the situation doesn't require all of the Elite Four members, then it's probably not too serious.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Really do hope that this really puts a dent in whatever future plans these criminals have. I really don't want to see yet another resurgence, but I'm not holding my breath.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Anyone else think that the Hoenn Police really ought to stop with these raids? I mean surely they got all of them by now! There's no need to continue breaking into private property, right?
  
  [AD: Get fresher Moomoo milk in Johto! A new branch of the Smith family Moomoo milk has just been established!]
  
  With the recent establishment of our new farm in Johto, you can be sure that the Moomoo milk that you purchase in the many stores in Johto will be as fresh as they can be!
  
  Be sure to get your rejuvenating Moomoo milk today! Your Pokémon will thank you for it!
  
  [Indigo brings their 'International Police' alongside Elite Lorelei?! New group formed by Champion Lance to combat the recent rise of terrorism!] by The Hoenn Times
  
  [Photo of Lorelei arriving in Indigo, followed by the newly formed Interntional Police]
  
  After the turmoil and struggles that we had just gone through this week in Hoenn, following the series of raids that took place against the recent resurgence of criminals, it's nice to see that Indigo has not left us in hanging by ourselves.
  
  The new arrival of the International Police, the brainchild of Indigo's Champion Lance, hopes to serve as both as additional reinforcements for our undoubtedly tired Hoenn Police members, while also serving as an initial test to see if the idea would be well received by the public.
  
  Champion Lance had this to say about his newly created project in his most recent public announcement.
  
  "The International Police has always been an idea that had been floating around in my head for some time. I saw the devastation and horror that Team Rocket brought about in Indigo, and I recognized the need to create a new division that worked alongside the Indigo or Hoenn or Sinnoh Police that were tailor-made to combat this new threat."
  
  "And so, the overall goal of the International Police is to specifically fight back against larger scale terrorist acts and are meant to operate in every region. Thus, members of the International Police will be experts in undergoing special investigations and covert infiltration. You can consider them the Elite of your usual standard Police."
  
  Champion Lance also expressed his personal thanks to the efforts of Elite John and Elite Drake for their great efforts in combating the threat. We are very lucky that we have these trusted Elites to keep us safe.
  
  Well, this writer is certainly very excited to see more regarding this newly formed group! Will Champion's Lance be able to back up his words? Or will his ideas crash and burn around him? We will see!
  
  Comments
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Finally, some more Lorelei in action! Can't wait to see what she does in Hoenn! I hope Hoenn is prepared for her!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Wow...didn't expect this, but nice to see some truly good news for once. Really glad to see that Indigo is willing to help out with this, especially when Team Rocket originally originated from them.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I'm personally rather optimistic about this 'International Police' thing. I thought that it was about time that the Police force of our regions got a little shake up, and this might be just the thing. Excited to see what they'll do.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Really liking this kind of 'Elite' force being established. With the recent terrorist attacks plaguing both regions of Indigo and Hoenn, I think this is a worthwhile response to such a threat.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Happy to see Indigo helping us out! We might not need it, but the intention is nice. Hope we can repay the favour!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  SlugmaBalls I hope they do. It'll be a great step towards forming stronger bonds between the two regions, which can only be a good thing.
  
  [OPINION: A commentary on the state of the current Indigo circuit and how it's running!] By Exploud Reviews
  
  With the circuit in full swing, its time for my annual blog post about this year's circuit! And man, am I excited to write about it. Especially compared to last year, I think this circuit has some real potential.
  
  Firstly, I wanted to talk about the states of the Gyms in Indigo. To start with, I'd like to highlight just how much better the quality of the Gyms are overall in Indigo. Last year, we had some pretty obvious bad apples that I wrote about, with Pewter and Cerulean being the worst of the bunch. However, it seems like this year both of these Gyms, whether through good decision making or the forced involvement of the League, have managed to get their stuff together!
  
  The Cerulean Gym has seen massive improvements since the last time I was there. Before, it was mostly just a glitzy and showy Gym with very little substance. It was obvious that the Cerulean Gym Leader were struggling with dealing with the myriad of responsibilities of running a Gym. But now, things seem to be running much smoothly, and from what I've heard, the sisters have hired some really competent people recommended to them by Gym Leader Giovanni that have really helped them out! Well, I'm proud to say that the Gym really has turned over a new leaf since then.
  
  And let's not forget about Pewter City. While their improvement was forced upon them by the League, getting Elite Agatha and her apprentice, Karen, involved was not what I expected from them. Still, it was clearly a good choice, as the Gym has quickly seen rapid improvements over the past few weeks. The fights are finally at a balanced level for a 1st Gym Badge, and a sense of discipline has finally been instilled into their Gym trainers. While the Pewter Gym is still far from becoming one of the more prominent Gyms in Indigo or Kanto, it's no longer being poorly handled. I daresay that it has bright days ahead of it!
  
  And not only that, but moving on to the developments at Johto...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  [Mt. Moon finally falls under the authority of Cerulean City?! Years of back-and-forth finally decided in favour of Cerulean City!] By The Indigo Post.
  
  [A picture of Mt. Moon]
  
  For those in the know about the inter-city politics of Kanto, today comes as quite the surprise! After many private discussions between the local councils of Pewter and Cerulean, they have made an announcement that Mt. Moon will fall solely under the restriction of Cerulean City!
  
  Mt. Moon has been in quite the awkward spot for the past several years. Located uncomfortably between the two cities of Pewter and Cerulean, there has been a long running dispute between the two cities about which city has authority over the resource-rich Mt. Moon. Understandably, each city would much rather have the lucrative mountain under their control.
  
  However, with the fall of Pewter, and the rise in status of Cerulean, in hindsight it comes to little surprise to find that the local council of Cerulean was able to finally push their authority over this disputed territory. This writer believes that much of the credit for the rise in Cerulean's authority comes from Elite John, born from Cerulean, joining the Elite Four, as well as the rise in popularity and prestige of the once stagnant Cerulean Gym. While the Pewter Gym has recovered slightly from its recent scandals and problems, the prestige of Pewter City has really taken a hit that it could ill afford.
  
  What are your thoughts about this sudden change? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Not surprised in the least. After seeing John's name pop up in the news so much, as well as the noticeable improvements with the Cerulean Gym, I thought this was a matter of time. Not surprised they pushed for this at all.
  
  Maybe we will see a far more prosperous Cerulean City in the future; perhaps it might even become one of the main landmarks of Kanto? Akin to something like Viridian or Saffron? Going to be interesting to see.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I hope Pewter City isn't doing too badly. Everyone seems very focused on all the benefits to Cerulean, but what about Pewter? Why would the Indigo League allow this? The sudden loss of resources to an already declining Pewter might send it down an even more dangerous spiral!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  ILoveGoldenRod Firstly, calm down. You're really exaggerating the situation. Secondly, you clearly don't know anything about Kanto if you can say something that wrong. Pewter City will always be there, and it's too culturally significant as the location of the 1st Gym to be destitute. It'll be fine.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Oh cool! I'll be able to buy Moon Stones at Cerulean now! Maybe the prices would have gone down?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  It's not unusual for new Elite Four members to start building up their home cities. Just look at what Agatha did in Lavender Town, and obviously Lance with Blackthorn City. Considering John's friendship with Agatha, it's not surprising he's followed in her footsteps.
  
  ["This ends today!" Gym Leader Giovanni states as he announces the innocence of Silph Co. in the recent attacks against Devon Corp!] By The Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of Giovanni standing outside the entrance to Silph Co with a few documents in his hand]
  
  Previously, there were rumours aplenty about Silph Co's supposed involvement in the recent attack against Devon Corp, where Team Rocket had violently broken in and escaped with several important files. After this incident, there were apparently 'evidence' that had cropped up that accused Silph Co for secretly backing Team Rocket to steal files from Devon Corp, which was supposedly supported by the long-standing rivalry that these two corporate giants had against each other.
  
  However, just early this afternoon, Gym Leader Giovanni made a public announcement on behalf of Silph Co, which he is also a director of, to clear up the air surrounding this issue. His speech can be found online here.
  
  Beyond his speech, he has also made public the details of Silph Co's auditing reports. Anyone interested in looking through it can view it here.
  
  This writer has been through the papers and is convinced and pleased to see that Silph Co's innocence in the attack at Devon Corp cannot be refuted. And with that rousing declaration, this writer is certainly glad that the matter is finally put to rest.
  
  What are the rest of your thoughts about the whole incident now that the truth appears to have been finally brought to light? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  HAH! I fucking knew that Silph Co was innocent. And yet I was banned for my unshakeable faith. I hope you doubters know better than to think negatively of one of the critical economic pillars of Kanto. Let's go Giovanni!
  
  FutureAce
  
  Welp. I don't understand anything from those auditing reports, but I'm sure if everyone else says its okay then I guess I have to take their word for it.
  
  Not that I really doubt Gym Leader Giovanni was going to fake something like that! He's one of the most honest people in Kanto!
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  Yeah! If Giovanni says so, then it must be true! After all, someone as respectable as Giovanni wouldn't dare lie!
  
  Plus, everyone knows Silph Co is a clean company. Them having suspicious 'underworld' connections is ludicrous!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  So, this finally confirms that this was no more of a smokescreen for Team Rocket to launch their attack on the Orbs. Crazy that it nearly worked. I guess people are willing to believe anything now, huh.
  
  EDIT: And I noticed that the news companies haven't been including Giovanni's denunciation of the news and their tendency to publish things before researching them first. Tut tut.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  So, it was nothing more than fake news?! Shame!
  
  A.N. And this wraps up the 6th Arc. A much shorter Arc than the other ones, but I didn't want to extend the Hoenn section of the evil team plotline for too long. I felt that I had covered everything that I wanted to and stretching it any further would be reaching filler territory. Of course, we'll be seeing the evil teams once again in the future.
  
  Hope you enjoyed the Arc AND the story thus far. You have my sincere thanks for sticking with me till now. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 6-10 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 6-10 - Interlude - Brock
  
  "Brock, could you come over here please?" Karen called out from her office. And it was HER office, even if she was only here temporarily. She had done so much for the Gym in the past few weeks, making sure that it was no longer the dilapidated Gym that it was once known as. Brock felt she easily deserved that distinction many times over.
  
  Who knew the best way to repair the Gym after Flint had ruined it was to practically rebuild it from the ground up? Well, knowing Flint, it probably was best to get rid of anything he touched. Good riddance.
  
  Not wanting to waste any more of her time, Brock quickly stepped into the room. As usual, Karen was buried deep in a pile of paperwork while Agatha sat to the side, observing everything with an amused expression on her face.
  
  He had once previously considered confronting Agatha about her laziness, but he did notice that from time to time, Agatha did intervene whenever Agatha needed help. He grew to understand that Agatha was more of a supervisor, making sure that whatever Karen did remained up to a certain standard. She was just acting as the guiding hand.
  
  He persistently ignored the main reason he didn't confront her - she terrified him.
  
  But he would never forget that it was by Karen's efforts that this Gym was saved. He knew how hard she had worked.
  
  "You there, Brock?" Karen asked as she leaned forwards, concern lining her face as she stared at him. Seeing her worried expression ignited something in his 13-year-old body, and Brock had to fight down a blush. She didn't deserve for him to think of her like that.
  
  "I'm fine." He lied, trying to keep his expression blank, "What do you need me for?" Luckily, it didn't seem like Karen had noticed.
  
  "Two things, really." Karen explained as she raised a finger, "One, I want your opinion on how we'll redecorate the Gym's exterior. Now that we've clean up some of the internal administration of the Gym, I think it's about time that we give the Gym a proper makeover to symbolize its new status."
  
  Brock nodded thoughtfully. He remembered how vocal Agatha was when she first saw the Gym. She said some words that he was fairly certain that he wasn't meant to overhear and spent the next few days grumbling about it. However, they were forced to delay any redecoration efforts until they sorted out the Gym first, which he suppose they'd done now.
  
  And, if he could be honest to himself, Brock had felt a certain level of vindication when the idea of redecorating was being floated around. He felt that it would be casting off the influence Flint had on the Gym.
  
  Still, now that it was time for it, he hadn't a clue what they should change it to.
  
  "Um...I don't know how we should change it." He admitted embarrassedly, "Sorry, maybe you could give me some time to think about it?"
  
  Agatha let out a snort, "Bah! Did you think we'd let the redesigning of a Gym be decided by the hands of a 13-year-old?" She shook her head, "Don't worry about that, boy, we'll hire some experts that'll submit some designs. You can have a look at it with your siblings."
  
  Her tongue was harsh as usual, but Brock had spent enough time around Agatha that he knew this was her way of showing that she cared. After spending so much time around her, it wasn't hard to notice that Agatha had always kept an eye out for him and his siblings, making sure they were all looked after and happy.
  
  She put on a façade of being uncaring and unfriendly, but no matter how much she tried to hide it, the various gifts and toys that she frequently bought for them revealed her true feelings.
  
  If only they had a moth-, no, he shouldn't think that. He knew that as kind as Agatha had been, she was only here temporarily. He wouldn't get his hopes up. It was just easier that way.
  
  Unknowing of Brock's inner turmoil, Karen continued, "Yes, we'll let you have a look at a few plans later on." Her voice shook him from his thoughts, and he quickly returned his attention to what Karen was saying.
  
  "As for my second point, I think you've done a good job with handling your duties as a Gym trainer, and now I want you to do more." Karen stated, with Brock nodding eagerly at her words. He had been waiting for these words for nearly a month!
  
  "I feel like now would be a good time to let you take on more duties." She said, "Thus, your old role will be given to Forrest, who I'm sure you know has been quite eager to take up his own responsibilities in the Gym. In the meanwhile, you'll be shifted to serve as the assistant to the Head Gym Trainer. You'll work with them on a day-to-day basis, so that you can learn from all their duties while also continue training up your team."
  
  "If you can accomplish this, boy, then maybe we'll let you handle a few of the harder Gym Battles for us." Agatha added, "We'll need to get you up to snuff, but I'm sure you can handle it."
  
  "I'll continue helping you out with your training whenever I have some free time." Karen continued, shooting him a smile, "You've been making good progress, so let's hope that keeps up."
  
  Brock nodded eagerly, an excited smile on his face. Aside from all the help that they did with the Gym, the thing that he always appreciated was the fact that the two of them treated him with respect, and they never acted condescendingly around him as if he was just some kid.
  
  Though it was hard work, he remained thankful that Karen was willing to give him more and more responsibility, while always being careful to never give more than he could handle. He recognized that his was just their way of preparing him for when he became the Gym Leader after his majority.
  
  Or at least, give him the best chance of doing so.
  
  However, beyond the administrative tasks that they gave him, he was most excited and eager for their occasional sessions of personal training. Brock was greatly honoured that these two excellent trainers were willing to put aside time in their already busy schedules just to give him a few pointers.
  
  He grew up watching Agatha's battles on TV, and now he was being trained by her! And Karen was far more formidable than he first thought - she was easily better than most Gym Leaders that he saw!
  
  Admittedly, he couldn't help but envious of Karen's Tyranitar when he first laid eyes on it. Previously, he would occasionally imagine how much easier his life would be if he could have simply started off with a strong Pokémon to begin with, and how much easier his time as a trainer would have been.
  
  But Agatha and Karen were both quick to knock him out of his naivety. There were no shortcuts to strength, only hard work. And he had seen the sheer effort that Karen would put to train her Pokémon, both under the instructions of Agatha and by herself. And this was on top of all of the standard administrative duties as temporary Gym Leader.
  
  He wished he could have even half of that dedication.
  
  And if there was one thing the two of them drilled into him, it was to never let an advantage go. If his Geodude managed to get the pounce on an opponent, then he was to beat them into submission before they got a chance to react. Sneak attacks, capitalizing on weaknesses, and never allowing your opponent to play to their strengths were repeatedly drilled into his mind, day after day.
  
  And his Onix was taught the same lesson. Who says that Onix 'must' be slow? If he could play into those perceptions, he could land a surprise attack that just might win him the fight.
  
  It was very unlike how he was 'taught' to battle, and he wasn't sure if he could fully absorb all of their lessons, but he strove to never let them down. And his increase in strength was very much noticeable. Of course, every time he wanted to show off, Agatha was quick to humble him and never let his head get too big. She was very good at that.
  
  "There's always someone stronger than you." Karen had put it best to him. And it was a motto that he tried to hold close to his heart.
  
  Shaking himself out of his thoughts once again, he politely asked if there was anything else the two needed from him. They didn't, and Brock was about to make his way out before Karen spoke up once more.
  
  "Oh, that's right! Brock, isn't it Yolanda's birthday this weekend?" She asked. Brock gave her a surprised look, not thinking they would even remember. He valiantly stomped down on the emotions that instantly sprouted within him. Eventually, he managed a small nod.
  
  "Excellent. I'll have something ready for her then." She smiled at him, and Brock had to channel whatever inner strength that he had to not react as the flood of emotion threatened to leak out. Unaware of his feelings, Karen just patted him gently on the shoulder, "Off you go then. Try to settle into you new duties and feel free to ask for help if you need it. I'll always be available."
  
  Not trusting himself to react, Brock quickly fled from the room after a quick goodbye. As soon as he was certain that he was out of sight, he punched the wall as the dam finally burst, and the emotions came surging out.
  
  Why?! Why did they have to be so nice to him!? Why couldn't they stay for longer?! It was a bitter realization, but Brock knew that Karen and Agatha, even in the short time that he knew them, were both better parents than his actual ones.
  
  A.N. I wanted to highlight a bit of what was happening at the Pewter Gym and what Karen and Agatha had done to it. We haven't seen them in a while, so I thought this chapter would be nice little insight into their efforts at the Gym.
  
  Of course, I also wanted to shed some insight into Brock at the moment. He's in a better place right now, though his emotions are quite the mess. Overall, he's happier, but he still has a lot of trauma and resentment to work through. Oof.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Eevee
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 7-1 - Resettling In
  
  The rest of the trip back to Indigo was pleasantly uneventful. I managed to get some sleep, and time quickly passed as we eventually arrived back at Olivine. As the ship began to dock, a small welcoming party had gathered around us at the pier, with Lance's signature bright red cape being distinct enough to make out even at a distance.
  
  With the ship safely docked, Sidney and I made our way down to greet Lance. The cameras began to flash rapidly as the surrounding cameramen and reporters eagerly swarmed us, hoping to get photos for their next headline.
  
  "Elite Sidney, it's a pleasure to meet you." He greeted him as the two shook hands. "I do hope that the mess back there is being properly sorted out."
  
  "It will be." Sidney assured, "And we hope that the information you gather from these criminals are going to be helpful too." He turned around to look at the prisoners being offloaded from the ship, "Speaking of which, I should go help them out. Is it alright if I speak with you soon, Champion Lance?"
  
  "Absolutely." Lance replied, "Please, take your time. And I do hope you enjoy your stay here in Indigo. Feel free to look me up in my office anytime." Sidney nodded, before moving to help out with the prisoners.
  
  With Sidney walking away, Lance turned to me and patted me on the shoulder with a smile, "Glad to see the conquering hero returning. Good work out there, John. Welcome back home."
  
  I smiled, "Thanks, Lance. I just couldn't sit still when I heard about. Thanks for being so accommodating."
  
  He waved me off, "It's not a problem. Even ignoring all the political benefits of your assistance, standing up against criminals is not something I will condemn." He then looked around and a frown appeared as he saw that many reporters were trying to inch closer nearby to eavesdrop on us.
  
  He leaned in closer, "Actually, let's move this conversation to my office. I need to fill you on what's been going on here." He whispered, "Just give me a moment to check on Sidney and I'll be right back."
  
  He came back a few moments later, and the two of us were quickly teleported to his office. The first thing I noticed was a huge pile of paperwork in his out tray, and just looking at the tall tower made me feel a pang of sympathy for him.
  
  Lance took a swig of water before he began, "Firstly, I wanted to get you up to speed with what the other Elite Four have been doing during the week that you were there in Hoenn. With Lorelei and Agatha, I'm sure you know already, but they're just continuing on their assigned tasks with the International Police and the Gym respectively. As for Will, he's been hard at work speaking to his group of businessmen and other shakers and movers about potentially implementing a new policy that could help support the economic growth of Indigo."
  
  I nodded, they were about what I expected, but I was still pleased nonetheless. Will was the most familiar out of all of us with economic and businesses, so having him discuss these matters was just the logical thing to do. While I wasn't the most familiar with economic policy, even I knew that any plan to continue bolstering the growing economy could only be a good thing.
  
  Lance gave me a moment to process everything before moving on, "Other than that, I want you to tell me what you thought of Team Rocket and their actions. I want to know everything I can so that we'll be ready if they ever try to re-establish a foothold here in Indigo."
  
  Pleased that he was taking the threat of these evil teams so seriously, I straightened up as I started my explanation, "The good news is that I'm confident that they've mostly retreated out of Hoenn. The bad news is that I'm fairly certain they've moved on to Sinnoh instead, but I suppose the psychic interrogations will confirm that."
  
  He nodded, gesturing for me to continue, "As for their training, it's a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, their level of training has significantly improved since their time in Indigo. But they've lost huge amounts of their numbers, though I'd wager quite a few still managed to retreat with them that we failed to catch."
  
  Lance pondered my words for a moment before speaking, "Any chance they could easily recruit back up to their old numbers?"
  
  I shook my head, "Unlikely, though obviously I can't be certain on that. I will say that it appears that the majority of their grunts are true fanatics, utterly devoted to their cause of 'remaking the world'." I said in air quotes, "Those fanatics are hard to come by, and I'm sure their series of losses will make recruiting hard among the more 'rational' criminal population. And even if they do manage to swell up their numbers again, I'd wager it still be a while before they can be trained up back to level I just fought against."
  
  "But what I'm a little more concerned about is the fact that they managed to acquire the Porygon Research." I continued, "It might just give them the edge they need to begin a campaign of hacking and disruption against us."
  
  Lance waved me off, "I've been briefed on that already. I was reassured by the many experts that this situation is being dealt with. They have a team already looking into bolstering our cybersecurity, and I've been told multiple times that their Porygon won't be a threat to us anytime soon. And these 'experts' all know the consequences of being wrong."
  
  Lance's fingers continued tapping idly on his desk, "And I want your honest opinion on these criminals. Are you certain that they're as crazy as you make them out to be? With no exaggeration?"
  
  "I am." I responded immediately; out of everything I had done - stopping the evil teams had to be my highest priority. It didn't matter how much success I managed to achieve politically if these idiots ended up destroying the world. They HAD to be stopped, no matter the cost. And I would be sure to remind everyone who would listen about the threat they posed.
  
  Lance stared me down for a moment, but he eventually withdrew as soon as he saw the honesty shining through my eyes.
  
  "Good." He stated, "Well, in better news, I'll be glad to inform you that your actions in Hoenn have practically revived Indigo-Hoenn relations. Looks like you've wiped out the stain of Pryce's actions with your heroism. You have my sincere thanks for that, you've saved us quite the headache."
  
  "Again, I wasn't going to allow the criminals to run around unchecked. I was just doing what I had to." I said to him.
  
  "Yes, well, your intentions aside, Indigo has benefited greatly from that. We can expect closer cooperation with Hoenn on a multitude of things moving forwards thanks to all the goodwill and good PR you helped build up." He continued, "You've certainly made my life, and Lorelei's, much easier. As I said, I owe you one for this."
  
  I gave him a firm nod, happy that he was honouring his word.
  
  "Anyways, I'm sure you have many other things to get on with now that you're back, so I won't hold up any more of your time. Thanks again, John. And good job." He stood up and patted me on the shoulder.
  
  And with that I shot him a quick thanks before leaving his office. As I left, I could have sworn I could hear a groan coming out of Lance; he must have realized he still had more paperwork to tackle. Putting aside my pity, I went to check my phone for any unread messages, and indeed, saw that there were many.
  
  I put Karen's messages aside for the moment, as they weren't urgent. What WAS urgent was the message that I got from Oak, telling me to 'come to his laboratory immediately'. My mind snapped to the ONLY reason he could have sent me such an urgent message. So with hurried excitement, I quickly fired off a text informing him that I was coming before I scrambled on top of Port to fly over to Pallet Town.
  
  It was a restless flight. And I spent the entire flight over hoping that my prediction was correct.
  
  One anxious flight later, I practically leapt off of Port as we arrived in Pallet Town and made a dash for Oak's office. After a brief knock on his door, I opened it and immediately fell over as something knocked me over in a very enthusiastic tackle.
  
  "Oof." I grunted as I fell to the ground.
  
  "Syl! Syl! Veon!" A melodic voice chimed excitedly as something rubbed themselves against me. I pulled my head up and was met with an image of pink and white. It was Euphie, in her newly evolved form as a Sylveon, hugging me tightly with her new feelers.
  
  As she rubbed herself against me, I couldn't help but break out into a wide smile of my own as I hugged her back. I missed her!
  
  "HAHA! Someone's excited to see their trainer!" A familiar voice, but not Oak's, barked out from my right. I looked up to see Blaine looking at me with a grin on his face. Embarrassed, and probably blushing, I disentangled myself from Sylveon before awkwardly patting her on the head like I hadn't just wrapped her in a big hug.
  
  "Sorry, got too excited there." I replied with a slight blush on my cheeks.
  
  Blaine chuckled, "Don't worry about it sonny, it's to be expected. It's a good thing for a trainer to be so attached to their Pokémon; shows off the bond that they have with their Pokémon. I'd expect nothing less from ANY competent trainer."
  
  "Indeed." Oak greeted from where he was sitting at the desk, "And welcome back, John. I heard you've been doing a lot of good in Indigo."
  
  "Thank you. I'm very happy to be back. Especially with this nice surprise here." I ruffled Euphie's head, who was snuggling against me, "I saw that you brought Professor Elm to help out. How did the two of you manage it?"
  
  He shrugged, "Elm really did a lot of the heavy lifting here; I can't take much of the credit. It was mostly between his expertise, and Euphie's own hard work." He explained, "I mostly followed his advice on how best to raise and train Euphie, following his recommendations to the letter. His expertise was crucial and really saved us a lot of trial-and-error. It's a shame that he isn't here right now - or else he could explain the full process to you. He's more familiar with it than I am."
  
  "You're being far too humble." I said smoothly, "I'm sure that helping with Euphie's evolution was a team effort, so thank you for your hard work on that. But yes, please pass on my thanks to Elm as well, if you see him first."
  
  Oak shot me a smile, deciding not to challenge me any further. He got up from his seat and idly rubbed Sylveon's head, "She's got some real potential in her. I didn't have much time to run a full battery of tests, not that I would on a Pokémon that wasn't mine, but she's definitely on the level of a regular eevelution. If not more so because of all your training."
  
  "That's true enough." Blaine added, staring intently at Sylveon, "I was going to ask if you'd like to spar against my own Flareon, just to test your new Sylveon's strength, but I'll save that for later when you've properly grabbled a handle of her new power."
  
  "Sure, maybe next time." I replied easily. Though I suspected Blaine's Flareon was likely too strong for Euphie to deal with at the moment, it was still a good opportunity to test herself and explore her newfound strengths.
  
  Oak suddenly chuckled, drawing our attention to him, "You know, after spending quite some time around both your Euphie and the other Clefairy, I've actually decided to start training up my own Clefable too. Thought that it might be nice to have something to show off when the Fairy type gets revealed."
  
  Blaine shot Oak a curious expression, "I thought you were meant to be retired? What kind of retired trainer just randomly trains up a Pokémon from scratch? Plus, aren't you strong enough already?"
  
  Oak waved him off, "Nonsense. I've been getting rusty."
  
  "Rusty enough to kick my ass." Blaine countered, disbelief colouring his voice, "Don't try to act humble. Your standards for 'rusty' are ridiculous! Your Dragonite out there is a walking statement to your strength!"
  
  Oak shot him a smile, before turning serious, "Anyways, to bring the topic back for a moment." The two of us nodded, "As happy as I am with this evolution, which pretty convincingly proves the existence of a new type, now we have to consider the problems that come with revealing it."
  
  "Mhm. Not going to be easy, that." Blaine agreed, "Remember when you published your PIT technique, John? That was fucking chaos afterwards." He grimaced, "So many fools trying to replicate your method with reckless abandon. Even now, with all the new policies, we still have a few incidents of overeager trainers, last I heard. We really don't need a repeat of that."
  
  "And what did we get out of all those failures?" Blaine asked rhetorically, "Absolutely fucking nothing. Just a whole lot of heartbreak with nothing to show for it. We REALLY can't afford to have something similar happen again." I nodded.
  
  "Indeed." Oak commented, "To that end, I've been hard at work with the help of the others to update the Pokédex regarding the new Fairy types." He moved back to his desk and shuffled through a few documents before passing one of them to me. "Blaine's already seen this, but here are the other Pokémon that I've found so far that also share the Fairy type."
  
  I inspected the document, careful to maintain a blank expression as I did so. Looking through the list, it was very comprehensive. It covered all of the known Fairy types - matching the Pokédex we had in the games. Oak had already identified all of the other Pokémon from the first 3 regions that were supposed to be Fairy types. But more importantly, there weren't any Pokémon on the list that were WRONGLY labelled as a Fairy type, which was a relief.
  
  I wasn't sure how I would explain a mislabelling if it did occur.
  
  But damn, Oak worked fast. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering who I was talking about, and that he had help from competent scientists as well.
  
  After a moment to study the document, I returned it to Oak, "That's quite a lot on here." I said to him.
  
  "Yes, and that's a good and bad thing." Oak explained as he took back the document, "It's a good thing, because having more of this Fairy type adds more variety to Pokémon, and personally I think many people are going to enjoy having more Fairy type options to use in battle." Blaine and I nodded in agreement, "However, that does mean that there are going to be a lot of overeager trainers trying to hunt down these Fairy types when it does get revealed."
  
  I frowned, he made a good point. "In that case, what do you expect the fallout of this to be?" I asked.
  
  "Well, Blaine and I discussed this before you got here, but we expect that there'll be plenty of trainers who'd want to get their hands on this new Type to test out its batting capabilities, ESPECIALLY since it has an immunity to Dragon types and hits Fighting types hard." Oak explained, "Honestly speaking, from a battling standpoint, Fairy types are very valuable to have, so I expect there'll be a huge demand for them once this information becomes public. It's only one of two types that resist Dragon, and it's even completely immune to it too!"
  
  "Which means we should expect Fairy Pokémon to be very sought out by trainers." Blaine continued, "Pokémon like Clefairy and Togetic and their evolutions should prove to be especially popular, considering they were already considered 'good' battling Pokémon before. Now, with a full awareness of their true abilities, I'm certain that trainers will be looking out to acquire them."
  
  The realisation hit me like a truck. If Clefairy were going to become super popular, then I needed to make sure that Mt. Moon was sufficiently secured, since it was famous for having an abundance of Clefairy living there. Like Oak said, if the Fairy type got revealed, a huge wave of trainers might try to make their way into Mt. Moon and capture all the Clefairy there, decimating the local population. I couldn't allow that to happen. I needed to speak with mayor Henry as soon as possible to discuss the security measures. This was a potential disaster in the making.
  
  "We might see a lot more instances of poaching as well." Oak warned, "After all, high demand means high prices."
  
  "Should we speak to Lance about that?" I asked, "I feel like he would appreciate being kept well-informed ahead of time, so we don't surprise him with something as momentous as this."
  
  Blaine frowned, looking like he was disgusted with the idea. But Oak remained thoughtful, calmly thinking over my words.
  
  "Hmm...that is a good point." Oak eventually stated, causing Blaine's frown to grow, "If the public is going to react how we think they are, then having the Indigo police ready to respond should be good."
  
  "Bah. Let him suffer for all I care. His pride could do with a few good knocks." Blaine grumbled.
  
  "Now, now, Blaine, no need to make things personal. Informing the Champion is the right thing to do, even if you dislike who it is right now." Oak placated calmly, but with a degree of forcefulness that made it hard to fight back against.
  
  It seemed to have worked, as Blaine quickly deflated and let out a sigh, "Fine. Fine! We'll inform the young Dragon. Better to have him informed so the reveal doesn't accidentally make a mess of things." He said reluctantly, "At least he's too much of a brute to even think about trying to plagiarize our work. So, we don't have to worry about that."
  
  "We'll give him a few days advanced notice." Oak stated, "That way we can protect our own work by not giving others enough time to copy and verify their own results in time. Not that I'd believe anyone would try. I'll let you know when to let him know, John."
  
  Blaine grumbled something I couldn't hear, but probably wasn't very pleasant. Though Oak clearly heard it, he pretended that didn't and turned to me, "And John, I hope you don't mind if I publish these findings under my name first." He said apologetically, "You and the others will be given credit as appropriate, obviously, but publishing it under my name would give it the most reach and credibility."
  
  "I already said I'm fine with it, if you're wondering." Blaine added a little unnecessarily. I already made my decision.
  
  "That's fine, I don't mind." I replied, "It's probably best if you did so anyways."
  
  "Thanks, John. Please rest assured that you'll be given full credit for being the first to bring up your observations." Oak responded seriously, "I might have to attach my name to this for publicity and credibility reasons, but I will do my utmost to have the public recognize your contributions to this project."
  
  I nodded, not feeling the need to say anything more. Truthfully speaking, I didn't care TOO much about getting all of the scientific credit for this. If I did, I wouldn't have shared my 'findings' in the first place.
  
  No, I was happy enough with getting some of the credit. Firstly, I had no real desire to push my scientific credentials that much further; they were solid enough as it is. Secondly, the whole reason I had shared this project with Oak and the others in the first place was because I knew I needed to add further validation to my 'observations', so us sharing the credit was perfectly in line with what I was hoping for.
  
  And so with the serious topics out of the way, I stayed for a bit longer and engaged in some friendly small talk with the two of them. Surprisingly, over the course of our cooperation, I found Blaine to be increasingly pleasant to be around. He was blunt and could be a bit abrasive, but he gave off the same feeling as Agatha, but in a good way. There was a certain depth to him that I found enjoyable.
  
  However, after some time, Oak told us that he had to leave for another appointment. Not wanting to hold him up any longer, I withdrew Euphie into her Premier Ball for the first time in a while before I made my way out of Oak's lab.
  
  But just before I was about to saddle up on Port, Blaine interrupted me.
  
  "John, sorry to disturb you before you head back for dinner, but I just wanted to know what your schedule looked like now that you're back in Indigo." He asked me just as I left the lab.
  
  I tilted my head, "I'm not quite sure, actually." I responded truthfully, "I know I have a few commitments, but otherwise I don't have anything strictly planned. Why?"
  
  "Well, with this project nearly finished, I really got inspired to try and make some new discoveries of my own. I've had some success as of late, but I want a second opinion on how to proceed." He explained, "So, I was planning on asking you, Shelly, and maybe Carolina if you'd be free to cooperate together again. I thought this time was very productive, and wanted to see if we could replicate our success."
  
  "Why not Oak?" I asked curiously. "He's the most competent out of all of us."
  
  "Sam's busy." He said, "I already asked, unfortunately. But what about you? You happy with this?"
  
  "Sure, if I have the time." I replied with a nod, "Though what are we working on?"
  
  He shot me an excited grin, full of teeth, "You'll see at the lab. I have some data I want to show you all if you accept. I'll go and ask Shelly and Carolina if they want to hop on board as well. But then next time you're all free, come visit me at Cinnabar. I think you'll like it."
  
  I nodded, and he thanked me once again before we split off. As soon as I arrived home, I quickly made myself a quick dinner since I was alone tonight, before checking my phone as I ate.
  
  Before I forgot, I sent a quick text to mayor Henry saying that I wanted to meet with him tomorrow. I also made sure to send another round of texts to all my family members informing them that I was back home. Then, seeing that I had a few unread messages from Karen, I finally took the time to respond.
  
  'Sorry for not replying, but I'm back home in Indigo now.' I texted her.
  
  'That's fine. Everyone knows just how busy u are. The news can't stop singing your praises.' I could feel her rolling her eyes as she typed that last bit out.
  
  'Not like I did it for the attention.' I texted back.
  
  'Of course not. You're not nearly as vain as your detractors paint u out to be.' She wrote, 'But since you're back, u free now?'
  
  'I should be. Why?' I asked.
  
  'Come visit the Gym if u have some free time. You've never had time to visit before. And, I don't mean to brag, but I'm quite excited to show u everything that's changed with the Gym.' She explained.
  
  'Sure.' I texted, 'Did Agatha help you with any of it?'
  
  'Hah! The old hag just dumped all of the paperwork on me in the name of 'leadership' and 'effective delegation'. What a load of excuses to just lay about.' She complained, though I suspected she didn't mean it.
  
  'Did you expect anything else?' I shot back.
  
  She just sent an angry expression back in response. Grinning to myself, I sent her a text saying that I would come over soon before I went to finish up my dinner and headed to bed after a quick shower. It had been a long day, but I was finally glad to be back in Indigo.
  
  And back at home.
  
  A.N. And this marks the start of the Progress Arc! With the evil teams slinking back into the shadows, the focus returns back to Indigo! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And yes, the Fairy reveal is coming very soon! This time with all the competent and experienced scientists working on it, they have the wisdom to begin acting to minimize the consequences of this reveal unlike with the PIT Technique.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 7-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 7-2 - A Coincidental Meeting
  
  I woke up slightly later than I usually did as I finally refilled my energies after all my hard work in Hoenn. Once I was suitably refreshed, I enjoyed a quick but pleasant breakfast with my parents, where I spent most of the time relaying my 'adventures' in Hoenn to them and reassuring them that I wasn't in any real danger.
  
  I doubt I was successful in that endeavour.
  
  Still, my parents eventually had to make their way to work, freeing me from their worrying. As promised, I made my way to Pewter City to visit Karen; I was excited to see her after spending quite some time in infrequent contact.
  
  Port descended in the outskirts of Pewter City a short while later, careful to not accidentally attract the unwanted attention of the crowds. I had made a token attempt to disguise myself, though with my level of fame I doubt it would stand up to any real scrutiny.
  
  I texted Karen to signal my arrival as I steadily made my way to the Pewter Gym. As I got closer, one of my eyebrows raised as I realized just how different it was to how I remembered it. Sure, the exterior looked very similar, but it no longer gave off that aura of decay and deterioration. Instead, it looked well maintained and, most importantly, exuded a sense of professionalism befitting a Gym.
  
  However, just before I could make my way into the Gym where Karen was waiting for me, I was interrupted by a shout.
  
  "John! Is that you?" A person with a VERY upper-class accent called out from behind me, dashing all of my hopes of staying anonymous. Fortunately, the Gym was relatively quiet at this time of the circuit, so I didn't immediately draw a crowd like I had feared. Trying to keep the irritation off my face, I turned around to see who was calling out to me. But it was someone I had not at all expected.
  
  "Steven? Steven Stone?" I spluttered incomprehensibly, shock evident on my face.
  
  "Haha! Who else could it be?" He answered with a wide grin as he extended a hand out to shake, "It's an honour to meet you, John. You have my sincerest gratitude for your efforts in Hoenn. And, on a more personal level, thank you for protecting my father. I don't know what I would have done had he gotten himself in trouble."
  
  "Ah, it's not a problem, but I appreciate it anyways." I replied as I shook his hand, using the opportunity to take a quick glance over his appearance.
  
  What immediately stood out the most was his outfit. It was very similar to the custom-made suit that he wore in the games, but now that I was looking at it up close, it was immediately obvious that it was made of, unsurprisingly, VERY expensive material.
  
  In fact, his whole outfit was a very delicate balance between staying simple enough to not draw the eye, while also being a walking demonstration of his wealth.
  
  I wondered if he came up with the outfit himself, or if he had it specifically tailored by a professional.
  
  Whatever the case, I was pretty certain that his suit was worth more than everything we owned back when I was younger, before I went on my journey. Coupled with his very notable upper-class posh accent, Steven was the poster boy of 'rich upper-class boy born with a diamond spoon'.
  
  Of course, that was only his surface level appearance. Even if I didn't know about his formidable strength from the games, I could see from his eyes that he remained sharp, with barely a hint of the arrogance that you would expect from someone of his wealth. And despite the genuine friendly appearance he put on, he couldn't completely hide the cunning gleam of a businessman, one that was ready to gouge his opponent to maximize his own gain.
  
  Not only that, but his hands were also surprisingly callous, hinting towards someone that enjoyed getting their hands dirty far more than his outward rich boy persona might imply.
  
  Eventually, after a moment of mutual analysis and observations, we both let go of the other. Steven spoke up first, breaking up into a sheepish smile, "It truly is a fortunate coincidence that we have met here today. I had always been hoping that we could, but I suppose our schedules were never in sync."
  
  "Yeah, I've been pretty busy." I replied, slightly apologetically. He was quick to wave me off though.
  
  "Do not concern yourselves overmuch. Me out of all people would never dare to blame you for your unavailability. Besides, you hardly seem like the type of person that says they are busy when in fact they are doing nothing more than merely procrastinating." He said with the tone of someone who had experienced that exact scenario far too many times.
  
  He shook his head, "Nevertheless, it is seems I had picked a very opportune time to finally challenge the Pewter Gym. I am unsure if you have been following my progress through the Indigo Gyms." I shook my head apologetically, but he simply continued unbothered, "Now that I have passed through and defeated your...less powerful Gyms, I felt like now was the best time to challenge someone that I understand has been in close contact with you. I already have the match booked against Karen."
  
  "Fancy your chances?" I asked casually, though in hindsight that was a ridiculous question to ask the future Champion of Hoenn.
  
  "Her fighting style is certainly unusual, but I still foresee my eventual victory nonetheless." Steven stated, with only the slightest hint of boasting in his voice. "Now, if I were to fight Elite Agatha, then I'm certain that would be an entirely different story."
  
  "Haha! Those are some fighting words!" Another voice suddenly entered into the conversation. I turned around and again was met with surprise as another familiar face walked up to us.
  
  "...Sidney?" I blurted out confusedly as the Dark type Elite Four casually sauntered over to us. He had his hands in his pockets and a very relaxed look on his face. "You finally came over to visit Karen?"
  
  "Yep! I told you I would." He nodded, before giving Steven an inspecting look, "And what do we have here? I had heard the Devon heir was running around Indigo, but I didn't expect to see him in person."
  
  "Elite Sidney, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. It seems like I have managed to luck out more than I thought today." Steven greeted formally with a firm handshake, "But I expect you to be seeing me more often soon enough."
  
  "Oh? And why is that?" Sidney asked with a knowing smile, as if he already knew the answer.
  
  "I'm here to prove myself." Steven answered with a sharp look in his eye, his tone one of unhidden challenge, "I have...higher ambitions than just being the heir to Devon Corp. As I'm sure you'll find out very shortly."
  
  "Hah! I like that look in your eye, kid. Very well then, I'll be happy to wait for your challenge." Sidney grinned viciously, "You better not disappoint me."
  
  "Likewise." Steven shot back, "I won't be satisfied if you prove too easy of a challenge." Their eyes narrowed challengingly as they stared each other down.
  
  I decided to step in before things got too heated, "Anyways, what are you doing here, Sidney? Finally looking to speak to Karen?"
  
  Sidney released himself from his staring contest against Steven as he turned to me, "Sure. I finally had some free time, so I might as well." He looked back at Steven, "You here to battle her, I assume?"
  
  "That is correct." Steven confirmed.
  
  "Well I wish you luck on that. Hopefully I'll find some time to speak to her about a match between us. I've been excited about this ever since I got here." He spoke.
  
  "Speak about what?" Karen's familiar voice entered into the conversation as she came out of the backdoor of the Gym, "And what are you all standing out here for? Conspiring against me or something?"
  
  I snorted, "Hardly. Though it looks like you have a few challengers." I gestured to Steven and Sidney.
  
  "Challengers? For the Gym? Or something more than that?" She asked as she stared at the two of them with a calculating look in her eye. "And I'm fairly sure I recognize the both of you. You're Steven Stone and Elite Sidney, isn't that right?"
  
  "We are." Steven replied for the both of them. "And I'm just here to challenge the Gym."
  
  "Well I'm here for a bit more than that." Sidney remarked with an eager grin.
  
  "I could tell." Karen replied dryly, "You here to test yourself against me?"
  
  The grin on Sidney's face only widened, "I sure am. It's been a while since I've found a Dark type specialist who could reach such a level. I've figured that I might as well test myself out against another up-and-coming Dark type trainer." The look in his eyes was nothing less than predatory, like a fighter eyeing up an opponent.
  
  "I accept." Karen replied without blinking, "It would be an honour to test my skills against someone of your skill and abilities. Plus - I would cherish the opportunity to stop holding back like I have been as a Gym Leader."
  
  "Excellent." Sidney shot Karen a smile full of teeth, "Then how about we get to the battle right this second-"
  
  "Hold on just a moment, if you may." Steven interrupted as he stepped between the two of them, "Why don't we make this a bigger event?"
  
  My eyes immediately lit up with understanding. "You mean...another show match?" I voiced out.
  
  Steven nodded, a cunning gleam flashing past his eyes, "Exactly. Hosting a charity match has been on my mind for some time ever since the raids took place in Hoenn. I was inspired by the great success of your charity match against Giovanni, and I thought this would be both a great opportunity to donate money and to generate good PR for Devon Corp. Of course, this is only if you two agree." He explained.
  
  I blinked in mute surprise. Leave it to Steven to take advantage of something like this. This was the heir of the largest business in Hoenn in action; always ready to grab an opportunity and twist it for his own benefit. At least it was a for a good cause.
  
  Karen and Sidney shared a look of surprise at the sudden suggestion before they both turned to each other. After a moment of silent communication, they nodded.
  
  "That's a good idea." Karen said for the both of them, "But I haven't a clue how to arrange something like this."
  
  "Leave it to me." Steven replied, tapping his fist on his chest, "Consider your battle fully sponsored and hosted by Devon Corp. I can arrange all the details for you."
  
  "Heh. Leave it to the heir to make something out of nothing." Sidney quipped, "But I approve. And I thank you for your help, Steven."
  
  Steven waved him off, "Think nothing of it. Devon Corp benefits off this too, so if anything, I was just taking advantage of an opportunity."
  
  Then he checked his watch, "Hmmm...Unfortunately, while I would not dare dream of cutting this conversation short, I do hope we can get to that Gym battle, Karen. Time does not stop for anyone."
  
  Karen's eyes widened. "Oh shit, you're right. Come, please head inside. If you don't mind, I want to speak to John here for a moment."
  
  Steven nodded and moved to enter the Gym, though Sidney shook his head. "I won't be spectating - I've got what I wanted from coming here. I'm afraid I have somewhere else to go now too, but you can be sure that I'll be ready for our match, Karen."
  
  Karen grinned, "I'll be doing the same. But anyways, thank you for coming, and I hope you'll be ready for our battle."
  
  The two of them shared a nod before Sidney eventually walked away. As soon as he left, I spoke up.
  
  "So...that wasn't what I had expected when I came here?" I commented dryly.
  
  "No kidding." Karen chuckled, "Didn't even know Sidney was even here." She clenched her fist, "Damn, now I'm getting nervous. Maybe I was a bit too hasty in agreeing. Though the old hag would never let me live it down if I turned down such an opportunity."
  
  I nodded sympathetically, "So, what did you want to speak about?" I asked, blatantly changing the topic.
  
  She winced and hesitated, causing me to immediately adopt a look of concern. "...Is there something wrong?" I asked again carefully.
  
  "Agatha fell over a few days ago." She replied without a preamble, worry and concern evident in her tone.
  
  I stared at her in shock, my voice not coming out for a moment. Karen nodded at my expression.
  
  "She appears fine now, but she got very lucky that she didn't hit her head on anything. But I've still been carefully looking after her just to be safe." She tried to hide it, but I could tell that she was very concerned for her 'grandmother'. Despite the situation, that just caused me to smile.
  
  "I'm glad you care." I said sincerely.
  
  She let out a heavy sigh, "Yes. I do. But you don't need to bring this up with her, I'm sure she'll say she's fine."
  
  I nodded and she continued, "Anyways, you going to stick around for our match?"
  
  I checked the time, and sure enough I still had plenty of time before my scheduled meeting with mayor Henry. "Sure." I responded, "Lead the way."
  
  I followed after Karen into the Gym. As soon as I did, I noticed that THIS was where most of the work went into. The interior looked far different from what it was before. But in a good way.
  
  The battle arena and spectator stands were completely redone, with additional safety features added in as well as a VIP viewing box, which I was being escorted to. Not only that, but the Gym as a whole looked far cleaner, and the few Pokémon that I saw being employed by the Gym trainers looked healthy and hale.
  
  I could really feel the effort that Karen and Agatha had put into the Gym. And I said as much to her.
  
  Karen snorted, "I wasn't about to do a bad job of my first League-given responsibility. And Agatha did help, even if it was only out of spite for Flint. But she still mostly lays back and does nothing."
  
  I nodded; that was about what I expected of Agatha.
  
  "And besides, I felt bad. For Brock and his siblings." She continued, her tone turning bitter, "...The fact that their parents ran off on them...it really rubs me the wrong way. So, I've been doing my best for them as well."
  
  I patted Karen on the shoulder, "You were always good with children." She stayed silent at that, but the small smile that slowly formed on her face was enough.
  
  Eventually, as I stepped past a small brown-haired kid that exchanged a wave with Karen, I found myself inside the new VIP box, where Agatha was already seated.
  
  "I'll let you two keep each other company." Karen said amusedly before leaving me with Agatha.
  
  As soon as she left, my eyes instinctively went to check over Agatha, making sure that she was okay. Before I could look her over though, her cane smacked reproachfully at my leg.
  
  "Out of all the women you could ogle, you choose to ogle at someone my age?" Agatha chuckled with a mocking grin, "I never knew you were into older women."
  
  I rolled my eyes, rubbing at my leg with one hand from where she hit me, "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."
  
  At my words, her grin fell. She looked around, checking to make sure that Karen wasn't able to overhear her. "I got lucky that day, John." She admitted with a degree of vulnerability that I really didn't expect from her, "If I had hit anything, I don't think I'd be walking around like this."
  
  I looked at her with concern, "But you're fine now, right?"
  
  She let out a bitter scoff, "My legs creak more than they used to, and just climbing up these few steps to this VIP box nearly killed me. And soon enough I'm going to go to sleep and never wake up. No, boy, I am not doing fine." She spat out scathingly, "Try as hard as I like, I can't run away from old age."
  
  "...This is likely my last year in the League." The admission was painful, and mixed with untold bitterness.
  
  I sat down, stunned at her words. I knew that Agatha was old and already planning around her retirement, but I never could imagine her actually retiring. She always held herself with such strength that I didn't realize that she could even be plagued by something like old age. It was a sobering and unpleasant realisation.
  
  Even though she frequently poked and needled me, I admitted that I cared for her in a weird way. She was like my ornery grandmother.
  
  WHACK!
  
  "OW! WHAT THE FUCK!" I shouted out in surprise as she whacked me hard on the shin with her cane.
  
  "Language!" She chided sarcastically, ignoring the glare I shot her as I rubbed my leg, "Also, you don't need to stare at me with such pity in your eyes. It disgusts me."
  
  I frowned, partially from the pain, "I was just looking out for you. Retirement doesn't suit you."
  
  "HAH! You're right about that." She barked out bitterly, "Expect to see me more often if I do retire. Annoying you and Karen will be the only thing keeping me from being bored out of my mind."
  
  That caused me to shudder; despite my earlier words, I could only handle Agatha in small doses.
  
  Agatha seemed to be pleased by my reaction, as she broke out into a wide grin before patting the seat closer to her, "Come, sit closer. Karen's about to start her battle against that rich boy."
  
  I did so. "Who do you think's going to win?" I asked, shifting away from our previous conversation.
  
  "Who cares?" Agatha responded dismissively, "It's just a Gym match. I already instructed Karen to never reveal all her trump cards here, so she'll be holding back. And from what I've seen of Steven, he's a smart one. He'll be doing the same."
  
  I nodded, accepting the point. Ultimately, these Gym badges battles weren't all that meaningful outside of bragging rights, which I doubt either of them cared about. I knew Steven's ambitions laid in Hoenn, while Karen gained nothing from such a victory either.
  
  "Did you know Sidney challenged Karen just now? It's going to be a big charity match." I said to Agatha.
  
  She snorted, "Of course I did. I didn't say anything because I approve. She needs other people to challenge herself against besides you. And Sidney would make a fine opponent for her."
  
  "Think she'll win against Sidney?" I asked, curious about her opinion.
  
  "After all the work I've put in with her?! She better!" Agatha remarked. "She's my apprentice. Can't have her tarnishing my reputation with a loss."
  
  "Sidney is not someone she can expect to walk all over, though. He's a competent Elite Four of his own." I pointed out. Though there were rumours flying about that he had been stagnating recently. I didn't know how much truth was in that.
  
  Agatha snorted, "Do you think we've just been sitting around doing nothing?"
  
  Our conversation was interrupted as the referee made his presence known, declaring the rules of the fight. It was just a standard 3v3, and before long, both trainers had already sent out their Pokémon.
  
  Karen sent out her Crawdaunt and Steven sent out a Mawile, proving Agatha's words right. Neither were using their powerhouses, and it was obvious that both trainers were just using this opportunity to train up their weaker Pokémon.
  
  Steven started off the battle by trying to power up with a Swords Dance, only to be quickly interrupted as Crawdaunt fired off a Taunt. Enraged, Mawile broke off from its attempt to set up and charged at Crawdaunt, only to be slammed with an Aqua Jet.
  
  Knowing that Mawile was disoriented, Crawdaunt pressed on the advantage by following up with a powerful Crabhammer that smashed Mawile into the ground. Before it could continue attacking though, Mawile counterattacked by swinging its massive jaws around and savagely bashed the surprised Crawdaunt, flinging it away.
  
  Crawdaunt quickly recovered and tried to rush Mawile down with an Aqua Jet, but a supereffective Thunder Fang was all that greeted it. Mawile immediately tried to press on with a Brick Break, but Crawdaunt managed to retreat backwards with another burst of speed from Aqua Jet.
  
  Their exchange of attacks continued on for a while longer. But what was evidently clear was that both Pokémon were very evenly matched.
  
  As expected of both Pokémon that weren't quite at the Elite level, they weren't hitting as hard as they could be, nor did they have access to many special strategies. But I felt that Crawdaunt had the advantage here, being able to out-speed and out-maneuverer the Mawile with his rapid application of Aqua Jet that proved vital. And that extra mobility was what really sealed Crawdaunt's eventual victory.
  
  "Could be better, but good enough considering how new it is." Agatha commented as observed the Crawdaunt, "Hits hard enough, but needs more agility training."
  
  "Seems a bit on the frailer side." I added, "I would have hoped that it could take more hits."
  
  "True." She agreed, "But that's because the rich boy hits quite hard. Still, Crawduant has plenty of potential to grow."
  
  The two of us fell back into silence as Karen and Steven started off their next battle, with Steven sending out his Skarmory. Despite Crawdaunt's injuries, Karen chose to keep it in the fight since it still had some fight left in it.
  
  I wasn't very sure about that decision, because Skarmory was quick to take advantage of Crawdaunt's weakened state by taking to the skies and setting up. In response, Karen ordered Crawdaunt to start setting up with a Swords Dance of its own.
  
  However, Skarmory quickly proved to be more capable of taking advantage of its boosts. With its greater speed, mobility, and control of the skies, Skarmory launched a devastating offensive of hit-and-run attacks that proved overwhelming for the already injured Crawdaunt.
  
  To Crawdaunt's credit, it was throwing its claws around with respectable strength, but it just couldn't land a good hit on the Skarmory as the steel bird used its wings proficiently like a shield, blocking many of Crawdaunt's attempts to attack and evading the rest. After a while Skarmory managed to strike Crawdaunt down by a critical X-Scissor that slashed through Crawdaunt's back.
  
  "Feh. She shouldn't have kept it out." Agatha grumbled, "Should've just withdrawn it and started off fresh."
  
  I shrugged, "Maybe she wanted to test its limits." I suggested.
  
  Agatha grumbled a little more but said nothing, letting the topic drop just as Karen sent out her next Pokémon. A small, unassuming rock emerged from her Pokéball, eliciting a confused look from Steven before he jerked back in surprise as a vortex of spirits exploded out from it.
  
  Skarmory reacted first, reacting to this new threat by diving forward with a powerful Brave Bird. However, it was quickly forced to spin away before it got caught in the grip of Spiritomb's Hypnosis. Being put to sleep right now would be devastatingly bad.
  
  Now far more cautious than before, Skarmory circled around Spiritomb as if hunting for an opportunity to strike. But Spiritomb didn't remain idle, and large claws emerged from the shadows and slashed at Skarmory, who narrowly managed to dodge. As the shadows receded from the missed attack, Skarmory shot forwards once again, trying to strike at Spiritomb before it could fight back.
  
  Except that was exactly what Spiritomb had been waiting for. With a haunting cacophony of ghastly cackles, a malicious aura erupted from within the vortex of ghosts that quickly engulfed the diving Skarmory with a deadly Curse. Skarmory's impressive defenses, far more than what could be seen on a regular Skarmory, was useless against the indirect damage from Curse.
  
  But Skarmory continued its dive and slammed hard into Spiritomb with a Steel Wing, striking so hard that it managed to rip out the floor from beneath Spiritomb.
  
  And coupled with Spiritomb's own self-damage from Curse, nearly knocked it out.
  
  Yet Spiritomb managed to hold on, before letting out another dreadful laugh as it fired off a small beam of energy that linked itself with Skarmory, draining its health with a Pain Split until they were both at an even level.
  
  Realizing that Skarmory's health was being rapidly sapped with the combination of both Pain Split and Curse, Steven ordered Skarmory to go all-out in hopes of knocking out Spiritomb before it could heal up and Skarmory fell to the Curse.
  
  Rushing forwards in a dive once again, Skarmory burst forwards with another Brave Bird, with its wings positioned in front of itself as a protective shield. In response, Spiritomb fired off another ray of Hypnosis, trying to put Skarmory to sleep once again. However, just before the Hypnosis managed to land, Skarmory let out a piercing Metal Sound that disrupted the Hypnosis rays, allowing Skarmory the time to smash into the exposed Spiritomb with all of its might, shattering the ground as it did.
  
  Its earlier boost from the Swords Dance came into play here, as Spiritomb was launched across the arena from the impact alone. Not wanting to risk it being able to hold on, Skarmory charged at it once more, finishing Spiritomb off with a final Steel Wing that sent cracks across the psychic barrier as it put the amalgamation of ghosts to rest.
  
  Just as it did, Skarmory fell over while letting out a painful cry as it was consumed by a malicious aura from a hidden Destiny Bond, a final parting gift from the fallen Spiritomb.
  
  This time, Agatha had nothing to say outside of a small, satisfied smile. I guess she was pleased about how Karen managed to utilize the strength of Ghost types.
  
  It was not hard to smell the bias.
  
  And finally, the Karen and Steven sent out their last Pokémon, a Umbreon and Aggron respectively. Amusingly, this reminded me of the first time I saw Karen battle against Gym Leader Roy of Rustboro. There, Roy's Aggron went down to a very clever trap from Karen, so I wondered if I was about to see a repeat performance here.
  
  But I was quickly disabused of that notion when Steven made his first move.
  
  "Ferrous Storm!"
  
  With a roar, Aggron unleashed a torrent of razor-sharp rocks, all covered with piercing steel. Umbreon, taken completely by surprise at the intensity of the attack, instinctively dodged to the side.
  
  However, that put it right into the path of Aggron's Focus Blasts, which it had pre-emptively fired. It was only out of pure luck that Umbreon emerged with only a glancing blow; the Focus Blasts notorious inaccuracy saving him.
  
  Umbreon quickly retaliated with a Thunder Wave, hoping to slow down the Aggron by paralyzing it. But Steven showed off Aggron's training once again as a huge rock wall formed instantly in front of it, protecting it from the Thunder Wave.
  
  Still, Umbreon did not remain passive, and took the opportunity to set up a Reflect. Then, Umbreon tried setting up a Light Screen as well before Aggron came charging through its own rock wall with an incredible burst of speed, letting out a terrifying roar as it did so.
  
  Unbeknownst to Karen, Aggron had used the rock wall to conceal itself and used the time to setup with an Autonomize, greatly boosting its speed.
  
  That extra speed allowed Aggron to rapidly close the distance to Umbreon. Umbreon tried to fall back with a disruptive Sand Attack, but Aggron swept it all away and slashed down with a brutal Metal Claw. Umbreon cried out in pain, yet still managed to fire off a Thunder Wave at Aggron before it could follow up with an Iron Head.
  
  Aggron instantly stiffened up as the electricity coursed through its body. Making use of the sudden opportunity, Umbreon pulled itself up and fired off a Confuse Ray at Aggron.
  
  Aggron stumbled backwards as the confusion took hold; its head swaying from side to side as it attempted to reorient itself. Just like with her match against Roy, Karen ordered Umbreon forwards to finish Aggron off with a series of supereffective Double Kicks.
  
  But this time, her opponent was not as helpless. The moment Umbreon got close enough, Steven sprung his trap.
  
  "Ferrous Storm again! Around you!"
  
  Aggron continued staggering around in confusion, but it still had the mental discipline to focus on its trainer's instructions - demonstrating the training and bond that the two shared. With yet another roar, a storm of steel-tipped rocks exploded out from Aggron, with itself as the epicentre.
  
  A vortex of rocks and steel shredded through both Pokémon. But Aggron was far more resistant to his own attack than Umbreon was, who had been completely caught off-guard by the surprise attack, and let out a painful cry as the torrent of rocks tore into him.
  
  Karen tried to get Umbreon to Dig out of the way, but Aggron merely raised its arm, concentrating the twister of sharpened steel even further onto Umbreon, closing the cage ever tighter. Umbreon tried to form a Protect shield to buy time for him to Dig away, but the Protect shield was shattered in an instant.
  
  In a last-ditch attempt to break free, Umbreon tried to force himself away from the prison of steel, but the many shards of jagged rocks refused to release their grasp on Umbreon, and he soon proved unable to withstand the endless storm of rocks, and finally fell.
  
  And with that, the fight was over. I watched as Karen approached Steven, both of them sporting satisfied smiles, as they shook hands.
  
  "Any thoughts on that?" I asked Agatha, thinking she would be disappointed about Karen's loss.
  
  To my surprise, she wasn't. "About what I expected from both sides. Karen stuck to her weaker Pokémon, so she didn't give anything away. And she's learning to make better use of her Spiritomb and Crawdaunt, which I like."
  
  "Only thing I would really comment on is her Umbreon. It's still a bit too passive. Though I can't blame her completely for that; Umbreon are by nature not very aggressive Pokémon and tend to be more focused on supporting other teammates. But it might be a bit of a weak link in her team." Agatha observed.
  
  I nodded, "What about Steven? That was a pretty strong performance." I was understating it here. Even knowing that he was a future Champion, his Aggron was remarkably impressive.
  
  Karen had proven against Roy that her Umbreon was excellent at bringing down big, brutish Pokémon. But Steven's Aggron had the mental discipline to break through all of his attacks and rip through Umbreon before he could really fight back. It was an oppressive performance from the Aggron.
  
  Agatha let out an amused chuckle at my question, "Let's just say that I'm glad that Steven isn't from Indigo. I'm honestly not confident in Karen's chances if they both fought against each other with their full strengths."
  
  "Not trusting in your apprentice?" I prodded.
  
  Agatha shook her head, "I know talent when I see one. And diamond-fed spoon or not, Steven has the strength to back up his obvious ambitions. He'll be making waves in the future, I guarantee it."
  
  Agatha wouldn't know how right she'd be.
  
  A.N. So for this chapter, I wanted to experiment with a shorter description of a fight. I had initially planned for making the fight between Karen and Steven last a full chapter, but decided against it because the fight wasn't going to be them fighting at full strength. So dedicating a full chapter towards it seemed a little too much.
  
  Still, I hoped you enjoyed my more 'summarized' fight instead. Even thought they were both holding back, I hoped I showcased a little of Steven's impressive strength. We'll be seeing more of him soon.
  
  And yes, Karen v Sidney! This was a fight that I had considered for a while, and now I'm putting it in action. This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  And of course, have a Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a good one!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-2 - Interlude -Steven
  The New Normal - 7-2 - Interlude - Steven
  
  Steven let out a huge yawn as he got back to his hotel room, a pleasant sense of exhaustion coursing through him after today's victory against Karen. He knew that they were both holding back, but she was excellent practice for him for his eventual battle against Sidney when he returned to Hoenn.
  
  He wasn't ready just yet, but he hoped that his time in Indigo would refine him into a diamond that truly could match up against the greats. This was something money COULDN'T buy, and for that he was determined to prove that he was more than just a Mr. Moneybags with a silver spoon.
  
  It wasn't like he was going to deny the fact that he was rich. That was indisputable. But he wanted to be known for being more than just the heir to Devon Corp. While he was aided by his substantial wealth, his team had worked and pushed themselves to great lengths to get where they were now. And he had been smart in his training, making full use of the resources available to him to achieve the strength that they had now. Yes, he had an undeniable advantage over others, but his team's strength was still earned through his own hard work and strategy, not something that he was given freely by his birth.
  
  It was why he stood above the other spoilt heirs and their lacklustre Pokémon. They thought money could compensate for a lack of hard work and effort. It couldn't.
  
  Of course, that was when an old man made his presence known as he stepped out from the corner of the room, a metal detector in his hand.
  
  "There are no recording devices in this room, Mr. Stone." The old man said respectfully with a bow of his head, "You are in the clear."
  
  "Thank you, Samwell, but you know that this is unnecessary." He replied to his bodyguard slash butler. Really, he insisted to his father that he didn't need to bring Sam along, but both Sam and his father were insistent.
  
  Well, it was not like he minded that much. Samwell was practically a second father to him.
  
  "It always pays to be cautious." Samwell replied as Steven knew he would.
  
  "And, if I may, how did you find that battle against Karen, sir? You must have known she was holding back." Samwell continued.
  
  "I knew. It wasn't like she was trying to keep that a secret." Steven replied as he rested his head against the back of his chair.
  
  Thinking about it, Steven guessed that Karen had actually fought against him with the weakest of her Pokémon. Inwardly, he let out a wry grin; it seems like they both had the same idea of just using their weakest Pokémon to fight with, aside from his Aggron.
  
  He wondered how a match between him and her would go if they fought at full strength? His Aggron performed well against Karen's Umbreon, but he knew she had far stronger Pokémon than that. Further, he knew she frequently sparred against John and was trained up by Elite Agatha. And he KNEW how strong those two were.
  
  He expected to see more of Karen's exploits on the news in the future. Oh, and that reminded him that he had a match to organize.
  
  "Sam, could you contact the branch head of the local office here in Kanto? I have a charity match to arrange." He asked.
  
  "Certainly, sir. I'll speak to Director Shelly tomorrow morning to make the arrangements for her to speak to you." Samwell responded with a slight bow. "But sir, could I inquire about why you decided to set up a charity match on such short notice?" Sam always liked asking questions about his intentions, but not out of curiosity.
  
  In the world of business, you weren't allowed to be 'caught up in the moment' when making decisions. And this was Sam's way of ensuring that for Steven.
  
  "Like I told them, I just felt that this would have been a great opportunity. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to establish a charity match. Marketing has informed me that now would be the best time for any kind of PR moves. We already have the public's sympathy, and now would be a good time to make use of it." Steven explained.
  
  Not that he was doing it PURELY for PR reasons. He was genuinely sympathetic towards all those that were affected by Team Rocket's evil actions, and felt bad that the innocent public had been caught up in all this. He had already privately made substantial donations to charities, but a charity match like this would likely prove to be more effective.
  
  "Prudent as always, Mr. Stone. Your father would be proud." His butler complimented loyally while he placed a cup of tea on Steven's desk.
  
  "Thank you." He replied as he took a satisfying sip of the tea. Just how he liked it. Then he moved to switch on his laptop. Opening up his to-do list, he browsed through the many items on that list that he hoped to achieve while in Kanto.
  
  Aside from market research, one of his main goals while he was here to challenge and sweep through the Gym of Indigo to show off his strength. Even if some or all of the Gyms Leaders were holding back they were still useful challenges to test himself against. He wanted to set the stage for his upcoming participation in the Hoenn Conference.
  
  However, now that he was almost at the end of his Gym run, he needed to find other strong trainers to test himself against. And as he went over his research files, he found just the man he was looking for.
  
  "Sam, if you still have some time, could you put me in contact with this guy?" He swivelled his laptop so that the screen was facing his butler.
  
  "Bruno? Ah...you wish to test yourself against him?" Samwell asked knowingly.
  
  "I do." He confirmed.
  
  "...That may prove difficult. Bruno is not one to...stay on the grid, so to speak." Samwell replied hesitatingly.
  
  Oh, right. Steven frowned, having just read that Bruno was someone who frequently absconded into the wilds to train himself and his team. The man was very dedicated to his training, more than anyone else he knew, and that was something Steven could admire.
  
  If only it didn't make him so hard to find.
  
  "Just do your best. I won't be upset if we can't contact him." Steven remarked.
  
  "Understood. Though, if I may, I think he is a great choice for you to test yourself against, Mr. Stone. His physical condition is a testament to his dedication to training. And in all honesty, I am uncertain if I could take him in an actual physical fight." Sam admitted.
  
  Steven shot his bodyguard an incredulous look, "Really? YOU would lose to him?" He knew Bruno was strong, but for his bodyguard to state something like that was extraordinary. He had seen his bodyguard slam someone INTO a wall with just a kick, so that spoke volumes about Bruno's own strength.
  
  Samwell nodded, "Anyone who possesses even a hint of knowledge in martial arts would be able to recognize that Bruno was the real deal. I have yet to seen him fight personally, but I am very confident that Bruno is by far one of the most martially talented and disciplined people that I have ever seen. Even if he transfers a portion of that dedication to training his Pokémon, he will be a very difficult battle for you." Samwell warned.
  
  Steven nodded, "I understand, but that is exactly why I am looking to battle him in the first place. If I am afraid to fight someone like him, then how would I achieve my ambitions back in Hoenn?"
  
  "Too right, Mr. Stone. Your courage is admirable." Samwell responded with a nod. "Then do you think you will win?"
  
  "I haven't the faintest idea." He admitted, "But that's the thrill of it. We both know that my current win streak here in Indigo has been inflated by the fact that I'm at a level slightly above most of the Gym Leaders here, or that they've been holding back for one reason or another. If I do want to make my run for Champion back in Hoenn, I must be able to refine my strength even further. The Elite Four are certainly no pushovers."
  
  And that wasn't even including his old friend, Wallace. Sometimes, Steven felt that his goal of becoming the Champion of Hoenn was doomed to fail when he thought about how he would surpass his long-time friend. But those thoughts were always swept aside.
  
  There were no impossible opponents. Only difficult challenges.
  
  "And you believe Bruno to be the one to help you?" Samwell questioned, though he likely already knew the answer.
  
  "Exactly." Steven confirmed, "Although I do hope to get better acquainted with a man like Bruno. He has great potential that others seem to not have picked up yet. He may be a simple-minded man, but I could see many potential uses of a disciplined and straightforward man like him."
  
  "I see. I do hope that whatever plans you have for him work out." Samwell said with a small encouraging smile.
  
  "Thank you." Steven said as he put down his cup of tea, "Now, I do apologize for cutting this conversation short, but I believe my father has a few reports he wants me to read through."
  
  "Of course, Mr. Stone." Samwell bowed and erased his presence from the room, leaving Steven to focus on his own work. Even though it was already pretty late at night, he knew that he would likely be burning the midnight fuel today once again as he started reading through the reports.
  
  Sometimes, being the heir to one of the largest businesses in the world wasn't easy. But he wouldn't trade it for the world.
  
  A.N. And here's some insight into Steven's character! I wanted to write him as a mix of a good-hearted, yet intelligent heir to a large business. Yes, he's rich AF, but he's far from a spoiled heir and is trying to be more than just that. I hope it fits!
  
  And yes, Bruno will be making another appearance in the future. Not quite yet though. He's a hard man to find.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 7-3 - Psychic Revelations
  
  Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for much longer after Karen and Steven had finished up with their match, as enough time had passed that I had to head to my next appointment with mayor Henry.
  
  That meeting went far smoother than I had hoped. When I asked about how we managed to get Mt. Moon under the authority of Cerulean, he told me that it had been quite simple and that no major issues really cropped up. Apparently, the leadership of Pewter City knew a losing fight when they saw one, and folded quite quickly.
  
  As such, they didn't put up much of a fight trying to hold on to their authority over Mt. Moon. In exchange, we promised some concessions in terms of discounts and priority purchasing rights for the resources found in Mt. Moon, which seemed to placate them.
  
  I asked for more information regarding the security arrangements of Mt. Moon, and whether there was any strain on Cerulean for handling it. Henry assured me that there was a sizeable contingent of Jenny's and rangers patrolling the entire region of Mt. Moon, always on the lookout for any poachers or trespassers.
  
  But I wasn't comforted by that just yet. I KNEW just how much of a big deal the Fairy reveal would have regarding Mt. Moon, and how it was bound to be swarmed by eager trainers hoping to get their hands on the 'new' Clefairy. The current security arrangements just wouldn't be enough.
  
  And I repeated that thought to him. Without getting into any details, I told him that the security of Mt. Moon WILL be tested to its utmost limits very soon, and we had to be ready to ensure that we wouldn't lose control of Mt. Moon to a horde of rabid trainers.
  
  He gave me a very curious look, and it looked like he was holding back the desire to ask me why I thought so. However, he was shrewd enough to heed my warnings without asking any more questions. He said that he trusted me to not feed him bad information; that if I had decided to warn him, then the situation was serious enough to warrant such a response.
  
  Unfortunately, simply knowing about the upcoming situation was a very different matter to actually being able to prevent it. Despite his earlier words, Cerulean just couldn't manifest more Jennys and rangers out of thin air. They would have to be obtained from other places.
  
  Luckily, as a member of the Elite Four, I had more than sufficient authority to relocate the Indigo Police, so long as those arrangements were reasonable, and if I explained my reasonings to Lance. That I had to slightly delay - I wanted to ensure that Oak and the others were okay with it before informing the Champion. I didn't want to step on any toes, after all.
  
  And with that, another day of meetings came to an end. I spent whatever remaining time I had catching up with my family and getting some training in, just so my Pokémon had something to do. I particularly wanted to test out Euphie's new strength as a Sylveon, and she seemed eager to continue her sparring matches against Pixel, especially now that it seemed like she was its equal in strength.
  
  It became clear that, with her evolution, Euphie was far more powerful than she was previously. Not only did she gain a plethora of fairly hard-hitting Fairy moves, which gave her a ranged option that she previously didn't have, but her physical attacks had an added 'oomph' that really allowed her to hold her own against Pixel.
  
  Of course, she was not anywhere close to being an Elite Pokémon yet, but this was still a significant step forward. Now with her evolution and her ability to use Fairy type moves, we could really begin to knuckle down with more specialized training in order to gradually get her up to a level where I could reasonably use her in my proper fights.
  
  Sadly, Euphie's evolution into a Sylveon meant that poor Ornstein was the only one left that hadn't evolved. Not for a lack of trying, but it just seemed like he couldn't get past whatever barrier it was holding him back from evolving. That's why, outside of training with Euphie and Pixel, I made sure to dedicate time towards Ornstein to make sure that he didn't feel neglected or left out.
  
  I reassured him that his evolution was soon, he just had to not give in to despair and continue training hard. Which shouldn't be a hard ask considering he had enthusiasm in spades.
  
  With training done, I finally retired for the day, deciding to rest early. For some reason, I felt that tomorrow would be one of the busier ones.
  
  My gut instinct was quickly proven correct. As soon as I woke up, I received a call from Lance telling me to head to Cinnabar Island. It was where the prisoners that I had delivered from Hoenn were being kept, and today was the day that they would be going through the Psychic interrogations.
  
  Lance wanted the entire of the Elite Four there to oversee it and to give our opinions. Lorelei would also join us over from Hoenn through video.
  
  Thus, steeling my heart with a grim expression on my face, I made my way to Cinnabar Island as I prepared myself this necessary evil. I had never seen a psychic interrogation before, but I knew that it could not be pleasant.
  
  In the back of my mind, I thought that the only reason that Lance was able to get away with ordering this was because of how fresh the memory of Team Rocket's acts of destructions was in the minds of the public and the committee. It was no wonder that the Hoenn League refused to employ such methods.
  
  I didn't let my mind wander too much as I landed on the outskirts of Cinnabar Island, where Lance had told me to be. It seemed like I was the first to arrive, so I spent a quiet moment just looking around at my surroundings, where there were still buildings aplenty. In the distance, I could see an unassuming building that, upon closer inspection, was actually heavily reinforced, with a small army of Jennys and their Pokémon patrolling the perimeter. That must be the prison.
  
  However, the volcano was what really drew my attention. I knew that it was bound to erupt sooner or later, forcing a complete evacuation of the island, but that was not something I could prevent. I considered warning them of the impending eruption, but not only did I not know WHEN the eruption was going to take place, I didn't have a single bit of evidence to back it up. And evacuations weren't just things you could order without evidence.
  
  Still, I resolved to bring up the possibility of an eruption to someone in the future. I didn't know if any lives were lost from the eruption when it happened, but I hoped to at least give the public somewhat of a head start this time.
  
  The distinct flash of light of a Teleport suddenly appeared next to me, and I turned to see who had arrived. It was Will.
  
  "Greetings, John! Welcome back to Indigo!" He said with a smile, "Let's hope today will reveal some important information! We've been led on by these crooks for far too long."
  
  He seemed a little too excited for this, but I returned his smile anyways, "Let's hope so too. Letting them get away leaves a sour taste in my mouth." I admitted.
  
  He nodded, "I understand. Many of my business friends wish for the same. It's bad for business. It's fortunate that you managed to root them out both here in Indigo and in Hoenn, though a part of me wished to join you in your efforts. It must have been a glorious thing."
  
  My eyes twitched slightly at his words. I wasn't offended, far from it, but I felt like he had some overly romantic ideas of what dealing with criminals was like. Sure, the fame and admiration you got for doing it was real enough, but it was often not a pleasant thing to have to do.
  
  Before I could say anything else, a long shadow extended from one of the nearby rocks and Agatha spawned out of it. She looked around for a brief moment before clicking her tongue.
  
  "Che, Lance still isn't here yet." She grumbled, before turning to me, "John, hope you've steeled yourself. This isn't the most pleasant of activities."
  
  "You've been through this before?" Will interrupted, looking curious, before he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, of course you have. You've been in the Elite Four for some time, after all. It's no doubt you have plenty of experience to share around!"
  
  Agatha ignored his flattery, but still gave him a short nod, "I have. And it would be wise for you to heed my words. Psychic interrogations are a...necessary evil, but they are certainly not for the faint of heart. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong today, if only to spare you younglings of the more horrific possibilities."
  
  Will seemed taken aback for a moment, but he quickly nodded in understanding, his previous carefree smile dropping into a serious frown. Good, it was better for him to go into this with realistic expectations.
  
  The conversation fell into an awkward silence after that. Luckily, it only took a few moments later that a large shadow emerged from above and Lance landed on the back of one of his Dragonite.
  
  He looked at us with a scrutinizing expression before speaking, "Thank you all for coming here today; distasteful as this task might be. I have Lorelei ready to join us through video, and the facility has already informed me that psychic interrogations are ready to begin. So let's get this over with. Daylight's burning."
  
  No one said anything else as we silently followed after Lance into the facility. The one thing that immediately stood out to me was the level of security that surrounded the facility; even WE had to submit to security checks despite our status as Elite Four. Only Lance got a free pass. The rest of us had to submit all but one of our Pokémon. Obviously, I kept Tyrant on hand.
  
  Still, it was almost amusing to see Agatha scowling heavily at being told to surrender her Pokémon, only for the Jennys to completely ignore her glares. They weren't intimidated.
  
  With the security checks done, we were escorted to a viewing area that had multiple Alakazam and Gardevoir standing about. Just below us was a single, small room that only had a steel chair as its sole furniture, where plenty of restraints and shackles were attached to it.
  
  The entire room gave off an unpleasant sensation of inhumanity. And, looking around at my colleagues, they all sported grim expressions as well. Lance was in the corner of the room, speaking with the Jennys and fiddling with something on a secure computer before the image of Lorelei suddenly appeared on the computer screen.
  
  "Hello all." She greeted from what appeared to be the office of a Jenny, except the room was heavily soundproofed and had what appeared to be tinted windows. It must have been a room specifically created for secure calls like this. We exchanged short greetings before we fell back into silence once more; none of us feeling like making casual conversation in such an environment.
  
  And before long, the first prisoner was levitated into the room by another Alakazam. He looked scruffy, but there was no obvious sign of mistreatment. I was just glad that we didn't go that far, and hoped we stayed that way.
  
  As soon as the prisoner was forced into the chair, the many restraints and shackled clamped down on him, locking him in place. He struggled, but there was no chance of him breaking free from this.
  
  Then the questions began, blaring through the speakers attached to the corner of the room. All the while, a small group of Psychic Pokémon were staring intently at the lone prisoner, their eyes glowing a bright blue. In another room next to us, a small group of Jennys accompanied by Alakazam were all scribbling down notes that their Alakazam was retrieving and interpretating.
  
  The list of questions began fairly standardly. They asked general questions like who their leader was, what they hoped to achieve in Hoenn, and what their future plans were. Unfortunately, this particular prisoner was likely one of the lower ranking grunts, because he didn't know a thing.
  
  Then came the more non-standard questions, such as what type of Pokémon he used, and questions about their training schedule and what it was like. After that, the Jennys asked us if we had any other questions before moving on to the next prisoner.
  
  That kept going for a while. Fortunately, there were no 'incidents', and the prisoners managed to leave the room with their mind intact. And while the first few prisoners didn't know much, we still managed to learn a few things.
  
  For one, the existence of the three evil teams working together were confirmed, as the prisoners revealed that they were working in unison under a united banner. Thus, this proved my earlier suspicions to be true; Team Magma, Team Aqua, and Team Rocket were working together.
  
  We also got insight into their training program, which was a lot more disciplined than we had been expecting. Their procedures made it seem more like a military program rather than anything typically expected of thugs and criminals. Even the way they used Pokémon were specialized to some extent for hit and run attacks and precision strikes.
  
  This revealed two concerning things. First, the leaders of these teams were far more than just your usual street criminal, though by now it should've been fairly obvious already considering their scope of activities. Two, the amount of financial backing they must have to be able to fund all this was far greater than we had anticipated. Sure, we knew they were well-funded, but now we actually had a good idea of the scale of their operations.
  
  Will was most taken aback by that. He remarked that the amount of funding that it would all take would be more than most businesses were able to afford. On the other hand, Lorelei remarked how lucky it was that they had to abandon most of it, which I agreed with. But I knew that until we really hit Team Galactic, they'd have it all back in time.
  
  And thus, the process kept going, with more prisoners being brought in and psychically questioned. There were a few incidents where some of the more fanatical grunts, often from either Team Magma or Aqua, tried to resist the mental probe, leading to painful side-effects.
  
  One prisoner thrashed painfully against his restraints as he tried to fight off the psychic incursion, but another Alakazam stepped in to forcefully hold him down so that he could no longer resist. I saw his eyes turn from defiant to glassy after a moment, and I was concerned that we had pushed a little too hard.
  
  Fortunately, we didn't, he just mentally shut down for a moment. He was probably in for a major headache, but the doctors we had on hand said he'd be fine.
  
  Next to me, Will and Lorelei were both sporting uncomfortable looks on their face. Lance and Agatha were more stoic, though I could tell that they weren't completely unbothered by what was happening in front of them either. I was probably in the same boat.
  
  Still, that particular prisoner netted us plenty of good information. He had apparently been one of the higher up grunts on the ladder, which meant he had actually spoken to and knew about the upper leadership. He didn't know who a few of the admins were, either because he never met them or because they were wearing masks, but he managed to name Maxie and Archie as the boss of Team Magma and Aqua respectively. His mind was also able to form a basic description of their appearances.
  
  "That's good news, right?" Will commented, "Now that we know who they are, we can track them down and nab them before they do anything else!"
  
  "No, not exactly." Lorelei denied, "If there's one thing I've learnt since coming over to Hoenn, is that these criminals are remarkably good at not leaving a digital trail to follow. Their source of funds is always heavily disguised, and I doubt that chasing after their identities will lead anywhere. I've learnt that, to these criminals, knowing their identity doesn't help that much. They're not the type to hide in plain sight, and they've long since abandoned their legal identities."
  
  However, it was the next reveal that was more alarming. We had routinely asked every prisoner about the Pokémon that they used, and they mostly answered with Pokémon commonly found in Hoenn or Indigo. Yet, this particular prisoner revealed that they also had access to a whole variety of Pokémon from Sinnoh as well, such as Purugly and Skuntank. They just were not deployed in Hoenn.
  
  And for good reason, because that was a very important clue that we had towards figuring out the identity of the backer.
  
  "That just reinforces our theory that they're from Sinnoh." Lance concluded, in line with my own thoughts, "There's no way that they would have access to Sinnoh Pokémon unless they were."
  
  "They could be getting them from the black market." Agatha challenged, but Will shook his head.
  
  "Not with these kinds of numbers." He stated, tapping his finger against his elbow, "The logistics would be impossible, not to mention the cost and the unreliability of relying on black market vendors. It just wouldn't work."
  
  "And we've already done a thorough search of potential black-market sellers here in Hoenn." Lorelei added, checking through a few of her notes, "The few we've located had never come into contact with anything from Sinnoh. With their borders not open, getting THIS amount of goods to and from there is impossible at the moment."
  
  "Damn it all." Lance grumbled, rubbing at his face tiredly. "I guess I have to inform Bertha as soon as possible then. And probably Sidney as well. They need to be told so that they can be prepared."
  
  Then, an idea popped into my mind, and I reached out to a nearby Jenny. "Hey, can you ask the prisoner if they have ever spotted any identifying logos from their backer?" I hoped that they would have used the signature 'G' that was the logo of Team Galactic.
  
  She relayed the question, but unfortunately there was nothing. I guess I should have known better than to expect the criminals to just leave out things like that.
  
  Then the prisoner was escorted away, and more took his place. That carried on for a while longer, and we mostly received repeats of what we already knew. Fortunately, there was another prisoner that seemed higher up in the ladder too, as he knew that they were planning to move to Sinnoh as soon as the operation was over, confirming our earlier thoughts.
  
  He proved to be another font of information, but it was information that all of us wished we didn't hear. He was someone who was partially aware of the true purpose behind why they targeted the Orbs, and they revealed that whatever the plans they had with the orbs involved making use of the Legendaries to remake the world.
  
  "...What the fuck." Agatha blurted out, uncharacteristically shocked. There was no sign of her usual crassness. Her shock quickly turned to anger, "Are these madmen INSANE?! That'd doom the world!"
  
  The rest of us were doing no better. Even I, with my meta-knowledge, had a bitter taste in my mouth with my suspicions confirmed.
  
  "Maybe things won't be as easy as they make it sound?" Will suggested, trying to stay optimistic, "After all, it should not be that easy to gain control over a Legendary."
  
  "Even the idea of awakening a Legendary itself is a terrifying prospect." Lance disagreed, unknowingly channelling my own words to Drake from back in Hoenn, "The Blackthorns have always described Legendaries as forces of nature, mostly uncaring to human nature and laws. Who knows the destruction that they could unleash? Especially if angered."
  
  "How do we beat a Legendary?" I dared to ask. Obviously, the methods of just beating them up with our own Pokémon weren't going to work. Legendaries were on a vastly different level than regular Pokémon. Even Tyrant and Emperor, Pokémon that I consider to be at the very top of a Pokémon's achievable strength, would be like ants to them. Especially for the creation trio, which I suspected they intended to make use of.
  
  "With another Legendary." Lance replied seriously, getting nods from the others, "And you don't 'beat' them. You just placate them. There is no 'winning'."
  
  "...Then I guess we better stop them before we get to that point." I stated. "We really should make this our top priority."
  
  "Naturally. This supersedes everything else." Lance agreed, nodding. "I think I better inform my counterparts as soon as possible in both Hoenn and Sinnoh. This isn't something we can cover up."
  
  "The public needn't know, though." Agatha commented with a frown, "No need to scare them and cause panic."
  
  "Is there anything I should focus on in Hoenn? While I'm here?" Lorelei asked seriously, looking around at all of us.
  
  Lance thought it through for a moment, but eventually let out a sigh. "Even though we know the threat these teams represent, we can't do much about them unless we can locate them. Just keep doing what you're doing in Hoenn with the International Police; now more than ever we need to make sure that we're all on the same side."
  
  Lorelei nodded firmly, and Lance turned back to us. "Right, this has been an enlightening session. I'm going to have to do some damage control as soon as possible, so I'll be contacting you all shortly. I'll have the Jennys fill me in on anything important, which I will pass on to you all when necessary."
  
  His eyes narrowed into slits, "And, I do not think I have to remind you of this, but you are NOT to tell ANYONE of what you informed here. Not your friends, not your family, not the Gym Leaders, and not your counterparts in other regions. This is to be kept TOP SECRET! AM I UNDERSTOOD?!"
  
  His voice flared at the end, and we all nodded solemnly, all of us recognizing the importance of this matter. Satisfied with our response, Lance thanked us again before making his way out.
  
  We followed suit, though we had to take a detour to pick up our Pokémon from when we had surrendered them earlier. All the while, my mind was a mix of opposing emotions.
  
  On the one hand, I was pleased that the psychic interrogation revealed to my colleagues the true threat that these evil teams represented, and that they would be acting seriously to stop them. On the other hand, I hated the fact that we had to deal with a threat such as them in the first place. The prospect of facing a Legendary was a nerve-wracking one.
  
  I just hoped that we could stop them before it ever got to that point.
  
  A.N. This is probably one of the darker chapters I'll write for this story; things shouldn't get any darker than this (outside of OMAKEs). I just felt like to gloss over the idea of psychically ripping information out of minds would be too blasé. It's not something that can be commonly attempted.
  
  As usual, future scenes that might have psychic interrogations will not be this detailed. I just wanted to highlight what it would be like. And yes, now that the other Elite 4/Champion have now realized the true threat of these evil teams, they'll be taking things even more seriously now. After all, a doomsday threat like that HAS to be taken seriously.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 7-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 7-4 - Putting on a show!
  
  To the public, and to even most high-ranking individual within the League, the next few days were one that were filled with the usual normality of life. To them, everything was the same. There were no threats to Indigo, and there certainly was not the possibility of a world-ending threat around the corner.
  
  Naturally, as a member of the Elite Four, I knew things were very different. Lance had kept us informed about how he spent the last few days running around speaking to his counterparts in Hoenn and Sinnoh about the dangers that these criminals truly posed to the world. He told us that he had spoken to Wallace, Sidney, and Bertha respectively about everything they had learnt and the true goal of the what these criminals were planning.
  
  I was not there when the discussions were held, but Lance said that both Wallace and Sidney took the news with grave and serious expressions. But the results were evident. Immediately after being read in on the situation, Wallace swiftly pushed to establish their own branch of the International Police, where the groundworks would be established by Sidney.
  
  They both, thankfully, stressed the need for international cooperation to combat such a threat. Regional interests mattered less at the moment, and dealing with the criminals was going to be considered the highest priority. However, due to the fact that the public COULD NOT be informed about such a situation, for fear of mass panic, they had to work behind the scenes and be as prepared as possible for stopping whatever future insane plans they had.
  
  On the other hand, Bertha, while sympathetic to our cause, could not offer a blanket search throughout Sinnoh to hunt down the remnants. Not that she didn't want to, of course, but doing such a thing with foreign police members would be an act that trampled all over the regional sovereignty of Sinnoh. Thus, just employing the International Police there would not be a viable option, and any operations there would have to rely solely on the Sinnoh Police.
  
  It was painful, but Bertha simply could not justify that to their committee. Furthermore, with how well-funded as these criminals were, there was no telling the true extent of the backer's infiltration of the Sinnoh League. Any kind of information could be easily leaked to them. She promised to at least speak with the other members of the Elite Four and their Champion, but she couldn't promise anything else.
  
  To make matters worse, Bertha regretfully added that the Committee were still digging their heels and delaying the opening of their border for whatever reason. The public were in outrage about it, but the Committee remained stubborn for whatever reason. Bertha suspected either idiocy, or some foul play was involved, but either way had no evidence. Thus, with the other regions not allowed to enter Sinnoh yet, that just frustratingly gave the criminals more time to continue building up their resources.
  
  It was a bitter fact of life, but we were all forced to accept the situation. Lance mentioned how there was a lot of grumbling from everyone involved due to the need for secrecy and the fact that they could not really be proactive. Still, at least the parties all agreed to cooperate and that they were on the same page. Overall, it could have been much worse.
  
  In the meanwhile, I spent my time over the last few days on something that I had nearly forgotten about if not for a timely reminder. Since I had been so busy over the past week or so dealing with the evil teams, I had neglected my promise to participate in the opening act for the grand opening of the Cerulean Contest Hall with the Waterflower sisters.
  
  And so, with the Contest Hall opening very soon, I had rushed over to the Waterflower sisters, apologized profusely for forgetting, and spent the last few days hard at work with practicing. Karen had teased me incessantly about my participation, constantly asking if I would be part of the performance myself. Fortunately, I wouldn't be, if only because I thought I had no intention of being on stage like that.
  
  Only Klaus would be participating, as he was the most interested out of my Pokémon in doing something like this. He was always one for the spotlight, even if he tried to hide it.
  
  Hence, I practically spent most of the afternoon's training with the sisters whenever they were free. It was a very enlightening experience; the type of moves they practiced with were very different from regular training for battles. There was a much greater emphasis on timing, coordination, and teamwork.
  
  In a normal training scenario, you often didn't care about timing beyond how fast an attack could be delivered. But here, attacking too quickly can put you out of sync with your teammates. Then there was a matter of creativity, which had some overlap with regular training, but it was unusual to think of ways to make your moves less efficient just to show off a particular effect.
  
  I actually struggled quite a bit with this, but luckily the Waterflower sisters were very patient with both me and Klaus. It helps that Klaus was already very well-trained, so it didn't take him too long to pick up the new moves.
  
  Eventually, after many hard days of training, we had come up with a basic routine. It was short, and honestly rather run of the mill, but that was because I was only going to be a small part of the overall routine. The entire performance would not only be done with the Waterflower sisters, but also a few famed contest performances that would join in as well.
  
  My participation was really only for the name recognition and the uniqueness, as it was explained to me by Daisy.
  
  "Everyone knows you're an amateur, so they'll have lower expectations." She lectured, "That's why your part is so short. You'll do a few moves, dazzle them with the fact that you're new and unique, and then back out before they realize you aren't up to their usual standards. Trust me, you'll be fine."
  
  It was a little disheartening, but I accepted that I couldn't be the best at everything. I had always known that contest performers made use of an entirely different skillset to common trainers, but now I really appreciated the level of work and dedication that they had to put into this rather niche activity.
  
  For their sakes, I really hoped that Contest Halls and performances could really take off here in Indigo. They deserved the recognition.
  
  Besides all of the training for the performance though, the Waterflower sisters did ask if I could throw in a few tips on how to get better at battling. THAT was something I was eager to help out with.
  
  More specifically, they needed help training up a Gyarados. It was far and wide their most powerful Pokémon; it just didn't obey them. After listening to their explanation, I felt that their issue mostly stemmed from the fact that none of the sisters had very firm or authoritative personalities; instead, they were friendly, kind, and personable.
  
  Unfortunately, that meant that it was difficult to reign in their Gyarados. My suggestion to them was to challenge their Gyarados to a battle with their other Pokémon and beat it until Gyarados learns to at least respect your strength as trainers. Getting rid of any lingering arrogance was an important step to getting it to obey you. They had listened, but progress was naturally slow-going. Though I wished them all the best; a Gyarados was an unbelievably formidable opponent when it was well-trained.
  
  Just look at Drake and Lance. There was a reason they both fielded one.
  
  And now, it was finally the day of the performance. A huge crowd was beginning to gather outside the Cerulean Contest Hall, now named the 'Grand Fountain Theatre'. As part of the performance, I was there early just to make sure there were no problems and to welcome the more prominent figures that would arrive.
  
  Karen was there, of course, since she said she'd never miss out on something like this. Naturally, I had spoken to her privately about my experiences training up for this performance, and now she was excited to see what had come up with.
  
  "It's a shame that you're not in it yourself." She said to me, egging me on once again, "If the Waterflower sisters are participating personally, why can't you?"
  
  I sighed, "I'll leave the performance to the ones actually good at this. No one wants me ruining their entire performance because I flubbed on stage."
  
  She looked at me with an incredulous expression, "You're kidding, right? If you mess up, people will DEFINITELY be talking about it. Of course, you'll be the laughingstock of Indigo, but think of the attention you'll get!" She laughed.
  
  I ignored her. Fortunately, before she could continue her ribbing, two very opposite-looking individuals arrived side-by-side, deep in conversation. That conversation ended as soon as they spotted me.
  
  "John, pleasure to see you again." Sidney waved, "Still can't you're going to be participating in this. I'm excited to see what you can bring to the table."
  
  "Indeed! This is a most wondrous opportunity." Will agreed, "I admit to being slightly envious; I wish I had my own opportunity to show off my Pokémon on such a large stage as well!"
  
  I gave Will a wry smile, "Seems like you'd be a great fit as a Contest performer." I remarked a little sarcastically.
  
  Surprisingly, he nodded. "Yes, I did consider it. But unfortunately, Contest performers were not as prestigious or popular as they are now. That was why I am excited to see this activity grow and spread throughout Indigo. Who knows? I might take it up as a hobby in my free time. Reignite some of my old passions." He said enthusiastically, with a look in his eye that suggested that he was legitimately considering this.
  
  I could really see it. Will was a showboat, but it was like he was trying to put on a performance. I felt that he would be an excellent fit as a Contest performer if he really put his mind to it.
  
  I put that thought aside for now, turning to Sidney, "What were you two talking about? If I could ask? It's not always that you see two Elite Four members from different regions talking together like this."
  
  Sidney smiled, "Just some discussion over extra cooperation with businesses between our two regions. Will here was very knowledgeable, and we felt that something could be done together." He explained.
  
  Then he turned to address Karen, who had been standing next to me, "And it's great to see you again Karen, I do look forward to our match."
  
  "Likewise. I have been training hard for it." Karen bantered back. "Has Steven gotten back to you yet?"
  
  "Not yet." He shook his head, "But he promises the arrangements will be done soon enough. Turns out there's some red tape to cut through, even with his position."
  
  The three of us nodded simultaneously. Red tape was the bane of urgency. In the meanwhile, Will was looking at the both of them with a surprised look. He was about to speak up before someone else cut in.
  
  "Oh? This is quite the unusual group. Any luck I can join in on this?" A smooth voice interrupted our conversation, and we all turned to see Giovanni walking up to us. But what was more surprising was that Giovanni was accompanied by a familiar red head that I knew was Ariana, as well as a small kid that I was EXTREMELY astonished to see.
  
  Silver was here. And he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. In truth, he looked like a brat. At least he didn't have the signature arrogant sneer on his face that he had in the games.
  
  I managed to hold in my surprise from showing on my face as I faced Giovanni and co., "Giovanni, it's nice to see you. And you must be Ariana?"
  
  "I am. And it's a pleasure to meet you too, John. Gio has said wonderful things about you, so forgive me for taking an interest." She smiled while I was caught off-guard by the pet name that she used for Giovanni. Since when was this a thing?
  
  She ignored my surprise before rubbing her son on the head, "And this here is Silver, our son. Come on, say hello."
  
  Silver grumbled a bit and tried to shake off her hand, but a stern glare from her forced him to submit. "...Hello." He said shyly, like the young kid that he was.
  
  "Hello Silver." I said kindly, which was echoed by the others, "How are you finding Cerulean?"
  
  "...It's nice." He said softly after a small pause, "But Viridian is better."
  
  I chuckled, "Maybe so, but I hope that Cerulean will eventually be Viridian's equal."
  
  "And you're making good progress thus far." Sidney added, "The city feels very much for the arts, which I'm sure it's something you tried to cultivate. And with this new Contest Hall, that feeling is amplified even more so."
  
  "Which is why we're here today." Giovanni stated, putting a hand on Silver's shoulder, "We thought that it might time for a family outing for once. And what better than to witness Kanto's finest perform on their latest stage?"
  
  "Too true! Contests are all about exploring the beauty of Pokémon." Will agreed, "I myself am very looking forward to witnessing today's performances. I am confident that they will be most inspired."
  
  "...I prefer battles." Silver spoke up suddenly. Giovanni immediately turned to berate Silver for his rudeness, but I waved him off.
  
  "So do I. And I'm sure most people do as well. But Contests have an appeal of their own. Who knows, you might like it." I remarked.
  
  "You could always learn something from today." Karen smiled at Silver, "There are going to be some cool Pokémon on display today. Are you interested in cool Pokémon?" That got Silver's head bobbing up and down, and Karen easily dragged Silver into a conversation about his favourite Pokémon, setting him at ease.
  
  The rest of us smiled at that interaction, before breaking out into our own conversations where everyone got to know each other and made small talk. In particular, Will was especially excited to meet 'such an esteemed businessman as Giovanni' and was almost bending over backwards to learn his ways.
  
  Giovanni seemed amused by the situation; Will technically outranked him as a member of the Elite Four, and yet he was treating Giovanni as if he was his superior. Considering the pleased smile on his face, that must have been good for his ego.
  
  In the meanwhile, having finished up her conversation with Silver, Karen joined in with Sidney and Ariana and the trio fell into a discussion about Dark types. Ariana, as an experienced scientist, seemed to be able to follow the conversation and pitch in on a few topics as well.
  
  Which was just left me and Silver, who was staring at me with a curious expression on his face. He seemed to want to say something, so I made sure to stay silent while giving him an encouraging smile.
  
  After a moment, he finally spoke up. "Father says you're strong."
  
  I nodded, "I am."
  
  "Then will you fight me?" He asked with all the seriousness of a young child. That seemed to catch the attention of Giovanni, who now had turned to listen in on the conversation.
  
  I really had to fight the urge to grin at Silver's words. Somehow, I managed to not laugh as I nodded back seriously, "I will, if your father approves."
  
  Silver broke out into a wide smile as he failed to contain his excitement, "Then let's fight now!" He almost reached for his Pokéball before a sharp cough from Giovanni stopped him.
  
  "Silver." His voice echoed, "There is a time and place for everything, but not now." He said sagely.
  
  But Silver was clearly in no mood to heed his words of wisdom, "WHAT?! BUT I WANT TO FIGHT NOW!"
  
  "Silver..." Ariana warned with a glare, "Apologize right now! You're making a scene!"
  
  "NO!" Silver refused, "He said yes! I want to fight!"
  
  I realized that was entirely the wrong thing to say, and Giovanni looked like he was about to blow up on his son. I quickly moved to try to defuse the situation.
  
  "Silver, your father is right, I'm not able to fight with you now." Silver shot me an angry look, but I continued forwards before he could say anything, "But I promise you I will give you the fight you want later. But can you promise me that you'll be a good boy till then?" I kneeled down as I said this so that I reached his eye-level, doing my best to make myself as non-threatening as possible.
  
  My words seem to have struck a chord with Silver, as he quickly calmed down and was giving me a thoughtful expression. After a moment to think, he acquiesced.
  
  "Fine. But you promised!" He said, trying to sound authoritative. But to me, and likely everyone else, he only sounded cute.
  
  "And I'll make sure he remembers." Karen said from the side as she walked up to Silver, "Don't worry, Silver, you will have your fight. I won't let him forget."
  
  That seemed to satisfy Silver, as he quieted down with a big smile on his face. Ariana shot me a grateful look, while Giovanni just let out a huge sigh.
  
  "Parenting is much harder than I thought it'd be." He whispered quietly to me so that Silver couldn't hear him. "But you have my thanks once again for indulging him."
  
  I waved him off, "It was nothing. After all, I've plenty of experience with this when I had to help raise Whitney. She was not always the kind girl that you know."
  
  "If Silver could be half as well-behaved as Whitney then I'll be most thankful." He said exhaustedly.
  
  "At least you're trying to be a good father. That's better than what most others would do." Karen added with a hint of bitterness in her voice. Almost unconsciously, I patted her on the shoulder comfortingly.
  
  "...Thank you, Karen. I suppose you are right." Giovanni replied with a small, complicated smile.
  
  The conversation once again turned away from more serious topics after that. Unfortunately, Silver's earlier outburst seemed to have drawn in a crowd, who had now realized just WHO was in our small group talking to each other. Almost immediately, many people started to crowd around us as they clambered to try to get our attention.
  
  Not wanting to deal with them, I offered them a way out by escorting them into the yet unopened Grand Fountain Hall. Technically, we weren't supposed to be allowed inside, but no one was going to stop us. Not when our group consisted of 3 Elite Four members and a Gym Leader.
  
  Was it an abuse of power? Definitely. Did I care? Nope.
  
  Not long after our relocation, I had to leave the conversation to get ready for the opening ceremony. I had to release Klaus backstage so that he could start preparing for his performance, while I had to head to the front to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony.
  
  That was a fairly standard affair. Mayor Henry and I made some short 'inspiring' speech to the crowd, saying a few meaningless platitudes, before we both cut the big red ribbon together while the cameras flashed rapidly.
  
  With the necessary ceremony completed, everyone made their way to the large amphitheatre which was purpose built for hosting water shows like this one. The seats, while minimalistic, were built of high quality and fast-drying material that could accommodate the occasional splashes of water from the performance.
  
  And yes, the audience were expected to get wet occasionally. But that was part of the fun of sitting at the front!
  
  Despite being part of the performance itself, I wasn't actually needed there. So, I joined back up with the earlier small group in the VIP section, where they had coincidentally all booked seats in.
  
  We made some small talk for a moment before a large gong rang through the speakers surrounding around the amphitheatre. The audience quickly fell silent as the show began.
  
  However, as if teasing the audience, the silence seemed to extend out for some time. Until suddenly, a few Pokémon burst out from the waters.
  
  Two Seaking leapt out of the water, the water trailing behind them flowing in a perfectly crescent arc. Then Klaus dashed out into the crowd, staying in the air evenly with the use of psychic barriers, with a Solar Beam charging up in his horns, lighting up the trail of water into a perfect rainbow that framed his entrance.
  
  There were a lot of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the audience. With Klaus emerging out of a rainbow-coloured arc of water; it looked like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
  
  Then, Klaus fired off his Solar Beam into the air, just in time for another pair of Mantine to swoop down from above with a synchronized Hurricane that was so finely controlled that they managed to surround the singular beam of light with their two tornadoes. They must have infused some water into their Hurricanes as well, because what was created was a swirling beacon of light that bathed the entire amphitheatre in its warm, sparkling light.
  
  As soon as the light faded, the act continued as 5 rings of water formed in the air. Then, Klaus took off with a running start, leaping into the air and through one of the many hoops. Before he could fall out of the air, the two Seaking from earlier reappeared and fired off a huge geyser of water into the skies, providing a makeshift platform for Klaus to leap off and through yet another hoop.
  
  And while that was going on, the two Mantine began to fly about, forming two water trails behind them as they circled around Klaus. As Klaus continued to leap through the hoops, the two Mantine would fly as close as possible to him with flawless timing, surrounding his figure with twin trails of water that served to emphasize his movements and add a sense of gracefulness and serenity to them.
  
  It was beautiful. It was a very different spectacle to the battles that I was used to; but that didn't diminish what I was seeing at all. It truly was something special.
  
  And if that wasn't enough, two huge tidal waves suddenly formed from each side of the pool, crashing together just as Klaus leapt through the final hoop. He landed on top of the backs of both Mantine and let out a noble roar as he was carried along by the waves.
  
  Seeing the huge tidal wave of water about to crash into them, some of the audience members began to panic. However, they would prove to be in perfectly safe hands, as just before the tidal wave threatened to slam into the audience stands, Klaus' horns shined a magnificent pink as the entire wall of water seemed to stop in place by his power alone.
  
  Of course, I knew that it was just for show. There many other Starmie in the background assisting Klaus; but it looked really impressive nonetheless.
  
  Finally, in an inspiring display of hydrokinesis, the entire wall of water was levitated off the ground, before it started to transform into a huge orb of water. The orb of water split, shifted, and changed slowly, until it morphed into the signature form of the Cascade badge. It was held in the air in a way that made the light shimmer off it, giving the entire thing an aura of majesty and prestige.
  
  And then it collapsed, forming a huge waterfall of water that covered the entire stage and blocked the audience from seeing through. Yet, even then, not a single droplet of water splashed onto the audience.
  
  The curtain of water fell away to reveal the Waterflower sisters, with Misty riding on top of Klaus, posing on the stage next to their Pokémon. Daisy had a microphone in her hand.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I WELCOME YOU TO THE GRAND OPENING OF THE GRAND FOUNTAIN HALL! DID YOU LIKE WHAT YOU JUST SAW?!" She hyped up the crowd.
  
  The crowd roared back their approval, with many standing up in their seats cheering for the performance. With a happy smile, Daisy continued.
  
  "THEN LET'S NOT KEEP YOU WAITING, BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST THE OPENING ACT!"
  
  The cheering from the crowd was deafening.
  
  A.N. Have a Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a good 2023, and that happy times await you in the coming year! Thank you so much for sticking with this story so far. I am always grateful for your support.
  
  I hope you enjoyed that last bit with the Contest performance. I'd never written anything like that before, so I hope it manages to capture your imagination sufficiently. And also, hope you enjoyed the interactions with Silver, I thought that now was about the time to properly introduce him into the story.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-4 - Interlude - Misty
  The New Normal - 7-4 - Interlude - Misty
  
  Yesterday was so cool, Misty decided as she skipped around the Gym. All of the performances, both from her sisters and the others, were just so awesome to watch! She knew Water types were cool, but she never knew that all the other types had such potential to fire off so many bright colours as well!
  
  Of course, her sisters were the coolest. She never realized it before, but they really did work hard. Their Pokémon had never looked so amazing until yesterday, and Misty realized that she wanted to be like them too.
  
  No, she wanted to be better than them. Her sisters were good performers, but she knew they were average trainers who needed help getting better. She wanted to be better than that. She wanted to be both an excellent trainer and performer.
  
  Though she would never admit it to her sisters, naturally. They still fussed over too much and never let her have any candy, even though they ate more themselves. Even Lily, who was only a few years older than her, was able to have more candy.
  
  She was seriously mad about that. She was almost 10 years old! She was old enough to have as much candy as she wanted!
  
  And it was not only the candy, but they always tried to stop Misty from doing anything cool. She knew that her sisters had a Gyarados that they were trying, and failing, to train. But when she asked to try it out, they all said no and pushed her away from their Gyarados.
  
  She was so angry at them! She didn't get why THEY were allowed to play around with the Gyarados when she wasn't allowed to. She wanted to ride on Gyarados' back too!
  
  Her sisters were cool, but annoying.
  
  So, even though a part of her wanted to ask her sisters for help training up her water types, her pride pushed her away from them. Instead, she found herself outside the office of Petrel, about to knock on his door.
  
  She paused though as she heard voices coming from within.
  
  "...And he said nothing else?" She could tell that was Petrel.
  
  "No, but I'm fairly certain that he's enjoying spending time with his family." This voice was a little harder to make out through the door, but she recognized it as being from their Head Gym Trainer, Archer.
  
  "...Is he now? I haven't read through his reports in some time." Petrel replied, and Misty could hear the happiness in his voice.
  
  "Honestly, with him and Ariana together again, I don't think he has time to submit any." Archer chuckled, "But it's nice to see the boss so happy again. But this does mean I'll be staying here longer than expected."
  
  The boss? Who was that? What were they talking about? Unable to hold back her curiosity, Misty swung the door open and stepped into the room.
  
  "What are you two talking about?" She asked, accidentally startling the two occupants of the room.
  
  "Misty! I didn't realize you were here, my apologies." Petrel said with an exaggerated deep bow. Misty giggled at him; he always did these kinds of things to make her laugh. She liked it when he did that.
  
  Oh whoops, she was letting him distract her.
  
  "So what were you talking about? Who was the boss?" She asked again, this time putting her fists on her hips to emphasize how serious she was.
  
  For some reason, instead of scaring them, Archer broke out into a smile. "The boss is Gym Leader Giovanni." He explained kindly as he patted her on the head, "Before the two of us worked here, we used to work for him. That's why we call him the boss. It's a sign of respect."
  
  "Oh cool!" Her mind immediately jumped to the next logical question, "So do I get a nickname too!? I want one!"
  
  That broke Archer as he quickly descended into a fit of laughter. Before Misty could pout at him, Petrel quickly spoke up, his voice sounding very serious. "And what do you want to be called, Misty?"
  
  Oh no, she hadn't thought of anything yet! Her mind quickly flicked through the available options in order to find a cool nickname, but all that came out of her mouth was a pathetic "Uh...I don't know?"
  
  She had expected Petrel to laugh at her, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded and replied, "If you do think of one, please let me know as soon as possible. I would be happy to address you as appropriate." Misty nodded her head excitedly; she was going to think of the COOLEST name ever!
  
  But before she could run off and do just that, Petrel continued, "Now, was there something else you wanted from me? It looked like you were searching for me."
  
  Oops! She nearly forgot why she came here! She kicked herself mentally for almost forgetting.
  
  "I wanted you to train me." She told him, "I want to get stronger too. I'm nearly ten years old, so I deserve to be as strong as my sisters as well!"
  
  Petrel raised an eyebrow at her request, "Really? And are you not satisfied with what you have now? You're already training yourself while you help out in the Gym, after all."
  
  She shook her head, "That's too slow! I want to get stronger NOW! I want to catch up to my sisters, because they never let me play with them when they're training. I want to join them!"
  
  "You know that it's not going to be easy, right?" Archer added from the side, "You're already doing well, but if you want to push yourself even harder, it's going to be tough for you. Are you willing to put in that effort?"
  
  She took a moment to think, but then she remembered just how cool the performance was yesterday, and how she wanted to replicate it and make it better.
  
  Her head bobbed up and down rapidly, "I am."
  
  Archer gave her a scrutinising look for a moment as he leaned forwards, towering over her. It was a really uncomfortable position, and Misty instinctively took a step back as she suddenly felt his eyes boring into hers. But just before Misty was about to open her mouth, Archer leaned back.
  
  "I'll train you." He announced, causing Misty to break out into a wide smile. "Don't bother Petrel about something like this; he's already busy enough. I'll be the one to train you instead while I'm here."
  
  Misty was about to thank him, but Archer cut her off with the palm of his hand. "Don't get too excited. It's not going to be easy. And I expect you to follow order and work hard. Do I make myself clear?"
  
  Archer's voice changed into something scary at that last part, but Misty held in her fear and gave him a shaky nod.
  
  He nodded, "Good. Then I'll see you before sunrise tomorrow. Hope you sleep well."
  
  Misty cheered and thanked him before immediately dashing out the room in excitement. But it was only then, when she got back into her room, did she realize with dawning horror what he just said.
  
  SHE DIDN'T WANT TO WAKE UP THAT EARLY IN THE MORNING! Oh Arceus, she was regretting this already.
  
  A.N. I felt now was a good time to finally give Misty her own POV for once. I hope my portrayal of her gives her canon personality justice. And just to clarify, she will STILL be a Water-type specialist, but with all the changes around her life, her team and strength will be different from canon.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 7-5 - Further Developments
  
  The grand opening of the Grand Fountain Hall turned out to be a great success, much to the happiness of mayor Henry. He practically had his next election in the bag just by riding on the coattails of this grand opening. Personally, I was happy for his re-election. I felt that that the two of us had an understanding and were willing to cooperate together on most matters, and I wanted this positive relation to continue.
  
  After all, there was every possibility that his replacement would turn out to be an ass.
  
  And with the great success of the grand opening, the Waterflower sisters joyously invited everyone to their Gym to celebrate with a small afterparty. A few of the more esteemed guests were invited too, including Will, Sidney, and Giovanni, but everyone other than Giovanni and his family had to beg off due to having other duties.
  
  Many of the performers were similarly invited, which turned the whole party into a rather substantial get-together. Still, it was fun, and although I would probably not talk to anyone there ever again, it was nice to meet all these amazing Contest performers.
  
  Furthermore, I had hoped to take the chance to fulfil my promise of duelling against Silver while I had the time, but he had fallen asleep, much to the amusement of his parents.
  
  "The excitement must have gotten to him." Ariana remarked with a fond smile as she looked down happily at her quietly sleeping son, "Typical of him to tire himself like this. Reminds me of his father."
  
  "I'm not that bad." Giovanni protested, but an incredulous look from Ariana caused him to shut his mouth.
  
  Besides that, the Waterflower sisters did ask if I wanted to join in on any further contest performances with them since this one went so well. Unfortunately, I politely declined, saying that I didn't really have the time, nor did I think that I personally wanted to go down the Contest route.
  
  I was more of a spectator than anything else.
  
  Still, I did tell them that if Klaus or any of my Pokémon was interested in participating in something like this again then I'll let them know. That put their smiles back on the sisters' faces.
  
  As the party winded down, the ever-prudent Petrel came in and asked for some photos, clearly hoping to turn this whole party into a PR event for the benefit of the Gym. Thus, we all got together to take a few group photos which would be published. In the photos, I stood next to a smiling Giovanni and Ariana, both of whom were carrying a quietly sleeping Silver.
  
  The photos were really cute - they really looked like a happy family. And what was surprising was that I no longer felt a sense of whiplash of Giovanni being a family man. It really did suit him.
  
  On that nice note, the day finally drew to a close, and I went to bed thinking that the opening of the Grand Fountain Hall was going to be THE event that was talked about for the rest of the week.
  
  I woke up the next morning to find out that I was partially correct. Indeed, there were many articles on the news about the success of the new Contest Hall opening in Cerulean, with many speculating and hoping for Contest halls to become a regular thing in Indigo like they are in Hoenn.
  
  Not only that, but there was also quite a lot of interest in Giovanni and the sudden appearance of his new family. Apparently, the fact that he had a son was not a well-known fact. Coupled with the fact that Giovanni and Ariana weren't actually married, that drew much speculation and gossip onto the two of them.
  
  Giovanni hadn't made a public statement on that yet, but I personally wished him all the best. He must have known that showing up with Silver was going to attract this kind of attention, so I'm sure he had a plan in mind.
  
  However, what was the REAL show stealer was the sudden announcement by Steven Stone about the upcoming charity match between Sidney and Karen. Steven had announced that not only would all proceeds for the match be dedicated towards helping those who had suffered during the Team Rocket attacks in Hoenn, but also donations would be used to help the rebuilding of any damaged property and land.
  
  But the part of the match that really grabbed attention was the fact that the number of Pokémon that Sidney and Karen would be fighting with would increase based on the number of donations received. Thus, for each milestone reached, Sidney and Karen would be battling with an additional Pokémon, up to a maximum of 6.
  
  Mind you, I took one look at the 'milestones' and instantly realized that Steven had set the number too low. There was no way we wouldn't surpass it.
  
  Even ignoring those who wanted to donate to charity, the star power of a match between Sidney, a member of the Hoenn Elite Four, and Karen, Agatha's apprentice and recently the temporary regent of Pewter, could not be underestimated. Especially because they were both Dark type specialists, which was a rarity in themselves, and newscasters were quick to label this battle as the match to watch for anyone interested in pursuing a Dark type specialty. Or anyone interested in high-level battles, really. Which was most people.
  
  The charity match was going to take place in Olivine, for symbolic reasons, as it was also one of the places that became victim to Team Rocket's actions. I was still a little stunned at how much Stven managed to arrange in such a short time. I guess money and connections do grease the wheels of administration significantly.
  
  But aside from all of that, I also made sure to personally call Professor Elm, both to introduce myself and to thank him for his contributions to the project and his aid with evolving Sylveon. He turned out to be far more humble than you would expect for someone of his position, and seemed very happy that I reached out to him at all.
  
  Even with our short conversation, I was confident that he would be a great guy to get along with.
  
  With our introductions made, I was heading to my next meeting on Cinnabar Island. As I had promised Blaine, I was going to meet up with him to see what he wanted help with. Plus, he said he had something to show to both Shelly and I, which stoked my curiosity.
  
  Beyond that, I still needed to ask for his permission to warn Lance about the consequences of the upcoming Fairy reveal. But knowing his dislike for the Dragon master, I doubted it would be an easy conversation.
  
  Regardless, after a short flight on Port, I arrived at Cinnabar Islands near his laboratory. As soon as I walked in, I found Shelly and Blaine already deep in conversation speaking in the lobby.
  
  "Hey there." I called out, causing both their heads to turn towards me. "Hope I'm not late. Stayed a tad too long at the afterparty."
  
  Blaine laughed, "Hah! Not a worry, I saw that on the news. That was a great performance from the sisters; about time they finally got their acttogether. Water performance, am I right?!" He giggled madly at his own pun.
  
  For that monstrosity of a pun, I immediately ignored him and turned to Shelly, "So how are you doing? It's been some time since we last spoke." I asked her, ignoring Blaine's grumbles to himself about my lack of appreciation for 'good humour'.
  
  "I've been more than well." She replied happily, shooting me a grin full of teeth, "I got promoted recently. I'm now the head of Devon's newly created international outreach and research department. Basically, it's a new title for my old job, but now with the ability of being able to independently request cooperation between notable scientists on behalf of Devon Corp. It helps that I'm now at least acquainted with Steven, since I helped him with setting up his charity match."
  
  "Oh, wow! Congratulations! That sounds like a big step up!" I remarked, genuinely excited for her, "How are you finding it?"
  
  "It's more or less similar to my old job, but with more pay, so I can't complain." She smiled, "There's probably going to be an expansion of our offices here in Indigo to accommodate my larger scope of responsibilities, which is both a good and bad thing."
  
  "Bah. Having more employees can be a huge pain in the ass if you don't hire the right ones." Blaine added with a scoff, sounding remarkably like another grumpy old woman I knew, "It's why I handpicked all my of Gym Trainers and junior scientists. You'd only get a bunch of fools otherwise."
  
  Shelly shrugged, "Unfortunately that's not up to me. The HR team handles all of that, and they're back in Hoenn. I don't really have a say in that."
  
  "Then let's just hope you get lucky then." Blaine remarked, "Anyways, now that you're both here, I want to show you the thing I mentioned earlier. Come this way." The two of us followed him into his offices, where he took out a heavily secured and reinforced lockbox that looked like it could take an attack or two from a Pokémon and still not be broken open.
  
  But more interestingly, it looked like it was built for thermal insulation.
  
  "This has been something I've been working on for quite a while." He explained to us as he took out a key and began to unlock the box, "I got distracted for a while with the whole new fad of the PIT technique and with the Fairy evolution, but in a way, both projects gave me an idea on how to finalize this one."
  
  With a loud snap, the box was finally opened to reveal a small red box that I clearly recognized as a Magmarizer. However, what I didn't expect was the fact that the Magmarizer was just exploding with heat. Even at a distance and without even touching it, I could feel the scorching waves radiating off it. Sweat was already beginning to drip down my forehead.
  
  And Shelly was doing even worse, "Arceus, what IS that?!" She exclaimed as she fanned herself with her hand. "Why is it so hot?!"
  
  Blaine just shot us both a smirk; he was barely affected by the heat. "This is the culmination of all my research into creating a special evolution item for Fire types. I call it the Magmarizer!"
  
  Shelly's eyes turned wide, even as sweat continued to pour down her face, "That's...quite the discovery..." She spoke through panted breaths, "How did...you manage it? Also, could you...please put that away...I'm dying here." She continued to fan herself as her tongue lolled out.
  
  "Bah, bunch of weaklings." He taunted with a chuckle, but he did put away the box. I didn't know what kind of material that box was made out, but to be able to resist the sheer heat of the Magmarizer was very impressive. That was some quality material!
  
  Luckily, as soon as the Magmarizer was stored away, the room no longer felt as swelteringly hot as it just did; and the temperature dropped to something far more comfortable.
  
  Arceus, that thing was hot.
  
  "Thank you." Shelly said as she took a swig of water from the water cooler, "So, do you know what you could use it for? And how did you even make it?"
  
  "Naturally, otherwise I wouldn't have called it the Magmarizer. Didn't you like the pun?" He replied with a smirk.
  
  I got it, but clearly Shelly didn't because she was still giving Blaine a confused look. Blaine sighed, "It's a pun on Magmar. You get it? Magmarizer?"
  
  Shelly facepalmed, "Really?! You're going to name your discovery after a PUN?!"
  
  Blaine shrugged, "Hey, I discovered it. I get to name it!" He chuckled to himself, "Anyways, to answer your other question and summarize things a little, I got my Fire types to help me heavily condense some magma into that box you just saw. The whole thing took some serious and meticulous effort on my Pokémon's part to condense together. It's practically just an entire block of condensed and refined magma, so I'd really not recommend touching it with your bare hands unless you want to seriously burn yourself."
  
  Suddenly, I remembered my earlier thoughts on the Cinnabar eruption, "Wait, how did you extract the magma to make this?" I asked urgently.
  
  "I just used my Pokémon to assist me with the gathering process. It was nothing special." He looked at me curiously, "Why do you ask?"
  
  "I mean, is it wise to be poking around with a potentially active volcano?" I questioned seriously. "Seems like you're just playing with fire there." I accidentally made a pun.
  
  "HAH! Good one!" He laughed, "But don't worry about that kid, when it comes to playing with fire, I'm the best there is. Thank you for the concern, but even if the volcano does erupt, we've plenty of measures to buy us time to evacuate. I might not look it, but I still uphold my duties as Gym Leader seriously. Everyone will be fine." He finished with confidence.
  
  Seeing the look of confidence he had, I swallowed whatever I had to say and just nodded. I recognized that Blaine was unmovable at this moment. And to be fair, I would be the same in his position. He WAS right about the plethora of early warning signals around Cinnabar to warn of a potential eruption.
  
  "Maybe you could double check those systems to make sure they function correctly." I tried, "An eruption would be...bad."
  
  Blaine paused for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, sure. I guess you're right that we should check up on the warning systems." Blaine fortunately agreed, "I'll have a look when I have some free time." I shot him a relieved smile, glad that he was at least doing SOMETHING.
  
  In the meanwhile, Shelly was carefully observing the Magmarizer, inspecting it from different angles. "And I assume the thing works?" She asked.
  
  "Naturally, wouldn't have been so confident to show you otherwise. See for yourselves." He grabbed a Pokéball off his belt before releasing a Pokémon into the room.
  
  A large red figure emerged into the office, immediately causing the temperature to rise up once again. It was an intimidating figure, with small plumes of fire spewing out of its two long cannon arms. But it was also solidly muscled, looking like it was ready to brawl if it came to it. A natural mix of firepower and brawn.
  
  There was no doubting the raw potential that radiated out of this Pokémon. And I was confident that, with just a little bit more effort, it could turn into something REALLY powerful.
  
  "It looks like you got your new Ace." I said to Blaine, who grinned back at me.
  
  "It really is a powerful thing, isn't it?" He remarked proudly, "It's called a Magmortar. And I've already done a few tests with it. Magmortar here still needs some more training before it really becomes an Ace, but let's just say that it meets my expectations and more."
  
  "It definitely looks like it." Shelly commented as she continued inspecting the new Pokémon, "Looks like it could beat my team by itself. Not that I'm a strong trainer or anything."
  
  "HAH! If I had this evolution back when I was an Elite Four?! I would have been more than just second fiddle to Agatha." He boasted, seeming VERY pleased with himself about this evolution.
  
  I didn't blame him; if I was a fire specialist too I would have been ecstatic.
  
  Shelly and I seemed to let Blaine show off his new Pokémon for a little while, not wanting to ruin his moment. After a few minutes of letting him continue to ramble, Blaine finally seemed to have gotten it all out of his system.
  
  Eventually, he withdrew his Magmortar and let out a sheepish cough as he realized that we had been indulging him. "Ehem. Sorry about that. Got too heated for a moment there. HAH!"
  
  He must have been numbed us to his puns by this point, because we both barely batted an eye at his most recent one. Seeing a complete lack of reaction on our part, Blaine continued onwards, "Anyways, besides showing off the Magmarizer to you, which I hope to be publicizing and distributing soon, I had hoped to start a new project that we could cooperate on. If that still sounds like something you both want to be doing?"
  
  "I should have the time for that." I replied, before looking to Shelly, who nodded back as well. "Actually, before we talk about that, I wanted to discuss the Fairy type project."
  
  Both of them grew concerned, "What's wrong? Something the matter?"
  
  I hurriedly waved them off their concerns, "No, no, sorry it's not like that." They quickly relaxed, "I meant that I just wanted to know when I could speak to Lance about the upcoming consequences of the Fairy reveal so that we could prepare for it."
  
  "I have no problem with that. You, Blaine?" Shelly shrugged as she turned to Blaine.
  
  As expected, Blaine was gritting his teeth at my question. Clearly, he had a response on the tip of his tongue that he was holding back. After a moment, he managed to grumble out, "What do you need to speak to him for?"
  
  "The impending invasion of Mt. Moon by overenthusiastic and reckless trainers." I pointed out, "I've already hinted at something happening to the mayor, but I need Lance's express permission to mobilize more of the Indigo Police to protect the area. I fear that the ecosystem of Clefairy would be irreparably damaged otherwise."
  
  "Yes, you mentioned it before." He said with a sigh, and I could see the moment where he let go of his instinctual hate. "Fine. Go speak with him. Samuel already gave his approval to it anyways."
  
  "Any idea when we're going to be publishing the Fairy type?" Shelly asked. "No rush though, just wanted to know."
  
  Blaine shrugged, "No clue, but it's up to Samuel. He should still be confirming a few things."
  
  "Then I'll make the call once I've double checked with Oak again." I nodded. "Anyways, what did you want to cooperate on?" I returned to our previous topic.
  
  "Two things really." He began, raising a finger, "One, I wanted to be able to sell the Magmarizer once everything gets tested. I didn't do this for the profit, but I might as well now that I've actually created it. And Devon Corp and Silph Co would likely be eager buyers of something like this."
  
  "I don't actually have the authority to do something-" I started to say, only to be cut off.
  
  "Sure, sure, but everyone knows you're friends with Giovanni." He interrupted, "I've worked with him on a few things before. Just float the suggestion to him, and he should be able to take care of the rest."
  
  Huh, I wasn't aware that Blaine was knowledgeable of Giovanni's true power in Silph Co. Must have forgotten that detail. Then again, it could just be that Blaine was more knowledgeable than his mad science appearance made him seem.
  
  Shelly broke me away from my introspection as she nodded, "I can do that. In fact, I would love to get a better idea of how you've accomplished this. I was thinking maybe we could try to create alternate versions of the Magmarizer with different types."
  
  "I did think of that." Blaine agreed, "That was actually the next thing I wanted to work on. I have all the notes here for us to use which should give us a head start, but I felt that working together on this could save some time and provide some immediate funding."
  
  I spoke up at this point, "Okay, I understand. But, no offense intended, what do you need ME for? I'm not exactly in a position to provide funding or anything. And I'm not actually a scientist." I pointed to Shelly, "Not like she is."
  
  "That's true. And, admittedly, you hit the nail on the head there." Blaine remarked, "Strictly speaking, your help wouldn't be necessary for the completion of this project, though I'm sure having you help would prove valuable in some way or another."
  
  "Then why have me on board if that means sharing the credit?" I asked, confused.
  
  "Son, I'm an old man trying to live out until retirement, it's a little too late for me to be caring about something like 'credit'." He stated, as he straightened up with his arms behind his back, "Sure, I would like to be praised and rewarded for my efforts, but I don't need to hog it all for myself. Besides, my main motivation for all these discoveries is because I truly want to be able to uncover more of the mysteries behind Pokémon; to push the limits of what we know even further."
  
  "However, the other reason I wanted you to join was because I felt that I owed you for bringing us on board for the Fairy project." He told me, eyes locked onto mine, "We both know that the only person you really needed was Samuel. The rest of us were just extra additions. No offense intended, Shelly."
  
  "None taken." She replied easily, "I understood that as well."
  
  I moved to protest, but Blaine cut me off, "So what if I bring you onto this project for little gain? I don't particularly mind. I guarantee that whatever we discover here is not nearly going to be as big of a deal as discovering a whole new type. And besides, I'm sure having your assistance with this matter will help us in some way or another. Especially with all those connections of yours."
  
  I sighed, realizing I wasn't winning this argument, "Thank you. Then I'll be glad to help." I smiled while performing a short bow, "But I promise I'll work to earn my due."
  
  "Then welcome aboard." He smiled at me, "We can get started on this right away. And John, there's no need to thank me. We're all friends here." Shelly nodded in agreement. Then Blaine moved to pull out some chairs as he moved over to his desk and computer, "Come, take a seat. We'll start by going over my notes."
  
  And thus, the three of us spent the afternoon deep in research as we began to discuss and share our ideas on how we could create an alternate type of a Magmarizer equivalent. I added my two cents, hinting towards the possibility of creating an Electrizer, but making sure that I was careful to not give anything directly away.
  
  And although some of the topics we discussed were far beyond my intellectual capacity to understand, I still found the whole thing to be strangely relaxing.
  
  Day turned to night as I unknowingly spent the rest of the day hard at work with the two of them. I made sure to treasure it. After all, I was going to have to reveal the big news to Lance tomorrow.
  
  I wonder how he'd react.
  
  A.N. Definitely a slower chapter this time, but I hope it set up some nice plot points that'll take place in the future.
  
  And yes, Karen v Steven IS HAPPENING! And there's more jolly cooperation between Blaine, John, and Shelly. Hope you guys liked the interactions!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 7-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Zigzagoon
  
  The New Normal - 7-6 - A Learning Moment
  
  Not wanting to accidentally forget about it, I called to double check with Oak as soon as I woke up the very next day to check that I could actually speak to Lance about it. He quickly gave his approval and mentioned that he had already spoken to Carolina as well, who was also okay with it. He further informed me that he was looking to publish the Fairy reveal in a week's time while he went through all the final checks and reviews.
  
  He did apologize by saying that the delay was due to wanting to check through his findings again to make sure he didn't miss anything. He was especially concerned about the fact that he didn't find a single Fairy type in Sinnoh out of all the Pokémon that Carolina brought him, and wanted to double check that he didn't make a mistake somewhere. But I was quick to respond that there was nothing to worry about; we all had no problems with him wanting to make sure things were thorough.
  
  With that conversation done, I moved to call Lance. Though, in hindsight, I may have called him a little too early because I could hear him yawning through the phone.
  
  "...Lance here." He said with a sleepy voice. He must have just woken up.
  
  "Sorry for calling you so early, but I do have something important to talk about." I said apologetically.
  
  He sighed, "Go ahead...it feels like the workload keeps piling up these days." He muttered to himself, "So, what's the matter?"
  
  "I need you to keep this a secret." I began seriously, "And that means no telling this to ANYONE. Not your family, not the other Gym Leaders or Elite Four, and definitely not the Committee. I know it's a lot to ask, but can you do this for me?"
  
  "That's quite the thing to drop on someone." He remarked as I could feel the sleepiness leaving him, "What is it that you're working on?"
  
  "I'm not doing it alone. I've had the help of Professor Oak, Gym Leader Blaine, Head Researcher Carolina of the Celestic Town Research Centre, and Branch Head Shelly of the Indigo Branch of Devon Corp." I stated, namedropping a few very big names on him to hopefully demonstrate the importance of what we were doing.
  
  It seemed to have worked because Lance had momentarily fallen silent. "...I see." He managed to say after a moment, clearly taken aback by the collective prestige of the participants. "Alright, if Champion Oak says so, then I'm not about to gainsay him. I swear that I will keep this a secret and treat this matter with the utmost seriousness." He swore to me.
  
  "Now, what is it that you need my help with, because I doubt you'd just tell me something like this on a whim." He asked.
  
  "You're right. We do need your help as Champion." I confirmed, "The five of us have been working together to discover a new type, and we've been successful. But we need your help with dealing with the fallout when it does get revealed."
  
  Silence descended on the call again. I thought that I might have just given Lance a heart attack. After a while of continued silence, I genuinely thought Lance had passed out or something.
  
  "Lance, you there?" I asked with concern.
  
  "...I am." He eventually spoke up. "Arceus, this is not something I had expected to hear this early in the morning. Couldn't you have at least waited another half an hour or something?" He grumbled.
  
  He let out a huge breath, "Right, okay, so you discovered a new type. That's already a big deal, but why do you think there's going to be fallout? Did you discover any new Pokémon too?"
  
  "Well...yes and no." I replied, "We only discovered one new Pokémon, but what we DID discover was that plenty of existing Pokémon were actually misclassified. There were many Normal types, for example, that were actually this new type that we've called the 'Fairy' type. Similarly, there are many other Pokémon that were actually a dual type of Fairy plus another type." I explained to him.
  
  "...Shit, okay I can see why that it's a problem." He said after he processed my words, "So the five of you think that there's going to be a rush of eager trainers looking to catch some of these newly reclassified Pokémon."
  
  "Exactly." I nodded, "We fear that there's going to be some serious disruption of public order over the next few days or even weeks after this news goes out. There's a huge risk of these trainers accidentally destroying carefully cultivated ecosystems of Pokémon and their habitats. We can't let that happen."
  
  "How popular do you think this new type is going to be?" He asked prudently, "I mean, will people REALLY be flocking to collect them? Even if its new, if the type matchups aren't very impressive then maybe this new type won't be as popular as you think it might be?"
  
  Oh, this poor summer child. "Fairy types are immune and supereffective against Dragons." Was all I said, ruthlessly tearing away his misplaced optimism.
  
  The sound of a glass shattering on the floor could be heard through his phone. His soul must have shattered alongside it as, despite not being able to see him, I swore that he must have frozen in place. A part of me wished I could see his face right now.
  
  "...Your new type. Is supereffective. And IMMUNE. Against DRAGONS?!" He whisper-shouted at me. The shock and disbelief evident in his voice.
  
  "Yes." I confirmed.
  
  Then there was even more silence. I could hear the poor man's heart restarting. It took a moment, but finally Lance . exe managed to reboot.
  
  "...Fuck." Was all he said as I heard him collapsing into a chair.
  
  Poor Lance, this was a going to be painful series of revelations for him. I didn't know whether to feel bad for him or laugh at his reaction. The schadenfreude was real. To his credit, despite the sheer scale of the revelation that I just dropped on him, he was holding it together. Though it was a close thing.
  
  "...And how many Pokémon are going to be reclassified to include this new type?" He asked hesitantly, as if dreading the answer that I was going to give.
  
  "Maybe around 2 dozen?" I guess-estimated. "As I said, most were previously classified as Normal types but have now since been proven otherwise."
  
  "...Okay, that's less than I feared." He sighed out. "But, if this doesn't breach confidentiality, could you let me know which Pokémon are going to be reclassified?"
  
  I had already discussed this with Oak, so I knew I was in the clear to reveal this. I listed out to him all of the Pokémon that Oak had found. Lance listened to all of this silently, but I could tell that the gears were whirling in his head.
  
  He seemed to have gotten over his initial shock, and now was in full Champion mode preparing to run damage control.
  
  "Okay, I can immediately think of the two greatest areas of concern." He said, fully serious now as all of the earlier shock had completely left his voice. "One, Mt. Moon is a known protected habitat of Clefairy. We can't have trainer run roughshod over that and destroy the delicate ecosystem that they have."
  
  I hummed my agreement, and he continued, "Secondly, I'm going to have to inform my counterparts in Hoenn about this. I don't think Wallace would be happy if we sprung this on him without any warning. I don't think the Ralts line is super rare, but it'd be good to inform him just in case. I'm sure he could keep a secret."
  
  I agreed. Wallace was a more than competent Champion. I had my faith that he wouldn't let things slip like this.
  
  "Now that I think of it, I saw a report on my desk informing me that Mt. Moon was recently moved under the jurisdiction of Cerulean City. I assume that's your doing." He questioned.
  
  "It was, and I've already made my own preparations to possibly minimize the damage done to Mt. Moon after this reveal. But I fear it's not enough." I told him, "That's why I wanted your permission to request for more of the Indigo Police to help out."
  
  "Hmm..." Lance fell into deep thought as he pondered my request, "Give me a moment."
  
  I heard the sounds of a chair scraping on the floor as he got up from his seat. The sounds of papers ruffing could be heard as he flipped through what I assumed were a few reports on his desk.
  
  After a moment, he spoke up once again. "Can I get back to you on this? I appreciate you warning me, but I simply don't have the information on hand right now to tell you if we can allocate more of the Indigo Police over to Mt. Moon."
  
  "I'm sure we have the numbers." He continued, "But I would have to speak to a few other people to get a better handle of the full deployment layout of the Indigo Police. I promise to get back to you by tonight."
  
  "That's fine. I appreciate it." I replied, "Just keep me in touch."
  
  We shared a few more pleasantries before we hung up. Despite his initial shock, which was entirely forgivable considering what I had told him, Lance's ability to pull himself together and come at the problem rationally was another mark in his favour of his capabilities as a Champion.
  
  Still, I hoped I hadn't frightened him too much when I told him that there was going to be a new type running about that was immune to Dragons. The trainer in him must have been panicking.
  
  Hm, I wonder if he was going to make any changes to his team to adjust to this new information. Only time would tell on that one.
  
  But with that discussion over and done with, I remembered that I had other commitments to attend to for the day, though they weren't anything urgent. Thus, I took my time preparing breakfast by myself before eventually heading over to Viridian to speak to Giovanni and Silver.
  
  I was going to fulfil my promise to Silver while also speaking to Giovanni on behalf of Blaine. Hitting two Pidgey with one stone.
  
  Once again, I landed outside the Viridian Gym before making my way inside. At this point, my visits to the Gym had become a frequent enough occurrence that the Gym Trainers just simply nodded at my entrance, not reacting with any more surprise.
  
  Quickly arriving at his office, I swung open the door to find both Giovanni, Ariana and Silver waiting for me.
  
  "Ah, John. You're early." Giovanni looked up from his pile of documents. At the same time, Silver shot up from where he had been studying next to Ariana as soon as he saw me come in.
  
  "Are we here to fight?!" Silver exclaimed excitedly, his previous shyness long forgotten, "I'll be ready to beat you!"
  
  "Calm yourself, Silver, you're tearing up the textbooks." Ariana chided with a tone that knew that her words would fall on deaf ears. She turned to me, "I'm sorry about Silver. He's been especially enthusiastic ever since you offer to battle him."
  
  "I hope I haven't caused you any extra trouble then." I replied smilingly before turning to face Silver, "But yes, Silver, I'm here to fulfil my promise. However, I'm going to need a moment to speak with your dad first."
  
  "Understood. Ariana, would you mind?" Giovanni asked his partner? Wife? I still wasn't really sure on that distinction.
  
  "No fair! I want to listen in too!" Silver complained, but a stern look from Ariana silenced any further complaints. Ariana shot Giovanni a nod before escorting the sulking Silver out of the room.
  
  As soon as Silver left the room, Giovanni's head fell into his hands, "That boy will be the death of me."
  
  I chuckled amusedly, "He's just enthusiastic. And isn't it every child's dream of becoming a strong trainer? I don't believe he's acting unusually."
  
  "I suppose it could be worse." He said with a sigh, "And, in a way, it's my fault for not taking charge of his education sooner. Ariana did her best, but she had a lot to juggle as a single mother."
  
  "...Do you regret it, leaving them by themselves?" I asked hesitantly, suddenly venturing into personal territory.
  
  "...Sometimes." He answered after a moment, "I still maintain that it was likely the best decision at the time. But I'm now more aware of the consequences of such a decision. If I could turn back time...maybe I would have taken a different path." He spoke in a way so unlike his usual confident tone, sounding vulnerable and melancholic. But I was sympathetic; abandoning family could never be easy.
  
  He let out a huge breath, "But enough of my past. What did you want to speak about?"
  
  I accepted the forceful change of topic, "Two things. First, I wanted to make sure you were informed with the situation with Team Rocket." Despite his origins, I had no doubt that Giovanni WAS an ally against Team Rocket now.
  
  "I know about their involvement and flight from Hoenn, as well as their true plans." He said to me with a frown, revealing that his intelligence network was still as strong as before, "They've headed to Sinnoh, right?"
  
  I nodded.
  
  "Damn bastards. Since when in Arceus did Team Rocket associate themselves with fanatics and lunatics looking to end the world?!" He grumbled frustratedly. "We were supposed to be a group that helped the stability of Kanto! Not try to end the world!" I held in my doubts about 'helping the stability of Kanto', but I wouldn't deny their original purpose was at least more sane than what Team Rocket were doing now. Even if that was a very low bar to clear.
  
  "Please keep me in the know regarding them. I don't want the world to end as much as you do. And I don't trust these idiots to have enough of a braincell to NOT doom the world." I just nodded again.
  
  "The International Police seem to be doing good work though." I reassured him.
  
  "Yes, I saw the reports." Giovanni agreed, "They're well trained - I'll give them that. But that's to be expected of Kanto's finest. I can only hope that Hoenn will reciprocate the favour."
  
  "Also, the other thing I wanted to speak to you on behalf of Blaine." I told him, changing the topic.
  
  A smile bloomed on his face, "Blaine? What's he doing now?" He chuckled; his voice tinged with familiarity as his previous anger disappeared. "Another big science project that he's roped you into?"
  
  "Something like that." I replied evasively, not wanting to get into the details of the Magmarizer, "He wanted to discuss the possibility of selling his recent discovery to Silph Co., and you seemed to be the go-to intermediary."
  
  "Ah. This again." He said fondly, "I'll let him know then. I assume that the reason he asked you to deliver the message was because he wanted to inform me of your involvement as well."
  
  "I guess." I shrugged, "Maybe he thought you'd be more receptive if it came from me."
  
  "True enough." Giovanni nodded, "I've worked with Blaine a few times in my capacity as a director of Silph Co. His projects are...hit and miss most of the time."
  
  "Were they failures?" I asked, curious.
  
  "Not exactly." He shook his head, "It's just that while Blaine is undoubtedly a brilliant scientist, he's not much of a businessman. What HE thinks is interesting is not necessarily what the public finds interesting. And ultimately, Silph Co is a BUSINESS, not a research centre. His ideas aren't always the most suitable for our needs."
  
  I could understand that, the interests of businesses and scientists don't always overlap. "Well you can feel free to take a look at his new research item. Honestly, I'm not sure how well it'll sell, since its use case is very specific, but it is an extremely important discovery." I mentioned.
  
  "Is it now? Interesting. Well, I'll definitely have a look." He hummed, "Actually, is Devon Corp looking to be selling this item too? Knowing Blaine, he wouldn't just sell it to us."
  
  "They most likely are." I confirmed, getting a frown from Giovanni.
  
  "Well, that changes things." He muttered, "Anyways, I'll look into it. Now, let's not keep my son waiting. I'm afraid he'll make a scene if we get him to wait too long."
  
  I nodded and followed him out of his office. But instead of bringing me to arena where the Gym battles were hosted, he instead brought me to a private elevator that descended into a hidden basement.
  
  "It looks like some kind of secret lair." I commented. Giovanni let out a cough at my statement, his eyes shifting uncomfortably.
  
  "...There might be a time when it was intended to be used that way, yes." He answered awkwardly, "That time has long since passed though."
  
  Despite myself, I couldn't help but chuckle. Of course, he would build a secret underground facility for his evil plans.
  
  "Looks very dramatic." I pointed out.
  
  "...I was a younger man when I had this built." Giovanni admitted sheepishly, "In hindsight, not my proudest moment." I laughed again.
  
  As we arrived, I was greeted with the sight of a large room that was clearly to be used as a private training facility. Everything was state-of-the-art, which I personally felt was a bit overboard for something that would never see the light of day.
  
  But I guess it wasn't my money to spend. And to be fair, I'm sure that this was hardly a drop in the bucket of Giovanni's wealth.
  
  "You're here!" Silver shouted as he ran up to us, Poké ball in hand. "Let's fight! Let's fight!"
  
  "Sure!" I replied, "How are we doing this though? How many Pokémon do you have, Silver?"
  
  "Just the one." He replied, "Father and mother won't let me have more." He said bitterly.
  
  "You'll get more when you're older." Ariana placated, "But you need to learn how to handle them better first."
  
  "But some of the other kids already have 2 or 3 Pokémon already!" Silver whined, "I want to be as strong as them too!" I wisely stayed silent as I allowed the parental argument to occur.
  
  Giovanni scoffed, "You mean those children with Caterpie and Kakuna and Weedle? You'd crush them easily."
  
  Silver shook his head, "No, but I mean I saw that boy last time with a Ponyta! I want one too!"
  
  "Didn't you beg me to give you a Nidoran?" Giovanni asked with a frown, causing Silver to pout. "I promise you'll get more Pokémon later. Now, let's not waste any more of John's time. Didn't you want to battle him?"
  
  "Oh yeah!" Doing a complete 180 in mood, Silver rushed to the other side of the arena "It's going to be 1v1 John. And I'll crush you!"
  
  I saw Ariana roll her eyes at her son's antics, "Please take it easy on Silver." She muttered to me.
  
  "I will, don't worry." I replied. "How strong would you rate his strength though? Just so I know what to use."
  
  "Nothing particularly special even for an underage trainer." Giovanni commented ruthlessly, "There's a lot of work to be done with him. But that arrogance of his has got to go."
  
  I wisely did not bring up the hypocrisy in that statement, "Sure, I'll try to match his level then."
  
  I wandered over to my side of the arena while Ariana moved to the centre as the unofficial referee.
  
  "Trainers, are you ready?!" She declared, and Silver eagerly stepped forwards in a pitcher's stance as he got ready to release his Pokémon. I just stood casually as I palmed Ornstein's Pokéball.
  
  He might be a little weak to handle a Nidorino, but I might as well make this a training moment for him.
  
  "RELEASE!"
  
  "Nidorino, crush them!"
  
  "Ornstein, maintain your discipline!"
  
  Both Pokémon emerged from their Pokéballs with a running start. But while Ornstein carefully maintained his distance like I taught him to, Nidorino rushed straight towards the weaker Ornstein.
  
  "Poison Sting, Nidorino!"
  
  "Snarl, Ornstein! Keep your distance!"
  
  Not stopping its charge, Nidorino reared backwards before firing off a small volley of poisonous needles towards Ornstein. But Ornstein was already dashing out of the way, continuing to circle around the Nidorino as he responded with a snarl of Dark Energy.
  
  Nidorino, either unable to or uncaring about the attack, simply took it head on. It flinched slightly, but clearly was able to simply shrug off the attack even if it lowered its Special Attack.
  
  "Fury Attack, Nidorino! Chase it down!"
  
  "Snarl again! Keep dodging!"
  
  I wasn't used to this - the power disparity was too tilted in Silver's favour. I was forced on the defensive as Ornstein kept trying to circle away from the charging Nidorino. Even despite landing another Snarl at the approaching Nidorino, Ornstein's attack just lacked any power to halt its approach.
  
  To make things worse, Nidorino was actually slightly faster than Ornstein. Silver seemed to have neglected training Nidorino's evasiveness by focusing heavily on speed and power. And, right now, this blunt method of fighting was paying off.
  
  With Nidorino slowly but surely closing the distance on Ornstein, I knew it was only a matter of time before he was caught. And with such a limited move pool, I didn't have many options to make use of to try and deter Nidorino.
  
  But I still had one trick up my sleeve. I waited patiently as Nidorino continued chasing after my fleeing Ornstein, but just before it could slash at Ornstein with a series of Fury Attacks, I made my move.
  
  "Payback, Ornstein! Hit it hard!"
  
  Dark energy started radiating around Ornstein just as Nidorino caught up to him and slashed at him with its front paws. Ornstein flinched backwards, hurt by the damage, before the dark aura around him exploded and he slammed into the Nidorino with a fully powered Payback.
  
  Nidorino stumbled backwards, reeling from the power of the blow. I quickly followed through.
  
  "Assurance, Ornstein! Smash it!"
  
  "Keep up the Fury Attack! You can tank it!"
  
  But before the Nidorino was able to recover, Ornstein slammed a dark-infused paw that impacted the centre of Nidorino's face, dealing critical damage. Nidorino skidded backwards, crying out in pain, but my gut was screaming at me that it wouldn't be enough to bring it down.
  
  A part of me wanted to pull Ornstein back, but I knew that now was the best opportunity to bring down the Nidorino while it still hadn't fully reoriented itself.
  
  "Headbutt, Ornstein! Knock it down!"
  
  "Horn Attack, Nidorino!"
  
  Unfortunately, I had overestimated Ornstein's power here, because Nidorino recovered much faster than I was expecting. Before I could change the order, Nidorino crashed into Ornstein with a powerful Horn Attack, sending Ornstein flying backwards as his wails of pain echoed throughout the arena.
  
  I winced as I took in Ornstein's condition. As much as I had trained him, Ornstein was still a young and basic Pokémon. His endurance was always going to be poor. With just one attack, Ornstein looked like it was about to fall over. This was bad.
  
  "HAH! I'M GOING TO WIN! HORN ATTACK AGAIN, NIDORINO!" Silver boasted with a smug grin as he cheered his Pokémon on.
  
  However, Silver's taunts seemed to have given Ornstein a second wind as he struggled to but successfully pulled himself off the ground. His face was one of rictus fury, as if completely insulted by Silver's earlier words. His expression screamed that he refused to go down like this. Not in his first proper battle.
  
  I respected my Pokémon's determination. But I knew that determination alone couldn't win a match. Ornstein was swaying slightly even as it stood still, so I knew there was no chance it could outrun the approaching Nidorino.
  
  Thus, there was only one real course of action. It would all be up to him now.
  
  "Payback, Ornstein. It's all up to you now."
  
  "ZIG!" He shouted out in reply. Dark energy rapidly gathered around his small figure, swelling up to a size that I hadn't seen before. His face was one of painful concentration, as he began to channel more Dark energy than I had ever seen before.
  
  Yet Silver seemed ignorant of this, as he stared at Ornstein with a boastful smile, already anticipating his victory. And, true enough, even with all this Dark energy being gathered, it would be all for naught if Ornstein couldn't survive the blow.
  
  But then, just before Nidorino could slam into him, Ornstein seemed to explode with energy. My eyes snapped to him, only to see that a bright white light was expanding outwards from within the haze of Dark energy.
  
  "NO! SMASH IT BEFORE IT EVOLVES!" Silver shouted out in desperation, realizing what was happening.
  
  Nidorino burst forwards with renewed haste, clearly sensing the urgency from its trainer. Ignoring the energy radiating out of the new evolution, it charged straight into the centre of the light as it tried to finish off Ornstein with one last Horn Attack.
  
  The blinding white light of the evolution prevented me from seeing what was happening. But, barely a second later, the cries of Nidorino could be heard as its figure was flung unceremoniously backwards, dark aura still clinging to its body from the attack.
  
  The white light dissipated to reveal my new D-Linoone, his face filled with satisfaction despite its litany of injuries.
  
  "LINOONE! LIN!" He cried out confidently as he stood his ground against the Nidorino, as if daring it to charge him again. But there was no need to, because Nidorino had already been knocked out by the previous attack.
  
  "NO! THAT'S NOT FAIR! HE-"
  
  "AND JOHN IS THE WINNER!" Ariana declared, deliberating interrupting her son's complaints, "A well fought battle!"
  
  I could hear Silver began to complain about his loss, but I ignored him for the moment as I approached my newly evolved Pokémon.
  
  "Well done, Ornstein. That was really impressive." I praised honesty, carefully rubbing his fur as to not aggravate his injuries.
  
  "Lin! Lin!" Ornstein chimed happily, excitedly inspecting his new form. With this new evolution, Ornstein suddenly became a Pokémon that could viably be used in a battle with more training. The increase in his speed from the evolution was an enormous boost to him, and finally unlocked his potential of being one of the fastest Pokémon on my team.
  
  Of course, it'd still be a while before he could matchup against my stronger threats. But at least he and Pixel would be on more even ground now.
  
  "YOU CHEATED!" Silver shouted, interrupting me from my thoughts. I was about to respond before Giovanni cut me off.
  
  "Silver." Giovanni warned sternly, his tone broking no argument as he stared at Silver. "Do not."
  
  Silver stared at his father defiantly, but that only lasted for a moment. His defiance quickly broke down into anger and tears, and he ran off crying. Letting out a sigh, Ariana quickly moved to follow Silver to comfort him.
  
  "I think I'm going to have to deal with this." Giovanni said reluctantly, "I'm sorry, but you could you let yourself out?"
  
  "No worries, hope you get it sorted." I said easily, not wanting to get involved in this family drama.
  
  "Thanks, John. And I'll make sure to speak to Blaine soon." He said before he walked off and chased after his son.
  
  I made my way out too, filled with thoughts about the ups and downs of fatherhood. Once again, I wished Giovanni all the best with Silver. He seems to be trying, but suddenly entering Silver's life as his father after abandoning him for so long must not have been an easy task.
  
  As I got onto Port to return home, I quickly shook those thoughts out my head. My main priority right now was to get Ornstein all healed up, and to show off his new evolution to the rest of my team.
  
  I can't wait to see what he's capable of now.
  
  A.N. Writing Silver is hard. He's not the arrogant, thuggish brat that he's in the games, but I can imagine that he'd have plenty of father issues considering Giovanni ditched him for so long. They're trying to repair things, but it's very slow going.
  
  In the meanwhile, John casually gives Lance a mini heart attack in the morning. Always fun.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-6 - Interlude - Karen
  The New Normal - 7-6 - Interlude - Karen
  
  "Okay, is everyone ready for the night?" She asked with a smile, trying to conceal her tiredness as she addressed the youngest of Brock's siblings.
  
  "Yesh!" The little ones replied with toothy grins. With a satisfied smile, she playfully chased after them as she escorted them to bed.
  
  She didn't have to do this; she was only supposed to be the temporary Gym Leader, AND she had a battle against Sidney soon. She was not their mother, not when she was barely a few years older than Brock.
  
  But she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she left it all to Brock to handle all of his many siblings. Yes, she was tired to the point of exhaustion, but seeing the little smiles that the young ones gave her was all the reward she needed.
  
  Even Agatha, big grouch that she was, didn't stop her from helping out. And she secretly knew that Agatha tried to buy them things when she wasn't looking.
  
  'Not so cold hearted after all.' She chuckled to herself as she made sure to tidy up after the little ones before she left their room, only to be stopped by Brock.
  
  "You don't have to do this." He said to her once again. He had repeated this statement many a time, but her response would always be the same.
  
  "It's okay, I want to." She replied patiently, ruffling his hair. He stared at her, trying to express his annoyance, but she knew that he was just trying to conceal his embarrassment. She held back the urge to laugh; she didn't want to step on his dignity any more than she already was.
  
  "Have a good night, Karen!" Yolanda called out from the sofa where she was watching TV. It wasn't just her on there, her other brothers, Salvadore and Forrest, were also squished up against her. All sharing one TV on a sofa that hardly fit in the room.
  
  Karen waved them all goodbye as she hid her frown at the sight of the siblings all cramped up together in their too-small house. One day, she swore to herself, she was going to help them move into a bigger house. If Agatha wasn't planning on doing that already.
  
  Damn their parents. Their house was a perfect size for a NORMAL family, but not for TEN CHILDREN! What the fuck were Flint and Lola thinking having 10 children!?
  
  They probably weren't thinking very much at all, in all honesty.
  
  And yet, after having so many bloody children, the two of them decided to fucking run off on them. That really brought up some really unpleasant memories that Karen would very much have liked to suppress. But if she ever got her hands on the either of them, she was going to feed them to her Houndoom.
  
  Her blood boiled just thinking about it.
  
  She walked the long way back to the Gym just so that she could cool herself down. If there was anything good that came out of their parents' recklessness, was that all of their children were good kids. Innocent, respectful, and polite. Brock had a huge weight on his shoulders, far too much for a 13-year-old kid to bear, and yet he was doing his best to shoulder the burden, never once complaining about it.
  
  She sighed. Even then, she felt that Brock was forced to grow up too fast. But at least he was doing an admirable job of it.
  
  "You're brooding." Agatha suddenly spoke up, and Karen realized she had already arrived back at the Gym in her absent-minded wandering.
  
  "Just thinking of the kids." She admitted with a frown. One that was soon shared by Agatha.
  
  "Hmph. You're getting too attached." She remarked, but Karen knew that she was just putting on a façade. Agatha cared as much as she did.
  
  John tried, but he didn't understand. Not really. For all that he suffered through due to poverty, he still had the unconditional love of his family. That was more than many others had. Not that she blamed him, of course, but she couldn't deny being slightly envious of his familial relationships.
  
  "...Perhaps. But if not me, then who?" She finally said, the sadness leaking from her tone. And wasn't that the depressing truth. Even after all they had already went through, Brock and his siblings were STILL at risk of losing the Gym. The improvements done by Karen and Agatha would not be credited to them, so they would still have to prove themselves to be capable of running the Gym when Brock reached his majority.
  
  She could only hope that the improvements that they made would make that job easier for Brock. Karen had already pre-written a glowing review of Brock's performance thus far. It was the least she could do, though she feared that it might not be enough.
  
  "It's good that you care." Agatha replied uncharacteristically softly, lacking her usual grouchiness.
  
  Karen sighed; of course she cared. The little ones reminded her all too well of her own past and abandonment. And even if she couldn't do much, she would do her best to ensure that they wouldn't feel as bad as she did back then.
  
  Agatha, almost as if she could read her mind, stayed silent as she simply stared at her with a concerned look in her eyes. Karen appreciated the care, but she didn't want to be pitied about this right now.
  
  "You want to buy something for them tomorrow?" She suddenly blurted out, "I mean, we could buy them something nice for dinner or something."
  
  "...Sure. Why not. The little ones have worked hard enough." Agatha replied after a moment, nodding her head.
  
  The two of them just sat in silence for a moment, the silence communicating their emotion well enough.
  
  Eventually, Agatha broke the silence. "How are your preparations going for your match against Sidney?"
  
  "It's been doing well. I've studied up hard, and I think I have the beginnings of a plan in place." She replied, thankful for yet another change in topic to something that was less emotional.
  
  "Good. This match will propel you to new heights if you can win. It'll give you an opportunity to stand on your two feet." Agatha remarked with a nod. "Your victory would cement your status as THE up-and-coming Dark type specialist, and my plans could advance all the quicker."
  
  Then Agatha sighed, exposing a rare moment of weakness as it became her turn to be emotional. Something she really only did when it just the two of them. "I don't know have much time left...I can only hope you can succeed me in time."
  
  Karen only nodded, understanding the words that Agatha was not saying. They both tried to hide it, but they were both painfully aware of the borrowed time that Agatha was on. Agatha's age was catching up on her, and the reminder of Agatha's mortality was a bitter one.
  
  Her fists clenched tightly as her eyes narrowed defiantly.
  
  She would win. She HAD to repay Agatha for all that she had done for her; for all of the training and opportunities that Agatha had provided her that she was lucky enough to receive. She WOULD succeed here, because she needed to continue on Agatha's legacy, just as she knew Agatha wanted her to.
  
  She would do it for Agatha. For the woman that picked up some orphaned kid and raised her like a daughter.
  
  A.N. I had been planning to write a chapter like this for quite some time. I've hinted at this throughout the story, but Karen and Agatha are family, in every way that matters. And Karen, likely due to her past, has an incredibly soft spot for children. I hope you enjoyed this.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-7 - INTERLUDE-Whitney
  Whitney's Team:
  
  Miltank
  
  Loudred
  
  Jigglypuff
  
  Noctowl
  
  The New Normal - 7-7 - INTERLUDE - Whitney
  
  Although they had decided to visit the Safari Zone, they had chosen to take the slower, but more scenic route to get there. The views were too good to pass up on, and they really needed the break anyways. So the three of them simply took their time to explore and see the many fantastic sights of Johto.
  
  And what a sight it was.
  
  If Whitney were to list every single thing that awed and wowed her during her slow trip towards the Safari Zone, she'd never be able to stop. But instead, she'd chosen to stick to the truly memorable moments during her texts to her family.
  
  One of the major highlights was easily Ecruteak City. It was a city that just radiated with culture and history; and everything there seemed to be steeped in tradition. Kanto had Fuschia City and their ninjas, of course, but in Whitney's opinion, Ecruteak was the far more interesting and awe-inspiring sight.
  
  And that wasn't even including the Kimono girls. Ninjas were cool and all, but the Kimono girls were something completely special. There was just this unmistakable feeling of tranquillity whenever they performed their dance. Even Janine, despite her best attempts to hide it, was impressed, to her unsuccessfully hidden shame.
  
  Whitney had to spend quite a while telling Janine that it was okay to think a different city was cooler than your own. Arceus - for the better half of her life she had to live with the fact that she was born to the one city that had nothing really special going for it besides some water shows.
  
  At least she heard that her brother was changing things up now. Maybe Cerulean City would feel very different when she went back home? That would be cool.
  
  Aside from Ecruteak though, the other really cool place to visit for her was Olivine. She was most certainly being biased, but she was very interested in seeing the place where her brother fought off all those Team Rocket grunts.
  
  She and her friends had even posed next to the small plaque that was built next to the ramp that her brother had stood on as he fended off the hordes of Team Rocket Pokémon, honouring the charitable donation made by both him and Giovanni. She giggled pretty hard as she sent him the photo.
  
  This was also one of those times where she was very glad she looked nothing like her brother; her brother was unsurprisingly very respected here and she didn't want to get swarmed by those trying to thank her in her brother's place.
  
  She appreciated praise, but not when it was unearned.
  
  While they were there, Sabrina suddenly asked a very interesting question. She asked HOW they would have defended the ramp with their Pokémon if it was them. This turned out to be quite the enlightening moment for the three of them, for different reasons.
  
  Even if they assumed that their Pokémon were all at the Elite level, like John's were, they understood that they would have struggled to hold the ramp like that. In Whitney's case, against THAT many Pokémon, she simply didn't have enough hard hitters that could sweep through a horde like that.
  
  Yes, Loudred could evolve into an Exploud and get stronger, but she really needed another Pokémon that could fulfil the role of a heavy hitter on her team. Likewise for her friends, they also realized they needed to make some changes too. Sabrina recognized that she needed another Pokémon that could really hold the line as a frontliner, aside from her newly caught Slowpoke, and Janine needed a Pokémon that could actually brawl without relying on evasion, as you couldn't rely on dodging when you were outnumbered to this extent.
  
  Whitney was glad that everyone took these revelations positively and used them as goals to strive towards. Even with her limited experience as a trainer, she felt that always being to look ahead and stay optimistic was always one of the traits of a good trainer.
  
  Anyways, after all their travels throughout the western half of Johto, they had finally arrived at the Johto Safari Zone. But instead of going inside, they decided to make camp just outside like so many other trainers have done.
  
  According to what John had told her, which was corroborated by what she read online, the Safari Zone was a little bit of a scam. 500 Pokédollars was not the most expensive entrance fee, especially not after their Gym winnings and their own personal wealth, but considering that even catching a single Pokémon inside the Safari Zone couldn't be guaranteed before your time was over? That sounded like a quick way to lose all your money for very little gain.
  
  So instead, they did the smarter thing and camped outside in the designated camping area where many of the Pokémon that you could catch in the Safari Zone could also be found. The campsite was specifically built there to accommodate the extra trainers that frequently came to the Safari Zone in order to prevent them from overcrowding the Pokécenter. That way, they could escape paying the entrance fee and they'd also be able to catch the Pokémon at their leisure, without having to worry about any time limits.
  
  It was a bit of a loophole, but no one seemed to be doing anything about it. So they didn't bother caring about it either.
  
  And with a Pokéshop, Pokécenter, and a food store nearby, they could stay here forever if they so choose. And for the better half of a week, that's what they did. They even had public showers that, while not ideal, meant that they could at least stay clean during their stay here.
  
  At first, they just spent time looking around, seeing what kinds of Pokémon were available and in what quantities. The internet helped, but there was nothing like seeing and getting a feel for it yourselves.
  
  And there were quite a few Pokémon that drew their collective interest. Whitney wanted a Tauros, Sabrina a Girafarig, and Janine a Nidoran of either gender. They were all Pokémon that, after their realizations at Olivine, they felt could hope round off and better balance their teams.
  
  And after sufficient scouting and some simple training sessions with their Pokémon to ensure that their skills didn't decay, they all set off individually to find and hopefully catch their desired Pokémon.
  
  Whitney had set off to the west of the Safari gate, near the forests. She had seen a couple of Tauros hanging around that area the previous day, so she hoped that she could hopefully persuade one to join.
  
  She had done her research and knew that wild Tauros, as in ones that weren't bred specifically for farming, were a lot bulkier and ornerier than their domestic counterparts. Both very useful traits when it came to battling.
  
  Unfortunately, her enthusiasm to seek out a Tauros did not translate into any tangible gains. After spending what was likely the better half of an afternoon slowly and carefully trudging her way through the forest, she couldn't find a single Tauros. Oh, she found a couple of other rare Pokémon like a Vulpix and Hoppip, and a Pineco almost knocked her on the head, but no Tauros.
  
  She had even released her Miltank as both as an obstacle remover as well as a show of strength to hopefully attract a Tauros, but no luck. They had either hidden away or had left the area.
  
  After giving it a few more hours, she eventually headed back to her camp. Despite her failure, she didn't let herself become disappointed; it was only the first real day of searching after all. And they had plenty of time anyways.
  
  As she returned to their campsite, it was already late in the evening, and Sabrina and Janine were already back and cooking up some food.
  
  "No luck." Sabrina said as a statement before she could, then frowned as Sabrina realized she must have instinctively read Whitney's mind again. Whitney didn't mind this time.
  
  "No luck." Whitney repeated as she settled down with the two of them. She took a whiff of herself and scrunched her nose; she really needed to shower.
  
  "I didn't find anything either." Sabrina remarked, trying to comfort her. "Only Janine got lucky."
  
  "You did?!" Whitney exclaimed excitedly as she turned to her friend, "What did you get?! Come on, show!"
  
  With some hesitance, Janine withdrew a Pokéball and threw it, releasing a small figure next to her.
  
  "Nido? Ran?" The little female thing squeaked adorably, causing Whitney to squee happily.
  
  "She's so cute!" She almost ran over to hug the small Pokémon, but a reminder of how bad she smelt stopped her in her tracks. Ew.
  
  "Found her near the bridge trying to fetch some water." Janine explained, trying but failing to keep a smile from forming on her face, "She seemed shy at first, but I managed to persuade her after releasing my Ariados. Apparently, my Ariados was the strongest thing she had ever seen here, and she wanted to join because of that."
  
  Whitney didn't find that surprising; it was a common enough occurrence. Strength was something most Pokémon aspired to have, and Janine was certainly far from a 'common' trainer.
  
  As it was already getting late, they ended their cooing over Janine's new Pokémon early as Whitney quickly went to clean herself off before returning for a nice, relaxing dinner, only after which they all were tucked in to sleep in their sleeping bags. The very next day, the three of them went back on the hunt again, only this time Janine was looking to train up her newly caught Nidoran on a few easy battles.
  
  Unfortunately, luck was not on Whitney's side once again. After a full day of drudgery, all she had to show for it was a few glimpses of a small herd of Tauros before they ran off too far for Whitney to catch up on them.
  
  The next day went even worse. She had managed to finally catch up to a Tauros, and had gotten her Miltank to try to talk to him in order to convince him to join the team. But the Tauros simply snorted at her, before running off to rejoin the herd. The Tauros didn't even spare her a glance as he galloped off.
  
  At this point, Whitney was getting pretty disappointed. She was beginning to suspect that the Tauros living here just weren't interested in joining up with a trainer. They probably were content with living within their herds and did not want to separate from them.
  
  Her disappointment must have been fairly obvious because Sabrina immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she sat down for dinner.
  
  "It's not your fault." She tried to comfort, but all Whitney let out was a sigh.
  
  "...Thanks, Sabie, I know." She said, unable to keep the tone of defeat out of her voice, "There was nothing I could have done...Still, I WAS pretty excited to catch a Tauros. I guess you don't always get lucky."
  
  "Try again tomorrow?" Janine suggested, awkwardly trying not to bring up her own successes into the conversation.
  
  But Whitney shook her head, "No...I don't think these Tauros are interested in joining up with anyone. Maybe I'll just follow one of you tomorrow or something. Wish you luck that way."
  
  The conversation fell silent at that. Whitney frowned as she never intended to make things awkward like that. She tried to revive the conversation, but Janine spoke up before she did.
  
  "What do you girls all want to do in the future?" She asked suddenly.
  
  Sabrina shot her a weird look, "Succeed my parents at the Gym. Like you would." She replied as if it was obvious.
  
  Janine blushed, "That's...I meant what do you want to do BEFORE that? Would you want to challenge the Indigo Conference?"
  
  Whitney blinked. She hadn't really thought of that. She always wanted to be as great of a trainer as her brother, but she didn't really think about how'd she reach that. She had just been focused on training up her Pokémon to be as powerful as they could be.
  
  But DID she want to challenge the Indigo Conference? She had a good understanding of her brother's and Karen's strength and knew she was nowhere close to reaching them. It would take far more than a year for her to be a worthy opponent for them.
  
  "...It would be good to try." She replied eventually, "I don't really have anything better to do. We probably won't get very far, but I'm sure we'll learn a lot from the experience."
  
  Sabrina nodded, "I agree. We might have had success with the Gyms so far, but we struggled against your father, Janine, and he was only the 5th Badge. We definitely won't get that far in the Indigo Conference, but we will get stronger from our struggles."
  
  "That's a good plan." Janine replied, and the three of them collectively agreed to give it a shot.
  
  "Then what do you two plan to do after getting all the badges?" Janine asked again, "I assume Sabrina is going to help out at her Gym, same as me, but what about you Whitney?"
  
  Whitney frowned again as she thought over the question. Once again, she hadn't considered it. And it was a good question too; if she wanted to keep up her training then she'd need to secure some sort of income if she didn't want to rely on her parents or brother's money. She'd need a job or some form of steady income if she wanted to sustain her training.
  
  The problem was she didn't know where that money would come from.
  
  And then suddenly, Sabrina dropped the perfect answer for her. "Why don't you work at a Gym? One of ours?"
  
  It was like something had clicked in place in her brain. "THAT'S PERFECT!" She shouted out excitedly, "That would be so nice if we could work together! And that way, we can stay in close contact! Oh, and maybe I can rotate from your Gym to Janine's every once in a while! That way I can spend time with both of you!"
  
  Janine held a finger up to her chin, "...I don't think Father would mind. He has expressed...interest in you as a trainer. I think he would be happy to see you work there, assuming you can meet his high expectations and standards."
  
  "I think similarly." Sabrina joined in. "I know my parents would be very happy to have you. They were very happy to meet you as my friend. They thought you could take care of me." Sabrina blushed a little at the confession, "They should have no problem accepting you."
  
  Whitney grinned as she pulled the both of them into a tight hug, squeezing them in appreciation. "Thanks girls! I'm so excited to work as a Gym Trainer. It's going to be so different working on the other side of things."
  
  She wondered what kind of Gym Trainer she'd be. Would she be like one of those nice ones that were always helpful and gave out tips whenever she defeated someone? Or would she try to be as strong as possible to forcefully encourage trainers to do better?
  
  Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, she felt a sudden force grabbing hold of her as she was forcefully separated from her friends.
  
  "You stink." Sabrina said, using her psychic powers to hold her at arm's length while she held her nose with the other. Janine, the traitor, was nodding alongside her.
  
  Whitney pouted, "You hugged me first! So I thought it'd be okay!" But her arguments apparently fell on deaf ears. Grumbling, she went to clean herself off before eventually settling down for the night, her earlier disappointments long forgotten. She went to sleep dreaming of happy thoughts as she imagined what she would be like as a Gym Trainer.
  
  The next day, she had her friends rock-paper-scissors to decide who'd she join. A quick victory later, which she was pretty sure that Sabrina got by cheating, she followed after Sabrina in her hunt for a Girafarig.
  
  Sabrina had explained to her that she had found a few lazing about near the edges of the forest, which is where they were headed to now. Sabrina hoped that, by following the tracks, she'd hopefully be led to where the Girafarig were idly grazing about and get an opportunity to catch one of them.
  
  They walked slowly, but carefully, as they made their way there. Both of them had a Pokémon out, their Miltank and Kadabra respectively, both as a demonstration of their skills and potential as a trainer while also serving as a display of force to scare off the weaker Pokémon from harassing them.
  
  After an unknown amount of time walking silently, Sabrina suddenly halted and held out a hand to stop Whitney.
  
  "Something's wrong." She whispered as her eyes glowed slightly, a tell-tale sign that she was using her Psychic powers.
  
  Whitney's eyes darted around as well, trying to find out what was wrong. But all she could see was more of the same, a dense forest with a few Weedle and Caterpie minding their own business. She didn't know what the fuss was about.
  
  But before she could ask Sabrina, she suddenly grabbed hold of Whitney's arm before dashing towards a small opening in the trees. Taken by surprise, Whitney nearly tripped over a fallen twig as she was dragged along by Sabrina.
  
  "W-What's going on?!" She asked Sabrina, her panic rising at her sudden movement. Behind them, Miltank was hovering over protectively as she too scanned the surroundings.
  
  "A fight." Was Sabrina's answer as the entered the clearing. And sure enough, Whitney was met with the sight of a pair of Girafarig huddled close to each other as they were stared down by a herd of angry Tauros. They were slowly backing away while their horns flashed with the occasional burst of Psychic energy, trying to deter the Tauros away.
  
  It wasn't working. The Tauros, as if in sync, all let out a dismissive snort as they stepped forwards, inching ever closer to the retreating Girafarig. The pair of Girafarig, despite appearing strong, were no match when completely outnumbered by Tauros like this.
  
  And then suddenly, a Tauros charged forwards. This began a domino effect where all the other Tauros quickly joined in, forming a small stampede that descended upon the pair of Girafarig.
  
  Without even thinking about it, both Sabrina and her charged in, their Pokémon quickly following after her, as they went to protect the Girafarig from the mini avalanche of Tauros. Not needing to utter a command, the lead Tauros was forcefully halted in its tracks as a powerful Psychic slammed into him, knocking him out of his charge and causing him to fall over.
  
  However, as the Tauros was in the very front, as soon as it fell over, this caused the other Tauros that were charging forwards behind him to trip over his fallen figure, causing a cascading effect that practically broke the charge in one fell swoop.
  
  Not wanting Sabrina to do all the work, she quickly commanded Miltank to join in.
  
  "Rush in, Mitank! Help them out!"
  
  With a bellowing moo, Miltank rushed into the fray and, in a whirlwind of disciplined violence, assisted Kadabra in knocking out the many fallen Tauros that scattered around the clearing. Within mere seconds, and a whole lot of fists and blasts of Psychic to the face, the entire herd of Tauros had been knocked out, with nary a scratch on any of their Pokémon.
  
  "Phew. That was a lucky hit, Sabrina. Who knew they'd fall over like that?" Whitney said as she wiped some sweat off her brow.
  
  "I did." Sabrina said matter-of-factly, but Whitney was familiar enough with her to tell that she was being smug about it.
  
  Rolling her eyes at Sabrina's antics, Whitney decided to ignore her for the moment as she went to check up on the pair of Girafarig.
  
  "You doing okay?" She asked the two of them. They both nodded at her, causing Whitney to smile, "That's good. That wasn't a very fair fight of them. Why were the Tauros after you two anyways?"
  
  "Giraf! Far! Girafarig!" One of the Girafarig explained, with the other nodding along in agreement. She didn't understand what they were saying, but fortunately she had Miltank to play translator.
  
  "Mil. Tank. Tank." Miltank translated to her, basically explaining that the Tauros were getting ornery and were looking for a fight. And amongst the Pokémon that lived here, the Girafarig were really the only ones that could put up a fair fight against them.
  
  "Girafarig! Giraf!" The same Girafarig explained, to which Miltank helpfully translated that they were testing out their Psychic powers before they accidentally caught the Tauros' attention, leading to the situation they saw.
  
  "I see. So that was what I detected yesterday and earlier." Sabrina commented as she walked over, "I figured I was tracking the both of you through your latent Psychic energies."
  
  "Giraf? Far?" The quieter of the two Girafarig's suddenly spoke up, looking at Sabrina.
  
  "Yes." Sabrina nodded, with Kadabra helping her with the translations mentally, "Kadabra is my Pokémon."
  
  "Girafarig? Farig? Far?" The same Girafarig asked, staring intently at her Kadabra. Instead of replying, Sabrina simply shot the Girafarig a smile, before releasing her full team of Psychics into the clearing.
  
  Her Xatu, Staryu, and Slowpoke emerged from their balls, immediately greeting the two Girafarig with a small show of Psychic power.
  
  "Girafarig! Girafarig!" The quieter Girafarig started to say excitedly, nudging at the other Girafarig as it pointed towards Sabrina and her team. But the other Girafarig shook its head.
  
  "Giraf! Girafarig! Far!" Instead, it gestured towards Whitney and her Miltank with its head. In a sudden bout of great luck, Miltank translated for Whitney that they both had been looking to get stronger, and realized they had to try to tie themselves to a trainer in order to do so. And both of them were suitably impressed by the duo's display of power, as well as their kindness for immediately rushing in to help them out, that they wished to grow as strong as them.
  
  But now, they disagreed with who to join.
  
  From what Miltank explained, the quieter Girafarig wanted to join Sabrina, because it believed that Psychic power was the dominant way of getting stronger. However, the more talkative one wanted to join Whitney, because it was awed by the strength of Miltank and believed that physicality was the more dominant way of gaining strength. Yet, neither wanted to be separated from the other, at least not for long periods of time.
  
  Realizing that there was a simple solution to the problem, Whitney stepped in before an argument could break out.
  
  "How about you just join the both of us? One each?" She suggested, "Me and Sabrina are really close friends, so if you're worried that you'll be separated, you won't be. Even if you can't always be together, I promise that Sabrina and I will visit each other often, so you won't ever leave each other side for long. I swear!" And to emphasize her closeness to Sabrina, she quickly wrapped her in a big hug as she squeezed her friend tight.
  
  Sabrina let out a squawk of protest, but ultimately let it happen. She was too used to Whitney's antics at this point.
  
  The two Girafarig fell silent at her proposal, both of them staring at each other as they exchanged a silent message psychically. After a moment, they seemed to nod in agreement, before they both turned to their respective trainers.
  
  "Giraf? Girafarig?" They asked the both of them in sync, requesting to join their team.
  
  With a happy smile on her face, Whitney held out a Pokéball and simply allowed the Girafarig to capture itself. In the corner of her eye, she saw the other Girafarig disappear in the same red light as hers did. Not a second later, the Pokéball snapped shut, marking the success of their latest capture.
  
  It wasn't a Tauros, but Whitney was very happy with her new capture nonetheless. It seems like her luck had returned after all.
  
  A.N. Double Girafarig get! One for Sabrina and Whitney each! I'm not going to be coy and try to hide where I'm going with this; Whitney's going to be following in the footsteps of her brother soon enough with her own evolutions! Not for some time, though.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-8 - The Fairy Reveal
  
  It was the week after the grand reveal of the Grand Fountain Hall when I had received the good news from Oak; it was finally time to reveal the Fairy type to the world.
  
  I had finished up the necessary preparations for to get ready for the reveal. I personally attended many meetings with Mayor Henry to ensure that Mt. Moon would be properly secured. That proved to be far harder than expected; organizing the movements and patrol schedules of an entire city's worth of Jennys and rangers was no easy task.
  
  At least I had my personal authority to make use of to ensure that they actually listened to me.
  
  In the end, I left it to the hands of the professionals, since they were the ones who actually knew what they were doing. They didn't need me interfering and trying to micromanage everyone and screw everything up. Thus, I simply stayed back and asked questions to make sure that, as far as possible, Mt. Moon would be impenetrable to the large majority of the public.
  
  Lance helped out a lot here as well. He finally got back to me a day or two ago with confirmation that he would be able to mobilize additional Jennys and rangers for the security of Mt. Moon. Those were vital in shoring up the weaker areas and also to give the current rotation of Jennys and rangers a chance to take a break every once in a while.
  
  It wasn't the only place that gained additional security, of course, as other known areas with a higher density of Fairy types were similarly protected.
  
  He also, prudently, began drafting up a new law to be implemented as soon as the Fairy type was revealed. The new law was a temporary order to severely increase the financial punishment for trespassing into restricted areas, in hopes of further discouraging the populace from their reckless attempts to catch Pokémon of the new type.
  
  He also informed me that he had already contacted Wallace about the impending reveal so that he wouldn't get blindsided. Wallace had apparently copied Lance's actions, choosing to mobilise the Hoenn police to secure key areas to ensure that the any Fairy ecosystems wouldn't be irrevocably damaged.
  
  But it wasn't all good news, as Lance also delivered a warning to us. He mentioned that the reveal of a type that strongly countered Dragons would be VERY poorly received in Blackthorn, to no one's surprise. He told us that it was fortunate that Oak would be the one doing the reveal, as the elders of the Blackthorn clan probably still respected him too much to publicly gainsay him.
  
  If the reveal had come from a lesser source, like me, there would have been a ton of pushback from the Blackthorn clan and their associated interest groups. Lance himself disapproved of this, but his loyalties were too conflicted to do anything about it.
  
  However, right now, with Oak taking the lead on this, and with a huge number of big names from the scientific community attached to this, Lance expected any pushbacks from the Blackthorns should be far more subtle and less intense than usual. He didn't know what the Blackthorns would do as a result of the reveal, but he told us to expect that there will be many people looking to downplay the power of Fairy types in the future.
  
  After all, for a clan that built its name, reputation, and legacy on the power of Dragon types, the reveal of the Fairy type was a big smack in the face for them. Thus, it was in their interest to maintain the powerful reputation that the Dragon type currently had. At least, that's how Lance justified it.
  
  I was comforted by the fact that looked like Lance had no intention of joining in on their opposition. That saved me a lot of potential headache.
  
  Regardless of the plotting of the salty, the Fairy reveal pushed on. And finally, today was the day that it was going to be revealed to the world.
  
  Professor Oak had done most of the heavy lifting for today. He had reused his previous actions for when he revealed the creation of the Pokédex. So, instead of just publishing everything onto as a scientific article, we were ALSO going to do a simultaneous press statement to properly announce the event to the whole world. He had already made all the arrangements for the press to come to his lab for the interview.
  
  Everyone who had participated in the project would be in attendance, and Oak had ensured that everyone would get a speaking role where we would all get to list our contributions. This was going to be a big thing, and Oak wanted to ensure that everyone got the credit they deserved.
  
  There was also going to be a demonstration, something to visually wow the audience and to showcase the power of Fairy types. The entire reveal was going to be one big spectacle, with all the nitty gritty scientific details relegated to the science forums for more in-depth discussion. Disproving the naysayers came later; today was all about making a big splash.
  
  I wrapped up breakfast and headed off to Professor Oak's lab. The interview was scheduled to be at noon, so we had an hour or two to go through any last-minute preparations. Not that we really had any, everything important had already been pre-discussed over the past week.
  
  As soon as I arrived there, I noticed that the entire lab was empty. In fact, there was even a sign on the door that said that the lab was temporarily closed today and that all workers could enjoy a free day off. How nice of him.
  
  Entering the building, I made my way to Oak's lab where I could hear the distinct sound of chatter leaking through the door. True enough, as soon as I walked in I could see that everyone was already there and that I was last to arrive.
  
  "Oh? Am I late?" I asked as I greeted them, making sure to emphasize my nod to Elm. It was my first time meeting him in person.
  
  "Nah, I just came earlier to speak to Sam about a few things." Blaine replied. "You ready for today?"
  
  I shrugged, "Not much I can do about the preparations now, I just hope I've done enough. The last thing we need is for Mt. Moon and other key locations being overwhelmed by overeager trainers."
  
  "We've done our best. It's now up to the capable hands of the Indigo Police and the rangers. I'm sure they'll have a handle on this." Oak reassured, "Also, John, we really need to get you in a lab coat. It'll be weird if you aren't wearing one."
  
  True enough, I looked around and saw that everyone else but me was donning a lab coat. So yes, it would be very strange if I was the only one not wearing one.
  
  "Mind if I borrow one?" I asked, getting a nod from him as he began to rummage through a spare closet for one my size. Thank Arceus he found one that fit me; I wouldn't want to be showing up to a press conference that would be televised to the whole world with a poor fitting lab coat. That'd just be embarrassing.
  
  "Well glad you boys are busy - I don't really have anything to do on my end." Carolina remarked with a shrug. "Who knew Sinnoh really didn't have a single unique Fairy type?"
  
  "At least you have the Togepi line there." Shelly pointed out, "And who knows? Maybe you'll find one later."
  
  "Does Joseph know about what's going to happen?" I suddenly asked, remembering that Shelly actually had to answer to someone.
  
  Shelly wiggled her hand, "He knows bits and pieces of what we're doing. He knows it's big, but I told him for confidential reasons I wasn't allowed to reveal the full picture to him. But he understands and hasn't been pushing me for anything, which I'm glad for. Although...he's been pretty distracted recently on one of his own projects, so maybe that's why he didn't question me further. He's normally more curious than this."
  
  I gave Shelly an inspecting look. I think I knew what she was referring to for the project that Joseph was working on. Before I left Hoenn, he had told me he was close to finishing off the Fossil machine, so maybe that was close to being done? If so, then it was a very fortuitous timing for such big reveals to be happening back-to-back.
  
  Without any more pressing issues to concern ourselves with, we naturally fell into making comfortable small talk, mostly just catching up with each other and talking about our lives. It was nice that, despite all of us having high positions in society, we were still able to converse about our lives like regular people.
  
  Though considering who I was with, it should have been obvious that the conversation would devolve back into science once again.
  
  "...Think an electric version would work?" I heard Shelly ask Blaine as they both stared at his phone. They were obviously referring to the Magmarizer and their ongoing attempts to create an alternate version.
  
  "Maybe. It wouldn't be easy to harness that much electricity into a small object though..." Blaine muttered. "Damn. If only we had an Electric type specialist that WASN'T Surge. We won't be able to persuade that musclehead to anything for us."
  
  "Would a water version be easier then?" Shelly suggested, but that only caused Blaine to frown.
  
  "Condescending water energy like that is no easy feat either. It took me ages to be able to manipulate that much magma energy into such a small container..." I stepped away from their conversation after that.
  
  "...The Sinnoh League would likely extend an invitation to you if you asked, you know." I heard Carolina speaking to Oak. "Your reputation precedes you even there."
  
  But Oak simply waved her off, "I'm afraid I don't really have the energy to move around so much anymore. My bones just aren't as strong as they used to."
  
  Elm snorted, "You can at least try to think of a better excuse than that. You were always more energetic than I could ever be."
  
  Carolina nodded, "Too right. Or did you forget that we are of similar ages? And yet I can tell that your bones don't even make a sound when you get up. Mine creaks and pops like mad!"
  
  "You're starting to sound like Agatha." He chuckled before their conversation got side-tracked into the discussing struggles of the elderly, which both Elm and I wisely backed away from.
  
  There were somethings I didn't need to know about.
  
  Carolina had actually kindly brought in some lunch for the five of us, so we dug in as we waited for the interview to begin. Cynthia was a really lucky girl if THIS was the quality of food she got to eat on a daily basis.
  
  No offence mom, but you're being outclassed.
  
  Before long, it was finally noon. With lunch happily consumed and digested, we made sure that we were all presentable before we headed towards the entrance of the lab, where the interview was being hosted.
  
  As soon as we appeared we were bombarded by the signature flashes of cameras as the reporters rushed to take our photo. They didn't know what this was about yet; but considering the people participating they assumed that it must be a big deal. They would soon find out just how big of a deal it was.
  
  Oak took to the stage first, as it should be. He was clearly very experienced in making public statements like this, and his presence dominated over the sea of reporters, causing them to quickly quieten down in anticipation as they waited with baited breath for what Oak was about to say.
  
  "Welcome, one and all, to what I believe will be a historic announcement." He started, speaking slowly to emphasize the gravitas of the situation, "Today, me, and the many fine scientists behind me, have managed to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, a new Type of Pokémon that we have yet to explore."
  
  That got the reporters whispering again, before they all quickly quieted down as Oak silenced them with a wave of his hand.
  
  "To give a little background on the discovery, and how we got here, many weeks ago I was approached by John as he pointed out an observation of his to me. He was fresh off his battle against Bruno, and he had informed me that he had noticed a strange oddity regarding his Clefable." He paused dramatically, as if to build up the tension of the crowd.
  
  It seemed to have worked, as the reporters were all listening intently to his next words, utterly fixated on what he was about to say, "I, of course, eagerly accepted the challenge to discover what caused this unusual interaction. But I did not go about this alone. Besides me, John had brought in the many other brilliant scientific minds that you see behind me to jointly research this unique phenomenon to see what we could learn from it."
  
  "Those of you who have kept a close eye on my activities for the past few weeks know that I have made many acquisitions of a huge variety of Pokémon throughout this time. And that is because the scope of the discovery was so large, the changes it brought so wide spanning, that I had to check through each and every Pokémon to verify what we had found." He explained, his voice rising as the tension built even further.
  
  "But now, with all of our research done and our verifications complete, we can finally announce what the team has been working to prove for the past few weeks. And that is..." He paused once again, as his eyes swept over the audience to make sure that he had their full attention. "...that we have discovered a new Type for Pokémon! What we call...the Fairy type!"
  
  Shocked gasps erupted from the crowd as the Oak's declaration reverberated through them. As soon as they got over their collective shocks, there was a unanimous demand for an explanation of the specific details of the type.
  
  But once again, Oak demonstrated his ability to control the crowd as a quick wave of his hand immediately silenced them all. It was as if he was wrangling them like a shepherd to his flock. Only when silence descended did Oak continue with his explanation.
  
  "I can assure you that everything I say to that has been extensively verified, further details of which can be found in the publication of the article that will be done as soon as this press interview is over." He stated, "However, I think showing off the power of the new Fairy type would be better with a more practical demonstration."
  
  As planned, Oak stepped back from the podium into as he withdrew a Pokéball. Similarly, I stepped to the side as I held out a Premier Ball, waiting to release my Pokémon as planned. The audience instinctively moved backwards as they realized what was about to happen.
  
  "Watch and observe the power of the new type! And this new Eevelution!" Before the crowd could react to that sudden announcement, Oak released his Dragonite as I released Euphie.
  
  His Dragonite emerged onto the scene with an audible thump. Up close like this, I could see the numerous scars that were scattered across its body. Despite not radiating as much raw power as Lance's Emperor, it gave off a very different aura of danger. A danger that was refined and sculpted with years of experience on real battlefields.
  
  This was no celebrity battler, but a real war veteran that had fought for its life in real engagements. Its presence, as it stood there, was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. Lance's Emperor might be the stronger Pokémon, but the experience in this Dragonite's eyes made him the deadlier of the two. Who knew how many fell to its claws?
  
  This was the Pokémon I heard the legends talked about. What this Dragonite managed to accomplish with Oak could be seen as no less than Legendary.
  
  Yet, the audience was more shocked with the unexpected reveal of this new Pokémon. I felt their gaze locking on to Euphie unwaveringly, as if to study every little minor detail of her appearance and movements. Especially since Sylveon was an Eeveelution. All Eeveelutions have been powerful Pokémon that are frequently sought out by competitive battlers looking to dd another strong addition to their team, and this was no different.
  
  "THIS! Is Sylveon!" He declared dramatically, this time shouting over the top of the crowd, "And we will be showing off the Fairy's type most distinctive feature. WATCH!"
  
  "Dragonite, Dragon Pulse."
  
  Unlike Emperor, who made a big show of charging up the beam with a deafening roar, there was hardly a sound that came out from Oak's Dragonite. The beam of draconic energy simply came rushing out, with no posturing or warning whatsoever. If Euphie hadn't been ready for it, she would have easily been taken by surprise.
  
  Not that it would have mattered, considering her typing. With a smile, she simply stood firm to not get pushed back by the inherent force of the attack, but otherwise was practically unaffected by the powerful Draconic beam.
  
  The audience's shock grew as the implications of the performance began to set in. This was no weakling, but a powerful Dragon Pulse from a veteran Dragonite. Trained by the famed Samuel Oak. And this new Fairy type Pokémon was so easily able to shrug it off with ease.
  
  Of course, we were playing it up a bit. Even with Euphie's Fairy typing, getting blasted by a Dragon Pulse by such a powerful Pokémon would still stagger her. But Dragonite had enough control over its Dragon Pulse to make it look like Euphie was simply tanking through it with ease.
  
  "BEHOLD! THE GREATEST STRENGTH OF THE FAIRY TYPE!" Oak stated with his arms outstretched as he played it up for the crowd, "It is a type completely immune to Dragons! Almost completely unaffected by its attacks! And what's more, it's also supereffective AGAINST Dragons as well, making it the ultimate type to counter one of the stronger types in the world!"
  
  The reporters were now frantically writing all of this down, their professionalism barely able to conceal their shock. But amongst the sea of reporters, there were some of them that were visibly frowning at the discovery. I suspected that these were the ones that had tied to Blackthorns.
  
  Well, they could cope and seethe all they liked. They weren't going to change shit.
  
  Not wanting to overshadow the entire message with his Dragonite's presence, Oak quickly returned it to its Pokéball before stepping back from the podium entirely, allowing me to take the stage in his place.
  
  "This was one of the phenomena that I discovered as I had been training up my Clefable, so you can see why I would bring something like this to the attention of Professor Oak." I said rhetorically, "Not only that, but the Fairy type is also resistant towards Dark, Fighting, and Bug type moves. Similarly, it is also supereffective against Dark and Fighting, on top of Dragon. Overall, it is a very versatile type, and more details regarding the Type chart can be found as always in the article that will be published."
  
  The reporters began scribbling everything down once again, with many of them inching to raise their hands and ask us questions, but Blaine stepped up before they could. "Of course, we aren't stupid enough to just test it out on one or two Pokémon. We made sure to expand our test range and identify other Fairy types that were previously hidden amongst the three regions. For instance, in Indigo, Clefairy and its evolution line are all Fairy types, and Jigglypuff and its evolution line are all a hybrid of Normal and Fairy."
  
  Elm went next, "The Fairy type can be trained and raised just like any other type. They don't have any special properties besides the uniqueness of the type, so they can be bred just like usual. So you don't have to try to apply the PIT technique to have the Fairy type apply to your Pokémon. They were already that type."
  
  Shelly stepped forwards after him, "As for Hoenn, those of you may be pleased to hear that the Ralts line through to Gardevoir, which was previously thought to be a purely Psychic type, has been discovered to actually be a hybrid of Psychic and Fairy. And yes, we have tested to make sure that this Fairy typing is not something that is unique to just Indigo, but something that we have overlooked across all regions."
  
  Carolina went up last, "Unfortunately, for those of you who may be viewing this from Sinnoh, or have a deep interest in Sinnoh Pokémon, we have not found a single Fairy type that is unique to the Sinnoh region. The only partial exception to this is Togekiss, which is a Fairy and Flying type just like Togetic. However, we are confident that this simply means that there may be more Pokémon in Sinnoh that we have yet to discover that may indeed be a Fairy type, and we're very interested into being able to look into it further."
  
  Oak stepped up to finish things off, "Accordingly, the Pokédex will be updated to reflect these changes and discoveries. Truthfully, though my colleagues disagree with me on this, one of the things that we discussed was WHY we had missed such a momentous aspect of these Pokémon for so long."
  
  That brought up a few questioning whispers from the audience as they began to consider the question. And it was a valid question.
  
  Oak continued before they broke out into hushed discussions, "I believe that, part of the reason why we had missed this was because of an overreliance on the Pokédex, and the submissions provided within. Unfortunately, I must share some of the blame with this, as I may have missed out on such a type during the creation of the first addition of the Pokédex, leading to many others overlooking it as they simply assumed that the information that was provided by the Pokédex was correct."
  
  "Yet now, I hope that mistake will be corrected." He said, heavily emphasizing the final word. "And, while this may be an arrogant statement of me to make, but if this mistake really was the case, then I can only apologize for my failure to check things through. Either way, we can now move on to the questions."
  
  The horde of reporters immediately erupted, with many trying to shove their microphones at the patiently waiting Oak. Others, perhaps more cunningly, were trying to sneak an interview with the remaining four of us to try to get a comment on something. We were all experienced enough to refuse any of these attempts.
  
  In the meanwhile, Oak was handling the bulk of the questions with incredible patience, despite the mundanity and drama-seeking nature of most of the questions. The reporters were all trying to find good quotes that they could use for their next big headline.
  
  And it was undoubtedly going to be a big one.
  
  Oak spent some time answering some questions, before eventually wrapping up the interview and thanking them all for coming. He gave another reminder that a more detailed version of everything that we mentioned here could be found in the article that we will be publishing.
  
  And with that, the interview came to an end. The whole world suddenly knew about this new type that had been previously overlooked by everyone. And I knew what they were likely thinking about.
  
  How would the revelation of the Fairy type affect the world?
  
  A.N. AND THE FAIRY REVEAL IS HERE! I've worked towards this for quite some time now, so I hope this was satisfactory. You'll get to see the impact of such a revelation soon enough.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-8 - Interlude - Clair
  The New Normal - 7-8 - Interlude - Clair
  
  Clair stormed into Lance's office, ignoring the concerned looks of the security guards that let her through. She had visited Lance's office enough that they didn't need to verify who she was any more.
  
  Although this time she was considerably more aggravated.
  
  "Did you see this?!" She demanded at her cousin as she threw a newspaper in front of him. But as she did so, she saw the many bags that rested heavily below her cousin's tired eyes. The man looked exhausted.
  
  "What now?!" He asked irritably, causing Clair to feel bad about simply barging in. He must have been busier than he expected.
  
  She softened her tone considerably, "The claims that the Fairy type is immune and supereffective against Dragons. It's making us look weak." Clair had been completely taken aback by the revelation of the Fairy type, and it took her quite a while to actually accept what was happening.
  
  A type that supposedly shut down Dragons? Her pride as a Blackthorn didn't allow it.
  
  "And what do you want me to do about it?" Lance asked, annoyance leaking out of his voice, "If you haven't noticed - I've got paperwork stacked as high as Mt. Silver on my desk. I really DO NOT need to be bothered right now."
  
  Well, Clair felt even worse now, but she had a message to deliver. She took a letter out of her pocket and handed it over to him.
  
  She watched as Lance's tired eyes roamed sleepily across the letter, only for him to grow angrier as he continued to read. By the time he finished, he had already shot up from his desk, his tiredness long forgotten.
  
  "What. The fuck. Is this?!" He demanded to Clair, fury blazing in his eyes.
  
  "It's the official word from the Blackthorn elders. They want us to challenge the research." She explained hesitantly, realizing that this wasn't going to go well.
  
  As expected, her words only served to further infuriate Lance as he slammed a fist on his desk, nearly knocking over the pile of paperwork. "Those fucking idiots. This is not something that can be disproved like that! What the fuck are they even thinking!?"
  
  "You don't think that Oak was overplaying this?" She voiced, before wincing as soon as Lance's furious eyes were turned to her.
  
  "Are you insane?! Or did you not see who was on that list of researchers for this? Practically every big name in Indigo was involved, and you want the Blackthorns to be OPPOSED to this!?" Lance shook his head, "Absolutely not. I'm not going to join them in their idiotic death pact."
  
  Clair knew that wasn't to go over well with the rest of the clan, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to change Lance's mind at the moment. "Then what are you going to do?" She instead asked.
  
  "Nothing. I'm not going to do anything." Lance said as he sat down again, "I'm not some junior for the elders of the clan to order around anymore." He raised the letter to her face, "Do you realize how bad it'd look if the Champion questioned something like this, only to be proven wrong later? It'd be a huge scandal, ESPECIALLY trying to go against someone like Champion Oak."
  
  "I'm not going to do something so stupid, so if the elders want to continue on this course of action, I'll have nothing to do with it." He said with finality.
  
  Clair frowned, "Why aren't you angrier at this? I thought the existence of a type that counters Dragons would infuriate you."
  
  Lance looked at her oddly, "Why would it? I mean I was shocked, sure, but I wouldn't be angry about it. It's just something else that our Dragons need to overcome."
  
  "But wouldn't we look weak?!" Clair demanded, but Lance only snorted.
  
  "If you really think that some newbie Fairy trainer is going to be able to defeat my team - then you really don't know me as well as you think you do." Lance shook his head, "No, a simple immunity against Dragon types is not going to be enough to defeat me. I'll make sure of it." He said the last part with utter certainty and conviction, as if daring the world to contradict him.
  
  "They may not be able to beat YOU, but they could beat ME!" Clair shouted, voicing her true concerns all along. She was not particularly worried for her cousin, she knew he was more than strong enough, but she was worried that her position as the 'strongest' amongst the Johto Gym Leaders would be at risk because of this new revelation.
  
  But if she was expecting sympathy from Lance, then she guessed wrongly. "So? Did you just come to my office to whine about it and to deliver a message that could have been done by literally any other messenger? If you're going to waste your time on something like this, then you could get use that time to train."
  
  Clair winced and frowned at his words, her pride warring with her rational mind. She knew he was correct, but her pride was struggling to adapt to the fact that the Dragon type might not be the most powerful type in the world anymore.
  
  Luckily, perhaps taking pity on her, Lance softened his tone, "There's no point preparing against something that you don't know about. Do research about the Fairy type, see what they're strong and weak against, and plan around that. The new Fairy type is notably weak to Steel and Poison. Why not focus on that?"
  
  "Besides, it's not like the Fairy type is something new - it had always existed, but we just never knew about it. Nothing has changed now that the Type is now properly revealed and documented." Lance added.
  
  "Don't let your pride blind you. Right now, everyone's frantically trying to discover the secrets and strengths of the Fairy type. We're all in the same boat." He explained calmly, "And now, everyone's thinking that Fairy types are going to be the big counter to Dragon types. So do everything you can to prove them wrong. Crush all that would dare challenge your supremacy. THAT is what you should be doing."
  
  "A Dragon does not whine. It roars and destroys all in its path." Lance reminded her.
  
  Clair nodded, suitably chastised yet enlightened, before getting out of her seat. He was right. Getting angry about hurt pride wouldn't accomplish anything. With the new Fairy reveal, there would be many an ambitious trainer looking to smash through her Gym using the new and powerful Fairy types.
  
  But she vowed to not be an easy wall for them to break through.
  
  As she left, she shot Lance one final look of gratitude, only to find him glaring down at the letter that she had given him as if he was trying to burn a hole into it.
  
  Clair held back the urge to gulp. A reckoning was coming.
  
  A.N. Some foreshadowing about future events here! And I hope you like my interactions between Lance and Clair! Hope I showed off why Clair is only a Gym Leader, whereas Lance is Champion. It has more to do than just their Pokémon!
  
  And yes, Lance just told Clair to git gud. It happens.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-9 - Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 7-9 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE FAIRY TYPE IS HERE?! AN INTRODUCTION OF A ONCE UNDISCOVERED TYPE BY PROFESSOR OAK!] By The Indigo Post.
  
  [Picture of Oak, Blaine, John, Shelly, and Carolina at the press conference] [Picture of Dragonite v Sylveon]
  
  Ladies and Gentlemen, unless you've somehow not been following the news from yesterday, Professor Oak has just recently announced his discovery of the previously unknown Fairy type to the world!
  
  Oak and his team, which all consist of huge names including Elite John, Gym Leader Blaine, Professor Carolina from the Sinnoh Celestic Town Research Centre, and Director Shelly of the Kanto branch of Devon Corp. As per Professor Oak's words, he insisted that credit was to be shared equally amongst his team, and he was only nominated as the leader out of convenience.
  
  Working together, they have managed to not only discover the ins and outs of this new Type, but also managed to discover a completely new Eevelution called Sylveon as well! Those of you who had managed to watch the initial press interview must have saw the demonstration of the Fairy type and its strengths, as it was able to completely tank through a Dragon Pulse from Oak's DRAGONITE almost completely unaffected! This writer is truly starting to believe that this might be the beginning of the end of the Dragon's type dominance over the battling scene.
  
  And of course, those fortunate enough to own a Pokédex should have received a notification about an update that now includes the changes made to Pokémon who have now been discovered as a Fairy type. Oak has similarly revealed that you can update your Pokédex for free at any local Pokémon center. A full list of details and changes have also been published online, as well as the Fairy's type Type matchup, which can be found here.
  
  With so many changes made in lieu of this discovery, this writer is curious about how the battling scene of the world will be affected. Will we be seeing more of the Pokémon that are now proven to be Fairy types, such as Gardevoir and Clefable? Or is this a new fad that would die out in time? Personally, this writer is a great believer in the potential in Fairy types and is eagerly waiting to see how it performs in high-level battles.
  
  What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
  
  Comments
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  What a discovery! I cannot believe that something like this flew under the radar for so long! And what a prestigious team that worked on this too! So many big names are there from the scientific community are on that participation list, and John. I could only wish I was a part of it.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hey why did you single out John! He's as good of a scientist as the rest of them!
  
  EDIT: And I can't believe so many of my old Normal types are now Fairy types! But I still love them anyways!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Oak deserves most of the credit, as he should. To John's credit, I trust Oak's words about him making the observations, which he must have done due to his long career as a battler. I will praise him for his keen observation skills.
  
  Other than that, I don't see John as anything more than a battler. He does not have the education or qualifications necessary to be anything more than that.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  ResearchMagnet And what have YOU achieved? Being dismissive on the Pokénet doesn't count.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Gonna say that's a little unfair to John, but I'm not going to stick my head any further into that argument. Like the article said, I can't wait to see the potential of these Fairy types! Especially since they're Dragon killers.
  
  DragonPower
  
  [This user has been banned from this thread. Excessive swearing and insults are not permitted on this forum, especially to someone who is merely expressing their own opinion. You are not allowed to insult someone's family and ancestry just because they do not share your opinion]
  
  FutureAce
  
  Wait...so you're telling me that those weak Jigglypuff and Clefairy are actually able to tank through some of the most powerful attack from Pokémon?
  
  ...WHERE CAN I GET ONE?! Definitely including one in my team now!
  
  EDIT: DragonPower typical Dragon fanboy LOL!
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  ! GARDEVOIR IS A FAIRY TYPE TOO! Clear evidence that they are the best Pokémon in the world. And since Gardevoir are immune to Dragons - does that mean we can have a scenario where a Gardevoir dominates a Dragon?!
  
  OOOOOOH yesssssssss
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Gardevoir34 Please calm down.
  
  Also, feels like this is just more proof that a team with more variety in types will end up becoming stronger. I mean, how is a team of Dragon types supposed to beat Fairy types? It would be like a team of Electric type against a Ground type!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I mean, Electric types have been defeating Ground types for some time now, just look at Surge! I'm fairly certain that he often has to deal with trainers that think that a simple Ground type would be sufficient at defeating his team, only to be proven wrong.
  
  I'm sure the same applies here too. The Dragon trainers will find a way to adapt.
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  HAHAHAH I KNEW IT! My team of cuties will finally have the time to shine! Just you wait! Pink is power! Cute is justice!
  
  [PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT: DO NOT TRESPASS INTO RESTRICTED AREAS TO CATCH POKEMON! BE RESPECTFUL AND MINDFUL OF THE JENNYS!] By the Indigo Post
  
  This morning the Indigo and Hoenn League have made a joint announcement to remind all trainers to please refrain from trespassing into restricted areas just to capture Pokémon. The League spokesperson expresses their understanding towards the enthusiasm of the trainers, especially in light of the recent reveal of the Fairy type, but that is no excuse for trespassing.
  
  The League spokesperson reported that there has been a surge of attempts to breach into many protected locations of Indigo, including Mt. Moon and other protected areas for where Togepi are being kept. The League would like to remind all trainers that the Jennys and rangers have been deployed en-masse to catch any who attempt to do so, and so far, many of the attempts have been caught and the perpetrators are now awaiting prosecution. Don't let this be you.
  
  Please be respectful of the rules of the League and follow them whenever possible. Thank you.
  
  [A RE-EXAMINATION OF JOHN V BRUNO! DID JOHN ONLY WIN BECAUSE OF THE FAIRY TYPE?] By Battlecast
  
  The discovery of the Fairy type a few days ago has seen a huge resurgence of eager trainers trying to get their hands on this new type.
  
  However, we here at Battlecast would like to remind trainers to not let yourselves be consumed by this enthusiasm. There have been many incidents of overeager trainers recklessly trespassing into restricted areas in hopes of obtaining a Fairy type, and we here at Battlecast heavily discourage such actions.
  
  It is okay, and even admirable, to be excited, but it is not okay to break the law. Please do not make any further troubles for our hard working Jennys and rangers - they already have enough on their plate as is.
  
  With that out of the way, the revelations of the Fairy type has made some of our analysts here question the outcome of John's match vs Bruno. With the discovery that Clefable's hidden Fairy typing was actually RESISTANT and SUPEREFFECTIVE against Fighting types, it explains why John's Clefable was able to hang on for so long and deal so much damage to Bruno's pure Fighting types.
  
  But then this begs the question: if Bruno had known beforehand about Clefable's true typing, how would it have affected the final outcome of the battle?
  
  Fortunately, instead of having to speculate about this, we had the opportunity to speak to Bruno directly, who we had luckily found during one of his resupply trips in the city, had this to say:
  
  "...A dumb question. Fighting smart is a staple tactic of any competent fighter. Making use of surprise is no different. John used this with great effect. There is nothing else that needs to be said."
  
  When the Fighting specialist was asked about his thoughts on the Fairy type, he had this to say:
  
  "I welcome it. A new Type that my Pokémon are weak against means more challenge. More challenge means more growth. I await the moment my Pokémon will be able to shatter the new Fairy types with their fists."
  
  We tried to ask Bruno a few more questions regarding his thoughts on the new type, but he had already turned away from us and unfortunately refused to answer any more questions.
  
  But his words sparked a new perspective to take hold amongst our analysts. For a type that was still unknown and unheard of, John made very effective use of it to surprise and secure a key advantage against Bruno. In fact, the majority of our analysts have found themselves in agreement with Bruno's words, and have decided that condemning John's actions as 'cheap' and 'unfair' is to do him a great injustice.
  
  If someone as mighty of a trainer as Bruno does not care to complain about it, then this writer believes there should be no more debate on this matter. The victory was fair and earned, as it should be. Moreover, would John be considered to be the first Elite Four member to make use of the Fairy type in an actual battle?
  
  We hope to see more people using and exploring the potential of this new type in their battles in the future!
  
  But what do our readers think of this? Comment down below and let us know about your thoughts on the Fairy type so far!
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  What nonsense! John won fair and square! And it's not like he knew about the Fairy type was really a thing before the match! He just made some observations and capitalized on it! That takes skill!
  
  FutureAce
  
  ? Who are the people saying that the fight was unfair? Taking advantage of type advantages like this is only natural. Haters do be hating. Everyone thought Bruno had the type advantage going into the match in the first place. So what's the big deal?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I didn't think Bruno would be the type to care either, to be honest. He seems like quite the stoic guy who is able to easily let things slide.
  
  Surprised you managed to catch him in an interview. I've heard he's quite the elusive man to find. But I do hope we see more of him - he is probably one of the greatest Fighting type trainers we've seen.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Apparently people can't handle the truth, and I got banned on the other form. But I'll say it again! Fairy types AREN'T going to beat Dragon types. Dragons have reign dominant for YEARS! That isn't about to change all because of a new typing.
  
  Mark my words. You Fairy type enjoyers are about to be humbled by TRUE power.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think people are overlooking something. If John's Clefable was actually RESISTANT against Fighting types, then the fact that Bruno managed to knock it out even despite not knowing about the type disadvantage means that his Pokémon are just that strong.
  
  Bruno is certainly a trainer to look out for.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  TangelaThoughts I didn't even consider that, but you're so right! Gotta give Bruno credit for that.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Man...we're talking about the Fighting type and FightClub's not here to yell about how much the type would destroy everything. Kinda miss the guy. At least we still have DragonPower.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Of course you have me! The power of the Dragon type is eternal!
  
  [BLACKTHORN CLAN PUSHES BACK AGAINST FAIRY REVEAL!? CLAIMS THE IMMUNITY TO DRAGON TYPES IS PLAYED UP FOR DRAMATICS!] By The Indigo Post.
  
  To very little surprise, the Blackthorn clan has spoken out against the reveal of the Fairy type, in particular to the Fairy type's immunity and supereffective nature against Dragons.
  
  The Blackthorns claim that the initial demonstration by Professor Oak was done purely for theatrical purposes and that the 'supposed immunity' of Fairy types was 'severely overestimated'. They further add that the Dragon Pulse being fired off by Oak's Dragonite was intentionally weakened so that the display could be more impressive, to be used as a mere 'show for the crowd'.
  
  A spokesperson on behalf of the Blackthorn clan said this in a recent interview:
  
  "Dragons have always been known to be the ultimate type in the world. This is fact. Everyone knows that the Dragon types have always been linked to power and strength. And anyone who has seen a Dragon up close would have witnessed the true power and ferocity that each and every Dragon radiates from their mighty statures."
  
  "To suddenly claim that the Dragons could be humbled by a type as ridiculously named as the 'Fairy' type is impossible. Dragons are strong. They are the kings of Pokémon. They would never be brought low by Pokémon many have deemed weaklings and were doomed to mediocrity."
  
  "Professor Oak, despite his reputation, has clearly tried to play up the strengths of the Fairy type at the cost of the reputation of the Dragons. And we here at Blackthorn are willing to demonstrate that Fairy types simply aren't the counter to Dragons that Professor Oak has claimed they are."
  
  Fighting words from the Blackthorn clan, although the counterstatement by Professor Oak was even more so.
  
  "It's strange...I had never thought I would find myself in a position where I would have to humble the Blackthorns once again. But here we are. If the Blackthorns are so convinced of their Dragon types superiority over Fairy types, then there is an easy way to prove it."
  
  "Fight me."
  
  "Bring your best trainer and show off the power of your Dragon type moves. My Fairy type will be ready and waiting. After all, it's not the first time I've had to hand you Blackthorns a defeat."
  
  The Blackthorns immediately accepted this invitation, and this writer is super excited such a battle to take place. Besides the implications of the battle, Professor Oak has not been seen participating in a battle ever since his retirement, so while this writer is not sure how much he can replicate of his old strength, it will be amazing to finally see his return to form. Let's hope he still has that battle prowess that he's so known for.
  
  Also, a noticeable oddity is the complete lack of comments from Champion Lance and Gym Leader Clair, both also of the Blackthorn Clan. Could their unusual silence perhaps suggest that their loyalties are conflicted? And that they are unwilling or unable to support either side? Hopefully we'll get some answers about their strange behaviour soon.
  
  Maybe our readers will have a better idea for their silence. But let us know what you think of the battle ahead!
  
  Comments
  
  DragonPower
  
  THAT'S RIGHT! NO KIND OF WEAK PINK BLOB CAN STOP THE UNENDING MARCH OF DRAGONS! DRAGON SUPREMACY ALL THE WAY!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  The silence from Champion Lance and Gym Leader Clair is deafening. And telling. I suspect that the Blackthorns are about to have a lot of egg on their faces.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Don't you love it when the Blackthorns voluntarily make a fool of themselves? Can't wait for their humiliation!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Only a backwards barbarian could ever doubt science. Science is never wrong. These cavemen think more with their pride than anything else. They deserve to be humbled.
  
  [A NEW CHARITY MATCH!? Elite Sidney squares up against Karen in a showdown between Dark specialists!? Who will win?!] By Battlecast
  
  [Image of Sidney and an image of Karen edited so that they're staring each other down]
  
  Battle enthusiasts everywhere have just received a surprising treat from the heir to Devon Corp as he has just announced that he will be playing host to a charity match between Karen and Elite Sidney from Hoenn! All proceeds from the charity match will be donated directly to aiding those who have been affected by the criminals in Hoenn!
  
  When asked about why he was playing host to this event, Steven had this to say in his recent press conference:
  
  "The opportunity kind of came around by luck. I had always intended to host something like this, and so it was a stroke of luck for me to arrange it on behalf of Karen and Sidney. Plus, I'm trying something new for this event. Instead of having the number of Pokémon used by Karen and Sidney to be set before the match, we're going to setting milestones for the donations. Each time we reach a milestone, Karen and Sidney will include an additional Pokémon to our battle up to a maximum of 6. If we manage to go beyond that, then I'm sure that we'll come up with more interesting things to do as thank you for all of your generous donations."
  
  Yes indeed! It appears that Steven is attempting to create an incentive for people to donate more by increasing the number of Pokémon used in the battle. Will this set a new standard for how charity matches are run in the future? We shall see!
  
  Also, to silence the rumour mill before it can get started, Steven also reiterated that this is a friendly match between the two out of a desire to improve, not some grudge match or to prove who is the more superior Dark specialist.
  
  But onto the more important topic - what are the Pokémon that the two are going to use?! Fortunately, we have plenty of data to look at.
  
  [Graphic of Karen's Team, consisting of a Crawdaunt, Spiritomb, Honchkrow, Umbreon, Pupitar, Weavile, and Houndoom]
  
  [Graphic of Sidney's Team, consisting of Mightyena, Cacturne, Shiftry, Sableye, Sharpedo, and Absol]
  
  Please do note that these team lists are not necessarily up to date and may contain incorrect information as the trainers may have hidden trump cards from the public eye.
  
  Looking at the graphic above, we can see that both teams are extremely formidable. Despite both of them being Dark type specialists, we can see that their teams are almost completely different. Which mostly comes down to the regional availability of Dark types in their respective regions. We here at Battlecast are very curious to see their differences in fighting styles!
  
  And to introduce the trainers, Karen's been on the public radar mostly due to her strong connections to both Elite Agatha, as her apprentice, and Elite John, as someone who she has been seen to be with close with. But don't let those connections fool you, Karen's star has been on the rise with her recent stunt as the temporary regent (alongside Agatha) of Pewter City.
  
  Furthermore, though somewhat overlooked, Karen is a very formidable trainer in her own right. As someone who managed to sweep through the Gyms of Hoenn with a flawless record months ago, she has likely only gotten stronger since then. While there has been a lack of public records of her battles, this writer is not going to underestimate her abilities as a trainer.
  
  And Elite Sidney needs no introduction to readers from Hoenn. But for those unfamiliar with him, he has been within the Elite Four for many years now as a seasoned member. Although some may consider him to be the 'weakest' of the Hoenn Elite Four, and there are the occasional rumour that his strength has since stagnated, one only needs to look at the other members to realize what a misrepresentation that is.
  
  His ability to remain in his position despite all these years is a testament to his strength. And proof that he is more than capable of being a member of the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  What do you guys think? This writer is personally very excited to see this match, regardless of who wins? But whatever the case, this is certainly going to be THE match to watch for any aspiring Dark type specialists out there. You cannot afford to miss it!
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  You know, as soon as I heard that there was a powerful Dark type specialist in Indigo and that Sidney was going to be visiting there, I had expected them to battle. But I HADN'T expected this to be such a public event. Must be Steven being business-minded as usual.
  
  Still, I'm not complaining. I welcome the opportunity to watch such an event live. It's going to be incredible! Also Sidney FTW!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  NotTooMuchWater Speaking cynically for a moment, a very likely reason for Steven doing this is for PR. It's easy PR for him, and it makes Devon look good. But that doesn't mean he's not doing a good thing. I still appreciate his efforts.
  
  Also, I'm seriously interested in this match. I've been keeping a close eye on Karen's career ever since she popped into the public's eye, and I'm curious to see how she fares against a tested and experienced trainer like Sidney.
  
  I think some of us are going to be very pleasantly surprised with this fight.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Karen can't be weak if she trains with John and Agatha. And did you see her roster of Pokémon!? Those are some powerful Pokémon! My vote is on her!
  
  FutureAce
  
  YOOOOO I didn't expect a match like this, but I'm happy to see it! I don't really know much about the Dark type, but they have some cool Pokémon!
  
  Can't wait to see these specialists use them in battle! It's going to be so cool!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Sidney fighting another Dark type specialist? Huh. In hindsight, I don't know why I didn't expect this. Besides Sidney himself, there hasn't been a Dark type specialist here in Hoenn, so I'm not surprised he's gone out seeking for another one to test himself against.
  
  I'm voting for Sidney though. He's too cool to lose!
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  !? A SCANDAL?! SIDNEY AND KAREN FIGHTING AGAINST EACH OTHER AS RIVALS BEFORE THEY SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT THEY'RE RIVALRY IS MORE THAN JUST THAT?! ARE WE ABOUT TO SEE SOME JUICY DRAMA?!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...Please calm down.
  
  [REPORTS OF MASS PROTESTS TAKING PLACE IN SINNOH! PUBLIC DISASTISFACTION AGAINST THE COMMITTEE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH!] by The Indigo Post.
  
  Confirmed reports have come out from Sinnoh that paint a grim picture. Protests have broken out across the region as the public have been increasingly dissatisfied with the inaction of the Sinnoh committee. Understandable, considering that the borders to Sinnoh still have yet to be opened after such a long time since their initial promise to do so.
  
  According to the reports we've received, the protestors are outraged about how out of touch those in the committee are, and the recent refusal to open up borders is only the most recent concern. They claim that the committee members, many of whom are within the traditionalist faction, are intentionally stalling proceedings out of some misplaced sense of 'national pride' and 'desire for isolationism'.
  
  Whatever the case, it is clear that the public of Sinnoh are unwilling to put up with the Committee members and are expressing their displeasure. Fortunately, the protest has yet to become violent, but we here at the Indigo Post do sincerely hope that the events do not escalate any further.
  
  Rampaging Pokémon are never a good thing. For anyone.
  
  Thus, we here at the Indigo Post do wish that everyone in Sinnoh can stay safe and hope that the situation will be resolved quickly and peacefully.
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Hope everyone stays safe in Sinnoh. Seems like this was a powder keg that's been waiting to explode for some time, and now it finally has. From what I've read, this wasn't an overly surprising outcome.
  
  It really did feel like the traditionalists were out of touch with what the greater public wanted. Hopefully this all gets resolved soon.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  And now I'm reminded that Sinnoh isn't just some foreign region full of adventure and new Pokémon, but it also has its own struggles that it has to endure through.
  
  Personally, I really do hope that their borders can actually be opened soon. They have so much to offer!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Feels like the Sinnoh Committee really should have listened and just opened their borders already. No idea why they've been ignoring the cries of their citizens.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Just goes to show that corrupt and inefficient committees are everywhere. Not something that's limited to Indigo.
  
  Maybe these old traditionalists in Sinnoh will get replaced soon.
  
  A.N. More foreshadowing, with the Blackthorns causing a fuss and stuff going down in Sinnoh. We've got plenty of stuff going down, hope you enjoyed it!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-10 - A Fairy New Reality
  
  The week after the Fairy reveal was a barely contained mess, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. While the excitement and fervour of the trainers were at an all-time high, good policing turned out be an effective deterrent to prevent would-be trespassers from trying their luck and disturbing the delicate ecosystems that Fairy Types lived in.
  
  Turns out that a large snarling Arcanine was quite the effective deterrent for most overeager trainers.
  
  I knew that Lance had also made use of the opportunity to push through a vote to channel more funds into the Indigo Police. He was riding off the success of both the International Police project, which I've heard from Lorelei and Lance had been handling themselves well in Hoenn, as well as the recent successes in keeping the peace when the Fairy type got revealed.
  
  A few reports that I got from Lance suggested that the trust in the Indigo Police was at a very high level; a dramatic turnaround from when they were hardly trusted during Pryce's regime. Many were singing Lance's praises on that front.
  
  However, not all was sunshine and roses for the Champion of Indigo. Because it seemed like the Blackthorn clan were determined to sink him through being a complete political embarrassment like an anchor tied around his waist.
  
  Ever since the Fairy reveal, those prideful Dragon fanatics decided to wage a war of opinion against anyone who was celebrating the downfall of the Dragon types. They stubbornly insisted that the Fairy type would and could not crush a Dragon type and that the entire thing was overblown for the sake of dramatics.
  
  In their stupidity, the Blackthorns threatened to make use of their huge connections to stamp down on this 'conspiracy' and to 'reinstate the proper place of the Dragons'. But they pushed too hard, and they ended up awakening the REAL sleeping Dragon. Professor Oak.
  
  And the man was on a mission to make sure that this 'misinformation' couldn't be spread around. I wasn't there to see it, but I heard second-hand accounts from Blaine that the old Oak was back.
  
  The Blackthorns might have had their collective years of connections to rely on, but Professor Oak had himself.
  
  And the fight for influence wasn't even close.
  
  Before he even challenged the Blackthorns to a fight, Oak had proved once again why he was a force to be reckoned within the sphere of politics. With a single statement from him in the news, and all those that might have joined the Blackthorns on their idiotic crusade instantly reconsidered.
  
  And then Oak dared the Blackthorns into a battle, knowing full well that they would be too prideful to decline it. And accept it they did, running headlong into the trap that everyone knew Oak had prepared.
  
  At this point, everyone with a rational mind knew that the Blackthorns were about to have a lot of egg on their face; it was just a matter of how much. To be fair, not every Blackthorn was as stupid as this, but a good majority of them definitely were.
  
  Personally, so long as the Blackthorns weren't actually going to be causing a fuss, I didn't really care about their upcoming embarrassment, but it WAS funny reading the messages that I was receiving from Lance and Giovanni, as they couldn't be any more different.
  
  Lance had been avoiding any and all public appearances during this fiasco. And so was Clair. They both wanted absolutely nothing to do with this and were determined to just hide away until it was all over. Lance even complained to me incessantly about how angry and frustrated he was about all this stupidity. He held out for hope that the damage to the Blackthorn's reputation wouldn't be too bad, but we all knew that was a fool's dream.
  
  I'm pretty sure if this went on for much longer then Lance might start picking up a drinking habit.
  
  In the meanwhile, Giovanni was laughing his head off at the fact that the Blackthorns were about to eat some humble pie. He only regretted that Professor Oak hadn't tried to make the whole thing a bigger event. He wanted the Blackthorns to be so thoroughly humiliated that they wouldn't dare raise their heads in public again. Alas, he'd settle for he could get.
  
  The single bright spot for Lance during this whole affair was that his show of neutrality seemed to be paying off. His complete lack of support for the Blackthorn's actions seemed to provide some degree of separation between himself and the rest of the clan, even if he WAS a Blackthorn himself. At least many in the public understood that he was tacitly disapproving of their actions by not backing them up.
  
  His sterling reputation still took a hit. But it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.
  
  Aside from all this stupidity, the other big headline that was spreading throughout Indigo was about the protests happening throughout Sinnoh. No one really knew what was going on there; but it seemed serious enough that many political analysts were expecting some major upheaval.
  
  I was pretty confident that Lance knew more about what was going on, but that was because I saw him in frequent communications with his Sinnoh counterpart. The rest of us didn't know squat. Until now.
  
  Today, Lance had finally decided to bring the rest of the Elite Four into the loop. It was going to be a private meeting held at the Indigo League, and we were all to attend alongside Bertha. Thus, I made my way to the Indigo Plateau once more, brimming with curiosity, as I pondered about what was happening over in Sinnoh.
  
  As soon as I arrived, I was escorted by a waiting League official to a private meeting room near Lance's office, which was the room that he usually used to greet foreign dignitaries.
  
  As soon as I opened the door, I realized I was one of the last to arrive. Lance, Bertha, and Will were already seated, deep in discussion. They only paused as they saw me enter.
  
  "Hey John, welcome. Have a seat." Lance greeted as from the head of the table as he motioned for me to sit down. I picked a seat at random and sat down next to Will, who in turn was sitting opposite of Bertha.
  
  As I sat, Lance gestured to Bertha, "Have you two met formally? If not, then this is Elite Bertha, from Sinnoh." He introduced me to her, but Bertha waved him off.
  
  "Oh don't worry about it, we've met." She replied, "John and I spoke last time when he met up with Professor Carolina." I nodded my head in agreement, before I threw out an idle question.
  
  "So, what were you talking about before I got here? Something serious?" I asked.
  
  "We were just discussing the opportunities presented by Sinnoh." Will answered as he leaned forwards, "Sinnoh has many untapped markets for us to explore and I was just helping Champion Lance with my opinions. We want to see if there's any chance of any financial cooperation between our two regions. Or at least, we hope to at least encourage foreign investment from them."
  
  "That's right." Bertha confirmed, "Sinnoh has been traditionally very isolationist. We've not had much opportunity to trade beyond our borders. Certainly not recently with our current administration. But many of the less narrow-minded people realize the potential that opening our borders to Indigo and Hoenn present, and we want to see how we could turn that opportunity into actual economic growth for the region."
  
  "Which is why I planned to send Will over to Sinnoh along with you when you both head to Sinnoh." Lance added, "He'll have the opportunity to mingle with a few of their businessmen while you do your thing with their science and exploration people. Different roles for different people."
  
  I nodded in understanding. It made sense. To my left, I could see that Will had a pleased grin on his face for being chosen for such a position. But again, it only made sense. Will, to his credit, was the most business-minded person out of the Elite Four. Lorelei and I weren't really trained for it, and while I'm sure Agatha could handle talking to businessmen, I highly doubted she'd even WANT to.
  
  Plus, she was more likely to drive them off than to actually welcome them. She could not be trusted with such a role.
  
  So, Will was the best and only choice we had. But I felt that Lance's choice was a wise one - Will was well-suited for this role.
  
  And, truthfully, I realized that I had already gotten over my initial annoyance with Will and his frequent need to show-off. I understood that he wasn't ever malicious with it, and so I accepted that it was just a trait of his, and it wasn't done to look down on others. Showing off and loving the spotlight was just part of who he was. And frankly, it could be a lot worse.
  
  If I could get used to Agatha's acerbic tongue, then Will's behaviour was easily tolerable.
  
  As if summoned by my thoughts, Agatha came shambling into the room, with Lorelei following carefully after her. The latter doing her best not to accidentally bump into Agatha.
  
  It was obvious why. It was definitely hard to tell with just a casual glance, but Agatha's steps were far more careful and deliberate. She seemed to be more reliant on her cane than ever before. This didn't bode well for her health.
  
  Still, she let none of her weakness show on her face as she greeted us with her signature mocking tongue, "Oh? We have someone here actually my age for once. What a lucky find! You feel that weary creak in your bones yet?"
  
  "I've still got a few years before I get there. And I'm in certainly no rush for that." Bertha shot back with her eyes locked on Agatha, surprising me with her sharp tongue. Was it a common thing about the elderly to able to whip out an insult or two?
  
  "Bah, don't kid yourself lady, your hair is as grey as mine." Agatha retorted with a scoff, "Actually, at least mine still looks blonde. Yours is just grey. How...unfortunate." In the meanwhile, Lorelei wisely ignored the brewing argument and simply sat down next to Bertha, tactically denying the seat to Agatha so that she couldn't sit next to Bertha. A genius move.
  
  "But I can still run up a flight of stairs if needs be." Bertha responded with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, like steel hidden in silk. "You seem to have trouble with even getting to your seat."
  
  Agatha snorted and was about to let out another insult, but Lance cut in before things could devolve even further.
  
  "Ladies, PLEASE settle down." He said forcefully, silencing the both of them. "While I'm sure your topic of discussion is fascinating, we have other topics at hand. Table that discussion for later, while you aren't wasting everyone's time."
  
  "Feh." Agatha spat but sat down anyways. Finally, with everyone settled down, Lance could finally get to the heart of the matter.
  
  "Now that we're all gathered here, I'm going to pass the floor to Bertha so that she may discuss the current ongoings in Sinnoh and how we can get involved." Lance stated before gesturing to Bertha.
  
  "Thank you, Champion. Unfortunately, the political situation in Sinnoh has been...fractious over the past week or so. Tensions have been building up for quite a while now, and things seem to have finally reached a boiling point if you've been seen on the news, with rampant protests spreading across the region." She explained.
  
  "Now, while I understand that the domestic politics of a foreign region is normally of little interest to the Indigo Elite Four, you need to realize that the underlying reason that the people are protesting is because they believe that the traditionalists, who have long held power in the Sinnoh Committee, have all lost touch with the needs and wants of the public." She continued.
  
  "With that in mind, the rest of the Sinnoh Elite Four and I are all confident that the traditionalists are going to be losing their hold on their positions of power, and we're likely to be ushering in a new generation of Committee members very soon. And these new members are very likely going to be favourable to joining up with the international community." She explained.
  
  "Why is why I've come here to speak to all of you now, and it's been what I've been discussing with your Champion for the past few days." She glanced at all of us, "Because we NEED to prove to the public of Sinnoh that opening our borders to the wider international community was a good idea. This visit HAS to be an enormous PR win." She finished.
  
  "Indeed. I can corroborate what Bertha said with the things that I've been hearing from my Sinnoh counterpart, Champion Hayato." Lance commented, "A few trusted sources told me that he's in rather hot water because of all the protests. I'm not sure if I'll be dealing with him for much longer, honestly."
  
  "Good riddance." Bertha scoffed, "He's no friend of mine. And I've known for him quite some time already. He was part of the reason the traditionalists were able to hold onto power for so long, so I'll be happy to see him leave."
  
  "Hold on, so who would succeed Hayato if he were to step down?" Will asked, "Or do you already have plans for that?"
  
  Bertha shook her head, "None, unfortunately, which is admittedly quite worrying. We floated the idea of getting one of the other Elite Four to step up to the position, but we couldn't agree on who that'd be. Without getting into too much details, but none of us would be very suitable as Champions. We don't really possess the influence or the overwhelming strength that is expected of a Champion, and the public would know that we were just a compromise candidate. They wouldn't really give us the respect and authority that a new Champion would need to steer Sinnoh through all of this chaos."
  
  "In that case, would the committee decide?" Lorelei questioned curiously. "Seems like that would be the only option left."
  
  "None of the Elite Four want THEM to be making the decision." Bertha shook her head, "But fortunately, with the current roster of committee members imploding any moment now, the committee should be heavily neutered for the most part, and I'm confident that us Elite Four can hold down the fort during this period until we can find a suitable Champion. Especially if this international cooperation thing becomes a huge PR success."
  
  "We might still end up electing one of our own in the end." She added, "But I think Lucian did mention that he had someone in mind that he thought had the potential to take up the position. I haven't met them personally, but I hope his words come true. It's definitely going to be an unusual time for us."
  
  Her words caused an image of a very popular character from canon to flash through my head, and I had to hold back a grin. Would she be able to claim her infamous title even with all the changes I've made? I certainly hoped so. She was far too iconic in her role to imagine her otherwise. Though that did bring around another question.
  
  "Are any of the other Elite Four supporting the Champion?" I brought up, "Things could get really messy if they were." And it would bring the situation uncomfortably close to a civil war, was what I didn't voice.
  
  "Fortunately, that's not the case." Bertha reassured with a smile, "I'm the oldest amongst the Elite Four, and the rest of them are considerably younger than me. The ideals of the traditionalists have never really appealed to them. Nor have they gotten along well with Hayato outside of a general respect for his strength. But they certainly don't get along politically and have frequently stalled or pushed back against many of his proposals."
  
  "It also helps that our Elite Four have been slowly growing in strength, whereas Hayato has long since stagnated." Bertha added, "The strength difference is no longer as apparent as it once was."
  
  "HAH!" Agatha barked out a harsh laugh, "The Elite Four not liking their Champion? Now THAT sounds like a familiar story to me!"
  
  "Do you have a timeframe on when the borders are likely to open?" Lorelei asked with a raised hand as she changed the topic, "We've been 'told' that the borders were about to open for quite a while now."
  
  "Yes, and I do apologize for that." Bertha replied with a frown, "Even I underestimated just how much of a stubborn arse some of those traditionalists could be. But while I can't give you an exact timeframe, I suspect that that as soon as the traditionalists end up falling from power, you'll get your open borders."
  
  "Then John and I will be sent over soon then." Will spoke up, looking excited about the trip. "Do we have an itinerary planned? Because I can draft one up if need be."
  
  "We'll have one drafted as soon as we can confirm that the trip is happening." Bertha answered with a smile, "But yes, feel free to suggest any ideas. We're more than welcoming of them."
  
  "Well, I think the two-pronged approach that Lance brought up earlier is a great idea." Will said, gesturing with his hands, "It lets us cooperate in two vastly different areas, but both are of vital importance to the region. Business and scientific cooperation is always going to look good in the papers. And John has always gotten along well in the public eye." I shot him a nod for the compliment.
  
  Bertha nodded, agreeing with Will's words. "I think we could use that as a baseline then. It'll make a good puff piece that we can use as a foundation for future cooperation."
  
  Suddenly, another question settled into my head. "What about Hoenn? We've not discussed their participation yet." It would be awkward if we were trying to show off 'international cooperation' WITHOUT Hoenn being there.
  
  "I will be bringing it up with them after this meeting." Bertha responded, "Sidney and I have already arranged to talk. He's going to pass my message on to Wallace who will make the final decision on that front. But I'm confident they'll look to tagalong to whatever plans you have."
  
  After that, the discussion ended up being mostly between Will and Bertha. The former seemed to be an endless font of ideas and suggestions, while the latter seemed to have infinite patience to be able to listen Will's constant stream of thoughts.
  
  Eventually, Lance put a stop to it because the meeting was starting to run on a little too long for his liking, and he allowed us to leave. But just before he allowed to us to leave, he gave off one final reminder.
  
  "Will, John." He addressed the two of us, "Don't forget to keep on the lookout for any suspicious activities that you might be able to link to those lunatics. I don't expect you to engage in active investigation, but make sure you report anything suspicious to me. Do I make myself clear?"
  
  "Yes sir." We both replied, getting a nod from him and Bertha. She had clearly been read into the situation.
  
  After that, I saw Will move to resume his conversation with Bertha, but the rest of us made our way out. Except, Lorelei decided to approach me.
  
  "John, do you have some time?" She asked while we were standing just outside the League's headquarters. Curious, I turned to look at her.
  
  "Yeah, sure, what's the matter?" I asked.
  
  "I have a proposal I would like to push through the next committee meeting. But I'm trying to shore up support to ensure it passes through." She explains confidently, none of her old hesitation hidden in her voice. It seemed like her time in Hoenn in a proper leadership role really changed her for the better. Just like it did for me.
  
  I nodded at Lorelei for her to go ahead, "I'm looking to establish a new organisation that aims to focus and crack down on financial crimes." She explained, "The creation of the International Police is a good start in combating crime, but we need to make sure white collar crime cannot be allowed to run free either."
  
  I blinked, taken slightly aback. "Wow, you don't think things in halves do you?" I replied rhetorically, "When did you think of this?"
  
  "...It's been in the back of my mind for some time now - ever since the inspections with the Gyms actually, but I got distracted with all the other events happening over the past few weeks." She admitted, "I just saw that we already had such a robust team of inspectors that we hardly use, so why not put them to work and make them more active in their efforts against financial abuse?"
  
  "...That's...not going to be something people are going to like." I replied, "Most people would prefer for others NOT to stick their heads into their business. It's going to be a tough sell. It certainly wouldn't pass without Lance's approval."
  
  "I know, but this is something I want to get passed." She nodded, her eyes brimming with determination, "I've fallen slightly to the wayside in the public's eye after my victory, and I've seen that there are some that still expect me to be replaced soon enough when another strong challenger shows up. But I've been training rigorously for the past few weeks, hoping to secure my position martially. And if I can just get this proposal passed through, then I'm sure that I can finally demonstrate with more than just words that I am MORE than just my uncle's niece - and that I have my own goals and ideas that are separate from his."
  
  Hearing the passion and determination in her voice caused a small smile to unconsciously form on my face, "I see, that's a nice goal that you're working towards."
  
  But, unfortunately, there was no such thing as a free lunch in politics, so I asked the inevitable question.
  
  "And what would you offer me in exchange for my support?" I asked ruthlessly, crushing my sympathy. "That's assuming you can even get Lance on board, of course."
  
  "Why don't you give me your price, and I'll see if I can agree to it." She suggested, "I don't know what your plans are, but I believe that there must be something I can offer you to help push those along."
  
  I rubbed my chin thoughtfully; it was a decent idea. Unfortunately, Lorelei wasn't a political powerhouse just yet. Amongst the Elite Four, she still had the least influence to make use of. But that could very quickly change.
  
  After a moment, I came to a decision. "I want your support for my plans to pass a proposal to allow Gym Leaders to be appointed from either region within Indigo. So therefore, you could have a Johto native running a Kanto Gym and vice versa."
  
  This time, it was Lorelei's turn to be surprised, "...That was certainly not what I was expecting." She mumbled, "And you said MY plans were big."
  
  I shrugged, "Like you said, I've been planning this for some time as well. But I think this would be the next big step into ensuring the unity of Indigo."
  
  "I doubt such a thing would pass right now, though." She replied.
  
  "That's okay, I wasn't planning for it to. And, like you, I need Lance to be onboard for such a thing too." I said, "Still, I do plan on announcing it sometime in the future. And when I do, I expect your political support for it. Do we have a deal?" I extended a hand towards her.
  
  She hesitated, but only briefly. "Yes, we do."
  
  Our hands clasped together, and a deal was struck.
  
  A.N. A catch-up + foreshadowing/setup chapter; I wanted to highlight some of the events that took place over the timeskip and also start foreshadowing future plans to come.
  
  As always, I hope you enjoyed the politics too. Lorelei's been out of the spotlight for some time, but she'll be making her way back in. I haven't forgotten about her! This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  This chapter has been edited thanks to your comments. For those re-reading, the anti-corruption organisation has been changed to focus on financial crimes instead, as pointed out it should make more political sense this way. Thank you for your comments.
  
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  The New Normal - 7-10 - Interlude - Oak
  The New Normal - 7-10 - Interlude - Oak
  
  Oak let out a jaunty whistle as he walked into the middle of the arena, ignoring the many cheers of the crowd. He didn't think it was deserved anyways; they were merely cheering on a man far past his prime. He hadn't even been in a battle like this in many, many years. Their adorations were wasted on him.
  
  Still, misplaced or not, he made sure to give his fans a large sweeping wave to acknowledge them. He wasn't ungrateful for their support, after all.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS QUITE THE OCCASION, BUT WE'RE HERE TODAY TO WITNESS PROFESSOR OAK'S RETURN TO THE ARENA! THE CHALLENGER HERE TODAY HAS CHALLENGED PROFESSOR OAK'S CLAIMS ABOUT THE NEW FAIRY TYPE, AND THE GREAT PROFESSOR IS NOW HERE TO PROVE HIS POINT!"
  
  It had been a long time since he had last stared down a Blackthorn in battle. So long, that they seemed to have forgotten about him and became foolish enough to challenge his word. He might have retired, but he thought he had made a strong enough impression the first time round when he brought them to their knees.
  
  But it seemed like they needed another reminder.
  
  Standing opposite him, a young man stood with flames burning in his eyes as he stared daggers at Oak. The young man raised a finger and pointed threateningly at him. All Oak could do was raise an eyebrow; was this really the best that the Blackthorns could offer at the moment?
  
  "You're going to see the error of your ways, Professor Oak!" The young man taunted, "NONE challenges the might of Dragons."
  
  The whistling stopped. The look of joviality on his face faded away. And the young man faltered.
  
  Words were unnecessary here. He had no need to shout back with fighting words. He didn't even need to glare - a simple stare at the young man had him flinching back as if physically struck.
  
  Oak frowned despite himself. The old Blackthorns - the ones he used to face, were built of sterner stuff than this. They wouldn't have been cowed, instead they would have lashed out in an attempt to regain any lost pride. It was what made them predictable, both in battle and in politics.
  
  The current generation lacked that primal anger. They lacked the raw rage of the past. They had the roar of a Dragon, but not their bite.
  
  They had grown weak and afraid.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" The announcer finally called out, which caused his opponent to snap out of his instinctive fear. They drew out their Pokéball, clutching on it tightly as the young man's anger returned. But the slight redness of his cheeks told Oak that all he needed to know; the young man was just trying to compensate for their embarrassment.
  
  As Oak casually drew out his own Pokéball out of his coat pocket, a small reminiscent smile appeared on his face as he thought about how long it had been since his last battle on a stage like this. And while he knew this was a 3v3, he had only brought the one Pokéball.
  
  It was all he needed.
  
  "BEGIN!" Both trainers released their Pokémon, with one hurling their Pokéball with all of their pent up fury and the other with an almost lazy toss.
  
  "DRAGONITE, COME!"
  
  "Clefable."
  
  The opposing Dragonite let out a roar as he emerged onto the field, its draconic presence sweeping over the crowd. Oak thought he could hear a few impressed gasps at the pressure radiating out of the Dragonite, though he didn't really understand what the big deal was. He had seen bigger. He HAD bigger.
  
  Almost by instinct, his eyes scanned over the Dragonite. It looked well cared of, clearly strong, and it was a very healthy yellow. Good, it must have been trained well. Could be better, of course, but decent enough.
  
  "DRAGON RUSH!" Oh, he probably should actually focus on the battle itself. Whoops, he was really getting rusty if he let himself lose concentration like that. But that's what happens when you go into a battle you knew you couldn't lose.
  
  The enemy Dragonite exploded forwards in a burst of draconic rage, leaving a deep trench in his wake, before slamming mightily into his Clefable.
  
  His Clefable stumbled backwards, but otherwise looked unaffected by the attack. That was as expected; he had tested out with his own Dragonite beforehand.
  
  "DRAGON CLAW!" The Dragonite roared out and raked its claws savagely across his Clefable, who instinctively shielded herself with her arms. The ferocious claws slashed through Clefable's arms, but despite all of the power in that attack, its claws merely brushed off harmlessly against his Clefable.
  
  Hmm...that reaction from his Clefable was slower than he expected. He might need to train it more with handling close range threats like that. A stronger opponent could have taken advantage of that slow reaction time.
  
  "DRAGON TAIL! FINISH IT OFF!" Dragonite's tail came sweeping up from the sides, kicking up a small cloud of dust and sand, before it crashed into his Clefable with a hammering blow. His Clefable let out a surprised cry and was thrown aside, but he knew that it was still barely hurt.
  
  Okay, that was likely sufficient for a simple endurance test. It was probably time to fight back.
  
  "Moonblast." He ordered casually, and his Clefable instantly formed a large glowing orb of Fairy energy that floated above it. This was a move that he copied off of John by studying his battles. It was surprisingly simple to understand, and he imagined that this would be a staple move of the Fairy type for the years to come.
  
  "DRAGON PULSE! SHOW THAT FAIRY WHO'S BOSS!" The Dragonite let out another primal roar as it went prone on all fours as a large torrent of energy shot out of its maw. The Dragon Pulse blasted forwards, pulsating with blinding light that radiated with power.
  
  ...Before detonating harmlessly against his own Moonblast.
  
  Slowly but surely, the Moonblast moved forwards, almost dismissively tanking through the incoming Dragon Pulse. But instead of ordering a retreat, his opponent doubled down.
  
  "KEEP IT UP! UPHOLD THE PRIDE OF A DRAGON!" As soon as he heard those words, he had to hold back the chuckle that threatened to leak out of him. It's been a very long time since he heard someone utter those very words.
  
  Even though the current generation seemed to be a little more timid, it seemed that the underlying stubborn pride of being a Blackthorn had yet to change over the years. It made him wonder if his old enemies had changed, or were they still the same people that he had fought against before?
  
  The ones that survived, that was.
  
  However, returning his gaze back to the fight, he realized that, as always, the signature stubbornness of the Blackthorns would prove to be their downfall.
  
  Despite the Dragonite's best efforts and all of the training that it had gone through, the powerful Dragon Pulse was easily swept aside by the incoming Moonblast. The type advantage of the Fairy type was just too strong against it. Power alone could not overcome such a weakness.
  
  And so, just like Oak had expected, the Moonblast ended up crashing and detonating directly on the Dragonite's face, blasting it backwards as it clutched its face in pain.
  
  The young man gritted his teeth, "PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN AND CHARGE FORWARDS! DRAGON RUSH AGAIN!"
  
  Oak had to hold back a sigh. Honestly, he had hoped for a bit more creative thinking from the young man. But he supposed that he shouldn't have expected so much from the Blackthorns.
  
  After all, despite facing down so many 'different' Blackthorns over the years, he could write down all of their tactics on the small sticky notes that he attached to his fridge. The elders should really switch up their training methods.
  
  Oh well, may as well start wrapping this up.
  
  "Dazzling Gleam." As the Dragonite rushed closer, his Clefable began glowing a mystical pink before it blasting its surroundings with a wave of Fairy energy. The Dragonite stumbled backwards, its charge interrupted as it could not withstand the flood of Fairy energy that slammed and ripped through its health.
  
  Oak let out a pleased smile at the attack's effectiveness. This was a move that he had thought up while he was brainstorming about how to train up his Clefable. John had probably realized the same. It just seemed like the natural progression to him because - Oh wait, did the Dragonite just collapse?
  
  Damn, he had hoped it would put up a greater fight than that. He had plenty of other moves to test.
  
  "AND THE CHALLENGER'S DRAGONITE GOES DOWN! BUT HE STILL HAS TWO MORE POKEMON TO MAKE USE OF! CAN THE CHALLENGER REVERSE HIS FORTUNES?!"
  
  Oh well, at least he still had two other test subjects to experiment with.
  
  A.N. Two very different perspectives in this battle.
  
  The Blackthorn challenger: Fighting the hardest battle of his life
  
  Oak: Casually observing the battle and not even taking things seriously
  
  I hope I nailed down your imagination of what Oak would be like in a battle. I feel like there's two sides to Professor Oak. One is the jovial Professor who just wants to study Pokémon, and the other is the retired Champion that forced peace upon a region. Oak has an ego, but he's humble enough to keep that buried, only showing up in his inner thoughts. Also, we will be exploring the background events going on with the Blackthorns in a future chapter. Needless to say, things are not going that well in the clan.
  
  I apologize for not covering the entire battle, but I felt that keeping this utter curbstomp of a battle to be short and sweet would do better. Hope you liked it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-11 - Getting down to business
  
  The TV blared as I sat with my parents to eat breakfast.
  
  "...AND what a crushing victory from Professor Oak, once again proving to the world why his battling skills are still held in such high esteem! Just yesterday, he utterly dominated the Blackthorn representative with a crushing 3-0 victory, fully backing up his scientific discoveries! Proving once and for all that the Fairy type is truly the Dragon killer that we all thought it'd be!"
  
  "Wonder if the Blackthorns will finally shut up now that they've lost." My mom commented as she scooped up some egg.
  
  "Knowing those prideful fools? Might take a little longer than that, dear." My dad muttered as he took a bite out of his toast, "They might have just suffered a crushing defeat, but their pride is much larger than their capacity for shame. They might give it another shot."
  
  "That would be pretty funny." I smirked, thinking that Giovanni and probably Blaine had the entire fight recorded and saved so that they could view it again whenever they wanted. They must have loved it.
  
  "Funny or not, at least the Champion didn't join in on this nonsense." My dad grumbled, "I would have lost all respect for him."
  
  I thought it was more like Lance knew a losing battle when he saw one. The Blackthorns all had egg on their faces after the debacle, with most of the world laughing at them. Lance was smart to separate himself from that whole mess.
  
  "Yeah, he was pretty upset about the whole thing in general." I replied, and the recent humiliation wasn't helping Lance either, "But at least it's mostly over now. All but the most diehard of supporters have gone quiet."
  
  But I knew it couldn't be so simple. I suspected that Lance was likely doing something behind the scenes.
  
  "Good riddance. It was a waste of everyone's time." My mom commented, "Can't believe they'd doubt YOUR work."
  
  "I think there were many other names on that list more important than me, mom, but I'll take the compliment." I said wryly.
  
  "Oh speaking of which, are you free for the rest of the day, John?" My dad asked, "We have something to discuss with you about regarding the business."
  
  "Uh...sure, I'm free." I replied after thinking over my schedule. Aside from whatever planning I had to do for my upcoming trip to Sinnoh, and my attendance to the match between Karen and Sidney, I was rather free.
  
  "Good." My dad nodded, "I know you're busy, but this is fairly important, and we've accidentally put it off for some time."
  
  I was curious about what they wanted to talk about, but I let it lie for now as we all finished our breakfast. We continued making some small talk as we chowed down on our morning sustenance, and we ended up discussing about what we had heard Whitney was up to in Johto.
  
  My parents expressed their slight concern for their 'baby girl' travelling so far from home, but I reassured them that she had good friends who were looking out for her. Besides, considering that all 3 of them had family within either the Elite Four or as Gym Leaders, I was confident that none would dare harm them.
  
  Or if they did, that they would be very quickly brought to justice. Especially from me.
  
  With breakfast over, we transitioned away from the dining table and to the couch, where my mom had brought down a couple of folders that she laid out on the table. I recognized some of them as being related to the family business.
  
  "So, John, first things first, we wanted to discuss with you the future of the business. Or, more precisely, we're finally looking into buying some office space as a centralized location for our operations." My dad began. "We've previously been running things from the house, because the business used to be a fairly small one. However, now that things have expanded as much as they have; we're going to need some actual office space."
  
  "You know that we've rented out a few warehouses and used some of the farmhouses as office space and storage, but that's not going to cut it in the future." My dad continued, "So your mom and I have been looking to buy a building for the business since we have the funds for it. After some searching, I think we finally landed a good deal."
  
  "It's going to be in Cerulean, obviously, and our connections in the mayor helped us secure this." My mom joined us, "We were in a pretty unusual spot because of how fast our business grew, and we're currently playing catch-up. But we know that a majority of our success was due to us relying on your reputation."
  
  "Don't belittle your efforts like that, mom." I cut in, "You and dad both put in a lot of work."
  
  My dad patted me on the head, "Maybe, yet you cannot deny the positive effect that you've had on the business. The Smith Moomoo milk is only as popular as it is because of you, son."
  
  I let out a sigh as I ultimately conceded the point. As much as I didn't want to deny my parents' efforts, they were undeniably right that my reputation went far in boosting the business.
  
  Seeing my acceptance, my dad continued, "And this brings me to the second part. As soon as we've moved everything into our new office building, your mom and I want you to start getting a handle of how to run the business."
  
  "We actually initially intended to wait a bit before we did this, but you've done so well for yourself in the Elite Four that we could push things ahead of schedule a bit." He explained.
  
  My eyebrows rose slightly, though I had expected something like this for some time.
  
  "What would that look like?" I asked, very curious. And a little excited.
  
  "It won't be anything too drastic to start off with." My mom reassured, "But we would at least want you to get involved with the other employees at the company and introduce yourself. That includes any employees helping us right now, and also helping us a little bit with the hiring process since we're looking to increase our staff. Most importantly, we want you to show your face around and get comfortable with our employees."
  
  "We might also have you help out a bit with managing the finances, how to meet with suppliers and so on. Consider it something like work experience." She stated.
  
  "Not that we think you'd have any trouble with this; I'm sure the stuff you put up with in the Elite Four has already granted you plenty of experience handling difficult personalities." My dad chuckled, "After all, I highly doubt anyone that you'll be meeting in the business field will be intimidating to you at all. Not with what you've been through."
  
  I nodded. After dealing with the likes of Lance, Oak, Giovanni, Pryce and so many others, I REALLY doubted anyone that I would meet helping out with the family business could possibly intimidate me.
  
  "Better yet, you'll at least have a level of respect that many other heirs to companies don't have." My dad added, "Ignoring that Steven boy, while it's not uncommon for teenagers to get involved with the family business, it IS rare for said teenager to be an Elite Four member. You won't be looked down upon, I assure you of that."
  
  "Fair enough." I remarked, "So what should I get started on first?"
  
  My dad shook his head, "Nothing at the moment, though we had a few ideas we were going to discuss in a later meeting that you could start thinking about now." He said, shuffling over a few of the papers on the coffee table. "You remember the 'Elite' line of Miltank that your Pokémon mated with before? They've hatched now, and I reckon they're a few weeks away from producing their first batch of Moomoo milk."
  
  "I know this is a lot of information to suddenly drop on you." My mom said apologetically, "But I hope this isn't too overwhelming for you. We just want you to have a better understanding about the inner workings of our business."
  
  "Nah, I think I can handle it." I remarked confidently, before I raised up another question, "Any chance Whitney is going to get in on this?"
  
  "Not so soon." My dad shook his head, "She's still figuring out her path for the future, unlike you. Once her future career becomes a little clearer, then we'll decide on whether to include her. But don't worry, she'll always be a part of the family business. It's just a matter of when."
  
  I smiled, accepting my dad's words. Whitney really didn't any of these distractions for not - not when she still had so much growing to do, both as a trainer and as a person. These matters were better pushed aside for the time being.
  
  Besides, my parents were still quite young, so it's not like there was any rush to take over the business anytime soon anyways.
  
  "Are you planning on buying the building now?" I asked.
  
  "Maybe. But that's up to the other side to stop playing around and actually give us a reasonable price." My dad grumbled, "As soon as they stop playing games with us, then yes, most likely."
  
  "Okay, let me know if you need me to help you move in. It's the least I can do." I replied.
  
  With all of the business talk over, I made my way back to the training fields, making sure to wave and greet the nearby farmhands that were working hard. Over the past week, with the extra spare time that I had, I went back into training hard with my Pokémon. I especially focused on Ornstein and Pixel in particular, because now was the best time to mould them into future Elite Pokémon on my team.
  
  "Come on out!" I shouted as I released all of my Pokémon. And, as I expected, Ornstein emerged from his Premier Ball and rushed straight towards the emerging Smough.
  
  "LINOONE!" He cried as he smashed headfirst into Smough, only to slam into the wall that was Smough's belly ineffectively. At least he didn't bounce off this time.
  
  I sighed amusingly at the sight. Despite his newfound evolution, some old habits, like his one-sided rivalry against Smough, hadn't changed.
  
  I clapped my hands to get everyone's attention, "Okay, that's enough of that. Unless I've given you specific instructions, just continue on with your general training." My Pokémon all nodded or grunted their assertions. "Good, now Ornstein, Smough, Vordt, come over here."
  
  As I watched Ornstein grumble but nonetheless obey, I thought back to the training we had gone through the previous week where I had been exploring the potential of his new evolution. Unsurprisingly, with his newfound speed, he was actually an effective fighter able to make use of hit-and-run attacks. I used both what I remembered of Norman's Linoone and Karen's Weavile for inspiration for how to train up Ornstein.
  
  Therefore, I had Ornstein focus on an all-out style of attacking, primarily focusing on training up moves like Night Slash and Double Edge to maximize his attacking power. Then, like any good Dark type, I had him train up his Taunt and other status moves so that he could be more than just a pure attacker. His access to moves that could cripple his opponent gave him an edge over attackers who could only rely on their high attack.
  
  He was far from reaching his full potential, but he was getting there. As soon as he got a handle of those, I was going to train him up with the elemental punches as soon as possible. Those were going to be essential for him to master.
  
  "Right. Ornstein, I want you training with Smough. Just like you usually do, I need you to try to hit him as hard as you can while also Taunting him at the same time." I began, and Ornstein perked up excitedly as he listened to my words, "Smough, you'll be doing the opposite. You need to learn to train your speed to catch the faster Ornstein. You can't yourself be stifled by your slow speed." Smough let out an understanding snort at my words.
  
  I turned to Vordt, "Vordt, you're observing them while training on your own. You already have a good balance of what both these Pokémon lack - so I want you to supervise and give pointers where necessary. Help Smough with his poor speed, and let Ornstein hit harder." Vordt gave a grunt of acknowledgement.
  
  This was I paired the trio up like this. With his mastery of moves like Headlong Rush, Vordt had the ability to burst forwards with speeds comparable to Ornstein, if only for a moment. Yet he also had the pure strength that Smough had. I hoped his supervision would grant great benefits for both Pokémon.
  
  With those three sorted out, I moved onto my next pair, "Pixel, Tyrant, come." I ordered.
  
  Pixel slowly floated over, buzzing excitedly, while Tyrant obediently sauntered over, patiently awaiting further instructions.
  
  "Pixel, I know you're now proficient at using Recover, is that right?" Pixel beeped affirmatively, "Good, then I want you to focus next on using and mastering Conversion. I know I've put it off for a while, but now I think is finally the time you got good at it."
  
  Pixel whirled enthusiastically, but I continued, "I suspect that you're going to need some help with mastering Conversion, since it'll require you to be able to switch into whatever type you choose. So if you need any help with a specific type, you can ask any member of the team to help you with them." Pixel let out an affirmative buzz.
  
  Mastering Conversion was going to be an incredibly important step in Pixel's development as an Elite Pokémon. The ability to switch types at will, and hopefully instantaneously, was an extremely valuable tool to have in a battle. Theoretically, it would allow me to secure a type advantage against any opponent I would face. I hoped it could master it quickly, but I knew that with such a move, it was going to take some time.
  
  Moving on, I turned to Tyrant. "Tyrant. You need to get better at Special Attacks. Expand your movepool and power even more. Mix them into your physical attacks." He snorted affirmatively and wandered off, not needing any more instructions. He sought strength more than any Pokémon on my team, so I knew he would do his best to achieve what I wanted him to.
  
  Plus, the reason I had chosen to have Tyrant focus on his Special Attack was simple. Looking back against both my battle against Bruno and during the raids, I realized that, realistically, Tyrant was strong enough on the physical side. There was very little, if at all, that could challenge him on that front. Thus, in order to improve him even further, I had to switch my focus to work on his Special Attack side.
  
  He was already proficient with moves like Flamethrower and Thunderbolt, but I wanted him to be able to use more than that. He already knew a whole plethora of elemental moves, so hopefully learning to master new moves, even ones beyond what a normal Slaking could learn in their inherent movepool, shouldn't prove to be too difficult.
  
  I really wanted him to be able to use moves like Moonblast and Psychic, for example, since he already knew how to use attacks like Play Rough and Zen Headbutt. I believed that with enough hard work, he would able to utilize those attacks too. Ideally, I hoped he could mix up his a few Special Attacks into his normal beatdowns just to further disorient an opponent and frustrate any attempts to counterattack.
  
  My goal was to have Tyrant be able to not just defeat Lance's Emperor, but to dominate him entirely. I didn't want a close win - I wanted a decisive victory. One on one. Starter vs starter.
  
  I shook myself from my daydreaming as I returned to helping my Pokémon train up. I made sure to also give the Pokémon that I wasn't specifically training some attention too, just so that I could check on their respective progress and so they wouldn't feel left out. Not that there was any risk of that; they knew I cared for them.
  
  Time passed as I watched my Pokémon training, sometimes stepping in to make some adjustments to what they were doing. But my team was a like a well-oiled machine; even my newer additions hardly needed my direct input. Either they would know what they did wrong, or another one of my Pokémon would correct them in my place. That was the benefit of training together like this, everyone could help everyone.
  
  But I was broken out of my idle spectating as my phone started to ring. Seeing that Lance was calling me, I made sure to step away so that we wouldn't be disturbed.
  
  "Hello?" I picked up.
  
  "John. Update from Sinnoh. I just heard from Bertha that the first of their Committee members have begun to resign, and she expects more to follow suit very soon. It's the beginning of the end for the traditionalists." He explained.
  
  "I see...so that's good news for us then?" I asked.
  
  "Very likely." He agreed, "But Sinnoh is going to be quite politically unstable...and a fertile ground for any criminals to act." He warned, and my face twisted into a grimace.
  
  "You're right. I hadn't considered that. Damn, I was too focused on them opening the borders." I admitted with a frown, "You think that the terrorists had something to do with the protests?"
  
  "I asked Bertha that, and she says it was unlikely." He replied, his voice serious, "She says that the discontent had been building up for some time. It would be unlikely, almost impossible, for the criminal teams to have manipulated the public into this. Bertha firmly believes that the traditionalists brought this on themselves. BUT she does say that the evil teams might be taking advantage of it. They'd have an easier time moving around resources, for example."
  
  "Fuck. Anything we can do about it?" I asked, a little frustrated. I did not want them getting ANY kind of opportunities.
  
  "Unfortunately not." Lance sighed, "I dislike it as much as you do, but the political situation in Sinnoh is going to be very fragile. We can't afford to upset it. Especially not as foreigners."
  
  My frown deepened, but I reluctantly accepted Lance's words. Unless we had a clear target, we wouldn't be able to recreate the manhunt that I did in Hoenn.
  
  Yes, canon taught me that Team Galactic was very likely going to be one of those threats, but I couldn't simply barge into their main headquarters and start arresting everyone. Not without some serious evidence.
  
  My connections and reputation paved the road for me in Hoenn. But I wouldn't have either of those in Sinnoh. Not to start with.
  
  Furthermore, unlike in Hoenn, public opinion was not automatically going to be on my side. For a traditionally deeply isolationist region like Sinnoh, I feared that they might even side with the domestic criminals over a foreign Elite Four, if only because they were locals. We REALLY did not want to get into a war of public opinion with them.
  
  "Any news on the Sinnoh Champion?" I asked, shaking away those thoughts. "Is he on the way out?"
  
  "Same as everything else, Bertha thinks it could happen any day now." Lance replied, getting a nod from Bertha. "He's deeply unpopular for having gotten into bed with the traditionalists. It's extremely doubtful that he could survive this transition."
  
  Which meant the political situation in Sinnoh was only going to get even worse. I hoped that whoever was still in power in the Sinnoh League could hold things together. I guess that Will and I were going to have to do a lot of careful work to bring over the Sinnoh public to the idea of opening up to foreigners.
  
  "On the bright side, it's looking like you and Will might be heading off to Sinnoh sooner than we may have expected." Lance remarked, "I hope you're ready to go on what might be very short notice."
  
  "I have a luggage packed and ready." I confirmed, "How long will we be there for? A fortnight?"
  
  "It'll probably be longer than that." Lance told me, "I have no intention of returning either of you to Indigo without an emergency, as setting up good relations with Sinnoh is of paramount importance. So even if you have to stay there for a month, then so be it. Though of course I'm willing to accommodate for any personal emergencies if you need to return."
  
  Lance hung up shortly after that. Though before we ended the call, I did question him about what was going on with the Blackthorns. He didn't give me a straight answer, but he hinted at the fact that he was currently working on something though failed to provide any details.
  
  As the call ended, I stared down at my phone with a complicated expression on my face.
  
  More than ever, it appears like my trip to Sinnoh was not going to just be fun and games. There was clearly a lot that was boiling just underneath the surface, but I at least hoped that things wouldn't get too bad. I did NOT want to get caught up in a political uprising.
  
  However, on a brighter note, there was a very special person I really wanted to meet in Sinnoh. I wonder what she was doing now?
  
  A.N. A slower set-up chapter, but I wanted to finally highlight some things I've left to the side over the past few chapters. I hope you enjoyed the discussions about the family business and training. It's been a while since I really emphasized those things.
  
  And you'll see a bit of more of the Blackthorns in the future. The consequences of their 'actions' aren't quite over yet. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 7-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-12 - Scientific Summit
  
  Even though some time had gone passed, the hype around the Fairy type had yet to die down. In fact, it was still going strong as many trainers continue trying to experiment and train with the new Fairy types to test out their strengths.
  
  According to Karen, there were apparently many new trainers that had originally failed to beat her, who were now trying to challenge her again for the 1st Gym Badge with a newly captured Fairy type in hand. Most of the time, it went the same for them.
  
  Fairy types did not give you any advantage over Rock types, after all. If anything, more often than not their lack of familiarity with the strengths of the Fairy type actually made their performance worse.
  
  Initially, I had mostly thought to ignore the craze, just sitting low and allowing it to die down. I didn't see a need to take a proactive approach, so long as no chaos broke out. But Oak had different ideas.
  
  "We should capitalize on this opportunity." He told the Fairy group one day in a conference call that he hosted, "Currently, the public's interest in science is all the way up with the back-to-back new discoveries of the PIT Technique and the Fairy type. We need to make use of this and fully cement their interest."
  
  "How are we going to do that?" Shelly had asked.
  
  "I plan to host a scientific panel that would be open for the public to ask us whatever questions they like, but hopefully with a focus on science." He explained, "We need to show the public that we're there and engaged with them, and we aren't just sitting in our labs working independently on scientific research without their input. If we can get them involved and thinking, then we can get them invested."
  
  "And getting the public invested means we get more research grants." Blaine smiled, "John, you think you can flip that with Lance to push for more public funding for us poorly scientists?" That got a round of snorts and chuckles from the rest of the call. If anything, the scientists gathered here today were the LEAST poorly.
  
  "I can definitely give it a try, but I think Lance has his own problems to deal with for the moment." I shrugged. It was an open secret that Lance was on the outs with the Blackthorns at the moment, and was busy wrangling them back under his authority. Even after a week since their humiliation against Oak, they still hadn't gotten over it yet.
  
  "Bah, who cares about his problems?" Blaine grumbled, "I know you're friends with him and all, but that's his own fucking problem to deal with."
  
  "Let's table that for now." Oak said, ever diplomatic, "Are you all on board for hosting a scientific panel? We can host it at the Indigo Plateau, I'm sure I can get that arranged." We all gave our agreement to that.
  
  And so, barely a few days later, Oak already had everything set up. He clearly still had a lot of influence with the Indigo League to be able to hold a public panel on the League's doorstep with such notice. The event was also heavily publicized, and fully open to the public. I had heard from Shelly that a few scientists from Hoenn had also decided to make their way over here to join in as audience members.
  
  I even heard that the Elite Four would be attending, though not Lance. Apparently he had something to do on that day.
  
  Regardless of what it was, the panel was still underway. Once again, the 6 of us, Professor Oak, myself, Gym Leader Blaine, Director Shelly, Professor Carolina, and Professor Elm had all taken our places on a long table that had been specifically set up for this panel. In front of us were rows after rows of seats for the public, and we sat there patiently as we waited for them to fill up.
  
  In the VIP seats that were set up, I saw Lorelei and Will sit down. Agatha was notably missing, but I didn't think she would be interested in something like this anyways.
  
  We made small talk while the public were still arriving in, but we had to watch what we said. The multitude of cameras facing us were doing their best to capture our every word, whispered or not.
  
  Eventually, everyone had gathered inside, and Oak started us off. "Thank you for joining us once again today. We know you might be tired of seeing our mugs when it's not been long since our press conference revealing the Fairy type, but I hope you don't mind seeing us again." He joked, getting a few polite laughs from the audience.
  
  "Anyways, we've decided to host this panel today because we wanted to be able to discuss freely with you and answer any questions that you, the public, might have." He explained, "We hope to help address any concerns and let you know about the future direction of our plans. Alternatively, feel free to give us your suggestions about what we could work and look into, and we might consider it."
  
  That drew a substantial applause from the crowd. As Oak mentioned to us, scientists were very often left outside of the public eye, their work mostly unknown besides the very big discoveries that we rarely make. So to have a prestigious lineup of scientists actually willing to engage in open communication with the public was a wondrous opportunity for them.
  
  I suspected that Oak was doing this to also boost the reputation of scientists in the public eye. While scientists were always respected, I was confident that he wanted to promote scientists to be more in the spotlight. To be more recognized for their efforts. And this was just one of the many steps he was going to take to achieve this.
  
  The applause died down shortly later, but Blaine spoke up before the questions began, "Before you guys start unleashing your flood of questions at us, I would like to make my own personal announcement." That caught everyone's attention, and the room quickly fell silent once again.
  
  "Before I worked on the Fairy project with Professor Oak, I had spent a lot of time trying to develop my own evolution item. It took me a few tries to get it right, but I finally have the working version ready for mass production." He explained to the gasps of the crowd.
  
  "I won't reveal what it is yet - but I'm already in talks with some large businesses so that it can hit the shelves shortly." He announced, "Please look forward to it. I'm sure it'll be quite the hot topic." Shelly visibly facepalmed at the joke, but he got a healthy applause despite the terrible pun.
  
  With that, the questions began. A few were initially directed at Blaine in hopes of figuring out what he had been working on, but they quickly shifted away when the realized that Blaine was not going to be forthcoming with his answers.
  
  Unsurprisingly, Oak was saddled with the brunt of the questions. The Fairy type was still THE thing on everyone's mind, and everyone wanted to see if the famed Professor Oak had any additional insights that they missed. THAT, and they really wanted to ask about Oak and his beatdown of the Blackthorn's representative. But he diplomatically avoided that question before things could get heated. He had no intention of fuelling those flames.
  
  To my surprise, he directed a question at me, "I think that question about the Fairy type's battling ability should be directed to the one who's been battling with it for the longest." He turned to me, "John, what do you think about the potential of Fairy types in battle? How do they battle like?"
  
  I felt everyone's attention snap to me, but I took my time to think through my answer before responding, "I understand that everyone's perception of the Fairy type is that they are the 'type that destroys Dragons'. So it makes sense for people to think that the Fairy type are just a stronger version of Dragon types. But that perception of the Fairy type is completely wrong."
  
  "In terms of pure and raw strength, the Dragon type is always going to be one of the strongest types available. There is a reason why Dragon types are still so coveted. But the reason that Fairy types are able to beat them in a straight up fight is purely because the type advantage that Fairies possess over Dragons. Without it, the Fairy type could not match up in a raw beatdown against another Dragon type, because that's not where their strength lies."
  
  "Think about the Fairy types that you know. The Ralts line, the Clefairy line, the Togepi line. Before the discovery of their true typing, none of you would have thought of those types as your traditional powerhouse types. Even at the high level, they were mostly supportive Pokémon with a wide range of utility moves that were invaluable in any team, but they are not frontline fighters."
  
  "The strength of the Fairy type are the same. Clefable is a valuable member of my team BECAUSE of her range of supportive moves, AND because of her resistance and strength against Fighting types. I intend to train up my new Sylveon to be the same. If anything, I find the Fairy type to be remarkably similar to the Dark type. But with a bigger emphasis on status and defensive moves over more aggressive disruption."
  
  As I finished with my explanation, I found the audience all listening to me with rapt attention. I didn't realize how everyone fell silent as people simply listened to my breakdown with the Fairy type. Even my panel members were staring at me with various degrees of proud smiles.
  
  Surprisingly, it was Will that broke the silence as he raised a question, "So, John, from what you're saying, the Fairy type can be similar to the Psychic type?"
  
  "That isn't an inaccurate comparison." I nodded, "Fairy type Pokémon often share a lot of similar moves with traditional Psychic types. Though the Psychic types still have access to more of the Psychic supportive move pool. But Fairy types compensate for this for generally having access to other supportive moves too."
  
  Will nodded, satisfied with my answer. This only prompted another question to be thrown at me, "Elite John! Would you now consider to switch to being a Fairy specialist instead of a Normal one?"
  
  I frowned, "Absolutely not. I could never throw away my Normal type Pokémon for something as useless as a title. I have a few Fairy type Pokémon on my team sure, but I'd still classify myself as a Normal specialist."
  
  "What would you say differentiates a Normal specialist with a Fairy one?" Someone else asked.
  
  "Normal types are typically stronger in a frontal fight. Think of Snorlax and Slaking as great examples of this. As I've said, Fairy types often take a supportive role, with a bigger emphasis on ranged attacks compared to your typical Normal types. But the flexibility and versatility of both types are a common feature, which is why I think I've settled so well in adapting Fairy types into my team."
  
  "Then will you be adding more Fairy types to your team in the future?" The same guy asked again.
  
  I shrugged, "Depends if I find a Pokémon that wants to join me - I won't turn them down. But I don't have any Fairy types on my mind at the moment that I specifically want to add to my team. I'm content with what I have so far."
  
  Before I knew it, the revelation of my knowledge of the more practical uses for the Fairy type made me the main star of the conversation. There were still many questions directed at the rest of the panel, but now a lot of them were directed my way. They must have been realizing that my role here was more than just as a placid observer or as a mere hanger-on. I was knowledgeable in my own right.
  
  It was strange to see - but I could physically FEEL my approval in the eyes of the scientific community rising the more I spoke. Despite my connections to quite a few higher-ups within the scientific community, I had always known that I was still considered to be an outsider to a majority of the more lower rung members.
  
  After all, I wasn't a scientist by trade. Nor did I have the education to back it up. The scientific community had always been plagued by elitism. And I found it ironic that even as a member of the Elite Four, I was still not 'elite' enough for those elitists.
  
  But I was confident that, by the end of this conference, that opinion of me would change.
  
  I didn't know how long we spoke for about the Fairy types, but my bottle of water was almost fully depleted before we moved onto talking about the PIT technique. What I hadn't realized until just now was that apparently there were a lot of money and resources being thrown at the PIT technique in hopes of finding a new type.
  
  The discovery of the Fairy type may have temporarily overshadowed it, but the PIT technique was still making its rounds in the scientific circles.
  
  Once again, questions were directed my way as the person who discovered this technique to see if I had any insights. But this time, I allowed the other scientists, ones that were far more familiar with the fundamentals behind evolutions, to field the questions.
  
  Professor Elm and Blaine were the most knowledgeable with this, "It may seem crude and overly simplistic, but John's words when he first discovered the PIT technique; about how Pokémon that possessed a lot of moves in another type were more likely to possess an alternate form, it rings true. The idea of alternate types had always been in the mind of many scientists, but we just didn't fully realize what it took to unlock this extra potential of our Pokémon." Professor Elm explained.
  
  "Then do you have any ideas in mind for what alternate forms could exist and be discovered?" He was asked.
  
  "I'm working on a few ideas of my own, yes." He revealed, "But I won't know until the eggs hatch to see if they've worked or not. And that won't be for quite some time. Of course, the public will be the first to know of any successes I find."
  
  "Once again though, DO NOT try this at home." Oak warned prudently, "We do not need a repeat of what happened when the reckless and uninformed try their hands at something this delicate. Please spare yourself and your Pokémon the pain, and DO NOT attempt this outside of League authorised conditions. Thank you."
  
  "Elite John, are you going to be working on another Pokémon with the PIT technique?" Someone asked me.
  
  "Unfortunately, I don't have any plans to for the moment." I replied, "My success with the D-Zigzagoon and the subsequent formulation of the PIT Technique was a massive coincidence. But I simply don't have the time to focus on something that takes as long as and as much effort as the PIT technique. So I'll be leaving most of the work to the full time scientists."
  
  "I intend to refocus my efforts into the PIT technique too." Oak spoke up, "Now that I'm done with the Fairy type, there are a few ideas I wanted to try to see if anything comes out of it."
  
  After several more rounds of questions, we got to the political aspect of the conversation. Blaine, as Gym Leader, took the lead this time. "Part of the reason why we wanted to host this discussion is because we wanted to show off just how much we can achieve if we all worked together and dedicated our resources into the scientific field. We had hoped to show, not only you members of the public, but also those decision makers in the Committee to demonstrate the benefits of having good programmes to fund the field of science."
  
  "While training and battling should always be at the forefront of our minds, science must come at a close second and should never be neglected." He continued, "So for those of you who want to see more of these discoveries, go pester your local councillor today and ask them to provide more funding to the sciences."
  
  I took this opportunity to speak up too, "I'll be introducing a new proposal in the Committee soon to request for the addition of new grants for our hard-working scientists. If it wasn't for them, then our society would stagnate and so many secrets of both society and Pokémon would remain undiscovered. So I hope I can have your support in pushing for this extra funding!"
  
  That brought the panel to an end, and I shared a smile with the rest of my fellow panellists and colleagues over the background of a thunderous applause from the audience. We had worked really well together, and we all shared a mutual wish to continue our cooperation in the future, one way or another.
  
  We all turned and bowed to the cheering crowd, and I even saw Will and Lorelei both standing on their feet as they both cheered at us. I knew instinctively that I had their support when it came to my new proposal.
  
  And with this new proposal, I was confident that I had earned some crucial goodwill and reputation from the scientific community.
  
  (Lance POV)
  
  He knew today was the day that John and Oak were hosting a huge panel where they would be discussing and answering questions about their scientific discoveries. And while he was far from a scientist, he would have still much preferred to be there. He had always wanted to ask his own questions and see what insights he could draw from them for his own Dragons.
  
  But instead, he was forced to deal with this nonsense.
  
  "...So explain to me why you chose to sit out of it instead of proving the clan with your support?!" One of the Blackthorn elders scowled furiously at him, "Did you forget who helped you become what you are today?! Or have you forgotten that you have only managed to become Champion with OUR blessing?!"
  
  He could feel Clair tensing up from where she was seating next to him, but he stayed silent. The younger him would have been shaking in fear at being stared down by one of the Blackthorn elders, but he had grown up since then.
  
  "ANSWER US! Or do you think your silence can somehow absolve you of your GUILT?!" Another elder demanded.
  
  "But, honoured elders, do you not see that cousin Lance made the right decision in the end?" Clair spoke up in his defence as he remained silent, "The Fairy type has proven, beyond all doubt, that it is the counter to Dragons. But so what? We can adapt. And we can still prove that Dragons are indeed the strongest type. It's not like we're suddenly seen as weak because of the presence of a new type. But now, because of your prideful insistence, we were seen as laughing stocks because we tried to make an display of force when one wasn't necessary."
  
  "Foolish girl. Do you not understand how that can be seen as weakness?" One of the elders spat viciously, "Dragons ARE the backbone of our clan. We owe our position in Johto solely because it is ONLY US that have mastered the strength of the Dragons. We tamed them, brought them under our will, because that is what makes the Blackthorn name MEAN something. THAT is why our name is spoke with reverence and fear. To allow a type to be known to 'counter' us rubs at our very pride. At the very essence of what makes us a Blackthorn."
  
  "Which is why Lance's failure to support us in such a crucial time is the ultimate betrayal of our values." The elder's glare turned his way. "The Champion that we propped up should have helped us. NEEDED to have helped us. But instead he cowered away, valuing his own position more than he valued the clan that raised and birthed him. A coward, and a false Dragon."
  
  The elder's words sent a ripple of shock through the spectators that were watching. But he remained calm as he stood up from where he was sitting. Before the elders could question what he was doing, he simply released Emperor into the middle of the small clearing that they had gathered in.
  
  "DRAGONITEEE!" His Emperor emerged with a mighty roar that caused the trees that surrounded them to shake violently, and the ground below to wobble and crack. The other Dragons that the elders had previously released all immediately pushed their heads against the ground at the appearance and overwhelming presence of a true alpha.
  
  Yet Lance seemingly ignored all of this as he just stepped forwards, walking slowly towards the still seated elders, his eyes never leaving theirs.
  
  "You have fear in your eyes."
  
  A simple statement, but one that managed to undermine their argument. If they were the proud Dragon trainers that they claimed that they were, then why were they afraid of Emperor?
  
  "Do you remember why you chose me to become Champion? Why was it that, among all of the many 'wise' and 'noble' elders of the Blackthorn Clan, you chose ME to be your representative amongst the Elite Four?" He said, turning his gaze away from the elders. Instead, he was addressing the many spectators from the Blackthorn Clan that had been invited to watch this 'interrogation'.
  
  "Because, despite all of your many attempts, not one of you managed to beat Pryce." He stated slowly and clearly. "It didn't matter how much pride you had in your Dragons. You couldn't even beat a greying old man that was so consumed by his own ego that he couldn't even see what was in front of him. And yet THIS was the man that you failed to defeat with all your vaunted Dragons."
  
  "And I crushed him." He continued, emphasizing the word 'crushed'. "Even when he pulled out a new Pokémon that I had never seen before, I still thrashed his entire team. Do you know why? Because even though I have my own pride, I know better than to blinded by it."
  
  "Because that's what you all are." His gaze fell back on the elders, "Blinded by your glorious past that you cannot see how the world has shifted around you. Your so-called Dragons have gone weak, and your so-called 'young prodigy' was unable to defeat even a single Clefable."
  
  He motioned to the cowering Dragons around him, "Look at them. Look at how they cower. Not one of them strong enough of will to stand up to Emperor. THIS is what the Blackthorn name has been reduced to now. Blinded elders with more bark than bite, dependent on Dragons that they have long forgotten how to train. You were fortunate that I didn't join in your idiotic 'war' against the Fairy type, because at least the Blackthorn name hasn't been fully tarnished. Because of ME!"
  
  The elders grew wroth at his words, but he ignored them once again as he kneeled down so that he was now face-to-face with one of the leading elders of the clan, with Emperor perfectly looming over menacingly behind him. "Look at me. I am the face of the Blackthorn Clan now. After this disaster, you NEED me, for the Blackthorn name would be mud without me."
  
  "You claim that I should answer to you - that I owe my loyalty to the proud and illustrious Blackthorn Clan." He shook his head slowly, "But I do not see that clan in front of me. All I see are blinded fools desperately trying to claw back whatever prestige by riding off the coattails of their Champion. But I am not YOUR Champion. I am LANCE! Master of Dragons! And I answer to no one."
  
  "Not even you."
  
  A.N. Please note that there won't be an Interlude chapter this Wednesday. I have very big chapters coming out next to make up for this, so please enjoy that instead.
  
  And Lance cows the Blackthorns, proving himself to be the true alpha behind the clan and solidifying the mighty power of the clan behind him. Because even if he's young and 'going against tradition' by disrespecting the elders, he has the one thing they lack. Strength.
  
  I hope you liked how that contrasted with the more scientific first half. John was doing the same thing there, solidifying his position among the scientific community by finally having a suitable platform to demonstrate his knowledge in front of the public. He won't be dismissed now as being a 'fake scientist'.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 7-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-13 - Dark and Darker
  
  Olivine city was packed to the brim with people, almost reminding me of the time when Team Rocket tried to escape on the ship. But at least this time I was reassured with the fact that they weren't about to launch an attack, not when they were mostly all locked up or on the run.
  
  Instead, everyone had gathered here today for a much more pleasant reason - for the match between Karen and Sidney. Steven had worked hard to set everything up over the past week, renting out a stadium for the fight, and making sure that the tickets could be distributed and sold in time.
  
  As per his earlier promise, for each donation milestone that the public reached, both Karen and Sidney would fight with one additional Pokémon. I should have known that they would have reached the 6v6 milestone fairly quickly - I think Steven put the donation goals too low and underestimated just how much people were willing to donate for this sort of thing, especially with the improving economy.
  
  The audience stalls were stuffed full of people. Fortunately, I was invited to sit in the VIP seating area, alongside both Agatha and Steven. The rest of the Indigo Elite Four were invited, but they weren't able to attend for various different reasons. Even Lance was unable to come, so it was just the three of us sitting in the VIP zone.
  
  "You hoping to learn something from this?" I asked Steven as we still a had a few minutes before the match was due to begin.
  
  "Naturally. I know I've made no secrets of my plans and ambitions back in Hoenn, and with Sidney being my first major obstacle for me overcome, I intend to use this opportunity to see just how he handles himself at a higher level." Steven replied, "I heard that he's been stagnating recently, but I very much doubt that he'd be a weak opponent. Perhaps I can learn something from this match that may just give the advantage I need."
  
  "Confident, aren't you sonny?" Agatha spoke up from her seat, giving Steven an inspecting look, "Most people would be quaking in their boots when talking about facing against a member of the Elite Four. But not you, arrogant as you are."
  
  Steven shrugged off Agatha's stares, "If I let my fear rule me, then how would I get anything done?" He said rhetorically, "I have been assisting my father with his business for many years now. This is just yet another challenge in my path."
  
  "HAH! The arrogance! Do you think being a good businessman makes you a good trainer?" Agatha mocked, but I could tell that there wasn't any heat in it. It was almost as if she was trying to take his measure.
  
  And Steven seemed to realize that too, "I suspect that nothing I say will persuade you. But I shall let my actions be my proof." He responded confidently before letting the conversation drop, realizing there was no point wasting words against Agatha.
  
  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a glimpse of a frown flash across Agatha's face as she failed to rile Steven up. I had to hold back the urge to snort - maybe Agatha was meeting her match in Steven.
  
  After all, he WAS a future Champion in the making. And I could see why. His confidence was unshakable. But more than that, he knew how to handle himself even during difficult conversations. Even beyond the strength of his team, which I had no doubt was strong as well, that would prove very advantageous during his time in a position of power.
  
  Perhaps he would be better at wrangling the ever-conflicted Hoenn Committee better than Wallace?
  
  Before I could think any further, the announcer's voice boomed out through the speakers, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AT DEVON CORP, WE ARE GLAD TO BRING THIS EXCITING AND UNIQUE BATTLE TO YOU! TODAY, WE HAVE QUITE THE RARE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO FAMED DARK TYPE SPECIALISTS!" The crowd cheered wildly as the announcer hyped them up.
  
  "AND LET US MEET TODAY'S CONTESTANTS! STARTING WITH SOMEONE WHO'S STAR HAS BEEN ON THE RISE! PLEASE WELCOME ELITE AGATHA'S APPRENTICE, AND THE DE-FACTO REGENT OF PEWTER CITY, KAREN!"
  
  Karen walked onto the stage with a confident gait as she waved to the crowd, who cheered loudly at her entrance. She had an assured smirk on her face, seemingly sure of her victory. But as Agatha put it...
  
  "She's nervous." She observed neutrally, "But I'll not disparage her for that here. She knows that her victory here would do wonders for her reputation. She needs to do well."
  
  "At least she's staying calm." I spoke up, staring carefully at Karen's expression through the cameras, "I don't see any nervous twitching."
  
  "Good. I didn't train her up this much for her to get a bad case of NERVES during a battle." Agatha grumbled, "And this is going to be excellent experience for her when she does fight against tougher opponents in the future too."
  
  "...Those are some expectations you are placing on her." Steven remarked from the side, but Agatha just snorted.
  
  "Feh! She knew what she was signing up for." Agatha replied, "This is just the price of ambition. You'd know that all about that, wouldn't you?" She said sarcastically, and Steven conceded the point and fell silent.
  
  "AND IN THE OTHER CORNER, PLEASE WELCOME SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN A VETERAN OF HIGH-LEVEL POKEMON BATTLES FOR YEARS, MAINTAINING HIS POSITION IN THE ELITE FOUR AND HOLDING BACK THE SURGE OF CHALLENGERS! GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE ONE OF THE FOUR ELITES OF HOENN, ELITE SIDNEY!" The announcer boomed out.
  
  Sidney sauntered into the arena as he shot the crowd a grin full of teeth, his arms in his pockets. With his mohawk, he looked like the quintessential rebel, which I supposed was the point. I knew the cocky gaze that he had was just a ruse, but the crowd was loving it.
  
  Despite not being in Hoenn, the cries from the crowd at Sidney's appearance was significantly louder than when Karen entered as the arena practically exploded with the cheers at his entrance. I guess that was not surprising; rising star or not, Sidney was still considerably more accomplished than Karen. And a member of the Elite Four that was known for being the greatest Dark type trainer in the world.
  
  Although...that may change after today.
  
  "THANKS TO ALL YOUR DONATIONS, THIS IS GOING TO BE A FULL 6V6 BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO CONTESTANTS! HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED! AND ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU TO DEVON CORP FOR HELPING SET THIS ALL UP!" The sound of cheering and clapping rose again, with the noise echoing around the arena. The announcer waited for the applause to die down before continuing, "AND NOW, LET US NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME AND GET STRAIGHT TO THE BATTLE!"
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" He shouted out, and both trainers nodded simultaneously, clutching onto their Pokéballs.
  
  "THREE!" Both trainers leaned forwards as they prepared to release their Pokémon.
  
  "TWO!" Karen's eyes narrowed into slits as she stared down at Sidney, who had lost his cocky grin in favour of a serious frown. They knew that this was not going to be an easy fight.
  
  "ONE!" Both trainers threw out their Pokéballs.
  
  "Umbreon! Start off strong!"
  
  "Mightyena! Hound them!"
  
  Two four-legged Pokémon emerged onto the arena. Although one shone in the sun with a fur of pure black, the other was an intimidating mixture of grey and black. Umbreon stood silent, yet alert, almost defensive in his posture, while the Mightyena snarled viciously as it prepared to savage its foe.
  
  ""TAUNT!"" Both trainers shouted out at once.
  
  Both Pokémon fired off a shroud of Dark energy that quickly engulfed the other. Rage filled both their eyes as the powerful Taunt took hold, strangling both their Pokémon's attempts to use non-damaging moves and depriving both trainers of their favoured options.
  
  "Fire Fang, Mightyena! Rush it down!"
  
  "Double Kick, Umbreon! You can do it!"
  
  The two Pokémon rushed down each other, both beginning to circle around the other as they tried to position themselves as best they could. But Mightyena proved the faster and more mobile Pokémon; it was clearly more used to forcing close-range engagements like this. With a savage howl, it ducked underneath a powerful kick from Umbreon and crunched down hard with its mighty jaws onto Umbreon.
  
  Umbreon let out a cry of pain and threw out another spinning kick from the side, but Mightyena darted out of the way just in time for Umbreon's attack to go wide. Seeing the opportunity, Mightyena followed up with a quick Take Down, slamming into Umbreon with the full weight of its body and sending the Umbreon stumbling backwards.
  
  "Take Down again, Mightyena! Keep on the momentum!"
  
  "Hyper Voice, Umbreon! Blast it backwards!"
  
  Sidney tried to capitalize on his advantage by committing Mightyena into yet another attack, but this time Karen was ready. As Mightyena charged in, Umbreon let out a deafening cry of sonic waves that pummelled the charging Mightyena, knocking it out of his charge and forcing it back.
  
  "Quick Attack, Umbreon!"
  
  Umbreon shot forwards in a burst of speed, hitting the Mightyena once again before it could recover from the Hyper Voice. Mightyena slid backwards from the impact, almost falling to the ground as it skidded across the ground. But that was far from enough to bring down the Mightyena, and Sidney seemed to have figured something out.
  
  "Mightyena! Full offense! Rush it down and never let up!"
  
  Shaking its head as it recovered from the attack, Mightyena let out a rumbling growl before it once again broke into a full sprint, cloaking itself with Dark aura. Umbreon once again released another deafening Hyper Voice in hopes of deterring the approaching Mightyena, but it simply endured through the sonic attack and pushed through, its menacing eyes locked unwaveringly on its target.
  
  Continuing to be under the influence of Taunt, Umbreon was unable to make use of his disruption moves and was forced to rely on his inherent mobility to avoid the Mightyena. But Mightyena only seemed to be picking up speed, its aura of Darkness only seeming to grow stronger as it rushed down Umbreon.
  
  Jaws were snapped. Kicks were dodged. Claws were slashed.
  
  As more attacks were exchanged, it was clear that Umbreon's lack of raw offensive ability was punishing him greatly, because he was being outmatched by Mightyena's savage offense. For every one of his powerful Double Kicks and Hyper Voices, there were 2 or 3 attacks from Mightyena. Umbreon's overspecialisation on defense and support moves were really punishing him at the moment, and Mightyena was able to leverage that as it gradually got the better of their trades.
  
  "That doesn't look good for Karen." Steven mumbled aloud.
  
  "It doesn't." I agreed, "Her Umbreon wasn't much of a fighter. Being affected by Taunt has really stifled it. Though one good hit might change the tides."
  
  Agatha stayed noticeably silent during our exchange.
  
  The wounds were building up on both Pokémon, but Karen's Umbreon was very noticeably on the backfoot. I had no idea what that Dark aura surrounding Mightyena was doing, but it seemed to allow Mightyena to latch on to Umbreon and continue its endless Pursuit.
  
  Mightyena continued pressing its advantage, leading a ferocious assault on Umbreon with a flurry of Crunches, Fire Fangs, and Take Downs. Umbreon tried to throw Mightyena off with a Mud Slap, but Mightyena was alert for such tricks and easily dodged out of the way and continued its savage beating.
  
  Umbreon was utterly overwhelmed by his opponent, never being able to land a proper counterattack. Even with his superior endurance, the visible limp that Umbreon now possessed signalled that he wasn't going to last much longer like this.
  
  But it was just that moment that the haze of rage was lifted from Umbreon's eyes. The Taunt wore off!
  
  "THUNDER WAVE, UMBREON!"
  
  Umbreon pivoted on the spot, sliding to a halt as a spark of electricity burst out from it. But just before the paralysis could take hold, Mightyena brutally slammed into the Umbreon with another ruthless Take Down, driving itself deep into Umbreon's side and Crunching down hard with its razor sharp fangs.
  
  Umbroen let out a sharp cry of pain as he was thrown backwards, before collapsing into an unmoving heap. He wasn't getting up from that.
  
  But Umbreon's final blow had done its job. The paralysis had taken hold and Mightyena's movements became stiff and inflexible, depriving Mightyena of its famed mobility.
  
  "AND UMBREON GOES DOWN! ELITE SIDNEY SECURES THE FIRST KNOCKOUT OF THE MATCH, PUTTING THE SCORE AT 1-0!" The announcer declared, "BUT IT SEEMS LIKE KAREN'S LAST MOVE HAS PARAYLZED THE MIGHTYENA. LET'S SEE IF SHE CAN MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THAT!"
  
  "...The power of both their Taunts is remarkable. I expected both trainers to have trained their Pokémon to resist such mental attacks - especially considering how much they themselves rely upon it - but to see the Taunt last so long regardless is a true testament to the power of their Taunts." Steven commented as he rubbed his chin, "But it looks like Mightyena came out on top for that one."
  
  "Feh! I always told her to train up her Umbreon to be more physically capable. Knew she wouldn't listen to me." Agatha grumbled.
  
  "Umbreon would have done better against a non-Dark type that couldn't Taunt it." I defended. And it was true. Her Umbreon had the potential to bring down heavy hitters that weren't used to getting hit by Umbreon's plethora of status moves. But Mightyena was just a terrible matchup for it.
  
  "To even be able to go toe to toe against one of an Elite's Pokémon is still quite the achievement, Agatha." Steven remarked with a smile, "You should look at things more optimistically."
  
  "Bah. I leave optimism for the kids." Agatha snorted, "I'm too old for optimism."
  
  "Optimism is also the basis for confidence." Steven smiled, "You won't get far being grouchy all the time."
  
  I held in my laugh at the backhanded insult, not wanting to be the target of the glare that Agatha was giving Steven. I continued to be impressed by Steven's ability to not be riled up by any of Agatha's taunts. He was more patient and level-headed than I gave him credit for.
  
  Before I could think on that any longer, Karen withdrew her Umbreon before quickly swapping out the Pokéball for another one.
  
  "Spiritomb! Your foe is weak!"
  
  A small stone was released onto the field, falling harmlessly onto the ground. Before anyone could wonder what a small rock was doing here, a vortex of ghosts exploded out of the stone, their haunting cackles filling the air as their ghostly form revealed themselves.
  
  Not even waiting a moment, Karen went straight on the offense.
  
  "Shadow Ball, Spiritomb! Bombard it!"
  
  "Dark Pulse, Mightyena! Disperse them!"
  
  With another frightening cackle, Spiritomb widened its ghostly maw even further as large orbs of pure shadow blasted forwards towards the paralyzed Mightyena. However, mustering its full concentration, Mightyena managed to break through the paralysis and released its stored Dark energy, forming a circular sphere around it that nullified any of the Shadow Orbs that came into contact with it.
  
  But that was exactly what Karen had been waiting for.
  
  "Shadow Claw! Slash it apart!"
  
  Long shadows suddenly extended exploded outwards from Spiritomb's main form, stretching so far that they surrounded the lone Mightyena. Having just used Dark Pulse, it was unable to fire off another one in time to disperse the shadows as they creeped up on the lone Pokémon.
  
  Crippled by its paralysis, Mightyena was helpless as huge claws of sharpened spectral energy emerged from within the pool of darkness, the ghostly tendrils exploding out of the ground and slashing and raking at the powerless Mightyena from all sides. Even though Dark types resisted Ghost, Mightyena let out a painful cry as its once splendid fur was mercilessly ripped and shredded by the ghastly claws.
  
  "Get out of there, Mightyena! Crunch!"
  
  Hearing the orders from its trainer seemed to refocus Mightyena as its eyes narrowed sharply at Spiritomb. With a defiant howl, it pushed itself forwards and out of the coffin of shadowy hands, struggling hard against the paralysis that was trying to lock up its body.
  
  But Spiritomb only met its charge with another chilling cackle, almost daring the Mightyena to get closer.
  
  "Night Shade, Spiritomb! Get ready!"
  
  "Dark Pulse and disrupt it, Mightyena! Keep going!"
  
  Spiritomb quickly withdrew all of its shadows back within itself before its maw opened frighteningly wide once again, this time expelling a flood of ghostly energy that rushed towards the charging Mightyena.
  
  Mightyena tried to disperse it with another Dark Pulse, but its injuries meant that it was unable that the Dark Pulse that it fired was weak and ineffective. So, after that weak burst of energy, Mightyena dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the incoming wave of deadly spectral energy.
  
  But then, so focused as it was on the Night Shade, it was suddenly caught by surprise as an unexpected ghostly fist emerged from within the shadow and crashed straight into Mightyena's shocked face. Then, as if to compound the surprise, Spiritomb's entire form came leaping out of the shadows, the vortex of ghosts that formed its body now morphed into a frightening arsenal of phantom claws, fists, and orbs, all of which descended on the surprised and vulnerable Mightyena.
  
  Mightyena immediately wrapped Dark energy around itself for another Dark Pulse, but Karen showed off that she knew how a fellow Dark type Pokémon reacted.
  
  "DISABLE!"
  
  Spiritomb released another haunting cackle as its eyes flashed maliciously, and suddenly the burgeoning Dark Pulse was completely cut off. Before Mightyena could realize what just happened, a ghostly tendril painfully sliced through Mightyena's fur once again, leaving a painful cut across its face, before another spectral fist critically smashed straight into it.
  
  Mightyena tried to retaliate with a Crunch, but the only thing it bit into was a Shadow Ball that detonated right in front of its face. As Mightyena reeled back, another spectral claw slashed painfully across its side, violently eviscerating what remained of its fur before another shadowy fist pummelled straight into its chin. Not giving Mightyena any chance to recover, Spiritomb's many tendrils mercilessly hurled a small avalanche of rocks and boulders that fell onto the Mightyena and buried it beneath them.
  
  Mightyena didn't get up from that.
  
  "AND MIGHTYENA GOES DOWN TO A GHOSTLY ONSLAUGHT BY KAREN'S RARE SPIRITOMB! THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT A POKEMON WE GET TO SEE VERY OFTEN, AND WHAT AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE THAT IT HAD!" The announcer cheered, "THIS PUTS THE SCORE AT 1:1. WILL ELITE SIDNEY BE ABLE TO TAKE BACK HIS LEAD!?"
  
  "Hah! I taught her that!" Agatha boasted smugly, "See! She'd actually win if she listened to her elders." I rolled my eyes at her words.
  
  Meanwhile, Steven was staring intently at Karen's Spiritomb. "I've not seen a Spiritomb in action before. It looks like quite the remarkable specimen, and I've seen plenty of rare Pokémon in my life." He remarked openly before turning to Agatha, "Any chance I can buy one off you? It's a hobby of mine to collect rare rocks, and I feel like this could barely qualify as one. Are you interested? I can guarantee that money won't be an issue."
  
  "Bah! They're not for sale, rich boy. There are some things that money can't buy." Agatha mocked as her lips twisted into a snarl.
  
  But Steven seemed to take that in stride as well, "Of course, of course." He said, waving her off, "I figured you would say no, but I might as well try. And you needn't worry about me, I know full well that money can't buy everything." He finished cryptically, just in time for Sidney to send out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Cacturne!"
  
  A frightening amalgamation between a cactus and a scarecrow emerged on Sidney's side of the field. It stayed eerily silent, its creepy smile remaining eternally fixed on its face. It looked like something born out of a child's nightmare.
  
  "Sandstorm, Cacturne."
  
  "Will-O-Wisp, Spiritomb!"
  
  Cacturne raised both its arms as sand began circling around, gradually picking up speed until a twister of sand formed in the arena that slowly engulfed the entire battlefield. Visibly instantly became difficult as the thick vortex of sand began to conceal the entire battlefield.
  
  In fact, the gale winds of the sandstorm were so fierce that it completely dispersed the sinister blue flame of Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp. Even the spectral flame could not keep itself lit in the face of such a powerful Sandstorm.
  
  By now, visibility on the battlefield was rapidly starting to fall as the sandstorm grew harsher. It was then that I realized - it wasn't just a regular Sandstorm. Sidney had made it so that the Sandstorm was infused with Dark energy that reduced visibility even further.
  
  The arena became shrouded by an unnatural cloak of howling sands, forming a curtain of darkness that was near impossible to see through with the human eye.
  
  In an instant, both trainers were suddenly fighting blind. And I suspected that was what Sidney was going for. It was a strategy that was very fitting for a Dark type specialist that didn't like fighting fair.
  
  After all, what better way to win a fight when your opponent wasn't able to properly direct their Pokémon? Furthermore, I guessed that the Dark-infused Sandstorm also served as a barrier, limiting the space of the arena even further, likely to Sidney's benefit.
  
  Fortunately for us spectators, Steven seemed to not have cheapened out on the supply of equipment, and the cameras that were set up were actually specialized cameras that seemed to have come straight out of a laboratory, allowing us to still see what was going on.
  
  "Thank Arceus that I chose to get cameras used to study Dark type attacks. Otherwise the audience would be staring at a blank screen for the next few minutes." Steven muttered, "It was a good strategy by Sidney, but he has to remember that this was a CHARITY MATCH! What's the point of a match that no one can see?!" He shouted a little frustratedly, losing a little bit of his signature composure.
  
  Ignoring his complaining, I watched as Cacturne's figure disappeared from the arena, clearly having burrowed into it with Dig. On the opposite side, Spiritomb's figure remained still, with its shadowy claws randomly slashing around the arena with Shadow Claws as it hunted blindly for its target.
  
  But then, Cacturne emerged from behind Spiritomb, slamming a fist into the vortex of ghosts with what looked like a Thunder Punch, causing Spiritomb's figure to flicker wildly from the sudden attack. A sudden extending shadow signalled an attempted counterattack by Spiritomb, as a claw shot out from the ground that slashed at Cacturne's figure, but that seemed to bounce off an invisible Protect shield that formed in front of Cacturne.
  
  Cacturne followed up with another crackling Thunder Punch, this one sending Spiritomb's silhouette flying backwards. Then, Cacturne quickly dove back into the sand, burrowing itself once again as it concealed itself with Dig.
  
  That seemed to be Catcurne's favourite tactic. Using the cover of the Sandstorm to manoeuvre around unseen and ambush its target from unexpected angles.
  
  And this time, instead of appearing from behind, Cacturne leapt out of the ground from Spiritomb's left, its arm extended as it struck Spiritomb with another punch. But Spiritomb proved to not be so stupid as to fall for the same trick too many times, and it caught Cacturne off-guard with a small burst of flames that darted towards Cacturne, setting it on fire.
  
  Now burning, Cacturne's attacks were now crippled as its attack was cut in half. With Cacturne momentarily distracted from the burn, it was Spiritomb's turn to go on the offensive.
  
  A large shadow stretched outwards from Spiritomb, forcing Cacturne back as the destructive wave of spectral energy from the Night Shade narrowly missed it. But before its Night Shade even dissipated, Spiritomb's figure suddenly vanished from the cameras, only to reappear seconds later right next to Cacturne, slamming into it viciously with an explosion of Ghostly energy as Spiritomb smashed into it with an ambushing Phantom Force.
  
  Stumbling backwards, Cacturne recovered quickly and began forming a ball of energy in front it. Once again, Spiritomb's figure vanished again as it readied another Phantom Force.
  
  This time, both Pokémon remained patient. Cacturne kept the Energy Ball close to its chest, ready to fire it off at the first sign of its opponent. In the meanwhile, as if it was toying with its opponent, Spiritomb remained hidden, waiting for the perfect time to strike.
  
  The standoff extended for some time, during which the Sandstorm began to slowly fade as Cacturne was unable to maintain it, bringing visibility slowly back into the fight.
  
  However, before the sandstorm could fully dissipate, Spiritomb finally decided to make its move. An army of ghosts shot upwards from Cacturne's feet, all rushing towards their prey. But Cacturne did not flinch at their sudden appearance, instead calmly firing off its stored Energy Ball at the incoming wall of Ghosts.
  
  Yet that was all just a distraction, as the real figure of Spiritomb abruptly popped up from behind Cacturne, a large ghostly claw emerging out of its vortex of ghosts that ferociously eviscerated and slashed at Cacturne's back, gouging deeply into it.
  
  Cacturne stumbled forwards as it recoiled from the painful evisceration, but instead of going down, it threw an Energy Ball that it had been gathering up within its arms backwards towards the Spiritomb. A painful wail echoed across the arena as the stored-up Energy Balls detonated critically on the surprised Spiritomb, who had overextended by trying to finish the fight with another Shadow Claw, sending it careening across the arena.
  
  By this point, the sandstorm had mostly gone away, and the sand dissipated to properly reveal the wounded figures of both Pokémon. Cacturne, on fire and full of injuries, was struggling to stand and was partially kneeling on one leg. Ghostly energies and wisps of flames still lingered across its body - the painful remnants of the many Ghost attacks that it suffered from Spiritomb.
  
  Opposite it, Spiritomb was doing no better, with its vortex of ghosts no longer spinning as energetically as they used to. Nor was it cackling like it did before, instead its signature haunting cackles was replaced by a pathetic wheezing that was more pitiful than frightening.
  
  And now, with both trainers now able to properly order their Pokémon once again, my gut told me that this was about to be the final exchange of the fight. The next blow was what mattered.
  
  But Karen denied both of them the opportunity.
  
  "Curse, Spiritomb. You did well."
  
  With an acknowledging cry, Spiritomb let out one final weak cackle before it shrieked in agony as a ghostly aura settled painfully around it. The aura was erratic, becoming a twisted and growing thing that radiated with pure malice and cruelty.
  
  Releasing this wicked spirit seemed to have consumed whatever remained of Spiritomb's health as it promptly fell unconscious.
  
  However, that same painful spectral aura quickly descended on the surprised and injured Cacturne; the Curse had settled in. Already damaged and badly injured, Cacturne was only to put up a pitiful resistance as the terrible Curse ripped it from inside out. Cacturne, spasming in pain, collapsed to its knees as the Curse mercilessly tore and ravaged its body.
  
  Cacturne let a howl of agony before it the Curse ripped itself free from its body, causing Cacturne to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut.
  
  With a sigh, Sidney withdrew his Pokémon. And the booing began.
  
  "...THAT....WAS NOT THE CLIMATIC FINISH I WAS EXPECTING, BUT THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED FROM A DARK TYPE SPECIALIST!" The announcer attempted to sound optimistic, but the booing of the crowd was doing him no favours. "REGARDLESS, THIS DOUBLE KNOCK-OUT PUTS THE SCORE AT 2:2. IT'S REALLY SHAPING UP TO BE A CLOSE MATCH!"
  
  Despite the jeers being sent her way, Karen remained unaffected as she calmly returned Spiritomb into its Pokéball. But my attempts to psychoanalyze her expression was interrupted by the choking laughter of Agatha.
  
  "THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE!" She said in between her laughter, before falling into a fit of hacking coughs. With a sigh, I moved to pat her on the back but was waved off by her, insisting that she was fine.
  
  Steven gave Agatha a look of concern for the moment before turning his attention back to me, "I have to agree with the announcer - that was quite anti-climactic. I was hoping for something more dramatic. Yet, in hindsight, I probably should have expected something like this." He ran his fingers across the armrest of his seat, a thoughtful expression on his face.
  
  I shrugged, "Dark type specialists are like that. Why take a risk when you can secure an outcome?"
  
  Steven nodded slowly, "Very true...I'll be keeping that in the back of my mind for the future." Then he turned back to the fight below as both trainers were about to send out their next Pokémon.
  
  Personally, I felt that Karen had a rough start, but she was pulling it back now. I hoped she would be able to convert her small comeback into a bigger lead.
  
  But I knew Sidney had his own bag of tricks ready and waiting as well.
  
  A.N. This was incredibly difficult to write, so I hope it came out well. Yes, this is the beginning of the Karen vs Sidney fights, and a showdown between the two (and practically only) Dark type specialists right now. I hope it has lived up to your expectations since I wanted to show off their differences and similarities.
  
  And yes, I know that Spiritomb doesn't traditionally learn Shadow Claw, but that's ridiculous. If it can learn all the other common Shadow moves, then it can learn Shadow Claw.
  
  For those of you worried that this fight will take a long time, don't worry. Next chapter will be the finale. It'll be a long one!
  
  This chapter is BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 7-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-14 - Darker yet Darker
  
  The two didn't wait long until they sent out their next round of Pokémon.
  
  "Weavile! Speed up!"
  
  "Shiftry! Fan out!"
  
  Two figures rocketed out of their Pokéballs as they dashed together in a pair of black blurs. Without any preamble, a battle of speed suddenly broke out as the two Pokémon rushed around each other, each of them trying to out-speed and out-position the other.
  
  "Razor Leaf, Shiftry!"
  
  "Ice Shard, Weavile!"
  
  Razor sharp blades of leaves shot forwards from Shiftry, only to be slashed apart by the incoming piercing shards of ice that cut through them effortlessly. However, Shiftry easily darted out of the way just as the Ice Shards sliced through its previous location.
  
  Yet the Ice Shards were merely a distraction as Weavile suddenly blinked forwards, rapidly closing the distance between himself and Shiftry. Shiftry did its best to match Weavile's speed, but it quickly became obvious that there was no comparison.
  
  Weavile was just faster.
  
  And then Weavile's figure suddenly flickered into existence right in front of Shiftry. Taken by surprise at Weavile's sheer agility, Shiftry was barely able to muster up a desperate parry with a Leaf Blade that narrowly deflected the would-be supereffective attack. But Shiftry had still taken a glancing blow, and small patches of frost gradually began to spread across its arm.
  
  Shiftry immediately tried to try for a counterattack, but Weavile snaked his other arm past Shiftry's defenses and smashed another brutal Ice Punch straight towards its face.
  
  The impact caused Shiftry to stagger backwards, though it retained enough discipline to slash downwards with a powerful Leaf Blade that would have punished any attempted follow-up attack. But Weavile had not gone for one, cautiously choosing to hang back and scout things out.
  
  And now, with a better idea of Shiftry's abilities, Karen shot Sidney a feral smile as she went on the offense.
  
  "Weavile, full offense! You have this!"
  
  "Shiftry! Prepare yourself!"
  
  Understanding that it couldn't hope to match Weavile's agility, Shiftry instead stood its ground as it prepared itself for Weavile's incoming onslaught, with his Leaf Blades gleaming threateningly in the afternoon sun.
  
  Clearly, Sidney had been hoping to use Shiftry's inherent training to weather the storm of Weavile's assault before being able to punish it for its overextension. But if that was what Sidney had been thinking, then he had seriously underestimated Weavile's abilities.
  
  The two Pokémon crashed against each other, a fist of ice meeting a blade of leaves. The wielder of the leaf tried to retaliate with a wide slash, but its opponent had already dashed backwards and fell out of range. Now exposed, a quick barrage of Ice Shards slashed through the vulnerable Shiftry, leaving a litany of cuts across its body.
  
  Not wanting to be left purely on the defensive, Shiftry attempted to catch Weavile off-guard with a surprise Vacuum Wave, yet it was barely even able to start gathering up Fighting energy before it felt its legs were kicked out from under it with a Low Sweep from Weavile.
  
  Completely losing its balance, it was unable to defend itself as Weavile followed up with a ruthless Ice Punch that critically smashed into its face. A cry of pain came from Shiftry, and even a desperate attempt at a Sucker Punch was dexterously parried as Shiftry was pummelled by another vicious Ice Punch that slammed into its stomach.
  
  Shiftry was being completely overwhelmed by Weavile. It was just outmatched. But then, Sidney made a surprising decision.
  
  "Shiftry, return. Sableye, come!"
  
  A red light shot out from Sidney's Pokéball before it engulfed the pinned Shiftry, quickly returning it to its Pokéball. Karen, taken by surprise at the sudden switch, was quick to recover and ordered Weavile to start setting up.
  
  "Swords Dance, Weavile!"
  
  Taking advantage of the time needed to switch, Weavile calmly boosted itself up even further as its already high Attack was now doubled, turning Weavile's already punishing strikes to hit even harder.
  
  As soon as he had finished boosting himself up, he instantly took off with a dash at the newly switched Sableye; his eyes locked onto his opponent as he got ready to smash it apart.
  
  "Night Slash, Weavile! Punish it!"
  
  "Fake out and Taunt, Sableye!"
  
  But Sableye was ready for that. Remaining completely unfazed by the incoming Weavile, Sableye smashed its hands together just before Weavile could reach it, causing a shockwave that flinched the charging Weavile and interrupted his charge. Instantly, before Weavile could recover, a maddening shroud of darkness enveloped it, causing Weavile to narrow his eyes as rage began to cloud them.
  
  "Thunder Wave now, Sableye! Disable it!"
  
  "Back off and Ice Shard, Weavile!"
  
  Yet Weavile showed off his incredible mental discipline as he forced away the enraged compulsion from the Taunt and dashed backwards just as a burst of electricity narrowly missed it. Weavile retaliated with a burst of Ice Shards, but Sableye just sank into its own shadow and avoided the attack.
  
  Sableye quickly re-emerged seconds later as it launched a barrage of flaming wisps towards Weavile. But Weavile was no easy target. With a feat of exemplary dexterity, he ducked, dived, and dodged past the incoming Will-O-Wisp with seeming ease.
  
  Then, thinking that the attack was over, Weavile burst forwards towards the exposed Sableye.
  
  "Mud Slap."
  
  Completely unphased at the buffed Weavile charging towards it, Sableye punished Weavile's recklessness by suddenly throwing a surprise globule of mud straight into Weavile's eyes.
  
  Weavile stumbled, nearly tripping over as it became blinded by the mud. I could see a flash of uncertainty appear on Karen's face, and she instantly ordered for a retreat.
  
  Weavile instantly fell backwards, relying purely on his trust in his trainer as he remained blinded by the Mud Slap. Sidney immediately moved to punish this by having Sableye continue firing of another volley of Will-O-Wisps, trying to catch and burn the Weavile now that it was blinded.
  
  And then Karen made yet another surprising choice.
  
  "Return, Weavile! It's your turn, Honchkrow!"
  
  Her Honchkrow emerged onto the field, her magnificent coat of fur shining in the sun. It looked majestic and noble, which only seemed to add to the power that it unconsciously radiated out of it. Its powerful wings looked like they could knock the frail and far smaller Sableye out with a single strike.
  
  "TAUNT!"
  
  However, Sidney was ready for it. As soon as Honchkrow fully emerged from her Pokéball, she was instantly encased in a cage of dark energy, instantly cutting off any opportunities for Honchkrow to make use of non-attacking moves.
  
  Karen frowned. With Honchkrow affected by the Taunt, she was no longer able to stop Sableye from its spam of status moves with her own Taunt.
  
  But Honchkrow still had plenty of options.
  
  "Hurricane!"
  
  With a powerful flap of her wings, Honchkrow unleashed an enormous tornado that was completely infused with Dark energy, forming a terrible pillar of wind where light failed to shine through. The Dark Hurricane ripped through the battlefield, completely shredding the arena as loose rocks were violently thrown around as the attack left a trail of destruction in its wake.
  
  Yet it failed to catch the evasive Sableye as it fell into its shadow and dodged out of the way.
  
  But the Hurricane was merely a cover for Honchkrow's real attack, and she charged through her own Hurricane as she dove rapidly out of the sky, her wings glowing a menacing midnight black as Dark energy coalesced threateningly with them.
  
  "Power Gem, Sableye!"
  
  However, despite the threat of Honchkrow's meteoric descent, Sableye remained unfazed as it fired off a small barrage of rocks towards Honchkrow, with Sableye's blank gemstone eyes remaining locked onto Honchkrow.
  
  With dismissive ease, Honchkrow easily dodged past the incoming barrage of rocks and channelled even more energy into her wings, ready to unleash a devastating slash across Sableye's small frame.
  
  Except Sableye, instead of trying to dodge, merely continued staring idly at Honchkrow. Waiting.
  
  And waiting.
  
  And waiting.
  
  Until Honchkrow was mere feet away from it, and Sableye's eyes flashed.
  
  "Thunder Wave!"
  
  A small shock of electricity shot out of Sableye's eyes, and with Honchkrow so close, she was completely unable to dodge the attack. A paralyzing wave of electricity forced itself into Honchkrow.
  
  But the paralysis was not enough to stop the momentum of Honchkrow's attack as her heavily infused wing collided like a meteor into the small frame of Sableye, sending it flying through the air and into one of the psychic barriers from the impact alone.
  
  Sableye's body slumped on to the floor, its arms twitching slightly from the pain; that one attack had nearly knocked it out.
  
  However, it wasn't out just yet, and Sidney knew it. Thus, with the confidence of an experienced trainer that knew EXACTLY how far he could push his Pokémon, Sidney stayed utterly calm as he continued to give directions.
  
  "Recover, Sableye! And get ready!"
  
  With significant effort, Sableye managed to pull itself off the floor as it began to channel its inner energies, its wounds visibly healing as it did so. In the meanwhile, Honchkrow was not so fortunate.
  
  The Thunder Wave was clearly no ordinary one, as Honchkrow struggled to even flap her wings as the paralysis locked her muscles up in an iron grip of electricity. Honchkrow could hardly even move, let alone fly. Honchkrow was completely trapped!
  
  This was looking really bad for Karen. And Sidney was about to make things even worse.
  
  "Sableye, Mean Look! Don't let it escape!"
  
  Temporarily cutting off its use of Recover, Sableye's eyes flashed a haunting blue as it stared straight at Honchkrow. A shudder seemed to course through the big bird as the Mean Look took its hold, preventing it from escaping. And now Karen was locked into this situation for good.
  
  But Karen was not one to give up either..
  
  "You have to struggle through this, Honchkrow! This is nothing you've not dealt with before!"
  
  With her entire face warped into one of intense struggle, Honchkrow forced her mouth open as she let out an affirmative squawk and forced Dark energy to gather in her wings before it finally began to break through the paralysis to unleash a Dark Pulse at Sableye.
  
  Unfortunately, her hard-fought Dark Pulse was for naught as Sableye quicky burrowed into the ground to avoid it with a Dig.
  
  "Confuse Ray, Sableye. Cripple it entirely."
  
  Sableye emerged from its tunnel and ruthlessly fired off a ray of dizzying lights towards Honchkrow. The confusion quickly took hold as Honchkrow's eyes lost all of their focus, immediately destroying any chance of Honchkrow ever breaking free from the paralysis - undoing all her effort and sealing her fate.
  
  Honchkrow already needed to exert immense amounts of effort to break through even the once, so with the confusion furthering hindering her, it was a lost cause.
  
  Unable to move, unable to react, unable to retreat. Sableye had expertly manoeuvred Honchkrow into a position where she was little more than a sitting Psyduck. And both trainers knew it.
  
  "Power Gem, Sableye. Time to bring it down."
  
  Even with Honchkrow practically completely disabled, Sidney took no chances, choosing to wear Honchkrow down instead patiently at a safe distance with a steady barrage of supereffective rocks. Some within the crowd started to boo as what they saw was un-sportsmanship like behaviour. Sidney just ignored it, as would I.
  
  In Sableye's gleaming eyes, there was no remorse. No mercy. It was completely focused on the full and systematic dismantling of Karen's starter. Thus, without a single opportunity to fight back, Karen's starter fell.
  
  The seemingly weak-looking Sableye had just brought her down.
  
  "...WHAT A FIGHT!" The announcer said after a short pause, "ELITE SIDNEY SHOWING OFF HIS EXPERIENCE AS HIS SABLEYE BRINGS DOWN KAREN'S POWERFUL STARTER! BUT ONLY AFTER COMPLETELY CRIPPLING IT SO THAT IT WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO FIGHT BACK! WOW! HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE?! I CERTIANLY HAVEN'T!"
  
  "THIS PUTS THE SCORE AT 3:2! ELITE SIDNEY TAKES BACK THE LEAD WITH THAT STELLAR PERFORMANCE!"
  
  The crowd cheered as they usually did, but I zoned them out as I instead focused on Karen's expression. She was frowning hard, and I could see that she was biting down on her lips. Her face was one of bitterness, and I could relate. That was not a fun way to see your starter go down.
  
  I had to give Sidney credit. This was a well-deserved victory. Sidney had completely outplayed Karen. From the moment that Sableye landed that Taunt on Honchkrow, Sidney had been able to dictate the fight. That was a very impressive feat.
  
  "...So, any thoughts about that?" Steven spoke up, hoping to clear the awkward air that had settled in the VIP booth. Agatha just shot Steven an angry glare.
  
  "Oh, don't try to be nice. That was quite the beatdown. I would have laughed if it wasn't my apprentice getting the shit kicked out of her." Agatha fumed in annoyance, "I KNEW it was a bad idea to switch out her Weavile the moment I saw it. She should have just brought down Sableye with her Weavile! Never let the opponent dictate how you want to fight!"
  
  "Sidney IS the far more experienced trainer, so mistakes like that are understandable." Steven placated, "But it's no wonder such a normally weak Pokémon is on Sidney's Elite team."
  
  "It would lose to overwhelming strength though." I pointed out, "If Honchkrow's first attack managed to fully knock it out, then it would've been a fairly easy victory, if still a little hollow due to that paralysis. Still, that would still be a better outcome than this one." Or perhaps Karen didn't train up her paralysis resistance enough in her Flying type Honchkrow. But considering Agatha's already bad mood, I didn't voice that out.
  
  "And now Karen has no choice but to sacrifice another Pokémon against it." Agatha let out a defeated sigh, "I fear for her chances."
  
  And true to Agatha's words, with visible frustration growing on her face, Karen was beginning to lose her calm as she sent out Weavile back into the fight.
  
  "Bring it down, Weavile! Enough games!"
  
  Not wasting a single second, Weavile quickly took off into a sprint as he rushed to avenge his fallen teammate.
  
  "Taunt it and Thunder Wave, Sableye. Don't let it setup!"
  
  "Fake out, Weavile! Interrupt it!"
  
  Thinking that Weavile wanted to set up on Sableye like he did previously, Sableye instantly released another Taunt at Weavile and moved to paralyze him. Just like it did with Honchkrow.
  
  However, with his incredible speed, Weavile blinked right in front of Sableye. Brushing off the Taunt that had just landed, Weavile clapped his hands together in a Fake Out that flinched and just barely interrupted Sableye's attempts to Thunder Wave him.
  
  Taking advantage of Sableye's momentarily flinch, Weavile followed up by slashing through Sableye with a razor-sharp Night Slash.
  
  "Drain Punch, Sableye! Fight back!"
  
  Sableye tried to retaliate against by throwing out a would-be supereffective Drain Punch against Weavile, but compared to Weavile's nimble and agile attacks, Sableye's attempts only looked clumsy in comparison.
  
  Weavile easily deflected the attack with a well-positioned parry before eviscerating Sableye with an onslaught of Night Slashes, turning into a hurricane of violence as he tore through Sableye's health.
  
  Clearly, Karen was giving no opportunity for Sableye to get up to any of its shenanigans and intended to use Weavile's vastly superior speed to utterly overwhelm Sableye before it could fight back.
  
  Even a hastily formed Protect shield by Sableye was quickly and ruthlessly smashed apart by Weavile. And with Sableye not being a particularly durable Pokémon, everyone knew that there was no way that it could stand up to this onslaught of attacks for much longer. Even now, its once immaculately polished gemstone eyes were now ruined by cuts and scars.
  
  It almost seemed like Karen had full control of the situation, and that Sableye was about to be knocked out. Except Sidney revealed that he had one last trick up his sleeve.
  
  "ENDURE AND THUNDER WAVE, SABLEYE!"
  
  "FALL BACK-! No, ignore that, COMMIT AND KNOCK IT OUT, WEAVILE!"
  
  Despite its litany of cuts and injuries, Sableye's eyes suddenly regained their focus and lustre as it mustered up every last inch of determination that it could, granting it the mental discipline needed to just tank through another devastating Night Slash that ripped across its side.
  
  Sableye stumbled to the side in pain, but quickly righted itself and fired off a small pulsating spark of electricity that flowed into Weavile.
  
  I could see Karen gritting her teeth as her Weavile became paralyzed. While the effects of this paralysis wasn't nearly as debilitating on her Weavile then it was on her Honchkrow, this was the one situation she wanted to avoid. It was why she was unwilling to use her Weavile against Sableye initially, yet it looks like the final results were the same.
  
  However, this time, it seemed like she had shook of her earlier hesitation.
  
  "ICE PUNCH AND FINISH IT, WEAVILE!"
  
  Forcing itself to not be crippled by the paralysis, Weavile shot forwards, slower than it used to but just fast enough to reach Sableye before it could do any more harm, and slammed a final Ice Punch right into the centre of its face. A critical hit.
  
  The impact caused Sableye to tumble through the air, putting up no resistance as it had finally succumbed to the extent of its injuries.
  
  The menace that was Sableye was finally out of the fight.
  
  Sidney only nodded with calm acceptance as he returned Sableye into its Pokéball.
  
  "ANNND KAREN TAKES REVENGE WITH A POWERFUL BARRAGE OF ATTACKS FROM HER WEAVILE, FINALLY TAKING OUT SIDNEY'S SABLEYE AND EVENING OUT THE SCORE ONCE AGAIN! IT'S NOW BACK TO 3:3! BUT WILL ELITE SIDNEY MANAGE TO GAIN BACK THE ADVANTAGE?!"
  
  The crowd cheered wildly at Karen's quick victory, but to a more astute observer, the victory rang hollow. And from how Karen's lip curled into a deep frown, it was obvious that she was greatly dissatisfied with how that went.
  
  I could understand. Her earlier mistake of returning Weavile instead of committing ended up costing her starter, and now she had a paralyzed Weavile as well. I would be pretty frustrated too in her position.
  
  However, instead of lingering on it, I watched as she deliberately uncrossed her arms and unclenched her fists as she took deep breaths to calm herself down.
  
  "Good." Agatha spoke up as she watched Karen forcefully relax herself, "She can't allow Sidney to get into her head like that."
  
  "At least Sidney's Sableye is down though." I commented, "That thing was a real pain in the ass."
  
  "If that wasn't my apprentice in that fight, I would be cheering for the Sableye." Agatha lamented, "That was an excellent display of the power of a Ghost type. I do it better, obviously, but I'll admit that Sidney is no amateur." I rolled my eyes at her boasting.
  
  Steven elected to stay silent, instead staring intently on the battlefield as he fell into deep thought. I knew he was trying to analyse something specific about the fight - maybe he was trying to think of how he would beat Sidney's Sableye in his own fight? I wished him luck on that.
  
  Before I could try to further decipher Steven's inner thoughts, Sidney sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Finish it off, Shiftry."
  
  And as I expected, he sent out his Shiftry again. And this time, with Weavile crippled and slowed by the paralysis, it should have no problems out-speeding it.
  
  And that was exactly what happened. With its leaf blades gleaming in the afternoon sun, Shiftry rushed menacingly towards Weavile. In a complete reversal of its earlier fight, Shiftry now had the speed advantage and was able to dance around the once-speedier Pokémon.
  
  Leaf blades and claws smashed against each other, each one trying to parry the other's attacks. The fight rapidly devolved into a whirlwind of attacks, with Shiftry trying its best to use its now superior speed to overwhelm Weavile in this clash of skill and speed.
  
  The two Pokémon did whatever they could to gain an advantage. There was the occasional sweep of the leg, the sudden Sucker Punch when one Pokémon had slightly overextended themselves, and they even tried to mix up a few Special Attacks in there to hopefully throw the other off balance.
  
  They didn't even need their trainers to command them. At this point, they were both fighting on pure instinct and technique.
  
  But even with Weavile being paralyzed, he was still putting up a good fight. He was used to bringing down opponents much stronger than him, so he actually had the strength advantage over Shiftry, even if he was now slower than the Grass type. They both had the technique, and were both masters at what they did best.
  
  And yet it was that paralysis that made up all the difference.
  
  With Weavile's movements no longer being as fluid as they would normally be, Shiftry was slowly but surely able to gain an advantage. A swipe from Weavile that would normally land successfully was instead parried, giving Shiftry the opportunity to step forwards and strike at Weavile with a quick slash of his Leaf Blade before stepping aside and dodging past an attempted retaliatory Ice Punch that came an inch too late.
  
  And it was at this moment that Weavile's muscles tensed ever so minutely as the effects of paralysis once again showed itself. It was almost unnoticeable, but Shiftry's eyes had been locked onto its target ever since the start of the fight. It wouldn't miss a moment of weakness like this.
  
  With Weavile's arm momentarily locked in place, Shiftry slipped past Weavile's failed attack while its arms began to gleam white. Seeing what was coming, Weavile's eyes widened, and he forcefully pushed through the paralysis as he swung his arms around in a desperate attempt to parry the incoming attack.
  
  It was too late. Weavile's arm was barely inches away from landing an Ice Punch into Shiftry's face before Shiftry brutally smashed into him with a critical Brick Break. Letting out a shrieking cry of pain, Weavile tumbled backwards, clutching its chest in pain as it was struck by the 4x supereffective attack.
  
  Weavile was sent skidding limply across the floor of the arena. There was no need for any follow-up attack from Sidney. It was clear to everyone that Weavile wasn't getting up.
  
  Karen accepted Weavile's defeat with a stoic nod, returning it with a blank expression on her face. I watched as she let out a breath, and I even tuned out the announcer as she seemed to fiddle with a new Pokéball that appeared in her hand.
  
  I knew what was coming.
  
  "TYRANITAR! SHOW THEM YOUR MIGHT!"
  
  Tyranitar landed onto the arena with an audible thud, cracking the ground from his sheer weight alone. Dust and sand slowly began circling around his figure, gradually forming a sandstorm that centred around himself.
  
  "TYRAN! TYRANITAR!" He shouted out, letting out a magnificent roar that managed to scatter the flowing sands even further across the arena. Pulling himself to his full height, Tyranitar absolutely towered over the far smaller Shiftry. Strength radiated out of him in waves; there was no doubt in anyone's mind that this was a pure beast of destruction.
  
  His presence demanded your attention.
  
  Even Sidney was taken aback by the appearance of such a monster. He might not have expected Karen to have managed to evolve her Pupitar. But Sidney quickly pulled himself together, not letting himself be intimidated by the presence of such a towering creature, and the battle began in earnest.
  
  "Razor Leaf, Shiftry. Keep your distance and scout it out."
  
  "Flamethrower, Tyranitar! TORCH THEM!"
  
  Shiftry took off with a sprint as it began circling around the stationary Tyranitar, all the while firing off a barrage of Razor Leaves to test Tyranitar's defences and slowly wear him down. But with a dismissive scoff, Tyranitar responded by roaring a blazing column of fire from its maw, instantly incinerating Shiftry's attacks.
  
  The column of fire swept across the battlefield, pursuing after the now fleeing Shiftry, scorching the howling winds of sand as it did. Gradually, the sandstorm itself was ignited, making the whole thing look more like a firestorm than a sandstorm.
  
  Shiftry was doing its utmost to avoid the column of flames. It made full use of its superior speed to just stay one step ahead of the incoming stream of fire, narrowly avoiding being completely incinerated by it. But the scorching sands were slowly starting to take its toll, and while it avoided being hit directly, the residual damage from the searing sandstorm was starting to bite into Shiftry's health.
  
  Yet Tyranitar could not sustain its Flamethrower indefinitely. It only had a limited amount of Fire energy to make use of. And seeing that Shiftry proved a little too agile to be torched by Tyranitar's Flamethrower, Karen swapped tactics.
  
  "Stone Edge, Tyranitar! Smash it!"
  
  "Grass Knot, Shiftry! Trip it!"
  
  Cutting off the column of flames, Tyranitar let out another roar as huge pillars of rocks suddenly erupted from the ground all around Shiftry, each one threatening to impale through the smaller Pokémon. But, showing off its signature mobility once again, Shiftry was a whirlwind of spins, jumps and dashes as it narrowly avoided each and every pillar that shot out of the ground.
  
  And it was so good at this that it even had a moment to create a small, yet sturdy, tendril of grass that latched onto one of Tyranitar's legs. Not realizing the attack, the tendril suddenly pulled hard on Tyranitar's legs, completely destroying his sense of balance and causing him to fall over.
  
  Seeing the lumbering titan tumble down onto the ground, Sidney took this moment to finally push onto the offensive.
  
  "CHARGE IN! LEAF BLADE!"
  
  Shiftry exploded forwards, both arms gleaming a brilliant green as it charged up to land a devastating Leaf Blade on what appeared to be a vulnerable Tyranitar. And why wouldn't he be? The Grass Knot had caused Tyranitar to trip over and fall onto his face.
  
  It was too enticing of a target for Shiftry to ignore. Quickly closing the distance, Shiftry fully committed to the attack and sliced into Tyranitar's exposed back with a fierce double Leaf Blade that gouged deeply into Tyranitar.
  
  Tyranitar let out a groan of pain, as he seemed to collapse on to the ground. Thinking that he had scored a lucky hit, Sidney ordered Shiftry to move in and further punish the Tyranitar for his misstep.
  
  But the calculating gleam in Karen's eyes and the bloodthirsty smile on her face said it all. I knew that Sidney had just sprung Karen's trap.
  
  Tyranitar was no weakling to be brought down by a single move. Tyranitar were meant to be kings of the mountain. Titans that required a whole group of trained Pokémon to be brought down. And this Tyranitar had endured far more than this in his training sessions against his rival, Vordt.
  
  For all of its training, Shiftry hit nowhere near as hard as Vordt. This Tyranitar would not be brought down by a single move like that. Critical hit or not.
  
  Tyranitar still had way more left in the tank. And Sidney was in for a rude awakening.
  
  "STONE EDGE NOW! AND GRAB IT!" Karen shouted, her voice almost turning hoarse for a moment from how loud she shouted.
  
  "GET OUT OF THERE!" Sidney tried to order, yet it was too late.
  
  Before Shiftry could react, a pillar of stone suddenly shot out from the ground and crashed into Shiftry, tripping it up and breaking its charge. Before it could regain its balance, Tyranitar's arm suddenly shot out and caught the stumbling Shiftry in his grasp.
  
  Shiftry immediately unleashed a wide slash as it tried to break free from Tyranitar's iron grip. But Tyranitar only snarled menacingly at the trapped Shiftry, not even reacting at the cut that he had just received.
  
  The tables had turned. Deprived of its mobility, Shiftry was left at the mercy of Tyranitar. And he had little to give.
  
  Tyrnaitar let out a roar and ferociously SMASHED Shiftry into the ground with such force that it shattered the ground beneath them. At the same time, an enormous pillar of stone came crashing down onto Shiftry, crushing him into the ground and brutally trapping him underneath the prison of rock.
  
  "LEAF BLADE AND CUT YOURSELF OUT!" Sidney tried, worry evident in his voice.
  
  Struggling against the punishment it had just taken, Shiftry forced itself up as it used what remained of its energy to unleash a flurry of slashes that sliced through the avalanche of stone that kept it pinned down, barely managing to make enough room for Shiftry to scramble free.
  
  However, Tyranitar had not been idling about.
  
  "FLAMETHROWER, TYRANITAR! TORCH IT!"
  
  Shiftry immediately tried to bury itself underground just as searing torrent of flames came spewing out of Tyranitar's mouth. But choosing to Dig underground to avoid the flames ended up sealing Shiftry's fate.
  
  "EARTHQUAKE, NOW!"
  
  Tyranitar instantly retracted his stream of flames before mercilessly stomping on the ground, splitting the arena with an audible crack as the ground began to shake heavily. Powerful tremors spread across the arena, and a huge spiderweb of cracks began to form on the surface of the arena as the ground crumbled and split around him.
  
  With this single Earthquake, Tyranitar proved why their species was known as destruction incarnate.
  
  As the Earthquake ended, all you could see amidst the carnage and ruined arena was the lone figure of an unconscious Shiftry, who had been spat out by the vicious tremors ripping through the ground.
  
  It stood no chance.
  
  As the announcer called out Karen's victory, I couldn't help but shoot Agatha a smug smirk - I trained that beast! She just rolled her eyes at me.
  
  "Yes yes, you helped train her well. But what kind of Tyranitar can't take a hit anyways?" Agatha replied dismissively. I simply grinned at her.
  
  "I never even knew she had a Tyranitar. That's not something I really expected from a Dark type trainer." Steven commented with a frown, "Normally Dark type trainers have Pokémon that are more...squishy."
  
  I shrugged, "Just like everything else, Dark type Pokémon come in all sorts. Tyranitar is far from the only exception."
  
  Steven shook his head, "That's not what I meant. I obviously knew that Tyranitar were Dark type, but it's just not a Pokémon that you expect to see with Dark specialists. You expect tricks and status moves, not raw power like that. It's just a little unusual."
  
  "Which was why having something on her team that could fight like that was something Agatha and I both emphasized for her." I explained, "Sometimes, you get opponents you can't beat with one strategy, so you have to make use of another."
  
  "Yes...having the flexibility always proves useful." Steven said, thinking deeply once again. "That might be something for me to work on..."
  
  "Though, isn't it ironic that in this battle between Dark specialists, they have hardly used any Dark type moves over this entire battle?" Steven pointed out amusedly, "It seems incongruous that they are competing for the title of being the unofficial 'best' Dark type trainer, and yet they are mostly using moves outside of their specialty."
  
  "Huh. Never thought of it like that." I remarked, "But I get it - if they're trying to win, using moves that their opponents are resistant to is not going to be smart."
  
  "Bah. Any good type specialist knows that you need to have moves outside your own type. Unless your name ends with 'Blackthorn'." Agatha scoffed, "Being able to master a multitude of types and fighting styles that compliment your own is a mark of any good type specialist. Just being able to fight with your own type means you're a shit trainer."
  
  I nodded, agreeing with Agatha. Any good Normal type specialist would know better than to just focus on Normal type moves. One of the main advantages of the Normal types was their access to a huge range of moves, and not taking advantage of that was idiotic.
  
  But that was enough wool-gathering from us, because Sidney had finally made his decision about who he would use to bring down Karen's dominating Tyranitar.
  
  And it certainly wasn't what I expected.
  
  "Sharpedo! Bring it down!"
  
  A large shark ripped free from its Pokémon ball. Its mouth snapped open, the most prominent feature of its entire body, revealed its menacingly sharp teeth that glistened in the afternoon sun. Its serrated teeth looked sharp and deadly enough to puncture anything they latched onto.
  
  Despite there being no water for it to swim in, it seemed perfectly at home on land, its mobility not even being affected.
  
  In response, Tyranitar let out a challenging roar that shook the ground as if he was daring Sharpedo to fight him.
  
  And the Sharpedo was eager to obey.
  
  "Aqua Jet, Sharpedo! Focus up!"
  
  "Stone Edge, Tyranitar! Shatter it!"
  
  Huge spears of rocks began circling around Tyranitar once again before they shot out like heavy javelins that flew towards Sharpedo. Yet if Tyranitar thought that Shiftry was a hard target to hit, then Sharpedo was even faster. Sure, it didn't have Shiftry's agility and technique, but it made up with that with pure speed.
  
  And boosted by its Aqua Jet, Sharpedo was almost invisible as it blurred around the battlefield. Its Speed Boost was only causing it to go even faster. It didn't matter how many chunks of rocks that Tyranitar was blasting its way, he had no hope of hitting the Sharpedo.
  
  Realizing this, Karen tried something else.
  
  "Earthquake, Tyranitar! Go wide!"
  
  "NOW! LIQUIDATION!"
  
  The ground, which had already been heavily damaged from the fight before, was shattered once again as Tyranitar unleashed another destructive Earthquake that transformed the already broken arena into something consisting of barely held together pieces of rubble.
  
  Yet Sharpedo cleverly avoided the attack by shooting itself upwards with a plume of water, before blasting forwards and smashing into Tyranitar with the speed of a rocket. Tyranitar stumbled backwards, swiping blindly with his arms as he tried to grab hold of the Sharpedo, but the Water type had already rocketed away and circled around for another blow.
  
  "Liquidation AGAIN! DON'T LET UP!"
  
  Shooting around the battlefield, Sharpedo unleashed another geyser of water to quickly pivot around in the air and crashed full speed into Tyranitar once again, this time following up the attack with a powerful Crunch to the shoulder. And once again, Tyranitar was barely unable to respond in time as Sharpedo quickly retreated out of range.
  
  After all, how could you hit a target that you could barely even see?
  
  And Sharpedo was making clever use of its ever-increasing speed to amplify the damage of its Liquidation by colliding with Tyranitar with that much more force, smashing Tyranitar repeatedly with an onslaught of devastating supereffective Liquidations over and over again. There was hardly a second in-between attacks.
  
  It was a blur of devastation, Sharpedo having fully streamlined every little aspect of itself so that it could hit as hard and as fast as possible. Tyranitar's attempts to catch Sharpedo merely looked like confused flailing - that was how much faster Sharpedo was in comparison.
  
  Large rocks were shot forwards, Dark Pulses were fired, but none could hit the jet-like Sharpedo.
  
  And the brutal Liquidations were taking its toll. No matter how bulky Tyranitar was, or how good it was at taking attacks, no Pokémon could tank through such a powerful blitz of attacks for too long.
  
  Karen grimaced. Her mind likely awhirl with thoughts as she tried to figure out how she would catch the impossibly fast Sharpedo. But Sidney was giving her no time to think; his Sharpedo was an unceasing and uncaring threat that constantly pummelled Tyranitar; each attack ripped through more and more of Tyranitar's health.
  
  The great Tyranitar, the supposedly unstoppable pinnacle of the Dark type, was being brought low by a 'mere' Sharpedo. In seconds, Tyranitar had transformed from this sturdy titan into a hobbling beast that was cradling his wounds. His breathing came heavily, and his once gleaming scales were now battered and bruised. He could not hold out for much longer.
  
  The king of the mountain was being beaten down by a land-locked shark. It was a humbling testament to what you could achieve with enough raw speed.
  
  But when I turned to Karen, instead of seeing a look of panic that I was expecting, her expression was one of pure focus, like a hunter waiting to catch its prey. Her Tyranitar might already be on his last legs, but he still wasn't out of the fight just yet. Just like Sidney had done previously with his Sableye, Karen looked like she was waiting for the right moment to strike.
  
  And in the brief moment just before Sharpedo pivoted around in preparation for another attack, in that single moment where Sharpedo would not be able to make use of its speed to dodge out of the way, Karen struck.
  
  "CRIPPLE!"
  
  An eerie wave of pulsating Dark energy exploded from Tyranitar, instantly enveloping the Sharpedo. Sharpedo stumbled in its attack, recoiling back as if it had flinched. It tried to recover, but then its eyes rapidly grew enraged, then confused, then enraged again as its mind was assaulted by a bombardment of different status effects.
  
  And crucially, during this moment of mental affliction, Sharpedo was not moving.
  
  "AQUA JET BACKWARDS, SHARPEDO! GET OUT OF THERE!" Sidney shouted out, alarmed by what was happening.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Tyranitar!"
  
  To Sharpedo's credit, the voice of its trainer was enough to momentarily snap it out its mental ailments, but just as a veil of water formed around Sharpedo, a spear of Lightning came ferociously crashing down, causing Sharpedo to collapse to the ground as its muscles started freezing up with paralysis.
  
  And now the tables were turned.
  
  "Stone Edge! Keep it pinned!"
  
  "Protect, Sharpedo!"
  
  The Protect shield that Sharpedo hastily threw up did nothing to block the devastating bombardment of heavy rocks that came crashing down on it. With a sharp cry of pain, Sharpedo was pinned painfully to the ground like it had been speared through by the avalanche of rocks.
  
  "FINISH IT!"
  
  "DESTINY BOND!"
  
  "TYRANITARRR!" Tyranitar let out a roar that and unleashed all of his built-up frustrations with a singularly punishing Brick Break that struck with such force that it shattered and cracked the ground below the enraged Sharpedo. Not satisfied with that one attack, Tyranitar followed up with another vicious Brick Break that finally ended the threat that was Sharpedo.
  
  Sharpedo never even got the opportunity to fire off a Destiny Bond. Not that it could have, not if my guess about the effects of Karen's Cripple was correct. I had seen her train with it - it was supposed to be a combination of Taunt, Torment, and the flinching effect from Dark Pulse all in one. I supposed this was the final product.
  
  Tyranitar let out a victorious roar to the sky above as he finally conquered his opponent, only to wobble heavily as the adrenaline quickly fled his body and its spread of injuries made themselves known once again. Tyranitar's eyes suddenly dimmed slightly, and then he fell onto his knees as his legs failed to support him.
  
  Karen quickly withdrew Tyranitar before he fell over, not wanting to tarnish the image of his victory, and declared that she was withdrawing him from the battle. After that, I watched as she whispered something to Tyranitar's Pokéball with a pleased smile on her face, likely praising him for a good job.
  
  Tyranitar had seriously pulled his weight, and he had done an incredible job for its first big battle after his evolution.
  
  But now - it was all down to their final Pokémon. Their respective aces.
  
  Even the VIP room was silent as we were all engrossed in the tension of the battle. None of us wanting to speak up and ruin the mood that we were all feeling. Right now, it was anyone's battle.
  
  Karen and Sidney stared each other down. A silent message being communicated between the two of them before they both nodded and released their last Pokémon together.
  
  "Houndoom."
  
  "Absol."
  
  And just like it was at the very beginning of this fight, two quadruped Pokémon emerged from their Pokéballs. One was snarling, possessing a face of restrained aggression and ferocious fury. Small embers of flames flickered menacingly in her mouth as Houndoom locked eyes with her opponent. Her eyes glared with the vicious ferocity of a beast in the dark.
  
  In the meanwhile, Absol was as silent at the night. Its gaze was wise, yet sharp. It had not adopted a threatening posture, but its crescent horn still gleamed dangerously, ready to cut down any foe that dare approached it like a deadly blade in the dark.
  
  This was it. The final showdown. The deciding match. And it kicked off with a bang.
  
  "Flamethrower, Houndoom! Keep your distance."
  
  "Quick Attack to the side and get close, Absol!"
  
  Houndoom instantly released a huge funnel of black flames that scorched the ground into a burning black as she tried to incinerate Absol. But Absol dashed to the side with a Quick Attack before leaping across the previously destroyed arena while rapidly closing the distance against Houndoom.
  
  "Heat Wave, Houndoom! Torch it!"
  
  "Protect and keep rushing forwards, Absol!"
  
  With a furious howl, Houndoom unleashed a searing wave of heat that spread across the arena, turning the battlefield into a furious sea of black flames that seemed to linger dangerously on the ground. But Absol did remained unconcerned, casually forming a Protect shield to block the attack while continuing to rush forwards as it danced over the flames with practiced grace.
  
  Then, as it continued to get closer, Absol's form suddenly split into a huge army of afterimages, completely concealing its true position as they all charged towards Houndoom. The afterimages were perfect copies of the original, making it impossible to tell which was the original.
  
  Houndoom had to disperse them.
  
  "ROAR, HOUNDOOM!"
  
  "QUICK ATTACK NOW, ABSOL! CLOSE COMBAT!"
  
  Houndoom unleashed a deafening Roar that quickly dispersed the afterimages, leaving all but one. That single remaining figure suddenly blurred forwards, catching Houndoom off-guard and crashing into her with a critical slash with its crescent horn that cut deep into the ground.
  
  A single slash, and a grim reminder of Houndoom's frailty.
  
  Houndoom slid backwards with a groan, and Absol was a whirlwind of disciplined aggression as it swiftly followed up with unrelenting flurry of powerful strikes from its claws and horns. Each hit was aimed with deadly accuracy to target all of Houndoom's weak points, savagely shredding through Houndoom's health with each respective critical hit.
  
  Yet the Fire type did not sit helplessly, instead she let out a defiant growl and released a huge explosion of dark flames that scorched everything around her, leaving only a lingering aura of malice and flames.
  
  Unlike Absol, there was no precision. Only sheer, raw, and all-consuming destruction.
  
  Absol valiantly tried to slice through the flames, but it was a useless effort. The explosion of fire and darkness overwhelmed Absol, causing it to flinch and forcing it away.
  
  Its once pristine fur was now singed and scorched as black flames danced across it.
  
  To make matters worse, no matter how much Absol tried to extinguish the flames by patting at it with its paws, the flames would not go away. The burn was here to stay.
  
  The flames even lingered on the ground, forming a small puddle of dark embers that seemed to burn with malefic energies - as if they were fuelled by the very Dark type energy they were combined with.
  
  However, Houndoom was no better from that exchange either. In that short clash, Houndoom had found herself severely injured by the devastating critical hits from Absol. Each fierce cleave of Absol's had torn out a large chunk of Houndoom's health.
  
  Their respective advantages was clear. Absol possessed a devastating offence, with the precision to critically strike with each powerful slash of its horn that shredded through Houndoom's health. On the other hand, Houndoom had access to searing flames that covered a wide area and didn't seem to be easily extinguishable. The former wanted to get close, the latter wanted to wear her opponent down overtime and take control of the battlefield before rushing in for the finishing blow.
  
  But now the former was burnt, and the latter was badly injured. And neither had the opportunity to heal up. My gut was telling me that this was not going to be a long battle. Neither Pokémon were suitable for it.
  
  And then, almost in sync, both trainers made their move.
  
  "Sunny Day, Houndoom!"
  
  "Air Slash and rush in, Absol!"
  
  Houndoom unleashed a beam of light into the air just as the cutting blades of wind ripped into her skin, cutting deep into Houndoom and causing her to flinch.
  
  Absol burst forwards, becoming an almost invisible blur of darkness as it moved faster than it did before and leaped towards Houndoom, its crescent horn glowing a dangerously blinding white as Fighting energy began stored within.
  
  Houndoom instantly fired off a column of flames at the approaching Absol, but it simply cut through the flames with a single slash of its horn as it charged through the dispersed flames. Just as Houndoom began to dash backwards, Absol slashed down hard once again with a perfect strike that left a deep gouge in the ground.
  
  Houndoom fell onto all fours as her legs collapsed from under her as she let out a whimper of pain. A ruthless gleam flashed through Absol's eyes as it immediately tried to pounce on top of Houndoom's fallen figure, another slash poised to strike.
  
  But then Houndoom's eyes suddenly shot open. Her head lifted slightly so that she was staring straight at Absol's face, a huge orb of fire barely being restrained in her mouth. The previous attack had only been a glancing strike - she had faked her injuries!
  
  "PROTECT, ABSOL!"
  
  The order was useless. A torrent of fire exploded from Houndoom's mouth as it enveloped Absol in a sea of searing flames. Boosted by the sun, the heat of the flames was so intense that it managed to scorch the ground even without touching it. Unable to retreat in time, Absol was subjected to the full power of the violent torrent of flames.
  
  Yet, with incredible discipline, Absol still had the presence of mind to react with a sweep of its horns that managed to land a painful cut into Houndoom's side.
  
  The flames were instantly cut off as Houndoom staggered backwards with a howl of pain, falling onto her knees once again as the wounds took their toll. This time she didn't seem like she was faking it.
  
  But no follow up attack came, as Absol was busy trying to put itself out as the flames scorched its body. Absol almost looked like a Fire type with how its entire body was wreathed in fire, and both of its eyes were sealed shut as they had been terribly scorched by the attack.
  
  There was not an inch of it that wasn't covered in burns.
  
  Despite being so close together, and both looking like they were on their last legs, neither of them were in any state to counterattack at the moment. It had been a ferocious and violent battle, but both trainers knew that this was the end.
  
  Whoever landed the next attack was going to win. And they both believed it was going to be them. Therefore, they moved to fire off the fastest attack that their Pokémon both knew.
  
  ""DARK PULSE!""
  
  Weakly, both Pokémon pulled themselves up and fired off their respective Dark Pulses, unleashing two streams of Dark energy out of their mouths. Crippled by their injuries, neither Dark Pulses were particularly noteworthy or powerful, and were a mere fraction of their true capabilities.
  
  But that was enough. All they needed was one final blow to knock the other Pokémon out.
  
  The two pulsating torrents of darkness met each other in the middle. The two streams of energy pushed against each other, moving back and forth as both Pokémon devoted the last of their energy and determination into this final attack. Straining themselves to the utmost limit as they channelled whatever vestige of energy they could into their attack, looking to finally overwhelm the other.
  
  They both let out a growl of exertion as they taxed their bodies over their limits, using energy and strength that they shouldn't have, pushing everything they could into their most proficient move.
  
  Both Pokémon were determined to do their trainer proud. They were their trainers most trusted Ace, their most powerful companion. They had achieved everything alongside their trainer. They would not fall. They would not disappoint. They would not LOSE!
  
  Their determination blazed up to the skies. And yet, there could only be one.
  
  One beam of Dark energy finally overwhelmed the other and struck the other Pokémon head on. That Pokémon wobbled. That Pokémon stumbled. That Pokémon collapsed.
  
  In one of the tightest margins ever seen, with the other Pokémon seconds away from collapsing, the battle was finally over.
  
  The crowd erupted into huge cheers as many stood in their seats, applauding, and screaming their support. The three of us in the VIP room stood as well, clapping hard at this well-deserved victory. Even if it was closer than many of us had expected.
  
  "ANNNNNNND WE HAVE A WINNER! THEIR FINAL POKEMON GOES DOWN IN WHAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE FINAL ATTACK FROM THE BOTH OF THEM! BUT NOW, THE BATTLE IS OVER, WITH THE FINAL SCORE AT 6:5! AN EXTREMELY CLOSE BATTLE THAT REALLY COULD HAVE GONE EITHER WAY!"
  
  "NONETHELESS, PLEASE GIVE A HUGE CHEER AND APPLAUSE FOR OUR WINNER, KAREN!"
  
  A.N. KAREN WINS! Barely. But she won anyways! These chapters were extremely difficult to write, I really hoped you enjoyed this combined chapter. The fight was supposed to be done over the course of 3 chapters, but I condescend it into 2 because I thought it would flow better this way.
  
  I hope I demonstrated that this fight really could have gone either way. Once again, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it - this was my longest chapter yet.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! HUGE thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-14 -Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 7-14 - Interlude - Whitney
  
  The three of them sat huddled in her room, all of them staring intently at the TV screen as they watched the final few moments of Karen's fight against Sidney. They were still at the Safari Zone Gates at the local Pokémon Center, figuring that it would be a great place to continue training up their new captures before they eventually returned to Kanto.
  
  And they were making good progress on that. The three of them had come up with great ways of motivating their own Pokémon to want to get stronger, and each and every one of them had been slowly but surely building up their teams to become the best versions of themselves.
  
  It might be overly idealistic of them, but they were looking to be strong enough to directly challenge all of the remaining Gym without stopping. They wanted to ensure that once they DID return to Kanto, they would be able to collect all 8 Gym Badges before this year's circuit ended.
  
  It was an ambitious goal, and would certainly not be an easy task, but Whitney believed they could do it. They were deliberately aiming higher as a means of pushing both themselves and their Pokémon even further. They wouldn't be disappointed if they failed, but they felt like they should at least try.
  
  Because they all trusted in each other to be able to do it. As a trio.
  
  Regardless, thoughts about their training progress were pushed aside as Whitney refocused herself on the fight between Karen and Sidney taking place on the screen. She had seen some of John's battles in the past and had especially studied his battle against both Drake and Bruno very carefully, but this was the first battle that she could see where both trainers were so equally matched.
  
  "The people on the forums are commenting that Sidney had the advantage right now." Sabrina pointed out as she scrolled through the comments of the livestream on her phone, which was being held up via telekinesis. "They are now doubting Karen's chances of winning now that her Tyranitar has gone down."
  
  "I still can't believe she had a Tyranitar." Janine mumbled, "I know it's a Dark type, but that's really not something I expected from her."
  
  "The comments went wild when she revealed it." Sabrina nodded, "They never thought a trainer that wasn't even an official Gym Leader could have such a powerful Pokémon."
  
  "John didn't say anything about it either." Whitney mentioned idly, her eyes not leaving the fight.
  
  "And for a Pokémon like that to be brought down by a Sharpedo of all things...is this the level of an Elite Four? Will we ever reach that level?" Janine muttered curiously.
  
  That snapped Whitney away from the fight, as she turned her focus onto Janine, "Of course we will! Why all the self-doubt all of a sudden, Janine? Haven't we all been training hard?" She asked her, with Sabrina nodding in support.
  
  "Even after all this training, I know Father is much stronger than me." Janine stated as she wilted slightly, "I wish to reach his level...but I am slowly recognizing the sheer gulf between us. I fear that I will not be able to live up to his expectations." Bitterness laced her tone as she hung her head morosely.
  
  Whitney moved to encourage her, but Sabrina spoke up first, "We are still in the stage of nurturing our potential. Do not think this is the limit; we still have plenty to grow. I was not this strong as a Psychic or as a trainer when I first started, and yet, in the span of a few months, I have grown to a level which I had not thought possible before. You will be the same."
  
  "Yeah! And besides, your Father is much older than you. It's not fair to compare yourself like that; and you still have plenty of time to grow!" Whitney nodded in agreement, "And even Karen and John took time to get to where they are now. It might not be now, but if we just keep working hard, and keep training together, I'm sure we'll be able to become strong and proud trainers as well!
  
  She patted Janine on the back, shooting her a beaming smile. "So cheer up, Janine! Because we're all in this together!"
  
  Janine nodded, her posture straightening as she took in the compliment. But before she could say anything, their attention was forced back onto the battle between Karen and Sidney as a sudden explosion of flames spread across the arena; Houndoom had just unleashed a torrent of flames that caught Absol off-guard.
  
  The three of them stared silently at the battle for a moment, enraptured at the fight. Eventually, Whitney spoke up.
  
  "Hey...don't you think that it's strange that in a battle between Dark specialists, we're mostly seeing attacks from other types?" She asked.
  
  "That is something I have observed as well." Sabrina agreed, "I believe that this is more of a fight to display their versatility with types OTHER than the Dark type."
  
  "They're really putting it to good use, though." Janine commented, "They're really showing that there's more to being a specialist than just mastering your single chosen type."
  
  "Is that what we should be doing as well?" Whitney questioned consideringly, "I mean, I know my Miltank is proficient in the elemental punches...but now I'm thinking that I should train my other Pokémon to make use of a wider variety of attack types too."
  
  "That would be prudent." Sabrina nodded, "I think this fight is a very good demonstration of why type flexibility is important. There is much we can learn from it. My Kadabra, for example, really ought to make use of its large movepool. I will make a note of this for future training sessions. I think that-"
  
  But whatever Sabrina was going to say next was cut off as another explosion of flames filled the screen. Whitney watched with clenched fists as she nervously awaited the result of the attack. She knew she was biased, but she really hoped Karen would win this.
  
  As the dust settled, revealing both Karen's Houndoom and Sidney's Absol on their last legs, she had a feeling in her gut that the moment was about to arrive.
  
  She almost forgot to breathe as she witnessed the two's final attack against each other, a final clash between two Dark Pulses that felt like the perfect ending to such a fight. And as soon as Absol finally collapsed to the ground, Whitney leapt into the air.
  
  "WOOOO! CONGRATULATIONS KAREN!" She shouted at the screen, just as the announcer declared Karen to be the victor.
  
  In the corner of her eye, she saw that the comments section of the livestream was going crazy. Tons of comments flooded in, both expressing their shock and surprise at Karen's victory and disdain at Sidney's performance. However, by that same token, some were calling out Karen for relying on brute force as a Dark specialist.
  
  Yet many others expressed their support, thinking that this was the beginning of the rise of another Dark type specialist.
  
  However, with Karen's victory, Whitney felt a sense of relief flood into her. While she knew that there was no actual correlation, she felt that if Karen were to succeed in her goals, then Whitney and her friends could too.
  
  All of them had huge hurdles ahead of them. She was fully aware that despite all her optimism, the path to clearing all of the remaining Gyms before the end of the circuit was not going to be an easy task.
  
  Yet Whitney knew she had many good people looking over her. She knew that they all wished her the best, and she was going to ensure that she honoured their wishes. Her brother had already paved his own path to glory, and she didn't intend to be left behind. She WOULD get her fair share of it as well.
  
  But she wouldn't be doing it alone. Because her friends would be accompanying her every step of the way.
  
  A.N. A small glimpse into what Whitney's and her friends have been doing back in Johto; I haven't forgotten about them! Whitney and her friends WILL be making a splash when they return, and this is just setting up for that. Hope you enjoyed it!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-15 - Victory Celebration
  
  Karen had won. She had done it. Even if this was only a charity match, she had demonstrated her prowess by defeating a member of the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  "HAH! I knew she could do it!" Agatha shouted out proudly, her face lined with excitement and pride, "THAT'S MY GIRL!"
  
  Steven and I shared an amused look as we stared at Agatha's uncharacteristic display of enthusiasm. But Agatha quickly cottoned on to our expressions and rapidly reeled in her emotions.
  
  "What are you two looking at?! Stop gawking and let's get out of here. We have to congratulate the winners." She barked indignantly, grumbling all the while. But that only caused Steven and I to break out in chuckles before we followed after her.
  
  We exited the VIP room and made our way down to the arena, where we found Karen and Sidney already engaged in conversation. All around us reporters were clamouring to try to get an interview from the two trainers, but fortunately Steven had arranged for security in advance to temporarily hold them back.
  
  As we approached the two trainers, they both cut off their friendly conversation and turned to us with wide smiles.
  
  "Did you three enjoy the show? Even as the loser, I still thought that it was a great match." Sidney remarked with a smile, looking unbothered about his loss.
  
  "We did. Even Agatha here was very much entertained, wasn't she?" Steven pointed out as he turned to her, causing her to scoff.
  
  "I was only trying to show my support for my apprentice, don't be mistaken." She said, but Karen and I only chuckled at her words. Annoyed at being made fun at, she was quick to change the topic, "So how are you feeling, girl? You won."
  
  "...I'm not sure actually. It still doesn't feel real yet." Karen admitted.
  
  "Well, you better figure out soon, because you're about to get swamped with questions from those incessant reporters." Agatha said as she gestured to the crowd of reporters being held back by security. "This is your first real opportunity to show yourself to the larger world. Go make the most of it."
  
  Karen nodded seriously, but Steven cut in, "Don't worry, you still have some time before that happens. I didn't hire those security guards for nothing, after all."
  
  "They seem to be doing a good job so far." I added.
  
  "And you have my thanks for hosting all this, Steven." Sidney spoke up, getting nods of agreement from Karen, "Although I did end up losing, nothing gets your blood pumping more than fighting in a stadium. It's really a different experience all together. I really can feel the rust shaking off of me."
  
  Karen blinked, "You fought like THAT and you consider yourself rusty?"
  
  Sidney smiled, "I won't make excuses; you beat me fair and square. But this loss has only sparked a further desire to try new strategies. I think I've been relying too much on tricks. I think I'm finally beginning to understand Drake's way of thinking. Just having powerful Pokémon able to muscle through problems can be invaluable."
  
  "Your Sharpedo is still quite something." Karen muttered.
  
  "How did you feel about this battle?" I asked the two of them, "Was it strange fighting someone that shared your type speciality?"
  
  The two of them shared a glance briefly before Sidney answered, "It was...difficult. We couldn't use the same strategies that we normally used because we both knew that they would be ineffective. Out of all my Pokémon, only Sableye fought like I would want to."
  
  "And you managed to take out my starter with it. So I'd say that went very well for you." Karen exclaimed, "On my end, fighting Sidney was very unusual. It was like fighting a better version of myself. I knew he was better than me at my own speciality, so I had to try to overwhelm him with other methods."
  
  "It was a very close fight." Steven nodded, "A slight mistake or a lucky hit could have led to a different victor."
  
  "Bah! Karen, we'll be going over your match with a fine-tooth comb when we get home. I saw plenty of mistakes that you could have fixed up on!" Agatha lectured, and Karen only nodded in silent acceptance. She seemed very used to this.
  
  "You know, I don't think we've formally met, Elite Agatha." Sidney pointed out, extending a hand, "You're very different to the other Ghost type specialist I know."
  
  Agatha stared at Sidney's hand for a moment before eventually reaching out to shake it, "Feh. I would hope so. There's only room for one of me here."
  
  "Because the world would likely implode if there were two of you." Karen muttered under her breath, but just loudly enough for everyone to hear it. Everyone but Agatha broke out into slight smiles.
  
  "Right, enough of this." Agatha grumbled, "Karen, you better fix up your appearance and get ready for your interview." She turned to Sidney, "You probably should get a move on too."
  
  Sidney shrugged, "They're going to want to do the winner's interview first. They aren't in a rush to interview a loser like me."
  
  I frowned, "Would this loss affect your reputation in Hoenn?"
  
  "Probably, but I don't care that much about the loss." Sidney admitted easily, "Drake likes to challenge the other Elite Four quite often to 'keep us in shape' - and I never win those battles. I've gotten used to it now. Besides, it's not like the strength of my team will be affected by this. We know our worth."
  
  "An admirable sentiment. I do sincerely hope you can maintain that attitude when it becomes my turn to challenge you back in Hoenn." Steven spoke up with a challenging smile on his face.
  
  "I have always expressed my respect for strong trainers. Nor am I one to cry salty tears when I lose. If you can make your way through the Hoenn Conference, then I will be happy to fight you." Sidney replied, meeting Steven's stares with one of his own.
  
  "If that's enough posturing from the men, the reporters aren't going to be held back for much longer." Agatha said snidely, "Better get ready to answer those questions."
  
  "You both ready?" Steven asked the two trainers, before getting nods from the both of them. "Alright then. Good luck to you both."
  
  [KAREN WINS! A NAIL-BITING DUEL BETWEEN THE TWO MOST PROMINENT DARK TYPE SPECIALISTS IN THE WORLD! YOU HAVE TO SEE THE ENDING!] by BattleCast.
  
  [Picture of Karen on the winner's podium. Agatha, Steven, Sidney, and John can be seen just over to the side.]
  
  We here at BattleCast were so excited and hyped by the fight that just took place that we didn't even have time to publish our usual highlight reel of the fight, which we promise will come soon.
  
  But instead we really just want to go over what just happened, because Karen WON! BARELY! It really could have been anyone's fight!
  
  Though we haven't finished editing our highlight reel yet, anyone who had watched the fight would have known that the real MVPs of the fight were Karen's Tyranitar and Sidney's Sableye - two Pokémon that could not be more opposite. And it's very fitting, considering HOW they won.
  
  The performance from Sidney's Sableye was incredible, and almost academic to watch. It was a beautiful display of the true potential of Dark type Pokémon. Through very clever and tactical use of its status moves, Sableye was not only able to cripple Karen's Weavile, but it was able to completely shut down and knock out Karen's Honchkrow entirely. It must have been a frustrating and humbling moment from Karen to see her being outplayed so hard in her own specialty.
  
  On the other hand, Karen's Tyranitar not only withstood against the seemingly unstoppable and unrelenting onslaught of attacks from Sidney's Sharpedo, but it also managed to bring down his agile and dexterous Shiftry! It was a monstrous show of force that managed to claw Karen's chances back into the fight, being an indispensable part of her victory.
  
  Tyranitar served as an earth-shattering and dominating reminder that just because Dark types are known for their tricks, doesn't mean that they must solely rely on them. And we don't know what that Dark type move she used was; but it must have bee a nasty surprise for Sidney!
  
  Following this, upon her victory speech, this was what Karen had to say:
  
  "...I do not consider myself to be the best or greatest Dark type specialist in the world. 'There is always someone better than you' is a phrase that my friend is fond of saying, and I completely agree. My victory against Sidney today was by very narrow margins; who's to say that the results will be different in a rematch? He certainly is an extremely formidable trainer, and despite my victory today, I still have plenty I could learn from him. If anything, I still consider him the better trainer."
  
  "Furthermore, as you all know, Agatha and I will be stepping down from our positions as temporary regent of Pewter City in a few days' time. It is a sad moment for me; I have greatly enjoyed my time working with the Pewter Gym, and I am proud to have seen its future Gym Leader, Brock, grow into the capable man I know him to be."
  
  "However, this does mean I have more time for my real plans...which is that I WILL be aiming to challenge the Indigo Conference. And I will be expecting nothing less but victory."
  
  An ambitious statement from our recent winner! But was this a statement born out of confidence, or simply an overly eager statement announced in the heat of the moment? It will be up to Karen to back up her own words!
  
  Not only that, but those who thought that Sidney would be distraught following his loss will be pleasantly surprised, as he looks nothing of the sort. Our on-field reporters have all stated that he looks happier than he did despite his loss.
  
  And the reason why could be found in his speech:
  
  "For those of you curious about my bright outlook despite my recent defeat, I have a question to ask all of you. Why would you think I would be upset about losing against a fellow Dark type specialist? Do you know how rare it is to have another Dark type specialist to challenge yourself against? I've waited years for this very moment, and I'm ecstatic that Karen turned out to be as strong as she was."
  
  "I've moaned frequently to Phoebe about having no one to compare myself to. But now I do. I have a target. A rival, if you will. I now have someone I can finally measure myself against and learn from. Sure, I might have lost, but I have gained something even more valuable."
  
  "I was rusty before this battle. I admit it. My winning streak against challengers have left me stagnant. And the lack of true Dark type specialists to compare myself against has unknowingly turned me complacent. But that time has now passed. I now know what I must do to improve. And let this be a warning to all those who would challenge me for my position - you won't find me to be an easy prey."
  
  The confidence in his eyes do not lie. THIS is the mental willpower that all trainers ought to have. Sidney has turned his defeat into a learning moment for him; using it so that he may strive to do better in the future. It's no wonder he's in the Elite Four with such a productive mindset!
  
  What do you guys think about the whole battle? Did you enjoy the fight? Let us know what you think in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Woah...this one battle has almost convinced me to become a Dark specialist. I always thought Dark types were cool - but to see them fight like this is a whole new experience.
  
  I think I want my own Dark type now if they have the potential to fight like this.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I predict that we will definitely see a distinct rise in Dark type trainers in the near future as a result of this match, though I don't foresee this being a long-term change. That was truly a masterclass demonstration of how to make use of the Dark type. And proof that Dark type specialist CAN make fight at an extremely high level.
  
  Overall, and despite Karen's victory, I actually think Sidney is the better traditional Dark type specialist. But Karen is the more well-rounded trainer.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Some good ol' reminder of why Kanto produces the best trainers. Even the Hoenn Elite Four, no offense to them, are unable to stand up to our newbies.
  
  Good job!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I'm disappointed at Sidney for losing to an unknown trainer. But let's hope he really isn't lying and has shook off his rust. I expect his next battle to be better!
  
  But KantoRepresent you have to chill it with those backhanded comments. Just because one rising star defeated a member of our Elite Four doesn't mean you can generalise like that.
  
  Sure, I'm sulking that Sidney lost. But Karen couldn't beat Drake!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Yes, but John did. :)
  
  Anyone else realized that this possible surge of new Dark type trainers couldn't have been more poorly timed? John literally just explained to the world how to better use Fairy types; a powerful counter to Dark type Pokémon.
  
  John again making those 9000 IQ plays.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  By that same token, Karen's Dark types might not be as weak to the Fairy type as her future opponents in the Indigo Conference might expect. Her friendship with John is well-known, so it's very likely she's used to fighting against John's Fairy types.
  
  StoneCollector
  
  Congratulations to both battlers for that exciting battle! I'm grateful for both your efforts in making the event as big of a success as it was! The amount of money we raised was truly staggering, beyond even my expectations. Incredible!
  
  NotThatMuchWater
  
  Woah is that Steven Stone!? The diamond spoon man himself? Deigning to comment on a lowly forum like this? Woah!
  
  Sarcasm aside, thanks for arranging the battle! It raised a ton of money! Hope to see more from you in the future!
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  HAH! I TOLD you that power is a strength of its own. Well at least you know that this old man was right for once. This is why you should listen to your elders, Sidney! Heh!
  
  I'm just kidding of course. Good fight! You did Hoenn proud!
  
  With the battle over, and with it already being rather late in the evening, the group eventually split up. Both Steven and Sidney had other plans for the night, leaving myself, Karen, and Agatha as a group.
  
  Karen invited us to the Pewter Gym since both her and Agatha were about to retire from their temporary positions and wanted to spend a bit more time there.
  
  I was happy enough to oblige; and I always wanted to speak a little with Brock.
  
  Thus, the three of us made our way to the Pewter Gym. We had a quick pitstop to buy some takeaway for dinner before we got back. At least, that's what Karen and I did, Agatha just told us what she wanted and then teleported herself directly to the Pewter Gym.
  
  As soon as she left hearing range, Karen joked that it was because Agatha needed her nap. We both chuckled before a Gengar whacked us on the head, disappearing back into the shadows directly afterwards.
  
  Still, with dinner bought, we entered into the little side addition to the Pewter Gym where the living space was, and I found myself greeted by Brock and ALL of his siblings. Agatha was there too, but she was just rocking idly in a granny chair. Very fitting.
  
  The little ones were all a little curious, and a little shy, at my appearance, so I plastered the friendliest smile I could on my face as I went to greet them.
  
  "Hello. I'm John. It's very nice to meet all of you." I began as I intentionally left out my title in my name. I didn't want to scare them off. "I'm just here to join Karen for dinner."
  
  "Oh yeah, you're that Elite Four! She talks about you a lot!" Yolanda spoke up, recognition flashing in her eyes. The others, especially the younger ones, were still giving me wary looks, but at least they weren't filled with hostility.
  
  "Yep, but please just call me John." I nodded, making sure to keep the friendly smile on my face, "But never mind about me - Karen has just won her match against Sidney. Did you all see her match?"
  
  "We did! She was so cool!" Forrest said excitedly, leaping in front of Karen with sparkles in his eyes "It was such a close battle! But we all saw you win in the end! That was so COOL!"
  
  The conversation immediately devolved as Karen was swarmed with words of congratulations from the many siblings. Questions were immediately bombarded her way as they asked her about this and that. Leaving her to it, I began setting up the table as I arranged all of the food that we bought for them. To my complete surprise, Agatha helped out a little as well, but I just told her to sit.
  
  "They're a lovely family, aren't they?" Agatha suddenly muttered aloud, "Not at all deserving of the burden that's been thrust upon them."
  
  I sighed, "Unfortunately, it happens all of the time. And, at risk of sounding callous, they seem to be doing okay at the moment. It could be a lot worse for them."
  
  "We helped out where we can." Agatha agreed, "Caustic as I may be, I haven't sunken so low as to insult children. Not these ones at least. They do not deserve to deal with something like me."
  
  I smiled at her, seeing how Agatha did care about them despite clearly trying not to. But then a sad thought came around, "What happens after you and Karen leave your roles at Pewter?"
  
  She frowned, "Hopefully, things will continue for the kids on the upward trend that they are currently on. Both Karen and I have promised to check up on them from time to time, and we'd make sure they were living well. Though whether they can keep the Gym...that's up to Brock and his efforts. We can't do any more than what we already have."
  
  "Lots of responsibility to put on someone so young." I pointed out, slightly hypocritically. Still, I did feel bad for Brock. Their house wasn't small for an ORDINARY family, but for this many kids? It wasn't big enough. It was barely manageable now while most of them were still children, but once they grew up, this would be untenable.
  
  For all my poverty, I still had a big house to live in. Even if it was decaying and empty. This was the complete opposite of that.
  
  Seeing the living situation that they lived in made me want to help them. But I wasn't sure how. I couldn't just GRANT them the Gym; that was beyond my authority as an Elite Four. I could donate money, but any direct gifts of money would be seen negatively if anyone found out about it. It would seem like a bribe.
  
  ...Then I realized the obvious solution in front of me. I just had to frame it in a way so that it wouldn't seem like I was simply giving money away for seemingly no good reason.
  
  With the answer in front of me, I just had to suggest it to Brock. But first, we had dinner to serve.
  
  "Okay! Enough chatter guys! Dinner's ready!" I shouted out, pulling them away from Karen's storytelling about the fight. As soon as they saw the food on the table, the younger ones immediately clambered over into the chairs and tried to shove food into their mouths. Their over-enthusiasm had to be quickly stopped by the older ones, who were working like a well-oiled machine as they moved to temper the younger siblings' antics before they accidentally knocked everything over in their excitement.
  
  It was clearly a routine that they were used to. It slightly saddened me to see kids barely in their teens already forced to act like parents. And while Karen was trying to hide it, I could see that she felt the same way.
  
  The dinner went smoothly, or as smoothly as one could with so many hyper-energetic children to take care of. Karen was even helping out at some points with disciplining them, another sign of just how close she was to the kids.
  
  It was a very lively dinner, mostly dominated by the kids asking Karen more about her battle. That was all they wanted to know, and Agatha and I were both politely ignored.
  
  Eventually, dinner was over. The elders, minus the elderly, went to help clean up the table. After that, Karen went to help put the younger ones to rest, while Agatha had Teleported home to sleep, leaving just myself, Brock, and Forrest in the living room.
  
  The two of them were eyeing me nervously, as if they wanted to say something. Not wanting them to feel uncomfortable, I quickly spoke up.
  
  "It looks like you have something to say to me." I began. "Please, don't be shy. I'm not here on any official business."
  
  They looked at each other for a moment before Brock let out a cough, "Sorry, we just wanted to know if you knew anything about how Pewter Gym would be evaluated in the future."
  
  Ah, I figured they'd ask something like this. "Unfortunately, I don't. It would be very unfair if we could influence evaluations like that." Unless your name was Pryce, "But from what I do know, it'll be up to your efforts alone to please whoever the League appoints as the regent until you reach your majority."
  
  I leaned forwards, "If you can impress them, and the evaluators they send, then you'll probably keep your position. It's very rare for the League to force a Gym to change its leadership without something extraordinary happening."
  
  "But could you do something to help us out? We'll work very hard for this! Promise!" Forrest asked, a little hopefully. Shocked by his words, Brock quickly moved to silence Forrest and apologize for his bluntness, but I simply waved him off.
  
  "It's fine. I don't mind the honesty." I replied, "And the answer is yes and no. No, because I'm really not able to influence your evaluations like that. That would be a huge scandal if it ever came out."
  
  The two frowned, though Brock looked like he had expected something like this. I continued before they could feel any worse, "BUT! I do have a proposal I'd like to offer you, if you would like to hear it."
  
  "Please, go ahead." Brock answered immediately, sitting up attentively. Good.
  
  "From what I've heard from Karen, your main problem is that your recent successes are built upon a shaky foundation? Because you don't have the funds in case of an emergency?" I asked them, getting nods in return, "Then I have a suggestion. I will sponsor the Gym directly through my family business. This should provide you with a much-needed safety blanket in case something goes wrong. You can store these funds and use them on a rainy day." Their eyes both widened, understanding the possibilities of what I had just proposed.
  
  "In return, until the end of the next circuit, I want my family Moomoo milk to be the ONLY milk exclusively advertised at this Gym. I expect both posters and stalls set up around the Gym selling our product. It would be a great advertising opportunity for us because of how many young trainers come through your Gym, and being the official sponsor of your Gym would do wonders for our brand in Pewter." I explained.
  
  Forrest looked a little confused at the latter half of my proposal, but Brock was deep in thought. I allowed him to think as I sat back and took a sip of water.
  
  Eventually, he spoke up, "How MUCH are you willing to give us? And can you authorise such a deal?" He asked prudently. I smiled at his question.
  
  "I assure you that I can, though I will double check with my parents before confirming it. As for your first question, why don't you go look through the numbers after this, and YOU come to me with a figure that you'd like. I'll see if I can match it." I proposed, "Of course, the more you ask, the more I'll expect from you."
  
  Truthfully, I didn't want to make our deals so mercenary like this. But this was a lot of money to be 'giving away', so I had to get something out of it. Of course, I wouldn't exploit Brock's situation, but I still needed to be accountable to the business. We weren't a charity.
  
  After a moment, Brock nodded. "I'll be happy to discuss things with you further, Elite John. Thank you for this opportunity."
  
  "Please, call me John." I replied, "And yes, I hope this can be a very fruitful deal between us as well. Here's my contact number, feel free to contact me whenever."
  
  I extended a hand, and he shook it firmly. As the deal was struck, he couldn't hide the bright and relieved smile on his face.
  
  And for that, I knew it was worth it.
  
  A.N. So I quite literally rewrote half of this chapter last night because people were asking for a Pokenet Interlude (I didn't originally plan for it). I apologise if it feels a little forced in, that's because it was an extremely last-minute addition. Still, I hope you enjoyed it! I do try my best to adjust my story to the comments!
  
  Also just a little insight into both the aftermath of Sidney v Karen as well as the plot point regarding the Pewter Gym. They're on the upswing now, but John wants to help them even more. Of course, he'll benefit from this too.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 7-16 - Road to Sinnoh
  
  As expected, Karen's victory over Sidney made the headlines over the next few days. The news were trying their best to dramatize everything, playing it up it as a huge underdog victory that was going to completely upset the Indigo and Hoenn political scene.
  
  Though anyone with a brain knew that it probably wasn't going to be as dramatic as that.
  
  Since Karen was always found at Pewter, reporters tried to swarm the Gym as they tried to find more content to fill their headlines.
  
  Karen took this all in stride, and she made sure to stay humble in all of her interactions with the press. As she told me, the last thing she wanted to happen was for her to accidentally make claims that she couldn't back up, only to be crushed by an opponent that was too strong for her.
  
  She was actually a little annoyed at all the big claims that the newspapers were making on her behalf. They were all playing her victory up with eye-catching headlines, which had the inadvertent consequence of making her seem arrogant whereas she was doing her best to remain humble.
  
  She had repeatedly said that her victory over Sidney was as much luck as it was skill, and it was not something she could easily repeat. She still had a long way to go.
  
  Still, all this attention did mean that Karen was definitely in the public eye now, especially with her announcement of her participation in the upcoming Indigo Conference. I had already seen articles with 'experts' discussing her strengths and weaknesses and possible counters to her team.
  
  Though from what I've read so far from these 'expert analysis', there was nothing that any experienced trainer wouldn't immediately know about. On that front, Karen didn't have to worry about her tactics being exposed. At least not like that.
  
  But she still was training hard. She knew that the more powerful contenders were now going to keep a very close eye on her, and she would likely have to refine her skills and strategies to be able to overcome whatever they had planned for her. I wished her luck on this, but unfortunately was unable to help her due to my own preparations.
  
  Because I was going to Sinnoh.
  
  Over the last few days, I had been mostly packing my bags and studying up on what I knew of the region. Lance had high expectations for both Will and I as representatives from Indigo, so we needed to make sure we were on our best behaviour. Fortunately, my meta knowledge helped me with studying up on Sinnoh's geography and cities, which should hopefully prevent me from acting like a complete country bumpkin when I got there.
  
  But besides all of that preparation, I had to spend some time helping out with the family business as I promised. I fulfilled my promise to Brock by speaking to my parents about the possibility of a sponsorship, and they were more than happy to help out. Even with the move into our new offices, a sponsorship shouldn't break the bank for us, and after Brock got back to us with a rough figure for what they required, we were happy to provide it to them.
  
  In return, they stuck to the terms I offered them. They would promote our Moomoo milk heavily around the Gym, hopefully attracting the young and impressionable minds of new trainers to buying our product. The hope was, once these new trainers were happy and familiar with our brand, they wouldn't buy anything else out of a sense of loyalty or familiarity.
  
  With the deal settled, I fulfilled my other promise to my parents by making sure to check out the new office building that they bought. It was smack dab in the center of Cerulean, right in the commercial district and only a few minutes of the Gym. A prime location.
  
  The tour of the inside of the office went well too. Obviously, things were still kind of sparse inside because many things were still being moved in or purchased, but it was starting to look like a real office building. Clean, sleek, and a little monotone, but very professional. I felt that the office space was certainly fitting for a company that has been growing in both fame and size as ours has, and someplace where I could see myself working in if my stint as an Elite Four didn't work out for whatever reason.
  
  It pleased me greatly to see another tangible milestone in the growth of our family business. My parents had come a long way from their poorly beginnings, and I wished to continue their path of success when it was my turn at the helm.
  
  And I knew that the office in Cerulean was only going to be the first of many. If I had my way, there would be an official office branch at every region as our family business grew even larger.
  
  To honour my parents, I expected nothing less than greatness.
  
  "All packed and ready to go?" Lance spoke to us as Will and I stood just outside of the pier at Vermillion City. We had a few assistants who already carried our luggage inside, leaving the two of us to say our farewells. The entire Indigo Elite Four was in attendance, ready to give us a grand sendoff as we were about to leave to Sinnoh.
  
  "Sure," I replied, with Will nodding alongside me. "Packed some formal wear as well just in case. I doubt I'd need it...but you never know."
  
  "Same here. Can never be too prepared." Will added. He was already all dressed up, obviously wanting to give a good impression to our hosts in Sinnoh. In the meanwhile, I was still in rather casual wear - I could get changed on the ride over and I didn't want to be dressed up for such a long time.
  
  Fancy clothes weren't comfortable to be in. In fact, from my experience, there was often an inverse correlation between fanciness and comfort.
  
  "You're lucky you aren't going to be challenged while you're over there." Lorelei spoke up with her arms crossed over her chest, a hint of envy in her tone.
  
  Will shrugged, "I wouldn't mind being challenged, but it just wouldn't be practical. I can only thank Lance for his wisdom in allowing this."
  
  Lance waved off the compliment, "Exceptions have to made sometimes. I couldn't just recall Will just because of a challenge towards him. That would be incredibly inconvenient. Same goes for you John, though I don't think anyone's likely to challenge you after Bruno."
  
  I smiled at his words, though my eyes turned to Lorelei, "You think you'll be challenged soon?" I asked, mostly rhetorically. I was pretty sure of the answer already.
  
  "Most likely." Lorelei confirmed, exactly as I had expected. "I don't think my earlier victory was proof enough...and I don't believe my reputation or strength has been firmly entrenched yet. Many would likely seek to prove themselves against me." She said with a hint of worry in her voice.
  
  "Bah! You shouldn't worry about that." Agatha cut in with a scoff, "You should be welcoming all these challengers with open arms. Then crush them all beneath your feet and scare them away from ever challenging you again. That's how I did it and look how well that went."
  
  Surprisingly, Lance nodded in agreement, "It is a valid tactic. Admittedly, I have grown used to our current roster of the Elite Four and find you all most agreeable to work with. Yes, even you, Agatha." She chuckled at that, "While I cannot and will not intervene in any challenges on your behalf, I do wish you luck in your future challenges to come." He said as he stared Lorelei in the eye, getting a firm nod from her.
  
  "And that goes for all of you too." He turned to address the rest of us, "Whether you are going to Sinnoh, or staying here in Indigo, I do truly expect and wish the best for all of you. I cannot be Champion without a stable Elite Four to support me, so I hope that continues for the years to come."
  
  We all nodded, somewhat surprised at his sentimentality. But inwardly, I felt that most of us were at least slightly moved by his words. Except Agatha, of course. Still, it was always nice to know that we were appreciated.
  
  Lance cleared his throat, "Regardless! For those of you not in Indigo, if you have any proposals for any meetings that you would like to bring up to me, please let me know through the phone. I will endeavour to keep your opinions and advice in mind despite the distance."
  
  Then the blaring of a ship's horn caught our attention. Lance spoke up first, "Gentlemen, I do believe you have a ship to catch. Please call me as soon as you arrive, and again, I wish you the best of luck while you're over there. I trust you will do Indigo proud." We both nodded at that, and then we all shared our farewells before we made our way onto the ship.
  
  Before I split off from Will so that we could settle into our respective cabins, I asked if he wanted to join me for lunch on the deck. He looked surprised at my request, but quickly nodded and promised he'd be down in a few minutes.
  
  With that out of the way, I settled into my rather luxurious cabin as I fired off a few texts to friends and family, informing them of my imminent departure. Karen and Whitney got back to me wishing me good luck, and reminded me to enjoy myself. I kept their reminder to heart.
  
  I had barely settled in when the ship began to move, signalling our departure from the familiar ports of Vermillion. It would be a long trip to Sinnoh, and I was sure that we would be very busy once we got there, so I intended to savour the moment of relaxation while I still had the time.
  
  I considered releasing a few of my smaller Pokémon, but ultimately decided against it as I simply made my way to the cafeteria to meet up with Will. As soon as I got there, I had already found him inside, patiently waiting for me.
  
  He perked up as soon as he saw me, "Ah John, hope you've settled in well."
  
  "I have." I answered with a nod, "Probably going to take a nap after this meal."
  
  "An excellent idea." He replied, "I was just considering the same thing. Come, let's get some food."
  
  We got up and grabbed some food that was already prepared. It was fancier than expected; clearly whoever had arranged this trip had not decided to cheapen out. That caught me a little off-guard. There were many high-class options available, ranging from an assortment of raw fish and even some high-quality cuts of meat.
  
  One full plate later, I sat down next to Will as we both began to eat silently. But as our plates slowly emptied, Will broke the silence.
  
  "When we were getting food, I noticed that you were surprised at the options available. Was it not to your fancy?" He asked me curiously.
  
  I shook my head, "Nothing like that - I was just expecting something simpler I suppose."
  
  "Simpler? Why would you expect that?" He looked at me weirdly, "This is a diplomatic trip. Obviously, they wouldn't serve anything less than their best. We need to show off a good image."
  
  "Sure, I get that. I guess I still wasn't used to the fancy food." I admitted.
  
  That only caused him to continue looking at me strangely, "Why would that be? You're in the Elite Four! And I've looked into your family business, you have money to throw around! I'd thought you be more used to quality like this."
  
  I shrugged. "I guess I never really adapted to my new wealth. As long as I have enough to survive, I don't really to see the need to flaunt it."
  
  "But you worked so hard for it!" Will exclaimed in surprise, "Do you not owe it to yourself to reward yourself for your own efforts?"
  
  "Maybe...but I'm happy enough where I'm at right now." I replied truthfully, "But is that why you seem to have a finer taste in things? It's not hard to see that your outfit seems immaculately tailored."
  
  "Thanks for noticing." His chest inflated proudly, "But yes, to answer your question, why wouldn't I? I've worked very hard to get where I am today, like you did. So naturally I wished for others to see my achievements and praise me for it. It shows that I've succeeded in life."
  
  I paused for a moment, taking a little aback by his honesty. Will was as boastful as usual, but nothing he said was wrong.
  
  "...You know, I realized I don't know much about your past." I admitted after a moment, "At least, you seem to know more about me than I do about you. If you don't mind, want to tell me about it?"
  
  I was genuinely curious about Will. I had initially disliked his tendency to show off, but I've gotten used to him. And I felt like I should really take the opportunity to actually get to know him better.
  
  He looked surprised at my question, but quickly formed an excited grin as he began to answer me, "I'm glad you asked! Truthfully, when I first got selected into the Elite Four, I spent some time looking carefully into every member so that I could know more about you all. And, after doing my research, I felt that it was YOU that I related the most to."
  
  Now it was my turn to be surprised, but I gestured for him to keep going. "Both Lance and Walker were both raised to be in positions of power. There is nothing wrong with that, but they had an advantage over the average person. Agatha...she worked hard too, but I didn't want to gain power like she did." He explained.
  
  "And then there was you. Someone who came from nothing and made it into the Elite Four at such a young age." He stared at me intently, "It was inspiring, but it was also familiar. While the conditions of my childhood were nowhere near as...painful as yours were, if you don't mind me saying, I too came from a working-class background. And it was through my own hard work that I made my way here to where I am."
  
  "And now that you're rich and famous, you figure you'd enjoy yourself?" I concluded for him.
  
  "Exactly." He nodded. "Oh, I know I am flamboyant, but I don't see a reason to hide myself. After all, this is what I enjoy doing. Yes, I recognized in the earlier days of my time in the Elite Four that I may have taken it too far and bought into my own hype a little too much, but after spending much time among my equals, I believe I have learnt to keep my ego in check. I hope I have been easier to deal with since then."
  
  "You have." I replied instantly, "Though I admit to disliking you at first - your boastfulness simply rubbed me the wrong way, you've either toned it down since then, or I've gotten more used to it." I said, bluntly honest.
  
  Instead of being offended, he merely chuckled, "Yes! I remember that. I still remember challenging you as soon as I could - so eager I was back then to try to show off my own strength. And I fell into a bit of a slump when you so easily defeated me, but I have had time to reflect and grow since then."
  
  "...I think I was too dependent on the approval of others...not realizing that I should be proud of my achievements on their own merits." He nodded to himself, "I mean, making it into the Elite Four is already a large accomplishment in it of itself."
  
  "That's true. And I don't think I properly congratulated you for your entry." I said, offering him a genuine smile, "So congratulations, Will. You've done well for yourself."
  
  His eyes opened wide for a moment, before his grin grew even wider, "Thank you for your words, John, and I could say the same to you." He raised his drink, "Let us hope that our success continues into the future. Cheers!"
  
  We clanked glasses together and drank deeply, a shared moment of congratulations between us. Then, we moved on to more casual topics as we shifted away from our previous conversation.
  
  "Any ideas on what you're going to do while you're in Sinnoh?" I asked him as we finished off our half-forgotten meals. "In your free time, I mean."
  
  He nodded enthusiastically, "Certainly. I had a plan to visit all of the important cities. I'd love to see the sights of a new region. Maybe I'd look into to see if there were any Psychic types I could catch, assuming they let us."
  
  "I don't see why not." I replied, "As long as you don't go overboard, I'd doubt they care. And from what's been said in the meetings, I'm fairly certain that the Sinnoh government are in no position to do much of anything right now anyways."
  
  "I suppose." He agreed, "But it's on us to make a good impression. It would be a terrible shame if they were to shut their borders to us so soon after opening them."
  
  I nodded, but paused for a moment as I finished up with my food. As soon as I finished, I spoke up again, "Any particular Psychic Pokémon you were looking out for?"
  
  "I saw a...Bronzong, I think it was, in their Pokédex. That looks very interesting." He answered, rubbing his chin, "It would give my team some defensive utility that they currently lack. And having a Steel Type is always nice. What about you? Any Normal types you've set your sights on?"
  
  "A few, though I don't expect to be catching them all." I admitted, "I was looking out for Togekiss and Lopunny in particular." There was another Pokémon I was thinking of too, but I wasn't certain that I could find it.
  
  "Togekiss?" He asked confusedly, "That's not a Normal type. Well, not anymore at least. Thanks to you."
  
  "True." I nodded, "But I don't mind fitting another Fairy type into my team. I have enough experience with training them that I'm sure I could handle it." And another Pokémon that was greatly resistant to Fighting would be more than welcome. It gave me more options to use against my team's only weakness.
  
  "Fair enough, I see where you're coming from. Though that reminds me, I never actually thanked you for your discovery of the Fairy type. It's opened plenty of new possibilities with my Pokémon." He told me with an excited glint in his eyes, "There have been plenty of new Fairy moves I've been trying out. It's really opened a whole new world of possibilities for me."
  
  "Thinking of challenging Lance with that?" I joked.
  
  But Will clearly missed the joke, as his head swung violently from side to side, "No way. Absolutely not. I'm not some fool to think that that just having Fairy moves would suddenly give me an advantage over Lance. He would crush me in an instant. I have a VERY healthy respect for his strength, and I have no intention of challenging it."
  
  I laughed, "I pity the fool to challenge him based on THAT assumption. But there will be someone like that, mark my words."
  
  He joined in on my humour as he laughed, "Yes, I could see that happening! Though anyone daring to challenge Lance would have to get through us first - and I have no intention of being a stepping stone for someone to use."
  
  My mind flashed to my shared plan with Agatha about Karen, and I shot him a complex smile, "Let's say you did lose - what would you do instead?"
  
  "What would YOU do?" He shot back instantly, though he seemed to think deeply at my question, "You know, at first, my answer would be to become a businessman. But...recently I've considered something I would likely find far more enjoyable. And that is to become a Contest performer. It's a career path that's been taking off recently, and I could really see it being a viable option."
  
  I could see it. If there was anyone who could become a contest performer, it would be Will. He was practically born for it. "You would make a great one, I'm sure." I said to him.
  
  "Thank you, and I think so too. But that's just for the future. I have no plans on being kicked out. I EARNED my position here, even if I was chosen, and I intend to stand my ground and prove my strength to ANY who dare challenge me."
  
  His eyes flashed, and I felt his determination washing over me. His usual boastful nature was gone, replaced by only the iron resolve of any ambitious trainer. At this very moment, the man sitting in front of me was not Will the showoff. But rather it was Will, Psychic specialist of the Elite Four. And a man who would fight to the very end to keep his place.
  
  My respect for him grew.
  
  "I wish you the best of luck then." Was all I said to him, and we moved to return our plates before we eventually retired into our rooms after a quick farewell.
  
  As I laid down on the bed, hoping to get a quick nap, I thought about my plans with Agatha that we had made for Will. Initially, Agatha thought that Will would be the perfect target for Karen to target, considering his type disadvantage. And I didn't know about him and/or disliked him enough to go along with it.
  
  But after spending more time with him, and especially after this conversation, I was starting to hesitate on our plans for him. Both emotionally and rationally.
  
  Emotionally, because I was no longer too comfortable for setting him up like this. He was no longer an unknown person, but someone that I had actively spent time with and gotten to know better. He was in the same position as I was, fighting for his chance to be in the Elite Four, and I was uncomfortable for sabotaging it.
  
  Not that way.
  
  And rationally, because with Will training up in Fairy moves, suddenly the type advantage was no longer as skewed in Karen's favour as they used to be. If Will really got a handle on his Pokémon's use of Fairy type moves, then Karen was in for a much harder fight than she likely had expected.
  
  Conflicted, I tossed and turned in the bed as I agonized over what to do. Eventually, I concluded that I would distance myself from Agatha's plans to target Will. It just no longer seemed like the right thing to do. I would still train with Karen and everything, but only insofar as it related to general training. I wouldn't specifically act to snuff out Will's weaknesses and report it to them - for example.
  
  I still valued Karen as both a close friend and training partner. So even if I wasn't going to deliberately act against Will, that aspect of our friendship wouldn't change.
  
  I doubted Agatha would be very displeased either. I was confident that our relationship had developed to be more than just business partners at this point. We were friends, even if she didn't like showing it. And I knew her plans were more flexible than what she first told me. Plus, I was still more than willing to help her with any other matters that she needed.
  
  I just needed to find some way to tell her.
  
  Finally, I put the thought out of my mind as I tried to get some shut eye. I needed all the rest I could get for Sinnoh; it was going to be an adventure!
  
  A.N. This was a heavy conversation chapter, but I felt like it was finally time for John and Will to actually speak to each other for once. I've tried to hint at Will's growth in the background, but now I felt it was time to make it explicit. I hope you've enjoyed it!
  
  AND THIS also marks the final chapter of the Progress Arc. The next chapter will be the start of the Sinnoh Arc!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 7-16 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 7-16 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  When she had received a call one afternoon that she was to be the tour guide for Elite John when he came to Sinnoh, to say that she was surprised was an understatement. Ever since Sinnoh had become aware of their foreign neighbours, Cynthia had instantly hopped off of her piano and had done everything she could to find out more about the greatest trainers from each region.
  
  She found many of them fascinating, and Elite John was one of the few that initially caught her eye. At first glance, the trainers that she was most impressed by from each region were Lance, John, and Wallace respectively.
  
  Lance, for his incredible strength that seemed to have no limit. John, for his underdog story and his achievements relative to his youth. And Wallace, for being able to mix in both spectacle and strength into one magnificent package.
  
  And now, she was given the incredible opportunity to finally spend time around one of them, as their designated tour guide no less.
  
  While some may consider this a daunting task, she bore this responsibility with eager anticipation. She spent weeks going through the necessary preparations, and now she was determined to make an impression on the visiting Elite Four member.
  
  He would not be disappointed with her strength.
  
  Her thoughts on her own strength was not some kind of arrogance borne out of pride, but from cold and logical fact. She KNEW how strong her team was, having spent her teenage years refining the best methods to train them into the powerhouses she knew they had become.
  
  And those strategies and training methods only continued to be refined as she grew older. Perfection might be an unattainable goal, but she was not someone who let the 'unattainable' stop her.
  
  When she had first begun to train up her Pokémon, many of her peers and teachers taught her that it was best to train up a single type and to specialize in it. At first, she could see the logic, realizing that training Pokémon all of a single type allowed you to master the type and pass down special moves and training throughout your entire team.
  
  Generalist teams, she was taught, could never work on a high-level, because a trainer simply could not master all those types at once while training all your Pokémon to a high level. It would take too much time, they said, and that the different requirements and demands of the individual Pokémon would clash and conflict.
  
  They were all wrong. And her team and their constant strings of victories were the proof.
  
  Then they labelled her a 'genius' for being able to do so. Claiming that what she did was something that only she could do because of her 'special talent'. It disgusted her that they would undermine her effort like that with a simple label, as if to brush aside all of the time and effort that she put in.
  
  They overlooked all that reading and studying that she did when she tried to figure out how to train up all these different types. They overlooked the copious piles of notes that she had scattered around her room as she scrambled to create a working training strategy. They overlooked all of the sleepless nights she spent brainstorming and planning out her team. And it was all to achieve one thing.
  
  To create a team that was the strongest that the world had ever seen. Only time would tell if she had succeeded.
  
  But she knew that she still had a long way to go. Despite all of her training, there was always going to be more that could be done, more improvements that could made. She had an impressive brain, but it was always best to learn from others.
  
  Champion Lance was the trainer she acknowledged had the strongest team in terms of raw strength, and she frequently studied his battles to see what how she could learn from his strength. While she disliked his focus on pure force, there was a beauty in its simplicity that she intended to build upon, just like she did with the many trainers that she studied up on.
  
  That was why she intended to make full use of the opportunity of being able to interact with Elite John, someone that the world recognized had incredible insight into the secrets behind Pokémon. She had great respect for John and his knowledge, and she would do her best to make all that knowledge hers.
  
  Just like every other great trainer before him.
  
  She realized that it was only a matter of time before she could not hold back her desire to ask John out for a battle - to test herself against him. Would his team of tested Elites be able to withstand the team that she had built up to defeat the many brilliant trainers that she had learnt from?
  
  Either way, it would be another learning moment, another chance to improve.
  
  And she knew that in the current political climate Sinnoh was in, she was going to need every ounce of strength she could muster.
  
  Sinnoh was in shambles. Its government was still reeling from the disastrous management of the traditionalists, and the resulting power vacuum from their removal only dropped Sinnoh into more chaos.
  
  It hurt her to see her beloved region be consumed in turmoil like this. To see its beauty marred by the political instabilities that it was currently facing, even though she had felt that the protests were justified. Just like most of the population, they felt that there needed to be a new leader in place.
  
  At first, she had no intentions of becoming that leader. But with the recent announcement of Champion Hayato stepping down from his position, leaving the position of Champion temporarily empty, her thoughts began to change as she suddenly realized the opportunity before her.
  
  She had spent an incredible amount of time studying the Sinnoh Elite Four, analysing their every strength and weakness. Looking through every one of their recent battles, seeing how they fought.
  
  And she could confidently say that she was a match for them.
  
  Then she ended up speaking to her long-term acquaintance and current Elite Four member Lucian, where he revealed to her that they were not about to elect a Champion from within their own ranks unless it was absolutely necessary.
  
  That made the puzzle pieces click together.
  
  She never imagined that this was where her life would lead, but Sinnoh NEEDED a leader. It needed someone to be able to guide them into a new era away from the stagnancy of the traditionalists. She couldn't be certain if that leader would be her, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.
  
  Whether this was her destiny or not, she was going to seize this chance with her own two hands. She was not afraid of the challenge. She was more afraid of losing out on the opportunity.
  
  But she wouldn't jump into this recklessly. Though she had won the Sinnoh Conference 2 years prior, her Pokémon and strategies could still be refined, and discussions must be had with the current leadership to ensure that she had a strong political backing and to help with a smooth transition. The last thing Sinnoh needed was a sudden Champion that no one supported.
  
  So, she was going to be patient. She would continue to grow her strength until it was time to finally prove herself on the big stage. And she was determined to win it all.
  
  Champion Cynthia. Now that sounded good to her.
  
  A.N. CYNTHIA IS HERE! This was a challenge to write. As you might be able to tell, Cynthia is one of my favourite characters in the series, and I really wanted to show that off here with this story. I really hope I have gotten the gist of her character correct; I would love to be able to do her character justice.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-1 - A New Horizon
  
  The rest of the boat ride continued peacefully, with me being able to successfully catch up on some much-needed sleep. When I woke up and saw that there was barely half an hour left until we arrived, I decided to just get changed and spend the rest of the ride idling around in bed.
  
  Soon enough, the signature blaring of the ship's horn signalled our arrival at Sinnoh, and I made my way onto the deck as I excitedly stared at the region of Sinnoh slowly getting closer to us. We were arriving late into the afternoon, close to early evening, and the backdrop of the slowly descending sun made for a magnificent view of the new region, giving it an almost fantastical and utopian feel.
  
  Eventually, I managed to peel my eyes away from the view and made sure that I was properly dressed up as befitting a member of the Elite Four and representative of Indigo. Then, I met up with Will again on the deck as we made our final approach into the docks at Canalave.
  
  "Exciting, isn't it?" Will said to me, "I cannot wait to see what kind of opportunities will be available to us."
  
  I simply nodded, not saying anything else as we got even closer to the docks, the faces of the members of the welcoming party soon becoming more and more visible, though they were still obscured by the distance between us.
  
  Moments later, the sound of the ship's horn blared again as it signalled our arrival into Sinnoh. The ramp of the ship descended onto the docks below, and Will and I carefully made our way down, followed on by a group of accompanying League Officials.
  
  As we descended, the purple haired man made his way to us, a friendly smile on his face. But there was no mistaking the scrutinizing intelligence in his eyes, nor the analytical looks he was giving us. He had a knowing smile that seemed permanently affixed to his face, as if he was able to predict your every move. I knew who this was.
  
  "Welcome to Sinnoh! I'm Lucian, of the Sinnoh Elite Four. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Will and John. Bertha has said many good things about you both." He carefully shook both of our hands.
  
  Will took point, "It's certainly a pleasure to be here, Lucian. I cannot wait to see the many wonders of Sinnoh as we spend time here! I'm sure your region has plenty to offer." He praised.
  
  Lucian let out a chuckle, "Ah, I can only hope we can meet your high expectations. And I hope you've both rested well on your way here."
  
  "We have." I nodded.
  
  "That's good. Though I do want to apologize on behalf of the other members of the Elite Four for not being here today." Lucian said, "Unfortunately, due to the current...instabilities plaguing our region and the Committee, we've had to take a more active role in ensuring the continued functioning of the Sinnoh League. I'm sure that both Flint and Aaron will have time to greet you later."
  
  "That's not a problem, I can understand." I replied easily, with Will nodding along in agreement, "Still, if you don't mind, would you care to exchange contact details? Just in case we need to reach each other."
  
  "Certainly. I was just about to ask that too." Lucian agreed, taking out his phone as we exchanged details. As we did so, the other League officials on both regions finally decided to approach each other now that the pleasantries were over with.
  
  With that out of the way, Lucian suddenly snapped his fingers, "Oh, pardon me. I've been hogging you both all to myself." He chuckled apologetically, "I think I should allow this young lady who's been waiting patiently all this time to introduce herself to you."
  
  "Thank you, Elite Lucian." My eyes turned before I froze on the spot as I took in the newcomer's appearance, her blonde hair swaying slightly in the wind. Her posture was straight and confident, with a slight smile on her face that was both friendly, yet not overly deferential. There was also a hidden strength in the way that she walked, and the way her eyes met mine.
  
  So taken aback I was at her appearance that I missed her introduction, though I hardly needed to hear it. There was no way I could have mistaken who she was.
  
  "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cynthia. I'm John. Thank you for agreeing to be my tour guide." I said, shaking out of my stupor as we shook hands. "Your grandmother has been most welcoming with me. And she's an excellent chef."
  
  Her smile grew an inch wider, "I'll be sure to pass on your words to her." Then she turned to Lucian, "Now, do you need us to stay here for any longer? Or may I bring my new guest back to Celestic Town?"
  
  "No, feel free to go ahead." Lucian shook his head, before his eyes met mine. "John, it really was a pleasure to meet you. If I have some free time, I'll love to be able to speak to you further."
  
  "Likewise. And please treat Will well!" I joked back.
  
  "You don't have to worry about that, John!" Will responded cheerfully, "I'm sure as fellow Psychic specialists we'll have plenty to talk about."
  
  "Indeed. And I'm sure those discussions will be very fruitful." Lucian agreed, nodding his head, "But we still have more introductions to go through. There are many businessmen who would like to meet you..." And the two of them trailed off as they slowly walked away, deep into their discussions of business.
  
  Cynthia stared at them for a moment before shaking her head. "Well, now that they're gone...do you need to collect any more of your luggage, John? Or can we make our way to Celestic Town straight away?"
  
  "I got everything right here." I replied, tapping at the luggage behind me.
  
  "Great, then take this and let's go." She handed me a Flying License that already had my name on it before she threw out a Pokéball and released her Togekiss. I couldn't help but pause and admire her Pokémon for a bit - her Togekiss' eyes were shining with experience and alertness. As close as I was, I saw the concealed layer of muscles that were just hidden under its wings, highlighting just how much that this Togekiss had been training over the years.
  
  This was not just a transport Pokémon, but one made for taking hits and dealing out damage. And I couldn't help but wonder how well Zephyr would match up against her Togekiss.
  
  "Hey! You can admire my Pokémon later! We have places to be!" Cynthia shouted out from on top of Togekiss, amusement lining her voice. I shot her a wry grin as I released Port as well, before the two of us took to the skies as we made our way to Celestic Town.
  
  During our flight there, Cynthia considerately stayed silent as she simply allowed me to admire the view of Sinnoh from up high. I knew enough about it from my meta-knowledge, but like I mentioned on the boat ride here, seeing it for yourself was definitely a completely different experience.
  
  I recognized the modern skyscrapers of Jubilife City, the mountainous and construction-filled area of Orebough City, and in the distance, I could just barely make out the snow-covered mountains of Snowpoint City. As we flew, the sights only expanded, allowing me a magnificent view over the forests of Eterna, the ruins of Solaceon, and the beautiful parks of Hearthome City.
  
  Sure, Indigo and Hoenn were equally as beautiful too, but there was this sense of novelty in Sinnoh that made the views all the more special. I'm sure it would wear off given time, but for now, I was content to just idly enjoy the new environment I found myself in as I allowed time to simply fly by.
  
  Despite all of the political turmoil that was reported to be taking place throughout Sinnoh, I couldn't see any of that this high up. All I could see was the beauty of a new region.
  
  I don't even know how much time passed, but a sharp whistle from Cynthia brought me back to reality.
  
  "We're here!" She shouted out from her Togekiss, and I looked down to see the historical ruins and buildings of Celestic Town appearing below us. Almost immediately, I could feel the culture just radiating out of the area, as if history itself had seeped into the very roots of the city.
  
  If this was where I was going to be spending my time in Sinnoh, then I was going to be a very happy man.
  
  "Let's land over there." Cynthia called out as she pointed towards the large laboratory sitting in the middle of a forest of trees. I simply nodded and followed after her.
  
  We landed just outside the entrance to the lab, and we both disembarked from our rides. Cynthia took a moment to comb her hair while I spent some time just looking around the area.
  
  "This is all very impressive." I commented as I looked around, "And are those the ruins over there?" I pointed to an opening in the mountain that looked like it was connected to a cave.
  
  "That's just one of them." Cynthia replied, "I'm not sure if my grandmother told you this, but we have authority over plenty of the surrounding ruins and caves here. Even the ones that go all the way up to Snowpoint. Those ones are fairly new, and there's plenty that we haven't even explored yet."
  
  I nodded excitedly, "That's interesting! I would love to be given the opportunity to explore them."
  
  "We can go today, if you'd like." Cynthia chuckled, "Though you'd probably want to settle down first and get yourself comfortable. Let's exchange numbers so we can meet up after you're ready. I have lots to show you."
  
  I agreed, and Cynthia made a call for an assistant to show me to my room, where I'd be staying during my time in Sinnoh. They escorted me to a faraway wing of the labs, where their residential area was. As I was escorted over there, I couldn't help but mentally compare their lab to the one I saw in Devon Corp.
  
  And I was happy to say that it came up favourably.
  
  Whoever had constructed this facility obviously made sure that the building reached their very high standards. Despite Celestic Town being in a relatively rural location, everything in the lab that I saw was modern and clean. This was certainly no backwards countryside construction, but rather a high-tech and modern building that was the pride of the city.
  
  That must explain why Professor Carolina was allowed to head to Sinnoh alongside their initial delegation. If she was the head of such a prestigious facility, then her influence must have been equally as significant.
  
  I was given some time to settle into my new room and I was surprised with what I found. Instead of some small room with simple furnishings, as was what I had expected, I found myself in a decently sized suite with a pleasant number of hand-crafted furnishings with some tasteful décor scattered around.
  
  Someone had clearly put in the time and effort to make sure that I would be satisfied with my accommodations.
  
  I was pretty sure I knew who it was.
  
  Still, I had no intention of idling about now that I was here, and I quickly returned to Cynthia - who seemed very eager to give me a proper tour of the place and get things started. She greeted me with an excited smile on her face.
  
  "Come, let me show you around before we get to the ruins." She said before she speed-walked ahead, forcing me to catch up to her.
  
  She gave me a quick tour of the town itself. Admittedly, there wasn't much there. The lab and the caves were the biggest highlight of the town. Still, there was at least a Pokéshop and a Pokécenter, as well as a few other stores that you could purchase things from.
  
  The whole place definitely gave off a 'rural' vibe, but that wasn't a bad thing. Celestic Town actually felt really relaxing, and it had just enough amenities to be comfortable. In a way, it reminded me of Pallet Town. But with far more culture and history ingrained into the city.
  
  Unfortunately, Cynthia told me that the wild Pokémon variety around here wasn't that great when I asked. Though that was offset by the fact that there were many rare Pokémon that could often be found in the depths of the cave.
  
  With the tour of the town done, she finally brought me over to where the entrance to the cave was. As we walked over, I could see that there were a few archaeologists that were chatting around the entrance as they chowed down on their lunch.
  
  The moment Cynthia approached, the many archaeologists all turned and greeted her with a friendly wave, which she eagerly returned. She seemed to know all their names and made quick but friendly conversation with them as she continued to lead the way.
  
  I guess I shouldn't be surprised by Cynthia's popularity here.
  
  "Hey, Cynthia! Come check out this new batch of fossils that we collected up." One of the archaeologists shouted out to her, waving her over with a hand. Cynthia raised a curious eyebrow and quickly came over to see what the fuss was about. I followed after her.
  
  "Woah! Good find!" She praised as her eyes scanned over the small pile of fossils that the archaeologists had collected. I nodded in agreement; I could recognize that there were a good combination of Armor and Skull fossils.
  
  "Yeah. Got lucky with one of those branching paths. Found them in a wall somewhere since I saw a little piece of those fossils sticking out." The archaeologist nodded happily, before turning to me with a curious expression, "And who's this? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
  
  "I'm John, of the Indigo Elite Four." I introduced myself, causing many of the archaeologists nearby who could overhear our conversation all turn to me with surprised expressions on their face, "Cynthia's here been introducing me around. It's very nice to meet such hard-working folks."
  
  "Um, thanks, Elite John. Just got lucky, that's all." The man rubbed his head embarrassedly as he looked away, visibly embarrassed and a little starstruck, "Uh, I won't disturb you both anymore...good luck with, uh, whatever you're doing."
  
  Cynthia and I both chuckled at his embarrassment, but not wanting to poke fun at him, we both decided to move on to where Cynthia had intended to bring me in the first place. Without a shred of hesitation, she casually stepped through the entrance to the cave without a Pokémon by her side.
  
  She must have caught my concerned look because she only laughed, "Don't worry. The immediate entrance to the cave is extremely safe." She explained, "We have extensive safety measures to ensure that we don't accidentally let wild Pokémon loose. There's no danger to be found here."
  
  I nodded, and she continued, "The same can't be said if you venture any deeper though. The general rule of thumb is that the deeper you go, the stronger the Pokémon get. But I'm sure that isn't a problem for you."
  
  "Or you." I pointed out. "You don't seem like someone who's going to settle for having 'average' Pokémon. You appear too confident for that."
  
  She smirked, "Oh? Is that a hint of challenge that I heard? Are you asking me for a battle?" Her voice was teasing, but there was a look in her eye that told me that she was being entirely serious. She really intended to prove her strength against me.
  
  I didn't back down, smirking back at her, "You don't have to act coy. I can see the challenging look in your eyes."
  
  She laughed, "You caught me. I was never good at holding myself back. But yes, I'd love to battle you one day. But not now, we still have a tour to finish."
  
  I nodded, following after her. I looked around the entrance to the caves and saw that, indeed, it was very safe. There were plenty of scientists, miners, and other archaeologists either working hard or simply lazing about.
  
  Just ahead of them, I could just make out a strong perimeter of Psychics, Fighting, and Ground types that blocked off the only entrance into this part of the cave system. There were a strong mix of Gastrodon, Toxicroak, and I even saw a Gallade or two. That was a very impressive lineup.
  
  Clearly, Cynthia's words were not just idle boasts. It was a very solid perimeter.
  
  "Any chance I could catch something from Sinnoh? Or from these caves?" I spoke up idly as I stared intently at Gastrodon and Toxicroak. Now that I was actually IN Sinnoh, the urge to expand my team with new Pokémon was getting ever stronger.
  
  "Sure, I'm not going to stop you." Cynthia shrugged, "Feel free to catch whatever you like. Even if you find anything rare in those caves if you do go exploring. We might have to inspect any rare captures, but otherwise as long as you don't catch too many of them then we're okay with it."
  
  "And I assume those ruins are deeper in there?" I asked, pointing to where the cave started spiralling downwards from beyond the perimeter.
  
  Cynthia nodded, "Yes. I'm not sure why most of the ruins can only be found so deep, but that's where they are. We've mostly explored all the ones closer to the surface, but we're sure that there are still many we haven't found located deeper down or in one of the newer tunnels. Those are the ones that travel under Snowpoint, and we've recently acquired access to them."
  
  "What are these ruins about anyways? What's in them?" I asked curiously.
  
  "Mostly remnants of a lost or fallen civilisation. We strongly hypothesize that they are the remains of what used to be old Sinnoh." She explained, confirming what I had assumed was the case. "I won't go into the details of that right now, but our explorers are still finding out more every day. Maybe one day we'll have a clearer picture on what we've found here."
  
  "Speaking of which, I just realized I haven't actually explained to you how we're going to do this 'exploring' thing." She chuckled, but then took on a slightly apologetic tone. "Unfortunately, while we do not doubt your strength, there is a very real risk of you getting lost in these cave systems. While we know you could easily brute force your way back to the surface, doing so would risk destroying some precious ruins as collateral damage. And none of us want that."
  
  I nodded, agreeing with her words. She continued, "As a result, you'll have to be accompanied by a trained explorer to make sure that you don't get lost."
  
  "I'm assuming that explorer is you?" I cut in, giving her an amused look.
  
  "Who else would it be?" She laughed, and it was a beautiful sound, "Grandmother told me to look after you, and I certainly won't be pawning off this job on someone else."
  
  "Well you could if you were busy-" I began to say, but she interrupted me.
  
  "No. Firstly, this is MY responsibility. I'm not about to pawn it off to someone else. Secondly, why in Arceus would I give up such an opportunity? Do you know how lucky I got to be able to spend time around an Elite trainer?" She asked rhetorically, "I intend to learn every single thing about you. I've seen your battles - I would love to be able to learn more about how you trained up your Pokémon so well. Not just that, but your political ambitions, your ideas, everything."
  
  "Well, let none say that you aren't ambitious." I chuckled, "And what's to say I'll be sharing all those secrets?"
  
  "With all the time we're going to be spending around each other, I'm sure I'll pick up a thing or two." She shot back with a grin. "And I'm sure you'll learn plenty about me as well. Let's call it...a mutual exchange of knowledge."
  
  My laugh grew, "We'll see about that."
  
  Her honest ambition amused me greatly, and I ended up hanging around the entrance to the cave for a little longer. Our conversation always remained casual, but she was doing a great job at easing me into this new region.
  
  Eventually, we both realized that we had probably talked for long enough, and I was feeling especially tired from my boat ride, so I retired for the day whereas she headed back to the training field. I blinked at that; she was still training when it was already night?
  
  But I didn't think much of that as I retired to my room to rest up. We would be meeting up again tomorrow for our first exploration of the caves together.
  
  As I headed back to my room, all I could think about was how excited I was about finally having the opportunity to explore around Sinnoh that I nearly forgot to text my friends and family that I had arrived safely in Sinnoh. With that done, I laid down in my bed with my head filled with thoughts about all the things I could do now that I was actually in Sinnoh.
  
  But more than that, I thanked Arceus that I had such an interesting exploration partner. Cynthia was definitely fun to be around.
  
  A.N. This marks the start of the "Sinnoh" Arc. No prizes for guessing what this arc is going to be about.
  
  And while Cynthia and John's interactions are hard to write, I hope you're pleased with what I've come up with. Cynthia is going to be a very important character for this arc, as you might have expected, so I wanted to ensure I got the foundations of her interactions with John correct.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-2 - Explorers of Ruins
  
  Despite having just travelled to a whole new region, I woke up bright and early the next morning - I was too excited about going cave delving that it forced me awake.
  
  I quickly made my way to the canteen where I got some breakfast, where I got some curious and interested stares from the other people that were sitting around the canteen, but it looks like none of them had the courage to approach me.
  
  My status as an Elite Four might have been frightening them away. Oh well, they should hopefully warm up to me, given time.
  
  As I sat down to munch through my breakfast, I idly listened to what the news was reporting on the small television screen setup in the corners of the dining hall.
  
  "...And taking a break from the news of the protests, just yesterday found our region of Sinnoh welcoming a few wonderful guests from Indigo, with them having sent two of their Elite Four, John and Will! They both will be spending some time here engaging in our culture, so we hope that they really do get to enjoy themselves here."
  
  "This is in line with the recent radical shift in public policy from within the Sinnoh League. With the recent abdication now ex-Champion Hayato and the collapse of the so-called 'traditionalist' faction, Sinnoh has been seeing a rise in internationalism and interest with other foreign regions. Maybe this visit from Indigo will be the first step into Sinnoh truly becoming a part of a wider international community? With Hoenn making similar statements about sending their own delegation soon, this is really starting to become a reality for Sinnoh!"
  
  Huh. I didn't even know Champion Hayato had stepped down already. While that wasn't too much of a surprise, it was still a troubling thing to see. Especially with that reminder that the protests were still ongoing.
  
  I was too busy seeing the beauty and excitement of Sinnoh that I had almost forgotten that it was currently going through some very tumultuous times, and that not everything was simply sunshine and roses.
  
  I sent a text to Will to ask him how things were going, though he probably wasn't awake at this hour. Even though I wanted to just spend all my time here exploring, I probably had to schedule in some PR tours somewhere and actually do my job as a representative of Indigo.
  
  In the meanwhile, the news report only caused more stares to turn my way, as if some of them had finally realized WHY it was such a big deal that I was here. I hoped these people wouldn't put me on a pedestal; I much preferred to chat with them as equals.
  
  Just then, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around and was greeted with Cynthia's smiling face.
  
  Unlike yesterday, where she donned her signature black coat, this time she was wearing something far more suitable for underground exploration with her casual sportswear with long sleeves that exposed little skin. I was close enough that I could smell the pleasant aroma wafting off her hair.
  
  "You ready?" She asked, grinning excitedly while carrying a backpack full of supplies. And I let out a slight chuckle as I realized she was a morning person.
  
  "On my way." I replied, just as eagerly. I put away my food and rushed after her, making our way back into the caves. This time we were going beyond the safety of the entrance.
  
  Oddly enough, as we got there, I saw a Chatot and a Wigglytuff munching happily on an Apple just outside the entrance. Weird.
  
  "This time, I brought extra spelunking supplies since I knew you probably didn't have enough time to pack." Cynthia explained as we walked, "However, next time, we'll both be expected to bring our own. Just in case one of us misplaces ours or forgets something."
  
  I nodded, making a note of it in my head. As excited as I was about cave exploration, I realized that this was a serious and potentially dangerous activity with its own shared of risks. It wouldn't do to take it lightly.
  
  Surprisingly, a few people even waved at me when we got there. They must have recognized me from yesterday. I made sure to wave back before we started to head deeper into the cave, where we were met with the guarded perimeter of Pokémon and their trainers, all of whom were wearing the recognizable outfit of an Ace trainer.
  
  "Cynthia. And Elite John. Good luck today." One of the Ace trainers greeted, who was probably the leader of the group.
  
  "Thanks, Charlie. See you later." Cynthia replied as we crossed the perimeter line. As soon as we did though, Cynthia retrieved a Pokéball off of her belt and thew it, releasing her Pokémon.
  
  A Lucario emerged silently from the Pokéball. Its eyes quickly scanned its surroundings before they locked onto mine, staring deeply into my eyes with an analysing and judging stare. A lesser trainer would have been intimidated, but I met his stares with one of my own as I inspected its form in return.
  
  I inwardly scoffed as I took in Lucario's form. I had no idea how Cynthia could fool anyone that she was 'just' an above average trainer.
  
  This was no ordinary Lucario. There was no way it was anything less than an Elite level Pokémon. It was doing its best to conceal its presence, but it couldn't disguise the confidence and power that threatened to leak out of it - only held back by its substantial training and discipline.
  
  I wouldn't have been surprised if Bruno threw out this Lucario on his team.
  
  Lucario continued staring at me, and we locked ourselves into a short staring match until it eventually looked away, nodding at whatever it saw in me.
  
  "Sorry about Lucario, he likes to do that with newcomers. He's very protective of me." Cynthia said as the staring match ended, patting Lucario on the shoulder.
  
  "Oh, I get that a lot from my team too. Except they normally try to hug me to death." I responded as I released a Pokémon of my own. Following in her footsteps, I decided not to release something too large, so I simply released one of my most well-rounded Pokémon for general day-to-day use. Klee!
  
  My Blissey came tumbling out of her ball and immediately wrapped me in a hug, just like I thought she would. I gave Cynthia a look that said 'told you so', and she gave me an amused huff.
  
  With our Pokémon out and our safety now assured, we started to descend deeper into the caves. Admittedly, after barely a few minutes into our dungeon delving, I realized that I had seriously underestimated how treacherous heading downwards in a cave like this was.
  
  The terrain was rocky and uneven, and sometimes there were even loose rocks that crumbled as you stepped on them that could cause you to slip. The decreased light levels only made things worse, since it was harder to see where you were going and made you far more prone to accidents. Plus, there was the ever-present threat of having a rock fall from the ceiling and smashing into the back of your head.
  
  And we were still close to the surface, with all of the nearby walls still lit up with torches! It was only going to get harder from here.
  
  In comparison, Cynthia was moving her way downwards like it was nothing. The difference in experience really showed, as she was often forced to wait up for me to catch up. I frowned at the realization that I was slowing her down.
  
  "Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it soon." She said, as if she had read my mind. "I've gone down here more times than I can count, so of course I'm used to it."
  
  "I feel like we would be moving faster if I just had my Pokémon carry me down." I replied dryly.
  
  "Well, you could, but could you withstand the embarrassment?" She shot back, and I stayed quiet.
  
  Though true to her words, I slowly grew more used to traversing the terrain. It helped a lot that I was fully confident in Klee's ability to bail me out if anything happened to me. Furthermore, the wild Pokémon that loitered around here were still too weak to threaten us, and were easily deterred away by the presence of Klee and Lucario.
  
  "How are we going to get back up though?" I asked, realizing I probably should have asked this earlier.
  
  "We're not going very deep, so we have a pre-established path back up." She explained, "But if you're going deeper down into unexplored territory...then you're going to have to find your own way back up yourself. I suggest some rope or some good Pokémon to levitate you."
  
  I nodded in understanding.
  
  As we continued to move downwards, I realized that we had begun to leave the more well-lit areas of the cave and were now beginning to enter into relatively unexplored or infrequently explored territory.
  
  A minute or two later, Cynthia spoke up, "We'll be hanging around this area for now." She said as rummaged through her backpack before bringing out a huge flashlight, "It's just deep enough that it'll give you a good idea of what to expect as you head down deeper. It's only going to get darker and more hostile from here."
  
  "You come down this deep often?" I asked, looking around and trying to get a sense of my surroundings. All around me I could hear the sounds of different Pokémon echoing throughout the caves. It was starting to become a little unsettling. Though Klee looked completely at peace; she still had that goofy smile on her face.
  
  "Of course." She nodded, "I did most of my training here. And it's also where I caught my Spiritomb. Well, not here exactly, but in these caves."
  
  "Wow. That's amazing." I remarked, "So the Pokémon here are THAT strong? And rare?"
  
  "For you? No to the first question. Half-half to the second question." She responded, "The Pokémon here will certainly be a match for your average trainer. In fact, it's probably not very safe for them to come down this deep without supervision. But for your average Ace trainer, it's not too big of a challenge."
  
  "Though occasionally you WILL get Pokémon that are significantly tougher than the others in the area. Those you actually do have to watch out for." Then she looked at Klee and reconsidered her words, "Then again...with your strength? I don't think you have to worry about anything."
  
  "Thank you, though I'd like to point out that you're completely at ease too." I said, gesturing to her Lucario, "And don't think I can't tell when a Pokémon is at the Elite level. I know for a fact that your Lucario is very well-trained. I faced off against Bruno, so I know what a strong Fighting type looks like."
  
  She shrugged, "I'm wasn't trying that hard to hide it. Though I won't deny it's nice to have my strength acknowledged." She grinned, "Though if you're impressed with my Lucario, then I have a few other Pokémon on my team to show you. Maybe in a fight?"
  
  "You're really itching for that battle, aren't you?" I chuckled amusedly, but I was being infected by her enthusiasm. "Tell you what, after seeing your Lucario, I can't deny that I'm interested. As soon as we have a good time for it, we'll do it. We'll even invite some reporters to make it a whole thing."
  
  "Waving the flag for Indigo?" She asked rhetorically, "Fine, but don't feel bad if Sinnoh wins." She said challengingly, her Lucario straightening as if to support his trainer.
  
  "Yeah, sure, whatever you say-" I was cut off by the sound of a Pokémon's roar echoing through the caverns. Realizing that we had simply been standing around talking, we quickly fell silent as our eyes darted around, trying to spot what was happening. Klee instantly put herself in front of me protectively, partially shielding me with her body.
  
  "That sounded like a Hippowdon." Cynthia whispered to me, "Probably another scuffle between wild Pokémon."
  
  "Should we do something about it?" I whispered back.
  
  She shook her head, "No, and we're going the other way anyways. Follow me. There are some ruins this way."
  
  We moved on silently, trying our best not to alert any of the nearby wild Pokémon. While we were more than strong enough to take on any threat, Cynthia explained that any kind of fight risked causing collateral damage. While there wasn't anything important around here, it was better safe than sorry.
  
  As a general rule, it was highly recommended that you don't pick fights when in caves. Stray attacks could easily attract far more wild Pokémon to suddenly target you down, or could easily cause a cave-in. Therefore, avoiding battles was far more preferred.
  
  We continued trekking on until we entered into a slight opening into the caves, revealing a large ruin that looks like it was once a large tower that had now collapsed. I could see a few torches hanging on the walls, showing that people had been here before. I had to pause to take in and admire the view. Despite the dark lighting, seeing the remnants of this tower sparked the inner sense of adventure within me, and I smiled unconsciously at the sight.
  
  But more noticeably, the fallen tower was overrun with wild Pokémon, many of whom had likely built their homes in these ruins. There were even a few rare Pokémon here, as I could see a few Duskull and Dusclops roaming around alongside one or two Gligars.
  
  "This is what we call the Fallen Tower Ruin." Cynthia explained as I turned back to her, "While it may not look very impressive at first glance, it was still a very important find for the Celestic Town Research Centre. As you may have been able to tell, this was the first significant ruin that we managed to find."
  
  "But more importantly than that, its where we first started on the theory of the 'Civilisation of Hisui - a civilisation that had once lived and thrived here until it collapsed and disappeared many years ago. We believe that these ruins are simply remnants of that once great civilisation." She continued, "That discovery put us on the map for many big research groups, and we finally got the prestige and funding that we needed to keep expanding. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this find was what allowed us to grow into the size and influence that we have today."
  
  "That's incredible!" I exclaimed, "I guess this is a very important place for you all."
  
  "Yes, and this is why we take the rookies here." She nodded, "Gets them used to travelling and exploring the underground. Though usually coming down this deep with a rookie takes multiple trips instead of doing it one go like we did. But I had the feeling you could handle it."
  
  After that she told me that I was free to look around if I wanted to. Eagerly taking her up on the offer, I started circling around the ruins, keeping a safe distance as to not accidentally provoke any of the wild Pokémon. Klee, who was following behind me, was doing the same to minimize her presence.
  
  As I got closer, I realized that the tower was actually far bigger than I thought it was. And there was a full community of wild Pokémon living around here. A part of me wanted to move even closer to the tower itself so I could have a look at the insides, but I ultimately decided against it as I didn't want to disturb the wild Pokémon.
  
  A fight breaking out right now would be very bad from a collateral damage perspective.
  
  Still, just being able to get a look at the ruins was able to temporarily satisfy my inner sense of adventurism. But I knew that I would soon be craving for more; Cynthia had reawakened my inner sense for adventure and exploration.
  
  Even now, I was tempted to ask Cynthia if we could head even deeper, to see even more of what was hidden beneath the earth. And to see if there were any rarer Pokémon to find. I mean, we were supposedly still 'relatively close' to the surface, and we had already managed to find Gligar and Dusclops, both Pokémon you would be hard pressed to find overground.
  
  But I knew it was starting to get late; we had wasted enough time with my slow descent down here.
  
  I returned to where Cynthia was idling about, mumbling something to Lucario that I barely failed to make out. She perked up as soon as she saw me return.
  
  "Enjoy yourself?" She asked.
  
  "Yes, thank you for the opportunity." I replied with a nod, "Gotta say, I'm very excited for what's come next if this was merely the appetizer. What other things could we find down there?"
  
  "That's the real question everyone here is trying to answer, isn't it?" She chuckled, "But I'm glad you've taken this so well. I was a little worried that you might not enjoy spelunking."
  
  "Are you kidding me? I haven't gone on a proper adventure in a while! This is everything I was hoping for!" I exclaimed honestly, "I can't wait for the day that we find something that you haven't discovered yet. I really hope we can unearth a new discovery or two. Hopefully even a new Pokémon!"
  
  "Hmm...I hope so too." She nodded, "We haven't found anything super significant in some time, but I hope that our luck changes soon."
  
  She tapped her chin, "OH, and I never told you how I found Spiritomb didn't I?" I shook my head. "Well, it was actually haunting around in a different ruin. It was full of Ghost Pokémon, and I was carefully using it as a training area until I accidentally stumbled on Spiritomb's keystone."
  
  "Of course, I didn't know what it was at the time. Only that it was moving and shaking around when it really shouldn't be. It gave me quite the fright when Spiritomb's mass of ghosts suddenly burst out from within." She smiled nostalgically, "Still, I managed to capture it and persuade it to be a member of my team. It took a while, especially since I didn't know how to properly manage and wrangle Ghost types at the time, but eventually Spiritomb learned to recognize me as its trainer - and I helped train it to be as powerful as it is now."
  
  "My friend, Karen, has a Spiritomb too." I pointed out, "It's incredibly powerful, and until recently because of Fairy types, it had no known weaknesses."
  
  "Ah yes, I know about her." She nodded, "Fantastic match against Sidney, by the way. You can congratulate her on my behalf. She's another trainer I'd like to battle, though I know distances makes that very unlikely."
  
  Her eyes flashed challengingly. "Actually, both her and her guardian, Agatha, are both trainers I'd love to be able to learn from. They have such unique ways of fighting that I really want to be able to incorporate into my own style."
  
  Her voice grew more excited as she spoke, and the passion in her voice was unmistakable. I could feel the naked ambition radiating out of her. But it was the good kind of ambition, the kind that forced you to be better. To be the best version of you.
  
  Cynthia had the same goals that many others did - to become the best trainer ever.
  
  However, unlike many others, I could tell that she was very much the sort of person that would back up her statements with actions. Not just that, but she had the intelligence and drive to achieve it. Even from the short while that I knew her, I had no doubt that she had used her brilliant intelligence and work ethic to help sculpt her team to be as powerful as they are today.
  
  Furthermore, it was hard to miss the analysing glances that she gave me and Klee every once in a while. Like a sponge, she was trying to absorb and learn every little bit that she could.
  
  "Anyways, if you're up for it, we can start heading down even deeper starting tomorrow. If you're comfortable with it, I could even hang back a little to let you have a chance of exploring slightly independently." She continued, breaking me from my thoughts. "Would you be happy to do that?"
  
  "Absolutely." I replied immediately, "I'd love to get a better hang of this."
  
  With that over, we left the ruins, beginning the trek back to the surface. I immediately realized that it was MUCH harder going back up. Going down you risked tripping and falling, but going up you risked the same AND you had to fight against gravity.
  
  Luckily, there was a pre-built path that led back to the surface that we could easily follow. Otherwise, I might have to rely on Klee to levitate me out of the cave, which would be a little embarrassing. I learned that I was a lot less proficient at rock climbing than I had expected.
  
  "Like I said before, you'll get used to doing this kind of thing with enough time." She said, reading my thoughts once again, "It took me some time to get used to it too, but once you do, it's actually quite relaxing."
  
  I was doubtful, but I didn't gainsay her, instead taking the time to recover my breath. Klee patted me on the back encouragingly.
  
  "Word of warning though, this is the easy section." She continued, "The new ruins and caves that travel under Snowpoint are really dangerous. Not only are they freezing cold, but they're slippery and treacherous and filled to the brim with powerful Pokémon. I'd advise not going in there by yourself without someone to accompany you." I nodded, before making my way out of the caves with Cynthia.
  
  And then suddenly I was met with an onslaught of flashes from cameras, a horde of reporters blocking off the entrance as they rushed to take my picture.
  
  I was very glad that I had taken the time to steady myself before coming out; I would not have looked very flattering on the news if I had been caught while still huffing and puffing for air.
  
  "ELITE JOHN! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SINNOH! HOW HAS YOUR FIRST DAY BEEN!?" One reporter shouted out, trying to make their voice heard over the shouts and cries of the others.
  
  "JOHN! HOW DOES SINNOH COMPARE TO YOUR REGION OF INDIGO?! HOW MUCH BETTER IS SINNOH?!" Another reporter asked snidely.
  
  "ELITE JOHN! WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT POLITICAL STATUS OF SINNOH!? ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGE OF REGIME!?" One more person asked loudly.
  
  I let out an inward sigh, meeting Cynthia's apologetic eyes with a helpless look of my own. We both knew that something like this would be happening, though I doubt either expected to be ambushed like this.
  
  A small smile broke out on both of our faces at our shared commiseration.
  
  Regardless, I didn't let my tiredness and impatience show on my face as I stepped up to face the wall of reporters.
  
  This was going to take a while. And all I wanted to do was get some dinner and sleep.
  
  A.N. Time for some dungeon diving! Kinda. At John and Cynthia's level of strength...they aren't going to be in that much danger. It's more of a fun side adventure for them than something meant to be tense and scary. Which I hoped I nailed right in the chapter.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Big thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-2 - Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 8-2 - Interlude - Lorelei
  
  Despite the absence of two members of the Elite Four, the atmosphere in the Indigo Committee wasn't much different. There was still the usual bickering and arguments made by people who thought themselves to be overly important, while their Champion tried his best not to shut them up with his Dragonite.
  
  She could relate. No wonder her uncle became like that if THIS was what he had to deal with every day.
  
  At least the current roster of Committee members were a little less sycophantic than what they were during her uncle's times; it made their arguments and discussions a little easier to listen to.
  
  It was still very painful though.
  
  Eventually, after Arceus knows how long, the Committee meeting was finally over, with nothing of importance being decided, as usual. As was almost routine at this point, she subtly elbowed Agatha in the side to wake her up.
  
  "Hmrrghh...!" Agatha yawned loudly as she stretched, her bones creaking and cracking as she did so. She got a few hostiles looks at her blatant display of boredom, but Lorelei knew that Agatha never cared about that. She wished she could be so thick-skinned sometimes.
  
  As soon as Agatha had finished stretching, Lorelei extended a hand so she could pull Agatha out of her seat, and she smiled at the nod that Agatha gave her as she took her hand. Agatha might try to put on a strong face, but her declining health was an open secret.
  
  Anyone with any sense of awareness could see it. Already, there were some that were whispering about how Agatha was getting weaker and that she might not stay in the Elite Four for much longer. When Lorelei heard that, she let out a snort. Aging old lady or not, even LANCE stepped carefully around Agatha.
  
  If someone challenged Agatha on the assumption that she was weak, then they would be going to be very disappointed. And screwed.
  
  Regardless, she pulled Agatha to her feet, and casually lent her a shoulder to lean on. Subtly supporting Agatha, they moved to Lance's office, where she hoped he would be receptive to her plans. Unfortunately, John had gone over to Sinnoh, but she trusted that he would honour his words and support her when the time came.
  
  They arrived at Lance's office where they entered without knocking on the door. It was a small thing, but it showed that Lance trusted and was willing to spend time to listen to them.
  
  "So...what's up with you two?" Lance asked, looking a bit tired himself. Probably from the all the meetings and paperwork.
  
  "Lance, I have a proposal I would like to share with you." She spoke up, getting a nod from Agatha.
  
  "Oh, about time we heard something from you." Lance commented, leaning back on his chair, "Go on, I'm all ears."
  
  "I've brought this up to John, and he's in agreement on this. Same with Agatha." She began, with Agatha grinning widely behind her in support, "But I would like to create an organisation that is specifically created to target financial crime in Indigo."
  
  Honestly, she had wanted to propose this earlier, but she delayed it because of all the developments in Sinnoh and because she wanted to shore up more support. With Agatha now onboard as well, she knew she would find it much easier to pass.
  
  She had wanted to ask Will about it too, but she knew Will would have a high asking price. So she figured that she probably had good enough odds already without having to overcommit to getting Will's support as well.
  
  "A division to target financial crimes...?" Lance muttered to himself, "That is...an interesting idea. And rather in-line with the idea of the International Police. Tell me, what would this new organisation do, in your mind?"
  
  She was ready for this question, "I'd consider it a branch to the current Indigo Police, but mostly dealing with high profile and financial crimes. They'd have a team of experts that are incredibly specialized in this kind of thing, so they can work with great efficiency to uncover any attempts to earn illegitimate funds."
  
  "Or at least, they'll certainly try!" Agatha crowed from behind her, "Corruption will always exist, as a Blackthorn should know, but it's better than nothing!"
  
  Lance smiled through the insult, "It certainly wouldn't be a very popular idea, but I can see that your heart is very set on this." He tapped his finger on the table for a few seconds as he pondered her proposal.
  
  He spoke up after a moment, "Truthfully speaking, I'm a little wary about expanding the remit of the Indigo Police any further." She frowned, but he continued, "But I can see the merits of your proposal. I think having such an organisation would be great for the future of Indigo and would help keep the larger businesses of Indigo on their toes. Arceus knows how much damage businesses could do if they remain unchecked."
  
  He tapped his finger for a little longer, "I won't decide right now, but give me some time to think things through. I'll speak to the Indigo Police to see how amenable they are to such an idea, and I'll get back to you. Fortunately, since this is something that I could see is genuinely for the betterment of Indigo rather than your own interests, I won't even consider this me doing you a favour."
  
  Lorelei nodded while expressing her thanks to Lance, which he simply waved off and said that she was doing a public good. He asked if there was anything else, and since Lorelei didn't want to bother him any longer, the two of them left Lance behind in his office.
  
  "He'll agree." Agatha suddenly spoke up as they walked out of the building, "It's a good idea, and it'll be like putting the final nail in your uncle's coffin. Lance of all people is always going to be interested in spiting your uncle."
  
  She nodded, though she wasn't super comfortable about villainizing her uncle. There was a still part of her that cared for him, despite everything that eventually happened.
  
  "Thanks, Agatha." She replied, "But I have to go back to training, I-" She was cut off as a League official suddenly rushed up to her, panting and breathless.
  
  "Elite Lorelei!" He wheezed, "Did you...see the news?"
  
  Confused, she shook her head, "No, what's wrong?"
  
  "You've been challenged!" The official gasped out as dread started filling her heart, "Gym Leader Surge just made the announcement on TV!"
  
  She grimaced; she knew that things had been too peaceful lately. But she didn't let the rising fear control her. She knew that she was going to be challenged, she had been told as much by practically everyone when she got here. And now was finally the time for it.
  
  Next to her, Agatha was shooting her a massive grin, "Remember what I said? Crush all in your way. Let none doubt your strength. Beat Surge so thoroughly so none would think of challenging you ever again."
  
  She nodded firmly to Agatha. She was about to thank her before her phone started ringing. Annoyed at the sudden attention, she went to see who was disturbing her at such a time, only for her eyes to widen as she saw who was calling.
  
  It was Pryce.
  
  A.N. We haven't had a Lorelei chapter in a while, but I felt that this was a good time to start putting our focus back on her a little. As you all likely expected, she's finally being challenged! And from Surge too! Hope you enjoy how this goes!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-3 - The Daily Life in Sinnoh
  
  The next week in Sinnoh were mostly ones of idle exploration, where Cynthia continued to show me the ropes of how I could get the most out of my time in the caves. She did not hold my hand, instead pushing me to do better and to go deeper yet always remaining close by in case she needed to bail me out of trouble.
  
  Over these past few days, I learnt two things about Cynthia. One, she was actually an excellent teacher. No doubt she had picked up some skills from her grandmother, but she was very patient and educational about it. She knew when was the right time was to hold your hand and to provide guidance and when was the time to let go and allow you to work things out independently for yourselves.
  
  It was only through her excellent teachings that we managed to explore further down as far as we did. She had showed me a few of the other ruins that they found, and I was still constantly amazed by both the historical significance of these ruins as well as the plethora of rare Pokémon that could be found near them.
  
  However, none of them really caught my interest for me to add them to my team. Even the occasional Lopunny I stumbled across were far too feral and guarded for me to even consider them. Had I caught them, it would take me too long to try and discipline them - especially when they were already so set in their habits.
  
  It just wasn't worth it.
  
  The second thing I learnt about Cynthia was that not only were her Pokémon very formidable, but I had underestimated just how efficient her training schedule was. She maintained an organised but flexible schedule where she frequently woke up before sunrise to train with her team or study other's matches. She was making the most of her current lack of responsibilities to train up herself to an insane degree because she knew she would have less time later.
  
  While many trainers also trained as hard as she did, she was the one of the few that managed to be efficient and disciplined about it.
  
  Seeing how strong she was, I spent some time researching her reputation here in Sinnoh. I stumbled on a few small articles labelling her as a 'genius' and that she had won the Sinnoh Conference two years prior, but little else.
  
  The fact that she wasn't in the Elite Four was baffling, considering her strength. Though, judging by a few of our conversations that we've been having, and a few details she let slip, I suspected that it was only a matter of time until she made her move. She had very ambitious plans that she kept close to her chest.
  
  Watching her train so hard also inspired me to push myself a little harder too. Both with training my Pokémon and with my obligations and responsibilities that I needed to uphold as a representative of Indigo. After all, I couldn't just ignore what was going on back in Indigo.
  
  Cynthia had unintentionally done me a favour there as well, helping to invite some other prominent names in the scientific community over to Celestic Town to meet and discuss possible future developments with me. They were all very excited to meet with me, and we turned the whole thing into a bit of a public event with pictures and everything. The whole thing was on the news.
  
  That was why today I had to unfortunately beg off from another day of dungeon diving, since after my morning training I was now waiting for a call from both Will and Lance so that we could discuss current events. We had actually intended to make this call yesterday, but we were distracted by Lorelei's sudden challenge from Gym Leader Surge.
  
  Karen had informed me about it, and I instantly went to do research on what I could find on Surge and the strength of his team.
  
  From what I've see, he would give Walker a good run for his money, partially due to his type advantage, but I wasn't blown away by his chances. I suspected that he was only challenging Lorelei out of some form of national pride, maybe also due to some lingering resentment against Pryce, rather than as a calculated decision.
  
  No offense meant to Surge, but he really didn't seem like the type of guy that thought very hard about his chances before taking action. He was like an Electrode, all explosive energy and little of much else.
  
  Sure, Surge's team of Electric types were considered to be one of the harder ones to face off against amongst the Kanto Gym Leaders, but I wasn't quite sure if that would be enough here. Certainly, compared to Bruno, Surge was nothing.
  
  I would be more concerned for Lorelei's sake if someone like Blaine had challenged her; not that he would. From what I hear he's been very happy playing around with his new project.
  
  Before I could think on that for much longer, my phone started to ring. Seeing who it was, I carefully propped my phone up on the table and picked up, turning on the video.
  
  I was immediately greeted by two other faces, as Will and Lance appeared on my screen.
  
  "Good to see the both of you." Lance began, a small smile on his face. "How are you finding your work-holiday? I hope you're having fun there."
  
  I allowed Will to speak first, "Things have been going excellently." He shared with a grin, and I didn't think he was boasting this time. "Many of the financiers of Sinnoh have been eager to accept the many opportunities that the opening of borders brings to them. They tell me that the Sinnoh markets have been stale recently, and they're very keen on bringing their unique goods and services to a foreign market."
  
  "Would they invest into Indigo?" Lance asked, getting a quick nod from Will.
  
  "Absolutely. Though they would have to do their due diligence first." Will replied, "But you can expect to see them investing into both Indigo and Hoenn soon. I believe some of the bigger businesses are considering entering into negotiations soon."
  
  "Did you hear anything about Galactic company?" I asked, a little more forcefully than I intended.
  
  Will shook his head, "I didn't hear anything about them, nor did I meet any of their representatives. Why'd you ask?" He shot me a curious look, and I had to fight down an instinctive frown at his answer.
  
  Despite having spent most of my time here dungeon diving, I was not foolish enough to forget the threat that Team Galatic represented to the world at large.
  
  Their public image was of "Galactic Company", which on paper was nothing more than a successful company that helped produce a lot of fancy tech for Sinnoh as well as help develop new and more innovative ways of energy generation. Nothing out of the ordinary.
  
  Similarly, their CEO, Cyrus, was nothing more than an ordinary businessman that managed to hit it big with a few lucky successes. There were no scandals, no nothing. He wasn't overly elusive either; his lack of public appearances were treated as merely an introverted inventor hard at work.
  
  Overall, they were the stereotypical ordinary big business.
  
  And that was the problem. Galactic company was a pillar of Sinnoh's economy. I could not just level accusations against them without some serious proof, and even then, it might not be enough. It would be like levelling accusations against Silph Co or Devon Corp. Both were so vital to their regions that it would take a heavy amount of evidence to actually be able to implicate them.
  
  When Silph Co was framed by Team Rocket, even with all the sensationalism and false rumours thrown around by the news, it didn't take a lot of effort to be able to shut down those rumours for good. I had no doubt it was the same for Galactic company.
  
  Plus, as a foreigner, I would not be able to gather enough support to shut them down. Not even with Lance's support, if he even gave it to me.
  
  Trying to break them by force wouldn't work either. As strong as I was, I was not going to be able to one-man-army the entirety of Team Galactic by myself. I would eventually be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
  
  It was impossible for a single trainer to fight an entire region by themselves and win. Not without a Legendary - and even then, it was still a toss-up.
  
  Unfortunately, I was once again forced to be reactive rather than proactive when it came to the dealing with Team Galactic. But I refused to remain idle; I would keep a watchful eye on them for any possible opportunities to expose them and do my best to think of alternate methods of fighting against them.
  
  Returning to the conversation, seeing that no answer from me was forthcoming, Will moved on, "Though I would like to point out that the ongoing protests taking place around the region have really been hampering my efforts." He complained, "The lack of trustworthy leadership in Sinnoh has really scared a few potential investors and businesses from investing here."
  
  "What about the Elite Four? I thought they had a handle on things?" Lance asked.
  
  "They're doing their best." Will replied, "But the members of the current Sinnoh Committee are all very new, and there are many vacant spots still. They're not functioning as they should, and all the political power are practically in the hands of the Elite Four. They're doing a remarkable job managing everything, but they their ability to make decisions and pass policies is still limited."
  
  Lance frowned, "That's frustrating, but not outside of our expectations." He tapped his finger on his table, "Well anyways, you dd great work there, Will. Good job." Lance complimented, making Will's smile grow wider. Then Lance turned to me, "So, what about you, John? Making friends over there? I saw you in the papers."
  
  "Well, yes, but admittedly I've been having a bit too much fun with simply exploring the caves here." I said sheepishly, realizing that Will had accomplished a lot more than I had. "They're all very exciting to see, and I may have gotten too absorbed with them. I haven't even explored much of the region outside of Celestic Town!"
  
  Lance chuckled and waved me off, "That's fine. There was a reason I sent the both of you and had you do different things. You both appeal to a different audience. I'm sure the more casual members of the public would find John's activities more relatable, while the more serious and business-minded folks would care more about Will's activities. It's a good balance."
  
  "But how are you getting on with them?" He asked again, "Everything seemed good on the news, but you know how trustworthy they can be."
  
  "They were very friendly." I answered, "Like what Will said, they all seemed very eager to share discoveries with Indigo and Hoenn. More than that, they're just happy to have access to more things to research about."
  
  "Oh that's right!" I suddenly exclaimed as a thought popped into my head, "Will, you brought it up just now, but how were the other members of the Elite Four? I only saw Lucian when we arrived."
  
  "Yep, they all came around to shake hands, though they didn't stay for long." He replied with a nod, "I was surprised at how young they all were, but in hindsight they're just around our age as well. Though I guess they do have Bertha, but she isn't here right now."
  
  "Feels like every Elite Four just has to has one person that's been there for some time, huh?" Lance observed with a smirk, "We have Agatha. Hoenn has Drake. Sinnoh has Bertha."
  
  I laughed, "I didn't see it that way. But that's very true." I turned to Will, "How were they? Friendly?"
  
  "Very much so." Will nodded, "Even though they currently have a lot of pressure on them, they've still greeted me with friendly smiles that I could tell were real and wanted to get to know me better. They're all very close knit, and I feel like they all see each other as friends. Oh, and John, they said they would visit you soon as well."
  
  "That's nice to hear - I would love to see them too." I nodded.
  
  "Well, I'm glad you're all getting along nicely." Lance added, "But have the both of you heard any rumours about who the next Champion is going to be? That's my primary concern at the moment."
  
  "Not a clue." Will shook his head, "I asked Flint when I saw him. He said they didn't have anyone on their mind at the moment, though I have an inkling that might not be the whole truth. But I knew they meant it when they said they didn't want to nominate any of themselves. I knew Lucian's name was thrown around as a potential candidate, but he refused because he didn't think he was strong enough to hold or deserve the position."
  
  Lance sighed, "That's a shame, but I guess that's what I expected too. Let me know if that changes. That goes with you too, John."
  
  We both nodded. "Well, thank you for the update. Let me go through what's going on here in Indigo..."
  
  Lance gave us a rundown summary of what was happening back home. The only real thing that caught my attention was Lorelei's proposal about the anti-corruption bureau, which I expressed my support to, but that proposal would probably be delayed until Lorelei won her challenge.
  
  A little surprisingly, Will expressed his support for Lorelei. He felt that she would "stomp over this reckless challenger". Lance agreed, stating that he knew Lorelei had been training heavily since her win against Walker. She had certainly not been slacking off.
  
  What was a bit more shocking was when Lance revealed that Pryce had contacted Lorelei as soon as he heard about the challenge.
  
  "...And how does that make you feel?" I asked Lance, knowing that he greatly disliked Pryce. Which I also did.
  
  Lance had a complicated expression on his face, "I'm not sure. On one hand, Pryce is her uncle, and I have no right to interfere with familial relations like that. On the other, I'm wary about Pryce trying to spread his influence once again, though I hear he is mellowing out. But I trust Lorelei, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now."
  
  "While I was not there when Pryce was Champion, so I do not share both your feelings about him, I feel that this could be a good opportunity for her." Will added, rubbing his chin. "For what it's worth, he's undoubtedly an excellent trainer and capable politician. Or at least he used to be. Still, there is much he could teach her."
  
  I nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "I can't deny that. Let's just hope he teaches her the right things."
  
  "I have full confidence in Lorelei to separate what's right and wrong to do, both in battle and in politics." Lance stated. "She won't allow herself to be guided down the wrong path."
  
  "Oh, and one last thing regarding Sinnoh." Lance remarked, "Sinnoh is planning on opening their borders in stages. First to representatives like the two of you, then to businesses, then to the general public. They should be opening up to businesses shortly. THAT is assuming nothing bad happens."
  
  We both nodded in understanding. It made sense for them to do it this way. Opening up Sinnoh directly to the larger public seemed like a bad idea to start off with.
  
  We chatted for a bit longer before Lance eventually had to go to attend his next meeting. Though before he left, I expressed my concerns about the criminals and our lack of progress regarding them. I urged Lance and Will to keep a constant lookout regarding them; reminding them of the danger they posed to everyone. They both nodded in solemn agreement, promising to stay vigilant.
  
  With the call over and done with, I met up with Cynthia once again in the cafeteria for lunch, where she was staring at me with a curious look.
  
  "I don't mean to pry, but how are things going back in Indigo?" She asked as we sat. "Any need for you to be reassigned elsewhere?"
  
  I smiled at her question, "Thankfully not. I much prefer to stay here if possible. I don't envy Will's task of mingling with the businessmen. This is much more my style."
  
  "I have to do that on occasion as well...though I agree it's not my cup of tea." She nodded, taking a bite out of her food before she perked up once again, "Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, Flint says he's coming over later today to say hi to you. So is Lucian."
  
  My eyes widened slightly, both at what she just said and the fact that she didn't include their title. "Already? It was just mentioned in the call just now."
  
  "They both must want to meet with you again." She shrugged, "And you ARE all members of the Elite Four. It's only natural."
  
  I nodded, continuing to chow down on food. "So does that mean no exploring today?" I asked.
  
  "Probably not. Best not to keep them waiting." Cynthia responded.
  
  "That's fine, I need to crack down on some training anyways." I replied, "Can't let myself slack off on that respect. Especially since you've been itching to battle me." I said with a challenging grin.
  
  She met it with one of her own, her eyes alight with anticipation and excitement. "Likewise."
  
  We met each other stares for a moment, revelling in our shared ambition to win. It was an amazing feeling to be able to battle against someone you KNEW was strong; especially when there were little stakes involved.
  
  Soon enough we ended our staring contest and polished off our meals. We split off after that, both of us heading to different training grounds to undergo routine training of our Pokémon. I made sure to prioritize my relatively weaker Pokémon's so that they would be more capable of at the same level as my trio of bruisers.
  
  I worked especially hard on Klaus, partially because of the fact that we were in Sinnoh and I wanted to show him off, but also because I felt that his Psychic abilities, like Teleport, could be expanded on even further. Being able to Teleport around in fights, like Will's Gardevoir could, was an amazing advantage that I previously neglected.
  
  We had already been training on this for some time, and now Klaus was just about there.
  
  I didn't know how long I spent training up my Pokémon, but I was interrupted by the sound of someone's whistling. Turning, I saw a man wearing a yellow shirt with a red afro that honestly clashed horribly with the surrounding greenery.
  
  "Yo! Good work out there. Those are some impressive Pokémon - no wonder you won all those matches." The man who could only be Flint greeted with a wide and friendly smile, "I'm Flint, of the Sinnoh Elite Four. It's a huge pleasure to meet you. I've heard tons from Bertha."
  
  Flint's friendliness was infectious, and I found myself breaking out into a smile as I immediately stopped what I was doing and went over to greet him, shaking his hand. "Thank you, Elite Flint. It's my pleasure as well. Thanks for coming over to meet me like this; I've been a little too wrapped up in the wonders of the underground."
  
  He laughed cheerfully, "That's no matter. I'm used to stuff like this." His smile turned fond, "Volkner's like this too when he gets interested in something. Sometimes I can't pry him from the lighthouse."
  
  He looked around at my team, "Anyways, like I was saying, this is a mighty fine team you got here. I'm not ashamed to say that it'd probably make mine look bad if we ever fought."
  
  "Indeed. Will had told me, but seeing this is something else. Wyrdeer are a very unique type of Pokémon." Another voice cut in from the side, and I turned to see Lucian approaching with Cynthia walking next to him.
  
  "Good to see you again, John. I hope you've been enjoying Sinnoh. Though from what I hear from Cynthia, that does seem to be the case." He greeted.
  
  "I am." I nodded. "Cynthia's been an excellent host."
  
  Cynthia's grin widened a little bit, and Lucian just chuckled, "THAT, I had never any doubt with. When Bertha told me about your arrangement in Sinnoh, I was confident that it would work out well."
  
  "Are you close with Professor Carolina?" I asked curiously.
  
  "Not as close as Bertha is, but yes. I would consider myself to be so. Same with Cynthia," Lucian replied, gesturing to Cynthia, "We both share similar academic passions, so it was natural for us to start conversation."
  
  "Lucian is an excellent conversation partner about history." Cynthia commented, "AND a strong trainer. Though we haven't had much time to battle because of our respective duties."
  
  I nodded in understanding.
  
  "Speaking of battle, care to test yourself against one of us?" Flint leaned forward excitedly, "I know what I said earlier, but I'm raring to go for a battle against someone new and strong."
  
  "Sorry, Flint, but I've already promised a battle with Cynthia soon." I replied, nodding to Cynthia, "Maybe next time." I told him apologetically, but instead of looking down, Flint grew even more excited.
  
  "Woah! Already?! Sick! Can I watch?!" His eyes flashed with eagerness.
  
  I shared a look with Cynthia, who merely shrugged. "I don't mind. There'll probably be reporters there as well to take some photos of the fight."
  
  "That would be good." Lucian spoke up, "The public always loves a good fight, which I'm sure this will show off the strength of both regions to each other. And against Cynthia, I'm confident you'll both give us a good fight. It's a win-win."
  
  I looked at Lucian curiously, wondering how he knew that Cynthia was a strong trainer. Even Flint simply nodded his head like he agreed with Lucian, implying that he knew about Cynthia's strength as well. Did this mean that she was already on people's radar of significant trainers already?
  
  In hindsight, that shouldn't be all that surprising. You couldn't hide being THIS strong without someone catching on, unless you absconded yourself into the wilds like a certain someone I knew. Furthermore, considering that Lucian and Cynthia seemed to be friendly acquaintances, I guess he would have some idea of her strength.
  
  "We could have the match for tomorrow." I finally said, "If everyone is happy with that."
  
  "I'm fine with that." Cynthia replied, crossing her arms. "I can even get the news out to the reporters if you want a crowd."
  
  I nodded, "Sure. As Lucian said, it'll be good for everyone. But what kind of format do you want it in? 3v3? 6v6?"
  
  Cynthia tapped her chin in thought, "...3v3 sounds the best for me." She said after a moment. "We don't have to get too serious. I'd like to keep a few tricks up my sleeve."
  
  "Sure, fine by me." I replied easily, wondering what kind of tricks she might have. I was beginning to suspect that she was saving those 'tricks' for a very important occasion.
  
  Flint jumped up into the air excitedly, "ALRIGHT! I'll definitely be there to check out the fight. I think I'm going to be very pleasantly surprised by what I see." He looked pointedly at Cynthia, who only smiled back.
  
  "Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to make it tomorrow. I have meetings to catch up on." Lucian said with a slight frown, "But perhaps Aaron could make it? I'll let him know."
  
  "Oh, definitely get him to come; he wouldn't want to miss this." Flint nodded, "Maybe I could even drag Volkner away for a moment to get him to watch. He's been needing a spark of inspiration these days." He took out his phone and started tapping on it.
  
  "Speaking about watching matches, are you going to be heading back to Indigo to watch Lorelei's match against Surge?" Cynthia asked with a tilt of her head, "Supporting your fellow member and all that."
  
  "Yes, I heard from Bertha that the relationship between the Indigo Elite Four is quite close." Lucian added, with Flint nodding in agreement. "Always nice to hear people getting along."
  
  "I won't be." I shook my head, "It'll be too inefficient. I'll probably just watch it in my room."
  
  "No need for that. If you need a bigger TV, I have one set up in my room if you want to watch it there." Cynthia mentioned, "It's definitely better than the miniscule one you have in your room."
  
  "Oh, sure. Thanks for this." I replied, slightly surprised but thankful. Watching the battle on a bigger screen was always better.
  
  "Welp, I'll probably leave you two to your training. Can't wait to see what you guys deliver to us tomorrow." Flint spoke up, "Gotta head back soon anyways."
  
  Lucian said the same, and we quickly exchanged a few more words before we made our goodbyes. Cynthia informed me that she would make the call for the reporters will come for the match tomorrow.
  
  I wandered off back to the training fields and used whatever time I had left to continue training with my Pokémon, letting them know of the impending match tomorrow. I spoke more specifically with a few of my Pokémon that I had chosen to bring for tomorrow's battle, based on what I knew of Cynthia's team.
  
  I suspected that this was going to be a tougher fight than most people anticipated for me. But I knew not to underestimate Cynthia and would be going into this battle with both eyes open.
  
  After all, it was a rare opportunity for me to fight a future Champion.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time mostly focused on set-up. But yes, the fight with Cynthia is here! Plus, John meets up with a few more members of the Sinnoh Elite Four. I've kept their canon roster the same for simplicities sake.
  
  Furthermore, while John is going to be a little passive with Team Galactic again, I promise you he won't entirely be on the backfoot. He will have his moments to strike back and be a huge pain in their ass in the future.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-4 - INTERLUDE- JANINE
  The New Normal - 8-4 - INTERLUDE - Janine
  
  "Urghhhh...." Sabrina moaned on the bench as she tried her best to recover from seasickness. Despite the fact that this was the second time taking the ship from Johto to Kanto, she didn't seem any more used to it.
  
  "There, there." Whitney patted Sabrina soothingly on the back, only to receive further groans of discomfort from their resident Psychic specialist. Janine just hung back; she was less touchy-feely than Whitney, though she never saw her friend's affectionate nature as a bad thing.
  
  She knew that Whitney was being a bit more exaggerated with her displays of friendships recently because she was bummed out that she had narrowly missed her brother's departure to Sinnoh as they hung around in Johto for too long. Hopefully her spirits would be able to buoy back in time.
  
  "Do not worry, we still have plenty of time to reach Saffron City for our match." She said instead, "And I am sure your parents wouldn't mind waiting."
  
  Sabrina moved to nod, but that only caused her to emit another groan. Janine and Whitney shared a small helpless smile at their friend's condition; Sabrina really needed to work on her physicality.
  
  The three of them loitered around for a little while to allow Sabrina to recover. Before long, they all took off on their respective flyers. A Noctowl, Xatu, and Golbat took to the air as they carried them to Saffron City, where their 6th Gym Badge awaited.
  
  Janine never regretted leaving Fuschia City to accompany Whitney and Sabrina on their journey, but it still astounded her to see how right her Father was. She had truly grown much as a result of her journey, and her time in Johto was no different.
  
  Not only had she acquired a Nidoran, which was already a Nidorino, her Pokémon got in plenty of training that she hoped would further sculpt them to be powerful enough to clear through the remaining Gyms in one go.
  
  Their first stop was going to be at Saffron to collect the Marsh Badge. While the Psychic types would normally pose a significant threat to a team of Poison types, Janine was confident that her experience training with Sabrina had given her enough insight that she could handle Samson's team without too much issue.
  
  Truthfully, she felt Giovanni's Gym was going to be a far greater problem for her. But that was for future Janine to deal with.
  
  It didn't take long before the three of them landed on the outskirts of Saffron City; careful to avoid the prying eyes of snooping reporters that liked loitering around the Gym. Sabrina was too recognizable as the daughter of the Gym Leaders, and they would very much prefer to avoid the attention.
  
  They had gotten lucky in Johto that they hadn't been recognized, even though they were freely out in the open. But in Kanto, and in Sabrina's home city no less, there was no chance of that same anonymity.
  
  They quickly dismounted from their flyers and moved into the Gym, where they had already reserved a slot for their fights. As agreed, Janine would be up first. She had a sneaking suspicion that Sabrina's parents had intentionally cleared out their schedules to allow the three of them to challenge them back-to-back, though she wasn't going to call them out on their generosity.
  
  Her father was no different, even if he tried to hide it under a layer of stoicism.
  
  As soon as the trio entered the Gym, they were immediately greeted with the smiling faces of Sabrina's parents.
  
  "Sabrina!" They both greeted with smiles, pulling their daughter into a tight hug and completely destroying whatever 'powerful' image people had of them as Gym Leader. Janine simply watched this happen with a slight smile as Sabrina tried but failed to wiggle out of the hug, her face flushed with embarrassment.
  
  She was thankful that her Father was less prone to public acts of affection - she would probably faint from the shame. That was not to say that he did not care for her as much as Sabrina's parents did, merely that he had a different way of showing it.
  
  His affection was more subtle. But their existence was never in doubt, nor hers for him.
  
  The family eventually broke out of their hug, and Samson turned back to her. "Right then, I think you're up first, aren't you? Watch out though, we won't hold back just because you're friends with Sabrina!"
  
  Sabrina smirked, "You will lose hard if you hold yourself back, father. We have been training hard."
  
  "I'm sure you have, dears." Katrina smiled indulgently, "We knew you wouldn't come back until you felt you were ready to clear through all of the remaining badges. You might be the better Psychic, daughter of mine, but we're still your parents."
  
  Sabrina blushed, and they all shared a chuckle before Samson looked at Janine. "Come on now, let's get to your 5-Badge challenge. There's no need for you to deal with the Gym Trainers - it'd just be a waste of time."
  
  Janine nodded, and the two of them waved their goodbyes before they split off from the group to get themselves ready for their fight. Unlike her friends, who would be challenging for their 6-Badge challenge, she was challenging for the 5-Badge one because she had yet to defeat her Father. As she brought up before, she was saving him for second last.
  
  "How has Sabrina been really getting on?" Samson suddenly asked her as the two of them walked to the arena, "It's hard to tell sometimes from phone calls and texts alone."
  
  "She has been doing well." Janine responded, a fond smile forming on her lips. "I'm very happy to call her my best friend."
  
  "Then is Whitney not your best friend?" Samson replied with a chuckle as they walked.
  
  "They both are." She replied firmly, honesty and appreciation leaking in her voice. The smile that appeared on her face must have been infectious because Samson smiled too.
  
  "...I'm glad then that our daughter has such good friends in you and Whitney. It's clear that you greatly trust each other, which is extremely relieving." He said, letting out a reassured breath. "I said it before, but it's really taken a weight off both my shoulders and my wife's."
  
  Janine refused to meet his eyes as she felt heat rush up her cheeks, but quickly shook away all other thoughts out as they arrived at the battle arena. Samson patted her twice on the shoulder, before moving to his side of the arena. She proceeded to move to hers.
  
  As soon as she got in place, the referee began his announcement.
  
  "THIS WILL BE A 3V3 BATTLE FOR THE FIFTH GYM BADGE BETWEEN CHALLENGER JANINE VERSUS GYM LEADER SAMSON! THERE WILL BE ONE SWITCH ALLOWED!" He declared, the audience cheering at the announcement.
  
  Janine cleared her mind of any extraneous thoughts as Father had taught her. Both her father and Whitney had said the same thing.
  
  "Hesitation is defeat." Their voices echoed in her head.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" The referee shouted out once again, getting nods from both trainers.
  
  "THREE...TWO...ONE...BEGIN!" They both released their Pokémon.
  
  "Weezing! Prepare yourself!"
  
  "Exeggutor! Get ready!"
  
  Her Weezing came out of her Pokéball with a hacking cough, letting out small plumes of noxious gas that slowly wafted its way to the top of the arena. Further clouds of poison released themselves from its many holes, polluting the nearby air with its toxic fumes.
  
  In the meanwhile, her opponent stood tall and alert, its dopey faces a mere façade for its cunning intelligence, hidden within its many sharp eyes. But while Samson's Exeggutor was very clearly trained, Janine had seen greater threats in her studies. She had prepared herself and her team to fight against Giovanni's team of 8-Badge Pokémon. This Exeggutor simply couldn't match up to that level of strength that she had been training for.
  
  "Smog, Weezing! Flood the arena!"
  
  "Ingrain! And Stun Spore, Exeggutor!"
  
  Weezing's mouth grew wide as it started to belch out a huge thick cloud of noxious gases that started covering the entire arena like a tidal wave of poison. The thick noxious fumes spread rapidly across the arena floor, spreading its poisons into every nook and cranny. Exeggutor was no exception, and its many faces took on a sickly pallor as it became poisoned.
  
  In return, Exeggutor had planted itself in the ground with strong roots that absorbed the nutrition out of the very ground, constantly healing itself up. Samson must have been looking to offset the very likely Poison damage that he knew his Pokémon would be accruing over time.
  
  However, Exeggutor's retaliatory Stun Spore was ineffective. The spores were hardly able to travel a few meters before they disappeared into the heavy cloud of poison, never to be seen again. After all, a few lone spores were nothing compared to the ocean of poison that was being spewed out constantly by Weezing.
  
  "Leech Seed, Exeggutor! Drain it!"
  
  "Taunt, Weezing! Stop it in its tracks!"
  
  Exeggutor opened its mouth wide, a few seeds with large hooks forming in its mouth. But before it got an opportunity to fire them off, Weezing cut off its constant discharge of Poison to fire off a quick burst of Dark energy with a Taunt, rapidly engulfing the Exeggutor. Irrational rage filled its many eyes, interrupting its attempted Leech Seed.
  
  Samson frowned, and Janine was quick to jump on the opportunity.
  
  "Toxic Spikes! Scatter them around!"
  
  "Psychic! Clear them out!"
  
  Her Weezing let out a grunt as it tossed a scattershot of toxic barbed spikes into the air, launching them onto Samson's side of the arena. But before they could land, Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue as it tried to hold them in the air with a Psychic, threatening to send them back.
  
  "Sludge Bomb, Weezing!"
  
  Weezing flanked around and let out another hacking cough as a huge globule of raw poison was grotesquely formed in its mouth, before Weezing lobbed the condensed orb over. The orb shattered onto Exeggutor's face, showering Exeggutor in a vicious bath of poisonous liquids. Exeggutor reeled back in pain, disrupting its concentration as the toxic spikes scattered themselves around Samson's side of the battlefield.
  
  If Exeggutor was merely poisoned before, then it was certainly badly poisoned now. Even the healing it received from its Ingrain would become insufficient at staving off the ever-increasing Poison damage.
  
  This was exactly the position she wanted to be in. Like her Father always said, when your opponent knew they were on a timer; they got reckless, more prone to making mistakes. It was only a matter of waiting for the opportunity.
  
  And judging by the growing frown on Samson's face, she knew that she had successfully riled him up.
  
  "Psychic again, Exeggutor! Blast it!"
  
  "Flamethrower, Weezing! Burn it!"
  
  Exeggutor's eyes flashed blue as Weezing opened its mouth once again; both Pokémon seeking to blast the other away. Unfortunately, the raw power of Exeggutor showed itself at this moment, as Weezing's Flamethrower was rapidly overpowered by the Psychic; the flames being held back by pure Psychic will alone. The blast of Psychic energy continued forward, completely pushing past the Flamethrower and blasting Weezing in the face.
  
  Weezing let out a groan of pain as it floated backwards in the air, spinning slightly as it lost control of its levitation.
  
  "Psychic again, Exeggutor! Don't waste this chance!"
  
  "Protect, Weezing! Shield and reorient yourself!"
  
  Exeggutor fired off another powerful wave of Psychic energy. Except this time, Weezing managed to stabilize itself and form up a Protect shield that blocked the incoming attack.
  
  But it was at this time that the haze of anger was slowly lifted from Exeggutor's eyes; the effect of the Taunt wearing off. Both trainers realized this, and they both moved to act on Exeggutor's recovered ability to make use of non-attacking moves.
  
  However, Janine had not spent so much time around Sabrina for nothing. As someone who trained alongside a fellow Psychic specialist, she knew what Psychic specialists were capable of when they regained access to their extremely large pool of utility moves. It was one of the Psychic types greatest strengths.
  
  So even though Exeggutor was slowly ticking down due to being badly poisoned, Janine knew she would be in a huge disadvantage if she allowed all those supporting moves to be set up.
  
  It would ruin the matchup for all her other Pokémon.
  
  She could try for another Taunt, but they weren't as effective as she'd like them to be. Nor did her Weezing have enough attacking power to overwhelm its defences and stop it from setting up. She certainly needed to train up more in that regard.
  
  Her mind flashed to her Father, and what he would do in this scenario. She wasn't as decisive as him, but even she realized what the best move was here. Hesitation was defeat, and so, with renewed resolve, she commanded Weezing to end the fight.
  
  "Light Screen, Exeggutor! Set them up!"
  
  "Explosion."
  
  "!" Samson's eyes widened with alarm, but he didn't get a chance to change his order. Without any hesitation, but still nowhere near as fast as her Father's Pokémon, her Weezing stared at Exeggutor with eyes filled with hardened determination as it rapidly glowed with a bright white light.
  
  Exeggutor had no time to react before Weezing detonated itself in a deafening Explosion, scattering a huge wave of force that managed to cause the Psychic shields to flicker and the spectator stands to wobble slightly. Janine was forced to cover her face from the dust and loose pebbles that were whipped up from the explosion.
  
  Even though her Weezing was healthier than the Exeggutor, she knew it was the right move to do. Her Weezing would only prove to be more of a liability the longer the battle went on, and she had already set things up in her favour for the upcoming fights. She just needed to keep up the momentum.
  
  It was one of her Father's favourite tactics. She hoped he would be proud of her match today. She hoped he was watching.
  
  As the cloud of dust and rock cleared, Janine saw the expected result. Both Pokémon were down, exactly as she had hoped for.
  
  "BOTH TRAINERS' POKEMON HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT, PUTTING THE SCORE AT 1-1!" The referee announced, "BOTH TRAINERS HAVE 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  She withdrew her Weezing over the loud cheering from the crowd, already planning for her next Pokémon.
  
  "WOOOOOO GO Janine!" She heard Whitney shout out amidst the crowd. A rueful smile grew on her face; she never knew where Whitney got that energy from.
  
  Putting that aside for now, she readied her next Pokémon. From her studies of Samson's previous fielded teams, she felt she had an idea of what it would be.
  
  "GO! Ariados!"
  
  "Gain us an advantage, Jynx!"
  
  Okay, not what she had expected, but not completely unworkable. She thought Samson would send out his Espeon, but this was fine too.
  
  As Jynx landed on the battlefield, the many toxic spikes scattered around the field impaled themselves into her, causing deadly toxins to course through her. Janine smiled; Jynx would be starting the fight already badly poisoned.
  
  In theory, with Jynx already badly poisoned, some trainers would choose to merely try to stall out the fight, patiently waiting until Jynx eventually succumbed to the poison. However, that was not how she liked to fight, nor what her Father and friends had taught her.
  
  Surprisingly, it was Whitney that put it best.
  
  "Don't give up the advantage." She had said to her in the past, "John always says that it's best to keep up the pressure once you have a significant advantage. Giving your opponent an opportunity to fight back is just exposing you to being knocked out by an unexpected attack."
  
  She intended to follow through on that advice.
  
  "Pounce and String Shot, Ariados! Get close to it!"
  
  "Psychic, Jynx! Blast it back!"
  
  Her Ariados skittered rapidly across the arena, before leaping into the air as it shot out a thin yet sturdy rope of string towards Jynx. In response, Jynx did what she did best, unleashing a powerful blast of Psychic that ripped through the air.
  
  However, by attaching the String Shot to Jynx, Ariados was able to utilize the surprisingly sturdy rope of string to swing around and dodge out of the way of the Psychic, only taking a glancing blow. Her Ariados still let out a pained shriek, but this move allowed her to maintain the momentum and put Ariados into an excellent position to quickly follow up with a Pounce onto Jynx.
  
  With Jynx's speed now heavily lowered by both attacks, she nowhere to run. She was forced to fight or Teleport away, and Ariados had no intention of allowing to create more distance.
  
  "Leech Life, Ariados! Hit it hard!"
  
  "Teleport away, Jynx! And Psychic!"
  
  Jynx's form started to shimmer as she began channelling a Teleport, but Ariados quickly punished her as it sunk a deadly fang deep into her, draining her with Leech Life. Jynx let out a cry of pain as her health was suddenly sapped away, rejuvenating Ariados in equal measure. Yet the Jynx maintained enough discipline to fire off a weaker blast of Psychic in retaliation before Ariados could sink another sharp fang in.
  
  This time, without tethering itself to Jynx, Ariados was sent flying backwards a small distance as the Psychic crashed into it from an unexpected angle.
  
  Her Ariados' frailty was becoming very obvious; despite the healing from Leech Life, being hit by the two Psychics had visibly taken a toll on her Bug Type as her injuries began to pile up. Ariados' back legs wobbled unsteadily as they became unable to support its weight.
  
  However, Jynx was doing no better - especially since Jynx was also a frail Pokémon.
  
  Janine knew that they had already entered the most crucial moment of the fight. Once again, she had to end the fight now before the incredible range of Psychic support moves could be setup.
  
  Luckily, it was what her training was specifically aimed for.
  
  "Pin Missile, Ariados! Finish it!"
  
  "Psychic again-!"
  
  Before Jynx could react, Ariados rapidly unleashed a short burst of sharp needles that impaled themselves into Jynx.
  
  It was her favourite finisher move and a very reliable staple of her Ariados' move set for finishing off weakened opponents.
  
  And Jynx proved no exception to this rule. Having been badly injured already, Jynx immediately collapsed as the barrage of pins struck her; the Psychic that she was charging up instantly dissipated as she fainted.
  
  "AND THE GYM LEADER'S JYNX GOES DOWN, LEAVING HIM TO HIS FINAL POKEMON. THE SCORE IS NOW 2-1!" The referee shouted out. "THE GYM LEADER HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS FINAL POKEMON-"
  
  "Hypno! Your turn!"
  
  Samson didn't even let the referee finish as he immediately sent out his next and final Pokémon. His Hypno emerged on the field, quickly becoming badly poisoned as the Toxic Spikes had yet to be removed from the battlefield.
  
  Despite the poison, Janine instantly refocused herself as she stared warily at the Hypno. She knew better than to underestimate it. Sabrina had forced it into her mind that Hypno were exceptional at making use of a huge variety of status moves to completely cripple a Pokémon, or an entire team, if left unchecked.
  
  That wariness turned to alarm as Hypno's eyes suddenly flashed blue despite Samson not giving any commands. Were they communicating telepathically like Sabrina was? Flashing blue eyes were a tell-tale sign that a Psychic type had just made an attack, but her mind currently came out blank with what it was.
  
  She didn't have time to dwell on that for now, as much as she wanted to. She had to make a move.
  
  "Shadow Sneak and Leech Life! Hit hard!"
  
  Her Ariados fell into its shadow as it dashed towards Hypno. However, as if it had predicted Ariados' movements, Ariados was immediately struck by a dazzling ray of light that instantly caused confusion to set in - there was no time for it to even react.
  
  Once again, there was no command, confirming to Janine that Samson was communicating telepathically.
  
  "Snap out of it, Ariados! Focus on my voice!"
  
  Struggling against its confusion, her Araidos lashed out randomly as she slashed down with another Leech Life, only to strike air.
  
  Therefore, it was utterly helpless as a Psychic suddenly detonated itself from behind, launching Ariados in the air as it let out a cry of pain. Yet that was not the end of it, as a second Future Sight suddenly detonated while Ariados was still careening helplessly through the air, adding insult to injury.
  
  There was no way her already-injured Ariados was going to be able to endure past those two moves. As expected, it just fell out of the air, completely knocked out.
  
  Ariados didn't even manage to land a scratch on Samson's Hypno.
  
  Janine held back a frown from showing on her face as she withdrew her fainted Ariados, patting on its Pokéball comfortingly. At this point, she was well within her rights to stall for as long as possible, to allow Hypno to continue racking up Poison damage to give her as big of an advantage as possible.
  
  But she didn't do that. That would be a dishonourable way to win. And she would be shaming herself and her Pokémon if she made use of such tactics.
  
  No, she intended to win fair and square. And that's why she sent out her final Pokémon as well.
  
  "GO! Golbat!"
  
  Her Golbat emerged with a loud screech as it immediately took to the skies, picking up speed as it circled around the lone Hypno. Knowing she couldn't afford to give Samson a single moment, she immediately went on the offensive.
  
  "Taunt, Golbat! Now!"
  
  Her Golbat dove through the air as it released another cloud of Dark energy that shot towards Hypno. Another powerful Psychic tore through the air, but her Golbat proved too mobile and quick in the air, easily being able to dodge out of the way of the incoming attack.
  
  With the Taunt successfully taking hold, it gave Janine a brief moment where she could attack without fear of being crippled by one of Hypno's many annoying status moves.
  
  "Brave Bird, Golbat! Go all out!"
  
  Hypno's eyes flashed blue again, and this time Janine didn't need to guess to know where Samson had placed his attack. However, it was a gamble she had to take. She knew that Hypno was the strongest out of Samson's current team, but she remained confident in her Golbat to get the better of this exchange.
  
  With a screeching dive, her Golbat cut through the air like a speeding bullet as it dove straight into the Hypno. As her Golbat approached, a loud explosion of Psychic energy detonated just in front of Hypno, blasting her Golbat with a concentrated wave of Psychic force. But even with the powerful supereffective attack, her Golbat was scarred but undeterred, as she hoped, and crashed into Hypno with an all-out Brave Bird.
  
  Hypno staggered backwards, almost dropping its signature pendulum as it took the full brunt of the attack. However, that wasn't the end of Golbat's assault.
  
  Without needing Janine to say anything else, her Golbat pivoted in the air and sliced into Hypno with a flurry of Aerial Aces, slashing at it repeatedly with a barrage of attacks as Golbat refused to give Hypno any opportunity to recover.
  
  At one point, her Golbat had even managed to latch onto the Hypno and sink its two large menacing fangs into Hypno, draining its life with a surprise Leech Life.
  
  If this had been a more trained Pokémon, it would have been capable of fighting back against Golbat's reckless assault. However, this was just a Gym Pokémon, meant for easier fights. Therefore, Golbat was able to continue to assault it with a ruthless flurry of attacks, completely overwhelming Hypno.
  
  It didn't take long before Hypno succumbed to its rapidly growing injuries - and the incessantly building poison - and was knocked out of the fight.
  
  "...WITH THAT, CHALLENGER JANINE PROVES VICTORIOUS! CONGRATULATIONS!" The referee congratulated, sparking many of the audience to cheer at her victory.
  
  Janine made sure to return a small smile and wave at her friends as they cheered for her victory. However, her mind had already turned to breaking down the fight, trying to figure out where she could do better.
  
  As she replayed the fight in her mind, she let out a small frown as she realized that the fight was much closer than she thought it'd. Perhaps it was her Type weakness, but Samson's Pokémon hit a lot harder than she had anticipated. If his Pokémon had perhaps been just slightly stronger, then she might have lost this fight. If this had been an 8-badge challenge, then Samson would have likely won this match.
  
  The endurance of her Pokémon was something she really needed to work on.
  
  She quickly shook off those thoughts as she noticed Samson walking up slowly to her with a bright smile on his face. This was no time for moaning, even if she realized that her goal of achieving all 8 badges was harder than she first expected.
  
  However, she had always known that their goal of achieving all 8 badges during their first circuit was going to be an uphill challenge. So she wouldn't let herself be discouraged if she failed to achieve it. But she would do her best to ensure that she would be able to reach her friends' high goals.
  
  After all, it wouldn't do to disappoint them.
  
  A.N. A small break from the Cynthia and John chapters! I wanted to do a Janine interlude instead of a Whitney one because I felt she deserved a bit more attention to both her character and her team. Unfortunately, Janine's noticeably the weakest of the trio, but she has had the weakest starting point compared to the three of them.
  
  Still, she WILL be improving as time goes on. I have no intention of letting her be the weakest for very long. As the most disciplined member of the three, she'll be catching up soon enough. Hope you enjoyed the fight!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-4 -Interlude - Lucian
  The New Normal - 8-4 - Interlude - Lucian
  
  "You have an intense look in your eye again, Lucian. What're you thinking about so deeply about?" Flint asked him with his hands in his pockets as he usually did.
  
  Flint always liked to put up an air of casualness to raise the mood, which Lucian appreciated. He tended to drift into more melancholic thoughts if he was left alone, so he was grateful for Flint's cheerful personality.
  
  "Just thinking about the future." He answered a little vaguer than he intended.
  
  "Come on, you have to give me more than that." Flint pestered, "I saw how you were looking at Cynthia. What's up with that?"
  
  This time, he hesitated before responding. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal - but he was sure he could trust Flint. After all, he considered him a close friend, just like the rest of the Elite Four.
  
  "Her strength; what did you think of it?" He asked in lieu of answering.
  
  "I dunno, haven't seen much of it yet." Flint shrugged, "But she holds herself confidently. And she didn't seem like an overeager and overconfident trainer when she challenged John, so she must have something up her sleeve. Why?"
  
  "I suspect you'll be very surprised by her strength in tomorrow's match." He responded carefully. "...I've seen her train, more than once or twice. Cynthia is a genius of a trainer. And I do mean without the slightest exaggeration."
  
  "You mean because she's a generalist? I heard." Flint asked curiously, "But we occasionally see the high-level generalist every once in a while. They often make a small splash before fading into nothing. I don't have anything against Cynthia, but that's just how it goes."
  
  "And I would normally agree with you." Lucian nodded, "But Cynthia...actually I'll just let you see it for yourself. I don't want to overhype or alter your expectations in any way."
  
  "Fair enough. Though you've certainly spiked my curiosity." Flint replied with another shrug, "Anyways, that can't have been all that you were thinking about. What did you think of John? He's very different from Will. Honestly, they kinda act like you and I do."
  
  Lucian smiled, "You mean the intellectual and the fool?" He joked.
  
  "Hey! I'm smarter than I look! I could've been Gym Leader too if I wasn't trying to instil some sense of responsibility into Volkner." Flint protested, but there was no heat in it. "If not for his laziness, I could've been Gym Leader and he could've been in the Elite Four!"
  
  "He would probably quit as soon as possible if he had to handle the committee meetings like we do." Lucian chuckled, "There's no way someone as lazy and impatient as Volkner could endure through those."
  
  "Hey, you said it, not me. But you're right." Flint smiled, and they shared another chuckle before Lucian returned to his original train of thought.
  
  "Moving on...what were your thoughts on John?" Lucian asked, "You seem to like him."
  
  "Course I do. Both him and Will I found to be very friendly, though in different ways." Flint responded with a friendly smile, "I thought Will to be some kind of braggart at first, based entirely on how he dressed, but he turned out to just be a smart man with much to demonstrate. He certainly knows his way around businessmen."
  
  "That was a pleasant surprise, yes." Lucian agreed, "I was afraid that Indigo may have sent over a pair of muscleheads." And Will was far from that. In fact, it was nice to finally be able to speak with someone that shared the same intellectual pursuits; he didn't even need to explain the basic concepts of finance!
  
  The fact that they were both Psychic specialists was just icing on the cake. He admitted that he was very fond of Will and hoped to speak more. Maybe they could even have a sparring match? Something to consider if he could find the time for it.
  
  "But John is very different." Flint continued, unaware of Lucian's thoughts. "I thought he was one of those that got into the Elite Four with pure strength alone; especially considering his young age. But while he still has a bit of that childish enthusiasm in him, he's quite intellectually minded."
  
  "Don't forget all of his scientific accomplishments. There's a reason Professor Carolina was gushing about him." Lucian pointed out.
  
  "That's true. It's hard to see him as the person who made all those discoveries, though. He looks nothing like a scientist." Flint said.
  
  "And you look nothing like an Elite Four!" Lucian couldn't help but chuckle, "You look like you're a manager at a fast-food chain!"
  
  "Hey! I resemble that comment!" Flint jokingly protests, chuckling along.
  
  "...When are Hoenn coming over again? I forgot." Flint asked after a moment, scratching his head.
  
  "Bertha said probably in a week or two." He answered, "She'll be heading over to visit Hoenn as they do."
  
  "Damn. I'm jealous of all her exploring. Totally regret not signing up." Flint groaned, "Beats dealing with all these idiots in the Committee. Seriously, how hard is it to just make a decision!?"
  
  Lucian nodded, sympathising with his colleague. It was why he was desperately looking for a Champion. Without some kind of formal leadership, the committee were in a constant state of deadlock.
  
  But such a decision could not be rushed; nor could he simply allow the committee a free hand at simply CHOOSING a Champion. No, the selection had to be very careful. Choosing the wrong person for the job would spell disaster for Sinnoh; especially considering how unstable and volatile everything still was.
  
  It was why he was so interested in a certain blonde trainer and her Garchomp; the strength of her team left an unforgettable impression deep in his mind, even if he had only seen in her action once or twice.
  
  There was no forgetting that strength; nor that unyielding and determined gaze filled with ambition.
  
  He knew what Cynthia was. His intuition screamed at him that she was the Trainer that could potentially be the greatest that Sinnoh had ever seen. So while that potential had been previously hidden from the world, Lucian strongly suspected that the world was about to be awed by what would soon be revealed.
  
  And perhaps...Lucian had found his Champion, after all.
  
  A.N. I thought it would be worth it to shine some light on the Sinnoh Elite Four and their interactions and thoughts. Sinnoh is desperately seeking a Champion, and Lucian, as the unofficial leader of the Elite Four, has been doing his best to find someone who might fit the bill. And guess what, he might have found one.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-5 - Cynthia's Rise
  
  I shouldn't have been surprised at the large turnout, since a match like this was bound to attract attention. Especially since it was known that members of the Sinnoh Elite Four would be watching.
  
  However, I was more impressed at the work that the Research Centre had put into create a makeshift battel arena, with everything practically being set up overnight. I was a little ashamed that they didn't ask me to help out, because I knew Cynthia and many workers at the lab had been running around late into the night trying to get this all organized in time while also publicizing the event so that people would come.
  
  Despite ALL of this, when I saw her this morning at breakfast, she still looked completely hale and hearty, with not an inch of tiredness on her. She was her usual pristine self.
  
  At least it was clear that her efforts paid off, because we were just able to accommodate the huge crowd of people who had specifically come over to watch our battle, despite the very short notice.
  
  I was sure most of them were here because of the novelty of watching a foreign Elite Four member in battle. For all the success that I knew Cynthia would have in the future, at the moment she was still an unknown. With not much popularity outside of the niche scientific community.
  
  However, that would all change by the end of this battle. I was sure of it.
  
  As Flint had mentioned yesterday, he was in attendance alongside Elite Four Aaron, but I hadn't managed to meet them yet. He must be somewhere in the crowds, though I failed to spot him. Will told me that he was unfortunately unable to attend, as he and Lucian were busy discussing a big deal together regarding trade between our regions, but he wished me the best of luck and to "create a display worthy of our newfound cooperation between Indigo and Sinnoh".
  
  So with that thoughtful comment in mind, I headed over to the training fields where our battle was going to take place. It was a slow journey, as I was frequently accosted by many members of the public who were REALLY interested in getting to meet a foreign Elite Four member. I could have ignored them, but instead, I did my due diligence and made sure to shake hands and take pictures as appropriate.
  
  This match was supposed to boost the idea of unity, after all, so I may as well do my part.
  
  It took some time, but I finally arrived at my side of the arena. Cynthia had been patiently waiting, looking completely at ease about the battle to come, and she shot me an anticipatory grin as she saw me take my place opposite her.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" One of the scientists turned temporary referee announced, "WE HERE AT CELESTIC TOWN HAVE BEEN PROUD TO BE HOSTING ELITE JOHN FROM INDIGO IN OUR FINE HALLS! BUT TODAY! WE HAVE THE GREAT HONOUR OF HOSTING A BATTLE BETWEEN HIM AND ONE OF OUR ESTEEMED RESEARCHERS AND PREVIOUS WINNER OF THE SINNOH CONFERENCE, CYNTHIA!"
  
  The crowd cheered loudly, and the shouts of my name drowned out the immediate surroundings. Unsurprisingly, I received most of the attention, but Cynthia looked completely unbothered by it.
  
  "AND NOW, ENOUGH RAMBLING FROM ME! LET'S GET RIGHT INTO THE BATTLE! THIS WILL BE A 3V3 MATCH WITH ONE SWITCH ALLOWED!" The referee explained, his voice turning slightly hoarse with all the shouting that he was clearly not used to, "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!"
  
  The cheers and screams of the crowd got even louder, but Cynthia and I zoned them out and simply nodded, our eyes locked onto each other. Despite myself, a small anticipatory grin split across my face, as the same happened with hers.
  
  Neither of us could have trained very much in preparation for this battle, as we both barely had any advanced notice. Even though we both knew this wasn't going to be a very serious match, with both us agreeing to hold back, we were both buzzing with excitement and anticipation as we prepared to face off against each other.
  
  Cynthia's whole demeanor had changed. Gone was the nerdy and passionate scientist. Gone was her façade of being an eager and diligent student, making use of every opportunity to learn.
  
  Instead, the eyes that stared at me were those of a Champion.
  
  "THREE!" I shoved those thoughts away for now, my mind now entirely focused on the battle ahead.
  
  "TWO!" I clutched my Premier Ball tighter, hoping that I picked the right choice for my lead. Even if this battle wasn't going to be very serious, I would NOT underestimate Cynthia.
  
  "ONE!" We both released our Pokémon at the same time.
  
  "Start off strong, Luna!"
  
  "As we trained, Spiritomb!"
  
  As I suspected, a small looking rock emerged and plopped itself into the ground opposite my Clefable, before large ghostly tendrils suddenly exploded out of it, revealing an ocean of cackling faces that were attached to each limb.
  
  Despite the display, I inwardly cheered. This was exactly what I was hoping for.
  
  "Moonblast, Luna! Blast it!"
  
  "Shadow Sneak, Spiritomb! Get close!"
  
  A glimmering orb of blinding light formed above Luna, shooting forwards like a ball of destruction as it flew towards Spiritomb. In response, Spiritomb dived into its own shadow, disappearing from the field entirely as it rushed forwards, simultaneously dodging out of the way of the Moonblast.
  
  But I was ready for this.
  
  "Calm Mind, Luna. Start setting up."
  
  "Reappear and Taunt, Spiritomb! Before it sets up!"
  
  Luna closed her eyes as she began channeling her inner energies, but she didn't make much progress as Spiritomb quickly emerged from its shadow and emitting a burst of Dark energy that drove Luna into a rage, cancelling her attempts to set up.
  
  "DAZZLING GLEAM, NOW!"
  
  Instead of being momentarily disoriented by the Taunt, Luna surprised Spiritomb by suddenly exploding with a brilliant light that unleashed a swift torrent of Fairy energy around her. Taken by surprise, the many ghosts that composed Spiritomb's body let out a wailing cry of pain as the surge of Fairy energy ripped through them.
  
  The ghosts comprising Spiritomb flickered and wailed, but the vortex of ghosts that made up Spiritomb pulled itself back together quickly - a demonstration of its tenacity and its training.
  
  Despite this, the small frown on Cynthia's face was a good indicator of her surprise. Did she expect her Spiritomb to have been tankier?
  
  "Pain Split, Spiritomb! Heal yourself!"
  
  "Ignore it and Moonblast, Luna! You'll out damage it!"
  
  Spiritomb fired off a beam of energy towards Luna, latching onto her and rapidly splitting their health between them. However, just like I ordered, Luna simply ignored this interaction and instead fired off another huge orb of concentrated Fairy energy. The Moonblast sped forwards before detonating in a shower of Fairy energy that sent Spiritomb reeling back.
  
  A distorted cacophony of wails and cries came out from the many spirits of Spiritomb; its avatar drooping slightly as its spinning vortex of ghosts now spun slower and with far less enthusiasm from before. It's once haunting visage had been cowed into something far more pathetic.
  
  Luna continued to dominate the match. Pain Split might be able to equalize their health, but Spiritomb was too slow and passive to really threaten Luna. Both Luna and Spiritomb fought in a similar way, relying on self-healing moves and their natural endurance to outlast their opponents.
  
  Unfortunately for Cynthia, Luna was just better.
  
  Spiritomb tried, but it got battered over and over again with an overwhelming barrage of Fairy attacks that it failed to heal through. Furthermore, to make matters worse for Cynthia, the haze of rage had now faded from Luna's eyes as the effects of the Taunt wore off, returning a huge plethora of options for Luna to make use of once again.
  
  "Shadow Sneak and Confuse Ray, Spiritomb! Disorient it and get close!"
  
  "Safeguard, Luna. Take no chances."
  
  Spiritomb dove back into its shadow once again, sneaking closer to Luna as it simultaneously fired off a ray of dazzling light that flew towards Luna. However, Luna shut down that attempt as a blue barrier formed around her, engulfing her protectively from the attempted status move.
  
  I had plenty of experience fighting against a Spiritomb from all my training with Karen. I was going to take no risks as I shut down Cynthia's options one by one. This would be no great victory, but a methodical destruction of Cynthia's Spiritomb that slowly allowed Luna to make use of her inherently powerful Fairy type moves to beat Spiritomb.
  
  But Cynthia was nothing if not persistent. She knew she couldn't switch out; a switch would be too costly for her and would only make the situation worse for her as it didn't deal with the problem of Luna.
  
  What followed was a series of attacks by Cynthia to try to penetrate Luna's defences. Yet Luna refused to fall, serving as the impenetrable Fairy wall that blocked all of its attempts. No matter what she tried, her Spiritomb just wasn't strong or flexible enough to break through Luna's innately high defence.
  
  And, as if to insult to injury, Luna was able to simply heal off any of the damage that WAS inflicted with a Softboiled. From an outsider's perspective, it would have looked like I was utterly crushing Cynthia in this battle.
  
  But I knew better. It was only like this because Spiritomb was a completely terrible matchup against Luna.
  
  Eventually, after a dozen more exchanges, the battle finally reached the tipping point.
  
  "Phantom Force again, Spiritomb! Smash hard again!"
  
  "Dazzling Gleam when it gets close! Blast them away!"
  
  Despite the depth of exhaustion that it must have been feeling, Spiritomb still vanished into nothing as it prepared a Phantom Force. In the meanwhile, Luna stood tall as she always did, alert and waiting for the right moment to strike.
  
  And then Spiritomb suddenly appeared right in front of Luna, slamming into her as ghostly energy struck from all sides. But Luna only stumbled slightly before unleashing another Dazzling Gleam that tore through what remained of Spiritomb's health, causing the mass of ghosts to let out a piercing wail of pain.
  
  But Cynthia had one last trick up her sleeve.
  
  "DESTINY BOND! BRING IT DOWN!"
  
  "LIFE DEW! HEAL IT UP NOW!"
  
  With its last bit of energy, Spiritomb let out a final weak cackle as its many eyes flashed an eerie purple. Purple light shot out from its eyes as they engulfed Luna, hoping to bring her down with its last-ditch attempt.
  
  But I was not some inexperienced trainer that had never fought a Ghost type before. I saw this coming ever since Cynthia struggled and failed to break through Luna's defenses. It was the most obvious way for her to eke out a knockout with her Spiritomb. Which was why I was prepared.
  
  Luna released small droplets of water that splashed onto Spiritomb's collapsed avatar, forcing it to heal up against its will. But only just enough so that it wouldn't be able to bring Luna down with her Destiny Bond.
  
  Cynthia's pursed her lips as she watched her last-ditch attempt fail to accomplish anything. And without any ceremony, as soon as the Destiny Bond wore off, I ordered Luna to finish Spiritomb off with a final Moonblast.
  
  "OH! THAT MUST BE THE POWER OF THE FAIRY TYPE! WHAT A DOMINATING DISPLAY FROM THE INDIGO ELITE FOUR, KNOCKING OUT CYNTHIA'S SPIRITOMB AND BRINGING THE MATCH TO 1-0!" The referee called out over the overly excited crowd, "THE CHALLENGER HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT THEIR NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  "...I had underestimated the effectiveness of your Fairy type attacks against my Spiritomb." Cynthia admitted to me as she withdrew her fainted Spiritomb, "Normally, Spiritomb is capable of enduring through far more punishment than that. That's the first time I've seen it overwhelmed like this; guess I need more practice dealing with the new type."
  
  "I'm sure you can think of someone to bring down my Clefable." I replied with a shrug, "Bruno managed it with a Fighting type, after all."
  
  "Funny you should say that, because I have just the thing in mind..." She said with a smirk as she threw out another Pokéball, causing a Roserade to emerge on the field, her prickly and poisonous thorns gleaming in the morning sun. Despite being smaller than Luna, Roserade's eyes were confident and menacing; her every intention seeking to avenge her fallen teammate.
  
  Luna immediately tensed up, as did I. We both knew we did not hold the advantage in this match. Could we afford to switch?
  
  In a real match, I would have. But not in a showmatch like this. It was time for an uphill battle.
  
  "Growth, Roserade. Start setting up."
  
  "Flamethrower, Luna! Scorch it!"
  
  Roserade closed her eyes as a green orb formed on the crown of her head, causing further orbs of green to gather into her as if they were nutrients being absorbed into the roots of a plant, and Roserade flashed green as she became empowered. In response, Luna unleashed a stream of fire that shot forwards like a lance, engulfing Roserade in a torrent of flames.
  
  However, Roserade did not dodge nor flinch. She simply endured through the attack by relying on her impressive Special Defenses and the grueling training Cynthia must have put her through. Despite the scorching flames searing through her health, she continued channeling her Growth - remaining in full concentration in spite of the pain she was in.
  
  All the while, Cynthia had a completely calm look in her eye, as if she had already expected this outcome. Had she already analyzed how strong Luna could hit to know that Roserade could pull something like this off without consequence? If so, then her ability to analyze her opponent's Pokémon was truly terrifying.
  
  And now with her offences boosted, Cynthia moved to fight back.
  
  "Leech Seed, Roserade! With something extra!"
  
  "Calm Mind, Luna! You can ignore it!"
  
  At first, I thought Cynthia was making a mistake. With Luna's Magic Guard ability, Luna would have been immune to the Leech Seed; allowing Luna the time to boost up her Special Attack and Special Defense.
  
  However, when the seeds landed and took root on Luna, I barely caught sight of an extra seed that somehow planted itself into Luna - and instead of the Leech Seeds bouncing off harmlessly, they instead took root and latched themselves onto Luna.
  
  Alarm bells were ringing in my head, and my eyes shot to Cynthia, who only smirked at my expression and didn't give anything away.
  
  But then, as Luna continued setting up with Calm Mind, I saw the telltale signs of a Leech Seed sapping away Luna's health, draining away her health into Roserade. That was when the gears clicked into my mind, and I was both impressed and annoyed at myself for what had happened.
  
  Yes, Leech Seed would usually be completely ineffective against Luna's Magic Guard ability. Instead, Cynthia had sneaked in a Worry Seed into her Leech Seed, switching Luna's ability from the useful Magic Guard to the near useless Insomnia; meaning that the Leech Seeds were able to implant themselves into Luna and slowly drain her health away.
  
  Worse, Luna was now extremely vulnerable to being badly poisoned from a Toxic or from Poison attacks in general. I didn't know whether to applaud Cynthia for her deception or to grimace, because Luna was now in a terrible spot.
  
  Knowing that I could no longer remain on the passive, I waited for Luna's boosts to settle in before I went all-out on the offense.
  
  "Flamethrower again, Luna! Keep up the offense!"
  
  "Grass Knot, Roserade. Trip it up."
  
  Luna opened her mouth and let out another lance of searing flames that speared towards Roserade. However, with a level of agility not usually seen in grass types, Roserade spun out of the way, dodging the flames for just long enough to form a thick tendril of grass that latched onto one of Luna's legs, taking Luna by surprise as she tripped over.
  
  "Sludge Bomb now, Roserade! Hit it hard!"
  
  "Protect, Luna!"
  
  A Protect shield quickly shimmered into place as Luna fell onto the ground, forming just in time to block the heavy orb of Poison from crashing directly onto Luna. Yet, as the large orb of Poison exploded 'harmlessly' on the Protect shield, the thick and viscous liquid filled with potent poisons didn't dissipate instantly, instead lingering around for long enough that it still splashed all over the Luna.
  
  My frown grew as I saw that Luna had suddenly turned pale, a tell-tale sign of her being afflicted with Poison. This was bad. But it didn't change my plan. Luna was just on a more desperate timer.
  
  "Psychic, Luna!"
  
  "Giga Drain, Roserade! Heal yourself!"
  
  "GRAVITY!"
  
  As Luna fired off a blast of Psychic energy, Roserade once again tried to spin out of the way before it fired off its own Giga Drain. However, this time, Roserade was caught unaware as gravity suddenly intensified, the newfound crushing force causing her to crash down onto her knees. Completely unable to move.
  
  Before Roserade could even realize what was happening, the powerful blast of Psychic energy exploded in her face, sending her stumbling back with a cry of pain as she was forced onto her back.
  
  "Psychic again, Luna! While it's down!"
  
  "LEAF STORM, ROSERADE! PUSH THROUGH THE GRAVITY!"
  
  Luna grimaced, but pushed through the growing pain from the Poison as she unleashed another surge of Psychic energy. However, Roserade was not anywhere near as hurt as she seemed, and her eyes flashed a bright green she fired off a hurricane of leaves formed that shot forwards like a storm of green knives.
  
  It spoke volumes about Roserade's ability to manipulate Grass energy as her Leaf Storm managed to overwhelm BOTH the crushing weight of the Gravity and the incoming blast of Psychic - and the whirlwind of leaves tore through everything in their path, leaving a trail of complete destruction in its wake as it transformed the surrounding area into battlefield of cuts.
  
  "PROTECT, LUNA! NOW!"
  
  A Protect shield rapidly formed around Luna, just in time to protect her against the incoming storm of leaves that battered against her. Luna's face became strained as she struggled to maintain the Protect shield, but the overwhelming power of the attack was pushing her to her limits.
  
  Yet just as it seemed like she could hold on for no longer, the vortex of leaves suddenly scattered apart as the attack faded out, giving Luna a chance to breathe as she finally allowed the Protect shield to drop.
  
  But that was all just a trap. The MOMENT Luna's Protect shield came down, the seemingly fallen leaves rapidly formed into another destructive storm, catching Luna completely off-guard as the leaves swallowed her up into its hungry maw.
  
  I could barely hear her pained cries as the storm silenced all other noises; the only thing I could hear was the deafening howl of the wind. My fists clenched reflexively as I hoped that Luna's boosted Special Defenses would be enough to endure through the attack.
  
  It wasn't.
  
  As the tornado of leaves eventually faded away, all that was revealed was the unconscious body of Luna, cuts littering her body. She wasn't getting up from this.
  
  "WHAT A DISPLAY - I NEVER KNEW CYNTHIA COULD FIGHT WITH SUCH STRENGTH! I THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS ONLY A RESEARCHER! BUT WOW DOES HER POKEMON HAVE SOME POWER IN THEM!" The referee said with considerable surprise, "BUT NEVER MIND THAT; THE BATTLE IS NOW AT 1-1! ELITE JOHN NOW HAS 30 SECONDS TO SEND OUT HIS NEXT POKEMON!"
  
  The crowd let out shocked gasps of disbelief at Luna's defeat, surprise filling their eyes. Many of them had seen my battle against Bruno, so to see my Luna take out two of Bruno's Pokemon, and yet lose to an 'unknown' trainer's Roserade was something that completely stunned them. Especially after how easily I had taken out her Spiritomb.
  
  I did not share their surprise at Luna's defeat. But I WAS impresssed at how deceptively and intelligently Cynthia could fight. That was an excellent bait.
  
  But I could admire Cynthia's team later; I had a battle to win. And a plant to squash.
  
  "Smough! Squash that plant! But don't eat it!"
  
  My beloved Smough emerged onto the field with a threatening roar, causing the fallen leaves to shake on the ground from the volume alone. Smough glared at his opponent, his challenging eyes meeting calm ones. It had been some time since he had fought in a proper battle, but I had not neglected his training.
  
  Roserade would not able to tank through Smough's attacks, that was for sure.
  
  "Earthquake, Smough. And charge forwards!"
  
  "Leap into the air and Energy Ball!"
  
  Smough charged forwards as the ground cracked apart at the seams; the Earthquake ripped through the makeshift stadium with powerful tremors exploding out from the ground as the earth shattered around him. Roserade managed to dodge out of the way by jumping into the air while firing off a volley of Energy Balls that rained down on Smough.
  
  However, with its Special Attack harshly dropped due to its earlier Leaf Storm, Smough merely let off a dismissive grunt as he allowed the Energy Balls to detonate harmlessly on him. Smough's Special Defense was even higher than Luna's - these Energy Balls weren't going to do anything to him.
  
  "Stun Spore, Roserade! Paralyze it."
  
  "Fire Punch, Smough. Ignite the spores!"
  
  Realizing its attacks were ineffective, Roserade switched tactics and let out a huge cloud of yellow spores that fluttered towards Smough. However, before they could land and paralyze Smough, he waved a flaming fist in the air, leaving behind a trail of fire that simply scorched all the spores before they could paralyze him. Even the secretly hidden Leech Seed, which I initially didn't even realize was there, was also burnt up and turned to ash before they could implant themselves in Smough.
  
  All the while, he continued charging forwards, getting ever closer to reaching Roserade.
  
  "Retreat further and Grass Knot Roserade! Don't let it catch you!"
  
  "Seismic Eruption, Smough! Trip it up!"
  
  Roserade continued to back off, understanding that she was screwed if Smough ever got close enough to reach it. In the meanwhile, she tried to form a large tendril of grass around Smough's legs to trip him up, but Smough moved first.
  
  Letting out a bellowing roar, Smough did a small hop and crashed loudly into the ground, causing the ground to shatter apart once again. Huge cracks spiderwebbed from his landing point as explosive tremors ravaged the arena, spreading destruction wherever they went. Roserade, caught off-guard, was only barely able to leap into the air in time with her pure reaction speed.
  
  However, that was when huge spears of rocks suddenly shot up from the ground, impaling the surprised Roserade and pinning the Roserade in the air in a cage of stone. To Roserade's credit, she immediately summoned a storm of razor sharp leaves as she tried to both cut her way out of the stony prison that kept her trapped while also firing some off at Smough to deter his approach.
  
  It was a clever, if desperate, tactic that may have worked against other opponents, but it wasn't able to distract Smough for long enough before he reached his target.
  
  Roserade let out as strangled gasp as she suddenly found herself crushed within Smough's vice-like grip, before that gasp turned into a pained cry as Smough ruthlessly smashed the much smaller Grass type into the ground.
  
  Cynthia grimaced as I smiled. With Roserade trapped in Smough's grasp, we both knew that how this would end.
  
  "SPORE! NOW!"
  
  "Zen Headbutt, Smough! RAM IT!"
  
  In desperation, Roserade hastily tried to put Smough to sleep by emitting a small cloud of spores, but she was barely able to create any before Smough brutally smashed their heads together with a devastating Zen Headbutt that impacted with such force that it even cracked the ground beneath them.
  
  The small spores did managed to land on Smough, but Smough was always sleepy and lazy. He didn't even realize the status move had even landed.
  
  "SNORLAXXX!" Letting out a powerful roar, Smough pummeled the helpless Roserade with a savage and brutal barrage of Fire Punches that smashed Roserade deeper into the ground, as if burying her further into the ground with each slam of his fists.
  
  A sneaky tendril of grass tried to trip over Smough, but Roserade failed to execute the Grass Knot as she flinched repeatedly from Smough's violent assault.
  
  "Earthquake, Smough! Finish it off!"
  
  "That's enough! I'm withdrawing Roserade from the fight."
  
  Smough was about to jump and crack the ground once again with another Earthquake, but Cynthia quickly intervened and moved to withdraw Roserade before the attack could land. She knew that Roserade would not be able to fight any longer.
  
  "AND JOHN'S SNORLAX TRIUMPHS OVER CYNTHIA'S ROSERADE WITH A DEVESTATING ONSLAUGHT OF ATTACKS! ROSERADE DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE WHEN SNORLAX GOT CLOSE!" The referee shouted out, "THIS PUTS THE MATCH AT 2-1! WHAT A BACK AND FORTH FIGHT WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR!"
  
  "BUT NOW CHALLENGER CYNTHIA IS ON HER LAST POKEMON! CAN SHE MAKE A REVERSAL?! SHE HAS 30 SECONDS TO DECIDE WHO SHE'LL BE USING!"
  
  This time, Cynthia fell silent as she stared at me thoughtfully, obviously deliberating on what her final Pokémon would be. I could see her mind whirling as she continued to sneak repeated glances towards Smough, eying up my Pokémon with a piercingly analytical gaze.
  
  What did she see in Smough? And what was she prepared to reveal to counter him?
  
  After all, this was only a showmatch. If Cynthia had the ambitions I thought she did, then she would be wary of revealing all of her tricks in a battle like this. This was a battle with most of the known world watching, so her performance here mattered greatly for her reputation. But this was ultimately still a battle for no stakes.
  
  If she revealed too much, she might regret it later. It was a fine balance between a show of strength and showing too much.
  
  Either way, I was excited to see what she would be bringing out last.
  
  A.N. And this is the first part of the Cynthia fight! I hope you enjoyed it. I really struggled with writing this chapter because I wanted to show how strong Cynthia was while not downplaying John's own strengths.
  
  But like I said, these were merely their weaker Pokémon. So while Cynthia might be on the backfoot now, but she's still got many tricks up her sleeve. And in a real 6v6 fight, Cynthia would be a much harder opponent. But then again, so would John.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man!
  
  Also, this chapter coincidentally marks the 1 year anniversary of this story. All I can say is thank you so much for your continued support for my story, and the fact that you all continue to interact and engage it. Thank you. I never expected this level of support when I first started, especially for my first story, so to see everyone continue to be supportive has been a great motivator for me to keep writing.
  
  I appreciate each and every one of you. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-6 - A Display of Power
  
  I didn't need to wait long, because Cynthia quickly made up her mind as she fished up her last Pokéball. I leaned forwards instinctively, waiting to see which of her Pokémon she had chosen.
  
  "Lucario. Defeat them."
  
  And her Lucario was her answer, which came sprinting out of its Pokéball in a blur as it immediately charged into the fight. Before Smough could even brace himself, Lucario suddenly exploded forwards in a burst of Extreme Speed and delivered a critical volley of strikes towards Smough with a barrage of Mach Punches.
  
  Smough let out a groan of pain and instinctively reacted with a swift jab, but Lucario instantly parried it with an arm and smashed another fist into Smough.
  
  "Hammer Arm, Smough! Fight back!"
  
  "Close Combat, Lucario! Keep going!"
  
  Smough let out a roar as he raised his arm threateningly into the air, looking to slam Lucario with a devastating Hammer Punch. Smough's arm came down with surprising speed, but Lucario was faster.
  
  Instead of moving to dodge, Lucario fully committed to its attack, following up with a brutal assault of punches; each punch from Lucario landed with an audible thump and left visible indents into Smough's body that sent Smough reeling back in pain. Short grooves were formed in the ground as Smough skidded back from the force of the assault.
  
  "Protect, Smough!"
  
  "Low Kick, Lucario! Trip it up!"
  
  Trying to buy time, I had Smough try to set up a Protect shield to halt Lucario's offensive momentum and give Smough a chance to reorient himself. But before the Protect shield formed, Lucario had already rushed forwards and lashed out with a strong kick, striking decisively at one of Smough's legs and causing the heavy Pokémon to let out a surprised groan as he tripped over himself.
  
  "Brick Break! Combo it!"
  
  "EARTHQUAKE, SMOUGH!"
  
  Thinking Smough was vulnerable, Lucario's arms started glowing a powerful white as it prepared to chop down with what would have been a painful Brick Break. However, Smough was not as helpless as Lucario expected, and retaliated by slamming into the ground with his full body weight and letting out a powerful Earthquake that caused the already destroyed arena to break apart entirely.
  
  The ground exploded from beneath them; what remained of the arena was little more than small islands of rocks barely joined together.
  
  Lucario let out a cry of pain as it fell to its knees, failing to dodge away in time from the sudden eruption of explosive tremors.
  
  "Body Press, Smough!"
  
  "Extreme Speed and Force Palm!"
  
  "SNORLAXX!" Leaping off the ground, Smough let out a ferocious roar as he tried to squash the smaller Lucario beneath the full weight of his body. However, recovering quickly, Lucario dashed out of the way with another Extreme Speed, and Smough suddenly found himself being smashed with an upright palm to the face that struck with such force that it created an audible BANG.
  
  The force of the attack was so great that, despite his weight, it still sent Smough flying through the air. And unwilling to leave things at that, Lucario rocketed forwards in a blue and black blur as it dashed after him, driving into him with a hard High Jump Kick that sent Smough spinning through the air straight into the psychic barriers.
  
  The crowd went wild as Smough smashed limply into the barriers, cheering out their support for Lucario's brutal performance.
  
  After all, my Smough had a reputation of victories against very well-established and powerful trainers. So to put up this good of a fight against him was far beyond many of their expectations for Cynthia. But Lucario was doing more than 'putting up a good fight'. It was overwhelming Smough with its ridiculous speed.
  
  I knew I needed to deal with Lucario's insane speed advantage over Smough, or else he would not last much longer. There was still a limit to how much punishment Smough could take.
  
  Nor could I reuse the method that I used against Karen's Weavile. Trying to set up with Belly Drum right now would be idiotic, as with Lucario's power, Smough would find himself quickly finished off before he could even make use of his boosts. Furthermore, relying on his self-healing moves would only be delaying the inevitable; Lucario didn't seem like it could be worn down like that.
  
  I only really had one recourse.
  
  "YAWN!"
  
  "Aura Sphere, keep your distance."
  
  We both ordered our Pokémon at the same time. Cynthia must have thought that I would have tried to catch Lucario off-guard with a surprise attack and played it safe with a barrage of Aura Spheres instead. Despite it being the weaker of the two choices, the attack was no less devastating as a barrage of orbs exploded before Smough even landed on the ground.
  
  However, for a fraction of a second, Smough managed to land his Yawn on Lucario, and the Fighting type suddenly stumbled over as drowsiness began to set in.
  
  Cynthia frowned, but so did I. Lucario falling asleep would be utterly detrimental. It would be completely helpless to whatever attack Smough could fire off; and it was very likely it would not be able to endure through it. Its offense might have been very impressive, but I suspected the same could not be said for its defenses.
  
  On the other hand, Smough was in a terrible state. He had barely managed to pull himself up from the ground, his arms shaking as he did, and it was clear that the previous onslaught of attacks had really done a number on him. It was never a good sign when your Pokémon was heaving for breath and standing uncertainly.
  
  He looked like he was already on his last legs. How hard did that Lucario hit?
  
  It had been a very long time since I saw Smough completely outclassed like this. There couldn't have been a worse matchup for him. Worse, I couldn't tell if Cynthia's frown was a bluff or not; did she have some way of dispelling the Yawn that I wasn't aware of?
  
  However, I did not have the luxury to think of what my next best move would be, as Cynthia went back on the offensive.
  
  "Extreme Speed into Close Combat, Lucario. Finish it off."
  
  "Counter, Smough! Punish it!"
  
  Lucario disappeared once more as it rushed forth with Extreme Speed, doing its best to suppress the forced drowsiness. In the meanwhile, Smough began glowing orange as he prepared to Counter any attack Lucario made, ready to retaliate with the full amount of energy absorbed. I could only remain confident that Smough could withstand the attack.
  
  My confidence was instantly put to the test as Lucario reappeared directly in front of Smough, striking with a flurry of explosive punches that caused Smough to groan out in pain. But just like I hoped, Smough endured, and with burning rage filling his eyes, he transformed all of that absorbed energy into his arms as he smashed down with a cataclysmic Hammer Arm that would shatter all in its wake.
  
  However, with reaction speeds that bordered on precognition, Lucario perfectly manoeuvred out of the way of the attack, causing it to go wide and merely strike the air next to Lucario.
  
  It was a perfectly executed Detect.
  
  And as Smough's rage turned to horror as the realisation of his missed attack, Lucario leapt into the air and delivered a head-snapping High Jump Kick to the back of Smough's head.
  
  The attack landed with an audible CRACK, causing Smough's entire body to twist briefly through the air as he was sent crashing painfully into the ground. Not letting anything up to chance, Lucario crushed whatever defiance remained in Smough by driving a merciless Cross Chop straight into Smough's neck, cracking the ground around it and knocking out my Snorlax.
  
  It was only after my Snorlax fainted, and the adrenaline had begun to run out, that the earlier effects of the Yawn began to settle in. Lucario wobbled in place as its eyes drooped, and I could tell that it was using whatever willpower it could to ensure that it did not fall asleep.
  
  I could have immediately returned Smough to his Premier Ball and send out my final Pokémon while Lucario was still trying to fight off the effects of the Yawn, but that was far too unsportsmanlike - especially for a battle that was meant to endear the Sinnoh public to the idea of international cooperation.
  
  So instead, just like the rest of the crowd were doing, I waited patiently to see if Lucario had the mental strength necessary to ward off the sleep.
  
  At some point, Lucario began glowing a bright blue as it channelled its internal aura in a last-ditch burst of willpower in an attempt to steady itself.
  
  Yet even then, it still wasn't enough. After all, I hadn't trained up Smough's Yawn for nothing.
  
  Despite all its efforts, Lucario eventually succumbed to the effects of the Yawn and collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
  
  It was only then did the referee speak up, "...AND THAT PUTS THE MATCH AT 2-2, WITH JOHN'S SNORLAX GOING DOWN TO A POWERFUL COUNTERATTACK FROM CYNTHIA'S LUCARIO! AND WHO WAS EXPECTING THAT LEVEL OF POWER FROM OUR CHALLENGER?! TO BE ABLE TO BRING DOWN THE POKÉMON THAT WON AGAINST DRAKE'S GYARADOS! INCREDIBLE!"
  
  I finally decided to withdraw Smough to his ball, giving an acknowledging nod to Cynthia in recognition of her skills to be able to train her Lucario to this extent. I took a moment to think about who I wanted to use next.
  
  If I wanted to ensure my victory, then Vordt or Tyrant were the most obvious options. But using one of those to defeat a sleeping Lucario would not be in the spirit of things. I knew the crowd wanted an exciting fight full of back-and-forths, so a one-sided victory would not be very interesting to them.
  
  The most important thing about this match was to get the public on our side, to give them a memorable fight between a representative of Indigo and a trainer of Sinnoh. To use Vordt and knock out a sleeping Lucario with a single Earthquake would NOT be conducive to this.
  
  Furthermore, I reminded myself that this was an opportunity to learn. To test out and evaluate the strength of my weaker Pokémon. Winning was not everything here.
  
  Therefore, with that thought in mind, I selected my next Pokémon.
  
  "Klaus, show off your new training!"
  
  I released Klaus onto the field, his magnificent horns gleaming brightly in the sun. He stood tall, looking down regally at the sleeping Lucario, his eyes shining with Psychic power. Ever since my last battle with Bruno, I had done much to train up Klaus, and I wanted to use this battle to show it off.
  
  "Calm Mind, set yourself up."
  
  Though I was holding back, I wasn't going to sandbag to the extent that I would ignore the advantage of a sleeping opponent. Thus, I had Klaus start buffing up his own Special Attack and Special Defense while Lucario continued to snooze unaware on the ground.
  
  "WAKE UP LUCARIO! OR ELSE YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!"
  
  "Agility, Klaus."
  
  Unfortunately, despite Cynthia's shouting, Lucario remained fast asleep - though the slight twitch from his arms told me that it was only a matter of time before he woke up. All the while, Klaus continued to channel his internal energies as he now began buffing up his speed; a necessary action considering just how fast Lucario was. Klaus may have been naturally faster than Smough, yet Lucario's Extreme Speed was on a whole different level.
  
  Eventually, with the first round of buffs settled in, I didn't feel like taking the risk that Lucario would wake up on its own accord. So I decided to start the battle on my own terms.
  
  "Earth Power, Klaus! Give it a nice wake-up call!"
  
  The ground erupted with power, and the arena was already so utterly destroyed at this point that it couldn't be any further damaged. Yet Lucario was suddenly jolted awake with the tremors exploding from underneath its sleeping form, pain coursing through its body as it was rudely and painfully awakened by the supereffective attack.
  
  It let out a surprised yelp, but its focus instantly returned as it retaliated by firing off a quick barrage of Aura Spheres towards Klaus.
  
  "Light Screen and Psychic, Klaus!"
  
  "Extreme Speed and Drain Punch, Lucario! Move quickly!"
  
  "Teleport and Psychic!"
  
  With impressive discipline, Lucario shrugged off the pain and rushed forwards with another Extreme Speed, one of its fists raised threateningly as it readied to deliver a powerful Drain Punch into Klaus. However, making use of his Agility boosts and all his previous training, Klaus suddenly disappeared into a shimmer of light and reappeared a slight distance away, and behind, Lucario.
  
  This was what all that training had been for. The ability to Teleport in battle, as Will demonstrated in his spar against me, was an excellent thing to have. All of a sudden, Klaus' mobility was upgraded by a significant degree as he was now able to appear and attack from practically any angle on the battlefield. He was still not able to Teleport long distances at the moment, but I thought that, with such a surprising move, Klaus would be able to surprise and land a successful hit on Lucario.
  
  To my OWN surprise, it did not work out that way.
  
  As Klaus' flashed into existence behind Lucario, it reacted as if it had eyes on the back of its head. Moving by pure instinct and experience, Lucario dove to the side into a forward roll, creating just enough distance to narrowly dodge out of the way of the incoming Psychic blast, an explosion detonating on the ground where Lucario was in previously.
  
  Disgruntled or offended by Lucario's dodging skills, Klaus immediately tried to follow up with another wave of Psychic, one powerful enough that it tore up the ground as it travelled, which this time caught Lucario with a glancing blow as it couldn't quite move out of the way in time.
  
  This was the moment. I had to shut down that speed.
  
  "Thunder Wave, Klaus!"
  
  "Vacuum Wave, Lucario!"
  
  However, Lucario moved first, firing off a twisting wave of Fighting Energy that caused Klaus to stumble back, hitting him with just enough force to interrupt his Thunder Wave.
  
  "Stone Edge, Lucario! Use the broken arena!"
  
  "Teleport and Psychic!"
  
  The repeated use of Extreme Speed was visibly taking a toll on Lucario as its stamina was rapidly burned, but its eyes still flashed before huge chunks of the arena began being ripped out from the ground and thrown like javelins towards Klaus, leaving giant gaping holes in the ground in their wake.
  
  Klaus immediately Teleported out of there just before the stones crashed and destroyed his previous position, repositioning slightly away and prepared to fire off a retaliatory burst of Psychic.
  
  "EARTHQUAKE, LUCARIO!"
  
  However, as if Cynthia had anticipated this, Lucario once again caught Klaus by surprise by unleashing a wide earthquake that caused the ground to shake and rumble once again. However, even as exhaustion began to take hold within Lucario, the Earthquake still managed to rip apart the arena.
  
  Klaus' Psychic was interrupted as he fell to his knees, stumbling from the Earthquake.
  
  "Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash, Lucario!"
  
  Trying to push the advantage as much as possible, Cynthia ordered Lucario forward once again. It rushed forwards, forcing itself to close the distance with Klaus as it readied a ferocious flurry of Steel punches that would have pummelled and devastated a vulnerable Klaus.
  
  Yet Lucario was too tired. It no longer had the overwhelming speed it once did, though it was still very fast. But Klaus was not on my Elite team for nothing, and that slight drop in speed was all that Klaus needed.
  
  "Thunder Wave, Klaus! Paralyze it!"
  
  Before Lucario managed to get in close and deliver its pummelling, Klaus released a paralytic wave of electricity that forced itself into Lucario.
  
  The paralysis immediately set in, and Lucario's muscles began to lock up. Yet Lucario preserved. Before its muscles could fail it, it drove itself forwards with those final few steps and smashed a savage Meteor Mash that collided deeply with Klaus' face. A follow-up Cross Chop to the throat cut off Klaus' grunt of pain and another Force Palm sent him skidding back.
  
  Lucario tried to take another step forwards to continue his assault before the paralysis could really take effect, but a quick Psychic from Klaus blasted him back and halted his assault.
  
  I wanted to fire off another Earth Power to capitalize on the Psychic, but the blows that he had repeatedly taken to the head had caused Klaus to become disoriented and dizzy; his head falling limp as he struggled to regain his concentration. Though Lucario was no better as it collapsed onto its knees; its heavy wounds and the paralysis causing its muscles to refuse to obey and move.
  
  I frowned as I observed the state of the battle. On the one hand, Lucario was exhausted, paralysed, and practically on its last legs from its injuries. However, Klaus was little better, and though he had far less injuries, he was dazed and disoriented because Lucario simply hit REALLY hard - the fact that he dominated Smough was enough of an indicator of its strength. Klaus' health advantage wasn't as much of one as it was on paper.
  
  In that moment, I ended up coincidentally locking eyes with Cynthia, and we both knew that the battle was about to be over.
  
  "EXTREME SPEED, LUCARIO! FINISH IT OFF!"
  
  "PSYCHIC, KLAUS! FULL POWER!"
  
  Using whatever remains of the energy that it had left, Lucario burst forwards for the final time - fully committing itself to its last Extreme Speed. Its face was twisted with both exhaustion and conviction, with its teeth grit HARD as it willed itself to move forwards - his entire form began glowing a bright blue as it did so.
  
  There was nothing but the pure, blazing determination of a Pokémon that had seen the perfect opportunity to win, and who was willing to do anything to follow through for the victory. Paralysis or not, Lucario was. Charging. FORWARDS.
  
  Thus, in less than a second, Lucario reappeared like a blur in front of Klaus with a Cross Chop that came straight for Klaus' neck. Right at the same time, Klaus' eyes flashed blue as he unleashed a huge wave of dangerous Psychic energy that caught Lucario head on.
  
  There was no way for either Pokémon to dodge, even if Klaus had already been simultaneously channelling a Teleport - it was already too late. It all came down to who's attack landed first.
  
  The Cross Chop came slicing down like a guillotine straight onto Klaus' neck. It was an attack of perfectly targeted precision. A deadly critical hit. And without a cry or even a grunt of pain, Klaus wordlessly collapse onto the ground.
  
  It was the perfect execution. A coup de grâce.
  
  At the same time, Lucario was helplessly launched backwards as it took the full brunt of Klaus' vicious eruption of all of his accumulated Psychic energy. Not having any way to Protect itself against it, Lucario crashed helplessly onto the ground, its body twitching from the lingering effects of the paralysis.
  
  But twitching was all it could do, for Lucario had been knocked out as well.
  
  That was it. The battle was over.
  
  A moment of silence descended on the battlefield as everyone stood there, stunned at the outcome of the match. Until it was interrupted by the voice of the referee, "...I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! JOHN'S WYRDEER ACTUALLY GOES DOWN TO CYNTHIA'S LUCARIO, BUT IT BROUGHT THE LUCARIO DOWN WITH IT! YET CHALLENGER CYNTHIA HAS DONE IT! PULLING OFF A COMEBACK TO SECURE HER MATCH INTO A TIE! THE SCORE'S 3-3!"
  
  The crowd went crazy at the outcome, cheering and roaring in approval at the exciting match that they just watched. I smiled - this was exactly the kind of reaction I hoped to receive. Even if today's match ended in a draw, I had set out what I accomplished to do. The hype generated from this battle would do wonders for the public's perception of Indigo.
  
  "...I SERIOUSLY CAN'T BELIEVE IT! BUT WHAT A PERFORMANCE FROM CHALLENGER CYNTHIA!" The referee declared, and the crowd exploded further into rapturous cheering and applause.
  
  And I couldn't agree more with the referee's words. Even if I was holding back, the match wouldn't nearly be as exciting if it wasn't for Cynthia's magnificent performance. She was every bit as incredible as I hoped she would be.
  
  Would my reputation take a hit for achieving a draw against a so-called 'unknown' trainer? Sure, but only to those who didn't know better. I wasn't Will or Lorelei. I was more than confident that my strength was solidly entrenched in the minds of the public.
  
  No, this was Cynthia's time to shine. This was her first step into the spotlight.
  
  Especially considering how the fight started, with me completely dominating Cynthia's Spiritomb with Luna. Only to have her Lucario achieve an effective 2v1 against my own Pokémon. That was an incredible comeback.
  
  Speaking of Cynthia, she had been giving polite smiles and waves to the crowd, though her eyes revealed her true elation. I moved to withdraw Klaus, making sure to pet his Premier Ball comfortingly in reassurance as she basked in the attention for a moment.
  
  "...An excellent fight. Truly." She said as she approached, "I know that if I had chosen anything weaker than my Lucario, it would have been my crushing defeat. If I was honest, I wanted to see how Lucario would have matched up to the likes of your Ursaluna or Slaking, but I knew Lucario likely would have lost."
  
  "I'm sure your Lucario would have put up a good fight either way." I praised, "But yes, it was a very good fight. I certainly learnt more than I expected to; it's not often when I can afford to not fight with my all to secure victory."
  
  "Though if you could satisfy my curiosity for a moment, how much were you holding back?" I asked.
  
  She tapped her finger on her chin, "With Lucario? Not at all. I consider him the second strongest Pokémon on my team." She admitted.
  
  "I wanted to show off his new training with the Teleports, so I thought that this was an excellent opportunity for it." I replied, "But...well, maybe I overestimated its effectiveness."
  
  "I wouldn't say that. I'm just very experienced at fighting against Pokémon that make use of Teleport." She said matter-of-factly, not a hint of boasting in her voice. "And if I may be so bold, there were better ways to use Teleport. I could tell your Wyrdeer was still new to using Teleport in battle, but why don't you try to have him practice Teleporting directly onto one of those psychic platforms I know you like to use. That way you can have Klaus appear in more unexpected locations during battle."
  
  "And since your platforms can form anywhere in the air, that means you can easily stay out of range by Teleporting to a platform that is really high up. Then you'll have the natural advantages that Flying types do."
  
  I nodded. That was some good advice, though it was surprising that she managed to think of that on the spot.
  
  "...I will take that into consideration." I responded, "Though I have my own suggestion for you. It's something I picked up from my training against Bruno. Watch my battle against him, and you can see that his Fighting types are able to break through Psychic moves with some very precise channelling of Dark type energies. Maybe you can do the same."
  
  "...I DO remember seeing that." She nodded slowly, "...Yes, that's something I'll look into."
  
  "Perhaps we could discuss more about this battle soon?" I suggested, "I personally have plenty to ask."
  
  "Same here." She replied, "I find that I learn the most after a good battle like this. And I did note that I definitely need to spend more time practicing against Fairy types. My Spiritomb's performance was far more underwhelming than I hoped for."
  
  "But first we have to deal with the crowd." I responded sarcastically, "How much do you want to bet that there will be headlines reporting about how I drew against you?"
  
  "It's your first draw, is it not? At least, since you became Elite Four?" Cynthia asked, and I nodded in return. "Hm...I hope I haven't caused you any trouble then."
  
  I shook my head, "It was bound to happen one day. If anything, I felt that you were a worthy opponent to have drawn against. I greatly anticipate what you would do next, if your team is this strong."
  
  She laughed, "I'll try to not let your compliment go to my head." Then the two of us turned to face the crowd and prepared for the upcoming slog of interviews.
  
  As the horde of reporters made their way towards us, I took a moment to reflect on how I felt after this battle.
  
  I acknowledged that this had been a great learning opportunity for me. As Cynthia had pointed out, just because I had learnt a new move doesn't mean that the move could be successfully utilized. It was a timely reminder to not become too tunnel-visioned into relying too heavily on surprise and new attacks.
  
  It was better to have learnt this lesson now, when they were still no consequences. The next time might not be so forgiving.
  
  A.N. And that concludes Cynthia v John! Yes, they were both holding back - John more than Cynthia, but I wanted to portray that even if something is new and shiny, doesn't mean that it can always be put to good use. John will learn from this.
  
  And of course, Cynthia's Lucario is no joke. As you would expect. Plus, Cynthia is certainly no average trainer to be underestimated, and her ability to think on the fly and adapt to new situations is incredible. Hope you enjoyed the fight!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  EDIT : Thanks to all your comments, I have subsequently edited this fight to hopefully make it more in line with my original vision of the fight and to make it more balanced and reasonable. I hope it's better!
  
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  The New Normal- 8-6 - Interlude - Karen
  The New Normal - 8-6 - Interlude - Karen & Lorelei
  
  (Karen POV)
  
  Having just finished up with her usual meeting with Agatha in Lavender Town, Karen flew over to Pewter City with the pleasant breeze blowing past her face. She had regularly visited Brock and his siblings; it served as a nice break from the remedial training sessions that she had been doing over the past few weeks.
  
  And yet, her mood remained pensive.
  
  Since her victory against Sidney, her reputation had unsurprisingly skyrocketed. Many were now labelling her as the "Best Dark type specialist in the world". In her opinion, such a title was far too overblown and overly arrogant. She was NOT the best Dark type specialist in the world. She still considered Sidney to be her better on that front.
  
  However, Agatha was not about to let this opportunity slip away.
  
  The old crone jumped on her success, making it known to the world that Karen was HER apprentice and HER successor. That crafty elderly woman was quick to also use the opportunity to promote Lavender Town as THE place to learn how to fight like a proper Ghost/Dark type specialist.
  
  Agatha was doing everything she can to shove the benefits and appeal of Lavender Town into the minds of the public and had forcefully roped Karen into helping out. Despite her grumbling, she didn't mind too much; she just saw this as a way of paying back Agatha for her teachings and helping the old lady finally work to achieving her long-time dream. Still, she couldn't deny that all this running around tired her out.
  
  But despite all this, it wasn't the reason why she felt so concerned.
  
  On her mind were two things - Lorelei's upcoming battle against Surge and John's recent draw against the unknown Cynthia. She didn't care too much about the former, but the latter was FAR more relevant to her.
  
  She didn't care too much that the news had been reporting about John's draw against Cynthia, or how they were claiming that a draw for John was considered a loss for him. Although Karen admitted that she was also surprised at the outcome of the match when she had watched it live. She didn't think Cynthia was THAT strong of a trainer.
  
  She definitely reconsidered her opinion of Cynthia now. As were most people.
  
  To be fair to John, not everyone was lambasting him over his draw, and there were equally as many that were speaking up in support of John's actions for being a good sport as there were those that labelled him as weak. Besides, it was clear to any observant trainer that John was holding back.
  
  That being said, Karen was more focused on not overlooking Cynthia's strengths and her incredibly diverse array of powerful Pokémon. When she was watching the match, Karen had wondered how Cynthia managed to train up all those different types of Pokémon without them clashing against each other. Even Agatha was impressed.
  
  "You're lucky that that girl isn't going to be one of your contenders during this circuit's Indigo Conference." She had said, "I'm sure you'll put up a decent fight, but she would stomp you so hard into the ground they'd have trouble pulling you out of the rubble. Just look at what she managed with John."
  
  "But John WAS holding back." She insisted.
  
  "Sure, and I believe that too, but we haven't seen everything from Cynthia either, have we?" Agatha reminded her sharply, "I've seen plenty of 'great' trainers over the years. Many don't live up to the hype. But Cynthia...she'll be one to watch."
  
  As her Honchkrow let out a cry to remind her of their imminent arrival, Karen shook her head and put those thoughts aside for now. She had spoken to John since the draw, and he didn't seem that overly bothered by it.
  
  From what John had said over their call, he wasn't overly bothered by the fight because he found Cynthia to be a worthy opponent to fight and draw against. In fact, he spent most of the call describing the fight in detail and heaping praises on what Cynthia had accomplished as a trainer, as well as what they had done together around Sinnoh.
  
  Karen supposed she should have been feeling relieved at that John was unbothered by the comments. But without being to fully explain why, she felt uncomfortable and wary at John's slew of compliments about Cynthia. The more John talked about Cynthia, the more that feeling grew. She didn't know what it was. Was it jealousy she was feeling?
  
  Was this what feeling on the backfoot was like?
  
  A voice in her mind whispered treacherously, "What if you lose him to her? Hasn't he been far less talkative to you recently?"
  
  He was free to do whatever he liked, she argued back. But the voice just snorted, "That is the lie that you tell yourself. To make yourself feel better if he ever gets with someone else."
  
  We'd still be friends, she tried, but she could feel the weakness in her own argument. The voice just cackled, "As if you would be content with a mere friendship. No, you always wanted more, but you were too scared and turned him down. Like a scared kid who knew nothing but the orphanage that she was raised in."
  
  She gritted her teeth at her own inner thoughts, but then forcefully pushed them to the side as she got close to the Pewter Gym. Everything was fine, she told herself, and there was no need to let the kids see her unhappy, else they'd pester her with questions that she'd rather not answer. Besides, she was here to check up on them and make sure they were happy.
  
  "Unlike yourself." The voice whispered once again.
  
  She even brought a few gifts. And the new regent, a political toady and compromise candidate from the League, knew better than to stop her visits.
  
  She could think about her problems with John another time. For now, she had kids to spoil.
  
  (Lorelei POV)
  
  Lorelei took a deep breath as she stood outside a plain-looking house around the centre of Mahogany. She had been doing everything she could to put off this meeting as much as possible but had finally run out of excuses. In the end, she found herself here, finally answering her uncle's summons.
  
  To be completely honest, she didn't think she needed the help. This wasn't borne of out of arrogance, but rather because she really was confident at her chances at defeating Surge. She had only gotten stronger since the days where she struggled against Walker, and from her research, Surge was around the same level as him. Therefore, Lorelei would stay cautious, but she was optimistic about the upcoming battle.
  
  But a very familiar voice broke her out of her thoughts, "Are you just going to stand outside all day, oh niece of mine? Or are you going to stop idling about and actually come inside?" Her uncle berated her in his usual aggravating tone, and Lorelei bristled.
  
  "You know I could just walk away right now, uncle. You haven't exactly been deserving of my attention." She shot back, anger rising in her mind.
  
  "Unless you want others hearing about your strategy against Surge, you better come inside." Her uncle merely continued, either ignoring or unaware of her anger. "I don't have all day; I still have to return to my Gym duties later. So if you could?"
  
  Pride warred with reason. And pride won, "That tone of voice isn't granting you any favours. I guess you didn't really mellow out since your forced retirement. Or are you not enjoying your time as a Gym Leader?"
  
  "Please, as if they would offer me any other position other than as Gym Leader of Mahogany, especially after you went and joined the Elite Four." Pryce scoffed, "No one else could fit the role, other than me. Just as I intended."
  
  "And was destroying my reputation part of your 'plan', Pryce!?" She near-shouted, her anger flaring again, "Do you know how hard I struggled to make my way into the Elite Four just so that I could even BEGIN clearing my name of your stench?"
  
  "It worked, didn't it?" Her uncle shrugged, brushing off her anger once again, "But never mind. I'm not here to discuss the past, I'm here to discuss the future."
  
  "And what is there to talk about, dearest uncle?" Lorelei said sarcastically, "It's not like you were ever concerned with it in the past."
  
  "Surge is not your true opponent." Her uncle continued, choosing to ignore her words once again, "You would be a fool to become conceited because of your incoming victory over him."
  
  "Yeah, I knew that already-" She tried to say, only to be interrupted by her uncle once again.
  
  "What you should be preparing for is whoever comes AFTER Surge." He said sharply, "Surge is merely a hot-headed fool with too little brain and too much brawn. He compensates for his lack of ability with his eagerness. But others will not lack this weakness and will simply be using Surge to scout out your recent potential."
  
  "Are you warning me?" She asked, a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
  
  "You may have distanced yourself from me politically, but you are still my niece." Pryce simply said, "Regardless of how you might feel about me, I AM invested in your success. And so, do not let yourself grow content. The true challenge has yet to truly appear. Both politically and otherwise."
  
  "You mean like how you grew complacent?" She immediately shot back, and she knew it was successful as a scowl formed on her uncle's face. Taking that as the victory it was, Lorelei merely turned around, "Thanks for the invite, uncle. Maybe next time you can actually say things while still being polite about it."
  
  Without saying goodbye, she simply walked away and moved away from her uncle's place. But as she left, her uncle's words continued swirling around in her mind.
  
  Was he right?
  
  A.N. I felt like there needed to be 2 POVs here, so I hope you enjoyed it. They both had a common theme, which was about the characters' personal relationships with others. Karen is realizing John might start looking elsewhere, and Lorelei and Pryce's relationship is still very much broken. But maybe it's on the mend.
  
  Also, I would like to address the comments specifically on FF. Thank you to those who kept their comments constructive and civil. Sadly, FF doesn't allow me to respond without posting a chapter, so I had to wait until now to do so. I will try to address the relevant points here:
  
  1. On Cynthia's strength/John's weakness - Knowing this fight was coming, I had previously highlighted that Cynthia's team was very strong. This was why you had the Lucian interlude and Cynthia interlude, and John made similar comments when he first saw her Lucario as he compared it to something he thought Bruno would use. Therefore, John was always going to be losing Pokemon to her team. Cynthia is very much on John's level despite her current lack of reputation, and this was what I wanted to show in this chapter as I have plans for Cynthia as hinted already. Though I do acknowledge the fight could have been better written on Klaus' end.
  
  2. On the 'consequences' to John - It's a matter of public record that John's strength is proven and undeniable. His victories against Drake, Bruno, Giovanni, and his actions in Hoenn, have all cemented his strength in the public eye. Frankly speaking, to say that John's singular draw against Cynthia (who is a Conference winner) will destroy his reputation is a little too far considering all that has happened. The people do have eyes, and they would have seen Cynthia's strength in that match alone. That doesn't mean John's reputation won't take a hit, but it's really not as bad as some have described.
  
  3. On the 'consequences' to Indigo - This one just confused me. The whole purpose of this fight is to attract attention to Indigo and Sinnoh and show off both sides. The draw here does not affect Indigo's or Sinnoh's negotiation position. Right now, Sinnoh is a mess politically and is wary of foreigners due to a proud tradition of isolationism. If John had curbstomped Cynthia (if he could), then that would piss off Sinnoh. The best thing to do is to make nice with Sinnoh, to show that we are as welcoming as they hope us to be. A show of strength/weakness is not going to affect the negotiation position because Indigo and Sinnoh are not entering this as enemies, but are trying to establish themselves as friends. This fight is just another cool thing to show the public.
  
  Nevertheless, as the author, the failing is on my end for not communicating the above properly either through worldbuilding or otherwise. Further, the above are just my opinions on the matter and do not invalidate your opinions. I still appreciate the engagement I've received on the chapter and on the others. While I cannot promise that I will adhere to all your suggestions, I CAN promise that they will be kept in mind as I continue writing. Thanks as always!
  
  Thanks to Allute for BETAing this chapter! Cheers man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-7 - A Galactic Introduction
  
  As soon as the match was over, I had hardly any more time to talk to Cynthia as she became THE target for all of the interviews. By nightfall, her name was spread across all of the worlds as everyone tried to get a clearer picture of WHO this new rising star was.
  
  Questions came pouring in for her, trying to get to know more about who she was and how she managed to get so strong. There were plenty of overly dramatic news articles the next day about her, but I knew that it wouldn't last.
  
  Our match wasn't done under any formal circumstances, and the hype would die down as soon as everyone cottoned on that we were both holding back. But even if the attention and spotlight would die down, Cynthia was doing her best to make full use of it. She had ambitions that she wanted to realize.
  
  On the other hand, while people were quick to heap their praises onto Cynthia, I was subjected to several pointed questions about how I managed to draw against her.
  
  It just all seemed overdramatic. It hadn't been that long since my battle against Bruno, and yet now some news sources were painting it as if I was on my way out of the Elite Four. Fortunately, the public were not all mindless drones, and I had seen on the Pokénet that I still received my fair share of supporters.
  
  More importantly, those who were ACTUALLY important knew that this wasn't some indication of weakness from me. The messages that I received from Lance, Will, Karen, and my other friends were more curious about Cynthia and how strong she was rather than blasting me over my draw.
  
  Besides, I no longer solely relied on my reputation of strength to remain in the Elite Four. My stance on internationalism, for example, was now developing momentum on its own and wasn't something that I solely had to take care of. Plus, the strong connections and friendships that I had cemented wouldn't be affected by this draw.
  
  Still, I recognised that the perception of my strength would take a hit - but it was nothing I couldn't recover from in time. Plus, while I was still in Sinnoh, I could avoid most of the more pointed questions for the time being.
  
  Nevertheless, during times where the public's attention was focused on me or someone close to me, I would do my best to lie low and let the attention die down for a few days before making any public appearances. Unfortunately for me, Cynthia had other plans.
  
  "You want to take me on a tour of Sinnoh?" I asked her, "Why now?" When there were so many reporters after us, was left unsaid but understood.
  
  "No point changing our plans because of some pestering. I refuse to let my plans be dictated by these nosy nobodies that try to muscle in on our business." She replied adamantly, "And besides, it's already been a few days since our fight, I don't see why you're still worried about the attention. Plus, you've been here for some time now, but you still haven't really explored beyond the measly borders of this humble town. Have you not wanted to see more of Sinnoh?" She gave me a pointed look that stated she would accept no refusal.
  
  "Well of course." I responded, before offering a sigh. "Okay...let's just head out."
  
  "Brilliant." Cynthia smiled, "I'm glad you said that, because I wasn't the only one hoping to drag you along."
  
  "Wait, who else is there?" I questioned curiously.
  
  "You probably didn't see because of all those reporters swarming around the two of us, but Flint came up to speak with me yesterday. Him and Aaron both." She answered. "Great conversationalists, the two of them."
  
  "Anyways, Flint told me that he wanted an opportunity to speak to you for longer." She continued, "So I told him about my plans, and he agreed to join in. Figured we could make a day out of exploring some of the more prominent places of Sinnoh."
  
  "Aaron couldn't make it?" I asked, a little disappointed. I was hoping to meet him.
  
  "Unfortunately not. I think he's meeting your counterpart, Will, today. At least, that's what he told me." Cynthia said, "He did say to pass on his regards to you. He was very apologetic for not being able to greet you personally."
  
  "That's fine, I appreciate his words regardless." I waved her off, "So, where are you bringing me?"
  
  "If you're ready, we're meeting Flint at Jubilife." She told me, hurrying me along as she prepared to ride her Togekiss. Seeing that I wasn't going to be able to worm my way out of this, I followed after her on Port.
  
  Our flight over there was pleasantly silent, with the two of us just naturally enjoying the relaxing and slightly chilly winds of Sinnoh breezing past our faces.
  
  As Jubilife City got closer, Cynthia directed us to land near the southern entrance to the city, just a small ways off from what I recognized was the Trainers School. As we landed, I saw a small crowd of children and parents loitering around outside, with a familiar person with his distinct red haired afro in the middle.
  
  "...Of course, the Fire type is one of the more powerful types." I heard him say as we approached, "But don't forget you need a balance of other types as well. Being a type specialist is all well and good, but you need to learn to adapt to your type's weaknesses. Can you tell me what that means?" He leaned down to ask one of the kids.
  
  "It means you have to be able to win against Water types!" One of the kids answered enthusiastically, waving his arms excitedly in the air.
  
  Flint let out a hearty chuckle, "That's right, kiddo! But don't forget about those Rocks and Ground types! Those are also powerful types against us Fire types."
  
  "Is that why you lose to Bertha?" Another kid, this time wearing glasses, asked. Their parent instantly moved to admonish them for their rude question, but Flint waved them off.
  
  "Hahaha! That's a good question. And yes, Bertha and her Ground types are really strong against me. But don't worry, I'm confident that I'll win next time!" His grin seemed to shine in the midday sun.
  
  "But you don't even have that many Fire types!" Another kid shouted out, only to be berated by their parent. Flint seemed to turn a little embarrassed at that question.
  
  "Yeah...about that...Let's just say that I didn't have that many opportunities to catch Fire types when I first started and leave it at that." He replied a little hesitantly as he scratched his head.
  
  Cynthia and I stood around patiently as Flint continued to play around with the kids, but he must have eventually noticed our presence as, after humouring a few more questions, he waved his goodbyes and promised that he would drop in once again soon.
  
  "Thanks for waiting, sorry about the hold up." He greeted us as the kids left, though some of them were giving us surprised looks of recognition as they saw us, "I thought you'd take a little longer to arrive. Volkner was supposed to be doing this; but he's being actually called away to do something for once."
  
  "No harm done." I replied, "And I hope you enjoyed watching our match yesterday."
  
  "I certainly did!" He laughed, "Like I said to Cynthia yesterday, Aaron and I were both REALLY wowed by the whole fight. Your fight was spectacular, even if you were holding back. And no offense intended Cynthia, but I didn't think you could hold up as well as you did."
  
  "No harm done." Cynthia replied with a smile as her eyes roamed around the Trainer School, "You come here often, Flint?"
  
  "Yep. Volkner and I both." Flint nodded, "Coming to the Trainer School often helps us give back to our communities and for what they've done for us."
  
  There was a history there, but I wisely didn't push.
  
  "That's very nice." I praised instead, "And I can understand the joy. I also found it greatly enjoyable to teach my sister about how to get stronger. Seeing her grow has been very rewarding."
  
  "Yes, that's part of my motivation too." Flint agreed with another nod, "Anyways, enough about that. How are you finding the wondrous Jubilife City, home of the very Jubilife TV station! Where all your propaganda, I mean news, is broadcasted from!"
  
  "It's very modern." I said, looking around, "Even Celadon doesn't compare."
  
  "...I really need to explore Indigo properly one day to understand all your references." Flint said with a frown, "Still, I'm glad you enjoy it. We have much to see, and for all of its modernity, Jubilife isn't even in the top 5 most interesting places in Sinnoh."
  
  "I agree. Let's stick to the itinerary." Cynthia added, checking her watch, "If we head out now, we'd still be on time."
  
  "We have an itinerary?!" I blurted out.
  
  "Of course." Cynthia replied, "I mean, why wouldn't we? We have people who want to meet you, so of course we needed to arrange a schedule."
  
  "...And I wasn't informed about this, why?" I asked again, shooting them a look.
  
  "Come on, you have to be a little spontaneous sometimes." Flint smiled, patting me on the back, "Anyways, enough chatter. Let's bring him over to the next place."
  
  And so we were off once again, flying around in the skies of Sinnoh as we headed off to our next destination. As we flew, I couldn't help but think of why Flint was so insistent on accompanying us. I suspected that he had an agenda in mind, though I was confident that it wasn't one that was hostile against me.
  
  I truly didn't think that Flint had a malicious bone in his body. He was just a little overeager.
  
  Nevertheless, I put that out of my mind for now as I tried to guess where we were flying to. I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as soon as we flew in the opposite direction of Snowpoint City. Beautiful place or not, I was not dressed up warm enough to head over there.
  
  But as we continued flying east, I felt like I had an idea of where we were going.
  
  "Are we heading to Veilstone City?!" I shouted out so that my voice could be heard over the winds in sky.
  
  "How did you guess!" Flint laughed, "But yes, we are! Will pointed out that there was someone that you really should meet, and I agreed!"
  
  Oh shit. I think I knew who he was talking about. There was only one individual of any significance in Veilstone, besides the Gym Leader. "Are you talking about Galactic Company?!" I asked, looking to confirm my suspicions.
  
  "You're really quite the mind-reader!" Flint's grin only grew, "But you're right again!"
  
  "I think it'll be a wonderful opportunity!" Cynthia added, "I've seen your work with Devon Corp and Silph Co! I think Sinnoh would really benefit from this too!"
  
  "Those were only luck!" I replied humbly, though I was trying to conceal what my repulsion and distaste about 'working' with Galactic Company. Working with Giovanni was one thing, but this was an entirely different matter.
  
  Still, my personal distaste aside, the logical part of my brain reminded myself that this was a great opportunity to get the measure of what might likely be one of the largest threats to the continued prosperity of the world. I couldn't afford to pass this up.
  
  So, with a fake smile plastered to my face, I made sure to conceal my dislike in the furthest recess of my mind as we began to land in Veilstone, just near the large and recognisable building of the Galactic Company. The headquarters towered over the rest of the city, making it clear that THIS was the crown jewel of Veilstone, surpassing even the Gym in status.
  
  Already, there was an employee that was waiting patiently for our arrival, as if they expected us. Their cyan bowl cut was impossible to miss.
  
  "I never understood why they all have those haircuts." Cynthia whispered to me as we approached, just quiet enough so that the person couldn't hear us. I smirked and nodded in agreement.
  
  "Hey, there's nothing wrong with unusual hairstyles." Flint protested defensively. "...Though I agree that it's weird that all of their employees are like this." He quickly quieted down as we got close to the employee.
  
  "Greetings, esteemed ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the main offices of the Galactic Company." They greeted with a formal bow, "Please, if you could come inside. One of our administrators is looking forward to speaking with you."
  
  "Thank you." Flint said for all of us. Then we followed the employee into the building.
  
  The first thing I noticed as we walked was how high-tech and futuristic everything was. Even more so than Devon Corp. The whole building felt like it contained technologies that was a decade more advanced than anything else I'd seen before. Horrible intentions to destroy the world aside, their building was amazing to look at.
  
  "Impressed? I was too when I first came here." Flint asked knowingly, "It's amazing what they've done with the place. We are very fortunate to have them here in Sinnoh."
  
  "And their energy production serves as one of Sinnoh's most important pillars." Cynthia added, turning to Flint, "I believe the new windmills and solar panels being constructed in Sunyshore are supplied by them as well?"
  
  "They are." Flint nodded, "And we have Cyrus' magnanimity and genius to thank for that. Having access to easy energy like this has been a huge boon for Sinnoh."
  
  My smile faltered slightly at the praise that they were heaping onto Galactic Company. It was damning to realize just how good of a PR job that Team Galactic had managed to achieve. It was the same as what Giovanni had created with his own reputation and Silph Co.
  
  I reminded myself how fortunate I was that I managed to 'convert' Giovanni towards doing more heroic actions before he could enact his canon plans.
  
  That would have been a very uphill battle. At least we shut down Team Magma and Aqua's plans in Hoenn before they could set themselves up in the same way.
  
  I missed the times where all I had to deal with was Team Rocket, who quickly and recklessly made themselves public enemy number one. That was far simpler to deal with, since we had the full backing and endorsement of the public. It was far more frustrating trying to fight back against a more insidious threat in Team Galactic.
  
  But I shoved those thoughts aside for the time being as the elevator in the lobby opened up and a familiar-looking lady with unique and short red hair walked out. She was holding a clipboard and had donned a lab coat.
  
  "Oh, I'm terribly sorry for the wait. I'm Mars, one of the administrators and directors here at the company." She greeted us with a small apologetic bow as she extended a hand for all of us to shake, "And Elite Flint, Elite John, it's a huge honour to have two members of the Elite Four visiting us today. And Cynthia, the new rising star, it's a similar honour to make your acquaintance." She flattered, and we shook hands. It took every bit of self-discipline to keep the smile plastered on my face.
  
  Despite looking like the average scientist, I knew better. It was hard to NOT show off my hostility towards a Commander of Team Galactic. More than that, my eyes shot to a beeping glowing yellow circle that was attached to her belt. I recognized it as another one of the teleporter pads that were scattered all over Team Galactic's buildings in the games. Did they create personalized ones for the admins as an escape mechanism?
  
  "Thanks for having us Mars, and it's good to see you again." Flint replied with a friendly smile, "How is Cyrus by the way?"
  
  "He's busy as usual. You know how it is with big companies." Mars responded with a smile of her own, "Oh, and congratulations on your battle, Cynthia and John. It was fantastic to watch. It only made us more excited when we heard you were coming to pay our humble company a visit."
  
  "Also Cyrus sends his apologies for not being able to meet you all today. He's unfortunately been occupied with many other matters for the moment, and he just couldn't spare the time to meet you three." She said with an apologetic frown.
  
  If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Mars was nothing more than your average, run-of-the-mill director of the company. Her act was so good that I had trouble reconciling the terrorist I knew she was to the 'friendly' person in front of me.
  
  But only for a moment. Their insanity was impossible to forget.
  
  "Something special in the works?" Flint joked.
  
  "Something like that." Mars replied cryptically, "But anyways, would you care for a tour of our facilities? We can walk and talk."
  
  "Before that, can I ask what that is?" I pointed to the teleporter pad on her belt, "It looks fancy."
  
  "Oh, this?" She motioned to the pad, "This is just some new prototype we're testing. It's a one-person teleporter, meant to be used to get out of hairy situations. But we're still making improvements to it; the current version only is able to teleport you back if you're still in Veilstone. I can't say more than that, but we're looking to continue on improving it."
  
  We all nodded, my companions suitably impressed by that piece of technology. After that, I had no more questions, so we got started on the tour.
  
  And what a tour it was. The high-tech vibe of the reception area clearly wasn't just for show; the entire building was the same. The only difference was instead of teleporters, like in the games, they simply used very fancy and futuristic looking escalator instead to navigate between floors. But while my companions were awed by the sight of their interior, I tried to keep my rationality to see if I could spot anything incriminating.
  
  Despite my best efforts, I could not. That wasn't the most surprising considering that Mars wasn't about to guide us into areas that she didn't want us being in, but I was still hoping for SOMETHING I could use. The lack of evidence was deeply frustrating. There was not a hair out of place.
  
  "Is there something the matter?" Mars suddenly asked me as we neared the end of the tour, and I flinched as I realized that I may not have been concealing my inner frustrations as well as I had.
  
  "Oh, it's nothing...sorry, I was just deep in thought." I pretended to scratch my head embarrassedly, but then a thought suddenly came to mind.
  
  "Actually, and I do apologize for my curiosity, but where do you do your R&D? I've heard from my two companions that you've done great work with developing the future of energy generation here in Sinnoh. I was really interested in getting to see the researching developments taking place in Devon Corp, and I'd honestly love to be able to see the brilliant minds behind this." I flattered.
  
  "I'm sure Cyrus would be very happy to hear those words; he's always taken great pride in this company's researching abilities." Mars smiled, though that quickly faded as she continued, "Unfortunately, a lot of our R&D areas are off-limits, even to guests of high status like you. We do hope you don't take offense to this, but you must understand that there are company secrets we would like to protect." We all nodded along. Unfortunate, but that was to be expected. My request was always a long-shot anyways.
  
  "Speaking of development, there was something I'd wanted to bring up now that we're all here." Flint suddenly spoke up, turning to me. "And this was actually part of the reason I brought you along here today, John." I shot him a curious look with a raised eyebrow.
  
  His face turned serious, losing his signature easy smile. "I don't know how much you know about the current political situation here in Sinnoh, but the idea of international cooperation is still a very new idea in our minds. And with Sinnoh being the newcomer on the international stage, many are worried that opening our borders might just leave us exposed to be exploited and left to the lurch." Cynthia nodded along in agreement.
  
  "So far, we've been happy to have you and Will around to wave the flag and be a friendly face for the public, but that isn't anything concrete. It would be far better if we actually had formal agreements to solidify our cooperation." He continued, "Whether that be through business agreements or otherwise, it would do a lot to improving public opinion about this whole business. That's why we opened up to our borders to businesses as of today; the announcement should have been made in the news this morning."
  
  "Therefore, I had hoped that by introducing you to Galactic Company, and knowing your penchant for internationalism, Lucian and I thought you would be the most amenable to helping us foster new business agreements with notable companies from Indigo." He said to me, "Of course, we'll be discussing this with Will as well."
  
  "So what do the two of you think? Any chance you can hash something out together?" He asked both of us.
  
  Mars and I shared a look, and I was proud of myself for not instantly shouting out "NO!". The last thing I wanted to do was to work alongside Team Galactic to do anything.
  
  Luckily, Mars spoke up first, "...As it currently stands, I don't believe our company has the intention or ability to set up any branch offices in other regions. We're currently very occupied by our own projects and commitments here in Sinnoh...but we would be happy to work with any newcomer that wants to set themselves up in Sinnoh."
  
  "That's perfectly understandable." Flint smiled easily, "And what about you, John? You heard Mars. Think you can have talk anyone into setting a few offices here in Sinnoh? I bet it'd do great for our economy to have foreign investment coming in."
  
  "I know it's not my place to add to this, but grandmother has always said how big of an opportunity it was for branch offices to be established here." Cynthia said, "That foreign investment will always be put to good use."
  
  In hindsight, this request from Flint shouldn't have been all that surprising, so I paused to think things through. I didn't have any problems with Flint's request, but that was not what I focused on.
  
  My mind was on Team Galactic, and how best to cripple them. I suspected that the true reason that Galactic Company was unable or unwilling to expand was because all of their money was being funnelled into their less-than-legal projects.
  
  However, after some time to think it through, an idea slowly formed in my mind. I had an opportunity in front of me.
  
  "...I'll definitely look into it." Was what I replied, "I'll speak to a few of my contacts and see if they're up to doing something like this, but I can promise no guarantees. I'm just the spokesperson after all."
  
  "Wouldn't you want your family's business to get involved as well?" Cynthia asked.
  
  I nodded, "Yes, but we're definitely not ready to expand to Sinnoh at this stage. At least not anytime soon."
  
  "Don't stress about it! You being supportive of the idea is all I hoped for." Flint patted me on the back, "We'll also be speaking to Will about this and see if he can make his own introductions. I really do hope something good comes out of this."
  
  I smiled, realizing the pressure that Flint must be under to make this whole internationalism idea a success. And no wonder, considering that the political turmoil that Sinnoh was currently embroiled in was about this very issue. I hoped that I could make things easier for him.
  
  "We'll look forward to the extra opportunities for trade and investment. We'll be looking forward to hearing more." Mars said pleasantly, and we all returned to 'friendly' conversation as we finished off the tour.
  
  I kept up my pleasant smiles until we left the offices, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when we finally exited the building. Keeping up appearances like this was tiring.
  
  "You okay, John?" Cynthia asked me, looking concerned, "You were a little stiff there. You're usually more cheerful and eager when meeting new people. Something wrong?"
  
  I blinked, not realizing that Cynthia had even spotted my unease, "No, nothing's wrong." I lied, and she let the topic drop, though I wasn't sure if she fully believed me.
  
  Luckily, I was saved by my phone suddenly ringing. I reached for it and saw that Joseph was calling. Quickly excusing myself from Cynthia and Flint, I moved away as I answered it.
  
  "Joseph?" I answered.
  
  "John! Sorry for the sudden call, but remember that thing that I mentioned about the fossil machine and how it was nearly complete?" He exclaimed excitedly through the phone.
  
  "Of course...wait, you mean to tell me you have it working?" I asked with widened eyes, surprise evident in my voice.
  
  "Sure am! We just did a bunch of tests. And now we have 2 newly revived fossil Pokémon casually hanging about the labs!" He said eagerly, "Everyone here is over the moon about this! While this isn't as significant as your Fairy discovery, we're very excited to see this spread around."
  
  "I imagine so." I smiled, genuinely happy for him, "But what kind of Pokémon did you revive?"
  
  "We're calling them Lileep and Anorith, revived from a Root Fossil and Claw Fossil respectively." He told me jovially, "Lileep is a Grass/Rock type, and Anorith a Bug/Rock type."
  
  "That's cool!" I said, trying to show off my enthusiasm even though I knew about this beforehand, "Do you have any plans of reviving others?"
  
  "Not at the moment." He said, "We're still making sure that the revival process has gone through smoothly and that there are no health problems or any other complications. Better safe than sorry. But once the tests are done and we're sure everything's safe, we'll probably be reviving more Root and Claw fossils to make sure things are consistent."
  
  "Perfectly understandable." I nodded, "I assume Steven is the lucky man getting to train up these fossils?"
  
  "How did you guess?" He chuckled, "But you're right. We had them sent over to Steven as soon as we checked that it was okay to do so. I think he's more excited than I am about these fossils. He's always been more interested in geology than I was."
  
  "I bet there are very few trainers that WOULDN'T be this excited about getting a new Pokémon on his team, especially something new and interesting like these are." I joked, "But actually, you called at a great time Joseph, because I do have something to ask you."
  
  "Oh?" His tone had switched from jovial to business-like and serious, "Go ahead."
  
  "I was just speaking to Elite Flint, and he was quite eager in trying to persuade me to have businesses set themselves up here in Sinnoh." I explained, "Knowing of my connections, he asked if I could help ask around and see if there's interest."
  
  "Ah, I understand. I saw it in the news that the borders were open to businesses today." He responded, "Unfortunately, I don't think Devon Corp is very interested in setting up another branch office in Sinnoh at the moment, not when we set up one up in Kanto not too long ago. This was actually something we had recently discussed in a board meeting, and the other directors and I agree that such expansion would be too soon. Maybe we can come back to this issue in a few months' time, but not at the moment."
  
  "That's perfectly fine, thank you for letting me know anyways." I replied, not at all disappointed. "And congratulations once again on the success of the fossil revival project."
  
  "I have to thank our bright scientists on that one." He laughed, "Oh, and John, I haven't forgotten my previous promise to award you with a Normal type fossil Pokémon if we do find one."
  
  "You really don't have to, but thank you." I said to him, despite knowing that a Normal type fossil Pokémon likely didn't exist.
  
  We spoke for a bit longer after that before eventually hanging up. I didn't mind that Devon Corp wasn't able to invest, because my real target was someone else. If I was right, then I was about to gain a tool that could really mess with Galactic's plans.
  
  I called up Giovanni.
  
  "Giovanni? Are you free?" I asked him as he picked up the phone.
  
  "John? What's going on?" He replied, and I began by giving him a rundown of Flint's proposal and asked if Silph Co was interested in setting up a branch office in Sinnoh.
  
  "Hmm...I think this is something we would be interested in." Giovanni commented thoughtfully, "I'll have to check though."
  
  I looked around to make sure there was no one around, "I think this would also be an excellent opportunity for you to find out where Proton went and hid." I suddenly said to him.
  
  Giovanni fell silent for a moment, likely stunned at he was by my sudden change in topic.
  
  "...What, exactly, do you mean by that?" Giovanni questioned after he regained his wits.
  
  "We both know that Team Rocket has gone and ran off to Sinnoh, and the fact that they haven't been found is indicative that they must have had facilities here already. The fact that they seem to be very well-funded only emphasises this point." I explained, "If you could set up something here under Silph Co's banner and keep an ear on the shadier ongoings, maybe we could get a lead."
  
  Giovanni let out a chuckle, "...And the true reason why you reached out to me has revealed itself. You want our Silph Co branch office to be set up to serve as a cover for a forward base." He sounded oddly proud there, "This is unusually sly of you, John, to be proposing something like this. You've caught me a little by surprise, but I don't disagree with your plan."
  
  "However, answer me this. What made you propose this?" He asked me, pushing for an answer.
  
  "Call it a gut feeling, but I greatly mislike this situation." I said, firmly and seriously. "You know as well as I do that these terrorists are a threat to the whole world. But they're also too well hidden for the legitimate authorities to find them. So we're going to need to be more flexible about our methods. They've gone to ground now, but we need to dig them up."
  
  A base of operations set up by someone Giovanni trusted would go a long way in establishing a foothold for us to fight Team Galactic. Not only would it help identify softer targets that we could attack that would damage their operations while not bringing down the entirety of Sinnoh on my head, but also it would slowly unravel Galactic's operations and provide evidence that we COULD to order a large-scale assault.
  
  It would take some time. But it was a big step towards what I wanted.
  
  Giovanni's chuckle broke me from my thoughts, "I can already guess your thoughts. Fine, you can have your base. I'll speak to a few people to have it be set up as soon as possible. I'll keep you informed of anything I hear."
  
  "That's all I ask." I replied back, inwardly sighing in relief, "Thank you for this, Giovanni."
  
  "No need to thank me. We all do what we must to secure the future of Kanto." He responded.
  
  As I put away my phone, I felt as if some weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The establishment of a 'listening' base was a good start. Now, if Team Galactic ever slipped up, the base in Sinnoh provided us a chance to hear about it and act on it.
  
  Their time of safety and security hiding away in the shadows will soon be over.
  
  As I walked back towards Cynthia and Flint, my eyes narrowed in slits as I glared at the Galactic Headquarters, their signature logo flying high in the sky. One day, I would bring these terrorists down. As soon as I had enough evidence to convince others, I would make sure to reveal them as the madmen that they were.
  
  And their logo would be buried deep in the ground, serving as nothing more than the foundation for us to build up our collective prosperity.
  
  A.N. Finally, Team Galactic is 'introduced' properly into the story. I wanted to highlight Team Galactic's current greatest strength - they have the trust of the people and the public. Unlike with Team Magma/Aqua/Rocket, the people will side with THEM unless proper reason can be found to discredit their reputation.
  
  But this is both Team Galactic's greatest strength and weakness. They can't afford to do anything that could risk exposing them and ruining their reputation. That means their actions are forced to be slower and far more careful. Future battles against them will be done in the dark, not out in the open like with the other teams. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-8 - A Legendary Moment
  
  Just because I had made important calls to Joseph and Giovanni didn't mean Flint and Cynthia's tour of Sinnoh was over, nor did I want it to be. Cynthia and Flint clearly had more in store for me, as they told me we would soon be heading to the freezing fields of Snowpoint City.
  
  As soon I heard, I couldn't help but protest slightly, "You realize I'm nowhere near dressed enough to head there. Especially while flying."
  
  "You could get a coat or something in the Veilstone Department Store." Flint suggested, which I nodded to. I probably did need a few new clothes, and DEFINITELY something warmer.
  
  "Oh yeah, I need to pick up something from there too." Cynthia added, "Thanks for the reminder. We can have lunch there too."
  
  So that's what we ended up doing. Over lunch, Cynthia curiously asked me what that phone call was about - since I seemed like I was in a rush to make one. I deflected easily and said it was something business-related, and she quickly allowed the topic to drop after I gave them a summary of who would be investing into Sinnoh.
  
  In the meanwhile, Flint just thanked me for getting in touch with them so soon, and was thankful that at least Silph Co seemed interested in investing.
  
  With our bellies full, and a new coat cozily wrapped around my shoulders, we set off for Snowpoint City. And what an experience that was. As we got closer, I could physically feel my face freezing up as the cold winds endlessly assaulted us. It was a painful, but unique experience.
  
  I had never been to the top of Mount Silver before, so this was something totally new. But that joy soon turned to suffering. This REALLY was cold.
  
  And to make matters worse, the other two trainers were barely even affected by the freezing temperatures; FLINT WASN'T EVEN WEARING A JACKET! I had no idea how he wasn't freezing to death. That was probably the most mind-boggling thing I had seen all day.
  
  With the other two unaware of my inner complaints, the three of us made good time and arrived shortly in Snowpoint City. I had naively assumed that as soon as we landed and were out of the crossfire of the freezing aerial winds, then the temperature would be a lot more reasonable.
  
  Nope.
  
  Even we landed the temperatures were still as teeth clatteringly cold as when we were in the air. I had no idea how people lived here.
  
  Call me spoilt, but I'd take the hot and temperate climates of Hoenn any other day. But thinking of Hoenn made me frown even further; the beaches of Dewford were SO much better than this.
  
  "Oh, chin up. You'll get used to this soon enough." Cynthia laughed at me, probably reading my annoyance from my face, "Don't you find the cold relaxing and refreshing? It's way better than the heat at least."
  
  "You have no idea what you're talking about." I replied, grumbling. Or at least that's what I think I said. It was hard to speak when your teeth clattered as much as mine did.
  
  "Come on John, it's not even that bad! Just a light chill." Flint grinned, walking forwards as if to display the fact that he was only wearing his usual yellow t-shirt.
  
  "You're mad." Was all I said, and I turned away from that lunacy, ignoring the chuckles I was getting from my companions. Inwardly, I vowed to have them suffer through the summer heats of Hoenn one day. See how they'd like it.
  
  Despite my grumbling, I followed after the two of them as they headed over to Snowpoint Temple. But as we were walking, a surprised cry drew our attention.
  
  "...Cynthia?! What are you doing here, and with Flint too?" A female voice shouted out from behind us.
  
  "Candice? What a coincidence!" Cynthia replied as she turned around, her eyes brightening as she recognized the newcomer. "I had considered telling you, but I thought you were busy with the Gym."
  
  "At this time of year? No way. Not this late into the circuit." Candice approached, shaking her head. "Oh, and Flint, good to see you again. And...hey, aren't you that Elite Four guy that drew against Cynthia?"
  
  "Candice! You can't say that! That's rude!" Cynthia quickly admonished, shaking her friend. I just laughed and waved it off.
  
  "It's true. That is me." I greeted, extending a hand to shake, "And you must be Gym Leader Candice. It's a pleasure." And now I noticed that Candice was ALSO not wearing a jacket, instead having it wrapped around her waist enough. Arceus, was everyone here just immune to the cold or something? At least Cynthia had a coat on.
  
  "Hahaha, sorry. I kind of just say stuff before thinking it through." She rubbed her head embarrassedly, "But it is nice to meet you. Though, I am curious about what you three are doing here. Here to see the Snowpoint Temple?"
  
  "Sure am." Flint nodded, "Cynthia had this idea to bring John around to have a quick tour of Sinnoh. I thought I tag along just to show the flag and what not, but also to hang around John and bring him to the Temple since he wouldn't have access otherwise. But he's been good company." I shot him a small smile.
  
  "Oh! Cool!" Candice exclaimed, "Well, I'd love to join you at the Temple, but I do actually have a meeting to head to with my Gym Trainers. Really bad timing for this..."
  
  "Don't worry Candice, maybe we can meet another time." Cynthia comforted, "You have my number anyways. Just give me a call."
  
  "You say that, but you're always in those caves of yours and never pick up!" Candice mock-grumbled, causing Cynthia to flush slightly in embarrassment. Candice grinned and grabbed Cynthia into a hug, "I'm just kidding. Yeah, I'll call you soon. Have fun with the rest of your tour! And John, hope you enjoy Sinnoh!"
  
  She shot us a cheery wave before heading off.
  
  "A cheerful person." I commented to Cynthia. "Reminds me slightly of my sister, actually."
  
  "She's a great friend." Cynthia nodded, "I really should have lunch with her sometime. I've been neglecting her recently."
  
  "Maybe you can get Volkner to join in on it." Flint suggested half-jokingly, "He needs someone other than me to pull him from that stupid lighthouse of his."
  
  The three of us continued our banter as we resumed our walk towards the Temple. Since we were on the topic, I asked the two of them what they thought of the Sinnoh Gyms, if they didn't mind answering.
  
  "They're all very respectable." Flint answered, "Even Roark, for all the hassle he had to deal with since he's Byron's son, has managed to do a great job of both managing both the mining facilities and the Gym."
  
  "Yes, though I believe the Veilstone Gym Leader is retiring soon." Cynthia pointed out, "But I believe he has a successor in mind."
  
  "Ah, young Maylene. Yes, I've heard of her. She seems competent, if young." Flint agreed. "Are you asking this because of the state of the Indigo Gyms? I heard a little from Will."
  
  "Somewhat, but it was mostly just my curiosity." I replied, "Candice is actually the first Gym Leader of Sinnoh that I've met thus far. I just wanted to get to know them a bit better. But yes, the Gyms of Indigo have been...difficult as of late. But I'm confident that things are getting better."
  
  "...I heard about the guy who shares my name running out on his kids and the Gym. That...displeases me greatly to hear." Flint said, losing his signature easy-going smile as his eyes darkened. "I do hope you find him and properly punish him for his actions. Doing something like that...I find it to be one of the worst things you could do as a human being."
  
  "I can't say anything against that." I agreed, "...It was quite the scandal in Indigo. I'm glad you don't have anything like this in Sinnoh."
  
  "...For now." Flint responded a little glumly, "But with the political turmoil going on...I can only hope that our Gym Leaders can help maintain the stability as they've done so far."
  
  I didn't know what to say to that, so the three of us continued our walk in contemplative silence. Eventually, we arrived at Snowpoint Temple where we were greeted briefly be security, but we were shortly let through. Flint and Cynthia being here apparently was enough to just allow me through.
  
  The silence continued as we moved further down the steps, heading deeper into the Temple itself. As we moved, I idly noted that the icy floor, while slippery, wasn't nearly as bad as the games suggested they were. But it didn't take long until we reached our destination and walked down the final set of stairs.
  
  And what greeted us was the magnificent and awe-inspiring form of a Legendary standing perfectly upright in the center of the room. Its towering form was so tall that it nearly touched the ceiling itself.
  
  This was Regigigas, in all of its slumbering glory.
  
  Even though I had seen it in the games, seeing it in real life was beyond anything I had ever seen before. I previously mentioned that the presence emitted by Lance's Emperor was likely close to a Legendary, but I was wrong. Even with it being inactive, there was no mistaking the godlike presence that Regigigas exuded. And it hadn't even been awakened.
  
  THIS was the Legendary Titan. The Legendary that, according to the legends, moved the very continent themselves with its pure strength alone. Standing next to it now, it was impossible to not be humbled by its sheer strength and ability.
  
  Even if I combined both Tyrant and Emperor together, their strength would still not be anywhere close to this Legendary. I had to stop myself from unconsciously prostrating myself before it out of awe.
  
  "...It's a grand thing, seeing a Legendary like this." Flint spoke up softly, "We were lucky in Sinnoh to be blessed with such a historical memorial. I understand that Indigo and Hoenn lack such sights."
  
  "They do." I nodded, my eyes refusing to leave Regigigas' inactive form, "I used to not think much of it, but now that I see one in person...it fills me with jealousy that we do not have sights like these of our own."
  
  "Regigigas was one of the main reasons that sparked my curiosity into the Legends and history of Sinnoh." Cynthia admitted, "I came here with my grandmother when I was younger, and as soon as I laid my eyes upon Regigigas, all I could think of was 'how?' How did Regigigas get here? Why is it here, inactive? And is there a way of reactivating it?"
  
  "Of course, I still haven't managed to answer any of those questions." She continued, "Some people even theorize that the Regigigas that we have is only a mere aspect of the original. A fragment of the real thing. But it's still one of my long-standing goals for me to at least start to piece together the answer to one of those questions."
  
  I nodded, seeing the appeal. I mean, after seeing something like this, who wouldn't be inspired to find out more? The Legendaries have always been shrouded in mystery and myth, and it would take only the most complacent of people to not at least wonder what they were capable of and how they had shaped the known world.
  
  And fragment or not. The power that could be felt from Regigigas was overwhelming.
  
  Unconsciously, I took a step forwards, moving ever closer to Regigigas' figure. I didn't know what compelled me to do so, but I reached up and idly stroked a hand around its torso, careful as to not disturb its slumbering form.
  
  But the moment my hand touched Regigigas, I felt a small pressure descend on my head. It wasn't enough to hurt, but enough that I recognized that I was being affected by something. My eyes darted around, trying to figure out what was happening, but I couldn't see anything. Only the two faces of my companions casually staring at Regigigas.
  
  And suddenly, the pressure intensified, and I found my head turning against my will as I stared up at Regigigas' figure. Before I knew it, I had taken a knee, kneeling on the icy floor just beneath it, shadowed by its towering form. As I did so, my mind seemed to clear itself, shutting out all other sensations except for a very faint tendril of connection. I didn't know where that tendril linked to, but that was all I could focus on.
  
  My eyes shut, and I diverted all of my concentration into identifying this sudden foreign connection.
  
  And just as suddenly as it appeared, the pressure rapidly disappeared, and my eyes shot open as I found myself able to move once again. My head swivelled around, trying to figure out what just happened, but just like before, there were no answers to be found.
  
  I stared up at Regigigas, but it was as inactive and motionless as usual. It was as if I had just imagined everything that just happened.
  
  "Are you alright?" Cynthia asked concerningly, "You suddenly took a knee. Did something happen?"
  
  "...Just in awe, that's all." I replied unconvincingly, still reeling from what just happened, "...Something must have come over me, but I think it's gone now." Even as I said that I wasn't convinced myself.
  
  Cynthia continued giving me a concerned look, but Flint seemed a little more oblivious, "Well I hope you enjoyed this visit. Sadly, Elite Four or not, you won't be able to come back here without an escort. Sorry 'bout that."
  
  "That's fine. I think once is enough for me." I said, though my brain was still trying to figure out what that was. A part of me wished to experience it again, and yet I knew instinctively that it wasn't the right time.
  
  "...Maybe one day we can invite some other members of Indigo here. I think it's worth seeing." Was all I said instead.
  
  "Absolutely." Flint agreed, "Though, we still have one more place in mind. Care to still follow us?" I gave him a thumbs up and the three of us began ascending up the stairs, leaving Snowpoint Temple behind.
  
  As we walked, a part of myself was desperately demanding for answers about what just happened. What was that pressure? Where did it come from and how did it manage to affect me? I figured it had something to do with Regigigas, but what? What did it want from me?
  
  'Enough.' I demanded from myself, shaking myself out of my thoughts. Willing myself not to think of it. All I was doing was driving myself in circles thinking about this; it was leading me nowhere. I would just have to accept things as they came.
  
  Things with Legendaries could never be simple.
  
  The three of us headed out of Snowpoint Temple, where we took flight once again. And this time, considering both the direction and our recent trip to Snowpoint Temple, I felt like I knew where we were going next. Over the next several minutes, my suspicions were quickly proven right as we gradually flew towards the famous summit of Mt. Coronet.
  
  Spear Pillar.
  
  We descended silently, none of us speaking a word as Spear Pillar came closer.
  
  What greeted me first was the sight of ruined and dilapidated pillars, cracked and crumbling. And yet, despite the obvious deterioration, the entire summit seemed to remain almost entirely untouched. There was not an inch of grass or moss that grew on the pillars, as would have been expected for something untouched by humanity for so long. The pillars still gleamed brightly in the late day sun, as immaculate as they must have been since their initial construction.
  
  It was as if the entire summit had been frozen in time and space, serving as an eternal memorial. But to what?
  
  Despite the howling winds blasting endlessly against the three of us, it was hardly noticeable amidst the weight that this area held. If I thought that the slumbering form of Regigigas had an otherworldly presence, than Spear Pillar was on a completely different level.
  
  Everywhere I looked, I could feel something much greater than me staring down at me, observing my very actions. The gaze was as inescapable as it was omnipresent, and I felt myself swallowing harshly as I slowly and carefully walked around the summit. However, unlike with Regigigas, I did not feel any kind of pressure forming in my head, nor did I feel the need to suddenly kneel and prostrate myself.
  
  No, this was just the feeling that you were surrounded by the very presence of a Legendary being.
  
  I knew my history. I knew why Spear Pillar gave off such a presence. But to experience it personally...it was utterly humbling - almost eerie. In the corner of my eye, I saw that my other two companions were similarly silent. Except that they both had their eyes closed, as if praying to something.
  
  I closed my eyes as well. I did not know what they were praying to, but my mind went to the Legendaries that made their appearance here. I tried to imagine what standing in front of them would be like, and I felt my legs wobbling at the mere thought at facing them.
  
  Despite this, the inner trainer with me roared to the surface. The pride of a trainer that had made it into the Elite Four and trained his Pokémon to defeat the very best refused to bow down at this so-called 'insurmountable' threat.
  
  Even if the entirety of Spear Pillar served as a humbling reminder of how far beyond us the Legendaries were, I refused to lay down and accept my fate. Even if their strength was truly tyrannical. Even if I had to fight them one day - whether due to Cyrus' insanity or not - then I would do everything I could to stand up to them. I would fight, no matter the odds.
  
  My eyes slowly reopened, and I blinked as I found myself staring at a patient smile from Cynthia.
  
  "I'm glad you enjoyed being here." She said quietly, with Flint nodding behind her, "Come on, this is no place for casual conversation." She patted me on the shoulder before saddling back on top of her Togekiss. I did the same with Port. And then we were off, back on our flying mounts once again.
  
  In total, we were hardly at Spear Pillar for even 10 minutes. Yet Cynthia was right. Spear Pillar had this presence that made it feel so extraordinary and strange that it didn't feel right to idle around there. It was likely the closest thing this world had to a holy site. Our continued presence would only further disturb whatever Legendary rested in that place. It was best to leave as soon as possible.
  
  And so, the three of us headed silently back to Celestic Town, each of us filled with our own solemn thoughts. We didn't make any conversation until we landed, where Flint broke the silence.
  
  "Quite the experience, am I right?" He said with his signature jolly smile returning to his face, "Lucian spends a lot of time there. He says it helps him clear his thoughts, which I understand. I head there a few times too, just to pay my respects."
  
  "...It is quite something." I nodded, "It was a completely different feeling to Snowpoint Temple...I felt like something was watching over me."
  
  "The Legends themselves." Cynthia cut in solemnly, "We recently realized that the entirety of Spear Pillar was once a ruin from the past, which collaborated well with the findings of recent historians. It's incredible that something so long ago has been preserved for this long."
  
  "I noticed that too, the entire place seemed to be frozen in time." I agreed, "Maybe we could find something like this in the caves and other underground ruins as well?" I suggested.
  
  "I would certainly hope so." Cynthia said, "...Sinnoh has always been full of history and mysteries for us to discover. We are blessed to have this."
  
  "Eh, history isn't really my thing, though I would never look down upon those who try to dig deep to find the truth." Flint admitted, "Anyways, it's getting late into the evening, and I've certainly overstayed my welcome at this point. And John, thanks again for humouring my request."
  
  "And thank you for showing me around." I shot back.
  
  "No worries, I just considered it as a paid vacation." He chuckled, "Right, gotta head back now. I hope you enjoyed your brief tour of Sinnoh. See you both soon!" He released a Kadabra that I recognized was similar to the ones we used as designated teleporters, before disappearing into a shower of light as he Teleported away.
  
  As soon as Flint disappeared, I asked Cynthia a question that I've had in my head for some time now, "Hey, Cynthia, not that I don't appreciate it, but why did you and Flint take me on a tour around Sinnoh? If you wanted just to discuss the possible cooperation of Galactic Company, you could have just started off with that."
  
  "True, but then you wouldn't have the emotions to accompany it." She replied, "The tour around Sinnoh was meant to help you build a connection with our region. And to hopefully show off the beauty of our region so that you could see for yourselves what we all want to protect."
  
  A small frown formed on her face as she continued, "Sinnoh is a beautiful region, filled with an abundance of history and culture, just like you saw today." She explained, "But such beauty needs to be protected. Sinnoh is in quite the unstable period right now, and we want to make sure the beauty of our region will continue to prosper into the far future. We wanted you to see that Sinnoh as more than just another opportunity for Indigo to grow, but a region with its own strengths and uniqueness. We're more than just numbers."
  
  "Sinnoh is a really beautiful region." I allowed.
  
  She smiled, "I'm glad you think so - it's why we took you on the tour. Unlike Hoenn, Sinnoh has only been recently integrated into the wider international community and we only just opened our borders. So we don't have all that time that Hoenn had to property ingratiate ourselves and show off what makes us unique. However, a positive impression from both you and Will would go a long way into improving that."
  
  "Still, I do apologize for the slight deception." She said sincerely, falling into a slight bow, "But when Flint asked this of me...I couldn't refuse."
  
  "I understand." I said, not holding their actions against them. Had I thought of such a plan, I would have done the same in their place, "But consider me convinced. Sinnoh is a beautiful place, and I will do my best to not let harm fall onto it." Left unsaid was that I had already been planning on protecting Sinnoh against Team Galactic either way. This tour just further reinforced my vow.
  
  We continued chatting for a little while longer, in which I repeated to Cynthia that I didn't hold any of this against her or Flint. In all honesty, I hardly saw this as a deception at all. In my eyes, this was an Elite Four and a good friend going out of their way to take me on a tour around Sinnoh. I appreciated the effort more than anything.
  
  Especially since they took me to see places like Snowpoint Temple and Spear Pillar. That they definitely didn't NEED to do.
  
  And so I made sure that Cynthia knew she had nothing to apologize for before I retired into my room, the exhaustion hitting me as I realized what a long day that I had. From the meeting with Mars at Galactic headquarters to travelling and visiting the two Legendary spots, it was a very busy day.
  
  And despite everything that was rolling through my mind, I practically passed out on my pillow. Falling into a deep sleep. As I did, my last waking thought was firmly on Regigigas' slumbering form once again, staring at me from within my own thoughts.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time focused heavily on the Legends of Sinnoh. Very heavy foreshadowing here. Writing Legendaries is always difficult, and I hope I got that atmosphere and feeling correct.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-8 - Interlude -Proton
  The New Normal - 8-8 - Interlude - Proton
  
  It had taken some time for them to settle into Sinnoh, mostly because their 'mysterious' backer was not so keen on their intrusion into their 'territory'. But a promise was a promise, even amongst criminals, and so whoever their backer was very reluctantly allowed their teams access to their resources.
  
  Of course, they immediately revealed their cowardly nature by firmly warning everyone not to make a fuss, which really infuriated Proton.
  
  Who were these cowards to say what he could or could not do? They who had not done a single thing besides throwing money at the people doing the REAL work. They were just the moneybags; him and his team were the TRULY capable, the people who were actually fighting on the front lines.
  
  Still, Proton kept his mouth shut regarding their cowardice. He didn't need to be told to not anger their 'kind hosts'. Ultimately, they were still dependent on their backer for access to their resources and facilities, especially after they had lost most of their resources after their hasty escape from Hoenn.
  
  And what a backer they were. Proton laughed when he found out that their mysterious backer turned out to be the number one most dominant business in Sinnoh, Galactic Company. What a joke that was. It was like finding out Silph Co was being run by a terrorist. Truly, it could only happen in such a backward region like Sinnoh.
  
  But Proton wouldn't complain. Their backer being as rich as they were allowed him access to so many more resources than he thought capable. No wonder they seemingly had an unlimited supply of money to use.
  
  Unfortunately, he saw that most of that money was being dumped into stupid R&D projects. He wasn't privy to those conversations, only the bosses were, but all Proton knew that tons of resources were being wasted by those eggheads instead of being put to actual practical use, like purchasing better Pokémon and equipment for the grunts.
  
  He supposed that was why he was being called into a meeting with the bosses right now. He and Matt, alongside the fat lard and the creepy girl under Maxie, headed into a heavily secured meeting room that used airlocks as doors. Proton rolled his eyes at all this 'protection'. They only LOOKED strong and sturdy, but it wasn't like they could withstand a hit from a truly strong Pokémon. He was sure his Pokémon could bust through if needed.
  
  He kept those thoughts to himself as he entered the room, and his eyes locked onto the man at the end of the table, surrounded what must have been three of his subordinates. The first thing he noticed was their hair. What the fuck was wrong with them?!
  
  The girls he could forgive; colourful hair was not an entirely unusual sight. But that last guy, with the weird blue hair. What the fuck was he thinking?! Firstly, how the fuck did he get his hair to stand up like that? And secondly, why would he get his hair to stand up like that? No true criminal would be stupid enough to have that kind of haircut; they'd be laugh out of any meeting!
  
  He wanted to laugh too, but he suddenly felt a harsh and piercing gaze fall on him, and he quickly swallowed that humour. He turned to meet the stare with his usual sneer, only to find himself suddenly staring at a monster.
  
  Blue, inhuman eyes met his own. With a face completely devoid of any emotion, like a corpse had taken control of a person. The man was completely still, his eyes unblinking as they continued to stare a hole into Proton.
  
  Proton had seen many criminals over his career. Many of them tried to posture or look tough. Others tried to act like your friends or suck up to you to get you to lower your guard. Some had charisma, like his boss did.
  
  But none were like this man. Despite Proton letting out a snarl, trying to maintain his tough persona, the man didn't even flinch. No, he didn't even react at all. He just continued to stare at Proton like a watchful statue.
  
  ...This was the man who wanted to remake the world? He couldn't believe that such a lifeless man could have such an ambitious goal. How would that thought even come to a corpse like him? And what kind of warped mindset did that require?
  
  Although Proton would never admit it, he found this man unnerving. Was he the only one that could see it? Why was no one else reacting?
  
  Fortunately, the man moved on from Proton, choosing to stare at his other companions. Archie gestured for him and Matt to sit next to them.
  
  A moment later, after they were all seated, the man finally spoke up. Yet, unlike what his appearance might suggest, his voice was calm and measured, but also with a distinct hint of charisma and passion.
  
  "Welcome, dear friends. We thank you for your successes in bringing us the key data needed to continue our research." He began with a friendly and gentle tone that surprised Proton, "As you may know, I am Cyrus. These are my subordinates, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn respectively." He gestured to his three subordinates, who didn't react.
  
  Proton had to fight down another smirk; what the fuck were those names?!
  
  "We have invited you here today to discuss the changes in our organisational structure, as agreed upon by myself and your bosses." He continued, and Proton leaned forwards. "Your bosses will be joining me in planning out the future strategy of the Team. As for the rest of you, you will all be deployed as field agents, instructors, or intelligence, depending on where your talents lie." Proton nodded; this was acceptable. The more freedom he had to beat up some fools, the happier he was.
  
  "As for the direction this Team will be taking, thanks to the research you have developed, our goals are ever closer to success!" Cyrus stood up from his seat, arms spread wide, "With the data from the orbs, and our own research, we now know that there IS a method possible to control the Legendaries! And wield their power for our own! The very idea of godhood is now potentially within our grasp!"
  
  Proton's eyes widened then, as did many others in the room who hadn't already heard the news. He never truly believed in the final goal of his team, more so using them for convenience rather than anything. But to hear such a thing...to be able to control the Legendaries...the possibilities with that power were endless.
  
  Cyrus wasn't done yet, "But! That research is not complete yet. There are still many important components that we currently lack. Which is why our R&D team are working overtime to discover what that might be. I can only ask you for your patience, because obtaining the power of Legendaries is a delicate and slow process."
  
  "But with their power, we will become GODS! The very world will be ours to mould, to control, and to use as we liked! You could shape, not just this world, but any number of worlds to your perfect ideal of your very own personal paradise! And with their power, there will be NONE that could stop us! ETERNAL POWER! ETERNAL CONTROL! ETERNAL FREEDOM! ALL OURS TO USE!"
  
  The meeting room erupted into cheers of support, roused up by the sheer passion and determination in Cyrus' speech, and Proton wasn't ashamed to admit that he joined in at first. The very idea of having control of a Legendary's powers was too appealing even for a cynic like him. If such a goal could actually be brought to reality through Cyrus, then he would happily be his subordinate.
  
  But as Cyrus began talking about their long term plans, the feelings of excitement faded away, and Proton's rationality returned - allowing him to stare at Cyrus with his unclouded eyes once more.
  
  And he realised the truth.
  
  Cyrus' eyes were still as blank as they were before. His passionate smile was nothing more than a façade. His speech, what he once thought was full of excitement and determination, was merely the affectations of an actor. Something meant to look convincing, but was merely a show for the world.
  
  And then the image of a charismatic leader faded away, once again revealing the true image of Cyrus to Proton.
  
  Cyrus was not a fanatic like Archie and Maxie were. No, he was a true madman. One that walked towards a goal without any reason for why he wanted to achieve it, and someone who lacked any sort of passion or emotion. A man who wanted nothing but the emptiness that he possessed in his eyes.
  
  Despite this revelation, nothing really changed for Proton. In the end, the man was giving Proton the power to change the world and FINALLY give him the opportunity to indulge in his desires to his heart's content. Such a reality was too good to pass up.
  
  Yet what did it say about them, that they willingly followed such a madman and his plans?
  
  A.N. I felt that considering all of the thoughts John has had regarding Team Galactic, it was about time to have a POV chapter from Proton again. This time, I wanted to introduce Cyrus into the story properly, and I hope I have done him justice to what we saw in the games. A complete lunatic that has a talent for manipulation.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-9 - Lightning Freezing Over
  
  After that busy day of travelling, I decided to spend some time resting at Celestic Town for a few days. There were no cave explorations either, as Cynthia informed me that she had to handle a few personal matters of her own and had been running around to and from the Sinnoh League over the past few days. She told me that she had been speaking to Lucian and Flint about something, but never elaborated about what.
  
  I was curious, but I knew from her expression that this wasn't something I should ask about. So I left it there and wished her all the best. Though I suspected that after Cynthia's display of strength from her draw against me, I predicted that these conversations with the Elite Four were going to very important to the future of the region.
  
  I wasn't stupid. I could piece together what she was planning.
  
  Nonetheless, that was not any of my business, so I spent these days mostly spending my time training while also catching up with whatever was still going on back in Indigo.
  
  It was at this point that I realised that I was handling a lot of the workload on my own when I really didn't need to. As a member of the Elite Four, why was I trying to handle all of the information gathering by myself?
  
  One man could not know everything, so why did I try to?
  
  I recognized that my lack of a team back in Indigo meant that I was forced to make my own calls in order to check up on the situation there. If I had a team behind me to help with this, then that would make things so much more efficient. I cursed at my previous foolishness.
  
  I might have been influenced by the fact that my other Elite Four members didn't have teams either. Agatha certainly didn't, nor did Will or Lorelei. Only Lance did, and he was Champion. Though, perhaps they did have their own personal teams, but they were lowkey enough that I didn't know about them. I didn't think much of it until now, but that was something I needed to work on.
  
  Luckily, I had good contacts with people who should be able to recommend me good employees. I called a few people up, namely Oak, Shelly, and my parents, to see if they had any people to recommend to me.
  
  I was tempted to call Giovanni too, but then ultimately reconsidered.
  
  Shelly came back empty, but my parents told me they would look into it and give me a list of potential candidates that they trusted and recommended when I returned to Indigo. They told me that they had a few that were currently part of the company but were interested in working under an Elite Four.
  
  Most interestingly, was what Oak told me.
  
  "I'm afraid I don't have anyone on my staff that I would recommend to you." He said to me over the phone, "Scientists don't often make for good administrators, and definitely not the ones you'll be looking for. It takes a certain type of person to be able to deal with the realities of politics, and most of my scientists chose their careers to AVOID such realities. I don't think I could recommend anyone to you. Sorry about this John."
  
  "No worries." I replied, "I was just asking around. Thanks for letting me know though." And I was just about to say my goodbyes before Oak continued.
  
  "Wait. John, even though I don't have anyone on my staff, I do have a suggestion." He said, spiking my curiosity.
  
  "My granddaughter, Daisy. She's looking to expand her boundaries beyond the confines of my lab. She's been working here for a few years now and wants to try to do something else." He explained, "I just thought of this on the spot, but I think that this might be a good opportunity for her to try something else. She's a little younger than you, so maybe she'd do well as an intern or a junior assistant. Especially since I think you'll be a good boss for her to learn from."
  
  "...You want to recommend your granddaughter to help me with politics?" I asked, a mix of confusion and amusement in my tone.
  
  Oak chuckled, "Yes, she'll probably find it frustrating at times, but I do believe that dealing with politics is an excellent thing to learn about. If she were to work with you on this, even in a very junior role, I am confident that she would be able to learn much about how the world works. It would be extremely useful experience for her going forwards."
  
  "I don't disagree." I responded, though I was still a bit surprised, "And sure, I'll look into it when I get back from Indigo. Assume that you have my consent about her joining, if she wants to do it."
  
  I would be a complete fool to turn this down.
  
  "Excellent. Thank you for this John." He replied cheerily, "I'll go speak to her right away. In fact, I might have to tutor her in a crash course of modern Indigo politics before I send her to you...I'm not sure how aware she is of the current situation. But I promise that she won't disappoint you. She takes after me, after all." He said that last part with what I recognized was familial pride and affection, and I couldn't help but smile back.
  
  "Take your time." I said, "I won't be back from Sinnoh for some time anyways." We then exchanged a few more pleasantries before eventually hanging up the call.
  
  With that fortunate turn of events, I spent the rest of the morning training with my Pokémon. This time, with a primary focus on training up Pixel, Klaus, and Ornstein. This was my first serious training session since I drew against Cynthia, and I intended to correct the mistakes that I noticed.
  
  First, and most importantly, Klaus. His mastery of Teleport had given him a huge leg-up in terms of his mobility, but I failed to utilize this technique effectively against Cynthia. Teleporting around and firing off attacks was good, but it could be better. And so, there was another move that I wanted Klaus to learn that would suddenly make him a much trickier foe to face.
  
  Future Sight.
  
  If Klaus had Future Sight, then he would be able to plant traps of Psychic energy around that would explode after a specific time. With this move, it would open up plenty of possibilities to allow Klaus to trick his opponents into stepping into one of those traps and getting hit by a powerful and unexpected attack. If Klaus had this move against Cynthia's Lucario, then Klaus would have limited Lucario's mobility options significantly, forcing Cynthia to second guess potential moves just in case a Future Sight trap was waiting for her.
  
  Unfortunately, Klaus did not naturally learn Future Sight. And worse, NONE of my Pokémon knew the move either, meaning there was no one available to help teach Klaus the move. Luckily, Klaus was an Elite Pokémon that was very proficient with Psychic type moves. And there were plenty of videos of the move in battle to help Klaus visualize what he needed to do. It was still going to take time, but I trusted Klaus to be able to add the attack to his move pool in due time.
  
  Moving on from Klaus, my other priorities were Pixel and Ornstein. Over the many, smaller training sessions that I had done over time, Pixel had finished up with its Recover training and had now gotten somewhat proficient with Conversion. Changing types on the fly like that was very demanding, and I was very surprised by the progress it had made thus far. But its tankiness was still a problem; in practice matches against my brawlers, Pixel wasn't able to last long enough for me to be satisfied with it.
  
  Therefore, Pixel wasn't ready for fights against Elite opponents for the moment yet. Pixel was currently a decent jack-of-all-trades, with a varied movepool able to hit many different types supereffectively, coupled with good regeneration and support moves, but it just didn't hit hard enough nor was it durable enough. That was why now, instead of focusing on expanding its movepool, I left those where they were for the time being and prioritised training up its durability and evasion.
  
  I paired Pixel up against Smough and Vordt, alternating between them so that it could learn to properly evade and tank through very hard-hitting attacks.
  
  Finally, with Ornstein, I had a similar plan for him. From last time's training session that was focused on his raw offensive power, I was satisfied that for a Pokémon at his level that he hit more than hard enough. Nowhere near Tyrant's level, of course, but it was still satisfactory at bringing down a weaker Pokémon in a few good hits.
  
  But now I needed him to work on something other than his raw power. Just like Pixel, I had Ornstein train up on his evasiveness. Previously, Ornstein had been relying on his pure speed to dodge past moves, but that wasn't good enough. He needed better and quicker reaction times, and to be able to have full command over his body to dodge the way he wanted to. Luna and Klee were paired up with him to assist with that.
  
  Surprisingly, Ornstein had no complaints with that; he was just happy that he got to run around.
  
  I also made sure to check up on my more powerful members. After they had helped their juniors, I made sure to get even more endurance training in for Smough and Vordt. I wanted them to be able to match Tyrant in endurance.
  
  And with Smough specifically, I wanted to train up his speed, as impossible as that sounded. Vordt helped slightly with that, as he was generally a slow Pokémon that only moved fast because of Headlong Rush. I hoped that Smough could replicate such techniques. Having Smough be able to suddenly move fast would be devastating for my future opponents.
  
  After all, a Snorlax that could move faster than you, even for a moment, generally meant you were screwed.
  
  Admittedly, I might have gotten a little too into my training session, because I had completely forgotten that the match between Lorelei and Surge was taking place today. I had only realized because Cynthia called me up on the phone, asking me where I was and that the match was starting.
  
  It was only then that I remembered that we would be watching the match together in her room. Immediately, I called out to my Pokémon and quickly returned them to their Premier Balls before rushing back to the labs, over to where Cynthia's room was.
  
  She opened the door before I even had to knock on it.
  
  "You're late." She admonished me, but still stepped aside to let me in, "Did you forget about the match?"
  
  "I lost track of time." I admitted embarrassedly but paused to take a good look at her room.
  
  To my surprise, it was not the clean room that I had expected. Instead, there were many random pieces of papers scattered haphazardly around the room. Scientific drawings and books littered the walls in no particular order, which only compounded the sense of messiness. I hadn't even gotten started on the clothes that were left carelessly everywhere. It reminded me more of a college dorm room that anything else.
  
  If I was honest, it wasn't what I expected from the usually so composed and tidy Cynthia.
  
  I dragged my eyes away from all the mess and turned to look at the huge TV screen that took centre stage in the middle of the room, where it had already begin broadcasting the battle between Lorelei and Surge. Realizing that the fight had already started, I carefully took a seat on the small couch, careful to not accidentally sit on any of the loose papers.
  
  "...Want anything to drink?" Cynthia asked from the kitchen, unaware or uncaring about the mess around the room.
  
  "Just water, thanks." I said appreciatively, though my focus was on carefully moving the loose paperwork OFF the couch and onto the coffee table. I had no idea how these weren't crumpled to bits.
  
  After finally clearing enough from the couch, I turned back to the TV to find Lorelei and Surge having already sent out their first Pokémon. A Raichu was dashing around the battlefield, swift as lightning, as it ran circles around the opposing Jynx.
  
  Bolts of Lightning were being rapidly fired off by Raichu as it continued zipping around the field, but each crash of lightning was stopped by a Psychic shield formed by Jynx, who had already set up a Light Screen and the Snow.
  
  "Thunder! And Wild Charge!" Surge commanded his Raichu, and an ear-piercing explosion rattled throughout the battlefield as a gigantic bolt of Lightning slammed down into Jynx. A large crack tore through the ground as the Thunder struck with such force that Jynx nearly fell onto her knees from the impact, the Light Screen insufficient at blocking all the damage that was coming through.
  
  At the same time, Raichu charged forwards in a ball of lightning, pushing itself to the fullest as it moved to follow up on its powerful Thunder.
  
  Jynx prepared to fire off an Ice Beam to punish Raichu for its recklessness, but a sudden jolt of paralysis caused it to pause for just long enough for Raichu to come crashing in with another devastating Wild Charge. The two Pokémon tumbled onto the ground, with Jynx twitching repeatedly as she became overloaded with electricity.
  
  "Discharge, Raichu!"
  
  Still grappling onto the fallen Jynx, Raichu let out a huge Discharge of electricity, the shock exploding outwards from its position. Jynx was forced to take the full brunt of the attack and let out a cry of pain that was quickly silenced by the fact that the paralysis prevented it from making any noise.
  
  Jynx was in a horrible position, being pinned under a Raichu and almost completely paralyzed by the sheer amount of electricity that she had been hit by.
  
  But despite the position she was in, Raichu looked like it was about to fall over too. It was panting heavily, and its arms drooped to the side as sweat rolled down its face. It must have pushed itself to the extreme to fire those powerful moves out in succession like that.
  
  "AGAIN!"
  
  But Surge knew that Jynx still had some fight left in her, and so he ordered Raichu to attack one last time. Raichu strained itself to the limit, its face twisted in exertion, as it let out one last explosion of electricity that nearly blinded the screen. That surge of electricity rapidly overwhelmed the Jynx and she fell unconsciousness.
  
  "That was quick." Cynthia commented as she sat down next to me, making me scoot over to the side a bit. It was then that I just realized that Cynthia wasn't wearing her signature coat, instead wearing a light blue shirt and pants. They clearly were her indoors clothes, and I couldn't help but stare at her exposed arms for a bit longer than usual.
  
  And then, realizing what I was doing, I shook myself out of it, "Surge definitely embodies his typing." I replied, hoping she didn't notice my staring, "His Raichu was all speed and power. That was a very quick knockdown." But judging on the lack of surprise on Lorelei's face, I guess she expected something like this.
  
  I was still confident in Lorelei's victory, but she was coming in with a partial type disadvantage. Most of her Ice types were also half-Water, so a significant part of her team were weak to Electric attacks.
  
  "Looks like it's run out of steam though." Cynthia pointed out, as the camera focused on Raichu, panting as it kneeled on the floor on all fours. "Might not last much longer."
  
  "You're right...but why isn't Surge switching it out?" I questioned. I thought Surge would have immediately swapped out his Raichu, retiring it so that he could start the next round with a completely fresh Pokémon. But he seemed insistent on leaving Raichu out on the field.
  
  And as Lorelei sent out her next Pokémon, her Slowbro, he still made no move to withdraw his Raichu.
  
  "Not withdrawing his Raichu's a mistake." Cynthia commented, and I couldn't help but agree. Facing off against a completely fresh Pokémon with a tired and battered Raichu that looked like it was about to fall over was ASKING to be set up on.
  
  Which was exactly what Lorelei did, "Calm Mind, Slowbro. Ignore it and setup."
  
  "Thunder, Raichu!"
  
  Instead of the huge spears of Lightning that it had fired earlier, the incoming Thunder was far more pathetic in size, easily being blocked by the earlier Light Screen. This left Slowbro completely free to continue setting up with its Calm Mind, ignoring the meagre attacks that it hardly even felt.
  
  "Yawn, Slowbro."
  
  "Charge up and Thunder again!"
  
  Surge remained stubbornly insistent and got his Raichu to begin gathering up energy. But it could only do so slowly, as it was so exhausted at this point that even channelling electricity became difficult for it. And worse, as soon as Slowbro hit Raichu with a Yawn, Raichu immediately fell asleep, not even bothering to resist the wave of sleepiness.
  
  "GET UP, RAICHU! NO SOLDIER SLEEPS ON THE JOB!" Surge tried to order, but Raichu was simply too tired to get up.
  
  And now Lorelei was given free reign to continue setting up with her Slowbro, who continued channelling Calm Mind until Raichu woke up. Which didn't happen for a while, which practically allowed Slowbro to set up to the max.
  
  "No offense, but Surge has doomed himself." Cynthia said with a frown, and I didn't disagree. I was also surprised at Surge's stubbornness, even if I had heard rumours of the same before.
  
  No, this wasn't stubbornness. This was idiocy. What was this?!
  
  It was only after Slowbro had already maxed out both its Special Attack and Special Defense that Raichu finally managed to wake up. Surge immediately ordered another Thunder, trying to make use of the newfound energy to hit Slowbro hard.
  
  Unfortunately, with all that setup done, the Thunder barely even tickled Slowbro despite its type weakness, and a single boosted Psychic immediately knocked out Raichu, who was still too tired to dodge in time. The sheer force from that attack sent Raichu flying, and it crashed into the Psychic barriers, undoubtedly knocked out.
  
  "Does Surge have anything that resists Ice and Psychic?" Cynthia asked.
  
  "...Maybe his Magnezone? I think he has one of those." I replied after thinking over Surge's Pokémon. "It's either that or just your standard Magneton."
  
  "He's screwed if he doesn't send it out." Cynthia said firmly, completely confident in her analysis. "Not returning Raichu might have cost him the entire match. I have no idea why he didn't do so."
  
  And true enough, Cynthia words proved prophetic. The next Pokémon that Surge sent out was his Electrode. At first, it made a very impressive display of its speed, easily outspeeding and dodging past the few Ice Beams and Psychics that were shot its way. But dodging was all it could do.
  
  Every single one of Electrode's attacks were just shrugged off. It didn't matter how hard it tried, it couldn't hit hard enough after Slowbro had boosted itself to the max like that. And to add insult to injury, once Lorelei saw that Electrode was unable to harm her Slowbro, she got Slowbro to also start setting up to Iron Defense as well, just to raise its Defense as well.
  
  It was only when Lorelei had set up with Iron Defense too that it finally got through Surge's bullheadedness, and his eyes widened slightly as he finally realized how bad of a situation he was in. But to his credit, he switched tactics instantly and without hesitation.
  
  "Explode, Electrode."
  
  Without any warning, his Electrode instantly detonated, blinding all of us again with a harsh explosion of light. But instead of a regular Explosion, this one sent out a flood of electricity in every direction that the psychic barriers strained to contain. And even with all the defensive buffs, I saw Slowbro stagger backwards as the torrent of electricity flooded through it. There was no way it wasn't paralyzed from that.
  
  Of course, that meant Electrode was out of the fight, and Cynthia continued to provide her helpful commentary. Some might have been disliked the interruption, but I was just happy to listen to her.
  
  "He just wanted to paralyze Slowbro and switch out of Electrode." She thought aloud, having figured out Surge's thought process, "Sure, he could have used Volt Switch and Thunder Wave, but there was no guarantee that Electrode could avoid taking any hits while it tried to use those 2 attacks. This way, Surge guarantees the paralysis and the switch without any risk. I'd praise him for his decisiveness, if nothing else. Though it's probably a bit too late."
  
  So just like we thought he would, Surge went out his Magnezone next. Instantly, the Magnezone Locked-On to the Slowbro and the arena was dominated by the sounds of cannon fire as it immediately began firing off an enormous barrage of Zap Cannons while bolts of Thunder hammered down onto Slowbro from above. Each shot creating a sonic boom as the Zap Cannons whipped forwards like cannonfire.
  
  Cynthia whistled impressively as she watched the Magnezone unleash its full firepower, "Powerful stuff. More than what I would expect from a Gym Leader. I think Volkner is more formidable though."
  
  In response, Slowbro froze the entire arena in a freezing Blizzard, the power of which instantly caused most of the surrounding ground to freeze over with a layer of ice. With the sheer number of buffs on Slowbro, Magnezone's Steel typing was the only thing keeping it in the fight as it was constantly battered by the freezing winds. Frost crystals rapidly creeped up Magnezone's steely exterior, and it became a race to see who could knock the other Pokémon out.
  
  Would Magnezone's repeated barrage of Thunders and Zap Cannons overwhelm the overbuffed Slowbro? Or would Slowbro be able to tank through the attacks and freeze Magnezone over with its buffed Blizzard?
  
  The answer, once again, came down to stamina. Magnezone started strong with its attacks, with each explosion of lightning tearing holes into the ground as the Thunders came crashing down like they were Arceus' wrath. The Zap Cannons were shot forwards with such force that they easily pierced through the Blizzard like it was nothing more than paper. Of course, it helped that Slowbro, for all of its buffed defenses, was still WEAK to Electric attacks.
  
  But Magnezone could not sustain that intensity of attack for long. And being slowly frozen over was not helping its stamina. Therefore, as the fight carried on, Magnezone slowly succumbed to the biting frost as it quickly tired out and its attacks gradually grew weaker. The once powerful storms of Thunder became regular bolts of electricity; still powerful, but far less so.
  
  On the other hand, Slowbro was hindered by the stifling paralysis that severely restricted its ability to both concentrate on maintaining the Blizzard as well as fire off additional attacks to follow up. At first, I thought that it was unusual for an Elite Pokémon to be having so much trouble with a paralysis, but I reminded myself that this was Surge.
  
  His version of paralysis was obviously going to be far more debilitating than usual.
  
  Ultimately, it was Magnezone that fell first. With the growing frost having spread like an infection and completely enveloped its outer shell, Magnezone fell to the ground in a solid, frozen lump. It was nothing more than a frozen statue before a final blast of Psychic shattered that ice, simultaneously finishing off the Magnezone and securing the second knockout for Slowbro.
  
  But Slowbro was given no time to recover as Surge, in what some might consider as a unsportsmanlike move, instantly withdrew his Magnezone and sent out his Manetric to fire off a burst of Thunderbolts that caught and struck Slowbro completely unawares.
  
  Not having any time to heal, and coupled with the injuries that it built up over the past fight, the overbuffed Slowbro finally collapsed onto the ground, twitching from the overload of electricity. It was finally out of the fight.
  
  There was some booing at his actions, but Surge only smirked unrepentantly at his victory. Next to me, I felt Cynthia turn to me with a questioning look, as if to ask what I felt about this.
  
  "I'd have done the same. In fact, I had ALREADY done the same against Drake." I replied with a shrug, "You have to do what you have to do to win."
  
  "...I suppose you do." Cynthia muttered, "Sometimes, when victory is all that matters, you have to do everything to win. Ambition can be ugly sometimes, don't you think?"
  
  I felt like she was talking about something else and not the match that was happening in front of us. "Something the matter?" I couldn't help but ask.
  
  She smirked, "I'm sure you could figure it out."
  
  I could. Especially after she told me earlier that she had been speaking to Flint and Lucian over the past few days. Coupled with her performance against me, and from what I knew from my metaknowledge, it wasn't hard to guess. She was making a play for Champion.
  
  She had likely been communicating with Lucian and Flint to ensure a smooth transition in the case that she actually managed to win.
  
  "I think you'll do great." Was all I said, "Ambition isn't bad, not when it is used for a good purpose. And I definitely think you're acting for the best interests of all."
  
  "Thank you. I'm glad you think so too. But don't worry, I'm going into this with both eyes open. I know what I'm getting into, and I WILL cherish the opportunity." She said, her smirk turning into a smile that just radiated with confidence. As if she had never had any doubts about what she wanted to do.
  
  Her eyes were the same, utterly brimming with determination and ambition. This was a look of someone who recognized the thorny road ahead but was still willing to traverse it.
  
  Nay, not traverse, but conquer it.
  
  Seeing this confidence and drive to achieve her goals caused my heart to beat just a little faster, and I had a hard time tearing my gaze away from the determination that blazed in her eyes. Cynthia was not someone who needed much encouragement, only direction. And at this moment, as I felt her resolve and determination radiating out of her, there was only one thing I could think of.
  
  This was the future Champion of Sinnoh. There could be no one else.
  
  A.N. And Lorelei v Surge begins! Surge is exactly what you would expect from him, I hope, which is that he hits hard, moves fast, and is all about bursting his opponents down. Unfortunately, while this tactic certainly works well against lesser opponents, it struggles when against opponents that could withstand his initial onslaught to wear him down overtime. Also, he's extremely stubborn. That's already bit him in the ass, but it will continue to do so as well.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-10 - Commentary
  
  Seeing the determination in Cynthia's eyes made it hard for me to focus back on the match. But I figured that just staring at Cynthia would be awkward, so I did my best to refocus on the battle.
  
  Lorelei had sent out a Glalie that was trying to slow down the speeding Manetric with a barrage of Icy Winds. But instead of firing out Flamethrowers like I was expecting it to, Manetric only attacked with Electric moves, once again trying to burst down the Glalie with a spam of Thunders.
  
  "Very stubborn, isn't he?" Cynthia commented, breaking out of the sudden slump that she was in. "Not even going for the supereffective attack. That being said, those are some powerful Electric type moves. He's clearly got it very well trained."
  
  "...If you've met Surge, you wouldn't be that surprised. His stubbornness and bullheadedness is well-known, almost infamous." Was all I said, and she shot me an amused look before her eyes returned to the match. "It's so bad that you probably won't see any Johto Pokémon or his team either...he's a very well known 'nationalist'."
  
  She chuckled, "I don't think I've ever met someone like that before." She tapped a finger on her chin, "You know, I think I'd like to meet him one day."
  
  I shot her a weird look, "Really?"
  
  "Oh yes, it's always nice to see people who aren't what you're used to dealing with, at least to get used to them." She nodded, "...I think I'm going to need a lot of experience dealing with difficult people, in time." I nodded back in understanding and commiseration.
  
  Without having all of the buffs like Slowbro did, Glalie was having a much tougher time dealing with the far more agile and mobile Manetric. But Lorelei was doing her best to limit the battlefield by forming huge Ice formations, creating obstacles in the arena that Manetric had to move around while also providing cover for Glalie to use against some of Manetric's moves by breaking Manetric's line of sight.
  
  "Freeze the ground, Glalie!"
  
  "Wild Charge, Manetric! Rush forwards!"
  
  Not satisfied with merely creating icy obstacles, Glalie quickly unleashed a wave of frost that painted over the arena, turning the once solid ground into a rink of slippery ice. Manetric initially ignored the sudden change in terrain as it continued to charge forwards in a crackling blur of thunder, only to suddenly slip and trip over itself as it was unused to moving so quickly on such a slippery surface.
  
  "Ice Beam!"
  
  Trying to take advantage of Manetric's fall, Glalie fired off a beam of Ice that Manetric barely managed to scramble away to dodge, suffering only a glancing blow as it took cover behind one of the icy formations to block the beam.
  
  But the results of the new icy terrain was undeniable. Now fully cognizant of just how slippery the ground could be, Manetric was forced to move more carefully and slower to avoid tripping over on the slippery ice, slowing it down significantly.
  
  And now, bereft of its valuable speed advantage over Glalie, Manetric's ability to threaten Glalie was greatly lessened as it could only really rely on Electric attacks to hopefully wear Glalie down over time.
  
  "Blizzard, Glalie!"
  
  The tables quickly turned. With the Snow still falling over the battlefield, Lorelei proved that there was nowhere to hide as a freezing storm of a Blizzard rapidly formed in the centre of the arena, which quickly grew into a vortex of snow and frost that rapidly began to envelop the entire battlefield in an icy prison.
  
  "Discharge, Manetric! Destroy everything and hunt down the Glalie!"
  
  Perhaps realizing that the enormous Blizzard was going to bring down his Manetric, Surge commanded it to go all out.
  
  "MANE! MANETRIC!" Manetric let out a thunderous howl as it released a blindingly bright explosion of Electric energy. Lightning crackled as the destructive Discharge sent large whips of Electric energy smashing everything in all directions, shattering the icy formations that had formed and tearing huge chunks out of the ground as they lashed out. The psychic shields on the edge of the arena flickered slightly as they strained against the sudden explosion of energy.
  
  Glalie, who had been hiding behind one such formation as it channelled the Blizzard, was suddenly forced to dodge out of the way as a piercing spear of lightning smashed through the structure.
  
  "PROTECT, GLALIE!"
  
  Glalie shifted its concentration away from the Blizzard and formed a Protect shield to block against the incoming wave of electricity. But while the shield was able to block against most of the damage, the electricity created by the Discharge lingered in the air, creating an electric cloud that paralyzed Glalie as the Protect shield faded.
  
  However, Manetric was in no condition to take advantage of the paralysis. It practically collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion after unleashing such a powerful attack. I thought this would be a repeat of before, but Cynthia suddenly spoke up.
  
  "It's faking." She said, raising a finger towards the screen, "Look at its eyes."
  
  I let out a snort at her observational skills. Sure enough, as I squinted to get a better look, I saw that a spark of life was still retained in Manetric's eyes. It was merely waiting for its time to strike - waiting patiently for that single moment of weakness.
  
  And Lorelei didn't notice it.
  
  "Ice Beam, Glalie! Finish it off!"
  
  Confident that Glalie had survived through the worst of the attacks, Glalie floated slowly into the air as it casually fired off an Ice Beam, thinking that the battle was already over.
  
  And this was when Surge struck.
  
  "NOW! THUNDER!"
  
  Suddenly springing up from the ground, Manetric let out a howl as it summoned one last burst of Thunderbolts that came raining down from above. Glalie, caught off-guard, wasn't able to move out of the way in time as the bolts of Thunder slammed it into the ground like a rain of electric arrows; its earlier paralysis also hindering its reaction speed.
  
  On the other hand, Manetric had tried to dodge out of the way of the Ice Beam, only to slip over and trip on the slippery icy surface and was blasted face-first with the powerful spear of Ice, causing its face to freeze over.
  
  This time, both Pokémon were down on the ground, heavily injured from enduring through the previous attacks. But Glalie was in a far worse state, and its only signs of movement was from the involuntary twitching from the overload of electricity that coursed through it.
  
  However, despite the tension on the screen as both Pokémon were on their last legs, it seemed like my fellow audience member was less-than-impressed. Her interest in the fight was very obviously waning.
  
  "...How would you rate Lorelei's strength, amongst the current lineup of Elite Four?" She asked me, bringing my attention away from the fight.
  
  "Not very high." I admitted, "Wait, are you talking about within the Indigo Elite Four, or do you mean to include all the other regions too? Because I don't know that much about the Sinnoh Elite Four."
  
  "Compare her to the Elite Four that you do know about." Cynthia clarified.
  
  "Well my answer doesn't really change." I said as both Surge and Lorelei decided to retire their Pokémon, "I don't mean to disparage Lorelei. She has a lot of potential and drive, but it's still going to take some time before she can reach the heights I'm confident that she can reach."
  
  "Well an all-out fighter like Surge is hardly going to be her best matchup." Cynthia agreed, "Someone that fought more methodically would likely be a better matchup for her as it'll let her to slowly wear them down with her Ice moves."
  
  She shook her head, "Well, never mind that. I was just comparing Surge to Volkner in my head and trying to see how Lorelei would stack up against that. I was just trying to take her measure."
  
  I blinked, "Wait. Firstly, isn't Volkner practically Elite Four level? And what are YOUR thoughts on Lorelei?"
  
  "To answer your first question, I've seen Volkner battle a few times against Flint, and he holds himself quite well." She explained, "I would definitely say, if not for his personality, Volkner would have been an easy choice to be part of the Elite Four. I rate him higher than Aaron."
  
  "High praise." I whistled. I had looked into the respective strengths of the Sinnoh Elite Four. Aaron was the weakest, but he was still a very formidable trainer. Especially considering that he specialised in the use of the notoriously 'weak' Bug types.
  
  "Well he's too attached to his lighthouse to ever consider joining the Elite Four." Cynthia laughed, "I'm pretty sure he only accepted the position as Gym Leader of Sunyshore to spend more time around it."
  
  "Anyways, as to your second question, you know I make a habit of studying powerful trainers to see what I can learn from them." I nodded, she had made that clear enough, "But, at least before this battle, I skipped out on Lorelei because I didn't have any Pokémon on my team that could make use of her tactics."
  
  Then she shot me a look, "And I admit that out of all of the notable trainers in Indigo - most of my attention was on you."
  
  Her words sent a shiver through my body as I failed to meet her gaze. Though she had said something like this before, her compliments were still very flattering. Especially because it came from her.
  
  The battle between Lorelei and Surge continued in the background, but it was long forgotten.
  
  I coughed, trying unsuccessfully to hide my embarrassment, "...Why me? And not Lance?"
  
  "Because you're more interesting." She replied simply, "I take one look at Lance and I know everything about him. He's a man that has an exceptional talent at training up his Pokémon to be as ridiculously strong as possible. That IS impressive, but it's also boring."
  
  "But you...you train your Pokémon while focusing on more than just their strength." Her gaze turned even more intense. Her eyes seemed like she was seeing straight into my soul, "I watched you train with your Pokémon. I've studied how you use your Pokémon during our cave explorations. You might like to play up your Pokémon's ability to punch through your opponents, but your Pokémon are more than just brutes."
  
  "You are a mish-mash of different fighting styles." She stated, "You have Pokémon that fight head on, like your Ursaluna. You have Pokémon like your Blissey and Clefable that fight with a whole host of supporting abilities. Then you have Arceus knows what with your Porygon2."
  
  "You've convinced the world that you are a Normal type trainer." She shook her head, "But I see the truth. You are a generalist trainer disguised as a Normal specialist. And how do I know that?"
  
  She leaned forwards, "Because you fight like me."
  
  I couldn't help it. But I burst out into laughter as I heard her words. I had never considered it; I was only really concerned about training up my Pokémon so that they could reach their full potential. However, now that she pointed it out, I could see the similarities.
  
  I had to take a breath to calm myself down, "...You're too right." I wiped a tear from my eye, "I'd never even thought of it that way, but you're right. I do fight like a generalist, just that I'm more biased to Normal types."
  
  "You can't fool me." She grinned smugly, "I've spent a lot of time studying what made you so strong compared to other trainers, and the realisation was an inspirational one for me. It reinforced the fact that my training style wasn't wrong, since I saw you succeed so much with yours."
  
  "Wait, I inspired you?" I asked confusedly.
  
  She nodded, "Partially. I had already decided to become a generalist long before I even knew who you were, but you fought most alike a generalist than anyone else I knew - at least within our generation of trainers. Your success just proved to be me that I was on the right path."
  
  "That's quite the compliment." I replied as a smile unconsciously appeared on my face. Her words were like music to my ears.
  
  "You deserved it." She smiled back, "But don't let your head get too big. I studied many other trainers too. Wait - let me show you."
  
  She stood up and started scrounging through the many notes and documents thrown around the room. As she did, I took a brief moment to look at how the battle between Lorelei and Surge was going.
  
  I found that her Froslass was utterly dominating Surge's Electabuzz, as I would have expected. Froslass was just too agile and mobile for Electabuzz, and it was never able to close the gap to get in some real damage. All the while Froslass continued harassing Electabuzz down at a safe distance.
  
  Surge was in a bad position, but I thought he had brought it upon himself. He had made some crucial mistakes early in the fight that would likely cost him the battle. And at this rate, I didn't see how he would reverse his fortunes.
  
  "Woah!" The sudden cry yanked my attention away from the screen, and I turned to see that Cynthia had tripped over something. Probably the messy pile of notes that she refused to clean up.
  
  "You alright?" I quickly stood up to pull her up.
  
  "It's fine." She waved me off, "It happens a lot."
  
  "Maybe you should consider tidying up your room." I said dryly.
  
  She clicked her tongue, "What kind of scientist organises their room anyways?"
  
  "...Uh, all of them? I mean, I know quite a few." I started listing them off, "Professor Oak, Gym Leader Blaine, Director Shelly, your grandmother..."
  
  Cynthia frantically cover my mouth with her hand, "Okay! Okay! I get it." She sighed, "I just don't see why I should waste time clearing everything up when I'm just going to make things messy again in a few days' time."
  
  "Sounds like a you problem." I smirked.
  
  "Every girl has their flaws - you'll just have to deal with mine." She said imperiously, intentionally flicking her hair at me. The scent that floated up to my nose was enrapturing. "Anyways, enough about that. You can have a look at these."
  
  She shoved a few notebooks into my hands. I took a quick flip through them, and I saw that they were filled with hastily scribbled notes. There were many crossings out, and they looked like a disorganised mess of scribbling.
  
  But behind the mess was a meticulous and thoughtful analysis of a few trainers that Cynthia considered to be powerful enough to be worth studying from. I couldn't help but notice that my name was featured prominently within many pages, with many annotations next to it. Shamelessly, I decided to read through them.
  
  'Ursaluna? More than just a brute? Took down Drake's Salamence with long range rocks? Maybe copy with Garchomp? Try to teach headlong rush?'
  
  'Clefable Fighting resist? How to train a Normal type to resist fighting? Potential training path for Togekiss?' Next to that was another note that said 'Fairy type revealed. Power against Dragons confirmed. Need to prepare Garchomp and Togekiss to take advantage.'
  
  'Slaking - how did John get it that strong? Most powerful member on his team? Would beat Lance's starter Dragonite? Comparable strength. Garchomp would lose. How to defeat?'
  
  "Reading about yourself? That's quite narcissistic of you, isn't it?" Cynthia smirked at me. "You were meant to read what I wrote about the others."
  
  "Couldn't help it." I chuckled, "Though seriously - this is extraordinary, Cynthia. This must have taken quite some time."
  
  I wasn't exaggerating, as I flipped through the copious amounts of notes for all the other trainers she had studied, I could see where the inspiration for her team came from. She learnt from the best, and took as much as she could and implemented that into her own team. Considering that Indigo was revealed to them not too long ago, the fact that she already had written so much about us was genuinely impressive.
  
  This book was a physical manifestation of her hard work and determination.
  
  She shrugged, "When we realized that other regions existed, I wanted to know everything I could about you all. Like I said, you had a fighting style that most complimented mine. I didn't just study you of course, as you saw, but I wanted to learn from all the notable trainers I could find and see what I could use - being a generalist allowed me to do so. Besides, you know why I did all that studying anyways. I'm sure you're already aware of my ambitions."
  
  "You weren't very good at hiding it." I replied with a grin, "But yes, you intend to make a play for Champion, right?"
  
  She nodded, "I am. And I need to make sure I can beat all of the Sinnoh Elite Four. No, not beat, but sweep through them. It needs to be an undeniable display of strength."
  
  She snorted, "I've studied the Sinnoh Elite Four so much that I can practically imagineour battle at this point."
  
  "Think you can win?" I had to ask, even though I already knew the answer.
  
  She rolled her eyes at me, "John, did you think we would be having this conversation if I wasn't confident in my chances?"
  
  I laughed, "That confidence of yours is really magnetic."
  
  She grinned, giving me a brilliant smile, "Of course it is."
  
  I stared at her smile, my eyes refusing to move away from them as something ran through my body. Before I could really think about it, my phone rang. I looked down and saw that it was Lance.
  
  "Hi, Lance, what's the matter?" I greeted.
  
  "...What do you mean? Did you not watch Lorelei's match against Surge?" He asked strangely.
  
  Oh shit. I quickly turned to the TV and saw that she had won the match 6-4. "Uh...yeah, good victory. She won it 6-4. That's good." I did my best to conceal the fact that I, in fact, had missed out half of the match.
  
  Whoops. I blame Cynthia for distracting me. I apologized to Lorelei in my head.
  
  Luckily, I don't think Lance caught on to that, "It was a pretty good victory." He agreed, "I think she did much better than how it was reflected in the scores. The way that she shut down Surge's starter Raichu with her Dewgong was impressive - and of course it helps that she didn't even need to use Lapras. It was a much-needed reminder of her strength."
  
  "Yes, it was." I lied through my teeth, and I saw Cynthia holding back a giggle at my blatant lie, "Make sure to pass on my congratulations to her."
  
  "I'll definitely do so." Lance replied, "I suspect that Lorelei's worth will go up in many people's eyes. Especially now that she's able to focus back on the plans and proposals that she had for the committee."
  
  "Anyways, I didn't just call to discuss the match. I have more news for you." He added.
  
  "Oh? Go on." I said.
  
  "Hoenn will be sending a representative over to Sinnoh as well." Lance explained, "Not sure when they're arriving, but it should be sometime soon."
  
  "Wait, who are they sending?" I asked, "Don't tell me it's Drake."
  
  I respected Drake, both as a trainer and as a friend. But even I knew that he was probably as bad as if we had sent Agatha as a representative. Diplomacy was DEFINITELY not his strong suit.
  
  Lance chuckled, "No, definitely not him. They're sending Phoebe."
  
  "Phoebe? Not Sidney?" I didn't know much about Phoebe, to be fair, but I thought Sidney would be more suited as a representative. I thought he eased in very well when he was in Indigo. He just seemed like the more natural choice.
  
  "Sidney's still hanging about in Indigo, so he can't come over." Lance informed me, "Plus, Hoenn can't really afford to send more than one member while Sidney's still away. That'd just leave one single Elite Four in Hoenn. And considering the trouble that they just dealt with, it'd be better to keep more two Elite Four on standby just in case."
  
  "Makes sense." I nodded, "Well thanks for letting me know. Oh - and one more thing, am I about to be sent home from Sinnoh soon?"
  
  "Not just yet." Lance replied, "Why, are you eager to come home?" He quipped.
  
  "No, I think I'm quite enjoying it here." I responded jokingly, glancing at Cynthia, "I've had a wonderful host." Cynthia shot me a smile from across the room.
  
  Lance laughed, "Well that's good to hear. But don't get TOO attached to Sinnoh. I will have to recall you one day."
  
  "Don't worry, I'll head back if asked." I said, "I just wanted to know if I needed to head back anytime soon. There's still more I want to do while I'm here."
  
  "Now you're just making me jealous." He said, "Anyways, I'll leave you to it. Have a good evening."
  
  I hung up the call and turned around - just in time to see Cynthia putting on an apron as she walked over to the kitchen.
  
  "You making something for dinner?" I asked as casually as I could. But my eyes kept snapping back to how she looked in that apron.
  
  "Yes, just something simple." She nodded, seemingly unaware of the looks I was giving her, "You want to stay for dinner? It's already getting pretty late - and I'd be happy to cook for you."
  
  There was only one answer I could give.
  
  "Of course. I would love to."
  
  A.N. AND LORELEI WINS! And yes, I decided that you probably didn't need to read much more of Lorelei's fight against Surge. Instead, I hope you enjoyed the dialogue and banter between Cynthia and John. The two of them will continue being a big part of the arc.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-10 -Interlude- Blaine
  The New Normal - 8-10 - Interlude - Blaine
  
  Blaine grumbled as he walked back to his office. It had been another boring and tedious session of battles that he was forced to perform as the Gym Leader of Cinnabar. Honestly, did these trainers think that the 7th Gym Badge was just a joke? A warm-up for their showdown against the 8th Gym Badge?
  
  He sent any that came to him under those false assumptions back to the Pokémon Center with their Pokémon thoroughly scorched.
  
  While he recognized that it was the dream of all aspiring trainers to be able to collect their 8th Badge, which opened many an opportunity for said trainer, they really ought to show some more respect to him and his position. It was like these kids forgot that he was part of the Elite Four!
  
  And he only left because he didn't want to deal with Pryce's crap for any longer, not because he was too weak to hold the position.
  
  Though he realized that he was a being a little unfair on those challengers. He enjoyed pushing trainers a little harder than he intended to, and his Pokémon often fought at a level slightly above what was expected for the 7th Gym Badge.
  
  Even in his more advanced age, it seemed like he was still very much the hot-headed battler of his youth. He might have favoured more intellectual pursuits nowadays more than battling, but the flames of battle never failed to get his blood pumping with fiery excitement.
  
  However...he was starting to feel battles as a Gym Leader to just not be fulfilling for him. He enjoyed battling, but not when he had to hold himself back. There was a marked difference between fights where he could truly let loose, and those that he routinely fought as part of his duties as Gym Leader.
  
  It made the battles feel hollow. They weren't able to test him, to improve on his strength. It was only the rare occasion where he could leave a battle feeling satisfied.
  
  He put away these thoughts for now as he entered into his office, greeting his now-frequent visitor with a nod. Shelly greeted him back casually as she continued looking through a few of her notes, probably about the Magmarizer that they had worked on together.
  
  He had been pleasantly surprised with working with Shelly. At first, he had his doubts about her capabilities. The first impression that he had of her was that she was a mere administrator of scientists rather than an actual scientist herself.
  
  He despised those.
  
  But it turns out that she was definitely capable of handling both roles. She proved to be an able partner for figuring out the logistics of how to mass produce his Magmarizer as well as helping him with trying to refine an Electric version of it. In fact, he found himself working with Shelly more than he did with John.
  
  Not that he blamed John for being unable to help. He understood that John had other obligations that he had to handle.
  
  Which brought them to this very moment. After weeks of work, Blaine and Shelly had been able to refine the Magmarizer to something that would be 'easier' to reproduce. Despite their best efforts, gathering an enormous amount of magma energy into a small box would never be easy. That required some very careful handling of the magma that was produced by the volcano at Cinnabar. So each Magmarizer produced required plenty of time and effort; meaning that it wasn't going to be some cheap product!
  
  "So are we agreed then?" Blaine spoke up and asked, "The Indigo branch of Devon Corp will be handling the advertising and sale of the Magmarizer, while Cinnabar Island is responsible for the production?"
  
  As agreed between them, a majority of the profits would go to him as it was his idea and invention. Devon Corp would be taking the rest for their help in helping to distribute and sell the product; Blaine had no idea how to do so and he was happy to leave it up to their expertise.
  
  He had considered having Silph Co do the distribution and selling, but Devon Corp had offered him a better deal. That would probably piss off a people at Silph Co, but Blaine only scoffed at that. If they wanted to distribute the Magmarizer, they should have offered him better terms.
  
  They had already run this agreement by John, who was happy to be left out of this project since he didn't have time to be involved. At first, they wanted to give John a small cut of the profits anyways because of his early assistance, but John felt it was unfair for him to be even taking such a cut when his contributions were cut short by his trip to Sinnoh.
  
  Though the two of them didn't really mind sharing the credit with him, Blaine knew that they were both pleased by his principles and honesty.
  
  Instead, John simply reaffirmed his wish to help work on the future Electirizer project that Blaine had in mind. Both him and Shelly were easily willing to accommodate this; nor would they turn down the myriad of connections that working with John offered them.
  
  "Yes." Shelly nodded, "I've already run it through with the others and Joseph. He's very happy for this to proceed. He even wants some shipped over to Hoenn too."
  
  "...Might be hard." Blaine replied after thinking it over for a bit. "I don't think we'll be producing enough to fulfil demand here in Indigo, let alone Hoenn...I guess we could set aside some Magmarizers to be sent over to Hoenn each month? So that at least you'll be getting SOME Magmarizers to use?"
  
  "That's a good idea, and I think Joseph would be happy about such an arrangement too." Shelly agreed. And having Joseph's approval was good, they both knew, as approval meant more funding. Despite his personal distaste for sycophancy, especially after working under Pryce, Blaine knew when he needed to keep his boss happy.
  
  "Then it's agreed." Blaine smiled, happy to be rewarded for his efforts, "The Magmarizer will be sold openly in shops all around the world soon enough!"
  
  He KNEW that the Magmarizer was going to be an important invention. Not because it allowed for Magmar to evolve into a Magmarizer, but because it proved that it was possible to create an evolution item by refining one specific Type and concentrating an intense amount of it into a small space.
  
  Blaine knew that as soon as the Magmarizer was released, scientists all over the world will be trying their hand at recreating its effects with a different Type. That was why they would be shifting their focus to the Electirizer as soon as the Magmarizer was properly released to the public before anyone got steal their thunder.
  
  Heh. Steal theirthunder. Heh.
  
  It was times like these where Blaine regretted having taken up the title as Gym Leader. It was certainly a prestigious position, and when he retired as an Elite Four he felt happy to be able to at least remain relevant in the public eye.
  
  But now, with the sudden scientific boom that Indigo was going through, he wanted to spend more time as a scientist rather than as a Gym Leader.
  
  He knew that he could have had the Magmarizer prototype finished far earlier if he didn't have to spend most of his day handling the administrative duties of a Gym Leader. Yet at the same time, he didn't want to retire from the position just yet and let some other idiot take up the position.
  
  Right now, he was de-facto in charge of Cinnabar Island. If some other fool took up the position as Gym Leader, then they might think they suddenly have the authority to order him around! He would sooner admit that he was balding than let that happen!
  
  So, for now, he would keep his position. Even if it frustrated him at times. Maybe one day, in the future, he would finally be able to hand off the position to someone he felt worthy. He would just have to tough it out and deal with the monotony of being a Gym Leader in the meantime.
  
  He just hoped that he would finally have some good battles that would reinvigorate his fiery spirit once again. That, or he could hopefully quickly find someone worthy enough to take his position as Gym Leader.
  
  However, as Blaine returned to working with Shelly on his Magmarizer, he would never have known that he was going to be getting his wish sooner than he would have ever expected.
  
  Sometimes, it was necessary to be careful what you wished for.
  
  A.N. Foreshadowing! Blaine's Magmarizer project is a success, and it's a BIG discovery too, since it can snowball into other creations, so his reputation in the scientific community is only going to grow from here!
  
  And yes, this is a setup chapter. You're about to see Blaine in action!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-11-INTERLUDE-Sabrina
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Loudred
  
  Jigglypuff
  
  Noctowl
  
  Girafarig
  
  The New Normal - 8-11 - INTERLUDE - SABRINA & WHITNEY
  
  (Sabrina POV)
  
  After Janine's victory over her parents for the Marsh Badge, neither herself or Whitney had much difficulty against her parents for their own Marsh Badge.
  
  Oh, she knew that her father had tried to make things harder for them, but he was still constrained by the limitations of the 6th Gym Badge. He could not pull off the raw power that she knew that he had, nor make use of his strongest Pokémon.
  
  Her battle against her father was intense. They knew each other's tricks, and while she outclassed her father in terms of pure Psychic talent, her father had significantly more experience at fighting against other Psychic specialists.
  
  But that's why she fought slowly, with methodical precision, focusing on wearing down and fighting extremely carefully as to not get caught up in her father's many tricks. She used the fact that she actually overpowered her father's Pokémon and was more efficient with her attacks to gradually achieve victory with her Psychic types.
  
  It was not the grandest way to win, but it worked. And it was the totally opposite way of how Whitney won, which was to literally power through his Psychic attacks before and overwhelm her father before he could probably set things up.
  
  Whitney's Miltank was powerful.
  
  After their fight, she had seen clips of her fight against her father popping up on BattleCast, mainly in the forums dedicated to Psychic trainers. She felt a surge of pride at being recognized for her Psychic skills, which was only increased when Whitney gushed over the fact that her friend was becoming a 'well-known' trainer on Pokenet.
  
  As always, she was endlessly thankful that Whitney took the chance to become her friend.
  
  With their trio all winning, she asked the other two if she could hang around Saffron City for a little while longer to spend some time with her parents. Past her would have never suggested something like this, thinking that spending time with her parents was overly stifling and boring.
  
  But now that she had gone on her journey with Whitney, she learnt to appreciate her parents and their love for her far more. And she was eager to talk about the many events that took place over her journey.
  
  Whitney was more than happy to accompany her and spend some more time in Saffron. However, Janine asked if she could take the opportunity to head back to Fuschia to challenge her father. She stated that she felt that now was as good as a time as ever to challenge her father; to prove to him how much she had grown ever since she set off for her journey.
  
  Sabrina felt bad for accidentally splitting the group like this, and she could tell even without reading her mind that Whitney was torn between accompanying Sabrina with her parents or cheering Janine on at Fuschia.
  
  However, Janine insisted that she would go and fight her father alone. Though Whitney obviously wanted to support her friend, she ultimately respected Janine's decision and wished her all the best in her battle against Koga while the two of them remained in Saffron.
  
  So as Janine left for Fuschia, Sabrina and Whitney spent most of that time with her parents, doing many things that Sabrina previously loathed in the past, but now found enjoyable thanks to Whitney's encouragement.
  
  This included things like shopping trips, or simple meals outside with the family. They did a LOT more shopping than either had expected, and they ended up buying matching ribbons for each other. In the end, they bought 3 ribbons in total. One pink, one magenta, and one purple for Whitney, herself, and Janine respectively.
  
  Whitney giggled and said that she couldn't think of anything more suitable.
  
  Of course, they didn't only use their break to rest. During their short break, the two of them spent some time doing further research into Blaine's team and fighting style. Her parents saw this and gave a few words of warning.
  
  "Blaine is not going to be easy." Her mother warned, "I've seen plenty of aspiring and talented trainers defeat your father, only to fall short and get stuck on Blaine. He has the unfortunate reputation of being more of a scientist than a trainer, but everyone forgets that he used to be a former member of the Elite Four."
  
  "You may have been too young to have seen Blaine in his heyday, when he used to be in the Elite Four, but he is easily Giovanni's match if they were to fight at their strongest. Even with his disadvantaged type matchups." Her father added, "Here...let me try to show you."
  
  He closed his eyes and Sabrina felt a slight tingle of Psychic energy try to push into her mind. She allowed the tendril of Psychic energy in, and her mind was suddenly assailed by a flash of images as her father tried to project his memory into her brain. A normal non-psychic may have been overwhelmed by the sudden invasion of thoughts, but Sabrina was more than used to this and easily accepted his memories.
  
  She could see flashes of a Magmar torching the entire battlefield into a sea of flames. The torrent of fire so strong that it overwhelmed the incoming Hydro Pump from the opposing Blastoise. There was another image of a Torkoal unleashing a tidal wave of magma and rock that sent the enemy Lanturn wailing in pain as it was buried underneath endless tide of scorching rock.
  
  The images continued to flash through her mind. But there was always one constant. A grinning Blaine, this time with a head full of hair, as he stood victorious over his opponent.
  
  Time and time again.
  
  She shuddered at the thought of him being her next opponent, even if he was going to be limited by the restrictions of the 7th Gym Badge. She was beginning to realize that their shared goal of clearing out all 8 Gym Badges by the end of this circuit was going to be very optimistic.
  
  Her father must had read her thoughts, or maybe he simply guessed them based on her expression, as he continued, "You might not have noticed this, judging by your streak of success, but did you know that after the 4th Gym there is a significant jump in difficulty between the Gyms?"
  
  "Really?" Whitney couldn't help but interrupt, "But why?"
  
  "The first four Gyms are supposed to teach you the basics and fundamentals of being a trainer." Her mother explained, "That's why they're much easier to defeat. They're just meant to teach you to develop good habits in training your Pokémon, alongside some basic confirmation that you understand the type charts and stuff. The Gyms are supposed to be reasonable for you to defeat with just some training."
  
  "But once you've beaten the 4th Gym, then the 'training gloves' come off, so to speak. The goal of the Gyms are no longer to train you, but to test you and to force you to push yourself to new heights. To put it more bluntly, it is meant to drill and hone your talents so that you can show off your full potential as a trainer. It would not be unusual for the common trainer to have to attempt and challenge the 5th and 6th Gym Badge multiple times before they can earn their badge. Just ask your father, he's seen it dozens of times now." Her mother described, with her father nodding along in agreement.
  
  "Or, if I could speak more cynically, the purpose of the Gyms after the 4th Badge is to discover and weed out the exceptional trainers among this year's batch of trainers." Her father frowned, "I don't approve of this mindset, as I believe every trainer can achieve great things if given the opportunity, but that's just how things are set up."
  
  "...So, we are considered unusual for being able to get so far on our first try?" Sabrina asked.
  
  "No, not unusual. You're not unusual, but exceptional." Her mother chided, knowing that Sabrina didn't like to be called 'unusual'. "You make us so proud as parents to see you succeed like this. Don't ever let anyone downplay your achievement. Even if you struggle with Blaine, being able to reach us without a single loss is already incredible."
  
  "But we wanted to defeat all 8 Gyms before the end of this circuit..." Whitney mumbled a little sadly.
  
  Her father reached down and patted Whitney on the shoulder, "Having an ambitious goal like that is good...but don't feel upset if you can't reach it. I'm sure your brother would be very happy with you even if you don't manage that." Her father comforted, and Whitney slowly formed a small smile as he hit the nail on the head about her concerns.
  
  She smiled too.
  
  "Did you know that there are plenty of trainers that try to hire private tutors to get past your father's Gym?" Her mother added, shooting them both a smile, "I find the whole concept ridiculous, especially since they charge exorbitantly high prices for their 'training'. And half the time it doesn't even work. You don't know how glad I am to see you not relying on such services."
  
  "And besides, you haven't lost yet!" Her father spoke up with a cheery tone, "Keep your chin up. Keep training hard and keep studying Blaine. Maybe you can even beat him on your first try! But if you don't, don't beat yourself up too hard about it. We all face roadblocks in our lives, and learning how we overcome them is part of growing up."
  
  Whitney nodded firmly, accepting her father's words to heart. Sabrina just smiled; her friend always had more enthusiasm for the three of them. She knew that Whitney could bounce back even from a loss. And if she did fall into a slump, well Sabrina was confident that her brother could get her out of it.
  
  Sabrina knew that the only thing Whitney could not accept was disappointing her brother.
  
  After that enlightening conversation, they spent a few more days with her parents before they eventually had to say goodbye. Janine had finished up her fight against her own father, squeaking out a very narrow victory as her Golbat barely held on after Koga's Weezing Exploded.
  
  Whitney had insisted to watch the recording of the match, and Sabrina couldn't help but think of how similar Janine's match against Koga was compared to her own match against her father.
  
  The fight really could have gone either way, but Janine HAD won. And considering the bright smile and the sheer joy radiating out of her face when Janine had called them, Sabrina didn't think Janine cared about how close it was.
  
  Sabrina was quick to share in her friend's joy, she had felt similarly when she had defeated her father.
  
  She felt a little bad that Whitney couldn't experience something similar any time soon, because her brother wasn't a Gym Leader, but Whitney didn't seem upset about that at all.
  
  Sabrina vowed to help Whitney grow and become strong enough for her to put up a good fight against her brother. Because she knew that was Whitney's dream.
  
  Anyways, with Janine finishing up with her fight, they left Saffron City and decided to all meet up in Cinnabar Island. And Sabrina immediately wanted to leave as soon as she arrived.
  
  Why was this place so hot and sticky?! She knew it was next to a volcano - but still!
  
  At least the trio was fully back together, giving them the opportunity to continue spending time strategizing about how they would defeat Blaine.
  
  As agreed, Sabrina would be challenging Blaine first, followed by Whitney, then Janine.
  
  Right now, they were at one of the training fields near the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Centre training up her team with her friends. Since it was late in the circuit and Cinnabar Island wasn't the most popular of places anyways, this meant it was easy to secure a training field for the entire day.
  
  Although Sabrina did note that there were plenty of scientists rushing about. Maybe there was something big going on? She was tempted to look into their minds, but her friend's frequent reminder to NOT casually invade someone's privacy stopped her.
  
  The newest addition to her team, her newly caught Girafarig, was doing well and was quickly growing to become another valued part of her team. She and Whitney had expectedly taken opposite approaches with their Girafarig. She focused more on developing Girafarig's Psychic abilities, teaching it how to set up barriers and the like for her team. She really valued having a Psychic type Pokémon that wasn't weak to Ghosts and cold actually fight in close range decently well if needed.
  
  She was taking inspiration from John's Wyrdeer in how she wanted her Girafarig to develop. Although being able to create and leap from barriers mid-air was going to take a lot of time to master.
  
  On the other hand, following her Girafarig's more aggressive preferences, Whitney was training her Girafarig to focus more on the physical side, to effectively be the opposite of Loudred. Whereas Loudred mostly focused on Special Attacks but also had a range of physical moves as backup, Girafarig focused on mostly physical attacks with a range of Special Attacks as backup.
  
  Sabrina suspected that Whitney was drawing inspiration from the same source as she was.
  
  Speaking of Whitney's team, they had finally managed to find and acquire a Moon Stone so that Whitney's Jigglypuff could finally evolve into a Wigglytuff. The evolution was long overdue at this point. On Sabrina's part, she had finally decided that now was the best time for her Staryu to evolve into a Starmie, making use of the Water Stone that she picked up a while ago.
  
  With Wiggytuff's new evolved form, and in the subsequent spars that took place between Wigglytuff and her Pokémon, it was immediately obvious that Wigglytuff was now able to do more than make use of status moves, as it now had the power to actually fight back offensively. Not only that, but Wigglytuff was now far more durable than her pre-evolved form.
  
  But, if Sabrina could be honest, her Staryu's evolution into a Starmie was even more important, at least for their upcoming battle against Blaine. It gave her another fast Special Attacker that could hit really hard and blast Blaine's Fire types with powerful Water type moves. Even ignoring the advantageous type matchup, her Starmie hit even harder than Xatu, which was more focused on support moves.
  
  Now, if only she could get her Kadabra to evolve into an Alakazam, but she knew that was some ways off.
  
  However, even with all these new evolutions, the warning from her parents about Blaine's strength remained in her head. She had studied Blaine's past battles, so she knew that he was a hot-tempered trainer with a huge focus on devastatingly destructive attacks.
  
  Personally, she saw him as very similar to Surge. Whereas Surge focused on speed and fast striking attacks, Blaine focused on raw power and explosive devastation, forcefully gaining control of the battle by setting the entire arena alight.
  
  Even Whitney's Miltank, by far the tankiest of their Pokémon, would not be able to withstand such attacks for too long. No, they all knew that they had to somehow beat Blaine by trying to reduce his incoming firepower while knocking his Pokémon out before they succumbed to the scorching flames.
  
  Sabrina felt bad for Janine, who had the hardest task out of the three of them. A good portion of her team were weak to Fire types, meaning that she had to be extra careful when going up against Blaine.
  
  And so, as time ticked by, the three of them spent their days in Cinnabar Island, carefully training up their teams and trying to come up with a plan to allow them to conquer Blaine and earn themselves the Volcano Badge.
  
  To their surprise, their time training around the training fields did not go unnoticed by the local population. And it was to her shock that her group of friends were suddenly approached a long, black-haired scientist lady and a weird guy wearing sunglasses, a fake moustache, and a wig.
  
  No, wait, he had a moustache. But he just chose to wear a fake one on top of his real one. Why?
  
  Also, was the wig actually part of the disguise, or was it because he wanted to conceal the fact that he was bald?
  
  Still, Sabrina had no idea who that guy was trying to fool. The disguise was so obvious that it would take an actual idiot to not see through it. In fact, if it was not for the very official looking scientist lady with the Devon Corp badge placed proudly on her lab jacket, Sabrina might have been suspicious of his intentions.
  
  Just to be safe, she discretely tried to probe his mind, only to reel back in pain as she felt her mind searing with pain. Her mind felt like it was being scorched alive.
  
  Suddenly, her thoughts about the strange man were flipped on its head. This was a powerful trainer.
  
  She didn't know how she didn't see it before, but despite his attempts to look mundane, he was anything but. Was he here to spar against them? She readied herself for a fight, but then the lady spoke, and all the tension broke away.
  
  "I can't believe this coincidence! Whitney, is that you?" The lady suddenly spoke as she approached her friend, shaking Whitney's hand. "I thought I recognized you! Never thought I'd actually meet you. Congratulations on making it so far in the circuit!"
  
  Whitney still had an extremely confused expression on her face, and the lady must have seen that as she was quick to clarify, "Oh my, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shelly. I work with your brother and am the branch head of Devon Corp here at Indigo."
  
  Whitney's face morphed into recognition, "Oh! Shelly! Yes, John did mention you a few times! It's good to meet you, and thanks for helping my brother!"
  
  "More like he's helped me!" She chuckled, "Anyways, this is my friend...uh...Ian!" Sabrina had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the obviously fake name.
  
  "It's good to meet you." 'Ian' greeted them, "I must say, it's nice to see trainers working so hard to train up their Pokémon. You looking to challenge the Gym Leader?"
  
  "We are!" Whitney exclaimed eagerly, "We're looking to beat him on the first try! But we know he's very hard, so we're training up."
  
  "Oh? That's ambitious. Have you been beating the other Gym Leaders on the first try too?" Ian asked, but Sabrina narrowed her eyes at his question. She had a suspicion that he already knew the answer to that.
  
  "Yep!" Whitney answered with a nod, "We hope to do so for every Gym Leader! And we hope that we can beat all 8 Gyms before the end of this circuit."
  
  Shelly whistled, "That's quite the goal. I wish I was nearly half as ambitious back when I was on my journey. But good luck on that! I'm rooting for you."
  
  "Wow, then you must be really strong trainers, right?" Ian suddenly said, in a voice that couldn't sound any more fake than he tried. Sabrina noticed that Janine had immediately stiffened up at his words.
  
  But Whitney continued, utterly unaware, "Maybe? John always says that there is always someone stronger than you, so I don't think I'm that strong."
  
  Ian nodded, "That's a good mindset to have." He pretended to think for a moment, "Tell you what, I've not had a good battle in some time, and truthfully, I don't like having to hold back so often. Would you be interested in a Pokémon battle?"
  
  Whitney almost instantly agreed, but Ian continued, "Just to warn you. I've seen you practicing, and while I have no doubt that you are all very talented trainers, my Pokémon ARE stronger than yours." He let his gaze sweep amongst the three of them, "I have a proposal. I'll only be using one Pokémon against one from each of you, so it'll be a 3v1. If you can win, I'll give you something as a reward."
  
  Now even Shelly was giving Ian a weird look. And Sabrina had a sneaking suspicion that whoever this trainer was, he was seriously underselling his strength.
  
  "Why are you doing this?" Janine suddenly asked, "If you're so strong, why challenge us?"
  
  Ian nodded as if he expected the question, "I've recently acquired a new Pokémon that I've been really looking forward to testing its strength. Unfortunately, both due to a lack of time and suitable trainers, I haven't had much opportunity to test out its strength to my liking. But I figured that if I fought you three together, I might have a chance to finally get my Pokémon's measure."
  
  "How about it? Does something like this interest you?" Ian asked, falling silent as he allowed Whitney to ponder the suggestion.
  
  Whitney turned to her and Janine, a silent question on her lips. But Sabrina knew what her friend was thinking. Whitney always sought an opportunity to improve herself, and what better way was there than to challenge an experienced trainer more powerful than them.
  
  And so, both Janine and Sabrina nodded back to her friend, who only shot them grateful smiles as she turned back to Ian.
  
  "We accept." She told him.
  
  The grin that Ian had was positively feral.
  
  "Excellent."
  
  (Whitney POV)
  
  Whitney had a slight suspicion that this 'Ian' wasn't who he says he was. She knew she wasn't as observant as her friends, but even she could tell that he was not an ordinary trainer. Especially not with that proposal and the ferocious grin that he suddenly had on his face.
  
  "Prepare yourself," Sabrina's voice psychically filtered into her head. "This will likely the hardest fight that we've ever fought." Whitney subtly nodded back at Sabrina as she readied her Pokéball.
  
  "I guess I will be officiating then." Shelly shrugged and took her place in the centre of the arena. Janine and Sabrina walked over to Whitney's side of the arena as they got ready for battle.
  
  "Shelly, could you ask the Joys to set up the psychic barrier around the arena?" Ian asked her, and Shelly nodded before dashing off to the nearby Pokémon Centre. She returned moments later accompanied by a few Psychic types and a special machine that quickly formed a protective barrier around the training field.
  
  In the corner of her eye, Whitney saw Sabrina's eyes narrowing as the psychic shields were set up. If they thought this battle to be destructive enough, then what kind of Pokémon was Ian going to be using?
  
  Whitney had never fought in a 3v1 before. In fact, this was likely the most unusual battle that she had ever fought in so far. But she was confident that with her friends by her side, there was no way she could lose a fight.
  
  "Trainers! Are you ready?!" Shelly shouted out, getting nods from all the trainers.
  
  "Miltank in front, Kadabra for support, Golbat to distract and wear them down with Poison." Sabrina mentally listed out their plan in their heads. Janine and her tapped Sabrina on the shoulder to show that they agreed.
  
  "THREE...TWO...ONE...RELEASE!"
  
  "Come on out!" The trio threw their Pokéballs as they released their respective starters, their pride and joy. Whitney couldn't help but grin as she waited to test her strength against whoever Ian would send out.
  
  "MAGMORTAR! ITS YOUR TURN AT LAST!" And that grin quickly disappeared as surprise filled her face. What was that? She had never seen that Pokémon before!
  
  "It is likely a Magmar evolution, based on the appearance and name." Sabrina's voice remained calm as she spoke to her telepathically, but even then she could tell Sabrina was a little rattled. "Definitely a Fire type, but it might share a secondary typing we don't know about."
  
  "Take to the skies and Confuse Ray, Gol-"
  
  "Flamethrower! BURN EVERYTHING!"
  
  Janine tried to Confuse the opposing Magmortar, but before Golbat could even take to the skies a huge stream of searing fire suddenly split the battlefield in half, creating a trench of scorching flames that split up their Pokémon. Her Pokémon were forced to dodge out of the way, but Magmortar had just gotten started.
  
  Never letting up for even a second, Magmortar continued spewing out flames from its cannons as it flooded the battlefield with an ocean of flames. Within seconds, the battlefield had suddenly turned into a furnace that her Miltank was trapped inside.
  
  But that didn't mean they weren't ready to fight back.
  
  "Light Screen, Kadabra!" "Rollout and Rock Throw, Miltank!" "Circle around and Toxic, Golbat!"
  
  A huge screen of light shimmered into existence in front of the team, forming a protective barrier that should hopefully lessen some of the power of the Magmortar's attacks. At the same time, Miltank curled up into a ball as she began rolling and launched a huge slab of stone straight towards the Magmortar. In the meanwhile, Golbat carefully circled around and tried to fire off a glob of pure poison at the opposing Fire type.
  
  But Magmortar didn't even have to move as it simply launched an even more intense lance of flames at both incoming attacks, its flames now turning a dangerous blue as Magmortar ramped up the heat. Both the globule of poison and the incoming Rock Throw instantly melted as they touched the blue flames.
  
  But even as her rock shield melted into nothing, Miltank continued charging forwards, fully relying on the Light Screen to offset some of the damage.
  
  But the Light Screen wasn't able to block as much as they'd hope, as even her Miltank, her tankiest and strongest Pokémon on her team, staggered backwards and was almost forced out of her Rollout as the searing flames blasted her body. Miltank was instantly Burned.
  
  However, her Miltank persevered, continuing to force herself forwards as she endured through the roaring flames.
  
  Realizing her ally was in trouble, Kadabra teleported behind Magmortar and fired a Psychic to distract it. Magmortar stumbled as the blast of Psychic energy impacted it, but before it could recover, a barrage of Air Slashes cut into it, flinching and distracting Magmotar for long enough to give Miltank just enough of a reprieve for her to close the distance.
  
  Magmortar let out a grunt and tried to retaliate with another blast of flames towards Golbat, but then Miltank slammed into it with a powerful Rollout that transitioned into another Body Slam as Miltank grappled the Fire type. Not giving Magmortar any time to recover, Miltank roared and crashed another Hammer Arm straight to the face.
  
  Yet before Whitney could cheer - Magmortar suddenly caught one of Miltank's arms in its own, revealing that it was far healthier than Whitney thought, before countering with a flaming punch that dug deep into Miltank's stomach.
  
  Miltank staggered back, and Magmortar stepped forwards with one of its fists glowing white as it moved to follow up, but another blast of Psychic knocked it off course.
  
  Then Golbat swooped in from above with a Confuse Ray, this time succeeding to dazzle Magmortar with a dizzying array of lights.
  
  Magmortar's attack went wide as it began to stumble around confusedly, and Whitney knew this was the moment to attack.
  
  "Rollout into it, Miltank! Pummel it!" "Thunder Wave, Kadabra! Paralyze it!" "Brave Bird, Golbat! Hit it hard!"
  
  "IGNITE!"
  
  However, before her team could get close, Magmortar suddenly fired off a thick cloud of gas that spewed out around it. Whitney looked curious at what Magmortar was doing before Sabrina suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
  
  "EVERYONE PROTECT NOW!"
  
  Her Miltank, having trained with and trusted Sabrina, instantly responded by forcefully stopping her charge and forming a Protect shield. The shield barely formed in time before a deafening explosion shook the arena as Magmortar detonated and ignited the cloud of gas with its flames. The weak psychic barriers were hardly able to withstand the explosion as they instantly shattered.
  
  Whitney winced and covered her face as she felt the huge wave of force blasting her back, her ears ringing loudly from the sheer power of the explosion, and her eyes blinded as a cloud of dust was kicked up and covered the arena. She could feel the sweat dripping down the side of her head as she felt the sweltering heat of the flames.
  
  Worse, she couldn't see what was going on with all this smoke and dust obscuring everything.
  
  Luckily, they had Sabrina, "Our Pokémon are still up, but they're badly injured." Sabrina told her psychically, "Miltank and Golbat were closest to the blast and took the most damage. I sense that Golbat may be unable to fly and Miltank may have almost been knocked out. Kadabra was able to Teleport out in time and was mostly fine.'
  
  As the ringing in her ears slowly faded away and she processed her friend's words, and she studiously ignored how one attack nearly brought down her Miltank, her mind settled in what she had to do next.
  
  "SLACK OFF, MILTANK! HEAL YOURSELF!" She shouted, hoping that Miltank could hear her words.
  
  "ROOST UP, GOLBAT! DO THE SAME!" Janine ordered the same, putting their entire defense on Kadabra's shoulders. It was not ideal, but they had no other choice.
  
  As the cloud of dust and smoke cleared away and the psychic barriers were reformed, the grisly sight of the battle revealed itself to them.
  
  Miltank had been painfully blasted back, her body leaving a trench in the ground as the explosion sent her flying. Her arm wobbled badly as she struggled to even pull herself up, the other arm hung limply to her side. She had one eye sealed shut and her face was bruised and twisted in pain with black soot marks covering most of her face. She had evidently taken the full brunt of the explosion, as close as she was to the initial detonation.
  
  Golbat was barely doing any better. It flailed weakly on the ground as both its wings were limp and refused to move and small wisps of flames continued to linger on its skin. It too had been blasted backwards as it fell into a small bed of loose rocks.
  
  Neither Pokémon were in any condition to fight.
  
  Fortunately for them, Magmortar did not escape from its own explosion unscathed. Its once pristine arm cannons were now marked with scratches and scars, and the flames on its head and shoulders no longer burned as intensely as they once did.
  
  Yet despite all this, Magmortar's eyes were still burning with fighting spirit as it took a step forwards, eager to continue the fight.
  
  "Fire Blast, Magmortar! Finish them off!"
  
  "Psychic, Kadabra! Hold it back!"
  
  Seeing that two of its opponents were busy healing up from their injuries, one of Magmortar's arm cannons flashed as an enormous ball of white fire formed within them. Forming a vicious smile, it fired off the searing ball of pure flame straight towards Miltank - the opponent it saw as the greater threat. As it flew, the ground crackled and burnt as the orb of white flame scorched everything its proximity.
  
  To make matters worse, the Fire Blast was accompanied by another lance of flame as Magmortar unleashed a second Flamethrower as well, intent on finishing the fight right here and now.
  
  But Kadabra Teleported in front of Miltank and retaliated with a powerful blast of Psychic, his eyes closed as he dedicated every bit of concentration in fending off the incoming flames, but the sheer power of Magmortar's attacks forced Kadabra back.
  
  Kadabra remained defiant as he continued to dedicate every last scrap of Psychic power he had into the holding back the attack. Kadabra's entire figure began to glow a bright blue as Psychic energy began to leak out of him as he strained his Psychic power to the limit. His singular spoon wobbling uncertainly as it was unable to withstand the sheer amount of Psychic energy being channelled through it.
  
  Just to buy an extra few seconds for Miltank and Golbat to finish healing up.
  
  Despite all that, it wasn't enough. Kadabra was STILL giving ground.
  
  In that moment, Golbat had also finished healing up. While it was still badly injured, it had at least regained enough strength to assist Kadabra. Determined to help its friend, it shot forwards, diving under the Flamethrower as it sliced Magmortar's side with an Aerial Ace, doing enough damage to cause Magmortar to cut off its Flamethrower.
  
  Golbat quickly circled around and landed a glob of Toxic on the distracted Magmortar, badly poisoning the Fire type and turning its once bright red form into one far more pale and sickly.
  
  However, while that did put Magmortar on a timer, there was still the incoming Fire Blast to deal with. Even without the support of the Flamethrower, the Fire Blast was still gradually moving forwards as Kadabra collapsed onto his knees - his reserves of Psychic energy bottoming out.
  
  And Miltank was still healing herself up and was still immobile. She could not dodge in time.
  
  Whitney grimaced, realizing the situation was doomed.
  
  It was then that Janine suddenly spoke up, surprising them all, "Golbat! FORM A PROTECT AND DIVE INTO THE ATTACK!"
  
  Never once even questioning its trainer, Golbat let out an affirmative screech as she fell into a dive and launched itself straight into the path of the Fire Blast. All of the trainers, and the small crowd of spectators that their battle had inadvertently attracted, stared with widened eyes as Golbat sacrificed itself for the good of the battle.
  
  A Protect shield formed around Golbat as it crashed into the Fire Blast, sending an enormous explosion of flames to erupt at the point of contact. The flames scorched the entire arena, sending the small crowd of spectators screaming for cover as the arena was invaded by an army of fire that spread out in a wide cone.
  
  As a thick cloud of black smoke covered everything, Whitney's first instinct was to turn to Janine and check if Golbat was doing okay. But a sudden mental shout from Sabrina cut that off.
  
  "Magmortar is charging up another attack, but Miltank is back up!" She said urgently, "Get Miltank to dodge in any direction and rush it down! Kadabra is exhausted and we can't win at range!"
  
  There was no time for other thoughts. Whitney immediately shouted out Sabrina's orders, yelling them out in hopes that Miltank could hear her.
  
  And not a second later, a huge spear of flames suddenly cut through the thick clouds of smoke, narrowly missing Miltank who had barely scrambled out of the way. Before Magmortar could fire off another shot, Miltank instinctively ripped up a large slab of rock off the ground and hurled it blindly into the smoke towards where she thought Magmortar was.
  
  A sudden grunt of pain emerged from within, showing that Miltank had somehow landed a lucky hit on Magmortar.
  
  Miltank then formed into a ball as it dashed forwards with a Rollout, dispersing the heavy cloud of smoke as she rolled through the many flames that lingered around the arena. As the smoke cleared off, Whitney adamantly ignored Golbat's unconscious figure as she stared right at Magmortar, who had apparently fallen over from the impact of the previous Rock Throw. It was barely able to pull itself up when Miltank came crashing in with another powerful Rollout, her eyes alight with rage at her fallen ally.
  
  Magmortar's head spun as Miltank smashed a Brick Break right into its face. It tried to fight back with a Fire Punch, but Magmortar was also becoming exhausted, and the attack came slow enough for Miltank to catch pummel it with a Hammer Arm first.
  
  As Magmortar was knocked back, Kadabra suddenly fired off a beam of white light towards Magmotar.
  
  "Kadabra got off a Guard Split! Magmortar's defense has been heavily lowered!" Sabrina explained for Whitney, who immediately knew what to do.
  
  "GO ALL OUT MILTANK! NO LETTING UP!"
  
  With its defense heavily lowered from the Guard Swap, Magmortar no longer had the durability that it once had to defend against Miltank's attacks. Coupled with the intensifying Toxic that was spreading throughout its body, it was unable to react in time when Miltank suddenly picked up its entire body and threw it over her head, slamming it down into the ground once again with a suplex.
  
  "MILTANK!" Miltank let out a feral roar as she stomped on the ground, unleashing a powerful Earthquake that sent supereffective tremors throughout Magmortar's body, throwing its prone form up and down into the air as the ground shook violently.
  
  But despite all of the punishment it was receiving, Magmortar refused to be knocked out like this. Using whatever energy it had left, it raised one of its arm cannons towards the stomping Miltank. Quicker than Miltank could react, flames came roaring out of its arms as a huge spear of blue flames threatened to engulf Miltank.
  
  "Ally Switch!"
  
  However, just before the scorching flames would have blasted and knocked Miltank out, her body shimmered in place as she disappeared, only to be replaced by a heavily injured Kadabra. Accepting his fate, Kadabra simply closed his eyes as he was took the full brunt of the incoming Flamethrower, instantly collapsing as he was blasted back by the attack and sent crashing into the psychic shields. Faint embers of smoke wafted off his unconscious body.
  
  But Kadabra's sacrifice bought Miltank one last opportunity to finish Magmortar off. Having been teleported right behind Magmortar, Miltank recklessly and brutally slammed into Magmortar's fallen form with a devastating Body Slam, sending the two of them falling through the ground as the impact cracked and pinning the Fire type underneath her.
  
  Magmortar let out a pained grunt, but once again tried to raise its other arm to blast Miltank with another jet of flames. But Miltank moved first, letting out another defiant moo as she crashed their heads together with a ferocious Zen Headbutt.
  
  Not giving it another chance to recover, Miltank rained down a brutal barrage of blows as Hammer Arm after Hammer Arm came crashing down on Magmortar's wounded form, finally knocking the monster of a Fire type out.
  
  "...I can't believe it! But Challenger Whitney, Sabrina, and Janine are the victor!" Shelly declared after shaking herself out of her stupor. Following on from that, a huge roar of applause came out from the impromptu spectators, and Whitney looked around and saw that large crowd had somehow gathered during their fight, attracted to the exciting sounds of battle.
  
  But more importantly than that, she turned to her friends, and was relieved to see the bright smiles on their faces. A big smile broke out around her mouth as well as she shared in the happiness and relief of their shared victory.
  
  That was easily the hardest fight that they've ever had to fight in.
  
  She knew it was only a matter of time, but this was the first opponent that she couldn't simply overpower with her Miltank. Magmortar would have utterly destroyed Miltank in a one-on-one fight. Even in a 3v1 fight, they were barely able to scrape off a win.
  
  And now that she was thinking straight, she found it odd that Magmortar never bothered to set up the sun with a Sunny Day. It would have been a very easy way to boost its own Fire attacks, and they didn't have a way to counter it at the moment since none of their Pokémon knew Rain Dance.
  
  But Whitney put that thought aside for now as she withdrew her victorious Miltank into her Pokéball, patting her Pokéball gently as she gave her Miltank her well-deserved rest.
  
  The sounds of footsteps caught her attention, and she looked up to see Shelly and Ian approaching her. But it wasn't Ian anymore, because his disguise had all burnt or fallen off during the fight, and her eyes widened as she realized who their opponent was.
  
  How in Arceus did she not figure this out sooner?! She whirled to look at both her friends, only to see none of the surprise she would have expected on their face. Was she the only person that didn't know?! WHY DIDN'T THEY SAY ANYTHING?!
  
  "That was a great battle, kiddo!" A grinning Blaine spoke up, "First time in a while that I could show off my Pokémon's full potential. This was definitely way more exciting than your standard Gym battle."
  
  "You still held back though." Sabrina interrupted, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion, "You only made use of simple moves."
  
  Whitney nodded. He didn't even use Sunny Day!
  
  Blaine only responded with a shameless grin, "Well of course I did! It wouldn't have been fair to you otherwise. But that doesn't mean I lied, that fight made my fight boil in excitement. You just don't get that kind of feeling when you're forced to hold back so much in a Gym battle. And you gave me the opportunity to properly test out Magmortar's capabilities in a fight, even if it was holding back slightly."
  
  "That Magmortar was a Magmar evolution, wasn't it?" Janine spoke up, "I am guessing that this is a project you've been working on, right?"
  
  "That's right." Blaine nodded, "You'll see this in the papers soon, but yes, I created the Magmarizer specifically as an evolution item that allows Magmar to evolve into a Magmortar...In fact, you three have just done me a huge favour in helping me advertise the power of this new evolution! You could say that this whole thing was a burning success! HAHAHA!" Blaine laughed out loud as Shelly palmed her face, failing to restrain a groan at Blaine's bad puns. A feeling that Whitney earnestly agreed with.
  
  Blaine shook himself out of his laughter, "Anyways, I did say that I would reward you for a prize for winning." He said as he rummaged through his coat, before pulling out three identical red badges that gleamed in the afternoon sun. "I'm sure I don't have to explain what this is. But it's yours. You've more than showed off your fiery spirit today!"
  
  "Are you sure that's okay? We didn't even fight your Gym Trainers...and this wasn't supposed to be an official Gym battle!" Whitney couldn't help but protest, her desire to just grab the badges overruled by her desire to do the right thing.
  
  But Blaine just scoffed, "You would easily beat my Gym Trainers in a fight; they'd hardly be much of a challenge to you from what I've just seen. And as for the fact that this wasn't 'official'..." He mimed making air quotes, "You three have more than proved your capabilities to be deserving of the Volcano Badge." He stated.
  
  "Not only were your Pokémon all individually very strong, especially at your young ages, but the fact that you were able to work so well in a team and had so much trust in each other is proof of both your talent as trainers and the trust that you have in each other." He said seriously, his joviality gone, "I noticed during your fight that there were moments where your Pokémon all displayed an unwavering sense of trust and obedience to not only their trainers, but also to the others as well. Any kind of trainer who can foster that kind of relationship between their Pokémon is more than deserving of the 7th Badge, you can take my word for it."
  
  He looked each of them in the eye, "Each and every one of you have done your parents, and brother, proud. This I am certain of. I look forward to seeing what you three would be able to achieve in the future." He handed over the Volcano Badge to each of the stunned trainer, placing it in their hands.
  
  Janine was able to break out of her shock first, "Thank you, Gym Leader Blaine." She said, falling into a bow. Sabrina and Whitney quickly followed her, and the three of them bowed to the chuckling Gym Leader.
  
  "No need to thank me." He said, "You all achieved this from your own hard work. As I said, I wish you all the best with Giovanni. Make sure to not to rush - and challenge him only when you're confident that you're ready. He's the last hurdle for you three, but I'm confident you all will be able to surpass it."
  
  And then Blaine left, leaving the trio alone with a smiling Shelly.
  
  "Ignoring the bad puns, I don't have a single doubt that whatever Blaine had told you was false. I might not be a good trainer, but even I could see the potential that you three have within you." She said to them, "Your friendship only nurtures that. And I too, am excited to see what you three will do in the future. I'm rooting for you."
  
  She patted Whitney on the head before walking away. All Whitney could do was stare down at the Volcano Badge sitting gently in her palm.
  
  But she was broken out of her thoughts as she felt a hand resting on her shoulder, and she turned to see Sabrina staring at her with a smile on her face. Whitney shot her friend a smile of her own, before reaching over and pulling Janine into a big group hug.
  
  They earned their 7th Badge! Just one more to go!
  
  A.N. As you can probably guess, this was supposed to be split into 2 Interlude chapters. However, considering that people don't like back-to-back full chapters of Interlude, I combined them into one.
  
  I hope you liked this chapter. I really wanted to give space for the fight to breathe and to showcase Blaine at his 'strongest'. I also wanted to take a short break from John and Cynthia for a moment.But more importantly than that, I wanted to show just how strong the trio have become, and how they are able to work together extremely effectively in fights to conquer opponents that are normally far beyond them.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-12 - Ignition
  
  It had been a good few days after Lorelei's victory against Surge. I spent the past few days both continuing to train up with my Pokémon as well as spending some time to do my duty as the Indigo representative. In this case, that meant welcoming the small group of people from Silph Co as they hashed out a deal with the Sinnoh League since it showed off good public relations between our regions.
  
  And I pointedly did not bring attention to the one employee member that I was nearly CERTAIN was just Archer in disguise. With how...less professional it looked, he clearly didn't have Petrel helping him with his disguise this time.
  
  Well that at least shows that Giovanni was taking things very seriously if he was sending Archer over. I approved of that, at the very least.
  
  Photos were taken, as was expected, and I saw my picture in the papers the very next day under headlines that all spouted positivity about how successful opening of Sinnoh's borders have been and how the new foreign investment was going to help the region.
  
  It didn't take a genius to see the influence of the current Elite Four behind it. But I hoped that these business ventures would turn out to be a success; I didn't want Sinnoh to close up their borders again. Especially not with Team Galactic and their plans.
  
  But the employees from Silph Co were not the only ones to arrive. Hoenn had finally sent over their representative in Phoebe, likely hoping to expand their influence and forge good connections just as we did. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet her as I was preoccupied with greeting Silph Co, and Will met with her instead. Still, I was sure to find some time to speak to her later.
  
  I was both glad and disappointed that they didn't send over Drake. Glad, because sending over Drake as a DIPLOMATIC representative was insane. Drake was many things, but diplomatic he certainly was not. I was slightly disappointed, because I genuinely respected him and wanted to chat more with him.
  
  Instead, I found myself with another repeat visitor.
  
  "Hey John, nice to see you again." The familiar face of Flint waved to me as I was training up my Pokémon.
  
  "Oh? Flint? Surprised to see you here." I remarked, "What are you doing here? Thought you were busy."
  
  "Just hanging about." He said, though he quickly chuckled at the disbelieving look that I gave him, "Okay, maybe it wasn't such a coincidence. I actually wanted to fight you. And it seems like you've picked out a good spot already - there aren't any prying eyes to see us."
  
  "Oh really?" My eyes narrowed challengingly, "I'm not one to back down, but you have to admit that this came out of nowhere."
  
  "I'm not known as a hot-head for nothing." He laughed, "Did you know I already challenged Will?"
  
  "I did not." I shook my head, a little surprised, "How did that go?"
  
  "We drew." He grinned, "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
  
  I brushed off his attempt to rile me up, "So what did you think about Will? I've not actually seen him in a proper battle. I only duelled him once, but that was with both of us severely holding back."
  
  "Lucian's better than him as a trainer and as a Psychic specialist." Flint said immediately, "Though that isn't an insult against him. I consider Lucian to be the strongest among the Sinnoh Elite Four, so the fact that Will is comparable to Lucian is an impressive achievement."
  
  "I sure hope you told Will that in person; he would have preened." I smiled, "He's always a sucker for compliments."
  
  "That's exactly what he did." Flint chuckled, "Anyways, enough about Will. Are you going to take me up on my offer?"
  
  "Sure, but you still haven't told me WHY you're seeking me out to battle." I replied, "I can see it in your eyes that you're doing this for reasons MORE than just because you want to battle me."
  
  "Well, I DO want to battle you, but you're right." Flint responded, then he lowered his voice almost to a whisper, "I wanted to make sure Lucian's eyes weren't wrong."
  
  "Come again?" I asked confusedly.
  
  "Lucian has great hopes for Cynthia." Flint revealed, "He thinks that she has the potential to be our next Champion. I don't disagree, especially after seeing her match against you. But I wanted to confirm YOUR strength with my own two eyes."
  
  "Ah, so when you have a measure of my own strength, then you can use that to judge how strong Cynthia is." I realised.
  
  "Exactly." Flint nodded, then a smirk formed on his face, "So how about it? Famed 'Hero of Olivine'? Ready to test yourself against a member of the Elite Four? Let's make it a 3v3."
  
  If this was how he wanted to play it, then so be it. A large grin split my face, "Of course. But the better question is - Are you ready to lose?"
  
  He laughed, "Don't hold back on me now!" Oh, but I didn't intend to. If Flint wanted to use me as a means of measuring Cynthia's strength, then I wasn't about to let her down.
  
  If Flint was expecting a battle that would be on a similar level as the performance I had with Cynthia, then he was in for a rude awakening.
  
  The truth of the matter was that Smough, Vordt, and Tyrant were on a different level to the rest of my Elite Pokémon. The latter two especially were MUCH stronger, even if they all shared the same title as an 'Elite' level Pokémon.
  
  So if he wanted to test me, then I wasn't going to hold back this time. I would come out swinging.
  
  The two of us threw our respective balls, revealing Flint's Flareon and my Vordt.
  
  I could see the look of surprise he had on his face as he stared at Vordt. But he had to free himself from his surprise soon as Vordt came charging straight out of his Premier Ball, stealing a move from Tyrant.
  
  As Vordt barrelled forwards with a terrifying Headlong Rush, tearing out the ground as he did so, Flareon was only narrowly able to dodge the attack with a desperate Quick Attack that JUST gave her enough space to avoid the attack while also leaving a trail of fire in its place.
  
  Yet that was not the end of Vordt's assault, as he quickly redirected the trail of loose rocks that he had ripped up in his charge and slammed them into the unsuspecting Flareon.
  
  Flareon winced as the sharp rocks crashed into her, but her natural instincts allowed her to still release a plume of searing flames towards Vordt.
  
  That was a devastating mistake.
  
  Instead of dodging, Vordt simply stood still and allowed himself to be scorched by Flareon's flames, letting the embers dance across his fur as he was set alight.
  
  Vordt released a savage snarl as the Burn triggered his Guts ability, transforming Flint's biggest strength as a trainer into a boost to his already overwhelming attack.
  
  "Now, Vordt! ALL OUT!"
  
  "URSA!" Vordt let out a fearsome roar and he rocketed forwards with another Headlong Rush, ignoring the thick wall of white flames that Flareon had rapidly thrown up in his path.
  
  The wall of white-hot flames would have scorched and incinerated most foes. But to Vordt, it was just another barrier for him to break through, and he was VERY proficient at breaking through things. It would certainly hurt, but it wasn't nearly enough to deter him.
  
  "FIRE BLAST, FLAREON!"
  
  However, Flareon wasn't caught unprepared this time. As soon as Vordt's charging figure broke through the flame wall, he was immediately met with another powerful orb of roaring fire that detonated directly in his face. But the Fire Blast was special - it didn't end there. As soon as the orb detonated, it turned into small globules of magma that dripped down and created a molten pool of lava that lingered on the ground.
  
  The searing flames burned brightly as it engulfed Vordt, and he released a painful grunt as he staggered backwards from the explosive detonation, cancelling his charge.
  
  Flareon swiftly followed up with another torrent of whirling flames that spun violently in a vortex of fire, sending tendrils of flames lashing out at all sides and trapping Vordt in a damning prison of fire.
  
  Yet Vordt was not some helpless prisoner. Despite being subjected to a fiery tornado of terrible fire, Vordt roared out and unleashed a devastating Earthquake that caused deep fissures to rip through the ground, tearing the makeshift battlefield apart with its sheer destructive power.
  
  It didn't matter that his whole body was scorched alight with searing flames. The pain of the burns only served to boost his own attacks.
  
  The Earthquake came with such devastating speed and power that Flareon was completely unable to dodge out of the way in time, and the Fire type shook violently as it was caught in the shattering and explosive tremors from the Earthquake. The Guts-boosted Earthquake tore through Flareon's health; it didn't matter how well trained Flareon was, it wasn't going to be able to tank through this supereffective attack.
  
  To add insult to injury, as soon as the Earthquake petered out and before Flareon could even collapse onto the ground, huge spears of rocks suddenly erupted from the ground around Flareon. Flareon let out a cry of pain as the sudden shards of rock eviscerated it on all sides, mercilessly delivering the final blow to an already injured Flareon.
  
  And so, Flareon fell.
  
  "...Huh, I didn't expect that." Flint admitted as he withdrew Flareon into its Pokéball, "I really thought my Flareon would be able to put up more of a fight than this. Now I'm starting to think I bit of more than I could chew."
  
  "You did a number on my Ursaluna." I allowed, staring at the range of injuries that Vordt now sported, and the flames that continued to dance across his body, "Your attacks were pretty powerful."
  
  I wasn't lying. Even though Vordt got a massive power boost from being burnt, it was clear that the Burn from Flint was doing way more damage than you would normally expect. Even as we talked, Vordt's health was slowly ticking down.
  
  Flint snorted, "Let's not talk about a comparison in power when your Ursaluna took down my Flareon in two good hits." He shook his head, "And people call me the 'powerhouse' of the Sinnoh Elite Four."
  
  He sighed, "Enough talk. I've disrespected your Ursaluna enough by talking while it slowly burns." He withdrew another Pokéball.
  
  "Fight hard, Lopunny!"
  
  His Lopunny bounced onto the field, each hop of its legs revealing its agility and nimbleness. That being said, I just gave Flint a weird look. This wasn't a Fire type!
  
  Flint must have seen the look in my eye, because he refused to look at me, "Fake Out, Lopunny!"
  
  Lopunny gave off an affirmative squeak as it leapt forwards, clearing the distance between itself and Vordt in a single jump. Vordt immediately started levitating a field of rocks to fire towards Lopunny, but it clapped its hands together and flinched Vordt before he could.
  
  Without needing Flint to give any further instructions, Lopunny moved quickly to land on the ground before jumping into the air again, this time spinning around and delivering a brutal High Jump Kick straight into the side of Vordt's head.
  
  Vordt's head snapped to the side with an audible CRACK.
  
  Before Vordt could pull himself together, Lopunny ruthlessly kicked Vordt's legs from under him with a swift Low Kick that caused Vordt to trip over. Then it finished off its combo of attacks by SMASHING its knee straight into Vordt's face.
  
  However, the light in Vordt's eyes told me all I needed to know about his fighting spirit. He was not about to let this one-sided assault continue any longer. Although Lopunny clearly out-sped him, Vordt had plenty of experience dealing with an opponent that hit hard and was faster than him.
  
  Because if there was one thing besides his incredible attack that made Vordt so strong as my second most powerful Pokémon, it was his unyielding endurance. Vordt was not the second strongest on my team for nothing. To think that a mere Lopunny could think that it could bring down Vordt so quickly was almost insulting, when he had taken on the likes of Drake's Salamence and had won.
  
  So while Lopunny WAS delivering strong back-to-back blows that should have sent a normal Pokémon reeling, Vordt remained determined, refusing to succumb to its building injuries or to allow the pain to distract him from his true goal.
  
  His eyes remained burning with constrained rage that was just waiting for that single opportunity to erupt and bring down the agile Lopunny.
  
  Because, for all of Lopunny's speed and power, Vordt had trained against Karen's Weavile - who was both quicker and more powerful than it. Lopunny was merely a lesser substitute.
  
  But Lopunny remained unaware of all that, instead it chose to leap forwards once again to slam down with another vicious High Jump Kick, thinking that Vordt was vulnerable. Perhaps both Pokémon and trainer must have thought that Vordt was more injured than he was, simply because the large burn marks that scorched his form made him seem like he was on his last legs.
  
  So Lopunny leapt forwards, with a leg extended eagerly as it looked to finish off its opponent with one final coup de grâce to bring down my Ursaluna in a flawless victory.
  
  However, that was arrogance.
  
  So instead of hammering down with a High Jump Kick, Lopunny was instead painfully surprised as a sharp field of rocks burst forth from the ground, catching Lopunny completely off guard as it soared through the air into a minefield of jagged rocks.
  
  With it being in the air, Lopunny was unable to reverse its momentum in time and its health was torn asunder as spike after spike of razor-sharp rocks ripped through it. Lopunny did her best to reposition herself, but it was too late.
  
  Barely dragging itself out of the minefield of rocks, Lopunny stumbled onto the ground uncertainly - with a visible limp in its step.
  
  And Vordt was never one to allow such an opportune moment to escape.
  
  "URSAAA!" Roaring forwards in a blitz of speed, Vordt became a terrifying beast as he charged like a predator looking to rip his prey apart. Lopunny instinctively tried to hop backwards, but Vordt had predicted its movements and crashed headfirst into Lopunny, slamming straight into the much smaller Normal type with his full weight behind him.
  
  The air escaped Lopunny's lungs as it found itself pinned to the ground before a brutal Hammer Arm came crashing down from above like a hammer, striking with such force that it sent a spiderweb of cracks spreading out from all sides and burying Lopunny's head into the ground as if it was a nail.
  
  Not satisfied with just that, Vordt slammed his front legs into the ground once again as he prepared to unleash ANOTHER Earthquake right on top of the fallen Lopunny to ensure its defeat, but Flint moved first.
  
  "Woah, woah, I think my Lopunny got the message." He said as he withdrew Lopunny into its Pokéball before Vordt could unleash his Earthquake. "...I really thought I had you there with a faster Pokémon."
  
  "I got lucky." I said humbly. "If you hadn't gone for a High Jump Kick, it wouldn't have worked." That wasn't exactly true, but it DID make things easier for me.
  
  "...I thought your Ursaluna would be squishier than that." He grumbled, but then he shot me a surprised look as I withdrew Vordt from the fight, "...Why? Your Ursaluna looked like it could continue to fight."
  
  "Eh, it's injuries were building up." I lied. Truthfully, he was right. Vordt WAS able to fight more. He had withstood Drake's Salamence after all. But he had already secured two very convincing wins against Flint's Pokémon. There was no need to show more.
  
  Besides, I had come to realise that I was an exceedingly poor matchup for Flint. His Pokémon hit hard with their high-powered Fire attacks, but that wasn't enough to compete against the raw endurance that my Pokémon possessed. Plus, his main form of defence using area denial was ineffective when my Pokémon could simply power through them.
  
  That being said, he had deliberately asked me to fight at my best. His Pokémon would have put up a much better against showing against anything OTHER than my three bruisers. I figured that Lopunny would have been a decent match against Smough, but Lopunny was not at the level of Cynthia's Lucario.
  
  Though it was unfair to Flint, I couldn't help but compare his strength to what I saw with Cynthia. And he came up short.
  
  Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, I spoke up again, "Say, Flint, I was always curious. But why do you only have a few Fire types? I feel like you're torn between being a generalist or a Fire specialist."
  
  He gave me a complicated smile, "...I'm not comfortable getting into it, but let's just say that circumstances forced my hand. Just because you want to be a Fire specialist doesn't mean you can actually catch Fire type Pokémon to join your team. And plus, I enjoyed having a few more types to experiment and think of strategies with."
  
  I nodded easily enough, letting the topic drop. "Though you have to admit that it is a little odd that the Fire specialist has the Lopunny and not the Normal specialist." I remarked.
  
  He shrugged, "To be honest, I'm not that surprised that you don't have a Lopunny on your team. You have to be REALLY lucky to get one to join your team."
  
  "Really? I know I've encountered a few." I said curiously, "But you're right that they haven't wanted to join me."
  
  "It's not their rarity that's the problem. It's the fact that many of them are too cautious or are too unwilling to fight." He explained, "There's no point catching a Lopunny to train it to be on your Elite Four if it's not going to be willing to fight for you."
  
  "Ah, I can see how that'd be problematic." I nodded, "So how did you get yours then?"
  
  "Luck." He replied, "Found the 1 in a 100 Lopunny that actually wanted to fight and was happy to train. Maybe the same will happen to you?"
  
  "Maybe." I allowed, "Anyways, enough chat. I still have one more Pokémon of yours to defeat, don't I?" I grinned smugly at him.
  
  He shook his head with a small smile, "I can see my defeat from a mile away. But I stand by my words. I want to challenge you at your best. So don't hold back on me now!"
  
  I nodded, fully intending to comply. If he was going to be sending out his starter Pokémon, then I would honour him by doing the same.
  
  "Come, Infernape!"
  
  "Tyrant."
  
  Both Pokémon rushed out onto the field, charging towards each other as they got ready to slam their fists into the other. However, while Infernape was the faster Pokémon, the quick realisation of the sheer power difference between our Pokémon rapidly caused it to reconsider as a glimpse of fear entered its eyes as Tyrant shot it a menacing smile.
  
  It was a smile that promised pain and violence.
  
  Infernape pivoted on the spot and chose instead to keep its distance and unleash a double vortex of swirling flames towards Tyrant - which looked like a combination of Fire Spin and Flamethrower together.
  
  Infernape must have thought that it was safer at a distance. Unfortunately, distance could not protect you from Tyrant's wrath.
  
  Seeing the attack coming, Tyrant instantly leapt into the air with an Aerial Ace, spinning through the air with a surprising degree of grace as he also fired off a sudden Thunderbolt towards Infernape.
  
  A rapid Protect saved Infernape from the incoming bolt of lightning, but it did little to block the follow-up Hammer Arm that came violently crashing down from the sky like a smite from Arceus. To Infernape's credit, it Endured the blow and lashed out with a quick Low Kick to trip up Tyrant.
  
  Tyrant grunted as he fell over, but not before he released a paralysing Thunder Wave that swiftly coursed through Infernape's body, slowing it down significantly. Yet Infernape pushed through the effects and smashed a powerful Drain Punch into Tyrant's face, draining his health and restoring its wounds.
  
  And it wasn't just a single punch. Blow after blow came hammering down on Tyrant's form as Infernape unleashed what appeared to be an interesting combination of Close Combat and Drain Punch, each punch striking with incredible force that also healed up Infernape in turn.
  
  That was until Tyrant did a kickflip off the ground, kicking Infernape hard in the chin with a powerful Mega Kick that broke through Infernape's pummelling and caused an audible SNAP as Tyrant shattered Infernape's chin while also allowing him to reposition himself.
  
  To Infernape's credit, it recovered quickly and rushed back forwards with a Mach Punch, hoping to maintain its offensive momentum.
  
  That plan was immediately torn apart as Tyrant cut off Infernape's Mach Punch with a Sucker Punch of his own that caught the rushing Infernape right in the stomach, completely knocking the wind out of it. Then, blue light flashed across Tyrant's eyes as he released a quick blast of Psychic that sent Infernape reeling back for a moment.
  
  A sadistic smile flashed across Tyrant's face as he stared at Infernape's reeling form. It was only exposed for a single moment, but that was all the time that Tyrant needed.
  
  "SLAKINGGGG!" Showing absolutely no mercy for his opponent, Tyrant roared out as he suddenly exploded forwards in an orange blur - ruthlessly ramming into Infernape with a terrifying Giga Impact that created a deafening BANG upon impact. The ground brutally split apart from the point of impact and shook violently from the aftershocks of the attack as if an Earthquake had been unleashed.
  
  It was an absolutely ridiculous attack to make use of without any charging time.
  
  The Giga Impact sent Infernape rocketing backwards like a missile, unable to even release a pained cry as its limp body was thrown backwards like an unwanted lump of meat.
  
  And Tyrant wasn't done yet - nor was he winded at all from the Giga Impact. Recovery times were for other Pokémon.
  
  "KING!" Roaring after his fallen foe, Tyrant leapt into the air and unleashed a barrage of Thunderbolts at Infernape before it had even landed on the ground, shocking the Fire type as spears of lightning came raining down on top of it - giving Infernape absolutely no opportunity to recover.
  
  As Infernape collapsed to the floor from the crippling effects of the paralysis, Tyrant came flying out of the sky and ruthlessly and savagely slammed his massive body against Infernape with a Body Slam, while also clutching onto Infernape's head and dragged it across the ground.
  
  Then Tyrant lifted Infernape by the head and SMASHED the Fire type head first into the ground, pounding it into the ground in a savage display of utter dominance. Each time Tyrant smashed Infernape into the ground, the ground would crack and shatter some more, until a small crater was formed using Infernape's head.
  
  There was nothing that Infernape could do in the face of Tyrant's unrelenting and merciless pummelling. Not when it was being pummelled into the ground so hard that it could never muster up the concentration needed to make a proper counterattack.
  
  "Enough! I lost!" Flint shouted out, quickly withdrawing Infernape from the fight.
  
  As soon as Infernape was released from his grasp, the battlelust rapidly faded from Tyrant's eyes and he let out a proud snort, satisfied with his overwhelming victory. He even had the audacity to grin cheekily at me.
  
  It took a moment for Flint to pull himself together from that very swift defeat. "...So...that was something." He eventually said with false levity, "Why didn't you pull this guy out against Cynthia?"
  
  "Well I think it was because he was holding back." A sudden voice surprised the both of us, and we turned around to find Cynthia walking up to us with her hands on her waist.
  
  I smiled as she approached, "That's right. I didn't want to show everything off in that fight, so I chose my weaker Pokémon. Though, what are you doing here, Cynthia? How did you find us?"
  
  She shot me a look as if I was stupid, "Really? You didn't think your massive Earthquake and then casual breaking of the sound barrier wouldn't attract attention? Then you have Flint setting off huge pillars of flames everywhere. What did you think was going to happen?"
  
  I scratched my head sheepishly, "Okay, maybe I didn't consider that."
  
  She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I could tell. You're going to have to tidy all this up after this, you know."
  
  I blinked, "Sure, but why just me? Flint contributed."
  
  "And if he hadn't been tossed around by you I would agree." She shook her head, "But I think he needs a Pokémon Center more than anything else."
  
  "Hey you know I'm still here right? Sheesh, it feels like you two are only talking to each other." Flint spoke up, drawing both of our eyes. "But Cynthia's right. I do have to visit a Pokémon Center. So thanks for doing the cleanup, John!" He grinned cheekily.
  
  I grumbled, but kept my silence.
  
  "Anyways, that was a humbling battle." Flint added, apparently not leaving just yet, "I really didn't think I would get defeated so easily like that." Then he shot the two of us a knowing look, "Though I shouldn't be surprised when you were fighting for Cynthia's honour."
  
  "Oh? Is that what you were doing? Colour me surprised." Cynthia grinned, immediately catching onto Flint's insinuation, "I didn't know you cared so much."
  
  "Haha, laugh it up." I replied dryly, "I'm not the one that just had his starter tossed around."
  
  "Ouch!" Flint clutched playfully at his chest, before breaking out into a chuckle, "You got me there. Your starter really is something - Infernape stood no chance. And I had even trained him up to be more defensive than his counterparts."
  
  "Don't take it too hard, Flint." Cynthia spoke up, "John just happens to be the worst opponent for you to have picked a fight with, in the same way you frequently lose to Bertha. Just like her, his fighting style crushes yours. Explosive firepower doesn't matter much when John's Pokémon can tank through it."
  
  "And yes, John's Slaking is an absolutely ridiculous Pokémon." She added, ignoring how the two of us blinked at her succinct analysis, "Trust me, I've done the research."
  
  "...I can see that." Flint nodded, then his smile turned playful, "Then does that mean I have a better chance when fighting against you?"
  
  I grinned, while Cynthia burst out laughing, "You wish, Flint. I hope you train up well over the next few weeks. Because I'm not so easy to beat either." She remarked.
  
  "You sound so sure." Flint responded.
  
  I spoke up before Cynthia could, easily remembering the words that she had previously said to me.
  
  "Would she be telling you this if she wasn't?"
  
  A.N. So Flint kinda fucked around and found out. John's strongest Pokémon aren't called that for show, they REALLY are that powerful. There IS a distinct jump in strength between his bruisers and his other Pokémon, especially the likes of Vordt and Tyrant as mentioned. So against Flint, who already had a poor matchup against John's bruisers, John completely dominated.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Survivor
  The New Normal - OMAKE - The Survivor
  
  Her parents had always been against her participation in the war. They had tried to instil into her that a lady's duty was in the household, to manage the finances of her husband, and to be a loyal wife. She had scoffed, never really buying into that nonsense. Besides, she had always been better as a trainer than she was at chores.
  
  And war proved to be an effective teacher. Horrifying, but effective. Fighting with the town's local militia to repel and take down lone groups of Johto soldiers had allowed her to improve her skills by leaps and bounds; and if she wasn't always in constant danger, then she probably would have been proud of her incredible growth.
  
  Too bad her parents had not seen it the same way. But then again, they hadn't been talking for some time now. Not ever since she joined up with the town's militia. In fact, she hadn't even thought about her parents for some time; she was too busy focusing on the constant and endless fighting and patrolling she was tasked with.
  
  In war, it only took the slightest lapse of concentration before you went down, never to wake up again.
  
  However, at the current moment, all she could think about was the safety of her parents as she desperately rushed back to town, watching anxiously as another spear of flames came spewing out of an enemy Dragonite, causing who knows how many people and Pokémon to burn. She prayed to Arceus that her parents had survived it.
  
  She ran back, sweat dripping into her eyes and staining her hair, but she ignored all that as she pushed her aching legs even further, cursing herself for her lack of exercise.
  
  "STOP!" A man's voice shouted, and she turned to see a Johto soldier facing her down with a Kadabra. He must have recognized her as an enemy from her uniform and the small armband that she wore to show that she was part of the local militia.
  
  She scowled, cursing at this distraction. With a wave of her arms, she felt something brush past her and a presence suddenly appeared in front of Kadabra. She turned away as she continued making her way back into the town, knowing that her Pokémon wouldn't lose.
  
  And sure enough, her Pokémon re-appeared next to her seconds later, grinning viciously at its victory. She would have praised it, but another horrifying roar filled the skies as the group of Dragonite unleashed another barrage of flames, drowning out a huge portion of the town in a sea of flames.
  
  And all she could do was continue forwards, tears of frustration threatening to appear in her eyes as she was unable to do anything. She knew she was a talented trainer, but no amount of talent could allow one person to stand up against an army. Especially not with her Pokémon, which were better at smaller and quicker engagements than fighting head-on like this.
  
  Eventually, she made it back into town, only to despair at what she was seeing. The town was in flames, and nothing was spared. Huge rows of houses, where she remembered playing around when she was younger, was now nothing more than a charred husk of burning wood. The schools, and Pokécenters were similarly all up in flames.
  
  She almost fell to her knees right there and then, the despair threatening to consume her very being. But she pressed on, hoping to find someone who had survived. Hoping to find her family.
  
  In the distance, she saw what she initially thought was a glimmer of hope. In the old, abandoned watchtower, a group of survivors could be seen fighting back against their draconic invaders, throwing out a variety of attacks that caught one of the Dragonites in the wings, causing it to fall out of the air before it was caught by one of its brethren.
  
  She rushed towards the tower, hoping to help out and regroup with the fighters, but then her plan was cut short as the Dragonites fought back, unleashing another barrage of Dragon Pulses that ripped through the tower. She screamed in horror as she saw the tower instantly crumble, the many survivors inside now trapped and falling, their own screams audible despite their distance.
  
  But then another volley from the Dragonites silenced them all.
  
  A part of her wanted to rush in to help, but the more rational part of herself forced her to move away, back to her original objective of finding her legs moved by themselves, and she swallowed the guilt as she rushed away from the tower, back to where she used to live.
  
  She ran quickly, but carefully, constantly scanning for any lingering Johto soldiers that might catch her off-guard. Not spotting any, she reached the area where her house used to be, only to find nothing more than another charred husk of a house where it once stood.
  
  Dread set into other heart, but she braved the flames as she scrambled inside, shouting out repeatedly for her parents. She begged Arceus for them to respond, but she did not have the favour of the gods today. Despite going through her entire house, she found nothing. No bodies. No traces. All she managed to retrieve was a half-burnt photo, portraying her family all standing side-by-side and smiling.
  
  On the back, she could just make out the words, "With our darling, Agatha."
  
  The tears came down before she could stop them, staining the photo. She clutched the photo tightly to her chest, all of her emotions came pouring out at that very moment. Her Gengar waddled up to her, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder as if trying to comfort her.
  
  She regretted Lavender Town's weakness, being one of the less protected towns around Kanto. Many in the town thought their obscurity and lack of importance would have protected them, but those voices were silent now. As were many others.
  
  She allowed herself to cry and mourn but for a moment before she forced away all of those feelings. Now wasn't the time for it.
  
  Wiping away her tears, she set her emotions aside once again as she stared back at the burning remains of her once lovely town. Overheard, the battle raged on, as apparently a lone man on a Dragonite had dived into the battle, somehow winning the fight despite being surrounded on all sides.
  
  And in that moment, her resolve crystalized within her. As she saw the man fighting all by himself against their invaders, she realized what she had to do. She rushed back into battle, hoping to help the man before a stray attack caught him off-guard. As she ran back in, she made a vow to herself.
  
  She would rebuild and protect Lavender Town. And even until she was old and crippled, she would never allow her vigil to slip. She would ensure nothing like this happened to her beloved town ever again.
  
  The army of vengeful Ghosts in her shadow let out a cackling cry of support.
  
  A.N. It's been some time since I wrote one of these, but I was inspired and really wanted to write this. Once again, feel free to take this as Canon or Non-Canon depending on your preference. And yes, this was probably one of my darker OMAKES, even for the war period. But I hope you liked it regardless.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-13 - Explorers of Time
  
  With the battle with Flint over and with him retiring to have his Pokémon healed up, Cynthia turned back to me.
  
  "I'm glad you seem to believe in me." She said with a cheeky smile.
  
  "Why wouldn't I?" I shrugged, though I was also smiling. "Anyways let's talk and work at the same time. I need to clean up the fields."
  
  So that's what we did. I had Smough and Tyrant help tidy up the field, while Cynthia continued to talk.
  
  "Oh, by the way, John, did you know that I've been organising an expedition into the caves under Snowpoint City?" She said.
  
  "I did NOT know that." I remarked, a little surprised, "Since when did you have time to organise it?"
  
  "It's been something in the works for a while, even before you got here." She informed me, "But we thought that now would be a good time. Because you're here."
  
  "Me? Why?" I asked.
  
  "You see, this expedition is huge. We'll be bringing a group of over 50+ trainers and scientists to delve together into the caves to set up a forward base - that would allow future explorers to have an easier time to resupply and rest instead of having to travel all the way back up to the surface." She explained.
  
  "Okay, I understand that. And I suppose you want me to come along for the extra security, right?" I said.
  
  "Exactly." She nodded, "I've seen how your Pokémon are capable of not just fighting, but also healing and supporting others. That'll be very useful to bring along, since you'd be a huge help to buff up our security. So would you please come with us?" Her eyes seem to shine as she begged me with her eyes.
  
  Damn. "You don't need to beg, I'd say yes anyways. A big expedition that goes far down into the caves? I'd be a fool to decline!"
  
  She grinned, "Excellent. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some last minute preparations to sort out. I'll leave you to your cleanup." Then she left me alone as she rushed back to the labs. I just shook my head and focused back on tidying everything up.
  
  I quickly learnt that Cynthia was really underplaying how much work was required to organise a huge expedition like this. Not only did she need to acquire the necessary manpower, but they had to do repeated checks to confirm that the safety and stability of the caves was suitable for such a large endeavour.
  
  There were many safety checks that needed to be done.
  
  Plus, to add on to the complexity of everything, the defense of the huge bagging training that we would be bringing along needed to be organised and planned. And the strength of the security team of trainers that would be bringing along had to be tested to make sure that we could actually defend against the inevitable onslaught of wild Pokémon that would undoubtedly be attracted and aggravated by the large group of people suddenly entering their territory.
  
  That task was made worse by the fact that the wild Pokémon that could be found within the caves were more than a match than your average trainer, and we needed to have extra trainers on standby to set up the perimeter for the forward base when everything was set up.
  
  Later, Cynthia mentioned to me that if it wasn't for the fact that the Celestic Town Research Centre was THE largest and most prestigious research lab in Sinnoh, they would never have been able to organize or even fund this expedition. But Cynthia adamantly believed that such an expedition would finally unlock the secrets of whatever hid within the caves below Snowpoint City.
  
  I didn't know how she found the time to do all of this while also prepping for her not-so-secret ambitions to challenge the Elite Four, but she seemed to be no less determined nor tired whenever I saw her.
  
  The whole 'last minute' preparations ended up taking a whole two days. I did my best to help her whenever I felt like she needed it. I obviously wasn't as familiar as her with the resources of the lab, but I was able to help with organising and testing the Ace trainers that we'd be bringing along to make sure they were up to scratch.
  
  We couldn't afford any weak links. Not when we were about to enter into very dangerous territory.
  
  Overall, despite how busy everything was, I was very excited for this expedition. Everyone had been chatting about how they hoped to find all sorts of rare Pokémon when we ventured deep into the caves beneath Snowpoint, and my mind flashed across to a few Pokémon I had really hoped to add to my team.
  
  It was a slight disappointment that I hadn't managed to find any Pokémon that were particularly interested in joining my team thus far, but I was hoping that would change soon.
  
  And so, after many hectic days of planning, the expedition force was finally ready to set off. Reporters had also been invited to join in the initial stages of the expedition to take some photos and to allow the Celestic Town Research Centre to not only show off their prestige, but also to hopefully encourage and generate interest in their readers about what they were doing.
  
  Mostly for funding purposes.
  
  Once again, as I followed the large expedition group into the caves, I spotted a Wigglytuff, Chatot, Loudred and Bidoof casually waving at us while munching on Apples. It was as if they were wishing us good luck as we entered into the mysterious dungeons below.
  
  Odd, but I made sure to wave back.
  
  As soon as I entered into the caves, I released my two Pokémon as I was asked to, Klee and Luna, both to support and to protect the weaker members of the group from the wild Pokémon. My other Pokémon were less suitable as they either lacked the wide supporting capabilities, or they were simply too large. But as we delved into the caves, I found myself assaulted by two different threats, one from wild Pokémon, and one from the overeager reporters who stubbornly insisted on getting an interview with me even as we were in dangerous territory.
  
  It was like they had no sense of danger.
  
  Fortunately, practically everyone told them to shut up and to ask questions later when it wasn't so dangerous, and that got them off my back for the time being. And the danger was very real, as the second that we entered into the deeper part of the caves systems, it was like we were assaulted by a constant onslaught of attacks from all sorts of wild Pokémon.
  
  They were furious at our intrusion into their territory.
  
  All sorts of powerful Pokémon, including many Drapion, Hippowdon, Gligar, Probopass, and many others charged and blasted against our defensive line, bombarding us with Earthquakes, Flash Cannons, Pin Missiles and the like. But we were well prepared for this, and we retaliated with overwhelming force. For every one wild Pokémon trying to attack us, we shot back with 4 or 5 of ours. In these smaller engagements, the numbers were heavily skewed in our favour, but even then, we were constantly pressured and strained as we often had to fend off attacks from unexpected angles.
  
  It only took one stray attack to suddenly knock out an unsuspecting expedition member, especially the weaker auxiliary staff - many of whom were not Pokémon trainers. That was why Cynthia had arranged for many Psychic types to be on rotation to constantly maintain a defensive barrier around the entire group.
  
  The most dangerous part of the expedition was when we entered into what we thought was an empty room, before an entire horde of wild Pokémon suddenly appeared and swarmed us out of nowhere. It was like a monster house!
  
  "Life Dew! Heal up the frontline!" I ordered both of my Pokémon as the sudden swarm of Pokémon crashed and mauled a few of our Pokémon that were taken unaware.
  
  "Aura Sphere, Lucario! Make some space!" Cynthia was also there, leading from the front as Lucario forcefully repelled the initial assault. The Aura Spheres detonated powerfully on the many rock and Dark types that tried to ambush us, forcing them back and allowing our downed Pokémon to recover and rejoin the fight.
  
  Fighting in confined spaces like this was dangerous. Not only was the threat of friendly fire EXTREMELY likely, but we had to watch out in case we accidentally caused a cave-in from the collateral damage of our attacks. And so, while it might be common practice to use large sweeping moves to clear out a large group of Pokémon like this, we couldn't afford to do so because doing so might inadvertently collapse the roof of the cave on us.
  
  Then, with our frontline healed up and restored, Klee and Luna switched to a more offensive role and slammed the groups of wild Pokémon with powerful Psychic and Ice Beams that reaped through their numbers, freezing and slamming swaths of wild Pokémon into the walls and forcing them out of the fight. All the while the many other Psychic types in our group moved to maintain the Light Screen and Reflect barriers.
  
  With our Elite Pokémon thoroughly overwhelming their greater numbers, it didn't take long for the wild Pokémon to scatter once they realized that they weren't about to win the fight. We allowed them to scurry away as we quickly checked to see no one had been injured in the ambush.
  
  Once we had gotten out of that trap, we continued on. But as we progressed, I slowly realised that the threat of the wild Pokémon was not the only thing we had to look out for. Rather, it was the treacherous terrain.
  
  The slippery ice-covered rocks, the occasional falling stalagmite, and even the ever-present darkness. Accompanied by the biting cold, combining all these factors together was just a recipe for disaster and forced us to slow down significantly.
  
  There were many times where we had to catch someone with our Psychic types before they slipped and fell down a large hole. The reporters were the main victims of this, since they both lacked the experience and spatial awareness to keep themselves from slipping. This was only compounded by the fact that the wild Pokémon continued to hound at us, and I personally felt that they were acting more aggressive due to sensing our vulnerability.
  
  Eventually, and we were behind schedule because of just how many interruptions we had from either wild Pokémon or the treacherous terrain, we arrived at the area that had been scouted and marked out for the forward base.
  
  Camps and supplies were promptly set up, with the lab equipment being prioritized due to how big and bulky they were. In the meanwhile, the rest of us formed a large perimeter around the area much like the ones we did near the entrance to the caves. Everyone worked swiftly and efficiently; the training that we did was put to use as the forward base was rapidly established.
  
  And everything had to be set up properly. We were in very dangerous territory, with so the perimeter had to be well-defended by a range of powerful trainers and their Pokémon. Repels were scattered and sprayed liberally as an extra layer of deterrent to ward off any potential threats, while Berries were stored in a specially sealed container to not accidentally attract any wild Pokémon.
  
  While everyone was running around, I noticed that Cynthia had taken some time to rest, sitting herself on top of a rock that her Lucario had carefully melted the ice off, and so I used that opportunity to approach her.
  
  "You doing okay?" I asked her as I walked up.
  
  "Tired." She replied with a sigh, "But otherwise, I'm doing fine. I didn't expect us to run into quite so many wild Pokémon though. I had expected a lot, but even then..."
  
  "We were making quite the ruckus when we were heading down." I pointed out, "It's not surprising for us to have attracted so many wild Pokémon as a result."
  
  "True." She nodded, "But I'm mostly just glad we got to set up this forward base in one piece. So long as this base can hold, I'd already consider this expedition a success."
  
  "I'm still surprised you had the time and energy to organize all this." I continued while looking around, casually watching as everyone ran around to set up the base, "I thought you might not have the time for it, considering..."
  
  "Just because new considerations have popped up in my schedule doesn't mean I can simply ignore my previous commitments." She stated, "This expedition has been in the works for some time. Yes, my personal ambitions are important too, but I had a duty to fulfil as a member of the Celestic Town Research Centre."
  
  I smiled despite myself, "Very admirable."
  
  "Thank you. Oh, and I think you ought to know that my preparations to become Champion are currently being made." She told me, her voice lowering slightly so no one could overhear her.
  
  I nodded, "How's that going?"
  
  "Less than I hoped, more than I feared." She explained, "I did research on how the other Champions from Hoenn and Indigo came into power. While I don't have the unshakable foundation and backing that Lance did with the Blackthorns, nor the sheer charisma and on-stage popularity of Wallace, I have made some connections with a few of the movers and shakers of Sinnoh - thanks to a few introductions from Lucian. But not as many as I hoped."
  
  "But Sinnoh desperately NEEDS a Champion, and I at least have the backing of the Elite Four, as you could probably tell." She continued, her eyes narrowing with determination as her voice filled with resolve. "If I calculated this correctly, then that should be enough to ensure a smooth transition, so long as I give off a sufficiently eye-opening and unquestionable display of strength."
  
  The determination in her voice once again sent something through me. And having felt this feeling so many times, I was starting to realise what that was.
  
  But I tried to push those thoughts aside for now.
  
  "...Then it's all down to your performance against the Elite Four." I pointed out.
  
  She nodded. "We'll all be fighting at our strongest to demonstrate my strength to the public. There won't be any sandbagging - the public will know the difference. And, truthfully, most of my support is dependent on my own personal strength as a trainer. They wouldn't have supported me otherwise."
  
  "Honestly, I'm surprised there weren't other contenders for the position." I pondered curiously, "I would have thought the title of Champion would have been very alluring."
  
  "Strong trainers don't just grow on trees." She chuckled, "And the other two Sinnoh Conference winners...they aren't at the level of strength needed to become Champion. Far from it, in fact. Usually, that means that the Committee ought to pick who the next Champion should be, but they're in no position to do that at the moment with all the chaos and deadlock that they're in. So, by luck or chance, I found myself to be the first real contender for the position in some time."
  
  "I see. That sounds like a pretty fortunate coincidence then." I commented.
  
  "It was, so I'm not going to let this opportunity go to waste." She agreed, "I've already pushed this back as much as I could to shore up my political standing, but after this expedition is over, I'll be making my official challenge."
  
  She ran her fingers through her hair and flicked it back as she spoke, and my eyes unconsciously followed her movements.
  
  "All hail the new future Champion." I chuckled, trying to play off my staring.
  
  Cynthia looked at me for a moment before laughing, "Yes, I hope so as well. But I'm not naïve enough to think that simply being Champion is the end goal. I am aware of the numerous responsibilities that are piled on a Champion, especially with Sinnoh in the state that it's in, but I WILL manage those responsibilities. The public will expect nothing less."
  
  That last sentence was why I believed she'd be a great Champion, "I'm sure you'll do an excellent job." Was all I said.
  
  "Thank you." She smiled.
  
  "It's a shame I probably won't be there to see it, since I'll likely be sent back after spending so much time here." I said with a bitter smile. I knew it was only a matter of time before I was sent home.
  
  Cynthia stared at me for a moment. An unknowable look passed through her eyes, and we ended up staring into each other for a moment.
  
  It took her a moment before she spoke up again, "...Yes, that is quite a shame." She said slowly, "Actually, now isn't the right time for this, but would you like to speak later? I have something I want to talk to you about. It's important."
  
  There was something in her voice that caused a shiver to run up my spine. Or was that from the look that she was giving me? I didn't know if I was overthinking it or not, but I thought that her expression was a mix of both determination and something else.
  
  My heart beat in my chest, and I responded a second slower than I normally would. "...Of course. I think I have something to get off my chest as well." I replied, shooting her a slight smile.
  
  Was it because I was being sent home soon; that my time in Sinnoh was running out? Or was it because I had stopped trying to blind myself to what I knew I was feeling deep down.
  
  But either way, there was no denying it now. The truth was laid bear with how I recognised that I could never seem to peel my eyes away from Cynthia, and how her determination never failed to spark something within me.
  
  The truth was...I liked Cynthia.
  
  Though I was taken in by her looks when I first met her, as most people would have been, her looks had little to do for why I had become attracted to her. She was far more than her appearance may imply.
  
  Her unyielding determination and passion was what drew me to her. Seeing her drive herself forwards, pushing to claim what she wanted, that was what I was entranced by. Her force-of-will and personality was magnetic, and I found myself wanting to see more of it.
  
  Out of all the incredible individuals I have met during my time as an Elite Four, Cynthia still stood out proudly against them all. In my eyes, I saw her to be a person of both strength and intellect, who would use her hard-work and unwavering spirit to pave the way for Sinnoh's rebirth into a stable and prosperous region.
  
  I was absolutely sure of it.
  
  I was blessed enough to consider her a friend. One that I hoped that I could maintain for the years to come. But now I was starting to hope for more than that.
  
  My fists clenched behind my back.
  
  Cynthia nodded, unaware of my thoughts, "Well enough of that. We have an expedition to finish, don't we? I think we both have rested enough."
  
  I shook off my thoughts and agreed, and the both of us started helping out the other expedition members with setting up. She resumed her duties as the leader of the expedition, while I checked on the perimeter crew to make sure there wasn't any risk of wild Pokémon breaking in.
  
  Overall, despite my limited experience with setting up a defensive perimeter, I was satisfied with what I saw. There was a small army of Pokémon constantly on rotation to defend the forward base, with each Pokémon at least at the level that I would expect to see from Conference finalists. It must have been very expensive to have so many capable trainers on demand to be used as a perimeter guard like this, but when you were the largest and most prestigious research centre in all of Sinnoh, I suppose that you could have access to such resources.
  
  It didn't take long for the forward base to be built up enough for it to be deemed safe, which was done under careful supervision. Once the base was sufficiently set up, a small group of more experienced explorers, myself, and Cynthia broke off to head further into the unexplored caves, hoping to find something cool or an important piece of history.
  
  And so, after a quick rest, we set off, heading deeper into the increasingly freezing caves below. Fortunately, we had brought Fire types specifically to ward off the cold, but in turn that increased the number of wild Pokémon attacks against us as the sudden warmth attracted many hostile visitors.
  
  This time, the reporters weren't going to be following after us. With them, wisely, deciding that they weren't about to subject themselves to THIS level of danger. So they stayed at the forward base, hanging around for some pictures and interviews. Therefore, since we didn't need to escort them or any additional equipment, we could actually move much faster than before, even despite the increasingly treacherous terrain and conditions that we found ourselves in.
  
  It was immediately clear to me why it was so important to set up a forward base. This far down, it was practically a treasure trove of new and unexplored ruins, filled to the brim with undocumented history and rare Pokémon. In fact, the 'rare' Pokémon might as well be considered as common considering how often they showed up.
  
  Yanmega, Mamoswine, and even a few Lickylicky could easily be found just stomping around in the caves, which would all be considered very rare Pokémon above ground. We even saw a group of Garchomp fighting over territory, all of them very strong and battle-scarred. We made sure to avoid them.
  
  The explorers had enough discipline to not stop and gawp at each and every ruin that we walked past, even though I knew that every scientific bone in their body itched for them to do so. But we had a different priority; to go deeper than we ever could before. To explore every unknown crevice within these freezing caves.
  
  After who knows how long of careful exploration, though it was probably just under half a day as we were slowed down by the occasional breaks that we had to take to stave off the increasing tiredness and exhaustion, we stumbled onto a huge open area, filled to the brim with nothing else but wild Pokémon. There were no ruins here, just inches and inches of freezing cold rock that encased the entire zone.
  
  And the startled gasp of one of the scientists drew our attention. We followed to where he was pointing at, and all of us gasped in shock.
  
  I was probably the only one that could fully comprehend what we were seeing.
  
  Right in front of just, slightly in the distance, was a Kleavor minding its own business. But that wasn't all. A Sneasler was battling a Mamoswine, its poisonous fists slamming repeatedly into the Mamoswine, who tried and failed to run it through with its large and menacing tusks.
  
  It took all of their collective discipline and survival instinct for them to not immediately rush forwards to inspect all these new Pokémon. And that quickly proved to be the correct decision, as Cynthia's Lucario suddenly growled as it turned to face the nearby wall.
  
  Cynthia and I turned to look at the wall, and Klee and Luna both stiffened slightly as they suddenly threw themselves in front of me. Barely a moment later, the wall began to shimmer as a recognizable form suddenly appeared in front of us, its Illusion fading from sight.
  
  And with a ferocious and vengeful howl, the Hisuian Zoroark's eyes glistened maddeningly towards us, its razor sharp claws shining menacingly from the light reflecting off the ice. At the same time, its howl alerted all of the wild Pokémon within the cave, all of whom suddenly turned to us and glared at the sudden intruders that had entered into their territory.
  
  Almost as if they had planned it beforehand, the wild Pokémon roared out and charged at us, forming a deadly stampede that looked to barrel straight through us. With the Hisuian Zoroark leading the charge as it leapt straight towards one of the explorers who was unlucky enough to be the closest to it.
  
  My hands instinctively went to the Premier Balls on my belt. We were going to have to fight our way out of this one.
  
  A.N. Sorry for the cliffhanger! But I've finally revealed some of the Hisuian evolutions that have been living in these deep caves! I wanted to show that the reason why they had yet to be found before was because no one had ventured this deep into the caves. And yes, John finally admits to himself that he likes Cynthia.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  The New Normal - 8-14 - Hisuian Discoveries
  
  As we watched the terrifying army of wild Pokémon stampeding towards us, I realized that, for the first time since we entered into the caves, we no longer had the raw numbers advantage compared to the wild Pokémon, since we had left behind many of the trainers to form and set up the perimeter around the forward base.
  
  But there wasn't time to worry about that.
  
  "Tyrant, Smough, protect us!"
  
  "Garchomp! Milotic! Defend us!"
  
  Tyrant came charging out of his Premier Ball with a powerful roar, smashing his fist straight into a Mamoswine that was trying to rush us down, before grappling onto his tusks and brutally slamming it into a wall.
  
  At the same time, Garchomp swooped in from above, raking a Dragon Claw that ripped through the H-Zoroark before it could pounce on one of the explorers. The H-Zoroark struggled in Garchomp's grasp, but Garchomp was indifferent as it smashed it face-first into the ground and firing off a Stone Edge that ripped through the fallen H-Zoroark.
  
  It didn't stand a chance.
  
  My eyes instinctively went to stare at Garchomp, marvelling at its form and strength, but now was definitely not the time for it.
  
  As that was happening, Klee and Luna quickly formed a Reflect and Light Screen to protect the entire group, and Smough and Milotic joined the front lines as they moved to repel the incoming onslaught of Pokémon. Smough followed in Tyrant's footsteps and slammed a Hammer Arm into an incoming Rhydon, stunning it for enough time so that Milotic could come in and fire off a Hydro Pump that blasted the Rhydon away.
  
  I wanted to release my other Pokémon as well, but in the narrow opening we were currently trapped in, we just didn't have enough space to release all of our Pokémon, not with the other trainers' Pokémon also taking up space.
  
  Then the earth shook, the powerful tremors throwing us all onto the ground as a massive Steelix erupted out from the ground with a Dig, completely knocking out a Gallade as it was taken by surprise. The Steelix then let out a deafening roar as its maw began to glow blue, a Dragon Pulse charging up from within.
  
  But before it could fire it off, Lucario rushed in like a blur, smashing the Steelix with a Force Palm to the jaw. Steelix's head was snapped to the side from the impact, staggering it for long enough for Tyrant to leap over and grapple the Steelix before launching it away with a Seismic Toss. The large iron snake was sent crashing into a group of Gastrodon, knocking them over completely.
  
  A pained cry caught my attention, and I turned to see one of the explorer's Leafeon go down to a Poison Jab from the Sneasler. Another Magmar tried to retaliate with a Flamethrower, but it didn't do as much damage as it hoped and the Sneasler was able to dive through the flames and pummel it down with a Brick Break. I grimaced, realizing that the Pokémon's unknown typing was causing these trainers to be caught unaware.
  
  Fortunately, before the Sneasler could do more damage, Klee sent it flying with a powerful blast of Psychic, the extremely supereffective attack immediately knocking out the Sneasler as it crashed into an Abomasnow that was preparing to fire off an Ice Beam.
  
  It was at that moment that the area around us suddenly dropped even further in temperature as a powerful Blizzard formed within our ranks, threatening to engulf us all in a vortex of frost and ice. I turned to where the attack was coming from, realizing that it was a Walrein that was channelling the attack.
  
  "SMOUGH! GO!"
  
  Being the closest Pokémon to the Walrein, Smough charged forwards, Body Slamming a few weaker Gliscor out of the way, its fists crackling with lightning as it delivered a devastating Thunder Punch straight into the Walrein. The paralysis immediately set in, interrupting its attack and saving us all from being suddenly consumed by a deathly Blizzard.
  
  A cry from Klee spun me around, and I turned to see the Kleavor suddenly cut through a torrent of flames and knocked out a Flareon; its large Stone Axes came crashing down and smashing the unaware Fire type into the ground. But before it could choose its next target, Cynthia's Garchomp slammed into it with a savage Dragon Rush, crashing the two of them mercilessly into the wall before a ferocious Iron Head from Garchomp sent the Kleavor crumbling to the floor.
  
  Then Tyrant made himself known once more as he pounced onto a charging Hippowdon, smashing down with an Ice Punch that buried the Hippowdon into the ground. Stones began flying his way from an opposing Gliscor, but a sweeping Ice Beam silenced the Gliscor for the rest of the fight.
  
  Unsatisfied with his current tally count, Tyrant roared and dove right back into the fight, becoming a whirlwind of violence that savaged any unlucky enough to cross his path.
  
  With Tyrant's 'distraction', our Pokémon had managed to secure a small moment to breathe as the wild Pokémon hesitated slightly, losing confidence as their survival instincts warned them of our strength. Taking advantage in a momentary lull in the fighting, I moved to Cynthia.
  
  "Fight through? Or back off?" I asked, knowing that she was in command of the expedition.
  
  "Fight through!" She shouted out determinedly, once again reestablishing direction and authority over the group, "Show of force! Drive them back!"
  
  Taking advantage of the wild Pokémon's momentary hesitation, we all ordered our Pokémon forwards, eschewing our previous defensive stance in exchange for one of pure offense. We hoped to simply scare the wild Pokémon away instead of having to take them out one by one.
  
  Not wanting to be left out, Cynthia's Garchomp led the charge this time, copying Tyrant as it rushed straight into the fray, charging and crashing through all that stood in its way with another Dragon Rush. Anything that came close to Garchomp became eviscerated with its deadly Dragon Claws or smashed aside by its Dragon Tails.
  
  Even with all their strength and experience in fighting each other, the wild Pokémon were nothing compared to the likes of Tyrant and Garchomp. The two of them quickly tore a hole through the wild Pokémon's lines, and the momentum rapidly shifted in our favour.
  
  Cynthia's Milotic unleashed a sweeping Hydro Pump, firing off a torrent of water that swept through the opposing Ground types and suppressing them for long enough for our other Pokémon to move in and knock them out. At the same time, Lucario and Smough charged forwards, a mixture of speed and power as they rampaged through the vulnerable Pokémon, throwing themselves forwards with as much aggression as possible.
  
  A Mamoswine was kicked aside by Lucario right into the waiting arms of Smough, who smashed down with a Hammer Arm and buried the Mamoswine into the ground. Another uppercut from Smough sent another Rhydon reeling back in pain before a Flash Cannon from Lucario took it out.
  
  Then a flaming Abomasnow was sent careening through the opening as Garchomp had hurled it through the air before it crashed into a unsuspecting group of Weavile who had been trying to flank around. In their distraction, they didn't see the powerful torrent of water from Milotic's Hydro Pump until it was too late, and they ended up being helplessly blasted and pinned to the wall.
  
  Our aggression paid off. With the wild Pokémon being more prioritized on their own self-interest, they quickly came to the realisation that fighting us was no longer worth it. A few of them starting retreating, and we made sure to pursue them for a short while to make sure that their retreat would turn into a full rout - one where they all ran away panicked and afraid.
  
  Leaving us with a wide open, but empty clearing in the caves.
  
  "Check up on the wounded!" Cynthia ordered, "Form a defensive perimeter, look out for new threats!"
  
  "Gather the wounded here!" I called out as Klee and Luna started in their healing duties, "Prioritize the most injured first!"
  
  We organized ourselves efficiently and Klee and Luna were quick to start healing up those that had been badly injured or taken a hit during the wild Pokémon's assault. As we waited for the Pokémon to heal up, Cynthia approached me.
  
  "This is a find of a lifetime." Her eyes were practically alight with excitement, "Never before seen Pokémon! Alternate types! I think I recognize that Scizor lookalike; I think there were records of them somewhere!"
  
  "Should we secure a few?" I asked, eager to get my hands on the Hisuian Zoroark that had just been knocked out.
  
  "We must." She nodded excitedly, but then she turned serious, "But we must not let our enthusiasm overcome us. We're still in very dangerous territory and we have wounded with us. Safety must come first. I suggest we capture a few of these and retreat back to the forward base. We can decide what to do with them afterwards."
  
  She looked to the rest of the explorers, "Are we all in agreement?" Everyone just nodded back, most of them too tired or exhausted to say much else.
  
  And so, we made use of their extra Pokéballs that we had brought along for this very purpose. I made sure to capture the H-Zoroark, while the others moved to capture the Kleavor and a few of the other rarer Pokémon like Mamoswine. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any traces of where the Sneasler had went. It must have been blasted back too far and retreated before we could secure it.
  
  I noticed that it was a shame that we didn't see a Hisuian Avalugg anywhere. If anything, the freezing and frost-filled caves would have been ideal living conditions for it, but perhaps we got unlucky and that there were none around at the moment.
  
  After making sure all of the new Pokémon were secured, and that our Pokémon were properly healed up, we quickly retreated out of the clearing, not wanting to test our luck any further. We promptly made our way back to the forward base, having to fight through a few small skirmishes, but nothing that mine or Cynthia's Pokémon couldn't handle.
  
  By the time we returned to the forward base, the exhaustion seemed to hit me all at once, and I practically collapsed into one of the foldable chairs that they had set up. Cynthia was the same, and she let out a huge, tired sigh as she sat down into the chair next to me. But despite all the tiredness, we both shared satisfied smiles.
  
  "That was totally worth it." She breathed out, "...Just let me catch my breath for a few minutes and we can inspect our captures."
  
  "Fine by me. I'm exhausted too." I replied, slumping further into my chair. But it didn't take long for the whispers to spread around the forward base, and soon enough the entire base knew about our miraculous captures. Fortunately, the reporters had all left and the rest were all contracted to silence anyways, so at least this news wouldn't spread outside of here.
  
  Realizing that we couldn't rest any longer, we both reluctantly pulled ourselves out of our seats and gathered up in one of the tents, hosting an impromptu meeting to discuss what we had just discovered.
  
  The questions came as soon as we entered.
  
  "Cynthia! Are we going to be declaring this to the public!? A new Scizor evolution would be incredible!" One of the explorers excitedly asked.
  
  "No, you idiot! That clearly was a SCYTHER evolution! Not a Scizor! There was no metal!" Another denied.
  
  "We should have stayed to capture that weird tall Weavile lookalike!" Yet another explorer called out, "We could have hunted it down and captured it!"
  
  "We needed to get out of there, or were you not on your last Pokémon as well?" The meeting was quick to devolve into pointless arguments.
  
  "Enough! Sit down!" Cynthia demanded, her forceful presence suddenly silencing them all. She glared at the group, and none dared to speak up, "I thought you were all experienced explorers, or has the thought of a new discovery suddenly robbed you all of your wits? Sit yourselves down, have a drink of water, and we can discuss this like civilised people."
  
  The explorers all moved to obey, and a calm silence finally fell on the meeting. "Good, now I shall start. Can I please have a few Pokémon ready to restrain this...new Pokémon, in case it's still hostile?" She released her own Lucario, and I volunteered and threw out Klaus and Pixel. A few of the other explorers released their own Psychic types as well.
  
  Satisfied with the lineup, Cynthia threw out a Pokéball, releasing her Kleavor into the room.
  
  Having healed up slightly from its injuries, the Kleavor instantly snarled and threw itself at the nearest available target, being my Klaus. But it didn't get far before a huge amount of Psychic energy suddenly slammed it into the ground, restraining it and preventing it from moving a muscle.
  
  "A shame..." Cynthia idly muttered, "I'd hope for it to be more obedient."
  
  I made a show of looking Kleavor over, "It looks more like a Scyther evolution to me. No traces of metal anywhere that you would expect to see from a Scizor." I gestured to his large stone axes, "And the axes look a little too rocky for it to be made of metal."
  
  Cynthia kneeled down to get a better look, ignoring the frustrated and vicious growls coming from the Kleavor, "I'm think I'm going to agree with you. This looks like a Scyther that has adapted to spending its entire life underground and has evolved to better fight back against all the Rock and Ice types that could be found there."
  
  "Probably a Rock/Bug type then." I suggested, getting a few nods of agreements from the other explorers.
  
  "Perhaps...but we need to do more tests regarding that." She commented, "Luckily we have all the equipment to do said tests here."
  
  "But Cynthia, are we going to be publishing these findings?" An explorer asked.
  
  "Yes, but not for some time. I want to make sure we have an accurate collection of data first." She replied, "No need to risk publishing false information, after all." Everyone nodded along with that.
  
  We poked and prodded Kleavor a little longer, but eventually Cynthia withdrew it back into her Pokéball since Kleavor was getting increasingly frustrated with being restrained for so long. And deliberately angering a Pokémon was never a good idea.
  
  "Your turn, John." I nodded to her and released the new H-Zoroark.
  
  But instead of a white and red spirit being released, what came out was my Blissey. She looked around blankly for a moment, her face a picture of innocence. The Pokémon that were meant to restrain it didn't move as they simply stared confusedly, likely thinking that I released the wrong Pokémon.
  
  "KLAUS, PIXEL! RESTRAIN IT!"
  
  Not questioning my decision, both of my Pokémon immediately blasted it with a powerful wave of Psychic. 'Blissey' cried out in pain, and her form rippled, revealing the illusion for what it was. As the illusion faded, the other Pokémon snapped out of their confusion and joined in to restrain the H-Zoroark. Though that hard was made even harder by the fact that the H-Zoroark seemed to be nothing but pure rage and anger.
  
  Our Pokémon strained themselves to keep it restrained, but it kept trying to break free with raw defiant determination. It was even worse than Kleavor.
  
  "Fascinating. I have never seen a Pokémon like that, especially not one that could disguise itself." Cynthia muttered as she inspected the H-Zoroark.
  
  "Think it is a different Pokémon species?" An explorer asked.
  
  "Yes. Most certainly. It doesn't resemble anything we've seen thus far." Cynthia nodded, with me joining her.
  
  "Another Dark/Ghost type then?" Another suggested, "It makes sense considering its ability to form illusions. Ghosts and Dark types are infamous for their tricks."
  
  "Our Psychic attacks wouldn't have worked if it was a Dark type." I pointed out, "But my gut agrees that it is partially a Ghost type."
  
  "Too many guesses, not enough evidence." Cynthia interrupted with a shake of her head, "The only thing I'm confident in at the moment is that this is a new species of Pokémon entirely. Which means more testing."
  
  "I feel like we have had texts describing such a Pokémon in the history of Hisui, though." An explorer explained, "I'm confident that what we have here is a Pokémon that existed in the distance past. I'm pretty sure we've had descriptions about a notorious Pokémon known for its tricks and illusions."
  
  "...Yes, I think I remember reading about that." Cynthia muttered, jogging her memory, "I even remember they had a name for it, but that escapes me at the moment." She gave the H-Zoroark another inspecting look.
  
  "...Be that as it may, I think it would be prudent to decide what we should do next." One of the accompanying scientists spoke up, "Should we get the testing done now? Better to get this information jotted down as soon as possible."
  
  "Yes, let's." Cynthia agreed, and the meeting broke up as a few explorers moved to rest while the rest of us headed to the tent that contained all of the testing equipment.
  
  Testing proved to be as difficult as we imagined it to be, considering how uncooperative our new Pokémon were. Though that was hardly unexpected, and these scientists had clearly worked with ornery and aggressive Pokémon before because they hardly even seemed fazed at their defiance.
  
  Kleavor went first, and since we already had a baseline to work with, it didn't take long for us to definitively prove that it was a Rock/Bug type. Everyone seemed pleased about the rare type combination.
  
  "It looks like it has the potential to be an excellent fighter." I commented to Cynthia.
  
  "Indeed. It'd be a fine addition to any team..." She muttered thoughtfully as she thought deeply about something. "By the way, has anyone gotten its name?"
  
  "I'm pretty sure it keeps repeating 'Kleavor'. So that's its name." One of the scientists pointed out.
  
  Cynthia's eyes shined, "That is a good name. I like it. Fits very well with Scyther and Scizor's names as well." The others muttered in agreement.
  
  With Kleavor's test finished, we moved on to H-Zoroark. We had to quickly bring out the equipment made specifically to restrain Ghost types, and it tried but failed to trick us again with its illusions.
  
  These tests took much longer, and it was only when I made the idle suggestion that we should test Ghost types moves against it that they realized that it was a Ghost/Normal type. That turned a few heads my way, as I supposed I didn't hide the naked interest in my eyes well enough ever since we caught the Pokémon.
  
  We also confirmed the name to be a 'Zoroark', and that it WAS indeed a whole new species of Pokémon entirely. The scientists and explorers also confirmed that there were descriptions of a similar Pokémon having existed in the distant past, and that Zoroark was very likely the Pokémon they were describing.
  
  Because of this, there were also talks about trying to honour its origins so that it would be called a "Hisuian-Zoroark", as a constant reminder of where it originated, but that ended up being too much of a mouthful. So after a brief discussion, it was decided that we would be sticking with just 'Zoroark'.
  
  I might still call it a Hisuian-Zoroark in my own head though.
  
  But then it came to the real question, "...Who should have authority over these Pokémon?" One of the scientists asked prudently, "Or would they just fall under the common authority of the Celestic Town Research Centre?"
  
  Cynthia paused, tilting her head as she took a long moment to think things over. While she WAS in charge, it wouldn't be good to simply ignore the contributions of all the other explorers and scientists that jointly helped with this discovery.
  
  "...John, are you interested in keeping control over your latest capture?" She eventually asked me.
  
  "Certainly." I nodded immediately, "I'm very interested in being able to train up a Normal/Ghost type. I think it would be an excellent addition to my team if you would allow me to keep it."
  
  "I know that my grandmother and Elite Bertha promised you that you could keep and capture whatever Pokémon you found here, and I have no intentions of going against that." She told me, "However, considering that these are very unique circumstances, I'm afraid I would have to ask you for a few conditions in return, though they shouldn't be anything too onerous."
  
  "Go ahead." I replied, expecting this.
  
  "Firstly, I want to continue doing tests with your new Pokémon until we have enough data to publish." She explained, "That means, if you return to Indigo, you would have to visit my grandmother's lab so that further tests could be performed. Especially regarding breeding." I nodded easily to that condition.
  
  "Secondly, I would ask you to not reveal this Pokémon until we have made our official announcement." She continued, "It would make things much easier if we could have control over the narrative."
  
  "I understand that I do not have the authority to impose these conditions on you, as you are a member of a foreign Elite Four, but you would be doing us a great favour if you could adhere to them." She finished, not too subtly reminding everyone else of my official position. Yes, if I wanted to, I could just walk out with H-Zoroark and no one could really do anything about it, but I didn't want to resort to that.
  
  Besides, the conditions weren't harsh in the slightest. "I'm happy to agree to that." I said, "Thank you for allowing me to keep such a new and exciting Pokémon."
  
  "Not quite yet, we still have more tests to run back at our actual lab." She chuckled, "Unfortunately, you won't get to keep your new Pokémon quite yet."
  
  "What about Kleavor?" A scientist asked, who had been politely staying quiet during our discussion.
  
  "Kleavor will fall under the authority of the Celestic Town Research Centre for the time being." Cynthia stated, "Once sufficient testing has been done, then we can decide on ownership."
  
  "The same goes with any future undiscovered Pokémon that we capture from these caves." She added, "They will temporarily fall under the authority of the Research Centre until testing is completed. Authority can be decided afterwards."
  
  Everyone else nodded. I was fortunate that most of the people here were scientists and explorers that prioritised the sciences rather than battling, as I doubt the latter would be nearly as nonchalant about losing an opportunity to have a new and potentially powerful battler on their team.
  
  Even Cynthia, for all her self-disciplined, was practically radiating with unrestrained greed towards Kleavor. Not that I didn't understand, in her position I would love to include Kleavor onto my team as well - especially since it possessed a typing that she currently lacked.
  
  But I put those thoughts aside as I felt around the Pokéball containing what was going to be the latest addition to my team. A Ghost/Normal type with the ability to form illusions was going to be an incredibly powerful Pokémon for me to have, and it was yet another potential counter against opposing Fighting types.
  
  Of course, even though the H-Zoroark already seemed quite powerful already, that was marred by the fact that it had severe discipline issues and was still hostile to me. It was going to take some time to endear myself to it and for it to trust in me as its' trainer, and to get rid of whatever bad habits that it might have.
  
  Still, that was a problem for the future. For now, I already had a name selected for my newest Pokémon. And it was quite easy to think of, considering that it was practically a spirit full of vengeance and anger.
  
  Wraith.
  
  A.N. H-Zoroark get! And John gets a new addition to his team! This was a long time coming, and I recognize that this was likely something on the back of many minds when I sent John to Sinnoh. And while it's going to take some time for John to be able to discipline his newest capture, it will be worth it.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - April Fools
  The New Normal - OMAKE - April Fools
  
  Suddenly, I received an emergency call from Lance.
  
  "John, I need you to hurry over here." He said to me with obvious alarm and panic in his voice. I had never heard him so unsettled before, "I know you're busy, but you have to come see this. It's urgent."
  
  "On my way." I nodded, dropping everything I was doing as I pushed myself to head to the Indigo Plateau as soon as possible.
  
  And as soon as I arrived, I could already see what he was so concerned about. Hovering just over the Indigo League building was a gigantic portal that swirled ominously in the sky. I shivered, not out of fear, but because of the sense of wrongness that was radiating out of whatever this was.
  
  I felt a large presence fly up next to me, and I turned to see Lance sitting on his Dragonite.
  
  "Thanks for coming, John. Do you have any idea what we're looking at here?" He asked me.
  
  "I should be the one asking YOU that." I replied.
  
  He shook his head, "We've not a clue. Even the scientists that I've sent out to study whatever this is came back with nothing. All we know is that it's a portal of some sort."
  
  "Has anyone tried going through the portal?" I asked.
  
  "We have had brave volunteers offer to do so, but after some testing we found out it's one-way only." He answered, "Things can only come through from wherever that portal links to, and not the other way round-"
  
  He was cut off by the simultaneous buzzing of both of our phones. Curiously, we both checked to see who had messaged us before we saw a very strange message appear on our screen.
  
  'Click To Roll!'
  
  "...Are you seeing this?" I asked Lance.
  
  "Spam message, perhaps." Then he frowned, "But I can't seem to delete it."
  
  I tried to clear the message off my screen, but I couldn't do so. It was just stuck there, and I couldn't access my phone unless I clicked on it.
  
  I was about to just restart my phone before my finger moved on its own, clicking into the message before I could realise what I was doing.
  
  A small pair of pop-ups appeared on my screen. They were small squares, with covered silhouettes of pictures appearing on each square. Each square had 6 smaller silhouettes of Pokémon, with 1 much larger silhouette that took up most of the frame.
  
  One of the squares had the word 'ANCIENT' at the top, and the other had 'FUTURE'. And the silhouettes of the Pokémon all looked different.
  
  "...What the fuck is this?" I heard Lance muttering, but before we know it the portal above FLASHED with energy as it started to spin with incredible force.
  
  Both Lance and I immediately braced ourselves for the worst, but after the portal spun up for a while it vomited out a single blue star that rocketed towards the ground. Surprisingly, despite the speed and force that it seemed to hit the ground with, there was no damage to the surroundings as it landed.
  
  Lance and I quickly approached where the star had landed, only to find a single Rare Candy on the ground, with a single trainer that was standing there nervously.
  
  "...I pressed the button." He said to us, "I pressed it, and the blue star came landing down right next to me."
  
  Then the portal in the sky began spinning up again, but this time, instead of a single star being shot out - a barrage of 10 stars all came raining down at once. The light of a purple star immediately caught my eye, and the two of us immediately hurried to where it landed.
  
  The blue stars rained down around us, next to each trainer who had apparently pressed the button, each of them transforming into a single Rare Candy as they landed. But when the purple star landed, a full Pokémon appeared instead.
  
  It looked like a robotic Donphan, with a huge treads replacing its trunk and a body of steel. It didn't look natural, almost as if it had been built by someone. It was the weirdest Pokémon I had ever seen.
  
  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to ask questions as the portal continued to spin as more and more people pressed the button out of curiosity. The sky was filled with stars of blue and purple as they rained down constantly.
  
  "...I'm going to press it." I heard Lance say, and before I could stop him his finger pressed down on the box that had 'ANCIENT' written on top of it.
  
  I had expected another blue or purple star to land next to him, but to my utter surprise, the sky itself turned ORANGE as a single orange star shined down as it landed next to Lance, turning into a very strange variant of a Salamence. But whatever it was, it was a Dragon, and I could see Lance's eyes shining with interest as soon as he saw it.
  
  Without a second's hesitation, Lance immediately threw out a Pokéball and captured the strange alternate form of Salamence. He had a very pleased grin on his face, and I could tell that he no longer questioned whatever phenomenon was happening.
  
  It was Lance's capture of his new Pokémon that drove me to finally bite the bullet and press down on the button myself. I chose 'FUTURE' just to see what I would get, and to my surprise, the portal in the sky began to glow orange once again.
  
  Was this luck based? Did this mean I had shared Lance's luck?
  
  I was brimming with excitement as I waited for my own orange star to land next to me. However, instead of a cool and powerful looking Pokémon like Lance had got, I instead got this strange looking blue turtle that looked like it was made from crystals.
  
  "Tera!" It squeaked cutely, which was all that it needed to do for me to decide that I was adding whatever this was onto my team.
  
  Later, it was only once we returned to the labs, that the scientists had confirmed that whatever this mysterious app was - it was directly linked to the portal. A click on the app would cause the portal to spit out something. Blue got you a Rare Candy, Purple a Pokémon comprising one of the smaller silhouettes, and Orange seemed to give you the Pokémon that formed the large silhouette that was displayed on each box.
  
  The scientists also confirmed that whatever you got came down to luck, and the app would somehow take your real life money in order to 'generate' a Pokémon.
  
  They later named this strange phenomenon the Generated And CHAnce Pokémon. Or G.A.C.H.A, for short.
  
  And it would change the very world.
  
  A.N. Happy April Fools! This should be very familiar to anyone who's played a gacha game before. Yes, John and Lance have the best luck in the world. Don't question it.
  
  Obviously, this chapter is NON-CANON. Needless to say, don't take anything in this chapter seriously. Hope you enjoyed! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-14-Interlude- Pokenet
  The New Normal - 8-14 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE INDIGO DELEGATION ARRIVES AT CANALAVE CITY?! ELITE LUCIAN GREETS ELITE WILL AND ELITE JOHN OF INDIGO!] by Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of John and Will disembarking from the ship, being greeted by Lucian]
  
  And so the time of the traditionalists have finally come to an end, as Sinnoh prepares to usher in a new age of wonder, excitement, and the unknown. Opening our borders for the first time to the wider international community is something that the public of Sinnoh have been asking for some time now, and we are finally seeing the results of our decisions today.
  
  Elite Lucian was there at the ports of Canalave to greet the two foreign members of the Indigo Elite Four, the first meeting that we have hosted to a member of the international community. But while Sinnoh waited with baited breath to see the outcome of their delegation, having observed the meeting in person, this writer is cautiously optimistic that this entire venture might turn out for the better.
  
  Elite Will and Elite John expressed nothing but respect for our cultures and our Elite Four member, never indicating whatsoever that they looked down on our fondness for traditions. But only time can tell to see if this newfound cooperation turns out for the better or not.
  
  However, this writer sincerely hopes that the future of Sinnoh will be a bright one. The era of the traditionalists has led Sinnoh into an age of stagnancy and decay. So perhaps this influx of foreign peoples and opportunities will allow us to shake off the rust brought about by the traditionalists.
  
  What do you all think about these newcomers? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Big welcome to all the Sinnohnians that are now able to join in on the Pokenet! We're pleased to have you!
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Many thanks! Hope you get to visit our lovely region some day! I bet you'll be impressed by the sights. And vice versa!
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Yeah! Can't wait for Pokémon sharing between our regions to become more readily available. I've already kept myself awake countless nights just theorizing on the strengths of all those Pokémon from Indigo and Hoenn! You guys have some real powerhouses!
  
  ChatALot
  
  OMA! Having new regions being introduced is so exciting! And finally being included in the Pokenet is SUCH a big deal! You don't know what it was like when I found out that there were a whole bunch of people just chatting away that I couldn't get involved in! I'm still going through all of the forums that I've missed and wow there's so much to discuss! Anyone know any of the good rumours and updates recently? I'm still catching up but it seems like there has been so many interesting events that has taken place in the two regions in the past. I can't believe you guys had to deal with terrorists and...
  
  [ELITE LORELEI DEFEATS GYM LEADER SURGE IN AN OFFICIAL CHALLENGE! WINS A CONVINCING 6-4 VICTORY!] By BattleCast
  
  It looks like our rising star of the Indigo Elite Four has proven just why she deserved the position as she has handedly defeated her first challenger! Gym Leader Surge has always expressed his disapproval of the "corruption and nepotism" that "allowed" Lorelei to enter to the Elite Four, and he seems to finally have taken action to back up his words.
  
  Unfortunately, the results were far from what he hoped for, and in fact his actions may have been more beneficial to Lorelei in the long run. But we here at BattleCast aren't here to discuss the political implications of this battle, only the battle itself! And what a show it was!
  
  Lorelei really has seemed to have improved the quality and strength of her team since her last battle against Walker. There, it was clear that she was stumbling over the finishing line, barely securing her position. But here, she even had time to sacrifice a few Pokémon to slowly wear down Surge's final Raichu - playing it safe so that she could ensure herself the win.
  
  A powerful statement from the Elite Four, and a sign that Lorelei really is walking in the footsteps of her infamous uncle. Who knows, maybe we could expect another Ice type Champion in our future?
  
  What did you all think of the match? This writer is eager to know! Write it down in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  THAT'S MY LORELEI! SHOWING OFF HER POWER AGAIN! I TOLD YOU ALL HER WIN AGAINST WALKER WAS MORE THAN A FLUKE! WHAT NOW HATERS!?
  
  FutureAce
  
  ...Anyone else was screaming at the screen for Surge to just SWITCH OUT his Pokémon? I know that Pokémon are meant to be able to fight for long periods of time, but he was just putting himself at such a disadvantage because he refused to switch!
  
  Not saying Lorelei did a bad job, but Surge really made some crucial mistakes.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Unfortunately...this kinda has always been Surge's thing. Many have claimed that he's an overly stubborn man, so I guess we were just seeing that here.
  
  It's a shame. His Pokémon are really powerful. But there must be a way to utilize them better.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Surge, like his Electric type specialty suggests, has Pokémon that are all excellent at rapid burst offense. We saw there here too - but his weakness is that they run out of power really quickly and aren't able to sustain their offense for long.
  
  Still, a good showing for a Gym Leader. But an even better one for Lorelei. I think less people are going to be doubting her position now.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Anyone else thinks that Will should be the next person to be challenged? Unlike with Lorelei, he didn't need to fight his way into the Elite Four and was just chosen. He really hasn't had an opportunity to prove his strength yet, and I feel like he may be tested soon.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  In that case, why hasn't challenged Agatha yet? It's been a long time since she has had a direct challenge, right? So why not her?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Because people aren't THAT stupid.
  
  [ELITE JOHN DRAWS AGAINST A SINNOH TOURNAMENT WINNER! A FUTURE ELITE FOUR IN THE MAKING?! WHO IS CYNTHIA, AND HOW DID SHE FIGHT TO A DRAW?!] by Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of Lucario defeating Smough]
  
  Yes, the title wasn't clickbait. Elite John has actually met his match! And it was against an opponent that wasn't even an Elite Four or a Gym Leader. But rather from an up-and-coming trainer from Sinnoh. Though, eye-catching title aside, we here at Battlecast have the integrity to acknowledge that the match was done on friendly terms, so it was unlikely that John had used his full strength in that battle.
  
  Nevertheless, his draw does come at quite a surprise, especially considering his dominant string of victories back in Indigo. So that leaves the important question - who is Cynthia, the trainer that drew against him? And what does she have?
  
  Cynthia is the granddaughter of Professor Carolina, a renowned scientist and lead researcher at the Celestic Town Research Centre, in Sinnoh. For those less aware of what that position entails, it can be considered to be the equivalent of the Cinnabar Island Research Centre. Cynthia herself, according to our research, is also a prominent scientist, historian, and explorer in her own right, and is the definitive successor to her grandmother.
  
  But despite her lack of a traditional trainer background, she has managed to win the Sinnoh Conference two years prior, only to disappear back into the sciences before she could make a true splash in the trainer world. Yet despite this achievement, her team is far more formidable than even we expected when performing our research. Using a Lucario, Roserade, and a Spiritomb against John's team, Cynthia might be the first high-level generalist trainer that we've seen since Professor Oak!
  
  And from our further research, we could find that...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  LETS GOOOOO! We FINALLY have another high-tier generalist trainer, and clearly one that has some serious talent in her! I can't wait to see the rest of Cynthia's team and how far she's managed to train and push them!
  
  AND she managed to match John in a battle one for one! So cool!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Eh. It was just a battle for fun, not a serious battle. The outcome would be different if it was. John will have his moment to win again.
  
  DragonPower
  
  If there's anything that disgusts me more than a non-Dragon trainer, it's a trainer that has only dipped their toes in the power of Dragons and yet refuses to do the right thing and simply train up more Dragon types.
  
  This trainer hasn't shown off a Dragon yet - but I would be furious to see if she was a dumb generalist trainer with a powerful Dragon type. So much wasted potential if that was the case.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Woah! Cynthia's strength is really impressive! And while I'm sure a few people will be pointing fingers at John for his loss to a 'nobody', I for one am just marvelling at the fight that we did get. Wonder how that would have turned out if they were both being serious?
  
  Still, this was the man who beat Drake, and then Bruno, and yet Cynthia matched him! This is a trainer with a future ahead of her!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  My word! Who knew such a powerful trainer was just casually hiding out in Sinnoh? And to not even come from a prominent trainer family as well. That's honestly impressive! In John's case, I can already foresee his detractors looking to climb out of the shadows, but let's see how he deals with this.
  
  Looking forward to see more from her in the future!
  
  PianoLover
  
  YEAH LETS GO CYNTHIA! Always knew she had it in her!
  
  GodBidoof
  
  I remember Cynthia during her time in the Sinnoh Conference. I thought it was nice that a generalist had managed to win the Conference since we rarely ever see those. Can't believe she grew so strong since then.
  
  Still, very proud of Sinnoh for having produced such a trainer! Let's go!
  
  A.N. I hope you enjoyed this shorter Pokenet Chapter! I didn't want to dedicate a full chapter to a Pokenet Interlude, since the main purpose was to introduce the new 'characters' for the Pokenet Interlude now that Sinnoh is here, and because you already had a full chapter interlude from the Whitney fight. Still, hope you enjoyed. There will be another partial Pokenet Interlude coming later too!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 8-15 - Tabling the Results
  
  Who knew that the feeling of having warm, fresh air breezing past your face could be so comforting? But upon returning from the cave systems and back to the surface, just being able to see the open sky and feel the wind on my face was nothing short of heavenly.
  
  We all definitely needed a break from those freezing caves.
  
  The reporters, who had returned earlier than us, immediately swarmed us and pestered us with questions. But this time, with tiredness streaking our faces, we didn't have the patience to deal with them and begged off.
  
  The first thing any of this was head to the showers before getting a good night's sleep. None of us had the energy to do anything else before that.
  
  It was only the next day when I had the energy to actually do things again. And the first item on the list was the missed call that I received from Lance.
  
  So, I rung him up again, "Lance? This is John." I said to him as he picked up.
  
  "John, I heard a little about the expedition you went on!" He replied cheerfully, "Was it successful?"
  
  "I believe so." I responded, doing my best to hide what we had uncovered, "You got something for me?"
  
  "I do. Unless you have something urgent that requires you to stay in Sinnoh for, we're going to pull you both you and Will back home by the end of the week." He informed me, giving me just a few more days to remain in Sinnoh, "You've stayed there for almost a good month, and Sinnoh have agreed for us to send a permanent diplomatic representative in both your places. They'll serve as our liaison to the Sinnoh League."
  
  "I see. Truthfully, I expected this to have come earlier." I said to him.
  
  "I've been pushing for a permanent representative for some time, but the Sinnoh League are...uncooperative at the moment. That delayed matters even further." He complained, "I just hope the Sinnohnians actually appoint an actual Champion soon who can rein in the Committee. Trying to organize things with them was such a hassle."
  
  My thoughts went to Cynthia, but I promised to not say anything for the moment, "...I do too. Sinnoh needs the stability."
  
  "Will had mentioned how he was almost accidentally caught up in one of those protests." Lance agreed, "You've been lucky to avoid them, staying in Celestic Town as you are."
  
  "Oh - and speaking of Will." Lance continued, "Since you couldn't be reached yesterday, he told me to inform you that he'd be coming over to speak about something with you. I believe he mentioned something to do with business deals...?"
  
  "Oh yes." I remembered, "Thanks. I'll talk to him. Is there anything else?"
  
  "Yes. There is one last thing." He suddenly turned serious, "Are you in a secure location right now?"
  
  "One second." I released Pixel and asked him to scan my room for any listening devices. Pixel buzzed back after a moment confirming no one was electronically listening in.
  
  "...Go ahead." I finally said.
  
  "Do you have any leads on where the criminals have been hiding out in Sinnoh?" He questioned.
  
  Fortunately I had prepared for such a question, "Nothing concrete." I told him, "But I highly suspect that whoever is funding them must have access to massive amounts of resources. That points to big businesses."
  
  "Why is that?" He pushed.
  
  "Do you remember when we did all those raids in Hoenn, and then collated all that we found?" I asked, and he replied that he did, "What we never found in any of those raids that we performed was a way for these terrorists to be earning income. And from the psychic interrogations, we knew they weren't going on raids to acquire resources, nor did they have any fake companies set up in Indigo or Hoenn where they could funnel money into their criminal activities."
  
  "...Meaning that they had to get their resources from somewhere else." Lance finished for me, "And you believe that whoever is backing them must be a big player in Sinnoh."
  
  "Yes." I confirmed, "In my opinion, that's the only thing that makes sense. It's why they retreated to here, after all. That's why I'm asking if you could set up or conduct investigations in Sinnoh to locate who these backers are." I deliberately left out my arrangements with Giovanni.
  
  I could hear his thoughts whirling as he processed my request.
  
  "...I agree with you and it's been something that I also suspected as well. It just makes sense considering all that we know - especially when backed up by what we found out in the psychic interrogations, but we don't have the authority to conduct investigations in Sinnoh just yet." He said reluctantly, "A part of me wants to damn the rules and go hunting anyways, but our relationship with Sinnoh is too fresh and new for us to risk something like that. We could be dooming them to close their borders once again if I pushed too forcefully for something like that. That being said, I will keep pushing for it if I think the political climate warrants it."
  
  I let out a sigh, expecting but still disappointed in his answer, "I understand...but we can't just sit around and remain passive. We need to do more."
  
  Lance stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought. I could hear the gears churning in his brain.
  
  Eventually, he could only say this, "We'll discuss this further when you get back to Indigo. I'm afraid my hands are tied for the moment. Perhaps once Sinnoh gets a new Champion, then we'll bring this topic up again."
  
  "I'm not dismissing your suggestions out of hand, and I did promise to put this as our highest priority, but even with my position I do not have the ability to force this through in Sinnoh." He explained patiently, "We'll wait for a different opportunity, and I promise I place my full attention on this."
  
  "Thank you, Lance. That's all I ask." I replied, realizing that this was probably the best outcome I could have hoped for.
  
  "Nonsense, this is a problem that we're all concerned about. I appreciate your diligence." He said, waving off my thanks. "Anyways, just to remind you. Tie up any remaining commitments you have in Sinnoh. You'll be back home soon. Talk to you then."
  
  Hanging up the call, I had a few mixed emotions roiling around within me. On one hand, I was happy to be heading back; I was starting to miss my home ever since spending so much time away from it. But on the other hand, I wanted to be there to witness Cynthia's rise, and I also wanted to do more explorations in the caves.
  
  I had really enjoyed cave diving and wanted to do something similar in Indigo. But then I had a thought. There WAS a cave in Indigo, in Cerulean City, in fact, that had yet to be really explored or opened up. Cerulean Cave was a place known for its dangers and powerful Pokémon, so people had left it alone for the time being.
  
  But could I do something about it to open it up to the public? I definitely had a few ideas on how that would go after seeing how Cynthia had done it here. It would make for an interesting landmark to have in Cerulean, and have our city be known for something more than just the arts. That was certainly something to bring up when I got home.
  
  But that was for later. For now, I had to make my way back to the labs to continue running a few tests on my new H-Zoroark, Wraith. As I made my way to the labs, I spotted many scientists rushing around with excited smiles on their faces.
  
  I smiled back to a few that I recognized before I approached Cynthia, "Hey, hope you had a good sleep."
  
  "I feel SO much better." She confirmed with a large stretch, "Definitely not going to do something like that anytime soon, being both in charge and forced to exert myself so much is TIRING."
  
  I chuckled, "Yeah, my legs are still sore." I gave them a shake as emphasis, before my smile turned serious, "Also, I just got the call from my Champion. Both Will and I will be heading home soon."
  
  Cynthia visibly frowned, "...As we expected. Well, I hope you'll still cheer for me back at home."
  
  "Of course." I nodded dutifully, though I swallowed the slight feeling of regret that rose to the surface.
  
  "Thank you." She smiled, "Though...I assume there's going to be small leaving ceremony for when you do leave?"
  
  "Most likely." I confirmed.
  
  "Then that might be a good opportunity for me to make my announcement to become Champion then." She said thoughtfully, "I'll bring this up with Lucian and see what he thinks."
  
  She shook her head, "Anyways, if you're leaving soon, would it be alright if we performed those extra tests later this afternoon? I can barely hold back the others' excitement at seeing a completely new Pokémon."
  
  "Sure, I did intend to spend this morning trying to get my latest capture to be properly introduced to my team." I replied.
  
  "I tried that this morning for a bit with Kleavor. It was not a fun time." Cynthia admitted with a frown, "These Pokémon are strong, of course, but they've spent too much time independent and fighting for every scrap of resources. I doubt they'd easily bend to a new trainer."
  
  "I feared that would be the case." I agreed, "But, I'll still have to give it a shot. Wish me luck!"
  
  "Good luck! And...let's have that talk later." She said as she waved goodbye to me. I blinked, but not wanting to dwell on the matter for now, I put those thoughts aside as I focused up and made my way to the more secure training fields.
  
  I couldn't use the ones in the open because that would expose my new H-Zoroark for all to see.
  
  I gave off an acknowledging nod towards the assistants running about as I entered into the training facility. Making sure the doors were properly secured - we didn't need a wild Pokémon running about, I released my team first.
  
  "Okay team. You know we have a new addition." I addressed them, "But they probably won't be the most cooperative." There were some groans and grunts at that, "I don't expect you to play nice with them right now, but we need to establish obedience at the very least."
  
  My team all nodded, and there were even smirks on my more battle-hungry bruisers. Ornstein tried to join them, but he was held back by Klee and Euphie, who didn't think Ornstein could win in a straight up fight against the new Pokémon.
  
  "Lin! Linoone!" Ornstein protested, but I just shook my head at him.
  
  "Now's not the time. I can't trust it to control its strength, and I don't want to see you hurt." I told Ornstein, trying to placate his desire for battle, "Maybe in the future."
  
  Ornstein wasn't super pleased, but he had enough discipline to stand down for the time being, choosing to huddle near Euphie. Satisfied that my Pokémon were all ready, I finally released Wraith into the field.
  
  Wraith emerged onto the field with a snarl, not even bothering to shroud itself in an illusion. Its white and red fur shined brilliantly as they reflected the bright lights of the arena, but any thoughts of its beauty was overshadowed by the aura of vengeful anger that surrounded it.
  
  It turned to glare at me, its eyes shining with malice and rage as it recalled its ignoble defeat. It looked like it was moments away from rushing at me, but then Tyrant merely stepped in front of me with an amused snort.
  
  Tyrant stared down Wraith with a raised eyebrow, as if to say, "You really want to do this?"
  
  Wraith growled, but then it looked around and realized that it was surrounded by Pokémon that could easily beat it down if I gave the command. I could feel his malicious anger fighting against its survival instincts.
  
  It was wary. Despite its anger, it acknowledged Tyrant's superior strength.
  
  But then its anger won out, and it shot forwards with its claws slashing in front of it, only to be grabbed by the throat and immediately slammed into the ground by a nonchalant Tyrant. It snarled, trying to break free of Tyrant's iron grip with a Shadow Sneak, but Tyrant casually slammed it into the ground once again, interrupting the escape attack and knocking the wind out of it.
  
  Yet, Wraith's raw defiance remained unbroken. Despite finding itself completely outmatched and outnumbered, it refused to stand down. It continued to struggle against Tyrant, desperately trying everything it could to free itself from his grasp. It even started to create illusions of itself breaking free and attacking me just to try to throw Tyrant off, but he didn't fall for any of them.
  
  Instead, for every act of defiance, Tyrant would smash it into the ground once more, never letting Wraith out of his iron grip. It was a barbaric way of instilling discipline, but I saw that the anger was slowly fading away from its eyes as Tyrant continued to dominate it.
  
  Because I knew that the one thing that any wild Pokémon would respect was pure force. This was just how things were.
  
  Eventually, Wraith's defiance broke in the face of Tyrant's overwhelming and oppressive strength. It began to realise that Tyrant would only smash it into the ground if it tried to fight back or escape. So long as it didn't venture into our 'territory', we would not harm it in kind.
  
  It took a little longer, but the hostility gradually cleared from its eyes as it settled down.
  
  Realizing it no longer had overtly hostile intentions, I gave a nod to Tyrant who slowly released his hold on Wraith. Wraith stood up uncertainly, stumbling slightly from the pounding that it just took. Then it's eyes suddenly gleamed with sudden malice, and it broke it into a feral snarl as it leaped towards me - thinking that I was taken off guard.
  
  Of course, that was when Tyrant YANKED Wraith by the legs and threw it to the floor once again before punishing Wraith's deception with another brutal beatdown that aimed to truly beat the defiance out of it.
  
  It was only after the beatdown finished that I slowly approached Wraith, deliberately looking down on its now pained expression.
  
  "Do you remember me?" I asked, careful to not show off any weakness or fear in front of it.
  
  A low growl was my only response, but a nearly imperceptible nod of its head was my answer. "Good. Then you understand that you fought and lost."
  
  It growled again, and its eyes flashed briefly with vengeance before a reminding snort from Tyrant held back any potential hostility. I didn't want to enrage it, but I needed to squash what remained of its pride, to get rid of the idea that it knew better.
  
  Wild Pokémon were often strong, but they often performed poorly in fights. They did reasonably well in a fight of pure brute strength, but they had no creativity in their fighting style. Nor did they have much technique beyond just swiping at their opponents. It might have worked out for them when they were fighting other wild Pokémon in the caves, but for the level that we were going to be fight at, it wasn't going to be good enough.
  
  It was why having a trainer was so essential for forging strong Pokémon. But there was one important question that I needed to ask.
  
  "Do you have a pack?" I questioned Wraith. It, no he, I realized, stared at me for a moment before shaking his head. Good. It would be much more difficult to train him if I had unintentionally separated him from his pack.
  
  "Would you like to get stronger?" I asked it directly, not bothering to sugarcoat my words. I gestured to Tyrant, "Would you like to get as strong as my team?"
  
  He glanced warily at my team. But for all of his simmering anger and rage, he had just been given a very painful reminder of how outmatched he was. Yet his brutal beatdown was also a demonstration of the strength of my team.
  
  It allowed him to acknowledge that he was outclassed he was.
  
  And the greedy gleam in his eye was a familiar one to me. It was the greed of any Pokémon; the instinctual desire to grow stronger and to become the very best. And as soon as that gleam appeared in his eye, I knew I had him.
  
  All I had to do was to reel it in, "My Pokémon are far from your average Pokémon. And I am proud to say that all of them are near the pinnacles of what their species can achieve." My team all growled and grunted in support. "I see your illusions, and the potential that it can bring. I promise that, if you trust me, if you allow me to nurture your strengths, you will find yourself growing as strong as the team that you see in front of you."
  
  There was no need for anything fancier than that. I didn't need to flashy words to hook his interest when the strength of my Pokémon, and their easy defeat of him, were so fresh in his mind.
  
  "Zor....Zoroark?" He bit out, still a little reluctant.
  
  Smough translated for me, and I nodded. "Yes, your illusions. I won't be neglecting them, nor do I think they are weak. In fact, I think they are your greatest strength, and what would you set you apart from the rest of my Pokémon. Your illusions will be your strongest tool, and I intend to refine it even further."
  
  Wraith looked confused, as if not expecting such a response. He stared at me warily, as if trying to decipher whether I was lying to him.
  
  I gestured towards Klee and Luna, "Not everyone Pokémon on my team is strong because of their raw strength. Klee and Luna here are strong because they have the ability to make use of a large variety of moves to help support my team and cripple key opponents." I explained, "And they have both saved my life many a time, as well as defeating Pokémon traditionally much stronger than them."
  
  I moved onto Pixel, "Pixel here is also not a Pokémon reliant on raw power, but rather on its large and versatile movepool as well as the ability to switch types."
  
  Then I walked up to Wraith, who now trusted me enough not to step back, "So believe me when I say I will make full use of your illusions. If you would just allow me to help you train it up, then I guarantee you that you will be a powerhouse of your own. Only a few Pokémon could be your match. You are already quite strong, but now I will be aiming to refine that strength even further. I assure you that as your trainer, you will grow strong and proud."
  
  Wraith continued watching me carefully, his wrathful eyes boring into mine. But after a moment, he gave off a minute nod as he accepted my words. I had enough experience to know that this didn't mean he was going to suddenly listen and obey to my every word, but I had earned enough of his trust for now for him to consider listening to me.
  
  And that was enough for now, "Good." I smiled back, making sure not to show too much teeth, "Then let's get started with some sessions. I want you to spar against Pixel. Show me what you got."
  
  Pixel immediately gave off an excited buzz as it floated forwards, while the rest of my Pokémon formed a protective ring around the perimeter of the arena. Tyrant finally released Wraith as Klee healed him up so that he could be in fighting condition.
  
  "BEGIN!"
  
  As I expected, Wraith immediately rushed in, while he also formed a basic illusion of himself trying to flank around to the side. But such a simple illusion wouldn't fool Pixel, and it blasted off a Tri Attack while it used Magnet Rise to fly high into the air, out of reach of Wraith's sharp claws.
  
  Wraith used his speed to dodge out of the way of the Tri Attack before firing a blast of Shadow Balls towards Pixel, only to growl as they slammed harmlessly into Pixel. Wraith immediately switched to using Agility, only to be immediately punished as Pixel paralyzed it with a surprise Thunder Wave.
  
  Snarling in frustration, Wraith's form shimmered before a horde of illusions appeared around the arena, all of them leaping into the air as they tried to bring down the flying Pixel. But Pixel simply responded by firing off a powerful Discharge, and the explosion of Electric energy ripped through all of the fake H-Zoroarks.
  
  But despite being hit by a powerful burst of electricity, Wraith showed off his endurance as he forced himself through the Discharge, continued to leap through the air as he grabbed a hold of Pixel. Before Pixel could fire off another attack, Wraith came slamming down with a Brick Break that caused Porygon to emit a loud whirl as it began falling to the ground.
  
  However, just before Wraith could strike with another Brick Break, the paralysis suddenly took of him, and his muscles locked up, buying Pixel a few extra seconds to complete its Conversion. Then, when Wraith finally muscled through the paralysis and struck down with a Brick Break, the attack was suddenly far less effective than before as Pixel had already switched its type to Fairy.
  
  Not realizing he was doing far less damage now, Wraith was completely taken by surprise as Pixel shrugged off his attack and retaliated with a crackling Thunderbolt that blasted Wraith backwards and off of Pixel.
  
  Wraith's form collapsed to the ground, and he looked like he was completely out of the fight. And Pixel cheered at its 'victory', only for Wraith to suddenly appear behind it with a Shadow Claw primed and ready to rake through the surprised Pixel.
  
  Unfortunately for Wraith, his illusion tactic was too obvious, and he failed to hide the sound of his footsteps as he creeped behind Pixel. So, instead of finding Pixel's unguarded back, what he found was a Zap Cannon, ready and waiting for him.
  
  "Zor!" He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise before an electrocuting ball of condensed lightning slammed straight into him - sending Wraith flying into the ground as a painful amount of electricity coursed through him. A critical hit!
  
  This time, he collapsed to the ground for real. His once white fur was singing and burnt in a few places, and the bright red highlights were now more muted as the burnt remains of his fur stained them. The only signs of movement were from the twitching of his muscles from all of that lingering electricity that had entered into him.
  
  Klee immediately perked up and rushed over to the fallen Wraith, happily healing him up and completely unafraid of being attacked in turn. Not that Klee was under any threat, she could and would body Wraith into the ground if need be. I took the time to play around with Pixel, celebrating its clean victory.
  
  It took a few moments, but eventually Klee's careful ministrations were about to heal Wraith up enough for him to sit up.
  
  "Zoroark..." He growled weakly, clearly upset by his defeat.
  
  "You see what I mean? Your use of illusions was too simple." I told him, "That last trick where you faked that you fainted was good, but you didn't hide your footsteps, and there was still a slight shimmer in the air that gave away your position. That alerted Pixel to your plan, which is why it could charge up a Zap Cannon to surprise you."
  
  "Zor..." He whined, upset at his failure. But I stepped in front of him, carefully kneeling down so that we were the same height. If before I intended to show strength, now I had to show compassion.
  
  "But that was a good start. You already have the strength of a strong Pokémon." I praised him, "And I can help you with your illusions, make them better than they were before. Do you believe me? Do you trust in me as your trainer to help you grow strong, as strong as the rest of my team?"
  
  Wraith was still sulking at his loss, but he still gave off a small nod.
  
  "Good, because I'm going to work you very hard from now on." I offered a hand, and Wraith simply allowed me to pull him up to his feet. "Welcome to the team, Wraith. I hope you like your new nickname."
  
  Wraith growled softly at me, but after a moment's hesitation, he grasped my arm in his.
  
  A.N. And Wraith formally joins the team! I tried to highlight that Wraith is already quite strong, unlike many of John's previous captures, but there's still quite a lot of work to be done regarding its mindset and drilling it out of bad habits.
  
  Also, hope you liked the talk with Lance. He understands how serious the situation is, but political realities continue to be a pain in the ass for everyone. But like I promised, that won't stay the same forever.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 8-16 - A Conversation
  
  I was satisfied with the good start that I had with Wraith, and I spent the next hour or so making sure trying to settle him in with working and training with the rest of my team.
  
  It was a good thing that the more senior members of my team understood that Wraith's aggression was a temporary thing borne from wariness and a little bit of fear. It also helped that the more experienced members of my team helped reign in the younger members who may have been more unused to dealing with such a new, and potentially hostile, addition to the group.
  
  Especially one that was more arguably more powerful than them.
  
  With the morning training session done, I went back to the labs to fulfil my promise to Cynthia; allowing them to perform a few tests on Wraith. Unfortunately, being poked and prodded by various machinery was distinctly uncomfortable for him, and it really tested the limits of his patience and our newly forged bond between trainer and Pokémon.
  
  Fortunately, the scientists were all experts at this and knew when to back off before they pushed Wraith over the edge, stopping just before he was about to lash out. And they all seemed very pleased about the data they collected.
  
  "The scans shows that this is indeed the Pokémon that we've read about from the historical texts!" One scientist excitedly exclaimed, "It's almost a full match to the other preserved sample that we've collected in the past! This Pokémon is really from Hisuian times!"
  
  "So we DID find something from back then." Cynthia hummed thoughtfully, "...I wonder if we can find other Hisuian Pokémon down there?"
  
  "There was that one really weird tall and purple Weavile that we saw." One of the explorers who had joined in on the expedition pointed out, "Maybe that's another one?"
  
  "We should schedule another expedition right away!" The scientist shouted immediately, "And we already have the forward base in place to make things easier."
  
  But Cynthia shook her head, "Not at the moment, though perhaps I can have someone else to organize it." She said, before turning back to me, "Thanks for coming, John. You don't have to sit around to listen to all us eggheads discussing things. Isn't Will arriving for lunch?"
  
  "I don't mind." I chuckled, "But yes, I think he is arriving soon-" My phone buzzed, and I checked it and found that Will had sent me a text stating that he had arrived. "What a coincidence. He just arrived. I'm going to go meet him." I waved them goodbye as I made my way to the canteen, allowing them to fall back into their scientific discussions.
  
  At the canteen, I instantly spotted Will's eye-catching outfit; his purple and black heavily standing out amongst the normal white and light blues of the lab.
  
  His eyes lit up when he saw me, "John! It's been some time!"
  
  "It has." I smiled at him, "Let's catch up over lunch."
  
  We moved over to one of the more private tables towards the side, just to avoid too many people from overhearing our conversation. Fortunately, the scientists were respectful enough to not invade our privacy, and our topics of conversation weren't particularly confidential either.
  
  "Good job on getting Silph Co to agree to a deal to come over." He began the conversation as we ate our lunch, "It's been really helpful for me too."
  
  "How so?" I asked, chewing on my food.
  
  "Like I told you and Lance previously, I've been to establish business connections between our two regions as well." He explained, "But whereas before they were hesitant, seeing Silph Co take the first plunge and properly invest in Sinnoh has caused many of them to reconsider their hesitant approach. With such a big company already going ahead, they felt safe doing the same. Or more likely, they didn't want to miss out on whatever Silph Co saw."
  
  "That's good. We need more connections with Sinnoh anyways." I nodded.
  
  "Yes, which is why I'm trying to get Lance and Wallace to agree to a new tax policy that should hopefully encourage foreign investment to and from Sinnoh." He smiled, "But that might have to wait until the protests are over and the situation calms down a little. Political instability doesn't make for good business opportunities."
  
  "...Though from the things I've heard from Lucian, that might be solved quite soon." He whispered to me, "I think you should know what I'm talking about, right?"
  
  "I do." I admitted, realizing it wasn't a secret, "But we should leave that sort of business to them. It's just a shame that I couldn't stay to watch."
  
  "True enough. Neither in Hoenn or Indigo have we seen someone challenge their way through the entirety of the Elite Four before." He commented thoughtfully, "That's definitely going to be THE event to watch."
  
  "You think we'd have something like that happen back home? Where someone has to fight their way through us to challenge Lance for the title?" I asked curiously.
  
  "...I sincerely doubt it." Will said after thinking it through, "There's only a total of 3 potential challengers in any given year, outside of the Gym Leaders. And you and I are already in the Elite Four. The only person who isn't is Bruno. And while I don't doubt his strength, not after your battle against him, he has already lost against you. I don't see him challenging Lance anytime soon."
  
  I nodded at his explanation, "Maybe something like that'll happen in the future." I chuckled.
  
  "Unlikely, though anyone foolish enough to do such a thing would surely be stopped by me!" He said proudly, puffing out his chest a bit. "...Anyways, do you have anything else to do while you're in Sinnoh? Anything to do with your remaining time here? Catch a few Pokémon, perhaps? I know I have."
  
  "I only caught the one." I said vaguely, intentionally not describing just WHAT I had caught, "You?"
  
  "Same, actually." He nodded, "I intentionally planned to capture more, but there just wasn't the opportunity. The Pokémon must have been overly intimidated and awed by the pressures of joining my grand retinue, I suppose." He boasted.
  
  "Though I heard they're planning on making Sinnoh Pokémon more accessible to us from Indigo and Hoenn in the future. So, we can easily acquire more even without heading back here." Will explained. "It's like what they did with the Hoenn Pokémon."
  
  "Oh, that's good." I responded, "I think my sister would be very interested in catching a few other Sinnoh Pokémon too."
  
  "Oh yes, your sister. I think I heard a few things about her current journey." Will stated.
  
  My back straightened, "Did you? What about her?"
  
  He waved me off, "Nothing concerning, if that was what you were thinking. Just that she was quite the prominent trainer. After all, it's not so common to see someone as young as her collecting her 7th Gym Badge on her first run through of the Gyms."
  
  I relaxed. "Yes. That was quite the shock to me as well. But I couldn't be prouder of her. I always hoped that she could make herself into a prominent trainer in her own right." A proud smile unconsciously formed on my face.
  
  "She really is doing quite well." Will agreed, "Though forgive me if this is an overstep, but I believe she might need a bit more pizazz. She needs to dramatize herself a bit. Make herself stand out a bit more."
  
  "What do you mean?" I questioned, giving Will a look.
  
  "I know I may show off a little too much, but you cannot deny that my attire is not eye-catching." Will gestured to his outfit, "And eye-catching means memorable. Why do you think Lance dresses up in that cape of his?"
  
  "Because he's that kind of guy?" I quipped.
  
  "...Well, maybe." Will conceded, "But it also makes him memorable. You look at Lance and you recognize him as THE Dragon Master. It's iconic and memorable."
  
  "I don't have a particular outfit though, and I'm popular enough." I argued.
  
  "Yes, but you're very strong." Will countered immediately, "Strength is a recognizing factor of your own, plus you have your political achievements to add to your reputation. I'm not saying your sister isn't strong, but compared to her friends, she doesn't stand out as much as them from what I've seen. At least her friends have the 'psychic genius' and 'ninja-in-training' look."
  
  I frowned, but Will continued, "Look, I REALLY don't want to interfere with your family, especially since your sister is still really young, but take it from me. One day, unless your sister achieves something as remarkable as you did, she'll want to curate an image for herself in the public eye. It'll really let her stand out and make her far more memorable."
  
  "I'm not saying that this is something you have to discuss with her now, but just keep it in the back of your mind for the future." He finished.
  
  "...I will. Thank you." I ended up saying, a little taken aback about how this conversation came to be.
  
  "Your sister has great potential, from what I'm seeing." Will said, "Now it's all about refining that potential and getting her known in the public eye. A bit of fame goes a long way to establishing yourself as a prominent trainer, and it really opens up many opportunities for them. Try to give it a think, John. I truly believe that it'll be good advice for your sister."
  
  I stayed silent as I went over Will's words. He definitely wasn't wrong. I still thought that Whitney and her friends were still a little too young to be worrying about this kind of thing, but this was something I SHOULD point out to them in the future. Yet I wouldn't pressure her into anything, it was up to her if she wanted to create an identity for herself like that or not.
  
  I didn't follow that route, so I wasn't going to be a hypocrite and force her into it.
  
  I returned to my conversation with Will, realizing that I had accidentally ignored him, "Sorry, just had a stray thought. You were saying?"
  
  The two of us then continued with our casual conversation. I appreciated being able to catch up with him, and I felt like his time at Sinnoh had brought out his better side.
  
  Our conversation lasted a while longer, but he eventually had another appointment to head to, so he told me to enjoy the rest of my time here in Sinnoh and then waved me goodbye, saying that we'd meet up again for the cruise home.
  
  After Will left, I headed back to the underground training fields to continue training up with Wraith, thinking that I had nothing better to do at the moment.
  
  It was then that Cynthia returned.
  
  "Hey, John, remember that conversation we promised to have?" She said as she approached me, "I think we've put it off long enough, don't you think? We really should have a talk about our friendship going forward."
  
  The way that she worded that...it was a conversation that I had been wanting to have for some time. Yes, now was the time for it. The moment of truth had finally come.
  
  Anticipation rose from within me, "Oh - yeah, of course." I said slowly as I stood up, "Lead the way."
  
  The two of us exited the canteen and found ourselves in a private spot outside of the labs, away from all prying ears and eyes. Ensured of our privacy, I was about to speak up when Cynthia beat me to it.
  
  "I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I'll ask you straight up." Her eyes locked onto mine, "Are you interested in me?"
  
  I blinked, taken aback by her bluntness. But that surprise turned to amusement as I realized how fitting this was for her. "I am. How could I not be?"
  
  She smiled, "I see. Well thank you for your interest."
  
  "...And? That's it?" I asked.
  
  "I'm just kidding." She giggled musically, "But I thought my feelings about you were pretty clear. Did you think I would have invited you to do all those things if I didn't find you interesting to be around?"
  
  "...It could be out of friendliness." I tried.
  
  "Well then let me make it clear." She stepped up to me. Before I realise what was going on, her lips pressed onto mine.
  
  My eyes widened with shock, but before I could even process that her soft lips were touching mine, she pulled back. My heart instantly yearned for more.
  
  "Does that make things clear?" She smirked, and my eyes focused on the way her tongue licked around her lips unconsciously.
  
  "...Yes, it does." I was still a little stunned, but I was pretty sure I had a goofy smile on my face, "...Wow, I wasn't expecting that."
  
  "I'm not one to second guess myself." She shrugged, though there was a hint of red on her cheeks, "I've greatly enjoyed the time that we spent together. You don't look down on me, and I could tell in your eyes that you like me for reasons beyond just my appearance."
  
  "I'm too used to dealing with people like that." She grumbled.
  
  "Do you have people that judge you based on your looks?" I asked.
  
  "Of course. They look at me and instantly label me as 'pretty blonde', and that's all I become for them." She frowned, "Then they try to ask me out. Not because they know anything about me, but simply for the shallow reason that I look attractive to them."
  
  "Surely that's at least slightly flattering." I replied.
  
  "It was at first." She admitted, "But then it just got tiring. My looks are something that I was fortunately blessed with. I did not work for it or really do much to achieve it, and compared to many other aspects of my life it's probably the area where I put the least amount of effort in. My looks are not what make me, me."
  
  "You've worked very hard to be where you are." I said, "Only a fool would be blind enough to miss that."
  
  She smiled, "See, you're the one that spots that. You see the whole package. You don't just see Cynthia the historian. Or Cynthia the trainer. Or Cynthia the potentially future Champion. I saw in your eyes that you fell in love with my determination, and THAT is the most flattering thing that you could have done."
  
  A smile broke out on my face as well, "I couldn't help myself."
  
  "And I deeply appreciate it." She smirked.
  
  Then she let out a sigh, "Well I better do well to prove myself to be your equal, shouldn't I?" She chuckled, "It wouldn't do for the rising star of Indigo to have been ensnared by some no-name trainer in Sinnoh. Someone like you deserves a partner of equal status."
  
  "I don't really care about that-"
  
  "Yes, but others will." She interrupted, "Face the facts, John. You're the second most powerful person in Indigo, besides Lance. And even then it's a tossup. You're beloved by the public, and you're strong enough to keep your place in the Elite Four for years to come. Not only that, but you've been the backbone of the recent push for internationalism."
  
  "In the public's eyes, you're too important to be dating some nobody." She said firmly, "That is the reality of politics. You can ignore it, but it would better for your ambitions."
  
  I blinked; but eventually came to accept her words. Cynthia was always aware of the political realities. She had to be.
  
  "It seems like you put a lot of consideration into this." I smiled, because I saw how much she cared.
  
  "Of course, did you think I would go into this without thinking it through?" She raised an eyebrow, "You know that's how I do things."
  
  I nodded, "I'll take your words into consideration. But like I said, nothing would change even if you didn't become the Champion of Sinnoh. I'm not THAT consumed by my ambitions."
  
  "If you were, we wouldn't having this conversation." She smiled, but there was an edge there that also served as a reminder. One that I inwardly acknowledged.
  
  "Still, you don't have to worry about that, because I will do my utmost to make sure I do win the whole thing." Then she leaned forwards closer to me.
  
  "After all, I have another reason to succeed now, don't I?" She smirked at me, her eyes gazing deep into mine.
  
  All I could do was swallow deeply. I might not have fallen for her looks, but damn.
  
  The two of us continued walking around the lab, just enjoying the time that we spent with each other. After a small, but tranquil, moment of us just enjoying each other's company, she spoke up again.
  
  "Tell me more about Karen." She said.
  
  Ah, I expected this. "She's a friend. A very good friend." I admitted, "She's practically family to my parents and to my sister."
  
  "I heard rumours that you two were dating." She said, "But knowing you, you wouldn't have been interested in me if you were. You wouldn't cheat on her like that."
  
  "We never dated, but I WAS interested in her." I confirmed, "But she unfortunately wasn't ready for it. We came to an understanding."
  
  "Should I be concerned about her jealousy?" She joked, but I knew it was a serious question.
  
  I thought about it for a moment, before eventually shaking my head, "That doesn't sound like her, but I can't answer you for certain. I think she'll be sad, but she wouldn't hate you for it. She has a kind soul, and she wouldn't take it out on you."
  
  "Sounds like you still like her." Cynthia commented with an assessing look in her eyes.
  
  "...I think a part of me still does." I admitted carefully after thinking it over, "Had she not hesitated and we became a couple, then I don't think I would have any regrets with dating her."
  
  "But I understand that the time for that has passed." I took Cynthia's hand into mine, clutching them softly, "I would happily be your partner. There's no need to consider what-ifs and what could have been. I chose you, because I found your determination and passion too dazzling to ignore. I would regret it if I passed you over, or if I wasted the opportunity in front of me. There's no need for me to doubt anything else."
  
  "And I won't let those doubts surface." She smiled beautifully, and my heart skipped a beat once again as she directed that towards me. "It'll be difficult for us, since we're going to have to date long-distance, but I believe it can make it work."
  
  "No. I WILL make it work." Her determination flared, "Believe me, John. I'm not one to let go of something when I've caught hold of it. This relationship will work, distance be damned."
  
  That flare of determination caused my body moved on its own, as I returned the kiss that she had surprised me with before. This time it was my turn to catch her by surprise, but that surprise melted into passion as the two of us stayed like that for a moment with our lips locked together.
  
  The soft feeling of her lips that I yearned for had returned. And the way her arms instinctively wrapped around my shoulders as she pressed herself against me was intoxicating. No, more than intoxicating.
  
  It was addicting. Every part of my body didn't want this moment to end.
  
  But end it had to, and we both stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "...I guess we just have to get the most of our time together in Sinnoh." I eventually.
  
  Then something came to mind, "You know I'd have to tell Lance about this relationship, right? I don't know if you want to reveal it to the public or not, but I can't keep him hidden in the dark like this. Not when I'm in the Indigo Elite Four. He deserves to know that my judgment might be compromised."
  
  "That's a very polite way of saying that you fell for me." She chuckled, before she turned serious, "But I agree. Even if I'd prefer to keep this relationship to ourselves, you should tell Lance as soon as you get back, and maybe speak with him about how you can juggle both your political responsibilities and this relationship."
  
  She stared into my eyes, "It won't be easy. For the both of us. We don't have just distance getting in our way, but the realities of politics too. We both may have to make some sacrifices. But will you be happy to wade through all of that just for us to be together?"
  
  "I will." I nodded firmly, as if I was making a vow. Like she said, things weren't going to be easy, but with my focus on internationalism and my achievements I was sure I could spin it in a way so that my relationship with Cynthia could be seen as another positive. And if not, then we would MAKE one.
  
  But that was a problem for later. For now, it was just about being in each other's company.
  
  "...Then do you have time now? I know this great restaurant in Sinnoh that I like to visit from time to time." She asked. "And perhaps we can walk around afterwards? Just to spend some time together?"
  
  I took her hand in mine, smiling as I felt how her smooth hands clasped mine. "Of course, lead the way."
  
  A.N. So, I finally got around to writing a chapter like this. I took a really objective look at both the comments and how the story was developing. And I came to a decision. I decided that it made more logical sense, considering John's character and his romantic interests, for him to ask out Cynthia. He would not pass up on this opportunity.
  
  Cynthia's determination is exactly what got him so attracted to Karen, and Cynthia has that in spades. Looks aside, THAT is what John likes the most about her. Yes, there relationship will have problems to overcome, but which relationship doesn't? And that's just another challenge for the two of them to conquer together.
  
  I admit I have made mistakes when writing the romance of this story, but I hope that you're happy with what I've come up with here. I can also promise that this will first and foremost be a Pokémon story, not a relationship drama.
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Thanks man! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -8-16-Interlude - Lorelei
  The New Normal - 8-16 - Interlude - Lorelei
  
  "You could have done better." Those were the words that her loving uncle had for her after her victory over Surge. But all she did was roll her eyes at him; he wasn't worth the effort to argue against.
  
  But her uncle continued, ignoring her silence and her privacy as he just walked into her house, "So? Is this the place you live in now? Quite the downgrade from where you stayed back in the Mahogany Gym."
  
  "At least it's away from you." She couldn't help but bite out, though her uncle merely snorted at that.
  
  "If you say so." He said unconcerned as he sat down in her armchair, spreading his arms wide as if he owned the damn thing, "So, how are you making use of your popularity from your victory?"
  
  "Is that what you came over for?" She spat out, shooting her uncle a venomous look, "Just to check on your niece's political aspirations? Looking to manipulate your way back into power?"
  
  "You haven't kicked me out yet." Pryce pointed out smugly, "If you really disliked my questioning, you would have told me to leave ages ago."
  
  She gritted her teeth, but her uncle was frustratingly correct. She had her proposal to create a financial crime organisation in the works, and with her victory over Surge - even if he wasn't the most threatening of opponents - it still went a long way into solidifying her position in the Elite Four and earning her much needed political capital.
  
  Her victory had allowed her to attract many supporters who were once on the fence to at least consider giving her their support.
  
  If anything, if the Pokenet and the news could be trusted, then Will was now considered to the Elite Four with the shakiest foundation. He had been voted in yet was still untested with a victory in a battle.
  
  She expected someone to challenge his position soon after his return from Sinnoh.
  
  "Well? Since when were you so silent?" Her uncle taunted, "Come on, I'm waiting."
  
  She was so tempted to punch Pryce in his stupid face, but she was barely able to hold herself back. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she slumped into the nearby couch as she could no longer hold back the words, "I'm still not able to solidify my position! I've been in the Elite Four for some time now, but even after my victory over Surge, Will is still considered to be the more popular member. And he hasn't even won a battle yet!" She vented.
  
  Her uncle straightened up in her chair, "Go on."
  
  "So how?! How am I meant to really put myself in the public eye and prove my damn strength! I've been training like crazy, and I even had a clean victory over Surge! And yet the public still treats me as if I was the same trainer that barely beat Walker! So, what in Arceus can I do to change their perception of me?!"
  
  She knew she was exaggerating a little bit, and that her uncle was about to give her a tongue lashing for her loss of control. While she certainly didn't have the popularity of John or Agatha, the public were now more confident than ever about her ability to remain in the Elite Four. But politically, she was still considered to be less influential than Will.
  
  In fact, the public were hardly the source of her frustrations, but rather it was the Committee. They still looked at her if she was a mere newcomer, rather than someone who had proven herself twice over.
  
  But to her amazement, the tongue lashing from Pryce never came. Instead, she found her uncle deep in thought, carefully considering her words.
  
  "...Who's would be in charge of your financial crime organisation? Does it have a leader from the League directly?" Her uncle asked seriously. She blinked; she hadn't heard him this serious and so lacking in insults in quite a while.
  
  "There is no leader." She explained to him, "It's just going to be an organisation that will be a special subsidiary to the Indigo Police. I presume they'll appoint someone internally to lead it."
  
  "That won't do." Her uncle shook his head, "If you implement it like that, you won't get much credit beyond the first headline. You'll get praised in the news for a few days for creating such a 'cool' and 'reformative' organisation, only to be forgotten in a few days' time by the public as the next interesting thing catches their eye. Your achievements will have been long forgotten by then."
  
  "What you NEED to do is to take control of the entire organisation. You need to put yourself as the person in charge of your new financial crime organisation. Make the entire organisation answer to you." Her uncle told her.
  
  "But I don't have the slightest clue on how you would run such a big organisation-" She protested, only to be cut off by her uncle.
  
  "That's not the point." Pryce stated firmly, "You need to make yourself the leader because that's how you will be able to forge connections for yourself and be recognized for your efforts. If you simply just create the organisation and then completely step away from it, then you won't be able to forge connections with anyone there."
  
  "Tell me. Why do you think John became as popular as he is? It's because he was able to create connections with the right people, and those connections were able to build into more connections, and then suddenly you have him connected to a huge range of important people. I've kept a note on them, you know? The Champion, a few Gym Leaders, the CEO of Devon Corp, and even the big-name researchers of Sinnoh. All of them would happily pick up the phone if he dialled! Do you realize how much power that is?!" Pryce leaned forward, as if to emphasize his point.
  
  Seeing that she remained silent, he continued, "You need to put yourself in a position to make those same connections. You had the opportunity in Hoenn when you helped out with setting up the International Police there, and that was a good start in establishing your credentials as someone who is supportive of law enforcement, but you can develop that even further."
  
  "Set yourself up to be the leader of this new financial crime organisation, even if it's only a figurehead position, and elect a second to actually do the work. But you need to be THERE, shaking hands and making friends. Give it a month or two, and suddenly you'll find yourself with a whole host of new connections to make use of. And those connections will turn into popularity soon enough. If nothing else, you should trust me on this - having connections into law enforcement is a big thing to have." He advised seriously.
  
  Lorelei blinked. She never expected her uncle to be this verbose, nor this helpful. But he was right. Connections were important, and putting herself in a position to make more was going to help her develop her political network.
  
  She didn't know what made her uncle so helpful today, but she wouldn't question it, "Thank you, uncle. You were actually nice today."
  
  "Bah! I was the Champion for a reason, you know? This is child's play." He boasted, returning to his abrasive self.
  
  But, his words rang true. For a brief moment, she was reminded of the uncle that she greatly looked up to. For a brief moment, she remembered that this was the person that she had used to want to make proud. For a brief moment, she was speaking not to her uncle, but the man that Champion Oak chose to be his successor.
  
  And she would follow his words.
  
  A.N. Pryce making a small comeback! I wanted to show a different side of him from what we've previously seen in the story, where it mostly consisted of Pryce in his cranky old age and was too blinded by his ego to be an effective Champion.
  
  But there once WAS someone brilliant. Someone competent enough that Oak chose him as his successor. And I wanted that part of him to peek out, even if only just a little. Hope you liked it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 8-17 - A Meeting
  
  After that enjoyable evening with Cynthia, I was a bit too distracted to really focus on anything else.
  
  It was still unreal to me that I was DATING Cynthia. A part of me thought that it was all a dream, but the small yet cute smile that she shot me at the end of the evening was so firmly imprinted in my mind that it had to be real.
  
  I wanted to spend whatever time I still had in Sinnoh with her.
  
  Unfortunately, I couldn't do that. Because as much as I wanted to, I had other things I still needed to accomplish in Sinnoh. That was why, the next day, I valiantly put Cynthia out of my mind as I went to find Archer - I needed to speak to him and check up on what he was doing with the 'forward base' that he had set up in Sinnoh.
  
  I owed it to Giovanni to at least check in and thank them for the help. Plus, he might have uncovered something important that I couldn't just ignore.
  
  So after I called ahead, I went off and went flying on Port as I made my way to Jubilife City, where Silph Co had decided to begin setting up their 'branch office'. It wasn't difficult to find which building was the one that belonged to Silph Co; amidst the sea of high rises and fancy office buildings, there stood a single, still under construction, office tower near one of the corners of Jubilife City.
  
  I landed in one of the nearby open spaces. Looking around, I saw that the area around it was still relatively undeveloped, at least compared to the rich and busy areas that the other parts of Jubilife were like. It honestly looked a little rundown, and not at all suitable for a company as prestigious as Silph Co.
  
  But before I could think any longer on that, I caught sight of Archer and his distinct cyan hair waving at me in the distance and quickly approached him.
  
  "Archer, good to meet you again." I shook his hand, "How are things going on here?"
  
  "Everything's still under construction, but I personally have no problems with the site." He replied. "It's good enough for our purposes."
  
  "Really? Not to call you out or anything, but this area looks a little run down." I answered a little sceptically.
  
  Archer shook his head, "Silph Co's reputation and prestige will ensure that the value of the surrounding areas will go up as soon as this branch is built. It's always like this. It's why this area was chosen, the surrounding land is cheap and it allows for easy expansion by just buying up the cheap land." He explained.
  
  "Oh, wow. Okay, never mind what I said then; you clearly have this worked out." I backtracked, raising both my hands slightly in surrender.
  
  Archer snorted, "As if I thought of this. Nah, this was all Giovanni's idea. I'm just following the steps he laid out. I'm hardly a businessman."
  
  He patted me on the shoulder, "Actually, let's relocate slightly to somewhere more private. Better than just chatting out in the open." I nodded and followed after him, where he escorted me inside a small warehouse that looked like it had been hastily constructed.
  
  However, I was very surprised when I went inside. Instead of a rundown and makeshift warehouse filled to the brim haphazardly with all sorts of things, I found the inside layer to be reinforced with steel beams, creating a sturdy foundation that would protect the warehouse from anything less than a direct Pokémon attack.
  
  Not only that, but instead of the mess that I had expected, the inside contained rows and rows of clean office tables, all organized and arranged in a neat and tidy fashion. On top of that, each desk contained a high powered computer that looked really out of place inside what was supposed to be a rundown warehouse. If I didn't know that this was in the inside of a warehouse, I would have thought I had just entered into some sort of secret laboratory or something.
  
  But the most surprising part of all that were all the employees. There weren't that much of them, but each and every one of them had their eyes glued to the screens, where I saw them trying to sift through massive amounts of information. Just looking at it made my eyes begin to glaze over. What was this? Where were the grunts that I had expected?
  
  "You look surprised." Archer spoke up amusedly from my right, "Not what you were expecting? And don't worry, every one of these employees are under Giovanni's employ." Meaning that they were utterly loyal to him personally, was what was unsaid.
  
  I shook my head, "I was expecting something more...messy." I told him, "This looks more like an office building."
  
  Archer chuckled, "Information gathering is just like any other kind of office work. In fact, you probably have to go through even MORE paperwork than even a normal job." He explained, "Just because it sounds sneaky and cool doesn't mean it's actually exciting."
  
  "The movies really do make it sound far cooler than it actually is." I commented dryly. Who could imagine reality to be so dull?
  
  "Do they ever." He snorted. "I would have never traded my time with Giovanni for anything. But even sometimes, when I'm knee deep in paperwork that I'm meant to be sifting through for the most minute of details, I do regret my choice of occupation. More than any other aspect of it." That caused a chuckle to escape me.
  
  For a moment, I just stared blankly at the employees, still trying to reconcile the image I had of Team Rocket - the costume-wearing Pokémon thieves - with all these office drones. It wasn't easy.
  
  "...So, did you find anything useful?" I finally asked him, shaking myself out of my confusion. "Anything about what these criminals are doing?"
  
  He gave me a questioning look, "I'm not sure how much you're expecting us to find out with such a small team like this and in such short time." He said sarcastically, "You DO realize that trying to infiltrate the underground and criminal markets to listen in on the rumours isn't as easy as just snapping your fingers."
  
  I winced, "Okay, sorry. That was the wrong question to ask." I scratched my head embarrassedly, "But did you find out anything that we could use at all?"
  
  "Right now, we're just focused on establishing the right connections to the less reputable businesses and the black market." Archer described, "It's not so easy to do when you're obviously a newcomer. In the criminal world, you very often have everyone already knowing about everybody, so to have a sudden unknown party snooping around raises a lot of alarm bells. Unfortunately, it's because of that we've had to move slower than I'd like."
  
  "That being said, it's not all bad news." He continued, "I know that you mentioned to Giovanni that you had a suspicion that the terrorists were all very well-funded. Well, from what we've found so far, I don't think they're getting most of those funds from criminal operations. That kind of spending would be very obvious to anyone who knew where to look, and we've found no indication of anything of the sort."
  
  "So...you mean to tell me that their funds are likely gained from legitimate means?" I asked.
  
  "Perhaps 'legitimate' isn't the right term for it, since the money could easily be obtained through fraud or other means." He corrected, "But, in essence, yes. I really doubt that whoever is funding these terrorists are earning most of their money through criminal operations. My guess is that they're undergoing some kind of white-collar financial scheme to fund their operations."
  
  "Or they could just be a big and successful company?" I hedged, pretending to think things over, "...Maybe something like Galactic Company? It's been done before - having a big and successful company concealing a more secretive operation."
  
  "...Quite." He replied dryly, narrowing his eyes at me at the jab towards Silph Co and Giovanni's true role in it, "But you make a good point, especially considering the information I just told you." He rubbed his chin, "We'll be looking at someone trying to pull something similar on us. Maybe we'll find something. But I'll warn you now - investigating companies and their finances is going to take significantly longer. This is far beyond what we're used to doing."
  
  "I understand, but I think it'll be prudent for you to look into this, if you can." I said to him, but I was still happy that we were on the right track. We really were beginning to bring the fight to Team Galactic.
  
  There was still one more question I needed to ask though, "What will you do if you find anything?"
  
  "Nothing, besides just informing Giovanni and asking him for further instructions." He said, "I presume he'll inform you in turn. Giovanni's already filled me in on how big a threat these idiots are, so I'll let the real thinkers devise a plan on how to deal with whatever we find out."
  
  "You don't need me to tell you this, but don't get caught." I said, "We don't need to alert the criminals that we're looking into them."
  
  He snorted, "Way ahead of you on that one. Don't worry, we've been doing this for years. We know what we're doing."
  
  I nodded firmly, demonstrating just a little bit of my authority, "Good. We all understand the stakes here - so it doesn't hurt to make sure."
  
  He gave off a dutiful nod in return, so I decided to step back and switch topics, "Though, now that I think of it, this feels quite different from your previous responsibilities as Head Gym Trainer of the Cerulean Gym. How are you finding this sudden change?" I asked curiously.
  
  He chuckled, "Working in the Cerulean Gym was a nice vacation for me, but this was always what I was good at. Truthfully, I envy Petrel for being able to continue working there."
  
  I looked at him disbelievingly, "Really? I would have thought working as the Head Gym Leader would be exhausting at times."
  
  "It is." He agreed, "But it's far from the worst job in the world, and it is a lot easier than what I usually do. Herding Gym Trainers isn't particularly difficult, not when they acknowledge your strength. It especially helps when they respect you and when it's clear that the Gym Leader favours you. Not only that, but participating in Gym fights can be quite satisfying. I sometimes even pick up a few things in those battles."
  
  "It helps that the sisters are genuinely nice people." He continued, "They're nothing like the reports that Giovanni had about them. I thought they would have been...spoilt and bossy, or simply uninterested in their jobs as most teenagers in powerful positions tend to be. But instead of that, I found them to be passionate and hard-working. They truly have a great love for their contests, and they'd proving to be competent Gym Leaders. Their youngest, Misty, also has the same drive that their sisters have, and she looks to be growing into an even better trainer than they were. Both Petrel and I truly look forward to seeing how they grow. They deserve it."
  
  Was it me or did he sound genuinely fond of them?
  
  "Wow. I didn't think you'd get attached." I smiled.
  
  He waved me off, "Just because my occupation requires me to have multiple loyalties doesn't mean I can't form attachments." He explained, "It just means that I have to prioritize the right ones when push comes to shove. Though fortunately, I highly doubt that Giovanni and the Waterflower sisters will ever get into any sort of real conflict. In fact, Giovanni is very pleased with his newfound connection with them."
  
  "So does that mean you might sneak your way into their employ again?" I couldn't help but ask.
  
  He shook his head, "Unfortunately, that doesn't seem very likely. Petrel has a good handle on things, and they've already hired a new Head Gym Trainer to replace my old position." He slumped slightly, "I think I'm going to be stuck in Sinnoh for quite some time now."
  
  He sighed, "I miss Indigo sometimes."
  
  I was about to ask another question, but was interrupted as one of the employees suddenly ran up to Archer, "Elite John, I apologize for the interruption." He bowed his head, "But Boss, I think you should take a look at this."
  
  "Got it." Archer nodded, instantly reforming his professional persona, "John, is there anything else you need? I'm afraid I still have a lot on my plate and not a lot to show you at the moment."
  
  "No, it's fine. Keep up the good work." I praised, "And thanks again for the help."
  
  He shot me a thumbs up, "No problem. I appreciate that you came to check up on us." Then he left me alone to deal with whatever had just come up. I had enough sense not to pry; I was confident that I'd be informed of anything important that they'd uncovered.
  
  After leaving Archer's, I kind of just wandered around Sinnoh rather listlessly. I didn't know what came over me, but I didn't feel like training my Pokémon at the moment. Not when I was about to leave Sinnoh. Instead, I just felt like I wanted to spend some time just idling away in the cities of Sinnoh. Perhaps I'd take an unguided tour around the region and see where my feet led me.
  
  I would have spent time with Cynthia, but she regretfully had something going on and told me to explore by myself.
  
  So that was exactly what I did. And, I didn't really know how it happened, but I just found myself idly wandering about Veilstone City, simply taking in the sights. Walking around by yourself compared to walking around with a companion was very different. You could go at your own pace, and there was no pressure to even go anywhere.
  
  Seeing that a small protest had broken out in the city, I decided that I'd suddenly felt like paying a visit to the Veilstone Department Store, maybe to shop for a few gifts for people back home and for Cynthia, so that's where I went.
  
  On my way there, I couldn't help but continue staring at the small group that was protesting. Amongst them, I spotted a very familiar pink haired girl with a bandage on her nose. Was that who I thought it was?
  
  Unfortunately, that was when my idle wandering backfired on me, as I stumbled across someone that I really had hoped to avoid.
  
  A man stood in front of me. No, a man was not the right description. Even without having spoken a word to him, I knew that this thing was the furthest thing away from human as possible.
  
  With utterly dead eyes completely devoid of any spirit or emotion, and a blank faced stare that was like it was carved in stone. I had accidentally bumped into the CEO of Galactic Company.
  
  Cyrus.
  
  "Elite John!" He greeted with a remarkable amount of enthusiasm in his voice, completely unlike how he looked. A small smile suddenly pasted itself on his face, "What a coincidence it is to stumble upon you today."
  
  "Likewise, Cyrus. It's a pleasure." I smiled back, lying through my teeth. Neither of our smiles reached our eyes. But he was doing a good job concealing anything other than friendliness in his facial expressions. If I hadn't known what darkness lurked underneath, I would never have seen the inner monster within.
  
  I clamped down hard on my natural hostility, though a part of me was already considering releasing Tyrant and turning him into pulp on the spot. It took a significant amount of my self-restraint to not attempt something like that.
  
  The only reason I didn't do that was because my eyes locked onto the beeping glowing circle that was attached to his belt, which I recognized it as those teleporter pads Mars was talking about. This must have been a personal version used for Cyrus' safety, since it was green instead of the yellow one Mars wore.
  
  I held in the urge to visibly grit my teeth. If he didn't have the damn thing on him, I would have unleashed Tyrant on him, ending him before he could enact his insane plans. But I couldn't - he would react quicker than I could at the first sign of hostility from me and all my attempt would do is to alert of him that I was onto him.
  
  Plus, there was every possibility that even if I did end him here, that his goals and ambitions would simply be carried out by someone else - Maxie and Archie sprung to mind as potential successors. So nothing would really change, aside from alerting Team Galactic.
  
  I couldn't afford to do that.
  
  I took a calming breath to make sure that the hostility that I held for him was buried deep within me, leaving only the fake but friendly smile remaining on my face. Because who wouldn't to meet a new friend?
  
  "You here to shop for something?" He asked casually, "Something to bring home as a souvenir for your family?"
  
  "Yeah, can't afford to forget them." I nodded, keeping my voice deliberately level and open, "What about you? I'd would have thought someone of your status had someone else do the shopping for them."
  
  He chuckled, and it was a faked thing that had no humour in it, "Yes, but my usual assistants are busy. Unfortunately, that meant I had to do it myself. Though, it's not always a bad thing. I do enjoy the occasional moment to just see the sights and get a feel of how the public are like. It reminds me why I work as hard as I do."
  
  "What do you mean?" I asked.
  
  He gestured around him, waving in the general direction of where the small protest was taking place. "Look around you. What do you see when you look at the protestors?"
  
  I blinked, what did he expect me to say? "Um...discontent? Displeasure? A bit of anger?"
  
  "Exactly." He nodded, "And it saddens me, truly, to see how the people have to suffer like this. Life has so much beauty on offer, but people tend to focus on only the bad. Failing to appreciate the good." He let out a sad sigh that if I didn't know better would have thought was a genuine one, "Don't you think we've only touched the edge of potential of what we're able to achieve as a race? Because we're dragged down by interpersonal and inner conflict, insecurities, and discontent. A world without them...I think that would be a brighter world."
  
  His sincerity shone in his every word, and his eyes seem to grow brighter as he spoke. Yet, it was all an illusion. A trick for the masses. Because behind all of that were the same lifeless eyes pretending to be alive.
  
  I was acutely aware that his words weren't meant for me, but for the small crowd that had gathered around us once they recognised who we were. He was playing it up for THEM.
  
  "...And how would you achieve that 'brighter world'?" I couldn't help but ask.
  
  "Through the actions of my company of course." He answered immediately, "We at Galactic company are utterly dedicated to creating technologies that would help improve the world, one small step at a time. By providing easy and cheaper power to the masses, suddenly people don't have to live in squalor. Even the most destitute can live better lives thanks to our efforts. And with each new technology - each discovery - we are able to better the lives of everyone. Bit by bit. Step by step."
  
  "And that's why I have made this my life's mission." He continued slowly, clenching a fist and raising his head to the skies, as if trying to announce his intentions to the world, "It is my sincere wish that I could bring this world closer to world peace. The world need not suffer like it does right now - things could be so much BETTER if we just tried! There is a beautiful utopia of eternal peace just waiting around the corner, and all we need to do is GRASP it with our hands."
  
  "And even if I do not succeed, I hope - and I know, that someone else will carry on my beautiful dream into the future." He spread his arms wide, taking a step towards the crowd as his voice rose steadily, "Because it is not my company, nor my wealth, nor my inventions, that serve as my greatest treasure. No, it is the dream that I have, the dream that I have shared with all my friends, that I know will help create a brighter world for all!"
  
  The small crowd that had been gathering around us broke into a loud applause at Cyrus' words. I joined in too, but only to not raise suspicion. For all of Cyrus' many, many faults, it was undeniable that he was an excellent orator and knew how to rise up the crowd.
  
  This, more than anything, was why I recognized him as being so dangerous. He was a madman dangling over the edge of a cliff, but he was charismatic enough to persuade others to follow along after him. All of that passion in his voice was faked, a show for the outside world. I knew it in my gut that there was nothing inside a man like him but utter nihilism.
  
  It showed in his eyes, which were as blank and soulless as ever. You couldn't even see madness from within them - only emptiness. Despite all the passion and energy that he just showed, Cyrus was still no more than a lifeless husk puppeteering a body.
  
  Once again, I had to hold back the urge to simply pulp him on the spot with Tyrant. Consequences be damned.
  
  Eventually, the applause died down and he turned to me, "...My apologies, I seem to have gotten too heated with my own words. Sometimes, I get carried away when I become passionate."
  
  You can't be passionate about anything, "I understand, I get that way too. I know that it's all too easy to get absorbed by the energy of the crowd." I smiled as I lied through my teeth.
  
  He stared at me for a short moment, his eyes gazing into mine, before he eventually returned a 'smile', "I'm glad you understand, but it does get me into embarrassing moments like these. I'm always eager to share my dreams with others, sometimes overly so. But that's enough about my personal philosophy for the moment." He looked me in the eye, and stared at me with those dead eyes of his, "What about you, John? I know you've been hard at work improving your own region, so surely you must have some ideas about bettering society at large?"
  
  I thought through my words carefully, "I have, and I think the way to do it is to reach out to other regions and work together as one big international group. There is no need for animosity between the regions. I believe that working together would be beneficial for everyone, and I'd like to think that my efforts have borne fruit."
  
  "Ah, the power of friendship." He smiled, "I'm very much in agreement." No you're fucking not, "I cannot carry the burden of my dream alone. It needs to be shared with friends. Friends are good to have, aren't they John?"
  
  Why was Cyrus trying to persuade me? Did he think I was going to be converted into his way of thinking or something? "...Sure. I agree. I've benefited a lot from making friends with other businesses, as you know. I'd be happy to speak with you more in the future."
  
  "But there will be no favouritism from me." I warned, "I am happy to extend a helping hand every once in a while, but no more than that."
  
  It was a firm warning for him not to try to corrupt or bribe me. Not that I truly cared if he did - it would be more evidence against him - but I said so because I was deliberately playing into his expectations of me. I was known to be a person with high morals, so this was the image I had to show him.
  
  It seemed to have worked, as Cyrus nodded at my firm warning, "I'm glad that you do. We here at Galactic Company would never agree to such underhanded methods of performing business. We value our integrity as highly as we value our discoveries."
  
  Yeah right. I had never heard more blatant lies in my life. "I'm glad to hear that." I said.
  
  Unaware of my thoughts, he continued, "We might have met by coincidence, but I don't see why a friendship cannot be built on chance. I hear that you have encouraged businesses to come to Sinnoh - we will very much enjoy working together with them. I was pleasantly surprised to hear you championing the cause of internationalism. I too feel like a united world would be beneficial to everyone."
  
  I inwardly snorted as another false smile formed on my face, "I appreciate it."
  
  He returned it, "Anyways, I apologize for taking up so much of your time. I did enjoy our conversation together." He extended a hand for me to shake, "It's been a pleasure meeting you, John. I hope to meet you again sometime. Maybe we can talk again in the future."
  
  Hopefully the next time I meet you it's with you behind bars, I thought to myself. "I think the same. Good luck with your work." We shook hands for the final time before we split off and he set off back to his company.
  
  As soon as he left, I immediately took off for the nearest Pokémon centre and released Pixel.
  
  "Pixel, I need you to scan me for any trackers, scanners, and the like." I told it. Pixel buzzed affirmatively, and after a quick scan later, it replied that it hadn't detected anything on me.
  
  "Thanks Pixel, really appreciated your help." I commended it before returning it to its Premier Ball. As soon as Pixel went away, I let out a frown.
  
  Strangely enough, I had secretly hoped that Cyrus HAD planted a bug on me. That way, I could use the discovery of such as evidence against him, and bring my suspicions straight to Lance and the others.
  
  However, he seemed like he was far too cautious for that. Or he didn't intend to bug me at all because he didn't find my behaviour suspicious.
  
  I shook my head regretfully at the missed opportunity, before deciding to put Cyrus out of my mind for the moment before he could ruin my mood even further. I was satisfied enough with my earlier conversation with Archer that we were making progress to exposing Cyrus.
  
  Instead, I headed back into the Veilstone Department Store to continue what I had initially come here to do - to buy presents for all of my friends and family back in Indigo.
  
  And something special for Cynthia too.
  
  This was going to be quite the shopping trip. I could already feel my arms straining at the thought of hauling all of my new purchases back to my room.
  
  Oh well, this is why I had Pokémon. They could do the heavy lifting for me! I could already imagine their irritation when I handed the shopping to them.
  
  I hoped that buying some food with mollify them to be my servants for the day.
  
  A.N. AND John and Cyrus finally meet face-to-face. I hoped I could portray Cyrus and his views in a not overly negative light. He IS insane, but to the untrained eye, he would just seem passionate and a big idealist and dreamer. And yes, the whole conversation between him and John were both 2 liars lying to each other and pretending to be kind and friendly.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 8-18
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 8-18 - The Return Trip
  
  As I expected, buying gifts for the many, many, acquaintances and friends that I had was a huge headache. I actually had to write down who was in my contacts list to see who I had to buy gifts for because of how many people I had become acquainted with.
  
  Luckily, most of those gifts weren't that voluminous, but there were still a lot of them.
  
  I wasn't the best gift-giver in the world, but the more notable gifts that I bought included: A watch and wallet for my dad and mom respectively, a cute, pink yet rugged backpack for Whitney, and a relatively nice bracelet that caught my eye for Karen.
  
  That last one was especially important. I hadn't told her yet, but while I knew it was going to be a difficult conversation, I still valued Karen as a friend. I would hate for that to end because of this.
  
  I also asked around and bought some good wine for Giovanni, on top of an expensive tie. I also, for the laughs, bought a very familiar looking red cap for Silver. Maybe he'd live up to it. And lastly, I included a nice purple scarf for Agatha, which I'm sure she'd appreciate.
  
  I didn't forget about Cynthia, but hers was a little more special. And took me the longest to sort out.
  
  There were of course plenty of other gifts that I bought as well for Lance, Lorelei, Will, and all the others. But that'd be too many to list out.
  
  I had actually bought so many presents that I had trouble storing them all in my room in the lab. Fortunately, a few of the assistants were able to allocate some space in the storage room overnight. That was all I needed to store them for, since I was already preparing to leave Sinnoh the very next day.
  
  And that was what happened. The next day, I finally finished packing all my things and prepared to leave Celestic Town for the last time in a good while. There were a few heartfelt goodbyes between myself and many of the scientists and assistants here; many of them that I'd come to know and made acquaintances with over my stay here. Overall, I was very thankful for Celestic Town to have played host to me during my stay here, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything else.
  
  So, with my goodbyes made, I set out for Canalave City, where a ship was waiting to take Will and I, among a few other delegates that had been similarly sent over from Indigo, and deliver us back home.
  
  I was truthfully a little melancholic on my flight to Canalave City, and flew a little slower so I could appreciate the scenery and atmosphere of Sinnoh for just a little while longer.
  
  While I still preferred Indigo, I had come to really enjoy my time staying in Sinnoh, especially with all the cave explorations that we did. Sinnoh really had some spectacular and remarkable caves that was well-worth exploring, even if I couldn't really appreciate all of the rich history that must have come with it. My fondness for cave delving made me reaffirm my decision to bring up a similar proposal about opening up Cerulean Cave for similar explorations.
  
  Eventually, I neared Canalave City, and could see that a large crowd had gathered around the distinct looking ship that would take us back home. It seems that there were many that we were eager to see us off. As I got closer, a few people even started pointing towards me, and cameras began to flash as I landed near the Gym.
  
  "Make way! Make way!" One of the Indigo League officials shouted out as they pushed my way towards me, shoving away all of the reporters that had immediately tried to swarm me.
  
  "Elite John! You should make your way to the boat now! It's-" He tried to tell me, but then a signature flash of light from a Teleport suddenly appeared next to us, interrupting what the official was trying to say.
  
  Will stepped out of the light, looking as dressed up as usual and wearing his signature mask. But what was more surprising was that Cynthia and Lucian stepped out after him, shocking the crowd at their appearance.
  
  Cynthia and I shared a small smile as we saw each other. We had agreed to keep our relationship private for now. There was no need to advertise it and attract undue scrutiny.
  
  "John! What fortuitous timing!" Will greeted with his arms outspread, "Are you excited to head back?"
  
  "Of course he is." Lucian stated, "Who would not want to return his home region after so long being abroad?"
  
  "I think I would have liked to stay in Sinnoh for longer." I said, shooting Cynthia a subtle glance, "But I also understand that it's time to head home."
  
  "There's much for us to do." Will agreed, "And, if I could be honest, I would very much to get out of this cold weather."
  
  Cynthia snorted, "Better than the heat of Hoenn, from what I've heard. I've always found the cold more preferable."
  
  "Let's agree to disagree on that one." Will replied diplomatically, but I knew he disagreed.
  
  In the corner of my eye, I could spot the League official looking troubled as he stared at the four of us chatting. Many cameramen had used our sudden conversation to rapidly take as many pictures of us as they could, and the official clearly wanted us to just board the ship and set off from Sinnoh.
  
  Well too bad for him, I still wanted to chat a bit. "Thanks for seeing us off." I said to the two of them, "Or are you here for other reasons?"
  
  The two of them looked around at the reporters crowding around us before responding. "Partially." Lucian responded, after making sure that none of the reporters were in earshot and could overhear us, "But we're here to make an announcement as well." Cynthia nodded at his words.
  
  Understanding flashed through my head, and I shot Cynthia a smile, "So it's finally time? Well, I know you'll do well."
  
  "Thank you, John." She said, with a little more emotion than she would usually have, "But we hope to put on a good show with our battles. In just 4 battles, we need to regain the trust of the region in the Sinnoh League by proving my strength to the public."
  
  "There's a lot of weight on Cynthia's shoulders." Lucian continued, "We won't be able or willing to hold back in our battles, so there's a lot riding on her strength to be able to defeat us all in a convincing manner."
  
  "Have you already decided on an order?" I asked, "Or when the first battle will take place?"
  
  "Due to the need for urgency, the first battle will take place in a week, against Aaron." Lucian replied, "Then Bertha, a week after that, after she returns from Indigo. Then Flint a week later, then myself last. Overall, assuming no complications, all the battles should be done in a month."
  
  "It's a lot of work, but my team have been preparing very hard for it." Cynthia added, remaining confident despite the herculean task ahead of her.
  
  Then she took a quick look at her watch, "I think we should let Will and John head back now. That League official standing next to us has been growing increasingly frustrated at our lack of movement."
  
  "Let them squirm." Will chuckled, "You don't know how lucky you were to not have League officials following your every move when you were in Sinnoh, John. I like the spotlight, but they had no respect for privacy."
  
  I gave him a commiserating look, "You have my thanks for dealing with them." It must be bad if even Will was complaining about them.
  
  But we eventually decided to make our to the ship, and I swore I could hear the League official letting out a giant sigh of relief when we finally got moving.
  
  As we reached the ship, both Will and I made a show of waving everyone a big goodbye. Will moved to exchange a few extra words with Lucian, while I did the same with Cynthia.
  
  "I'll miss you." I whispered to her, "Exploring the caves with you was an unforgettable experience."
  
  "It was for me too." She replied, "And you don't have to thank me for anything. I'm always happy to share my passions and interests with anyone interested. If anything, I'm grateful for how receptive you were to trying out next things. I doubt most other members in your position would be so eager to delve deep into the caves like that."
  
  "We found something really cool out of it, didn't we?" I replied with a fond smile.
  
  "We did." She nodded happily, "My own latest...discovery is still being monitored and examined, but I fully intend to include it properly into my team when the time comes. I assume you're doing the same with your own Pokémon."
  
  "I am." I confirmed, "He'll grow to become a very strong addition to my team. And I'm sure yours will do the same."
  
  "I hope so too." She replied.
  
  "Before I forget, I got you a little something." I took out my gift to her, which was contained within a delicate box. Holding the box gently with both hands, she opened the box carefully to reveal a small locket that was designed to look like an Armor fossil.
  
  Within that locket contained a picture that was taken of the two of us by one of the reporters during our long expedition together, where we were both sitting opposite each other in the cave, sweaty and exhausted, yet with bright smiles on our faces.
  
  I had my own copy of the photo and locket, of course. Except mine was shaped like a Skull fossil instead.
  
  I thought there could be nothing more suitable and fitting for a history and archaeology lover like Cynthia. And seeing the wide-eyed look on her face and how her eyes seemed to lock onto to the photo, I knew I had gotten it right.
  
  "...Thank you, John. This is...this is very sweet. Sweet and thoughtful" She managed to say. "I'll keep it by my side. Now I feel bad I didn't get you anything in return."
  
  "I thought it was something to remember me by, since I have my own." I replied softly as I showed her my own locket, "I hope you like it."
  
  "I love it." She smiled, and nothing could have been more beautiful than that. I wanted to kiss her then and there, but I barely held myself back.
  
  "...And Cynthia, let's make sure to talk when I get back to Indigo." I instead said to her.
  
  That brilliant smile never left her face, "I was about to say the same thing. Maybe I'll have to call for you for help if I can't handle the stresses of my new position. Or the paperwork." She joked.
  
  "I don't think I can help you with those." I laughed, "I already pity Lance for the amount of work that gets piled up on his desk. I don't foresee your position being any better."
  
  She let out an exaggerated sigh, "That's just part of the cost of being in charge." She lamented, "Anyways...I think it's time to make my announcement."
  
  "Good luck." Was all I said. It was all I needed to say.
  
  "Thank you." Then she wrapped me in a tight hug, "Let's see each other soon."
  
  "Likewise." I responded. With my arms wrapped around her back and her head subtly leaning on mine, my self-discipline was strained to the limits as I just about stopped myself from pressing my lips into hers. And from how tightly she was hugging me, I figured she was doing the same.
  
  The two of us lingered like that for a moment longer before we eventually let each other go, just before our hug became 'more than friendly', and she shot me one final smile before she turned around and tapped Lucian on the shoulder. With an acknowledging nod, the two of stepped forwards, facing the crowd of reporters and cameras that had been snapping away at us all this time.
  
  The reporters all paused at the two's sudden approach, and they all collectively fell silent as their instincts warned them that a juicy story was about to appear.
  
  Cynthia only began when everyone had fallen silent, "...I'll keep this brief, as I do not want to overshadow the departure ceremony for our friends from Indigo. However, as I'm sure many rumours have already hinted towards, I am using this opportunity to officially announce my intentions of making a challenge for the position of Champion."
  
  There was a collective gasp from the reporters, and they were all momentarily stunned at the sheer implications of Cynthia's statement. But Cynthia ignored their reactions and continued, "I have already been in correspondence with the Elite Four, and they have unanimously supported my challenge. Of course, this doesn't mean that they'll be holding back at all. In fact, we hope to prove to the public of Sinnoh, that is all of you, that the institution that is the Sinnoh League will have the strength and competence to continue serving and protecting all of you to the best of its ability!"
  
  Lucian stepped forwards next, "The first battle has already been arranged to take place against Elite Aaron next week. With the fight with Elite Bertha taking place a week after that, and Elite Flint a week later. Then finally, against me a week another week after that." He explained. "We hope you can all be there to show your support."
  
  As soon as Lucian finished, the reporters all exploded with a chaotic mix of applause and questions. Will and I just politely clapped and made a show of shaking both their hands before we finally hopped onboard the ship, leaving Cynthia and Lucian to deal with the questions.
  
  I continued to stare at her figure as we slowly departed from the port.
  
  "...Felt like we just left them to the Sharpedo." Will commented wryly as he walked up to me.
  
  "It's none of our business anymore." I shrugged, finally tearing my gaze away from Cynthia's figure, "You gonna head inside or get something to eat?"
  
  "I already ate." He waved me off, "I'll just get some shuteye."
  
  I nodded and made my way into my room, finding that my long list of purchases and souvenirs had somehow already been transported abroad. I winced as I saw them; even in this big and luxurious room my gifts still took up most of the space.
  
  I shoved away my regrets for my over-spending and fell onto the deluxe bed, taking out my phone as I began browsing the Pokénet, wondering what I had missed over the past few days.
  
  Turns out, quite a bit.
  
  [LARGE EXPEDITION ORGANIZED BY THE CELESTIC TOWN RESEARCH CENTRE?! WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING TO UNCOVER?!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Picture of the Celestic Town Research Centre]
  
  The Celestic Town Research Centre, recently gaining more prominence in the spotlight due to them hosting Elite John during his stay in Sinnoh, has just now declared their ambitious new plan: To set out on a large expedition to set up a forward base in the caves under Snowpoint!
  
  Long story short, setting up a forward base would allow them to delve far deeper into the caves than they had ever done before. Who knows what kinds of discoveries they might find in there? Furthermore, a team of reporters will be attached and joining in on this expedition, so you can be sure that the entire adventure will be properly documented and published for the public to see! Let's hope we find something interesting down there!
  
  More notably, Elite John has been made a public member of this expedition, providing much needed strength and security to defend against the numerous strong and deadly wild Pokémon that can be found lurking around these caves. We wish all of these brave explorers all the best and hope that they can stay safe!
  
  Comments
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Ruins and cave exploration have always been a big part of Sinnoh's culture. We're all huge fans of our history here, and we're all very proud of it. So it pleases me to see that the foreign delegates of Indigo are willing to take a chance and try to learn more about our history and do things that they normally wouldn't.
  
  Good on them!
  
  FutureAce
  
  I wonder how strong the Pokémon are in those caves? Are they really powerful because they've been down there for so long? Or would they be weak because they haven't had interactions with trainers in so long?
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  It varies heavily, but the general power level of wild Pokémon that can be found in our caves shouldn't be underestimated. I'm unfamiliar with the strength of wild Pokémon in other regions, but in Sinnoh it is not recommended for anyone below the level of an Ace trainer to enter into a cave unattended and unsupported.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  So in Hoenn, we have all this water and cool underwater features. But in Sinnoh, we have all these cool caves and underground areas. What's next? Really cool big cities?
  
  Anyways, loving the huge focus you guys have on caves. Would love to explore them for myself one day.
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  It pains me to see these caves of supposedly historical and scientific importance be opened up to the public. If they contain important scientific information, then access to them should be restricted for those who can TRULY make use of that information. Instead of having to waste time being used for 'entertainment'.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  ResearchMagnet But that's just a part of our culture! We can't just deny it to the public! They have every right to be there!
  
  [FOSSILS REVEALED! DEVON CORP COMPLETES THEIR FOSSIL MACHINE AND SUCCESSFULLY REVIVES FOSSILS INTO POKÉMON!] by the Eye of Science
  
  Scientists, archaeologists, and Pokémon enthusiasts are all celebrating today as Devon Corp have made a momentous announcement in that they have completed their fossil revival machine! As its title implies, the machine's function is to revive old fossils into new Pokémon! Not just one or two, but potentially over a dozen new Pokémon await us!
  
  The machine has been extensively tested and reviewed, and has proven to work without causing harm or any side effects to the revived Pokémon. And while the process IS time consuming, two new species of Pokémon have been revived, named Lileep and Anorith from the Root and Claw fossils respectively.
  
  The new Lileep is a Grass/Rock type, and the new Anorith is a Bug/Rock type. The Root and Claw fossils have always been suspected to be created from the remains of...[Click hereto continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  You love to see science being able to uncover the mysteries of the past. If the Root and Claw fossils can be revived, surely the other ones can too. Excited to see it.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Woah! New fossil Pokémon! They must be super ancient Pokémon then. Wonder how good they might be in battle? Because if they're as old as they are, then surely they must fight super well.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Hope we can see more of these Pokémon showing up. If we can revive all of the available fossils that we've found so far, that gives us 3 new Pokémon to find, on top of the discoveries of Lileep and Anorith that we've already revived so far!
  
  Great job Devon Corp!
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Wonder if that machine works on Sinnoh fossils as well? Because we've also got the Armor and Skull fossils here. That would be exciting to see! Especially since businesses are allowed to invest in Sinnoh now, maybe we can see some cooperation like this for the future?
  
  [GYM LEADER BLAINE CREATES AND DISCOVERS A NEW EVOLUTION ITEM?! MAGMARIZER TO BE SOLD IN STORES ACROSS THE REGIONS?!] By the Eye of Science
  
  [Picture of a Magmarizer] [Picture of Blaine's Magmortar]
  
  Gym Leader Blaine has done it again! When most of the world has thought that he was busy with discovering a new Pokémon using the PIT technique, he really was actually working on a new type of evolution item specifically to evolve Magmar into what he has dubbed is a Magmortar.
  
  This evolution item, made from the careful condescending of magma and volcanic energy into a concentrated box, is able to channel enough power into a Magmar to stimulate an evolution into a Magmortar.
  
  We'll leave out the battle and trainer implications of such an evolution aside, but Blaine has provided plenty of reports that show that the Magmarizer has gone through rigorous testing and is ready to be sold and distributed to the public. You can get them from special stores run by Devon Corp, though there is inevitably going to be a hefty price tag attached to it for such a specialist evolution item.
  
  Blaine has once again stepped up and proven his keen scientific skills and abilities once again, despite a few people wrongly writing him off as more of a Gym Leader than scientist. What do our readers think? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  ...What do you mean that Devon Corp will be handling the sale? WHY is SILPH CO not doing it?! Someone explain this to me, NOW!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Chill, dude. They probably just offered a better deal or whatever. Devon Corp have been expanding quite nicely into Indigo. Glad to see it!
  
  FutureAce
  
  Interesting discovery! Not entirely surprised by Blaine discovering a new Fire type evolution - it was always his specialty. But I wonder if there could be an easier way of creating a Magmarizer that doesn't require volcanic energy. We should really try to make it cheaper for the trainers!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Feh! To try to make a discovery cheaper is one of the most idiotic things that could be said. The time and effort can be better used to discover further developments! Science cares not for money.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Arceus! Did anyone see the battle that Blaine took part in against a trio of new trainers? He really showed off the power of Magmortar! The link is here.
  
  FutureAce
  
  ...Wait a minute, I recognize those trainers. Isn't that Sabrina and Janine? The daughters of the Saffron and Fuschia Gyms respectively?
  
  They seem really strong. I wonder who that third girl is. Her Miltank is the strongest I've seen!
  
  [INVENTION OF A NEW TYPE OF PC STORAGE SYSTEM?! RENOWNED SCIENTIST BILL HAS CREATED A NEW WAY OF TRANSPORTING POKÉMON?!] By the Eye of Science
  
  [Picture of Scientist Bill, with a PC behind him]
  
  It seems like recently has been one of significant scientific progress as scientist Bill, a renowned scientist and expert in many different scientific disciplines, has finally revealed to the world the results of his long-time project!
  
  Dubbed as the Pokémon Storage System, or PSS, it allows any trainer in the world to simply transfer and access their Pokémon by transmitting and storing them as computer data! What this means is that, should this system be implemented on a worldwide scale, each and every trainer will have the ability to access their full roster of Pokémon by simply visiting any PC compatible with this storage system.
  
  Knowing of the world-spanning implications of such an invention, we just HAD to speak to the man himself to see what he had to say:
  
  "The Pokémon Storage System was something I invented to solve a fundamental problem of this world - the storage and accessibility of Pokémon. Unless you were someone with a great amount of resources, many trainers are not able to capture more than 6 Pokémon because they simply do not have the ability to keep so many Pokémon around."
  
  "However, with the PC Storage System, I hope to allow more trainers the freedom to capture more Pokémon, with the understanding that their Pokémon can simply be stored away and kept safe for later, as well as being able to be accessed at any time. And I would like to thank all my many sponsors for providing the necessary funding for this project!"
  
  "That being said, I would like to clarify on one specific point. Keeping your Pokémon in the PC for long periods of time is not recommended. While the storage system does convert your Pokémon into data, your Pokémon are effectively kept in status until they are released again. As you may know, keeping a Pokémon in status for long periods of time can be rather detrimental to their health and training, so it is inadvisable to keep your Pokémon stored in a PC for an overly long time."
  
  Bill also clarified that the PSS is still very much in its beta-phase, and that the system still needs to go through many rigorous rounds of testing before it can even be CONSIDERED to be released to the public. Yet he has repeatedly expressed his desire to make an official release soon, being as excited as the rest of us to truly explore the potential of this new system. This writer is extremely curious to see how it will change the landscape of society moving forward. This is another excellent scientific development!
  
  What do you all think? Let us know in the comments! (EDIT: Okay, that is SOME comment section)
  
  Comments
  
  BigFlamer (Verified POG)
  
  BILL! Since when did you find the time to work on this?! But I'm delighted to see you hard at work again! HAHA!
  
  And since when did you do 'beta' stages anyways? I thought you were the type to just release your discoveries to the public as quickly as possible?
  
  StoneCollector
  
  Very interesting! Would love to see the implications of this on trade in the future! I wonder how much this would simplify logistics for many businesses! We here at Devon Corp are very interested!
  
  We have so many questions! How will this be released? I assume it'll be released in stages to slowly introduce this new system into the public. Let us know if we can be a part of this!
  
  TheRealBoss (Verified POG)
  
  I must agree with my counterpart from Devon Corp. Silph Co is also extremely interested and invested into pursuing this for our own purposes. Good work! You do our region proud!
  
  We hope that once the PSS is gradually released to the public that you can entrust us with the responsibility of testing it!
  
  PsychicReader (Verified POG)
  
  Very fortunate timing, if I could be honest. This would hopefully allow Sinnoh to have access to Pokémon from the other regions much easier, and vice versa! Very good!
  
  Like the others have mentioned, I wonder when and how it'll be released. I'm sure everyone's very interested! Flint's already interested to have easier access to more Fire types!
  
  SamuelOak
  
  Good job, Bill! You should come by to the lab sometimes and show me how it works! I'd love to be able to play around with it!
  
  A.N. A split chapter this time! I didn't want a full Pokenet Interlude, so this is the compromise I came up with. Hope you liked it!
  
  And yes, Cynthia's finally made her announcement. Unfortunately, John won't be there to see it (not in person, at least), but her path to the top won't be fully offscreen.
  
  And for those curious why SamuelOak doesn't have a (Verified POG), it's because he doesn't need it. EVERYONE knows who he is, and no one's going to dare to impersonate him.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 8-18-Interlude-Giovanni
  The New Normal - 8-18 - Interlude - Giovanni
  
  There could be no doubt in anyone's mind that Giovanni was a busy man. With all of his many known, and less known, commitments, he barely had any time for himself. Let alone his family. Especially now that Petrel and Archer were unavailable, two of his most valued subordinates who usually helped with his administrative duties, it meant that he was forced to take on more of the work himself.
  
  Yet he was fully aware that his choice to prioritize his work over other aspects of his life had caused some strain with his personal life. Ariana was happy enough with the time that they had together; any time spent together was still a major improvement over the forced distancing that they had before, so she wasn't really the issue. Though that might just be the excuse that he comforted himself with.
  
  The issue really came down to his interactions with Silver. Or, specifically, the lack thereof.
  
  Silver was a...demanding kid. Giovanni didn't really blame him; he knew the struggles of growing up with only a single parent, after all. So, while it did frequently annoy him, he knew that Silver's constant desire for attention was partially his fault for leaving him alone with his mother, so he tried his best not to begrudge him for it.
  
  Even if it was difficult some days.
  
  But today, with the circuit nearly over, he finally managed to squeeze out an entire day to spend with the family. Ariana suggested for them to take a day trip to the beaches of Vermillion, and he readily agreed. He had been spending a bit too long inside and it'd be nice to stretch his legs and get some sun.
  
  Silver was very excited with the trip, just like any old 7-year-old would be, and the bags under his son's eyes the next day told Giovanni enough about when he was able to fall asleep.
  
  Still, with the near-infinite energy that could only be found in young children, they still managed to spend a nice and relaxing day as a family at the beach. They built sandcastles, played a little bit of volleyball, and had a nice swim around the shallow waters. Even the weather seemed to be looking out for them, with the sun being out with just enough of a cool breeze for it to be not swelteringly hot.
  
  He was fortunate he had made an attempt to disguise himself. His image of a refined gentleman would have been shattered had anyone seen him out like this today. Especially with an 'illegitimate' son. Although, only the biggest of busybodies cared about Silver's illegitimacy, divorces and abandoned children were unfortunately all too common in society, so that piece of news was very quickly forgotten about.
  
  Those that had 'longer' memories found themselves quickly encouraged to keep their silence. It wouldn't do to let the fools continue flapping their mouths.
  
  Eventually, after spending a couple of hours in the sun, Silver tired himself out from playing and they decided to rest at a nearby restaurant near the beach. It was a delectable meal, made better by the company they shared, and a smile never left his face as he simply enjoyed the time that he got with his family.
  
  It was during this time that Silver raised a surprising question.
  
  "Dad, how are you so strong?"
  
  The word 'dad' made his smile grow slightly wider, as it always did, "What do you mean, Silver? What kind of strength do you mean?"
  
  Silver gave him a puzzled look, "There's different kinds of strength?"
  
  "Of course, dear." Ariana smiled as she put down her knife and fork, "Strength comes in many different forms. There's political strength, financial strength, Pokémon strength, and many more!"
  
  Silver shook his head, "I mean as a trainer! Dad's a strong trainer! I want to be a strong trainer too!"
  
  Giovanni chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Well, even as a strong trainer, there are many different types of strength. There's not just one way of becoming a strong trainer."
  
  Seeing Silver's continued confusion, he continued, "Let's use Lance as an example. He's stronger than me, right?"
  
  "Of course, he's Champion!" Silver immediately answered.
  
  "Yes, that's true." He nodded, "But what is Lance most known for?"
  
  "Uh...his Dragons?" Silver replied unsurely.
  
  "More specifically, it is the raw strength that his Dragons have." Ariana answered for him, "Lance's strength comes from raw power. His Pokémon are strong not because they are faster, or more technically trained, although they also are fast and technically trained, but the most important part is that they WILL overpower you."
  
  "Isn't that good enough?" Silver asked questioningly.
  
  "Well, let's look at a different trainer." Giovanni continued, taking on an educational tone, "How strong do you think Elite Agatha is?"
  
  "Uh...quite strong?" Silver answered hesitantly, "She's in the Elite Four, so she must be quite strong, right?"
  
  "The correct answer is VERY strong." Giovanni corrected, though inwardly he knew he might be exaggerating things a bit. Agatha certainly was that in her prime, but nowadays...it was less certain. Though he would never dare to challenge her any time soon.
  
  "But her strength doesn't come from raw power." He continued, "Instead, her power all comes from her mastery of the Ghost types. She has managed to push the potential of Ghost types to their very limit, and is constantly exploring how to expand those limits even further. Compared to her, my knowledge of the Ground type would be seen as paltry."
  
  He leaned forwards, "Let me explain. If you fought against Lance, you would know why you lost. You lost because his Pokémon were stronger than yours. But if you lost against Agatha, I'd most certainly bet that you'd have a tough time understanding WHY and HOW you lost."
  
  "...But then how do I get strong then?" Silver finally asked, visibly upset and confused at their explanations. He must have wanted a simpler answer.
  
  Ariana chuckled and patted her son on the head, "The first thing you should do is to do research. Search up powerful trainers, and see what they do. Look at what tips they can give you. It might seem simple, but you never know if you can learn something from them."
  
  "Next, you should ask questions where you can." Giovanni added, "I know your mother and I are quite busy, but I promise to make some time for you to ask some questions. Or, if I don't have time to answer them, you can just write down your questions and I'll just write down my response when I have time."
  
  Then a pink haired girl flashed through his mind, "Or you can ask Whitney and her friends, I'm sure they'll be happy to help you. But be nice about it! Don't take advantage of their kindness by being rude to them."
  
  Silver nodded seriously, clearly taking that suggestion to heart, "Anything else? I want my Nidorino to become strong."
  
  "Two things." He raised a finger, "The first, is patience. Patience is very important as a trainer. There's no point rushing to get an evolution when your Pokémon hasn't even mastered the basics. Training up a good foundation for your Pokémon early would pay off greatly in the future. Trust me on this."
  
  Silver nodded, so he raised another finger, "The second, is to never let yourself become complacent - that means to always keep moving forwards. If you want to be the very best, you need to keep training, keep studying, and keep improving. Or else someone will surpass you."
  
  "To borrow a quote from John, 'There's always someone better than you'. Never forget it."
  
  Silver bobbed his head up and down, then he quickly scrambled to finish his lunch before bolting out of his chair as he rushed back to the beach. Giovanni let out a sigh at his son's antics, though Ariana just let out another chuckle to his side.
  
  "You think he remembered any of that?" She asked him as she leaned into his shoulder.
  
  He wrapped an arm around her, "I'd hope so. He seemed to be listening quite intently for the most part."
  
  "Didn't you want to discuss politics and business with him?" She asked.
  
  "...I think I might have been too hasty when planning those discussions." He admitted, "Silver is much too young for those."
  
  "Give it a couple of years. He's a smart kid, and more importantly, he really looks up to you. He'll learn." His partner told him, and he smiled down at her.
  
  The two of them enjoyed each other's company for a moment, before a scream of excitement echoed out from their son. With another sigh, he called for the waiter and paid his bill before going after their son, who had been trying to power through the oncoming waves and was asking them to join him.
  
  He was getting too old for this.
  
  A.N. Giovanni's not really been in the spotlight for a while, and I felt now that would be a good time to highlight his relationship with Ariana and Silver. Obviously, it's in a much better shape as in canon, and they've started to become more of a family now.
  
  Silver's still very much and young brat, but he's 7. He'll learn.
  
  This chapter was BETAed by Allute! All the best! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-1 - The Indigo Circuit
  
  "It's so much warmer here." Will muttered to me as we stood near the railings of the boat, facing towards the docks of Vermillion City in the distance.
  
  "I prefer the cold, but Sinnoh was a little too cold at times." I agreed, "You ready to return to your usual duties?"
  
  "Of course!" He replied instantly, his head bobbing up and down, "Fulfilling the duties of an Elite Four is an honour!" He said pompously.
  
  "...Though I admit that I might be a little out of practice with how long we spent in Sinnoh." He confessed sheepishly, "It's very different when you have less pressure on you."
  
  "I get it." I responded, especially because Will must have known that he was due to be challenged sometime soon, but I didn't need to bring that up, "You got any plans for when you get back? Personal ones, I mean."
  
  He rubbed his chin, "Not that I can recall. Most, if not all, of my plans revolve around business meetings and catching up with associates, especially with what's going on with the events at Sinnoh. I have a few friends I'd like to meet up with, but those aren't so urgent."
  
  "You read about that Pokémon storage thing?" He asked me.
  
  "I did." I nodded, "Very interesting stuff. I look forward to seeing it in use. What about you?"
  
  "...I'm having a little trouble thinking about the possibilities right now, but I at least know that it opens a lot of new avenues for businesses in the future." He said, "I think I'm going to speak to a few of my associates to see what they think. Maybe we can hold a conference to discuss the implications."
  
  I nodded, expecting nothing less from the business-minded Will. Before our chatter could continue, the blare of the ship's horn notified us of our arrival to Indigo. Now that we were closer, we could see many people had gathered along the Vermillion City pier and were waving huge banners at us, many of them congratulating us for our efforts and our safe return.
  
  I couldn't help but smile. As nice as Sinnoh was, especially since Cynthia was there, it just couldn't replace the feeling of home.
  
  A short moment later, the exit ramp from the ship descended, and we made our way off the ship, finally stepping on the ground of Indigo, of home, once again.
  
  "Welcome back." Lance smiled at us, hosting the welcome ceremony once again.
  
  But to my astonishment, there was one other person with him, "Yes, yes, enough with the sentimentality. Everyone knows how nice it is to be home blah blah blah. Let's get a move on." Agatha said sarcastically, "And John! You have visitors!"
  
  I gave her a curious look before my eyes widened with surprise as four familiar figures walked up to me. Or, more precisely, three figures walked up to me and one immediately went and glomped me.
  
  "WELCOME BACK BRO!" The cheery voice of my sister shouted out as she wrapped me in a tight hug. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her too as we shared a familial hug, one that we hadn't shared in quite some time.
  
  "Whitney? What are you doing here?" I still had to ask.
  
  But instead of Whitney answering, Sabrina replied in her stead, "Whitney knew that you were coming home, so since we were mostly in the area, she begged us to come so that she could see her beloved brother." She tried her best to maintain her usual stoic expression, but the slight twitch of her lips betrayed her smirk.
  
  Whitney pouted, "Hey! I didn't word it like that!"
  
  "But you don't deny begging us to let you visit your brother?" Janine challenged, joining in on making fun of my sister.
  
  Whitney pursed her lips, but didn't respond as she instead chose to just bury her head deeper into my stomach.
  
  "They all seem very excited to see you." Karen spoke up, chuckling over the antics of my sister and her friends, "You seem like quite the popular man."
  
  Karen's appearance caused a complicated expression to form on my face. I owed it to her to provide an explanation, especially since I valued her as a friend, but it wasn't going to be easy.
  
  "Indeed he is." Lance said as he walked up with Will and Agatha, unknowingly cutting off what I was about to say, "I was going to ask how you were doing, but I can see that you're quite preoccupied at the moment."
  
  "Sorry." I said as I tried to extract myself from Whitney's grasp, "Was there anything you needed me for?"
  
  Lance shook his head, "No, nothing so urgent. And definitely not anything we can't talk about over the phone. I'll leave you to your friends and family, we can talk later."
  
  "Wait, Lance." I called out to him before he could walk away, "I have something to speak with you about, in private. But it's not immediately urgent and can wait for later."
  
  He shot me a curious look, but then nodded slowly, "I see. I'll await our conversation then." Then he walked off with Will. Agatha lingered around and gave me a searching look, but otherwise just left me alone as she slowly hobbled after the two of them.
  
  I turned to Karen, "Any idea what that was about?" I asked, but she just shrugged back.
  
  "You think the hag tells me everything?" She asked sarcastically.
  
  "...She is very scary." Sabrina suddenly whispered out, visibly shivering, "Her presence...how can you guys not feel it?"
  
  "I did not feel anything out of the ordinary." Janine said, "It's not like you to be this unnerved, Sabrina."
  
  Sabrina just shook her head, "...I envy you for not being able to sense it." All of us fell into an awkward silence at that, none of us really knowing what to say.
  
  But fortunately Whitney decided to speak up, blatantly changing the topic. "Anyways, John! You need to hang out with us! It's been so long since we went out together! You don't have anything to right now, right?"
  
  I shook my head, "Not right now, no-"
  
  "Then that's great!" She quickly interrupted me, grabbing my hand and dragging me along, "Let's go then! There's this restaurant that I've always wanted to eat at. And since you're paying, I can finally go!"
  
  "Since when was I paying?" I chuckled.
  
  Whitney just rolled her eyes at me, "Of course you are! What kind of big brother lets their little sister pay for them?"
  
  "She's got you there." Karen laughed, with Sabrina and Janine nodding sagely next to her. These brats - none of them even had siblings!
  
  Obviously, I caved and just followed after my sister and her friends as they brought me to the restaurant that she mentioned. It wasn't nearly as expensive as I feared; my sister knew better than to make me treat her to something overly expensive. Even if I COULD afford it.
  
  Over lunch, we got to chatting about what we all had been doing. They were most interested in my adventures in Sinnoh, so I started off with that, making sure to leave out anything that I wasn't allowed to reveal just yet.
  
  "Wow!" My sister exclaimed, "I want to do some cave exploring too! It sounds so fun!"
  
  "It's quite dangerous." I chided, "I wouldn't recommend it until you got stronger."
  
  "I'm plenty strong." She pouted, "Just ask Sabie and Janine! We're looking to clear out final Gym badge, if we can." She then went on an explanation about how they went through all of the Gyms, with Sabrina and Janine adding bits and pieces here and there. Karen and I just nodded silently as we listened to her journey.
  
  I did my best to not think about my upcoming conversation with Karen.
  
  "I'm glad you're having so much fun, Whitney." Karen smiled at her, "You seem more energetic and confident than before you left. I mean you weren't bad before, but now I really feel like you're starting to come into your own."
  
  "Couldn't agree more." I nodded, rubbing my sister on the head and messing up her hair, "I'm very proud of you, Whitney." I told her sincerely.
  
  She blushed and looked away from me, "Thanks, bro." She mumbled. Both Sabrina and Janine just shot her cheeky smiles, but I wasn't done yet.
  
  "And the both of you two, thank you for taking care of my overly energetic sister." I bowed to them, ignoring the "hey!" from my sister. This time the two of them joined Whitney as they also grew a blush.
  
  "It's no problem. We've been very happy to travel together as well." They told me, "Whitney is a natural leader, and she helped us stay focused and determined on what we want."
  
  "Speaking of which, what DO you want?" Karen cut in, "You mentioned getting the 8th Gym Badge from Giovanni, but what are you going to do after if you're successful?"
  
  The girls shared a look, a silent conversation passing through the trio. Eventually, Janine spoke for the three of them. "We've agreed to try our hand at the Indigo Conference. We probably won't make it very far, since we don't know if we can even get past Giovanni...but we wanted to give it our best attempt. See how far we can go right now, and how far we still need to go."
  
  Karen's eyes widened, "That's very early of you. While it isn't extremely uncommon for trainers your age to already have cleared 8 badges and get into the Indigo Conference, it certainly is rare enough for it to be noteworthy."
  
  "I wasn't that young when I attempted it." I added.
  
  Whitney rolled her eyes, "Yes, but you swept past your conference and got into the Elite Four." She said dryly, "I'm not quite at your level yet, John."
  
  "I was also sixteen." I pointed out, "You're still just 11. You have time to catch up. In fact, I think you're already doing better than me."
  
  "I feel like you're understating your achievement there, John." Karen said wryly, "I wasn't at your level a year ago, and I'm the same age."
  
  "Hold on." I suddenly interrupted, "Is the Indigo Conference already starting up this soon? Time must have flown by when I was in Sinnoh."
  
  Karen nodded, "Yes, the qualifiers are starting up in like a month or something." She looked at me weirdly, "Don't you remember? We even spoke about it."
  
  "Must have slipped my mind." I shrugged, "Is it in the same format?" I asked, to which everyone nodded.
  
  The format of the Indigo Conference was split into the open qualifiers, where it was an open invitation for all trainers that had collected all 8 Gym Battles at any point in their trainer career to participate in. For experienced and talented trainers, this stage was more of a chore to go through than anything else, as you had to take part in multiple 1v1 battles just to pass. To use Karen as an example, she should have no problems here, but it would be just a huge waste of time.
  
  Then the next stage was the Preliminary rounds, with 256 trainers at the start. The preliminaries consisted of 2v2 (but not double) battles, where to head onto the next stage you needed to secure 3 wins. I felt that Whitney and her friends would likely struggle here, as any trainer that reached this level would be decently competent and may have a trick or two up their sleeve.
  
  The final stage was the Finals. This took the top 32 and pitted them randomly against each other in 3v3 battles. Up until the final round, which was a full 6v6. This was the most intense part of the tournament, and the battles that attracted the most views since this was where all the high-level battles were at. I personally didn't struggle at all with the Indigo Conference until entering this stage.
  
  But I was fortunate that my year didn't have that many powerful trainers. And due to the luck of the draw, I never faced off against Lorelei. Shin ended up defeating her, but if I was honest, he wasn't that much of a challenge either. Though I doubted Karen would get so lucky during her run. I suspected a few powerful trainers might be making another attempt this year.
  
  I broke myself from my thoughts, "Anyways, so what are you three doing after the Indigo Conference? Got any plans for afterwards?" I turned back towards the trio.
  
  Sabrina answered this time, "I think Janine and I are likely going to have to return to our Gyms and work on our duties there. Both of our parents have expressed their intention to train us to be their successors."
  
  I was about to ask about Whitney, but Whitney spoke up first, "But don't worry bro! They said they'd speak to their parents to offer me a job there! I might get to work as a Gym trainer at one of their Gyms!"
  
  My eyes widened, "Really?"
  
  Janine nodded, "Both of us reached out to our parents. Unfortunately, Father said that they didn't have space within the Gym to accommodate Whitney so soon, but Sabrina's parents were happy to let her join."
  
  "That's a great opportunity." Karen exclaimed, "Running a Gym isn't easy - I would know since Agatha dumped it all on me, but you'll get to learn a lot. Working with low level Pokémon can occasionally open your mind to creative new ways of fighting. And you'll learn some important leadership skills, which I've found to be plenty useful."
  
  "My parents said the same." Sabrina agreed, "And it will be nice training if Whitney ever wanted to be a Gym Leader in the future too."
  
  "That's not very likely." My sister said with a smile, though I could see that it was a brittle one. Maybe she was feeling left out because she wasn't a successor of a Gym like her friends?
  
  Well that wouldn't do at all, "Hey, if you work hard, Whitney, then maybe you can end up being a Gym Leader too! I didn't expect to become an Elite Four when I started my journey, and look where I ended up!" I tried to reassure her.
  
  Fortunately, it looks like my efforts had succeeded as my sister's smile turned more genuine, "Thanks, bro. I'll try my best."
  
  "It'll be so nice if you three all became Gym Leaders." Karen chuckled, "What a power bloc you three would be." I laughed at that.
  
  We continued to chat some more, returning to our forgotten lunches and quickly chowing through them. But eventually I had enough of beating around the bush.
  
  "Karen, can we talk?" I suddenly asked, and Karen shot me a look of surprise at my tone.
  
  "Something wrong, bro?" My sister turned to me, realising the serious look I had on my face.
  
  "It's just between me and Karen." I tried to smile back, patting her reassuringly on the head. "Don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't affect you."
  
  Whitney stared at me uncertainly, but I ignored that and stood up from the table, walking a small distance away with Karen until I was sure no one was able to eavesdrop on our conversation.
  
  "...So, what is it you want to talk about?" She asked, trying but failing to hide her nervousness, "It's not like you to interrupt your sister when she's in a good mood."
  
  "Because I felt like I owed it our friendship to tell you in person as soon as possible." I responded.
  
  I looked her dead in the eye, "I'm seeing Cynthia. Romantically, that is."
  
  Karen physically took a step back as if I had hit her. "Wha-what?!"
  
  The shock had hit her intensely. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open like a Magikarp. I didn't say anything as I allowed her to process my words.
  
  It took a moment for her to steady herself, but she managed a response, "...And how long ago did you two become a thing?"
  
  "Very recently." I admitted, "We had a conversation just before I left Sinnoh. I wanted to tell you then, but I felt like it was better if I did it in person."
  
  "I see..." She mumbled out as she closed her eyes. She didn't look very happy about this, not that I was surprised about that.
  
  It hurt to see her like this, especially since I still thought of Karen as a very close friend. But I had made my choice.
  
  "Despite that, I still really value our friendship." I added, hopefully trying to reassure her. "I understand that things might be...awkward for a while, but I would really regret losing out on our friendship."
  
  "...No, I understand." She sighed out, and I purposely ignored the tears that threatened to leak out of her eyes, "I...I'm sorry, John. But would you mind...if you gave me a moment to process all this? I'm...I'm not sure on what to say at the moment."
  
  "You can have all the time you need." I said gently, "And to make things clear, this doesn't change my open invitation for you to visit my house or Whitney at any time. You are always welcome to spend time with my family."
  
  The smile she shot me was brittle, but sincere, "...Thank you, John. I...I'll speak to you later, I guess?"
  
  "Of course." I tried to smile reassuringly, "Let's talk soon."
  
  I watched as Karen walked away, before she released her Honchkrow and flew off into the distance. As soon as she left, I let out a big sigh.
  
  That didn't go as badly as I feared, but I still didn't like doing it. I didn't like seeing Karen upset.
  
  I stood there for a moment, simply staring out at the open skies for a moment before I finally decided to return to Whitney and her friends with a complicated expression on my face. One that they instantly picked up on.
  
  "Where's Karen?" Whitney immediately asked me.
  
  "...She had to go." I began evasively, before letting out a sigh. There was no point hiding the truth. "Whitney, the truth is - I've began dating Cynthia."
  
  "...Oh." Whitney exclaimed, and the looks I got from Sabrina and Janine were no less surprising, "Do you regret it?"
  
  "...Not at all." I shook my head, "I'm just sad Karen was going to be hurt by it."
  
  I thought Whitney was going to berate me for making her 'sister' upset, but instead Whitney just reached out and pulled me into a hug, "Then you don't need to feel sad. I know Karen. She's strong. She'll get over it."
  
  Whitney turned to me with a brilliant smile, "Besides, I know that you both will stay friends. So don't worry about it, bro, everything will be okay."
  
  This time I felt my own tears forming in my eyes. How in Arceus did I get such a lovely sister?
  
  Unfortunately, our moment was interrupted as my phone started to ring. I gave my phone a look of annoyance that quickly turned to surprise as I saw who was calling.
  
  "John here." I picked up.
  
  "John, it's me." Professor Oak greeted, causing me to stand up straight, "It's nothing urgent, but would you mind coming over to my place in Pallet Town? It's the house next to the lab. I've got someone to introduce to you, following on from what we talked about before about you building up a team of assistants for you."
  
  Oh yes! I nearly forgot about that, "Sure, I'll head there right away. Thanks for the reminder."
  
  He chuckled, "Not a problem. See you there!"
  
  I put away my phone and saw the questioning looks on everyone's face, "Professor Oak just wanted me to meet his granddaughter." I explained, "I've been thinking about finally putting a team of assistants together, and he asked me for a favour to recruit his granddaughter as an intern just so she could learn the ropes."
  
  "Oooh! How old is she?" My sister asked excitedly, "Is she nice? Is she a good trainer? If she's the granddaughter of Professor Oak, then she must be strong!"
  
  "In order, I don't know, I don't know, and that doesn't mean she has to be strong." I responded dryly, getting a pout from my sister, "But that's why I'm meeting her now."
  
  "Aww....we wanted to ask you to battle us..." My sister whined.
  
  I patted her on the head, "Maybe next time. I definitely won't be sent off on any overseas trips anytime soon, barring any emergencies. So I'll definitely be around."
  
  "You promised!" My sister pointed a finger at me, though she quickly lowered it as she rubbed her chin, "Maybe we can get Karen to join? Make it a 2v3?"
  
  I shot her a complicated look, "...Depends if Karen wants to. Maybe we should give her some time to herself for now."
  
  "That's fine." Whitney nodded, "And don't worry bro, I'll talk to her and make sure she's okay. Leave it to me."
  
  "Thank you, Whitney." I said sincerely, "Then I'll entrust her to you."
  
  It didn't take me long to get there. I landed just outside the lab and walked to the nearby house. It was an unassuming place, looking like every other house in the small town. It didn't even have any extra security features or any obvious luxuries that a man of his wealth and status might have invested in. It was a very humble home that wasn't at all what one would expect for someone as legendary as Professor Oak.
  
  But I suppose that's why he chose this house in the first place. The humbleness must have been part of the appeal.
  
  I only had to knock on the door a few times before it swung open, and I was greeted with a very diminutive little boy.
  
  "Elite John? Grandpa is in the back." The young Gary Oak greeted me. He was a small one, and didn't dare show me any of that arrogance and pompousness that he had in the show.
  
  Maybe because he knew this wasn't the time and place for that.
  
  "Thank you." I nodded towards him and made my way back to the back parlour. The house was more spacious inside, and it was well-furnished with rather luxurious furniture. Yet, it still didn't give off a feeling that it was overly gaudy, weaving a fine line between luxury and humble.
  
  Entering the back parlour, I found Professor Oak sitting there calmly sipping a cup of tea while a girl, who could only be Daisy Oak, vibrated nervously next to him. She was young - still much older than Gary, but looked like she just entered her teens.
  
  "Ah, John! Thanks for coming on such short notice." Professor Oak stood up and greeted me.
  
  "It's not a problem." I turned to look at Daisy, "Is this Daisy?"
  
  Daisy squirmed a little under my gaze, but Oak just laughed, "She is. She's just being a bit shy now. She's usually better than this when meeting strangers. It must be your status."
  
  "...He's also going to be my first employer." I heard Daisy whisper.
  
  "You've worked jobs for me before." Oak pointed out.
  
  "Those don't count." Daisy denied, "Working with someone else is different....Uh, no offense, Elite John."
  
  "Please, just call me John." I smiled, trying to not seem so intimidating, "And I'll be happy to have you on the team. Speaking of which, I do actually need to get that team sorted. I still haven't actually returned home to speak to my parents yet."
  
  "Oh! I'm so sorry for dragging you away from that." Oak apologized, "I didn't realize."
  
  I quickly waved him off, "It's fine, I was just having lunch with my sister anyways. And I did promise to meet and talk to you about Daisy anyways."
  
  "Well, at least I hope I haven't bothered you too much." Oak responded a little embarrassedly. "Anyways, have you a plan for what Daisy is going to be doing?"
  
  I froze. I hadn't actually really thought about that yet, "Uh...I don't think I've really thought things through. I just thought I needed a team of assistants to help me out with things, help take calls and keep a track of things. That sort of stuff."
  
  Oak gave me a knowing smile, "It's okay, I didn't know how to administrate and lead people at first. Doing so in battle is one thing, but doing so in an office setting is a very different story."
  
  I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, but Oak continued, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. But you had the right things down. So what kind of calls did you hope for your assistants to take? What kind of things would you like to check up on?"
  
  "I guess I realized with all my political connections I need some way of easily keeping in touch with what's going on." I answered, "I'm juggling quite a few things at the moment, and I would also like a finger on the pulse of what's going on in the Indigo League just in case I need to step in."
  
  "For example, when I was in Sinnoh, I practically lost track of everything that was going on here. If not for Lance and his updates, I would have been completely out of the loop." I explained, "So, I preferably would like to have a small team or something just monitoring the Committee at all times and reporting back to me on their actions. Nothing too complicated for now." Daisy perked up at the last part.
  
  "That could easily be done." Oak nodded, "I'm sure your parents could find you people for that quite easily. Just tell Lance that you're hiring a small team of assistants, literally one or two people, and just get them to work alongside Lance's own secretaries or assistants. He'll get the extra hands, and you'll get your information. That's what I taught my Elite Four to do."
  
  "And even better, you could get them to set up a PO box for you for people to reach you with. You currently don't have anything like that at the moment, right?" Oak asked, and I shook my head, "Excellent! Then that'll give you the public a way to communicate with you in a way that gives a professional amount of distance between you and them. It's a great way to expand your influence and make you more likeable."
  
  I blinked, "That's a great idea. I'll be stealing that." I chuckled, "Though, if my assistants were to shadow Lance's, wouldn't that come into issues with confidentiality?"
  
  "You really overestimate how many documents a Champion gets that are for his eyes only." Oak said wryly, "And even then, his assistants are trained to separate those documents away from prying eyes. You'll be fine."
  
  "Is there anything else you wanted to ask?" Oak asked with a smile, "I might be out of the political game, but I do enjoy the occasional discussion."
  
  "No...not at the moment." I replied after thinking it over, "Thank you for all the advice. And Daisy, sorry for that display. I should have been more prepared."
  
  "It's fine." She told me, "It's nice to know that even the Elite Four can also make mistakes."
  
  I couldn't help but laugh at her bluntness, "Yes, that's very true. So there's no need to be afraid or intimidated when working for me, you got that? I'm human, just like everyone else." This time she nodded at my words, and I gave her a smile. I was glad that she had gotten over her nervousness.
  
  I turned back to Oak, "Right, I think I should speak to my parents about who to hire on. But I'll get back to you as soon as I figure that part out. I won't forget about Daisy." I got up from my seat and began to leave.
  
  "I'm sure you won't." Oak stood up with me and patted me on the shoulder, "It's good to see you making waves. Though, if I could give one last piece of advice." I nodded.
  
  "Your integrity is THE most important thing you could have as a famous trainer and politician. Don't EVER lose it." He advised me seriously.
  
  "I'll keep that in mind." I replied solemnly.
  
  "Good. Then I'm reassured that Indigo is in safe hands." He smiled. "Keep up the good work, John, and welcome back home." I stayed over a bit longer over a cup of tea as we made some small talk while I got to know Daisy a bit better and vice versa.
  
  But I didn't stay for too much longer. After finishing up with my drink, I thanked him once again before exiting his house, but only after waving good bye to Gary - who had been trying to eavesdrop on our conversation through the door - and made my way back home.
  
  It was good to be back.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time, but mainly to have John catching up with a few characters and bring him back into the swing of things. Events should start picking up soon!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 9-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-2 - Building a Team
  
  "Welcome home, son." My mother and father greeted me at the door. "How was your journey?"
  
  "It was good. I made some new friends." We then moved to the dining table, where we continued our discussion over dinner. I wanted to ask about the list of employees that they had shortlisted for me, but that could come after I regaled them about my time in Sinnoh.
  
  I should have expected this, but as soon as I mentioned my time with Cynthia it became all that my mother wanted to know about; and she ignored everything else in favour of asking more and probing deeper into my interactions with her.
  
  A mother's intuition was a frightening thing.
  
  Eventually, I came clean. I saw no harm in telling my parents about it, since I knew they were not one to gossip, and I would be impossible to hide the sudden awkwardness between myself and Karen when she next visited.
  
  Plus, they were my parents. They deserved to know.
  
  So I kept it short, summarising how Cynthia and I met and how we got close to each other and how our relationship developed. My mom stared at me all the while with a knowing smile on her face, which only grew larger after she saw the locket that I had of her.
  
  "I'm very happy for you, dear." My mom eventually said as I finished my explanation, "Long distance relationships can be difficult, and it requires both parties to put in the work for the relationship to work. But if you truly care about each other, then distance is no obstacle."
  
  "Be careful to not let your respective ambitions corrupt your relationship though." My dad warned, "Ambition can be a good thing, but make sure it doesn't taint your interactions with each other."
  
  I nodded, "I'll keep it in mind, though Cynthia and I have already talked about that."
  
  My mom smiled and patted me on the back, "It's good that you chose someone so mature and wise, then."
  
  Then she sighed, "Have you told Karen?"
  
  I frowned, "...I already spoke with her. She's...coming to terms with it. Whitney promised to check up on her on my behalf. I told her that I didn't want our friendship to end because of this, and that she's always welcome here if she wants, but I'm just giving her space for now."
  
  "That's good." My mom said, "It's a shame, though. I don't doubt your choice with Cynthia - by all means I think she would be good for you, but I always thought you and Karen had potential."
  
  My dad spoke up, "Never mind that. As long as you made your choice and don't regret it, then there's nothing to think about. Let's not burden John with more unnecessary thoughts like this." He told my mom, who nodded.
  
  "Anyways, John, the new offices have been doing better than we hoped." My dad explained, blatantly changing the topic, which I appreciated, "Having an actual official place of office has really allowed us to centralize a lot of our administration, saving us a lot of time that we would have otherwise wasted. Of course, it helps that the business is growing at a steady pace as well - we even had to increase the capacity of the Johto farm to keep up with demand. Your uncle Milton was ecstatic at handling so many Miltank!"
  
  "Everyone wants to buy the Moomoo milk from your brand, John." My mom grinned at me, "It seems your public appeal is increasing by the minute."
  
  "It's hardly my brand." I disagreed, ignoring my mom's needling, "Any ideas about that expansion into Mauville?"
  
  "We did consider it, but we think it's safer to wait a bit longer first. Especially with the new markets being opened in Sinnoh." My dad explained, "We want to see how the markets react to that first."
  
  I nodded; that was an understandable explanation, "But I assume you have no plans to move to Sinnoh?"
  
  "Definitely not." My mom replied, "We can't afford it."
  
  We chatted away at a few more things about the business, but then we switched topics again and I told them about my plans to open up the Cerulean Cave for expeditions, and asked my parents about their opinion about it.
  
  My dad laughed when he heard it, "It seems like you really enjoyed your time with Cynthia!"
  
  My mom elbowed him, "Don't tease him like that." Then she smiled at me, "Anyways, I think it's a great idea. Neither of us are trainers or cave-explorers, so we don't know the slightest thing of how safe or how dangerous an undertaking like that would be, but it's definitely interesting."
  
  "You have to make sure the right safety measures at in place though." My dad reminded, "But from what we've been hearing at the meetings, Cerulean City can definitely afford such an expansion."
  
  "Cerulean City has been running more smoothly than we expected, and growing at a good rate too!" My mom added, "I think your idea would be a good way to diversify our city and make it be known as something more than just for the arts. It's a good plan."
  
  With their support, I reaffirmed my decision to speak to mayor Henry about it, and called him straight after our dinner to arrange an appointment with him at his earliest convenience. With that done, I spent the rest of the night organizing through my schedule, familiarizing myself with my duties in Indigo once again.
  
  I had a lot to do. My trip from Sinnoh had really thrown my schedule completely out of whack.
  
  That being said, there was one thing I wouldn't forget to do before I headed off to bed.
  
  "...I was waiting for you to call." Cynthia's beautiful voice came through the phone as she appeared on my screen. Even through the poor quality of the screen, in my eyes she looked as radiant as ever.
  
  "Sorry, I was still settling back in." I replied, "How are things since your announcement?"
  
  She groaned, "As busy as we expected. Big uproar, everyone's surprised, blah blah blah. The usual nonsense."
  
  "I thought you would be more enthusiastic." I chuckled.
  
  "I understand that being Champion is not a privilege, but a responsibility." She responded, "That doesn't mean I enjoy doing all the PR tours and interviews that come along with it. I would much prefer to be spelunking than dealing with those fake reporters."
  
  "Speaking of caves, you know I'm trying to get the Cerulean Cave open up to be fit for exploration? I'm in the process of convincing the mayor." I informed her.
  
  She laughed, "You couldn't stay in Sinnoh, so you decided to try to remake one of our best features back at home? How audacious!" She grinned, "But I approve. Let me know if you need any help with that. Wait, let me send you a few numbers you can call if you need help."
  
  "Thank you, I'll let you know if that's necessary." I said, then I paused as an idea popped into my head, "You know, I want to do more with these phone calls than just catching up on our day. I know we have distance between us, but I want us to be able to interact and do more than just chat every night before we head to bed."
  
  "I would love that." Cynthia replied, "What did you have in mind?"
  
  "I was thinking that we could be more active with our calls, assuming the other isn't busy." I suggested, "For example, if you or I are training by ourselves - why not call each other and see if we're available? That way we can train and trade ideas with each other. I know that's not always possible, but I think it's something to try."
  
  "Of course, that would be good." Then she smiled at me, "I'm glad you suggested something like this, John. I admitted that I was worried that our relationship might stall with the distance, despite my fighting words."
  
  "I'm as invested into this as you are, don't worry." I chuckled, but inwardly was relieved that she was receptive to this as I was, "Anyways, anything else you want to talk about?"
  
  We chatted a little more before we retired for the night. I told Cynthia that I had told my parents and Karen about our relationship. She said she was fine with it - though she would continue keeping it a secret from Carolina.
  
  "Unlike your parents, I do not trust my grandmother to not talk about it to everyone she came across." She groaned, "I would still prefer our relationship to not be public knowledge - it's none of the public's business anyways."
  
  "And if we were to reveal our relationship, I want it be on OUR terms." She added, "WE will dictate the narrative, not let the news and media twist it to their own ends."
  
  I nodded in agreement.
  
  We talked for a little longer, though eventually my eyes started to grow tired, so we both decided to end our conversation here. I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
  
  The very next day, I asked my parents about the shortlist, and they passed me a small folder of CVs and cover letters to read through.
  
  After a brief scan through them, no one really caught my eye, but they all seemed competent enough. They all had experience with administration and/or as personal assistants, so I trusted them to all be of use. My parents wouldn't have picked bad options for me, after all.
  
  After a moment to think things through, I decided that I could only really make a choice after interviewing them. I was about to call them directly to check their availability, but then I had an idea. Wasn't this a good way of introducing Daisy and getting her to settle in to her role, as I promised Oak? So I ended up calling Professor Oak and asked him to pass the phone to her.
  
  "Sure thing, John. That's a good idea. It'll let the newcomers get more used to Daisy's position amongst your assistants." He said to me after I told him my plan, "Just pass their phone numbers to her, and I'll let her make the calls. I'll watch over her shoulder to make sure she doesn't get too nervous."
  
  "Thanks. Maybe we can get her to sit in the interviews too." I said and placed the phone down, trusting Daisy to make the arrangements for me. Getting her to sit in the interviews would also give me a better idea of their personalities.
  
  They might respect Oak, but there was no guarantee that their respect would extend to his granddaughter. And anyone who looked down on Daisy was unworthy to work for me.
  
  With that handled, I headed to the city hall to speak to mayor Henry. He had cleared out his schedule as soon as I made the call.
  
  Maybe it was a little vain of me, but I found that to be a nice feeling to have.
  
  I arrived at the city hall, where I was quickly ushered in to avoid the reporters who had somehow caught onto my arrival nearly instantly. They were a persistent bunch.
  
  "Hey, John! Welcome back!" Mayor Henry greeted me cheerily, "I hope this conversation isn't going to be too difficult, I already have enough to deal with just handling the more mundane matters! Who knew taking control of Mt Moon would be so stressful!" He joked.
  
  I smiled, "No, nothing so serious. How is Mt. Moon doing anyways? Are we handling it well?"
  
  "As well as could be expected." He replied, "We all knew what we were getting to when we took over authority of Mt Moon from Pewter City. It was always going to be a slight overextension of our resources. We're managing at best we can, but there are a few gaps."
  
  "Fortunately, the fervour of collecting new Fairy types have died down significantly after people stopped overhyping it. So our current security arrangements are proving sufficient at keeping Mt Moon safe from overeager trainers and poachers." He explained to me. "Not that there's been too many of those after a majority of them got arrested from the initial craze."
  
  "That's good." I said, relieved, "Anyways, about what I came here for. I wanted to propose an idea to you - but feel free to turn it down if isn't a realistic proposition."
  
  "Sure, go ahead." Henry responded.
  
  "I want to open up Cerulean Cave for expeditions. I know it's been hardly explored, mainly due to the powerful wild Pokémon living within that made it previously too dangerous to explore. But I feel like if we can dedicate the resources to keeping things safe, there's much we can utilize there."
  
  "Ah, this must be something you were hoping to bring back from Sinnoh." He chuckled, and I nodded, "Well it is certainly an interesting proposal, but what would opening up Cerulean Cave bring to our city? It's not going to be a cheap undertaking."
  
  "It would give the city some much needed diversity - rather than just being known as a city comprising only for the arts." I began and lifted a finger, "But not only that, I can guarantee you that the Cerulean Cave would be an excellent place for capable trainers to come and catch new wild Pokémon for their team. There aren't THAT many areas in Indigo with already powerful wild Pokémon, and I'm confident that this will be a popular destination for such trainers if they could capture wild Pokémon inside."
  
  "Not only that, but Cerulean Cave must be a treasure trove of rare resources - think fossils, gems, and the like." I continued, "Sure, those resources are limited, but they'll help offset whatever initial costs that it takes to open up Cerulean Cave for the public anyways. And whatever's left over would be pure profit."
  
  Henry thought it through for a while, "...Yes, that wouldn't be too bad. But where are you going to find all those trainers to serve as protection duty? We don't have of a cultural emphasis in cave diving as Sinnoh. And I'm reluctant to make use of Jennys and our rangers for this - we're already stretched thin as it is." He pointed out.
  
  I frowned, "Surely it can't be that hard to hire on some trainers? There must be plenty of 8-badge trainers looking for a job, right? And this job doubles as training too. It's a win-win for them."
  
  He shrugged, "I'll speak to a few of my assistants and see if we can get the numbers that we need. But we'd also need to properly scout out Cerulean Cave, from top to bottom, to make sure there aren't any unexpected surprises or dangers. No quicker way than to kill this project than through actual deaths of the visitors."
  
  "Fair enough." I nodded, "There's no rush on this - I just thought it was a very cool idea that I wanted to bring back from Sinnoh."
  
  "Maybe you can speak to those friends of yours from Sinnoh to help us out?" Henry suggested, "Might make things easier for us."
  
  I chuckled, "Already ahead of you. Let me pass you a few numbers you can use." I sent over a text with the numbers that Cynthia provided, "Just let them know that I gave you their number."
  
  "I'll do that." Henry nodded, "And John, it's a good idea - I just think we need to refine the execution. Cerulean City is growing very healthily at the moment, and there's no need to ruin that out of impatience."
  
  I agreed with his words.
  
  We chatted on a few more topics before our meeting wrapped up. I had to head to my next meeting, which was with the Committee once again. It had been a long time since my last one, but that doesn't mean I was looking forward to them.
  
  Leaving the city hall, I dodged out of the way of the reporters and flew once again to the Indigo League. I skipped past all of the security and just walked into the Committee meeting, which had barely just started.
  
  Lance sent me an acknowledging nod at my arrival, before returning his attention to the member that was speaking, where he was extolling the virtues of Lorelei's new organisation. I just sat myself down next to my colleagues in the Elite Four.
  
  "...With the recent rise of widespread and daring criminal activity, the formation of an organisation dedicated to investigating our companies and ensuring that no nefarious actions are taken place is paramount!" The committee member said, "Ensuring fair competition in the market and equal opportunity for all is what the Indigo League should strive to achieve!"
  
  The businessmen and those with similar interests had to hide a grumble, but they knew the odds did not favour them. I don't know what exactly Lorelei had done, but she had earned enough support to push this through regardless of their opposition.
  
  Also, it helped that business was booming recently, so they had little to complain about in the grand scheme of things.
  
  As the committee members continued making their speeches, I turned to Lorelei, interested to see how she was reacting. She looked calm, but I noticed that she was staring at all of the committee members with a calculating eye that she previously lacked. My gut was telling me that she radiated a different sort of confidence than before, almost as if she had found her path.
  
  I wondered what had happened to her during my trip to Sinnoh.
  
  Eventually, the committee members finished speaking, and it was time for the vote. The proposal passed unceremoniously - Lorelei had obviously stacked the deck heavily in her favour this time. I assumed she must have used most of her political capital to ensure that this passed.
  
  "And the motion is passed. The formation of Lorelei's proposed organisation will be undertaken." Lance declared as the voting concluded, "However, we now have to move on who we shall appoint as the leader of this organisation, or simply have this organisation be run internally."
  
  "I nominate myself." Lorelei instantly spoke up, causing the hall to break out in murmurs and whispers.
  
  "You do?" Lance asked her, but there was a rehearsed quality to it that he failed to hide. Was this all planned beforehand? "And what qualities could you bring to the organisation?"
  
  "I do not intend to micromanage every single element of this new organisation, but I believe it would be appropriate for such an organisation to answer directly to the Indigo League." Lorelei stated, "I plan to appoint a second, someone with the necessary experience and skills, to run the day-to-day operations. My role would simply to have oversight over the entire organisation, not to micromanage it."
  
  The whispers grew even louder at her statement, and I heard a few Kantonians expressing their concerns about an organisation dedicated to investigating financial crimes to be run by a Johtonian. They feared that their businesses will be unfairly targeted because of Lorelei's bias. Some of the more daring Committee members even directly spoke out against Lorelei's appointment, claiming that she lacked the experience and fortitude to run the new organisation.
  
  Lorelei took this time to shoot me a look, her gaze requesting that I honour our previous agreement. I nodded back to her as I stood up, "I believe that this would be a fantastic opportunity to build upon Lorelei's already existing skills and experience during her time establishing the International Police in Hoenn." I said in support of her, "With her plans to appoint an experienced second, I doubt she will run into many issues. I trust that her upbringing and her time in the Elite Four will make her a worthy leader of such an organisation."
  
  "But, Elite John, wouldn't she be biased against Kanto businesses? She is a Johtonian, and Pryce's niece, after all." A Kantonian member idiotically asked me.
  
  I rolled my eyes, "And if this was Pryce being nominated, then I would be against it. But Lorelei's obviously not like her uncle, or otherwise she wouldn't have distanced herself from his old policies, now would she?" I pointed out sarcastically, "Lorelei is her own person, who has clearly shown time and time again that she is able to be above the petty grievances and squabbles between our regions."
  
  "Kanto and Johto are old expressions. There is only Indigo now. And the sooner that we are able to set aside our history, the better we will be able to get along as a singular region. I fully trust that appointing Lorelei to this position would help to root out the rot and disease that continue to hold back Indigo from greatness." I finished powerfully.
  
  There was a smattering of applause at my speech, though I could tell no one was actually moved by what I said. These politicians had too much experience to be swayed like that.
  
  But my speech was a mere formality to demonstrate my support for Lorelei. With Agatha following suit, that left Will as the only non-supporting vote. Will quickly saw how the wind was blowing and joined in - he might as well get in on the bandwagon.
  
  Not like he would have been interested in the position anyways. He had WAY too many conflicts of interests to be appointed to that position. Come to think of it, with my many connections to powerful businessmen, so did I.
  
  Huh.
  
  Regardless, Lance moved on to the vote, and Lorelei was appointed as the leader with very little opposition. I saw Agatha giving Lorelei a knowing look, who acknowledged it silently. I was tempted to ask Agatha what that was about, but Lance moved onto the next proposal before I could.
  
  The rest of the Committee meeting was taken up by discussions related to economic and business policies and taxation. It really wasn't something that I knew too much about, and only Will was interested in it. Though, unlike Lorelei, he didn't seem to have pushed very hard for any of them, instead he seemed to be using the policies as a means of testing the waters to see which way members of the Committee leaned.
  
  Agatha did speak up one or few times when it came to discussing policy changes to local councils, but otherwise stayed silent. Lorelei did the same, not wanting to speak up after her success.
  
  The discussion went back and forth, but ultimately nothing got passed. Not yet. The backroom deals still hadn't taken place yet.
  
  The Committee meeting ended soon after that. But before we could retire, Lance asked the Elite Four to join him in his office.
  
  "I'll keep this short, since I know we're all busy." He said to us when we all entered his office, "With the circuit coming to an end, I plan to host a summit with all of the Gym Leaders of Indigo to discuss things with them. I think we've given enough time for the inspections and the new Gym Leaders to settle in, and I want to remind them who they answer to."
  
  "Is there anything you wanted to discuss in this meeting?" Lorelei asked.
  
  "Yes." Lance nodded, "In light of the increasing threat of the hiding terrorists, I plan to start ramping up security measures throughout Indigo. This is something I have discussed with Wallace, and he will be doing the same in Hoenn. We want everyone to be ready and alert for any future infiltrations into our region."
  
  We all nodded. Even though we all knew that the criminals had escaped to Sinnoh, there was always the chance that they could try to sneak their way back in.
  
  "So what? You're going to gather everyone together for that one point? Seems like a huge waste of time to me." Agatha mocked.
  
  "Clair pointed out to me that I've not actually hosted a formal summit with the Gym Leaders ever since my ascension, so I'm rectifying this now." Lance explained, "Aside from that, I also intend to use this opportunity to see how their cities are doing, and if they need any specific assistance from the League."
  
  "Ah, so the Blackthorn wishes to extend a helping hand once again?" Agatha said sarcastically, "What a kind Champion you are."
  
  Lance shook his head, "This is purely done from my position as Champion. You can be sure that I'm not here to extend my clan's interests. Not after what happened." He frowned tellingly, and I inferred that the rift that had appeared between Lance and the clan elders must not have healed since the Fairy incident.
  
  I guess they took his abandonment of them harder than expected. But considering how prideful they all were, that shouldn't have been surprising in hindsight.
  
  "And when will this summit take place?" I asked.
  
  "I will be informing all of the Gym Leaders of my intentions by the end of the day, but I will leave the summit until the Indigo Conference begins." He said, "Participation is obviously mandatory. So I expect to see you all there. Feel free to use the opportunity to further your own interests, if you can manage it. I won't begrudge you for it."
  
  We all nodded, all of us likely thinking the same thing. A gathering of all of the Gym Leaders, Elite Four and the Champion of Indigo in one place was ideal for making connections.
  
  "Will the media be joining us?" Will asked prudently.
  
  "No, but a minute of the meeting will be published." Lance informed us, "Obviously, that minute will be carefully edited before publication. We won't be painting anyone in a bad light."
  
  "...If there isn't anything else?" Lance asked us, and I briefly played with the idea of introducing my idea to have Gym Leaders able to be appointed from both regions. But I figured that now was still too early for such a proposal, so I stayed silent.
  
  Everyone else stayed silent too, so Lance just let us go. But instead of leaving, I stayed behind.
  
  "This is what you wanted to talk to me about, isn't it?" Lance asked as I nodded, "Go on. Let me hear it."
  
  I decided to rip the band-aid off now, "I'm dating Cynthia. The trainer who's currently making a challenge to become Champion.
  
  "...Oh." Lance seemed shocked at my words, and he took a few seconds to process my words, "...And I assume this is recent?"
  
  "Yes, very." I said.
  
  There was another pause. Lance tapping his fingers as I saw his face twist in thought, "...Well I appreciate you telling me, I guess you're worried about a potential conflict of interest?" I nodded, and he paused again to think as he tapped his fingers across his table, "Well if you're worried about me kicking you out of the Elite Four then you needn't worry. I wouldn't resort to such extreme actions for something as little as this. Especially when nothing's happened yet."
  
  That was relieving, but Lance wasn't done, "But I will have to restrict you from voting on any policies that directly involve Sinnoh - unless it's explicitly related to some joint cooperation with them. I won't make this a public announcement, because I presume you won't be going public with your relationship either, right?"
  
  "We don't intend to." I replied.
  
  "Good. Then outside of that, I won't be doing anything else to interfere." He stated, "If the public were to find out and make a fuss about it, then your consequences are for you to deal with by yourself. I won't condemn nor support you. It's on you to figure something out that will mollify the public. Are you happy with that?"
  
  That was good enough for me, "I am. Thank you for this, Lance."
  
  He waved me off, though he had a smirk on his lips, "I can't fault your feelings. And I trust your judgment enough to keep the good of Indigo in mind when it comes to policies. As long as you keep it that way, then you and I won't have problems."
  
  "...And John, between me and you, I do hope your relationship succeeds." His smile turned a little more genuine, "Not only would it lead to immense political benefits in joining our regions together, but I do consider you a friend. I'd hate to see let politics ruin a relationship for you. I hope you can overcome the obstacles in your way."
  
  I nodded, "Thank you, Lance. We will do our best."
  
  He waved me off and I left the room, while also informing him of my intentions to hire assistants that would shadow his. He didn't have a problem with that, and told me he would inform his secretary on my behalf.
  
  Finally, I made my way out of the building. But before I left, I felt an ominous shadow stalking my every move.
  
  I let out a sigh and turned around, "I was just about to look for you, Agatha."
  
  "Oh? I thought you would be trying to avoid me." She cackled, "So - you found yourself caught up in a romance with someone from Sinnoh. And for her to be potentially the new Champion of Sinnoh too? I don't know whether to praise or mock you."
  
  "And how is Karen doing?" I asked, ignoring her words, "I hope she's doing okay."
  
  "She came in with tears in her eyes if that helps." It did not, "But I always warned her that she should have grabbed onto the chance when it presented itself."
  
  "I thought you would've been more upset with me." I admitted.
  
  Agatha grinned, "And if you had truly done something wrong, then we wouldn't be talking right now." She shook her head, "But no. My apprentice brought this misfortune upon herself. She has my sympathy, but no more than that."
  
  "Still, this mistake will serve as an excellent lesson for her to grow from. Hopefully she'll be a stronger person after this." Agatha remarked, then her eyes narrowed, "But don't expect me to thank you for it."
  
  "I would never dare." I raised both my hands, "Still, I'm glad you're looking after her. Please let her know that I would be happy to talk to her when she's feeling better."
  
  "I'll let her know." She accepted, "Oh, and one more thing, John. Despite this incident, our deal still holds. I assume you intend for your friendship with Karen to continue?"
  
  I nodded.
  
  "Then I see no reason for changes. My plans will still work regardless." Agatha stated, then before I could say anything more Agatha disappeared into her shadow, leaving me by myself once again.
  
  I rolled her eyes at her dramatics before I realised that it was already evening. Even after a full day of running around Indigo, I was still nowhere close to clearing out my schedule.
  
  The grind never ends.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time because I wanted to catch up on a few plot threads to set the stage for later events. But Lorelei moves up in the world! Her political influence will only grow as time goes on, and she will be a formidable member of the League if she can hold on to her successes.
  
  And yes, the summit is going to have a lot of personalities involved. For good and for ill. But it'll be a great opportunity for everyone to make new friends!
  
  This chapter has been BETAed by Allute! Cheers! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal- 9-2 - Interlude - Steven
  The New Normal - 9-2 - Interlude - Steven & Bruno
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  Steven took a sip of his tea as he waited for his invitee to arrive. There were a few people fluttering around the restaurant at Cianwood, but he thought reserving the entire restaurant just for this meeting would be a bit overkill.
  
  More importantly, it would give off the wrong first impression to the person he was trying to meet. And impressions were everything.
  
  Plus, he enjoyed his brief stopover at Cianwood City. It reminded him greatly of Dewford Town, and he always appreciated any reminder of his home. At least he was returning soon.
  
  The sounds of a chair scraping across the floor dragged him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see his that the person he was hoping to meet had finally arrived. Bruno plopped himself down in the chair, his large muscles making both the chair and table look comically tiny in comparison to him.
  
  Wow, he really was a wall of muscle, wasn't he?
  
  "Thank you for joining me, Bruno. As you know, I'm Steven Stone." He greeted and extended a hand to shake.
  
  "I was surprised at the invitation." Bruno admitted while giving him a firm handshake. "But I am here, so speak."
  
  Someone of his status might have been offended by the lack of politeness in his tone, but Steven had expected such bluntness. And he knew that everyone interacted differently with others.
  
  To secure a working relationship, you had to be able to understand how the other person preferred to communicate and adapt yourself to match it. That was how you avoided stepping on any toes.
  
  So he immediately dropped any intention of using his more 'fanciful' language, "Frankly speaking, I wish to challenge you."
  
  "Done." Bruno said immediately, as he knew he would. It was why he started off with this, after all. "When and where?"
  
  Steven chuckled, knowing he had his attention, "It could be now if you like."
  
  Bruno let out a grunt and almost stood up from his chair, but Steven waved him down, "Just a second, if you please. I do have other topics I wanted to discuss with you outside of this battle."
  
  Bruno shot him a quizzical look, but there was no impatience there. "Go on."
  
  "I would like you to join me in my return to Hoenn." Steven stated directly, not bothering to sugarcoat his words, "I believe I have many opportunities available to you that would help both of us progress our mutual goals."
  
  Bruno didn't react at his words, but he did say, "Explain."
  
  "I would like to hire you as my personal trainer." Steven revealed, "I understand that your ambition is to pursue martial excellence, and I seek to be the strongest trainer in Hoenn. I believe we can help each other."
  
  If Steven were a lesser person, then he would have missed how Bruno had been constantly watching him. Bruno's eyes were sharp; almost like they didn't miss anything. The man was seeing if Steven was worth his time. Just like Steven was judging Bruno.
  
  Steven never understood how anyone could see Bruno and think of him as a mere dumb brute. This man was far more intelligent than his brutish appearance let on.
  
  "Why me?" He asked.
  
  "You are strong. But more importantly, you are one of the worst matchups for me to fight against." Steven explained, "My Pokémon are built on defense and wearing the enemy down, but I believe you will be able to overcome such tactics. If I am to defeat the Elite Four and the Champion in a clean sweep, then I must make myself as strong as possible."
  
  The idea of a challenge must have resonated in Bruno's eyes, because Steven saw a faint of approval reach his eyes, "When is your challenge?"
  
  "Before the end of the next circuit." Steven answered, "I must become strong enough to overcome them by then."
  
  Bruno fell into thought, but Steven continued, "In return, you will have my full backing and resources to pursue whatever you require. I will fund all of your activities during your employ-"
  
  "I want to fight strong trainers." Bruno cut him off, and Steven was about to respond before Bruno elaborated, "Indigo has become stale for me. I have exhausted the list of trainers that I am able to fight and learn from. I wish to expand my horizons and challenge new foes. Acquire them for me."
  
  "...What kind of foes are you seeking?" Steven wished to clarify.
  
  "Everyone. For the journey to better myself is without end." Bruno declared with utter conviction.
  
  And in that moment, all Steven could see was the look of a man that had worked himself to achieve a singular goal, and demanded nothing less than perfection from himself as he sought to achieve it.
  
  It reminded him of himself.
  
  (Bruno POV)
  
  The businessman was an interesting man. Even though Bruno was intentionally being difficult with his demands and his bluntness, Steven didn't seem bothered at all by his relatively rude way of speaking. Many of the richer scions that he had battled against would have already lost their temper and walked out of the meeting after Bruno failed to address them with the 'appropriate' respect.
  
  The fact that Steven seemed different bought him his politeness. The fact that Steven seemed to understand to not waste his time bought him his attention. The fact that Steven had an curious offer bought his interest.
  
  And Steven's offer did intrigue him. He knew about Steven's battling ability, and to be able to repeatedly test himself against a strong opponent like Steven was not something he would quickly turn down. But the ability to test himself against any and all trainers in Hoenn, within reason, was something he was quite interested in.
  
  Sure, he could have made the challenges without Steven's help, but it would take considerably more time. He recognized that his reputation was still not at the point where trainers would come running for a battle against him just because he asked.
  
  And he wasn't stupid. Money talked. While he wasn't a materialistic person, he appreciated the conveniences money could bring for him. Money that Steven had in boatloads.
  
  Though it didn't show on his face, he inwardly chuckled at the image of all of Steven's net worth being gathered in one place. Would he be able to lift all that money?
  
  The sounds of Steven's fingers tapping on the table drew his attention back. Steven was thinking hard about this, carefully weighing the pros and cons of his proposal.
  
  It only took a moment though, and Bruno saw the flash of decisiveness appear in Steven's eyes. He approved - you needed to be confident in your decisions.
  
  "I accept." Steven agreed. "We can get something more formal drafted soon."
  
  "Let us hope this is the start of a fruitful friendship." Steven added, and a familiar glint of cunning flashed through the businessman's eyes. Most would have missed it.
  
  He did not.
  
  "Agreed." He replied as their eyes met and their hands shook.
  
  As he stared into Steven's eyes, he imagined himself shaking his hands with a snake. But a snake with a steel spine, and one that understood the value of integrity. Steven had not once tried to manipulate him in this meeting, and the respect was obvious in his eyes.
  
  Even in this brief meeting, Bruno knew what kind of man Steven was. A cunning and ruthless businessman, but tempered by his sense of responsibility and his genuine respect for integrity. Ambitious, but not obsessively so.
  
  An interesting fellow. Maybe he'll learn more in their upcoming fight.
  
  A.N. The beginnings of a VERY unlikely friendship. Steven and Bruno are practically opposites in every way that matters. But I had an inspired thought and wanted to see if I could make a friendship happen despite these differences. Hope you liked it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-3 - Interviews and Meetings
  
  Even though I still had a several more meetings to go through, I didn't let that stop me from getting up late the next day. I was tired and exhausted, so I believed that I deserved to be able to lie-in for once.
  
  That was why I found myself slowly chowing down my breakfast alone in the living room, idly listening to the news; my parents had already long gone to work by then.
  
  "...With Elite Bertha now confirmed to be on her way back to Sinnoh, it's almost time for the first showdown between challenger Cynthia and Elite Four Aaron! After her momentous announcement earlier this week, stunning all of Sinnoh at her declaration to become Champion, our new challenger has been making the waves as she participated in interview after interview explaining her political objectives to the people of Sinnoh!
  
  But now we're about to see if Cynthia can put her money where her mouth is. Elite Four Aaron has been a member of the Elite Four for some time, despite being the youngest and most junior member of the roster. His Bug type speciality, while often seen as weak by the uninitiated, has been able to tear through many a foe during his many battles to hold his position in the Elite Four. Pokémon like his Scizor and Heracross have proven time and time again why challenging him is a foolish idea, will Cynthia prove any different?
  
  Of course, we've seen her draw over Elite John of Indigo in a friendly match, but that was all it was. Friendly. She has yet to prove her strength, beyond her 8 badges and her Conference win, in any recent official setting. So I believe I can say that Sinnoh is watching with growing excitement and anticipation to see what this challenger can really pull off."
  
  I smiled as I listened to what the reporter was saying, glad to see that Cynthia was doing well. The news was doing their best to hype up Aaron, but I knew from my earlier research that he was going to be steamrolled by Cynthia.
  
  That didn't mean he was weak - he had more than earned his position in the Elite Four. He fought like a powerful mix of Koga and Walker, with fast and agile Pokémon that relied heavily on speed and dodging to make up for their poor defenses while also hitting hard enough to harshly punish an opponent for overextending.
  
  It was a good mix of a burst offense and evasive manoeuvrability.
  
  ...But that wouldn't be enough. I could see him putting up a good fight, but I was all but certain that Cynthia would come up on top. No, she wouldn't just win, she would dominate the fight. And the people of Sinnoh might actually lose their minds when they saw just how strong Cynthia actually was.
  
  I couldn't wait to see that. She deserved every bit of attention that she got.
  
  With that in mind, I made sure to send over some encouraging messages to Cynthia, wishing her all the best and telling her that I would watch her match when it happened. I had informed her about my conversation with Lance from yesterday regarding our relationship, and she was happy with the outcome.
  
  She said that if it was only about getting the public on our side, then it was still manageable. She said she'd be brainstorming about a possible plan to win over the public and make this no longer a problem that we would have to worry about.
  
  Unfortunately, I didn't have any more time to just idle about, and I had to quickly scoff down the rest of my breakfast that I had previously been slowly eating as I realized that I was about to be late for my next item on my schedule. I had to head to my family's offices to host the interviews to find the assistants that would be part of my team.
  
  But more importantly than that, I had to meet Daisy early and explain to her the role I wanted her to play.
  
  If I was lucky, then after this meeting, my new team of assistants should hopefully aid to alleviate my schedule a bit and free up more time. I didn't mind running around like this every once in a while, but doing so constantly would definitely wear me down.
  
  So I flew over to where our offices were, not even bothering to conceal myself as I did so. The fact that I was hiring was practically an open secret in the news, and I had seen some of the less reputable 'news agencies' trying to speculate what the REAL reason I was recruiting them for.
  
  They were really trying to play up the conspiracy angle, but no one with any common sense actually read that tripe.
  
  I landed outside our company's offices, and quickly stepped in before I could get mobbed. Even though the office was still relatively new, the effort that my parents put in to expand the company was evident. Instead of the empty offices that I had seen before during my tour, this time the office was not only filled with proper equipment, but also employees. Many of whom gave me a nice wave and a nod as I made my way to the meeting room that was reserved for the interviews.
  
  I made a mental note to show myself around the offices a bit more. I didn't want to be known as the heir to a family business that didn't actually do anything but reap the profits. That was a reputation that I DEFINITELY didn't want.
  
  As I entered the meeting room, I spied a small figure that quickly shot up from where she had been sitting and run up to me, falling into a hurried bow.
  
  "Elite - I mean, John! Welcome!" Daisy Oak greeted me.
  
  "Thank you, Daisy. I hope you haven't been waiting too long." I said.
  
  Her head swung from side to side, "Nope! I've just been talking to grandfather while I waited. He told me to make sure all my notes were in order and that I had read through a summary of the interviewees' files before you arrived. But I've already double checked that all of your interviewees should be arriving today."
  
  I blinked, that was way more than I expected, "That's...quite diligent of you. Good job." I praised as I took a seat at the front of the table. "Have you memorised all of their info?"
  
  "Mostly." She nodded as she took a seat instinctively to my right, "Grandfather always made me do memory exercises in my spare time, so this is quite easy for me."
  
  "Huh." I guess Oak wasn't kidding when he said his granddaughter could handle it - maybe she would be far more of an asset than I realized.
  
  "Well, anyways, let me run through what I hope you can help me with today." I began, but slowed down as I watched her take out a notebook to write down what I was saying. Very prudent.
  
  "First of, let me just reassure you - you won't be expected to speak much to them. I'll handle the questions. But I do want you to observe." I explained, going through the plan I had already made in my head. "Given my reputation, it's expected that they'll focus their attention on me. They'll do their utmost to impress me, but I want to see how they interact with you."
  
  "Don't reveal your surname to them, just introduce yourself as 'Daisy' and just say that you are just helping me out. Reveal nothing else." I told Daisy, "Before they come to meet me, I'll have them sit outside in the waiting room for a few minutes. You'll accompany them, but your role will be to observe them and see how they treat you."
  
  "Take a note of their behaviours - if they're dismissive, nervous, haughty, arrogant etc. I want to know how they act when they're not face to face with me. You'll also join me in the meetings to do the same. I'll have you sit on that table further away from me so you can observe them in peace."
  
  "Should I try to talk to them?" She asked while she continued to make notes of what I just said.
  
  "You can try, but don't push yourself if you're not comfortable." I said, "Overall, just try to get an impression on them. Personality is harder to change than competence."
  
  That was the plan that I came up with when I realized I had Daisy to help me. I needed assistants that I would be able to work well with - competence alone wasn't enough. And when they were effectively representing me on a day-to-day basis while they worked around the League, I needed to be confident that who I had chosen would not tarnish my reputation with their poor behaviour.
  
  Hence why Daisy was so useful. Like I said, I was certain that they would all try to put their best foot forward when it came to meeting me, but would they do the same to an unknown girl? That was what I was looking for. You revealed a lot about your true personality when you dealt with people you thought were unimportant.
  
  "Grandfather said the same before." Daisy nodded, "I can do this for you."
  
  "Thank you, Daisy, you're a real help." I smiled, before turning to check my watch, "We still have a bit of time before the first appointment - so tell me about yourself, Daisy. What made you want to do something like this instead of becoming a trainer like most kids your age?"
  
  Daisy tapped a finger on her chin, "I never really was interested in becoming a great trainer - not like my little brother. I know grandfather used to be Champion, but I never really got interested in becoming strong."
  
  "I'm still going to go get my 8 badges sometime - since getting them opens many doors for me. But I probably won't go beyond that." She stated with surprising maturity.
  
  "Nothing wrong with that." I replied approvingly, "So what is it that you want to do?"
  
  She frowned, "I'm not sure yet. I'm kinda torn between being a Pokémon coordinator, Pokémon groomer, or just a doctor. But grandfather tells me not to worry and that I have plenty of time to decide. That's why he suggested that I should go explore a few different options and see what I liked doing."
  
  "It's a good idea, and I'm thankful for your help." I nodded to her, "And there's no rush about deciding what to do. I never expected to make it into the Elite Four, for example, it just happened to me. So don't think your life needs to be decided at such a young age - there's still plenty of time to change course in the future. Even my sister, Whitney, doesn't know what she really wants to do yet. And that's fine!"
  
  Daisy nodded, and I was glad that my words had gotten through to her. "You have any Pokémon that you're currently training up?" I asked.
  
  She nodded again, but this time more excitedly. "I have a Clefairy! I think grandfather said it was part of the same group that helped evolve your Eevee!"
  
  "Oh wow!" I remarked surprisingly, "That's quite the coincidence. Have you been training with her?"
  
  "Sometimes, but I also like to practice my performing moves with her too!" Daisy replied, "We split time training for both."
  
  The small talk continued for a while longer, as the two of us exchanged questions and got to learn a little more about each other. I thought that, out of everything that Daisy found out about me, she was most surprised by the fact that my sister had already gotten her 7th Gym Badge. Her reaction had been very amusing.
  
  But the time for conversation was finally over as I checked my watch once again, "I think it's time that we get ready. The first interviewees should be arriving any minute now." Daisy nodded obediently and made her way out of the room, ready to welcome them in as per our plan.
  
  I made sure to straighten out my clothes and blank out my face. Time to be a boss.
  
  I let out a tired groan as the last interviewee finally stepped out of the room with Daisy. Turns out hosting back-to-back-to-back interviews was a tiring and boring affair. It wasn't fun. Not for the interviewer. There were only so many carefully prepared and rehearsed answers I could listen to before they all seemed to blend together in my memory.
  
  Fortunately, Daisy seemed to have picked up the slack. She was a very diligent worker, obviously inheriting many of her grandfather's positive traits, and was an able and efficient helper despite her young age.
  
  She was a little nervous at first, but quickly learned to pipe in and ask the occasional question that would almost certainly throw the interviewee off-guard. They never seemed to be ready to deal with Daisy and her questions, and many of them kept shooting me confused looks as if they were puzzled by the interruption.
  
  The ruder ones would visibly scowl or glare at Daisy, trying to intimidate her into silence. But Daisy was made from sterner stuff than that - and I was proud of her for not backing down in the face of their hostility.
  
  Those who glared at Daisy weren't going to be selected. I had no need for those who would treat those they deemed below them with such disdain and hostility.
  
  Admittedly, I had already decided on who I was going to select before the last interviewee even walked out. But I purposely waited for Daisy to return so that I could ask her about her thoughts. I wanted to test her judgment.
  
  "Who do you think I should choose?" I asked her directly as she returned to her seat.
  
  She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. I gave her a few moments to process her thought before she finally spoke up.
  
  "I think I like Andrew, but...we can drop Michael. I didn't think he had the motivation." She concluded, "He seemed a bit too laid back."
  
  I gave her an encouraging look to keep going, so she did, "...Maybe just keep Andrew and Emily for now? You mentioned you didn't need a huge team to start with, so maybe you can just see if they can work with you?"
  
  I nodded, "Yes, I agree with that. Those were the options I had picked as well. Do you think you can work with them? It's going to be a very small team - so you might have more responsibility than you expected."
  
  A brief look of uncertainty flashed over her face before it quickly disappeared into one of firm confidence, "I can deal with it. I won't disappoint you or grandfather."
  
  "I'm glad for it." I smiled at her, before starting to wrap up my stuff, "Right, I'll get back to those two and will give them the good news. I'll also be sure to introduce you to them formally, if that's alright with you."
  
  She nodded so I continued, "Try to get along with them. I'll be sending over a brief of my expectations and what I hope you guys can help with. Please study it and cooperate with them as best you can."
  
  "But let me know if I'm putting too much on your plate and you're feeling too stressed." I reminded, "I don't want to push you too hard."
  
  She bobbed her head once again, and we finally finished up for the day. I made sure to escort Daisy out of the front door of the office, but just before I could properly send her off, I suddenly stumbled into an ambush by a crowd of reporters that had been waiting outside our office building, waiting for me to come out.
  
  "Elite John! What's with the sudden interviews? What are you looking to do?"
  
  "Are you looking to build a new political team? Or are you hiring on behalf of your family's company?"
  
  "Are you shifting your focus to politics ahead of your draw against Cynthia?"
  
  "Are you taking a more active role in your family's company at last? Are you going to be taking direct control over the future of your company?"
  
  They threw question after question at me, as if they were demanding me to respond. I was tempted to leave them to their questions, but then I realised what a good opportunity this was for me.
  
  I knew that most of the reporters were here to try to stir up drama by bringing up my draw against Cynthia. They were trying to provoke a reaction from me, but I wasn't going to play their game. I had my own way to change the topic.
  
  I stepped into the crowd of reporters, my gaze sweeping over them as I signalled for them to quiet down.
  
  It was only after they did that I began, "Thank you for your questions. I will begin by stating that yes - I am hiring a new personal team that would help and support me with my political adventures. This was something that I should have done some time ago, so I'm grateful that I finally have taken this step. This should help me keep up-to-date and informed even when I'm out and away from Indigo."
  
  "Are you looking to take up a bigger part in Indigo politics?" One asked.
  
  I gave that person a weird look, "My team will help assist me with ensuring that I receive the necessary information to make the right decision." I clarified, "That should have been obvious."
  
  "Is this an attempt to recover some of your reputation after you draw against Cynthia?" Another asked.
  
  "This and that have nothing to do with each other." I replied firmly, being careful to make sure they couldn't dramatize anything I said, "This just seemed like the logical step for me to advance and aid my political ambitions."
  
  "What kind of policies are you hoping to enact? Are you going to continue pushing for your international agenda?"
  
  "I have always been aiming to improve the relationship between the regions, yes." I nodded, "I think we've seen time and time again that there are many benefits to fostering international relations, from Hoenn to Sinnoh. Indigo continues to reap the benefits of our mutual cooperation, so I fully intend to continue down this path."
  
  "As for specific policies - I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see." I said, "Revealing them now would undermine my plans, so I won't be doing that. And don't try to push me for it."
  
  "Who's that little girl next to you?" Someone asked a little rudely as they shoved their microphone next to Daisy, "Is she a friend of your sister that you're helping out with?"
  
  I was about to answer for Daisy, but to my surprise, she bravely stood her ground and mustered her confidence as she spoke loudly and clearly, "My name is Daisy Oak. And I've been asked to help out with John and his new team."
  
  Namedropping Oak seemed to have sent all of the reporters reeling for a moment, before they doubled down and ramped up their intensity of the questions towards Daisy, "What made you work with John? How did Professor Oak introduce you? Are you representing Professor Oak's interests here? Does that mean Professor Oak is planning to make a comeback into the political world-"
  
  I cut them off before they could go down that line of questioning, and I could see that Daisy was starting to get overwhelmed, "Enough of that." I said sternly, "Have you no decency to behave yourself properly instead of like a pack of starving Carvanha in front of a young girl?"
  
  "But to answer your questions, Daisy is here because she wants to learn. Nothing more, nothing less. She is not here to represent Professor Oak's interests, and I accepted her because I wanted to return the favour to Professor Oak for his help with the Fairy project. There are no political implications here." I answered, with Daisy nodding along in support.
  
  I could feel the disappointment radiating off the reporters at my answer.
  
  I had to firmly and clearly state that Daisy's involvement did not mean that Professor Oak was getting back into the political scene. THAT was not something I dared to imply. A comeback from Professor Oak would upturn the political scene in an instant. Lance - for all his current popularity as Champion -would have a very uphill battle keeping his position.
  
  But luckily that was not something that we had to consider right now.
  
  However, the reporters were quick to recover from their disappointment, "You've spent some time in Sinnoh speaking with the now-challenger Cynthia. You even fought and drew against her. If she does succeed in her path to becoming Champion, does that mean you would have a connection to the future Champion of Sinnoh?"
  
  "I won't deny it." I revealed, seeing no reason not to, "After spending so much time with her in Sinnoh, I am very confident in her chances of becoming the next Champion of Sinnoh - and I believe that she is eminently suitable for the position. I believe the world will be pleasantly surprised with what she is about to show."
  
  "Are the two of you friends?" I was also asked.
  
  "I would say so." I replied vaguely, "We have kept in touch with each other since my return to Indigo. And I consider her to be a good friend. I do hope that our friendship will allow for an easier time for our regions to form friendly relations with each other as well. As I said, I am always eager to promote internationalism."
  
  Well, she was far more than that. But these reporters didn't have to know.
  
  "Wait!" A reporter suddenly shouted out, "Doesn't that mean that you'd have strong political connections between yourself, Hoenn, and Sinnoh? And with your public friendship with Lance, doesn't that mean you'd be connected to many of the leaders of the known world?! From every region!?"
  
  The reporter's statement caused the crowd to erupt into a shocking realisation - while I just simply smiled, not saying anything else. But it was enough of an implicit admission that sent the crowd into a frenzy of additional questions. The reporters instantly stared at me with a different light.
  
  I wasn't just some influential Elite Four member in Indigo; I was far more than that.
  
  The realisation had hit them - that I had successfully put myself in a position where I had the friendly ear of all kinds of movers and shakers from around the known world, just by being their friend and ally. While that didn't translate to direct influence, the soft power that I held in my hands was newsworthy.
  
  And if Cynthia became Champion, then my influence would skyrocket even further.
  
  A.N. Definitely a slower chapter, but I wanted to use this moment to re-establish John in the political world. His efforts in establishing connections with many of the important people of the world have finally been realized by the reporters and, soon, by the public. Moves will be made soon!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 9-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-4 - An afternoon in Lavender Town
  
  My press conference made the headlines the very next day, as I expected it to. The news, as they were wont to do, were all busy discussing the implications of this discovery, trying to play up this 'revelation' of my connections and what that meant for my ability to influence politics in the future.
  
  They had unofficially labelled me as the 'foreign representative' of Indigo, stemming from my myriad of foreign connections and my pursuit of internationalism. By the same token, thanks to all the news coverage, I realised that the public perception of me in Indigo had changed.
  
  Previously, I was seen and praised for being a popular Elite Four member with a strong influence in Kanto. But now the public saw that my reach and influence went further than that.
  
  In actuality, my influence and power didn't actually change. However, by stepping into the spotlight like this, this made the people perception of me change for the better. This newfound image that I had was useful for my future plans.
  
  Long gone were the times where I was looked down upon and questioned because of my young age. My draw against Cynthia was almost irrelevant. Now the media were saying that I was the secondary power in Indigo, just behind Lance. They claimed that while Lance still had the edge politically, I was his 'right arm' when it came to international politics.
  
  I didn't mind the analogy. Although I didn't deliberately plan to angle myself this way, I found that I was satisfied with the reputation that I had built up. Plus, if that position and reputation allowed me a better opportunity to combat the plans of Team Galactic when they finally slipped up? Well, then all the better.
  
  Besides all of the political stuff, I finally found myself cleared of my backlog of appointments at last. The last meeting with the interviews was my last immediate task that I had to go through, and now I was finally able to have a bit of free time. At least until my future commitments reared their head once again.
  
  It was well-timed too, because I finally received a text back from Karen asking if she could meet up with me and 'talk'.
  
  ...It was a conversation that was bound to happen, so I figured it was best if we got it out of the way as soon as possible and clear the air between us.
  
  That's why I found myself waiting around Lavender Town, where we had decided to meet up. Apparently Karen had wanted to show me something there.
  
  It didn't take me long to spot her, as she was hanging about just outside the Pokémon Center. I noticed that she had taken the effort to dress up, but nothing overly eye-catching.
  
  And at least she didn't possess the sad smile that she had before.
  
  "Hey, how've you been?" I asked gently, trying to gauge her current mood.
  
  "I'm okay." She replied, and I could tell it was mostly the truth, "Come - this isn't the right place to talk. Let me show you a great place to eat. I haven't had breakfast yet and am starving."
  
  I nodded and followed after her. She brought us to this nice hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which was clearly family-owned, and looking like it had been in business for quite some time.
  
  "The old hag used to bring me here all the time." She told me as the two of us sat down and ordered food, "The food's great, even if it is a bit out of the way."
  
  I couldn't disagree. The food was indeed excellent, and the two of us just spent a bit of time just enjoying the food. I could see that the chef and waiter, who were obviously family, giving Karen a familiar look. She must have been a regular here. They even deliberately distanced themselves from our table so we could discuss things worrying about them overhearing it.
  
  I was definitely going to leave a big tip. Who knew that small restaurants like these could have service this excellent?
  
  Eventually, the two of us finished with our food, and the conversation began to flow as we digested the food.
  
  Karen kicked it off, "So...I've had time to think things through...and I admit that I made a mistake turning you down all that time ago. I...was led by my fears, and I foolishly allowed those fears to dictate my actions."
  
  She bowed her head at me, "I know I should have said this earlier...but I'm sorry if my rejection hurt you."
  
  "There's no need for that." I said softly, "I understood your reasoning, nor have I ever blamed you for it."
  
  "It was still immature for me to do so. And now..." She sighed, "I can see the consequence of my actions. I should have grabbed onto the opportunity when I had the chance."
  
  A frown formed on her face, "...So I lost."
  
  I stayed respectfully silent, simply giving Karen the space to process her emotions. There was nothing I could say to comfort her.
  
  After a small moment of silence, Karen spoke up again, "Are you happy with Cynthia?"
  
  "I am." I responded immediately, "She makes me happy. Very happy."
  
  "...Then there's nothing more I need to say." She replied, but even as she tried to hide it I could tell that she was still a little bitter about it. "Though, if I could ask, what made you attracted to her?"
  
  "Her determination and her drive. The fact that she wanted to achieve something." I answered, "I couldn't help but fall for her because of that."
  
  "I'm sure her looks helped." Karen added dryly.
  
  I smirked, "Well...I have nothing to complain about on that front."
  
  Karen then paused for a moment, staring at me with a scrutinising look in her eyes before letting out another sigh, "You know, before we met up today, a part of me thought that I could win you over again. That your relationship with Cynthia was born on a shallow foundation, because you might have only fallen for her looks. That perhaps, given the distance between the two of you, that you would fall out of love with each other."
  
  She shook her head, "But after speaking with you now...I can see that I was wrong. You really do care about her, don't you?"
  
  "I do." I said sincerely, "New as our relationship might be, I don't see it breaking apart anytime soon. At least, I don't intend for that to happen."
  
  "I agree." Karen said with only a hint of reluctance, "But...I'm happy for you, John. I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy."
  
  She swallowed, "And...And...I'm not vile enough to forcefully step between you and her. Even if a part of me wants to. I know the consequences of doing so - that it would cost me more than just your friendship."
  
  "I've seen the effects when a third party gets in the way of a loving couple. I saw it all too often when I was younger." She sighed, "I wouldn't let myself repeat those actions."
  
  I smiled comfortingly as I gently patted her hand, "Thank you, Karen. Your kindness is why I still very much value you as a friend, Karen. You're a good person, and I sincerely don't want anything to change between us."
  
  "I know, and I'm very thankful for it." She replied a little sadly, "...Thank you for clearing the air, John. I feel a little better now that we've talked things through."
  
  I had a feeling that things weren't as peachy as what she was saying, but that wasn't anything I could call her out on. She would be a saint if she could move on so quickly.
  
  "Anytime." Was how I replied instead, "I'm just glad we could repair things with each other."
  
  Then I remembered something, "Before I forget, I actually got you something from Sinnoh." I took out the bracelet that I bought and handed it over to her.
  
  It was a relatively simple thing, but it was decorated with small black pearls that gleamed in the light. It also had a small little etching of a Honchkrow, which I thought was perfect for Karen.
  
  Karen held the bracelet gently, "Thank you John. I like it a lot." She smiled as she carefully put on the bracelet, rotating her wrists to get a better look at it.
  
  Then she smiled at me, "Let's take this conversation somewhere else. I think we've loitered around long enough - and I still have something to show you."
  
  I nodded and followed after her.
  
  The two of us stood up from her chair, where she insisted to pay for me. I protested this, of course, but she said that since she was the one to invite me, she was to pay. I reluctantly accepted.
  
  Then we both stepped out of the restaurant. Small talk dominated the conversation as we stepped away from the previous heavy and serious topics. The initial awkwardness at our reunion had disappeared, with only the friendly familiarity of two close friends remaining.
  
  After a bit of walking, we had finally arrived at our destination. In front of us was the beginnings of a construction site, and I blinked repeatedly in confusion. At first, I was confused, unsure what Karen was trying to show me.
  
  "What in the world am I looking at here?" I asked, blinking my eyes.
  
  Karen must have seen the confusion on my face, because she broke into a small laughter, "This is my latest project. Or more specifically, this is what I finally persuaded the old hag to approve. It's the building of a radio tower."
  
  That only ramped up my confusion, "A radio tower?"
  
  Karen nodded, "Yep. The old hag refused to see sense at first - kept saying stuff like the radio tower didn't fit the 'aesthetic' of the town. But I convinced her that in order to keep Lavender Town to be more than just a sleepy old town that would be eventually forgotten, we had to modernize and start adapting to the new age."
  
  "Wait, back it up a bit. Since when were YOU able to make decisions like this?" I questioned.
  
  "Oh, well...I guess for some time now?" She tilted her head, "You know the influence Agatha has on this town. She'd always told me that she'd do her best to allow me to inherit some of that influence. So she likes to float ideas to me from time to time - but she recently has involved me far more than she used to. Hence the radio tower."
  
  "But if I'm really going to fill in her shoes, then I'm going to have to actually fight my way into the Elite Four." She said, "Currently, my position in Lavender Town is solely due to Agatha's influence. But after I make it into the Elite Four, then I'll have some actual political power to back up me up."
  
  "But would you try to follow in Agatha's footsteps regarding the development of the town?" I asked.
  
  "Eh. I think the fact that I've decided to build a radio tower is a good enough answer for that." She replied, "Agatha was focused on protecting the town, and was content with the status quo. But I've seen what you've accomplished with Cerulean. I KNOW how far a city can be developed when you really put your mind to it. So I'm aiming for bigger things."
  
  "That's going to be a personal project of mine after I make it into the Elite Four." She said, her eyes lined with conviction as she stared at her new project, "I've got a few plans that I really want to implement, but yes, I'm going to make sure that Lavender Town will be one of the major cities of Kanto in the future. THAT is my goal."
  
  I couldn't help but smile, "I like it. I think you'll do great with that."
  
  She returned it, "You know, Cerulean City isn't that far away from Lavender Town. Maybe something to consider...?"
  
  "Make it into the Elite Four first, and then we'll talk." I gently rebuked, "Don't get too ahead of yourself."
  
  She nodded, "You're right. Can't put the cart before the Ponyta." Then she swivelled her head towards me, "Say...now that you're back, we should restart our training sessions. I want to get back into our own habits. I've already lost the once, but I don't intend to lose again."
  
  THAT was the Karen I knew. She was back.
  
  "Of course. Feel free to come over anytime. I'm sure my parents and sister would be happy to see you over once again." I replied, then I remembered something, "...Actually, I did tell Cynthia I intended to have her join in virtually with my training sessions. Would you be comfortable with that?"
  
  Karen hesitated, but then a look of resolve came over her, "Yes, I'm okay with that. I think I'd like to meet her, even if it's over the phone. And I don't want to be seen as avoiding her."
  
  I nodded gently, "I appreciate the effort. Especially since Cynthia said she wanted to meet with you too." I told her, "Oh! And I nearly forgot Whitney said she wanted to battle against the two of us. Her and her friends."
  
  "Sure, I don't mind. Do you mean right now?" I nodded again, "Then sure, we can call her up. You know I could never turn down little Whitney."
  
  I chuckled and called up my sister, where we quickly arranged to meet for our battle. Hearing that Karen was with me, Whitney asked again if we could have that 2v3 battle, and I easily agreed.
  
  We quickly flew to Viridian City, where the trio had been training hard for their upcoming battle against Giovanni. They wanted to clear through Giovanni on their first try, but with the time gradually ticking down before the end of the circuit, they didn't have much time left.
  
  That was why I hoped that they could learn something from our battle - or at the very least, put them in the right mindset to face Giovanni.
  
  We spotted the trio waving at us soon after we landed near the Pokémon Center. My sister was the first to rush up to me.
  
  "John! You're finally free! Let's go lets go!" She practically pushed me to the training fields. I allowed myself to be pushed along as Karen giggled and followed suit, before starting a conversation with Sabrina and Janine about something related to their Gyms.
  
  "So, are how we doing this, sis?" I asked Whitney, "How many Pokémon for each side?"
  
  "2 for you, 3 for us!" My sister replied, "We want up to train up our secondary Pokémon - so I think that's fair."
  
  "Are you sure? You know our Pokémon are going to be stronger than yours, right?" I sought to confirm.
  
  My sister patted me on the arm, "We have to challenge ourselves somehow - so don't hold back! Just don't use Tyrant or Vordt please; we won't learn anything from that."
  
  I chuckled at that, but reassured her that I wasn't about to turn this battle into a stomp.
  
  Not long later, the five of us took positions on the training fields. We had luckily not yet drawn a crowd, but I was sure that once our Pokémon started battling, our disguises would easily be seen through. I could only hope there were no interruptions.
  
  We didn't have a referee, but it didn't really matter. "ARE YOU READY?!" I shouted out to the other side. They gave us an affirmative shout back, and I traded knowing looks with Karen; we already knew what Pokémon we would employ.
  
  "Then let's go! Come, Zephyr!"
  
  "Go! Crawdaunt!"
  
  "Fight! Loudred!"
  
  "Your turn, Starmie!"
  
  "Ambush them, Ariados!"
  
  On our side of the battlefield saw my Zephyr and Karen's Crawdaunt facing off against a trio of Loudred, Starmie, and Ariados.
  
  Recognizing the need to remove their numbers advantage, both Karen and I burst into action.
  
  "Aqua Jet into Starmie, Crawdaunt! Smash it down!"
  
  "Into the air and Tailwind, Zephyr! Boost our speed!"
  
  With a rapid flap of his wings, Zephyr formed a gust of wind that trailed behind both of our Pokémon, allowing Crawdaunt to burst forwards with an even greater rush of speed as he slammed into the Starmie, smashing a powerful Knock Off before Starmine could react with a Thunderbolt.
  
  Loudred immediately tried to blast Crawdaunt away with a deafening Uproar, but a quick Air Slash from Zephyr managed to flinch it and draw its attention away. Unfortunately for us, Ariados moved too quick for Zephyr to catch it, and Ariados managed to prevent Crawdaunt from following up with a Night Slash by pouncing onto Crawdaunt and slashing down on his back with a critical X-Scissor.
  
  Starmie tried to take this opportunity to free itself from Crawdaunt's claws and retaliate with a Thunderbolt, but Crawdaunt recovered far quicker than it expected and surprised Starmie with a quick Dark Pulse from one its claws. Then Crawdaunt spun around and threw his entire weight into a devastating Crabhammer that hammered into Ariados' side with, sending the Bug tumbling weakly away.
  
  But not before the Bug managed to return a Toxic gift, badly poisoning the Crawdaunt.
  
  "Commit to Starmie, Crawdaunt!" Karen ordered, recognizing the threat that Starmie posed to both of our Pokémon with its powerful Thunderbolts. The Tailwind came into good use once again as Crawdaunt rapidly closed the distance, slashing through an attempted Confuse Ray from the Starmie before snapping down on the Starmie with its Dark-infused claws in a supereffective Crunch before it could escape with a Rapid Spin.
  
  In the meanwhile, Loudred was continuing its long-range duel against Zephyr. But this was where the difference in speed came into play. Zephyr's superior speed meant that, even if Loudred could hit hard, it greatly struggled to even land a glancing blow on Zephyr. All the while Zephyr continuously managed to chip away at Loudred's health with his barrage of Air Slashes.
  
  Now, I could have taken the risk to bring down Loudred by having Zephyr commit to a Brave Bird, relying on his aerial mobility to dodge out of the way of Loudred's powerful sonic attacks. But I had a partner in this fight - so there was no need to take the risk.
  
  Instead, I was going to have Zephyr practice fighting in a more supportive capacity - and to cause further chaos.
  
  "Hurricane, Zephyr! Break up the battlefield!"
  
  Zephyr let out an affirmative squawk and two large tornadoes began forming in the air, before they started to tear through the battlefield, splitting into halves. Loudred easily dodged out of the way, but the tornadoes kept going - and I saw the moment that Whitney's eyes widened with alarm as she realized what I was aiming for.
  
  "SABRINA, INCOMING!"
  
  Sabrina's head snapped to the incoming attack - but knowing what was coming and being able to do anything about it were two different things. With Starmie already in a terrible position with trying its best to fend off an extremely aggressive Crawdaunt, it had absolutely no time to avoid the Hurricane that was tearing its way towards them.
  
  Every attack Starmie tried was either fended off or interrupted by a swift attack from Crawdaunt. Its attempts to try to trip up Crawdaunt with a Grass Knot were disrupted as Crawdaunt easily punished the attempt with a flinching Dark Pulse. Nor did Starmie have the time to fire off a Thunderbolt.
  
  The only reason Starmie was still in the fight was because of the assistance from Ariados, where Janine made full use of Ariados' mobility and range of disruption attacks to distract the Crawdaunt and prevent him from landing the finishing blow.
  
  A String Shot here and there, followed up by the occasional surprise X-Scissor or Cross Poison prevented Crawdaunt from fully committing to bringing down Starmie.
  
  But Ariados was always forced to rely on hit-and-run attacks.
  
  It was an ambush attacker, used to attacking rapidly in short bursts before scurrying away to safety. However, this was a fighting style that Karen had mastered, and with an almost instinctive level of understanding, she seemed to always know when Ariados was going to attack and retreat, and would always order Crawdaunt to respond accordingly.
  
  Janine was visibly frustrated at this. But no more than Sabrina, who had a pinched expression on her face as her usual Psychic strategies utterly failed her at dealing with Crawdaunt. Especially because her powerful telepathy was being disrupted by Karen's repeated use of Dark type moves.
  
  And the situation for them was about to get worse as the two tornadoes suddenly cut through their fight, forming a deadly wall of gale winds that briefly isolated Starmie with Crawdaunt. It was only for a moment, but that was all the time Crawdaunt needed.
  
  Without Ariados to assist it, Starmie was completely unable to stand up to the ruthless pursuit of Crawdaunt.
  
  "Night Slash, Crawdaunt! Finish it!"
  
  "Recover, Starmie! BUY TIME!"
  
  But with the Tailwind continuing to boost its speed, Crawdaunt never gave Starmie a moment to breath as it chased after the retreating Starmie and landed a flurry of Night Slashes that slashed and ripped through what remained of Starmie's health, and a final Crunch clamped down powerfully into Starmie's side, finally knocking it out of the fight.
  
  But Crawdaunt had no opportunity to celebrate his victory as Araidos suddenly erupted out from the ground below, ambushing him with a critical Dig that briefly knocked Crawdaunt into the air. Ariados capitalized on this by following up with a merciless X-Scissor, landing a deep cut that was a direct critical hit on Crawdaunt.
  
  "PAYBACK, CRAWDAUNT!" Karen tried.
  
  "UPROAR, LOUDRED!"
  
  Dark energy rapidly gathered within Crawdaunt, but just as he reoriented himself to retaliate with a brutal Payback, a sudden blast of sonic energy came crashing in from the side, launching the badly damaged Crawdaunt spinning through the air before collapsing limply into the ground, knocked out.
  
  Whitney had realized that Crawdaunt was currently the bigger threat to her team, and chose to take an opportunity where Zephyr needed to circle around to support her friends and take out the rampaging Crawdaunt.
  
  That left the fight in 2v1. With my fresh Zephyr against a wounded Loudred and Ariados. Despite their numbers advantage, their greatest counter to Zephyr, Starmie, had already been knocked out of the fight. And neither of their remaining Pokémon were very suited to dealing with a fast and nimble Special Attacker that was Zephyr.
  
  If this was a real fight, I would have continued to pepper them both down with Air Slashes, making full use of Zephyr's mobility to just wear both Pokémon down. Ariados had no good ranged options available, and Zephyr had already proven that he was easily able to dodge Loudred's sonic attacks.
  
  But I wanted to see just how far I could push the trio. So I committed.
  
  "Set up, Zephyr! Boost yourself up and get ready to dive!"
  
  I saw Whitney's eyes narrowed at me as she understood what I was going for. In reply, I raised a single finger, indicating that I would give her once chance to fight back. She nodded and ordered the attacks from Loudred to stop and instead to brace itself for what was to come.
  
  The three of us waited patiently as we all stared at Zephyr, waiting for his Agility and Work Up boosts to finish up. As soon as he did, I made the order.
  
  "DIVE! BRAVE BIRD!"
  
  Zephyr let out a screech and shot down like a missile, blitzing through the air with such speeds that my eyes had trouble following him. I had rarely been able to witness Zephyr at his fastest like this, since most opponents would not dare allow Zephyr to set up to the max like this. With all his boosts, I believed he could easily have reached the level of my more powerful Pokémon.
  
  But for now I focused on what Whitney and Janine were going to do. Interestingly, I saw Sabrina step in close to them as well, her eyes flashing a shining blue as her Psychic powers went into overdrive. Was she tracking Zephyr using her Psychic senses?
  
  As Zephyr dove down like a meteor, Loudred stepped forwards, its legs apart to steady itself, and it closed its eyes and took a deep breath. Then, its eyes snapped open, and its opened its mouth as wide as it could as it unleashed an ear-shattering Uproar that caused the air to physically vibrate and distort around the sheer power of its sonic waves.
  
  But it must have known that the attack wouldn't be enough, even after it dedicated every last scrap of energy into it. Its eyes and fists clenched as it began to bellow out even louder, turning up the intensity of its attack even further as it demanded even more power from itself.
  
  And this seemed to be a catalyst for Whitney's Pokémon. Its desire to grow stronger was so overwhelming that Loudred's entire body began to glow white. Its figure morphed and grew as the signature light of evolution surrounded it.
  
  A second later, and an Exploud appeared on the scene. Its earlier Uproar had transformed into an overpowering Boomburst, and the raw explosive power of its sonic attack even managed to cause the trees surrounding us to sway and their leaves to be ripped off their branches.
  
  But Zephyr was unstoppable. Even with Exploud dedicating everything to turn its Boomburst into the most powerful attack possible, Zephyr had endured past stronger attacks than that.
  
  He had trained up against the likes of Vordt and his supereffective barrage of Rocks, and had to endure against the likes of Drake's Kingdra. For all of Exploud's dedication, it was not at the level that could bring Zephyr low.
  
  And so Zephyr came crashing down, smashing through Exploud with his unstoppable Brave Bird and silencing the explosive Boomburst once and for all. Exploud was sent skidding across the ground; its limp body having dug a trench in the dirt.
  
  But Zephyr had not come out unscathed. The recoil damage and the devastating sonic attack had left him disoriented and reeling - and I was pretty sure he was now deaf. Yet he still had the presence of mind to take off into the skies again, narrowly dodging out of the way as Ariados failed its ambush with a Dig and Cross Poison combo.
  
  Without needing me to command it, Zephyr then spun around in the air and smashed Ariados with a supereffective Wing Attack before it could scurry away, putting the Bug in the ground and ending the fight.
  
  It was our victory.
  
  However, before I could speak up and congratulate Whitney on her evolution, my eyes snapped towards the sound of someone clapping.
  
  "What a fight!" Giovanni walked up to us with a small smile on his face, politely ignoring the shocked expressions on ours. "I came out here wondering who was causing such a ruckus with their battle, and here I find a few familiar faces."
  
  "Ehehehe...Sorry, I might have gotten a bit carried away." Whitney apologised sheepishly as she rubbed her head, though her attention was clearly focused on her the Pokéball holding her newly evolved Exploud.
  
  "There's no need to apologize, I wanted a break away from my work anyways." Giovanni replied with a shake of his head, "You must be training up for our battle, aren't you?"
  
  The trio all nodded their heads, "Well I think that's excellent. And if I could be honest-" Giovanni was about to say more before he realized the growing crowd that were starting to gather around us.
  
  His face turned into a grimace, "On second thought, let's move this conversation indoors. I have a meeting area in the Gym, if you all don't mind following me?"
  
  The trio shook their heads and walked after Giovanni. I joined in after them after sharing a look with Karen to make sure that she didn't have something urgent she needed to go to. She didn't, so the two of us followed up after them.
  
  It was only after we entered the break area did Giovanni speak up again, "Sorry for not saying this earlier, but I really wanted to introduce someone to you."
  
  Sabrina must have detected who Giovanni was referring to, because her eyes snapped towards one of the doors. On cue, the door opened, and in came a very nervous looking Silver.
  
  "Um...hello?" He mumbled, looking nervous and completely overwhelmed by all these strangers.
  
  But Whitney seemed to have taken an immediate liking to Silver as she broke out into a friendly smile, and started patting the empty spot next to her on the couch. Giovanni, Karen, and I all shared a knowing look as we saw this.
  
  Oh boy. Here we go.
  
  A.N. AND the reunion between Karen and John finally happens. Fortunately, both parties are mature to understand what was happening and resolve things in a mutual manner. They will be staying as close friends. Of course, their relationship has now changed slightly, but that might be for the better.
  
  And yes, Whitney gets an Exploud! At last! Unfortunately, they weren't going to win against John's Elite-level Zephyr and Karen's almost-Elite level Crawdaunt. Hope you liked the battle.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-4 -Interlude- Cynthia
  The New Normal - 9-4 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  Although she was not someone that was prone to arrogance, she was pretty confident in saying that Aaron was just not at her level.
  
  Especially after her Lucario just decimated his Scizor in under a minute.
  
  The normally speedy and agile Scizor quickly found its match against her Lucario, who was not only faster in many ways, but was able to punch and strike with far more precision and force. Even after taking down his Heracross, her Lucario was still rearing to go, and his Fire Punches and Blaze Kicks remained as deadly as ever, burning a swath through Aaron's team.
  
  Despite Scizor's best attempts to circle around and rely on hit-and-run attacks, her Lucario reacted faster. Each exchange was heavily in Lucario's favour - her Fire attacks were far more punishing than Scizor's Fighting ones. And she never let go of the momentum, always pressuring Aaron's Scizor and doggedly pursued it with Lucario's repeated use of Extreme Speed until Scizor eventually made a mistake, which resulted in a Fire Punch crashing fist first into Scizor's face that sent it careening into the ground with a thud as its metallic face was caught ablaze.
  
  Scizor thrashed on the ground in a fruitless attempt to put out the fire, but it was no use. Another Blaze Kick smashed into its chest, causing a visible dent to appear on its steely exterior that instantly silenced the Scizor for the rest of the fight.
  
  And now the score was already 3-0, with her Lucario already sweeping through his earlier Yanmega and Heracross.
  
  She could see that the crowd was going wild at yet another victory for her Lucario. They likely didn't have high expectations for her going in; mostly attributing her draw against John as a fluke that happened in a friendly match. So they failed to recognize how strong she was.
  
  But now they must have reversed their earlier opinion, as they were all now chanting her name and cheering at her every success. On the other hand, Aaron was frowning deeply, likely upset at his string of losses and his poor performance.
  
  She ignored all of that though. All she focused on was the status of her Lucario - was it strong enough to keep fighting? Or would her chances increase if she withdrew it?
  
  A more prideful trainer would have kept it in the fight, trying to rack up as many victories as possible with her Pokémon in a display of strength. But she was never a prideful person - she liked to think herself more practical than that.
  
  And she knew that her Lucario had reached its limits already.
  
  "I RETIRE MY LUCARIO!" She announced, drawing gasps of disappointment from the crowd as they hoped for Lucario to perform a clean sweep of Aaron's team. That was always an unrealistic expectation; Aaron wasn't nearly weak enough for her to do that.
  
  Still, with the lead that she had it was all about maintaining that momentum. She didn't want to give Aaron any opportunity to setup or reorient himself. He was on the ropes, and she was going to make sure she gave him one last push to topple him over.
  
  "GO! VESPIQUEN!"
  
  "TOGEKISS! YOUR TURN!"
  
  Her Togekiss immediately began setting up with a Calm Mind as it flew high into the sky, and Aaron's frown became more pronounced as he watched her Togekiss setting up.
  
  Vespiquen did her best to fight back, but she had already worked out a plan with Togekiss beforehand to completely dominant the opposing Bug type. She recognized Vespiquen to be a defensive Pokémon, relying on her superior defences to slowly wear down the opponent. But Vespiquen were slow Pokémon, despite being able to fly.
  
  His Vespiquen was more suited to fighting against grounded Pokémon rather than other fliers. And her Togekiss heavily punished this fact by refusing to fight the way Vespiquen wanted to fight, and repeatedly scorched it with a barrage of Flamethrowers and ignited Air Slashes.
  
  His Vespiquen was visibly outmatched.
  
  Aaron obviously spotted this - but he was unable to do anything about it. His only other powerful Flying type, Yanmega, had already gone down earlier, and Vespiquen's litany of injuries meant that it was already too late to switch. THIS was why she had waited until now to deploy Togekiss - because she knew that Aaron would have nothing left to counter it with.
  
  It didn't take long for Aaron's Vespiquen to fall. Plus, just like she had hoped, with all of the buffs that Togekiss had already set up thanks to Vespiquen's inability to punish it, the Flygon that Aaron sent out next, which was normally Aaron's second strongest Pokémon, struggled to take down her Togekiss.
  
  She gave off a small nod as she watched her Togekiss' dominant performance. She really had to thank John and Professor Oak for piecing together the secrets of the Fairy type - it really had solved a few inconsistencies that she had spotted with her Togekiss earlier on. And it gave her yet another weapon to take down those Dragon types.
  
  After a short exchange of attacks where Flygon tried to grapple onto her Togekiss while her buffed Togekiss tried to batter Flygon down from a distance, the result was both Pokémon going down, leaving the match at 5-2.
  
  And then came Aaron's starter and ace - his Drapion. She had seen the recordings; his Drapion was an utter powerhouse at close range. Combining brutal and hard-hitting close-range combos with powerful and debilitating poisons that could bring down even the strongest of foes overtime. It was one of the greatest 'bruiser' counters she had seen; every aspect of his Drapion was designed and trained to take lumbering threats.
  
  Unfortunately for Aaron, he only had the one Pokémon remaining. So Cynthia played it extremely safe, sending out her Spiritomb to wear it down with Burns and Pain Splits before ultimately going down to Drapion. Then came her Milotic, who simply took advantage of the crippled Drapion to repeatedly blast it with a torrent of powerful Hydro Pumps, bringing down the big bruiser of a Dark Type.
  
  It didn't matter how much Drapion tried to rip and tear into Milotic with its poisonous claws, her Milotic stood like an unbreakable wall of fortitude, tanking through the crippled Drapion's blows with little issue. 'Greatest bruiser' or not, Drapion fell all the same.
  
  Sure, she could have sent out Garchomp. But she was saving her starter for later. There was no need to show them off now.
  
  Was her victory flashy or dramatic? Of course not. But the crowd cheered loudly regardless, recognizing the planning and skill that she displayed in securing her victory.
  
  "AND THE CHALLENGER CYNTHIA HAS CRUSHED ELITE AARON, WINNING WITH AN UTTERLY CONVINCING 6-3 VICTORY!" She briefly hear the announce scream out, but she had already tuned him out in favour of running over the battle in her head. She already spotted a few improvements she could have made.
  
  "...I can't say I'm not a bit bitter, but congratulations on your victory." Aaron said to her after the match was over, "Lucian really wasn't overhyping you when he told us that you were strong. I guess I should have listened a bit harder."
  
  "You fought well." She simply replied. "But I did prepare very carefully about how I would defeat you."
  
  That caused Aaron to let out a snort, "Yeah, clearly. You really didn't leave anything up to chance against me. I don't think I've lost this hard in a long time."
  
  He shook his head, "You better keep up this kind of performance against the other three, otherwise I'd look like a weak fool."
  
  She smiled, "I'll do my best. I certainly intend on repeating my performance here."
  
  "Good, just don't forget I'm considered the weakest of the Elite Four for a reason. I'm just the beginning. The other three in the gauntlet won't be as easy to beat as I was." Aaron reminded, but he wasn't bitter about it.
  
  She nodded - his words were true enough, but she was already thinking about how she would be defeating Bertha next.
  
  One down, three to go.
  
  A.N. I think this comes at no surprise to anyone, but Cynthia dunks on Aaron. Aaron is quite strong, don't get me wrong, and he more than deserves his place in the Elite Four, but I've always seen him as the weakest of the Sinnoh League, and Cynthia is most definitely NOT the weakest among the Sinnoh League. So the result is just about what you could expect, which is why I didn't want to write this out into a full fight.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-5 - Training for a Crowd
  
  Turns out I had nothing to worry about. My sister - being the little pink ball of sunshine that she was - was able to quickly put Silver at ease.
  
  Oh he was still very shy about suddenly being surrounded by older girls, but he soon relaxed as he realized that they really meant him no harm.
  
  I think my sister really enjoyed being able to play around with someone that was younger than her.
  
  And her friends were no less welcoming. Sabrina had taken up the role of showing off a few basic Psychic tricks while Janine was trying to one-up her by showing off some impressive dexterity as she showed off how her fingers could bend way more than they reasonably should have.
  
  All-in-all, they were a perfect distraction for a nervous Silver and allow him to settle in to what should hopefully be his new friends.
  
  Karen had even joined in - releasing her Umbreon to entertain and make sure Silver was comfortable. Karen was much better with young children than I ever was.
  
  "They seem to be getting on well." I pointed out to Giovanni as he stepped closer.
  
  He let out a relieved breath, "That was exactly what I was hoping for. To my shame, Silver has lived quite the lonely life thus far. He never really got an opportunity to make friends because he was always on the move with Ariana. I don't blame her for it, of course, but it has made Silver more isolated than lonely than I would like."
  
  "I'm trying to correct that now." He continued to explain, "And I hoped that at least introducing your sister to him would allow him to get more comfortable around others. If he makes friends with your sister - all the better."
  
  "My sister does seem quite taken with him." I chuckled as I watched them play and chat.
  
  "Thank Arceus for that. Your sister is too nice for this world. I don't think I've ever seen someone so cheery." Giovanni praised, letting out a small smile, "How did she even turn out this way?"
  
  "Luck, I suppose." I shrugged, though I couldn't help but smile.
  
  He shook his head amusedly, "In any case, I hope you don't mind if I try to get Silver to spend more time around your sister and her friends. I'd always thought that she'd be a great role model for him, and I'd love for him to try to emulate her."
  
  "I have no issues with that." I said, "Besides, I'm not about to tell Whitney who she can and can't spend time with. She and her friends are mature enough to know that already. And if they think Silver is someone they want to spend time around, I'd more than welcome it as well."
  
  Knowing my sister, it was almost guaranteed that she would befriend Silver at this point. But like I said, I didn't see that as a bad thing. On the contrary, I thought that maybe Silver wouldn't turn out to be such an edgy, strength-obsessed brat if he got along with the cinnamon roll that was my sister.
  
  Either way, I didn't believe Giovanni dragged me in here ONLY to introduce Silver to Whitney, "So...any news?" I asked him. He knew what I was referring to.
  
  "Not here." He said, gesturing with his head to his office. I gave him a small acknowledging nod and followed after him.
  
  Karen gave me a questioning look, but I just shook her head. She nodded back; understanding what we were talking about was not for her ears.
  
  We secured the office door behind us before Giovanni began, "I received a report from Archer regarding the criminal activities in Sinnoh. It seems like your hypothesis was correct - whoever's funding these terrorists are big money, with everything pointing towards them being one of the bigger businesses in Sinnoh. We haven't narrowed it down to which one yet, but we now know where to look. The amount of money being moved around allowed us to cross out the small and medium sized businesses."
  
  My eyes went wide, "Wow, that was fast."
  
  "Archer tells me that their backer had gotten a little sloppy." He explained, "They've been moving around too much money too quickly for them to properly hide it, and it left them slightly exposed to Archer's investigations. But at the same time, Archer has also told me he's forced to move slowly - he can't be sure that the lead is a real one or a trap meant to expose any possible investigators."
  
  "...So are we going to find evidence on who it is soon?" I pressed. I wanted to expose Team Galactic as quickly as possible. And the MOMENT I had just the slightest bit of evidence I could use against them, then I would pounce on them HARD.
  
  "From my experience, these kinds of things don't move that quickly." He shook his head, "If the lead turns out to be a false one, then it's back to the drawing board. The issue is that we're unfamiliar with Sinnoh, and Archer is forced to set up the infrastructure all by himself. That really slows down our ability to make moves or investigate matters."
  
  "And another thing slowing us down is the fact that our target is clearly highly entrenched in the criminal underworld. They've been around for a VERY long time - or at least have a surprising amount of influence. That fact only forces Archer to act more carefully; we don't want to accidentally expose our operations and spook the target to go into hiding." Giovanni added.
  
  "Any chance Archer would get exposed?" I asked concernedly. Archer was currently our only real way of exposing Team Galactic for the time being, so losing him and his team as an asset would hurt.
  
  "He's more careful than that. He'll be fine." Giovanni replied confidently. "Don't worry, we're confident that we're on the right track. It's just that it might take some time to uncover what we want to find."
  
  I frowned, but accepted that there was nothing really I could do about it. If or when Cynthia became Champion, then I would potentially have another avenue to shut down Team Galactic. But to my great annoyance, Team Galactic was still too trusted and beloved in the public eye so that any unsupported accusation from me would not be believed.
  
  But I hoped to at least put Giovanni, and therefore Archer, on the right track for his investigation, "Has Archer looked into Galactic company?" I asked, taking a risk.
  
  "They're someone we're already looking at." Giovanni confirmed, "Why, you suspect them?"
  
  This was going to test the goodwill and trust that I had built up with Giovanni up until this point. I knew that my answer would be circumstantial at best - and nonsensical at worst, but it was important for me to nudge him onto the right target.
  
  So I maintained my confidence as I answered, "I visited their headquarters before. I didn't think anything was suspicious then. But then I met Cyrus in person, just when I was shopping. And the entire time that I spoke to him my gut was screaming at me - telling me that there was something wrong with the person in front of me."
  
  "I understand that it was only a gut feeling, but my gut has not led me wrong yet." I said seriously, "Even with that strange meeting with Cyrus, I didn't think much of it initially, but that feeling has now been screaming at me ever since you confirmed to me that their backers are likely one of the bigger businesses of Sinnoh. Galactic Company has both the resources and the manpower to be a secret backer of these terrorists. AND they have been around in Sinnoh for a long time, enough for them to be entrenched into the criminal world should they choose to be."
  
  "I know this is conjecture, but if I were you I'd be looking closer into Galactic Company." I pressed, "Even if you dismiss my gut feeling, they are still one of the few large companies in Sinnoh that are a perfect fit for the descriptions you just provided. We should look into them."
  
  Giovanni frowned thoughtfully, but it was a good sign that he didn't immediately dismiss my words. After what felt like an eon of thinking, Giovanni responded with a casual shrug, "This was your plan to begin with, and I haven't been there in Sinnoh to verify your words. Still, there's no harm with us looking into Galactic Company first if that's where you believe is where we should look first. They ARE the largest."
  
  "I'll get in touch with Archer and tell him to follow up on this." Giovanni said as I held back the urge to let out a relieved sigh, "Maybe it'll help him to narrow down his search."
  
  "Thank you, Giovanni. Please give Archer all my well wishes and my thanks for his efforts and hard work." I nodded to him, "I do hope you'll find something."
  
  "I have my full trust in Archer to find something, I wouldn't have sent him there otherwise." Giovanni explained confidently, "And now that we're narrowing down where to look, rest assured that Archer will dig up something. Like I said, it'll just take time, but he won't fail."
  
  I nodded, having done all I could for now. I had pointed Giovanni and Archer in the right direction, and I hoped that they could find something to prove my words right and dig up some incriminating evidence that we could use.
  
  I was pleased that we were taking further small steps towards exposing Team Galactic.
  
  With that serious talk done, we returned to the other room, where Silver continued to get along well with the girls. This time, Ariana had joined in, and was currently chatting with Karen.
  
  That actually brought something up I had always wanted to ask Giovanni, "...Say, if it isn't too personal, what is your relationship with Ariana? Are you husband and wife, or...?"
  
  He chuckled, "I was wondering when you'd ask. But we're not officially married, just partners. Before, we had wanted a ceremony, but that obviously got put off with...everything that happened. And now we both decided that it's a bit too late to host one, and we're more than content with what we have now."
  
  "Why are you asking? Did something happen with you?" He smirked at me, "Come to think of it, you seem happier than when I last met you. I first thought it was because you were just happy to be back, but perhaps I was mistaken."
  
  I scowled, and Giovanni chuckled, "Well I won't press you if you don't want to talk about it. Though if I could give you a word of advice..." His face turned serious, "It might be hypocritical for me to say this, considering my past actions, but I suggest you think REALLY carefully before you put aside your relationships in favour of something else."
  
  He leaned forwards slightly, "I can promise you that in almost every scenario, your relationships, whether that be platonic, familial, or romantic, should come first."
  
  "That sounds like a lesson that came from experience." I joked, but I knew he was being fully serious.
  
  "It was." He nodded back firmly, "I made that mistake when I was younger, and I'm still regretting that to this day. So I'm doing my best to make up for it." He gestured towards where Ariana and Silver were. Though judging by the slight smile that suddenly adorned Ariana's face, I don't think Giovanni was being as quiet as he thought he was being.
  
  I thanked him for his words and promised to keep them in mind. He just patted me encouragingly on the shoulder.
  
  Regardless, we didn't spend that much longer hanging around at Giovanni's office. He had his Gym duties to attend to, and it was starting to get pretty late. I left with Karen and the trio, inviting them all back home for dinner. Karen accepted, but the trio turned us down in favour for more training. Apparently they had a sudden burst of inspiration they'd like to start working on, so I left them to it.
  
  So Karen and I flew back towards my home. On the flight back, I tried asking Karen what she was discussing with Ariana, but that seemed to only make her embarrassment return and she adamantly refused to answer me.
  
  I wondered once again was that was about - but I didn't think an answer would be forthcoming.
  
  I had invited Karen over for dinner, and the two of us enjoyed a nice dinner with my parents. My mom was especially pleased that we had 'repaired' our friendship, but she was considerate enough not to push Karen or I for answers at the moment.
  
  Karen retired for the night shortly after dinner, but I stayed up to speak to Cynthia as was my usual routine. We didn't speak for very long as we both had to wake up early tomorrow.
  
  Cynthia had her battle against Aaron, and I was duty-bound to watch it live.
  
  Next morning, the world realised that she ended up stomping Aaron in a 6-3 victory, which was pretty much what I thought was going to happen.
  
  The public was ecstatic over her dominant victory. After her match against Aaron the public perception of her had went from 'oh, let's see how far she goes', to 'she might win it all'. Though there was still a healthy dose of scepticism since this was just her first win.
  
  I was confident that if she could repeat her performance against Bertha, then the public would REALLY consider her to be an actual contender to be Champion.
  
  But, likely as a result of her victory, I received a text this morning from Professor Carolina asking me to come over. She explained that she had wanted to discuss the publicising of our discovery of Kleavor and Zoroark respectively.
  
  So I headed over to her lab and promptly greeted her at her office. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, Carolina got right into the heart of the matter.
  
  "Did you watch Cynthia's match against Aaron yesterday?" She asked.
  
  "Yes, it was a remarkable performance." I replied, "I think many were very surprised by her victory."
  
  "My granddaughter was always an overachiever. I guess I should have expected nothing less." She chuckled proudly.
  
  "Regardless, both she and I thought that this would be a good time to boost her popularity even more." She said, "We figured that we could start showing off our newest discoveries now, while Cynthia's name is still really hot in the news."
  
  That was about what I expected, "Sure, I'm okay with it. Does that mean I get to start training with my Zoroark in public now?" I had been eager to continue training with Wraith without all the restrictions. It had been difficult to keep him concealed from prying eyes.
  
  "I'll do you one better. I want you to deliberately start training with him in the open, where reporters can see." She told me, "I'll be publishing our discovery into the scientific journals right after this meeting. That way, we can quickly generate interest and hype around what the two of you have found. Cynthia will do the same with her Kleavor."
  
  Oh, she didn't mention this to me yesterday. Though likely because we only talked for a few minutes, "She planning on keeping it on her team?" I asked curiously.
  
  "Of course she is. A powerful Rock/Bug type like that? Especially when she lacked those exact types? There's no way she would have passed on the opportunity." Carolina exclaimed. "Though I hear it still has a long way to go with its training and discipline, so don't expect to see it in any of her upcoming matches. It's far from ready for those."
  
  I shrugged, "Same here. But that's why I'm looking forward to getting more training done with him. Do you have a place where I should train? Or can I pick my own?"
  
  "We won't dictate that to you, just that you make it obvious enough to catch the public eye." She said to me, "But you're free to train your new Zoroark as you see fit. From the moment you walk out of this door, consider your obligations to the Celestic Town Research Center to be fulfilled. That new Pokémon is now yours." I nodded appreciatively at her words.
  
  "Of course, we won't turn you down if you allow us to do a few more tests, or lay a few eggs." She smiled wryly, "More data is always appreciated, even if we manage to catch another one."
  
  I didn't have a problem with that, so I followed her into a nearby room where a few more tests were performed on Wraith. The scientists seemed especially excited at studying his illusory abilities, and tried to discover what differentiated it from Kecleon's camouflaging.
  
  With that done, we exchanged goodbyes and I immediately got to work with training with Wraith. I decided that training just outside of the lab, at Vermillion City, would demonstrate an obvious enough connection with my latest acquisition.
  
  So I wandered over to the Vermillion Pokémon Center completely undisguised, and I already was drawing attention just by doing so. When the following crowd overheard that I wished to reserve a training ground to make use of, that only piqued their interest even further.
  
  I didn't let my spectators wait for too long, and I could hear their gasps and shock as I released Wraith and a few of my other Pokémon onto the field.
  
  "Wraith, no illusions." I whispered to him, making sure my voice wasn't overheard, "We don't need to advertise that particular strength just yet." The fact that the Zoroark species was able to use illusions would be included in the public report that Carolina was publishing, but I wanted to keep the extent of his illusory powers a secret until I could put it to use.
  
  Every advantage counted, after all.
  
  Immediately after sending Wraith out, the cameras began to flash as all of the spectators took out their phones and tried snapping images of Wraith. To Wraith's credit, even if he was unused to this amount of attention, he didn't lash out against them. Or he would have, but he understood that Smough was currently looming over him, and he dared not act out under Smough's watchful gaze.
  
  But I put the spectators out of my mind and began a normal training session. This one was mostly focused on both Ornstein and Wraith. I wanted Ornstein to develop his Dark type powers even further and maximize the impact of his Dark type attacks. Similarly, I wanted to train up Wraith's resistance to his only weakness.
  
  Wraith was NEVER going to be a bulky Pokémon, but I at least wanted to train him up to make sure he wasn't a complete glass cannon.
  
  The two of them training together actually went better than expected, since they were both speedy Pokémon with a love for hit and run attacks. Of course, Wraith was far stronger than Ornstein, but Ornstein was far more used to training against more powerful opponents and he didn't have any of the bad habits that Wraith still had, such as Wraith's frequent habit of overextending himself when he tried to land an attack.
  
  Wraith also had a distinct lack of supporting moves, likely due to them being rather unnecessary back when he was a wild Poekmon, but this was something I intended to rectify as soon as possible. Likewise, his teamwork skills severely needed work, and that was why I arranged for Wraith and Ornstein to try to fight against Smough.
  
  It didn't go so well - Wraith was just unable to keep up or work with Ornstein and the two of them fell completely out of sync with each other. Smough was quick to punish this lack of coordination.
  
  Oh well, I expected this to take some time. This was the drawback of capturing an already trained Pokémon onto your team.
  
  As we continued training, I noticed that a few of my growing crowd of spectators had tried inching closer, obviously warring with themselves to ask a question. I spotted a few reporters in the crowd too, but they seem content to hang back and just film the sparring sessions for now.
  
  But I knew it was only a matter of time before someone would approach me for questions. So I did my best to ignore them and continue with my training for now - I had Wraith take a rest while I focused on training up Ornstein to get proficient at using Belly Drum to setup, which would temporarily allow him to match the power of my stronger Pokémon.
  
  I didn't know how long it was, but like I suspected, I was eventually approached by an overeager reporter.
  
  "Elite John! What is that Pokémon?!" He practically shouted out the question at me as he came close.
  
  I did my best to give him a patient smile, "It's the recent discovery that I made with the Celestic Town Research Center called a Zoroark - I found him during one of our cave explorations together with Cynthia. You can find more information about it in the article that's just been published."
  
  "So even though you captured it while working with the research center, they just let you keep it?" He questioned. And now that SOMEONE had approached me, that gave the others the bravery to follow suit. So I soon found myself surrounded by cameras and microphones in what became an impromptu interview.
  
  "They're nice people. I was very happy to work with them." I simply answered, trying to do my part in promoting my girlfriend's reputation. He frowned at my unsatisfactory answer, but I wasn't going to elaborate. Too much praise would seem disingenuous.
  
  "Then what does your new Pokémon do?!" Another reporter asked, "Is it strong?"
  
  "You can find out more in the article." I replied, "And of course he is - any Pokémon can be strong with the right training."
  
  "Are you saying that it is the fault of the trainer and not the Pokémon when someone fails to beat a Gym?" Someone immediately pounced on my answer, looking to start up drama.
  
  I simply let out a sigh, why did these people have to be like this, "If you're going to twist my answers like that, then we're done here. I think you've seen enough anyways." Before anyone could stop me, I withdrew my Pokémon back into their Pokéballs and flew away on Port, ignoring their cries of protest, immediately setting off from home.
  
  I would continue my training there, away from the crowd of reporters. I had done as Carolina asked, and I didn't intend to spend more time answering questions like that.
  
  With all the filming they did, there was no way the reveal of Zoroark wouldn't be in the papers tomorrow.
  
  I shook the thought of all those reporters out of my mind and began to strategize about how I would train up Wraith, now that I had free reign to train him however I liked.
  
  Already, I could see the huge potential of Wraith, just waiting to be utilized. He was going to be an excellent addition to my team in the future, I was sure of it.
  
  And now, with my cleared schedule, I had plenty of time to train not just Wraith, but all my Pokémon. With the reputation that I had managed to foster, I needed to make sure that my strength could live up to it. There would be no further draws allowed.
  
  Only victory.
  
  A.N. Wraith is now in the public eye! You'll be seeing more of Wraith now that John doesn't have to hide him anymore. You can bet that a certain Ghost type Elite Four would be extremely interested in taking a look at Wraith. Expect to see more of him in the future!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-6 -INTERLUDE -WHITNEY
  Whitney's Team
  
  Miltank
  
  Exploud
  
  Wigglytuff
  
  Noctowl
  
  Girafarig
  
  The New Normal - 9-6 - INTERLUDE - Whitney
  
  They had been throwing their all into their training, but while they pushed their Pokémon hard, they were always careful never to overly exhaust and tire out their Pokémon. It wasn't healthy to do so.
  
  But now, after having spent whatever time they had left training up their Pokémon to be as powerful as they could be with all their training and sparring, the three of them knew they couldn't put it off any longer.
  
  If they were going to be in time to participate in this year's Indigo Conference, then they were going to have to make a formal challenge and defeat Giovanni.
  
  Were they fully prepared for the fight? It was difficult to judge. As the final Gym Leader of Kanto, Giovanni was a major roadblock that Whitney knew many trainers failed to overcome. Some would never be able to conquer Giovanni, no matter how many times they tried. Many others gave up before then.
  
  He was the final wall that served as the gatekeeper for the Indigo Conference.
  
  So they knew they were rushing things when they decided to challenge him during their first year of their circuit. She knew that her brother had successfully done so, but she didn't find such comparisons helpful.
  
  And even then, her brother was still much older than her during his attempt, and he had been training with his Pokémon for far longer than her. He had told her that his Slaking was pretty much fully grown and trained by the time he even fought against Giovanni. In contrast, her Miltank still had some ways to go.
  
  But that was part of the challenge and the appeal. They all recognized that if they wanted to get decently far into the Indigo Conference, then they would have to push themselves like this. Barring herself, Sabrina and Janine were both going to be Gym Leaders in the future, and they would have to live up to the expectations and demands of said role. Getting used to the pressures of a difficult fight was par for the course.
  
  That was why, after a short rest day of little training to allow their Pokémon to fully relax and reinvigorate themselves for the upcoming fight, they finally walked into the Viridian Gym - this time as official challengers.
  
  As they headed inside, Sabrina nudged her with her shoulder and gestured with her head to the seating area, where a happy Silver was waving excitedly at them. She did her best to put a smile on her face and wave back, trying not to let her nerves get to her.
  
  Technically, even if she or her friends lost against Giovanni this time, they still had one or two more tries against him before the open qualifiers for the Indigo Conference began. So while she didn't necessarily have to win on her first try, she was still determined to. She and her friends had successfully defeated all of the Gym Leaders on their first attempt, and it would be quite disappointing to fail on the final hurdle.
  
  As agreed, she would be the first to fight against Giovanni. And while she was friendly with Giovanni and even had a meal with him at her house, she knew that he was not going to go easy on her because of their connection.
  
  He would hold to his duty as a Gym Leader.
  
  They didn't have to wait long before she was called to the front. Both her friends gave her encouraging pats on the back before she walked forward to meet Giovanni, who was already standing there with his arms crossed. As she walked to take her place, a sullen trainer walked past her with a drooping head. He had just been crushed by Giovanni, and for a moment the fear grew in her mind as she imagined herself in the same position.
  
  It didn't help that the battlefield in front of her had yet to be fully repaired. The ground was still scarred and shattered from their earlier battle, a great demonstration of the overwhelming power that she knew Giovanni possessed.
  
  But she quickly shook that off. John wouldn't be scared here. And she had her friends watching behind her. She wouldn't lose in front of them.
  
  They would ALL succeed. Together.
  
  As she took her spot opposite Giovanni, the referee moved to speak up, but he was quickly silenced as Giovanni raised a lone arm.
  
  "Whitney, it's very good to see you. I always knew that you had the potential to face me ever since I first met you." Giovanni told her with a friendly smile, catching her by surprise as he completely shattered his image of being a stoic and stern Gym Leader. That got the crowd whispering, and she could just barely make out that they were wondering how they knew each other.
  
  "Oh! Um...Thank you, Giovanni, but I'm just trying to my parents and John proud." She mumbled out, a little less confidently than she would have liked. The arena was being repaired as they talked.
  
  He just chuckled, "I'm sure they would be plenty proud already. You've even got a fan in my son. Isn't that right, Silver?"
  
  "YEAH! GO WHITNEY!" Silver cheered shamelessly, ignoring the stares from the other audience members that turned his way. But she saw that a few of the more opportunistic audience members immediately started shifting their way towards Silver, obviously wanting to befriend the son of a famous Gym Leader.
  
  But her friends were already on it. Sabrina simply sat next to Silver and stared at them deeply with her bright blue eyes, as if daring them to approach. They didn't.
  
  All the while Silver remained completely unaware and innocent of the Ekans that surrounded him. But that was for the better.
  
  She turned back to Giovanni with a slight smile, "Your son is nice - he's kinda like the younger brother I never had."
  
  "Your parents aren't that old, maybe that-" Giovanni let out a cough as he quickly cut himself off from whatever he was going to say, "Never mind that, ignore what I just said. Let's not go into that conversation."
  
  Whitney tilted her head confusedly, but didn't question him further. Then, as the arena was fully repaired, Giovanni's mood dropped, and his face turned serious once again. "I think that's enough talk. Are you ready, challenger Whitney?"
  
  She nodded, and she forcefully shoved aside all other thoughts as she stared down Giovanni, a Pokéball already clutched in her hand.
  
  This was it. This was going to the hardest Pokémon battle of her life so far. But it was also her greatest opportunity to show her family just how much she had grown. If she was going to stay at the same level of her friends, who would both turn out to become Gym Leaders when they grew up, then she could not fail here.
  
  "THIS IS GOING TO BE A 8-BADGE 3V3 MATCH BETWEEN CHALLENGER WHITNEY AND GYM LEADER GIOVANNI! TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY!?"
  
  She would defeat Giovanni, here and now.
  
  "BEGIN!"
  
  "Go! Wigglytuff!"
  
  "Test your mettle, Sandslash."
  
  A Sandstorm immediately set in on the battlefield as Sandslash entered the battlefield. But even as visibility began to go down from all of the sandy winds, the polished sheen of Sandslash's razor sharp claws remained clearly visible. They gleamed threateningly, underlining the threat that Giovanni's Sandslash radiated despite its small stature.
  
  Whitney knew from her studies that her Wigglytuff would not be able to take more than a few hits from those claws before going down. So she was going to have to play to her strengths.
  
  "Start off with a Reflect, Wigglytuff!"
  
  "Swords Dance now, Sandslash."
  
  "Interrupt with a Taunt!"
  
  Before Sandslash could even start setting up, Whitney replicated Karen's favourite trick and shut down that attempt before it could get going. Sandslash's eyes rapidly grew enraged, and it couldn't help itself but rush towards her Wigglytuff.
  
  "Metal Claw, Sandslash!"
  
  Understanding that there was no dissuading his Pokémon, Giovanni instead opted to hit as hard as possible, taking advantage of Steel's supereffectiveness against Wigglytuff's newly revealed Fairy type. And in the Sandstorm, Sandslash was moving even faster than usual thanks to its Sand Rush ability.
  
  Not for long though.
  
  "Skill Swap, Wigglytuff!"
  
  This time taking a page from Sabrina's methods, her Wigglytuff's eyes flashed blue for a moment before a Psychic link shot out from Wigglytuff, latching onto the charging Sandslash. Within an instant, Sandslash's tripped over itself as it suddenly lost its ability and boosted speed, while her Wigglytuff sped up considerably under the Sandstorm.
  
  And she took full advantage of this brief moment of confusion, "ICE PUNCH!"
  
  "Rollout backwards!" Giovanni tried.
  
  She had to fight back a smirk. Trying to use Rollout against her? Bad idea. Her Pokémon probably had more practice with the move than most other trainers.
  
  They knew how to hit a target in Rollout.
  
  And so, with her now boosted speed, Wigglytuff charged forwards and caught up to Sandslash in an instant. Sandslash immediately curled into a ball and attempted to roll away from the Incoming Ice Punch, but Wigglytuff easily predicted its movements and smashed her fist straight into the retreating Sandslash.
  
  The fist caught Sandslash at an awkward angle, and it tumbled out of its Rollout with a pained groan, disoriented slightly by the supereffective punch. Continuing to use her superior speed with Sand Rush, her Wigglytuff followed up with a barrage of Ice Punches as she took full advantage of Sandslash's disorientation.
  
  Blow after blow landed on the vulnerable Sandslash.
  
  But in her eagerness to deliver a pummelling, she had overextended. Suddenly, Wigglytuff's next Ice punch was parried by claws plated with Steel, knocking her arm wide and leaving her completely exposed. Before Wigglytuff could recover, Sandslash stepped forwards and raked a powerful Metal Claw across Wigglytuff's body, slashing through her supereffectively.
  
  She winced; if only her Wigglytuff could hit harder, then Sandslash wouldn't have been able to fight back like that. But there was no time for those kinds of thoughts now. She had to extract Wigglytuff from this situation.
  
  "ROLLOUT BACKWARDS!"
  
  "Punish it with an Earthquake, Sandslash!"
  
  Despite the pain, her Wigglytuff threw herself backwards and transformed into a rolling ball, making full use of all that Rollout training that she did with Miltank and quickly making her escape as she rolled away from the Sandslash. Sandslash countered by lifting its claws into the air as the ground began to shake violently, but Wigglytuff once again demonstrated her mastery of Rollout by simply hopping into the air before she could be caught by the tremors from the Earthquake.
  
  "Reflect, Wigglytuff!" She ordered, trying to set up the Reflect again after it had been previously interrupted by her need to Taunt the Sandslash. It was essential that this be set up.
  
  "Enough is enough. Overwhelm it with Stone Edge, Sandslash."
  
  But Giovanni moved swiftly to punish her attempts to set up. The incoming storm of rocks was devastatingly overwhelming. Even with the defence and shielding from the Reflect, Wigglytuff let out a cry of pain as she was constantly battered by the barrage of sharp rocks that endlessly slammed into her.
  
  To make matters worse, in the corner of her eye she could tell that a few rocks were lingering ominously around the battlefield, just waiting to strike at her next Pokémon. Giovanni had managed to sneak in a Stealth Rock in his Stone Edge.
  
  But that was a problem for later, "PSYCHIC!"
  
  With ease that came with repeated practice, Wigglytuff immediately fired off a Psychic that shattered the incoming rocks, buying her some much needed breathing room. But in that brief moment where she was focused on the rapid volley of rocks and the ever-present Sandstorm, she had lost track of Sandslash.
  
  Her eyes widened with alarm as she predicted what would happen next, "PROTECT NOW!"
  
  But her Wigglytuff couldn't react in time as Sandslash came erupting out from the ground with a Dig, slamming into Wigglytuff from below. Then it immediately followed up with a dual slash from its Metal Claws that, despite the Reflect shield, still shredded Wigglytuff's health. Just as they trained, Wigglytuff instinctively unleashed a point blank Hyper Voice that slammed into Sandslash, and the Sand Rush gave her the speed to smash another desperate Ice Punch to Sandslash's face.
  
  Yet Wigglytuff's lack of power showed itself once again, as her Ice Punch didn't hit hard enough to cause Sandslash to flinch - allowing it to counter with a Poison Jab that smashed into her mouth, silencing her Wigglytuff.
  
  Unfortunately, her Wigglytuff was never the tankiest of Pokémon, and she came crashing into the ground after taking that deadly combo of attacks.
  
  "Earthquake and finish it off, Sandslash."
  
  "THERE'S NO NEED!" She interrupted, "I'm retiring my Wigglytuff."
  
  Giovanni immediately raised an arm, and Sandslash quickly cancelled its Earthquake as Whitney withdrew her near-fainted Wigglytuff back into her ball.
  
  She let out a calming breath. Though it looked like she was on the backfoot, she had always recognized that besides her recently evolved Exploud and Miltank, none of her remaining Pokémon were really able to match Giovanni's Pokémon one-on-one like this.
  
  So the priority was to do as much damage as possible and, more importantly, set up some key moves that would help her real powerhouses to win the fight.
  
  That was why establishing that Reflect was so crucial for her next Pokémon.
  
  "Come, Exploud!"
  
  Her Exploud stomped onto the field to signal her arrival, but that was rudely interrupted as the Stealth Rocks that had been set up earlier suddenly jabbed into her sides. Using this brief moment of distraction, Sandslash immediately rushed to face down the new threat, incorrectly assuming that it could face Exploud the same way that it took down Wigglytuff.
  
  It was wrong.
  
  "Boomburst!"
  
  "Dig to dodge, Sandslash!"
  
  Sandslash immediately burrowed in the ground, intending to use the ground as a cover to dodge out of the way of Exploud's attack. But the Boomburst was not a regular attack that could be so easily dodged, as the pure physical force of the sonic waves literally ripped the ground out in front of it.
  
  The Boomburst tore out a huge trench in the ground as it blasted Sandslash out of its Dig, sending it flying from the sheer power of the attack alone.
  
  "Protect, Sandslash!"
  
  "Hit it again, Exploud!"
  
  As Sandslash flew through the air, it tried to set up a Protect shield in hopes of buying enough time for it to reorient itself. But that was a fool's dream, as Exploud had more than enough stamina to simply unleash another deafening boom of sonic power. So while the first was partially blocked by the Protect shield, Exploud simply set out another booming wave of ear-shattering energies that crashed painfully against the defenseless Sandslash.
  
  Sandslash even tried lifting its claws up in a desperate attempt to block out the tidal wave of aural energy, but it was a futile attempt. Sandslash's mediocre Special Defenses were nowhere near sufficient to allow it to withstand the power of tanking through repeated Boombursts, and it soon fell to Exploud's unrelenting onslaught of attacks. It was doomed the moment it had gotten caught in one of her Boombursts.
  
  Withdrawing his Sandslash, Giovanni wasted no time in sending out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Rhydon, it's your turn."
  
  Whitney blinked; not having expected to see Rhydon this early. She would have thought that Giovanni would have saved this for his last Pokémon. Why was he sending it out now?
  
  "Dig, Rhydon!"
  
  "Punish it with an Earthquake, Exploud!"
  
  To Whitney's complete confusion, just like its teammate before it, Rhydon immediately began burrowing into the ground. But all that did was to give her an easy opportunity to do heavy damage to it with an Earthquake.
  
  The ground shook and ripped apart at the seams as Exploud's Earthquake resonated explosively through it. But despite the damage, Giovanni made no effort to change course, instead just continuing to stare at Whitney with an implacable look on his face. But, upon closer inspection, it looked like he was giving her a really subtle look of warning.
  
  The realization of what Giovanni's plan was hit her a second too late, and Rhydon came ripping out of the ground as it bodied Exploud with its Dig.
  
  To Exploud's credit, it was ready for the surprise attack and recovered quickly enough to narrowly dodge out of the way of the incoming Hammer Arm. Exploud immediately tried to counterattack with an Ice Fang, but Rhydon moved quicker, slamming a harsh Brick Break to the face and sending Exploud reeling backwards.
  
  A frown fell on her face as she realised that that she had underestimated Giovanni's willingness to sacrifice his Rhydon's health just to sneak an attack in. No, it wasn't that much of a sacrifice anyways thanks to Rhydon's impressive defense.
  
  "Close the distance, Rhydon! Don't let up!" Rhydon roared and rushed forwards, rapidly closing the distance.
  
  "Ice Beam, Exploud! Hit it hard and make some distance!" She knew she had to deter Rhydon's approach. Her Exploud was still too frail to take hits like that.
  
  A beam of Ice was instantly unleashed from Exploud's gaping mouth, but Rhydon did its best to ignore it as it raised an arm in a partial attempt to block the attack. It wasn't very successful, and Rhydon let out a painful grunt as the Ice Beam began to freeze over one of its arms.
  
  But it bought Rhydon enough time to smash a Hammer Arm straight down onto Exploud's head, forcing Exploud's to eat dirt as her head was pummelled unceremoniously into the ground.
  
  But Exploud wasn't completely helpless, and it spun around to deliver a quick Low Kick that knocked Rhydon's legs out from under it. As Rhydon stumbled, Exploud forced her head off the ground and fired an Ice Beam that blasted Rhydon straight in the face.
  
  Rhydon growled in pain as its vision was blinded by the frost crystals that spread rapidly across its face, and it flailed its head wildly to try to shake off the crystals of ice. But another Ice Beam caught it in the chest, forcing Rhydon onto its knees from the pain of taking two back-to-back supereffective moves.
  
  Her Ice Beams were devastatingly effective.
  
  Another Ice Beam came charging up in Exploud's mouth, looking to finish off the vulnerable Rhydon. But that was when the ground shook violently and an eruption of rocks suddenly shot out from the ground and ripped through Exploud, causing her to grunt painfully as the rocks ripped through her; delivering a critical hit that left its Ice Beam forgotten as Exploud staggered backwards to her knees.
  
  Following up from that expertly delivered Stone Edge, Rhydon groaned as it tried to force itself to its feet to finish off the wounded Exploud - yet it remained trap within the cage of ice that kept it pinned to the ground, forcing Rhydon to carefully burn away the ice with a Fire Punch. At the same time, Exploud struggled but forced herself off the ground as she took laboured and pained breaths.
  
  It had been a quick and brutal battle that left both Pokémon seeing better days.
  
  The tubes scattered across Exploud's face were hanging limply, and the hits that she took to the jaw left her mouth bruised and unable to fully open. On the other hand, Rhydon was hardly doing better, with many patches of frost still scattered across its frame as an arm hung limply to its side. Even after having freed itself, its movements were still slow and stiff from the lingering vestiges from all of the Ice that it was struck by.
  
  In moments like these, it was commonplace for the trainers to stare each other down, allowing their Pokémon to take a breath while trying to predict whatever move the other was going to use and making a perfect counter to finish off the other Pokémon.
  
  But Whitney wasn't going to do that, and she didn't give Giovanni even a single moment to think.
  
  "BOOMBURST, EXPLOUD!"
  
  She saw the slight alarm in Giovanni's eyes as Exploud opened her mouth as wide as she could and unleashed a roaring explosion of noise, sending a tidal wave of aural energy towards the unprepared Rhydon.
  
  While Ice Beam would have done more damage, Exploud was more familiar with Boomburst and could fire it off far quicker and with less preparation.
  
  She was following an adage that she had learnt from Janine; it was better to hit fast and for less damage than to not hit at all. And in a situation where both Pokémon were basically on the verge of defeat, whoever struck first had every advantage.
  
  And Janine's words proved true. Caught unprepared like this, the slowed Rhydon had to cancel whatever it was planning as it shifted to pure defense, digging its heels into the ground to try to resist against the incoming tide of powerful sonic energy.
  
  However, despite normally resisting the Normal type attack with its Rock type, Rhydon was already so wounded that it could no longer hold its ground as Exploud's last burst of concentrated sonic energy overwhelmed its defenses and launched it backwards, helplessly flying through the air until it crashed unconscious near the edge of the arena.
  
  Exploud collapsed onto her knees, gasping and wheezing as she expended the last of her energies. Yet she had done all that she needed to, and Whitney sent a relieved and thankful nod towards her Pokémon before also retiring her from the fight.
  
  Exploud's endurance may still need more work, but her offense was unquestionably solid.
  
  "You've done quite well for yourself, Whitney." Giovanni smiled kindly at her as he withdrew his fallen Rhydon, "It's been a long time since someone so young has managed to push me to my final Pokémon."
  
  "Thank you, but I know the fight isn't over yet." She replied.
  
  "True enough, and I know you're just itching to make use of your Miltank, so I won't disturb your concentration any longer. Let's see how you deal with this." And with that, they both threw out their final Pokémon.
  
  "Miltank! Time to shine!"
  
  "Swampert."
  
  Whitney's eyes widened - she was NOT expecting this. Since when did Giovanni manage to get his hands on a Swampert? She didn't know Giovanni even had a Swampert. Was he training this up to be on his main team?
  
  She stared questioningly at Giovanni, but all he did was give her a knowing grin. Could he have been reading her thoughts?
  
  But a reassuring Moo came out from her partner, and she forced herself to focus on the fight. Her partner was right, those were thoughts for later. She gave a nod back to Miltank, telling her that she had her head back in the fight.
  
  Surprise or not, she trusted that her Miltank would handle it. After all, Swampert was not Tyrant.
  
  "Go for it, Miltank!"
  
  "Muddy Water, Swampert!"
  
  Shrugging off the annoyance of the Stealth Rocks, Miltank immediately broke out into her now signature Rollout as she started rolling across the battlefield, rapidly picking up speed as she charged towards the Swampert. In response, a huge tidal wave of brown and blue was unleashed, threatening to swallow Miltank in an endless wave of water.
  
  But Miltank simply bounced off the ground and into the air, easily avoiding the tidal wave before she was caught up in it.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Swampert! Shoot it out of the air!"
  
  A blue, swirling vortex of concentrated water started gathering in Swampert's mouth before a sweeping torrent of water blasted across the battlefield. But without even needing her to give any instructions, Miltank suddenly stopped herself in mid-air and slammed into the ground, continuing her rollout as she tunnelled into the ground before she could get hit by the Hydro Pump.
  
  "EARTHQUAKE, NOW!"
  
  Caught off-guard by Miltank's ridiculous mobility, Swampert tried to fire off an Earthquake, but it was too late.
  
  Miltank had reached her target.
  
  Swampert was sent reeling as Miltank smashed into it with the momentum of her fully charged Rollout, before transitioning into a Hammer Arm that sent Swampert's head crashing to the ground as Miltank brutally dragged its head across the coarse and rocky surface.
  
  Swampert immediately tried retaliating by snaking out with its fists, aiming straight for Miltank's soft belly, but Miltank caught its arm with one of her own before lifting Swampert into the air with her arms and suplexing it over her shoulder, slamming it painfully into the ground once again.
  
  And just like she had watched John's Slaking do countless of times in all of his battles, Miltank was trained to give Swampert no quarter. No chance to breathe. No opportunity to counterattack.
  
  All it could do was to suffer through Miltank's endless pummelling.
  
  Whitney knew that Swampert was probably the more powerful of the two Pokémon on paper. Miltank still had a long way to go before she could match the power or raw battlelust of John's Slaking. But what she lacked in power, she could make up for in pure, violent brutality.
  
  A Hammer Arm came crashing down once again straight into Swampert's face, cutting off the Ice Beam that it had been charging up in its mouth. But she didn't hit hard enough to stagger Swamper through its massive defenses, and Swampert lashed out with a Low Kick, trying to trip up Miltank and buy it time to recover.
  
  But despite tripping over, Miltank managed to hang on by grabbing onto Swampert's shoulders and smashing a savage Zen Headbutt into its face, keeping up the momentum of her attacks and never allowing Swampert an opportunity to reorient itself. Another Hammer Arm met Swampert face-first as she bashed a fist into the Water type, creating a hole in the ground.
  
  Yet even in the face of such a brutal offense, Swampert proved incredibly resilient as it tanked through another Hammer Arm to the face from Miltank and counterattacked with its own surprise Brick Break, striking deep into Miltank's stomach.
  
  The Normal type let out a pained groan, and Swampert forced itself up as it delivered a powerful uppercut to the chin that had Miltank's head snapping back.
  
  Her eyes narrowed as it looked like Swampert was about to regain the momentum. However, both trainer and Pokémon knew that to give up the momentum right now to Swampert was to lose the battle. Swampert was the better Pokémon.
  
  The momentum HAD to be regained. They could not afford to fall onto the backfoot, and both trainer and Pokémon knew it.
  
  "GIGA IMPACT! FINISH IT!" Whitney shouted, knowing that this would be the moment that she could finally take the first step into achieving her dream.
  
  And despite not being able to read minds, in that one moment, Whitney could FEEL the connection that she had to Miltank suddenly glowing with intensity. As if her hopes and dreams were suddenly transferred over into Miltank.
  
  Even though Miltank wasn't looking her way, she knew that - in this single moment - the two were in perfect sync with each other.
  
  Both Pokémon and trainer had the same dream. Had the same goal. They were raised together, they had grown up together, and they spent almost every waking moment with each other. The bond between trainer and Pokémon had long surpassed the traditional bonds of a trainer. They were family. They were partners. They were one in the same.
  
  And they WOULD NOT LOSE!
  
  Even though she was being knocked backwards, Miltank forced herself to regain her stance as her eyes suddenly grew alight with raw energy, with raw determination, before she exploded into an aura of orange and white. She left a huge gouge in the ground as she shot forwards, the pain from the Brick Break long forgotten, ripping through everything in her wake as she collided straight into the wounded and surprised Swampert, carrying it alongside her as she continued her charge.
  
  If Swampert was the final barrier from her achieving her dreams, then Miltank would SMASH past it.
  
  Swampert let out a painful wail as the two of them slammed into the Psychic barrier, causing a spiderweb of cracks to spread out from the point of impact while the barriers flickered uncertainly.
  
  But it didn't end there. Ignoring all of its built up exhaustion and injuries, Miltank was roaring with energy as she remained empowered by the hopes and dreams of her trainer.
  
  Suddenly, a white light filled the room once again. But it was not the familiar white light of an evolution. It was the threatening white and orange light of Miltank charging up yet another Giga Impact.
  
  Having seen Tyrant do so effortlessly over and over again, Miltank was now following in his steps.
  
  And with a deafening explosion and the sound of the psychic barriers shattering before her, Miltank charged forwards once again, blasting forwards like a rocket to the stars themselves as she crashed into the Swampert for the final time with another Giga Impact.
  
  The psychic barriers surrounding the arena were shattered. And with it, so was Swampert. She had broken through the final barrier on her path.
  
  She had won.
  
  A.N. Whitney has done it! Acquiring her 8th and final Gym Badge. Throughout all of Whitney's Gym Battles that I've shown, I've tried my best to portray Whitney's strength in a different way.
  
  With Flint and the Waterflower sisters, I showed off just how much stronger she was than a regular trainer. Then with Koga, I showed off her mastery of Rollout and what that allows her Miltank to do. With Blaine, I showed off her ability to work as a team to take down a much stronger opponent.
  
  And finally, with Giovanni, I tried to show that she is able to pick up everything that she had learnt thus far, from all of her friends and family, to overcome the last Gym Leader. And of course, I wanted to show off the bond that she had with Miltank, allowing the latter to surpass her usual limits and to take the first step into becoming the most ridiculous Miltank that's ever been seen.
  
  I really hoped you enjoyed it. And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-6 - Interlude - Bruno
  The New Normal - 9-6 - Interlude - Bruno
  
  Bruno let out a satisfying groan as he just completed his final stretch of the evening. He had just got done wrestling with his Onix, but he still wasn't able to lift the Rock type fully over his head yet.
  
  He'll manage it one day.
  
  As soon as he finished up with his stretches and shattered one last boulder with his fist, he made the short walk back into town to buy some new supplies. He walked into his favourite shop, greeting the staff with a familiar nod as he went about buying his essentials for the upcoming week.
  
  It was a strange feeling - this was the last time he was going to be doing this. After this week was over, he would be joining Steven in Hoenn as he promised. He would no longer need to buy supplies for himself, not with Steven reassuring him that his every need would be met.
  
  He made a mental note not to let himself become too used to the luxury. An overindulge in luxuries was bad for the spirit. And martial artists who lavished in their wealth were poor fighters, only good to be shown around like a prized Tauros. But utterly incapable in anactual fight.
  
  Shaking his head away from those thoughts, he finished up with his purchases before making his way out of the store and beginning his return trip to his tent on the outskirt of town.
  
  However, as soon as he stepped out of the store, he found himself blocked by a plain-looking young man with slightly greyish hair. He looked like someone who had just exited their teens, but there was a strange hint of familiarity in his appearance that he just barely failed to place.
  
  A normal person would have asked "Can I help you?". But Bruno chose to instead stare down this man, as if demanding a response.
  
  The man cracked quickly under his intense gaze, "Bruno. Apologies for disturbing you, but I hoped to ask you a few questions."
  
  "Ask." He allowed.
  
  "How do you plan on avenging your defeat?" The man asked him strangely.
  
  A curious and confused look appeared on Bruno's face, "I do not understand."
  
  Now it was the man's turn to be confused, "I mean to avenge your defeat against John! He beat your team! Ruined your chances of joining the Elite Four! Don't you want to reclaim your lost glory!?" The man questioned passionately, leaning forwards slightly.
  
  "No." Was all Bruno said, though he recognized that his response was far too brief so he elaborated, "I do not have any misgivings for John's victory over me. His Pokémon were the better fighters; the better warriors. There is no need for any ill feelings to have fallen between us. I respect him as a fighter, and I'm sure he does the same for me. There is nothing else that needs to be said. And certainly nothing to be avenged."
  
  But his words did not bring the man any comfort - rather, it seems to have aggravated him, "I don't understand how you're so nonchalant about this?! Didn't you try to challenge John to make your way into the Elite Four?! To prove yourself-"
  
  "You are mistaken." Bruno interrupted, "I did not make the challenge out of a desire for glory, nor for the position of Elite Four. None of those mattered to me. I merely challenged John as a means of testing my strength and skills. And I was found lacking."
  
  "...But you were made a laughingstock when you lost! You lost all your prestige and reputation!" The man sputtered out, as if trying to make sense of what Bruno was saying, "Look at yourself compared to Will. Will didn't even win a fight - and he's already adored in the public eye!"
  
  "I can feel that you are projecting your thoughts onto me." Bruno replied calmly, "But we are not the same person. We do not have the same goals or ambitions. Do not presume to assume my feelings based on the inadequacy that you must feel."
  
  Any martial artist that could not sense the pure envy that was radiating out of this man was a poor martial artist indeed. Idly, Bruno wondered why the young man was being so riled up. He wasn't close with John, but he figured John was someone that wouldn't make enemies like this.
  
  "In-Inadequacy?!" The man choked out, "I-I'm not feeling inadequate. No, I'm just looking to earn my rightful place among the Elite Four - before my future and glory were TAKEN from me. You know, I've been preparing for this moment for a long time. I've crafted the perfect plan - the perfect team - to defeat him. I WILL crush him, and show the world that his victory over me was the complete fluke that it was. I just don't understand why you don't feel the same."
  
  Bruno raised an eyebrow, "I may not be very close with John, but his strength is quite real. He has a long string of victories as proof." Unlike you, was what he refrained from saying.
  
  The man just let out a bitter snort, "He only managed to get so strong thanks to the resources and connections he got when he joined the Elite Four. If not for his lucky victory over me, he would never have been able to achieve all that he did. Instead, it would have been ME."
  
  Bruno was becoming impatient, "Your point being?"
  
  "I want you to train with me, make sure I can fix any small problems that I have in preparation for my challenge against him." He said, "You're a strong trainer with a good eye for this stuff, so surely you can help me out. And even more than that, I'll let you in on a plan that will FORCE John to fight us! He won't be able to say no!"
  
  Bruno let out a sigh. Normally, he would never turn down a request to train, but the sheer envy radiating off this man was unpleasant. He really would prefer not to spend any time around him, "I apologize, but I have my own commitments to attend to. I am afraid I would not have the time for it."
  
  "But you would be helping someone avenge your loss! You'd be helping me make sure John gets knocked off the position that he stole from me. And look at his past performance. He just drew against some nobody from Sinnoh. He's slipping! This is the perfect opportunity!"
  
  Bruno let out another tired sigh, he was basically repeating himself at this point, "As I said, I do not care for any of that. Now if you please excuse me." He moved to walk around this man, having ran out of patience for this conversation. He was wasting time that he could have been using to continue training.
  
  The man moved to stop him, but Bruno ignored him as he continued walking, no longer paying attention to whatever the man was saying. The spark of potential was there, but whatever strength the young man could have had was buried under a mountainous pile of envy.
  
  He snorted. The image of a raging Slaking smashing his Machamp into the ground with dismissive ease thoroughly disabused Bruno of the notion that John was slipping.
  
  If John was slipping, then what was he?
  
  As he walked away - the one thought that lingered in his mind was why this man looked so familiar to him. Bruno could have sworn that he had seen him before - but every time his name seemed to escape from his mouth.
  
  Letting out an annoyed sigh, he forced himself to drop the thought altogether. He was never good with faces, and there was no point wasting time thinking about a man that he would likely never see or hear off again.
  
  Especially not one so unpleasant.
  
  A.N. Something's stirring! The identity of this man will be revealed shortly, but I have sprinkled in a few hints. Kudos to those who work it out early!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-7 - To the Indigo Conference
  
  Time flew quickly after that. And in what felt like a blink of an eye, the Indigo Conference was starting up once again. It actually made me feel quite nostalgic - seeing the news talk about the many hopefuls and their predictions about who would win it all. This time last year, I was one of those hopefuls. And now, I was already an accomplished member of the Elite Four, with an unshakeable foundation that I leveraged into widespread popularity.
  
  It was incredible just how much could change in a year.
  
  In under a year, between my contributions to replacing Pryce with Lance, my proposals to push for and support a more unified Indigo, as well as my general support for Internationalism and for fostering good foreign relations, I had done much. More than I had expected.
  
  But outside all those political achievements, the thing I valued the most was the myriad of connections and friends that I had made. Even ignoring the political benefits of such friendships, they were all still excellent and vibrant personalities that were all unique, fun to be around, and who I wished to spend time with.
  
  Drake, Giovanni, Lance, Cynthia, Agatha...all these people were those that I was honoured to call my friends.
  
  And one of them was more than just a 'friend'.
  
  Cynthia and I tried to make as much of the moments that we had with each other. We both longed to physically be with each other, but with our current commitments, that was just unfortunately not feasible for the time being.
  
  That didn't mean to we didn't train together or share tips with each other, which Karen also joined in on. Having Cynthia and Karen spending time together wasn't nearly as awkward or as uncomfortable as I feared, though there was still a distinct tension between them.
  
  The two of them had spent some time talking together privately upon their first meeting, but I wasn't privy to their conversation nor would they tell me about it. Whatever the case, they seemed to have reached some kind of understanding or accord with each other.
  
  The tension and slight wariness was still there, but at least they were cordial and weren't sniping at each other. There was no overt hostility, which was good enough for me.
  
  Nevertheless, training together was a productive time. Karen helped a lot with training up Wraith to better master his Ghost type moves, and she even gave off some pointers to help Cyntha with her own Spiritomb. In the meanwhile, Cynthia helped Karen improve Tyranitar's speed, using her own experiences with training up her Garchomp as a guide.
  
  On my end, I also assisted Cynthia with her Togekiss, since I had a better understanding of Fairy type moves than she did.
  
  "I can't help but feel your Zoroark is quicker to listen to you than my Kleavor." Cynthia had muttered to me during one of our training sessions, "Yours is way more obedient than mine."
  
  "Maybe you're not friendly enough? Or you lack authority?" I jested.
  
  "Hmph. I don't hear you complaining about my friendliness when you were still here. If anything, it seemed like you really appreciated my friendliness." She shot back, "And I'll make you eat your words next time we meet. My Kleavor will overpower your Zoroark."
  
  "Try saying that AFTER you've got your Kleavor to listen to you." I smirked, "But sure - I welcome the challenge."
  
  "You're too smug for your own good. Watch out that your head doesn't become too big." She sniped, but there was no heat in it.
  
  "I'm perfectly humble." I replied, "I'm just being competitive. Not my fault that you bring out the competitiveness from within me."
  
  "Well...it's the same for me." She admitted, "It's nice to have someone to measure yourself against. Especially when that someone is so successful."
  
  "Aw. Thanks." I chuckled, "But you aren't doing so badly yourself. You've been on the news more than I've been!"
  
  The revelations of our discovery of the new Kleavor and Zoroark, coupled with her continued winning streak by knocking out Bertha and claiming victory over the second Elite Four, skyrocketed her reputation. Her clean victory against yet another member of the Elite Four solidified her reputation as a formidable trainer and valid candidate to become the next Champion, and now the public were waiting with baited breath to see if Flint or Lucian would put an end to her impressive run.
  
  "That's only because of the excitement of my first victory over Aaron and Bertha, and due to the 'discovery' of Kleavor and the Zoroark." She dismissed, "Also, John, sorry if your contributions to that were partially overlooked in Sinnoh. I did try to emphasize it in my interview, but it seemed like that part was mostly left out of all the newspapers."
  
  "It's fine, I was only there to be along for the ride anyways." I said easily, "Just make sure you're able to keep up your winning streak, or your rising reputation could quickly crumble."
  
  "You sound like you have no faith in me." She pouted, but she couldn't hold that expression for long before she broke out into a giggle, "But don't worry, I have things well in hand. All you need to do is cheer me on, as always."
  
  "It's a shame I can't cheer for you in person." I lamented.
  
  "There'll be an opportunity for us to meet up again." She replied, "We just have to count down the days until then, don't we?"
  
  I smiled at her optimism.
  
  Aside from my own personal developments, the past few weeks also saw plenty of other developments from other areas too.
  
  Our family business got recently placed in the spotlight once again as our Johto branch continued to expand, to the point where my parents were now really thinking about a possibility of an expansion to Hoenn, following my previous suggestion to expand to Mauville City.
  
  We still needed to check through with our accountants to see if such a plan would be viable, but if we were going to go ahead with it, then I was going to ask Joseph to honour his promise and lend us a hand in Hoenn to smoothen things out for us.
  
  Not to sound arrogant, but it helped that with my ever-increasing popularity, there was really no need for us to spend much money on advertisements. Just being tied and recognized to be THE brand of Elite John was enough. That was part of the reason that we could expand so much over the past year.
  
  Aside from all this, there were still the occasional committee meetings that I had to attend. But there was a feeling of unease that was spreading around the committee members. With this year's circuit ending, that meant election season was coming.
  
  Some of the committee members knew that they were on the chopping block, and were now desperately trying to land a big win in order to reverse their fates.
  
  That unease had spread to a few members of the Elite Four as well, since it also meant that more challengers were likely going to be coming. Obviously I was unaffected - I didn't think I was being arrogant to think that my position was more than secure. Barring any extraordinary trainers like Bruno, I was pretty secure in my position.
  
  But Will was a different story. He had yet to be formally challenged for his position and he knew that his turn was coming up any moment now. His strength wasn't secured, and the voices and whispers of doubt were slowly growing.
  
  There were still no challengers yet, but Will was not sitting easily.
  
  In comparison, Lorelei seemed to be charging full speed ahead - fully utilising her latest victory to her advantage. She had shed off her earlier hesitation; a far cry from how she was when she came in.
  
  Compared to when she had first joined, her reputation had improved greatly. She had mostly shrugged off the stigma of nepotism, especially from what I've heard of the work and connections that she's built through her efforts as the new leader of her new organisation, which she aptly called the Indigo Revenue Service (shortened to IRS), and she had regained her confidence as a trainer both in herself and in the public eye.
  
  I wasn't sure how much stronger she had gotten, but I assumed she was putting equal amounts of effort into her training like she was with her political ambitions.
  
  Putting all that aside, the Committee meetings themselves didn't really cover any topics that I found particularly interesting or made me want to step in. I still didn't think that my proposal to allow foreign Gym Leaders to take up local postings would be well-received at the moment, and so I was mostly content with hanging back and playing the neutral mediator.
  
  I was just happy to let any grievances that people had towards my old policies settle down and slowly be forgotten. After all, there was no need to get too involved and butt in on their discussions - that would only lead to me making unnecessary enemies.
  
  But that was where my new team of assistants came into play. Andrew and Emily, my two new hired assistants, did great in stepping in for me and helping me collect information that I would normally have to waste time and find. Most importantly, they got along well with Daisy, and they didn't seem to treat her any differently ever since she revealed her full name to them. She was learning much from their experience, and she was quite the fast learner.
  
  That was all I hoped for.
  
  Admittedly, I drew some amusement from the confused and strange looks that I got whenever Daisy ran up to me before a meeting to hand me a stack of documents. The fact that they all now knew that this little girl was actually Champion Oak's granddaughter had thrown them for a loop, especially because of how out of place a little girl was at a 'serious' and 'formal' committee meetings.
  
  The Elite Four all shared my amusement. Agatha was probably still cackling about it.
  
  Despite all the fun and games, Daisy was under strict orders to come to me if anyone dared to be rude or dismissive to her. She might be very mature for her age, but I had no intention of allowing her to deal with those kinds of people by herself.
  
  If that happened, then I promised her that I would step in and 'deal' with the problem on her behalf.
  
  Fortunately, nothing of the sort had happened yet, but I had really taken a shine to Daisy and her earnestness and diligent nature. Her budding interest in the Fairy type was also nice; I enjoyed teaching her more about the type and how she could improve her team.
  
  She always insisted that she wasn't much of a trainer, but seeing how she acted around her Pokémon, I inwardly begged to differ. She really could be an excellent trainer if she tried, and I couldn't help but try to push her to reach that potential.
  
  Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be seeing her taking on the Indigo Conference as a prospective challenger.
  
  That thought brought a smile to my face.
  
  "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome one and all to the grand opening of this year's Indigo Conference!" The voice of the announcer boomed out from the speakers that surrounded the stadium from all angles, "For those of you who have signed up to participate in the Open Qualifiers, please remember that the first battles begin two hours after the Champion's speech is over! So you may want to make your way there as soon as soon as possible!"
  
  I stood there in the middle of the stadium with my other Elite Four members, all of us standing stock still just a couple paces behind Lance. It wasn't just us though - just a few paces behind us, and all standing in two lines, were the 16 Gym Leaders of Indigo.
  
  Unfortunately, Walker wasn't in attendance. He must have still allowed his brother to keep the title of Gym Leader.
  
  Just as Lance had announced to us, he intended to use the time after the ceremony to host an 'informal' summit of the Gym Leaders and Elite Fours. Unfortunately, none of us had any speaking roles for the actual ceremony itself, so we all had to just stand around and wait for this to be done.
  
  And already, some of us looked far more enthusiastic about being here than others.
  
  Comparing Will and Agatha were like a study in opposites. Agatha looked like she wanted to glare at the audience for forcing her participation, while Will was practically preening at being a part of such a historical event. Lorelei was doing her best to NOT look at her uncle, but he was too busy being distracted glaring at Clair and Lance to really bother her.
  
  But more importantly, young Brock was here too instead of his regent, which was a good sign for his future prospects. Admittedly, he looked very out of place, considering how much younger he was than everyone else, but he was doing a good job holding a stiff upper lip and not looking too overwhelmed by everything.
  
  Naturally, as Champion, Lance was going to be the main speaker, which was why he went up to the podium as soon as the initial announcement was over. "Last year, our very own Elite John ended up sweeping through the many participants of the Indigo Conference and came out on top. From his victory, he has since joined with the Elite Four, and I'm sure there's no need to reiterate the many achievements that he has accomplished during his single year here."
  
  The crowd exploded into cheers, and Lance waited patiently for them to settle down slightly before continuing, "But - John's situation is not unique. After this year's Conference, that could be YOU! Every single one of you has the opportunity to achieve widespread fame and success! There is nothing stopping you from claiming the final victory, and allowing your name to be remembered in the annals of time!"
  
  "The Indigo Conference is YOUR opportunity to demonstrate your training, your ability, and your Pokémon to the wider world!" He raised his arms dramatically, "But it won't be an easy task. Look around you! Look at just how many aspiring trainers there are - all of them sharing the same dream as you do!"
  
  "AND YET! There can only be one winner. Only one person that can rise above the rest and be honoured with the opportunity to challenge and make their way into the Elite Four! So SHOW US your potential! SHOW US your strength! SHOW US that you have what it takes to sweep through the competition!"
  
  Lance took a dramatic step forwards, his voice coming out loud and clear and filled with genuine emotion, "SO WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO THIS YEAR'S INDIGO CONFERENCE! AND MAY THE BEST TRAINER WIN! WE WILL BE WAITING!"
  
  The crowd roared out - their applause rising to deafening heights. Even us Elite Four members joined in on the clapping; Lance's speech was miles better than the almost monotone one that we got from Pryce - I could still remember his droning voice even to this today. In comparison, even I found Lance's speech to be emotive and moving - and I wasn't even participating!
  
  With Lance's speech done, we returned to the less dramatic ritual explanation of the rules and regulations of this year's Indigo Conference, as well as a rundown of the schedule of the Open Qualifiers. Of course, everyone who had signed to the Open Qualifiers should have already been aware of their schedule, but this was mostly for the benefit of the people watching at home.
  
  As this was just the Open Qualifiers, there was not going to be a proper opening ceremony. That was reserved for the Preliminary Rounds, which everyone considered to be the 'true' beginning of the Indigo Conference. The Open Qualifiers were generally seen to be an uninteresting necessity to the Indigo Conference, which was an opinion that I agreed with.
  
  Ultimately, the lack of restrictions to join the Open Qualifiers, aside from getting all 8 badges, meant that the quality of trainers heavily varied. And it was not uncommon to see very one-sided matches during their fights. The Preliminary Rounds were generally where you saw the more exciting and evenly balanced fights. I really hope Whitney and her friends were able to at least get to this stage, which was be a huge achievement for someone as young as they were, even if I knew it was going to be tough for them to do so.
  
  ...I was supposed to meet her after the ceremony. I wondered what she was doing now?
  
  (Whitney POV)
  
  To her immense happiness and relief, Sabrina and Janine also managed to make it past Giovanni and collected their 8th and final Gym badge alongside her.
  
  She didn't know what she'd do if any of them were left behind and became ineligible to compete in the Indigo Conference. They had to do this together!
  
  Admittedly, their victory over Giovanni was as nail-bitingly close as hers was. Of the three of them - Sabrina pulled off the most convincing victory. Her agile and Special-Attack focused Psychic types were more suitable at avoiding Giovanni's attacks and were able to break through his defenses more effectively with their barrage of super-effective moves.
  
  It also helped that her Kadabra took that moment to evolve into an Alakazam.
  
  But it was more surprising, and relieving, that Janine also managed to scrape a win against Giovanni. Out of the three of them, she had the hardest battle, especially with her Type disadvantage against Giovanni.
  
  However, her Toxic stall strategies worked as well as ever, and she focused on pure evasion to keep her Pokémon long enough in the fight that Giovanni's Pokémon eventually succumbed to the Toxic. It didn't really matter how hard Giovanni's moves COULD hit if he wasn't able to land them. Or worse for Giovanni, even when he DID land the hit it led to a Destiny Bond double KO that stole all of his momentum away from him.
  
  Overall, Janine had utterly refused to play Giovanni's game of matching bruiser against bruiser.
  
  It was still a very tough battle for Janine, and Whitney did suspect that her tactics wouldn't work nearly as well if Giovanni was actually using his proper team. She explained that to her friends, and they all let out a sigh as they saw, once again, just how much further they still needed to go.
  
  After all, their Pokémon were still not all fully evolved!
  
  Nevertheless, a win was a win. And after a jolly night or two of celebration they had now all gathered at the Indigo Plateau.
  
  Whitney had told her friends that she wanted to listen to Lance's speech and say hi to her brother and deliver the good news to him personally, so her friends accompanied her. They had already signed up to join the Open Qualifiers, and luckily their matches were all on the same day, in two days' time, and fortunately not against each other.
  
  She didn't dare to even entertain such a thought.
  
  That was why they were all in the audience stands, idly listening as Champion Lance wrapped up his speech.
  
  "I think Father approves of Lance's speech." Janine said, barely being able to be heard over the roars of the crowd.
  
  "How could you tell?!" Whitney shouted back, fighting to be heard.
  
  "He's not frowning as hard as he usually does." Janine replied as if such a thing was obvious. Whitney just shot her an unamused look.
  
  "Actually, it's not just him." Sabrina added, "Looks like the rest of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four seem pretty taken with his speech. Even your brother."
  
  A quick glance towards her brother had Whitney nodding in agreement.
  
  With the speech over, they decided to head out and grab some food from one of the many food stalls that had been set up around the large stadium. They had all agreed to get in some last minute training done before the gauntlet of fights that was about to occur.
  
  The three of them all split up to grab a bit to eat. But just as Whitney walked up to a store to buy some food, a young man suddenly stepped in front of her. His slightly greying hair was quite distinct.
  
  "Excuse me, but are you Whitney? The Normal specialist who just beat Giovanni?" He approached, a polite but hesitant expression on his face.
  
  Whitney was surprised, but that didn't stop her from responding, "Yes, I am! How can I help you?"
  
  The man smiled, "Oh, wow! This is quite the honour! I've actually been quite the fan of yours for some time." He seemed a little nervous, but Whitney didn't care. Did she actually have a fan?!
  
  "Really!?" She exclaimed excitedly. She ACTUALLY had a fan! "How did you become a fan?! I'm so curious!"
  
  He rubbed his head sheepishly, "Haha, well I was just browsing the Pokénet one day and I stumbled across your battle against Koga by accident." He explained, "But then I was shocked by what I saw. I think that was the first time I've seen a Miltank do that. THAT really caught my interest."
  
  "After that, I also caught your performance against Blaine - which was incredible by the way - and then I recently saw your battle against Giovanni. They were all really impressive, and I don't think I've seen someone utilise Normal types so effectively before." He said.
  
  "I immediately knew then that you would go far in life." He concluded with a smile, "So I knew when I spotted you in the crowd just now, I couldn't stop myself from saying hi."
  
  "Hehehe...thank you so much." Whitney chuckled, failing to keep the happiness from blossoming on her face.
  
  "Actually....if you don't mind, would you like to battle?" He asked a little awkwardly, his head turning to the ground as if he was ashamed. "I've always wanted to see how I would fare up against you. Oh, and don't worry. This would just be a friendly match, so feel free to use your less trained Pokémon. I'm not as strong as you are."
  
  "Sure!" she immediately responded, eager to show off to a fan of hers. AND it would be another opportunity to train up! "Actually, let's go about this right now!"
  
  "Excellent!" The young man grinned widely. "Come this way, I know just the spot for our battle. Thank you so much for agreeing to this. You don't know how happy you've made me. I really was hoping you'd say yes."
  
  "Hehe, it's okay. I'm just happy to have a fan!" She giggled excitedly, "Come on, I'll race you there!"
  
  And then she zoomed off, following after her first fan to their new training spot. Despite her excitement, she didn't forget to send a quick text to the girls to let them know what was happening. Hopefully they could come over and watch!
  
  This was going to be so cool!
  
  (John POV)
  
  With Lance's speech done, we were all finally allowed to retire and exit the stage. We all gathered around in one of the available meeting rooms provided by the stadium to host the meeting.
  
  But having over twenty people stuffed into one meeting room was...very cramped. Especially when you consider people like Chuck and Surge needed more space than usual.
  
  Lance began without any fanfare, explaining the need for all of us to remain alert for any future infiltrations by these criminals. No one, not even Pryce, disagreed on that point, and we all collectively promised to stay alert and ready to respond to outside threats - which practically meant making sure their branches of the Indigo Police were all well-funded and trained, and that the public could actually see us working together.
  
  With that done, Lance moved on to addressing the more personal concerns of each respective Gyms. The rest of us just decided to use the time to mingle around, just chatting and building up connections with everyone here. I did my best to talk to Gym Leaders that I hadn't really interacted with yet, but I wasn't really sure how successful I was.
  
  Agatha and Pryce almost instantly got into a verbal spar, spewing insults at each other. I don't think anyone expected anything different.
  
  At least Jasmine seemed to be happy to talk to me. Though I suspected that was because of the hero-worship at play after what I did at Olivine.
  
  It was then that I felt my phone ring, and I opened it happily as I saw that it was my sister calling.
  
  "Hey, sis. What's up? Kinda in a meeting right now." I picked up.
  
  But the person that responded was decidedly NOT my sister. "John, it's Sabrina. Can you get over here now?"
  
  "Why? What's wrong?" I suddenly asked, recognizing the anger in her voice.
  
  "It's Whitney. She...fought against someone she shouldn't have. And lost. But that's not the problem. He tricked her, and hurt two of her Pokémon badly. Intentionally so. She thought it was going to be a friendly match...but we're now at the Pokémon Center to recover. She's not taken this well." She explained curtly, but I could hear the distress in her voice.
  
  "I'm coming over now." I replied, quickly hanging up the phone and immediately heading over there now.
  
  I walked up to Lance, uncaring that I had just interrupted his conversation, "I need to leave. It's personal."
  
  He looked surprised at the steel in my voice, and just nodded, "...Right, okay. If it's urgent, then I wish you all the best with whatever you're dealing with." I nodded, giving him a brief word of thanks before heading out.
  
  My sudden departure drew some curious looks from a few people, but no one really tried to stop me, likely seeing the look I had on my face.
  
  Except one.
  
  "I know that look on your face." Giovanni whispered as he followed after me, "Do you need any help?"
  
  "I'm not sure." I replied, not even stopping to look at him as my fists clenched in anger.
  
  "But I intend to find out."
  
  A.N. Something's happening! Find out more soon! But someone's about to have a bad time.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-8 - Growing Wrath
  
  I hurried out of stadium and rushed over to the nearby Pokémon Center, immediately finding Sabrina and Janine hovering over protectively over my tearful sister.
  
  Sabrina's eyes immediately snapped to mine as I arrived, "Don't push her." She warned me, and I gave off a stiff nod.
  
  Janine patted Whitney once more on the shoulder before she stood up, walking away with Sabrina and leaving the two of us alone.
  
  I slowly took a seat next to my sister, seeing that her tears had yet to dry. My anger rose, but I held it back.
  
  Now was not the time for it.
  
  "Are you okay?" I asked softly, taking extra care to make sure my anger wasn't audible in my voice.
  
  "...My Pokémon..." She sniffed out, "...They're hurt."
  
  "I'm sure they'll be fine, sister. The Nurse Joys will be able to help them." I reassured her gently, but my eyes shot to the nearest Nurse Joy, as if daring them to refute my statement. They hesitated for a moment, but returned a small nod, with eyes full of sympathy.
  
  "...But if it's okay, could you tell me what happened?" I asked gently.
  
  "...It was a Scizor and a Poliwrath." She revealed after a shared moment of silence, "It was strong. Stronger than me. But that...that's not why I lost."
  
  "He...he said it would just be a friendly match so that we could train up our weaker Pokémon, and I believed him." She continued, sobbing as she did, "It was a 2v2...so I sent out Wigglytuff and Girafarig. I had Wigglytuff distract Scizor and try to wear it down, and Girafarig to blast them at a distance...but Scizor just rushed forwards and smashed...smashed Girafarig into the ground. And then it did the same to Wigglytuff while Poliwrath pinned down my Girafarig."
  
  "I knew immediately I was outmatched, so...so I told him to stop. But...but he didn't listen. He just kept going - and pummelled and smashed both my Pokémon again and again into the ground."
  
  She sniffed, "I screamed for him to stop, and I tried recalling my Pokémon, but he...he still hit them with a Pursuit from Scizor. And my Wigglytuff...she was wailing out in pain. By the time I recalled both of them, they were so hurt. I'd never seen them this injured in my life. It's...I still remember how they were laid out in front of me, broken and in pain."
  
  New tears leaked out of her eyes, "I failed them, John. I shouldn't have taken the fight. The Nurse Joys...they said that they were so hurt that it would take them some time to heal."
  
  "You did not fail them." I said firmly, "I've seen how your Pokémon look at you. You have their full trust and love. You could never fail them, not when you've already done so well for them. And the Nurse Joys didn't say your Pokémon won't be able to heal fully, just that it'd take some time."
  
  "I got careless." She mumbled quietly, "I...I wanted to show you how strong I got after beating Giovanni...I thought I was strong."
  
  "No. You couldn't have known." I immediately replied, not liking the path that she was taking with this conversation even as I filed that titbit of her earning her 8th Gym Badge for later, "And even then, it wasn't your fault. The other trainer, whoever they are, should have known better than to use so much force on a weaker enemy."
  
  "I thought he was just a fan!" Whitney blurted out, the hurt evidence in her voice, "I thought...I thought it was just going to be a fun battle!"
  
  My fists clenched tightly, with my fingernails digging deep into my skin. Despite my urge to ask more about this 'trainer', I had more urgent priorities, "Well it's not your fault for being tricked." I comforted, but I could see that she could not be convinced at the moment.
  
  Deciding I needed to take a different route, I released Klee into the Pokémon Center.
  
  "Bliss? Blissey!" Klee asked curiously as she was released, before making a beeline for Whitney as soon as she saw her tears.
  
  "Blissey! Bliss! Bliss!" Klee quickly wiped off the tears from Whitney's eyes and immediately began mothering her, the concern evident on her face. Whitney just sat there listlessly as she allowed Klee to do her work.
  
  The sight of my sister - my bright and energetic sister - acting so lifeless and depressed caused something in me to snap.
  
  I was not normally one for anger. But this was an exception that I'd willingly make.
  
  But once again, I took a deep breath, forcefully calming myself down as I reminded myself that now was not the time for anger. My sister, nice as she was, would not be happy if she saw me get angry on her behalf. Even now, despite all the pain she was in, not once had she expressed a single hint of rage at what happened to her.
  
  Fortunately, she had not been completely robbed of her pure innocence. She could recover from this.
  
  "Hey, Whitney, why don't we head out somewhere? Somewhere fun. We haven't hung out together as just brother and sister in some time, right?" I suggested.
  
  "...I want to wait for my Pokémon to heal." She tried to insist, but I shook my head.
  
  "Waiting around here isn't going to change anything. Trust me, your Pokémon will be fine. In fact..." I walked up to a Nurse Joy, who had so far been spectating this situation with a familiar sadness on her face. "Excuse me, would you care to allow my Blissey to help yours with the healing process of my sister's Pokémon? I'll come back soon to collect her."
  
  The Nurse Joy mustered up a small smile, "Of course, Elite John. Please, right this way." She motioned towards Klee to follow after her, and Klee did so after giving Whitney one more reassuring hug and a cheerful "Bliss!".
  
  I took my sister's hand in mine, "Come on, Klee will help take care of your Pokémon. Have you eaten?" She shook her head, "Then let's go get you some food."
  
  "...But my Pokémon might be too hurt to participate in the Conference." She mumbled, but she still walked after me.
  
  I patted her on the head, "Silly sister - don't you trust Klee? She'll heal up your Pokémon in no time. And besides, you have plenty of time to heal before fighting off against the really difficult opponents - I'm sure even with injured Pokémon you'll do fine in the Open Qualifiers."
  
  "And besides, only your Girafarig and Wigglytuff got hurt right? You can still use your other Pokémon. Your Exploud and Miltank will be enough." I tried to comfort.
  
  She remained silent at that. But I could tell some of my words had gotten through to her.
  
  I made sure she was saddled up properly on Port as I continued to try to distract her, "Hey, have I shown you my new project in Cerulean yet?" She looked up to me, a hint of interest flashing through her eyes as she shook her head. I smiled, "Well let's go then! I think you'll like it."
  
  So off we flew towards Cerulean City. During the flight, I made sure to keep up with my small talk to make sure that my sister wasn't alone with her thoughts. As long as she was engaging me in conversation, then she wasn't thinking about what happened.
  
  And it was working. I could feel the sadness slowly leaving her eyes as the bright and energetic energy that she always possessed slowly returned.
  
  I also made sure to send a text to Sabrina, letting her know where we had gone. I also subtly asked if she knew who the trainer was that did this to my sister.
  
  "He didn't introduce himself." Sabrina texted back, "But I only saw the end of their battle. He just walked away, not saying anything else. I would recognize him if I saw him again though." That was frustrating.
  
  "Please keep an eye out for him, and let me know if you see him again. And thanks again for comforting my sister." I wrote.
  
  "We had to. And I will." She texted.
  
  The two of us landed in Cerulean City shortly after. And as we hopped off of Port, Port must have sensed the lingering unhappiness in Whitney's expression because he playfully squirted with a small burst of water.
  
  "HEY!" She squawked, only to be the target of more squirting. Then the target switched to me, but this time, Port let loose with a much greater blast of water - enough to knock me on my feet, soaking wet.
  
  "OI!" I shouted out indignantly, but Port just let out a playful chuckle as he shot me with another torrent of water, turning me into little more than a wet mop.
  
  Whitney giggled at the sight.
  
  After a short round of me being soaked, I returned Port to his Premier Ball and escorted my mostly dry sister to the nearby Cerulean Cave.
  
  I wasn't wearing a disguise, but fortunately, there were luckily no reporters stalking us in sight. After all, most if not all of them were currently occupied with the Indigo Conference and the Open Qualifiers, probably interviewing a whole bunch of hopefuls to find a compelling narrative that they could use in their next headline.
  
  So we weren't harassed by any untimely reporters, which was really good because I did NOT have the patience to deal with them at the moment. After a short walk, we arrived at the entrance of Cerulean Cave, where a large construction site was setting up for its redesigning.
  
  A foreman came down as soon as he saw me, "Elite John, it's a pleasure to see you today. Is there anything I can help with?"
  
  "I'm just showing my sister around. But I would prefer not to be interrupted today." I stated politely, but with a firm look in my eye. The man took the hint.
  
  "Understood. I'll pass it around." He wished me a good day and backed off. What a good man.
  
  Whitney and I walked closer to get a better look at the construction efforts, with my sister occasionally asking me a few questions about what they were doing.
  
  "The original entrance to the Cerulean Cave was too inconspicuous." I replied, as we stared at the construction work that was being done on the entrance, "It really just blended in with the surroundings a bit too much, and you could barely see it from a distance. So we decided to try to build the entrance up a bit - make it look more appealing and inviting."
  
  "So more people come visit?" Whitney asked.
  
  "That's part of the reason." I nodded, "But we're trying to sell this as an experience for strong and ace trainers, partially because of how powerful the Pokémon inside are. So the appearance of the cave has to LOOK the part of an Ace-level challenge."
  
  "...Do you think my friends and I could visit here?" She tilted her head at me.
  
  "...Maybe give it some time." I said after thinking it over, "The Pokémon inside are really quite strong, and I'm not exactly comfortable with letting you into such a dangerous area just yet. Not until your Pokémon are a bit stronger."
  
  "On that note, it's why we're planning to set up a testing area to ensure that whoever goes in has the necessary strength to hold their own inside there." I continued, "Of course, we'll be doing our best to ensure the experience inside never gets too dangerous, but we must ensure that each person that comes in at least has a certain level of strength."
  
  "When do you think I can reach that, bro?" She asked, turning her no-longer puffy eyes towards me.
  
  I reached down to pat her on the head, "You'll get there eventually. You've already done so well getting all 8 Gym Badges you know? I'm already so very proud of you for that."
  
  I was about to pull my hand back, but then my sister pulled me into a tight hug, "Thank you, John. I...I'll get stronger, so I don't lose to someone like that ever again." She mumbled into my shoulder, but I didn't feel my shoulder turning wet.
  
  "It's okay to lose." I replied with a gentle smile, realizing she had stopped crying. "You don't have to win every match that you fight."
  
  "And don't forget - you can always call me for help if you need it." I said softly, "I'll always come running as soon as I can."
  
  "Thank you." Was all my sister needed to say, before her head drooped and I felt her relaxing in my arms. She must have been tired from everything that had happened today.
  
  So I picked her up with both arms, carefully positioning her as I lifted her onto my back. Then, with my free arm, I released Klaus and had him carry the both of us home, where I gently nestled my sister back into her room, allowing her to take a well-deserved rest.
  
  Seeing her sleeping soundly drew a relieved breath from me - and I took a photo of it to send to Sabrina, reassuring her that Whitney was doing fine.
  
  But as soon as I shut the door to Whitney's room, my face dropped the calm and gentle smile that I had plastered on for my sister.
  
  The wrath that I had suppressed bubbled up to the surface. How dare someone do this to my sister?!
  
  I stomped down to the living room, glad that my parents weren't home. They deserved to know what happened, but not right now.
  
  Not when my sister remained unavenged.
  
  But the first step was finding out who this man was. Sabrina provided me with a general description of his appearance, but nothing that was described about him seemed at all familiar to me. He just seemed to be a plain, generic young man. The only really unique feature about him was his greying hair, despite his youthful looks. After a few more questions to Sabrina, she confirmed that she saw him withdrawing his Poliwrath and Scizor just as Whitney recounted. But that didn't really give me anything to work off.
  
  More importantly, Sabrina had briefly sensed the malice and anger that the man seemed to radiate, but she said that none of it felt directed to my sister. Frow how Sabrina described it from the brief glimpse she had, it felt that the man was just venting his anger at Whitney, but she was not the target for his malice.
  
  I suspected that meant that his actions against Whitney was meant to serve a greater purpose. However, considering Whitney's connections and the fact that the man had left Janine and Sabrina alone, I began to suspect that his real target was me.
  
  I wracked my brain to think of anyone who could have a personal vendetta against me. But I hit a roadblock. The people that I had pissed off the most - and who would have an actual reason to target me - were the criminals that I had ravaged all the way to Sinnoh. But that didn't match - a criminal wouldn't have been satisfied with just hurting my sister's Pokémon. He would have pushed a lot further than that.
  
  But that left me stumped. No one came to mind. And my frustration only grew.
  
  However, before the frustration could take a hold of me, my phone rang. I was tempted not to answer it, but then I relented when I saw it was Karen.
  
  "Hello?" I picked up, trying to not let my anger be audible.
  
  "Tell me what's wrong." Karen all but demanded, "Agatha saw the look on your face when you walked out of the meeting - and she told me that she's never seen you as angry as you looked then."
  
  "Don't you have a battle to fight? I thought your Open Qualifier matches were today." I asked, trying to deflect.
  
  "Don't try to change the topic; you know I've already beaten them. It's why I could only call now." She stated, "Now, tell me what's wrong."
  
  I sighed, "It's about Whitney..." I then began to give her a thorough explanation of everything that happened.
  
  "Oh." Was all that Karen uttered after my finished my explanation.
  
  "I see. So someone targeted sweet Whitney to get to you?" She asked, her tone completely blank. But I could tell that was underneath the façade of calm was a volcano of anger that was threatening to erupt. I knew she treated Whitney as the younger sister she never had, so she cared about her as much as I did.
  
  "That's my best guess." I confirmed.
  
  "Do you know what this person looks like?" She asked, and I gave her a quick rundown of the man's appearance, and the Pokémon he was seen with.
  
  "...One moment. I'll call you right back." She said before abruptly hanging up.
  
  I blinked; staring blankly at my phone. Did Karen figure something out?
  
  I didn't have to wait long for Karen, because she called me back a few moments later. "Can you call up Sabrina for me? I'd like to confirm something with her."
  
  I complied, and the three of us, and Janine, fell into a conference call.
  
  Karen started us off, "Sabrina, Janine, can you give me a description of the man's clothes. How tall was he? I want every detail."
  
  Sabrina nodded, "He was about John's height. Seems like he was in his early twenties, or around that. Looked young, but he was wearing a long-sleeved grey dress shirt that matched his hair. No glasses, but he had a nice-looking watch on his wrist."
  
  "Did he look like this?" Karen asked, putting a picture that she had recently printed to the screen. My eyes went wide - I knew who this was!
  
  "Yes. He does." Sabrina confirmed, with Janine nodding in agreement. "Who is he?"
  
  "Shin." Karen answered before I could.
  
  "Who's that?" Janine asked confusedly, but I saw the recognition in Sabrina's eyes.
  
  "I'm not surprised you don't know - he fell into obscurity after his loss to John in the finals of last year's Indigo Conference." Karen explained, "But before that, he was THE trainer that many in Johto thought was going to win the Indigo Conference and take the whole thing home. In fact, he was slated to become the next member of the Elite Four, until his loss against John."
  
  "I had to study him a lot in the past, because Agatha had plans for him." Karen continued, "Those plans have all since faded away, but I could recognize that greying hair from anywhere. So when you mentioned that one specific characteristic, my mind instantly went to him."
  
  Karen's words took some time to register in my mind. I had forgotten about Shin. He had just been the final challenge for me to defeat during my run through of the Indigo Conference, and I hadn't heard hide nor hair of him since.
  
  If he hadn't done what he did, then I MIGHT have felt bad for robbing him from his chance to make it big and join the Elite Four. After all, I remembered him not being such a bad guy when I first met him.
  
  But now, those positive feelings have all died a swift death. Only leaving my vengeful anger.
  
  "Shin..." I growled, "So was he the one to hurt Whitney?"
  
  "He was." Sabrina confirmed, and I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. I finally had my target.
  
  "...Thank you, you two. Feel free to visit our house if you want to speak to Whitney. I'll speak to you both later." I said to them after a moment before ending the call with them, leaving me with Karen.
  
  "...Do you want me to come over?" She asked.
  
  "If you want. I need to think, but you can come to say hi to Whitney. I'm sure she'd appreciate it." I replied.
  
  "I will be." She nodded, "See you soon."
  
  I let out a small smile despite myself, "Thank you. Talk to you later."
  
  I hung up the call and began pacing around the room, I tried to figure out what Shin wanted from me. Why would he go after Whitney? His victory over her meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Was he doing this only to rile me up? But why do so?
  
  What was his plan?
  
  I collapsed onto the sofa and went through my phone, browsing through anything that I could find of him. And just like Karen had said, he really was quite the big deal before he ended up losing against me. I remembered that too - just like me, he was the perfect underdog rags to riches story, apparently having come from a lowly middle class background with no ties to any Gym Leaders or Elite Four member.
  
  But I had the exact same story, and my victory over him knocked him out of the public spotlight. There was nothing on him ever since.
  
  Was this why he was coming after me? Out of some misplaced jealousy that festered and transformed the rather pleasant young man that I knew to do something that could brutalize a young child's Pokémon to get his revenge?
  
  My rage grew just thinking about it. My sister had to suffer for something as inane as this?
  
  But then my browsing was interrupted as my phone rang again, and I blinked as I saw Karen was calling again. "Hello? What's the matter?"
  
  "John, turn on the TV and watch the news." She said immediately, and I curiously moved to do so.
  
  And my anger flared up as I was suddenly met with the person that I had just been thinking of this whole time. Shin was there, standing in the open, apparently giving an interview to some reporters.
  
  "...And you think you can show how much you have improved over the past year?" He was asked.
  
  "Yes. I can." Shin replied with a smile that I couldn't help but think looked fake, "I'm not sure if John would accept such a fight, with how busy he is as a member of the Elite Four, but surely he could have time for his old rival back in the Indigo Conference? And plus, I think a fight between us would be just the thing to encourage and inspire the new generation. Show them what it's like to fight at a really high level, and a show match between us would be a great way to start off the Indigo Conference. I'm sure others would agree."
  
  "You seem very confident about your chances this time around." A reporter observed, "No wonder you asked us for this interview."
  
  "Well of course. I've pushed myself really hard ever since the previous Conference, and I've not had the commitments and distractions that John no doubt had to deal with as an Elite Four. And everyone knows that's he been slipping since his disappointing draw against that trainer from Sinnoh. So I'm sure that I'll be able to put on a much stronger showing than last year - maybe even surpass him entirely." Shin responded, that kind smile of his never leaving his face.
  
  I already wanted to punch him.
  
  "And from all of John's many achievements, I don't think he'll turn down a battle like this. After all, everyone knows his strength as a trainer is waning, and I'm sure he'll be looking for another opportunity to prove his strength. No Elite Four could dare be seen as weak, after all."
  
  "So do you think you could actually win against him?" Another questioned.
  
  "Definitely. If you don't mind me saying this, but I think John's reputation is slightly overblown due to his actions against the criminals. It was praiseworthy, but criminals aren't known as the strongest." Shin stated, "He's not fought a serious, proven opponent since his victory over Drake, but that was quite some time ago and had no stakes involved. Bruno wasn't even an Elite Four. If anything, I think I'm about to give him a little bit of a wakeup call. And even if he does lose, it's not like he'll lose his position in the Elite Four because of it. At most he'll just have some egg on his face."
  
  "Those are some fighting words! Such confidence from you, even though John won a decisive victory against you last time!" A reporter chuckled, and in that one moment I saw a small crack appear in Shin's kindly and magnanimous façade.
  
  "Yes...well, it won't happen again. This time things will be different." He said, before turning to face the camera, "And John - if you're watching this. Please don't disappoint me. We can just have a little FRIENDLY challenge! There doesn't need to be any stakes between us. I really do hope you accept."
  
  "...So he's thrown down the gauntlet, what are you going to do now?" Karen asked me. I knew it was all a bait; he had targeted Whitney to get me to accept this fight. But...
  
  "I will accept, of course." I replied immediately, standing up from my table as I switched off the TV. "After all, he's been kind enough to inviteme to a match. Who would I be to refuse such a welcoming gesture?"
  
  Indeed, Shin - this time, things WILL be different.
  
  A.N. And John finds his target. Shin's riling things up, throwing down the gauntlet against John. But has he bitten off more than he could chew? Hope you enjoyed this.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-8 - Intermission
  The New Normal - 9-8 - Interlude - Intermission
  
  (John POV)
  
  Putting down my phone, I walked out of the house and back into the training fields. Right after my talk with Karen, Cynthia had called, apparently having coincidentally having watched Shin's challenge against me on TV. She asked me how I was doing, and I utterly failed to hide how livid I was.
  
  I gave her a quick rundown on what happened and what we discovered, and my girlfriend quickly shared my rage and anger. I half-expected her to tell me to calm down, but she had other plans in mind.
  
  "I can tell I won't be able to calm you down, so all I will say is this." She said firmly, "Crush this man. He has hurt someone you loved - so there is no need to hold back. Use everything you can to break him until he doesn't dare to challenge you again."
  
  "The world has seen your nicer side - but it's time to unleash your Pokémon's full potential. I know what your Pokémon are capable of, so it's now time to remind the world once again. Show them why your strength should NEVER be challenged."
  
  That was probably more supportive than anything else she could have said.
  
  Returning back from my own thoughts, I saw that the farmhands were mostly off for lunch, so there were none to disturb me as I released Tyrant into the field.
  
  Tyrant emerged silently, simply staring off into the distance as I was doing. A moment of silence stretched out between us, but neither one of us felt the need to say anything. He could sense my emotions - there was no need for me to explain how I was feeling.
  
  Tyrant had grown up with Whitney. He watched her grow, just as I did. He watched her smile and laugh, just as I had. He watched her train with her Pokémon and create an unbreakable bond of love with them, just as I saw. To see her hurt like that was more effective of a motivator than anything I could have said, and his blood boiled just as mine did.
  
  As ever, Pokémon and trainer were of one mind. My rage was his, and his was mine.
  
  "...King?" He grunted out a question after a small period of silence.
  
  "...This isn't like our other fights. I'm not here to win honourably or show off my strength. That would be too good for him." I replied slowly, my fists clenching instinctively. "I want him gone, completely humiliated. I'm not going to ask you to hold back for this. I want you to use everything you can to crush him and his team. Don't hold anything back - not after what they did to our sister. Do you understand me?"
  
  Tyrant let out an agreeing huff, before raising himself to full height and slapping himself on the chest. Just the once. But the strength and surety that it conveyed was everything I needed to know.
  
  I patted him on the thigh, "Thank you, Tyrant. Now let's warm you up, shall we? We have a fight to dominate."
  
  A savage grin broke out on Tyrant's face - as it did on mine. If Shin thought he could rile me into accepting a challenge, then he's going to understand the full consequences of that decision.
  
  Tyrant would show no mercy, for I had none left to give.
  
  (Karen POV)
  
  Karen put down the phone, closing her eyes for a few moments and trying to expel all of her anger, just as the old hag had taught her.
  
  She made sure to paint a smile on her face and bury that anger deep within. A large part of her wanted to fly over to wherever Shin was hiding and rip him apart for what he did to someone as pure and innocent as little Whitney.
  
  For what he did to her family.
  
  But she knew it was not her place to take revenge, and she trusted John to deliver it on her behalf. She could feel the sheer fury radiating out of him, so she knew it'd be a match to watch.
  
  Therefore, her role was to be the supportive sister while John was on the hunt. To be a friendly face to Whitney and to comfort her during these dark times. And most importantly, to make sure that she and her two friends don't end up doing anything rash.
  
  This was the first time they were hurt by something like this, and she wanted to make sure that their friendship still held as steady as ever.
  
  '...We haven't hosted a celebration party for Whitney's victory over Giovanni yet, have we?' She thought to herself. '...Maybe I could bring her to a nice restaurant...'
  
  She quickly decided that bringing Whitney somewhere nice to enjoy some nice views and good food was probably better than wallowing in her memories in her room. And while they were at it, why not enjoy a nice performance from the Kimono Girls? Maybe if there was some time she could even have them hang about with Brock and his siblings as well.
  
  Nodding to herself, she went to pick up her phone again to make a few calls. She quickly confirmed a reservation for everyone at a nice restaurant and secured tickets for the next Kimono Girl performance, which conveniently had spaces open for tomorrow.
  
  She was lucky that it wasn't too busy at the moment.
  
  Satisfied with her preparations, she finally made her way to John's place. Before she stepped inside, she checked herself in a mirror to make sure that her anger was completely hidden from her face. Letting out one last breath, she entered the house.
  
  It was time to be a good sister.
  
  (Giovanni POV)
  
  Giovanni put down the phone, finishing up with the call that he just had with his subordinate. He never intended to be snooping around like this, but one of his subordinates had coincidentally spotted a crying Whitney hanging around the Indigo Plateau's Pokémon Center, and felt obliged to report it to Giovanni.
  
  With that piece of information in mind, he now knew why John had stormed out of the meeting with his face twisted with rage. He had never seen John so angry before, but now he instantly understood.
  
  Whitney was a bright young girl, completely innocent and deserving of all that happiness that she got. She had made fast friends with Silver, despite how...difficult his son could be at times. But she pushed past her son's abrasiveness, and now Silver was always talking about how he wished she would come over to play with him again.
  
  Giovanni was quick to admit that he had a soft spot for young Whitney. She reminded him of the reason he fought so hard for the continued prosperity of Kanto, to see children like her be happy and worry free. So, seeing her cry like that - it made him displeased.
  
  It didn't take him long to put two and two together, realizing that Shin was the cause of Whitney's tears. He didn't know the full story, but seeing his 'friendly' challenge to John was all that he needed to know.
  
  He was going to speak to John about the details and to express his sympathy, but to see this Johtonian harm someone as sweet and as kind as Whitney?! The very thought of it darkened his mood, and the beginnings of a plan clicked into place.
  
  It had been a long time since he made use of his business and underground connections for a personal matter like this, but he thought that this situation warranted it.
  
  And so, he moved to pick up the phone once again. It was time to make a few calls.
  
  A.N. I would have included POVs for Sabrina and Janine, but they're a little too young to be thinking about how to destroy Shin's reputation like this. But instead, you get 3 POVs, all of which focusing on a different reaction to this.
  
  John is familial rage. Karen is familial love. Giovanni is cold revenge. Because that's the impression that Whitney has on these people.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  The New Normal - 9-9 - Wrath of a Tyrant
  
  My match against Shin turned out to be easily scheduled. I had given my public acceptance to Shin's 'invitation' practically right after his TV interview was over, and suddenly I had a call barely two hours later saying that my match was scheduled for the next afternoon.
  
  Apparently the League officials who were in charge of organising the Indigo Conference were especially interested in having a 'impromptu show match between the previous two finalists'. They thought that it would give the public something to focus on during the less interesting Open Qualifiers, and of course they were enticed by the sweet ad revenue.
  
  I didn't mind. That just meant that I could fight Shin early.
  
  However, one of the advantages of Shin's obscurity was that I did not know what to expect from his team. From what I remembered from our previous fight all that time ago, I didn't think he was that strong of a trainer. He was a Steel specialist, but I didn't think his level of strength could rise above that of a typical Gym Leader.
  
  But he had a year to train up, and a lot could change over a year. I knew that very well.
  
  Yet at this moment, none of that mattered to me. Shin had thoroughly pissed me off going after my sister like that. From what Klee reported to me, he had gone out of his way to ensure that her Pokémon 'stayed down' - refusing to hold back whatsoever in his deliberate act of cruelty. It would take almost a full week for them to recover, and even longer to make a full one.
  
  That could not go unanswered.
  
  I didn't care at all about whatever preparations Shin had made for this battle. Tyrant and I were fully in sync - we would overcome and crush every pathetic little obstacle that he dared try against us.
  
  A League official then told me that the match was about to begin, and requested for me to make my way into the arena. Grasping that last strand of thought in my heart, I stood up from the bench that I had been sitting on and headed to the battlefield.
  
  Rage tempered my heart and resolve, but it did not dictate my actions.
  
  Despite the extremely short notice, a huge crowd had gathered here to see us fight. I could feel the excitement in the air; as the audience must have been expecting a cool match to take place. They expected an even fight between old rivals, where the underdog that was Shin would show off his newfound training and do his best to fight an uphill battle against me.
  
  But if they expected that kind of narrative, then they were about to be sorely disappointed. I would not settle for anything less than a humiliation. I even considered revealing all that Shin had done to the public, but that would also involve dragging Whitney into the spotlight. I did not want that.
  
  Another roar of the crowd drew my attention, and I turned to see Shin making his way into the arena, smiling and waving to the crowd as he did so. However, as soon as he turned away from the crowd, he gave me a look of utter, burning hatred. As if he wished to set me alight with his very eyes.
  
  But it was more than that. The way that his teeth gnashed; the way his fists tightened and his eyes glared - there was a twisted obsessiveness in it. It was like my destruction had become his very life goal; the reason for his existence. Whatever was the kind man that I had once fought against was gone, replaced by this envious thing that stood against me.
  
  I should have felt pity for him, but I didn't. He hurt my sister. That was enough.
  
  There were no greetings or words between us. No friendly banter. No, this was a grudge match between two people who hated the other, who looked to destroy the other's reputation so thoroughly and utterly. The public just hadn't realised that yet.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THIS WONDEROUS SHOWMATCH BETWEEN OUR TWO FINALISTS FROM LAST YEAR'S INDIGO CONFERENCE! THEY HAVE GENEROUSLY GATHERED HERE TODAY IN A FRIENDLY MATCH TO SHOW HOW HIGH YOU COULD RISE IN THE INDIGO CONFERENCE! AND THE LEVEL OF STRENGTH THAT WE HOPE TO SEE FROM ALL OF YOU ONE DAY!" The crowd roared out with cheers and shouts, completely unaware that this was as far from a 'friendly' match as could be.
  
  "THIS WILL BE A 6v6 MATCH BETWEEN THE TWO TRAINERS, WITH THREE SWITCHES ALLOWED!"
  
  "SO TRAINERS - ARE YOU READY!?"
  
  I just gave off a quick nod as I grasped Tyrant's Premier Ball in my hand. I could feel his ball vibrating in my hands, just waiting to release all of his pent-up anger.
  
  And I was going to let him.
  
  He would be the unbeatable arm of my retribution; the personification of all my rage and anger. Shin was in for a bad time.
  
  "RELEASE!"
  
  "GO! Breloom!"
  
  "Tyrant."
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" Tyrant roared out as he exploded forth from his Premier Ball, stampeding across the battlefield as he locked his rage-filled eyes onto his target, kicking up a small cloud of dust and rocks as he went. The battle lust that was radiating off him was palpable, and the air seemed to grow thick with tension from Tyrant's sheer presence alone.
  
  There was no need for any instructions. He only had one objective - to smash, crush, and dominate all in his path. Tyrant was to bring the full might of his tyrannical strength into annihilating Shin's Pokémon, until he could roar and stamp over their fallen forms as the absolute victor. We would accept nothing less.
  
  "Mach Punch, Breloom!"
  
  But though he looked momentarily surprised at my choice of Pokémon, Shin did not back down, showing no sign of fear as he sent his Breloom to meet Tyrant head on. Breloom rushed forwards, charging into Tyrant with determination in its eyes and with a fist glowing white as it prepared to smash a powerful supereffective attack right into Tyrant.
  
  The confidence in Breloom's eyes was clear and distinct, and it was unaffected by the heavy waves of pressure from Tyrant's battle lust. Breloom must have thought that it could win in a close-range fight against Tyrant.
  
  But then Breloom's fist was caught in Tyrant's hand. Surprised at its attack failing, Breloom immediately tried pulling its arm out of Tyrant's grasp, but his grip on it was iron-tight. A sinister grin broke out on Tyrant's face, and the confidence quickly fled from Breloom's face - replaced with visible fear.
  
  In a last ditch effort to break free, Breloom lashed out with its free arm and tried punching Tyrant in the face with a Drain Punch, hoping to stumble Tyrant for long enough to free itself. But Tyrant simply shielded his head with Psychic energy, tanking the punch with ease.
  
  Then Tyrant grinned. It was not a pleasant one.
  
  Breloom tried desperately to pull back, but it was far too late. Forcefully pulling the Grass type into him, Tyrant bashed their heads together with a savage Zen Headbutt, causing Breloom's head to snap backwards. As Breloom stumbled backwards, dazed and disoriented, Tyrant kicked out Breloom's legs from beneath it and brutally smashed his knee right into the falling Breloom's face.
  
  "KING!" Not giving Breloom a single second of recovery, Tyrant let out an rage-filled roar as he lifted the smaller Breloom by its arm, dangling it in the air for a moment, before using both arms to cruelly slam it into the ground with such force that the ground shattered below them and burying Breloom's head deep into the dirt.
  
  Breloom's pained gasp was muffled by the gravel and dirt that it was forced to eat.
  
  Trapped and pinned in the hole that it suddenly found itself stuck in, Breloom attempted to release a small cloud of paralytic spores around itself in hopes of paralysing Tyrant. Unfortunately for the Grass type, all it managed to do was have a wave of searing flames blasted its way, torching the Breloom as the hole it was buried in was turned into a searing furnace.
  
  The paralytic spores were all casually incinerated by the fire, as if they were nothing more than a mere afterthought.
  
  Breloom let out a pained wail as the fire spread and scorched its body, and it struggled desperately to pull itself out of the hole. But Tyrant merely grinned at the attempt, and stomped his feet down as he unleashed a rippling Earthquake that sent powerful tremors to tear through the exposed Breloom. At the same time, Tyrant sent out another torrent of flames from his maw, mercilessly scorching the helpless and flailing Breloom as the Grass type was slowly burnt alive.
  
  The once confident and determined Breloom was gone, and only the faint smell of roasted mushrooms remained.
  
  Shin withdrew his Breloom with an angry look on his face. He didn't give his fallen Breloom any acknowledgement as he simply sent out his next Pokémon, the impatience evident in his eyes.
  
  "Do better, Skarmory!"
  
  Skarmory let out a triumphant squawk as it took to the air, thinking that it could use its ability to fly to stay out of Tyrant's range and wear down Tyrant from range.
  
  But Skarmory was quickly disabused of that notion when an ear-shattering lance of thunder came hurling down from the skies above, impaling the Skarmory with a spear of pure lightning like an arrow seeking its prey.
  
  Or a hunter hitting his mark.
  
  Skarmory let out a pained cry as it fell slightly out of the air. But that was enough as the massive frame of Tyrant came leaping out of the crater, jumping so high into the air that he managed to grab onto Skarmory's wings. Showing no remorse or hesitation, Tyrant then pulled down on Skarmory, using his full weight to forcefully drag Skarmory into the ground.
  
  "Iron Defense, Skarmory!"
  
  Accepting the inevitable, Shin started to have Skarmory set up for the likely brawl that was about to happen on the ground. He must have thought that Skarmory's impressive defenses would give it some leeway against Tyrant.
  
  But that was a mistake.
  
  "ENCORE!"
  
  Just before the two Pokémon hit the ground, a small aura of white energy came out from Tyrant, engulfing the buffing Skarmory. Skarmory's eyes seem to tighten just as the two Pokémon came crashing into the ground, with Tyrant deliberately positioning himself on top of the Skarmory so that he had the Steel type pinned beneath him as they crashed into the ground.
  
  "Break free of the Encore and Whirlwind and Swords Dance! Set yourself up!"
  
  But despite its trainers instructions, Skarmory's body seemed to be moving on its' own as it continued to set up with Iron Defenses. Still pinned underneath Tyrant's massive frame, it was little more than a sitting Psyduck as a torrent of flames began charging up in Tyrant's mouth.
  
  And for the second time this battle, another one of Shin's Pokémon found itself painfully incinerated by a torrent of Tyrant's flames. The scorching flames flooded over Skarmory's steely exterior, blackening the once pristine frame into a smouldering black.
  
  Then, in act of surprising brutality, Tyrant suddenly cut off his flames as his arms whipped forwards; grabbing hold of Skarmory's face like a vice with both hands. Before Skarmory could even realise what Tyrant was doing, his hands began to heat up as flames gathered within them. Then a painful searing sound could be heard as Tyrant began to scorch Skarmory's face with his flaming hands.
  
  Locked into the Encore as it was, Skarmory was helpless aside from screeching out in terrified pain as its head was locked in the flaming prison of Tyrant's arms. As Tyrant crushed his hands together harder and harder, the wails and screams of Skarmory became louder and louder. With its entire head now alight with flames, its eyes were begging for mercy; begging for Tyrant to release his grasp on it.
  
  Yet Tyrant would give none. And he watched with vicious eyes as Skarmory's pained screeching turned hoarse from exhaustion, before being silenced all together as it succumbed to the flames.
  
  With a dismissive snort, Tyrant released his hold on the Steel type, letting Skarmory's unconscious frame fall limply to the ground.
  
  The crowd fell silent at that unexpected display of brutality. There would be no permanent damage, but to knock out a Pokémon like that - it was never seen in a 'friendly' match. I could almost hear the confusion running through their heads; this was not how two friends would be acting towards each other.
  
  In the meanwhile, I merely stared at Shin while holding back the urge to scoff. THIS was what he decided to bring out against me? Did he think he could win with a Skarmory that was not even as strong as Walker's? It had barely improved since our first battle together, so did he think that he could use Skarmory the same way that he used it against Smough in our first battle together?
  
  Because for someone who looks so obsessed with me, he must not have done his research. From the way that he had approached this fight, it was as if he had prepared to fight me as I was - all the way back in last year's Indigo Conference. I had caught the brief flash of surprise that Shin failed to restrain when his Skarmory was struck by the Thunderbolt, as if he was unaware of Tyrant's surprisingly powerful Special Attack.
  
  The very fact that I could choose to fight differently, or had grown stronger, seemed to not have entered his mind at all.
  
  And now the indecision was plain and visible on his face. He must have come into this battle with a plan, but that plan had very clearly shattered apart right now as he had already lost two Pokémon without hardly even causing a scratch onto Tyrant.
  
  But that uncertainty quickly transformed into anger, and he practically hurled his next Pokémon into battle.
  
  "BEAT HIM! POLIWRATH!"
  
  Ah. There it was. The first of my targets.
  
  I could see how it was able to beat Whitney's Pokémon. Its' eyes brimmed with confidence, and each step it took underlined the sheer bulk of muscles that hid behind every muscle of this Poliwrath. Its strength was certainly formidable.
  
  And yet it was still dwarfed by my Tyrant. It might have seemed strong to a layman, but to me, it looked like nothing more than another prey waiting to be crushed by Tyrant's unstoppable strength.
  
  "Belly Drum, Poliwrath!" Shin tried, but I didn't even need to say anything before an immediate Taunt came out from Tyrant, instantly shutting down the attempt. Despite having brought down two Pokémon already, Tyrant wasn't even winded as he pounced on to his next target, ready to repeat the pummelling once more.
  
  Poliwrath took a step back, narrowly avoiding the leaping swipe from Tyrant as it retaliated by throwing a powerful punch that impacted Tyrant's face. Tyrant stumbled back as the strike landed critically, and Poliwrath stepped in, delivering what should have been a devastating Close Combat straight into Tyrant's core. Each punch caused ripples to vibrate through Tyrant's stomach as Poliwrath struck with its full might, driving each fist as hard as it could into Tyrant.
  
  Yet, in its enthusiasm to do as much as damage as it could, Poliwrath failed to realize that Tyrant had taken on a slightly orange glow as he prepared a Counter. It failed to realize that the damage that it was dealing was actually being absorbed and stored. It failed to realize that its Close Combat was doing little more than eliciting a small grunt of pain from Tyrant.
  
  Because, compared to Bruno's Machamp, Poliwrath's attacks were hardly more effective than a Tackle from a Magikarp. Tyrant had withstood true strength, not whatever this half-assed attempt was.
  
  And with a bloodthirsty grin, Tyrant turned all of that stored power and threw it into a singular Thunder Punch. The attack radiated with so much raw energy and electricity that the air crackled and blurred around it, as if the air itself was trying to dodge out of the way of the attack.
  
  Yet there would be no escape.
  
  Poliwrath's eyes widened as it witnessed the spectre of doom coming its way, and it immediately tried to backpedal and throw up a last second Protect shield to save itself from the damage.
  
  But Tyrant did not care. With his eyes blazing with pent-up battle lust, the hastily-formed Protect shield shattered instantly as the fully powered Thunder Punch shot cleanly through it and came crashing into Poliwrath's face, burying itself within its cheeks.
  
  Then, a deafening BANG exploded across the arena as Poliwrath rocketed backwards like a bullet. The ground shook slightly from the sheer force of impact.
  
  Poliwrath shot limply through the sky before smashing painfully as into the psychic barriers with such force that it nearly cracked the barriers themselves. Two huge cracks ran spread out through the ground in a 'V' shape from the impact point, and the limp Poliwrath slowly slid off the Psychic barriers unceremoniously; as if it was a Bug that had just been smashed into a wall.
  
  Poliwrath's body crumbled to the floor, still twitching and spazzing randomly from the enormous amount of electrocuting currents surging through it.
  
  One punch - and it was down.
  
  "GET UP!" Shin shouted, his mouth almost frothing with anger. "You were supposed to BEAT his Normal types! Not lose to them!"
  
  Unfortunately for Shin, just yelling at his Pokémon wasn't enough for Poliwrath to suddenly recover from its injuries. And talking was not a free action, and Tyrant punished this by sending a remorseless barrage of Thunderbolts to come crashing down from above. Poliwrath's entire body actually shook as even more electricity forcefully surged through it.
  
  It was beyond obvious that Poliwrath was no match for my starter. And how could it be? When Tyrant was able to go toe-to-toe with Bruno's Machamp and win handedly. What could a hastily trained Poliwrath - because that was what it was - do against Tyrant? Except to lose?
  
  It was merely strong enough to be a bully to weaker trainers. But against true strength, it was little more than a blue and white punching bag. A stress toy for Tyrant.
  
  However, despite how outmatched Poliwrath was compared to Tyrant, Shin was utterly stubborn in his refusal to withdraw Poliwrath, his ravings growing even louder as he insisted that Poliwrath could fight on. Even if every available evidence pointed to the contrary, but I figured that reason had long since left him.
  
  That was absolutely fine with me. "Bulk Up, Tyrant." I ordered.
  
  After all, I was in no rush to finish off Poliwrath. And so I was going to force Shin into making a decision. Was he going to stick by his stubbornness allowing my Tyrant to buff himself and become even stronger, or was he about to acknowledge how outclassed he was and withdraw Poliwrath from the field? There were no good options for him; no matter what he chose he would only end up looking weak.
  
  Exactly what I hoped for.
  
  While I wasn't a person who usually found joy at the suffering of others, I admit that I found myself holding back a grin as I watched Shin become wracked with indecision. His every expression of anguish was another morsel of revenge that I took on my sister's behalf.
  
  Eventually, Poliwrath made the decision for Shin as it succumbed to its injuries, falling unconsciously entirely - having accomplished little to nothing and was utterly humiliated with a single strike. Leaving Shin with only 3 Pokémon remaining.
  
  That was one target down.
  
  At this point, the crowd had long stopped cheering. They had realized that this was NOT a friendly match between 'rivals'. This was personal. And what they were witnessing now was a stomp not seen since Oak stomped the Blackthorns in with a Fairy type as Tyrant continued to pummel and dominate each and every one of Shin's Pokémon.
  
  The audience might not have known WHY such animosity existed between us two, but by the way they were reacting, they didn't care. Now, all they cared about was to see if Tyrant could complete the sweep.
  
  Yet Shin didn't seem to recognise how bad of a situation he was in. No, he was still staring at me with a look of burning hatred as he sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Bannett! As we planned!"
  
  A malicious cackle reverberated across the battlefield as the haunting spectre of Shin's Bannett took to the field. However, that cackle was cut off as Tyrant responded with an earth-shaking roar as he immediately charged into Bannett with a fist glowing with shadowy energies.
  
  "Shadow Sneak to dodge!"
  
  Bannett retreated into the shadows just in time before Tyrant smashed into its previous position, breaking a hole into the ground as his attack missed. Realizing his target had just escaped him, Tyrant let out a growl as he slammed his fists again into the ground in a rage - firing off a devastating Earthquake that sent powerful tremors into the ground and sent cracks tearing through the battlefield.
  
  For Bannett, there was nowhere to hide.
  
  The Earthquake forced Bannett out of the safety of the shadows as it levitated into the air. Wisps of flames gathered around Bannett as it prepared to Burn Tyrant with a Will-O-Wisp.
  
  But as soon as Bannett reappeared, Tyrant had already ripped out large chunks of rocks off the ground and hurled them like a catapult towards Bannett's position. Copying Bruno's Machamp, Tyrant then used a spare chunk of rock as an makeshift shield as he rushed towards Bannett, ignoring the Will-O-Wisp as the small wisps of flames dissipated harmlessly on his rock shield.
  
  "Icy Wind, Bannett! Slow it down!"
  
  "Flamethrower, Tyrant! Keep going!"
  
  A stream of flames came out of Tyrant's mouth, scorching the air around him and providing him with a layer of warmth to protect against the Icy Winds. Realizing its attacks were ineffective, and that Tyrant was rapidly closing the distance, Bannett dove to the ground as it prepared to disappear into the shadows once again.
  
  Tyrant swung his massive fists, trying to strike Bannett with what should have been a devastating Sucker Punch, but Bannett let out a mocking cackle as it simply sank into the shadows once again, avoiding the attack completely.
  
  Tyrant growled, and prepared to unleash yet another Earthquake to flush out the annoying Bannett. But this time, Bannett rapidly appeared a short distance away from Tyrant with a malicious smile on its face.
  
  "CURSE! NOW!"
  
  "TAUNT!"
  
  A ghostly and unnerving aura seemed to form around Bannett, but before the aura could plunge inside Bannett, a swift burst of Dark type energy shot out of Tyrant.
  
  I exhaled a quick sigh of relief as I watched Bannett's eyes slowly filled with rage, its attempt to Curse Tyrant long forgotten as it brandished its shadowy claws threateningly. Shin was shouting at Bannett to "stick to the plan", but Bannett was lost to its rage.
  
  I sent an inward thought of thanks to Karen for having helped to train up my Pokémon's use of Taunt.
  
  Thus, instead of retreating, Bannett stood firm and unleashed a powerful Dark Pulse that formed a circle of Darkness around itself. But Tyrant breached the ring of darkness with terrifying ease as he surrounded himself with the bright and distinct aura of Fairy energy, before pouncing onto the stationary Bannett and sending it crashing into the ground with a savage Play Rough.
  
  Tyrant's arms latched around the smaller Bannett, and Bannett looked like a mere doll being flung around in Tyrant's strong and meaty arms. But Bannett wasn't even able to recognize the danger it was in as the rage continued to cloud its eyes, and it continually tried to slash and swipe at Tyrant with its shadowy claws and bursts of darkness, not even realizing that Tyrant was immune to most of the damage.
  
  Nor the fact that Tyrant's grip around it was growing ever tighter.
  
  Then suddenly, with Bannett completely trapped in his grip, Tyrant allowed a cloud of pure Darkness to form in his hands. Bannett let out a suffocated gasp as it choked on the dark energies, but it was already far too late to escape.
  
  The aura of darkness seeped into the Bannett, causing a wail of pain as the energies ravaged through its ghostly form. The grin that Tyrant shot Bannett was almost cruel as he crushed Bannett with his hands.
  
  The effects of the Taunt were broken through as desperation and pure panic set in. Bannett struggled, Bannett raged, Bannett shrieked as it tried everything that it could to break free from Tyrant's hold as the Dark energy ripped through its health. The feared and cackling Ghost type meant to induce fear in others was long gone, and what remained of that once frightening Pokémon was reduced to this fearful and crying mess of a Ghost desperately trying to get away from the exorcist that was Tyrant.
  
  But no matter what it tried, its' fate was already sealed as Bannett's health was slowly squeezed away in Tyrant's iron grip.
  
  And like a puppet that just had its strings cut, Bannett suddenly collapsed limply in Tyrant's arms, choked out and suffocated by the engulfing aura of Dark energy. With a dismissive scoff, Tyrant tossed away Bannett's unconscious body as if it was nothing more than an unwanted doll.
  
  There was nothing more humiliating than that.
  
  Shin fell silent, his eyes wide with disbelief as if he wasn't able to process the scene in front of him. I decided now was finally time to speak up.
  
  "Four down. Two to go." I said aloud, before deliberately tilting my head as if pretending to be curious, "And I thought you were a Steel specialist? So why is it that 3 out of the 4 Pokémon I've fought so far all been types that are 'supposed' to be strong against Normal types?"
  
  "Could it be that you tried to build a new team specifically built to counter me? Abandoning your Steel types in the process?" I pondered for the benefit of the crowd. "How long did it take you to build up this plan to defeat me?"
  
  I shot him a smug smirk, "Because...what's the score again? Oh yeah, it's 4-0. Looks like your plan is going great!" The sarcasm in my tone would have made Agatha proud.
  
  My words turned Shin's face into an impressive shade of red, "You shut your mouth, you fucking thief! I'm NOT about to lose again! NOT to a thief like you!" He shouted back, his face a dangerous shade of red as rage filled his very body. "Once I bring down that stupid! FUCKING! SLAKING! THEN I'LL WIN!"
  
  I shrugged nonchalantly, intentionally riling him up even further, "...But you won't."
  
  "Or did you forget how you lost the first time?" I taunted, "Come, bring out your Steel types. We both know you aren't winning this, so let's just get this over with."
  
  His face twisted even further, and he literally hurled his Pokéball my way as if trying to strike me with it. I wished I could have had a closer look at Shin's face at the moment, because I was willing to bet that a vein was about to burst in his head.
  
  A massive Steelix came towering out, landing on the arena with an audible thump. Its' tail swept across the broken ground of the arena, tearing up a small trench through it as it did so. For the first time since the start of the match, Shin's Pokémon actually managed to dwarf my Tyrant. The giant Steel type glared down, trying to intimidate Tyrant as it raised itself to its full height.
  
  But Tyrant's only response was to roar out and start rushing towards the giant Steelix. Far from being intimidated, Tyrant only saw this as a challenge. After all, the bigger they were - the harder they fell.
  
  "STONE EDGE! DESTROY THAT SLAKING!"
  
  "Bring it down, Tyrant."
  
  Large chunks or rocks were torn out from the arena as the battlefield shattered even further. A storm of rocks hovered threateningly in the air like a halo around Steelix before they all shot towards Tyrant in a storm of stone.
  
  And yet, Tyrant was barely slowed down as he simply destroyed the incoming stones with his fist or just tanked through them, hardly even looking bothered as the rain of rocks crashed into him.
  
  Tyrant had sparred against Vordt many, many times in our training sessions - there was no way he was going to go down to something like this. Because as big and as intimidating as Steelix might look, its geokinesis was paltry compared to the likes of Vordt.
  
  Realizing the rocks weren't working, Shin tried a different tactic, "IRON TAIL!"
  
  Steelix's roar vibrated through the air as its gigantic tail tore up a huge trench in the ground as it came swinging around in a powerful hammering blow. But Tyrant did not dodge. Instead he simply grunted and raised both arms, letting himself be slammed by the Iron Tail.
  
  However, instead of being thrown aside like a ragdoll, Tyrant had latched onto Steelix's tail, refusing to let go as he allowed himself to be swung around.
  
  "SMASH IT INTO THE GROUND!"
  
  Steelix's tail slammed into the ground, burying itself into the floor of the arena as it dug out another trench and caused cracks to spread out like rapidly from the point of impact.
  
  Tyrant let out a pained grunt from the blow, but his arms were still wrapped firmly around Steelix's tail. Steelix looked shocked at Tyrant's persistence, but Tyrant made use of that opportunity to dig his heels into the ground, splitting his legs apart for more balance as he began to heave.
  
  And in a jaw-dropping demonstration of his unstoppable strength, Tyrant began LIFTING Steelix into the air.
  
  "...SLA....KINGGGG!" He grunted out, his face twisted into one of heavy exertion. The muscles in his arms were bulging and growing as sweat dropped down his face. His teeth were gritted and the ground around him began to crack at the full combined weight of both Pokémon.
  
  But he was doing it.
  
  The crowd all gasped as they watched Steelix slowly rise further and further into the air - I could hear the surprised disbelief in their voice.
  
  After all, Steelix were well known for its incredible size and weight. It was practically the embodiment of a Pokémon that was all about raw strength. And Slaking were known for their laziness and aloofness, never able to reach their full potential because of their inherent attitudes.
  
  But Tyrant was different. He was not your typical lazy Slaking. He had thrown himself into training, and he THRIVED off battle. Tyrant was MY starter - the role model for the rest of my team to follow. And he was not a Pokémon to let something as arbitrary as 'limits' stop him from doing the impossible.
  
  I had asked him to grant me victory. And it would take Arceus themselves to stop him from achieving it.
  
  Steelix tried to fight back, throwing up rocks towards Tyrant in hopes of distracting him enough for him to lose concentration and to drop Steelix. But Tyrant remained unfazed, letting the rocks crash against his body as he released a determined grunt, pushing his strength even further as he lifted the panicking and confused Steelix higher and higher into the air, until the Steelix literally became suspended in the air by its tail.
  
  In that brief moment, Steelix's face filled with fear as it realized what was about to happen next.
  
  "SLAKINGGGG!" Tyrant unleashed a powerful and echoing roar as he THREW the enormous Steel type over his shoulder and into the psychic barriers, hurling the Steel type through the air like a boulder.
  
  The full weight of the Steel type was too much for the already damaged barriers to handle, and Steelix came crashing THROUGH them face-first, falling just out bounds of the arena.
  
  Dazed and disoriented, Steelix was unable to react as Tyrant violently pounced on top of its fallen body and brutally smashed its head into the ground with a ferocious Mega Kick. Tyrant became a whirlwind of violence as he ruthlessly pounded into the Steel type again and again, raining blow after blow as if he was determined to bury the Steel type deeper and deeper into the ground.
  
  His legs stomped, his fists bashed, and each hammering blow from Tyrant ensured that Steelix remained disoriented and unable to recover.
  
  And then, with a final roar, Tyrant unleashed a torrent of flames into the hole that he had created for Steelix, turning it into a coffin of scorching flames that burned through Steelix's health. The flood of supereffective flames had Steelix screeching and struggling, trying to force itself free from its fiery tomb.
  
  Just like with Bannett, Tyrant mercilessly grabbed onto the struggling Steelix's sides with both arms - trapping the Steel snake in his iron grip and stopped it from digging itself free. Despite Steelix's best efforts and substantial strength, Tyrant had dug his feet into the ground and REFUSED to be moved. Refused to let go. Refused to allow Steelix the opportunity to escape.
  
  And the result was inevitable, as Steelix succumbed to the fiery flames, trapped in a hole dug out with its own body.
  
  Tyrant had, literally, dug its grave.
  
  The crowd exploded into cheers and applause at this victory; at what they had just saw. Never before had a Steelix been lifted into the like that from pure strength alone. It had never been attempted, because who would try to lift a Steelix into the air while in the middle of a battle anyways?
  
  Until today.
  
  I shot Tyrant a smile that was radiating with pride. He could have defeated Steelix with his plethora of Special Attacks. It would have been easier for him, considering Steelix's paltry Special Defenses.
  
  Yet by doing it this way, he had followed through on my intentions and delivered Shin a more crushing defeat. I had no doubt that Tyrant's victory over Steelix would be published - and everyone would know that it was Shin's Steelix that was defeated in this manner.
  
  I glanced over at Shin, and I finally saw the reality of the situation set in on him. The irrational and pure hatred that he had for me was still there, still smouldering behind his eyes, but there was the very obvious look of despair and hopelessness that had settled in as he realized how bad of a situation he was in.
  
  He had come into this expecting to defeat me and revive his name and reputation, avenging his defeat against me during last year's finals. But now he had recklessly charged into this battle with a half-baked plan that crumbled near instantly, and now he was 5-0 against me. And Tyrant was still ready and waiting to battle.
  
  Never before had there been a match against the Elite Four where a challenger had lost 6-0. There had been plenty of 6-1's, but not 6-0's. This was going to be another first in my book.
  
  He had one shot of reclaiming ANY inch of pride that he still had left. One chance to not become the utter humiliation that he would be if he lost 6-0.
  
  Unfortunately for him, the image of my sister crying was still burnt into my head. And I still had yet to have my pound of flesh.
  
  His Scizor finally came out. THIS was the Pokémon that had so mercilessly brutalised my sister's weaker Pokémon. This was the instigator of my sister's sadness.
  
  So there was only one way this fight could have gone.
  
  Scizor was a fast Pokémon. Faster than most. And it commonly relied on this speed to strike with powerful hit and run attacks to bring down its opponent.
  
  However, Tyrant had already smashed this Steel-Bug into the ground once before, all the way back at the finals of last year's Indigo Conference. And this time would be no different.
  
  The final match hardly even lasted a minute. Despite having already gone through 5 of Shin's Pokémon, Tyrant's battle lust had only grown to even greater heights. Scizor was literally a Bug to him. So instead of trying to chase down the evasive Bug type, Tyrant merely sat still, buffing up with Bulk Ups and practically taunting the Scizor to hit him.
  
  Scizor tried desperately. Giving its all and repeatedly pummelling him with powerful Bullet Punches that would have brought down a lesser foe.
  
  But I had been training Tyrant with the goal of bringing down Lance's Emperor. In comparison to that magnificent Dragonite, Scizor was nothing. Tyrant was just used to fighting opponents on a completely different level and scale to Scizor. So Scizor's attacks simply brushed off Tyrant - his buffed defenses repeatedly proving to be too much for Scizor to break through.
  
  Tyrant only needed Scizor to make one mistake, one moment of a lapse of concentration, one instance where it failed to evade Tyrant's counterattack, for the match to be over. And that opportunity came soon enough, as Scizor overcommitted to a Bullet Punch and left itself wide open to a singular Fire Punch that hammered into its side.
  
  But before Scizor could get punted aside, a second swing of Tyrant's massive fists came coming around from the other side, squashing the poor Bug under his flaming hammer of a fist.
  
  Then Tyrant clutched down HARD on Scizor's neck, choking the Bug type as it was lifted into the air - its weakness displayed to the world for all to see.
  
  And everyone watched as Tyrant mercilessly choked out Shin's starter, before Scizor was SLAMMED down straight onto Tyrant's knee. An audible and brutal CRACK could be heard as Tyrant shattered Scizor's back, completely ripping through its wings.
  
  That was payback for the brutality he showed against Whitney.
  
  To finish it all off, Tyrant ferociously bashed Scizor straight down into the ground, disposing of its body like it was nothing to him.
  
  All that was left of Shin's starter was a smouldering, almost unrecognisable figure that lied broken and defeated on the ground. I thought it was a very suitable representation of what Shin's reputation would be after this 6-0 victory.
  
  Burnt, broken, and in tatters.
  
  The announcer's words were just icing on the cake, "...AND THIS MATCH COMES TO A HISTORIC END AS ELITE JOHN HAS UTTERLY DOMINATED HIS OPPONENT, WINNING A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN 6-0 VICTORY AGAINST HIS OPPONENT, SHIN! I DON'T THINK THIS WAS A VERY FRIENDLY MATCH FOLKS, BUT I THINK WE ALL LOVED SEEING IT REGARDLESS! I'M SURE THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE MATCHES FOR THE AGES! CERTAINLY ONE TO BE REMEMBERED!"
  
  Opposite me, Shin finally collapsed to the ground. His face was twisted with despair as tears streamed down his face. Maybe some would have taken pity on him at this very moment. But all I did was let out a sigh of relief.
  
  I hope you're seeing this Whitney. You needn't be tormented by him any longer.
  
  A.N. So I figured you all saw this coming, but I REALLY wanted to write a full and utter curbstomp by John against someone that wasn't a grunt. I've always tried to write more balanced fights, but for once, I wanted to write a fight where one side completely dominated.
  
  And this was it! Because John's pissed, and he wasn't going to let the guy who hurt Whitney get off easily. This fight needed plenty of revisions, so I hope you enjoyed it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-10 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 9-10 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE INDIGO CONFERENCE FINALLY BEGINS! ARE YOU READY FOR THE OPEN QUALIFIERS?!] By the Indigo Post
  
  [Symbol of the League Logo] [Picture of all the current Indigo Elite Four, with Champion Lance in the middle]
  
  Ladies and Gentlemen! Trainers of all ages! It is this time of the year as the Indigo Conference has finally begun once again! It's time for trainers from all over Indigo to gather and show off their strength and abilities! This is the opportunity for you to show off all that you have learnt when achieving your 8 Gym Badges! Maybe it will be YOU who can become the next member of the Elite Four!
  
  For a quick reminder of the format of the Indigo Conference, check out this graphic below!
  
  [Graphic containing the whole format of the Indigo Conference. Starting with the Open Qualifiers, to the Preliminary Rounds (Top 256), to the Finals (Top 32)]
  
  We managed to snag a few interviews from a few Gym Leaders to see what they had to say about this year's conference.
  
  The New Gym Leader of Olivine, Jasmine, said this: "The Indigo Conference is a fantastic opportunity for all trainers to participate in. Even if you don't win, you'll fighting on a stage that will be seen by the entirety of Indigo, and even more from Hoenn and Sinnoh! So don't be discouraged! I didn't win the Indigo Conference either, but I still made it far enough to be recognized for my efforts! So do your best! I'm wishing all of you the best of luck!"
  
  Similar statements were made from Gym Leader Samson, of Saffron City: "I'm sure there are many people looking at those the news have labelled as the 'hopefuls' for winning the entire Conference with some degree of envy. But don't lose heart! We've seen it time and time again where one person or another was labelled as the 'favourite' to win the whole Conference, only to lose out to a sudden surprise competitor in the end. John was a great example of this! And it could be YOU! So never give up! And do your best!"
  
  With the Open Qualifiers opening up tomorrow, this writer wishes all of the competitors good luck! Hope to see you in the Preliminary Rounds!
  
  Have you signed up? Or do you have a favourite to win? Are you excited for this year's Conference? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  WOOOOO! I just got past Giovanni so I'm definitely looking forward to signing up tomorrow! Maybe this year will be my chance to win!
  
  Good luck to everyone participating! BUT watch out! I'm coming for that victory!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Wonder who's going to win the whole thing this year!? I have some candidates in my mind, and I'm really excited to see this year's Conference. Last year's was a blast, hope this one's even better!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Really hoping we see some cool trainers this year! Last year was the year of type specialists, but I hope that with the discovery of Fairy types, we'll see less of these single type trainers! Excited anyways!
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  Nah! I wish we see some more Ground type representation! We've seen the Ice types, and the Dragons, and the Normal types, but where are the Ground types!
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  I know it's a bit early to be expecting a high-level Fairy specialist, but I can't wait! I hope this year's Indigo Conference really shows off the potential of the Fairy type and encourages more people to use it! Go Fairy types!
  
  DragonPower
  
  I hope this year's Indigo Conference really shows off the lack of potential of the Fairy type and discourages people from using it! Go Dragon types!
  
  [WHO ARE THIS YEAR'S HOPEFUL TRAINERS FOR THE INDIGO CONFERENCE? WHO DO WE EXPECT TO WIN IT ALL!?] By BattleCast
  
  As our long time readers would know, we here at BattleCast have a tradition. Every time the Indigo Conference rolls around, we do our best to research potential candidates to identify those we believe have the best chance of winning the whole Conference.
  
  Last year, our bets were on Shin. And though we were ultimately incorrect, with now Elite John cleaning through the whole of last year's Conference, he still made it into the finals.
  
  But this year we have a new selection of trainers that we have studied and analysed - and while this is far from a conclusive list, only the best we were able to gather from the information we collected - we are very excited to see how these trainers progress:
  
  [A graphics showing a big list of trainers, with over 2 dozen names, and including a list of known Pokémon that they have used]
  
  First off, starting with the strongest candidate so far, it is Bruno with his Fighting types. No introductions are needed for this formidable trainer. Any avid fan of BattleCast would have already seen his incredible strength ever since his battle against John, despite his defeat. He is EASILY the best contender to win it all...if he was participating. Unfortunately, that is still unconfirmed, and all our attempts to contact him have failed.
  
  Our next hopeful, and one we believe has a very strong chance of winning the entire Conference, is Karen. Those of who frequent the news would have seen her name pop up from time to time over the past year as Agatha's apprentice and temporary co-regent of Pewter City. She has a proven match history with her victory over Elite Sidney of Hoenn, and she is easily one of the most impressive candidates that we've had so far. We're VERY excited to see how far she can go.
  
  However, we also have eyes on trainer Morty - who many would recognize is the current successor of the Ecruteak Gym. Coming from a long line of Ghost specialists, some are seeing HIM to be the more suitable successor to Agatha, as they both share the same type. Maybe we will end up replacing one Ghost specialist in the Elite Four with another?
  
  But that's not all, as we still have...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  IF Bruno is participating in this Conference, then my money's on him. I honestly cannot believe a man like him isn't in already in the Elite Four. But that begs the question - if he's not competing this year, then what is he doing?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Probably training in the mountains as usual. No offense intended, but the man is so dedicated to his training that he might have just forgotten that the Indigo Conference is even happening.
  
  That's probably not what's happening, but I could imagine it.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  YEAH! BRUNO IS GOING TO DESTROY YOU ALL! HE'S WON THE INDIGO CONFERENCE ONCE ALREADY, SO HE'LL WIN ANOTHER ONE NO PROBLEM! GET YOUR STUPID NON-FIGHTING TYPES OUT OF HERE!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...Wait a minute. Use of full capital letters. The bragging about Fighting types. The dismissal of any non-Fighting types.
  
  I know who you are FightClub. You've just gone and rebranded! What happened to deleting your accounts?
  
  PunchingBag
  
  Like any good fighter, YOU CAN'T KEEP ME DOWN FOREVER! AND I'M BACK TO WATCH YOU ALL GET DESTROYED WHEN BRUNO CRUSHES YOU ALL!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...I missed this guy, until I didn't.
  
  BoyPhantom
  
  Hey, this is Morty. I was surprised, but thankful to see the support that I've gotten for this year's Indigo Conference. Truthfully, I've never interacted with Agatha before, but I would be proud if I could inherit her place in the Elite Four.
  
  DarkManager
  
  BoyPhantom This is Karen. Don't take this the wrong way, but I can assure you that meeting Agatha is no great pleasure. Trust me, I grew up with her.
  
  BoyPhantom
  
  Oh, hello! It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard the rumours, but surely they're overblown?
  
  DarkManager
  
  They're not.
  
  [JOHN VS SHIN - A GRUDGE MATCH BETWEEN THE TWO FINALISTS?! A DOMINATING 6-0 STOMP BY ELITE JOHN!] by BattleCast
  
  [Pictures of the match]
  
  At BattleCast, we have spent years providing our readers with coverage on all different sorts of battles that take place in our lovely region. That means that over the course of our existence, we've bore witness to thousands of matches, all with different outcomes. We've seen grudge matches, friendly matches, rivalries and the like.
  
  This was the first time we saw a grudge match that was SO overwhelmingly one-sided that it almost felt bad to watch.
  
  So what happened to cause such a match? Unfortunately, we're not aware of that. Nor will we get into it. However, what we DO know is that John's Slaking ended up taking a perfect, never before seen, 6-0 victory against Shin.
  
  For those who have forgotten his name, Shin was the finalist at last year's Indigo Conference, and was predicted to win the entire thing. That was until losing to John in the finals. He fell into obscurity then, but has recently helped to arrange a 'friendly match' between himself and John for the start of this year's Indigo Conference.
  
  But Shin wouldn't be forgotten any longer. As in this definitely-not-friendly match, he was completely and utterly dominated by John's singular Slaking, who managed to take out all 6 of Shin's Pokémon without going down. In fact, it still wasn't close to fainting even after finishing off Shin's final Scizor.
  
  This marks Shin to be the first trainer to directly challenge an Elite Four member, in an official capacity or not, and lose without managing to take down a single one of their Pokémon. It has NEVER been seen before; not when the loser was the one to issue the challenge.
  
  This writer does not know whether to praise John's strength, or to question why Shin thought he had a chance of winning, as he confidently boasted about in his pre-match interview.
  
  In fact, our analysts have all concluded that Shin was likely STRONGER in last year's finals match against John then he was at this fight. Shin had seemingly abandoned his plans to be a Steel specialist in favour of choosing Pokémon that were likely picked to be direct counters to John, and had brought in additional Fighting and Ghost types in a futile attempt to counter John's Normal types. However, due to a lack of training, or an overreliance on a plan, they heavily fell short of Shin's expectations.
  
  It would not be inaccurate to say that they stood no chance against the calibre of John's Slaking.
  
  One of the greater highlights of the match was John's Slaking utterly jaw-dropping display of strength as it managed to LIFT AN ENTIRE STEELIX INTO THE AIR! How INCREDIBLE Is that! How strong is that Slaking anyways to pull something like that off?!
  
  [Picture of Steelix being lifted by Slaking]
  
  This writer has no idea what Shin did to piss off John like that. But Arceus, he really made a bad decision challenging him like this. Who knew John had such a vengeful streak in him? But if anything, this has really opened our eyes once again about John's Slaking. Could it actually be a match for Lance's starter Dragonite?
  
  Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Woah! So I don't know what happened between these two, but that match was INSANE! I guess this is what happens when you challenge an Elite Four and are grossly unqualified to do so.
  
  That wasn't a battle, that was a thrashing.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  More like a spanking. What the fuck was that!? That match looked SO unfair. Man, John really came out of that looking really strong. And a little vengeful.
  
  I'm so curious as to what Shin did. John doesn't come off as someone easily angered.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I think those who thought he was slipping must be rethinking their thoughts at the moment. There's no way that Slaking is 'slipping'. Shin really thought so, until Slaking slipped its way into a 6-0 victory HAHAHA!
  
  I bet many future challengers are REALLY going to rethink their plans before they challenge an Elite Four member. Wow!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Good on John for showing that the position of being an Elite Four is not just for show. The title actually MEANS something, and you shouldn't just challenge an Elite Four casually.
  
  Shin got what he deserved for going into that battle cocky and unprepared.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WOOO! I always knew that John's Slaking had the potential to match up against Lance's starter Dragonite! Who says Normal types were weak anyways! ALL HAIL SLAKING! Absolute CHAMPION potential right there!
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Clearly, Shin is a paid actor here. Paid by John to lose the fight spectacularly to him to reinforce John's position in the Elite Four in this time of need.
  
  Wake up people! Shin's in cahoots with John!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  ...I highly doubt that the animosity between John and Shin were faked. The sheer vitriol that they were hurling at each other during the match was definitely NOT a performance. Nor could you fake the brutality of Slaking's beatdown on Shin's Pokémon.
  
  Yes, the match was one-sided as I've ever seen, but does anyone KNOW why the two even came to blows over this?
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  I can guess what Shin's anger towards John stemmed from - he likely felt inadequate and forgotten due to his loss against John. He WAS the favourite to win, but he's since fallen into obscurity since his defeat, while John has been achieving success after success. Very understandable that he might be feeling envious.
  
  No idea why John's so angry at him though. Must be a big reason.
  
  [CAN CYNTHIA BECOME THE NEXT CHAMPION OF SINNOH? WHAT WOULD HER POLICIES BE?!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of Cynthia's battle against Aaron]
  
  Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 2 weeks, you will have already known that we recently have had a new challenger looking to take the throne of Champion, ever since it has been left vacant by Champion Hayato's departure.
  
  Yet Challenger Cynthia has really proven herself to be a legitimate contender to becoming the new Champion of Sinnoh, having already swept through both Elite Bertha and Elite Aaron with significant ease. And now as Cynthia prepares for her fight against Elite Flint, her prospects of actually becoming the new Champion grows by the day. We've already covered who she is in a previous article, but the next crucial question is: What would she do if she became Champion? And would she be able to hold her position for long?
  
  The answer to the latter is quite simple. There is really no need to get into her strengths as a trainer, as her dominant performance against Elite Aaron and Bertha should have solidified that already. Assuming she continues her performance against Elite Flint and Lucian, it is highly doubtful that she would have any issues holding her position as Champion in the future.
  
  However, to answer the first question, it must be noted that Cynthia, beyond her impressive scientific connections, seems to have built up significant political connections to the current Elite Four. After all, it is practically an open secret that Cynthia was 'chosen' by Lucian to become the next Champion, as there have been many documented instances where the two could be seen frequently conversing before her challenge.
  
  Could Lucian have already seen Cynthia's potential and decided that she was the best for Sinnoh? If so, then this writer believes that this bodes well for the future of Sinnoh to have our Champion and Elite Four to have a mutual understanding with each other.
  
  And regarding our analysts prediction on her political positions...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Really rooting for Cynthia! She's honestly a great scientist and administrator - very kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. Love to see that a scientist is making it big in the world of battling; we're normally looked down upon for focusing on 'less martial' pursuits.
  
  Hope she wins it all!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Hmph. The pursuit of martial strength over intellectual ones is a honest waste of time. If Cynthia was so talented as a scientist, she ought to have continue going down that route. The advancement of science is worth more than just petty glory.
  
  What a waste.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  ResearchMagnet That's so short-sighted. If Cynthia were to become Champion, then she could help advance the sciences far more by just implementing policies to encourage scientific research. I've looked into the news from the other regions, and it really looks like a scientific boom has been occurring in those regions.
  
  Cynthia being Champion would be a great win for scientists everywhere!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I was stunned, then ecstatic, then screaming with joy when I saw that a GENERALIST was currently tearing through the Sinnoh Elite Four with an incredibly powerful and diverse team.
  
  I mean look at her roster of Pokémon! Every single one of those Pokémon are incredibly powerful! Can't wait to see more from her.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  GeneralistGeneral And Cynthia has yet to really show off her STARTER Garchomp in a battle. She's managed to sweep through Bertha and Aaron without it.
  
  Sure, Flint and Lucian are considered to be the stronger members of the Elite Four, but the margin isn't that much bigger. I think we're really about to see a new Champion take the stage.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  OMA! AND SHE'S A HOT BLONDE TOO! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! We've had enough of cool male Champions. It's about time we got a hot female one!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Gardevoir34 What - Wallace not doing it for you? No offense to him, but he's more effeminate than most females that I know. No shame to him - dude's beautiful.
  
  PianoLover
  
  I really want to see how Cynthia would match up against the other Champions of other regions! Maybe something like that could be arranged in the future?!
  
  [GYM LEADER JASMINE DISCOVERS THE A NEW DIGLETT FORM? ANOTHER SUCCESS OF THE PIT TECHNIQUE! A-DIGLETT DISCOVERED!] By The Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of the new A-Diglett]
  
  After a short lull in the discoveries created by the PIT technique, it seems that another success has finally blossomed from our very own Gym Leader Jasmine, of Olivine City! She has discovered a new alternate form for Diglett, which is now a Ground/Steel type! Jasmine also anticipates that it should evolve into a new Dugtrio as well! Leave it to the Steel specialist to find out a new Steel Pokémon for us!
  
  The new form for Diglett has been named A-Diglett by Jasmine, standing for "alternate-Diglett".
  
  We managed to catch the Gym Leader in an interview, where she explained how she came with this discovery: "It was honestly something that was discovered by pure coincidence over several months. We had an area that we used to raise Steel Pokémon for the Gym, and it's a place that's full of metals to allow Steel types to thrive in there. One day, I brought in a Diglett that I had found abandoned by an ungrateful trainer, and allowed it to stay with the other Pokémon."
  
  "But...as time passed, the Diglett became really attached to me and wanted to prove itself. So I trained it up in hopes of making it a Gym Pokémon to deal with the many Fire types that get brought in against my Gym. But one day it evolved and ended up mating with a Mawile that we had, which produced an egg. I raised it, as any good trainer should, but I left it in with all the other Steel eggs in the Steel habitat."
  
  "It took me awhile to realize it, but the egg was sporting some silvery lines after some time. At that point, I recognized what was happening, and started taking notes to document what was happening. At the end, the new form of Diglett hatched out, and I'm very pleased to welcome it into my team."
  
  Jasmine was asked if she had any intentions to continue seeking new Steel types after this discovery, but Jasmine said that she did not see herself pursuing the route of science. She stated she was satisfied enough with this one discovery, but her heart lied with the Gym.
  
  This writer hopes we see more discoveries being created from the PIT technique! Especially with all this extra funding to the sciences, surely more successes can be found soon!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Accident or not - I'm happy to see another success come out of the PIT Technique. New Pokémon are always appreciated. Although I'm really unsure if a Steel/Ground Diglett or Dugtrio is going to be strong.
  
  Their standard forms were never very strong Pokémon. I doubt this would be much different.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Well, Steel types are known to be more defensive, so perhaps this is a more defensive version of the Dugtrio line? But again, Dugtrio were always considered to be fragile Pokémon, so I'm unsure how tanky a 'more defensive' version of it would even be.
  
  It looks fabulous though.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  Even amongst Ground specialists, Dugtrio have never been the most sought out. They make for good ambushers, but not much else. AND, we already have a Steel/Ground type in Steelix, which I'm confident is infinitely stronger than this A-Diglett.
  
  It's a nice discovery, but I don't see it being too useful in battle. But maybe Jasmine or Giovanni could prove me wrong! I hope they do!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  ...'Discovered by luck' is pathetic. There was no skill, no application of scientific observation. Just 'luck'. Disgusting.
  
  But Jasmine's discovery of a new Pokémon still provides useful insights for finding other alternate forms. Maybe us REAL scientists can make something out of this.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Hey, who cares how she found it out. She admitted she wasn't a scientist anyways, so I don't know why you feel the need to degrade her.
  
  And at least she found SOMETHING. What have you found? Besides your own feelings of inadequacy?
  
  DragonPower
  
  Where are all the new Dragon alternate forms at?! WHY ARE MORE PEOPLE NOT FOCUSING ON THIS! Dragons are the best type, the STRONGEST type! Surely more people should be trying to find new Dragon forms?!
  
  EDIT: No, I understand now. The superior power of Dragons means that only the worthy are able to find them. That's why they take more time. I will be patient, for greatness demands it.
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  DragonPower Greatness demands that your Dragons get 3-0'd by a Clefable! HAHAHAHAH!
  
  A.N. A big focus on the Indigo Conference this time, but there's been some developments with the PIT technique. I've not forgotten about it! But I had to account for how long eggs took to hatch, so I thought now would be a good time to reveal that experiments HAVE been going on in the background. Just slowly.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-10 - Interlude - Shin
  The New Normal - 9-10 - Interlude - Shin
  
  "...CERTAINLY ONE TO BE REMEMBERED!" No matter what he tried, Shin could still hear the damning last words from the announcer echoing constantly in his head.
  
  Those accursed words. The humiliation. The despair when he realized that everything he worked for was for nothing. Nothing at all. All that time and effort obsessing over how to defeat John, and he couldn't even make it past the starting line.
  
  He could already hear the mockery that was pointed his way - to be the first ever trainer to lose 6-0 to an Elite Four member, who he had challenged. They laughed at him, wondering where had all that confidence gone, and why he thought he had a chance at defeating John in the first place.
  
  But they never understood. He NEEDED to beat John. He NEEDED to reclaim what was lost to him. He NEEDED to knock John down a peg for having stolen his rightful position. Then he could throw it against those who doubted him and prove that he was MORE successful than they could ever be.
  
  Yet...that goal seemed to be even further out of reach now.
  
  On the wake of his humiliating defeat, he had tried reaching out to a few former contacts. He wasn't giving up on gaining back what he was owed, so he needed to come up with a different plan to defeat John. Clearly the plan of training up a completely new team that countered John's didn't work; he needed to try something else.
  
  But, strangely enough, it seemed that no one wanted to business with him anymore. All of his former business contacts, those of whom used to be eager to shower him in favours for being the Johto hopeful...they all disappeared; refusing all communication with him. He even tried to meet some of them in person, only to be refused and shown the door.
  
  It was like he had suddenly become persona-non-grata out of nowhere. And he didn't understand how it happened; yes, his defeat was humiliating, but surely that wasn't enough for everyone to flip on him like this? To abandon him and his goals?
  
  After all, weren't they the ones that had been so enthusiastic about getting another Johto member into the Elite Four? So why would they give up on him when he was their best chance to do so - recent defeat or not?
  
  It was when he reached out to a long-time business contact that he finally got some answers, "I don't know who you pissed off, Shin, but no one's going to sponsoring you or doing business with you at the moment. Not in Indigo."
  
  "What? Why?!" Shin exclaimed confusedly.
  
  His 'friend' shook his head, "I'm not high up enough to know, but the orders from above were very clear. Unless a business wants to make an enemy of someone REALLY important, they are not to engage with you in anyway whatsoever."
  
  "But...But they can't do that!" Shin shouted, rising from his seat.
  
  "It's already been done." His 'friend' said, "Look, Shin, I don't know what you did. But even now I'm taking a huge risk just talking to you. I only did this as a courtesy for what you helped me with before. I'm sorry, but you're on your own." And with that his 'friend' got up, leaving Shin to his thoughts once more.
  
  He didn't know how long he spent just sitting there, his mind wracked with confusion and despair as he realized the hopelessness of the situation. Of COURSE John would have business allies to look out for him. Because there were ALWAYS going to be those that sucked up to those in power.
  
  And it could have been HIM in that position, having powerful allies watching for his back. If only he had WON!
  
  Gritting his teeth, Shin ended up walking around aimlessly, stewing in his hate. As if his legs were moving on their own, he found himself staring at the memorial that they built at Olivine, honouring John's successes against Team Rocket.
  
  He rolled his eyes. There was nothing impressive about this. Any good trainer could have defended Olivine.
  
  The 'Hero at Olivine', what a joke.
  
  He was glad that it was the dead of night, and that the streets were empty of people. It meant that there was no one to see as he paced around in a mixture of anger and panic at what to do next.
  
  It couldn't end here. IT COULD NOT!
  
  "...Are you okay, sir?" A voice suddenly echoed through the silence of the night, and Shin's head whipped towards the voice, surprised and startled by it. A man stared back at him, a look of concern on his face.
  
  "I'm not in the mood to talk." He growled out, "Don't you have somewhere else to be than to bother someone in the dead of the night?"
  
  "Woah, no need to be hostile." The man raised his hands, "I just thought you needed some help. You looked like you needed someone to vent to. There's nothing more to it. If you want me to leave you to alone, then I shall."
  
  Shin was taken aback by the sheer sincerity and concern in his voice, but his anger and frustration still won out, "You don't know who I am? And why I'm angry?"
  
  The man tilted his oddly, "Should I? I'm sorry, I'm not someone that follows the news. Are you famous for something?"
  
  'Yes, for losing a battle 6-0.' A part of his mind whispered treacherously in his head, but he quickly silenced that voice. Instead, his rage grew at the fact that this person didn't recognise him. HE was meant to be an ELITE FOUR! He deserved the fame that John had! No one would dare say to John that they didn't recognise him!
  
  Unknown to his thoughts, the man continued in a calm tone, "You seem troubled by something. I don't really feel like heading to bed yet - so I'm happy to lend an ear."
  
  The man took out a can out of his coat, "Actually, I meant to save this for later, but would you like something to drink? You look parched. And it's really the least I could do."
  
  Shin hesitated, his pride warring with the friendliness that this man radiated. Eventually, he sighed and silently reached out and grabbed the drink; he could use the extra alcohol.
  
  The man smiled, "Let's take a seat at that bench there." He pointed and sat down on the bench, extending a silent invitation to Shin. His rage settled slightly, and he reluctantly accepted.
  
  "So, ready to air out your troubles?" The man asked softly as they sat, "Maybe it'll help you feel better."
  
  "Has anyone told you that you're a nosy bastard?" Shin spat, casually opening his drink and taking a swig before wincing. That was some strong alcohol.
  
  But the man just chuckled, "Yes, I've heard that quite a lot. But I like to listen and make friends with people. You could say that it's my job."
  
  "Hmph. I could tell." He took another swig, "So what, you expect me to spit out my life story now?"
  
  "Whatever you want to do." The man continued to smile serenely, "If you just want to have some silent company for the next few minutes, then I don't mind either. I'm here for you."
  
  Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just how friendly that this man was to him. But the floodgates finally broke for Shin, and the words came pouring out.
  
  "You wouldn't understand." He hissed, "To have something stolen from you because of some lucky incident. To have a life of fame and fortune ripped away from you because some bastard got a lucky break. And then when you work hard, plan for every possibility, to make a perfect comeback to reclaim what was rightfully yours - all that shatters apart because of that same luck once again."
  
  "WHY?! Why do I NOT deserve the fame?! When I've already put in all the hard work necessary to earn it?! And now I'm forced to wallow in this shit! I'm a GOOD trainer. I'm one of the best! I was to be the top of the world! All his achievements would have been MINE!"
  
  Before he could stop himself, Shin had gripped the man's shoulders and was almost shouting at his face, "EVERYTHING! I LOST EVERYTHING TO HIM! I ALMOST HAD EVERYTHING! DO YOU GET THAT?!" His rage must have overcome him, because he began stuttering over his words, "DO YOU...YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S...LIKE?! I...COULD HAVE BEEN...THE HERO! THE...GREATEST...GREAT..."
  
  His vision suddenly turned blurry, and he collapsed back on the bench as the world began to spin around him. He tried to pull himself up, but his legs weren't responding, and his arms fell limply to his side.
  
  He tried to call for help, but nothing came out of his mouth. His eyelids grew heavy, and his panic grew. What was happening?!
  
  The last thing he saw was the calm smile of the man who had sat next to him, who reached for the drink that he just drank.
  
  As Shin fell unconscious, the man pulled out a phone.
  
  "It's done." He said, "Relocating him now."
  
  "Excellent." His boss responded, "Good job, Petrel. I don't want to hear from him ever again."
  
  A.N. And that's probably the end of Shin - I didn't want to put too much attention on him after his battle. I think his character has served its course, and outside of minor cameos, I don't plan on writing more on him for the future. I'll leave it up to your own personal interpretation about what his fate is.
  
  And yes, this chapter is a kind reminder that Giovanni is absolutely still capable of being a mob boss.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-11 - Power Projection
  
  Overall, I was pretty satisfied with my crushing performance against Shin, to the point that I even hoped that he would challenge me again just so I could have a repeat performance. Alas, I had to make do with relishing in the despair that was painted on his face as he left the match.
  
  But I didn't myself indulge in my victory too much. As soon as the battle was over, my first priority was to check up on my sister to see if she was doing okay. Luckily, a few days after my defeat of Shin, she was already showing significant signs of improvement and recovery.
  
  Her smiles had returned.
  
  With both Klee and the Nurse Joy's overseeing her Pokémon's recovery, they were able to get her Pokémon back into tip top shape quicker than I expected. I had been worried that her cruel defeat against Shin would have traumatized my little sister, but frequent visits from her friends, Karen, myself, and our parents over the past few days seemed to have brought her back to her usually cheery self.
  
  But she had undoubtedly been changed from the experience - now she and her friends seemed to be warier against those that approached her. Overall, my parents and I agreed that it was a positive change, despite the unfortunate circumstances that it took for her to learn them.
  
  Fortunately, her Pokémon's recovery was just in time for Whitney to continue her journey through the Open Qualifiers, and her Miltank carried her during the days where her Pokémon still were healing.
  
  However, from what I saw, the trio's progress through their first few battles could be said to be a...mixed bag. Sadly, their earnestness, innate talents, and friendship were unable overcome the literal years of experience and training that other trainers had on them, and I truly didn't think they would be able to make it through the Open Qualifiers all together.
  
  It would only take one bad matchup against an experienced Ace trainer to end their run.
  
  Of course, they went into this knowing that they would not be able to get far, and their parents and I have been showering them with praise for even managing to secure a few wins. At their age, even making it this far was already VERY impressive, and even a few observant analysts have taken note of their performance.
  
  One nice thing that happened was, by coincidence, my parents had ended up meeting up with Sabrina's parents one day at the Indigo Plateau when they were cheering on their daughters. One thing led to another, and SOMEHOW Koga was also roped in for a nice celebratory dinner at our place after the girls' run of the Indigo Conference was over.
  
  I had no idea how they managed to get Koga to agree to this, but the girls seemed very happy to hear it. Karen was invited as well - my parents and Whitney were always happy to spend more time with her.
  
  I didn't forget to thank Karen profusely for spending so much time with Whitney despite having the Conference battles to do. I really owed her one.
  
  However, the thing that seemed to dominate the news were the numerous discussions and debates about my fight against Shin that lingered in the public's mind for some time. Many wanted to know the reason behind our obvious rivalry, at least on my end. On Shin's end, it was fairly obvious for most people to identify WHY Shin had wanted to get me into a 'friendly' fight; his jealousy and envy were plain for all to see.
  
  But MY reasons were still hidden.
  
  And they would stay that way. I was not about to drag Whitney and what happened to her into this mess. She didn't want me to make a big deal out of it, so that was that. As much as I wanted Shin's reputation thrown into the gutter, I respected my sister's wishes more than my need for revenge.
  
  There were some criticism levelled against me for 'going too far' with my beatdown of Shin, with some claiming that I should have 'held back for a more even fight' and that I shouldn't have 'humiliated' Shin.
  
  But that was exactly the point.
  
  For the near future, Shin's reputation as a trainer was over. In a society that values strength and glory so much, such a humiliating loss would forever be an irremovable stain on his record. His achievement of reaching the finals of the Indigo Conference would be forgotten, overshadowed by his utter defeat against me. Exactly as I hoped for.
  
  And I hadn't heard hide or hair from him since.
  
  But despite the small amounts of criticism against me, the overwhelming majority saw this as a huge display of strength on my end. Sure, it was just a 'friendly' match, but my victory was so memorable that people were now considering me to be stronger than Agatha, since the latter hadn't had a real challenge in some time. There was even some discussion arguing if Tyrant was stronger than Emperor.
  
  Coupled with the previous 'revelation' of the true extent of my political connections, and it was made abundantly clear to the public that my star was on the rise, and would only keep going up.
  
  Many bought into the hype, with some political analysts even claiming that my level of influence was equivalent to those wielded by a regular Champion. I thought that was a little overhyped; by my estimates Lance was still more politically influential than I was.
  
  However, it appeared that Lance took notice of this, because he rang me up to speak to me about it.
  
  "John, congratulations on your victory." He greeted me, "I assume you got what you wanted out of it?"
  
  "Thank you, and I have." I replied, though I noted that his tone was a little more guarded than usual, "What seems to be the matter?"
  
  "Listen, John, on behalf of our friendship, I would like for you to answer truthfully." He said, slowly and carefully, "Do you intend to challenge me for my position as Champion? Because if you do, I would like for us to come to an agreement that would allow for the continued prosperity of Indigo so that a conflict between us wouldn't tear apart all that we've built."
  
  I was momentarily taken aback at the question, having not expected to be confronted so directly like this, but I took a moment to pause and reflect on my answer. Before, I did not think I had the capabilities to be Champion, as untested and as new as I was. But now, in light of my new achievements and connections? It was a serious consideration.
  
  Assuming I could actually earn it, the advantages of being Champion were obvious, beyond the glory and fame. I would be THE most senior power in Indigo, making it even easier for me to shape Indigo to my vision and help bolster international cooperation throughout the regions. I would also have an easier time rallying support to crush the criminals over in Sinnoh as soon as they popped their heads up.
  
  But...now that I think of it, wasn't that already happening? Lance was also pro-internationalism and was working hard to root out the terrorists as well, so nothing would really change in the long-run if I became Champion.
  
  In terms of achieving my goals to crush Team Galactic and to create a more unified world, I didn't think I could do much better were I to take his place.
  
  And there were plenty of downsides to becoming Champion, one of which was Lance himself. Despite our current friendship, I understood that Lance was ultimately not going to be satisfied playing second fiddle to anyone. If I took his place, he would simply return to the Elite Four, and I knew he would test me repeatedly to earn his place back - his pride demanded no less.
  
  Furthermore, even if we were to come to an agreement to not interfere with our political goals, that kind of conflict was still going to be harmful in the long-run. I didn't want to waste a huge amount of effort fending off potential challenges, especially from Lance himself, all of which I would have to take very seriously and would distract me from my actual goals.
  
  That wasn't my only concern of course. Being Champion placed you under heavy public scrutiny and responsibility, far more than being in the Elite Four. I had seen the piles of paperwork that were scattered across Lance's desk every time I entered his office, and I had no intention of dealing with that on a daily basis.
  
  More importantly, being a Champion was heavily restricting. I could not get away with all my travelling, all my explorations, if I were to become Champion. I knew that I would be restricted to Indigo, like Lance was, and forced to deal with everything from there. My cherished freedom would be taken from me.
  
  Ultimately, being a Champion would grant me very little, and make me lose a lot more. All of the benefits I could earn by being Champion were either miniscule or irrelevant in the long run.
  
  Extra fame for my family business, more fame and glory, more control over the direction of the region; none of these 'advantages' were actually that useful for me. On the other hand, becoming Champion would actually make me lose out far more than I believe I could earn.
  
  Therefore, I concluded that it was far better for me, and my goals for Indigo, to stay as the secondary power in Indigo, relying on my considerable 'soft' power, than to push to be Champion and bring myself and Lance into conflict.
  
  "I do not." I finally responded to Lance, and I swore I could hear a breath of relief from him, "I have no intention of challenging your leadership." Not unless you give me reason to, was left unsaid but understood by him.
  
  "That's a relief." He chuckled, his relief audible, "Seeing how the news was praising you recently, I thought you might be considering it."
  
  "Either way, I'm glad that you're not." He continued, "However, this recent upsurge in your popularity has given me the opportunity to honour one of my previous promises as Champion."
  
  "...Which is?" I asked curiously.
  
  "In the upcoming Committee meeting, I will be pushing forwards to host a proposal granting the Elite Four the power to directly vote for the proposals created by the Committee." He explained, to my surprise, "That way, you lot in the Elite Four can rely on more than just soft power to get your proposals heard in the Committee."
  
  I blinked, "...Not that I'm against this, very much the opposite, but why do this? Is this to placate me and the others or something?"
  
  "Partially." He admitted, "But there's a bigger reason for it as well. I've always had the intention of bolstering the power of the Elite Four so that they can serve as a check for the Champion's power. After all, I do not want what happened with Pryce to repeat itself ever again. And while this might seem like I'm crippling my own power, an announcement like this paints me in a very positive light - that I'm a Champion willing to compromise and negotiate, and to show that I'm not just consolidating all the power in my hands. THAT is definitely not an impression I want the public to have of me."
  
  "...This isn't a small decision to make." I said carefully, "I appreciate this, but are you sure about this?"
  
  "Absolutely." He confirmed, "And more than that, I hope to spread my example to the other regions as well. You saw how problematic things can get when the Committee gets stubborn or stupid and refuses to do the right thing. I hope that by following our region's example and giving more power to the, usually more sensible, Elite Four would stop problems like what happened in Hoenn and Sinnoh as the Committee would be less able to stonewall ideas."
  
  I nodded, "That's a good reason. You sure something like this would pass?"
  
  Lance laughed, "I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't certain. And besides, it's not like you Elite Four are going to go against this, so I'm sure that it'll pass through successfully."
  
  "Well, once again, I'm thankful that you're looking out for us." I remarked, "I guess I'll see you at the Committee meeting. And also, I do appreciate you coming to speak to me about this so openly. I'm glad you care as much as I do to ensure the prosperity of Indigo."
  
  "I care about this region as much as you do." He chuckled, "And John, keep up the good work. I'm thankful to have you as a trusty second."
  
  A pleased smile formed across my face as I put away my phone. I thought I made the right decision to not contest Lance.
  
  He was proving once again to be a Champion worth following.
  
  "...Please raise your hands if you approve of the Champion's proposal to grant voting powers to the Elite Four for future Committee proposals."
  
  Hands went up, and just like Lance predicted, the proposal passed through. There was a polite round of applause, but I ignored that as I continued my conversation with my fellow Elite Four members.
  
  "Times really are changing." Lorelei commented with a smile, "Back when uncle was still Champion, I could never have foreseen something like this passing."
  
  "Well it's come a little too late. I'm a bit too old to take advantage of this." Agatha spat, but there was no real heat in it.
  
  "I'm glad that he's done so." Will added, "I think this would set a good example for other regions to follow. I might be biased, but I think it's a good thing for the Champion to share more of their power." He turned to me, "But...I'm guessing he only did this after speaking to you, John? Did you pressure him?"
  
  "We spoke, but he already had an idea to do something like this already." I replied.
  
  "Bah, you could have pressured him by pretending to challenge him to become Champion." Agatha muttered loudly. "Let the Blackthorn squirm in his seat."
  
  "I told him I had no intention of becoming Champion." I said to Agatha, and the other Elite Four listened intently, "It just didn't serve my interests. I'm happy enough where I am."
  
  Agatha looked me over critically, before a small smirk broke out on her face, "But you would if Lance ever displeased you."
  
  I shrugged, "Perhaps...but Lance and I have an...implicit understanding. We'll continue to work together for the greater good of Indigo." The other three all nodded, understanding that there was not about to be conflict between myself and Lance.
  
  The Committee meeting ended soon after that, but the approval of a proposal of THIS magnitude needed to be announced to the public. So Lance prudently set up a press conference to make this momentous announcement.
  
  "In light of the many achievements that my illustrious Elite Four have achieved over the past few months, I felt that it would be best to finally grant them the power that they deserved. With the passing of this new policy, the Elite Four will be granted the power to vote directly in Committee meetings. Henceforth, they will be able to shape and guide the Committee and their policies, giving them a much more substantial voice in choosing the direction of the future of our region!" Lance declared, to the applause and approval from the crowd.
  
  "Champion Lance! Why did you decide to pass on such a policy now?" A interview asked him.
  
  "For the very simple reason that I did not want a repeat of Pryce's later years." He replied, "Therefore, by diluting my power as Champion, I hope that this would allow the Elite Four to serve as a more effective check on the Champion's power. I did not do this for me, but I do this to ensure that our prestigious Indigo League is able to function smoothly in the future as well."
  
  "Would you suggest this policy be implemented in other regions as well?" Another asked.
  
  "Yes, if at all possible." Lance nodded, "While I wouldn't dare to influence the domestic policies of foreign regions, I do believe that this is a suitable idea to implement to prevent an...ineffective Champion from keeping their policies in a chokehold."
  
  The questions went on, with many directed at Lance as the reporters continued to scrutinize Lance's decision for passing through this policy. Many were trying to understand why the infamously prideful Lance was willing to share his power.
  
  Naturally, many heads were turned my way, and questions were shoved in my face as the reporters could smell the potential for drama and punchy headlines.
  
  Unfortunately, I gave them none when they asked me about it. "I am very appreciate of Lance taking this step on behalf of the Elite Four. Lance has always treated the Elite Four as his trusted advisors, and this proposal is simply another demonstration of his trust in our abilities. I believe I can say for all of us that we're all very thankful for it."
  
  I repeated those few lines to practically every question I was asked, expressing my support for Lance's decisions. Some of the more 'bold' reporters asked me directly if I wanted to be Champion, but I firmly stated that I didn't. Some even asked me why I wasn't seeking out the position, but I rebuffed those questions and said that my reasons were my own.
  
  With the announcement over we split apart, I decided to pay a visit to Blaine. He had called me beforehand asking me to visit him at Cinnabar whenever I had the time, so that was where I was headed.
  
  Quickly arriving at his lab, Blaine and I exchanged quick greetings before we got down to business.
  
  "Shelly not here today?" I asked, "I thought you guys were always working together."
  
  "Nah, she's off to do some of her managerial duties." Blaine shook his head, "But you can consider her to be read in on anything I'm about to discuss with you." I nodded.
  
  Blaine then motioned towards the few whiteboards that he had hanging on the wall, all of which were littered with numbers and diagrams that I could hardly understand, "As you can see, the Electirizer design is coming along well. I was able to transfer a lot of what I used to build the Magmarizer and put it to use here. It's been very smooth going, and we've already identified that this Electirizer is most likely used to evolve Electabuzz into something new."
  
  "Of course, we're still very much in the theory stage. Trying to make a prototype is still going to be a lot of work." He explained, "We still need to find a method of concentrating that much Electric energy into one small container, and Shelly and I are still working out how to do that."
  
  "Think you could talk to Surge?" I asked, my mind wandering to the first and only Electric type specialist I knew, "Surely he would know."
  
  "Feh! We damn well tried, but Surge said that he wasn't interested in 'nerd shit'." Blaine spat, "Especially not when we told him that we would have to be siphoning off a whole ton of electricity from Vermillion. He hung up the phone after we told him that."
  
  I nodded, not overly surprised at Surge's reaction. He really didn't seem like the type to be interested in this stuff. Especially not with the siphoning electricity part.
  
  "So that's why we're stuck. We have all this theory, but we aren't able to find a way of actually concentrating all that Electric energy to create a prototype." Blaine grumbled, "And unfortunately, neither Shelly nor I have any ideas or connections that would help us with creating a prototype. But you have a bigger network than us, so we were hoping that you might have something that could help us."
  
  I took a moment to think about it, my mind rummaging through the many areas of Indigo to see if I could think of something that could help. Obviously, there were other power plants aside from the ones in Vermillion, but we would likely run into the same problem. Elite Four or Gym Leader, no local council would be too pleased with someone just siphoning away unknown amounts of electricity for a project. And even if they were, the asking price they would demand would be prohibitively expensive.
  
  I wracked my brain for solutions, until eventually something clicked in my head.
  
  "...I think there's this abandoned power plant in one of the routes, but its known to attract many Electric Pokémon to live there." I said, "If we could clear out the Electric types and take temporary authority over the plant, I think we could refit it to help create Electirizers."
  
  Blaine look interested, "Where is it?"
  
  "Uh...let me check." I went to my phone and did a quick search, "Okay, so it says its...at Route 10. Which is...next to Lavender Town."
  
  Blaine immediately winced, "Fuck. Is the plant under the authority of Lavender Town?"
  
  "Yes." I replied, showing him my phone, "Even though it's been abandoned, it still falls under Lavender Town's authority."
  
  Blaine let out a huge sigh, "...Well, it's an idea, at least. Repurposing an abandoned power plant for our purposes would probably be an easier sell than to repurpose an existing one. The only issue is that if I made the call to Agatha, I think she'll hang up before I'll be able to explain myself."
  
  I chuckled, "I can make the call for you if you want. But are you sure about this? Abandoned or not, this would be a huge expense. We would need to have something to show for it."
  
  "Shelly and I are confident in our conclusions. But we still need to scout out the area first, and as much as it pains me to say this, we should speak to Agatha first to make sure we aren't stepping on anyone's toes." Blaine said reluctantly, "She can be a petty bastard."
  
  I didn't disagree, but I didn't voice it either. Instead, we quickly discussed the terms that we would present to Agatha.
  
  After the discussions were had and the terms were confirmed, I dialled up Agatha.
  
  The phone rang for an unreasonably long time before she eventually picked up, "Who is it?" She asked impatiently.
  
  "Agatha, it's John." I greeted immediately, knowing full well if it wasn't me she would have hung up by now. "I have a proposal I'd like to bring up on behalf of the Cinnabar labs." I switched my phone to speaker so that Blaine could listen in.
  
  She snorted, "You mean your small little circle of science friends with Blaine and that Devon Corp director? That's where you ran off to after the Committee meeting? What about them?"
  
  "We would like permission to scout out and hopefully make use of the abandoned power plant located in Route 10, near Lavender Town." I explained, "We hope to repurpose it to aid in creating a prototype for our most recent project-"
  
  "Right, right, using it for your project blah, blah, blah. You don't need to bore me to death. I get it, this is the same as your Magmarizer thing." Agatha interrupted impatiently, "So what are you going to offer me for it? Because our previous deal for my political support doesn't cover this."
  
  I gave Blaine a questioning look, and he quickly wrote 'share profits' on a piece of paper. I nodded, "We could give Lavender Town a cut of the profits until you make back the investment, the value to be discussed as soon as we can confirm the functioning of the prototype."
  
  "That's not good enough." Agatha denied instantly, "But I have a better proposal. Lavender Town shall sponsor your efforts, and will pay for all the refitting and reconstruction costs for the abandoned power plant to turn it into something you can work with. In return, we shall receive 70% of all profits until our investment is returned, then that figure drops to 40% for everything beyond that. Of course, the powerplant will remain under Lavender Town's authority."
  
  "30% of the remaining." I countered with an approving nod from Blaine, "Plus an agreement to give Devon Corp full autonomy to handle the sale of the final product and to acknowledge Blaine as the sole creator and patent holder of the product, and for him to receive a cut of the profits accordingly." I regurgitated the previously agreed terms that Blaine had told me he and Shelly had agreed to.
  
  Agatha chuckled, "Relax, I wouldn't DARE to try to take credit away from little ol' Blaine. The man was always too attached to his own creations. Is he listening in right now? I bet he's grinding his teeth as usual."
  
  She was right on the money, because Blaine was grinding his teeth. And he was grinding them even harder now that Agatha was poking fun at him. But I simply ignored her comment and continued, "So do we have a deal?"
  
  "We might." She said teasingly, "I would have to send someone to visit the plant first to see just how much reconstruction would actually cost. Also, I would need to know what YOU need specifically to create your thing, and how much that would cost. But should everything look fine, then I see no reason to decline your offer. Not when you've given me a perfect excuse to expand the town."
  
  "Thank you, Agatha. I hope to hear the good news from you soon." I hung up the phone, and Blaine let out a sigh of relief.
  
  "That hag is exhausting to deal with." Blaine grumbled, "I've known her for half my life, but she never gets any easier to deal with. In fact, she's only gotten worse over the years."
  
  "She's not too bad when you get to know her better." I tried, but I only got a disbelieving look from Blaine.
  
  He shook his head, "Anyways, thank you for speaking to Agatha on our behalf. Arceus knows she would never have been so generous if I asked for it."
  
  "Don't mention it." I waved him off, "I haven't been participating in this project as much as I wanted to, so I hope to make up for it."
  
  Blaine put a hand on my shoulder, "Relax, John. Neither Shelly nor I ever expected you to be able to help with the creation of the Electirizer itself. We know you don't have the scientific background to understand the finer details - and that's fine. We brought you on because we wanted to copy what you did with Samuel with the Fairy reveal. To secure funding and support from the people necessary to actually have this project running."
  
  In other words, I was the political backer.
  
  "I thought you had Shelly and Devon Corp for that?" I asked, not offended by his words.
  
  He shook his head, "Shelly's mentioned many times that she hasn't really been able to foster the political connections that she'd like. Ultimately, her status as a representative of a foreign business does her no favours here. But you're a completely different story."
  
  I scratched my head, "Well...I appreciate it." I coughed, and blatantly switched the topic, "Are we going to head to scout out the power plant soon then? I'll let Agatha know as soon as possible if we are."
  
  Blaine nodded, "I'll let Shelly know and I'll get back to you on a time. We'll all go together."
  
  With the more serious topics settled, we ended up talking about how the Magmarizer project has been doing since products hit the shelves. It wasn't a very popular product, but that was expected. It was an extremely niche evolution item used to evolve ONE specific Fire type Pokémon. Its use case was very limited.
  
  However, that meant we could charge an utterly exorbitant amount for it. The only people that were going to buy it were dedicated Fire specialists or those that had way too much money to spend anyways, so we knew that these people would pay premium prices for it.
  
  Blaine and Shelly were perfectly happy to milk them for all they were worth.
  
  Thus, even though sales were low, profits were still high enough to justify the investment into this project. Blaine explained that it shouldn't be long before both we were able to recuperate their costs for production and distribution.
  
  After that, I ended up retiring from the conversation and returned home. Both my parents were home, staring intently at the TV that was broadcasting the Open Qualifiers. They both had a small frown on their face, and my mom seemed busy texting someone over the phone.
  
  "Something the matter?" I asked as I stepped into the house.
  
  "Sabrina just lost. She's out of the Indigo Conference."
  
  A.N. Oof. One of the girls are out.
  
  And yes, John's star is on the rise because of the public recognition from his crushing victory against Shin, but he declines being Champion. I hope John's inner thoughts provide a sufficient reason to why he's not interested in being Champion. It actually saves him so much trouble if he stays where it is.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 9-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-12 - Calm Conversations
  
  "Oh...damn. Is Sabrina doing okay?" I asked concernedly to my parents.
  
  My dad gestured to my mom, "She's talking to Sabrina's parents right now."
  
  "Don't worry, Katrina says that Sabrina's doing fine." My mom spoke up as she saw me walk in, "A little disappointed, but not devastated."
  
  "That's a relief." I replied, "How did she lose?"
  
  "She just went up against a trainer that was just far beyond her level." My dad explained, "There was nothing underhanded about her defeat, if that's what you're worried about. Just bad luck to be matched up against someone strong."
  
  "...Well, I'm glad that it wasn't from anything nefarious." I sighed. I did NOT want a repeat of what happened to Whitney. "So, what's happening now?"
  
  My mom shrugged, "It's up to the girls and what they want to do. You know we're proud of them for what they've already achieved, so we're going to stay hands off."
  
  "And we trust you to keep Whitney safe, or to get revenge when needed." My dad added, his face forming into a frown, "I hope we don't see Shin anytime soon."
  
  Considering what Giovanni hinted to me, I think the problem had been dealt with. "There shouldn't be. I doubt we'd see him again."
  
  With that, the conversation turned to the upcoming dinner that we were planning to host. With Sabrina's defeat, we decided to push forwards the dinner and frame it as a 'celebration of their achievements' - just so Sabrina wouldn't feel down about being the first to lose.
  
  My dad and I left sorting out those details to mom before we both retired for the night.
  
  The next day, I had to drag myself out of bed early as I was woken by a phone call. Apparently Blaine and Shelly were both free NOW and wanted to check out the power plant on Route 10. Agatha had also said that she'd be sending Karen to scout it on her behalf, since she didn't have a match scheduled for this morning for the Open Qualifiers.
  
  So I made my way over to Route 10 on Port, arriving there after only a short moment; I had forgotten how close the abandoned power plant was to Cerulean City. As I landed, I noticed that the exterior of the power plant was still in good condition. You wouldn't be able to tell that the power plant had been abandoned if you just looked at the exterior alone.
  
  Blaine and Karen were there already, seemingly in casual discussion. Though they both perked up as soon as I arrived.
  
  "John, sorry for waking you up early." Blaine greeted, "I got a little too excited to see if this power plant is really suitable for what we want."
  
  "It's fine. I had a free day anyways." I replied, before I waved to Karen, "Hey there, just you today?"
  
  "The others are coming - I just came early because I was already up to train with my Pokémon." She greeted with a smile.
  
  "So early?" I asked.
  
  She shrugged, "Had a moment of inspiration that I wanted to work on. And the Open Qualifiers aren't really that much of a challenge to me anyways."
  
  "Be careful - don't get overconfident." I warned.
  
  "Bah, it's not about being overconfident or not." Blaine interrupted, "I watched her fight against Sidney - she won't lose to some scrub. Else she'd be an embarrassment to the old hag."
  
  "Thank you for the vote of confidence." Karen said dryly, "But it's true that I don't see myself struggling. Sorry to hear about Sabrina though - nothing happened right?"
  
  "Yeah, just a regular loss. I heard she was doing fine." I reassured, dispelling the hint of worry in Karen's voice.
  
  "Oh you're talking about little Whitney and her group of friends?" Blaine asked, though my attention shifted as I saw the signature flash of light from a Teleport appear behind him. "I know them. They were basically burning with potential. HAHAH!"
  
  "...It's way too early for your stupid puns, Blaine." Shelly muttered as she stepped out of the Teleport, getting an exaggerated frown from Blaine, "But I can't disagree. I'm not much of a trainer, but your sister is one to watch. Oh, and thanks again John for getting all this together. Saved us a lot of hassle."
  
  "Not a problem, and I'll make sure Whitney gets your compliments." I smiled, but the flashes of more Teleports cut me off as I realized that this was the rest of Karen's contingent from Lavender Town Teleporting in.
  
  Quick greetings were exchanged with everyone, and we headed inside the abandoned power plant.
  
  Our Pokémon flanked us as we walked in. The place was swarming with Electric types, but fortunately none of them looked all that powerful and none dared to challenge the combined might of our group; they simply scurried away and avoided us.
  
  These wild Pokémon were not nearly as strong as those living in the caves of Sinnoh.
  
  We stuck together as we approached the main line of machinery, which had long been abandoned. Blaine spoke up as he swept his gaze over everything, "...This is a lot more than I expected. These parts don't look nearly as rusty as I thought they might."
  
  He turned to Shelly, "Shelly, think we can work with this? You know more about machinery than I do."
  
  Shelly considered his question, "Hmm...I think we could repair this to a functioning state to generate electricity, but it's not going to be anywhere near enough for our purposes."
  
  She walked around as she continued inspecting the machinery, "However...judging by what I can see...the fact that most of this is still reusable still saves us a lot of time and effort. We probably wouldn't need to buy everything again, just the custom parts. Mind you, those custom parts are going to be pricey."
  
  Karen took the opportunity to speak up, "How much would those parts be then? Oh, and just to ensure that there isn't any confusion, I'm here on Agatha's - I mean, Lavender Town's behalf - to facilitate an agreement between us. I have been given the authority to negotiate and make agreements as necessary."
  
  The group from Lavender Town nodded at Karen's words, but I saw that their eyes remained fixed on her - and not in a friendly or supportive way. No, my gut told me that they were evaluating her - either on behalf of Agatha or not - and were testing to see if she could hold her own in a negotiation like this.
  
  Considering that her connection to me was an open secret, was this a test to see if she could stay unbiased and reasonably serve the interests of Lavender Town despite our connection?
  
  "We understand." Shelly replied for the three of us, "As for the parts, like I said, they'll be pricey. Everything must be custom made to be able to concentrate the sheer amount of Electric energy that we need to create an Electirizer. Standard equipment just wouldn't work."
  
  "We'd have to build these parts ourselves as well." Blaine added, "You wouldn't be able to find anything like this directly on the market. That's where most of the funding will have to go to - aside from the funds used for the renovation of this power plant."
  
  "And how much would that actually be, in actual figures?" Karen questioned.
  
  "The amount needed for the custom parts would be almost impossible to fund for a small group of scientists. However, I'm sure that with the funds available to both Lavender Town and Devon Corp, it would merely be a drop in the bucket - assuming I can get approval." Shelly explained, "As for the costs for renovations - I haven't a clue. But just by looking around I can already see that there are quite a few areas that aren't up to safety protocols, so it probably isn't going to be cheap either."
  
  "I'll leave that to my own evaluators to judge then." Karen nodded.
  
  The back and forth continued for some time, with Karen often the ones asking questions about the finances and the expected construction time for a working prototype. On our end, we let Shelly handle the questions - she was the most experienced out of all of us when it came to finances and costs of distribution.
  
  While those two continued to negotiate and haggle, Blaine and I continued to investigate the power plant and see if there was anything else of note that we could spot.
  
  As we walked, I noticed a faint thrum of power radiating through the abandoned building. It was almost unnoticeable, but it was as if the very walls of the building themselves were infused with Electric power.
  
  Knowing what I knew about the power plant from canon, I suspected that there was a reason why the entire building seemed to radiate with a powerful aura of electricity. But the source of that power was currently not here - and I wasn't sure if it would return anytime soon. Nor, as I suspected, had it been here for some time.
  
  I couldn't say I was disappointed about that. To say that its presence would have been an unnecessary and headache-inducing complication would be an understatement.
  
  Overall, we found that clearing out the Pokémon could be done quite easily - since none of the Pokémon that hung around seemed to be very powerful - but the whole place really needed some touching up. Years of abandonment have not been too kind to its interior, and the power plant looked like it was one bad hit from falling apart.
  
  After that, it took some more time, but Shelly and Karen eventually came to an agreement. The final result was very similar to the agreement we hashed out with Agatha, with Lavender Town to receive 70% of the profits until their initial investment was returned, then 30% afterwards. However, we also confirmed that this whole facility would be turned into an exclusive specialized production factory for Electrizers, which would be rented to Devon Corp. Likewise, security and authority would still fall under Lavender Town's jurisdiction, and they would remain the landlords.
  
  There was also a separate discussion about the rent, expected deadlines to demonstrate results, and other business matters, but we left that to the professionals to deal with. Even Karen didn't join in - she left it with those that were actually trained to deal with this minutiae.
  
  Blaine let out a breath as we exited the power plant, "...Glad that's over with. I never had the patience to deal with this aspect of business. At least all that's left now is to actually produce the results. I hate negotiations like that with a burning passion." I couldn't tell if that pun was intentional or not.
  
  "I thought you would have to deal with them quite often as Gym Leader." Karen commented, "I certainly had to when I was temporary Gym Leader."
  
  "That's cause you were new and untested, and didn't have staff that you could rely on, no offense." Blaine replied, "That's why I hire people for my Gym that handle all this stuff for me. If I had to deal with that nonsense, AND the battles, AND my work as a scientist? I'd be completely overwhelmed."
  
  He turned to me, "Take it from me, John. Hiring those assistants of yours was probably the best idea you've had yet. Any time you can get someone else to do the boring work for you is always a good idea."
  
  "Wow - you sound like Agatha." Karen muttered, and the horrific look that appeared on Blaine's face was comical. He looked like Karen had just insulted his whole family, his Pokémon, and himself all at once.
  
  I couldn't help but laugh.
  
  Shenanigans aside, our group eventually split up after Shelly was done talking. She and Blaine had to return to the labs to actually work on the Electrizer project, and to build those custom parts that they mentioned. I asked if I was needed, but they said that they didn't need to waste my time on this.
  
  Similarly, Karen had to head off to fight in yet another Open Qualifiers match. She was nearly through with them, and her position in the Preliminary Rounds was all but secured.
  
  So - with nothing that needed my immediate attention, I decided to head home and continue training with my Pokémon. Of course, as soon as I got home, my mom dropped me the news.
  
  "Whitney and Janine both got knocked out of the Open Qualifiers today." My mom said to me as soon I stepped through the door, "They're doing okay, but we've decided to push forward the dinner and have it be hosted tonight."
  
  "...Wait, what happened? I feel like you skipped out on a lot of that." I remarked confusedly.
  
  "Oh, they were just sadly outmatched. Whitney went up against someone with a trio of Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise and lost. Janine lost to a trainer that had 2 Flygons." My mom explained, "I'll let them explain more over the dinner. Everyone's coming over."
  
  Okay. I can imagine why they lost. Still, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. However, as soon as I thought that, I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind.
  
  My sister and her friends didn't deserve for me to think of them like that. I'm sure they worked as hard as they could, and we should rightfully be proud of them.
  
  Then I realised something, "Hold on, they're coming over on such short notice?"
  
  My mom smirked, "Koga agreed to it, and everyone else was okay. Don't underestimate your mother's ability to gather people up for a dinner. Friends and family come first! Now come over and give your dad a hand with the cooking."
  
  There was nothing I could say to that, and since my dad had already been drafted, I was also forced to accept the forced conscription and joined him in the kitchens. The two of us shared a brief look of commiseration before we wiped it off our face and got to work.
  
  Food was cooked. Drinks were made. Rooms were cleaned. It was a lot of work to do in the few hours that we had before the guests arrived. But dad and I knew better to voice our complaints to mom. And I wasn't even allowed to get my Pokémon to help out because mom didn't 'trust them to not destroy the kitchen'.
  
  ...It was ONE time! And it was her fault for leaving bananas out where a Vigoroth could see it. That was just asking for it.
  
  Regardless, tables were set and the food was all prepared. I was just glad that my mom did the majority of the cooking beforehand - my dad and I were...only adequate at cooking. And with such an esteemed list of guests arriving, it would be embarrassing if the food was bad.
  
  Eventually, it turned evening, and the first of our guests began arriving. Unsurprisingly, the first pair of guests arrived perfectly on the dot.
  
  "Gym Leader Koga, Janine, thank you both for coming." I greeted at the door, "I'm sorry about your loss. Please, come in."
  
  "It is fine, John. I knew that I would lose eventually." Janine replied.
  
  "It was within our expectations, but I am proud of my daughter's journey regardless of her defeat." Koga added as they both stepped into our house, causing a smile to break out on Janine's face.
  
  "Oh my! Gym Leader Koga!" My mom exclaimed excitedly, making sure to straighten out her clothes as she ran over, "Thank you for coming!"
  
  "It is my pleasure." He replied firmly, but not unkindly, "You have my gratitude for hosting this celebratory dinner. It is...much more than I would have arranged with Janine." He admitted.
  
  "Think nothing of it." My mom waved him off, "Janine's been such a great friend to Whitney, so how could I not celebrate their achievements together? Getting all 8 badges in their first circuit at their age! Incredible!" Janine lowered her head to try and conceal her blush. It wasn't very successful.
  
  And that was how Koga got roped into a conversation with both of our parents. I was afraid that it was going to be a very awkward affair, but Koga turned out to be a good conversationist - he was just very to the point.
  
  He actually turned out to be knowledgeable on a large range of matters, and the three adults ended up talking about the current state of the economy of all things while they waited for the others to arrive.
  
  Fortunately, our next guest arrived soon as the signature screech of a familiar Honchkrow echoed through the outside of our house.
  
  "Whoof. Almost didn't make it in time." Karen sighed out as she withdrew her starter, "Match almost ran late."
  
  I instinctively reached out and helped her with her coat, "Why? Difficult battle?"
  
  Karen snorted, "Of course not. The kid was just late and we had to wait for him. Then he tried to play all defensive and wear me down. So I turned the tables on him and confused and paralyzed all his Pokémon and wore them down at a safe distance."
  
  "Sounds petty." I replied without any heat.
  
  "I can be." She chuckled before heading inside as she greeted everyone at the table, making sure to congratulate Janine on her journey.
  
  The final guests arrived shortly after that with the flash of a Teleport. "We're here!" I could hear my sister's shouting out.
  
  "Yes, you are. Welcome back, sis." I greeted, as she squeed and ran over to give me a big hug.
  
  "I hope you don't feel too bad about your loss. Sorry that I wasn't there to see it." I said into her shoulder.
  
  "Nah, I'm okay. I was just worried if Sabrina turned out to be the only one who didn't need to make it to the Preliminary Rounds, but I guess there's no need to be worried about that." She remarked happily.
  
  "I would have been happy for you anyways." Sabrina cut in.
  
  "Nope! We're doing it together! We're not leaving you behind in the Open Qualifiers if we got to the Preliminary Rounds. I don't like that." Whitney shook her head, "It's together or nothing."
  
  As Whitney and Sabrina fell into a back and forth about this topic, I made sure to greet her parents, "Thank you for coming. I hope my mom didn't pester you two too much." I joked.
  
  "Don't be. In fact, it made us very happy to see your parents so openly inviting." Katrina replied with a smile, "It's been some time since we got invited to a dinner like this."
  
  "The downsides of being a Gym Leader, unfortunately." Samson mumbled, "We're too often placed on pedestals; idolized and worshipped. But that idolization leads to distance. I'm just glad that it doesn't appear that Sabrina will have to deal with that when she grows up." He turned his gaze knowingly to Sabrina and Whitney, who were still bickering.
  
  I smiled, "I hope so too. The three of them really are close."
  
  "Anyways, please, come in. You're just in time for dinner." I invited the four of them into the house.
  
  That led to a big round of greetings from everyone. I was a little surprised at how familiar Samson and Koga seemed to be, but I supposed they had both been acquainted for some time as Gym Leaders. In the meanwhile, Katrina and my mom began gossiping as if they hadn't seen each other for years, despite them literally having just talked on a phone barely hours ago.
  
  The dinner quickly split into two different groups of conversations as we all tucked into the food. I joined the 'kiddie' group with Karen, Whitney, Sabrina, and Janine, while the parents began chatting together in the big adult group. From what I overheard, the adults flip-flopped between talking about something more serious and gushing about their kids.
  
  On our part, Karen and I simply listened patiently as we allowed the trio to spew out everything that they had done over their journey. Even though most of what they did we already knew from their phone calls and text messages to us, it was just nice to see the sheer happiness and excitement that glistened in all their eyes as they reminisced about their journey together.
  
  The pure joy that radiated out of them was infectious, and I couldn't help but break out into a wide smile.
  
  THIS was why I had always wanted Whitney to go on her journey, because I knew that she would make friends and bonds with Pokémon and trainers that would last an eternity. Even if her friends weren't future Gym Leaders, I still would have been happy for her making friends that she trusted regardless.
  
  Eventually, as dinner progressed, the conversation groups joined up again as questions were passed around. It was then where Whitney brought up Daisy Oak, and how she had been training as my assistant.
  
  "I totally forgot about that." Samson said as he chewed on some food, "I saw it on the news, got surprised, then forgot about it. How is little Daisy Oak doing?"
  
  "She's very smart." I replied, "But I suppose that partially comes with who her grandfather is. Oak has raised her well. It's a little bit of a shame that she doesn't really want to be a trainer, because she really does have the potential for it."
  
  "Then it may be your duty to encourage her." Koga spoke up, "She may not be enthusiastic about being a trainer now, but there is every possibility that she might want to pick it up in the future. As you say, she has the talent and potential for it, so why not nurture it?"
  
  I blinked, "...I didn't think of it like that. I thought it would be better to respect her wishes. She DID say that she wanted to achieve all 8 badges, but that was it."
  
  "She does not hate training, does she?" Koga asked, and I shook my head, "Then clearly she must have some passion for it, especially if she is aiming for all 8 badges. Achieving all 8 badges is no easy task, or else we would not have gathered here today to celebrate our daughters' wonderful achievement." The trio smiled at his praise.
  
  "So, if you have some time, try to train up Daisy Oak." Koga continued, "I know that mentoring is something you favour, or else your sister would not be as strong as she was. Daisy may end up not being a trainer in the end, but since you have already taken her under your wing, should you not do all you can to make sure she can fly?"
  
  I was briefly taken aback by Koga's words, but then I nodded firmly as I realized how right he was, "I will. Thank you for opening my eyes."
  
  Koga shook his head, "No need to thank me. It is the duty of the experienced to advise the young. And even if you are in the Elite Four, forgive me for saying, but you are still a young soul."
  
  "And it is the duty of women to get the men to do the washing up." Katrina cut in, dispelling the sombre and reflective mood that had set in, "Look at all these unwashed plates! Get to it!"
  
  The men all collectively groaned but knew a losing battle when we saw one. So we all - yes, even Koga - got up and started doing the dishes while the womenfolk turned on the TV and pretended to laze around on the couch.
  
  But they ended up joining us in helping us to clean up - joking or not, it wasn't the best look to have 2 Gym Leaders and an Elite Four member doing the washing up while you lazed around. And with the help of 3 Psychics and 2 Ninjas, everything got tidied up real quickly.
  
  Koga and Janine ended up leaving the house at that point, having a habit of retiring early for the night. But the rest of us hung around, simply chatting or watching TV. Karen had an arm around both of the kids as I sat next to her, idly texting away with Cynthia as I casually listened in on their conversation.
  
  I was chatting away with Cynthia about today's gathering, and how we were celebrating my sister and her friends' achievement of obtaining all 8 badges.
  
  'Make sure you pass them my congratulations as well.' She texted, 'I hope they're not feeling too bad about losing. They've done better than many others their age. Far better.'
  
  'They aren't too upset about it; they know we're proud of them.' I wrote back.
  
  'That's good. If I ever get to visit you in person you'll have to introduce me to your sister and her friends.' She texted, 'You've always praised them and their potential so highly that I'm eager to see it for myself.'
  
  'More excited than to see me?' I jokingly texted.
  
  'Are you fishing for compliments? Because you already know the answer to that.' She shot back.
  
  I was about to text back when the voice of the newscaster caught my attention.
  
  "...And this just in! We have a magnificent announcement to make today! Scientist Bill has announced today that he has released his new invention, the PC Storage System, which is now available to be bought and used on the open market! That means that everyone can now purchase the new system on their very own computer! This opens up a whole new avenue for Pokémon transfers and Pokémon storage in general! How will the world change from this invention?!"
  
  Even before the newscaster finished speaking, I had already shot out from my seat as I dialled Lance, ignoring the curious looks I got as I did so.
  
  I had already realised the implications. And they did not bode well.
  
  "Lance, I was just about to call you. You saw the news?" I asked with a deep frown; the earlier look of relaxation from the dinner disappearing from my face.
  
  "Yes." He growled, "I had been reassured by Bill that he would not release his invention to the public like this. He PROMISED that it would be released in small waves, so that we could manage the impact. This was NOT within our plans."
  
  So someone messed up, but that doesn't matter right now, "This is going to be just like the PIT technique all over again. Or even the Fairy reveal." I warned. The unrestrained release of the PC Storage System might mean that everyone would suddenly get access to be able to transfer and receive Pokémon wherever and whenever they wanted.
  
  Thinking about the consequences of that power, and how it could be maliciously exploited, was nightmarish. We needed to act fast.
  
  I could hear Lance sigh, "No. It will be worse."
  
  A.N. Hope you enjoyed the moment of calm, because the unregulated release of the PC Storage System is going to cause a lot of headaches for everyone.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-12 - Interlude- Lance
  The New Normal - 9-12 - Interlude - Lance
  
  There were times where being Champion was a slog, where you were forced to handle the myriad of mind-numbing responsibilities placed on you. There were times where being Champion was fun, like when you could do all the speeches for the important events.
  
  And then, there were times where being Champion meant stepping up to the plate and getting things done, to instil order and stability during times of chaos.
  
  This was one of those times.
  
  Inwardly, he apologized to John for so abruptly hanging up on him. But there were things to be done.
  
  "Get me a conference call with Wallace and Lucian from Sinnoh." He ordered one of his assistants, and the man scrambled to get it done.
  
  He turned to another assistant, "You, get me the head of the Indigo Police. And get me Lorelei and her new department."
  
  As his assistants set off to make the necessary preparations, he gave himself a moment to breathe in and vent his frustrations. It wasn't meant to be like this; he had been reassured by Bill that his invention wouldn't be made available to the public instantly. Like he told John, it was meant to be released in waves, just so that they could control and manage the chaos.
  
  Because an invention as enormous as this was BOUND to get out of control. But this was even worse than the PIT Technique. The Pokémon Storage System fundamentally changed the way that businesses, trainers, and even the League dealt with the transportation and supply of Pokémon.
  
  The discovery would open up whole new ways to transport Pokémon, both legitimate and otherwise. He foresaw a huge increase in Pokémon captures as trainers who were previously unable to catch as many Pokémon now would be encouraged to catch more, either for themselves or to sell them to the highest bidder.
  
  Lance knew from the very beginning that the chaos that this invention would create was going to be more than the Fairy type reveal and the PIT technique reveal combined together. That was why he let out a big sigh of relief when Bill agreed to releasing his invention in controlled waves with League oversight. But now it appears like he had celebrated too soon.
  
  He had underestimated Bill's recklessness.
  
  And it wasn't like he could directly block the release of the invention anyways. Bill's creation was privately owned, which had received its funding from certain businesses. The League weren't allowed to interfere in what Bill could or couldn't do it with it - to do so would be a grave overreach.
  
  At most they could place restrictions on it, which was what he was rushing to do now.
  
  His assistants came running back in, and a laptop was placed in front of him with a conference call already being hosted. In it, he saw his counterparts from Hoenn, Wallace, and the temporary representative of the Sinnoh League, Lucian, already there. They all had the same look of concern.
  
  And that was the worst part of this problem. It wasn't just contained to Indigo.
  
  "Lance, I heard the news." Wallace spoke first, his usual bright and showy expression long gone, "Do you know anything else about how this happened?"
  
  "I'm afraid not." Lance shook his head. "I was as surprised as you all were with this release. But we can get back to our regrets or mistakes at a later time, now we need to organize a complete and full response to this situation before things get out of hand."
  
  "I suggest mobilizing everyone." Lucian spoke up, "All the Elite Four, all the Gym Leaders, all the police. Install order as much as you can short of declaring martial law. We need to make a big show to the public with the relevant announcements and warnings to let them know that it's not all fun and games, and that we're taking this very seriously."
  
  "Important Pokémon locations need to be locked down." Wallace agreed, "Poachers were already a big problem when the Fairy type was revealed. This will be equally as bad, especially now that selling Pokémon illegally just became all the more easier."
  
  "New departments would have to be set up to monitor these transactions." Lance nodded, "The current plans and systems that we have to monitor Pokémon trading are not going to be sufficient with the Pokémon Storage System coming out. We're going to have to invest a lot more into monitoring these trades to stop any illegal activity."
  
  "Should we issue an outright ban on using the program for trading for the time being?" Wallace asked carefully, "At least until we can implement some degree of control on the trading?"
  
  "An outright ban is not going to go over well." Lucian warned, "We need to play it smart. If we act too heavy handed, we suddenly get a lot of the public angry at us for 'restricting their freedoms'. And, at least in Sinnoh, we cannot afford to lose more of the public's trust. Issuing a ban would be seen as an enormous overreaction - and the public are only going to view it as if we're taking a new toy away from them. Maybe a restriction would be fine, but not anything more."
  
  Him and Wallace nodded at that.
  
  "We will also need to implement new temporary policies to ensure that habitats aren't accidentally destroyed by over-catching." He pointed out, "Have the Jennys assigned to areas not currently restricted and have them be ready to step in if trainers are catching too many Pokémon. Each region will have to deal with that on a case-by-case basis."
  
  "We'll get the Elite Four and Gym Leaders on this." The other two agreed.
  
  And so the call between the three representatives of each region went on for a long time. By the end of it, they all came out of it tired, haggard, and with a massive headache.
  
  But there was no time to rest. Each second they wasted potentially led to more damage and chaos being done in their regions.
  
  Lance himself only gave himself time for a quick sip of water before he started making more calls, this time to the Jennys, as he explained to them their new orders. Then he called the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders, and forcefully drafted them with their new duties.
  
  Lance knew that this was going to be a test of how well-liked he was as Champion and whether he was able to foster the right connections to put the right people in the right place.
  
  Each and every single one of them needed to pull their weight to ensure that they could get themselves out of this crisis mostly unscathed. And, as Champion, he knew that there were going to be several sleepless nights ahead of him as he scrambled to put out the fires that he knew were about to spread across his region.
  
  But he accepted that responsibility. He knew that there would come a time when a crisis would break out during his term as Champion. And this was merely going to be the first of many. Yet, no matter what may come, Lance would be ready. He would do his duty and guard his region from whatever threatened to harm its prosperity.
  
  Because a Dragon always protects his hoard.
  
  A.N. I thought it was the perfect time to get into the head of Lance to see how he tackles this problem. While this isn't an enormous crisis like an outbreak of terrorism that Team Rocket was, this new paradigm shift is bound to cause a lot of chaos that no one wants.
  
  Also, yes, Bill acted rashly in the release of the Pokémon Storage System. I always saw him as the guy who put science first above all else, even his own safety. Why else would he accidentally transform himself into a Pokémon, if not due to recklessness?
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-13 - The Pokémon Storage System
  
  It had only been a day since the Pokémon Storage System, otherwise known as the PSS, was released to the public and able to be bought by anyone. And already it was finding its way into all of the major cities as businesses, Pokémon Centers, and practically everyone else tried to get their hands on it and explore the new possibilities it offered.
  
  With the PSS suddenly granting people with the ability to trade, store, and sell Pokémon without needing to be there in person, this rapidly opened up many possibilities for both legal and illegal actions as the smuggling and the selling of illegally-caught Pokémon became so much easier.
  
  The latter was the biggest issue. It was like all of the poachers and illegal traders started coming out of the woodwork as soon as the PSS was released, greed blinding them to their recklessness.
  
  In just a day, the release of the PSS managed to spread chaos across the entire region as poachers and greedy trainers ran rampant.
  
  I was really starting to think these poachers had lost their common sense, because I caught EIGHT of them alone just today. Many of them were trying to catch Clefairy on Mt. Moon, thinking that they now had a much easier way of selling them if they could just get their hands on one.
  
  They would find it much harder to sell them off once they were in prison.
  
  The ONLY saving grace out of all this was that the PSS required a specific kind of computer to be installed in. The version that Bill released was designed to be used in those specialized computers in the Pokémon Centers, not your average laptop or home desktop, meaning that we could at least control where people could access the new systems. This also had the added benefit of making it much easier to catch these criminals while they were trying to transfer or sell off their illegally-caught Pokémon.
  
  But even then, I was completely wiped out from the tiredness from a hectic day of patrolling, which had started practically at dawn and went long into the night, and I let out an exhausted breath as I collapsed into our couch at home.
  
  I had just spent the day scrambling around and patrolling Mt Moon and Cerulean City, always scanning the skies on Port for any potential poachers and trespassing trainers while also helping out the Jennys to protect certain areas where Pokémon lived to make sure they weren't being over-caught.
  
  While dealing with illegal poachers was the main priority, another problem was trying to manage the trainers that were now going out of their way to catch extra Pokémon just because they now had 'more storage' for them.
  
  There weren't any specific laws preventing trainers from catching whatever Pokémon they liked, but there WERE laws on making sure trainers weren't catching so many Pokémon as to disrupt the local ecosystem.
  
  And judging from the events of today, there were MANY trainers out catching Pokémon. Most of these trainers weren't new trainers, but rather they were already-experienced trainers looking to catch a few extra Pokémon to fill out their team since now that they suddenly had an easy way of storing the Pokémon that they didn't use.
  
  That wasn't a bad thing, but most of them often got idiotic and lost their common sense when it came to how many Pokémon they should catch.
  
  You had idiots catching five to six extra Pokémon because they thought they could, even though the PSS explicitly warned trainers that long-term storage of Pokémon within the PSS was a bad idea. I didn't care about their idiocy, but what the League and I DID care about was the fact that they threatened to ruin a few of the more delicate Pokémon habitats around the region.
  
  We had to coordinate with the Jennys and the rangers to run a very strict monitoring and patrolling regime to stop over catching.
  
  To make things worse, the dumber idiots would try to catch one of those powerful Pokémon in Cerulean Cave, thinking that the increased strength and rarity would make them more valuable and worth a higher price. I wasted almost an hour today trying to rescue one of those idiots who ran into the cave without any Pokémon backing him up, as if he was asking to become Pokémon food.
  
  It was very annoying trying to rescue someone from their own stupidity, since they began blaming me for stopping him from "striking it rich". What a guy.
  
  I knew it wasn't just me that was busy. EVERYONE had been running themselves ragged over the past day as the PSS was carelessly released to the public.
  
  I heard from a few of my Gym Leader friends, like Blaine and Giovanni, that they had been completely swamped with trying to keep everyone in line in their respective cities and to crack down on poaching and overexcited trainers.
  
  Even Karen, despite her lack of official responsibilities and her need to fight in the Open Qualifiers, volunteered and was deputised to help out the rapidly overwhelmed Brock in Pewter City. I knew she was still there, helping out by preventing overeager new trainers with swarming the 'beginner' areas and catching too many Pokémon since they were easier to catch.
  
  However, the trainers and poachers were only one part of the problem. The other, and much more nefarious aspect, was the fact that companies could be doing the same thing, just on a much bigger scale. Companies that previously had to transport Pokémon by ship or by truck were now able to simply trade their Pokémon instantly.
  
  That was fine, but some were doing it illegally without the relevant permits.
  
  I knew Lance had been rushing around expanding our monitoring systems so that illegal trades could be prevented. But it was a race against time. He even had Lorelei and her new organisation out in full force to undergo the necessary investigations to ensure that the businesses of Indigo weren't abusing this new invention.
  
  Long story short, everyone was being overworked. But there was no time for rest, as Lance had called in an emergency Committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the passing of new regulations that should hopefully restrict the use of the PSS to more manageable areas.
  
  He informed the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders that he was planning to force companies that intended to use the PSS to obtain the new licences before they were allowed to make use of it. Furthermore, he was going to restrict the public from accessing the PSS only to League-approved places, which mostly meant Pokémon Centers.
  
  His plans would make it so that the PSS would be more controllable, placing enough restrictions on it so that people wouldn't be able to so easily exploit it. While at the same time keeping the functionality and usefulness of the PSS so that it could be used as it was intended.
  
  It helped that even scientists were beginning to realise how reckless Bill had been, and had silently distanced themselves from him. To Lance's joy, hardly anyone was crying out for 'overreach' when they saw the consequences of the PSS laid out in front of them.
  
  However, there was still going to be some backlash to the restrictions, but Lance had said at this point that he couldn't care less about that. He was firm about the necessity of his actions.
  
  It also helped that we all backed our Champion to the hilt.
  
  I got whatever sleep I could before I forced myself out of bed the next day. As I briefly listened to the news while I chowed down on my breakfast, I realized that the other two regions, Hoenn and Sinnoh, were also suffering from the chaos.
  
  I took the small moment of rest to speak to Cynthia as I ate breakfast.
  
  "...You look like crap." She said to me as my face appeared on her screen.
  
  "That's hurtful." I replied dryly, barely having enough energy to be sarcastic, "So how're you faring in Sinnoh?"
  
  "Surprisingly alright." She said to my surprise, "Lucian told me about what you guys are facing over there. We don't nearly have as many instances of PSS abuse as you guys do."
  
  "...Well, that's lucky of you." I said after a moment, "Why do you think that is?"
  
  "Arceus knows." She shrugged, "But if I had to guess...it's probably due to the fact that our tendency towards traditionalism means we're more hesitant to try new things. That includes businesses as well."
  
  "Huh. That's actually pretty funny." I commented, "Never would have thought that a reluctance to change might actually be useful for once."
  
  "Yeah, that'd be pretty ironic." She agreed, "But it's bought us some time to pass the necessary regulations in Sinnoh. I heard you guys were doing the same?"
  
  "Yep, which is why I have to head to this Committee meeting right after I finish my breakfast." I responded, "I hope this all blows over soon."
  
  "It will. This isn't some terrorist attack, it's just some overexcited and reckless trainers. Once the arrests make themselves known, they'll calm down." She explained, "You just have to weather these few days. And the John I know would be able to do so."
  
  A smile spread across my face at her words; she really did know the right things to say.
  
  "You really do make it sound easy." I chuckled, "But thinking objectively, I don't disagree with your optimism. If the restrictions are as effective as we hope them to be, then honestly the situation was far from as bad as it could have been. Effective leadership from all of us have really saved us here."
  
  And now, all of the regions were cooperating together, which I saw was an unintended benefit from all of this.
  
  Either way, I couldn't continue chatting with my girlfriend for much longer and dragged myself to the Committee meeting.
  
  Within, I didn't think I heard a single word of what was being said as I struggled to stay awake through the damn thing. New voting rights or not, my eyes refused to stay awake, especially since I knew what they were going to be voting on. My other Elite Four members were in a similar position.
  
  Lorelei's normally put-together hair was frazzled and she never bothered to readjust her crooked glasses. Will's usually immaculate costume was crumpled and had a few coffee stains on it. Even his hair, which was normally meticulously combed, was left unchecked.
  
  And then there was Agatha, who didn't even show up.
  
  "You guys doing alright?" I asked them, to which both of them shook their heads.
  
  "Exhausted doesn't even BEGIN to cover it." Lorelei muttered, "Between my responsibilities running my new organisation and my duty to help out with the Jennys, it's like I've been running a marathon for the past day." She let out a tired sigh, "It really seems like I chose a bad time to become a leader."
  
  "I don't think I've done this much patrolling in my life." Will added, "I wasn't tied to an area like you were, John, so I was ordered to patrol practically wherever they needed me. That meant running from city to city, all across Indigo. I'm absolutely knackered."
  
  I nodded, "I heard you had to patrol practically the whole of Johto." I said to him.
  
  "And some of Kanto too, just because I didn't want to say no." He confirmed, letting out a breath laced with exhaustion. "You never realize just how many Pokémon that trainers are able to catch if given the chance to go wild. You think the forests of Viridian or the Safari Zones are overflowing with wild Pokémon, but then you get a horde of smugglers charging in and catching everything in it trying to quickly strike it rich and suddenly you're left with much fewer Pokémon."
  
  "Ugh. The obvious smugglers are the worst." Lorelei grumbled in agreement, "It's like the thought of quick money has turned their brain to rot. I've personally arrested over a dozen of them in just a day alone; and yet there still seems to be more everywhere I look."
  
  "Their numbers should hopefully die down after the initial overexcitement wears off." I pointed out, repeating Cynthia's words, "The first few days are always the worst."
  
  "I hope so." Will muttered, "We don't really need all this added work on our plate. Let's hope we can sort this business with the PSS out quickly. But I remain confident that these restrictions should do the trick."
  
  "I'm just glad that the bigger businesses seem to be playing nice." Lorelei sighed, "I was worried that the big titans like Silph Co were going to be making a ruckus about not wanting the restrictions to be in place, but they seem to be cooperating well with the League thus far."
  
  That was probably because Giovanni knew unrestricted use of the PSS would harm Kanto more than it would benefit him. And for all that Giovanni was a businessman, he was a nationalist first. The chaos that the release of the PSS created did not benefit him. So while he never confirmed anything to me explicitly, I suspected that he had a big hand in keeping a few more notable businesses in line to not make a fuss.
  
  "Chaos and over-catching is just bad business for everyone." Will spoke up, unknowingly confirming my thoughts, "I suspect that with the entire world out on the prowl trying to lock down on any abuses of the PSS, only the foolish would try to exploit it right now. The small bump in profits from abusing the new program would not be worth the trouble they would get into. Let alone the reputational damage."
  
  "I hope that the businesses are all able to think as rationally as you do." Lorelei wanted to say more, but she was interrupted as the voting finally began.
  
  Fortunately, the vote passed without much fanfare. It was beyond obvious that Lance had browbeaten the Committee into giving him what he wanted. He was throwing the full weight of his political power at this problem, with the Blackthorn clan fully backing him. No one in the Committee dared to vote against the proposal.
  
  Not that they would, even if they might have wanted to. To anyone watching the news, it was obvious that the regions had all came up with a joint plan on how to tackle the crisis and would be implementing the same solutions together. Therefore, with the entirety of the known world following one course of action, it would be utter stupidity and political suicide to try and fight against this.
  
  Even those in the Committee that had financial ties, who may have had interests that conflicted with the newly added restrictions, knew better than to speak up right now. They had to pick their battles, and this was certainly not one of them. Not when the world was united as one.
  
  Despite all of the chaos that unfolded, I saw this as a huge win for internationalism. This was proof that we could work together to achieve a common goal.
  
  So, with the proposal passing without any issues, Lance immediately moved to hold a press conference where he basically repeated the same statements that Lucian had made earlier. He announced the new restrictions, urged everyone for patience and caution and to keep their trust with the League as we worked to sort out these problems.
  
  "...The new discovery of the PSS is obviously a great advancement for all of our society. I'm certain that the more business-minded and creative of us will find many ways to put this new invention to good use. However, it is also important to not lose your sense of rationality - to become too eager to explore the possibilities of the new invention that you begin being a disturbance to not only those around you, but society as a whole."
  
  "It's been barely over a day since the release of the PSS, and we've already had to arrest hundreds of trespassers and would-be smugglers trying to break into restricted areas that are being guarded by the Jennys. Not only that, but we've had to step in around many areas where trainers had gotten too over-eager to catch new Pokémon to keep in their newly available storage boxes, disrupting and potentially permanently harming the fragile ecosystems and habitats of the local Pokémon population."
  
  "For those of you planning to do the same, let this serve as a warning and a reminder that the League will always stand ready to punish those who break the law and indulge in their greed. For those who won't be, let me reassure you by promising that the League will do its best to restore order and to protect the Pokémon and their habitats that we all care and love."
  
  "The PSS is an excellent and amazing invention that would bring a lot of convenience to how we transport and store Pokémon. But we have to make sure such a powerful tool is properly wielded, with the right amount of restrictions to prevent it from being abused and turned into something that could cause more harm than good."
  
  His speech concluded not long after that, and Lance only bothered with a few questions before making his leave. He had said all he needed to say, and now was time to get back to dealing with all the other issues that had cropped up.
  
  On my end, I had to head to a meeting with mayor Henry and the local council of Cerulean to discuss our future actions going forwards and how best to safeguard our local wild Pokémon population. A quick lunch was scarfed down, then I was once again off on Port to Cerulean City.
  
  As I flew over the familiar city, the one biggest change that was obvious was that there was a significant presence of Jennys in the area. Around the outskirts of the city, practically everywhere you looked there were a few Jennys making sure that people weren't getting too excited with their Pokémon catching and that order was maintained.
  
  Nodding to a few Jennys that were still on patrol, I made my way inside the council building, just in time for the meeting itself. As I entered the conference room, I saw everyone else had already gathered inside. I was the last to arrive.
  
  "Sorry for the holdup." I apologized as I took a seat, shooting a quick acknowledging nod to my parents and the Waterflower sisters.
  
  "It's not a problem." Mayor Henry shook his head, "You're just in time, actually. We were just talking about the effects of the recent patrols and the current situation here in Cerulean."
  
  I nodded, "Any fires needed to be put out?"
  
  "No, things have been calming down, especially now that we know we're getting some good direction from the higher-ups." Mayor Henry explained, "Plus, everyone's more willing to put in the hours and overtime when we know that those in charge are also working hard to deal with the threat. Honestly, I foresaw the worst when I heard the announcement yesterday, but things really haven't devolved as badly as I feared."
  
  "Everyone's been doing good work." I agreed, "If nothing else, trust that the Champion and all the upper leadership are doing their best to work through this current situation together. The new regulations were just passed."
  
  "Bah, not a fan of these restrictions." A businessman spoke up, "The League shouldn't be interfering in private business. We should be allowed to do what we want."
  
  "It is a necessary measure. Without it, we would not be able to monitor those who abused the PSS." I defended Lance, "Besides, this is hardly an overreach by the League. If anything, we're stepping in to protect smaller businesses - ones that would be much more heavily disadvantaged if all the big businesses were allowed to make use of the PSS with impunity. This way, the restrictions should allow the League to have some oversight on how the PSS is being used and be able to step in to stop any abuses. I can assure you that this is FAR more beneficial to you than the alternative."
  
  The businessman didn't look completely satisfied with my answer, but nor was he angry. He gave me a look that said 'we will see', before returning silently to his seat.
  
  "So what should we do next, John?" Daisy of the Waterflower sisters asked, "Is there anything else we could help with?"
  
  At their question, I realized that everyone had turned their way. The Waterflower sisters, my parents, all the wealthy businessmen. Even mayor Henry, the person nominally in charge of the people here, was looking to me for direction. To ask about how I would lead them and the city.
  
  So I made sure to really think through my words before speaking, "Just to confirm, is the situation in Cerulean considered stable?" I asked Henry.
  
  He nodded, "Mhm. I can confirm from the reports received that, while things were hectic to start with, thanks to the hard work of the Jennys and with your assistance with the patrols, most of the activity from smugglers and over-enthusiastic trainers have died down. The presence of the Jennys always serves as a good warning. And besides, Cerulean isn't known to have many Pokémon habitats living around here anyways, outside of Mt. Moon. So there's less to protect, at least compared to some other cities."
  
  "Then I think we have an opportunity on our hands." I explained seriously, clasping my hands together, "I know that some other cities are going to be struggling with dealing with the consequences from the release of the PSS. Both in Kanto and Johto. Off the top of my head, I know that Pewter City is under a lot of pressure due to their need to supervise and patrol both Viridian Forest and Diglett Cave, along with all their other responsibilities."
  
  Despite the name, Viridian Forest was under the authority of both cities, due to how large and sprawling it was. But even with Viridian's help, I heard from Karen that Pewter was still struggling.
  
  "And so, I propose that we should take the first step as a region and offer assistance to any region where needed." I stated, "Whether that be a temporary loan of funds, more manpower from the Jennys, or anything else that they could reasonably request from us. We should provide it in their time of need."
  
  "If we could pull this off, this would be a huge PR win for us as a city." I pointed out, "We would be able to show the whole region that WE were willing to help out our neighbours when they needed it. Not only that, but we could easily inspire others to join in to do the same. It wouldn't be too expensive either, as I predict that this whole incident should blow over in under a week."
  
  "I intend for this call to action to transform into a unifying call of an entire region - where everyone will step up to provide help to those who need it." I continued, "If we are able to unite, then this crisis would be resolved all the quicker, and we can return to our normal lives."
  
  A murmur of approval went around the room, with their heads nodding. My parents just shot me a proud smile, while Lily spoke up, "That's a great idea! I kinda felt a little bad for depriving Mt. Moon from Pewter City, so I'm glad we could do something to help them back."
  
  "And it'll help restore relations between our two cities." Mayor Henry added, "Yes, that's a wonderful idea, John. But are you sure it'll light the spark that you want? Our efforts won't be nearly as impactful if it was just us offering the help."
  
  "I'll make sure of it." I affirmed, "Assuming we agree, I'll make the announcement myself right after this. I know my words will be listened to." I was confident that the cities in need would never turn down a helping hand. Following that momentum, more cities would join in, and the call would quickly spread across Indigo.
  
  This plan would work out.
  
  More importantly, if the call did indeed stretch and spread across the entirety of Indigo, then it would be an incredible step forward in unifying the hearts and minds of the people of Kanto and Johto into one. To forge a shared identity.
  
  And it would be another step into creating the Indigo of my vision.
  
  A.N. A difficult chapter to write, but I thought that exploring the consequences of the PSS deserved such a chapter. The PSS is going to change many things for the world of Pokémon, but the consequences are similarly far-reaching. But thanks to good leadership, which John and the others have unknowingly laid the foundation for, things are far from disastrous and are being handled.
  
  And yes, John's vision is coming into fruition. A more unified Indigo awaits!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-14 - A Call to Action
  
  As I hoped, my announcement and call to action spread rapidly across the entirety of Indigo. Cerulean was only the starting point, as more successful cities like Viridian, Blackthorn, Fuschia and many others echoed my sentiments.
  
  Support and aid were rapidly being provided to the cities that were in need of assistance. Seeing this tidal wave of collective support, businesses and even private individuals began to jump in on this bandwagon and provide aid wherever it was needed - whether that be in Kanto or Johto.
  
  With all this support, any city that found themselves struggling to protect their Pokémon habitats from smugglers and over-catching were given the necessary resources, manpower, and/or funding to help them deal with the situation.
  
  Was it all out of altruism? Of course not. I bet most of them had realized what a giant PR win this could be for them and were eager to reap the rewards of their participation.
  
  Not that I cared. False altruism or not, they were still contributing. And more importantly, the public of Indigo could see that by working together, by not focusing on regional differences so much, we could all stand to benefit.
  
  I hoped that they would remember this feeling; this collective enthusiasm to help their fellow neighbours. I hoped that it would help break down any lingering animosity between our regions as we all got together to help each other.
  
  And now the results of our swift actions were bearing fruit, with the initial burst of chaos from the release of the PSS being rapidly contained.
  
  Between our warnings and statements being blasted over the news, the new regulations that all of the regions had collectively put in place, a heavy amount of patrols from the ever-present Jennys, all of these factors helped cut down on the number of smugglers and overeager trainers.
  
  They must have regained the rationality because their numbers practically vanished overnight as they realized how hard the League was cracking down on them. We had made it very clear - the PSS was not a tool for them to exploit.
  
  But with their numbers dying down, yet with the morale of the public still so high, I realized that I had yet another opportunity on my hands. With the spirit of cooperation still going strong, I was going to use this moment to properly solidify this region-wide cooperative spirit. There would never be an better opportunity for it.
  
  So after checking through with mayor Henry about my plans, I went to Lance and offered him a new proposal.
  
  "...You want to create a region-wide charity run by the League?" Lance checked with me.
  
  "Yes." I confirmed, "Though I wouldn't call it a charity. I figure it would be more like a...publicly funded emergency fund."
  
  "And what would the purpose be?" He questioned.
  
  "The purpose of the fund is to replicate what we've done here over the past few days - giving rapid assistance to those who need it." I responded, "The fund would be able to collect donations from anyone, and any city, who wanted to donate, and this public fund can be used to be support cities and places that are in need of financial support - whether that be in Kanto or Johto."
  
  "...Would this fund fall under the authority of the Champion? Or the Committee?" Lance asked after a moment to think.
  
  "I think it'd be best if they fall under the authority of the Committee, and the panel should be chosen from certain select members - with an even split of Kantonians and Johtonians." I replied, "In order to prevent any accusations of misuse of the funds, the funds can only be usable with approval from the Committee via a vote, or something of the sort. I'm sure your administrative assistants could figure out the details."
  
  "And it'll give the Committee members something to work towards." Lance finished for me, "They always like having another feather to add to their cap."
  
  "Exactly." I nodded. "Since they'll be able to hold both roles simultaneously, it'll give them that extra bit of prestige that they might be angling for. I highly doubt they'll say no to this, especially not when they'll be able to capitalize on the recent momentum."
  
  And more importantly, it'll give another reason for Kantonians and Johtonians to work together. By creating an inter-regional fund like this, I'm confident that it would further promote the idea of unity for both regions. Plus, it was important to actually to turn all this public sentiment into something tangible.
  
  I didn't know how effective such an emergency fund would be, but I trusted that we had sufficient oversight to not have the Committee members abuse and misuse the public's funds. Especially with Lorelei's new organization in place.
  
  "Hmm...I think you're right about that. It needs to be monitored carefully, but it should be a nice PR win for us, one that we quite desperately need right now after what just happened." Lance agreed after thinking it through, "...I believe it'll be a good idea. I pulled forward another Committee meeting for tomorrow, I think we can propose that on top of my own proposal as well."
  
  I tilted my head curiously. "What's yours?"
  
  "We need to massively expand on our current systems of monitoring trade." Lance explained, "With the PSS now out, our current numbers just won't cut it. So, just like Wallace and Lucian would be doing in their respective regions, we're going to propose this expansion to allow us to cut down on any future abuses of the PSS."
  
  I nodded, "Yeah, that seems like a good idea. I'm just glad the restrictions have achieved what we hoped they would. Speaking of which, how are the other regions getting along? I've only heard bits and pieces from Cynthia about Sinnoh."
  
  I didn't want to seem biased, but I knew that Indigo was currently blessed with better leadership than the other regions. Hoenn had a solid core of Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and a good Champion, but their Committee was unreliable and infamously fractious.
  
  On the other hand, Sinnoh had a relatively powerless Committee that had mostly just been replaced, and they had no Champion. But what they DID have were competent Elite Four members, and a public that were naturally against change in the first place. As Cynthia mentioned before, the public of Sinnoh weren't nearly as excited to jump onboard and make use of the PSS.
  
  "From what I've heard from my counterparts, they've all implemented the restrictions that we agreed upon, and they are working with similar degrees of effectiveness. However, I believe that Hoenn is struggling the most out of all three of us." Lance responded, "That's not to say they're doing badly. But Wallace has mentioned his frustrations about dealing with the Committee, especially with all the many business interests that are entrenched there. They are handling the situation, but it just took them longer to push things through."
  
  "As for Sinnoh...I was remarkably surprised by how well they've managed it." Lance added, "I admit to being doubtful about their situation at first. They had no Champion and a public that had just gone through some political upheaval. So I thought they would be doing the worst. But their Elite Four, and especially Lucian, have really impressed me. They were the first to pass through the changes needed to control the situation."
  
  "Also, I'm not sure if you've been following the news, but I suspect that they'll be having a new Champion very soon." Lance continued, but then he grinned, "Of course, you don't need me to tell you that. I'm sure you know more than me on that front - you've probably spoken quite a bit with her."
  
  I chuckled, but I didn't deny his words. Although I enjoyed the phone conversations that we had, I really did want to see her in person again. Hopefully I would get the opportunity to do so soon.
  
  "No comment." I replied cheekily.
  
  Lance let out another chuckle, "You think we'd get along when or if she becomes Champion?"
  
  "First of, I'm very confident it's a matter of when, not if." I raised a finger, "Secondly, I'm as biased as they come, but I'm sure you two will get along well. I'm certain she'll impress you."
  
  Lance whistled, "High praise from you, but I shouldn't be surprised." He laughed, "Well I hope that you're right. Sinnoh desperately needs a guiding hand if they want to fully enter into a period of recovery."
  
  I agreed, before switching the topic back to what was important. "...So can I assume that the consequences of the PSS have been dealt with?" I asked.
  
  Lance nodded slowly, "...I don't want to celebrate too early, but it does seem that way. For the most part, my advisors and I don't see any other big problems stemming from the PSS."
  
  "There will likely be more laws that need to be created once people start exploring the PSS and its capabilities further, but those are only going to be minor problems and nothing like the crisis that we just had to deal with." He confirmed.
  
  He then let out a tired breath, "And thank Arceus for that. This really caught us with our pants down, and I don't think I've had to run myself this ragged since I started out as Champion. Even the Fairy reveal wasn't this crazy."
  
  He growled, "I'm going to wring Bill's neck if he ever does this again. He broke his damn promise to me."
  
  I winced, Lance sounded mad. "Where is he anyways? And do you know why he did it?"
  
  "Yes, I paid the man a visit because I wanted an explanation for breaking our agreement." Lance stated, "Admittedly, I wasn't in much of a listening mood - I was a little too furious for that."
  
  "So what did he say?" I asked.
  
  "He blabbed on about investor pressure and how he was forced to release it to meet the demands of his backers, but I think he was just piling on the excuses." Lance explained, "My gut tells me he was just trying to wiggle his way out of getting in trouble after recklessly releasing his invention without letting us know."
  
  "You know what enraged me more?" He seethed, "It was the fact that I knew that he was inwardly questioning why I was even mad at him. He kept reiterating how he was 'just a scientist' and that he was just trying to share his invention to the world as soon as possible. The moment I heard that, I realised that Bill is an incredibly reckless person who likely gave no thought to whatever consequences his invention would create."
  
  I wasn't sure how objective Lance's comments were about Bill, given that he was admittedly very pissed at the man. Though what Lance said did match up with what I knew of Bill's actions from canon.
  
  Still, I knew better than to disagree with him at the moment, "Right, so what's going to happen with him now?"
  
  "As my advisors had told me, nothing." Lance growled, "Because the man has technically not done anything wrong. And despite his incredible recklessness, the man is a great scientist and inventor who CAN actually contribute meaningfully to society."
  
  "Of course, while he's not being legally punished, the man has just burned down every bridge he has with anyone with a brain." Lance chuckled darkly, "I'm sure he'll find it much harder to find financial backers for whatever invention he comes up with next since no one's going to want to be associated with his recklessness. And he's not going to like the increased oversight from the scientific community and his peers either, most of whom I've heard are either annoyed or frustrated at Bill for damaging the reputation of scientists. Otherwise, he's going to be squatting in his little seaside cottage doing whatever he does next."
  
  "I hope the man isn't about to drop another big invention of us anytime soon, because I might seriously pay him an unfriendly visit with my Dragonite if he does. I'm not dealing with this kind of mess again." He said as he deflated in his chair, "...I feel like I need a week's break."
  
  "Are Champions even allowed to take breaks?" I asked, genuinely curious.
  
  "Technically, Champions can choose their own hours." He answered amusedly, "You technically don't have to do anything if you don't want to, but that's a mark of a bad Champion. I took the position, so now I owe a duty to handle the responsibilities of this role. So as much as I want to, there'll be no breaks for me."
  
  I raised an eyebrow, "Maybe you could pass the role to Clair for a few days while you take a rest?"
  
  Lance cringed slightly, "...That would not be ideal. My cousin is capable, but she definitely lacks the temperament for this position. I've tried my best but...she's still very much a work-in-progress. As much as I would like to have a trusted successor to succeed my position, just like Oak did with Pryce, Clair is not a good option for it."
  
  ...Knowing what I did, I could see why.
  
  We made some more small talk before I eventually decided to head off. The past few days dealing with the PSS had been difficult to deal with, but I think I was able to make some big gains during it. I hoped that the region as a whole became more unified as a result.
  
  However, just like Lance had said, I really needed a rest. And thinking back on the conversation that I had over dinner with Koga, I think I knew how to kill two Pidgey with one stone.
  
  But that could wait till tomorrow. Right now, I was going to catch up on some sleep.
  
  Now that the chaos from the PSS had settled down, I had time to honour the words that I shared with Koga. So one phone call later, and the young Daisy Oak arrived at my house.
  
  She looked around a little nervously, but straightened up as soon as she saw me.
  
  "...Hi, John. Thank you for having me." She greeted politely, "I, uh, heard you wanted to train me?"
  
  "I did." I confirmed, forcing away the tiredness that I felt from the past days of running around and pushing the enthusiasm into my voice. "I've said this a few times, but I think you certainly have the potential to be a great trainer. So I thought - if I already have the time to work with you, I might as well also nurture your potential as a trainer too."
  
  "...But, John, I'm not sure if I really want to be a career trainer." She said hesitantly, "I think your efforts might be wasted. I think you could spend your time better elsewhere."
  
  I smiled kindly at her, "Training you won't be a waste of effort, I promise. And besides, training you gives me an excuse to not focus on anything else. I'll also be training my own Pokémon as well; so it's going to be doubly effective."
  
  "But wouldn't you want to train someone who was more enthusiastic about becoming a trainer? Like I said, I'm not like my brother." She responded.
  
  I shook my head, "I think you're lying to yourself, Daisy." I said gently, "I think you like training as much as any other trainer. I've seen it in your eyes when you talk about your training with your Clefairy, and you already told me that you had a goal of getting all 8 badges. No one aims for that without having a great deal of passion for training."
  
  "But I won't force you." I reassured her, "If you would prefer not to train with me, that's perfectly fine. I won't be offended, and we can instead spend some time going over what you've learnt while working for me. It's totally up to you, whatever you feel comfortable with."
  
  "...I just don't think being a trainer as a career is what I want to do." She muttered.
  
  "And that's fine." I patted her on the head, "Training with your Pokémon doesn't mean you HAVE to become a career trainer in the end. Many powerful trainers often end up taking up other jobs, while still training their Pokémon. I have a friend, who's probably one of the most capable trainers I know, and she still spends most of her time as a historian and archaeologist rather than as a trainer. Although recently she's pursued a trainer career again."
  
  "...Okay." She said after a moment, before bowing deeply to me, "Then thank you in advance for your help."
  
  I smiled, and we got to work. About an hour later, I realized that Koga's advice to train with Daisy was utterly correct.
  
  I don't know whether it was the natural talents of someone born from the Oak bloodline, but Daisy took to training like a Magikarp to water. She had all the right habits already ingrained into her, whether that was from her grandfather's teachings or not, but I knew that it would save her tons of time and prevent her from making many common mistakes that trainers made.
  
  Between her and her little brother, they both would be ones to watch in the future.
  
  While she only had her Clefairy as her sole Pokémon, she was already training it in all the right ways. Instead of focusing on power like most younger trainers did, she prioritized training up Clefairy's supportive and regeneration moves as Clefairy was meant to do. From what I could tell, she seemed really suited to playing to the strengths of the Fairy type. And I made sure to tell her that.
  
  "Have you ever considered becoming a Fairy specialist?" I asked her. "From what I've seen, you seem very suited to it. Especially since you sound so interested when talking about your Clefairy's Fairy typing."
  
  Daisy blinked, "Not really...I didn't think that much about it. I only got my Clefairy recently because grandfather was doing some research on them for the Fairy type. I was just helping out with the Pokémon one day - since they seemed to like me - before this Clefairy waddled up to me and asked to join my team."
  
  She rubbed the little Clefairy on the head, a fond smile growing on her face, "I couldn't say no to this little sweetie, so she became my first Pokémon. But...it was all a coincidence. I never intended or thought of becoming a Fairy specialist."
  
  "I think it's something you could consider." I advised gently, "Like I said, you're very suited to it. And you seem to instinctually know how to train up Fairy types and help them fulfil their full potential."
  
  She blushed, "That...that's because I used to play with my little brother a lot." She explained, "Every time we would use grandfather's Pokémon, and he would pick the stronger and cooler-looking Pokémon all the time. I liked to pick the cuter looking Pokémon, which meant that I knew I had to fight smartly if I wanted to defeat my brother's stronger Pokémon."
  
  She turned to me, "Do you really think I could become a Fairy type specialist?" She asked, fully serious.
  
  "I certainly think you have the potential for it and would definitely be something worth considering." I confirmed, "Here, maybe this would help solidify your decision." I released Luna and Euphie onto the field, who both immediately ran up and played with Daisy and her Clefairy. Euphie wrapped herself around Daisy like a coat, to her joy, while Luna greeted her younger evolution with a cheery wave and a high five.
  
  "You know of my sister, Whitney?" I asked as she nodded, "She told me early on that she really wanted to be a Normal specialist. But besides wanting to follow in my footsteps, her other main reason was that she could see herself training up and battling alongside a full team of Normal types. She loved being around Normal types - and felt most in tune with them. THAT was why she wanted to be a Normal type trainer." I explained.
  
  "So spend some time around my Clefable and my Sylveon. Play around with them, ask them to show off some of their moves. See what they can do." I suggested, "And after that, we can have a practice battle with you using my Sylveon to face off against one of my developing Pokémon so you can get a feel of what it'd be like in the future if you go down this path. How does that sound?"
  
  She nodded excitedly, and I let her run off to play around with my Fairy types. In the meanwhile, I released Ornstein and Pixel to check in on their training progress, since I had been too busy over the last week or so to really check up on them.
  
  Though Shelly never got back to me on the progress of a sane version of the Dubious Disk, saying that there were far more complications than expected, Pixel was making plenty of headway regardless. It had taken longer than I expected, but Pixel had successfully mastered the use of Conversion, and was now able to switch types at will - barring a short delay. I ran a few tests with it, and I was very satisfied with what I saw.
  
  Not only that, but Pixel's durability and offensive power had grown. It still wasn't quite there for what I would like in an Elite Pokémon, but I felt that it now had the potential to be a legitimate option in serious battles for me. The combination of its wide movepool, ability to switch types, and regeneration abilities all made it a perfect addition to my team.
  
  Moving on to Ornstein, he was really turning into the equivalent of Sidney's Sharpedo. But he had more than raw speed; he had trained himself to be able to pivot and spin around on the spot, making him really hard to pin down and hit with an actual attack. Not only that, but he was able to leverage his speed to hit REALLY hard, much harder than what you would expect a Pokémon of his size to be able to accomplish.
  
  Sure, his endurance was poor, but that was always going to be the case until he evolved. And now that I was satisfied with his ability to evade attacks, I decided to develop his all-in mindset even more by teaching him to train and learn to use Belly Drum. That would turn him into more of a glass cannon, but the raw damage he would be able to output would be a match for some of my Elite Pokémon.
  
  It would also give him a trump card for when he evolved.
  
  That being said, I still didn't think he was quite ready to join my team as a proper consideration in serious battles. I think he needed to evolve into his final stage before that could happen.
  
  I continued training up with both of my Pokémon for a little while longer before I decided that Daisy had enough time to play around.
  
  "Hey!" I called out to her, waving for her to come back. "You feel up for a battle?"
  
  "Sure!" She said excitedly, her face flushed red from running around with Luna and Euphie. She was also giggling a lot, which said enough about how much she enjoyed her time with my Pokémon.
  
  "Well then, let's take our places." I gestured to a spot a slight distance from me, and Daisy quickly jogged over with Euphie. Luna and Pixel moved to the sidelines to cheer us on. Ornstein moved next to me and got ready.
  
  "Are you ready?!" I shouted, getting a nod back from her. "Then...START!"
  
  "Reflect, Sylv- Euphie!"
  
  "Hone Claws, Ornstein."
  
  A faint screen of light shimmed into existence in front of Euphie as Ornstein brandished and sharpened his claws. I could have shut down Euphie's attempt with a Taunt, but I was using this battle to encourage Daisy's interest in the Fairy type. I didn't need to fight that seriously.
  
  As such, the fight was much slower than you would expect. Despite her natural talent, Daisy was unused to battles and it showed - she gave commands late, and seemed a little hesitant on what to do. But that was fine; that was why she was here to learn.
  
  So I had Ornstein hang back, focusing on dodging Euphie's attacks rather than actually attacking himself. Moonblasts and Dazzling Gleams were both either avoided or blocked by Ornstein, who continued to circle around Euphie.
  
  Though she wasn't able to land a move, the sheer excitement on Daisy's face as she fired off attack after attack told me all that I needed to know. She was really getting into the battle, and I was all too happy to stand back and let her enjoy herself.
  
  Eventually, realising that she couldn't hit Ornstein, she tried for a different tactic.
  
  "Dig, Euphie!"
  
  "Hone Claws again, Ornstein."
  
  Ornstein continued to buff himself up as Euphie disappeared into the ground. I didn't have to wait long before Euphie erupted out of the ground near Ornstein. But instead of going for an attack, Daisy had a different plan.
  
  "Thunder Wave!"
  
  A paralyzing wave of electricity shot out from Euphie and went straight into Ornstein. The paralysis quickly set in, drastically cutting Ornstein's speed to something far more manageable. But then Daisy failed to capitalize on it, and I decided to make this a learning moment.
  
  "Baby-Doll Eyes, Euphie!"
  
  "Iron Tail, Ornstein."
  
  Euphie's eyes began to sparkle with almost unnatural charm, but a fierce Iron Tail slammed into her side before the attack lowering effect could go off. Euphie skidded back with a pained cry, and a look of alarm appeared on Daisy's face.
  
  "Oh no! Uh, Dazzling Gleam!"
  
  "Iron Tail again!"
  
  Ornstein rushed forwards, rapidly closing in on Euphie despite the effects of his paralysis. But Euphie moved first, firing off a powerful wave of Fairy energy that crashed into the charging Ornstein. Ornstein stumbled, but Daisy's delay in making the attack meant that he was close enough to still smash his powerful Iron Tail into Euphie, cancelling the attack and throwing her into the ground.
  
  With all the Hone Claw boosts, Euphie was sent crashing painfully into the ground. So, not wanting to push Euphie too far and make Daisy worry, I decided to call the battle here. Luna immediately ran forwards to heal up both combatants.
  
  "Good job, Daisy! You really picked up on that fast!" I complimented, making sure to praise her despite her defeat, "You got a little careless with not having Euphie back off after landing that paralysis, but that's something experience will help to fix."
  
  "Thanks, John. For both the battle and for letting me play and train with your Pokémon." She said with a bright smile adorned on her face.
  
  "So...you have any thoughts on the Fairy type now that you've played around a little more with it?" I asked.
  
  "...Yes, I do." She nodded while her hand idly patted Clefairy on the head, then she turned to me with eyes now full of excitement and conviction, "I think...I think I'm willing to try being a Fairy type specialist. I think they're really cool, and I really enjoy spending time around them. I'll let grandpa know about this - but I look forward to training with you more in the future."
  
  And thus, Daisy Oak - Fairy specialist, was born.
  
  A.N. A split chapter this time. I wanted to show that all of the efforts that John and his allies have put in to stabilize Indigo have really paid off, and now they're actually quickly able to respond to would-be crisis with efficiency and haste. The chaos of the PSS could have lasted much longer, but competent leadership makes a difference.
  
  And I also wanted to give more attention to Daisy Oak, who I thought would make an excellent Fairy specialist for the future. Things just lined up in my head for it to happen. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-14-Interlude- Steven
  The New Normal - 9-14 - Interlude - Steven & Bruno
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  Bringing in Bruno as his personal trainer was the best decision he's ever made.
  
  Ever since he had started training with Bruno, he could feel that his Pokémon were getting stronger with every session they participated in. Bruno was not only a powerhouse of a trainer, but the man was an excellent teacher with a sharp eye on where his Pokémon needed improving.
  
  As a Steel specialist, Steven had naturally trained up his Pokémon to have a great deal of focus on their defensive abilities, making up for their comparative lack of speed by giving them the ability to just tank through an onslaught of attacks without much issue.
  
  But all that defense meant very little when Bruno's Pokémon just slammed into them, again and again, with jaw-dropping power and brutal efficiency.
  
  Steven was unashamed to say it, but he lost more than he won against Bruno. He did not underestimate Bruno, but he still got a thorough thrashing by the man. That string of losses did bite at his pride; he had thought he was a lot stronger than that.
  
  Yet he was not one to give up. His losses to Bruno were only a temporary setback. And he put his mind to work, analysing how Bruno's Pokémon fought and how best he could learn from it. Overtime, he came up with a two pronged strategy.
  
  The first prong was simple, but it had been something he had previously overlooked. He needed to train up his Pokémon more with their long-ranged attacks, and be more creative with them. Previously, while he never neglected his Pokémon's use of longer-ranged attacks, he had thought that a bulk of his damage would be done at close range. Naturally, with his Pokémon's high defenses and solid attack, his strategy involved getting his Pokémon in close and overwhelming his opponent at close-range.
  
  But Bruno had exposed his complacency for relying on a strategy like that - simply by being BETTER at this than him. The reason why he lost so much at the start against Bruno was because he foolishly allowed the Fighting master to get in range, thinking he could win by relying on his Pokémon's better defenses.
  
  He did not. Bruno's team decimated his as soon as they got proving that he needed to come up with more methods of deterring attackers from getting in close. He needed to make full advantage of most of his Pokémon's part Psychic type.
  
  The second way was inspired after he studied how Bruno's Hariyama fought. The Fighting type was extremely slow, but it made use of his huge bulk to soldier through attacks before retaliating with a crushing counterattack. And his Pokémon were all the same - huge defenses and endurance, with generally powerful attacks, but poor speed.
  
  So he replicated Hariyama's fighting style, but with a more cunning edge that he picked up from watching the fighting between Sidney and Karen. Not only did he train up his Pokémon's attacks so that they could hit hard enough to punish their opponents for trying to land a hit, but he also trained his Pokémon to deliberately expose themselves to bait the enemy in.
  
  And now, as he watched his Metagross pretend to overextend itself, he let out a grin as Bruno's Hariyama stepped forwards, thinking that it had an opening that it could exploit.
  
  Only to be blasted by a quick Psychic that staggered the Hariyama for long enough to be smashed head-first with a critical Zen Headbutt, capitalising on its exposed state. Hariyama flinched back, and Metagross finished off its combo of attacks with a quick Bullet Punch to the gut.
  
  This method of creating false openings and pretending to be exposed was an excellent way of overcoming his Pokémon's lack of speed, and it allowed him to strike hard with surprise critical hits on his opponents.
  
  And through training up on both of these areas, Steven was able to slowly transform his Pokémon from being simply defensive walls with a good offense, into much more versatile and wily fighters that were also becoming more and more resilient to attacks as they battled against Bruno's monsters of the Fighting type.
  
  Thus, with every battle that they fought, the more Steven felt his chances of winning rose. Not just against Bruno, but also his chances of winning the title of Champion altogether.
  
  His Pokémon were becoming ever more refined.
  
  He remained thankful that Bruno seemed to be so patient with him, so willing to continue training together. If Steven could be honest - Bruno was wasted as a wandering fighter. The man had so much more potential in him, not just as a trainer, but even as a member of the Elite Four. It was crazy to Steven that someone THIS strong wasn't an Elite Four member.
  
  Especially when Steven thought he would be very suitable for it.
  
  So, Steven had tried to nurture this other side of Bruno, but he wasn't sure how successful he had been. He knew he wasn't going to be able to change Bruno's mind in the short term, but that was fine, he had the patience for it.
  
  If only Bruno wasn't so stone-faced, then it would be easier to read what he was thinking.
  
  (Bruno POV)
  
  Choosing to accept Steven's proposal turned out to be a prudent decision. But more importantly, he had underestimated the man.
  
  In their initial meeting, he had thought he had gotten a good measure of Steven. An ambitious and cunning businessman that had the wisdom to not become obsessed with it. But he had overlooked a very important aspect of Steven's character.
  
  His intelligence. And more crucially, his willingness to learn from his mistakes and not make it again.
  
  When he first defeated Steven's team, Bruno admitted to a slight bit of disappointment. He had thought that Steven would have put up a better fight against his team, despite the poor type matchup on his end. The only really tough fight was against Steven's Metagross, as to be expected.
  
  It was a little disappointing coming from a man whose ambition was to become Champion.
  
  However, it was then that he realised that this was merely the surface level of the trainer that was Steven Stone.
  
  The Steel specialist was a cunning man, with an analytical eye that was all too eager to learn from his own tricks. It only took a few battles, but it was impossible for Bruno to miss the noticeable improvement in Steven's battling style, as if the man had already studied his Fighting types and how best to counter them.
  
  And during their next few weeks, barring the sudden distraction when the PSS was released (Bruno had no idea why everyone thought it was such a big deal - he carried all his Pokémon on him all the time anyways), Steven's Pokémon only continued to improve as they fought both smarter and harder.
  
  They were becoming more mobile, more flexible in their movements. Steven began leveraging his Steel's types incredible bulk to bait his Pokémon into overcommitting into landing a powerful retaliatory blow that he had no hope of dodging. His Pokémon remained the better fighters, but Steven's Pokémon were just naturally more bulky, and Steven was becoming better at leveraging that bulk.
  
  Thus, all of a sudden, his Fighting types' once dominant victories became a much more close-run thing.
  
  However, Bruno was not upset by this development. Far from it. He was excited. There were very few trainers that could force Bruno to push his team harder. John could have done it, but Steven was even better suited for his Pokémon to train against, considering how much Steven relied on his Steel Type's bulk.
  
  As Steven improved, Bruno slowly began to forget about his original intention of fighting against other opponents in Hoenn, because he was getting all the training he needed battling against Steven.
  
  His Steel type's great defenses forced his Fighting types to dedicate themselves more into each attack, which in turn forced them to train up their attack power. He never would have thought that his Pokémon needed to hit harder, but the iron wall that were Steven's Pokémon had prompted such improvement.
  
  And, as Steven's Pokémon became increasingly capable at fighting back with their powerful counterattacks, his Pokémon were also becoming more and more familiar with the pain of taking a big hit - which worked wonders for their endurance training.
  
  Because the Steel types hit hard.
  
  The most important training he got was when Steven decided to make mix in a few Special Attacks; Bruno wanted his Pokémon to get all the experience they could with handling that.
  
  Therefore, it was impossible for Bruno to be displeased with this arrangement, especially seeing how both their teams were gradually improving and had created a positive feedback look where both teams were able to continuously improve alongside each other.
  
  And as the days went by, he became more familiar with interacting with Steven. He hesitated to say that they had become friends, but there was undoubtedly mutual respect between the two.
  
  Yet, one day, after one of their training sessions, Steven had surprised Bruno by asking if he was ever interested in joining the Elite Four in Indigo.
  
  "You certainly have the strength for it." Steven had said. "If you hadn't challenged John, and instead someone weaker, you could have made it in. I could already imagine it."
  
  "I do not have the interest with dealing with politics." He replied, "I thought I made this clear - I only desire to make my Pokémon even stronger - to explore the boundaries of martial arts."
  
  "But I think that exact mindset is what would make you an excellent representative in the Elite Four." Steven countered, breaking out into that signature smile of his. "That kind of incorruptible honesty is something that could serve you well in politics and business. There's much good you could do in a position of power."
  
  "Give it some thought, Bruno." Steven patted him on the shoulder, "I admit I'm trying to persuade you and that I'm putting the cart before the Ponyta, but it's only because I think you'd be an incredibly good Elite Four member. I think you have the mindset and the strength for it."
  
  Bruno didn't know what to say to that, so he remained silent as Steven continued to stare at him with an unknowable look in his eyes. Bruno could see the gears turning in Steven's head, no doubt having some kind of plan in mind that he hoped to rope Bruno into.
  
  Bruno shook his head. If only Steven was easier to read.
  
  A.N. I thought that these two deserved another chapter to catch up on what they've been up to. I really wanted to explore the friendship between these two further, and I wanted to show how they've been able to help each other improve.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 9-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-15 - A Much Needed Rest
  
  The bright rays of sunlight shined onto my blearily eyes, forcing consciousness back into my body. Stifling out a yawn, I pulled off the covers and dragged myself off the bed, blinking the last vestiges of sleepiness from my eyes.
  
  As I left the bed, I let out a full stretch that forced the sleepiness out of me. It was nice to have some good days of sleep after all of the hassle with the PSS, and the training session that I had done with Daisy - and with my own Pokémon - were perfect for relieving me from all that built-up stress.
  
  Working through my morning ablutions, it didn't take long before I slumped onto the sofa with a full plate of breakfast in hand. I casually chewed through my breakfast while I idly watched the news.
  
  I could never have dreamed of doing this if the PSS crisis was still ongoing. Fortunately for everyone, the messages I received from Lance last night confirmed that the situation in every region was stabilizing. Control measures had been set up to deal with the PSS and FINALLY everyone could let out a big sigh of relief as things returned to normal.
  
  I took another bite out of my toast as I continued watching the news.
  
  "...Despite all the events and announcements that have taken place over the past few days, it appears that none of that has distracted our famed Challenger from yet another decisive victory over Elite Flint! Challenger Cynthia managed to break the Fire specialist's team with an outstanding 6-3 victory! While Flint may have put up more of a challenge than his colleagues, it seemed like he was still no unable to stop the dominant streak from our challenger! Cynthia's Milotic has proven to be unbreakable!"
  
  "And now, Cynthia is one step away from earning her position as Champion of Sinnoh! Would she be the successor we have sought since ex-Champion Hayato's abdication?!"
  
  "But it's not been all good news for our new challenger. Some of her more vocal critics have criticized both her and the League for 'exaggerating' her strength, claiming that the Elite Four had purposely sandbagged themselves in order to make her victory more impressive. These critics state that, alluding to her previous correspondence with the Elite Four, that the Elite Four and Cynthia have been colluding to exaggerate her strength in order to install a puppet Champion. Whereas, in reality, her strength was nowhere near as impressive as her victories make it seem."
  
  "There have been no comments from the League, or Cynthia herself, in response to these criticisms."
  
  I snorted. I knew this was coming, and so did Cynthia and the Sinnoh Elite Four. She was absolutely not faking her strength, and I didn't doubt for a moment that Aaron, Bertha, and Flint had put in their all to beat Cynthia during their matches, only to fall short regardless.
  
  There was no need to 'sandbag' against her. Cynthia was strong enough to fight them at the best and still win.
  
  That being said, watching that news report of her instinctively made my hand move to my phone. I called her up before I even realised what I was doing.
  
  "Hey, John. How's everything going in Indigo?" She greeted.
  
  "Things are fine - I've finally gotten a chance to relax." I replied, "But never mind me, congratulations on your victory against Flint! Hope I caught you at a good time."
  
  "Any call from you is always at a good time." She said, causing me to break out into a chuckle, "But yes, I've a few moments to spare. I admit that I made a few mistakes against Flint. I think my victory could have been more perfect." She said.
  
  I snorted, "More perfect? A 6-3 victory against a member of the Elite Four is impressive enough, especially since this is your third battle with such a result. I think you're too hard on yourself - but I suppose that's in your nature."
  
  "You had a more dominant showing in your 3v3 battle against him." She pointed out, "Besides, I acknowledge that I made a few mistakes. I underestimated just how hitting some of his Fire attacks could be, and I don't have any Pokémon that can match the endurance that yours do. My Milotic really had to pull its weight for me to win convincingly."
  
  "We both know I only won as dominantly as I did because Flint was a poor matchup against me." I reminded, "Your victory was impressive enough."
  
  "Anyways, let's not dwell on this for now. Focus on your battle against Lucian. You're only one fight away from making it as Champion." I said.
  
  "I know, I know." She responded, "And...I don't know if this makes me arrogant, but I can't see myself losing to Lucian."
  
  I smirked, "I would call that arrogance for anyone else - but I know how strong you are. Instead, I would just label it as confidence. Just make sure not to underestimate him; Will had plenty to say about Lucian's strength."
  
  "I won't. You know how much research I've done in preparation for this. I won't be caught off-guard, and I've already developed a plan for him. Just trust in your girlfriend." She said, causing me to chuckle.
  
  "Speaking of which, and not to bring down the mood, but do you have a plan for how to handle your critics?" I asked, "Knowing you, I figured that you've already thought of something up."
  
  "I have." She confirmed, "I discussed the idea with Lucian, and he's onboard with it as well."
  
  "Care to share with your boyfriend?" I grinned.
  
  "Nope." She smiled cheekily, "You'll just have to hear the announcement like everyone else."
  
  "Aw...are you trying to keep it a surprise?" I teased, "You know I wouldn't spill."
  
  "Mhm, but I think I want you to react like everyone else." She giggled, "I think you'll approve once you do hear of it."
  
  I was curious, but I knew that she was adamant in her path; I wouldn't be able to persuade her.
  
  "Then I'll be looking forward to it." I replied, "It's a shame that I won't be there to congratulate you in person at your victory ceremony. I would have liked that. You deserve it."
  
  "It's okay, it's enough for me to know that you're cheering me from Indigo. I wouldn't make you come all the way here for something like this." She said. "And sadly enough, with my new ascension, we probably wouldn't get much time to spend together anyways."
  
  "You know I'll do my best to find time for us to spend together." I said firmly.
  
  A small smile adorned on her lips, "And so will I. Don't worry John, once I become Champion, even if I'm busy, I promise I'll make time for us to see each other. You have my word."
  
  That was a shared promise we made to each other.
  
  "Anyways, keep your chin up and maintain that confidence of yours." I said to her, "You'll make Champion in no time. I look forward to seeing you on that victor's podium."
  
  "Thanks John, I appreciate it." Then she looked at the time and frowned, "Ah, sorry to cut this short, but I have somewhere else to be." She said apologetically, "We can talk more later."
  
  Our call ended there, which was just in time because I heard my parents coming down from their room.
  
  "Oh, you're here today?" My dad asked me, "I thought you'd be rushing out of the house like usual."
  
  "Nah, that stuff's finally over and done with." I shook my head, "I'm treating it as my day off just to unwind."
  
  "That's good." My mom nodded, "I saw you were very busy dealing with that Pokémon Storage System stuff. Too bad the new system isn't very useful for our company. Being able to transfer Pokémon doesn't benefit too much."
  
  "At least that means we don't have to suddenly reorganize everything." My dad exclaimed, "I heard that some of our neighbouring businesses had to practically reorganize their entire company because their way of working would be rendered completely obsolete by the new invention. At least we weren't affected, for good or bad."
  
  "Hmm...true enough." My mom agreed, "Makes me glad we went into the Moomoo milk business instead. It seems like there are fewer problems to deal with."
  
  "How is the business going anyways?" I asked, "I've not been caught up with it because of everything's going on. But I read the recent report from a few days ago - have we finalized the decision to expand into Mauville?"
  
  "Yes, but we were waiting on you." My dad replied, "We knew you had the connections, so we wanted to see if you can save us on costs by making use of them. You said something about speaking to Mr. Stone?"
  
  "Sure, I'll send Joseph an email." I said, "He's already been expecting it for some time."
  
  Ever since I helped him deal with the criminals in Hoenn, Joseph had always been looking to repay me for my efforts. That feeling only redoubled after he failed to find a Normal type fossil for me, despite his best attempts. I heard that he had even managed to revive a Cranidos and Sheldon at this time, but he had regretfully told me that they weren't Normal types.
  
  I honestly didn't mind at all, but he sounded upset that he couldn't repay me for my help. Hopefully asking him for assistance on this would cheer up him up. He was a good man.
  
  My dad patted me on the shoulder, "Thanks, son. Let us know what he says."
  
  "Oh, that reminds me! Where IS Whitney?" I asked. "I was too busy to think about it for the past few days, but she hasn't been home recently, has she?"
  
  "Our little girl's all grown up." My mom smiled, "She's spending time with her friends now. She called over yesterday and said she's been sleeping over with Sabrina until she starts working as a Gym Trainer at her Gym."
  
  "It seemed like it was only yesterday when she was too nervous and unwilling to leave the house." My dad reminisced fondly, "And now its like she doesn't want to come home. But I'm happy that she seems to have great friends to spend time with."
  
  I smiled. My sister had really come a long way. And without much intervention on my end, it seemed like she had naturally fallen onto the path of becoming a Gym Leader. I'm not sure if she and her friends deliberately planned it this way, but Whitney really was boosting up her potential to one day be a future Gym Leader.
  
  Maybe she would be able to position herself to be an ideal candidate to be the Gym Leader of Goldenrod like she did in canon? That would be cool.
  
  Polishing off the remains of my breakfast, I stood up to clean my plate before my phone started to ring. This time it was Karen.
  
  "Hey, what's up?" I answered.
  
  "Just finished with the Open Qualifiers, that's what's up." She replied, "You're now speaking to someone who made it into the Preliminary Rounds!"
  
  "Congratulations!" I praised, "Knew you could do it."
  
  "Yeah, thanks. But everyone knew getting here wasn't going to be a big problem for me." She waved me off, "Even the Preliminary Rounds shouldn't be too bad. It's when I get to the Finals that I should be concerned."
  
  "Eh, fair." I nodded, knowing that she wasn't talking out of arrogance. She WAS much stronger than what was normally seen in the Preliminary Rounds. "So what are you up to today? I have a whole day off."
  
  "Well...I could use a break." She said mischievously, "And since you aren't busy too, why don't we meet up somewhere? Maybe Pewter? I want to visit Brock and his family, and it's been some time since you've seen them too."
  
  Pewter? She was right; it had been a while. I wonder how he had handled the PSS. "Sure, I want to meet him too. Meet you for lunch?" I asked.
  
  "Do you mind eating with the kids? I'll text ahead if you don't." She questioned.
  
  "Nah, go ahead. I'll meet you then." I replied.
  
  Since today was a day where I was meant to unwind, right after I sent that email to Joseph I spent the rest of the morning training up with my Pokémon again.
  
  Well, I say 'training', but what I meant was that we all just hung out together in the training fields and played around. They deserved a small break too.
  
  Pixel, Ornstein, and Euphie returned to playing around with each other. Although now that they were a little older and all evolved out of their basic stages, their 'playing' was a lot more intense than before. Their 'playful' attacks were now strong enough to knock down your average Pokémon, and their games of tag were wholly unfair as they had started throwing in their own attacks to try and trip up the chaser.
  
  Klee and Luna were always on standby just to make sure there were no injuries on that front. Though they generally spent most of the time just cheering the younger ones on.
  
  In the meanwhile, my latest addition to the team was surprisingly hanging out with Smough. Overtime, I learnt that Wraith shared a similar voracious appetite as Smough did, although it was fortunately nowhere near as bad. Wraith was just very appreciative of food, possibly due to all the scavenging for food that he had to do when he used to live deep underground. So whenever we weren't training, he could often be found just chowing down on food with Smough.
  
  I was just glad that he was getting along well with the team. I wouldn't call his relationship with everyone to be 'cordial' yet, but he was on friendly terms with some, such as Smough and Tyrant, while being at least neutral with the rest. That was good enough for me for now.
  
  In the distance, Klaus, Zephyr, and Port were freely sprinting and flying around the house, to the distraction of the farmhands. This actually doubled as training for the three of them, because Klaus was getting better with moving around, and sometimes even Teleporting, from mid-air platform to platform. While Zephyr and Port were getting more practice making sharper turns when flying at high speeds.
  
  That just left Vordt and Tyrant. But they were just hanging out next to me. Vordt was snoozing in the morning sun, lazing around and taking full advantage of the break as best he could. On the other hand, Tyrant sat close to me, joining me in watching the rest of my team play around.
  
  "Not going to join them?" I asked him, but he simply shook his head in response and let out a quiet snort.
  
  I smiled slightly, "You're not that much older. You can join them if you like." Another grunt was what I got in reply.
  
  "...Suit yourself." I muttered as I munched on a cookie that my mom had decided to bake. They really were quite good.
  
  The two of us sat in tranquil silence, allowing the feeling of relaxation to simply wash over us as we continued to idly watch our Pokémon play around. Eventually, I broke the silence, "Say, Tyrant, do you ever see yourself giving up on battling? Retiring to just play around all day?"
  
  Tyrant let out an amused snort, as if the very concept of retiring was laughable to him. I let out a chuckle, "Yeah...didn't think so. I don't think you and I are the retiring sort. There's always something to do, isn't there?"
  
  "Sla...king." He agreed. "King..."
  
  I nodded, "You're right. I was just airing out some idle thoughts. Don't worry, I'm not about to get complacent. Not when there are still things to do."
  
  Despite this moment of peace, I knew that Team Galactic were still continuing their scheming. Archer had been put on the case, but I haven't heard anything back from Giovanni yet. No news WAS good news, since any major action by Team Galactic would have tipped off Archer. But it still meant that they were able to build up their resources.
  
  I would have to wait for Cynthia to settle in as Champion before I could really do anything about it. Luckily, I had already hinted to her about my plans and asked for her cooperation, which she was more than happy to accept.
  
  Shaking off that negative thought for now, I looked at the time and realized that it was about time to meet up with Karen and the children. Brushing off the crumbs that I had left, I pulled myself off the ground and let out a stretch, with Tyrant copying me.
  
  "Right, let's go see the kids." I muttered, "RIGHT! TIME TO HEAD OUT EVERYONE! ENOUGH PLAYING!" I shouted out to my Pokémon, ordering them back.
  
  It took a little while since some of my Pokémon were reluctant to end their playtime, but I eventually was able to get going and set off for Pewter City on Port. I was heading there empty handed; Karen had already reassured me that she would be buying enough for everyone.
  
  I landed near a small, unassuming clearing near the Gym before making my way to where Brock and his family lived. I hadn't been here in a while, and it showed in my lack of recognition at the changes that took place.
  
  The house seemed to have gotten a little bit of an upgrade. I saw a small extension to the side that wasn't there before that I presumed was used for storage. I hoped that would at least clear up some of the space for the residents of the house, but I still doubted there was enough space for all 10 of them to live in.
  
  But my doubts were more reassured when I walked inside. The interior of the house had gone through a small makeover, and some of the chipped paint on the walls were now gone. The sofa was also brand new, no longer the patchy and old thing they used to sit on. Small differences, but it showed that their lives were improving.
  
  And that's all that mattered.
  
  "Hello everyone!" I greeted as I walked inside.
  
  "Ah, hello John." Forrest greeted me with slightly less enthusiasm than I expected, "Thanks for coming."
  
  ...Was it me, or did I sense a little bit of tension in his voice? Was that just my imagination?
  
  "No problem. I wanted to see you all anyways." I smiled, then I turned to next eldest sibling who had been busy setting up the table, "Yolanda, is there anything else I can help with?"
  
  "No, it's alright. You can sit down for now." She said, giving me a smile that I immediately knew was a bit forced, but nothing I could consider impolite.
  
  Still, that confused me. What was going on here? That could not have been a coincidence.
  
  It wasn't outright hostility that I was sensing from them, but there was this sort of wariness that they definitely didn't have last time. Oh sure, they were at least trying to hide it, but they were doing a bad job of it.
  
  I was pretty sure I didn't do anything bad since I last came over, and that was a while ago.
  
  But judging by their expressions, it didn't seem like I was going to get any answers from them anytime soon. So I did my best to ignore it as I offered to help out simply sat down and made some small talk with Forrest, who at least was cordial enough to hold a conversation with me. Even if he was staring me with a studying expression.
  
  Luckily, before long, the door swung open again, this time letting in Karen and Brock, with all the rest of the kids trailing after them.
  
  "Oh, hey John. Didn't know you arrived already." Karen waved to me. "How was your morning? You looked a lot more relaxed."
  
  "Yeah, and it felt great." I smiled, "Also, hey Brock. Nice to see you again."
  
  "Thank you, John." He said politely, but just like the rest of his siblings, he seemed to be giving me an odd look.
  
  Okay, what the fuck was going on here?
  
  I sat in silence for a moment as Karen spoke with the kids, but that distinct feeling of uncomfortableness never left. Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me, and I wanted to know what was causing this weirdness.
  
  Giving off my apologies, I pulled Karen aside and decided to directly ask her.
  
  I made sure we couldn't be overheard before speaking, "Okay, do you know what's going on here? Because the kids are all giving me weird looks."
  
  Karen blinked, "Weird looks? How?"
  
  "I don't know. It's not hostile, but it feels like they're wary of me. No, not wary, but it seems like they're not sure how to act around me." I explained, "Did I do something wrong or something? I don't want to make them uncomfortable if I am."
  
  "...Are you sure you're not overthinking things?" She replied.
  
  I shook my head, "No, definitely not. Brock was friendlier with me the last time I was here - and we were strangers then. I don't think I've done anything to upset them, so why the distancing?"
  
  A pondering look fell upon Karen's face, and she tapped her chin as she thought over my conundrum. It took some time, but then she suddenly broke out into a smirk, "I think I figured it out. You see, I told the kids that you and I weren't dating. I remembered seeing the shock and how disappointed they were for me."
  
  My mind blanked, "Wait. What? They're wary of me because we're not dating?"
  
  Karen giggled and patted me on the shoulder, "Mhm, though 'wary' isn't the right word. If my guess is right, then they're just not sure how to act around you. I wouldn't worry about it; they're just naturally sensitive to this kind of thing considering what happened to them. I think they're just being protective of me, but I'll explain things to them and I'm sure they'll get over it. I do want to apologise on their behalf."
  
  That...made sense, actually. "No, no. You don't have to apologise. I can understand where they're coming from." I replied as a small smile appeared on my face, "And if its true, I think that's cute of them."
  
  Karen turned, sending the kids a fond glance, "They're good kids. I know they treat me as some sort of mother or sister figure, which I'm deeply honoured by. So they're just looking out for my happiness."
  
  I scratched my head, "I didn't expect this. How awkward."
  
  Karen laughed, "You really need to spend more time around kids, they act like this all the time! Anyways, they'll calm down once they see things haven't really changed between us, and I'll talk to them if they still don't understand. They've always listened to me."
  
  I nodded and followed her back into the dining room, where lunch had already been set up. We all took a seat at the table, with me deliberately sitting down nearest to the eldest of Brock's siblings, while Karen sat with the youngest ones so that she could help them with lunch.
  
  I decided to just address the Donphan in the room as soon as possible, "You don't need to be so worried, Karen and I are still friends. That hasn't and won't change."
  
  They all blinked, taken aback my directness. There were a few blushes, but Brock was first to recover, "We believe you. Sorry, we didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, but Karen means a lot to us, and we'd be very upset if anything happened to her."
  
  "Yeah, we know you're a nice guy and that you've helped us with the Gym, but this and that are different." Yolanda added, "We know you're a bigshot Elite Four, but we just didn't want Karen to feel sad."
  
  "No, I understand." I replied, "I can promise that I won't do anything to hurt Karen intentionally. I'm not perfect, after all. But I do care greatly for her, and I wouldn't think of hurting her on purpose."
  
  And I meant it. I thought I did a good job balancing the new dynamic between Karen and Cynthia. At least, I didn't suddenly ignore Karen now that I was dating Cynthia, and I treated her no differently than I did in the past.
  
  The three eldest siblings all stared at me with a scrutinizing look, before they all nodded in sync as if satisfied with what they saw. "We'll hold you to that. Elite Four or not, we look after our own."
  
  I smiled, glad my sincerity had shown through. Even though some might see their confrontation as a little hostile and rude, I knew where they were coming from. Was it an overreaction? Perhaps, but I didn't blame them for it. It was natural for them to be as defensive and they were when they had gone already gone through so much already.
  
  Though that didn't stop Karen from whacking them on the head, "You're being too overprotective. Don't you trust your big sister to take care of herself?"
  
  "No, it's not like that!" Brock protested, losing all of his earlier seriousness, "We just wanted to make sure..."
  
  "Bah! You're being too paranoid." She rubbed her knuckles into Brock, "I already said that John was a good guy."
  
  "AH! HELP! BULLY!" Brock squealed as his siblings laughed at his fate.
  
  Eventually, Karen deemed it a sufficient punishment and let out a sigh, "Anyways, you should all apologise. John doesn't deserve your hostility."
  
  They pouted, but did as she said anyways, ""Sorry John.""
  
  I waved them off, "Don't sweat it. As I said, I understand where you're coming from. Now let's put this all behind us - lunch isn't going to eat itself!" I gestured to the food.
  
  Karen nodded, "Let me get the younger ones." She quickly stood up from her table and rushed to the rooms, where I heard more laughter.
  
  The mood turned much friendlier after we had cleared the air, with me inquiring about how the Gym had been faring given the recent shenanigans that had spread throughout Indigo. Brock cheerfully talked about all the improvements that they had managed to achieve, and how even the official regent had praised him for his diligent and efficient work ethic.
  
  He also said that he was spending a lot of his spare time on training up his team, just so that he would be able to stand tall with all of the other Gym Leaders.
  
  In the corner of my eye, I could see Karen giving me a sweet and proud smile, like a sister would. I was just happy that she was happy. Karen had truly earned her way into the kids' affection. And I knew they both treated each other as family at this point. They were inseparable.
  
  And as she laughed and smiled at the youngest of pair of twins - I thought that there was no place more suited for her.
  
  A.N. I felt that it was about time we had a proper winding-down chapter after everything that has happened, and I wanted to take this chapter to explore a few plot points that I've left a little bit by the wayside.
  
  As for Brock and his siblings, this was inspired by an IRL interaction I had. And I figured that a family of traumatized children might be wary of someone hurting their big sister figure. Considering what the siblings have been through, I feel like this was an appropriate reaction for them to have.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-16 - Back to Business
  
  I had hoped that my stress-free vacation would be able to last a bit longer than it did. However, duty called, and when Giovanni rang you up saying that he had news from Archer, that warranted enough importance for me to resume my duties.
  
  Of course, I was just about to get started with training with Karen, so that was a bit of unfortunate timing.
  
  "Sorry, Karen, but I need to head out. This probably shouldn't wait." I told her, "We can reschedule for another time."
  
  "No, it's fine." She shook her head, "...But is something wrong?" She shot me a look of concern.
  
  I shrugged, "Not sure yet. Hopefully there isn't - but I guess I'm about to find out."
  
  "...Can I ask what it's about?" She said after a moment, "I want to be able to help too. Or at least help you with some of your burden."
  
  I smiled, "Trust me, I appreciate it. But this is something that I've been told to keep quiet about. You know I would talk about it if I could, but this is best kept quiet."
  
  Her eyes widened, "...Oh. I see. Then I wish you the best of luck. Let me know if you're heading back soon, and I'll leave some food for you."
  
  Even though we weren't dating, our friendship had normalised, and Karen had continued spending more and more time at my place until she effective lived there. Whenever she wasn't taking care of Agatha, she would come over and spend time with me and my family; though she would always return home to sleep.
  
  At this point, it was just a natural habit for her to join us for meals. And I knew it was because she had started seeing my family as an extension of her own. It was clear she had adopted my own parents in her mind, which they were only too happy to reciprocate.
  
  I knew Agatha was happy about it too. She had made it loud and clear that she hated being pampered and didn't want Karen fussing over her. Nor was she one to feel 'jealous' of other people occupying Karen's attention.
  
  Between my family and Brock's, it seemed like Karen had really integrated herself into both of our families while I wasn't looking.
  
  Good on her.
  
  Putting those thoughts out of my mind, I refocused myself as I exchanged a quick goodbye with Karen before flying off to Viridian City to meet Giovanni. I didn't know what Archer had for us, but I hoped he had at least managed to get SOMETHING on Team Galactic.
  
  I landed and quickly moved my way into the Gym. I greeted Giovanni briefly, and that it was onto business. But what I wasn't expecting was for Archer to join us directly in a video call; this meant that whatever he had to report WAS important.
  
  "Repeat to John what you just told me." Giovanni ordered.
  
  Archer nodded, "John, as Giovanni reported to you before, our team thought we had caught a lead. I admit we got a bit hasty, because we were really struggling to find anything of use outppside of this, and we ended up pursuing this single lead a bit more enthusiastically than we should have."
  
  "But this time our enthusiasm ended up paying off. I don't know if we just got lucky and we got caught up in a fortunate coincidence, but after following the money and looking into a few trails, we ended up catching a glimpse of some members that my team swore used to be ex-Rocket grunts that defected to join up with Proton. We kept monitoring those guys, until one day they eventually led us into stumbling into something we really didn't expect."
  
  "It was a small facility that served as a base for a large smuggling operation that was for the illegal capture and sale of many Sinnoh Pokémon. After further investigation, we realized that this operation must have allowed them to supply the Team Aqua and Team Magma grunts with those Sinnoh Pokémon."
  
  "The fact that they had a large operation didn't surprise me, but what WAS surprising was finding that the place was practically shut down. There was no smuggling going on, and the place seemed completely abandoned. We figured that the recent lockdown and increased wariness by the police must have forced them out of business."
  
  "Or perhaps they had no one to sell to, since John kicked the criminals out of Hoenn and Indigo." Giovanni pointed out.
  
  Archer nodded, "Yes, that's a possibility too. But this is a big deal, because an operation like this must have generated them plenty of cash before. Cash that they no longer have access to, or anytime in the future either."
  
  "Okay, so how does this help us?" I asked, feeling a little confused.
  
  "Because criminal operations like this need huge amounts of funding to run." Giovanni explained, "Think about the cost of their manpower, the resources that are needed to keep morale high and to sustain their daily costs. Then think about the operating costs of all their facilities. That's not even including all the additional costs they must have while they're doing whatever research they're trying to do."
  
  "Trust me on this. Running a criminal operation is NOT as cheap or as easy as you might want it to believe." Giovanni said firmly, "And losing out a huge source of income like this is a BIG blow to their ability to keep up with their costs. They HAVE to be bleeding money."
  
  "But couldn't they just be a big enough business to sustain all those costs?" I questioned.
  
  Giovanni shook his head, "No. Once again, I have more than enough experience with this kind of thing. You know of my true role in Silph Co. You know the resources I have access to from that position, as well as my de-facto rule of Viridian City. But even then, it was a struggle to keep up the funds required to maintain Team Rocket alongside all my other projects and ambitions."
  
  "I don't care how big their company is, but they won't be big enough to maintain all those men if they just lost one of their big money makers." Giovanni advised, "And it's even worse if their smuggling operations stopped being efficient a long time ago."
  
  This is why I had to bring Giovanni on board. He was much more familiar with the intricacies of running a criminal operation. Far more than I ever could be.
  
  "Okay, so what's the consequence of this going to be for them? How can we leverage this to exposing their identity?" I asked.
  
  "We need to work on the legal side of things to ramp up the pressure and get them to slip up." Archer said immediately, "It's time for the authorities to step in to do the hard work for us."
  
  "IF they're having money problems sustaining their criminal operations, that means they're going to have to take cash from other sources. The easiest way of getting more money is by siphoning it from their legal business." Giovanni cut in, "THAT's where we can punish them. Get the authorities involved, get them to do a big financial sweep, and that'll expose the cracks in their finances. Then we won't need to do anything, because as soon as the authorities catch wind of their activities then they'll be exposed."
  
  "It'll make them panic at the very least." Archer added, "And we might see them have to limit their operations not because they want to, but because they're FORCED to. In the meanwhile, I'll have my team continue to monitor them. Perhaps we can continue catching them out and find more opportunities to expose them in the future."
  
  Yes, I see why this was a big deal. What better way to limit their operations by forcing them to be unable to fund future ones? They'd just implode on their own.
  
  I blinked, "I see...If I was being honest, I never thought THIS was how things would play out when I asked you to investigate them, Archer." I chuckled, "This seems a little more mundane than I was expecting, but I'm glad we're getting something done."
  
  Would this really be how the big bad Team Galactic got uncovered? Because they had MONEY problems?! And out of all people, it was the CEO of one of the biggest companies in Sinnoh that got exposed like this? It felt a little surreal.
  
  "You can't expect miracles with a small team." Archer shrugged, unaware of my inner thoughts, "Staying hidden and mobile is our greatest advantage, not performing daring rescues and other stupid heroics. And hitting someone in their finances is often the best way of destroying them. You can hide many things, but not from the taxman."
  
  "Not without a lot of proper setup." Giovanni added, and I could feel the smugness radiating out of him for having done just that. Giovanni NEVER seemed afraid of the taxman, which really goes to show just how entrenched he was in Viridian.
  
  I moved to refocus the topic, "Right, then I understand what needs doing. I'm assuming you informed me because you need me to make use of my connections to persuade the leadership of Sinnoh to get the Sinnoh police to do some sweeping up?"
  
  "Exactly." Giovanni confirmed, "We can't do anything on our end. But we've seen the news. We know your 'friend' is one fight away from becoming Champion. If she does...then you have a very powerful ally that's only a phone call away, don't you? And more importantly, she'll be able to provide us with the help we need to sweep these insane terrorists, wouldn't she?"
  
  I nodded in agreement. Giovanni and Archer had a point. If Team Galactic were as financially vulnerable as they described them to be, then this would be a good chance to really inflict some damage on them. Oh, I was under no illusions that a simple financial investigation would be able to bring down Team Galactic by itself - they were way too wily and cunning for that. But it didn't need to.
  
  So long as the investigation bought us some time and disrupted their plans, then I was already satisfied with the outcome. Attacking them like this cost me very little, and had very little risk of alerting them that someone knew of their existence. Because the financial sweep would be targeting every business all at once, and not just Galactic company specifically. That way, their suspicions wouldn't be alerted.
  
  It would be a small victory, but a victory nonetheless that took advantage of the best of both worlds. Archer was right, there was no need for heroics. Not at the moment.
  
  "So what's the next step for your team in Sinnoh?" I made sure to ask Archer, "I appreciate all the work you've done, but are you going to keep snooping around hoping for different clues?"
  
  "We'll keep trying." Archer confirmed, "Like I said, we'll continue to establish our information network here and set up a proper foundation for carrying out future operations if we need to so that we may act on future plans if they become necessary. Of course, if we find anything more incriminating, I'll be sure to keep you both informed."
  
  "Stay cautious." Giovanni reminded, "We've secured a big lead; no need to lose it."
  
  "We will." Archer promised, and the call ended soon after that. I thanked Giovanni for the help and for keeping me in the look, and the two of us reaffirmed our promise to continue working together to bring down this collective threat.
  
  This was a good start. Let's hope we can build on it.
  
  I was in a better, if contemplative, mood after my conversation with Giovanni finished. If things truly went well, then we were really going to start doing some serious damage to Team Galactic. However, as I arrived home, I reminded myself that I had promised my parents that I would call Joseph about helping out with our expansion into Mauville.
  
  Sure, I could have done so while I was walking about, but that didn't feel right for a business discussion like this. I figured doing it in the privacy of our own home was more suitable.
  
  So I rung up Joseph on a video call, and he picked up only after a few rings.
  
  "John! I was just about to call you!" He greeted cheerfully, his happy smile visible on the screen. "How have you been? It's been some time."
  
  "I'm doing great. And you?" I replied.
  
  "These days have been quite busy, but it's the good kind of busy." He responded, "Even putting aside all of that confusion with the PSS, just dealing with new Fossil discoveries have taken up most of my time. Thanks to all the extra supply we're getting, of course."
  
  "Don't you have assistants to help with that?" I asked.
  
  "I prefer to stay more hands on with projects that I am personally interested in." He chuckled, "And seeing all these interesting new Fossil Pokémon never ceases to amaze me."
  
  "Where are you up to on that? I think I heard you revived the...Skull and Armor fossils, right" I asked.
  
  He nodded, "Yep. Into a Cranidos and a Sheldon respectively. Those were from the fossils that we got from Sinnoh. Something that we've noticed is that the fossil Pokémon all seem to share a common Rock typing. Among the four that we've revived so far, all of them have been Rock type. Sure, we've only have a small sample size to work with, but it IS becoming a noticeable trend."
  
  Then he let out a sigh, "Unfortunately, progress isn't going as quick as we wanted it to. For every success we have with a Root or Armor fossil, we have more failures when we tried testing out fossils that didn't lead to anything. It's hard to know what constitutes a revivable fossil and what doesn't."
  
  "Yeah, I can see how that could be an issue." I said understandingly, "So how many fossils are you reviving at this point? Can we expect to see fossil Pokémon in the hands of regular trainers anytime soon?"
  
  "Possibly." Joseph replied slowly, "I don't want to make any promises I can't keep, but with the funding we're getting and the successes we have, it should only really be a matter of time. I've already started to give a few fossils to Steven so he can train them up if he's interested. I do have a few I could give to you to train up, if you're interested in them? We still haven't managed to evolve one yet - though I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time."
  
  I shook my head, "Not particularly. I just recently got a new Pokémon, and I'm not really looking to add yet another to my roster. Especially not a type that I'm not familiar with working with. Thanks for the offer though."
  
  "Anyways, let's get back on the reason why I called - thank you for offering your help with our family's business move to Mauville City." I said, switching the topic, "I hope you don't mind lending some assistance."
  
  He waved his hand, "It's not a problem. It really wasn't that big of a deal. Here, one second. Let me fetch something." He rummaged through his desk and withdrew a few pieces of paper.
  
  "...Ah, yes, here we go. My assistants compiled a few locations that we could help you get set up in. They're all within the new build of Mauville City, inside the shopping complex, and their difference really comes down to size and rent. Obviously, the bigger they space, the more rent it'll cost." He explained, "But what kind of business are you looking to set up anyways? Or is it just another store to sell your family's Moomoo milk?"
  
  "No, we're doing something different with Mauville." I replied, "We've done our research, and we know that the people that visit Mauville often have more money to throw around. They wouldn't be interested in plain old Moomoo milk, even if my name is on it."
  
  Joseph nodded, allowing me to continue, "What MIGHT catch their interest are specialty products. Products that take our family's Moomoo milk and turn it into something more interesting and unique."
  
  "Are you going to be making fancy drinks using your Moomoo milk?" Joseph questioned.
  
  "Yes." I confirmed, "At least that's the plan. We have the framework with what we want to do, but we need to see how much everything's going to cost first to see what we can do with it."
  
  "Well I think I can help with that. What do you need help with to set up this new branch?" Then the two of us fell into discussion about what we needed.
  
  I obviously kept out some of the more important details. Friends or not, I wasn't about to be blurting out confidential information about our business to Joseph. Nor did he ever push to ask, seemingly very aware of the boundaries of what he was allowed to ask and what he wasn't.
  
  So I explained to Joseph that we wanted to set up was a specialty drinks shop that used our Moomoo milk as its primary ingredient. The drinks would be priced highly, but hopefully the quality and novelty would offset the high price. We explicitly chose to go down this path because we knew that we currently didn't have any competition in Mauville City that was going to be selling the same products as us.
  
  After a few minutes of explanations and back-and-forth, Joseph had a better understanding of what we wanted to do. "Well I can't say for certain if it'll turn out to be a success, but from what I'm hearing, and knowing of your reputation, I'm sure it'll garner some popularity. Initially out of curiosity, more than anything else."
  
  He flipped through the notes that he had written during my explanation, "I don't see any big problems that jump out at me. I'll put your parents in contact with someone who can help you get set up. You should have no problems with logistics. Do you want me to send Steven to come over on your big opening day just to garner some popularity?"
  
  I blinked, a little surprised by his offer.
  
  "Yes, if he's free - that would be great. Thank you." I replied sincerely, not expecting the offer. I heard Joseph typing as if to make a note of it for himself. Having Steven show up would do wonders to attract attention and boost awareness of the new shop. He had a very different popularity to someone like me. And in Hoenn, his popularity was substantial.
  
  I thought the call was going to end after our discussion was over, but Joseph apparently had something else he wanted to bring up, "Say, John, have you realized that Cerulean City has just become the main source of fossils in Indigo?"
  
  I blinked, "I did not know that." I replied, "But...now that you've said it. I guess we do have both Mt. Moon and Cerulean Cave under our authority. But wouldn't the other cities have fossils as well? And that's not even including Mt. Silver."
  
  "Well, yes. You're right. But Mt. Moon is known to be the most popular place to locate fossils from Indigo." Joseph explained, "And that's not including whatever you can find out from Cerulean Cave. That's just a whole new area of untapped potential."
  
  "But the reason I mentioned it is because I would like to have access to the fossils you dig up from these locations." Joseph said, "Not all of them, naturally. But Devon Corp would like to make a contract with Cerulean City to buy off the fossils you find."
  
  I put up a hand, "I don't actually have the authority to make these kinds of agreements. I'd have to speak to the mayor and get his approval. But I'll pass on the message."
  
  "Thank you, that's all I ask." Joseph nodded, "You can speak to Shelly if you come to an agreement and she can sort out the rest of the details. I'll fill her in after we finish this call."
  
  "What ARE you going to do once you are able to revive more fossils, if you don't mind saying?" I asked, "Because yes, fossils ARE rare, but at some point you're going to have over hundreds of fossil Pokémon just lying around. Surely you must be planning to do something with them?"
  
  "This might sound bad, but we'll hold an auction to sell them off to the highest bidders." Joseph stated, "After all, we ARE a business, and that's just the most logical thing to do when you have a monopoly over the supply of certain rare Pokémon. Of course, we'll give a few out as gifts, but that's the gist of our plan. The offer still stands if you ever change your mind about receiving one, by the way."
  
  I wasn't surprised or offended by what I heard. As Joseph put it - they were a business. This was what they did. The fossil revival machine was built entirely by Joseph and his company's own efforts, so they deserved to reap the rewards of their success. And while the price for a single fossil Pokémon would likely be out of arms reach for most trainers, I was confident that as soon as the supply of fossils went up, the price of these fossil Pokémon would become more affordable to the average trainer.
  
  And there certainly would be a high demand for it, considering how unique they were. Not to mention that fossil Pokémon were all quite strong as well.
  
  "I'm fine." I repeated, "But thanks again for the offer and for the help with Mauville. Maybe one day I'll ask you for a fossil Pokémon to be used as a gift, if you don't mind."
  
  "Of course not! And there's no need to thank me." Joseph said immediately, "If we're counting who owes who, I'm still in the red. Helping you and your family out with Mauville is a very small thing. Even gifting you with a fossil would be a small ask for us. And I know you're still bringing the fight to these criminals - you're just waiting for an opportunity to strike."
  
  I stayed silent, but he deemed my silence as confirmation, "Exactly. So don't feel bad for coming to me for help, especially if you need resources to fight back against these terrorists. THAT kind of help I'll provide for free."
  
  I was grateful for his support, and made sure to mention it to him. The two of us shared a few more words before he ended the call, having to run for another meeting. I made sure to jot down a few notes as soon as the call ended so that I would have a note of this discussion when I got back to my parents.
  
  I was sure they would be happy about this development. The expansion to Mauville was a huge milestone for our family business - as it meant that our family business was now going to become a properly international business. Not only that, but it was also going to be our first foray into going into a different type of business than the simple selling of Moomoo milk.
  
  It was a really big step up for the former farmers that lived in poverty. And I was going to make sure it would be a success.
  
  A.N. Two different types of things going on. With the Team Galactic stuff, I always thought that running a criminal empire was going to be an expensive undertaking. And that would be a crucial weakness that could be exploited. I hope you enjoyed that.
  
  And yes, the family business is finally moving to Mauville. It took some time, but it's happening. The business won't ever be as big as something like Silph Co or Devon Corp, but it's getting there. One small step at a time.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-16-Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 9-16 - Interlude - Whitney
  
  "...And this is the cafeteria where you're free to eat whenever you want, but try to keep it to the lunch break." Samson said to her as he showed her around the Saffron Gym, where she'd be starting as a new Gym Trainer. The fact that they had an all-you-can eat cafeteria that was FREE was an amazing benefit to working for the Gym.
  
  Her eyes scanned around and took a look at the options available, where it was mostly standard cafeteria fare.
  
  ...Okay, so they weren't as luxurious as she had expected, but they were good enough, and there were plenty of options so she wouldn't get bored any time soon.
  
  And most importantly, FREE! Not only that, but she was getting paid on top of that too! She initially didn't want to take payment from him, but both of Sabrina's parents insisted that she be paid for her work, just like any other Gym Trainer would be.
  
  "Thank you, it all looks really good." Whitney smiled, "Is there anything else I should know about?"
  
  "Not particularly - and Sabrina can show you the rest if I did miss anything." Samson said, "Anyways, feel free to spend some more time to familiarize yourself with everything. Otherwise, please report to the Head Gym Trainer to receive your duties."
  
  "Yes sir!" Whitney saluted, a little clumsily. Samson just chuckled.
  
  "You should call me Gym Leader when we're working, but there's no need to salute." Samson rubbed her hair, "You can keep calling me Samson in private."
  
  With the conversation over, Whitney followed his instructions and reported to the Head Gym Leader of the Saffron Gym, a young adult Psychic called Albert.
  
  "You must be the newbie." He said blankly as his Pokéballs circled in the air around him. "Well, let me give you a rundown of your new duties."
  
  "I've looked into the strength of your Pokémon. From the team I've seen you use in official battles, I'm unfortunately going to have to say that you won't be allowed to use them over the course of your duties as a Gym Trainer." Albert explained, "Not only are they mostly the wrong Type, but they are also mostly too strong for your opponents. It wouldn't be fair for the typical 6th Badge challenge we offer. However, you may use your Girafarig if you wish."
  
  Whitney nodded; she had expected this. Even Sabrina had to hold back from using the stronger members of her team too. "Instead, please pick up the Pokémon that we use for the Gym. You will be expected to use those to test trainers that are challenging the Gym."
  
  "Be careful though. Your objective is not to obtain victory, unlike the battles I'm sure you're used to." He warned. "Instead, you will be expected to test all potential challengers to see what if they have what it takes to make it to the Gym Leader." A handbook suddenly levitated into Whitney's hands, "This is the handbook that we use. It should provide you with a guide on what you should be looking out for when fighting potential challengers. Study it well."
  
  "You might be personal friends with Sabrina and the Gym Leader, but I will be testing your performance carefully. I will not allow you to get away with damaging the Gym's reputation with your overenthusiasm. Do I make myself clear?" Albert's eyes dug deep into hers, and she wondered if he was reading her mind like Sabrina could.
  
  She supposed that his piercing glare was supposed to look intimidating, but it didn't seem like his Psychic talent could match Sabrina's, as she could not feel the telltale signs of a mental intrusion. So she just shrugged it off.
  
  "I understand." Whitney instead replied, mustering every bit of seriousness she could.
  
  Albert blinked, a little unruffled by her lack of response, "...Good. Then I look forward to working with you in the future."
  
  He recovered from his surprise quickly, "You joined at a good time. We're nearing the end of the circuit and are about to enter the off-circuit, so things are going to be quiet for now. That'll give you some time to learn the ropes."
  
  The Pokéballs around him shuffled around until they formed an arrow that pointed to the right, "Please head over there to pick up the Pokémon you will be using. I expect you to get familiar with them and get used to fighting with the Psychic type. I'll check up on you later."
  
  Whitney thanked him and left, heading to where he pointed to. As she arrived at where the Gym's Pokémon were being stored, she found Sabrina already there, thinking carefully as she inspected the options in front of her.
  
  "You're only taking out the one?" She asked as she saw the single Pokéball that Sabrina had grabbed.
  
  "I am planning to train up my Slowpoke and Girafarig as well. They are both weak enough to be used, and I intend to use this time to train them up further." Sabrina replied.
  
  "Oh cool! I was planning to do the same with my Girafarig - we can train them together like before!" Whitney exclaimed excitedly. They had unfortunately not been training their Girafarig together much in the past as they had other priorities with figuring out how to tackle the next Gym Leader, but now was a good time to get back into it.
  
  She wondered how strong their pair of Girafarig could get after training together. Who knows what they could accomplish by working together?
  
  Shaking herself from her thoughts, she turned back to the rows of Pokéballs that contained all of the Gym's Pokémon. "Um...that means I still have to pick two...uh, I don't know what to pick. Do you have any suggestions, Sabie?"
  
  "No," Sabrina shook her head, "Pick whatever you feel like. I am sure you are familiar enough with the Psychic type to do fine. However, I would recommend picking Pokémon that fight similarly to your own. That way, you can transfer anything you learn while using them to your own Pokémon."
  
  "That's a good idea." Whitney smiled, "Thanks, Sabie. I'll be doing just that."
  
  Her eyes danced across all of the options laid out in front of her. She read the labels - there were Starmie, Slowpoke, Kadabra, Medicham, and many other Psychic types for her to choose from. Each of them had a slightly different fighting style, and Whitney intended to follow Sabrina's advice and pick out the Pokémon most suitable for her.
  
  Eventually, she picked out Medicham and Xatu, as they were most similar to her Miltank and Noctowl respectively.
  
  Having made her choice, she wandered over to the training fields to get acquainted with her Pokémon. Sabrina followed her; and Whitney was inwardly glad for the familiar presence of her close friend.
  
  She admitted that suddenly finding herself working with the responsibilities of a Gym Trainer scared her a bit. She had never been in a position of authority before, and she was afraid of doing a bad job. She didn't want to disappoint Sabrina or her parents, who were so nice to offer this opportunity to her.
  
  As if sensing her negative emotions, Sabrina patted Whitney on the shoulder and shot her a small reassuring smile.
  
  'You aren't alone, Whitney. I will be there with you, and so will Janine, if only in spirit.' She spoke into her mind.
  
  Whitney shot her friend a reassuring grin, giving her a quick hug for her kind words.
  
  They helped remind her WHY she had come here in the first place. She knew that working as a Gym Trainer for a prestigious Gym (and perhaps two, if Koga lets her join as well) would be great for her experience as a trainer, and she intended to make full use of the opportunity to grow her skills a trainer even further.
  
  But more importantly, the whole reason why she had chosen to work as a Gym Trainer was to spend more time around her friends - to not let the strong bonds that they had forged over their journey falter and break.
  
  In the end, that was what was truly important.
  
  A.N. A short snippet to the start of Whitney's time as a Gym Trainer in the Saffron Gym. She still has plenty to learn, both as a trainer and as a leader - and the time that she spends here with help hone her natural talents. This is just another step for Whitney until she becomes the terror of a Gym Leader we all know her as. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 9-17 - The New Champion
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  She stared Lucian down, ignoring the roar of the audience around her. She had a one Pokémon lead on him, leading the match 4-3.
  
  Her team had taken down his Mr. Mime, Medicham, Espeon, and Bronzong, leaving him with his final two Pokémon. In return, he had knocked out her Roserade, Togekiss, and Spiritomb. Compared to all the other matches that she had fought - this was her closest fight yet.
  
  But there was no hint of worry in her mind. No jitters of battle. She had seen her path to victory, and she would secure it with both hands.
  
  "...I must say, I knew how strong you were. But this is really something else!" Lucian called out to her. "But I've not run out of options just yet!"
  
  "GO! Alakazam!"
  
  "You got this, Milotic!"
  
  Her beautiful Pokémon emerged with a sonorous trill, twirling around as she showed off her brilliant gleaming scales to the crowd. The crowd cheered and clapped in approval, and her Milotic seemed to bask in the attention, as if she was ignoring the actions of her opponent.
  
  But her trainer remained aware. Cynthia's eyes were locked onto Alakazam, watching intently for its every move. Lucian had given it no commands, but she was not foolish enough to believe that it wasn't setting something up.
  
  And with how Alakazam's eyes repeatedly flashed a bright blue, she already knew that Lucian was preparing for his signature move.
  
  Despite this, she made no move to stop her Milotic from her showboating. Because it was all an act. While Milotic appeared to be just playing to the crowd, she was actually setting up with all her recovery moves. Aqua Ring, Safeguard, and even Coils were all set up in preparation, setting the stage for the next act of the fight.
  
  Occasionally, Milotic would even fire off a quick Hydro Pump, launching a powerful torrent of water towards the Psychic type. Though they never managed to hit their mark as Alakazam was easily able to dodge out of the way with a precise series of Teleports.
  
  But that was fine, she was only trying to keep Lucian on his toes. They were never meant to hit.
  
  Of course, Lucian wasn't a fool. He must have figured out that her Pokémon wouldn't be showing off during such an important match. He would have realised that this was actually just a way of concealing the set up moves that she was doing, and that the Hydro Pumps were meant to just buy even more time for Milotic to set up.
  
  To Lucian, her plan with Milotic was obvious. Set up as much as possible, then stall the match for as long as possible to eventually beat his Alakazam in a battle of endurance. A simple strategy, but nonetheless an effective one. It was the same one she employed to great effect against both Bertha and Flint.
  
  He must have realised this as soon as the round began, which was why he was already preparing to unleash his most powerful move with his Alakazam from the moment it emerged onto the field. And judging by the keen sense of anticipation that shined in his eyes, or the way that the air shimmered and thrummed with barely restrained power, she knew that he had committed to this path. To land a huge decisive strike against Milotic to take it out of the battle in a single stroke.
  
  She had to hold back a smile. It was exactly what she hoped he would do.
  
  Then, the attack came.
  
  "Psychic Bombardment!"
  
  The air suddenly flared with Psychic energy before being torn apart as a bombardment of Future Sights erupted from all sides. The surroundings twisted and turned, becoming completely distorted as a nuclear amount of Psychic energy detonated in the air, with Milotic being right in the epicentre.
  
  The resulting impact from the simultaneous explosions sent earth-shattering shockwaves radiating out of all directions, flying out with such force that it almost knocked Cynthia over. She had to shield herself as all manner of dust and rubble flung themselves into her, completely obscuring her vision.
  
  But Cynthia didn't care about that. She was just waiting for the single act that would signify her victory.
  
  And then it happened. A second, even more powerful explosion abruptly detonated from within the cloud of smoke, ripping forwards in a cone of pure destruction that eradicated all that was unlucky to be caught in its path.
  
  This time, the psychic barriers completely failed to withstand the second even-more powerful blast. They shattered instantly, allowing chunks of rubble and sand to be thrown around into the crowd. The resulting screams of panic from the crowd were muted by the deafening explosion, and also her own concentration.
  
  She stared intently at the battlefield, patiently waiting for the thick cloud of dust to clear up. And as it did, she smiled as she saw the result of the clash.
  
  A single cone-shaped trench had suddenly been ripped out of the arena, with cracks spreading across that entire section of the arena. It was testament to the power of her Milotic's counterattack that literally nothing remained within the trench; as if everything inside had been annihilated by the sheer power of the attack.
  
  But more importantly than that, her Milotic was the only Pokémon that was still standing. There was no sign of Lucian's Alakazam, and not because it was sneaking around or anything. No, as she followed the path of the trench with her eyes, she eventually found the remains of Alakazam, having been violently smashed against a now-broken wall of the arena.
  
  The Psychic type lay limp and broken; there was no chance it was getting up from that.
  
  In the meanwhile, her own Milotic was hardly doing better. She managed to keep her head high, but it was only just. It was impossible to miss her Milotic's unsteady swaying and wobbling, with most of her body lying limply on the ground, no longer able to support her usual regal posture. However, despite the fact that her once pristine and beautiful body was now marred with injuries, Milotic's eyes remained resolute and determined, as if she was ready to take on another opponent if she was ordered to.
  
  Her Milotic was wounded, but she refused to bow. And the pride swelled within her as she felt the determination of her Pokémon, but she did not need to push her Pokémon that far today.
  
  She felt Lucian's eyes on her, and she looked up to meet them even as she announced that she was retiring Milotic from the fight. She could feel his confusion.
  
  "...Mirror Coat?" He asked after a moment, and all she did was nod once.
  
  He laughed bitterly, "You hid this strategy this entire time? All the way until you fought me?"
  
  She shrugged, "Your colleagues didn't require such a strategy." That might have been a bit blunt, but it was true.
  
  Aaron and Bertha were both mostly physical attackers, and they could be handled with other methods. Flint was tougher, but she didn't require the Mirror Coat strategy when Milotic was already such a good matchup against him.
  
  She didn't necessarily plan it this way when she first began the gauntlet, but it made for an excellent surprise tool to bring down one of Lucian's most threatening Pokémon.
  
  She was pleased it worked out so well. It was why she did everything she could to bait Lucian into going for a decisive strike, all so that it could be reflected with a Mirror Coat to knockout his prized Alakazam with a single move. It would have been a huge pain to deal with otherwise.
  
  Lucian let out a sigh, "So it comes down to this then. My final Pokémon, versus two of yours." But despite his words, there was no defeat in his voice. Only the resolve of a trainer that went into the battle knowing he was going to lose, but was determined to prove his all regardless.
  
  A good attitude. One she would repay.
  
  "Gallade!"
  
  Lucian's starter came out in all of his glory. A Pokémon that had earned much renowned for its supreme excellence at close-range combat. Many trainers had been taken out by the deadly blade of his Gallade, and the common piece of advice was to never engage the Gallade at close range.
  
  But...she never really cared what you were 'commonly' supposed to do. If Gallade was known to be the best close-range fighter, then she would simply beat him at his best.
  
  "Go, Garchomp!"
  
  Her Garchomp emerged silently. She did not roar. She did not intimidate. She did not posture. No, she left that pride for other Dragons, and instead immediately dug into the ground as a harsh Sandstorm whipped around the arena.
  
  A frown formed on Lucian's face. He knew what was coming, yet there was only really one thing he could do, "Teleport back and Blade Dance!"
  
  By infusing Psychic energy into his usual Swords Dance, Lucian had been able to train up his Gallade to create a move that was doubly effective of a regular Swords Dance, giving an effective 3x boost to his Gallade's attack. An extremely powerful set up move that punished even the slightest misstep from the opponent.
  
  Flint and Lucian were often seen as evenly matched, but Lucian was often recognised to have the edge over his Fire type colleague. Gallade was the reason why, and she knew better than to underestimate the power of her foe's starter.
  
  But neither should anyone underestimate her own.
  
  "Earthquake, Gallade! Punish it!"
  
  Gallade quickly completed its setup and moved to punish Garchomp for her burrowing. However, before Gallade could even stomp on the ground, her Garchomp came bursting out of the ground right next to Gallade with her fangs bared menacingly. From the surprise in Gallade's usually stoic eyes, she knew that he wasn't expecting her Garchomp to have moved so quickly.
  
  Yet the surprises did not stop there. Going against all common sense to utilise the move so early in a fight, the distinct aura of Dragon energy rapidly built up around Garchomp as she forced herself into an Outrage. The air began becoming distorted as a powerful aura of draconic energies began radiating out of her Garchomp, and with it, came an overwhelming boost in strength.
  
  Claw slammed against blade. Using full use of his buffs, Gallade was just barely able to block the incoming Dragon Claw with a Night Slash of his own. Gallade instantly moved to counterattack, but Garchomp slammed an Iron Head into him first, disorienting the Psychic type enough to interrupt his strike.
  
  Moving decisively, Gallade immediately backed off and Teleported backwards, thinking that he could buy time until the Outrage wore off.
  
  To both Pokémon and trainer's complete surprise, Gallade was given no such reprieve as Garchomp immediately launched herself forwards; letting out a fearsome roar as she re-ignited her Outrage and charged forwards with an unstoppable Dragon Rush.
  
  Gallade was barely able to Teleport away in time before Garchomp brutally slammed down in the area he was in just before, forming a deep crater in her wake. But instead of tiring out, Garchomp simply reborrowed into the ground.
  
  "Set up a Reflect, Gallade!" Lucian shouted out.
  
  Gallade Teleported to the edge of the arena, making as much distance as possible as a Psychic shield began to shimmer into existence in front of him - only to be instantly shattered as a raging Dragon erupted out from the ground like a hunter who had found her prey, smashing down with a Brick Break.
  
  A powerful set of jaws Crunched down on the surprised Gallade, causing the Psychic type to wince in pain. But he was not an Elite's starter for nothing, and quickly sent a punishing Ice Punch into Garchomp, sending the Dragon type reeling backwards from the supereffective attack.
  
  Thinking that he had the momentum, Gallade Teleported behind Garchomp, another Ice Punch poised and ready to strike. But instead of meeting Garchomp's exposed back, Gallade instead met Garchomp's waiting Dragon Tail that struck like a powerful hammer into his side.
  
  The Psychic type was thrown painfully into the ground, but with a serious exertion of effort, he managed to Teleport himself to the edge of the arena, hopefully giving himself a few seconds to make use of a Heal Pulse.
  
  But Garchomp showed no inkling of ever giving Gallade a moment to heal up.
  
  "Dragon Pulse, Garchomp!"
  
  "GAR!" With another roar, a torrent of violent and pulsating draconic energies shot through the air, launching their way towards Gallade.
  
  Despite the speed of the attack, Gallade cancelled his healing attempt and quickly sidestepped the Dragon Pulse before blinking forwards to Garchomp's side, his bladed arms glowing with icy energies as he prepared to slam a brutal Ice Punch into Garchomp - thinking that Garchomp was too busy channelling her Dragon Pulse to block the attack in time.
  
  However, that was a mistaken assumption, and Gallade was caught unawares as a explosion of rocks tore out from under him. The attack did minimal damage, but it caused Gallade to stumble right into Garchomp's waiting Dragon Claw.
  
  Gallade let out a pained grunt as Garchomp's claws ferociously tore into him and forced Gallade onto his knees. Trying to deter Garchomp from another follow up attack, Gallade fired off a quick yet powerful blast of Psychic that detonated point-blank against her starter.
  
  Yet that was not enough to stop the Dragon. Allowing for another explosive surge of draconic energies, Garchomp willed herself to not stumble backwards - to not allow Gallade ANY opportunity to break off her offensive momentum.
  
  Gallade tried to Teleport away again, but this time Garchomp was quicker with her Dark Pulse, cancelling the Teleport and preventing the escape before a second Iron Head brutally slammed the Gallade back into the ground.
  
  Then, Garchomp clamped down with her claws around her opponent's throat and SMASHED the Gallade through the ground, pinning the Psychic type under her as she bit down mercilessly with a ferocious Crunch. Gallade did his best to fight off the Dragon with another Ice Punch, but Garchomp grunted through the pain and unleashed another violent Earthquake - forcing Gallade to take the full brunt of her savagery.
  
  Unfortunately for Lucian, it didn't matter how well-trained his Gallade was. Pinned helplessly against an Outraging Garchomp, there was only so many Outrage-boosted attacks he could take before he succumbed to his injuries.
  
  Eventually, after Garchomp tore into him with another gouging slash, Gallade's arms fell limply by his side and his head weakly collapsed to the ground.
  
  The battle was over. She had won.
  
  And the crowd was not shy in their approval, roaring to life as they let out a collective cheer that was so deafeningly loud that she thought it could be heard all the way at Canalave.
  
  Are you seeing this, John?
  
  She gave herself but a moment to bask in the adoration of the crowd, before she stepped into the arena to greet her former opponent.
  
  "Well fought, Lucian." She smiled at him, "You gave me the toughest fight so far."
  
  "And yet I didn't even manage to defeat more than half of your team." Lucian said with a complicated smile, "I barely even managed to wind you, didn't I? Despite putting all that I could into beating you. In the end, I wasn't even close."
  
  Cynthia knew better than to answer there, and she simply remained silent as she watched a complex mix of emotions roll around Lucian's face. After a moment, he let out a sigh and returned a small smile to Cynthia, extending a hand for her to shake.
  
  "Congratulations, Champion Cynthia. I'm glad that my eyes weren't wrong. I look forward to working with you." He declared solemnly.
  
  "Likewise, Elite Lucian. I hope I will prove to be a Champion worth following." She replied sincerely, shaking his hand.
  
  And she was going to keep his words to heart. Being Champion was only the start. Now she had a new goal. She was going to turn Sinnoh into a prosperous and wealthy region, just like their counterparts.
  
  That was her promise. And she swore it upon Arceus that she would see it fulfilled.
  
  "...I think you might have a serious contender for the title of best Dragon trainer, Lance." Lorelei quipped as we had all gathered round to watch the final match between Cynthia and Lucian in Lance's office.
  
  I couldn't help but grin madly as Cynthia crushed Lucian in her final battle, dominating the supposed 'strongest' amongst the Sinnoh Elite Four. She had done it!
  
  Lance scoffed, his pride offended. "I won't deny that she's an excellent trainer, and her Garchomp is very well trained, but she has a long way to go if she wants to take my title from me."
  
  He squinted his eyes, "Although...did anyone else notice that her Garchomp was seemingly able to force itself out of its Outrage without any consequences? Garchomp did it with such regularity in-between attacks that it was like it was practically toggling its Outrage on and off. THAT is frankly a ridiculous level of discipline that I will be trying to replicate. It's very impressive."
  
  I inwardly agreed. Even though I knew Garchomp would be Cynthia's most formidable Pokémon, I had yet to truly see it in action when we spent time together in Sinnoh. But it was a threat.
  
  If anything, Lance was underselling how powerful the ability to trigger Outrage whenever she needed to. Outrage was an incredible boost to any Dragon type's power, but it came with a huge drawback of rapidly burning through your Dragon's energy and risking losing control to primal rage. For most, it was a move only to be used as a last-resort or when you wanted to go fully on the offensive, as you could not order your Dragon to release its Outrage until it completely ran out of energy.
  
  But the fact that Garchomp could control when and where to use Outrage, and for how long it would last, meant that she suddenly had all the benefits of Outrage without any of the drawbacks.
  
  Furthermore, the fact that Garchomp could traverse so quickly while underground could not be understated, and was another huge advantage for her to have as it allowed her to get into her most effective range as quickly as possible.
  
  Yes, I believed that Lance's Emperor would win in a one on one fight against Garchomp in a battle of pure strength. But Garchomp did not fight like Lance's Dragons. Garchomp's primary strength lay in her ridiculous speed (for a Pokémon with THAT much power) and her oppressive ambushing potential.
  
  With the ridiculous boost of power that Outraging at any time could grant her, a single moment to strike might be all it takes for her to land a decisive blow.
  
  The sound of Agatha's cackle brought me back from my thoughts, "We all know you're going to be trying to get yourselves a Garchomp after this meeting is over. No need to be coy. I can see the greed in your eyes, Blackthorn."
  
  Lance did not deny it, instead choosing to stay silent as Will spoke up, "...I would have been crushed if I tried to fight against her. I will not lie - as a fellow Psychic specialist, Lucian is my superior in terms of strength. And yet Cynthia still managed to defeat him without needing to use her full team...it was a humbling battle to watch."
  
  Lorelei nodded solemnly, "All hail the new Champion of Sinnoh." There was a muttering of agreement to that from the rest of us.
  
  We all stared silently at the screen as the Sinnoh newscaster frantically scrambled to announce Cynthia's victory. And we all saw a podium being hastily set up for the new Champion to make her first speech.
  
  I wondered what she was going to say.
  
  I took this time to send a quick congratulating message to her as Lance spoke up, "I want your thoughts. John, you especially, since you've spent the most time around her. What is Cynthia like? What do you think her time as Champion will look like?"
  
  I took a moment to think about it before replying, "I'm very biased, but if there is a single word I can use to describe Cynthia - it would be 'brilliant'. Because that's what she is. In everything and anything she sets her mind to. She is an excellent scholar and trainer, and an extremely hard worker. I am confident that she would make a fantastic Champion for Sinnoh."
  
  I was confident she would be the Champion that Sinnoh needed.
  
  Lance nodded, "That was my impression of her too. That's good. Sinnoh needs all the competence it can get right now. However, do you think she'll have any internal issues with her Elite Four? They might be bitter that she defeated them."
  
  Both Will and I shook our heads. Seeing that Will had something to say, I motioned for him to go first.
  
  "I truly doubt that will happen." Will said, "I have never seen their interactions to be anything less than cordial. And I'm certain that Cynthia made the challenge to become Champion with AT LEAST Lucian's approval. They had already planned this out a while ago." I nodded in support of Will's words.
  
  "I figured as much as well, but it was good to get a second opinion on this." Lance muttered, "During the PSS crisis, I found Lucian to be a decisive and intelligent thinker. Would Cynthia be- "
  
  "She would not be any worse than him." I interrupted, always happy for an opportunity to talk about my girlfriend, "At the very least, I have never known Cynthia to dismiss any advice given. She is not prone to arrogance, only confidence. And I am sure that her newfound position won't change that aspect of her. I really meant it when I said she was going to impress you. You won't be disappointed with her. Not one bit."
  
  "As for her likely policies...I'm not sure what she'll be trying to implement domestically, but she won't have any issues with our current focus on internationalism. She's all for cooperation and the benefits of working together." I explained, with Will nodding along in agreement.
  
  Was I biased? Absolutely. Did I care? Absolutely not. After all, I was dating her. Lance already knew of our relationship, so he knew to take whatever I said with a pinch of salt. Still, I didn't think I was exaggerating with my praises, and I think Lance knew that as well.
  
  "You seem to really like her." Lorelei muttered curiously from the side, "Is she really that worthy of your praise?"
  
  "She is." I replied instantly, ignoring the knowing look I was getting from Agatha, "But you don't have to believe me now. You'll see for yourselves soon enough."
  
  And, as if I had timed my words perfectly, it was time for Cynthia to take to the podium, where she would make her first speech as Champion.
  
  "Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their support and their encouragement during my fight to the top." She flashed the audience a sparkling smile, "It's heartening to see that a previously unknown trainer like me could get so much support and love for the people of Sinnoh."
  
  "However, while it is usual for a new Champion to be giving an outline of their policies during their first speech as Champion - I will not be doing that." She declared, causing an audible gasp to resonate throughout the audience as they stared confusedly at Cynthia, not knowing what she was planning.
  
  Her eyes narrowed, and her friendly smile disappeared as she took on a far more serious expression, "I have not been blind or deaf to the rumours about my climb to the top was rigged, that somehow the honourable members of the Elite Four were sandbagging and deliberately losing to me to pave the path for my ascension as Champion as their chosen puppet."
  
  "I know what the rumourmongers are saying, even if they may be in the minority. They cynically believe that all this was just an act - an attempt by the Sinnoh League to earn back the public's trust by installing a Champion that 'managed' to crush the Elite Four with ease by deliberately playing up my own strengths." She shook her head, "Well I will not allow that to stand."
  
  Her eyes stared directly at the camera, as if she was addressing every single viewer that was currently watching the broadcast, "So for those of you who doubt my strength; who doubt my Pokémon's ability to defeat the Elite Four of Sinnoh as convincingly as they did. I challenge you all to a fight. Over the next fortnight, I will be temporarily delaying my ascension to Champion and instead will be accepting any and all challengers from anyone who has at least achieved all 8 badges and are recognised as an Ace trainer."
  
  "I will prove that my win was not a fluke." She snarled viciously, so unlike the friendly and charming Cynthia that I knew. And very much like the Champion I knew she now was, "So it's time for those rumourmongers to put their money where their mouth is. Fight me. Challenge me. And lose all the same."
  
  "I will be waiting."
  
  Then she just left the stage, taking no questions as she threw down the gauntlet at her naysayers. Much like the crowd, the news presenter, and whoever else was watching, Lance's office was quiet as we pondered over her words.
  
  That was until Agatha broke the silence with her laughter.
  
  "I like her!" She managed to gasp out between her peals of laughter, "No wonder you praised her so highly, John! I thought she was just some goody-two-shoes girl, some meek Whismur; all brains and no brawn. But no, she very much is like the Dragon that she trained. HA!"
  
  "That was a good statement." Lance agreed, "I definitely wasn't expecting that, but I respect her all the more for it. It's good to cut down on any dissent before it can grow and fester. Not only that, but I approve of her methods; a show of strength is always good."
  
  The other Elite Four members also added a few comments in agreement. In the meanwhile, I had a wide smile on my face as her determination echoed through my mind, reminding me of all of the moments that we had in Sinnoh.
  
  "Were you expecting this, John?" Lorelei suddenly asked me, breaking me from my daydreaming.
  
  "Hm? No. I wasn't." I shook my head, "But it's just like her to do so."
  
  "She'll probably have to fight quite a few trainers though." Lorelei pointed out, "I'm sure they're all going to be quite weak, but it's still going to be a huge hassle."
  
  "It's probably not as many as you're thinking of. Not many people will be THAT interested in challenging the Champion when they know they're going to lose. They still have their own personal reputations to consider." Will added. "But yes, there'll still be quite a few."
  
  "She'll have a busy time getting through them." I agreed, "But that'll just make her eventual ascension to Champion all the more satisfying."
  
  And in her competent hands, the future of Sinnoh was bright.
  
  A.N. A very Cynthia-centric chapter, but I felt that she needed some time back in the spotlight as she has finally become Champion of Sinnoh. I also wanted to depict her Garchomp as having a very different sort of strength to someone like Lance, but still being powerful all the same.
  
  This was also the penultimate chapter of "The Indigo Conference" Arc. Hope you enjoyed so far!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 9-18 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 9-18 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE CHAOTIC RELEASE OF THE POKÉMON STORAGE SYSTEM! WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE WORLD AT LARGE?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [A picture of a PC in a Pokémon Center with the PSS installed]
  
  Often times, the release of a fantastical invention is able to invoke a paradigm shift in our world. It flips over everything we know and forces everyone to relearn the basics. The release of the Pokémon Storage System, or more commonly known as the PSS, is no different.
  
  In fact, the release of the PSS can be summarized as - utterly chaotic, unplanned, and unorganized.
  
  We here at The Indigo Post have little idea why something as momentous as the PSS was allowed to be released in such a haphazard manner, especially when the leadership of each region knew about its existence in advance. And considering the hasty scrambling in an attempt to restore order, we can tell that they were unprepared for such a release as well.
  
  We suspect that the creator, Bill, may have something to do with this, especially considering the reactions of his peers. However, this is a topic for another time.
  
  Unless you've literally not been around the Pokenet over the past few days, or listened to the news in any capacity, you would have already known that the PSS is a revolutionary new invention that allows for the near-instantaneous transfer and 'storage' of Pokémon through a PC. That means that there is no need to physically trade your Pokéball with a fellow trainer anymore! Your trades can all be done at ANY PC that has the PSS installed.
  
  For now, the installation of the PSS can be found in your nearby Pokémon Center and other specific places. And with the implementation of the recent restrictions, that will likely be the only places you can access the PSS in the future as well.
  
  Speaking of the restrictions, their implementation have received a mixed reception from the general public, though many have come around in support as time has passed. These restrictions were obviously put in place to cut down on the sudden surge of smugglers and opportunistic trainers that had emerged and were trying their hands at abusing this new system. This same limitation has been placed on businesses as well, forcing them to obtain a license before they can make use of the PSS.
  
  Personally, this writer will be commending the combined efforts of the three Leagues' to install a common set of policies to control the PSS. The chaos created by the release of the PSS cannot be understated, and it is to the League's credit that they managed to restore order as quickly as they did.
  
  What do you all think about these new restrictions and the PSS? Do you think the League has gone too far? Or do you think it was an acceptable measure to combat those that would have tried to abuse the system?
  
  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  My goodness that was a mess and a half to deal with. I normally am quite excited by all these new inventions and the possibilities of change that they bring, but I was genuinely concerned about the state of the region when all that chaos erupted in the earlier days.
  
  Big props to all of the Leagues for being able to hold things together. I honestly wasn't certain that they would be able to hold back the tide of chaos, so I'm very proud of them for being able to do so. Kudos to all your hard work!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Yeah, I've never seen all of the Elite Four and Gym Leaders rushing about as hectically as they do. It was almost like we were in a war for a moment - it was really scary! Where did all these poachers even come from?
  
  I can't believe people just aren't able to keep control of themselves. It's like the release of the PSS just awakening the inner greed in everyone's minds. Insanity!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm proud of us for being able to work together as a region. John is right when he made that call for unity. We can do better if we work together. Kanto benefits more that way.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  It was a great speech - and one that was very needed during such trying times. Good job to everyone for coming together.
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Aw...I was hoping things would last a bit longer. I'm really upset at the new restrictions. Why can't they just let us make use of the PSS whenever we want. Now we have to be monitored while we use it. Bleh!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Yeah...not a huge fan of getting restrictions imposed on us. Feels like too much interference with what is supposed to be a product that should have been freely available to the public.
  
  But again, seeing the chaos that broke out, I can't fully blame the League for reacting like this. I'm honestly feeling a little mixed.
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  The foolish are often quick to misuse technologies that they do not understand. I am not surprised.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I totally get you, but I think the restrictions were for the best. Yes, no one likes League interference into your private life, but this is one case where if they didn't tighten up the controls, then there'd be no easy way to stop widespread abuse of the PSS.
  
  It was a necessary act.
  
  [THE INDIGO CONFERENCE BEGINS! HOPEFUL TRAINERS EVERYWHERE FLOCK FOR A CHANCE AT GLORY! BUT WHERE IS BRUNO?! AND WHO AMONG THE ELITE FOUR WILL BE CHALLENGED?] by BattleCast
  
  [Picture of all of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four standing behind Lance as he makes a speech] [A picture of Bruno with a big red question mark stamped on it]
  
  It's finally that time of the year! As the circuit draws to a close, this year's Indigo Conference is finally underway! And the hype for it is REAL!
  
  We have already provided a list of hopefuls in our previous post about the topic, but as the Open Qualifiers have begun, we felt that there was just so much to discuss that it warranted another post!
  
  However, first and foremost, we must address the main thing that most readers will be disappointed to hear - we have confirmed that Bruno will NOT be participating in this year's Indigo Conference. Instead, he has been spotted training with Steven Stone in Hoenn for unknown reasons. Our attempts at getting an interview with him were sadly rebuffed.
  
  For what reason has Bruno decided to skip out on this year's Conference? We here at BattleCast highly doubt that his lack of participation is due to a lack of strength. Everyone is fully aware that Bruno, had he participated, would have been the greatest contender to win it all. So why has he chosen not to participate? Unfortunately, he has chosen to maintain his silence, so all we can do is speculate and hope to see the powerful Fighting type specialist return sometime in the future.
  
  Aside from an update on Bruno, while it may be overly hasty to do so, our analysts at BattleCast have been in deep discussion about who amongst the Elite Four will be challenged once we identify a victor for this year's Indigo Conference.
  
  Would it be the mighty Elite John? Known to have already defeated many notable opponents in his first year of being an Elite Four? While also being acknowledged to be an equal to Lance in both strength and influence? Will he finally meet his match?
  
  Or would it be the fearsome Elite Agatha? A long-time staple of the Elite Four and an extremely formidable Ghost specialist who was has remained undefeated since the time of Champion Oak? Has age continued to temper her skills? Or will someone expose her frailty?
  
  Perhaps it would be the rising star Elite Lorelei? Who has come very far since her slightly underwhelming victory against ex-Elite Four Walker? And who has managed to defend her title with a convincing victory against Gym Leader Surge? Would she continue to grow stronger? Or will someone knock her off her upward trajectory?
  
  Or - as we here in BattleCast believe - will it be the knowledgeable Elite Will? Despite his competence and activeness in politics, he remains the sole Elite Four member to be untested and unproven, having been given the position in the Elite Four. While that is not an attack on his strength, it is undeniable that many are wondering how strong Elite Will actually is.
  
  Out of all the four members of the Elite Four, we suspect that Elite Will is the most likely one to be challenged. We're super excited to see him action and wish him all the best!
  
  Let us know your thoughts about who you think will be challenged - and if you think they'll be able to hold on to their positions!
  
  Comments
  
  PunchingBag
  
  FUCK! Since when do true fighters BACK AWAY from a challenge?! HE SHOULD HAVE STOOD UP AND FOUGHT!
  
  UNLESS HE'S SECRETLY TRAINING HARD SO THAT HE CAN COME OUT OF TRAINING AND BE THE PURE DOMINATING FORCE THAT ALL FIGHTING TYPE TRAINERS CAN BE! LETS GO BRUNO!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I've never seen someone able to change their opinion MID comment. That's actually impressive. Your brain really does work in mysterious ways.
  
  Anyways, I agree that Will is the one most likely to be challenged next - whether that be from whoever wins this year's Indigo Conference or by a Gym Leader. Are there any other people eligible to make a challenge to the Elite Four?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  No. The past three years' Indigo Conference winners have been Bruno, then Will, then John. Bruno already lost his opportunity with his defeat and won't be able to make a rechallenge in time before his eligibility expires, and Will and John are already in the Elite Four.
  
  So like you said, that leaves this year's winner and any Gym Leaders who can make the challenge. Hope we see someone step up soon.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I actually think Agatha might be the one challenged. She's old, and I know she has a 'fearsome' reputation and all that. But surely that's just overinflated by now? We haven't seen her in a proper battle in years!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Oh I can't wait for someone to challenge Agatha. Not because I think she'd lose. Quite the opposite really.
  
  Yes, we haven't seen her in a while. But Agatha is the last of the old guard for a reason. She outlasted all her contemporaries. She might be old, but I'm certain she still easily qualifies as an Elite Four.
  
  [OPINION: THE SHIFT TOWARDS INTERNATIONALISM! THE BENEFITS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE POLICY SPEARHEADED BY ELITE JOHN!] by the Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of John making his speech, calling for mutual aid and assistance during the PSS crisis]
  
  It doesn't take a particularly politically astute person to see the way that international politics have been trending these days, where there has been a heavy emphasis on international cooperation and mutual support from every region.
  
  While internationalism has always been a known political idea, it only really exploded in popularity and favour ever since the idea was spearheaded by Elite John and his myriad of pro-internationalism policies and the downfall of ex-Champion Pryce. Every opportunity that he has, John has constantly and consistently been pushing his agenda, hoping to foster better cooperation both within Kanto and Johto, and between Indigo and the other foreign regions.
  
  And has this push for internationalism been good for Indigo? After much discussion, our political analysts have come up with a singular answer - yes.
  
  Letting go of national pride and 'identity' has opened up many opportunities to allow our region to prosper. Not only has Indigo never been MORE united, especially after John's inspiring rallying cry during the chaotic release of the PSS, but also as a result of the many beneficial policies and acts that the League has done to soothe over any lingering resentments between Kanto and Johto.
  
  And when suspicion and paranoia fall away, we get what we have right now - growing prosperity and unity between all. With the growth of internationalism, the regions of the world are able to see that there is little to fear from your neighbours, but rather there is plenty to be gained. By pooling our resources together across all of our regions, we are suddenly far more capable any threat to our peace and stability.
  
  You only need to see the shared growth and prosperity that each region is currently blessed with, something that has brought life back to our previously stagnating economy. Or how beneficial having the International Police be active and ready to respond to any threats from any region - with Team Rocket being dealt with swiftly by the combined efforts of the best of Indigo and Hoenn's brightest. Or how Sinnoh was given a breath of fresh air as support and investment poured into the region after they opened their borders.
  
  If you need more evidence of the benefits of internationalism, just look at how efficiently the chaos of the PSS was dealt with collectively across all three regions. Such a collaboration and cohesive response between all three regions would not have been possible a few years ago. Not when there was still a distinct lack of goodwill between our regions.
  
  It is clear that we are now in the beginnings of a new age. A new age where friendliness and mutual support triumphs over any problems that we face. Because problems are never insurmountable when you work together.
  
  And this writer hopes for more of the same in the future.
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  I am not blind to the reputation that I have on the Pokenet. I make it no secret that I champion the cause of Kanto above all else.
  
  However, I will not lie and say that the shift towards internationalism has been bad for us. Quite the contrary. If working together with other regions is what it takes to ensure the continued prosperity and success of Kanto, then I am all for it.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Your reasoning is slightly off, but I commend the attempt. Johto and Kanto work very well when we're not too busy bickering against each other, and I hope to see this trend continue.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Agreed. Ever since we moved away from Pryce, Hoenn has gained nothing but benefits from working closely with the other regions. Even if we did inherit some problems like with Team Rocket, but we're pleased that Indigo had come to help clean up (potentially) their own mess and more.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Sinnoh wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for the help and support that we've gained from the other regions. Opening our borders really WAS the right decision.
  
  Take that, traditionalists!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Well the benefits are even more obvious from a scientific standpoint. Without needing to jealously keep our discoveries to ourselves, we're able to be much more free with the sharing of knowledge - which leads to further discoveries!
  
  I doubt we'd able to discover as much as we did recently without this newfound growth in inter-regional relations!
  
  [SINNOH HAS A NEW CHAMPION! CHALLENGER CYNTHIA DEFEATS LUCIAN TO BECOME THE CHAMPION OF SINNOH! ANNOUNCES A CHALLENGE!] by Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of her match] [Picture of Cynthia on the Champion podium]
  
  I'm sure that many excited readers were expecting this outcome, but Cynthia has done it! She has managed to uphold her dominating winning streak and handedly defeated the final opponent standing in between her and the title of Champion, knocking out Lucian in a jaw dropping 6-4 victory!
  
  And with that, Sinnoh now has a new Champion! And the future is looking bright in such strong hands! Even ex-Champion Hayato, throughout his relatively long rule over Sinnoh, could have never made such convincing displays of powers as was just shown by Cynthia.
  
  Plus, it looks like there's still many more tricks left in that brilliant mind of hers that she has yet to show. After all, it was clear that while the Elite Four put up a good fight, they were yet to truly push our newest Champion to her limits.
  
  It was no surprise then that many were eagerly awaiting what the first announcement from our new Champion would be. And Cynthia did not disappoint us, because she threw down the gauntlet.
  
  She dared her naysayers to challenge her in an open invitation to battle her over the next two weeks. Inviting any trainer from the region who had achieved at least 8 badges and have qualified as an Ace Trainer to challenge her and to test her strength. In her announcement, she maintained her strong aura of confidence, completely sure that whoever challenged her would not be able to beat her.
  
  Cynthia has also further announced that she will be temporarily delaying her ascension as Champion until the 2-week challenge period is over, emphasizing the seriousness of her words.
  
  We here at Sinnoh News support such a declaration, untraditional as it might be. What Sinnoh needs right now is a Champion and a League that the public can wholeheartedly support without reservation. Taking the initiative to silence any opposition is an excellent way of ensuring that public confidence in the Sinnoh League does not waver at such an important time.
  
  Furthermore, with the lack of surprise found in the faces of the remaining Elite Four members when she made her announcement, we suspect that they were already in the know.
  
  Her declaration has caused a stir amongst the Sinnoh trainer scene, and many prominent trainers have hinted towards their possible participation. But our eyes are on ex-Champion Hayato, who has been eerily silent since his forced retirement. Is this the moment where he takes to the stage again? Possibly as a last ditch effort to salvage his crumbling reputation?
  
  What do you all think about the situation? Do you think Cynthia has gotten too big for her boots? Or was this a way of sending a powerful message to the public of Sinnoh? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  PianoLover
  
  WOOOOO! I KNEW THIS WOULD BE THE CASE! CYNTHIA ALL THE WAY! I KNEW she would sweep through the competition, and Lucian was no different. LETS GO! CHAMPION! CYNTHIA! CHAMPION! CYNTHIA!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Arceus...we really have a generalist as a Champion. I actually can't believe it. I feel so validated right now. I TOLD YOU ALL that being a generalist trainer CAN work. Where are you now, doubters?! YOUR PROOF IS RIGHT THERE!
  
  I mean, you could always try your luck fighting against her in her open invitation! Can't wait to see how you'd lose!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...Yeah, right. Only the stupid and foolish would be dumb enough to challenge her after what she just did.
  
  FlamingAfro (Verified POG)
  
  Phew. I was always confident, but you really crushed us all didn't you? I've said it in person, but congratulations, Cynthia. You earned it. I look forward to working with you.
  
  DragonKnight (Verified POG)
  
  Well done. It was a hard-fought climb to the top, but you have done it. You have swept through all in your way. I look forward to working with you. I hope you come to enjoy shouldering the responsibilities of being a Champion.
  
  SeasidePerformer (Verified POG)
  
  Oh my! What a fantastic showing! You're quite the star in the making, aren't you? Beauty and power is a fantastic combination. I'm very excited to see how we get along as fellow Champions.
  
  JohnSmith (Verified POG)
  
  I always knew you could do it. An amazing fight to the top. Good job, Cynthia!
  
  BlondeQueen (Verified POG)
  
  Thank you, all. I will prove that I have earned this position.
  
  FutureAce
  
  ...Woah. That's some comment section.
  
  [CYNTHIA'S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM! HOW STRONG IS IT AND WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT IT?!] by BattleCast
  
  [Graphic of all of Cynthia's Pokémon]
  
  We all know about Cynthia's rise to become the newest Champion of Sinnoh. We all know of her dominating winning streak where she crushed all of the Elite Four in her way. We all know of the team that brought her victory after victory.
  
  But do we REALLY know what makes her team strong? Because as our analysts point out - it's far more than just being a generalist trainer.
  
  Traditionally speaking, generalist trainers have gotten a pretty spotty reputation. There have been few, almost no, examples of a generalist trainer achieving great success as a trainer. The one notable exception was Champion Oak, but now there are two.
  
  So what makes Cynthia's Champion team consisting of a: Spiritomb, Roserade, Togekiss, Lucario, Milotic, and Garchomp so strong?
  
  Well, as obvious as it sounds, the simple answer that our analysts concluded with was that Cynthia has just spent hours upon hours training up her Pokémon to achieve the brilliance that they have shown. They are just extremely well-trained Pokémon.
  
  Or, to put it another way, Cynthia has managed to squeeze each and every last bit of potential from her Pokémon to maximize their effectiveness in battle. Whether that is by hiding combining normally separate moves together, like her combination of Worry Seed and Leech Seed, or by turning her Spiritomb into a self-regenerating tank that can also inflict a whole host of debilitating status moves, all of this builds towards Cynthia's growing reputation.
  
  Because there is no one easy way to deal with her team. Unlike with Type specialists, where MOST of the time opposing trainers can come in with a distinct advantage should they have brought the right Type to counter their Pokémon, such an easy solution does not exist when fighting against Cynthia as her team does not share a single common weakness. Rather, they all have different fighting styles and all requiring different strategies to defeat.
  
  Of course, we would be remiss to overlook the sheer power that her team also possesses. Her trio of Lucario, Milotic, and Garchomp fit a very fitting trio of speed, defense, and attack respectively (though of course these traits are also shared between them). The versatility and vastly different fighting styles that these Pokémon all possess helps play to Cynthia's strength, only further compounding how difficult she is to fight in a battle.
  
  Though we may never see it - our analysts have spent some time discussing how Cynthia compares to the other Champions and strong trainers from the other regions. While she is the undisputed strongest trainer in Sinnoh at the moment, how would she fare against someone like Wallace or Lance, or even an Elite Four like John?
  
  We acknowledge that Lance has the stronger team in terms of sheer strength - that is undeniable. But, would Cynthia's more versatile team be able to overcome the difference in strength? Or how would she face off against John in a proper battle? Since his previous draw with her was where they were both clearly downplaying their strengths?
  
  It's an interesting thought to have, and one we would be happy to invite you to join in on. How strong do you think Cynthia's team would match up against the other Elite Four and Champions from Indigo and Hoenn? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  DragonPower
  
  Lance would win, no doubt about it. He wasn't even fazed when the new usurper Fairy types were introduced! Cynthia is strong, but Lance is just stronger. As befits the Master of Dragons.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I wanted to say more in the other post...but the comment section scared me off (seriously, when do you get to see 3 Champions and 2 Elite Four posting all together?).
  
  Anyways, Cynthia would win. Easily. Because she has the most versatility. And time and time again we've seen how useful having a versatile team truly can be. She's the strongest trainer in the world right now. No doubt about it.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Hmm...it's a difficult question. I think you're overemphasising the inflexibility of type specialists. I mean, using Lance as an example, we've SEEN him use a whole host of different Types of moves, not just Dragon.
  
  And all that versatility is useful, but Lance has always shown that he is able to brute force his way through most problems. I'm not too sure if Cynthia would be much different here, because her Pokémon might not be able to withstand the sheer force of Lance's assault.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  John would win if it was a proper battle. He has more experience fighting against high level trainers than her. And his team is also very versatile. He wouldn't lose!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I feel like you guys are looking down on Wallace too much. While his team isn't nearly as 'showy' as the other Champions, he truly has mastered the tenacity of Water types to the fullest extent. That gives him an edge over any kind of generalist.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  Bruno. WOULD. WIN! He lost before, but against some pansy generalist who can't even master a single type?! There's NO WAY he could lose!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Bruno is a strong trainer. That I'm not disputing. But I think Cynthia has more than enough tricks up her sleeve to handle someone who can ONLY really fight in close range.
  
  A.N. And that marks the end of the "Progress" Arc. Thank you all so much for reading up to now, and as always - thank you for your continued support of my story. Your continued readership and support is what keeps me going.
  
  I hope you all enjoy what's coming next! There are more battles planned ahead!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 9-18-Interlude- Cynthia
  The New Normal - 9-18 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  Cynthia let out a tired breath as she finally managed to escape from the crowds of reporters and well-wishers. They had been hounding after her after she made her open challenge, and while she usually would have the patience to at least answer a few more questions, she wasn't feeling up to it today.
  
  But the day wasn't over yet. As she flung open the door to her new private office, she already found the Sinnoh Elite Four waiting for her there.
  
  They spent a few minutes giving their congratulations and expressing their approval of her open challenge. They already knew she was going to do such a thing beforehand; it was a plan that both she and Lucian had come up with.
  
  She was just glad that the Sinnoh Elite Four had been so welcoming to a 'newcomer' like her and weren't bitter about her victory. It said a lot about their characters and virtues that they were willing to share power instead of nominating themselves as Champion.
  
  So she would have to work extra hard to prove herself to be worthy of their friendship and abilities if she was to lead them in the future.
  
  But as they finished with their congratulations, it was time to get down to business.
  
  "So, what's first on the agenda, boss?" Aaron asked, "We need to hit the ground running after your two weeks of Open Challenge is over. No time to dilly dally."
  
  "As promised, my first act will to copy what Lance did and grant the Elite Four the power to directly vote in the Committee." Cynthia stated, "Your efforts in governing Sinnoh during the absence of a Champion has placed you in a good light in the eyes of the public; and you MUST be rewarded for your efforts."
  
  "Won't that risk giving off the impression that you are just a puppet of the Elite Four?" Bertha asked.
  
  "In the beginning, yes. But I'm confident in being able to prove my abilities as a Champion and win back their trust in the future." She explained, "The most important thing right now is to ensure that we lower the Committee's ability to hold us in a deadlock. I don't want a repeat of what the traditionalists have done to happen again in the future."
  
  "And besides, her Open Challenge is meant to reinforce the public's confidence in her." Lucian added, "I highly doubt she'll be seen as a mere puppet of the Elite Four when she crushed us so handedly in battle. Momentum and recency is on her side."
  
  Bertha nodded, "Fine. I can see it. Then what's next? I know I've been out of the loop compared to everyone else, but what else do you have planned for Sinnoh?"
  
  "We need to give back to the other regions." She responded, "Ever since we've opened our borders all we've really done is taking in their charity and their business. We have not really proven what we can contribute to THEIR regions as well. We need to start on that as soon as possible and reaffirm our status as a member of the international community. Show the world that we are willing to give back the friendship that they showed to us."
  
  She had a few ideas on how she would accomplish that, besides the obvious like creating their own branch of the International Police and making it easier for businesses to invest into foreign regions.
  
  "It's important that we establish good relations with our counterparts." Flint agreed, "John and Will's stint in Sinnoh was a good idea in the short term to show the public a few friendly faces, but we need to make sure that Hoenn understands that they have a friend in us as well."
  
  "Leave that to me. I'll be speaking to Wallace soon enough." She nodded. She was looking forward to that conversation. Wallace had a brilliantly artistic mind and was known for his creativity and showmanship. What kind of ideas could she pluck from that brain of his?
  
  She hoped that it was something that they could implement jointly between all of the regions.
  
  The sound of the phone ringing interrupted their discussion, "Apologies. I have to get this." Lucian said, before walking off to the corner of the room as he picked up the call.
  
  "Anyways, moving onto something more exciting, any idea who's going to be taking you up on that Open Challenge, Cynthia?" Aaron asked, "Or maybe a fellow someone might have a better idea." He gave a pointed look towards Flint.
  
  Flint shrugged, "I can't say I always know what Volkner's thinking, but I'm pretty sure he'll take you up on your challenge."
  
  Bertha stared, "Volkner? Surely he can't think he'll win? I know you've always said that he's strong enough to be the Elite Four, but Cynthia's already proven that just being in the Elite Four is not enough to win."
  
  "He knows that too. It's about the challenge for him." Flint explained, "Volkner's always seeking out a good fight to test himself and his team. And this challenge is going to be just the thing."
  
  "I'm not sure if the others Gym Leaders will follow suit, though." Flint continued, "It would be up to their own judgment in whether they can give you a worthy fight. It wouldn't be good if you completely dominated them. They certainly won't be eager to repeat the actions of that one trainer against John."
  
  She stifled a chuckle; Shin's reputation really had hit dirt.
  
  "I don't mind if they challenge me; I thought that something like this would happen anyways." She said, "In fact, the more the better. Every subsequent victory will be another bit of proof that I deserve to hold this position."
  
  "That's a lot of battles that you'll be going through. I hope you have the stamina to make it through it." Bertha said.
  
  "I will." She affirmed. She was going to say more, but she was interrupted by Lucian returning from his call with a complicated look on his face.
  
  "So...that was something." He said as he rejoined the conversation.
  
  "What happened?" Flint asked.
  
  "Just got a call from a friend of mine." He explained, "It looks like you might have quite the interesting challenger on your hands."
  
  "...It's Ex-Champion Hayato, isn't it?" She replied, cutting through the mysteriousness.
  
  Lucian sighed, "It's no fun when you can guess like that. But yes, Hayato seems like he'll be trying to force his way out of retirement with a battle."
  
  "Bah. That old has-been doesn't know when to quit and stay down." Bertha spat, "I think the message is pretty clear - we don't want the traditionalists anymore."
  
  "Indeed." Lucian nodded, turning to Cynthia, "This will be an important battle for you to win. It'll be a symbol of our new future."
  
  "I understand. I fully intend on it." She nodded back, already realizing what she must do. It was just ironic that John had already showed her the path.
  
  She was going to have to repeat John's actions against Shin and utterly crush Hayato in a battle. Not because she hated the man, even if she certainly disagreed with him politically, but because it was the best way to show the public that Sinnoh was going to be led into a new age.
  
  And with the Elite Four standing behind her, she was sure the future was bright.
  
  A.N. Considering the importance of everything happening with Cynthia, I felt she deserved just one last bit of insight into what's happening after her ascension and the trust that the Elite Four have in her. And yes, in the world of Pokémon, a sign of trust is being able to defeat all of your opponents in battle. That's just how it is. Strength matters.
  
  And just to reassure everyone, I'm not going to have Cynthia's upcoming battles all be fully described, nor will I have her retread exactly the same steps as John. She will have her moments like all the other characters, but the main POV will still be on John.
  
  Like I said, more battles planned ahead for the next arc!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-1 - A New Tournament
  
  Turns out that just because Cynthia wasn't going to 'officially' style herself as Champion of Sinnoh until the Open Challenges were done doesn't mean that she couldn't get a head-start in pushing through the policies she wanted to pass through.
  
  And the first thing she did was to reach out to Lance and Wallace, as well as some of our Elite Four, to try to create a proposal that would tie our regions closer together.
  
  It was hosted as a conference call, with Lance bringing me, Wallace bringing Sidney, and Cynthia bringing Bertha.
  
  Cynthia started off the meeting, "Our regions have gotten far closer over the past year. As the region that was newest to be introduced, we are deeply appreciative of your efforts to bring us closer to the international community. But now is time to do more. We should change our bonds of friendship into something more solid; something more tangible. We ought to solidify our friendship in actions while public support for internationalism is still as high as it is."
  
  "How prudent of you." Wallace said, "Well, this is something that I have discussed with the Hoenn Elite Four, so we see no reason to decline such a proposal. What about you, Lance?"
  
  "Same here." Lance replied, "But what would your idea look like?"
  
  "I had an idea that should accomplish two objectives; the furtherance of our friendship as well as clamping down on the criminals that are hiding in our borders." Cynthia described, her eyes gaining a steely look, "From what I've been read in on since yesterday, I understand that Sinnoh has been inadvertently become the hiding place of a notorious group of terrorists - the same group that escaped from Hoenn."
  
  "They are." I responded, "We were tempted to pursue them into Sinnoh, but we knew we didn't have the authority to order the International Police to run around Sinnoh without express permission from the Sinnoh League."
  
  "Consider it granted." Cynthia said firmly, "On top of that, we'll be funding our own branch of the International Police as well as construct an official base of operations. We can decide on the details on that later."
  
  "However, I have no intention on letting these criminals continue running free for much longer." Cynthia bit out, "John, I know you're the most familiar with the actions. What can we do to help your efforts?"
  
  This was the moment. I had to take this opportunity to put the hurt on Team Galactic as much as possible and slowly force them into the light. Their time of hiding and recovery was over.
  
  "Run a full sweep of the finances of the big businesses in Sinnoh." I replied, "We have mountains of evidence to suggest that these terrorists are well-funded, to the point where they ALMOST seem to have access to limitless resources. But we know that there is no such thing as unlimited funding. They must be getting it from somewhere, and our suspicions all point towards their backer being a reputable business in Sinnoh."
  
  "Understood. I will look into that." Cynthia said unflinchingly, not even reacting as I condemned the businesses of Sinnoh. After all the evidence we had collected and presented to Sinnoh, she knew what must be done, "I will carry out the investigation, but Iwill be determining if there are suspicions we should act on. This must be a decision of Sinnoh, but I will forward you the results as soon as we get them."
  
  Though she was addressing everyone, I knew her words were directed at me. I nodded back, understanding what she was telling me. With something as delicate as this, Sinnoh couldn't afford to give off the impression that policy was being dictated from a foreign region. That would be trespassing far too much into Sinnoh's autonomy, and Cynthia knew it.
  
  She knew she couldn't allow our relationship to interfere with her authority.
  
  "Let me be clear on something." Cynthia addressed the call with steel in her voice, "As soon as I learnt about just how big of a threat that these terrorists were, with their insane ambitions to awaken and control a Legendary, I have made them my utmost priority as Champion to have them dealt with as swiftly and as efficiently as possible."
  
  "Therefore, I will freely accept any help, information, or advice that could be used to help us crack down on these criminals." Cynthia continued, "Do not hesitate to reach out to me if you think you have something that could help us, and I will consider everything on behalf of Sinnoh to make the best moves forwards."
  
  We all nodded solemnly, though inwardly I was relieved. As soon as she heard about the danger that the criminals could bring, Cynthia was already preparing to march to war. Exactly what I hoped she would do.
  
  "Your decisiveness is commendable, Champion Cynthia." Wallace smiled, "You will have Hoenn's full support in this matter."
  
  "Same with Indigo." Lance added, "Just call when you need us, and we will be there to help."
  
  "Thank you. I will be making an announcement after this meeting to announce the formation of our International Police branch and the creation of the new headquarters." Cynthia said, "We can leave it to the juniors to discuss who should be sent over."
  
  Wallace clapped his hands, "Actually, since we're all here, I did have another idea that could hopefully bring our regions together." He stared at Cynthia, "It was actually something I was inspired from Cynthia's Open Challenge."
  
  "You see, the public love a grand spectacle. It catches their interest, and ingrains itself into their memories." He explained, "And recently, we've had a lot of proud moments where our regions have come together with collective action to help restore order and stability as quickly as possible. This presents us with an opportunity to make a show of it. To dazzle the public with something that can bring them all together, and serve as a symbolic demonstration of our unity."
  
  "And what would that be?" Lance asked.
  
  "Why, a tournament of course!" Wallace exclaimed, extending his arms, "But not just any tournament. It will be a tournament involving the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders of every region...maybe we'll even call it the Tri-Regional Tournament."
  
  "...Just the Gym Leaders and Elite Four? Not the Champions?" Lance asked curiously, and a little disappointedly.
  
  Wallace shook his head, "...Better to avoid a situation where the Champion could lose. Unless you really want that to participate, consequences be damned."
  
  Lance paused and took a moment to think it through - he seemed very tempted to participate anyways. In the meanwhile, I spoke up, "What would the format of the tournament look like? Are we just all fighting each other?"
  
  "No. That would be against the spirit of international cooperation." Wallace replied, "Instead, it shall be a 2v2 tournament. Each trainer from a different region, working together as a team. The battles should be 4v4, two Pokémon at a time from each pairing."
  
  I blinked. That was VERY interesting. It was also just the sort of thing that would really hype up the public since everyone loved to see a good fight. Furthermore, if the teams were based on trainers from different regions, well that just brought people together.
  
  It was an excellent idea, and I was very impressed by Wallace's ability to come up with something like this.
  
  Since people were in pairs, the tournament wouldn't necessary prioritise individual battling skill - but rather, there would be a larger focus on the teamwork between the trainers. After all, on a stage this grand, no one wanted to look selfish by steamrolling over their opponents without any thought given to their partner.
  
  The public would want to see the teams working together, not just having two people fight their own individual battles.
  
  I already felt my blood boiling in excitement.
  
  "But how are the teams going to be balanced? Or are they going to be completely randomized?" Bertha asked, "Because there are only 12 Elite Four to 32 Gym Leaders. You're going to have teams consisting of only 2 Gym Leaders, which should notably be weaker."
  
  "To put it nicely, we all know that not all Gym Leaders are equal." Wallace replied, "There are some that are more...suitable for the position than others. Or their talents might lie elsewhere, other than in fighting strength. The Elite Four will be paired up with those weaker Gym Leaders for a fairer fight."
  
  "Do we know in advance who will be in our team? To give us a chance to practice working together?" Sidney asked, he must not have known about Wallace's idea beforehand.
  
  "Yes, you'll be given some time to acclimatize to your new partner, though I suspect that it might be difficult to meet up in person since we're all from different regions. But remember, this isn't a serious tournament. The goal is to have fun and to bring everyone together." Wallace said, "The emphasis is on 'teamwork' rather than 'victory'. Feel free to goof around if you want."
  
  "When and where would this be hosted?" Cynthia questioned.
  
  "I was thinking after your Open Challenge is over, so in two weeks' time, and in Hoenn." Wallace replied, "We can frame this as a celebration of your rise to Championship as well as Sinnoh's efforts in joining the international community."
  
  "...There must be SOMETHING us Champions can do." Lance whined a little bit, which amused me greatly, "I'd hate to sit out of something as grand as this."
  
  "Same, actually." Cynthia smiled, "It's not fair if everyone else gets to have fun when we have to sit out."
  
  Wallace fell deep into thought. "Hmm...then how about this. At the very end of the tournament, we can have a battle. It will be us three Champions, using only one Pokémon each. Then we'll face off the top 3 teams of the tournament in a 3v6 fight. This would allow us to keep our prestige as Champions even if we lose, and build on the narrative of the tournament; give something to hype the crowd up for even more. Something like this..."
  
  Wallace then explained his idea of what the tournament would look like. There were 44 participants (with 12 Elite Four and 32 Gym Leaders), split into 22 pairs, and the format looked like this:
  
  Round 1: Fight for Top 11 (With one losing team, as voted by the crowd, to continue fighting after this round, effectively making it Top 12)
  
  Round 2: Fight for Top 6
  
  Round 3: Fight for Top 3
  
  Round 4: Top 3 vs Champions
  
  Notably, there would be no 'winning team'. The Top 3 teams were considered the winners, regardless if they beat the Champions or not. Wallace argued that it was better that way and would avoid unnecessary conflict amongst the public.
  
  Lance grinned, "An excellent idea. While I don't know about you two, I don't intend to lose such a battle."
  
  "Neither do I." Cynthia's smile turned more challenging, "So long as you don't hold me back, I don't intend to lose either."
  
  Wallace laughed, "Come on, no need to take it so seriously. It's just a battle for fun."
  
  Sidney snorted, "You're not fooling anyone with that look you have in your eyes, Wallace. We all know you like winning as much as those two."
  
  "Of course I do." Wallace smiled unashamedly, "I did not become Champion by losing."
  
  I elbowed Lance, "I look forward to facing off against you then."
  
  "You're so confident that you'll make it to the end?" Lance smirked, "You have to work together with someone that you might not get along with, you know."
  
  "Then I'll just have to make sure that we can work together." I shot back, "After all, I AM good at working together with others."
  
  Bertha coughed, breaking through the growing excitement as she changed the topic, "I assume we can leave it to Hoenn to sort all these details out? Do you require any funding to help set this up?"
  
  "No, we'll be fine, but thank you for the offer." Wallace nodded, "Just make sure the event is sufficiently advertised and hyped up in your regions. Ideally we want every person in the world to be watching this event."
  
  "Are we going to need to sort out ticketing or...?" Sidney asked.
  
  "Of course. An event to see a full tournament between every Gym Leader and Elite Four in our regions? We're going to charge them through the nose!" Wallace laughed, "Though online viewing will be free. But I know those with money to throw around won't miss out on an opportunity to splurge to watch something like this in person. We can get away with higher prices."
  
  "So is there going to be a cash prize for us if we win?" I spoke up.
  
  "I'm sure we can come up with something." Wallace said, "We can even have smaller prize categories for novelty's sake. Again, give me some time to come up with the full proposal and I'll let you all know."
  
  We all nodded, but Cynthia spoke next, "Right, sorry to cut this short, but I have a battle to go to."
  
  "Ah yes, I did hear that the challenges were pouring in." Lance chuckled, "Are you confident you can beat them all?"
  
  "I wouldn't have made the announcement if I wasn't confident." Cynthia smiled confidently, "It's going to be rough fighting against so many of them, but individually, I won't lose."
  
  The conversation continued on for a little longer after that, but Cynthia eventually had to make her departure. Wallace promised to provide full details of the tournament in the future, and asked us to make a joint announcement about its existence when it was ready.
  
  With the call ended, Lance and I couldn't help but continue talking for a little longer about the upcoming tournament.
  
  "Any idea who you'd be paired with?" Lance asked, "You won't be paired with any of the traditionally strong Gym Leaders. Not with your strength."
  
  I nodded, "It'll probably be someone quite junior or new to their position." A few figures flashed through my mind, but I truly didn't know for sure who I would be paired up with.
  
  Either way, I was sure it would be an interesting pairing.
  
  Finishing off with that exciting conversation, I got a call from one of my assistants telling me that mayor Henry was trying to get a hold of me, stating that the construction work around Cerulean Cave was almost done and he wanted my input on something. With nothing else on my schedule, I decided to head there straight away.
  
  I found the mayor standing alone, staring at the final bits of construction that still needed to be finished up before the cave's grand opening. It was looking good, far more visually appealing than the unassuming hole in the wall that the cave's entrance used to be.
  
  He brightened up as soon as he saw me, "Ah, John. I'm glad you got my message."
  
  "Of course, what can I help with?" I asked as we both stared at the opening to the cave.
  
  "As you can see, the cave's nearly ready to be opened to the public. But there are still a lot of things that need to be sorted out before it can officially open, and I wanted to give you a rundown about what the current status of our renovation efforts." He said.
  
  "Firstly, we've already sent some explorers and trainers down in advance to examine what's truly inside these caves, and you were right." He smiled at me, "The cave is a treasure trove of items. Not as rich as Mt. Moon, but it has been a nice influx of cash. And, with our plans, the cave should serve as a nice source of income for the years to come."
  
  "Plenty of fossils as well I hope?" I asked.
  
  "I think so." He nodded, "Though again, not as much as Mt. Moon, but still quite a substantial amount I'd reckon."
  
  "That's good. I meant to tell you about this earlier, but Joseph Stone was trying to strike a deal with our city to buy the fossils that we uncover so that he can bring them back to life again with his new machine." I said.
  
  "Oh - I did hear about this." He replied, "I figured it was only a matter of time before he reached out to us. I don't see any reason for us not to agree, so I'll get back to him and have the juniors figure out the minute details."
  
  "To get back on topic," He continued, "The bigger attraction and concern regarding Cerulean Cave is the very strong wild Pokémon that can be found within. Even our Ace trainers reported some difficulty with handling them, at least when they headed further down. It was actually a little concerning; I'm really not too sure how safe opening the cave would be to the general public."
  
  I tapped my finger on my chin. I knew Cerulean Cave was always going to be filled with powerful wild Pokémon, but that wasn't too different with the caves of Sinnoh. We should be able to copy their methods here...
  
  "Once I heard this, I decided that the best thing to do would be to transform the first floor of the Cerulean Cave as a general tourist attraction, and save the lower levels for more experienced trainers to try their hand at - since they would have the strength to make it through. What are your thoughts on this?" He asked me.
  
  "How dangerous is the first floor of Cerulean Cave?" I asked, "Would a proper team of Ace trainers be able to secure it for visitors?"
  
  "...I'd have to ask to confirm, but I remember them mentioning that it was possible." Henry replied, "So you're agreed then? To turn the first floor into a safe haven?"
  
  "Yes." I nodded, "The way Sinnoh did it was that they hired on a large, rotating group of trainers that would form the perimeter in a safer area. They would guard against any incursions by wild Pokémon with their overwhelming force. If we copy the way the Sinnohnians do it, then we can definitely protect at least the first floor."
  
  "Then, like you said, the lower levels will be accessible to the stronger trainers." I added, "With how valuable having access to powerful wild Pokémon are for trainers, I'm certain they would flock to such an opportunity. We just need to make sure we're properly screening these trainers so that they have sufficient strength to explore the lower levels in relative safety. We'd need to implement something like a pseudo-Gym badge or similar."
  
  "How strong do you think they'd need to be?" Henry asked.
  
  "I haven't a clue, you're going to have to ask the experts on this." I shrugged.
  
  "Fair enough, I'll bring it up at our next meeting." He replied, nodding, "Thanks again for your input."
  
  He then let out a breath, "Like you, I am very invested in the success of this project and am eager to open it up to the public. I think the only remaining things to do are to iron out the details regarding the necessary qualifications that we should impose on those heading to the lower floors."
  
  "I'll also have to do some calculations regarding the costs to maintain a perimeter of powerful trainers around the first floor." He continued, "That way we can have a proper idea on how much we should charge per visitor entering."
  
  That seemed very prudent, and I made sure to say so. Though I had a follow-up question, "What kind of wild Pokémon did they find down there?"
  
  "All kinds of fully evolved Pokémon." He answered, "There were reports of a large group of Machamp that could be found inside, also Alakazam, and even rare Pokémon like Snorlax and Lickitung. I was never a very good trainer, but even I'm not blind to how attractive that selection is to an ambitious trainer."
  
  "That's good then. It means that we can expect large numbers of trainers to be heading our way." I said. "I wonder if we need to start limiting how many Pokémon that a person is allowed to catch per visit."
  
  "It'd be very difficult to enforce that; we could just limit the number of trainers going in at a given time." Henry advised, "Though I've been told that the local population of Pokémon is sufficient enough for us to not have to worry about over-catching. We should also set up a gift shop - everyone loves a good gift shop. Especially us, since it's easy money!" He chuckled.
  
  "As soon as I get back, I'll ask around to see how we can attract some trainers who would be interested in a job like this." He continued, "I'm sure that finding people won't be difficult. I still have those contact details you gave me."
  
  "It shouldn't be." I agreed, turning back to the stare at the cave, "...This will mark a new path for Cerulean to take. We'll slowly be known for more than just being about the arts. The world will recognise us for our prosperity and success soon enough."
  
  I felt Mayor Henry nodding besides me. The two of us just continued staring at the nearly completed entrance to the cave in comfortable and reflective silence.
  
  Cerulean City had come so far. From a middling city that was unimportant outside of a very narrow niche, it had now grown to become one of the more prosperous and notable cities in Kanto. With the construction of Cerulean Cave, we were going to be able to diversify ourselves into being known for other fields as well.
  
  The afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the city and the view in front of us.
  
  A.N. Welcome to the start of Arc 10 - "The Tournament Arc". This has been an idea I've been hoping to implement for some time, now that I've properly introduced all of the regions and some notable trainers from each region. There are plenty of battles ahead!
  
  That being said, the Tournament won't be the arc's sole focus. There will be other developments as well. Hope you enjoy!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-2 - The New Elites
  
  "Did you really call me here because you wanted to have someone to spar against?" Karen asked jokingly as we walked to the training fields, "Surely with all the people you know you could have called someone else to fight against. And I would have thought you would have wanted to spend more time with Cynthia."
  
  "You're right, but Cynthia's busy, and I can't exactly train with her in person. Besides, I also wanted to spend some time with you as well." I smiled, waving idly as I greeted a few farmhands, "Plus, my parents wanted to see you again, so it works out."
  
  "Oh - well, uh, thanks for not forgetting about me." She said a little embarrassedly, "I admit I was a little scared that our friendship would slowly fade away over time, so I'm glad that hasn't happened. You really held to your word."
  
  "Well I was never going to let that happen." I chuckled, "And my parents would never forgive me. They're always very happy to spend time with you and hear about what you've been doing. They're very excited about how you're handling the Preliminary rounds."
  
  She turned to me, "And I'll always welcome the opportunity to speak to them. You know I already treat them as a second family to me."
  
  "I never thought you'd have any issues getting along with them." I said, "I was honestly more worried about how Agatha would treat me when Cynthia and I started dating."
  
  Karen snorted, "The old hag said I brought it on myself, which I agree with. If she truly thought you wronged me, she'd be a real Bannett to deal with."
  
  Then she shook her head, "That being said, I fear that you might have ruined her expectations. If I ever brought home a guy in the future, I doubt that she's going to be satisfied. The old hag already had high expectations, and now it's only going to be even higher."
  
  "How is she anyways?" I asked, "Is her health doing any better?"
  
  Karen nodded, "Thankfully, she seems to be holding strong." She casually kicked a small pebble off the path, "I wouldn't say she's in the greatest of health, but I'm just relieved that her health doesn't seem to be getting worse."
  
  "Well I hope so as well." I replied. Just like Karen, I had no desire to see Agatha wither away with old age, so I hoped she proved stubborn enough to even hold that back as well.
  
  A slight sombre mood fell on the two of us, and we continued our walk to the training fields in silence. But as soon as we arrived, I moved to dispel the fog of melancholy.
  
  "Right. I wanted to get some proper tests done with Pixel. Out of all of my newer Pokémon, I think it is the one that is closest to being able to join my Elite team." I told her.
  
  There was no real need to wait for Devon Corp to finalize their not-so Dubious Disk research. I felt that Pixel was just strong enough to deserve a spot on the Elite team with its incredible flexibility of moves and with the use of Conversion. It was still not as strong compared to even the likes of Klaus or Zephyr, but I already foresaw situations where it would be able to use its unique niche to win fights that my other Pokémon might struggle with.
  
  Therefore, I wanted to challenge Karen to make sure that my gut feeling wasn't wrong. Plus, I wanted to stress test Pixel to see just how much it could push itself.
  
  "Thought it was about time for it to join." Karen nodded, "I already have Crawdaunt on my team."
  
  "Then let's do this. Your Crawdaunt vs Pixel. Just like old times." I suggested.
  
  "You're on." She grinned, drawing Crawdaunt's Pokéball. "We'll do this just like a real duel."
  
  I nodded back, drawing Pixel's Premier Ball from my belt. A short silence stretched between us before we both released our Pokémon simultaneously.
  
  "Pixel."
  
  "Crawdaunt!"
  
  The battle began as Crawdaunt rushed forwards with a burst of speed; jets of water shooting out behind him. Not only that, but the signature Dark aura from a Taunt was also moving forwards alongside Crawdaunt, ready to deny Pixel the ability to make use of any status shenanigans.
  
  However, Pixel neatly dodged out of the way of the Aqua Jet and formed a Protect shield to block the Taunt, before retaliating with a bolt of Lightning that shot forwards like a spear.
  
  One of Crawdaunt's claws instantly turned to Steel as he stabbed it into the ground, allowing most of the damaging current of electricity to dissipate harmlessly into the ground. Since he was only slightly shocked, that gave Crawdaunt the ability to press forwards and stay on the offensive.
  
  A brutal Clawhammer painfully battered Pixel aside, but before Crawdaunt could follow up on his attack, the Gravity suddenly intensified and Crawdaunt came crashing down onto his knees.
  
  A Thunderbolt was immediately shot his way, but Crawdaunt powered through the Gravity and managed to block it just in time with a Protect. Then, having been very used to dealing with Gravity thanks to our shared training, it didn't take long for Crawdaunt to adapt to the sudden shift in Gravity as he shot backwards with an Aqua Jet, dodging out of the way of another Thunderbolt.
  
  Yet, Crawdaunt's choice to retreat was not punished. Now that it had space, Pixel was able to quickly heal itself with Recover, bringing it back to full health.
  
  "Tsk. That's really annoying to fight against." Karen muttered. "Then I guess I have to hit harder."
  
  "Swords Dance, Crawdaunt!"
  
  "Grass Conversion, Pixel!"
  
  Crawdaunt slammed his claws together as they began glowing with a powerful white. At the same time, Pixel's form shimmered green as it used Conversion to change itself into a Grass type. Besides the resistances that this new type would provide, it also put Pixel in a perfect position to increase its own firepower while also crippling Crawdaunt's.
  
  Thanks to all its training, Pixel's Conversion finished at the same time as Crawdaunt's Swords Dance. And while Crawdaunt rushed back into the fray with another Taunt + Aqua Jet combo, I knew I had one opportunity to make use of a utility move before Karen would shut them down permanently.
  
  Luckily, I had just the thing in mind.
  
  "Sunny Day, Pixel!"
  
  "Crunch down on it, Crawdaunt! This is your chance!"
  
  Pixel shot out a bright ray of light into the sky, turning the already bright sunlight to become even more harsh. The harsh sunlight would nullify the effectiveness of Crawdaunt's Water moves, while giving Pixel access to blast the Water type down with devastating Solar Beams. Of course, that left Pixel vulnerable to the incoming Taunt and the barrage of attacks from Crawdaunt. It was a calculated risk.
  
  We both knew that Pixel was about to receive a punishing pummelling from Crawdaunt, but if Pixel could separate itself from Crawdaunt without fainting, then it would have an overwhelming advantage in the fight as it could just heal itself up.
  
  But Crawdaunt wasn't making it easy. A powerful Crunch snapped down on Pixel's smaller frame that ripped through its Defense, and a flurry of Night Slashes was quick to follow that up as Crawdaunt eviscerated my Pokémon with a series of critical hits. Pixel was given no opportunity to counterattack as Crawdaunt pummelled it with blow after blow.
  
  Yet despite what appeared to be a terrible situation for Pixel to be in, it had been in worse. We had trained for this, knowing that Pixel's mobility would never be enough for its faster opponents. Smough and Vordt had been its practice partner, who hit FAR harder than Karen's Crawdaunt despite the Swords Dance.
  
  If Pixel could break free from their brutal onslaught, then pushing through Crawdaunt's would be far less challenging.
  
  Therefore, it only took a single moment where Crawdaunt landed a weak attack for Pixel to make use of the escape plan that we had trained with.
  
  "NOW!"
  
  Gravity shifted once again. However, instead of growing heavier, Gravity suddenly became far, far lighter. At the same time, Pixel made use of Magnet Rise to propel itself into the air. Therefore, once Crawdaunt's next Night Slash came crashing into it, Pixel was sent flying into the air like a weightless balloon.
  
  It was far from a clean escape, and Pixel's aerial trajectory was not entirely controllable, but this gave it the distance it needed to Recover away some of its injuries.
  
  More importantly, it now gave it the space it needed to go on the offensive.
  
  "Solar Beam! Blast that Crawdaunt away!"
  
  "DIG AWAY, CRAWDAUNT!"
  
  Crawdaunt hurriedly dug into the ground, not wanting to face the full might of a STAB Solar Beam. But it would be a fool's hope. An orb of golden light formed on top of Pixel's head for a brief moment, before an annihilating ray of blinding golden light came tearing through the training fields, blasting straight into the tunnel where Crawdaunt had tried to hide away in.
  
  With its Grass Conversion giving Pixel STAB on its Solar Beam, it was able to match the power of the Solar Beams coming out from Klaus.
  
  And Crawdaunt wasn't nearly proficient enough with Dig to get out of the way. Nor was he durable enough to be able to withstand against such a powerful supereffective attack. The Solar Beam caught him right in the chest, and a pained cry was all that Crawdaunt could do before he rapidly succumbed to his injuries.
  
  Or at least he appeared to do so. I took no chances with Karen.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Pixel." I ordered, making sure that Crawdaunt was ACTUALLY fainted and not just pretending to be.
  
  And as I expected, a Protect shield suddenly appeared and blocked the incoming Thunderbolt. At the same time, Crawdaunt rapidly shot into the air with an Aqua Jet, using the water and lessened gravity to propel himself into the air.
  
  "Gravity again."
  
  But before Crawdaunt could reach Pixel, gravity shifted and intensified once again, sending the Water type crashing straight into the ground as he fell out of the air. In the meanwhile, Pixel barely stayed afloat with Magnet Rise, and before Crawdaunt could recover, another Thunderbolt came slamming down from above - pinning the Water type to the ground.
  
  A pained groan was forced out of the Crawdaunt as a terrible amount of electricity painfully surged into him; his body twitched randomly on the ground from the overload of electricity.
  
  "Thunderbolt and finish it off, Pixel."
  
  "Okay, STOP! That's not needed." Karen quickly shouted out, withdrawing her no-longer-faking injured Crawdaunt, "I knew it wouldn't work, but I still had to try."
  
  I shrugged, "I think I'm a little too used to your tricks to fall for that. Nice try though, you might have caught Pixel if you were a little faster."
  
  "The same tricks don't really work when you've seen them dozens of times." She shook her head, "Still, that was a good fight. I could see why you thought Pixel was ready to join your Elite roster. It's one thing to know about its versatility, its another to really face it in battle. You only made use of its Grass typing, but I suspect that it's going to be doubly or even triply more annoying to deal with once you switch between several Types during a fight."
  
  "Thank you, I thought the same as well." I replied, "I just wanted to make sure with one final duel against Pixel's old sparring buddy." I patted Pixel on the head as I said so, and it buzzed cheerfully at its victory.
  
  "Well it did a number on my Crawdaunt, that's for sure." She said, "I thought Crawdaunt might have a chance when he began his onslaught of attacks, but I guess even with Swords Dance he doesn't quite hit hard enough. Not against the Pokémon you must have had Pixel train against."
  
  She tapped her chin, "Still...I'm surprised you said that only Pixel was ready to join your Elite team. I would have thought your other Pokémon might be ready as well. Especially your newest Pokémon, the one you caught in the wild. What was the Pokémon's name again?"
  
  "Zoroark." I answered as I withdrew Pixel back into its ball.
  
  "Ah yes. That." She muttered, "But as I was saying, why do you think that those Pokémon aren't ready yet?"
  
  "I hope to train them up more before I start to consider them." I responded, "Pixel is in a unique situation because it fulfils an extremely rare niche with its ability to change Types at will and with its incredible utility moves."
  
  "My Zoroark technically also falls under a similar niche with his Illusion ability, but he's still a little lacking in self-discipline and I fear he might still be prone to losing himself in battle." I added, "That being said, I think he's nearly there since he was already quite strong when I caught him, so I hope to get him battle-ready soon."
  
  I idly thought about Cynthia's Kleavor that I knew she must be training up. I wondered how strong was it now? Would I expect to see it on her team anytime soon?
  
  I also made a mental note to ask Cynthia the next time we spoke if she was going to do another big expedition to find that Sneasler we missed. But maybe she was too busy at the moment to do so with her Open Challenge and her recent ascension to Champion.
  
  I dismissed that thought before Karen could accuse me of being distracted and went to check the time. "Oh, it's almost lunch. Want to head back and get some lunch?"
  
  "Did your parents cook?" She asked.
  
  "No, not today. I think we're just putting together some sandwiches." I said, "You okay with that?"
  
  "Duh. Let's go." She shoved me gently as she pushed me towards the house.
  
  Needless to say, we had an enjoyable lunch together. As a family.
  
  Unfortunately, my time with Karen was cut short in the afternoon. She had to prepare for her next match for the Preliminary Rounds, and I had received a call from Blaine asking me to meet him at the power plant. He said he had something to discuss with me quite urgently regarding the Electirizer.
  
  Considering that he sounded a little frustrated on the phone, I already knew it probably wasn't going to be the best of news.
  
  Flying over to the power plant, my suspicions were confirmed as I was greeted with a frowning Shelly and an annoyed-looking Blaine.
  
  "John, sorry to call you here on such short notice, but thanks for coming." Shelly greeted.
  
  "It's no problem, but what did you call me here for? I don't presume it's anything good." I asked as I looked around, "And wow, they really tidied up the place. This place is looking far more like a proper production facility than some run down power plant."
  
  Whoever was in charge of fixing the place up had worked well, and fast. Not only had everything been polished and fixed up, with new machinery put in place that looked a lot more modern and advanced than what I had previously saw, but the many swarms of Electric Pokémon that had I had last seen around the place had been heavily cut down on.
  
  I wondered how they got rid of them. Did they just relocate them?
  
  "Hmph, you're right about that." Blaine grumbled, bringing my attention back, "Sadly, it appears that the two of us have severely underestimated the difficulty of creating an Electirizer. Turns out building the parts that we need to condense that amount of Electric energy is going to require some specialist knowledge. Unfortunately, despite out best efforts, recent results have proven that neither Shelly or I possess that kind of ability. We may have overestimated ourselves at the start."
  
  "I see...but I'm afraid I'm not going to have that expertise either. I'm certainly not an Electric specialist." I replied with a helpless shrug of my own.
  
  Blaine waved me off, "That's not what we were asking for. Once again, we were hoping if you knew any Electric specialists that might be interested in helping with this. Or if you think you can find a way to persuade Surge to help us."
  
  I turned to Shelly, "Couldn't you ask Gym Leader Wattson? I'm sure he'd have the expertise to help out."
  
  "I already tried that. But he said he was too busy to help out at the moment since he's currently still overseeing the construction of New Mauville. He also said he's not the most familiar with machinery and the like - though I'm not sure I believe him." Shelly responded.
  
  I frowned, "That's frustrating. Wattson was my first go-to as well. Let me have a think..." I tapped my chin as I ran through all of the Electric specialists that I knew that could help with this.
  
  It took me some time, but my brain eventually landed on someone that I felt would be the PERFECT fit for this project.
  
  "Does anyone know Gym Leader Volkner, from Sinnoh?" I asked.
  
  The two of them shot me puzzled looks, "I'm afraid I haven't had the time to become familiarized with the new Gym Leaders from Sinnoh." Blaine said.
  
  "Me neither." Shelly agreed, "I've heard of him, but that's all. Why? Do you think he's suitable?"
  
  I nodded, "I think he'll be very suitable - and interested. I've heard that he's frequently bored and always working on improving that lighthouse of his, and he's very interested in technology and machinery."
  
  "Well if you're so confident, then it sounds like he'd be a great fit then." Blaine replied, "I'd still like to talk to him first before we decide if we bring him on board, but are you able to contact him?"
  
  "...I think so, give me a moment." I walked away and dialled up Flint's number.
  
  "John! Glad to hear from you!" His cheerful voice filtered through the speakers, "Hope you're doing well! What'd you need me for?"
  
  "Hey Flint, hope you're doing good." I greeted, "Listen, could you pass me Volkner's contact details? I have a project that I hope he'd be interested in-"
  
  "A project? Say no more!" Flint interrupted, "You called at a great time, actually. Volkner JUST lost to Cynthia, so this'd be a great way to distract him from his woes. I'll pass on his number to you."
  
  My phone dinged, and I saw that his details had arrived, "Thanks, Flint. We can speak more soon." We exchanged a few more words before I went to call Volkner.
  
  "Hello?" Unlike Flint, Volkner's voice sounded tired and bored. He couldn't be more opposite from Flint if he tried.
  
  "Is this Gym Leader Volkner? This is John, from the Indigo Elite Four." I stated.
  
  "Oh? It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice became more enthusiastic, "Did Flint give you my number?"
  
  "He did - because I had a proposal for you." I replied, "Have you heard of the Magmarizer?"
  
  "Yes, I have. Very interesting invention." He responded, "What about it?"
  
  "Currently, the team that made the Magmarizer - that is Gym Leader Blaine, Director Shelly of Devon Corp, and I - have been trying to take what we've learnt and have been working to create an Electric variant of it. But we've run into some roadblocks, and we hoped that we could bring in your expertise as an Electric specialist to help out. Especially since you seem very interested in working with technology and machinery."
  
  Though I could not see him, I could feel the grin splitting across his face, "Now, now, THIS is something I've wanted to hear." The excitement in his voice was palpable, "I would love to join in on this project."
  
  Then he let out a sigh, "...But I'm all the way here in Sinnoh, and I unfortunately can't just drop my responsibilities as Gym Leader of Sunyshore to just head over to Indigo to help out." He said.
  
  "Not to worry, I'm sure we can sort something out so that you'll be able to help out from where you are in Sinnoh." I reassured, "Blaine and Shelly told me that they were just having trouble with building something that could condense that much Electric energy into a small enough space. I'm sure that's something you could help with even while you remain in Sinnoh."
  
  "...That might potentially be possible, but I would have to know more about the project first." He replied.
  
  "That's no problem." I said, "Like I said, that's something I'm sure we'll all be able to figure out together. I was just calling to check if you were interested."
  
  "Definitely." He said instantly, "If you'd have me, count me in."
  
  "Great!" I grinned, "I'll pass your details to Blaine and Shelly. I'm sure they'll have a few questions to ask you in the future to see if you can be brought on board, though they shouldn't be anything to worry about."
  
  "I'll be happily waiting for that call then." He stated, "Thank you for reaching out to me."
  
  Then he snorted, "And I thought I would be spending the next few weeks in boredom; then two things just happened to me back-to-back to make me motivated once more."
  
  "Well I'm happy to hear that as well." I replied, not exactly knowing what he was referring to but happy to hear that he was in a good mood, "We can speak again soon."
  
  We ended the call soon after that, and I returned and relayed what I said to Volkner to Blaine and Shelly, along with passing his contact details to them.
  
  "I'll give him a ring later today to check if he's suitable to be brought onto the team." Shelly told me, "Though I trust that you would never recommend someone unsuitable - especially since he's a Gym Leader."
  
  "I really have to spend some time and study up on the new Gym Leaders." Blaine muttered, "As a Gym Leader myself, it's embarrassing that I don't know them."
  
  My mind flashed to the Tri-Regional Tournament that Wallace was probably currently planning. Blaine's research would prove more useful than he expected.
  
  "In that case...anything else I can help with now that I'm here?" I asked, "Besides that particular roadblock, how has the project been doing in general?"
  
  "Things are running smoothly. As you can see, the place has really been built up, even if it's not finished yet." Shelly gestured around us, "Plus, our cooperation with Lavender Town has been moving a lot smoother than we expected."
  
  "What she means to say is that we thought Agatha would be a right bitch to deal with; and I have the history to prove it." Blaine grumbled, "However, it seems like Karen is much more cooperative. Thank Arceus for that - I would have ripped my hair out if I had to deal with Agatha for more than is necessary."
  
  I very wisely did not point out the fact that Blaine was bald, though I agreed with his point about Karen being easier to work with.
  
  "She's trying to open up Lavender Town to be more appealing to the public." I said, remembering what Karen had told me about her plans with Lavender Town, "But the first step to that is proving that she isn't as...difficult to work with as Agatha was. Forging friendly connections helps with that."
  
  "I suspect that the fact that you're good friends with her also helped a lot." Blaine smirked, getting a chuckle out of Shelly.
  
  "Wow. You almost sounded just like Agatha." I shot back, and the look of horrified confusion and rage from Blaine's face was instantly worth it.
  
  "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" He shouted out, causing Shelly and I to break out in laughter.
  
  Even though we all came from different backgrounds and occupations, I felt that the three of us made for a great trio to work together with. Not because we all had similar strengths, but because we were able to be genuinely friendly around each other. As friends would be.
  
  I knew that if Volkner wanted to join us for more than just working on the Electirizer, then he would have to prove more than his wit. He would have to prove his friendliness to us as well.
  
  Because it was always easier and better to work alongside your friends.
  
  A.N. Some setup before we get into the Tournament itself. And yes, Pixel joins the Elite Team! Like I said, even though Pixel hasn't fully evolved yet, it's still got plenty of potential in the small niche that it fills. We'll be seeing it in a proper battle in the future, I promise!
  
  And yes, Volkner is invited to join the scientific team! Thanks to whoever suggested Wattson as an idea, because I was inspired and went to Volkner instead since he seemed more suitable. Since Volkner seems to have a lot more free time on his hands compared to Wattson, I thought he would be more interested in a project like this.
  
  Also, I have seen your comments regarding the security concerns of the Tournament. They will be addressed in a future chapter, but needless to say the Leagues aren't going to just leave their regions undefended.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-2 -Interlude-Volkner
  The New Normal - 10-2 - Interlude - Volkner
  
  Despite being on the backfoot, he could feel his heart pumping in excitement as he stared down the newest Champion of Sinnoh.
  
  Flint was always generous with his praises, so he had his doubts about how strong Cynthia truly was. Oh, he wasn't blind; he knew well enough how strong someone needed to be if she managed to clear through all of the Elite Four the way she did.
  
  However, he was not someone who liked to compare himself to others. He would only be able to know how strong someone was if he faced off against them personally. And now he was truly able to get Cynthia's full measure.
  
  Sufficed to say, she was kicking his ass.
  
  Now that he was actually in a battle against her, he had a newfound respect for the Elite Four if they managed to hold on as well as they did against the monster that he was up currently up against. Cynthia had torn through his team; his Jolteon, Rotom, and Electabuzz had all already fallen in exchange for her Spiritomb and Lucario.
  
  However, the 3-2 score in her favour was not indicative of the dominance that she had displayed. Nor did he feel that she was upset by her losses.
  
  He really should have listened a little harder to Flint's descriptions of battling against Cynthia, because his favoured tactic of setting up the Rain and blasting his foes down with powerful and speedy Electric Type moves was not working. Any attempt by him to set up the Rain was heavily punished, and her Pokémon was able to weather the storm.
  
  Her Spiritomb had proven just a little too defensive to be taken out with his initial burst of attacks, and continued to be a supreme annoyance as it drained his team with Pain Splits and burned them with Will-O-Wisps. It was also surprisingly evasive for a haunted rock, and a slight mistake on his end costed him his Rotom as it fell to a Shadow Claw.
  
  Lucario also managed to outspeed even his Jolteon with its Extreme Speeds, a feat that he didn't think was possible, but a very lucky paralysis had allowed him to use his Electabuzz to return the favour and knockout the Fighting Type - only for his own Electabuzz to fall to an Earthquake from Garchomp.
  
  Without that lucky paralysis, he knew there was no way he could have knocked out that Lucario so easily.
  
  He supposed he should be honoured that Cynthia thought him strong enough to use her starter against him. Yet, at the current moment, that was little more than cold comfort as he struggled to find a plan that would allow him to deal with this monster of a Ground type.
  
  His remaining three Pokémon consisted of a Raichu, Lanturn, and his starter Luxray - all were weak to Ground. But with only 10 seconds left before he had to send out his next Pokémon, he knew that he just had to trust in his team to give off the best performance possible.
  
  "It's on you, Lanturn!"
  
  His Lanturn was the only Pokémon that really had a chance to deal with this Garchomp, since it knew both Blizzard and Ice Beam. Yet, the moment he sent out his Lanturn, Cynthia just switched her Garchomp out.
  
  "Roserade, deal with it."
  
  "Agility, Lanturn."
  
  He immediately used the opportunity of Cynthia's swap to have his Lanturn boost its speed, knowing full well that he was going to need every last drop of it to deal with Cynthia's agile Roserade.
  
  And that speed was instantly put to the test as a barrage of leaves shot its way, which Lanturn was fortunately able to freeze away with a sweeping Ice Beam. With Roserade being resistant to its usual barrage of moves, he was forced to rely on Ice Beams to try to bring down the nimble Grass Type.
  
  But the Roserade had spun out of the way and blanketed the skies with a storm of leaves once again - far too many for Lanturn to cut down with just an Ice Beam.
  
  "Blizzard, Lanturn!"
  
  A howling tornado began to form in the middle of the battlefield, gradually turning into a swirling vortex of frost that would consume and freeze the Leaf Storm in its tracks. However, Roserade hadn't been standing by idly, and had dashed up close to Lanturn while it was preoccupied.
  
  "Power Whip, Roserade. Then Spore."
  
  The cracking of a whip could be heard as a painful Power Whip slammed into the side of his Lanturn, sending him spinning to the side and into a cloud of Spores that put his Lanturn fast to sleep.
  
  "Sleep Talk, Lanturn!"
  
  But falling asleep wasn't the end of the world. As they had trained, Lanturn managed to instinctively fire off a Discharge even as it slept. Yet the surprise explosion of electricity proved to have little effect on the resistant Roserade, and Lanturn was little more than a Magikarp out of water while it was asleep.
  
  It was pathetically easy for Roserade to simply resist the Discharge, even shrugging off the paralysis, as a Giga Drain rapidly drained his Lanturn of all of its health while also restoring the Grass type to full health.
  
  He let out a small sigh as his Lanturn fainted. Although he had expected it, it was almost disheartening to see how much weaker he was when he wasn't able to make use of his Pokémon's famed Electric attacks and natural speed. This battle was a great reminder that he really needed to diversify his Pokémon a bit more outside of just Electric Types.
  
  Having no other choice, he sent out his Raichu next.
  
  He had hoped to use Raichu's superior speed to quickly burst down the Roserade, but Cynthia gave him no such chance.
  
  "Switch out, Roserade. It's back to you, Garchomp!"
  
  His Raichu was immediately forced to pivot on the spot and dodge out of the way with a Quick Attack as a roaring Dragon came speeding out of her Pokéball and as she smashed into the ground right where his Raichu just was.
  
  The resulting crater was an excellent demonstration for why his Raichu had to keep its distance.
  
  Therefore, Raichu tried to dash away with another Quick Attack while it simultaneously fired off a Draining Kiss towards the Dragon. Yet the Garchomp merely burrowed into the ground and dodged out of the way.
  
  "Into the air, now!"
  
  Knowing what was coming, he desperately shouted for his Raichu to leap into the air just as the terrifying monster of a Garchomp erupted from the ground with incredible speed, blazing with draconic energies as she unleashed her signature Outrage.
  
  Raichu was just able to clear enough distance to form a Protect shield in time to block the brutal Dragon Claw from eviscerating it. But the Protect shield quickly shattered in the face of Garchomp's overwhelming strength, and just as Raichu tried to dash around and behind the Garchomp with another Quick Attack, a powerful Dragon Tail slammed into its face like a hammer, sending the Electric type tumbling to the ground.
  
  "GARCHOMP!" Letting out a roar of power, Garchomp immediately pounced onto her prey and smashed their heads together with an Iron Head that flinched his Raichu before unleashing an explosive, Outrage-boosted, Earthquake that savaged his Raichu.
  
  Raichu stood no chance as its health was torn apart. Even before the Earthquake ended, it had already been knocked out.
  
  Again, this was sadly as he had expected.
  
  He knew that with Cynthia doing these battles to prove her strength and dominance, she wouldn't be holding too much back. And he was her full strength right now - her Garchomp was an unbreakable wall that his Pokémon could only futilely smash their heads against.
  
  Flint was lucky that Cynthia had decided to hold back her Garchomp for Lucian.
  
  He only had his starter remaining, and there was no chance that his Luxray, strong as it might be, would be able to take down this frightening Garchomp. His defeat was inevitable.
  
  Yet he was not frustrated at this.
  
  He always knew that he would lose coming into this battle. But he had come here to challenge himself once again, to feel the thrill of battle once more. He had come to remind himself that, though his usual duties as a Gym Leader required him to hold back in boring battles, there WERE strong trainers out there.
  
  He had come to remind himself what the peak looked like.
  
  So, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead, he let out a wide smile as he stared at the calm figure of Sinnoh's Champion. She was hardly winded, and she and her Garchomp stood there like a mountain he had to climb. A mountain that he was nowhere ready to conquer yet.
  
  He seared that image of the Champion into his mind, feeling the motivation surge into him once again.
  
  Yes, this was why he became a trainer. He wouldn't forget that anytime soon.
  
  A.N. This battle was as one-sided as most would have expected, but I didn't want to completely skip over the battle. Instead, I tried to focus on what I thought it would be like to face off against someone as strong as Cynthia when she's trying to make a demonstration of her strength. Needless to say, it's very oppressive to fight against, especially considering how bad of a type disadvantage that Volkner's team has.
  
  I also wanted to provide a little insight into Volkner's mental state. I know he's lazy and demotivated in canon, and I kinda wanted to play around with that a little. Nothing like getting thrashed to give you the kick in the ass you need to stop being so bored all the time.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-3 - Plans and Preparations
  
  As I laid down on my bed the previous night, I had come to startling realisation - and it was something that, in hindsight, I couldn't believe I had overlooked.
  
  The Tri-Regional Tournament that Wallace was setting up was a fantastic opportunity to finally push for my long-time proposal - to have all Gym Leaders within Indigo be able to be appointed from either Kanto or Johto.
  
  Previously I had held back on bringing it up because I knew that public sentiment still wasn't there yet. Gym Leaders were extremely important and prestigious positions, and were frequently a source of a national pride. Discussions were often held on the Pokenet about which region had the better Gym Leaders, and who was the strongest Gym Leader.
  
  Therefore, pushing to have Gym Leaders be appointable from either region was always going to be a tough sell.
  
  However, with the Tournament serving as a strong unifying declaration, I felt that the time was coming to make a start on this plan. It was time to test the waters.
  
  So, with a single call to my assistants asking them to schedule a private meeting with Lance, since this was not really something I wanted to discuss over the phone, and I found myself the next morning flying on Port over to the Indigo Plateau to meet up with the Champion.
  
  It didn't take me very long to be escorted into his office.
  
  "John, how can I help you?" He asked, fully serious. He knew I wouldn't have arranged for a formal meeting like this if it was just a social call.
  
  "I have an ambitious proposal that I'd like to introduce into the Committee some time in the near future," I explained, "But I wanted to run it by you first as to give you a heads up."
  
  "I understand. Please explain." He replied.
  
  "It's been obvious that our once-divided region has become far more unified. Previously, 'Indigo' was a term that was forced down by Champion Oak as a way of stopping the fighting. But everyone still referred to themselves as 'Kantonian' or 'Johtonian'. The divide was still too real. However, that's been changing recently, to the point where I feel that most of the public are far more receptive to ideas of unity than ever before." I explained.
  
  "Furthermore, with the Tri-Regional Tournament likely coming around the corner and almost certainly going to be a huge success, I felt that this was a great opportunity to push for a proposal that I've kept in the back of mind exactly for a time like this - to have all Gym Leaders be capable of being appointed from any part of Indigo, regardless if they were from Kanto or Johto. So, for example, a Johto Gym could be held by a Kantonian and vice versa if a vacancy becomes available."
  
  To my surprise, Lance did not even look shocked at my words. He simply stared at me with what looked like silent acceptance - as if he knew that I was going to say something like this.
  
  "...I had expected something like this to come from you." He said, confirming my thoughts, "I didn't think it would come in this form, but I knew you would be pushing to further unify our region once the opportunity presented itself."
  
  "Then what are your thoughts on it?" I asked. We both knew something like this would not pass easily, despite my popularity and the fact that the Elite Four could now vote.
  
  "...I'm naturally wary, but not because I think your idea is a bad one." He replied after giving it some thought, "I'm sure you know that this is going to be quite the radical change, and people are inherently going to be reluctant to make such big changes so quickly."
  
  "I understand. That's why I predicted that something like this could be implemented in steps; to ease the public into things." I explained.
  
  "That would be better. It ought to be implemented with a test run first, and that element should be emphasized to soothe any ruffled feathers." Lance nodded as he idly tapped a finger on his desk, "...This is going to take some careful planning. Leave the idea with me. I'll come back to you when I figure out how best to present this to the Committee."
  
  I was taken aback by his easy acceptance, "...Aren't you going to ask something from me?"
  
  He snorted, "Let's not pretend that I don't owe you massively for not challenging me for my position as Champion. By all accounts you should be someone I ought to be incredibly wary of, but I trust that we have come to a mutual understanding with each other. This is just my way of repaying you, though I would expect to be credited alongside you for this idea once its announced so we both benefit."
  
  I nodded, that was an easy enough ask.
  
  "Plus, you should know by now that I too favour a more united Indigo. My political achievements could be said to be tied to it." He added, "Nor does having Gym Leaders be appointable from any region hurt my own interests or my own future policies at all. Besides, I've seen a few times how capable candidates for being a Gym Leader were snubbed simply because they were from the wrong region. This way, it will encourage those who are truly competent to be given the position rather than some compromise candidate."
  
  He gave me a look, "I suspect you already have spoken about this idea to other members of the Elite Four?"
  
  "I spoke to Lorelei beforehand, yes." I confirmed, "Assuming she honours our agreement, she'll be onboard with this idea."
  
  "And Agatha and Will?" He asked.
  
  "I haven't told Agatha yet, but I don't foresee her objections." I responded, "Nor do I think Will would have any reason to reject it either. Where a Gym Leader is appointed from has very little to do with his interests. At most, he'll abstain from the vote."
  
  "Hmm...I don't disagree." Lance concurred, "But this is something we're going to have to also get approval from the Gym Leaders for, as it directly affects them and their successors. Suddenly being able to choose a successor from Kanto or Johto is going to seriously affect their future decisions, and some of the more nationalistic Gym Leaders might not like it."
  
  My mind immediately flashed to a few Gym Leaders that might have a problem with this, and I frowned.
  
  "So we might need the Gym Leaders to vote on this as well?" I asked.
  
  "Yes. Almost certainly." Lance confirmed, "It's going to be an unusual situation, but their consent would be absolutely necessary."
  
  That would prove problematic. My political influence might extend pretty far within the Elite Four, but I didn't have the same pushing power within the circle of Gym Leaders. I had friends there, but politics had a way of getting in the way of that.
  
  Lance was right; this was not going to be an easy sell.
  
  He must have seen the growing frustration on my face, because he spoke up once again, "Don't worry, we'll can tackle this in stages like you said. Plus, we would need to ensure that the Tri-Regional Tournament is the PR success you assume it is, so the proposal won't be made until it's over." He stated, "In the meanwhile, perhaps you could spend some time before then reaching out to the Gym Leaders that you are friendly or acquainted with and get them on your side in advance? That would be better than suddenly having something like this being sprung on them."
  
  "That's a good idea, I'll do that." I nodded, "Thanks for the advice."
  
  "I'm sure I don't have to tell you who will be against your proposal as soon as they hear it." Lance smirked, "But you have to try with them regardless."
  
  I chuckled, "Yes, I know. I'll try my best anyways." People like Surge were NEVER going to be brought to my side. Even if he did think I was 'Kanto's Golden Child' or whatever.
  
  But first things first, I was going to have to speak to Giovanni again. I wasn't sure on what his stance would be. He had always been a Kanto nationalist, but he had been coming over to my way of thinking recently. I hoped he wouldn't be adverse to something like this.
  
  "I'll leave you to butter up the Gym Leaders then." Lance said, "I'm sure you'll get along with them better than I could. Though I will speak to Clair and see what she thinks."
  
  "Do you think she'd be against it?" I asked curiously.
  
  "The Blackthorn Gym will always fall to a Blackthorn. It would be a dark day when it doesn't." Lance stated, "So I doubt that Clair would care. She's more concerned in holding her position than anything else."
  
  I nodded. "Thank you, then I'll be heading off now. Thanks again for your time and for all your help on this. It's much appreciated."
  
  "Don't worry about it." He waved me off, "Oh, and one more thing before you go."
  
  I turned around to see him giving me a challenging look. "It's about the Tri-Regional Tournament."
  
  "What about it?" I returned.
  
  "Let us not pretend that you wouldn't be a favoured candidate to be in the top 3 to face off against us Champions. We both know it to be true." I nodded at his words, "And I also think that this would be a great opportunity for us to fight each other with minimal consequences to whoever wins or loses. A battle between starters."
  
  My face quickly split into an eager grin, "Your Emperor vs my Tyrant?"
  
  "A fitting battle, don't you think?" He smirked, "And something that I feel was a long time coming."
  
  "It was bound to happen one day." I agreed, "But aren't we supposed to be fighting as a group?"
  
  "It's not like they will begrudge a little friendly duel between friends, would they? I'm sure Wallace would be happy to make an exception for the two of us." He chuckled, "Besides, I'm sure the crowd would love it. You've must have seen it on the Pokenet about often they discuss how we would compare in a battle."
  
  I nodded, "True enough, and I eagerly accept." I extended a hand, which he quickly shook. "May we have a good battle."
  
  ""But I'll win."" We both said at the same time.
  
  We shared a look of mutual respect, recognizing each other as both rival and friend. We would do our best to fight to our limits, as that was the best way of showing respect to the other.
  
  It was going to be the battle of kings.
  
  Not wanting to leave things by the wayside, after leaving from Lance's office I immediately called up Giovanni and arranged to meet, wanting to discuss this proposal with him. I also wanted to see if he had any ideas that could help improve my proposal and smoothen out its implementation.
  
  Since I wasn't a Gym Leader, I remained unaware of the more subtle relationships and tensions amongst the Gym Leaders - but Giovanni wouldn't be. He would be able to provide me with the information I needed.
  
  "I wasn't expecting you to drop in." Giovanni said as I arrived at his office.
  
  "Hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." I replied, pulling out a chair for myself, "I had something I wanted to discuss with you."
  
  "No, it's fine. The Viridian Gym is hardly going to be busy with the Indigo Conference running." He responded while steepling his fingers together, "But I can tell that you have something important that you wish to discuss with me. What can I help you with? Is it about the criminals in Sinnoh? Because I'm afraid there's nothing I can really report to you on that front."
  
  I shook my head, "It's not about them. I just had a new proposal that I'd like to pass through the League that I wanted your opinion about."
  
  "Oh? That's interesting." He said with a raised eyebrow, leaning back in his chair, "And what would you need my assistance with?"
  
  "I was planning to create a new policy that would allow Gym Leaders to be appointed from either region." I explained, "So for example, if there was a vacancy for a Gym Leader in Goldenrod, then the new replacement could be appointed from either Kanto or Johto. I wanted to know your thoughts are about this plan."
  
  Giovanni pursed his lips as he fell silent, staring at me with an unknowable look in his eyes. Was he upset? Was he interested? Curious? I couldn't tell.
  
  "...The position of Gym Leader cannot be so easily given to a foreigner." Was what Giovanni ended up saying after a small pause, "They are meant to be the protectors of the cities under their authority-"
  
  "I'm not asking for foreigners from Hoenn or Sinnoh to be able to take up our Gym Leader positions." I interrupted, "Just that anyone within Indigo could be appointed instead of being limited to Kanto or Johto respectively. I'm banking on capitalising on the success of the Tournament to push this through. And just for clarity, this will be a test run of sorts. Lance and I agree that this would be best to ensure we aren't moving too fast and stepping on too many toes."
  
  "But that doesn't change my point." Giovanni denied, "It would set a dangerous precedent to have a Johtonian have control over a Kantonian city."
  
  "Giovanni, do you really think a Johto-born Gym Leader would sabotage a Kantonian city to give Johto an 'advantage'?" I asked rhetorically, "I truly doubt there is a war with Johto looming over the horizon anytime soon - not even the gossip rags are talking about a potential war. Public sentiment also shows that the people of Indigo are becoming more and more accepting of inter-regional cooperation."
  
  Giovanni grimaced, but he did not object.
  
  I continued, "You've already seen how much Kanto is able to prosper when we're able to work with our neighbours, not just against them. This is just the next big step forwards to ensuring our continued prosperity and to encourage further unity between our regions. Plus, the more unified we are, the less chance of a war between Kanto and Johto would ever break out, since we'd be so interconnected."
  
  Giovanni's resistance seemed to falter, so I pushed and smiled reassuringly, "Besides, it's not as if we will be implementing all this straight away. We'll be doing it in small, controlled steps to ensure that the panic that you fear won't come to pass. Like I said, my proposal is just to implement a test run and it won't be implemented until after the Tri-Regional Tournament is over. It will be subjected to evaluation before any further steps are made."
  
  I leaned forwards confidently, "I know that this isn't going to solve all of the problems between our regions in one night. But I hope you can see that there's a lot to gain by repairing our relations one step at a time."
  
  Giovanni's silence extended for a little longer, but he eventually let out a helpless sigh, "...I don't know whether I've been infected by your optimism after spending too much time around you. But fine. I'm still very wary, but your point about the changing public sentiment wasn't wrong. I'll cautiously agree to a test run. However, are you going to offer me anything for my support?"
  
  Despite framing it like a request - I knew it wasn't. But I was already prepared for it, "And what would you like in return for this, Giovanni?"
  
  He chuckled, "Don't make it sound like I'm about to fleece you for everything. I can be reasonable. Test run or not, I just want to have assurances that your new proposal won't backfire on Kanto. Therefore, I request that there be a clause to ensure that there will be a formal evaluation performed by yours truly, if the Gym Leader is assigned to Kanto, to evaluate their progress after some time has passed. Only IF I am satisfied, then they will be allowed to maintain their position."
  
  I thought about it for a moment, "...I think that's very reasonable, but I think it would better if the evaluation involved all of the Gym Leaders in Kanto, rather than just you. And if the Gym Leader is assigned to Johto, then the same applies there. They will be evaluated by their peers in Johto."
  
  "That is acceptable." Giovanni nodded slowly, "Then, assuming things remain as you described, you will have my tentative support for this test run to go ahead."
  
  "But just like you did with me, you're going to have to persuade the other Gym Leaders to jump on board with this plan too." He added.
  
  "I know." I agreed, "But I'm not actually familiar with a lot of them - I was hoping you could give me advice on who you'd think will agree or disagree to such a policy. Or, more precisely, who are the key individuals I would need to persuade."
  
  "Your biggest dissidents, by far, would be Surge and Pryce." Giovanni said immediately, "On the other hand, excluding myself, your biggest supporters would be the Waterflower sisters, young Brock, and Jasmine from Olivine."
  
  Jasmine? Why would she - oh that's right, I remembered that I had helped her at Olivine. Still... "None of those seem to be very influential Gym Leaders in the grand scheme of things."
  
  "You're right." Giovanni confirmed, "Young Brock is still too young to have much influence, and while the Waterflower sisters have been doing well, they fall in the same category as Jasmine - they are competent Gym Leaders, but they lack real influence among the other Gym Leaders."
  
  "In the meanwhile, Surge and Pryce are both quite notable in their own right. Pryce more so than Surge, of course." He continued, visibly frowning at the mention of Pryce, "I suspect they will never vote on board with such a plan, though I have heard that Pryce was mellowing out recently."
  
  He tapped his fingers, "Hmm...this might actually present you with an opportunity. Is Clair going to support this proposal?"
  
  "Yes, she will." I nodded, "Lance will speak to her."
  
  "Then you need to see if you can bring Pryce onto your way of thinking." Giovanni said, "The rest of the Johto Gym Leaders will fall in line with both Clair and Pryce. As for Kanto, so long as you get Blaine to agree, you can drown out Surge's voice of dissent. Persuade those people, and the vote will overwhelmingly pass in your favour."
  
  I blinked; persuading Pryce!? The man that probably hated me as much as he hated Lance? Mellowing out or not, he was certainly not going to be positively predisposed to me in the slightest.
  
  But Giovanni was right. For all his flaws, Pryce was undoubtedly a pillar of Johto, even with his fall from grace. His support would help a lot.
  
  I let out a sigh, turning back to Giovanni, "I suppose I'll have to break out my most convincing smile." I joked weakly.
  
  He chuckled, "I don't envy you. Just try not to break out into a fight if you can avoid it. That wouldn't look good for you-" Whatever Giovanni was going to say was interrupted as the door to his office opened, allowing a small Silver to slip in.
  
  "Dad, are you busy- woah!" His eyes grew wide as he saw me, "John! What are you doing here? Is Whitney here?"
  
  I laughed inwardly at his mentioning of my sister; who knew they would become as fast friends as they did, "Sadly not, Silver. She's still training up as a Gym Trainer at Saffron."
  
  He pouted, "Why couldn't she train up here?!"
  
  Giovanni patted him on the head, having gotten up from his desk as his son entered the room, "Because we are the 8th Gym, Silver. It wouldn't look good if we brought on a trainer like Whitney to be a Gym Trainer for us, not when she's still so young and inexperienced."
  
  "But she's strong!" Silver said stubbornly, "She would do fine as a Gym Trainer here!"
  
  "Speaking of strong, how has your training gone?" I asked, quick to switch the topic, "Have you been getting stronger since your last battle?"
  
  Silver whirled to me, his eyes sparkling, "Yep! I've spent a lot of time training with my Nidorino. There's no way we'll lose to your Linoone now!" The topic of Whitney was long forgotten.
  
  "OH! And we also got a new Pokémon, check it out!" He reached into his bag and threw out a Pokéball, revealing a Pokémon I really wasn't expecting to see from him. A small Marill came bouncing up cheerily, wrapping itself around Silver's arm as it let out a happy chime.
  
  "...A Marill?" I blurted out confusedly. "Did you catch that yourself?"
  
  Giovanni coughed, "Like everyone else, Silver was also infected with the craze for the new Fairy types. And with the PSS, he begged me to get him a Fairy type for him."
  
  "I wanted a Togepi, but dad said no." Silver muttered, though his attention was still on pampering his Marill, "But I'm happy with getting a Marill too. It has a strong typing."
  
  "I wasn't going to get him a Togepi, even if I could afford it." Giovanni said to me with a shake of his head, "That would be going too far and spoiling him. So Ariana and I discussed it, and we bought him a Marill instead."
  
  "A good choice." I nodded, turning back to Silver with an indulgent smile, "There's a lot of potential with Azumarill. They are strong Pokémon. However...I thought you'd wanted to be a Ground specialist like your father."
  
  "That's boring." Silver replied, "Ground types are strong, sure, but I think I could get stronger by making use of different types. That new Champion in Sinnoh is a generalist too! And she's strong!"
  
  I let out a chuckle, "She sure is. I'm sure you can follow in her footsteps. You have the potential for it."
  
  "I know." Silver nodded proudly, "So do you want to fight me in a battle? Like I said - I'll win this time."
  
  I scratched my head, "I'm sorry, but I'm not really free at the moment. Maybe next time." More importantly, none of my Pokémon could really give a fair fight to Silver. Sure, I could repeat the lesson that I had with Whitney and scare the shit out of him with Tyrant, but that would be far overstepping my boundaries.
  
  Such a lesson ought to be given by his actual parents, not some outsider like me.
  
  Silver frowned, "Okay. I understand, grownups are always so busy. That's what my dad always says."
  
  I laughed, "They really are. So enjoy the time while you still can." I ran my hand through his hair, "Make sure to train up your Pokémon well before the start of your circuit. It'll give you a huge advantage over all the other new trainers if you do."
  
  "I know. Whitney said the same thing." He nodded, "Just watch, John, I'll also be getting all 8 Gym Badges in my first circuit like she did."
  
  "And you'll also be doing your homework like you're supposed to." A voice suddenly came from the door, and I turned to see a frowning Ariana looming over a suddenly frightened Silver. "I thought you were just going to ask your father a question, but instead you're here bothering John instead of doing your homework like you were supposed to."
  
  "Eek! Save me, John-!" But his protests fell on deaf ears as Ariana dragged Silver out of the room by his shirt, his cries for help slowly fading away into the distance.
  
  "Are you upset that he's not following in your path as a Ground specialist?" I asked Giovanni as soon as Silver's cries for help faded away.
  
  "Not at all." Giovanni said, "In fact, I'm glad that he's taking his own steps to becoming his own person. Better that then someone who blindly looks up to me. I'm not the role model that he thinks I am."
  
  I patted him on the shoulder, "You're doing fine. He seemed much livelier than he was before."
  
  Giovanni said nothing, instead staring at where Silver disappeared to with a proud smile on his face. I smiled proudly as well, though it was not because of Silver. But rather, it was because I could finally see that Giovanni had well and truly become a doting father, who looked out for his son's wellbeing and was nurturing of Silver's potential as a trainer.
  
  It was this change in character which allowed me to feel comfortable to trust him; to believe that he had opened his heart to new possibilities instead of holding on to his old stubbornness. I would have never dared to approach the old Giovanni with a proposal like this, knowing I would be immediately shown the door, nor would I ever trust the advice he gave me.
  
  Idly, as I stared at Giovanni looking like a proud father, I chuckled inwardly to myself. I wondered how much different Silver would become?
  
  A.N. A slower set up chapter, but I hope it paves the way for what to expect coming up. Not only do John's long term plans start getting put into action, but his long-awaited duel with Lance is finally in the works.
  
  And yes, I know that Silver has canonically different Pokémon, but his living situation couldn't be more different than in canon. He has an actual family to support him, so naturally his team would be different to reflect this.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-4 - A Frosty(?) Reunion
  
  I was reluctant to go see Pryce, as all I anticipated was getting a major headache from our conversation. But there was no real good reason to put it off, and so I eventually decided that pushing forwards my plan was worth any potential frustration that I might have with dealing with Pryce. It was best to get this out of the way first before I got distracted by the upcoming Tournament.
  
  Therefore, with a resigned breath, I rang up Lorelei.
  
  "You want to speak to my uncle?!" She asked with undisguised shock, "What made you want to do that? I thought you hated him?"
  
  "Hate is a strong word...we just had our political disagreements." I said unconvincingly, "Regardless, I do have something I want to speak to him about. But I don't know how to contact him - nor can I just drop into Mahogany uninvited. Could you please set up a meeting with him?"
  
  "...Okay, I'll try, but I can't promise you that he'll say yes." Lorelei replied.
  
  "Thanks, that's all I ask." I said, "Speaking of which, has he really mellowed out since his time as Champion? Or were those all just false rumours?"
  
  "I...I'm not sure." Lorelei responded uncertainly, "I've spoken to him a few times, and he was as harsh and as cold as I remembered him to be."
  
  I sighed, "Oh...well, that sucks-"
  
  "But his words weren't as cutting as usual." She interrupted, "I didn't get that he was actively looking down on me anymore. I can't tell if that's because he's no longer Champion of Indigo, or because of some other reason. Honestly, I'm still really conflicted on how to speak to him. He is still family."
  
  I blinked, that sounded complicated, "Ah, that's true. Though thanks for the info. I'll let you know how it goes then."
  
  "Is this about your proposal to have Gym Leaders be appointable from either Kanto or Johto?" Lorelei suddenly asked.
  
  "Yes, it is." I confirmed, "I didn't realize my intentions were so obvious."
  
  I could tell Lorelei was smirking, "I think it's pretty obvious considering what's being planned. Lance filled the rest of us Elite Four in about the Tri-Regional Tournament, and I hadn't forgotten about how you told me before that this was something you wanted to get passed. If I were you, I too would have tried to take this opportunity to push this if you saw the Tournament was a massive PR win."
  
  "And not to worry - I fully intend to honour our agreement. You'll have my support on this if and when you put it in front of the Committee." She added.
  
  "Even if I fail to persuade your uncle?" I asked.
  
  "I'm not tied to him." She snorted, "I can make my own decisions too. If he wanted to be part of the decision-making process, he should have fought his way back into the Elite Four."
  
  I chuckled, "Well I appreciate you sticking to the agreement. I'll let you know how my meeting with your uncle goes." The call ended there.
  
  Later on in the day, I was just about to start another training session with my Pokémon when my phone buzzed and I received a text from Lorelei saying that Pryce was available to meet. So, understanding that Pryce was not a person who liked to be kept waiting, I set off for Mahogany Town.
  
  As I neared the town, I realized that it really had been some time since I was last here. Mahogany Town was never a very attractive town to visit, not for any nefarious reasons, but simply because there just wasn't really anything to do here.
  
  The only real thing of interest was the Gym and Lake of Rage, but the latter was barred to the majority of the public anyways. Otherwise, it was a very sleepy town that was only really famous because of Pryce's prestige as Champion.
  
  Not that such a thing was bad. It had its own charm.
  
  I landed a small distance away from the Gym, but I was already met with a pair of Gym Trainers that had wandered over to greet me.
  
  "Elite John, Gym Leader Pryce is waiting for you." One of them informed me, "Please allow us to escort you."
  
  I nodded and followed after them. Honestly, I was half-expecting Pryce to have me make my way inside myself out of spite. Perhaps the old him would have done so.
  
  But as soon as I entered his office, I could feel the air surrounding me tense as the two of us locked eyes. A pool of complex emotions swirled in his eyes as he continued to stare at me, and I could see that his fists were clenching and unclenching reflexively.
  
  Neither of us spoke, content to continue our staring contest.
  
  However, since I was here to ask for something, I decided to extend a hand of courtesy, "Would you mind if I sat?"
  
  Pryce blinked, before he let out a huff, "Do as you please. I can't just order you around anymore."
  
  I took a seat opposite him as he spoke, "So, what does the young 'prodigy' want with me? Here to ask for something? If you're asking on behalf of the Blackthorn, then the answer is no."
  
  I sighed, "Lance didn't send me. I'm here on my own volition because I have a proposal that I wanted passed."
  
  "Something else to 'further unite Indigo'?" Pryce scoffed, "Previously, I would have called you naïve and dismissed you on the spot for wasting my time."
  
  I bristled, but Pryce wasn't done, "However, I can see that the politics of the times have changed. I do not know whether for good or ill, but the policies that I once championed have fallen out of favour. Furthermore, you would not have volunteered to speak to me unless it would be a big proposal. So go on, speak your piece."
  
  Man, Pryce was difficult to deal with. But I swallowed those feelings for now. At least he said he would hear me out.
  
  "My new proposal primarily concerns the Gym Leaders, as I want to implement a new rule that allows future Gym Leaders to be appointable from anywhere in Indigo. That means that you can have a Johto-born trainer running a Kanto Gym, and vice versa. Of course, we'll be implementing this as a test run first, so you and the other Gym Leaders will be given a chance to evaluate the new appointee to see if they meet your standards."
  
  As I finished my explanation, I had half-expected Pryce to react by giving me a verbal-tongue lashing, before the entire conversation devolved from there. But that never came.
  
  He just stared at me with an unknowable look in his eyes, studying my every expression. Unlike what I had expected, he didn't look angry or even annoyed at my suggestion.
  
  Instead, his eyes locked onto mine as he developed a thoughtful expression, as if he was analysing me and thinking over my proposal at the same time. I couldn't help but notice that his gaze no longer had the dismissive arrogance that he once had as Champion; it was more focused now.
  
  It took some time before Pryce spoke up again, "Tell me, John. Do you think your proposal is likely to succeed - ignoring whether I agree to it or not?"
  
  "I'm confident that it would, assuming that the Tournament will be the success that I predict it to be." I nodded firmly, though I was bluffing a little. "As you said, times have changed, and public sentiment is visibly leaning towards openness and cooperation. I'm confident that a proposal like this, if properly worded, could pass. Especially since I intend for this to be a test run."
  
  "Knowing the scope of the proposal, the Gym Leaders will be invited to vote on it, right?" He pointed out accurately, and I nodded to his question, "Then how do you think the other Gym Leaders will vote?"
  
  "While I haven't spoken to them directly yet, I have been advised that the Kanto Gym Leaders will mostly vote on my side." I stated truthfully, "And Clair will not disagree with me either."
  
  "I do not believe for a second that Surge will support you, the musclehead that he is." Pryce scoffed dismissively, "Still, I am more than aware of your friendship with Giovanni, seeing how expertly you both cooperated with Lance to dispose me."
  
  I shrugged shamelessly, not rising to his bait, "You deserved it, in my eyes."
  
  He snorted, "I see that you've only grown more bold since we last spoke. But nevertheless, I am not unaware of your growing connections. With Giovanni supporting you, I believe that you would be able to obtain sufficient support from the Kanto Gym Leaders."
  
  He ran his fingers across his desk, "Which is why you came crawling to me - because I'm one of the key figures that you want to sway to your side so that the Johto Gym Leaders will follow suit." He grinned knowingly.
  
  "Don't oversell yourself, Pryce." I cut off whatever he might be thinking, "I don't NEED your support. It would just make things easier."
  
  That being said, I was fully aware of the hassle that Pryce could create if he truly wanted to oppose me. The proposal wouldn't be impossible to pass through if he did fight against it, but his neutrality or support would make things much easier.
  
  But I was sure he was aware that fighting me in politics would also be equally bad for him. His political influence had been declining, and him engaging in a war of public opinion against me would only damage that further.
  
  Still, instead of being offended, he barked out a laugh, "Oh I'm fully aware of that. I just found it amusing how much you've grown since you deposed me. You used to be far more nervous when you spoke to me, betraying your young age. But that hesitation is all gone now, hasn't it?"
  
  "I've had to deal with a lot of things since then." I replied, nodding, "But enough side-tracking. I'm sure you don't want me wasting more of your time, so tell me what you want for your support."
  
  "Before I answer that, has my niece already agreed to your idea?" He asked.
  
  "She has." I confirmed, "We already made a deal a long time ago."
  
  He gave off a thoughtful nod, and he fell silent once again. The only sounds in his office was the periodic tapping of his fingers on his wooden desk.
  
  "...I have three requests if you want my support." He began, finally voicing out his thoughts, "The first, I want you to ensure that, should Lorelei fall out of the Elite Four, she will be able to inherit her old position of Gym Leader of Mahogany once again and that you will reasonably support her while doing so."
  
  I blinked; I had not expected him to ask for something like this. I thought his requests would be more selfish, based on what he was like in the past.
  
  Uncaring of my thoughts, he continued, "The second, I want you to reasonably support Lorelei's position in her new organisation. That means no making power plays to have her replaced with your own lackey, or deliberately weakening her influence. Of course, this is also within reason, so I will overlook any unintentional harm you may cause or if your support is not feasible for whatever reason. This shall last until the end of the next circuit, which should give my niece enough time to properly solidify her position."
  
  "Lastly, I want you to acquire a powerful Ice type, either from Sinnoh or something that you and your team of scientists newly discover, and gift it to Lorelei. It should be something she would actively include into her Elite team."
  
  "Should you fulfil and agree to all of the above, you will have my support for your 'test run'." He stated, then fell silent once again as he allowed me to process his words.
  
  I was surprised, all three of his requests were specifically to improve Lorelei's political position. Did he have a change of heart to support his niece?
  
  None of his three requests were particularly difficult for me to fulfil, nor did they harm my interests. His first request was simple enough - I would have supported Lorelei as a friend anyways, and it shouldn't be overly difficult for me to support her re-ascension to Gym Leader.
  
  Plus, I didn't see any difficulty with fulfilling his second request either - Lorelei and I weren't at odds with each other, and allowing her to maintain her power over the organisation SHE created wasn't against my interests. Although, it would mean that I would have to reasonably support any expansion of this organisation as well. Likewise, his third request wasn't problematic either.
  
  No, after thinking it through, his requests were all reasonable enough in exchange for his support.
  
  "Fine, I agree." I said, "Lorelei will have my support as you stated."
  
  "Good, then I agree to your test run as well." He nodded in return, "Since my niece will be supporting it, I hope your idea doesn't crash and burn for her sake."
  
  I rolled my eyes, "Sure, I hope so as well. Then can I have your number so that I can let you know when and what I got for her?" I asked.
  
  He snorted, "No need for that. Lorelei will let me know by herself. I'm sure you don't want to give me any chance of contacting you out of the blue."
  
  I nodded despite myself, I did not want Pryce on my contact list. He might have mellowed out, but I still found him unpleasant.
  
  Since there was nothing else we had to say, I gave Pryce a polite, but quick goodbye, and began walking out of his office. I wasn't going to question this surprising burst of (for his standards) pleasantness. I really thought he would be more difficult than he was.
  
  Did he really want me to support his niece like that? Or did he really have a change of heart since he stepped down from being the Champion?
  
  Well, either way, it didn't matter. I got the support I wanted.
  
  With that conversation with Pryce wrapped up (which went better than expected), I left the Mahogany Gym and headed on home.
  
  As I flew home, I kept thinking back on our conversation. I had a gut feeling that he wasn't as distant and as cold to his niece than I first expected, since he seemed like he wanted to be supportive of her, but it was really hard to tell with Pryce. Or perhaps this was just my own bias talking.
  
  However, I put that thought out of my mind once I arrived. Pryce's proposal to catch an Ice type for Lorelei actually reminded me that I needed to follow up with Cynthia on whether she was going to continue those underground expeditions to where we found Wraith and Kleavor.
  
  While I could have just asked Cynthia to just catch the first Ice type she saw and send it over, that was a little too disrespectful for Lorelei. I inwardly promised that she was going to get something unique and/or strong from me.
  
  So I ended up calling my girlfriend, hoping that she wasn't too swamped with her work and her battles to speak.
  
  Luckily, it seemed like she wasn't. "You caught me at a good time, I just beat my old friend." She said.
  
  "Is that really something to be happy about?" I joked, "Anyways, who was it?" I thought through her the friends I knew she had, "Was it Candice?"
  
  "Yep, and it's a good moment because I realized that she's really grown quite a bit. She's far more lively now that she's taken up the position as Gym Leader; I always knew that the position was good for her." She said.
  
  "Anyways, you usually don't call until nighttime, so what can I help you with? If it's about the financial investigations, then I've already got everything running through the preparation stage. It should be ready soon."
  
  "No I didn't call about that, though that's good news to hear." I said, "I was actually going to ask about the cave explorations. Have you found any other new Pokémon or discoveries since we last headed down there?"
  
  "Ah, well unfortunately not. From the reports I received, even though we've done a few more runs, they weren't able to find that long Sneasel we saw; it must have snuck off somewhere." She explained, "It's disappointing, but it must have hidden itself away; perhaps we spooked it last time.
  
  "Admittedly we don't explore the lower levels that often." She said, "The Research Centre is unsurprisingly comprised of scientists and explorers rather than trainers, so our focus has often shifted away from just rare Pokémon. I know a lot of effort has been done to study the changes in geology, for example."
  
  "No, that's fine, I was just checking up on that." I responded. "I understand that the explorers may have other priorities. Actually, the reason I asked about this is because..." I then gave her a summary of Pryce's requests and my desire to personally catch an Ice type for Lorelei, which would mean heading over to Sinnoh.
  
  "Mhm, I see...well, now that you mention it, you know that you have an open invitation to come to Sinnoh to go exploring once again, right?" She told me, "We would be happy to host you again, especially with your added strength you could greatly assist the teams in getting as far, or even farther, than we did before. You could catch a strong Ice type while you're down there, and maybe even find that unusual Sneasel we lost track of."
  
  Her words instantly sent me into a reminiscent mood, as I remembered about all that we accomplished during our cave explorations together. It was a fun time, and I would have loved to experience it again. Likewise, I could also visit Volkner in Sinnoh and get to know him better, especially since we might be working together in the future. Despite all that though...
  
  "I know, and while that sounds great and all, I don't think I'll be able to visit Sinnoh again until at least AFTER the Tournament." I replied, "I think I'll be preoccupied before then."
  
  "No, that's very reasonable." She agreed, "Just making sure you knew. Of course, if you do come, I'll do my best to make free time to spend with you. But I can't guarantee I'll have enough time to explore the caves together like we did before. That might be a little too much of a time investment."
  
  "I understand. That's fine, worst case is I go by myself." I replied.
  
  Though it would be a bit strange to go cave diving by myself. I had always gone with Cynthia...just as I thought that, a wild thought sprung to mind.
  
  "Hey, uh, is that open invitation to go exploring limited to just me?" I asked, "Or would you be okay if I had one of my friends accompany me as well?"
  
  "Assuming that friend is strong enough to handle cave exploration? Then yes, I've no problem with it." She responded, "Why? Thinking of bringing someone along? Should I be jealous?" She teased.
  
  I chuckled, "Not like that. I just had a thought that it might be a good idea to introduce the wonders of cave diving to a few of the more adventurous people I know. More precisely, I was thinking of asking Drake. Not only that, but knowing him, I think he'd love the opportunity to explore a new region as well since he hasn't been to Sinnoh yet."
  
  It was a pretty wild idea from me, but I thought that I would love to be able to explore the caves with a man like Drake - he was a man that practically screamed 'adventure'. I felt that this would be something he would like doing. Plus, I really did want to spend more time with him; it'd been a while since our time fighting together in Hoenn.
  
  "Drake? Oh, yeah, I see it." She nodded, "Sure, if you can convince him to come, then I'll be happy to host him."
  
  "Just let me know if you have ever have the time to come over." She smiled, "I'll make sure your old room is tidied up for you."
  
  "I'll speak to Lance when I feel like the time is right." I promised.
  
  "Mhm. I'll look forward to it." She nodded, then she frowned as she looked at the time, "Right, sorry about this, but I need to get ready for tomorrow's match." She said apologetically, "I have an important match to win tomorrow against the Ex-Champion."
  
  "Oh, right. I forgot that was tomorrow." I said, "Good luck on that - though I'm sure you'll win."
  
  "Winning won't be difficult, but I want a flawless victory." She stated, "I want to repeat what you did against Shin. To send a message to the old traditionalists of Sinnoh that there time has truly come to an end. Though I don't hate the man personally, I will be crushing his team."
  
  That actually made me laugh, "I don't know whether I'm corrupting you or if I should be honoured you're following in my footsteps."
  
  "Well if you remember I also told you to crush Shin as well." She reminded with a grin of her own, "So I guess it evens out."
  
  Cynthia had to end the call shortly after that, so I merely wished her all the best. I would be eagerly awaiting her battle against Hayato. I wanted to be the spectator this time round.
  
  Putting that aside for now, I decided to also ring up the guy that I was actually planning on inviting.
  
  "Drake, you there?" I said as he picked up the phone.
  
  "John! Wasn't expecting a call from you!" He greeted cheerfully, "I didn't know they released the partners for the Tournament already? Are you calling because I'm partnered with you? That'd be fucking great!"
  
  I laughed, "Unfortunately, the teams haven't been announced yet. Nor do I think they'd ever pair you and I together."
  
  "Bah, they're just scared we'd roll over the competition if we were together." He scoffed, "We'd be unstoppable! Could you imagine? Your Slaking with my Salamence? Arceus, our opponents might as well surrender now."
  
  I laughed even harder. I didn't disagree; Drake and I would absolutely crush everyone if we were on the same team.
  
  "Wait, so if not for that, then why did you call? Not that I mind, just curious." He quickly said.
  
  "I was just speaking to Cynthia. She's a good friend of mine." I added that latter bit for clarity, "You know the cave explorations that I did in Sinnoh?"
  
  "Yeah, heard a little bit about that." He nodded, "Heard you're trying to do the same with that cave of yours in Cerulean. What about it?"
  
  "Well - and this is just a thought for now - but how would you like to join me if the two of us both get the opportunity to visit Sinnoh?" I asked, "I know you haven't been cave diving before, so I thought about introducing it to you. Maybe you could even catch a new Water or Dragon type to add to your roster."
  
  Drake barked out a laugh, "You fucking crazy bastard! Like fuck am I going to say no to that! You can count me in!"
  
  Then he frowned, "...Not sure when I'd have the time though. I'd have to speak to Wallace. When were you thinking of heading there?"
  
  "Not anytime soon; probably sometime after the Tournament when it's convenient and I have some free time." I said, "But I haven't spoken to Lance yet either, so this is just a preliminary invite for now."
  
  "That's fine. I appreciate it anyways." He chuckled, "Arceus knows that it's been a while since anyone outside of the Hoenn Elite Four have invited me to anything. Just let me know whenever you have time or feel like heading there, and I'll see if my schedule matches up."
  
  "Of course, I'll let you know." I agreed.
  
  "Actually, now that I have you on call, tell me a little about the Gym Leaders of Indigo." He said, changing the topic, "I have a feeling I might be paired up with one of them, so I'd like to know a bit more about them in advance..."
  
  And so I regaled him of whatever I knew about the Gym Leaders of Indigo, trying my best to remain objective. Knowing how strong he was and how Wallace likely wanted 'balanced' teams, it was likely that he would be paired up with one of our weaker Gym Leaders, and Drake knew it too, so I made sure to emphasise on those.
  
  Then, it was my turn to ask about the Hoenn Gym Leaders. I wanted to check to ensure that what I knew about them matched what Drake thought of them, and just like Drake, I focused on the weaker Gym Leaders since I figured I would be paired with one of them.
  
  So that was how we spent the evening, two battle buddies exchanging stories about their Gym Leaders and making predictions about who would be paired with who. I never expected to be gossiping with Drake of all people, but hey, I enjoyed it.
  
  And it made me all the more excited to find out who I'd be teamed up with for the Tournament.
  
  A.N. Definitely a lengthy conversation chapter, but I hope that you enjoyed John's conversation with Pryce. I wanted to add a bit more depth to his character, while at the same time keeping it consistent with his old personality. He's still a grumpy old man, but I wanted to show a bit more than that.
  
  Of course, no mystery dungeon-ing can be complete without a suitable partner. And who better than Drake! And yes, with most of the politics set up, the Tournament's preparations and arrangements will be revealed soon! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-4 -Interlude- Proton
  The New Normal - 10-4 - Interlude - Proton
  
  Idling around did not suit a man like himself.
  
  Proton had initially thought that they could have made use of the current political instability of Sinnoh to start getting things done, but he was unanimously shot down by everyone he had suggested the idea with.
  
  He didn't know why he expected anything different. Those weird freaks with Cyrus were obviously going to only listen to his own commands, and Matt and the other two Team Magma fools were still only listening to their boss.
  
  He smirked inwardly at the thought of his 'boss'. Ever since their move to Sinnoh, Maxie and Archie had practically fallen out of power entirely. If Cyrus wanted to, he could have removed them from their leadership positions without much issue. The only reason his bosses were still called as such was because Cyrus saw no reason to depose them from their positions. But Proton knew that they were merely puppets.
  
  Everyone knew who was in charge.
  
  Not only was Cyrus providing the funding, but his team was also responsible for a majority of the research. For all of his boss' fanatical goals, he was no scientist. Having Archie try to figure out how to invent a creation that could control a Legendary would be the equivalent of getting a Mankey to write a joke. An impossibility.
  
  Unfortunately, his old bosses' newfound lack of power did not benefit him in any way. Cyrus was even more cowardly and over-cautious as they were, and completely and utterly refused to allow Proton to 'expose more of our actions', as he described them. Cyrus repeatedly told him that the preparations weren't in place yet, and that more patience was necessary.
  
  So Proton was forced to do nothing but wait, spending most of his time training up his team and 'enforcing order' amongst the grunts that he was saddled with. He was supposed to be training them, and there was no better training than getting the shit beat out of you.
  
  That was how most of his time was spent. Idling about while the scientists supposedly did all the real work. He thought his days would be spent in mind-numbing boredom.
  
  Until Sinnoh got a new Champion.
  
  When he first heard that the new Champion was apparently some blonde bitch, he was interested, if only because she was easy on the eyes. He dismissed how strong her team was; he never saw the Sinnoh Elite Four as anything else other than up-jumped trainers with titles that they didn't deserve.
  
  He remembered that he had a good laugh at the very thought that this blonde thought she could somehow pull Sinnoh out of the turmoil that it found itself in. She didn't think the bitch could get any sort of respect after the old fuck of a Champion left this backward region in such shambles.
  
  Only - that was exactly what she was doing. And Proton wasn't laughing now. Nor were his bosses.
  
  That was why Proton had been summoned to attend an emergency meeting with the bosses to discuss what changes they could make in the face of this new Champion. Cyrus' face was as blank and as unfeeling as usual, but the worried looks on his subordinates told Proton everything he needed to know.
  
  "I come bearing grave news." Cyrus began, "It appears that our new Champion has been moving with significant haste. She seems to be far more active than her predecessor."
  
  "I thought she was busy with that open challenge of hers?" Archie asked, "When would she have time to do all that on top of those battles she's doing?"
  
  Maxie smirked, "People can multitask, unlike you, Archie. Though perhaps it could be a skill that you could eventually come to learn-"
  
  "Regardless, her movements are a concern." Cyrus interrupted those two before they could begin their signature squabbling, "I don't know why she's become insistent on doing this, but I have heard from our sources that she plans to undergo a full financial sweep through all of the businesses of Sinnoh. Ours included."
  
  "Would that be a problem?" Maxie asked, fully serious now.
  
  "Less than it would have been had we not gotten prior warning, but yes." Cyrus admitted, "Unfortunately, due to the high expenditure required for our research, as well as the vast amounts of resources that were lost both in Hoenn and Indigo, we've had to make up for the shortfall using our funds from our legitimate business."
  
  "So this audit risks exposing where those funds went." Archie finished, and at this point Proton was also alarmed. Was this really how they would get exposed? All of his idling about and being 'patient' wasted because of a fucking audit?!
  
  Fortunately, Cyrus shook his head, "That won't happen. Especially with the prior warning we received, we'll be shuffling around funds to make sure that nothing is at risk of being exposed. We have further agents that will help us conceal our underground activities. However, this does mean we're going to have to tighten our belts in order to conceal our activities. Many projects, teams, and even equipment might have to be cut down as a result."
  
  "Then why can't we earn that money back some other way?!" Proton couldn't resist but shout out, causing everyone in the room to shoot him angry looks, "You had us sit on our asses all this time, and now you're telling us that we have to cut down even further on funding!? Then why don't we just go out there and get that extra money back!? How hard would it be?!"
  
  Cyrus' eyes immediately shot to his, and Proton found himself staring at the two empty voids that Cyrus called eyes. Despite lacking any sort of identifiable emotion, they somehow burned with a terrifying intensity that dared Proton to disobey him.
  
  Proton tensed unconsciously; the lingering threat for disobedience hung in the air.
  
  "...Proton, it seems your impatience is getting the better of you." Cyrus said, not breaking his stare, "I find it difficult to believe that you seem so eager to repeat what happened in Indigo and Hoenn once more."
  
  "I would suggest reflecting on the consequences of your rash past actions, and improve upon them." Proton bristled at his words, but the reminder of Cyrus' implicit threat kept him docile, "Remind yourself of our true goal. Do you wish to have the power of Legendaries in your hands?"
  
  "...Yes." He bit out, no longer able to meet his boss' gaze.
  
  "Then you would do well to remind yourself that the cost for such power would be to exercise a bit of patience." Cyrus continued with an almost lecturing tone, showing no sign that he was even bothered by Proton's insult, "This is merely a minor setback, nothing more. We will begin full operations in time. We just need to wait for an opportunity."
  
  Then a smile plastered itself on Cyrus' face, though Proton didn't see how anyone could think that it was real, "All of you should focus on training up your teams. This setback is merely another test for us to overcome, and we have already overcome all the challenges that have been placed before us so far, growing stronger for each challenge we surpass! This shall be no different!"
  
  "Our dream is growing ever closer to being achieved, and once the opportunity is made available to us, we will be going out in full force. Your very best will be required, because creating a utopia like ours is going to require every last bit of our dedication and effort to create!"
  
  Cyrus' weird fanatics all cheered at his words, while his old bosses gave more subdued, but approving nods. He just rolled his eyes at their actions.
  
  Still, Cyrus' words placated his rage a bit. With his rationality returning, he acknowledged that to go out right now would be suicidal, and would be a one-way trip to getting a life sentence. As much as he hated waiting, his rationality won out this time around.
  
  And he had no illusions that Cyrus intended to use him as a blunt and violent instrument. But that was perfectly fine with him; he would relish in the opportunity when he was finally allowed to let loose.
  
  However, as he leaned back against his chair, he began to wonder how much of Cyrus' actions were actually truthful.
  
  Were they really not in trouble if they began to tighten their belts? Would their finances actually be fine if they were cut off by the financial investigation? His boss seemed as calm as ever, but how much of that was just because he was an emotionless corpse? Fuck, he hated thinking of shit like this.
  
  Who knew this fucking bitch of a Champion would be so damn annoying?
  
  A.N. Cyrus is hard to write, but I hope you liked this chapter as a catch-up for what the criminals have been doing. I wanted to show a bit of how the criminals have been reacting to the changes in Sinnoh, and their progress with their plans.
  
  Unsurprisingly, having an actually competent Champion like Cynthia at the helm is going to cause problems for them.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-5 - A New Stage
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  It was time. Her battle against ex-Champion Hayato had finally come.
  
  She wasn't nervous, far from it. She couldn't be, not when she was here to make a statement - to remind the traditionalists that their time had come to an end.
  
  She knew that he was a Poison specialist, though his entire team did not solely comprise of Poison types. Though, as befits a man that championed the cause of Sinnoh traditionalism for so long, his Pokémon were all from Sinnoh.
  
  "You'll do fine, Champ!" Flint patted her on the shoulder and grinned, "I know Hayato; he isn't got anything on you."
  
  "I'm sure she knows that already." Aaron said, giving her a small nod, "Go on and crush him. He deserves it; its not like he's gotten any stronger over the years."
  
  "Probably the opposite." Flint quipped.
  
  She smiled at her colleagues, giving them all a quick nod of acknowledgement before she stepped forwards into the stadium once again. She smiled and waved as she usually did, until she found herself standing in front of a man that seemed to be staring at her with a steely look in his eyes.
  
  "...So we finally meet." The aged Hayato said. He was getting on in years, but he seemed to have aged significantly since his departure from Champion. He didn't use to look quite this old.
  
  "We do." Cynthia agreed, "I didn't expect we would meet so soon. It's quite the pleasure to-"
  
  "Save me from your pleasantries, we both know they're false." Hayato dismissed, "I was deposed because enough of the public hated me enough to kick me out. I know your view of me is no different from theirs."
  
  "Then why challenge me?" She asked with a tilt of her head, "Even if you won, that won't suddenly get you back the popularity you lost. You know this."
  
  "I do." He nodded, "But my supporters have convinced me to prove one thing to you - that the traditions of the past are not wrong. That my strength, as the long-time representative of the traditionalists, has not waned."
  
  He raised a finger and pointed at Cynthia, "I know you believe you are doing what is right for the region. Perhaps you are, and that you truly are on the right path. But all I can see is the recklessness of youth, formed by a lack of caution of the real dangers that your policies may cause."
  
  "And by the time that you realise it, the damage will have already be done." He shook his head, "It is that recklessness that worries us. Sinnoh has been served well by the traditions that we have held so strongly to, and I must do whatever I can to ensure that we return to safer and more familiar times."
  
  "...You really must be blinded by the past if you truly thought that Sinnoh was prospering while it held strongly to its traditions." Cynthia frowned, "I appreciate that you are doing this because you believe this is for the betterment of Sinnoh - and for that you have my respect - but I cannot deny that I believe you are misguided in your views."
  
  "And I believe you to be the misguided one." He shot back, "Sinnoh is not a region that requires change."
  
  "So we come at an impasse, one that must be solved through battle." She turned her back to him, realising that there was little else to say, "Enjoy your time in the spotlight, Hayato. It will be your last."
  
  She couldn't hear whatever comment he made in response as she took her position in the arena. She clutched her chosen Pokéball in her hand; she was not messing around this time.
  
  Her victory against Hayato had to be nothing less than a statement. The final nail of the coffin of the traditionalists to show the public of the Sinnoh that they were well and truly out of power.
  
  The last hurrah of the traditionalists would not go out with a bang, but with a pathetic whimper.
  
  "GO! Milotic!"
  
  "Drapion, get to work!"
  
  She didn't even have to give commands as Milotic immediately moved to set up a Safeguard, cutting off Hayato's greatest strength - the ability to Poison his opponents. Drapion took the opportunity and moved in close, pincers raised menacingly, thinking that it could win in a fight at close range.
  
  It could not. For as sedentary and as passive that Milotic may appear, she was brutally strong when push came to shove.
  
  So instead of the helpless and vulnerable target it was expecting, Drapion was suddenly bashed aside as Milotic's tail came crashing into its side with surprising agility. Drapion dug its sharp legs into the ground, trying to push against the surprising strength of Milotic, only to be met with a powerful torrent of Hydro Pump right to the face.
  
  "Payback, Drapion!"
  
  Even though it stumbled backwards from force of the Hydro Pump, Drapion flared up with Dark energy and rushed forwards, using the damage it took to fuel its next attack. Drapion rapidly closed the distance and slashed ferociously at Milotic; with each slash of his infused with a crippling amount of Poison.
  
  Yet Milotic hardly seemed affected by the attacks; without access to its famed Poison, Milotic had more than enough endurance to muscle through Drapion's aggression. Especially since Milotic had secretly set up with an Aqua Ring when Drapion was busy being blasted in the face by the Hydro Pump.
  
  Cynthia watched as Drapion continued to rip into Milotic with a calm and analytical eye, unbothered by the damage her Milotic was receiving. While it may appear that Drapion was currently overwhelming her Milotic, she could see the truth.
  
  Drapion wasn't nearly able to overwhelm her Milotic with its attacks - it just lacked the power to do so. Considering that Hayato was a previous Champion of Sinnoh, that was a curiosity. It was almost like his team hadn't improved ever since his departure.
  
  This was not the strength of a Champion's Pokémon. He was too reliant on his Pokémon's ability to Poison, which was where most of his training likely went to, and now that Safeguard had blocked it, his Pokémon's natural strength was unable to make up the difference. Or was her Milotic just tankier than she thought?
  
  But that wasn't important for now. With another command, Milotic suddenly slithered to the side, dodging another Cross Poison from Drapion before a powerful Aqua Tail slammed into its side like a hammer. Drapion's head literally snapped to the side from the impact, and as it staggered backwards, Milotic darted forwards and crashed their heads together with a concussive Iron Head that disoriented the Drapion and caused it to flinch.
  
  Drapion then exploded with Dark energy as it swung its claws around with a powerful Payback, only to hit nothing but air as Milotic had already fallen back. So instead of striking with a powerful counterattack, Drapion was blasted in the face with another torrential Hydro Pump that sent it skidding back and pinned against the psychic barriers of the arena.
  
  As Drapion struggled to peel itself off the ground, Milotic took full advantage of this to begin setting up with Coil and Dragon Dance, constricting herself as she crucially boosted her Attack, Defense, and Speed.
  
  She knew she could not replicate the jaw-dropping demonstration of brute strength that John accomplished with his starter, but she COULD defeat Hayato in a way that would make her victory look effortless.
  
  And with his Drapion being so outmatched by her Milotic to allow her to begin setting up, and with a strong Safeguard firmly in place to deny Hayato access to his poison, she knew she was already on her way there.
  
  Realising that keeping Drapion in the fight for longer was only going to allow her Milotic to continue setting up, Hayato withdrew his Drapion and sent out his Gastrodon next, which was one of his few non-Poison types.
  
  He must have been thinking that Gastrodon would be able to nullify Milotic's Water attacks.
  
  However, that assumption was quickly proven false as Milotic rushed forwards, surprising the notoriously sluggish Gastrodon as a Dragon Tail whipped through the air and smashed into the Ground type's face; the impact digging a trench through the ground while sending the Gastrodon face first into it.
  
  Then Milotic swept her tail upwards, forcefully knocking Gastrodon into the air before darting forwards and immediately Wrapping herself around it. Gastrodon gasped in pain as Milotic ruthlessly began to squeeze, causing a painful squelching noise as Milotic painfully constricted the Gastrodon with her longer and stronger boy.
  
  Gastrodon was literally having the air crushed out of it.
  
  "Stone Edge, Gastrodon! Break free!"
  
  She could see the desperation in both the trainer's and Pokemon's eyes as Gastrodon frantically tried to break free by launching a volley of sharpened rocks into Milotic. But her Water type merely shrugged them aside as she continued to choke the life out of the Gastrodon and - to add insult to injury - blasted it right in the face with a pulsating Dragon Pulse.
  
  Knowing that his Gastrodon was completely and utterly helpless as it was being choked out, Hayato did the only thing he could do.
  
  "Return, Gastrodon! Come out, Toxicroak!"
  
  She shot Hayato a curious look as she stared at the newly emerged Toxicroak; he must have been running out of options if he chose his Toxicroak to be his next Pokémon.
  
  But...that was fine, because she felt that this was time to reveal one of her trump cards. After all, she was here to send a message, and what better message to send but to show how impossible Hayato's chances of victory against her was?
  
  Therefore, she made the order.
  
  "Baton Pass, Milotic."
  
  She watched as Hayato's eyes shot open with surprise as her Milotic was recalled into her Pokéball, only to be swapped out with her Garchomp - now with ALL of Milotic's previous buffs. Milotic weren't able to learn Baton Pass naturally, but she had practiced with her Togekiss to make this strategy a reality.
  
  "GARCHOMP!" And now, as Garchomp's thunderous roar echoed throughout the arena, instinctively causing Toxicroak to flinch minutely in fear, she grinned tauntingly at her opponent. Facing a boosted Garchomp was every trainer's nightmare - and hers was no ordinary Garchomp.
  
  It would be a slaughter.
  
  Then Garachomp buried herself into the ground, only to erupt out seconds later as she effortlessly ripped through the Protect shield from Toxicroak. A desperate Ice Punch from the Toxicroak was expertly parried before Garchomp brutally clotheslined her opponent, crashing a powerful clawed wing into its neck and sending the Toxicroak sprawling onto the ground, choking on its breath.
  
  Grabbing the fallen Toxicroak in her razor-sharp claws, Garchomp let out a menacing growl as her claws painfully dug into Toxicraok as she viciously clutched the Poison type's head in her hands as if she was trying to crush it with her boosted strength. A Sludge Bomb came her way, but she shrugged it off before her arm came down like a blur, smashing the Toxicroak head first into the ground.
  
  Toxicroak struggled in her grasp, but her Garchomp was unrelenting as she ruthlessly smashed it down again and again and again, brutalising the Poison type as a small crater formed around them.
  
  Garchomp then pressed Toxicroak to the ground before she let out a stomp, causing the hole that she had created to split apart and shatter as a spiderweb of cracks cut through the battlefield. As the tremors began shaking the entire arena, Garchomp kept Toxicroak pinned to the ground, forcing it to tank through the entirety of the sheer destructive power of Garchomp's boosted Earthquake.
  
  Needless to say, with all of the buffs that Garchomp had, the Earthquake was very much overkill. Toxicroak had fallen within seconds.
  
  And she knew that the rest of his team wouldn't last much longer than that.
  
  (John POV)
  
  Cynthia's battle against Hayato was just as dominating as I hoped it would be, with the latter having been soundly crushed by his replacement. Like the rest of the spectators, I was also surprised when she had revealed her Milotic's ability to Baton Pass her buffs, and I inwardly raised the threat level of her Milotic by a couple of stages.
  
  The ability to pass on buffs to her already powerful Garchomp was staggeringly powerful. Especially the right kinds of buffs.
  
  It was something to consider for my own team as well.
  
  Of course, with Hayato soundly crushed by Cynthia in a dominating 6-0 victory that really highlighted the power of a fully buffed up Garchomp, that signified the last 'real' chance that anyone had of displacing Cynthia from her new position as Champion. Even though she still had other challenges waiting to fight her, everyone knew that they were only doing so as to not be left out. There was no real chance that they would win.
  
  Therefore, Cynthia's position as Champion was all but confirmed.
  
  Not only that, but Wallace had contacted us through the same conference call that he did before, with the same people attending, looking to speak about the Tri-Regional Tournament.
  
  "I bring joyous news!" He said with a pleased smile on his face, "Though I may have run my assistants ragged, I can safely announce that the planning for the Tri-Regional Tournament HAS BEEN COMPLETED!"
  
  "Is it still taking place in Hoenn?" Bertha asked.
  
  "Have our partners been decided? What was the criteria for choosing the teams?" I followed up.
  
  "Are the Champions still going to fight in 3v6 in the end?" Lance added, just as excited as everyone else.
  
  "Ah, I can see that there is plenty of excitement to share around! Excellent!" Wallace grinned, "But to answer all of your questions, allow me to give you another rundown of what the Tri-Regional Tournament is going to entail."
  
  Wallace then proceeded to explain that this tournament was going to take place over the course of a week, during the intermediary break between the Preliminary Rounds and the Finals of each region's Conference - as they all took place at the same time. Wallace said that he figured that would help maintain the public's excitement for the Conference and make it easier to generate hype. The announcement and invitations would be sent out after this meeting.
  
  Technically, a Gym Leader or Elite Four could refuse to participate in this Tournament. But that was stupid on so many levels. As a Gym Leader and Elite Four, to skip out on such an event would be seen as cowardice.
  
  Nothing about the format of the Tournament had changed from his initial proposal. The Champion battle at the end was still going ahead, to the joy of both Cynthia and Lance.
  
  The only difference was that that Wallace had now confirmed that a small prize and a commemorative trophy awaited you if you made it to the Top 3. The trophy came in pairs, which meant that you were able to share it with your partner.
  
  I suspected that the small prize pool came from the rushed nature of the Tournament's planning, so naturally everyone was scraping to save as much money as possible without cutting any essential corners.
  
  The winner's prize was, frankly, hardly anything to be excited about, but the real prize was the prestige and fame that one could earn by being able to fight on such a big stage. Not that I needed any more of it; but I would still strive to win regardless.
  
  Especially with the opportunity to fight against Lance on the line.
  
  "I noticed that you still haven't mentioned about who we are partnering up with." I pointed out, failing to hold back my excitement.
  
  "Patience, I was just about to get there." Wallace chuckled, "But I guess I can move on to the topic of who's partnering with who. Over the last few days I had carefully studied the strengths and teams of each and every participating Gym Leader and Elite Four and sorted them out into 3 different categories. The first category belonged to the strongest of trainers, the second belonged to those who had a more 'average' level of strength, and the last belonging to those that were newer and less experienced to their position."
  
  "For the sake of privacy, and as to not offend anyone, I will be not be disclosing who falls into which category." He said, though I was sure that we could guess who fit into where, "But I have done my best to pair up - as fairly as possible - the teams that would be participating in the Tournament. However, given the above criteria, I suspect that many of you could already predict who your potential partner might be."
  
  "I will be declaring who's partnered with who on the new website that will launch alongside the announcement." He stated, "Please find out there."
  
  He took a dramatic breath of air as he finished his explanation, "Now, does anyone have any problems or questions that they would like to direct towards me?"
  
  "Would certain Gym Leaders be offended that we've labelled them as 'weaker'?" Bertha asked.
  
  Lance scoffed, "If they were offended then they just have to prove themselves to be strong. The Tournament is an excellent opportunity for that, after all. Having a poor reputation is your own fault, or merely a sign of inexperience. Both can be rectified with hard work."
  
  "Indeed." Wallace nodded, "Anyone else?"
  
  "I have none." Cynthia spoke up, "I think you've covered all your bases."
  
  "I only have one question - do you have plans on hosting a tournament like this for next year?" Lance asked.
  
  "I believe it would be too early to say." Wallace replied, "Let's see how this one turns out first. Personally, I think keeping it to a one-time thing would make the event more special. Plus, we can still have other tournaments like this in the future, but they should follow a different format."
  
  "That's understandable." Lance nodded, "Then I have no other questions. You have our support. We will make our announcement jointly."
  
  "Excellent! And if there aren't any other questions..." He looked around to the Elite Four that were present. None of us had anything else to add, "...Then I'll leave it here for now. I've already got a press conference ready in a few hours. Feel free to coordinate your announcement with us."
  
  "Will do." Cynthia nodded, and the meeting broke up there.
  
  Before I left Lance's office, I raised something I had meant to bring up earlier, "Oh, by the way, Lance, would it be okay if I took a week to visit Sinnoh again? Probably after the Tournament is over?"
  
  "Visiting Sinnoh? What for?" Lance asked curiously.
  
  "It's nothing serious, but I just wanted to do a little bit of cave diving and see if I can discover anything else in those caves that I ventured in before." I said easily, "You must remember the headlines when I discovered those long-lost Pokémon."
  
  "Ah, I do remember them." Lance nodded, "Well...I'll keep your request in mind once the Tournament is over. If I think that there's a week spare, then I'll give my approval for you to head over. Do realise that I will probably saddle you with one or two tasks while you're there, though."
  
  "Yeah, that's fine. I expected it." I said, "Oh, and I'm planning on heading there with Drake. If our schedules match up."
  
  "Drake? Really?" Lance looked surprised, "I didn't think you'd be going with him. No offence meant."
  
  I chuckled, "No, I understand. Drake doesn't seem like the type of guy that would do something like this. But I like the man, and I felt that it was a shame that we hadn't spent time together since we fought those terrorists in Hoenn."
  
  "Drake is a respectable man." Lance agreed, "Well, it's not like I can tell you who you can or cannot spend time with. Just try not to cause that much of a fuss there. I know you're intending to visit more than just Drake - a certain someone springs to mind. Just know that I do not want to see an international incident in the news when you're there." He joked.
  
  "I'll do my best." I laughed, "Anyways, thanks Lance. But I'm going to head home and get ready to see who my partner is."
  
  "You know you're going to be paired with someone we-...less strong, right?" Lance said, trying to be diplomatic and not saying 'weak'.
  
  "Of course." I nodded, "But that's part of the challenge. And besides, this is all supposed to be in good fun anyways. I'll do my best to win, but there's no need to deploy my Slaking from the get go."
  
  "Good, because you better save your starter to face off against Emperor. We'll be waiting." He grinned challengingly at me.
  
  "I haven't forgotten." I matched his challenging grin with one of my own.
  
  Our conversation ended soon after that, and I immediately headed home and got to training. Excited about Tyrant's fight against Emperor, I spent more time than I usually would have with him to make sure that he was in the right place to take on Emperor.
  
  There was no 'special' training that we did, not because I was being complacent, but simply because I had ALWAYS been training Tyrant to be able to take on Emperor. That means that there was no new tricks that I could teach Tyrant, not in such a short amount of time. It was all down to skill and experience now.
  
  My other Pokémon gave Tyrant a wide berth as he trained, slightly intimidated by the oppressive aura of determination and sheer purpose that he was radiating. However, seeing Tyrant's determination only drove my other Pokémon to train harder, as to not let Tyrant be the only one pushing himself this hard.
  
  I smiled as I saw this; I had raised a good team.
  
  Eventually, the hours came and went, and I headed back inside for dinner, which was just in time for Wallace's announcement of the Tri-Regional Tournament.
  
  I wasn't even listening to the announcement itself; not only did I already know what was coming, but my mind was completely focused on who my partner was.
  
  I didn't care if they were weak. As Lance pointed out, that would have been expected. I cared FAR more about their character and if I could work well with them. After all, we weren't going to be paired with someone from our own region, so I might not be as well-liked as I was in Indigo.
  
  "...Hey! The teams are out!" Karen suddenly called out from my left, having joined us for dinner today, "Go check already! You've been buzzing with excitement this whole dinner."
  
  She didn't need to tell me twice, and I immediately hopped on my phone, going to the website and finding the list of participants and their respective partners. I scrolled down through the list until I finally found my name and who my partner was going to be.
  
  I let out a grin of relief as I saw who it was.
  
  "I can see the grin on your face, so you must have gotten someone good." Karen said curiously, "Who is it? There's no way they'd pair you with someone that was considered strong."
  
  "They wouldn't." My dad agreed, "Champion Wallace spent so long emphasizing in his announcement that the teams would be fair and balanced."
  
  "Still doesn't explain why he's grinning so much." Karen said, "So, stop being coy and spill the beans. Who'd you get?"
  
  Deciding that I had probably teased them for long enough, I flipped my phone around and showed them who my partner was.
  
  "...Roxanne? Isn't she the one of the newer Gym Leaders in Hoenn? The one who recently replaced Roy at the Rustboro Gym?" Karen asked.
  
  "Oh, I remember her!" My mom exclaimed, "I remember that there was a whole fluff article about how she spends a lot of time as a teacher training up the new generation of trainers, on top of her duties as a Gym Leader. Many were saying that she's very mature and kind for her age."
  
  "That's exactly why I'm so pleased to get her." I smiled, "Since the format of this Tournament is 2v2, and the whole purpose of the Tournament is to show off cooperation between the regions, it's important that you're able to work well with your partner."
  
  "And you must be happy because you realize that Roxanne is someone you can work with." Karen finished my thought for me, "Well, I can't disagree; she seems friendly. I think you'd make an excellent pair. Better to be paired with her than someone more abrasive."
  
  "Exactly." I nodded.
  
  "Hmm, well I guess you had some good luck there. So, who did everyone else get paired up with? I'm very interested in who the old hag is teamed with." She leaned over my phone to look as I proceeded to scroll through the list.
  
  I legitimately burst out in laughter as soon as I saw who Agatha was paired up with. Wallace must have done this on purpose to pair up Agatha with TATE AND LISA. The mental image of grumpy old Agatha spending time with the super young Psychic prodigies was too much for me.
  
  Karen must have agreed, because she joined in on my laughter when I showed it to her.
  
  "...Can you imagine the old hag standing side-by-side with those two when they take their picture?" Karen wheezed out between her peals of laughter, "She'd look so out of place! It'd be like she was their grandma!" Even my parents were giving off wry smiles of their own.
  
  Joking aside though, that was a very formidable pair. Tate and Lisa were young, but they were true prodigies, which was why they were made into Gym Leaders in a rare exceptional case (though they were still supervised). Their only weakness was that, as they were ultimately still kids, they were still prone to immaturity and lacked a lot of experience in battling despite their talent.
  
  But Agatha could easily make up for both these deficiencies. It really was a pairing to watch out for.
  
  Other than that, I saw a few other notable pairings which really highlighted how much research and consideration that Wallace put into this.
  
  Drake was paired with the Waterflower sisters, which I suspected had something to do with their shared Water specialty. Sidney was paired with Brock, likely owing to his familiarity with Dark types since he had trained with Karen. Lorelei was paired with Wake. Will paired with Flannery.
  
  And then another laugh threatened to break out of my face when I saw that Pryce was paired with Candice. Those two could not have been more different in terms of demeanour, but it was still a powerful team.
  
  Furthermore, I also saw Giovanni being paired with Norman, which was going to be interesting to see. A knowing smile DID break out across my face as I saw Volkner being paired up with Jasmine.
  
  I wished them both good luck.
  
  "So what are you going to do now?" Karen's voice broke me from my idle browsing, "Since you're paired up with Roxanne, are you going to start training with her?"
  
  "Of course." I said as if it was obvious, "I said I'm planning on winning the whole thing, right? Training can't wait if I'm to be in the Top 3."
  
  "It can wait until dinner's over at least." My mom cut in, "You better eat up quickly. The food's already gotten cold since you were so distracted."
  
  Appropriately admonished, I quickly polished off what remained of my dinner before finally making a call to Drake.
  
  "John! Did you see the pairings?" He immediately asked.
  
  "I did, and it's actually why I'm calling." I replied, "But first, you happy to be paired up with the Waterflower sisters? Like I told you before, I can vouch for them - they're good people."
  
  "I didn't have any doubts about that." He said, "You don't have to worry about them giving a weak performance. I promise I'll whip them into shape for the Tournament."
  
  I chuckled, "No need to push them too hard."
  
  "Of course, of course; I'm not some kind of harsh taskmaster." He chuckled too, "Anyways, what can I help you with? Or are you trying to find to contact Roxanne?"
  
  "Yep, that's exactly it." I nodded, "Do you mind helping me get her number?"
  
  "Already have it. I'll send it over now." He said.
  
  "Oh, cheers. Thanks!" I said, "Oh - by the way, I already spoke to Lance about the trip to Sinnoh. He's okay with it, assuming we can find a block of time to go there."
  
  "Wallace said it was fine as well, so maybe this fucking trip is happening after all!" He laughed, "...Well, I gotta go talk to those water sisters of yours. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll do your city proud by the end of this Tournament."
  
  With the call over, he passed me the Roxanne's number and I moved to ring her up.
  
  "Good evening, Elite John." A very polite and formal voice sounded through the phone, "I had expected this call, but thank you for reaching out to me. I'm Roxanne, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
  
  "Likewise, Gym Leader Roxanne. I do hope I haven't disturbed anything." I replied.
  
  "It's perfectly alright; I just finished dinner myself. Can I assume that you're looking to discuss matters regarding the Tournament?" She asked. "You seem like the type that wants to win the whole thing."
  
  "You're right, that IS my goal." I chuckled, "I fully intend to be in the Top 3 so that we can have the opportunity to face off against the Champions."
  
  "I see...well I hate to disappoint you, John, but you can probably imagine why you were selected to partner with me." Roxanne said sadly, "Everyone knows your strength in the same way that everyone knows that I'm weak. I'm afraid that I'll be the anchor tied around your neck."
  
  "Nonsense. Don't bring yourself down that much." I instantly replied, "Firstly, this Tournament is about teamwork, not necessarily about raw strength. I'm sure with the right amount of cooperation and training, we'll be able to take advantage of our respective strengths to make it to the top 3 AND have a good time. Plus, you wouldn't have been made Gym Leader if you are as weak as you say you are, so I'm sure that we'll able to come up with something that will allow you to utilise your strength."
  
  "I'm always willing to learn." Roxanne responded firmly.
  
  "Excellent, that's all I needed to hear." I grinned, "And I understand that you aren't able to come over to Indigo, and I'm likewise not really free to head to Hoenn so early. But I think we can arrange to host training sessions through the phone; see what each person can do and how best to work with each other. Would you be free tomorrow afternoon?"
  
  "Evening would be better for me." She said, "Unfortunately, I have students to teach in the afternoon."
  
  "Of course. That's perfectly fine too." I nodded, "Then let's talk further tomorrow evening. It'll be good to learn more about each other's teams."
  
  "Absolutely. I'll look forward to it." She said before hanging up.
  
  "She sounds nice." Karen smiled as I hung up, "I thought she'd be a bit more nervous, but she sounds quite assured herself. Must be why she's a teacher."
  
  "Nice is all that matters." I stated, "I'm confident I can work well with her."
  
  "You think some of the teams will struggle to work together?" Karen asked, before cutting herself off, "Wait, no, that's a dumb question. I've no doubt that there will be teams that can't work well together."
  
  Then she laughed, "I still can't get over the old hag getting paired with the twins. I couldn't think of a better pairing. As soon as I head home, I'm definitely going to needle her about it."
  
  "But who would you pair her with, if you could choose?" I asked.
  
  She shot me an evil smile, "Why, Pryce of course! Can you imagine it? It'd be a complete disaster!"
  
  I shuddered at the image. That was a civil war in the making.
  
  A.N. Cynthia revealed a trump card - a Baton Pass-boosted Garchomp is absolutely no joke. And the Tri-Regional Tournament is underway! Yes, I paired up John with Roxanne. It just made sense to me given that Roxanne is supposedly quite junior as a Gym Leader, and someone I believe could work well with John. Hope you're happy with the pairing! Also, the other pairs with the other Gym Leaders/Elite Four will also be revealed in the future as well.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-6 - Partnering up
  
  As was to be expected, the announcement for the Tri-Regional Tournament dominated the headlines. It was the first large scale event that would involve all of the known regions, and every Gym Leader and Elite Four was allowed to participate.
  
  ANYONE who was a fan of Pokémon battling was immediately drawn to the upcoming Tournament. Everyone had their favourite Trainers, and they all wanted to see who would end up in the Top 3.
  
  Of course, much of the discussion was primarily focused on the partnerships. The forums were flooded with posts and theories about who people thought were going to be the best team. The fact that the battles were 2v2 also allowed for even further discussion, as many people started to think about who could work well together.
  
  From what I saw, I was one of the favourites to enter the Top 3. But the public thought that was due to my personal strength alone. They didn't have a good opinion on Roxanne, who many thought was simply going to drag me down.
  
  Thus, they theorized that if I won, it would be because my Pokémon managed to carry us through the battles 1v2.
  
  I didn't like that. I appreciated their respect of my strength, but I didn't want to give off the impression that I would be ignoring Roxanne. As I had emphasized many times, this was going to be a team event. Roxanne and I would win together - it wouldn't just be me doing all the work.
  
  The public had also pointed to some other teams as ones favoured to enter the Top 3. Drake and the Waterflower sisters were contenders, but like me, that was purely from Drake's strength alone. Agatha and the twins were another favourite, for a similar reason.
  
  Either way, we would have to see about how they actually got along with each other when it came time for the Tournament itself.
  
  And in the midst of all this discussion and excitement about the upcoming Tri-Regional Tournament, Cynthia's victory over Ex-Champion Hayato was almost brushed under the rug. Not that it was forgotten, its just that outside of Sinnoh, people had other priorities.
  
  I heard as much from Cynthia when I spoke to her.
  
  "People not caring about his defeat is perfectly fine." She told me, "After all, the point of a victory like this is so that the traditionalists aren't able to show that they're still relevant. If the public aren't talking about Hayato's defeat, then that plays into my plans as well. After all, I wasn't here to humiliate him - not like you did with Shin."
  
  "Are people really not talking about it in Sinnoh?" I asked, "Surely it'll be more relevant there."
  
  "The Tournament and the team lineups have predictably dominated much of the discussion on the news and Pokénet." She explained, "Congratulations, by the way. From what I know of her from research, Roxanne is a good partner for you to have."
  
  "I didn't realise you already did the research on her." I commented.
  
  "Of course I did." She stated, "You have that match against Lance, right? I'd be disappointed FOR you if you didn't make it into the Top 3. Of course I'd wanted you to get a partner that you could work with."
  
  "And I don't intend to lose that battle." I replied with conviction, "It was hard enough to get an opportunity to fight Lance. I will make the most of it."
  
  "Good, because I know you can do it." Cynthia said firmly, "I believe in you. Emperor may be seen by the public as the strongest amongst all Pokémon, but if there's anyone that can overthrow that title, it will be you and your Slaking."
  
  "Show the world the strength that I see in you." She said, with her eyes locking onto mine even through the screen, "Prove that you are a Champion, whether you hold the title or not."
  
  Her words caused a wide smile to break out on my face, "You always know the right thing to say."
  
  "And I expect to be rewarded when I do get to see you." She smirked, "Count the days, John. We'll see each other again in Hoenn."
  
  "I'll be sure to greet you most enthusiastically." I chuckled, "After all, do you remember what I said before about the beaches of Dewford?"
  
  After all that boasting about how much superior the snows of Sinnoh were compared to the sunny beaches of Hoenn, I was determined to change her mind about this. No matter what, I'd find time to bring her to experience a proper beach experience.
  
  "I'll make sure to pack appropriately." She smiled teasingly, but then I heard a knock on the door through the phone, causing Cynthia to look up, "Tsk, I have to go now. I'll wait for you in Hoenn." Then with one last smile, she ended the call.
  
  I smiled as I stared down at the black screen of my phone. I couldn't wait to see her again.
  
  However, that was for later. And today I had an unexpected meeting to attend to. Professor Oak had called, explaining that he wanted to show Shelly, Blaine, and I something. Considering who he had invited, I suspected that he had an evolution item to show us, but I had no idea what he had found.
  
  So, with bubbling curiosity, I flew over to Pallet Town once more and arrived swiftly at Professor Oak's lab. As I entered his office, I seemed to have been the first to arrive.
  
  "Professor!" I called out as I walked in, "It's been some time."
  
  "Oh, John, I thought you'd be in a little later." He got up from where he was working, "Do you mind waiting a little bit for the others to arrive? That way I can show you three together."
  
  "Sure, no worries." I sat down on one of the spare seats as I took a look around his lab. My eyes were immediately drawn to the copious amounts of notes that were written on a whiteboard, and the lone incubating egg that was placed on a desk. I couldn't tell which egg it was.
  
  His handwriting was a little difficult to decode, but reading through the keywords, he was apparently trying to discover if there were any alternate Fairy forms for Pokémon that we had missed.
  
  "Yes, it's a little side project of mine that I worked on right after the Fairy reveal." Oak spoke up as he saw the look on my face, "I had immediately gotten back into working on the PIT technique as soon as we had finished, but I wanted to focus on the Fairy type since its the newest."
  
  "Plus, after your words with Daisy, I thought that I could gift her a new Pokémon if I ever discovered one." He shot me a grateful look, "Thanks for that, by the way. I had been a little unsure of how much I should push her to become a trainer, but I'm happy to see her so motivated."
  
  "It's not a problem, Professor." I shook my head, "Koga encouraged me to train her up, and I thought that she had a lot of potential as a Fairy specialist."
  
  "Well she's taking to it very well." He chuckled, "You know she constantly asks me questions about the Fairy type now? She's keen to learn everything about her chosen Type. Gary's a little less enthusiastic, but he's also training harder now that Daisy wins more of her fights."
  
  "Any chances Gary wants to follow in her big sisters footsteps?" I asked. That would be a big change from canon for him.
  
  "Not a chance." Oak laughed, "If anything, his big sister choosing to be a Fairy specialist has well and truly pushed him away from the Fairy type. He wants nothing to do with it, which is a shame. I hope he overcomes this little sibling spat of his - the Fairy type has many powerful Pokémon that I'm sure he would value in his team."
  
  We continued to engage in some more small talk before the door to his office swung open once again as Blaine and Shelly entered the room.
  
  "Oh, sorry if we're late." Blaine said as he stepped in, "We were just finishing up a call with Volkner."
  
  "How is he?" I asked, "Do you guys get along well?"
  
  "He's just as you said." Shelly nodded, "Very smart, and has a clear passion for working with machinery. Though he's quite the eccentric, and tends to get tunnel-visioned on one particular thing from time to time. He almost seemed lazy, if you didn't know better. He's just very disinterested in things he's not passionate about."
  
  "Bah, having a few eccentricities is the norm around here." Blaine scoffed, "Anyways, Sam, what did you want to show us? You've already got my interest."
  
  "Right this way." He escorted us to a corner of the room, where he had stored another familiar looking lockbox placed on top of a wheeled trolley. It was the same as the one Blaine used to store his Magmarizer. Just what did he find?
  
  The three of us stared with unhidden interest as he opened up the lockbox...only to draw puzzled looks from the other two as he did.
  
  "...What is that?" Blaine asked confusedly, "Did you make some kind of special training weight, Sam?"
  
  "Is it okay if I touch it?" Shelly asked, receiving a nod from Oak. "Huh, that's surprisingly coarse. Rougher than I would have thought." Then she tried to lift it and it didn't budge an inch, "Woah! It's really heavy! And tough! What is this? It's really feeling more like a specialized training weight the more I look at it."
  
  But unlike the other two, I immediately caught on to what it was. That was no ordinary training weight, that was a Protector - the evolution item for a Rhydon to evolve into a Rhyperior.
  
  "Believe it or not, what you're holding onto is an evolution item." Oak explained with a grin.
  
  "An evolution item!? For which Pokémon?" Shelly exclaimed in shock.
  
  "I call it a Protector." He said, "And I've already tested it. It's used to evolve Rhydon into a new Pokémon I call a Rhyperior. Here, let me show you."
  
  A bright white light formed in the room as Oak casually released his newly evolved Rhyperior into the middle of his office. An intimidating figure emerged in front of us, with its large, muscled, and powerful stature instantly becoming the centre of attention.
  
  Rhydon were already known to be strong Pokémon. But a Rhyperior took it to a whole different level. THIS could easily be the ace Pokémon of any team. Even without much training, it could already be considered to be a powerhouse Pokémon.
  
  I could imagine Giovanni salivating over it already.
  
  "...Incredible." Shelly muttered as she carefully observed Rhyperior, "I can feel its power radiating out from it. How did you create something like this, Professor Oak?"
  
  He rubbed his head sheepishly, "Well you weren't far off when you compared it to a training weight. I was actually trying to create a training weight that would allow for Pokémon to make use of to improve their strength training, but I went too far. This Protector is far too heavy and tough for most Pokémon to use."
  
  "That still doesn't tell us how you made it." Blaine added, "How did you make it as a tough and heavy as it is?"
  
  "Rock energy." Oak admitted casually, as if it was the easiest thing to do, "I just copied what you did with the Magmarizer and compressed a lot of Rock energy into a single item."
  
  We all blinked at his nonchalant response.
  
  "...No, no, no, wait a minute, Sam." Blaine rubbed his head tiredly, "You don't get to just glance over that explanation. How in Arceus did you manage to manipulate that much Rock energy like that? I had to build my own machine when I created the Magmarizer, and that took me months!"
  
  He shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, Blaine. I just built my own machine and then it just happened. It was a nice side project that I had been working on. I can even show you the machine later if you want to see it."
  
  The three of us gaped at him. Even with my lesser understanding of science, I knew what Blaine had accomplished with the Magmarizer was no simple task. So for Oak to create the Protector by adapting Blaine's own methods - and so quickly - was nothing less than jaw-dropping.
  
  Was this the genius of Professor Oak?
  
  "...I shouldn't even be surprised at your antics, Sam." Blaine eventually muttered, "I should be mad. Actually, I don't know why I'm not. Well, congratulations anyways. It seems like you made quite the find."
  
  "Do you have any plans to sell it?" Shelly asked, shaking out of her shock and taking up her role as a Devon Corp Director once again.
  
  He shrugged, "If there's demand for it, then I see no reason why I wouldn't." The way he said it was so dismissive that it was as if the money and the fame didn't matter to him.
  
  To be fair, it probably didn't.
  
  "Well, that's all I really want to show you today." Oak turned his attention back to us, "So how's your own Electirizer project going? I hope it's going well."
  
  That pulled everyone into a discussion about what was going on with the Electirizer. With Volkner brought onboard and actually working well with the team, that meant that they were making steady progress to creating a prototype. Blaine suspected that we would actually finish ahead of projections.
  
  "Volkner hopes that we can get a working prototype done by the time the Tournament rolls around, which was quicker than we expected." Shelly said. "He hopes to use the Tournament to show off the new evolution."
  
  "It would be a great marketing opportunity." Oak agreed, "Ah...it's a shame that I won't be able to participate in the Tournament. It sounds like great fun."
  
  "I think many people are sighing in relief that you're not participating, Sam." Blaine muttered, "You'd easily be one of the Top 3 if you were."
  
  Oak shrugged, "Oh well, I'll stick to cheering you guys on the sidelines." He looked at me and Blaine, "Who were you two partnered with again?"
  
  "I'm with Gym Leader Byron, and John's with Gym Leader Roxanne." Blaine answered for the both of us.
  
  "Byron...ah, he's the long-time Gym Leader of Canalave City, from Sinnoh." Oak nodded, "Well he's of similar age to you, Blaine. Maybe you can work well together as a defensive-offensive pair."
  
  "Maybe..." That didn't sound very convincing from Blaine, but then the conversation switched over to the three of us bantering about the Tournament and the pairings.
  
  My reminder that Agatha was paired up with the young twins got Blaine roaring with laughter and even elicited a few chuckles from Oak. Shelly got her few cents in - working with so many strong trainers had pushed her to train up her analysis skills even further.
  
  Sadly, everyone had their own commitments to head to, so we had to cut our discussion short. I returned home and got to training with my team ahead of my meeting with Roxanne.
  
  I had a really deep think about which Pokémon I wanted to highlight through this Tournament. This was an excellent training opportunity for my weaker Pokémon since it was rare for them to be able to fight so many experienced opponents like this; I couldn't afford to pass this up.
  
  Therefore, I vowed to myself to primarily make use of Ornstein, Euphie, Pixel, and Wraith for this Tournament. With some good planning and teamwork with Roxanne, I believed that their strength and niche would be sufficient at overcoming any foe and bring me to the Top 3.
  
  I acknowledged that, aside from Pixel, none of my chosen four Pokémon were really at the Elite level yet, though Ornstein was close to it. But I was confident that they all had their own niche, and were well-trained enough, to do well in the Tournament. Sure, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle for me in certain fights, but those were the moments where my Pokémon could most likely improve themselves.
  
  I'd save my stronger Pokémon for emergencies if I really needed to use them, so I wouldn't be intentionally handicapping myself. After all, I didn't intend to lose.
  
  So that was what I worked on for the rest of the afternoon, all the way until Roxanne called up. Moving to a video call, her image slowly flickered into existence on my phone.
  
  "...John? Can you see and hear me?" She asked.
  
  "Yep. It's a pleasure to finally see you face-to-face, even if it is over the phone." I greeted, "Now I understand we're both quite busy, so let's get right into it."
  
  "Absolutely." She nodded, "I'll start by introducing my team." She picked up her phone and panned it over her team.
  
  She had a Golem, Steelix, Sudowoodo, Relicanth, Shuckle, and her starter Probopass. A very typical lineup for a Rock specialist. Admittedly, her team really wasn't anything special; in fact, I'd consider it to be below average for a Gym Leader.
  
  But I didn't begrudge her for it when I knew that her true strength lied in her role as an educator. The strength of one's team was not everything, even as a Gym Leader.
  
  So I didn't let any disappointment show on my face, "Let me show you the team that I intend to bring into the fight." Then it was my turn to pan my phone around Ornstein, Euphie, Pixel, Klee, Luna, and Wraith, which I explained would be the main Pokémon I intended to be using. Though I also included Smough and Vordt just in case.
  
  "...You don't intend to bring your stronger Pokémon?" Roxanne asked.
  
  "I do intend to use them if I have to, but I want to primarily focus on these Pokémon for the time being." I explained, "If I were to use my stronger Pokémon for every fight, then there's every likelihood that I might be able to defeat our opponents by myself. That would leave you completely sidelined, which I don't want. The whole point of the Tournament is to work together, and so our victories will be a team effort."
  
  "Of course, should we face an appropriately formidable opponent, then I will not hesitate to use my stronger Pokémon." I said, "I will not compromise our chances of making it into the Top 3 just because I want to train up my weaker Pokémon. You have my word on that."
  
  She nodded, "Then you have my thanks. But...as you can see, my team isn't the strongest. Nor am I the most accomplished of battlers. However, I will defer to your superior experience in guiding us to victory."
  
  I accepted being the 'leader' of us two, "Sure, I appreciate the trust. Now I think we should go through what our Pokémon can do."
  
  Therefore, the two of us spent some time going over what our Pokémon did. I didn't find anything surprising from Roxanne's descriptions of her Pokémon; they all fought and were trained up to be your standard defensive Rock type. They had powerful moves and were highly durable, but were slow and immobile.
  
  I did ask if Shuckle knew moves like Guard or Power Split, but Roxanne unfortunately explained that it wasn't very trained in those moves at the moment since Shuckle was a more recent addition. It was more of a supportive/defensive Pokémon than any niche offensive threat, which was fine. It would still be useful.
  
  In summary, Roxanne had trained her Pokémon as she was likely taught to do. They were perfectly competent Pokémon in all respects, but there were no surprises. Her Pokémon were likely all textbook examples of how you should train them up.
  
  It really suited her as a serious educator.
  
  "...I was hoping to get my hands on a few of those newly revived fossils. I would love to be able to study them up close and hopefully add them to my team." She said.
  
  "Couldn't you afford them?" I asked, "You ARE a Gym Leader."
  
  She chuckled, "I could...but I couldn't really justify the cost. The fossils are still really new, and they're still really pricey. I'd just have to wait for the price to go down before I consider it."
  
  Hmm...maybe I could help with that? I mean I could just ask Joseph, but I didn't want to freeload off of him either or take advantage of his goodwill. Something to think about for the future.
  
  Putting that aside for now, I fell into careful thought about how we could work together as a team. One of the main difficulties was that we weren't really able to train together; she was in Hoenn, and I was in Indigo. Most of our training would be done separately, meaning that it was harder for our Pokémon to get used to and cooperate with each other.
  
  Fortunately, the simplicity of her Pokémon's fighting style actually helped out here. With how little time we really had to work out a strategy, and with no idea who our opponents would even be, it was best to keep things as simple as possible. Thus, the fact that Roxanne's Pokémon were only really able to fight one way helped to not over-complicate things.
  
  In fact, the majority of our discussions actually revolved around how I would utilize my Pokémon instead; since they all fought so differently from each other. Klee, Luna, and Euphie were primarily supportive Pokémon, Ornstein and Wraith were far more offense-oriented, and Pixel was a jack-of-all-trades.
  
  And then Vordt and Smough were there if anything really needed to be beaten down.
  
  "Your Pokémon are all so unique." Roxanne muttered, "They're all so different from each other."
  
  "The benefits of the Normal type." I bragged exaggeratedly, "It's why we're the best type."
  
  She rolled her eyes, but was unable to hide her amusement, "Since you have so much time to joke around, have you come up with a training plan on what we could work on?"
  
  "Yes...this is what I think we should do." Then I went into explanation about how I intended to fight our battles. Knowing Roxanne lacked experience, I kept things simple for her. She would focus on what Rock types did best - to defend and to make use of large, destructive, area-of-effect attacks.
  
  I was sure that this would surprise a few people, but I decided that I might take on a hybrid support/ambushing role with my own team - with a primary focus of crippling and taking down key threats or distracting them to allow Roxanne to hit her slow, but powerful attacks.
  
  The main advantage of keeping the plan as simple as this was that it meant that we didn't have to rush into training up some complicated coordinated manoeuvre that would probably fail when it came time for the actual battle.
  
  A simple plan executed well was better than a complicated plan executed poorly.
  
  And judging by the look of approval on Roxanne's face, I could tell that she agreed, "I appreciate that you've kept it simple. It's something I've always told my students. It gets all too easy to get caught up in theories and step-by-step plans that don't take into account the many complications of a real battle. I was prepared to speak up should you have fallen into the same trap, but I was wrong to doubt you."
  
  "Well thanks for the compliment." I rubbed my head, "So do you think you understand what you need to work on with your team?"
  
  "Yes, I'll be focusing on making sure my Pokémon can attack as powerfully and as quickly as possible. I trust in their defences already, so making sure that I can fully take advantage of the opportunities you provide me would be the most essential thing to work on." She responded, "I'll be trying to maximize their power in the time we have left to prepare."
  
  "Good. And I'll be working on my Pokémon's supporting moves even further to make sure that I can set up those opportunities for you." I returned with a nod, "Let me demonstrate what kinds of opportunities my Pokémon can create for you."
  
  I smirked once we had gotten to what Pixel and Wraith could do; I was certain that the shock on her face at his Illusion ability would be replicated many times over in this Tournament.
  
  And that was how the two of us got to work on training up ourselves for the Tournament. Plus, the more we talked, and the more I observed Roxanne and her team, the more confident I was in our chances.
  
  Roxanne was a hard worker and an observant battler with a keen eye for detail. And that effort had translated well into her team. Like I said earlier, her Pokémon truly were nothing special. In a 1v1 battle, many teams would be able to exploit their predictability and easily crush them.
  
  But here, with me as her partner, I was able to cover her Pokémon's major weakness. As long as I performed my job properly, I trusted her team to either be the ones delivering the knockout blow, or to buy enough time for me to do the same.
  
  I grinned; this was going to be an exciting Tournament.
  
  A.N. Oak shows off his genius once again! And accidentally flexes on Blaine, oops. My guy didn't make the Pokédex for nothing. I thought that out of everyone, he's the best one to get inspired by the Magmariser to create something unique of his own.
  
  In the meanwhile, Roxanne and John hash out a plan. Roxanne truly is nothing special as a Gym Leader, but that's fine. There's nothing wrong with 'merely' being competent. And yes, I deliberately focused on John's weaker Pokémon for this Tournament because I really wanted to give them the opportunity to take the spotlight for once. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-6 - Interlude -Drake
  The New Normal - 10-6 - Interlude - Drake
  
  Drake fiddled with his phone for a while before he finally managed to dial up the Waterflower sisters' correct number.
  
  He had no idea why all these newfangled phones were all determined to make their buttons even smaller than before. What was so wrong with bigger buttons? What was this obsession with making everything 'sleek' and 'minimalistic'?
  
  He put aside his grumblings as he heard the call connect.
  
  "Hello? Elite Drake? I think you forgot to switch to video mode." He heard one of the sister's voice come through the phone. Damn, how was he supposed to turn the damn thing on again?
  
  "You need to press the button on the screen, sir." A surprising male voice suddenly interrupted his frustrated flailing - who was that? But whoever he was, at least he was right. Drake smiled as his camera finally worked and the image of the three Waterflower sisters that served as Gym Leader of Cerulean appeared on his screen. There was also a lone man standing in the corner, who looked to be some assistant of sort.
  
  "Hah! Got the fu-damn thing to work." He had to remember to censor himself, "Greetings, Gym Leaders of Cerulean. I do apologize in advance if I do get your names mixed up."
  
  "Uh...that's okay! We're used to it." The younger of the sisters said, "And...uh...we hope you aren't too mad about being paired up with us. We know we aren't very strong..."
  
  Drake barked out a laugh, "HAH! That was the least of my worries. I already heard all about your efforts to improve yourself from John. And that's already enough for me. Don't go beating yourself up about your strength. You're still very young; you've got plenty of time to grow."
  
  "I did say to not worry." The man said to the sisters, getting sheepish looks from them. "You have my thanks, Elite Drake, for your quick acceptance of them. The sisters have been tripping over themselves in worry that you'd be upset with them."
  
  "Oh and I do apologize for not introducing myself earlier." The man fell into a formal bow, "My name is Petrel. I serve as the main administrator of the Cerulean Gym - and unofficial caretaker of the sisters."
  
  "Hey! We can take care of ourselves!" The middle sister called out indignantly.
  
  "...Please remind me who does the shopping again? Who buys your daily groceries? Who reminds you to clean up after yourselves?" Petrel said dryly, "Who helps you when-"
  
  "OK OK WE GET IT!" The oldest of the sisters scrambled to cover Petrel's mouth, "PLEASE stop embarrassing us!"
  
  Drake shot them all an amused smile, "What a pleasant Gym environment you guys have. I'm almost jealous."
  
  He shook his head, "Anyways, enough faffing about. It's time to focus on our preparation." At his words, the sisters all stopped their antics and turned to him with a determined look on their faces.
  
  Good. He could work with this.
  
  "Let's run through your team first." He said, "I'm also very familiar with the Water type, so I think I can give out a few pointers about how you could improve your team."
  
  The sisters nodded and began their explanation. Their team consisted of a Golduck, Vaporeon, Dewgong, Starmie, Slowbro, and their Gyarados, which Drake had heard that they were still having problems controlling.
  
  A plan immediately formed in his mind when he listened to their lineup of Pokémon.
  
  "Right, I have a plan." He announced, "We're going to be the Water type duo."
  
  "Duo?" The younger sister asked, "Do you mean that we both will be using Water types?"
  
  "Exactly." Drake nodded, "We're going to be making full use of the Rain to powerup our Water type moves. Your Pokémon all have good supporting movesets that will prove useful in setting up the Rain and also providing support for my Pokémon. In the meanwhile, leave all the damage to me. With the Rain, my Pokémon will blast through all our opponents."
  
  He paused, then remembered something important, "...That is, if you don't mind me taking the spotlight. I can try to work something else out if you want to challenge yourself."
  
  "No, no, it's totally fine-" The oldest of the sisters tried to say, but she was interrupted by Petrel.
  
  "But it would be appreciated if you could give them an opportunity to show off their strength as well." Petrel cut in, "I don't mean for you to adjust your plan to accommodate them, but please give the sisters a chance to be the one making the big attacks. It would help their reputation massively."
  
  "...Petrel...you don't have to push for that..." The middle sister whined.
  
  "I do apologize, Violet, but this is too good of an opportunity to pass up. It would not be received well should you rely purely on Drake's strength." Petrel insisted. Violet huffed, but ultimately acquiesced to his advice.
  
  On Drake's part, he was surprised at Petrel's actions. Over his many years, he had met with many different people. Both good and bad. And he had initially marked Petrel as one of the shadier types that got away with their actions using their silver tongue. He had thought that Petrel was taking advantage of the sisters somehow.
  
  But now, that thought had been completely reversed. The more he watched them interacting, the more he realized the parental role that Petrel had likely inadvertently taking up in the sisters' lives. How did this happen? How did a man like Petrel be swindled into caring?
  
  Though Drake managed to keep his amusement to himself, "Look at the man looking out for you. But I agree that it'll be good for you young lasses to show off your strength. Can't have people saying that this old man's doing all the work for you! HAH!"
  
  "Thank you, Drake. We really appreciate it." The sisters all bowed slightly towards him, "...Though, now that we have you, do you have any tips for training our Gyarados? We've made some progress with training with it, but it still doesn't fully listen to our commands in battle. It's okay outside of battle, but it sometimes gets too consumed by the haze of battle and loses control."
  
  Drake smirked, "Gyarados problems? Ah, not the first time I've heard of something like this." He chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll help you out. I know a trick or two."
  
  "Really?! That'd be so cool!" The younger exclaimed excitedly, "We've had problems with Gyarados for soooo long."
  
  "Not a problem for me. But I can't do anything over this dumb screen. I'll help you out in person." The sisters all nodded eagerly.
  
  "Now, since we still have some time, why don't we both REALLY show off what our Pokémon can do." He grinned, "If you're going to show off your Pokémon in battle, you better believe I'm going to make sure that they're in shape."
  
  Drake suddenly clapped his hands, startling the sisters, "SO, LET'S GET A MOVE ON! GO GO GO! TIME'S A WASTIN'!" The girls scrambled out of the room, likely dashing for the training field. But they had left their phone behind.
  
  With a resigned sigh, Petrel slowly picked up the phone and carried it with him to the training fields. Drake just let out another bark of laughter. These kids were hilarious!
  
  A.N. Drake enjoying himself. But I also wanted to show off the Waterflower sisters once again - it's been some time since we've really caught up with them. And yes, Petrel has accidentally become a parent. Whoops.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-7 - Pre-Tournament
  
  Time flew when you were having fun, and there were few things as fun and as exciting as preparing for a Tournament that would have the entire world watching and cheering. During that time, my sister finally deigned to visit home, where she spent the night regaling us of her time as a Gym Trainer of the Saffron Gym.
  
  "It was strange working with Psychic types at first. They're really squishy, and most of them can't fight at all in close range. It was very different to what I was used to." She had told us that night, "But Sabrina did help out a lot, and now I'm trying to see what new Psychic moves and strategies that I can introduce to my own team!"
  
  "Didn't you have a Girafarig?" I asked, hinting at its evolution, "I think out of all your Pokémon, it'd gain the most out of some good Psychic training."
  
  "Yep! I mean, my Girafarig usually prefers to get up-close and bash its opponents, but I'm trying to teach it to also make use of Psychic moves so that it has some more ranged options as well." She said, "It took some time to persuade it, but I think Girafarig has the potential to become one of the stronger Pokémon on my team."
  
  "That's great dear," My mom smiled at Whitney, "But don't overdo it with the training. Make sure you're still able to spend time with your friends. Have you spoken to Janine since you started working at Saffron?"
  
  "Of course!" Whitney replied instantly, "I would never forget her just because we aren't working together! Sabrina and I always make sure to call her every night to update each other on our days. And once we get some free time we try our best to visit her in Fuchsia."
  
  "How is she doing anyways?" I asked.
  
  "Janine's happy, and she's doing well." Whitney said, "Apparently she had impressed her father with how much she had grown, and now he's starting to really train her so that she can eventually take over the Gym. It's not much different from what Samson and Katrina are doing with Sabrina either....though Sabrina seems to be better at learning than Janine. Don't tell her I said that though." She stuck out her tongue cutely.
  
  It was a nice moment to catch-up. After dinner, she had shown me her Pokémon and how much they had grown. I was pleased with her progress, especially regarding her previously weaker Pokémon. Like she said, her Girafarig was really starting to grow into a powerful battler, and her Noctowl had finally found a niche as an agile supporting Pokémon that could shut down unaware opponents with her plethora of status moves.
  
  There wasn't anything more I needed to say about her Wigglytuff, Exploud, or Miltank. She knew what she was doing.
  
  That was why I didn't really offer Whitney any specific advice on how she should train up her Pokémon. Now was not the time to dictate to her what was best. She had already proven to me that she had discovered her own style of training, and she knew her team better than I did. She knew what she had to work on.
  
  The one piece of advice that I DID give was that I reminded her to continue developing Girafarig's Psychic potential.
  
  "You have the rare opportunity to be working as a Gym Trainer in an experienced Psychic Gym." I had told her, "You best make use of all they can teach you and apply it to your Pokémon."
  
  "Don't worry bro, I'm already working with Sabrina on this." She grinned, "Just you wait! My Girafarig WILL surprise you."
  
  Aside the highlight that was Whitney's visit, the other notable event of the week was that the Preliminary Rounds were about to finish. Karen had, unsurprisingly, cleared through this stage without much issue. She had matched up against a few powerful veteran Ace trainers that were much harder to defeat than your regular opponent, but her Pokémon had grown so much that she still won convincingly.
  
  So now it was just a matter of time of waiting for the Preliminary Rounds to fully conclude, since there were still a few matches left. Once those were done though, then there would be a week's break before the Finals began.
  
  Everyone knew that THIS was where the interesting fights took place. By now the Preliminary Rounds had weeded out all the weaker trainers, so those that remained were mostly the cream of the crop.
  
  There would be no cruising through for Karen now. Fortunately, she didn't seem perturbed by the challenges ahead.
  
  "John, I've fought harder opponents than this. Ace trainers they may be, but I've been training with the old hag for most of my life." She had told me, "And then there's all the training I did with you, then that battle against Sidney. I feel like I have the right to remain confident."
  
  "Of course." I nodded, "Just don't get cocky."
  
  "You don't have to remind me." She snorted, "I know full well how close I am to finally being able to achieve my goal - to finally being able to take the weight off of Agatha's shoulders and relieve her of her responsibilities. I know I have to win this, for her sake."
  
  "...And besides, I'd also be happy if our relationship could be one of equals." She smiled, "I haven't forgotten all the help you've given me - and I want to be able to pay it all back and help you with your own goals. Agatha isn't the only person who I'd like to repay."
  
  "You know that's not what I care about-"
  
  "No, John. This is something I want to do." She patted me on the arm, "Anyways, enough with this sappy stuff. Didn't you say you were training your Tyrant up to be able to take on Lance's Emperor? Come, show me what you've done with him. I think I've come up with a better strategy to take him on."
  
  ...Needless to say, Tyrant won.
  
  To no one's surprise, Cynthia had cleared through her Open Challenge and had finally and officially became the Champion of Sinnoh. There was this big ceremony in Sinnoh for her ascension and everything, and all of us sent our congratulations for her new position.
  
  Ignoring all of the political consequences of that for the moment, this meant that the Tri-Regional Tournament was FINALLY here. And EVERYONE was heading to Hoenn in droves to see it. I only just now realized how beneficial this would be for their tourism.
  
  And what was about to be even more beneficial was that Wallace had 'kindly' asked us to all participate in a photoshoot. All of us. Every Gym Leader, Elite Four, and even the Champions. The photos would all be for advertising purposes, and mainly to offset the costs for the Hoenn League for being the host of the Tournament.
  
  But by my crude calculations I was willing to bet that the Hoenn League actually stood to gain more than they lost for setting up the event. Wallace's keen eye for business surprised me. It made me wonder if he had someone helping him.
  
  However, as quite literally every important trainer was about to leave their region for a week to participate in the Tournament, that meant that there would be a temporary gap where Indigo and Sinnoh would be left slightly vulnerable.
  
  That required Lance to place the Indigo Police and the rangers on higher alert. No temporary measures needed to be passed, but the Jennys were ordered to be more alert than usual when it came to what they considered to be 'suspicious'behaviour. Funds were further allocated to accommodate for any overtime hours, and Ace trainers would also be deployed to bolster the regions' security.
  
  I had heard the same had been ordered in the other regions as well. Especially in Sinnoh, where Cynthia had ordered that those who had been knocked out of the Tournament to swiftly return as soon as possible.
  
  Despite these measures, I was still a little worried that this would give Team Galactic an opportunity to advance their plans, but Giovanni had pointed out that this was also a trap for them.
  
  "They don't know that they're being observed." Giovanni had told me, "They think that with all of the important trainers in Sinnoh heading to Hoenn, that there won't be as many prying eyes on them. But they're wrong."
  
  "Archer and his team will keep careful watch on what they do. They'll be ordered only to observe, but we'll be able to turn this lack of perceived security against them." He explained, "Right now, our biggest difficulty for dealing with these terrorists is that they remain hidden. Whatever plans they use this opportunity to advance will be nullified if we are able to properly track them down. And once they slip up? Well then we know exactly when and where to strike, don't we?"
  
  I had agreed with Giovanni's plan. The one-week period would serve as a trap for Team Galactic. We'll let them move around relatively freely, observing them as they moved around. Then, once we returned from the Tournament, we would pounce on them for the mistakes that they had made.
  
  With a plan to handle Team Galactic sorted, I made my own way to Hoenn. Lance had forbid the Elite Four from ALL heading to Hoenn on the same transport in case something happened. So instead we all had to make our own separate ways there.
  
  I decided to just keep it simple and fly over there on Port. His stamina was more than sufficient for such a flight. It also meant I could arrive slightly earlier so that I could get a quick training session in with Roxanne before the photoshoot and the Tournament.
  
  There'd still be time after the photoshoot to train, but every moment counts.
  
  As I arrived at Hoenn, I could see even from up high that it was packed to the brim with tourists. Ever Grande City was flooded with people - most of whom I assumed had come just to watch the Tournament. Even if they hadn't managed to book seats at the stadium, they would at least get to be closer to where all the VIPs were gathered.
  
  I smiled; it always pleasing to see how much trust and faith the people had in their leaders. It was as it should be.
  
  Ignoring the crowds, I left the skies of Ever Grande City and instead flew over to a place that I hadn't been in almost a year. The busy streets of Rustboro gleamed below me, filled to the brim with bustling tourists - though nowhere near as much as there were in Ever Grande City.
  
  Even from up high, I could tell that the Gym's museum was a big reason for why the tourists chose to visit. As the region that was responsible for the revival of fossils, it was unsurprising that those interested or curious about these new Pokémon would flock to Hoenn to have a look and learn more about the history of these unusual and unique Pokémon.
  
  And I was nearly certain that Roxanne would eventually have these exhibits filled with fossils in the future.
  
  I landed just a short distance away from the Rustboro Gym as I quickly headed inside before the crowd could recognize me. I knew there must have been people on the lookout for my arrival, since the fact that the Elite Four would be departing from Indigo was a matter of public knowledge and everyone knew who my partner was. Fortunately, I managed to scramble inside before I got spotted.
  
  I met Roxanne directly at her office. She turned to me with a polite smile as she saw me.
  
  "You came here quickly - I wasn't expecting you for at least another few hours." She greeted me with a handshake, "I hope your journey here wasn't too uncomfortable. Judging by your windswept hair - I'm guessing you flew here?"
  
  "Yes, my Mantine carried me over." I nodded, "It's strange that I've now arrived in Hoenn via my own personal Pokémon more than I've done by boat."
  
  "At least there's no emergency for you to attend to this time; unless you count the photoshoot that Wallace has insisted on to be an 'emergency'." She muttered, "Though, now that I think about it, with that many 'unique' personalities crammed into one space together...it might become an emergency."
  
  "Wait, are we seriously all going to be crammed into one studio?" I asked, baffled. "It's going to be 44 of us! And that's not including all the other staff."
  
  "No idea, Wallace didn't explain it to us." She shrugged, "But he seems smart enough to not do that. Wallace isn't foolish enough to disregard the dangers of cramming every single important trainer into one room like that."
  
  "Well we can worry about that later. We still have some time before that happens, right?" I asked, getting a nod from her. "In that case, we should get a quick spar done. I want my Pokémon to really understand just how powerful yours are - and vice versa. Unless you have students to teach?"
  
  "Not today. I've taken some time off for this Tournament. Their parents were understanding." She stated, "Nevertheless, we shouldn't waste time. Let's do 2v2 battles, with the rest of our Pokémon spectating. Come, I'll bring you to the training field immediately."
  
  I followed her to the Gym's training facilities, which was fortunately private and away from prying eyes. Having spectators would only serve as unnecessary distractions.
  
  The facilities that we found ourselves in was surprisingly modern. For all that the Gym liked to promote the history and archaeology of Hoenn, their facilities looked state-of-the-art. That bode well for the Gym's success.
  
  But that was enough idling about for me. As soon as we arrived, I resummoned my focus and sent out the team that I intended to be using. Euphie, Ornstein, Wraith, Pixel, Luna, Klee, Smough, and Vordt all came out.
  
  "Phew. That's some team." Roxanne whistled, "It's very different seeing them up close. Your Pokémon seem to radiate with far more strength than when I observed them through a screen. Well then, here's mine!"
  
  She released her team onto the field. It was a testament to Wraith's newfound discipline that he didn't snarl and charge at the sudden appearance of her team. He definitely would have done so before.
  
  "Let's not wait any longer - we'll get straight into this." She declared, with me nodding in agreement.
  
  I chose Pixel and Wraith to be her opponents this time, as they were the more unique Pokémon on my team. Roxanne might have seen them through a screen, but I wanted her to truly experience what it was like fighting with and against them just so she could get a handle of what it was like.
  
  On the other hand, she chose her trusty duo of Golem and Steelix.
  
  "You ready?" I asked, getting a nod from her. Then the fight began.
  
  "SPLIT APART!" I shouted.
  
  "Magnet Rise up, Steelix!" "Earthquake, Golem!"
  
  Both Pixel and Steelix flew into the air; though Pixel did so with considerably more ease and speed compared to Steelix. Roxanne was hoping to use Steelix to check Pixel by putting pressure on it, separating Pixel from the fight.
  
  At the same time, Wraith bounded forwards, rushing towards the Golem just as a powerful Earthquake shook the ground, knocking Wraith out of his charge and causing him to fall onto his knees.
  
  "Stone Edge, Golem. Smash it!"
  
  Golem roared and a large circle of rocks exploded out of the ground from where Wraith had fallen. The rocks ripped into his body as he let out a pained howl and collapsed weakly to the ground. Unconscious.
  
  ...Of course, that was when the REAL Wraith came bursting out of nowhere, his eyes gleaming with malice as he got the drop on a surprised Golem. Golem's raised its arms instinctively to shield itself, but a sharp Low Kick from Wraith sent Golem stumbling to the ground.
  
  Seeing its ally in trouble, Steelix turned around and unleashed a powerful Dragon Pulse that threatened to blast Wraith into the ground. However, Pixel came flying in front of it and intercepted the Dragon Pulse with its body - after already having used Conversion to turn itself into a Fairy type.
  
  With Steelix not able to interfere, Wraith was free to continue his beatdown on the vulnerable Golem, savaging it with a brutal combo of Brick Breaks and Shadow Claws. Every time Golem tried to fight back with a Thunder Punch or Fire Punch, Wraith would interrupt its attempts with a nasty Sucker Punch to the gut, not letting up on the pressure.
  
  Most other Pokémon would have been knocked out by now. But Golem's impressive defenses were not for nothing, and it managed to withstand the onslaught of attacks from Wraith without being too injured.
  
  "Gyro Ball, Golem! Fling it away!"
  
  Letting out a grunt as another hard-hitting Brick Break slammed into it, Golem managed to curl itself into a ball and began to spin with rapidly increasing speed.
  
  Not wanting to be caught in that, Wraith backed off. Which was exactly what Golem seemed to be waiting for.
  
  Using the full momentum of its spin, Golem rocketed itself forwards, its head gleaming and its fists crackling as it readied an Iron Head and Thunder Punch. Golem had a vicious smile on its face as it crashed into the surprised Wraith, pummelling it with a devastating combo of moves that landed with enough power to crack the reinforced ground around them. Wraith was smashed painfully into the ground.
  
  Only...he didn't hit Wraith. It was another Illusion.
  
  "Punish it with a Shadow Ball."
  
  The real Wraith let out a cackle as he reappeared a short distance away, immediately firing off a barrage of Shadow Balls that detonated painfully on a surprised Golem yet again. For all of its impressive physical defenses, Golem's special defenses were found wanting and the volley of incoming Shadow Balls ripped through its health.
  
  However, just as Wraith was about to move in for the final blow, a powerful Iron Tail suddenly slammed into him from behind, sending Wraith face-first into the nearby wall - this time it wasn't an illusion. Steelix immediately tried to follow-up on its successful attack with a Stone Edge, but an Ice Beam from Pixel forcefully interrupted its attack.
  
  Steelix whirled back on Pixel with an annoyed look on its face. Pixel was an incredible nuisance. It was just agile enough to dodge away from Steelix's slow-moving, yet powerful attacks. Even after firing off a barrage of rocks with Stone Edge, Steelix never really managed to land more than a glancing blow. And worse, having used Conversion to change itself into a Water type, Steelix had no good moves to really damage Pixel.
  
  It lacked the option to use Earthquake - its' most powerful move, as the two of them were currently fighting in the air using Magnet Rise. It became clear to me that even though Steelix could fight in the air; it was far from proficient at it. Something to make a note of for our future fights.
  
  "Flash Cannon, Steelix! Make space to get close to it!"
  
  Steelix let out a roar of frustration as it shot off a Flash Cannon, only for the attack to detonate in the air as Pixel countered it with its own Tri-Attack. Steelix tried making use of the opportunity to rush forwards, trying to slam its devastating Iron Tail into Pixel, only for Pixel to fire off an Icy Wind. The chilly winds battered the Steelix, slowing it down enough so that Pixel was easily able to dodge out of the way.
  
  In all honesty, Pixel was completely outclassing Roxanne's Steelix. Pixel was used to fighting far greater threats and powerhouses - having frequently sparred with Vordt and Smough. Not only did the two of them hit way harder than Steelix, they also moved faster and their Stone Edges were far more voluminous.
  
  And this was without taking into account Pixel's mastery of self-recovery moves. Steelix stood no chance.
  
  While the battle in the skies began to stall, the battle on the ground was reaching its inevitable conclusion. Though he had just been slammed into a wall, Wraith was still more than able to keep fighting, while Golem looked like it was about to collapse from its injuries. One of its eyes was forcibly sealed shut, and the once pristine and smooth boulder on its back was now chipped and cracked.
  
  But I remained alert, wary of the determined look that Golem was unable to hide from its eyes. I knew from experience what was coming.
  
  But since Roxanne must have known that Wraith was immune to her plan, there was only one possible target for her.
  
  I moved to counter her move, but Roxanne acted with surprising decisiveness.
  
  "EXPLOSION! Toward the Porygon!"
  
  "CONVERSION: GHOST!"
  
  Golem leapt up with whatever remained of its strength, forcing itself into the air to get as close as possible to Pixel as its entire body started to glow a dangerous bright. At the same time, Pixel began to flash a dark purple as it began the process of Converting into a Ghost type.
  
  Trying to take advantage of this distraction, Steelix rushed forwards - its own head gleaming as it tried to crash their heads together in a brutal Iron Head. However, all Steelix ended up doing was roaring in pain as Wraith fired off another barrage of Shadow Balls that struck the Steel type - interrupting its charge as it staggered backwards.
  
  And then her Golem exploded.
  
  I was forced to shield my face from the resulting shockwave that blasted outwards, blinding me to what was happening. Remarkably, I noticed that the specially-made walls of the training field seemed to be able to absorb the sudden explosion of energy, leaving the outer walls unharmed.
  
  As the shockwave gradually dispersed, I looked at the result of Golem's final stand. To my surprise, the only Pokémon left standing was Wraith. All of the other Pokémon were on the floor, either groaning or knocked out.
  
  However, upon giving the battlefield another careful look, I realized that Pixel wasn't actually knocked out. It had just collapsed onto the ground from the explosive wave of force, and while it was badly damaged, it was already in the process of healing itself up.
  
  Steelix was not so fortunate. Its' steely exterior was marred with lingering ghostly energies that flickered off its fallen body. Wraith must have taken advantage of his immunity to the Explosion to blast Steelix with more Shadow Balls while it was unprepared.
  
  It was my victory.
  
  "Fuck. That didn't go as planned." Roxanne blurted out, and my eyes immediately snapped to her in surprise. She swore?
  
  She must have seen the look on my face, as a slight red tinge coloured her cheeks, "Oops. Pretend you didn't hear that." She looked away from me embarrassedly, "Uh...that was a good fight. Hehe..."
  
  I chuckled at her display of bashfulness, "There's no need to be embarrassed. I swear all the time too. I was just surprised because I didn't expect it from you-"
  
  "Because I look like the formal and no-nonsense teacher that's all strict and disciplined?" She rolled her eyes, "That's the image I like to put up, yes. But try teaching a bunch of school children for a long time. No matter how nice or adorable they are, your blood pressure will go up one day."
  
  She looked me dead in the eye, "Swearing silently under your breath is an essential skill for all teachers to learn."
  
  "...I'll take your word on that." I nodded, before deciding to return back to the main topic, "But back to the battle. How did you think you performed? I think you did quite well, especially with your Golem, but let's focus on what we learned."
  
  "Steelix should not have tried to chase after your Porygon2 in the air. I should not have tried to challenge your Porygon in an aerial duel with Steelix's mobility being as poor as it is." She replied, adopting a thoughtful pose, "In fact...from the very beginning of the fight I should have tried to pair up Golem with a speedier attacker, or alternatively dedicated time to buffing up with Rock Polish. That's something we should account for when we pair up."
  
  I nodded; though I kept the fact that I could have easily shut down any of her attempts to buff up her Pokémon's speed with a quick Taunt to myself. No need to ruin the mood.
  
  "I was unused to fighting against your Zoroark's Illusion ability, and I admit it will take some time to adapt to that." She added, "Other than that, my Pokémon's attacks were just too slow. You were able to interrupt them too easily throughout the fight."
  
  "Yes, that it something to focus on." I agreed, "But don't beat yourself up too much. It's heartening to see that your Pokémon live up to my initial impressions of them. Yes, their attacks are slow and easy to avoid, but they hit hard. Had my Zoroark not tricked you with his Illusions, you could have brought him down with your Golem's hard-hitting attacks, and there were some impressive bursts of speed when it mattered. Same applies to Steelix."
  
  I clapped my hands, "Well, while we should keep practicing, I'm satisfied to know that our plan should work out. Your Pokémon hit hard, and my Pokémon should be able to take down key threats or set up opportunities for you to do so."
  
  "Plus, if I was surprised by your Pokémon's versatility, then certainly some of my colleagues will be too." Roxanne pointed out, "That's quite the surprise factor we have."
  
  "I hope so as well." I smiled, quickly glancing at my watch, "And since we still have some time before we're required to head to Ever Grande City, let's quickly run through our other Pokémon. Get the both of us on the same page. We can talk more strategy later."
  
  She nodded, and the two of us got back to work. Seeing the look that she had in her eyes, I knew that the two of us shared the same determination and drive.
  
  We were going to win this whole thing. Together.
  
  A.N. Sorry for the late upload - FFN went down. Though as a kind reminder, please note that I do crosspost these chapters on SB/QQ, so you can read those chapters there if anything similar happens to FFN again.
  
  The time until the Tournament is fast approaching, and I wanted to highlight a few other events that have been taking place in the background. Not only that, but I also wanted to do a quick demonstration of John's 'weaker' Pokémon. They are still very formidable, and they're only 'weaker' when compared to the other powerhouses on his team.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-8 - The Gathering
  
  We fully threw ourselves into training for as long as possible, until we realized that we couldn't train for any longer or else we'd be very late for the photoshoot. There was a difference between being fashionably late and just late. With how late we ended up setting off, we were really edging towards the latter.
  
  Especially since Roxanne insisted that we be Teleported there.
  
  "...I'm not sure if they are going to give us time to tidy ourselves up when we get there." She said, her hands quickly running through her hair, "And I refuse to have my photo taken after I just flew over there. My hair would be untenable!"
  
  I realized this wasn't an argument I could win, so I requested Klaus to Teleport us to Ever Grande City. It was fortunate that his Psychic prowess had grown; he used to not be able to do back-to-back Teleports like this. At least not without some rest.
  
  As we arrived at Ever Grande City, I noticed that there was a huge host of Jennys running around serving as security, but even then they were barely able to hold back the excited crowd. As we had just Teleported in right in front of them, the cheers grew even louder as they took in our sudden appearance. The cameras immediately began flashing.
  
  One of the Jenny's immediately came rushing up to us, "Elite John, Gym Leader Roxanne, please follow me. We'll be heading to the waiting room."
  
  We nodded and followed after her, with the both of us sparing the occasional wave to the crowd. As we walked, I spoke up, "Has everyone already arrived?"
  
  "Most of them have." Jenny admitted, and Roxanne flinched with a guilty look on her face. The Jenny must have caught that as she let out a small chuckle, "But we're still waiting for the Champions and a few other members. Don't worry, you aren't last."
  
  I nodded, and we were silently escorted to one of two large meeting rooms that looked like it was a repurposed conference room, which was being guarded by a whole host of Jennys. Wallace wasn't messing around with security, especially since he deliberately split us up so we wouldn't all be in one room.
  
  As the two of us entered, I immediately felt the gaze of all of the many Gym Leaders and Elite Fours suddenly turn our way, though some of them quickly returned to their own conversations.
  
  Roxanne shrunk into herself at the sudden attention, but I just gave everyone a polite wave and made my way to where the Indigo Elite Four were hanging around - since everyone seemed to have coincidentally organised themselves into their respective regions.
  
  "Look who finally deigned to arrive." Agatha barked at me, "I almost thought you had forgotten about the photoshoot."
  
  "I'm surprised you're even here." I shot back, grabbing a glass of water, "I would have thought you couldn't be bothered to attend a photoshoot."
  
  "Hah! I wouldn't have come if I didn't have to." She said, "But unfortunately, when all three Champions tell you to do something, you don't have an opportunity to say no. I don't understand why anyone would want to take a picture of my wrinkly skin."
  
  "Nonsense! You're a famous person, Agatha. I'm sure you're an inspiration for many as well." Will spoke up, "And hasn't it been a while since you've appeared in the public? I'm sure your many fans would be happy to see you."
  
  Agatha snorted, "You don't have to flatter me, boy. Once you get to my age you'll understand my aversion for cameras. There are things that are not meant to be seen."
  
  "Okay, can we talk about something else?" Lorelei gagged, "It's hard to enjoy the free food when you talk about this."
  
  "I didn't even know there was free food." I replied as I filled my plate, "I'm starving. I haven't eaten."
  
  "You shouldn't eat too much before a photoshoot, you know..." And the Will began lecturing and giving advice about what to do in preparation for a photoshoot. I just nodded idly as I continued stuffing my face in front of him. I don't think anyone was really listening. Oops.
  
  "OI! JOHN!" A sudden voice barked out at me. And I turned my head to the speaker with a smile, "Nice to finally fucking see you after so long. Thanks again for the invite to Sinnoh - it's really reawakening my adventuring spirit."
  
  I swallowed my food, "I said the same thing when I first went there too." I laughed to Drake, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll greatly enjoy yourself when you're there-"
  
  "Oh? I didn't know you had plans to head to Sinnoh." Giovanni suddenly cut in as he also walked up to us, "Think of going on a vacation?"
  
  "About damn time he took some time off!" Drake patted me on the shoulder, "Being in the Elite Four isn't easy work!"
  
  "You're just saying that to make yourself feel better!" Wattson hollered jokingly from the back of the room, "Try being a Gym Leader for a week! Wahahahah!"
  
  The Gym Leaders all cheered in support, and Drake scowled playfully.
  
  "Ungrateful bastards. The lot of them." He grumbled aloud, causing me to chuckle, "They're only so cheerful now because we're in the off-circuit. They'll be moaning when it comes time for the circuit to open up again."
  
  "Aren't you just proving their point, Drake?" Sidney asked, and Drake's glare turned his way, getting another playful laugh from Sidney.
  
  As expected, gathering so many different personalities into one room together was a recipe for chaos. But currently it was a nice type of chaos, where a whole bunch of old friends and acquaintances mingled together after what might have been a long time since they had last spoken.
  
  We were all accomplished people, and we had our fair share of mutual respect with each other. Everyone here was someone that 'made it'. Even those who weren't very well liked, like Pryce, still had people who respected him for what he managed to accomplish, at least in his earlier years.
  
  As we waited for everyone else to arrive, the conversation in the room only continued to pick up. There were just too many people for me to greet, and I noticed that people were all settling into their comfortable groups.
  
  Many of the 'old guard', such as Giovanni, Blaine, Drake, Bertha, and Agatha, had started chatting together. Even if they weren't exactly friends, their shared experiences of being long-time Elite Four or Gym Leaders gave them a common topic to talk about.
  
  Then there was another group consisting of mostly Gym Leaders. The groups mainly formed based on how similar their personalities were. So Pryce was chatting in a group with Byron and Juan, then you had the Waterflower sisters chatting with Brock, Roxanne, and Flannery, and so on and so forth.
  
  There was a lull in their conversation, so I took the opportunity to approach Brock and the Waterflower sisters, "Hey there! How's everything going?"
  
  "John! How are you not nervous?" Daisy Waterflower said to me, "I'm shaking just being here!"
  
  ""Me too!"" The other sisters added, nervous energy obvious in their eyes.
  
  "Oh I'm a little intimidated too, but it helps that I know a lot of the people here and are friends with them." I replied, smiling, "What about you, Brock? You've gotten a great partner."
  
  "I was very happy with Sidney being my partner." He nodded, "It's as close as I'll ever be to fighting alongside Karen. He was also very kind and patient with me."
  
  "He'll take good care of you." I said, "Don't be scared by his looks. He's a very nice guy. You'll learn lots from him."
  
  "Drake was nice too." The sisters agreed, "A bit crass...but in a good way!"
  
  Then the doors swung open again, and two miniature figures dashed into the room, catching everyone's attention.
  
  "Agatha-!" Tate and Lisa cried out, rushing over to Agatha with excited smiles on their face. The whole room turned to look as Agatha was suddenly ambushed by the two Psychic twins, "Why didn't you say you had arrived! We could have gone together!"
  
  I had to hold back my laughter at Agatha's pinched expression. I knew she was tempted to unleash her harsh tongue, but she had enough kindness to not lash out at two young children, "...It must have slipped my mind, you know how it gets with old age."
  
  Unfortunately for Agatha, Blaine had no such inhibitions as he roared out in laughter, "If you're going to play the age card - you better take good care of these two young'uns. You really look like their grandma when you stand side-by-side like that! HAH!"
  
  Agatha frowned, and was about to retort before the twins spoke up first, "She's very patient and nice to us." They said, unaware of the sarcasm in Blaine's words, "She really helped out a lot with our Psychic Pokémon and how to counter other Ghost types! She's really smart! And a really great trainer!"
  
  Their innocent words unintentionally drove another knife into Agatha's heart, and only caused Blaine to laugh even harder. I couldn't hold back my snickers either, as did others. I saw Agatha seething indignantly, but she was forced to hold her tongue in front of the twins.
  
  I gave her a sympathetic look, which she merely scowled at before turning her attention back to the twins as she began whispering something in their ear. The twins giggled mischievously, which didn't bode well.
  
  Then my eyes widened as, suddenly, a whole handful of spaghetti levitated into the air. Before I could say anything, the spaghetti dropped onto Blaine's head with an audible squelch.
  
  There was a moment of silence as everyone contemplated what just happened. Agatha was just laughing with her eyes.
  
  I thought Blaine was about to erupt like a volcano, but he seemed to calm down as he saw the giggling expressions on the twins.
  
  However, that didn't stop others from reacting, and the silence was broken as Pryce let out a laugh, "Since when did your hair grow back, Blaine?! I never knew you were blonde!"
  
  Blaine whirled onto Pryce, ignoring the pasta sauce dripping down his clothes and the spaghetti partially covering his eyes, "You can't talk, Pryce! Or do you think nobody can see your receding hairline?!"
  
  "He's got you there, uncle!" Lorelei hollered.
  
  "Hey! There's nothing wrong with being bald!" Crasher Wake exclaimed.
  
  "Shut up, Wake! You CHOSE to shave your head!" Bryon shot back.
  
  "Ugh...this is all too noisy." Volkner shook his head, turning to the silent Koga who had been calmly observing in the corner, "Why can't you be all like this guy?"
  
  "Blaine, would you like some help cleaning up?" Erika asked gently as she approached Blaine, "You can't go to a photoshoot with a head full of spaghetti." Even as she said that, she couldn't stop a small smirk appearing on her face as well.
  
  "It's fine, I can do it." He politely refused, giving the twins a playful glare. "But thank you for offering."
  
  As Blaine left the room to likely get changed and clean up, the conversations all restarted since the Champions had still yet to arrive. I ended up going around the room, chatting with everyone I knew and making my introductions to those who didn't. I even went to the other room, just to make sure I spoke with everyone.
  
  I focused on catching up with the folks at Sinnoh, wanting to know more about how they were dealing with Cynthia's new leadership. I had been worried that there might be some backlash due to the sudden shift in Champion, but from what they were saying, I had absolutely nothing to worry about.
  
  "Sinnoh is in good hands with her in charge." Lucian said to me, "She was the missing ingredient that Sinnoh needed. She has the charisma and raw strength to prove herself to the public, and that means that they're willing to march to her tune."
  
  "What about the Committee? They always cause problems." I asked.
  
  "The Committee are a bunch of neutered Meowth right now." Lucian explained, "They know better than to challenge Cynthia when her popularity is as high as it is. Plus, the exodus of all the old traditionalists means that the new members are all quite junior and new to the role. We're taking advantage of that to push through what we want while they're still settling into their new positions."
  
  "No need to worry about us, John." Flint grinned, "Everything's going swimmingly here. And you know I don't lie."
  
  "YES YOU DO!" Volkner shouted out from behind Flint, causing Flint to scowl and turn to his long-time friend as they began to bicker.
  
  Lucian, Aaron, and I watched amusedly as Flint began another argument with Volkner, "Leave them be, they'll cool down after a while." Aaron smirked, "And speaking of our Champion, what's taking them so long-"
  
  "I think my ears are burning." The door swung open again, and everyone fell silent as the both Lance and Cynthia walked into the room, "Sorry for the wait, but the three of us were caught up in something." Cynthia addressed the room.
  
  "Now, I think we're already running late for the photoshoot. So let's get a move on before the staff get even more impatient." As she said that, she turned to leave the room.
  
  "Please organise yourselves back into your regions. We'll do those photos first." Lance said.
  
  Following that, we all funnelled out and separated into our own studios - one for each region. Fortunately for the more appearance-conscious amongst us, and Blaine, there was a makeup room to make sure everyone looked their best for the shoot. Or in the latter's case, less covered by pasta.
  
  I saw the twins apologising to him, but he just waved it off and said it was fine, just not to do it again. They immediately ratted on Agatha, which Blaine laughed at and jokingly told them to not listen to her as she was a bad influence.
  
  When everyone was appropriately 'touched up', we finally started taking some photos. Indigo was up first, so we started off with the photos of all the Gym Leaders together, and then all of the Elite Four. Then we took a picture of all of us together, including Lance.
  
  It was framed so that the Gym Leaders were all standing around in the middle, while the Elite Four and Champion were standing on elevated positions behind them. We all looked properly serious and formal.
  
  Then it came for the other regions' photos and the individual photos. Since most of that time was spent waiting around for my turn, I took the time to speak to Samson.
  
  "How's Whitney doing at the Gym?" I asked him as we idled about near the corner. In the distance, I idly saw Will chatting with one of the photographers about something, probably about his own shot.
  
  "I can say she's very happy here. And even speaking as a Gym Leader, I'm very satisfied with her performance as a Gym Trainer so far." He replied with a smile, "She hasn't fallen into the trap of being too tunnel-visioned about winning her fight. She understands that her job is to test and get a measure of her opponent."
  
  "She's actually more empathetic than my daughter, and she's a psychic!" He smiled, "My Head Gym Trainer told me that she'd be good at comforting trainers in the future. Even though I knew that her time with the Gym is limited, I would be happy to keep her on if she was willing. I could see her making Head Gym Trainer with a few years if she kept to it."
  
  "I'm glad to hear it." I nodded, "She had nothing but praise when she was talking about it too."
  
  "I'm jealous that Koga's getting her next." He laughed, "She'll be a very handy addition to his Gym."
  
  "I will make sure that she is treated well." Koga said as he suddenly appeared in front of us, "But I am glad that she has maintained her friendship with Janine. I was concerned as a father for a moment that my daughter would be left alone, but I see I worried for nothing." We all nodded at that.
  
  "Speaking of which, how do you think you all will fare in this Tournament?" I switched topics, "Do you think you'll work well with your partners?"
  
  "I have spoken with Maylene. She is enthusiastic, if inexperienced." Koga said, "But she has a determined and hard-working mindset. So while she may be comparatively weaker than her peers right now, I am confident she will be a formidable trainer in time."
  
  "Winona and I have no issues working with each other." Samson added, "We've both been at this for a while, so we can work together professionally. What about you, John? Getting along with Roxanne?"
  
  "Sure, she's a quick study and easy to work with." I replied, "We plan on winning the whole thing."
  
  Samson chuckled, "Who doesn't?"
  
  Unfortunately the conversation was cut short as it became their turn for photos. When all our individual photos were done, they shuffled everyone around again so that they could try out different combinations.
  
  We had photos of all the Elite Four together from all the regions. And Flint, not liking how serious everyone was, decided to pull off a goofy face and pull at Lucian's cheek just as the photo was taken. His silliness was contagious, and everyone joined in on the goofiness - making silly faces and generally just faffing about.
  
  There were too many silly shots to describe, like with Volkner and Flint swapping outfits for one shot. From Indigo's end, Will ended up wearing Lance's cape for one shot, while Lance tried on Will's mask. Then we ended up piling everything onto Will for one shot, so that he was wearing Lance's cape, my cardigan (which clashed horribly with his usual outfit), his own mask, Lorelei's high heels, and was holding onto Agatha's cane. It was a fun mess.
  
  Then there was the one shot where Agatha outright tripped me with her cane just as the shot was taken. I hoped that shot wouldn't be used.
  
  Despite our silliness, I thought that the pictures all came out really well. Many of us agreed that the silly photos were more personable than the serious ones. As Flint said, it humanised us to the general public, and it was sometimes better than to just have stoic and serious photos of us. The photographers agreed, and we ended up keeping those photos.
  
  I idly wondered how well they'd sell.
  
  It took some more time to finish off with all the photos that needed taken, and it was almost evening before we were finally done with everything. Unfortunately, we still had to sit through the speeches and opening ceremony for the Tournament, which was also where our first round of opponents would be decided.
  
  The crowd exploded with an approving roar as we all made our way into the stage. We weren't in any kind of order, since all of us refused to line up again, so we just walked in as one massive group. I felt it was better this way - it felt more natural for us to do so.
  
  "I wonder who the news is going to focus on." Will whispered to me as we walked.
  
  "Don't do anything stupid and they won't focus on you." Lorelei muttered back.
  
  "But what if I want them to take photos of me? I even wore my best costume!" He joked.
  
  "It looks the same as your other costumes, Will. I don't think anyone but you would be able to notice." She fired back.
  
  "I just hope the Champions don't prattle on for too long." Agatha grumbled, "All this standing around is really killing me. Standing around for our photos to be taken was bad enough. Do these organisers have no respect for the elderly?"
  
  "I'm doing just fine though." Drake cut in, "So maybe it's just you."
  
  Agatha scowled.
  
  "That being said, at least we're going to get to the fun part after this." I spoke up, not wanting Agatha to start bickering again, "I look forward to seeing some of you in the Top 3."
  
  "You're on kid." Drake grinned, "We'll be fighting the Champions with you."
  
  As if on cue, the applause finally died down and the Champions stepped up onto the stage, ready to give their speech.
  
  Wallace went first, "WELCOME EVERYONE! It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce the beginning of the Tri-Regional Tournament! Thank you all so much for coming to Hoenn on such short notice! We are very grateful for your support for this surprising event!"
  
  "As you can see behind me, EVERY single Gym Leader, Elite Four, and even us Champions will be participating in the Tournament. So please, give a loud cheer for your favourite trainers!"
  
  The crowd shouted out a cacophony of different names. With how chaotic their shouts were, it was impossible to tell who they were shouting in support for. As I looked around, I saw that there were many in the audience waving banners with their favourite trainer's name on it, loudly cheering their support for their favourites.
  
  "No surprise that the Hoenn trainers are more popular here." I muttered casually.
  
  "I can see your name being waved around quite a bit, so you have nothing to worry about." Will said to me, gesturing to a big banner that had a drawing of me and Roxanne on it. That was a nice gesture.
  
  "...Wait a fucking moment, is that Steven Stone?" Drake suddenly whispered out loud, and my head snapped to where he was looking at. Sure enough, there he was, sitting in the VIP booth. But he wasn't alone.
  
  "...Is that Bruno sitting next to him?" Lorelei asked, "What is he doing there? Were they friends? Does anyone know?"
  
  "I did not." I shook my head, "I'm just as surprised as you are."
  
  What was Bruno doing hanging around Steven? I thought he'd be up in a mountain somewhere training as he usually did. I squinted to get a better look, and I could barely see the two of them talking casually with each other - but I couldn't be certain how much of that was a genuinely friendly interaction; though the two of them didn't look uncomfortable around each other.
  
  That was...unique. But I could look into that later. Besides, a friendship between those two wouldn't be a bad thing at all.
  
  Ignoring our whisperings, Wallace continued, "But enough babbling from me, this is the time that all of you, and the many trainers behind me, have been waiting for! We will finally be announcing the first round of battles! These battles have been arranged through a random draw done by our staff, and I can assure you that they were done without bias or prejudice."
  
  "NOW! LET US SEE THE BATTLES!" He declared with his arms spread wide, and the large projectors facing the audience flashed to life, revealing who would be battling whom.
  
  My eyes ran down the list until I saw myself and Roxanne.
  
  An eager smile split my face as I saw who we drew up against; we would be facing off against Will and Flannery. Inwardly, I admitted that it was a good matchup for us; I didn't peg them to be one of the stronger pairs.
  
  Will was strong, undoubtedly. But I also knew that it took some time to warm up to him. So while I wasn't doubting Flannery's abilities, I was confident that their teamwork wasn't quite there yet. At least, not to the level that Roxanne and I accomplished. And, to put it bluntly, Flannery was as inexperienced as Roxanne was.
  
  "May the best pair win." Will walked up with a hand extended, obviously having seen the pairings too. There was little else for us to say to each other.
  
  "Indeed. I look forward to our battle." I replied, smiling. We exchanged a look of mutual respect.
  
  As Will walked away, I glanced around until I spotted Roxanne. But she was busy talking with Flannery, who was gesturing wildly towards her. They seemed like old friends, so I left them to it.
  
  "EXCITED ABOUT THE BATTLES AHEAD?!" Wallace hyped up, getting a loud cheer from the crowd, "Well am I glad to hear that! The first battles will take place early tomorrow, as indicated by the time slots shown on the board, so make sure you don't miss out the match that you want to watch!"
  
  Oops. I had overlooked that. I turned to the board again and saw that our match was in the afternoon, the last fight before lunch. That was good; it gave Roxanne and I more time to train. I was going to grill her on everything that Flannery could do and refresh my memory about Will.
  
  We were going into this battle as prepared as possible. I was not losing at the first hurdle.
  
  A.N. THE TOURNAMENT IS HERE AT LAST! I know this chapter was filled with dialogue, but I didn't want to pass an opportunity where all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four had gathered into one place. I really wanted to focus on humanising all of the Gym Leaders/Elite Four, and while they are often portrayed as serious, I wanted to highlight the silliness that would inevitably occur when there are so many friends and colleagues in one location together.
  
  There was too much I wanted to write about.
  
  I do apologise if there were any interactions you were hoping to see that I missed out on; ultimately I do have to pick and choose. I can't cover everything! Hope you enjoyed though!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-10-8-Interlude-Live React
  The New Normal - 10-8 - Interlude - Live Reactions
  
  [LIVE: OFFICIAL BROADCAST FOR THE TRI-REGIONAL TOURNAMENT!]
  
  FutureAce : When are they all coming out? I feel like I've been staring at an empty arena for hours now.
  
  FearTheRat : Relax, it's only been 10 minutes since the event officially started. Of course there's going to be waiting around. There are too many trainers gathered in one place for there not to be.
  
  TangelaThoughts : At least whoever organised this seemed to have the foresight to provide plenty of facilities where you can buy snacks and refreshments, even if they are slightly overpriced. Not too bad, they aren't ripping you off as badly as they could have been, but still quite pricey.
  
  FutureAce : Wait, are you at the event in person?
  
  TangelaThoughts : Yep, bought tickets as soon as they came out. Thought I wouldn't want to miss this.
  
  NotTooMuchWater : Same! And I nearly missed out on my opportunity too! I thought I would have some time since the event is in Hoenn, but WOW was it popular. Had I went to the bathroom or something, I probably wouldn't have been able to get my spot!
  
  FutureAce : Lucky...I heard that tickets were being resold at ludicrous prices. I took a look around, but they seem out of my price range :(
  
  GodBidoof : Same, couldn't get a ticket either...oh well, change of topic, who're you guys most excited to see?!
  
  ANormalFan : Of course I'm here for John! He's got a good partner too!
  
  SlugmaBalls : Really? A good partner? No insult meant, but Roxanne is pretty junior in her role as Gym Leader, and she hasn't had any notable feats since then. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's considered one of the weaker participants in this Tournament.
  
  NotTooMuchWater : Eh, I heard she has good management skills and is a competent Gym Leader. Still, can't disagree that she really isn't the strongest candidate. But that's probably why she got paired up with someone as strong as John.
  
  TangelaThoughts : Yeah, I don't doubt there must have been some calculations done about who would be pairing together. At first I was disappointed that the teams weren't completely randomised, but then I realized that having random teams would have led to creating really unbalanced teams. Just imagine a team with Drake and John together.
  
  TangelaThoughts: I'm sure the event organisers (probably Wallace) tried to balance the teams to the best of his ability. After all, it makes the Tournament all the more interesting that way.
  
  FlyingHigh: There's no denying that the teams do imply who amongst the Gym Leaders are considered 'strong', who are considered 'average' in strength, and who are considered 'less strong'.
  
  FlyingHigh: I think the most notable examples of this are Drake being paired with the Waterflower sisters, with Drake being known as one of the stronger Elite Four members. Or Giovanni being paired with Norman, who are both experienced Gym Leaders and trainers.
  
  FlyingHigh: I don't think that's a bad thing, though. If anything, it just gives everyone a fair chance of fighting their way to the Top 3.
  
  GeneralistGeneral : *Stares at the Agatha and Tate and Lisa pairing* Are you sure about the teams being balanced?
  
  SlugmaBalls : Eh, I'm not one of those people that look down on the twins because they're young - I know how strong and talented they are. But I also can't deny their inexperience. Likewise, isn't Agatha like REALLY old now? She's probably not as strong as she once was. And besides, it makes thematic sense to pair the oldest with the youngest.
  
  FutureAce : Or maybe this was just a prank on Agatha.
  
  FearTheRat : Nah, I don't think the organisers, whoever they are (I think it's Wallace?) would pull pranks like that. Gym Leaders and Elite Four are meant to be serious people. They're not childish.
  
  AreYouSlowBro : Wait, I thought Drake was older than Agatha?
  
  LoveIsEterna : Eh, I'm pretty sure Agatha is the oldest. Then Drake. Then Bertha. (amongst the Elite Four)
  
  PunchingBag : Bruno should have been in here! He DESERVES to be here! He's stronger than all these weaklings.
  
  FlyingHigh : I mean, you're right. He IS probably stronger. But he's also not a Gym Leader / Elite Four.
  
  PunchingBag : Everyone knows that he deserves to be an Elite Four! The fact that he's not shows that the League is purposefully suppressing the Fighting type BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE ARE TOO STRONG! LETS GO FIGHTING TYPES!
  
  ANormalFan : Well maybe Bruno could be in the Elite Four if he challenged anyone other than John?
  
  DragonPower : Ignoring the dumb fanatic, which Dragon trainer do you think is going to win enter the Top 3? Bet you all that Clair and Drake will be in the Top 3!
  
  FlyingHigh : ...The hypocrisy is stunning.
  
  FearTheRat : Eh, he brings up a good point though. Who do you all think are the favourites to win the Tournament?
  
  TangelaThoughts : Surprisingly, my vote isn't with the Elite Four pairings. I actually think that those with a partner more at their level of strength would have an easier time, because all of these battles are 2v2. Coordination with your partner is essential, and a disparity in strength might make things difficult.
  
  FutureAce : Surely they could just fight 1v2 if they're strong enough?
  
  GodBidoof : Fighting 1v2 isn't as easy as you think, especially when your Pokémon are rather evenly matched. There's suddenly a lot more your Pokémon has to consider, more attacks to avoid etc. It's much harder than you think, even if you hold the strength advantage.
  
  AlluteNinja : Might be biased, but my vote is on Koga and Maylene making their way into the Top 3. I feel like they have a lot of synergy together.
  
  GroundedForLife : I'm voting for Giovanni and Norman, and not because I'm biased. They are both genuinely strong Gym Leaders, and I feel they have the right personality to work with each other. Two rather strong trainers are better than just one strong trainer who may get dragged down by a weaker partner.
  
  GeneralistGeneral : Agreed, if not them then maybe a pair like Winona and Samson. Both are very capable and experienced trainers, so I think they have a chance to make it into the Top 3.
  
  WiggleThatTuff: Wish we had a Fairy specialist somewhere! But I can't believe the Champions promised to fight at the end! So exciting!
  
  FearTheRat: Yeah, screw these earlier battles. I WANT TO SEE CHAMPIONS FIGHT!
  
  SlugmaBalls: Man, the Champion battle is going to be a stomp I just know it. THREE Champions fighting all at once? Sheesh.
  
  PianoLover: It won't be that easy. Depending on who their opponents are, being in a 3v6 might make things really difficult for them. But I know that Cynthia can surpass any odds!
  
  FlyingHigh: Just imagine the finalists contain 3 Elite Four members as well. That would be a crazy match.
  
  FutureAce : IT'S FINALLY TIME! THEY'RE ALL WALKING IN NOW!
  
  GodBidoof : Woah, they look cool walking in one giant group like that. That's such a flex of the power of the League it's insane.
  
  FlyingHigh: Yeah...practically every powerful trainer is currently in that stadium right now. It's really awe-inspiring and humbling if you think about it.
  
  TangelaThoughts : Is it me or are the Gym Leaders / Elite Four seem to all be chatting really casually? Like they're all friends? I thought they'd all be marching out in a single file for some reason.
  
  LoveIsEterna : That's a good thing. It's much better if all of them could get along well.
  
  GeneralistGeneral : *Stares at Pryce* Well...I'm sure most of them will get along well...but there's bound to be a lot of drama behind the scenes.
  
  FlyingHigh : Too true...but now's not the time for doom and gloom. THE MATCHES JUST GOT POSTED!
  
  NotTooMuchWater : So they're randomised, cool! And just from a brief glance I can tell we have some interesting matches. We have an exciting few days ahead of us!
  
  ANormalFan: LET'SS GOOOO JOHN AND ROXANNE! YOU CAN BEAT WILL AND FLANNERY! I KNOW YOU MUST HAVE BEATEN HIM BEFORE!
  
  FearTheRat : Wouldn't this be Will's first battle on the main stage? Kinda weird when you think about it. Still super excited for it either way! I trust that he'll show us something cool!
  
  DragonPower : LETS GO CLAIR! YOU AND GARDENIA ARE GOING TO CRUSH WATTSON AND CHUCK! LETS GO DRAGONS!
  
  IceColdSimp: LORELEI 3 You can do it! Phoebe and Erika have no chance against you and Wake!
  
  IceColdSimp: And Pryce and Candace will FREEZE Roark and Juan in their tracks! ICE TYPES FOR THE WIN! WE'RE MAKING IT TO THE TOP 3 BABYYYYY!
  
  GeneralistGeneral : Man I'm so hyped for this. Can't wait to see Cynthia in action again.
  
  GodBidoof: Is there anywhere I can bet money on who wins? Asking for a friend.
  
  TangelaThoughts: IF you're at the stadium in person I've seen a few places where you could. Otherwise, not sure.
  
  FearTheRat: ...Urgh, waiting another day for these battles really suck.
  
  FutureAce : SAME! WHY COULDN'T THE BATTLES BEGIN IMMEDIATELY!? WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER DAY?! OR EVEN TWO FOR SOME BATTLES?!
  
  A.N. I wanted to try something different for this Interlude, so I hoped you liked this new 'live chat' style. If people like this, then I might do more of these in the future! This chapter also reveals some of the other team pairings as well!
  
  I intentionally haven't revealed the full roster of who's paired with who to avoid character bloat. Any notable pairings will be instead mentioned as the Tournament progresses. Hope that's okay and that you've enjoyed this style of Interlude!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - D-Linoone
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-9 - The First Match
  
  As soon as the announcements were over and we were allowed to leave the arena, Roxanne and I broke off from the rest of the group to get some more training in.
  
  I was happy to see her determination. It was clear that she was putting a lot of effort into winning this Tournament, and she recognised what an opportunity these battles served for her.
  
  Not only did it allow her to show off her talents on what was likely the largest stage that she would ever set foot on, but it also allowed her to hone her strength against opponents that she would rarely, if ever, be able to fight against. And while I didn't want to praise myself too hard, I also felt that I was a good mentor that was able to spot out her weaknesses and guide her on how best to improve herself.
  
  All in all, this week promised her the potential to grow explosively, so long as she was willing to reach out with both hands and seize the opportunity before her. And she seemed like she was.
  
  We trained hard into the night, though we allowed our Pokémon to rest early as our preparations were mostly focused on making plans for the upcoming battle, and she spent much of it asking good questions about how we could improve our teamwork and how best to catch our opponents off guard. I ended up sleeping on some random couch in the Gym to maximize our training time.
  
  Which was why, come our battle against Will, I was feeling confident. Not just in my own strength, but also in the strength of my partner. We were going to win this battle.
  
  However, come the very next morning, it seemed like my partner did not share my confidence.
  
  "...This is what I get for giggling at my students when they get nervous for a class presentation, isn't it?" She mumbled anxiously to herself as she tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down. It wasn't working.
  
  "I think this is very different from a simple class presentation." I deadpanned. The two of us were in the waiting room as we waited for the stage to be fixed as the last battle came to a conclusion. Since our match was just before lunch, a few teams had already been eliminated.
  
  Single eliminations were pretty scary.
  
  "Hahaha...yeah..." She laughed uncertainly, "It's just that I've never fought on a public stage like this for some time and now I'm getting all anxious about it. How did you even manage to fight Drake last year without getting nervous?"
  
  "Oh I was definitely nervous, don't be mistaken about that." I replied, "But once the battle began, I just lost all that nervousness simply because I couldn't focus on it. I had to focus on the battle in front of me. I didn't have time to be distracted by other feelings."
  
  I patted her on the shoulder, "So don't worry, I'm sure it'll be the same for you too. And hey, if you screw up, you can be reassured that I'll step up and help you. So make sure you stay the same for me!" I shot her a bright smile.
  
  She returned it, "I'm sure you wouldn't ever need your help. Besides, would your Pokémon even listen to me?"
  
  "Some might not." I admitted, thinking of Wraith and Ornstein. They were my more rowdier Pokémon and would not randomly obey another trainer in the middle of battle, "But my more senior Pokémon definitely will - so long as your orders aren't blatantly idiotic."
  
  She let out a small chuckle, "That's good to know."
  
  I clapped my hands, "Okay, enough of the self-deprecation and anxiousness. We have a battle to win. We've trained plenty; surely we couldn't have spent all that effort just to lose at the first hurdle. So chin up, Roxanne. Let's win this."
  
  She nodded, "You're right." The determination reigniting in her eyes, "We have a fight to win."
  
  And so the two of us fell into a comfortable silence as we patiently waited for the battle to begin. Our plans had already been made, and the strengths and weaknesses of both Will and Flannery were already thoroughly discussed, so it was only a matter of executing our plans.
  
  Of course, the plan was deliberately flexible so that we wouldn't become too tunnel-visioned trying to stick to it. But after sharing what we knew about them, both Roxanne and I agreed that their teamwork was likely to be their biggest weakness. Not because they were rude to each other, but simply because they were both TOO passionate, which influenced their fighting styles.
  
  The call from the League official snapped us out of our thoughts. It was time.
  
  I gave Roxanne one last reassuring nod before we entered the stadium. I saw Roxanne falter slightly as the crowd roared to life at our appearance, but she steadied herself and followed after me, swallowing her fear.
  
  Giving a quick wave towards the crowd, my eyes snapped to my opponents. Will and Flannery almost swaggered onto the stage; even at this distance it was easy to spot the enthusiasm brimming in their eyes.
  
  We didn't exchange anything beyond a mere nod. There was no need for banter. It was time for a fight.
  
  "Just as we planned." I whispered once more to Roxanne, and she nodded as she grabbed a Pokéball from her belt. I did the same.
  
  "AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE MATCH BETWEEN WILL AND FLANNERY VS JOHN AND ROXANNE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! GIVE IT UP FOR YOUR FOUR TRAINERS!" The crowd screamed their approval at the announcer's words.
  
  "NO TIME TO WASTE! LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT! TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" We all nodded.
  
  "THEN THREE...TWO...ONE...FIGHT!"
  
  "Go! Ornstein!" "Get them! Golem!"
  
  "Time to shine, Camerupt!" "Dazzle them, Gardevoir!"
  
  Our Pokémon emerged onto the field, staring down at each other. Yet Ornstein was the first to break the peace, breaking out into a dash and rushing down Will's Gardevoir while immediately firing off a Taunt.
  
  But Gardevoir Teleported out of the way, creating distance between herself and Ornstein and avoiding the Taunt. However, we had predicted Gardevoir's movements correctly, and Golem let out a roar and unleashed a wide-area Stone Edge that targeted a location far away from itself - which was exactly where Gardevoir had Teleported to.
  
  Gardevoir let out a pained cry as the jagged rocks ripped into her, but she had the mental willpower to Teleport out before any further follow attacks came.
  
  In the meanwhile, Camerupt reminded the world of its presence by launching a devastating Eruption towards the charging Ornstein. Molten rocks rained down around him, crashing into the ground and melting the ground with their searing heat.
  
  But Ornstein had been training for these kinds of scenarios. With his speed, he leapt, dodged, and rolled out of the way of the incoming Eruption as he continued rushing down Gardevoir. Despite having his eyes locked onto Gardevoir, he had the presence of mind to dexterously evade the falling molten rocks.
  
  Golem also moved to intercept, firing off a barrage of rocks at Camerupt with a Rock Blast. Camerupt grunted, and retaliated with its own volley of rocks that smashed against each other.
  
  Neither were able to use Earthquake for fear of tripping up and hurting their own teammates.
  
  "Keep Taunting it, Ornstein."
  
  The Taunts kept coming Gardevoir's way, with Ornstein always in pursuit of Gardevoir as she continued to Teleport around. Ornstein was simply waiting for a single opportunity for Gardevoir to be caught with a Taunt, and he had seemingly limitless energy as he picked up speed.
  
  They were playing a game of Persian and Rattata.
  
  The fight ended up stalling. Gardevoir was not at all lacking for Psychic power and managed to maintain her steady stream of Teleports, keeping her distance as Ornstein continued his dogged pursuit after her. Yet Gardevoir was keeping pace, and even had the time to retaliate with a few Moonblasts, but Ornstein was too fast for Gardevoir to hit with her slow-moving Moonblasts.
  
  At the same time, Camerupt and Golem continued to exchange blows, with Fire and Rocks being slung at each other, but neither were able to do more than superficial damage against each other. Especially since Gardevoir managed to get both Reflect and Light Screens up, blocking even more of the incoming damage.
  
  The arena ended up being split in half by Camerupt's and Golem's exchange of attacks as a solid trench of burning rocks and molten flame tore through the centre of the arena; the fiery aftermath of their respective attacks creating a no-man's land of hostile terrain.
  
  It seemed like neither side was able to gain an advantage against the other. We were on the offense, but we weren't able to apply enough pressure.
  
  However, this situation was what we wanted. Unbeknownst to Will and Flannery, Golem had been repeatedly setting up with Rock Polishes between its attacks, secretly boosting up its speed so that it was no longer the slow and lumbering Rock type everyone thought it was. With its speed boosted to the max, it was able to briefly match Ornstein's base speed.
  
  Then, Roxanne subtly tapped my arm, signalling to me that the trap was set. Now it was only a matter of waiting for the right opportunity.
  
  Ornstein had been continuously pursuing after the Teleporting Gardevoir, never letting his prey escape him as he stubbornly matched her mobility with his incredible speed. And then it happened - Gardevoir Teleported near Golem, thinking that Roxanne's Rock type was still busy trading attacks with Camerupt.
  
  We sprung our trap.
  
  "NOW, GOLEM!"
  
  Golem spun around like a ball, ignoring the flaming rocks crashing against its back as it shot off like a rocket, leaping into the air and rapidly closing the distance between itself and Gardevoir with its eyes blazing with vicious determination.
  
  The burst of speed took Gardevoir completely by surprise, and the Psychic type couldn't react in time before Golem caught her in its powerful arms.
  
  "GO GO GOLEM!" It roared, crashing their heads together in a brutal Iron Head that caused Gardevoir to reel backwards. The Reflect barrier rippled, blocking some but not all of the attack. Thinking that its surprise attack had succeeded, Golem's fist crackled as it readied a follow-up Thunder Punch.
  
  "Flash Cannon, Camerupt! Stop it!"
  
  Unfortunately for us, Gardevoir was spared from Golem's follow-up as it was interrupted by a Flash Cannon from Camerupt that detonated harshly against Golem's back. The Rock types tumbled forwards, grunting in pain as its own Thunder Punch dissipated, which gave Gardevoir just enough space to recover and Teleport out of Golem's reach.
  
  But in her haste, Gardevoir forgot about Ornstein. Appearing from behind, Ornstein finally caught Gardevoir with a Taunt, cutting off her ability to Teleport around.
  
  "Night Slash, Ornstein! Bring it down!"
  
  "Dazzling Gleam, Gardevoir!"
  
  However, Will proved he wasn't out of options despite the Taunt. As soon as its usual Teleport shenanigans were cut off, Will moved to take control of the fight once again.
  
  Ornstein's attempts to eviscerate Gardevoir with a Night Slash was interrupted as Gardevoir moved with decisive agility, unleashing a powerful wave of Fairy energy that threw him backwards.
  
  "ENERGY BALL, BEHIND YOU!"
  
  Proving herself to be an Elite Pokémon for a reason, Gardevoir wasted no time spinning around like a ballerina and firing off a barrage of Energy Balls straight towards the charging Golem, blasting it just in time before the Rock type could reach its target and sending it crashing backwards into the psychic barriers. As Golem fell, Camerupt let out a roar as an Earth Power violently erupted from the ground.
  
  For all its famed defenses, Golem was not able to withstand against the double punch of powerful Special Attacks, succumbing to its injuries as it fell unconscious.
  
  I let out a small frown as I watched Golem fall. That wasn't what we had planned to happen - we had expected that our surprise trap for Gardevoir would have instantly brought down the Psychic type, but Gardevoir reacted with more power and speed than we gave her credit for. Plus, with Golem out of the fight, Roxanne was only left one Pokémon. And Ornstein wasn't in a very good condition either.
  
  I felt the worry radiating from Roxanne, but I was quick to calm myself. We weren't out of options yet.
  
  I realized what I had to do.
  
  "Ornstein, Parting Shot the Gardevoir! Get out of there!"
  
  "Sudowoodo! Time to step up!"
  
  Ornstein let out a mocking snarl at Gardevoir, releasing a cloud of mocking darkness that was nullified by a quick Dazzling Gleam from the Psychic type, though it did nothing to block Ornstein's return to his Premier Ball.
  
  "WRAITH! YOUR TURN!"
  
  Not wasting any time, I had him instantly replaced with Wraith. I had to take full advantage of the fact that Gardevoir was still Taunted to bring her down. If she could recover from the Taunt, it would be painfully difficult to catch her again.
  
  I could have had Wraith disguise himself as another one of my Pokémon, but that wasn't necessary at the moment. The priority now was to get close to Gardevoir as quickly as possible.
  
  Just as Wraith was about to reach his target, a powerful bolt of Psychic came his way, and Wraith was sent flying backwards like a ragdoll flying through the air, before collapsing to the ground in a pile of his own limbs like a puppet that had its strings cut.
  
  In the heat of battle, Gardevoir instinctively turned to refocus her attention on the new Sudowoodo, not thinking too much about the strange 'frailty' of Wraith.
  
  It was a terrible mistake.
  
  "ZOR!" Dropping the illusion, Wraith appeared right in front of his opponent as he unleashed a savage Shadow Claw that ripped into Gardevoir's exposed side, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the Fairy type. While both trainer and Pokémon were equally surprised, Wraith showed no mercy - having trained himself for this exact moment, and tore into the fallen Gardevoir with a flurry of ferocious Shadow Claws.
  
  The frail Gardevoir proved unable to withstand against Wraith's ruthless assault and had her health ripped to shreds.
  
  "Lava Plume, Camerupt! Save your partner!"
  
  "Rock Slide, Sudowoodo! Protect him!"
  
  Camerupt tried desperately to intervene, but Sudowoodo was quick to stop any attempts from interfering as it blocked the incoming plume of molten rocks with a thick wall of stone. Trying to switch tactics, Camerupt desperately attempted to charge up a Solar Beam but that too was swiftly interrupted as a decisive Rock Slide caused the Fire type to flinch.
  
  In the end, Sudowoodo accomplished what it set out to do. With Camerupt unable to interfere, Gardevoir could do little more than fire off a few futile Psychics that Wraith easily shrugged off as he continued eviscerating the helpless Psychic type with his razor sharp claws. At this range, Gardevoir was little more than prey for Wraith, and Wraith was never one to let his quarry escape.
  
  Gardevoir didn't stand a chance, and was promptly knocked out.
  
  Will looked like he wanted to say something as he withdrew his unconscious Gardevoir, but seeing the battle rage out between Camerupt and Sudowoodo may have caused him to hold back his words. Instead, he just sent out his final Pokémon.
  
  "Hypno! Hypnosis!"
  
  A dizzying ray of circular pink lights chimed forth from its ever-swinging pendulum of the newly emerged Hypno. Wraith ignored this, charging towards the new Hypno as he Snarled, sending out a bolt of Dark energies that crashed against the incoming Hypnosis.
  
  Both attacks nullified each other out. Therefore, thinking that Hypno was now vulnerable, Wraith leapt forwards - only to rush headfirst into a trap as Future Sights detonated right in his face, sending him staggering backwards.
  
  Hypno took the opportunity to Teleport next to Camerupt, before its eyes flashed blue as it clapped its hands together with a Helping Hand.
  
  "ERUPTION, NOW! AS WE PLANNED!"
  
  "CAMERUPTTT!" Camerupt released a deafening roar as its entire body glowed with power - a clear demonstration of the sudden surge of power that it just received from Hypno - as the flames around its body exploded out with power. Then, an enormous ball of flame launched upwards from its back, soaring into the air before breaking apart into a rain of molten rocks that came raining down like a volcanic apocalypse.
  
  I quickly dismissed my shock at witnessing the sheer power from Hypno's Helping Hand as I turned to Roxanne, the both of us acknowledging the incoming doom heading our way. We shared a brief look before we both nodded, knowing what we had to do.
  
  "Rock Throw to form a shield, Sudowoodo! Block it!"
  
  "Use Sudowoodo as cover, Wraith! Protect and ambush!"
  
  A huge wall of rocks formed around our two Pokémon, forming a protective shelter just in time for the eruption of molten rocks to impact the ground, causing a huge wave of flames to rush out in all directions, drowning out the arena. Thick smoke quickly covered the battlefield, obscuring all vision.
  
  It took a moment for the flames to clear, but once it did, it revealed an arena that had been completely scorched black by the flames, and there were even some lingering embers scattered across the battlefield. With one attack, the battlefield had been turned into a wasteland.
  
  It spoke volumes of the sheer boost that Hypno was able to provide to Camerupt. Will had improved.
  
  What was more important was the lone figure of Sudowoodo, still standing tall despite the overwhelming display of power. Its' defenses were not for nothing, even if it was now Burned. Yet, next to it was a knocked out Wraith, his entire body covered in painful burn marks as he twitched helplessly on the ground.
  
  In the meanwhile, Camerupt collapsed in exhaustion as it expended most of its energy with that devastating attack, having used up all of its borrowed power. But now that it was a 2v1, our opponents were all too happy to maintain their distance, moving conservatively as they blasted Sudowoodo with a Psychic and Flash Cannon respectively.
  
  ...That was, until Wraith came leaping out of the ground with a Dig, ambushing the surprised Hypno and slashing downwards with a ruthless Shadow Call.
  
  Like I had hoped, Wraith had used Sudowoodo as a rock shield to keep itself mostly safe while he tricked his foes with another illusion. He was injured, but not badly enough to hinder his aggression.
  
  While Hypno was considered the second strongest of Will's team, I knew from research that it was more due to its supportive and disruptive capabilities, which meant nothing against the brutal assault of attacks from Wraith - who specialised in close range takedowns like this.
  
  "Shadow Claw, Wraith! Take it down!"
  
  "Get away, Hypno!"
  
  Now desperate, Hypno instinctively fired off another Hypnosis, but the hypnotising beam of light was slashed in half by a Shadow Claw before Wraith unleashed his full vengeful wrath against his target, overwhelming Hypno's flimsy defences just like he did with Gardevoir.
  
  In just a few seconds, the fight had been completely reversed. From what looked like our team being on the verge of defeat, to Hypno crumbling in the face of Wraith's overwhelmingly violent assault - once again proving that a simple illusion was a huge trump card against those who didn't know to expect it.
  
  I sincerely doubted Hypno would have been so easily taken out otherwise.
  
  However, Wraith's victory was very short lived. The moment Hypno was brought down, Wraith was smashed face-first by a fist of scorching rocks, sending the already-injured Wraith flying through the air.
  
  This time, Camerupt didn't hit an illusion.
  
  Knowing this, Camerupt roared and fired off an Earth Power, just as Sudowoodo came exploding out from the ground with a Dig of its own, but it came too late. While Sudowoodo managed to land a devastating Head Smash against the distracted Camerupt, it wasn't in time to stop the Earth Power from ripping through the health of the fallen Wraith, knocking him out of the fight.
  
  And now, as Will and I both urgently recalled our Pokémon, the fight momentarily continued with two very injured Pokémon. Both badly injured, and one even burnt.
  
  "Iron Head, Camerupt!"
  
  "Wood Hammer, Sudowoodo!"
  
  The two Pokémon charged forwards, looking to exchange what was likely their final moves against each other. Coincidentally, the two of them crashed their heads together - with Sudowoodo using another Head Smash while Camerupt went for the Iron Head.
  
  The attacks caused both Pokémon to crumble and collapse against each other in a picturesque double knockout.
  
  And now, the battle was down to me and Flannery, with each only having one Pokémon remaining.
  
  Furthermore, on paper, I was at a disadvantage. Ornstein had already been revealed and was injured, giving Flannery the opportunity to choose a Pokémon that could counter my own, while also having it be completely fresh for battle.
  
  However, I did not let my disadvantage show on my face, instead choosing to stare down Flannery with a blank and calm expression - as if daring her to fight me. My intimidation worked, and I saw a minute flinch from the less experienced Flannery.
  
  But nervous or not, she still sent out her final Pokémon.
  
  "Blaziken! Beat them up!"
  
  "Ornstein, back into the fight! Rush in!"
  
  Hoping to take full advantage of her nervousness, I immediately ordered Ornstein to go on the assault. Yet, Flannery didn't allow her nerves to dictate her actions. Despite the obvious nervousness and slight hesitation on her face, she kept her calm and gave orders to her Blaziken as it readied itself as Ornstein charged its way.
  
  Ornstein crashed into Blaziken with a fully powered Double Edge, only to be blocked by a Protect shield from Blaziken before it counterattacked with a Low Sweep that almost tripped up Ornstein. He stepped to the side and rushed forwards with another Slash, but Blaziken raised its arm to block it before retaliating with a Fire Punch that narrowly missed - only lightly burning Ornstein's fur. Another attempted Shadow Claw was interrupted as a Blaze Kick whipped through the air in front of him, forcing Ornstein to retreat as the strike missed.
  
  The two continued to exchange blows, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that Ornstein just wasn't able to land a good hit on Blaziken.
  
  I grimaced as I realised what the issue was. Due to his size and strength, I had trained Ornstein to be an evasive and mobile fighter, fully relying on his strong ambushing potential and speed to secure knockouts. However, Ornstein never really had any way of blocking attacks, as relying on his flimsy Protect shields was too much of a risk, and was why I tried to avoid sending out Ornstein against close range attackers. He couldn't block with his small arms and legs - that was never going to be practical.
  
  Even against his rival Smough, Ornstein never was able to trade hits with him. He was always forced to dodge. Against a much slower Smough, this wasn't a huge issue, as Smough's slow speed still afforded opportunities for Ornstein to land hits. However, against the faster Blaziken, this wasn't the case.
  
  While Blaziken was able to block and counterattack simultaneously, Ornstein's superior speed still allowed it to land a few blows, but that was nowhere near decisive enough to secure a knockout.
  
  What was worse was that even I could see that there were many openings for Ornstein to exploit. Blaziken was nowhere at the level of the many other close-range fighters I had been up against, and I knew that Ornstein was far more skilled than it.
  
  However, Ornstein was not able to take advantage of those openings, even if he was faster. The simple fact that he wasn't able to properly block attacks due to his size was a humiliating reality check for my Dark type.
  
  I clenched my fists instinctively. However, despite this setback, I knew that there was a way to win - I had trained up Ornstein in stall tactics as well, and I was confident that his stamina was sufficient to outlast even a fresh Blaziken while it continued to evade. So I changed tactics accordingly.
  
  "Keep your distance and wear it down, Ornstein!"
  
  "Make use of your reach, Blaziken!"
  
  Another Blaze Kick from Blaziken missed Ornstein, who retaliated with Snarl and Screech, looking to slowly cripple Blaziken and set up for a decisive blow. Knowing that this was the safest way to secure victory, I readied myself for a long fight of attrition.
  
  Yet, as he continued to circle around the Fire type, I could see the frustration beginning to set in for Ornstein. This was a battle that he should be winning. He had the speed. He had the technique. He had the agility.
  
  If only he was bigger. If only he was just stronger. If only he could just EVOLVE!
  
  And then it happened. As Blaziken dove forwards with his fists alight with flames, a blinding white light suddenly flooded the battlefield.
  
  It was finally happening.
  
  Blaziken wasn't able to cancel his own attack in time, and instead of punching down on a small and tiny Linoone, it found its fist ensnared by Ornstein, now evolved into an Obstagoon, with a malicious grin on his face that promised pain and retribution. As Blaziken slowly realized the terrible situation it was in, Ornstein even had the audacity to extend his tongue, taunting it with an evil smile.
  
  A shocked gasp of surprise came from the crowd as they took in Ornstein's new form. Even the current battlers, except me, were no exception to this. No one knew that Linoone had a hidden evolution.
  
  But that was for later. We had a battle to win.
  
  Blaziken immediately tried to break free from Ornstein's iron grasp by unleashing a Blaze Kick that hammered in from the side. But rather than smashing into Ornstein's side, Ornstein cleanly blocked it with a raised arm, forming a barrier of Dark energy that seemed into Blaziken's body upon contact.
  
  I grinned. Ornstein had instinctively known how to use Obstruct. It was another excellent move in his arsenal.
  
  And now was the time to end this fight.
  
  "FINISH IT, ORNSTEIN! BRICK BREAK!"
  
  Blaziken's eyes flashed with panic as it realized that its defences were harshly dropped, but it didn't have time to process that as a painful Brick Break smashed into its face. Seeing his opponent stumble backwards, Ornstein lunged forwards, releasing all of its frustrations in a single blow as he brutally Body Slammed the Fire type straight into the ground, using all of his newfound strength and weight.
  
  A critical hit!
  
  Yet Ornstein wasn't done yet, and proving that his bigger frame didn't mean that it was any slower than before, he immediately pounced over Blaziken's fallen body. Slamming down a knee as he pinned the Fire type beneath him, his smile widened sadistically as his fist began crackling with lightning, and a merciless rain of Thunder Punches came pummelling down on the fallen Blaziken.
  
  Ornstein was determined to end the fight here and now.
  
  "BREAK FREE, BLAZIKEN! YOU NEED TO GET UP!"
  
  However, despite its trainer's words, the harsh defence drops from the earlier Obstruct and Screech had truly crippled Blaziken, and now each punch it took was another dangerously crippling blow to its health. If it was more disciplined, perhaps it could fight through the pain, but Blaziken unfortunately did not possess the mental willpower to power through Ornstein's merciless pummelling.
  
  Ultimately, its desperate struggles proved futile, and it was unable to throw off Ornstein before a final Thunder Punch cracked the ground and bashed the Fire type into unconsciousness.
  
  The battle was won. Victory was ours.
  
  The crowd roared at our victory, but I ignored them as I shot Ornstein a proud smile. He just stuck out his tongue at me, but I knew he was equally as pleased as I was. He flexed his new and powerful muscles to me, and I laughed as I saw how much he enjoyed his new form.
  
  However, now was not the time to inspect his new body. I turned to Roxanne, who was had an ecstatic smile on her face, "We did it!"
  
  "That we did." I grinned, "But we should speak to our opponents first. We can celebrate later."
  
  "Of course, of course." Roxanne quickly nodded, and immediately rushed off to comfort the sullen Flannery. As she did so, I approached Will, who was staring at the ground with a complicated smile on his face.
  
  "Thank you for the battle." I said as I approached, "It was well fought."
  
  He sighed, covering his face with a hand, "I was hoping for a better performance than this in the Tournament. To think I would be knocked out in the first round."
  
  Realizing what his words might have sounded like, he quickly corrected himself, "Not that I'm unhappy with Flannery's performance or anything; some might say she did even better than me as I was knocked out first."
  
  "That's because you were the bigger threat." I reassured, "You took us by surprise with your Gardevoir; I honestly didn't expect her to be able to handle the Taunt nearly as effectively as she did. And don't get me started on your Hypno and its ridiculous Helping Hand boost. That was the strongest Eruption I'd ever seen, and I doubt Flannery could achieve that without your help."
  
  I knew for a fact that I had gotten lucky with Hypno; having been spared from dealing with its usual arsenal of moves. Wraith's quick takedown likely saved our fight.
  
  Admittedly, the fight had been a little too close for my liking. I seriously considered using some of my stronger Pokémon for the next battle to avoid such a close-call from happening again.
  
  He let out a bitter chuckle, "And I wasn't expecting your Linoone to evolve. Seriously, what in Arceus is that?"
  
  I just shrugged and stayed silent, causing him to snort, "Nevertheless, I appreciate your words, even if it's cold comfort. It doesn't look good for a member of the Elite Four to be knocked out in the first round, even if I know I won't be the only one." He sighed again, "I'm already on shaky ground for not having won a battle since I entered into the Elite Four. This will only put more fuel on the fire."
  
  He was right. Will's strength as an Elite Four was under some scrutiny due to his lack of official battles, which only would be made worse due to this loss. His early knockout from the Tournament - in the first round even, would all but guarantee that he received an official challenge from someone soon.
  
  "That's a problem for the future. It's good that you know about it. So now you can work hard to prepare to secure your support." I tried to reassure him, "But you've grown stronger. This battle has more than proved that. Besides, even if you lose, you can always try for a rechallenge."
  
  He took a calming breath, "...You're right. I haven't lost yet. I still have time - I doubt any official challenge will come until the Indigo Conference is concluded."
  
  He stood up a little straighter, "I guess I'll just be using my extra free time to train up."
  
  I patted him on the shoulder, "That's the spirit. And I wasn't kidding about you taking us by surprise. You're strong, Will. I wouldn't lie about that."
  
  He smiled back and made a show of shaking my hand. It was mainly for the crowd, who couldn't overhear our conversation, to know that there were no bad feelings between us. I just smiled - he was ever the showman.
  
  But this was one fight down. There were still many more to go.
  
  A.N. The first round! 2v2 battles are hard to write, and this one had gone through many revisions, but I hope you enjoyed. I wanted to show that both teams had their own teamwork moments, so it wasn't just John and Roxanne who could work together.
  
  And yes, Ornstein FINALLY evolves into an Obstagoon. I know it evolves at night in the games, but I took a bit of creative freedom here to make the evolution more interesting and because Ornstein is technically 'overleveled' for the evolution and has more than sufficient Dark type mastery.
  
  Plus, in this battle specifically, I wanted to especially highlight the strength of Wraith's illusions and Ornstein's newest evolution, and how tough it is to fight against both when you aren't expecting it. H-Zoroark and Obstagoon are strong Pokémon.
  
  Unfortunately, for every winner there must be a loser. Will lost, but he's come far from the prideful showoff he was at the start. He'll bounce back, and I hope he made a good showing regardless.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-10 - The Beach Episode
  
  Winning against Will meant that we had successfully managed to clear through the first round of the Tournament. And since we were one of the earlier fights to take place, it meant that we had some time off before our next battle. Plus, since we didn't even know who our next opponent would be yet, there was no point in doing any specialised training until then.
  
  After the match ended, I did invite Roxanne for a celebratory meal to congratulate us passing through the first round, but Roxanne apologetically declined.
  
  "I'm sorry, John, but I think I should spend some time with Flannery." She bowed her head, "She seemed upset at her loss-"
  
  "Say no more." I cut her off, "I won't stop you from helping out a friend. Feel free to spend as much time with her as needed. Take your time. I'm sure I can find something else to do."
  
  "Thank you John. Then I'll see you later." She gave me one last farewell wave before she ran off to find Flannery. I watched her slowly fade away into the distance before I also decided to make my way out of Ever Grande City.
  
  Seeing that I had some free time, I thought I might as well make a call to a certain someone that I was dying to spend time with. But just before I could ring her up, I spotted a familiar pair of people chatting idly near the rushing waterfall of Ever Grande City, simply enjoying the early rays of the evening.
  
  It was Giovanni and Norman.
  
  "Hey there!" I greeted, turning their attention towards me, "Long time no see, Norman!"
  
  He looked as stoic as usual, but I could see that his eyes were smiling, "John! It has been a while. And congratulations on your win." We quickly shook hands, "How have you been? I only really hear second hand accounts from your sister."
  
  I rubbed my head sheepishly, "Sorry for not keeping in contact. I don't have any good excuses other than I was busy."
  
  "It's fine, I understand. We all have our own lives to live." He said easily, "Anyways, what a coincidence it is to see you. Giovanni and I were just talking about you."
  
  "Really?" I asked, staring at Giovanni with surprise, "What about me?"
  
  "To be precise, we weren't talking about you specifically. We were actually just talking about, well...actually I was asking Norman about some parenting stuff." Giovanni explained. He tried to maintain his usual calm demeanour, but I could tell that he was a little embarrassed.
  
  "Parenting stuff?" I asked, holding myself back from teasing him. "Are you asking about Silver?"
  
  "He was, but as a fellow father myself I shouldn't say anymore than that." Norman interrupted, though I could tell that he was smiling under that stoic façade of his.
  
  "No, it's fine, it's nothing that John doesn't know already." Giovanni allowed, "Norman just introduced me to his kids the other day since we were partnered up for the Tournament, and I couldn't help but compare them to Silver."
  
  "I'm sure Silver has his own strengths." Norman reassured.
  
  "He does, but he's also much more prone to rowdy behaviour. Your kids are extremely well behaved in comparison." Giovanni said, "And I'm not afraid to admit that Norman is the far better parent between the two of us."
  
  "Whitney thinks your son is polite and well-mannered though." I added comfortingly, "And I don't think he's a troublemaker." Nowhere near his canon self, at least.
  
  He rolled his eyes, "That's your sister's natural charm at work. I don't know how Whitney does it, but Silver is practically as docile as a Slakoth when she's around. Then when she's not there he's back to being a Mankey."
  
  "Well surely he must be putting that energy to good use." I pointed out, "How's his training going?"
  
  "He's really set on becoming a generalist, even though I've warned him how difficult it is." Giovanni said, "I think he got a little too inspired by Cynthia."
  
  "Oh, same here!" Norman spoke up, "Both May and Max, those are my kids by the way, are also looking to become generalist trainers as well. They don't have the interest on being a Normal type trainer like their dad." He frowned playfully.
  
  I grinned, "Well I'm sure Cynthia would be flattered to hear that." Because I was definitely going to tell her.
  
  "I can't say it's a bad thing." Giovanni admitted, "I just hope that I can instil a proper sense of responsibility into Silver before he goes out on his journey. I don't want for him to assume that his father's success means he'll be able to do whatever he wants."
  
  "Ah, that's something I've been drilling into my kids at a young age." Norman nodded, "I didn't really care if they were great trainers or not, though I would certainly hope they could be, but the most important thing for me was that my kids were humble and respectful. Everything else is far harder to teach."
  
  "Mhm. That is very important." I agreed, "Being overly arrogant is a common reason why 'successful' trainers fail."
  
  Giovanni snorted, "I don't think the Blackthorns got that message." Then he sighed, "But I can see what you mean. I think I'll have to talk to Ariana and really start talking to Silver about this."
  
  Norman patted Giovanni on the shoulder, "Chin up, Giovanni. I'm sure many people will be able to help you with Silver if you need it. And, in my eyes, you're already becoming a great parent. You care about Silver, and you want to help him be the best he could be. That's all that's necessary. If you need any more advice, even after this Tournament ends, feel free to call me. My wife and I will be happy to give you some tips."
  
  I nodded, "He's right. And I'm you can always call for help if you need it, even if I'm not a parent myself. Or just call Whitney. She might be more useful." I grinned.
  
  Giovanni smiled, "No offense, but when it comes to calming down my son I'll take your sister over you any day." I chuckled as he turned to Norman and gave off a slight bow, "Nonetheless, I appreciate the offer, and for your kind words. It gladdens me to hear that I'm not failing as a parent."
  
  "It's something every parent worries about. I was no different when my kids were first born. It took my wife giving me a slap on the back for me to steady my nerves." Norman waved off, "Don't stress too much about it. You can always speak to your partner for advice. From my experience, they're always willing to give it."
  
  Then he checked his watch, "Ah, seems like we've idled about for too long."
  
  "Oh right, your match is soon isn't it?" I realised, and they both nodded, "Then I'll leave you to it. I have a call to make too."
  
  "Thanks for coming over for a chat, John." Norman said as we exchanged our goodbyes, "Maybe we can talk more soon!"
  
  I watched the two of them leave for a moment with a pleased smile on my face. Who knew that Giovanni would be talking to Norman about fatherhood of all things? It never failed to surprise me how much he's mellowed out since I first met him.
  
  But now with Norman and Giovanni leaving, I returned to my original purpose and rang up Cynthia.
  
  "Oh my, have you finally remembered me?" Her teasing voice came through the phone.
  
  "Like I would ever forget you." I shot back, smiling as I heard the slight giggle from her, "How have you been? I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."
  
  "No, just got out of a meeting with the other Champions. It wasn't anything important." She told me, "So are you calling to arrange a date? I saw you won with Roxanne. Good job on that."
  
  "Thank you, and I am." I replied, "...It's no fun when you can predict me like this."
  
  "If you had free time and DIDN'T arrange a date with me when we haven't seen each other in some time then I would have been seriously doubting your commitment to this relationship." She said dryly, "Luckily, you're meeting expectations right now."
  
  "Only 'meeting expectations'?" I remarked amusedly with a raised eyebrow, "Surely I'm doing better than that."
  
  "Well we'll have to see what you plan for tomorrow, don't we?" She chuckled, "Where would you like to take me?"
  
  "Dewford Beach." I said immediately, "You snow-loving Sinnohnians need to appreciate something OTHER than the freezing climates you all somehow enjoy so much."
  
  "...Are you sure you're inviting me there with such pure intentions?" She questioned playfully, "Methinks someone is getting a little too excited."
  
  I didn't let her teasing get to me, "I'm not sure what kind of boyfriend I would be if I didn't want to take my girlfriend to the beach." I said boldly, "I might not have been attracted to you purely for your looks, but I'm still a guy. And you are very beautiful."
  
  She broke out laughing, "Flatterer. Okay, you win this round. I thought you'd be more embarrassed."
  
  "You're going to have to do a bit better than that." I grinned, "Anyways, I wasn't lying about wanting you to experience the beaches of Hoenn. I'm sure you will come to love it."
  
  "I think so too." She agreed, "Then let's meet each other at noon tomorrow? I have some stuff to do in the mornings."
  
  "That's fine." I nodded, "And make sure you try to disguise yourself a little. Not because I care about the rumours, but because we won't able to enjoy a private moment together if we get swarmed by reporters. Though, with everyone busy watching the Tournament, I'm confident there will be barely any people there. We'll probably be able to slip by unnoticed, and I'll go double check tomorrow to make sure that's the case."
  
  "Urgh. I hope you're right about that." She grimaced, "Okay, I'll think of something appropriate. It's hard to balance out something inconspicuous while also looking good."
  
  "I'm sure you'll be beautiful no matter what you wear." I slid in smoothly.
  
  "Since when were you such a charmer?" She laughed again, "You must be really looking forward to seeing me."
  
  "Definitely. I'm practically counting down the moments." I replied.
  
  "Then you'll just have to keep counting, because I have meetings tonight that I can't get out of." She told me, "But don't worry. You won't have to count for long; I'll definitely be there tomorrow."
  
  "See you there!" I said to her as we hung up the call. As the call ended, all I could see was the reflection of me sporting a goofy smile staring back at me.
  
  I had a date!
  
  It very quickly turned to the afternoon of the next day and I was already at the beaches of Dewford, waiting for Cynthia to arrive. I had spent some effort on my own appearance, wearing a (what I hoped was) more stylish version of my old tourist getup that I had previously worn on my first trip to Hoenn, with a sleeveless blue jacket with a shirt, long but thin trousers, and a bucket hat.
  
  I waited underneath one of the many umbrellas that the stores around the beach had set up, my eyes darting around as I tried to spot Cynthia. As I had hoped, the beaches of Dewford were practically empty. There was hardly anyone here, and many stores weren't even open today, which gave me confidence that we would be able to enjoy the afternoon sun on the beach in peace.
  
  Looking back at my thoughts from last night in anticipation for this date, I couldn't help but chuckle at my own excitement. Man, I've really fallen for her, haven't I?
  
  "...Aw, it's nice to hear you say that out loud." A beautiful voice came out from behind me, and I turned around to see the exact person I was thinking about standing behind me in a pretty light blue sundress and a large white sunhat with sunglasses perched on top of them. As if that wasn't enough, she was also carrying a yellow umbrella to block out more of the sun.
  
  "I didn't mean to say that out loud, but now I'm glad I did." I smiled, "Also, is it me or does it seem like you've dressed up in a way that makes it look like you're allergic to the sun?"
  
  "It's all part of the disguise; the umbrella helps block out unwanted looks. Or were you hoping to see me wearing a bit less? Sorry, but that isn't what I like to wear." She giggled, and while the thought DID tempt me, I managed to shake my head.
  
  "No, I prefer it this way." I replied firmly and honestly, "Sometimes revealing too much makes you look crass. What you're doing right now is a perfect balance between the two."
  
  I leaned forwards, kissing her briefly on the forehead as I whispered to her, "You look beautiful, Cynthia."
  
  "...You say all the right things." She said, but I could see the slight tinge of red on her cheeks, "Anyways, enough of that. You were right, there really isn't anyone here. Let's walk around this beach that you've hyped up so much."
  
  Her arm wrapped around mine as she pulled me along the beach. I happily let her drag me around.
  
  "You don't have to be coy. We got lucky today - it's a beautiful day." I said as we left footprints in the sand, "Also, hope you're not overwhelmed by the heat. It must be very different from what you're used to."
  
  "The heat can be a bit much. I definitely brought the wrong kind of pyjamas when I packed for Hoenn; that first night here nearly cooked me." She admitted, "But now, in this place? I can see why you like it so much. The bright sun, the beautiful waves, and the slight hint of the light breeze - all of it is just so relaxing."
  
  "Much better than the biting cold of Snowpoint, don't you think?" I smirked, "You can admit to being wrong, you know. I won't hold it against you."
  
  "Haha, very funny." She said dryly, "I admit that the cold is an acquired taste, but there's very much a natural beauty to it that never seems to get old."
  
  "Oh I don't deny that." I replied, "But the inviting warmth of the sun is much easier to find appealing. You can't tell me shivering in the cold is better than this." I gestured to the picturesque scenery around us.
  
  "Too much time in the sun gets you burnt though." Cynthia pointed out, "You don't have that problem with the cold - assuming you dress properly."
  
  "Is that why you've put on as much shade as you can?" I asked, making a show of looking over her sunglasses, hat, and umbrella.
  
  "I don't think being tan suits me." She smiled, "Unless you think otherwise?"
  
  I shook my head, "No, I agree. I prefer how you look now."
  
  "Aw, thanks." She covered her mouth with a hand as she laughed softly, "And likewise, please don't get tanned like those surfer dudes. I was never into that look."
  
  "I'll do my best." I grinned, inwardly glad I put on sunscreen. But then I smelled something really good, "Hey, have you eaten yet? Should we get something to eat - unless you feel like playing around in the water?"
  
  "I'm not dressed appropriately to get wet." She shook her head, "But yes, let's get some food. I'm pretty hungry too."
  
  Since I was the less recognisable one between us, as Cynthia had a far more distinct look than I did, I went to order us both some food from the nearby store - who's delicious cooking had caught my nose. Turns out, it was one of the only few stores that were open today, and the single person running the store told me that many of the storeowners had rushed over to Ever Grande City to try their luck selling food there for the massive crowd of spectators. He was practically the only one left behind.
  
  Once we got our food, which was a rather generous portion of grilled meats meant for sharing, we sat down at one of the empty tables near the waves, just far enough to be out of reach. There was no one around us.
  
  Or at least...there were no humans around us. As a Psyduck waddled up to us with its head in its hands. It leaned forwards, looking like it was begging for food.
  
  Cynthia immediately began cooing over it.
  
  "Looks like a wild Psyduck to me." I said amusedly as Cynthia happily handed over some food. The Psyduck smiled wildly as it nibbled on its snack, "Wow, it really likes you."
  
  The smile never left her mouth, "It's been like this since I was young. I have no idea why, but Psyduck seem to love me." She sniffed herself, "Is it the way I smell? But whatever it is - I seem to attract Psyduck like a magnet."
  
  "Could be worse. At least the Psyduck are friendly to you. Better friendly than hostile." I said as I watched her continue to pet the Psyduck on the head. It seemed to love the attention.
  
  "True, but I'm still curious as to why I seem to be so favoured by them." She sighed softly, "But I guess that's one of the many mysteries of life that will remain unanswered."
  
  Then her eyes whirled onto mine, "Speaking of Pokémon, don't think I'm about to overlook the fact that your D-Linoone just evolved into a new form yesterday. What was that?!"
  
  I chuckled, raising both arms in surrender. "It was a surprise for me too! I definitely didn't expect that to happen."
  
  "Have you had an opportunity to test out its new capabilities?" She asked, returning to the academic that I knew she was. "Or at least, what's the name of your new evolution?"
  
  "Not yet, my mind was on this date. But his new form is called an Obstagoon." I replied. "I already promised that I'll do more testing later on."
  
  "Hmm...'Obstagoon'...another mystery to figure out." She hummed, "Let me know if you need my help with that. I always love examining new Pokémon."
  
  I nodded, "Speaking of mysteries, you really have to join me and Drake down once we go cave diving in Sinnoh again." I said, "It wouldn't be the same without you."
  
  She smiled, "I'll try, but I'm really not sure if I can make time for it." That was what she said, but her eyes told a different story. She was just as eager as I was.
  
  "Then make time for it." I replied simply, pushing her just a little more, "Pass on the work to Lucian or something. He can handle it for a day or two."
  
  The grin that appeared on her face told me that my persuasion worked, "What a wonderful suggestion. I forgot I could do that."
  
  I chuckled, "What's the point of being Champion if you can't abuse your power for petty things like this from time to time?"
  
  "Well I'd feel bad for Lucian if I did this too often, but I guess the slacking occasionally can't be that bad..." Then she gasped dramatically, "John! Are you corrupting me?!"
  
  I raised my hands, "I'm just offering reasonable suggestions. It's up to you if you want to follow through with it."
  
  Then I lowered my voice, "But don't let Lance hear about this. The last thing I want is for him to dump his work on me."
  
  She smirked, "We'll see about that...though, speaking of Lance, aren't you planning on fighting him after the finals?"
  
  "IF I reach it, yes, that's the plan." I confirmed.
  
  She rolled her eyes, "You better get to those finals. I want you to beat Lance. It's about time that you prove to the world that you are a Champion in all but name."
  
  "I think I already have that reputation." I replied, trying not to be too smug.
  
  She nodded, "Yes, but a victory over Lance would confirm it." She placed on of her hands gently on my cheek, "And as your partner, why wouldn't I want you to be recognized like that? Let the world see you like I do."
  
  "And it's not just that. If you do beat Lance, that would be an excellent moment to make a formal announcement of our relationship to the public." She added, "After all, with such a decisive achievement of strength, who would doubt you? Who would challenge you?"
  
  I placed my hand on top of the one touching my cheek as I gently caressed her smooth hands, "...I actually had a similar thought. Plus, it would be even better if we made the announcement together, after you ALSO win against the remaining candidates of the Top 3. Our double victory will serve as the momentum for the announcement."
  
  A joint announcement on the back of convincing victories like that, and on top of Cynthia's newest ascension to Champion, was a powerful show of force to win public opinion to our side. Of course we would have to do more than just that to show the public that we weren't letting our relationship get in the way of our duties, but it would be a great start to having our relationship be accepted by the public.
  
  After all, strength spoke volumes in our society.
  
  "Speaking of which, this can't be something you drop on the Sinnoh Elite Four out of the blue." I pointed out, "They will have to be informed about this too."
  
  "I will speak to Lucian first." She confirmed, "We'll hash out the details between us to 'keep things fair' regarding our relationship, so to speak. Although, I already have an idea on what to propose to him..."
  
  Cynthia then explained her plans to me, which mirrored my own arrangement with Lance. As Champion, she would be voluntarily limiting her own voting power when it came to bilateral deals with Indigo to that of an Elite Four. Therefore, she would still have voting power, but she couldn't dominate the vote like she usually would as a Champion.
  
  In essence, the Sinnoh Elite Four would serve as a judge of her objectiveness for any deals regarding Indigo. So if there was a situation where she was obviously biased, she couldn't force the League into going through with a deal that they didn't want as the Elite Four would cancel out her vote. However, so long as the Elite Four remained supportive of her position, then deals could still easily pass through the Committee as the Elite Four would vote alongside her.
  
  It was a sacrifice, but one she told me she was happily willing to make for our relationship to work - echoing her previous words to me when we exchanged confessions. However, she reassured me that the sacrifice wasn't as big as it may first seem, because she was confident that she could keep the Elite Four on her side, nullifying any drawbacks of her reduced voting power for bilateral Indigo-related proposals.
  
  I approved of her ideas, even if it wasn't a foolproof solution. Yet, since there had never been a cross-region relationship between two high-ranking members of the League, there was no precedent for what needed to be done when one happened.
  
  I hoped that, on top of my own announcement that I wouldn't be participating in votes regarding Sinnoh, we could get the drop on any accusations of bias before they could begin.
  
  Cynthia and I agreed that it was vital for us to set the tone for our relationship to the public. The benefit of this succeeding was that it paved the way for other cross-regional relationships between high-ranking public officials to occur, potentially leading to future relationships like ours to crop up as well.
  
  Of course, a lot of this hinged on our abilities to keep up our reputation and our favourability in the public's eye. We needed to remain competent, strong, and effective in our positions DESPITE our relationship.
  
  It wasn't going to be easy, but that didn't mean we wouldn't damn well try. I still held firmly onto that promise in Sinnoh that we would both do everything to make this work - and Cynthia clearly was no different.
  
  And our double victory in the Tournament would go a long way in helping that.
  
  "Then I guess I just have to win, don't I?" I said with a smirk, and she grinned along with me.
  
  Her smile was stunning. And our eyes met each other's once again as the gentle, seaside winds caressed our faces.
  
  Before I knew it, all I could see and feel were Cynthia's beautiful grey eyes staring into mine, and how beautiful her hair seemed to frame her face.
  
  My hands moved on their own accord, grabbing her lightly by the shoulders and pulling her into me. She allowed it, leaning into me as she guided our lips together. And then I was overwhelmed with that sensually soft sensation of her lips on mine.
  
  It was all I could feel. Not the breezy winds of Dewford, not the inviting seas, not even the sounds of the nearby squawks and cries of a few wild Pokémon. Just her lips.
  
  Her words of encouragement and her faith in me never failed to stir up my attraction to her. This kiss was meant to be for her sake - but right now, I wasn't sure who the reward was supposed to be for.
  
  We stayed like that for a moment with our lips clasped together. But all moments, no matter how beautiful, had to come to an end. And our lips eventually broke apart.
  
  I stared at Cynthia, who was still smiling softly with a faint blush on her cheeks, "...Let's keep walking around before we draw too many prying eyes." The beach might be mostly empty, but I'd rather not take too many risks with our romantic displays of affection - especially now that we had a plan on how we would be publicly revealing our relationship.
  
  Cynthia nodded and allowed me to drag her around the beach. Neither of us talked, simply enjoying the presence of the other as we walked around the beach hand-in-hand.
  
  It was only after a moment that Cynthia spoke up again, "So do you have any plans on how to beat Lance's Emperor? Can you even plan around such a beast?"
  
  "Tyrant isn't much of a cunning fighter, even if he can be quite versatile." I replied, "But I know our battle is going to be down to a brawl."
  
  She nodded in agreement, "I don't see how it would play out any other way with the two of you. But..."
  
  "Go on. I'm listening." I encouraged.
  
  "Well...if I were you, then I would try to get in Lance's head. Everyone knows he's very reliant on outpowering his opponent, so is there a way you can use that against him? Or would it best to try to match that strength? If the fight is going to end up being a brawl, then is there any way for you to try to swing that brawl into your favour? Is there any strategy that Lance likes to use that you can turn around on him? Those are just some of the questions I'd think about."
  
  I already thought of that, but I appreciated her words nonetheless, "Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind." I said to her.
  
  "...Though, I actually thought you were about to ask me to fight you again." I smirked.
  
  "Not today." She shook her head, "Besides, we might get the opportunity after your battle against Lance, should you win."
  
  "Hopefully," I nodded, "Oh, now that we're on the topic, do you think you could beat Lance in a fight?"
  
  "6v6 or ace vs ace?" Cynthia asked.
  
  "Either or." I replied.
  
  She took a moment to think, "...From what I've seen of him, I think I do have a chance to win in a 6v6 fight. It definitely won't be easy though." She explained, "But if it's a duel between starters, then I most likely lose."
  
  "My Garchomp may be many things, but Lance has taken the idea of 'brute strength' to a completely different level." Cynthia muttered, "It's the same as your Slaking. I don't have any intention on pitting my Pokémon against either of your two monsters. My only chance of winning would be to wear them down slowly overtime and fight very smartly..."
  
  "Do you think you could do it?" I asked.
  
  "...Maybe, but it'd be a very narrow thing." She answered slowly, "Garchomp might be faster than your Slaking or Lance's Dragonite, but my Garchomp is definitely not as strong. One mistake, and I lose. And that doesn't include any other tricks you both might pull out."
  
  "Still, that doesn't mean I will lose outright." Her eyes gleamed with that familiar sense of competitive conviction, "If you end up beating Lance, then there should be no reason why I couldn't either."
  
  "Glad to hear it." I said with a proud smile. I always loved hearing that determination in her voice.
  
  It was then that I realized, as we were distracted by the conversation, we ended up wandering close to the bright blue ocean. I watched as the waves extended close to our legs - without Cynthia noticing - before receding away.
  
  A playful idea came to my head. While Cynthia remained distracted, I waited carefully for the tide to come in once again before I suddenly yanked Cynthia right into the oncoming waves.
  
  "...H-Hey! What are you-WOAH!" Cynthia exclaimed in surprise as I dragged the two of us in the water, our feet making a splash for each step we took into the ocean.
  
  "I'm not dressed for this!" She complained while inspecting her now soaked sundress. Her eyes whirled tome as she glared, but there was no heat in it.
  
  I just laughed, "What kind of person doesn't enter the water when they go to the beach?" I cupped a handful of water and splashed her again, eliciting a loud shriek from her, "You should have known this from the start!" To add insult to injury I splashed her again.
  
  "-YOU! That's it." She kneeled into the water, ignoring how that only caused her dress to become more soaked, "You asked for it!" Then she hurled a large handful of water at me.
  
  But she didn't stop there, ignoring all sense of dignity as she her hands continued to fling more and more water at me. The water soaked me from head to toe, but I didn't mind it one bit. Cynthia's wide smile told me everything I needed to know.
  
  And as I took a glimpse of my own reflection in the clear blue seas, as the afternoon sun shone over our heads, I could see that I was smiling too.
  
  A.N. This chapter was a long time coming. With Cynthia and John finally having some free time to spend together, it was only natural that they would go on a date. I also wanted to make use of this opportunity to discuss how their relationship would go moving forwards. I hope you enjoyed the interactions!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-10 -Interlude-Archer
  The New Normal - 10-10 - Interlude - Archer
  
  The terrorists were on the move.
  
  Just like his boss had predicted, the criminals thought that they were safe - that the whole world's attention would be focused on the Tournament, and that the security measures would be relatively lax.
  
  Oh sure, Cynthia may have ordered the Sinnoh Police to be on high alert, but career criminals like them were bound to know how to stay away from the authorities, especially if, as Archer greatly suspected, they were also being fed information from their spies.
  
  Therefore, it was this arrogance or impatience, or perhaps from a general dissatisfaction at being kept inside for too long, they finally decided to venture out and advance their plans, the ones that were less likely to immediately draw attention, thinking that none would be the wiser.
  
  So they got sloppy. They got careless with hiding their tracks. Less paranoid when it came to their illegal operations, which mostly focused on theft or resource acquisitions.
  
  He suspected that they were really starting to feel the pinch of the resource problems.
  
  Unbeknownst to the criminals, Archer and his team had been waiting for this exact moment of complacency. He continued to stalk his targets at safe distance, being under strict orders to not attack these terrorists directly, and his team continued to collect information and piece together their plans while ensuring they remained undetected as they took down notes on all of the bases that the grunts led them to.
  
  Though Archer knew that he was merely following the grunts, and that the bases that they had discovered were likely of little importance in the grand scheme of things, revealing their location and having them raided by the authorities was sure to cause a big headache for whoever was in charge of these terrorists.
  
  And with every base he discovered, it would only be a matter of time before he narrowed down who the true identity of these criminals were.
  
  But as his monitoring operations continued, Archer noticed a pattern in their movements. Ignoring their more routine criminal acts, he realized that the grunts were all gravitating towards the three famous lakes of Sinnoh.
  
  And Archer's many years of honed instincts as a criminal was screaming at him that this was important. His many years of working for Giovanni allowed him to recognize the grunts' movements to be just like his own when he was scouting out a location for a potential raid, back when he still used to plan those.
  
  It was no coincidence that they seemed to be getting closer and closer to the three lakes, but what could they be planning on doing with them?
  
  With that in mind, Archer dove headfirst into researching the lakes, trying to suss out whatever reason that the grunts had for scouting out the lakes like they were doing. And he eventually stumbled across the existence of the lake guardians, the trio of Legendary Pokémon that supposedly resided there, though allegedly no one was ever able to catch a glimpse of them.
  
  ...This must have been what these terrorists were aiming for. Did they have some kind of scheme for luring out the guardians and capturing them? But for what purpose? According to what he read, the Guardians were weak compared to almost every other Legendary. They did not have the overwhelming strength to achieve their so-called goals of remaking the world, and he doubted that even the most delusional of criminals would fail to notice this fact.
  
  No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't find the answer. But that was fine. He was not chosen for his position for his ability to think of the bigger picture. That was for his boss and for John to do. His job was to just collect the information and present it to those who really could get a grasp on the criminals' true goals.
  
  So with that in mind, Archer proceeded to report all of this to Giovanni. He knew that his boss was currently participating in the Tournament, but he didn't think this information could wait.
  
  "...I see, thank you for letting me know urgently." Giovanni said, "I suspect that your suspicions are correct. However they plan to 'remake the world', I don't doubt that the Lake Guardians would certainly have a place in it."
  
  "Then what's the next step, boss?" He asked, "Should we send an anonymous tip right away?"
  
  "No, now isn't the right time. With everyone busy and distracted with the Tournament, the impact wouldn't be as big as we want it to be." His boss shook his head, "...We need to make sure that the Sinnoh government reacts appropriately to this threat. We have this single opportunity to really bring the pain down on these scum, and I want to make sure we get it right."
  
  Archer nodded, and stayed silent as he allowed his boss to think.
  
  "...The financial investigations of the businesses in Sinnoh are still underway, right?" His boss asked after a moment.
  
  "Yes, but I hear that they're concluding soon." Archer answered. "The results should be published to the Champion shortly."
  
  "The Champion will certainly give a press conference when the results are published. Release your information then." His boss ordered, "When that happens, the attention of the authorities will naturally be focused on dealing with these criminals, so this will just be adding more fuel to the fire. A fire that the League cannot ignore."
  
  Then his boss' eyes gleamed cunningly, "...In fact, how combat-ready is your team?"
  
  "As ready as they'll ever be, but we won't win against their numbers." He replied dutifully.
  
  "Good, then I have another plan for you to enact." Giovanni grinned, "Once you finish releasing your information, I want you to provoke a small-scale fight between yourself and these criminals, since you know where their grunts' bases are. Make it look like it was a disagreement within their ranks. Make your fight as loud as possible so that the authorities are attracted to it. That'll cause far more problems for them."
  
  "And if any of your team unfortunately gets caught, then make sure they know what to say." Giovanni added, "Have them 'leak' to the authorities that the terrorists intend to target the lake guardians so that their attention is focused there. The criminals won't be able to stay out of the spotlight after that, and the League won't be able to afford ignoring this threat. They WILL be forced to respond."
  
  "Understood, I'll make sure the team is ready." Archer nodded, "Is there anything else?"
  
  "Keep your eyes on the lakes. I want to know immediately if the terrorists decide to throw caution to the wind and decide on enacting their plans regardless of whether they get caught." Giovanni ordered, "If that happens, stall for time as much as you can, and call John directly. He'll sort it out."
  
  It said much about his boss' faith in John that he commanded Archer to call John first before even informing him. Having worked for Giovanni for as long as he did, Archer knew all about his boss' desire for control, so to tell Archer to inform John first was a big deal.
  
  "Will do." He replied, and the call with his boss ended there. Immediately after the phone call ended, he began barking orders to his team. Soon, the secret base was alight with activity as everyone started rushing around, all with serious looks on their faces.
  
  They were preparing for war.
  
  A.N. So Archer starts unravelling the plans of Team Galactic. I wanted to highlight how much of an advantage it is to have someone who actually understands the plans of criminals (by being a criminal himself) to monitor and predict their movements.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-11 - An Electric Atmosphere
  
  Time quickly flew by when we were having fun. And the evening rays of light told us that we had been playing around for long enough.
  
  Our stomachs also alerted us to the fact that we were actually pretty hungry. So despite the two of us still being soaked, we were tired enough from all that playing around that we had to drag ourselves to the same food stall to get some dinner.
  
  Yet, ignoring all the tiredness, it was clear that we had a great time.
  
  "I think that's enough of the beach for me for a while." She said to me over dinner, "It was fun, but it really took a lot out of me. I still have more to do after this!"
  
  "Better than the cold, right?" I grinned.
  
  "Well, you haven't really experienced a true and proper snowball fight yet, but I admit that there are more things to do on a beach." She relented.
  
  "If we still have free time later, maybe I can bring you to walk around Mauville City." I said, "I still have a store to set up there."
  
  "Sure, I won't turn down another date." She smiled at me, "I haven't really had a chance to experience much of the local cuisine here. Actually, I haven't been to much of Hoenn at all - this was the first time I could really leave Ever Grande City. I'm constantly stuck there due to all the meetings."
  
  "Then I'll try to bring you on a tour of the place if you have time." I replied, "It'll just be like how you took me on a tour around Sinnoh."
  
  "I'll see if I can find time for it, but I'm holding you to that." She responded.
  
  Unfortunately, I couldn't spend the whole evening with Cynthia. Given that it was a rare opportunity for so many politically important people to be gathered in one place, and that she was the new Champion of Sinnoh, she had a lot of meetings and schmoozing to do. So she had to leave shortly after dinner.
  
  Still, we should hopefully have another opportunity for a date again soon.
  
  The next day flew by pretty quickly as well. While Roxanne and I waited for the rest of the matches for the first round to be over, I decided to focus on some individual training in preparation for my match against Lance.
  
  Besides, I wanted to finally inspect Ornstein's new form and the potential that came with it.
  
  It was amusing how Ornstein's evolution into an Obstagoon was ALMOST overlooked by the newspapers. Not that it wasn't a significant evolution, especially since the regular form of Linoone was not known to be able to evolve, but there were so many other possible headlines that the news of his evolution was buried underneath everything else.
  
  The pairs that won, the pairs that lost, the pairs that should have won but ended up losing, everything was being reported. The news must be having a field day with all the headline-worthy events that were taking place. There was just so much drama to be had.
  
  Though I was sure that the topic of my Obstagoon would resurface later, once things calmed down.
  
  Not only that, but Giovanni also informed me of Archer's findings regarding Team Galactic and their movements. I was pleasantly surprised to hear about what they had discovered and what Giovanni had pieced together. I had hoped that Team Galactic would have gotten sloppy, but this was far more than I had hoped that Archer would find.
  
  I was even MORE surprised about the proposed actions that Giovanni had informed me about. After thinking things through, I decided that to give my agreement and that he had my full support to go ahead with the plan.
  
  Right now, the main obstacle that is preventing us from taking down Team Galactic is the shield of public opinion that they hide behind. Giovanni's plan was a step towards breaking down that shield and exposing the true face of Galactic Company to the world.
  
  Bringing him and Archer on board for their 'experience' was really paying dividends.
  
  Putting that aside for now, I ended up borrowing the training facilities kindly provided by Roxanne to test out Ornstein. Roxanne wasn't with me today, as she told me that she had plans that needed to be dealt with, and instead would meet up with me later for further preparations.
  
  Therefore, with the free time given to me, I threw myself into training and released my team. They immediately surrounded the newly evolved Ornstein and inspected his form.
  
  "Ornstein! Come here!" I called out towards my Pokémon, dispersing my curious crowd of Pokémon. Ornstein rushed up to me, tongue lagging in his mouth, and his eyes eager to show off his new form.
  
  I could see why he was so proud of it. Unlike when he was a Linoone, his new form had muscles that were sculpted to be for more than just for speed; his arms were muscled and packed with enough strength that I felt could break a tree in half. Similarly, his chest was full of newfound bulk - giving him a level of endurance that he could have only dreamed of when he was a Linoone.
  
  It was immediately clear to me that his newfound evolution into an Obstagoon had completely changed his role on my team, just as I hoped. He could now fight as more than just a Pokémon reliant purely on his speed, and was now able to muscle through powerful threats as well.
  
  I grinned as I inspected his new form. It was finally time to train Ornstein to live up to his namesake.
  
  "Ornstein, I want you to train against Smough." I ordered, "Test yourself and your new form against him. See if you can actually match him in a brawl."
  
  Ornstein grinned eagerly before turning around and immediately rushing towards Smough without any hesitation. Smough blocked Ornstein's Brick Break with a palm, and retaliated with his own Hammer Arm.
  
  However, whereas before Ornstein would have immediately be forced to dodge out of the way, this time Ornstein merely blocked the attack with a dark-infused arm before his whole body flashed orange and he struck back with another powerful Brick Break - this time further boosted by the Counter that he had just used.
  
  Smough fell back with a pained grunt and a look of surprise on his face; he must have been too used to how Ornstein used to fight and wasn't expecting Ornstein to be able to outright block his attacks. On the other hand, Ornstein was grinning madly, clearly happy about his newfound ability to fight back against his old rival.
  
  Yet Smough was always ready to adapt to new ways of fighting. Knowing that his rival could now block his attacks, Smough now took his opponent much more seriously, ramping up the ferocity of his attacks as he began to pummel Ornstein with a flurry of strikes.
  
  Then Ornstein did something that surprised me - during one of Smough's attacks, Ornstein shouted at Smough, firing off a Hyper Voice that broke through Smough's concentration for a brief moment. That gave Ornstein just enough time to duck under Smough's swing before snaking out a leg and tripping up Smough, sending him tumbling to the ground.
  
  Ornstein laughed out in celebration, only to immediately let out a yelp of surprise as Smough lunged at him from the ground and pinned Ornstein underneath him. Ornstein tried to struggle, but Smough's sheer weight was too much, and he was forced to tap out.
  
  They continued their spars in a similar manner while I stayed back to observe. The more that I did, the more I was able to confirm that Ornstein would quickly become one of my more powerful Pokémon on my team.
  
  He fought very similarly to Smough, relying on close range attacks to do most of his damage. However, Smough hit harder and was more durable, while Ornstein was much faster and had access to a wider range of disruptive moves than Smough. Once Ornstein mastered his new strength, I was going to see if he could train up his jump height so that he could be a surprise threat against would-be fliers.
  
  I grinned as they continued to fight; he would be an excellent partner for Smough in a 2v2 fight. Just as I hoped he would be.
  
  And now, between Ornstein's new powerful evolution, Pixel's mastery of Conversion, Klaus' continued mastery of his ability to Teleport around during fights, Wraith's improving sense of discipline and increasingly creative use of his Illusion ability, and Euphie's growing mastery of the Fairy type and her developing supporting move pool, I felt that my newer Pokémon were really coming together.
  
  They were all slowly becoming Pokémon that I would be proud to have on my Elite team - and some were already there.
  
  Still, I reminded myself to not get complacent about their training. My close call with Will had demonstrated that they were still somewhat lacking compared to my stronger peers, and so the training must continue. Not only that, but I also told myself to try to think up more creative ways to utilise their strengths, just to get that slight edge in battle.
  
  It wasn't just enough to get them to be stronger or faster. Fighting creatively was an excellent way of compounding the strength of my team.
  
  This was especially important for Zephyr, and I stared at my Flying type with a complicated expression.
  
  Despite my best efforts, Zephyr was having trouble growing any further - it was almost like he had hit his limit in terms of what a Pidgeot could do. His strength, no matter how much I tried to train it up, just couldn't really match the level that I needed for really high-level fights. Flying fast to generate momentum could only compensate for so much.
  
  He wasn't like Tyrant. Despite having a determined mindset to improve, Pidgeot as a species just weren't particularly suited to high level fighting. Still, I didn't let my thoughts show on my face - nor was Zephyr one to get jealous. In fact, he was happy to see the new additions get stronger, and he never expressed his dissatisfaction or concern about stagnating.
  
  Yet I wanted to honour his determination, and I decided to train up his supporting movepool and his endurance, since his attacking power was already as high as it realistically could be. That way, he could still be used in certain niche scenarios.
  
  The most obvious move to train up was Tailwind, something that I had previously underutilised. A properly setup Tailwind could give my slower Pokémon a huge advantage in a battle, both in 2v2s or after a quick swapping U-Turn from Zephyr.
  
  The other move that I also wanted to train up for Zephyr, no matter how hard it would be, was Baton Pass. I was inspired by Cynthia's fight against ex-Champion Hayato and how Milotic's Baton Pass into her Garchomp swiftly won the fight for her. With Zephyr's incredible speed and flight, it wouldn't be difficult for him to set up with Baton Pass before passing on all those buffs onto a different Pokémon.
  
  Of course, I knew that Pidgeot did not naturally learn Baton Pass, but I knew that Clefable do. The move wasn't great on Luna due to her slow speed and inability to set up safely, but she could help train Zephyr into knowing the move.
  
  This was going to be a long-term thing. However, learning Baton Pass would skyrocket Zephyr's usefulness, making him a legitimate pick for me to use in high level battles. He had been one of my earlier Pokémon that I had caught, so he deserved better than to fade away in favour of my other Pokémon.
  
  I made sure to tell him as such, and Zephyr squawked excitedly as he took off to begin his new training routine.
  
  Lastly, I turned to Tyrant, who had already been sparring against a Guts-boosted Vordt. Vordt let out a primal roar as he crashed straight into Tyrant with a devastating Headlong Rush, which Tyrant did nothing against except to brace himself to meet the attack head on.
  
  Tyrant winced from the impact, but he stood firm and managed to shove back. This pattern repeated itself over and over again, for I was training up Tyrant's endurance in preparation for his fight against Emperor. And having him tank the most powerful attack from a Guts-boosted Vordt was probably the best form of training that I could have for him.
  
  We had already been doing this ever since Lance and I agreed to fight, so I hoped Tyrant would be ready when the time came.
  
  Of course, that wasn't the only training I did with Tyrant. I had him practice the same strategies that we prepared for against Drake's Salamence - in the worst case scenario where Vordt lost to it in that battle all that time ago. I would make sure that Tyrant was ready for some aerial combat.
  
  He was going to need it when he faced off against Emperor - to prove once in for all that my Pokémon were worthy to be Champions. To prove myself to be equal to them, and to fulfil my promise to my girlfriend.
  
  Because she was a Champion. And what kind of partner would I be if I couldn't stand by her side, in both status or reputation?
  
  The first round of matches for the Tournament had finally concluded. Among the 22 pairs of trainers that went into the first round, 11 would be making it to the second. That wasn't including the team that was chosen by the public vote to continue.
  
  The Pokénet and the news were buzzing with posts about who made it to the next round and who were eliminated. As was the norm, there was a lot more focus on the 'losers', with many trying to dramatize their loss and what that meant for their positions and their futures.
  
  I scoffed when I read through the posts. It was all full of overdramatized nonsense that I knew weren't going to lead anywhere. Not only was the Tournament explicitly done for fun, losing against your colleagues, who were all extremely respected trainers, was nothing to be disappointed about.
  
  In comparison, Ornstein's new evolution into an Obstagoon continued to be buried within the many news articles and Pokénet posts. Not that I cared; I wasn't going out of my way to advertise it anyways.
  
  With that out of the way, Roxanne and I were together once again as we waited for the announcement for who would be our next opponent for round 2.
  
  "So...how was Flannery?" I asked as we continued to wait, "Is she doing okay?"
  
  "She's doing better now, thanks for asking." Roxanne explained, "Flannery is just a very emotional person. So she's very easily excited and very easily disappointed. I knew she would be okay, but I just wanted to make sure she was. As a friend."
  
  "It's good that you care." I replied approvingly, "I also feel a little bad about those who got knocked out so early in the Tournament."
  
  "They should have used a point system." Roxanne said, "That way each pair could at least fight in a few matches before getting knocked out."
  
  "I agree, but I think it was done this way because the planning for the Tournament was quite rushed." I pointed out, "And we needed to fit all the matches within the one week break of the Conference."
  
  She nodded, "Maybe next year they'll reformat the Tournament, if one is hosted next year."
  
  "Let's hope so. I thought this was quite fun." I agreed, "And it's nice getting everyone together like this."
  
  "Were you surprised about who got knocked out?" Roxanne changed the topic, "There were a few pairs that I didn't expect would lose so quickly - no offense intended."
  
  "No, I see what you mean." I nodded, "I didn't think anyone expected Blaine and Byron to be knocked out. Or Clair and Gardenia, for that matter. I definitely didn't expect them to lose."
  
  "I remember those matches - they just didn't work well together." Roxanne recalled, "Blaine almost torched Byron's Pokémon during his fight, and Clair didn't bother with Gardenia and rushed ahead by herself without her partner and got punished hard by when Chuck threw her Dragonair to the ground."
  
  Yeah, that sounded exactly like what Clair would do.
  
  "It's harder to make use of overwhelming strength when you have another Pokémon to focus on and deal with." I commented, "It's all too easy for them to disrupt your attacks."
  
  "Mhm...I first thought that the pairings that combined a strong and weak trainer would do the worst, since it would be harder to coordinate, but I guess I was proven wrong." Roxanne remarked, "In fact, most of them made it through the first round."
  
  That was true enough. Pairs like Drake and the Waterflower sisters actually managed to work well together and dominate their foe. Drake brought out the best of the sisters and they dominated by abusing the Rain boost to Water type attacks. Just like what Pryce and Candice did with the Snow.
  
  Or like Brock and Sidney, who despite their loss, managed to surprise the world with their effective teamwork that made up for Brock's weaker team. They had managed a narrow loss, but their efforts were so inspiring that they were basically a shoe-in to receive the public vote to be able to continue to the next round.
  
  The projected votes weren't even close for any other pair. Brock's underdog story proved too strong and too exciting for the public to ignore.
  
  In the meanwhile, Agatha and the Psychic twins had torn Phoebe and Erika a new one, proving why Agatha was the more proficient Ghost specialist. It was surprising how much stronger Agatha's Ghosts were compared to Phoebe's, though that might be because of her many years of additional experience.
  
  So as odd as the pair of Agatha and the psychic twins were, they were extremely capable together. Agatha was the guiding hand that allowed the Psychic twins to make full use of their incredible talent. They were scarily competent.
  
  Though that didn't stop people from poking fun at how odd they looked together.
  
  "...OH!" Roxanne suddenly exclaimed, "I think they just published the next round of fights!"
  
  I quickly got on my phone and went through the published lists for the next fights. I gave off an approving hum as I saw who our next opponents would be.
  
  Samson and Winona.
  
  "...A difficult pairing." I heard Roxanne mutter from next to me, "They're both Gym Leaders known for their experience and competence. Winona is a very experienced Gym Leader."
  
  "Yes, but I don't think it'll be any harder of a fight than against Will and Flannery." I reassured, "For all of Samson's prowess, he's a weaker version of Will. And I don't think Winona is going to be much of a problem for me."
  
  Winona was just another Walker - I knew how to beat that.
  
  That being said, with my promise and agreement with Cynthia in mind, making it to the Top 3 had just become even more important for me. I was still going to try to train up my weaker Pokémon, but there would be less holding back now. I didn't want to push my luck too far - that battle against Will was a little too close for comfort.
  
  And as much as I was confident in my chance of victory, I would play it safe.
  
  "...Perhaps, and I do have the type advantage against Winona's Flying types." Roxanne said slowly, "Okay, I see that we have nothing to worry about. We have the advantage here."
  
  "That's the spirit." I smiled as I stood up, walking over to the training fields, "Come, we need to get a head start on training and researching what our opponents are like. Since we have the advantage, we might as well make full use of it."
  
  Roxanne nodded as she followed after me, "Yes, let's go. I intend to do better than in the first round."
  
  Roxanne and I intended to fully make use of the time before our match against Samson and Winona to train together and refine our strategies. And indeed, that was what we did for the first day.
  
  Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, on the second day I got a call from Blaine. One that I really couldn't ignore.
  
  "John! Hope I haven't caught you at a bad time." He greeted over the phone.
  
  "Uh, could be better, but how can I help?" I replied.
  
  "Oh right, you're still in the Tournament. I forgot about that." He said. Wow, he sounded salty, "Well I'm sorry for bothering you from training together with your partner, but I just thought to let you know that Shelly's coming over with what should hopefully be a working prototype of the Electirizer."
  
  My eyebrows shot up, "Woah, already?! I'd thought that it'd take longer - wait, since when did you have time to work on this? I thought you would have spent the time training up for the Tournament with Byron."
  
  "I didn't get along very well with Byron, so I just spent most of my time continuing to work on the Electirizer. It was better than spending time around that stubborn crank, at least." Yep, that was definitely some salt, "But never mind that. Volkner really pulled his weight, and thanks to him we made a breakthrough and now hopefully have a working prototype to test. Are you going to be there to check it out? Volkner will be there too."
  
  "Sure, I'll be there." I nodded, "Can't miss out on this. I'll let Roxanne know that I'm gone for a bit."
  
  "Good, because I want to make sure we can publish this discovery at the same time as Sam's discovery of the Protector." Blaine said, "It'll be better that way."
  
  "Aren't you afraid we'll be upstaged by Oak? He's more famous." I asked.
  
  "That's why I wanted the discoveries to be published simultaneously." He explained, "Trust me, if we publish it together, we won't be buried under the other news. Don't think I haven't noticed how your new Linoone evolution was swept under the rug."
  
  "Wasn't trying to keep it hidden." I shrugged, "Anyways, I'll meet you there."
  
  After quickly explaining to Roxanne why I had to dash, I met up with Blaine, a newly arrived Shelly, and Volkner at one of the many labs of Devon Corp that Shelly had borrowed for this demonstration.
  
  My first meeting with Volkner was about as I expected it to be. It was brief, but not unfriendly. He wasn't impolite to me, but it was very clear that he was a little awkward around strangers. Still, I tried my best to make a friendly impression with him.
  
  "Congratulations on getting through the first round." I said as I shook his hand, "I'm surprised you had all this time to work on the Electirizer while you're still in the Tournament."
  
  "Most of the work I did before the Tournament started." He explained, "I practically got started as soon as I received the rundown from Blaine and Shelly."
  
  "What he means he pulled a whole lot of all-nighters." Shelly interrupted, "I told you that you didn't need to push yourself this hard."
  
  "And like I told you, sleep is for other people." Volkner replied, "Besides, I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway now that I finally have something interesting to work on."
  
  "Well I won't complain about your hard work." Blaine said as he entered in the room, pushing a trolley that had a small lockbox on top of it. Unlike the lockbox used for the Magmarizer, this was heavily insulated against what was likely an enormous amount of electricity that the Electirizer endlessly emitted.
  
  The lockbox was essentially one big lump of rubber.
  
  "Right then, we're finally putting this to the test!" Blaine declared impatiently as he carefully unlocked the lockbox that stored the Electirizer.
  
  Volkner nodded at Blaine's words and released his Electabuzz onto the field. Its eyes snapped towards the Electirizer, and it stared at it with greedy eyes as it strained against its ingrained discipline - like there was some kind of magnetic attraction between it and the Electirizer.
  
  We all promptly put on safety googles while Volkner carefully put on some really thick, and specially made, insulating gloves before he carefully lifted the Electirizer from the box.
  
  "Moment of truth." He announced as he pressed the Electirizer to the top of Electabuzz's forehead.
  
  Immediately a bright white light exploded out from Electabuzz as small sparks of electricity started flying out. We all winced as the light blinded us all, but I could make out the excited smiles on everyone's faces as they eagerly awaited the evolution that came out of it.
  
  The signature white light of the evolution didn't last for very long, and eventually we came standing face to face with our latest success. Volkner's newly evolved Electivire roared proudly as it revealed its new form to the world. Electricity crackled out from its fists and back, electrifying the air around it.
  
  "...Amazing." Volkner exclaimed with awe in his eyes, "It looks magnificent."
  
  Blaine snorted, "I still think my Magmortar looks cooler." Shelly immediately slapped Blaine across the head, "...But it does look strong."
  
  "I'm just glad it was a success." Shelly said, "We can actually coordinate with Oak now for publishing the reveal. I'm sure it would be get a lot of attention."
  
  I was confident it would - especially because it was worked on by people from all three regions. It was another demonstration of what could be achieved by working together.
  
  "Are you going to test it out?" I asked Volkner, and he proceeded to do just that. We relocated to a small training field where Electivire proceeded to fire off a few attacks.
  
  The large grin on Volkner's face told us all we needed to know about this newfound strength. Once he returned, we continued running a few more tests on Electivire - which Volkner helpfully revealed to us was its new name - just to make sure that there weren't any complications with the evolution.
  
  While that was happening, Blaine brought up an important question, "So, we've already had two successes as a group by condensing a Type's energy into a small box. I would be more than happy to continue this partnership, but does anyone have any suggestions on what we could work on? Volkner, feel free to chime in too - you're part of us now."
  
  I saw a small smile break out on Volkner's face at Blaine's quick acceptance of him, but then we all fell into a thoughtful silence as we thought through Blaine's question.
  
  My mind quickly ran through all of the available evolution items that I knew about, and I realized that, including the Protector, we had already created/discovered all that was to be found. The remaining evolution items were either naturally made/found, or didn't apply to any Pokémon that we had access to within our regions.
  
  The only potential exception to this was the Reaper Cloth, but I was pretty sure that was naturally found. Even if it wasn't, I don't think this was something a group of scientists would know how to work with.
  
  Therefore, any further efforts into this would only waste time. And I didn't want Blaine or Shelly to go down a path that will ultimately lead to a dead end.
  
  Shelly ended up being the first to speak up, "...I'm drawing a blank right now...but you're right. I don't want to give up on our partnership now that we've done our bigger projects."
  
  "Then how about this." I suggested, "There's no reason to force ourselves to work on something together right now. But we're all friends here, we could always just ask each other for help and cooperate on different projects in the future."
  
  "I think I'd like that." Shelly nodded, "I've actually got a few old projects of mine sitting on the backburner that I'm interested in getting back to. I could easily bring you all along as independent assistants to work on things with me - assuming I get permission from Mr. Stone."
  
  "I would be fine with that." Volkner immediately said, "I'm always happy to work on something."
  
  "Same here." Blaine agreed, "Just let me know."
  
  "I'm no scientist, but I'm always happy to help too with whatever's needed." I also said, pleased to see that everyone was still eager to continue working together. "Just, please ask me AFTER the Tournament."
  
  "Same." Volkner said, "I'm busy until after then. I don't intend to lose quite yet."
  
  Shelly and Blaine both agreed, though Blaine did so with a bit more grumbling, "That's not a problem. We can get in touch over the phone with you just like we did before, Volkner."
  
  "Uh...actually, I'm going to be in Indigo after this Tournament. For a little bit." He said sheepishly.
  
  "Really? Are you here on holiday?" I couldn't help but ask.
  
  He nodded, trying but failing to hide his embarrassment, "Yes...Jasmine asked me to come, so I really couldn't say no."
  
  The three of us shared a knowing smile, but we all made a pact with our eyes not to tease Volkner about it, "Well I'm sure you'll love it here." Blaine smirked, "You're always welcome at the labs if you come on by."
  
  "Same here!" Shelly grinned.
  
  "Thank you, I'll make sure to visit when I have some time." Volkner said with visible relief at our lack of teasing, "I'll ask Jasmine if she wants to come along."
  
  "We'll be happy to have her." Shelly said, visibly holding back a chuckle.
  
  Volkner ended up talking a lot more than I suspect he wanted to about his upcoming visit to Indigo with Jasmine. It was beyond clear to the three of us that he was absolutely smitten, though we barely held back the urge to tease him about it.
  
  But eventually Volkner and I had to leave and return to training. The two of us had another battle ahead of us, and neither of us intended to lose.
  
  I chuckled to myself as I left, thinking that it was a good thing that we weren't fighting each other. With the power of love on their side, Volkner and Jasmine might just sweep through everyone.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter focusing more on setup for what's happening in the future. Though the Electirizer project has finally come into fruition with a success, which I'm sure Volkner will be very happy to show off soon.
  
  And I wanted to show that even if the science group don't have a project to work on, they're still friends and are more than willing to stay in touch. They'll still be working towards their own discoveries, which you will be seeing more of in the future!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-12 - The Second Battle
  
  Blaine had offered us to join him for a dinner, but Volkner and I both declined as we wanted to return to our respective partners as soon as possible. So with that 'distraction' over, Roxanne and I were able to spend whatever time we had until the battle training together.
  
  During our preparation, Roxanne actually asked if she could try to play a bigger role in the upcoming battle, since it appeared that we had the advantage against our opponents. I thought it through for a moment before replying that I was happy to oblige.
  
  With some planning, we managed to come up with a strategy that should be able to hard counter whatever tactics that Samson and Winona had come up, and it would also give Roxanne a chance to shine.
  
  Still, I kept one of my stronger Pokémon ready to use as backup. Just in case they were needed.
  
  Now it was already the day of our second battle. I had arrived at Ever Grande City by myself because Roxanne had some urgent Gym matters to handle in the morning, and I had nothing better to do today because Cynthia wasn't available. So, with any intense training ruled out to prevent tiring out my Pokémon prematurely, I decided to become a spectator for once and watch a few battles while I waited for our match.
  
  Our battle was in the afternoon, so there was plenty of time to kill.
  
  I could have gone to Mauville City and check up on how our new store was being set up, but my parents reassured me there was no need for that for now. I just needed to be there during the grand opening.
  
  So with that in mind, I headed to the VIP section of the spectator stands, since my position automatically granted me a seat there, and sat myself down as I waited for the morning's battles to begin.
  
  Just as I sat down, I heard a voice call out from behind me.
  
  "John? What a coincidence." I turned around to see Steven and Bruno sitting down next to me, "Didn't think you'd be here."
  
  "Oh! Hello to you both. I didn't expect to meet you guys here." I greeted, "How have you both been doing?"
  
  "It's been good. Bruno and I have been doing some great training in." Steven said, "I feel more prepared than ever. And this Tournament has been an excellent reprieve from the training."
  
  "It would be better if we could have joined." Bruno grunted.
  
  "Yes, yes, you've said so many times now, Bruno. But you and I both don't have the title for it, even if our strength might qualify." Steven placated.
  
  "Maybe next year." Bruno rumbled, before falling silent again.
  
  I blinked a few times as I watched their back and forth. Since when were these two so close together? And did Steven say that they were training together? Since when did that happen?
  
  "...I'm sorry, I have to take it a step back for a moment. How did you the two of you meet?" I asked confusedly.
  
  Steven shrugged, "It was quite a while ago now. I invited him to talk because I saw the potential in him, and thought that we could work together. Long story short, that's what we started doing. I think it's been a good partnership thus far, wouldn't you say so, Bruno?"
  
  "I am content." He agreed in that blunt way of his, "Training with someone strong brings its own advantages. I have noticed my Pokémon fighting better since we started combining ideas - Steven is a good partner. It is useful."
  
  "I see." I nodded, and now that I thought about it, it made sense. The pairing between the two was certainly odd, but I could see how their personalities complemented each other. I never would have expected these two to become friends in the first place, but now that they have, I felt that it was a fortunate coincidence for them to have met.
  
  I shook those thoughts away as I realized that I had been just sitting there and staring at them, "...So, how have you been finding the battles so far? Any pairing caught your eye for being particularly noteworthy?"
  
  "If you wanted to ask about Samson and Winona you could have just asked us directly." Steven chuckled, "But for your information, I didn't spend any special attention on them. I thought they were competent, but little else caught my interest."
  
  "Their teamwork is merely professional, but no more than that." Bruno added, "They lack true cooperation, but understand the basics of working together. But competence should not be underestimated."
  
  "I've spent more attention on the uneven pairings, especially those involving the Hoenn Elite Four." Steven admitted.
  
  "Oh? I was interested in them as well. And how do you think they're doing?" I asked.
  
  "Watching them fight like this has been very useful for me." Steven explained, "I'm used to them seeing them fight in regular battles, where they're more able to rely on their Pokémon's great strength or tried-and-tested strategies to secure them the victory. But with a new partner, they've had to work around them. It's been interesting seeing how they adapt."
  
  "Some have adapted better than others." Steven continued, "Glacia and Fantina was a good example of what not to do. I still can't believe she lost on the first round. I had hoped to be able to study more of her matches."
  
  I had forgotten about that, but Glacia and Fantina had definitely not gotten along well with each other. Their personalities clashed way too hard, and they kept getting in each other's way during the battle. Considering that they were both above average for their positions, that wouldn't have been an automatic defeat, but Giovanni and Norman had knocked them out of the Tournament.
  
  Fantina had spent a little too much time showboating and overextended herself which caused Glacia's Glalie to be exposed and alone. Fantina must have thought she had time to dazzle the crowd while Glacia handled Giovanni by herself, only to be quickly proven wrong when both Giovanni's Donphan and Norman's Kangaskhan ambushed the Ice specialist and secured a quick knockout.
  
  The fight just went downhill from there. Giovanni's Ground types proved to be less susceptible to Ice types than Glacia might have expected, and they were barely unable to reorient themselves before they ended up losing.
  
  "...I was hoping more from Chuck when I watched him." Bruno sighed, "He may have won, but that was more due to Clair's recklessness than his own strength. He lacked discipline and focus. He was too energetic for his own good."
  
  I didn't watch that fight between Clair and Gardenia against Chuck and Wattson, but even though I suspected that Bruno was being a little too harsh on his fellow Fighting specialist, I took his word for it.
  
  "You said you were more impressed with Maylene and Koga, right?" Steven asked his training partner.
  
  "Indeed. I feel a strong connection to Koga, as I can feel his strong will and discipline in every fight that he participates in." Bruno confirmed, "He may not be a Fighting specialist, but he is most certainly a martial artist. His tutelage of young Maylene has been one of the more interesting pairings for me. It is a shame that they lost."
  
  "Oh yeah, I saw highlights of their match as well against Lorelei and Wake." I nodded, "I remember how their initial burst of aggression really gave Lorelei a wake-up call. No pun intended."
  
  "Their teamwork was pretty impressive to look at." Steven agreed, "I don't think I've faced a trainer who's nearly as good at utilising pressure and momentum like Koga was. There were some points in the fight that Lorelei and Wake were genuinely about to lose. He really deserves to be more than a Gym Leader."
  
  I shrugged, "Shame that it wasn't enough."
  
  "Momentum and pressure can help make up for a deficit of strength, but it cannot entirely substitute it." Bruno stated firmly, "Ultimately, Maylene is still learning. Her strength was lacking, and that cost her team the fight. However, I believe she has learnt much from her time with Koga, and I look forward to challenging her in the future as well."
  
  "You look forward to challenging everybody, Bruno." Steven chuckled, "But sad as I am that Maylene was knocked out, I was really glad for Brock and Sidney to have been voted in again to continue fighting in Round 2. Maylene might be an underdog as well, but Brock has by far the more compelling story."
  
  "Oh? I didn't know you were so taken with their performance." I commented, thinking back to their unfortunate loss against Lucian and Surge.
  
  He shrugged, "Crude as it might be for me to say this, but Brock's weakness forces Sidney to reveal his hand if they want a shot of winning. Lucian is no easy opponent."
  
  "I'm sure Brock tries his best." I defended, "He's just a little young right now."
  
  "Forgive me, I didn't mean to insult Brock." Steven apologised, "I just meant that working with a weaker partner has forced Sidney to utilise every trick in his arsenal as a Dark type specialist. He fights just like he did when he went all out against Karen. And I suspect, considering that their next opponent is Pryce and Candice, that Sidney might have to throw everything he can at them if they want to even hope to win. There is much I can learn from that."
  
  That was a little cold for him to say, but I didn't begrudge him for it. These battles were learning opportunities, after all.
  
  The sudden shout from the announcer drew our attention, "Let's continue this conversation later. I think we should concentrate on the match." Steven suggested, "I've been waiting to watch this one."
  
  I nodded and quieted down. The match was between Volkner and Jasmine vs Lorelei and Wake, which explained why Steven was so interested. With his intention to become the Champion of Hoenn, any matches relating to the Elite Four, even the ones not related directly to Hoenn, were going to particularly interesting to him.
  
  On my end, I was torn between cheering for the budding couple in Volkner and Jasmine, or my friend in Lorelei and Wake. Neither team were stronger than the other here - Volkner was basically an Elite Four in terms of strength - so I decided to stay neutral and just enjoy the match.
  
  Since neither of us felt like providing any commentary to the fight, we all sat there in comfortable silence as we watched the fight play out. Volkner and Jasmine had sent out their Lanturn and Magnezone respectively, while Lorelei and Wake sent out their Froslass and Gastrodon.
  
  But as the match went on, it appeared increasingly obvious that Volkner and Jasmine were coordinating better with their moves and generally had more synergy than Lorelei and Wake.
  
  The most obvious example of this was regarding the weather. Obviously, Volkner and Jasmine - with their duo focus on Electric type attacks, wanted to set up the Rain. But while Wake wanted the same for his Water types, Lorelei wanted the Snow.
  
  However, in my eyes, the smart thing to do was for Lorelei and Wake to work together to keep the Snow up. The Snow would only benefit Lorelei, but at least it would deprive Volkner and Jasmine of their crucial Rain.
  
  Yet, for whatever reason, Lorelei's team was content to let the Rain remain, whether that was out of selfishness from Wake or consideration from Lorelei. Either way, I believed they were betting that the boost to Wake's Water attacks, and Gastrodon's immunity to Electric type moves, would make up for any power increases given to Volkner and Jasmine.
  
  If that truly was what she was thinking, then the way the fight was going was proving her wrong. Because instead of focusing on Gastrodon, which was more of a support Pokémon than an actual attacker, Volkner and Jasmine jointly fired off an enormous bombardment of Thunders that completely devastated the surrounding area around Froslass.
  
  Froslass might be known for her evasiveness and speed, but that meant nothing compared to the sheer artillery of Thunders coming crashing down around it. Without her Snow Cloak activated, Froslass was forced entirely on the defensive, and Gastrodon could do little to take the pressure off of its partner.
  
  With Magnezone having used Magnet Rise, the only target that Gastrodon could hit with its supereffective Earth Powers was Lanturn, but Volkner had evidently trained it up to be able to as defensive as possible because Lanturn continued firing off Thunders even as it tanked through Gastrodon's Earth Powers.
  
  Seeing this, I suspected that Gastrodon might not have been one of Wake's stronger Pokémon - and that it was only chosen because they wanted a Pokémon immune to Electric attacks. That would explain its lacking power.
  
  However, what really caught my attention was how much Jasmine had grown at a trainer.
  
  Back at Olivine, I thought that she was certainly strong, but only when compared to the average trainer. Now, she really was living up to her title as a Gym Leader, as her Magnezone sniped Lorelei's Froslass with a powerful Lock-On assisted Flash Cannon that blasted the Ice type out of the air.
  
  With all of the glancing blows that Froslass had already took, the Flash Cannon took it down in one hit. To my surprise, there was no double KO with Destiny Bond - Lorelei must not have had the time to set it up.
  
  "I wonder if I can beat Glacia if I let her keep the Snow up - just by brute forcing through it..." Steven suddenly mumbled to himself.
  
  "Do not try." Bruno quickly shut that down, "Your strength is not so overwhelming that you will be able to accomplish that. The risk is too large."
  
  "...I was hoping for a little more encouragement than that." Steven grumbled.
  
  "You did not hire me to be your cheerleader." Bruno said bluntly, but there was a minute twitch of his lips that told me that he was joking.
  
  The match continued between the two, and Volkner and Jasmine continued to focus down Lorelei while doing their best to ignore Wake. The next Pokémon Lorelei sent out was expectedly her Glalie, as it was the one of two Ice types she had that wasn't directly weak to Electric attacks (the other being Jynx).
  
  Unfortunately for Lorelei, Glalie was even slower than Froslass, which really didn't bode well for her chances. Realising this, Wake switched out his Gastrodon for a Ludicolo, clearly hoping that its Rain-boosted Hydro Pumps would make a difference.
  
  Except the second that he swapped, both Volkner and Jasmine changed targets to focus down the newly emerged Water type. Ludicolo might not be weak to Electric type attacks, but that didn't stop it from being blasted into oblivion.
  
  Lorelei tried to fight back with Ice Beams and Blizzards, but both of Volkner's and Jasmine's Pokémon resisted her Ice type moves. At this point, Lorelei began trying to set up the Snow to stop the Rain, but it was far too late. The situation was far from salvageable at this point.
  
  Ultimately, the Electric pair dominated the fight, and without any heroic or desperate tricks from Lorelei and Wake, Volkner and Jasmine proved to be the eventual victors.
  
  It was an impressive demonstration of teamwork and understanding of each other's abilities. I felt that it was a well-deserved win from the two Gym Leaders, and it seemed like my viewing partners agreed.
  
  While the next fight between Chuck and Wattson and Drake and the Waterflower sisters were being prepared (which I was near certain that Drake's team was going to destroy them), I returned to chatting with the two of them.
  
  "So, back to you guys, how's both of your training been going?" I asked, "I assume since you've mentioned that you've been training together that it's going well?"
  
  "It has." Bruno answered first, "I realized that my Fighting types could hit even harder. And Steven has taught me methods of making my Fighters more durable. If we ever have a chance for a rematch, John, you will find me to be a more challenging opponent."
  
  "To be honest, I was surprised that you didn't ask me for a fight straight away." I replied amusedly.
  
  "You are busy now. It would not be right to ask you for a fight when you are preoccupied." He said, "But I will not decline a challenge from you."
  
  "Maybe some other time." I responded, "And what about you, Steven? Got any plans?"
  
  "You already know of my ambitions to become Champion of Hoenn, so I don't need to reiterate that." He said, "Actually...I want to run a suggestion by you, John. Could you let me know what you think?"
  
  That made me curious. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead."
  
  "You've been in the Elite Four for a while, so you must have an idea on what the environment and mood is there." I nodded, "In that case, how likely do you think it would be to have a foreigner appointed to the Elite Four of Hoenn?"
  
  His words caused my eyes to snap to Bruno. He gave me a wordless nod of acknowledgment, which only further compounded my surprise.
  
  Steven wanted Bruno to join the Hoenn Elite Four?! What the fuck!?
  
  Despite my inner turmoil, none of that showed on my face, "I don't think it will be very easy. I'm assuming you're going to be proposing after you've already become Champion of Hoenn?"
  
  "Naturally." Steven confirmed, "I wouldn't have the political power otherwise."
  
  "Well if the proposal came straight from the Champion then it would make things easier..." I said thoughtfully.
  
  My face scrunched up in thought as I took a moment to think things through before continuing.
  
  "...I can't say too much, but I have my own plans in the works which should hopefully set a precedent for you and make things easier." I eventually decided to reveal, "If it's successful, then you'll definitely hear about it and you can use it as a basis for Bruno's own ascension."
  
  Understanding flashed across his eyes, "I see. Thank you for letting me know." Evidently having figured out what I had just implied, "That does make things easier."
  
  "I'll be honest, this really wasn't what I was expecting." I commented, "I thought you would stay more local, Bruno."
  
  "Steven managed to persuade me." Bruno replied, "And I do not think I would fit in well with the already established dynamics of Indigo. I am comfortable working with Steven, and would not mind continuing to."
  
  "Ah, that makes sense." I nodded, holding back my surprise at just how much they well they got along with each other, "Well all the best to you. I hope it works out well."
  
  "This is just planning for the future, but thanks." Steven said, "I hope your plans work out well too."
  
  "And I hope you win your next match." Bruno added, "Perhaps you should contact your partner and meet up with her." He pointed at the time.
  
  Oh shit. "Oh shit, yes I should. Thank you." I quickly exchanged my goodbyes and ran off to meet up with Roxanne.
  
  Our match was right after Drake's.
  
  Unlike in our first fight against Will and Flannery, this time Roxanne walked into the battle arena with firm and determined steps. She knew we held every advantage this time, so she held onto her confidence and brought it in with her.
  
  That was good. Because she was going to be the star of the show today.
  
  As we walked in, we exchanged a quick wave with our opponents. Samson waved at me with a cheerful expression, while Winona returned a short, but polite, greeting.
  
  Although the announcer looked like he was starting to feel the fatigue of having to do back-to-back introductions of all these famous trainers, the reaction from the crowd was no less exciting. Especially now that there were fewer trainers to root for, many supporters of those who had fallen out of the Tournament had joined in and began supporting those that remained.
  
  "Stick to the plan." Roxanne whispered to me, and I gave off a faint nod as I readied my Pokémon and waited for the announcer to finish counting down.
  
  "FIGHT!"
  
  "Get'em, Steelix!" "Come out, Luna!"
  
  "Let the winds carry you, Swellow!" "It's your turn, Espeon!"
  
  Steelix came rumbling out of its Pokéball, letting out a fearsome roar as it extended itself to its full height - towering over each and every one of our Pokémon. Both Swellow and Espeon turned and focused on the large, imposing figure of Steelix.
  
  Just like we had hoped for.
  
  While both Swellow and Espeon were momentarily distracted by Steelix's intimidating presence, Luna sneakily finished setting up her Gravity.
  
  The instant that the Gravity intensified, a surprised shriek came out from Swellow as it fell helplessly out of the sky - as if an invisible hand from Luna was forcefully pressing down on it.
  
  Seeing the opportunity in front of it, Steelix roared out as huge spears of rocks rose from the ground, waiting hungrily to impale the falling Swellow. In desperation, Espeon tried to rescue Swellow with a Psychic to shove it out of the way, but a well-timed barrage of Shadow Balls from Luna interrupted its' rescue attempt.
  
  Realizing the painful doom that awaited it, Swellow struggled frantically and pushed back against the intense Gravity, doing whatever it could to avoid the sharpened pit of spears that awaited it. However, no matter how much it fought or writhed, it was not able to muster up the strength to push back against the strength of Luna's Gravity.
  
  This was what Luna used to train up the likes of Tyrant and Vordt. Trained or not, Swellow wasn't able to resist it.
  
  With a single move, Swellow's famed mobility was ripped away from it.
  
  And so Swellow met a painful end as the devastating field of spikes shot upwards as they impaled themselves into the helpless Flying type, utterly shredding through its health. Then, with another roar of power from Steelix, the spears of rocks reversed themselves in the air and shot downwards - pinning Swellow painfully to the floor before an explosive Earthquake violently shook the ground and finished off the pinned Flying type.
  
  Swellow lied broken on the ground. It was a poor end for a Pokémon that had yet to accomplish anything in this fight, but that was just how it had to be.
  
  There was a moment of shocked silence at Swellow's swift defeat, and Winona visibly grimaced as she withdrew her fallen Pokémon, with self-blame written all over her face, even if it wasn't really her fault. It was just that my Pokémon were eminently suitable for taking down pesky Flying Pokémon like hers, while Roxanne's Pokémon, for all their sluggishness, possessed the right amount of power to achieve an instant knockout blow with a well-placed attack.
  
  That was the core of our strategy. We knew with our team that Winona was going to be the weak link, so we were going to target her down first and force this battle into a 2v1. Even if Samson was harder to deal with, he would be overwhelmed in a 2v1 fight.
  
  "Stand tall, Tropius!"
  
  I had to fight down the urge to grin as Winona sent out her Tropius. Knowing what Pokémon she had; we predicted that this would be the one she'd send out once her Swellow was taken out. It was the only one of her Pokémon that wasn't made vulnerable or helpless by Luna's Gravity.
  
  Unfortunately, it would not fare much better than her Swellow. We had planned for this too.
  
  "Stone Edge, Steelix!" "Helping Hand, Luna! Boost your friend!"
  
  "Magical Leaf, Tropius! Cut them down!" "Reflect and Psychic, Espeon!"
  
  Proving that Will wasn't the only one with a powerful Helping Hand, the normal barrage of rocks transformed into a storm of boulders as Steelix received the Helping Hand boost from Luna. The bombardment of stone shot forwards, unfazed by the razor sharp volley of leaves coming its way. Sure, a few boulders were cut down, but that was hardly a drop in the sheer number of boulders coming barrelling their way.
  
  The last second Psychic from Espeon did well to disintegrate many more, but Steelix's geokinesis was nothing to scoff at, especially not with the Helping Hand boost from Luna. And with the Gravity from Luna still in place, Tropius didn't have the mobility to dodge out of the way of the incoming cannon fire of rocks.
  
  So, forced into this position, Tropius hastily summoned up a huge Leaf Storm that shredded through the Stone Edge, forming a barrier of razor sharp leaves that protected the Tropius. Luna tried to sneak in an Ice Beam to catch Tropius off-guard with a quadruple supereffective attack, but a Light Screen from Espeon blocked most of the damage.
  
  Yet their focus on defense meant that Steelix now had space to snake forwards, his metallic form spinning through the air like a drill. Another Helping Hand from Luna caused Steelix to begin glowing with power, and its Iron Tail tore a trench through the ground as it swung its tail around like a heavy sledgehammer towards Espeon.
  
  "Teleport out of there, Espeon!"
  
  Espeon barely Teleported out of the way in time - it would have been smashed straight into the dirt like the frail Psychic type it was.
  
  However, by Teleporting out of the way, that gave Steelix the freedom to slightly reposition its attack so that its tail came brutally hammering down onto Tropius, who was still trying to recover from its hasty Leaf Storm. Seeing the attack coming, Tropius instinctively tried to fire off a flurry of Air Slashes and Magical Leaf, hoping that one would flinch the Steelix, but they merely bounced off Steelix's sturdy metallic exterior.
  
  The Iron Tail slammed into it, and Tropius let out a grunt of pain as its knees buckled from the sheer impact of the attack, then another merciless Iron Head caused its knees to collapse entirely. Espeon tried to support its ally with a quick Shadow Ball and Psychic combo, but Luna formed a Light Screen to protect Steelix while it finished off the wounded Tropius.
  
  "Ice Fang, Steelix! Knock it out!"
  
  "Helping Hand again, Luna!"
  
  With the Flying type now crumbled before it, Steelix let out a roar as it bit down with its frozen maw, delivering a fatal amount of Ice into quad-weak Tropius with their combined power. A cry of pain was the last sound that Tropius made before it was knocked out of the fight.
  
  A Grass Knot from Espeon finally sent Steelix tumbling to the ground, but it was far too late. The fight had already become a 2v1 in our favour.
  
  And now with Espeon being the lone Pokémon on their side, we played it super safe. Steelix would rush forwards to corner the Psychic type, while Luna was in charge of healing it with Life Dew and protect the Steel type with Light Screens.
  
  It was a typical tank and healer combo, but it was working out very well. Luna's supporting moves were truly making Steelix unbeatable.
  
  Samson's Espeon made a valiant attempt to try to hold off our duo of Pokémon, but the battle was in the bag. Despite its attempts to mimic Will's Gardevoir by Teleporting around to make space while throwing out attacks, Espeon wasn't nearly as Psychically proficient as Will's were, and so its Teleports were simply slower and its attacks didn't hit as hard.
  
  Its attempts were merely just stalling out the inevitable.
  
  All the while, I stuck to my promise to Roxanne and maintained a supportive role while I allowed her to slowly finish off the fight. Espeon tired out much faster, thanks to its constant need to evade and Teleport, and after a minute or two of running away a Stone Edge from Steelix finally tripped up the Psychic type for long enough to be slammed into unconsciousness by another heavy Iron Tail.
  
  Ultimately, the battle ended not with a bang, but with a slow whimper as Samson's second Starmie also fell to a surprise Rock Blast from Steelix.
  
  We had won.
  
  I let out a small smile as the loud cheers boomed out from the crowd. This was an absolutely textbook victory, and I was proud that we had practically planned that down to a fault.
  
  Our teamwork had really shone brightly.
  
  Likewise, the star of today's battle had a big grin on her face as she waved happily to the surrounding audience, most of whom were cheering her name.
  
  Her Steelix had made a firm impression today.
  
  While we celebrated, our opponents made their way towards us. I noticed immediately that while Samson didn't look too disappointed at their defeat, Winona was a different story.
  
  She looked quite bitter at her pathetic showing.
  
  "Well played from you guys." Samson spoke up, "I didn't realize that you could so effortlessly target down Winona like that. Neither of us expected it."
  
  "We should have, but we overlooked the power of your Gravity." Winona added a little bitterly, "That's on us. We didn't realize the extent to which you countered my Flying types. All of our strategies were nullified by that one move."
  
  "Nevertheless," Samson quickly interrupted, "Roxanne, you fought hard today. Your Steelix was an unstoppable monster."
  
  "Thank you, but I can't take all the credit." She said humbly, "Without John's Clefable supporting me, my Steelix would have fallen to your Shadow Balls or your Leaf Storms."
  
  Then she turned to Winona, "But, Winona...surely your Altaria could have fought back against the Gravity, right?" Roxanne questioned curiously, "I mean, I've seen how strong it is. Why didn't you use it?"
  
  "Mhm, you're not wrong about that." Winona nodded, "My Altaria does have the strength to go against it. But I chose not to use them anyways."
  
  "Why not?" Roxanne asked again, but I had already guessed the reason.
  
  "It's about image." Samson answered for her, confirming my thoughts, "Altaria is her prized starter. It is her strongest Pokémon and a symbol of her strength as a Gym Leader. Were it to lose a battle, that would be a much bigger stain on Winona's image as a Gym Leader than if any of her other Pokémon fell. 'For fun' tournament or not, it wouldn't look too good."
  
  "Which is why I didn't use it, because I believed that it would still have lost to John's Clefable regardless, especially with its Dragon type being weak to Fairy. Not only that, but Skarmory would do little better against your Earthquakes, grounded as it would be by the Gravity." Winona added, "I knew that the battle was lost as soon as you grounded my Swellow and knocked it out within seconds of the battle beginning, so everything after that was just me playing damage control."
  
  "But should not fight at your strongest? To show off your strength?" Roxanne looked more confused, "Would that not be better?"
  
  "That's what you're told to do, yes, but there are often far more considerations at play." Winona explained, "This Tournament is being watched by practically everyone around the world. The main prize for most of us is the chance for us to show off how strong we are and cement our status and reputations as Gym Leaders."
  
  "But you cannot win every match. There are just some trainers that are just stronger than you." Winona continued, "In those situations, you have to figure out how to lose well. To lose in a way that isn't too embarrassing and keeps your reputation intact as best you can. It's crude and unpleasant, but my years of experience as a Gym Leader has taught me this."
  
  "It might be difficult to hear, but Winona is right." Samson spoke up, "Knowing how to lose well and maintain your dignity is an important skill for a Gym Leader or an Elite Four." He gave me a pointed look, to which I nodded.
  
  "Do you remember Shin?" I asked Roxanne.
  
  "Yeah...oh, I see what you mean." She nodded, "Right...I understand. Thank you for teaching me."
  
  "You don't have to thank us, we're just doing our jobs as your seniors." Winona chuckled, "And besides, you're the one that stomped me into the ground. You don't have to worry about losing with dignity for the time being."
  
  Then she shot Roxanne a look, "But next time, don't think it'll be so easy."
  
  And with those words, we parted ways. Roxanne and I exchanged one last parting wave to the crowd before we entered back into the privacy of the break room. I went to grab some food while Roxanne sat down on one of the armchairs, deep in thought. Yet she still had a pleased smile on her face from the afterglow of the battle.
  
  I smiled at her happiness; I felt she more than deserved it. But more than that, I was happy that we got through the second round, even if I thought we got a little lucky with the matchup. Now, there was only one more fight to go before the Top 3 would be decided.
  
  Even though I highly suspected that our next round wouldn't be so easy...they would not stop me from making it to the Top 3.
  
  No matter who they were.
  
  A.N. So Winona and Samson didn't put up the best showing there, but that was as expected considering their comparative strengths. Walker would have been destroyed by John in a fight, so Winona would not fare any better. And while Samson is a formidable trainer and would have most certainly won against Roxanne 1v1, but John has dealt with Will earlier. Samson is just a lesser Will.
  
  Overall, they had a lucky matchup here, and that's why I tried to emphasize more on John's supporting abilities and how its able to support Roxanne to secure the win with their teamwork. But I promise that the next fight won't be such a breeze...Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-10-12-Interlude-The Loser
  The New Normal - 10-12 - Interlude - The Losers
  
  (Sidney POV)
  
  "...Are you feeling any better, Brock?" He spoke softly to his partner, making sure that his voice remained calm and gentle. The young lad hadn't taken the loss very well, which was only to be expected.
  
  It was a little soul crushing to be given a second chance by the public, winning the public vote after they lost in the first round, only for it to not matter in the end.
  
  "I think so." Was Brock's response, but Sidney knew he was lying.
  
  "You don't have to lie. I'm not going to judge you for feeling bad." He said soothingly, "It was just some bad luck that we were against difficult opponents. If we had gotten an easier pairing, then we might have done better."
  
  It was like Arceus had cursed them with their matchups. They had to go against both Lucian and Surge, then Pryce and Candice! Both were ridiculously difficult matchups, and unfortunately they were not able to overcome them.
  
  Still, he didn't let any of that regret show on his face as he patted Brock on the shoulder, "Don't think it's your fault. You did well. Very well for your age."
  
  "Roxanne did better." Brock sulked, pointing to the screen where they were playing a highlight reel of John and Roxanne's battle, "You saw her Steelix - mine could never compare."
  
  "She did surprise me - I hadn't thought she could put up such a dominating performance." He allowed, "But let's not forget that she had John's Clefable supporting her every step of the way. Without his Light Screens, Life Dews, and Helping Hands - there was no way she could have made such a strong showing."
  
  "If anything, you weren't at fault for our loss." He continued, "It was mine for not being able to stop them from setting up the Snow. I slipped up, and we lost the fight from there."
  
  "If only I was stronger..." Brock began to say, only for Sidney to quickly interrupt him.
  
  "And as I've been saying many times this Tournament, you are plenty strong enough." He advised, "Remember, no one expects you to be a match for anyone here. Everyone in this Tournament are all Gym Leaders or Elite Four, while you are still an underaged future Gym Leader. The fact that you held your ground as well as you did is good enough. Don't forget that."
  
  Then he was reminded of someone important in Brock's life, "Why don't you give Karen a call? I'm sure she'll be all too happy to congratulate you on your performance."
  
  He nodded slowly and went to do so. Sidney stepped away as Brock spoke on the phone; not wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation. By the time they were done, Brock seemed a little happier.
  
  "Feeling better?" He asked.
  
  "Slightly." Brock nodded, before bowing, "Thank you for being my partner in the Tournament and for being so patient with me."
  
  "There is certainly no need to thank me." He replied, "Working with you has been a pleasure."
  
  He extended out his hand, "Brock, you are a bright young man, and I foresee a bright future ahead for you. Throughout this entire Tournament, you have remained steadfast, willing to learn, and incredibly determined. It has been an honour to be your partner. If you are ever in Hoenn, or if you just need someone else to speak to, I would be happy to take your call."
  
  His words caused a smile - the first one in a while - to break out on Brock's face, "Thank you, Sidney. I promise to call." They shook hands for the final time, signalling the end of their partnership in the Tournament.
  
  Yet also marking the beginnings of a new friendship.
  
  (Lorelei POV)
  
  She let out a sigh as soon as she saw who was calling. Even though she had expected this call, that doesn't mean she was enthusiastic about it.
  
  But she decided to pick up anyways.
  
  "So you lost." Her uncle's voice filtered through the phone, "I thought you were better than this."
  
  "If you're here to just complain, then I'm hanging up." She bit out.
  
  "Calm yourself - I know full well you'll just ignore a verbal lashing, so I'll reserve that for when you get home." Thanks, uncle. "Instead, let me ask you a question. Why did you not set up the Snow for yourself?"
  
  She winced; she knew this question was coming.
  
  "You don't need to answer that." His uncle continued before she could say anything, "Whatever your reasons were, they were wrong. You should have set up the Snow, damn whatever that Gym Leader partner of yours wanted."
  
  "Remember, Lorelei, there are times when you must stamp down your authority." Her uncle reminded, "This was one of them. When your partner is making a mistake, it is your job to call them out on it. The fact that you didn't cost you the fight."
  
  "...Wake was a little too enthusiastic." She tried, remembering how insistent that Wake was that he could overcome his Electric weakness, "He wasn't the best of listeners. He's quite headstrong and gets a little too lost in the excitement of a battle."
  
  Wake wasn't a bad person - far from it. But he had no limits on his enthusiasm.
  
  "Hmph. Well, I suppose the fault isn't entirely on you, but you ought to learn to reel in your partners." Her uncle stated, "You do not need to have an equal partnership. You could always take the lead and be the one giving out orders and setting strategy. Look at the other pairings, like Drake and John's - they clearly are the ones who are in charge of their partnership. And so am I."
  
  "And how's that working out with you and Candice?" She shot back, "Doesn't she hate your guts?"
  
  "And so what?" He fired back easily, "In fights, we work together and she listens, as do I if she says something intelligent. I do not care for her feelings towards me, only that we are effective in battle."
  
  She closed her mouth and thought through his words. Was he right?
  
  "Now, I have my own battle to prepare for. But think about that, oh niece of mine." Pryce said, "Try not to lose again."
  
  He hung up before she could tell him to fuck off.
  
  (Lucian POV)
  
  It was a little amusing, in a dark humour kind of way, that he found himself on the ship back to Sinnoh with his fellow Elite Four member. They hadn't planned it out like this, but they had both lost in the second round. So now they were on their way back to Sinnoh.
  
  "So you were knocked out too." Bertha walked up to him as he leaned on the rails of the ship, staring idly to the sea, "You know that means the entirety of the Sinnoh Elite Four has been knocked out of the Tournament."
  
  "Yes, I do." He sighed, "And that means we're the only region to have all of our Elite Four knocked out."
  
  Hoenn still had Drake, who looked poised to make it to the Top 3. While Indigo still had John and Agatha, who were both most certainly making it to the Top 3 unless they faced off against each other. Actually, barring some serious unfortunate matchups, it looks like at least one Elite Four from both Hoenn and Indigo would make it to the top 3.
  
  But none from Sinnoh.
  
  "I hope Cynthia's a forgiving sort." Bertha chuckled bitterly, "This doesn't look great."
  
  While he didn't disagree, and he was not usually one to vent his frustrations, he couldn't help but lament their respective partners. Surge was undoubtedly a strong partner, and at first he had been pleased by their partnership. Until he had to spend time around the man.
  
  His stubbornness reminded him way too much of the unpleasantness of his first meeting with Pryce when he was still Champion. That didn't mean Surge wasn't professional - he was, and despite his obvious nationalism they were cordial with each other, but even his fighting style was stubborn. The man fought one way, and one way only. It was difficult to come up with creative strategies to work around that.
  
  And the less to say about Lewis, that old and frail Gym Leader of Goldenrod that was Bertha's partner, the better.
  
  He couldn't help but think that perhaps they could have gone farther had they gotten a better roll of the dice in their partners-no, he shouldn't think like that. There were more he could have done. He couldn't just blame Surge; that would be unfair.
  
  Surge was a respectable Gym Leader - they just didn't mesh well together.
  
  "At least we have some promising Gym Leaders who look to make it far." He tried, shaking himself out of his previous thoughts, "Volkner and Candice look like they can make it to the Top 3."
  
  If Volkner was the teasing type, then Flint was never going to hear the end of it since he lost in the first round. That being said, Flint was definitely going to fire back with his own round of teasing. There was no way anyone could miss the closeness between Volkner and Jasmine.
  
  "Let's just hope we have one person from Sinnoh that's in the Top 3." Bertha said, "It'd look really bad if not a single one of us made it to the end."
  
  He winced; let's hope it didn't come to that. He really had hoped that he would have done better in this Tournament.
  
  A.N. Originally this was supposed to be another Live Reactions interlude, but I changed it to this because I thought this added more to the story and allowed me to setup a few things for future chapters.
  
  Ultimately, I did not want to dedicate multiple chapters to fights that weren't directly related to John. I didn't want to write that, and I didn't think it'd be interesting to read and would simply be a waste of chapters. Instead, I wanted to highlight a few different perspectives from a few important characters from each region, and how they have taken their respective losses from the Tournament.
  
  For some, the Tournament was an opportunity to make new friends. For others, it was a possible learning moment. For others, it was a moment of slight regret and bitterness. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-13 - To the Finals
  
  Browsing through the Pokenet a few hours after our match made me realize that we had gotten on a few headlines for making it into the Final Rounds. Like I had hoped, Roxanne got her share of the spotlight, even if that spotlight was split between encouragement and criticism.
  
  There were some that supported and cheered for Roxanne for being able to make it to the Finals and for keeping up with an Elite Four member. On the other hand, there were some that criticised her for letting me doing all the work and simply being there to 'deal the final blow'. Those same people claimed that she had been carried all the way to the Finals.
  
  I asked Roxanne if she would like me to make a public statement going against these claims, but she said that it wasn't necessary. She didn't want to make a drama out of it and she was happy enough with the recognition that she was getting.
  
  "Stirring up drama at this point wouldn't do anyone any good." She had told me, "Better to let them vent off their steam and focus on winning our next battles."
  
  "Agreed. We still have a battle to win." I nodded, "But if you ever want me to speak up for you, just let me know. I'll be happy to do so."
  
  I was also amused to find that there was a sizeable legal and illegal betting pool that had been set up for the Tournament. Out of curiosity, and certainly not because I wanted to see who had the best odds, I went to take a peek at the numbers.
  
  Funnily enough, Roxanne and I did not have the best odds to making it to the Top 3, though we were near the top. That honour belonged to the pair of Agatha and the Psychic twins. We actually weren't even second, because Pryce and Candice took that spot.
  
  Interesting.
  
  One last thing that I noticed was that there was finally some interest being shown to my new Obstagoon evolution, especially in the science forums. They were speculating as to why an alternate form of Linoone would have an evolution when the original form was proven to not have one. That led to further speculation if there were other Pokémon with alternate forms that also had an evolution that had been previously undiscovered.
  
  Some were even trying to test if their original assumption that a standard Linoone didn't have an evolution was false, and if there was a way of triggering a normal Linoone into evolving into an Obstagoon.
  
  Fortunately for me, they kept their discussions to the forums and never pestered me with interviews. The last thing I wanted was a horde of scientists trying to inspect Ornstein's new form.
  
  Of course, reading through articles and looking at gambling odds about us wasn't the only thing I did. I also made sure to watch and study all our other matches, just in case one of them would be picked as our opponents. I knew that we were in the home stretch now, and that there would be very few breaks between the remaining matches.
  
  Time had really flown by for this Tournament.
  
  The Final Rounds were going to take place tomorrow, and the match against the Champions shortly after that. So I might as well make use of whatever time we had to prepare; I had no doubts that we were up for a challenging fight ahead. None of our remaining opponents were going to be easy.
  
  With the Second Round concluding, the pairings that made it to the Final Rounds were: myself and Roxanne, Pryce and Candice, Drake and the Waterflower sisters, Agatha and the Psychic twins, Volkner and Jasmine, and Norman and Giovanni. We made up the Top 6.
  
  And it was late at night, where Roxanne and I had reconvened at her office, that we discovered who our next and final opponents were going to be. Amongst the Top 6, there were a few pairs that I hoped we would get, as I was far more confident about securing my victory against them. However, my gut told me that we wouldn't get lucky this time. And my suspicions were quickly proven correct as our final opponent was revealed.
  
  We were going to be fighting against Agatha and the Psychic twins.
  
  A frown instantly appeared on my face - one that Roxanne shared.
  
  "...Do you have a plan for this, John?" She turned to me, uncertainty evident in her voice. I was glad that she trusted my opinion so highly, but I was drawing a blank at the moment. This was not going to be an easy fight by any stretch of the imagination.
  
  Nothing needed to be said about Agatha's strength; I had watched her previous battles and had heard enough from Karen to be wary of her. Her Ghost types basically matched Karen's in terms of trickery, or even surpassed them in some cases, and I was nearly certain that I wouldn't be able to lock them down with a Taunt. Not like I did with my previous opponents.
  
  Unless..."Roxanne, do you have a Pokémon that knows Helping Hand?"
  
  "...My Sudowoodo knows it." She said after a moment to think, "Am I going to be taking up a supportive role this time?"
  
  I nodded, "I think you have to. I don't think this is a fight we can manage with our previous set up."
  
  "Does your Sudowoodo know Taunt as well?" I asked, a plan starting to form in my mind.
  
  "It does, but it's not very proficient at it." She admitted, "I neglected training it because I didn't think it was a very useful move for my Rock types to have. But after seeing Karen and Sidney's fight, I had been reconsidering but didn't have time to properly master it."
  
  "Do you have anyone else on your team that knows both Helping Hand and Taunt?" I had to check. My whole plan was reliant on this.
  
  "Yes, my starter Probopass knows those moves too." She confirmed.
  
  "Good, then we'll be using your Sudowoodo and Probopass in the fight." I informed her, "Yes, you will be taking up a supportive role this time. Taunt is going to be the most important move for our next fight, or else the fight is going to spiral out of our control."
  
  I watched as she took out a notepad and starting jotting down notes. I gave her a moment to finish writing before continuing, "But for you specifically, as crude as this might sound, your role might just revolve around distracting Agatha for as long as possible and firing off the occasional Taunt against the twins."
  
  She nodded, not at all offended by my plan, "Then what about Agatha? Should I try to Taunt her too?"
  
  "No, don't even bother." I shook my head, "Agatha trained up the best Dark specialist I know. You won't catch her like that. Focus on keeping your Pokémon in the fight and supporting mine."
  
  "I understand. Then I'll have to leave it to you." She nodded again as she stared at me with determined eyes.
  
  Hearing the trust that she had in me was good for my ego, but it also meant that I now had to live up to her high expectations. Still, I didn't let that get to me. Agatha was a formidable opponent, and her Ghost types were as dangerously agile and as deadly as ever. From the few matches I watched of her performance in this Tournament alone, I knew that old age hadn't caused her to lose out on her skill as a trainer.
  
  And that wasn't even taking the twins to account, who could be a really disruptive nuisance for me.
  
  So there would be no more sandbagging for me. I would choose my Pokémon based on what would work best to secure a victory. This was going to be a difficult battle, and deserved an appropriate response from me.
  
  My bruisers were going to need to prepare themselves.
  
  That was how, as the night ticked away, Roxanne and I got together and began forming a plan for how we were going to deal with our final opponent.
  
  I would not lose here. Not when my match against Lance was oh so close.
  
  (Giovanni POV)
  
  "Did you think we would have made it this far when the pairings were first announced?" His fellow Gym Leader and teammate asked him as they walked to his house.
  
  Norman had invited him over for dinner. It was something that he had initially wanted to politely turn down, but Ariana had already given her acceptance before he could decline. She was all too happy to learn more about parenting from them.
  
  Or perhaps it was just an excuse to gossip.
  
  "...Admittedly, I did not." He shook his other thoughts aside as he responded to Norman's question, "I didn't know much about you, except that you were a Normal specialist."
  
  "And you didn't look down on me for that?" Norman asked, "Normal specialists aren't known for being the strongest, after all."
  
  His head shook, "Of course not. John's been making far too many waves, and securing many victories, for me to underestimate the power of Normal types. Plus, the both of you share the same starter."
  
  "I know. We battled against each other - starter vs starter - quite a long time ago." Norman revealed to his surprise. "I lost, obviously. My Slaking wasn't a match for his."
  
  "Well that's not anything to be upset about." He chuckled, "I can count on one hand the number of trainers that I believe could beat his Slaking, and even then a part of me still thinks he'll be able to narrowly beat them all anyway."
  
  The conversation stopped there as they finally arrived at Norman's place. Giovanni was surprised at how humble it was; Littleroot Town was not where you would expect a Gym Leader to live. But he kept those thoughts to himself as he entered into his house, immediately spotting his partner chatting expressively with Norman's wife.
  
  The latter lit up as soon as she saw him.
  
  "Oh, my apologies for not getting the door." Norman's wife said as she stood up and rushed over, "It's nice to meet you, Gym Leader Giovanni. My name's Caroline. It's a pleasure to have you over."
  
  "Nonsense. It is me who should be thankful to you for hosting Ariana and I." He said smoothly, "And I'm sure Ariana has been pestering you with many questions. I appreciate your patience in entertaining her."
  
  "It's nothing." Caroline giggled over the glare that Ariana shot him, "Mothers like to talk, you know how it is. She was just telling me about Silver."
  
  "More like I was praising May and Max." Ariana corrected, "Like I said, if Silver was a fraction as well-behaved, it'd be a miracle."
  
  "You know we could invite him over to play with them, right?" Norman spoke up, "I think the kids would appreciate having a new friend - and potentially a pen pal."
  
  Giovanni considered it for a moment before nodding; yes, that was something that could work. Silver really did need more friends. It wasn't good to rely solely on Whitney's friendliness.
  
  Nonetheless, that was for the future him to think about. For the time being, he allowed himself to relax and enjoy himself as they all dug into Caroline's wonderful cooking. Both their kids had joined them at one point and, just like Ariana described, were both extremely well behaved at the dinner table.
  
  Of course, that didn't mean they didn't ask him questions.
  
  "What do you think of the Ground types from Hoenn, Gym Leader Giovanni?" May had asked him, "Which ones do you recommend for a beginner trainer?"
  
  He liked that she emphasised the 'easy to train' part. A lot of young trainers only focused on power and little else, not realising how difficult it would be for that Pokémon to reach that power. There was a reason why powerful Pokémon weren't just handed out to newbie trainers.
  
  After thinking it over, he answered, "I would recommend Claydol."
  
  "Not Flygon?" Max interrupted to ask.
  
  He shook his head, "No. Remember, your sister asked for a Pokémon that was suitable for beginners. Flygon are powerful, but a Trapinch is incredibly weak before it evolves into a Vibrava. It's both slow and frail, and doesn't offer anything beyond your generic Ground type moves. Then, as a Flygon, I guarantee that you won't be able to properly control and instil discipline in it unless you are also an experienced trainer."
  
  "But a Baltoy, and later Claydol, are powerful choices for beginners. Especially for their Psychic typing." He explained, "It has both ranged and close-range attacks, and can Levitate, which gives it a huge advantage against purely grounded attackers. It's also not as slow as a Camerupt, which makes it easier to use for inexperienced trainers. Plus, you can teach it Teleport, and it'll become a huge convenience in your lives."
  
  The two children nodded understandingly at his answer with a thoughtful expression on their face, before they both expressed their thanks for his detailed explanation.
  
  The dinner continued on similarly peaceful lines like that, with him and Norman in charge of answering the children's endless questions, while Ariana and Caroline gossip as they were wont to do.
  
  However, after dinner was over and the children retired upstairs, it was time for him and Norman to return to more serious topics as their next opponents were about to be revealed.
  
  "Volkner and Jasmine...Pryce and Candice...John and Roxanne...Agatha and the twins...Drake and the Waterflower sisters...that's quite the lineup that we have in the Top 6." Norman said to him as they sat down on the couch, "Almost intimidatingly so."
  
  "They are all very formidable." He agreed, "We are most certainly the underdog here."
  
  And what an odd feeling it was, being the underdog. It's been some time since he felt this way.
  
  "Indeed. I know I said I was pleasantly surprised that we got too far, but honestly I'm just being realistic when I say that our chances don't look great." Norman exclaimed as he leaned back, "Our winning streak might end here."
  
  They had secured their previous victories by keeping it very simple. Both he and Norman's Pokémon were tough and strong, so they played to their strengths by forcing close range engagements and worked together to pummel their opponents with their stronger Pokémon. It was especially effective when their opponents were either weaker than them in a direct engagement, or they had some weak link they could exploit.
  
  It was a very brute force method of winning, but it worked out.
  
  However, while he wasn't one to be defeatist, seeing who they were potentially up against, he had to agree with Norman, "I see a few pairings that I am certain we would lose to. I know full well how strong John and Agatha are, and if they decide to take us seriously then I can say for certain that we won't be winning against them."
  
  Since their strategy relied on combined brute force rather than any fancy tricks or creative displays of teamwork, he knew that they didn't stand a chance against any team that could endure and overcome their offensive momentum.
  
  That being said, he would rather die than lose to Pryce. But he kept that bit to himself.
  
  Norman nodded, "Can't disagree with that. Let's hope to avoid them. I would prefer if we fought Volkner and Jasmine, if only because we seem to have the strongest Type matchup against them, but admittedly I don't know much about them."
  
  "Me neither." He said, "I only know that Jasmine is also a new Gym Leader. I would have thought she would be weaker because of that, but her and Volkner make for a stronger pair than I expected. They worked impressively well together."
  
  "You don't need to be so doom and gloom." Caroline suddenly spoke up from the side, "You know that the twins would be happy that you even made it this far. Treat winning as a bonus, not an obligation."
  
  Ariana wasn't far behind, "Likewise, Gio. You've already proven enough by making it to the Finals. Don't stress about losing here."
  
  Their wives' words (because Ariana was his wife in all but name) had allowed a sense of calm to settle over the both of them. They were right; he hadn't expected to make it to the Top 3 in the first place, so there was really no need to stress too much about losing.
  
  They would still strive for victory, but they wouldn't agonize over it.
  
  And this reminder came just in time, as the announcement about who their next opponents were going to be was revealed.
  
  They were against Drake and the Waterflower sisters. That was not ideal.
  
  "...That's going to be an uphill battle." Norman mumbled, and he agreed. Drake might not be at the level of John or Agatha in his mind, as he saw Drake as a lesser Lance, but he didn't underestimate the man.
  
  Still, they needed to come up with a plan. "My first thought is that we avoid Drake's Pokémon at all cost. Focus down the Waterflower's Pokémon to secure a quick 2v1 scenario. Like we've done before."
  
  "Won't be easy." Norman disagreed, "We aren't the only pair to think of that - others have tried it before us to little success. Drake knows how to cover his partner. His Hydro Pumps hit very hard."
  
  Norman then stared at him, "How confident are you in your Ground types to be able to tank those Water attacks?"
  
  "...Not very." He admitted, "At least not Drake's. His Pokémon will blast through mine."
  
  "Remember boys, relax. Losing isn't the end of the world." Carolina reminded the two of them again, "And don't forget that you're both getting on in years. Try not to add to your stress lines." And with those final parting words, the two ladies left their husbands alone to ponder over their strategy.
  
  The two of them exchanged a wry look and a small chuckle before they returned their efforts to the battle ahead.
  
  The planning went long into the night.
  
  (Volkner POV)
  
  Flint could never find about this, or he would never hear the end of it.
  
  Yes, he was having a dinner with Jasmine. No, he did not know whether this would be considered a date, but a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Flint was telling him that it was.
  
  "...Are you feeling alright?" Jasmine asked from across him as she took a bite out of her dinner, "Do you have something on your mind?"
  
  He quickly threw his errand thoughts to the back of his mind as he shook his head, "No, sorry. I was just distracted. Were you saying something?"
  
  Volkner, you stupid idiot. Why would you admit that?
  
  Luckily, Jasmine only chuckled at his words, "I get it. I'm nervous about the next battle too."
  
  That wasn't what he was thinking about, but he wasn't going to correct her, "Mhm. Our next opponents prove fearsome."
  
  "I thought that's what you wanted." She giggled, "Didn't you tell me you were excited to have all these powerful trainers to fight against?"
  
  Yes, he did say that. He still remembered those being one of his first words to her, how he told her to not slow him down - stupid words that he now dearly hoped he could have taken back. Before the pairings were announced, his singular goal in the Tournament was to fight through to the top 3 for the opportunity to fight against the Champions. He hadn't forgotten his battle against Cynthia, and he was all too eager to try to reexperience it.
  
  But now, with Jasmine as his partner, his reasons for winning had changed. Now, he wanted to win together, because he wanted to help her with her reputation as a Gym Leader.
  
  ...He swore to himself that there was no other reason, no matter how much Flint had teased him that he was trying to impress her.
  
  Oh shit, he was distracted again. "I was, but you know I've always wanted to fight the Champions. Now that the opportunity is so close, I have some concerns about whether we can cross this final hurdle."
  
  "Ah, that makes sense." Jasmine nodded, "Truthfully, I'm happy enough to get this far already. I don't have the...ambition that you have, and I've already seen how much more popular I've gotten for making it to the Final Rounds."
  
  "Still, I know I wouldn't be able to get this far without you, so I'll do my best to support you!" She pumped a fist, and Volkner forced his face to remain steady before he grinned like an idiot at that cute gesture of hers.
  
  The conversation carried on like that for a few more minutes, and just as they were about to wrap up their meals, his phone alarm went off. The announcement had come - their next opponents had just been revealed.
  
  And it turned out to be Pryce and Candice.
  
  "...Another weather team." He muttered, "I almost would have preferred Drake and the Waterflower sisters. At least we could take advantage of their Rain in that case."
  
  "Well they're fighting Norman and Giovanni." Jasmine said, "At least we didn't get John and Roxanne. Or Agatha and the twins."
  
  "Yes...we got 'lucky' there." He agreed, "Hm...Pryce and Candice...you know more about Pryce than I do. How strong is he?"
  
  Jasmine tilted her head cutely as she thought over his question, "Hm...that depends on how much he's let his team go since his retirement. He used to be very strong - he was Champion for a reason, but his defeat to Lance exposed his weakness and complacency. I've heard a few reliable rumours that he's not as complacent as he used to be, but I doubt he's training up as hard as he could be."
  
  "Stronger than Lorelei?" He asked.
  
  "I would expect them to be equal in strength." Jasmine confirmed, "But don't look down on his Mamoswine. It matched up to Lance's Emperor very well, and most Pokémon just aren't able to do that. That should tell you all you need to know about its strength."
  
  "I know, I know." He said with a frown. Damn Ground types, he still hadn't trained up his Octillery to be able to deal with those yet. That was still someways into the future.
  
  Still, there was one thing that was of paramount importance in the fight, "We must be able to take control of the weather in our fight. We cannot win if the Snow is allowed to remain, and I doubt that Pryce will make the same mistake as Lorelei did."
  
  He was used to fighting for control over the weather during his many, many battles against Flint, so this should prove no different.
  
  Jasmine agreed as he continued, "You also have the Type advantage against his Ice types. I know we've primarily made use of your Electric moves in the past, but you're going to have to demonstrate why you're a Steel type specialist now."
  
  "I'll do my best." She nodded firmly, "And I think my Pokémon are strong enough to take down Candice's in a few good hits. I'll try to prioritise that."
  
  And so, the two of them continued discussing their plans for the upcoming battle deep into the night. As they talked, his heart pumped with both excitement and concern, as it always did when he was about to fight a difficult battle.
  
  This was just the final hurdle before he won his chance to face off against the Champions.
  
  However, deep into the back of his mind - so far back that he didn't even realise he was thinking it, he knew that, win or lose, he had already won something more valuable than the Tournament.
  
  After all, he had made another friend. Or...perhaps more than that.
  
  (Candice POV)
  
  "...You know, I really regret my earlier optimism." She said to her friend over the phone.
  
  Cynthia laughed, "I did warn you that Pryce was going to be a pain to work with. Still, you've been winning, right? That has to count for something."
  
  "I think winning is the only redeeming factor about this partnership." She grumbled, "We've made it to the Final Rounds, and Pryce is still impossible to work with."
  
  "Really? You've been doing fine in battles, though." Cynthia remarked curiously, "That must be because of your cooperation."
  
  "...Well, maybe." She couldn't deny that, for all of Pryce's faults - and there were many - he was a good battler and planner when he got his head out of his ass, "It helps that we fight so similarly. If it wasn't for the fact that I was also an Ice specialist, I don't think we would have made it this far."
  
  "Well let's not think of what-ifs." Cynthia stated, "I thought you would be discussing things with Pryce about your next opponents. You know how strong Volkner is."
  
  She rolled her eyes, "I would be, if Pryce was here to begin with. He's gone off to do who knows what, so I'm stuck here making my own plans."
  
  "So you do know how to get angry." A very familiar and unpleasant voice suddenly appeared from behind her, and Candice turned around to see Pryce walking up to her, "I thought you only knew how to smile and be jolly."
  
  She quickly hung up the phone and scowled at her partner, "Congratulations. You broke through my joy. I demand compensation."
  
  "I'll compensate you by granting you another victory." Pryce said dryly, causing her scowl to deepen, "Nevertheless, you can moan about it later. We have a battle to win."
  
  "Huh. I didn't think you would be so enthusiastic." She said sarcastically.
  
  "Well my niece ended up losing, so it's up to me to carry the mantle." Pryce explained, "Not only that, but I realised that we could be the only non-Elite Four pair to make it to the Top 3 if we won - if the others don't win." Pryce explained, "After all, I still have a reputation to uphold as a former Champion. I will prove that I am more than their match."
  
  "And yet we're fighting against two Gym Leaders - one of them is even new." She shot back, "Not much of a 'grand victory' there, ex-Champion."
  
  She usually wasn't this sarcastic, but Pryce made it really easy for her to want to snap at him.
  
  Especially since he brushed off her words dismissively, "You can spare your insults. Just know that I'm not about to lose to two Gym Leaders, especially not against another weather team." Then he gestured for her to follow him, "Come on, let's find a place to sit and discuss things through. I can already guess their strategy, and there are a few pointers I want to give about your Froslass so you don't make a mess in our battle. Maintaining the Snow is paramount, and I want to make sure that your Froslass can achieve that simple task. If so, then victory will be ours."
  
  Candice wanted to explode at him for his condescending attitude, but she ultimately swallowed her anger and followed after him. What infuriated her more was that Pryce actually gave good advice, he was just a complete ass over it. She knew that his tutelage had actually helped her, which made her even more frustrated.
  
  It would've been easier if she could just hate him.
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  "So, kiddos. Looks like we're against ol' Norman and Giovanni." He smiled down at the sisters, "How're you feeling about our chances?"
  
  He always liked asking the sisters such questions, as he found that it helped with their confidence if they could express their chances of victory out loud. He knew that the sisters had the potential to become great Gym Leaders, so he was doing his best to nurture it. And the most important thing was to grow their confidence.
  
  "We hold the advantage." They all nodded, "We win in terms of brute force, so it would be better for us to keep things simple and just blast them with powerful Water attacks."
  
  "Too bad Petrel isn't here." Lily added, "We could have asked him about Giovanni's strengths and weaknesses."
  
  "I don't think he'd tell us." Violet disagreed, "You know he's grown immune to our pleading eyes. And he's still holds Giovanni in very high regard."
  
  "But we don't need his advice anyways." Daisy finished their tangent, "We know how they both fight. They like getting in close and pummelling their opponent. We just need to break that. Drake should be able to completely overwhelm Giovanni, so we just need to distract Norman before he can interrupt Drake."
  
  "Good." He grinned, "You got to the heart of the matter. That's very likely what they will end up doing." And he was very good in fights like this.
  
  Then he lowered himself so that he was at their eye level, "Look here kids. You've done very well. We've just got one hurdle to beat, and we're in the Top 3 and placed to fight the Champions. But there's no need to be nervous."
  
  In truth, he was completely fucking ecstatic to be so close to having the opportunity to face off against the Champions, to the point that he was already looking past this upcoming battle. But he forced himself to control his excitement in front of the kids. They needed him calm right now.
  
  "We got lucky this time with our matchup, so take it easy." He said gently, more gentle than he'd been in some time, "You already know how we can beat them. You have strong Water types; I know because I helped you train them. Stay confident in your team. After all, haven't we fu - crushed everyone that was in our way?!"
  
  The girls all nodded, causing a wide grin to break out on his face, "That's the spirit. So just calm yourselves, get some good rest, and settle your minds. And if you ever get nervous, then just remember that I will always be right next to you, fighting alongside you."
  
  "So come on, we have a battle to win!"
  
  The girls' cheers were all that he needed to hear.
  
  (Agatha POV)
  
  "...I'm surprised you haven't thrown a fight just to get out of the Tournament early." Her student said sarcastically over the phone, "I didn't think you would be so invested to win. Did the twins manage to hit your soft spot?"
  
  She didn't bother answering that question as she just hung up the phone, cutting off whatever Karen was about to say. Instead, she turned to the two little twins next to her, who had been running around excitedly as they heard who their opponent was going to be.
  
  They really had far too much energy. She wasn't nearly as invested into this Tournament as they were.
  
  "Agatha, Agatha, do you think we can win against John and Roxanne? I heard John's strong." The twins said one after another.
  
  She smirked at their question. She knew that John was making use of his weaker Pokémon in this Tournament to test them out. And while she approved of this long-term thinking, it also gave her an opportunity to really put him on his toes.
  
  She cackled in her mind; if he did that in his next fight, then she was really going to throw a wrench into his plans.
  
  "Not to worry, all you need to do is what you've been doing already. No need to change anything." She smiled down at the twins, holding back her cackles, "John might be strong, but so am I. I'll make sure to remind him of that, if he forgets."
  
  He better take her seriously, or she was going to overturn those big plans of his.
  
  A.N. I know we just had a multi-POV interlude, but I really felt that it would be good to set the stage for the trainers that would be entering the Final Rounds. Everyone has their own goals and ambitions, with very differing levels of relationship with their partners. Some better, some worse, and I wanted to shine the spotlight on all of them in this chapter.
  
  Hope you enjoyed! Agatha and the Twins vs John and Roxanne is coming up!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-14 - Ghostly Finale
  
  Our planning almost went deep into the night, but we eventually called it quits so that we and our Pokémon could get a good night's sleep before the upcoming battle. We were going to need it.
  
  Besides, there was nothing more that we could really plan for. We had a decent understanding of what our opponents were capable of, having studied their past matches and all, but having things planned on paper and actually dealing with them for real were two different things entirely.
  
  Still, I felt like we were as prepared as we were going to be going into this match. And luckily, depending how you thought about it, we were the first match of the day.
  
  Karen, Cynthia, and Whitney had all sent texts over as soon as they heard the announcement of our upcoming match. While they all wished me well, Karen told me to kick Agatha's ass for her.
  
  I told her I was going to do my best.
  
  As an additional piece of encouragement(?), Karen and Whitney both told me that they were going to be coming over to watch my match against the Champions. Not only that, but both my parents were coming too, as they had to oversee the initial opening of the Mauville Branch of our family's business, so they would be coming to see my match against the Champions as well. They wouldn't arrive in time for the Finals, though.
  
  That meant that it would really suck to lose now and not give the match that they wanted. That just meant I couldn't let them down now.
  
  As we were the first match of the day, the rest of the morning flew by until it was already time for our showdown against Agatha and the twins. Roxanne and I stepped onto the stage to the roaring of the crowd. The cheers were considerably louder when Agatha took to the field though, perhaps due to her storied and more experienced reputation, and many more cheered for her victory.
  
  It had been a long time since I was seen as the underdog, but I would prove to the crowd that they were wrong to think so.
  
  "You look tense, John. Why? Scared of a few Ghosts?" Agatha taunted to me as soon as she approached. "Oh I can feel your mind whirring as you try to figure me out, but you really don't need to think so hard. You'll just burn yourself out. I promise we won't be so easy to deal with compared to Winona and Samson, so maybe you could surrender right here and now and save this old lady the trouble."
  
  I just snorted in response.
  
  "And little Roxanne is here too." She smiled, but there was no kindness in it, "I'm surprised. I thought you would be sitting it out so that it would be John against the both of us. Or is John going to have to carry you through this match too?"
  
  The twins, who stood next to Agatha, were oddly silent at her mocking words. I would have thought that they would have spoken up to stop her, or at least say something rather than just keeping silent. That seemed very unusual for them.
  
  And then it clicked for me. Agatha had told them to stay silent so that she could get the opportunity to unnerve us, because she knew Tate and Lisa would undermine her efforts.
  
  Luckily for me, I had already warned Roxanne in advance to expect this kind of mockery from Agatha, so I hoped she could ignore it.
  
  In the meanwhile, I grinned back at Agatha, "I said it before, but you being paired with the twins makes all of you look like one big family. It's nice to see that the youth of today to be so caring for the elderly."
  
  "Bah, I'm not old and infirm just yet." She scoffed, "And I can see that you trained your dear partner to ignore my words. You're no fun at all."
  
  "And I can see that you told the children to stay quiet while you tried to rile us up." I countered, "How naughty of you. You should let the kids talk. Who knows? They might have something more intelligent to say than the mockery that was spewing from your mouth."
  
  She rolled her eyes, "And when they do start talking, they never shut up." Both of the twins smiled cheekily at her words, "I just wanted the peace and quiet."
  
  I ignored her and just smiled at the twins, "Do you like working with Agatha?"
  
  They both nodded with big smiles, though they still didn't say anything, "Well that's good. Make sure she doesn't fall over during the match. It's not good for someone her age to exert herself like this."
  
  "And it's not good for kids like you to get so mouthy to your elders." She shot back, though the kids were already giggling. Even Roxanne had a small smile on her face, "Bah, the disrespect from you."
  
  She was cut off by the referee making their appearance known with a standard announcement speech. Realizing that the time for talk was over, we all shared one final nod before we took our positions and got ready for the fight ahead.
  
  This was going to be the final hurdle, but if Agatha was hoping to unnerve me then she had failed miserably. Victory would be mine.
  
  "TRAINERS! ARE YOU READY?!" All five of us nodded.
  
  "Three!...TWO!...ONE!...FIGHT!"
  
  Luna and Sudowoodo came out on our side while a Gengar and Claydol came out on theirs. Luna immediately began setting up with what looked like a Calm Mind, while Claydol did the same as it began setting up both a Reflect and Light Screen before that was shut down by a Taunt from Sudowoodo.
  
  It was a weak Taunt, and wouldn't hold for very long, but it did its job.
  
  Of course, that left Gengar unchecked, and with a cackle, the Ghost had already blinked behind Sudowoodo and blasted it with a powerful volley of Energy Balls. Sudowoodo stumbled from the impact and tried to retaliate with a Rock Throw, but Gengar proved much too quick for it as it vanished once again - only to reappear on the right of Sudowoodo again and shot it with another barrage of Shadow Balls.
  
  And these Shadow Balls weren't normal, as they left lingering wisps of spectral embers that managed to Burn the Rock type. Sudowoodo continued trying to fend off Gengar's unrelenting assault, to little success. The Ghost type was running circles around the slower Sudowoodo. Yet Roxanne had been well-aware of how outmatched she was, and she knew her duty was to stall for as much time as possible.
  
  In the meanwhile, Luna was still setting up with Calm Minds. Seeing the opportunity in front of it, Claydol aggressively Teleported next to my Fairy type, causing a surprised expression to break out on Luna's face.
  
  "Gyro Ball, Claydol! Punish it!"
  
  "Shadow Claw."
  
  "WAIT, STOP! YOU FOOL!"
  
  Agatha's shouts of alarm came too late. Claydol had already begun spinning towards Luna, but instead of the look of surprise that it was expecting, Luna merely stood there with a sadistic grin on its face.
  
  Then Luna pounced.
  
  And Claydol was ripped apart by a single Shadow Claw, instantly cutting it down where it stood.
  
  Claydol collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut just in time for Wraith's illusion to fade - revealing his viciously grinning figure standing victoriously over his fallen opponent.
  
  It was a one-hit KO, just as I planned.
  
  This entire time, 'Luna' had not been setting up with Calm Minds. Instead, Wraith was setting up with Swords Dance meant to look like Calm Minds. Therefore, with his Attack greatly boosted, a supereffective Shadow Claw would annihilate any Pokémon weak to it.
  
  I had obviously hoped to catch Agatha off-guard with this trick, but I wasn't betting on it. She knew of Wraith's capabilities, and was always a cautious fighter.
  
  Surprised and shocked by their sudden defeat, the twins looked unsteady as they instantly threw out their next Pokémon, a Solrock. Judging by the sudden frown on Agatha's face, that must not have been the plan. The twins likely jumped the gun.
  
  And I wasted no time ordering Wraith to rush it down.
  
  "Dark Pulse it, Gengar! Intercept!"
  
  "Overheat, Solrock! Stop it!"
  
  Agatha must have known that Solrock would not be able to fend off Wraith's assault by itself, especially not with his boosts. So Gengar abandoned Sudowoodo to its pitiful amount of remaining health and quickly reappeared next to Wraith, unleashing a Dark Pulse to try to stop his advance. But Wraith was able to block that with his own Dark Pulse, before forcing Gengar to dodge out of the way with a Shadow Claw - giving him a clear line towards Solrock.
  
  However, that was when a scorching wave of flames erupted out from Solrock. I was about to order Wraith to put up a Protect shield, but suddenly a wall of rocks shot up from below the ground, blocking the wave of fire.
  
  "Helping Hand, Sudowoodo!"
  
  With the last of its energies, Sudowoodo clapped its rocky hands together as Wraith surged forwards with a Shadow Sneak, sinking quickly into the ground as he went under the flames only to burst out from in front of Solrock. Solrock was not even able to fire off a weak Psychic before it was mercilessly eviscerated with a boosted Shadow Claw.
  
  Yet Gengar hadn't been standing there idle. Punishing Wraith's choice to ignore it, it let out another cackle as a vicious Curse set into Wraith, putting him on a timer as the unnatural and malicious energies began to rip through his body from the inside out.
  
  But Wraith powered through the pain as he remained locked onto his target. Still stumbling from its injuries, and visibly panicking, the twins desperately ordered Solrock to Teleport away from there, only for it to be immediately shut down by a Taunt.
  
  Wraith quickly followed that up by unleashing a point-blank Dark Pulse, blasting Solrock with the full intensity of its Dark power while also managing to block the incoming Dark Pulse from Gengar. Then, with the vicious and ruthless savageness that I've come to expect from him, Wraith tore Solrock apart as he violently shredded through the Psychic type with a flurry of Shadow Claws like the spectre of vengeance that he was.
  
  Realising that rescuing Solrock was a lost cause, Gengar pragmatically abandoned its teammate as it blinked towards the tired Sudowoodo, bringing it down with a few Energy Balls that the Rock type barely had the energy to resist.
  
  I thought that we had just secured an incredible lead, up until a violent Psychic Explosion abruptly detonated.
  
  Solrock had just Exploded, sending out wave after wave of ruinous Psychic energy that flooded the arena. The arena was instantly turned into a ruin, with a spiderweb of glowing cracks now littering the arena from the resulting shockwaves of the detonation. And in the epicentre, I could barely make out a small crater that had formed which pulsed with glowing pink energy.
  
  That clearly was no normal Explosion.
  
  I frowned; there was no chance that Wraith could have survived that blast when he was hit by it face-first, not when he was also Cursed. He wasn't Smough.
  
  As the dust began to fade, I had already accepted Wraith's defeat as I turned to Roxanne, "It's going to a 2v1 against both of Agatha's Gengars. Send out your best, stay defensive, and support me."
  
  She nodded, accepting her role. We both knew that just because we had knocked the twins out of the fight, as I had planned, didn't mean that our victory was secured. In fact, it was far from it, as the battle was still a 2v2 - just that Agatha could only use one Pokémon at a time.
  
  And there was no way Agatha was going to make things easy for us.
  
  Then, with visibility now returning, I saw what I had expected. Both Wraith and Solrock were knocked out, but Gengar had evidently managed to avoid the blast with its shadowy tricks.
  
  I gave Roxanne a nod and we both sent out our final Pokémon.
  
  "Probopass, stay strong!"
  
  "Vordt, go!"
  
  Even though Probopass was Roxanne's starter, it was Vordt's presence that dominated the battlefield as he landed on the ground with an audible thump. I was initially tempted to make use of Smough, but knowing how slow both him and Probopass were, I feared Agatha's nimble and agile Gengar could run circles around the both of us.
  
  So I wasn't taking risks. Wraith had done very well for himself this Tournament, and had really shown how useful he could be with his Illusions, but now was time for the big guns.
  
  Now was the time for strength.
  
  "URSA!" My second most powerful Pokémon roared in a display of dominance, wasting no time as rocks began shooting out from the ground, immediately putting Gengar on the defensive. Frail as Gengar was, a single hit from any of these rocks might be enough to bring it down.
  
  For the first time during this fight, Gengar was actually the one being pressured, as it found itself completely surrounded and overwhelmed by the sheer landslide of rocks shooting its way. It tried to make more space for itself by firing off its own Shadow Balls, but there was no chance that it could match the sheer volume of attacks from Vordt.
  
  Gengar tried to sneak in a few Energy Balls towards Vordt, but they were quickly shredded in the air by his endless Rock Slide.
  
  In the meanwhile, Probopass whipped up a Sandstorm that covered the whole arena, giving it a much needed Special Defense boost against the barrage of Special Attacks that was bound to come its way. Then, Probopass' eyes narrowed in concentration as it began trying to Lock-On to the Gengar, which Gengar failed to notice as it was too busy trying to fend off Vordt.
  
  Vordt continued pressuring Gengar, never letting up with his Rock Slides to buy time for Probopass. Then, as soon as the Lock-On could be properly targeted, Probopass buzzed as it gave the signal.
  
  "ZAP CANNON!"
  
  A single orb of crackling electricity burst out from the Probopass, rocketing through the air with incredible speed. Caught off-guard, Gengar didn't have any chance to block it and was suddenly struck by a crippling wave of paralysis, causing the Ghost type to momentarily fall out of the air.
  
  "Headlong Rush!"
  
  Seeing the opportunity, Vordt moved. He let out a bellowing roar as he tore a deep trench through the arena with his charge and savagely smashed right into the paralysed Gengar, headbutting it with the entirety of his incredible might.
  
  Gengar was sent flying uncontrollably through the air like it was nothing more than a crash dummy. It shattered against the psychic shields of the arena; the sheer force of Vordt's assault decimating the frail Ghost type in an instant.
  
  This was the difference between fighting 1v1 and 2v1. Even though Probopass would be utterly outclassed in a 1v1 duel, and Vordt would have difficulty landing a decisive blow as he just did, the fact that Gengar had to deal with both Vordt AND Probopass simultaneously was a completely different story. It had no space to make use of its usual ghostly tricks.
  
  In high-level battles like this, it only takes one mistake for you to lose a fight, and having one more opponent to deal with only makes it more likely that you make that mistake. Hence why I prioritised knocking out the twins as quickly as possible.
  
  However, despite her Gengar's defeat, that didn't rub the smirk off Agatha's face, "Oh? Did I unnerve you? Don't you know you're supposed to take it easy on the elderly - you shouldn't be using one of your strongest Pokémon against frail old me."
  
  I snorted, "Yeah, and the moment I take it easy on you would be the moment you knock me out of the Tournament. Come on now, don't pretend like you're intimidated by my Ursaluna. We both know you can match him."
  
  "Is that a challenge that I hear?" She grinned, "Well, you seem pretty eager to make it to the Top 3. But I don't think getting there should be too easy for you. I think it's better if I make you work for it."
  
  With that said, she sent out her final Pokémon. It was another Gengar.
  
  But this Gengar was different to the one that she just sent out. I didn't know what it was - since it looked identical to the previous one - but there was just this aura that it gave off that betrayed the immense spectral strength that lied beneath its small stature.
  
  And Agatha immediately proved my suspicions right as she began giving out orders.
  
  "Shadow Ball."
  
  Vordt immediately repositioned his rocks to form a wall between him and Probopass and Agatha's Gengar, ready to block the incoming volley of spectral orbs. However, instead of shooting out from Gengar in a straight line, the Shadow Balls instead disappeared into small shadowy portals that were created by Gengar before they suddenly shot out from behind Probopass as a portal had formed in its own shadow.
  
  Despite its impressive defences, Probopass still let out a buzz of pain as ghostly embers began spreading across its metallic frame. In retaliation, Vordt let out a stomp as an enormous artillery of giant rock spears shot towards Gengar, but this time, instead of dodging, Gengar threw up a huge wall of shadow that blocked the incoming Stone Edge.
  
  The wall wasn't able to block everything - Vordt's geokinesis was too powerful for that - but it blocked enough so that Gengar's natural evasiveness could handle the rest.
  
  Then a maniacal cackle echoed throughout the arena as Gengar released two vengeful Curses against both of our Pokémon, immediately putting us both on a timer. I knew we had to take out this Gengar quickly.
  
  I tapped Roxanne on the shoulder, miming a clapping gesture that she quickly understood.
  
  "Helping Hand, Probopass!"
  
  "TAUNT!"
  
  In an unconventional use of Helping Hand, instead of boosting a direct attacking move, I had it boost up a Taunt. The boosted Taunt created a bolt of Dark energy that speared right through a surprised Gengar, and I watched as its eyes rapidly filled with rage.
  
  The surprise wasn't just limited to Gengar though, as Agatha's face also betrayed her shock.
  
  This was another specific move combination that I had planned with Roxanne. Knowing Agatha trained Karen, I knew a standard Taunt would likely be ineffective. But a Helping Hand boosted Taunt was a completely different story.
  
  And now, with the Taunt setting in, I knew I had a small window where Gengar would be deprived of its usual arsenal of disruptive moves, and I had to take full advantage of it.
  
  However, despite being enraged, Gengar didn't move in aggressively like most other Pokémon would. Instead, it maintained enough rationality to keep its distance and not allow itself to lose itself to the Taunt-induced anger.
  
  Then Gengar moved, using its incredible speed as it charged and practically reappeared next to Probopass. Probopass fired off its Zap Cannon, only for it to be deflected by a perfectly aimed Focus Blast.
  
  Vordt tried to intercept with a Stone Edge, but Gengar proved too nimble as it danced around the sharp rocks before blasting Probopass with another point-blank, quadruple effective Focus Blast.
  
  But, to mine and Agatha's surprise, Probopass didn't stumble. Instead, it Endured the attack with its impressive defences before it rammed itself forwards, crashing into the unprepared Gengar with an Iron Head. Probopass immediately tried to follow up with a Thunder Wave, but Gengar wasn't on Agatha's team for nothing as it recovered quickly enough to dodge out of the way.
  
  Gengar reappeared behind Probopass already being surrounded by a defensive circle of Shadow Balls - which correctly predicted and dispersed my attempt to ambush it with a Stone Edge. Then, before Probopass could react to what was happening, another volley of devastating Focus Blasts came smashing into its back.
  
  This time, powerful defences or not, Probopass let out a pained whirl as it nearly collapsed face-first into the ground - tanking through back-to-back 4x supereffective moves proving too much for it. Coupled with the earlier Curse, and I knew Probopass was moments away from fainting.
  
  In the meanwhile, Vordt had set himself on fire to activate his Guts and had charged towards Gengar, hoping to take advantage of Gengar's decision to focus on Probopass. I could see the taunting grin on the Ghost's face as it prepared to dodge away, only for that grin to turn into a surprised gasp as it suddenly stumbled backwards as a single rock shot out from the ground.
  
  In one final act of defiance, Roxanne's starter forcefully endured through its injuries one last time and mustered up the last of its energies to trip Gengar up with a weak Stone Edge, but it came just as the perfect time to trip up Gengar for long enough for Vordt to come crashing into it.
  
  Probopass managed to let out one final buzz of content before it fell unconscious. But it had more than done its job.
  
  However, just before Vordt smashed into Gengar, a group of shadowy tendrils suddenly burst out of the ground that wrapped around the charging Vordt as it tried to hold my raging Ground type back. The spectral tendrils pulled against Vordt, restraining him to the ground while Gengar prepared to leap away into safety while preparing a Focus Blast.
  
  Had it been a weaker Pokémon that was ensnared, Agatha's sudden surprise move would have saved her Gengar. But not against Vordt. Not against his unstoppable charge. Not against his strength.
  
  "URSA!" And so, with a roar of utter defiance, Vordt slammed a paw into the ground, releasing a powerful shockwave of tectonic energies that tore apart the ghostly tendrils holding him back like they were little more than paper. Then he rocketed forwards in a brown blur as he ferociously slammed straight into Gengar with his full, uncompromising strength before it could escape - clamping down his paws around Gengar in an iron grip as he sent it skidding across the ground.
  
  To its credit, Gengar only cackled at the pain - as if it was amused by it - before trying to force Vordt off with another Focus Blast. But that was quickly silenced as Vordt smashed down with a savage, Guts-boosted Payback.
  
  The ground shattered from the impact of the blow, as Gengar's face was practically shoved into the ground. Then the ground erupted once more as Vordt unleashed a mighty Earthquake, sending wave after wave of powerful seismic energy through Gengar and into the ground. The resulting tremors detonated from underneath Gengar, launching the Ghost type into the air before a final Sucker Punch sent it crashing limply into the ground.
  
  As much training as it had gone through, a frail Gengar was not able to withstand tanking through back-to-back blows from Vordt's overwhelming strength, especially after being boosted with Guts.
  
  The fight was over.
  
  Seeing Gengar faint, I was half-expecting Vordt to go down too from a Destiny Bond. Yet, it never happened; it looks like the Helping-Hand boosted Taunt from earlier lasted long enough.
  
  I breathed a sigh of relief; I did not want to refight Agatha, though I had already made plans to just use both Vordt and Tyrant if I had really had to.
  
  A sudden cheer from my right broke me out of my thoughts.
  
  "WE DID IT, JOHN!" Roxanne cried out happily.
  
  "WE WON!"
  
  A.N. John makes it to the finals. It's time for the showdown against Emperor.
  
  And yes, Agatha is extremely strong. It's why everyone still respects her, and why John took the fight seriously with Vordt. The one thing I really wanted to highlight in this fight was how important having a teammate is. Unfortunately for the twins, John managed to exploit their inexperience to knock them out quickly. Then, as I mentioned in the chapter, it is much harder to keep track of everything going on in a 2v1, and it only takes one mistake to lose a fight.
  
  Agatha is no slouch, but she becomes more manageable when you have a teammate and she doesn't. This fight would have gone very differently had it been a 1v1. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - Tournament
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Snippet - Tri-Regional Tournament
  
  [New FREE DLC: THE TRI-REGIONAL TOURNAMENT, HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE GAME! FIRST PLAYTHROUGH AND THOUGHTS!] by Earlier Access
  
  So I know there were a few players complaining about the lack of endgame for the latest Pokémon game (which is insane, btw. This game has more endgame than the others by far], so I guess the Pokémon company listened and dropped this banger for us.
  
  Yes, the battle frontier might still be under construction for god knows how long, but at least we have this new tournament to play around with.
  
  So for those of you who have yet to download the DLC (go do it now! It's FREE!), it's basically a single elimination style tournament where you get matched up against all your favourite Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and potentially Champions. And yes, they've all been scaled to endgame level, so don't expect your Brock and Roxanne fights to be complete pushovers.
  
  Oh, and these fights aren't your typical 1v1 matches that you're used to from playing the base game. No, these are 2v2 battles that force you to have to babysit your useless partner (I'm looking at you, Fantina, you useless shit). I can guarantee you that having a partner does not make things any easier, and get ready for your Pokémon to be double teamed into oblivion.
  
  Also, your partners are chosen at random each time, and so are your opponents. So in one battle you might get Blaine and Byron together, which is super easy because you just Earthquake them to death. And in another battle you might get Lucian and Agatha, in which case you just lose.
  
  That Gallade and Gengar really kicked my ass.
  
  The game only came out a few hours ago, and I haven't made it past the quarter finals despite my best efforts. I keep getting matched up against difficult opponents and end up losing. Skill issue, I know. But what are your thoughts? Has anyone made it to the end? There's supposed to be a 'grand prize' so I want to know what it is!
  
  Comments
  
  GitGud
  
  Skill issue. I got to the Semi-finals.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  I've not stopped playing the new DLC ever since it came out; not even to use the bathroom. But I haven't managed to beat the event yet.
  
  The most annoying thing about this is that you're only allowed to bring in six Pokémon and aren't able to switch your teams in-between fights. Sure, you're allowed to heal, but certain Pokémon are only good against certain trainers.
  
  I had this one run where I made it to quarter finals with this stall team, only to get completely shut down by a Sidney and Phoebe combination that destroyed my entire strategy. Then later, I was in the quarter finals again with this full bruiser team before Drake and Bertha neutered me with their Gyarados and Hippowdon.
  
  This is a hard DLC. Equally frustrating as it is fun.
  
  GitGud
  
  Git gud.
  
  EDIT: Joking aside, I'm glad we got something difficult for once. I know there's a whole bunch of people whining about not being able to beat it, but grow up. This DLC was meant to be difficult, since those same people who are whining now used to complain about the game being too easy.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I swear they gave the 'powerful' trainers even more buffs than usual. I know everyone's Pokémon is supposed to be level 100, but I swear that John, Drake, Agatha's team etc. are all much more powerful than your usual level 100.
  
  Also, you never get them as partners. I reset my run dozens of times and I've never gotten them.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Probably a balancing thing. I think you're supposed to work with your partner, but that's not required if your partner is someone like John who can steamroll his opponents.
  
  His Slaking was already hard enough in the base Elite Four. Now with a partner? No thank you. I choose life. I hope I don't get matched up against him.
  
  EDIT: I did. I lost in the quarter finals. FUCK!
  
  PokeFan289
  
  Actually, one of my favourite parts of the DLC is that it allows you to really interact with all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members. It's something that doesn't really come up in your usual Pokémon game, and I've really come to enjoy it. Really adds to their personality.
  
  Anyone catch Volkner and Jasmine blatantly trying to not be attracted to each other? Very cute.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Too bad you can't tell John and his Moomoo milk selling ass to go fuck himself.
  
  [SECRET GAME MODE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COMPLETE THE TOURNAMENT?!]
  
  [Video clip of the player being awarded the 'grand prize']
  
  Yes, after a whole day of grinding as a community, we finally have someone who lucked out enough with the RNG to finally win the Tournament. And my god, who knew that there would be a final 'surprise' fight at the end where you got to face off against a random Champion + one random partner?
  
  Anyways, for winning you get a Masterball, which is pretty nice because you don't get one in the base game. You also get a some money etc. But the REAL reward is that you unlock a special gamemode called 'The Gauntlet'.
  
  Basically, it's the same Tournament as before. Yet this time you don't get to have a partner, but you still have to fight 2v2, and you face off against all of the hardest combination of trainers you could possibly imagine.
  
  No one has beaten this yet, as far as I'm aware. I know there a few fake posts on the forums, but don't believe them. I think the furthest people got was the Semi-Finals so far, where they match you against Drake and Agatha.
  
  Yes, you heard that right, the semi-final match is against Drake AND Agatha. Who knows what the final fights would look like?
  
  Comments
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Holy. Shit. Are they really going to make Pokémon this difficult when it's meant to be a kids game? There's no way those kids could possibly beat this.
  
  The fact that you only have 6 Pokémon, but your opponents gets 12, is so unfair.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I'm stuck on the Drake and Agatha fight too. Drake's Gyarados refuses to go down, and Agatha's Shadow Balls always seem to crit? And my attacks against her Gengar always miss? Am I doing something wrong here?
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  You need to Taunt or Status Agatha's Pokémon or else you can't hit them. I know. It's horrible.
  
  As for Gyarados, its health bar is fake. Even if it says it's at low health, don't actually believe it. Just think of it as having Sturdy x4 or something. Best thing to do is to debuff it like crazy and try to stall it out.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Guys, I'm still stuck on the Lorelei and Lucian fight. Help.
  
  GitGud
  
  I would say Git Gud, but Flint and Glacia keeps destroying my ass. And I refuse to reset and try with a different team, so I won't mock you for being bad today.
  
  SpeedRunner, as he was known in the Pokémon community, was famed for being one of the best Pokémon players in the world. At least when it came to beating difficult romhacks and doing nuzlockes. Hence his name.
  
  So naturally, he didn't let up on his grind to beat 'The Gauntlet', or as it was now known in the community, the 'Dark Souls difficulty'.
  
  He had just defeated Drake and Agatha in the semi-finals, only to barely overcome Lance and Wallace in the Finals. The developers must be sadistic to pair those two together; Wallace had excellent support moves that constantly healed up Lance's immensely strong Dragons while also freezing/slowing your team.
  
  It was a real pain in the ass to deal with, and it had taken him a dozen restarts before he could beat it.
  
  But now that he had done it, he was now here to face off against his final opponent. And considering that he had yet to show up in the Tournament so far, he already had an idea of who he could be.
  
  And his suspicions were quickly proven right as that all familiar 2d sprite came walking down to the arena. And by his side, was none other than Champion Cynthia.
  
  ["Hello. Congratulations on beaten Lance and Wallace. I didn't think anyone would be able to do that." Cynthia said, "Your strength is impressive."]
  
  ["It would be more impressive if you did it on your first try." Said John, "But I guess I can't fault your determination."]
  
  ["It doesn't really matter in the end, though. Your run ends here."]
  
  SpeedRunner blinked; did the game know that you save-scummed? Was there a secret prize for beating the entire Gauntlet without resetting? Something to think about for later, but that already sounded impossible.
  
  ["Are you ready for this fight?" Cynthia asked, "I warn you, you won't get a second chance."]
  
  He clicked yes, not wanting to waste more time with the dialogue.
  
  ["Then there's no need for further words." John said.]
  
  And the battle began. The sounds of a piano could be heard as the battle theme started playing.
  
  On his end, he sent out his trusty Lucario and Salamence, ready to take on whatever was sent out. John and Cynthia sent out their signature Slaking and Garchomp respectively, which was a pretty intimidating sight.
  
  Still, he had expected this, and his hands was already on the controller, already preparing to select a move. But then, he noticed that there was a timer on the right of the screen which was quickly counting down to zero. Once it did, he was cut off from his moves as John began to talk.
  
  ["You know...I've watched your previous matches. And you've always been giving time to think through your moves. I'm not sure why the others gave you so much time, but the two of us won't be giving you the same courtesy."]
  
  ["Prepare yourself."]
  
  [Slaking used Earthquake. It's super effective!]
  
  [Garchomp used Stone Edge. It's super effective!]
  
  And then both his Salamence and Lucario instantly went down.
  
  ...Fuck. Did the game only give you a few seconds to choose your move?!
  
  Knowing he had lost, he switched off his game so that he could try again. However, once his game rebooted, instead of finding himself where he had saved, he had instead found himself in the Ever Grande City Pokémon Centre.
  
  No...had the game Autosaved when he started the fight?! So you couldn't save-scum?!
  
  FUCKKKKKKKK!
  
  A.N. It's been some time since the last ingame snippet, and I had a moment of inspiration to write this one up for fun. Hope you enjoyed it! As usual, don't take anything too seriously.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-15 - The Other Battles
  
  Unfortunately, my celebrations with Roxanne about our mutual victory was interrupted by the sounds of children sniffling as Agatha and the twins approached us.
  
  The twins were 'unhappy' about their defeat.
  
  "...Look at what you've done, John." Agatha scowled at me as she took out a handkerchief to wipe down the snot from their noses, "You just had to win with your Ursaluna. You couldn't have used a weaker Pokémon and allowed these two nice, adorable children to make it to the Top 3, could you?"
  
  Roxanne frowned guiltily, but I was less affected since I was very used to what Agatha was like. Still, even though this was just Agatha being Agatha, I knew that there was no chance I was winning an argument when there were crying children involved, so instead I moved to change the topic.
  
  However, Roxanne moved first as she kneeled down next to Tate and Liza with a smile on her face, "Hey, you guys did very well. You really are prodigies if you made it this far while being so young. Your parents must be so happy for you."
  
  She was really drawing on all of her experience as a teacher right now.
  
  Liza sniffed, "They are. They came to watch all our matches."
  
  Roxanne leaned in closer, "Do you know how bad of a trainer I was at your age? The fact that you already have such a powerful Claydol and Solrock is very impressive."
  
  "But they went down so quickly to John's Pokémon." Tate mumbled, and I felt the dirty look that Agatha was giving me.
  
  "John is a very good trainer, and so is Agatha. He knew that he needed to take you out before he could focus his efforts on Agatha. It doesn't mean you're weak." She said soothingly, "In fact, it means that you were enough of a threat so that John couldn't just ignore you as he fought Agatha's Pokémon."
  
  She gently patted them on the head, "So don't worry. You're strong. Right, John?"
  
  "Yes they are." I agreed, quickly following on from her words, "Tate, Liza, both of you have the potential to become one of the strongest trainers in the world. You both have such incredible potential as Psychic trainers - I can't wait to see how strong you'll get when you both grow up. You will certainly be a force to be reckoned with."
  
  Both our words seemed to be getting through to them, and they began to cheer up a little bit. Agatha spoke up as well, "If you have anyone to blame for losing, then blame it on me." She said, to my and Roxanne's surprise, "I should have done more to protect your Pokémon and warned you against the illusion trap from John's Zoroark. Your defeat was due to my complacency, not your own fault."
  
  The twins immediately looked like they were about to protest her words, but Agatha quickly shushed them, "You don't need to say more. This loss is my fault, okay?"
  
  The twins stared at each other for a moment before they both nodded hesitantly.
  
  "Good. Then you don't need to blame yourself." Agatha stated, tapping her cane on the ground for emphasis, "Come now, your parents are waiting for you. I will bring you there."
  
  She gave one last brief nod to the both of us before she escorted the twins out of the arena, leaving only Roxanne and I there.
  
  Roxanne's frown returned as we watched them leave, "...I know I haven't done anything wrong, yet why do I feel guilty for winning?"
  
  I sighed, "Because it feels like we just took candy from a baby?"
  
  She snapped her fingers, "Yeah, that's probably it."
  
  "Nothing we can do about it." I shook my head, "It was either us or them, and we at least won fairly. Take solace in that, at least. Plus, even if they fought a different team that wasn't us, there's no guarantee they'd win either."
  
  A League official began waving at us to get off the stage so that they could prepare for the next match, so the two of us started walking out of the arena.
  
  "At the end of the day, this is a tournament. There will always be a winner and a loser." I stated. Then, wanting to change the mood, I gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder, "Let's not focus on that anymore. Congratulations, Roxanne. You made it to the Top 3."
  
  "You mean we made it to the Top 3." She grinned at me, "Don't be humble. We both know I could have never have gotten this far without you. You definitely carried me in that last fight - I was next to useless against Agatha."
  
  "No, you did what was needed of you." I denied, "Otherwise, Agatha would have been a far more frustrating opponent without your help. Your Probopass impressed me with its endurance." It really did. Without it surprising Gengar and tripping it up, Vordt would not have knocked it down so easily.
  
  She smiled at my praise, "Thank you. It's good to know that my efforts training my Probopass weren't for naught."
  
  "Anyways, do you have any plan for taking on the Champions?" She asked, "Fighting all three of them at once, even with six Pokémon on our side, won't be an easy fight. I probably will be relegated to a support role again - there's no chance I'd be able to stand and fight against those monsters."
  
  "Actually, it might not be a 3v6 fight." I whispered.
  
  She looked shocked, but she kept her voice down, "Wait, why?"
  
  I looked around to make sure no one could overhear me, "Listen, keep this a secret, okay? But Lance and I actually have a plan to duel each other. We've been planning this for quite a while, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Now that I've made it to the Top 3, I'm almost certain our duel can go ahead."
  
  Roxanne's eyes widened, "...Ah, I see. So it's going to be a 2v5 instead?"
  
  "I think so." I confirmed, "...I should probably reach out to Lance and confirm that our duel is happening."
  
  "Knowing Wallace, he wouldn't say no." She said, "This is the kind of dramatic battle that he loves so dearly. And knowing you, you'd actually be able to match Lance's Emperor. I've seen videos of your Slaking fighting. If you actually used it against our Tournament opponents, you wouldn't even need me. You could have won by yourself."
  
  "And that's exactly why I didn't want to use him." I replied, "This Tournament was an excellent opportunity for me to get some battle experience on my weaker Pokémon. Relying purely on my starter would go against that. Plus, could you imagine how bad of a look it would be if I just fought without caring for you? Since the Tournament is all about international cooperation, the public would skin me alive!"
  
  "Yeah, you're right. It wouldn't be a good look." She agreed, "Anyways, you have anything planned for later? Or should we have a celebratory lunch together? We haven't eaten together since we paired up."
  
  "Absolutely." I smiled, "Oh, before you say anything, it's my treat. I insist."
  
  She frowned, "Absolutely not. You did all the hard work, at least let me pay for it."
  
  "No, Roxanne. It was you that went above and beyond in those fights." I insisted, "And you should be rewarded for that effort. Let me pay."
  
  The bickering continued all the way to the restaurant, and it was only paused as we both decided to stop arguing as we enjoyed our victory meal together.
  
  However, I got the last laugh. As she slipped away to the bathroom, I paid for the bill.
  
  Suck it.
  
  Since our match was the first of the Final Rounds, I still had some time before the fight against Lance would take place. I had already called Lance to confirm that the match would take place, and Lance told me that Wallace had easily given his approval.
  
  "I'll make the announcement once all of the Top 3 have been decided." He said to me over the phone, "Then we'll have our fight."
  
  Otherwise, I didn't have much to do until then. My parents and friends hadn't arrived from Indigo yet, and Cynthia was unfortunately unavailable and was only able to congratulate me over the phone. Apparently, she was wrapping up a few things with the financial investigations so couldn't spend time with me for the moment.
  
  Since I had nothing better to do, and I really didn't want to throw myself back into training when I had just finished a difficult fight, I decided to spectate the other matches.
  
  I was actually a little disappointed at the matchups; I was hoping for Drake's and Giovanni's teams to avoid each other, since I was rooting for them to make it to the Top 3. However, they ended up against each other, and that was why I was watching their match right now.
  
  And sadly for Giovanni, Drake's Pokémon were expectedly dominant in this fight, just like they had been in every fight before that.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Blastoise! Dominate them!"
  
  That Blastoise of his was pummelling both Giovanni's Swampert and Norman's Kangaskhan with a full-powered Hydro Pump. Swampert may not be weak to Water types attacks, but that still didn't stop it from being absolutely blasted back from the sheer force of the torrent of water smashing into its face. The Ground type made a valiant attempt to endure and fight back, but its desperate struggles were repeatedly proving to be futile in the face of Blastoise's overwhelming attack.
  
  Knowing that Swampert was a physical attacker, I recognised that Giovanni was trying his best to close the distance against Blastoise, since there was no way it could compete against Blastoise's tremendous firepower with its poor Special Attack. However, Swampert's attempts to Dig were quickly punished by a powerful Earthquake from Blastoise, nor could it force its way through the Hydro Pump with its own Waterfall. It was stuck being on the defensive.
  
  In the meanwhile, Misty's Golduck had free reign to set up the Rain before firing off a Grass Knot towards Swampert, which was barely interrupted in time by a last-second Stone Edge from Kangaskhan.
  
  That Stone Edge saved Swampert.
  
  Unfortunately, that didn't stop the unrelenting cannon fire of Hydro Pumps being fired off by Drake's Blastoise, especially now that it was further boosted by the falling Rain. Nor did it stop the fact that Golduck was still free to move around, constantly trying to find an angle as it threw out Hypnosis after Hypnosis towards both Kangaskhan and Swampert.
  
  Kangaskhan did its best to try to throw off Golduck, but with its Swift Swim activated in the Rain, Golduck was simply too fast for the lumbering Normal type to catch up with as it easily dodged past Kangaskhan's Stone Edges and Double Edges.
  
  Worse, Golduck applied just enough pressure with its volley of Hypnosis that it denied Kangaskhan from being able to change the weather with a Sandstorm.
  
  Eventually, the massive speed difference between Golduck and Kangaskhan allowed the Water type to dive past another Stone Edge and finally land a single Hypnosis that put the Kangaskhan fast asleep.
  
  And with Kangaskhan snoozing away, Swampert was no longer protected from Golduck's Grass Knots. Of course Swampert was aware of this, but there was little it could do when it was being constantly suppressed by the unending barrage of Hydro Pumps.
  
  "Ice Punch, Swampert! You need to avoid that Grass Knot!"
  
  Realising the incredible danger that it was in, Swampert desperately swung around its ice-covered fists, doing its best to avoid Blastoise's Hydro Pump while also cutting away at the small tendrils of Grass before Golduck could trip it up.
  
  However, it only took one moment where Swampert was distracted, one instance where it had flinched for a little too long as it was blasted by another Hydro Pump, for Golduck to finally connect with a quadruply supereffective Grass Knot.
  
  The Grass Knot forced Swampert to face-plant into the ground as its legs were constricted by a deceptively powerful tendril of grass. As soon as Swampert tripped up, Blastoise and Golduck wasted no time as they blasted it with a double whammy of both Psychic and Hydro Pump, overwhelming the hasty Protect shield that was set up and sending it tumbling backwards.
  
  That spelled the defeat for Giovanni's first Pokémon, which was very bad for him. As far as I was aware, Swampert was Giovanni's only Pokémon that wasn't weak to Water types.
  
  Of course, with Swampert's defeat, Kangaskhan was promptly given a very painful wake-up call as it became its turn to be bombarded by Blastoise's Hydro Pump. But Giovanni made his switch quickly, sending out his Nidoking that instantly released an Earth Power - catching Golduck while it was distracted and knocking the Water type into the air with its explosive tremors.
  
  Kangaskhan tried to follow up with a Stone Edge, but another Hydro Pump quickly interrupted its efforts as it was forced to throw up a Protect shield. That was fine, as Nidoking unleashed his own Sludge Wave that drowned Golduck in a wave of deadly poison.
  
  Seeing his partner now in trouble, Blastoise tried to reposition its Hydro Pump towards Nidoking, yet Kangaskhan refused to give it the opportunity. As soon as it was given a moment to breathe, Kangaskhan let out a determined roar as it charged forwards in a last-ditch Giga Impact, knowingly sacrificing itself so that its partner could secure the knockout on Golduck.
  
  Drake grimaced at this, and ultimately decided to keep Blastoise's focus on the charging Kangaskhan; evidently trying to avoid his Blastoise taking a powerful Giga Impact. This left Nidoking free to spear the stunned Golduck through with a critical Thunderbolt, finishing off the Water type.
  
  In the meanwhile, Kangaskhan had made use of the slight hesitation to power through the Hydro Pump and ram straight into the Blastoise, colliding into it with the full force of its Giga Impact. Yet that was far from enough to bring down the tanky Blastoise, and a point-blank Focus Blast finished off the injured Kangaskhan as it was too exhausted to keep up the offensive.
  
  It was a one for one trade.
  
  Starmie was sent out as Golduck's replacement, but my attention was on Norman's replacement. His Slaking was finally here.
  
  "Get the Blastoise, Slaking! Thunder Punch!"
  
  Slaking instantly took point, launching itself towards Blastoise before it could turn its Hydro Pump towards the new threat. Slaking barrelled into the Water type, and slammed a Thunder Punch right into its gut. But Blastoise didn't just roll over, and retaliated with a hard-hitting Skull Bash of its own. Slaking stumbled, but maintained the offensive as the two Pokémon began beating down on each other in a violent brawl.
  
  Nidoking tried to support its ally, but Starmie intercepted it with repeated blasts of Psychics that forced a response from it. Using its faster speed to its advantage, Starmie kept a safe and evasive distance from Nidoking while constantly trading attacks with it, allowing Slaking and Blastoise to brawl uninterrupted.
  
  I noticed that while Starmie didn't hit nearly hard enough to actually bring down Nidoking, it was still able to serve as an effective distraction thanks to its speed.
  
  Of course, most of my attention was on the Slaking, as I was curious to see how it would compare to Tyrant. Ironically, I saw that Slaking was fighting with a familiar aggressive battling style as it tried to savage its opponent with a brutal series of haymakers in order to keep Blastoise disoriented and unable to fight back.
  
  ...That was exactly how Tyrant fought; it seemed like Norman had borrowed a trick or two from me.
  
  However, as the brawl between Slaking and Blastoiste continued, the difference in strength between Tyrant and Norman's Slaking became pretty noticeable. His hits weren't as shattering as Tyrant's, his fists came slower than ours, and his technique wasn't as refined. There were a few times where Tyrant could have landed a counterattack that Slaking was too slow to capitalise on.
  
  Yet, as the brawl continued, Slaking proved strong enough to finally be able to bring down Blastoise. For all of its defensiveness, Blastoise's ability to fight at close range was not its forte, especially against a brawler that could take a lot of hits. So as the two continued to trade blows, it was clear that Slaking was getting the better of every exchange.
  
  And it was this difference that eventually caused its defeat as a final Thunder Punch crashed down on the dome of its head, causing the Water type to crumble to the ground.
  
  But Drake just laughed as he withdrew his fallen Blastoise, "Phew! That's the second time I've been taken down by a Slaking! You haven't disappointed me so far, Norman, so show me your strength!"
  
  "Come, Gyarados! Ravage them!"
  
  His Gyarados emerged onto the field, making its presence known as it radiated such sheer explosive anger that immediately caught everyone's attention. Then the beast of rage locked eyes with Slaking, and without any commands from its trainer, instantly pounced towards Slaking with its fangs bared menacingly.
  
  Slaking let out a pained grunt as Gyarados bit down hard on its shoulder, and the retaliating Thunder Punch surprisingly failed to dislodge the raging Water type. As punishment, another Aqua Tail came slamming into Slaking's stomach, causing it to double over before an Iron Head caused it to flinch.
  
  I winced at the beatdown that Gyarados was delivering onto Slaking, as the tables were turned from Slaking's earlier brawl against Blastoise. I was well aware of Gyarados' capabilities, having fought it myself with Smough all that time ago. And I was nearly certain that Norman's Slaking simply could not replicate Smough's feat, not when it was already tired out by fighting Blastoise.
  
  The only chance that Giovanni and Norman might have had of beating Drake's Gyarados was if they teamed up on it in a 2v1 situation, like if Slaking distracted the Gyarados while Nidoking rained down powerful Thunderbolts from a safe distance.
  
  However, the Waterflower's Starmie stifled these plans as it continued to be a constant annoyance for Nidoking, constantly denying any attempt for Nidoking to support his ally with a barrage of Thunderbolts by threatening him with Psychics and Confuse Rays.
  
  A cracking snap caught my attention as I watched Slaking be slammed into one of the psychic barriers by a powerful hit from a Rain-boosted Aqua Tail. Before Slaking could recover, Gyarados rushed into it with a ferocious Waterfall, driving itself painfully into Slaking's gut. Slaking tried to counter with a Thunder Punch, but Gyarados merely let out an enraged snarl as it tanked the attack and hammered into Slaking's side with another brutal Aqua Tail.
  
  At this moment, Gyarados didn't care about the damage it was taking, all that mattered was unleashing its furious, unyielding, and brutal might against Slaking.
  
  I thought there were a few moments where Slaking might have had an opportunity to break through Gyarados' assault, but Gyarados simply never let up. Despite getting hit by repeated Thunder Punches, Gyarados refused to flinch, and the Rain made it hit all the more painfully.
  
  Unfortunately, despite the valiant attempt to throw off Gyarados, there were no heroic displays from Norman's Slaking this time. Gyarados had more than matched Slaking in both strength and speed, and his Slaking simply didn't have the endurance to withstand against such a savage assault. Eventually, despite the ramping injuries on Gyarados, all that remained of the target of Gyarados' wrath was a fallen Slaking that had collapsed limply to the ground.
  
  With Slaking defeated, Gyarados was free to change the target of its rage towards Giovanni's Nidoking. Needless to say, it didn't take very long before the Ground type found itself falling to the ground as well.
  
  Drake and the Waterflower sisters had won, and the massive F-bomb that Drake dropped in celebration (which was broadcasted to practically the whole world) clearly made that known.
  
  I turned away from their cries of victory as I looked at Norman and Giovanni. While there was an unmistakable look of disappointment on their faces, I didn't think they were upset. Perhaps they had already accepted the possibility of their defeat.
  
  A part of me wanted to wait around to congratulate them, but they were busy exchanging words to each other. I thought about waiting for them, but seeing a Slaking lose had sparked something from within me, and I had already stood up and began walking away before I knew it.
  
  Even if it probably wouldn't make a difference, I needed to check up on Tyrant and get some last-minute training done.
  
  One Slaking had already shown itself to be lacking in strength in this Tournament. I would not be the next.
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  "I thought you'd be preparing for our match." Her fellow Champion said to her, "I know Lance sure is."
  
  "Lance has a different battle to prepare for; his is more intense." She replied, "And besides, it wouldn't do for a Champion of Sinnoh to neglect a battle between two Sinnoh Gym Leaders." She pointed to the match where Volkner and Jasmine were about to fight against Pryce and Candice.
  
  She admitted that was a little annoyed that Volkner and Candice, the two representatives from Sinnoh, would be fighting against each other. Although, that did mean that it didn't matter who won - a member of Sinnoh would make it to Top 3 regardless. Therefore, she kept that slight bit of grumbling to herself.
  
  "Ah, true." Wallace nodded, "Well I shall leave you to it. I need to make sure my Pokémon are properly warmed up for our battle ahead. We have to ensure that our performance is unrivalled. I should probably speak to Lance to make sure that he's ready for his battle - it wouldn't do for him to slip up against John."
  
  She inwardly smirked at his words, doing her best to hold back her desire to boast about John's capabilities. Agatha had put up a good fight, but John's Ursaluna had proven dominant. She was most impressed with that trick that he did with his new Zoroark - it made her hope that her own Kleavor could match it in the future.
  
  Speaking of John, she had hoped that they could watch this match together since she was no longer busy, but he had absconded himself to some last-minute training after watching Norman's defeat. That was more than understandable, so she let him be.
  
  Regardless, Wallace headed off after that, leaving her alone to spectate the match between the final members of the Top 6, who had just taken the positions on the battlefield.
  
  Truth be told, she was rooting for Candice, but only because she was her friend. Candice had improved by leaps and bounds in this Tournament, and she hoped that her friend could see her efforts properly rewarded.
  
  The fight quickly began with Volkner and Jasmine releasing a Jolteon and Magnezone respectively, while Pryce and Candice released an Abomasnow and Froslass.
  
  She knew immediately that the battle would come down to whoever had better weather control.
  
  But with Abomasnow instantly setting up the Snow with its Snow Warning, the advantage immediately swung to the Ice specialists' favour. Jolteon tried to make use of its speed to set up a Rain Dance, but Froslass proved no slower as it shut down that attempt with a Taunt.
  
  A Flash Cannon shot out from Magnezone, but Abomasnow had already set up an Aurora Veil before it managed to hit, forming a shimmering protective screen in front of both their Ice types that blocked most of the damage.
  
  Volkner then tapped Jasmine on the shoulder, and this time her Magnezone stopped and tried to set up the Rain while Jolteon distracted Froslass by blasting it with a barrage of powerful Thunders. Yet Abomasnow wasn't idling around either, and a huge Blizzard blanketed the battlefield in a wave of ice. Frost crystals rapidly spread around Magnezone's metallic exterior as it rapidly froze over, but it managed to complete the weather change in time.
  
  ...Only to be immediately struck by a supereffective Brick Break from Abomasnow, who proved that it could move and channel a Blizzard at the same time. Leech Seeds were also implanted into Magnezone, slowly draining it of its health before another Brick Break sent it crashing into the ground. Magnezone tried retaliating with a Flash Cannon, but Abomasnow brushed it off with its Aurora Veil as it continued its pummelling.
  
  On the other hand, Froslass, now deprived of its Snow Cloak with the lack of Snow, was on the backfoot against the speedier Jolteon and had been struck by a few Thunder Fangs. Froslass continued to retreat while firing off Ice Beams that failed to hit their target, but there was only so much it could evade.
  
  Only luck kept it from being paralysed.
  
  Eventually, Jolteon's superior speed managed to back Froslass into a corner, and it looked like it was about to get hit by a powerful Wild Charge...until suddenly, Jolteon let out a pained yelp as it was thrown into the air as the ground erupted from below it.
  
  Cynthia's eyes instantly snapped to Abomasnow, and realised that Pryce had the battlefield awareness to support his teammate with an Earth Power and create a crucial opening for them.
  
  "Set up the Snow again!" Pryce shouted at Candice, who was surprised but scrambled to obey.
  
  The heavy Snow began to fall again, and the tables began to turn once more. Now, with Froslass' evasion boosted by Snow Cloak, Jolteon was no longer able to suppress it with its greater speed. At the same time, Magnezone was being completely dominated by Abomasnow, who had mercilessly exploited Magnezone's lack of close range options to continue pummelling it to the ground. To make things worse, Magnezone was constantly on the edge of being frozen, thanks to Abomasnow infusing Ice into every attack.
  
  Jasmine's relative lack of training was really punishing them right now.
  
  '...Why isn't she Exploding?' Cynthia wondered to herself, knowing that it was probably Magnezone's best move available, 'Unless...she can't?...Did Pryce deliberately deny Magnezone the opportunity to Explode by freezing it over and over again?' If that was true, then Magnezone was in a hopeless position unless Jolteon rescued it.
  
  Explosion was a move that, unless extremely well-trained, had a small wind-up process while your Pokémon gathered up all of its energies to detonate. But as Magnezone was always being on the edge of being frozen, it never got the opportunity to gather up that energy.
  
  Worse, there would be no rescue attempts today. With instruction from Pryce, Froslass had formed a wall of ice to separate the two Electric types, and denied any opportunity for assistance. Therefore, Magnezone fell unceremoniously, without being able to charge up for a final Explosion.
  
  With Magnezone going down, Jasmine sent out her Steelix as her final Pokémon. Yet as soon as she did so, Pryce unexpectedly swapped out his Abomasnow.
  
  "Come out, Weavile."
  
  His Weavile completely ignored the Steelix as it rushed out of its Pokéball, charging straight towards Jolteon. Knowing that there was no way that Jolteon could handle a 2v1, Steelix tried to intercept, but it was far too slow. Its Stone Edge's were effortlessly dodged by the incredibly fast Weavile, and the Earthquake was simply leaped over.
  
  Cynthia immediately understood why Pryce had made the swap. Against the defensive Steelix, an Abomasnow would not be the best Pokémon against it. However, Weavile was more than able to exploit Steelix's slow speed, and was now abusing it to rush down Jolteon.
  
  And the plan worked. Jolteon had just managed to dodge out of the way of an Ice Shard from Froslass before Weavile dashed up to it with an Ice Punch to the face. Jolteon slid backwards, and an Ice Beam from Froslass quickly froze it over.
  
  Now helplessly frozen, Jolteon was subsequently finished off by a decisive Night Slash from Weavile.
  
  ...Pryce had really calculated this well. This must be his experience showing.
  
  With Jolteon knocked out, Volkner sent out his last Pokémon, to the surprise of many - his new Electivire. Cynthia was willing to bet that many in the crowd would not even recognise what this was - the Electirizer and the Protector had only just been released, after all.
  
  However, despite being momentarily shocked by the new arrival, Weavile had too much discipline to be unnerved by it, and continued to charge down at this new arrival, rushing it down with an Ice Punch that Electivire expertly parried to the side before it countered with its own Brick Break that narrowly missed thanks to Weavile's incredible speed.
  
  Froslass also moved to join it, but this time Steelix was able to intercept it as a Rock Slide cut off its path.
  
  Normally, a Froslass would have no problem outmanoeuvring a slow Steelix. But Froslass was slowed from its past injuries, and Steelix had clearly not wasted its time as it had boosted its speed with a Rock Polish. So it was to Candice's surprise when an Iron Tail came crashing into Froslass quicker than she expected, sending her frail Ice type tumbling to the ground.
  
  "Destiny Bond, Froslass!"
  
  Froslass' eyes flashed purple as in a last ditch attempt to take down Steelix alongside her, but the Steel type didn't fall for it and patiently waited for the effect to expire before an Iron Tail finished Froslass off.
  
  She immediately set out her Glaceon as her final Pokémon. And with Glaceon's much higher Special Attack and Snow Cloak, it really was the perfect counter to Steelix. Yet instead of focusing all of its efforts on Steelix, another tap on the shoulder from Pryce had Glaceon fire off Icy Winds to slow down both Steelix AND Electivire.
  
  Electivire and Weavile had been thus far entangled in a very even brawl, with Electivire proving that it was more than a match for Weavile as the two exchanged a plethora of blows against each other. In fact, Electivire even held the advantage as it fired off a Discharge in between one of its attacks and managed to land a crucial paralysis against Weavile, cutting its speed in half.
  
  With Weavile now slowed down, Electivire began to dominate the fight, and Weavile was only barely able to narrowly dodge past a Brick Break, which managed to land a glancing blow against it. Yet that was already enough to cause Weavile to stumble - its quadruple frailty against Fighting type moves really starting to prove crippling.
  
  As Weavile stumbled backwards, a Brick Break was about to smash it right in the face when Weavile was saved in the nick of time from the Icy Wind from Glaceon, which vitally slowed down the Electivire, buying Weavile just enough time to scramble away.
  
  If the fight had continued to be between Weavile and Electivire, then there was no telling who would eventually come out on top. Electivire had more than proven that it was a massive step up from a mere Electabuzz, and it was a proving a serious threat to even Pryce's veteran Weavile.
  
  However, this wasn't a 1v1. Steelix had tried to stop Glaceon with a Rock Slide, but the Snow Cloak Glaceon proved too elusive to be hit while it summoned a huge Blizzard that ripped apart the battlefield, causing a howling vortex of frost to freeze over both non-Ice types. Steelix was now once again slowed to a crawl, allowing Glaceon to easily keep its distance and slowly wear it down from a distance.
  
  "Fire Fang, Steelix! Then Rock Polish!"
  
  Jasmine tried desperately to repair Steelix's slowed speed by melting away the encroaching frost and buffing its speed, but that was like lighting a candle to warm up in a snowstorm. It wasn't very effective.
  
  Ultimately, Steelix's lack of manoeuvrability doomed it, leaving it to be easy pickings for the Glaceon.
  
  That just left Electivire, who was still holding even against Weavile. The two had adapted to their new speeds, and both Pokémon were sneaking in Discharges or Ice Shards respectively in-between their attacks to disrupt the other's counterattacks. But in Cynthia's eyes, Electivire actually held the advantage - it being bulkier meant that it only needed one good hit to take out Weavile while Weavile would need several.
  
  However, now that Electivire's partner was knocked out, it was now in a horrible 2v1 position. And Volkner knew it.
  
  "Thunderbolt, Elecitvire! Disrupt that Glaceon!"
  
  A huge barrage of Thunderbolts came crashing down around Glaceon, keeping it separated from Weavile and interrupting its Ice Beam to buy Electivire a few crucial seconds to take out Weavile. This was its final gambit to even out the fight here.
  
  Unfortunately, it didn't pay off. Weavile, even while paralysed, proved too nimble for the Electric Type to land a decisive knockout blow. And as the Thunderbolts dispersed, Glaceon was now given free reign to bombard Electivire from a safe distance with a volley of Ice Beams and Icy Winds that rapidly froze the Electric type over. All the while, Weavile constantly hounded it so that it didn't get a chance to fight back against Glaceon.
  
  Yet, in a moment of pure luck, Weavile either got arrogant or its muscles had suddenly locked up from the paralysis. Either way, it moved a hint too slow and Electivire smashed a Brick Break right through Weavile's face.
  
  Weavile instantly collapsed to the ground, but before Electivire could turn and face Glaceon, another Ice Beam finally froze over its legs, rooting Electivire on the spot. Leaving it wide open for the resulting Blizzard to shred through what little remained of its health.
  
  Volkner had come close, but his Electivire had finally fallen.
  
  With the last of the battles concluding, that meant that Pryce and Candice would be entering the Top 3. Therefore, her opponents in the Champion battle would be against Pryce, Candice, Drake, the Waterflower sisters, and Roxanne.
  
  Cynthia clapped enthusiastically as she watched her friend celebrate. She felt a little bad for Volkner and Jasmine; even though she supported Candice, she still acknowledged the effort that went into making it this far. They had done very well for themselves; more than surpassing everyone's expectations.
  
  However, Pryce and Candice had ruthlessly exploited the natural weaknesses of the Steel type in their slowness and forced Volkner and Jasmine into unfavourable engagements while also denying the vital Rain for Volkner.
  
  It was a shame; there was honestly little to complain about with Volkner and Jasmine's strategy. Pryce and Candice just outmatched them.
  
  Still, she hoped that Volkner wouldn't be too displeased. For whatever it's worth, that was one powerful demonstration for his Electivire. It's not every day that a Gym Leader's Pokémon is able to fend off a Pokémon from a still-respected Ex-Champion. So she didn't think it was much of a loss for Volkner.
  
  And besides, from all the rumours she was hearing and the way that Volkner and Jasmine were currently hugging each other - she didn't think he lost at all.
  
  (John POV)
  
  "...So, you're telling me that we're going to be fighting in a 2v5?" Drake questioned aloud as the Top 3 had gathered together after the Final Rounds was over.
  
  Pryce snorted, "Of course it's the Blackthorn making their own plans. I'm honestly impressed you had the consideration to inform us, last-minute as it was."
  
  Yes, Pryce and Candice ended up beating Volkner and Jasmine, to little surprise for most. Even though I was personally rooting for the budding couple, I knew full well that Pryce and Candice was the far more powerful team. They managed to maintain the Snow for most of their fight, which ended up securing their victory.
  
  Lance ignored Pryce's words, "Yes, and I have already gotten agreement from the other Champions." He gestured to his colleagues, "Once this meeting is over, Wallace will be making a public announcement."
  
  "Why not have John fight Lance, then both of you come back to fight in 3v6?" Roxanne asked.
  
  "That would be less exciting." Wallace spoke up, "Think of it from the public's perspective. You just had an amazing fight between the starters of the two most powerful Trainers in the world. And right after that, you have them fight again but in a team situation." He shook his head, "That would cheapen the experience of both fights."
  
  "Oh, okay." Roxanne said easily enough, wisely deciding not to challenge Wallace's many, many years of contest experience.
  
  "Not to interrupt, but you guys do realise you've made the fight easier for us, right?" Daisy Waterflower spoke up.
  
  Cynthia let out a snort, "And if we feared such a challenge then we wouldn't be Champions at all."
  
  "What we should really be concerned about is whether these two hotheads are actually capable of giving us a good fight." Candice said, "Sorry, John. All I really know about you is that you're friends with Cynthia. Are you sure you are ready for this? You must know the fates of the many hopefuls who had just challenged our Champion only to fall embarrassingly short. It wouldn't look good if the same happened to you."
  
  I smiled, "Thank you for the concern - but I assure you that I'm fully aware for what's about to happen. Even if I lose, I promise you that you will be getting a good fight."
  
  "What about you, fellow Dragon Master?" Drake grinned, "Are you prepared for the consequences if you lose? Friendly match or not, losing as a Champion isn't a good look."
  
  "And if it was anyone other than John then I wouldn't have agreed to fight like this." Lance countered, "But John's strength is widely acknowledged in Indigo, to the point where he's publicly known as my second-in-command. Even if I were to lose, the consequences would not be as detrimental as you fear. I have done the research."
  
  "Everyone already suspects that John's Pokémon are at the level of a Champion anyways." Cynthia gave me a subtle look, "This is just confirmation."
  
  "Then I think there's no need to waste anymore fucking time." Drake declared, as he stood up, "All the best to you, John. But I've got a match to fight, and two Champions to beat."
  
  He patted me on the shoulder, "Show the world why you managed to beat me. The stage is all yours, kid."
  
  "Make them remember you."
  
  A.N. One more setup chapter before the big fight! This was a LOOONG chapter, and it was actually meant to be two chapters before I combined them into one. I figured that you guys would probably enjoy it more than having two chapters on fights not related to John.
  
  Still, I felt that was important to highlight what the other fights were like with the other contestants. Something I wanted to particularly emphasise was how important weather was for both fights. I hope you liked them.
  
  Unfortunately, both Norman/Giovanni and Volkner/Jasmine weren't able to make it to the Top 3. The teams that they faced up against were just stronger, but I hoped that you liked the pairings who DID make it to the end!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  The New Normal - 10-16 - A Clash of Kings
  
  With the meeting wrapped up, Wallace subsequently made an announcement to the public regarding the change in plan, declaring that the upcoming battle of Champions would be a 2v5 and that there would be a duel between Lance and I.
  
  Naturally, the public lost their collective minds over this sudden change, in a good way. Like Lance had mentioned in our previous meeting, there had been a lot of debate within the Indigo battling scene about whether Lance or I had the stronger starter, and now it was finally time to settle the question.
  
  After the announcement was made, I saw on the Pokénet that there were some even clamouring for Lance and I to take this one step further, for it to be a full 6v6 battle between us. But Lance was quick to shut that down in an interview that he gave.
  
  "The purpose of this battle is to allow both of our starters to battle against each other; to determine who is stronger. I have always kept an eye on the power of John's Slaking, and I'm excited to see how Emperor would fare against it." He explained, "It is not meant to prove who is the stronger trainer."
  
  "But is that not the same thing?" A reporter asked him.
  
  "No. In a 6v6, there are many additional considerations that need to be accounted for that could tip the scales of a battle." He said, "For example, I could setup with hazards in advance, or make sure the weather is favourable for me, or even pass on a few buffs beforehand. That is different from a 1v1, where both Pokémon start on the same level playing field."
  
  "Therefore - and I repeat myself - this is only to see which starter is stronger in a pure battle of strength and skill." He finished, "Nothing more."
  
  His words helped set the scene for our upcoming battle, making it clear that this - beyond the strength of our starters - there should be no official considerations from this fight.
  
  Besides the announcement and Lance's follow-up interview, the one other thing of note before my duel was that my parents had arrived in Hoenn alongside Karen and Whitney. I had asked if they wanted me to show them around Hoenn, but they all said that there was no need as they didn't want to distract me from my battle preparations.
  
  "We'll only be doing boring stuff anyways, since we need to finally meet Mr. Stone's contact in person and check up on our new store for ourselves." My mom told me, "There's no need for you to waste your time with that."
  
  "You could always help out after the battle, but focus on that first." My dad added, "This is a big opportunity for you. Your Slaking has grown so far from the lazy Slakoth stealing our bananas to eat. I know how strong your Pokémon are. Go whoop his ass, John. Be a Champion."
  
  Similar sentiments and words were given to me by Cynthia, Karen, Whitney, and a few of my other friends and colleagues, who all expressed their best wishes and promised to not disturb me. In the meanwhile, Roxanne and the other Top 3 members all were in a separate meeting as they discussed how they would approach their fight against Cynthia and Wallace in their 2v5 matchup.
  
  Despite having a three Pokémon advantage on the Champions, they all knew they were in for a hard battle.
  
  With that in mind, I threw myself into some last minute preparations, even though I knew that I was just doing it to keep my mind off things. I wasn't exactly anxious, but I was definitely feeling the pressure.
  
  Even though there might not be any direct or political consequences to losing - this battle was definitely Lance's battle to lose - this fight still represented the culmination of every bit of effort for myself and Tyrant to become the strongest Pokémon ever seen, which had been our goal from the very beginning.
  
  I didn't know whether this was the ego talking, but I wanted to prove, to myself, to all of my friends and family that believed in me, and to the public, that Tyrant was truly deserving of the unbeatable reputation that he had gotten.
  
  I did not want to fall short of that goal. I refused for my starter to be known as the 'second strongest'.
  
  With my conviction reaffirmed, I let out a steady breath as I settled my emotions into one of determined calm. I was ready for the fight to come.
  
  And between Emperor and Tyrant, there was only room for one to wear the crown.
  
  The rest of the night passed by quickly. I had ran through Lance's previous fights again, reminded Tyrant of what was likely to come, and confirmed that there were no last-minute changes that we needed to make going into the fight. We both rested up early, making sure that we were properly energized.
  
  Then, I quickly found myself alone in the waiting room. My fight with Lance was obviously scheduled first, and my Top 3 colleagues would be fighting right after me. They could have joined me in the waiting room, but they considerately gave me the space for me to settle my nerves and thoughts.
  
  I almost didn't hear the announcement calling me to the podium, but a League official snapped me out of my thoughts and I promptly and silently made my way into the arena.
  
  My eyes immediately locked onto Lance, who matched my gaze with one of his own. Neither of us said a word to each other. There was no need for any intimidation or jokes - just silence. We simply allowed the announcer to make his introductions.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MANY OF YOU WERE LIKELY AS SURPRISED AS I WAS WHEN I HEARD THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM OUR CHAMPION, BUT THERE TRULY COULD BE NOTHING BETTER TO ROUND OFF THIS FANTASTIC TRI-REGIONAL TOURNAMENT!"
  
  "INDIGO'S VERY OWN ELITE JOHN IS NOW GOING TO FACE OFF AGAINST CHAMPION LANCE, IN A SHOWDOWN 1V1 THAT HAS BEEN GREATLY ANTICIPATED! THIS WILL BE A BATTLE OF SHEER WILLPOWER, STRENGTH, AND DETERMINATION. A BATTLE TO DEMONSTRATE WHO, TRULY, HAS THE STRONGER STARTER!"
  
  "WILL IT BE CHAMPION LANCE, WITH HIS MONSTER OF A DRAGONITE THAT IS THE DREAM OF ALL YOUTHS ACROSS THE WORLD!? WHO'S DRAGONITE HAS POWERED HIS WAY THROUGH TO BOTH THE ELITE FOUR AND THEN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POSITION!? THE DRAGON OF DRAGONS?!"
  
  "OR WILL IT BE THE UNDERDOG, ELITE JOHN?! WHO'S AWE-INSPIRING SLAKING HAS SHATTERED MANY OPPONENTS OVER JOHN'S EXCITING ELITE FOUR CAREER! AND WHO NOW STANDS ATOP OF A MOUNTAIN OF FALLEN AND BROKEN FOES, WITH HIS STARTER SINGLE-HANDEDLY DELIVERING THE FIRST 6-0 VICTORY EVER SEEN AGAINST A CHALLENGER OF THE ELITE FOUR?!"
  
  "IS TODAY THE DAY THAT WE SEE A DRAGON BEING DETHRONED!?"
  
  The crowd exploded into a cacophony of different shouts, and many began chanting their support for us. Hastily created banners could be seen lining the audience stands with encouragement written all over them. But neither of us bothered to indulge in the adulation of the crowd.
  
  We were both here for one thing, and one thing only - to determine who had the stronger Pokémon.
  
  And we both believed it would be us.
  
  "TRAINERS, GET READY FOR THE SHOWDOWN IN...THREE!...TWO!...ONE!...FIGHT!"
  
  Our Pokémon both came out at the same time, and their combined presence immediately caught everyone's attention as their sheer strength dominated the battlefield. But there was no time for posturing as Emperor instantly began the fight by swooping into the air before coming charging down with incredible speed as he crashed into Tyrant like a descending meteor.
  
  However, despite Emperor's incredible speed, Tyrant caught Emperor's fists in his grasp. Not waiting to see if Emperor could pull himself out of it, Tyrant quickly threw Emperor over his shoulders and suplexed him painfully into the ground, cracking the earth from Tyrant's raw strength.
  
  Tyrant immediately tried to pounce on top of Emperor and brutally smashed a knee into his gut, but Emperor swiftly retaliated by unleashing a powerful Hyper Beam that blasted Tyrant straight in the face.
  
  Tyrant recoiled backwards as he clutched his face in pain, but still managed to land an Encore on Emperor, forcing Emperor to fire off another Hyper Beam that was barely blocked by the Protect shield that Tyrant threw up. Another Hyper Beam immediately began being charged up by Emperor, but Tyrant exploded forwards in a blur of blazing orange.
  
  Emperor roared out in pain as Tyrantslammed him hard with a ferocious Giga Impact, crashing into the Dragon type so hard that an explosive BANG radiated throughout the battlefield upon the impact. The vibrations from the resulting shockwave alone caused the psychic shields to flicker wildly as they struggled to contain the impact.
  
  Yet Emperor was no measly Dragon that could be subdued by a single Giga Impact. Even as he skidded back from the force of the Giga Impact, Emperor held firm and PUSHED back against Tyrant, making use of his massive strength to hold Tyrant back before a fist came smashing into Tyrant's jaw, striking so hard that an audible crack could be heard.
  
  "Extreme Speed, Emperor."
  
  Tyrant stumbled back, and then Emperor suddenly disappeared into a blur of his own as he began dashing around the battlefield with Extreme Speed, moving so quickly that I lost track of him with my eyes, and causing Tyrant's counterattack to go wide.
  
  A part of me regretted not trying to slow down Emperor with a Thunder Wave early in the fight, but I had done my research. Lance had trained up Emperor so well that most paralysis and confusions would do little to Emperor.
  
  No, trying to Thunder Wave him would have been a futile effort.
  
  In that moment, Emperor reappeared right behind Tyrant and, with his fists clenched together, struck down onto the back of Tyrant's head like a sledgehammer, striking with enough force that Tyrant's legs were buried into the ground.
  
  Yet all Tyrant did was let out a grunt of pain before he swung around quickly, parrying Emperor's follow up attack with an Ice Punch that knocked the incoming Brick Break wildly off target. Tyrant then kicked Emperor hard in the gut while he ripped up a slab of rock from the ground and tried smashing it down on Emperor's head.
  
  But Emperor slashed the rock apart with a Dragon Claw with almost dismissive ease. Tyrant tried to capitalise on this with another Ice Punch, but a Dragon Tail snuck up from behind and hammered into Tyrant's side, sending him staggering back to the ground.
  
  Seeing his opponent falling to his knees, Emperor launched himself forwards in an explosive Dragon Rush, thinking that Tyrant wouldn't be able to block against it.
  
  However, proving our training wasn't for nothing, Tyrant immediately recovered and shot off the ground like a rocket with his own devastating Giga Impact.
  
  "DRAGONITEE!"
  
  "SLAKINGG!"
  
  The two of them roared out to the skies above as the two unstoppable brutes crashed into each other with an utterly destructive and colossal BANG.
  
  It didn't matter that the arena received additional reinforcements in preparation for this match. It didn't matter that the psychic shields were made to be extra thick because they knew how destructive this fight was going to be. It didn't matter that there was a secondary psychic shield behind the first layer as emergency protection just in case the first one broke.
  
  All these protections shattered the moment our two starters collided against each other, just from the resulting shockwaves alone. An enormous cloud of dust was kicked up, and rocks and other loose debris in all shapes and sizes were launched in all directions, ricocheting dangerously off the walls and bouncing all over the place.
  
  It was as if a bomb had detonated in the middle of the arena, completely obliterating everything around it.
  
  I coughed and had to shield my eyes from all of the dust, and I could barely make out the surprised cries from the crowd as they too were covered in dust.
  
  However, as the dust faded, I bore witness to the complete annihilation that resulted from the attack.
  
  The immediate surrounding area around the attack was just gone. The only thing that remained was a conspicuously large hole that was filled with nothing. Not even loose wires. In the meanwhile, the rest of the arena had shattered apart, with cracks spreading all across them like miniature fissures.
  
  The 'reinforced' arena did not survive the impact. What remained was little more than chunks of loose rubble.
  
  Yet in the face of such overwhelming destruction, both of our Pokémon were amazingly still in the fight. As a testament to their respective strengths, even despite the utter destruction from their respective attacks, they were far from out of the fight.
  
  They were reeling, sure, and both of them were clutching onto their heads as they didn't come out unscathed from the raw, explosive power of their attacks, but it would take far more than this to take them down.
  
  On cue, a figure blurred forwards once more, dispersing the lingering cloud of dust as the unstoppable Emperor unleased another powerful Dragon Rush towards Tyrant. But Tyrant simply tanked the attack and caught the incoming Emperor with his arms, before retaliating by LIFTING Emperor by his arms and then throwing him mercilessly onto the ground, cracking the arena even further.
  
  Anticipating Tyrant's follow-up attack, Emperor instantly swung around with a sweeping Dragon Tail that would have punished any follow-up, yet his tail hit nothing but air.
  
  Instead, Tyrant surprised Emperor by stepping back and firing a powerful Ice Beam that caused frost crystals to freeze over his face. Enraged by this deception, Emperor tried for a Fire Blast to interrupt the Ice Beam, but it was then that Tyrant roared forwards and brutally bashed Emperor further into the ground with a fist to the face, shattering the ground around them into dust.
  
  The two fell into the hole that was just made, and just as Tyrant's fist was about to crash into his face again, Emperor Outraged.
  
  An overwhelming amount of draconic energy exploded forth from within Emperor, causing a terrifying blue aura to surround his form as his eyes literally glowed with unrivalled power. Tyrant was immediately forced back, while at the same time, glowing blue orbs of raw draconic energy were formed in the skies above as the Draco Meteors rapidly began to descend like an incoming apocalypse.
  
  "DRAGONITEEE!" Filled with insurmountable strength, Emperor burst forwards, ramming into Tyrant and driving his fist deep into Tyrant's stomach that nearly folded him in half. Tyrant tried to strike back with an Ice Punch, but with his Outrage, Emperor was an unstoppable entity of destruction as he didn't even flinch from the quadruply effective attack.
  
  Worse, Emperor's attacks now came faster and with far more power. Tyrant, for all his strength, was not able to match this terrifying explosive increase in power created by the Outrage.
  
  Emperor rained down blow after blow onto Tyrant. Each hit striking with enough force to break and shatter a weaker Pokémon, but Tyrant valiantly continued to block them with his arms, even if he was getting slowly overwhelmed as each hit from Emperor struck down like a hammer from Arceus.
  
  Yet he wouldn't be able to tank through it for long - each destructive blow from Emperor caused Tyrant's arms to grow limper and limper as his endurance began to fail him. He even tried to sneak in a Thunder Wave in a desperate attempt to buy himself some breathing room. However, Emperor's Outrage-boosted strength was far too powerful, and the Thunder Wave was merely consumed and dispelled by the endless flood of Draconic energy radiating out of Emperor.
  
  In his current Outrage-boosted state, I feared that one good critical hit from Emperor might be enough to bring down Tyrant, even despite my starter's immense endurance.
  
  So far, over the course of the fight, I hadn't seen a need to give commands to Tyrant. The fight was enough of a brawl that my intervention would only muddle things. Nevertheless, with Tyrant being overwhelmed like this, it was up to me as his trainer to maintain objectivity and tell him when was the moment to strike back.
  
  I watched Emperor's movements carefully, waiting for a single opening that would allow Tyrant to reverse the situation. My eyes narrowed as I saw the inherent wildness and lack of discipline from Emperor's strikes. In exchange for this huge burst of strength, the Outrage must have stripped Emperor of his technique as he succumbed to the primal wrath of a Dragon.
  
  And then I saw it. A moment where Emperor had overextended on a Dragon Claw, and would need to reorient himself before attacking again.
  
  "COUNTER!"
  
  "SLAKINGGGGG!" Tyrant's body flashed orange just as the Dragon Claw slashed into him, leaving Emperor wide open. Immediately capitalising on the opportunity, Tyrant ROARED out as he converted all of that pent up rage from Emperor's beatdown and unleashed a single, critical Ice Punch that smashed down like a meteor.
  
  This was the blow to topple an emperor.
  
  Emperor's head snapped backwards with an audible crunch before another uppercut crushed his chin and sent him stumbling onto his knees. Not satisfied with just that, Tyrant spun around and delivered a deadly roundhouse Mega Kick to the neck which instantly sent Emperor crumbling to the ground, and Tyrant quickly pounced on top of him and unleashed a merciless Earthquake right on top of the fallen Emperor - but it was then that the Draco Meteors finally came crashing down.
  
  Explosions ripped through the battlefield once again as the already-destroyed arena was broken down even further. The Draco Meteors detonated indiscriminately, hitting both Tyrant and Emperor and forcing both of them to the ground from the resulting shockwaves.
  
  This attack would have completely annihilated a weaker Pokémon, and yet both of ours merely tanked through the attack with nothing more than a pained grunt. With Tyrant's Earthquake now interrupted, I was tempted to order a Protect, but Emperor denied that choice from me as he recklessly threw himself towards Tyrant, using the sudden opportunity to clothesline Tyrant, throwing him to the ground, before beginning to ferociously pummel down on him with a flurry of devastating blows.
  
  It was the biggest demonstration of both of their endurance, and their ability to shrug off pain, that such a devastating Draco Meteor could be treated as a mere afterthought despite each detonation tearing a chunk out of both of their health.
  
  But Tyrant was far from helpless. He wasn't just going to sit there and endure through this enraged pummelling. Roaring out in defiance, he infused his head with Fairy Energy and broke through an incoming Dragon Claw with his skull before savagely crashing their heads together. Emperor flinched from the attack, allowing Tyrant to tackle him with a full-powered Play Rough.
  
  The Fairy energy forcefully broke through Emperor's Outrage, causing dizziness to set in. The situation was quickly reversed as Emperor found himself slammed ruthlessly into the ground once again, with Tyrant's hands gripped tightly around his head like he was trying to crush his skull within them.
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" With a roar that symbolised all of his rage and frustration, Tyrant brutally pounded Emperor head first into the ground again and again. Each time Tyrant slammed down with so much force it was like he was trying to break Emperor's skull apart by cracking him against what remained of the arena.
  
  And Emperor was feeling the hurt. Now that he was beginning to flag due to the overexertion caused by his earlier Outrage, he couldn't withstand being bashed into the ground over and over like this for very long, not with Tyrant's absolutely monstrous strength. Knowing he needed to break free, Emperor forced himself up as he swung around a Dragon Tail as hard as he could, but it was blocked and caught by Tyrant.
  
  Still, Tyrant was forced to use two hands to catch the Dragon Tail, forcing Tyrant to let go of Emperor's head. However, Tyrant refused to give up the momentum, and improvised by lifting Emperor by the tail and mercilessly unleashing a Stone Edge right underneath himself and impaling Emperor in a pit of razor-sharp rocks.
  
  The rocks shredded through Emperor, but before Tyrant could follow up with an Ice Punch that would have likely ended the fight, a sudden Hyper Beam shot out from Emperor - instantly disintegrating the rocks and incinerating Tyrant.
  
  Tyrant instinctively raised an arm to shield his face, allowing Emperor to disappear into a blur once again as he charged forwards with another Extreme Speed as he rammed straight into Tyrant, thinking that Tyrant would be vulnerable.
  
  That was until a Thunderbolt came crashing down from above, smiting down on Emperor and catching him completely by surprise as a painful amount of Electricity forcefully coursed through him.
  
  Tyrant had anticipated his charge and perfectly timed a Thunderbolt.
  
  The Thunderbolt broke Emperor's charge and caused him to deliver himself right in front of Tyrant. Before Emperor could recover, Tyrant's legs came lashing out as he swiftly tripped up Emperor with a Low Kick, kicking Emperor's legs from under him and causing the Dragon to fall face first before his face was bashed in by Tyrant's Fairy-infused knee.
  
  Then another brutal Mega Kick whipped out from Tyrant that struck Emperor perfectly in the neck with a painful CRACK, striking with such force that it caused Emperor's whole body to spin through the air before collapsing onto the ground.
  
  Tyrant once again pounced on top of Emperor and kept him pinned to the ground, but Emperor refused to allow this beatdown to continue. He forced out what remained of his draconic energy as his aura exploded outwards, sending out a powerful wave of force that caught Tyrant by surprise and sent him stumbling back.
  
  It was another Outrage.
  
  "DRAGONITEEE!" Emperor roared, pushing past his exhaustion as he smashed Tyrant with a bone-crushing Dragon Tail that shattered Tyrant's arms, breaking through Tyrant's attempt to block and sending him careening to the side. Not satisfied with just that, Emperor unleashed a blinding Dragon Pulse from his mouth that blasted the vulnerable Tyrant, pinning him momentarily to the psychic barriers.
  
  But Emperor could not push his advantage any further as his exhaustion became too much for him to ignore, and he fell onto a knee in fatigue. His once radiating blue aura of draconic energies had considerably faded.
  
  Tyrant was doing little better, as he barely managed to pull himself off of the psychic barriers. His indomitable strength had now left him, and his arms now hung limply by his side as Emperor's last attack had thoroughly crushed them.
  
  I saw that the adrenaline was starting to fade from both Pokémon as their incredible amount of injuries made themselves known. It was a testament to the sheer strength of our team, their unyielding endurance, and their unwavering discipline, for them to be able to stand up and endure the raw brutality of attacks that just took place.
  
  Still, even the unstoppable had their limits. Tyrant and Emperor had engaged in a violent beatdown of each other, pummelling the other with utter ferocity and with all of their monstrous strength. It had been a battle as close as the Legends themselves, for I doubted there had ever been a fight between two trained Pokémon this devastating and this destructive since the formation of Indigo.
  
  Yet now both their energies were now expended. Their injuries were piling. Their bodies were failing them. But their spirit was as strong as ever. Their will still burned strong. And their determination did not waver. For victory was now closer than ever. And neither would fall before the other.
  
  For this was a clash of kings - and there could only be one.
  
  Ever the aggressor, Emperor rushed forwards one final time, putting his pride entirely on the line as he charged in with a final Dragon Rush. His blue aura flared up for a brief moment as he burned whatever embers remained of his draconic energies to ram into Tyrant and finish the fight, confident that Tyrant was now too injured to block his attack.
  
  Unfortunately for Emperor, Tyrant had no intention of blocking. Rather than that, he fired off a sweeping beam of Ice that surprised and staggered the charging Dragon.
  
  But Emperor did not allow a mere beam of Ice to stop him from achieving victory. Even as he growled out in pain, he pushed through his own exhaustion, pushed through his own injuries, pushed through the Ice Beam as he bulldozed straight into Tyrant - his fist came crashing straight towards Tyrant's face as he looked to end the fight with a final Brick Break.
  
  Yet, instead of victory, Emperor found himself stunned as Tyrant reinforced his head with Fairy energy, dispersing just enough of the incoming attack before lunging at Emperor with a surprise Play Rough.
  
  The two Pokémon tumbled to the ground, but since Emperor was the one to take the hit, it gave Tyrant just enough time to follow up with a point-blank Ice Beam that shot Emperor straight in the face. Ever defiant, Emperor struck back with an Iron Head, but even with limp arms, Tyrant continued to pin Emperor to the ground, tanking through the hit and refusing to lose the initiative.
  
  Then, with what was likely the last kernel of energy that he had, Tyrant stomped down on the ground, releasing a final Earthquake right on top of the fallen Emperor. Now so exhausted that Emperor no longer had the strength to throw Tyrant off, he was forced to endure the entirety of that Earthquake.
  
  But even then, even with ALL of the attacks that he had to tank through, Emperor refused to be knocked out. Even as his body was so marked by injuries that he couldn't even open his eyes properly, he let out a powerful roar filled with determination and vengeful pride, as if trying to will his body to grant him the victory.
  
  Except pride could only make up for so much. Even if Emperor's spirit was unyielding, his body was a different story. At long last, Emperor's final roar began to fade out, and the Earthquake finally finished off the Dragon of Champions.
  
  It was over. Emperor had fallen.
  
  There was a moment of complete silence as everyone tried to process that. Yet my eyes were only on Tyrant, who was now slowly, and with great difficulty, pulling himself to his feet.
  
  Then he stood - battered, near-broken, and with barely any strength left. But he still stood.
  
  "SLAAAAAAKING!" Despite wobbling, despite his broken arms, despite the pain that he must have felt by nearly losing to his rival, Tyrant roared out his power for all to hear, as if he was getting Arceus itself to acknowledge his strength.
  
  And the crowd granted that acknowledgement as they exploded into cheers.
  
  And a new King was crowned.
  
  A.N. Tyrant wins, showing once in for all that he is the superior Pokémon compared to Emperor. It was an extremely close battle, and the two were so neck-in-neck in strength that it almost could have gone either way.
  
  Does that mean that John is stronger than Lance? Not necessarily, this fight only showcases a 1v1 scenario, and Lance's team are full of monsters. John is not guaranteed to beat Lance, but after this performance it's clear that his chances are more than average.
  
  I hope you liked how brutal this fight was. It was rewritten many times as I felt that I tried to honour both Pokémon's strengths as much as possible, but after thinking it over many times, it could only have been a brutal brawl. For Pokémon like Emperor or Tyrant, it was simply the most effective way for them to fight.
  
  Next up, the 2v5 between the other Champions! And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-16-Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 10-16 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  Cynthia stood with her arms crossed as she stared stoically at the two titans of battle in action. She watched each blow with a critical look, trying to scorch the memory of the power behind each attack into her brain.
  
  THIS was what she hoped to achieve with her Garchomp.
  
  The sheer devastation, the unstoppable power, their unyielding strength - all of this was mesmerising to see. Her Garchomp may not be at this level yet, but one day, she vowed to train up her starter to be able to match these Legends of battle.
  
  "It's humbling, is it not?" Her fellow Champion Wallace spoke up from next to her, "To think that someone like Lance is your peer. I'm known for my contests and my bulky Water types, but I don't think I hold a candle to Lance. Or John. Those two starters of theirs would put mine deep into the ground like a Magikarp out of water."
  
  "Everyone mocks raw strength until they truly see it in action." Cynthia agreed, "They say that there's no skill in brawling, and while that may be true, I doubt you could find someone who could witness a battle like this and not be awed."
  
  "Quite the statement from such a renowned generalist." Wallace smiled, "I thought you would have been espousing the benefits of versatility."
  
  "Oh I still hold that being a generalist is the greatest path to strength, but once you witness something like this, you cannot deny the efficacy of raw power." She stated, "It doesn't matter how many strategies or plans you have on hand if your Pokémon doesn't have the strength to enact them. Or if they simply get knocked out in one hit."
  
  "And even better is when you have a combination of both." She added, "To have a mixture of strength AND skill. Then you would truly be unstoppable."
  
  It was the ideal that she sought for her team. For every member of her team, not just her Garchomp, to be able to hit as hard as Lance's Dragonite or John's Slaking and to be equally as durable. While she knew that might be an unachievable ideal, she wasn't going to stop trying to reach for it.
  
  And she thought that training with John had allowed her to take a huge step forwards towards that.
  
  "It's a wonder that John isn't Champion already." Wallace commented, "With strength like that, I'd say he has a decent shot of beating Lance in a full battle. Although...it's hard to say. Lance's full team is very much nothing to scoff at. Victory would be hard."
  
  "He's not interested in becoming Champion either way." Cynthia informed him, recalling the conversations that she had with John, "He's happy enough where he is without being further burdened by the responsibilities that come with being Champion."
  
  "So he's a Champion in all but title." Wallace muttered, "Yes, I can see that. He didn't seem like someone who chased after glory. I could tell that he hunted down those criminals in Hoenn because it was what needed to be done, rather than for his own popularity."
  
  That might be the case for John, but she wanted John to be recognised publicly as more than an Elite Four. He was her partner, and he deserved no less than that. That was why she hoped for his victory.
  
  Wallace chuckled, "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised at how strong John's Slaking turned out to be. Drake had hinted the same to me a while ago. But I guess I overlooked it because John rarely brings it out in official battles."
  
  She shot Wallace an odd look, "Did John's 1v6 with his Slaking against Shin's entire team not count?" That was something that was still engraved into most of the minds of the public.
  
  "Ah, it does count, but Shin's Pokémon didn't look very impressive to me." Wallace replied, "Not to undermine John's achievement, but with how easily he disposed of some Pokémon it was easy to assume that Shin was just far too weak for John to take seriously. And I was busy enough that I didn't really look any deeper into it, which was my oversight."
  
  The two of them fell silent again as they continued to watch the battle unfold in front of them. As a spectator, Cynthia had a more objective view of the utter destruction that their battle had caused. The material used to reinforce the arena was supposed to be able to withstand against attacks by Elite Pokémon and higher, but both their starters tore through it like nothing.
  
  There was no doubt that they would have to run a short break after John and Lance's battle to fix up the arena for the rest of them to fight.
  
  The battle raged on, but both Pokémon were growing increasingly exhausted as their wounds took a toll. Seeing a lull in the battle, Cynthia turned away from it for a moment to observe how the other audience members were reacting to a battle like this.
  
  As she had hoped, her boyfriend's performance had completely stunned them. They had open looks of admiration on their faces as their eyes were locked on to the battle in front of them. The crowd had stopped their cheering as they stared in undisguised awe at what the pinnacle of Pokémon battling looked like.
  
  A small smile appeared on her face. If THIS was the reaction that the people watching live had, then she imagined that the reactions on Pokénet would be far more explosive.
  
  That was what she hoped for. If John could achieve victory here, then it would prove once and for all that he truly deserved to be recognised as a Champion in all but name. His strength was already impressive before, but this would solidly cement him as someone who deserved the same amount of respect as any other Champion.
  
  If not more, considering that Lance's strength was considered exceptional even amongst Champions.
  
  And finally, as she turned back to the battle just in time to see John's Slaking ruthlessly slam Lance's Dragonite onto the ground with a Play Rough before unleashing a violent Earthquake right underneath it.
  
  She could still see the fires of determination and pride burning in Emperor's eyes, but she knew the fight was over. And as Emperor's final roar petered out as his body could take no more, her hands unconsciously began clapping before she knew it.
  
  John - no, her partner had done it. He had won. And the world screamed his name in revelry. For his Slaking had toppled Emperor, taking his title of being 'the strongest in the world'.
  
  And with John having completed the first step towards their plan to reveal their relationship, it was up to her to make sure she also won her battle.
  
  So when it came time to announce their relationship, they could both stand side-by-side, with the evidence of their combined strength fully engraved into the minds of the public. They would stand there as joint victors.
  
  And as joint Champions.
  
  A.N. I wanted a reaction chapter from someone very close to John. Don't worry, there will be more reactions to John's victory coming up after this as well. But I thought Cynthia's perspective deserved extra attention, since both she and Wallace have a Champion's perspective. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And yes, there WILL be a Pokenet Interlude coming, but there are other events that I want to show first!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-17 - The Dual Champions
  
  Lance and I walked off the battle arena together, though we both stayed silent. Not out of awkwardness or because we were uncomfortable, but because we both were thinking carefully about the battle that just happened.
  
  Or more like we were both engraving it into our minds, and had still yet to snap out of the adrenaline and rush of the fight.
  
  Either way, we weren't about to continue fighting in the remaining 2v5. That just wasn't on the cards right now - not with our strongest Pokémon either badly injured or fainted and because we were just both so out of it at the moment that we couldn't really concentrate on another fight.
  
  It took me until we had left the arena entirely for me to regain some of my wits.
  
  "...It was a good fight, Lance." I finally said to him, "I'm glad it happened."
  
  My words seem to have snapped him out of his own thoughts, "Hm? Oh, yes. Apologies. I was thinking deeply about something." Then he extended an arm for me to shake, "I should have done this earlier. But you deserve it. Well done, John. I truly didn't think I would see Emperor lose in a battle of strength, but that just goes to show that I still have much to improve."
  
  "Thank you, but that match could have gone either way." I did my best to remain humble, fully aware that the fight was an extremely close one. "You could have won the rematch."
  
  "Perhaps, yet it was still your victory. I won't make excuses for myself." Lance shook his head, "You won fair and square. You matched me at my best and won. It was your undisputed victory, close as it may be. But it was your victory nevertheless."
  
  He placed a hand on my shoulder, "I may be prone to indulging in my pride, but I'm not going to be bitter about this loss. I saw what your Tyrant could do. I saw his strength with my own two eyes, and I witnessed his every blow. His every attack. His every grunt of exertion. Tyrant truly is deserving to be the Pokémon that toppled a Champion."
  
  I was taken aback by the honesty that I felt in his words. I had thought that Lance would have been a bit bitter at his defeat. Show match or not, it wasn't great for a Champion to ever lose a match. To anyone.
  
  Even if the battle was between the two most powerful Pokémon anyone had ever seen in their lives.
  
  I assumed he would be more upset at his loss, yet I couldn't be more wrong. He seemed almost proud of me, which I thought was odd, until I saw the excited gleam and hunger in his eyes.
  
  I realized at that moment that he was excited because he finally had another goal. He had someone that he could test himself against. Someone that could serve as his rival and goal. Because before his defeat, he was at the top of the world. The Champion acknowledged by other Champions.
  
  But it was lonely at the top.
  
  So I smiled at Lance, understanding what he must be feeling. "Thank you, Lance. Truly. It means a lot to be acknowledged so highly by someone like you."
  
  "Then take my words to heart, but don't let yourself grow stagnant because of it." He advised, "I will be looking for that rematch one day. And I do hope that your Tyrant will grow even further."
  
  "He will." I promised, and we shared a silent vow with our eyes to fight once again in the future.
  
  "...Good. But don't forget - you might have matched my starter in a battle, but in a proper fight you would still have to deal with the rest of my team." He pointed out, "So don't get too cocky."
  
  I nodded firmly, "I understand." And truthfully, I wasn't entirely confident that I could defeat his whole team cleanly. I'd have a shot of winning, but not a very good one. I felt that his team were collectively more powerful than mine.
  
  That was my new goal. With Tyrant having proven himself, I wanted my team to do the same. I might have taken down Lance's starter in a 1v1 fight, but I wanted to get my entire team to the point where they could comfortably defeat any of the Champions in a full 6v6 battle. I would ensure that my team, not just my starter, would be known as the strongest.
  
  Yet there was one other thing on my mind, "Is this defeat going to cause you problems?" I asked him.
  
  He chuckled, "It's nothing I can't handle. It would only be a problem if you intended to replace me as Champion, but I'm assuming you're holding on to your previous statements about not wanting the position?" I nodded, "Then I have nothing to worry about. The Blackthorns will continue to support me as always, and I know that the Committee don't have the spine to jump on this opportunity so long as you all in the Elite Four continue to support me. Nothing will really change after a week or two."
  
  "At most I'll get trashed in the papers for my defeat, but that's hardly of consequence, especially not when it was you that defeated me." He continued, "I appreciate the concern, John, but I'll be fine."
  
  Well since Lance seemed confident, there was nothing else I really needed to say. But there was still one more thing, "Also, just to give you a heads up, but assuming Cynthia also wins her match, then we will be making a public announcement of our relationship at the closing ceremony."
  
  He grinned, "Ah, so it's finally happening then. Well, I wish you both the best of luck. Though considering your victory just now, I doubt you'd need it."
  
  I smiled back, "Thank you, but for time being I want to get a better view of the fight." I said as I began walking out of the waiting room, "I'm going to head to the viewing area and try to find my family. Want to come along?"
  
  He shook his head, "No, I'll head out by myself. I don't want to intrude on your time with them. My presence might make things a little awkward."
  
  Accepting that, I gave a quick farewell to Lance before heading to the VIP viewing area where I believed my family was watching. As I looked around for them, I noticed that the next match had yet to start, because they were still tidying up our mess from the previous fight and quickly rebuilding a new arena because we had so utterly destroyed the last one.
  
  Oops.
  
  It took me some time to find where my family was sitting, especially with how crowded even the VIP area was, but I did eventually spot and sat down next to my family, who was also accompanied by Karen - all of whom greeted me with wide and large smiles.
  
  "John! You did it!" My sister was the most excited out of everyone there, "You actually did it!"
  
  "Why do you sound so surprised?" I chuckled, "Did you think I would lose?"
  
  "Well, no...but that's Lance's starter Dragonite! Everyone knows how strong it is!" Whitney waved her hands desperately as she tried to explain, "Even if I knew Tyrant was strong - I really didn't think you'd beat it...but I'm happy you did!" She quickly tacked that last part on, almost like she had just remembered that she was speaking to her brother.
  
  Despite her questionable support for my victory, I was still happy to hear her words regardless. Still, I had to tease her, "Tyrant would be disturbed if he heard about your lack of faith in him."
  
  "Okay, let's not tease your sister. I think you got the point across." Karen spoke up and rubbed my sister's head, "Congratulations, John. It was the greatest fight I'd ever seen. The old hag agrees, even if she tried to hide it. She's still a little salty that you defeated her."
  
  I grinned, "Tell her to not hold it against me, please. I had a battle with Lance that I had to get to."
  
  Then my mom, who had been waiting around with increasing impatience, finally couldn't wait and pulled me into a really tight hug, "Oh I'm so proud of you John. I never thought that this would where you'd end up when you went on that journey all that time ago. We thought we failed you when you had a Slakoth of all things as a starter because we couldn't afford a better one for you."
  
  I smiled in my mom's embrace, "It's fine. I chose him, remember? I could have taken another Pokémon, but I was confident that Tyrant was right for me."
  
  "And he sure was." My dad nodded, "Who would have thought that you would end up beating Lance's starter in an one on one fight like that? Do you know how crazy and loud the crowd went when you won? It nearly shattered my eardrums."
  
  "I wasn't really paying attention." I admitted, "I was still running on adrenaline."
  
  "Yeah, bro, dad's right. The reaction from everyone was INSANE!" My sister explained, "It was like the world was holding their breath when Tyrant threw down Emperor for that last time. We all were waiting to see if Emperor would be getting up or not."
  
  "I'm pretty sure you secured some serious fans for life." Karen added, "I know for a fact that everyone treated you as the underdog going in, thinking that you'd put up a good fight but still lose. But then you actually won. That basically cemented your reputation around the world as being one of the strongest trainers still active."
  
  I couldn't deny that I was pleased to hear that. To be acknowledged like that was a dream come true. Not only for me, but for Tyrant as well. It was what he and I had worked so hard for, and he had finally, truly, gotten the recognition that he deserved.
  
  What kept me grounded was the knowledge that I still had to get my other Pokémon up to Tyrant's level, which was my new goal. I was greedy - I wouldn't be satisfied with just Tyrant being acknowledged as the strongest Pokémon out there, I wanted EVERYONE on my team to be viewed the same way.
  
  Then a pinch on the cheek forcefully dragged me out of my self-praise, "Don't let those compliments worm their way into your head." Karen reminded me, "You only beat him one on one. You still haven't defeated his whole team yet."
  
  I pulled myself away from her, freeing my cheeks, "I know, I know. But it was nice to win anyways."
  
  She rolled her eyes, "That I have no doubt. To be fair, if I was in your position, I would probably be too excited to sit down."
  
  Then she coughed, "Anyways, enough about that. I think the battle that your girlfriend is fighting in is starting."
  
  My sister passed me her drink as I sat down to enjoy the match in front of me. After that gruelling battle against Lance, it was nice to be on the spectator's side for once.
  
  Plus, I had to root for my girlfriend. If I won, then it was only fitting if she won as well, right?
  
  "...LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE BACK! I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THAT INCREDIBLE, NO, UNFORGETTABLE BATTLE BETWEEN LANCE AND JOHN, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER FIGHT HERE FOR YOU! YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED, SO LET'S NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME AND GET STRAIGHT INTO IT!"
  
  "IT'S CYNTHIA AND WALLACE VS DRAKE, DAISY, ROXANNE, CANDICE, AND PRYCE! AND IT'S TIME TO BATTLE!"
  
  "THREE!...TWO!...ONE!...FIGHT!"
  
  Wallace and Cynthia sent out their Milotic and Garchomp respectively. In the meanwhile, Drake sent out his Salamence, Daisy her Gyarados, Roxanne her Probopass, Candice her Froslass, and Pryce his Mamoswine.
  
  They had all chosen their starters. This was going to be a fun fight.
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  As she expected, they all chose to send out their strongest Pokémon. But after watching the battle between John and Lance, she was extra determined to put on a performance worthy of what they had just seen.
  
  If John could do that much, then there was no way she would be found wanting.
  
  Her Garchomp had already burrowed into the ground while Wallace's Milotic took centre stage and drew attention to itself. A harsh Sandstorm was immediately whipped up around the arena.
  
  In the meanwhile, Drake's Salamence had taken to the air, just as she expected. While that would put it out of range of most of her attacks, it also created distance between Salamence and her Garchomp.
  
  And she was going to put that distance to good use.
  
  Without any warning, her Garchomp came bursting out of the ground, catching Froslass completely by surprise as she had just finished setting up the Snow. Seeing its ally in danger, Mamoswine roared and rushed over to impale Garchomp on its menacing tusks, but Garchomp had already smashed a dizzying Iron Head into Froslass, before following up with a quick Shadow Claw that ripped through and savaged the dazed Ice type.
  
  Froslass was given no quarter - no opportunity to fight back.
  
  At the same time, Probopass was blasted by a powerful torrent of water as Milotic unleashed a Hydro Pump that hit it head on, with the Rock type taken by surprise as it was too focused on trying to hit Garchomp. Probopass whirled painfully as it was overwhelmed by the gushing tide of water, forcing it back.
  
  Froslass was hardly doing any better, and the combo of attacks from Garchomp had nearly taken it out of the fight already. But then Mamoswine came charging in with its tusks gleaming menacingly in the Snow, forcing her Garchomp to meet the new challenger head on with a Brick Break.
  
  But Pryce's Mamoswine wasn't an Ex-Champion's starter for nothing, and it shrugged off the Brick Break before it tried to impale Garchomp with its razor sharp tusks.
  
  That was when another Hydro Pump came crashing into Mamoswine's side, suddenly knocking the Ice type away. This bought enough time for her Garchomp to burst forwards with a Dragon Rush and finish off the injured Froslass with a devastating Crunch, snapping down on the Ice and Ghost type hard with its deadly jaws.
  
  Froslass tried to break free, but Garchomp was unrelenting, and another vicious Shadow Claw eviscerated the struggling Froslass.
  
  The frail Froslass fell, not having achieved anything but set up the Snow and replacing the Sandstorm. Cynthia felt a little bad for her friend, but now wasn't the time for this.
  
  This was the strategy that she had come up with Wallace. Being outnumbered as they were, they HAD to begin the battle with a blistering offense to take down their weaker foes and cut down their huge numbers advantage. That would be her role, while Wallace was in charge of stalling out one of the bigger threats that they faced.
  
  That was the only way they could win.
  
  Plus, knocking out Froslass didn't mean her starter would have a moment of reprieve. Turning to Milotic, she saw that it would no longer be able to assist her Garchomp with further Hydro Pumps - as it was now being entangled with both Gyarados AND Salamence pummelling into it from both sides.
  
  As they predicted, Drake's Salamence was the real problem. Impressive though Milotic's defenses may be, Salamence hit very hard, and it was savaging Milotic with a relentless maelstrom of violence.
  
  Each rake of Salamence's claws and each impact from its tail sent Milotic skidding back with a wince, while Gyarados stepped in with a Thunder Fang, assisting Salamence in their attempt to completely suppress Milotic.
  
  Yet Milotic wasn't Wallace's starter for nothing. It had already set up an Aqua Ring that Wallace had previously informed Cynthia would heal far more than a regular Aqua Ring. Plus, despite the injuries that it was taking, considering how powerful Salamence was, the fact that Milotic was tanking through both their attacks at all was extremely impressive and a testament to its unbreakable defenses.
  
  It was only due to the addition of Gyarados' that kept Milotic pinned. It was clear to Cynthia that Salamence alone would struggle to overwhelm Milotic.
  
  So with that in mind, Cynthia recognised that Gyarados was her next target. She knew from her research that it wouldn't be able to withstand more than a few Thunder Fangs from Garchomp and would go down pretty quickly.
  
  But she needed to find a way to separate her Garchomp from the dogged pursuit of Pryce's Mamoswine. As she quickly ran through her options, Roxanne's Probopass had recovered from its earlier pummelling and valiantly tried to slow down Garchomp by unleashing its own volley of Flash Cannons and Earth Powers - yet they were little more than an annoyance to her Garchomp. Ultimately, Probopass was too slow and weak to be anything else.
  
  Therefore, she realised that she couldn't afford to waste time trying to engage Mamoswine in a brawl. Even if she'd win that, it would take too long and Milotic would be knocked out way before that. Simply Digging away wouldn't do, because that was just asking to get annihilated by an Earthquake.
  
  In the end, she decided to take something from the previous fight between John and Lance.
  
  "OUTRAGE! RUSH THOSE TWO DOWN!"
  
  Her Garchomp exploded with draconic energy as she instantly blitzed forwards, slamming hard into the Probopass before another Brick Break sent it crashing into the ground. Not even giving Probopass another look, Garchomp immediately pivoted on the spot, dodging past an Ice Beam, and rammed into Mamoswine - who was unprepared to take a powerful hit so soon and staggered backwards.
  
  Then another Brick Break from Garchomp smashed powerfully into the top of Mamoswine's head, causing it to flinch and have its head bashed into the ground. An Earthquake instantly followed, causing Mamoswine to collapse onto its knees and fall over while also dealing some heavy damage to Probopass as well, even though it wasn't the primary target.
  
  Without needing her to give any orders, her Garchomp instinctively recognised the opportunity in front of it and rushed down Probopass to finish it off with a final 4x supereffective Brick Break, shattering its defenses and taking it out of the fight.
  
  "NOW! GO ON GYARADOS!"
  
  "PROTECT, GYARADOS!"
  
  Using the small window of opportunity that Garchomp's sudden burst of aggression provided, she turned on the spot and flew forwards towards Gyarados, who had pre-emptively set up a Protect shield.
  
  Unfortunately for Gyarados, that meant that it was no longer attacking Milotic. Milotic took full advantage of that and fired a sweeping beam of Ice towards both Salamence and Gyarados.
  
  Salamence was forced to pull up and cancel its next attack, while the Ice Beam bounced harmlessly off Gyarados' Protect shield as it was expended.
  
  And that was when Garchomp crashed straight into the Water type, tackling it with fangs crackling with thunderous energy.
  
  Gyarados let out a growl of pain as Garchomp crunched deeply into it, her fangs releasing a painful amount of electricity that surged into the Gyarados. Salamence instantly changed targets and dove into Garchomp's back, but Milotic moved with surprising swiftness to interrupt Salamence, putting itself in the way of the Dragon's charge - which it easily tanked.
  
  Pissed off at being ignored, Mamoswine let out a roar and formed enormous spears of ice that came piercing down out of the sky in a rain of Icicle Spears that blanketed where the fighting was happening.
  
  The spears of ice rained down indiscriminately, hitting both friend and foe with equal measure. Salamence was barely able to disengage and avoid the attack, but Cynthia had Garchomp commit to finishing off Gyarados as quickly as possible.
  
  "Thunder Fang again, Garchomp!"
  
  Garchomp managed to land another Thunder Fang on Gyarados just as the rain of ice came crashing down on her. The Icicle Spears dug deeply into her starter's back, which caused her to release Gyarados and let out an involuntary grunt of pain. Luckily, Milotic saved her from taking any further damage as she blasted Mamoswine with another powerful Hydro Pump, interrupting the Ice type attack before it could do more damage.
  
  Still, Pryce's Ice attacks had done what it needed to. The Icicle Spears were a painful surprise for her Garchomp and had ripped through her health; a clear and powerful demonstration of why Pryce was known to be the Master of Ice.
  
  While she had trained up her Garchomp to better resist Ice attacks, it was almost like all her training meant nothing in the face of Pryce's almost perfectly refined attacks.
  
  Worse, the small moment where Garchomp had flinched in pain had given Gyarados enough space to start rampaging as all Gyarados were wont to do, and it began Thrashing about powerfully, tearing apart the surrounding area as it unleashed its full, mighty wrath.
  
  Even though the Gyarados was nowhere near as well-trained as her Garchomp, the raw power of a rampaging Gyarados couldn't be underestimated. Its wild Thrashings may not be very controlled or disciplined, but it was an effective deterrence at driving her Garchomp back - if only for a moment.
  
  At the end of the day, you had to be extremely confident in your Pokémon's ability to tank through hits before you could challenge a Gyarados while it was rampaging. So while she did trust that her Garchomp could have easily tanked through it to knock out the Gyarados in a 1v1, this was not a 1v1.
  
  She still had two other opponents to deal with, so she would really like her Garchomp to avoid taking hits if it could be avoided.
  
  Yet despite her thoughts, that was when Wallace's Milotic came barrelling straight into the Thrashing Gyarados, unperturbed by its powerful Thrashing about. Milotic's enormous defenses and constant regeneration meant that even as Gyarados repeatedly struck, smashed, and bashed into Milotic with a maddened flurry of powerful attacks, Milotic endured past all that with hardly more than a wince before a Dragon Tail from Milotic came hammering into Gyarados's side, hitting it hard and sending it flying away.
  
  Cynthia immediately tried to capitalise on the opportunity with her a Dragon Rush from Garchomp, but Drake's Salamence landed in her way, standing in between Garchomp and Gyarados with a pulsating beam of blinding light charging up in its mouth.
  
  "DRACO BEAM, SALAMENCE!"
  
  "DIG AND GET OUT OF THERE, GARCHOMP!"
  
  "Earthquake and punish it, Mamoswine."
  
  "Hydro Pump the Mamoswine, Milotic! Don't let it Earthquake!"
  
  "STOP THRASHING, GYARADOS!"
  
  A series of orders were shouted out by every trainer as the battle descended into chaos. Salamence unleashed its apocalyptic beam of concentrated draconic energy, sweeping it across the arena as it annihilated all in its path. The unstoppable beam smashed into the reinforced Psychic barriers, straining them to the very limit as they struggled to contain the overwhelming power of Drake's attack.
  
  Her Garchomp's speed and reaction times proved to be her saving grace, as she managed to burrow herself deep into the ground after only taking a slight glancing blow from that Draco Beam. She doubted Garchomp would survive if she was struck head on.
  
  Seeing its target burrowing away, Salamence tried to fire his beam of destruction into the ground to chase after Garchomp, but she was long gone.
  
  At the same time, Mamoswine had fired off its own Earthquake to punish Garchomp's hasty Dig, unleashing a violent and potent series of tremors through the ground. Cynthia grit her teeth as she knew her Garchomp was forced to take the full brunt of it, but fortunately another Hydro Pump from Milotic shot towards Mamoswine, disrupting the attack as soon as possible as Wallace accurately predicted Pryce's course of action.
  
  Milotic's constant interruptions to Mamoswine's attacks were saving Garchomp's life. It was quite literally the sole reason her Garchomp was still in this fight. Cynthia was very impressed at this level of battlefield awareness and coordination from Wallace, where his Milotic was always doing exactly what needed to be done.
  
  Plus, Milotic served as more than just a distraction. Anyone familiar with Wallace's battle strategies, which Drake certainly was, would know that his Milotic was just waiting for a Pokémon to hit it with a powerful Special move so that it could reflect it with a Mirror Coat. It was a move that had secured Wallace many victories over his time as Champion.
  
  She wasn't ashamed to say that she had followed in his footsteps with her own Milotic.
  
  Therefore, this was why Salamence had not suddenly turned its powerful Draco Beam onto Milotic. Not only was it very likely that Milotic could tank through it with its ridiculous endurance and regeneration, but because no one wanted a move that powerful reflected onto them. Another additional benefit was it limited Pryce to make use of physical moves rather than his wide area-of-effect Special moves, because it was too big of a risk to hit Milotic with those and have them reflected.
  
  That was why Drake had Salamence cut off its Draco Beam soon after and instead rushed and slammed into Milotic with a Dragon Rush, once again entangling the two of them into a brawl so that it could no longer interfere with Mamoswine.
  
  Except the brawl would go very differently this time, as Salamence had now unleashed its explosive Outrage, infusing it with an enormous burst of draconic strength as its aura flared to life. With the boost from Outrage, Salamence struck with an unrelenting flurry of blows that came faster and faster as it was spurred on by its endless wrath, and each and every blow that it smashed into Milotic rippled with raw draconic power.
  
  This time, the look on Wallace's face told Cynthia that he wasn't nearly as confident about Milotic's ability to tank through this, and Milotic's injuries were building up quicker than they were being healed up.
  
  However, that meant that Salamence was locked onto its chosen target, allowing Garchomp free reign.
  
  Therefore, taking full advantage of this fact, her Garchomp came burrowing out next to the still-Thrashing, but now sufficiently weakened, Gyarados.
  
  No matter what she thought earlier, Cynthia knew that they had to start reducing their numbers.
  
  An Aqua Tail from Gyarados quickly threatened to smash into her side, but even with her injuries from the Earthquake Garchomp managed to block the predictable Aqua Tail with one of her arms before her sharpened maw crunched down with another crackling Thunder Fang.
  
  A painful injection of Electric energy surged into the fallen Gyarados, paralysing its muscles so that it couldn't even roar out in pain as its throat shut tight. Another Thunder Fang cut off the wild Thrashing in its tracks as all of Gyarados' muscles locked up from the overload of electricity surging through it, leaving it completely exposed like prey for her starter.
  
  Daisy began to shout something, but she couldn't hear it over the sounds of the battle. Not that it mattered, as her Garchomp bit down one last time with a final Thunder Fang that silenced Gyarados for good - knocking it out of the fight.
  
  Cynthia allowed herself to form a small, satisfied smile on her face, proud that her research had borne fruit. She had observed from her research into the Waterflower sister's previous battles that this Gyarados was all brawn with no endurance. It was used to being the biggest fighter around, and its unruly temperament meant that it wasn't used to taking powerful hits like this. Especially from Electric moves, which paved the way for her starter's swift takedown of the Water type.
  
  It felt good having her gamble proven right.
  
  "Blizzard, Mamoswine. Freeze it."
  
  Of course, that was when a Blizzard suddenly formed right on top of her Garchomp - with Pryce having waited for this exact moment to catch Garchomp separated from Milotic. With the Snow already set up, the vortex of frost bit deep into her Garchomp, freezing it over as frost crystals rapidly began to spread across Garchomp's body, slowly turning the Dragon into a frozen statue as she was trapped within the shackling cage of ice.
  
  Before her movements were forcefully slowed to a crawl, her Garchomp immediately unleashed a torrent of flames from her mouth, trying to burn away the Blizzard before the vortex of ice could transform her into a frozen statue. But Pryce wasn't some random Ice specialist that could have his Blizzard beaten by a mere Flamethrower.
  
  Thus, the stream of flames were quickly being consumed by the hungry icy winds as frost crystals continued to spread like a rampant infection across her starter, biting and sapping away at her health as quickly as the Blizzard dropped the surrounding temperatures. Her Garchomp let out a pained growl as she rapidly began to freeze over and her legs began to give way.
  
  She had to do something, and fast.
  
  "Outrage, Garchomp! Help out Milotic!"
  
  In desperation, her Garchomp drew into whatever remained of her reserves and exploded forth with pure draconic energy, buying just enough strength for her to force herself out of the Blizzard and break free before she succumbed to the cold.
  
  Now free from her icy prison, Garchomp blurred forwards and rushed to join the brawl with Milotic and Salamence, hoping to use Milotic as a deterrent to prevent another Blizzard from trapping her.
  
  Fortunately, the Dragon Rush and Outrage had burned off most of the frost that had built up on Garchomp's body, meaning that her starter had retained much of her speed as she came crashing into a surprised Salamence, slamming into it with her entire body before following up with a wide and powerful slash from her Dragon Claw.
  
  Salamence fell back, but didn't flinch as it locked eyes with her Garchomp and swung down with a Dragon Claw of her own - until an Ice Beam from Milotic hit it square in the face.
  
  This time, Salamence recoiled back in pain, giving Garchomp the opportunity to step forwards and savagely bash Salamence's face in with a Dragon-infused wing. Then, Garchomp latched on with both of her arms around Salamence and threw it hard into the ground, sending it crashing down.
  
  Another Ice Beam from Mamoswine tried to interrupt Garchomp, but Milotic swayed in and blocked the attack before it could land. The Ice Beam was promptly reflected by Milotic's Mirror Coat, sending it back towards Mamoswine who easily tanked through it. However, this caused a frustrated Pryce to order Mamoswine to join in on the brawl, since he wasn't able to use his Special attacks when both friend and foe were so clumped up like this.
  
  Having things devolve into becoming one big brawl was not what Cynthia had hoped for when the battle first begun, but tanking those Ice attacks meant that Garchomp was now too wounded to rush around and pick off targets anymore.
  
  Plus, both Mamoswine and Salamence were not targets that her Garchomp could comfortably take down by herself - especially not with her starter's injuries. And Milotic simply didn't have the decisive power to secure quick knockouts by itself, even when it wasn't bogged down into a brawl against Salamence.
  
  It was to Cynthia's repeated surprise that Wallace's Milotic had been holding on as well as it did. Even in the face of Drake's overwhelmingly powerful Outrage, Milotic had held its ground, once again buying her Garchomp enough time to take down Gyarados. Yet, even as its once-pristine body now looked bruised and littered with injuries, with Salamence no longer focusing its attention on Milotic, its wounds were being repaired at a remarkable rate from all of its self-healing.
  
  That Aqua Ring and whatever other self-healing moves that it knew were incredibly impressive.
  
  However, now that things were all just one big brawl, it was impossible for any kind of strategy to form or give any sort of direct commands. It was all down to their Pokémon and their individual strengths now.
  
  It was pure chaos.
  
  Mamoswine came barrelling into the fight with its tusks gleaming menacingly, narrowly failing to impale Garchomp before an Aqua Tail from Milotic knocked it aside for a moment.
  
  Then Salamence dove back in and rammed straight into Garchomp with a powerful Dragon Rush, trying to overpower her with its sheer strength. But Garchomp valiantly dug her feet into the ground and held her ground, blocking the incoming Dragon Rush with her arms as she locked eyes with her fellow Dragon and triggered her own Outrage once more.
  
  Their clash radiated a blazingly bright blue as both Dragons flared their auras with burning intensity as they grappled each other in a contest of strength, both seeking to conquer and overpower the other.
  
  But while both Pokémon were equally as wounded as each other, Cynthia's noticed that Salamence's aura was flagging as it had almost depleted its reserves of Dragon energy - having used Outrage to boost itself for far too long. Even though her starter had also expended a lot of it too, the fact that her Garchomp could toggle its Outrage on and off to conserve energy was paying off in spades right now.
  
  With Milotic expertly intercepting Mamoswine's attacks and keeping it busy, this gave Garchomp the time to begin pushing back against Salamence. As its Outrage began to peter out, the disparity in strength only grew more favourable for Garchomp, and Salamence's knees eventually buckled as Garchomp pushed it down with pure strength.
  
  "GARCHOOOMP!" Garchomp roared out with all of her strength as Salamence's Outrage finally sputtered out, causing it to be hit by a bout of confusion. Garchomp instantly exploited this, ferociously crashing their heads together with a brutal Iron Head that sent Salamence's head spinning. However, just as Garchomp was about to slash down with another vicious Dragon Claw - a volley of Ice Shards from Mamoswine came ripping painfully into Garchomp's back, interrupting her attack for just long enough for Salamence to recover and pull back.
  
  However, Mamoswine's interruption did not go unpunished as Milotic came crashing into it with a Waterfall and Aqua Tail combo, knocking Mamoswine right into the waiting arms of an enraged Garchomp.
  
  "CHOMP!" With her own Outrage still burning strong, Garchomp let out another thunderous roar and smashed Mamoswine with a hard Brick Break to the face, stunning the Ice type as Garchomp grabbed hold of both its tusks and, fully utilising the boost it got from Outrage, lifted it into the air and slammed it mercilessly straight into the ground and on its back, shattering the ground beneath it.
  
  Salamence tried to prevent Garchomp's inevitable follow up attack but was once again intercepted by Milotic, who continued to serve as an immovable wall between Salamence and Garchomp since the Water type's wounds had somewhat healed up. And now, the tables had turned, with Salamence now exhausted and no longer able to use Outrage, Milotic was now the one on the offensive as it tried to bring down the tired Dragon with a barrage of Ice Beams.
  
  Therefore, Garchomp was now free to unleash her full pent up wrath on Mamoswine uninterrupted.
  
  Brick Break after Brick Break came ruthlessly hammering down on her foe - as if Garchomp was venting each and every bit of its frustration onto the fallen Mamoswine and getting revenge for all those Ice attacks. Even as Garchomp's Outrage began to fade out, Garchomp looked no less energetic as blow after blow pummelled Mamoswine deeper and deeper into the ground. Each strike of her fists further cracking the ground beneath them.
  
  Mamoswine was being subjected to the destructivewrath of her Garchomp, and it was found wanting.
  
  Even a quick volley of Ice Shards to the chest was not enough to interrupt Garchomp's unrelenting and enraged assault as she merely ignored her injuries. Cynthia knew that though her starter was usually tempered by discipline, her Garchomp had her own pride, and she would not allow herself to go down until she brought down her opponent first.
  
  Especially not when Mamoswine had spent the whole battle harassing Garchomp and nearly froze her over.
  
  And so, being pinned down and unable to withstand the unrelenting barrage of vicious blows from Garchomp, Mamoswine did its best to struggle to break itself free from the oppressive violence of Garchomp. Yet no matter what it tried, Garchomp's ferocious assault proved too much for the Ice type to handle, and one final Brick Break finally bashed the Ice type into unconsciousness.
  
  Seeing her enemy finally knocked out, the adrenaline rushed out of Garchomp as the exhaustion and injures caught up to her. Garchomp quickly fell onto her knees, panting and breathing heavily - patches of ice once again littered her body, and her movements were stiff as she was slowed down by her plethora of injuries. She was at her limit.
  
  However, with Mamoswine out of the fight, Cynthia could breathe out a sigh of relief. She trusted Wallace's Milotic to be able to deal with an equally tired Salamence by itself. And indeed it did.
  
  In its exhaustion, Salamence faltered and allowed Milotic to strike with a Dragon Tail that came cracking like a whip, striking the Dragon type with such force that it fell over in pain. Then another Dragon Tail smashed into its face like a hammer, forcing Salamence's head to bash into the ground before another Ice Beam ended the last of its resistance - freezing the Dragon in a statue of ice.
  
  That was it. The battle was finally over.
  
  "...AND THE CHAMPIONS WINS! IN WHAT WAS A BRUTAL BATTLE BETWEEN ALL SIDES, THE CHAMPIONS SEEM TO BE ABLE TO CLINCH OUT A NARROW VICTORY WITH THEIR POKÉMON! WHAT A SURPRISINGLY DOMINANT PERFORMANCE FROM OUR NEW CHAMPION! HER GARCHOMP REALLY TORE THROUGH THE BATTLE ON THAT ONE! IT REALLY WAS THE MVP OF THIS FIGHT!"
  
  As the crowd cheered and roared out their support for them, Cynthia held back a frown slightly as she listened to the referee's words. While she didn't disagree with the praise for her Garchomp, she felt that Wallace's Milotic was far more deserving of the title of MVP for this fight.
  
  If it wasn't for his Milotic's sheer endurance to be able to distract the other Pokémon for so long, her Garchomp could not have done what it did. Of course, by the same token, if Garchomp hadn't whittled down the opponent's numbers then Milotic would have been swiftly overwhelmed. But in Cynthia's mind, Milotic was the star of the show here.
  
  Her efforts were simply more flashy, but she firmly believed that Wallace did the heavy lifting today.
  
  Though she would be remiss to ignore her starter's performance. Garchomp did everything she hoped she would - even if she still had more room to grow. She was proud of her Garchomp being able to overpower Salamence, but after seeing the battle between John and Lance she knew that there was still more to go.
  
  "BUT WE'LL LEAVE ALL THAT TO THE ANALYSTS TO TALK ABOUT!" The announcer continued, "FOR NOW, EVERYONE GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE, NOT TO JUST TO YOUR CHAMPIONS, BUT TO YOUR TOP 3 WINNERS! PLEASE STICK AROUND FOR THE VICTORY CELEBRATION AFTERWARDS!"
  
  Nevertheless, that was for later. For now, she turned and shared a victorious smile with Wallace before she walked forward to congratulate her opponents. It had been a chaotic, but excellent fight. A 2v5 fight with little preparation time couldn't be anything else.
  
  Still, she really needed to persuade Wallace to host more of these Tournaments for the future. These fights were too fun and too useful to pass up. Maybe this was something she could also talk to John about. Now that the battle was over, she remembered that he mentioned that his family had been here to watch him fight.
  
  Perhaps it was about time to introduce herself to them.
  
  But more importantly than that, with her victory, it meant that the two of them had an announcement to make to the public.
  
  It was finally time.
  
  A.N. This was another LONG chapter. Writing 2v5s are REALLY hard, and there were many, many, many rewrite attempts to get this right. So I hope you enjoyed that fight between Cynthia and Wallace and the rest of the Top 3 winners. It was definitely a chaotic mess since it's so hard for everyone to work together when there's so many moving parts, but I tried to keep the perspective focused on Garchomp so that the fight could still be understandable. Hope that worked out.
  
  Unfortunately, neither Daisy's Gyarados, Candice's Froslass, or Roxanne's Probopass got much opportunity to shine, but I felt that was always going to be the case. Compared to everyone else, they were outclassed. And a raging Garchomp is no joke at all. Still, I hope the remaining fight was still what you hoped for.
  
  Also, I wanted to shine some of the spotlight on Wallace and really demonstrate just HOW he managed to earn his place as Champion. I know he's had the least screentime out of all the Champions, so I hope he really got time to shine here.
  
  And yes, the Pokenet Chapter will be coming soon! I haven't forgotten!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 10-18
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 10-18 - Meeting the Family
  
  I stood up with the rest of my family as we clapped for the Champions' victory. The rest of the crowd were doing the same as they cheered and applauded for the fantastic fight that we had just witnessed.
  
  Wallace surprised me. I knew he was formidable, but it was interesting to see just how durable and enduring his Milotic could really be. It dragged out the inner trainer from within me, and I unconsciously started to pick it apart as I tried to piece together how I would defeat it.
  
  In the end, it came down to using Tyrant to overwhelm Milotic's self-regeneration with an unrelenting offense, assisted with a few Taunts. Drake was close to doing so, and he might have been successful in a pure 1v1, but Garchomp proved a worthy distraction that prevented Salamence from unleashing his full uninterrupted strength against Milotic.
  
  "You're staring hard at that Milotic. You figuring out if you could beat it?" Karen asked me knowingly, having perfectly read my thoughts. "You don't have to think that hard. I'm sure you'd win with your starter. Maybe even Ursaluna, if you set up properly."
  
  "I'd like to think so too - though it would be a much harder task for my Ursaluna due to his Water weakness." I agreed, "What about you? Think you have some way of beating Milotic?"
  
  She tapped a finger on her chin, "I doubt I'd have any problems shutting down Milotic's self-regeneration with my Taunts, but I'm not exactly sure if I could muscle through Milotic's high endurance afterwards."
  
  "My Houndoom would be a poor match for it, same for Tyranitar." She continued, "I'd say I would have a chance to beat it, but my chances aren't very high...if only it wasn't a Water type."
  
  I nodded; it was a fair assessment. Even though she had trained up her Tyranitar to be a walking powerhouse, it might not be enough to be able to bring down Wallace's Milotic, as Drake had just shown. And Karen's Weavile and Houndoom were just too frail to be able to withstand against Milotic for long enough to bring it down.
  
  "I wonder when my Miltank can get strong enough to beat it?" My sister wondered aloud, and I turned to her with a smile.
  
  "One day." I patted her on the head, "I heard you've been training well as a Gym Trainer. Keep up your training and I'm sure your Miltank will be a match for even the strongest of opponents."
  
  "That's all well and good dear, but I think you have an award and closing ceremony to get to." My dad reminded, "Let's not keep your peers waiting."
  
  "And make sure to ask Cynthia if she has time to meet us." My mom smiled, "It'd be good to be formally introduced to her."
  
  In the corner of my eye, I saw Karen flinch for a moment before she forced herself to relax. Her thoughts were easy enough to read, but there was nothing I really could do about it. Instead, I chose that discretion was the better part of valour and made my way out of the VIP area.
  
  Which meant that I was immediately approached by a League official that hurried me over back to the arena. Apparently I should have been gathered there over 10 minutes ago, and that they'd been trying to find me to call me over.
  
  Whoops.
  
  I arrived to where I was supposed to be, where I found the rest of the Top 3 and all the Champions staring at me, many of them with amused looks on their faces.
  
  I raised my hands, "In my defence, Lance said I could go sit with my family." I shamelessly placed the blame on our Champion.
  
  He just responded with another shameless shrug, "I forgot that you needed to come here earlier."
  
  Pryce scoffed, "It's not like a Blackthorn to forget about a moment to show off. You must be losing your touch - and your strength." He taunted.
  
  Lance's eyes narrowed, "I don't want to hear that from you, Gym Leader. Or did I imagine it when I saw your Mamoswine get run around in circles by Cynthia's Garchomp? A Dragon beating your Ice type, no less."
  
  "I think we can table this discussion at a later date." Wallace smiled genially as he interrupted Pryce before he could fire back, "We're about to be on stage - it's no good if we look grumpy when we're on it."
  
  "But I always look grumpy, especially since we lost." Drake muttered, getting a consoling pat on the back from Daisy as the rest of us chuckled. It helped ease the tension.
  
  At that point, the big doors opened, revealing the hastily repaired arena and exposing us to the shouts of the crowd once again. There was also a newly setup podium set up as well. One League official tried to order us to walk onstage in neat lines, but practically everyone ignored him as we walked forwards at our own pace in one big group.
  
  We weren't children.
  
  I took this opportunity to walk next to Cynthia, "It's time for the announcement." I whispered to her.
  
  "Yes, I already told Wallace that we had something to announce. He's okay with it." She whispered back. "And I've already run everything past my Elite Four. They're happy with it too."
  
  That was good, "So no further troubles?" I asked.
  
  She shook her head.
  
  That reassured me, "Also, my family wants to meet you after this." I said to her.
  
  "I was just thinking the same." She nodded, "Is Karen going to be there too?"
  
  "She's here as well." I confirmed, hoping that this wouldn't cause issues.
  
  "Then I'll be happy to meet her as well." Cynthia replied, "Let's talk about that later. We have an announcement to make."
  
  I agreed and carefully distanced myself from her as we arrived at the podium. The Champions stood on the higher step, while the rest of us stayed one step behind.
  
  There was only one microphone, but apparently the Champions had already decided that, as the host, Wallace was going to be one making the speech today.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN TO OUR PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THIS TRI-REGIONAL TOURNAMENT! WE HOPE YOU WERE SUFFICIENTLY ENTERTAINED!"
  
  "AS THIS TOURNAMENT WAS MY BRAINCHILD, I WAS ECSTATIC TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH PEOPLE SEEMED TO HAVE ENJOYED THIS EVENT! AND SO I ASK THIS OF YOU - WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER TOURNAMENT LIKE THIS HOSTED SOMETIME NEXT YEAR?!"
  
  The crowd SCREAMED their approval. They wanted a redo of this event next year as much as I did.
  
  Wallace smiled as he spread his arms wide, "THEN SO BE IT! I WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS MATTER WITH MY FELLOW CHAMPIONS TO SEE IF WE CAN HOST ANOTHER TOURNAMNET JUST LIKE THIS IN THE COMING YEAR! I CAN ALSO PROMISE THAT IT WON'T JUST BE THE SAME REHASH OF THIS TOURNAMENT, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING TO SHAPE THINGS UP SO THAT YOU MAY ALL GET A NEW AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME!"
  
  That got the audience hyped up even further, with many of them cheering in support for Wallace as he worked up the crowd. Wallace allowed himself to bask in the attention for a moment before he continued.
  
  "BUT BEFORE THAT, WE MUST CLOSE OUT THIS ONE AND HONOUR THOSE WHO HAVE MANAGED TO CLIMB TO THE VERY TOP OF THEIR PEERS TO FACE THE CHAMPIONS IN BATTLE! PLEASE GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE TOP 3 PAIRS THAT MADE IT HERE!"
  
  And then came the moment for pictures as we were shown off to the crowd. For the lesser known Gym Leaders with non-established reputations, this was a big moment for them to get their faces out there and for them to build up their reputation. The trio of Roxanne, Daisy and her Gym Leader sisters, and Candice were all waving cheerfully to the crowd as they made the most of this opportunity.
  
  Even the oldies were playing nice, since anyone valued the opportunity to remind the public that their strength hadn't been slipping. While Drake and Pryce all had storied histories with a series of established victories, it was still nice to demonstrate to the public that they were still as strong as their reputations might suggest.
  
  Especially for Pryce. The man proved that he even though he dropped to becoming a Gym Leader, his strength was still worthy to be a match for a Champion. Or at least an Elite Four.
  
  With that done, the 'prizes' were awarded. Wallace had to scrap the idea of the smaller, category-based prize awards this year due to a lack of time, so the overall reward was just money and a trophy for each of the pairs.
  
  For what it's worth, the trophies were well-made, embossed in gold, and were individually customised. Mine and Roxanne's had the symbol of a Rock Type and Normal Type paired together, just like the rest of the Top 3 did with their own respective Typing. I didn't see a reason to keep it, so I generously allowed Roxanne to keep it displayed at her Gym. Better that than for it to be placed in my home where no one would really see it.
  
  The money was...less remarkable, especially after it was split 6 ways. I was pretty sure the whole point was for them to give us one big cheque for each pair and have our picture taken while holding it, which was what happened. None of us would actually be keeping the money after all - it was common practice to donate such monetary rewards to charity at events like these.
  
  However, that didn't stop Drake from calling Wallace a cheapskate under his breath.
  
  With the prizes dished out and relevant photos taken, Wallace gave one final reminder that the Finals for the regions' respective Conferences were due to begin tomorrow and that the public had more to look out for. But before the Tournament could wrap up, Wallace had one last thing to announce.
  
  "BUT BEFORE WE CAN FULLY WRAP UP THIS TOURNAMENT, I BELIEVE THAT OUR OTHER TWO VICTORS TODAY HAVE SOMETHING TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU ALL!" He gestured with his hand as Cynthia and I stepped to the podium.
  
  The rest of the Top 3, who were uninformed of our plans, looked at us questioningly, but we ignored them. This was it.
  
  "Thank you, Wallace." Cynthia began, "But John and I have something to announce to the public. Something that neither of us expected to happen, but were very glad that it did." The crowd looked confused, but her next words quickly silenced that confusion.
  
  "John and I have recently started a relationship together." The crowd audibly gasped, but Cynthia pressed on before they could interrupt, "It is one built on mutual admiration, respect, and love, and was wholly independent of politics. And in the interests of transparency, we have decided that now was the most appropriate time to reveal it to the public."
  
  I quickly followed up, "As we acknowledge the potential conflicts of interest at play here, we have both taken steps to minimize the possibility of bias from the two of us. On my end, I have already discussed this and came to an agreement with Champion Lance, and I have limited my own participation in any votes regarding any dealings with Sinnoh. Of course, this does not affect any deals that are for our mutual benefit or cooperation, and I will continue to work towards bringing our two regions closer together for the benefit of all."
  
  "Likewise, I will be doing the same." Cynthia continued, "I have agreed with my Elite Four to reduce my voting power on any proposals directly involving Indigo to match those of my Elite Four. That way there can still be a fair vote on the benefits and disadvantages of such policies, while limiting the amount of personal bias that may influence our decisions."
  
  "And therefore, these measures will help to ensure that we may continue our duties as we normally would, but we hope that we have your support and encouragement for our relationship moving forwards. Our relationship may not have been borne out of political considerations, but we do hope that this can serve as one of the many foundations for our respective regions to form a tighter bond between each other. We understand that a relationship between two high ranking figures have never happened before, but we hope to be able to set the standard and prove that a relationship like ours can and will work; both for us and for the benefit of our regions." I finished.
  
  This was the same as what we had discussed beforehand, and we both were making full use of the momentum of our victories, and our individual reputations, to bring the public onto our side.
  
  For me, I was very confident that my colleagues would likely stay neutral to this announcement and would not cause a fuss about it. More importantly, I knew that Lance had promised neutrality, which was good enough for me. Plus, on top of my victory just now, I had my strength and reputation to rely upon to generate goodwill. And my push for internationalism also helped significantly in this respect, since it was something I had championed even before I met Cynthia.
  
  In the meanwhile, Cynthia told me that she had garnered a lot of trust and support within her Elite Four. Lucian apparently was especially supportive because he thought that this was an excellent opportunity to pull Sinnoh even closer to Indigo and thus would help Sinnoh settle in as being part of the international community. That, and her personal strength was more than proven, especially after this victory. Her position as Champion was easily considered to be stable.
  
  As always, this society favoured strength, and having sufficient strength could stave off many a critic.
  
  However, just as we both finished with our statements, Wallace unexpectedly took to the stage once again.
  
  "...When the two of them told me they wanted to make an announcement, THIS was certainly not what I expected. I thought we were about to have another fight on our hands from our two victors." He chuckled at his own joke.
  
  "However, let me the first to congratulate this new couple." He smiled at us, "I have always encouraged bringing our regions together - indeed, the main purpose of the Tri-Regional Tournament was to foster and encourage more international cooperation and to have the public cheering for members of different regions."
  
  "So I see this relationship between two of our most prominent members of the two Leagues to be a remarkable step forwards in helping to build a prosperous and functional international community - full of cooperation and unity."
  
  "But most importantly of all, I APPLAUD their bravery for making an announcement as momentous as this. I APPLAUD their integrity for choosing to voluntarily sacrifice some of their political power to ensure that there is as little bias as possible. And last, but certainly not least, I APPLAUD their love! For is it not the dream of every man and woman to find a partner that would fight to keep your relationship intact?"
  
  Wallace stepped behind both of us and raised our arms into the air, clasping them together, "SO I SAY WE SHOULD CHEER FOR THIS NEW COUPLE! WE SHOULD CHEER FOR THIS NEW BRIDGE OF FRIENDSHIP THAT HAS BEEN BUILT BETWEEN THEIR REGIONS! AND WE SHOULD CHEER FOR THE PROSPERITY THAT IS SURE TO COME FROM THE UNITY AND HARMONY THAT THEY BUILD!"
  
  THAT got the crowd worked up into a frenzy of approval. Wallace had said everything Cynthia and I had wanted to say but couldn't - because it wouldn't be right for those words to have come out from our mouths.
  
  I immediately pulled Wallace into a hug, "Thank you." I whispered to him. He had done us a huge favour.
  
  "You don't have to thank me." He replied with a smile as he patted me on the back, "I meant every word I said. I admire your bravery, and I truly think that if you can overcome the barriers between you two, then it will do wonders for our shared goal of creating a truly international community. Besides, it was only a matter of time before a relationship like yours popped up. I want it to go well, to set an example for the future."
  
  "You sound like you knew about our relationship beforehand." Cynthia replied, though the gratitude and relief in her voice was unmistakable.
  
  He chuckled, "I'm very good at spotting those. I figured there was something between you two as soon as I saw you watching his battle against Lance."
  
  With that said, Wallace returned to the podium and finally wrapped up the closing ceremony, officially ending the Tournament. But at this point I doubted anyone was paying attention. They were likely buzzing about discussing my relationship with Cynthia.
  
  Luckily, with huge thanks to Wallace, this appeared to be as good of a start as I was hoping for.
  
  All of us exited the stage together, and the responses from my peers were mixed, though all positive. Drake slapped me across the back again with a cheeky grin, and Lance joined in and nearly toppled me over. While Candice was fussing all over Cynthia and asking for as many details as possible.
  
  Roxanne and the Waterflower sisters were a mixture of curious and supportive, while Pryce ignored everything and grumbled. He was allergic to happiness.
  
  But as we re-entered the waiting room, I realised that this also marked the end of my partnership with Roxanne.
  
  "Thank you for being a wonderful and cooperative partner." I told her, "It made the Tournament a whole lot more interesting for me. And I hope it was for you as well."
  
  She snorted, "I should be the one thanking you for bringing me this far." But then a small smile formed on her lips, "But I agree. This whole event was truly magnificent, and it wouldn't have been the same without you. We should really keep in touch. Oh, and congratulations once again, John. Both for your victory in battle and otherwise. You must be very happy." She tilted her head at Cynthia.
  
  I chuckled, "Thank you. I'm as happy as you think I am. It went better than expected, both the Tournament and the announcement. And of course, I'll make sure to tell you if I'm ever in Hoenn again. I'll visit you at your Gym." We exchange similar promises together before the group split up from each other. Though Cynthia and I both thanked Wallace once more before leaving.
  
  Cynthia and I made our way to where my family was waiting, but as we were heading over we were both suddenly stopped by Karen, who had been waiting for us just outside the staff-only zone.
  
  I could feel the moment that Cynthia and Karen locked eyes together, but sparks had yet to fly. Instead, they appeared to be eyeing the other up, as if to take each other's measure now that they had finally met in person.
  
  I knew this was the moment to stay silent. This wasn't for me to interfere with.
  
  "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Cynthia." Karen began, and I couldn't detect any sarcasm in her words, "That was quite the announcement. But I'm glad things went well and that you're taking care of John for us."
  
  She chuckled, "He hardly needs baby-sitting. His victory against Emperor proved that well enough. Still, I'm always happy to accompany him as his partner."
  
  "...It seems like your relationship has a lot of challenges that it has to overcome." Karen said slowly, "It sounds like things might be a little difficult."
  
  "We're making it work. It probably won't be easy, but we're going to handle things on step at a time." Cynthia responded as she clasped her hand in mine. "We expected such challenges, and we will do what we can to overcome them. I'm not about to give up, and neither is he."
  
  Cynthia smiled at Karen, "I'm just glad that he has good friends like you at home as well. I should have said so earlier, but thank you for being there for him in my absence. John told me how much time you guys spend together. You're practically family, I heard."
  
  "I'm very thankful that his sister has taken a liking to me." Karen said, her voice taking a slight edge, "I'm very protective of her, you see."
  
  "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Cynthia said. "From what John has told me, little Whitney is a very sweet girl. I won't do anything to make her unhappy."
  
  "Anyways, from what I've read up on you, and from what John has told me - you seem to be looking to join the Elite Four soon?" Cynthia asked rhetorically, "I assume you'll be making a challenge if and when you win this Conference."
  
  "I have plans to that effect, yes." Karen confirmed, "I hope to become peers with John."
  
  "That's a good goal to have." Cynthia praised, "It'd be good for John to have more friends around his level."
  
  Cynthia took a step forwards, "I look forward to welcoming you into the Elite Four, Karen. Having another friend in the Elite Four will be very useful to John in his fight for internationalism. I do hope you help him to bring Sinnoh and Indigo even closer together. It'll make our relationship a lot smoother."
  
  From the way Karen's lips flattened slightly, there was definitely something I was missing here. The two of them exchanged nothing but friendliness with each other, but my gut was telling me that there was a little more subtext behind their exchanges than I could catch.
  
  It wasn't exactly sarcasm, but more like...posturing? It was hard to tell.
  
  Either way, I thought this had gone on for long enough, and I coughed to grab their attention, "Right, I think that's enough for the introductions. I think we should stop wasting time and introduce Cynthia to the rest of my family as well."
  
  The two of them nodded and followed after me to where our family had been patiently waiting. As soon as Cynthia caught sight of my parents, she quickly made a beeline to them and introduced herself to them with a friendly smile on her face.
  
  They were all very surprised at the suddenness of the public announcement, but were ultimately encouraging of our efforts. They appreciated the fact that we didn't need to hide our relationship anymore.
  
  Especially my mom. But I suspected mothers' were always like that.
  
  Of course, as soon as my sister started asking her questions, it was already too late for Cynthia. She was trapped to be subjected to an endless onslaught of questions from my family, where they began inquiring about every little thing they could think of.
  
  I shook my head with a smirk. I was just thankful that Cynthia had the patience to deal with my well-meaning, if overly curious, family.
  
  Seeing that my family's attention was firmly focused on Cynthia, I turned to Karen, who had been standing a small distance away with a blank look on her face.
  
  "Something wrong?" I asked her. "You don't look happy."
  
  "I'm wary, not unhappy." She clarified, "But I know that it's just my self-doubt acting up again. I know that you and your family won't replace me with Cynthia."
  
  "She wouldn't do that. Cynthia knows how much I still value your friendship." I said to her. "And Whitney would never replace you."
  
  "I know, she said as much." She replied, then she smirked at the look of confusion that had appeared on my face, "Or did you not realise from our conversation just now? She was marking her territory, though she wasn't rude about it."
  
  "I think I must have missed that." I admitted, "Still, are you upset about it?"
  
  "Not really." She shrugged, "I definitely expected this. Someone as headstrong and determined as her would do no less."
  
  Then she smiled, "If anything, seeing how far the two of you are willing to go to make sure your relationship works out was just another reminder that I have my own dream to accomplish. A goal that I must achieve. So there's no time to wallow in self-doubt or what-ifs. I made that mistake once, and I'm not about to let it happen again."
  
  She turned to stare at the arena, which was now being cleaned up, "...With the Tournament over, it means that the Finals are going to be starting soon. That means my break will be over and I'll be back into the fight."
  
  I nodded, "Good luck with that."
  
  "Thank you, but I shouldn't need your luck." She replied with conviction, "The old hag finally deserves to rest, you know? And it's my job to make sure that her retirement can happen in peace. She deserves no less."
  
  Her eyes blazed with certainty, "So watch me, John. You've been my mentor and friend for long enough. Now will be the time that I finally become your peer."
  
  A.N. And this concludes the end of Arc 10. I hope you've enjoyed it thus far.
  
  I understand that many are waiting for the Pokenet Interlude, so in return, this Wednesday's chapter will be replaced by the full-length Pokenet Chapter, while Friday's chapter will hold the shorter Interlude chapter , so that they're swapped around and you can get the Pokenet Interlude 2 days early.
  
  And yes, John and Cynthia finally announced their relationship. I hope the announcement was just as you hoped, with Wallace coming in with a clutch assist. They still have work to do to back up their words, but this is a good start.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 10-18- Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 10-18 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [The Top 3 pairs have finally been decided! The next battle for them will be against the Champions! Who will win?! Will the Champions live up to their title?!] By Battlecast
  
  Us battle lovers are eating good today! For anyone who missed out on the previous battles, the Top 3 pairs that have found themselves to be facing the trio of Champions are John and Roxanne, Pryce and Candice, and Drake and Daisy, representing the Waterflower sisters. I don't think these were the pairings that people expected!
  
  Not just the public, but I know many of our analysts as well expected the pair of Agatha and Tate and Liza to be within the Top 3. This Tournament has been an excellent reminder of just WHY Agatha has managed to stay in the Elite Four for so long, and her Ghost types certainly proved her strength for all to see. This writer believes that many of her doubters would have been silenced after seeing her dominant performance throughout this Tournament.
  
  Yet John and Roxanne managed to put an end to their run, using a cunning trick by John's newest Zoroark to swiftly remove Tate and Liza from the fight, turning it to a 2v1. In the end, despite her best efforts, Agatha wasn't able to overpower John's Ursaluna, and they were knocked out just before making it to the Top 3. Yet the old Ghost specialist was more than able to put up a good fight, even in such unfavourable circumstances.
  
  Unfortunately, Agatha and Tate and Liza were not the only fan favourite pair to be knocked out. Volkner and Jasmine, who have had a remarkable run through the Tournament, surprising many of our analysts with their clean victories, finally met their match in Candice and Pryce. The war for the weather was won by the Ice pair, and Pryce reminded everyone that he's not a washed up has-been by living up to his 'Master of Ice' title. He even managed to overpower a never before seen evolution in Volkner's new Electivire, an evolved form of Electabuzz, with his Weavile!
  
  Pryce and Candice actually were the only duo Gym Leader pair to make it to the Top 3, as Giovanni and Norman were soundly defeated by Drake and Daisy. Their duo Water types, like they had demonstrated throughout their Tournament run, proved unstoppable. The two Gym Leaders put up a valiant showing, but were ultimately unable to overpower the dominant Water duo. It looks like a strong offense beats out on a strong defense after all!
  
  So with that, we move on to our predictions on who we think will end up beating the Champions. This writer believes that...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Obviously the Champions are going to win. Yes, the six of them have done very well to get this far, and I acknowledge that they're all very capable trainers, but these are the CHAMPIONS. They are the best of the best. There's no way they'd lose. Even if they're outnumbered like this.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Clearly the Champions will win. Drake's not really a Dragon specialist, but Lance and Cynthia, if they're smart, will both deploy their Dragons as well. 2 Dragons 1 Dragon. The outcome is obvious.
  
  I'm only watching this match just to see how easily the Champions win with their Dragons.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  How are there no Fighting type specialists in the Top 3? Or in the Champions? How can this be a fight between the strongest trainers when they're not even using the strongest type?!
  
  What are these trainers doing?!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  John has this in the bag! Not only is he strong enough to match any trainer 1v1, but he also has 5 other teammates to help him out? This is going to be an easy win for him.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I think people are overlooking how difficult it is to coordinate in a 3v6 like this. My bet is that things are going to devolve into chaos very soon.
  
  I mean, it's possible to plan out and make strategies for 2v2s. But when you put together trainers like this who haven't worked together before, strategies and tactics become impossible. It's just going to be one big brawl. And I think the bigger numbers will end up victorious.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  That's a good point, but I take the opposite view. I think having so many Pokémon trying to work together is actually going to make things harder for the non-Champions to win, because their Pokémon are going to get in each other's way and mess up each other's attacks.
  
  In comparison, the more well-trained and disciplined Pokémon of the Champions will have an advantage when trying to work together. I think the Champions will win this.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Lance - the Champion known for his raw strength. Wallace - the Champion known for his unbreakable defense. Cynthia - the Champion known for her versatility.
  
  I think, whatever happens, this is going to be an incredible battle. I can't wait to see the Champions in action like this.
  
  [LIVE: LANCE'S SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT? WANTS TO DUEL JOHN IN A 1V1 WITH STARTERS ONLY? WHAT?!] by Battlecast
  
  For those that missed the announcement, Wallace has recently announced that Lance and John will be battling with their starters instead of joining into the originally planned 3v6. So that means that we are about to see Lance's Emperor in action once again as he faces off against John's Slaking! Who will win?! Join us to watch this live!
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat : We haven't seen Lance in action since his victory over Pryce all that time ago. I can't wait to see him fight once again. ESPECIALLY since he's going to be using his famed Emperor. The last time he sent it out he pummelled Pryce's Mamoswine into the dirt like it was nothing - despite the Type advantage.
  
  FearTheRat : Can't wait to see how strong he's become now.
  
  FutureAce : OMA I can't believe this is happening! I thought we'd be getting the 3v6 fight like we were promised, but this is even better!
  
  FutureAce : How strong is John's Slaking anyways? I know we've seen him beat up Bruno's Machamp before, but that really isn't much, right? At least not when you compare it to Lance's Emperor and the way he beat up Pryce's Mamoswine.
  
  TangelaThoughts : While Lance's Emperor might be more well known, John's Slaking has his own plethora of achievements under his belt. Beyond the official battles that we've seen Slaking in, those who had participated with John during his raids in Hoenn attest to the fact that his Slaking is far more powerful than what you might see at first glance.
  
  TangelaThoughts : Don't forget, John beat Drake's Salamence with his Ursaluna. And his Slaking is supposedly stronger than that. I think we're about to have quite the match to watch.
  
  DragonPower : LANCE IS GOING TO WIN, NO CONTEST. NO STUPID NORMAL TYPE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BEAT THE ALMIGHTY KING OF DRAGONS! EMPEROR WILL SHOW THE WORLD WHY LANCE BESTOWED SUCH A TITLE ON HIM.
  
  DragonPower : ALL OF YOU ARE ABOUT TO WITNESS TRUE MAJESTY! TRUE POWER! TRUE STRENGTH! THERE CAN BE NO EQUAL!
  
  ANormalFan : WOOOOO Let's go John! I believe in your Slaking can beat up that Flying specialist no problem! Lance is overhyped anyways - he hasn't won a battle since Pryce. IN THE MEANWHILE HAS EVERYONE FORGOTTEN JOHN MANAGED A 6 TO 0 VICTORY WITH ONLY HIS SLAKING?! HELLO?!
  
  GeneralistGeneral : ANormalFan That's because he's Champion, they don't get to have that many fights in the first place after they attain their position. Otherwise, I think that Lance is enough of a battle junkie that he would be throwing himself into fights just to show off his Dragons.
  
  GeneralistGeneral : That being said, is it just me or does anyone else find it weird that we're about to have a Dragonite face off against a Slaking of all things? Even for a lover of generalists like me, Slaking has never been on my radar as a particularly strong Pokémon - or at least not one that could compete against Dragonite.
  
  FlyingHigh : John's total victory over Shin was good, and I was definitely surprised to see how well his Slaking performed then, but Shin wasn't much of an opponent for John I believe. Not to diminish his achievement or anything, but it IS much easier to dominate an opponent that's far weaker than you.
  
  FutureAce : Oh yeah, totally forgot that Slaking managed that. Maybe he isn't at such a huge disadvantage after all.
  
  GodBidoof : GeneralistGeneral Totally agree. Even though I'm not a huge Dragon fanboy; it's undoubtedly true that Dragon types are considered the strongest type for a reason, while Normal types are certainly not.
  
  GodBidoof : Still, hope John puts up a good fight. He can still lose with dignity.
  
  FearTheRat : THE MATCH JUST STARTED! AND WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SLAKING?! SINCE WHEN WAS SLAKING ABLE TO GO 1V1 VS LANCE'S DRAGONITE?!
  
  FlyingHigh : Apparently, we've underestimated how strong that Slaking was. I can't BELIEVE we just saw Slaking throw EMPEROR into the ground like that.
  
  FlyingHigh : And now Slaking is beating Emperor to a pulp. What the...
  
  TangelaThoughts : ...Anyone else momentarily became deaf and blind when that Giga Impact smashed into that Dragon Rush? I don't think I've ever seen something so powerful before. I was completely knocked off my seat despite the extra layers of protections that were put up. Arceus that was a strong hit!
  
  FutureAce : THIS BATTLE IS SO COOL! IT'S WAY COOLER THAN I EXPECTED?! LIKE I WASN'T EXPECTING THOSE TWO TO BE ABLE TO HIT SO HARD! AND THEY'RE SO EVENLY MATCHED TOO SO IT MAKES THE MATCH EVEN MORE EXCITING!
  
  GodBidoof : Wait, and this guy is NOT your Champion? He's just your Elite Four?! AND HE HAS THAT FOR A STARTER?!
  
  PianoLover : You know this completely recontextualises Cynthia's first draw against him. I can only thank Arceus that John did not decide to use that Slaking against Cynthia's team. I don't think she would have managed a draw if he did that.
  
  DragonPower : YEAH LET'S GO LANCE USE THAT OUTRAGE! I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT NORMAL TYPE MANAGED TO MATCH YOU SO WELL BEFORE THAT BUT IT'S ALL GOING TO BE OVER NOW! NOTHING BEATS AN OUTRAGING DRAGON! NOTHING! THERE IS ONLY DEFEAT!
  
  FlyingHigh : ...and yet Slaking seems to be holding on. I'm still struggling to pick my jaw off the floor from what I'm seeing. I don't think we've seen Emperor this strong before, and with Outrage it seems like every punch of his could knockout any other Elite Pokémon in one hit. But Slaking's holding on. If barely! What are these Pokémon made of?!
  
  ANormalFan : COME ON JOHN I KNOW YOU CAN WIN YOU'RE NEARLY THERE! BEAT UP THAT STUPID ORANGE FLYING TYPE LET'S GOO!
  
  GeneralistGeneral : I may be a generalist fan, but Arceus that is a powerful Dragon. It's actually humbling to see just how powerful the Champions are if this is the level of power that they're able to demonstrate.
  
  GeneralistGeneral : And yeah, no way John's strength is below that of a Champion. If Slaking could endure through the Outrage, he might actually win.
  
  FearTheRat : OH SHIT HERE COMES THE DRACO METEOR!
  
  TangelaThoughts : ...I genuinely have no idea what I'm looking at. I have studied many high level Pokémon fights in the past, but none have come close to being as destructive or as awe-inspiring as this one.
  
  TangelaThoughts : These two are truly our two titans of strength - they are indomitable. Even as tired as they are now. Is this what it means when two Champions fight?
  
  GeneralistGeneral : JOHN JUST GOT THE UPPER HAND WITH THAT THUNDERBOLT! I TOTALLY FORGOT HE HAD POWERFUL SPECIAL MOVES TOO!
  
  FutureAce : OH SHIT! DRAGONITE GOES DOWN!? HAS JOHN DONE IT? IS SLAKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT TO WIN!? DID AN EMPEROR GET DETHRONED?!
  
  FearTheRat : I think so! I don't think Emperor is getting up from that one! WOW! Slaking ACTUALLY won!? No way?! Does that mean that John is actually stronger than Lance?
  
  FlyingHigh : Probably not? I mean, while John DID just beat Lance's starter with his own - and yes that is an incredible feat by itself, John hasn't shown that he has the capabilities to defeat Lance's entire team with his own in a 6v6.
  
  FlyingHigh : And everyone knows that Lance's team is full of monsters. He doesn't just have the one.
  
  FutureAce : Who cares about the rest of his team right now!? JOHN WON! HIS SLAKING WAS THE STRONGER POKÉMON!
  
  FutureAce : ALL HAIL SLAKING! THE NEW TYRANT!
  
  FearTheRat : ALL HAIL!
  
  GeneralistGeneral : ALL HAIL!
  
  DragonPower : WHAT A FUCKING SHITTY ASS FIGHT! WAS EMPEROR SICK TODAY OR SOMETHING?! HOW THE FUCK DOES A WEAK NORMAL TYPE BEAT EMPEROR LIKE THAT?! THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN! NO WAY THAT EMPEROR LOSES! NO WAY! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!
  
  PunchingBag : What a shitty type the Dragons turn out to be to lose out to a Normal like that. Losing to a Type that is so crushingly weak against the superiority of Fighting moves is just embarrassing. So much for Dragons being the 'most powerful'. Pathetic. This is why being a Type specialist for the wrong type is such a waste.
  
  ANormalFan : WOOOOOO! I ALWAYS KNEW THAT SLAKING HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE GREAT! NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE WEAKER TYPES! YOU MIGHT JUST GET CRUSHED! TYRANT! TYRANT! TYRANT!
  
  SlugmaBalls : So...Lance is like, the strongest of the Champions right? I mean, I'm from Hoenn and even I think he's stronger than Wallace. So for John's starter to beat his...wow. I can't imagine how you would get a Pokémon so strong like that. THAT BATTLE WAS AWESOME! JOHN WAS INCREDIBLE!
  
  NotTooMuchWater : All hail the new Champion? I mean, what else could John be?
  
  KantoRepresent : Didn't watch the battle but was here when I heard John won. Excellent. Kanto proving once again that it doesn't need to be Champion to have strong trainers. We should be expecting a challenge from John against Lance soon.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod : I don't know if John wants the position...but this really goes to show why he's acknowledged as second-in-command. And to anyone doubting that - just watch the battle. I don't believe that you won't be impressed.
  
  LoveIsEterna : That was certainly the fight of the year! John is really shaping up to become more than an Elite Four. It's a shame that he won't be fighting the next match. After seeing John win against Lance, I was really interested to see how well Cynthia would match against him...
  
  LoveIsEterna : Either way, big props to John for winning. He really has proven himself to be one of the strongest Elite Four out there. His Slaking will undoubtedly go down in history.
  
  TangelaThoughts : I know many are curious if John could beat Lance in a 6v6 fight, but I don't think it's that relevant. What's more relevant is that John has now proven that he's far more than just your standard Elite Four - if his already impressive battle record hadn't already shown.
  
  TangelaThoughts : And while I may seem calm, I'm definitely not. I was at the fight. I was knocked off my chair THRICE! FROM THE IMPACT OF THE ATTACKS ALONE! That was, by far, the most impressive fight I've ever seen - bar none.
  
  FlyingHigh : Yeah, this was a really hype fight. The excitement from this battle made me wish that we could see the Champions fight like this more often! Absolutely incredible!
  
  FutureAce : I still haven't calmed down from watching that battle! Man I hope we get to see more like that in future from both John and Lance. Anyone got a recording of the full fight? This deserves to be turned into a movie or something.
  
  FutureAce : Never mind. It's all over the Pokénet already.
  
  AreYouSlowBro : Wait...what did I miss?
  
  [A post-battle analysis of the 4 Champions' starters. Slaking, Dragonite, Milotic, and Garchomp. What are their strengths? And what makes them so strong to be worthy of being a Champion's starter?] by Battlecast
  
  Yes, that wasn't a typo in the title. After his victory over Lance's Dragonite, we're firmly putting John's Slaking in the category of Champions. There can be no doubt that Slaking deserves to be there after its awe-inspiring victory.
  
  On that note, let's focus on Slaking first. Slaking's claim to fame should be no surprise to anyone who watched its most recent fight. Its strength and endurance are insurmountable. If it were just that, then Slaking would be terrifying enough already, but for SOME reason, John had the time to ALSO train his Slaking up so that it would have access to an incredible plethora of moves that make it extremely versatile and difficult to fight against, as its use of high-powered Ice Beams and Thunderbolts clearly demonstrates.
  
  If you want to beat his Slaking, it isn't enough to just out punch it. You'd have to somehow deal with all of his other moves WHILE also being strong enough to beat it in a fight of brute force. Even our analysts struggle to pin down how that would realistically be possible. It's no wonder that John has come to call his Slaking as 'Tyrant' - a nickname that I'm sure many will be using from now on.
  
  Next up is Lance's Dragonite. While it may have lost, anyone who watched the fight would know that his loss is NOT a sign of weakness. At all. And to anyone delusional enough to try their hand against Emperor would find themselves very swiftly defeated. For his Dragonite is the ultimate mix of power and speed, hitting so hard and fast that even the best of strategies would falter against the pure might of his Dragonite.
  
  To put it in perspective, consider everything we said about Tyrant. Then consider the fact that, while Outraged, Lance's Dragonite pretty much completely overpowered Tyrant. Yeah. It's that strong. It only lost on the tightest of margins.
  
  Then there's Wallace and his Milotic. Previously overlooked, but undoubtedly it was the MVP in that last fight between the Champions and the Top 3. The incredible resilience and self-regenerative potential of Milotic means that if you fail to take it out, then it will be a persistent and unbreakable threat that WILL wear your Pokémon down over time with its surprisingly powerful, yet easily overlooked, attacks. It might not be as 'cool' as the other two, but it is no doubt a wall that many a trainer will shatter themselves against.
  
  Last, but certainly not least, is Cynthia and her Garchomp. And the one word that comes to mind when seeing its performance was 'discipline'. It might not have the raw speed and power that Dragonite has, outside of the short bursts that it can perform, but Garchomp has the discipline and control to have exactly what it needs at just the right time. It doesn't waste any of its energy, and can go for efficient and precise strikes against any and all opponents.
  
  It might not look as impressive as its peers, but don't let that fool you. That Garchomp is deadly.
  
  So what do you all think? Which of the Champion's Pokémon is your favourite? And why? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Gotta vote for the homegrown Champion here. Wallace's Milotic is most impressive because it's NOT a Dragon. Everyone knows Dragons are strong, and yes it is admirable that they managed to get their Dragons that strong, but Milotic's aren't usually considered to be the strongest of Pokémon.
  
  So the fact that Wallace managed to get Milotic THIS strong and defensive is a more remarkable achievement in my eyes. I was dazzled by Cynthia's Garchomp, but on rewatching their fight I was amazed at Milotic's endurance.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Same! And that Milotic just looks so pretty! Definitely has my vote for sure for it having both beauty AND power!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Hate to be that guy, but my vote still goes to Emperor. It might have lost to John's Slaking, but that's just one loss. Emperor has a storied history of wins, and overall it just FEELS more impressive to me.
  
  Maybe I'm biased, but Emperor's my favourite.
  
  EDIT: Tyrant is a very close second. I'm still losing my mind over that fight. I've probably replayed it over a dozen times by now.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Well I am biased, so naturally Garchomp's my favourite. However, coming in second would be John's Tyrant.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I'm really loving the surgical precision that Garchomp has shown. Applying just the right amount of power when needed is always better than being wasteful with it - even if you have more power to spare. I think it has the potential to grow into the strongest of the four.
  
  However, if you ask me who's the strongest right now - then I think the question has already been answered. Tyrant won, after all.
  
  PianoLover
  
  Same! I really like Cynthia's target priority in the fight. She didn't let her Garchomp get entangled against opponents it couldn't quickly win against, and she decisively thinned out her opponents' Pokémon. It's very rare to see a Dragon so obedient to its trainer, but that's definitely to its benefit.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I was really surprised at how the non-Champions fared. Honestly, despite their numbers advantage, I thought they were bound to be an uncoordinated mess, with only Drake really being able to do any big damage. But Pryce...I thought he was washed up. That performance said otherwise.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I think this was the performance that many expected to see when Pryce fought against Lance. I think his performance in the Tournament in general was a far cry from the arrogance that he used to have. I think that, if not for Milotic, his Mamoswine might even have taken out Garchomp.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  John's Tyrant has my vote. Not to put down our Cynthia, but I thought Lance's Dragonite was the most impressive until John beat it. That was THE coolest fight I'd ever seen, and I don't think we will ever get a fight that's CLOSE to what we just saw in a long time.
  
  So yes, for being able to beat up Lance's Dragonite - Tyrant is the strongest for me.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Are we all just accepting the fact that John is basically a Champion now? I mean, he might as well go all in and be a Champion in person by challenging Lance directly, right? Oh man, I can't wait to see them fight for real if that was the case!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I think the article describes it quite well - if Tyrant is not a Champion's starter, then what would qualify? Let's be real, if we include John's political influence and unofficial title as Lance's right hand man, I'm pretty sure that he just doesn't want to displace Lance.
  
  Besides, he's firmly a Champion in my heart.
  
  [A ROMANTIC ANNOUNCEMENT?! A SURPRISE DECLARATION FROM CHAMPION CYNTHIA AND ELITE JOHN AS THEY ANNOUNCE THEIR RELATIONSHIP!] By Baby Doll Eyes
  
  [Picture of Cynthia and John on the podium making their announcement]
  
  With all the regions opening up to the public, it was only a matter of time before two high profile members of their respective Leagues would find themselves in a relationship. But who would have thought that Champion Cynthia and Elite John from Sinnoh and Indigo respectively would be dating?! We certainly didn't expect it!
  
  However, the truth was laid bare to us today as the two of them made their announcement.
  
  While their announcement was short and mostly focused on reassuring the public about the political implications of their relationship, we here at Baby Doll Eyes really only care about how their relationship began. Did they form a bond during the time that they spent in Sinnoh together? We know they had resided together at the Celestic Town Research Center and went cave exploring together. So was that how they got together?
  
  Though, as much as we hate being cynical, could this be a political relationship despite their words to the contrary? After all, we have really yet to see them interacting in public, so we don't really know how romantic their interactions are yet! Hope we can see more of them in public in the future!
  
  Either way, considering Wallace's strong words of support regarding their new relationship, and the lack of any immediate opposition from the others, it appears that the upper League leadership is at least not hostile of the two's relationship. We hope that this holds, the last thing we want to see is for a budding couple to be broken apart due to the interference of third party busybodies.
  
  Personally, this writer thinks the two of them look very cute together, with the two of them serving as the quintessential power couple.
  
  What do you all think about this? Are you cheering for the cute couple? Or are you sad that your head-canon shipping now require adjustments? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS BUT I'M CELEBRATING ANYWAYS!
  
  I STILL THOUGHT JOHN AND BRUNO WOULD MAKE A GREAT PAIR BUT THIS WORKS TOO! CYNTHIA AND JOHN LOOK VERY CUTE TOGETHER!
  
  EDIT: I just realised that this completely shatters my current ships. I'm going to have to rebuild.
  
  PianoLover
  
  IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! NOT HIM! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
  
  Jokes aside, definitely think the two of them got to know each other better during their shared time in Sinnoh when John visited. They must have hit it off during those 'cave explorations'!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Let's go John! Always knew you had it in you! You and Champion Cynthia will make a great power couple! You two will be the strongest in the world!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I knew I wasn't just imagining things when I saw them together at Celestic Town! Congrats, Cynthia!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Far be it for me to comment on the personal relationship of the two of them - I'm more interested in what this means for politics anyways.
  
  Based on John's past record, I can trust that he's responsible enough to not let his personal relations get in the way of his political ones. Plus, Wallace's public affirmation for them is a good sign. We've never had two high-ranking members from different Leagues be in a relationship before, but I'm cautiously confident that we will only see good things come from this relationship.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  A Champion and an Elite Four dating, from two different regions no less, who would have thought that a day like this would come?
  
  I guess it's no surprise that they announced this after their back-to-back wins. It's just a very casual reminder that the two of them truly earned their positions. I think any potential haters (not that I am one) just got a clear reminder that, relationship aside, these two are extremely formidable trainers that are not about to be displaced from their positions.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Echoing Wallace's words, if this relationship gets to be maintained far into the future, this would be such a huge win for bringing our regions closer together. Hope any opposition is not too intense.
  
  FutureAce
  
  LOL! Could you imagine someone trying to challenge them over this relationship?! What are they going to do, just beat TWO Champions?! LOL! It'd be Shin all over again!
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Yeah, not sure on what to think about them dating yet, but Arceus the two of them being together make for a strong couple. It's practically like two Champions dating each other. I'll be waiting and seeing if they can truly maintain their neutrality despite everything.
  
  Wonder if distance is going to be a problem for them.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I like their confidence and the fact they were brave enough to announce it. Many others would have tried to keep it a secret, so I'm glad about the transparency. Whatever comes, I'm in support.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  I hope this doesn't mean that John will be whisked away by a Sinnohnian. I smell a trap. Or perhaps John could be the one to persuade Cynthia to leave Sinnoh - we would always welcome another powerful trainer.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Oh calm down. If you actually properly watched the announcement it was pretty clear that they're in love with each other. Your cynicism is revolting.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Yeah the transparency really sold it for me. Especially for Cynthia, since she's newer at this politics thing than John. It shows that she's trying to be accountable to the people, which is good.
  
  Honestly, I'm tentatively supportive of them. I hope good things come out of this!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Okay, wait a minute. If they're dating, does that mean that her Garchomp and Tyrant will be training together? That sounds...monstrous. Can't wait to see them in action.
  
  [Conflict breaking out in Sinnoh? Criminals looking to take advantage of the Tournament end up embroiled in a civil war?] by Sinnoh News
  
  Despite the festivities and celebrations created by the Tournament, as well as the new lease on life that Sinnoh has adopted ever since their ascension of Cynthia as their new Champion, not everything is well in Sinnoh as problems that were previously buried deep beneath the surface have now begun to bubble up again.
  
  Though not completely unexpected, the absence of many of the strongest trainers from Sinnoh, even for a short while, has allowed criminals to resurface - despite the increased presence of Jennys. However, this resurfacing from the criminals may not have been entirely voluntary, as they have seemed to be embroiled in some kind of internal conflict.
  
  From the few witness reports that we managed to obtain, it appears that those involved were two different groups of criminals that had begun fighting for an unknown reason. Whatever the case, the fighting seemed to escalate quickly, and things quickly got loud.
  
  Fortunately, the Jennys were able to swoop in before the criminals could cause any more harm with their infighting and secured many arrests before the crooks could scurry back into their hidey holes. The Sinnoh police have yet to reveal their findings following these arrests, but we hope they reveal the reasons behind this internal conflict to the public soon.
  
  This writer fears that this may be a sign of bad things to come for Sinnoh. We sincerely hope that our newest Champion is up to the task of handling these threats before they can disturb the peace and order that Sinnoh has just managed to re-establish.
  
  Comments
  
  GodBidoof
  
  ...Sad to see that these scum are so willing to take advantage of a time that is supposed to be of celebration and happiness. But I guess that's what you can expect from these criminals.
  
  I hope the Sinnoh police release their findings from their financial investigation soon. Criminals don't just fight each other for no reason.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  The silver lining is that at least these events took place AFTER the Tournament is already over. It would've sucked if the mood was ruined by the actions of a few stupid criminals.
  
  PianoLover
  
  From a relationship announcement to this?! Man, Cynthia really has a lot on her plate.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Glad to hear that the criminals are at least fighting themselves rather than terrorising the innocent public. Forgive me for saying that I don't quite care if they continue fighting each other - in fact I encourage it!
  
  Better themselves than us!
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Things weren't supposed to turn out like this...
  
  A.N. So we're finally at the Pokenet Interlude - I do sincerely hope that this covered everything you hoped it would. And yes, some foreshadowing about certain events that are taking place in the background, which will be covered soon.
  
  Also, a reminder that this Friday's Chapter will be the short Interlude chapter, as this full-length chapter has been swapped around with it so that you could get it early.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-1 -Interlude- Archer
  The New Normal - 11-1 - Interlude - Archer
  
  The plan was set.
  
  Following his discussions with his boss, Archer had gotten everything ready. His team had been briefed, as far as possible while keeping the grand scheme of things still confidential, and preparations were made to strike at the Sinnoh terrorists when they next made their move.
  
  Of course, Archer had to be very careful about it. Any kind of plan that involved intentionally drawing the attention of the authorities always had great risks attached, and the threat of psychic interrogations meant that he had to play things extra safe.
  
  While Archer personally doubted that the Sinnoh Police would jump to psychic interrogations right off the bat - as such practices for obtaining information were, rightfully, deemed as the last-resort option only. And minor skirmishes that didn't involve civilians certainly weren't at that level.
  
  Still, that was why Archer had hired on disposable mooks to be used for this exact situation. It was surprisingly easy to find criminals desperate enough for a quick and substantial paycheque; it seems like whoever was running things for the terrorists haven't been recruiting as much as they could have been.
  
  Archer supposed it was difficult convincing a rational person to join a group dedicated to reshaping the world. It took a certain level of extremism to be okay with that.
  
  So, Archer's mooks were paid well, given the right resources, and they were taught what to say if they were ever caught to point the fingers at the Sinnoh terrorists and deliver the right information to the authorities. But should they be captured and subjected to psychic interrogations, they wouldn't know enough to expose his plans since they didn't know anything about him or most of his team.
  
  They had been very careful with how they corresponded with the well-paid cannon fodder.
  
  The rest of his team, meanwhile, were to hang back and direct orders. They would be safely out of the way to retreat in time before the authorities could catch up.
  
  And now was finally the time to strike.
  
  He had split his team into two, both of them following a different group of grunts as they went about their dastardly business. Just like they had done before, the grunts were loitering around Lake Valor, likely scouting it out for some reason or the other.
  
  Archer knew that the Jennys had been temporarily moved away from the Lakes and prioritised towards patrolling the city centres, since the latter were of far higher priority to keep safe in normal circumstances with the absence of the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion.
  
  But that was perfect for Archer's purposes. It gave him time to smack these grunts around before the authorities could respond.
  
  There would be no escape for them.
  
  He brought his radio to his lips, "Go."
  
  Instantly, flashes of light popped out around the forests surrounding the lake. Shouts of surprise could be heard as his ambush begun, and attacks were quickly thrown around as panic spread rapidly from the attacks that were flying in from all directions.
  
  It was loud, it was chaotic, and it was a complete mess.
  
  Archer knew that his mooks were disposable for a reason, and they did not live up to the discipline that he usually demanded of his subordinates.
  
  But for today's purposes? That was good enough. He had brought in enough numbers to completely overwhelm his foe. A lack of discipline wouldn't matter at the moment. Not when the grunts were also taken by complete surprise - many of them hadn't even managed to throw out their Pokémon before they were swiftly taken out.
  
  In fact, the generalised chaos of all of this would help sell the idea that this was an internal conflict. And something done for revenge rather than as part of a wider plan.
  
  Archer watched the ambush unfold with a critical eye. Another purpose for this plan was to evaluate the level of training and the resources that these grunts had access to. But watching them fight today, he found that there was nothing remarkable about them.
  
  They were decently well-trained, and were definitely better than the mooks he had hired, but were still nothing impressive. Nor were their Pokémon anything out of the ordinary - they weren't fielding anything notable or exceptional. Clearly, the lack of funding had hurt them.
  
  Seeing that the battle was going well, Archer turned his attention to his watch and radio. He had teams monitoring the nearby cities for any reactions from the Jennys, and to report to him as soon as they set out for Lake Valor. The loud fighting was bound to attract attention.
  
  Then his radio buzzed to life, "Team 1 has taken out all targets, over."
  
  "Understood, start the clean up but keep making noise to attract attention, and be ready to get out of there when I say so, over." He replied. That was good. That meant that the Jennys were about to have plenty of evidence.
  
  Then his radio buzzed again, "-this is Lookout. The Jennys are moving out from Pastoria City and are on the way, over."
  
  "Copy that, over." He nodded. It was time to leave.
  
  He quickly ordered his team for a full orderly retreat, making sure to recover as much evidence as they could that pointed to their involvement. Any of his own mooks that were knocked out in the fighting were quickly recovered and extracted, while they deliberately left the terrorists there to be captured before they scorched the area in flames to muddle up any evidence that could point his way.
  
  Just as the Jennys arrived in full force, he had radio confirmation that his teams had all successfully evacuated. Archer himself decided to stick around while remaining concealed with his binoculars to make sure that the Jennys found what he wanted to them to find, and they did.
  
  He watched from his hiding place as they arrested all those grunts, many of the Jennys frowning as they carefully inspected the carnage that they had wrought in their ambush. Archer hoped that the capture of over a dozen grunts would be enough of a wake-up call to alert the Sinnoh League to the presence of these terrorists once again.
  
  But if that wasn't enough, then this was only going to be first of many ambushes that would take place. Archer was going to control the chaos so that it would be impossible for the Sinnoh League to ignore that they had an infestation problem that they had to sort out. The politicians could no longer sweep things under the rug any further.
  
  Satisfied that the Jennys had got what he wanted them to, he left the area while thinking of his next steps.
  
  After a few more ambushes like this, one of which was scheduled for tomorrow assuming everything stuck to plan, it would be impossible for these terrorists to hide their activities in the shadows. Whether they wanted to or not, the Sinnoh League would be forced to act, and Archer and his team would make sure that they had plenty of evidence to act upon.
  
  And his boss was only too happy to ramp up the pressure.
  
  A.N. Just a reminder that this chapter was the one that was swapped with the Pokenet Chapter on Wednesday. We will be back to the normal schedule next week.
  
  And Archer finally acts. Once again, I wanted to highlight how useful having a team of criminals on hand when dealing with other criminals. Archer's role is mostly at an end, and it will soon be time for the authorities to take the stage and start really uncovering the operations of these criminals.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-2 - Grand Opening
  
  "You seem to be chatting up a storm, I hope I'm not being left out." Cynthia joked as she approached us, having finally managed to temporarily extract herself from my family's questions.
  
  "Not at all." Karen replied, "I was just talking about my Elite Four run."
  
  "That's good. I have-" Unfortunately whatever she was about to say was cut off as a few League officials approached Cynthia.
  
  "Champion Cynthia, apologies for the interruption, but there's an urgent matter that requires your attention." The official informed her.
  
  "I see." Her face immediately turned serious, the mask of a Champion being slipped on, "Then lead the way."
  
  She turned to me before she left, "John, let's talk again later."
  
  I nodded as I watched her leave.
  
  As she left, Whitney stepped up to me with a look of concern in her eye, "That sounds serious."
  
  "It probably is." I murmured, though I think I knew what Cynthia was called away for. If my timing was correct, then Archer would have just launched his plans to ambush Team Galactic and bring them into the spotlight.
  
  But I needed to know how things were going. "One sec," I told my family, "I need to make a call."
  
  I stepped away from them and dashed out of the arena, making sure I was somewhere far away from any eavesdroppers or cameras before I rang up Giovanni.
  
  "Giovanni, do you have any updates on what's going on?" I cut to the chase.
  
  "I was just about to call you - but Archer succeeded." He was quick to tell me, "Everyone got out, and the criminals were all arrested by the Sinnoh police. I assume your girlfriend was just informed. Congratulations, by the way."
  
  "Thank you." I said, but I focused on what was important, "Is Archer going to be stepping up his efforts? Trying to expose more of these criminals?"
  
  "Yes, he tells me he's planning to do more ambushes in the future." Giovanni confirmed, "It serves two purposes. One, it'll diminish the terrorists' numbers even further, which will be especially useful since Archer reported that they aren't recruiting as much as we would have expected. And two, the controlled chaos that we'll spread will make it impossible for the Sinnoh League to ignore. If your girlfriend is smart, then she'll make full use of this opportunity to push for more drastic actions." Or you could advise her to do so, was what he implied but left unsaid.
  
  "I'm sure she'll have things well in hand." I replied, remaining confident in Cynthia.
  
  Like Giovanni said, now was the golden opportunity for us to strike and expose Team Galactic. But Cynthia, as the Champion of Sinnoh, needed to be the one calling the shots and making the right orders.
  
  I trusted her to do so, "Anyways, thanks for the update. Is there anything else I should know about?"
  
  "No, that's it from my end." He responded, "Archer and I have done what we can. But now it's time for the authorities to step in and clean up the mess that we've uncovered. I can't help you on that front, it's mostly going to be up to you."
  
  "Understood. I won't waste this opportunity." I said firmly, "Let's talk again soon. I'll update you if I need you for anything."
  
  I wrapped up my phone call with Giovanni and met up with my parents once again. They were all giving me questioning looks at my sudden departure, but Karen saw the look on my face and told them that it was best not to push me for answers.
  
  I gave her a slight nod in appreciation, and I temporarily shelved any thoughts about what was happening in Sinnoh for the time being. Ultimately, I WASN'T supposed to know anything, so my hands were tied until I was officially 'told' about what was going on there.
  
  So shaking my thoughts away from that, I refocused on my parents' conversation, "...You know you don't have to accompany us to Mauville, Karen. You don't have to be there for the grand opening." My mom told her.
  
  "Especially since you have your fights in the Finals soon." My dad pointed out, "You could use this time to train if you need to."
  
  "It's fine, it's just the afternoon." Karen waved them off, "And I want to be there too. I know this is a big thing for your family, and I want to be there to celebrate it with you."
  
  That got a beaming smile to form on my mom's face as she pulled Karen into a hug, one that my sister decided she needed to be a part of. While that was happening, my dad turned to me.
  
  "Are you able to call up Steven to be here for the grand opening?" He asked me, "It's okay if he's not available, but if he's promised to come then it would most effective if he came now."
  
  "I'll give him a call." I nodded, before doing exactly that.
  
  "Steven here." He picked up.
  
  "Steven, it's John." I greeted.
  
  "Oh! John! What a surprise!" He exclaimed cheerfully, "You know Bruno and I were both very surprised by what happened today. Both with your victory over Lance and with your announcement. Congratulations on both!"
  
  "Thank you." I replied. The fact that Bruno and Steven were such close friends was STILL throwing me for a loop. But it was pretty amusing.
  
  "Bruno and I actually have a bet on what'd made you happier - your victory over Lance or your relationship with Cynthia." He informed me, "Please tell me it's the former."
  
  I chuckled, what kind of question was this?
  
  "...I'm going to avoid answering the question." I ended up saying, maybe a bit cowardly, "I'm just very happy about both. With beating Lance, it's a testament and proof to myself and my team that our training wasn't for nothing, and it's something we all collectively should celebrate - for it is a great achievement."
  
  "On the other hand, having a girlfriend that you truly feel right with is...irreplaceable." I continued, "I don't know how I would rank one over the other."
  
  "Hm. Guess we both lost, then." Steven faux-grumbled, "Looks like I'm going to owe Bruno a favour now..."
  
  Steven began muttering to himself, so I coughed to interrupt him, "Anyways, Steven. I called you because I was hoping you could attend the grand opening of our new shop in Mauville. Are you free at the moment?"
  
  "Ah! I knew I was forgetting something!" Steven snapped his fingers, "Yes, apologies. It totally slipped my mind. Don't worry, I'll head there right away with Bruno. Thank you for the reminder. It would be unseemly for me to break my promise."
  
  Bruno was coming too? That...was a pleasant surprise. His inclusion could only be a good thing for PR. "Then I'll meet the two of you there." I told them.
  
  The call ended soon after that, and I repeated Steven's words to my dad, who looked happy what he heard.
  
  "If the both of them are coming, then I think our grand opening of our little shop is bound to be a success." He smiled hopefully, "Maybe it'll be more popular than we expected."
  
  We arrived at Mauville City shortly afterwards. It had been a long time since I had been here, and I could tell that Karen and I were both reminiscing about our old memories here.
  
  "...Did you know that I caught your Whismur here?" I told my sister.
  
  "Really?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.
  
  "Yes, I remember that." Karen chuckled, "It was a small and shy little thing. I'm pretty sure it was attracted by the sounds of our little party and from the smell of the food."
  
  "It was also frightened by my team." I laughed, "It's come a long way since then, hasn't it?"
  
  It wasn't just Whismur that had come a long way, but the city of Mauville as well. Whereas before much of it was still under construction, with much of Mauville still empty, now it was a different story. Though there were still areas under construction, much of Mauville City had already been built. Many shops and stores had settled in, and I could already see crowds of people walking around the place as they enjoyed the large variety of attractions available here.
  
  It really was starting to become the Mauville City I knew from the games.
  
  My family and I carefully manoeuvred our way around the crowds as we headed to where our store was. Thanks to Joseph's efforts, we had gotten a prime location for our store - it was right next to the exit to Route 110, where the huge Cycling Road was.
  
  It was the perfect location for a store that sold drinks.
  
  Plus, the effects of my popularity had clearly made itself known right now, as the relatively small store had a crowd of people waiting around it as they took pictures of the grand opening. Our employees that we had hired to run the place looked a bit overwhelmed at seeing the huge crowd that they had gathered there, and I overheard them worrying about whether they had enough supplies to serve them all.
  
  That only got worse when the crowd caught sight of my arrival, and I instantly became the centre of attention as I was bombarded with questions. Amidst the utter chaos that was their tide of questions, I was barely able to register that most of their questions either revolved around my victory over Lance or my relationship with Cynthia.
  
  Fortunately, before I was completely overwhelmed, our two guests of honour had also arrived. Steven and Bruno rocked up, with the former being as eye-catching as ever in his ever-immaculate suit and pristine outfit that looked like it was worth more than the newly opened store.
  
  And then there was Bruno.
  
  If Steven was eye-catching because of the obvious wealth on display, then Bruno was eye-catching because of the obvious muscle mass on display. The man was, as usual, a big hulking brute that literally towered over us. I was used to seeing Bruno, but for the common people, seeing his absolutely colossal figure was jaw dropping. Even Karen and Whitney, who had been standing next to me, blinked surprisingly at Bruno.
  
  "...He's big." My sister whispered, getting a small chuckle from me.
  
  "John! Congratulations! Hope I made it just in time!" Steven greeted me with a handshake, casually but deliberately pushing past the crowd and freeing me from their grasp.
  
  "No, it should be me thanking you. I appreciate you coming here." I smiled back, and then greeted Bruno with a nod that he returned. The crowd immediately began chattering as the two arrived, with cameras flashing as people hurried to take their picture. However, some tried to get even more pushy now that they were here, but a quick glare from Bruno reminded them to remain polite.
  
  Ah. No wonder Steven kept Bruno around. The man was a walking reporter repellent.
  
  Then, my sister eagerly ran up to the two of them, "It's nice to meet you! I'm Whitney! John's sister! I've heard about you, Bruno, I saw your match against John! You're very strong!"
  
  Apparently my sister's enthusiasm was too much for Bruno's stoic demeanour, and he broke into a slight smile, "Thank you. He was a worthy opponent, one that I would like to fight again in some time."
  
  "What were you thinking about when fighting John?" My sister continued to ask more questions, "You actually took out his Ursaluna! I want to know how you did it!"
  
  That started an animated discussion between the two of them as my sister pestered Bruno with her questions, though he seemed happy to entertain her. My sister's charm proving overwhelming once again.
  
  "They get along surprisingly well." Steven commented with an amused look on his face, then he turned to Karen, "And you have my apologies for not greeting you earlier, Karen. It is nice to meet you again. I heard you were fighting your way through the Conference?"
  
  "I am." She confirmed, "That's something you're going to be attempting next year, isn't it?"
  
  "You have that right." Steven nodded as he patted Bruno on the shoulder, "That's why I hired this big lug to train with me. Having a training partner really helped."
  
  Karen chuckled, "Tell me about it. Training with John was more useful than weeks of self-study."
  
  "...You know, I've always been curious about something, Steven." Karen continued, "Everyone knows you're rich, but does that actually translate into benefits for training your Pokémon? Surely with your level of wealth you must have access to certain resources that make things easier."
  
  I also listened intently. This was something I wanted to know too.
  
  "That's a good question." Steven approved, "And yes, there are plenty of resources out there that are available to those who can afford it that can actually give you a leg up. But it's not nearly as useful as you think beyond the earlier stages of training."
  
  "For example, there are always private teachers out there that specialise in training Pokémon. If you can afford their high rates, then they'll help train your Pokémon FOR you. Not only that, but so long as you have the money, it isn't difficult to just buy yourself a powerful Pokémon to start with. Many of my peers with similar levels of wealth to mine make use of these tools." He explained to us.
  
  "However, it is my opinion that relying on such methods end up being detrimental to your development as a trainer." He said, "Let's use Bruno as an example. There is no way that he could replicate his level of training and discipline in his Pokémon if he relied on using cash to substitute his own hard work."
  
  "Your Pokémon need to see the hard work that you put in for them. And ultimately, they are your Pokémon, and only you can accurately tell what they need to work on to better fit your preferred method of fighting. No amount of money can fix that."
  
  "That being said, I won't be denying that money is not useful. Of course it is. Having money means that you can throw it at a bunch of smaller problems and make them non-issues. And it really helps out when you're first getting started, since you'd be able to buy as many Pokéballs, healing items, etc. as you want. However, to get to the level of strength shown in your match against Lance, you could never get there by just relying on wealth alone."
  
  Karen and I both nodded at that, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a few people had been recording our conversation. There was no way Steven didn't notice them - did he say all this intentionally?
  
  Either way, I fully agreed with his words. Having money helped, but it wasn't enough to rely on it.
  
  Then my dad's voice cut through the crowd, "Okay! Thank you to all of you for being here for our humble little opening! I am greatly honoured and proud to finally introduce what will hopefully be the first of many of our shops in Hoenn!"
  
  "Of course we couldn't be here today without the help of our son - who you all will know as the famed Elite Four of Indigo." My dad smiled as he pulled me close, "Therefore, we have a special treat for everyone today! For the first hour after our grand opening, anyone who makes a purchase will receive a complementary autograph from John!"
  
  "And me too!" My sister chimed in, "I mean, if anyone wants mine, I'll be happy to sign!"
  
  That got the crowd excited. This was something that we agreed upon as a family. Although they were reluctant to rely fully on my popularity, it was undeniable how effective of a marketing opportunity this was for the business, and I was happy to help out.
  
  Therefore, for the next hour, that was what I was doing. I spent some time manning the counter alongside our other employees, giving out autographs to anyone who wanted one. There were many that also asked Whitney for her own autograph, though most of them didn't know who she was outside of 'being John's sister'.
  
  Still, there were some that recognised her for her achievements as a trainer - and that recognition caused a beaming smile to form on my sister's face that never really went away. I was just glad to see that I didn't completely overshadow her.
  
  Steven, Bruno, and Karen actually left shortly after the grand opening, after the necessary pictures were taken. Apparently they had agreed to spar with each other.
  
  I couldn't help but wonder who would come out on top. I didn't know enough about Steven to give an accurate prediction of his strength, and I felt that Karen and Bruno were very evenly matched to the point where I couldn't guess who would win.
  
  Bruno would destroy Karen's Pokémon if he managed to get close. Yet at the same time, Bruno might have trained up his Pokémon's mental discipline, but I strongly doubted that it would be enough to deal with Karen's specialised way of fighting.
  
  Nevertheless, the next hour passed peacefully and enjoyably, even if my writing hand was becoming to become strained from all the signing I was doing. But it was all worth it after I saw the proud and satisfied expressions on my parents' faces.
  
  This was proof that they had made it. That they could be more than just impoverished farmers struggling to make ends meet. It was a sign that the family business could expand and grow beyond the borders of Indigo - that it could truly become an international business and compete with the best of them.
  
  After my duties at the grand opening was done with, I made my way out and was about to call up Karen to ask her about her match before my phone started ringing first.
  
  I frowned as soon as I realised it was a conference call. From Lance. I tapped into the call and found myself in a room with Lance, Wallace, Drake, Lorelei, Lucian, and Cynthia.
  
  This was serious.
  
  "Hello, John. Thank you for joining us." Lance greeted, lacking his usual friendliness, "I hope you're in a secure area, because we have important matters to discuss."
  
  "One second," I quickly ran over to an empty spot outside of Mauville City where there would be no eavesdroppers, "Okay, go ahead."
  
  Cynthia started them off, "Lucian has informed me that we have recently made a handful of arrests of criminals that we suspected are related to those terrorists that caused serious damage in both Hoenn and Indigo. Upon further interrogation, we have come to realise the true extent of their infiltration within Sinnoh and the true number of resources available to them. Of course, this is something we have always suspected, but today we have finally gotten confirmation about several of their bases that they possess within our borders."
  
  "As we speak, they have been labelled as international terrorists, with operations already underway to secure and capture these bases and return them to the hands of the authorities - and we have already made some significant findings. Namely that the amount of resources made available to these criminals prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that one of the big businesses in Sinnoh or a coalition of them have secretly been backing these terrorists."
  
  "Unfortunately, we do not know who that is at the moment. But we know that one of them must have forged their reported numbers during the first audit that we performed for them. And I suspect that this may be because they have an insider working to help conceal their illicit activities. Considering the wealth of resources that they seem to have, this seems to be the most likely reason why we were unable to find any anomalies until now."
  
  "As a result of possible criminal infiltration into our ranks, the Elite Four and I have collectively elected to reach out to both Hoenn and Indigo for assistance to root out these international terrorists. More specifically, we would ask that you send over teams of auditors to assist us as a neutral third party to identify where these terrorists are getting their resources from, since it is extremely unlikely that your groups will have similar spies implanted within. I know that Indigo specifically has the Indigo Revenue Service, and I am formally requesting their assistance."
  
  "Also, do not worry about any issues about confidentiality - all audit results are made accessible to the public anyways, and the fact that we're working to uncover international terrorists should stave off any other criticisms."
  
  Lance spoke up next, "I have already agreed. Lorelei, this will be your next big task for your new organisation. I will be sending you and your team over there posthaste. Do well."
  
  She nodded firmly, though there was a hint of excitement that she failed to fully hide. This was a wonderful opportunity for her to prove her competence and further establish her credentials as the 'anti-corruption' expert. If she did well here, then she could use her achievements to catapult her political reputation.
  
  Wallace was next, "Drake, John, I understand that you both are planning on heading to Sinnoh soon for a brief holiday?" We both nodded, "Well consider your holiday converted into a working holiday. Lance and I both agree that the two of you should be sent over to Sinnoh as a show of force and to help out in case of emergencies."
  
  "We don't expect you to have to really do anything, but just the two of you being there should also add pressure and cause the terrorists to reconsider before they take part in any rash actions." He explained, "After all, after your successes in stamping them out of Hoenn, I doubt they will be so keen to face the two of you again."
  
  We both nodded in understanding. I didn't really mind, since I got to spend time in Sinnoh.
  
  "Then that will be all from us today." Cynthia concluded, "You all have your orders. I apologise for how abrupt this all was, but I fully intend to eradicate this criminal threat to Sinnoh before they can be allowed to fester even further."
  
  "Thank you once again, and I will speak to all of you again soon in Sinnoh. Have a good day." With those final words, she ended the call. However, even though the contents of the call were serious and slightly concerning, I couldn't help but smile.
  
  Because we were finally taking the fight to Team Galactic. They had slipped up, and now they were going to pay the price for it.
  
  A.N. Mostly a set up chapter for many other things that will take place over the rest of the arc. And the time for Team Galactic to remain in the shadows is about to be over. They will be brought into the light.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-2 -Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 11-2 - Interlude - Whitney
  
  Even though Whitney would have liked to spend more time with her parents and brother, she knew that they had their own things to do and wouldn't have time to play around with her.
  
  A few years ago, she would have been sad about that. But now she had her own responsibilities and duties that she had to attend to, so now she could understand why they had to do the things they did. She herself had to return to the Saffron Gym to continue her duties as a Gym Trainer - asking for a holiday on such short notice was already taking advantage of their generosity.
  
  So even though she had to return to Indigo alone, Whitney was filled with happy thoughts. Her parents were over the moon about their latest expansion into Mauville, and her brother had won a big victory that he completely deserved.
  
  It was nice to see her family doing so well.
  
  Therefore, after a day's journey on ship, she made her return to the Saffron Gym and resumed her duties there. Sabrina was quick to approach her upon her arrival.
  
  "Welcome back." Her best friend smiled, "How was it?"
  
  "You should've come!" She grinned, "Watching the match in person was so much better than when we watched everything on our phones! It's sad you weren't there!"
  
  "Mother needed me here." Sabrina replied, "She had things to teach me."
  
  Whitney nodded. She knew that Sabrina, like Janine, had already begun learning how to become an effective Gym Leader like her parents. The extra lessons did limit the time they were able to hang out together, but they always made time to train together.
  
  Speaking of training together, "So how was my Girafarig? Did you guys get along?" Whitney had left her Girafarig with Sabrina while she headed to Hoenn so that it could train together more with Sabrina's Girafarig. Ever since she started working at the Saffron Gym, Whitney had been trying to develop its Psychic skills - especially after seeing the real potential of Psychic types while working as a Gym Trainer in a Psychic Gym.
  
  "Of course we did." Sabrina replied, "And your Girafarig is making fast progress, if a little slower than my own. But yours seems to have far more stamina than mine. Either way, I think they're close in terms of strength. They both have grown a lot since we first caught them."
  
  Whitney smiled, "That's good. Do you have time now? I want to see how they're progressing." Sabrina nodded, and the two of them walked over to the training fields where their Girafarig were already there practicing.
  
  The two Pokémon had their eyes shut as a faint pink aura surrounded their whole body. But what they were really trying to accomplish was that they were trying to channel Psychic power with their tails.
  
  This was something that Sabrina had pointed out to her some time ago. During one of their training sessions, Sabrina had identified that she could sense a faint hum of Psychic power radiating out from their tails. That wasn't too unusual, since it had been common knowledge that Girafarig's tail had a mind of its own and could act independently of the rest of the body.
  
  But this led both Sabrina and Whitney to speculate that it might be possible for its head to fire off its own attacks as well.
  
  They theorised that if they could train up the tail to also be able to attack, then that would suddenly add a whole new way for their Girafarig to fight back. It would allow them to fire attacks WHILE retreating, and could land follow-up attacks that their enemies wouldn't expect. In summary, they believed that it would make both their Girafarig a lot more powerful if and when they mastered this.
  
  It was because of this that they both decided to dedicate a majority of their training time to have their Girafarig practice channelling Psychic power with their tails. It was a slow process - it clearly wasn't easy for them to do this, but since neither of their Girafarig noted any discomfort (in fact, the opposite was true), they both felt that this was definitely the way forward to forging a powerful Pokémon.
  
  And now, after several long weeks of determined focus and lots of practice, she could see that they were both close to mastering this. It helped that by working together, they were able to learn from each other's mistakes and accelerate the process even further. Like Sabrina said earlier, they seemed to be close to mastering this.
  
  "Giraf!" Then suddenly, Sabrina's Girafarig cried out as its tail began glowing a bright pink, humming with Psychic power.
  
  Whitney was about to shout out her congratulations before the impossible happened - a blinding white light exploded out from Sabrina's Girafarig.
  
  She shielded her eyes from the bright rays of light that suddenly flooded the training fields, but inwardly she was filled with shock. What was happening here?! Since when did a Girafarig have an evolution!?
  
  Moments later, as the dazzling white light faded away, the training fields were silent as they all stared in awe at the newly evolved Pokémon that had appeared in front of them. It was more than double the height of her own Girafarig, and it literally towered over everyone there.
  
  "Farig! Farigiraf!" Sabrina's newly evolved Farigiraf called out in excitement and pride. Outside of its height, even Whitney could feel the thrum of Psychic power that radiated out of it.
  
  Whitney lost the ability to speak for a moment as she just stared at Farigarif with shocked silence, still unable to fully process the fact that they had just discovered a new evolution.
  
  THEY DISCOVERED A NEW EVOLUTION!?
  
  It was only the calming pat on the shoulders from Sabrina that had allowed her to regather her thoughts. She turned to Sabrina and found her looking as calm as ever, yet the slightly hurried movements betrayed her hidden surprise at what they had just discovered.
  
  "We need to do some testing." Her friend said, her voice not sounding nearly as calm as she usually did, "I will tell mother, you stay here and help observe its new power level of this 'Farigarif'. I suspect we will be very pleased with what we find."
  
  Whitney was about to nod her head when she saw Farigiraf suddenly lower its long neck towards her own Girafarig. They both had their eyes closed as a small link of Psychic power flowed from Sabrina's Pokémon into hers.
  
  She watched slowly as the small orb of Psychic energy moved through her Girafarig, guided by the minds of both Pokémon, and slowly entered into its tail. Moments later, her own Girafarig's tail was shining with Psychic power.
  
  And then the world exploded with light once more.
  
  While Whitney was forced to shield her eyes once again, mentally she had shut down. She had no idea what was happening anymore. All she knew was that they had just accomplished two back-to-back evolutions that hadn't been discovered before.
  
  She was so glad that Sabrina would be dealing with this with her. She wouldn't have a clue about how to handle this.
  
  A.N. It finally happened! I know the Girafarig evolution was hinted at for some time, but here it is! Sometimes, a series of coincidences, luck, and insightful observations and can lead to the most surprising of results. I thought that Sabrina and Whitney were definitely the pair that would discover Farigiraf, considering how much they train together and their shared skills. And now with a Farigiraf on their team, Whitney and Sabrina just got a lot stronger!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-3 - Back to Sinnoh
  
  My stay in Hoenn ended up being wrapped up pretty quickly. I barely had half a day to reorganise my things before Lance told me that a ship would be waiting for us at Ever Grande City to set off for Sinnoh early in the morning.
  
  Whitney had left earlier, so I ended up saying goodbye to my parents before I made my way to Ever Grande City with Karen. She had booked a ship home that was departing around the same time as ours, which was why we headed there together.
  
  "This might be presumptuous of me, but do you have plans for after you win the Indigo Conference?" I had asked her as we ate breakfast at a café near the docks. We had arrived a little too early.
  
  "I appreciate the vote of confidence." She chuckled, "As for my plans...you'll have to see. I think you'll be quite surprised."
  
  I looked at her strangely, "Weren't you going to be challenging Will? I thought that was what you and Agatha had planned for."
  
  "That was what we had planned for." Karen nodded, "But things changed. I realised that I needed to do more to prove myself, to show the world that I'm not just following in Agatha's footsteps. I need to show them that I can and will surpass her in my own way."
  
  The way she spoke made me realise something, and my eyes widened.
  
  "...Don't tell me you're planning on challenging Agatha? That's-" I was about to say more, but she interrupted me.
  
  "Yes." She confirmed, "Like I said, it's something that would do wonders for my reputation. It's not going to be an easy fight to win, but I've been feeling especially determined recently. Perhaps it's after watching you and Cynthia show up the world like that." She grinned at me.
  
  "Besides, there's another reason I want to fight the old hag." She continued, before dropping her voice into a whisper, "...I don't want her to be in the Elite Four anymore. Not because I think she's too weak for it or because she doesn't deserve to be there, but because I don't want to her health to worsen by stressing over the responsibilities of her position."
  
  "At the same time, I know Agatha is someone who would cling on to the position stubbornly, refusing to give it up even if it does her more harm than good." She frowned, "But this way, if I'm the one overthrowing her, I think she'll accept it and finally give her time to rest. She's old, and yet she still refuses to retire because she doesn't want her precious Lavender Town to 'lose her protection'. My victory, if I manage it, will allow her to finally retire and receive the rest she deserves."
  
  "I'll prove to her that she can leave things to me."
  
  I smiled. That was a good reason to fight Agatha. I knew that, more than the boost to her reputation, wanting the person that raised her to finally be able to rest was the reason that resonated most with Karen.
  
  With that in mind, I could rest assured that Karen's heart was in the right place, and that she would be able to muster up her full determination to win against Agatha.
  
  She was going to need it. Agatha was a much more difficult opponent than Will.
  
  We wrapped up our breakfasts soon after that and Karen left for her ship first, leaving me alone and waiting for my colleagues to arrive. I didn't have to wait long though, as I found the huge procession of the League suddenly storming their way onto the docks.
  
  And in the front of that group were the people that I wanted to see. Lorelei, Drake, Lance, Wallace, and Cynthia were all headed my way.
  
  A smile immediately appeared on my face as soon as I saw my girlfriend, and I didn't hesitate to take her hands into mine as she approached. The reporters that had followed the group instantly began taking pictures of this open display of affection, but we didn't need to hide ourselves any more.
  
  Our relationship was public knowledge. And I couldn't be any more happier about not needing to sneak around anymore.
  
  "...Good to see you here." I said softly, then I frowned when I saw the bags under her eyes, "It looks like you had a busy night."
  
  "I did, sorry for not calling." She replied, "It's hard to coordinate things when you're not there in person. I'll be glad when I get back to Sinnoh."
  
  "-Sorry to cut the two of you off, but we need to get moving." Wallace suddenly approached from behind, "The ships are about to leave."
  
  The two of us nodded and followed after him, where we rejoined all of the other members of the League. Not all of us would be leaving for Sinnoh; Lance and Wallace were both going to remain behind for certain discussions.
  
  So that left me, Cynthia, Drake, and Lorelei to be the ones leaving, not counting all the other officials and assistants that would accompany us.
  
  Our pictures were taken a few times, and there were some boilerplate speeches about the benefits of working together and how we would going to help facilitate the continued prospect of Sinnoh and all other kinds of supportive words. Then we were off.
  
  As the boat set off, I naturally joined Cynthia on the deck of the ship just so I could spend more time with her. Even though there might be further opportunities for us to spend time together in Sinnoh, even despite our duties, I was just relishing in the opportunity now that we no longer had to hide our relationship with each other.
  
  And I knew she was going through some stressful times at the moment, so I felt I should do my duty as her boyfriend to help keep her mind off things.
  
  Therefore, after a little cajoling, the two of just ended up sitting together on one of the lounging chairs on the deck of the ship, simply lying next to each other as we enjoyed each other's presence and chatted idly about a whole host of random topics.
  
  Of course, our public display of affection drew some attention, but they were borne out of curiosity rather than anything else. Either way, we did our best to ignore them.
  
  "Let them stare." Cynthia had whispered to me when I asked if she minded, "If this ends up hurting our reputation, then we simply have to fight to earn it back. Now that we've gone public, there's no need for us to hide our actions anymore. In fact, we might be able to win a few of them over like this. It humanises us."
  
  "Or do you not like snuggling against me?" She pouted to me, and my response was to give her a light noogie, getting a shocked laugh from her. I then wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer against me in apology, which she gracefully accepted.
  
  "...So how did the grand opening at Mauville go?" She asked me as she rested her head on my shoulder, "I feel bad for missing it."
  
  "Don't worry about it, you were busy enough anyways." I waved her off, "Besides, we had a huge crowd anyways thanks to Steven and Bruno attending. I think if you came as well then the audience might have gotten too starstruck."
  
  "There is such thing as too much of a good thing." Cynthia nodded wisely.
  
  "...Hmm, did you know that I had once thought of opening a business?" She told me.
  
  "Really?" I looked at her curiously, "What did you want to do?"
  
  "Oh I never intended to run a business full-time; my passions were always towards the sciences rather than business." She said, "But I've always been interested in running an ice cream shop."
  
  That was so absurd that I couldn't help but break out into a laugh, "An ice cream shop?! What?"
  
  She grinned, "You know I love ice cream. So I just thought - if I liked eating it so much, why don't I just create my own?"
  
  "To be fair, it was never a very serious idea." She admitted, "Just something that I like to think about from time to time."
  
  "You must really love ice cream then." I smiled. That was so cute of her.
  
  "Of course. Ice cream is the greatest dessert in the world." She declared passionately, "And I will fight you if you say otherwise."
  
  "Hey, I didn't say anything." I put my hands up playfully, "I enjoy a good ice cream myself."
  
  Then I had a thought, "You know, my parents are looking to expand into more milk-adjacent products. Ice cream could be one of them. Plus, we did just open a drinks shop in Mauville. I don't see why we couldn't open a specialty ice cream brand-"
  
  "YOU MUST TELL ME IF YOU DO." Cynthia's eyes were SHINING as she shoved her face into mine, her face warped into one of almost crazed intensity, "I WILL be designing a flavour."
  
  Then as she realised how close she was to me, she coughed and pulled back. Her face was tinged with a hint of red, "That is, if you don't mind. We might be dating, but I don't want to pull rank and demand you make something for me. I just would really appreciate it."
  
  I burst out into genuine laughter, "You don't have to be shy about it. If ice cream is something that my parents do decide to expand into, I promise that you'll be the first to know. And yes, I'll ask if you can design a custom flavour."
  
  She squealed with excitement and kissed me on the cheek, "That would be incredible! And I automatically volunteer my services as a taste tester if you need one."
  
  I ended up laughing again as I returned her kiss with a peck on the lips as we both returned to a comfortable silence, the two of us just staring at the beautiful waves and the Pokémon that swam around within it. For a moment, the two of us forgot about our broader worries as we simply enjoyed the view around us.
  
  I didn't know how long we stayed like that for, but the two of us ended up falling asleep with our heads resting on each other's shoulders.
  
  We probably would have stayed like that if someone hadn't placed down two plates of food in front of us.
  
  "Hm?" I rubbed my eyes as I yawned, carefully stretching my arms so I wouldn't hit Cynthia in the face. My moving around ended up waking her too, and the two of us both shared another yawn as we slowly reawakened. The sun had already turned orange.
  
  How long did we sleep for?
  
  "Sorry for waking you." A voice suddenly made me remember that someone had woken us up, and I turned to see the apologetic look on Lorelei's face, "I just thought you guys might be hungry so I ended up getting you some food. I didn't mean to wake you both up. You looked very cute together."
  
  "No, it's okay. We appreciate it." I said for the two of us, reaching for the plates and passing one to Cynthia, "Especially since you got us some food. I didn't realise how hungry I was until I saw the food in front of me."
  
  "Tell me about it, I skipped breakfast this morning because I was too busy to find time for it." Cynthia groaned as she quickly took a bite out the sandwich that Lorelei had brought, "Seriously, thanks for this. You're the best."
  
  And then Cynthia demonstrated just how famished she was by devouring that sandwich in a few bites. I ate it at a more leisurely pace as I struck up a conversation with Lorelei.
  
  "So, any thoughts about your work in in Sinnoh?" I asked her, "And I thought you would be going with the rest of your auditing team. Where are they?"
  
  "We'll be meeting up together in Sinnoh. They're also heading there now from Indigo." She told me, "Truth be told, I'm equal parts nervous and excited. Excited, because this is my big chance to really prove my political chops to the world and actually make a difference. Which is also why I'm nervous."
  
  "Understandable. Big opportunities are often accompanied by an equal amounts of stress." Cynthia said after swallowing her sandwich, "The most important thing to do is to not look nervous."
  
  "Is that what you do? Just keep everything hidden?" Lorelei questioned.
  
  She nodded, "Of course - or did you think I was someone who never got nervous?" She chuckled, "I get nervous just like every other person. But if you keep a confident face, then eventually you'll trick yourself into actually being confident."
  
  "And think of it this way. You can't let your nervousness overwhelm you when you have a goal to achieve." Cynthia continued, "Like you said, this trip to Sinnoh is a big opportunity for you to prove yourself. So don't worry about failing. Focus on your goals and do your utmost to succeed and you'll find that the rewards will come quickly."
  
  "Thank you, Drake said something similar to me when I talked to him earlier." Lorelei replied, "Although his advice was a lot more...crass."
  
  "Where is Drake?" I asked while looking around, "I haven't seen him since we boarded."
  
  "He was looking for the two of you but decided against it when he found you flirting together." Lorelei chuckled, "I think he's currently getting some rest."
  
  Oops. Didn't mean to ignore him like that.
  
  "Ah damn, I guess I'll just speak to him more when we arrive in Sinnoh." I said instead, "Also, Lorelei, don't forget that you're free to call me any time if you need help with anything while you're there in Sinnoh. I don't want to muscle in on your authority, but I'll be there if you need help."
  
  "And I appreciate it, John." She responded, "But I'll do my best to not require your assistance."
  
  "Though I actually do have a question of my own." Lorelei said as she turned to Cynthia, "I wanted to ask about my uncle."
  
  "Pryce? What about him?" Cynthia asked curiously.
  
  "How was his strength? You just faced him in a battle, which is a lot different from just watching him fight. In your opinion, has he deteriorated as much as the news and the public have claimed?" Lorelei questioned, "Don't get me wrong. The man is an ass, but he gives occasionally good advice. I just wanted a frame of reference from a third party regarding his strength."
  
  I leaned forwards at her question. I was also interested in hearing this.
  
  "Well I only fought his starter, so I don't have an accurate assessment on his whole team, but..." Cynthia tapped her chin, "He's certainly not as weak as the rumours make him out to be. Anyone who watched that fight could see that he was far beyond the level of a mere Gym Leader, and was easily a match for most Elite Four members and their starters."
  
  "However, because I only fought one of his Pokémon, I can't tell how well his team works in a 6v6." Cynthia commented, "I just know that his Mamoswine would be a match for even a Champion's non-starter Pokémon. It's a powerful Pokémon, and shouldn't be underestimated."
  
  "Your Garchomp was able to run circles around it, though." Lorelei pointed out. "From my perspective it looked like you completely outclassed it despite the massive Type weakness you have."
  
  Cynthia snorted, "Don't take this the wrong way, but if my Garchomp would fall so easily then I wouldn't be Champion." I nodded at her words, "While my Garchomp may not be a match for Lance's Dragonite or John's Slaking in terms of raw strength, her speed and discipline more than makes up for that."
  
  "Speaking of, we should really find a time to fight again." I said to Cynthia, "I'd love to see how my stronger Pokémon match up against yours."
  
  She rolled her eyes, "Please spare my pride. If you sent out Tyrant I'd lose. I'm not ready for him yet."
  
  "Then we can try with my other Pokémon. I'd want to see how well my Ursaluna could match up against your Garchomp, for example." I said.
  
  "That would be a good test." Cynthia agreed, "Fine, we'll try to make some time for it in the future. And I was kidding about Tyrant by the way. I'd still want to challenge him with my Garchomp and see how well I'd fare against him, even if I know my defeat is certain."
  
  "We'll see when we find the time for it." I grinned, excitement visible in my eyes, "Things will be different to our first battle."
  
  "Speaking of finding the time for things, what are you and Drake planning to do while you're in Sinnoh anyways?" Lorelei asked, "I know you're going over there as a show of force, but then Lance said that you're free to do whatever unless you're called upon. So what are your plans?"
  
  "I wanted to take him cave diving." I answered, "Not only do I really want to share just how cool it is, I'd figure that someone like Drake, who I know must love exploring, would find going deep into caves to be right up his alley."
  
  "Plus, Cynthia had told me that they wanted to head deeper into the caves, and who better to bring along than someone as strong as Drake?" I said rhetorically, "It's just a shame that you can't join us, Cynthia. The three of us would be unstoppable."
  
  "I just don't think I'll have the time for it." She shook her head, "I'd love to join you otherwise."
  
  "I see...well surely cave diving isn't ALL you're going to do there." Lorelei pointed out, "Sure, I know it was originally meant to be your vacation, but still..."
  
  "I'll help out with law enforcement work if need be. I'm always happy to tear down a few criminals from time to time." I smiled again, but this one lacked any humour, "Not to sound arrogant, but Drake and I are both quite experienced at raiding criminals at this point. So we'll be around if you call on us."
  
  In fact, more than the cave diving, I was really hoping that we could secure some solid information to perform raids in. Even though I was excited about discovering more about the secrets that were lurking in the caves of Sinnoh, I still prioritised bringing down these terrorists more than anything else.
  
  "Not to worry, John. I'm sure Lorelei and I will do everything we can to uncover where these terrorists are hiding." Cynthia spoke up, "My predecessor might have slacked off on his duties, but I will not do the same. There's a lot of work to be done, but I swear that Sinnoh will be terrorist-free." Lorelei nodded along in agreement.
  
  That was the promise I wanted to hear. I trusted them to unravel the veil of public opinion that Team Galactic hid behind.
  
  The three of us moved on to more idle topics after that, until Lorelei eventually left Cynthia and I by ourselves once again. Not that we minded, of course, and we spent the rest of the trip once again enjoying each other's presence before we were going to get busy again.
  
  However, despite both of us not wanting this moment to end, it had to. And, before we knew it, we had arrived in Sinnoh. There was a small welcoming party for us, but no one really bothered to entertain them as both Cynthia and Lorelei, and their respective assistants, rushed off the ship and quickly got to work.
  
  They both had a lot of work on their plates. I wished them all the best.
  
  In the meanwhile, Drake and I exited the ship at a more sedate pace. Drake was looking around with an excited gleam in his eyes as he took in his surroundings.
  
  "I remember visiting Indigo for the first time all that time ago. I was a whole lot younger then." He reminisced, "But the feelings of excitement and wonder never really goes away. I really should have come here earlier. No wonder Phoebe was boasting about how cool it all was."
  
  "I felt the same way." I agreed, "Anyways, do you have anything you want to do first? Or should we head straight to Celestic Town?"
  
  "Let's head straight there. I'm fucking tired." He groaned.
  
  I looked at him strangely, "Tired? Doing what? Weren't you asleep this whole time? That's what Lorelei said."
  
  He grinned, "She bought that dumb fucking excuse? HAH! No I didn't go to bed. I'm old, but I don't need my fucking beauty sleep like the others."
  
  He shook his head, "No, I was busy diving underwater with my Pokémon."
  
  I had a spit-take, "You did what?!"
  
  He shrugged shamelessly, "Yeah, decided the ship was going too fucking slow for my liking and I was bored to death sitting on the ship with nothing to do. I didn't want to disturb you and Cynthia since you seemed so happy together, so I decided to make my own fun."
  
  A chuckle escaped him, "The League officials tried to stop me, of course, but I just told them to fuck off. I know my way around the waves."
  
  I blinked, that was a very Drake answer. "I see...and did you find anything interesting?"
  
  He scoffed, "'Course not. I was just diving around to kill time. I wasn't trying to find some underwater ruins or anything. Though Arceus does swimming around by yourself really put into perspective how fucking slow the ship is. I swear we need to have faster fucking ships. It's intolerable."
  
  Or maybe it was just you, Drake.
  
  The man continued to grumble as we saddled up and made our way to Celestic Town, though he quickly silenced as he took in the view of Sinnoh, as awed as I was when I first came here.
  
  It didn't take too long for us to arrive there, and we were greeting with a few familiar faces as soon as we landed. Before long, we were both escorted back to the Celestic Town Research Centre, where I was informed that they had already prepared my old room for me to stay.
  
  As I entered into my old room, there was only one thing on my mind.
  
  I was back at last.
  
  A.N. And John returns to Sinnoh! Hope you enjoyed the interactions that John had with everyone on the ship. This is definitely the calm before the storm chapter, and I wanted to have one more chapter where John can just hang out with Cynthia before the events unfold, especially now that they can do so in public.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-4 - A Rematch
  
  It was already the evening when the two of us arrived in Celestic Town, so Drake made the executive decision to rest for the remainder of the day because of how tired he was. So finding myself alone, I spent the evening catching up with a few people that I remembered from my time here and asking about how they were doing.
  
  More specifically, I was hoping to scope out how they felt for Cynthia and her new ascension as Champion, as well as my newly announced relationship with her.
  
  "To be honest sir, most of us expected to see it." One of the scientists told me while we ate dinner in the canteen, "I think it was pretty clear that you guys were being more than friendly with each other."
  
  "Yeah, we've known Cynthia for quite a while - I myself have worked here for over a decade, so we could tell she was acting differently around you." Another said to me, "I don't think you were surprising anyone with that announcement. Not here at least."
  
  "So you guys have no thoughts or comments at all...?" I asked.
  
  "Eh, we're probably not the best group to ask - biased as we are toward Cynthia, but we know you aren't the type to take advantage of a relationship or forget your duties because of it." They waved me off, "And besides, Cynthia has proven time and time again that she has the strength to become Champion. That's all that mattered in the end."
  
  I nodded. In such a strength-based society, where showing that you had the martial might to hold your position was a very important factor for your popularity, many things could indeed be overlooked so long as you possessed the strength to back yourself up.
  
  "And how has she been handling things in your opinion?" I continued to ask, "I just wanted to hear the changes she's implemented from you guys."
  
  "I think she represents, in a good way, the change and reform that Sinnoh is currently going through." One of them answered, "She's tearing down a lot of the old policies that created the stagnancy that the traditionalists loved to enforce. And I don't think anyone here really blames her for the breakout of crime. That's clearly a problem that remained from the old administration, and her response to it proves that she's alert and on top of things."
  
  "I believe that this is going to be her first major test." Another responded, "Since she's now working with many international actors to deal with this domestic threat, many people are going to be watching carefully to see just how she can handle all that has suddenly fallen on her lap. Will she be able to curb the criminal threat before it gets any worse? Will she fumble with international relations and set back all of the progress Sinnoh has made in recent times? Those are the questions that her critics will be looking to answer."
  
  I nodded understandingly. Cynthia had momentum on her side with her clean victory over the Elite Four, and I believed her showing in the Tournament would have drawn no criticism either, but she was still very new to her position. Doing well here would solidify her reputation for the years to come, and floundering would only empower her critics.
  
  That didn't mean that there were no second chances available - she was still very new and her personal strength couldn't be contested, but it would just make things much harder for her.
  
  I was confident it wouldn't come to that, but I vowed to help her when and where I could.
  
  "Anyways, John, how's your new Zoroark treating you?" A scientist asked me, changing the topic, "You know that we never managed to find that weird Sneasel evolution that escaped us that last time."
  
  "Yeah, Cynthia did mention that to me." I replied, "Sorry to hear that. I would have loved to have caught it at the time."
  
  "And speaking of my Zoroark, did you not see his performance against Agatha?" I smirked, " He did his team proud with that trick." That got a few chuckles from the group.
  
  "Don't worry about it, we appreciated that you prioritized getting us out of there over some discovery." He said easily, "And besides, now that both Drake and you are both here again, maybe we can have the strength to make it further down? We've been told that he was interested in joining us."
  
  "I certainly hope so." I grinned, "I've been itching for a good cave dive ever since I left Sinnoh. It's really an exciting thing."
  
  "Speaking of which, Cynthia said you were planning on going on another big expedition soon." I mentioned, "Has it already been planned?"
  
  "That's correct." The same man replied, "We've scheduled it to place a few days from now, since we wanted to work around when you'd arrive. We are doing all the last minute preparations now."
  
  "That does mean that we'll have to get Drake some practice runs first." Another pointed out, "It'd be dangerous and unwise for us to bring him so far down when he has yet to adapt to the cave systems of Sinnoh. Even for a trainer as experienced as him, it IS a dangerous place and not for the uninitiated."
  
  I nodded, "That's a good point, I'll make sure to bring it up with him so he can get some practice in. Though I wouldn't worry too much about Drake - despite his old age, he's quite adept at throwing himself into danger and getting out in one piece. I'm sure he'll do just fine."
  
  "We'll have someone ready to escort and teach him the basics tomorrow." One confirmed, "I assume you have your own duties, so just let us know when he's free and we'll be happy to assist."
  
  I thanked him for his help and our conversation continued like that into the night, before we eventually had to wrap things up as I went to bed early to get a good night's rest.
  
  Early the next morning, I decided my itinerary for the day with Drake. We both agreed that it would be important for us to 'wave the flag', so we would both be showing up at the Sinnoh League as a display of support as well as to offer our help if they needed it.
  
  I was also hoping to see if I could 'nudge' the analysts into looking in the right direction so that I could potentially save them some time.
  
  After that, if they didn't need us for anything else, then Drake was going to be cave diving to get used to things ahead of our large expedition. I offered to go with him, but Drake said that he'd just head down with an escort as to not waste my time. I knew better than to try to argue against Drake's stubbornness, so I just told him to have fun. I had other plans that I could potentially handle. Chief among them was Pryce's request to catch an Ice type for Lorelei.
  
  It wouldn't be impossible for Lorelei to catch her own Ice type now that she was here in Sinnoh as well, so I wanted to make sure whatever I got would be rare enough to satisfy Pryce. Just catching some random Snover wouldn't do, as it was likely something .0that she could easily catch her own.
  
  I'd have to see if I could stumble into something truly rare.
  
  Of course, after we finished off our breakfasts and began making our way to the Sinnoh League building, that was when I was hit by something that almost made me stood up while I was flying on Port.
  
  My sister had sent me a message with a picture, showing herself and Sabrina standing next to a pair of Firagaraf.
  
  "Look at what we discovered together! It's called a Farigiraf!" She had texted.
  
  As soon as I saw the text message, my first thought was one of utter bewilderment - how the fuck did they manage that? Even though I had hinted towards this in the past, I didn't expect them to actually manage to discover the evolution so quickly. I thought it would take much longer than that, especially since I didn't actually know the specific method that would allow a Girafarig to evolve into a Farigiraf. Perhaps the mutual synergy between Sabrina and Whitney was more potent than I expected.
  
  Well, I wasn't going to complain. And I immediately focused on what was more important. Which was on congratulating my sister.
  
  "Congrats, sis! When did you manage this?" I asked her.
  
  "Just yesterday. Sabie and I were both really surprised! We had NO idea it was going to happen!" She said.
  
  "Did you already reveal the discovery to the public?" That was the most important question. I was obviously happy for her - this discovery was huge for the both of them. But at the same time, I was worried about the undue attention she might receive if she had. Luckily, her next text resolved my worries.
  
  "No, Sabie's mom told us to wait for a moment while we confirm everything. She said not to rush through things." She replied, and I inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Thank Arceus that Katrina was there to step in.
  
  "Did she tell you what to do next? And what you should expect when you publish this?" I texted back.
  
  "Mhm. She warned us that the attention we get is not going to be all good. Also, because I'm just some Gym Trainer, they'll think that Sabrina did most of the work and I only coincidentally helped out." My sister said, "Also, she said that we might get many very stubborn scientists that will try to bother us just to get a better look at our new Pokémon."
  
  "But don't worry bro, I'm safe while I'm at the Gym!" She continued, "We're just going to wait for Gym Leader Samson to return before making the announcement so that we can make a proper announcement about it. Then they'll keep out any nosy reporters from the Gym afterwards so I'll be safe."
  
  I nodded. That was about how I would handle it too. I saw no problems with the way that they'll be announcing the new evolutions, and I said as much to my sister.
  
  Still, I couldn't help but think of the consequences about this evolution, both good and bad. Ultimately, I was proud of Whitney and Sabrina for making this discovery. For all the undue attention they might get, this was undoubtedly a large feather in their cap that would really help them establish a proper reputation for themselves.
  
  Coupled with their already impressive achievement of earning all 8-badges at such a young age, and their own connections, this gave them a solid foundation for them to really kick off their careers in the future.
  
  I had to put that thought aside for the time being as we arrived at the Sinnoh League building, and Drake and I dismounted to the flashing of cameras from the group of reporters that had been waiting around the building. Evidently they had figured out that our arrival meant that something was happening, and wanted to get good shots for their headlines.
  
  We quickly made our way into the building and were escorted to a large meeting room. Inside, there were a few members of the International Police and a few investigators from Sinnoh all working together. Lorelei and Lucian stood by to supervise them, though they both greeted us with small nods as we entered.
  
  "How's everything going?" I asked the two of them, "Need any help from us?"
  
  "Not at the moment." Lorelei shook her head, "We just had a briefing earlier this morning where we got a rundown of our duties and what we need to be investigating. We're going to be working together with the Sinnoh League to avoid any authority issues from cropping up."
  
  "And we're deeply appreciative of the extra manpower." Lucian added, "It will save us a lot of valuable time to have extra eyes taking a look at everything. Especially with the very real threat of spies within our midst, having a 'neutral' third party is very helpful."
  
  "Bah, I'm not good at all this numbers stuff." Drake scoffed, "Just point me at a threat and I'll take care of it. Isn't that right, John? It'd just be like old times."
  
  I chuckled, "Yes, it will be. But this time, they won't get away from us." Things were going to end here in Sinnoh. I vowed that this would be the end of the line for them.
  
  "Damn straight." Drake growled.
  
  I turned back to Lorelei, "So are you all investigating the bigger businesses right now?" I asked.
  
  "Yes, since we've narrowed them down to be the most likely culprits." Lorelei confirmed.
  
  "We're starting from the top, mainly because the larger companies have the most paperwork to look at." Lucian said, gesturing to the paperwork scattered around the table and my eyes followed after him.
  
  "...Is this the Galactic Company's paperwork?" I questioned.
  
  "Yes, we've decided to start with them first." Lucian nodded, "There's been some public pressure from the big companies who are claiming that this audit is an overreach of our authority, so another reason we're starting from the top is to clear the names of the big companies first before they make a bigger fuss."
  
  "Hmph. Corporations and their fucking greed." Drake grumbled, "Good on you for not bowing to public pressure. Damn them and their interference. We know there's a threat there, so they should be dealt with."
  
  Well that was just perfect. I didn't even need to say anything and they were already on the right track, "Then I wish you all the best of luck."
  
  Drake and I moved to leave the base, but that was when both of our phones started ringing in sync. We picked up and saw it was Aaron.
  
  "Drake, John. Do you have a moment?" He quickly asked.
  
  "What's the matter, son?" Drake answered, "We have time."
  
  "Our recent arrests have just revealed that the terrorists have a small base of operations located in Floaroma Town, near Valley Windworks." He revealed, "Cynthia asked me to call you to see if you'd like to join in. It would be a good PR move to have a 'big success' just as you arrived, especially with the Sinnoh Conference running concurrently."
  
  "So we're going to be puppets on a stage eh?" Drake replied, then grinned, "Not that I mind. I'll give your Champion her headline. Are you coming, John?"
  
  "Absolutely. Just point us where to go." I nodded.
  
  "Good. Then I'll meet up you guys there." Aaron said, "And remember, try to minimize collateral damage. We want this to be as clean as possible."
  
  I shot Drake a look. It wasn't me that he had to worry about.
  
  (Galactic Grunt POV)
  
  She slammed down the phone in a rush as she shot out of her seat. Their brave informants had just informed them that the unenlightened were on their way here to disrupt their important duties.
  
  Didn't they understand? They needed to be here to be able to obtain the vast sums of electricity from Valley Windworks in order for them to save the world. She didn't know which traitor ratted them out to the unenlightened, but she would do her duty to see the traitor punished for betraying the formation of a true utopia.
  
  That was for later though, as she yelled out to her fellow members that a raid was imminent. Ever since the foul corruptors had begun ambushing their fellow members, it had caused further delays that was hindering their ability to create the utopia that the world deserved. With their loyal members being captured, they were all sent new orders to be ready in case of a raid.
  
  Once a raid was imminent, they were to burn and destroy everything before the unenlightened could get their blasphemous hands on them. They would not allow the unenlightened to undo all of their hard work due to their ignorance and blindness.
  
  That was why she was in the basement, making sure to destroy all of the files they had about their plans for Valley Windworks.
  
  However, there was also an additional order. One that they all initially struggled to accept but bowed to the necessity of it for the greater good. In the case of a raid, their priority was not to escape. Unfortunately, their leaders had wisely realized that the chance of a successful escape was low, and the risk of an escapee accidentally revealing further hideouts was a real risk.
  
  Therefore, they were instead ordered to create as much chaos as possible to discredit the reputation of the Sinnoh police as far as possible.
  
  Their leaders had deemed the new Champion to be a willful participant of the stagnation and corruption that had infested their current world, and a woman stubborn enough to not be able to see the truth - to deny the paradise that they all deserved to enjoy. The public must be shown that the Sinnoh police were not to be trusted; they were merely the tools of the oppressors that blindly and ignorantly held them back from creating a perfect utopia.
  
  The sound of a door being ripped off its henges brought her out of her thoughts, and she was immediately bombarded by the screaming sounds of battle echoing around her. Realizing that there was no more time to waste, she had her Pokémon speed up the destruction of files so that there would be nothing for the unenlightened to find.
  
  After a few more seconds, and seeing that there was nothing left in the room but ash, she ran up to where the battle was taking place.
  
  As she ran up the stairs, she prayed to their boss. If she were to fall here, then she prayed that her life would have purpose - that her sacrifice would be used to create another footstep for the creation of their paradise.
  
  Her purpose now fortified, her Skuntank rushed into the fight, ambushing a Luxray that had been distracted with her colleagues' Purugly. A surprise Night Slash from her Skuntank staggered the Luxray just long enough for Purugly to hit it with a powerful Body Slam, sending the Luxray out of the fight.
  
  That was when a Scizor suddenly dove in like a blur and slammed the Purugly into the ground, dragging the Normal type across the ground as it flew. She tried to move in to assist, but an Ice Beam from a Kingdra froze her Skuntank in its tracks, just in time for a Slaking to come barreling into the fight like a wrecking ball and crashed into her Skuntank with dismissive ease, barely even acknowledging it as it was knocked aside.
  
  "SLAKINGG!" The Slaking roared, and her Toxicroak instinctively tried to charge towards it and pummel it with its deadly poisons, only to find itself flying through the air a second later as it took a painful uppercut in the jaw that likely shattered its chin. A different Purugly sent a Body Slam into it - only for the Slaking to barely move an inch before it bashed Purugly into the ground with its fists, literally burying it so that only its head remained above ground.
  
  Recognition flashed in her eyes as she saw the Slaking. Slaking were rare enough Pokémon, and there was only one trainer that was in the spotlight for using one.
  
  John was here. And considering that there was a Kingdra, that meant that Drake was here too. She had seen the news, and knew they were both currently in Sinnoh.
  
  The archenemy had arrived.
  
  From what her fellow members that were in Hoenn had described, Drake and John were the ones most responsible for setting them back in creating the utopia that they so desired. If it wasn't for their despotic strength, then the unenlightened would have never been able to drive them out of Hoenn.
  
  It angered her greatly to see someone misuse their strength like this. What was the point of Arceus granting you the ability to train up such strong Pokémon if you're going to use it to oppress those that just want to better the world?
  
  She could imagine what she would do if she would have that kind of strength. She would ensure that it would never be misused like John and Drake were doing - and would solely dedicate that strength for a true cause, instead of the corruption and hedonism that those two indulged in.
  
  That was when she saw him. The old man was standing by himself with a satisfied smile on his face, as if seeing the destruction of the faithful was somehow pleasing to him. He continued to walk into the battle without his Kingdra, arrogant enough to think that he was safe despite his Pokémon no longer being next to him as he continued to bark out orders.
  
  And those orders led to devastating consequences for their Pokémon. His Kingdra took centre stage in their battle, ripping through an entire line of Skuntank with a single Dragon Pulse, before his Blastoise did the same as it froze over an entire group of Golbat that had been trying to flank around the unenlightened. She watched as his eyes blazed with evil as he tore through their loyal forces like a one man army.
  
  And in this moment, she could see why the others had labelled Drake as the archenemy. The unenlightened had already outnumbered them, but the sheer malice that burned in Drake's eyes as he reaped a trail of destruction through their Pokémon was an affront to everything she believed in. She knew that she had to avenge her comrades that had fallen to this beast.
  
  He deserved to be brought low for all that he had done to hinder their righteous cause.
  
  So she snuck around, uncaring of the battle raging around her. Uncaring of the fallen and pained cries of her Pokémon and her comrades. Their sacrifices would all be worthwhile if she could end Drake, right here and now.
  
  Then, having snuck close enough, she broke out into a sprint as she brandished a letter opener, her eyes were locked onto the back of his neck as she charged towards him.
  
  Her feet brought her closer, and closer, and she was moments away from becoming a hero before she found the letter opener ripped out of her hand and a pained gasp to escape her lungs as she felt something strike her hard in the gut.
  
  Then she was slammed into the ground with an arm clutched around her neck. She forced her eyes open to see what kind of Pokémon had caught her off-guard, only to be shocked to find not a Pokémon staring down at her.
  
  But Drake himself.
  
  "Did you think you could sneak up on me?" The monster growled at her, keeping her pinned down with his cursed strength, "Fucking lunatics. As if I would be brought down by a mere grunt with a letter opener."
  
  He spat in her face, "Try harder next time."
  
  Then a Clefable appeared over his shoulder, and with a flash of blue in its eyes, she saw only darkness as her head lolled back onto the ground.
  
  A.N. And John and Drake get stuck into the midst of things once again. I thought it would be interesting to briefly explore the perspective of a Team Galactic grunt, which is so wholly different when compared to the POV of the likes of the Team Rocket grunt and Proton. They're insane, and I hope I showed that. Also yes, Drake can throw hands. Just look at the man's portrait!
  
  Also, apologies for forgetting to name this Arc. Yes, this is Arc 11 - "The New Dawn". Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-4 -Interlude-Lorelei
  The New Normal - 11-4 - Interlude - Lorelei
  
  At first, she was a little nervous about what she was doing here - in a room filled with investigators and professional analysts. She was none of these things, and her only skillset that set her apart from the men and women here was that she was a better trainer than all of them. But that didn't mean anything when the task was to dig through paperwork and look through the minute details.
  
  However, that nervousness disappeared when she realised what her true purpose was - and that was ensure that their regions were truly working together, and that Sinnoh wasn't just taking advantage of their help.
  
  Basically, her job was to be a symbol of Indigo's authority, to ensure that her team was being properly respected by the natives here. And considering the looks of approval that she got from her colleagues when she had settled a few early disputes between the two groups, she was confident that she was doing her job properly.
  
  It obviously helped that she got along well with Lucian, who she found to be a very able administrator and someone who knew how to lead people. He was also a very good fit with the group of investigators and analysts here, as he had a very keen eye for detail. Honestly, it was a little surprising to her that he didn't simply take up the mantle of Champion when there was a vacancy available, as she found him eminently suitable for the position. She made a mental note to ask why in the future.
  
  She supposed that was the reason that Cynthia trusted him so much to be her unofficial second-in-command.
  
  The next day, they had received the findings that they had uncovered from John and Drake's raid of that base in Floaroma Town. Unfortunately, none of that was really able to help her or her team. So as Lorelei entered the meeting room, she had expected to have to knuckle down with another day of difficult work.
  
  But as she walked into the room early in the morning, she found a scruffy looking member of her team parsing through the paperwork in front of him. No, scruffy was an understatement. The man looked like he hadn't even gone home. And considering the large bags under his eyes, he probably didn't even sleep either.
  
  "...I appreciate the work, but it's important to rest up." She said to him, "It's no good pushing yourself so hard when you can't work the next day."
  
  "Thank you, Ma'am, but I assure you I'm used to this." The man responded, "I used to do long stakeouts that could last over a few days at a time back when I was an investigator under the Indigo Police. This is nothing. And besides, I think I spotted something that doesn't quite add up here."
  
  "Really? What did you find?" She stepped up and looked over his shoulder. She kept her excitement down though, they had already been through so many false leads over the past day that it was hard to get excited about them anymore.
  
  "Look at how much Galactic Company is spending on their R Department." The man pointed out, "I know they're a tech company, but isn't this way too high?"
  
  "What makes you think that?" A voice appeared from behind her, and she turned around to see Lucian walking in the room. They shared an acknowledging nod before they turned back to the man.
  
  "You see, I've had to perform my share of audits and investigations into Silph Co and Devon Corp in the past." He revealed, "Both companies are tech companies with a large focus on developing their own technology, yet even they don't spend nearly as much into the R department as Galactic Company is reported to have."
  
  "...Could that be because the scale of what Galactic Company is researching is just bigger? They do research about alternative energy generation, after all." Lucian said.
  
  "That could be the case." The man agreed, she should really ask for his name, "But then that makes no financial sense whatsoever. Big companies have big operational costs and overheads. And ultimately, the goal of every company is to generate as much as profit as possible to fuel further expansion. If they're throwing this much money into R , they won't be able to expand or generate much profit."
  
  "Could be that Cyrus is just that charitable of a person?" Lucian suggested, though that argument sounded weak even to her.
  
  But what was more curious was the utter befuddlement and confusion on the man's face, "...Charitable? What part of Cyrus makes you think he's charitable?"
  
  Lucian blinked, "Ah, do you not agree? Well I understand that you're new to Sinnoh, but Cyrus is actually a well-known philanthropist-"
  
  "I'm sorry to cut you off sir, but respectfully, I heavily disagree with your analysis of Cyrus." The man interrupted, "The moment I saw him on screen, every instinct of mine was screaming at me that he was untrustworthy."
  
  He tapped at the paperwork in front of him, "It's why I've spent longer than I usually would to carefully scan through these files. My gut has never lied to me, and I know for certain that Cyrus is up to something nefarious."
  
  Lorelei was surprised at the certainty that he used to describe Cyrus. While she had never met the CEO herself, she had heard people talk about him, and they had nothing but praise for him. It was why they were looking into Galactic Company first in order to clear their name, because no one truly thought that Galactic Company was involved with anything shady.
  
  This man was the only person she knew who doubted otherwise.
  
  "...I'll reserve my judgment on that one, but I can appreciate the diligence, if nothing else." Lucian replied diplomatically, who was obviously still unsure about the man's claims, "So, back on topic, what do we have now? Or is it only the fact that Galactic Company might be spending a little too much money on their R department?"
  
  "I understand that it might be difficult to believe, but please trust me." The man nodded firmly, "This amount of spending is not normal. And what makes me even more suspicious is that they've tried to shuffle the money around, as if they were trying to hide it. Therefore, I believe that Galactic Company have intentionally reported false figures so as to conceal where they have truly spent their money."
  
  She could see Lucian hesitating, so it was time for her to step in to back up her colleague, "Lucian, this is our first lead - one that hasn't led us down a false end. We should be diligent and look into it as far as possible. Call in other experts to check their own opinions. Discuss it as a group. We should explore every avenue."
  
  "...Yes, my apologies. You're right. I let my biases get ahead of me for a second there." Lucian turned to the man and bowed slightly, "I still have my doubts, but I agree that we should look into every minor detail. A lot is at stake here, so we'll have a proper discussion about your hypothesis and see if it goes anywhere."
  
  "That's all I ask sir, thank you for trusting me." The man bowed in return.
  
  "Actually, I never actually got your name." Lorelei added, "Sorry, I know I should keep a better track of everyone on my team."
  
  He waved her off, "It's fine, no one expects you to remember us all on the first day. We were just glad you stood by and stood up for us when you needed to."
  
  The man extended a hand, "And the name's Looker. It's a pleasure to work with you."
  
  A.N. Progress is being made! And yes, I thought Looker deserved a small bit of time in the spotlight. He's an integral part in the games for uncovering Team Galactic, and I thought he deserved to do the same here. For all of his goofiness, the man is effective and competent when he needs to be.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-5 - Big Steps
  
  To my surprise, things were moving much faster than I had expected over the next few days with our progress in uncovering the public shield that Team Galactic were hiding behind.
  
  Lorelei had told me that thanks to her one of her subordinates, which I later learned was actually Looker, they had a lead that they were working towards that they hoped would provide some evidence of wrongdoing.
  
  It wasn't anywhere close to a jackpot, but it was a good find. It also injected some much needed motivation and direction to the analysts, since now they actually had a direction to work towards instead of fruitlessly going through endless paperwork.
  
  However, on Drake's and my end, we didn't have anything to do that could help them. Our raid at Floaroma Town didn't lead to any more clues, though I did hear that there were a few arrests that were made, but other than that it was mostly just used as a PR event like we were told it would be. So we were mostly paraded around as pictures were taken for the news to publish headlines about how we were 'fighting back hard' against the sudden spike in crime.
  
  Which wasn't actually wrong.
  
  And for once, I didn't mind too much that I was being used as a PR piece. I knew how important it was to reassure the public of Sinnoh that our joint efforts here were actually making a positive difference in improving the situation. Plus, I was keenly aware that the more the public could see about what I - and by extension the rest of Indigo - could accomplish with Sinnoh, the more accepting the public would be of my relationship with Cynthia.
  
  I knew that despite Wallace's inspirational words in support of our relationship, there were still some that were on the fence about an Elite Four from Indigo dating the Champion of Sinnoh. I hoped that my continued support for the benefit of Sinnoh would help convince some of the fence-sitters that our relationship would only be advantageous to our regions.
  
  I trusted that Cynthia and I were both working very hard to make our relationship a political reality.
  
  Outside of that, Whitney and Sabrina ended up publishing their discovery about the new Farigiraf evolution, following advice from Sabrina's parents. It wasn't the most exciting of evolutions to have been discovered; Girafarig were never very popular Pokémon to be used in high level battling due to their relatively weak potential and rarity, but any newly discovered evolution was always going to be very popular in the news.
  
  However, the fact that this evolution was endorsed by the Psychic Gym of Kanto meant that there was a lot of extra credibility to the strength of the evolution. That was certainly reflected in the large amount of activity on the Pokénet, where there was much discussion about the potential uses of Farigiraf and if it should become a staple in high level Psychic teams.
  
  They very wisely pointed out that having a Psychic type that was immune to Ghost type damage was very valuable. Especially one that was relatively bulky compared to other Psychic types that also potentially doubled as a physical attacker if needed. There were only a few Psychic types that could actually fight back on the physical side of things, so having another option was very useful.
  
  Of course people were comparing Farigiraf to Wyrdeer, since they shared the same type and were similar in many ways. In fact, that was the main points of discussion that I saw, with many arguing who was the better Pokémon between the two.
  
  I didn't care so much about that and instead focused more on what this discovery meant for Whitney. The news had dug up her relation to me, and therefore were drawing comparisons with her discovery of Farigiraf and my discovery of Wyrdeer and Ursaluna. While that did put her under my shadow once again, it undoubtedly helped spread her name to the wider world.
  
  Not to be arrogant, but the fact that she was seen as following in my footsteps was a good thing. I knew that she wanted to pave her own path, but I was happy for her to use my reputation as a stepping stone for her to get started. She wasn't going to become an overnight sensation from this one discovery alone, but I was confident she could build something up from this just like I did.
  
  I would keep a close eye on this to see if there were any further developments. Fame could cut both ways, and while I was confident that Katrina and Samson would help, I wanted to make sure I was there to support my sister in case of any controversy came her way for whatever reason.
  
  Moving on from all that, today was an exciting day for me. Since we had done all the flag waving that we needed to do, that meant that Drake and I's schedule were mostly free. For Drake, this meant that he was able to start doing some cave diving to get acclimatised to everything in preparation for our big expedition. I also joined in a few of those, since I wanted to remind myself about the potential dangers that I would have to stay alert for.
  
  According to what the explorers told me, we were aiming to go even further than where we got to last time, thanks to the fact that we could rest and set off from the forward base from the get go. Still, that didn't make the expedition any easier.
  
  Fortunately, though it came to little surprise to me, it turned out that Drake was predictably adept at cave delving. He took to it like a Salamence to the skies, and those that were tasked with guiding him had nothing but praise for his ability to adapt to the unusual and normally dangerous conditions of the caves.
  
  "Even if I didn't know he was an Elite Four member, I would still be impressed by Drake's stamina." One of the explorers told me, "You would have thought that he had done cave diving for years rather than just a few days."
  
  "I still dive with my Pokémon, son. And let me tell you that the waves around Route 132 and Pacifidlog Town aren't any less dangerous than the shit that you have to deal with in caves." Drake smirked proudly, "Have you tried running away from an angry Sharpedo when you're getting pushed into one by the oncoming waves? Good times."
  
  "...How did you get out of that one?" I had to ask.
  
  "I punched it in the nose and kicked it in the jaw to buy time for my Gyarados to deal with it." Drake grinned, his eyes taking on a nostalgic gleam, "That was one of my prouder moments."
  
  The explorers and I shared the same look of bewilderment and confusion; all of us sharing the same silent agreement that we wouldn't prod into more of Drake's wild past.
  
  With that insanity out of the way, we had gotten ready and heading towards the entrance to the caves once more, setting off for another expedition. Cynthia was unfortunately unable to join us due to having her own obligations to deal with, but she sent her well wishes to all of us regardless.
  
  As we headed there, I noticed that a small little pink tent that was decorated with a Wigglytuff's face had been set up right outside the cave. I turned to one of the explorers with a questioning look.
  
  "Oh? That?" He chuckled, "Yeah, we noticed that there was a group of Pokémon that liked to hang out outside the cave and munch on apples. No idea why they do so, but they seem like they were friends, so we built them this little tent that they can use to hangout. I think a Bidoof has joined them too."
  
  "Yeah, they're like our mascot or something." Another explorer said, "Dunno what they're doing here, but they're cute. I see them roleplaying around like a guild or something."
  
  I smiled, "I see. That's very fitting." I silently wished the new guild all the best in their adventures. Maybe one day they'll get to explore the very skies themselves.
  
  The banter all cut off as we entered the caves. Without the reporters joining us, this time there was no excuses for unprofessionalism. As stacked and as experienced as our team was, we knew how important it was to manage our energy and make sure we didn't engage in unnecessary fights. So we all kept silent and alert as we carefully, but quickly, headed down the caves towards the forward base.
  
  We got lucky this time round and weren't harassed by many wild Pokémon. A Hippowdon had tried to ambush us with an Earthquake, but it was swiftly spotted and taken out before it could wreak havoc through our group.
  
  Therefore, we made good time as we arrived at the forward base, which had really been revamped and developed since I was last here. Instead of the ramshackle and haphazardly set up tents and equipment like it was before, the new forward base almost reminded of a military outpost, with sandbags, stocks of food, and a heavy patrol of trainers surrounding the perimeter to make sure that no wild Pokémon could come barrelling in and destroying everything in sight.
  
  While we all took a quick break to rest up and restock on our supplies of potion and food, I spent the hour chatting to a few people that I recognised to pass the time. Drake did the same, though he mostly spoke to the Ace trainers that were in charge of the perimeter as he asked about the strength of the local wild Pokémon. We also switched to much more cold-resistant clothing and equipment.
  
  After our hour of rest, we did another reminder of our route down before we steeled ourselves and set off into the darkness and icy depths once again.
  
  The sudden drop to freezing temperatures, although expected, was an instant reminder of the dangerous adventure that we were about to head into, and our descent continued even slower and even more methodical than ever. Even Drake, who had been boasting about being as resilient as it came, quickly adopted a look of focus as the wave of frost enveloped him.
  
  I didn't know how long it took, but we eventually found our way back to that big cave opening that we were in last time, which was where Cynthia and I ended up catching Wraith and Kleavor respectively. However, this time round, the opening didn't contain any undiscovered Pokémon, just the typical Pokémon you'd expect to see this far underground, such as Mamoswine, Probopass, and the like.
  
  This was where we paused to take stock of the situation. In order to continue downwards we would have to cross through the large opening, but doing so would undoubtedly attract the attention of everything here. Which was why we had to retreat last time.
  
  But Drake put it best, "We have to fight anyways, so might as well do it on our terms." He said, "Start off strong and scare them off with our power." A round of nods was his response.
  
  So our group retreated back up the path for a moment to release our Pokémon in cover and out of sight, before we charged back into the fray surrounded by the roars of our Pokémon.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Blastoise!"
  
  "Hyper Beam, Smough!"
  
  Our two Pokémon stood side by side as they both unleashed a torrent of water and energy respectively that ripped through all that they came across. The wild Pokémon were startled out of their idling as the twin beams wreaked havoc amongst their ranks, with many of them gasping or shrieking in surprise at the sudden attack.
  
  Any Pokémon caught within the beam found themselves quickly pinned to the walls and mercilessly knocked out.
  
  Then Vordt came charging forwards, the earth shaking and quaking as he did while he left a deep trench in the ground in his wake. Rocks were torn out from the walls as they flanked his charge, creating a storm of rocks that came hurling towards the unprepared wild Pokémon. Those that had managed to avoid the twin beams of Smough and Blastoise now found themselves facing down a barrage of rocks that were no less devastating in their terrifying power.
  
  A lone Mamoswine that tried to stop him was shouldered out of the way and knocked onto the ground dismissively as if it was nothing more than an afterthought. Another Walrein was unable to escape out of the way in time and had a Hammer Arm smashed into its stomach, sending the wild Pokémon crashing into the nearby wall.
  
  Since the opening was so large, we had all released our full roster of Pokémon in a show of intimidation and force, attacking quickly and in all directions to scare away the wild Pokémon before they could regroup and counterattack.
  
  All that could be heard within the opening were the sounds of destruction and battle as we all unleashed every attack that we could. Drake's Gyarados was a whirlwind of violence and power as it rampaged through the wild Pokémon, joining my Vordt in creating as much havoc and chaos as possible as it tore through the ranks of the wild Pokémon with a storm of Aqua Tails and Iron Heads.
  
  Unlike last time, this time the trainers accompanying us were far more prepared, and a violent barrage of Psychics, Flamethrowers, Ice Beams came firing in all directions as we pushed forwards as fast and as aggressively as we could, showing no mercy to whatever stood in our way.
  
  All resistance was quickly and efficiently shut down. It didn't matter how outnumbered we were by the wild Pokémon, our assault was so surprising and brutal that it managed to send the fear of Arceus into their hearts and frighten them away.
  
  Unorganised and undisciplined, the wild Pokémon almost unanimously decided that retreat was the better part of valour and quickly escaped from the opening, choosing to turn and run rather than fight; with many of them dispersing before they could get caught up in our ruthless assault.
  
  The 'battle', if you could even call it that, hardly lasted over a minute. But the result was that the clearing had gotten even larger than before thanks to the wanton devastation that we had wrecked through it.
  
  Loose rocks were slowly falling from the ceiling, new craters had been smashed into the floor and walls, while long trenches of destruction now marked the clearing.
  
  It was fortunate that there was nothing of historical value here.
  
  "Hmph. Cowards. They should have stood and fought." Drake grumbled as he withdrew his Pokémon.
  
  "It was best that they didn't." I placated, "We had to retreat last time because we got so overwhelmed."
  
  "Bah. It would've been a good fight." He frowned, but I knew he was just complaining for the sake of it. So after we withdrew most of our Pokémon, checked that the cave wasn't about to collapse on us due to our violent bombardment of attacks, we continued forwards, heading into now unexplored territory.
  
  As we travelled further down, we had to deal with whatever remnants of the fleeing Pokémon that had just escaped our terrible onslaught. But since they were no longer in such big numbers, it was relatively easy to deal with them in their smaller groups.
  
  No, the bigger problem had nothing to do with the wild Pokémon. Instead, it was the constantly dropping temperatures that seemed to grow colder with no end in sight. I could literally feel the frost seeping up my specialised cold-resistant clothes.
  
  Fortunately, we had not come unprepared. Even as cold as it was, the experienced explorers were ready. Additional Fire Pokémon were sent out, using their natural heat to stave away the cold. Carefully insulated Heat Rocks were also taken out and stuffed into everyone's pockets. Some guy even took out a box containing a Magmariser to serve as a super-charged Heat Rock.
  
  That last guy got some weird looks when he did so. A Magmariser was too expensive to be used as a mere Heat Rock.
  
  Don't get me wrong, it was still freezing cold, and we were forced to stick near our Fire type Pokémon to even stay reasonably warm, but it was manageable and the explorers reassured us that we were at no threat of frostbite for now. I had never been so thankful to see a Rapidash before in my life.
  
  "...I'll be happy to get back to Hoenn after this." Drake whispered to me as we slowly headed down, "I don't think I've ever felt so fucking cold in my life."
  
  "That's why I told Cynthia that the beaches of Hoenn are way better than this." I whispered back.
  
  "Fucking Mt. Chimney would be better than this shit." He complained, "Exciting or not, I prefer to be able to feel my fucking face."
  
  I didn't disagree, but I kept my complaining to myself as I tried to keep as quiet as possible while we continued moving. It was at this point that one of our explorers spoke up.
  
  "This cold isn't natural." He whispered to us, "That's something that we long suspected about these caves. We initially guessed that it might be due to all the Ice types living here, but even then, the temperature shouldn't be dropping this much so quickly. But now that we are actually here to take readings, we're sure that this cold cannot be normal."
  
  Someone rolled their eyes, "I think the large ice crystals that are hanging off of every wall could have told us that. Look at them. They're the size of my arm! And there's thousands of them!"
  
  He wasn't wrong. As kept heading down, the cave systems that we explored were literally entirely frozen over. This far down, everything was just ice and frost, and large pieces of ice were jutting out everywhere. The more haunting part of it was that there wasn't a single non-Ice type Pokémon in sight. It was then that a thought came to me.
  
  "Hey...could you try melting the ice with your Infernape?" I asked one of the explorers.
  
  He nodded and ordered his Infernape to do so. However, as the flames washed over the ice, the ice refused to melt. Even as Infernape powered up his Flamethrower so that it covered the whole wall, the ice remained as firm and solid as ever.
  
  "...I think that just proves it." I pointed out, getting various nods of agreement from the group.
  
  "Let me try." Drake stepped up with his Kingdra as it unleashed a Hyper Beam that cut into the walls. My eyes widened as the beam was only able to drill a small hole into the frozen wall, managing to penetrate - but not nearly as far as expected.
  
  And this was from Drake's Kingdra, a Pokémon who's Hyper Beam was strong enough to have brought down many an Elite Pokémon in the past. There was no way regular ice would have been able to resist it - and would have simply been sheared through by such a powerful Hyper Beam.
  
  This unnatural resilience proved that something wasn't quite right here, and everyone knew it.
  
  The confirmation of this strange phenomenon caused a wave of tension to flood over the group. This was a whole different experience from finding ruins or a new Pokémon. This was something completely unknown, and none of us had ever experienced something like this before.
  
  Still, we weren't cowards, so we swallowed whatever unease we might have felt and continued on our expedition, taking pictures as we went to document this phenomenon for future study.
  
  Time passed slowly but tensely. The air only continued to grow colder and colder as we made our descent. Despite all of our preparations, the cold was starting to get to us, and there were a few muttered concerns that we might not be able to continue if it grew any colder.
  
  Fortunately, that never became a concern as we suddenly stopped at an enormous drop that overlooked a huge clearing that was teeming to brim with Ice type Pokémon - as if we had stumbled onto a huge nest of them.
  
  No, it was more than a nest. It was an army.
  
  My gut was screaming at me that whatever was the cause of this unnatural coldness could be found down there.
  
  However, besides their sheer numbers, there was another Pokémon that caught our attention as it lumbered around slowly like a massive block of sentient ice and rock, looking like a mini-glacier had just uprooted itself and grown legs. There were also a few, smaller Pokémon that looked like miniature ice spikes following after them.
  
  The shocked gasps told me that I was the only one who recognised them for what they were. They were Hisuian-Avalugg and Bergmite.
  
  The snap of a camera drew my attention away, and I saw that the explorers were very carefully leaning over the big drop to take photos of the new Pokémon. But Drake had a more considering look on his face.
  
  "What are you thinking about?" I asked him.
  
  "Whether we can take them all on." He answered.
  
  "You can't be serious." One of the explorers said to Drake, "Don't you see how many of them there are? You might both be Elite Four, but you're incredibly weak to Ice types, Drake. And even if you weren't - we're still massively outnumbered."
  
  "No, we can take them." He grinned, "We're not in a trainer battle right now. Didn't we already chase away a huge group by scaring them off? There's no way we can't replicate that once again. And, like it or not, but we need to get down there. I bet you we'll find something."
  
  "I agree." I spoke up before they could argue against him, "I know everyone's a little tense from the cold, but put it this way, we've already spent the better half of a day just to get down this far. And there's every possibility that we won't be able to retrace our steps if we choose to head back up."
  
  "Yes, we're outnumbered, but we're not fighting one on one right now. If we make use of wide-area attacks, we can overcome our huge number disadvantage." I said, before adopting a more aggressive tone as I pressed my point, "Look, we have an unknown Pokémon right below us. We already had one strange Sneasel escape us, we can't let that happen again. Even if we find nothing else, just being able to capture and document this new Pokémon would make the expedition worth it."
  
  My words seemed to be reaching them, but Drake spoke up again before they could voice any more concerns.
  
  "John and I are heading down there, whether you like it or not." He said firmly, "So show your bravery and fight alongside us."
  
  "And I will be joining them." One of our more experienced explorers said, "I understand that we've been a little unsettled thanks to this freezing cold, but you need to remember your strength. Remember your confidence, and why you were chosen to become explorers. You knew the risks, and you knew that you were able to surpass them."
  
  "...That's true...but once we drop down there, we won't be able to escape unless we drive the wild Pokémon out completely." One of them spoke up uncertainly, "There will be no retreating."
  
  "Then you will just have to fight harder, wouldn't you?" Drake smiled viciously, "Look, John and I will have your back, and we realise that this is technically your expedition, but didn't you bring us down here because you wanted to make use of our strengths?"
  
  He spread out his arms, "Well we're here now, so you better fucking make use of us."
  
  The explorers had a brief discussion amongst themselves, but I watched as their faces turned from concerned and worried to ones filled with a familiar determination and resolve. They were no longer rattled by the cold.
  
  A single nod from them told me what I needed to know.
  
  A smile formed on my lips, "Then let's ready up. We have an army to scatter."
  
  A.N. The cave exploration returns! And yes, there's something unusual going on here this far down in the caves, and maybe some of you might be able to guess what's causing this unnatural drop in temperature. But either way, there's about to be a big battle happening here. It's quality vs quantity! Hope you enjoyed the cave diving!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-6 - An Icy Discovery
  
  The battle started off with a bang as our Pokémon rained down from above, with us joining them.
  
  "Tyrant, show no mercy! Drive them out!"
  
  "Salamence, obliterate them! Make them FEAR you!"
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" My starter roared out as he SMASHED down on top of a surprised Glalie, crushing the Ice type beneath his weight. A Froslass immediately prepared an Ice Beam, but Tyrant's arm lashed forwards like a hook and clutched the Froslass in his iron grip, before throwing the Ice type like a bowling ball and sending it crashing into a group of Jynx.
  
  Then the entire cave began to shake violently as Vordt landed next to Tyrant, unleashing a devastating Earthquake that caused huge rocks to fall from the roof. But those fallen rocks were swiftly held in place by Vordt's geokinesis before being shot towards the wild Pokémon, raining down in a painful hail of stone that crushed many a Pokémon underneath, burying them beneath a tomb of rocks.
  
  Just as that happened, Luna and Klee joined forces with the other Psychic types to form a large protective bubble of Psychic energy around all of us, protecting the trainers from the myriad of collateral damage that we were wreaking through our fight.
  
  "SALAMENCEEEE!" Then an enormous beam of blinding light shot through the clearing, leaving a trail of fire in its wake as Salamence unleashed a devastating Draco Beam that burned right through the enemy lines. Any Pokémon that were caught in that could only let out a cry of pain before they were quickly knocked out.
  
  A few Ice Beams were shot back in retaliation, but Smough carefully stood in front of Drake's Salamence as to shield it with his body. The Ice Beams simply bounced off Smough, which did little more than tickle him.
  
  A Mamoswine tried its luck against what it thought was a distracted Smough, but Smough swivelled around with more speed than it expected and crashed a Hammer Arm right to the side of its face. Then Smough lifted the dazed Mamoswine off the ground and hurled it like a Rock Throw at his opponents, knocking over a Lapras in the distance as it was preparing a Hydro Pump.
  
  Behind us, Tyrant continued tearing through the enemy like a one-man army. He was an unstoppable juggernaut, ignoring all of the attacks being sent his way with dismissive ease as he ripped and tore through anything that stood in his path. The wild Pokémon let out panicked screams as they tried to dive out of the way, to no avail.
  
  A sneaky Weavile that tried to sneak around him found itself catching a Drain Punch to the face, sending it crashing limply into a wall. Another Glaceon tried to form a Blizzard but was interrupted when Tyrant swung a Mamoswine around like a hammer, using its tusks as a makeshift handle, turning the Ice and Ground type into a battering ram and meatshield to bash his foes out of the way.
  
  And those Hisuian-Avalugg? Which were supposedly famed for their impressive, almost unbreakable physical defenses? Those fared no better in face of Tyrant's overwhelming might.
  
  At first, the Avalugg remained confident in their endurance; filled with certainty that this bruiser in front of them would stumble and fail to break through their defenses like so many others had done. So they charged into Tyrant with arrogance in their eyes as they believed themselves invincible.
  
  That aura of 'invincibility' was very quickly shattered as Tyrant's fists came colliding into their face like a sledgehammer and they were sent tumbling back with a shocked cry of pain. That shock turned to horror as Tyrant grinned maliciously as his mouth opened wide - and a stream of flames came rushing out and engulfing the terrified Avalugg with a Flamethrower.
  
  The Avalugg flailed painfully on the ground as they desperately tried to put themselves out, but all they could do was roll around helplessly as they were thoroughly scorched by Tyrant's flames. And, as if to add insult to injury, Tyrant hardly spared the Avalugg a second glance before he spun around and landed a spinning Mega Kick right into a Lapras' neck, causing the Ice type to let out a choked gasp as it collapsed to the ground.
  
  He didn't even bother to give the Avalugg a second glance, content to leave them to their fate.
  
  And Tyrant's rampage didn't end there as he launched himself into the deepest part of the fighting, allowing himself to be surrounded by enemies.
  
  Though that just meant that he wouldn't have to worry about running out of targets.
  
  His fist came flying out with a rocket of a punch that smashed a Walrein deep into the wall. Then another powerful kick lashed out that launched a Weavile back into its own pack, making them all fall over. A Mamoswine managed to slam into his back, but Tyrant shrugged off the pain and retaliated with a Counter that instantly took out the Mamoswine in a single blow.
  
  Seeing his rampage, many of our explorer's Pokémon joined in to help Tyrant, and he found himself quickly supported by a mixture of Infernape, Arcanine, and Luxray as they all blitzed in behind Tyrant. They were careful to allow Tyrant to take up the bulk of the attention while they focused on picking off stragglers that tried desperately to flee from Tyrant's unstoppable wrath.
  
  And not wanting to be left out of the fighting, the rest of our bruisers that weren't Tyrant, such as Salamence, Smough, and Vordt rushed forwards in different directions as they too began to unleash their own storm of violence and brutality as they tore their way through the undisciplined ranks of Ice type Pokémon.
  
  But while none of them, not even Drake's Salamence, could match up to the sheer overwhelming power of Tyrant, they were more than enough to scatter all that dared stand in their way, especially as they were supported by the occasional Hydro Pump that sniped any potential counterattacks with precise shots before they could strike back.
  
  In the meanwhile, Drake's Blastoise and Kingdra were serving as our long range artillery as they stood next to us while firing off volley after volley of oppressive Hydro Pumps that bombarded the scattered wild Pokémon. To make things worse for them, both Blastoise and Kingdra were receiving multiple Helping Hand boosts from a few of the more supportive Pokémon that we had, empowering their Water attacks to even greater heights.
  
  Even those that would normally resist Water type moves like Walrein were getting blasted back and pinned to the wall by the Hydro Pumps, their defenses were insufficient at enduring past these Helping Hand boosted attacks and the overwhelming tide of water coming their way.
  
  Had the wild Pokémon been able to truly coordinate and work together, then they may have posed a greater threat and might have even managed to breach through the defensive bubble of protection that surrounded us. After all, despite the ferocity of our attacks, they still greatly outnumbered us. However, 'working together' and 'cooperation' were hardly common among wild Pokémon, who had to often fight each other for resources.
  
  And their lack of coordination was made even worse when we started ripping through their numbers, terrifying many of them and instinctively making them want to retreat. Our violent bombardment of attacks successfully and quickly crushed their morale, leading them to try to flee futilely from our attacks instead of trying to fight back.
  
  Then, as they seemed moments away from completely breaking, we went for the finisher.
  
  ""EARTHQUAKE!""
  
  In sync, both Drake and my bruisers roars echoed through the caves as they all slammed into the ground, unleashing a rippling Earthquake in synchronised act of destruction that shattered and split the ground in half, actually managing to crack through the dense ice and sending wave after wave of explosive tremors through the ground.
  
  Even us trainers, who were protected in a reinforced bubble of protective Psychic energies, tumbled to the ground from the earth-shattering attack. The very caves rumbled and shook as if it was about to collapse on itself, though we all had our own resources to dig us out of a cave-in if one did actually occur.
  
  The combined Earthquake was what finally shattered what remained of the enemy's morale. Their numbers, already thinned out by our blitzkrieg of attacks, became inconsequential in the face of the rupturing fissure that snaked through the earth itself. The Earthquake ravaged and tore through them indiscriminately.
  
  Those that valiantly tried to stand their ground, those that ran away in fear, or those that were plagued with indecision - it didn't matter. The Ice types, no matter their size, strength, or speed, fell all the same.
  
  As the Earthquake subsided, all that remained was a cave that looked like it was moments away from collapsing on itself, and a sea of unconscious Pokémon. Our Pokémon stood victoriously on top, their injuries quickly patched up by our plethora of support Pokémon, and our assault was an overwhelming success.
  
  "Make sure they're all down! We don't want any nasty surprises!" I called out.
  
  "Secure the perimeter! I want trainers watching over every opening to this opening!" Drake shouted, "We didn't knock them all out and many just retreated. Plus, our fight must have attracted more Pokémon this way, so make sure we greet them appropriately!"
  
  "Someone keep an eye on the ceiling! Get your Pokémon to reinforce it!" One of the explorers added.
  
  All of us got to work, splitting up as we focused on ensuring that we were as safe as possible and that we weren't about to be rudely interrupted. Of course, I didn't forget to catch an Avalugg to gift to Lorelei - since I had permission to do so. The other explorers also made sure to catch a few Avalugg and Bergmite for study.
  
  As soon as we were sure that all of the surrounding wild Pokémon were indeed knocked out, and that the cave wasn't about to collapse on us, we reconvened to discuss the indescribable feeling of power that we all felt, which seemed to radiate from just below us.
  
  "First things first. Incredible luck we had to discover yet another new Pokémon." An explorer grinned excitedly, "Did anyone catch its name?"
  
  "Avalugg I think. And I think what I managed to catch that the pre-evolution is called a Bergmite." Another answered, "Dunno what Type it is other than Ice."
  
  "Can we save that discussion for later?" Another explorer snapped, "Because unless you guys are all dull, you can all feel that power radiating out from somewhere in this clearing, right? I almost tripped over when I felt it."
  
  "You'd have to be a fucking idiot to not feel that." Drake snapped, "I don't know what the fuck that is, but this has to be the source of the unnatural coldness."
  
  "...Then why aren't we freezing to death right now?" Someone pointed out, "If this is the source of the cold, then shouldn't we already been frozen solid since we're so close to it? Just like everything else around us?"
  
  We all shared uncomfortable looks at that realisation, because his words made sense. We all looked at each other, silently hoping someone would have an explanation for this unnatural phenomenon, but none did.
  
  Eventually, I broke the silence, "No point standing around here guessing. Better to just dig it up and find out what's exactly causing this."
  
  No one was against that, which made sense. They were all explorers and/or archaeologists, and they had made a career of uncovering the unknown.
  
  "...Then let's do this carefully. Who knows what's going to happen if we accidentally destroy it." One muttered, and we all agreed.
  
  So we all took turns with our Pokémon to slowly and carefully dig through the ice to hunt down whatever it was that was generating that mysterious aura of power. We didn't have to dig very far, but the ice had hardened so much that it took both Luna AND Klee working together to even levitate a small block of it out of the way.
  
  Out of curiosity, I had Smough try to smash that block of ice once it was removed. And while he was successful in doing so, he groaned as he flicked his hand in pain from how tough it was.
  
  Which was both fascinating and alarming in equal measure.
  
  Still, progress continued to be made, slow as it was. But at least we knew that we were on the right track, and had our stronger Pokémon help remove the final few layers of near-indestructible ice. And as the final layer of ice was removed, it revealed a tiny plate of ice, small enough that it was only slightly bigger than my hand.
  
  However, there was a distinct sense of otherworldliness about it. Even though it looked like it was just a plate of ice, which nearly looked identical to the ice surrounding us, there was something that made it impossible to mistake it for anything else. It just radiated with uniqueness and distinctiveness, and there was just something about it that made it stood out from the ice that surrounded it.
  
  Almost by instinct, I instinctively went to grab it, something in the back of my mind guiding my hands as I did so. Despite how it seemed to be the cause of all the unnaturally freezing conditions of these caves, it didn't feel any colder than your normal chunk of ice to me.
  
  That disconnect between what I expected to feel and what I was actually feeling was jarring.
  
  "Mence!" Drake's Salamence actually recoiled as I lifted the plate of ice into the air. And so did the rest of his Dragon types, and they all stepped back in fear as they stared terrified at the small object in my hands.
  
  My Pokémon were doing little better. Though they had not recoiled like Drake's Dragons did, they still looked uneasy and wary at the icy plate in my hands.
  
  "King..." Tyrant muttered aloud, and I frowned as he mentioned the sheer amount of Ice energy that was radiating out of it. It was like an even more powerful Ice-version of the Magmarizer - a super concentrated of Ice energy formed into a single plate.
  
  "...What the fuck is that?" Drake asked, "Is that small fucking thing the cause of all this cold?"
  
  But the look in the eyes of the Sinnoh explorers were far more reverent.
  
  "...The Icicle Plate." They almost muttered in sync, "We never could have imagined that it was here all along."
  
  Drake frowned, "Sorry if I'm sounding like an idiot, but what the fuck is an Icicle Plate? And why are you all staring at it like you're about to worship it?"
  
  If the Sinnohnians cared about Drake's lack of respect, then they didn't show it, "We have books and legends discussing the existence of the Plates." One of the explorers patiently explained to him, "They are...artifacts of sorts, but are said to be symbols of the very power of the Legends themselves."
  
  Drake nodded slowly, now understanding its importance, "So what does it do?"
  
  They shrugged, "We haven't a clue. According to legend, this isn't the first time a Plate was found, but there are no documents that ever state what they were meant for. As far as we are aware, they are a symbol or fragment of a Legends power, nothing more."
  
  For once, I was also as in the dark as they were; my meta-knowledge didn't provide me any answers. In different mediums, the Plates performed a different purpose. In most, they were used to switch Arceus' type depending on which one it held. But the item in front of me was clearly far more than that. Even Drake, who was a little ignorant about the significance of the Plate, could tell that it was no mere object.
  
  The thing radiated with power. It was like holding onto a fragment of a Legendary with our hands. One of the explorers put it best.
  
  "This Icicle Plate is still inert." He whispered to us with undisguised awe, "...I don't know how I know...but I can just tell. This is supposed to be part of a bigger whole."
  
  Everyone nodded in agreement; all of us feeling the same sensation that he was - that the Plate in front of us was somehow incomplete. However, a suspicion began to form in my mind. IF they were right about this being a fragment of a Legendary, then I strongly suspected that there was only one Legendary that it could have been - Regice.
  
  We were holding onto a piece of Regice. Or something that would eventually become Regice.
  
  If so...then it explained why the Plates could be used to awaken Regigigas.
  
  "Hmm...and yet a mere fragment was able to do all this." Drake gestured to the surrounding ice and frost covering every inch of the opening, "...This Plate proves more mysterious by the minute."
  
  "...Either way, we shouldn't linger here for too much longer." I spoke up, putting my thoughts to the side for a moment. I had no way of confirming my suspicions anyways, only time would tell if I was right, "There's no telling when these Pokémon will wake up. And we've been down in these caves for over a full day now."
  
  "Agreed." An explorer nodded, "Now that the adrenaline has faded, I'm starting to really feel tired. We should head back as soon as possible."
  
  "Are we bringing the Plate?" Another asked.
  
  "We should. Legendary artifact or not, we need to study it." They confirmed, "And it's not like it's doing much by staying buried here."
  
  "...Cynthia is going to have a heart attack when she hears about this." I muttered, getting a few chuckles from everyone.
  
  "Then can we leave it to you to tell her?" One of them teased, "After all, a boyfriend should ideally be the one to break the good news to her."
  
  I rolled my eyes, "Yeah yeah, very funny. Now let's get out of here."
  
  "Chin up, John. It's not every day that a girl can receive an artifact from the very Legends themselves as a gift." Drake grinned as we began our ascent, "You can almost say it's a gift worthy of a Champion. Oh my, what a good boyfriend you are."
  
  I smacked him on the shoulder, "You should have been a comedian. But seriously, let's get out of here."
  
  My words just caused Drake to laugh at me, and I kept my grumblings to myself as we made our way back up.
  
  Luckily, we had the fortune of not running into any further problems as we retraced our steps. Instead, the issue came with the Icicle Plate that we were carrying.
  
  If we stuck around an area for a while, it would actually slowly start freezing up the area because it radiated with that much Ice energy. While this wasn't exactly a hinderance now, this would cause problems for when we brought it back to Celestic Town, as we couldn't store it just like any other object as it would cause everything around it to freeze over.
  
  "That's something for the eggheads above to solve." One of the explorers declared, "Our job is just to bring this Plate to them. There's no need for us to worry about what happens after. Worst case scenario is we bring it back underground again if it does start freezing up the town."
  
  "Perhaps we can make a specialised storage unit for it?" Someone else suggested, "I know we've done it before with other hazardous materials..."
  
  "Cut the chatter. We're not out of the caves just yet." Another interrupted, "Shut up and keep moving. We don't want to get into more fights."
  
  With that, the rest of our ascent was done in silence as we gradually made our way back to the forward base. We took that time there to relax and to switch out of our heavily insulated clothing that we were wearing, all the while everyone had crowded around to take a better look at the Ice Plate - all of them with awed looks on their faces.
  
  But due to our tiredness and growing fatigue, we kept the discussions short. They could see the Icicle Plate in all of its glory once we had returned it to the surface.
  
  We could have rested and gotten some sleep in the forward base, but everyone wanted to just be out of the damn caves by now and deliver the Plate safely to the Celestic Town Research Centre. So we grit our teeth and powered through the last stretch of the journey upwards, until we saw the bright rays of light shining through the opening to the cave.
  
  As we finally exited the caves, all of us took a moment to simply bath in the warm rays of sunlight that greeted us. After spending hours upon hours in the freezing cold, damp, and claustrophobic caves, the sight of open fields of grass and the bright sun had never been more inviting.
  
  Yet we didn't let ourselves rest for too long, and we quickly headed into the Research Lab where we deposited our little artifact onto a nearby table, to the shock of everyone there.
  
  "...Arceus, what did you uncover?" A scientist asked us, as he carefully leaned forwards to better inspect the Icicle Plate.
  
  "Something we could have never imagined." An explorer answered gleefully, "It's not just that too, but we discovered an entirely new Pokémon too. Two, actually." As he said so, he gestured for everyone to step back before he released the new Avalugg for everyone to see.
  
  "Ava...?" The newly captured Avalugg looked around confusedly. Seeing the horde of scientists and explorers standing curiously at it, its eyes narrowed as it instinctively began to lash out - only to be immediately subdued by a double dose of Hypnosis from two Bronzongs waiting in the wings.
  
  "I'll bet any amount of money that this 'Avalugg' is a tank." One said.
  
  "No bet. Just look at it." Another shook his head, "Everything about it screams slow and sturdy Pokémon."
  
  "We need to run some tests for it to confirm its typing." Someone else piqued up.
  
  "No, the priority is on the Icicle Plate. Just look at that." I interrupted, gesturing to the small patches of frost that had been slowly spreading around the table since we began talking, "If we don't have some way to properly store this Icicle Plate, it's going to slowly freeze everything around us. THIS needs to be our priority."
  
  "Agreed." An explorer said, "We'll show you the pictures we took of the cave systems later, but EVERYTHING was frozen solid with ice that refused to melt or break. If we didn't have John or Drake there with us, I think we might have struggled a bit with breaking the ice surrounding the Icicle Plate."
  
  "...Understood, then we'll take that as our first priority." The scientists nodded, "Someone needs to inform Cynthia and Carolina about this. It's prudent that they know."
  
  "I'll do it." I volunteered, taking out my phone and texting her. "Done, she should be here any moment now."
  
  "What did you say to her?" Someone asked.
  
  "Just that we found an artifact related to the Legends and that we discovered a new Pokémon. Nothing too surprising." I grinned.
  
  There was a round of chuckles, "Then knowing Cynthia, she might have just sprinted out of a meeting in excitement."
  
  I laughed as that was pretty much the reaction I thought Cynthia would have had when I sent out that text.
  
  "Well today was enough excitement from me. I'm heading to bed." Drake grumbled, "But hey, thanks for letting me be a part of this. I know I'm a grump, but it's been a long time since I've had a proper adventure like this. Brings back good memories."
  
  "Hey no worries Drake, your assistance was very useful." We all said, "I doubt things could have gone so smoothly without your help."
  
  "If you need things blasted to smithereens, then I'm your guy." He smirked, "Anyways, I'm fucking tired. Good luck on your research. And say hi to Cynthia for me if she does come around."
  
  He walked off to his room, retiring from the night. As he did so, a yawned escaped from me - a reminder that I was no less tired than him.
  
  But as much as my bed was inviting me, I remained still. I wanted to be here for when Cynthia arrived to see everything we had discovered over our successful expedition.
  
  I couldn't wait to see the look on her face.
  
  A.N. Sinnoh is the place of Legends, and I felt that the caves under Snowpoint City were the most suitable place to find the Icicle Plate. I've taken a few liberties with what the Plate is, but I've done my best to stick to the source material in my interpretation. Also, rest assured that these WILL come into play in the future.
  
  And yes, H-Avalugg has been discovered! Again, I felt that having Avalugg appear near where the Icicle Plate was located just made sense, based on what happened in the games. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-6 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 11-6 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  As a Champion, she was expected to stay calm and composed at all times. To give off an air of authority and competence that would ensure that she was instinctively listened to. This was especially true when she was a meeting with members of the Indigo delegation, and it was her job to ensure that she remained engaged and listened to their talks, boring as they were.
  
  It was also true that a Champion needed to be contactable at any and all times, just in case an emergency cropped up that needed their immediate attention. So that was why she had her phone out and openly displayed on the table - just in case there were any urgent messages.
  
  And that was why she was instantly able to see the message that John had sent her, and she was forced to do a double take to make sure she didn't misread what he had sent.
  
  ...It took everything in her power to not have an expression of abject shock appear on her face. She knew that he would be joining on another expedition into the caves of Snowpoint, and she had high expectations that they would find something, but this was far beyond her expectations.
  
  An artifact related to the Legends?! A new Pokémon!? What in the world was going on here?!
  
  Her instinctive reaction was to bolt out of her seat in excitement. But again, she couldn't do that. It wouldn't be proper, and it'd give off the wrong impression to her guests.
  
  Relaxing with her boyfriend on a ship was one thing, hastily dashing out of a meeting like she was bolting to the bathroom was another. One was forgivable, the other made you look ridiculous.
  
  So instead she mastered herself and slowly, and carefully, raised her phone to her face like she was reading something important. After a second or two of pretending to read through the message, she whispered to Lucian who was sitting next to her.
  
  "...Something happened in Research Centre. They discovered something big and I want to check it out now." She told him quietly, adopting a faux look of concern.
  
  He hid his amusement behind his own look of concern, "Okay, I'll cover for you. Just be back before the next meeting begins."
  
  She nodded her thanks and exited the meeting, making to take measured steps as to not seem overly hurried. Then, as soon as she was out of sight, she broke into a sprint and hurriedly climbed onto her Togekiss as she swiftly flew over to Celestic Town. Her scientific curiosity could no longer be held back.
  
  She arrived a short while later, and she practically ran over to the Lab, flinging the door open to see what exactly they had discovered.
  
  Only to find herself staring at a sea of amused faces that seemed to have all been waiting for her arrival. The look from John screamed smugness and amusement.
  
  "You didn't need to be in such a hurry, we would have waited for you." He smiled teasingly at her, "I hope I didn't surprise you with my message. It was never my intention to do so."
  
  He was mocking her. And it wasn't just him. The giggling from the scientists that they tried to hide told her that they were all in it.
  
  Damn him. He worded his message like so vaguely like that because he knew she would react like this. She vowed to get him back for this one day.
  
  Still, there were more important things to think about then revenge, "Yes, haha very funny. Now what kind of Legendary artifact did you find that warranted getting my attention so urgently? You wouldn't have messaged me like that unless it was important."
  
  She tried to word it like she didn't really care, but it was clear that none of them were buying it.
  
  He chuckled, "Let me show you the new Pokémon first." He gestured for her to follow after him, which she did after she pulled his hand into hers. He shot her an amused look, which she ignored. If he was going to drag her all the way here and make her skip a meeting, she might as well indulge herself.
  
  He brought her over to where a large Ice type Pokémon was being carefully poked and prodded while all sorts of machinery were attached to it. Looking at its large frame, bulky legs, and the way that the ice shaped around its body to give it a muscular physique, she had a good idea on what kind of Pokémon this was already.
  
  "...A bulky Ice type Pokémon? Slow, but hits hard with high defenses?" She asked aloud.
  
  "Close, but it's not just an Ice type. It's actually Ice and Rock." John nodded, "And it's called an Avalugg. There's also a pre-evolution called a Bergmite, but I think those are being tested later."
  
  A scientist came over to show her a picture of it, and her eyebrows rose, "Interesting. We'll need to test out just how defensive it can be, but I suspect Walrein might have just gotten upstaged as the most defensive of the Ice type Pokémon." She muttered.
  
  "Horrible Special Defenses though. Like, it's absolutely abysmal. Same with its Speed. But it's physical defenses are second to none." John told her, though she frowned as she heard his words. Having extremely poor Special Defenses was terrible for such a slow and immobile Pokémon. While it could be trained up, that really scuttled her plans of including a new Ice type to her team.
  
  Especially when her Milotic could pretty much fulfil that exact same role already. Perhaps someone else could find a suitable role for Avalugg and train it up so that it could be the defensive monster she knew it could be. But she didn't have the time to train up another Pokémon that was ill-suited to fit in her team.
  
  Unknowing of her thoughts, John continued, "That being said, I did capture one that I intend to gift to Lorelei. I hope you don't mind. Even with its weaknesses, I'm sure she'll be able to turn it into a powerful addition to her team."
  
  She waved him off, "Feel free. You found it. Plus, I'll be interested to see how she makes use of it." Would it be as strong as her Kleavor and his Zoroark were proving to be?
  
  Then another pair of scientists approached her with an excited gleam in their eyes, "We've records of witnesses staring at moving glaciers in Hisuian times. We thought them to be hyperbole at first, but the existence of Avalugg proves otherwise."
  
  She nodded, "So it's another link to the past...very interesting."
  
  She wasn't able to dwell on that point for long as John brought her into the next room, and immediately she spotted the small tendrils of frost that seemed to be spreading out from one of the storage units situated in the middle of the room. She stepped forwards to take a look at what was the cause of this spreading frost, only for her eyebrows to jump up to her hair as her eyes widened almost comically.
  
  She could hear someone talking to her, but the words never registered in her mind. Instead, she continued to draw closer to the Icicle Plate, observing it from every angle. The historical significance of this...it was unparalleled!
  
  But even beyond the historical considerations, the business side of her noted that this discovery would skyrocket the Celestic Town Research Centre to be the premier research centre in Sinnoh, bar none!
  
  If they just managed to uncover what the purpose of the Icicle Plate was, and why these Plates were created in the first place, then it would be like piecing together a secret of the world. Even after becoming Champion, she had never lost her ambition to gain a deeper understanding of the Legends that helped create her world.
  
  And she knew it in her heart that the Icicle Plate was going to be the first step towards finally uncovering those secrets.
  
  ...Then she realised just how excited she had gotten over it, and she noticed that her jaw was hanging open. She quickly coughed and schooled her expression into something more professional, and she deliberately ignored the amused look that John was giving her.
  
  No, she did not let the excitement get to her. And she was going to deny it if anyone said otherwise.
  
  "Thank you all for finding this." She announced to the surrounding crowd, making sure her voice was calm and professional, "The discovery of the Icicle Plate is, without exaggeration, the find of the century. We have always known that the Plates have significant ties to the Legends, and now we have a Legendary artifact in our very halls!"
  
  Everyone clapped excitedly, but she wasn't done yet, "Therefore! I propose that there be a shift in focus for our research centre. It is with Arceus' blessing that we stumbled upon the Icicle Plate, and thus, I believe we have a duty to discover the purpose of these Plates and what they do."
  
  "Maybe you should try finding the rest of them!" John called out, possibly jokingly.
  
  She just shook her head, "No. There is no 'maybe'. We will be finding out where the other Plates have been hidden." She corrected, "We've already found this one. We know there are more out there, and our explorers should do their utmost to uncover the rest."
  
  A wave of acknowledgement greeted her words. Everyone in the lab agreed with her plans, and there was no doubt that unlocking the secrets of the Legends would be something they all were eager to work towards. Plus, seeing the excited gleam in everyone's eyes, she was confident that they would be able to do so.
  
  The other Plates will be found.
  
  "...Are we going to be putting the Icicle Plate on display for the public to see?" One of the scientists suddenly asked, "Once we announce this, the people will be flocking to see it. There will be no stopping them, not even with you as Champion."
  
  She agreed, the announcement would undoubtedly end up sending shockwaves throughout Sinnoh. Even for those uninterested in history, finding a Plate was a big deal.
  
  "It will be displayed carefully, behind multiple layers of security." She replied, "You're right. The public deserve to see this, and this isn't something we can keep from them." That would have to be carefully handled, but she trusted her people to see it done.
  
  She spent the next few minutes discussing future plans about how they would find the other Plates, as well as discussions about how they would actually store the Icicle Plate in the first place. Clearly, they need to create a very specialised storage container for it to keep the frost from spreading.
  
  But these were all happy problems to have.
  
  And as Cynthia smiled to herself as she thought about the future, further away, in the depths of a carefully preserved location, a single pair of gemstones attached to a towering figure slowly flickered to life. Unbeknownst to everyone, the Icicle Plate did the same, as it momentarily vibrated with power like a connection had been formed. Then, the Plate quickly fell still once again, as the gems also turned dark.
  
  It was not yet time.
  
  A.N. Foreshadowing! Because of how important the Icicle Plate is, I felt an Interlude dedicated to it was worthwhile. I've hinted more towards the true purpose of the Plates, as I'm sure many have already figured out, but like I said - they'll have a part to play in the future!
  
  And yes, I wanted to show off another side of Cynthia other than as a trainer or Champion. I hope you liked it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-7 - The Lake Guardians
  
  I knew from everyone's reaction that the discovery of the Icicle Plate would be a very big deal. But even then, I had still underestimated just how important these Plates were to the traditional Sinnoh people, and the amount of interest that its discovery was about to garner from the public once the announcement was made.
  
  Now it made sense for why the entire research centre had been rushing around in preparation for its announcement, with the most important item to sort out being the safe containment of the Icicle Plate. I didn't understand the inner workings of it, but last I saw there was a huge, specially made, reinforced glass container with a lot of tubes sticking out of it that would serve as the storage capsule for the Icicle Plate. That finally stopped the ever-present frost from radiating out.
  
  However, I noticed that I was unconsciously lingering around the Icicle Plate more than I thought I would. For some reason, I felt a slight tingle of a connection between myself and the Plate. I didn't know why I thought this, but it reminded me of the time where I was face to face with the Regigigas statue.
  
  Every time my gaze would linger on the plate, images of the Regigigas statue would flash in my mind. But never for very long.
  
  Strangeness aside, I had also overheard that a new gallery was already being rapidly constructed in order to display the Icicle Plate, with tons of security measures being discussed to prevent its theft. Of course, while the Icicle Plate was going to be the shining star of this new gallery, there would be many other items on display too like rare fossils, shiny gems, and other unique rock formations.
  
  It was going to be a huge expense, but Cynthia was confident that it would pay itself back very soon from all the attention it would inevitably get.
  
  Overall, it was a pretty substantial expansion for not only the Research Centre, but for Celestic Town as a whole. Once the new gallery was built, it would serve as a newfound tourist attraction for the once sleepy town.
  
  Maybe this was the start of something special for the small town?
  
  Outside of all the developments in Celestic Town, Drake and I took a break from any cave diving and returned to helping out where we could with exposing the criminals. But now was not the time for action, as the raids had mostly died down due to lack of info, but rather careful research and analysis - things that we were not helpful with.
  
  Yet since we still wanted to make ourselves useful while we were here, we did the next best thing. We patrolled aggressively, making sure that everyone know where we were at all times. We followed after the Jennys as they hunted down every lead, making it very clear and obvious that we were actively hunting down the criminals.
  
  The reason we were doing so was to force all of the attention onto us. We knew that the true work in uncovering the criminal's schemes were actually being handled by Lorelei and Lucian, but they needed time for their analysis to come through.
  
  That was why we were doing what we were doing, in the hopes that we could serve as the smokescreen to distract the criminals to the real threat to their plans. If they were frightened off by our presence and chose to cowardly hide in the shadows, then that just bought more and more time for them to be eventually exposed by our analysts. The last thing we wanted to happen was for a sudden and chaotic outbreak of crime.
  
  We were here to deter that.
  
  Not only that, but our visible and obvious presence would also help reassure the public that things were being handled, and that the peace and stability that Cynthia had earned was not about to fall apart anytime soon. It also helped put a face to the international support that Sinnoh was receiving, helping to prove that Cynthia's choice to invite us in was indeed the right decision.
  
  Plus, having the public's trust was going to be essential for the times to come. I knew for certain that as soon as we publish any kind of allegations against Galactic Company that it was going to cause a PR war to break out. Without a doubt, Cyrus would do everything he could to deflect blame and challenge our findings, and he would use the public and the long-established reputation of his company as a shield to prevent us from taking any decisive action.
  
  It would be down to the public to decide who they believed.
  
  But if Team Galactic were so insistent on using the public as a shield, then I would make sure that that shield is turned against them. As long as we found the right evidence, the right argument, then the public support that they once relied on would end up being their downfall.
  
  Nevertheless, that was why Drake and I were once again on a patrol with the Jennys, though this time we were also accompanied by Flint in a show of cooperation between the regions. But we weren't going to be exploring the same cities or towns, but rather we would be going somewhere very special.
  
  The Lakes.
  
  Thanks to Archer's 'work', the authorities had a suspicion that the criminals were scouting around the Lakes for whatever reason. So that was why the three of us were sent there today, both to make sure that the security around the Lakes would hold or at least buy time against any intrusions, and as a deterrent and a firm reminder that Sinnoh would respond to whatever criminal designs that they had for the Lakes.
  
  "...What a beautiful view." I muttered aloud as we entered the clearing around Lake Valor. Once you managed to get out of the forest of trees, all you could see was the beautiful blue and clear waters of the lake, with plenty of healthy and free wild Pokémon swimming within it.
  
  In fact, the waters were so clear that it was almost see-through. With the bright sun shining above us, it was almost impossible to tell what was underwater and what was above water.
  
  It truly was a beautiful sight.
  
  "Can't disagree on that. Even the waters of Hoenn are rarely this clear." Drake nodded, but then he frowned, "...But I thought these Lakes were culturally and historically important to you Sinnoh folk. Don't you have the Lake Guardians here? I definitely remember reading about that."
  
  "You're right, they do live here." Flint confirmed.
  
  "Then why was there no security here before this?" Drake asked curiously, "I would've thought that some place as important as this would be heavily protected."
  
  "That's because there's nothing to protect." Flint answered, and he gestured with a hand, "Look around you. There's nothing here for the criminals to take other than some wild Pokémon. But even then, the wild Pokémon here are not particularly rare nor valuable. You could easily find rarer Pokémon elsewhere and in a far less obvious location, so this wasn't a high priority place for patrols."
  
  "Then what about the Lake Guardians themselves?" I asked, "Surely THEY could be a target for the criminals. Especially because we know they have their insane ambition of targeting the Legendaries for their power."
  
  "That is a prudent concern." Flint agreed, "And hence why we decided to ramp up security just in case. However, insane ambitions or not, the Lake Guardians are known to conceal and hide away from the outside world. We know they exist, as they have revealed themselves to a few lucky visitors at times, but those moments are few and far between."
  
  "Often times they are content to remain hidden, doing whatever Legendaries do in their time." He said, "And if they choose to remain hidden, then there's no way to find them. Many have tried, but the Lake Guardians always remained elusive enough to stay concealed unless they choose to show themselves. Even if they aren't the strongest of Pokémon, despite being a Legendary, it is commonly known that the Lake Guardians will always be safe to uphold their duties so long as they remain hidden as they always do."
  
  "That's why there was previously no security here, because the Lake Guardians do not need to be guarded, ironic as that sounds." He chuckled, "They're perfectly safe on their own. Still, if our suspicions that the terrorists are interested in the Lakes are correct, then hopefully our extra patrols here would be able to catch them in whatever they're planning."
  
  Drake and I nodded at that explanation, satisfied with his answer. And more importantly for me, it reassured me that the Sinnohnians were at least not being negligent with their protection of the Lake Guardians, just practical.
  
  But that was enough wool-gathering from us, and the three of us, plus our team of Jennys and a small group of reporters that silently followed after us, quickly flew over to the cave in the centre of Lake Valor.
  
  A sudden pressure fell on us as we stepped into the damp cave. Despite it being completely empty, devoid of any signs of life or interesting marks, there was an indescribable presence in the cave that constantly reminded you that there was indeed something here, watching over everything with its presence.
  
  Yet the gaze was far from hostile. Instead, it reminded me the feelings of being watched over by a parent. It felt protective and loving; like you were being watched purely out of a desire to keep you safe.
  
  Just like a Guardian would.
  
  Despite the watchful presence that lingered around the cave, there truly was nothing here. No matter how carefully I searched, I didn't see a trace of the Lake Guardians. Even if I squinted my eyes and tried to pick out any irregularities, there were none to be found. No slight shimmers in the air, no sudden breeze, no strange reflections in the puddles of water, nothing. The Lake Guardians, at least to my eyes, were completely undetectable.
  
  That was a slight shame, as I did want to actually see a living and 'active' guardian with my very two eyes. Seeing the unmoving statue of Regigigas was one thing, but an actual moving Legend would be another.
  
  I was tempted to release my Pokémon to see if they had any better luck, but I stopped myself from doing so. That would've been incredibly rude to our hosts.
  
  We left the cave shortly after that and continued our patrols around the lake, mainly for PR purposes. When that was done, with the reporters all leaving, we were about to split off when Drake spoke up.
  
  "Hey John, did you hear about Volkner?" He suddenly asked me.
  
  Judging from the very amused look that he had, I think I knew where this line of questioning was going, "No, I didn't hear anything. What's going on with his relationship with Jasmine?"
  
  "And the man thought he was actually being subtle about it." Flint laughed, "You know when he told me that they were dating, he thought that I was the only one to know because he told it to me. He said that, and I quote, that 'even the scientist group I work with do not know about it'."
  
  "...We definitely know." I replied dryly, my lips slowly forming into a smirk, "I remember we were trying not to tease him about it. He's not very good at hiding it. Good to know that they're dating, though. They seem like a happy match."
  
  Drake elbowed me, "I guess you and Cynthia aren't the only ones forming international relationships."
  
  "Well technically John and Cynthia are the only 'public' relationship right now." Flint corrected, "Although with how bad these two are at hiding their feelings, I'm sure the rumours will spread soon enough."
  
  He then let out another chuckle, "What an event this Tournament was. I might have done worse than I hoped, but having Volkner get into a relationship was worth it. All the teasing opportunities aside, he deserves it - he needs someone else other than me that he talks to."
  
  That last part cemented the fact that, despite how much they ribbed each other, Flint and Volkner were inseparably close.
  
  "Speaking of the Tournament, I don't think I ever congratulated you for beating down Emperor, John." Drake said to me, "Arceus was that the greatest fucking duel I have ever seen. Man, I really need to get Wallace to host another Tournament next year. That fight was fucking exciting. Even though we lost. Fucking Wallace and his annoying Milotic."
  
  "No offense to your girlfriend, John, but that Milotic was a huge pain in the ass." Drake grumbled, "It's a very good reminder why I don't bother challenging Wallace for his position as Champion. Not that I'd ever want to - I'd fucking end myself before being subjected to all that fucking paperwork. I am MORE than happy with my current position, thank you very much."
  
  ""Totally agree."" Flint and I nodded sagely, and the three of us shared a common moment of agreement where we all thought that the position of Champion was far more trouble than it was worth.
  
  The discovery of Avalugg and Bergmite were officially released to the world not too much later, just as soon as their stats were properly identified and their Typing were confirmed. As Pokémon known to have existed in the Hisuian times, their existence was a big deal for many historians and archaeologists.
  
  And, while the two Ice Types didn't garner the same level of explosive popularity in the trainer scene, their discovery still made a big splash.
  
  Ice Types had always been popular, thanks to it being supereffective against many strong Types like Dragon, Ground, and Flying. Plus, with Pryce only recently no longer being Champion, many trainers had still been inspired by his past prowess and had become Ice type specialists as well. So having another strong Ice type, especially when Avalugg looked strong, was always going to garner interest.
  
  Sadly, I knew that Avalugg was going to be a very expensive trap for a lot of people, if they somehow managed to acquire one in the first place. While on paper it looked incredibly bulky, that was severely undermined by its plethora of weaknesses that its Ice/Rock typing plagued it with. Sure, a clever trainer could definitely make use of its high attack and absurd physical bulk, but it was going to require a lot of specialised training to reach that level.
  
  Off the top of my head, I could think of a few powerful strategies to make use of Avalugg. For one, there was always Trick Room, which would reverse its extremely slow speed and turn it into a powerful advantage. That had a lot of potential in double battles, especially with how hard it could hit.
  
  Still, for most normal trainers, Avalugg was not going to be a good fit for their team.
  
  Of course, with the proper reveal of Avalugg, it meant that I could finally honour my promise to Pryce and deliver the new Ice type to Lorelei.
  
  I also made sure to come clean with Lorelei about why I was gifting her this new Pokémon.
  
  "...So you made a deal with my uncle." She muttered, though she didn't seem annoyed, "Are the details of said deal a secret?"
  
  "Not particularly, he never said I had to hide it from you." I replied with a shrug, "In return for his support for one of my future policies, I had to give you a 'rare' Ice type Pokémon and also make sure that if you were ever to be leave the Elite Four, willingly or not, then I would petition to reinstate you as the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town. The last thing was to silently support you with your current position with the Indigo Revenue Service, and to not deliberately try to have you replaced until the end of the next circuit."
  
  Speaking of which, that reminded me to check up on my team in Indigo about how the public of Indigo were reacting to the news of my relationship with Cynthia, now that enough time had passed for them to fully digest the matter.
  
  I sincerely hoped that they were and would remain happy about it. Some discontent was fine, but I really would prefer if the public didn't barge into my personal life. That was a headache the both of us would rather not deal with.
  
  A snort from Lorelei brought me back from my thoughts, "Is this the way of my uncle showing that he cares for me?"
  
  I shrugged again, "Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue. A part of me thinks that Pryce has mellowed out slightly, yet another part of me thinks he's still the same cranky asshole he's always been. It's very hard to tell."
  
  "Oh he's still a cranky asshole. I'm pretty sure that part is engraved into his very being." She grumbled, "Well, I can at least appreciate the gift that he asked you to get for me. I'm always thankful about having another Pokémon to train up."
  
  "Think Avalugg would see any use on your Elite team in the future?" I asked.
  
  "...Perhaps. It would be very good with Trick Room, and I do have a Jynx and Slowbro to set it up." Ah, she thought along the same lines as me, "And my team does lack a hard hitting physical attacker. Avalugg would fit that niche quite nicely, even despite its weaknesses. It's also about time I got a new Pokémon."
  
  "I'm sure you can think of something." I said, "Just...good luck dealing with its abysmal Special Defenses. That's quite a big weakness to overcome."
  
  She just nodded, staying silent as she fell deep in thought.
  
  "...Anyways, enough about the events of Indigo, how has the exposing of Cyrus been going?" I asked, breaking her out of her thoughts, "I remember hearing from a few of your teammates that you were looking into something?"
  
  "Yes, we haven't been idle on that front." She nodded, "Actually, if you hadn't come over, I was going to inform you that we were about to publish our findings against Cyrus and Galactic Company."
  
  She sighed, "It's going to be a shitshow once we do."
  
  I knew that already. "What did you find?" I questioned.
  
  "Enough evidence that the amount of funds that they are dedicating to their research department doesn't make sense." She replied, "There's far too much allocated there for it to make rational business sense, and all of our analysts are in agreement that they have to be hiding something."
  
  "But the evidence we have collected isn't foolproof." She continued, "For one, the fact that their research projects are inherently confidential means that they could argue that the funding amount was accurate, because their research projects just demanded that much resources. That argument might not hold up logically, but we believe it would still sow enough doubt amongst the general populace to earn their support."
  
  "The second issue is that this does not provide a clear link to the criminal events that took place across our regions." She said, "It would be a massive jump in logic to assume that just because their finances don't make sense that they're suddenly the sponsor behind such large-scale criminal activities."
  
  I frowned, but didn't disagree with her logic. "If that's the case, it seems like this isn't the ace in the hole that we were looking for."
  
  She nodded, "Even some of our analysts and investigators remain doubtful. However, we brought our findings to the Champion, and she backed our conclusion to the hilt and insisted that we publish it anyways, which temporarily silenced any doubts."
  
  "And she did so because she deemed it worth the risk." Another voice said behind me, and I turned around to see Lucian walking up, "According to her, she felt that overlooking corruption just because of political difficulties was a compromise that she refused to make. We have reasonable suspicion that Galactic Company are concealing their funds, for whatever reason. And largest company in Sinnoh or not, it is the right thing to question their actions for any criminal intentions."
  
  "...Of course, it also helps that Cynthia is as eager as anyone to expose the true sponsors of these criminals." His voice lowered to a whisper, "So she's acting quite decisively to ensure that all leads are thoroughly explored."
  
  He smirked at me, "I'm not sure if you said anything to her, but she's taking this matter very seriously."
  
  "Then I'm glad." I smiled, very much happy about my girlfriend's choice of action, "These terrorists have escaped from the grasp of the authorities from long enough, and their ringleaders have continued to scheme all this time. It's about time that they be punished for their wrongdoing. There's nothing I would want more than that."
  
  "Well then you don't have to wait much longer, because we're going to be publishing our results tomorrow to the public." Lucian informed me.
  
  "And we'll get to see how much of an outcry that Galactic Company is about to make when we do." Lorelei frowned. "It'll be a war of public opinion."
  
  Lucian's smile turned predatory, "Oh I'm sure it will be. But we just need to make sure that this is going to be as costly as possible for Cyrus to maintain. We'll make him burn every resource he has, every favour and connection that he is owed, until he is left with nothing. We have the evidence - the onus is on him to somehow disprove it, and we can always find more to bury him with. A cornered Pokémon may lash out, but a patient hunter has already laid their trap."
  
  Lorelei turned to Lucian, "I thought you liked Cyrus. What happened?"
  
  "He's proven unworthy of my support." He stated firmly, "With what we've found, I've become disillusioned with him...and I suspect I won't be the only one, in the future."
  
  "The public will soon know that Cyrus is not worthy of their admiration."
  
  A.N. A more of a catch-up chapter as we begin to round off John's time in Sinnoh, and some worldbuilding into the Lakes themselves. Also, I think the mistake I made before was that I lingered too long in Sinnoh, so don't worry, the next chapter will be the last full chapter that John will remain in Sinnoh.
  
  And of course, the battle between the public and Team Galactic is about to begin! It won't be an easy fight, but like Lucian states, the Sinnoh League's plan is to slowly ramp up the pressure and deprive Cyrus of his resources. It's going to be a slow burn, but not every problem can be broken through with brute force. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-8 - A War of Opinion
  
  As planned, the Sinnoh League ended up releasing their findings to the public early in the morning on the following day. They were careful to not make any wild accusations, making sure that all their claims and statements were rigorously supported by their factual findings so that we couldn't be accused of exaggerating things.
  
  It was Lucian who had the responsibility of making the speech.
  
  "After many sleepless nights of hard work and dedication, we have finally come to the unfortunate conclusion that the finances of the Galactic Company are suspicious beyond reasonable doubt, and it is beyond what could be excused as a mere rounding or unintended administrative error. As you can see from our analysis of the financial documents that THEY submitted, you will see that an unexplained, enormous amount of funds, are being diverted to their R division with no formal reports or documentation being provided for what these funds are being used for."
  
  "This goes beyond merely having an overly excited research group. It is the majority belief of the financial analysts working on this case that, should these documents be accurate as Galactic Company claimed that they are, then it would be completely unsustainable for Galactic Company to continue doing business. We go in more detail in our official analysis report, but in summary, we have sufficient reason to believe that the financial documentation provided by Galactic Company are false."
  
  "Therefore, this is an official demand by the Sinnoh League for Galactic Company to provide an official explanation for why they have provided false financial information to us. Should their explanations not be forthcoming or are inadequate, then we may proceed to proper criminal investigations and charges."
  
  Expectedly, that sent shockwaves throughout the public of Sinnoh. Cyrus was quick to fire back, but not with blazing statements and lashing anger, but with a composed and measured response where he calmly refuted our statements and presenting it as a bout of paranoia.
  
  Annoyingly, his calm response actually made it more difficult for us.
  
  Had Cyrus reacted with anger and vitriol, then it would have been much easier to convince the public that Cyrus' anger was because he HAD done something wrong, so he was now lashing out in an enraged panic to try to conceal his crimes.
  
  However, the fact that he was acting so calm and composed about it made him look confident - as if he had nothing to worry about at all. It was like the accusations being laid against him held no truth within them.
  
  He didn't just stop there, because he also went on the counterattack, where he made use of Galactic Company's large range of connections with other prominent businesses of Sinnoh to make a joint complaint about the Sinnoh League's 'Massive overstep of their authority, spurred on by an overly eager Champion who fails to respect the private boundaries of businesses', even though the results of the audit were always going to be public.
  
  With this, they were trying to win over the public's trust by painting themselves as the innocent victim who had been subjected to unfair and unjust accusations by an overly paranoid Sinnoh League.
  
  Of course, we had expected something like this, and the Sinnoh League wasn't just going to allow Cyrus to sway public opinion so easily. From what Cynthia told me, she had given strict instructions for the Sinnoh League to not overreact and to be seen as the 'aggressor'. If Cyrus was maintaining his calm and trying to appear rational and composed, then it was extremely important that the Sinnoh League did the same.
  
  And she reached out to other larger businesses for their expertise, such as Devon Corp and Silph Co. Both Steven Stone and a representative of Silph Co came back with similar statements that supported the Sinnoh League's arguments, stating that they both agreed that the finances of Galactic Company did not make sense for such a large business.
  
  Steven worded it best, "Every CEO of a company focusing on creating technological developments knows and understands how much of a money sink that the R department are. That's the inherent risk of investing into researching new technologies. However, that is why the budget that is allocated to the R department always have to be carefully measured and accounted for. Otherwise, the R department can be a blackhole where your invested money just disappears."
  
  "So for Galactic Company to claim that they sink that amount of funds into their R department is unreasonable, and could not possibly be standard procedure for such a large and successful company. Furthermore, even if they did spend that much money, the fact that there are no reports provided about what that money is being spent on - even vague descriptions about why the R department requires that much funding, is completely reckless and extremely damaging to the longevity of the company."
  
  "Therefore, I agree with the analysis and observations of the Sinnoh League. I believe, beyond reasonable doubt, that Galactic Company have provided false records of their finances, for their business would be unsustainable with such numbers."
  
  Steven's words had the effect that many of us were hoping for, as it gave our side's argument the credence that it needed; it meant that Cyrus couldn't so easily dismiss them as he would have wanted to.
  
  It was ironic that the public seemed to give more credit to the words of a heir over the careful considerations of experienced and qualified analysts, but that was how public perception worked.
  
  Everyone knew that Steven Stone was 'the man' to look to if you ever wanted to develop a career in business. He was the shining prodigy and the role model, which I knew was a reputation that he had carefully crafted for himself.
  
  So his words carried a certain weight to them. I supposed this was the power of star appeal.
  
  Yet Cyrus continued to fire back, this time switching tactics so as he calmly accused Cynthia for trusting the words of outsiders and foreigners over the established reputations of those who have helped to support Sinnoh during their darkest times.
  
  "While it is undoubtedly a good thing that our Champion seems to wholeheartedly embrace change and reform, a wiser Champion would know that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Unfortunately, Cynthia has long since stepped away from the old traditions and establishments of Sinnoh. Instead, our Champion chooses to embrace and adopt the new, tempted and excited by the potential and fortune that outsiders may bring."
  
  "However, what about those who have been loyal to Sinnoh since time immemorial? Those like Galactic Company that have constantly and endlessly supported the region of Sinnoh - being a stable pillar of beacon of security, hope, and innovation that have stood the tests of time. While new ideas are shiny and alluring, it is both unwise and unjust to prioritise the words and plots of outsiders rather than the trusted words of those that have, and will continue, to loyally serve the interests of Sinnoh."
  
  Unsurprisingly, his statements appealed most to the traditionalists, many of whom were likely slighted or dissatisfied by Cynthia's reformist actions. So while Cyrus never actually labelled himself as a traditionalist, his words were still able to strike a chord with these people.
  
  Combined with the joint complaints that he was making with a few other businesses from Sinnoh, Cyrus was able to maintain a strong enough position and force the situation into a bit of a stalemate, even in the face of mounting suspicion.
  
  That wasn't ideal, but the situation was acceptable. With all this extra attention suddenly on Galactic Company, it meant that they had to be extra careful with their finances. They knew that the slightest slipup would bring their whole story crumbling down around them, and they couldn't afford to lose their shield that was public opinion.
  
  All the while, the noose that we had tied around Galactic Company's neck was slowly going to tighten. With them losing their ability to easily shuffle around their monies to further fuel their criminal schemes, we were confident that their criminal operations would not be sustainable without any form of reliable cash flow.
  
  That would put them in a really bad position, where they likely would either have to take the risk to try to discreetly divert funds to keep their criminal operations afloat, despite all the attention that was currently on them, or lash out with their fanatics and try to make up for their loss funding by force.
  
  The former would hopefully get them exposed by us, leading to them being discredited in the public's eye and for legal charges to be pressed. The latter was exactly what Team Rocket had tried to do in Indigo, and they failed. We hoped they would make the same mistake here, and patrols would be maintained and enforced to ensure we would punish them in the act. Overall, we hoped to have them trapped between a rock and a hard place, where their actions would be limited to only bad options.
  
  And of course, the analysts would continue working hard to see if there were any further discrepancies that we could attack them with, while others would try to see if they could whittle away at the support that Galactic Company was receiving from other businesses.
  
  At the same time, with a plan of action firmly established, it meant that Drake and I were no longer needed in Sinnoh. In fact, we were close to overstaying our welcome. With Cyrus trying to target Cynthia's overreliance on foreigners to 'solve' Sinnoh's problems, if Drake and I were to continue staying in the spotlight, it would give credence to his words.
  
  No, while inviting foreign assistance had led to visible benefits, Sinnoh now had to prove that they could solve their own problems. That they weren't entirely dependent on foreign aid to be able to do anything.
  
  So while Lorelei and her team would stay for a little longer to wrap up any further leads, it was time for Drake and I to make our exit. But with my imminent departure, Cynthia suddenly had a bright idea.
  
  "There should be a celebration dinner for all the hard work that you have all contributed to helping out with Sinnoh." She said to me over the phone, "I think it would be better received if we had a nice dinner and invite everyone that has helped us. That includes all of the International Police analysts, and those brought over as staff members as well. It would serve as a symbol of our gratitude for your joint assistance."
  
  "That's a good idea." I nodded, especially since it would give me an excuse to spend more time with Cynthia, "But this is on quite the short notice. Are you sure you'll be able to arrange, organise, and invite everyone in time?"
  
  She snorted, "I'm not going to be the one doing it. I'll pawn it off to Aaron to arrange."
  
  I chuckled, "Ah, the joys of delegation."
  
  That was scheduled for later tonight, so I had some time to kill. I had heard from Drake that he had captured a Gible for himself, and so I was on the hunt for any new Pokémon to catch. Not just for myself, but for Whitney and Karen also.
  
  However, when I called the both of them up and asked if they wanted me to catch them something, both of them actually replied in the negative.
  
  For Karen, she told me that she didn't want to take in a new Pokémon now while she was still going through the Conference, and would rather focus her efforts on winning and ascending to the Elite Four. For Whitney, she was busy with her new Farigiraf, and didn't want to add on a new Pokémon now. Plus, the only 'unique' Normal Types in Sinnoh were the Bidoof, Glameow, and Buneary lines. She didn't express any interest in the first two, which was fair enough as I didn't think they provided anything unique to her team either, but there was some interest in the latter.
  
  Not enough for her to ask for one now - but she told me she would use her own money to purchase one in the future if she wanted to add a Lopunny to her team.
  
  However, Whitney did ask if I could catch something for Janine, since Sinnoh had a lot of powerful Poison types that would be really good to have on her team. I offered to get them all for her, but she insisted that one was enough. In the end, I decided to catch her a Croagunk, since I felt that a Poison/Fighting Type was eminently suitable for her, considering her ninja background.
  
  That was very easy for me to do. I literally didn't even need to catch one myself. With the new PSS system, I just asked one of the scientists if he knew where to get one and simply bought it off of him. Very convenient.
  
  I knew that Croagunk would be an excellent addition to Janine's team.
  
  Still, with Croagunk 'caught' and transferred to Janine, I briefly considered if I should catch another Pokémon for my own team before quickly decided against it. I was very happy with what I had so far, and nothing really caught my eye in Sinnoh. Perhaps in the future.
  
  Instead, I spent the remaining time before the dinner to buy souvenirs for everyone, though it wasn't nearly as voluminous as the amount I had bought the last time I was here. I kept it very simple this time and limited my gifts to just my closest family and friends.
  
  And of course, something small for Cynthia too.
  
  So Aaron had actually managed to arrange everything in time. I got the official invitation just before it turned evening, which would have been barely enough time to get changed and get ready for the dinner.
  
  As far as I knew, everyone was coming. That included all of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Drake, myself, Lorelei, as well as everyone else who had accompanied us onto this trip.
  
  Aaron had chosen a good job choosing the location. We were in the Sinnoh League building, where they had repurposed the usual reception area and fitted in more tables so that everyone could be seated. I also noticed that Aaron had deliberately toned it down on the decorations and the formality, so while the place was still undoubtedly fancy, it wasn't so fancy that it would have been stifling to sit in.
  
  I suppose he wanted to make sure that the common rank-and-file staff members didn't need to feel overly pressured by attending this dinner.
  
  Drake and I arrived together, because we were both living in the same place. The two of us had dressed up appropriately, with me wearing a proper suit and tie that was standard for these types of events. On the other hand, Drake was still teetering between formal and informal with his lack of a tie and with the coat jacket that he had intentionally left hanging off his shoulders.
  
  He actually looked like someone out of the mafia. It was pretty cool, actually, and I made sure to say as much.
  
  "Son, I've had years to develop my sense of fashion." He barked out a laugh, "I better fucking look good."
  
  "Just because I'm old doesn't mean I have to look like some boring grandpa." He added with a smirk, "I'm not going to follow the likes of Bertha and Agatha. They're old, sure, but their choice of clothes don't fucking help either."
  
  I nodded. Drake was very wise.
  
  Once we entered, we found that the Elite Four members were organised to be all seated together in a circular table near the front, with Cynthia obviously joining us. I silently thanked whoever had the foresight to seat myself next to Cynthia.
  
  We didn't have to wait long before the others started to arrive too. Lorelei had actually arrived first with all her companions, and she strode in at the front of her group as she headed towards our table. She was wearing a deep blue dress that exposed just enough of her leg, and it matched very well with the red of her hair.
  
  Drake whistled, "A big change from your usual looks, isn't that right Lorelei? You usually look a lot more bookish."
  
  "A different appearance for a different occasion." She replied as she sat down, "And this was the best thing I could come up with in such a short notice. I'm just glad it doesn't look too tacky."
  
  "Nah, you look great." I said, "Anyways, sorry that you have to stay here in Sinnoh for longer. I hope you weren't hoping to head back."
  
  She shook her head, "No, I truly don't mind staying. The longer and more that I'm able to help out around here, the more the people will see the usefulness of the Indigo Revenue Service. I'm hoping to have the Indigo Revenue Service become a proper element of the International Police and be an essential component of it."
  
  "Making you the figurehead and leader of a powerful International organisation." I finished for her.
  
  "Exactly." She nodded, "I'm already building connections to make that happen, like with my new friendship with Lucian. And if it does, then even if I were to drop out of the Elite Four, I'm confident that I'll still play a big part in shaping politics into the future."
  
  "Bah, I'm too old for all this politicking." Drake grumbled, but there wasn't any heat in it, "If I ever do retire, I'd be more than fucking happy to never see another glimpse of the shit that is politics ever again."
  
  Before we could say anything else, the door swung open again, revealing the final group of people that we were waiting on.
  
  The Elite Four of Sinnoh, and their beautiful Champion, came walking in, flanked by the large group of analysts and auxiliary staff that would also be joining us this dinner. My eyes immediately jumped to Cynthia, who with her tight black dress that was lined with a hint of gold, made her look absolutely stunning. And the fact that the dress seemed to hug her figure...
  
  I already thought she was beautiful before. But this was a completely different story.
  
  I almost failed to tear my eyes away before I got slapped hard on the back, "Don't get too enraptured by your girlfriend, lover boy." Drake teased, "I don't want you drooling in public." Lorelei giggled at his words.
  
  "Fuck off, Drake." I replied, which only made him grin wider.
  
  We toned down on our juvenile comments as the rest of the Elite Four arrived and took their seats, sharing a round of greetings with everyone. Though Cynthia had to head to the stage where a microphone was already set up to speak a few words.
  
  "Thank you all for coming, and I do apologise for how last minute this was all arranged. I just thought that you all deserved to see that we here in Sinnoh DO appreciate all that you have done for us, and will continue to assist us with. With your help, we have quickly crushed the threat that these criminals and so-called terrorists before they could truly enact their plans, ripping them out by the roots and tearing down their bases."
  
  "This serves as iron-clad proof that by working together, by extending a helping hand towards our neighbours, and by welcoming them into our region, we are able to achieve a level of security and prosperity that would not be so easily obtained without our joint efforts."
  
  "Look around you. Look at your neighbours, your colleagues, and the friends that you have hopefully made during your time in Sinnoh. I truly hope that during your time here, you would have learnt that the people of Sinnoh are just like the people you are used to seeing. And it is my sincere wish that you have built up some friends or connections with those you have worked with while in Sinnoh, and that those friendships are able to build a strong and sturdy bridge between our regions."
  
  "So that's enough from me! For those of you who will be leaving our lovely region, I hope you have enjoyed your time here and will bring back fond memories and stories to your friends and loved ones upon your return. For those that remain, I look forward to continue working and achieving success together!"
  
  "Now, bring out the food! Let's dig in!"
  
  A loud round of applause came from all of us as she concluded her speech. At the same time, the doors swung open again as plate after plate of food was brought in for us to scoff down.
  
  Conversation flowed smoothly and openly between us Elite Four members, like we had all gathered together as friends for a farewell party. Which was what this was.
  
  "You all ought to visit Indigo some time in the future." I said to them, "We might not have your historical sights, but there's still plenty of things to see and explore."
  
  "We will be." Lucian nodded, "Not only for vacation, but also for political reasons. We need to show that we are willing to reciprocate the help that you have offered us. The same goes for Hoenn, of course."
  
  "Will you be sending me over again?" Bertha asked Cynthia, who shook her head as she took a bite out of her food.
  
  "Probably not, it's best if we sent over a new face." She replied.
  
  "Oooh, please pick me!" Flint waved his hand, "I've always been interested in exploring the likes of Mt. Chimney and Cinnabar Island."
  
  "...Why didn't you do so when we were in Hoenn?" Aaron asked.
  
  Flint rubbed his head sheepishly, "I got too distracted teasing Volkner about Janine that I forgot about it."
  
  I burst out laughing, "Yeah, that sounds like something you'd do." It WAS funny though.
  
  "It's the duty of every best friend to relentlessly tease the other when they finally find themselves in a relationship." Flint said firmly, before getting whacked over the head by Aaron.
  
  That was basically the mood of the entire conversation. It wasn't anything serious, as we all knew the plan moving forwards for Sinnoh anyways. It was just a nice opportunity to hang out one last time before we had to head home to our respective regions. To my slight surprise, I noticed that Lucian and Lorelei actually got along really well together, and unlike how she handled Agatha, Bertha wasn't hostile to Drake and found some common ground.
  
  On my end, I actually spent most of the dinner chatting with Aaron, who I had probably spoken to the least out of the Sinnoh Elite Four. The man was incredibly enthusiastic about Bug Types, even more so than you would expect a typical Type specialist to be. He made it very clear that he genuinely found Bug Types to be beautiful, and part of his motivation to become a Bug specialist was to unlock the full potential of their beauty.
  
  He also told me that he was extremely envious of Cynthia's new Kleavor, and wanted to get his hands on one himself. Cynthia said if they had spares then she would see if she could acquire one for him. The two of them also arranged for a spar and to exchange tips, since Cynthia wanted to make sure she was training her new Kleavor correctly.
  
  Besides talking amongst each other, all of us made time to thank the rank-and-file personally, moving from table to table to thank them for their efforts. Even if they expected it, they still seemed to appreciate the effort. I think it made them feel valued.
  
  The dinner was actually wrapped up pretty quickly, and Cynthia announced that you were free to leave whenever you wanted to. There was no obligation to stay until the end.
  
  Of course, that also applied to us as well. So as we finished our meals and the conversation slowed, Cynthia and I both got up from the table and made our way out of the League building together, walking with our arms linked around each other towards the large waterfall that served as the 'entrance' to the Sinnoh League.
  
  "...Saying goodbye is always hard, isn't it?" I said softly to her.
  
  "We should be used to it by now." She replied, "But it probably will be some time before we can meet in person like this. Since right after the Conferences are over, we'll all be busy with the start up of the new circuit soon."
  
  "And...as callous as this might sound, some physical distance between us might be a good thing for our shared image." She continued, "Right now, our relationship is going to be one of the things in the forefront of the public's mind, both because of how new it is and since we're always spotted spending time with each other. If we gave the public some time and by not always appearing in the spotlight together, it might normalise our relationship for them."
  
  I nodded, seeing the benefits, "I can't disagree...but I'll miss you."
  
  She smiled softly, "Don't worry. I still have that locket you gave me. I won't forget."
  
  "That reminds me, I bought you a small little something too." I fished her gift out of my pocket, "Here, for you."
  
  I knew that she liked wearing dress shirts underneath that long coat of hers, so I had gotten her some golden cufflinks that were shaped like a Pokéball. They were small and subtle, but I figured that was how she preferred her accessories.
  
  Her eyes sparkled as she saw them, "Oh my, that's a very lovely gift. You definitely got the colour right - I'll be trying them on tomorrow. Thank you, John."
  
  "...Actually, I got you something as well." She added, "Unfortunately, it's actually still being prepared, and it would have been a little too big for me to have brought it to the dinner party. But I'll make sure its shipped to your home as soon as its ready."
  
  That caught my interest, "Now I'm very curious. What kind of gift is it? If it's so big, maybe I should've gotten you something bigger too."
  
  She chuckled and shook her head, "No, no. It didn't really cost me anything. You'll see when you receive it."
  
  I was still curious, but I let the matter drop and just focused on enjoying our last night together. And so that was how the two of us remained for the rest of the night, spending time in each other's loving care as we remained under the bright and starry night.
  
  We both had our duties to our regions, and we would once again be separated physically from each other.
  
  But that just made the small moment that we could share together all the more precious.
  
  A.N. A wrapping up chapter as John's time in Sinnoh once again comes to an end! Sadly, he can't stay there with Cynthia forever, and he does have his own duties in Indigo that he's unwilling to give up on. I hope you enjoyed his mini-adventure in Sinnoh. Things aren't completely resolved here, so he'll be back again one day. Cyrus isn't just going to roll over. However, now it's time for John to deal with everything else that's happening back in Indigo! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - Mystery Dungeon
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Snippets - Mystery Dungeon
  
  [NEWEST POKÉMON TITLE: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - The Legendary Delve! A companion piece to the latest mainline Pokémon game!] by Earlier Access
  
  The Pokémon company has been on a roll recently, and they seem to be capitalising on the success of their latest Pokémon game with a new Mystery Dungeon game! Usually, Mystery Dungeon games are relegated to spinoffs from the main game, with their story and setting having little to no overlap with the mainlines games.
  
  However, this new Mystery Dungeon game is directly tied to the mainline games, and instead of being a Pokémon, you are one of the many trainers who has been employed by the Celestic Town Research Centre to dive deep into the caves of Sinnoh and uncover the many secrets, histories, and treasures within.
  
  This change in setting does mean that there are notable gameplay changes too. The newest feature is that, as a trainer, you will also need to be protected while exploring within the caves. That adds an extra level of difficulty as even a single move can bring you down like the squishy human that you are. Of course, there also many additional options that more than make up for this weakness, but we'll allow you to discover those on your own.
  
  One of the more interesting features that I will mention is that you will be interacting with many of the usual cast from the mainline games, and as you advance in status and reputation, you may be able to invite prominent trainers to join you in your expeditions. There's a whole new base building feature now as well, and the game as a whole is a lot more open than previous titles.
  
  I know many of you are still reeling from the difficulty of the Gauntlet Mode of the Tri-Regional Tournament, so perhaps this would make a good distraction from the usual grind. No need to burn yourself out!
  
  Honestly, I think this game is amazing, though there are a few flaws that I won't mention here. How are you guys all finding the game? Let us know in the comments below!
  
  Comments
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Honestly, this is a sight for sore eyes. I still haven't managed to beat the Gauntlet yet without save scumming - RNG is just not on my side with my choice of partners. I both love and hate the fact that this is the Gauntlet Mode is the game for everyone to Nuzlocke now.
  
  I haven't played much of the new game so far, but I'm really enjoying what I've seen so far. I thought escorting 'myself' would be annoying, but you get so many more companions this time round that it more than makes up for it. In some ways this game feels like a strategy game with how you have to manage your Pokémon. It's a nice change to the formula!
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES I LOVE MONSTERS HOUSES I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES I LOVE MONSTER HOUSES
  
  I LOVE IT WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO REACH THE EXIT AND THEY DROP TWO ON YOU BACK-TO-BACK AND THEN YOU INSTA-DIE. VERY FUN.
  
  GitGud
  
  Git Gud.
  
  You aren't scouting enough with your Pokémon. Gotta bring a few Psychic Types to make sure they can detect hidden threats.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Yeah well that didn't help when a Zoroark suddenly appeared out of nowhere and one shot me. You can't detect THOSE with Psychic Types. They're a huge pain in the ass.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  You should have grinded some easier missions to level up your reputation so that you can bring in better companions. Better companions like veteran explorers will alert you to any upcoming traps, so you'll have a better chance of dealing with Zoroark and Monster Houses.
  
  Also, anyone have any thoughts on the story - I think it's pretty decent, but so far nothing has reached the highs of Explorers of Sky.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Well if they managed that then this game would easily be best Pokémon game of the year.
  
  [Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - The Legendary Delve. Who are the best companions?!]
  
  So for those who have put some time into the game, you will know just how valuable the companion system is for anyone trying to explore in the higher difficulty caves. But with how grindy it is to farm reputation, its very difficult to actually bring in the top level companions to accompany you - most of whom are familiar faces from the mainline games. And if you played the Gauntlet Mode, then you're definitely going to be very familiar with who they are.
  
  Each companion obviously has their own strengths and weaknesses, but anyone know who's the best to recruit out of all of them?
  
  Comments
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  I don't give a fuck if John is good or not. I'm not recruiting him. The bastard has taunted me so much in both the main game and the DLC that I'm never going to get him as a companion.
  
  Fuck him.
  
  GitGud
  
  You do realise that if you don't recruit John, you're basically locking yourself out from recruiting Cynthia, right? Just like in the Gauntlet Mode, they come in a pair (which really cements that fan theory that they're a couple. Damn.)
  
  And they're both individually really strong. Cynthia especially, since she's basically the owner of the Research Centre. She's pretty much maxed out in all skills, but too bad she's never available to explore because she's always busy being a Champion. Still, excellent companion, even if she's basically autonomous.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  I don't give a fuck. The PTSD when I see their faces is too much.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  DO NOT TRY TO RECRUIT AGATHA! SHE WILL SAY YES AND THEN JUST NOT COME! DO NOT DO IT!
  
  GitGud
  
  ...Dude, why would you try to bring old Agatha into a CAVE?! The fuck?
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I mean, you can bring Drake, and he's just as old. Although you're right in that he's generally shown as far more energetic and lively than Agatha, so I guess its not the same. Agatha looks really frail and generally unsuited for the rigors of cave exploration.
  
  Actually, now that I think of it, I think Drake is an excellent high-level recruit. He's basically firepower incarnate. He doesn't have any skills that help you detect traps or treasures, but he's unstoppable in a fight. So monster houses aren't a problem anymore.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Wait, I'm not too far in the game yet because I had foolishly decided to waste more time with the Gauntlet Mode. But how do you make these high level recruits besides the reputation requirement?
  
  I don't mind spoilers.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Depends on the person, as each of them has different requirements. For the 'high level recruits', I'll give some examples for the more popular ones. I'll be assuming you meet the reputation requirements.
  
  For John, you need to have found the Icicle Plate ruins and discuss it with him. You don't need to have cleared that entire section, you just have to reach the ruins and invite him to join you. You also need to have a high friendship level with him. I suggest buying his Moomoo milk to help him set up another branch office for his Moomoo milk business to get some quick friendship levels.
  
  For Cynthia, you need to have befriended John and have found the Icicle Plate with him as a companion. Once that happens, John will automatically invite Cynthia. Unlike with others, you cannot actually ask Cynthia to join you. Instead, she will go on her own expeditions, and you will be given the option to join her. Note that you will not have control over your destination or companions on a Cynthia-led expedition.
  
  For Drake, you have to also develop your trainer rank alongside your reputation and win enough battles in Hoenn to catch his attention. Once you do, challenge him to a fight, and if you impress him enough he'll hear you out. You can use this opportunity to invite him.
  
  For Agatha, it's the same process as for Drake, but you just have to do it in Indigo. BUT! You can't actually invite Agatha, as she will say yes but simply not join you (as I learnt the hard way). Instead, if you manage to invite Agatha, she'll send Karen in her place after some time has passed, so its not entirely a wasted effort.
  
  I won't say too much more, part of the fun is discovering how to recruit them!
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Fair warning! If you bring ANY companions to one of the important story missions, they WILL affect your decisions and your character's actions. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
  
  For example, if you take John into the Icicle Plate mission, you will be FORCED to give up the Plate to the Research Centre, where they will undergo research for you. You cannot keep hold of it like you otherwise could if you didn't bring him along.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  So John's a pain in the ass here too! I KNEW IT!
  
  A.N. I saw that you guys enjoyed the last Ingame Snippet, and so I had some inspiration and wrote this up! This is like a pseudo part 2 for the last Tournament snippet, but this time with a different focus! As always, don't take this too seriously, and I hope you enjoyed it!
  
  Also, there is a bonus chapter that is exclusive to Questionable Questing. As the chapter is heavily NSFW, I won't be publishing it here to respect the rules. But, if you're interested, please head over to Questionable Questing. Thanks!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-9 - Triumphant Return
  
  After spending one last night with Cynthia, it was time to finally leave Sinnoh and head back onto a boat that would deliver us back to Indigo. Since Indigo was closer than Hoenn, our group were first to get off the boat after about a day's trip back. Drake would stay on for the remainder of the trip back to Hoenn.
  
  "It's been fun, John. I can see why you were so insistent on opening up cave explorations back in Indigo too." He said to me as we were about to arrive in Indigo, "I'd be happy to join in again in the future."
  
  "You think of doing something like that in Hoenn?" I asked.
  
  He shook his head, "Nah, that's too much effort. If someone else made the suggestion then I'll be happy to go along with it. But I don't have the patience to fucking deal with it otherwise."
  
  "I see." I nodded, that sounded like him, "Anyone interesting competing in the Hoenn Conference that you know of?"
  
  "Fuck no." He laughed, "If there was, then I'd actually be there and looking into them. But nah, this year's crop really isn't anything special. No offense to them, but from what I see they'd still need a year or two to refine themselves."
  
  "If anything, I think most of our eyes are on Steven Stone, and that friend of his." He added, "Bruno, I think he's called. That fucking huge hunk of muscle that follows him around."
  
  "Yeah, his name is Bruno." I confirmed, "He's really strong."
  
  "I know that. I saw how hard he pushed you in your fight against him. Between him and Steven, I think we'll see some interesting fights happening quite soon." He nodded, "Maybe we'll see some changes in our Elite Four roster."
  
  "And you're not upset by that?" I asked.
  
  "I like my colleagues, and I'd be sad to see them leave, but it's not personal." He explained, "I consider them all to be good friends of mine, but the Elite Four is not about your friendships. It's about strength. If Bruno and/or Steven can prove themselves to be the better trainer, then I'd welcome them with open arms regardless."
  
  "That's a good mindset to have." I nodded, then the blaring of the ship's horn signaled to us that we had arrived, "Anyways, it's been good to spend time with you, Drake. Have fun back in Hoenn."
  
  "You too, John. I can't wait to see what kind of fucking shenanigans you get up to next." He grinned, "It's always an exciting time with you."
  
  With those parting words that marked the end of my time with Drake, I exited the ship and gave him one parting wave.
  
  Luckily, there was no 'big ceremony' to welcome us back to Indigo. So outside of a few reporters and cameras that took my picture, I was free to head off back home.
  
  As I flew back home, I made sure to call Lance just to debrief him on what had happened in Sinnoh. He should have known everything already, but it was good to run things through once more just in case there was any miscommunication.
  
  There wasn't, and Lance was more than satisfied with the developments in Sinnoh. He especially emphasized his hopes that Lorelei would establish a good rapport and reputation with her efforts with her branch of the International Police.
  
  "The more we can show the wider world that they can only gain from having inter-regional organisations, the more united we can be as a world." He told me, "The more we can show that we are helpful, the more receptive they will be to such an idea."
  
  "And how much are we benefiting from this increase in internationalism?" I asked out of curiosity.
  
  He grinned, "Will could probably give you a better answer, but we're flourishing economically. That's to no one's surprise. Having more people to trade with has been greatly beneficial for the economy of Indigo as a whole. Not too mention all of the extra tourism that this brings."
  
  That was good. A healthy economy means prosperity, and prosperity meant that people were less inclined to perform extremist actions just to earn their livelihood.
  
  "Well, that must be good for your ratings then." I quipped.
  
  "I won't deny that it's been a very appreciated side-benefit to all this success." He chuckled, "But I truly do want to see this happen. Once we crush whatever remnants of the terrorists are still lingering in Sinnoh, I truly believe we can build a wonderful and prosperous society that will endure for the years to come."
  
  I smiled, happy to hear that his thoughts mirrored mine. It only reinforced the idiocy and the delusion of the plans that Team Galactic had thought up. There was no need to remake the world to create an utopia when far simpler actions could already achieve it.
  
  It was ironic that they were all that stood between a secured prosperity when that was what they were supposedly aiming to achieve.
  
  My call with Lance wrapped up soon after that, perfectly in time as I had just arrived home.
  
  "Welcome back, dear." My mom smiled softly at me, "I saw that you were busy in Sinnoh. Did you find it fun?"
  
  "It was enjoyable." I nodded as I looked around, "Where's dad?"
  
  "He's still in Hoenn at the moment to sort out a few things." My mom said, "He told me to come back first to handle some other matters. He should be back within the week."
  
  "Ah, I see." I plopped down on the couch, "And how's Whitney doing? Have you seen her since the announcement?"
  
  "Oh yes - we were all very excited and surprised about that. Who knew that both of our children would be such geniuses." My mom was practically bouncing on her feet in excitement and happiness. "Katrina was insistent that I come over to congratulate them in person, and those Farigiraf of theirs look very special."
  
  "It's such a shame that they didn't get the full publicity and recognition that they deserved." My mom frowned, "They only made the headlines for a few days before everyone really forgot about your sister's discovery."
  
  In all honesty, that was already pretty good. But I didn't blame my mom for wanting my sister to get more recognition.
  
  "Eh, that normally happens with reveals like this, but it'll pick back up when Farigiraf gets used in a big battle. Plus, she'll have plenty of opportunities to be in the public's spotlight in the future." I waved her off, "And this is a good foundation for her anyways."
  
  "Well you'd know it better than me." She said, "Have you had something to eat yet? I want to hear more about what you've been doing in Sinnoh. Especially anything relating to you and Cynthia." She grinned, and I let out an exaggerated sigh as I indulged my mom's curiosity over some food.
  
  I didn't realise how many photos there would be circulating around the Pokénet of Cynthia and I hanging around each other, sometimes in rather affectionate positions, but I personally thought that everything remained within the bounds of decency. Judging how my mom had also cut up a few photos and stuck them into a notebook, she agreed.
  
  I obviously did not let her know about what happened last night. That was definitely staying just between Cynthia and I.
  
  My mom and I spent the rest of the night catching up, and she was surprisingly interested to hear about what happened during my raids in Sinnoh. She was obviously concerned for my safety, but she also felt bad for the Sinnohnians for having to go through such a problem.
  
  Before I headed to bed though, I did ask Cynthia what her gift was meant to be - as it hadn't arrived yet. I was hoping to pry an answer out of her, but she remained vague and told me that it would remain a secret. However, she did reveal that she was certain my parents were going to love it, so that didn't help with my bubbling curiosity.
  
  Then, on the next day, I had polished off a quick breakfast before heading to the training fields where I awaited Karen's arrival. Apparently, she had things she wanted to tell me in person rather than over the phone.
  
  I arrived at the fields just in time to catch her landing.
  
  "Welcome back, John." She greeted me with a smile, "How are things? Going well?"
  
  "I should be the one asking YOU that." I returned, "But yes, all is well. The terrorists are still holing up in Sinnoh, but I trust Lorelei and everyone's efforts to uncover them. There's not much else I can do about it now."
  
  "That's good. I know how much you've been stressing about this - so I hope it gets resolved as soon as possible too." She said, "Anyways, I'd thought I should update you on my plans for the future, now that I've confirmed them."
  
  "Oh?" I exclaimed curiously, "And what are they?"
  
  "I've decided that I will be challenging Agatha after I win the Indigo Conference." She declared, causing my eyebrows to rise. This was an ambitious statement, but I couldn't say I disapproved.
  
  "Are you sure you aren't putting the cart before the Ponyta here?" I asked, "You still have yet to win the Indigo Conference."
  
  "I'm not overly worried about that. Not to be arrogant, but I've seen my competitors. I'm confident in my chances of beating them." She shook her head, "And if you took some time to study the remaining trainers in the Finals you would likely agree with my assessment."
  
  I nodded. I understood that Karen's strength was more than a match for most trainers. I believed it when she said she would likely win against her opponents. She did beat Sidney, after all.
  
  "That may be the case, but arrogance is ever the downfall of men." I warned, "Make too many mistakes, and you might find yourself losing."
  
  "I know, but I'm confident that it won't happen." She replied, "Which is why I'm focusing my efforts on making plans to replace Agatha in the Elite Four."
  
  "Have you spoken about it to her?" I asked.
  
  "Not yet, but I will do so soon." She informed me, "Though I suspect that she has already predicted my intentions."
  
  "And she didn't say anything...?" I said.
  
  "No, which probably means she had planned for such an outcome, or at least she might have expected it to some extent." Karen responded, "But I can see the benefits to her as well. If she loses to me, her 'chosen apprentice', then it looks much better for her. People always love to see students surpassing their teachers. Especially when that teacher is nearing the age of retirement. Her loss to me would allow her a graceful exit from the stage of the Elite Four."
  
  "Not only that, but it would also solidify my status as her apprentice, and make people more accepting of any transfer of power between us." She continued, "I know the original plan was for me to take out Will, but I believe I'm strong enough to give Agatha a run for her money. Sure, taking out Will would allow the both of us to be in the Elite Four together - but, like I said before, I don't actually want to that to happen."
  
  I nodded, remembering her fervent wish to give her mentor the opportunity to finally put down her responsibilities.
  
  "Well I have no problems either way." I said to her, "But you better be confident that you can win against Agatha. Agatha is strong."
  
  She snorted, "You don't have to tell me that. I'm well aware of how strong the old hag is, and I know full well she would never hold back against me."
  
  "Truth be told, I'm nervous about it as well." Despite her words, her eyes were gleaming with determination, "But I see this as the best path forwards, and I will have to take my chance so that I can achieve the best outcome for everyone. After all, challenging Agatha would grant me a much larger degree of respect than if I fought Will."
  
  I smiled, this was the passion and drive I wanted to see. "Then I'll do my best to support your efforts either way." I told her, "Although I don't fight anything like Agatha does, I'll help you with whatever you need."
  
  "That being said, you should probably tell Agatha about your plans sooner rather than later." I added, "This really isn't something you should keep from her."
  
  "I know, I just wanted to tell you about it first." She replied, "I'll speak to her about it soon."
  
  We walked deeper into the training fields, "Do you know what kind of team she'd likely field against you?...Actually, now that I think about it, I don't actually know the full extent of Agatha's team."
  
  "She has more Ghost types than you think." Karen explained, "She's always been disdainful of the culture where most trainers should 'only' have 6 Pokémon. Even I don't think I've seen all of the Ghost types she owns. But she has at least more than a dozen."
  
  "Are they all at the Elite level?" I had to ask.
  
  "Nah, not that I'm aware of." She shook her head, "There's a reason she so frequently makes use of the three Gengar that you always see her field in battles. They're her strongest ones, and I expect to be facing all three of them in battle."
  
  "Makes sense." I nodded just as we arrived, "Then we better get to training then. I want to show you how much my own Pokémon have improved too. My weaker Pokémon aren't so weak anymore."
  
  "Oh? Then you better show them off." She grinned, "Maybe they'll serve as a good warmup for me."
  
  Though I wanted to, I couldn't just spend the day training with Karen. I had other things to attend to while I was here. Now that I was back in Indigo, I could finally work on the plans that I had put on hold for the Tournament. Namely to make sure that everything was in place for my proposal to allow Gym Leaders to be appointable from anywhere from within Indigo.
  
  Seeing the public's reaction to the Tournament, and their excitement for another one, had given me the confidence that the political climate was ready for such a proposal.
  
  To that end, I had to meet up with someone I was still reluctant to spend time around - Pryce.
  
  Luckily for me, he seemed to be in a better mood today, as he had gone so far as to greet me at the door rather than have me walk to his office.
  
  For Pryce, that was basically treating someone like royalty.
  
  "Good to see that you didn't steal all of the spotlight from my niece." Was how he greeted me. I guess a good mood could only carry his niceties so far, "I was concerned that your greed for the spotlight would overshadow her own efforts. But I see you know when to tone back."
  
  "I hardly crave the spotlight, Pryce." I frowned, "Becoming famous is not why I chose to go down this path."
  
  "Bah, the youth and their idealism. It makes it worse because you truly believe in it." He grumbled as we walked into his office.
  
  "You should try it sometimes. I'm sure it beats being cranky all the time." I snarked.
  
  "You try to live up to my age and not be an old crank." He shot back while sitting down, "Besides, I know you're 'friends' with Agatha. I don't know how you manage to stand up to that hag and not want to turn her into one of those Ghosts that she loves so much."
  
  Probably because she's still more caring than you, was what I thought but didn't say.
  
  Unaware of my thoughts, Pryce waved me off, "Regardless, before you sour my mood with your presence." Well fuck you too, "I'm pleased to see that you have kept to your side of the bargain. Lorelei has already informed me of your gift to her."
  
  "Then will you keep to yours?" I pressed.
  
  He grinned sharply, "And what would you do if I didn't?" I moved to say something, but he just laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "Hah! Not that I would! You're no Blackthorn. I will honour my side of the deal. You will have the support you desire for your proposal."
  
  "Thank you." I still said, even though Pryce never failed to rile me up.
  
  But then he surprised me, "I will do you one better. The reporters are probably aware that you have come to Mahogany Town to speak to me, but they do not know what or why we are speaking. What I propose is for you and I to go out there, and smile and grin at each other like we are a pair of old friends."
  
  "Are you even able to smile?" I couldn't help but ask. Though inwardly, I couldn't deny that pretending to be friends with Pryce would be great for optics. If I could be seen as being 'friendly' with Pryce, it might convince a few would-be opposers to reassess their thoughts because Pryce was not against it. It wouldn't win everyone over, but it was much better than nothing.
  
  As much as Lance would prefer otherwise, Pryce still had some degree of political influence as a former Champion. He had not been completely disgraced, and he was still respected in certain spheres. Being friendly with him despite our past animosity would also make me seem open-minded, which was always a good thing.
  
  His lips turned up slightly, "I am quite capable of smiling, thank you. And despite our...animosity, I do not hate you. Plus, feigning a friendship for political reasons is something I am more than capable of doing."
  
  "Okay, I can see the benefits of this." I replied, "But WHY are you offering this?"
  
  "Because politics is something that you cannot escape from, not in our positions. Once you've dipped your toe in it, it will ensnare you forever." He grumbled, "But I can fake a smile if it means reminding people of my political relevance - something that I'm keen to do to capitalize on my success in making it to the Top 3. Plus, my niece still requires all of the support she can get. She is in a very important time in her political career, and I intend to be in a position to extend a helping hand if required."
  
  I blinked, "...I'm surprised. I'd always thought you were distant from Lorelei."
  
  He barked out another unpleasant laugh, "She is my successor, whether she wants to be or not. No matter her actions, no matter how she tries to distance herself from me, there will always be those that tie her actions to my own. So why shouldn't I help her?"
  
  I disagreed inwardly; I thought that Lorelei was more than capable of stepping out of Pryce's shadow, but I didn't voice it here. He wouldn't agree anyways.
  
  "Regardless, my reasons are my own, and frankly I have already spoken too much." He continued, "Let us focus back on what truly matters. Your proposal. Even with my support, I hope you're not naïve to think that you can pass this without any pushback from the Committee - something as controversial at this can't be secured with just a few handshakes."
  
  "I understand that." I nodded, "Still, I am confident that we will have the numbers."
  
  "And do you truly think, from the bottom of your heart, that this proposal will pass? I may agree with you that the world has changed, but the people's beliefs are not so easily changed." He challenged, leaning forwards as he did so. His eyes stared into mine, as if trying to imprint the seriousness of his question.
  
  I thought my answer over carefully before responding, "I know that too. But I cannot be so afraid of criticism that I do nothing. I must try. At the end of the day, I truly believe that my proposal would lead to a brighter future for Indigo, and I have to hope that the public shares in my view. If there is opposition, then I will do all I can to reassure them."
  
  "Overall, I am confident that Indigo has been more united than it has ever been before. After all of the changes over the past year, my assistants have reassured me that the public's desire for further unification is only continuing to grow as they continue to reap the benefits of our greater unity. Furthermore, with some key Gym Leaders supporting this proposal, like yourself, I think that will sway the majority of both the Committee and the public to our side."
  
  "You may call it naïve, overly idealistic, or whatever other insult you like to use." I said firmly, the passion growing in my voice, "But this is the future that I hope to craft. A Gym Leader should serve as a pillar of our region, but it shouldn't matter where that pillar comes from. Kanto OR Johto, we are both equally interested in protecting our joint people and livelihood."
  
  That is what I truly believed in - how I truly felt. Win or lose, I wanted the proposal to at least be discussed at the highest level, and for it to be legitimately considered.
  
  "We will see about that." He said neutrally, though he wasn't inspired by my words, "Nevertheless, I would like to know when you plan to push this through, and what that process will look like. I know special arrangements will need to be made for us Gym Leaders to participate, but has that already been agreed upon?"
  
  I had to give it to Pryce, when he wasn't being a complete asshole, he asked good questions. It was a reminder that there was still an astute political mind somewhere in that cranky brain of his.
  
  "Once I've checked through with Lance about the preparations, then we will announce the proposal to the Committee shortly afterwards." I answered, "Though I don't exactly know what the voting process will look like at the moment - I'll have to speak with Lance about it."
  
  "Fine. I suppose you wouldn't know unless Lance tells you." He said.
  
  Then he shook his head and let out an uncharacteristic sigh, "I disagree heavily with your idealism...but I suppose...I was like you, once upon a time. But just like me, I know once reality has reared its ugly head towards you, you will be forced to mature just as I did. Your idealism will fade away in time."
  
  I frowned, "I wouldn't use the word 'mature'. I don't think you 'matured', I think you grew so cynical because you were too used to the power that being Champion granted you. No one did this to you other than yourself. You chose to throw away your idealism."
  
  And I vowed to hold on to mine for as long as possible. The Pokémon world was a beautiful place. I had thought so when I had first came to this world, and I still thought so now. That feeling was only compounded when I had first started my journey, to know that even despite the poverty of my childhood, that every trainer had the opportunity to win glory and riches for themselves. The fact that everyone here was just so friendly, accepting, and not judging of one's circumstances (for the most part) was such a breath of fresh air for me when I had started my journey.
  
  Very few had looked down on me just because of my poor upbringing. While they looked down on Tyrant when he was merely a Slakoth, that didn't last for long when they saw what he could do. The authorities genuinely did their best to look out for everyone, and I could feel that our leaders were genuinely passionate about their jobs and responsibilities.
  
  The Pokémon world was just so idyllic compared to everything that I was used to.
  
  Which was why I clung so hard in trying to improve the world even further, and not let it fall into what I saw were the same mistakes as my old world. The people were just naturally more friendly here, and I wanted to encourage this natural friendliness and spread it throughout the whole world. It was why I was so passionate about making sure that proposals like these would be pushed through, because I thought that they would allow that natural friendliness that the people here possessed to shine and make the whole world brighter for it.
  
  That was why I disagreed heavily with Pryce's cynicism. There was no need to see the negative in everything that you looked at.
  
  "...Perhaps I did." But he didn't say anything else as he pulled himself out of his seat, "Enough of my past though. I can already hear the reporters outside trying to scramble for tomorrow's headline - it seems that they have caught wind of your arrival. I believe it's time to give them a show."
  
  I nodded, "Yes, we shall." And by shaking hands with Pryce, that would mark the first step towards finally making my long-term proposal a reality.
  
  A.N. Back to politics, both with Karen and her plotline and with John and his own. Karen's finally revealed her intentions to challenge Agatha, instead of Will as originally planned. I thought this would be more interesting and would be better for Karen's development.
  
  And with John, this proposal of his was a long time in the making, and I thought now would be a good time to properly begin implementing it. I really wanted to highlight John's passion for these kinds of projects. It might be out of idealism, but he truly wants to implement these things for the betterment of Indigo. I hope that came through!
  
  Also, I see a few people struggling to find the chapter on Questionable Questing. You have to create an account to access the NSFW section, and the chapter is published there under the same name (Cartec). I hope that helps!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-10 - Collecting Gym Leaders
  
  Despite whatever feelings we had for each other, Pryce and I kept up the façade of being friends in front of the cameras for long enough to achieve our political objectives. After my conversation and 'photoshoot' with Pryce, I had gone to visit Giovanni to make sure that everything was in place for the announcement of my proposal.
  
  He told me to make sure that Blaine and Clair would be on board and informed in advance, and also to ensure those visits were public enough so that the public would know that I was looking to obtain their support. But besides that, he relayed his own thoughts to me once last time.
  
  "I truthfully do not believe that just by simply making Gym Leaders appointable from either Kanto or Johto will somehow override the many years of grudges that are ingrained within them." He stated to me, "However, after thinking things through carefully, I can agree that even foreign appointees wouldn't dare sabotage their own city just for some 'regional benefit'. No, they wouldn't dare do such a thing as they would never benefit from it. In that sense, I can trust in their self-interest to keep them from making a mess of things."
  
  "Still, I will not allow my optimism to overcome my cautiousness. Whoever is appointed as the first foreign Gym Leader will be under intense scrutiny to ensure that they can live up to the very high standards expected of Gym Leaders. I will expect them to be indistinguishable from a regular Kanto Gym Leader." He continued, "It is going to be a long road before the idea of having a 'foreign' Gym Leader is normalised, even after the first one is appointed, so I hope for your sake that those foreign Gym Leaders that do get selected in the future are competent in their duties. We don't need a repeat of what happened to Flint. If not, well I fear that your project might be burned to the ground."
  
  "And if I have the power to discuss the selection of future Gym Leaders, then I promise to keep that in mind." I nodded, "I know the risks."
  
  "Good. Then you don't need to hear anymore from me." He stood up from his chair, "Now, let's make sure that the reporters get the photo we want to show them."
  
  I smirked, and followed after him.
  
  The next day, pictures of me shaking hands with both Giovanni and Pryce with smiling faces could be found all over the more political-focused news articles as they speculated about what my plans were for the future of Indigo. Obviously, many understood that I wasn't just running around the place for no reason - especially with someone that many saw was my 'former enemy' in Pryce.
  
  Still, many praised what they deemed a 'reconciliation' between the two of us, as it was well-known that I had a big part to play in deposing Pryce from his position as Champion.
  
  That clued people in that something was big in the works, and many in Indigo were holding their breath to see what I'd be coming up with. With that in mind, I didn't waste the opportunity that was presented to me. I quickly made visits to both Blaine and Clair at the Cinnabar and Blackthorn Gym respectively, obviously in full view of the public.
  
  Since I knew Clair would be going on with my plans, my visit to her Gym was merely a formality and was mostly done for PR purposes. Lance had already confirmed that she was onboard with the idea, and I knew that she wouldn't gainsay his plans.
  
  Still, I spent a little time to catch up with her, "You know, we haven't spoken much. Which is odd considering that I'm good friends with Lance."
  
  She shrugged, "We just don't really see each other. Nothing more to it."
  
  "I suppose so." I agreed, then something popped into my mind that I had to ask about, "Say - I've always been curious about something, and you don't have to answer it if you aren't comfortable, but why aren't you in the Elite Four? Or at least made the attempt to join it? With your strength, I'd say that your admittance would be a real possibility. Especially when Walker was still around."
  
  "You had every chance to take him out and replace him, so I'm curious as to why you didn't." I asked, "But of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to-"
  
  "It's fine, it's a good question." She waved me off, "And you're right - I certainly have the strength to blast away any of the Elite Four that stood in my way." I doubted that, but I knew Clair was prideful, so I kept my silence, "The simple answer is that it wasn't in the interests of the Blackthorn clan for me to join the Elite Four since Lance was, at the time, already a member of the Elite Four."
  
  "But what about now?" I pressed, "Lance is Champion now. You could have taken up his old spot."
  
  "True, but then it wouldn't be in my interest to do so." She responded, "I know the reputation that I have. That I am merely playing second fiddle to my more exceptional cousin. Truth be told, despite the common perception of Blackthorns and their pride, a Dragon knows when to bow to a superior Dragon. My cousin has proven himself to be the Dragon of the Blackthorn clan, and so it is only natural for me to submit to his authority."
  
  "However, if I were to join the Elite Four, that would be all I could be - a subordinate of Lance, and nothing more." She continued, "Yet if I were to remain as a Gym Leader, I would still have my own autonomy - my own power - that would be separate from his. This way, our roles do not overlap, and we each have our own specialty."
  
  "Ah, that makes sense. Thank you - that makes things much more clear." I nodded, "So you personally don't have a problem with what I'm proposing? With having Gym Leaders be appointable from either region?"
  
  She snorted dismissively, "And since when do Dragons concern themselves with the affairs of others?" She crossed her arms, "My primary concern is with the Blackthorn clan and its Gym, and little else. Your proposal does not affect those interests, so I do not see why I should stand opposed against it when my cousin is supportive of it. Naturally, I will back him, and I am more concerned about maintaining my position as the strongest of the Gym Leaders."
  
  I...very much doubt she was, but I definitely needed to keep my mouth shut about that.
  
  "Of course, had you proposed this matter a year ago, then it would have been a different matter entirely as the elders still were in control of the Blackthorn clan." She then revealed a wry smirk, "In fact, I imagine that they would probably be screaming their heads off in rage once they heard of your proposal. For a Kantonian to be meddling in the affairs of Johto's Gyms, which they see as within their zone of influence, they would rage and shout like they did when you revealed the Fairy Type, and probably make a big mess of things like the fools that they are."
  
  "However, Lance has them now cowed and silenced, and the direction of the clan has shifted drastically from what it used to be." She stated, "While I won't get into the affairs of the Blackthorn here, just know that whatever Lance says, they will begrudgingly follow."
  
  There was definitely more of a story there, but I didn't feel like asking more since I had already asked quite a few personal questions already.
  
  "I see, well I suppose that's just a good thing for me." I said, "Thanks again for your support. With you and Pryce on board, I'm confident things will turn out well."
  
  With that, our meeting was wrapped up, and like I had done previously the two of us stepped out of the Gym and shook hands for the cameras before I was off once again to Cinnabar Island to visit Blaine.
  
  As I arrived, Blaine and I spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries and catching up with each other before we dove into more serious topics.
  
  "I see you've been heading around shaking hands with people in the news." He eyed me critically, "Normally, that's none of my business. But now you're here in front of me, and I can tell from your eyes that you want something from me. So - what do you want my help with that you'd even get Pryce to assist you with?"
  
  "I have a proposal in the works, and I'm just making sure that I have the support necessary so that it passes. Since it involves the Gym Leaders directly, I've been gathering support." I explained.
  
  "Hmph. And since you even went out of your way to speak with Pryce of all people, am I correct in saying that your ideas are going to be quite ambitious?" He asked.
  
  "You'd be correct." I nodded, "I'm looking to have Gym Leaders be appointable from either region..." And I proceeded to lay out my plans to Blaine in full, including who I had already brought onboard to support this idea of mine.
  
  "...And so, with all that in mind, there will likely be a vote that would involve all of the Gym Leaders, and I hope to have your vote when that happens." I finished.
  
  "Eh, I don't particularly care either way." He exclaimed dismissively, "As long as your plans don't affect the budget I get for my research, or tell me what I can or cannot do as a Gym Leader, then I don't really care about what you end up proposing."
  
  I nodded; that was about what I had expected and hoped Blaine's reaction would be. He always seemed to care more about his personal research than anything else. Honestly, the political back-and-forth between us was thankfully short, as Blaine didn't seem super interested in the politics behind it.
  
  His sole concern was to ensure that the future foreign Gym Leader would meet the high standards expected of him, but I successfully reassured him that any future foreign appointments would be judged by his fellow Kanto Gym Leaders.
  
  Of course, with the political discussion wrapped up, he was quick to badger me about his latest science project - which he was far more enthusiastic about.
  
  Like we had agreed previously, once we had finished up on the Electirizer project, we had moved away with creating more evolution items like this. But knowing Blaine, he would just be moving on to his next project.
  
  "I'm actually working with a few scientists from Sinnoh, and I don't mean Volkner." He told me, which took me by surprise, "It's been interesting working on something other than evolution items for once, as right now I'm currently focusing on seeing if I can help them rediscover any new Pokémon using your PIT Technique. You could say it really lit a flame in me. Hah!"
  
  I groaned as he chuckled as his own joke.
  
  "It's been unique working with archaeologists - it's nice to be able to have some idea and direction for where you want to go." He continued, "Having certain descriptions of Pokémon that used to exist in the past means that I'm not going into this completely blind when trying to see if a certain Pokémon has an alternate type or not."
  
  "I assume you're focused on the Fire types?" I asked, "If you can say, what are you working towards at the moment?"
  
  "Eh, it's hardly a secret anyways between you and me." He waved me off and gestured to a few plans that he had written on a whiteboard, "According to the descriptions that they provided, they believe that there was evidence that Growlithe used to exist in 'Hisuian' times. They weren't able to give complete descriptions, obviously, but there is some evidence to suggest that these Growlithe aren't like the Growlithe we have now."
  
  "Dual type?" I suggested.
  
  "Most likely so, and one part should be Fire type, since they were usually located around more volcanic regions." He confirmed, "Currently I'm working on a Rock and Fire type Growlithe because it seemed logical to me for volcanic rock to have an effect on Growlithe. I've already prepped an egg, though I can't show it to you."
  
  Wow, he was on the right track already. How fortunate for him, "That's fine, you don't need to show me."
  
  "That's not the only thing I've been working on." He added, "There are also other PIT techniques that I've been looking into simultaneously, though I've not made as much progress on those ones just yet. Oh, by the way, have you seen the sale numbers for the Magmarizers recently? They've been doing really well..."
  
  Blaine and I chatted about a few more topics for a little while longer, but eventually I had to leave because I still had a few other Gym Leaders to speak with. Still, with Blaine's 'support', I had now secured another influential member amongst the Gym Leaders to back my new proposal.
  
  Since it was late by the time I left Blaine's, I waited until the next day before I returned to my support gathering. I started early in the morning, and I made sure to visit every single Gym, even those who I knew were unlikely to accept my proposal, just to make sure it didn't look like I was neglecting everyone.
  
  Such as Surge, who remained polite with me, but admitted to me that he found it difficult to accept Johto Gym Leaders in Kanto.
  
  "I know you mean well by it, son, but it just doesn't sit right with me." He told me with a frown, "I've not been blind to your achievements, but you gotta understand that there's history between our two regions that isn't so easily washed over. I ain't saying you're wrong to push for this, and I trust you have our best interests at heart, but my instincts can't agree with your proposal."
  
  I nodded understandingly; Surge had unconsciously mirrored exactly what Giovanni warned me about how some might feel. That was fine, I knew I would never get an unanimous agreement.
  
  Yet, when I spoke to the other Gym Leaders, I realised that many of them didn't have any particularly strong feelings one way or the other. Of course, that didn't mean they had no concerns, and a few had asked me why I was so insistent on going down this path of change and reform.
  
  I gave them all the same answer, "It is because I've come to know Gym Leaders to be good people. To be leaders that are worthy of the public's trust and respect. Even if there are the rare bad apple amongst you, such as with Flint, I am confident that most of you are responsible and well-meaning enough to pick up the slack."
  
  "And you've proven your determination and sense of responsibility time and time again. When Team Rocket momentarily terrorised our region, did you not step up to help where you could? When the PSS crisis happened, did the Gym Leaders not all put in tireless hours and offer aid beyond their own cities to ensure that order was reinstalled as quickly as possible? When the Circuit comes around, do you not put in extra effort to ensure that your Gym is as prepared as it could be, just to give all those young trainers the best experience possible?"
  
  "It is because of your previous actions that have given me the confidence to push this proposal through. Gym Leaders in Indigo have proven to live up to their lofty titles, and so I feel that, even if a foreign Gym Leader were to become a Gym Leader, it would not cause any harm. Because, even in the worst case, I trust that you will be able to police your own."
  
  That statement of trust got me a few thankful smiles, and combined with the public agreement of Blaine, Clair, Pryce, and Giovanni, that had swayed many to agree to this test run.
  
  Of course, I didn't just chat politics with all of them, and I made sure to use the opportunity to catch up with the Gym Leaders that I was close with.
  
  "If you want our support, then you need to participate in another one of our water shows in the future!" Daisy Waterflower jokingly told me, "You've only performed the once! The more the better!"
  
  "...Surely there are others more suited than me." I chuckled awkwardly, "I don't think I have the talent for this."
  
  "Eh, it's all about showing off the unity of Cerulean." Daisy said, "The more events we do with you, the more the public can see that the leadership of Cerulean City is of one mind and is friendly with each other. It's good for everyone."
  
  "Don't say that like you thought of it, sis." Violet teased, "You're just repeating what Petrel told you."
  
  "Shut up!" She blushed, which got a chuckle from me.
  
  "Well I can't deny that." I nodded with a smile, "I'm going to be busy for a bit, but I'll promise I'll get back to you on that."
  
  "Please let us try something with your Zoroark." Violet pleaded, "Could you imagine just how useful having illusions would be in our performances?"
  
  "We once experimented with Kecleon, but it's just not the same since it can only change its own colour." Lily nodded, "But we saw your Zoroark in action - it can form illusions of more than it just itself. It's practically the perfect Pokémon to create a dazzling performance."
  
  "I...never thought of it like that. I only really cared about the battling implications." I admitted, "But I can see why he'd be so desired."
  
  "Yeah, and this would be the perfect opportunity to show off the beauty of fossils as well." Daisy added.
  
  "...Wait, fossils? Do you have one on you?" I asked confusedly.
  
  "Yep! Drake got us one as a gift! Check it out!" She tossed out a Pokéball to reveal a Kabuto. "Drake said it was a reward for our hard work in the Tournament. We insisted that he didn't need to, but he was too stubborn."
  
  Heh. Even under all that gruff, Drake couldn't hide his niceness.
  
  "That's very nice of him." I said, smiling.
  
  "It was! We wanted to get him something back but we didn't know what to get him." Daisy frowned, "He already told us he wouldn't want to receive another Pokémon because he doesn't have time to train up another with his new Gible, so we're kinda lost on what we should gift him."
  
  "Then perhaps all he wants is your friendship." I suggested, "Despite how he is, I know he'd appreciate if you stayed in contact with him. That might be enough for now, and if you ever think of a proper gift for him then you could get that for him as well."
  
  "...Yeah, that might be all we can do for now." The trio of sisters nodded, "Misty did say that she wanted to visit Drake in Hoenn after he left - so maybe we can make a trip of that in the future."
  
  Besides the Waterflower sisters, I had also chatted with Brock and caught up with him. Honestly, I had heard quite a bit from Karen already during our casual conversations, but it was nice to see that he was doing much better. He had told me that he was still receiving quite a lot of informal support from Karen and Agatha, but he was doing his best to not be dependent on them.
  
  Still, while I didn't say this out loud, my recent repeated mentions of Flint as the 'bad example' of a Gym Leader reminded me that the bastard was still hiding away from his family, and I considered for a moment if I should ask Brock if he wanted his father found, but ultimately chose to keep my silence.
  
  This was none of my business, and it wasn't my place to ask. I just trusted that Brock would resolve things himself.
  
  With all of the politicking done, I returned home and spoke with Lance and confirmed that I had received the support from a majority of the Gym Leaders. With that, he told me he'd be making preparations to put the proposal before the Committee as soon as possible.
  
  "Needless to say, you've already done most of the hard work after convincing most of the Gym Leaders to join your side." He explained to me, "The news is already bursting with anticipation about what you're going to be announcing. I don't think there will be a better moment than this."
  
  So I left him with the preparations as I intended to relax for the night. However, just before dinner began with my parents, there was a knock on the door. Someone had delivered a package - and I suspect I knew who.
  
  This was my girlfriend's mysterious gift to me, and it was large box with the word 'Fragile' stamped onto it.
  
  Under the watchful eyes of my parents, I carefully unwrapped and opened up the box, and my eyes widened as I saw what was within. Or rather, the many things that were within.
  
  First and foremost was a large certificate that labelled me as an honorary member and explorer of the Celestic Town Research Centre, with a badge containing the same qualification. There was also a letter included which explained that, in light of my aid in helping the Research Centre with making some significant discoveries, they wanted to award this to me as thanks for my contributions. The letter also explained that this was a decision made unanimously by the many researchers and explorers working there, and not a decision made unilaterally by Cynthia.
  
  That was touching. Previously, I relied on my connection with Cynthia to even stay at the Research Centre. But now, this was proof that I had made some friends amongst the people there, and despite not being there for a very long time, I had earned their respect and trust. They said that they were always willing to have me over if I ever came to Sinnoh.
  
  In practical terms, that meant that I was allowed free reign to stay at their facilities - even without Cynthia's invitation. Not that I would stay there without telling her, but it was the thought that counted. I was also allowed to delve into their caves independently, though they still recommended that I bring a group just in case.
  
  And, more importantly for my parents, I had gotten my own title - 'Honorary Explorer'. For someone that didn't have much of a formal education in my youth due to my parents' poverty, this was very meaningful for them. As parents, I knew that academic recognition was something they valued, and this was practically that, even if it was mostly ceremonial. It obviously wasn't as important as me getting into the Elite Four, but I could feel their proud and relieved gazes on me when they stared at the certificate.
  
  "If you ever step down from the Elite Four, maybe you could work there as a backup." My dad jokingly said to me, "That is, if you don't want to immediately join up with the family business."
  
  "I don't have any plans on stepping down anytime soon, but it's nice to have that option open." I agreed.
  
  Other than that, the box also contained a framed photograph of me at the forward base speaking with a few of the scientists during our expedition to find the Icicle Plate. Drake was also in the photo, though he was in the background. The back of the photo was signed by a lot of people who were also a part of that expedition, with more words of thanks for helping them find the Icicle Plate.
  
  I had insisted to them at the time that it was a team effort, but I guess they still wanted to show their appreciation.
  
  Still, with my parents' insistence, the certificate was immediately hung straight in the middle of our living room, next to all the other memorable photos that we had taken. It was placed next to the photo of me at my swearing in ceremony when I had first become an Elite Four. The other photo with me talking to the scientists was kept in my room. The fact that it was signed made it more personal.
  
  So as I laid down in bed that day, I made sure to thank Cynthia and tell her to pass on my appreciation to all those people the Research Centre for the wonderful gift. I also sent her some money for her to buy a crate of alcohol on my behalf for everyone as a sort of 'late celebration' gift for finding the Icicle Plate.
  
  That got a few laughs out of her, as she promised that she'd make sure that no one got too blackout drunk.
  
  All this was just a reminder that, despite all of the politics that I was doing where I was trying to shape the future of Indigo, sometimes the small things mattered too. Yes, I had helped the people at the Research Centre make some big discoveries, but if I had been rude or had lorded my status over them during my time there, or had I ignored them completely in favour of Cynthia, I doubt they would have taken the time to put together this heartfelt gift.
  
  And that meant just as much as my new proposal did.
  
  A.N. A very heavy conversation based chapter, but I wanted to make sure I properly laid down the foundations for such a big policy being implemented. It also serves as a catching up with a few Gym Leaders.
  
  At the same time, despite all of the politics, I wanted to highlight that interpersonal relationships and just being a nice and friendly person to people who might not be 'politically important' can mean just as much. Like I mentioned in the chapter, despite all his big goals, I'm sure that John values the gift that he got just as much.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-10 - Interlude- Koga
  The New Normal - 11-10 - Interlude - Koga
  
  Pride and glory were normally concepts that he cared little for. He did not disdain or abhor them; they simply did not take up much of his own thoughts during his day-to-day life. He had taken up his duties as a Gym Leader because he saw it as his obligation to do so, not for any personal glory or sense of accomplishment.
  
  However, he would be lying if he said that he was entirely devoid of pride or ambition.
  
  Koga stared out of the window as he idly gazed at the sights of Fuschia. Its traditions. Its history. Its culture. Despite hardly being the most prosperous of all the cities in Kanto, Fuschia City had its own unique appeal in the fact that it was still one of the most traditional and culturally wealthy cities in the region. With Lavender Town being its only 'rival' in this respect.
  
  Yet he had heard rumours that Lavender Town was going to be under new management soon, one that desired to revitalise the sleepy town into one with more modern aesthetics. For better and for worse.
  
  Koga never considered himself to be one of those hardcore and stubborn traditionalists who would decry and denounce any attempt to change the status quo. No, he understood that change was an inevitable aspect of life, and there was no use trying to stubbornly refuse it.
  
  At the same time, he was someone that still appreciated and loved many traditions of the past. He thought that there was a unique beauty in celebrating the past and preserving their culture, though not to the point of obsession.
  
  Yet he understood that his perspective was one that was growing increasingly rare in this day and age. With the downfall of Pryce and his group of lackeys, and the collapse of the traditionalists in Sinnoh, it wasn't difficult to see why there were an increasing number of people that had taken to view anyone who considered themselves to be a 'traditionalist' in a negative light.
  
  Nor did Koga blame them. He was also disgusted and frankly appalled at the sheer level of stupidity of the actions that were taken in the name of 'preserving their history', especially from Sinnoh. Who tries to stubbornly keep their own borders closed when it's clear that the public all want otherwise?
  
  So it was no wonder that the public of Kanto and Johto - or perhaps it was Indigo nowadays - would be so taken with the successes that John had achieved. The changes that he introduced, and his willingness to embrace a more unified world, had been dazzling to many.
  
  He didn't disagree, especially not after seeing the myriad of positive changes and benefits that these policies have blessed their region with. Koga knew that part of the reason why the other Gym Leaders didn't make a fuss with supporting John's new proposal was because they had been busy reaping the benefits of all his success.
  
  After all, it was far easier to come across as a popular and well-liked Gym Leader if the economy was doing well.
  
  However, it seemed like John's desire to create change and to craft the world of their vision had unintentionally created the side effect of leaving behind - or even bulldozing over - some of the more traditional aspects of their culture and society.
  
  He could imagine the day that the Fushcia City that he knew from birth was renovated to become something like New Mauville - a modernised yet 'soulless' new shopping mall. The culture and rich history of his beloved city would be all but forgotten should that happen.
  
  That thought unsettled him.
  
  This was why he had been in talks with a few of his fellow Gym Leaders and other prominent individuals from Kanto and Johto alike. Most importantly, he had spoken with Gym Leader Erika and the Kimono Girls from Ecruteak City. The latter were a surprisingly outspoken political voice of Ecruteak, and were considered to be one of the major powers behind the running of the city.
  
  They all shared his ideas of wanting to preserve the traditions and cultures of Indigo. Not to the point of stifling all further progress, but just enough so that the traditions of the past wouldn't be forgotten amidst all of the changes that were being implemented.
  
  However, Koga knew that, from his position as a Gym Leader, he wouldn't have the influence or power necessary to ensure that his treasured traditions could be protected. He considered John a friend, especially thanks to his sister's closeness with his daughter, but purely soft power might not be enough.
  
  No, he knew that if he wanted to make a difference - to prove to the world that not all traditionalists needed to be painted with the same negative brush - then he needed to be more than just a Gym Leader.
  
  He needed to join the Elite Four.
  
  But if he was going to challenge the Elite Four, he needed to be able to beat one of their members. Issuing an official challenge to John was obviously out of the question; there were easier ways to be humiliated in front of a massive crowd than to fight him.
  
  He had heard that Agatha was on the way out. And considering that she had her apprentice tearing through the Indigo Conference, he could pretty much figure out her intentions. He respected her enough to not try to disrupt her plans; not that he realistically could.
  
  So that just left Lorelei and Will. On paper, it would make more sense for him to challenge Lorelei. She was considered the weaker trainer, though he doubted that was still the case, and she didn't have such an obvious Type advantage against him.
  
  However, Will was untested, and prone to arrogance. He knew that Will had tempered some of his showboating in recent times, but Koga knew as well as anyone did how difficult it was to change one's innate nature. Pride was a difficult thing to quash. And it was that innate pride that he intended to exploit.
  
  Lorelei was naturally more cautious, and she might be more alert to the surprises that he had in mind.
  
  It was unfortunate that Will was knocked out in the first round of the Tournament. Had he done better, Koga would have had more opportunities to properly study his team. Yet from what he saw from Will's performance, he knew that it would still be a difficult fight, but one that was very much winnable.
  
  And in the worst case scenario, should he lose to Will, he still had another opportunity to challenge Lorelei in a few months' time as well. His plans were not so urgent that they needed to be enacted immediately.
  
  Thinking about the future, Koga closed his eyes and let out a minute sigh. He knew that joining the Elite Four meant leaving the Gym to Janine's young hands. Obviously, she wouldn't be expected to handle the Gym alone, and he had a trusted group of subordinates that could basically run the Gym in his place and assist and support her in the case of his departure. She would not have to manage the Gym by herself.
  
  However, had she been alone like she used to be a year ago, then he would have never considered leaving the Gym to her hands so quickly. Previously, he knew how much his daughter idolised him, and wished to follow in his footsteps - to the detriment of everything else. She was isolated and friendless, and he feared that making her a Gym Leader too soon would only further isolate her from forming potential friendships.
  
  No father wanted that for their daughter.
  
  Yet now, he had seen her friendships with Whitney and Sabrina. He had seen how close the trio were with each other, and how they always took some time at night to speak to each other. He had seen how the trio all worked together to push themselves and each other to become better. He had seen how his daughter smiled happily every time she spoke to him about her new friends.
  
  No, she wasn't alone any longer. And even if she were to take up the reins of the Gym, those bonds of friendship would never be broken. She would not remain isolated and friendless as he once feared. Therefore, he felt confident that he could safely leave the Gym to her capable hands.
  
  And allow him to focus on his ascension into the Elite Four.
  
  A.N. We haven't had a Koga perspective before, but it's finally time for him to take the stage. He was an Elite Four in canon, and I wanted to underline a few of his inner thoughts about why he chose to join it. We have another challenger incoming! I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-11 - Politics in Action
  
  With all of the preparations in place, Lance and I worked together to organise and have everything in place and ready in time for the next Committee meeting. There was no need to delay things any further; better to strike while the iron was still hot.
  
  I walked into the meeting room with a confident smile on my face, ignoring the many stares and whispers that were directed my way. None of my preparations were subtle, and I was fairly certain that the many politicians in the room had all somewhat guessed my intentions already, so they were just waiting for the hammer to drop.
  
  I think Agatha found it amusing to watch them squirm.
  
  "You must be pleased with yourself." She told me as I arrived. I was surprised that she had arrived earlier than me, "I don't think I've ever seen you so active for any of your previous plans. Then again, none have been as ambitious as this."
  
  "Did Karen tell you about what I was planning?" I asked, though I wasn't being accusatory. I didn't mind if Karen told Agatha.
  
  But Agatha shook her head, "The girl had no need to. Or did you think I wouldn't be able to figure it out myself? I pieced everything together when you went to speak with that old Ice bastard."
  
  "I did too. You weren't being very subtle with it, unless that was your intention." Will's voice came from behind us, and I turned to watch him saunter into the room, "Greetings again, John! I knew today would be an important occasion, so I dressed up particularly fancy today. Do you like the new look?"
  
  ...I blinked, but he didn't look any different. He literally looked the same as usual, but I didn't want to wipe the proud smile off his face.
  
  "You look as immaculate as ever. I'm sure a reporter will make note of your attire today." I lied blatantly, and judging Agatha's rolling eyes, I wasn't subtle with it. Still, the pleased grin on Will's face told me that he bought it.
  
  Though Agatha was not nearly as polite, "Bah. You look like the same preening ponce as ever. Maybe you should try wearing a different colour next time if you want to attract attention."
  
  Surprisingly, Will didn't take it badly and tapped a finger on his chin, "Hmm...a change of colour might be good, but it could ruin my image. After all, purple IS my colour. Maybe I could try blue?"
  
  Then he looked around, "Speaking of blue, is Lorelei going to be joining us today? I heard she would be."
  
  "She is." I nodded, "I heard they've installed a video camera here and gave her a private room in Sinnoh to allow her to still participate in these meetings."
  
  "Ah, that's good. It's about time we standardised online participation in Committee meetings, especially since we're going to be saddled with far more international duties." Will commented, getting another nod from me. "We shouldn't be missing out on meetings like this just because we're overseas."
  
  And almost as if was coincidence, a member of staff came and plugged in a specialised looking laptop next to us, while another rolled in a large screen attached to a trolley. A few seconds later, and Lorelei's head popped up on the screen.
  
  "Is this work-Oh, hello to you all too." She greeted us with a small wave, "I hope you weren't waiting for me."
  
  "The Dragon is late as usual." Agatha scoffed, "Even though this is supposed to be his shared idea."
  
  "A Champion has many duties he has to attend to. We can forgive a bit of tardiness." Will placated, but he just got another scoff from Agatha.
  
  "Oh, that reminds me, thanks again for your introduction to your business contacts, Will." Lorelei said, ignoring Agatha's previous comments, "It made things a lot easier for me."
  
  "Not a problem." He waved her off, "They wanted to meet with you anyways. I just helped facilitate the meeting. But I heard that they spoke well of you and were pleased to see that you were as neutral as you portrayed yourself. It freed them from their greater fears."
  
  "You mean that they were happy that I wasn't like my uncle." She quipped, but there was no bitterness there.
  
  "They didn't word it like that." Will replied, but I could tell he agreed with her words.
  
  "Ah, I'm assuming you're talking about your Sinnohnian contacts?" I asked, getting a nod from Will.
  
  "Yep, they wanted to meet Lorelei - for obvious reasons - and I just made sure they could arrange a more private meeting with her." Will smiled, "I'm personally happy to see that Indigo is integrating well with the businesses of Sinnoh-"
  
  Whatever Will was about to say next was cut off as Lance swooped into the room, his cape dramatically flowing behind him as he practically marched into the room. The room quickly silenced as all eyes were locked onto Lance, with many waiting for what he was about to say.
  
  Although, amongst the Elite Four, we were less impressed with Lance's 'performance'. I knew that Agatha and Lorelei both were rolling their eyes.
  
  At least Lance had a keen supporter in Will - who eyes shined with intensity as he stared at Lance's flowing cape.
  
  "Thank you all for waiting. I can tell that most of you are eagerly awaiting to see what our new proposal is going to be." He began.
  
  "But you need not wait any longer - I will tell you here and now that the plan that John and I have crafted together is an ambitious one, yet it is one we hope that will tie the bonds of friendships and common identity within Indigo to become even more unbreakable. And to accomplish that, we will be slowly erasing the artificial separation that continue to distance our two regions."
  
  Like we had planned, I'd be sharing the credit for the idea with Lance. It would be better for the both of us if he was the one to announce the idea. As always, I didn't care for the glory - as I had more than enough of it - I just wanted to ensure that this proposal would be successfully passed for the betterment of our region.
  
  "That is why, thanks to John's unending passion and drive for internationalism, we have judged that Indigo is ready to vote on a policy that will shape the future of our region for the years to come. And that plan is - for the Gym Leaders of Indigo to be appointable from either Kanto or Johto!"
  
  There were a variety of responses to Lance's announcement. However, even though there some expected noises of shocked outrage, especially from those who had campaigned on more traditional beliefs, the general reaction was fairly muted. Everyone here was likely a seasoned and experienced politician, so they were likely expecting something like this.
  
  "To clarify, this does not mean that we will be changing any of the current inheritance rights of Gym Leaders. Gym Leaders will continue to be able to pass their position down to their chosen successor, within reason, as usual. However, what this DOES change is the fact that, if there were to be an open spot for a Gym Leader, that Gym Leader may be appointable from either Kanto or Johto - regardless of where that Gym is located." He explained.
  
  "Like I said, I understand that this is quite the radical proposal, and is something that is definitely worthy of much discussion." He continued, forestalling any objections, "That I why I will not be holding a vote on this proposal today. Instead, as some of you may have already realised, we will be inviting the Gym Leaders to express their opinions and vote on the matter before we continue. It is only afterwards shall I put the vote to everyone in the Committee."
  
  There were a few approving nods to that; no one liked it when a proposal was forcefully pushed through. Even if they knew I had likely set the stage in advance with my talks with the Gym Leaders, it still gave everyone a chance to think things over and express their own thoughts.
  
  The latter was especially important for the politicians in the Committee. With how big of a proposal this was, and with us inviting the Gym Leaders, their discussion were undoubtedly going to be televised and reported on. That gave the Committee members an excellent opportunity to use that as a platform to express their own views in hopes to secure more votes for the next election.
  
  "...And so the bomb is dropped." Will muttered, "I wonder how your proposal will be received."
  
  "You will have my support as promised." Lorelei confirmed, and I shot her a thankful nod.
  
  But Agatha was less encouraging with her words, "Have you learnt nothing from your time in the Tournament?" She mocked, "Inviting all of the Gym Leaders here is just asking for an argument to break out. And it'll be televised, no less."
  
  "I'm sure they'll act more professionally in front of the cameras." Will replied, which I agreed with. Agatha just harrumphed.
  
  "Then you have more faith in them than I do." Then a large grin appeared on her face, "Oh how I hope that they'll make a mess of a things. That's always funny to see."
  
  The gears of politics moved quickly, which was further helped by the fact that the news were excitedly writing all kinds of headlines about the announcement of my proposal. Opinion pieces, discussions, and debates had spontaneously taken place throughout the region as many political thinkers talked about what this would mean for the future of the region.
  
  The discussions weren't limited to only in Indigo. Hoenn and Sinnoh were quick to hear about the news and had joined in, throwing in their own opinions on the matter.
  
  With the foreign regions, the main thing they were talking about was if, hypothetically, Gym Leaders could be appointed from ANY region. In other words, what if a Gym Leader for a Gym in Sinnoh could be appointed from Hoenn or Indigo, for example.
  
  That was seen as a little too far for the time being, even with Hoenn, but it was an interesting discussion to be had anyways. And it did open up the possibility of such a thing being implemented in the future. When Wallace and Cynthia were asked about their opinions on the matter, they both said that they believed it would be a nice ideal to work towards, and something that could be considered for the future.
  
  Returning back to the local scene, from what my team and I saw from the collected news reports and online, the initial reaction to the announcement from the public were generally favourable. Obviously, not everyone was in support, and there were a few minor protests that broke out that wanted to block this policy from going through.
  
  However, many within the public were adopting a wait-and-see approach, holding on to their opinion until AFTER the Gym Leaders had their discussion and vote. It was clear that most of the public had a high degree of trust in their Gym Leaders, and would support their views accordingly.
  
  That was perfectly fine with me. As long as the announcement didn't cause the public to turn immediately hostile against me, that was all I hoped for. And I at least had a few big fans of mine who were already supportive from the get go.
  
  Thanks to all the attention that my proposal garnered, and the fact that the Committee unanimously agreed to have the Gym Leaders be invited as soon as possible, we actually managed to send out and invite the Gym Leaders on the day - meaning they could come in the very next day.
  
  Was it a little rushed? Yes. Did anyone care? No. The Gym Leaders all knew what was coming, and they were all already prepared for the invitation.
  
  As everyone huddled into the League building, the Committee room was packed to the brim with people, as news reporters, League officials, Committee members, all of the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and everyone else was crammed into a room that was definitely not fit to host this many people.
  
  In the end, we decided to just move the whole thing to a different, and larger, room. It wouldn't make for good television if you couldn't make out any of the faces due to how squished everyone was.
  
  That was where I found myself now. Standing next to my fellow Elite Four members in the repurposed training room with chairs and tables temporarily placed down just for this meeting. Though we were mostly here to spectate - this wasn't the time for us to add our contributions. Today was for the Gym Leaders to have their say.
  
  "Smart thinking relocating to a training room." Agatha said to me, "IF and when the sparks do fly - at least the room is already reinforced." She cackled.
  
  Despite her words, there didn't seem to be any sign of a brewing argument happening amongst the Gym Leaders. I spotted a few unfriendly stares, most notably from Surge to Pryce and vice versa, but nothing nearly as bad as Agatha was suggesting.
  
  It was also interesting to see the dynamics of the Gym Leaders in full display, now that they were in their home turf. When we were in Hoenn, there was no posturing or power plays between them outside of your occasional 'friendly' jokes, because everyone knew that we were there to 'have fun' and, more importantly, because we were in foreign territory.
  
  However, now that we were home, it was blindingly obvious that the jockeying for influence and posturing had long since begun.
  
  Giovanni stood proud at the centre of pretty much everyone's attention. He was already influential enough before, but over the past year, with his public support of me, his famous charitable efforts, and his performance in helping drive off the false accusations levied by Team Rocket, meant that he had firmly entrenched himself as one of, if not the most, popular and influential amongst the Gym Leaders. Even amongst the Johtonians.
  
  Speaking of the Johtonians, just like Giovanni said, the most influential figures were Pryce and Clair, where they competed for the top spot. It was very clear who supported who, as Clair had the Gym Leaders Thorn (who was probably Bugsy's uncle) of Azalea and Gym Leader Chuck of Cianwood standing close to her, while Pryce had Gym Leader Morty and Falkner's father of Ecruteak and Violet respectively standing next to him.
  
  Notably, both Jasmine and Lewis, of Olivine and Goldenrod respectively, were standing slightly apart from them, as if to signify their neutrality. I could understand Jasmine's neutrality on account of her being a new Gym Leader, but why was Lewis neutral?
  
  Still, it was a bit eye-opening to see how close both of them were in terms of influence. Honestly, I was surprised to see just how much support that Pryce still retained despite how he lost his position as Champion. I thought that Pryce's more abrasive attitude would have driven away potential supporters, but then I realised that Clair had the exact same problem.
  
  She was arrogant and proud. It didn't help that she looked like she was looking down at the other Gym Leaders with disdain, even if that might not be her intention. She just had a really unlikeable resting bitch face.
  
  By every metric, Clair should be dominating the Gym Leaders of Johto with her connection to Lance and her personal strength as a powerful Dragon trainer. Yet it seemed like she never managed to fully consolidate her leadership over the other Gym Leaders, which allowed Pryce to consolidate his own base of support.
  
  Regardless, I was at least pleased to see that neither the Waterflower sisters or Brock were being looked down upon. I saw that they were invited into the small talk, and were generally treated like a fellow peer. Those two had come a long way when it came to their reputations, and I only hoped that that would continue to grow.
  
  Yet I did notice that Lewis was surprisingly isolated from all the other Gym Leaders, with no one really willing to talk to him. He was definitely one of the older Gym Leaders here, which should mean that he would have the connections, but no one seemed willing to speak to him. Even weirder, I noticed a few less-than-subtle looks of disdain being shot his way by a few of his fellow Gym Leaders when he wasn't looking.
  
  That was...strange. Perhaps there was a reason for it?
  
  With all the posturing out of the way, the formal discussions could finally begin.
  
  Giovanni led off first, "I see little reason why we need to discuss this topic any further. We have been promised that we would be able to evaluate and pass judgment on whoever is appointed to be the first foreign Gym Leader. They will act as a suitable test subject to see if this idea works. There is little reason to decline."
  
  "My opinion on this likely does not need to be stated." Clair followed up, "After all, it is better to have a foreign Gym Leader than an incompetent one. This proposal would open up the talent pool to more suitable candidates, rather than those appointed for less-than-noble reasons. No one likes a useless Gym Leader."
  
  "And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Pryce sniped, "But let us not beat around the bush. I am not against this policy."
  
  "I would have thought that you would hate this, knowing how prickly you are." Blaine pointed out.
  
  "And you should think before you speak, or are you still plagued by that hot-headedness of yours?" Pryce fired back, then continued as Blaine bristled, "It is not impossible for one to change their opinions. And I have seen the winds of change blow through our region, enough for me to say that I am not against this new proposal. I am willing to support a test run, as Giovanni has mentioned. The power is still retained by us to remove an unsuitable candidate, so there is little reason to refuse."
  
  "Like anyone would believe you of all people would have a change of heart, Pryce." Surge mocked, "Everyone knows you still have an icicle up your ass after your stint as Champion. We all know you're only supporting this because you're getting something out of it. Besides, I know I ain't as bright-eyed and trusting as John - I think this policy comes too soon. We have only started to mend our relations, we should give it a few more years before we reconsider this proposal."
  
  "Let us keep this conversation as civil as possible, please." Samson quickly cut in before Pryce could respond, "There's no need to be so hostile."
  
  "Eh, I don't necessarily disagree with Surge." Chuck piped up, "I also think this comes a little too soon. Should we not wait until later to push this through?"
  
  "And if we wait longer, then we will simply be having the same arguments in a few years' time as we are now." Jasmine denied, "There will never be a 'perfect' time, but if we want to start overcoming our regional prejudices, then now is as good of a time as ever. Unless you truly believe that a person could not be an effective Gym Leader simply because they were not born in that region."
  
  "Aye, I don't agree with that nonsense, that's true." Chuck nodded, "Oh well, objection rescinded."
  
  "We have spoken much on our ability to remove the new foreign Gym Leader, but how many votes exactly would it take to remove them?" Koga asked, "Would a simple majority be enough? Or would it require a super majority? Or does it have to be unanimous?"
  
  "I believe that is a discussion that we must have." Giovanni nodded, "In fact, why don't we take this one step further. Since we are all already gathered here today, should we not take this opportunity to formalise a new proposal that would help us ensure that us Gym Leaders remain competent in their duties?"
  
  And then, to my surprise, Giovanni began to speak about his own proposal - where he proposed that the Gym Leaders should have the power to vote out any of their own if 5 out of the remaining 7 Gym Leaders of that region deemed them to be unsuitable. Should the League not agree with their decision, they must provide a reasonable and public explanation as to why they are NOT going to remove the Gym Leader in question. Failing this, then the denounced Gym Leader would be removed.
  
  Of course, this would also apply to any new foreign Gym Leaders as per my own proposal. So instead of having a 'test run' where they could vote out the first foreign Gym Leader if they were incompetent like I initially suggested, they would simply have that power in general.
  
  What shocked me was that ALL of the Kanto Gym Leaders quickly nodded in agreement, as if the entire thing had been planned from the very beginning. Giovanni must have already discussed this and prepared them in advance.
  
  He had always intended to propose this.
  
  Previously, the rule was that a Gym Leader could only be removed if 80% of the public voted to remove them OR if the Committee voted to remove them. With this new rule, it gave the Gym Leaders more of a say in policing their own.
  
  Then, with none of the Johto Gym Leaders objecting to Giovanni's proposal, and instead actually being in support of it, his proposal had the unanimous consent of all of Indigo's Gym Leaders. And, by announcing it as publicly as he did, Giovanni had basically presented a fait accompli to the Committee. They were practically forced to agree to it.
  
  I saw a few strangled looks on a few Committee members as they were outplayed, but personally I didn't really care about it. Gym Leaders being able to police their own was, as far as I saw, a perfectly reasonable rule to have. Meanwhile, the Elite Four next to me seemed to either be in agreement, or they met the new proposal with the same indifference. It wasn't hard to guess who was indifferent about it.
  
  Moving on from this short distraction, the Gym Leaders returned to the original topic of discussion. There was a bit more back and forth, but it soon became clear that a conclusion was about to be made.
  
  Ultimately, the current roster of Gym Leaders were mostly in support, either due to their own personal beliefs or thanks to my politicking. There was never going to be an unanimous agreement, but those that opposed my new policy weren't doing so vehemently. Perhaps the extra voting power that they just got from Giovanni helped smooth over any unpleasant feelings that might have arisen.
  
  Eventually, the discussion was over, and the vote was held. Out of the 16 Gym Leaders of Indigo, 13 of them supported my proposal. Only Surge, Morty, and Lewis voted against it. Meaning that I had over 75% of the vote in support. I smiled as I saw it.
  
  That was as huge indicator for the Committee that my proposal was a popular one, and I held on to the hope that a similar result could be produced there.
  
  And Lance clearly felt the same way, as right after the Gym Leader vote was over, he quickly requested that the Committee vote be held within the next hour, as he argued that everyone was already here and they might as well not waste time.
  
  I knew that he was just trying to capitalise on the momentum.
  
  During the next hour, I made sure to thank all of the Gym Leaders that voted in support, and also speak to those who didn't to make sure there were no hard feelings between us. Surge was surprisingly friendly despite being my most vocal detractor.
  
  "I know I ain't always right. Thinking was never my strong suit." He chuckled, "But you seem to have a good head on your shoulders, and if the rest of the Kanto Gym Leaders think you're good, then maybe I was just wrong. I trust you have our best intentions at heart, even if you're young, so I'll be there to help keep things calm if it goes tits up."
  
  That was nice of him.
  
  I also spoke with Morty, who also greeted me with a friendly smile, "I hope there're no hard feelings between us." He said to me, "I just don't think such changes need to be made. Gym Leaders are always tied to their own regions - that's just how I see it."
  
  "Well I hope that I can change your perception on that soon." I replied, "Gym Leaders are pillars of our region, but there's no need to restrict them from being from a certain location."
  
  He shrugged, "Perhaps. Ecruteak has always been conservative and traditional, so we'll be keeping an eye on how this plays out."
  
  After the hour was over, the Committee members all reconvened for the final portion of this long meeting. They had spent the last hour deliberating amongst themselves, and now was the time to see if all that effort that I had spent to pushing this through would be successful.
  
  Before the voting began, us Elite Four had one last opportunity to speak. I obviously gave one last firm statement of support, and Will and Lorelei both said that they would follow the will of the Gym Leaders.
  
  And there was Agatha's 'speech'.
  
  "Are you really going to be the one who will publicly disagree with the majority opinion of the Gym Leaders?" She challenged mockingly to the Committee members, "Is that something you have the guts to do?"
  
  That got her plenty of offended looks, but she didn't care at all. Was it appropriate for her to say such things in such a formal setting? Absolutely not. Did anyone who mattered care? No, because we pretty much agreed with her.
  
  And with all our speeches over, it finally became time for voting.
  
  First came Giovanni's own proposal to grant Gym Leaders the power to vote out one of their own. As I expected, the Committee quickly voted it through, almost unanimously.
  
  Then came my own. I felt my hands clutched nervously below the desk as I watched the yay's and nay's come in. Every time I heard a 'nay' I felt my hands clutching tighter and tighter.
  
  But eventually, the votes were all gathered up, and one of the League officials announced the results. My mind instinctively skipped over much of the formality, and only focused on the final part.
  
  "...Therefore, the Committee have chosen to approve this new proposal with a clear majority. From today onwards, the Gym Leaders of Indigo will now be appointable from either Kanto or Johto."
  
  And with a bang of Lance's gavel, we had issued in the beginnings of what I hoped to eventually be a fully unified Indigo.
  
  A.N. A very heavy political chapter again, but I felt it was needed to cover all of the conversations and discussions that would take place surrounding this issue. Considering how much of a big change this is, I felt that simply skipping over everything would be an injustice, and I wanted to challenge myself to write about an ambitious topic. But yes, the proposal is put in place!
  
  But now that all the politics is over, we will be getting back to focusing on many other events within Indigo! Battles and other important events are upcoming! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-12 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 11-12 - Pokenet Interlude
  
  [BIG ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SAFFRON GYM! NEW GIRAFARIG EVOLUTION ANNOUNCED - FARIGIRAF!] By Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of Farigiraf, with Whitney and Sabrina standing proudly next to them]
  
  We suppose that the chain of new discoveries hasn't quite ended yet, as the Saffron Gym's announcement of a completely new Normal/Psychic type took everyone by surprise. A new evolution for Girafarig, a Pokémon that has seen very little competitive use in the past, might be just the thing to bring this Normal/Psychic type into the spotlight.
  
  And from the demonstrations provided by Gym Leader Samson, this new evolution has the potential to become an extremely versatile Psychic type that could fulfil a variety of different roles. Farigiraf has the support move pool of your typical Psychic type, but also the bulk that many of its counterparts lack. Plus, with its crucial immunity to Ghost type moves, our analysts believe that Farigiraf will be a serious contender to be one of the most sought after Psychic Pokémon for high level battles. It really has a lot going for it, and we wonder if trainers like Elite Will or Elite Lucian will be seen fielding a Farigiraf in the future.
  
  Many comparisons were drawn between the newly discovered Farigiraf and Wyrdeer. Considering the latter's very much demonstrated power as a key staple of Elite John's team, it only reinforces our confidence that Farigiraf will be a strong choice for trainers in the future.
  
  Of course, we would be remiss to skip out on those credited with the discovery. According to Samson's announcement, he places sole credit of this discovery on his daughter and heir, Sabrina, and her friend, Whitney, who is also John's younger sister. We don't know the specifics about how much each of them contributed to the discovery, but suffice it to say that these two young trainers must have a bright future ahead of them!
  
  What do you all think about this new evolution? Are you planning on catching a Girafarig now? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  ...Okay, what in Arceus are they feeding the Smith's? First you have John with his double discoveries of Wyrdeer and Ursaluna early into his Trainer career, and now you have his younger sister pulling out her own discovery out of a hat like it was nothing!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I did a little more digging, and I just realised that Whitney, Sabrina, and Janine (Koga's daughter) had all managed to collect all 8 Badges in their first circuit. That's honestly super impressive, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I had a friend that was there at their new Moomoo milk store that was opening in Mauville! He got their signatures and everything! And their new drinks weren't bad either, though a little pricey!
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  Ah shame. When I saw the announcement of a new discovery, I thought it would be a new Fairy type. Shame that it wasn't!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Anyone think that Sabrina probably did most of the work? I mean, looking at the evolution method that they described, it looks like it requires a lot of Psychic proficiency. While I'm not doubting Whitney's ability, perhaps she was just a tagalong and Sabrina deserves a majority of the credit.
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  Really? Two young girls found this out? I don't believe it. Most likely one of their Gym Trainers made the discovery, and Samson gave the credit to his daughter and friend.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Eh, I disagree. Looking at Sabrina and Whitney's past battles, they've used their Girafarig in the past. I think it's safe to say that they made this discovery with their own two hands and observation skills.
  
  Coming from the daughter of a Gym Leader and a sister to a powerful Elite Four, I don't know why anyone should really have cause to doubt them.
  
  PsychicWill (Verified POG)
  
  Absolutely magnificent! It brings a joy to my eye to see new developments with the Psychic type. Whitney, Sabrina, thank you for your hard work. I look forward to seeing your potential develop even further into the future.
  
  [Elite John spotted visiting Gyms?! What is he planning?!] By The Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of John shaking hands with various Gym Leaders, including Giovanni, Clair, and Pryce]
  
  While it isn't unusual for members of our Elite Four to be visiting our famed Gym Leaders, it does start to get interesting when one of those members could be seen practically hopping from Gym to Gym and making an obvious display of shaking hands as he leaves.
  
  What makes this especially suspicious is the fact that Elite John could be seen visiting the likes of Gym Leader Pryce. For those somehow unaware of their turbulent past relationship, it is an open secret that John was an instrumental supporter in Lance's ascension to Champion, and he had paved the way for Lance by helping to discredit Pryce and his policies.
  
  We aren't presuming that someone as prestigious as our ex-Champion would be one to host grudges...but it wouldn't be surprising to this writer if there were some unpleasant feelings between the two.
  
  So it was surprising, and relieving, to see that the two have apparently reconciled whatever differences that they may have had in the past, shaking hands with smiles on their faces as they agreed on whatever they had discussed behind closed doors.
  
  This writer is supremely curious to know about what the two had discussed, especially as this was hardly his only visit. Tracing back John's movements over the past few days, it becomes immediately obvious that he intends to visit every Gym Leader to talk to them about this 'secret' topic, and indeed has already visited many already.
  
  After having a thorough discussion with our analysts here at The Indigo Post, we are firmly of the belief that whatever is being discussed is going to be some large proposal by John that involves and affects all of the Gym Leaders in some way. With his tendency to promote internationalism and unity of Indigo, we believe that John's discussions must involve something that he hopes would bring our region closer together. Or perhaps this is some joint policy that he has with his girlfriend and Champion of Sinnoh?
  
  Nevertheless, by the looks and gestures of support that he seems to be receiving, it appears that he has found support in many of the Gym Leaders that he has visited.
  
  So what is John looking to accomplish? What is he planning to do by laying the foundation like this? This writer is extremely eager to see what John is about to announce next.
  
  John has never failed to be ambitious with the kinds of policies that he proposes in the Committee, and we sincerely believe that this would be no different. In fact, considering the amount of preparation work that he seems to be putting in, this might turn out to be his ambitious proposal yet. It looks like we'll just have to wait and see!
  
  Let us know what you think about this in the comments! What do you think our ambitious Elite Four is up to?!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  Perhaps he's just visiting the Gyms to reaffirm his connections with them? It doesn't necessarily mean planning anything. But knowing him, he probably is.
  
  Not that I would be able to know. I only care about battles.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Well we can make several inferences from his actions. One, the fact that he's visiting all of the Gym Leaders implies he needs their consent for something. Something involving the Gyms. But I'm going to hold on the speculation for now until we hear more.
  
  I'm more interested in the connections that John seems to have built. We all knew he was connected, but this is really showing just how much respect that he has garnered among the Gym Leaders. And if this policy is as successful as John likely hopes it would be, then he's likely gained another point of connection with many influential people.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I'm not the only one who noticed the order that he visited the Gyms in right? Looks like he started with Giovanni, then went to Pryce, then Clair. So while I'm not too familiar with the dynamics of the Gyms, doesn't it look like he's going down in order of importance?
  
  Is this an implied admission from John about which Gyms he deems to be more influential?
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Definitely seems like it. If that was true, then that's a little bit of insight to his thought process. I wonder why he thinks that those Gyms were more influential than the others?
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  It's obvious because Giovanni's Gym is the most influential Gym in Indigo, as befits the strongest Gym of Kanto.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  ...Or because he's friends with Giovanni and wanted to visit him first. Not everything needs to fit into your image of Kanto superiority.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I personally don't find it at all surprising that John believes that those 3 Gyms are the most important in Indigo. He might be personal friends with the likes of Blaine and the Waterflower sisters, but their influence can't be compared to the likes of Giovanni, Clair, and Pryce.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I'm stupid, can you explain why? Is it because they're strong?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  That's certainly a factor. Pryce's strength doesn't need to be emphasized - he was Champion until very recently. Next, Clair lives up to the name of Blackthorn, and has the strength to prove it.
  
  That leaves Giovanni. His strength is less dominating than the other two, but he's one of the most politically connected Gym Leaders in Indigo. He's highly credited with the prosperity of Viridian City, transforming it from a middling city to the success that is today. And that's not even including his role as a director of Silph Co. The man is the Gym Leader of Kanto.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I think we've veered off topic a bit. I'm just excited to see what John comes up with. Maybe it'd involve something to do with Sinnoh.
  
  Can't forget that he's dating their Champion. Still struggling to wrap my brain around that part.
  
  [A HUGE NEW POLICY! GYM LEADERS MADE APPOINTABLE FROM ANYWHERE WITHIN INDIGO?! REMOVING THE REGIONAL RESTRICTION OF GYM LEADERS?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of Lance making the announcement, with John in the background smiling in approval]
  
  [Pictures of Gym Leaders debating the topic, and pictures of the vote]
  
  For those of you who have been following the political developments of Indigo, and our last post about the momentous announcement itself, then you would be equally as shocked as we were to find out how fast that this new proposal seemed to move through the League administration. Especially given how large of a scope that this proposal seemed to cover.
  
  Yes, we here at The Indigo Post have still yet to recover from the shock of the initial announcement. We always knew that John was planning something ambitious, but who would have thought that he and Champion Lance would have worked together to propose something like this? Something that would radically change the way that Gyms are viewed?!
  
  There were a lot of politics involved in this meeting, and we will be covering them in more detail in a later article, including our observations about the interpersonal relations between each Gym Leader and their respective levels of influence amongst their peers.
  
  For now, to summarise all that has happened, Giovanni came up with a new proposal on top of John's current one to allow for Gym Leaders to be given voting rights to vote out one of their peers, should there be no reasonable veto from the Champion, if 5 out of 7 of them deemed them unworthy of the position.
  
  This is a massive step forwards for Gym Leaders and their ability to police themselves, and it says a lot about Lance that he did not vote against it and was willing to share his power with them.
  
  And of course, the big event of the day was the vote to determine whether the Gym Leaders were in approval of the proposal. Yet, to the visible happiness from John, the vote passed almost unanimously amongst the Gym Leaders, with only Surge, Morty, and Lewis voting against it. The proposal was then subsequently passed by the Committee with a comfortable majority.
  
  With the passing of this new policy, the next question on everyone's mind must be this - who is going to be the first foreign Gym Leader that is going to be appointed? And how well will they do? Will they be able to meet the high hopes and expectations set out by John? Or will his naysayers be proven correct - that a foreign Gym Leader simply does not have the same attachment and sense of duty that a local Gym Leader would have?
  
  Only time will tell on that front. But for now, we're keeping a close eye on the public's reaction to this huge policy. While it has not been received with universal acceptance, from the interviews that we have done, many have expressed their cautious approval towards such a policy, and are looking forward to seeing if future foreign Gym Leaders would be able to live up to their title.
  
  Despite there being some pushback, what is undoubtedly true is that Indigo as a whole has never been more united. A proposal like this could never conceivably be passed if it was only a few years ago! It really goes to show just how much the new leadership of Indigo have worked to pave a road of change for the whole region. And we won't forget that a lot of that was spearheaded by the efforts of John and Lance.
  
  What are your thoughts on this new change?! Do you like the direction that the leadership of Indigo seems to be taking? Do you have any concerns? This is an important matter, so we'll be excited to hear what you put down in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Definitely didn't see this coming - but I'm really happy that this happened! This is going to open the doors to more allow for a more diverse pool of Gym Leaders!
  
  Wonder if they'll be allowing Hoenn or Sinnoh trainers to become Indigo Gym Leaders next or vice versa?
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I'm not from Indigo, but I think that's probably taking it a step too far. As much as I'm pleased with our cooperation with Indigo, I'd be a little more than wary about having a complete foreigner be one of our Gym Leaders. I know Norman is the exception, but he naturalised a long time ago even before his marriage. He's basically from Hoenn, even if he might not have been birthed here.
  
  That being said, I think it'll be a possibility in the future. But we're not ready for it now.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Honestly I struggled to understand why you guys even had this policy in the first place. If you were united as 'Indigo' then why did you insist on keeping the Gym Leaders separate and split between Kanto and Johto?
  
  Maybe because I'm not from there, but it's just confusing to me.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Okay, this was within my expectations. I figured that John's politicking would bear fruit, and it really showed in the meeting. I was more surprised about Giovanni's sudden proposal for the Gym Leaders to have the right to vote out one of their own - judging by the facial expressions there, I think even John was surprised by it.
  
  Goes to show that there's always more politicking going on behind the scenes.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  I don't trust these Johtonian bastards to handle our Gyms. They're just going to be waiting for an opportunity to stab us in the back. Just you wait.
  
  Absolutely disgusted with the path that the Indigo League has endorsed. And from our very own John no less. I thought he was one of us!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Okay buddy, not like we were expecting any other response from you anyways. You really just need to accept that policies like these aren't aimed at harming Kanto, but looking to improve both regions together.
  
  I know many of my friends support the League's direction to create a more unified Indigo. There's honestly little reason to be stubborn about keeping our regions separate. Their past actions have shown how useful working together as a singular region can be.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Anyone surprised that Lance actually approved of giving away more of his power to the Gym Leaders? I know he did it before with the Elite Four, but I didn't expect him to continue that trend with the Gym Leaders as well.
  
  I'm glad that he did so though - the Gym Leaders definitely deserve to hold some power over who their peers are. Honestly, I'd trust their judgment 9 times out of 10 over the League's. They actually know how to run a Gym effectively, so they'll be able to spot out an incompetent colleague much better than the League could.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Very true. I wonder if any Gym Leaders are suddenly very worried that they're about to get the boot? I personally don't think any of the Gym Leaders currently deserve it, but it's interesting to think about.
  
  [The final battle of the Indigo Conference is fast approaching! Who do you think will be the winner!? An in-depth analysis of the remaining trainers in the Conference and their prospects!] By Battlecast
  
  As always, the opinions stated here have been formed purely from the analysis and opinions of our analysts, and do not intend to demean, denounce, or to insult any trainer that we will be mentioning. Likewise, any support should not be taken as endorsement. This is purely done for educational and informative purposes only.
  
  With that disclaimer out of the way, we can get onto the meat of the matter! We're sure many of our readers have been excitedly watching this year's Indigo Conference, eager as we are to see who will end up on top. However, we can safely say that unlike last year, there seems to be a clear candidate that looks to be in an excellent position to win it all.
  
  Of course, we are talking about Karen - the apprentice to Agatha and known close friend of the incredibly strong Elite John. Considering those connections, it's no wonder that she seems to have had a dominating performance throughout the entire Conference. Or perhaps it is due to her very unique fighting style that seems extremely suited at taking down unprepared foes.
  
  After her rampage through the ranks, taking down many hopefuls in the process, we're confident that there must be many a trainer that are now terrified by the shout of a 'Taunt!'. She really has proven that Dark type specialists aren't just an unusual niche. They are absolutely formidable in their own right, and we're certain that the public perception of Dark types are about to change thanks to her.
  
  With her convincing string of successes, we here at Battlecast are convinced that Karen will be the most likely candidate to win the whole thing. So naturally, the next question our analysts were faced with was - who would she challenge should she win?
  
  The most obvious choice would be for her to challenge Elite Will. Out of the current Elite Four roster, he is the only one who has not been tested in a real challenge yet. Furthermore, Karen holds an obvious and crucial Type advantage against him, boosting her chances even further. Perhaps this is why Elite Will could be seen training hard - is he wary of a potential challenge from Karen and is preparing accordingly?
  
  However, a more interesting choice for her to choose would be for her to challenge Elite Agatha. Obviously, this is the battle that we here at Battlecast would much prefer to see. Not only would it be far more exciting, as it has been a LONG time since Elite Agatha has ever needed to fight a challenger, but it also makes for an interesting story.
  
  Underdog battles are beloved by all for a reason. And everyone wants to root for a student to be able to surpass their teacher. Of course, Agatha would be a far more difficult battle for Karen - it would be a battle where both trainers are equally familiar with each other's tricks - but we're excited to see if she will be able to live up to the challenge.
  
  So while we acknowledge the possibility that Karen may choose to challenge either Lorelei or John, our analysts believe that the chances of Karen challenging those two are not very high. Karen holds no distinct advantage against Lorelei, while their many training sessions together must have exposed most of her tricks to John, making him one of the worst opponents for her to fight.
  
  Despite our focus on Karen, we must not fail to acknowledge and recognise the many powerful trainers that still remain within the Conference...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Not surprised to see Karen doing so well. Anyone who still remembers her fight against Sidney should already know how formidable she is.
  
  She's already proven she can beat an Elite Four 1v1. Her dominance comes at no surprise. Still hopes she wins though.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  Hope this Dark specialist idiot gets to make it into the Elite Four and that she ends up beating up Will. She'd be such fodder for the next true Fighting type specialist that comes around.
  
  Bruno - you failed us once, but you can redeem your honour by flattening this shitty Dark type trainer in the next conference.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Haven't you heard? Bruno's hanging about in Hoenn now. There's plenty of photos with him hanging around Steven Stone.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  OMA OMA OMA THE SCANDAL REALLY WRITES ITSELF DOESN'T IT!? I WONDER WHAT A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN LIKE STEVEN IS DOING WITH THE HUNKY BRUNO?!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Please calm down. There CAN be more innocent explanations.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  BAH! Everyone knows that Bruno's in Hoenn to re-establish the dominance of the Fighting type there. He should have been in the Tournament. He would have pummelled all those worthless trainers.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Tangent aside, I like the speculation that's around who Karen would choose if she did win. I'm honestly confident that her win is in the bag at this point, and I really hope she does end up challenging her mentor.
  
  And Agatha v Karen fight would be very well received.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I really, really, really hope we see her fighting against Agatha. That would be amazing! She'd lose, though. Agatha ain't losing to anyone.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Completely disagree. We need more Kanto representatives in the Elite Four anyways. If Karen were to replace Agatha, we'd be changing one Kantonian for another. Not worth.
  
  DragonPower
  
  I don't know why you were all so excited about this year's Indigo Conference anyways when there weren't any Dragon specialists there. Waste of potential.
  
  Of course you won't get exciting matches if you're not using the most powerful Pokémon available.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Honestly, this might be the only way to get Agatha to step down. Everyone knows that she'd just haunt the position for eternity otherwise.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Agatha...it's been a very long time since she's battled publicly. But for those of us with longer memories, I still remember the dominance that she demonstrated as she stomped her opponents into the ground time and time again. If not for Oak, there was a very real possibility that she would have been Champion in his place.
  
  I sincerely hope Karen chooses to fight her. I cannot wait to see Agatha in action again.
  
  [GALACTIC COMPANY'S FINANCIAL DISCREPANCIES? THE SINNOH LEAGUE LEVELS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CYRUS!] By The Sinnoh Times
  
  [Side-by-side pictures of Lucian accusing Cyrus and Cyrus defending himself]
  
  What a turbulent week it has been for us in Sinnoh, but it appears like Galactic Company has found themselves in hot water as suspicions arose regarding their submitted financial statements!
  
  Financial investigators from both Indigo and Sinnoh have agreed that the finances of Galactic Company are unreasonable, a statement that has received further support from other prominent businessmen such as Steven Stone and even Giovanni in his capacity as a director from Silph Co.
  
  However, as of the writing of this article, no formal charges have been pressed, and their CEO Cyrus seems to be responding to the accusations with calmness and rationality. Yet he has also denounced Cynthia and her team, calling her sense of judgment into question as he claims that she has prioritised the word of foreigners over their own due to her relationship with John.
  
  Our analysts here at the Sinnoh Times do not find that argument holds much water, as it is clear that this investigation was done jointly and supervised by Elite Lucian as well.
  
  Right now, the situation has entered a stalemate, but we're interested to hear your thoughts on this ongoing matter. Do you agree with the Sinnoh League? Or do you think that this was an overreaction by them?
  
  Comments
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I'm fully backing the League here, even though I've been a fan of Galactic Company for some time. If this many people say that there's something wrong, then there's something wrong.
  
  Of course, having strange finances isn't the worst thing in the world, but I'd still like to hold them accountable if they're cheating the public out of some taxes, for example.
  
  PianoLover
  
  Man, this really is the first test for Cynthia isn't it? First the criminals, then now with Cyrus? The world is really trying to make sure that she's worthy of the position.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  And I think she's proven herself very capable. Look at how fast she stomped out those criminals that were causing trouble. She knew when to call for assistance to make sure that the people of Sinnoh remained safe.
  
  It's also why I'm backing her with her accusations against Cyrus. I don't believe she would do this for no reason.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Some of those criminals are partially those that escaped from Hoenn, which in turn were those that escaped from Indigo.
  
  Strange to think of these criminals and terrorists as two-time refugees. But I suppose that's what you get when you turn to a life of terrorism. I have no sympathy.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Man, I don't know what to think. Galactic Company has just always been there y'know, and I can't imagine them fiddling around with their finances like that. They've just been around for so long...I have to stand by Cyrus here.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Yeah, can't imagine what it'd be like if Silph Co got accused like that. Much like I'm sure Galactic Company is for you guys, Silph Co is a pillar of our economy. I'd be so conflicted if Lance accused them of being evil or something.
  
  I mean, could you imagine Silph Co being evil? I couldn't dare imagine it!
  
  [ICICLE PLATE DISCOVERED FROM THE CAVES BENEATH SNOWPOINT CITY?! THE CELESTIC TOWN RESEARCH CENTRE STRIKE GOLD ONCE AGAIN!] by The Sinnoh Times
  
  [Official announcement by the Celestic Town Research Centre]
  
  The Icicle Plate has been discovered! The discovery is so new that we've barely even had time to send our reporters down there to speak to the explorers about this new discovery!
  
  But click on the link above to find out more! For us Sinnohnians, THIS is the find of the decade!
  
  An ACTUAL Legendary artifact!? Found by an expedition team?! This sounds like something out of a story!
  
  Don't bother with the comments, go see it for yourself!
  
  [A DENOUNCEMENT OF THE GOLDENROD GYM LEADER?! LEWIS UNDER FIRE BY THE OTHER JOHTO GYM LEADERS!?] By The Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of Lewis and the Goldenrod Gym]
  
  The Gym Leaders of Indigo seem quick to act! Not long after Giovanni's new proposal had been passed - granting them the power to make a formal denouncement of one of their own - they seem to be eager to use their newfound power to petition for the removal of Gym Leader Lewis, of the Goldenrod Gym.
  
  While their haste was unexpected, their accusations come as little surprise to this writer. Lewis has struggled to maintain a grip on his Gym for some time now, owing partially to his old age, and has made his intentions clear that he intended to retire from his position as soon as he found a worthy successor.
  
  However, it has become increasingly clear that Lewis had no actual intention of finding such a successor, and had merely been saying so as a delaying tactic to remain as a Gym Leader for longer. For years, the Goldenrod Gym had effectively been run by their Gym trainers, which the other Gym Leaders of Johto have apparently found unconscionable and deem him unworthy of his position.
  
  They have submitted their petition to the League underlying various reasons, such as the ones mentioned above, for his removal. It will be up to Lance and the Committee to see if they have any good reason to reject it.
  
  Yet this comes as an opportunity. If he is voted out, which seems likely that he will, who will be replacing Lewis as the new Gym Leader of Goldenrod? Will it be another Johtonian appointee? Or are we about to see our first foreign Gym Leader be appointed?
  
  These are interesting times ahead. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
  
  Comments
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Hope we actually get a foreign Gym Leader this time. This would be a great opportunity for that.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  Bah, of course the Normal Type Gym Leader turned out to be a pathetic man. Unsurprised. Hope we get a second Fighting Gym.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Not that I agree, but Lewis has been so under-the-radar that I haven't heard anything about him in years. Even in the Gym Leader meeting he was so unremarkable that I forgot about him entirely.
  
  He deserves to be replaced at this point.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Good riddance that he's getting the boot. Goldenrod has been close to stagnating because of him. Hope we get someone better to replace him.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Don't forget that he was one of only two Johto Gym Leaders that didn't side with either Clair or Pryce. Now we know why; they likely couldn't stand the man!
  
  The Johto Gym Leaders must have been chomping at the bit to kick him out - it was an unanimous vote!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Yeah...he didn't look like much of a Gym Leader. Even Flint looked better.
  
  FutureAce
  
  No way you just said that. Fuck Flint, absolutely worst Gym Leader we've ever had. Glad Brock's doing better without him.
  
  A.N. This was a slightly longer Pokenet Interlude because I had more things I wanted to cover. I hope that this was still the right length for many of you.
  
  And yes, the Gym Leader of Goldenrod is being forced to step down soon. Maybe it won't be who you expect!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-12 -Interlude-Steven
  The New Normal - 11-12 - Interlude - Steven
  
  He sat down opposite his friend with a plate full of food. Except, it wasn't exactly the food he was hoping to eat.
  
  "Are you happy now?" He spat out frustratedly.
  
  Unperturbed by his anger, Bruno simply nodded, "It would be better for your long-term health if you ate healthier."
  
  "I'll have you know that a dietician came up with my diet." He bluffed, but Bruno quickly saw through it.
  
  "If that was true, then you should fire them." He snorted, "Waffles are tasty, but they are far from a balanced meal."
  
  Steven grumbled, but kept his silence as he shoved the seaweed salad that he had into his mouth. Truth be told, it was far from horrible, but he was just annoyed at Bruno for denying him his syrupy waffles.
  
  This all started when, one day, he had the bright idea to finally ask Bruno if he wanted to learn more about politics and business. Bruno was reluctant, but he managed to convince the martial artist by stating that he would listen to one favour from Bruno in return.
  
  He REALLY regretted making that trade, because of course the taskmaster that was his friend demanded that he eat healthier foods and have a more balanced diet.
  
  It wasn't his fault that he had a more refined palate than most. His rich upbringing practically demanded that he had a taste for the more delicate and refined foods that the world had to offer.
  
  Yet Bruno did not care. All he saw was that Steven was eating unhealthily, and he was determined to correct this.
  
  So gone were syrup-glazed waffles. Gone were the sweets. Gone were the rich and creamy desserts. Instead greens of all kinds replaced his diet, alongside a healthy amount of meats. He wasn't even allowed to put sugar into his coffee!
  
  Of course, he had gotten his revenge when it was time for him to tutor Bruno about the complexities and subtleties of politics and business. Admittedly, it was clear from the start that Bruno was not at all suited for intrigue. He wasn't dumb, far from it, but he was just too honest and straightforward a person to really be able to deceive his opponents.
  
  But that was fine. That was what Steven was hoping for, in fact. He never wanted Bruno to become like him; he wanted to maintain Bruno's bluntness and honesty. All he wanted was to make sure that Bruno would be able to recognise when he was being played, which Bruno was already good at since he was very good at spotting lies and deceit.
  
  Bruno would never be a master politician. But he was invaluable to those who were.
  
  Thinking about Bruno's improvements in politics reminded him of the topic that he wanted to bring up today. "I assume you've heard of John's success in Indigo?"
  
  And what a success it was. Even though Steven knew of John's intentions in advance, he was still awed by the level of his ambition - and the fact that he managed to pull it off. It was making him start to think about his own plans when he became Champion, and he began to question whether they were really ambitious enough.
  
  John's proposal was impossible to be overlooked. The passing of the proposal and its effects were still being discussed on practically every radio station and news channel. Even his father had called him up to discuss what he thought of it.
  
  Bruno nodded, "I have. I caught it on the radio this morning."
  
  "Then you know what I'm about to ask - if I could turn it into a reality as Champion, following in John's footsteps, would you join the Hoenn Elite Four? Now that there is a very real chance of you being able to?" He asked his friend.
  
  There were several reasons that made him so insistent on getting Bruno to join the Elite Four once he became Champion. For one, every Champion wanted an Elite Four member that they could trust to not challenge their position, and he knew that Bruno would rather give up training entirely than willingly take on the position of Champion. The man despised paperwork as much as he despised laziness.
  
  Second, Bruno was ridiculously strong, even for a member of the Elite Four, and would serve as an excellent shield to prevent would-be challengers from running the gauntlet and challenging the Champion like Cynthia had done.
  
  But ultimately, he wanted Bruno in the Elite Four because Bruno was his friend, and he wanted his friend to gain the recognition and fame that he rightfully deserved. Even amongst the Gym Leaders, Steven knew it in his heart that there was no one comparable to Bruno. Not in strength, nor in mentality.
  
  Bruno may not care very much for the fame, but Steven wanted him to be acknowledged regardless.
  
  He was shaken from his thoughts as Bruno responded, "...I am not as against it as I was once. I fear that if I remain merely a wandering trainer, I would eventually find myself stagnating due to a lack of appropriate foes. Perhaps joining the Elite Four may give me access to more capable trainers than I otherwise would have, or perhaps it will unlock new opportunities for me to train up my Pokémon and explore the heights of being a martial artist. And...I think I would like to see the world you intend to craft with your two hands."
  
  "However, you are thinking too far ahead again, Steven." Bruno reminded him, "You have not even become Champion yet, nor will Wallace be an easy foe for you to beat. Let alone the rest of the Elite Four. I suggest you focus on achieving your current ambitions before planning further ahead."
  
  Steven sighed, "I know, I know. You know how I get."
  
  He admitted he might be getting a little overconfident about his chances, but that was solely due to all the training that he had done with Bruno. He had witnessed and analysed Wallace's performance in the Tournament, and he really felt that, thanks to all the sparring, his Metagross would be able to cleanly overwhelm and break through his Milotic's defences.
  
  Thus, by the time the Hoenn Conference rolled around, he knew he was going to be in a prime position to crush any who faced him. Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia, Drake, or Wallace - it didn't matter. Bruno had helped him harden his Steel types into unbreakable walls, ready to face off even against a Champion.
  
  "I do." Bruno nodded, unaware of his thoughts, "Which is why my duty is to keep you grounded. You are prone to arrogance, and I must do my best to rid you of it."
  
  Steven chuckled, "That's true, but I could at least speak to Wallace about this sometime in the future and get the foundations set up in advance. I don't think he'd be against this."
  
  "That would be prudent." Bruno agreed, "Though I have not confirmed my decision to join the Elite Four yet. Perhaps I may spend some more time wandering around the lands first."
  
  "Speaking of wandering, have you ever thought about heading to Sinnoh?" Steven asked, "Father said that he might be sending me there soon for business. I wouldn't mind your company, if you want to join."
  
  Bruno tapped a finger on his arm, "I think I will join. It will be interesting to experience new things with my Pokémon, and perhaps visiting a new region will inspire me to train my Pokémon in new ways."
  
  Steven facepalmed, "Of course that's what you're concerned about. Next thing you're going to tell me is that you intend to climb to the top of Mt. Coronet with your bare hands."
  
  "I do not think I will have the time to do so, but perhaps in the future. It would make for a great challenge." Bruno responded, missing his sarcasm, "Also, I have read reports about the strange 'otherworldly' presence that can be found on Spear Pillar. Perhaps such unusual conditions would make for a great training ground."
  
  ...He shouldn't be surprised that this was what he thinks of first.
  
  "Spear Pillar is also an important historical and religious site." Steven pointed out, "I don't think they'd take it kindly if you used it as a gym."
  
  "Ah. True." Bruno nodded, "Best not."
  
  "Are you considering catching any of the Fighting types there? I know they aren't pure Fighting, but Sinnoh does have some powerful Fighting types that you could consider training." Steven asked, changing the topic, "Perhaps a Lucario? That's a Pokémon I want too."
  
  "...Let me think on that." Bruno replied after a moment, "It will be different than the Pokémon I have trained with so far, but you have convinced me that I would enjoy and relish the additional challenge of training a dual type Pokémon. If I join the Elite Four as a proper trainer, it would be better for me to have a more varied team."
  
  "I hope you do. You'll be so much stronger for it." Steven nodded back.
  
  Bruno didn't respond, instead falling deeper into thought. But Steven knew he would be convinced; he was growing less stubborn about maintaining a pure Fighting type team thanks to all of their spars together. Bruno's biggest weakness was his Pokémon's lack of any versatility, and after Steven had adapted to Bruno's strengths, it was obvious to the both of them that this lack of versatility was really starting to hurt him.
  
  Therefore, he had done his best to persuade Bruno that training up a dual type did not make him any lesser of a martial artist.
  
  And once Bruno did start training up more Pokémon, then he truly would be a monster to be reckoned with. Which only further cemented his resolve of getting Bruno into the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  No one that strong deserved to remain outside of it.
  
  A.N. More friendship moments between the two! I hope I've showed how comfortable that Steven and Bruno are with each other. They're basically each other's closest friends, which I thought would be an interesting direction to take both these characters. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-13 - A New Challenger Approaches
  
  Right after my proposal was officially passed, I received many congratulatory messages from my friends such as from Steven, Wallace, and Lucian.
  
  Cynthia was obviously included in that list, but she also had more words for me.
  
  "So what are you planning on doing next, now that one of your longer term goals have been achieved?" She had asked me, "I don't see you as someone sitting idle. Are you going to try to make it so that Gym Leaders can be appointed from and to any region? Not just their own?"
  
  I shook my head, "I've thought about it, but that's probably going a little too far. I don't think it would be suitable for now. Instead, I was thinking about slowing down my developments in Indigo in favour of focusing on more international pursuits once again. And I'd be looking for your help."
  
  "Oh? And what do you want me to help you with as Champion of Sinnoh?" She grinned, "Do remember that just because we're dating doesn't mean I have to agree to everything."
  
  I laughed, "Don't worry, I didn't forget. I was just thinking of formalising our cooperation with each other, perhaps by creating a joint organisation or political entity that could foster and formalise the cooperation between all the regions."
  
  I knew that things were looking up for the joint collaboration between our regions, but I really wanted to solidify that mutual aid into something formal. Creating an organisation that would guarantee open borders, trade, and provide a promise of support and aid, would help to prevent any backslide to the age of isolationism that we were once in.
  
  However, to my surprise, I hadn't been the only one to think of such an idea, as the pleased grin from Cynthia seemed to reveal, "I've been thinking of the same, actually. After all the help that both Indigo and Hoenn have provided us, I felt that Sinnoh should be at the forefront of creating a new political entity - like you suggested - to formally lay out our terms of cooperation. It's actually something that I have in the works right now."
  
  "I even thought up a name for it." She added, "I planned to call it the Regional Union, or RU for short."
  
  "Oh, I guess I've been one-upped." I chuckled, not at all displeased that she had already thought of this. In fact it just made it better, "Yes, I can see why it'd be better for Sinnoh to propose this. It'll be better for balance if that were the case."
  
  Indigo couldn't be the only region proposing these policies. After all, if we wanted all the regions to work together, it wouldn't look great if the public only saw that Indigo was the only region putting in the effort and work. Other regions needed to contribute too.
  
  Hoenn had already done so by proposing and hosting the Tri-Regional Tournament, and now it was Sinnoh's turn.
  
  I relayed the same to Cynthia, who nodded, "Yes, those were my thoughts as well." She said, "So would you mind if you wait for me to make all the preparations to announce this?"
  
  "I don't mind at all, so long as the organisation gets created in due time." I replied, "In fact, it might actually be better for me to step away from politics for a little bit to let things calm down. After the passing of my recent proposal, I think it's better if I laid low for a bit and let others take the spotlight for a while."
  
  "Mhm...I wonder how well that'd go." She thought aloud, "Anyways, I have to run off now. Give Karen my good luck for me. I know she'll do well."
  
  "Oh, have you been speaking to her?" I asked. I was unaware of this.
  
  "Occasionally. We mostly talk about battling and trading tips. Nothing else." She said, and my gut told me that she wasn't telling the full truth, but I knew better than to call her out on it. Still, after exchanging a few more words we wrapped up our conversation.
  
  Speaking of politics, the announcement that the current Goldenrod Gym Leader, Lewis, was being petitioned to be removed came as a slight shock to me. Even with my recent visits, I admit that I wasn't the most well-informed about the current status of all the Gyms, but this seemed like something that was premeditated by quite a few people to remove him from his position.
  
  However, from the formal accusations laid out against Gym Leader Lewis, I was willing to believe that they were doing this because they were truly displeased by his poor leadership rather than because of any personal dislike of the man.
  
  The fact that Clair and Pryce were both in agreement despite their animosity told me enough about Lewis' leadership, or lack thereof. It was also particularly damning that Lewis didn't seem to be bothering with defending himself, almost as if he was content to let things play out.
  
  I frowned at his defeatist attitude.
  
  Seeing this happen, I idly wondered how it was that my sister became the Gym Leader of Goldenrod in canon. Perhaps my existence had already changed that fate for her? I thought about it for a little while before dropping the topic entirely and instead decided to pay her a visit.
  
  It had been some time since I had last seen my sister, and I felt like I really should catch up with her. I hadn't managed to see her when I was at the Saffron Gym the last time just because of poor timing.
  
  That was why I had called ahead notifying her of my arrival, before I flew over on Port to Saffron City. However, I didn't fly to the Gym itself, but I instead landed somewhere on the outskirts before walking my way over to a restaurant that Whitney had already seated herself at in advance.
  
  I was also wearing a disguise just to avoid any unnecessary attention.
  
  The enthusiastic waving from my sister quickly caught my eye, even though it kind of ruined the point of a disguise, but I still sat down opposite her with a cheerful smile.
  
  "You're here quick!" She giggled, "I was just about to order."
  
  "Order whatever you want." I said, "I'll pay."
  
  Surprisingly, she shook her head, "No can do, bro. I have a salary now - I can pay."
  
  I was grateful, but I still insisted to pay, "Your salary can't be that high. You should save up that money and buy something nice for yourself or your team."
  
  "No, it's fine bro. Let me pay. It's not that expensive anyways." She countered, and seeing the determination on her face I eventually acquiesced to her. Though I didn't fail to hide the proud smile on her face.
  
  My parents would be so happy when they heard about this.
  
  Our food arrived soon after, and we caught up with what each other had been doing as we ate. Well, in reality, I mostly just listened as my sister rambled out everything she had been doing in the Gyms and how she had been training up her new Farigiraf.
  
  She told me she was finding a lot of success with making full use of the versatility of Farigiraf. Her newly evolved Psychic type could brawl, fight at a distance, and also set up support moves as necessary. It would never be the best at any one of them, but it still served as a powerful and flexible jack-of-all-trades that she could deploy almost at any time.
  
  She was also now involved with Sabrina in helping the Gym to train further Girafarig so that they could evolve into Farigiraf. I guess Samson wanted Farigiraf to be the 'speciality' of their Gym for the future.
  
  From what I was hearing, she seemed like she was more than happy with her time in the Saffron Gym, and her team was continuing to develop and grow stronger at a healthy pace. That was relieving.
  
  And it was what led me to ask my next question, "So, Whitney, what do you plan on doing after your time in the Saffron Gym? I know you said you'll be moving onto the Fuschia Gym with Janine afterwards, but what next? What do you want to do? What do you want to work towards?"
  
  She tilted her head cutely as she tapped a finger on her chin, "...I don't know yet, Joh - bro." She quickly corrected herself since she knew we were trying to be incognito, "I guess I just want to spend more time with my friends. I don't want to be separated from them."
  
  "Maybe I'd be a Head Gym Trainer for one of them?" She suggested, "Not sure what else I could do."
  
  I nodded, "That's a good goal for now. I don't want to make it seem like I was pressuring you - but I'm happy you have an idea of what you want to do in the future." However, I would do my best to help Whitney achieve her canon position as Gym Leader, whether that be at Goldenrod or not.
  
  She deserved to share the same status as her friends.
  
  Then I remembered a conversation I had with Will all the way back in Sinnoh that I meant to bring up earlier, "Hey, sis, have you ever thought of crafting an image for yourself?"
  
  "An image?" She asked, "...You mean something like Koga? With how he's like a ninja?"
  
  "Yes, that's exactly it." I nodded, "Will had actually brought this up with me - as advice to give to you. He said that it would help your reputation if you could stand out in some way with your appearance. That's going to be especially important now that you're starting to be on people's radars thanks to your discovery and Circuit success."
  
  "Like, with what I wear?" She asked.
  
  "Yes, something like that." I confirmed, "I'm not sure if you realised, but your friends have already been doing something similar. Sabrina has the 'genius psychic' look, and Janine has the 'ninja-in-training' appearance."
  
  "And I'm pink." Whitney said, but then a look of inspiration passed through her eye, "I like being pink. And cute. Maybe that could be my thing?"
  
  "If that's what you want to do, then go for it." I smiled, although I was of the belief that she was always going to be cute no matter what she tried, "I'm not going to force you to do it. It's just something I thought you might like to think about from time to time."
  
  "...Or maybe I could even coordinate with Sabie and Jas so that we could match!" My sister perked up excitedly at the thought, "Maybe we could have a trio of matching outfits!"
  
  I chuckled, "If you think that would work. It would be pretty cool though."
  
  Apparently that was the right thing to say, because Whitney wouldn't stop blurting out ideas about how she'd get her friends to dress up. She even had a common colour palette thought up for the three of them.
  
  She seemed more excited about this than when she told me her Girafarig evolved. But I was happy for her - to see that she had a direction that she wanted to take herself. The Whitney that I saw today had the potential to become more than what she achieved as her canon self.
  
  And I would be there to support her if she ever needed it.
  
  With the 'heavier' topics out of the way, our conversation returned to the levity that it started with. But soon she had to run off back to work, and I had intended to head to Cerulean City to check up on the construction of the cave - I had heard that the renovations were near completion.
  
  But my plans were interrupted by a call that I wasn't expecting.
  
  "Hello Daisy. Is there something wrong?" I greeted my junior assistant. She was an intern no longer - and was now getting a salary. Nothing much in the grand scheme of things, but it was a lot for a young girl.
  
  Yet the seriousness in her tone caused me to stand upright, "John, there's been a development. We were just informed that Will had received a challenge."
  
  My eyes widened, "Wait, what? Will got challenged? From whom?" It couldn't be Karen. She had seemed so firm about her choice to challenge Agatha, and she still hadn't actually won the Indigo Conference yet.
  
  "It's from Gym Leader Koga." Daisy replied, "We don't know the reason why he's challenged him, but Andrew is trying to get the details now."
  
  "...Okay, thank you for letting me know." I said after a moment, "Please let me know if you can get any more details."
  
  "Will do." Daisy answered dutifully before hanging up, probably to do just that.
  
  As the call ended, I stood still as I fell deep into thought; a finger tapping idly on my knee while my phone remained clutched in my hand.
  
  After a moment, I ended up ringing up Will. Despite my poor first impression of him, I actually did think of him now as a friend. So I wanted to check up on him.
  
  "Hello? John? Wasn't expecting a call from you." Will began, "I guess you must have heard the news."
  
  "I did." I confirmed, "I was just calling to check up on you. How are you feeling? Do you feel prepared?"
  
  "Mostly still recovering from the shock." He admitted, no longer trying to uphold his usual confidence, "Koga really knows how to ruin a shopping trip. And I had just found such a nice hat to try out in Celadon."
  
  "Oh wait, you're at Celadon? I'm actually nearby." I said, "I was just having lunch with my sister at Saffron. Do you want to meet up, maybe over a drink?"
  
  "...Yeah, sure. I could use an ear." He said, "Thanks for this, John. I'll meet you at the café on the rooftop atrium."
  
  It didn't make me long to get there, and it actually took me a little bit to spot Will in the crowd because he wasn't wearing his usual eye-catching outfit. He was also looking far less enthusiastic and bombastic than he usually was. Instead his posture was subdued and thoughtful.
  
  As I sat down next to him, I decided to lighten the mood, "Of course out of all the places you could choose to meet up you'd choose the overpriced as shit café that everyone knows is a tourist trap."
  
  That got a chuckle out of him, "What can I say? I'm a man of refined tastes."
  
  "It's more like you're a shopaholic trying to pass yourself off as a cultured person." I shot back, getting another laugh from him. The Will that I had first met would have gotten offended by that.
  
  "No, I really do like the drinks here." He said as I gave him a weird look, "Yes, they're pricey. But I think they're worth the price."
  
  "...If you think so." I replied uncertainly, "Anyways, you looked deep in thought when I saw you. You worried about the battle?"
  
  "I am." He admitted, "I knew a challenge was coming, but I was expecting your friend to be the one to challenge me." He said, "I thought that was the plan for Karen. She had the Type matchup against me and everything."
  
  "I thought you were training hard in preparation for this?" I asked.
  
  "Yes, but now I've realised I've been training for the wrong person." He told me with a frown, "Like I said, I thought I would be facing a Dark specialist. So I had spent most my time studying her moves and the way she fought. I threw myself into trying to work around her speed and disruptive tactics - though I admit I was struggling to find a solution around her larger threats."
  
  "Yet now I find that most of my training, while not useless, is not going to be as effective as I hoped." He continued, "Koga is a very different kind of trainer compared to Karen. And he is no less strong."
  
  "Well I see where you're coming from..." I nodded sympathetically, "But I'd thought you'd be happier fighting against Koga instead of Karen. You have the Type advantage of him."
  
  "First of, there's every possibility that Koga AND Karen might challenge me back-to-back, which would be the worst case scenario for me." I purposely stilled my reaction. That likely wasn't about to happen, but I didn't want to give Will false hope in case Karen changed her plans, "Secondly, even without doing research, I'm certain that Koga would have thought up of countermeasures to deal with Psychic types. Even amongst the Gym Leaders, Koga stands out for his strength."
  
  "Our battle won't be the same as Lorelei v Surge." He added, "As much as I don't want to lessen her achievement, Lorelei had it easy fighting against Surge. I may be stronger than her, but Koga will be tough."
  
  "I can't disagree with that." I replied, overlooking his small slip of arrogance, "Surge is...not the greatest trainer. Not when compared to the likes of Koga." He had raw power, but little else. Koga was a much tougher opponent.
  
  The two of us stayed silent like that for a moment, and Will took a few sips of his overpriced drink before he spoke up again.
  
  "Say, John. Would you do me a favour?" He asked softly, but with genuine sincerity.
  
  "Of course. What do you need help with? Do you want me to help you to train?" I asked.
  
  He shook his head, "No, nothing like that. I will face my opponent with my own strength and determination, not with the borrowed strength of others. This will be my fight, and I have no intention of losing."
  
  I smiled at his determination, "I like the sound of that. But if you don't need help with training, then what?"
  
  "Even if I don't intend to simply give up my position, it would still be prudent for me to have contingency plans in case I slip up on the day." He said, "Backup plans are always necessary."
  
  I stayed silent, listening intently as I allowed him to continue, "So...if I'm forced out by my unexpected defeat, I'm looking for a method to exit in a way that allows me to remain relevant. I know my strength and worth, and I'd hate for someone like me to fall into complete obscurity."
  
  "You'd still have a chance to challenge someone when you lose." I pointed out, "You could challenge Lorelei for your position, for example."
  
  "That's true, although I'm not sure I want to take the risk of having two back-to-back losses." He said slowly.
  
  "...Yet perhaps something could also be negotiated with Lorelei..." He mumbled thoughtfully, his political brain running a mile a minute, "...Yes...that's definitely something I should bring up with her."
  
  I guessed that he was probably thinking to himself about what kind of deal he could strike with Lorelei. Perhaps it would be a deal for Will to not challenge Lorelei, in the event of his defeat, in exchange for some kind of promise. Or perhaps I was just overthinking it and that he was going to challenge Lorelei directly and just wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between them. I couldn't really guess at the moment.
  
  "Well you can plan that through later." I said, breaking him from his thoughts, "What kind of favour did you want from me?"
  
  "I think I once told you that I've always wanted to be a contest performer, right?" He said.
  
  "...Yes, I remember that." I nodded, recalling the conversation, "But you said you ended up not pursuing it cause you thought it wasn't a sustainable career path."
  
  "Mhm, but that was before. Thanks to recent developments, that's no longer the case." He responded, "I hope I'm not asking for too much, but I wish for you to assist me into helping me transition into a career in the arts, if I was to be kicked out of the Elite Four. I think they would welcome me with open arms."
  
  "Consider it done." I waved my hand, "And I won't even consider this me doing you a favour. Had you asked, I would have done so anyways. You're a friend." And I meant that genuinely.
  
  That made him smile, "I'm glad you consider me one. I know I rubbed you the wrong way when we first met." He scratched his head embarrassedly, "Actually, it wasn't just you. I think I pissed off all of the Elite Four with my pompous introduction."
  
  "You certainly didn't win yourself any friends." I chuckled fondly, thinking back on his memorable introduction. Walker was practically the only one that treated him nicely.
  
  "I guess I've matured since then." He chuckled with me, "You know, now that I realise this could possibly be my last few weeks in the Elite Four...I've really come to treasure and cherish my time here. Being in the Elite Four has taught me a lot. It's helped me mature not just as a trainer, but as a person too. I'd like to think I've become a better person since I joined."
  
  "You have." I nodded, "You're a lot more relaxed now, in a good way. You used to flinch and take offense at every little joke against you. But now you let those slights bounce off against you, and you're willing to laugh at yourself. It's a good change, and it makes you a much better person to be around."
  
  "I appreciate you saying so, John." He smiled again, "But I think we've gotten a little off topic. We're counting our Pokémon before they even hatch. I won't just roll over."
  
  "Mhm, you haven't lost yet." I agreed, "So keep your head high, Will. Win or lose, I'll still support you."
  
  "Thank you John." He extended a hand, one that I took and shook, "I feel a lot better about this now. I won't take up any of your time any longer; I have my own training to get to. Koga might be Intimidating, but I'll ensure that I remain Defiant to the end."
  
  "I wish you luck." I shot back, "You can always come to me if you have any problems."
  
  Because that's what friends do.
  
  A.N. And with that, John and Will have come full circle. From 'rivals' that disliked each other, to friends that genuinely respected and actively wanted to help each other. But I hoped I showed how he has developed a character since his first 'unlikeable' introduction, to be more likeable as a person. Its what I hoped to set out to achieve with his character.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-14 - A New Cave
  
  Koga's unexpected challenges sent ripples throughout Indigo, as any challenge to the Elite Four always did. However, I noticed that the reactions of the public lacked the surprise that I had expected, since they likely thought that it was about time that Will received an official challenge.
  
  Lance put it best, "Every Elite Four member will eventually receive a challenge from someone. It was only a matter of when. Therefore, with Will being the only amongst you to not be challenged, I suppose everyone didn't find it surprising when one finally happened."
  
  "Do Champions get challenged often?" I asked curiously.
  
  He instinctively sat up straight, but relaxed when he realised I meant nothing by it, "No, quite the opposite. It's a sign of a poor Champion if they get challenged too often. Unlike the Elite Four, Champions are expected to hold their positions for quite some time. A region that swaps their Champions too often are mostly considered unstable."
  
  I nodded, understanding the reasoning. A Champion dictated the overall policy of the region, so having Champions be frequently swapped out and replaced spelled bad news for the decision-making ability of that region's League.
  
  Returning back to Will, the reporters were having a field day with the news, and they set out to try and secure whatever interviews and sound bites that they could as they asked everyone about their opinions on Koga's challenge against Will.
  
  I, obviously, wasn't excluded from their sights.
  
  "Many within the public have observed that you and Will dislike each other. Would you be happy to see him go?" One reporter asked me while I exited the Indigo League building.
  
  I scowled, "I have no idea where people got the idea that Will and I disliked each other. We are friends. All of us in the Elite Four are. It's why we're able to get along so well."
  
  "Then are you going to be rooting for your Elite Four member during the upcoming fight? Does that mean you think that Koga is unsuited for the position?" That same reporter quickly backpedalled and changed tracks, although he was still trying to dramatize my answers.
  
  I rolled my eyes, "I'm friends with Koga as well. I'll root for the both of them. I don't have a preference on who I'd want to win or who I think should win. I'm just excited to see a good fight. I'll be happy with whatever outcome."
  
  "Are you not afraid of the changes that Koga might bring to the Elite Four?" A different reporter asked as another microphone was shoved into my face, "It's been evident that you hold a dominant position in the current hierarchy of things. Are you not upset that this might change with Koga's inclusion?"
  
  I raised an eyebrow, "I'm not a power hungry tyrant who's looking to stay in power no matter the cost. The power granted to me was coincidental - not something I actively searched for. I'm grateful to have it, make no mistake, but if Koga's inclusion means I lose some of that power then I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'm interested to see what kind of policies he would bring to the table, if he were to win."
  
  That led to questions being asked about what I thought those policies would be, but I quickly put an end to the interview and left. I had given them enough; there was no need to fall down the Buneary hole of speculation.
  
  Although all this talk about Will and Koga made me think about Janine. Should Koga win, then that meant Janine was about to become Gym Leader of Fuschia. Would she be ready for that? She was competent enough for her age, but she was still very young. However, I thought that Koga was someone who only acted after carefully thinking things through. He wouldn't make a play for Gym Leader if Janine wasn't ready or be adequately supported.
  
  Maybe Whitney was about to swap over to Fuschia earlier than she expected?
  
  I'd just have to wait to see the result of the fight between Koga and Will. There was too much uncertainty for now. And ultimately, it wasn't any of my business to interfere with that.
  
  Either way, the main event that I had to attend to today actually had nothing to do with battling. Instead, mayor Henry had just informed me last night that the Cerulean Cave was ready for its grand opening, and that all relevant preparations had been made for the relatively safe exploration of its depths.
  
  I had informed Cynthia of the same, and she was just as excited for me.
  
  "You know it means a lot to us, and me, that you're willing to go this far as to bring the tradition of cave diving to Indigo." She had said to me last night during one of our scheduled phone calls.
  
  "It was something that I wanted to do anyways, even without you guys naming me as a honorary member." I replied humbly, "Just a shame that you couldn't come for the grand opening."
  
  "Sorry, John. As much as I'd like to, I can't afford to head to Indigo at the moment." She said sadly, "I have to be present in Sinnoh to monitor the efforts of the Indigo and Hoenn delegation. It wouldn't be a good look for me to be sneaking off to Indigo while there are still active foreign delegates in Sinnoh."
  
  "I understand; I just wanted to see you." I admitted.
  
  "And I do too." She smiled, "Trust me, I'm doing my best to find another moment for us. We'll make the most of it."
  
  "I hope you can come to Indigo one day in the near future. I want to properly introduce you to the family - have you spend some time around the house and stuff." I said to her, "It'll be nice for them to get to know you better and vice versa."
  
  "That's a good point. And I'd love to spend some time seeing your home region with my own eyes - I'm sure I'll find many beautiful things there. Plus, I'd love to spend more time with your cute sister too and get to know her better." She chuckled, "She seems like a joy to be with."
  
  "She is." I nodded, as if what she said was obvious.
  
  She laughed, "Of course that's what you say. Anyways, I'll let you know as soon as I plan out when I can come over."
  
  We made some small talk after that, but she also mentioned that even though she herself couldn't be going, instead her grandmother would actually be going in her place. That was pretty interesting.
  
  With that in mind, I had arrived early and found myself hanging around the Cerulean Cave, inspecting the renovations as I waited for the grand opening ceremony to begin.
  
  The entrance to the cave had been completely overhauled with a shiny new look. Instead of the old and decrepit look that it had before, the boulders and rocks had been smoothed out. A proper arch of rocks framed the entrance, with the words 'Cerulean Cave' clearly etched onto the archway. It even had small streams of water flowing down on either side of it as a symbolic representation of Cerulean City.
  
  Plus, I knew that they had renovated far more than the entrance; the interior had also been upgraded too. Though I couldn't see inside the cave for the time being as it was still closed.
  
  "John!" A sudden cry broke me from my thoughts, and I turned to see all FOUR Waterflower sisters running up to me, "Congratulations again for getting the proposal passed!"
  
  "Oh hello, sisters." I smiled, "And thank you, I'm really glad my proposal succeeded. I appreciate your vote of support as well. Still, I thought you'd be coming a bit later."
  
  "Misty here wanted to take a few photos." Daisy grinned as she elbowed the youngest of the sisters, "So we came early to accompany her."
  
  "Caves are cool!" Misty exclaimed excitedly, "Way better than forests. I never liked Bugs." She frowned cutely.
  
  "Caves are more dangerous though, so don't go wandering in there now." I warned gently, "Not by yourself."
  
  "I know, but they're still better than Bugs. I really, really don't like Bugs." She repeated with a shake of the head, getting a chuckle from her sisters.
  
  "You planning on taking a dive into the caves sometime soon?" I asked them, "There are plenty of powerful Water types in there I'm sure. Maybe some could join your team?"
  
  "Maybe in the future." Lily replied, "We just got a new Pokémon to take care of, and I'm not sure if we can afford to divide our attention between multiple Pokémon."
  
  "Plus, catching another powerful Pokémon might not be the best idea right now." Daisy added, "We still haven't fully disciplined our Gyarados yet, even with Drake's help. We're afraid that catching another powerful yet wild Pokémon might make the discipline problem worse."
  
  "That's a reasonable concern." I nodded, "I struggled a bit with getting my Munchlax to obey me at first too, though that was due to laziness and not rage. But even if you decide not to catch anything, I'm confident that it'd be a good place to train."
  
  "Mhm. We felt the same after reading the reports as well." They agreed, "We're planning on training here on a rotational basis, so two of us stay at the Gym while one of us trains our Pokémon here."
  
  "I want to train too!" Misty piped up.
  
  "Maybe when you're older and more experienced." Daisy said softly, "It's a little too dangerous for you right now."
  
  "And you remember what Drake told you? He had you run through a few training methods." Lily reminded, "You should stick to that for now as he said. You don't want him to be disappointed with your Staryu's progress once you call him next."
  
  Misty pouted, but reluctantly agreed with her sisters. Daisy saw that and leaned in to whisper to me.
  
  "She's a big fan of Drake - thinks he's really cool and strong." She chuckled quietly in my ear, "She always wants to talk to him. I think she's his biggest fan."
  
  I smiled, "I'm sure Drake is happy about that." She giggled at my response.
  
  "Oh, nice to see everyone gathered here already." A voice appeared from behind us, and I turned to see Professor Carolina approaching us with a group of explorers following behind her.
  
  "Professor Carolina." I greeted, "It's been some time."
  
  "And yet it feels like whatever I do I still I hear all about you, either from my granddaughter or from the news." She chuckled, "Speaking of my granddaughter, did you know how surprised I was when she told me you two had gotten together? When I asked her to be your tour guide, let me tell you that a relationship was the last thing I had in mind."
  
  "That doesn't mean I disapprove." She quickly said, "Quite the opposite really. She talks about you a lot, and she's happier for it. That's all that matters to me."
  
  I blushed, "Well thank you for saying that - I'm glad you're supportive. You know, and it's my fault for not doing this earlier, but maybe you can join my family and I for dinner as I'm sure they'd like to meet you-"
  
  I was cut off before I could finish my sentence as I felt someone hurriedly tapping me on the shoulder, "Elite John, could you please make your way to the front now. Mayor Henry has arrived and is waiting for you to join him on stage."
  
  "Ah, understood." I nodded, and with a quick apologetic nod to Carolina, I joined the Waterflower sisters as walked onstage with the mayor, who greeted us all with a quick nod.
  
  It was time for the opening ceremony.
  
  (A Civilian's POV)
  
  In all fairness, he admitted that he initially wasn't very interested in the opening of a new cave in Cerulean. He had lived in this city for all these years, and yet he never had any interest of exploring the Cerulean Cave, especially with how notoriously dangerous that it was.
  
  And as someone who had given up on his trainer career shortly after it began, he was absolutely not fit to deal with any of the powerful wild Pokémon that many said were down there.
  
  Still, he had an off day today, and he was attracted by the growing crowd of people that had gathered to watch the opening of the cave - which had been radically renovated so that it actually looked like something respectable rather than just some random hole in the wall. After all the renovations, the Cave actually looked like something that was artistically inviting, and it fit in with the general aesthetic of Cerulean City.
  
  "Oh my. They've really made it look colourful and shiny." His wife said with a little amazement, "I feel like this would look really beautiful at a distance. I quite like it."
  
  He nodded in agreement, but he held his tongue on giving out any compliments. It was a little too soon for that, and he still needed to see for himself if this whole thing was going to be a failed tourist attraction or not.
  
  Then Mayor Henry took to the stage and began his speech.
  
  "Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you all for coming to this grand opening of the new and improved Cerulean Cave! But it is not merely the opening of a new cave that will serve as excellent training grounds for already powerful trainers! This is also the start of an entirely new direction for our city, one where we demonstrate that our city has more than just the arts to offer!"
  
  There was a quick round of applause at that, which Henry managed to savour before he continued, "But I know that you're not here to listen to my speech, so let's cut right to the chase! Everyone, follow after me! We're going straight into the new Cerulean Cave! It is now officially open to the public!"
  
  That was a little surprising; he didn't expect that they would be given a guided tour of the place. The crowd's cheers had gotten considerably louder, so he tried to ignore them as he followed the Ace Trainers that were assigned to take the lead. They were told early on that they would only be hanging about on the upper levels near the entrance and would not be wandering further down for the sake of everyone's safety.
  
  He did spot that Elite John and the Waterflower sisters were also accompanying them, with looks of wonder on the latter as well. Everyone knew that this idea to open up Cerulean Cave came from John, and he knew that many wondered if this would be another success under his belt.
  
  Because make no mistake, even he admitted that John was the centrepiece to the many positive changes that have swept through their city. He didn't know it at the time, but John's ascension into the Elite Four was the beginning of Cerulean's rise from a forgettable city of the arts to growing to become one of the most prosperous cities in Kanto.
  
  And with the changes to the Cave, it looks like they would be continuing on that trajectory of success.
  
  The immediate area after you stepped in was meticulously built up, almost like a campsite. There were tents, beds, and supplies aplenty. There were also a heavy patrol of Ace trainers and Nurse Joys that secured the area, ensuring that no wild Pokémon were going to breach into the safe zone. Even as a person who didn't carry any Pokémon on him, he was fully confident that he would be safe here.
  
  The Ace Trainers that were leading them then began to talk about what the Cave itself contained. They talked about how powerful the wild Pokémon inside were and how useful that would be for a potential trainer, and they talked about a lot of interesting geology and stuff that went completely over his head.
  
  Though he did catch the fact that they would be barring any trainer below a certain level of strength from exploring this cave unattended, and that they would have to prove themselves before being allowed in by themselves.
  
  "But what kind of Pokémon can we expect to find in there?" Someone asked.
  
  "The more notable Pokémon that we've come across include a Gyarados, Snorlax, and Absol." The trainer answered, getting a shocked gasp from the audience. However, as the Ace Trainer continuing describing the many rare Pokémon that could be found within, he noticed that, just by coincidence, he found himself standing near to John as he stood listening to the Ace Trainers talking.
  
  He always had a question that he meant to ask John, and now seemed to be the perfect opportunity for it. So he gathered his courage and approached the Elite Four member.
  
  "...Excuse me." He began a little nervously, "I have a question for you, Elite John."
  
  He smiled, "Shoot. I'm all ears."
  
  "As a long-time resident of Cerulean, I know how much you've done for our city to bring it to the heights it currently enjoys." He said, and that was the unexaggerated truth. Everyone knew that it was mostly John's efforts that the city was able to grow as it did.
  
  "However, a huge part of that success was due to you being able to make use of your influence as an Elite Four." He stated, "But what happens when to the city when you lose that? Do you have any plans for our city so that it doesn't fall back into stagnancy?"
  
  That had always been his biggest fear, to see all their current success fall away because John was unavailable to continue lifting them up as he had been doing. Just like many other residents of Cerulean, they now had their taste of glory, and they didn't want to lose it.
  
  "That's a good question, and I appreciate you asking that." John replied, seemingly unbothered by how direct he was, "But if your concerns are regarding whether Cerulean City will stagnate without my influence - then I truly do not believe that would be the case."
  
  John gestured to the Waterflower sisters, "Even without me, I am confident and trust that the Waterflower sisters, and Mayor Henry, will look after the city in my place. Especially with the Cerulean Gym, you must have seen how much the sisters have grown in recent times to become a respectable pillar of our city. They will only continue to grow stronger and more influential, and they will ensure that the city never backslides or stagnates."
  
  "Plus, with the Cerulean Cave opening up, diversifying our city so that isn't just known for the arts, I fully believe that the future of our city will continue to be bright. The Cerulean Cave will bring in many an Ace trainer, and I am certain that it will become a training hotspot in the future." John said with utter confidence, "Still, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so I will continue to fight to improve our city one step at a time. I hope that, before my time in the Elite Four comes to an end, Cerulean City will be a city you and I can be truly proud of. And will stay that way for the years to come."
  
  ...He felt the genuine conviction in John's voice, making it clear that the Elite Four member believed every single word that he had uttered. Was it this passion that allowed him to persuade the other Gym Leaders to agree to his ambitious proposal?
  
  That proposal had been a shock to everyone, though he was personally indifferent and he didn't give it much thought. His wife, though, had been so happy to see Indigo starting to grow closer. She had always been enthusiastic about forming closer relations between Kanto and Johto, and had always been John's biggest supporter. Outside of his strength, he personally could never really see why, but now he was beginning to understand.
  
  You could see the honest idealism in John's eyes and the drive to make things better, all while lacking the usual arrogance that you might expect from someone so strong. It was hard not to trust someone like that.
  
  Not knowing what else to say, he simply thanked John for his answer before he refocused his attention onto the tour, ignoring the knowing looks that his wife was giving him. He had missed everything that the Ace trainers were saying thanks to being distracted with his conversation with John, but they were apparently done with showing everyone around and were now bringing them into the gift shop.
  
  He held back the urge to roll his eyes at the obvious marketing, but at least everything in the gift shop looked unique. There were many kinds of unique rocks, gems, and even non-revivable fossil pieces that were being sold here. His wife seemed to be interested, which was probably because they would make for interesting souvenirs and gifts, so they would probably walk out of here with at least something to commemorate the Cave's opening.
  
  While he waited for his wife to finish looking around, he turned his attention back to where John was, where he was busy conversing quietly with the Waterflower sisters. He couldn't exactly overhear what they were talking about, but what was unmistakable was the trust and bond that the Gym Leaders had with their Elite Four member.
  
  It was obvious that the sisters looked up to John as a sort of mentor figure, and John clearly reciprocated. They felt more like a teacher-student rather than an Elite Four and Gym Leader, which bode well for their future cooperation. It was no wonder that John was so trusting in them if he was treating them like students.
  
  Seeing this, he let out a small sigh of relief. Today, he finally saw for himself that John was indeed a good man, and that he had genuine and realistic goals for the continued prosperity of their city. Even though John had a lot of overarching and wide-reaching goals that he didn't really feel concerned him, the Elite Four member never forgot about his own city and continued to seek ways to improve it.
  
  Therefore, from today onwards, John had another supporter in himself.
  
  May John stay in the Elite Four for the years to come.
  
  (John's POV)
  
  With the tour done, the Waterflower sisters and I left the cave, only to be immediately approached by a very cheerful mayor Henry.
  
  "John! Gym Leaders! What a marvellous day it is, right?" He greeted us happily, "I hope you were as impressed as the public seemed to be with the new caves - especially you, John. Since this was your idea."
  
  "I'm happy it seems to be a success." I nodded, "I'm confident that we'll see a steady influx of strong trainers coming here."
  
  "Hm, it definitely seems like there will be." He agreed, "Did you see how everyone's eyes lit up when we mentioned that you could find powerful Pokémon down there? It was all that I hoped for! I'm confident that we'll be able to recoup our investment and turn a profit in a comfortable amount of time once the news spreads to all those other trainers!"
  
  "Please let me know if you have any ideas floating around in that brain of yours. All of you." He grinned at us, "Cerulean City grows ever more prosperous with you fine individuals at the helm."
  
  "Laying it on a bit thick there aren't you?" I chuckled, "Someone's certainly happy."
  
  "Well I admit I'm being a little too enthusiastic - Cerulean City currently doesn't have the spare funds to accommodate another large investment like this one." He confessed, "So, actually, give it some time before you present another idea. I'll give it all the consideration it deserves."
  
  "Awww...we wanted to ask for more budget for our contests..." The sisters whined.
  
  "Surely your contests are successful enough already." Henry deadpanned, "I've seen the numbers. You really don't need the additional funding."
  
  "Yeahhh....but we'd be able to pull off cooler shows if we did!" They exclaimed excitedly, only to get another tired sigh from Henry.
  
  But before they could hassle the mayor any longer, all of our phones suddenly rang. My eyes shot up as I heard the sound.
  
  This wasn't the usual text message or phone call. This was a region wide alert - only to be used in emergency situations.
  
  Dread immediately set in for me, and I saw the horrified expressions slowly forming on everyone's face. I barely had the time to read the message when my phone rang.
  
  "John, get over to Cinnabar Island." He ordered.
  
  "Yes, coming now." I quickly replied to our Champion as I immediately released Port and hurriedly climbed on top of him as he took off. The sisters followed right after me, visible concern and panic on their faces.
  
  The Cinnabar Volcano had erupted. And we had to evacuate everyone.
  
  A.N. This was a long time coming. It was foreshadowed very long ago, and now it's finally happened. The eruption is here, and all the consequences that naturally follow it. John will have his hands full with dealing with this, and so will everyone else in Indigo.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-14 -Interlude-Blaine
  The New Normal - 11-14 - Interlude - Blaine
  
  "...Shelly, how am I supposed to find the time to help you with training a new Water type? You know I'm busy with my own projects." Blaine muttered into the phone.
  
  "Well Kabuto are partially Rock and Water, so I thought you might have some tips for me." His friend and research partner replied, "Besides, you know how bad I am as a trainer compared to you."
  
  "I won't deny that." He said mercilessly, getting an offended scoff from Shelly, "But surely you could have found someone else to help you rather than a Fire specialist?"
  
  "You really overestimate the amount of trainers I am actually in contact with, and their competence." Shelly responded, "Did you really think you were my first option?"
  
  "Right, now you've offended me. Can't believe you'd burn me like that." Heh.
  
  "You're not any funnier on the phone than in real life, Blaine." She deadpanned, "Look, I'm not asking for much time, but surely you'd have more insights to at least training up my Kabuto's Rock type moves."
  
  "Fine, fine. Come over later and I'll see what I can do." He sighed, "It'd be a good break anyways, and I'm still waiting for the new Growlithe to hatch-"
  
  Before he could finish his sentence, the blaring of alarms suddenly interrupted him as the high pitch noise echoed through his lab. There was only one reason that the alarms would have gone off.
  
  The Cinnabar Volcano had just erupted.
  
  But why? Their monthly readings had not indicated anything of the sort.
  
  Regardless, now was not the time to think about the 'why'. Immediately dropping everything he was doing, Blaine forced himself to remain calm as he summoned all his Pokémon.
  
  "Eruption! Emergency procedures! Full evacuation!" He quickly ordered his Pokémon as they all dashed out the labs. As he made his way out, he saw that the many other scientists within the lab all running out alongside him, fear and panic visible in their faces.
  
  "STAY FUCKING CALM!" He shouted, "STOP RUSHING OUT! STAY ORDERLY, AND EVACUATE TOGETHER! REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING - YOU WERE FORCED TO DO THEM FOR A REASON!"
  
  His shouts were reinforced by the powerful roars from his Pokémon, which managed to snap the scientists out of their panic. Now following his lead, they all began to evacuate in a more orderly fashion as they stopped trying to push past each other. Then, just to save more time, he had his Magmortar rip a large hole through the wall to create another exit point.
  
  His lab wouldn't survive the eruption anyways. And now every moment counted.
  
  Finally exiting his lab, he surveyed the surrounding area to see masses of people running out of their homes and buildings as they tried to flee away from the imminent eruption. Blaine grimaced as he turned his gaze to the volcano itself, to see that lava was already beginning to overflow from its molten depths.
  
  In the distance, he also saw a brave group of trainers rushing towards the molten lava, trying to slow down its descent with their Water and Rock types. They threw up barriers of rock and waves of water as they did their best to hold their ground against the incoming tide of fiery magma.
  
  But even as all that was happening, Blaine saw that the evacuation efforts weren't as efficient as he hoped them to be. Even though they had many ships on standby to assist an evacuation in case of an eruption, most of them hadn't arrived yet.
  
  And he knew that there was likely not going to be enough space to fully bring everyone to safety. Since it was not just people they had to evacuate, but they also had to accommodate the hordes of Pokémon that were also trying to flee from the deadly eruption as well.
  
  Yet he trusted the mayor to be able to handle all of the administration; it was not his role to interfere with that. He knew where he needed to be, even as he got on the phone to Lance.
  
  "Lance! I need a full recall of every available ship we have in Indigo and get them sent here immediately! NOW! We don't have enough fucking ships!"
  
  "Yes, they're already on their way-" Lance replied, but Blaine interrupted him.
  
  "We also need as many fliers as you can bring in case the ships don't arrive in time! The lava's coming! We probably have a few minutes at most before it swallows the entire island!" He shouted, not caring about how rude he was, "GET THEM HERE NOW! I'LL DO MY BEST TO BUY SOME TIME!"
  
  Not even waiting for Lance to give a response, he hung up the phone and rushed to where the trainers were valiantly attempting to hold back the tide of lava, purposely placing himself on the side of the volcano that led down to the most populous area of the island. With his full team behind him, he ignored the scorching heat from the magma, and went to work.
  
  "HOLD IT BACK!" He shouted to his team, "Magmortar, Rapidash, Houndoom, Arcanine! Focus on slowing down the lava! Torkoal, Camerupt, throw up some rock walls!"
  
  His Pokémon all growled out their affirmations as they began their defense. An enormous wall of rock suddenly shot up from the ground, forming a barrier that blocked the incoming tide of lava from immediately overwhelming them.
  
  In the meanwhile, his remaining Fire types rapidly strained themselves as they pushed their pyrokinesis to the very limits - forcefully taking control of the overflowing magma and holding them in place.
  
  It spoke volumes to the level of training that his Pokémon managed to achieve as - for a moment - the tide of lava stopped entirely as they were forcefully held back by his Fire types. All the while, the other trainers around him continued to provide assistance as they shot out rapid torrents of water, turning swaths of lava into obsidian, while more barriers of rock were created to continue slowing down the volcanic eruption.
  
  Furthermore, the specialized ships that they maintained around the island in case of an eruption finally showed up, and from their cannons they launched a truly enormous amount of frigid sea water onto the overflowing magma. Meters of lava were turned into obsidian as the icy cold water flooded over it.
  
  But Blaine knew he couldn't relax just yet, even as he ordered his Pokémon to do just that to conserve energy. He knew that the water wasn't infinite, and with how large the Cinnabar Volcano was, they couldn't hold back all of the lava for very long. Their efforts might have bought them a few extra minutes at most, but it wasn't much.
  
  True to his predictions, he watched with grim determination as the torrent of water started to gradually slow down, until it petered out entirely. The moment that it did, his Pokémon stepped up once again as they restarted their efforts to buy as much time as possible. He continued to bark out orders to the nearby trainers, making sure that they coordinate their efforts as efficiently as possible.
  
  But even with the short period of rest that they had, he knew that all of their Pokémon were quickly starting to tire out. The tide of lava was slowly starting to move again as his Pokémon were unable to maintain their pyrokinesis for much longer. Even the large walls of rocks that were formed were starting to become overwhelmed by the endless wave of magma.
  
  Yet he knew he couldn't retreat just yet. There were likely still people trying to evacuate from their buildings, and he wanted to make sure that as many of them could make it to safety as possible.
  
  "SPLIT UP!" He shouted, "I'LL CONTINUE TO HOLD HERE! SOME OF YOU STAY WITH ME, SOME OF YOU NEED TO SEARCH THE NEARBY BUILDINGS AND SAVE AS MANY AS YOU CAN! WE'LL CONTINUE TO BUY TIME!"
  
  The nearby trainers all quickly moved to follow his orders, and his Pokémon had now switched tactics. Instead of trying to forcefully hold back the lava, they now simply destroyed as many holes in the ground as possible, forming large pits that would cause the incoming lava to pool within - buying them several seconds each time, while also continuing to throw up as many rock walls as they could.
  
  He slowly fell back as his Pokémon repeated this action, and he made sure to carefully cycle through his Pokémon to conserve as much energy as possible.
  
  He had no idea how much time had passed or how long he managed to stall for, since all he was focused on was making sure that the incoming tidal wave of lava in front of him was held back for as long as possible.
  
  How much time was he able to buy? Was it going to be enough? Did his efforts at least ensure that one more person was able to get to safety in time? All of these thoughts were running through his head, but he forced himself to not think about it as he remained laser-focused on the task at hand.
  
  Eventually, the cannons from the ships had been refilled, and another enormous barrage of water began raining down on the city, temporarily halting the incoming lava. Seeing this, he instantly turned around and began barking out commands once more.
  
  "FALL BACK AND REGROUP!" He shouted again to the nearby trainers, "REGROUP AT THE EVACUATION POINT! REST UP, HEAL UP, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING BACK IN SOON!" They needed all the energy they could get - the most important part was to hold the evacuation point and ensure that everyone could get out in time.
  
  As they retreated past the many rows of buildings that were about to be consumed in fire, he let out an inward sigh of relief as he saw that they were at least devoid of people - meaning that they had bought just enough time for everyone to at least start heading towards the evacuation point.
  
  However, as they retreated, he spotted an elderly man desperately fretting over his partner as she had fallen over. Without a second thought, he immediately sent his Arcanine to pick the both of them up, carrying them with him as they fell back to the evacuation point.
  
  Just as they were thanking him, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed throughout the skies, and Blaine turned around to see an army of Dragons flying their way.
  
  He let out a small grin. The Indigo League was here.
  
  A.N. The opening moments of the eruption. I wanted to show a few of the countermeasures and policies that Cinnabar Island had in place to buy time for a full evacuation - but they could have never have stopped the eruption from destroying everything anyways. That would require a Legendary.
  
  I hoped to also demonstrate another aspect of Blaine rather than just as a scientist. He's a responsible man, and for all his lamentations about the role of Gym Leader, he takes his duties seriously.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-15 - The Eruption
  
  I arrived to a scene of barely controlled chaos.
  
  The erupting lava had already reached the edge of the city, and had already swallowed up dozens of building into its fiery maw, spreading fire and destruction in its wake. There would be no salvaging the melting buildings - I just hoped that everyone was able to get out in time.
  
  In the meanwhile, ships and boats were being sent out and retrieved with the utmost haste, as they evacuated as many Pokémon and people as they could to the nearby Fuschia City or Pallet Town. The people were literally thrown onto the boats just to get them off the island quicker, and all you could really hear was the blaring of ships' horns and the panicked shouting of people as they desperately tried to make their way off the island.
  
  We weren't just using boats to get everyone out, as many Flying and Water types were landing around the port in droves and picking up groups of people at once just to help out with the evacuation.
  
  Housing problems could be dealt with later; the most important priority right now was getting everyone off this island as quickly as possible.
  
  I pried my eyes away from that chaotic sight and immediately flew to where I saw Lance barking out orders at a myriad of people.
  
  "Lance, where do you need me?" I said to him as soon as I landed.
  
  "Everywhere." He didn't have the patience to elaborate, "Do as you see fit. Help wherever you think you can."
  
  "Understood." I knew he didn't have the capacity to micromanage at the moment. So thinking quickly, I split up my team.
  
  "Klee, Luna, Euphie, stay near the ships and make sure everyone's healed up. Assist the Nurse Joys. Port, you assist the evacuation as necessary." The three healers and my dedicated transport Pokémon on my team nodded.
  
  "The rest of us are on search and rescue." I declared, "Stay with me, and let me know if you sense anyone. We're going to join up with the others and help. Maybe we could even help push back the lava if possible."
  
  My team nodded around me and quickly set off to their assigned duties. The Waterflower sisters, who had arrived with me, were quick to join in alongside me.
  
  Their plethora of Water types quickly joined in with all the others as they did the best to slow down the flood of lava. In the air as well, I saw that a small army of Dragons were also there to assist, either throwing up Rock Walls, firing off Hydro Pumps or Ice Beams that turned swathes of lava back into obsidian. Likewise, powerful Hyper Beams and Dragon Pulses tore right through the ground, forming an enormous trench that allowed the lava to pool within.
  
  At this point, the Rain had also already been set up, giving a much needed boost to everyone's Water attacks.
  
  Since my Pokémon weren't the most proficient with Water type moves, they prioritised throwing up wall after wall of reinforced stone, or even digging large trenches to slow down some of the lava. Vordt was especially good at this, and he managed to do the work of several Rock types by himself. In the meanwhile, I did my best to direct several groups of nearby trainers as we jointly coordinated our efforts.
  
  Despite our efforts, most of the outer rim of the city had already been completely submerged into the lava's fiery maw. Ironically, the buildings and infrastructure of the city had been destroyed long before they could get swallowed up by the magma, as most of the destruction was actually caused by us throwing whatever we could at the overflowing lava in a desperate attempt to buy more time for the evacuation.
  
  I saw empty buildings that were ripped apart and thrown into a haphazard pile, thrown up near the trenches that we had haphazardly dug as to form a makeshift wall.
  
  I had only been here for a few minutes, but I could feel the sweat pouring down my face, staining my shirt with my heavy perspiration. The other trainers around me were doing little better, and I had to make sure a few were rotated out just to make sure they didn't collapse from heatstroke. Still, I was inspired by the efforts of my fellow trainers, as many of them had been fighting the eruption for far longer than I've been here and yet were still persevering through the heat.
  
  Fortunately, there were still a few healer Pokémon on rotation - and an abundance of Potions to rely on - so the trainers could keep their Pokémon healthy and to push on with their duties. That made the task a little more bearable.
  
  Yet as the minutes ticked on, the tide of lava only continued to advance, forcing us to retreat further and further back. Luckily, our rescue efforts had borne fruit, and we had already swept the surrounding areas and pulled out any survivors that we had found before they could be swallowed up by the lava. Ornstein was especially useful for this.
  
  I didn't know how long it was, but then a powerful wave of Psychic power alerted me to Will's arrival. He landed next to me as his Pokémon added some much needed firepower to our efforts to stall the approaching wave - literally blasting it back with a powerful wave of Psychic. His Hypno then clapped its hands together with a Helping Hand, sending a surge of power towards Daisy's Golduck as it unleashed a truly enormous torrent of water that washed over the oncoming tide of lava, turning it all into obsidian.
  
  That bought us a bit of breathing room.
  
  "...How's everything?" I panted out hurriedly, taking the opportunity to chug a swig of water.
  
  "We're getting the last of the evacuees out." He replied to my relief, "We brought in more ships from Vermillion and they should be enough to pick up the remainder of the civilians and their Pokémon."
  
  "So...does that mean we don't have...to hold back the lava for any longer?" One of the trainers who could overhear us asked breathlessly.
  
  But Will shook his head, "No. Standing orders from the Champion are to keep up the efforts. We need to ascertain that we haven't missed anyone in the rubble, and every second we stall for is another opportunity to rescue a trapped survivor. Lance will give the order when it's time to fully fall back."
  
  That got a round of nods from everyone, and Will's comforting words seem to have rejuvenated our Pokémon as we knew that there WAS an ending point. We just needed to hold on for a bit longer - the end was in sight.
  
  With another set of fresh Elite-level Pokémon joining the fray, it gave the defenders a slight second wind. And as the minutes continue to tick by, more and more reinforcements began to arrive - until the whole island became swarming with the Pokémon of Gym Leaders and the Elite Four.
  
  In the distance, Giovanni and Brock were working together as a trio with Blaine as they held back an entire section of lava. Giovanni's Swampert fired off Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump while Brock and Blaine protected it by unleashing a huge fissure, creating a large crack through the island that allowed the lava to fall into. At some point, Will moved in to join them, boosting up Blaine's Fire type with a Helping Hand as they forcibly held back the tide of lava with their pyrokinesis.
  
  I also spotted Pryce and Samson doing the same. Pryce was on the offensive, unleashing repeated Ice Beams that somehow managed to freeze huge chunks of molten lava for a second before it was melted and turned into blocks of obsidian. In the meanwhile, Samson stayed back, using his Pokémon's Helping Hands to boost Pryce's Ice attacks to further heights while also keeping it topped up on energy with the occasional Heal Pulse.
  
  Surge's barking voice was also audible as he shouted out commands and helped organise the search and rescue teams as best he could. His speedy Electric types would ferry found survivors to the evacuation point as quickly as possible, while he kept an organised tally of which buildings had been searched and how best to organise our manpower.
  
  Everyone was here to help, all united with a singular goal to get out as many people and Pokémon as possible.
  
  With no further emergencies that required my attention, I focused back all my attention on directing my Pokémon as best as I could - though admittedly everything was on autopilot by this point. Even though the lava continued to creep forwards, the full might of the Indigo League managed to cripple its advance as we unleashed an enormous barrage of destruction against it.
  
  The sheer amount of attacks raining down made Cinnabar Island look like a warzone.
  
  However, after continuing our efforts for who knew how much longer, a shadow suddenly covered over our forms and an announcement was blared out from a loudspeaker.
  
  "FALL BACK! THE EVACUATION IS COMPLETE! FALL BACK!" Lance ordered us from on top of one of his Dragonites, since Emperor was helping out with the lava, "CINNABAR ISLAND IS BEING ABANDONED UNTIL THE LAVA SUBSIDES! GET OUT! FALL BACK! IF YOU AREN'T IN THE ELITE FOUR OR A GYM LEADER, FALL BACK FIRST! EVERYONE ELSE REMAIN AND HOLD!"
  
  Hearing the order, the swarm of trainers that had been assisting us made a quick retreat, returning all of their Pokémon before they retreated on their Flying types. Some were reluctant and wanted to stay in the fight, but a quick bark from Surge got them moving.
  
  As soon as the supporting trainers left, the lava surged forth, rapidly swallowing several buildings in its wake.
  
  A combined effort of all of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four managed to stall the lava for a few seconds with an enormous wave of water, ice, and rock, buying us precious seconds to begin pulling back to the evacuation point. Then, as we knew we were going to abandon the rest of the island anyways, we conserved the rest of our energy as we made a dash for the evacuation point.
  
  Once there, healers quickly rushed towards us as they patched up both us and our Pokémon, making sure we didn't have heatstroke. My Pokémon that were stationed there also ran up to me, with Klee instantly checking me over just to make sure the Nurse Joy didn't miss anything. As she did her work, she told me all about how they had been scrambling to ensure that any Pokémon with burns or other injuries were all properly patched up before they could be evacuated.
  
  The last thing we wanted was for a Pokémon to succumb to its injuries because we failed to catch it in time.
  
  After listening to her explanation, I patted her on the head as I gazed solemnly at the tide of magma, watching it consume and gobble up even more buildings. Now that I was actually sitting down, I could see just how much of Cinnabar Island had been transformed into a desolate and fiery wasteland.
  
  All that remained of the once prosperous island was fire and rubble. The island was completely uninhabitable.
  
  Yet there was nothing we could do about it.
  
  "OKAY! TIME TO GET OUT!" Lance's order broke through my thoughts. I quickly returned all of my Pokémon, climbed onto Port, and we flew away from the doomed island.
  
  I met up with Lance in the air, who was staring down at the carnage with a grave expression, "I hope you don't have plans for the next few days, John. We'll be busy."
  
  "What do you need me to do?" I asked dutifully.
  
  "We have two major problems that we will need to deal with." He said, "One, we might have gotten everyone - or almost everyone - out of Cinnabar, but we still need to find a way to house and relocate them for the future. For now, we've already begun allocating emergency tents for their use, but that's not a long term solution. The same applies for the wild Pokémon."
  
  "Second, we need to decide what to do with Cinnabar Island now that it's covered in lava. Now that the evacuation is finished, we can start thinking about the restoration process, but that will be extremely slow going. Then once that's done, we'd need to worry about the redevelopment plans and rebuilding costs, and if those can be done in time to replace the Gym in time for the next circuit. Of course, we'd also need to figure out WHY the eruption happened, and if there was any nefarious intent behind it."
  
  I nodded as he continued, "The latter is obviously less of a priority for now, so I want you to head over to Pallet Town and assist with making sure that everyone has food, clothes, and housing for the next few nights. Keep them as calm as possible. We'll be allocating them to whatever residences we can find for them, but the Pokémon Centers cannot house this many people all at once at such short notice."
  
  "Understood." I confirmed.
  
  "I've heard reports that Champion Oak is already out there and assisting the people, so just follow his lead." Lance informed me, "Maintain order at any cost, and try to cool tempers as much as you can. Crime will inevitably spike as a result of this, so make sure you crack down on it as efficiently as possible."
  
  I gave him a nod before I began my flight over to Pallet Town. As I did, I took one final look at the remains of Cinnabar Island, and I frowned as all I saw was fire and magma.
  
  The lab, the city, the Gym...everything was gone.
  
  Despite my solemn flight to Pallet Town, I was quickly snapped out of my thoughts as my eyes nearly shot out of their sockets when I took stock of just how many people were currently at this small town.
  
  What was once a quiet and idyllic town was now crammed full of people, and even this high in the air I could hear the cacophony of panicked shouting, worried cries, and rising anger. The discontent was palpable.
  
  Lance was right. Pallet Town was a powder keg waiting to explode.
  
  It was not surprising. These people had just been through what was most likely the shock of their lives. They had just lost their homes, their livelihoods, and most likely all of their belongings. And in the panic of the evacuation, they might also have been separated from their family members and/or Pokémon; unable to know if they were okay or not.
  
  It was easy to understand why everyone was such a ball of barely contained discontent.
  
  Fortunately for everyone involved, Oak was here to save the day. I knew that he didn't like to, but right now - in a time of crisis - he was fully willing to make full use of the public's confidence and trust in him to calm them down.
  
  I arrived just in time to listen to the speech he was making over the megaphone.
  
  "I understand that many of you are shocked, tired, and angry about what you have just been through. It is greatly unfortunate that you were forced to suffer through the events that you have, and you have my deepest and utmost sympathy for whatever loss you may have suffered. I know that feeling of loss all too well and I assure you that none would blame you for feeling this way."
  
  "However, as easy it is to give in to your baser instincts and unleash your pent-up emotions on those near you - consider this. They are people who have gone through the same thing you just have; who have suffered just as you did. To take out your anger on them would only make things worse for everyone involved."
  
  "But I understand the need to vent. That is why I am always willing to lend an open ear to those who need help. I will ensure that all that could be recovered will be recovered, and that every effort will be made to ensure that you will be reunited with your friends, family, and your Pokémon once more. On my honour as the first Champion of Indigo, I do promise this to each and every one of you."
  
  "Food, shelter, and amenities will be provided shortly. You need not fight over them. We have enough to spare, as the Indigo League has always been well-prepared to handle a situation like this. Better accommodation and housing will be allocated as soon as they become available. Rest assured that myself, and the Indigo League, are doing all that we can to ensure that none of you will suffer over the next few days."
  
  "Remember - this is not the end, merely a new beginning. You can think of it like as starting over. Cinnabar Island will be rebuilt, better than ever before - and I promise you that you will one day return to your old lives and find them much improved compared to what you remember."
  
  "Right now, your priority is to eat some food and get some rest. As I said, I will be around to listen to any problems that you might have, and I will do my utmost to resolve them as best as I can. I might only be one man, so it might take me some time to get to you - but I'll do my best."
  
  I thought that it was the confidence, the surety that he had - to say that everything was going to be fine - that finally calmed down the rising discontent within the refugees. To know that the man who brought peace upon a region was there and willing to personally guarantee your continued safety was probably the most reassuring thing they could hear.
  
  I was in awe not only of Oak's confidence, but the fact that, as soon as he put down the megaphone, he REALLY was going out there and personally listening to all of their problems and doing his best to address their concerns.
  
  Every single one of them.
  
  Seeing this, I made myself busy as I prioritised taking over the administrative and policing duties around Pallet Town. We were less worried about outsider criminals, but more concerned about the refugees themselves committing crimes out of desperation, fear, or anger.
  
  Because, despite Oak's reassurances, there were always one or two people that were more desperate than sensible. And the fact that they were all living in tents and eating MREs while the actual, existing residents of Pallet Town were able to live comparatively comfortable lives in the safety of their homes - it was easy for jealousy to sprout. It was my job to stomp all of that into the ground.
  
  Tyrant's growling face was an effective deterrent. And his fists were even better ones.
  
  Unknowingly, with the roles divided in the way that it was, Oak and I ended up taking over the role of good cop and bad cop, with him as the former and myself as the latter. It was stressful, and Tyrant had to forcibly calm down more people than I would have wanted, yet it worked well, and we were able to maintain a semblance of order in what could have been an extremely unfortunate explosion of anger.
  
  It also helped that many of them had at least brought their phones with them, and were at least able to call their loved ones to make sure they were okay.
  
  Night eventually fell upon the small town, and Oak and I took the opportunity to sit together as we were both on our dinner breaks.
  
  "Sorry that we didn't get to talk much earlier, John." Oak said to me. The two of us were both resting on a foldable chair as we chewed down our dinner. We were eating the same as all of the refugees - for fairness' sake.
  
  "That's fine, we were both busy, and you were doing far more than me." I waved him off. I turned back to look at the refugees, most of whom should hopefully be sleeping by now. "I hope that nothing big occurs overnight. I'm knackered."
  
  Between this and my earlier assistance with the evacuation, today had been a long day.
  
  "My old bones aren't what they used to be." He chuckled, "I think I heard my legs creaking every time I bent down to listen to one of their problems."
  
  "You have my utmost respect for doing that." I said to him sincerely, "I...wouldn't even think of doing what you did, to actually go around and listen to each and every one of their problems and to respond with the sincerity that you did. Especially when I saw that some of them even threw in the occasional word of hostility against you."
  
  He truly was one of the greatest amongst us. Not for his strength, but for his humanity. Seeing him like this, I was starting to piece together just how he became Champion. His strength was mighty indeed, but it was his charisma and personality that would allow him to win over all but the most vilest of villains to his side. It was awe-inspiring to see the amount of effort and energy that he put in to helping others.
  
  No wonder he was able to bring peace to a region.
  
  "They were just venting; I didn't take any of their words personally." He reassured me with a patient smile, not realising my thoughts, "Besides, I was just doing what needed to be done. In times like these, when the world has decided to test us, it comes down to the leaders to shoulder the burden. To shoulder the woes and the troubles of the populace. For that is our duty, and our responsibility."
  
  He looked at me, "It is not a skill that is easily learnt. It is difficult to be truly sincere, and people can pick up on that. If they think you're just phoning it in, they won't get the comfort that they would have compared to if you had genuinely listened to them. It is a skill that must be trained up. But, in times like these, that is what people expect of their leaders, and so that is what you must do if you want to truly become a great leader. Many will be unable to achieve this, and most will not be able to do so without putting in some serious effort, but it is my utmost hope that you could one day become one of those people, John."
  
  Yes, there could be no doubt about it. I was not speaking to Professor Oak, but Champion Oak.
  
  "...I'll take that to heart." I replied genuinely after a moment, "I hope to be able to be as steadfast and as humble as you, Professor Oak."
  
  "If it's any consolation, you've lived through a time of relative peace." He said as he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "There was no need for you to act as I did, because there was never a big enough crisis that demanded it. But, as much as I hope it would never happen, a crisis like this is always sneaking up around the corner, so you must be ready to act as the pillar that the region can rely upon when necessary."
  
  "I know full well that our society values strength above almost everything else, but sometimes they value kindness equally as much. A great leader knows when to lower themselves to the public's level and speak to them from the heart."
  
  I nodded, and he continued, "...Tomorrow, I want you to do what I did today. Go around and listen to their problems. Help them all; each and every individual. Speak with them and empathize with them. I will take on your role as the 'bad cop' to police the area and also deal with the administrative activities. It will be good practice for you."
  
  Yes it would be. I had seen the brightening faces that would always appear whenever Oak would speak to someone. That was the power that a respected and trusted leader would have on the populace. And I wanted to have that.
  
  Not for power or for the praise, but because I knew that a single act of kindness for these people could make a whole world of difference for these people.
  
  "I will." I nodded again firmly, "Thank you for the advice."
  
  He waved me off, "It's the duty of the elderly to pass on their wisdom to the youth. And I do enjoy the occasional lecture every once in a while. You might act more mature than your age, but you're still young. You still have plenty to grow. You're already doing a great job as an Elite Four, but you could always do better."
  
  "There's always someone better than you." I quoted myself.
  
  "Exactly." He agreed, "So get some rest now. You have a busy day ahead of you."
  
  I went to bed that night in a reflective mood. I didn't even acknowledge the crappy tent that I was assigned to sleep in. I did at least make sure to inform my friends and family that I was okay, and I answered a few questions to a curious Cynthia about what had happened.
  
  However, more importantly than that, I thought about what Oak had told me. He was undoubtedly right, so I fell asleep while thinking about how I could better myself as a leader.
  
  Oak was an excellent role model, and a truly great man.
  
  A.N. More focus on the consequences of the Cinnabar eruption. As expected, there will be a lot of problems coming from this, even if people managed to evacuate on time. These refugees have lost pretty much everything, and they won't be happy.
  
  But I didn't want the chapter to be all doom-and-gloom, so I wanted to focus a little more about why Oak was so respected. It wasn't all due to his strength as a trainer, but rather his strength of character. I wanted to highlight a bit of that in this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed that.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-16 - Aftermath
  
  I held Oak's words to heart on the next day, and I deeply reflected on his wisdom as I slept. He was certainly right that a great leader needed to be more than just someone who could lead and be strong, but they also had to be empathetic and approachable. The people were relying on us, and it was time to meet that expectation.
  
  With those thoughts circling around my head, I woke up the next day full of vigour and determination, a large contrast to the general air of malaise that plagued the temporary residents of Pallet Town. The memories of the eruption were likely still fresh in their minds.
  
  But I wanted to do my best to correct that. So, I quickly chowed down on breakfast and got to work, making sure I was a friendly face as I went from tent to tent to make sure that people had someone checking up on them and listening to their concerns.
  
  Fortunately, it seemed that Oak had already handled the worst of the cases, as it appeared that the evacuees were a lot more calm after they had gotten some sleep, especially since most of them were able to get into contact with their loved ones and made sure that they were okay. There were still a few attempts of thievery or fighting between the evacuees overnight, but the situation was nowhere near as bad as it could've been.
  
  I had actually checked in with Lance on that, and he told me that the evacuation was a huge success - the evacuation measures, as well as the joint heroic efforts of everyone involved, managed to buy enough time to evacuate almost everyone off the island in time. Sadly, there were, inevitably, a few people that were still listed as missing, but we were holding onto hope that this was because of an administrative error rather than the alternative.
  
  Still, with that bit of positive news in mind, I got to work speaking with the evacuees.
  
  "Thank you for your attention, Elite John, but we're doing fine at the moment." One elderly couple said to me, "We lost the house, but it was pretty rundown anyways. Maybe they'll build us a better one in the future. In fact, I was pretty sure I saw someone's Pokémon rip out our house to help block the lava. That was pretty amusing, seeing our old home used that way. It made us feel like we contributed, in a way."
  
  "I have been assured that rebuilding efforts will begin shortly, right after they clear up all the lava." I informed her, "I'm not quite sure on how they plan to redevelop the place, but I'm sure something will be announced later. In fact, the new Indigo Charity Fund that was set up may actually compensate you for your loss. I believe that there will be an announcement soon regarding that, so please make sure to follow up on that."
  
  That was a scheme that I had previously proposed successfully with Lance, and I hoped to see it coming into use here. At least it seemed like the right thing to say, as the elderly couple began chatting about how much they would receive from it.
  
  However, the next individual that I spoke with was far less calm, "...It was pretty scary, not knowing where the lava was. My wife had just gone out to pick up some groceries when the warning sirens starting blaring. Then the next thing I know was that I saw Gym Leader Blaine rushing towards the lava with his Pokémon as the volcano began spewing it out like a flood."
  
  "I had already ran out of my house at that point, but even though I could reach my wife over the phone, we weren't close enough to meet up. Then the next thing that I saw was that Blaine and many other trainers just held the lava in place. I didn't know what happened next, but I just ran to find my wife. Yet I was stopped by one of the trainers who forced me to head to the evacuation point instead."
  
  "...I haven't been able to contact my wife since then, and I don't know if she's okay. I think she must have dropped her phone." His breath caught in his throat as worry filled his eyes, "Please, I need to know if she's okay. I've looked around Pallet Town but haven't been able to find her, and the Jennys and Nurse Joys were too busy to help me yesterday."
  
  I sympathised, and I did my best to put on my most reassuring smile, "...I'll see what I can do for you. Pallet Town isn't the only evacuation point, since many people were also taken to Fuschia. Let me speak to a few people and ask around for you. What's your wife's name, and can you give me a general description of her appearance?"
  
  He did so, and I quickly ran to where the Jennys were and asked them to chase up on the matter. The line was very busy, but within minutes, I was luckily able to confirm that his wife had been successfully evacuated to Fuschia. And I quickly reported that back to the man.
  
  "Oh, thank you! That's a huge relief." He let out a big sigh, and I felt the weight dropping off of his shoulders, "...I wouldn't know what to do if she was missing."
  
  "She'll be looked after." I added comfortingly, gently patting him on the shoulder as I let the tears of relief stream down his face, "Your wife will be fine, and I'm sure you'll be able to meet with her soon."
  
  "...And I'm counting down the days until then." He nodded, "Thank you again, Elite John. You don't know how much this helps. I can finally relax now. Keep up the good work."
  
  I held on to the warm feelings that I received as I continued to make my way to more people. I didn't forget to also thank the actual residents of Pallet Town, many of whom - while not necessarily opening their homes to the evacuees - had donated whatever spare amenities they could afford to those who needed it more.
  
  "I do hope that things will get better for those poor evacuees out there." A kind-looking, brown-haired woman said to me from the porch of her house, "I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to lose everything you had."
  
  "It'll get better for them." I promised, "The Indigo League will do its best to rebuild Cinnabar Island as quickly and as efficiently as possible. They'll have good lives to return to."
  
  "I'm sure you're all working hard." She smiled softly, "...If I was in that situation, I wouldn't know what to do! My son's always running off to play with his friend, and I don't know if I could run away from the house without him. I would be losing my mind if I couldn't find him! But there really should be a way to stop another eruption from causing so much damage. Maybe that's something you can pass on to the redevelopers?"
  
  "It's something many have mentioned, and I will pass the message on." I nodded, "Don't worry, that is a topic that the higher-ups are all thinking about as well. Especially since we're able to design the new city from scratch."
  
  Apparently, I heard from Lance that one of the main reasons that they couldn't have extra measures installed originally was that the city was built long before those kinds of technologies were developed. It then became too much of a hassle to redesign the city to implement such measures; it would have pissed off too many vested interests for such plans to be politically feasible.
  
  Of course, now that the entire city had burnt down, we had free reign to design the new Cinnabar Island to whatever we liked. And this time, like many have suggested, there would be an emphasis on not allowing this level of damage to happen again.
  
  It was going to be expensive, but worth it.
  
  "Thank you, I'm sure the future generations would appreciate it." She smiled, "You know, I've been really meaning to do more-" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as a high-pitched voice interrupted her.
  
  "Mom, mom! Look at all these new Pokémon here!" A very familiar kid's voice came running towards us, "Even Gary was surprised! There's so many that he hasn't seen before."
  
  I blinked; needing to do a double take as I took in the sight of the newcomer. There was no way I didn't recognise him.
  
  "...Ash, I hope you haven't been bothering them." She lightly scolded, "I told you that they've been through some tough times already. They deserve the opportunity to relax."
  
  "...I know, I know. But they're just so cool!" The future protagonist smiled excitedly, "I even saw someone with a Clefable! That's the new Fairy type!"
  
  Then he turned to me, recognition flashing through his eyes, "...Wait, I know you! You're John! Gary talks about you sometimes!"
  
  I smiled, "He does?" That was interesting, "What does he say about me?"
  
  "Oh, only that you talk to his sister more than you talk to him." He responded, before dropping his voice into a whisper as if he was telling me some dark secret, "...I think he's jealous of her."
  
  I chuckled, "I'm sure he will become a fantastic trainer too, one day. And you as well. You both are still are very young, but if you prepare well, I'm sure you will be an extremely formidable trainer once you set off on your journey."
  
  Ash grinned wildly at that, but I wasn't done yet, "But that's only if you actually prepare well. Study hard, learn the Type matchups, think about what kind of Pokémon you want to start off with. Not only that, but you should study how other experienced trainers battle and see what you can learn from that. Or better yet, see if you can convince your mom to let you get a starter Pokémon a little earlier so that you can get a head start on training. It will help you a lot."
  
  Ash instantly spun towards his mother, "Can I, mom!? Please! I told you I've always wanted my own Pokémon!"
  
  Whoops, I probably should have asked if that was okay first before making the suggestion. I got a little too talkative after meeting him. Luckily, Ash's mom didn't seem annoyed by that as she replied to her son, "...Next year, I promise. I still think it's a bit too early now."
  
  He pouted, but that quickly faded away as he regained his usual enthusiasm, "Okay! Deal! So, John, what kind of Pokémon should I start with? What Pokémon are powerful?!"
  
  "That's something you'll have to figure out yourself." I lectured gently, "But, if I could give you a word of advice - I know you're friends with Gary, so why don't you speak more often to Professor Oak? The man is one of the best trainers in the world, and he can give you more tips than I could. I'm sure there's much that you can learn from him."
  
  I also idly wondered how much my advice would change his future as a trainer. Maybe he'd be less prone to making beginner mistakes like he did so frequently at the beginning of his journey.
  
  Ash clearly wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by his mom, "And I think we should leave it there. Ash, let's not keep the kind Elite Four member any longer - I'm sure he has other things to do. Why don't you say goodbye to him and let him continue on his duties?"
  
  "...Okay, thank you for the help, John." He said a little reluctantly, "But I'll remember what you say!"
  
  And with that, I parted ways with what could have been the future protagonist of this world. I say that, because I was absolutely certain that my own actions would have drastically altered the course of his life by now, to the point where I wasn't even sure if he was going to be the protagonist anymore. After all, he was like 7 years old right now. There was a lot that could be different in four years.
  
  Yet, in a way, I was happy about that. No 11 year old deserved to bear the responsibility of the world on his shoulders. If my actions allowed him to live a more stress-free life, then I was content with that outcome. I was certain that he would still be a great trainer regardless.
  
  Either way, that was something to consider for the future, and I resumed my previous duties as I set off to check up on more people. After a few more hours of doing this, it was time for lunch - which meant I could finally take a break.
  
  Of course, that was when I received a call from Lance.
  
  "Lance, how is everything going?" I asked as I picked up the call.
  
  "The fact that it took me this long to call you is probably a good enough sign that things haven't exploded in our faces." He replied, "Unless you've been hiding things from me."
  
  "No, Pallet Town is okay. There's some frustration and discontent, but nothing above what would be expected." I informed him, "Oak and I have been doing the rounds; making sure people aren't misbehaving and are staying calm."
  
  "Good, good. I'm glad to hear that." Lance nodded, "Will reported that there were little issues at Fuschia City as well. Koga has been excellent at maintaining discipline."
  
  That was relieving, "And how's Cinnabar doing?" I asked.
  
  "As devastated as expected. The city is a total loss, but we've scoured the parts of the city that haven't completely submerged into the lava to see if we missed anyone and didn't find anything." He explained, "Still, we've done our best to recover anything we could from the eruption, but we're still going to have to rebuild everything from scratch."
  
  "A word on that front - many evacuees have stated that they would prefer if such a devastating eruption could never happen again." I told him, "Its like we talked about before. I think we really need to emphasise that having proper defences set up in case of another eruption should be the utmost priority during the reconstruction. In fact, the entire city should be rebuilt in a way to minimise damage done from any future eruption."
  
  "Yes Will received similar comments in Fuschia." He nodded, "I will definitely keep that in mind and pass it on to the relevant people. You're both right in that a disaster of this scale should not ever happen again."
  
  "Speaking of which, I have better news for you." He continued, "Many of the Pokémon Centers around Indigo have cleared out all their non-essential beds; they're now fully open to take in the evacuees. It's a temporary measure, and there still isn't enough space for everyone, but it'll probably beat sleeping in tents."
  
  "That's good news." I commented.
  
  "It does mean that you're going to have to organise them to the appropriate Pokémon Center. We don't want to break up families due to poor organisation." Lance said, "There'll be League officials to help you out with that. You just need to stand there and act imposing so that the evacuees fall in line."
  
  I chuckled, "I'll let my Pokémon do that. They're far more intimidating than me."
  
  We didn't talk for much longer as we both had work to get to. As per Lance's words, a group of League officials arrived in Pallet Town shortly after and began organising the evacuees, with those separated from their families having priority so that they could be reunited. As I stood there, waiting for the people to be sorted out, I let out an inward sigh of relief. It looked like the most immediate consequences from the eruption were about to be settled.
  
  Now it was time to deal with the less-immediate consequences.
  
  As soon as the evacuees were all safely escorted out of Pallet Town into their new temporary homes, Lance had summoned all of the Elite Four to meet him at his office for a meeting. Lorelei was here by video.
  
  "Sorry that I couldn't be there." Lorelei apologised to us, "But I'm glad to see that it's mostly been handled."
  
  "No need to apologise; you have your own duties in Sinnoh." Lance waved her off, "And to the rest of you, thank you all for your hard work over the past few days; I know it must have been tiring work for you all." Lance said to us, "But before I let you go home and properly rest, I thought it would be prudent to discuss a few of the changes that we will be announcing in the next few days."
  
  "Are we about to assign the blame?" Agatha grinned, "A disaster like this must fall on someone. So who will be sacrificing today?"
  
  "The choice has already been made by the man himself. Blaine has already agreed to 'accept responsibility' for the eruption." Lance announced, to my shock.
  
  "Wait, why?" I asked disbelievingly, almost offended on my friend's behalf, "He didn't do anything wrong - and from all that I heard he performed admirably with his response to the eruption."
  
  "He has - I was not faulting his conduct. To clarify what I meant, Blaine has volunteered to take the blame." Lance explained.
  
  My first thought to Lance's words was more confusion, but as I thought things through, I slowly began to piece together Blaine's thought process. Only to realise the only logical conclusion to his actions.
  
  "...Is he stepping down as a Gym Leader?" I asked carefully, this time eliciting a surprised look from both Will and Lorelei.
  
  "He is." Lance confirmed, "I suspect that he wanted to use this opportunity to focus more on the sciences rather than stay as a Gym Leader, though I believe you'd have more luck asking him yourself."
  
  I nodded slowly, my mind still whirling at a mile a minute as I comprehended the resulting consequences of this decision. To step down as a Gym Leader was a massive decision, and I needed to know what Blaine was thinking.
  
  "Regardless, this is actually why I brought you all here today." Lance explained, shaking me out of my thoughts, "With Blaine's imminent retirement as a Gym Leader, we have a new problem on our hands. Namely, we need to both find a replacement Gym Leader for Blaine, and also construct a new Gym to serve as a replacement to the now-destroyed Cinnabar Gym. The Kanto circuit must have 8 badges."
  
  "Fortunately, this isn't a decision that we have to make immediately." Lance added, "We still have some time before the circuit starts up again, but we need to at least make a decision on where the next Gym should be built. Construction does take time, after all."
  
  "So are we going to be able to give suggestions?" Will asked.
  
  "Yes. I predict I'll be very distracted with the cleanup of Cinnabar to really search for an appropriate candidate, so I'm offloading the responsibility to all of you." Lance nodded, "If you believe someone is suitable for the role, let me know and I'll put them into consideration."
  
  I could see the spark of ambition growing in Agatha's eyes, "Never mind who becomes the next Gym Leader for the moment. The Gym should be rebuilt in Lavender Town." She stated immediately, pouncing on the opportunity like her Ghosts on a Psychic type.
  
  "Are you telling me or asking me?" Lance chuckled.
  
  Agatha rolled her eyes, "Don't play coy with me, Blackthorn. You know as well as I do that there isn't anywhere else in Kanto to accommodate a Gym other than Lavender Town. Or are you about to build up a Gym in tiny Pallet Town? Or in the middle of Viridian Forest? And it's not like you'd be able to rebuild the Gym in time for the beginning of the new circuit in Cinnabar Island anyways, not when its still flooded with lava."
  
  She was right, but I stayed silent as I allowed Agatha to continue, "Besides, it's about time that Lavender Town receives a Gym. I've been on the Elite Four for longer than you were alive - I think this would be an appropriate 'gift' for my services."
  
  "Are you nominating yourself to be the Gym Leader as well?" Will inquired.
  
  Agatha rolled her eyes, "You must be wearing that mask of yours too often because it's making you blind." She spat out, "Do you think I'm suited to being a Gym Leader?"
  
  "You DID act as regent for the Pewter Gym for some time." Lorelei pointed out.
  
  Agatha waved her off, "I just passed everything on to my apprentice and let her do all the work. I'd rather throw myself down a flight of stairs than have to deal with all those trainers on a daily basis."
  
  I didn't think she was lying, but I also thought we were going wildly off-topic, "So, just to confirm, you think Lavender Town would be the best place for a new Gym?"
  
  "Yes. Again, where else would it be built?" She asked rhetorically, "Cinnabar is covered in lava. Pallet is too small. And you would never build a Gym in Viridian Forest. All the other cities already have Gyms in them. So Lavender Town remains the final option."
  
  "We could always build it at the Seafoam Islands-" Will tried, only to be immediately interrupted.
  
  "And build the Gym inside a cave? Don't be stupid." Agatha cut him off, "Ignoring how impossible that would be for young trainers to find, it'd also be the least prestigious Gym ever built. No, we needn't argue this any further, Lavender Town is the only appropriate place for the new Gym."
  
  Agatha was being uncharacteristically insistent and forceful on this, though I suppose it shouldn't be surprising. Having a Gym be built in Lavender Town was practically a gift from Arceus for Agatha - I could understand why she was so worked up about it. And I agreed about her point about Seafoam Islands. Even if that was where Blaine had relocated to in canon, I felt that having the Gym there was insane.
  
  "The Sevii Islands are an option too." Lorelei pointed out again, "Though perhaps that might be a bit too far away."
  
  "Let's table this discussion for now." Lance interrupted before Agatha could respond, "I do agree that Lavender Town seems like the most appropriate option for now, but let me speak to my other advisors to see how viable that would be. I will get back to you about my decision once I hear back from them."
  
  We all nodded, Agatha more reluctantly than others. She must have really wanted for Lance to make a decision here and now.
  
  "Other than that, there's nothing else urgent we need to talk about. Just keep your phones on so that you can be reached if something pops up." Lance told us, "Otherwise, you're free to leave. Get some rest, you've all earned it."
  
  All of us split off as soon as the meeting ended. Agatha even disappeared on me before I could speak to her.
  
  However, I had someone I wanted to meet with before I headed home. I rang up Blaine.
  
  "John, I guess the Champion must have told you about my decision if you're calling me this soon." He greeted.
  
  "He has." I confirmed, "I just wanted to speak. Is there someone we could meet up?"
  
  "Well my lab is gone, and I don't really know anywhere else we could meet." He shrugged, "You decide."
  
  "...Then let's meet at my place." I decided, "Here's my address."
  
  "Alright, meet you there." He replied.
  
  Fortunately, no one was home today, and it wasn't long before Blaine arrived at my house. However, instead of looking tired or exhausted like I expected him to, he looked just as he usually did.
  
  Amusedly gruff.
  
  "Thanks for inviting me over." He greeted me with his usual smile.
  
  "No problem...though I'd thought you be more upset about losing your Gym and stepping down." I couldn't help but say, "I can't say I expected to hear that you were stepping down."
  
  He shrugged, "There are ups and downs." The two of us sat down as I offered him a drink. "I'm pretty sure I told you before that I've been increasingly dissatisfied with being a Gym Leader. Even though I hadn't held the position for very long - I think it's been just over a year, a little before you started your duties as an Elite Four."
  
  "In truth, I saw the title of Gym Leader as a means of regaining some of the respect and recognition I knew I would lose when I stepped down as an Elite Four." He admitted, "But I don't think I was very suited for the responsibilities of the position. I'm no politician or Gym Leader - I'm more of a scientist at heart. That is what I enjoy doing."
  
  "So you stepped down because you wanted more time to be a scientist?" I asked, "But why take the blame as well? After all, I think your actions during the eruption were commendable. You were the perfect example of what a Gym Leader should be."
  
  "Because someone must - you know how the media are. Plus, with my role as Gym Leader, most of the responsibility would have fallen on my lap anyways." He explained, "Admittedly, I could have done more to make sure there were further measures to ensure the protection of the city in the case of an eruption. That fault does lie with me."
  
  "It doesn't." I disagreed, "There are many others who could have made a similar suggestion."
  
  He shook his head, "No, John. There is also one other thing. It hasn't been announced to the public yet, but you must be aware that it takes a large amount of Fire Type energy to create a Magmarizer, which requires careful handling of the magma from the Cinnabar Volcano-"
  
  "Wait, are you saying that the creation of the Magmarizer caused the eruption?" I interrupted with visible surprise. I highly doubted that was the case though. I knew the production of a Magmarizer only involved small pools of lava - definitely not sufficient to cause an entire eruption.
  
  "I suspect that we might have disturbed the volcano accidentally, which may have led to the eruption." He nodded, even though I believed that this was just his guilt or paranoia talking, "Initial reports don't show any other external factors that may have caused it. Or perhaps it was just a spot of bad luck from Arceus. It's rather impossible to tell."
  
  "Nevertheless, even if we might never know if that was truly the case, I still feel partially responsible for that." He continued, "Plus, as Gym Leader, I could have been more insistent on ensuring that the further protections were provided in the case of an eruption. But I was too focused on other things and didn't make it a priority. So I agree that I hold some of the fault. Anyways, it doesn't matter - I'm happy enough that it gave me an excuse to step down. I would far prefer having more time to dedicate to the sciences instead."
  
  "...I think I would never have done this had I not been so wildly successful - with your help - with my projects." He continued as he idly ran a finger over his teacup, "But with the income and fame that I've been receiving from our shared discoveries, I don't really need to be a Gym Leader anymore for the recognition. My scientific achievements are already notable as is."
  
  "Plus, I'll still be working with Shelly in the future. Our cooperation doesn't end with my retirement as a Gym Leader. So nothing really changes there." He explained, "In fact, I might even join Devon Corp as a scientist instead. It would be more fun there. And more importantly than that, it would help me on the journey to become a proper Professor, like Samuel is."
  
  I took a sip of my tea to hide my continued surprise at his words. Who knew that my interactions with Blaine would change so much for the man? In canon, he would have stayed as Gym Leader even after the eruption, to the point where he even kept his Gym open in a dinky cave in Seafoam Islands. And now he was willing to give that all up for his true passion in science.
  
  Yet, after coming over my shock, I found myself smiling at him, "If that is truly what makes you happy, then I'm all for it. Let me know if you need any help with anything. And I won't simply stand back and allowed you to be torn to shreds by the media. I'll have your back. Both for this and your journey to become a Professor."
  
  Professor Blaine. Who would have thought it?
  
  "Thank you, John. I admit that I was concerned that you might treat me differently now that I no longer intend to be a Gym Leader. But I'm glad to have misplaced my fears." He said, mirroring my own smile.
  
  The two of us settled into a comfortable silence as silently sipped our teas. It was a moment longer before I spoke up, "Do you have any suggestions about who could replace you as Gym Leader?"
  
  "Not a fucking clue." Blaine grinned, "You think I have any idea about who would replace me? I'm hardly suited for the role as is. I didn't have time to choose a successor."
  
  That was about what I expected. Yet with Lance giving us the opportunity to put forwards our own suggestions, this was something I was going to have to think seriously about.
  
  However, there was one amusing thought that popped into my mind. "Say, Blaine, do you know where the new Gym is being built at to replace yours?"
  
  He raised an eyebrow, "No, I don't. Where would it be?"
  
  I grinned, "Lavender Town." And I watched as his face immediately turned into a scowl.
  
  "Fuck."
  
  A.N. Yes, like I said in chapter, this marks the end of the immediate consequences to the Cinnabar eruption, though the political consequences are still yet to come. Oh, and just in case it wasn't clear, I'm using the game world for Indigo just for simplicity's sake. So the anime-only cities don't exist.
  
  I know it probably comes as quite the surprise, but Blaine stepping down as Gym Leader was something I had planned out for a long time. I know this is quite the divergence from canon, but I hope that this wouldn't be too out of place for the Blaine that I had written. I always felt he deserved to be more than just some lonely Gym Leader hiding out in a cave. He has other ambitions now, and I thought taking him down the path of becoming a true Professor in the future would be interesting.
  
  And yes, that is Ash. No, I don't have any immediate plans with what to do with him, but you may see him from time to time in the future. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-16 -Interlude- Karen
  The New Normal - 11-16 - Interlude - Karen
  
  "You look like you just won the lottery. What's gone into you?" She asked the old hag as the latter returned home with an unmistakable smile on her face. She looked tired, as most people did after the unfortunate events at Cinnabar, though obviously Agatha was excluded from the more physical elements of the evacuation.
  
  "Also, rub that smile off your face." She added, "You look extra creepy when you're smiling."
  
  "Bah, you'd be smiling too if you were in my place." The hag scoffed, "I guess you haven't heard about the good news."
  
  "What is it?" Now she was curious. What could get the hag so happy?
  
  "The eruption has destroyed the Cinnabar Gym, and it is going to need to be rebuilt." Agatha explained, "However, I think I can convince the Blackthorn to have it rebuilt in Lavender Town instead."
  
  Her eyes widened. Now that was very surprising.
  
  "Wait, how? Wouldn't Blaine insist that it remain in Cinnabar? If only to spite you?" She was fully aware of the animosity that existed between both parties. It wasn't as if Agatha and Blaine hated the other, but they just could not work alongside each other. They were like Seviper and Zangoose.
  
  But then Agatha grinned, "That's the thing. Blaine's stepping down as Gym Leader - he instead wants to pursue his 'dream' of being a full-time scientist and possibly become a Professor. What an idiot. But if he's going to hand me such a gift on a silver platter, then I'm not going to refuse."
  
  She was shocked, "...Blaine's retiring? I thought he handled himself really well during the eruption. And didn't he just become Gym Leader not too long ago?"
  
  "He must have hated the role as much as I expected him to." Agatha shrugged, "I've always thought that he was never fit to be a Gym Leader, and I told him as much when he first accepted the position. I'm honestly more surprised that he took this long to step down. He doesn't have the patience for it."
  
  "Nor do you." She pointed out.
  
  "That's why I dumped it all on you. Proving once again that I am wiser than Blaine." Agatha nodded smugly as Karen rolled her eyes, "But we're getting off topic. If I can persuade Lance to have the new Gym be set up in Lavender Town, that would be a huge boon for us. Now we just need to make sure that a suitable Gym Leader can take up the post, and I already have a candidate in mind. I just have to make sure that the others will agree with my choice."
  
  "With you in the Elite Four alongside me, and the new Gym set up, I would fear for nothing for the safety of Lavender Town." Agatha added, "And-"
  
  "We probably aren't going to be in the Elite Four together." She interrupted, finally deciding that now was the time to come clean, "I intend to be challenging you for your position in the Elite Four once I win the Indigo Conference."
  
  After her admission, she expected a variety of emotions from Agatha - ranging from betrayal, to anger, to amusement.
  
  Yet instead of that, all she got was calm acceptance as Agatha simply nodded her head, "...And is the path you've chosen to go down?"
  
  She blinked, a little taken aback by Agatha's calm response.
  
  "...You know, a part of me expected you to have predicted this, but I'm still surprised at your lack of shock." She said, "I thought you'd be a little hurt, since I know how much you planned around me challenging Will. Assuming that he doesn't lose to Koga, that is."
  
  To be fair, she wasn't certain about Will's chances against Koga, but now wasn't the time to discuss that.
  
  "Foolish girl. My plans were for you to succeed me in the Elite Four. I couldn't care less who you challenged so long as you got in." Agatha scoffed, "Nor am I surprised to hear about your challenge against me. This is something you've been planning to do for some time now, right?"
  
  "...How did you know?" She asked curiously.
  
  "Bah! You think me blind?" Agatha rolled her eyes, "Or do you think I wasn't around to oversee your training specifically to counter Ghost types? Unless you've forgotten, this is my house. I see all, I know all."
  
  "More like you stalk all." She shot back, "But if you knew, why didn't you say anything? I thought you'd be more upset."
  
  "I'd only be upset if you lost." Agatha shook her head, "If you win, then I'm satisfied either way."
  
  "...Are you sure you wouldn't have any regrets if I do win?" She had to ask, "Because if you say the word, then I'll stick with our original plan to challenge Will. Or someone else."
  
  Despite her earlier words, if Agatha truly didn't want to lose her position, then she would respect it. Agatha's feelings mattered more than her own plans.
  
  Fortunately, Agatha responded to that with another sneer, "You think I actually want to spend more time listening to idiots prattle about Arceus knows what for hours on end? Unless you've forgotten, I've only got a few years left with me, and I'd rather not turn the Committee room into my final resting spot. That would be taking being 'bored to death' a bit too literally."
  
  "No, girl, I don't have any problem with you replacing me. All the better, actually, assuming you do win. But I'm telling you now, if you intend to challenge me, I will not take it easy on you just because you're my apprentice and successor." Agatha warned firmly, "The public will know if either of us try to sandbag, and you won't earn any respect if you faked your win. No, the battle will require both of us to perform at our bests - the public and your future peers will accept nothing less."
  
  "Yes, I knew that already. I'm going into this with both eyes open." She nodded, "I just wanted to give you a heads up before I do so. I was afraid that your heart wouldn't be able to handle the shock of my sudden announcement-"
  
  "Save your jokes for later." Agatha interrupted, uncharacteristically serious for once. "Karen. It's my turn to ask. Are you sure you want to go through with this? A loss will be quite painful for your reputation, and would kill most of the momentum that you would have earned for winning the Indigo Conference. I am not doubting you - I know you are strong, but so am I. I just want to make sure you're absolutely certain with this course of action. I only want the best for you."
  
  "I am." Karen nodded firmly, doing her best to ignore the feelings that arose from her last few words, "I will defeat you, Agatha. I will prove to the world that you have raised me correctly; that you are more than just a grumpy old hag. You will have a successor worthy of the name - that there will be someone else carrying the torch of Lavender Town for you. I will do all I can to allow for the continued prosperity of our shared home."
  
  "And...once you lose, then you'll have all the time in the world to manage the new Gym in Lavender Town." She continued, trying to keep her voice level despite the emotions welling up within her as she poured out what she had always wanted to say, "...Lavender Town will grow...to become as prosperous as...I know it to be in your dreams."
  
  Tears were running down her face now, but she forced her last few words out, "...And...with my victory...you can finally rest, mother...and I...will do you proud...in your place."
  
  Despite her unsightly display, she kept her teary eyes focused on her mother. Agatha stared back at her with a small, but proud smile on her face.
  
  "...Of course you will, Karen." Agatha said softly, placing a reassuring hand on her own, "I have never thought otherwise, my daughter."
  
  A.N. Yes, Karen finally reveals her intentions to Agatha, though Agatha has expectedly already guessed her intentions already. Yet before the battle begins, I wanted to shine just a bit more light onto the relationship between Karen and Agatha and the emotions running through the both of them to set the stage for their upcoming battle.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-17 - Discussions
  
  The uproar and panic after the eruption gradually calmed down as the days passed. With most if not all of the evacuees relocated to proper housing into various Pokémon Centers and similar housing facilities around Indigo, their discontent settled as they were provided with food, shelter, and comfort. And, most importantly, were reunited with their loved ones and Pokémon.
  
  Of course, they couldn't reside in there forever. The Pokémon Centers were only as free as they were right now because the circuit hadn't started yet. Once the circuit started up again, the Pokémon Centers would need to be freed up in order to accommodate the next wave of trainers looking to set off on their journey.
  
  However, Lance remained confident that they could clear up Cinnabar Island and construct temporary housing facilities there in time for the start of the circuit. Or, at the very least, alternative but suitable long-term housing could be set up in other areas in time. Time will tell if that prediction proves true.
  
  Aside from the eruption, the other topic of discussion that dominated the headlines was talk of Blaine. Right after the eruption happened, the news and the media were merciless in their hunt to search for who to 'blame' for the large amounts of damage resulting from the eruption.
  
  However, Blaine took control of the narrative and volunteered for the blame to be placed on him. Yet in his speech, he wisely did not focus on what he did or didn't do. Instead, he thanked all those who had helped support the evacuation efforts in Cinnabar Island and for stepping up when the region needed them the most.
  
  By focusing more on the positives and achievements of those who bravely aided with the evacuation, coupled with the fact that Blaine's own conduct was exemplary during the crisis itself, and the fact that he volunteered to take the blame - most of the public felt that Blaine was simply being dutiful in accepting responsibility when it wasn't really his fault.
  
  Which was why, when Blaine announced his retirement from his position as Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, he was not met with boos and jeers. Instead, from what I saw on the Pokénet, a majority of the commenters expressed their regret for his retirement - with many praising his ability to juggle both his work as a Gym Leader and his work as a renowned scientist.
  
  He would be sorely missed.
  
  From what I saw, his reputation was actually boosted by his recent actions, which must have been nice for the man.
  
  Still, his retirement meant that people all around Indigo were talking about who would replace him, and where the new Gym would be. This was a big deal for a lot of trainers, as many trainers had spent months, if not years, preparing to face Blaine during the circuit. But now, with a completely new Gym Leader, they would have to change up all of their strategies to accommodate for the new Gym Leader's team.
  
  On my part, I was focused on thinking up a possible replacement for Blaine. I knew Agatha likely had her own candidate in mind, but despite being nominal allies, if I had my own legitimate suggestion then I wanted it to be reasonably considered. To my frustration, no one really came to mind for me.
  
  My most obvious choice was Karen - but she wasn't interested in staying as a mere Gym Leader. I knew she had greater ambitions than that. Then I debated whether it would be worth trying to push Whitney for the position - just like she was Gym Leader of Goldenrod in canon - but I eventually considered it too early. She was far too young still, and she did not have the overwhelming talent like Tate and Liza did to become a Gym Leader at such a young age. Plus, I think it would be better for her development if she continued working with Sabrina at the Saffron Gym.
  
  I even spoke to my friends, such as Giovanni, but they didn't really have an opinion on the matter either.
  
  "I don't think anyone was expecting Blaine to announce his retirement." Giovanni had said to me, "I knew that being a Gym Leader chafed at him, but I thought he would hold on for at least a few more years."
  
  "Do you have anyone you would put forward as a replacement?" I asked.
  
  "No, not at the moment." He shook his head, "My attention was mainly on Lewis and possibly getting another replacement for him, and I certainly didn't expect that there would be another Gym Leader opening so soon."
  
  That was about what I was expecting, though inwardly I chuckled at the thought that he might have offered to place either Petrel or Archer as possible suggestions. That wouldn't really have been feasible though, as their talents lied in the shadows and away from the spotlight.
  
  Still, that left two Gym Leader positions unaccounted for, assuming Pryce and/or Clair didn't have someone lined up to replace Lewis already. I wondered if my other peers in the Elite Four had their own suggestions or not - otherwise, I suspected that Agatha would do everything she could to not only secure the new Gym's location in Lavender Town, but also appoint her own puppet to run it in her place.
  
  That was what I expected from her. She would never pass up on any opportunity to secure the position of Lavender Town, and her influence within it.
  
  It was ironic that she was unintentionally copying the actions of Giovanni to some degree.
  
  For today though, I did my best to put aside all of the recent distractions out of my head and dedicated myself to a proper training session with my team. It had been some time since our last one, due to all of the events that happened since my second return from Sinnoh, and I really wanted to knuckle down and make sure that my team were all developing in the right direction.
  
  I did not want any chance of stagnation to appear when there were so many challenges flying about. Between Koga's challenge against Will, Karen's almost guaranteed challenge against Agatha, all of the Gym Leaders' retirements, and the fact that a brand new circuit was starting up not too soon in the future, the battling scene was as volatile as ever.
  
  I wanted to make sure my team was ready and prepared to handle whatever challenges we faced. Especially since Tyrant's public victory over Lance's Emperor - there would undoubtedly be those who saw Tyrant as the new 'Pokémon to beat'. I suspected there would be a lot more focus on Fighting types in the near future, and I would not be caught off-guard.
  
  That was why I made sure to check up on Klaus' progress with Future Sight, which he had been training up in whatever free time he could. I knew he was becoming increasingly proficient with it, but today I really wanted to test out just how far he's come with the move.
  
  So I pitted him against Vordt. Klaus' job was to do his best to fend off a charging Vordt by primarily using his Future Sights.
  
  It would be a test of his Future Sight's speed and power. He had to be able to fire off as many as he could while also making sure they were powerful enough to deter a charging Vordt AND staying on the move at the same time, which relied on Klaus Teleporting around.
  
  As soon as the spar began, Klaus immediately took to the air as he leapt from psychic platform to psychic platform; doing everything that he could to stay clear of Vordt's terrifying claws. As he did so, his eyes constantly flashed a bright blue as he set up trap after trap of concentrated Psychic energy.
  
  But Vordt wasn't going to let Klaus get comfortable. With a roar, he shot forwards a storm of rocks at blistering speeds that ripped through whatever barriers that Klaus tried to create, forcing Klaus out of the sky.
  
  However, the Future Sights were doing their job. Each time Vordt tried to rush forwards with a charge, he was met with a constant explosion of Psychic power that detonated right in his face. Vordt was too much of a tank to be taken down by this, yet the Future Sights were able to buy Klaus just enough time to scamper away before he got caught by Vordt's powerful claws and Teleport away, creating more distance between them.
  
  The battle quickly turned into a game of Persian and Rattata, where Klaus would constantly try to harass Vordt and bait him into a minefield of Future Sights that would slowly wear him down. But I noticed that the Future Sights weren't really strong enough to do much damage against really tough Pokémon like Vordt, and were mostly used as a distraction for bigger attacks.
  
  Something to keep a note of for the future.
  
  But at least Klaus's Psychic abilities had grown even further, as he wasn't completely drained of energy despite throwing out so many Future Sights so rapidly. He was also crucially able to maintain his fast Teleports, which was essential for keeping himself away from Vordt's deadly claws.
  
  Overall, with the restrictions that I had placed on him, Klaus held on for some time, but he was unable to bring down Vordt before the exhaustion caught up to him from the overuse of his Psychic abilities. Still, I never expected for Klaus to be able to defeat Vordt in a one on one anyways, and I was very pleased with how long he held out for.
  
  My fights against Cynthia's Lucario and Bruno's Primeape taught me a lesson or two about how best to utilise Klaus. Future Fighting Types will learn to be wary of approaching Klaus so easily. If he could also combine Future Sights with his own physical and other special attacks, it would make Klaus a surprisingly difficult and tricky opponent for those Fighting types.
  
  Of course, my focus wasn't entirely on Klaus. While he rested, I shifted my attention to Ornstein.
  
  With his new evolution into an Obstagoon, he was surprisingly an excellent counter to most Fighting types - which was ironic considering that he was 4x weak to the Type. Obstruct was an excellent defensive move that I wanted to train up in combination with his natural close combat abilities, so that he could actually counter the Fighting types that he was supposed to be weak against.
  
  After all, landing a Mega Kick or a Take Down on a Pokémon that just had its Defenses sharply reduced was going to be an unpleasant surprise for most Pokémon. It made him the perfect bait for Fighting types, who would go into the fight thinking that they had a huge advantage due to the Type matchup, only for a powerful reversal to turn the tides on them.
  
  In these kinds of battles, it only took one mistake for the fight to be decided.
  
  That was why I wanted to make sure Ornstein's use of Obstruct was perfect. He needed to be able to block ANY kind of Fighting type attack that would come his way before he actually got hit by it. It would be a very high risk, high reward strategy.
  
  Fortunately, all of the training that he was doing with Smough was paying off, especially considering their old rivalry only encouraged the both of them to push themselves even harder during their training. Plus, I was confident that Smough's level of strength would be realistically comparable to the toughest of threats that Ornstein would ever need to face.
  
  So long as he could consistently train himself to use Obstruct to perfectly block Smough's attacks, then he would be able to counter any Fighting type that he would encounter in the future. Besides that, I had him also make sure his elemental punches were as powerful as they could be, using Smough as target practice, for I intended for Ornstein to live up to the dragon slaying name.
  
  I looked forward to seeing the reversal play in out in an actual battle, whether against a Fighting or Dragon type. There were bound to be some shocked looks there.
  
  Last, but certainly not least, I turned my attention to Euphie and her development as a Sylveon. It had been some time since the Fairy Type was revealed, so she was no longer the only Sylveon in existence. All the other trainers sought Sylveon out for their impressive supportive capabilities, paired up with Sylveon's sufficiently high Special Attack that allowed it to also dish out powerful hits if needed.
  
  However, for me, I chose to instead focus entirely on her Special Attacks - using her as a more offensive version of Luna. The reality of the situation was that Luna just didn't hit hard enough to bring down the more powerful of threats, but Euphie didn't have that problem.
  
  So I prioritised making sure that Euphie's Hyper Voices - boosted by her Pixilate ability - were so formidable that they would be able to deal serious damage against even the strongest of Fighting Type threats. To accomplish this, I paired up Euphie with Pixel and Tyrant so that they all could get as much practice in with their Special Attacks as possible.
  
  Ideally, I would like for both Euphie and Pixel to be able to fire off Hyper Beams without becoming exhausted afterwards. That would be especially powerful for Euphie, since her Hyper Beams would be boosted to new heights with Pixilate. Most Fighting types were not yet trained to properly resist Fairy type moves, so perhaps a Pixilate-boosted Hyper Beam could secure a clean knockout.
  
  I was confident that it was only a matter of time before they could achieve this.
  
  As our training session continued and the sun slowly fell out of the sky, I received a call from Cynthia during one of our short breaks.
  
  "Hey, have I caught you at a bad time?" She asked.
  
  "Nope. I was just training with my Pokémon." I replied.
  
  "Oh, I'd have thought you were still dealing with the eruption. How are things going over there?" She asked.
  
  "Things are settling down..." I said as I gave her a summary of everything that had happened. I knew she had been communicating with Lance about any potential assistance that she could provide, so I tried to focus on my own experiences instead of talking about the bigger picture. I also talked about all of the gossip about the changing of the Gym Leaders and Blaine's retirement.
  
  She waited for me to finish before speaking up, "Seems like things are really heating up there in Indigo. Which actually segues pretty well to what I wanted to say - I wanted to give an update on what's happening with Galactic Company."
  
  I nodded and allowed her to continue, "Although our progress have been somewhat stonewalled by the pushback from those that have aligned themselves with Galactic Company, their silence and inability to explain the discrepancies in their finances have hurt their image in the public's eye. We've also been careful to push that narrative in the news, just to have a constant reminder for the public about their alleged wrongdoing."
  
  "Still, I've deliberately not allowed the situation to escalate further with raids or in-person investigation into Galactic Company, because I don't want them for them to be able to claim that we were unable to find anything." She explained, "We're working on other avenues to undermine Cyrus' influence at the moment, such as trying to convert other businesses to our side. As long as the matter doesn't disappear from the public eye, we will have Cyrus on the ropes."
  
  "You're playing this quite safe." I pointed out, not that I disagreed.
  
  "We have to." Cynthia replied, "We can't be seen to be lashing out against a company as large and as trusted as Galactic Company. By doing it this way, we've been eroding at their support base slowly and surely. Lucian and Lorelei both tell me that they're sure that Galactic Company is bleeding cash right now, so they'd have to be worried."
  
  "Each day that they continue to fail to provide a reasonable explanation for their discrepancies is another step into the grave that they have dug for themselves." She finished.
  
  "But if they're backed into a corner like this, they might lash out." I warned.
  
  "That's what we're hoping for." She agreed, "As callous as this sounds - we need them to make the first move. We might be winning the war of public opinion right now, but any rash actions from either side could flip the situation around very quickly. We need THEM to be the ones to slip up, and then we'll catch them in the act."
  
  "Plus, Aaron has assured me that the Sinnoh Police are receiving enough support and funding for them to operate at full efficiency." She added, "So I'm confident that we're ready for them."
  
  "That's reassuring to hear." I said, "Just let us know if you need anything from us and I'll see what I can do."
  
  "Speaking of that, I had something else I wanted to bring up too." She said, "I've been speaking to Wallace recently about the feasibility of my Regional Union idea; that's the one where all of the regions get together to create a political entity that aims to foster cooperation between all the regions."
  
  "I remember." I nodded, "How's that coming along?"
  
  "Wallace was instantly on board." She explained, "He said that he'd been thinking along similar lines as well, hence why he suggested the Tournament to begin with, and that he was glad to hear that others were thinking the same."
  
  "That's good news!" I exclaimed, "So what're you planning now?"
  
  "I was initially hesitant on splitting my attention between this project and our 'war' with Galactic Company, but Lucian has advised me that this would be a great thing to generate more support from the populace and bring them to our side." She said, "So we're looking to begin discussions now and start gathering the political support necessary to pass this through."
  
  "...Might have to hold on those discussions with Lance." I advised, "I know he's still swamped with work from the eruption. He might not want to deal with foreign politics right now."
  
  "Very understandable." She nodded, "But that actually also segues into my next point quite well. It wasn't on my initial plans, but since I'm planning on turning the Regional Union into a reality, Bertha actually told me that it would best if the wider public of Indigo gets to know our friendly faces - which means a visit to Indigo wouldn't be amiss."
  
  My eyes widened immediately, and I dropped the most important question, "Are you going to be coming over?"
  
  "That I'm not sure about. I might be coming with an Elite Four member, or maybe I'll just send them instead." She admitted, "But if I do come over, it would be purely as a diplomatic venture. I wouldn't really get much free time like you did when you came over. I'd be doing a lot of schmoozing, interviews, and getting to know people - so that the news agencies can get their articles about me and to lay the foundations for the Regional Union. Still, that doesn't mean I won't have my own free time."
  
  "The thing holding me back from instantly agreeing to come over is the fact that Cyrus is still a threat back in Sinnoh." She added, "But Flint and Aaron have both assured me that even if I choose to come over, Sinnoh will remain safe in their hands. If anything, it might bait Cyrus to act more recklessly with my absence, which could be a good thing."
  
  Fucking Cyrus. Why did he have to be so annoying?
  
  "Well if you do come, you're always welcome at my house." I replied immediately, a grin forming on my face, "I'll make sure my home is ready to welcome you."
  
  "Thank you. I look forward to your hospitality." She chuckled, "Anyways, if I do come, I'm holding you to that promise about that fight between us. And I mean a real and proper fight, like the one you did against Lance."
  
  "I'm always up for that." I smiled, "But let's table that discussion for later - assuming you get here. Tell me if there're any updates on it."
  
  "Will do." She said, and the two of us fell into more casual conversation topics as we talked into the late evening. Most of our conversation revolved around our Pokémon, as it usually did, and how our training was coming. After I gave her a summary of where my team and I were, she did the same for hers. She especially talked about the improvements that she had made with her new Kleavor, and expressed excitement over having a new Type combination to work with in her team.
  
  Eventually, we both had talked for long enough, and I wrapped up the training session with my Pokémon as I headed on home. Of course, I didn't forget to call Lance and ask if there was anything he urgent regarding Cinnabar Island that I could if help with, but there wasn't. It was all down to the administrators and the clean-up team now.
  
  There were a few other PR events that I could help with, but nothing that I needed to do today - though I promised to help out tomorrow.
  
  When I got home, I found that my parents had already set out dinner, and Karen was there to join us today.
  
  "Hey, John, I saw you training out there when I flew over." She greeted me, "Everything good?"
  
  "Yea, I'm pleased with their progress." I replied, "What's up with you?"
  
  She pouted, "So you forgot."
  
  I blinked, "Uh...I might have done." I admitted, "Could you clarify what exactly have I forgotten? I might have been busy with the eruption, amongst other things."
  
  My mom chided me, "You can't forget these kinds of things, John! This is a big moment for your friend!"
  
  My mind twisted in confusion as I tried to wrack my head for what exactly I've been forgetting. Until eventually it hit me, and a look of realisation appeared on my face.
  
  Karen giggled at my expression, "I don't blame you for forgetting, considering all of the stuff that you've been dealing with recently. But yes, my time in the Indigo Conference is coming to an end in two days. The final battle is here. The other finalist will be decided tomorrow."
  
  Ah. "Shit, I missed many of your previous battles." I rubbed my head sheepishly, "I hope there were no close calls."
  
  "No, there weren't." She replied, "Honestly, I don't blame you for not watching those battles. I don't even think the old hag did. Even as one of the participants, I don't think I'm being arrogant when I say that I pretty handedly dismantled their teams. There wasn't really much to watch."
  
  That wasn't surprising to me. She did beat Sidney, after all.
  
  "You've been on quite the spree." My mom agreed.
  
  "Mhm. All that's left now is to take no risks, secure the victory, and focus on my main goal. There's only one opponent left in my way, after all." She nodded as she gave me a knowing look, "I've already spoken to her."
  
  I nodded, "And how did that go?"
  
  "I'm pretty sure she expected it - or at least made plans for such a possibility." She said, "The hag got me worked up for nothing." She grumbled, but I knew she didn't mean it.
  
  I didn't fail to spot the slight emotion in her eyes as she said it, and I suspected the conversation was much longer than her description of it, but I didn't point it out.
  
  "Don't think about anything else for now." I reminded her, "Just get through the Indigo Conference tomorrow to secure your ability to challenge the Elite Four for the next three years. Everything else can come afterwards. Use tomorrow to relax, get yourself and your Pokémon ready, and make sure to sweep through that other finalist. I look forward to seeing you win."
  
  Karen smiled at my words, "Thank you, John. But don't you worry me about me; I'll be fine. Just make sure you have that spot in the Elite Four ready and waiting for me."
  
  "I'll be joining you up there soon enough."
  
  A.N. A slower catch-up chapter since the events of the eruption are beginning to wind down. I felt that it was about time to put the spotlight back on John's training with his Pokémon. It's not that he hasn't been training his Pokémon at all during the intermediary period, but I wanted to highlight the direction that he picks to train up his Pokémon - since it has been a while.
  
  We're almost at the end of this arc. There will be plenty of battles coming up in the next one, as you can imagine, and I wanted to get everything prepared for that. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 11-18
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-18 - A Pre-Emptive Talk
  
  Even though Karen's match was for the day after tomorrow, that didn't mean I had nothing to do when I woke up the next morning. In fact, practically as soon as I woke up, I had received a call from Daisy.
  
  "Good morning, Daisy." I greeted, "How can I help?"
  
  "Oh its nothing much, but I just wanted to ask you something." She said, "Did you tell a kid named Ash to ask my grandfather for trainer advice by any chance?"
  
  "...Uh, yeah. I did." I replied, "Why?"
  
  "Well apparently he's spoken to my little brother about it, and now the two of them are pestering gramps about every little thing!" She complained, "So you better get over here and sort it out! And besides, it's been a while since we trained together, and I have something to show you too!"
  
  I stifled a chuckle. I was pretty sure that she actually just wanted to show off her training to me and was merely using Ash's 'constant questioning' as an excuse to get me to come over. But I didn't mind, as I had some free time anyways, and I did owe it to her to check up on her progress.
  
  I had taken her under my wing, so to speak. So it was only right for me to ensure that she would be capable of flight.
  
  "Okay, I'll be there in a moment." I said, "Stay right there."
  
  I finished up my breakfast and headed straight over to Pallet Town again. As I landed, I noticed the huge difference between the sight that I saw now compared to what I saw right after the Cinnabar Island eruption.
  
  Many of the emergency tents had been removed and taken down, since they were no longer needed. Likewise, the whole town had been cleaned up remarkably well, to the point where there were almost no traces of the temporary relocation. By all accounts, Pallet Town had returned to the sleepy little town that everyone knew and loved.
  
  I soon arrived at the ranch, where I found Daisy already being accosted by both Gary and Ash. Oak didn't look like he was around at the moment.
  
  "...No, they haven't evolved yet." I heard Daisy say irritably to an over-excited Ash, "I haven't got the money to buy a Moon Stone to evolve my Clefairy into a Clefable. Besides, I don't want to do that now. I prefer waiting until it gets more training first."
  
  "Very prudent." I agreed, jumping into the conversation, "Best not rush into an evolution before you get the foundation down first, unless you know what you're doing."
  
  "John!" Daisy exclaimed, briefly surprised but happy that I was here, "Look! I even caught a new Pokémon!"
  
  She pointed to where a Ralts was being checked over by a curious Gary. It looked shy, but still comfortable in Gary's presence. And considering how small it was, it must have been a very new capture.
  
  "Good work!" I praised, "But where did you find this?"
  
  "I bought it with the money I made working for you!" She said happily, "Then it was just delivered over via the PSS system! It was a huge steal, you know? They sold it for so little!"
  
  "Ah. Well it was a good purchase either way." I nodded. The low price was probably because Ralts weren't that rare, and demand wasn't super high since it wasn't near the start of the circuit yet.
  
  "Mhm. And I wanted to make sure that my new Ralts would be trained well - until these two goobers showed up and decided to annoy me." She shot an ineffectual glare at both Ash and Gary, who completely ignored her. Instead, now that she had finished talking, they quickly jumped on me.
  
  "John! John!" Gary excitedly approached me, "Are you sure that being a Fairy specialist will be strong in the future? My sister told me you encouraged her, but I think Fairy types are dumb. I know that I'll be much stronger than her once I go on my journey!"
  
  "Me too!" Ash joined in.
  
  "I've beaten you in all our battles ever since I got my Clefairy, Gary!" Daisy angrily reminded her brother, "So I don't want to hear any more about Fairy types being weak!"
  
  "...And what kind of Pokémon trainers do you want to be?" I asked the two of them, ignoring their sibling argument, "Any particular Type you wanted to specialise in? Ash, I know I asked you to think about this."
  
  "I want a Pikachu!" He told me eagerly, "It's fast! Powerful! And Electric types are really versatile attackers!"
  
  Hearing his answer made me smile. It seemed that no matter how much things changed, some things still stayed the same.
  
  "It's a good choice." I said, "And Pikachu aren't too difficult to take care of too. I'm sure you will find one that will become your greatest friend and partner. Call it a gut feeling, Ash, but I know that you'll make it far with a Pikachu by your side."
  
  "Mhm! It's also strong against Gary's Squirtle." Ash agreed.
  
  "Oh? Is that what you've chosen?" I turned to Gary.
  
  "Yeah. It was easy for me to get one, since grandpa always gets a few of the traditional Kanto starters to give out." He said, "And I've watched a lot of Drake's battles. His Blastoise is so powerful! I wanted to get as strong as him! But not as a Water or Dragon specialist, but like a generalist like Cynthia!"
  
  "I bet you my Pikachu will still be stronger though!" Ash taunted, "I've done a lot of reading up!"
  
  Ash then proceeded to practically vomit out everything he had researched in the short while since we had last spoken. Although his usual enthusiasm infected his research, and he seemed to tunnel focus on how strong his Pikachu would do against certain trainers, I couldn't fault his excitement.
  
  From what I overheard, he had really taken my advice to speak to Oak to heart, and Oak was always patient enough to entertain their questions. I was confident he would be much better prepared when it came time for his journey.
  
  "Grandfather is all too happy that Gary has someone to compare himself to." Daisy explained, "He thinks having rivals as a trainer helps you refine yourself, especially since they both mentioned they'd like to be generalists. Plus, Ash certainly has a lot of potential as a trainer."
  
  "More than you?" I teased.
  
  "Hmph. Of course not." She pouted, "My Fairy Types will blow them out of the water, as they're already doing now. They'll see."
  
  Apparently, the boys heard that, and the two kids instantly broke out into their usual arguments once again about how they would be stronger than Daisy. However, that quickly turned into an argument about who was stronger between them, and the boys were quickly lost into their own world.
  
  Daisy shook her head at their antics, "Sorry about that. You know how it gets."
  
  "I don't mind. Whitney was like that too." I chuckled, "Anyways, you said you beat Gary in battles? What Pokémon does he use?"
  
  "Oh, he doesn't actually 'own' any Pokémon yet; grandpa says he's still too young for that. But he does have a Squirtle that he favours and spends a lot of time with - that's why he wants it as a starter." She told me, "He usually fights with me using it, but he borrows other Pokémon from the ranch if he has grandpa's permission."
  
  "I see. And now you're winning against him with your Clefairy?" I asked.
  
  "Yep! I know my Clefairy isn't very strong now, but I've spent a lot of time training her up to make use of status moves to be able to bring down Gary's Pokémon." She explained cheerfully, "He's still too reliant on just attacking, so I'm glad I'm able to assert my big sister powers and win some battles. I just hope one day that my Clefairy will become as powerful as yours."
  
  "I'm sure you'll get there one day." I grinned, "You have the potential and talent to do so. Now come on, time's a wasting. Let's see test out your status moves on my Blissey to see how potent they are. I think I can give you some pointers about how to improve them..."
  
  Time flew by as the two of us continued training like this, and I did my best to share everything I knew about training up a powerful Clefairy and Ralts. Her status moves had really come along since we last trained together, and I encouraged her to keep that up as they would be a powerful bread-and-butter move for all her Fairy types in the future.
  
  But eventually I had to head out and continue doing a few more PR activities for Lance. Before I left though, I remembered something.
  
  "Also, that reminds me. If you want more advice about how to train up a Ralts, I can put you in touch with one of Whitney's friends - Sabrina. She's a Psychic specialist, and she's already hard at work training up her Kirlia. I think she'll be able to give you good advice, and perhaps will make a good 'rival' for yourself too."
  
  "Oh, thanks!" Daisy said, "Let me write that down. I'll definitely put that to good use."
  
  I hoped that introducing Daisy to my sister and her friends would eventually be the beginnings of a new friendship. Daisy was of similar age to them, and I think Whitney would appreciate having more friends.
  
  I said my goodbyes shortly after that, and returned to doing my promised PR activities. But to be honest, there wasn't much for me to do. Like the other members of the Elite Four, I was mostly asked to show my faces around Pokémon Centers to show the evacuees that they hadn't just been dumped into a Pokémon Center and then promptly forgotten about. All in all, if it would help reassure the public, then I didn't mind doing it.
  
  However, I didn't have to do that for very long when I received a call from Lance.
  
  "John, would you be free to head to my office in an hour or so?" He asked.
  
  "Uh...yes, I can do." I replied, "Why? What's the matter?"
  
  "I just received quite an unexpected call from Koga." He explained, "Apparently he intends to speak with us so that he may discuss his future plans with us in case he defeats Will. He said that he didn't want to surprise us with his proposals, should he win."
  
  "Oh. Huh. That's definitely a surprise, but not an unwelcome one." I responded, "Sure, I'll come over. Who else will be there? Is Will coming?"
  
  "I already called Will and he said he isn't. Apparently he wanted to spend more time training, which is understandable." Lance replied, "So it'll just be you and me. Agatha isn't coming and Lorelei is still in Sinnoh, though I have informed her that she will be able to head back soon."
  
  "...Of course Agatha isn't coming." I chuckled with a shake of my head, "Okay, I'll meet you both tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know."
  
  I headed there straight away, arriving at Lance's office shortly after. Inside, I found that Koga had already arrived and was sipping idly on some tea.
  
  "Hello, John." He greeted me without turning around, "Lance has just stepped out."
  
  "I see." I nodded as I sat down next to him, "Anyways, it's good to see you again, Koga. It seems like you've been quite busy."
  
  "I have been more active than I usually would be." He agreed, "But I assure you that I am working within my limits."
  
  He let out a small smile, "It has been a long time since I've really needed to push myself like this."
  
  "...Will Janine be fine on her own if you win?" I had to ask, "Because she'll be stepping up to your place as Gym Leader if you do win, even if she will have a regent. And while I don't mean anything rude by it, she is quite young."
  
  "No, that is a fair point to make." He allowed, "I did not make this decision lightly, and have agonised over it for some time. It is true that I would have liked for more time for Janine to develop before I handed over my position to her, but I am confident that she would have sufficient help to aid her with the running of the Gym. I have left many competent assistants in my place to serve as regent, and I trust them wholeheartedly to be able to support my daughter in running the Gym."
  
  "I see." I nodded.
  
  "It also helps that I know that she has good friends to call on if she needs the help." A small smile broke out on his face, "I know that - should Janine ask for it - both Sabrina and your sister would come rushing to help. And I'm sure you would too, if your sister were to ask for your help. The same goes for Sabrina's parents. With all these friendly faces around her, I can at least be reassured that she won't be left to fend for herself, whether that be on matters involving the Gym or otherwise."
  
  I was about to speak more about this, but then the door swung open again as Lance stepped in, "Oh, you're both here. Okay, then we can get started."
  
  He sat down, and the two of us straightened, "So, Koga, what did you want to speak about? You said you wanted to discuss something related to your potential future proposals?"
  
  "Hm, I did. I thought it would be prudent to at least provide a summary of what I hope to achieve with my challenge, in the event of my victory." He said, "I have no intention of creating any unpleasantness through any political disagreements, so please do not interpret my words as a slight against you or your leadership - I have great respect for what you both have accomplished. I am merely here to clear the air in advance; to pave the way for a cooperative working relationship."
  
  "Very respectable." Lance nodded as he gestured for Koga to go ahead.
  
  "Firstly, I must clarify that my policies are not merely my own, but are actually something that I have been discussing with Gym Leader Erika and the Kimono Girls from Ecruteak for some time." He began, and I was surprised at the fact that those two were also involved, "We have seen the path that your leadership has taken us, and we noticed that much of it revolved around taking steps away from the old ways in favour of more modern, and more inclusive, policies."
  
  "We did not have a problem with this; in fact, we were pleased to see how your policies have helped shape our region for the better." He said, "From that perspective, we have no intention of challenging how you have been running things so far."
  
  "However, we fear that, in your haste and enthusiasm to make changes, the Indigo League may be heading in a direction that unintentionally leaves behind much of our prized traditions and cultures." He explained, "As you know, not all traditions are necessarily bad ones, and there are many that we believe are worth preserving."
  
  "As merely Gym Leaders, we are cognizant of the fact that our voices will not be easily heard within the confines of the Committee. Which is why we decided on our current course of action; to elevate myself into the Elite Four so that our voice may be heard - and that the appropriate old traditions of Indigo may be preserved."
  
  Lance and I sat in silence as we processed his words. The fact that he had been working and discussing things in tandem with Erika and the Kimono Girls meant that his sentiments were echoed by more than just himself. It demonstrated that a notable minority were genuinely concerned that we were moving too fast and abandoning their traditions behind.
  
  It was a very different concern from those who just wanted to maintain the status quo at all costs.
  
  I could understand that. I was just relieved that it seemed like Koga didn't hold our previous decisions against us. From what he said, it sounded like he was more taking action as a precaution rather than due to any dissatisfaction. Lance and I shared a common look for a moment before responding.
  
  "...Thank you for telling us. Is there anything you wanted us to address specifically or are particularly concerned about?" Lance asked.
  
  He shook his head, "Nothing so urgent that requires any immediate attention, though you can expect me to push forwards measures to ensure the protection of important cultural sites. As I said, we are only making this challenge as a precautionary measure to ensure that not all of traditions will be replaced by modern alternatives."
  
  "No, that makes sense." Lance replied, "You have a point. We HAVE been overlooking the traditional aspect of things, and we would welcome any advice that would help create a better Indigo for everyone."
  
  "Actually, if I may..." I interrupted, "Why did you choose to challenge Will instead of Lorelei? I would have thought that Lorelei would be a better match against you, compared to a Psychic specialist like Will. Is it because he's more inexperienced since he's been in less official battles?"
  
  "That is partially the reason, and I believe I can exploit his natural pride against him." He admits, "But my reasons to challenge Will over Lorelei were more due to political considerations than anything else."
  
  We both shot him puzzled looks, which prompted him to explain further, "First, I ruled out both you and Agatha as potential challenge targets - as it would be wholly unrealistic of me to believe I could defeat either of you without some serious luck. Therefore, that left Lorelei and Will as my remaining options, and I judge them both to be about equivalent in strength. But Lorelei has the advantage in experience, though admittedly it is a minor thing."
  
  I agreed - having been both a challenger and the challenged, Lorelei already had some idea of what to expect and would be more emotionally steady. While I was sure that Will had been through many high level battles before, from what I knew of Koga, he seemed to be able to exploit even the slightest hint of hesitation.
  
  "Thus, I focused more on their respective political positions and judged Lorelei to be easier to work with." Koga explained, "I judged that her work with the International Police and the IRS will continue to grow so long as she is able to remain in power, and I wholeheartedly support her efforts there. That is not to say I undervalue Will's own achievements - and I do think he is a great man who has grown significantly ever since he joined the Elite Four - his talents are simply more...replaceable, if I could put it crudely."
  
  "...That's a little harsh." I couldn't help but say. I wanted to defend Will a bit.
  
  "My apologies. Like I said, I do not mean any insult, as I do acknowledge his excellent talents for business and natural charisma." He shook his head, "I was merely trying to explain the cold calculus that led me to this decision. Ultimately, I only want the best for Indigo, and I believe that Lorelei simply has more potential to better our region should she remain in the Elite Four. Of course, should I lose to Will, then I will challenge Lorelei next regardless, so I suppose I will admit to a little hypocrisy. Nor am I entirely devoid of ambition."
  
  "If it were possible, I would keep them both." He said ruefully, "But alas, that is not possible, nor am I willing to give up on our shared ambitions."
  
  Then a small, excited smile broke out on Koga's face, "So it shall be a test of wills - to be settled via a single battle - to see who is more deserving of the title of Elite Four."
  
  Lance chuckled, "An admirable sentiment, and one I like to hear." He stood up from his seat, "In any case, thank you again for letting us know of your plans in advance. It was very honourable of you to do so."
  
  I nodded, "I may not be rooting for or against you, Koga, but I would be happy to work with you in the future."
  
  "Likewise." Koga replied, "And I look forward to working with you in the future."
  
  (Vettel POV)
  
  He let out a proud smile as he stared at the Pokémon that were gathered before him. His team - the Pokémon that he had hand-picked to earn him the position of Elite Four - were just one battle away from proving their dominance over everyone in the Indigo Conference. He had just earned his position as one of the two finalists after stomping his previous opponent into a quick defeat.
  
  And Karen would not be able to stand in his way, no matter how much people praised her so-called 'powerful' Dark Types.
  
  After all, compared to him and his team? Which consisted of a Dragonite, Tyranitar, Togekiss, Metagross, Salamence, and a Ditto? He was fully assured of his ability to win. There was no need to worry about being a 'type specialist' when you simply had the resources to obtain the perfect Pokémon that would bring you victory.
  
  Every single one of his Pokémon were custom picked for both their rarity and strength, and were trained by not only himself, but a team of experienced trainers that he had paid to assist him whenever possible. Not only that, his Pokémon were also placed under a training schedule that had been planned incredibly meticulously to maximize their training along tried and true methods, as proven by many renowned experts. If that wasn't enough, his Pokémon were also pampered, treated, and fed with the finest of treatments and supplements to ensure that they would grow to be as perfect as possible.
  
  Literally every single aspect of his custom team had been optimised to perfection to ensure that they would grow and train to be as strong as theoretically possible.
  
  And that was why he knew he was destined to be one of the future members of the Elite Four. Because at the end of the day, hard work and talent could bring you far, but that was nothing compared to the specialised amount of resources that money could buy you. And as the scion of a bloodline that was as wealthy as they were noble, with access to resources as befits his status, it only made sense that his team would be unbeatable.
  
  He never understood why his counterpart in Steven Stone chose to restrict himself to only the Steel Type when he could have easily obtained any powerful Pokémon that he wanted considering the resources the man had at his disposal. In his eyes, only Steven's Metagross was a worthy addition to his team, the rest should have been replaced by Pokémon that were far stronger and rarer.
  
  Out of the current Indigo League, the only person who he could actually respect was Lance, who had the right idea to fill his entire team with rare and powerful Dragons. He still felt that the Champion could have used his resources to add a bit of variety to his roster, since having three Dragonites was a little stale, but that was the failings of an inflexible mind that the Blackthorns unfortunately possessed.
  
  Likewise, the only two Pokémon on Karen's team that he was actually worried about was her Spiritomb and Tyranitar. The latter for obvious reasons, but the former was a Pokémon that he still wasn't able to buy. He had previously made overtures to Agatha and many other Ghost specialists to acquire such a rare Pokémon for him, but he was rudely refused and was even mocked by Agatha for even making the request.
  
  'You are as intelligent as you are humble.' She had written to him. At first he had thought it was a compliment, though his advisors had later explained to him otherwise.
  
  After learning this, he had still not forgiven her for that insult.
  
  That aside, he knew better than to be blinded by arrogance, or by the need to take revenge on her so-called 'apprentice'. Despite the perfection that was his team, he had suffered a few unfortunate knockouts during his current Indigo Conference run, with a few trainers previously able to surprise him and take down a few of his Pokémon with unusual tactics.
  
  He wasn't bothered by that; the less fortunate were always able to scrounge up some unique tactic to make up for their lack of resources. It was their way of proving themselves despite their disadvantages, and he respected their determination. Yet at the end of the day, he knew he would come out on top as always.
  
  It wouldn't matter how much training Karen had done, nor would it matter if she pulled out some kind of 'unusual' trick in a desperate last attempt to overpower his superior Pokémon. It didn't matter to him that she managed to defeat that other Dark specialist from Hoenn, for they did not have the resources he had to train up a perfect team. Ultimately, the winner of the Indigo Conference was going to be him.
  
  And the world would soon learn that perfection is truly unbeatable.
  
  A.N. Daisy hasn't been in the spotlight for some time, so I felt like it would be good to have a quick catchup with everything she's doing and bring her more into the John's sphere of connections. If Daisy were to befriend Whitney, then that would be quite the star-studded cast of friends!
  
  Also, with Vettel, I wanted to introduce him ahead of his upcoming battle against Karen. Usually, I would reserve this for the Interlude chapter, but I have something else that I wanted to highlight there. And, I wanted him to be a mirror of a few characters, like Steven and Will, and I hoped that came through!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-18 - Interlude -Will
  The New Normal - 11-18 - Interlude - Will
  
  He knew that he should be training right now, but he really needed a break from his brainstorming. Trying to make a plan for his upcoming challenge against Koga was one thing, but to also try to come up with something to handle the very likely challenge from Karen at the same time was headache inducing.
  
  It didn't help that both teams fought with different styles, so he couldn't just reuse one strategy to deal with the other. For example, against Koga he knew that his Pokémon would likely be able to win in a battle of strength, but the same could not be said if he were to face Karen.
  
  All that thinking over the past few days had really worn him down, which was not helped by all the rushing around he had to do after the Cinnabar Volcano decided to spontaneously erupt.
  
  He was starting to feel like he was at his wit's ends, and he knew his Pokémon likely needed a rest after so much back-to-back training. Thus, he had decided to tactically schedule today as a rest day so that he could regain some of his mental juices - allowing him to simply wander idly around the streets of Violet City, just trying to take in the sights as he gave himself half a day to relax.
  
  He had just finished a fantastic lunch, and was planning to visit Sprout Tower for the relaxing ambience, until someone called out to him.
  
  "Will? Is that you?"
  
  Holding back a sigh as he felt the pang of regret for not putting on a better disguise, he turned around with a false smile pasted on his mouth - he didn't want to be dealing with fans at the moment. But as soon as he saw who had called out to him, that annoyance quickly turned to surprise.
  
  "...Walker?"
  
  "Yeah, it's me!" The former Elite Four member chuckled, a bright smile beaming from his face, "Fancy seeing you here! I thought you would be preparing for your battle against Koga."
  
  "I was; I just needed a break." Will replied, shaking himself out of his surprise, "My head might explode if I did any more thinking, and my Pokémon needed the rest too. It's not good to push them too hard before a big battle."
  
  "Ah, that sounds prudent." Walker nodded, "I know how it feels; I always got pretty stressed out whenever I was challenged."
  
  "...Hey, if you're taking a break, care to join me on mine?" Walker suggested, "I was going to get something to drink at the café near the Gym. I'll pay for you."
  
  Will hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to bother Walker, but at the same time he could use a listening ear. Eventually, the latter won out, "Sure...lead the way. You don't have to pay though."
  
  The two of them were seated at the aforementioned café, where Walker ultimately paid and ordered drinks for the both of them. As they settled down, Walker spoke up.
  
  "So - how are things in the Elite Four? You guys seem busier than ever after I left. Lots of changes have been made, eh?" He said.
  
  "There WAS a lot of excitement." Will agreed, thinking back at everything that had happened since his ascension. Between the battles, the events at Sinnoh, the eruption...there really were too many things to count. "...But, while I can't say that taking on these matters wasn't stressful - it was very fulfilling. I've greatly enjoyed my time."
  
  "That's good." Walker nodded, "I can say the same when I think back on my stint in the Elite Four. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I think I became a better man for it."
  
  "Say, Walker, sorry if I offend - but aren't you upset?" He asked, "I mean, you did lose your position from the Elite Four."
  
  Walker waved him off, "No, not at all." He took a sip of his drink, "I've had a lot of time to reflect since I left the Elite Four. I've come to realise that - even at the moment of my defeat against Lorelei - I don't think I was that upset. Maybe this might sound defeatist of me, but I don't think I really wanted to be in the Elite Four in the first place."
  
  Will's eyes widened, "Wait, why not? You stayed there for so long."
  
  "I only stayed there for so long because I wanted to do right by Pryce." Walker corrected, "He appointed me as an Elite Four, after all, so I felt like I owed him. Besides, in the earlier days, Pryce truly was a good man and was worth following, and I was honoured to consider him my friend. I guess I held onto that hope, even when Pryce became a shadow of the man he used to be."
  
  A fond smile formed on his face, "I'm glad that he's recovering though. I really should pay him a visit sometime."
  
  "...You're a good man, Walker." Will blurted out, his honest thoughts leaking out, "Sorry if I looked down on you when you were in the Elite Four."
  
  Walker chuckled and shook his head, "I don't mind, and you were far from the only one. Again, I didn't think I really deserved or was suited for the position anyways. I was weaker than my title would've implied, and everyone knew I was just Pryce's lackey. I'm not offended by the criticism when they're right."
  
  Then Walker leaned forwards, a serious look suddenly entering his eyes, "...And if you're worried about losing your position in the Elite Four, don't worry. It's not the end of the world."
  
  Will startled, "How did you guess?"
  
  Walker chuckled, "Even if you say that you're just 'taking a rest', I can tell from the stress lines that you've been worrying about something for quite a while. And considering your upcoming challenge, I can only assume you're worried about losing your position."
  
  He smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, if I were in your shoes I'd be concerned too. Koga's certainly no slouch."
  
  "It's not just Koga, but Karen as well." Will added.
  
  "Oh - well that puts you in quite the pickle doesn't it?" Walker said rhetorically, "Well I don't think I can give you any training advice - I don't think I'm nearly as a good of a trainer as you are."
  
  "However, what I can say is this." Walker clasped his hands together, "Take it from me, Will. Losing your position in the Elite Four isn't as bad as you likely fear it will be. Sure, you'll get a few ugly headlines for a couple of days, but that label will be quickly forgotten and you can live out the rest of your life as normal. Believe me, I've been there."
  
  "But what if I want to stay in the spotlight?" He asked.
  
  "Just because you lose your title doesn't mean you suddenly will lose all your popularity." Walker laughed, "I know you have way more fans than I did back then - and they won't all abandon you just because you lost. Some will, sure, but you'll have the opportunity to win them back."
  
  "Just look at the likes of Blaine and Pryce." Walker continued, "They both fell out of power, but they managed to step into the spotlight from time to time because they haven't given up on their goals, whatever they might be. I don't know what your goals are, Will, but I'm telling you that you don't need to be in the Elite Four to pursue them. You will pave a path of glory no matter where you end up."
  
  The words struck Will hard, but they were exactly what he needed to hear. Yes, his usual confidence had wavered recently as his fear of losing slowly creeped up on him. Yet Walker was right. Losing his position in the Elite Four wasn't the end of the world; he could always bounce back.
  
  Even if he did lose, he still had his career as a contest performer to look forward to - something that he had always felt might have been his true calling from the beginning. Plus, he was a famed trainer even before he got into the Elite Four that was sought out by many, and he was sure that he could transfer all of that into whatever new role he took on afterwards.
  
  And that was only if he lost. He might be worried about losing to Karen, but after all his brainstorming and planning he was confident that he could beat Koga despite the gap in experience.
  
  He was about to respond, but Walker wasn't done yet.
  
  "However, don't take my words as defeatism. I know you, Will. I was there when you were first picked into the Elite Four. And let me tell you, despite the arrogance that you showed, I knew you were the real deal. I knew that even if you were picked for the position, you truly belonged to be in the Elite Four. And that opinion has only solidified itself as you have grown, both in character and strength."
  
  "Koga may be more experienced than you. Karen might have the Type advantage. But are you not an excellent trainer of your own? Are you not the trainer that became the premier Psychic specialist in the world? Tell me, who could be your equal? Perhaps only one - and his name is Lucian. Not Koga. Not Karen. So what do you have to fear from them?"
  
  "Nothing. Nothing at all. So keep your held high, Will. Like I just said, losing isn't the end of the world for you. You will always be successful, no matter where you end up. So let go of your worries about what happens if you lose and focus your entire attention on winning the battles ahead of you. You are a man with nothing to lose - so give it your all to win."
  
  "...Thank you, Walker." He replied genuinely, incredibly moved by this display of support and inwardly promising to repay this favour someday. "You have helped me more than you know. You're right. Worrying isn't like me. Victory suits me more."
  
  For the first time in a while, his old conviction and determination surged through his body. He sat a little straighter as he felt his usual confidence return to him.
  
  He was back.
  
  "That's the spirit." Walker chuckled, patting him on the shoulder, "You're looking a lot more lively now. Good. Keep at it, and I look forward to seeing what you will continue to accomplish in the Elite Four."
  
  He nodded. "I will."
  
  Koga was going down.
  
  A.N. Walker makes a reappearance! Yes, he's disappeared from the story for a long time now, but I felt that having him show up to give Will a pep talk was a nice way to bring his character back, even if for a moment. I've always liked to think as Walker as being too nice, if weak, for his position in the Elite Four. But he's a good person, and I hope that shows here.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-19
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 11-19 - A Dark Victory
  
  After everything, the time had finally come as the finals of the Indigo Conference came rolling around.
  
  Attendance was basically mandatory for such a notable event, so all of the Elite Four, and Lance, found ourselves in the VIP room as we waited for the battle to begin. That included Lorelei as well, as she had recently returned from Sinnoh last night now that she was no longer needed there in person. Her team had sufficiently settled in and could now operate there without her.
  
  Not only that, but there was an extra guest in the VIP room that normally wouldn't be allowed in here. I had asked everyone if they were okay with me bringing Whitney in to watch the battle with me, and none of them cared.
  
  If Pryce was still Champion, then I'm sure he would have raised a fuss. But Lance didn't really see the need to strictly enforce who was eligible to be in the VIP room, so he was more than fine with me bringing Whitney in to cheer Karen on with me.
  
  "Seems like this is quite the biased pool of spectators that we have here." Lorelei noted amusedly, "Aside from those three, is anyone supporting her opponent, Vettel?"
  
  The resulting silence was a sufficient enough answer.
  
  "...I don't mean to diminish what Vettel has achieved, but I truly don't think he'll come out on top here." Will said after a moment, "He's a fine trainer that has successfully managed to train up a generalist team of powerful Pokémon, which is noteworthy, but he just doesn't have the edge that Karen has."
  
  "Bah, you mean that he bought his way into having a powerful team." Agatha scoffed, "There's nothing noteworthy about throwing your money around to have a powerful team built for you. There's no skill in that. Karen will win easily."
  
  Whitney nodded in agreement, though I suspect she was just incredibly biased.
  
  "Well, I think that's a little unfair. If he was the type of trainer that derived all of his power from having bought powerful Pokémon, then he wouldn't have made it this far into the Conference." I pointed out, "I'm not saying he didn't buy his team - he certainly did - but he has the skills to back up the money spent." That got a nod from Lance too.
  
  I mean, on paper, Vettel's team was stacked. He had a Dragonite, Tyranitar, Togekiss, Metagross, Salamence, and a Ditto of all things. He practically had a team full of Pseudo-Legendaries. But like I said, the more impressive part was the fact that he actually managed to keep all of those pseudo-legendaries in line and maintained SOME amount of discipline.
  
  Oh sure, a huge part of that was the amount of money he was able to throw around and the resources that he had on hand, but I didn't think that automatically made him incompetent. Plus, if he could actually bring out the full potential of his incredibly stacked team, then he would be a truly terrifying opponent.
  
  However, that was a big maybe - and against Karen, I was certain that even the slightest hint of weakness would be crucially exploited by her.
  
  The five of us returned to a peaceful silence as we waited for the battle to begin. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Agatha suddenly spoke up.
  
  "Will. Before Karen achieves her inevitable victory, allow me to remove some of the uncertainty for you." She said, "You needn't worry about Karen. Her first challenge will NOT be made against you. It would be made against me."
  
  Everyone, including my sister and I, turned to Agatha with shocked eyes. For everyone not in the know, they were surprised by the implications of that statement - that Agatha was willing to step down from the Elite Four in favour of Karen, assuming the latter won. As for me, I was just surprised that Agatha was not only willing to admit this out of the blue, but she also did so out of a desire to comfort Will.
  
  Even though I knew she wasn't nearly as mean as others thought she was, I genuinely didn't expect that act of kindness from her.
  
  "...Did you know about this, bro?" My sister whispered in my ear, and I silently nodded in response. That only seemed to cause further surprise to enter into her eyes.
  
  "...Thank you for letting me know." Will said after he recovered from the revelation, "I...didn't think that she would fight you. I'm sure that's something you've planned in advance?"
  
  "I'll let you think whatever you want." She harrumphed, but refused to say anything more. In the corner of my eye, I saw that Lance was staring searchingly at Agatha. I wondered what he was thinking about?
  
  "Well, now you can just focus on fighting against Koga then." Lorelei said, bringing the topic back around, "You don't need to worry about how you'd deal with Karen."
  
  "Yeah, I guess so." A smile formed on Will's face, and he sat a little straighter, "Thanks again, Agatha. I appreciate the heads up."
  
  "Hmph. Just don't start blaming others if you lose to Koga." She waved him off, "It's all on your shoulders now."
  
  Before Will could say anything else, the announcer finally made himself known as the two finalists of this year's Indigo Conference stepped onto the battlefield.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS IT! AFTER COUNTLESS BATTLES, THESE TWO TRAINERS HAVE MANAGED TO OVERCOME ALL THOSE THAT HAD ONCE STOOD IN THEIR PATH, AND HAVE FINALLY MADE THEIR WAY TO THEIR FINAL BATTLE! THEY ARE BOTH JUST ONE STEP AWAY FROM CLAIMING THEIR VICTORY IN THIS YEAR'S INDIGO CONFERENCE!"
  
  "AND WHAT A BATTLE WE HAVE TODAY! ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE TRAINER VETTEL, WHO HAS MANAGED TO STOMP HIS WAY THROUGH HIS OPPONENTS WITH HIS PLETHORA OF POWERFUL POKÉMON - PROVING ONCE AGAIN THAT STRENGTH IS VICTORY! WILL HE ABLE TO MAKE FULL USE OF HIS POKÉMON'S MIGHT TO SECURE HIS VICTORY TODAY AS WELL?!"
  
  "ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE TRAINER KAREN, WHO HAS DOMINATED HER WAY TO THE TOP WITH HER TEAM OF DISRUPTIVE DARK TYPES! WE'VE SEEN HER IN ACTION BEFORE, AND NOW SHE'S FINALLY HERE TO EARN SOME OFFICIAL RECOGNITION FOR HER STRENGTH! BUT WILL SHE BE ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH THE FULL POWER OF VETTEL'S TEAM?!"
  
  "THIS WILL BE A 6V6 BATTLE WITH 3 SWITCHES AVAILABLE! AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...TRAINERS! ARE YOU READY?!"
  
  I felt Whitney's hands clenching excitedly around mine as both trainers nodded and held a Pokéball in their hands.
  
  "THEN LET'S GO! THREE! TWO! ONE! GO!"
  
  "Come out! Dragonite!"
  
  "Weavile, you know the plan."
  
  The fight began with Weavile dashing forwards in a blur, firing off an immediate Taunt that shut down any attempts to Dragon Dance from Dragonite.
  
  "Fire Blast, Dragonite!"
  
  In response, a large ball of flames shot out from Dragonite's mouth, but Weavile proved too quick to be hit by the Fire Blast as it nimbly rolled out of the way. Instead, Weavile fired off a quick burst of Ice Shards that struck like knives into Dragonite, causing it to wince and breaking through its Multiscale.
  
  "Dragonite, switch!" Vettel suddenly changed tactics as he withdrew Dragonite into its Pokéball. As Dragonite was recalled, Weavile immediately began setting up with a Swords Dance.
  
  "Metagross, your turn!"
  
  Vettel likely thought that his Metagross would prove to be a more appropriate opponent for Karen's Weavile. And I could see why - a single hit from its titanic metal fists would undoubtedly break Weavile.
  
  "Bullet Punch, Metagross!" As if copying my thoughts, Vettel went on the offensive - confident in the superiority of his Pokémon to bring down a Weavile.
  
  However, even with the use of a priority attack - the supposedly quick Bullet Punch missed its mark as Weavile agilely backflipped out of the way. Not wanting to give up, Metagross tried for another - only for it to go wide yet again as Weavile slid under its extended arm and struck Metagross' underbelly hard with a boosted, supereffective Knock Off.
  
  Metagross was knocked back as the attack struck, letting out a pained whirl as it did. Fearing a further follow-up, Vettel immediately had Metagross throw up a Protect shield to stop any further attacks, but an attack never came. Instead, Karen had accurately predicted Vettel's move and had Weavile fall back and set up with a quick Hone Claws, boosting its Attack even higher.
  
  Combined with its earlier Swords Dance, Weavile had skyrocketed its own attack so high that it would have enough power in its blows to rip through Metagross' once-formidable defenses.
  
  Realising this as well, Vettel had his Metagross go fully on the offensive as it unleashed a rippling Earthquake to try to trip up Weavile while it launched itself forwards with another Bullet Punch. But Weavile had already leaped into the air to dodge the Earthquake, and then spun out of the way of the incoming Bullet Punch before retaliating with a quick Taunt to the face.
  
  A haze of rage enveloped the Steel type, causing Metagross to recklessly charge forwards again at Weavile - only to be out sped and immediately smashed in the face with a powerful Assurance.
  
  Knowing what I did about Karen, this had always been her favoured strategy - to force the enemy's Pokémon to lose themselves to their rage and open themselves up for a counterattack. And here, Metagross was doing that to the dime, revealing that whatever training method Vettel had imparted onto it, he had clearly skipped out on training its mental discipline.
  
  Perhaps this was a condition that would be shared among the rest of Vettel's Pokémon.
  
  Therefore, so lost as it was to its own rage, Metagross was completely unable to heed the voice of its own trainer as it furiously tried to bring down Weavile with a flurry of Bullet Punches and Metal Claws. However, even if it had four arms, Metagross was still too slow and too predictable to land a good hit on Weavile, who nimbly and dexterously evaded Metagross' attacks while constantly landing powerful Dark type blows in-between Metagross' attacks.
  
  Eventually, Metagross' injuries began to slow it down, leaving it ripe for the finisher. Weavile jumped over a Fire Punch, fired off a spray of Ice Shards to distract Metagross, then came crashing down with a devastating Sucker Punch into Night Slash combo that brought down the Steel type.
  
  Allowing Weavile to get off those earlier Attack buffs was a fatal mistake for Vettel, and it had been taken down before it managed to land anything more than a glancing blow on Weavile. I thought if Metagross wasn't so trapped by its own rage, it could have fought more creatively.
  
  A single good hit would have killed any of Weavile's momentum, since it was so fragile.
  
  Nevertheless, several members of the crowd definitely made their displeasure known about Metagross' swift defeat, but others were cheering loudly for Karen at her dominant takedown.
  
  "...I suppose I should have expected nothing less from Karen." Lorelei commented thoughtfully, "I thought Metagross would have a bit more of a fighting chance - but she clearly proved me wrong."
  
  "I'm just glad I don't have to fight off against that." Will agreed, "Though compared to a few battles that I watched where Steven Stone utilised his own Metagross...I found Steven's to be more resilient. Even with Weavile's attack buffs, it probably wouldn't have gone down so easily."
  
  Well that was probably because Steven trained with Bruno to help raise his Pokémon's endurance up to absurd degrees.
  
  "He will send out his Ditto next." I predicted aloud, "It's his best option for dealing with a buffed-up Weavile." And sure enough, a pink, gelatinous blob emerged onto the battlefield before it swiftly began glowing white as the Ditto morphed itself into the shape of a Weavile.
  
  However, if I could predict what Vettel's next Pokémon was going to be, then Karen certainly did as well. And she was more than prepared to face off against a Ditto.
  
  In the brief moment where Ditto was sent out and was stuck Transforming, her Weavile had already burst forwards, instantly closing the distance between itself and the newcomer. So, just as Ditto finished transforming, an instant Low Sweep sent the Ditto-Weavile tumbling to the ground before it could even realise what was happening.
  
  Karen's Weavile immediately pounced on top of its opponent, straddling and keeping the imposter pinned beneath it. However, using its newfound speed and copied attack boosts, the imposter struck quickly with a sharp Brick Break to the face.
  
  Yet in an almost reckless display of confidence, Karen's Weavile had allowed itself to take most of the hit by only partially moving out of the way - all to supercharge its own Counter as it held on to consciousness with pure grit and determination.
  
  With the imposter's boosted attack and its own weakness to Fighting type moves, Weavile was practically burning in a bright orange glow as it channelled all of that energy into its fists as it unleashed a single PUNCH, smashing straight down with an exterminating Brick Break that destroyed the imposter.
  
  Coupled with its own critical weakness to Fighting type moves and the fact that Ditto were even more frail than Weavile, it proved completely unable to withstand the sheer power of Weavile's counterattack.
  
  One punch, and it was out.
  
  The whole engagement between the two Weavile barely lasted a whole ten seconds. Ditto, the supposed revenge killer that was likely supposed to be Vettel's ace in the hole against buffed up threats like Weavile, had the entire situation reversed on it and was brutally taken down.
  
  Of course, Karen's Weavile swiftly collapsed from its own injuries as the adrenaline finally ran out. But it had more than done its job.
  
  Karen now held a firm 2-1 lead against Vettel, and she still held the momentum in her hands.
  
  "Aw, I wanted to see more of that Ditto." My sister whined, barely audible over the loud cheers of the crowd, "I've never seen a Ditto used in battle before."
  
  "They're a very niche option, so that's why they're rarely used." I explained, "It's very difficult to train them up, and they will never be more powerful than the Pokémon you're copying. Some trainers like to have it as an emergency last resort against Pokémon that completely overpower them, but even then you're still going to be fighting at a disadvantage. Your Ditto will never fight as well as the original." That's why I never really considered adding one to my own team.
  
  "I dislike trainers that use Ditto." Lance added, "I find them to be Pokémon that many attempt to use as a shortcut to strength, though that strength is merely copied and borrowed. It is not truly yours, and it rankles me that all of your training can be copied like that."
  
  "Of course you're bothered by it." Agatha rolled her eyes, "You're just upset that a Ditto can copy all of that effort you Blackthorns put into training your Dragons in under a second. A victory is a victory, no matter how it was earned."
  
  Yes, that sounded exactly like how someone who had trained up a Dark type specialist would say.
  
  But it appears my sister had other topics on her mind, "Do you think I should get a Ditto?" She asked me.
  
  I shrugged, "Well, that's totally up to you. Niche as they are, they are strong in the right circumstances. If Vettel had managed to copy and then take down Karen's Weavile, then he would have a super-buffed Weavile of his to make use of against Karen's other Pokémon. But like I said, it's very hard to train up a good Ditto."
  
  My sister nodded thoughtfully, "Then...is Karen doing well so far?"
  
  Will answered before I did, "Considering what she's accomplished, this fight would be hers to lose. She's clearly gotten into Vettel's head, and I haven't seen anything uniquely exceptional from the man yet. If she's able to snowball this advantage, and I'm confident that she will be, then this battle is hers."
  
  "Aren't you lucky that you don't have to face her?" Agatha taunted, but there was no heat in it.
  
  We all returned our focus to the battle as the two trainers sent out their next Pokémon; Karen had sent out her Spiritomb, whereas Vettel's Dragonite was returned to the field.
  
  "Will-O-Wisp, Spiritomb!" Karen ordered, immediately starting off the fight by attempting to Burn her opponent, looking to completely cripple Dragonite's Attack.
  
  "Take to the skies and Hurricane, Dragonite!"
  
  Dragonite flapped its wings and soared into the air, easily dodging out of the way of Spiritomb's Will-O-Wisp before unleashing a huge vortex of gale wings that ripped through the arena as it hurtled its way towards Spiritomb.
  
  However, with a malicious cackle, Spiritomb disappeared into its own shadow and reappeared right below the Dragonite, firing a volley of Shadow Balls that the Dragonite barely managed to dodge. This time, the Dragonite quickly released a Dragon Pulse that came much faster than the earlier Hurricane, giving no time for Spiritomb to dodge as it was blasted in the face by a torrent of concentrated Draconic energies.
  
  Yet Spiritomb hardly even reacted to the attack. Instead, it continued letting out its haunting cackles that swiftly turned into a cacophony of warped shrieks of agony as an unsettling ghostly aura erupted out from it. The many ghosts that comprised Spiritomb's 'face' wriggled and shook erratically as Spiritomb cut its own health in half to release an aura of pure malice and cruelty that engulfed the surprised Dragonite.
  
  Caught within this spectral Curse, Dragonite let out a groan of pain as it began to drop out of the sky; the pain from the Curse ripping through its body was too much for it to sustain its flight.
  
  A Will-O-Wisp was flying towards the Dragonite before a red beam of light hit it first.
  
  "Return, Dragonite! Go, Togekiss!"
  
  Vettel evidently didn't want to risk his Dragonite in an endurance battle against Karen's Spiritomb before it succumbed to the ticking timebomb that was the Curse, so he likely swapped to his Fairy type for a more favourable matchup.
  
  But Karen had the same thought, "Return, Spiritomb! Go, Honchkrow!"
  
  The release of her starter made it clear that Karen intended to challenge Togekiss in an aerial fight. But as I looked at both trainers, I saw that they were both equally as confident as the other about their victory - Vettel seemed perfectly happy, almost eager, for their Pokémon to fight an aerial duel.
  
  His confidence was very quickly tested as Honchkrow dove down with a screeching Brave Bird that just narrowly missed Togekiss, forcing Vettel to refocus his efforts on the fight as he ordered his Togekiss to maintain its distance and make use of its superior Special Attack to blast down Honchkrow from a distance.
  
  Yet Honchkrow was now showing off the fruits of its training as it swooped under a Moonblast, spun away from an Aura Sphere, and nullified an Air Slash with a repelling Dark Pulse. Despite this show of aerial manoeuvrability, Togekiss was able to keep up with Honchkrow's speed and aerial mobility with its own impressive agility so that it was always able to maintain its distance, never allowing Honchkrow to get in close.
  
  That was, until Togekiss got overconfident with an Aura Sphere. The orb of concentrated Fighting energy flew straight towards a charging Honchkrow, and instead of further repositioning itself to make more distance, Togekiss focused on charging up another Moonblast - thinking that it would have the time since Honchkrow would be forced to evade its attack.
  
  Yet, to its surprise, Honchkrow rammed through the Aura Sphere, letting out a small squawk of pain but nevertheless maintaining its momentum as it slammed into Togekiss with a powerful Wing Attack.
  
  Togekiss spun around from the force of the blow, and Honchkrow quickly pivoted on the spot as it followed up with a Drill Peck and a flurry of Air Slashes, ripping through Togekiss as the Fairy type tried to throw up a Protect shield.
  
  That was instantly shut down with a Taunt just as Honchkrow latched on with its sharp talons - and in a move that I had frankly never seen performed by a Flying type before, the Honchkrow piledrived the Togekiss head first into the ground.
  
  Before Togekiss could recover, Honchkrow followed up with a Thunder Wave that cut off its mobility, preventing it from easily taking flight. Now trapped on the ground, Togekiss was forced to engage in close-range combat with Karen's Honchkrow, which is not a position you ever wished to be in if you were the Togekiss.
  
  It was a beatdown.
  
  The paralysed Togekiss was hardly able to put up a fight as Honchkrow landed an uppercut with its wings, before following up with another a winged bash that sent Togekiss tumbling to the ground.
  
  A weak Moonblast formed in Togekiss' mouth, but Honchkrow smashed its head into the ground with one of its talons before another Wing Attack bashed into the Fairy type once again. Togekiss desperately tried to fend off Honchkrow's assault with an Aerial Ace, but that was parried and blocked by one of Honchkrow's wings.
  
  Then, with its sharp beak shining brightly with power, Honchkrow brought its beak down with a powerful Drill Peck that elicited a sharp cry of pain as the Togekiss went down.
  
  That put the score at 3-1, leaving Vettel with only 3 remaining Pokémon. His injured Dragonite, and a fresh Tyranitar and Salamence. We didn't have to wait long before Vettel selected his next Pokémon.
  
  "Tyranitar! GO!"
  
  "PERISH SONG, HONCHKROW!"
  
  As soon as Tyranitar emerged onto the field, whipping up a harsh Sandstorm in its wake, a sharp and harrowing screech echoed throughout the battlefield. It was a jarring and painful noise, and even in the shielded VIP room I instinctively covered Whitney's ears to block out the ear-piercing shriek.
  
  Despite the pain, it wasn't hard to figure out Karen's plans. She was trying to force Vettel to use his last switch so that his remaining Pokémon would be vulnerable to being worn down by Karen's plethora of crippling support moves.
  
  And Honchkrow was never going to be a good matchup against Tyranitar anyways.
  
  As Honchkrow finished with its Perish Song, a large barrage of rocks erupted from beneath it. Honchkrow was barely able to fly out of the way in time, but the heavy Sandstorm slowed Honchkrow down considerably.
  
  "Get close and Thunder Wave, Honchkrow!"
  
  "Keep up the Stone Edge, Tyranitar!"
  
  Instead of trying to dodge, Honchkrow committed to the plan and dove in closer towards the Tyranitar, becoming increasingly vulnerable to the onslaught of rocks. Sure enough, it didn't take long before Honchkrow was pummelled out of the air as the rocks shredded through its Protect shield, but not before it managed to get off the Thunder Wave that Tyranitar was unable to block.
  
  Tyranitar visibly tensed as the paralysing electricity surged through it, but it managed to maintain control of its body for long enough to finish off the grounded Honchkrow by burying it under a tomb of rocks.
  
  With Honchkrow knocked out, Karen withdrew her starter back into her Pokéball. However, she didn't send out another Pokémon immediately, seemingly content to make full use of the allotted 'thinking time'.
  
  She was waiting for the Perish Song to tick down; forcing Vettel to burn his last switch before she sent out her next Pokémon.
  
  "HAH! She's watching him squirm!" Agatha cackled, "That's what I like to see!"
  
  "He's going to have to switch." I agreed, "It's too big a risk to lose a Pokémon like this."
  
  We watched as the two trainers traded gazes, staring at each other intently as Tyranitar began to stumble around uncertainly; the ticking clock of doom moving ever closer to the inevitable end. The crowd at this point was screaming at Vettel to switch, and he eventually succumbed to the pressure.
  
  "Tyranitar, come back." He said with gritted teeth.
  
  Karen grinned and sent out her next Pokémon, "It's your turn again, Spiritomb!"
  
  "Come out, Dragonite!"
  
  Both trainers had decided to restart their previous battle. Vettel must have decided to send out his wounded Dragonite rather than risk his fresh Salamence to a Will-O-Wisp, which would have doomed its fighting capabilities.
  
  "Dragon Rush, Dragonite! Don't let it Curse you!"
  
  With a flap of its powerful wings, Dragonite charged forwards in a deep blue blur as it quickly rushed to take down the Spiritomb.
  
  However, in its haste, Dragonite had not seen how the shadows had extended ominously from around the Spiritomb, nor how they spread out like a vice as Spiritomb waited for its prey to step into its hungry maw. So as Dragonite closed the distance, the trap was sprung.
  
  Two giant spectral claws ripped out of the ground, delivering two painful slashes to Dragonite's sides before they latched on and kept it bound in their shadowy grasp, killing whatever momentum it had built up with the Dragon Rush. As it struggled within its shadowy binds, Spiritomb let out a mocking cackle as it watched the Dragon and further enraged it with a Taunt.
  
  Yet a Dragonite, even if it wasn't at the level of Lance's, was still a Dragonite. A Pokémon that's strength was the envy of all others. And now this beast of nature was thoroughly enraged. How dare this measly Ghost Taunt it so? Dragonite had already been denied a fight twice in this battle, and now, when it finally had the chance to fight, instead of the glorious fight that it had expected, it found itself being laughed and mocked by a Ghost?
  
  That was unacceptable. Its pride wouldn't allow it.
  
  So, with a defiant roar that unleashed all of its accumulated wrath, Dragonite exploded with power as a draconic blue aura flared out from it. It had Outraged.
  
  With the power boost from the Outrage, it could no longer be contained by a measly false prison. Charging forwards with rage filling its eyes, it locked onto its target and smashed into the Ghost type with wanton abandon, unleashing a flurry of wrathful Dragon Claws that ripped into the vortex of Ghosts.
  
  But in its rage, it didn't notice that it had it already been burnt by the Will-O-Wisp.
  
  Of course, just because it was Burned doesn't mean that it made Dragonite's Outrage any less difficult to deal with. Even if Spiritomb was considered to be among the more defensive of the Ghost type, it still lacked the defenses or the mobility to withstand or get away from an Outraging Dragonite. Nor would it ever be able to defeat a Dragonite in close range like this.
  
  However, Karen was content on doing nothing. Instead, she watched the Dragonite beating down on her Spiritomb with a patient smile on her face, simply waiting for the right moment to strike.
  
  And then, just before Spiritomb would fall, she gave the command that I knew she would give.
  
  "Destiny Bond."
  
  "NO! STOP YOURSELF!"
  
  Despite the desperate cries of its trainer, the Dragonite was too lost in its rage to listen to his words. It was too consumed by its primal instincts to win that it remained blind to the flash of haunting purple in Spiritomb's eyes.
  
  And so, with a final Dragon Claw, Dragonite struck down the cackling Spiritomb and achieved victory over its opponent. However, before it could even celebrate its win, an unsettling and trembling ghostly aura emerged from Spiritomb's fallen body and wrapped itself around the Dragonite. Still ignorant to what had just happened, Dragonite's eyes suddenly rolled up in its head and it collapsed to the ground, fainted.
  
  "That brings back good memories." Lorelei chuckled. She must be referring to her Froslass defeating Walker's Crobat.
  
  "Heh, Destiny Bond is always delightful to watch." Agatha smirked, "It never gets old."
  
  "...I nearly lost like that to Koga too." Whitney admitted, and I patted her on the head for that.
  
  "So how do you think Karen will close this one out, Agatha?" Will asked me, and Whitney perked up in interest as well, "You know her the best."
  
  "John can answer that." She passed the baton to me.
  
  I shrugged, "It's simple. Vettel only has two Pokémon left, a paralysed Tyranitar and a fresh Salamence. Karen still has her Tyranitar, which I have no doubt will win against his Salamence. So she'll stack the deck as favourably as she can with her Umbreon to set up as many protective screens as possible and cripple the Salamence with her status moves. Then, she'll secure her victory with a Tyranitar."
  
  Lance nodded, "That does sound like her. I have to say, Vettel has been played like a puppet this entire fight. I don't think there was a single moment in this fight where he didn't act to Karen's expectations. This whole fight he was in the palm of her hands."
  
  I agreed. This was a stomp, but not like my 6-0 victory against Shin, where Tyrant had brutalised his opponent with raw strength. No, this was a fight that was an excellent demonstration of Karen's ability to methodically dismantle her opponents, turning their strengths into weaknesses and securing victory against an opponent that, on paper, should have absolutely no problem crushing her.
  
  And that was exactly what happened. The next battle between Umbreon and Salamence proceeded just as I said it would. Salamence was Taunted, denied any opportunity to set up, and Umbreon both set up a Reflect and Light Screen that would further bolster the defenses of her own Tyranitar. Then, despite Salamence's best efforts to dodge, it was still hit by a Thunder Wave that paralysed the Dragon, halving its speed and making it especially vulnerable to the storm of rocks that would be unleashed by her own Tyranitar.
  
  However, what I didn't expect was for Umbreon to have enough time to also set up a few Calm Minds and then Baton Pass those buffs to her Tyranitar.
  
  And now, Karen's buffed up Tyranitar emerged onto the battlefield with a bellowing roar that caused the howling Sandstorm to grow even harsher, becoming so dense that it became almost impossible to see into the fight.
  
  But there was just enough visibility for the crowd to gape at the tremendous storm of rocks that suddenly shot up from the ground; enough to make Vettel's earlier attempts by his Tyranitar look paltry in comparison.
  
  Before Salamence could move out of the way, Karen ensured its defeat by firing a quick burst of concentrated Dark energy at the Dragon - her Tyranitar's signature Cripple.
  
  Instantly, Salamence's eyes once again grew wroth with rage, yet it simultaneously flinched. The sudden mental assault distracted it for long enough so that it was directly in the line of fire of Tyranitar's Stone Edge, which ripped through the distracted Salamence in a devastating series of critical hits.
  
  Salamence roared out in pain, but that roar was quickly silenced as the rocks came back down again, burying the Salamence in a tomb of rocks as it was pinned to the ground. Then the coup de grâce came in the form of a terrifying Earthquake, sending explosive tremors to rip through the fallen Salamence's body and knocking it cleanly out of the fight.
  
  Karen's Tyranitar proved that she was not outmatched in a pure battle of strength.
  
  Finally, Vettel's last Pokémon came out into the fight. But the disparity in strength was almost pitiful. It was not a mirror matchup that would be remembered for the years to come. There was no sudden reversals, no surprise attacks that caught Karen's offguard. No, it was the sad beatdown of a weaker Tyranitar by a far stronger one; as Vettel's so-called prized and 'perfect' Tyranitar was upstaged by Karen's own.
  
  As soon as Karen's Tyranitar got close to his, after managing to overpower its geokinesis, Vettel's final Pokémon was knocked to the ground from a Low Kick from Karen's. An Ice Beam began to form in its mouth, but it was interrupted as Karen's Tyranitar smashed it into the ground with a double Brick Break before pinning it down with its fearsome claws.
  
  It struggled, but it was not stronger.
  
  It thrashed, but the opposing claws only dug deeper into its skin.
  
  It raged, but no amount of emotion could stop the pummelling it was receiving.
  
  Then the earth shook, a punch came, and his final Pokémon fell.
  
  And with the defeat of Vettel's last Pokémon, putting the final score at 6-3, Karen had secured her victory in this year's Indigo Conference.
  
  A.N. I know I haven't been showing off Karen's fights through her time in the Indigo Conference, but this final fight was one I wanted to show off. And yes, like I mentioned in the chapter, I wanted to write a different kind of curbstomp, one that was more suited to a Dark specialist like Karen. The final score might have been 6-3, but that is not reflective of Karen's dominance.
  
  Admittedly, Vettel would have put up a good fight against another other finalist that wasn't Karen. But his Pokémon, strong as they are on paper, were denied the ability to fully utilise their full potential. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-20-Pokenet Reactions
  The New Normal - 11-20 - Pokenet Interlude
  
  [A NEW CRISIS AWAKENS IN INDIGO AS THE CINNABAR VOLCANO ERUPTS! MASS EVACUATION OF THE ISLAND AS LAVA FLOODS OVER EVERYTHING!] By The Indigo Post.
  
  [Pictures of the lava flowing out of the Cinnabar Volcano]
  
  A state of emergency was announced today by Champion Lance following the surprising eruption of the Cinnabar Volcano. The residents of Cinnabar Island were greeted with a nasty surprise as lava began spilling out from the top, creating a deadly and destructive tide of magma that consumed all in its wake.
  
  The silver lining is that the Cinnabar Island leadership and the wider Indigo League were all ready. In a commendable display of organisation from our leaders, who must have worked tirelessly to ensure that a steady stream of boats, ships, and other transport Pokémon or vessels could arrive and evacuate the stranded residents of Cinnabar Island in time before they were caught by the lava.
  
  And yet, we mustn't forget about the courage of the trainers who braved the scorching flames as they put themselves between the raging tide of magma and the civilians behind them. With determination and bravery in their hearts, they stood their ground and bought precious time for the rest of the League to finish up with the evacuation - doing whatever they could to stall the incoming eruption for as long as possible.
  
  Gym Leader Blaine certainly stepped up to the plate, showing off the reason why he was chosen to be the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island. Eyewitness reports all state that he was one of the first to have placed himself in the path leading to the most populated area of Cinnabar Island, and he single handedly held back the wave of lava for a whole minute with his powerful Fire Types.
  
  If it wasn't for their efforts, we may have suffered a far greater tragedy.
  
  [Pictures of trainers doing the best to stall the erupting tide of lava. Blaine is shown in the forefront with his Pokémon]
  
  We at The Indigo Post are proud to say that the evacuation efforts from Cinnabar Island was a great success. Although there were still casualties, many of which stemmed from those that panicked in their attempt to rush to the evacuation zones, the reports all show that the casualty numbers are far lower than one might expect during such a crisis.
  
  Unfortunately, we acknowledge that the damage to the Island was substantial - to the point where nothing remains of the Island. Everything, including the Cinnabar Gym, was consumed by the flames. However, the successful evacuation of the residents was well worth the trade.
  
  Overall, this writer is incredibly proud of the efforts of the Indigo League and the brave trainers that took a stand to do all that they could to ensure the safe evacuation of the residents of Cinnabar Island. While the crisis is far from over, as there are now thousands of civilians in desperate need of new housing, we here at The Indigo Post wish them the best in these trying times.
  
  Let us know what you think of today's events. We hope that any of you living in Cinnabar Island have gotten out safe and without harm.
  
  We wish you all the best. Comment your thoughts and experiences down below!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I hope everyone's okay! You have my sincere condolences to anyone who was caught up in that disaster!
  
  Remember, there are multiple charities that you can donate to if you want to contribute towards the rebuilding of Cinnabar Island or if you just want to give a little something for the unfortunate victims that were affected by this crisis.
  
  You can click here for a list of links to the charities.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Kantonians aren't going to be brought down by a mere eruption! We are stronger than that! To everyone affected by the eruption - stay firm. Better times lie ahead! Kanto will protect their own!
  
  FutureAce
  
  Woah, I caught a glimpse of the army of Flying Pokémon that just descended on the city. I thought we were getting invaded for a moment there until I remembered the eruption alert that we all got.
  
  Watching all of those Flying Pokémon help evacuate the civilians was something else. I never thought I would see so many Pokémon gathered in one place.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  ...Everyone in Cinnabar Island has my utmost thoughts and prayers. I can't imagine what you guys are all going through.
  
  Thinking about the possibility of Mt. Chimney erupting scares me. They reported that they got most of the people out safe, is that true?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  SlugmaBalls Yes, the news agencies weren't lying this time. I spoke to my friend who was caught up in the crisis - he said that the evacuation was a major success.
  
  Still, they did lose most if not all of their belongings. So it's not a complete win.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Very proud of our brave trainers for doing their best to help everyone make it out safely. I'm not sure if I would have the bravery to stand in the way of an oncoming tidal wave of lava, so props to those that were.
  
  Gym Leader Blaine really stepped up as well. Good on him.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Let us know if there's anything you need from us in Sinnoh! We'd be happy to help! I've already donated!
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  If only Lorelei was not in Sinnoh, she would be able to stop the lava by herself with her Ice types! What a shame!
  
  [DAYS AFTER THE ERUPTION! WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CINNABAR VOLCANO'S ERUPTION?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Current pictures of Cinnabar Island that is still flooded with lava, where many fliers could be seen hovering above as they inspected the Island]
  
  First and foremost, for those readers amongst us that were unfortunate enough to be caught up in the events of the Cinnabar's Volcano eruption, you have our utmost condolences and we wish that you have settled comfortably into your new accommodations.
  
  For those unaware of the situation, Champion Lance has recently announced that Indigo was no longer under a state of emergency, and that all emergency forces could be returned to their usual duties. He states that the evacuees from Cinnabar Island have all been temporarily rehoused in either Pokémon Centres or other similar housing facilities all across Indigo as the cleanup of Cinnabar Island continues.
  
  Champion Lance said this in a recent press conference.
  
  "We are aiming to have Cinnabar Island cleared of all the residue lava and for houses to be rebuilt on the Island to the standard of their former glory as soon as possible, with a goal to have everything rebuilt before the end of the next circuit. Not only that, but I have been assured that Cinnabar Island will be rebuilt with even more defensive measures in place so that another eruption from their volcano could not cause such widespread damage again."
  
  "The systems that were previously in place were effective, but could have been improved. Now that we have the opportunity to rebuild the city from scratch, we be placing the safety of its residents from another incident like this as our utmost priority. It will be a busy time for our workers, but I have faith that this can be accomplished."
  
  "I would also like to express my sincere respects to those that had to be evacuated from the Island. I understand that you have been through some tough times, so you have my genuine appreciation for being able to stay calm and not letting your emotions get the better of you. Thank you for maintaining a semblance of calm and order even when emotions were running wild - you have done your region proud."
  
  Yet in the entire press conference, Lance had conspicuously avoided the topic of where responsibility would fall for the events of the eruption. By the Champion's own admission, there could have been better systems in place that would have further limited the damage, or prevented casualties from appearing at all.
  
  It is clear that someone, if not a whole group of people, have been acting negligently when it came to shoring up the defenses of Cinnabar Island against the eruption. While we here at the Indigo Post do not like to point fingers, we believe that it is just for an investigation to be conducted to identify where the Cinnabar Island administration failed and could have done better.
  
  Let us know what you think in the comments about who you all think was responsible for this crisis. Or do you think this was merely an act of nature, and therefore was a blameless situation?
  
  Comments
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Glad to see the Indigo League admitting that there was more they could have done and that they are taking steps to correct this oversight.
  
  Hope we see that the newly rebuilt Cinnabar Island will prevent a disaster like this from happening again.
  
  FutureAce
  
  So...I hope this isn't too dumb, but why don't you just plug up the Cinnabar Volcano? So that nothing like this happens again?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  FutureAce Plugging up a volcano generally leads to a build up of pressure and a more explosive eruption. All in all, bad times for everyone.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I don't know about you, but I feel like we should be talking more about what the Cinnabar administration / Indigo League could have done more to stop the eruption from being as damaging as it was. Especially when they practically admitted that more could have been done.
  
  I agree that an investigation needs to be done. We need to find out who's responsible, if only so that we provide justice to those who have suffered.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  It's probably some League official that was appointed that was negligent. You know how they love to cut corners.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  I do indeed hope all of the evacuees are settling in well to their temporary homes. I saw the Fuschia Pokémon Center being filled up with people. Let us know if you need anything!
  
  [GYM LEADER BLAINE ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT FROM HIS POSITION OF GYM LEADER OF CINNABAR ISLAND!? WHO WOULD BE HIS REPLACEMENT?!] by Battlecast.
  
  [Pictures of Gym Leader Blaine making his announcement]
  
  It seems that Blaine must have been feeling more responsible for the events of Cinnabar Island than we thought, as he shocked us all twice in a row with his announcement of his retirement as a Gym Leader.
  
  This is the second surprising announcement that we received from the Fire specialist, as he recently volunteered to accept responsibility for failing to do more to ensure that more effective defences were setup around Cinnabar Island.
  
  We here at Battlecast might not be here to discuss politics, but this writer firmly believes that Blaine had martyred himself in a situation where he was blameless. None could deny his heroic actions that day saved many lives.
  
  Unfortunately, Blaine failed to explain his reasonings behind his retirement, merely claiming that he no longer saw himself as suitable for the position and wanting to move on to newer pastures. Many have speculated that the loss of the Gym and its subsequent move to Lavender Town, which was recently confirmed by Lance and will henceforth be called the 'Lavender Gym', may have played a part in his decision.
  
  Upon learning of his retirement, there was an audible outpouring of support from the public of Indigo, where it was clear that a majority of the public did not blame Blaine for the events at Cinnabar. This couldn't contrast any more heavily with the disgrace that Gym Leader Lewis had to face when he was forcefully evicted from his position as Gym Leader of Goldenrod, where he was met with an condemnation of jeers and boos as he was unanimously voted out by his peers.
  
  Putting all those political implications aside, this means that the trainers for the next circuit are going to have to throw out their existing plans for dealing with Blaine, because they likely won't be dealing with a Fire specialist for their 7th Badge! Who knows, the might even be facing Agatha herself, assuming she's willing to retire from the Elite Four and become a Gym Leader.
  
  That would be a nightmare for most trainers.
  
  As soon as we hear any news about who will become the next Gym Leader of both Lavender and Goldenrod, we'll be sure to let you know. So keep your eyes peeled! Especially for those who are planning on competing in the next circuit - making sure you've done your preparation is essential for beating a Gym Leader!
  
  So what do you guys think about Blaine's retirement and the new Gyms? Who do you want to see as the newest Gym Leaders? Comment your thoughts down below!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  What the fuck is this shit?! Why did they hold one of the proud Kantonian Gym Leaders responsible? There's no way that Blaine was responsible when he was on the front lines!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I'm conflicted. On the one hand, Blaine should be partially responsible as he could have pushed harder for further measures to have been set up to prevent damage. On the other hand, he's hardly the only one responsible, and there are others who are far more culpable than him.
  
  Still, I respect him for taking responsibility and stepping down, even if it wasn't solely his fault.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think this was an intentional act by Blaine - perhaps he was just looking for an excuse to step down. With Lewis stepping down as well, I wonder who'd be both their replacements?
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  But why do it like this? He could have stepped down in many other ways that wouldn't be so costly to his reputation.
  
  Or perhaps this is just his sense of responsibility?
  
  PunchingBag
  
  HAHAHAH! Of course the Fire type Gym Leader turns out to be irresponsible. You would never see a Fighting Type Gym Leader shirking their responsibilities!
  
  First it was Flint, then it was Lorelei, now it's Blaine and Lewis. All proof that those who train up with inferior types are inferior leaders.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Hard agree. You would never see Clair refusing to give out a badge to someone who defeated her. She's the paragon of what a Gym Leader should be.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Oh please don't make Agatha a Gym Leader. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  ...Feels like having Agatha become a Gym Leader would be the Indigo equivalent of seeing Wallace as a Gym Leader.
  
  Now that's a scary thought. Good luck to you guys I guess.
  
  [TOPIC: The newly opened Cerulean Caves? Are they worth the trip?] By Exploud Reviews
  
  [Pictures of the inside of the cave. Several strong wild Pokémon can be seen within]
  
  To take your minds off all of the doom and gloom that seem to be spreading like wildfire (bad joke, I know), I wanted to do a review of the recently opened Cerulean Cave located on the outskirts of the same city.
  
  I had the pleasure of being one of the first visitors to the cave, and after the short press tour was over, I quickly registered myself and began exploring deeper within.
  
  That's the first point I'd like to address. Do NOT attempt to explore this cave unless you have obtained all 8 Gym Badges with a comfortable degree of strength. That is one of the strictest regulations that is being vigilantly enforced by the Ace trainers protecting the entrance to the cave, and it's not hard to understand why.
  
  The wild Pokémon here are absolutely no joke. Even for 8 badge holders, you will be repeatedly warned to be prepared before you enter inside. There is absolutely no shame in requesting for one of their Ace trainers to escort you if you are not so confident in your own strength, pricey though the service may be. You will be very thankful for their assistance.
  
  Of course, the strength of the wild Pokémon is also the most attractive aspect of the Cerulean Cave. From my personal observations, the average strength of the Pokémon found within is comparable, if not stronger than, the ones you can find on Mt. Silver - which is renowned throughout Indigo to be THE place to catch strong Pokémon.
  
  Furthermore, it is absolutely possible to find several rare Pokémon that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. According to the advertisement and pamphlets provided by Cerulean City, Pokémon such as Absol, Snorlax, Ditto, and Gyarados could be found within. However, from my two-days of experience exploring through the Cerulean Cave, I must say that they aren't as common as they'd like you to think.
  
  Despite my best efforts, the rarest encounter I managed to have was a tiny glimpse of a Gyarados before it dove down back into the water. That is not to say that I am doubting the veracity of the claims; I'm sure that the Pokémon advertised do indeed exist down here, but this is just to temper your expectations.
  
  Unless you get lucky, you probably won't encounter any of the rarer Pokémon here. So keep that in mind if you intend to explore the Cave.
  
  That being said, the common wild Pokémon are stronger than average as well, with Pokémon such as...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Oh man! I totally overlooked this! I'll be there to pay it a visit right away! Maybe I'll even find a few notable items that had been overlooked!
  
  PianoLover
  
  LOL! Looks like our John really wanted to bring a sample of Sinnoh over to Indigo! That's pretty cute if he did this because he missed Cynthia.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  WAIT! YOU THINK THIS WAS A GIFT!? OMA THAT'S SO CUTE!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...putting the speculation aside, glad to see that there are some seriously strong Pokémon down there. Maybe I'll visit one day to get a Snorlax of my own.
  
  [GYM LEADER KOGA CHALLENGES ELITE WILL!? AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE!? WHAT IS THE GYM LEADER AIMING TO ACCOMPLISH?!] By Battlecast
  
  [Graphic of Koga vs Will. Each of them are backed up by a few of their Pokémon]
  
  A surprising announcement was made today by the Gym Leader of Fuschia, where he made an official challenge against Elite Will for his position in the Elite Four. The match is scheduled for two weeks' time, to the excitement of many.
  
  Up until this point, Will has not been challenged for his position, nor has he participated in any battles in any official capacity. And the few battles he did fight in, like in the Tournament, he faired poorly. Therefore, many are wondering if we are about to see more of the same, or will Will step it up now that his position is on the line?
  
  As for their teams, Koga boasts a strong lineup of powerful Poison types that have served him well throughout his many years as a veteran and experienced Gym Leader. As he has more than 6 Pokémon, we believe that the team that he will bring to the fight will consist of a Weezing, Seviper, Muk, Venomoth, Forretress, and his starter Crobat.
  
  [Graphic of Koga's Team]
  
  On the other hand, with Will's recency, we still do not have a complete idea of his full team. However, from what he has revealed in his previous battles, he possesses an Espeon, Gardevoir, Hypno, and his starter Xatu. We believe he will also run some version of either Slowking or Slowbro, and one other Indigo Psychic type.
  
  [Graphic of Will's team]
  
  Although it might seem that Will has the Type advantage against Koga, our analysts at Battlecast are confident that Koga's significant experience should be able to overcome that handicap.
  
  Koga is a fast fighter who both relies on burst offences and also stall tactics to either rush down his opponents in a flurry of powerful attacks, or to rely fully on his Pokémon's evasiveness to buy time before the enemy succumbs to the flood of poison that his Poison types spew.
  
  We have yet to see much of how Will fights, though he has been noted to excellently make use of his Psychic type's strengths with a very proficient Teleport. Will that be enough to allow Will to hold his position? Will he have a few tricks up his sleeve that will surprise us all? Or will Koga be the newest Elite Four member?
  
  Who do our readers think will win? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Comment below!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  YES! ANOTHER KANTONIAN TO JOIN THE ELITE FOUR?! ABSOLUTELY APPROVED! KOGA WILL CRUSH WILL! THE DIFFERENCE IN EXPERIENCE IS TOO MUCH!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Very curious to see the reasons behind the challenge. Koga must have challenged Will for a reason, but I doubt that it was for any personal reasons. Koga doesn't seem like the type.
  
  I'm more curious about Koga's political vision. What does he hope to achieve?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I definitely think that Koga holds the advantage here, type matchup or no. As people have already pointed out, Will's recent battle performances have been lacking, and he's inexperienced. Koga has fought many difficult battles before and surely knows what he's doing. He won't falter.
  
  That doesn't mean Will's weak, but Koga's just stronger. Though perhaps Will would surprise us.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  I believe in our Gym Leader. He might only be the 5th Gym Leader in the traditional route, but that is by no means an indicator of weakness. Koga is as strong as they come. He'll be victorious.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Everyone knows Koga challenged Will and not Lorelei because he knew that he would lose to Lorelei!
  
  FutureAce
  
  My money's on Will. I think he has a lot of hidden strength that he has yet to show. I don't think the difference in experience means nearly as much as people are making it out to be.
  
  Excited either way!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Likewise! Will hasn't shown us everything yet, and I know he's keeping a few things hidden from us despite all of the showboating. I think Koga might have bitten off more than he could chew.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  We saw glimpses of Will's true potential in the Tournament. I believe he'll be able to hold his position.
  
  [KAREN WINS! THIS YEAR INDIGO CONFERENCES CONCLUDES WITH A STRONG FINISH FROM OUR NEW WINNER! ANNOUNCES HER CHALLENGE AGAINST HER MENTOR!] By Battlecast
  
  [Karen on the winner's podium, giving a speech]
  
  Us battle enthusiasts are eating good today! Not only do we have the upcoming battle between Koga and Will to look forward to, but now we have another high profile match to be excited about!
  
  Karen's victory in the Indigo Conference comes at little surprise to those who are familiar with her team and have been following her journey thus far. Her defeat of Elite Sidney of Hoenn has cemented the proof of her strength, and she has gone on to solidify that image with her performance in this Conference.
  
  None could stand in her way. Her performance was almost dominant as she swept through her opposition. Even in the Finals, where she faced off Trainer Vettel - who also had a very dominant showing with his hand-picked team of powerful Pokémon - her team of six managed to efficiently defeat his team in a 6-3 victory!
  
  Poor Vettel, but his team of generalists just wasn't able to stand up against the full Dark type firepower of Karen.
  
  However, her victory was quickly overshadowed by the announcement that she made.
  
  "Agatha! My mentor! The one who has trained and moulded me to become the Trainer that I am today! I challenge you! I will repay you for your many teachings! I will prove that your training has not been wasted on me! I will show off all that you have taught me, and all that I have learnt from you! Prepare yourself, for I will surpass you!"
  
  It seems like the age-old tale of the student looking to surpass their teacher! We're very excited to see if Karen will live up to her words, and we're definitely rooting for her as the underdog. Because make no mistake, as much as Karen's dominating performance may suggest otherwise, Agatha has a storied history of victories over the many opponents that have foolishly challenged her position over the years.
  
  She has not been able to remain in the Elite Four for nothing. In her most recent fight in the Tournament, her Ghost types were incredibly dominant - only barely losing to John in a nail-biting finale.
  
  Overall, Agatha is certainly not one to be underestimated, even with her Type disadvantage. And considering that Agatha must have trained Karen, we highly doubt that this type disadvantage will even be a factor. And that's not even considering the years of experience that Agatha has as one of the most experienced trainers right now.
  
  Karen has a tough opponent ahead of her! But she must already know this, so the fact that she made the challenge regardless must mean that she is confident that she has a chance to win against her mentor. We really hope to see an exciting battle between the two of them! And may the best trainer win!
  
  What about you guys? Who do you think will win?!
  
  Comments
  
  FutureAce
  
  ?! What's with all these battles?! Can't say I'm disappointed though! Absolutely rooting for Karen. Agatha's been in the Elite Four for too long - it's time to shake things up!
  
  Oh and congratulations to Karen for her victory! Well fought!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Anyone else think this battle's going to be a lot of: I know what you're thinking but I know you know that I know that you know what I'm thinking, so I'm going to do X instead.
  
  I mean, Agatha and Karen know basically everything about each other right? Surely they'd know all of each other's tricks.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Can't wait to see Karen back in action again in a proper fight that could test her limits. I admit that her victory over in the Indigo Conference, while well deserved, wasn't that intense when compared to her fight against Elite Sidney. Honestly, she felt a little too strong for her competition.
  
  I'd love to see how she fares against Agatha compared to Sidney. She won against Sidney by the closest of margins, so this battle would be a good indicator of the relative strength level between Agatha and Sidney.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Eh, I think Agatha's going to be a more difficult fight than Sidney. Not to bash Sidney, but I think Agatha has a more respected reputation for a reason. Then again, Karen and Agatha do know each other very well, so maybe the fight would be incredibly even.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Does no one think that Agatha's going to be sandbagging the fight to let Karen win? Are you guys all that naïve?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Firstly, if Agatha were to sandbag it'd be incredibly obvious to any analyst who's seen her past matches. Agatha's level of strength is well-documented, so we would be able to tell if she was pulling her punches.
  
  Secondly, since it's pretty much implied that Karen intends to succeed Agatha politically, it would look terrible for Karen if it was found out that Agatha had 'gifted' the position to her - and would devastate her political credibility. I think Agatha is wily enough to avoid that.
  
  DarkRebel (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations on your victory, Karen! Can't wait for the battle! Or a rematch between us, whatever works!
  
  DarkManager
  
  Thank you! Next time you come over I'll hold you to that! But for now I have a battle to win!
  
  A.N. And that concludes the "A New Dawn" Arc. I hope you've enjoyed everything so far, and thanks again for sticking with this story up until now. There will be plenty of battles coming up!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 11-20 -Interlude-Blaine
  The New Normal - 11-20 - Interlude - Blaine
  
  It had been a long time since he was last here, but he felt that it was about time that he visited his long-time friend.
  
  "Blaine, I was surprised when you told me you wanted to meet." Giovanni greeted him as he walked into his office, "What finds you here?"
  
  "Not sure." He admitted, "I just thought to check up on you. I hope I'm not disturbing anything."
  
  "No, of course not." Giovanni shook his head, "It's been some time since we had last caught up."
  
  "Yes, it has." He agreed, thinking back on his old memories, "I remember one of our last discussions involved us working on a joint project together-"
  
  "And I don't regret changing my mind about it." Giovanni was quick to cut him off, "Trying to clone a Pokémon was a dumb idea. I was too...ambitious at the time."
  
  With the benefit of hindsight, Blaine knew that that was quite the understatement. The results of such a project, even if successful, would likely be catastrophic for everyone involved. He was glad that the project never manifested, and that Giovanni had no intention of pursuing that ever again.
  
  "You've lost a bit of your fire, but not in a bad way." He nodded, "The old you was like a raging inferno, burning all in its path. But now that fire has been tempered, and has become warm and inviting."
  
  His old friend used to be far more intense, always laser-focused on ensuring that Kanto would be dominant and be returned to its former glory. Blaine never fully agreed with such sentiments, and he had grown increasingly concerned with Giovanni's flirtations with extremism. He was glad that this part of his old friend was now gone.
  
  He turned to the photos of Giovanni and his family at the beach that were framed on Giovanni's desk, "I suspect that Silver is the reason. I told you before to reconcile with Ariana, but you didn't listen."
  
  Giovanni chuckled as he poured Blaine a drink, "Well I've listened now. You were right."
  
  "Of course I was." He snorted, accepting the drink with a nod of his head, "You always had the foundation to become a great family man; I just didn't understand why you didn't see it. Ariana obviously loved you, but you were too stubborn to change your ways. Even your old subordinates - I forget their names, agreed with me. You were the only one blind to her affections."
  
  "And what about you, Blaine?" Giovanni asked, deliberately switching the topic, "Now that you've 'retired' from the Gym, are you looking to settle down? Take things easy?"
  
  "I think starting a family would be the opposite of taking things easy." He barked out a laugh, "Or are you telling me that the bags under your eyes are from your work as a Gym Leader? No, clearly Silver has been the one running you to the ground. Heh."
  
  Giovanni rolled his eyes as the pun, but he didn't comment on it, "Then what are you doing now? I don't see you idling about while twiddling your thumbs. You've lost your lab; are you here to ask for funds to rebuild it? Like you did when we first met?"
  
  "No need for that." He shook his head, "I've made an agreement with Shelly."
  
  "Ah. Shelly. Your new partner at Devon Corp." Giovanni hummed knowingly, "You do know that the standing offer for you to work at Silph Co still applies, right?"
  
  "I prefer my independence - which my current agreement with Devon Corp still allows." He waved him off, "Plus, Shelly and I have a working understanding. We know how to not get in each other's way, and I find there are many benefits to working with her. I still have many projects that I'm currently working on, so I'm still kept busy."
  
  "Fair enough. I won't question you on that." Giovanni replied, "But are you sure you no longer want to be a Gym Leader? That's been something I've been meaning to ask you ever since I heard the announcement. The Cinnabar Islands will have lost a lot of prestige with the loss of their Gym."
  
  He scoffed, "Like I cared about those social climbers. I may have had to work with them while I was a Gym Leader, but we most certainly did not like each other. If anything, I'm happy to be away from them."
  
  Then he sighed, "Truthfully, there were a few things that I genuinely enjoyed when I was a Gym Leader. There were some moments which were honestly pretty entertaining, and it's nice to watch trainers grow and learn from their experiences. That was one thing I do miss about being a Gym Leader, seeing how trainers were able to use us as a grindstone to better themselves and their team."
  
  He let out a fond sigh, "It was that part that made me almost consider continuing to hold the Gym in some random cave near Cinnabar or something while repairs were being made."
  
  He wasn't lying when he spoke to John about feeling that he wasn't very suitable for holding onto the responsibilities of a Gym Leader, or that he was feeling increasingly dissatisfied with the position. Still, he acknowledged there were moments where he was thankful to have been a Gym Leader, and there was a bit of lingering regret for leaving the position.
  
  And Giovanni must have caught onto that regret, as he shot him a knowing smile, "I think it's a good thing that you're feeling complicated - I certainly would be if I had to step down from the position for any reason, even if I didn't intend on becoming a Gym Leader to begin with...But I assume you're happier now that you can focus on the sciences like you've always wanted to."
  
  "I am." He confirmed, "It was one of the main reasons why I stepped down as an Elite Four member - aside from Pryce. I feel like being a full-time scientist has always been my true calling, and it fulfils me, so I ultimately don't regret making the choice."
  
  "Mhm. I can see that." Giovanni agreed, "For as long as I've known you, I've always thought that you were chafing between the responsibilities of being a respected trainer and a brilliant scientist. You were too good at both, and I saw how your responsibilities and desires were split between your two strengths."
  
  He nodded, agreeing with what his old friend was saying, but Giovanni wasn't done yet, "However, seeing you now, I'm glad that you've seem to have made a choice. And, for what it's worth - even though I think you would have made for a great Gym Leader if you had continued to stay in the position - I think you will become an even greater scientist."
  
  "You're probably aiming to be a Professor, right?" Giovanni asked, and he nodded again, "Then I know that you will be able to do so in the very near future. You've always been an excellent and exceptional scientist."
  
  Blaine felt his friend's words settle into his heart, and he couldn't help but feel reassured that his decision wasn't wrong. It was moments like these where he regretted not keeping in touch with Giovanni for some time, and he inwardly vowed to repair their slightly distant friendship.
  
  Still, he made sure that none of that actually showed on his face as he retorted with a snort, "You know the decision is still reversible right? If the Lavender Gym goes down in flames, then perhaps a new Cinnabar Gym can rise again from its ashes."
  
  A part of him did hope that the Lavender Gym would fail, if only so that he could laugh at Agatha's face. But that was probably a going a little too far.
  
  Giovanni shrugged, "And would you take up the position again if that happens?"
  
  "...Maybe, but it's unlikely." He admitted, "I've already made a decision, and I wouldn't want to go back on it. I'm sure there must be some other person who would want to be a new Gym Leader. Who knows - with the passing of the new bill - that person could even be from Johto."
  
  "Mhm. But if that were the case, then rest assured that I will make absolutely sure that they are worthy of the position." Giovanni promised, "So you don't have to worry about a future successor of Cinnabar tainting your achievements."
  
  Then Giovanni relaxed back into his chair, "Anyways, enough about that serious stuff. Do you have some free time now? Ariana hasn't seen you in a while either, and we'd be more than happy to host you for lunch. Maybe you can help us entertain Silver while we eat too."
  
  "Are you sure you want me near Silver? What if I infect him with my puns?" He grinned, which turned into a laugh as he watched a frown form on Giovanni's face, "Oh relax, it takes a real connoisseur to be able to appreciate and make such high-quality puns on the fly. It takes a real burning passion for the art."
  
  The unimpressed look that he got from Giovanni simply proved his point for him.
  
  He returned to the original question, "But sure, I'll be happy to join. Is Ariana still working as a scientist? I remember she had some interesting projects that she was previously working on. Maybe we can talk about those too."
  
  "She's semi-retired now." Giovanni revealed, "Taking care of Silver is a full-time job, but she does work on a few things back with Silph Co if the need arises. But more as an overseer rather than an actual researcher."
  
  "I'm sure we'll still have things to discuss." He allowed, getting up from his chair, "Now, show me around your place. I'm sure things have changed from that gloomy and lonely place you used to call a home..."
  
  A.N. I wanted Blaine to be in the spotlight for just a little bit longer to better contextualise his decision to leave his post as a Gym Leader, since that is such a massive change from canon. I also wanted to add a bit of background to both Giovanni and his shared past and their friendship.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 12-1 - Incoming
  
  To my lack of surprise, Indigo was buzzing with conversations and discussions about the recent events that had taken place.
  
  The topic that was discussed the most was Karen's victory in the Indigo Conference; both her victory and her subsequent announcement of her challenge against Agatha. Despite her on-paper score being a 6-3 victory against Vettel, the fact that she managed to cleanly triumph over Vettel's team of traditional powerhouses got a lot of people excited.
  
  It also helped that those knowledgeable about Karen's tactics knew that the score was not reflective of just how she managed to dismantle Vettel's on-paper stronger team. She had reminded the world again about how she managed to beat Sidney, and also showed that she had improved since then.
  
  Of course, it was her announcement against Agatha that was the main topic of conversation for most. It had been a very long time since Agatha received a formal challenge, and for one to come from her own apprentice and student was just an added slice of excitement for the masses. People were talking about this so much that Karen's challenge actually managed to overshadow the upcoming battle between Koga and Will for the time being, since it had a more interesting narrative.
  
  The fact that Agatha hadn't seen a proper battle in some time only fuelled discussion as people tried to predict what kind of team she'd field, which only added to the hype. Not only that, but people also suspected that Karen and Agatha would be evenly matched, making the match all the more exciting.
  
  I agreed with that analysis. For all of her fearsome reputation, I knew that Agatha's strength had reached a plateau long ago, and she wasn't super dedicated to training up her team with new tactics in her advanced age. That was to be expected for a trainer as experienced as her, and nor did that mean that she was at all weak. No, it was even more impressive that she had managed to maintain her Pokémon's strength to be at such a high level despite her old age.
  
  However, Karen's strength had only continued to grow over the past year. I was excited to see if her team of fresh Elites would be able to win against Agatha's team of old veterans.
  
  Still, I was rooting for Karen.
  
  On the other hand, the other main topic of discussion was not as positive or exciting. It was instead about who was going to be the replacement Gym Leader at Goldenrod following Lewis' less-than-amicable departure from the position.
  
  Which was why I was now sitting with the rest of the Elite Four as we listened to the Committee members drone on about who should be the replacement Gym Leader, despite the match between Koga and Will literally being around the corner. Lewis had not appointed a successor, and even if he did it was unlikely that his successor would be accepted at this point. Therefore, a compromise candidate had to be found, which meant that no one was happy.
  
  Unfortunately, we had a distinct shortage of notable trainers that were suitable to becoming a Gym Leader at the moment. Ironically, Karen's name was waved about as a potential candidate, but that was quickly shut down by the entirety of the Elite Four.
  
  Agatha was the most displeased about this, "You wish to deprive her of the opportunity at a challenge by saddling her with the role of a Gym Leader? Are you daft in the head?"
  
  "The role of Gym Leader is as prestigious as it gets!" The Committee member sputtered out.
  
  "And an Elite Four member is even more prestigious!" Agatha shot back, "Don't look down on my student."
  
  "But she worked as a Gym Leader before-" The man tried again, only to be shut down.
  
  "Feh! I don't know whether to consider you deaf or blind, or perhaps you just possess stupidity beyond my own imagination." Agatha spat, "If you know anything about Karen, she will not be satisfied with anything less than her goal. She would never accept the position of Gym Leader, not when the position of being an Elite Four remains within her reach. There is nothing else that needs to be said."
  
  And that shut down that avenue of discussion; Karen was officially off the table. That led to the other Committee members to continue their mind numbing discussion about who it ought to be.
  
  I had considered throwing Whitney's name into the pool, as she was Gym Leader there as per canon. But I quickly dismissed that thought - it was way too early for that. Even if Whitney had accomplished much in her young age, and she had proven to be a rising star that would surely shine exceptionally bright in the future, she wasn't suited to being a Gym Leader right now.
  
  Thus, I kept my silence as the discussions eventually came to a close. In the end, no one was happy, and a compromise candidate was chosen to temporarily hold the position until someone better could be found to take up the position on a more permanent basis.
  
  The new temporary Gym Leader of Goldenrod would be a trainer by the name of Jackson; a trainer that I had never heard of before until today. Plus, judging by the similar lack of recognition from my fellow Elite Four members, only confirmed to me that they didn't know who he was either. They didn't even know what Type he specialised in.
  
  "Bah, a political appointee." Agatha muttered sourly, "What a waste of time. I don't even know what made me come here today."
  
  "Surely he must be competent enough for the position?" Lorelei asked, as the 'virtues' of Jackson were laid out. They couldn't have sounded more inflated if they tried, "Or at least a trainer of some worth."
  
  Agatha rolled her eyes, "On paper, maybe. In practice, they're the same paper pushers with a glorified title. He's probably got all 8 badges, and maybe a couple notable placements in Conferences, but don't expect too much from them. Competence might even be too much to ask, though he should at least be a marginal improvement from Lewis. He probably would be a decent administrator, and at least the Gym Trainers could pick up the slack."
  
  "That really isn't saying much though." Will added. I was genuinely surprised he was wasting time here despite his match against Koga being very soon. I guess he was always diligent like that. "Lewis was kicked out for a reason. The man was way past his prime, and he was trying to hide that very fact."
  
  If both Pryce and Clair were willing to put aside their mutual animosity to work together to kick out Lewis, then I believed them. What a fool he must have been.
  
  "...I guess we'll keep our expectations low then." I sighed, "It's such a shame though. Goldenrod is a fine city, it doesn't deserve to be saddled with what likely is going to be a barely competent or even incompetent Gym Leader."
  
  "Well then you should hope that he gets replaced soon." Agatha replied, "And judging by the fact that Jackson was named as temporary, it seems that even the Committee has low expectations for him and only want him so that the next circuit would at least run smoothly. I suspect he'll be thrown out as soon as any suitable replacement gets found. Thank Arceus for that."
  
  ...Indeed, there was an opportunity here.
  
  The announcement of Jackson's appointment came right after the meeting was over. It really didn't generate much buzz, because everyone knew that the appointment was a temporary thing. The appointment would probably dominate the headlines tomorrow, but then I'd imagine it would be quickly forgotten amidst the discussions about the upcoming battles.
  
  Since it was already night, I had wanted to get in a quick training session before heading to bed before I was interrupted by a call from Cynthia.
  
  "Hey, something the matter? I thought we were going to talk later tonight."
  
  "Hm, we can talk then too, but I have something I thought you would like to hear about a little earlier." I could hear the teasing tone in her voice, "Try to have a guess at what it is."
  
  "...You're going to act on your Regional Union idea?" I guessed.
  
  She chuckled, "That's a good guess; but you're only partially right. Yes, I am looking to propose that, but that's not the main reason I'm calling."
  
  "I'm coming over to Indigo."
  
  As soon as I heard her words, a wide smile instantly spread across my face as I felt the excitement rush through my body, "Really?! When?!"
  
  "You sound so excited." She laughed.
  
  "Hey, you were the one who rushed to tell me the good news. THAT sounds like excitement to me." I countered.
  
  "Fair enough." I could feel her smiling, "But like I said before, it's going to be a purely diplomatic venture, filled with a lot of schmoozing. Don't expect me to have a lot of free time, since I'll be busy trying to get my Regional Union idea off the ground, though I'll be sure to maximize whatever time I do get."
  
  "It's good enough for me." I replied, "And the offer to come stay over at my place is still open. I'll let my parents know. They'd definitely welcome you. But when are you coming over?"
  
  "Sometime soon - the exact timeframe hasn't been finalised yet. Lucian's doing that right now, since he's also coming with me. Don't worry, you'll be first to know when I find out." She answered, "Oh, and by the way, I hope you haven't forgotten my request."
  
  "You mean for us to have a 'proper' fight?" I remembered, "Of course I do. You just need to make time for it; I'm always happy to fight."
  
  "So long as you didn't forget." She nodded, "My Garchomp has been chomping at the bit to test her strength against your Tyrant. Don't think we'd perform any worse than Emperor did."
  
  "We'll see about that." I smirked, "Tyrant hasn't grown arrogant since his victory. Girlfriend or not, he won't take it any easier on you."
  
  We chatted like that for a bit longer. Although I did ask to make sure that Cynthia and Lucian leaving Sinnoh wouldn't suddenly expose her region to further risk from Cyrus. She reassured me that their absence wouldn't lead to a security risk, reminding me that this was part of their plan to bait out Cyrus into making a bad move with the illusion of Sinnoh being 'unprotected'.
  
  Not only that, but she also explained that Flint was currently hard at work trying to undermine Cyrus' network of connections that he had built up around Galactic Company. Basically, it was never good for any business to be in direct opposition against a popular government, and everyone knew it. Therefore, Flint was trying to see if he could dismantle Cyrus' alliances with other businesses and chip away at his political support base, weakening and exposing them even further.
  
  Because without this network, the Sinnoh League will have a much easier time winning the public onto their side, and eventually have the necessary political power to press formal charges against Galactic Company without the risk of severe political repercussions.
  
  "Prudent." I nodded after her explanation, "Hope it works out for you."
  
  "Me too. We've stalled this issue for long enough - everyone's itching to take action." She said, "Once Galactic Company's current allies abandon them, then we can really ramp up the pressure. If they prove themselves to be the criminals they are, then they will receive no sympathy for us. Galactic Company may be one of our oldest institutions, but we will uproot the entire thing if we have to."
  
  I smiled at her conviction, "I'm happy you're taking it so seriously."
  
  "And we should stop talking about such serious topics." She joked, "Tell me more about what's going on with you. That's what I'm most interested in."
  
  "I'd hope you were interested in me." I joked back, "But let's see...there was Karen's victory over Vettel-"
  
  "Ah yes, I watched that." She interrupted, "I expected her to win from the start, and she very cleanly met that expectation. Very well fought by her. Really showed off why specialised training and truly getting to know your Pokémon is better than just having powerful Pokémon."
  
  "You think Vettel didn't train well with his team?" I questioned.
  
  "Of course not, and it showed in his fighting." She replied, "Knowing people like him, he probably used money to hire people to assist him, meaning that he didn't actually have the full experience of watching his Pokémon grow, and he wasn't fully knowledgeable about their capabilities. That really hurt him in the fight - I would have done much better in his place."
  
  "Cynthia, you would do better in most people's places." I deadpanned, "Or did you forget you were Champion?"
  
  "Of course not - I have a pile of unfinished paperwork and meeting requests on my desk to remind me of my position." She scowled, "Oh how I wish I could pass some of this off to my Elite Four, but they'd probably try to overthrow me just to avoid it!"
  
  I chuckled at the image, completely agreeing with it.
  
  "Speaking of Elite Four, I don't think I've ever gotten your thoughts on who you'd think would win between Koga and Will." I mentioned, "Do you have a favourite?"
  
  "I want Will to win." She said, "But truthfully that's only because I've actually met him in person and I've seen with my very own eyes how much he's changed since his first appearance as an Elite Four. I approve of the change, and his newfound self-awareness, and I think the world would be worse off if he was no longer in the Elite Four, regardless if Koga would be a good replacement or not. His competency is unquestionable."
  
  "I feel similarly." I nodded, "But do you think he'd actually win?"
  
  "Now that I'm not sure of." She admitted, "I only know a few things about Koga, since I didn't really study him because his strategies don't fit in well with my team. But I know he favours surprise strategies and uneven fights, and that always has a chance of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat if you're caught off-guard by it."
  
  "As much as I just praised Will, I fear that he will fall into this very trap." She said, "I do think he's more powerful, though. So ultimately it's very evenly matched and it's going to be down to their team's performance on the day."
  
  "Oh, and speaking of team." She continued, "My Kleavor is finally strong and disciplined enough to join the ranks of my proper roster. Expect to see it in use if I ever get challenged."
  
  "If you ever get challenged." I corrected, "Let's not forget how you fought your way to your position. I don't think anyone's going to be bold enough to challenge you after that."
  
  "Well perhaps that challenger will be you then, when I come over." She teased, "Didn't you say your Zoroark would best my Kleavor? Well, it might be time to put your money where your mouth is."
  
  "What do I get if I win?" I asked.
  
  "...I can think of a few things." She said after a sudden pause, with her tone suddenly taking a seductive turn, "Or...perhaps you might have something in mind? Something you'd like me to do?"
  
  "Oh, there are many things that I'd like to do." I replied shamelessly, playing along easily, "But we might not have time to do it all."
  
  "We'll find a way." She smirked, "I'm sure we can think of something. Especially if you're motivated enough."
  
  "I'm sure you will find my motivation to be plentiful enough." I replied, "In fact, if you keep teasing me like this, you might find me a little too 'motivated'."
  
  "Or maybe that's what I'm trying to do." Her smirk widened, "...Is it working?"
  
  Unfortunately, any further talk along those lines was annoyingly interrupted as I received a phone call from Shelly. I was tempted to ignore the call for the time being, but the atmosphere had already been broken.
  
  So, with a sigh, I apologised to my girlfriend and picked up the call from Shelly.
  
  "Hey, John. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything." She greeted.
  
  "...No, it wasn't anything important." I forced out, "What's the matter?"
  
  "Do you have time to come visit the lab?" She asked, "We've made a breakthrough of sorts on that Porygon2 evolution item that I mentioned before. We have a prototype...but we wanted to do more tests first, especially since your Porygon2 is so different from our ones with all the additional training that you've done with it. We wanted to do some scans to make sure that there wouldn't be adverse effects."
  
  "Oh, certainly!" I responded excitedly, instantly forgiving her in my mind for the untimely interruption. It had been a long time since Pixel's evolution into a Porygon2 with the UpGrade. Was this finally the time for it to receive its final evolution? "I'll head there right away."
  
  Excitement buzzing through me, I quickly got on Port and made my way to Viridian City and to the Devon Corp branch office. Since it was already night, the office was practically empty as I made my own way to Shelly's office, where I found her tapping away at her keyboard while another Porygon2 was strapped into some testing machine.
  
  "That was quick." She smiled, "Just give me a second to finish up here..." She tapped away at her keyboard, "...and done! Okay. Anyways, thanks for coming so quickly. We're all excited to have this final evolution finished. Having your Porygon2 be evolved into its final evolution would be excellent advertising, even if the sale of Porygon to be used as battling Pokémon isn't all that popular. Having a powerful final evolution should turn that around."
  
  "Really?" I blinked, a little surprised by that admission, "I thought a Pokémon made of data would be more popular amongst trainers; if only for the novelty."
  
  She shrugged, "The sales figures show otherwise. Maybe it's because there haven't been any high profile battles with Porygon being used. You didn't even use your Porygon during the Tournament."
  
  "Oh. Right." I scratched my head, "Yeah, I didn't. It just wasn't the right time."
  
  "Well, you'd be doing us a favour if you could use your Porygon in battles from now on." She grinned, "Of course, you don't have to go out of your way to do so. We certainly won't force you."
  
  "No, it's about time that my Porygon take centre stage for once. I haven't trained it up all this way for nothing." I replied.
  
  "Good to hear." She nodded, "Anyways, for what we're here for. Let me show you something..." She pulled up a document on her laptop and showed it to me. There were a lot of graphs, diagrams, tables, and basically the whole document was a blur to me.
  
  "This is the data that we've collected during our tests of the new evolution item." She explained, "As you can see...we had a lot of trouble trying to salvage and repair the work that our reckless scientist achieved all time ago. He managed to create a Porygon-Z evolution, but the thing was completely manic and insane. Over time, we managed to create more stable versions, but until now, the insanity would either come back, or we would overdo it and completely suppress the Pokémon's power until it was basically useless."
  
  "Fortunately, there is a way to 'undo' the evolution, which is only possible because of Porygon's unique nature of being created out of data." She said with a relieved sigh, "Otherwise, I think the project would have been terminated on ethical grounds. As it should be."
  
  Ah, yes. That was good. I wasn't comfortable either if we had evolved Porygon and just allowed them to suffer. It was good that we could undo the evolution and spare them the pain.
  
  "Wait, are we still calling it Porygon-Z?" I asked. I had thought the name might have been changed.
  
  "We've been calling that internally, yes." She nodded, "I think we all meant to call it something else, but we just forgot about it and now the name's stuck. Unless you think it should be renamed to something else?"
  
  "No, it's fine. Actually makes things simpler that way." I said. At least I wouldn't have to correct myself mentally if it was called something else.
  
  "Right. Back to the topic at hand...we've been trying to stabilise the evolution so that the insanity doesn't set in." She explained, "What we realised was that the extra power we gave Porygon was too much for it to handle in one go, and the data we were providing was inevitably going to corrupt its rationality."
  
  "So eventually we came up with a different method. Instead of transferring the data all in one go like we did with the UpGrade, we tried to stagger the delivery of data into much smaller chunks, allowing the Porygon2 to process each individual chunk fully before accepting the next set of data." She pointed to one of the tables on the documents, "As shown here, we were met with some limited success - and overtime we managed to decrease the instances of insanity."
  
  "Which is why I invited you over today." She picked up a small box off of her desk, "This is our latest prototype of our evolution item. It's got no official name yet, but we hope that this will finally be the item that creates a Porygon-Z evolution that isn't insane."
  
  "I see...sounds like it was a lot of hard work." I commented.
  
  "It was, but it was rewarding work." She nodded, "It helps that we were making visible progress each time; that really kept us motivated."
  
  "So, as for why you're here, like I said earlier we wanted to run some tests on your Porygon2 before we even CONSIDER applying this new evolution item." She said, "Firstly, the Porygon2 that we use in the lab are MUCH weaker than yours, so we don't know if the data delivery method will be equally applicable. Secondly, we don't want to offer you something that even has the slightest risk of causing insanity, so we're going to run a lot more tests before you do."
  
  "Sorry if I got your hopes up, but we want to make sure we do this right." She apologised.
  
  "No, it's perfectly fine." I waved her off, "Trust me, I would rather ensure the safety of my Porygon than rush through this kind of evolution. No insanity required, thank you very much."
  
  "Though, if worse comes to worst, and my Porygon does become insane after the evolution, can you reverse its effects?" I asked concerningly.
  
  "Yes, we can undo the evolution...but the process isn't perfect." She replied frowningly, "You might lose a lot of your Porygon's strength for some time, and it might lose quite a bit of memory. Not to say you couldn't recover from this loss, but it's a process I'd rather not put you through."
  
  "I understand, thank you for the information." I nodded.
  
  "No problem. Your concerns are natural." She said, "Now, if you may, just strap in your Porygon2 over there and we can start running a few tests."
  
  I nodded and released Pixel, who buzzed around happily as it recognised Shelly. It actually 'leapt' at Shelly and gave it an armless hug, and Shelly cooed over it appropriately.
  
  Huh. In some ways, Shelly was like Pixel's aunt of sorts. I never thought of it that way before.
  
  Having made the appropriate greetings, Pixel was strapped in and the tests were run. While the tests were underway, Shelly and I caught up about what she had been up to ever since we stopped working with Blaine.
  
  "Correction - I'm still working with Blaine. He uses my lab from time to time since he lost his." Shelly told me, "Actually, if you came about an hour earlier you would have saw him. He just headed home."
  
  "Oh really? That's nice to hear." I nodded, "So you guys working on something together?"
  
  "A few things, but they aren't a high priority." She replied, "He's mostly focused on that PIT technique project of his with the Growlithe. While I've been busy on this." She pointed at Pixel, "So we're currently working on different things."
  
  "Makes sense." I nodded, "Any other developments planned for after you finish up with this one?"
  
  "I think Mr. Stone wants us to work on Pokéball research again." She said after a moment to think, "He says there's untapped potential there, and there's not been a new Pokéball introduced in a while. The Premier Ball doesn't really count, as it was more an advertising tool than an actual new ball."
  
  "That's interesting." I agreed, "Any ideas that you guys have so far? That you can tell me?"
  
  "Sorry, it's all confidential." She apologised, "But you'll be one of the first to know if it does become a success."
  
  "All the best then." I smiled, which was just as the tests finished for Pixel. We unhooked Pixel from the contraption, and I played around with my Pokémon while Shelly studied the results.
  
  After a moment, she turned back to me. "Whew, you really spent some time training your Porygon2 now haven't you?" She patted Pixel on the head, "What a strong thing you are."
  
  Pixel buzzed happily at her compliments.
  
  "So, you find anything noteworthy?" I asked her.
  
  She shrugged, "Can't answer you at the moment; I'll have to pass this around my team before I can give you a definite answer. Once I do, I'll let you know if we can safely give you the greenlight for your evolution. We must confirm that there's no chance of insanity first."
  
  "Okay, that's good." I patted Pixel on the head, "We've waited this long. We can wait longer."
  
  I already considered Pixel to be worthy enough to be on my Elite team. If it were to evolve into a Porygon-Z, it would be sacrificing some of its defenses for a massive increase in attack power. Which wasn't even that bad of a trade, considering I had trained it so heavily in its regeneration moves. Power was what it currently lacked; and it would get that in spades once it got its final evolution.
  
  I couldn't wait for that.
  
  A.N. Lots of setup for the rest of the arc! This also marks the beginning of Arc 12 - Change and Challenge! I hope you enjoyed so far, and thanks to everyone who has stuck with me thus far!
  
  Also, usually I would try to summarise the conversation with Cynthia more. However, considering that the focus hasn't really been on her for the last few chapters, I felt that it might be good to allow their dialogue to flow a little more freely. I hope you preferred to see them interact like that.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 12-2 - A Grand Show
  
  A.N. Due to how they are linked together, the 12-2 Interlude that is usually uploaded on Wednesday will be instead uploaded together with this chapter, meaning you get it early.
  
  Despite having recently just been here when we watched Karen stomping over Vettel to win the Indigo Conference, we were here again in the VIP booth as all of us got ready for the upcoming battle between Koga and Will.
  
  While other events may have overshadowed this battle for some time, now that it was actually in front of us, the crowd was as excited as ever as they waited eagerly for the battle to begin. The Cinnabar Eruption may have put a damper on things, but now the tension and anticipation had returned in full force.
  
  The emotions weren't much different in the VIP room. The outcome of this battle would have significant implications on the future of the region. We would either be maintaining the current status quo in the event of Will's victory, or there would be a new voice within the upper leadership of the Indigo League in the event that Koga wins.
  
  My thoughts hadn't changed about my neutrality on who I wanted to win. I treated both Koga and Will as friends, and I felt that their strengths were very similar, so I didn't have a favourite to win. Nor was I worried about the political implications of either's victory; I was confident that I could adapt and adjust to the outcome of today's battle.
  
  Sitting in the VIP booth beside me was just Lance and Lorelei. Agatha was notably absent, having given an excuse to not attend due to needing to 'prepare for her battle against her student'. That excuse would have worked for many, but I was pretty sure she just didn't care enough to drag herself to the Indigo Plateau when she could watch the match at home.
  
  Or perhaps she was indeed training hard in preparation against Karen. I really couldn't know for sure.
  
  Either way, there were still a few minutes before the fight was scheduled to begin, and the three of us made some casual conversation in the meantime.
  
  "I heard from your girlfriend yesterday that she's going to be coming over." Lance told me, "You must be happy about that." He shot me a teasing smile.
  
  "You would be too, in my place." I replied, not rising to the bait.
  
  "It feels like I see them all the time now." Lorelei chuckled, "I had just said goodbye to them when I left Sinnoh, and now they're coming over! Not that I mind, I enjoyed working with them."
  
  "That's a good sign." Lance said, "If we're to be working closer together, then we should expect to see our foreign friends more often. In fact, the more visits the better."
  
  "Oh, speaking of Sinnoh, how's that new Avalugg treating you?" I asked Lorelei, "Have you found a good way to train it up?"
  
  Lance also stared at her, interested in her answer.
  
  "Eventually." She nodded, "It took some time, a little longer than I expected. You were right with your warnings; it was a challenge trying to think of a way to overcome its abysmal Speed and Special Defenses. Its typing is also - frankly - atrocious. Ice/Rock has far too many weaknesses for a supposedly defensive Pokémon."
  
  Yeah, that was about what I expected. In my mind, I saw H-Avalugg as a worse Snorlax.
  
  "Wait, how slow is it exactly? I hadn't paid much attention before." Lance asked, "Like...Torkoal slow?"
  
  "Thereabouts." She shook her hand in a 'so-so' gesture, "I reckon it's about as slow as a Steelix. In fact, a Steelix is probably a good Pokémon to compare it to. Incredibly slow, poor Special Defenses, excellent Defenses. The only difference is that Steelix has a far better Typing, while my Avalugg has a higher attack."
  
  "...So how did you think of a way to use it?" I asked.
  
  "Well, after spending a lot of time thinking about it and undergoing some specialised training, I think I'm starting to make it so that its not so vulnerable to its plethora of weaknesses anymore. For example, I'm confident it can take Ground and Water attacks decently well." She explained. "Also, I've trained up its Special Defenses to the point where Special Attacks wouldn't be immediately crippling to it if one lands, so that shored up another large weakness."
  
  "Plus, I'm making sure that it masters its Ice Body ability and Recover to capitalise on its incredible physical bulk." She added, "If I can train all of that, then given some more time, I'm confident that I'll be able to make use of Avalugg into specific matchups as an unbreakable physical wall. It will be able to withstand even the strongest of physical attacks with little issue."
  
  She smirked at the two of us, "I hope that will keep the both of you on your toes if we ever fight again in the future. Your Pokémon will break against my new Avalugg, just you wait."
  
  Lance and I both chuckled, but not mockingly. Instead, we were both pleased at the confidence and conviction that she showed.
  
  "Those are some fighting words!" Lance praised, "In that case, should I expect a challenge from you anytime soon? Do remember that the position of Champion also includes the paperwork."
  
  Lorelei quickly shook her head, waving her hands frantically, "Uh...that's not what I meant by us fighting. I do not want your position, thank you very much. And Avalugg will probably only be strong against your physical attacks....so if you send out Emperor or Tyrant I'll still lose because I know they'll just make use of their Special Attacks to beat down Avalugg. I'm less confident about its ability to withstand against those, even with more training."
  
  Before Lorelei could say anymore, the announcer finally made himself known, signalling the beginning of the match.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME BACK TO THE INDIGO PLATEAU! IT SEEMS LIKE NOWADAYS IS THE SEASON FOR CHALLENGES, AS WE WILL BE HOSTING ANOTHER BATTLE NOT TOO FAR IN THE FUTURE AS WELL!"
  
  "BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THE FUTURE, WHEN INSTEAD WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON THE PRESENT! TODAY, WE HAVE THE GREAT HONOUR OF HOSTING A BATTLE BETWEEN TWO FORMIDABLE TRAINERS ONCE AGAIN!"
  
  "ON THE ONE SIDE, WE HAVE THE MAN THAT HAS BEEN PRAISED FOR HIS EXEMPLARY SKILLS AS A GYM LEADER, A TITLE WHICH HE HAS HELD FOR DECADES. HE IS THE NINJA OF FUSCHIA, THE POISON SPECIALIST THAT ALL OTHERS ASPIRE TO BE! A MAN WHOSE CUNNING TACTICS AND POKÉMON HAVE PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN WHY HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST GYM LEADERS! PLEASE GIVE IT UP - FOR GYM LEADER KOGA!"
  
  Koga silently walked onto the stage, hardly even reacting to the roaring crowd around him. Instead, his steely glare was locked onto the entrance opposite him, where Will walked forwards.
  
  "AND HIS OPPONENT, OUR VERY OWN ELITE FOUR MEMBER! THOUGH HE HAS REMAINED UNCHALLENGED, THIS WAS THE MAN THAT HAS BEEN A VITAL SUPPORTER OF MANY OF THE RECENT CHANGES THAT YOU'VE SEEN! A MAN WITH A SHARP AND KEEN EYE FOR BUSINESS, WHO HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE AN EXCELLENT POLITICIAN FOR OUR REGION! TODAY, WE WILL SEE IF HE IS MORE THAN JUST BRAINS; HAS HIS SHARP MIND ALSO ALLOWED HIM TO HONE HIS PSYCHIC TYPES INTO UNBEATABLE POKÉMON?! I'M WILLING TO BET THAT IT HAS, SO HERE COMES OUR VERY OWN ELITE FOUR - WILL!"
  
  Completely opposite to Koga, Will walked slowly, waving and bowing to the crowd like he was a showman walking onto his stage, ready to dazzle the audience with an unforgettably grand performance. A closer look proved that his showboating was no façade to hide his nervousness. Whatever nervousness he had demonstrated to us a few days earlier had completely disappeared, and now he almost seemed at peace with the battle he was about to face.
  
  As soon as Will arrived at this designated spot, he carefully took off his mask, revealing his bright smile to the crowd as he stretched his arms out wide, "WIN! OR LOSE! I PROMISE YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF INDIGO, THAT WE WILL BRING YOU A BATTLE THAT YOU WON'T SOON FORGET!" He announced, inadvertently taking over the announcer's job, "WILL THE YOUNG BEAT THE OLD? OR WILL THE EXPERIENCED TRIUMPH OVER THE NEW? EITHER WAY, ARE YOU READY FOR OUR GRAND PERFORMANCE?!"
  
  I could feel Lorelei facepalming at Will being Will, but I just allowed myself to smirk. That was the Will I knew. To my surprise, Koga didn't look like he disapproved, simply content to silently wait for Will to do his thing.
  
  And the crowd lapped it up, exploding in excitement and cheers, and Will allowed himself to bask in the cheers of the crowd for a moment before he then snapped a finger towards the announcer, "CALL US IN! ITS TIME TO BATTLE! MAY THE BETTER TRAINER WIN!"
  
  The announcer looked flummoxed at Will's antics, but he recovered quickly enough, "...Right, yes. TRAINERS, RELEASE ON THREE...TWO...ONE...FIGHT!"
  
  "Start us off, Espeon!"
  
  "Seviper."
  
  Seviper emerged and immediately burrowed into the ground, hiding out of sight as it snuck its way through the ground. In the meanwhile, Espeon's eyes flashed blue as a Reflect screen shimmered in place around her; forming a protective shield of defense.
  
  Of course, the Reflect shield was immediately put to the test as Seviper came leaping out of the ground, lunging at Espeon with its jaws opened threateningly wide, as if it was about to devour Espeon whole with its Crunch.
  
  However, Espeon was far from defenseless, as a Future Sight came bursting into existence and blasting Seviper with a powerful explosion of Psychic energy. Yet, Seviper had a counter ready of its own as it instead released a quick Dark Pulse, nullifying the incoming Future Sight and allowing it to follow through with its initial intent as it Crunched down hard on Will's Espeon.
  
  ...Which was when ANOTHER Future Sight came exploding out of nowhere, knocking the Seviper off of the Espeon as it tumbled to the ground.
  
  Already, I could see the level of preparation that both trainers put in to prepare for the other. In a single exchange, it showed how they had anticipated and predicted each other's moves and had already prepared potential counters far in advance.
  
  The battle raged on despite my thoughts, and Espeon dashed backwards with a Quick Attack just as Seviper slashed the area it was just in with a Night Slash, ripping a large tear into the ground.
  
  Thinking that Espeon was about to go for a setup move, Seviper immediately tried to cancel it by preparing to unleash an Earthquake, but it was punished for its mistake by being blasted face-first with a Psychic that sent the Poison type skidding back.
  
  However, Seviper recovered quickly enough to be able to dodge the next Psychic by burrowing into the ground once more. Unfortunately, Espeon had no way of punishing Seviper for using Dig, and it was now forced on the defensive as the Psychic type waited for the Seviper to strike. I watched as Espeon's eyes repeatedly flashed blue as it began setting up Future Sights around it, trying to anticipate Seviper's angle of attack.
  
  But the attack did not come as Espeon expected. Seviper did come bursting out of the ground near Espeon, yet instead of leaping at Espeon, it leapt away from the Psychic type as it released a Dark Pulse while in mid-air that shot forwards with impressive speed. Caught completely unprepared, Espeon found itself flinching as it was hit directly by the Dark Pulse as the instinctual Psychic it threw up was broken through.
  
  "Suppress it, Seviper."
  
  Fully capitalising on this moment of vulnerability, Seviper unleashed an onslaught of Special Attacks, firing off pulse after pulse of concentrated Dark energy towards the exposed Espeon; its earlier prepared Future Sights proving useless as Seviper refused to get in close, obviously anticipating the trap that Espeon had prepared.
  
  And Koga was never giving Espeon a chance to recover, knowing full well that if given the opportunity to fight back, Will's Espeon would be able to overpower his Seviper if they began exchanging Special Attacks. Therefore, Koga prioritised speed over power as the unending barrage of Dark energy smashed into Espeon again and again, keeping it suppressed and bereft of options as it repeatedly flinched.
  
  "PUSH THROUGH IT, ESPEON! ITS NOT OVER FOR YOU!"
  
  Heeding its trainers words, Espeon's eyes began glowing a blindingly bright blue as it exploded with Psychic energy. Through its own sheer will, the powerful explosion of Psychic energy actually managed to push away the incoming Dark Pulse, buying Espeon enough time to successfully Teleport away to create more distance between the two while it instantly threw up a Light Screen to prevent further attacks.
  
  Unfortunately, Seviper made a mockery of its escape attempt as it unleashed its own Earthquake, sending Espeon stumbling to the ground while Seviper rapidly darted forwards - its venomous fangs once again gleamingly menacingly in the afternoon sun.
  
  Even with the distance that it had just created, Seviper was able to swiftly close the distance as it darted out of the way of an incoming Psychic. Then, just before it got close, Seviper sprung into the air with its tail, but not before unleashing a small pulse of an Earthquake that just managed to disrupt Espeon's concentration and interrupt its Teleport.
  
  Seviper leaped towards Espeon even as Future Sight after Future Sight detonated on it as it sailed through the air. But the Poison Type had anchored its trajectory with an Iron Head, preventing itself from being knocked away. Then, Seviper tanked through the Future Sights and managed to bite down with a painful Crunch onto Espeon.
  
  The Psychic type wailed out in pain, which was actually a Hyper Voice in disguise, but even through the pain Seviper refused to let its prey go as it swung its tail around in a powerful Night Slash that finished off the injured Espeon.
  
  However, despite his defeat, Will seemed unbothered as he clapped for his fallen Pokémon, "A wonderful job, Espeon! But it's time for someone else to take the stage!"
  
  "Come on out and dazzle them all, Gardevoir!"
  
  As soon as Gardevoir emerged from her Pokéball, Seviper fired off an immediate Taunt while Gardevoir was still trying to orient itself to shutdown any future attempts to use Teleport or status moves.
  
  Unfortunately for Koga, Gardevoir instantly Teleported out of the way, causing the Taunt to miss completely.
  
  Will grinned, "I learnt my lesson! You can't catch me with the same trick twice!"
  
  "Now come on, Gardevoir! Do your thing!"
  
  Another Teleport found Gardevoir appearing behind the Seviper, and she promptly blasted the Seviper with a powerful blast of Psychic. Seviper had the reaction speed to try to block the attack with a quick Dark Pulse; only to be surprised when the Psychic shattered the Dark Pulse - when it usually was the other way round.
  
  "!" I could see the surprise in Koga's face as Seviper was blasted back, skidding off the ground from the explosive impact of Gardevoir's attack. The Poison type tried to recover and instinctively formed a Protect shield, but Gardevoir had already Teleported to the opposite side and fired off another Psychic that hit Seviper's unshielded side.
  
  "Crunch it, Seviper. No more defense."
  
  Recognising that Gardevoir was a far more mobile and agile threat than Will's Espeon, Koga ordered Seviper to go fully on the offensive. Despite the heavy injuries that it sustained, Seviper released a vicious hiss as it sprung up and shot through the air like an uncoiled spring, releasing a small Earthquake while simultaneously pouncing onto its target with fangs dripping menacingly with deadly poison.
  
  It was repeating its manoeuvre that it used against Espeon, but instead of latching its fangs onto its target, all Seviper managed to find was empty air as Gardevoir had already Teleported away - in fact Gardevoir had Teleported away so quickly it even managed to dodge past the Earthquake entirely.
  
  Sensing the Psychic coming its way, Seviper reacted instinctively as it slashed through the air with its glowing tail, trying to rip apart the attack with a Night Slash.
  
  But the Night Slash failed to completely nullify the attack, causing Seviper to be hit full force with a supereffective Psychic once again.
  
  This time, willpower alone was not enough at keeping Seviper in the fight. The injuries it had sustained had finally proven too much for the Poison type, and it fell limply on the ground without even managing to land a scratch on Will's Gardevoir.
  
  Unlike Will, Koga said nothing as he withdrew his Seviper, and instead took his time to think about his next choice of Pokémon.
  
  In the meanwhile, I was pretty confident I had figured out the secret behind Will's ability to get around Koga's Dark type moves. Thanks to the excellent cameras, I spotted that Gardevoir's Psychics were encased in a noticeable gleam of bright pink - different from the usual darker pink colouration of a typical Psychic.
  
  I suspected that many would miss it, but as I had worked with the Fairy type more than anyone else, I knew what it was. He had combined Dazzling Gleam and Psychic together, using the Fairy type to prevent Dark type moves from nullifying the Psychic.
  
  Very smart.
  
  I didn't know whether Koga had also figured out Will's secret, but he had chosen his next battler. My eyes widened as I stared at his choice, or rather, the fact that I couldn't tell what his choice was.
  
  Because what came out of his Pokéball was a hazy mist of growing poisonous fog that almost instantly concealed the Pokémon within; with no exposable features visible to the outside world. Suddenly, a two purple lights glared out from within the fog, and Gardevoir physically shuddered as she was caught in the surprise attack.
  
  I knew what that was. It was a Mean Look. And Gardevoir had just been trapped.
  
  As soon as the Mean Look took effect, a purple blur burst out within the fog, flying forwards at such fast speeds that it managed to disperse the fog entirely. I hardly could catch a glimpse of Koga's Pokémon before it slammed into Gardevoir, moving so fast that Gardevoir wasn't even able to Teleport out of the way in time while it was still recovering from the effects of the Mean Look.
  
  Gardevoir's figure was flung wide into the air; her once graceful body now tainted with a dripping and viscous poison that stained her form. And before she could even Teleport herself once again, the purple blur smashed into Gardevoir once again in mid-air, mercilessly slashing at her with a myriad of swift strikes that eviscerated the Psychic type, before a final slam sent Will's Pokémon crashing painfully into the ground.
  
  "U-Turn."
  
  Without giving any opportunity for Gardevoir to recover, Koga's Pokémon dove down and brutally slammed into the Psychic type once more, landing the coup de grâce that finished off the Gardevoir. Then, almost like nothing happened, Koga's Pokémon simply retreated back into its Pokéball as if it hadn't just devastated one of Will's most agile fighters.
  
  From the time that it emerged from the fog to the Gardevoir's swift defeat, the entire exchange had barely lasted ten seconds. It was an utterly vicious and decisive knockout. And from what I knew of Koga's team, there was only one Pokémon that could accomplish such a feat.
  
  His starter, Crobat.
  
  Koga had chosen to reveal his ace's abilities early and utilised the surprise factor to assassinate a key threat on Will's team. After the surprise wore away, I couldn't help but approve of his decisiveness - Gardevoir would have been a real threat for Koga's team had she been left unchecked.
  
  However, despite the quick defeat of his Gardevoir, Will appeared unruffled as he simply sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "It's your turn in the light, Exeggutor!"
  
  "Muk."
  
  The two Pokémon that were released couldn't have been more different from each other. Will's Exeggutor was lively and upbeat, its three faces smiling happily as they danced and bathed in the afternoon sun. On the other hand, Muk was odious; its' entire form dripped and oozed with disgusting poisons that managed to burn through the ground itself as they dripped off its body.
  
  As soon as I saw the matchup, I had expected the fight to be a slow, drawn-out battle between two defensive Pokémon; a fight of endurance to see who would outlast the other.
  
  And indeed, that was what Will planned to do, as I watched Exeggutor fire off a barrage of Leech Seeds that scattered through the air - looking to implant themselves within Muk.
  
  However, to Will's and my surprise, and probably to the surprise of many others as well, Koga had different plans.
  
  "As we planned, Muk."
  
  Instead of lumbering around slowly as I expected, Muk suddenly disappeared into its shadow. Exeggutor instantly threw up a Protect Shield to block the incoming Shadow Sneak, but the Protect shield was only able to block Muk's first attack. And it did nothing to stop Muk's quick follow-up Poison Jab that pummelled straight into Exeggutor's face the moment the Protect shield dispersed.
  
  But Exeggutor didn't have three heads for nothing, and it was still able to counterattack with a powerful Psychic of its own that blasted Muk at point-blank range; sending shockwaves that rippled through its poisonous form.
  
  And then Muk exploded.
  
  The resulting blast surprised EVERYONE, and sent the unsuspecting Exeggutor crashing limply into the Psychic shields. Although Exeggutor were known as being defensive Pokémon, that was because it relied on its plethora of self-regenerative moves to keep itself in the fight. Compared to other defensive Pokémon, its raw defenses were lacking.
  
  So having to tank through a point-blank, full-power, surprise Explosion instantly knocked the Grass type out.
  
  As the Explosion petered out, the crowd fell silent as they were frozen in surprise. But it was not only them, as even the VIP booth was no different.
  
  "...Wow." Lorelei muttered after she recovered, "That...wasn't what I was expecting to see."
  
  "Let no one say that Koga lacks decisiveness." Lance agreed, "That was very fitting."
  
  "I think that's the first crack in Will's composure this whole battle." I pointed towards the slight frown that adorned Will's surprised face, "For all his planning, I doubt he saw this coming."
  
  I didn't blame him. Back-to-back he just had the momentum ripped out from under him. I would be a little shaken too in his place.
  
  However, despite what just happened, he wasn't actually in a horrible position. The score was currently 3-2 in Koga's favour; far from hopeless for Will. Now it was a test to see if Will could remain focused.
  
  As if sensing my thoughts, I saw Will taking a deep breath as he withdrew his fallen Exeggutor. Nodding to himself, he met Koga's eyes as they both sent out their next Pokémon.
  
  "Hypnotise them, Hypno!"
  
  "Weezing."
  
  Once again, a poisonous cloud of smoke emerged out of Koga's Pokéball. But instead of being merely a cover for a future attack, the poisonous fog that accompanied Weezing began to rapidly spread across the arena; flooding the whole battlefield in its toxic gases.
  
  "Put them to sleep, Hypno."
  
  Seeing that the Weezing wasn't doing anything except expelling more and more of its noxious fumes, Hypno did what it did best and swung its pendulum back and forth, sending hypnotic rays towards the Poison type and quickly putting it to sleep.
  
  ...Yet the fumes didn't stop coming. No, even as the Weezing slumbered, the flood of toxic gas didn't stop - they kept coming, covering more and more of the battlefield in a thick and unbreathable smog.
  
  As the toxic gas continued to spread across the battlefield, Koga seemed content to do nothing but watch as Hypno began blasting down Weezing with a cautious barrage of Psychics - Will having a look of confusion on his face as he tried to figure out what was Koga's plan.
  
  But my own eyes had shot open as I gradually pieced together Koga's strategy. The Weezing was a ticking time bomb - one that threatened to engulf the entire arena in poisonous gases that would undoubtedly last and linger beyond a single round. Therefore, while Koga's own Poison Types would be unaffected by the noxious fumes, Will's would have no such luxury.
  
  It was basically Toxic Spikes in gaseous form. And even more deadly.
  
  It took a bit longer, but then I watched as a look of growing horror slowly appeared on Will's face as he had the same realisation that I just did.
  
  "Full out offense! Psychic and Dream Eater! You need to take it down, now!"
  
  Wasting no time on anything else, Hypno's eyes repeatedly flashed blue as it fired off wave after wave of powerful psionic energy, sending the Weezing tumbling through the air like a floating orb as the supereffective attacks smashed into it again and again.
  
  However, despite the pain it was in, Weezing stayed asleep - a testament to the power of Hypno's Hypnosis.
  
  Yet things would only grow worse for Will, as there was still another nasty surprise that Koga had waiting for him, because Weezing wasn't completely helpless even as it snoozed. No, it knew Sleep Talk, and it revealed itself to be highly proficient in the move as the moves it used were far from random - and were clearly well-ingrained into Weezing for these very situations.
  
  Every once in a while, a Protect shield would form that managed to block a Psychic from Hypno. Not only that, but it was also able to fire off the occasional Dark Pulse, which unlike with Will's Gardevoir, was also able to block the incoming Psychic and further disrupt Hypno's ability to bring it down.
  
  Clearly, Will wasn't able to fully train all of his Pokémon to infuse Fairy energy into their Psychic attacks.
  
  Worse, the poisonous clouds had already begun to reach Hypno's shoulders. Hypno groaned as its usually yellow form turned sickly as a Toxic amount of poisons seeped into its body. Fortunately, the Dream Eaters it was using managed to provide enough health for Hypno to fight off the mounting Poison damage, but not for much longer.
  
  Sadly for Will, the next few moments of the battle did not go his way. Hypno were known for their excellent ability to neutralise potential foes with their powerful Hypnosis, putting them to sleep before they could fight back. However, they were not known for their raw power, which was something he desperately needed at this very moment to take out the Weezing before Hypno succumbed to the poison.
  
  But between the disruption from the Sleep Talk and Hypno's own weakening state from all of the poison, Weezing ended up having just enough health to outlast Hypno, proving victorious as the Psychic type succumbed to the poison.
  
  "...Think Will should have swapped out his Hypno as soon as his Hypnosis proved ineffective?" Lorelei asked us as Will withdrew his Hypno.
  
  "Maybe if he realised Koga's plan sooner; by the time he did it was already too late for him." Lance replied, "When he realised, he took a gamble to try to take out Weezing before Hypno could be knocked out instead of risking another Pokémon to be badly poisoned, which I probably would have done in his place. It didn't work out, but that's just how it is sometimes."
  
  "Or Koga had already predicted Hypno's power and had sent out Weezing specifically to counter it." I pointed out.
  
  Koga had managed to balance the scales by utilising such tactics to overcome the difference in strength between his Pokémon. So far, even though Will was the more powerful trainer on paper, Koga never allowed Will to fully utilise his strengths except with his Gardevoir. This was where the difference in experience really showed itself.
  
  "I think everyone here could learn a thing or two from him." Lance continued, "Win or lose here, he's proven to me to be wasted as a 'mere' Gym Leader. He clearly is more than that."
  
  "Things aren't looking up for Will though." Lorelei pointed out, "With the poison still lingering around, his next Pokémon is going to be badly poisoned the moment it comes out. Plus, it's going to have to disperse the poisonous clouds somehow unless it wants to fight within that unbreathable smog."
  
  Before I could respond, Will sent out his second last Pokémon.
  
  His Slowking dropped onto the battlefield with an audible oomph as its full weight hit the ground, but it was immediately badly poisoned by the lingering cloud of poison.
  
  Will wasted no time with his first move.
  
  "Blizzard, Slowking! Start dispersing that fog!"
  
  Slowking let out an affirmative grunt as a huge gust of wind started to form right on top of the sleeping Weezing. That gust of wind suddenly turned into a giant vortex of freezing ice, with the unsuspecting Weezing trapped right in the epicentre.
  
  The Poison type was jolted awake from the freezing gale winds cutting deep into it.
  
  At the same time, the heavy winds was also able to gradually disperse some of the toxic fumes, which I suspected was the whole reason Will chose to use Slowking.
  
  Yet, that didn't change the fact that Slowking had already been badly poisoned. So Will's Pokémon was once again on a timer as it threw out Hydro Pumps and Psychics against the now-awakened Weezing, who tried to defend with its own barrage of Shadow Balls and Dark Pulses.
  
  Weezing's pitiful Special Attack was no match for Slowking's as the Poison type's attacks were easily overpowered and broken through, but its attacks were able to at least partially block some of the damage, which stalled for more time.
  
  Then Koga looked to stall for even more time as he ordered his Weezing to Rest.
  
  The floating ball of Poison shut its eyes for the second time this battle, leaving itself completely exposed as it fell into a rejuvenating sleep. But with the Blizzard still right on top of the sleeping Weezing, dispersing more and more of the poisonous gases as time went on, there was no chance that it was actually going to be able to last long enough for Slowking to succumb to its Poison.
  
  And Koga knew it too, which was why, after another wave of psychic energy detonated on his Weezing, he gave the order.
  
  "Explosion."
  
  Despite being asleep, Weezing obeyed the order regardless as his form flashed a dangerously bright white for all of a tenth of a second, before erupting in a deafening explosion that caused a small crater to form around where it had been floating.
  
  However, Will was prepared for this, and his Slowking had already prepared a Protect shield that blocked practically all of the damage.
  
  Koga didn't seem to mind, and he withdraw his Weezing with his usual unreadable expression. Yet he did not send out his next Pokémon right away. Instead, he seemed to want to maximize the poison damage that Slowking took as he made full use of his allotted 'thinking time' before he sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  There were a few boos, but at this point I think everyone had already figured out Koga's fighting style, so they had expected this.
  
  Then, just seconds before his time was up, he sent out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Venomoth, stick close to it."
  
  The Venomoth buzzed forwards, showing off its impressive speed as it quickly closed the distance with Slowking. Taking full advantage of the fact that Slowking had little way of defending himself against close-range threats, Venomoth ducked under a Psychic before suddenly swooping around the Slowking (likely to get around any potential Future Sights) before lunging downwards at its target with a vicious Leech Life that latched onto and rapidly drained the Slowking of its health.
  
  Slowking tried to fire off a point-blank Psychic to force the Bug away, but Venomoth was quick enough to whirl around to the other side of Slowking and repeat the same thing. Then Slowking tried to shut down Venomoth with a Yawn, but that was disrupted as Venomoth unleashed a Supersonic that completely nullified the Yawn.
  
  Venomoth continued to be a nuisance; it made use of its small size and incredible speed to be an unremovable and painful thorn in Slowking's side as it attacked relentlessly. And it wasn't like its Leech Life were weak attacks. From the way that Slowking winced and grunted in pain, it clearly wasn't able to just shrug off the supereffective attacks. Worse, any glancing blows that Slowking DID manage to land against Venomoth was simply healed through the Leech Life.
  
  Slowking were Pokémon that fared a lot better in calm and slower fights that allowed it to utilise its plethora of regeneration moves to out-stall an opponent. It wasn't nearly as good against the agile, hit-and-run attacks that Venomoth was employing.
  
  Of course, a Pokémon like Venomoth wasn't actually able to overcome a Pokémon as defensive as Slowking so easily, even as it repeatedly struck with supereffective Leech Life's. In a normal situation, a Venomoth would run out of energy before it got close to knocking out a properly defensive Slowking.
  
  However, the bulk of the damage was actually coming from the poison ravaging through Slowking's body. Venomoth was merely an annoying distraction that prevented Slowking from just healing up, denying it a safe opportunity and the concentration to use Rest.
  
  Thus, after seeing this, Will made the choice that I would have in his position.
  
  "Come back, Slowking. Save your strength."
  
  I nodded as I watched Will recall his Slowking. Despite its current injuries, I knew it had the potential to heal itself up with Regenerator, and it could do the same with its plethora of healing moves if Koga ever gave it the space to do so.
  
  But that meant that Will had, effectively, only one Pokémon remaining that could truly win the fight. On the other hand, Koga still had three left, including his mostly undamaged Venomoth.
  
  Will was really going to have to pull back a comeback of a lifetime to win this fight. Luckily, he still had his starter with him.
  
  And I was confident his Xatu would not disappoint.
  
  A.N. I wanted this fight to highlight mainly the two trainer's strengths, but more particularly Koga's because I thought there was more potential there. I tried to get really creative with his style of battling, which I hope came out well.
  
  Don't get me wrong, Will is a strong trainer, and he was on paper the stronger of the two, but I wanted to really highlight how Koga was able to flip the tables with his unorthodox and decisive tactics.
  
  However, though the score may be 4-3 in Koga's favour (but more like 5-3 with how damaged Slowking is), Will hasn't lost yet. He still has an Ace to play. Hope you enjoyed the fight so far!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-2 - Interlude - Will
  The New Normal - 12-2 - Interlude - Will & Koga
  
  (Will POV)
  
  He withdrew his Slowking with a slight hint of reluctance in his heart, but one that he was quick to force away.
  
  It was not his Pokémon's fault that they had now found themselves on the backfoot. That responsibility solely lay with him.
  
  Despite all his preparations, it seems like he had still managed to overlook the strategies that Koga would use to ensure victory. Or, more specifically, he underestimated Koga's ruthlessness and ability to capitalize on any advantage, no matter how small.
  
  That instant Explosion with his Muk to take out his Exeggutor? He would have never have foreseen it. Nor could he have ever expected for Koga to have come up with the perfect countermeasure for his Hypno using a Weezing of all things.
  
  That was Koga's experience at work. How many trainers had fallen to such schemes?
  
  And yet, in a strange way, he had felt some degree of satisfaction in having Koga employ all these strategies against him. It meant that Koga was taking him seriously; that he wasn't some foe that he could overpower by brute strength alone.
  
  It was Koga's way of acknowledging his strength.
  
  It also confirmed another thing for Will. Koga was weaker than him, at least in terms of raw power. Otherwise, he would never resort to these strategies if he could just overpower his Psychic types with his Poison ones. He knew that this was why Koga did everything he could to deny him the opportunity to make use of his Psychic Pokémon's maneuverability with Teleport by going for surprise attacks to secure quick knockouts.
  
  His own Gardevoir, had it not been taken out by Crobat, would have ran circles around Koga's team. And Koga's strategies came at a cost, often trading his Pokémon to knock out his own.
  
  So despite all of Koga's tricks, the score was only at 4-3; once his Slowking recovered with Regenerator. He wasn't as far behind as it seemed.
  
  Will took a moment to turn his attention to the crowds, watching them all cheer for Koga as they praised his performance. He heard their cheers and shouts as they chanted for Koga to finish him off, since he was basically down to only one Pokémon.
  
  But that Pokémon was his starter. It was his ultimate trump card, and the one Will could trust to give a most brilliant performance. When he was pressed against the ropes like he was right now, there was no Pokémon he trusted more to have his back than his Xatu. The Pokémon that he had started with, conquered with, and earned many great victories with.
  
  Furthermore, Koga had already revealed the capabilities of his Crobat. Oh, he had used it most effectively, taking out his prized Gardevoir with such a surprising ambush - something which would have unsettled and intimidated a less experienced trainer.
  
  But Will had been working alongside the truly great trainers for quite some time now. He had seen their Pokémon in action, with the likes of John and Lance standing high above all the rest with their epic clash of titans. The very same titans that he hoped his Pokémon would one day stand side-by-side with in both strength and prestige.
  
  Compared to those, Crobat did not hold a candle to them.
  
  No, he could look at it objectively. Crobat's biggest advantage was its speed, which made it seem more threatening than it actually was. However, he had ways of dealing with Crobat's incredible speed, and Xatu was no frail Psychic type to be taken down by a quick series of strikes like his Gardevoir was.
  
  His Xatu might not be the traditional powerhouse that many expected, but since when did he conform to what was traditional? His Xatu, and its Psychic prowess, was going to show them all what it meant to be exceptional.
  
  And since the poisonous gases from Weezing had all dispersed, and Koga had already revealed his bag of tricks - this was going to be a proper, fair fight. Exactly like he hoped for.
  
  So while it may look like this was about to be his grand finale, he was going to show the world that they couldn't count him out just yet!
  
  He was going to give them a reversal to remember. After all, Poison was weak to Psychic.
  
  (Koga POV)
  
  He had forgotten how loud the crowd could be during a match like this.
  
  His opponent may enjoy basking in the attention and the adulation of the audience, but he much preferred the quiet of his Gym. He was not used to the distractingly loud noises and cheers; nor did he care for it.
  
  He was here to win, nothing more and nothing less.
  
  So far, things had gone to plan. His research on Will's team and personality had paid off, and he had managed to put the Psychic specialist on the backfoot by taking out some of his key Pokémon - Pokémon that would have rampaged through his team if he hadn't surprised them.
  
  To an outsider, they might think he was dominating this fight - that his string of victories was proof that Will was no match for him. But he knew better - to think so would be arrogance, and far from the truth.
  
  In reality, every victory of his was a gamble that could have horribly backfired on him. Sacrificing his Muk like that with a surprise Explosion would have been a terrible decision if Exeggutor was able to hold on and stay in the fight. Likewise, sending out his Crobat so early against a Pokémon that could have potentially matched its speed with her Teleports was a very risky choice.
  
  No, he knew that his dominating performance was merely smoke and mirrors - a trick of the light. Will was the stronger trainer, he knew this, and if he was ever forced to engage in a proper fight of endurance, he would lose.
  
  So even though Will was now on the ropes, with only one last real Pokémon to strike down, Koga knew he couldn't take it easy.
  
  Especially not when he had yet to bring down Will's starter.
  
  He had done the research, but while Will had shown off its capabilities in the past, there was very little recent data since Will had not made use of his Xatu ever since he ascended into the Elite Four. However, from what he had seen had already painted a very clear picture for Koga - it was a master of the Psychic type, and was expertly proficient in nearly every Psychic move available to it.
  
  It very much lived up to the title of a Psychic's specialist ace Pokémon. And that was all before Will made it into the Elite Four. Who knows how strong it was now?
  
  Knowing that he was about to face off against such a monster caused his heart to race as the excitement of a battle surged through him once more. He was very good at keeping a firm lid on his emotions, but despite his mental discipline, it was nearly impossible to keep your emotions in check in the heat of battle.
  
  A small smile began to form on his face as he stared down at his opponent, meeting Will's determined eyes with his own. Will was standing tall and proud - like a man who was ready to make his last stand. No, not a last stand, but a man who looked and remained confident that he was going to win.
  
  So there they stood. With three of his Pokémon, including his own starter and ace, against Will's ace.
  
  Victory might nearly be in his hands, but only the future knew if Will would manage to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
  
  A.N. Since the battle was cut into two chapters, I thought it would be a good opportunity to highlight some of the thoughts of each of our battlers. The one thing I wanted to highlight especially was that the fight is absolutely not over yet. Koga might have had control over the fight so far and had momentum in his hands, but Koga is pretty much out of tricks by this point.
  
  Will Koga be able to hold on to his momentum? Or will Will begin to swing the match around to his favour? Will his Xatu be enough to execute a reversal? Or will Koga hold on to his lead and clench the win?
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 12-3 - A Grand Finale
  
  "It's time! Show them your power, Xatu!"
  
  It was finally here. Will's prized starter took to the skies, gracefully swooping around in the air with powerful flaps of its decorated wings. Without even a moment's delay, both a Reflect and Light Screen shimmered into existence around Xatu, and a pink bubble of protective energies surrounded the Psychic Type.
  
  Then it began to glow a bright pink as Xatu began channelling a Calm Mind.
  
  Not wanting its foe to have the opportunity to set up, Venomoth shot to the skies as it looked to disrupt Xatu's attempts to set up - only to immediately run head-first into a minefield of Future Sights.
  
  The resulting surprise explosion blasted Venomoth down to the ground, where an Air Slash just narrowly grazed passed it as the Poison type dodged at the last second with a hasty roll.
  
  Koga frowned; he must have realised what I had - in the few seconds that Xatu had emerged from its Pokéball, not only had it managed to set up a Reflect and Light Screen, but it had also somehow found the time to prepare a Future Sight trap as well. Worse, not only did there seem to not be any visible indication of when Xatu deployed the move, but who knew how many Future Sights it had already managed to set up in those precious few seconds?
  
  "Bug Buzz, Venomoth! Make a path!"
  
  Deciding that offense was the only path available to him, Koga sent Venomoth forwards - who rushed towards the setting up Xatu while unleashing a constant aura of Bug energy around itself. As the Bug Buzz came into contact with the pre-prepared Future Sights, the Bug Buzz managed to partially neutralize the Future Sights thanks to the fact that Bug was supereffective against Psychic.
  
  Of course, this was always going to be a makeshift solution at best, and Venomoth was still being bombarded from all sides from the constant detonations of Psychic energy as it desperately rushed towards Xatu, trying to catch up with the Psychic type in the air. It even tried to buff itself up with an Agility, pushing its already high speed even higher.
  
  Yet Venomoth would never be able to catch up with Xatu as the Psychic type simply began rapidly Teleporting around the air, doing it so quickly that it surpassed the speed of the Teleport from Will's Gardevoir.
  
  Xatu was literally able to blink around the entire arena within seconds; almost like it didn't even need to take any time to channel a Teleport.
  
  By doing so, Xatu never allowed Venomoth to get close as it simply continued to harass the Bug Type down with its own Air Slashes and Psychics, all the while leading Venomoth to smash into more and more prepared Future Sights.
  
  For all of its incredible speed, Venomoth were fragile Pokémon, and all of that residue damage was gradually adding up.
  
  At one point, Venomoth had tried to predict where Xatu was going to Teleport to, as a subtle pink glow had always appeared just before Xatu would Teleport to that position, and it dove forwards with its fangs out as it tried to surprise its foe with a Leech Life. However, instead of slamming into Xatu, Xatu had faked its Psychic signature and caused Venomoth to fly straight into a prepared Psychic - knocking it out of the air as it reeled from the blow.
  
  Now fallen to the ground, Venomoth instinctively released a cloud of Stun Spores into the air to try to punish a counterattack. Unfortunately, Xatu was completely immune to the effects thanks to Magic Bounce, as it blasted Venomoth with another well-placed Psychic.
  
  "Get out of there, Venomoth!"
  
  Venomoth tried to escape, but a sudden Imprison firmly held it in place. It tried to break free with a Bug Buzz, but that came too late as a final Psychic finished off the Poison Type.
  
  This was revenge from Will for Crobat's flawless takedown of Gardevoir. Venomoth had been denied every opportunity to even land a blow against Xatu as it had been completely outmanoeuvred. It was the first time this battle that Koga didn't have a trick up his sleeve to play, and the results were evident.
  
  Xatu had dominated its foe.
  
  "An impressive showing." Koga unexpectedly spoke up, and was that a grin on his face?
  
  "Thank you." Will replied, bowing dramatically, "I must say - you took the winds out of my sails there for a moment with your surprises and tricks. So it feels much better now that I'm starting to turn the tide."
  
  "Fwahahahahaha!" Koga laughed out while withdrawing his fallen Venomoth, "Have you now? Well, let's see if you can back up your words."
  
  The ninja clasped his hands together dramatically, before throwing out and releasing his Crobat - likely acknowledging that his starter was the only Pokémon he had that was actually capable of defeating Will's Xatu.
  
  And thus, the battle of the starters began.
  
  Crobat rocketed forwards, blitzing through the air like a bullet as it locked on towards its target. However, its prey remained calm, and Future Sights began detonating through the air as Xatu tried to catch the speeding Crobat in one of its many Psychic traps.
  
  But this time, Crobat had surrounded itself with the ominous haze of a Dark Pulse, granting it a shield that it used to barrel through the many Future Sights mostly unharmed. Furthermore, that also meant that its speed wasn't interrupted, and it rapidly closed the distance while letting out a ferocious screech.
  
  Before I could blink, Crobat slammed into the Xatu with a powerful Cross Poison that was blocked by a Protect shield.
  
  "Trick Room, Xatu."
  
  But having Crobat get close was what Will had been waiting for. A huge burst of psychic energy exploded out of Xatu, and the air itself stilled and twisted as the dimensions were shifted. A hazy and distorted field suddenly descended onto the arena and surrounded the two Pokémon, and speed itself began to bend to Xatu's will.
  
  Taking control of the laws of reality with its mind, Xatu forcefully slowed down Crobat, twisting its once incredible speed against it and making it the slower of the two.
  
  Unused to its sudden sluggishness, in a reversal of their usual roles, Crobat was unable to shield itself in time as Xatu shot forwards with its head glowing with power, crashing and knocking back the Crobat with a powerful Zen Headbutt.
  
  Expecting another attack, Crobat sluggishly moved to protect itself with a Steel Wing, but it failed to predict that Xatu would disappear and reappear behind it with a Teleport. To its credit, Crobat's incredible reaction speed made it aware of the surprise attack, but it wasn't able to turn around in time thanks to the Trick Room - which allowed Xatu to bash the Poison type with another strong Zen Headbutt.
  
  However, Crobat wasn't Koga's starter and ace for nothing. Before Xatu could hit it with another Zen Headbutt, Crobat began to plummet to the ground as it simply stopped flapping its wings, allowing it to dodge out of the way. By using gravity to move itself, Crobat was able to maintain some semblance of speed that wasn't affected by the Trick Room.
  
  Then, as Xatu readjusted and tried to punish the manoeuvre with a Psychic, Crobat released a Dark Pulse, trying to block the incoming Psychic. Instead, the Psychic actually broke through the Dark Pulse, slamming into Crobat and sending it falling faster towards the ground.
  
  Thinking that it was perfectly safe and that Crobat remained crippled by the Trick Room, Xatu chased after Crobat as it prepared a huge Psychic that looked like it would have finished off the wounded Crobat.
  
  Yet, that was when Koga gave out a surprising order.
  
  "Whirlwind downwards, Crobat! Facing the ground!"
  
  Crobat quickly did just that, beating its wings hard and unleashing a huge gust of wind. However, instead of blowing Xatu back like with a usual Whirlwind, Crobat had angled it towards the ground - propelling the Poison type upwards with incredible speed.
  
  Because this speed had nothing to do with Crobat's own mobility, and instead was completely dependent on using the force of the Whirlwind, it was therefore unaffected by the Trick Room.
  
  Taken by surprise at Crobat's sudden burst of speed and being forced to cancel its Psychic, while also having to dedicate energy and concentration to maintaining the Trick Room, Xatu wasn't able to Teleport out of the way in time as a Cross Poison slashed deeply across its frame, landing a critical hit and also infected it with a crippling injection of poison.
  
  Xatu let out a cry of pain as it instinctively released a wave of Psychic, but not before Crobat could smash a boosted Payback into the side of Xatu before it was blown back. The one-two hit of powerful attacks, combined with the poison now slowly rampaging through its insides, finally broke Xatu out of its concentration and the psychic field that composed the Trick Room began to fall apart.
  
  Now having regained its famed speed, Koga sought to finish the fight.
  
  "Brave Bird and Cross Poison! Finish it!"
  
  Crobat's body began glowing with the signature silver of a Brave Bird, and it dived forwards in a sonic blur of purple as it rushed down Xatu. On the other hand, Xatu was also able to quickly recover its concentration, and Will proved that his starter wasn't out of the fight just yet.
  
  "Mirror Image!"
  
  Xatu's form began to flicker in place for a moment, turning into a hazy blur before suddenly a small army of Xatu began to shimmer into existence all over the place, formed into place by Xatu's careful manipulation of Psychic energies. What was even more impressive was that these weren't the same as your standard illusions that you would see with a Double Team, instead, they all emitted a faint glow of Psychic power to help disguise which was the real Xatu.
  
  From where I was sitting, I had no idea which was the real one.
  
  "Whirlwind, Crobat! Disperse them!"
  
  Likely being unable to discern the real Xatu's identity either, Koga did what I would have done and decided to just clear the field entirely. With another massive flap of its wings, a huge gust of wind formed and swept away the illusions. However, unlike with a regular Double Team, the illusions weren't instantly dispersed, but rather flickered in place for a moment.
  
  That was when one of the illusions suddenly teleported behind Crobat with eyes glowing a powerful blue as it prepared a Psychic. With instincts akin to a hunter, Crobat detected this sudden threat and instantly spun around on the spot, delivering a powerful slash from an Aerial Ace at the Xatu.
  
  But the Xatu simply flickered out of existence; it had been a fake!
  
  The real one was actually just flying behind it, and this time managed to land a Thunder Wave at the unsuspecting Crobat, causing the Poison type to let out a grunt as it became paralysed. The paralysis crippled its speed, making the Crobat no longer the untouchable speeding missile it once was, and its speed was now much more manageable to handle.
  
  Yet that didn't mean the fight was secured for Xatu. Lowered speed or not, Crobat remained a threat, if a more manageable one. Worse, the poison that Xatu had been infected with had been rapidly building up as the match progressed, and was starting to become more and more of a hinderance for the Psychic type as its usual bright green look began taking on a sickly pallor.
  
  Both trainers knew that Xatu would be able to cure itself of the poison with a Rest, and Koga seemed determined to not let that happen.
  
  "Brave Bird! Down it!"
  
  Muscling through the paralysis, Crobat took on a silvery glow as it surged forwards. Expecting the attack, Xatu instantly Teleported out of the way. But Crobat was able to suddenly pivot itself in the air, turning on a dime as it relentlessly chased after Xatu.
  
  Xatu continued to Teleport around the arena, doing the same thing as it did against Koga's Venomoth as it led the Crobat around a merry chase while throwing around Psychics, Future Sights, and Air Slashes towards its pursuer. However, unlike Venomoth, not only was Crobat still faster than its predecessor even while paralysed, it was also far more potent at fending off the barrage of Psychic attacks with its efficient use of Dark Pulses and Paybacks.
  
  Combined with its incredible aerial manoeuvrability that allowed it to dive and weave around many attacks, Crobat was not going to be deterred so easily.
  
  Seeing this, Xatu dug deeper into its wide arsenal of Psychic moves to stop its pursuer. An Imprison locked Crobat in place for a brief moment, and while Crobat was able to swiftly break out with a Dark Pulse, a sudden image of Xatu with a charged up Zen Headbutt appeared right in front of it. Crobat quickly unleashed a wide slash with a Cross Poison, only to find that the image of Xatu was another illusion.
  
  The real Xatu appeared behind Crobat and blasted it with another Psychic, knocking Crobat backwards and right into a prepared Future Sight. The double hit of supereffective attacks disoriented Koga's ace, buying time for Xatu to cripple it further with a Confuse Ray.
  
  Crobat let out a pained hiss as it was now confused and paralysed, but to its credit, its eyes remained focus despite the double status afflictions. With incredible willpower, Crobat did its best to remain locked onto the Xatu, doing its best to keep up with the Psychic type in the air while striking with a wild flurry of attacks that prevented Xatu from safely Resting up and removing the poison.
  
  However, with its crippled speed and confusion, Crobat had lost much of the edge that had once made it so threatening. Crobat were ambushing Pokémon, meant for burst offenses that relied on its incredible speed to secure a victory. But in the current condition it was in, much of its strength was neutered, and its attacks had lost its once-deadly accuracy that made Crobat so threatening.
  
  Nor did it have the endurance to remain in the fight for much longer.
  
  Finally, after another Dark Pulse from Crobat went wide, it unfortunately flew towards and right into a Psychic from Xatu. That was one attack too much for the Crobat, and Koga's starter began to fall out of the sky as its eyes began to close. However, in a desperate final act of sheer willpower and discipline, it forced its eyes to remain open as it pushed itself to the limit, delivering one final slash with its wings at Xatu.
  
  ...Only to miss once again as Xatu had already Teleported away. That must have been a bitter pill to swallow as Crobat was finally knocked out of the match.
  
  It was a great victory for Will, putting the match at 5-4 in his favour, though not one that came without a cost. Crobat had inflicted significant injuries to Xatu, and it had bought time to allow the spreading poison within Xatu to tick away at its health, with its symptoms growing even more prominent - Xatu's skin had grown sickly and diseased, and even if it tried to hide it, its wing beats and Teleports were far more sluggish than when the fight first began.
  
  For all of its psychic prowess, only a Rest would allow it to purge the poison from sapping away all of its health.
  
  Unfortunately, Koga would not give him that opportunity as he immediately sent out his Ariados.
  
  At first, I wondered how an Ariados would be able to deal with a target that could fly and was as mobile as Xatu proved to be. I didn't think Ariados would have any method of reaching a target that was in mid-air.
  
  However, Koga was very quick to prove those assumptions false.
  
  "Pin Missile, Ariados. Harass it down."
  
  Ariados took up a firing position before beginning to fire off volleys of incredibly fast, and lethally sharp pins towards Xatu. They were shot out like sniper rounds, whizzing through the air like a high velocity bullet.
  
  Though they still weren't fast enough to catch Xatu, who was able to continually dodge away with a Teleport, it did manage to prevent Xatu from Resting up - which was likely Koga's intent.
  
  Ariados remained firmly focused on its mission, continuing to fire off a constant barrage of Pin Missiles that forced Xatu to dodge. Sure, the Psychic type responded with its own arsenal of counterattacks, but Ariados expertly made use of its String Shots to slingshot itself around the arena to dodge out of the way as the ground was bombarded with Psychics.
  
  Had this gone on for longer, I was confident that it would only be a matter of time before Xatu would be able to take down Ariados, since its Pin Missiles were only good for harassing and couldn't actually land a blow while there must have been something Xatu could do with its incredible movepool to catch and lock down Ariados.
  
  However, Xatu was this close to succumbing to its poison, which forced Will's hand.
  
  "Rest and heal up, Xatu!"
  
  "NOW! GET CLOSE AND FINISH IT OFF!"
  
  As soon as Xatu shut its eyes, it began to fall out of the sky as it Rested. Seeing this, Ariados rapidly skittered over to it before pouncing onto it and stabbing down hard with a vicious Leech Life. It followed that up by ruthlessly sinking its fangs deep into the sleeping Xatu, delivering another dose of deadly toxins with a Cross Poison.
  
  With Xatu still forcefully asleep, Ariados was all too happy to tear into this gift-wrapped present that was delivered right into its waiting claws. It slashed down with a flurry of attacks, striking with a ruthless series of Leech Life, Cross Poison, and Night Slashes.
  
  Despite regaining some health with Rest, there was no chance that a frail Xatu would be able to withstand and out-heal Ariados' relentless assault. At one point, Xatu's eyes actually snapped open as a particularly brutal Night Slash jolted it awake, but a Megahorn disoriented it before it could force Ariados away with a Psychic.
  
  I had no idea if Xatu had managed to Rest enough to purge the poison from itself, but it didn't matter in the end. Another Night Slash sent Xatu tumbling to the ground as it clutched painfully at its side, and both trainers knew that the fight was over.
  
  However, Will had one final parting gift for Koga.
  
  "Power Swap!"
  
  The psychic move was released and took hold in an instant, sending out a small orb of light that was absorbed by Ariados just as it finished off Xatu with a final Megahorn. Xatu finally fell, but not before detrimentally swapping around its attacking stats with Ariados.
  
  The crowd, who hadn't had the time to properly process Crobat's defeat, finally roared to life as Will's starter went down. They cheered and screamed their approval of both trainers, but unlike before, a sizeable portion had now turned their support towards Will, showering him with praise for his starter's commanding 2v1 victory.
  
  The score was now at an even 5-5. Whoever won the next round would win the entire battle.
  
  And so it was down to this. An injured Ariados from Koga versus an injured Slowking from Will.
  
  Yet, before Will moved to send out his final Pokémon, the two trainers stared each other down with a look of mutual respect.
  
  "Whatever happens, happens." Will said at last, "This was a well-fought battle. I am honoured to have you as my opponent."
  
  "Indeed." Koga agreed, "My blood has not boiled like this in excitement for some time. You have far surpassed my expectations. This has been a battle to remember."
  
  Will chuckled, though he quickly returned to his usual seriousness, "This is it then. No hard feelings between us, but let the better trainer win. I'm sorry that it has to be me."
  
  Koga only chuckled at that, and Will sent out his final Pokémon.
  
  His Slowking emerged, still wounded and badly poisoned from its previous battles against Weezing and Venomoth. Its Regenerator ability did heal it up somewhat, but far from enough to restore it to full health. It immediately tried to remedy that with a Slack Off.
  
  But Ariados wasn't just going to wait around, and it tried to latch onto it with a String Shot while also rapidly skittering its way closer to Slowking. An incoming Psychic ripped apart its String Shot, but Ariados leapt out of the way before it could also be hit.
  
  A tidal wave of Water tried to wash the Bug back, but Ariados pounced into the air to avoid the Surf...only to leap straight into a Future Sight that had been set.
  
  Ariados was thrown back by the impact, but this time it managed to throw out a String Shot that successfully latched onto Slowking. Ariados immediately used that to swing itself around and land right next to Slowking, partially deflecting a Psychic with a Night Slash before headbutting Slowking with a supereffective Megahorn.
  
  But before Ariados could follow up it was suddenly locked in place with an Imprison. It broke out with another Night Slash, but it didn't account for the surprise Fire Punch that smashed into its face.
  
  Fortunately for Ariados, it didn't get burned, and it reoriented itself and rolled to the side just as another Psychic blasted a hole in the ground where it was previously.
  
  Likely thinking that Ariados would be able to block another Psychic, and knowing Slowking had to stay on the offensive before it succumbed to its poison, rocks began levitating into the air as Slowking switched tactics and try to crush the Bug with a Power Gem. The rocks began to rain down from the sky, forming craters as they crashed into the ground, but Ariados proved its agility as it skittered across the ground, avoiding each and every rock as they fell.
  
  Realising the Power Gem wasn't effective, Slowking's eyes began to flash blue once again, but the attack came out far slower than I expected, giving Ariados enough time to interrupt it with a ferocious X-Scissor into Leech Life combo.
  
  Yet this time Slowking remained on its feet, counterattacking with a quick blast of a Water Pulse that disoriented the Ariados. Then its eyes suddenly glowed a blindingly bright blue as a huge force of Psychic energy detonated around Slowking, sending out a powerful shockwave that sent everything flying back.
  
  Ariados was no exception to this, and even its attempted String Shot was unable to shoot forwards as it too was pushed back by this forceful detonation of Slowking's psychic energies, leaving the Bug to be thrown helplessly through the air as it landed unceremoniously onto the ground.
  
  However, Slowking was in no position to follow up. In its desperation to shake off Ariados, it had expended a significant amount of his Psychic reserves in that explosion, meaning that it was temporarily out of energy.
  
  Seeing this, Ariados was the first to recover from its injuries, firing off another String Shot around Slowking's belly as it swung itself once again towards its target. At this point, the effects of the poison was growing increasingly crippling to Slowking, and its movements almost looked shambling as it failed to shrug off the Bug.
  
  Landing behind the Slowking, Ariados targeted its leg as it slashed down hard with a brutal X-Scissor, causing Slowking to stumble and fell onto its knee. Yet despite the poison flowing through it, Slowking was not Will's most defensive Pokémon for nothing.
  
  It forcefully refused to fall over, retaliating with a surprising blast of Psychic that took Ariados off-guard and knocked it back slightly. Then, a Flamethrower came out of its mouth, though Ariados had already scurried away before it could get caught up in the flames.
  
  Seeing this, Koga gave out a different order.
  
  "Keep your distance and Pin Missile."
  
  Knowing that it was only a matter of time before Slowking succumbed to the poison, Ariados fell back, creating distance as to make it harder for Slowking to hit it with a Psychic or Surf. Then, repeating what it did against Xatu, Ariados took up a firing position as it started firing off further volleys of Pin Missiles to harass Slowking while the poison did its work.
  
  But Slowking knew that if it fell, then its trainer would have lost. It knew that it was the last Pokémon standing that would determine victory or defeat. It knew that if it allowed Ariados to whittle it down, it was going to lose.
  
  Therefore, with a surge of willpower, Slowking forced itself to its feet while its eyes began to flash blue once more. A Pin Missile flew right through it as it Teleported out of the way, appearing to the side of Ariados and blasting it with the most powerful Psychic that it could muster up - a manifestation of its desire for victory.
  
  Yet last-seconds heroics was something Koga and his Pokémon were well familiar with, and so Ariados was not caught off-guard and reacted quickly, throwing itself out of the way so that it only took a glancing blow. It let out a pained cry, but it still managed to pivot on the spot and lunged towards Slowking with a Leech Life. A Future Sight detonated on the Bug mid-air, but it wasn't powerful enough to knock it away.
  
  A last-ditch Imprison tried to stop it in the air, but it just came too late. Ariados jabbed deep into Slowking with its jaws, draining it of its health before laying into Slowking with a merciless flurry of supereffective attacks.
  
  Slowking desperately tried to fend off this assault with a Protect, before realising it couldn't do so, it instead was quick to Rest up in an attempt to out-stall Ariados.
  
  But Ariados was unrelenting as it forced through its own injuries as it furiously tried to finish of Will's final Pokémon before it could heal itself up. Even as its own exhaustion and injuries dulled its claws and speed, Ariados pushed through all that as it furiously slashed down with Night Slashes and Leech Lifes, trying to manifest its own victory with each slice of its claws.
  
  However, in the end, offense proved to be the better defense. A critical hit from a Leech Life forced Slowking to awaken, and while it tried to blast Ariados away with a Psychic, the Bug type had latched on with a String Shot, allowing it to strike with one final Night Slash.
  
  Slowking stumbled backwards from the blow, and I watched as it tried to keep its eyes open as it willed itself to stay in the fight. Yet, no matter its willpower, the injuries that it had suffered had ravaged through its health, and eventually its eyes began to roll back into its head - which fell limply onto the ground.
  
  Slowking had finally fallen. And so had the dream of a reversal.
  
  Koga was the victor.
  
  "WOAH! AND SLOWKING FINALLY GOES DOWN TO KOGA'S ARIADOS, LEAVING WILL WITH NO MORE POKÉMON! THAT MEANS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT TODAY WE WELCOME OUR LATEST ELITE FOUR MEMBER. HE IS A GYM LEADER NO LONGER, FOR AFTER THIS VICTORY, HE IS NOW ELITE KOGA! GIVE IT UP FOR OUR LATEST ELITE FOUR MEMBER AND HIS AMAZING VICTORY!"
  
  And we had a new Elite Four.
  
  A.N. KOGA WINS! Just like Karen vs Sidney, I intended for this battle to be as close as possible while still highlighting both trainers' strengths, and it suffered through many rewrites as I tried to get that dynamic just right. I know that the outcome might be controversial, and there would be things people definitely would prefer if I adjust, but at the end of the day I can only do my best to maintain that balance. I hope it got it right.
  
  While the last chapter focused on Koga's strengths, just like the Interlude stated I wanted to show that Will was more than capable of standing on his own two feet. The reversal was nearly achievable, but Koga's poison types proved to just be a slight step above. However, who knows what would happen in a rematch?
  
  Nevertheless, we will dive into the consequences of this victory/defeat in the next chapter. And for those who like Will - I promise his story isn't over yet. He might have lost, but it's not over for him. I still have plans for him.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 12-4 - A Willing Departure
  
  "...So that's that then." Lorelei muttered aloud as Will's final Pokémon went down. "He's lost."
  
  "A good fight; he did not lose shamefully." Lance nodded, "His comeback was most magnificent. He should be proud regardless."
  
  "Hm, that's true, though its still cold comfort." Lorelei pointed out as she stood up, "But we should head down there to congratulate them."
  
  We all nodded and made our way down to the arena, where we ignored the cheering crowd and approached the two trainers, who were deep in conversation with each other.
  
  "Will, good job out there." I said to him, patting him on the shoulder, "That was an incredibly close battle. Very well fought."
  
  "Thank you, John." He replied sincerely.
  
  "I agree. You did well out there." Lance added, "However, if I may cut the compliments short - I would like to know about your future plans. Are you planning on making a rechallenge to try to reclaim your position in the Elite Four? I would like a heads up if you are, though you do not need to answer me now if you're not comfortable."
  
  I felt Lorelei's stare intensify as she turned to Will, listening intently to his answer.
  
  Will had fallen silent, and he closed his eyes as if deep in thought. Then he opened them up again and turned to Lorelei, "Lorelei, I think we should talk about something in private. Shall we?"
  
  Understanding his intentions, Lorelei nodded and followed Will as they walked a short distance away, far enough that we couldn't hear them. However, I didn't need to overhear them to guess that what they were talking about likely revolved around a deal between the two of them.
  
  Shaking myself of my curiosity, I turned my attention to Koga, "Sorry, I didn't mean to overlook you, Koga, but that was a good battle. I was really surprised by some of the tactics that you used."
  
  It was incredible to see just how much Koga could accomplish with the necessary preparation time. His tactics would make him a deceptively tricky trainer to fight if any were to challenge him. Of course, there was only so much that tricks could make up for lack of strength, and any sufficiently powerful trainer could brute force his way through Koga's strategies.
  
  But that was much easier said than done. If I were to battle him, who knows if he would pull off a whole new set of tricks to counter my own trio of bruisers?
  
  He let out a chuckle which took me a little by surprise, "If I hadn't made use of everything that I could, I would have never been able to beat Will." He stated, "I am well aware that my Pokémon are not renowned for their strength. It would have been too much of an uphill battle if I were to try to fight him head on - his performance with his Xatu only proves my point. Will is far from the weak link in the Elite Four that the public like to portray him as."
  
  I nodded, but seeing his unusually animated expressions was something I had to point out, "You seem a lot more enthusiastic than usual. I don't think I've seen you this expressive before, even when we invited you over to have dinner together. You were always quite stoic."
  
  My comment practically caused him to wrench his expressions back, and a stoic mask quickly adorned his face one more, "...Ah, my apologies. That was unbecoming of me. It seems like I have lost myself in the heat of battle."
  
  "No, it's fine." I waved him off amusedly, "In fact, I think your bouts of enthusiasm are quite interesting. I can't imagine how difficult it is to be stoic all the time."
  
  He snorted, "Being stoic is part of the profession. Ninjas are not meant to be expressive, after all, so keeping a tight lid on my emotions was part of my training. Not that I can always successfully suppress them - a good fight often causes my inner trainer and excitement to burst out."
  
  I nodded, "Whitney often says that Janine can be prone to bursts of enthusiasm." I chuckled, "I now see where it comes from."
  
  Koga shrugged, "I'm not ashamed of it, even if it might contrast with the public's image of me. After all, it's how I met my wife. She certainly didn't marry me because of my roguish looks."
  
  ...Was that a joke? Shit, Koga had really loosened up after that intense fight against Will. Who knew that he had such humour within him?
  
  I quite preferred it, actually.
  
  "Well don't feel like you have to put on a serious face all the time for my sake." Lance said, "I may be your Champion, but I am not Pryce. There is no need to adhere to formalities when it's just between us."
  
  "Nevertheless, congratulations for your victory, Koga." He continued, "I am very much pleased to welcome you into the ranks of the Elite Four. Your battling style is completely unique to our roster, and I think it will add a dash of contrast between our current members. At first, I had thought your reliance on poison would make your fights...boring, but I am glad to see that you have proven me wrong. Your decisiveness is something we should all strive to emulate."
  
  "Your words honour me, Champion." Koga gave off a small bow, "I am very pleased to be able to join your ranks."
  
  "Just know that your position is not secure." Lance reminded, "I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this - but understand that you will have challenges to fight in the future, as do all Elite Four. I hope you are prepared to handle them."
  
  "I am fully aware of the possibility, but they will find me no easy opponent." Koga replied firmly, "They may know of my strategies now, but knowing and countering them will be two different things. I assure you that any challengers will find their Pokémon ravaged by my poisons all the same."
  
  I agreed. With Will as a good example; he must have prepared and studies Koga's strategies extensively, yet he was still caught off-guard by them.
  
  "Do you think any of your previous peers amongst the Gym Leaders will be eager to challenge you for your position?" I asked him.
  
  "...No, I do not believe they will. At least, not without me making a blunder." He said after a moment, "Amongst the Kanto Gyms, I am confident that none will bother making the challenge as it is not in their interest to do so. Surge only challenged Lorelei because he believed her weak and because she was a Johtonian, none of which applies to me."
  
  "As for the Johto Gyms, while I am not as familiar with them as with the Kanto Gyms, I do not believe they will be making a challenge towards me, or else they would have already done so against Will or Lorelei." He said, "Out of the Johto Gyms, only Clair and Pryce possess the necessary strength to make a reasonable challenge. And neither would be willing to enter the Elite Four."
  
  I nodded at his words; they were about what I had expected as well.
  
  "You think Giovanni won't make a challenge?" Lance asked.
  
  ""No."" Both Koga and I said at the same time, though I allowed him to speak, "I have known the man for many years. He is not interested in the Elite Four, and would much rather hold his position in Viridian."
  
  A small smirk then broke through his stoic façade, "Besides, I believe the man to be quite occupied with child rearing nowadays. My daughter is friends with his son, and knowing the antics young Silver gets up to, I don't believe a change in environment and responsibilities will be very good for Giovanni's stress levels."
  
  I grinned, "I imagine so." Silver was a handful.
  
  "Well that's good. We really don't need more shuffling around in the Elite Four anytime soon, especially with Karen's challenge against Agatha coming up." Lance said, "I would much rather have a stable Elite Four."
  
  "Then you will be glad to hear that we have come to an agreement." Will's voice caught all of our attentions as we turned to him, "I will not be making a challenge against Lorelei, and instead will be bowing out gracefully for newer pastures." Lorelei nodded in support.
  
  Ah, so they did come to an agreement, "Does this have something to do with what you asked me for help before?" I asked him.
  
  "It does indeed." He confirmed, "I will not be coy. I have accepted that there was a real possibility that I would lose my position in the Elite Four, and over the past few weeks I have been thinking of the necessary contingency plans about what I should do if I lost. And therefore, Champion Lance, I have a proposal I would like to make to you."
  
  Will performed a small bow, "Please make me Gym Leader of Goldenrod. I believe that I have the necessary skills and experience to be an effective Gym Leader, and I promise I shall be a better Gym Leader than the temporary replacement you have sitting on the position now."
  
  "I concur." Lorelei quickly jumped in with her support.
  
  "Me too." I did the same. He would be far better than the political appointee that was currently running Goldenrod. While I might have only initially intended to support Will's contest performer goals, but I was equally as happy to see him as a Gym Leader. Better him than Jackson, at least.
  
  Furthermore, there were no restrictions about the Gyms having to all be specialising in different Types - it was just ideal if they were. Yet that was not something that was realistically enforceable outside of the games. So there would be no issues with both the Saffron and Goldenrod Gyms being Psychic type.
  
  Koga nodded too, "You could hardly be any worse. Jackson has done little to nothing since his appointment. The Gym Trainers are still practically running the Gym, as usual. It is almost as if we replaced Lewis with a younger, equally as 'useful', version of himself."
  
  He looked over towards Lance, "That was a very wise decision from the Committee."
  
  I snorted. I could taste the sarcasm.
  
  Lance shrugged, "He was a compromise candidate that they chose to temporarily hold the position. He was never meant to last."
  
  Then he turned back to Will, "Though...I am intrigued by this proposal. You must have thought over this for quite some time."
  
  "It was why he spoke to me, asking for my support." Lorelei said, "He told me that, in exchange for my support in nominating him as a new Gym Leader, he would hold off from making a challenge against me."
  
  "...But being a Gym Leader would still allow you to make a challenge to the Elite Four in the future." I realised.
  
  "Indeed it would." Will nodded, "And hence why I wanted the position. I admit to having become attached to my position in the Elite Four, and I would hate it if I lost the ability to fight back for the position. However, now that I have lost, I am able to acknowledge that this may be an opportunity for me to explore other pursuits outside of the Elite Four."
  
  He smiled softly, "I wanted to try my hand at being a contest performer as well. And if I was to become a Gym Leader, I could mimic the actions of the Cerulean sisters and handle both simultaneously. Likewise, as a Gym Leader, I would always be able to make a challenge to re-enter the Elite Four, should I choose to. Ultimately, I think being in the Elite Four is where I am meant to be, but I can see this departure as taking a 'prolonged break' from being in the Elite Four, and then joining back when I feel I am ready."
  
  As he said that, his soft smile faded away, replaced by steely determination, "And I can assure you that I will be ready to earn back my rightful position."
  
  "As you should be." Lance agreed approvingly, "I have always found you to be a competent and valued member of the Elite Four, Will, so I am sad to see you go. However, should you be able to maintain your strength and political insight, then I shall always be happy to welcome you back with open arms."
  
  "...Does that mean I get the position of Gym Leader?" He asked.
  
  "It's not going to be up to me - the Committee will still have to vote on it. I can't just wave my hands and give you the position." Lance shook his head, "That being said, I am happy to also recommend you for the position, though I doubt you'd need it. It will be a test of your popularity and reputation to see if they will nominate you, but from everything you have achieved in the Elite Four, I'm sure the Committee will have no problems accepting your appointment."
  
  "I agree with that assessment." Koga nodded, "Will, I would also be more than happy to provide any assistance as necessary to help you find your footing once you take up your new position as Gym Leader. You have proven yourself to be a worthy rival, and I shall eagerly await our rematch."
  
  Will's smile was all teeth, "Don't get too excited there. Because I'm not about to let you win twice in a row."
  
  Koga smiled back, the familiar excitement rushing back into his eyes, "Then stop me."
  
  Despite losing a valued member of the Elite Four, the overall mood was a happy one. Even Will himself didn't look too dejected with his departure from the Elite Four, probably because he knew that he had a easy way back in the future.
  
  I really liked the way that he took his loss, and I felt my respect for him grow. It was good that he wasn't overly bitter about his defeat and still had his head on straight to continue marching forwards even despite it.
  
  I would miss the guy; I had grown far fonder of him than I would have expected from our initial meeting. But I also thought he was going to be a great Gym Leader, and an even better contest performer, and I made sure to tell him that I truly wished him all the best in whatever endeavours he ended up pursuing.
  
  "...I look forward to the day you end up back in the Elite Four." I said to him, before breaking out into a cheeky smile. "Just so long as you don't decide to challenge me. I quite like my position and would hate to lose it."
  
  He laughed, "I might! If you ever slip up, John, then I'm going to be hunting you like a Carvanha. So you better stay as the best of us."
  
  "Speaking of Carvanha, I think those reporters over there are starving for that interview." Lorelei pointed out with a frown, "Sorry that you have to deal with this, Will. Their mockery is never fun."
  
  He let out a sigh, "It's alright. Being in the Elite Four has taught me to grow a thicker skin. I won't let their comments bother me. In fact, I'll wait patiently for the moment where I can turn things around on them. Once I make it back to the Elite Four, they won't be laughing at me any more."
  
  "I will put in a good word on your behalf. You do not deserve to be mocked for a good fight like that." Koga said, with Lorelei and I nodding in agreement, "Besides, they likely will be more interested in my politics."
  
  "Ah, we should really talk about that." Lance said, "But yes, that could be left for later. I'm sure after your battle and the interview, you are probably looking to get some rest instead of diving headfirst into politics. We can have our discussion tomorrow."
  
  It took some time for the post-match interviews to conclude, especially with all of the questions that the reporters were hoping to have answered. In these interviews, it was common for the winner to outline their plans for the future, but this time it was the loser that did so first.
  
  Will took the initiative to explain that he wouldn't be re-challenging anyone for the position in the Elite Four. Not only that, but he also outlined his intentions for becoming a contest performer and also put forwards his own nomination to become the Gym Leader of Goldenrod, citing his previous achievements for why he would be a good fit for the role. The rest of the Elite Four, and Lance, also expressed our support.
  
  That was quite the shocking announcement. Yet it also demonstrated the reputation that Will had managed to cultivate amongst the public. Because once they recovered from the shock of the announcement, the crowd cheered loudly in eager support as they expressed their excitement and approval at seeing Will as a Gym Leader.
  
  He might have lost, but only a blind person would be unable to acknowledge his prowess. He was certainly stronger of a Psychic specialist than Samson, and he certainly had the political credentials to handle the role of Gym Leader.
  
  Furthermore, the public's visible support of him, alongside ours, would make it much easier for his appointment to pass through the Committee.
  
  And that led us to today, where I was sitting patiently with the other Elite Four members, including Koga and Agatha this time, as we waited for the Committee meeting to start. Today would be Koga's proper introduction, where he would be expected to speak to the Committee and outline his short-term political goals.
  
  But since Lance had yet to arrive, the Elite Four and I spent the time making some small talk.
  
  "You know I didn't think you had it in you to enter the Elite Four." Agatha smirked, "I thought you were like Giovanni, content to remain and laze around as a Gym Leader."
  
  "Circumstances change." Koga replied calmly, but then he deliberately turned his head towards Agatha, "I did not think you were one to pick up an apprentice either, with how confident you were in your own strength and legacy. But here you are."
  
  Oh shit. He was firing back.
  
  Agatha snorted, seemingly unbothered by the comment as she continued to needle Koga, "And you left your young daughter to be Gym Leader? That's hardly responsible."
  
  "She has my confidence to succeed." He said simply, "Does your apprentice have yours?"
  
  Agatha crossed her arms, "Did you think I would have approved of her plan if I wasn't confident?"
  
  "Then there's little else to say." Koga nodded slowly, "I wish you all the best in your upcoming challenge. After all that you have done for Indigo, you deserve the retirement. I look forward to seeing you lose."
  
  Oh fuck. Lorelei and I shared a look of surprise at the fact that someone actually managed to push back against Agatha's taunting, and the fact that he was actually getting under her skin a little. That might be more impressive than winning against Will!
  
  I was fully content with letting this play out, since watching Agatha lose her composure was a rare sight, and because I could tell that there was no real hostility between him and Agatha. Unfortunately, Lorelei decided to play peacemaker.
  
  "Your daughter must be happy for you, right?" She said to Koga, blatantly changing the topic, "I hope you guys had a good celebration."
  
  "We had a simple one." Koga replied, "We had other commitments on our time. But I intend to have something more elaborate to celebrate her ascension as Gym Leader, even if it is only in name. She will still have a regent overseeing her, after all. But thank you for asking."
  
  "Did your Gym Leader colleagues congratulate you as well?" Lorelei also asked.
  
  "Many did; more than I was expecting." He admitted, "Though perhaps I should have expected the response. My ascension also bodes well for them, as it shows that being a Gym Leader doesn't mean you are inferior to the Elite Four in terms of strength. In a way, my victory is a good thing for their image."
  
  He snorted, "It's probably why I received so many compliments in the first place."
  
  Lance then walked into the room, but what was surprising was that Will was next to him. Giving us a cheerful wave, he sat down next to us.
  
  I felt that it was only natural that he did so.
  
  "I think you've sat down in the wrong area." Agatha taunted, probably trying to regain some of her lost pride after that exchange with Koga, "This is for the Elite Four only."
  
  "Mhm. And this will be the final time I'm here for the foreseeable future. Apologies if I take liberties." Will smiled back as he brushed off her taunts.
  
  He turned to stare at the rest of the Committee, "Ah, I definitely won't miss these."
  
  "I thought you enjoyed being in these meetings." Lorelei raised an eyebrow, "You certainly pay more attention than the rest of us."
  
  "Well, it's no different than the usual business meetings I'm used to. But all this bickering does wear down even my patience." He admitted, "I'll be glad to be free of these ones. At least when I'm Gym Leader I'll only have to handle meetings with those that work for me."
  
  "Oh? You sound confident that you'd be selected." Agatha began.
  
  "-The Committee would be foolish to not vote for him." Koga interrupted, "The public would denounce them if they ever passed on Will just to keep Jackson in the position."
  
  I nodded in agreement. Will really didn't have to do ANY persuading. With his popularity, the Committee members would be committing political suicide if they DIDN'T vote for him. His appearance today was more of a formality than anything else.
  
  Our conversation came to an end as Lance began his speech, "Ladies and Gentlemen, today we welcome the new Elite Koga into the ranks of the Elite Four. Please give a huge round of applause for Koga and his magnificent victory to earn his place into our ranks!"
  
  The applause was appropriately polite as Koga performed a short bow to everyone.
  
  "Let this be yet another reminder that a spot is always available to you in the Elite Four so long as you are able and willing to fight for it. So for the other Gym Leaders, do not hesitate to make a challenge if you believe that you have the strength to ascend to the Elite Four - we look forward to seeing you at your greatest!" Lance stated, "However, today is the day for Koga, and I shall now give him the floor to explain his future plans and proposals."
  
  Koga began after giving a quick thanks to Lance, "...Now that we have formed the new region of Indigo, combining both Kanto and Johto together, it is especially important that we ensure that the storied pasts of our regions are not forgotten amidst the tide of reform and change, and that our rich history is to be preserved and protected for the generations to come..." He then went on to explain the same things as he had previously explained to Lance and I, with how he wanted to ensure the protection of the important cultures of our region.
  
  Overall, it wasn't something overly exciting to the Committee, though his namedrop of his collaboration with both Gym Leader Erika and the Kimono Girls got a few surprised gasps from the Committee. Beyond that, he basically laid out his first proposal to ensure the preservation and protection of certain cultural landmarks within Indigo, and how he wanted to give power to the cities to nominate a specific building or landmark with sufficient cultural significance that they wished to have preserved. Then, the Committee would vote on whether to approve its preservation.
  
  Given that I already knew what to expect from Koga, I had nothing to really be concerned about with what he was proposing - they didn't affect my political interests. I was mostly just thinking about what kinds of cultural landmarks or buildings, if any, that Cerulean City had that needed to be preserved.
  
  I was coming up a little blank...would the contest halls count? Eh, that was probably something to discuss with mayor Henry.
  
  Sure enough, after Koga was done with his speech, and after the Committee were allowed their 'discussions', the vote took place straight away and ended up passing it through. Like I had suspected, the traditionalists were happy to support such a policy, and it was inoffensive enough that the others didn't mind.
  
  Plus, it was very rare for the first proposal of an Elite Four to be rejected, since everyone wanted to build a good rapport with the incoming member.
  
  Seeing his proposal pass, Koga nodded and then followed up with a proposal made on behalf of Ecruteak City, "...Following the passing of my proposal, Ecruteak City has already nominated for Burned Tower to be preserved in its current state. In their place, I wish to place this matter to the Committee to vote upon immediately."
  
  "Wait, so they wish for Burned Tower to remain burned down?" Someone asked confusedly.
  
  "That is right." Koga confirmed, "The tower being burnt is an important historical event and deserves to be preserved. Therefore, the goal is to make sure that the Burned Tower is acknowledged as an important cultural site throughout Indigo, and that it retains the relevant legal protections to prevent its demolishment or alteration from its current burned state. Hence why we are also going to ensure that it stays structurally sound."
  
  No one really had a problem with that, and it was swiftly approved. Plus, it probably also helped that the Burned Tower was one of the most significant cultural landmarks in Johto. Its approval was likely a no-brainer. Other proposals might not be so smooth sailing.
  
  After that was done, it was Will's turn. He reiterated his desire to become a Gym Leader, and he listed out all of his many positive traits that would make him a good one. Seeing him making a speech like that, standing confidently in front of the Committee, caused a pang of melancholy to shoot through me.
  
  As much as I knew he would succeed as a Gym Leader, I would have still wanted him to stay if it was possible. I obviously didn't blame Koga for replacing him, but I would have loved it if we could have both simultaneously.
  
  Overall, like I suspected, his acceptance was a mere formality, and he was soon appointed to become the new Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, to the cheers of all of us from the Elite Four. Even Agatha clapped politely for him.
  
  "Better him than the useless waste of space that we have currently taking the spot." She said, though I could tell she also approved of Will - if begrudgingly.
  
  As we all clapped, I stared at Will's smiling face as he basked in the applause. Despite my earlier melancholy, I still shot him an approving smile.
  
  He might be leaving, but I knew he would be back one day - stronger than ever before.
  
  A.N. Yes, Will has now become Gym Leader of Goldenrod! I know many were disappointed with his loss to Koga, but I would never allow Will to simply fade out into nothing. I was very glad to see that many were rooting for Will, and I very much wanted him to stay relevant to this story as a recurring side character.
  
  Like it was mentioned many times in the chapter, Will being a Gym Leader is basically giving him the opportunity to explore new things, while also retaining his ability to rechallenge into the Elite Four whenever he wants. He will be back one day! Hope you enjoyed the direction that I've taken him!
  
  And with Koga, I wanted to highlight a different aspect of his personality rather than just 'cool ninja'. In the games, he's actually quite expressive in his dialogue, and I wanted to show that off more. So expect to see a slightly more casual and expressive side to Koga, who doesn't always have to be super stoic.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-4 - Interlude - Will
  The New Normal - 12-4 - Interlude - Will & Janine
  
  (Will POV)
  
  Making sure that his appearance was as immaculate as ever, he confidently strode into the Goldenrod Gym - the first time that he had done so in many years. The last time he was here, he had fought the Gym Leader as a fresh-faced and naïve challenger. Since then, he had won the Indigo Conference, became an Elite Four, and now he was the Gym Leader.
  
  He had come very far since those old days.
  
  Putting away such nostalgic thoughts for now, he made sure to give the right first impression to the Gym Trainers that had been patiently awaiting for his arrival. He noted that many were giving him measuring looks, even as they bowed to him, as if they were trying to judge his competence.
  
  He smirked inwardly. By the end of the day, he would make sure that they would have nothing to complain about.
  
  "Thank you all for welcoming me here, and for your service to the Gym thus far. It is an honour to be serving as your Gym Leader." He greeted them, and then made a show of shaking everyone's hand, one by one. It was only after the proper formalities were seen to that he continued.
  
  "I understand that things have been quite tumultuous for everyone here, with the constant changing of the Gym Leaders. However, I promise that there shouldn't be any more drastic changes with my appointment, at least not for the worst." He grinned cheekily, "And I deeply look forward to working with you all, especially since I was told that you all were basically running the Gym in the place of your previous Gym Leaders - a splendid effort, if I must say."
  
  He added a touch of flattery at the end, which seemed to work as a small but proud smile spread across a few of the Gym Trainers' faces.
  
  "We understand, Gym Leader Will." The person he recognised was the Head Gym Trainer told him, and he was inwardly very pleased to hear 'Gym Leader' put in front of his name, "Goldenrod has managed to weather the storm of bad leadership, with Lewis too apathetic to care and Jackson caring for little else other than the title."
  
  The Head Gym Trainer's eyes met his, "But we're now hoping that we can truly flourish under yours."
  
  Don't disappoint us like they did, was what was implied but not said aloud. He didn't miss it, and he nodded his head towards the Head Gym Trainer, acknowledging the message.
  
  "I will do my utmost to ensure that this is the case." He stated firmly, "I already have several plans in mind about how we can remove ourselves from this pit of stagnancy that we've found ourselves in. However, before we begin, I'll need a rundown of the current situation."
  
  His Gym Trainers all nodded, and they met up again in his new office (which he really needed to redecorate, this was way too plain and old for someone of his station) where he was given a summary of the Goldenrod Gym's current status.
  
  The good news was that he could instantly tell that his Gym Trainers were all very competent, and they had done a remarkable job of holding the fort down despite the incompetence of their past two Gym Leaders. Most importantly, they had managed to preserve a healthy stock of Gym Pokémon on hand, ensuring that they wouldn't have any problems for the start of the next circuit.
  
  Their competence and diligence was probably helped by the fact that many of his Gym Trainers were long-time locals of Goldenrod, and were determined to ensure that the Gym remained a place of pride for the city itself.
  
  He thanked Arceus that both Lewis and Jackson had not randomly decided to fire such hard-working and effective employees. Which meant that, at the very least, he didn't need to hire a whole new set of Gym Trainers. The current ones could be trusted.
  
  Unfortunately, that was where the good news ended. While the Gym was still balancing the books budget-wise, its reputation had slowly gone down the toilet. And that was further worsened when the dirty laundry of Lewis' shameful eviction and the subsequent and unpopular political appointment of Jackson was aired to the public.
  
  For a Gym that was located in such a prime location, being in one of the most prosperous cities of Johto, it was embarrassing how much of a disappointment it was in comparison.
  
  He frowned; it seemed like he was going to have to put in a lot of work to turn this situation around for the Goldenrod Gym - he couldn't just rely on his existing reputation and appointment to salvage the Gym's reputation. Fortunately for the Gym, he wasn't going to be intimidated by the task ahead of him. His friends in the Elite Four might not like dealing with the minutiae of politics, but he was all too happy to dive into it.
  
  He took out a pen and paper to jot down his thoughts. First things first, he had to meet with the mayor of Goldenrod and establish himself as a trustworthy ally in the joint management of the city. Lewis had stupidly isolated the Gym from the workings of the local council, which Will needed to reverse. That would at least earn some of the confidence back for the Gym and reaffirm some of their political power in local politics and make it easier for any future proposals they made.
  
  Then, he needed to reach out to his usual business contacts to see if there was anyone interested in funding the renovation of the Gym. The Gym didn't actually need renovations, but he knew how important it was to send the right kind of message to the public - that they were dispersing with the old and ushering in the new.
  
  A new and fresh look for the Gym would go a long way to repair their reputation.
  
  He also wrote down a note to host some kind of small tournament in the city, where anyone would be allowed to challenge him to a battle. That was to both remind the world that the Goldenrod Gym was now under new and proactive leadership, and also to prove that he had the strength necessary to be an effective Gym Leader.
  
  The rest of the afternoon disappeared as he coordinated, discussed, and executed these plans with his Gym Trainers. By the time the sun had set, his Gym Trainers were now looking at him with significantly more respect, which reassured Will that he had given off the first impression that he wanted.
  
  However, there was one more thing he wanted to do before he got off work for the day.
  
  "Do you have the number for the Waterflower sisters?" He asked one of his aides, who promptly passed over a number. He quickly dialled them up.
  
  A voice answered, "Hello, this is the Cerulean Gym. You are speaking with Petrel, how may I help you?"
  
  "Nice to meet you Petrel. I'm Gym Leader Will, and I hope I can speak to the Waterflower sisters? I'd like to ask them a few questions about contests." He said.
  
  "Oh? It's an honour Elite - I mean, Gym Leader Will." Petrel corrected himself, "And yes, the girls would love to speak with you. Can I ask what you'd like to talk to them about regarding these contests?"
  
  "Well, you see, I've always had aspirations of being a contest performer." He explained, "And I've been a big fan of theirs for quite some time. Their performances are always very creative and absolutely worth watching. Therefore, I'd like to pick their minds a bit about being a performer and setting up a contest hall, amongst other things."
  
  "Ah, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear that." Petrel chuckled, "Let me just forward your call."
  
  A short moment later, and Will was greeted with the excited voices of all the Waterflower sisters, "Gym Leader Will, it's so nice of you to call! We heard you wanted to talk about contests, so what would you like to know? We'd be happy to talk to you about anything! You know we were actually planning on..."
  
  As he listened to the ecstatic ramblings of the sisters, another smile formed on his face. Yes, being a Gym Leader was a new thing for him, but he was happy to do it.
  
  And he would drag both the Gym and himself to glory. The future ahead of them was bright.
  
  (Janine POV)
  
  "You need to give your father our congratulations!" Whitney said cheerfully to her. "That was such a good battle from him!"
  
  The others nodded in agreement, while she herself beamed with daughterly pride about her father's victory. She had obviously always known that her father was strong, but she had practically screamed her throat hoarse when she watched him fight against Will.
  
  He had put everything that he had taught her to use - finding every advantage that he could to bring down Will. She was especially excited when he went for a risky, but ultimately successful, assassination of Will's Gardevoir with his own Crobat. That was an excellent use of momentum.
  
  She wished she could do what he did some day.
  
  Aside from Whitney, Sabrina and her parents were also here to congratulate her for her father's victory and her resulting ascension to Gym Leader. But more importantly, they were here to make sure said transition to become the new Gym Leader of Fuschia (there would still be a regent, but it was still a 'promotion' for her anyways) was going smoothly.
  
  "I'm sure a celebratory meal can be arranged for that very purpose." Sabrina's mom smiled, "Koga can find the time for it in the future - even if he's busy now. And after that performance, he very much deserves one."
  
  She nodded. Right now her father wasn't here - he was in a meeting with Gym Leader Erika about something. But he had promised her a proper celebration for her 'ascension' sometime soon.
  
  That was just like him to prioritise celebrating her 'achievement' over his own.
  
  "Anyways, that's enough about your father. We can discuss this more when he's here." Samson interrupted, "How are you feeling Janine? I know that this responsibility of being Gym Leader was suddenly placed on you. Koga did say you were prepared, but being prepared and feeling prepared are two different things. Trust me, I'm very familiar with this."
  
  "Father has given me the support necessary to ensure the continued successful management of the Gym." She reassured them, "Although I do not feel like I deserve to be Gym Leader yet, I trust that father's previous assistants will be able to support me."
  
  Next to her, their Head Gym Leader, who had been standing silently until now, performed a short nod in response to her words. Inwardly, she was relieved that he was here to help - he had been at the Gym for as long as father had, and she felt reassured that she had him to lean on if she needed the help.
  
  Not only that, but several of the veteran Gym Trainers here had practically raised her as family alongside her father. She knew that she could trust them.
  
  "Just don't forget that you can always ask for help when you need it." Samson smiled at her, "I'm sure that your father's Gym Trainers will help you through it, but you can always ask us if you need our support as well."
  
  "Thank you for the offer, but I trust that I should be fine." She replied. They proceeded to converse for a bit longer, but eventually a polite cough from the Head Gym Trainer told her that she had to cut the conversation short to attend to her other duties.
  
  She reconvened with all of the Gym Trainers back in 'her' office. Admittedly, it felt weird calling it her office - she still felt it belonged to her father.
  
  However, as she sat down, she could feel the weight of the combined stares and expectations of every Gym Trainer coming her way. Even though she was only technically in charge of the Gym, they still wanted to take her measure - to see if she had the spine and willpower necessary to steer their Gym to further successes.
  
  But even as she felt their expectations weigh down on her, she would not hide away meekly from her responsibilities. She might have taken over the Gym earlier than she had expected, but she had always anticipated and prepared for such a day coming.
  
  So she met those stares with a firm one of her own, her back straightening as she sat confidently in her father's chair.
  
  "Are you ready, Janine?" Her Head Gym Trainer asked her, and she nodded dutifully.
  
  It was time to live up to her father's legacy. It was time to begin her service to Fuschia City.
  
  A.N. I wanted to wrap up most of the new Gym Leaders that were taking up their new places in the world and highlight just how well they're both settling into their new positions. Will is, frankly, rather overqualified for his role, and I hope that showed with how fast he started making plans for the Gym. Likewise, Janine has an excellent support group around her, and she is very much her father's daughter. She won't disappoint. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  The New Normal - 12-5 - Visitors from Sinnoh
  
  A few days had passed since Will's appointment as the newest Gym Leader of Goldenrod as well as Koga's ascension into the Elite Four, and things were smoothly sailing along. Koga already had a long-time established reputation as a Gym Leader, and thus it wasn't difficult for many to accept him as an Elite Four member. Likewise, with Will's established strength and reputation as an ex-Elite Four, him settling in as a Gym Leader was far from difficult.
  
  And while I hadn't received every detail from Will, I had heard that he had already established a solid foundation for the Gym and was in the process of revitalising and restoring its former reputation.
  
  I kept a mental note to catch up with him again in the future. Despite no longer being in the Elite Four, there was no reason for our friendship to fall apart because of that. Furthermore, there was every chance that he would rejoin us in the future.
  
  Aside from Koga and Will's ascensions into their new roles, the other topic that had everyone buzzing in discussion was that Cynthia had confirmed to me that she would be on her way from Sinnoh to visit Indigo.
  
  Obviously, I couldn't be any happier about that.
  
  That was why we were now gathered at Vermillion City, next to the ports, where we were awaiting the arrival of the visitors from Sinnoh. Agatha was here today, but unlike me, she clearly would rather be anywhere else. And she made sure to make that known.
  
  "I don't know why you insisted that I had to be here. I'm sure John has enough excitement for the both of us." She grumbled.
  
  "It'd be strange if you were absent." Lorelei replied, "People might talk about it."
  
  "Bah, let them talk." She said dismissively, "Besides, isn't everyone going to be talking about John and Cynthia reuniting like a long lost couple? There won't be space in their headlines for me."
  
  "Oh, I nearly forgot about that." Lorelei smirked at me, "No wonder you're so happy."
  
  I shrugged, not letting their teasing get to me, "I'd be a pretty poor boyfriend if I wasn't this excited to see her again."
  
  But then I remembered something and let out a grin of my own as I turned to Lorelei, "...Still, is it me, or are you also quite excited to see a certain glasses wearing Elite Four member from Sinnoh? From what I remember, you two spent a lot of time together..."
  
  "-Shush, you." Lorelei huffed, "I didn't think I had to correct your memory, but the two of us were merely working together professionally. Just because we spent a lot of time together doesn't mean anything."
  
  "I mean, I spent a lot of time with Cynthia and we ended up dating." I shrugged intentionally, "So clearly there's some correlation."
  
  Then I patted her playfully on the shoulder, "Hey, now that I've set the precedent, there's no harm in pursuing a relationship with Lucian if that's what you want to do. Cynthia and I have already shown that an inter-regional relationship is possible."
  
  Lorelei threw off my arm and shot me a glare, "Stop making assumptions. We're just friends."
  
  I just laughed. Truthfully, I didn't actually know if Lorelei had a crush on Lucian or not, but I didn't think I was mistaken about that specific gleam in her eye that she had when she spoke about him
  
  "I think we should refocus our attention on our visitors." Koga spoke up as he gestured forward with his head, "They are about to arrive."
  
  Sure enough, the ship carrying the visitors and delegates from Sinnoh arrived into the port. We all fell silent as the ramp extended and our visitors descended from their ship.
  
  Of course, at the front of the pack, was Cynthia. My smile grew even wider as I saw my girlfriend in person. For a brief moment, our eyes met each other, and the two of us shared a quick smile before she turned her attention to her fellow Champion.
  
  "Champion Lance, thank you for welcoming us to your region." She said politely, "We have a lot to discuss."
  
  "I'm sure we do." He greeted back, "And Elite Lucian, it's a pleasure to meet you again."
  
  "Likewise, Champion." Lucian nodded, "And Lorelei, John, it's good to see you both in good health. And Elite Koga, congratulations on your ascension. How is Will doing?"
  
  "Will is fine. I believe he is happy with his new place as Gym Leader." Koga replied.
  
  "That's good, I ought to meet up with him when I'm here." Lucian smiled, "He was a great conversationist when he came over to Sinnoh. We really should catch up."
  
  The introductions continued along similar lines, with Cynthia and Lucian introducing themselves to the rest of the Elite Four. Agatha was, for once, not as prickly as she usually was and responded rather politely to their greetings.
  
  Then, with the introductions done, photos were taken, and then we escorted them to where they would be staying during their time in Indigo as we moved to the nearby hotel. It was the same hotel as we had offered to the original Sinnoh delegations - consisting of Cynthia's grandmother and her accompanying scientists - all the way back then, but the place had clearly been redecorated and renovated for more official use.
  
  It wasn't as grand the last time I was here, but I supposed they needed to up the grandeur if this was to be the place to host foreign dignitaries. To be honest, this was already too grand for me, and all the luxuries on display was almost too gaudy to look at.
  
  Give me my home or my room in Celestic Town any time over this.
  
  Either way, that was none of my business, and after Lance had completed the necessary formalities of showing our guests around, we reconvened in one of the meeting rooms as we finally began our discussions.
  
  Lance started us off, "So, I've heard a little bit about your plans to create something that would tie our regions more formally together. Why don't you go into more detail regarding that?"
  
  "Certainly." Cynthia nodded, "Like I alluded to before, I have been laying the foundations for a plan to create an inter-regional organisation that would help foster and promote cooperation between us. The way that this organisation shall accomplish this is by laying out and formalising, in the written word, our terms of cooperation."
  
  Lance nodded and gestured for Cynthia to continue, "We propose that the three regions share the following policies: open borders, the free transfer and access to Pokémon, and International Police support. Having these policies formalised and agreed upon by all three regions will serve as an excellent foundation to ensure our cooperation will be maintained long into the future."
  
  I inwardly smiled as I listened to her words. These terms may seem basic, but ensuring that our regions will have their borders open for both trainers and Pokémon was paramount for preventing regions from becoming isolationist once again, which was something that I hoped to avoid.
  
  "Is that all? I thought you would push for more to be collectively agreed?" Lorelei asked.
  
  "No, we've discussed this, and we thought that this would serve as an effective baseline for what we should agree upon as a collective." Lucian stated, "If we try to propose too much, for example regarding policies to do with trade, then we risk making things too rigid. Our respective Committees need to agree to this, after all. So it's better to start off simple."
  
  "I agree." Lance said, "This idea is still very new; we should implement ideas slowly rather than all at once."
  
  "Speaking of which, do you have a name for this inter-regional organisation?" He asked Cynthia.
  
  She nodded, "I do. I propose for it to be called the Regional Union, or RU for short."
  
  Agatha scoffed, "I thought you would call it something more grandiose."
  
  "No, simple is better." Lance disagreed, "And I don't mind the name. Unless Wallace has any objections, I think we'll run with it. Speaking of which, I assume you have already spoken to him about this and asked for his thoughts?"
  
  "Yes, we've given him a small summary, but not in as much detail. We planned on doing that shortly after we explained things to you." Cynthia explained, "Between the three of us, Lance, we could jump on a conference call to him to hash out the details informally."
  
  "I'll pass on the message." Lance nodded, "Let's try for tomorrow - that way we can get everything announced before you leave."
  
  Cynthia gave her agreement to that, and then the discussions regarding the Regional Union continued for a little while longer. After that, we moved onto less political and more casual discussions.
  
  Cynthia gave us an outline of her plans of what she would be doing when she was here, which included a lot of interviews with several of Indigo's most prominent news agencies, visits to Gyms, meetings with Committee members, and so on. Like she had told me previously, she really didn't have much free time on her hands.
  
  However, as merely the accompanying Elite Four member, Lucian had far more free time. And I definitely didn't miss the way that Lorelei visibly perked up when she heard that.
  
  "...So, if and when you do have some free time, what are you both going to spend it on?" She asked the both of them, "Are you just going to be casually touring around the place?"
  
  Cynthia smiled, "I do, but I already have a tour guide in mind." She gave me a pointed look, "I'm sure he'll be willing to accommodate."
  
  "I'm just happy to repay the favour." I chuckled.
  
  "Yes, so I'll be left all by my lonesome." Lucian said with false sadness, "How cruel for my Champion to leave me all alone..."
  
  "I would be happy to show you around." Lorelei offered, possibly a little too quickly. I couldn't help but smirk teasingly when she did so, and the rest of my colleagues from Indigo were quick to catch on joined in with their own subtle looks.
  
  Lorelei pointedly ignored us, "...That is, if you don't have anything else in mind."
  
  "No, I've not got any plans. So thank you. I'll take you up on that." He smiled back, apparently unaware of our teasing.
  
  "Actually, speaking of which, I did hope to fight a few battles while I was here." Lucian continued, "I know Flint had the opportunity to fight against you, John, but I missed out. So I'd like to correct that - and would love for an opportunity to battle either one or all of you. Whatever works."
  
  I nodded, "I don't mind."
  
  "Me neither." Lorelei added, "It's been a while since I've had to fight a 1v1 battle against a tough opponent; I'd be happy to be yours."
  
  "Likewise." Koga nodded. "I would like to see how different you would fare compared to Will."
  
  "Actually, that reminds me." Lance spoke up, shooting a look at Cynthia, "Cynthia. We have yet to battle each other, haven't we."
  
  "We haven't." Cynthia confirmed with a nod.
  
  "Excellent. Then let us not waste this opportunity." He grinned excitedly, "While it might not be appropriate for Champions to battle each other, there is no need for the public to know about our duel. We could have it in a private setting, away from prying eyes. I've always to test our starters against each other."
  
  "I am certain you will be most impressed." She smirked in reply, "You should not get too arrogant. Your starter has already lost once to my boyfriend, so perhaps we can make this a 2-0 against you."
  
  He laughed, "We'll certainly see about that. Just let me know a time and place, and I will be there."
  
  As the conversations continued, I inwardly chuckled in amusement at how eager everyone was for battling. Even though we had all ascended to the pinnacle of the Trainer world, we had never shed our desire for battle. And having a powerful trainer that you could freely practice against was too good of an opportunity for any of us to pass up.
  
  "Also, I didn't forget, but good luck on your battle against your apprentice, Agatha." Cynthia said to her, "We will be watching your battle with great interest."
  
  "Hmph, I was surprised you remembered, considering all this talk about battling I had thought you had forgotten about dear old me." She cackled, "Still, your words are appreciated."
  
  "We hope that your battle will be as exciting as the one between Koga and Will." Lucian said.
  
  She scoffed, "Naturally. I would not expect anything less between myself and someone I personally trained. You can be assured you will be suitably impressed."
  
  Cynthia then turned to me, "Is Karen available at the moment? I'd love to see her, actually."
  
  I was about to respond before Lucian politely coughed, "Cynthia, I think you have a few other meetings to attend to before you can go off on your own free time." He reminded politely, "As much as it might pain you, it's best to get those sorted out first before doing anything else."
  
  She gave off a cute little pout (in my eyes) before sighing, "Fine, fine. I'll deal with those first." Then she slumped exaggeratedly back into her seat, to my amusement.
  
  "And on that note, I have your other delegates to meet as well." Lance said as he stood up, "So I'm going to end this meeting here. You know where to find me if you need me. Otherwise, and once again, I hope you enjoy your stay here. I'm sure you'll find our region to hold the same level of beauty as yours."
  
  After the meeting broke up, I found myself with a block of free time where I had nothing really to do, since I had chosen to be temporarily more hands-off with politics to let things cool down for a moment.
  
  Usually, I would spend this time training up and/or sparring against Karen, but she was obviously unavailable for the moment as she was preparing for her battle against Agatha. Therefore, instead of merely having my Pokémon spar against each other, I decided to catch two Pidgey with one Pokéball and headed to the Cerulean Cave.
  
  I realised that I hadn't actually explored the cave myself, which was an oversight from me. I partially blamed my busy schedule and my commitments, so now was a good time to make up for that. Therefore, without allowing anything else to distract me, I proceeded to head straight to the Cerulean Cave.
  
  It didn't take me long to get through the various ID and strength checks; my strength wasn't going to ever be in doubt, they just had to make sure that I actually remembered to pack my Pokémon and enough equipment and food in case of an emergency.
  
  But with that out of the way, I quickly headed down to the deeper levels of the cave, out of sight of the many Ace Trainers and tourists that were visiting at this time of day. I did bump into a few other cave divers, but with the poor lighting of the cave, I don't think they recognised who I was.
  
  After all, a trainer using a Clefable wasn't THAT uncommon of a sight. Not when we were right next to Mt. Moon.
  
  However, the sightings of other trainers decreased as I continued further down, until they disappeared entirely once we reached the lowest levels of Cerulean Cave.
  
  Once there, I released the 'weaker' members of my team, consisting of Ornstein, Euphie, Pixel, and Wraith, and proceeded to give them their instructions.
  
  "Okay team, listen up." I spoke to them, "There are a lot of strong wild Pokémon here, as close to your level of strength as you're going to get. I want all of you to split up and challenge them to a fight; right now, what most of you lack is experience fighting other Pokémon that aren't on our team. So, this is a chance to get some experience with fighting a larger variety of Pokémon so that you can build up your instincts without me directly commanding you."
  
  They nodded as I continued, "I want you to fight as cleanly as possible. You are supposed to be stronger than them, so I expect clean victories. No messy fights, and try to avoid trading blows if you can avoid it. Do you understand me?"
  
  My Pokémon all expressed their agreement and shot off as per my instructions. Normally, sending out your Pokémon alone like that might be quite the risk, especially against wild Pokémon of this level of strength, but I remained confident that my Pokémon would be up to the task. This wasn't borne out of arrogance, but rather the knowledge that I had trained up my Pokémon sufficiently enough to be able to handle the current level of threats.
  
  Just to stay safe, I released Klaus so that he could use his psychic senses to identify if one of my Pokémon ever got into a spot of trouble. I also sent out both Tyrant and Klee as my bodyguards while I hung back, since it wasn't really realistic of me to follow after them when they all went in different directions.
  
  Plus, Tyrant's sheer aura of intimidation was far too strong. Bringing him along would simply scare everyone off.
  
  Of course, just because I wasn't able to directly see how my Pokémon were doing didn't mean that I wasn't able to get progress updates from them as time passed. As we had trained up, my Pokémon understood the need to report back to me every once in a while and also to touch up on any wounds that they might have picked up.
  
  From what I observed and from what my Pokémon told me, it appeared that my Pokémon (except for Wraith, as he had previously been a wild Pokémon for most of his life) initially struggled with the unusual level of aggression and almost utter disregard for potential counterattacks that the wild Pokémon displayed, giving their attacks a very different edge compared to your typical trained Pokémon.
  
  That really messed with my Pokémon's trained instincts. Even Wraith was a little unused to it, having not sparred against wild Pokémon in some time now.
  
  However, once they adapted to that, I was happy to say that they were beginning to rack up valuable experience as they took down a large variety of different wild Pokémon of all different Types, all of which were at least strong enough to prove somewhat challenging for them since I wasn't there to command them and they were forced to rely on their own instincts.
  
  This was excellent training for their combat decision-making abilities.
  
  Satisfied with the progress we made today, I was preparing to wrap everything up and begin venturing back up to the surface and had just returned my 'weaker' members into their Pokéballs when I was suddenly approached by a lone Pokémon.
  
  That wasn't strange in it of itself, as I had been approached by many wild Pokémon while I was idling about in the cave. However, every single one of them instantly reconsidered their decision when Tyrant let out a menacing growl.
  
  Their honed survival instincts demanded no less.
  
  But my eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when I actually got a better look at just what had decided to approach me. I took stock of its elongated tongue, and its unusually yellow skin colouration.
  
  It was a shiny Lickitung.
  
  That was already incredibly surprising it in of itself - shiny Pokémon were extremely rare, and highly treasured by breeders alike since breeding a shiny gave you a greater chance of hatching another. However, shiny or not, I had expected this Lickitung to instantly run away once it had caught on to Tyrant's aura of intimidation.
  
  Yet it didn't - despite not even being evolved - and instead continued to approach me even after Tyrant let out another menacing growl. It was either brave or foolish, and I was having a hard time deciphering which one it was. I was already thinking about catching it for being a shiny, perhaps to sell or to keep it around for future use as a breeder, but now I was starting to consider something else for it.
  
  So I decided to test it.
  
  With a slight nudge to Tyrant, he leaned forwards, punching his fists together as he loomed over the Lickitung. Then he slammed his fists into the ground, causing the surroundings around us to shake as the cave violently reacted to his display of raw power.
  
  I didn't miss the way that Lickitung slightly flinched at Tyrant's menacing approach. However, more admirably than that, it quickly recovered and took a step forwards, meeting Tyrant's glare with one of its own as it prepared itself for a fight.
  
  Understanding my intentions, Tyrant let out a fearsome roar as his fist shot out like a bullet, throwing a lightning quick punch straight towards Lickitung that just barely missed its head and shattered the wall behind it.
  
  Without any hesitation, the Lickitung took the opportunity and instantly charged forwards, throwing a punch of its own that smashed into Tyrant's face...and did absolutely nothing.
  
  But, impressively enough, the Lickitung immediately jumped back as soon as it realised it wasn't strong enough, allowing it to narrowly dodge out of the way as Tyrant swung his other fist around.
  
  Of course, Tyrant had intentionally missed those attacks. There was no way a Lickitung, even if it was stronger than the usual fare of wild Pokémon you would typically see, could actually out speed him. Yet it was not this Lickitung's speed or strength that had caught my eye.
  
  It was its bravery.
  
  Despite the terrifying aura that Tyrant must be radiating, it still took the chance to challenge him. It didn't let its fear overcome it, which is probably what allowed it to survive in such hostile environments while not having even been evolved into a Lickilicky yet.
  
  That was also a bit surprising, considering that Lickitung naturally evolved into Lickilicky once they learned Rollout - which was a move that was quite simple to learn. But, in retrospect, considering the rather cramped environment of these caves, perhaps it simply didn't have the space, and therefore the need, to learn Rollout. Which explained why it hadn't evolved yet.
  
  Either way, I decided to continue indulging my curiosity for a little longer as I gave Tyrant another command, "Test it further."
  
  The Lickitung must have caught a glimpse of the violence in Tyrant's eyes, because it instantly threw itself backwards and narrowly avoided a Brick Break that would have smashed it against the wall. I watched carefully as the Lickitung considered trying to go for a counterattack, but its wisdom and survival instincts told it that Tyrant was no longer playing around.
  
  It tried to run, but it had inadvertently cornered itself in one of the dead-end tunnels. Knowing that it was cornered, it took up a fighting stance once again as it stared down Tyrant, knowing that the only way out was through him.
  
  That brave look in its eyes never faltered. Not even once. Not even after a surprise Bulldoze from Tyrant sent it stumbling to the ground before a meteoric fist crashed down just inches away from its face.
  
  With that, I'd believed I had seen enough. "Tyrant, stop."
  
  Tyrant immediately backed off at my command, returning to his position by my side as he hovered protectively over me. Seeing this, the Lickitung, which I realised was a he, relaxed as well and shot me a curious look.
  
  "Why did you approach me?" I asked him, deciding to cut straight to the point.
  
  "Lick! Lickitung!" With Tyrant serving as translator, I found out that he had approached me because he realised that I was the trainer of these Pokémon that had been running around challenging the nearby wild Pokémon.
  
  "Were you interested in them?" I asked again.
  
  "Lickitung. Lick, lick." He nodded, and after it was translated, I smiled at his answer. He had followed them because he wanted to see who had trained up such powerful Pokémon in hopes that he could grow in strength himself.
  
  A few more questions later, and I learnt that he was apparently quite an experienced Pokémon, despite still being unevolved. But recently, he had discovered the existence of trainers, since they began venturing down here during and after the renovation of Cerulean Cave, and it was like a whole new world had opened up to him.
  
  He explained how he had watched how other wild Pokémon that had fought and sometimes lost against the more powerful trained Pokémon, and how he wished to emulate their strength.
  
  He then said something that really caught my attention. Basically, from what I pieced together from Tyrant's slightly broken translation, he had apparently approached trainers before me to try and challenge their Pokémon. He often lost, as he was merely an unevolved Lickitung, but then the trainer would almost instantly try to catch him.
  
  But something in his instincts made him know that the trainers that were trying to catch him weren't actually going to train him, so he broke out of their Pokéballs and ran away. After that, he began being more cautious about approaching trainers, and that I was coincidentally the first one he approached since then.
  
  He only approached me because he couldn't resist trying to fight against a Pokémon as strong as Tyrant. However, now he could tell that I was different from the other trainers, since I actually saw him for his fighting abilities.
  
  Admittedly, if his bravery didn't catch my eye, I would have likely been the same as all those other trainers - only valuing it for it being shiny.
  
  "So...if I were to tell you that I would train you if you joined me, would you believe me?" I asked him.
  
  Tyrant translated my message for him, and the Lickitung stared at me for a long time before eventually nodding his head.
  
  I then smiled, "Thank you. I promise to not betray your trust." And with that, I picked up a Pokéball, and tossed it at him.
  
  The shiny Lickitung was quickly enveloped by a red light before being sucked into the Pokéball. Without even needing to shake, the Pokéball sealed itself with an audible 'click'.
  
  Lickitung was caught!
  
  Honestly, that was not an outcome that I was expecting when I came down here today. I really did think that my team was already well-rounded enough that I didn't need to catch any new Pokémon anytime soon. However, ideas were already flickering through my mind as I thought about how I would train up a Lickitung if I were to add him to my team.
  
  Ironically, I realised that I could train him up like Whitney did with her Miltank, with a heavy emphasis on developing his Rollout so that he could be an agile fighter just like my sister's starter. Plus, I remembered that Lickitung had a surprisingly varied movepool that was just brimming with potential to be used. Combined with the right setup moves, then he was certainly going to grow into a powerful new member of the team.
  
  And I had already thought up of a name for our latest addition, for the bravery he had shown.
  
  Winston.
  
  A.N. Yes, John finally gets another Pokémon on his team! I really thought about what Pokémon that John needed, and I saw an opportunity with Lickitung, and a shiny one at that! John doesn't currently have a Pokémon that fights like Whitney's Miltank, and I thought it would be interesting to see how John would develop a Pokémon like that and grow it into a powerhouse. Also, Winston is named after Winston Churchill - felt it was only appropriate. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-6 - Thinking of the Future
  
  With my newly caught Winston, the brave little shiny Lickitung, I returned back to the surface and headed straight home.
  
  I wanted to rest, but I felt that it was better to properly introduce the latest addition to the rest of the team before doing anything else. While I knew my veterans wouldn't have any issues adapting to a new team member, I was less certain about how my newer members would react.
  
  I made sure to release Winston out first to prepare him.
  
  "Okay Winston, how are you feeling? Do you need any healing?" I asked him, and he shook his head and raised an arm in a 'thumbs-up' gesture.
  
  Then he licked my face. It was...gooey, and a little unpleasant.
  
  But I made sure the smile didn't drop from my expression, "That's good. I'm going to introduce you around to the rest of the team. Most of them should be friendly, but I'm just warning you to be prepared for anything. You may have to demonstrate your strength again if you want to gain the other's respect."
  
  "Lickitung." He replied, and while I wasn't able to understand him quite yet, I still got the gist of what he was saying.
  
  I nodded back to him and threw out the rest of my team, most of whom immediately swarmed onto the Lickitung. Some were shooting him curious looks, some were questioning, and one was nearly hostile.
  
  "Wraith, calm yourself." I ordered.
  
  "Zor..." He growled, causing me to roll my eyes.
  
  "Yes, yes, he'll prove his strength to you in time." I said, "But give him a moment to adjust to his new team first."
  
  "Zoroark..." He continued being stubborn, but Klee whacked him across the head on my behalf.
  
  "Bliss!" She reprimanded, getting a scowl from Wraith.
  
  "There's no need to beat him down." I said amusedly, "The only reason we had to do that to you was because you tried to attack me." I pointed to Lickitung, "Look at him - compared to you, he's very well behaved."
  
  Wraith growled again, but he ultimately acquiesced and temporarily backed off from Winston. In the meanwhile, the rest of the Pokémon were continuing their inspection of him.
  
  "Bliss! Bliss!" Of course, both Klee and Luna were already mothering him, to Winston's discomfort. Klee was patting him all over as if to inspect for injuries, and Winston looked unused to this level of care. As a wild Pokémon, he was likely used to fending for himself.
  
  Instead, as Klee looked him over, he licked her, slathering her with his long and sticky tongue. Klee squawked in surprise while Luna giggled at her companion's now saliva-covered state. Still smiling, Klee carefully wiped herself clean while gently admonishing the Lickitung - warning him that he couldn't just lick others out of the blue like that.
  
  With the mothering out of the way, it was now Winston's turn to be inspected by the more battle-focused members of my team.
  
  "Snorlax..." Smough asked if Winston was up for a battle, and Winston instantly replied that he was, stepping forwards in front of Smough as he readied himself for a battle. However, Smough just shook his head and gestured towards Ornstein.
  
  "Obsta..." Ornstein let out a predatory smile, and without any warning, leapt towards the Lickitung with his paws extended. Winston barely stepped out of the way in time as a huge swipe tore into the ground where he was just standing.
  
  Thinking that he had the chance to strike, Winston charged forwards and slammed into Ornstein's side with a Body Slam - only to be blocked by an Obstruct. His instincts must have been screaming, as Winston instantly backpedalled before a backhanded Brick Break from Ornstein narrowly missed his face.
  
  However, instead of following through, Ornstein simply hung back as he patiently observed what Winston was going to do next. Seeing that his opponent wasn't about to attack, and realising that he didn't hit nearly hard enough to break through Ornstein's incredible defence, Winston began to set up.
  
  My eyes widened as I watched as Winston began pounding on his belly, letting out a determined growl as he did so.
  
  I nodded approvingly; that Belly Drum was pretty quick. He had clearly trained it well.
  
  Now with his Attack boosted to the max, Winston stepped forwards with a glowing arm as he prepared to strike Ornstein with a Hammer Arm. But Ornstein went first, snaking a fist forwards like a viper and striking hard with a Sucker Punch, interrupting Winston's attack. Then a Brick Break slammed down onto his head, forcing the Lickitung to eat dirt as he faceplanted into the ground.
  
  Yet with a determined growl, Winston rolled out of the second incoming Brick Break and shot his tongue out like it was another arm. The wet tongue caught Ornstein by surprise, having not expected this angle of attack, and he actually staggered backwards from the impact due to maxed out Attack that Winston had.
  
  Making use of this opportunity, Winston pulled himself off the ground and tried to Wrap his tongue around the staggered Ornstein in hopes of binding him for long enough to allow Winston to slam into him with a devastating Body Slam.
  
  But Ornstein had been faking. He wasn't actually as vulnerable as he seemed, and he suddenly parried the tongue away before darting forwards and sending a powerful Mega Kick crashing straight into Winston's side.
  
  Winston was sending flying through the air before tumbling onto the ground; his injured face covered in grass and dirt.
  
  "I think that's enough." I declared, cutting the battle here before Winston took any more damage, "I believe my Pokémon have seen enough. Good job, Winston."
  
  Klee rushed over and began administering some healing onto the wounded Lickitung, who continued to look unused to the treatment. In the meanwhile, I gave a questioning glance to Vordt and Smough, who had both been observing Winston's performance.
  
  "So, what did you think? Satisfied?" I asked.
  
  "Ursa..." Vordt let out a soft growl, but he wasn't disappointed by what he saw.
  
  "Snorlax. Snorlax." Smough agreed, stating that while Winston still weak, he had the determination to grow strong. I agreed; having the right mindset was more valuable than skills. It was far easier to train the latter than the former.
  
  "Zor...." Wraith was less impressed, but another growl from Vordt reminded him that he wasn't so strong until recently.
  
  "Sylveon!" In the meanwhile, Euphie was just happy that she had another playmate. She always liked having more friends. And Pixel and Klaus were both pretty indifferent.
  
  With their approval obtained, I approached Winston as he was being healed up.
  
  "So, how did you think of my team? Was this everything you were hoping for?" I questioned.
  
  He nodded excitedly, "Lick! Lickitung!"
  
  "Snor..." Smough helpfully translated for me, informing me that Winston was happy about the level of strength of my Pokémon. It had been the reason why he decided to join us, and he was pleased he didn't make the wrong decision.
  
  "That's good, that's good." I nodded, and patted him gently on the head, "Well if you're hoping to get stronger, then I can tell you that I already have a few ideas on how I can train you up. But we won't get started today, because you need to rest up. It's been a long day for the both of us; we can get started some other day. Okay?"
  
  Winston nodded happily, but that look quickly turned to confusion as he saw another Lickitung staring at us. Of course, I knew it was just Wraith playing pranks by disguising himself as a Lickitung, but Winston didn't know that.
  
  He immediately rushed off to inspect this copycat on our team, with his tongue waggling wildly as he ran. He had probably never seen another shiny Lickitung like himself, and was now supremely curious. I simply chuckled and left him to it; he'll learn soon enough about the various quirks of our team.
  
  He was now a part of the team, after all.
  
  We retired to bed not long after that. And on the next day, after a lazy breakfast where I slowly munched away at some toast, I received some news that instantly perked me up.
  
  "John, are you free for lunch? I have some time in the afternoon." Cynthia had suddenly called to ask me.
  
  "I am." I nodded, "But I thought you were busy with your interviews?"
  
  "One of our meetings got cancelled for the afternoon." She explained, "A few members got sick, so we decided to push back the meeting for later. I could move up on of my other interviews, but I think I'd much rather have the hour or two free."
  
  "Well, I'm not going to complain about that decision." I grinned, "Why not come over to my house, like I promised? We can have lunch together."
  
  My parents could apparently overhear my conversation, because they quickly joined in as well.
  
  "I'll be happy to cook you something!" My mom called out.
  
  "And we're always happy to host you." My dad added, "Maybe we can even invite Whitney as well."
  
  "Thank you." My girlfriend replied kindly, "I appreciate you hosting me."
  
  "And feel free to invite Professor Carolina if she's available." I also said, "I'll call and ask if Karen's coming, but I think she might be preoccupied."
  
  "Oh? Didn't I tell you? My grandmother has already returned to Sinnoh." She explained, "She couldn't spend that long away from the lab."
  
  "Ah, didn't know that." I replied, "Shame, we would have loved to have her as well."
  
  "I'm sure my presence will be enough for you." She joked.
  
  And with that, the lunch was scheduled.
  
  "You need to wipe that dumb grin of your face, dear. You'll scare her off." My mom admonished me. The two of us were standing by the door to our house as we waited for Cynthia to arrive.
  
  "I was hardly grinning." I denied, "It was more of a small smile."
  
  She rolled her eyes, "I'll get you a mirror next time so you can see it for yourself. At least you dressed up properly; I won't have you dressed like a slob when your girlfriend's come all the way to visit."
  
  A flash of light cut off my response as Cynthia walked out of the Teleport, a bright smile on her face.
  
  "Mrs. Smith, it's a pleasure to see you again." She greeted, "Thank you for having me."
  
  "Oh, you don't need to be so formal." My mother chuckled, "Just call me Angela."
  
  Then my mom made a show of looking my girlfriend up and down, "Oh, and you're just the most beautiful girl in the world, aren't you? No wonder my son was so excited for your arrival."
  
  I groaned, but my mom was unrepentant, "Now, I'm going to head inside to check up on the cooking. I'll leave the two of you together." She then promptly walked away after giving me a knowing look.
  
  I ignored that and focused my attention back on my girlfriend, doing my best to throw out my mom's teasing, "...Did I ever tell you that I caught a new Pokémon?"
  
  Cynthia's eyes widened, "No, you did not. When was this? What did you catch?"
  
  "I'll show you later." I smirked, "Let's have some food first."
  
  She pouted, "Show me now. You can't just drop that on me and then tell me to wait."
  
  "Patience, patience, we'll get to that later." I tutted, "I'm sure you want to show off your Kleavor too."
  
  "Fine..." She sighed dramatically, "Also, is there something else you're forgetting? I thought you were excited to see me again-"
  
  I cut her off as I gave her a quick peck on the lips, "I didn't forget." I smiled.
  
  A grin broke out on her face, "Oh fine, that'll do for now."
  
  "And it'll have to do, because I think my parents are waiting, and I don't want to get teased by them if they caught us with our lips locked together." I gestured for her to come inside as I instinctively took and hung her coat for her, "Come, Whitney told us to get started first."
  
  Cynthia nodded and made her way inside, where she exchanged another round of greetings with my dad. Lunch began soon after that, though Cynthia was mostly the focus of attention as my parents began peppering her with questions.
  
  "Hope you don't mind the food and the house." My mother said, "We don't usually have guests over."
  
  "You say that, mom, but we've had FOUR Gym Leaders here." I counted off my fingers, "Koga, Samson, Blaine, and Giovanni. And now we're hosting a Champion. Admit it, we've quite the guest list."
  
  Cynthia chuckled, "You've nothing to be ashamed of, Angela. I was never one for indulging in luxuries anyways. My room in Celestic Town is quite empty, as John could attest."
  
  "Well, 'empty' isn't the word I'd use. More like a mess." I smirked.
  
  "And how about your room?" She shot back, "I doubt it's much cleaner."
  
  "Oh, don't let my son get to you. I still remember having to tell him off to clean his room when he was younger." My mom stabbed me in the back as she took Cynthia's side.
  
  Realising I was outnumbered, I tried switching the topic to something else. Luckily, my dad came in clutch as he asked about her usual duties as a Champion and what that entailed.
  
  "It's busy work, but very rewarding." She told us, "And having a core group of trusted Elite Four members really does ease the workload a lot. The paperwork is the biggest nuisance, but I already got into the habit of dealing with that when I was an administrator at our research lab. The responsibilities and scope of work might be a lot wider, but its not too much extra reading. There's just more nagging from people who are supposed to be 'advising' you."
  
  "And how are things going with that investigation into that company?" My dad asked, "From the news reports I heard that it was still ongoing."
  
  "It is." She confirmed, "While I can't explain too much, please be reassured that we are handling it; your son has been read in as well and knows of our strategy."
  
  "Good." My dad nodded, "Because if everything they are accused of are true, then they deserve to be behind bars. Formerly good reputation or not, if they've done some serious wrongdoing then they ought to be punished for it!"
  
  "I'm home!" Suddenly the familiar cute shouting of my sister echoed throughout the house as she dashed through the door. Her eyes immediately locked onto my girlfriend, "Cynthia! You're here!"
  
  She quickly ran over and gave Cynthia a hug, "Hope my bro has been treating you right!"
  
  "I'm sitting right here you know." I deadpanned, only for my sister to extend her tongue at me.
  
  Cynthia chuckled, "You don't need to worry about him; I can stand up for myself as well." Then she smiled and patted Whitney on the head, "Say, have you and your friends got any plans to come visit Sinnoh anytime in the future? We'd be happy to host you at Celestic Town just like we did for your brother."
  
  My sister tilted her head thoughtfully, "Hmm...well with Koga joining the Elite Four, Janine's going to be busier than ever. Especially since the circuit is starting up soon. I don't think we'll have time to visit Sinnoh anytime soon."
  
  "That's a shame, you could really bolster your team with some new captures if you did." Cynthia gestured towards me, "Your brother recently caught another Pokémon too."
  
  "REALLY?!" My sister's sparkling eyes instantly whirled onto me, "What did you catch!?"
  
  "He wouldn't tell me." Cynthia smirked, "He said that he would show us after lunch."
  
  "Boooo." Whitney pouted.
  
  "Okay, I think that's enough of that." My mom cut in, "Come on and sit down, Whitney, or else the food will get cold."
  
  With the matriarch of the family uttering her commands, the rest of the lunch continued in relative peace. Well, in a manner of speaking, as my sister bombarded Cynthia with all sorts of questions about her team, her life in Sinnoh, and where should she and her friends visit if they ever do go there.
  
  I was happy to chip in from time to time as well as Cynthia and I both described the beautiful and unique sights that were available in her home region. Even my mom and dad got pulled into the conversation, saying that they might consider heading there for a vacation sometime in the future. Of course, Cynthia extended the offer to stay at Celestic Town if they ever came, but my parents both declined stating that it wouldn't be right for them to accept as purely tourists.
  
  Lunch didn't take too long to wrap up after that, and this time Cynthia, Whitney, and I all headed to the training fields. They were eager to see my new Pokémon, so with a rueful smile, I sent him out.
  
  "Winston, you're on stage today."
  
  My Lickitung emerged from his Pokéball with a curious look, before his eyes widened as Whitney immediately glomped him. I also released Klee just in case Lickitung got ornery for whatever reason.
  
  "He's SOOO cute! And huggable!" She squealed, "Wait! He's shiny too! Where did you find him?"
  
  "I headed down to Cerulean Cave yesterday for training and found him there. Actually, it's more accurate to say that he was the one who approached me." I explained, "I really wasn't expecting to catch anything new at the time, but he impressed me with his bravery and curiosity."
  
  "I know the feeling." Cynthia nodded as she gave Winston an inspecting look, though she couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes at the fact that she was staring at a shiny Lickitung, "It was the same for me and Roserade."
  
  Lickitung was a little wary at all the sudden eyes on him, but he eventually relaxed after Klee reassured him that they meant no harm. After that initial wariness disappeared, he comfortably allowed Whitney to continue playing around with him.
  
  I smiled; despite being a Pokémon that had lived in the wild and likely had to fend for himself for most of his life, he was surprisingly friendly.
  
  That, or Klee's monitoring gaze kept him in line.
  
  Unfortunately, or perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, Whitney had to leave shortly after that to return to her duties as a Gym Trainer. She had already overran her usual lunch hour, so she couldn't stay for much longer. Before she left, she did extract a promise from Cynthia to come visit and maybe battle against her while the latter was in Indigo if she had time to do so.
  
  With Whitney gone, that just left Cynthia and I together.
  
  "So - you mentioned before you wanted to have a practice battle or something between our Pokémon, right?" I asked, "Want to get to that now?"
  
  "Sorry, I would - but I need to leave pretty soon." She shook her head, but then a teasing smile quickly formed on her face, "But...I think we can spend the time on something a little more important than that."
  
  "And what would that be-"
  
  I didn't get to say anything more as my lips were sealed shut as she pressed her lips against mine. My hands instinctively moved to pull her closer to me, pressing our bodies against each other and extending the kiss for longer.
  
  I missed the soft feeling of her lips, the pleasant scent of our body, and the way she felt when I held her against me. Even if we weren't truly separated for that long, I was just happy that I could hold her like this once again.
  
  Eventually, the two of us pulled away from each other, though our heads remained touching as we both sported a grin.
  
  "That was for earlier." She said, "And to make up for lost time."
  
  "You won't hear me complaining." I chuckled.
  
  "I would be mad if you did." She shot back, and I leaned in for another quick kiss.
  
  We exchanged a few more romantic gestures until we both refilled our intimacy needs, and then the two of us just sat down idly next to one of the fenceposts, our hands locked together as we both stared at the bright clear skies in the afternoon sun - simply enjoying our time together once again.
  
  "Have you given any thought for how we would be together for the future?" She suddenly asked me.
  
  "What do you mean?" I replied.
  
  "This." She gestured to the two of us, "I want to be able to sit and bask in the sun with you whenever I want. I want to be able to be with you whenever I want, and spend time with you whenever I want. I don't want to have to wait weeks or months before either you or I decide to visit the other."
  
  "...Are you unhappy with the distance?" I asked carefully.
  
  Fortunately, she shook her head, "No, that's not what I meant. As I said to you before, I knew that the long distance would be a barrier in our relationship. I've accepted that, knowing that we both can't just run away from the responsibilities entrusted to us. I'm not upset by the distance, nor am I complaining about anything. I'm happy where we are right now."
  
  "But I was just thinking to the far future, and I'm talking about several years from now." She continued, "If there is going to be a two of us in the future, then we're going to have to think of a way to overcome this distance. We can't really be together if we live in different regions, not in the long term."
  
  I nodded; this was a very valid concern from her.
  
  "...I've actually given this some thought before." I replied, and she turned her eyes to me intently as I spoke, "I think that the solution to the distance in our relationship can be aligned with our political goals."
  
  "Could you clarify that?" She asked.
  
  "You know how the both of us are pushing hard for internationalism now to bring our regions closer together?" I said rhetorically, "Well - and I'm not saying this is the path I would 100% be following - but if we can achieve this, then there's little reason why I can't move to Sinnoh to accompany you."
  
  She instantly leaned forwards, "Wait, John, I'm not comfortable with this. I don't want you to sacrifice your career just for me. I wouldn't be happy with that. I want us to be equals."
  
  "No, you're misunderstanding me." I shook my head, "There's no reason I can't take up an equally important political posting in Sinnoh if our regions are becoming closer together. For example, we already have it so that Gym Leaders can be appointed from either region within Indigo, which already sets a precedent. In a few years' time, there's no reason why the idea of foreign appointments into important political positions couldn't be accepted and implemented."
  
  "If that were the case, then I could easily take up an appointment in Sinnoh, even if it might not be as an Elite Four." I said, "But, and I hope I'm not being too arrogant when I say this, I think my connections have already superseded whatever power being an Elite Four has granted me. I'm sure I could retain most of my political power and influence even if I lost the title."
  
  The public was already calling me a Champion in all but name. I was pretty sure if I ever stepped down from the Elite Four on my own accord, I significantly doubt that my reputation would really take a hit - if at all.
  
  "I'm not saying that this is the path that I have to take - it was just an idle suggestion that I threw out." I said, "Besides, we still have plenty of time to think about it, and between the two of us I'm sure we can think of a solution that we'd both be comfortable with. We just have to work towards it."
  
  Cynthia blinked at my response, slowly processing my words. Then she smiled, "I didn't think you would have thought through it so thoroughly already. And here I was thinking that I was the only one worrying."
  
  "Of course I was worried about it." I replied, "Forgive me for saying this, but I believed that with your position as Champion, the onus was on me to take the initiative to make the move. It's far easier for me to give up my position and move over than it would be for you."
  
  "Well, I don't really care for that assumption. If I can do the same thing and move over to Indigo, then I shall." Cynthia countered with a frown, "You don't necessarily have to be the one making the sacrifice."
  
  Though that frown quickly went away as it was replaced by another fond smile, "...But you're right. We still have time to think about it; I'm not so desperate for us to be together immediately. I can wait a few years."
  
  "Me too." I nodded.
  
  We stayed silent for a little bit as the two of us leaned back against the fencepost. After a minute or so, she spoke up again, her voice now having taken on a wistful tone.
  
  "...What kind of house do you think we'd live in?" She asked.
  
  I hummed thoughtfully, "Probably not anything too big. I doubt you and I need all that space."
  
  She nodded, "You ever think of getting a place of your own?"
  
  "...I never saw the need to." I shrugged, "Perhaps if I had a girlfriend that I could meet up with daily, then yeah, I would probably get my own place for the privacy. But since you can only visit every once in a while, I don't really see the need, even if I could easily afford one."
  
  "What kind of house would you want though? Or where?" She asked, "What's your preference?"
  
  "...Probably something off to the side; definitely not in the middle of any major cities." I replied after a moment to think, "If...if it was in Sinnoh, then maybe somewhere near Sandgem would be quite nice."
  
  "It is pretty peaceful there." She agreed, "And it's a quite close to Jubilife as well. Maybe a bit too close..."
  
  And that's how we spent our time, just the two of us idly talking about what our future might look like together. If she was a little late for her next meeting, then she certainly didn't blame me for it.
  
  It was nice - and something I really hoped would one day become a reality.
  
  A.N. It's been a long time since we had a chapter between Cynthia and John together, and I thought I would make use of the opportunity to talk a little about their future and how they would overcome the challenge that is 'distance' while also giving them a nice romantic moment together. Not all romantic talks have to be serious.
  
  As both characters stated, neither of them would want the other to throw everything away just for the relationship. Therefore, they would need to somehow maintain their power even as one of the moves over to get the best of both worlds. I wanted to show that as one of the core foundations of their relationship - that they are equal partners in it. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-6 -Interlude-Proton
  The New Normal - 12-6 - Interlude - Proton
  
  The bitch of a Champion wasn't here. She was on some 'diplomatic visit' to Indigo, but Proton knew a holiday when he saw one. She was probably just pining for her boyfriend and wanted an excuse to get out of the region.
  
  He could relate to that last part. Sinnoh was too fucking cold and miserable. He felt bad for the poor fucks that called this place a home.
  
  Regardless, he had thought that with the bitch gone, they would have an opportunity to act. He thought that Cyrus would finally see reason and allow him to take action.
  
  Unfortunately, the bitch had left her loyal attack Houndoom in her place, and that fucking Flint had been making a mess of their connections to their business allies. Proton knew that he wasn't the best administrator, but he even he could understand how bad things would be if Flint pried away all of their 'allies'.
  
  As Cyrus had explained in one of their meetings, the only reason that the public wasn't currently tearing them to shreds after the reveal of their financial inconsistencies was because of Galactic Company's sterling reputation - a reputation which they exploited to gather the support of other businesses to defend against the allegations made by the Sinnoh League.
  
  However, because his boss wasn't as smart as he thought he was, that 'alliance' was now slowly breaking apart. According to Cyrus, Flint had been going around and 'making nice' with them, convincing them to turn their coats and withdraw their support.
  
  This was why the only type of persuasion that he liked to use was fear and violence. No one disobeyed when they were too scared that you'd beat the shit out of them if they did. But of course he wasn't allowed to go around and forcefully intimidate their 'allies' to remain on their side - because that was apparently just walking into a life sentence waiting to happen.
  
  "Flint undoubtedly expects us to react rashly once our allies begin to leave us." Cyrus had explained, "As much as it frustrates me, trying to enforce their cooperation will only cause us to fall for their trap. Threatening them with violence wouldn't work, as the Sinnoh League have the bigger stick."
  
  Proton bitterly agreed with his boss' reasoning, but he didn't like it.
  
  Still, that didn't solve the major issue that they were having - which was that if Galactic Company was left completely isolated from all their political support, then there would be nothing stopping the Sinnoh League from descending on them like a hammer of Arceus and uncovering everything they could about their illegal operations. It would be the doom of 'Team Galactic'.
  
  And its members would be nothing more than a forgotten footnote, locked away behind unbreakable bars.
  
  He vowed to never let that happen to him.
  
  Which was why he went to Cyrus, demanding answers for the newest pile of shit that they found themselves in.
  
  "It is quite the predicament." His boss agreed, "I had hoped to make use of the Champion's absence to restart a few operations, but now that seems like it's no longer possible."
  
  "Cut the fancy language." Proton interrupted, "Do you have an answer for us or not?" Because he was really considering jumping ship if they didn't.
  
  "Calm yourself, Proton. Do not let your fears overcome you." His boss said easily, "It is not all bad news. Put your fears aside for a moment and remind yourself that the loss of Galactic Company means nothing to our final goal. It just means we would have to abandon our façade of legality."
  
  "Stop speaking in riddles and speak plainly." He interrupted with a growl, "Do you have this problem solved or not?"
  
  Despite his attempt at intimidation, Cyrus merely smiled, "I see that you are unsatisfied. That is fine. Your question was prudent, and so I shall explain my plans to everyone as a group." His boss turned to a nearby grunt, "Please, have everyone reconvene for a meeting."
  
  Seeing that he wasn't about to get any answers from his boss until then, Proton backed off and sat in his chair in annoyed silence. He remained that way until the meeting began.
  
  His boss began once everyone had arrived, and he quickly explained why he had gathered everyone here and the nature of Proton's question - and how they would be dealing with the very likely future of the prosecution of Galactic Company.
  
  "Let me make one thing clear to everyone." His boss said, with his dead eyes glancing at each and every member at the table, "Galactic Company has always been nothing more than a source of funding and a front for our true operations. It has always been disposable, and was meant to be nothing more than to buy us time. Time to complete our research and to gather the necessary elements to wield the power of the Legendaries, and resources to train up our grunts and their Pokémon. But many of our hidden facilities are unrelated to Galactic Company, so abandoning the company will not cause us to lose them."
  
  "But we're already strapped for cash." The fat lard working for Maxie pointed out, "Wouldn't abandoning Galactic Company make things more difficult?"
  
  "Of course it would." Cyrus agreed, "But trying to defend it would cost us even more. Luckily, I have already foreseen this eventuality, and have already been in discussions with your bosses to ensure that we will be able to retain the necessary funds for research and operational purposes, even if we were to lose access to the funding from Galactic Company. In the future, we may have to restart some of our illegal operations, even at the cost of subtlety, but I believe by that point the need to stay hidden would have long since passed."
  
  Proton knew that the only fucking way that Team Galactic could sustain itself on such limited amount of cash was because everyone here was comprised of true fanatics, who had no greed in their hearts. These madmen weren't doing this for the money, so there was no need to waste money on their 'salary'. Not only that, but 'good living conditions' and 'proper facilities' were similarly non-factors to these fanatics, and could be ignored.
  
  That meant that all the money could be siphoned into where it was actually needed.
  
  "So we're confirming our previous decision to abandon Galactic Company?" Maxie asked.
  
  "Yes." Cyrus confirmed, "Of course, we shall stall for as long as possible, but I believe that we should start cleaning up the company entirely. Wipe out all traces that could connect 'Team Galactic' to 'Galactic Company', and start making sure that all essential elements have been successfully relocated to our properly secured bases, if they haven't been already."
  
  "Then, when the time comes. Galactic Company will be burnt down, leaving nothing for them to find. And Team Galactic will arise from the ashes in the safety of our hidden bases, away from the prying eyes of the ignorant Sinnoh League. We will make every sacrifice to ensure our success."
  
  Cyrus' statement had a feeling of finality to it - as if the abandonment of Galactic Company would mark the beginning of a new direction for the Team. He knew it in his bones that the moment that Galactic Company fell, the time for hesitation was over.
  
  Team Galactic would be waking up.
  
  But that last comment of Cyrus struck something within Proton. He always knew that his role was to be the muscle, and to be the experienced team leader that led their field operations, but the lack of any hesitancy from Cyrus when it came to making sacrifices was...unnerving him. Would Cyrus...
  
  No. He couldn't think that way. The other bumbling fools surrounding Cyrus couldn't match his field experience. They needed him. He was necessary.
  
  And he was on the winning side.
  
  A.N. The shield of public opinion around Galactic Company is starting to be peeled away, and the Sinnoh League has not been idle. Now the façade has almost been exposed for all to see, partially thanks to John pointing the authorities in the right direction unlike in canon. But Team Galactic aren't just going to roll over and wait to be defeated, so now they're starting to take action. Their time for passivity is almost over.
  
  And I also wanted to highlight one unintentional benefit of having everyone be a crazed fanatic - it's a lot less draining on resources when you don't have to worry too much about morale. And of course, this is from Proton's POV, so he's not getting the full picture of the true situation and also his doubts are starting to surface. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-7 - Psychic Showdown
  
  Even though our conversation was cut short by her having to return to her usual duties, I was glad that we had a plan of action sorted out for how we would overcome the current barriers in our relationship going forwards.
  
  We had cleared the air, and I felt that it made our relationship all the more stronger for it.
  
  With Cynthia gone, I mostly spent the remainder of the evening continuing to train up with Winston, having him immediately practice Rollout to pave the way for his eventual evolution into a Lickilicky. Plus, it was a nice way of further developing his already decent mobility.
  
  While none of my Pokémon were masters at the move, both Smough and Klee knew enough to be able to teach the basics. Maybe I could also get Whitney involved too since she was likely more proficient than I was at mastering the move Rollout.
  
  It could be a joint brother-sister project. That would be fun.
  
  As I mentioned before, I intended for Winston to emulate my sister's Miltank. But not only that, I also intended for him to develop his currently lacking Special Attack as well, though I was going to focus on his improving his mobility for now. I made a mental note to see how much of his unique tongue attacks that I could include into his fighting style, since that would give Winston another weapon to make use of in battle.
  
  The rest of the evening passed smoothly, and I had intended to dedicate the next day to continue training up Winston while he was still new and motivated.
  
  However, a call from Lorelei put a stop to that.
  
  "Hi John, did I catch you at a bad time?" She asked.
  
  "No, not at all." I shook my head, "Is there something the matter?"
  
  "No, no, nothing important." She reassured, "I've actually been showing Lucian around Indigo since we both had some free time, and Lucian brought up his desire to have a Pokémon battle once again. And he remembered you said that you were up for it, so we're both wondering if you wanted to come meet up?"
  
  "Oh, yeah, sure!" I perked up, never one to turn down a battle against someone that I recognised as my equal, "Count me in! Where are you guys now?"
  
  "We're just at Saffron City since Lucian wanted to meet with his fellow Psychic specialists." Huh, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised, "We're currently having a quick bite to eat, so take your time."
  
  "Sure, see you there." I agreed and hung up the phone.
  
  Deciding to take my time as she suggested, I made sure to finish up on the sandwich I was eating before making my way to Saffron City. Disguise in place, I quickly found the restaurant they told me they were at and saw the two, undisguised, figures of Lorelei and Lucian.
  
  It was impossible to miss them, considering the huge crowd of people that had gathered around them and were currently peppering them with questions. Considering they didn't seem too bothered and instead both had polite smiles on their faces, I guessed that this was intentional on their part.
  
  I actually had a little trouble pushing past the crowd, as they were all eager to ask their questions to the revealed Elite Four members and were mad that someone was trying to 'cut the line'. Eventually, I got fed up and dropped my disguise entirely, which finally allowed me to approach the two undisturbed.
  
  "Oh! John! Didn't see you there." Lorelei said, "Thanks for coming."
  
  "Not a problem." I replied, then my voice dropped to a whisper, "You didn't tell me that this was going to be some public event."
  
  "An oversight on our part." Lucian whispered back, "We dropped our disguises while eating...and this happened." He gestured to the surrounding crowd.
  
  "Well do you still plan on going through with your battle?" I asked, "Even with this crowd?"
  
  "Lucian and I have no problem with it; we've already discussed it." Lorelei replied, "This might not have been our original intention, but we might as well make it into an impromptu show match."
  
  "How's that going to work? There's three of us here." I pointed out.
  
  "Let's continue discussing this somewhere else." Lucian advised before our conversation dragged on, "You think the local Gym Leader would be happy for us to borrow their premises?"
  
  "Uh, pretty sure they'd be okay with it." I thought about Samson, "Let me ask to make sure."
  
  One phone call later, and I received the approval of Samson to host our impromptu show match at his Gym. He also jokingly informed me that, as a Gym Trainer, Whitney might be 'randomly selected' to be the referee for the match.
  
  Regardless, with approval obtained, we relocated from the restaurant after explaining our intentions to the surrounding mob, and carefully made our way to the Gym. In all fairness to the crowd, they were very well behaved when they realised we weren't about to run out on them; the reporters amongst them especially settled down once they saw that they were about to get a few juicy headlines from us with our battle.
  
  "Welcome to my humble Gym, esteemed members of the Elite Four." Gym Leader Samson greeted us at the door, adhering to the necessary formalities considering that he was dealing with a foreign Elite Four in front of many cameras, "I hope you've enjoyed your time here thus far."
  
  "Of course, Indigo is a lovely place." Lucian replied smilingly, "It's a shame that we only knew about your region so recently. Lorelei's been showing me around, but I've been told that there are plenty of beautiful sights that I've not seen yet."
  
  "Where have you been to so far?" Samson asked as we walked deeper into the Gym. In the corner of my eye, I spotted Whitney and Sabrina standing in line with the rest of the Gym Trainers, and we exchanged a subtle nod.
  
  "We've mostly been touring around Johto, since Lorelei is from there." Lucian explained, "I think Ecruteak City impressed me the most so far, though I didn't get a chance to watch the famous Kimono Girls."
  
  "If you have time, I'll be happy to bring you there some other day." Lorelei offered.
  
  Lucian smiled at her, "That would be much appreciated. I'm sure I'll find the time to do that and explore the rest of Kanto as well."
  
  "Was Saffron City your first stop?" Samson asked.
  
  "It was." Lucian nodded, "I always wanted to visit a fellow Psychic specialist, so we came here. Then we invited John because we wanted to battle anyways."
  
  "Shame that Koga and Agatha aren't available though." He added, "I would have loved to face off against them too. But I know they're understandably preoccupied."
  
  "Have you visited Will?" I asked.
  
  He shook his head, "Sadly, we stayed a little too long at Ecruteak, so our schedules didn't match. He's very busy now, which isn't surprising considering he's just taken up his new position. But I have already spoken to him; we'll meet up soon."
  
  The conversation cut off as we arrived at the centre of the Gym's arena. Behind us, the Gym Trainers were already escorting the crowd following us into the audience stands in preparation for our battle.
  
  "So, I was thinking we could do simple 2v2s for the time being, and by that I mean two Pokémon against two simultaneously." Lucian suggested, "I would obviously prefer to battle each of you with my full team, but that would mean I could only battle one of you. And actually, I'd like to spar against you as well, Gym Leader Samson, if that's alright with you?"
  
  "I'd be honoured to." He agreed easily. This was his chance to show off his strength and get some prestige for his Gym.
  
  "Excellent. Then I think we can do three different 2v2s." Lucian stated, "That way I can have Pokémon to spare to handle all 3 battles."
  
  "I'm fine with that." I said, "Lorelei, want to go up first?"
  
  She agreed, so Samson and I moved to sit with the Gym Trainers instead of in the VIP section of the audience stand. I 'casually' and 'coincidentally' sat next to my sister and Sabrina.
  
  "Didn't expect to see you here, bro." My sister whispered to me, "Would have appreciated a heads up; you don't know how surprised I was when Samson told us!"
  
  "I didn't expect this either." I whispered back, "It was a coincidence as well."
  
  Although...it probably wasn't completely coincidental. From what I knew of him, Lucian had probably intended to make a public show of visiting the Gyms at some point, likely to challenge them and show off the strength of Sinnoh while also making new connections with the Gym Leaders. This was probably just him pushing up his schedule a bit.
  
  "Who do you think will win between them, John?" Sabrina changed the topic, "I am not familiar with Lucian and his prowess."
  
  "Try to study up on Lucian if you can; he's an excellent Psychic specialist." I suggested, getting a firm nod from Sabrina, "Anyways, while I cannot claim to be an expert on Lucian's strength, I do remember his battle against Cynthia. He's not recognised to be the strongest of the Elite Four for no reason; and Cynthia greatly respects him. I think he'll win."
  
  "Of course, this is a 2v2 battle, so things will probably be different here." I stated, "He might not use his strongest Pokémon against Lorelei, so he might end up losing. It all depends on who he chooses to use."
  
  There was a very real chance that he was saving his strongest fighters for me. Not to be arrogant, but since I was stronger than Lorelei, he might be thinking that he would have a better showing if he conserved his strength.
  
  Either way, I put my thoughts aside as I watched the two of them take their positions, with the referee (which wasn't Whitney) rattled off the rules for the benefit of the audience, and the battle quickly begun.
  
  "Come out, Medicham and Bronzong!"
  
  "Stand strong, Avalugg and Froslass!"
  
  All four Pokémon emerged and landed in the arena. The crowd gasped as they saw Lorelei's H-Avalugg - despite the public announcement of its existence, it was mostly overlooked outside of Sinnoh. So for many I suspected that this was the first time they had even seen or heard of a H-Avalugg.
  
  However, judging by the lack of surprise on Lucian's face, he must have already known about it.
  
  "Set up screens, Bronzong!" "Medicham, focus Froslass."
  
  "Avalugg, protect Froslass!" "Froslass, set up the Snow!"
  
  Dark and heavy clouds rapidly formed around the ceiling of the Gym, causing a downpour of Snow to fall down onto the arena. At the same time, Medicham dashed forwards, protected by the Reflect and Light Screens set up by Bronzong, as it closed the distance with Froslass.
  
  Until the huge wall that was Avalugg suddenly stood in its way, its eyes glaring down at the smaller Psychic type menacingly, daring it to approach.
  
  Undeterred by Avalugg's bulk, Medicham smashed a supereffective Force Palm into Avalugg...but Avalugg barely even reacted as it was struck, relying on its impressive physical bulk to simply tank through the attack despite being exceptionally weak to Fighting type moves.
  
  Instead, another cloud of ice suddenly formed above the Psychic type, and huge chunks of sharpened ice came raining down on the Medicham in an Avalanche. Yet Medicham hardly even blinked as it calmly disappeared in a flash of light, before being replaced by Bronzong with an Ally Switch.
  
  Taken by surprise at the sudden switch, Avalugg was unprepared as it was instantly blasted by a Flash Cannon to the face. That wasn't all, as now Medicham had taken advantage of the confusion to flank around towards Froslass as it shot forwards with a Bullet Punch that narrowly missed.
  
  No, it didn't miss. But rather the Snow Cloak from Froslass had concealed her form so that Medicham's attack was slightly off centre.
  
  Realising its mistake, Medicham spun on the spot and struck again with a Fire Punch, but Froslass had made use of her superior speed to float backwards and fire off an Icy Wind to slow Medicham down. In the meanwhile, Bronzong had released a Confuse Ray towards Avalugg before blasting it with another Flash Cannon, hoping to use confuse the bulky Ice type for long enough to wear it down.
  
  Avalugg's durability was impressive, a testament to just how much Lorelei had managed to train it up in that short amount of time. Despite a Hisuian-Avalugg's notoriously terrible Special Defenses and 4x weakness to Steel Attacks, it managed to hold on - though not easily - and didn't instantly collapse from the back-to-back Flash Cannons.
  
  However, surprising bulkiness or not, the Avalugg became severely hampered as it was crippled by the powerful Confuse Rays that set in; its' eyes spinning around rapidly as the heavy confusion took hold.
  
  Despite being confused, Avalugg refused to be useless. It might be disorientated, but that didn't stop it from snapping around randomly, crunching down with its powerful jaws that remained a huge threat to Lucian's Pokémon if they were unlucky enough to be caught by them.
  
  "Stay near Avalugg, Froslass! Play around it!"
  
  Wisely deciding to make use of Avalugg's threatening jaws, Froslass dashed over after dodging past another failed Bullet Punch from Medicham and forced Bronzong away with her ally own barrage of Shadow Balls.
  
  Medicham tried to chase, but Froslass' Snow Cloak made her just evasive enough to dodge out of the way, and the lingering threat of Avalugg stopped Medicham from overcommitting.
  
  However, it seemed like Lucian had enough of such shenanigans.
  
  "Mind Reader, Medicham." "Bronzong, Sunny Day. Get rid of the Snow."
  
  Medicham leaped backwards as it shut its eyes in concentration, as a faint pulse of Psychic energy began to radiate out from it. Bronzong tried to do the same, but its attempt to replace the Snow was immediately shut down by a Taunt from Froslass, keeping the vital Snow in place for her Ice types.
  
  However, having trained with Karen for so long, I could tell that the Taunt was a weak one. Bronzong should soon be able to shake off the effects.
  
  In the meanwhile, Avalugg had finally snapped out of its confusion, and with a bellowing roar, charged right back into the fray as it released a stomping Earthquake.
  
  Both Froslass and Bronzong were not affected as they were both off the ground, but Medicham shook violently as fierce tremors coursed through it. Yet thanks to its incredible concentration and discipline, the explosive tremors failed to break through its psychic meditation and a solid bond was formed between itself and Froslass - completing the Mind Reader.
  
  As soon as the Earthquake ended, Medicham rushed forwards with another Bullet Punch as it charged towards Froslass, leaping over a powerful Crunch from Avalugg. Froslass tried to dash away, but having perfectly predicted Froslass' movements thanks to Mind Reader, Medicham was able to course adjust its trajectory and still land a glancing blow against the fleeing Ice type.
  
  Worse, in her haste, she dodged closer to Bronzong, unaware or dismissive of the threat that the Steel type posed to her. To be fair, Bronzong wasn't a threat to Froslass - it moved far too slowly to ever be able to catch the evasive Ice type.
  
  But Froslass had overlooked something crucial, which was that Bronzong could switch places.
  
  "Ally Switch!"
  
  Taken by surprise that the Taunt had worn off so quickly, Lorelei's eyes widened as - with a flash of light - the Bronzong was suddenly replaced with the far more threatening Medicham, who had appeared right in front of a startled Froslass. Before a Protect shield could even form, a devastating Fire Punch slammed the Ice type straight into the ground, before another Bullet Punch came crashing into her face, creating a slight crack in the ground from the impact.
  
  It didn't take long before a final Fire Punch finally shattered the vulnerable Ice type, knocking her out of the fight.
  
  Yet the fight was not over, and Medicham hardly had any time to celebrate its victory as a raging Avalugg slammed straight into it with a powerful Heavy Slam, sending the Medicham tumbling across the arena.
  
  Another Avalanche was formed above where Medicham had fallen, but the Fighting type was replaced by the Bronzong again before the attack could land.
  
  "Crunch to break through that Bronzong, Avalugg!"
  
  Knowing that Medicham was now far out of reach, Avalugg tried to brute force its way through the defensive Bronzong with a savage Crunch. Bronzong whirled out in pain, but it held on for long enough for Lucian to reveal his plan.
  
  "Power Swap, Bronzong!"
  
  My eyes shot open in surprise as I watched Bronzong release a faint pink ray of energy that instantly tethered itself to the Avalugg. The tether flashed with light for a brief moment, and while it appeared like nothing had happened, I knew the fight was over.
  
  A H-Avalugg's only way of attacking was to make use of its great Attack. Yet with one move, Bronzong had just completely crippled its ability to hit back, since it now possessed Bronzong's pathetically average Attack and Special Attack.
  
  ...I realised that this just exposed another critical weakness of Lorelei's Avalugg that I hadn't considered. With H-Avalugg's terrible speed, it wouldn't be able to dodge any Power Swap / Guard Swap moves in the future either, leaving it completely vulnerable to being completely crippled like it was now. Worse, H-Avalugg wasn't able to use Swords Dance or any other Attack-boosting moves naturally, so unless it was deliberately trained to know the move, it wasn't able to restore its lost Attack.
  
  That meant that it likely needed a partner that could prevent such moves from being used with a Taunt, which would severely restrict her options.
  
  Well...that was for Lorelei to figure out. I still believed that a H-Avalugg could be a strong Pokémon in niche scenarios, but this just reinforced how cumbersome it was to use.
  
  Nevertheless, it didn't take long for her Avalugg to collapse from the duo assault from both Medicham and Bronzong. Without its high Attack, it had no chance of fighting back as the two slowly wore it down from a distance.
  
  And with that, Lucian had secured a 2-0 victory over Lorelei, though I didn't think she fought badly. Most importantly, I knew that the threat of her Avalugg would skyrocket under a Trick Room, but she hadn't revealed that today. Probably prudent to save that as an ace in the hole.
  
  Despite her loss, the crowd didn't seem to take it that badly as they cheered loudly for her. Though many more cheered for Lucian and his convincing victory over a peer.
  
  "Power Swap...yes..." Sabrina muttered to herself, "I've almost forgotten how powerful those moves were in these niche scenarios."
  
  "Be careful not to get tunnel visioned with using it." Samson reminded, "The moves are niche for a reason, being slow and cumbersome to land. Don't assume that it's an instant-win move. Better to keep it a surprise to take the opponent off-guard."
  
  Sabrina nodded accordingly.
  
  "How would you counter the move like Power Swap?" Whitney asked me, "Because that would shut down my Miltank pretty hard."
  
  "It might sound stupid, but just don't get hit. Or don't let them get the move off." I replied, "You should know from Karen how effective Taunt is at shutting down these kinds of moves. Alternatively, like Samson said, if your Pokémon is agile enough then they most likely won't get hit."
  
  "If you DO get hit, then having a way to buff up your Attack or Special Attack again would prevent your Pokémon from being completely crippled, even if it's still a big setback." I added, "Or, just swap out."
  
  "I can practice the move more with you if you want." Sabrina suggested to my sister, to which she nodded enthusiastically at.
  
  Then Samson patted me on the shoulder, "I think they're done talking." He gestured to where Lorelei was walking towards us, "It's your turn."
  
  I stood up and exchanged a short nod with Lorelei before making my way to Lucian. "A good battle." I said to him, "I didn't think you'd deal with Avalugg in that way."
  
  "I deduced it was the most efficient way to do so." He replied, "I was wary about it having ways of suddenly countering Special Attacks, so this was the best way to cripple it. And I didn't want to see if Medicham could win a close-range battle against it - I suspect that it might not. It looked very threatening."
  
  "Nevertheless, there will be time to analyse that fight again later." He stared at me, "Are you ready? Just for transparency, I intend to use my starter against you, as I am interested to see how it would fare against you. So I hope you choose something who could provide a fair fight."
  
  I nodded, "You won't be disappointed." I already knew which two Pokémon I'd be sending out. I was very eager to see how they would perform in their first team performance now that they've trained so much together.
  
  We both quickly took our places, and with the referee counting down, we sent out our Pokémon.
  
  "Espeon, Gallade, bring us victory!"
  
  "Ornstein and Smough! Taunt the Gallade!"
  
  Having watched his battle against Cynthia, I knew that my Pokémon would struggle to deal with a 3x Attack-boosted Gallade, so an instant Taunt quickly shut that down. However, with its Magic Bounce, I couldn't do the same with Espeon, who was free to set up with both Reflect and Light Screen.
  
  Yet Ornstein wasn't standing by idly as he charged towards Espeon, intent on quickly taking down the weaker Psychic type. Gallade moved to intercept, but without being able to Teleport, Ornstein was significantly faster than it.
  
  Espeon managed to set up both Screens in time and began Teleporting around to make distance, and it became a game of Persian and Rattata as Ornstein tried to chase the Teleporting Espeon, while Gallade tried to interpose itself between the two.
  
  But while both of Lucian's Pokémon were focused on Ornstein, Smough began setting up with a Belly Drum.
  
  Alarmed, Lucian quickly changed his orders.
  
  "Interrupt that Snorlax!"
  
  Espeon immediately Teleported next to Smough, thinking that he was vulnerable while he was setting up with Belly Drum. But, to Espeon's horrified surprise, Smough instantly cancelled his Belly Drum and crashed into the unsuspecting Espeon, slamming hard into it with his full weight in a devastating Body Slam.
  
  To its credit, Espeon's incredible reaction speeds allowed it to form a Protect shield that came up just in time to barely block the incoming Body Slam, but it wasn't fast enough to Teleport away before Smough caught it in his chokehold of a grip. Espeon let out a pained gasp, which quickly turned into a pained cry as it was violently smashed into the ground, then smashed again with a merciless Iron Head.
  
  Seeing its partner in trouble, Gallade tried to rush over to support its teammate, but Ornstein got there first with his superior speed. In a display of teamwork, Smough threw Espeon right into a critical Night Slash from Ornstein that slashed through Espeon's exposed back - while also sending it flying right back towards Smough like it was nothing more than a ping-pong ball.
  
  Then Smough sat on it. Literally.
  
  The poor Psychic was crushed under his colossal weight, which was likely more brutal than any attack that he could throw out.
  
  Needless to say, it did not get up.
  
  For one of Lucian's core Elite Pokémon, it was a...underwhelming performance from Espeon. But that sometimes happened when you make a crucial mistake - and Espeon overextending itself because it thought that Smough was locked into the Belly Drum proved to be its downfall. Espeon did not have the endurance to keep fighting once it was caught.
  
  Either way, this left the battle at a 2v1. And the battle entered into a short lull as both sides stared each other down.
  
  That moment of peace was quickly broken as Ornstein dashed forwards, and claw met blade as the Psychic and Dark type clashed against each other. Ornstein's Night Slash was blocked by Gallade's Sacred Sword, but an Obstruct also managed to block against the incoming Drain Punch.
  
  However, before Gallade could lock Ornstein in a battle of strength, a sudden roar from Smough echoed throughout the Gym as he menacingly charged towards the both of them, forcing Gallade to leap backwards as it narrowly dodged out of the way of Smough's charge.
  
  But Ornstein chased after the escaping Psychic type, firing off another Taunt to shutdown any attempts to Teleport. Using his superior speed, he lanced forwards, his Night Slash barely missing as Gallade expertly side-stepped out of the way. Gallade then countered with a rapid flurry of Sacred Swords, trying to break through Ornstein's Obstruct with an overwhelming number of attacks.
  
  It really showed that Ornstein still had a ways to go with perfecting his use of Obstruct, as he was gradually being overwhelmed by Gallade's superior technique. Yet his role was not to win against Gallade.
  
  He was just there to make sure that Smough had enough time to complete his Belly Drum.
  
  "SNORLAXXXX!" And that deafening roar signified his completion as Smough launched himself back into the fight. With his Attack now maxed out, he was a terrifying monster that would break Gallade in half if he ever landed a good hit.
  
  Knowing this, Gallade did its best to avoid being in Smough's warpath, but Ornstein moved to take that choice away from it as it lunged forwards, keeping the Psychic type pinned down with his claws and ensuring that Gallade remained Taunted so it couldn't freely Teleport around the fight.
  
  At the same time, thanks to the threat of Smough, Gallade could never stand still for more than a few seconds or else it risked being bulldozed over by the sheer, overwhelming power of a Belly-Drum boosted Smough. It knew that it had to take down Ornstein first to buy breathing room for it to focus on Smough, but Ornstein was too defensive of a fighter to be brought down so easily.
  
  Gallade tried to take a step back, but Ornstein continued to press forwards, forcing Gallade to dodge out of another Night Slash. Gallade tried to counter, but Ornstein simply fired off a Dark Pulse and retreated out of the way. The Psychic type moved to pursue, but it was quickly forced to dash backwards as a violent Earthquake from Smough ripped through the arena, forcing it to retreat away from the epicentre of the Earthquake. Then it was forced to quickly parry another Night Slash from Ornstein as he had tried to flank around for another blow.
  
  It was an untenable situation for Gallade. Ornstein and Smough were expertly leveraging their numbers advantage and teamwork to put Gallade in an unwinnable situation. Without Teleport, Ornstein was faster than it, and Smough was too strong for Gallade to try to parry or trade blows with. Having trained so much together, Ornstein and Smough left absolutely no openings for Gallade to exploit, and the Gallade was eventually forced to try to use Special Attacks to try to eek out an opportunity.
  
  That opportunity never arrived. And it only took one misstep, one moment where Gallade had gotten too tunnel-visioned on Ornstein for it to lose track of Smough.
  
  And that was a mistake that it would not be able to fix, as Smough barrelled into the Psychic type with a devastatingly powerful Body Slam that LAUNCHED Gallade straight through the psychic barriers of the arena as it crashed into and broke part of the Gym's walls.
  
  It did not get up from the impact. Allowing Ornstein and Smough to claim their first victory together.
  
  And earning me a solid 2-0 victory.
  
  The crowd cheered even louder than they did with Lorelei, probably because an Indigo representative had just won against a foreign one. I gave them a quick acknowledging nod before quickly shaking Lucian's hand, showing the crowd that there were no ill feelings between us.
  
  "That was a good fight." I began, "Although I was surprised to see your Espeon. I thought you would be using one of your stronger Pokémon, no offense intended."
  
  "None taken." He replied, "I wanted to save my Alakazam for Samson."
  
  "Ah, I suspected that might have been the case." I nodded. He likely wanted the mirror match.
  
  "Admittedly, I didn't think Espeon would go down so quickly. I definitely slipped up there." He said, "But I really thought that my Gallade would be able to hold its own in a 2v1 scenario...but I guess I underestimated the synergy between your Pokémon. Who knew you were the type to focus on double battles too? I don't think I've ever seen a Snorlax fight so well with a partner."
  
  "I always thought they deserved to be together." I chuckled, "But don't sell yourself short. Your Gallade held on admirably despite being outnumbered. I doubt either of my Pokémon would have won if you fought them individually. Your Gallade is strong."
  
  "I appreciate the vote of confidence." He chuckled, "Anyways, I'd better not keep Gym Leader Samson waiting. I think he's eager for a fight himself."
  
  Nodding, I headed back to where Whitney and Sabrina were, and they both congratulated me for my victory. Sitting down, I watched as Samson and Lucian got ready to fight in the last match of the day.
  
  I didn't doubt that Lucian was about to win, but I hoped that Samson would give a good showing as well. That would allow this impromptu show match to be wrapped up on a high note, which I think everyone wanted to see.
  
  Personally, I was just very happy and proud to have Ornstein and Smough be given an opportunity to fight together in a real battle. While hardly my first double battle, it was nice to give the public a reminder that I was no weaker in that department either. And if they still thought they could challenge me in a 2v2?
  
  Well, then Ornstein and Smough would be waiting.
  
  A.N. I hope you enjoyed the 2v2 fights and the debut of Ornstein and Smough. This fight has been on my mind for quite some time - basically ever since I named the two. For those familiar to their source material, I hope that the fight lived up to that.
  
  Likewise, I wanted to show off a few of the side characters a bit and give their team some time in the spotlight. We've not caught up with Lorelei and her team in some time, and I also wanted to show off Lucian's team and strategies a bit again. They've not been forgotten about! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-8 - Battle of Starters
  
  As I expected, Lucian finished off his final battle in this impromptu showmatch by defeating Samson 2-0 - his Alakazam proving superior over Samson's and earning the Elite Four a convincing victory. Still, considering the rare but excited expression on Sabrina's face, I knew that Samson's performance was well done. He held up well as the resident Kantonian Psychic specialist.
  
  There was a lot of daughterly pride being displayed on Sabrina's face.
  
  After that, with all the battles wrapped up, Lucian hosted a quick interview with the reporters there where he talked about how happy he was to be here, and then proceeded to compliment the many interesting things that he'd seen in Indigo so far. Basically, your standard cookie-cutter and 'safe' answer, though he went into more detail when he talked about the battles themselves.
  
  "The battles are by no means indicative of each trainers' strength, and were merely done for entertainment purposes only." He said to them, "If we had actually fought in a proper battle, then I'm sure the outcomes will be very different."
  
  "And what do you think about the strengths of your Elite Four counterparts in Indigo?" A reporter asked him.
  
  "They are just as formidable as I expected." He replied, "I may have defeated Lorelei, but my Pokémon were uniquely suited to countering hers, and it was obvious to me that she was trying to test out her new Ice type. Had she used Pokémon she was more familiar with, she may have achieved victory over me."
  
  "As for John, well - I don't think there's much that needs saying there." He chuckled, "Cynthia has always liked to comment about his strength, and clearly for good reason."
  
  "Many have already acknowledged John's strength after his starter managed to beat Champion Lance's. Do you think he is stronger than your Champion?" He was also asked.
  
  "No comment." Lucian stated instantly, knowing that this was a potentially volatile question, "Both trainers have their own strengths. I wouldn't know who would win in a battle between them, and that's all I'll say on the matter. Thank you."
  
  Lucian then gave a few more complimentary words about the Saffron Gym, during which I subtly made my exit from the group. Lorelei and Lucian would continue to explore Indigo together, and I didn't want to get in the way of that.
  
  I would have hung out with Whitney, but she was on the job and it was best not to disturb her. Besides, watching those battles had given me more inspiration for moves I also wanted to include on a few of my support Pokémon, which I had not really been focusing on in recent times.
  
  Power Swap and Guard Swap had incredible potential, and while I wasn't sure if any of my Pokémon could learn it naturally (since Power Swap and Guard Swap were such niche moves in the games and were often overlooked), I wanted to train my support Pokémon to be able to utilise the moves in battle.
  
  If they could mimic the way Lucian's Bronzong fought, they would be able to deal a crippling blow to a potential opponent in the right circumstances.
  
  Of course, the fact that the moves were probably not moves that they learnt normally meant it was going to take quite some time before they could master it, but I believed the effort would be worth it. I had strength in spades, so now was the time to focus on crippling the opponent's strength instead to really emphasize the difference in strength.
  
  Well, given that I had little else to do for the rest of the evening, then I supposed it was best to start right away.
  
  After that rather long day, I had expected to be able to get a good night's sleep and be well rested for the next day. What I certainly wasn't expecting was to receive a call in the early hours of the morning, before the sun was even out.
  
  And if it wasn't Lance calling me, I wouldn't even have picked up.
  
  "Lance, what's the emergency?"
  
  "...There's no emergency, what are you on about?" He asked confusedly.
  
  I blinked, "Then why the fuck are you calling me so early in the morning?!" I whisper-shouted at him, "Do you know what time it is?"
  
  "Well, we had to do it this early for the sake of secrecy." He replied, and now it was my turn to be confused. "Besides, don't you want to see who's stronger between your girlfriend and I?"
  
  "Uh, yeah, absolutely." I said instantly, "Wait, are you guys having a battle now?"
  
  "Yes, but for the sake of avoiding rumours, it needed to be done at such an early hour, and it was the only time that fit into both of our schedules." He said, "Thanks to Clair, we've got everything arranged. If you want to come, just fly to Blackthorn Gym and she'll show you where to go. And please, try to be subtle - having two Champions duelling each other is not what I want to see in this evening's news headline."
  
  Well he didn't need to tell me twice; there was a reason why Champions never really fought each other. You generally wanted to avoid comparisons of strength when you were a Champion, and you could ill-afford to lose.
  
  Lance only got away with losing to me because my strength was recognised many times over. Losing or winning against a foreign Champion would certainly have political implications that couldn't be so easily glossed over.
  
  So as soon as the call ended, I immediately made my way over on Zephyr this time, since Port was a little too recognisable, and flew to Blackthorn City. The wind of the skies helped cleanse the rest of my sleepiness away.
  
  I landed on the outskirts of the city, ensuring that no one could see my descent, and I hastily jogged to the Gym, where Clair was already waiting for me.
  
  "You're the fourth to arrive." She told me, "Come, I've already cleared out the training fields for you guys."
  
  "Wait, fourth?" I asked, "Who else is coming?"
  
  "Lance said that he invited everyone in the Elite Four." She replied, "But my cousin, Cynthia, and Lucian are already here. He told me the rest should be arriving shortly."
  
  Ah, so Lance wanted to make this a private viewing party of sorts. I guessed he was always eager to have an audience for his displays of strength, especially among peers.
  
  As I stepped into the large enclosed arena, I immediately spotted the three of them chatting away at each other. There was literally no one else here; Clair must have cleared out the Gym Trainers for this. Cynthia grinned as she saw me, and quickly ran up to me.
  
  "Surprise!" She exclaimed cheerfully, somehow not looking tired, "Did you think this would be happening when you got called this morning?"
  
  "I thought it was an emergency." I replied, "Lance never calls me this early in the morning."
  
  "I'm not awake this early in the morning." Lance cut in, bags visible under his eyes. I supposed I wasn't the only one deprived of sleep, "But this was all arranged very last minute. Like literally, Clair only confirmed the arrangements at midnight."
  
  "...Still, I wish we had a little more advanced warning." Lucian yawned tiredly, "As exciting and as rare as this occasion might be, I pretty much passed out on my bed last night."
  
  "That reminds me, how were your fights yesterday?" Cynthia asked Lucian, "I only saw the results."
  
  "Well John beat me handedly; I overestimated how well my Gallade would do in a 2v1." He said, "And I got way too excited with my Espeon. I definitely should have acted more defensively."
  
  "But I feel like Avalugg has the potential to be one of the new dominant Ice types in Sinnoh." He said, "My Medicham struck it with a critically supereffective fighting move, and Lorelei's Avalugg barely even flinched."
  
  "You took it down pretty easily though." I pointed out.
  
  He shrugged, "I had a feeling she was going to use it, so I had picked out Pokémon particularly suited to counter it. I'm sure most trainers she'd face would not have the same access to the utility moves that I have."
  
  "I regret telling you about my Avalugg then." A new voice suddenly spoke up from behind us, and we turned to see both Lorelei, Clair, Koga, and Will walking up to us. Wait...Will?
  
  "Will? You're here too?" I blurted out.
  
  "Yeah, I was surprised too." Lorelei nodded, "But apparently Lance invited him."
  
  "Hey, he was a member of our Elite Four until recently, so I saw no reason to not invite him." Lance walked up and patted Will on the shoulder, "And I'm sure he would like to see this as well. Besides, he's not one to blurt this out to the news."
  
  "I'd like to keep myself reporter-free, thank you very much. I already get more than enough attention from them ever since I became the new Gym Leader." He chuckled, "Speaking of which, it's good to see you all again. I very much appreciate that I'm still included."
  
  "It is good to have you here." Lucian said as he and Will shook hands, "I apologise not visiting you at your Gym-"
  
  "Oh don't even worry about it." Will interrupted and waved him off, "I'm a little too swamped with setting myself up. I don't think I'd be able to properly entertain you."
  
  Lucian chuckled, "But a visit from me wouldn't go amiss for your Gym's reputation, right?"
  
  Will snapped his fingers, "Oh true. Okay, maybe come over when you can. I'll be sure to be a good host."
  
  "You will be fine." Koga added, "I have kept an eye on your progress; your efforts at repairing the reputation of the Goldenrod Gym has not gone unnoticed."
  
  A clap of someone's hands got our attention, "...As much as I'd love to see all of you bonding, I believe we've gathered here for a particular reason?" Clair cut us all off, "Lance, Cynthia, how are you battling?"
  
  "We were planning to just fight starter vs starter." Cynthia said, "I know I'm the underdog going in, but I've always wanted to see how well my starter would match up against Lance's Emperor."
  
  "Well, best of luck to you." I said to Cynthia, "I'm sure you'll put on a good show."
  
  She pouted, "You don't think I'd win? Aren't you supposed to support your girlfriend?"
  
  "I may not have fought against your Garchomp yet, but I know full well how strong that Dragonite is." I shrugged, "I think it's better if I didn't overinflate your confidence. You have enough of it already."
  
  "I'll choose to take as a compliment." She replied, "But I expect your enthusiastic support the next time I battle. You ought to be more supportive."
  
  "Hey, fight anyone here that isn't Lance and I'll support you." I said, "Like I said, I'm just being realistic."
  
  "Okay, the both of you can flirt later. We're wasting time." Lance interrupted, "Cynthia, let's take our positions."
  
  Nodding, the two of them took their positions opposite each other while the rest of us settled into the audience stands. We were literally the only ones there, so we sat at the very front.
  
  Despite the air of excitement surrounding us as we prepared to watch two Champions fight with their strongest Pokémon, we remained completely silent as we sat enraptured by what was about to happen. If there was any drowsiness remaining, that was all gone by now.
  
  Then, the arena was drowned in the sounds of two bellowing roars as Garchomp and Emperor took their places. Garchomp might be a terrifying Pokémon on his own, but Emperor still managed to dwarf Cynthia's starter.
  
  Thank Arceus we were indoors and soundproofed. We likely would have waken up the whole neighbourhood otherwise.
  
  A harsh sandstorm quickly descended on the battlefield, but Garchomp made no move to charge forwards. Instead, she seemed content to stay where she was, waiting for her opponent to make the first move.
  
  Emperor was all too happy to oblige. With another roar, he charged forwards with Extreme Speed, only for a wall of stone to suddenly form in his path. Emperor smashed through it with ease, and unleashed a fearsome swipe at Garchomp, only for it to go wide as Garchomp already retreated.
  
  So instead of hitting his target, Emperor let out a grunt as he was blasted face-first with a powerful Dragon Pulse. However, instead of going on the defensive, Emperor instead blitzed forwards once again, tanking through the Dragon Pulse as his rushed towards Garchomp's location with another Extreme Speed.
  
  His fist smashed into a shaking claw as Garchomp barely managed to block the attack. The two locked themselves into a contest of strength, one that Emperor was clearly winning as the ground below Garchomp began to crack from the sheer force that Emperor was exerting on her.
  
  Then, Garchomp exploded with power as the familiar aura of an Outrage surrounded her form. With that burst of strength, Garchomp pushed Emperor's arm aside, leaving him wide open for a devastating Dragon Claw to rip into him. Emperor stumbled backwards, and Garchomp burst forwards with a Dragon Rush of her own, crashing into Emperor with her full draconic might.
  
  But Emperor didn't break. Instead, he swung around and sent his massive Dragon Tail crashing into Garchomp's side, knocking her straight to the floor.
  
  Immediately, Emperor's fist was encased in Ice as he thrust his fist forwards, only to be interrupted as a sudden eruption of stone struck him in the face. That bought Garchomp precious time to Dig away and narrowly avoid the incoming Ice Punch.
  
  Seeing his foe Dig away, Emperor instantly slammed his foot down, causing the ground to split and shatter as destructive tremors shot through the ground with his Earthquake. But Garchomp proved too fast to be caught, having leapt out of the ground and firing off another pulsating Dragon Pulse that caused Emperor to stumble backwards yet again.
  
  "ENOUGH! DRACO METEOR, EMPEROR!"
  
  Likely having cottoned on to Cynthia's strategy of not having her Garchomp fight Emperor at close range, Lance decided to force the issue.
  
  The roof of the arena shimmered with energy as huge orbs of energy formed above us, before they slowly hurled downwards like an incoming apocalypse.
  
  I didn't care how trained her Garchomp was; there was no chance Garchomp would ever be able to cleanly tank through that attack, especially with her weakness to Dragon.
  
  And Lance knew it too, as he repeated what he did with Pryce, ordering Emperor forwards with an almost reckless disregard for his own health. Despite the sheer destruction that was about to rain down on the both of them, Emperor charged straight into Garchomp, and the two began to grapple and wrestle against each other, vying for strength.
  
  "Outrage, Garchomp! Time to go all-out!"
  
  "MATCH IT, EMPEROR!"
  
  Knowing there was no chance to break free, Garchomp's aura soared to life like a blinding beacon of light as she Outraged once again. At that same moment, an enormous pulse of energy exploded forth from Emperor, and a deep blue aura flared out around him as he also began Outraging.
  
  There were now two Outraging, extremely powerful Dragons clashing in the centre of the arena, while enormous orbs of destructions were about to crash into the ground like an apocalyptic rain of devastation.
  
  I really hoped the soundproofing would hold, because this was truly a battle of cataclysmic proportions.
  
  As the Draco Meteor got closer to the ground, it was becoming harder to see anything as the air shimmered and distorted from the sheer energy that they radiated. Instinctively, I knew that the Psychic shields that had been set up would not be enough to withstand the blast, so I quickly sent out Klee and had her form a Protect shield.
  
  Then the first Draco Meteor crashed into the ground, and everything turned silent.
  
  The psychic shields shattered instantly from the deafening explosion that took place, and I was immediately blinded as the resulting wave of force instantly dispersed the harsh sandstorm, sending a blinding cloud of dust and sand everywhere.
  
  I was so glad that I put up that Protect shield. My peers had copied me and followed suit, otherwise they would have just been blasted by a face full of sand.
  
  After what felt like minutes, the wave of sand finally petered out. As visibility slowly returned, I witnessed the sight of two Dragons breathing heavily as they continued to circle the other, still eyeing each other with wariness.
  
  I didn't know what happened in the intervening period, but from appearance alone, it looked like Garchomp had taken far more of a beating, as one of her clawed arms now hung limply to her side and there was a slight stumble in her movements. In the meanwhile, Emperor, though he no longer stood as domineeringly tall as he did before, seemed to still be in fighting condition.
  
  More importantly, I stared at their two pulsating blue auras. Both still blazed like a raging inferno, but despite Garchomp's more efficient use of it, her aura was noticeably less bright.
  
  That made sense, because Emperor was the more resilient of the two. While Cynthia had done her best to not engage Emperor at close range, it seems like the moment the two began to brawl, the difference in strength had become apparent, and Garchomp suffered for it.
  
  Of course, the devastating Draco Meteors were probably the cause for a large part of her injuries as well.
  
  Ruthlessly denying Garchomp a chance to catch her breath, Emperor let out another booming roar as he blitzed forwards in a blur with another Extreme Speed. Garchomp tried to backpedal away to make distance with her own Dragon Rush, but Emperor was just faster and managed to catch up with Garchomp and grapple onto her arms and lock them in place with his own.
  
  The two were now trapped in another battle of strength. One that Garchomp was slowly losing.
  
  Garchomp's legs created a small groove in the ground as they skidded backwards, and Emperor had both of her clawed arms locked down tight, not allowing Garchomp to counterattack with her arms. Garchomp's muscled bulged with exertion as she tried desperately to push back against Emperor's superior strength, the ground below them cracking and shattering once again at their titanic struggle as they both flared their draconic auras to the limit.
  
  Yet Emperor still remained the stronger of the two.
  
  Then an eruption of rocks shot out from below the two of them, and a barrage of sharp stones impaled themselves into Emperor. Emperor flinched backwards from the pain, and Garchomp instantly capitalised on the opportunity.
  
  "GARCHOMP!" With a roar that revealed all of her rage and determination, Garchomp's burst forwards in a blue blur as she crashed into Emperor, eviscerating the Dragonite with a ruthless Dragon Rush and Dragon Claw combo. Letting out a pained grunt, Emperor fell onto his knee, before a massive Dragon Tail slammed straight into his face, sending him tumbling backwards.
  
  "Dragon Rush again, Garchomp!"
  
  Not wanting to give Emperor any chance to recover, Garchomp exploded forwards once again, hoping to finish off Emperor while he was still disoriented. However, the moment Garchomp rushed forwards, Emperor suddenly disappeared into a blur, reappearing just to the right of Garchomp with a blinding beam of light charging up in his mouth.
  
  Realising her mistake, Garchomp immediately pivoted on the spot and threw up a Protect shield, but it was too little too late. An enormous ray of light shot out from Emperor's maw, instantly disintegrating the Protect shield, but that bought just enough time for Garchomp to release her own blindingly bright Hyper Beam.
  
  The two incredibly intense beams of light crashed into each other, and the air around the two pulsating rays literally began to warp and distort itself from the sheer power of the clashing energies. In fact, the entire battlefield took on a blue hue from the enormous amount of draconic power that was radiating out of both Pokémon.
  
  I felt the hairs on my arms stand up from the pure concentration of draconic energies that had now filled the enclosed arena.
  
  Yet everyone's eyes were locked onto the two Hyper Beams; tensely awaiting who would come out on top. But as the seconds passed, Emperor's superior strength demonstrated itself once again as Garchomp's attack was slowly, but visibly being pushed back.
  
  "Dodge away with Dragon Rush, Garchomp!"
  
  Cynthia must have realised that too, as her Garchomp stopped her Hyper Beam and quickly dashed to the side, moving fast enough that she only took a glancing blow from the incoming Hyper Beam, which proceeded to cut a swathe through the first layer of reinforced walls around the arena, shearing through them if it was paper rather than specially reinforced steel.
  
  Taking the small moment before the Hyper Beam could sweep her way, Garchomp stomped on the ground, causing another volley of rocks to erupt from underneath Emperor, impaling him on the spot and cancelling the Hyper Beam.
  
  But that small victory came at a heavy price for Garchomp. The once bright blue aura of draconic energy surrounding her had now dimmed significantly, and it was impossible to hide the raw exhaustion that was present in her expression, nor the plethora of injuries that now littered her body. While Emperor's condition was hardly any better, the near-limitless stamina that he had was paying dividends.
  
  It spoke volumes to how efficient Cynthia's Garchomp was at making use of her Outrage that she was able to somewhat match Emperor's incredible stamina.
  
  "Get in close, Emperor!"
  
  "Dig and ambush, Garchomp!"
  
  Lance evidently realised that his opponent's strength was waning, and decided to not give Garchomp any opportunity to catch her breath. But before Emperor could slam into his target again, Garchomp disappeared into the ground before leaping out from the right and slashing down with a ferocious Dragon Claw.
  
  But Emperor endured through the attack, refusing to flinch as he swept his legs out, knocking Garchomp off balance as she tumbled to the ground - her knees being too injured to support her weight.
  
  Another eruption of rocks prevented a counterattack, this time managing to flinch Emperor for long enough that Garchomp managed to get back on her feet before spinning around and delivering a hammering Dragon Tail that knocked Emperor aside.
  
  Then, without any hesitation, Garchomp leapt forwards and pounced onto the stumbling Emperor, sending them both crashing into the ground.
  
  Garchomp's Outrage flared up again as she burned the last of her energies to take down Emperor. However, despite his injuries, Emperor's own Outrage was still going strong, and the two began to brawl relentlessly as they ferociously wrestled on the ground.
  
  At first, Garchomp looked to be the victor as she pounded Emperor with a vicious barrage of Dragon Claws and Ice Punches as she kept him pinned to the ground. But Emperor gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain, managing to grab a hold of one of Garchomp's clawed arms as he sent an Ice Punch of his own crashing into Garchomp's chest.
  
  Yet that failed to knock Garchomp off of him, and the two unstoppable Dragon types continued their violent beatdown of each other, using what remained of their strength to ensure that the other would stay down.
  
  But ultimately, the battle would be decided with their Outrages.
  
  Whose Outrage was going to peter out first? What would the deciding factor be?
  
  Would it be from Garchomp's mastery over her Outrage, to the point where she had managed to maintain such incredible discipline that she was able to toggle her Outrage and maximize its efficiency to conserve the most energy?
  
  Or would it be from Lance's and the Blackthorn's training method? Where they utilised and weaponised their innate draconic pride to push their strength and endurance to their utmost limit, and therefore managing to overwhelm any opponent with seemingly limitless power?
  
  Both of the starter's eyes burned with determination as they burned whatever energy remained to overpower the other - to grant their trainer the victory that they deserved.
  
  In the end, as the two viciously and ferociously pummelled, bashed, and thrashed the other, it was Garchomp that faltered first. The signature blue aura of her Outrage had blinked out as a sudden bout of confusion set in for Cynthia's starter.
  
  Taking advantage of this opportunity, Emperor kicked out Garchomp's legs from under her before brutally slamming her head straight into the ground and unleashing a point-blank Earthquake that finally finished off Cynthia's strongest Pokémon.
  
  It was over.
  
  "DRAGONITEEE!" Despite the litany of injuries scattered across his form, Emperor proudly let out a roar of victory as he stood over his conquered foe, his booming roar echoing across the now-damaged enclosed arena.
  
  The Emperor had held his throne today. Only a Tyrant could dethrone him.
  
  But with his victory and the Outrage finally wearing off, Emperor began to wobble unsteadily as he was hit by a surge of confusion. Combined with his injuries, the once-intimidating Emperor now looked in terrible shape, almost as if a stiff breeze could knock him over.
  
  It was proof that Garchomp had been a worthy contender for the throne.
  
  In the meanwhile, we were all clapping excitedly for the incredible battle that just took place. It was truly stunning, even if I somewhat proudly thought that my battle against Lance was just a little bit cooler.
  
  I quickly shook that arrogant thought from my mind as we all rushed up to the two battlers. Of course, I immediately went to Cynthia, "That was so close. I really thought you had him there."
  
  "...Thanks, but it's so hard to defeat an opponent that's both faster and stronger than you." She sighed out, "The only area where Garchomp was quicker than Emperor in was underground, but it's always risky to use Dig when an Earthquake can so easily punish the move."
  
  She shook her head, "I had hoped that my more efficient use of Outrage might be able to give me enough of an advantage to outlast Emperor. But clearly Emperor's stamina is nothing to scoff at."
  
  "Yet you certainly did not make it an easy battle." Lance stated, "I don't think Emperor has ever been pushed this hard against an opponent that was weaker than him in terms of raw strength. John only managed that because Tyrant was actually stronger than Emperor when he wasn't Outraged. But I really underestimated just how efficient your Outraging was - just when I think that your Garchomp was going to run out of energy, there seems to just be more in the tank."
  
  "I can say the same to you." Cynthia replied, "Your Emperor's stamina is truly limitless. I really thought I had you at the end there, but you still managed outlast and overpower my Garchomp."
  
  Then she smirked at me, "Makes it even more impressive that you beat him."
  
  "Things would be different in a proper battle, though." Lucian cut in, "You could have buffed up your Garchomp with a Baton Pass in advance, for example."
  
  "Or poisoned it." Koga added, "Then your victory would have been much easier. I know you have a Roserade to do just that."
  
  "You're right." Cynthia nodded, "But I won't make excuses for today. My starter challenged yours, and mine lost. Congratulations Lance. Your strength is truly incredible."
  
  Lance grinned at the praise as he turned towards Clair, "Cousin, what did you think? You think you could replicate this performance?"
  
  She scoffed at his preening, "Not likely; you know I was never close to being able to beat you Lance, no matter how hard I tried." Her expression then softened, "You know, for a long time I never really thought that Dragons could be raised properly by anyone outside of the Blackthorn Clan. Drake was an exception, as I knew he had real experience to make up for it."
  
  "But today was the first time that I've seen someone as young as you use Dragons almost better than the Blackthorns themselves." Clair said to Cynthia, "How did you manage to get your Garchomp to control her Outrage like that?"
  
  "I taught her to control her pride and rage." Cynthia replied, "The rest of my team do not share Garchomp's temper, and that allowed me to highlight the strength of controlling her emotions and to maintain strict self-discipline. I know full well that Dragons draw a lot of their strength from their pride, so I have merely chosen to temper it."
  
  "And that's the difference between our training styles." Lance nodded, "Us Blackthorns? We reinforce that pride and rage. But with your generalist approach, you have more diverse temperaments, which allows your Dragon to develop differently. Normally, that's seen as a bad thing, but you've clearly made it work."
  
  Then he grinned smugly, "But my Emperor is still superior."
  
  "Don't grin too hard. You lost to John." Cynthia shot back, wrapping an arm around me, "There's always someone better than you."
  
  "Let's cut the conversation here." Koga suddenly interrupted us, gesturing to his watch, "We have to clean up the mess from your impressive battle before the Gym's doors open."
  
  "Aw come on, I was hoping to see a bit more." Will pouted.
  
  Clair's eyes shot open, "Oh shit! It's almost time to open!" She then released a few ground types that I recognised were Gym Pokémon used to clean up and rebuild the arena, "Let's talk later, we need to clean this all up, and you guys need to get out of here before they spot you and question what we were doing here."
  
  We all moved to help out, quickly repairing the training grounds and arena just in time for the doors of the Gym to open. Before we could be spotted by the incoming crowds, we all split up.
  
  Of course, I stuck with Cynthia.
  
  "You know, Lucian's volunteered to attend a few of my meetings tomorrow in my place - meaning that I have a bit of free time." She grinned cheekily at me, "And your girlfriend needs some cheering up after her loss, so..."
  
  "So I'll be happy to take you on a date." I finished for her, giving her a smile of my own. I took her hand in mine, "Come, I want to show you around Cerulean City properly. There're many things I'd love to show you, if you have the time for it. I'll happily adjust to whatever schedule you have."
  
  She gave me a quick peck on the cheek, "Sure, I'll follow your lead."
  
  A.N. This battle between Cynthia and Lance's starters was a long time coming. Yes, Cynthia unfortunately lost, but I hoped that she still managed to put up a good showing. It's just that, at the end of the day, Lance's Emperor just beats her out in terms of raw strength. And in a 1v1, raw strength is one of the more important attributes to have.
  
  In a full battle, things would be different. And as both Lance and Cynthia continue to train and develop their starters, the outcome of their next battle could be very different. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-8 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 12-8 - Interlude - Brock
  
  The new Kabuto that Karen got for him was currently splayed out across the grass of their training fields, looking very cute as it struggled to flip itself off of its back.
  
  "I thought fossil Pokémon would be more intimidating." Forrest said amusedly from next to him, "This is hardly how I imagined they would be."
  
  "Oh who cares?!" Yolanda giggled, carefully rubbing her hand over Kabuto's soft underbelly, "Look at the cute little thing! It must be so happy to be outside for the first time."
  
  "Be careful of its sharp legs!" He called out, "Don't hurt yourself!"
  
  Despite his warning, he didn't think Yolanda was listening to him as she continued to play with their new Kabuto, and he let out a sigh. Seeing his exasperation clearly amused Karen, who had been content to watch them play around.
  
  "I'm glad you guys seem to enjoy it so much." She said, "Honestly, you don't know how long I agonised over between getting you guys an Omanyte or a Kabuto."
  
  "You didn't need to get one for us anyways." Brock said again, though he knew that his words wouldn't find purchase with Karen, "Besides, we would have been happy with either of them."
  
  They had gone over this before when Karen had first revealed her gift to them. He had tried to refuse, but eventually was forced to accept it as Karen wasn't about to return the Kabuto of all things. Still, he had balked when he finally got Karen to confess how much she paid for it, and he didn't trust her word that she got a discount on it thanks to her connections.
  
  That was way too much money to spend for a single Pokémon. It just added another tally to the things he owed Karen.
  
  "You say that, but I know your team desperately lacks a fast attacker. A Kabutops would fill in the gap for you, and it could punish Water teams if they try to set up the Rain with its own Swift Swim." Karen advised, "Sure, an Omastar would be useful for its Special Attack, but I believe a fast attacker is more valuable to you than a slow Special Attacker."
  
  Brock nodded, seeing the value in Karen's analysis. He agreed that, once properly trained up, Kabuto would make for a very powerful, and needed, part of his team.
  
  "Your team has really grown though! You're even starting to give me a run for my money in our battles! Your Golem and Rhydon have gotten pretty strong." Karen complimented, "Keep it up, and I know your efforts will be rewarded soon. The other Gym Leaders have nothing bad to say about you, right?"
  
  He shook his head, "No, they treat me well, and they've even complimented my management of the Gym a few times - saying that I've done a good job. Plus, Giovanni gives me advice from time to time, and Surge looks out for me too. They've offered to send over a few Gym Trainers if things get too busy, but I've turned them down for now. I'm confident we can handle it."
  
  Surge being so nice to them was a little surprising. The man gave off quite the harsh impression, but he was always gentle to him whenever they spoke, and was always ready to give advice.
  
  "Giovanni even offered to buy me a Protector for my Rhydon, but I said no." He revealed, "I...I'll earn the money for it myself."
  
  "You don't have to force yourself to do so. It's okay to ask for help from time to time." Karen reminded him gently, as she always did. But he wouldn't allow himself to rely solely on other people's generosity like this.
  
  Even though he was grateful for it, he wanted to prove that he could handle himself even with them abandoning them.
  
  "Are you sure you're okay to spend time with us right now?" Forrest suddenly asked Karen, "I thought you were battling Agatha soon. Shouldn't you be training for that?"
  
  Karen smiled indulgently, reaching down to rub his hair, "I can't be training all the time. My Pokémon and I need to take breaks too you know! Besides, you think the old hag is going to be spending every waking moment training up? She's getting on in years; she'll collapse without her sleep!" Karen cackled.
  
  "It's fine, Forrest." He patted his brother on the shoulder, "If Karen thinks she's ready then there's no need to bug her. I'm sure she's nervous enough."
  
  "You're nervous?" Yolanda asked, turning away from the Kabuto with a shocked look.
  
  "Of course I am." Karen replied with a casual shrug, "Why wouldn't I be? Not only am I going to finally be challenging the Elite Four - a goal that I have dreamed of doing for years now - but I'm also going to be fighting against my teacher and mentor. I have every reason to be nervous."
  
  "You don't look nervous though." Forrest pointed out.
  
  "What kind of big sister lets the younger ones worry about them?" Karen chuckled, giving Forrest another friendly squeeze, "And besides, once you're at my level of experience, tough trainer battles are just something you'll going to have to learn to get used to. Everyone's nervous when it comes time for a big battle like this, but you're just going to have to put on a brave face and tough it out. You owe it to your Pokémon to do so."
  
  Brock nodded; Agatha had said something similar before. It was something that he was starting to get used to as he continued taking on more duties as a Gym Leader. He knew he had to adapt before the circuit started up; there would be no more time for failure once it did.
  
  Then Karen spoke up again, "Actually, Brock, I do have something important to speak to you about, which is actually why I came over today."
  
  That was concerning, "What's the matter?" He asked, hoping it wasn't bad news.
  
  "You know, once I do make it into the Elite Four...it might be difficult for me to spend so much time with you." She explained slowly, "At least, not so openly."
  
  "Wait, why?!" Yolanda immediately exclaimed, "Why would things change if you join the Elite Four?"
  
  "Is it because the public might think of you as overly favouring us?" He guessed.
  
  "That's right." Karen confirmed, "Right now, I'm technically an unaffiliated individual, even if I might be Agatha's apprentice, but that's not an official title. However, if I become an Elite Four, my responsibilities are to the region. The public won't like it if I openly favour you, and therefore the Pewter Gym, as I'm expected to be impartial."
  
  "But Elite Four members show favouritism all the time!" Forrest protested, "I mean, even John heavily favours Cerulean City! He does everything he can to improve it!"
  
  "That's true, but the public doesn't see it as favouritism because it's his city. They see that as normal - it's weird like that." Karen explained, "So for me, while the public won't bat an eye if I start favouring Lavender Town, they won't have a problem with that because I'm from there. However, the same doesn't apply to Pewter, because technically I have 'no reason' to be favouring you the way I do."
  
  Brock could understand Karen's reasoning, but it looks like his siblings were still a little confused.
  
  Karen sighed, "Look, politics is complicated and doesn't always make sense. Just let me be clear on something; I'm not abandoning you. I will continue visiting you, it's just that my visits either are going to have to be more private, or less frequent. I won't be giving you guys up just because of some negative PR, but I'll do my best to balance both sides so that any PR hit would be minimized."
  
  The knowledge that Karen wasn't about to walk out of their lives (like them) was enough to placate his siblings, who quickly ran up and gave Karen a big hug. He knew that they had gotten a small fright at the thought of Karen leaving them behind as well; that would be too big of a blow for them.
  
  "No, we understand." He said on behalf of his siblings, "Just tell us if there's anything to do to help, and we'll do it."
  
  "Yeah, we obviously want you over as much as possible!" Yolanda said brightly, "Oh and speaking of which, we should totally have a party once you do win! You can invite your friends as well!"
  
  "If I win." Karen pointed out, "Agatha's not exactly going to let me roll over her."
  
  Then she smirked, "Though if I do win I'll be sure to bring her along to my victory party just so I could rub it in her face a bit more."
  
  Despite her saying that, he couldn't really imagine a world where Karen didn't win. Not because he thought that Karen was stronger than Agatha, but simply because he felt that she deserved to be rewarded after everything she had done for them.
  
  There was no way the Gym would be as prosperous, or his siblings as happy as they were, if not for her efforts to take care of them.
  
  And even though she said that she would have to distance herself from them for political reasons, he knew full well that Karen would choose them over any political considerations. There's no way she would stop visiting them. More than anyone else in the world, she had his full trust.
  
  Because Karen saw them as family, and so did they.
  
  "...By the way, have you heard anything from Flint?" Karen asked slowly, visibly wincing as she felt the mood suddenly plummet at her question, "Sorry. I know you guys don't like it when I bring it up, but I just wanted to ask."
  
  He forced away the feelings that suddenly arose, "...No, no, it's fine...the Jennys have told me that he's been sighted once or two times around Pewter, but he's never attempted to approach the Gym."
  
  "I see...well if he ever does visit, and you don't feel comfortable talking to him, then call me immediately." She stated, a dangerous gleam flashing in her eyes, "I'll come and sort it out. You won't have to worry about a thing."
  
  The siblings all shared a look, but when before the topic of Flint would cause a wave of uncertainty to pass through them, hearing Karen's firm declaration had helped reassure them a little bit.
  
  "Thank you, Karen." They all said.
  
  She chuckled darkly, "No need to thank me. Just know that if I ever see him, he'll get what's coming for him."
  
  A.N. It's been some time since we checked up on Brock, so I thought he and his siblings deserved an Interlude. As you might expect, things are going well for them, and I wanted to highlight the sheer level of trust that is shared between them and Karen.
  
  Like Brock said, Karen would never abandon the family, and Brock (the most mature among them) knows it. And he's mature enough to understand that, while politics might get in the way, that doesn't change how they feel. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-9 - The Tour
  
  Of course, just because Cynthia had 'a bit of free time' didn't mean that she was actually free for the whole day - far from it. Despite her best efforts to adjust her scheduling, there were still plenty of interviews and meetings that she couldn't really wriggle out of as Champion.
  
  Still, I told her that I wanted to take her around Cerulean City and show her the Gym, including an early morning performance from the Waterflower sisters. That would take up a huge chunk of time, and she had a content piece with one of Indigo's larger news agencies that she needed to attend to, since the whole point of the trip was to generate goodwill from the people of Indigo. Therefore, she wouldn't have time to sit through the whole contest.
  
  However, she had brought up a possible solution for this.
  
  "John, would you be comfortable if a camera crew shadowed us for parts of our date?" She asked me, "You know that I'm trying to be a friendly face for the people of Indigo. I was thinking if they could spend some time shadowing us on our date and I answered a few of their questions, it'll go a long way into making me more relatable to the public, which would really help."
  
  "Sure, if that's what you think we should do, then I don't mind too much." I replied, "Just tell them to not get in our way."
  
  "I'll do my best." She nodded, "...And thanks, John. I'm sorry that we have to let politics get in the way of our date too."
  
  I shrugged, "I'm not too bothered by it. I accepted that when I chose to date a Champion. Stuff like this...they're inevitable. I've already accepted that."
  
  As two incredibly well-known public figures, getting away from public scrutiny was nearly impossible. The public was always going to be interested in us. So instead of making a fuss about it, I might as well just accept it and deal with it.
  
  She smiled at my answer, "Thank you, John. I'm glad you're so understanding."
  
  Then she hooked her arm in mine, "In that case, bring me somewhere so I can get changed into something more appropriate. If our date is about to be publicised, then I want to make sure I'm looking my best."
  
  I nodded, and we quickly went back to my home and got a change of clothes.
  
  Cynthia proceeded to change into a white one piece dress, with a light brown cardigan worn on top of it. On top of that, she wore a beige colour sunhat with matching sunglasses. It was almost the complete opposite of the black coat that she usually wore. I thought she looked beautiful, and I made sure to tell her that.
  
  In the meanwhile, I had dressed up differently too. While I didn't exactly have a signature outfit like many others did, I decided to wear a white T-shirt with a dark blue cardigan on top and long grey pants. I also had my own hat as well.
  
  With our outfits appropriately changed, the two of us walked with arms linked as we walked from my house to Cerulean City. The arrangements had already been made with the news crew, and it didn't take long for them to show up at Cerulean city, waiting for our arrival.
  
  At least they got the message that they were to keep their distance, as none of them approached us as we went towards our first stop - the Cerulean Gym.
  
  Fortunately, the Gym was pretty empty today, and we made a beeline straight towards the aquarium, which had gone through some upgrades since I had last been here. There were a few more Pokémon around, and the displays for all the many different Water types were far more grand in their presentation.
  
  "I didn't realise they would have Sinnoh Water types here." Cynthia muttered as she looked over the many Water types with an interested gleam in her eyes, "It's been a while since I've done any fishing. I don't think I've done any since I caught my Milotic as a Feebas."
  
  I nodded in agreement, though the one display that caught my eye was a large fishtank with a few Horsea swimming about. Next to it was a plaque that read:
  
  'Generously donated by Hoenn's Elite Four Drake.'
  
  I smiled when I saw it, and Cynthia followed my eyes and let out a smile of her own, "How cute. Looks like something good came out of that Tournament after all. Actually, that reminds me, did you know Candice told me that she made a new friend? It's Gym Leader Jasmine."
  
  "Jasmine? That's nice." I replied, then I added another bit because I knew our conversation was being recorded, "Always nice to see Gym Leaders making friends."
  
  She chuckled, "That's not the best part." She leaned forwards to whisper into my ear, "Candice told me that Jasmine had apparently been talking a lot with Volkner lately..." She stretched out that last word in a teasing tone.
  
  I snickered before whispering in reply, "Yeah, I'm not surprised."
  
  It was then that the interviewer finally had the guts to approach us with a question, "Champion Cynthia, what are your thoughts on the Gym thus far? You seem to be enjoying it."
  
  "I am." She nodded, "But let me answer that question after I finish watching the contest. I'll give you a full answer then."
  
  They nodded and backed off, while we hung around the aquarium for a little bit longer. Eventually, after Cynthia had gotten her fill of what she wanted to look at, we headed to the counter to buy tickets for the first show. Though, cutely, Misty was apparently in charge of manning the desk today.
  
  Her eyes boggled when she realised who we were, and I could see her giving us a look of confusion when she saw the camera crew following after us. But she didn't let that scare her.
  
  "John? Are you here to see our show?" She asked.
  
  "Sure am." I nodded, "Tickets for two please. Actually, make that six for the camera crew as well."
  
  "...Um, you don't have to pay." Misty said slowly, "It's fine. We have plenty of seats. The early morning sessions are usually quite empty."
  
  "Please, I insist." I stated, "If only for the inconvenience for bringing in the camera crew. I hope you don't mind if they come with us - they're here to interview Cynthia too."
  
  "Oh, we don't mind." She replied, "My sisters are very used to being recorded. It's fine. Just no flashing lights, please."
  
  And with that, the tickets were bought, and we were all escorted deeper into the Gym where the water show was going to take place. At the entrance was Petrel, calmly checking over everyone's tickets before allowing them inside.
  
  When it got to our turn, I watched as Petrel's eyes widened in recognition as he stared at the two of us. But then a spark of understanding hit him and his expression returned to normal.
  
  "Would you like to have the seats near the front or near the back?" He asked us, "The seats at the front have a better viewing experience, but there is a greater chance of getting wet." I had a feeling that most last-minute ticket buyers would not have the option to choose.
  
  "Back please." Cynthia immediately replied, and Petrel quickly took in our tickets and replaced them with different ones before handing them back to us.
  
  "Then I hope you come to enjoy the show." He said, before ushering us inside. Good man.
  
  The stands were surprisingly packed, and my eyes instantly went to the many banners advertising various products scattered around the walls. Our family Moomoo milk was on there as well, though luckily we no longer had my face used as advertisement.
  
  "I haven't actually seen a contest performance before." Cynthia admitted as the two of us took our seats. The camera crew sat a little behind us.
  
  "Really?" That was surprising, "I thought you would have."
  
  "No, I haven't." She shook her head, "Contests aren't really a big part of Sinnoh's culture. It's grown in popularity recently, but it's nothing compared to how popular it is in Hoenn. Contests are more widespread even in Indigo. I'm actually excited to see how this turns out."
  
  "...Actually, I remember reading about you being in a performance once." She said in a teasing tone, "When are you going to repeat that?"
  
  "Correction - I was never part of any performance. My Pokémon were." I stated, "And besides, I've not the talent to do contests. I'll leave it to the professionals. What about you? You ever think of doing contests?"
  
  "Well...not really." She said, "I'm not too sure contest performances are for me. I like winning, not dazzling a crowd. I don't think I could put on an act like so many performers do, nor do I think I could pull off the outfits."
  
  I made a show of looking over her, "Trust me, you could pull it off."
  
  "Thank you, but I prefer to hear that from a less biased source." She said neutrally, but her giggles betrayed her.
  
  Our conversation naturally fell silent as the stage lights dimmed, with only the centre spotlight that was focused on the large swimming pool remaining on. Then the sisters came onto stage, and without a word, the performance started as enchanting music began being played through the speakers.
  
  A trio of Dewgong were first to appear as they leapt out in a triangular pattern in perfect sync, before releasing three bubbles of water into the air. The bubbles converged, forming a much larger one that floated in the air above the pool that formed into a large heart shape. Then a Starmie suddenly teleported itself into the midst of the bubble, causing the bubble to suddenly glow like a rainbow before the bubble split apart into 10 smaller ones as they began circling around the Starmie in the centre.
  
  Then, the bubbles slowly morphed themselves into various forms of different Water type Pokémon while they all glowed with a different light, like a circular rainbow.
  
  Starmie began to spin, with the bubbles spinning alongside it in sync with Starmie's own 10 arms, causing rays of dazzling light to flicker through the stage. Then the bubbles all suddenly collapsed back into the pool before a huge, but thin wall of water shot up. The wall of water was deliberately thin enough so that you could still see through it, and behind the curtain was a school of Magikarp swimming in a circular fashion, forming a ring with their bodies.
  
  A Gyarados proceeded to charge through the ring of Magikarp, launching itself majestically into the air as its body literally sparkled in the light, letting out a booming yet dignified roar that brought all eyes onto it. Then the Gyarados dived back into the pool as the three Dewgong reappeared to replace it, shooting out three small streams of water to make a makeshift platform - on which a single Slowpoke was lying down on.
  
  A glistening rainbow formed behind it, while the Magikarp began leaping around in the background in a way that perfectly framed the lone Slowpoke, making it look like a kingly entrance. Or, in this case, more like a king waiting to make a proclamation.
  
  Then it opened its mouth.
  
  "Slow."
  
  That was all it said.
  
  And instantly, all of the 'special effects' that was going on behind it collapsed into nothing, causing Slowpoke to fall out of the air and land directly into one of the sisters' arms, who had a pretend look of exasperation.
  
  The absurd display caused all of us to burst out laughing. That was a ridiculous, almost comical, way to end a performance like this.
  
  With the performance finished, the Waterflower took to the stage and expressed their thanks for us coming to watch the show and explained how they wanted to try to add some more comedic moments into their performances for better entertainment value.
  
  "A dazzling performance is one thing." They concluded, "But if we are able to make you laugh as well, then that just adds to how memorable the performance is."
  
  "...I think I really need to watch more contests in the future. That was really fun." Cynthia said as she clapped.
  
  "I thought so too." I said, "I'm really surprised that they got their Gyarados to cooperate in their performance. It means that their bond must have grown."
  
  "I'm impressed that the sisters are able to keep up their duties as Gym Leaders while also coming up with interesting performances like this." She said, "Must be stressful maintaining the balance between the two."
  
  I agreed, "They're quite incredible. Cerulean couldn't ask for a more suitable Gym Leader."
  
  After that, we politely left the Gym, not wanting to bother the Waterflower sisters. As we left, the interview approached us once more as she repeated her previous question about Cynthia's thoughts on the Gym and the city.
  
  "The performance by the Waterflower sisters have really opened my eyes to the potential of contests." She answered, "While the culture of contests isn't really developed in Sinnoh right now, I'd love to see if that could change and for contests to be further encouraged. I think our people would really come to enjoy it."
  
  "And John, what do you think about your own city?" They asked me.
  
  "I'm very proud of it of course." I replied, "The Cerulean council, the Cerulean Gym, myself, and many others, have all been working very hard to help develop Cerulean city to what it is today. The city today is the result of our joint effort and hard work. I'm very glad that my girlfriend seems to enjoy what we've done with the place."
  
  "Then - a question to the both of you - what are your thoughts about being in such a public relationship?" They asked us, "Are you uncomfortable with the many eyes on your relationship?"
  
  That was quite shameless of them to ask - considering they were part of the problem, but I kept the polite smile on my face as I responded.
  
  "Not at all." I said, "This just comes with the territory with dating a Champion. I was well aware of the responsibility."
  
  "And likewise," Cynthia interrupted, "I hope that people can see that we were being sincere when we announced that we weren't dating for political reasons. We're just two people that managed to find love in each other, being a Champion or an Elite Four doesn't change that."
  
  "Not only that, we also hope that this helps to show that just because we come from different regions doesn't mean we cannot be together." I added, deliberating wrapping an arm around my girlfriend's shoulder as I pulled her into a hug, "Our relationship endures even if we are separated by distance."
  
  The interviewer nodded at that and backed off, not having any further questions for the moment.
  
  Originally, my plan after taking her to the Cerulean Gym was to take her to visit the newly renovated Cerulean Cave, though with a camera crew behind us that wasn't happening. So instead, we had a quick stop for an early lunch while we entertained a few more questions from the interviewer.
  
  Fortunately, with lunch wrapped up, we politely asked for the interview to stop there as we wanted to enjoy the rest of our date in private, and they accepted - having gotten enough footage to last several days. I expected to see several puff pieces regarding our date popping up on the Pokénet soon.
  
  With their departure, we could finally relax a bit as we quickly headed to Ecruteak City.
  
  "Ecruteak must be quite the city if that's where you're choosing to bring me. I heard that Lorelei brought Lucian to the same place." Cynthia said to me as the two of us flew on Zephyr, who was our transport Pokémon for the day instead of Port as he was less recognisable.
  
  Cynthia had her arms wrapped around my waist as the two of us we flew through the air, and I was tempted to fly even slower just to enjoy the sensation of her pressed against my back.
  
  "Well if you're looking to see Indigo's culture, then there's really no better place than Ecruteak." I replied, "But before we head there, I'd just like to stop over somewhere."
  
  I could feel her giving me a curious look, but I remained silent to her unspoken question as we continued to fly towards the southern parts of Kanto. After several minutes of flying, we had arrived at what I wanted to show her.
  
  The still ruined remains of Cinnabar Island remained below us.
  
  "...I thought you might bring me here." Cynthia said quietly, her eyes slowly scanning over what little remained of the island, "It's...almost horrifying, seeing the damage that was done. It's one thing seeing it on the news...but seeing it in person...I can only thank Arceus that you guys managed to evacuate the island as efficiently as you did. I pray that nothing of this scale ever occurs in Sinnoh."
  
  "...Yeah...we got lucky." I nodded slowly, "I never want anything like this to happen again. There were way too many close calls that day."
  
  I turned around to face her, "I hope that day never comes for you in Sinnoh...but if it does, I know you'd do everything you can to make sure that it doesn't turn into a disaster."
  
  "I hope the day never comes too." She agreed, though she gave off a small smile at my words, "...While I have full trust in my Elite Four and the organisations that help keep Sinnoh safe...seeing the consequences of a nightmare like this makes me start to doubt whether I've done everything I can to prevent something like this from happening."
  
  "I'm sure you have." I tried to reassure her, but she just shook her head.
  
  "No, once I head back to Sinnoh I'll really give it a good think over." She told me, "I have a duty as Champion to do so."
  
  Then I felt her arms wrap around my shoulders, pulling me closer to her, "Still, thank you for bringing me here. I actually did want to visit Cinnabar Island, to see the disaster for myself, so I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
  
  After that solemn yet determined moment of reflection, we headed towards our original destination. After a short flight, the magnificent, almost religious, structure of the Burned Tower could be seen in the distance, and I heard Cynthia give off a small hum of admiration, though she stayed silent.
  
  We landed near enough to the Burned Tower, and Cynthia quickly hopped off of Zephyr as she rushed up to the base of the Tower, staring at the building with stars in her eyes.
  
  "It's almost surreal to me that a 'destroyed' piece of architecture could form the basis of cultural worship." She said softly, "And to be deliberately preserved in this way too...we don't have anything similar in Sinnoh. Or at least, nothing as famous as this."
  
  "Spear Pillar was pretty exceptional." I pointed out, "In my opinion that was the greatest place I'd ever been to."
  
  "Well, that's true. I think any place that's historically connected with a Legendary is bound to be a magnificent place to visit." She nodded, "And...perhaps it's the novelty, but I'm still in awe at this place. I wish we could go inside."
  
  Unfortunately, the Burned Tower only allowed a certain number of guests to head inside at a time, and you had to make a reservation to do so. As we came here last minute, there was no way we could have gotten a spot. Though...
  
  "You know if we asked they would certainly let us in, right?" I explained amusedly, "They'll probably let us into Bell Tower too." I pointed to the tall tower in the distance.
  
  She chuckled, "Let's save the abuse of power for when we actually need it. And you really need to stop tempting me with these kinds of things. I'm already starting to offload more tasks onto Lucian and Aaron, and it's your fault!"
  
  "Me? What did I do?" I replied shamelessly, "All I did was remind you that sharing is caring, especially when it comes to paperwork."
  
  She shook her head, "One day I'll actually make good on the threat and ask Lance to do the same with you."
  
  "Please don't." I begged, "He has enough assistants to help him already. He doesn't need me."
  
  With Cynthia having sufficiently inspected the Burned Tower, as well as Bell Tower from a distance, we took a quick walk around the whole city. As we walked around, Cynthia seemed to marvel at how every building of Ecruteak practically oozed with culture and history.
  
  "Despite the pride in our traditions and history, I don't think we have a single city in Sinnoh that could match the atmosphere of Ecruteak. Not even Eterna." She told me, "This really feels like a city frozen in time, but in a good way."
  
  A thought popped to my mind, "You know, have you ever had any thoughts about how you'd develop Celestic Town?" I asked her, "I mean, you're Champion of Sinnoh AND are basically the unofficial and de-facto leader of Celestic Town. Do you have plans for how you'd develop the place, if that's something you'd like to focus on? I mean, you've seen the work I've done with Cerulean."
  
  "Huh, that's a good question." She replied before she took a moment to think things over, "...Honestly, I think Celestic Town should continue down the route that seems natural for it - meaning that we should focus on our history as a mining and archaeological town."
  
  "Actually, and this was something I was thinking over lunch, I really like the way you've renovated the entrance to Cerulean Cave to attract tourists." She said, "While I'm not sure how effective that would be in Sinnoh, as cave explorations aren't as much of a novelty there compared to Indigo, I think it could be something worth investing in."
  
  "Not only that, but I think I'd like to expand Celestic Town to be similar to Ecruteak." She gestured to the surroundings, "Currently, we don't have much of a 'theme' in Celestic - houses are just built to fit the requirements. But if I had the resources to plan out the future of Celestic Town, then I would like to have something resembling Ecruteak - in our own unique way."
  
  "Not sure how that'd look like," She admitted, "But I'd want it to emphasise our own history. Maybe pay homage to our Hisuian roots. We could even have houses designed in a modernised version of Hisuian designs. I think that would be very interesting."
  
  "I like that idea." I agreed, "I think it'd be very cool to have a city that's aesthetically similar to Hisui. I would love to visit there."
  
  As we continued wandering around, we ended up stopping over at the small pond in one of the corners of the city. There were a few children playing around as their parents taught them how to fish, and I looked to Cynthia with a questioning look in my eye.
  
  She chuckled, "No, John. I know I said that I haven't fished in a while, but I think this is quite below my level."
  
  I shrugged intentionally, "Maybe you needed the practice? I'm sure the assistants there will help you remember the fundamentals."
  
  My teasing got me a light punch in the shoulder, "And when's the last time you fished, hm? Seems like you might need the practice too."
  
  It was then that we both felt someone approaching us from behind, "Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting something between the two of you."
  
  A little surprised at the sudden voice, we turned around and saw a young woman bowing politely towards us.
  
  "Uh...can I help you?" I asked. I was alert, but I didn't sense any hostility from her.
  
  "Apologies for not introducing myself." The lady said, keeping her head bowed, "My name is Kuni. I am one of the Kimono Girls that work here in Ecruteak. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Champion Cynthia and Elite John."
  
  My eyes widened at who she was, "It's our pleasure too." I said, "But what does a Kimono Girl want with us?"
  
  "And I hope you haven't been deliberately following us." Cynthia added with narrowed eyes, "Because I certainly would have appreciated maintaining our privacy."
  
  "Nothing of the sort; we would never deliberately intrude upon your privacy." Kuni was quick to apologise, "I'm sorry if I have disturbed you at an inopportune time."
  
  "No, no, it's fine." I waved her off, "What would you like to speak to us about? And why aren't you wearing your usual attire?"
  
  The Kimono Girl was not in her kimono! Shocker!
  
  "Today was not a performance day, so I was off work." She replied, "However, while walking home, I overheard your earlier conversation about your plans to renovate Celestic Town with the appearance and style of Hisui."
  
  "We were talking about that, yes." Cynthia said, "What about it?"
  
  "You see, Champion, us Kimono Girls have been looking to expand to outside of Indigo with our performances." She explained, "Traditionally, we have focused on performances revolving around the Legends of Indigo. However, we have always made plans to try to expand our performances to focus on other region's Legends as well."
  
  "We have done performances for Hoenn Legends occasionally, and now we would like to know more about the Legends of Sinnoh, or any stories that stemmed from the Hisuian period. Therefore, on behalf of the Kimono Girls, I would like to know if there was any way of learning more about this."
  
  "Ah, I see." Cynthia nodded easily, sounding far more friendly now that they were talking about academia, "I would be happy to help. I'll pass a word on to my grandmother back in Celestic Town after this, so feel free to contact her and she'll set you up with whatever you need. We're always happy to spread our knowledge around."
  
  "Thank you, Champion." She bowed politely, "That is all I wanted to ask. I apologise again for the disturbance and will leave you to your date."
  
  The two of us watched her step away, "I didn't even realise she was following us." I muttered.
  
  "Too distracted by me?" Cynthia smirked.
  
  "Okay, now you're just fishing for compliments." I chuckled, "That's not the kind of fishing I was talking about."
  
  She lightly slapped my shoulder, "Puns are beneath you."
  
  Then she frowned as she looked to the skies, "It's already almost evening." She sighed, "And I have a dinner that I must prepare for."
  
  I put on a smile, "It's okay. I'm sure we'll have more time to spend together later. Plus, we'll see each other soon enough when Karen battles Agatha."
  
  "True." She nodded, "I hope Karen wins; she has the momentum on her side right now. It would be a shame if she lost it."
  
  "Mhm, I obviously think the same way." I agreed, "You know...I haven't spent much time with Karen recently, since she's so busy with her preparations. But I think it'd be nice to work alongside her."
  
  "Are you sure that's something you want to say in front of your girlfriend?" Cynthia questioned, raising an eyebrow. But she couldn't maintain that expression for long as she let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I can't hold the jealous act for very long. I know what you mean. Just don't forget about me."
  
  I deliberately held her hands in mine as I stared deep into her eyes, sensing the affection within.
  
  "Don't worry, you'll always be on my mind."
  
  A.N. I think it's about time that I had a full chapter dedicated to John spending time with Cynthia, as their relationship is something I'm always interested in exploring and to serve as a break between the battles.
  
  However, I wanted to do something a little unique at the start by including the camera crew, serving as a firm reminder that the inherently political and public nature of their relationship means that they have additional barriers to overcome. But both Cynthia and John are willing and accepting of this.
  
  I also wanted to highlight a few of the minor characters that we haven't been focusing on recently, to show how they've been progressing. I hope you enjoyed it.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon2
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-10 - Evolution
  
  As unfortunate as it was, my date with Cynthia had to come to an end. As usual, her duties cruelly called her away from me, and she was forced to obey, depriving us of our dinner together.
  
  Dramatics aside, I returned home with a smile on my face - I was happy to see that Cynthia had enjoyed her time as we toured Indigo, as I felt that I had repaid her for taking me on a tour of Sinnoh. More than that, I was especially pleased to hear that she was inspired by Ecruteak to try to develop Celestic Town along similar lines; it showed that she really took the tour to heart.
  
  "You seem happy." My mom commented as I walked in the house, "You were out for the whole day too. Let me guess, spending time with the girlfriend?"
  
  "Yep." I nodded, seeing no reason to try to hide it, "I took her around Indigo, showed her around a few places like Cerulean. She enjoyed it, and we had a good time."
  
  Years of experience taught me that it was better to be upfront with what happened to avoid my mother's teasing. Trying to dodge around the topic would only make things worse.
  
  "And she couldn't stay for dinner?" She asked.
  
  I shook my head, "Sadly not. You know how Champions are - they're always swamped with meetings and appointments. She couldn't get out of them."
  
  Speaking of which, there were a few unread messages on my phone that I should probably follow up on. I had glimpsed at them when I was on my date with Cynthia, but since they weren't urgent, I had left them for the time being. However, now that I was free, I could properly look through them.
  
  One of the messages immediately piqued my attention.
  
  'John, please come to the lab as soon as possible.' Shelly had texted me, 'We're confident now that we can go ahead with your evolution.'
  
  That was certainly a surprise. After our previous conversation I had thought the testing process might have lasted a bit longer, but this was good news to hear anyways.
  
  So after wrapping up my dinner with my parents, to which I had to dutifully describe in detail everything that I had done with Cynthia to my ever-nosy mom, I quickly retired for the night as I sent a return text to Shelly promising to come over in the morning.
  
  Therefore, with an excited mien, I headed to the Devon Corp branch office early the next morning to hopefully receive Pixel's final evolution. However, I realised that she wasn't alone when I stepped in her office.
  
  "Hey, you came here quickly." Shelly greeted me, ignoring the surprised look on my face, "You seemed busy yesterday."
  
  "I was." I replied, before turning to greet Blaine, "Hey Blaine. You doing good?"
  
  "As good as I can be with a borrowed lab." He responded as he crossed his arms.
  
  "If you're that unhappy about it then you can build your own." Shelly shot back, "Besides, don't you have an ounce of appreciation for the fact that I basically organised all this for you? I even created the role of a 'consulting scientist' just for you!"
  
  Blaine shrugged shamelessly, "It just means you were burning to make use of my talents."
  
  Shelly slapped him across the head for that.
  
  "...Ignoring this idiot, like I said to you, the evolution item for your Porygon2 is finally ready." She said, "We're calling it the Evolution Disk."
  
  I nodded. That sounded much more marketable than a 'Dubious Disk'.
  
  I followed after her as she led me to a different room, where she pulled out a Pokéball and sent out a Porygon-Z. However, unlike the Porygon-Z that I knew from canon, this one wasn't twitching about like its insane brethren. Instead, it stood still and buzzed happily as it flung itself at Shelly's leg, giving it a hug.
  
  Shelly carefully wiggled her leg to detach the Porygon-Z, "...As you can see, no insanity. The theory and process I described to you before proved to be just the thing to get the Porygon2 to acclimatize to the injection of data in a way that doesn't lead to insanity or unstableness. We tested on over a dozen Porygon2 with similar positive results; let me show you."
  
  She carefully passed the Porygon-Z to Blaine, who had for whatever reason chosen to follow after us. In the meanwhile, Shelly moved over to her desk and opened up a few recordings to show me.
  
  "Here." She pointed to a video where they had a Porygon-Z fire off a few attacks, "We had it practice with a few common TM attacks that we had such as Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Psychic. We also did a few stress tests where we deliberately tired out a Porygon-Z and placed it in mock-battles just to make sure that there weren't any lingering effects of insanity that would spike up during stressful scenarios."
  
  "Fortunately, the test results all came back clean. Even when exerting them to their near-limits, we didn't find any risk of insanity cropping up." She explained, "So with that in mind, I was confident that there wouldn't be any side effects for evolving your Pixel."
  
  "Thank you for being so diligent in your testing." I said sincerely, "But what can you tell me about Porygon-Z? I mean as a battler."
  
  "Uh...you know I'm not nearly as adept as that as you are." Shelly said unsurely.
  
  "That's fine, I just want to have some idea from your testing." I replied. More importantly, I wanted to know if this Porygon-Z, due to the differing evolution method, differed with its stats from the canonical Porygon-Z I knew.
  
  She pondered over my question for a bit before responding, "...I can say with confidence that Porygon-Z has notably increased Special Attack compared to a Porygon2. Even with our untrained Porygon-Z, the increase in their Special Attack power is quite obvious to us non-battlers. That makes sense, considering that one of our focuses with this Evolution Disk was to inject data that would increase a Porygon's power."
  
  "However, I genuinely cannot make any comments with any confidence regarding Porygon-Z's defenses or speed." She said, "For us scientists, we just aren't able to test the defences of a Porygon-Z that effectively, nor can we accurately compare it with a Porygon2. Same applies with its speed - though MAYBE I can say that Porygon-Z is a little faster."
  
  I nodded. Shelly's words convinced me that Porygon-Z's stats were either identical to their canonical counterpart, or very similar. While I was secretly hoping that Porygon-Z could maintain Porygon2's better defenses, I wouldn't be upset if it stuck to the stats it had in canon.
  
  However, she wasn't done yet. "Yet that only applies to the Porygon2 and Porygon-Z that we've tested here in the lab. Obviously, our lab-trained Porygon are going to very different to the trained one that you have, so we don't know how the evolution will affect your own Porygon's statistics. Perhaps, having trained up Pixel's defences so much already, those bonuses will reflect itself in the evolution."
  
  "...Well, I hope it does then." I said, "But besides that, I'm happy to proceed with the evolution. And if I haven't said so already, I appreciate you doing this for me."
  
  "Not a worry, John. I wasn't about to sell this to you." She chuckled, "I wouldn't see the money anyways, so I might as well do this as a friend. Wait here for a moment, let me get you an Evolution Disk."
  
  She walked out of the room, leaving me and Blaine alone. I turned to the former Gym Leader, "So how's retirement working out for you?"
  
  "You brat, I'm not retired. I'm just no longer a Gym Leader." He snapped.
  
  "That sounds like the same thing to me." I joked, "But seriously, how are you faring now?"
  
  He shrugged, "I'm not bored, which is what I was most afraid of when I stepped down. Honestly, I think I made the right decision. I'm a lot happier now that I have more time to focus on my research than when I had to split my time between being a Gym Leader and being a scientist."
  
  "Still, can't believe that hag got to have the new Gym be in Lavender Town of all places." He grumbled, "I was tempted to un-announce my retirement when that was confirmed."
  
  "If it's any consolation, I doubt Agatha wants to be a Gym Leader herself." I said, "She just wants it for the prestige."
  
  "Yeah, I realised that too." Blaine agreed, "If I couldn't tolerate being a Gym Leader, then there's no way that hag could make it work. She's more impatient than I am, and she's definitely not the nurturing type - her apprentice aside, of course."
  
  "Hope Karen kicks her ass." He muttered.
  
  The Porygon-Z was still buzzing about the room, so I moved to pat it on the head as I spoke, "So what are you working on now? If you're allowed to talk about it."
  
  "I have a couple of eggs that I'm doing some research on at the moment, hoping to find some successes with the PIT technique." He explained, "Actually, there's one that I'm pretty confident is going to be a success. I have this Growlithe egg that I'm nurturing with the Rock element - I think I mentioned it to you before - and now it's almost about to hatch. With the egg changing colouration and everything, I think I'm about to discover a powerful new Fire/Rock type."
  
  "That's very cool." I nodded, "I hope it turns out well."
  
  "Me too, and I hope the other eggs turn out to be a success too." He agreed, "Otherwise, Volkner actually reached out to me with a project of his."
  
  "Oh? What it's about? If you can talk about it." I questioned curiously.
  
  "Sorry kid, can't talk about it without his permission." He shook his head, "It's something he's been working on for a while and he brought me on to assist him with a few matters regarding the alternate forms. Can't say more than that."
  
  "That's fine." I replied understandingly, "...Say, come to think of it, haven't most of your achievements revolved around finding out new evolutions or alternate forms for Pokémon?"
  
  "They have." He said, "And that's what I'm going to be aiming to specialise in when I submit my application to become a Professor. I'm not going to do it yet, as I hope to have a few more achievements under my belt before I make that move, but I'm trying to angle myself to be a Professor specialising in Pokémon evolution and form changes."
  
  "You know Professor Rowan from Sinnoh?" He asked as I nodded, "He specialises in the same thing. I've spoken to him a few times. He's a very smart man, and even with my experience, there's much I can learn from him."
  
  Then the door to the office opened up again as Shelly stepped in, "Oh, did you manage to pry out what that project of his that he was working on with Volkner that he wouldn't tell me about?" I shook my head, "Shame. I was hoping he would tell you."
  
  "You'll just have to hear about it when we announce it." Blaine said smugly.
  
  "Mhm, I'll just have to be content with our announcement of another Porygon evolution." Shelly responded dryly, "Oh, woe is me. How would I ever cope with just a success like that?"
  
  Blaine grumbled, but it was obvious he was being playful. I turned my attention back to Shelly and the little box she had in her hands, "Is that it?"
  
  "Yep, that's the new Evolution Disk." She said, dropping the sarcasm, "It's a little different from the UpGrade you used before. Since we wanted to prevent insanity, we had to stretch out the transfer of data to allow Porygon to properly accept the incoming data. So the whole evolution process is actually going to take a few minutes. No more than three."
  
  "That's not a problem." I said, releasing Pixel into the room. "Hey Pixel, are you up to finally evolve?"
  
  Pixel buzzed excitedly, doing a little twirl around the room as his eyes danced in happiness. I smiled; Pixel had been eagerly awaiting its evolution for quite some time. He was finally going to get it.
  
  Shelly offered me the Evolution Disk, "So do I just...?" But before I could do anything, Pixel launched itself at me and pressed its head against the Evolution Disk. A small tendril of white light formed between Pixel and the Evolution Disk, and its body began to slowly shine.
  
  As the seconds ticked by, the small tendril of light began to grow larger, and Pixel began to glow even brighter. Pixel had its eyes shut in concentration, and I could sense the growing power that was radiating out of it.
  
  Shelly simply stood there with a calm smile, silently reassuring me that this was supposed to happen.
  
  Eventually, the surrounding white glow grew to become blindingly bright, and I was forced to cover my eyes as the signature light of an evolution covered the entire room. After a few moments, the light faded away, revealing Pixel in its final evolved form.
  
  "Pory!" It beeped out happily, twirling around to inspect itself. It was now a brand new Porygon-Z!
  
  Shelly immediately gestured to the nearby machine, "Let's strap Pixel in, just to make sure there weren't any complications."
  
  Nodding, I picked up Pixel's new form and placed it in the machine, making sure I gave it a few comforting and encouraging pats on the head as I did so.
  
  The tests were administered quickly as even Blaine moved to help out, and after a few rounds of tests a smile formed on Shelly's face.
  
  "All good news so far - let's move to the testing range to flex Pixel's new Special Attack." She suggested, and the two of us moved to the range. Blaine stayed behind, saying his goodbyes as he returned to the project that he was working on.
  
  At the range, I had Pixel use its more common moves such as Psychic, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt etc. just to test out its new power and to check if there were any signs of insanity that could be present. Fortunately, there was no insanity. But more importantly, the increase in power from its Special Attacks was significant.
  
  From our practice against the local forestry near my house, Pixel's previous Ice Beams and Thunderbolts were barely able to blast through the tree. However, with its new evolution, large planks of wood were snapped in half as the Thunderbolt demolished them, shredding right through them.
  
  I whistled, "Good job, Pixel. How are you feeling with your new evolution?"
  
  "Gon! Gon!" It buzzed back happily, firing off another Psychic that smashed and dented a steel plate as a demonstration of its newfound power.
  
  "Seems like there's nothing to worry about." Shelly spoke up, "So far all readings show that Pixel is in line with other non-insane Porygon-Zs. Not only that, but the increase in power seems more noticeable when compared to our own Porygon. Though I suspect that's just because you've trained up your Pixel so well rather than due to an increase in the Pokémon's base Special Attack."
  
  I nodded, that made sense.
  
  "Still, we haven't done the stress test yet - would you like to get it done here?" She asked.
  
  "I do. Better safe than sorry." I replied, "Might as well get all the testing done here so I can train its new evolution with confidence."
  
  "Okay...let's move over to the training field." She said, "But I think you're going to have to use your own Pokémon to stress test your Pixel. I doubt we have anything in the lab that would even come close to exhausting a trained Pokémon like yours."
  
  "That's fine, I'll just treat it like a training session." I nodded, following after her. As soon as we entered the training field, where I noticed that there were a bunch of monitoring equipment scattered behind reinforced glass, Shelly moved to the monitoring room while I sent out Pixel, Klee, and Luna.
  
  "Okay Pixel, you're up against the two of them." I said, "Try your best to fend off their Special Attacks for as long as possible. You know the drill."
  
  It nodded and flew over to the other side of the field while Klee and Luna stuck close to me.
  
  "Okay, ready?!" I asked, getting a nod from Pixel, "GO!"
  
  A powerful Thunderbolt instantly crashed down from above onto Luna, striking with a speed that Pixel could have never accomplished before, inflicting her with paralysis as she failed to put up a Protect shield in time. Klee fired off a Psychic of her own, but Pixel countered with another Psychic that tore through the incoming one.
  
  The newfound difference in power between Klee's and Pixel's Psychic was noticeable. Pixel's had shredded through Klee's.
  
  A Heal Bell chimed as Klee moved to heal Luna of her paralysis, and a Moonblast was instantly sent Pixel's way. In response, Pixel fired a Zap Cannon, sending a large orb of electricity blitzing through the air as it detonated itself on the Moonblast, nullifying the attack.
  
  In the meanwhile, Klee had chosen to charge towards Pixel, relying on her natural bulk to be able to withstand against Pixel's attacks. But a Thunder Wave was quick to stop Klee's charge as she tripped over from the paralysis.
  
  As Klee took time to use Heal Bell again, Pixel had the opportunity to use Conversion to switch its type to Electric - boosting its Thunderbolts with even more power. Accordingly, as soon as the Type switch finished, another Zap Cannon not only blasted through another Moonblast from Luna, but this time kept going and forced Luna to throw up a Protect shield.
  
  Klee had pulled herself up at this point, and resumed her charge. But the artillery that was Pixel was determined to put a stop to that as it unleashed volley after volley of Zap Cannons that violently bombarded the charging Klee, each orb exploding with a large discharge of electricity, sending shockwaves through the ground as they detonated.
  
  I grinned as I saw this - the old Pixel could never have unleashed this level of firepower before. But now, with its Special Attack significantly increased, it was now able to function as a terrifyingly powerful Special Attacker - as its devastating bombardment of Klee showed.
  
  A less bulky Pokémon would not be able to withstand against this for very long. And that just made me all the more excited to finally make use of Pixel in a proper fight.
  
  It was only because of Klee's ridiculous bulk that even allowed her to waddle through the Zap Cannon bombardment without taking too much damage; though even Klee was struggling slightly to withstand against Pixel's powerful volley of attacks. But before Klee could grapple onto Pixel, the Porygon-Z had dashed backwards and began floating into the air with a Magnet Rise.
  
  ...Only to immediately be sent crashing down as Gravity greatly intensified, causing Pixel to fall right into Klee's waiting arms.
  
  Klee had a happy smile on her face as she grappled onto Pixel before violently hurling it straight into the reinforced wall. Pixel crashed into it, letting out a pained buzz as it fell to the ground.
  
  It was given no opportunity to recover as an Ice Beam blasted it straight in the chest, causing frost crystals to begin spreading over its pink and blue frame. Klee tried to pin down Pixel again, but a powerful Psychic forced her back for just long enough for Pixel to pull itself off the ground.
  
  However, with the Gravity still crashing down hard, it was impossible for Pixel to return to the skies. This forced it to try to manoeuvre around Klee while also dodging past the Psychics and Moonblasts that were sent its way by both Pokémon.
  
  Pixel did its best as it twirled past a Moonblast and formed a Protect shield that blocked another Psychic, but Klee and Luna's onslaught of Special Attacks were rapidly beginning to overwhelm it.
  
  That was to be expected. I didn't expect Pixel, even with its new evolution, to be able to 2v1 Klee and Luna, but Pixel was making a rather heroic attempt at it. Its increased Special Attack was really being demonstrated here, and even in a 2v1, both Klee and Luna were occasionally overwhelmed by Pixel's attacks, forcing them to temporarily switch to the defensive as they healed themselves up or blocked a few attacks.
  
  Though they were slowly and gradually wearing Pixel down. Their bulkiness and plethora of restorative moves meant that Pixel would never win a war of attrition.
  
  As my Pokémon continued to trade attacks, I remained focused as I observed Pixel's defences. From what I had seen, the sharp decrease of its defences that I had feared but expected did not come to pass, and Pixel seemed to have retained most of the defences that it did as a Porygon2, which allowed it to stay in the fight even after tanking through multiple blows from both Klee and Luna by using Recover to keep itself in the fight for longer.
  
  That was probably due to our previous training more than anything else.
  
  Nevertheless, it didn't take long for Pixel to eventually become boxed in by the two. It tried for a last ditch barrage of Zap Cannons to try and force Klee and Luna back with the threat of paralysis, but Luna stepped in front of Klee and blocked the attacks with her body.
  
  Luna fell to her knees once again as the paralysis surged through her body, but that allowed Klee to grab hold of Pixel in her deceptively powerful arms, and she threw it right into a blindingly bright Moonblast from Luna. Pixel whirled painfully as the Moonblast detonated right on top of it, sending it crashing limply into the ground.
  
  "Okay, that's enough." I called out, ending the fight, "Good job, everyone."
  
  As soon as the fight ended, Klee and Luna instantly moved to heal up Pixel and compliment their teammate. All three of them had smiles on their faces as they chatted about the recent battle and Pixel's evolution. I saw them fussing over Pixel's new form before I entered the observation room where Shelly was looking over the readings.
  
  "Any problems?" I asked.
  
  "Not at all." She smiled, "Everything's stable. Even after your Pixel started ramping up with its Conversion, there were no signs of insanity."
  
  "That's good." I said with an inward sigh of relief, "So there's nothing else to be done here, right?"
  
  "Nope. You're free to leave with your newly evolved Porygon-Z." She nodded, "Good luck out there; and try your best to show off Pixel's power in a battle sometime. It'll help greatly with sales!" She joked.
  
  "I'll try my best." I chuckled, but I knew that I would be doing so. With this new evolution, I was confident that Pixel was now a serious contender to be picked when it came time for a battle. Its newfound increased in power was no joke, and its huge movepool would be a serious pain in the ass for a lot of opponents to deal with.
  
  I smirked to myself; what was worse for my future opponents was that Pixel was not just your typical long-range artillery Pokémon that relied entirely on its Special Attacks. Most Pokémon like that would usually be glass cannons - high attack, but low in endurance.
  
  However, Pixel wasn't like that. Because of all the recovery moves that I had taught it as a Porygon2, it was actually able to repeatedly regenerate its own health with Recover, while also having sufficient defences so that it wouldn't easily go down in one or two big hits.
  
  Therefore, it would be a constant annoyance on the battlefield, firing off big and hard-hitting attacks while also being able to repeatedly take hits without being knocked out. Combined with Wraith, it meant that I now had two incredibly annoying and versatile Pokémon to make use of in battles.
  
  And it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world would understand that fact too.
  
  A.N. Pixel's final evolution is now here! It's finally a Porygon-Z, with all the additional power that this entails! Like I said, all that previous training has borne fruit, and Pixel has truly become a powerhouse to be reckoned with!
  
  I stuck to my promise to not create a completely new Pokémon, and the Porygon-Z you see here is mostly the same to its canonical counterpart stat-wise. However, what I did try to showcase was that, thanks to John's rigorous training of Pixel in its defences, it didn't lose the defences that it would otherwise have when evolving into a Porygon-Z. I felt that this was in line with the common idea that you should train up your Pokémon well before evolving to get the most out of it. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-10 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 12-10 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [ELITE FOUR WILL DEFEATED! KOGA WINS AND BECOMES THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ELITE FOUR!] By the Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of the battle between Koga and Will] [Pictures of Koga winning]
  
  In a narrow and nail-bitingly close victory for Koga, he has managed to claim the position of Elite Four as he defeats the now Ex-Elite Four Will in a 6-5 victory. Despite the Poison's specialist weakness to Psychic types, it appears that Koga had a large amount of hidden strength that he unleashed to secure his victory!
  
  While we will not get into too much detail regarding how Koga managed to defeat Will (further details will be provided in a later post), we must acknowledge that the battle between the two trainers was a powerful show of their respective strengths. It was a very strong demonstration of just how much you are able to achieve once you have mastered your Type to the fullest.
  
  Do not look at the narrow victory and think that Koga was a weak challenger; his Pokémon may have been overall weaker in terms of raw strength, but Koga has demonstrated that his veteran experience more than makes up for that. For those intending to challenge him in the future - make sure that you scrub away any hint of overconfidence that you might possess. Koga has proven very clearly that he is ready and willing to exploit even the smallest of advantages to secure his eventual victory.
  
  Indeed, Koga is very much here to stay in the Elite Four.
  
  On that note, Koga had also discussed his intentions now that he has ascended. As some of our analysts had predicted, Koga's primary goal is to ensure that the important legacies, traditions, and histories of Indigo to be preserved and not overlooked. To this end, he revealed that he has formed a political power block with Gym Leader Erika of Celadon and the Kimono Girls of Ecruteak - all of whom aim to ensure that the important traditions of our region are properly protected.
  
  This writer is curious if there will be any friction between the latest Elite Four member and the existing roster. Spearheaded by Elite John, it has become clear that the other Elite Four members have an inclination for reform and progress rather than holding on to past traditions. We wonder if this will be a cause of conflict in the future.
  
  Nevertheless, Koga was quick to push forward his first proposal in the committee, calling for the protection of important cultural and historical sites throughout the region...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  I always knew that Koga had the strength to win! At the end of the day, experience matters more than raw strength!
  
  Congratulations, Koga! I'm sure you'll make for a great Elite Four!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  And another Kantonian joins the ranks of the Elite Four, replacing a Johtonian no less! How fortunate! We have a bright future ahead of us!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Oh stop making such a big deal out of it. Just be happy for everyone. They both fought really well. I'm a little sad to see Will go, but I guess that's just how things are.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Incredible battle - both of them really showed why they deserved to be in the Elite Four. And while Will might have lost, I think his powerful performance would have shut up some of his naysayers about his unproven strength. Though I'm sure that his defeat may just embolden others.
  
  Either way, I'm looking forward to whatever changes and new policies that Koga has. I'm a little wary about that comment about him coming into disagreements with the existing Elite Four, but I'm remaining confident that they're able to resolve any differences in political opinion amicably.
  
  TheRealBoss (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations, Koga. Out of all the Gym Leaders I have known throughout my career, I was confident that you would be one of the few to be able to ascend to the Elite Four. That was a praiseworthy battle.
  
  You have always been an exemplary Gym Leader. I'm sure you will be an exemplary Elite Four too.
  
  SkyWalker (Verified POG)
  
  A wonderful battle from both participants! I think this is what people expect to see from Elite Four challenges! Both Koga and Will did really well, and I hope we still continue to see more from Will, even if he has been knocked out!
  
  [Ex-Elite Four Will takes up position as the newest Gym Leader of Goldenrod! Appointed with the blessings of Champion Lance!] By the Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of Will's speech during his ascension as a Gym Leader]
  
  In a surprising move, the previous Elite Four Will has now become the latest Gym Leader of Goldenrod! The now-Gym Leader had previously not made any announcement regarding his intentions about whether he would rechallenge any of the Elite Four, and the reason for that has finally been revealed.
  
  We do not know if this was something that Will has been scheming behind the scenes as an insurance plan for his potential defeat, or if it was something offered to him by the Champion - possibly as a reward for good service.
  
  However, we here at the Indigo Post are happy for Will's ascension as a Gym Leader, as Will has proven to be an effective Elite Four member with a keen eye for business and diplomacy, and we're confident that many of his skills will transition well to his new position as a Gym Leader. Additionally, Will's strength, as his latest battle can clearly attest to, is certainly sufficient to take on the role as a Gym Leader. We see a good future ahead for Goldenrod City under his leadership.
  
  At the very least, he's far more competent than a political appointee.
  
  Trainers in the future looking to take on the circuit are now going to have to look out and prepare for their eventual Gym battle with the latest Psychic specialist. While he certainly wouldn't be using his Elite Team, we believe he will be a formidable opponent for future trainers to take on.
  
  Furthermore, with two Psychic specialists now serving as Gym Leaders in Kanto and Johto, it means that having methods to tackle Psychic type Pokémon has become more relevant than ever.
  
  At the same time, we cannot overlook that the Fuschia Gym has now been passed onto Koga's daughter, Janine. Though it is now held in a regency under a trusted second of Koga's, so we're sure that the Gym is in safe hands.
  
  What do you all think about this sudden ascension? Do you think Will will prove to be an effective Gym Leader? Let us know below!
  
  Comments
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  OMA! WHAT A NICE SURPRISE! Never thought that Will would become a Gym Leader, but in hindsight, why wouldn't he be?!
  
  You don't know how relieved I was when I heard the news. I was terrified that Goldenrod would be run into the dirt with a 'compromise candidate' appointed as Gym Leader, but now I can see my worries were unfounded. I have faith in Gym Leader Will!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I don't think anyone's going to be upset about this appointment. Though it's kinda funny that it's now been thrice in a row that a previous Elite Four / Champion has stepped down to become a Gym Leader. With Blaine, then Pryce, and now Will.
  
  Again, not that I'm complaining. Both Blaine and Pryce have proven themselves well in their new roles, and I'm sure it won't be different for Will.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  That's not unexpected. Being an Elite Four or Champion proves that you have the capabilities to handle responsibility, which makes it a natural choice for you to be selected as a Gym Leader. Better someone proven than not.
  
  And Will has certainly proven himself.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think its about time that we see some attention be placed on Goldenrod City. It's definitely a city with a lot of potential, and with Will now at the helm, I think we can see a lot of that potential finally be unleashed.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Weird that we now have two Gym Leaders that are both Psychic specialists. I guess Ghost, Dark, and maybe Bug types are going to be really popular. At least I have the latter!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Don't forget that as a Gym Leader Will has the option to make a challenge for the Elite Four at any time he wants! Maybe we'll be seeing him back in its ranks soon enough!
  
  Honestly, I hope he can re-earn his old title. I really liked him as an Elite Four, and I hope to see more of him.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  While I agree, I still want him to stay as Gym Leader! Goldenrod needs him!
  
  PunchingBag
  
  It's only natural that the strongest type faces the hardest challenges. But the Fighting type will overcome all!
  
  DragonLady (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations on your new position, Will. I look forward to seeing your good work.
  
  SkyWalker (Verified POG)
  
  I knew you were still destined for greatness, Will. Remember, Elite Four or not, you can still be great! Keep up the good work! I'm always free to speak if you need anything!
  
  PsychicWill (Verified POG)
  
  Thank you, Walker. I haven't forgotten your words.
  
  [SUDDEN SHOWMATCH BETWEEN THE ELITE FOUR OF SINNOH AND INDIGO AT THE SAFFRON GYM! A STRONG DEMONSTRATION OF POWER!] By the Sinnoh Times
  
  [Pictures of Lorelei, John, Lucian, and Samson all fighting in the showmatch]
  
  It was bound to happen one day, and we are glad that it happened quickly - with the Sinnoh delegation sent over to Indigo, it was only a matter of time before we had a showmatch and battle between the two regions.
  
  And we couldn't be more excited for what happened.
  
  From what we understand, this was an unplanned match that coincidentally took place during Lucian's tour of the region, and he ended up battling against Elite Four Lorelei, Elite Four John, and Gym Leader Samson in that order. The battles were all 2v2 battles.
  
  In the end, Lucian came up victorious against both Elite Four Lorelei and Gym Leader Samson, winning 2-0 in both battles, and firmly demonstrating and cementing the power of our Elite Four with his praiseworthy victories. It goes to show that just because Sinnoh is the newcomer into the wider world, we are not any weaker than our foreign counterparts.
  
  Good job Lucian! You have done our region proud!
  
  Of course, Lucian did end up losing against Elite John, but that was not unexpected, considering that he is the partner of our very own Champion Cynthia. If we account for our Champion's formidable strength, it's unsurprising that John, even for those who do not know of his past victories, will be of similar calibre to our own Champion. The fact that Lucian performed as well as he did against John is just further testament to his strength.
  
  Did any of you catch the showmatch live? We would love to hear your thoughts about it! Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Let's GOOO Lucian! Fantastic battles there! A great reminder why you're the most powerful of the Elite Four!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  You can do better next time, Samson! I'm sure a son of Kanto won't lose to anyone twice!
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  A little TOO much national pride in that post, methinks. Nevertheless, happy Lucian won most of his battles!
  
  EDIT: Never mind, looks like having too much national pride is a problem in any region.
  
  ChatALot
  
  You know seeing that battle really made me wish that Champion Cynthia got a chance to battle as well. I mean, we all know well and good that she's a powerful Champion, but how well does she match up against other Champions? Its just such a shame that they only had the Elite Four battling each other here, even though that I'm happy that Lucian won convincingly against his peers. I mean I consider John his peer as well but...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...Chat a lot indeed...
  
  Still, I watched the battle live. I'm pretty certain that all members, besides Samson, were holding back in that battle. Lorelei certainly seemed to be trying to utilise her newest Pokémon, and Lucian didn't send out his stronger Alakazam against John.
  
  Makes sense, it's only a show match. No need to show off all their strength.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Agreed. In a real battle I think the fights might have played out differently. But man, seeing Gallade getting completely dominated in a 2v1 before was wild.
  
  You don't really realise the advantage of numbers until you watch something like that happen. Gallade, Lucian's strongest Pokémon, was completely crushed!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think it's more so that John seems to have deliberately trained up these two Pokémon to work especially well together, considering their respective strengths. The teamwork that they showed off in that battle was impeccable.
  
  This only reinforces my theory that John would be an even more formidable opponent to face in a 2v2 than in 1v1s. Even if you ignore his strength (which you shouldn't), the fact that he has access to such a large range of fighting styles between his many different Pokémon just makes him all the more scary to fight against.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  True. I can't imagine how much harder fighting John would be if our battles against him were 2v2. His Pokémon were already so strong individually, and now he's shown off that he's also put in a lot of effort into training them to fight tactically alongside each other!
  
  Arceus, what a monster.
  
  [TOPIC: CHAMPION CYNTHIA AND ELITE JOHN SEEN ON A DATE?!] by BeautyIsFree
  
  [Several pictures showing John and Cynthia on date together. They can be seen doing romantic things]
  
  I think the pictures says it all! THIS IS SO CUTE! What do you all think!?
  
  Comments
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  CUTE!
  
  Okay, squeeing aside, isn't it nice to see our leaders be human for once? Idk, it brings a smile to my face when I see them so relaxed like this. It's a nice change of pace from all of their usual seriousness and battles.
  
  PianoLover
  
  Yeah I agree. Look at how happy she looks! All these people droning on and on about the politics of their relationship, whereas in reality its just two people who like each other! Why can't they understand that!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  While I understand, politics is unfortunately an inseparable element of their relationship. I don't like it either, but its just how it is.
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  Ugh! I hate that! Just let these two people date in peace, PLEASE!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Yeah...while usually I'm not into gossip like this, seeing a more human side to our leaders is nice. It reminds us that these are people like you and I who have had to make sacrifices in order to be the leaders that we can look up to.
  
  It makes me respect them all the more, honestly.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I remember being initially a bit doubtful when the relationship was announced, but it's hard not to root for them when you see them like this.
  
  A.N. I had a bit longer to spend to write this Pokénet Interlude, so it went on for a little longer than your average Wednesday Interlude chapter, but there also were more events that I wanted to cover this time! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-11 - Teacher Vs Student
  
  Today was finally the day. The day where the teacher would fight against the student. The day where Agatha and Karen were finally about to have their battle.
  
  It was time to see if the student had managed to surpass their teacher.
  
  Us Elite Four members, and the delegation from Sinnoh, were promptly shuffled into the VIP room at the Indigo Plateau to spectate the match. The two Champions sat in the middle, while I sat on Cynthia's left.
  
  "It's a little strange seeing Agatha take the field," Lance muttered, "For as long as I've been in the Elite Four, I don't think I've ever seen Agatha receive a challenge before. Most knew better than to do so - and there were often better targets."
  
  "I know what you mean." Lorelei nodded, "I half-expected her to be in the booth with us today, just from muscle memory. She's normally always providing her usual biting commentary to these battles, or just not be present."
  
  "Sounds like she's quite the handful." Lucian commented.
  
  "She's an...acquired taste." Lorelei admitted, "It takes some time to warm up to her, though she was actually quite nice to me when I first became Elite Four! But if she loses, I think I'll be sad to see her leave - even if that seems to be her plan."
  
  "Retirement hardly suits her." Koga spoke up, "She has never been one to peacefully settle down. I doubt that will change even if she leaves the Elite Four."
  
  "She might take up an active role in managing that new Gym opening up in Lavender Town then." I pointed out.
  
  "Why not become the Gym Leader herself?" Cynthia asked.
  
  I snorted, and there were a few other chuckles from the Indigo group, "Yeah, not likely. Even when she was appointed temporary regent of Pewter I'm sure she just passed most of the responsibilities off to Karen so she could sit back and just bark out orders."
  
  "She's better as an overseer than an actual Gym Leader." Lance agreed, "And I know she doesn't care at all for the prestige."
  
  "Think Karen would beat her then?" Lucian asked me, "You're the most familiar with them."
  
  "I would be surprised if Karen lost, and not because I think she's necessarily stronger." I said, "It's just because Karen has more reasons to win than Agatha does. And that difference in mindset does matter. I'm not saying that Agatha is about to sandbag here, but there's a clear incentive for her to pass on her legacy to Karen."
  
  "Agatha would not be one to hold back." Koga nodded, "She may not seem like it, but she has her own honour. She understands the importance of ensuring a fair transition between Elite Four members."
  
  "I can't say that I disagree...it's just hard to believe Agatha of all people would lose." Lorelei explained, "She just has that confidence and presence, y'know?"
  
  "...We shall see." Was all Lance said as the announcer took to the stage, signalling for silence.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! RARELY DO WE GET BATTLES THAT HAVE A DRAMATIC BACKSTORY TO GO ALONG WITH IT! BUT TODAY IS THE EXCEPTION! THE MASTER IS BEING CHALLENGED BY HER APPRENTICE! WILL KAREN SURPASS HER MENTOR, OR WAS THE STUDENT TOO EAGER TO CHALLENGE THE MASTER?"
  
  "NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HOW LUCKY IS IT FOR US TODAY TO BE ABLE TO SEE A GHOST AND DARK SPECIALIST FACING OFF?! CONSIDERING HOW RARE IT IS FOR TRAINERS TO SPECIALISE IN THESE TYPES?! I BET WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING A LOT OF UNIQUE TRICKS AND TACTICS BEING PULLED OFF BY BOTH TRAINERS!"
  
  "NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, PLEASE WELCOME OUR CHALLENGER, YOUR LATEST INDIGO CONFERENCE WINNER AND THE APPRENTICE HERSELF, KAREN!"
  
  Karen walked into the arena, waving to the crowd with a Pokéball already in her hand as they cheered loudly for her. Her expression was tight, but determined, though I caught the way that her eyes narrowed ever so slightly which betrayed the slight hint of nervousness from her.
  
  I didn't blame her; I would be nervous too in her position.
  
  "AND NOW, IT'S THE ELITE FOUR HERSELF, THE LAST OF THE OLD GUARD, AND THE LONGEST STANDING ELITE FOUR MEMBER IN HISTORY! PLEASE WELCOME THE MASTER OF GHOSTS, AGATHA!"
  
  There was a slight moment of silence as the doors to Agatha's waiting room swung open...and no one came out. The announcer's face turned increasingly distressed until a few seconds later when Agatha finally appeared and hobbled into the arena. Literally.
  
  She took painfully slow steps as her walking cane slowly tapped on the ground; her small steps only made it so that she was moving even slower. She took over a full minute just to reach her starting position, and judging by the shit-eating grin that she had on her face - and the amused roll of the eyes from Karen - she was clearly doing this intentionally.
  
  "...She really likes to get on people's nerves doesn't she?" Lucian chuckled, "The announcer looked like he was about to get a heart attack when she didn't show up."
  
  "I was expecting some grand entrance with her Ghosts." I admitted, "But this is pretty on brand for her too."
  
  Once she finally made it to the starting position, she sent the announcer a mocking and impatient look which finally snapped him out of his surprise.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!" Agatha let out a sigh, but nodded alongside Karen.
  
  "THREE!...TWO!...ONE!...FIGHT!"
  
  ""Spiritomb.""
  
  ...Of course. Why did I expect anything different?
  
  It was almost an amusing sight as two small stones were thrown into the arena, but that sight quickly turned serious as two cackling vortexes of Ghosts burst out from within them.
  
  Karen's Spiritomb immediately launched a Taunt, and a bolt of Dark energy struck and wrapped around Agatha's Spiritomb. However, Agatha's didn't seem bothered by this as large spectral tendrils rapidly extended out from its centre, spreading out across the arena like shadowy appendages. The spectral limbs of Agatha's Spiritomb snaked through the ground and quickly surrounded the other Spiritomb, only for a powerful Dark Pulse to disperse them all.
  
  But Agatha's assault was unrelenting, and a second wave of ghostly tendrils was unleashed once again. A few tendrils formed into menacingly sharp claws, while others shot out bolts of spectral energy in a volley of Shadow Balls towards Karen's Spiritomb.
  
  "Icy Wind, Spiritomb! Charge forwards!"
  
  Instead of trying to match Agatha's shadowy assault one-for-one, Karen's Spiritomb released a howling gale of Icy Winds, slowing down the many shadowy arms of Agatha's Spiritomb before her own disappeared into a blur of shadows as it used Phantom Force. Taking advantage of the slowness from the Icy Wind, Karen's Spiritomb reappeared right in front of Agatha's Spiritomb and smashed into it while also unleashing an explosive Dark Pulse right in its face.
  
  The explosion of Dark energy right in front of Agatha's Spiritomb also dispersed all of its shadowy tendrils, giving Karen's the opportunity to slug it with a follow-up Shadow Claw.
  
  "Split yourself."
  
  However, Agatha had yet to reveal all of her own tricks. Instead, with an eerie cackle and a smile too wide to be natural, Agatha's Spiritomb began to split apart - the vortex of Ghosts that formed its 'body' splitting into many individual ghosts that broke away from the central 'body' through their own individual tendrils that had their own cackling 'faces' on them.
  
  My eyes widened in shock at the sight. I had never seen this before.
  
  These individual ghosts were still loosely attached to the central body, but it was clear that they could operate independently. The sudden swarm of ghosts all snaked through the ground, quickly surrounding Karen's Spiritomb from all angles while making sure to keep sufficient distance away so that a single Dark Pulse wouldn't instantly disperse them.
  
  And then the attacks came.
  
  They came from all angles, as each independent ghost had a mind of their own. Some fired Shadow Balls, others rushed forwards and tried to slash down with a Shadow Claw. A few were focused on defense, using Dark Pulse to try and counter Karen's own Dark Pulses.
  
  It was an overwhelming amount of attacks, with dozens of different attacks being fired at Karen's Spiritomb simultaneously.
  
  However, despite being completely surrounded and bombarded by all these different attacks, Karen didn't seem surprised at the manoeuvre - as if she had seen this before and had known to expect it.
  
  "...Those attacks are weak." Cynthia pointed out, "It's quantity over quality right now."
  
  She was right, and it explained why Karen was able to keep calm right now. The fact that Agatha's Spiritomb had broken up into many individual ghosts meant that each attack could come quicker and independently from each other, which was a huge advantage. BUT it meant that her attacks didn't nearly have the firepower as they did when her Spiritomb was 'whole'.
  
  Not only that, but each ghost was frail. A single glancing blow from a Dark attack from Karen's Spiritomb was enough to cause the ghost to be knocked out.
  
  However, against an unprepared trainer, the shock factor alone would have rattled them too heavily to properly respond.
  
  Yet Karen was certainly not an unprepared trainer.
  
  "Dark Pulse defensively. Look for opportunities."
  
  A large shield of pure darkness formed around her Spiritomb, forming a protective bubble that blocked an entire barrage of Shadow Balls. It did nothing to stop the Shadow Claws that ripped through it, but Karen's Spiritomb was ready to punish that attempt as it lashed out with a quick Payback, snuffing out a few of Ghosts that gotten overeager with their attacks.
  
  However, its shield had now faded away, and Karen's Spiritomb let out a pained shriek as it was struck by several volleys of Shadow Balls that all came from different directions. Gritting through the pain, it forced out another Dark Pulse, dispersing the attack and buying enough time for it to let out a Snarl.
  
  The Snarl was weak, but with the individual Ghosts being as fragile as they were, they were momentarily stunned by the attack.
  
  "Shadow Sneak forwards! Wipe them out!"
  
  Making full use of this opportunity, her Spiritomb quickly disappeared into its shadow and rushed forwards, reappearing in front of a group of stunned ghosts as it tore them away with a large rake of its Shadow Claw while simultaneously launching an orb of darkness that detonated in the midst of another group.
  
  Despite this progress, Karen's Spiritomb was given no opportunity to rest as a series of Night Shades slammed into it from behind. It tried to retaliate with a Payback, but another volley of Shadow Balls detonated into its side and interrupted the counterattack, momentarily forcing Karen's Spiritomb back onto the defensive.
  
  As blows continued to be exchanged, I noticed something about Agatha's Ghosts. Even though there were an overwhelming number of them, not only were they extremely fragile, but they didn't seem to have the ability to react to attacks like I would expect. Whenever Karen's Spiritomb went on the offensive, they basically made no move to dodge, which was strange.
  
  Perhaps this was a side-effect of splitting away from the original Spiritomb. They must not have much thinking power beyond basic commands.
  
  Karen was gradually making progress clearing out Agatha's Ghosts, the individual ghosts being picked apart one by one, but they too were also taking a big toll on her own Spiritomb as its injuries began to pile on. Worse, the only healing move that Spiritomb had access to was Pain Split, but it was unable to use that move as Agatha's Ghosts were an invalid target. And a Rest would just doom it.
  
  So the two Spiritombs continued to maul, slash, and blast each other with whatever attacks they could; there was hardly any strategy involved - likely because the Pokémon and trainers were too similar and too aware of the other for any tricks to work. It was only a matter to see if the emphasis on Ghost or Dark attacks would lead to the necessary edge to win the fight.
  
  Would Agatha's swarm of Ghosts lead to her victory? Or would Karen's more potent Dark attacks and more centralised way of fighting keep her in the fight for long enough to clear out the swarm?
  
  Eventually, the deciding factor for the battle came down to stamina. While Karen's Spiritomb was gradually being tired out, Agatha's swarm of ghosts were equally being thinned out - and for each ghost that was lost, it also led to a drop in attacking power. Furthermore, with Karen having frequently sparred against my strong bruisers, it was capable of carrying on with the fight despite the punishment it was taking.
  
  The battle would finally come to an end as Karen's Spiritomb limped over the finish line - unleashing a tired and last second Dark Pulse that just managed to catch Agatha's final group of ghosts off-guard as they had tried rushing in with a Night Shade.
  
  As that last group was dispersed, all of the ghosts were suddenly recalled back to the central 'body' of Agatha's Spiritomb. Karen wasted no time finishing off the fight with a final Payback, finally ending the fight.
  
  It was not a glorious victory - far from it. It had been nothing less than a messy brawl where Karen's Spiritomb was always one step away from losing the fight. Karen's Spiritomb needed to have the willpower to constantly shield itself while maintaining its offense - and if it had tired out at any moment, then the battle would've been over.
  
  And she still barely inched out a victory, one where she was forced to retire her Spiritomb shortly afterwards as it was too injured to continue fighting. It was an effective draw.
  
  Seeing Spiritomb be withdrawn, I turned to Cynthia, "You ever consider something like that for your Spiritomb?"
  
  "Nothing like what Agatha pulled off, no." She replied, "That was quite the eye-opener."
  
  "Think you could win like Karen did?" I asked.
  
  She thought it over for a moment before slowly shaking her head, "My Spiritomb's isn't nearly as proficient as Karen's is with its Dark Type moves, nor is it as mobile. Fighting against something like that...I would be more reliant on Protect rather than Dark Pulse to block, which isn't as effective against a barrage of attacks like that. I doubt my Spiritomb would have held on as well as hers did."
  
  "I didn't think two Spiritombs fighting would turn into a brawl." Lucian admitted, "And I certainly didn't expect to see a Spiritomb split itself apart like that. But if anyone could pull it off, then it makes sense that Agatha would be the one to do it. If I had to fight against that unprepared, I would have lost at least one Pokémon to it."
  
  His words ended there as both trainers sent out their next Pokémon.
  
  "Banette!"
  
  "Crawdaunt, stick to the plan!"
  
  Crawdaunt exploded forth from his Pokéball as it jetted forwards with an Aqua Jet. Banette immediately tried to sink into the shadows, but a quick Dark Pulse from Crawdaunt cancelled that attempt.
  
  Unperturbed, a Thunder Wave shot out from Banette that paralysed the incoming Crawdaunt, but not before he managed to slam down with a heavy Knock Off that sent the Ghost type crashing into the ground. Yet Banette simply allowed itself to be carried by the momentum of the blow and used it to disappear into the shadows, reappearing right behind the unsuspecting Crawdaunt and firing off a powerful Thunderbolt that was inches away from blasting Crawdaunt in the back.
  
  "PROTECT!"
  
  Reacting just in time, the Thunderbolt instead struck a hastily created Protect shield, which bought Crawdaunt enough time to spin around and swing his deadly claws around as they Crunched down hard on the Banette. Despite having just taken a big hit from a supereffective move, Banette didn't even seem bothered by the pain as it let out another haunting cackle and disappeared into its shadow again.
  
  Another Protect shield was rapidly thrown up by Crawdaunt, but Banette wasn't looking to strike. Instead, it reappeared a short distance away as it sent a dizzying ray of light towards Crawdaunt. The Water type quickly tried to dash away with an Aqua Jet, but the Confuse Ray seemed to home in through the air as it followed after it, eventually reaching its mark.
  
  The confusion was quick to set in, and coupled with the paralysis, ruthlessly crippled Karen's Crawdaunt. Banette's smile grew wide and sadistic as it saw the helpless state of its prey, and it rushed forwards with a spectral claw menacingly extended.
  
  "Dark Pulse, Crawdaunt!"
  
  A Dark Pulse immediately shot out from Crawdaunt, hoping to deter Banette's assault. However, Banette had actually been waiting for this as it rapidly darted backwards, floating just outside of the range of the Dark Pulse as it fired out another crackling Thunderbolt that speared Crawdaunt right in the chest.
  
  "Did you think I was going for the same trick twice, Karen?" Agatha smirked at her student, "Your Dark Pulses are too obvious."
  
  Karen grimaced but maintained her silence as her eyes remained focus on the battle. With the combination of both confusion and paralysis, there was no chance that her Crawdaunt could keep up the fight since Banette could slowly wear it down.
  
  I had expected her to withdraw her Crawdaunt right then and there, but she surprised me with her next order.
  
  "Crawdaunt, hang in there and try to break free!"
  
  "Finish it off, Banette."
  
  With a sadistic cackle, more Thunderbolts rained down on the helpless Crawdaunt as it tried its best to form Protect shields to block the incoming barrage of attacks. Yet, dazed and paralyzed as it was, the Protect shields would either not form at all, or most would form in the wrong places.
  
  However, Karen then made a move that caused the spectators next to me to sit up straight in their seats.
  
  Just as another Thunderbolt struck her Crawdaunt, a sudden red beam of light enveloped the Water type, recalling into its Pokéball while Karen instantly sent another Pokémon out.
  
  "WEAVILE! GO!"
  
  Weavile immediately dashed forwards, rushing forwards in a blur that was so quick that Banette had no time to comprehend the sudden switch of opponents while it was still preparing another Thunderbolt in its shadowy claws. In the few precious moments that it took Banette to comprehend the switch, cancel its next Thunderbolt, and plan a retreat, it was already too late.
  
  Weavile was on top of it.
  
  A quick Dark Pulse and Taunt flinched and disrupted any attempts to escape before Weavile began to brutally eviscerate the Ghost type with a storm of Night Slashes. Banette let out continuous cackles even as the Dark type cut deep into it, almost as if it found the pain amusing, yet it could do nothing in the face of Weavile's overwhelming offense.
  
  It fell shortly after that.
  
  I could see the alarmed look from Lucian next to me, "...Did Karen really do that?"
  
  "Yes, she did." Lorelei nodded, "Karen timed it so that she swapped her Crawdaunt for her Weavile just as the former got struck by an attack to buy as much time for her Weavile to get in range of the Banette. She even had Weavile's Pokéball ready just so there would be as little delay as possible."
  
  "I...I don't think I've seen that pulled off before." Lucian said, still recovering from his shock.
  
  "Agatha seems to be happy about it." I pointed out, "Look at her grinning."
  
  Like I had indicated, Agatha was standing there with a proud grin. To me, that wasn't at all surprising. Utilising every little bit to win was likely exactly what Agatha had taught Karen. And timing a swap like that was the small advantage Karen needed to cleanly avenge Crawdaunt's defeat - because with it being so injured and crippled, Karen had no choice but to retire it from the fight.
  
  I wondered who Agatha was about to send out next to counter the agile Weavile from Karen, but that answer quickly revealed itself as she sent out one of her many Gengar.
  
  "You know what to do. Keep your distance."
  
  Gengar's tongue extended playfully as it vanished into its own shadow, narrowly dodging out of the way of a Night Slash from Weavile. It appeared as far away from Weavile as possible, and Teleported again before Weavile's admittedly incredible speed could close the distance.
  
  However, all it was doing was evading. It had made absolutely no move to attack back, which was really unusual. Even Karen must have thought so, as she was staring at Gengar with narrowed eyes, trying to decipher Agatha's plan.
  
  The only irregularity I noticed was that Gengar's eyes had momentarily flashed purple, which repeated itself a few times as it kept Teleporting around with its shadow. That stopped after Karen landed a Taunt, and the Gengar suddenly just froze there as rage suddenly set into its eyes.
  
  ...For some reason, that didn't seem right to me. But I didn't have time to question it as Weavile darted forwards and finally landed a single Night Slash onto the Gengar...which instantly knocked it out?
  
  What?
  
  Gengar had crumpled from that one attack, which shouldn't be possible. No matter what, there was no way Agatha's Pokémon could be that frail as to be knocked out from one attack.
  
  But before the confusion could set in for all of us audience members, Agatha started to cackle as a purple spirit floated out from Gengar's fallen form and wrapped itself around Weavile, instantly causing its eyes to roll over as the Dark type instantly collapsed.
  
  It was the telltale sign of a Destiny Bond.
  
  And judging by the frown on Karen's face, she was not expecting that. And she certainly wasn't happy about it.
  
  "Wait. What just happened?" This time it was Lorelei asking, "I'm actually so lost."
  
  "Me too." Lance admitted, the confusion evident in his eyes, "I...what?"
  
  "...Ah, I understand her strategy." Koga said slowly, and all of us turned to him as we looked to clear our confusion, "Let me explain what happened."
  
  "Her Gengar must have continued to damage itself as it continued to evade Weavile's attacks." He explained, "Then, when its health was low enough, it switched to making use of Destiny Bonds instead. So as soon as it was Taunted, it just stood there and allowed itself to be taken down by Weavile, bringing the Dark type down with it. Everything had been planned in advance to specifically take down one of Karen's key threats."
  
  "That was the only way that Agatha could catch Karen unawares with a Destiny Bond. A standard Destiny Bond strategy wouldn't work against someone so familiar with it."
  
  Koga almost sounded impressed, which I supposed made sense. This was the kind of tactic that Koga would employ as well.
  
  And the self-damaging component was necessary, as in official battles all Pokémon were required to be healed and checked by a registered Nurse Joy before they could be used in the battle. This was to ensure that there were no attempts to cheat with buffs that were pre-applied. Naturally, it also meant that Agatha's Pokémon would be at full health, which was why she had her Gengar damage itself the way that it did.
  
  Lorelei sighed, "Yes...this does seem right up her alley."
  
  "It is very creative." Cynthia nodded, "And don't overlook how nimble that Gengar was before it fell. To be able to constantly dodge away from a Pokémon as fast as Karen's Weavile is impressive."
  
  Lance snorted, "So Agatha does use her brain than something other than just spewing insults and mocking others. What a surprise."
  
  Despite his words, I could tell that he respected her for this creative knockout.
  
  As our discussion went on, the announcer and the crowd were still mired in confusion - having no clue as to what just happened. Yet the fight must go on, and now the battle was evenly tied at 3-3 for each trainer.
  
  It was still anybody's fight.
  
  A.N. Just like with the battle between Koga and Will, I wanted to use this opportunity to highlight some of the more creative tactics that Agatha could make use of with her myriad of experience. Likewise, as a battle between a Ghost and Dark specialist should be, I felt it was only appropriate that both trainers had their own pack of tricks to dig into. I really tried to stretch my imagination to come up with interesting tactics for the both of them, so I hope they weren't too over the top and that you enjoyed!
  
  The fight isn't over yet either! There'll be more tricks coming, I promise that!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-12 - Rise of Darkness
  
  While the match was even at 3-3, the momentum had been completely swept out from under Karen's legs with the knockout of her Weavile, which was also her fastest attacker and the best Pokémon to use to catch up with Agatha's agile team of Ghosts.
  
  Karen still looked a bit rattled at her Weavile's unexpected defeat as she fiddled with the Pokéballs on her belt, but after a moment, an expression of calm returned to her face as she prepared her next Pokémon.
  
  I caught Agatha nodding approvingly as she sent out hers.
  
  "Come out, Dusclops!"
  
  "Go, Honchkrow! Lock it down!"
  
  Dusclops emerged and wasted no time as it clapped its ghostly hands together in a Fake Out, sending out a shockwave that threatened to flinch Honchkrow. However, the Dark type swooped gracefully into the air, diving out of the way of the incoming Fake Out as her eyes locked onto Dusclops' as they flashed with a haunting purple and black light.
  
  Dusclops shuddered as it became inflicted with a Mean Look and Taunt. Unsurprisingly, while Mean Look was usually ineffective against Ghost Types, Karen had obviously trained hers up to get around that restriction.
  
  Then, to my surprise, another Taunt was fired off by Honchkrow as she flew in closer towards Dusclops. I was curious as to why - until I took a closer look at Dusclops. In those mere seconds, the effects of the first Taunt had already begun to fade away, with the irrational anger rapidly leaving Dusclops' eyes. Even after it was hit by a second Taunt, the effect looked very muted compared to Taunts that Karen was usually able to inflict on her opponents.
  
  It was as if Dusclops was resistant to the effects of Taunt through Agatha's training. Karen must have known that too, hence why she was constantly reapplying the Taunt.
  
  As Honchkrow got in range of Dusclops, she released a Dark Pulse towards the Ghost type. However, the Dusclops tried to block the attack with its own Dark Pulse, but Karen's one was far more potent and managed to break through.
  
  Dusclops flinched slightly as it was struck by the Dark Pulse, which meant it wasn't able to react in time as Honchkrow came slamming into it with her powerful dark-infused wings, causing the Dusclops to stagger back.
  
  But even as it staggered backwards from the impact, a small spark of electricity still managed to shoot out from Dusclops hands, and it was only due to the pure reaction speeds of Honchkrow that she was able to form a Protect shield to block the incoming Thunder Wave just in time.
  
  The second Taunt had already worn off. How incredible.
  
  Karen grimaced, "Taunt again! And Dark Pulse!"
  
  A menacing grin split Agatha's face, "Gravity. Bring it down, Dusclops."
  
  Honchkrow quickly swooped back around in the air as she fired off another Taunt, only to come crashing down into the ground as Gravity suddenly intensified. Even as the Taunt hit its target, the intensified gravity was still maintained, meaning that Honchkrow was permanently grounded and was deprived of most of its mobility.
  
  Worse, Dusclops was renowned for being one of the bulkiest Ghost types, and Honchkrow was not one of Karen's stronger attackers. By my estimates, it would not have the power to bring it down in a dragged out battle, especially not when it was no longer able to fly.
  
  Karen must have realised the same as well, as a slight frown graced her face for a brief moment before a hand suddenly went to her belt.
  
  "U-Turn, Honchkrow! Switch out!"
  
  Bursting forwards in a black blur of speed, Honchkrow dove underneath a Thunder Punch from Dusclops as she collided into her foe, before bouncing backwards a huge distance and returning to her Pokéball.
  
  Only for Tyranitar to be sent out in her place.
  
  "TYRANITAR!" The humongous beast of a Dark type roared out to the world as it smashed down into the arena, announcing its presence for all to witness. A massive sandstorm followed in its wake, flooding the arena with an ocean of sand.
  
  No, it was more than just sand. The howling sand was as dark as the night, heavily infused with Dark energy. Karen had taken a page out of Sidney's playbook from their previous battle.
  
  The Dark Sandstorm tore into the Dusclops, causing its' lone eye to squint in pain as the dark energies and harsh sand dug into it. As Dusclops tried to settle into the harsh environment that it now found itself in, another Taunt was blasted its way, causing the rage to grow in its eyes once more.
  
  Karen was taking no chances, and once she was sure that the Taunt had settled in, she directed Tyranitar forwards.
  
  The huge lumbering monster charged forwards, tearing through the arena with each step that it took - each footstep shaking the ground as it moved. Dusclops braced itself for the incoming charge and crossed its arms together while a ghostly aura began to surround it, but that did nothing as Tyranitar ploughed straight into it with the entirety of its humongous form.
  
  Dusclops was unceremoniously thrown backwards from the colossal impact, skidding across the ground as it failed to regain its balance. But Tyranitar was far from done, and a gaping chasm began to tear through the ground as Tyranitar unleashed a devastating Earthquake, sending wave after wave of explosive tremors that brought the Ghost type down to its knees.
  
  Only for it to be forcefully propped back up again as huge pillars of rocks erupted from below it, impaling the Ghost type within a field of sharp rocks.
  
  And Dusclops was pinned in place for just long enough for it to be little more than a gift-wrapped present for the fearsome Tyranitar to get close to it and violently smash it back into the ground with a brutally strong Knock Off - the sheer force from the impact easily shattering the ground beneath them.
  
  "CRIPPLE!"
  
  Before going for the coup de grâce, Karen went out of her way to make sure that Agatha could pull no more tricks with her Dusclops - that there wasn't going to be any sudden reversals from her mentor. The bolt of Dark energy engulfed the fallen Ghost type, inflicting with a truly crippling concoction of status conditions as it became Taunted, Tormented, and flinched from a Dark Pulse.
  
  It was only then that Karen signalled for Tyranitar to go for the final blow.
  
  "TYRANITARRRRR!" Her Dark type let out one more bellowing roar before a huge fist came crashing down from above that mercilessly struck the Dusclops right in the head and pummelled the helpless Ghost type further into the crater that had been created with its body.
  
  Impressive defences or not, even a Pokémon as well trained as this Dusclops was completely unable to withstand the overwhelming might and power of Karen's Tyranitar. Once deprived of its status moves, and trapped in the fight with a Mean Look, it had absolutely no chance of surviving the tremendous strength of the pseudo-legendary, and it was promptly taken down.
  
  The battle was now at 4-3.
  
  Yet despite this incredible display of strength and power from Karen, the smile never left Agatha's face, as if she had expected this outcome from the start.
  
  "Finally - a familiar beatdown." Lance muttered, "As much as I can appreciate creative and unique strategies, there's just something pure about a good and honest beatdown. A display of strength was just what we needed from all these tricks."
  
  "Not everyone has Dragons like you do." Lorelei rolled her eyes, "How else did you expect a Dark and Ghost specialist to fight?"
  
  "Hmph." Lance scoffed, but he didn't deign Lorelei's words with a response as he blatantly changed the topic, "Glad to see that Karen knows how to keep things simple. At the end of the day, pure strength triumphs over a lot of things. And knowing Agatha's team, she doesn't have anything to match it."
  
  "And if this was any other trainer, I would have agreed with you." Koga corrected, "But this is Agatha. I will not count her out until I see her last Pokémon going down. I'm certain she will have her own tricks to defeat that Tyranitar. Do remember that her Dusclops was somehow resistant to the effects of Taunt, covering a common weakness of defensive Pokémon."
  
  "I've tried to replicate that before with my Psychic types." Lucian admitted, "Never found it to be possible, and I gave up after months of training. I could never get my Pokémon to properly resist Taunt, and just decided that other things were more worth my time. I wonder how Agatha did it."
  
  "Knowing her, she'd take the secret to her grave." I joked, "Though I suspect that she just managed it with a lot of hard work. For all her vitriol and her perceived laziness, Agatha's been here the longest out of all of us."
  
  "Her years in the Elite Four exceed all of us combined." Koga corrected, getting solemn nods from everyone. That was actually crazy to wrap your head around.
  
  Our conversation was cut off as Agatha sent out her next Pokémon, which everyone who was familiar with her team could have already guessed what it was.
  
  "Gengar!"
  
  "Switch out, Tyranitar!"
  
  Moving decisively, as soon as Agatha sent out another one of her Gengar, Karen instantly decided to switch out her Tyranitar. She must not have felt confident about trying to match Gengar's fast speeds with her much slower Tyranitar.
  
  In his place, she sent out her ace - her Houndoom.
  
  Gengar let out a haunting cackle as a huge wall of Shadow Balls was sent forwards, quickly bombarding Houndoom's position. However, Houndoom wasn't going to be brought down from just that, and she fended the incoming Shadow Balls off with repeated Dark Pulses as she rapidly charged towards her target - with her fangs oozing threateningly with dark energies.
  
  But Gengar was unperturbed, letting out a sly giggle as it casually formed a Protect shield to block the incoming Taunt. Then its body started to flicker wildly before multiple Gengar popped up from nowhere, all of them cackling mockingly as they appeared.
  
  The small army of Ghost types then unexpectedly charged towards Houndoom, meeting the Dark type head on.
  
  "Dark Pulse, Houndoom! Clear them out!"
  
  Unable to decipher which was the real one, a massive Dark Pulse shattered through many of the fakes, disintegrating any in her wake. However, to my surprise, the fake Gengar didn't just disappear. Instead, as they were destroyed, they released a bolt of shadowy energy that shot straight towards Houndoom, like an army of vengeful spirits throwing themselves at their target.
  
  Taken by surprise, Houndoom let out a pained grunt as it was bombarded by these spectral bolts, but that grunt turned into a pained howl as the real Gengar unexpectedly rushed forwards and bashed Houndoom with a shadowy fist, smashing Houndoom's snout into the ground. Before Houndoom could recover, Gengar swiftly retreated while firing off a Focus Blast, interrupting any attempt to retaliate as Houndoom was forced to throw up a Protect shield to block the supereffective attack.
  
  I had never seen a Gengar fighting at close range like that before.
  
  Enraged from being beat down by a Gengar of all things, Houndoom used her rage to stoke her flames, causing a plume of pure black flames to burst out from her neck and tail - forming a collar of flames that wreathed around her neck.
  
  "DOOM!" With a roar, the flames blazed outwards, flooding the arena in a tide of searing flames as they burned away all of the shadows. In response, Gengar leaped over the flames as it floated in the air, only to immediately be struck by a quick Taunt from Houndoom.
  
  "NOW! CRUNCH IT!"
  
  Sensing the opportunity, Houndoom rocketed forwards into the air, leaving a trail of burning flames behind her as she tanked through the instinctual Shadow Ball that came out from Gengar before clamping down hard on the Ghost type with her serrated teeth, landing a devastating Crunch. Taking advantage of the slight flinch from Gengar, she followed up with an explosive point-blank Dark Pulse that blasted Gengar down - and straight into the waiting flames below.
  
  But just like its fellow Banette, Gengar merely let out a haunting laugh even as the scorching flames burned its body. The pain merely amused it.
  
  Gengar then exploded with a burst of shadow, dispersing the nearby flames for long enough so that a shadowy portal could form underneath it. Houndoom released a Snarl as she rushed down to stop it from escaping, but Gengar proved too quick as it sunk into the shadows before Houndoom reached her target.
  
  "Don't let it get away, Houndoom! Pursuit!"
  
  But as Gengar appeared only a short distance away, Houndoom rapidly pivoted from where she landed and leapt again towards her target; her powerful legs clearing the short distance in an instant as she rushed down her target and slammed into it with a devastating Pursuit. An audible cackle could be heard as Houndoom proceeded to Crunch down hard on the Gengar.
  
  ...Wait, cackle?
  
  I sat up straight as I concentrated on the shadowy figure held in Houndoom's jaws. My eyes immediately widened as I saw that the figure had no eyes or mouth.
  
  It was a fake! Agatha had clearly taken some notes from Wraith.
  
  Then the ghostly figure exploded, sending a devastating wave of shadowy force in all directions. Houndoom was forced to take the brunt of the impact, letting out a pained howl as she skidded back from the sheer power of the spectral detonation. As she was distracted, the REAL Gengar appeared to her side and ruthlessly blasted her with a quick barrage of Focus Blasts.
  
  "ALL OUT, HOUNDOOM!"
  
  Instantly reacting to her trainer's commands, an enormous eruption of black flames flared out from Houndoom in an outburst of raw power, melting the Focus Blasts away before they could hit its target. Despite her wounds, Houndoom was now thoroughly enraged by the deception, and she let out a menacing roar as she sent forth a scorching wave of black flames that she rapidly charged alongside with.
  
  The flames were as dark as midnight, symbolising just how completely infused with Dark energies they were.
  
  Houndoom proceeded to mercilessly crash straight into Gengar like a flaming meteor, burning and searing the Ghost type with an enormous explosion of black fire. But instead of the knockout that everyone was expecting, Gengar's figure once again exploded into a burst of spectral energy - it had been another fake!
  
  However, the real Gengar was close by. And with a grin on her face, Agatha dared Karen to go for the knockout.
  
  "Destiny Bond."
  
  "IGNORE IT AND END IT, HOUNDOOM!"
  
  Yet Karen was done with Agatha's tricks, and so was her ace. Maintaining full trust in her trainer, Houndoom allowed momentum to carry herself forwards as she pushed past all her injuries and vengefully slammed into the real Gengar, not allowing herself to be deterred by the Destiny Bond. There was a brief look of surprise on Gengar's face before that was quickly wiped off as Houndoom Crunched down hard as she unleashed all of her pent-up rage and frustration with that single bite.
  
  The Gengar was finally silenced. And so was Houndoom, as the Destiny Bond brought her down alongside it. Admittedly, even if she hadn't, Houndoom was so injured already that she probably would have succumbed to her injuries anyways.
  
  With the knockout of her Gengar, Agatha seemed as surprised as her Pokémon was.
  
  "I didn't think you would make the trade." She admitted as the arena was quickly being repaired from all the damage that had been done to it, "I wanted you to back off and hesitate when you saw the Destiny Bond."
  
  "And if I did, your Gengar would have gotten away." Karen shook her head, "I couldn't risk that. You taught me to not hesitate in situations like this - I was just applying what I had learnt."
  
  "I didn't teach you to be cheeky." Agatha countered.
  
  "No, I learnt that by copying you." Karen fired back.
  
  "Hmph." She didn't deign to give that a response, "Very well then. You've brought me down to my last. I hope you're ready for it."
  
  Karen tensed briefly at her mentor's words, but eventually settled down with a determined expression, "I will win."
  
  Agatha nodded approvingly, but the two of them said nothing else as they waited patiently for the arena to be repaired, which had been completely scorched black and even melted in some areas by Karen's Houndoom.
  
  Once it was, Agatha released her final and most powerful Pokémon.
  
  "Gengar, serve as the final test. Our apprentice thinks she's ready."
  
  "Once again, Tyranitar!"
  
  And so, Agatha's final Gengar made its appearance on the battlefield, giggling eerily as it did so. The ground around it, which still contained a few lingering embers from Houndom's previous attacks, were immediately snuffed out by the large circle of shadows that spread out from the Gengar.
  
  The shadows consumed all in their pitch-black maw, and even watching it through the cameras, I felt the unsettling aura of terror radiating out from Agatha's starter. It might be a lot less physically intimidating than the massive Tyranitar, but make no mistake - it was no less terrifying.
  
  But that was enough posturing, and Agatha gave her first command.
  
  "Attack."
  
  Enormous shadowy arms shot out from within the dark circle, wrapping themselves around Tyranitar in a powerful stranglehold.
  
  "Dark Pulse!"
  
  Tyranitar let out a roar as it unleashed a powerful Dark Pulse, but to everyone's surprise, it wasn't enough to break free of the shadowy hold that Gengar had on it. Worse, I could see small orbs of energy that were being drained by the shadowy tendrils, indicating that Gengar was actively draining Tyranitar's health with its suffocating grip on it.
  
  Realising that Gengar's shadowy arms were somehow resistant to Dark type moves, Karen switched tactics.
  
  "Earthquake, Tyranitar!"
  
  Using its massive reserve of strength, Tyranitar struggled through its spectral bonds as it stomped hard on the ground, unleashing a devastating Earthquake. The newly repaired arena was torn apart yet again as a huge fissure split the ground, ripping apart the shadows that were holding it in place and forcing Gengar into the air to avoid being crippled by the Earthquake.
  
  But Agatha's tricks didn't end there. Extending its arms, spectral portals formed on either side of Gengar as it floated into the air, shooting a barrage of Focus Blasts into each one. Those Focus Blasts emerged from within Tyranitar's shadow, blasting it from multiple directions.
  
  Tyranitar was immediately forced onto the defensive, forming Protect shields to block out the incoming attacks. Yet it wasn't enough, and the Focus Blasts were quadruply effective against the Rock/Dark type. Even as much of a defensive monster as a Tyranitar was, it wouldn't be able to endure through that for much longer.
  
  Knowing she could not remain on the defensive, Karen revealed a trump card of her own.
  
  "OUTRAGE! NOW!"
  
  "TYRANITARRR!" Unleashing a primal roar to the skies, Tyranitar exploded with power as a pulsating aura of darkness violently erupted outwards. Tyranitar charged forwards, letting nothing bar its path as it turned into a barrelling monster of destruction. The shadowy tendrils that had once been strong enough to hold it down were now nothing more than twigs to be batted away.
  
  Of course, Gengar wasn't about to sit there and tank the hit, choosing to instead retreat into the shadows as it peppered Tyranitar with a further barrage of Focus Blasts. But Tyranitar wasn't done yet, and it shrugged off the attacks with its rage as it slammed both fists powerfully into the ground, causing enormous pillars of rocks that were suddenly torn out of the arena in such numbers that they began to block out the sky.
  
  Then a creeping darkness began spreading across the rocks as Dark energy was infused into them. The newly blackened rocks began circling around the edge of the arena before they impaled themselves into the ground, forming an impassable barrier of Dark-infused stone that would prevent any shadows from coming close, cleverly denying that space for Gengar to teleport to.
  
  As expected, Gengar was forced to reappear much closer than it would like to Tyranitar, which was exactly what Karen hoped for.
  
  "Sweep the skies, Tyranitar!"
  
  A sweeping torrent of darkness shot out from Tyranitar's mouth, shredding through all of Gengar's attacks as the beam chased down the Ghost type. Gengar did its best to remain one step ahead, relying on its superior mobility to just stay out of the line of fire, but it couldn't do so for long.
  
  That was when Agatha revealed her final trump card.
  
  "Match its power, Gengar."
  
  Despite the overwhelming display of power that it was faced against, Gengar once again let out another haunting cackle as it was suddenly engulfed and wrapped up within its own shadowy tendrils. A swarm of shadows rushed towards Gengar, as if it was a vortex sucking up nearby ghosts, as a spectral figure began to take shape that began to grow larger and larger.
  
  Then, in a shocking reveal that took everyone by surprise, what emerged from the shadowy cocoon was the form of an enormous Gengar that actually matched Tyranitar in height and size.
  
  It wasn't a Mega Evolution, or even a Gigantamax. It was just Agatha at her best - proving to the world that her Gengar was no lesser than Tyranitar in the realm of power.
  
  The figure proceeded to unleash a huge beam of deadly ghostly energies that crashed against the incoming Dark Pulse; the two beams of power vying for dominance over the other. The air twisted around both beams, distorting wildly from the sheer energy being emitted by the attacks.
  
  At the same time, spectral tendrils began spreading out from underneath Gengar, wrapping themselves around Tyranitar's legs as they started to drain its energy once again. But Tyranitar wasn't having any of it, and fired off its own volley of rocks to both break off the attempt and to pummel Gengar with.
  
  Both Pokémon pushed themselves to their limit as they rapidly burned through their energies as they dedicated every last drop of it into this one attack. To my utter surprise, Tyranitar was being pushed back - the ghostly torrent of energy actually managing to overpower the boost of power from its Outrage.
  
  Agatha's starter was REALLY that powerful.
  
  Yet Tyranitar was still a pseudo-legendary for a reason, and even as it was pushed back it still managed to strike at Gengar's side with a barrage of dark-infused rocks. Gengar staggered, its attack interrupted, allowing Tyranitar to muscle itself forwards and ferociously bash the Gengar with a meaty fist. The shadowy tendrils tried to hold it down, but Tyranitar once again erupted with Dark power, buying itself some space as it furiously wrestled the Gengar into the ground before unleashing a point-blank Earthquake right on top of the Gengar.
  
  Completely against anyone's expectations, the battle had turned into a contest of strength, which was completely against the usual tactics of a Ghost or Dark specialist. The time for tricks was over; Agatha had shown her most powerful hand, and it was time to see if Karen could overcome this final hurdle - to prove to the world that she was stronger than the mentor that had trained and raised her.
  
  To prove that she had truly overcome her teacher.
  
  Explosions of Dark and Ghost energies could be seen as the two Pokémon viciously brawled each other on the ground. Spectral tendrils and chunks of rock smashed against each other repeatedly, and it looked like the two Pokémon were evenly matched in strength.
  
  Which was an insane thing to say about a Gengar matched up against a Tyranitar.
  
  However, that state of affairs didn't last for very long. As the brawl continued, I noticed that the once huge figure of Gengar was starting to shrink rapidly, and its torrent of spectral power was suddenly growing weaker and weaker. Tyranitar's own dark aura was also shrinking too, but nowhere near as fast as Gengar's.
  
  I realised that Gengar was burning through its own energy reserves far quicker than Tyranitar was.
  
  Eventually, Gengar shrunk back down to its normal size, and Tyranitar instantly capitalised on that brief moment of exhaustion with a quick Taunt to distract it just for long enough before it Crunched down with all of its might.
  
  But even as the attack brought Gengar low, it still had the spite to throw out one final Focus Blast that struck Tyranitar centre mass, sending the Dark type stumbling backwards.
  
  Yet that attack was the last that the Gengar would make. Its wounds were too numerous, and it finally collapsed to the ground, having fought to its very last.
  
  Thus, Agatha's final Pokémon had fallen. The battle was over.
  
  Tyranitar was about to roar out in victory before a bolt of purple energy shot out from Gengar's fainted body, causing Tyranitar's eyes to roll to the back of his head as it promptly collapsed to the ground.
  
  ...A final 'present' from Agatha.
  
  Karen rolled her eyes at the display, but she couldn't keep the wide smile off her face. And despite this final 'surprise' from Agatha, Karen couldn't hide the look of gratitude that she shot towards her teacher either.
  
  She had done it. She won. She had overcome her mentor.
  
  And now she was Elite Four.
  
  A.N. ANNNDDD Karen won! She's finally done it! After so long, she has finally made it into the Elite Four, overcoming her mentor in a 6-5 victory, with only her Honchkrow remaining (though it could be 6-4 if you don't count the Destiny Bond knockout at the end)! Like I said previously, I wanted to show off more creative tricks from Agatha since this was her opportunity to shine.
  
  So I know the Ghost and Dark types aren't known for raw displays of power, but as Agatha once said to Karen, you need to have pure power sometimes - so I wanted to show Agatha was more than capable of that too. Again, I tried really hard to be creative with these matchups and the tricks Agatha would pull off, so I hope you enjoyed the battle overall!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-12 -Interlude-Agatha
  The New Normal - 12-12 - Interlude - Agatha
  
  She had considered herself as someone who would never let herself be overcome with emotion, to be able to maintain a firm rationality and focus on what was important. However, as her final Gengar went down to Karen's Tyranitar - for the first time in a long while, she stood there blankly as she stared at her apprentice.
  
  She had lost. As she hoped she would. Karen had won.
  
  And the resulting wave of emotion confused her.
  
  She felt proud; of course she did. Karen succeeding her was everything she had hoped it would be. But she also felt aimless; her goal - the one that she had pursued for the better half of her life, had finally been achieved. Her student had grown so strong, strong enough for her to entrust her with the protection of Lavender Town in her place - and to raise it to even new heights.
  
  Yet, with her goal achieved, what was there left for her to do? She had spent her whole life ensuring that she was strong enough to protect what mattered to her most, but now...that was no longer needed.
  
  A distinct feeling of emptiness set in for her, and a small but bittersweet smile began to form on her face.
  
  But she reminded herself where she was; she was in public, and she would never show weakness in a public setting. Therefore, she forcefully shoved all those unnecessary thoughts to the side for the moment and adorned her usual expression once more as she approached her victorious student.
  
  "Don't celebrate too hard." She said to a smiling Karen, "Holding onto power can be just as difficult as earning it."
  
  "Oh don't be a spoilsport." Karen rolled her eyes, "Can't you let a girl celebrate?"
  
  "Yes, yes, congratulations on your victory and all that." She said, trying to be her usual dismissive self, "Just don't forget that there's a lot on your shoulders now. You can't afford to rest easy."
  
  Karen's smile turned soft, "I know. But that just means that your burdens are now mine to carry. You can rest now, Agatha."
  
  Despite her attempts to stifle those emotions, her daughter'sstudent's words brought them back to the forefront once more. She willed herself not to react, but seeing the slight wetness in Karen's eyes as well, she knew that it was a battle that she was quickly going to lose.
  
  "I'm not going anywhere yet, girl." She replied, pushing her voice to remain stable, "I'll still be around to make sure that you're not being an idiot." Idling around during her 'retirement' was never for her anyways.
  
  Karen said nothing else and just chuckled at her words, sending a knowingly fond smile her way. Curse the girl; she was getting too good at reading her.
  
  "...What are your first plans after your ascension?" She asked instead, trying to focus on something other than the well of emotions slowly rising up within her, "Are you sticking to what we previously discussed?"
  
  "Mhm, but I'd like to build up my support first." Karen confirmed, "My achievements thus far have been trainer-related, but I've not proven myself in the political sphere yet. I plan to show off my political acumen to the Committee and earn their support that way - then, I'll start prioritising my plans for my expansion and development of Lavender Town. Give it a few years, and I guarantee that the Town won't be a mere town for much longer."
  
  Agatha nodded, "It is essential that we keep the Lavender Gym under our control. Blaine's retirement was a stroke of good luck for us, one that I admittedly did not expect, but I will not let it fall out of our hands now that we've gotten hold of it. I will keep a tight leash on the Gym's internal affairs - I want you to make sure that Lavender Town is able to become Lavender City in the future."
  
  She had already decided who the next Gym Leader of Lavender Town was going to be, and it most certainly wasn't going to be herself. Her own role, now that she was no longer in the Elite Four, was to ensure that the Gym would remain firmly under Lavender Town's control and to keep the new Gym Leader in line.
  
  Cities lived and died on the reputation of their Gym, so she was going to do everything she could to make sure the new Gym at Lavender was going to be as successful and as prestigious as possible.
  
  "Already on it." Karen replied, "Don't worry, you know I've already spoken to the other people at Lavender Town. With my victory, they'll have my back."
  
  Agatha grinned. She had been increasingly hands-off with Karen recently, as she knew that her student was about to challenge her, and she needed to ensure that the other movers and shakers of Lavender Town would all acknowledge her student as her successor. She wanted to make certain that the transition of power between herself and Karen would be as smooth as possible.
  
  But Karen's next words snapped her out of her political planning, "I can see that you have your thinking face on again." She said gently, "There's no need to think so hard anymore."
  
  Before she could stop her, Karen wrapped her arms around her shoulder, enveloping her in a warm hug, "Take a rest, Agatha. Please, leave the worrying to me from now on. You deserve it."
  
  Her first instinct was to immediately push her daughterstudent off of her, but then she felt the small patch of wetness forming on her shoulder. Her head snapped towards her daughterstudent, and she saw the tears pouring down her face. But the big smile that she had told her these were tears of happiness and joy, not sadness.
  
  Feeling Karen's arms wrap around hers, the memories immediately came flashing back. To the time when she had first 'adopted' Karen.
  
  She remembered that faithful day she found an orphan on the streets, staring at her with eyes full of distrust and loneliness. She remembered that spark of impulsiveness that made her stop and speak to this young and lonely child, deciding to let her sympathy rule her brain for that brief moment and keep the child company.
  
  She remembered seeing that spark of budding talent within that young child. She remembered her decision to take this child in and nurture that budding talent. She remembered how proud she was when the child had grown into a teenager, and that talent had already blossomed beautifully into a capable and powerful Dark specialist. She remembered the honour she felt when this orphaned child called her 'mother' for the first time.
  
  But then the memories faded away, and that young child was long gone - and in her place was the powerful and brilliant successor that she always knew that Karen would become.
  
  This day marked the moment where they were no longer teacher and student. With Karen's victory over her, Karen had graduated from her teachings. There was little else Agatha could teach her in the realm of battling.
  
  Her successor was right; her time as a trainer - as a symbol of strength of Lavender Town, of Kanto, and now of Indigo - had finally come to an end. Today, the last of the Elite Four formed under Samuel Oak had finally stepped down.
  
  It was time for the old to step away, and for the new to take their up their positions in their place.
  
  Without realising she was doing so, her own arms had unconsciously wrapped around her daughter, pulling her tightly against her. She gently patted her on the back of the head, ignoring the growing wetness on her shoulder.
  
  For her own eyes had long stopped staying dry as well.
  
  A.N. After all that build up, this is finally Agatha's 'passing of the torch' moment, where her duties have finally come to an end.
  
  It also marks a significant and slightly emotional point in my story for me, because Agatha was one of the first characters ever introduced all that time ago - with her arc planned out all the way since then. A part of me never actually expected this story to reach this point, and I can only thank all of you for your continued support for encouraging me along the way. Truly, thank you.
  
  And now, while she won't be written out entirely, most of her arc has concluded. She'll still be showing up from time to time, and she still has the Lavender Gym to manage, but its about time she gets her well deserved rest. Hope you enjoyed.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-13 - The Change of the Guard
  
  "...And so marks the end of an era." I heard Lorelei mutter quietly, "The last of the old guard is finally retiring."
  
  There was a moment of silence at that, as we all paid our respects to the departure of someone of Agatha's calibre. Like her or hate her, she had been a vital element of our leadership for decades, and today was the day she was finally able to pass over her duties.
  
  "You don't think she'll try for a rechallenge?" Lucian asked after the moment passed.
  
  I shook my head, "No, she got what she wanted. A powerful defeat, and a strong victory for her successor. I think it's about time she had her deserved rest."
  
  "Then we should head down there to congratulate their victory." Lance said as he stood up, but I quickly held out an arm to stop him.
  
  "Give them a moment." I gestured to the scene below us, where both Karen and Agatha were clearly engaged in some heartfelt conversation, "I think they'd appreciate if we didn't interrupt them."
  
  The two of them were currently hugging it out, which was unexpected but still brought a smile to my face. I didn't think that Agatha would usually approve of such 'public displays of affection', but I guess today was a special moment for the two of them.
  
  Arceus, even seeing like this was getting me a little emotional too.
  
  "...She looks happy." Lorelei mumbled, then she chuckled, "Do you think they know that the cameras are still focused on them at this moment?"
  
  Lance laughed, "Probably not. Agatha would never be caught dead hugging someone on camera otherwise."
  
  "Do you think we'll be in her place, one day?" Cynthia asked.
  
  "I hope so." Koga replied, "I already had a moment where I passed on the Gym to my daughter. If one day I could pass on the position of the Elite Four to her as she surpassed me, whereas I returned to being the Gym Leader, then nothing would make me prouder."
  
  "...I think I'd like that too." I admitted, "I haven't really thought about a successor, but I think I'd want to pass the torch onto someone that I care about too."
  
  Obviously, I was still young, and I didn't need to think about a successor for a long time. However, if my plans with Cynthia ever came to fruition and I were to move away from the Indigo Elite Four to live with Cynthia, I would like it if I could experience what Agatha was feeling right now.
  
  Even though a part of me acknowledged that Whitney was a Gym Leader in canon, a part of me would be equally as happy if my sister was strong enough to succeed me in the Elite Four in a few years' time. Likewise, though I did not want to claim all the credit, Daisy was the closest thing I had to an apprentice as well. Maybe she could succeed me in the future.
  
  Similar sentiments were expressed by everyone else, until Lance eventually broke through the moment, "I believe we've stalled for long enough. Let's head town there before the reporters get too impatient and try to break through security."
  
  "Dibs on not speaking to the reporters." Lorelei immediately said, "John, take one for the team this time. Everyone knows you're friends with Karen."
  
  Fuck. "Fine. I'll be today's offering."
  
  We finally made our way down to the arena, where Karen and Agatha had already wrapped up whatever emotional conversation they just had. I noticed that Karen's eyes still had the remnants of a few tears, but I was polite enough to not bring that up.
  
  "Congratulations, Karen." I spoke first, giving her a pat on the shoulder, "That was a wonderful fight."
  
  "Thank you, John, but we both know I could've done better." She replied, sounding like her regular self, "If some hag didn't make it so difficult for me - my victory would have been all the more convincing." She shot Agatha an aggrieved look as she said that.
  
  "Oh please, I have a reputation to live up to." Agatha fired back, "No one's going to believe it if you had dominated me. I'm not that weak, and you're not that strong - so keep that ego in check. Or do you want your time in the Elite Four to start off with accusations about you having been 'gifted' the position? Do you want to be swarmed with challenges?"
  
  "However, considering that you were this year's Indigo Conference winner, that means the selection of potential challengers is less than usual." Koga pointed out.
  
  I nodded; the past three Indigo Conference winners were Will, then myself, then Karen. So there were no potential challengers there, though she could obviously still be challenged from any of our Gym Leaders.
  
  "If any of those fools try to pick a fight with you, Karen, then make sure you squash them in my place." Agatha laughed, "I don't want them to think they can raise their heads now that I'm gone. Be sure to remind them of their insignificance."
  
  "...And so it falls to the younger generation to clean up their elder's messes." Karen remarked dryly, her tone laced with sarcasm as she gave Agatha an unamused look, "You got it, boss."
  
  Then the shouts of a few of the Jennys told us that the reporters were not going to be held back any longer. Lance clapped his hands, "Right then, we should get to those interviews. Hope you have your answers ready."
  
  "Oh I have my answer right here." We all turned to Agatha, and instantly saw her already sinking into her own shadow, "I'm not dealing with those Carvanha. Good luck out there." Then she disappeared with her usual mocking cackle.
  
  "...Of course....why did I expect anything different?" I muttered, mostly to myself. Though I got a few chuckles from the people next to me. "She just left us to the Mightyena."
  
  "You mean, she left me to them." Karen sighed, "If she's not here then I'll have to answer the brunt of the questions. Guess that's what I get for winning. Oh well, let's get this over with quickly."
  
  With a signal from Lance, the reporters were finally let in, and they instantly swarmed around Karen, shoving their microphones in her face.
  
  "Karen, Karen, where is Agatha?" One of them quickly asked her.
  
  "She's already left." Karen replied with a wry smile, "Your questions will have to be directed to me instead."
  
  "Then can you explain why Agatha has run off? Is she unwilling to explain the reason for her defeat?" Now THAT was a daring question, and not something anyone would have dared ask if Agatha was still around. She was gone barely a few minutes, and yet the reporters were already rushing in like Carvanha seeking out prey.
  
  Karen smiled at the reporter, but her smile didn't reach her eyes, "Perhaps you could ask that question to Agatha when you next see her. Please tell me how that works out for you."
  
  "However, I will take this opportunity to make something very clear." She stated seriously, laying down the law, "I will not tolerate any insult against my mentor for such a defeat. Everything I have learned, and that I am today, is because of her."
  
  "Today, she did not lose against me. Instead, what today has shown was the moment that Agatha was finally to allowed to pass on the burden that she had carried for so long to someone she deemed worthy - to the successor that she had raised and taught. Today was the day that Agatha's decades of excellent service for Indigo finally comes to an end, and she deserves nothing less than the utmost respect afforded to her for her efforts. I hope that everyone will understand that, moving forwards, and that there will be no such insinuations to the contrary."
  
  There was a solemn silence in response to Karen's words as her stern eyes swept across the reporters, sending everyone a powerful warning to keep their mockery to themselves. She took the wind out of the sails of several reporters who clearly wanted to dramatize Agatha's loss and publicly embarrass her in their headlines.
  
  The rest of the Elite Four and I just nodded approvingly; Agatha's defeat deserved to be treated with respect, not with jeers and taunts.
  
  "...But was this battle planned between the two of you?" One of the reporters found their voice first, "Did you two come to an arrangement beforehand?"
  
  "We obviously discussed my intention to challenge her beforehand; I wouldn't just drop something like that on her unannounced." Karen answered, "However, after I expressed my intent, we went our separate ways when it comes to the preparation. I will say with utmost certainty that the two of us fought in this battle with our all to prove who was more worthy of being in the Elite Four. We held nothing back as we clashed, mentor against student, to see who would come out on top. I am very happy to say that I did."
  
  "And what are your plans now that you've won?" Another reporter asked, "Are you just going to continue through with Agatha's previous policies?"
  
  "That would be an oversimplification." Karen corrected, "I am my own person, and while I may share similar interests to Agatha in terms of what we want to achieve, we have different ideas on how they should be executed, but I know you won't believe me from just my words. Instead, I will prove it to you with my future actions and policies. Just sit there and wait patiently - you'll get your headline soon enough."
  
  "And how about you, John?" The reporters were quick to turn to me after their instincts told them that they couldn't really get anything else out of Karen, and they chose me amongst all my colleagues as the latter had 'casually' pushed me to the front, "Agatha has been your colleague ever since you joined the Elite Four. How does it feel that you are now the only remaining member of the original Elite Four lineup since you joined?"
  
  Oh, I hadn't even realised that. To think that I was the only one remaining now. Lance, Walker, Agatha...they had all left the Elite Four for newer pastures. And even Will joined and left too.
  
  Wow. So much had changed, huh. Time had really flown by.
  
  Nevertheless, I shook away those melancholic thoughts as I responded to the question, "I think Karen already put it quite well - Agatha's departure should be met with applause and a little sadness, as she has been nothing but an excellent Elite Four member that has served our region for decades and has been a strong pillar of leadership all throughout her time."
  
  "However, as much as I am sad to see her go, I am also happy for her." I continued, "She deserves the rest, and I know Karen will do her utmost to live up to her mentor. Karen is well-deserving of her position, and I look forward to working with her for the future."
  
  The questions continued on a similar note, though eventually we managed to pry them off us with the excuse that they could find out more after Karen's first Committee meeting, which was scheduled to take place in a few days' time, where she would be laying out her first policies in detail.
  
  But for now, I think Karen would much rather celebrate her victory rather than thinking about all that.
  
  Naturally, as soon as she was able to escape from the reporters' incessant questions, I invited Karen for a celebratory meal over at my place. My family had all been watching the fight, and they were all too happy to congratulate Karen for her victory.
  
  I had half-expected for Karen to want to spend time with Agatha, but apparently not.
  
  "Agatha and I have had our emotional moment together - and I think I've exhausted Agatha's emotional battery for the time being." She chuckled to me when I asked her, "I think she'd much rather be left alone."
  
  I obviously extended an invite to Cynthia as well to have dinner with us, but unfortunately she had a conference with some people from Hoenn and Sinnoh that she couldn't get out of. Lucian, the good man, had offered to take her place so that she could attend, but apparently the meeting was going to consist of and require the attendance of all three Champions since it was something to do with the Regional Union.
  
  Apparently, they were also going to be finalising both the proposed articles of the Regional Union and where the headquarters of the Regional Union was going to be located.
  
  It sucked, but my girlfriend really couldn't avoid it.
  
  Nevertheless, Karen and I returned home to a grand dinner, and the whole thing was a happy affair as we celebrated her victory against her mentor. My sister and parents peppered her with questions and congratulations in equal measure, but unlike when dealing with the reporters, Karen was more than happy to answer them as she described her fight in detail and her thought process through it.
  
  "It was vitally important that I didn't get suckered up to Agatha's pace during the fight." She explained to my sister, "It's just like she taught me - whenever you fight against someone that does something better than you, which in this case was her bag of tricks that her Pokémon had, don't try to match them in their area of strength. Instead, flip the table and create other scenarios for yourself where you'll be able to leverage your strengths instead."
  
  "It's why I had to leverage my switches as I did to keep maintaining an advantageous position against her." She said, "In particular, I knew that Tyranitar would make-or-break my fight against her, so I couldn't afford to waste him."
  
  I decided it was about time to ask a question that had been lingering on my mind for some time as well, "So what's going to happen with Agatha? Is she going to move to 'take charge' of the Lavender Gym behind the scenes?"
  
  "Yes, that about sums up her plans." Karen confirmed, "It'll be like a semi-retirement for her, and she's already explained to me that she plans to slowly loosen her iron grip over Lavender Town as time goes on to pave the way for change to happen - splitting the responsibilities between me and the new Gym Leader of Lavender."
  
  "Have you met them before?" I asked.
  
  "I have." She nodded, "But I doubt you'd heard of them before. Her name's Dorothy - she's a veteran Ace Trainer that Agatha's supported in the past. You could consider her a semi-apprentice, since aside from me Dorothy was one of the few trainers that the old hag semi-regularly interacted with."
  
  "I didn't think Agatha would bother training someone up aside from you." I said, a little surprised.
  
  She shrugged, "I guess she just wanted to have more Ace Trainers on hand to help Lavender Town out if anything bad happened. And to be honest, I haven't interacted much with Dorothy. We mostly live our own separate lives. But what I do know is that she's practically the perfect little puppet for the old hag - she listens to her very well. She'll make a fine Gym Leader, with her strings held tightly in the old hag's hands, of course."
  
  Yes, I didn't really expect anything else from her.
  
  The questions kept coming even after I finished up with my dinner. However, considering that this was one of the rare moments where Whitney was home and available, I took the opportunity after dinner to ask her to assist me with training up Winston together.
  
  It had been some time since I had actually spent a moment together with Whitney as brother and sister, and who else could be better at training a Pokémon with their Rollouts than her Miltank?
  
  So there I was, standing watchfully in the training fields as Miltank began to teach Winston about all of the ins-and-outs of using Rollout. Sure, the act of rolling around was simple enough, but Miltank was trying to demonstrate the advanced techniques when it came to using Rollout - such as how to suddenly shift your momentum in mid-air, adjusting your speed on the go, or bouncing off the ground while rolling to dodge attacks.
  
  It was pretty difficult stuff to be starting off with, yet Winston and I both were confident that he could achieve it, considering that he already had plenty of experience with moving around while in a fight. Despite his rotund looks, Winston wasn't a slow and immobile Pokémon.
  
  With the Rollout training going well, I was sure that it wouldn't be long before Lickitung would evolve into a Lickilicky. I eagerly awaited for that to happen.
  
  There wasn't much I needed to supervise there, so I switched my attention over and focused on Pixel and its new capabilities. And now that it had gained such a massive spike in its Special Attack, I felt that we could really focus on something that would make its moves terribly annoying to fight against. It was an old idea that I had left floating around in my mind for some time, and now I felt it was finally time to put it in action.
  
  It involved Tri-Attack. It was a move that I didn't really use much on Pixel, for the simple fact that it wasn't ever going to be supereffective since it was a Normal type attack. Previously, there were many other moves that were often the better choice.
  
  However, my idea was for Pixel to be able to change the Type of Tri-Attack to match its current Type, while also maintaining the various statuses that the move could inflict, which included a Burn, Paralysis, or even Frozen. After all, I knew that Tera Blast was a move that could switch types, so this wasn't outside the realm of possibility, especially with the newfound power that Pixel was now able to draw upon.
  
  Between this, and boosting its Conversion speed so that it could switch between types even faster, I knew that Pixel's position in my Elite team (in terms of strength) was about to increase significantly. In my mind, its power and flexibility, if fully realised, would allow it to match Pokémon such as Wraith and Klaus, even if they fulfilled different roles.
  
  Nevertheless, this boost in power for Pixel was well-timed. With Agatha's departure today, without trying to brag, I was now undoubtedly the trainer that the public mostly considered to be the strongest amongst the Elite Four.
  
  And that meant that those who wanted to test themselves against the best amongst us will now see me as the target to fight. That included potential challenges from the Gym Leaders, as well as future Conference winners.
  
  I wanted to make sure that I could win convincingly when the time comes. As the longest-serving member of the Elite Four now (and wasn't that a thought), I had a reputation to maintain.
  
  Therefore, I continued to train up my Pokémon long into the night. That was until a phone call interrupted us.
  
  "Cynthia? Is something the matter?" I wasn't expecting a call from her now.
  
  "I've got good news for you." She said, "I just got out of a surprisingly fruitful meeting."
  
  "Oh?" I asked curiously, "Care to share?"
  
  "Well I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise...just kidding." She giggled, "I just got out of the meeting regarding the Regional Union, and the Champions and I are in agreement that we could start putting the proposal in front of the Committee in the next meeting. I was insistent that we move fast on this, because I know full well that a proposal as ambitious as this can be stalled out for an eternity unless we act fast, so the next Committee meeting has been pushed up to tomorrow morning."
  
  I agreed. "So the location has been decided and everything?"
  
  "Yes. And I think you'll like it." She smiled, "It's going to be in the Sevii Islands."
  
  I blinked; the Sevii Islands? That was a place that I hadn't heard of in a long while, and from what I remembered of it, it currently contained a whole lot of nothing. Unfortunately, for all the progress and developments we've seen in mainland Indigo, the Sevii Islands had been left to the wayside during all that.
  
  "But why there? Not that I disapprove." I quickly said, "I'm just curious - the Islands are pretty barren of anything."
  
  "Because we realised that the Islands, while they may technically fall under Indigo's jurisdiction, are distant enough from mainland Indigo that placing the headquarters there would make it seem like the Regional Union isn't just another Indigo-run organisation." She explained, "Furthermore, the Sevii Islands are also geographically equidistant to both Hoenn and Sinnoh, which adds to the symbolism we wanted to demonstrate."
  
  I nodded understandingly; that made a lot of sense. And as I thought things through a little more, I realised how beneficial having the Regional Union be headquartered in the Sevii Islands would be. While the Islands may be empty and undeveloped right now, having something as prestigious and as important as the Regional Union there could easily change that for the future.
  
  "Oh, and I almost forgot. There's one other reason why I'm so insistent on pushing forwards for the Regional Union to be established so quickly." Cynthia continued, "Remember how I explained that Flint was hard at work back in Sinnoh trying to dismantle the web of political alliances that Galactic Company had built around themselves?"
  
  "I remember." I stated, "How's that going?"
  
  "Well, he's done a good job - to the point where I'm considering that it might be okay if I choose to pull the trigger on the operation to raid Galactic Company right away." She said, "However, the thing that is holding me back is that I'm painfully aware that IF Galactic Company are really the secret backers of the terrorists that plagued both Indigo and Hoenn, then such an operation might start a war."
  
  "I am not afraid of that, yet I would be remiss in my duties if I did not ensure that Sinnoh is as well prepared as it can be for such an outcome, since who knows what kind of vile tactic they might pull out when they're exposed and cornered like this. Therefore, one of the things I will propose as part of the Regional Union's articles is a scenario where in an 'international emergency', a region can choose to request assistance from the others to jointly combat this threat. So if Galactic Company prove themselves to truly be the scum that we suspect them to be, then they will have to face the combined might of all three regions."
  
  "They've bought enough time with their stunt - but once the Regional Union is set up, I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done." She stated firmly, "No matter what they come up with, they will be brought to justice once and for all."
  
  Thus, the pieces were being set out, and a war that had been a long time coming was starting to take shape at last.
  
  A.N. A calmer chapter after the big fight that we just had, and a bit of setup for what's about to come.
  
  Also, yes, Dorothy is an OC that I had to create for the sake of the Lavender Gym. But I felt it only be natural that someone who is considered the 'shadow ruler' of Lavender Town as Agatha is would certainly have more than a few connections to prominent trainers that she could call upon in situations like these. Don't worry, you'll be meeting Dorothy soon, and her personality will be expanded a bit.
  
  And as promised, now that the domestic situation in Indigo's political scene has been settled, the attention now returns back to the looming threat of Team Galactic. The fight is coming. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-14 - Beginnings
  
  It was a little weird being in a Committee meeting that didn't have Agatha in it. I mean, she wasn't always present at these meetings anyways, but when she was here, her snide and sarcastic comments were just an integral part of these meetings.
  
  It was always amusing to watch how she dismissive she could be of the other Committee members, or the numerous ways that she could display her boredom. Her bluntness was always a refreshing sight in these dreary meetings, so it was quite the shame that we couldn't enjoy it anymore.
  
  I knew that even Will, who enjoyed these meetings the most and was supportive of acting 'properly and formally', had caved when it came to Agatha's antics.
  
  Eventually, Lorelei was the one to break the silence, "Hey, John...any idea what Karen's going to propose?"
  
  "No, I've not been told." I shook my head, "I doubt it'd be anything too radical. She wouldn't dare propose anything like that when she's still cementing her support base. Those larger and more radical proposals will probably come later."
  
  "I agree. We should not see any large surprises today." Koga nodded, "Though, from what I have heard, Karen might not even be the star of today's meeting, since I heard that the Regional Union is being proposed to the Committee today."
  
  "Oh, right. Wait - how did you hear about this before me? I wasn't informed." Lorelei said accusingly, causing Koga and I to share a look.
  
  "We both have our sources." He eventually replied, getting a grumble from Lorelei.
  
  Before she could say anything else, the doors to the rooms swung open again, and in came both Karen and Lance.
  
  Karen shot me a small smile as she sat down next to me.
  
  "I hope you don't make a habit of being late." I jokingly whispered to her, "I think that would be copying your mentor's actions a little too closely."
  
  She rolled her eyes playfully, "Blame your Champion. He wanted to speak to me. I would have been early otherwise."
  
  "Anything important?" I asked.
  
  "No." She shook her head, "He just gave me a rundown of a few things to catch me up to speed in case I hadn't been informed previously."
  
  Before I could say anything else, Lance knocked the gavel on the podium, shutting everyone up as we all turned to him. "I'll keep this brief, as we all know why we've gathered here today." He turned to look at Karen, "Karen. Welcome to the Elite Four. We hope that you will live up to and uphold the responsibilities of your new position - though with Agatha as your mentor I'm sure you'll be handle this quite easily. I'm sure this is nothing compared to dealing with her for your entire life."
  
  That got a few chuckles from everyone, "Nevertheless, the stage is yours."
  
  With a nod, she walked up to the podium, "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Committee. I know many of you expect me to be a walking, younger copy of my mentor. I am here to assure you that, while I may share some similar policies as my mentor, I am my own persons with my own agenda in mind."
  
  "That being said, I am always welcome to having open and frank discussions with any who want to approach me regarding any future policies, so please feel free to do so if I am available."
  
  In other words, Karen was again laying out that she wasn't going to be a carbon copy of Agatha, and that her goals would be different. In the same stroke, she also announced that she was flexible in her policies and might be persuaded, which would at least get her some attention from the Committee members as they would seek her out to obtain her favour.
  
  It was a good way for her to quickly establish a political foundation for herself.
  
  "Nevertheless, as is tradition for those who ascend to the Elite Four, I would like to propose a new policy, one that is dear to my heart. I have made no secret of my lowly origins as someone who was nothing more than a lucky orphan that was one day taken in by Agatha, and she brought me up from the dredge that was the orphanage that I once resided in."
  
  "However, I do not have fond memories of my time in the orphanage. While I was always grateful that we never went hungry, I always felt that us orphans were unintentionally neglected by the League, and I distinctly remember the lingering air of sadness that pervaded through all of us as we tried our best to make do with what little resources were available to us."
  
  "So I can say for certain that the orphanages in Indigo need to be attended to. I have every respect for the matrons and caretakers that do their best to run the orphanages despite the limited resources they are provided, but considering all of the economic developments that we've seen in our region, I think it's about time that we funnel some of those resources into making sure that the unfortunate youth of tomorrow are still given the opportunity to live a happy life in their orphanages. After all, do we not have a duty to ensure that all of Indigo's citizens, no matter how unfortunate their circumstances, to deserve the chance to be happy?"
  
  "Thus, my first proposal shall request for the Indigo League to have the cities of Indigo allocate a certain amount of their funding to be given to their orphanages to ensure that they receive sufficient support from their local council - and likewise, the Indigo League shall also carry out inspections to ensure that the state of the orphanages are at satisfactory levels. If this is agreeable, we can discuss the minutiae in detail at a later date."
  
  "And while I have the stage, I will say that this is merely the first step into my plan to reform and better the orphanage system that we have here in Indigo. While I will not make any other proposals for today, I do have plans to introduce further policies to discourage child abandonment, as it is so commonly seen nowadays from overly reckless teenage trainers during their journeys. Like I said previously, I am amenable to any suggestions about what those plans could look like, so please approach me if you have such ideas."
  
  There were a lot of mutterings and whispers as Karen's speech concluded, and there were distinct looks of confusions on the faces of many Committee members as they probably hadn't expected Karen's first proposal to be on a topic like this.
  
  Yet to me, it made perfect sense, and it felt very 'Karen' - even if it was far more radical than I thought it would be. It might not be the best proposal to make politically, as anything that asked the local councils to give away funds for was going to step on a few toes, but I could tell that it came from the heart, and that was what was most important.
  
  After the round of polite applause came to an end, Karen sat back down next to me as I whispered her a question.
  
  "...That was good." I told her, "But I thought you would focus on something relating to Lavender Town."
  
  "That can come later." She replied, "The old hag and I agreed that having my first proposal be something related to Lavender Town would be too much like I was just retreading the same road as her. So she told me to go for what I wanted - and I did."
  
  The time for discussions came after that, and Karen went around trying to hash out the details about what the Committee were willing to compromise with as to the amount to funds to be allocated to the orphanages. Eventually, Lance stepped in and offered for the League to supplement the necessary funds for Karen's proposal for the cities, as he deemed that looking after the orphanages and the youth of Indigo was a region-wide responsibility.
  
  With Lance stepping in, the proposal didn't face any more challenges as it was quickly passed through. For the Committee, voting on something as humanitarian as improving the orphanages of Indigo was a pretty easy choice.
  
  And so began Karen's time in the Elite Four, with an optimistic start.
  
  Before we were allowed a small break for lunch, there was another small matter to settle first. At some point, Dorothy had waltzed into the Committee room, before promptly walking out about fifteen minutes later when she was appointed to become the Gym Leader of Lavender Town. No one really said anything against it - despite her absence and retirement, Agatha was still firmly in charge of the affairs of Lavender Town and whatever she said went.
  
  I...didn't see anything that caught my eye when I met her. She spent most of her time in the room speaking privately with Karen, but otherwise looked like basically any other Ace trainer that I've seen during my journey.
  
  She did offer for me to come over to the Lavender Gym if I wanted to take a look, and I promised that I would take her up on that when I had some free time.
  
  After the small break was over, we reconvened in the Committee room. However, I immediately noticed that several giant screens had been set up on the side, with two of them portraying the Committee rooms of both Hoenn and Sinnoh respectively. On the other screens were Wallace and his Elite Four respectively, while Flint, Aaron, and Bertha comprised the other as Cynthia was here in Indigo with us.
  
  The atmosphere of the room instantly changed, as we all understood that this was the moment of something truly monumental. As soon as everyone arrived, Cynthia was the first to speak.
  
  "Good afternoon. As you were all informed beforehand, today is the day that we, the Champions and representatives of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh respectively, jointly put forwards the idea of a Regional Union - an organisation that's sole purpose is to facilitate, maintain, and reinforce the bonds of friendships between our regions."
  
  "As agreed upon between the three of us, we propose that the Regional Union begin with three core articles - the need for open borders, the need for open trade and access to the PSS system, and lastly, for any region to request for assistance from the others during times of international threats or humanitarian disasters..."
  
  Cynthia then went on to explain what she had previously told me, and she gave the Committees an explanation of why the Sevii Islands were a perfect fit for the Regional Union's headquarters to be located. Though from the discussions I could overhear from around me, everyone was most focused on the three articles anyways, for good reason.
  
  The articles would basically cement our bonds of friendship and prevent regions from easily backsliding into isolationism. Of course, we had open borders and open trade now, but making sure these were codified and formalised was an essential protection to make it harder for such things to be revoked. Therefore, should a particularly hostile Champion be ascended, it would make things harder for them to tear down the pillars of internationalism that I've worked so hard to build up.
  
  Obviously, an announcement as monumental and consequential as this couldn't be enacted so quickly, especially since it involved a vote that included all three regions simultaneously. Therefore, the Champions gave the Committee a week to discuss before we reconvened for the joint vote.
  
  Still, I hoped that they would come to an agreement sooner rather than later. The Regional Union was going to be a shining beacon of my ideals - a symbol that represented our collective bonds of friendship and unity. And I couldn't wait to see it with my very own eyes.
  
  After the meeting was wrapped up, the Champions asked us Elite Four to stay behind as they had another thing they wanted to bring up with us. Cynthia then explained about her plans to raid Galactic Company soon, and the potential consequences of that decision.
  
  "There is every likelihood that Cyrus and whatever criminals decide to follow after him will not so easily submit to our authority, especially if their crimes are as heinous and as terrible as we suspect them to be." She said, "Therefore, like I explained to your Champions, if they choose to go rogue, then through the third article of the Regional Union we will call on your support to quickly subdue these terrorists. This is just to warn you and keep you ready for once or if the call does come."
  
  Everyone nodded their heads solemnly at that.
  
  "Aye. You'll have your support." Drake growled, "John and I have unfinished business with these fucks. They've scurried away for long enough. No more. In fact, why don't you call us over right now? We can be there for the initial raid for the additional manpower. No need for us to wait for the Regional Union to be set up first."
  
  "Because if she does that then it would cost her far too much political capital to justify." Wallace explained, "It is why that article in the Regional Union is so important. Right now, any foreign support that are sent over on a discretionary basis - it is done on the request and of a Champion or the Committee - and there's a chance that it could be seen as a overreach. Thus, Sinnoh could be seen as weak for over-relying on foreign support or we could be seen as trampling on Sinnoh's authority, especially 'only' for a raid that is supposedly there to investigate allegations of financial discrepancies. The last thing we want to happen is for our foreign support to arrive only to be met with angry protests from the local people that don't want us there - regardless of how dangerous the threat actually is."
  
  "So the article will make it clear that as soon as an organisation is labelled as an 'international threat', then an inter-regional response is expected, rather than a surprise - so there won't be much, if any, political pushback." Sidney finished for him, "Basically, it's all about the packaging for the masses."
  
  "Bah. I don't fucking get it, but I guess I can wait a few weeks." Drake grumbled, "I'll make use of my time to get ready and get my team and I to full force. We'll crush these fuckers."
  
  Similar sentiments were expressed by everyone. However, even though none of us here were ones to turn down an opportunity for a battle, we all knew that this was not a fight to welcome with open arms - terrorists were notorious for their reckless disregard for the damage they caused, so even in the most perfectly executed operation, there would inevitably be people in harm's way.
  
  Yet that only caused our conviction to harden - to take them down and limit the damage they could do.
  
  With all of the necessary meetings wrapped up, the day had finally come to an end - at least for us Elite Four members, the Champions still had other tasks they needed to handle. Poor them.
  
  But before we could leave, Karen spoke up first, "...Are you all free? For perhaps the next few hours or so? There's something I'd like to show you."
  
  The rest of the Elite Four and I shared a look before eventually nodding, and we ended up following after Karen as she brought us to Lavender Town. At first, I was curious as to why she brought us here - there was no way she was here just to show off, but then we arrived at a pretty non-descript building nearer to the outskirts of Lavender Town.
  
  It took me to realise what this was, but this was the Lavender Town orphanage. It was in a pretty good state, and looked well taken care of. Clearly some renovation work had been done to spruce it up a bit. There was also a small playground attached to it, which at least had a decent variety of equipment for the children to play on.
  
  "...This is where I grew up - where I spent a large part of my childhood." She explained to us, a bitter smile on her face as her old memories were dredged up, "Before I met Agatha, this was the only life that I knew."
  
  "It looks to be in pretty good shape." Lorelei observed.
  
  "It didn't use to look this fancy." Karen replied, "The Lavender orphanage that I grew up in was little better than a rundown shack. When it rained, we would have water leaking through the boards, soaking into our clothes and bunkbeds. And that playground didn't use to exist - it used to just be an empty yard that we would run around and play tag in, or whatever game we could create with our imagination."
  
  "Actually, why don't you come inside to see for yourself? I'm sure the kids would love to see you." And so we did.
  
  Both the children and the matrons greeted Karen very familiarly as she stepped inside, demonstrating just how often she had visited the orphanage. We followed after her, making sure to greet everyone and entertain whatever questions the kids had for us. They mostly asked your usual fare of questions such as what our Pokémon were like and if they could see them, but it was a little heart-wrenching to see the simple joy in their eyes at even getting such basic attention from us.
  
  I also took the opportunity to take a look around, and I noticed that a few children were carrying around a brand new Pokéball around their waists. Since Karen was busy regaling her victory over Agatha to the children, I asked one of the matrons about it.
  
  "With the older children that are about to go on their journey, we do our best to make sure that they are given an opportunity to get a Pokéball and catch their own Pokémon instead of solely relying on the handouts from the Gyms." The matron explained, "Since it was only recently where Lavender Town got its own Gym, the children used to have to travel to one of the nearby cities to obtain their first Pokémon, which wasn't very convenient and the Pokémon they receive aren't usually very strong."
  
  "So by giving them an opportunity to catch their own starter, it gives them a chance to level the playing field with the more fortunate children that have had their starters from a younger age." She said.
  
  "-If it was not for this, it would be too much of an uphill struggle for most children to make a name for themselves in the trainer world." Karen cut in, "Can you imagine? A child with substandard education, with no ability to catch their own Pokémon and could only rely on the starter Pokémon provided by a Gym; it would be so difficult for them to even be able to clear four badges, let alone all eight."
  
  "If they were not blessed with talent, or got lucky like I did, how could your average orphan be expected to succeed?" She finished rhetorically, with the matrons nodding sadly alongside her, "Because of the unfortunate circumstances of their birth, so many opportunities are ripped away from them - and this has a cascading effect throughout the rest of their life."
  
  Making sure that we were out of earshot of the rest of the children, the matrons then explained to us Elite Four that Karen had not overstated the situation. Apparently, some of them had worked in the other orphanages before, and they even had to suffer cuts to their own salary in order to pay for basic amenities for the children. And according to them, before the recent economic revitalization of the region, the situation for these orphaned children was even worse.
  
  "We do our best, but we're often overwhelmed and greatly outnumbered by the children that we take care of." One of the matrons said, "Too many parents decide that they don't want the burden of raising an 'accident' as they're still busy on their journey, and leave their children on our doorstep only to never see them again. It's a terrible thing, but the fact is that teenage trainers are just careless, and this is the painful consequence. It's only made even worse because adoption is a rare sight."
  
  "...I never even realised it was so bad. I thought my childhood was pretty rough for having to deal with Pryce all the time, but it's nothing compared to this." Lorelei said first, "But now that I know, I can see why you would want to improve the standard and conditions of orphanages around Indigo."
  
  "Just so you know, the Lavender orphanage practically receives the most amount of support and funding when compared to all the other orphanages around Indigo." Karen added, "So what you're seeing is likely the best orphanage in Indigo - but can you just imagine how much worse the conditions of the other orphanages are in comparison?"
  
  We all grimaced at that, as it didn't take very much imagination to visualise what that would look like. Despite all of the care and attention that had been placed onto the Lavender orphanage, there were still unmistakable signs of poverty if you knew where to look. The occasional second-hand clothes, the worn out books, the lack of common technology.
  
  ...If that was the case here, then the other orphanages must be even worse. At least the children here still had smiles on their faces. I could only hope it was the same elsewhere.
  
  "I admit that I have overlooked the condition of the Fuschia orphanages as well." Koga also said, "I hadn't received any complaints from them during my time as a Gym Leader, so I must have thought that all was well. I can see now that I was mistaken in this assumption."
  
  "Was it that bad for you, John, since I know you came from a poor background as well?" Lorelei asked me.
  
  "...I can't say that it was." I replied truthfully, the fact that I had meta-knowledge really cancelled out whatever disadvantages I would have received from my poor upbringing, and it wasn't right for me to pretend otherwise, "These orphans have it worse than I did. I at least had a loving family to take care of me, and we could at least afford a few things. That makes a whole world of difference."
  
  "I'm glad that you all think this way." Karen nodded, "I don't want to ask you this as a political request, but rather the request of a former orphan that just wants to make sure that others just like her don't need to suffer through the childhood that I did. Please, support these initiatives. Or better yet, go take a look at the orphanages of the cities within your control. See what they need, and provide it to them."
  
  "You don't know how many orphaned children will thank you for it."
  
  A.N. While I wanted this chapter to focus on the politics of Karen's ascension, I felt that it was equally as important to demonstrate just why Karen is doing the things that she's doing. Karen's past as an orphan has been mentioned several times throughout the story, but I wanted to experiment with this chapter and really go into the reality of what that actually means since it's so important to Karen. As idyllic as the Pokémon world can be, there are still things that can fall through the cracks, and this is one of them. Hope you enjoyed, and that the reasonings fit with Karen's character thus far.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-14 - Interlude-Roark
  The New Normal - 12-14 - Interlude - Roark
  
  Roark had always been a huge fan of archaeology and geology. It had practically been his whole childhood, and that passion for it never left him even as he grew older and took on more responsibilities.
  
  It was the one thing of interest that he still shared with his father - difficult as the man was to deal with sometimes - but discussions about geology could always form a common topic.
  
  It was why the discovery of the Icicle Plate was such a momentous bit of news for him. He had been to Celestic Town many times since its discovery just to learn more about this Legendary artifact. It was the most awe-inspiring thing he had ever seen in his life.
  
  Yet, at the same time, one particular detail about its discovery stuck in his mind - the fact that the Icicle Plate was the cause of the unnatural frost that spread throughout the underground caves of Snowpoint City.
  
  Even now, as the Icicle Plate remained displayed in a specially created container, small tendrils of frost could be seen spreading around the specially heated glass display before quickly melting. The Plate was an eternal generator of Ice energy.
  
  The reason he found this so interesting was because he distinctly remembered a very unique ruin from within Iron Islands. The Iron Islands used to be a prosperous mine of various ores, but they had long since run dry and subsequently abandoned due to the lack of profitability. However, there was one particular ruin that could be found deep within that was almost filled to the brim with hardened steel.
  
  He remembered being escorted to it with his father when he was but a young trainer, and how odd he found those ruins. He had seen many ore deposits in his life, especially iron ones, and none were as dense and as packed as what he had saw that day.
  
  He recalled asking his father why they had abandoned the mines when there was obviously such a large deposit of iron sitting right in front of them.
  
  His father had chuckled, "You aren't the first to think of that, kid. But let me show you why." His father proceeded to take out his Aggron and ordered it to try rip out the a chunk of the iron in the wall.
  
  He remembered the surprise that went through him when Aggron was barely able to rip out that piece of iron. And this was from an Aggron - one of his father's most physically capable Pokémon - that had struggled to tear out a small chunk of iron. And it had taken it over a full minute to do so!
  
  "So you see kiddo, we aren't ignoring it because we want to, but because whatever this iron is - it's too dense to break through. It's also very difficult to melt, far more so than usual ores of iron." His father had told him, "Basically, we tested it with a few other miners and their Pokémon, and we ultimately decided that it just wasn't worth the time and hassle to dig this out. It'd probably cost us far more time and money to get this out than we would get for selling it."
  
  His past self had agreed, not thinking too much about it. Back then, he had simply assumed that it was just a unique ore vein, and left it at that.
  
  However, now that he had read the reports about how the Icicle Plate had formed very dense and extremely hardened chunks of ice around itself, that strange ore vein continued to linger on the back of his mind.
  
  And then it hit him - what if it wasn't just an unusual ore vein, but instead was actually because of the presence of a Plate? Or more specifically, an Iron Plate?
  
  That moment of enlightenment never left his mind. Even though he had no way of confirming it, his gut was screaming to him that there could be no other explanation. In his many years of being a geologist and a miner, he had never come across such a phenomenon before, and it was far too similar to the reports written about the Icicle Plate for him to ignore.
  
  He was confident that there was something there, just waiting to be discovered.
  
  Unfortunately, just because he had thought of it doesn't mean he could actually put his plans into action. The most difficult problem for him to overcome was that he did not have a way of breaking through the hardened iron - not efficiently, at least. Ripping out small chunks one at a time every few minutes was definitely not a solution.
  
  He knew that he needed a team to assist him, but it couldn't just be any team of miners. No, he couldn't just rely on the miners that he had employed at the Oreburgh Mines. It had to be a specialist team - one equipped with specialised equipment that were capable of breaking through such hardened iron.
  
  And that was where the problem lied; he simply did not have access to such a team. Even though he was Gym Leader of Oreburgh, his connections did not reach that far. And as far as he was aware, his father had no such connections either.
  
  Therefore, he had agonized over what to do, wracking his head for any solution to his problem.
  
  The easiest solution was to reach out for help, to ask around his contacts to see if they could assist him with this matter. However, to do so would be to reveal his suspicions, as they would undoubtedly ask why he needed such a specialised team.
  
  A part of him really did not want to do that. This was his idea, his discovery, his glory to earn. The Celestic Town Research Centre had been showered with praise ever since their past discoveries of Kleavor, Zoroark, Avalugg, and the Icicle Plate. Especially that last one.
  
  So he had wanted his own slice of that adulation that they received, because he knew that if he shared the credit then his name was likely to be buried by all the other big names that were almost certainly going to be attached. He would no longer be able to use this discovery as a means of stepping out of his father's shadow.
  
  It would no longer be his discovery.
  
  However, after struggling with himself for far longer than he wanted to admit, and exhausting option after option, he finally decided to swallow his pride and reach out for help.
  
  He had accepted that he wouldn't be able to do this without outside assistance. But if he was going to reach out for help, then he wanted to do this properly. He did his research, and he picked out the exact group of people that he wanted assistance from - they were perfect for his needs.
  
  He rang up the number that had been provided to him.
  
  "Hello? This is Steven Stone." The man on the other side replied, "How may I help?"
  
  "Steven? This is Gym Leader Roark, of Oreburgh City. I have a proposition that I'd like to make..."
  
  A.N. A setup chapter for future events! I know that the Icicle Plate and its discovery has been put on the backburner for some time, but I hope this demonstrates that it's not been forgotten about. There will be further developments coming, and I wanted to outline Roark's thought process about how he figured this out!
  
  And yes, the ruins that Roark is thinking about is a direct reference to the Iron Ruins that can be found in the depths of Iron Island in the games. This is my way of adapting that into the story. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-15 - Mending Bridges
  
  Spending time around the orphanage was both eye-opening and a little melancholic. However, I could tell that Karen had managed to achieve what she hoped to accomplish - and that was bringing the rest of the Elite Four onto her side for her future proposals.
  
  Like her, I too wished that things would improve for these unfortunate orphans. After what we had seen and been told, it was impossible not to.
  
  But back to the present, with all of her political goals for coming to Indigo accomplished, it meant that Cynthia's time in Indigo was coming to an end. She had come here for the express purpose of waving the flag and pushing forwards the Regional Union proposal, and now that she had done so, it was time for her to leave.
  
  I wasn't bitter about it. Knowing what I did about her upcoming plans to deal with Team Galactic, I knew that I would probably be requested to head over there soon. So I would see her shortly.
  
  Still, I had wanted to spend my last day with her in Indigo, and we still had that battle with our starters that I wanted to do, but Cynthia surprisingly turned me down.
  
  "I actually had someone I wanted to spend time with." She told me apologetically, "I know you wanted to spend time together, but I really think there's someone I should speak more with now that I'm here."
  
  "Oh?" I was curious, but not offended, "Sure. Who are you meeting?"
  
  "I wanted to spend time with Karen." She admitted, "Not for the reasons you're thinking of." She quickly corrected, "But since she's one of your closest friends, I'd actually like to spend some time with her instead of the short conversations we usually have every once in a while over the phone."
  
  "That would be nice." I agreed, though still a little curious about what she wanted to talk with her about, "Okay, enjoy your time together then."
  
  I hoped their conversation would go well. In the meanwhile, I would be paying a visit to mayor Henry to discuss a few things about the current state of the Cerulean's orphanages. Karen had really opened my eyes to the problem that I had been unconsciously overlooking, and I absolutely wanted to rectify that as soon as possible.
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  "Sorry, I hope you didn't have to wait long!" She called out to Karen, who had been waiting for her at the busy city of Celadon.
  
  "It's not a problem, I just got here too." Karen replied, "I'm still surprised you would rather spend your last day with me instead of with John. Did he do something to piss you off?"
  
  "Nothing of the sort." She denied with a shake of the head, "Consider this just me congratulating you for your victory."
  
  Karen smiled slightly, "Well, thank you, then. It's appreciated, though a tad bit unnecessary. You really didn't have to force yourself to do this. I know you and I have been...politely distant with each other."
  
  She could admit that. Most of the time her 'conversations' with Karen, if it could be called that, were limited to the occasional chat over the phone, and generally only revolved around battling. They both avoided John as a topic to prevent awkwardness. Though she did feel it was less so now, and that the two had been slowly getting more comfortable - hence why she went ahead with this outing with Karen.
  
  "That might be the case, but I've realised that it doesn't have to be this way." She replied, "Whatever your past and history with John, I'm not so insecure as to be jealous of that. You've been a dear and close friend to John, and likewise I trust John to not be the type to have wandering eyes. Our friendship might be distant before, but I don't see why we can't turn that around."
  
  Karen looked at her weirdly for a moment before letting out a chuckle, "And here I thought you wanted to talk to me to give me another warning to stay away from John - guess I underestimated you."
  
  "No, that's the last thing I'd do." She shook her head, "John and I are both our own people. I would never forbid him from talking to a friend, even if I felt threatened by them, and I would expect the same from him. However, if those 'talks' lead to consequences - then that would be on him to bear."
  
  She knew she had no right, even as his girlfriend, to bar John from talking to whoever he liked. That would be a huge overstep, and that would be going against their promise to be equal partners in their relationship. She could be wary and express her concerns, but no further than that.
  
  "I can tell you're being genuine about that." Karen observed, "But...if you're happy with it, then I'm not going to turn down your offer of friendship." Karen then proceeded to link their hands together, "Come, let me show you around the Celadon Department Store."
  
  She did not refuse this obvious show of friendship, and allowed Karen to drag her around the huge shopping mall. It was a location that she had chosen for a reason, as she felt that the idea of going clothes shopping would be a nice bonding activity that would at least help stimulate their conversation.
  
  As they were heading up the escalator, Karen made a surprising admission, "...If it's any consolation, I think I've moved on from John in my mind anyways. You have nothing to worry about."
  
  "You don't have to say that for my sake." She tried to say, before being interrupted.
  
  "No I do mean that - I'm not saying that just to placate you or to lower your guard." Karen insisted, "When your relationship was first announced, I told John early on that I wasn't the type of woman to try to force her way into a relationship that she didn't belong in. I refused to be that kind of homewrecker."
  
  That was understandable - considering everything John had told her about Karen's past as an orphan. Getting in the way of someone else's family was probably anathema for Karen.
  
  "That day, I saw in John's eyes the genuine feelings he had for you - and I knew that there was no point holding onto hope that you would separate anytime soon. Yet deep within my mind, a part of me futilely still did so." She admitted, "I'm ashamed to say that I held on to that stupid hope for longer than I should have."
  
  "However, when I was doing all that preparation for my fight against the old hag, I had a moment of realisation - I realised that John no longer occupied my mind like he did before." She explained, "The lingering melancholy at my lost opportunities with him were completely shoved aside as I was so dedicated to making sure I was ready for the fight - to ensure that I was a worthy successor to Agatha."
  
  A small wistful smile grew on Karen's face, "It was then that I understood that my goals in life had long grown beyond John. Of course, I still saw him as a close friend and trusted ally, but I realised that there were so many other things that I wanted to achieve that I was just wasting my time trying to cling on to something I knew would never fall into my hands."
  
  "...And now that I've accomplished one of big goals and made it to the Elite Four, I don't have the time to waste on uselessly pining after someone that has already been taking, waiting in the wings like some kind of stalker waiting to pounce on the opportunity." Karen continued after a brief pause, "I have bigger goals than that now. I have a legacy to uphold, and I have a future that I want to craft and forge with my own hands."
  
  As she listened to Karen's admission, she inwardly let out a cheer as someone who had just beaten a rival would. Yet at the same time, she felt a sense of gratitude and warmth towards Karen for having the maturity and empathy to move on and not hold anything against her.
  
  She nodded gratefully to Karen, visibly moved by her admission, "...Thank you for telling me this. I can't deny I was wary about you for a while, and what kind of person would I be if I didn't try to keep my rivals in check?" She chuckled at her own joke, "But I'm really glad you said that you had your own goals to accomplish - because John and I have our own. I don't know if John filled you in on our plans for the future, but we have plans to make it so that we can be together without being hindered by distance, and we're both working hard to make that a reality."
  
  Her face fell into a brief scowl, "So long as the headache that is Galactic Company gets cleared out of the way, then I think the two of us will be dedicating all of our time to making sure our relationship can and will work out."
  
  The threat of those terrorists were the last major problem that she had to deal with in Sinnoh for the foreseeable future, so she couldn't wait to clear them out and dedicate her time to something actually productive.
  
  Karen smiled at her, "That sounds like a good goal to have. I hope it goes well for the both of you. From what I've seen from the both of you, I'm certain that your future will be very happy together. Almost disgustingly so." They both shared a laugh at that.
  
  Their conversation ended perfectly in sync with their arrival to the clothes shops, and they quickly moved on to much more womanly topics as they began the very familiar activity of clothes shopping.
  
  To her embarrassment, it became quickly apparent that Karen was much more familiar with this than she was. In her mind, she blamed her upbringing as an academic and an archaeologist for her lack of knowledge about the current popular fashion trends, though she knew those were all just excuses.
  
  She just wasn't as trendy.
  
  Luckily, that was something that Karen was more than willing to help rectify, and the two of them proceeded to spend the early hours of the afternoon shuffling through clothing item after clothing item as Karen helped her pick out several new outfits. The Celadon Department Store really had so many options for them to choose from - there was even a nice boutique store where she picked out a few extra dresses for formal occasions.
  
  ...Or if John had done something particularly nice, then it could be reserved for a special reward.
  
  "Have you ever felt like settling down?" Karen asked her as they were picking out a few clothes, "I mean, dropping your responsibilities as Champion and simply living a quiet life with John. With your strength and reputation, you hardly need to continue if you wanted. You're already set for life."
  
  "That wouldn't feel right, though." She replied, "Yes, it would make things much simpler, but in a way doing so would be abandoning the person that I know John fell in love with. Working on our shared ambitions together is something that we greatly enjoy doing, and it's what connects us despite the physical distance between us. Furthermore, there's still so much I want to do - so much that I want to achieve - and I want to do all those things with John by my side, and vice versa. I feel like that would be the most fulfilling for the both of us. It's probably only after some of my larger goals have been achieved that I'll start thinking about slowing things down and start living a more 'domestic' life, and all that entails."
  
  "What about you?" She returned the question to Karen, "I know you have things you'd like to work on now, but you ever think of settling down and starting a family in the future? John's told me how much you like working with children."
  
  "...I think I'd like to, one day." Karen admitted, "But not anytime soon. I have to look after Agatha, and my duties in the Elite Four notwithstanding, I don't think I'd want to take on too many responsibilities that would distract from that. Besides, I see Brock and his siblings as my family anyways. They'll do for now."
  
  Their conversation continued to flow like that throughout the rest of their shopping trip, and even when they were all done with the shopping the two of them moved to a nearby restaurant to grab lunch and to continue on with their discussions.
  
  Inwardly, she was really happy that everything turned out this well. She was confident that Karen wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge over John, but they were actually getting along so well as friends. Her only other female friend that she could talk with like this was Candice, and even then she felt like she could easily talk more with Karen - they just had more similar topics to talk about.
  
  She was glad that they were getting along so well.
  
  "You ever think of taking on an apprentice of your own?" She asked another question to Karen as they took a seat, "Just like Agatha did with you?"
  
  "Technically, Brock is my unofficial apprentice, even if we don't share the same Type." Karen replied, "Whenever I have some free time, I go help him and his siblings with their training. But otherwise, no. I don't have any plans on taking on an official apprentice anytime soon. How about you?"
  
  "I've been thinking about it." She said, "At the end of the day, I'd like to change the perception of generalists to be more than something that only the naturally gifted are able to accomplish. Generalist teams aren't as difficult as everyone makes them out to be to train up, and I want to be able to pass on my methods to others in the future. If I find the right trainer, maybe that's something I can work on after we deal with Galactic Company-"
  
  "Oi! I know you!" A sudden voice snapped at the two of them, and they both turned to see a young man strutting up to them, "You're the Champion of Sinnoh, aren't you? The one who's dating Elite John?"
  
  "...I am." She said carefully, not liking just how aggressive the man had chosen to approach them. "How can I help you?"
  
  The man grinned, "What a great coincidence then, because I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! And don't you dare say no, because I'm live right now!" He deliberately pointed towards the camera that he had mounted on his shoulder, "I think the world deserves to see just how strong the girlfriend of someone like John really is against someone not from Sinnoh!"
  
  She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at this blatant display of provocation - she had known that it would bite them in the ass when the two of them shed their disguises while they were trying on all those new clothes.
  
  She really did not want to entertain this person right now. Not only was she not finished with her meal, but this was her last day in Indigo for the foreseeable future. She did not want to waste time on a meaningless battle like this. Yet if she were to refuse, she suspected that it would undoubtedly be misconstrued and dramatized by the news as her being 'ungrateful' to the public of Indigo - or whatever nonsense that they might create for their next big headline.
  
  However, before she could say anything, Karen spoke first in her defence. "I'm sorry, but the two of us are about to have certain private political discussions right after this meal. Maybe some other time."
  
  ...It wasn't the best excuse, considering the large shopping bags filled with new clothes that were scattered around them.
  
  And as expected, the man didn't buy it, "Bah! You Elite Four and Champions simply think that you're too important for the common folk. You know the common trainer never gets an opportunity to challenge those with lofty titles like yourself. Or what? Are you so unwilling to debase yourself to fight?"
  
  He then turned towards his camera, "Do you see this folks? This is the true faces of your leaders. They are refusing to entertain even a simple battle, even when battling is all they're supposed to be good at. Do you see this!? What a disgrace this is-"
  
  "No. The only disgrace here is you." Another voice spoke up from behind the young man as they approached - revealing themselves to be none other than Blaine.
  
  Blaine took advantage of the surprise on the young man's face as he grabbed onto his shoulders, "Look at me, sonny. What makes you think you're in the right to bother people like this?"
  
  The young man was momentarily flustered, but managed to pull himself back, "...People? They're our leaders. They're supposed to be the example of what a trainer should be! So why are declining to battle people when it's their duty to fight!?"
  
  "Wrong. Their duty is not to fight. Their duty is to protect." Blaine replied, "It might be similar, but there's a big distinction. Fighting is easy. You fight by being strong. But protecting people? That comes in many different ways. Let me explain it so even you can understand."
  
  "Sometimes, protecting people means taking a step back and being patient - waiting for the right moment to strike, even though the public is demanding you to take action, so that you can make sure that there's as little collateral damage as possible. Sometimes, protecting people means taking a stand, throwing yourself into danger to make sure that just one more person can be evacuated out. Sometimes, protecting people means making connections with the right people so that the right kinds of change can be made to ensure that your people get to live a better life. At the end of the day, fighting other trainers is only a small part of what makes a leader."
  
  "And you got another thing wrong too." At this point, she realised that Blaine wasn't actually speaking to the young man. Rather, he was speaking straight at the camera, directly addressing whoever was watching the livestream, "Our leaders are just like you and I - they're people too. In the same way you can't just demand and force a random person off the street to fight you in a Pokémon battle, the same applies to your Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion. They have their own lives too, and you don't have the right to disrupt that."
  
  "...But they clearly aren't busy." The man tried weakly, "They were just chatting!"
  
  "Because they were waiting for me!" Blaine shamelessly lied, "Or can people not chat to pass the time nowadays? Did you think Elite Karen was lying when she said that she had a political meeting to get to?! Of course not! As a former Elite Four myself, I know how busy our leaders are. They only get so much time to rest - and you selfishly tried to demand them to sacrifice whatever free time they had to entertain you and your offer to battle just because you want to attract people to watch your stupid livestream."
  
  Blaine shook his head, "That is why I called you a disgrace. Now begone. You are unwanted here."
  
  She had to hold herself back from letting out a laugh as she watched the colour drain from the young man's face. It looked like he wanted to say something, but a sharp look from Blaine finally drove him off.
  
  She quickly stood up and pulled out another chair for Blaine, "Thank you for that." She whispered, "You said everything I wanted to say but couldn't."
  
  "Mhm. Best you don't respond so aggressively." Blaine nodded, "I can get away with it because I'm not a leader anymore. But if a foreigner like you said something like that, even as respected as you are? It'd be instantly dramatized and you'd be portrayed as 'arrogant' and 'emotional'. Fucking politics is annoying like that."
  
  "I didn't even know you were here - but thanks, by the way." Karen said, "I thought you'd be busy on one of your projects."
  
  "Shelly's looking over my recent success - you'll hear about that in the news soon." He grinned, "But otherwise I was just here to buy some stuff from the department store, then felt like grabbing lunch. I spotted you two earlier, but I didn't think of approaching until I saw that young man harassing you. I couldn't let those comments stand."
  
  "I hope you don't get too much shit for helping us." Karen said.
  
  Blaine scoffed, "Bah. If anything, I hope they broadcast what I just said to as many people as possible. I stand by my words - too many people think of us leaders as celebrities first, and people second. They don't realise that you all deserve private lives of your own, and I think its about time that they learn. It's why I always yelled at people back at my old lab whenever they wanted gossip about you and John, since they knew I worked with him. It's none of their fucking business."
  
  Cynthia nodded, "We were always aware that there would be a certain degree of public scrutiny once I announced my relationship with John. That's inevitable, so we kind of just accepted it as a necessary evil we had to bear. This was probably the 'worst' of the encounters so far."
  
  "Yeah, I had to be careful with how much I visited Brock as well." Karen said, "I was worried that the public might think I'm biased towards them and overly favour them politically, even though I'm just helping him look after his siblings."
  
  "But it shouldn't be." Blaine said, "John might not have told me this directly, but I know how many hurdles the two of you had to jump through just to make sure you guys were accepted - which I think is completely nonsensical. The private life between you two is no one else's business, even if you're Elite Four or Champion or whatnot."
  
  They both nodded at that.
  
  He sat forwards, "Listen. Any friend of John's is a friend of mine. I trust his judge of character, and I know you two are good people. So let me know if you run into any more problems like this. I know you probably don't need the help - as capable as you two are - but I'm always willing to speak up on your behalf. And I don't give a shit if I piss off the public by doing so. I don't need to be well-liked by the general public to become a Professor."
  
  "...Well, thank you again, Blaine. I appreciate your support." She said, genuinely touched by Blaine's words. Karen was also nodding next to her, "Just let me know if you want anything yourself. After what you've done today, I owe you one."
  
  Blaine proceeded to let out an exaggerated, but shameless grin, "Well...since I'm no longer bound to just Indigo anymore, if I ever think of coming over to Sinnoh for a research project or two then I'd love to be able to have access to my own lab."
  
  "Easily done." She declared, "The Celestic Town Research Centre would always welcome a scientist of your calibre with open arms. We would have done so regardless if you asked."
  
  "Then that's all I need." He replied, "Anyways, I won't bother you for longer. I'll just wish you the best for when you go and fight those criminals in Galactic Company - I've heard on the news that they're your current pain in the ass."
  
  "If you ever need me, you know where to find me. I'm always up to scorch a few terrorists or so."
  
  A.N. This was a chapter that I've wanted to write for some time, but wanted to wait until Karen made it into the Elite Four before doing so. I know I've focused quite a bit on developing Cynthia's relationship with John, but I also felt that it was equally as important to develop her relationship with other characters as well - especially Karen. The two might have had a rocky start as rivals, but I wanted to show that they both had the maturity and kindness to move on from such pettiness and actually form a strong friendship.
  
  Likewise, Blaine's section was me showing that John's friends don't just interact with JUST John, but they also are capable of helping each other out when they see it. After all, friendships aren't just bilateral, they can branch out to others too. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 12-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickitung (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-16 - The New Gym
  
  Turns out that Cynthia's and Karen's mutual hangout session went really well. I briefly spoke to them after they were done with their shopping session, and besides that one guy that tried to harass and bother them, it had been a happy and pleasant time for the both of them. I also made sure to message Blaine and thank him for the supportive words that he said on their behalf.
  
  He just shrugged it off and told me that anyone respectable would have done the same in his place. In the meanwhile, he told me to keep an eye on the news for the publication of his latest discovery. He was being coy about it, but I guessed that it was likely that his H-Growlithe had successfully hatched, meaning that we had a new Fire/Rock type on our hands.
  
  Nevertheless, it was good that Cynthia's time in Indigo ended on a high note - as today she was returning back to Sinnoh.
  
  Currently, the Elite Four and I were at Vermillion City, where we were giving our goodbyes to the foreign delegates from Sinnoh. Inwardly, we all knew that this was likely a short goodbye, as it was very likely that the situation with Galactic Company will allow us to visit Sinnoh soon.
  
  "...Oh, speaking of which, you still haven't visited the Lavender Gym yet right?" Karen asked me while Cynthia exchanged a few words with Lorelei about something.
  
  "I haven't." I confirmed, "Maybe we could visit it after this?" Dorothy did mention wanting to meet me.
  
  "That's what I was thinking too." Karen nodded, then she turned to the rest. "Anyone else coming along?"
  
  "Maybe some other time." Koga shook his head, "I have other plans for today."
  
  "Likewise." Lorelei said, "With the Regional Union being set up in the Sevii Islands, I'm starting to think that we could really do something to capitalise on that."
  
  "I heard that the Lavender Gym was quite bare bones at the moment, though." Lance commented, "Not that it's surprising - the Gym did just finish being constructed not too long ago."
  
  Karen agreed, "The first priority was to make sure the Gym could actually function as one; the decorations and distinctiveness could be added on later."
  
  "Fair enough." Lance nodded. Then the blaring of a ship's horn interrupted our conversation, signalling to us that it was time for the Sinnoh delegation to leave.
  
  Lance turned to Cynthia first, making a show of shaking her hand for the reporters, "We greatly appreciate your time and effort to visit our region. I hope that the discussions that we had were fruitful, and that our hospitality has been nothing less than friendly."
  
  "It has. Thank you." She nodded formally, "Indigo has more than lived up to my expectations, and Lucian and I have not a single word of criticism to say. Nonetheless, while we ultimately must return to Sinnoh and attend to her needs, we are thankful that our time here was equally as productive as it was relaxing."
  
  The formalities ended there, and the two Champions broke off their handshake. Cynthia immediately turned to me and gave me a modest goodbye hug - we were in public, after all - and we exchanged sentiments about looking to see each other again soon. In the corner of my eye, I saw that Lucian and Lorelei were exchanging a few whispered words, but I was tactful enough to not listen in.
  
  Karen and Cynthia also exchanged a few words that I also wasn't close enough to overhear, but the friendly gazes that they both had told me enough.
  
  Then, with all the goodbyes done, the Sinnoh delegation finally stepped onto the ship, and soon were heading off into the horizon. I stood there for a little longer than I had to, simply staring at the retreating figure of the ship. But soon enough I pulled myself out of my thoughts, before heading to Lavender Town with Karen in tow.
  
  As we approached from the skies, I noticed that the radio tower, which had previously been nothing more than a small stump coming out of the ground, was actually now a proper tall tower. Admittedly, the tall modern building looked a little out of place with the sleepy town, but in a way it symbolised the change that the whole town was about to go through.
  
  It was an icon of a new era.
  
  "So is the radio tower nearly done?" I asked, pointing to the structure, "It looks like it's been fully built."
  
  "Eh. Not yet." She replied, "Building the exterior is the easiest part. We still need to fill it in with the right equipment and also hire on the right broadcasters etc. That last part is going to be the biggest hassle. I'll have to get on that soon."
  
  "Agatha not helping you with this?" I questioned.
  
  "No. She's mostly leaving it all to me now." She explained, "I was already gradually getting more responsibilities, but now that I'm actually in the Elite Four Agatha's already stepped back from practically all of her old duties - besides the Gym. I have to manage all the contacts now." That was about what I expected.
  
  We promptly landed right next to the new Lavender Gym - which looked very hastily constructed, but at least it didn't look decrepit. The exterior was very bare bones and plain, though at least it was very sizeable and it was obvious that the building was brand new. There was none of the spooky or 'ghostly' aesthetic that I would have expected for a Gym from Lavender Town, but I supposed they hadn't had time to decorate yet. Not only that, the Gym also had installed reinforced windows that were likely one-way, so you couldn't see from the outside in.
  
  Overall, my first impressions of the Gym was acceptable. It clearly was built to last, and I felt that once the decorations were added, this Gym could really become a standout amongst Kanto.
  
  My inspection of the Gym's exterior was suddenly interrupted as a familiar voice began to mock us, "So are you both just going to stand there and gawp at the Gym this whole time? Or are you going to come inside? Surely you did not grow dull just because I left the Elite Four."
  
  I just smiled, "It's good to see you again, Agatha. Sorry for not visiting; I know you missed me."
  
  "Bah, I couldn't care less if you visited me or not. And you should smack whoever said otherwise." Agatha gave Karen a knowing glare, "Well? Are you both going to stand there? You've already forced this retired old lady to come outside to get you."
  
  "Yeah right, you're about as 'retired' as Blaine is. Don't try to play that off." She said with a snort, but the two of us still followed her into the Gym, "Anyways, where's Dorothy? Or is she not able to move unless you tell her to, like a good obedient puppet?"
  
  "I'm right here, Elite Karen." Dorothy approached the two of us before performing a short bow. She looked the same as she did back when I met her at the Committee meeting - perfectly unassuming. Yet at the same time, as she stood framed in the doorway of the Gym, I admit that she had a certain presence to herself that reminded everyone that she was a veteran and experienced trainer.
  
  "Oh, Dorothy. Good to see you again." Karen's tone had visibly softened as she spoke to the new Gym Leader, "I hope that Agatha hasn't been running me ragged."
  
  "It's okay - I knew that this position would be a busy one when I accepted." She replied, "It's all been within my expectations."
  
  "Nevertheless, I appreciate your visit. Would you like me to show you around?" She asked us.
  
  "No need, but thanks for the offer." Karen said, "I'm sure Agatha can do so."
  
  Nodding, Dorothy quickly left us to our conversation as she stepped away. I turned to Agatha, "So...I always meant to ask - but why her? Not that there's anything wrong with her, but I'm just curious."
  
  "I felt she had the most suitable personality type to be a Gym Leader." Agatha replied easily, "And she was one of the stronger Ace Trainers that I knew. There's nothing more to it."
  
  "In other words, you chose her because you knew she would be a good puppet." Karen cut in snidely.
  
  Agatha snorted, "Think what you like. Even if she is a puppet, I can guarantee you that she is at least competent. I would not have my reputation and Lavender's smeared because of an incompetent Gym Leader, not when we lucked out to be granted this opportunity to host a Gym in the first place."
  
  "But enough of the chit chat. Now that you're here, I'd like you to do something for the Gym." Agatha stared at me, "Spar against Dorothy in front of the cameras. That way, we can get some 'proof' that the Gym Leader is competent, show off her strength a little bit, and generate some actual interest in the Gym."
  
  "I would do it, but my relationship with Agatha is too obvious to avoid accusations of bias." Karen added, "So you'd be doing us a favour if you went along with this."
  
  I shrugged easily, "That's simple enough. Besides, I have a few weaker Pokémon that I can make use of for a more interesting fight."
  
  "Good." Agatha nodded, "Then I'll call Dorothy over. Make your way to the arena. We'll make it a 2v2 match, with one Pokémon at a time. Be sure to make it interesting." She walked away once I nodded.
  
  "She means thank you." Karen added cheekily, then she pretended to whisper into my ear, "Don't let her hear this, but Agatha's been quite nervous about the Gym. I've watched her spend a few late nights struggling over what's best for the Gym's development. Obviously, she wants to make sure that the Lavender Gym is as perfect as possible so that no one has any reason to take it away - since everyone knows that Agatha basically brute forced its creation. It hasn't been too easy for her."
  
  I could understand. I was sure that as soon as Cinnabar Island is rebuilt, there would be many clamouring for the return of their Gym to its 'rightful place'. Agatha, and by association Karen, would have to fight tooth and nail to make sure that the Gym remained under their control.
  
  Honestly, I didn't really care where the Gyms were located, but as a friend I was happy to do help them with whatever they needed.
  
  We reconvened at the arena, which was as plain as the rest of the Gym. Amusingly, when I turned to the seating areas, I noticed that the VIP room was surprisingly furnished compared to everything else. I imagined that it was likely because that was where Agatha would be spending most of her time when she spectated the fights, so they prioritised making sure that was completed before everything else.
  
  Before the fight started, Dorothy actually approached me.
  
  "I'm sure others may have said so, but thank you for accepting this fight." She said to me, "It will be a great boon for establishing the Gym's reputation."
  
  "It really isn't a problem." I said, "...I hope the Gym Leader position is treating you well. No offense, but your situation is...very unusual, compared to the other Gym Leaders I've spoken to. No other Gym Leader has someone so obviously looking over their back like you do."
  
  "Mhm. That is understandable." She nodded, "Many Gym Leaders would chafe at being a puppet. Let alone working with someone as difficult to work with as Agatha can be at times."
  
  "So why do so?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity, "I know you're an Ace trainer, and you've clearly got several years of experience under your belt. Surely there must be other opportunities for you, especially if you are strong enough for Agatha to have picked you to become a Gym Leader. She wouldn't have picked anyone weak."
  
  I knew that I wasn't the most prideful of people, but even I would not be able to accept being known as nothing more than a puppet to someone else. I was incredibly curious about why Dorothy would be okay with it.
  
  "Firstly, I owe a debt to her - I won't be going into detail about it, as truthfully that is not the reason I chose to take up this position." She revealed, "But the main reason is because, just like so many others who live in Lavender Town, we share Agatha's dream of ensuring that our little town is prosperous and stable."
  
  "There is a lot of history that I won't be going into detail about, but let's just say that without Agatha and her efforts, Lavender Town might not even be the sleepy town that most know it to be." She explained, "In fact, it probably would be nothing more than a backwards town that no one ever visits or even remembers. We might not even be placed on the map."
  
  "I cannot understate the importance that Agatha had to improve Lavender Town into the state that it's in today." She continued, "Karen understands, which is why we're happy that she's carrying on the mantle. So for me, I will do all I can to support Agatha in her endeavours - and if that means dancing to her tune, then I will happily do so. We all trust her judgement."
  
  Ah. That made so much sense. I always knew, intellectually, that Agatha must have been a crucial part of developing Lavender Town, since she practically ruled the place. But I had overlooked the feelings of gratitude that people might have had because of her actions.
  
  No wonder they didn't mind when Agatha pulled out the iron fist or was her usual abrasive self. Not when she was responsible for much of their prosperity and livelihood.
  
  "Thank you for that explanation, and I hope my curiosity hasn't offended you." I replied, "That was very enlightening."
  
  "Don't be." She waved me off, "You're actually quite popular in Lavender Town, you know. We recognise that you've helped Agatha, even if only to further your own interests. And with your friendship with Karen, we hope that you will continue to assist Lavender Town in the future as well."
  
  I was about to respond before I was quickly interrupted, "OI! Are you idiots going to fight or are you just going to chat?" Agatha's voice echoed through the Gym, "Hurry up and fight already before I come down there and smack you."
  
  Dorothy let out a wry grin, "We should probably obey. It's best not to make her cranky." I smirked at that, and the two of us quickly moved to our starting positions.
  
  I had already selected the Pokémon I would use; there was something I had been wanting to show off.
  
  "Trainers? Are you ready?!" One of the Gym Trainers served as the referee shouted out, "THEN FIGHT!"
  
  "Come out, Mismagius!"
  
  "Euphie, go!"
  
  I blinked as I saw the Mismagius take to the field. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been that surprising, but I was still so used to seeing purely Indigo/Hoenn ghosts that I was taken aback by a Sinnoh one.
  
  Either way, it made no difference. It was finally time to properly show off all that I had taught Euphie.
  
  "Misty Terrain, Euphie!"
  
  A tidal wave of blue, sparkling mist flooded the battlefield as Fairy energy poured out of Euphie. It had been a move that I had been making Euphie slowly train up in the background as the ultimate move to counter Lance's Dragons, since Misty Terrain halved the damage of all Dragon type moves which would cripple his damage output until the Misty Terrain faded.
  
  Furthermore, Misty Terrain had an added benefit of causing all affected Pokémon to be immune to status conditions as well, giving me another powerful counter to teams like Karen's.
  
  I saw the look of confusion that Dorothy was sending my way; she must be puzzled at the effects of Misty Terrain. Ironically, Mismagius' Levitate actually worked against it here as it was immune to the status resisting effects of the Misty Terrain.
  
  Wary of the potential consequences of the new terrain, she played it safe by unleashing a standard volley of Shadow Balls at Euphie.
  
  A Light Screen shimmered into existence in front of Euphie, blocking most of the damage and allowing her to begin setting up with Calm Minds.
  
  "Taunt it, Mismagius!"
  
  "Moonblast, Euphie!"
  
  Mismagius moved to cancel Euphie's Calm Minds with a Taunt, but I had expected this and immediately had Euphie quickly fire off a Moonblast. Her training had bore fruit, as the speed that she managed to fire off that Moonblast meant that Mismagius was still locked into firing off a Taunt and couldn't move out of the way in time - causing it to be struck by the glowing orb of Fairy energy.
  
  "Confuse Ray, Mismagius!"
  
  "Moonblast again!"
  
  Shrugging off the damage, Mismagius released a burst of dizzying light that shot through the air like a bullet as it struck Euphie. However, to the surprise of both Mismagius and its trainer, Euphie completely shrugged off the effects of the Confuse Ray thanks to the Misty Terrain as she fired off another Moonblast and followed that up with a Dazzling Gleam - with the latter catching Mismagius as it tried to dodge out of the way of the former.
  
  "Quick Attack, Euphie! Close in!"
  
  "Shadow Sneak away!"
  
  Euphie charged forwards in a blur as she dashed quickly towards Mismagius, who had recovered quickly and was now trying to escape into its shadow and create some more distance. But Euphie was faster, crashing into the Ghost with a Pixilated Quick Attack before unleashing a point-blank Hyper Voice that sent Mismagius tumbling to the ground.
  
  Mismagius tried to counterattack with a Thunder Wave, looking to paralyse Euphie and likely set up for future Hexes, but just like with the Confuse Ray, the Misty Terrain simply allowed Euphie to ignore the effects.
  
  Not knowing what Misty Terrain did was really punishing Dorothy as another Moonblast from Euphie blasted the Ghost type into the ground.
  
  At this point, Mismagius had been backed into a corner. If the whole point of having this battle with me was to show off the strength of the Gym, then her performance thus far would be considered lacklustre. We both knew that she needed to show off more than what she had shown so far.
  
  And she didn't prove my suspicions wrong as a single spectral arm suddenly shot out from the shadows, causing Euphie to let out a surprised shriek as the ghostly arm latched onto her and held her in place.
  
  It was like a weaker version of what Agatha had used with her own Gengar.
  
  "Dazzling Gleam, Euphie! Break free!"
  
  "Punish it, Mismagius!"
  
  Euphie began to shine with energy, but Mismagius had pulled itself off the ground and smashed into Euphie with a quick Astonish, causing her to flinch and interrupted her attack. Then Mismagius followed that up with a Shadow Ball, which Euphie partially blocked due to her earlier Light Screen. But Mismagius knew that this was its sole opportunity to bring down Euphie, so it kept trying to brute force past the Light Screen with further Shadow Balls.
  
  However, Euphie wouldn't be suppressed by Mismagius' sudden assault for very long. Mismagius was clearly reliant on its status conditions, and with those denied, her attacks weren't nearly capable of overwhelming my defensively trained Euphie and her impressive Special Defenses.
  
  So after shrugging off a few more Shadow Balls, the hold that Mismagius had on Euphie began to weaken, allowing Euphie to break herself free with a Hyper Voice and crash into Mismagius with another Quick Attack that sent both Pokémon to the ground once more.
  
  "Pain Split! Heal yourself up, Mismagius!"
  
  "Hyper Beam, Euphie! END IT!"
  
  Before Mismagius could get off its Pain Split, Euphie unleashed her most devastating attack, firing off a powerful ray of concentrated energy that struck Mismagius point-blank. Boosted by Pixilate, Mismagius instantly crumbled as it was completely overwhelmed by the attack.
  
  Mismagius' attempt at a reversal was a valiant one, but it wasn't enough to overcome the large gap in strength between them as a result of the Misty Terrain.
  
  It had been an excellent showing on just how powerful the move was.
  
  "...That Misty Terrain of yours...what is that?" Dorothy asked as she withdrew her Mismagius, "It must prevent status effects, right? My Confuse Ray and Thunder Wave bounced off your Sylveon like it was nothing."
  
  "It does." I confirmed, "I kinda figured that you would be reliant on status moves, based on what I knew about how Agatha fought. So I thought this would be a nice fight to demonstrate that effect."
  
  Before this fight had taken place, I had considered keeping Misty Terrain a secret, but I ultimately chose to reveal it here. The main reason why I chose to do so was because Misty Terrain was not some 'secret move' that I came up with, but rather a move that most Fairy types could naturally learn. Therefore, with the increasing prevalence of trainers owning Fairy type Pokémon, it was really only a matter of time before someone else came up with the move.
  
  I might as well show it off before then.
  
  "Ah. Well, that explains a lot." Dorothy nodded, "I suspect that it does more than just deny status moves, right?"
  
  "Perhaps, but that'll be on others to figure out." I replied vaguely, "Let's table this conversation for now. You still have one more Pokémon to fight with, right?"
  
  "I do." She confirmed, "And, not to make excuses, but Mismagius was one of my newer Pokémon. Let's see you deal with this."
  
  "Go, Shedinja!"
  
  I involuntarily let out a snort as the small Bug type took to the field - I really wasn't expecting this. Obviously, I had Euphie fire off a Shadow Ball, as that was really the only thing that she knew that could actually harm Shedinja, but it suddenly split up into a horde of illusions with a Double Team and easily evaded the attack.
  
  One of the illusions quickly rushed towards Euphie, but popped out of existence as soon as she tried to strike with a Bite. Another one then came up from behind her, and slashed down with a hard-hitting Shadow Claw.
  
  Euphie tried to turn around and retaliate with her own Shadow Ball, but the real Shedinja had already disappeared back into the horde of illusions that it had made.
  
  "Hyper Voice, disperse them!"
  
  "Shadow Claw again, Shedinja!"
  
  Euphie unleashed a booming, Pixilate-boosted Hyper Voice that instantly cleared out the horde of illusions, but as she was distracted with her Hyper Voice, the real Shedinja shrugged off all the damage with Wonder Guard before it blinked forwards and smashed into Euphie with a Phantom Force into a Shadow Claw.
  
  As the fight played out, it became clear that the fact that Euphie wasn't able to fight back with her regular arsenal of moves and was forced to be reliant on Shadow Ball really cut down on her options, especially as Shedinja proved more than agile enough to evade her Shadow Balls.
  
  No, this wouldn't work. The Misty Terrain had all but faded away as well. I needed to try something else.
  
  "Switch out, Euphie!" I recalled her just as she reeled back after taking a hit from another Shadow Claw. Seeing its opponent retreat, Shedinja immediately began setting up with a Swords Dance in preparation for my next threat.
  
  And I felt that it was finally time for him to make his debut in his first public battle.
  
  "Prove yourself, Winston!"
  
  I could hear a slight gasp from the audience as Winston's shiny form emerged onto the field, but I shoved that to the side for the moment as he aggressively charged at his opponent, his fists searing with flames as he readied a Fire Punch. In response, Shedinja reformed its horde of illusions with another Double Team, confusing Winston as he was no longer sure who to hit.
  
  But just like Euphie, he had his own method of dealing with a horde of illusions.
  
  "Lick them, Winston!"
  
  A stupidly long tongue that glowed faintly with Ghostly aura extended out from Winston's mouth as he began swinging his tongue around like a cowboy tossing a lasso, quickly clearing out the illusions before they could get close.
  
  However, the real Shedinja proved too mobile to be hit, easily dodging out of the way before staying out of range as it calmly sent out a Will-O-Wisp towards Winston, which Burned him as he was busy dealing with the illusions.
  
  Unfortunately, the attack came just as the Misty Terrain had faded away. Still, I wasn't too bothered by that, as attacking power meant nothing when a single blow would be able to bring down Shedinja.
  
  "Rock Slide, Winston!"
  
  A storm of rocks started to fall on the revealed Shedinja's position. Yet the Ghost type merely cut down the incoming rocks with a series of precise Shadow Claws before it quickly darted forwards with a Shadow Sneak, reappearing right in front of Winston as it slashed down hard with a X-Scissor.
  
  But Winston held his ground, retaliating with a Fire Punch that unfortunately went wide as Shedinja made a hasty retreat.
  
  Hit-and-run tactics were, by necessity, an essential component of how a Shedinja fought. It was clear that Dorothy augmented its tactics with a powerful Double Team and Shadow Sneak, allowing it to distract its opponents more easily and ambush them more effectively.
  
  Against a slow and stationary target, that combination might have been enough to bring its opponent down. However, Winston was not merely a stationary target.
  
  He had just been waiting for the right moment.
  
  "Rollout, now!"
  
  Just as Shedinja began to back away from another attack, Winston suddenly lunged forwards, throwing himself into a roll as he began his Rollout. That sudden burst of speed took Shedinja completely off-guard, which was definitely compounded when a white burst of light began radiating out of the rolling Lickitung.
  
  Ever since I began training him with Rollout, he had always told me that he was about to evolve. However, he had purposely held back his evolution, wanting to make sure that he evolved at an appropriate time.
  
  Now was that time.
  
  Winston's new form as a Lickilicky emerged from the light as he finished his Rollout, using the momentum to swing his elongated tongue around like a flail as he struck down Shedinja with a Lick.
  
  Completely shocked at this turn of events, Shedinja barely managed to block the attack in time with a Protect shield, and as a testament to the training it must have received, it even managed to dart backwards with a quick burst of speed and narrowly dodged out of the way of another Fire Punch before slinking away into its own shadow.
  
  However, in a display of his own hidden mobility, Winston used his own tongue to bounce off the ground before transitioning into yet another Rollout as he chased after the retreating Shedinja - his Ghostly-infused tongue swinging around wildly as he did so. He even managed to grab onto one of the support beams close to the roof and used it to swing himself around before he slammed down right where Shedinja was barely a second ago.
  
  Shedinja reacted quickly to this surprise as it threw out a quick Mud Slap, blinding Winston for long enough to slash into him with a X-Scissor before rapidly falling back as Winston flailed around blindly with a Fire Punch.
  
  Unfortunately, in its haste to backpedal away from Winston, Shedinja's focus was only on Winston's flaming arms, thinking that they were the only immediate threat. Yet this was a crucial mistake, as it had lost track of Winston's flailing tongue, which ended up whacking Shedinja across the side as it made its hasty retreat.
  
  Shedinja was Licked.
  
  And Shedinja immediately crumbled to the ground as the supereffective attack broke through the Wonder Guard.
  
  That was it. The fight was over.
  
  Winston had earned his first victory.
  
  "Licki." Winston boasted smugly, and he celebrated his victory by placing his hands on his waist as he posed over Shedinja's fallen form, deliberately showing off his newly evolved form. I let out a wry smile at his antics, but I made sure to congratulate him regardless.
  
  "Good job, Winston." I said to him, patting him on his newfound muscles, "You're looking strong as ever."
  
  What I didn't say was that his victory was partially because he got lucky. If it wasn't for Shedinja's mistake, the Ghost type would have likely proven victorious even with Winston's surprising evolution.
  
  "Lickilicky." He nodded proudly, as if my words were to be expected.
  
  This guy, I was going to have to make sure that his new evolution didn't go to his head.
  
  Dorothy sported a wry smile as she approached me, "First a new move, then a surprise evolution? You really weren't pulling your punches today." She chuckled, "And here I thought that since Shedinja had taken down some pretty powerful opponents, I thought I might be able to bring down one of yours too. Too bad it only took one mistake for me to lose the fight. Still, good job."
  
  "Thank you. I wasn't exactly expecting the evolution either." I replied, "Neither did I expect to fight against a Shedinja of all things - it was quite the experience. I hope that fight was good enough for your purposes." Even though she lost 2-0.
  
  She nodded, "It'll be fine. If I was fighting a person with a less storied reputation than you, then losing 2-0 would not be the best look. But it's fine since its you, especially since you pulled out a few surprises of your own that would help justify the loss. Besides, its why I chose to use Pokémon like Mismagius and Shedinja - Pokémon that most people have never or rarely seen before. That should catch people's attention and interest."
  
  I nodded; as long as she was fine with it.
  
  "Speaking of interest, where in Indigo did you find a shiny Lickitung - sorry, I mean, Lickilicky now." Winston preened appropriately at the correction, "This is the first time I've seen a shiny Pokémon in my life."
  
  "I found him in the depths of the Cerulean Cave." I replied, making sure that my voice was loud and clear so that the cameras could hear me, "I got pretty lucky when I found him, if I could be honest."
  
  "Huh. Think there'll be more shiny Pokémon down there?" She wondered aloud.
  
  "There should be." I nodded, shamelessly using the opportunity to advertise the Cerulean Cave. Admittedly, I doubted there would actually be that many shiny Pokémon down there, but technically I wasn't lying.
  
  "Actually...I have a question of my own." I said to Dorothy, "What made you choose to use a Shedinja and train it up so much? You have to admit seeing such a well-trained Shedinja is a rare sight."
  
  Shedinja were commonly seen at a lower level of Pokémon battles, because their Wonder Guard ability meant an auto-win against anyone who either wasn't aware of it or didn't know how to deal with it. Therefore, it dominated most beginner trainers, to the point where it was seen as a 'cheap win' if you used one.
  
  However, at the higher level, no one really used Shedinja for obvious reasons. The fact that it fainted to literally any move that could break through its Wonder Guard, or to damaging status effects, was a huge detriment. And that wasn't even mentioning how difficult it was to find a Shedinja in the first place.
  
  Yet Dorothy's own Shedinja very clearly stood out from the common chaff. With its excellent usage of moves like Double Team and Shadow Sneak, if I hadn't taken it by surprise with my evolution and Winston's unique ability to fight with his tongue, then I still believed that Winston would have eventually lost the fight.
  
  Unaware of my thoughts, Dorothy just shrugged, "I find it to be nice challenge. I'm not one of those Ace trainers that are looking to become Champion or Elite Four - I'm perfectly happy just being above average. And I've always wanted to see if I could train up some unusual Pokémon, who aren't commonly seen as strong, and try to make the most out of their potential - it's partially why I became a Ghost specialist in the first place. Shedinja is just one such example of this. My other team members are just as unique, in my opinion."
  
  "Ah, I see. That's cool, and I respect your efforts." I nodded, "...You know, I'm not just saying this to butter you up, but I think that humbleness is probably why Agatha chose you to be a Gym Leader. I'm sure you'll do well, even without Agatha looming over your back."
  
  I meant every word. Dorothy would never be the strongest of Gym Leaders, but that wasn't a negative. So long as her administrative abilities weren't terrible, which I highly doubted, her humbleness and worldview would serve her well in this position.
  
  And from what I've seen today, she was no mere puppet that could only serve as a stand in for Agatha. If the rest of her team was as unique as the Pokémon she showed off today, then I think she would prove to be quite the memorable Gym Leader for the public, allowing her to stand out amongst her equally talented peers.
  
  That bode well for the future of this Gym. I looked forward to seeing it grow.
  
  A.N. Winston evolves! Like I mentioned in chapter, he was already close to evolving when John captured him, but now he had finally learnt Rollout the evolution finally came! A new Licklicky joins the team! I hope you enjoyed the emphasis I placed with his tongue, since that's an aspect of Lickilicky that I will be focusing on in his future training!
  
  Also, this chapter was meant to show off the new Lavender Gym and its Gym Leader, Dorothy. Likewise, I hope you liked the personality and team that I had crafted for her - I wanted to make her stand out a little compared to her other counterparts.
  
  And yes, this is the penultimate non-INTERLUDE chapter before we start getting the ball rolling with the next arc, which will be starting soon. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-16 -Interlude-Proton
  The New Normal - 12-16 - Interlude - Proton
  
  He was at the top of the Galactic Company building, having been invited in by Cyrus to aid in the disposal of everything within the Galactic Building, wiping the state completely clean as they prepared to start a new stage of their plans.
  
  As he stood so high up, the view below him was everything he could have ever wanted if he could have the wealth that Cyrus had.
  
  Strangely enough, even though he had imagined himself in this position many times in his dreams, he felt no joy or satisfaction now that he was actually here. Not only that, but a job that involved the wanton destruction of property - with no attached consequences - would usually satisfy his craving for violence, but he couldn't find it in him to enjoy it today.
  
  No, his mind instead was filled with difficult thoughts.
  
  Recently, Team Galactic had undergone some major changes, and not all for the better. His old bosses, the two bickering idiots that were Archie and Maxie, were no longer his 'boss'. Instead, they were relegated to team leaders and partial researchers, but technically were similar in status to Proton now. It was about time, as 'their' men had long since changed loyalties to Cyrus, all except for those weirdly loyal subordinates that they had.
  
  Maxie still had that fat lard and the creepy girl, while Archie still had Matt, but that was it. It was clear to Proton that Cyrus was finally cleaning house, formally consolidating all of the power under himself.
  
  And considering the plans that Cyrus had run through with them the day before, he could see the writing on the wall. Archie and Maxie had become disposable - and the fanatical fools were too blind to see it. The plan would demand sacrifices, and the fools were being manipulated to take the fall.
  
  Unfortunately, he feared that he was in the same position.
  
  Because make no mistake, there will be sacrifices. Cyrus had caught wind of the Regional Union, and he understood the implications of what its formation would do to their plans, which would make an already dangerous task even more so. The risk of capture from their plans was absurdly high, and there was no way that the Sinnoh League would not try to reclaim their pound of flesh if they were caught.
  
  The League would surely throw them behind bars for life.
  
  It was ironic that the one time that his boss decided to stop being a coward and decide to act, as he had previously pressured him to do, now he was the one starting to get second thoughts about everything.
  
  Yet it wasn't all fear. The plan might be dangerous, but the fact that he was actually a part of a mission involving real Legendaries was far too good to pass up. And unlike most plans that involved Legendaries, he believed that their plans were actually feasible. He believed that those egghead scientists had actually spent all of that money on something that would truly allow them to create the world of their desires.
  
  Not only that, but he knew rationally that Cyrus couldn't sacrifice them all yet, as his boss would undoubtedly still need the manpower to ensure the successful completion of the later stages of the plan.
  
  He just had to fulfil his role, stick by Cyrus' side, and make sure that others take the fall in his place.
  
  However, while he was busy going through his own thoughts, staring out of the window of Cyrus' office, the man himself approached him.
  
  "You seem troubled." His boss said to him, turning his soulless eyes onto him in a façade of concern, "What ails you? Are you doubting the plan? You could have brought up your concerns during yesterday's meeting if that was the case."
  
  He was, but he couldn't admit that in front of this monster. Not anymore, it was too late now. He couldn't appear to be doubtful now, not when he needed to rely on Cyrus' goodwill.
  
  "...Nothing's wrong, it's just that the enormity of what we're about to do is finally settling in." He lied.
  
  "I understand. You must be concerned about the risks that we're taking." Cyrus nodded understandingly, "Do not worry. Even when Galactic Company burns down to the ground, we will still have bases to hide in. Only myself and my most trusted subordinates know where they are, so even if certain members are captured, the bases will not be exposed. And we have sufficient resources stockpiled to see us through to the end."
  
  "Or are you concerned about the sacrifices that we will need to make for our plan to succeed?" Cyrus continued, "Unfortunately, sacrifices must be made for the greater good - so that we may rightfully earn the utopia that we seek to create. Challenges like these are inevitable, but we must have the willpower to conquer and surpass them. For that is what makes you worthy of joining our utopia."
  
  Cyrus poked him softly in the heart, "For all your crudeness, Proton, I know that you have the potential to earn your place in paradise. And you will be there to join me; I would never abandon those that have helped create the world I seek. You have my word on that - my deepest and most sincere promise - that you will join me in our shared victory. You and our allies shall be standing side-by-side as we wield the power of a Legendary, and we will shape a new world together."
  
  He could feel the passion in Cyrus' words, and that was the difficult thing with Cyrus. Proton knew that he was intelligent and observant enough to read and understand other people's intentions. But even though his gut was screaming at him that the man standing in front of him was nothing more than a soulless husk that could not be trusted, Cyrus had a way of making his words seem sincere and heartfelt.
  
  Cyrus just had a way of making him believe.
  
  So despite what his gut was trying to tell him, he decided to force down his fears - dismissing it as the natural paranoia of a veteran criminal. Ultimately, he knew he was good at looking out for himself, and once again reaffirmed his belief that he was too valuable for Cyrus to sacrifice.
  
  Case in point, the fact that he was given the task of overseeing the complete, methodical destruction of the Galactic Building. He knew that he was chosen for this duty because of his previous experience, something that Cyrus' other useless lackeys were too sheltered to have.
  
  Therefore, he just nodded at his boss and walked away, returning to his previous duties. He left Cyrus' office, which was one of the few places untouched by the rampant destruction that was currently taking place in the building.
  
  If a single civilian came into the building at this very moment, then they would be alarmed at how trashed everything was. His team was certainly thorough with their destruction, as filing cabinets, computers, and both physical and digital paperwork were all cleaned out. Luckily, with Cyrus holding full control over both the building and all of its employees, everyone inside was already in on the plan and no one outside would be able to enter and disturb their work. They would have their complete privacy until this was all over.
  
  He let out a smirk as he imagined the bitter faces on those snooty authority figures once they realised that there was nothing to be found. All of their hard work to set up for a raid into the Galactic Building, to scour through their files to find anything incriminating, and all they would find would be bitterness at the fact that they had been outplayed.
  
  Eventually, after working hard through all of the morning and afternoon, the interior of Galactic Building was truly and utterly torn down. They even had their Fire and Water types to scorch and flood everything, just to ensure that everything was well and truly gone.
  
  As for the digital stuff, the boss had a team of eggheads working on that, and they had given the thumbs up to signal that everything incriminating was also removed.
  
  Therefore, any hint about their plans, bases, or operations that could have been found from searching through the Galactic Building had been completely wiped clean. It was why they were abandoning the company and going to ground, so that the League would find nothing they could use to help them when they began their operations as Team Galactic.
  
  As Cyrus put it, Galactic Company had served its purpose, and it was time to throw it away.
  
  And with that all done, he returned to his boss, who was now standing alone in his now-destroyed office. The man wasn't even staring out of the window - he just stood there blankly like a statue as he stared at some random wall.
  
  He did his best to ignore that as he addressed Cyrus, "Boss, it's all cleared up now. We're ready to burn the building down."
  
  "Good." The man nodded nonchalantly, as if burning down his life's work hardly affected him at all, "Then it's about time we head off as well."
  
  And then they slinked off into the shadows, going to ground as they prepared to rise up again as Team Galactic from the safety of their hidden bases.
  
  In their wake, the Galactic Building burned to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.
  
  A.N. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY AND ARE ABLE TO REST WELL!
  
  And...I realised that this probably isn't the most suitable chapter to upload on Christmas day...so that's my bad. But Team Galactic has finally made an appearance, signalled by the burning down of their legal identity and fully embracing their villainous side. Fanatical as they all are, there's no need to try to hide their affiliation or identities anymore. Now they're finally going to act on their plans, which I've deliberately not revealed in this chapter, and I'm excited to show how it'll finally take shape.
  
  As for Proton, I've used him repeatedly to show off the villain's POV for this story, as I felt that his perspective was probably the most interesting way to show it off. I've always tried to paint him as the 'self-aware' criminal, even though he's more arrogant than he likes to believe. He's probably the most 'rational' out of Cyrus' subordinates, and I've dropped hints that he MIGHT have abandoned Team Galactic at some point, but his greed and arrogance always stop him from taking that step.
  
  And now he's all-in as well. For Team Galactic and for Proton. There's no going back. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 12-17 - New Foundations
  
  With my battle against Dorothy over, I made sure they didn't need me for anything else before I promptly headed home to check out Winston's new evolution and to test out his new capabilities now that he was a Lickilicky.
  
  But more than that, I wanted to get a head start on quashing any signs of overconfidence and arrogance before they could take hold in Winston - making sure that he hadn't allowed the newfound power to go to his head so that he would continue on his path to getting stronger.
  
  Aside from his bravery, that was the characteristic that most impressed me when we first met, after all.
  
  Thus, soon after I arrived home, I made my way to the training fields and instantly sent out my entire team, who naturally swarmed around Winston as they marvelled at his new evolution.
  
  Winston was initially smug about it, and he was quick to regale the others about his convincing victory against Shedinja while Klee and Luna inspected his new form asking him to show off a few moves so that they could see what had changed. I let that play out as Winston continued boasting about his accomplishments, but then, without any prompting from me, Tyrant suddenly loomedover Winson.
  
  "King..." My starter growled out, his menacing eyes staring deep into Winston's soul. "Sla. King."
  
  That warning from Tyrant for Winston to stay humble quickly took the wind out of his sails and a brief look of fear appeared on Winston's face as he instinctively took a few steps back away from Tyrant.
  
  That was...a little more aggressive than how I would have done it, and I didn't like my team to have to resort to scaring their fellow teammates, but I trusted Tyrant's read of the situation. And indeed, after that warning, Winston's subsequent retelling of the fight was a lot more subdued and grounded in reality. I hoped that was the end of that, and that no further reminders would be needed.
  
  In the meanwhile, Klee reported back to me with her findings as she finished up on her cursory inspection of Winston's evolution.
  
  Yes, Winston had definitely gotten a lot stronger with his new evolution. She told me that there was a noticeable growth in his endurance, strength, and speed, though of course we couldn't test whether his Special Attacks got stronger yet.
  
  However, after seeing his last fight against Dorothy, I had new ideas about how I wanted to train him up going forwards. Now having seen him expertly manoeuvre his tongue in combat like an additional limb, I wanted to see if I could continue strengthening his attacks with his tongue.
  
  With that in mind, I waited for Winston to finish with his retelling of the battle before I called him over, "Okay, good job on that last fight, Winston, but now that you're evolved, I'd like you to continue exploring just how far we can utilise your tongue attacks. I think that'll be an angle that most trainers wouldn't expect, giving you an advantage."
  
  He nodded, so I continued, "I know you can use the elemental punches with your fist, but I want you to start practicing channelling elemental energy into your tongue as well. I want your tongue to be able to deliver attacks of all types, and being able to surprise an enemy and strike them with an elemental punch from your tongue would be an incredible advantage - and it would also allow you to block attacks simultaneously with your arms while you keep up the offensive with your tongue."
  
  I had to hold back a chuckle at the thought of someone's Dragon getting whacked and licked in the face by a frozen tongue. That was pretty funny to think about.
  
  "Not only that, but I want to make sure we incorporate your tongue into your movement capabilities as well." I added, "I saw you latch onto one of the support beams with your tongue to throw yourself around in your fight against Dorothy - and I really liked that. I want to see more of that, especially combined with your Rollout! You'll be incredibly mobile in a fight!"
  
  In my mind, I visualized Winston being able to hurl himself around the arena like a pinball, quickly flying through the air as he used his tongue like a grappling hook to latch onto and pull himself around the fight - giving him an extreme amount of mobility that he could utilise to close the distance and dodge attacks.
  
  If possible, I wanted him to be even betterthan Whitney's Miltank was at Rollout thanks to his tongue. Sorry, sis.
  
  Winston nodded enthusiastically, understanding what I wanted from him as he immediately went off to start practicing as a familiar flare of determination ignited in his eyes. Of course, this was definitely not something he could accomplish so soon, so I made sure to explain that this was a long-term thing and something I hoped he would master eventually, thus there was no need to rush into things.
  
  Meanwhile, I left Winston to his training as I moved on to Euphie. "Euphie, you made excellent use of Misty Terrain in that last fight - it did everything I hoped for and more." She let out a happy chime at that, "But we still need to work on your dodging skills. You seem to still struggle against fast attackers that get in close, and I think we need to continue training up on the power of your Hyper Voices to force back such enemies."
  
  Even though I said that, inwardly I felt that Euphie was already in a pretty good position already. She wasn't as strong as some of my other Special Attackers, but I didn't need her to be. Right now, I felt that she was an excellent anti-Dragon Pokémon that hard countered opponents that relied on status moves, making her a very useful niche to have against certain opponents.
  
  If both Winston and Euphie could just focus on improving themselves just that little bit more, then I was certain they would grow to be worthy of being peers with my Elite team.
  
  The sun slowly went down over our training fields as I continued training up with our Pokémon late into the evening, but then I was suddenly interrupted when I received a call from Lance.
  
  "Something the matter?" I asked him, thinking that it was unusual that he would call when we had just seen each other earlier this morning.
  
  "Yes, unfortunately." He said seriously, which instantly put me on alert, "Flint from Sinnoh called me. Apparently, the Galactic Building has just burned down."
  
  I nearly dropped my phone in shock, "...What? How the fuck did that happen?"
  
  Was Cyrus making his move?
  
  "I was surprised too, but Flint's confirmed that it's what happened." Lance replied, "From what he told me, it appears that Cyrus must have chosen to go on the run rather than allow the League an opportunity to scour through their files. They've burnt down everything. When they went in to see if they could recover anything, the Sinnoh League returned empty-handed."
  
  I frowned, but I could begrudgingly understand the logic behind Cyrus' actions. Obviously, burning everything down wouldn't stop us from making a connection between himself and the terrorists, as he wouldn't have done something so drastic if he was actually innocent. However, by doing it this way, he gets rid of anything useful we might be able to find while he goes into hiding once more.
  
  But there was a question I had to ask, "So what are Flint and the others doing now? Surely they must know that the sudden burning down of Galactic Building when they were under investigation is highly suspicious."
  
  "Of course." Lance nodded, "Flint's already declared made an official declaration demanding for Cyrus to be found to answer for his disappearance. Cynthia hasn't arrived back at Sinnoh yet, but I'm sure further action will be taken once she does."
  
  "I see..." I muttered, "So what does that mean for us? Are we going to be sent over there right away?"
  
  "Not quite yet." He shook his head, "As stupid as this sounds, so far nothing has actually happened yet that would warrant immediate foreign intervention. Right now, the only thing that has actuallyoccurred was that a building has burnt down and a major suspect has gone missing. Sure, that suspect has ties to terrorism, but that by itself isn't justification for us to head over there immediately. For now we just have to trust the Sinnoh League to handle matters as best they can."
  
  ...He was right, but I didn't like it. Lance obviously could tell, as he continued placatingly, "Obviously, I'm not going to just sit there and wait passively for Cyrus and his band of terrorists to actually dosomething drastic."
  
  "Therefore, I'm already in talks with Wallace to see if we can accelerate the formalisation of the Regional Union as quickly as possible to give us as much political capital as possible for a foreign intervention." He explained, "Not only that, but consider this a formal notice for you to stay on high alert. I want you to be accessible via phone 24/7. You and the other Elite Four members may be called to assist at anymoment, and I want you all to be ready to fly over to Sinnoh if you ever receive that call."
  
  "Understood." I nodded firmly, "Just tell me when you need me."
  
  As Lance hurried away to place other calls, I let out a proper sigh as I put my phone away. At this moment, I felt a mixture of anticipation and relief. Anticipation for the upcoming battles ahead, understanding that this was the calm before the storm, and relief for the fact that I knew that this would finally be the moment where we got to remove Team Galactic once and for all.
  
  No longer will they be an annoyance that lingered in the back of my mind.
  
  If Team Galactic was about to be rebirthed from the ashes of their Galactic Building, then I will make sure to stomp them back into the ground where they belonged.
  
  Cyrus was going to get what he deserved.
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  ....Apparently, they had picked an interesting time to come to Sinnoh.
  
  He had come over because of Roark's surprising invitation to arrange some sort of secret business arrangement between them. The Gym Leader was vague about the details, but he understood that this was about some important historical dig that Roark wanted Devon Corp's resources for.
  
  He wasn't stupid, so considering all this secrecy and the importance of the find, he guessed that it was either to do with something about Hisui, like another alternate Pokémon version, or a Legendary Plate.
  
  But who knew that on the very first day that they arrived at Sinnoh would also coincide with the headquarters of their largest business burning to the ground - intentionally, at that. If the mostly verified rumours were to be believed.
  
  Even without knowing the full story, he had followed enough of the news about the investigation into Galactic Company to know that this was a bad omen. Not only for Sinnoh (and he knew instinctively that this was simply the calm before the storm), but for his own company as well.
  
  Businesses as large as Galactic Company were usually painted in the same brush as Devon Corp and Silph Co, as they were all about the same size. So when Cyrus was practically confirmed to be the illegal sponsor (if not the leader himself) of an international terrorist group? Well, that tainted all of their companies as well.
  
  He was just glad that he was in Sinnoh right now. Otherwise, he would have to sit through all those meetings with the other directors about how Devon Corp could improve their public relations to reassure the public that they weren't some shady sponsors of terrorists as well. Even though they weren't and would never be! Public opinion was so fickle at times.
  
  Still, despite all of this, the man next to him was completely unbothered as usual.
  
  "Can I go fight Roark after you're done with your discussion?" Bruno asked him.
  
  He had expected this question, "Yes, but only him for now. Please don't run off and try to challenge the other Gyms as well. The Circuit hasn't started yet, and there's no need to bother Gym Leaders on their days off like that."
  
  Bruno frowned with dissatisfaction, so he quickly continued, "...But if you want, I'll see if I can make arrangements so that we can make an appointment for a fight. For now, why don't we spend a day or two settling down on the house I bought at Oreburgh City. It's a new place, so I'll need your help with decorating the place. Maybe you could also spend some time just taking in the sights of Sinnoh, and maybe catch a few Pokémon."
  
  He had some on his mind as well, wanting to catch them himself instead of relying solely on the PSS system. Even though the newly caught Pokémon would unlikely be able to be used when he made his play to become Champion, they should be trained up in time to help defend against any potential challengers afterhe won.
  
  Bruno let out a grunt at that, "Perhaps. But I know nothing about decoration."
  
  He shrugged, "Me neither. Don't you remember my house in Mossdeep City? If it were up to me I'd just fill it up with cool rocks and call it a day. But this is meant to be a vacation home, so I'd actually like for it to looklike one."
  
  His partner let out another grunt, but Bruno didn't contradict him as he heaved their luggage off of the boat. Steven didn't intend for Bruno to take his luggage for him, but Bruno wasn't saying anything so he just let it happen.
  
  The man was most certainly strong enough.
  
  Therefore, the two of them quickly made their way to Oreburgh City. They both flew on his Skarmory, since Bruno still didn't have a Flying type Pokémon that he could use for transportation. He had tried his best to persuade his friend, but Bruno simply wouldn't budge.
  
  They actually made a quick detour to Veilstone City to check out the burnt remains of the Galactic Building, but there was little to see. Everything was cordoned off by the Sinnoh police, and they weren't allowing anyone near the burned down husk of what was once a shiny beacon of Sinnoh's greatest business.
  
  Honestly, that was a depressing sight to see. He firmly vowed to never allow Devon Corp to be in that state. Not under his rule.
  
  Small detour aside, it didn't take them that long to arrive at his lodgings in Oreburgh, where he descended next to the Pokémon Centre and made his way to his house that was next to the Oreburgh Mines.
  
  Some of his richer 'peers' that he was unfortunate enough to be acquainted with would neverbe seen buying lodgings so close to a loud and dirty mineshaft, but for a fossil lover like he was, it was perfect. So long as you didn't mind the noise, but he'd experience worse. Some of the research facilities around Devon Corp weren't any better.
  
  Needless to say, Bruno wouldn't have a problem with that either. Bruno had told him stories about how he used to survive in the wilds during his 'training periods', so a noisy lodging would be like a hotel to him.
  
  Once they had settled into their new lodgings, the two of them split up. Obviously, Bruno would not be participating in the meeting with Roark, so like the training addict that he was the Fighting specialist quickly departed for the Oreburgh Mines to see if he could break a few boulders or something.
  
  He didn't really want to think too much about the insanity that was his best friend.
  
  In the meanwhile, since he had a bit of time before his meeting with Roark, he instead chose to do something sensible and went straight to the Oreburgh Mining Museum to have a look at their displays. It then took him a solid five minutes before he succumbed to temptation and asked if he could buy one of their fossils for himself.
  
  Whoops.
  
  Sure, most people could not afford to buy a fossil just like that. But he wasn't most people. He was Steven Stone.
  
  So he ended up buying an Armor Fossil straight up, since he didn't currently have one in his collection yet. Devon Corp had already revived other Armor Fossils before, but those were all sent back to Sinnoh as part of the agreement. This one would actually be for himself.
  
  With his new purchase made, and a few pictures taken for PR purposes, he decided that it was about time he headed over to Roark for their meeting. To his surprise, he found the Gym Leader standing outside of the Oreburgh Mine with an awed expression plastered on his face as he watched his friend punch straight through a boulder with his fist.
  
  Having now been used to Bruno's absurdfeats of strength, he now found it amusing to see just how shocked people got when they witnessed Bruno's raw power for the first time.
  
  Bruno turned to him as he sensed his arrival, "Steven. Have you finished your sightseeing?"
  
  "Have you?" He shot back, "Looks to me you've attracted an audience." He extended a hand to Roark, "I'm Steven Stone. It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Gym Leader."
  
  "Oh, likewise. And please, call me Roark." He replied, "I don't feel comfortable being addressed as a Gym Leader by someone that surpasses me in strength."
  
  "Your performance in the Tournament was adequate." Bruno replied with his usual bluntness, "Your loss was not due to your own weakness, though there were much you could have improved on."
  
  He held back a wince. Even though he was training up Bruno to be more 'diplomatic' for political situations, it clearly was still very much a work in progress.
  
  Fortunately, Roark wasn't offended by it, "I know. I've been trying. I actually speak with Roxanne from Hoenn to exchange tips. It helps that we're both junior Gym Leaders, so we have a lot in common."
  
  "Prudent." He nodded.
  
  "Anyways, let's head to my office. We shouldn't discuss this in public." Roark said, and he followed after him as they relocated to the Oreburgh Gym. In the meanwhile, Bruno chose to head back into the mines for more rock breaking.
  
  Once they settled into Roark's office, Steven spoke up first.
  
  "Let's skip over all the secrecy." He said, "You wouldn't have contacted Devon Corp unless you felt that whatever you wanted to dig up was soimportant as to warrant our assistance. So let's not try to be coy, just tell us what you intend to find, tell us what you need us for, and we can come to an agreement quickly so we can get on with finding it as soon as possible. With the situation as it is in Sinnoh, I can imagine that things won't stay peaceful for much longer."
  
  Roark frowned, "...You're right - I guess you are as observant as people say you are. Yes, what I've suspected to have found is the Iron Plate, judging from the extremely tough steel formations that I found on Iron Islands. Even with my father's Pokémon, we haven't managed to break through the reinforced steel, at least not with any sort of reasonable speed. That's why I made asked you over the phone whether Devon Corp had such specialised equipment for mining through tough materials."
  
  "Well we certainly have that." He nodded, clamping down firmly on his burst of excitement as his inner archaeologist squealed at the thought of finding the Iron Plate, "Our specialised mining drills have never failed to drill through any material we placed in front of it - and trust me, we've done a lot of testing with those. So I think we can help with your needs - in fact, I'll go so far as to say that weare the only ones that COULD help you. Silph Co may be our peer, but they do not focus on mining inventions like we do. Not only that, but I doubt that even the famed Celestic Town Research Centre would have the equipment that we have access to."
  
  And there was no need to mention Galactic Company. Not after what happened.
  
  "Therefore, you truly came to ask the right business for help. But what are you going to offer us in return?" He asked.
  
  "...How about you make me an offer?" Roark suggested, "I'll see if it would be doable."
  
  Excellent.
  
  "Then on behalf of Devon Corp, we want to set up a factory on the Iron Islands and purchase land to build a branch office at Canalave City. Not only that, but while we will happily surrender credit for finding the Iron Plate to you, we want to be credited and have ownership for anything else that we find within, whether that be Pokémon or otherwise."
  
  It was a pretty aggressive and one-sided deal, but he knew that Roark had no choice but to accept it. He could tell that the Gym Leader was desperate to find the Iron Plate, for good reason, yet that also backed him into a corner. Like he had explained earlier, if Roark wanted to go through with his plans, Roark truly had no other option but Devon Corp.
  
  Besides, he knew that Roark didn't have the authority to accept his demands just like that, since they involved the authority of Canalave. Therefore, Roark was going to need to speak to his father about it and get his agreement.
  
  And when THAT happened, then Steven could suddenly swoop in and lessen his demands in an act of magnanimity, getting Devon Corp what they wanted anyways while also earning some goodwill with two Sinnoh Gym Leaders.
  
  It would be a win-win.
  
  "...I don't have the authority to agree to that." Roark eventually replied just like he expected him to, looking he like he had just been forced to swallow a bitter lemon, "My father's the one with influence over the Iron Islands and Canalave. You'll have to speak to him about it."
  
  "Then I shall arrange the meeting." He nodded, "Don't worry. If your father agrees, then we can get right to finding the Iron Plate immediately. We at Devon Corp are never ones to waste our partners' time."
  
  "...Fine then. I'll let him know to expect you." Roark replied, before letting out a sigh, "...I didn't intend to involve him in this at first, but I guess I have no choice now...I'll have to try to persuade him too..." Roark continued to mumble to himself.
  
  He politely didn't comment on that as he stood up from his chair, "Well, if that's all. Then I'll be heading out now."
  
  "Sure." Roark nodded, "Thank you for coming. Oh, and before you leave, I trust that you won't be spreading this around?"
  
  "Of course not." He replied firmly, "Nothing will leak from my lips outside of Devon Corp. We take informational security very seriously. The onlyperson outside of Devon Corp who will know is my trusted friend, Bruno. But I give you my personal guarantee that he isn't one to have loose lips, and I expect him to be joining on the expedition as well - just for additional security."
  
  Breaking that promise just wouldn't be worth it. It would only net them a short-term gain in exchange for a huge hit to Devon Corp's trustworthy reputation. And it was never a good idea to anger a Gym Leader, no matter how new.
  
  With the serious talk done, he was tempted to ask Roark if he was free for a battle with Bruno after this, but seeing the tired and somewhat defeated look on his face, he decided that it was probably best not to. Bruno could make the arrangements himself at a later date.
  
  As he stepped out of Roark's office, he let a small smile form on his face as he revelled in the joy of a good deal being made. But even then, he was actually happier that Roark had tasked him with finding the Iron Plate.
  
  He reallyhoped that Roark was right about the Iron Plate, even though Devon Corp would still benefit regardless. Yet as an archaeologist, being in an expedition to find a Legendary artefact would be the highlight of his career. He idly wondered what the Plates could be used for - he really hoped he could be there to witness it for himself.
  
  Either way, this trip to Sinnoh was really shaping to be something to remember.
  
  A.N. A split chapter this time, as this is the final non-INTERLUDE chapter of Arc 12 - Change and Challenge (the next chapter will be a POKENET INTERLUDE). The storm has started to be seen over the horizon, and the respective Leagues are preparing themselves for what they know is going to be a war against Cyrus and his band of terrorists. Unfortunately, as the authorities often are, they're forced to be reactive for now. But once Cyrus makes a mistake, he is about to face the full force of the League.
  
  As with Steven and Bruno, I wanted to do a little catch up with them while I lay down the foundations for the next Plate. As you can probably imagine, it's going to be important for the events to come. Also, I don't think I've shown off too much of Steven's more business-minded side, so I wanted to show that off here. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-18 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 12-18 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [THE FALL OF AGATHA! THE LAST OF THE ELITE FOUR'S OLD GUARD GOES DOWN! KAREN TO ASCEND TO THE ELITE FOUR!] by the Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of Karen and Agatha's battle] [Picture of Agatha's 'huge' Gengar vs Karen's Tyranitar]
  
  Karen has won! After a difficult struggle, she has finally surpassed her mentor in a nail-bitingly close battle as she defeated Agatha with a 6-5 victory! And what a close battle that it was, one that was filled with so many twists and turns! This truly was an epic battle between two Type specialists who both showed off the complete potential of their respective Types; a perfect example of how an apprentice fights against their mentor!
  
  This writer is sure that many Ghost and Dark specialists are very happy with that enlightening battle - there must have been many tricks that you can learn from it. Those two really pulled out everything from their bag of tricks to fight to the best of abilities.
  
  From that magnificent performance from the both of them, it's pretty safe to say that any accusations of intentional sandbagging on Agatha's part can be quickly overruled. Because it was clear to any spectator that Agatha fought tooth and nail to hold her position, as if she was giving a final exam for Karen to overcome. Which she did in spectacular fashion.
  
  Yet now that Karen has made her way into the Elite Four, this marks the end of the reign of the 'Old Guard' of Indigo, and the young have now taken up their positions in replacement of the old.
  
  In the meanwhile, Agatha has made no mention of her intention to rechallenge anyone for the position, nor did she make any other comment as she quickly fled the arena after her defeat. Some have speculated that she will take on the role as Gym Leader of Lavender, following on from the path laid out by the former Elite Will. Will this mean that she will be replacing the newly appointed Gym Leader Dorothy? Or will she be content with her decades of service to the region and live out the rest of her days in comfortable retirement?
  
  Whatever the case may be, this writer wishes her the best in her future endeavours. She has more than served Indigo well enough with her many decades of service.
  
  But with her departure, the current Elite Four roster now consists of Elite Four members appointed post-Pryce, with the exclusion of Elite John. Indigo now looks to this younger generation to guide us to equal or greater heights to the ones that came before.
  
  What did you all think of the battle? Do you think Agatha could have held her position? Was Karen's narrow victory enough to deter any other challenges? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...Anyone else still trying to pick up their jaw from the floor after watching that battle? Even if she lost, I think Agatha firmly reminded everyone why she was such a feared Elite Four, and that age has far from slowed her down.
  
  Like, wow. That must have been her starter Gengar, but what the fuck happened to it?! It gigantified or something! How do you even do that?!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Watching Agatha battle has really made me rethink my impressions on Koga during his fight against Will. I thought Koga was the master of tricks and unusual tactics, but Agatha very much proved that she was equally as good as him. Or even better, which is insane if you think about it.
  
  It's interesting seeing the Dark type specialist being on the backfoot when it comes to surprises for once. Although, considering Agatha must have taught Karen much of what she learnt, perhaps it should have been expected.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Let's not exaggerate. Koga definitely still has the subterfuge edge over Agatha.
  
  FutureAce
  
  LET'S GO KAREN! It's so obvious to see how much she's improved since her battle against Sidney. She's really proving that Dark types are more than just frail tricksters.
  
  That Tyranitar was SOOOO cool. Can't believe it took out that huge Gengar of Agatha's. But I also can't believe that Agatha was able to pull something like that out. Like - are the Elite Trainers just hiding that many trump cards up their sleeves or something?!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Not surprising, or else they wouldn't be in the Elite Four otherwise. And it was clear that both trainers were fighting at their utmost, so everything was coming out of the bag.
  
  Us battle-lovers are really eating good recently. Between this battle and Will and Koga's? Incredible matches to rewatch and to learn from.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Bah. What a sandbagger. Why does no one see that Agatha has just been setting up the win for Karen?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Yeah...I don't see it. To credit this as sandbagging would be a discredit to the fight we just witnessed. Agatha went out with a bang, that's for sure. I'm not surprised she's not making any rechallenges - she deserves her retirement.
  
  Also, anyone remember that people were comparing Agatha to Lance in strength? Well, after watching this battle, what do you all think Agatha's chances were if she took on Lance?
  
  FutureAce
  
  Lance would still win I think...but Agatha would make him suffer for it. As cool as that humongous Gengar was, I don't think it holds a candle to Lance's stronger Dragons.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  That's very true, but Lance also doesn't have access to as powerful of Taunts as Karen does. Remember how important those were to making sure that Agatha couldn't completely cripple Karen's Pokémon with status moves during the fight? If Lance fails to do the same, then I actually think that he might lose in a battle of attrition, just from all the status moves.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  On the one hand, as a battle-lover and trainer, I would have loved to see Agatha make an official challenge against Lance and truly fight to see who was stronger. On the other hand, with all due respect for Agatha, I do not think she would make a good Champion.
  
  Her abrasiveness and 'difficult' personality is well-known. I fear she might make a mess of our diplomatic relations if she ever held the position.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Man, there's been so many shakeups in Indigo. What about Hoenn? Feels like nothing interesting's going on here...
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  What?! Have you not seen all those reports about Steven Stone's intention to participate in this year's Hoenn Conference? He's definitely going to make a splash for sure. I think he'll even be aiming for an Elite Four spot, considering he's been publicly training with Bruno.
  
  Just give it some time. I'm sure Hoenn will be buzzing with excitement too very soon.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  I hope Bruno crushes all the weaklings in Hoenn too. He might be training with a weak Steel specialist, but everyone knows he's just cleverly using that rich boy for his money. Bruno ain't no meathead.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Woah, don't think I've even seen a powerful Dark or Ghost specialist before. Even Fantina doesn't even come close to reaching the heights that Agatha just showed off, and we don't even have a famed Dark specialist here. Honestly, quite the shame!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Karen definitely is reshaping the way people look at Dark types.
  
  DarkRebel (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations, my Dark rival and compatriot. Phoebe and I were glued to our seats when we watched your battle against your mentor. That was every bit the battle I hoped it would be, and we were very much cheering for your success.
  
  It looks like Phoebe and I still have much to learn. Hope we can battle each other again soon!
  
  BoyPhantom (Verified POG)
  
  Excellent fight, Karen! And you too, Agatha. We wish you all the best from Ecruteak!
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  Thank you to you both! If I have some free time, I'd love to schedule a fight against the two of you!
  
  [WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE NEW ROSTER OF ELITE FOUR? PREDICTIONS ON THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF INDIGO!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of the current roster of Elite Four, with John, Karen, Lorelei, and Koga standing side-by-side]
  
  The Elite Four has always been an institution that grants each individual a fair amount of personal political power, which has only compounded ever since Lance's recent reforms to share some of his voting power with his Elite Four, making the position an instrumental one in deciding and guiding the future of Indigo.
  
  However, with the recent ascension of Karen into the Elite Four - our analysts have concluded that there will likely be no further large changes to the roster of the Elite Four. At least not until the end of the next Indigo Conference.
  
  As the public should know, only Gym Leaders and the most recent three Indigo Conference winners are eligible to challenge the Elite Four. Yet those three Conference winners were Will, then John, then Karen. That means that only the Gym Leaders are currently able to challenge the Elite Four, but our analysts have concluded any challenge to be unlikely.
  
  Firstly, John and Lorelei have more than solidified their status in the Elite Four with their string of victories. John especially will likely be a permanent fixture of the Elite Four for the years to come. But, despite being the newcomers, both Karen and Koga are formidable and/or veteran trainers in their own rights, and are backed by their former influence as a star trainer and veteran Gym Leader respectively.
  
  And with their recent showings with their battles, it's safe to say that even our Gym Leaders are likely to second guess themselves before they offer up a challenge against them.
  
  This stability is crucially important, considering how politically influential each member is. John, most notably, has his branching web of connections with not only influential people of Indigo, but also in foreign regions as well - his relationship with the Champion of Sinnoh being the highlight of that. He's been unofficially known to be the centrepiece behind much of the recent wide-sweeping reforms that we've seen, and that will likely not change going into the future.
  
  Likewise, Lorelei has her powerbase in the International Police (including its foreign connections), and the political support of her ex-Champion uncle. Koga has been a Gym Leader for many years, and undoubtedly has formed long-lasting connections as well while remaining well-liked and respected among his Gym Leader peers. Then with Karen, she has inherited much of the powerbase that Agatha used to have, and is publicly known to be good friends with John.
  
  Therefore, should there be no interpersonal conflicts between the Elite Four, and assuming that they can work together with Champion Lance to achieve a common goal, we at The Indigo Post firmly believe that the future will be moulded by their hands. And we've already seen a glimpse of that future with the efforts that John and Lance have both been pioneering, with their shared focus on internationalism.
  
  Currently, we believe that the Elite Four could be split into three different factions. The first and most influential of these, comprising of Lance and John, are heavily focused on internationalism. The second, currently comprising of Koga and his support base, are inclined towards traditionalism and protecting the important cultures of Indigo. Then there is the 'neutral' faction, consisting of Karen and Lorelei, who have their own focus that may or may not relate to the above interests.
  
  Do note that these factions are not in conflict with each other, and it is well-known that the atmosphere between all of the members is friendly and cooperative, with many mutually beneficial deals being struck between the members...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  It heartens me to see that the Elite Four has such a firm connection to Kanto, with John, Karen, and Koga all being from our beautiful region. I think this article is wrong about the so-called 'neutral' faction. Obviously all of the Kanto people will work together!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  No...I actually think the article's got it mostly right, except I'm wondering just how far that bond of friendship between John and Karen would influence their political decisions. John's already got his web, would Karen just be another tally to that list?
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  I have to say no to that one. I've been following the gossip, and Karen's clearly put a lot of her attention on Lavender Town, meaning that her interests aren't always going to just be following after what John tells her to do.
  
  Also, remember all those rumours long ago that suspected that John and Karen were dating? Maybe now that they're back in the Elite Four together, something might happen! WHO KNOWS?!
  
  PianoLover
  
  NO WAY! Let's not forget that John's dating our Champion. Did you see all those dates that they've gone on together? No way John looks at someone else. Sinnoh won't forgive him if he does, and neither would I.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I used to think that Sinnoh's Elite Four was the most united, which might be biased of me. While my opinion on the Sinnoh Elite Four hasn't changed, it is heartening to see how much the Indigo Elite Four has changed in recent years.
  
  I know my history. I know how much the old Indigo Elite Four used to hate each other. Between Lance, Agatha, Blaine, and Walker - it was surprising that anything got done between them.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Very true. This friendly atmosphere is very much welcomed. It almost makes you forget that the Elite Four of the past was very much a group of people that very reluctantly worked together, almost feeling like it was one bad argument from shattering completely.
  
  Champion Oak was the one who formed and held the Elite Four together with his personal influence and charisma. Once he left, every Committee meeting was like a powder keg that was waiting to explode. Nowadays, I can't help but think that John has taken up that mantle. Sometimes, I feel like he's the one tying things together, though even if he left I doubt the fallout would be nearly as bad. The mood has much improved since the past.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I disagree with this article. I think the Gym Leaders still might make a challenge to test the newcomers. If Koga and Karen can make it into the Elite Four, why can't they?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Yeah, no. The current Elite Four don't have any weak links. And I scoff at any articles that say that Koga's weak just because he already showed off his bag of tricks against Will - and I think that anyone who says that is delusional. Koga definitely has more up his sleeve. The same applies to Karen too.
  
  Therefore, who would you even challenge? Trying to choose between them is like trying to choose which brick wall you want to smash your face into.
  
  As for challenging John...well, you saw what happened to Shin.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I highly agree. I think this Elite Four is here to stay, which I can't deny I'm quite happy about. I don't have any member that I dislike, which is a rarity.
  
  [CHECKING UP ON THE GYMS!? ARE THE NEW GYMS READY FOR THE START OF THE NEXT CIRCUIT?! SHOULD THE CINNABAR GYM COME BACK?!] By Exploud Reviews.
  
  [Pictures of all three Gyms - Lavender Gym, Goldenrod Gym, and Fuschia Gym]
  
  The Lavender Gym, the Goldenrod Gym, and the Fuschia Gym are all new Gyms that have recently cropped up after the end of this year's circuit, and we here at Exploud Reviews have taken the effort to inspect all of them to see if they are up to scratch for the start of the next circuit!
  
  Some may be curious as to why the Fuschia Gym is included in this list, and that's because with Koga's ascension to the Elite Four, the Gym is currently under the authority of an appointed regent while we wait for Janine to reach her majority. Therefore, I consider this to be a 'new' Gym like the rest.
  
  Since we have already mentioned it, we shall start with the Fuschia Gym. Unsurprisingly, Koga has not been negligent and has more than prepared the Gym for his ascension and absence. His appointed regent, who used to be his second-in-command, was more than capable of continuing the excellence that Koga has strived to achieve over his many years as Gym Leader. Out of all the Gyms this article shall discuss, we are most confident that the Fuschia Gym will be as successful as it used to be. There is truthfully little else to add.
  
  Then we move on to the Goldenrod Gym, now headed by Gym Leader Will. It seems like Will has brought much of his experience as an Elite Four to the Gym, and he was a much needed replacement compared to the stagnancy of old Gym Leader Lewis.
  
  I wasn't able to get a full picture, but it does seem that the Gym Trainers of Goldenrod seem much happier under his leadership, and many renovation works has been done to make sure that the Gym actually looks the part. Let's also not forget that he has publicly announced plans to include a Contest Hall as an extension to the Gym, with a promise that he'll be hosting shows both personal and from others - following in the footsteps of the Waterflower sisters from Cerulean! It's always nice to see when Gym Leaders branch out like that.
  
  And knowing Will's personal strength, I have no doubts that the Gym Pokémon will be of sufficient strength for the third Gym of Johto. In fact, I actually fear that it might be too strong. Hope he knows how to hold back!
  
  Finally, we come to the newly constructed Lavender Gym - and it definitely shows. The exterior of the Gym is barebones, and without much decoration. The only sign that this is a proper League-approved Gym is the massive Gym logo planted on the front. However, this lack of decoration is forgivable, considering the short timespan that they had to build up the Gym from scratch.
  
  What is more important is the quality of the Gym itself. And to that end, it is an open secret that Agatha is the true 'Gym Leader' of the Lavender Gym, with the current Gym Leader Dorothy acting as the public face of the Gym in her stead. Yet Dorothy itself is no pushover, as those that watched her battle against John seemed to have proven. Her performance, while not enough to secure a victory, has assuaged us that Agatha has not chosen her 'puppet' haphazardly, and that she legitimately has the skills to hold the position as the 7th Gym Badge.
  
  [Pictures of John's fight against Dorothy]
  
  That shouldn't be surprising, considering that Dorothy is an experienced and veteran Ace Trainer of her own, and that's not even including Agatha's guidance. With the two of them, handling the Gym should be no issue.
  
  So while we know that some have been complaining that the Gym should have been retained in Cinnabar Island, and are desperately hoping for the Lavender Gym to be a failure, it does seem like those people will have to wait awhile longer. The Lavender Gym is turning out to be quite the success, it just needs a little more décor.
  
  So there you have it - this has been Exploud Review's thoughts on the state of the new Gyms. What are your thoughts on this? For those of you who are participating in the upcoming circuit, which amongst the three new Gym Leaders are you most excited/terrified to fight? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Still absolutely livid that they moved the Cinnabar Gym to Lavender Town. What a disgrace.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Why would you care? They're both in Kanto?
  
  EDIT: Also, very happy that Will got put to Goldenrod, especially with his new focus on Contests. Hopefully Goldenrod can copy the developments happening in Cerulean!
  
  Lewis, I hope you are exposed to the same rot you subjected Goldenrod to. You truly were a terrible Gym Leader, and will definitely not be missed.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  You wouldn't understand. The Cinnabar Gym has been a staple of the Gym Circuit for decades. It could have been rebuilt without having it permanently moved away.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I understand your point, but even today Cinnabar Island is still not safe to travel to as they're still cleaning up all the lava. The circuit is starting up again in a matter of days - there's no way the Gym could be rebuilt in time.
  
  Or what? Did you want Blaine to continue his duties from a cave or something? Don't be stupid. The move was a pragmatic decision, and Blaine stepped down anyways.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Don't fall for their lies! Dorothy isn't the Gym Leader at all. Agatha is the one holding her puppet strings! She's the true Gym Leader!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  ...Yeah, and everyone knows that. Not much of a conspiracy theory when Agatha is sitting right there in the VIP slot in John's fight against Dorothy. I don't think she's even trying to hide it.
  
  Still, Dorothy pleasantly surprised me for using a Sheninja and a Mismagius of all things. Haven't really seen either of those Pokémon in action before, and her Sheninja was really something! Normally they're super frail, but its dodges were really quick!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Ironically, I'm more relieved that Agatha is managing things behind the scenes. I don't think anyone can doubt her competence.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Dorothy might have done well, but you can't deny that John was even cooler. I mean, did you SEE that Fairy move he pulled out?! That field of Fairy energy must have done something to completely shut down Mismagius, because that Ghost looked like it was completely crippled while in it.
  
  John is truly the forerunner of the Fairy type. Which is only appropriate considering he's one of the founders!
  
  EDIT: ALSO SHINY LICKILICKY!
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  Anyone else weirded out by the fact that we now have 2 Psychic Gyms and 2 Ghost Gyms in Indigo (With the Saffron / Goldenrod and the now Lavender / Ecruteak Gyms).
  
  Also, I'm still not going to stop asking for a Fairy Gym! Come on guys! We need some best type representation!
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  And yes, I did see that fight! Man, John's really showing off what the Fairy type can do! I wonder if he's ever considered swapping Type specialities?!
  
  That Fairy 'field' of his looks super unique! It must remove the effects of status moves or something, because his Sylveon didn't even move to dodge any of the Thunder Waves or Confuse Rays.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think this is a good reminder for everyone that John clearly hasn't been slaking off since his victory over Lance. He's still innovating and training up his Pokémon, and even caught a new one!
  
  Plus, it's a shiny Lickilicky! How rare! How did he even find one?!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I think that's the thing when you have 16 Gyms to consider instead of the usual 8 per region. It's probably harder to not have overlapping types.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I feel bad for any Fighting specialists. They're going to have a really bad time during this year's circuit.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  Nah, I'd win.
  
  [THE START OF THE NEW CIRCUIT! TRAINERS - ARE YOU READY FOR GLORY?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Banner containing all of the new Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion]
  
  TRAINERS! It is that time of the year again! The time when the Gyms open anew, and those who seek glory have their chance to earn it! For the Indigo Circuit is starting up once again! And we cordially invite all trainers above the age of 11 to register at their nearest Pokémon Center to enter into this year's circuit!
  
  For those who intend to participate, but have yet to obtain a suitable starter, please report promptly to your local Gym, who will be happy to issue you with your first starter!
  
  Please remember that certain Gym Leaders only accept challengers that have obtained a certain number of badges or above - please double check that you meet these requirements before issuing a challenge. For any returning trainers, those requirements have not changed, with the exception of the Lavender Gym.
  
  And as always - here is the recommended path to take on the Gyms for both Kanto and Johto!
  
  [Graphic showing the order of the Gyms, in canonical order. There is an additional note reminding people that the Lavender Gym has replaced the Cinnabar Gym as the 7th Gym, and for people to head to Lavender instead for their Gym Battle]
  
  Not only that, but this year, the Indigo League has also provided a promotional video for the start of this circuit. It has really gotten us hyped up!
  
  [A narrator begins to talk, "The Indigo Circuit - the road to glory and greatness. However, this glory does not come easily, and the road ahead is filled with many challenges to test your worth. It will be up to you and your Pokemon to overcome them and prove yourself at each and every opportunity."
  
  Pictures of all 8 pairs of Gyms in Kanto and Johto are quickly flipped through, showing each pair of Gym Leaders standing side-by-side in the order of the Gyms, ending on Giovanni and Clair.
  
  "Will you and your Pokemon be able to overcome them all? Will you and your team be able to conquer all 8 Gyms and reach the Indigo Conference? Will you and your allies be able to prove yourself to be the best amongst the best and show us what it means to be a trainer?"
  
  A montage of clips plays, serving as an edited highlight reel of the many battles that had taken place over the past year. John is featured prominently in these clips, as his battles against Shin, Bruno, and Lance are all shown - and it ends with Tyrant roaring dominantly as he stood over Lance's defeated Emperor.
  
  Other trainers are also shown, such as Lorelei's battle against Surge, Will's battle against Koga, and Karen's battle against Agatha. Even battles from the Tournament were shown. The clip ends with a shot of all four of the newest Elite Four standing side-by-side. With John standing in the centre, which may indicate his seniority.
  
  Then it cuts to Lance, standing atop of the League building, flanked by his trio of Dragonites. Emperor looms ominously behind him, while Lance merely stares imperiously at the camera.
  
  "We shall await you."
  
  The video ends by cutting to the logo of the Indigo League before fading to black.]
  
  As always, be sure to treat your fellow trainers with dignity and respect, and to report any signs of improper and/or abusive behaviour towards any trainer or Pokémon. Thank you! And like the video says, we hope to see the best among you at this year's Indigo Conference!
  
  Comments
  
  TheRealBoss (Verified POG)
  
  As Clair and I both serve as the final gate before you are eligible to enter the Indigo Conference, I would be remiss in my duties if I failed to remind you that the 8th Gym serves as a barrier for a reason. Furthermore, the Gyms, whether new or old, all serve to test your abilities and prove that you have what it takes to become a professional Trainer. Make sure you come at us with everything you have.
  
  DragonLady (Verified POG)
  
  Following on from my counterpart's statement, you should not assume the newer Gyms to be any easier compared to their experienced counterparts. Us Gym Leaders have kept a close eye on the developments of the new Gyms, and we can assure you that they will not be found lacking. The circuit is, by design, meant to be a challenging experience so that it can test you and your team. Do not expect an easy time through it.
  
  Good luck. I look forward to meeting you when you challenge me.
  
  Shinobi (Verified POG)
  
  For the truly exceptional, we in the Elite Four await your challenge.
  
  PsychicWill (Verified POG)
  
  Despite everything that has happened over the past year, the Goldenrod Gym stands ready and waiting for all challengers!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Thanks to all your hard work, Gym Leaders and Elite Four!
  
  Anyways, I think it's quite obvious that Ghost and Dark types are going to be especially valuable for those who are intending to run through the Indigo Gym Circuit this year. This gives those starting from Johto a little bit of an advantage, as Dark types are more common there.
  
  Highly recommend that any prospective trainer get their hands on a Murkrow or Houndour, which are solid Dark types that should make several Gyms much easier. Plus, they aren't rare nor hard to train, which makes them surprisingly beginner friendly.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Adding on to this, please be careful for those trying to catch a Ghost type. Ghost types are definitely not beginner friendly, and many trainers simply don't have the temperament to train them. Take caution if you intend to catch one, especially if you're not very experienced.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Anyone else hoping that with Koga gone, the Fuschia Gym would no longer be the roadblock it once was? I know so many of my friends got stuck on the 5th Gym due to the spike in difficulty compared to Erika's.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Actually, I'm more concerned about the 7th Gym switching to a Ghost Gym from a Fire Gym in Kanto. Before, if you had a powerful Water type, you had a powerful Pokémon to use for both the Fire Gym and Ground Gym. But now that isn't possible.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  A single Water type won't be enough to break through Giovanni anyways! We've all seen his Swampert!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Can't wait for Will to be known as the first difficulty spike of the Johto circuit!
  
  [GALACTIC BUILDING BURNS DOWN?! SUSPICIONS FLARE TO THE SURFACE AS THE SINNOH LEAGUE RULES INTENTIONAL SABOTAGE!] by The Sinnoh Times
  
  [Pictures of the burning Galactic Building, which has completely burned to the ground. Very little remains of the once-landmark building]
  
  Citizens of Sinnoh were in for quite the rude awakening today as the Galactic Company headquarters, one of the largest businesses in Sinnoh, burned to the ground seemingly overnight. The Sinnoh Police were immediately on the scene to investigate the cause behind this sudden incident, and intentional foul play was immediately suspected as the cause of the fire. Which is an ominous sign for the events to come.
  
  For those unaware, Galactic Company has been under investigation by the Sinnoh League ever since the League's investigators found irregularities in their financial reports. However, no guilt was admitted by the representatives of Galactic Company, while significant pushback from other businesses have stifled the League's efforts to pursue their investigations.
  
  Yet, the League has persisted in their efforts to gather evidence, and there were reports that businesses that previously sided with Galactic Company have began to slowly turn their backs against their former ally, and a formal prosecution seemed imminent. As such, it seems oddly convenient that the fire that burned down the building was caused at the same time that the authorities were about to make a major breakthrough in the case.
  
  We here at the Sinnoh Times are not ones to pursue baseless speculation, and so far, none within the Sinnoh League have come out with any more evidence or statements regarding the matter. However, there has been a surge of activity ever since the return of Champion Cynthia, and we have confirmed reports of raids being conducted against other Galactic buildings within Sinnoh, which is very telling about who the authorities hold responsible for this situation.
  
  We will update you on the situation as it unfolds.
  
  EDIT: The Sinnoh League have just now condemned Galactic Company for their illegal support of terrorists, the same ones that have been plaguing our three regions in recent times, and ex-CEO Cyrus is now wanted for aiding and abetting terrorists.
  
  Comments
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  ...How could this happen? I've bought Galactic Company's products since I was a child! This is insane!
  
  PianoLover
  
  I mean...I believed Cynthia when she made the accusations...but this is far worse than that! I just thought that they were involved in tax evasion, not terrorist funding!
  
  It's TERRIBLE to think that one of our largest businesses could actually be doing something like that. I actually feel so betrayed.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  My sincere condolences to everyone in Sinnoh for their loss. I couldn't imagine how I'd feel if Devon Corp burned to the ground - and then was revealed to be sponsoring a terrorist group. It's genuinely shocking.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  I hope the League finds them soon! This can't stand! Wherever these criminals have gone and hid - I hope they're found quickly! Cyrus can't be allowed to get away with this!
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  Damn! Such a shame that the Galactic Building burned down. I really liked visiting there from time to time. Hopefully something else gets built in its place that we could all enjoy!
  
  FlamingAfro (Verified POG)
  
  Should anyone have any sightings of Cyrus or his whereabouts, please let the Sinnoh League know as soon as possible. The Sinnoh League thanks you for your cooperation.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  ...Woah, this is really serious. I dread that this is merely the calm before the storm.
  
  A.N. This marks the end of the Arc 12, the 'Change and Challenge' Arc. I hope you enjoyed! The next arc is obviously going to be focusing on the outbreak of crime yet again in Sinnoh as Team Galactic make their move!
  
  Also, a big thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far. I may have mentioned this before, but a part of me is still surprised that this story has managed to get to this point. All of this was originally just ideas floating around in my brain, so I'm very happy to have finally put them to the written word and for so many of you to enjoy it! Huge thank you to you all for supporting me thus far, and I hope you continue to do so into the future.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 12-18 - Interlude
  The New Normal - 12-18 - Interlude - Legendary Discussions
  
  Professor Carolina stepped into the classroom, seeing it filled with fresh-faced and eager young students who were excited to learn more about the Legendaries of Sinnoh. She had been invited here to give an introductory session, and to hopefully inspire a love and passion for uncovering the mysteries of the Legends from these young students.
  
  "Thank you all for inviting me." She said to the class, "For those of you who don't know, I'm Professor Carolina, and I work as the head researcher and Professor of the Celestic Town Research Centre. And, as the programme has detailed, I'll be here to answer any questions that you may have about the Legendaries of Sinnoh. Feel free to raise up your hand and ask at any time."
  
  She waited for the nods of understanding from the class before continuing, "Now, let's start with the Creation Trio - formed of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. I'm sure you already know that the trio rule over time, space, and antimatter respectively. Their legends are very popular and well-known, so I won't be going into too much detail into them. All you really have to know is that even amongst the other Legendaries, including those from other regions, experts consider that the power of the Creation Trio are second to none - as their domains of power obviously demonstrate. We can only thank our good fortune that we have yet to see these beings of creation fight against each other, for I fear that there may be nothing that remains after such a battle."
  
  "The next trio of Legendaries are the Lake Trio, comprising of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. They are also known as the Beings of Knowledge, Emotion, and Willpower respectively. However, what's less known about them is that the myths of Sinnoh actually suggests a connection between the Lake and Creation Trio, as the former are supposedly the only Pokémon that are able to calm down the latter if they were to rampage."
  
  A student raised their hand, "But how powerful are they exactly? Compared to so many other Legendaries, 'Knowledge', 'Emotion', and 'Willpower' don't exactly seem like strong domains."
  
  "It's a good question, and despite countless hours of research, one we still don't know the exact answer to." She replied, "But we do know of myths and tales of people who have supposedly encountered the Lake Trio in the past, only to forget everything they know, lose all emotions, and suffer from a complete bodily shutdown. Therefore, some have speculated that they do have significant power of their own, but there are also a sizeable number of 'experts' that state that the Lake Trio are more reliant on their stealth than raw power, hence why they have chosen to hidden themselves away from the world."
  
  "Whatever the case may be, they're clearly not wholly powerless, but considering their tendency to hide away from trainers and Pokémon alike, we've not really been able to see them in action." She concluded, "Though only a fool would test their luck against them. They are known as guardians for a reason."
  
  She doubted anyone here was stupid enough to do such a thing, but it still had to be said. Many people went crazy over the idea of encountering a Legendary, and sometimes the greed for power overwhelms their rational mind. They end up doing things they normally wouldn't do just to get their hands on a Legendary in order to obtain their power. Those fools always ended up regretting their decisions, one way or another.
  
  Therefore, she gave the class a measuring look, making sure that her warning had been appropriately heeded before moving on.
  
  "And finally, we come to the Legendary that some of you may have actually managed to see in pictures - as its slumbering form resides in the depths of Snowpoint Temple - and that is the Legendary Titan, Regigigas."
  
  "Unlike the Legendaries I've mentioned thus far, Regigigas is a bit more of an unknown case, for we do not have much evidence to identify just what Regigigas actually does. It's different from the others as it does not have a 'domain' that it rules over; it is simply known as the 'Legendary Titan'. However, the one thing many experts and I are absolutely confident about is that Regigigas must possess titanic strength, like its name implies, as there is an enduring legend that mentions how it managed to somehow tow the continents with ropes, forming the regions we know of today as Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Although it did not create the land itself, if the legend is true, then Regigigas undoubtedly deserves its place among the many other Legendaries responsible for the creation of human civilisation."
  
  "However, what is still a mystery to us is why Regigigas has chosen to slumber like it did. While they are 'inactive', many other Legendaries simply disappear into parts unknown, but Regigigas is one of the few exceptions to that." She explained, "Uncovering the mystery behind its slumber has been one of my granddaughter's greater goals in life, aside from being Champion of course."
  
  "Then how do you think Regigigas will awaken?" Another student asked, "Surely someone must have tried something over the many years that it's been slumbering."
  
  She nodded, "Many have, and many failed. We just don't know what it takes to awaken Regigigas. Some say that it will only awaken in times of great need, others say that there might be an item or two that would 'activate' the Legendary Titan, and that it shall only awaken to someone worthy of finding the 'key'. But it's all speculation."
  
  "Would you want to see it awaken sometime soon?" Someone else asked.
  
  "...The scientist in me says yes, but the Sinnohnian in me says no." She answered after a pause, "Or to put it another way, considering the suspected enormous power of the Legendary Titan, I fear that its sheer strength might be too much for us squishy humans to take. This goes with any powerful Legendary, but while they are far from malicious, it doesn't mean that they can't do a lot of accidental harm simply because they do not realise how colossal their strength is compared to ours. And Regigigas' strength is very much colossal."
  
  Another question came her way, "But what if someone manages to awaken Regigigas? Do you think they'll control the Legendary Titan if they manage to do that?"
  
  "...I can only hope that if that's the case, then whoever ends up in control of Regigigas is a man of integrity and honour - for they will have far too much power in their hands for any regular person to contest." She replied carefully, "Make no mistake. I very much believe that the Legendary Titan's power is comparable to the Creation Trio, and I do not believe that the well-preserved myths about it are unfounded. If anything, they severely oversimplify its strength."
  
  "Therefore, I fear and envy the person who ends up with the power of Regigigas in their hands." A small frown appeared on her face, "If that were to happen, I could only hope that the power of the Legendary Titan is used for good, not ill. For I dare not dream up the consequences where a madman gets control of a Legendary as powerful as the Creation Trio."
  
  "The destruction they could cause...it would be too horrible to even imagine."
  
  At the same time, far away from that very classroom, in an unmonitored location, the forces of chaos and evil made the final preparations to enact their destructive plans. To subvert the natural order of the world and dominate for themselves what should never have been controlled by man.
  
  Yet for all there is chaos and evil in the world, there will equally be a force for order and good. Individuals who can appreciate and protect the peace and happiness of the current world, who understand and seek to preserve that very same natural order.
  
  And when two opposing forces of irrevocable ideals collide, a battle must commence.
  
  A.N. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT COUNTDOWN AND I WISH YOU ALL A GREAT YEAR AHEAD! YOU ALL DESERVE IT!
  
  I wanted to write a different type of Interlude today, one that was gave some background info to how the scientists of Sinnoh view the Legendaries, and to give some perspective as to why they are known as Legendary. And of course, some heavy foreshadowing into the events to come. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-1 - Preparations
  
  The news about the burning down of the Galactic building spread quickly, and there were many worried comments from the newscasters about whether this was a sign that things were about to get worse. A lot of speculation was stirred up, and the fearmongering began. It was to the point where it was starting to overshadow the discussions about the start of the next Circuit, which was pretty upsetting.
  
  Unfortunately, my girlfriend was forced to bear the brunt of it.
  
  "I just wanted a day to settle back into Sinnoh. One day! Just to get reacclimatised to my duties!" She exclaimed frustratedly over the phone, venting her thoughts out to me, "But the moment I got off the ship, I was immediately told that the Galactic Building has BURNT DOWN! Couldn't they at least have the decency to wait a few days?!"
  
  "Seems like you have a lot on your plate." I commiserated, "I hope you're still holding up okay."
  
  She let out a sigh, "Well, it could be worse. It's fortunate that I had Flint in charge and that he acted quickly. He did a good job with handling the immediate consequences of the crisis, and he'd already issue a manhunt on Cyrus. But I still have to do a lot of the organising with trying to dig up their hidden bases and shore up defences around possible targets - which I can't share with you."
  
  "That's fine." I said easily, understanding the need for confidentiality, "Still, I hope you root them out soon. You know I would come over there if you ever called for it, but Lance advised me to hang back for the time being."
  
  "The situation hasn't escalated to the point where we need direct assistance from Indigo." She agreed, "And jumping to rely on foreign aid is a bad look."
  
  I could hear her shuffling through a few papers, "Though we have already begun to accelerate our plans with the Regional Union, and with all three Champions working together it should be feasible. The sooner we can get that signed and ratified, the easier it is for us to cooperate and assist each other."
  
  "Well I wish you every success in that too." I responded, "I look forward to the signing ceremony, if there is going to be one."
  
  "There will have to be." She confirmed, "An event this big and momentous pretty much requires one - if only to demonstrate how important it is to the public. Yet considering that Sinnoh is likely about to undergo some significant turmoil, I don't think the Elite Four or I will be coming over to the Sevii Islands for a physical signing. I'll probably send over a few delegates in my place."
  
  "I'll look forward to it." I nodded.
  
  Unfortunately, our call ended there as we both had stuff to do. I already had someone that I needed to meet up with in light of the current situation in Sinnoh.
  
  So without further delay, I made my way to the Viridian Gym, where I met up with Giovanni in his office.
  
  "Thanks for coming in." He said to me as we shook hands.
  
  "Nonsense, I'm the one that's bothering you." I replied easily, before clasping my hands together as I leaned towards him, "Now, has Archer gotten back to you yet?"
  
  "Unfortunately not. He's still annoyed that he missed something like this." He answered, "He did notice an uptick in activity in and out of the Galactic Building before it all burned down, which all but confirmed his suspicions about Galactic Company having links with the terrorists in some shape or form, but he wasn't able to act on this information before Cyrus went and burned down his own building."
  
  He sighed, "It's frustrating that Cyrus acted so decisively. If Archer had an extra day or two, we could have come up with something to catch the terrorists in the act right then and there. But Cyrus and his lackeys moved too quickly."
  
  "That's fine. He's already done more than enough." I replied, fully understanding that I couldn't expect miracles from Archer when he only had a small team to assist him. "But...now what? What are you going to do with Archer, considering how volatile the situation is now? Are you going to send more people to assist him?"
  
  "Already done." He nodded, "Though the numbers I could call upon as reinforcement were far fewer than I could in the past."
  
  "Oh? Why?" I asked curiously.
  
  "That's because many of my former 'assets' had chosen to follow in my footsteps and take up more legitimate work for me, becoming secretaries, accountants, Ace trainers, and the like. Now that they've tasted working in the sun, they're hesitant to return to their old selves. Not that I blame them of course - I'm in the same spot. But it does mean that I cannot call up the same amount of manpower as I once did."
  
  Surprisingly, that fact relieved me more than worried me. It was good to know that Giovanni's turning over a new leaf had inspired his subordinates to do the same. It meant that we weren't about to have an outbreak of criminals if Giovanni ever let go of the leash that he held on them.
  
  However, Giovanni wasn't done yet, "But there's one thing you should know, John, and it's that Archer isn't going to be able to operate with nearly the same ease as he did before, even with his greater numbers."
  
  "What do you mean?" I asked.
  
  "Because, technically, what he's doing is little different to the actions of Cyrus and his band of terrorists." He explained, "They're both working in the shadows, and the Sinnoh League isn't going to be able to or even want to differentiate between them. And with the Sinnoh League going on high alert, I'm not going to force them to put themselves out there and risk them getting a life sentence just because they were too 'active' with their spying."
  
  He shook his head, "No. As their boss, I need to keep my subordinates' wellbeing in mind. I might be sending over more of them to Sinnoh, but that's because you and I understand the extreme danger that those terrorists can pose to the greater world. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be risking my men like this. And if the situation gets any hotter, I might pull them out entirely."
  
  "That's understandable." I replied, "I'm actually glad that you said that. You're right, I wouldn't want to put your men in undue risk either. If Sinnoh gets too hot, then just get them out of there."
  
  As much as I would have loved the extra bit of information, I completely agreed with Giovanni's decision here. I would have made the same in his place. Because at the end of the day, this level of care is why he is their boss, and I would have been disgusted with Giovanni if he had simply ordered them forwards without any care about their wellbeing.
  
  "...Anyways, does Archer have any clue about where they might have run off to? Or where their secret bases might have been?" I questioned him.
  
  "From what he told me, if they have any left in or near the main cities then I would be extremely surprised." Giovanni stated, "The Jenny's aren't blind, and I know the Sinnoh Police are hardly incompetent. They would have tore through any of their hidden facilities in their main cities already. Thus, Archer suspects that these hidden facilities must have been built in the more unexplored areas outside of Sinnoh."
  
  In other words, they were likely constructed in places that were devoid of inhabitants or in the many forests that were near, but not within, the Routes. It made sense, since these were places that the Sinnoh Police wouldn't be regularly patrolling unless the situation called for it, and there were plenty of spaces for them to hide in.
  
  It was still frustrating, and I said as much to Giovanni, but I had to accept that this was the reality of it. Nevertheless, I was thankful for all that Giovanni and Archer had done for me, and I made sure to express my sincere thanks for the continued assistance and support before I made my way out of Viridian City.
  
  As I left, I realised that a part of me had hoped that Archer would have simply given me the answers I was looking for - letting me know where Cyrus and his terrorists had run off to so we could raid them right away. However, I accepted that I was thinking too optimistically, and that Archer had already done a lot to help us.
  
  But we were going to have do this the hard way.
  
  Knowing that a showdown with Team Galactic was upcoming, I had intended to do as much training with my Pokémon as I could to prepare ourselves for the fights ahead. However, before I could even get started, I received a call from Koga, asking me and the rest of the Elite Four to come over to Fuschia City to speak with him.
  
  He didn't explain what about, but considering that he was willing to make time in his very busy schedule to invite us over, as the Indigo Circuit was about to begin, it meant that whatever he wanted to see us for was serious.
  
  So I headed to Fuschia City, arriving at the Gym shortly afterwards. Koga was already there, standing perfectly straight as he greeted me at the door.
  
  "You're the first to arrive." Was how he greeted me, "Make your way to the training field. I'll wait for everyone to arrive to explain what we're doing today. I wanted Lance to come as well, but he's too busy to attend."
  
  I nodded, though my curiosity was spiking higher than ever. Even though he was usually a man of few words and always had a serious demeanour, today he felt even more so.
  
  He looked like a man preparing for a war.
  
  It didn't take long for the others to arrive, and Koga quickly began without any preamble.
  
  "How many of you here have actually fought in a battle where your life was on the line?" He asked us, getting a raised hand from myself and Karen. Only Lorelei had her hand down.
  
  Koga turned to Karen with a questioning look, "When did you battle?"
  
  "I fought at Olivine, alongside John." She replied, "Admittedly, I wasn't in much danger at Olivine and John did most of the heavy lifting anyways, so I wouldn't say that I'm experienced with these kinds of fights."
  
  Koga nodded, "That is acceptable. Now, if you can guess, I have brought you here to make sure that all of you are ready and alert to the dangers that come with these kinds of battles. I do not think I need to say this, but it only takes one mistake in a battle for you to lose your life - and none of you deserve to have your lives cut short by scum like these. Therefore, I am here to impart a few lessons that I have learnt through the course of my life. It was never my intention to pass on these lessons, as they were ones forged in the cruelties and brutalities of war, but needs must. The time for peace is over."
  
  We all nodded understandingly, allowing Koga to continue, "First and foremost, John, I know you are the most experienced amongst your peers here with these sorts of battles, but after reviewing some of the footage I found of your past fights against the terrorists, I noticed that there were a few mistakes that you made that you really should not be making. Most importantly, you do not use your Pokémon as cover enough. I know you think you are covered by a Reflect or Light Screen at all times, but there is no need to add on any unnecessary risk. Your Pokémon can easily take hits that would otherwise severely wound you, so make use of that fact."
  
  "Also, and this is advice for all of you, never turn a corner or enter into a room until your Pokémon have cleared it first." He warned us, "I do not care if Cyrus himself is in there, begging to be captured and taken prisoner. Let your Pokémon step in first, and wait for the all clear before stepping foot inside. If the room is too big, then at least make sure your Pokémon have established a small foothold before stepping inside. I know this might sound obvious, but in the heat of battle it is all too easy to get overeager with your desire to push forwards, thinking that you're invincible. As I have learned time and time again, you are not, and the true threat strikes when you least expect it. It is what I used to do best, after all."
  
  ...Now that he mentioned it, I thought back to all the battles I fought against the roaming band of terrorists, realising that he was correct. Though I certainly tried to be cautious, most of the time I relied heavily on the strength of my Pokémon to carry me through a battle safely instead of focusing on my own safety.
  
  For example, in the fight at Olivine, I didn't need to board the ship with my Pokémon right at the start. My Pokémon could have done so first, and only after establishing a solid foothold did I need to join them. It would have been far safer that way.
  
  "Then do you have advice on how we should take down the grunts once we come across them?" Lorelei asked prudently, "Are we supposed to just knock them down with a Psychic non-lethally then?"
  
  "Yes and no." Koga answered, "Yes, as in that is what you are supposed to do - though I will admit that as an Elite Four there is no written guideline on how you should subdue criminals so long as you do not use a disproportionate amount of force. However, considering that your lives are on the line, I have a different advice to give."
  
  "It does not matter how you take them down, so long as you do." He stated, "I remember Drake making a report in one of the raids that he took part in that one of the terrorists tried to rush him with a letter opener. Drake managed to subdue them regardless, but it just goes to show that these terrorists are fanatical and insane enough to throw themselves at you without any care about their own lives. And strong as your Pokémon might be, it only takes one terrorist getting lucky with a knife to severely injure you."
  
  "So on that note, in the midst of a frantic battle, I do not want you thinking about what level of force would be appropriate or not. Subdue and incapacitate the opposing trainers by any means necessary, and worry about the consequences later. If that means freezing them over with an Ice Beam, or shocking them into paralysis with a Thunderbolt, so be it." He concluded, "Needs must, and your safety comes first."
  
  There were a few frowns from Karen and Lorelei at this; they obviously weren't pleased about having to resort to such...violence, even to those who very much deserved it in my opinion.
  
  Though their uncomfortableness didn't escape Koga's attention, "...I understand that this isn't immediately easy to accept, so I think I can better represent my point with a story. A story of a man who was willing to do anything he could to protect the region that he loved, so much so that he was willing to commit all sorts of heinous acts in order to gain the strength necessary to protect his own. It was a time of war and strife, and he grew strong alongside it - with his Pokémon growing even stronger. As he threw himself into battle after battle, he defeated every opponent in his way in his personal quest to reclaim what he felt was 'security'."
  
  "The man was unstoppable; his Pokémon had grown so strong that he could turn the tides of battle single-handedly. On the battlefield, he was invincible, and swaths of enemies would fall in his wake; all without him even needing to lift a finger. At the time, he had no one to rival him or his team, and he looked to be the one to unify our two regions by force."
  
  "But then one day, as he stepped onto another battlefield, he was blinded by his arrogance and overconfidence as he must have thought that he was all but invincible. He carelessly stepped away from his team to get a better look at the damage that they had wrought - and was too blind to see the dagger that I stabbed right into his throat. His Pokémon had sensed the danger, but it was already too late. The dagger was coated with a Crobat's poison, and the man had died on the spot. His Pokémon, now deprived of leadership, were soon to follow. Especially after my Pokémon poisoned them."
  
  "And now that man lies forgotten; with his body and name lost to time as another Champion would rise up and win the war in his place, and certainly not how he would have wanted it. All because he let his guard down for a moment, stepping away from his team, and I was there to punish that arrogance."
  
  An air of silence filled the room as Koga finished his story, all of us absorbed in our own thoughts. For me, hearing this story was a sobering reminder that Koga was far more than just a Gym Leader - he was one of the veterans of a war that scarred a generation. The war was often not a topic that people liked to bring up, but I could understand why he chose to do so. It was a warning and a reminder that Koga's lessons were ones that were learned and honed in the fires of war, and we would do well to heed his advice.
  
  After that very powerful warning, Koga continued to give a few other tips and reminders about fighting these sorts of battles, educating us on the use of cover, breaking through enemy cover, and manipulating the battlefield to block off line of sight and to funnel the enemy into where you wanted them to be.
  
  Once his explanations were done, we went onto the more practical exercises, where we actually got to practicing the moves that we had just discussed with our Pokémon.
  
  And that was when the real shouting began, as Koga barked out orders like a drill instructor as he drilled us out of our bad habits. He shouted at us whenever we made a mistake, like when we unconsciously stepped away from our Pokémon. But I didn't blame him for it; he was clearly trying to get this ingrained within our psyche as quickly as possible.
  
  He also taught us how to prioritise certain targets, as target priority in these sorts of battles were very different from regular battles. If there were any large area-of-effect attackers, then they needed to go first. Same with any healers, or leaders that seem to be the one giving orders. He also gave us a crash course on battlefield awareness, and noting what kind of terrain we needed to be careful of during a battle.
  
  Furthermore, he told us that if he had the time, he would also try to go over some other aspects of combat such as maintaining a low presence, how to fend off an attacker, and how to spot a terrorist in a crowd of civilians. All important skills, but even Koga admitted that he probably wouldn't have time to go over everything.
  
  It was all very useful advice, and I could tell that we were all grateful for Koga hosting this session for us. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, there wasn't too much we could have really done today, but at least there were a lot of points to take home where we could practice on our own.
  
  There was no such thing as being too prepared, after all. And I had a feeling we were going to need all the preparation we could get very soon.
  
  Nevertheless, as the sun had already begun to set, and I made my way home tired after a long day. However, as soon as I set foot into the house, I saw my parents sat down on the sofa, waiting for me to arrive.
  
  "John. What good timing." My mom greeted me, "We were just talking about you."
  
  My dad followed up, "There's actually a lot we wanted to talk about. But, first and foremost, I think it's about time you get a place of your own, don't you think?"
  
  Eh?
  
  A.N. This is the start of Arc 13 "The Galactic Calamity" Arc. No prizes for guessing what this arc is about.
  
  And with this chapter specifically I wanted to highlight Koga's experience and veterancy when it comes to dealing with threats like these. Unlike most people that John has met (with a few exceptions), Koga's probably the most experienced when it comes to real life-or-death fights like this, and I felt it was only appropriate that he took some time to offer some of his wisdom to his colleagues.
  
  After all, Cyrus and his grunts won't be holding back, and I felt that Koga should be the one to remind the Indigo Elite Four about the very real dangers that they were potentially heading into. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-2 - Business Changes
  
  "We're not kicking you out." My dad reassured me, chuckling a bit as if he thought that idea amusing, "Nor do we think that you're a bother, but we've been talking about the future, and we thought that it might be good for you to get your own place or two."
  
  "I mean, wouldn't you want privacy with Cynthia anyways?" My mom added, "Sure, you don't see each other that often, but it's better to have it available than to not have it. And you can always live with us if that's what you still prefer. It's just we wanted you to have a place you can call 'yours'."
  
  I mean, fair enough. They made good points, "...Sure. Did you have any suggestions on suitable locations? I'm drawing a blank for the moment."
  
  "You should definitely still have a place here in Cerulean." My dad said, "Considering your political ties to the local council, it makes sense to have a house here to maintain those ties. I know a friend that's looking to sell a place next to the Gym; it's a small modest house, and I'm sure there'd be enough space for you to live in comfortably. Or even with Cynthia, if that's what you prefer."
  
  "I'll be sure to have a look." I agreed, it sounded pretty good. Having a house near the Gym would be 'proper' for an Elite Four like myself, "Is it pricey?"
  
  "Nothing you can't afford." My dad reassured, "We were also thinking you might want to buy up a few houses in other regions as well. Just so that you don't have to rely on the hospitality of the other regions when you visit, and they'd serve as nice vacation homes for you and Cynthia."
  
  "Maybe this is a conversation you can talk with your girlfriend about." My mom suggested, "It'd probably be better as a joint decision, and something you can think about for the future. No need to rush into it, we're just throwing out suggestions."
  
  I nodded, "I'll speak to her about it. But this couldn't be all you wanted to talk about, right?"
  
  "Yes, we also wanted to discuss the changes that we've been looking at regarding the family business." My dad explained, "I'm sure you know that our business has been booming in recent times, with the markets of Hoenn being very inviting to us, and we now have the capital to start looking at different investment opportunities."
  
  "You mean expanding to Sinnoh?" I asked. It seemed like the most logical move forwards.
  
  "Not exactly." My mom shook her head, "Actually, this was an idea that your sister brought up. She suggested that we sell more than just Moomoo milk, and capitalise on both you and your sister's joint reputation as Normal specialists to open a breeding ranch for Normal type Pokémon. It'd be a good way to diversify our business."
  
  I blinked. That was a...novel proposal. I knew our business was successful, but I assumed that further growth would just mean expanding into new markets, not something like this. But it wasn't a bad idea.
  
  I recognised that I was practically single-handedly championing the strength of Normal types both in Indigo and overseas. If anyone was going to open up a ranch dedicated to Normal Types, my name would likely be the first on people's minds.
  
  My thoughts must have shown on my face, because my mom smiled at me, "Judging by your expression, you must be pleased with the idea."
  
  "It holds appeal." I admitted, "But what's the purpose of this ranch? How would you profit off it? Where would it even be built? We don't have space here."
  
  "Ah, well it'll be built in Goldenrod, where your uncle Milton is." My dad explained, "We would simply expand out our current operations there to accommodate a ranch. The land's cheap, and we're already well acquainted with the local Goldenrod council. It won't be difficult."
  
  "As for the purpose of the ranch itself - I think it'd be best if it would serve a dual purpose. For one, we know that the training fields here aren't really satisfactory for you and Whitney's needs, and having more space to train up would be beneficial if you need it. Secondly, it would really cement your image as being the Normal type specialist. I assure you that people would be rushing to buy any Normal Types that you end up training up - especially if they were hatched from the loins of your Elite Pokémon."
  
  "Not sure how much time I would have right now to train up other Normal types to be sold." I said, "Even if I were to train them up only to a basic level, that's still a huge time commitment."
  
  Honestly, I saw this as more of a hobby more than anything else. I couldn't really see myself as a full-time Pokémon breeder. That just wasn't what I was super interested in.
  
  "Don't worry, the duty won't fall on you entirely. Whitney will pick up the slack as well, and we will hire others to assist." My mom said, "The most important part is that the Pokémon are all hatched from your Elite Pokémon. The marketing value from that alone would be enough to attract buyers."
  
  "...Yes, that could work." I said after a moment. I was about to ask if people would be really that interested in buying Pokémon from us, but I realised that was a silly question. My name was a frequent sight on the Pokénet, so I knew it wasn't arrogant to assume that there would be buyers.
  
  "But what kind of Pokémon do you want to raise? Have we done any market research to see what would be popular?" I questioned.
  
  "Honestly speaking - we haven't done the research yet, we just wanted to make sure you were on board first." My dad admitted, "But we plan to get everything constructed and ready to go by the end of the upcoming circuit, since that would be the time when trainers would most likely be looking for Pokémon to buy."
  
  "As for Pokémon...why don't you choose." My dad suggested, "Better for you to select Pokémon you're comfortable with training rather than us forcing it on you. Feel free to pick and choose."
  
  I nodded then began to think about what Pokémon I should choose. Obviously Eevee were going to be in high demand, and I wouldn't mind training more of them up. I could even have them pre-trained to be ready to evolve into Sylveon, as that would undoubtedly be popular.
  
  Teddieursa was another Pokémon that would be good to train up, since they were fairly straightforward. I considered if it would be feasible to train up a bunch of Munchlax, but the cost might quickly become prohibitive. I knew full well how frustrating it is to deal with and take care of a Munchlax that was hungry.
  
  And Munchlax were always hungry.
  
  I relayed my thoughts to my parents, who gave me a satisfied nod, "That would do for a preliminary plan, and we could always add more later. We'll bring these to your uncle Milton, who should help us sort out the logistics. We'll let you know how it goes, like once we get the land sorted and everything. Or perhaps you could pay him a little visit just to check up on him. I know he asks after you - and it has been some time since you last visited."
  
  "Oh sure, I'll go and do that." I replied, and the conversation moved on to more casual topic after that.
  
  As I headed to bed that night, I brainstormed about possible ideas for where I wanted to buy up some property for myself. Ideally, I wanted a place in every region for convenience's sake, which also included Johto. I just didn't know exactly where I wanted them to be.
  
  I'd obviously be bringing my girlfriend into the discussion regarding the house in Sinnoh, and it was something we had idly spoken about before, but for the rest...I wasn't sure yet. Each region had its own places that I found uniquely appealing, and I couldn't decide on what was best.
  
  Oh well, a problem for later.
  
  I ended up speaking to my dad's friend about the new house in Cerulean, and I spent the morning doing a quick tour of it. Like my dad described, it was a pretty small but cozy house, and the interior was clean and modern - it was clearly a house that was newly built. But more importantly, since the house was right next to the Gym, it had access to a large training field that was privately shared between the neighbouring houses.
  
  It wasn't completely private, so I couldn't train anything I wanted to keep secret, but it would do if I had a guest over and wanted to show them something in particular with my Pokémon.
  
  Overall, I liked the new house quite a lot. It wasn't anything fancy, but it would serve as a suitable 'symbol' of my connection to the city of Cerulean, and would be a good place to have one or two guests over.
  
  Admittedly, I doubt I'd actually live here on most days, as there were many things about the family's house that I still preferred. Not only was our training field actually private and not shared between a few people, but I also preferred being able to speak to my parents or my sister in person rather than having to go somewhere to meet them.
  
  This house would probably be more for show than anything else. I was going to put a lot more effort into choosing something nicer when I chose the house that I would live with Cynthia in - as that was likely going to be my future home for the years to come.
  
  However, like my parents said, it was still nice to have, and I was actually looking forward to decorating it to my liking, which is why I immediately entered into negotiations for its purchase.
  
  Oh the joys of not having to worry about money. I had come very far since those impoverished days when I had first started my journey. Like most other Elite Four members and/or Gym Leaders, we were pretty financially comfortable. Especially with how successful our family business had become.
  
  While I left the experts to handle the purchase, I headed to another Committee meeting where the Regional Union was finally being voted upon - having been accelerated thanks to the efforts of the three Champions.
  
  I arrived just in time, and the meeting started with Lance and the others going over once again the articles and logistics of the Regional Union, including explaining who would be joining the Regional Union's internal voting committee.
  
  To sum it up, certain Committee members from each region would be selected to join the Regional Union's, though they would have to give up their current seats if they chose to do so. They would have the power to vote on the inclusion of further articles to the Regional Union as necessary, discuss if current articles needed to be changed in some way, and execute the articles as requested.
  
  After all that was done, it came down to the vote, which passed without any surprise. There was far too much political weight behind the Regional Union for it to be stopped at this point. Thus, the Regional Union had passed in Indigo, and I knew it was only a matter of time before it would pass in the other regions as well.
  
  This marked another huge step that had been taken into creating the international society of my dreams.
  
  As the polite applause died down, Lance spoke up once again, "Once the other regions have approved of the Regional Union as well, we will be hosting an opening ceremony at the Sevii Islands. However, for the sake of convenience, only officials from the other regions will be expected to attend. Not their Elite Four or their Champion."
  
  Though there were a few noises of disappointment at that, since their attendance would have added to the grandeur of the event, everyone here understood the underlying reason for it. With the brewing storm happening over at Sinnoh, it was better to not ask the other Elite Four to come all the way to the Sevii Islands when they might be called upon at any time.
  
  On that note, the Committee meeting came to an end there. However, before we could leave, Lance told us to stick around as he had something to speak to us about. So we promptly reconvened at his office.
  
  "Sorry for taking up more of your time, but some of my advisors have asked me to bring this request to you all." He said, "With the Circuit starting up, we felt that we should really put up some kind of opening ceremony for the public to commemorate this occasion. Especially since this would be the first time I could actually host one."
  
  "Couldn't you have hosted last year's one?" Karen asked, "I thought you became Champion before the start of the circuit?"
  
  "By a matter of days." Lance replied, "So no, I didn't have the time. Therefore, this would be the first."
  
  "Pryce wasn't very keen on hosting ceremonies." Lorelei added, "Especially not in his later years. He probably found them too much of a waste of time."
  
  "Indeed, and that's partially why I've been advised to host one." Lance replied.
  
  "...Are you sure this is the right time for it?" Koga asked, "We could be spending that time training up in preparation for our fight."
  
  "I did hear about that - and good job on that, by the way." Lance nodded, "But we can't just put everything to the side because of what's happening in Sinnoh. The opening of the Circuit is something of major cultural importance, so putting on a show for the audience not only makes it memorable, but it also gives the public something to cheer for. Remind them that things aren't just doom and gloom in recent times."
  
  "I accept that reasoning and withdraw my concerns - it should not be much of a time sink anyways." Koga allowed, "What do you need for us to do?"
  
  "What you do best - give us a fight." He explained, "Show matches are simple and popular, and with a completely new roster of Elite Four it would be good for the public to see just how well you guys are able to match up against each other. As far as the public knows, none of you have actually battled each other in an 'official' setting before, and it'll give them something to discuss about your relative strength rankings."
  
  We all rolled our eyes at that.
  
  "Yes, we all know that such a ranking doesn't actually matter, but you know how the public are like. They love having something or someone to compare." Lance remarked, "And I don't actually need all of you to participate. Just two will do. Though any extras will obviously be welcome. I'd participate myself, but sadly I've been repeatedly told that it isn't good for a Champion to be so 'open' with offering fights."
  
  We all shared a look with each other before all nodding.
  
  "We would all be happy to participate." Koga said on our behalf, "But if the others don't mind, I'd like to challenge John for myself."
  
  I blinked, a little taken aback by that, "Can I know the reason?"
  
  He nodded, "I defeated Will by making clever use of my tricks to bring down foes that were stronger than my team. However, my naysayers like to say that it was merely a fluke - I would like to prove that it wasn't. A victory against you would shut them up for good."
  
  He shot me a battle-hungry smile to punctuate his words.
  
  I grinned back, "I'm not losing that easily. But sure, I'll take you up on it. I can guarantee that I won't fall for the same tricks that Will did."
  
  "We'll see about that." Koga replied, and the two of us locked eyes. The match was set.
  
  "Then I guess it's me and you." Karen said to Lorelei, "That actually works out fine. I too need to prove my doubters wrong and cement the fact that Agatha wasn't sandbagging in her fight against me. So sorry, Lorelei, but you'll have to suffer your first loss in the Elite Four."
  
  Lorelei rolled her eyes, "Pride comes before the fall. I'll make you regret making such a statement."
  
  In the end, it was all playful banter; none of us were really that serious about knocking the others down a peg. But we were all trainers, and victory was in our blood.
  
  "Then shall the fights be Koga vs John, and Karen vs Lorelei?" Lance confirmed, getting nods from all of us, "Then that's settled. We'll be doing it in a 3v3 format, though instead of having it be a continuous fight, we're going to have it so that it's basically three 1v1 duels so that the focus is on the Pokémon's individual strength rather than on teamwide coordination. With these kinds of matches, its all about generating interest around your respective Types and showing off what can be accomplished if you train hard enough. Victory can be considered secondary to that."
  
  Even though he said that, but we all knew victory was important.
  
  Seeing us nod again, he smiled, "Thanks for doing this. I'll speak to my subordinates and get this all sorted. I'll see you all there, then. And also at Sevii Islands, once the Regional Union gets fully approved."
  
  "Oh, before we head off." I spoke up, "How are things going in Sinnoh right now? Is there anything we should be concerned about?"
  
  Lance frowned, "Well, there aren't really any good news or bad news. Wallace and I have both stayed in close contact with Cynthia, and we are as up to date as we can get on the situation there. But with the terrorists having gone underground, rooting them out takes time. Especially with few to no leads."
  
  "We know they're targeting the lakes, though." I pointed out, "We had a series of arrests around those areas before."
  
  "Yes, and the Sinnoh League knows that too. They've prioritised their protection." Lance assured me, "And now that the Regional Union's almost established, you can expect to be heading over to Sinnoh very soon, so be prepared for that. You likely won't be sent there all at once; we'll probably do it on a rotational basis. But we'll discuss the details when it happens."
  
  We all nodded understandingly, and without any further questions, the meeting wrapped up there. Koga also reminded us to keep on training and to stay healthy for the days to come.
  
  As we left, Karen briefly pulled me aside as she wanted to show me something. Finding a quiet corner near the entrance of the League building, she pulled out a Pokéball and released a Skorupi.
  
  "Whew." I whistled, "Where'd you get that from?"
  
  "Your girlfriend got it for me as a gift." She replied, "I told her she didn't need to, but she wouldn't listen."
  
  "Sounds like her." I chuckled, "So you gonna train it up from scratch? I know a Drapion would be a fine addition to your team. You could use another strong bruiser."
  
  "Yep." She nodded, "And Cynthia even went out of her way to find a newly hatched one for me. That way there aren't any habits that I have to train it out of. It makes much easier."
  
  Then she turned to me, "Also, what's this about I hear about you getting a new place? Are you moving out?"
  
  My eyes widened, "How did you even hear about this? I only messaged Cynthia about it this morning."
  
  "Oh I actually heard from your sister." She answered, "She was telling me she was a little sad that you were leaving the house behind, since she's so used to having all her family in one place."
  
  "Oh. Well, I'll tell her not to worry, because I don't think I'm moving out of the family home quite yet." I replied, "I did find a new place, and am actually in the process of purchasing it right now, but I think I'll still be staying at the family home for the time being. At least until Cynthia and I are actually able to live together - then I'll move out."
  
  "She'll be glad to hear that." Karen nodded, "And you'll have to show me your new place sometime then. I'll even help you decorate it."
  
  "Sure." I nodded, "That would be nice. I haven't the slightest clue on what to do on that front, so you'd be a massive help."
  
  After our conversation, Karen returned home to Lavender Town while I remembered to make a visit to uncle Milton, calling ahead to make sure that he knew I was coming. I flew over to our farm near Goldenrod, and promptly landed next to one of the fields which was used to raise Miltank.
  
  My uncle was already there to greet me.
  
  "Heya squirt." He waved and pulled me into a hug, "Been a while. You've grown!"
  
  "Hey, uncle. Sorry for not visiting." I was quick to return the hug, "So, what have you been up to? I see that the farm has really...grown...out..." My words died in my throat as I was taken aback at what I was seeing - its elongated form constantly spinning around in the dirt like a drill.
  
  What the fuck was a Dudunsparce doing here?
  
  A.N. Surprise Dudunsparce! This was actually foreshadowed many, many, many chapters ago! And I felt that it was finally time to bring it into the spotlight! As for the Regional Union, it unsurprisingly faced little resistance at this point, and has been approved! The Sevii Islands are about to be very happy!
  
  Also, I think this would be a good opportunity to open the floor to you viewers for suggestions regarding John's new home(s). What cities do you think would be suitable for him to live in (try to stick with the cities that are featured in the games)? Let me know in the comments and I'll definitely consider them! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - Anime: Cerulean
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Pokémon : The Animation - Cerulean Arc
  
  Ash and Gary had just arrived at Cerulean City, having just beaten Brock to obtain their first Gym Badge. They had chosen to make their way there immediately, hopefully trying to get ahead of the crowd so they wouldn't have to suffer through long wait times like they did at Pewter.
  
  By his side was his trusty Pikachu, the starter Pokémon that he had obtained ever so long ago. And it was still a Pikachu, as even though he had done the research and knew that he could have evolved it into a Raichu with a Thunder Stone, it just didn't sit right with the two of them.
  
  It felt like his partner was always destined to be a Pikachu, and nothing could ever change that.
  
  After arriving in Cerulean, they quickly made their way to the Gym to register for their second Gym fight.
  
  "You sure your Squirtle can handle this, Gary?" He asked his best friend, "Water isn't very effective against other Water types."
  
  "Relax, Ashy, I still have Eevee in my back pocket if need be." Gary responded with a confident smirk, "You just focus on making sure you win. Your Pikachu might be super effective against Water types, but it doesn't resist Water moves either. Take too much damage and you might have to schedule a rematch. And I won't be waiting up for you if that happens."
  
  Ash just snorted, having been used to these kinds of comments from Gary. Gary was always the pessimist when it came to his chances of winning, as if they were not even in their spars. Though deep down he knew Gary cared - he agreed to come along him with him on their journey, after all.
  
  "Pika pika!" His starter clearly agreed with him, as Pikachu puffed up its chest proudly as if to show off its strength.
  
  Still, with the battle against the Cerulean sisters scheduled in, they decided to spend some time checking out the city and taking in the sights. Maybe they could even head on to the outskirts and see if there was a new Pokémon they could catch.
  
  "You want to visit Mt. Moon?" He asked Gary, "I did bring it up when we were coming over here from Pewter, but since we have time why not we make a short trip there? We could even catch something while we're there."
  
  "I am not catching a Clefairy - even if we were allowed to." Gary replied, "Big sis already has one, and I'm not going to be copying her. She would never let me hear the end of it if I did."
  
  Ash sighed, "Fine, then let's just explore the nearby Routes. Maybe we'll find a Pokémon to add to our teams."
  
  The two of them did have pre-made plans about what Pokémon they wanted in their team, but just like Professor Oak advised, sometimes you just had to make do with the Pokémon you encountered. It was unrealistic to actually plan out a proper team from the beginning, since there was no guarantee you would actually be able to catch those Pokémon.
  
  Actually, Gary could have done that since he was rich, but his friend chose not to do so. Ash was happy that he was willing to do things the 'right' way.
  
  So the two of them headed up to Route 24, where they wandered around in the tall grass for a bit to see if they encountered anything interesting. There was a Pidgeotto that seemed pretty strong, but it flew off before he could challenge it.
  
  Oh well, better luck next time.
  
  As the sun began to set, the two of them were making their way back before they suddenly stumbled across a girl sitting down with her face in her hands on the side of the road.
  
  "Hey, sorry for being nosy, but is everything okay?" He moved to ask her, "You looked like you were upset."
  
  The girl startled at his approach, though quickly calmed down when she realised he meant her no ill will.
  
  "...Hah, yeah, it's not a big deal." She sighed out, "It's just that somebody stole my bike."
  
  "Stole?" Gary asked, crossing his arms, "You sure you didn't just misplace it?"
  
  The girl's eyes narrowed - why did she look so familiar, "Yes, stole, because I had just placed it against the tree as I wanted to do some fishing. Then when I turn around the bike is just GONE! It might have wheels, but bikes don't just disappear like that."
  
  "Okay? So? Just buy another one." Gary replied easily, "Not a big deal."
  
  Ash immediately spoke up before the girl could get even more mad, "Sorry about Gary. He was...born into money. He doesn't understand the meaning of 'not having enough money'."
  
  The girl snorted, "What? So he's the son of some really rich businessman or something? What are you, Silver?"
  
  Gary smirked, "Try the grandson of Samuel Oak." The girl's eyes widened like saucers, "Nice to meet you too, nameless girl. You don't have to bow, a simple nod of respect would suffice-"
  
  Ash whacked his friend over the head, "You say something like that again and I'm telling Professor Oak." Gary immediately winced at that.
  
  Luckily, the girl didn't seem offended by Gary's 'gary-ness', "...I did hear that the grandson of Professor Oak was starting their journey this year. I thought I might get a glimpse of you when you challenged my sisters, but I didn't think I'd run into you like this."
  
  Wait, 'sisters'? Ash took another look at the girl, and the final puzzle piece finally slotted into his mind about why this girl looked so familiar.
  
  "Ah! Then you must be Misty! One of the Waterflower sisters!" He realised.
  
  "Yep, that's me." She nodded, "Today was one of my rest days, so I just spent it fishing to relax. Even though my sisters still handle most of the work running the Gym, things still can get quite hectic for me."
  
  She then took a look at the sky, which was slowly turning dark, "Actually, on that note, my sisters' probably expect me back soon, so why don't we can head back together? We can chat while we're walking."
  
  They took her up on that offer, and their conversation mostly focused on Misty's day-to-day activities with running the Gym. Neither of them had ever really spoken to a Gym Leader before, so this was all really interesting to hear.
  
  Eventually, the three of them had arrived back at the Cerulean Gym, and their conversation began to be wrapped up as it was time to go.
  
  "...Anyways, I do appreciate the company." Misty said to them, "I'm still kinda bummed that my bike got stolen, but talking to you guys kinda made up for it. I'll be rooting for you two when you make your challenge against my sisters! You better not lose!"
  
  "We won't!" Ash declared confidently, "You'll see what we're made of soon!"
  
  "Yeah! We're going to repeat what Whitney did!" Gary nodded, "We're going to get all of the Gym Badges on our first try!"
  
  Misty smiled, "That'd be pretty cool. Dunno if you two blockheads can actually manage it, but I'll keep an eye out for the two of you just in case."
  
  "Oh? And who do we have here?" The three of them were startled as someone suddenly spoke up from behind them, and they turned around to see a man just exiting the Gym through the backdoor, "Misty, are these your friends? Wait a minute..."
  
  "John?!" Gary called out in shock, "What are you doing here?!"
  
  "Oh I just had something to speak to the Gym Leaders about." He waved them off, "It wasn't really anything important."
  
  Then he smiled at them, "But hey, I see some familiar faces. Gary, it's been some time. I heard from your sister that you've beaten Brock on your first try. Good job!"
  
  Gary blushed, "...It was nothing, but thanks."
  
  John patted Gary's head before turning his attention to Ash, "And this must be Ash. Do you still remember me?"
  
  "I do." Ash nodded, "I haven't forgotten the advice you gave me all that time ago. And neither does Pikachu."
  
  "Pika!" Pikachu also nodded.
  
  "Wait, you know these two, John?" Misty interrupted, looking confused, "Since when?"
  
  John hummed, "Well I knew Gary because I spend a lot of time with his sister and Professor Oak, so naturally we'd be acquainted. And I met Ash after the Cinnabar eruption. I ended up speaking with his mom, and coincidentally spoke with Ash when he ran up to pester me for advice."
  
  Now he was blushing too. Oh man, why was this so embarrassing?
  
  Seeing their expressions, John just chuckled, "No need to be embarrassed. If anything, I'm honoured that you took my advice to heart. Makes me glad to know that I made a difference."
  
  "But anyways, I do have to run off to another meeting." John said, "Sorry to cut this conversation short. Maybe we can speak again soon." And without another word, John released his Mantine and flew off.
  
  Ash stared blankly at John's retreating figure, realising that this was one of the trainers that he had to beat. John was a member of the Elite Four, widely known to be the strongest member of the four and possibly even with Champion Lance in terms of strength. But no matter how strong John was, Ash knew that he would have to defeat him one day if he wanted to achieve his dream.
  
  And his dream was to be the very best, like no one ever was.
  
  A.N. This was an idea that refused to go away, so I had to write it down. It's definitely very different from the usual Omakes/Interlude that I write, so what did you think? I wanted to show off what the Pokémon anime could possibly look like in the world of The New Normal, and what changes it would make to the character dynamics as a result. This chapter would probably be one of the earlier episodes in the series, as a sort of introduction chapter to all the characters that we'll be seeing. Obviously, John's there too, if only for a bit.
  
  Of course, all of this should be considered non-canon, and was written purely for fun. But if you enjoy it, let me know and I might write more of these! Maybe include a 'public reaction' to such episodes as well? Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-3 - A Weird Discovery
  
  I stared blankly at the Dudunsparce, who hadn't even noticed my attention on it as it continued to spin in my uncle's farm.
  
  Now that I was actually seeing it in person, it looked really similar to a Dunsparce, but I double checked to make sure that it had an extra segment that a Dunsparce shouldn't have. Furthermore, it was also twice the length of what a Dunsparce should be, according to the Pokédex.
  
  I must have been standing there for quite a while, because my uncle ended up approaching me.
  
  "Something curious that you see?" He asked me, before chuckling as he realised I was staring at Dudunsparce, "Ah yes. This Dunsparce has been on the farm for quite some time. Never knew what was up with it, but it seemed to enjoy itself and didn't cause any harm, so I just left it there. I check up on it from time to time to see if it's run off, but it's always bene here."
  
  "How long has it been here for?" I questioned.
  
  He shrugged, "No clue. Probably over a year? Maybe more? Why?"
  
  "Because...because it's too long." I said, struggling to explain the difference between a Dunsparce and a Dudunsparce, "Dunsparce shouldn't be this long. It's...unusual."
  
  "Surely it's just a sign of good and healthy growth." My uncle suggested, "It can't be that unusual to see. Just like how your Slaking and Lance's Dragonite are larger than your average. Nothing weird about it."
  
  "Yes, but...this Dunsparce has an extra segment." I pointed out, "That's not usual...If you don't mind, I'd like to bring it to one of my scientist friends so they can a get a better look at this. Maybe we'll find out something cool."
  
  Honestly, if it wasn't for the use of scanners and other machinery, I bet it would be very difficult to convince the average person that Dudunsparce was even an evolution for Dunsparce, considering just how similar they looked. Very rarely were there ever any evolutions that looked so similar to their pre-evolved counterparts.
  
  So my plan was to bring this to Professor Oak and get Dudunsparce verified as a Dunsparce evolution. It wasn't really to get another achievement under my belt, though it wouldn't do any harm, but because I felt that having a Dudunsparce just hanging around the farm like this was a little bit of a waste.
  
  After all, Dudunsparce were Pokémon that had potential, despite its goofy appearance.
  
  On paper, it looked like your typical ambush attacker, reliant on its ability to dig quickly to close the distance to take down opponents. Yet what set it apart from its other ambusher counterparts was that it possessed significant bulk, making it less frail than what you would usually expect from ambushers. Not only that, but Dudunsparce also had a plethora of versatile supporting moves, such as Glare, Yawn, and Baton Pass, that could either cripple an opponent or pass on helpful buffs. Its unique move, Hyper Drill, also pierced through Protect, which was very useful.
  
  Despite all of the above, I already had Wraith, who more than fulfilled this role for me. And with Winston just having joined the team, I didn't really think I wanted to take on an additional Pokémon right this moment. It just didn't feel right.
  
  But for Whitney - now that was a different story. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that Dudunsparce would be a pretty nice addition to her team. None of her team could be considered 'ambush attackers', and Dudunsparce would fit in quite well to patch up that hole.
  
  Unaware of my thoughts, Milton shrugged again, "Suit yourself. I'm not as smart as you when it comes to Pokémon. I'm just some humble farmer."
  
  "Don't say that." I denied, "You're a better farmer than my parents. They admit that themselves. You helped out a lot before I went on my journey, I remember." Without my uncle's help, my parents would have serious struggles keeping up financially.
  
  He chuckled and patted me on the shoulder, but didn't seem to believe my words. Oh well.
  
  After that small distraction with the Dudunsparce, I spoke with my uncle about matters regarding the new breeding farm that my parents had brought up before. We went over the logistics of how it would be set up, confirming the costs and potential profit of specific Pokémon we raised, and I particularly wanted to emphasize how our Eevee would be trained to be ready to evolve into Sylveon.
  
  I also answered a few questions about rearing methods, and the training that I wanted to do specifically with the Eevee and Teddieursa. Milton wanted to clarify just how much could be managed out of my hands, and what needed a more 'personal touch'. We didn't want to be scamming anyone - the Pokémon that they would be buying from our breeding farm would have at least spent some time under my attention.
  
  The business discussions went over pretty quickly, and before I left, I headed over to the Dudunsparce one more time, slowly approaching it. Once I did, I made sure to kneel down into the dirt so that I was close to eye-level as possible. I also released Klee to act as my translator and to provide an additional friendly face.
  
  Unsurprisingly, it wasn't frightened off by my sudden appearance - as it was likely used to interacting with farmhands and other humans by now. Instead, it continued to simply spin.
  
  "Hello there." I greeted it softly, trying to grab its attention, "Did you know that you're special?"
  
  Klee studiously translated my words, but it was like speaking to a brick wall for all the response it got. The Dudunsparce completely ignored me, continuing to dig its small little hole as it spun and spun.
  
  I tried again, "Can you hear me? I have something I want to ask you."
  
  I didn't get a response once again. The Dudunsparce was lost in its own little world, where all that mattered was drilling holes in the ground. The thing was - it wasn't even digging anywhere. It was just drilling holes in the dirt, and once it dug down a small ways, it would resurface, fill in the hole, and dig another one. This process repeatedly endlessly, and I couldn't tell if it was bored or if it had found the meaning of life itself.
  
  Unfortunately, after a few more failed attempts to catch its attention, my patience had run thin. So instead of trying to communicate verbally, I just took out a Pokéball and placed it in front of its face.
  
  Finally, that caught its attention as it stopped its spinning and turned to look at me.
  
  Deciding that being gentle wasn't the way to go, I spoke as bluntly as possible, "You're special. I want you to be trained by my sister. She's an excellent Pokémon trainer. You will become strong. Do you agree?"
  
  Despite my bluntness, it just blinked unresponsively at my words, not showing any sign that it registered it at all. However, before I was about to give it up as a lost cause, it began to spin once again as it slowly headbutted the Pokéball.
  
  ...It missed, but I got the message and proceeded to capture it.
  
  As the Dudunsparce disappeared into the Pokéball, Klee and I shared similar looks of bewilderment. That was probably the strangest interaction with a Pokémon I've ever had.
  
  Still, I wanted to make sure that Dudunsparce was actually happy as a trainer Pokémon, and that it didn't just randomly headbutt the Pokéball by accident, so I sent him out again to check.
  
  Klee spoke to it, and eventually she got a lethargic word of consent from the Dudunsparce, who did actually want to be a trainer's Pokémon. It was just lazy, but it was happy to become stronger - only so that it could dig more holes.
  
  Well, I guess that every Pokémon had its own motivations. I was starting to doubt my original intention to gift this to Whitney - if only because this was starting to seem like less of a gift and more of a headache. It was going to take a while for anyone to break through this Dudunsparce's love for digging holes.
  
  Still, I trusted that Whitney would appreciate having another powerful member of her team, and I knew she had the patience and exuberance to break through this Dudunsparce's weird habits. Dudunsparce would find a home with her, I knew. I looked forward to see how much it would grow.
  
  Therefore, I couldn't wait to see the look on her face as I dropped this off for her. After all, it was a brother's duty to laugh at their sister's expense.
  
  Things happened pretty quickly after I found and caught Dudunsparce. Firstly, Lance had informed me that both Hoenn and Sinnoh had also approved of the creation of the Regional Union. This meant that the opening ceremony for the Regional Union was going to be hosted in the Sevii Islands, and that I needed to be there.
  
  Not only that, but he also confirmed that a proper opening ceremony for the Circuit had been scheduled. All this would take place in Pewter, which should make Brock very happy. I wondered if he was scrambling to make preparations as we speak.
  
  The next morning, I called ahead and quickly made my way to Pallet Town to pay Professor Oak a visit. He had been excited when he heard that I had likely stumbled into a Dunsparce evolution, and he wanted to take a look at it right away.
  
  It didn't take me long to be ushered into his office.
  
  "Good morning, John." He greeted me a little hurriedly, "Apologies for being a little rushed. With the Circuit starting up I have a few starter Pokémon I'm trying to get a handle of before I gift them to new trainers. Well, I say a 'few', but it's actually quite a lot of them."
  
  "You're still giving them out, even this late?" I asked.
  
  "Well of course we are! Can't deny a new trainer their starter if they are looking for one!" He exclaimed, "Even if they were to come late, I'd still try to get them a starter. It's our duty."
  
  He shook his head, "But enough about that. Let's take a look at this new Dunsparce evolution."
  
  Nodding, I released Dudunsparce into his lab. The Normal type gave a brief glance at its unfamiliar surroundings, before he began to spin on the ground again and immediately flinched in shock when the ground below it wasn't dirt. It took a moment to curiously inspect this 'foreign material', before promptly discarding the thought from its mind and just started digging away.
  
  Sorry, Oak. You were going to have a new hole in your floor after this.
  
  "...Why are you showing me a Dunsparce-wait a minute." Oak crouched down to get a better look, "Ah. I see what you mean. That's...odd. I don't think I've seen this before. Dunsparce don't usually have 2 middle segments, but this does."
  
  "It's more than an unusually long Dunsparce." I added, "I believe this is a new evolution. One that we haven't seen before, even if it's not very obvious. Look at the coloration and the extra sharpness on its tail. That's different from usual Dunsparce."
  
  "My instincts agree." He nodded, "If it was just longer, then I wouldn't have thought that this might be a different Pokémon. But the extra segment is unusual, and you're right about the tail. Hmmm..."
  
  Oak paused as he continued to observe Dudunsparce, "...Now that I think of it, this probably isn't the first of its kind. There's probably tons of this 'evolved' Dunsparce out there in the wild, but they just haven't been noticed because of how similar this looks to a regular Dunsparce. Furthermore, Dunsparce as a Pokémon aren't used by trainers that often, and are quite rare Pokémon. So there were probably many cases where someone has stumbled into this evolved Dunsparce in the wild, only to dismiss it as being nothing special as it looks practically the same to a normal Dunsparce."
  
  I nodded understandingly, agreeing with his point. Just like my uncle had done, most people would have just overlooked the Dudunsparce and thought nothing of it. If I hadn't coincidentally stumbled across it with my metaknowledge knowledge, the fact that Dunsparce even had an evolution would have stayed completely unnoticed for who knows how long.
  
  Oak then let out a chuckle, "Well I suppose it's a stroke of good fortune that we had a Normal specialist stumble across this. Given your expertise, you must have been very familiar with a Dunsparce to identify the discrepancies out of the blue like that."
  
  I just smiled at the compliment.
  
  "Anyways, I might as well confirm this." Oak gestured to a nearby machine, "Let's get your new Pokémon strapped in. We'll run some tests to prove your theory."
  
  Unfortunately, Dudunsparce proved...unwilling to be strapped into the machine, as it just wanted to spin and dig, but Oak wasn't having any of that, so he recruited his Alakazam to help restrain Dudunsparce with its Psychic powers so that it could sit still and be scanned.
  
  As the scanning began, my eyes kept unconsciously darting towards Alakazam as I felt the power radiating out from it. It was another reminder that Oak had only 'retired' on paper, as the Alakazam that was standing next to me more than matched the one that I remembered Lucian sending out - and that was supposed to be the second most powerful Pokémon on his team.
  
  Retirement my ass. This man could still beat up most of the Elite Four if he wanted to.
  
  My musings aside, the scans didn't take long to complete, confirming my 'theory' to Oak.
  
  "Well...yes, the readings do prove it." Oak murmured as he read the results, "Your new Pokémon here is far above the readings we would normally get from a typical Dunsparce. It's far more powerful; too much so for a regular Dunsparce to be able to reach. Its Attack especially got a large buff. By the way, did you catch its name?"
  
  "No." I lied, "It wasn't very communicative."
  
  "Yes, I can see that." He chuckled, "But no matter. We can find out it name. Alakazam, if you would?"
  
  Alakazam nodded and stared deeply into Dudunsparce, the Psychic type's eyes glowing with blue energy. After a moment, it turned back to its trainer, as if silently communicating a message to him, and both trainer and Pokémon shared a nod.
  
  "So...Dudunsparce is the name." Oak muttered, before letting out a chuckle, "That's actually oddly fitting, considering it looks like a Dunsparce except with an additional segment added to it."
  
  "Yes, very fitting." I agreed.
  
  "So, now we just need to publish it." Oak reiterated, "Leave that with me and I'll make sure your name gets credited. Speaking of which, how did you stumble across this?"
  
  So I gave him a summarised story of how I found Dudunsparce, explaining how it was a huge coincidence that I stumbled into it at all. Oak seemed amused by the story, and promised he would include that in the publication.
  
  With that done, both Oak and I had to leave, so we parted ways there. Checking the time, I immediately made my way to Saffron City to hand over my gift to Whitney and to check up on her.
  
  When I arrived at Saffron City, I noticed that the city was bustling with people - far more so than usual. Not only that, but there were also a lot of young children running around as new stalls were set up in the centre of the city, with Gym Trainers manning the stall as they showed off a few of their Pokémon. Furthermore, a couple of makeshift arenas had been set up in front of the Silph Co. head office as well, with each arena covered in advertising about one of Silph Co's recent products.
  
  Apparently, the Saffron Gym was hosting an event today to get young children hyped about the Circuit. I noted that most of the Gym Trainers weren't doing any actual battling, but rather were teaching the younger children about the uniqueness of Psychic types and demonstrating what they could expect as a Psychic type trainer.
  
  It served as a tutorial for their journey ahead, and to remind everyone that the Gym was more than just an obstacle they had to face. It was also part of the community.
  
  I spotted Whitney speaking with another young trainer and their parents as she had her Farigiraf besides her. It was a little odd to see someone as young as Whitney be stared at with such respect and focus, but that was the nature of Gym Trainers at reputable Gyms. It was a prestigious job.
  
  Not only that, but Whitney was not just any Gym Trainer, but she was one that had discovered an entirely new evolution AND also completed all 8 Gym Badges in her first circuit. And it showed - there were far more people lining up to speak to her compared to the others, barring possibly Sabrina's. I was just proud to see that she seemed so highly regarded.
  
  I approached her quietly, listening as she spoke with a kid.
  
  "...Like I said, Psychic types are one of the better Types to start with." She explained, "Of course, being a Normal type specialist myself, I can't deny that Normal types are probably the easiest to work with. But Psychic types are a powerful second. As you just saw with my Farigiraf, there's a lot that they can do."
  
  "...But I already have my starter Pidgey." The kid mumbled.
  
  "And that's good too." I interrupted, drawing shocked gasps from everyone there, "Pidgey may not be the most powerful of Pokémon, but they're very versatile. They're fast, can hit both physically and specially, and can fly. It's why it was one of my first captures, after all."
  
  "John!" My sister immediately broke her professionalism and ran up to me, "I didn't know you were coming!"
  
  "Sorry for the interruption, but I had a gift for you." I chuckled, causing her eyes to sparkle in curiosity, "Though we can save that for later. I didn't realise the Saffron Gym was hosting an event - I have a couple moments to spare; tell me how I can help out."
  
  In the end, I ended up just hanging out next to Whitney and adding my own thoughts as the two of us answered whatever questions the younger kids had while showing off the occasional Pokémon or two when necessary.
  
  My sister was initially embarrassed to have me hanging around her, which naturally brought a lot of extra attention onto her. But even though she was nervous at first, she quickly got the hang of things and began doing her job as a Gym Trainer, speaking with the crowd and showing off the various Psychic types she had.
  
  Seeing that she was doing so well, I even took a step back and allowed her to do most of the talking. It came to a point where even though many came because they recognised me, they stayed because they were interesting in talking to my sister.
  
  Whitney just had a natural friendliness and easy charm that made people want to listen.
  
  After probably half an hour of this, Whitney finally retired for a short water break, and we moved to a private area away from prying eyes. Despite all the talking she had just done, she had not forgotten about my earlier gift.
  
  She quickly whirled on me, "Bro, what did you want to give me?"
  
  I took out Dudunsparce's Pokéball and released it, "This look familiar?"
  
  But instead of a look of excitement, she stared at me curiously, "Bro...why did you capture the Dunsparce that hangs around uncle's farm? Was it really that special?"
  
  I just grinned knowingly, "Well...its not exactly a Dunsparce. Take a closer look."
  
  She did so, her eyes squinting as she stared at Dudunsparce. Interestingly, there was a hint of recognition in Dudunsparce's eyes as it saw Whitney, but that recognition quickly fled, leaving only its usual lethargic indifference.
  
  "...I don't see anything, John." She commented after a moment, "This looks like a normal Dunsparce to me."
  
  I quickly gave an explanation about how this wasn't a regular Dunsparce, and actually was a Dudunsparce, explaining how Oak and I determined that this was actually an evolved form of Dunsparce. Hearing this, Whitney visibly grew more excited.
  
  "...Despite how it looks, it actually has a lot of potential as a powerful battler." I said to her, "It definitely fits the role of an ambush attacker, filling in one of the gaps in your current team. So I'd think it'd make a great addition for you. However, as you can see...it's got quite the attitude problem. It might take you a while to break through its bad habits."
  
  "Oh, that's fine. I don't mind the challenge." She said as she began gently patting Dudunsparce's head, which actually managed to catch its attention, "I always though this was a cutie. And you're right - its been around the farm long enough. I think it deserves to be trained up, if that's what it wanted."
  
  "Well I'm glad you're happy with it." I smiled, "I know you said you wanted to catch your own Pokémon, but I thought this might be a worthy exception."
  
  "It is." She nodded happily, "I can't wait to test out how good it is in battle."
  
  We ended up chatting for a bit longer before she had to return back to the event. I briefly said hi to Samson and Sabrina before heading off back home to continue training my Pokémon.
  
  However, on the flight back, I received a call from Lance.
  
  "John, nothing to alarm you, but there's been an update in Sinnoh." He said, "The Sinnoh Police have just caught a few stragglers that failed to evacuate with Cyrus and the other terrorists in time, and the results have just come back from the Psychic interrogations."
  
  "What did they find?" I asked, "Any luck about Cyrus?"
  
  "No, sadly not. These were just grunts that were very low on the totem pole." He shook his head, "But we now have confirmation that Cyrus is indeed the leader of these terrorists, who we've discovered that over the years had managed to subvert his own employees into his fanatical way of thinking. For quite some time now, Galactic Company was nothing more than a façade covering up a massive cult in the centre of Sinnoh, dedicated to 'creating utopia'."
  
  "We also learned that there's been a large focus in recent training efforts for these terrorists to focus on large-scale group engagements." He continued, "Which implies that Cyrus has plans for such engagements to happen instead of going for small, but widespread chaos. Lastly, we now know of the name of these terrorists - they've been calling themselves Team Galactic. I guess they're not even going to try to hide their affiliation."
  
  "As of right now, the Sinnoh League will be expanding the manhunt to also include many prominent past employees of Galactic Company, and warnings about Team Galactic and their intentions will be announced shortly to the public." He concluded.
  
  "So any changes about when we get sent over?" I asked.
  
  "I've discussed this with my other Champions, but the short answer is no." He explained, "Long answer, we don't want the public to panic by suddenly accelerating things so much or cancelling things already announced. The Regional Union opening ceremony will proceed as planned, and so will the opening ceremony for each region's respective Circuits. On paper, everything will be business as usual to show the public that everything's under control."
  
  "However, Wallace and I have already sent reinforcements over to Sinnoh. The International Police and other associate units should be arriving in Sinnoh shortly." He said, "But otherwise, once both events are over with - then yes, we plan to send over the Elite Four on a rotational basis to Sinnoh. So be prepared for that."
  
  "We'll be bringing the fight to them soon."
  
  A.N. Dudunsparce is here! Well, it's been here for a while, but now it finally gets revealed to the world! It has a very controversial design, with some liking it and some hating it in equal measure, but I wanted to also highlight how weird its design is for the people in-universe. It's just so similar to a regular Dunsparce that its so easy to overlook. But now it's in Whitney's hands, and I promise that you will one day get to see drilly boy in action.
  
  Furthermore, though the chapter was more focused on slice-of-life stuff, I wanted to demonstrate that things are still happening in Sinnoh with Team Galactic and things are still being prepared by both sides. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-4 - Opening Up
  
  The Regional Union opening ceremony was here at last, and thus I took the opportunity to rest early for the night as I prepared for the flight to the Sevii Islands.
  
  Before I went to bed though, I did try to do some research on what Sevii Islands currently had available - as just like many others from Indigo, I hadn't actually been to the Islands myself - and my research only confirmed my suspicions. To put things nicely, there just wasn't anything to do on the Islands unless you were a resident there. Furthermore, the Sevii Islands were just a little too far away from the rest of Indigo, so many people, me included, just didn't see the point of heading all the way there for little activities the Island offered.
  
  I guess the beaches at the Islands were understandably pretty good, but there were other, more convenient, beach locations within Indigo - such as at Olivine or Vermillion. When I was younger, my family and I just didn't have the resources to go vacationing on the Islands, and after I found success on my journey, I just didn't see the point of going.
  
  Still, even though I knew I was likely to be disappointed, I was a bit excited to see just how beautiful the Islands could be. And, I hoped that both myself and the rest of the public would actually visit the Islands more often once the Regional Union was properly set up there.
  
  So I held onto that optimistic thought as I set off for the Islands on the next day. We actually had to set off pretty early as, despite Port's above-average Flying speed, it wasn't a short flight to get to the Islands. So it was by late morning that I managed to arrive on one of the Islands, though I didn't know the Sevii Islands well enough to determine which one I had landed on.
  
  The Islands really had to get more creative with their naming system. Who in Arceus calls their Islands 'one', 'two', 'three' etc. No wonder this place got no tourism.
  
  My first impressions of the place were...a little lacklustre. Sure, the view was nice, but that was due to natural beauty of the surroundings. The Island, at least the one I was currently on, didn't really have much there besides a small settlement that was quite faraway. But aside from that all I could see were League officials bustling about. There was not a single villager that I saw.
  
  The huge amount of open space nearby didn't help either, since it only made the Island seem like more of a ghost town. Though that was being changed soon, as a small building had already been hastily built up that would serve as the new Regional Union headquarters once the opening ceremony was finished.
  
  The building was obviously very barebones right now, given that Lance had practically ordered the construction to be rushed through. But that was all that it needed to be right now - a building that had the symbol of the Regional Union on it. It was obviously not ideal, but right now what was most important was cementing and formalising our international alliances. Making sure the building would actually look as prestigious as the organisation that it hosted could come later.
  
  I did hope that all of the developments would come soon. I suspected that the surroundings were going to be very different from the empty plains that it was right now, and I looked forward to seeing the final result.
  
  Though, with a bit more looking around, I at least found an interesting cave labelled the 'Icefall Cave', which was beginning to jog my memory on where we were.
  
  However, before I could, I felt someone walking up to me. It was Lorelei.
  
  "...Didn't expect you to be arriving here so early." She greeted me, "How are you finding this place?"
  
  "Empty." I replied truthfully, "I knew the Sevii Islands weren't very popular, but I was expecting a little more than this. Can't say I'm impressed."
  
  "That's understandable. I felt the same. At least that's going to change soon once the new Regional Union headquarters is built." She responded, "I'm surprised that Lance even got this small building to be built in such a short time. Things must have really been rushed through."
  
  "He probably had this in the works even before approval was achieved, meaning that the workers probably have more time than we think to have this built." I guessed, "He was probably confident that it would pass through - likely through his discussions with the other Champions - and we couldn't have an opening ceremony of an organisation that didn't have a building to be housed in."
  
  "In that case, I'm surprised my uncle didn't mention that to me." At my questioning look, she explained herself, "Pryce actually owns much of this Island, partially because of the Icefall Cave. When he was younger, he thought that he could ensure access to the cave if he bought up most of the property here. A lot of his Ice types were captured here, but after he became Champion he mostly forgot about this place as it wasn't very useful to him."
  
  She gave the surroundings a thoughtful look, "Did you know I was actually born here?"
  
  My eyes widened, "No. I didn't."
  
  She nodded, "My parents and I followed after our uncle and moved to Mahogany Town shortly after I was born, since there were far more opportunities for a budding trainer on the mainland. Considering my uncle's growing success, and this was even before he became Champion, it only made sense for them to follow after him. But this is technically my hometown."
  
  I did not know that, but that was very interesting to know.
  
  "Wow." I said honestly, "That's remarkable. So do you and him ever visit here?"
  
  "Oh I'm half-convinced that my uncle has completely forgotten that he even owns the place with how little he visits. I don't think he cares." She chuckled mirthlessly, "As for me...I come here sometimes. Not as often as I probably should, but it's always a nice bit of nostalgia for me. Life here is so much slower than on the mainland, and the people here are so distant from politics that it's just so different. I sometimes wonder what my life could be if I never actually left the Island."
  
  "Do you think you're happier now?" I asked.
  
  "Of course." She replied easily, "I know I would have regretted it if I had stayed here. The residents here...they're quite ignorant, if you could forgive me for saying that. Did you know that most of the residents here didn't even know Pryce was Champion? That's how separate these villagers are from the ongoings at Indigo. Arceus, if I didn't consider myself to be a Johtonian, then I would be by far the most successful trainer to ever come from the Sevii Islands."
  
  "Ah, so that makes you our resident expert then." A female voice spoke up from behind, and I turned around to see both Karen and Koga approaching us, "That's good. You need to tell me all the interesting spots that are here, in case I come over to visit as a tourist."
  
  She turned to her companion, "Have you been here much before, Koga?"
  
  "Not for some time." He replied, "There is, regrettably, little to do here. I have better uses of my time."
  
  Our conversation continued on a similar note for a bit longer while we hung around for Lance to arrive, which he did just minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin. Besides him, I saw that there were a few delegates from Hoenn and Sinnoh who had also arrived, and a very official-looking table had been placed in front of the building as a symbolic gesture for the signing.
  
  With Lance's arrival, an air of seriousness set in for everyone as the ceremony was about to begin. All of the surrounding reporters had already prepped their cameras as they all aimed towards the new Regional Union building. On cue, the Elite Four and I made our way to Lance, standing behind him so that we could fit within the frame of the cameras.
  
  Then, Lance banged a gavel on the table, signalling for silence as he began his speech.
  
  "Ladies and Gentlemen. Members of foreign delegations. Thank you for coming here today to celebrate the beginning of a new age for our world. A time of collective unity and strength, upheld and enforced by the very organisation that we are signing into creation today."
  
  "While we were once strangers - our regions have now grown closer and bonded together into one, harmonious whole. The creation of the Regional Union is the epitome of our joint alliance, the proof of our united efforts to bring our regions closer together. Now, we are finally gathered here today, and with the Regional Union's articles in place and agreed upon by our respective regions, we will be formalising our bonds of friendship once in for all."
  
  He then went on to provide a summary of what the Regional Union was, what the articles were, and the possibility of adding further articles in the future.
  
  "...The building behind us, which will serve as the headquarters of the Regional Union from today onwards, is humble and simple, which is representative of the current state of the Regional Union. However, this is merely the beginning! Just like with the Regional Union itself, the building will be improved on, refined, and made more grand, growing alongside the institution it represents. Therefore, just like this building, the Regional Union will become more splendid and prestigious, until it becomes the unforgettable symbol of our regions' unbreakable bonds of unity!"
  
  His speech drew a polite round of applause from everyone there, and with a slight nod of the head, a single document was carefully brought out and placed onto the table. Lance carefully took out a pen, and signed his name on the document. Further representatives from both Hoenn and Sinnoh repeated the action, then he brought the document up for all to see.
  
  That was it. The Regional Union was just formalised. We had done it.
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  He really needed to do more cave diving in the future.
  
  He knew that was an odd statement to make for someone as rich as he was. Most of his cohort would rather be found dead than explore the dingy, wet, and treacherous caves littered around the world. But as a hobbyist geologist, he never understood why so many lacked the sense of mystery and curiosity that he seemed to have.
  
  Oh well, at least Bruno was enjoying himself as well, though for very different reasons than he was.
  
  Before negotiations between himself and Byron were even finished, Bruno had immediately charged into the caves of Iron Island with his usual fervour, and he initially followed him, interested to see what the caves of Sinnoh were like. He also came just to make sure that his friend wouldn't need any assistance, since they didn't exactly know how strong the wild Pokémon there were.
  
  Bruno could have likely handled himself, but it was better safe than sorry.
  
  Turns out, he didn't need to come at all. Both because the caves of Iron Island was completely bereft of anything archaeologically interesting, and because Bruno certainly didn't need the help. During one of their breaks, a Golbat that they had missed had tried to swoop down and ambush the both of them. Yet Bruno simply lunged forwards, somehow roundhouse kicked the Golbat in its wings, and proceeded to beat down the Golbat with his fists.
  
  It was a very firm reminder that the only thing that needed protection here were the wild Pokémon.
  
  Overall, the Pokémon around the caves weren't very strong, but Bruno was interested in continuing to train in such tight and claustrophobic environments, so he reluctantly tagged along just to make sure his friend had some company.
  
  To be fair, their usual spars became a lot more different when they had to take into account the cramped space of the cave, so he couldn't say he got nothing out of these repeated trips.
  
  However, something else had occurred that suddenly made their trips to the Iron Islands a lot more interesting.
  
  During one of their first trips, they had coincidentally stumbled across a man while they were heading to the caves one day. He was dressed sharply in blue and black attire, and his confident gait marked him as someone that was certainly not a newbie when it came to battling.
  
  Yet what was more interesting was his gaze had immediately locked onto Bruno the first time they had met, and refused to be shifted away from him. And though the three of them didn't share a word, Steven had made a mental note of that.
  
  They ended up meeting a few times after that, always as they were either entering or exiting the caves at Iron Island. Initially, Steven thought that the unknown man was simply using the caves as a training ground like they were, but every time they had met, the man had always given Bruno a certain look.
  
  Steven couldn't decipher what that look meant, but Bruno informed him that it didn't feel hostile. Merely interested.
  
  Either way, that still flared up Steven's paranoia, and he was about to confront the man the next time they met about why he was showing such interest in Bruno. Without any insult meant, Bruno was definitely the less noteworthy of the two of them. Whenever they were previously recognised in public, it was because of his own fame as the heir to Devon Corp. Bruno unfortunately remained fairly unknown, which he admittedly hoped to change in the future.
  
  Therefore, the fact that the man was so keen on observing Bruno was raising some serious alarm bells in his head. Especially as the man didn't seem like he was a fan of Bruno's.
  
  However, the very next day that they met the man, Steven's plans to confront him were interrupted when he saw that the man was carrying an incubator with him. And this time, the man had chosen to directly approach Bruno.
  
  "My greetings, Bruno, Steven." The man greeted the two of them, uncaring of the defensive posture that Bruno took up as he stepped protectively in front of Steven, "This is the first time we have spoken, is it not?"
  
  "It is." Steven was the one to reply, "And you seem very keen on monitoring us. Should we be concerned?"
  
  "I apologise for the scrutiny." The man did have the decency to bow slightly as he said that, "However, I had spotted something that initially caught my eye, and I was merely confirming the validity of my observations."
  
  "Oh - and forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Riley." The man said, "I'm just a trainer."
  
  "No." Bruno interrupted him, "You are not 'just' a trainer. Your strength cannot be hidden, nor your intentions. I have no mood for your word games. You say you have taken an interest in me, and I demand to know why."
  
  Despite the underlying threat in Bruno's words, the man was hardly affected by them. In fact, he actually cracked a small smile at Bruno's words.
  
  "I'm glad you noticed it. That makes me more confident in my decision." The man then handed over the incubator that he was holding, "Please, take this."
  
  "What is it?" Bruno asked bluntly, "Why offer this to me?"
  
  "It is a Riolu egg, birthed from my Lucario." Riley replied, "And as for the reason - I have judged you to be the right sort of character to raise a Riolu. I can sense that you have a strong and stalwart aura. You would make for a fine partner for a Lucario."
  
  Steven blinked confusedly...so the man was giving over a Riolu egg just because he thought that Bruno would be a good trainer for it?
  
  What?
  
  He couldn't figure out the logic behind Riley's actions and why the man was just handing over a Riolu to Bruno. To him, all of this seemed like some confusing nonsense. But this wasn't his decision to make. And he trusted Bruno's instincts.
  
  Bruno simply stared at Riley for a moment before he spoke, "I challenge you to a fight, Riley. Prove your intentions with your strength."
  
  "I knew you were going to say that." Riley chuckled, "How are we doing this? A 1v1? Or-"
  
  "One strike from your Lucario." Bruno interrupted him, "I will use my Machamp. One strike. Prove your strength."
  
  Then without warning, Bruno immediately threw out a Pokéball and released his starter to the world. Riley mirrored his actions, releasing his own Lucario.
  
  Steven could immediately tell that it was strong.
  
  Both trainers didn't say anything as their Pokémon wasted no time in charging towards each other; their fists both glowing intensely with power as they smashed against each other. Their fists collided, causing a powerful shockwave to erupt out from the point of impact. The stone beneath them cracked slightly, and both Pokémon visibly winced from the power of the blow.
  
  Aside from a show of strength, Steven had no idea what that accomplished, though he had long since abandoned trying to understand the thoughts of his friend - he knew that Bruno operated on a completely different level of understanding that he did. Still, whatever it was that his friend saw, he must have been satisfied with it as he gave off a nod and withdrew his starter back into its Pokéball.
  
  "Admirable strength, backed up with impressive technique..." Bruno complimented, "It only confirms my suspicions. You are a fighter yourself. A practitioner."
  
  "I am just a humble trainer." Riley denied, "Although Byron may have offered me to be a Gym Leader once, I declined. It was not my calling."
  
  "That is obvious." Bruno said with his usual bluntness, somehow gaining an understanding of the man that Steven couldn't follow, "Fine. I accept your gift of a Riolu egg. Thank you for it."
  
  Riley smiled, evidently pleased at Bruno's acceptance as he handed over the egg, "My thanks. I know you will treat it well."
  
  Then he immediately turned around and proceed to leave, "May we meet again someday."
  
  Steven stared blankly and confusedly as he watched the strange man leave, replaying the entire encounter in his head. There were so many questions that he had that he wanted answered, but he knew that the answers wouldn't be forthcoming.
  
  Instead, he simply placed his trust in Bruno like he always did, "Are you happy about this?"
  
  "I am surprised." With the way Bruno said it, you couldn't tell that he was actually emoting. He was as blank-faced as he usually was, "I had not expected to be handed over an egg."
  
  "Do you...know how to raise a Pokémon egg?" Steven checked. His friend was many things, but he wasn't sure if he had actually raised a Pokémon from an egg before.
  
  "I do not." He admitted, "I will require your assistance."
  
  Steven chuckled, "That's fine. I'll help out. Speaking of which, you do know that a Lucario is a Fighting and Steel type, right? It's not a pure Fighting type like the rest of your team."
  
  "I know." Bruno nodded, "I thought about it before accepting. You were right; perhaps it is about time that I branch out with different Types. I admit that I may have been too narrow-minded and stubborn about my insistence to restrict myself to purely Fighting Types. I had always considered whether to begin training up a Lucario, but it seems the choice has been made for me."
  
  "Well, knowing you, I'm sure you will turn it into an absolute powerhouse for your team." Steven smiled, "If anything, I'm jealous you got handed one. I'd like a Lucario for my own team too! You know I don't have a Fighting type!"
  
  Bruno actually chuckled at his words, "Must be strange for you. Often you are the one being showered with gifts, but it seems like our positions are reversed today."
  
  Steven pretended to grumble at that, but the two of them decided to retire for the day as they went to sort out how they would be handling Bruno's newest egg. While they were at it, Steven had done his best to search up who Riley was, but he couldn't find much from a general search over the Pokénet. The man had no notable achievements to his name. Still, Bruno trusted the guy enough to accept the egg from him. So he supposed that was enough.
  
  And then, only a day later, Byron finally got back to him. His terms were accepted. They would join forces to uncover the Iron Plate.
  
  A.N. Sorry for the delay, but FFN seems to be a little bugged for me so I had to upload this chapter a different way. Let me know if there are any issues with the formatting here. Thanks!
  
  A split chapter this time, with lots of stuff being set up for the rest of the arc. I didn't want the Regional Union part to take up the entirety of the chapter, and there was a character I wanted to introduce with Steven that I felt would be pretty interesting. Also, I like writing Bruno as he's a different character to the others around him. And I hope you guys find him as interesting as I do.
  
  Not only that, I also wanted to give a little backstory for Lorelei, just like I did with Karen in the previous chapters. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -13-4-Interlude-Daisy
  The New Normal - 13-4 - Interlude - Daisy Oak
  
  "Clef! Clef!" Her starter Clefairy chimed happily as she played around in the ranch with the rest of her grandfather's Pokémon. Clefairy had been in a particularly excited mood ever since she had told her of her intention to become a proper full-time trainer and set off on her journey.
  
  It had been a decision that she had been struggling with for the past few weeks. Even though she had told John and her grandfather that she intended to be a Fairy specialist, saying it and actually doing it were two different things.
  
  Sure, she always planned to become a trainer eventually, but between her previous work at the lab, and now her work with John, it had made for a good excuse for her to delay her journey.
  
  Or to put it another way, she was nervous.
  
  It was strange for her to be, when her brother clearly wasn't. Gary seemed to be counting down the days until he got to become a trainer, but she didn't have his enthusiasm. If anything, she was worried about finally going on her journey and being completely independent. Even after the unfortunate loss of her parents, grandfather had always been there for them. To no longer have easy access to him was...scary.
  
  But ultimately, the thing that helped her make up her mind was the fact that her Clefairy wanted her to become a trainer. Her Clefairy, while playful, wanted to be able to fight Pokémon at the highest level, and grow to be a powerful symbol for other Clefairy to follow. Once Daisy had told her about her goals to become a Fairy specialist, her Clefairy had become her first and biggest supporter - and she couldn't possibly disappoint her biggest fan like that.
  
  She had told her grandfather about her plans first, and the smile that he had on his face told her that she had made the right decision.
  
  "You couldn't have picked a better time for this, Daisy." Her grandfather said to her, "The Gyms right now are all at a really good level to give you a fair but challenging experience. You're poised to learn a lot from all of them. The Fairy craze has also begun to die down, so not everyone there will be extra-prepared to deal with your Fairy Types like they used to be."
  
  "...Do you think I can get all 8 badges in one go?" She asked carefully. She knew that, as an Oak, there would be high expectations placed on her. She feared that she wouldn't be able to meet them.
  
  "Of course you can, but you don't have to fret about it. It's not a requirement." Her grandfather replied easily, "Just take things at your own pace. If you're stuck at a Gym, you can always come back or just call me for advice. I'd be happy to give it."
  
  He must have seen that she was still a little nervous, so he let out a knowing smile as he took a knee and placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder, "I suspect your concerns stem from your relation to me, and the expectations that will accordingly be placed on you. As much as it pains me to say this, but there is little I can do about that. I can only apologise for the shadow that I have cast, and dearly hope you can get out of it."
  
  "But given that you are my granddaughter - and I have watched you grow for your entire life - I am certain that you will be able to not only get out of my shadow, but grow out your own one too." He said encouragingly, "Don't worry, Daisy. You will make for a fine trainer. One that will make us all proud. So go forth - and show the world the power of your Fairy Types."
  
  She smiled, but that quickly went away as she heard her annoying brother piped up, "Yeah right! You better get all 8 badges or I'm going to leave you in the dust!"
  
  She wanted to respond to that, but the look from her grandfather caused Gary to scramble away like the little Rattata that he was. Oak then stared at his retreating grandson with a wry smile.
  
  "If I can give you some advice - you can treat the public just like you do with your brother." He chuckled, "At times, they will probably annoy you and call you weird names. Just do your best to ignore them, just like you do with Gary."
  
  "And if they push you too far...well, then they'll have to deal with me."
  
  Steel laced his voice as he uttered those words, underlining the subtle threat beneath them. The old flare of resolve burned in her grandfather's eyes - the same expression that he used to make whenever he spoke about why he had to end the war the way he did.
  
  To anyone else, they would have likely shuddered or backed off after seeing her usually chippy grandfather like this. However, to her, she only felt comforted by it.
  
  It was good to know that he would always jump to her aid, no matter where she was.
  
  "Speaking of which, have you told John about this yet?" He asked, brushing off his earlier comment as if it was nothing, "You can't go on your journey while still working for him. The opening ceremony for the Regional Union was just finished, so you could call him now if you haven't already."
  
  "I haven't." She shook her head, "I'll do that right away...he shouldn't have a problem with that, right?"
  
  "Generally it's good practice to give your employers some advance warning before you quit." Her grandfather replied, causing her to wince, "However, I'm sure John won't have a problem with it. I'm sure he has other team members that can cover for your work."
  
  That was true. John's personal team had expanded since they started off as just the three of them. In all honesty, now that she was about to quit, she admitted that she would somewhat miss the responsibility of handling important information to John. That didn't mean it wasn't boring at times, but she knew that it was important work, and she felt fulfilled while doing it.
  
  Perhaps she could ask to return to her old role after she had completed her journey, if she had nothing better to do? It was something to think about.
  
  She put her thoughts aside for a moment as she rang up John.
  
  "Hey, Daisy." He greeted, "Is there something the matter?"
  
  "Yes. I wanted to let you know that I am planning to start my journey, which means that I won't be able to continue working as part of your team of assistants." She explained, "I am sorry about this. I should have told you earlier."
  
  "No, no, not at all. Really, it's no problem." He replied easily, "Everyone knew your work with me was temporary, and I'm honestly just glad that you're about to start your journey! It must be an exciting time for you!"
  
  "Thank you." Was all she said, "I'll make sure to do my best."
  
  "I'm sure you will." She could feel him smiling, "I can't wait to see the rise of the next Fairy specialist. And of course, I know that Oak has probably offered the same thing, but feel free to ask me for advice if you need it. And I mean it. As the one who may have pushed you into becoming a Fairy specialist, I feel like it's my duty to make sure that you are able to succeed and fulfil your true potential. I hope you will consider me to be your mentor as you take your first steps into becoming a proper trainer. Just don't go shouting that to the public - you probably don't want the attention."
  
  "Of course!" She replied immediately, "That's already more than I was expecting! Thank you!"
  
  Truthfully, she had hoped that John would say those words, but she wasn't sure if her relationship with John was merely an employer-employee relationship or a mentor-mentee one. He may have helped her with training in the past, but she was really happy that he had confirmed that they were the latter.
  
  John was the trainer that most people her age aspired to be. To have him be her mentor was amazing, and she knew better than to announce something like that publicly. She was already going to be under heavy scrutiny as an Oak; she really didn't need any more of it.
  
  John let out a laugh, "No worries at all. Just make sure you don't underestimate any of the Gyms. Especially Saffron. I heard my sister's a pretty good trainer."
  
  She chuckled, "Please tell your sister to take it easy on me then. I'd hate to get stuck at Saffron."
  
  He laughed again, "No promises!"
  
  They chatted for a bit longer before wrapping up the call. Just as she did so, she saw her grandfather walking up to her with a Pokéball in his hand.
  
  He smiled at her, "You know, with all that extra training that you were doing with your starter, I figured that you were thinking about going on your journey. So I got you this, just in case I was right."
  
  Her eyes sparkled with interest, "What is it?"
  
  "A Pokémon that I'm sure you would be happy to add to your team." He stated mysteriously, "However, I'm not going to give this to you right away. Consider it as a reward - if you manage to beat and collect four Gym Badges, then I will gift this Pokémon to you. And no, I'm not going to tell you what it is. You'll just have to find out for yourself."
  
  She pouted, but knew that her grandfather would be immovable. Still, she tried to guess what it was, but she came up blank. She didn't even know if it was a Fairy type or not, since her grandfather (probably deliberately) didn't specify if it was. So it could potentially be a Pokémon of a different Type that her grandfather thought would help round-out her team, since even specialists didn't necessarily have all Pokémon of that one Type.
  
  The only thing she could really assume was that the Pokémon must be powerful, or else her grandfather wouldn't have waited to give it to her until after she acquired 4 Gym Badges. He always did things for a reason.
  
  So she went online and tried doing some research to see if that would help her narrow down the options. Unfortunately, there were still so many to choose from, and even with a list of all the Pokémon in front of her, she still didn't know what her grandfather intended to gift her. It could be anything from a Granbull to a Mawile, or even something completely different!
  
  However, as wrapped up as she was in her own thoughts and research as she futilely tried to figure out the identity of that mysterious Pokémon, she didn't realise the passage of time. And before she knew it, the sun had risen on the next day, marking the beginning of the circuit and her journey.
  
  After saying a quick goodbye to Gary, and a much more heartfelt goodbye to her grandfather, she finally stepped out of the lab as she took her first steps on her journey.
  
  And thus marked the beginnings of the next Fairy specialist of Indigo.
  
  A.N. Daisy Oak has been left on the backburner for some time, and I wanted to bring her back in the spotlight again as the circuit's starting. She's a little older than most at the start of her journey, but she won't let that hold her back! She'll show the world the power of Fairy Types.
  
  And naturally, John's going to be assisting her if she requires. Like Koga said to him all that time ago, it's only right John to make sure that Daisy is able to be successful as an unofficial mentor. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-5 - The New Circuit
  
  Today was finally the day that many, many young trainers from around the world had been waiting for. The day that all these trainers were finally able to take the first steps towards their dreams. For today was the day that the Circuit started up once more.
  
  This time last year, my sister took the first steps onto her journey, where she had gone on to make precious friends and forged strong bonds with her Pokémon that I hoped would last a lifetime. And now, it was time for other people to experience the very same.
  
  For example, I knew Daisy Oak was going to be starting her journey - with me serving as her unofficial mentor. Perhaps I'll end up seeing her at Pewter during the ceremony, and I very much wished for her every success.
  
  So while the Regional Union's opening ceremony was likely a more momentous event, nothing could surpass the excitement of the beginning of another Circuit. For both trainers and non-trainers alike, this was always the event to watch.
  
  And I had to be ready for it too - for I had a fight against Koga to get to. While Lance emphasised that achieving victory was secondary to putting on a good show, we knew that excuse wouldn't fly with us. It was win or lose, and I certainly didn't intend to lose.
  
  I had done my preparation, having spent much time drilling Koga's tactics into my team and preparing them for what was likely to come. Fortunately, with the format of these battles being three 1v1s rather than an ongoing 3v3, it meant that neither of us could carry out strategies that would last from Pokémon to Pokémon.
  
  I was sure that Koga would certainly be hindered more than I was from that.
  
  Either way, we were about to find out. We had gathered once again at Pewter City, and this time the atmosphere of the city had completely turned around. Usually, Pewter City was rather quiet, if you excluded the activity coming in and out of the Gym. However, that was completely different today.
  
  The entire city was packed to the brim full with people; most of them were young and aspiring trainers that were buzzing about with barely controlled excitement. It was like a horde of children had suddenly stampeded into the city and taken up residence there. Not just that, but the city itself had also transformed, with an entire army of signs, advertisements, and the like being hoisted around the city as companies did their best to show off their new trainer products. Likewise, the Pokémon Center and other places for renting rooms were flooded to the brim with young trainers.
  
  I knew that this wasn't exactly unusual for Pewter City, as it was the traditional place to 'start' the Circuit, but this time with Lance also hosting an opening ceremony on top of this, that only caused more people to flock to the city. It was to the point where it was almost too full.
  
  I tried my best to see if I could spot any familiar faces in the crowd - especially Brock, just to see how he was handling things - but I failed to find him. He was probably holed up in the Gym trying to run through any last minute preparations.
  
  I eventually found the place where the Indigo League had repurposed and set up for the show matches that was going to take place. It was hastily, though competently built, and had plenty of spectators stands surrounding it so that as many people as possible could watch the match.
  
  Lorelei was already there, but she was alone. Surprisingly, both Koga and Karen weren't here yet. Nevertheless, I quickly exchanged greetings with Lorelei and asked if she knew where the others were.
  
  "They're probably just running late because they're helping out with their own Gyms." She predicted, "I assume Koga's just making sure his daughter is able to handle things. Same with Karen."
  
  I nodded, then decided to bring up a topic I had wanted to ask, "You excited for this year's circuit? By the end of this circuit, we might get someone new who will issue a challenge against us."
  
  "Well, it would be good to have more eligible candidates waiting on the wings to challenge the Elite Four." She said, "With both yours, Will's, and Karen's ascension, we haven't actually had any eligible challengers outside of the Gym Leaders. I think the public would appreciate having other trainers to root for."
  
  "Are you worried that you might get knocked down?" I asked curiously.
  
  She shook her head, "I think I used to be, but I've grown more confident in my own strength since then. That doesn't mean I won't be nervous if I do get challenged - I think that sort of thing is inevitable - but I know my worth. I'm confident I won't be displaced from the Elite Four anytime soon."
  
  Then she let out a chuckle, "It's strange that I'm considered the second most senior member of the Elite Four now. I definitely don't feel that way."
  
  I agreed, "Tell me about it. I'm somehow the most senior and 'experienced' member, even though someone like Koga is my peer. It's strange."
  
  We ended up chatting for a bit as we waited for the others to arrive, and they both did so promptly. As we suspected, they had both been hung up with their last minute checks on their respective Gyms, although they both reported that things were fine and ready for the Circuit's opening.
  
  I was too busy chatting and had missed Lance's arrival, though the booming of his microphone quickly corrected that fact as he begun his speech.
  
  Between this and the opening of the Regional Union, Lance was a very active Champion. That could only be good for him, as now that he was well into his time as a Champion, and it was good to see him still retain his enthusiasm for the position.
  
  The speech that he gave didn't start off as anything particularly unique, as he simply reiterated the same sentiments about the prestige of the Circuit and the opportunity that it provided for trainers everywhere to finally be able to achieve their dreams - all of that was pretty standard stuff. He also made sure to introduce the show match, and he talked about how it would be a great way to highlight the potential of our respective Types and show what it means to be an Elite trainer.
  
  However, it was the last part of his speech that took me - and everyone else - a little by surprise.
  
  "On a more personal note - and I say this as not the Champion of Indigo, but rather as a member of the Blackthorn Clan - I would like to make a separate announcement. As part of a new policy set by the clan, we will be distributing rare Dragons to any trainer that we deem worthy of it once they have beaten and obtained their 8th Gym Badge."
  
  That got the crowd to break out in exciting whisperings, the surprise obvious in their faces. I was no different, as I would have never expected the Blackthorns to be so 'generous' with their Dragons. They were usually so cagey and restrictive with them that it was very unusual for them to suddenly be handing them out.
  
  However, after thinking it through, I started to suspect that this was all done to earn back some influence and reputation for the Blackthorns.
  
  In essence, the Blackthorn name had noticeably deteriorated in reputation in recent times; no longer being as influential as it once was. If not for the acts and achievements of both Lance and Clair, they would have practically been forgotten about, especially after their humiliation by Oak with the Fairy debacle. Currently, much of their prestige was propped up by Lance alone.
  
  Furthermore, the Blackthorns didn't have the best historical reputation either. Though they were powerful and influential, if you ever mentioned the name 'Blackthorn' to someone, they would probably react to it with mild disdain or disgust. They weren't the most liked, even by Johtonians.
  
  Yet with this new scheme in place, this could be an attempt by them to buy back some of that public goodwill, and it would cost them very little. They would still hold their dominance over most of Indigo's Dragons, but now they were at least less cagey with them. And there was nothing better at earning goodwill like gifting someone a free Dragon. It was a very good plan for them.
  
  After allowing everyone to properly soak in his words, Lance continued.
  
  "However, due to the sheer number disparity between potential candidates and available Dragons, we have unfortunately had to implement a strict, and secret, criteria for who will be eligible to obtain a Dragon from us. And before anyone else asks, please do not think that this criteria is linked to the speed that you managed to obtain all 8 Badges. It has nothing to do with that, nor does it matter if you achieve all your badges on your first attempt or not."
  
  "What we are looking for are trainers of the right character and ability. So don't think that you would have missed out on the opportunity if you lose a Gym Battle at any point - that is not what we're looking for. So remember to tackle the Gyms at your own pace and don't rush through them because you think that will improve your chances of obtaining a Dragon. It won't, and it may even hurt your chances if we think that you are rushing through things recklessly."
  
  "That's all I wanted to say. So - without further ado - let's give it up for our Elite Four! They have gracefully volunteered to show you just what it's like to fight at the highest level of Pokémon battling! But you knew that already - so let's just start the battle!"
  
  That was our cue to take our positions. We had already agreed that Koga and I would be heading up first, so Karen and Lorelei headed for the spectator stands as we got ready for the battle. Though just before I did, I leaned over and asked Lance a question.
  
  "Was that whole idea your own plan? Or one of the Blackthorn elders'?" I asked.
  
  "Mine, of course. Well, mine and Clair's. She's the one that's actually going to be judging these trainers. I don't really have time for it." He explained.
  
  "I'm surprised the elders let you." I replied, "From what Agatha told me of them, I didn't think they were the type to want to share their power."
  
  "And you'd be right." Lance nodded, "But it's not up to them anymore. Let's just say that they've been convinced about the benefits of my proposed course of action, and they weren't really in any position to refuse. Not anymore."
  
  That sounds like Lance had come out on top of whatever internal politicking that had gone on within the Blackthorn clan, but I was happy for him. Knowing what I did of the elders, I think I much preferred this change in leadership.
  
  But our conversation ended there as I finally jogged over to the starting position, where I now stood opposite of Koga as the two of us readied ourselves for battle.
  
  We locked eyes, and the battle begun.
  
  "Seviper. Go."
  
  "Pixel! Swap to Poison!"
  
  I inwardly grinned as Koga sent out the Pokémon that I had expected him to. His Seviper was a deadly fighter, carrying a fatal amount of paralytic venom that could both paralyse and poison a foe simultaneously. While he did not reveal this trick in his battle against Will, I knew from watching his previous battles just how dangerous it was for a Pokémon to be bitten by that Seviper.
  
  However, that was why I sent out Pixel first - with explicit instructions to instantly swap its own Type to Poison. A Poison type couldn't be poisoned, making Pixel completely immune to one of Seviper's most powerful weapons.
  
  If this had been a standard 3v3 battle, then Koga would have just swapped out his Seviper at this point for something more suitable to dealing with another Poison type. However, he couldn't - as this was a series of 1v1s. Therefore, he was locked into this choice, and I was going to punish him for that.
  
  "Magnet Rise and Zap Cannons, Pixel! Stay out of reach!"
  
  "Don't let it fly away. Get in close, Seviper."
  
  Understanding my intentions, Koga ordered his Seviper forwards. The Poison type rapidly darted across the arena, slithering towards Pixel before it could fly off the ground and out of reach. In response, Pixel unleashed a powerful volley of Zap Cannons that began bombarding the battlefield. Orbs of shocking electricity detonated on the ground that electrocuted the air around them, often forcing Seviper to dart backwards to avoid getting hit.
  
  So while Seviper had the agility to dodge past the attacks, Pixel had bought enough time for it to rise into the air - and far out of Seviper's reach. Now that it was, Pixel could now fight far more aggressively.
  
  "Conversion: Psychic! Then Psychic!"
  
  "Taunt it! Anger it down!"
  
  We both knew that Seviper was currently at a huge disadvantage. While it had a respectable Special Attacking arsenal that it usually used to counter other fliers, it was clear that Pixel far outclassed it in that department as a barrage of Psychics began raining down from the sky. Due to the sheer number of attacks, Seviper was forced to throw up a Protect shield to buy time for it to Dig underground and into safety.
  
  In the meanwhile, its Taunt had engulfed Pixel, but all it did was cause Pixel to attack even more ferociously. With all the previous spars I had done against Karen, Pixel wasn't going to be brought to irrationality from a single Taunt alone.
  
  However, now that Seviper was underground, Pixel's Psychic didn't have the raw firepower needed to cut through the ground and strike the Seviper. Therefore, Koga switched tactics, and had Seviper fight in a series of hit-and-run attacks where it would briefly pop out of the ground, fire off a Sludge Bomb or Dark Pulse, before burrowing down again before a counterattack could come.
  
  All the while, Seviper was likely preparing several Swords Dances out of sight - ready to punish Pixel if it ever tried to get close to the ground for whatever reason.
  
  Against a weaker Special Attacker, this trick could have worked to bait an attacker into coming closer in order for their attacks to more easily penetrate the ground, which would lead them into Seviper's striking range. However, it was now time to show off just what Pixel's new evolution allowed it to do.
  
  "Conversion: Grass! Then Solar Beam!"
  
  "PROTECT, NOW!"
  
  The entire arena was suddenly lit up by a giant glowing orb of golden light as Pixel rapidly absorbed in the energy from the sun. Realising what was happening despite being underground, I felt a faint shimmer of light come out of one of Seviper's dug holes as it likely readied a Protect shield - knowing that it was probably not able to dodge out of the way in time.
  
  And it was wise to think so, as Pixel proceeded to unleash an enormous beam of pure radiant light that absolutely annihilated the arena, scorching a massive hole through the centre of it as the beam disintegrated all that it touched. Rocks and other debris were scattered around everywhere as the Solar Beam drilled through the ground like a laser.
  
  Now that was the power I wanted to see - the power that Pixel now had access to after its evolution into a Porygon-Z.
  
  As I expected, Seviper's Protect shield quickly cracked and shattered as it failed to contain the sheer overwhelming ray of power coming its way. The Poison type let out a pained cry as it was blasted backwards, practically taking the full brunt of the Solar Beam. It was only due to Grass attacks being less effective against Poison types that likely saved it from being a one-hit KO.
  
  But even though Seviper 'survived' the attack, it was reduced to only being able to slither weakly on the ground as it became crippled by its litany of injuries. Still, its eyes remained defiant, and it shot off a Glare at Pixel that managed to paralyse my Pokémon.
  
  Though that didn't stop Pixel from blasting it with one final Psychic, finishing off the Seviper and knocking it out of the fight.
  
  The crowd roared out in excitement as they cheered for Pixel's dominant performance. It had been Pixel's first public fight - and his performance had been everything I had hoped for. Its flexibility, backed up with sheer power, had easily demonstrated just why it deserved to be on my Elite team.
  
  As the crowd cheered, Koga remained silent as he withdrew his fallen Seviper from the arena, while I did the same with Pixel. He stared at me for a moment, as if trying to gauge what Pokémon I'd be sending out next, but I made sure to keep my face blank and give nothing away. Before long, the two of us both sent out our next Pokémon.
  
  "Crobat, it's on you!"
  
  "Come on out, Ornstein!"
  
  The next battle began as Koga's starter came rocketing out of its Pokéball, zipping through the skies like a bullet as it immediately rushed down Ornstein. In the meanwhile, my own Pokémon took up a defensive stance as it looked like it was bracing himself for the incoming attack - with one arm raised to his face as he openly seemed to prepare an Obstruct as he waited patiently for Crobat to get in close.
  
  And Crobat seemed eager to meet that challenge, unhesitatingly diving down like a missile with a Cross Poison and Brave Bird. Yet, just as it was about to enter into Ornstein's striking range, a Thunderbolt suddenly came crashing down from the sky as Ornstein had only pretended to be waiting with an Obstruct.
  
  It had all been my trap to catch Crobat off-guard.
  
  However, with the honed instincts of a trained hunter, Crobat instantly swerved hard to the right, moving with exceptional agility and precision to dodge out of the way of the incoming Thunderbolt. Then, before Ornstein could prepare for another Obstruct, Crobat rushed forwards and slammed into my Dark type with a powerful Cross Poison that left deadly venom seeping into his body.
  
  A small frown adorned my face as my surprise ambush backfired. I had thought that by baiting Crobat to come in close against Ornstein, who wasn't known for his Special Attacks, he could have surprised Crobat and knock it out of the sky with the Thunderbolt, where it would be vulnerable to a beatdown from Ornstein. I had thought that this was the best way to counter Crobat's incredible speed, and to secure a knockout against Koga's strongest Pokémon.
  
  Yet, it seemed like I still underestimated just how good Crobat's reaction speeds were, and the sheer speed at which it could dodge. And now Ornstein was badly poisoned, and even with Ornstein's impressive speed, he was now faced off against an opponent that was somehow still far faster than it.
  
  Therefore, knowing that Ornstein was on a timer, it was now Koga's turn to stay out of reach as he reversed the situation that I had with Pixel against his Seviper.
  
  Ornstein fought hard despite the situation. He valiantly held his ground as he unleashed his entire arsenal of Special Attacks, trying to bring down Crobat with a volley of Ice Beams and Thunderbolts, or even trying to slow it down with a Scary Face or an Icy Wind. But Koga gave Ornstein no chance to reverse the situation, playing it extremely safe by keeping his Crobat well out of reach and focus entirely on dodging.
  
  And just like with Pixel, any Taunts that Ornstein fired off were not very effective. Crobat most definitely had the ingrained mental discipline to not succumb to such Taunts and continued to heed its trainer's orders.
  
  In this situation, I realised that there was only one option available to me.
  
  "REST NOW!"
  
  "Finish the job, Crobat."
  
  Knowing that the situation was hopeless for Ornstein after it got poisoned, I knew that my only hope was to instantly purge the poison from Ornstein - no matter the price. So as Ornstein fell into a regenerative sleep, Crobat instantly capitalised on that by falling into a dive as it prepared a Brave Bird.
  
  Seconds later, Crobat came violently crashing into the sleeping Ornstein with a Brave Bird Cross Poison combo, reapplying the poison. However, this woke up Ornstein, who instantly retaliated with the quickest attack he could perform - a Night Slash - and slashed deeply into one of Crobat's wings that knocked it off-course.
  
  Crobat counterattacked with a X-Scissor, only for it to be blocked by Ornstein with an Obstruct before he used his other arm to land a crackling Thunder Punch that struck Crobat right in the face.
  
  "Whirlwind, force it away!"
  
  "TAUNT IT AGAIN!"
  
  Knowing that this was my only opportunity to take down Crobat, I had Ornstein fire off a Taunt as fast as he possibly could. However, an Air Slash from Crobat came even quicker, firing off a blade of air that caused Ornstein to flinch for just long enough that Crobat was able to release the massive storm of wind that it had rapidly gathered within its wings.
  
  Ornstein did his best to hold his ground, but the incoming storm of gale winds was too strong, and Ornstein was blown backwards. This easily gave Crobat enough space to take to the skies once more, once again far out of reach of Ornstein.
  
  To make matters worse, as his Rest had been disrupted, Ornstein had only recovered a small portion of his health, and that meant that it only took several more Air Slashes and the constant damage from the poison to eventually bring Ornstein down.
  
  ...It was unfortunate. I had hoped that Ornstein had enough speed and close-quarters ability to create opportunities for himself to bring down even as agile of a fighter as Koga's Crobat, but it seems like the latter proved just a little too quick even for Ornstein.
  
  But perhaps that would change in the future.
  
  I gave Koga a nod of respect as I withdrew my fallen Ornstein from the fight. His Crobat had definitely surprised me, even despite the research that I had done.
  
  However, as the two of us sent out our final Pokémon, now it was my time to show off.
  
  "Come, Ariados!"
  
  "Vordt, flood the skies."
  
  How do you squash a Bug? Vordt's answer was simple - just throw a rock at it. And if one rock wasn't enough, then send a dozen. If a dozen still failed? Then throw hundreds, until even the sky itself was blocked out by the sheer number of rocks raining down like meteors from above.
  
  Oh sure, Ariados was agile. It was quick, far quicker than most of its own species. It was even dexterous, capable of using its own string to slingshot itself in and around the falling rocks with incredible precision.
  
  None of that mattered when there were enough rocks crashing down around you to literally bury Koga's half of the arena. A literal avalanche of rocks all descended on Ariados, and it desperately scrambled to not get crushed beneath it all.
  
  And, if that display of power wasn't enough, the arena suddenly burst open at the seams as it was ripped apart by an utterly devastating Earthquake from Vordt, throwing Ariados into the air as it was knocked up by the explosive tremors.
  
  All that agility and powerful poisons meant nothing when an enormous chunk of rock crashed down on top of Ariados, smashing the Bug against the ground. Then, with Ariados now pinned to the ground, Vordt proceeded to charge forwards with a Headlong Rush - mercilessly colliding into it and sending it flying into the psychic shields.
  
  Needless to say, Ariados did not get up from that. The sheer overwhelming power differential was too much between our Pokémon. It was probably a little overkill from me, but I had my own pride. I wanted to firmly remind the audience that even with the display that Pixel and Ornstein had given, they were both some of my newer Pokémon. Vordt's demonstration was what it was truly like to fight against me.
  
  He was no mere Elite level Pokémon. He had long surpassed that limitation.
  
  And all this was without Vordt having a Guts boost. Only because Vordt might actually deal permanent damage to Ariados if he had been boosted.
  
  The crowd had been momentarily stunned to silence at Vordt's devastating display of power, but they quickly shook themselves out of their shock as they roared in excitement at Vordt's victory and for the battle between Koga and I.
  
  Sure, this was just a show match that had a different format to regular battles, and Koga definitely didn't show off his full arsenal of tricks and abilities with his showing today. So some might think that because this wasn't a 'true' battle, that there was nothing to gain from such a victory.
  
  But that was wrong. I could see it in the eyes of the public as they shouted and cheered for my Ursaluna. All they would be thinking about was just how effortlessly Vordt managed to crush an Elite Four's Pokémon.
  
  As if he was just squashing a Bug.
  
  A.N. The circuit is about to begin! As for the match between Koga and John, I wanted to use this opportunity to highlight Pixel and its new firepower in particular. Like it was mentioned in the chapter, this was its opportunity to really show off the power of its evolution and what it means to fight against a Pokémon that can change its Type at will.
  
  At the same time, I also wanted to show that Koga isn't just going to get completely steamrolled by John, and the sheer speed that his Crobat can get to HAS to be respected. Without access to the same Psychic moves that Will did, most of John's team would have issues dealing with a Pokémon THAT fast.
  
  But with Vordt, he doesn't have that problem - as I'm sure you can see. Sometimes, speed and agility just isn't going to be enough when a Pokémon like Vordt can literally bury the arena in an endless tide of rocks. Of course, in a proper 6v6 fight, Koga would be able to pull off more shenanigans that would help even out the battle a bit. But he didn't have the opportunity to do so here, and this was the result. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-6 - Icy Rock
  
  With my fight against Koga over, the two of us returned to the audience stands while Karen and Lorelei took our place. Surprisingly, I didn't see Lance anywhere here, so I figured he must have been dealing with something else.
  
  Koga struck up a conversation with me as the two of us sat down, where we exchanged our thoughts about the battle that just took place.
  
  "You didn't want to take any chances with me when you sent out your Ursaluna, right?" He said to me.
  
  "Wanted to make sure that I won." I nodded, "And what better way is there to deal with an agile opponent than to overwhelm it with sheer number of attacks? No matter how fast you are, you can't dodge everything."
  
  "Mhm. I do not disagree there; if I were in your position I would do the same thing." He agreed, "Though if our battle had been a standard one, perhaps there would be more opportunities for me to counter such a terrifyingly powerful Pokémon."
  
  "Oh? How would you do that?" I asked, genuinely curious, "If you don't mind revealing it."
  
  "It would have to involve a lot of switching around and a lot of set up moves - that's all I'll say." He said, "But I admit that it has been quite the headache trying to come up with ways to take down trainers like you or Lance, who have so many powerful Pokémon that you could bring to bear against me. My strategy doesn't work as well against those."
  
  That made sense. You were only allowed so many switches in a battle, so it wasn't a reliable way to take down my full team of heavy bruisers.
  
  Nevertheless, our conversation was cut short as the battle between Lorelei and Karen began.
  
  "Go! Crawdaunt!"
  
  "Glalie, freeze the field!"
  
  Karen and Lorelei sent out their Crawdaunt and Glalie respectively. As per usual, Crawdaunt broke out into a sprint, dashing forwards with an Aqua Jet as it rapidly closed the gap against Glalie while firing off a Taunt. Yet even before the Taunt could land, the Snow had already been set up.
  
  Despite this, Crawdaunt still closed in with a Brick Break, before a chunk of ice suddenly erupted out from the ground, knocking Crawdaunt back slightly as its charge was interrupted.
  
  "Blizzard, Glalie!"
  
  Now with the Snow setting in, an enormous Blizzard was instantly whipped up right on top of the Crawdaunt, who scrambled desperately out of the way as to not be caught inside it. Crawdaunt managed to slam a Brick Break into Glalie's face, but was then struck by a precisely aimed Ice Beam just as the Dark type was trying to retreat.
  
  Small patches of frost began to grow over Crawdaunt's body, despite its resistance to Ice attacks. To make things worse for Crawdaunt, the Blizzard that had formed had yet to dissipate and was causing the temperature of the battlefield to rapidly plummet as it sent howling winds of ice blowing in all directions.
  
  "Taunt and Dig, Crawdaunt!"
  
  The Dark type did just that; reapplying the Taunt before burrowing away into the ground and out of the way of the Blizzard. The Taunt sunk in for Glalie, causing its eyes to grow red with rage as it began to lose control of its discipline.
  
  In its rage, Glalie diverted more and more energy into the already-powerful Blizzard, turning it into a massive snowstorm that was quickly able to freeze over the entire battlefield in a layer of ice.
  
  After a moment's pause, which I suspected that Crawdaunt used to buff itself up with a Swords Dance while underground, the Dark type burst out from the ground and brutally smashedGlalie with a critical Brick Break.
  
  But Lorelei seemed ready for it.
  
  "Use Blizzard on yourself, Glalie!"
  
  Without any hesitation, a secondBlizzard formed right on top of Glalie, which also managed to catch Crawdaunt as well as the latter's momentum was locked from its earlier attack. Crawdaunt tried to jet away with an Aqua Jet, but it was rapidly slowed down by the Blizzard until it became completely frozen over - turning into a frozen statue that was completely at Glalie's mercy.
  
  And Glalie didn't have much to spare.
  
  "HYPER BEAM!"
  
  Pushing through its injuries, Glalie reared its head back before unleashing a shining ray of condescend energy, cutting right through the snowstorm as it struck the frozen Crawdaunt dead in the chest. Crawdaunt could do nothing but let out a pained cry as it was blasted back by the Hyper Beam and pinned to the psychic shields around the arena.
  
  As Crawdaunt was pinned, Glalie used the last of its energies to manoeuvre the first Blizzard on top of the pinned Crawdaunt, battering the already-injured Dark type with more cuttingly cold winds and freezing it over once more.
  
  There was no need for a second Hyper Beam. The Crawdaunt was already knocked out, with Glalie nearly following suit but just managing to hang on.
  
  The crowd burst into a loud and raucous applause as Karen's Pokémon was taken down. In the meanwhile, I was privately amazed by just how much Lorelei had grown as a trainer. In her 'debut' battle against Walker, her team was barely enough to scrape over the finish line and secure her place in the Elite Four. Against Surge, her performance was more dominant, but I still somewhat felt like Pryce was her better.
  
  But now, she almost looked unstoppable in the Snow. The fact that her Glalie was able to nearly instantaneously freeze over a Crawdaunt, a Pokémon that resisted Ice, was testament to just how potent her Ice type attacks had become.
  
  Even Karen looked a little surprised by this outcome too, judging by the perplexed frown adorned on her face. Still, she recovered quickly, and though the Snow was still coming down and the arena still frozen over, the two silently agreed to keep going regardless and sent out their next Pokémon.
  
  "Come on out, Tyranitar!"
  
  "Lapras! Show them what you've got!"
  
  A vortex of sand was whipped up as Tyranitar landed onto the field, with a Sandstorm beginning to set in. However, before the Sandstorm could even form, a howling gust of cold wind dispersed the sands, forcing the Snow to remain in place.
  
  "Cripple it, Tyranitar!"
  
  "Blizzard, Lapras!"
  
  Knowing it was unlikely to win the weather war, Tyranitar instead fired off a bolt of twitching darkness towards Lapras. The Blizzard that Lapras was trying to form was immediately interrupted as it stumbled from all the debilitating status conditions (consisting of Taunt, Torment, and a flinch from Dark Pulse) that it was just infected with.
  
  Then the rocks came crashing down.
  
  Lorelei's starter was buried under a huge avalanche of rocks, though lesser in number than the seemingly unending tide that Vordt managed to create. But before Tyranitar could follow up with a Thunderbolt, Lapras broke free by firing off a powerful Hydro Pump, shattering the rocks with a huge torrent of water that Tyranitar blocked with a Protect.
  
  Now free, a Blizzard was once again whipped up right on top of Tyranitar, though this time Tyranitar tried to fend off the attack with a Flamethrower. Yet the Blizzard that formed was not a typical one, as the usually scorching flames were seemingly ineffective against the rapidly growing Blizzard; the sheer amount of Ice energy contained within was too strong for it.
  
  Realising this, Karen switched tactics.
  
  "Outrage and Earthquake!"
  
  "TYRANITARRRR!" Unleashing a mighty roar to the skies, Tyranitar explodedwith draconic energies as it slammed its fists against the icy ground, instantly shattering the arena as a terrifying Earthquake split everything apart.
  
  Lapras threw up a Protect shield to block the attack, but Tyranitar was far from done as a field of rocks erupted out from the ground and impaled Lapras from below that sent Lapras sprawling to the ground in pain. But as this was all happening, the Blizzard that Lapras had formed had completely engulfed Tyranitar, who remained too slow to move out of the way in time.
  
  Large patches of frost instantly began spreading over Tyranitar's body. In desperation, Tyranitar let out another roar as it flared out all of its Dark energy, but it wasn't enough to disperse the Blizzard. Even its Outrage was nullified by the overwhelming amount of Ice energy battering into it. It even tried to fend off the cold with another Flamethrower, but that was like trying to stay warm with a candle.
  
  Despite all of the might and strength that it had shown off against Agatha's Gengar, against Lorelei's strongest Pokémon and starter? Tyranitar's strength didn't transfer well. At the end of the day, Karen was a Dark specialist, not a Fire one. And unlike Crawdaunt, Tyranitar didn't resist Ice.
  
  So Karen's once mighty Pokémon was also unceremoniously frozen over, and we all knew what was coming. Without being able to defend itself, Lapras was free to charge up a powerful Focus Blast, and devastate the frozen Tyranitar with a quadruply supereffective attack.
  
  Though Tyranitar wasn't knocked out from that attack, valiantly demonstrating its raw resilience, it mattered little. Even after being broken out of its frozen state, Tyranitar was still heavily slowed from the lingering remnants of ice covering its form, and Lapras ruthlessly capitalised on this by bombarding the Rock/Dark type with further Focus Blasts.
  
  Impressively, Tyranitar hung on for quite a bit longer - far more than I expected despite taking repeated hits by quadruply supereffective attacks, while even managing to fight back with a couple of hard hitting Stone Edges and Dark Pulses - but unfortunately for Karen, Lapras was just a little too tanky to be brought down from this.
  
  Ultimately, Lapras managed to slowly bring Tyranitar down by slowing its speed to a crawl and repeatedly freezing the Rock type over and over again, until Lapras eventually claimed the win.
  
  I joined in with the crowd's clapping at Lorelei's second win, this time more shocked than amazed. Out of everything I had expected from Lorelei, I truly didn't think she'd be able to defeat Karen's Tyranitar this cleanly. Sure, Lapras took some big hits, but a win was a win.
  
  It made me begin to mentally reassess my Pokémon's chances against Lorelei's Pokémon. Obviously, her Glalie and Lapras were her strongest Pokémon, so assuming she didn't have too much hidden under her sleeve, this was as strong as she got. Her other Pokémon wouldn't be able to match this level of strength.
  
  However, what she showed off today was veryfearsome and had to be respected. Previously, Lorelei's biggest weakness was the delay that it took to set up the Snow. But now, she had proven that even against the likes of Karen and her Taunts, she could still have the Snow reliably set up.
  
  And she was trulydevastating within that Snow, managing to defeat one of Karen's strongest Pokémon just like that; though admittedly it was a poor matchup for Karen. I don't think Karen expected Lorelei to put up this well of a fight.
  
  However, against something like Karen's Weavile, which was immune to being frozen thanks to its Ice typing, I felt like Lorelei would struggle significantly to deal with such a fast attacker like that.
  
  Overall, I realised that winning the weather war against Lorelei was not just beneficial, but rather essential to beating her. That meant that Sunny Day and Rain Dances must be trained up for my team to counter the Snow. Barring that, I needed to completely overwhelm and shut down Lorelei's Pokémon before they could make use of the Snow. Perhaps very speedy and agile attackers that hit very hard would counter her too? Her Glalie didn't look all that resilient, honestly. Nor did Lapras, even if it was more defensively inclined.
  
  Mentally jotting down my thoughts, I turned back to see that Karen and Lorelei had released their final Pokémon, having sent out a Houndoom and Froslass respectively.
  
  And very quickly it was made apparent that, this time, there was no such dominance from Lorelei.
  
  Houndoom immediately flooded the entire arena in a sea of black flames, melting the ice that had once covered the arena. Froslass tried to counter it with another Blizzard, but Houndoom's flames were on a different level. Not only was the Blizzard completely nullified before it could even form, but the Snow above was also dispersed as a Sunny Day transformed the weather.
  
  Now deprived of her greatest asset, Froslass wasn't able to out speed the charging Houndoom, who caught up to Froslass with a Pursuit and bit down with a scorching Fire Fang. The frail Ice type let out a wail of pain and desperately tried to push Houndoom away with a Water Pulse.
  
  It did nothing, and Houndoom regained some pride for her trainer as she Crunched down hard and unleashed a point-blank Fire Blast that explodedright on top of Froslass. The scorching flames enveloped Froslass' injured form, torching it into unconsciousness.
  
  Without the defense boost from the Snow, Lorelei's Ice types were very frail.
  
  Karen's quick victory was met with a stunned silence from the crowd. Many of them looked surprised and shocked that Lorelei would lose the final round just like that - especially after how dominant Lorelei had been for the past two rounds.
  
  But that was about what I expected. Lorelei fighting without the Snow, and against a Pokémon that was faster than her, was like night and day. And Houndoom was a perfect counter to Lorelei's whole team.
  
  Karen just reminded everyone that if she couldn't freeze you over, Lorelei was manageable. It was just finding a way to prevent that which was difficult.
  
  Nevertheless, I was happy with the two battles that we showed off today, and Lance seemed to agree as he suddenly reappeared and took to the stage once more.
  
  "CAN WE GIVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE ELITE FOUR THAT JUST BATTLED?!" He shouted, and the crowd erupted into raucous cheers once more. He allowed the applause to continue for a moment before stopping it with a wave of his fist.
  
  "As you can see - thatis the strength of an Elite Four trainer. That is the level of strength that I wish every trainer here today will one day be able to achieve. Every battle that you witnessed today was performed by a trainer that has fully mastered the Type that they have spent hours, weeks, and years to train up and master. In today's battles, every one of them had shown off their own unique techniques that they have carefully honed themselves. At the highest level of battling, thisis what you must do. Your Pokémon cannot be simply copies of the most popular strategies available online. You must add your own unique flair to them. Or barring that, you must refine those strategies to the point where they become unique in how perfect your execution of them becomes."
  
  He allowed the crowd a moment to process his words before he concluded his speech, "However, I have one last surprise for the many of you gathered here before we can fully open up the circuit. I understand that we might be running late - but I couldn't just watch my Elite Four fighting and be left out! I have to participate too!"
  
  The crowd let out a collective shocked gasp, before they shouted out in excitement at the fact that the Champion was going to be in a battle. Occasions like these were always rare, especially when Pryce was Champion.
  
  "And who will be my partner be?! Well, he might as well show himself now! Come on out - Brock!"
  
  Karen, who had just returned to the spectator stands with Lorelei, whipped her head around with such speed I was afraid it was going to snap. Her mouth was left hanging open as she watched Brock walk onto the stage; any thoughts of her earlier battle long forgotten.
  
  He looked visibly nervous, as if he had no idea why he had been called up for such a battle. Knowing Lance, Brock probably didn't know about these plans until the very last minute. However, I started to reconsider this as I watched Brock slowly gain back his confidence as he approached his spot in the arena. Perhaps he knew about this fight beforehand after all.
  
  "That liar." I heard Karen whisper, "He should have told me that he had a fight like this! I could have helped him prepare!"
  
  She whirled onto me, "Why did he not tell me?"
  
  I had no idea why she thought I had the answer, but I humoured her with a shrug, "Maybe he just didn't want to rely on you. He could want to stand on his own two feet."
  
  "Young Brock is currently not a Gym Leader; his Gym is still held in a regency. This may be his chance to prove himself suitable for the position." Koga agreed, "Win, or lose."
  
  "...How strong is Brock?" Lorelei asked, "Obviously, Lance is going to hold back. I think. But it's going to be a slaughter out there if he isn't strong enough."
  
  "He'll be fine. I know he's been training hard." Despite her words, Karen didn't look all that confident, "I just hope that Lance actually knows the meaning of holding back. I won't forgive him if he humiliates Brock on stage like this."
  
  "I'm sure he knows how to hold back." I reassured, "Beyond all that bluster is a showman. Remember what Will said - Lance wouldn't be wearing that cape otherwise."
  
  Karen looked to respond, but chose to remain silent as Lance spoke up again, "Some may be wondering why I have chosen to fight against Brock. Well, as the first Gym Leader of Kanto, he represents the first challenge that many of you will have to face. However, there has been a common misconception that just because the Pewter and Violet City Gyms represent the first Badges of their regions somehow means that their respective Gym Leaders are weak. And I know that with Pewter especially, those doubts are exacerbated due to the regency."
  
  "Well I shall use this opportunity to dispel any and all doubt." He threw his arms wide, "Brock - SHOW ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT! BATTLE ME WITH YOUR BEST THREE POKÉMON! PROVE TO ME THAT YOU TAKE DOWN ONE OF MY BEST!"
  
  I instantly understood what Lance was proposing. Like the rest of us, Brock would have three Pokémon. And Lance was challenging Brock to see if he could take down just oneof his Pokémon. It might not seem like much, but that would still be an incredible feat.
  
  Lance didn't bother waiting for Brock's response before he sent out his Pokémon, "COME, DRAGONITE!"
  
  I heard Karen let out a sigh of relief as Lance sent out one of his regular Dragonites...and not Emperor. The latter would have been wayoverkill. This was still winnable for Brock.
  
  I watched as Brock's eyes met with Dragonite, and with visibly steeled nerves, he sent out his first challenger.
  
  "Go, Sudowoodo!"
  
  His Sudowoodo emerged from its Pokéball and instantly fired off a Taunt at Dragonite, who was all too eager to accept the affliction. Using the Taunt to fuel its own primal rage, Dragonite exploded forth with power, falling into a sharp dive as it looked to crash straight into Sudowoodo.
  
  However, Sudowoodo was ready for this. Just as Dragonite got close to the ground, a minefield of rocks suddenly erupted from the ground that sent spears of stone stabbing into its body, causing Dragonite to let out a pained roar as it stumbled through the stony trap. Taking advantage of Dragonite's momentary disorientation, Sudowoodo hurled mud into its eyes with a Mud Slap, blinding the Dragon and causing its Dragon Claw to miss.
  
  Enraged at this humiliation, Dragonite's aura instantly flared to the max as it triggered an Outrage; the sudden burst of draconic aura instantly burning away the mud that had been blinding it. Yet it was at this moment that Sudowoodo closed the distance, smashing it with a Foul Play that took full advantage of the sudden attack boost that Dragonite's Outrage just gave it.
  
  Dragonite, a Pokémon that was known for being at the pinnacle of power, actually stumbledbackwards from the blow. Then Sudowoodo crashed their heads together one last time with a fully powered Head Smash, the powerful supereffective blow bringing Dragonite momentarily onto its knees.
  
  Karen cheered loudly at that performance, and she screamed for Brock to finish off the Dragonite with an Ice Punch. As if he could hear her thoughts, Brock ordered exactly that.
  
  Unfortunately, that was when his luck ended. Instead of bringing down the Dragonite, Sudowoodo's Ice-infused fist was caught by a snarling and enraged Dragonite, who was sending the Rock type a burning glare full of vengeful hatred.
  
  Sudowoodo could only let out a surprised yelp before it was yankedtowards Dragonite and was brutally clotheslined, sending it to the ground. Then a massive Outrage-boosted fist came crashing down on its face, cracking a huge hole in the ground from the impact. Despite being literally pinned under a terrifying Dragon, Sudowoodo held on valiantly and did its best to counterattack with a Stone Edge, but Dragonite merely ignored its injuries as it continued pummelling the Sudowoodo with repeated Brick Breaks.
  
  A final Iron Head put down the Sudowoodo. But it had done its job. For Brock, this was a marathon, not a sprint. Sudowoodo had forced an Outrage out of Lance, and had done some good damage. That was enough.
  
  It seemed like he had taken some good lessons from Karen - and probably Sidney as well, from what Karen told me of their friendship.
  
  His next Pokémon he sent out was a Rhydon, and he took advantage of Dragonite's injuries to rush in before it could take flight into the skies again. But this time, Dragonite was also ready for its opponent.
  
  The two exchanged blows, with Dragonite delivering a powerful Brick Break to the face, while Rhydon countered with its own supereffective Ice Punch. Yet the difference in strength was clear, as Rhydon was the one to stagger backwards from the force of the impact.
  
  "Dragon Rush, Dragonite!"
  
  "Keep Ice Punching, Rhydon!"
  
  With a roar, Dragonite moved, rushing into Rhydon and hitting it with the full impact of its charge. Rhydon skidded backwards, but its incredible defenses meant that it managed to barely catch the charging Dragon in its claws - while doing its best to break its charge by pummelling Ice Punch after Ice Punch into its side. But fuelled by Outrage as it was, Dragonite was almost completely ignorant of the pain it was feeling, instead sending Rhydon tumbling to the ground with a sneaky Low Kick.
  
  However, as Rhydon fell to the ground, it surprised Dragonite by unleashing a point-blank Earthquake that managed to stumble the Dragon, sending the Aqua Tail that it tried to strike with to go completely wide. Exploiting this, Rhydon launched itself off the ground by propelling itself upwards with a rock, before slugging Dragonite with another powerful Ice Punch.
  
  This time, both Pokémon came crashing to the ground. Even better, that last Ice Punch must have scored a critical hit, because it finally knocked Dragonite out of its Outrage as the confusion set in.
  
  But even if it was confused, this was still a Dragonite that was trained by Lance. It might not be Emperor, but this was a powerfulbeast. The two Pokémon remained entangled on the ground; engaged in a chaotic brawl. The two Pokémon continuously beat down on each other, where Ice Punches and Brick Breaks were constantly exchanged with unrelenting brutality.
  
  Yet the strength difference was too noticeable. Even without Outrage, Dragonite simply overpowered Rhydon. Eventually, despite its best efforts, Rhydon fell to Dragonite's overwhelming might, leaving Brock with only one Pokémon left.
  
  But Dragonite was doing little better. Even if it had won, the injuries it had gained was really starting to mount. It breathed heavily, and its wings were so badly damaged that I doubted that it could fly any longer. It also walked with a noticeable limp, and there was a huge bruise covering its face.
  
  It was on the brink of collapse. Brock just needed to finish the job. And judging by the blazing look of determination that he had, he knew it too.
  
  "Go, Golem! Bring it down!"
  
  Brock's final Pokémon wasted no time as it simply barrelled into the wounded Dragonite with a Rollout, sending it tumbling back onto the ground. The Brick Break that came in response from Dragonite nearly knocked the wind out of Golem, but the Rock type held firm and unleashed a point-blank Earthquake while it kept the Dragonite pinned under it.
  
  Then, even as the Earthquake was still going, Golem released a Stone Edge from right below Dragonite, further impaling the Dragon with a barrage of sharp rocks.
  
  However, despite the combo of moves, Dragonite refusedto go down. Its pride wouldn't allow it. And so, as the Earthquake petered out, Dragonite let out a defiant roar as it willeditself to keep fighting; to not be knocked out.
  
  But Brock gave it no opportunity to make a reversal.
  
  "Explode, Golem."
  
  In a moment of pure decisiveness, Golem let out a mocking laugh as it suddenly detonated in a blinding burst of white light - sending out powerful shockwaves everywhere. Dragonite, who was caught face-first in the blast, had no opportunity to block or to resist the attack in any way. The explosion cared not for its defiance, and the Dragon was launched backwards through the air until it crashed into the psychic shields.
  
  I watched as Dragonite's fallen form slid down the psychic shields - it had been knocked out.
  
  It had taken three of his Pokémon to do so, but Brock had actually managed to take down one of Lance's Dragonites. A Pokémon that was thesymbol of Lance's strength.
  
  Nor was Lance holding back at all. This was his Dragonite fighting to win, and it had lost.
  
  I turned and saw that Karen was grinning wildly, and her eyes were locked onto the proud look of relief that was on Brock's face. It might not seem like much, but this was a massive achievement for him. To take down a Champion's Pokémon, even at the cost of three of his own, was a powerful feat. And everyone knew it.
  
  The big smile on Lance's face confirmed my thoughts, though his next words would surprise me - in a good way.
  
  "Brock! Congratulations on your victory!" He boomed out, "Despite the struggles that have ailed you, you have clearly not allowed them to take control of your life, and have continued to fight the hard fight and uphold the integrity of your Gym. Today was proof of that dedication, and I shall honour your efforts."
  
  "From now on, the Pewter Gym shall no longer be held by a regent. Gym Leader Brock, you have clearly proven that you have the mental willpower and strength to be an effective Gym Leader. Therefore, I now deem your regency at an end, and for you to become a proper Gym Leader. Congratulations, you've more than earned it."
  
  The loud applause and cheers from everyone was a demonstration of our collective approval for this decision. Brock had more than earned it.
  
  "And now, I hope everyone watching has been sufficiently inspired by the battles before you! Because finally, I SHALL ANNOUNCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR'S INDIGO CIRCUIT! TRAINERS, YOUR JOURNEY HAS NOW BEGUN!"
  
  "I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT YOUR VERY BEST!"
  
  A.N. Surprise! It's Brock! I thought it was about time that we had a demonstration of all the background training that he's been doing, and what better way to do so than in a fight with the Champion himself. He has grown much since the start of the story, and though it took three of his Pokémon to do so, he actually managed to bring down a Dragonite. And as a fitting reward, he's now actually the Gym Leader of Pewter without need for a regent.
  
  As for Lorelei, we've not seen her at her best in some time, and likewise I wanted to show just how much her team has developed since all those chapters ago. While she didn't have the best showing against Lucian with her weaker Pokémon, this time she's shown off just how strong she could be if the conditions are right.
  
  Yes, she is incredibly reliant on Snow for her Blizzards to be as powerful as they are, so she does have her weaknesses. But within the Snow, the ability to constantly freeze over your Pokémon is very difficult to deal with.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-6 - Interlude -Brock
  The New Normal - 13-6 - Interlude - Brock
  
  He had done it. It was a close run thing, and his strength was almost insufficient, but he had actually managed to bring down one of Lance's Dragonite in a relatively convincing fashion. Sure, he might not have needed to Explode his Golem, but both Karen and Sidney had taught him when it was better to not take risks; to do everything you could to secure the win.
  
  And that was certainly one of them.
  
  But as he heard the announcer crown him as victor, he let out a sigh of relief as he could now could officially become the Gym Leader of Pewter in truth. There was no need to worry about a regent any longer.
  
  More importantly, he was finally relieved of his ever-lingering fear that his siblings would be evicted from the Gym should he prove unworthy of holding the position. If that did happen, then they would be forced to rely on Karen and Agatha's charity once again - to be a burden for them once more.
  
  However, that was no longer a worry. He had passed the 'test'. The Gym was now his.
  
  This whole thing had been an unexpected, but very much welcome, opportunity for him. Never in a million years did he expect Lance to call him the day before the ceremony began, asking if he would be amenable to a battle against him. He was never going to refuse, but before he could give his acceptance, Lance had come to him with such an offer - the Gym was his if he won.
  
  He didn't know what was going through the Champion's head when he came to Brock with this proposal. Perhaps Lance was aware of their circumstances? Maybe John had spoken to him about it? But if so, then he knew that John would have undoubtedly told Karen, who would have dashed over to the Gym and helped him train up for the fight against Lance.
  
  He was glad she didn't though. Not because he didn't appreciate her help or kindness, but because this was something he wanted to do himself.
  
  He wanted to prove that he could stand on his own two feet and achieve a powerful victory. That he had indeed been a good student and absorbed everything that he could from his patient teachers. And judging by the enthusiastic clapping from every member inside the VIP booth, he knew he had done them proud.
  
  Of course, he wasn't able to linger on the afterglow of his victory for too long. Right after the ceremony was over, he didn't even have a moment to speak with Karen before he was unceremoniously dumped back into his duties as a Gym Leader. He had absolutely no time to rest as he was now required to deal with the entire horde of trainers that were now standing outside his Gym, waiting for their turn to challenge the Gym as the Indigo Circuit finally began once more.
  
  This initial flood of trainers really stress tested the capabilities of his Gym and its Gym Trainers, but they seem to be hanging on well. He was especially proud of both his siblings, Forrest and Yolanda, who held out well in their duties despite the frightening numbers.
  
  The first day of the Circuit was always bad, and by the time the sun had set, he was utterly wracked with exhaustion. He hadn't a moment to rest this entire time. However, seeing the new looks of undisguised awe that he got from several of these new trainers - when they had never looked at him like this before - always managed to cheer him up and give him a boost of energy.
  
  His victory over Lance had really changed their image of him. He had proven that he was a worthy Gym Leader.
  
  Finally, once the day came to an end and the Gym closed, he and his siblings returned home, where a celebration had been prepared for his victory. Karen was, naturally, already there, helping with the preparations. Normally he would be helping out too, but everyone insisted that as the guest of honour he just needed to sit down and let himself be served.
  
  The food looked delectable, and they clearly had splurged on something nice for him. However, just before he could take a bite out of his food, the door rang.
  
  At first, he didn't think much of it. There were always a trainer or two that thought ringing up the house meant that Brock would accept a challenge from them, and it was usually Forrest's job to tell them to go away.
  
  Yet instead of doing that, Forrest came dashing back with a worried look on his face. And then came the words that he dreaded to hear.
  
  "...Brock...Flint's at the door."
  
  The room instantly fell silent at the declaration - even the youngest twins had caught onto the mood and followed along.
  
  Forrest's words turned his brain into a mess; what do you say to your father that abandoned you?
  
  He immediately turned to the rest of his siblings, focusing on Forrest, Salvadore, and Yolanda in particular. They were the oldest after him, and they could relate the most to how he felt now. There were a few nights that they had spent idly discussing what they would do if their parents ever showed up at their door again.
  
  They never came to a decision, though all three of them agreed to back him in whatever decision that he made. Ever since Flint abandoned his post, he was no longer considered a Gym Leader. While the Gym was under regency, the Gym technically belonged to the League. But now, with his victory, it fell back to Brock. So Flint couldn't steal the position away from him.
  
  He turned and gave his three siblings a look that conveyed a silent question, and the minute nods that he received told him enough. They would continue to stand by him.
  
  Then he felt a reassuring hand be placed on his shoulder, and he turned up to see Karen staring at him with a reassuring smile.
  
  "...It's okay, Brock. Even though I can't know for sure what you're thinking, do what you think is right." She told him gently, "If you want to invite him back, then do so. If not, then I'll help you 'escort' him away if you don't want to be the one doing it."
  
  "...Do you think I should try to forgive him?" He asked uncertainly.
  
  "That's up to you." She replied, rubbing his shoulders gently, "At the end of the day, he is your father. I don't have the right to step in between that, even if I so desperately want to. But your family trust you, Brock. It's your decision to make."
  
  A part of him did actually want to forgive him. Not for himself, but for the sake of their family. Flint's abandonment had caused bitterness to fill his heart... but he knew that not all of his siblings felt the same way, especially the younger ones.
  
  At the end of the day, Flint was still their father. Was it right to deprive them of that?
  
  It took him a moment, but he finally made a decision as the feelings and words that he had long since pressed down came bubbling back up to the surface. He let out a breath, and steeled himself for what was to come.
  
  "Want me to speak to him for you?" Karen asked concernedly, obviously noticing the myriad of complicated emotions swirling in his eyes.
  
  "No." He shook his head firmly, "I will do it."
  
  Before he could begin doubting himself, he marched himself to the door. He flung it open, and finally came face to face with his father.
  
  The man who had abandoned them to 'look for their mother', uncaring about how he and his many siblings could even look after themselves.
  
  The man who had abandoned the Gym, forcing all of them to struggle and beg for the Indigo League to keep the Gym afloat - relying on their mercy to get by.
  
  The man who had abandoned his virtues to appease his cowardice.
  
  As soon as he saw him, Flint stared at him with a weak smile, which only made him look all the more pathetic in Brock's eyes. Brock scanned the man in front of him, taking note of Flint's tattered clothes, his eyes lined with tiredness and stress, and his emasculated appearance.
  
  Flint was clearly in a pretty rough shape. Yet, in the back of his mind, he was glad about that. Flint shouldn't be living in luxury after everything he had done.
  
  "Brock... it's... it's me." He said with a hesitant stutter, "I saw your victory - I didn't know you had it in you. You must be happy about your victory. You did so well."
  
  Flint peeked inside, "Oh, are you having a party? That's... that's good. It's always nice to reward yourself after such a victory."
  
  That was it. That was all he said. There was no apology about his actions - no begging for forgiveness for all the wrong that he had done. His eyes didn't even look guilty; as if he was trying to brush everything he had done off and 'start fresh' with them.
  
  As if what he had done could be brushed away.
  
  No. That was Flint's last and only chance to repair their relationship, and he had completely blown it. The man in front of him was not some man seeking forgiveness, or a man trying to right his wrongs. He was simply doing what he did best - trying to pretend like nothing bad had ever happened.
  
  Flint hadn't changed one bit. He was still in denial.
  
  Therefore, he knew that the decision he had made was correct. And he uttered the three words that he had been wanting to say to the man if they had ever met again.
  
  "Fuck off, Flint." He stared down the coward, a burning hatred blazing in his eyes. Flint recoiled at his words as a hurt look instantly spread across his face. But Brock didn't let that affect him as he pressed forwards.
  
  "Leave. You are not wanted here. Today is a milestone for the family - a day where we have once again regained control of the Gym after your abandonment of it. A day that marks the end of some of the darkest times in our lives - days that we had to struggle through because of you. So I will not say it again Flint. Fuck off, and don't come back."
  
  Then he slammed the door in Flint's face, not even bothering to hear his next words. Had he stayed, he was prepared to call the Jennys to escort him out, but he left within a minute of Brock's rejection.
  
  Once Flint disappeared from sight, he let out a breath that he didn't even realize he was holding. It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and a dark chapter of their lives had finally been closed behind them.
  
  He felt a little bad for the younger kids. For the decision that he had made for them. Yet he knew in his heart that the decision that he made was the right one.
  
  Returning to the dining table, he saw the older of his siblings all looking at him with firm but approving smiles. Likewise, Karen had pulled him into a tight but reassuring hug, silently telling him that everything would be okay.
  
  And as the conversation began to pick back up and people started happily chewing down on the large assortment of food in front of them as they celebrated his success - Brock let out a small smile of his own at the sight.
  
  Yes. Things were going to be okay.
  
  A.N. I hope that the scene was as cathartic to you as it was for Brock. Maybe some of you might feel that I was a little too harsh on Flint, but I've always held a very dim view on him. Plus, I felt like this Brock would be less willing to invite him back in. He has a new family now, and he's proven that he can do well without Flint. Maybe one day, in the far future, Flint may be forgiven. But definitely not anytime soon. Not without Flint proving that he has indeed changed into a better person. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-7 - The Attack
  
  The start of the circuit was met with the expected burst of excitement. There was a lot of positive comments from the public about the show matches that we had shown off, and I smiled when I saw many people commenting about just how impressive Vordt was.
  
  Despite my attempts to not get a big head, it still felt nice to see that people rated me to be the strongest amongst the Elite Four. I knew many had previously thought that, but my performance had just cemented that.
  
  Other than our battles, I had heard from Karen about Flint's untimely return, and the fact that he was quickly told to leave by Brock. Truthfully, I had no sympathy for the guy, and I fully agreed with Brock's decision. The man had walked out on his family, so he didn't just get to show up one day and pretend like nothing had happened.
  
  I also heard that Karen had apparently been staying over for the past few nights, making sure that everything was okay. From what she told me, there was still a little bit of tension from Flint's reappearance, but the siblings were mostly handling it well. Karen just wanted to make sure that there weren't any lingering emotions that could possibly fester into something bad.
  
  A little over a day after the start of the Circuit that was spent mostly checking up to make sure that there weren't any glaring faults in this year's Circuit, there was another piece of news that Lance informed me about that I was pleasantly surprised to hear.
  
  "John, just wanted to let you know that the cleanup at Cinnabar Island has been completed. The lava and debris have all been cleaned up." He told me over the phone, "We're in the process of planning the reconstruction now."
  
  "That's great to hear!" I replied.
  
  "Indeed it is, and you're free to come along and contribute any suggestions if you want - the other Elite Four have the same opportunity. Although, would you mind calling up Blaine and asking if he would like to head over and participate in the planning efforts? Even if he is no longer Gym Leader, he still had intimate ties with the city. We feel that he deserves the right to be a part of the upcoming discussions. I'd call, but I think it'd be better if you did so."
  
  "I'll make sure to pass on the message." I nodded.
  
  Which was why I had rung up Blaine, relaying Lance's question to him. Of course, I just received a dismissive scoff from him.
  
  "You know I quit being a Gym Leader because I didn't want to deal with this sort of nonsense again, right?" He stated rhetorically, "I might have spent a lot of time at Cinnabar, but frankly, I don't care about how they're going to rebuild the thing. And I especially don't want to get involved with the discussions - do you know what it's going to be like? A whole bunch of people who think they are more important than they actually are bickering about this and that for hours and hours on end. It's a nightmare, and I want absolutely no part of it."
  
  "...I see, well I'll tell them that you'll be abstaining then." I saw no reason to try to convince him. He seemed pretty firm in his rejection, "You can still come over to Cinnabar if you want though. You helped a lot with the evacuation."
  
  "Bah. I have better things to do with my time... though, now that you called, I do have something to tell you about." He said, "Remember that project I was working on with Volkner that I previously couldn't tell you about? Well I am allowed to reveal it now - since you'll find out about this in the science papers tomorrow - but it's a project involving the Rotoms. Specifically, we found a method to create new forms for it."
  
  "Oh wow!" That was a surprise. Out of all the projects he could have been working on, I didn't think he'd be involved in something involving the Rotom Forms, "You mean, like it would inhabit different machinery?"
  
  "...That's a surprisingly astute guess." He said, a little surprised, "But yes. That's essentially what we did. While Rotom can naturally inhabit all kinds of machinery, they normally cannot exert too much control over it. However, Volkner and I managed to create machines that are specially made for Rotom to inhabit, allowing them to 'change forms' as it were."
  
  "So far, we've created five. An oven, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a fan, and a lawn mower. And their Ghost Type changes appropriately to match its new form to Fire, Water, Ice, Flying, and Grass respectively." He explained, "...Don't ask me why we chose these five. It was Volkner's idea, and I'm pretty sure he just decided based on what was lying around near his house."
  
  That did sound like him. "Does that mean we'll be seeing more Rotom imported to Indigo? And will be seeing other forms in the future?" I asked.
  
  "I've already got one of the oven forms myself." He smirked, "An Electric/Fire Type will undoubtedly be a powerful addition to my team. But to answer your question, yes. We do plan on introducing more Rotom to the wider world. Just like with your Porygon, we feel that there's a ton of untapped potential with Rotom, and we're looking forward to seeing how that'll progress."
  
  "As for other new forms... we're looking into it." He continued, "We started on battling forms first because we thought that they would be the most marketable. After all, there is nothing more interesting than a new powerful Pokémon, especially one that's able to change forms in-between battles. I suspect that a well-trained Rotom could make use of its different forms for different battles."
  
  "However, we'll probably be looking to research alternate ways where Rotom could be used - its ability to possess various electronic machinery has tons of potential." He finished, "But that will probably be a side project for us."
  
  Yes, like being used in the Pokédex, for example. I was about to bring up that suggestion to Blaine, but held back when I realised that I didn't even know if the current iteration of the Pokédex was even compatible with Rotom. Even though a Rotom Dex would eventually be created in the far future, that was likely with a much more advanced version of the Pokédex, so I didn't want to suggest it only for the current technology to make that infeasible.
  
  Therefore, I held my tongue and instead just congratulated him for his achievement again.
  
  That did lead me to a different topic though, "So... if you've finished most of your work on Rotom, does that mean your time is freed up for other projects? If so, then I actually have an idea that I want to discuss with our old group."
  
  "Oh?" His interest was piqued, "Do tell."
  
  "It's to do with TMs." I explained, relaying one of my old ideas, "Now that the circuit is starting up, I thought that it might be good if we could research a way to make TMs reusable in some way-"
  
  "Let me cut you off right there." Blaine was quick to interrupt me, "I understand your noble intentions, but you are not the only one to have thought of this. I will tell you now, as a scientist who has unfortunately had to deal with business interests, such an idea will never be allowed. I don't care if you're a super successful Elite Four member, you will suffer heavy pushback if you even dare try to suggest this."
  
  I frowned, but he wasn't done yet, "Or in other words, your idea is workable in theory, but not in practice. Having TMs be reusable would completely undermine the suppliers of TMs, and they will do everything they can to stop it. Knowing your reputation, you might be able to weather the blows, but Shelly, myself, and Volkner? It'd be much more difficult for us, and it just wouldn't be worth stepping on so many toes."
  
  "...Okay then, let's shelf that idea indefinitely." Blaine made a good point; it was probably better not to ruffle any feathers. But I still let out a sigh, "...That's frustrating. I was really hoping that this would be something we could work together towards."
  
  "Nah, it was certainly a good idea, and it's not your fault that its probably not feasible - it's the fault of the greedy businessmen." Blaine waved me off, "And anyways, I more than appreciate the thought... actually, if you have spare time, maybe sometime in the next few days or so since I'm not free today, could you come over? I'm writing up a bit of an autobiography, and I'd like your input on a few areas."
  
  "You're writing up an autobiography?" I asked curiously, "Since when did you get started on something like that? And yes, I'd be happy to help."
  
  "I just thought that I'm getting on in years, and I've lived a very varied life - I might as well document everything and add it to my legend. It's going to be one part autobiography and one part trainer tips. Even though I might be 'retired', I want to prove that the world that I once blazed very bright! Ha! And since you were a part of that, I wanted your statements. Of course, the others will be included too. If it all goes well, I'd be able to use this to help with my application to become a Professor."
  
  "That's fine." I nodded, "That will be certainly be interesting to read."
  
  Unfortunately, a phone call from Lance quickly pushed back those plans, as he sent out an emergency call to the entire Elite Four. He was fully serious.
  
  "All of you, never mind your previous plans. There's been urgent news from Sinnoh. The Lakes have just been bombed."
  
  (Proton POV)
  
  The thing about having access to Pokémon was that it made you able to hide in places that no one would typically expect. Coupled with the fact that the region of Sinnoh was far larger than what the Sinnoh police could feasibly patrol, even with all of their best efforts, he was confident that it was impossible for the Sinnoh League to find them. There were simply too many places to hide in, especially with the help of Pokémon.
  
  If the situation still wasn't so dire, he would have found the struggles of the League to be amusing. In their position, it must have been like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
  
  However, now he found himself in a position which caused his inner doubts, which he had thought to be settled, to resurface. They were on their way to Lake Verity, packed with enough bombs to blow the entire Lake sky high, and he was one of the two people leading this operation.
  
  Unfortunately, he was not the only one in charge. Cyrus had saddled him with one of his personal fanatics, the red-haired bitch named Mars. She was there nominally to 'share command' with him, but he knew the true reason that she was coming along was to make sure that he didn't dare think about cutting loose and running during such a critical moment.
  
  Cyrus was unpleasantly paranoid about it. If things really went south, then Proton wouldn't hesitate to ditch his 'ally', but he knew if he tried anything then Mars would not hesitate to end him. Sure, he would overpower the bitch, but the grunts would definitely not take his side.
  
  So in reality, he knew that he had made his choice, and that it was too late to back out now - no matter how much he realised he underestimated the dangers of this plan.
  
  They were tasked with luring out and capturing the Lake Guardians, and Cyrus' plan to do so was not with cunning or strategy, but with pure violent brutality. After all, what kind of Guardian would they be if they failed to protect the wild Pokémon that they were meant to guard? Hence the bombs.
  
  They would be striking at all three Lakes simultaneously.
  
  Don't get him wrong - Proton enjoyed that part of the plan, just not the dangers that accompanied it. The chance of capture was extremely high, and hence why Cyrus had only chosen to rely on the trained grunts that they had spent the last months refining for this very moment.
  
  Nevertheless, their return to Sinnoh proper was done with much care to avoid the ongoing patrols, with them all donning disguises as to conceal their intentions. Some grunts were even 'sacrificed' and sent to different parts of Sinnoh to cause a distraction, committing various petty crimes which managed to attract the attention of the Sinnoh police and made it easier for them to sneak into their respective Lakes.
  
  Once they arrived at Lake Verity, they immediately saw the patrolling Jennys who were tasked with guarding the Lake. But that was expected, and the time for subtlety was already over. With a barked command, the swarm of grunts charged towards their surprised foe.
  
  To their credit, the Jennys valiantly tried to hold their ground, but their numbers were just too much for them, and they rapidly overwhelmed the Jennys with their superior numbers and the element of surprise.
  
  But that was just the easy fight. Before they were taken down, the Jennys had shouted into their radios for reinforcements, and they knew they were about to have the entire League suddenly descend on their heads. Hopefully the other teams had already struck their Lakes as well, or else they were in serious trouble.
  
  "Set the bombs." He ordered, "Quickly!"
  
  "Secure the perimeter!" Mars also barked out, "We need as much advance warning as possible! Get the capture machine ready for when the Lake Guardian makes their appearance!"
  
  That capture machine was one of the things that those eggheads had spent all this time working on. If the bombs were there to force the Lake Guardians to appear, then the capture machine was their way of shutting them up and suppress them.
  
  He wouldn't even pretend to understand how it all worked, but at least those eggheads had the presence of mind to make sure the thing was resilient enough so that it wouldn't break as they hauled it to the Lakes.
  
  "BOMBS ARE SET!" One of the grunts shouted out.
  
  "CANALAVE AND JUBILIFE CITY ARE A HIVE OF ACTIVITY!" Another yelled, "WE HAVE INCOMING!"
  
  He nodded, mentally counting down the minutes before the first group of reinforcements would arrive. Meanwhile, their entire group retreated into the caves to protect themselves from the resulting explosion. As soon as they did, Mars instantly detonated the bombs without any hesitation.
  
  BOOOOOOM!
  
  The powerful explosion caused the entire cave to shake violently and rumble as Proton was nearly knocked off his feet from the resulting shockwave. He could hear the loud cacophony of pained cries and wails from all those Pokémon that were likely injured or killed by the explosion.
  
  Those bombs were absolutely no joke.
  
  And just as they hoped, the collective screams of pain from all those Pokémon that they had just blown up had become too much for the Legendary to bear. The sound of a mournful cry echoed throughout the cave before a blinding flash of light appeared in the centre of the cave, signalling the arrival of their elusive objective.
  
  Mesprit had been lured out. But instead of being angry, the so-called Being of Emotion was stumbling around in a pathetic daze, barely putting up any kind of fight.
  
  Proton suspected that it might have been an unintended consequence from all that destruction and death that they had just caused. If Mesprit, as the Lake Guardian, had been psychically linked to some way to all of the nearby Pokémon, then it might have received a very painful dose of psychic feedback after their explosion.
  
  That didn't stop the scoff from leaving his mouth. Was this supposed to be a 'Legendary'?
  
  Well, whatever the case, he wasn't going to complain. It just made their job easier. He barked out new orders to quickly capture Mesprit into the capture machine, knowing that they likely had seconds until the authorities arrived.
  
  They needed to move fast.
  
  (Flint POV)
  
  He had been hanging out with Volkner at Sunyshore when he received the call to action. He had never heard their new Champion being this concerned or nervous since she had first ascended to the position.
  
  But once they heard that the Lakes were under attack, the both of them immediately dropped everything and rushed over to Sunyshore on their respective mounts, while they frantically exchanged information with the Sinnoh police to receive updates on the situation. Their established patrols around the respective Lakes had already been under attack and had most likely gone down, meaning that they had minutes at best until the terrorists managed to enact their plan.
  
  Oh how he wished his Staraptor would just fly faster.
  
  The worst part about everything is that everyone was still confused about what their goals were. Why attack the Lakes? There was nothing there aside from the Lake Guardians, but everyone knew that they wouldn't show themselves if they didn't want to. If there were there for the Guardians, then they must know that their actions would prove futile.
  
  "I don't know either..." Volkner muttered aloud as Flint relayed his thoughts to him, "Even our best scientists couldn't figure anything out, so why would they be able to-"
  
  The rest of his words were cut off as a deafening explosion echoed into the sky. But just as the first explosion petered out, more explosions quickly followed behind it. Even from as high up as they were, they could see the resulting smoke cloud that pillared up into the sky coming from all three of the Lakes.
  
  The two of them shared a horrified look at the implications of the detonations.
  
  "REPORT!" Their radio buzzed to life as Cynthia's voice could be heard.
  
  "Multiple explosions reported from all Lakes." A frazzled Jenny stated, "Current damage unknown, most of our teams are still arriving."
  
  "Volkner and I are landing first at Lake Valor in under a minute." He said into the radio, "Jennys can follow up behind us."
  
  "No, we need to go as a group-"
  
  "We don't have time!" He cut the Jenny off, "The explosions mean that the terrorists are carrying out their plan right now. We can't waste time playing it safe! Just join Volkner and I as soon as possible."
  
  He didn't allow for any disagreement, and the Jenny eventually gave in and said that that the first teams from Pastoria would arrive a minute or so behind them.
  
  The two of them arrived at Lake Valor far too late. The once beautiful Lake had been completely devastated by the explosions, with Magikarp and all other sort of Water Pokémon lying helplessly on the ground. They had been decimated by the bombs, and none had been spared.
  
  Even much of the water from the lake itself had been displaced as the ground was now littered with huge craters, causing the nearby area to be flooded with massive puddles. There were also multiple unconscious Jennys lying around next to their equally fainted Pokémon; they must have been taken down and overwhelmed by the grunts' superior numbers.
  
  The once peaceful and serene Lake now looked like the destroyed remains of a battlefield... with all the horror and suffering that entailed.
  
  He unconsciously grit his teeth as he took in the cruel destruction around them. What kind of sick fuck does something like this on purpose?! What kind of lowlife would terrorise a peaceful Lake for no reason whatsoever?! The Pokémon didn't deserve this!
  
  Despite his growing rage, he took a deep breath and centred himself, channelling the boiling rage that he felt into pure focus and resolve.
  
  These scum were not going to get away with this.
  
  But he didn't have time to think about that as attacks started flying out of the forest around them, as the terrorists that were hiding in the trees began to show themselves. At the same time, more scum began running out of the cave in the centre of the Lake and joined their comrades in suppressing them.
  
  Yet with practice honed from years of experience, he and Volkner stood side-by-side as they released their Pokémon, who instantly surrounded the two of them to prevent any stray attacks from hitting them.
  
  Without needing to communicate with each other, the two of them already knew what they needed to do.
  
  "Thunderbolt the trees! Flush them out!"
  
  "Flamethrower those near the caves! Force them back!"
  
  Volkner's Electric types immediately began a thunderous barrage against the criminals hiding in the trees. Lightning bolts rained down from above in a demonstration of Volkner's vengeful wrath, and each bolt struck down with enough power to snap entire trees in half. The terrorists' screams echoed throughout the forest as many of them desperately dived for cover to avoid being electrocuted.
  
  The grunts' Pokémon had tried to throw up Protect shields in hopes that they could weather the storm, to no avail. Volkner's unending barrage of attacks quickly overwhelmed and broke through those shields, and the grunts were rapidly learning of the horror that they had just unleashed upon themselves.
  
  It was the same lesson that his Fire types were currently teaching the lot in front of him. Their Skuntank and Toxicroaks were becoming very aware of the pain of being immolated, as a tide of searing flames incinerated their positions. Their Dark and Poison type attacks literally melted in the face of his flames, and many grunts and their Pokémon decided to flee and dive into the water instead of risk being scorched alive.
  
  Yet that proved to be a foolish decision. In their desperate attempt to run away from the flames by diving into the water, they had just left themselves completely exposed to the powerful Thunderbolts from Volkner's Pokémon. That sense of relief that they must have had swiftly turned to pain as the waters were painfully electrocuted by another barrage of Thunderbolts.
  
  Normally, he would be worried about collateral damage. But he didn't have it in himself to care. These scum deserved it after all that they had done.
  
  However, despite their quick takedown of the grunts, they knew that this was merely the team that was sent to distract them. They could tell that there was a lot of activity coming from inside the cave, meaning that more of them was still inside.
  
  But right on time, a swarm of shadows suddenly descended from above, revealing the group of Jennys that were sent to reinforce them.
  
  He skipped over the greetings and went straight for what was important, "Most of them are still in the cave, but there are probably a few stragglers hiding in the nearby forest that might try to ambush you. Split up or don't, Volkner and I are going in."
  
  Without waiting for a response, the two of them rushed into the cave with their Pokémon. Most of the Jennys followed behind him, but he saw a few head to the trees out of the corner of his eye.
  
  He stepped into the cave to find a shocking sight. His eyes immediately locked onto the fallen figure near the far end of the cave. It was Azelf, one of the three Lake Guardians. Yet it was captured, trapped within a strange machine that looked like it was causing it considerable pain, as demonstrated by Azelf's muffled cries of anguish.
  
  Many thoughts were running through Flint's head. Why did Azelf show up? Did it show up because it wanted to try to protect the Pokémon from the devastation? Was that the terrorists' plan? And more importantly, what did they intend to do with Azelf?
  
  His eyes moved to the machine that they had captured Azelf with. He realized that if they had come prepared with a specialised capture device just to imprison Azelf, then they must be doing the same at the other Lakes as well.
  
  However, Volkner's enraged voice broke him out of his thoughts, "Release the Lake Guardian!" His friend ordered, "Or you will be destroyed."
  
  "Heh. We knew that coming in." A large looking man that was dressed like a pirate scoffed mockingly at his friend's words, "We know that you won't spare us. But we aren't about to let you stop us. There's too much at stake for that."
  
  "Saturn! Get out of here!" Another man, this time a scientist-looking guy with rimmed glasses, barked at a man with weird blue hair, "We'll cover your retreat!"
  
  The man, Saturn, who had already been doing that, simply nodded and instantly placed one of the remaining explosives on the far wall, trying to break open a hole to escape from. Flint immediately wanted to rush forwards to stop him from fleeing with the Lake Guardian, but he was held back by Volkner, who reminded him that they were currently surrounded and outnumbered by madmen.
  
  Seeing Flint be held back, the pirate-looking man in front of him smiled unrepentantly, "Sorry, but it looks like you're going to have fight through us first. Matt! To me!"
  
  "Courtney! Tabitha! It's time for us to fight!" His scientist-looking companion joined in on the rallying cry, "Men! Today is the day that we take down an Elite Four! Don't hold anything back!"
  
  The loud cheers of support that he got might have unnerved some people, but not Flint. Instead of wasting time with words, both he and Volkner simply ordered their Pokémon to attack.
  
  And thus, the battle began.
  
  A.N. This attack was a long time coming. As I have mentioned before, I wanted to keep the plot and plans of Team Galactic to be familiar to the canon timeline. The bombs are a huge part of canon, and I felt that it was appropriate that such brute-force violence was used by them to 'summon' the Lake Guardians.
  
  As for the power of the Lake Guardians themselves, I struggled a lot with figuring out just how powerful they were. Yet, in canon, they really don't show off any kind of power in the slightest and are simply captured by Team Galactic with what seems like hardly a fight. Therefore, I decided to justify that with a reason here, showing how the bombs had crippled them due to the psychic feedback they felt from all of the pain and deaths that had just occurred. But while the Lake Guardians aren't going to be able to show off what it means to be a 'Legendary', I can assure you that you'll be able to witness that later on.
  
  And now, it's going to be one of the first showdowns. Maxie and Archie their subordinates vs Flint and Volkner the backup Jennys. I know this was quite the ambitious chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-8 - Magma and Aqua
  
  (Flint POV)
  
  They may have been outnumbered, but let it not be said that Flint and Volkner faltered when it mattered. Especially not when it was a situation where collateral damage no longer mattered. There were no other trainers in Sinnoh who could best the two of them in pure, widespread destruction.
  
  Without needing to give any commands, his Rapidash charged into the fray, contemptuously kicking aside a Mightyena that had tried to Crunch down on it. Rapidash then detonated with a scorching Overheat, burning a large gap in the terorrists' line as their Pokémon were incinerated by the searing flames. Quickly taking advantage of this opening, his Arcanine and Houndoom rushed in to fill the gap, both of them unleashing powerful Flamethrowers that incinerated several Purugly as they tried to reform their lines.
  
  In the meanwhile, Volkner had found himself entangled with the really large man that looked like he was built out of pure muscle. Yet despite the man's intimidating appearance, Volkner was having no trouble dismantling his team.
  
  Volkner's Magnezone completely fried one of the Muk's that were sent out, devastating it with a barrage of crackling Thunderbolts that turned the Poison type into nothing more than an electrified lump of ooze on the ground. His opponent's Mightyena met a similar fate as it became paralysed by a double blast of Discharges from his Jolteon and Lanturn.
  
  The man's Drapion and Sharpedo did actually manage to flank around, only to get bogged down by one of the Jenny's Luxray. The Drapion was swiftly paralysed with a Thunder Wave, while a well-placed Shock Wave denied Sharpedo a direct path to Volkner.
  
  Then, in their distraction, they were sitting Psyduck for a well-placed barrage of Zap Cannons to paralyse the two Pokémon, before Volkner's Electivire smashed them both into the ground with neck-breaking Cross Chops.
  
  Suddenly, a hand grabbed the back of Flint's neck and pulledhim back - just in time to avoid a Drapion that came bursting out of the ground in front of him with a surprise Dig. The following Cross Poison narrowly skimmed over his head, probably shearing a few hairs off of his afro as the Pokémon tried to decapitate him.
  
  Flint hurriedly backpedalled across the floor to escape, and Drapion gave chase - only to be blasted by a scorching hot Fire Blast to the back of the head. The Poison type let out a wail of pain before being smashed into the ground by a Fire Punch from his Infernape.
  
  A Jenny pulled him up to his feet just in time for an enemy Honchkrow to be blasted out of the sky by another Fire Blast. A frightening roar suddenly echoed from behind him, and he spun around to see the menacingly sharp teeth of a Sharpedo rushing towards him. It was meters away from him before a Luxray sniped it with a precise Thunderbolt.
  
  In order to deter further threats, his Magmortar stepped up and unleashed a scorching torrent of flames around him, creating an unpassable trench of burning hot fire that barred future assailants from trying to rush him down.
  
  He finally had some space to breath, and he took the opportunity to survey the battle around him. Despite the close call, their superior combined firepower had really decimated the enemy's ranks.
  
  His Houndoom, Arcanine, and Rapidash were rampaging wildly throughout the battlefield, using the breach that they had created to rush into the enemy lines and sowed unmitigated chaos in their wake. They stayed together in one mobile pack, charging around and taking down group after group of enemies by making full use of their superior speed and firepower to burn a swathe through their enemies with a rapid series of Flamethrowers and Fire Blasts.
  
  That fat tubby guy, which Flint thought was called Tabitha, was trying to organise some kind of trap to deal with his Pokémon, but they were too mobile and too deadly to be caught.
  
  Yet the fight was far from over. Even though their Pokémon were overwhelmingly strong compared to the grunts', the same couldn't be said for their leaders. And the terrorists still maintained the numbers advantage, which they were heavily exploiting.
  
  That muscled guy that was facing Volkner, despite starting off on the backfoot, had now been reinforced by several grunts and was using his now superior numbers to fight Volkner on more even terms.
  
  Furthermore, even though he and Volkner's Pokémon were doing well, the same couldn't be said for the Jenny's. The Jenny's weren't as strong as they were, and they were beginning to sustain casualties as the fight went on.
  
  And he spotted the main source of those casualties - namely, the two Camerupt that were parked far in the back of the enemy's lines. Next to them were the purple haired girl and that Maxie guy, and they seemed content to allow their Camerupt to unleash Eruption after Eruption as they fired off an unending barrage of molten rocks that would bombard the battlefield with destructive intent.
  
  While his Fire Types were almost completely unaffected, the same could not be said for the Jennys' Pokémon - their Pokémon were being cut down as they were too distracted by their own battles to dodge out of the way of the artillery fire of molten rocks. The fallen bodies of Luxray, Bronzong, and Staraptor were scattered across the battlefield; a visual representation of the threat that the Camerupt were.
  
  Unfortunately, his usual assortment of Fire types were far from suited for taking down such a threat, especially with a large guard of various Water types surrounding the Camerupt. Luckily for him, his team didn't only comprise of Fire types. His agile Lopunny would be perfect for taking down such a key threat. He just needed a way through the Water types guarding them.
  
  A plan formed in his head, and he rushed over with his Infernape to where Volkner was.
  
  "Flamethrower!"
  
  He signalled his arrival as a torrent of flames pushed their opponents back, scared off by the sudden scorching flames. Using the moment that his entrance had bought, he quickly relayed his plan to Volkner.
  
  "Volkner! I need you to blast down those Water types there and create an opening!" He pointed to where the Camerupt were, "I'll send Lopunny in to take them down!"
  
  "Got it." He nodded, and immediately shifted priorities to do so. Realising what Volkner was doing, the terrorists sent forth a pair of Crawdaunt to try to stop him, only to be interrupted as his Infernape fired off a few Focus Blasts. They missed, but they were only meant for deterrence.
  
  And Volkner accomplished his part excellently. A volley of Thunderbolts speared through the Water types, who were caught completely unawares, and managed to paralyse and stun them for long enough for his Lopunny to perform a High Jump Kick and plough straight through a Walrein. Lopunny landed right next to both the Camerupt, forcing them to stop their Eruptions to deal with this new threat.
  
  Of course, Flint knew that sending Lopunny so deep into the enemy lines would be dangerous, but he trusted in his Lopunny's skills to be able to hold on for long enough for the tides of battle to turn. Fortunately, Lopunny would not be alone, and Volkner ordered his Jolteon and Lanturn to provide assistance from a distance with a series of Thunderbolts, helping prevent his Lopunny from being too surrounded.
  
  Furthermore, now that the Jennys were no longer suppressed by the constant barrage of Eruptions, they were finally able to rejoin the offensive, which was what their Luxray and Floatzel were best at. They were a crucial distraction, helping to alleviate the pressure on both him and Volkner as the Jenny's forced the terrorists to divert more of their manpower to shore up their flanks.
  
  With the ground threats now busy, it freed up his Magmortar to start clearing out the fliers. With both arms raised, his Magmortar started unleashing shotgun blasts of flames into the air as it proceeded to shoot down every single Flying type that had been harassing them.
  
  The enemy Honchkrow and Golbat? No longer a problem. They were simply pulverisedout of the air with bullets made out of pure flame.
  
  Moreover, his Magmortar wasn't the only one showing off its destructive prowess. In the midst of all this chaos, Volkner had sent his Electivire deep into the fray. Unlike his mobile pack of Fire types, which relied on their mobility to not get taken down, his Electivire was a one-man army. It ruthlessly ploughed through the enemy Pokémon, its crackling fists delivering powerful blow after powerful blow - and each punch managing to send more and more Pokémon crumbling to the ground. Not content with just that, it then brutally electrocuted them with a ruthless Discharge, leaving them as nothing more than a twitching and paralysed wreck on the ground.
  
  At the same time, he spotted that his Lopunny had managed to take down one of the Camerupt with a final High Jump Kick to the face, with the other one following suit soon after.
  
  Realising the tides were turning against them, the enemy leaders began to bark out orders to regroup around them, signalling a change in the battle.
  
  At the beginning, the battle had been little more than a chaotic brawl where everyone was attacking everyone. Yet now that the numbers had thinned out on both sides - with many of the grunts taken out, and several of their Jennys' having to retreat to heal up their wounded Pokémon - the battle started to revolve around two points.
  
  It was him versus the pirate guy and the muscled guy, and Volkner versus the trio wearing red.
  
  Wisely, the terrorists had picked their battles with Type advantages in mind, and their Pokémon charged at them before Flint or Volkner had the time to reposition their Pokémon.
  
  Yet neither of them would let that stop them.
  
  His Infernape was the first to meet them. A Sharpedo had tried to Aqua Jet past his Fire types, but his Infernape reacted swiftly and caught it mid-air with a precise Mach Punch - sending the Sharpedo sprawling to the ground. However, unlike the other Sharpedo that they had faced, this one rebounded quickly and charged up a Hydro Pump in its mouth, only to be interrupted as Flareon smashed into its side with a quick Flare Blitz and sending it careening backwards and into a nearby wall.
  
  That temporarily knocked Sharpedo out of the fight, but before his Infernape could finish it off with a Brick Break, a Crobat interceded with a whirlwind of Air Slashes, forcing his Infernape back. At the same time, a Mightyena erupted out from the ground, ambushing his Flareon with a Dig before the Dark type followed up with a powerful Crunch.
  
  But the Mightyena wasn't able to do more as Infernape pivoted on the spot and smasheda Mach Punch straight into its face, forcing the Dark Type back with a howl of pain. Unfortunately, that was when the rest of the terrorists' Pokémon arrived, and Flint scowled as he saw a whole pack of Sharpedo rushing his way - filling his vision with a line of menacingly sharp teeth that all looked like they wanted to take a bite out of his head.
  
  Despite this intimidating sight, he remained completely calm as he watched his Pokémon form a line in front of him. His Lopunny, Magmortar, and Infernape quickly repositioned themselves, forming a wall of deadly fighters that would shatter the Sharpedo's assault.
  
  The Sharpedo may have been quick, but that agility meant nothing when they were running into a wall of powerful Pokémon that was ready and waiting for them. The two sides crashed into each other, and the brawl began.
  
  The Sharpedo started off strong as they dove through a line of flames and smashed into his Fire Types with their powerful Waterfalls and Crunch combo. But his Pokémon either parried the blow, or simply tanked through it like his Magmortar did.
  
  Then they retaliated.
  
  His Lopunny and Infernape were a whirlwind of punches and kicks as they spun around like martial artists, every precise strike from the two fighters managing to shatter the fragile Sharpedo. The same went for his Magmortar, who was unleashing a machine-gun fire of Aura Spheres that thinned out the many Water types. They were too close to use their speed to dodge.
  
  A sharp cry from behind forced Flint to spin around, and he saw that his Flareon had just Flare Blitzed a sneaky Mightyena that had crept up from behind. Before he could express his thanks, a sudden Psychic force suddenly pushed him to the ground as a Sludge Bomb from one of their Muk went straight over his head. This time, it was a Jenny's Bronzong that saved him, and it continued to do so as it held off another Sludge Bomb with a Psychic that tossed the Poison attack harmlessly to the side.
  
  All these close calls was starting to piss him off. These terrorists, even their leaders, were not all that strong, but their willingness to ruthlessly target the trainer made them much greater threats.
  
  He hoped Volkner was still doing okay.
  
  Suddenly, a powerful explosion echoed across the battlefield - one that was different from the usual Explosion by the enemy's Weezing. Flint turned to the direction of the sound, and saw that Saturn had successfully blown a hole in the wall, creating an escape path for himself. Saturn rapidly made his escape with a few grunts, carrying the captured Lake Guardian with them.
  
  "STOP THEM!" He instinctively shouted out, but everyone around him were too preoccupied with their own battles to do anything. As if to remind him that he was still in danger, a pair of Crobat dove down from above and tried to slice his head off with a pair of Air Slashes.
  
  Unfortunately for them, his Magmortar broke their attacks with a Dragon Pulse before giving the two Crobats a demonstration of how it had taken out its lesser evolutions by quickly incinerating the two Crobats into nothing more than burning heaps on the ground.
  
  A familiar cry of pain refocused his attention, and he saw that his Lopunny had just been knocked aside by a Waterfall - its injuries starting to take a toll after it was wounded during its daring assault on the two Camerupts. Therefore, not wanting to take risks, Flint ordered his Lopunny back before it risked further injury.
  
  But a Muk was able to take advantage of that small opening to unleash several Toxic Orbs at his Pokémon when they were distracted, poisoning several of them. In response, the Muk was punished and was swiftly incinerated by a powerful Flamethrower from Infernape.
  
  Despite being poisoned, three streams of flames heralded the arrival of his reinforcements - with his Houndoom, Arcanine, and Rapidash rejoining him, having taken down enough of the surrounding grunts that they left the rest for the Jennys to clean up. Now bolstered by these reinforcements, the tide began to turn against the terrorists, and they were forced onto the backfoot.
  
  Just like he had expected, the terrorists' reliance on beating him using their superior numbers wasn't a very effective tactic when all of his Pokémon could attack with large and powerful area-of-effect moves.
  
  Therefore, as time ticked on, the battle looked to grow more and more in their favour. The terrorists' leaders may have been stronger than the grunts, and the pirate guy's Pokémon actually held their own against his Elite team for a little while, but with their numbers rapidly dwindling, they became slowly out-matched.
  
  "ARGHH!" A shout of pain suddenly echoed across the cave, and he turned to see the purpled hair girl being speared through by a Thunderbolt by Volkner's Jolteon. Her form twitched and writhed in the air as a painful amount of electricity fried her nerves until her smoking form collapsed to the ground.
  
  "NO! COURTNEY!" Tabitha shouted out desperately, but there was nothing he could do as Volkner continued to decimate their team, leaving a field of electrified and paralysed Pokémon in his wake. In fact, it was only a few moments later where Tabitha joined the fate of his terrorist ally, with him being too slow to move out of the way of a Discharge and was paralysed alongside his Pokémon.
  
  The defeat of two of the leaders was the death knell for the terrorists. The battle was lost, and only a painful capture awaited them.
  
  In such situations, where the battle was clearly no longer going in your favour, it was common for criminal scum to try and leave to fight another day. After all, no one wanted to be captured. However, even seeing their counterparts being knocked out, the remaining terrorists made absolutely no move retreat, even as their Pokémon continued to drop fewer in number.
  
  If Saturn hadn't escaped, then this wouldn't have annoyed him. Yet as it stood, their stubbornness and determination was just a waste of their time!
  
  In the end, with the Jennys helping to flank around, they managed to take down the rest of the leaders. For his part, he had finally managed to corner the muscled guy, who was now trying to wrestle a Luxray off of him. That was until a Mach Punch came from his Infernape that utterly dislocated the man's shoulder with a large snap. The man fell over unconscious from the pain.
  
  Meanwhile, the leader named Maxie had been smashed and punted intoa wall, with only his feet sticking out and visible.
  
  The pirate guy turned out to be the last to fall, and it was no graceful last stand. No, he was simply surrounded, knocked to the ground by a charging Luxray, and kept pinned down.
  
  But even in this defeated position, the pirate merely let out a hearty laugh as Flint loomed over him.
  
  "What a good fight that was!" He grinned unrepentantly, "Turns out you dolive up to your title-"
  
  "Enough chatter." He cut the man off, "Where is Saturn? Where did he run off to?"
  
  Despite being pinned down, the pirate managed a small shrug, "How would I know? He wouldn't have told me - we all knew the possibility of being captured."
  
  "You do realise that we will be psychically interrogating you." Volkner added from the side. He was covered in soot, and Flint noticed that there was a cut on his jacket's shoulder. There was no blood, so it was probably a minor graze, "There's no point trying to hide information from us. We willfind out."
  
  Yet the man continued to laugh, "And like I said, I don't know where he went! Psychically interrogate me or not, you won't find out!"
  
  Flint gritted his teeth. The man's nonchalance even in this situation was starting to infuriate him. Did he not know what he had done?!
  
  "Anything involving the Legendaries cannot lead to a good outcome." One of the Jennys tried, "You must understand that. Please cooperate with us, and we can stop your friends from making a terrible and irreversible mistake."
  
  "No. I don't think I will." The man replied, a maddened grin now splitting his face, "In fact, I wantyou to see into my memories. I want you to see the true scope of our plans. I wantyou to understand that what we are going for is going to benefit the world as a whole. Yes, the devastation that we committed here was a tragedy, but it was a sacrifice that needed to be paid. Even Maxie was in agreement."
  
  He then turned his head to where Maxie's body had been imprinted into a wall, "Heh. I always knew that smartass attitude of his would get him punched in the face. That was probably a punch he deserved for a long time."
  
  Seeing that they weren't really going to get anything useful out of him, Flint gestured to the Jennys and they quickly tased the man into silence. They also began rounding up all of the fallen grunts, making sure that they were actually knocked out before they cuffed them and arranged for their arrest.
  
  In the meanwhile, Flint called his Champion to report on his failure. Because that was what it was - they might have arrested some of their leaders, but they got away with a Legendary. That was unacceptable.
  
  Others may have tried to paint themselves in a better light in their report, but Flint relayed the situation as it happened to Cynthia, making sure to leave nothing out.
  
  "...If it's any comfort, you were not the only one who failed to protect their Legendary." She said with an audible frown, "The terrorists were successful in their strikes at capturing the other Lake Guardians as well. We were barely able to muster up a response in time for the attack at Lake Acuity. However, there is a small silver lining - after today's operation, I highly doubt Cyrus will have much manpower left. They must have used up everything they had in today's operation."
  
  It was cold comfort. However, he forced himself to remain calm, "What does this mean for the future then?"
  
  "It means that we need to shift our priorities for the future." His Champion answered, "First, we need to identify what they intend to use the Legendaries for. Second, we need to extract as much information we can from all the terrorists we captured today and get an idea of their remaining resources. Thirdly, we must shore up our defences in our prison facilities. The last thing we want is a breakout."
  
  "Then what are we going to do about the Lake Guardians? We need to get them back." He stated.
  
  He was already replaying the fight back in his head. Surely there were things he could have done better to take down Saturn before he managed to escape.
  
  But with how surprised and outnumbered they were...
  
  "And we will." His Champion answered firmly, breaking him out of his train of thought, "But not alone. I have already called on reinforcements from the other regions and they will be arriving shortly. Similarly, I have given orders to the Jenny's to massively increase their patrols and to bolster their ranks with trusted volunteers of Ace Trainers. There will be a temporary reduction in Gym activities as Gym Leaders are called to assist. Everything will be mobilised to ensure that the Lake Guardians are returned to their rightful place and that the terrorists meet their deserved end."
  
  "For today, we are at war."
  
  A.N. This battle required a lot of rewrites, so I hope you enjoyed the final product! The fight was naturally going to be very chaotic, but I tried really hard to centre the fights around certain points so that it would be easier to follow. I hope it was.
  
  As for the strength of Maxie/Archie/their Admins, I always believed that they weren't as strong as an Elite Four. For in the games you always fought them before you took on the Elite Four, and their teams weren't always that strong. As I've tried to show repeatedly in this story, the main 'threat' from the evil teams were actually because their criminal manpower and how willing they were to force a Legendary onto their side, not from their individual strength.
  
  So yes, they weren't able to bring down Flint or Volkner outside a few close calls, but their job today was to buy time for Saturn to secure the Lake Guardian. But in exchange, what was Team Aqua and Team Magma are now defeated. We're starting to reach the big climax now, and I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -13-8-Interlude-Pokenet
  The New Normal - 13-8 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE REGIONAL UNION COMES INTO FORCE! THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION?!] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of the signing ceremony] [Pictures of Lance's speech]
  
  Today follows another momentous announcement from the ever-active Indigo League, where they have just announced the joint creation of the Regional Union in collaboration with the Hoenn and Sinnoh Leagues.
  
  The Regional Union can be seen as the culmination of the many efforts of all three Leagues to create and strengthen the bonds of friendship between each other and ensure that such bonds will continue to hold strong into the future.
  
  More notably, the new headquarters for the Regional Union has already been built at the previously overlooked Sevii Islands, which marks a tremendous development and opportunity for the once sleepy islands. This writer firmly believes that we're about to see a resurgence in the Sevii Islands, and believe that they will soon become the tourist hotspot that they were always meant to be.
  
  For those who missed the announcement, the Regional Union is...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Genuinely thought that the Regional Union would be based in Sinnoh, since there were rumours about that this being Cynthia's brainchild, but I guess geographically it makes sense for it to be based in Indigo. It is the centre-point between all three regions, after all.
  
  PianoLover
  
  I'm glad that Sinnoh's getting more opportunities to stand on the wider stage. Not only that, but I've felt that the Regional Union is our way of paying back the kindness we've received. We've been welcomed very warmly into the international community, and having the Regional Union means that if we discover any further regions, it'll be much easier for us to welcome them in too.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Yeah, not too surprised by this announcement. There were rumours flying about for some time that hinted towards something like this being created. I'm optimistic, and I appreciate the direction that this is taking the wider world, but I'll keep an ear out for any reasonable critics of this new system.
  
  In the meanwhile, I was more surprised that the Sevii Islands were where they were placing their new headquarters. Never expected that!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Honestly, just ignoring the Regional Union for a second, but I'm so happy that the Sevii Islands are finally getting some love. There was never really much reason to go there, and that was always disappointing for me. However, I hope that will change soon! Can't wait to see how the Sevii Islands will develop.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Truthfully, I have also overlooked the Sevii Islands, but now that it's been brought up - I believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for us to mimic the wonders of Hoenn. Let it not be said that Kanto will be upstaged by a foreign region. The Sevii Islands prove that you can stay local if you're looking for wonderful beaches!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Yeah... no. Not trying to disparage the Sevii Islands here, but I've actually been there. Yes, the view is nice, but there's just nothing there at the moment aside from far too much water. Hoenn has pretty sights AND a lot of amenities that make the whole experience just better. Sorry but not sorry.
  
  Still, I agree that I look forward to seeing how the Islands develop.
  
  [The 8 Badge Indigo Gym Circuit Experience - my thoughts as an experienced trainer] by Wandering Trainer
  
  Hello all. For those who don't know me or my blog, I'm an 8 Badge trainer from Hoenn who has decided to wander the world and collect all the badges. As a trainer who has managed to reach the Finals of the Hoenn Conference (Top 32), I feel confident in saying that I have the experience to provide a pretty accurate account of the strength of the Gyms at the 8th badge level.
  
  As the Indigo Circuit has only just started, I've not had the time to fight through all 16 Badges yet for this new Circuit. However, I did choose to prioritise the newer Gyms to see if they can hold a candle to the Gyms in Hoenn, and I can say right now that there was nothing disappointing about them.
  
  Starting off with Brock, because I was there at Pewter when we had those show matches with the Indigo Elite Four (amazing battles by the way. Really inspiring and informative), I can safely say that his performance against Lance was no fluke. Despite his young age, his battling prowess lives up to the exacting standards demanded of Gym Leaders, and his surprising mastery of Dark Type moves makes him a much more formidable opponent than you would first expect.
  
  If you compared him to someone like Roxanne, Roxanne is a much more typical Rock specialist - with powerful attacks and incredible defences. While Brock certainly has that (though perhaps a little less; understandable as he is a newer trainer and has less time training with his team), he also has another layer of deceit and trickery that you have to look out for or you will end up losing a Pokémon just as I did. He likes to sneak in the occasional Taunt and Sand Attack to really mess with your Pokémon before striking with a powerful attack. You don't really expect Taunts or status moves to come from a Rock Gym Leader, but he does employ them with a surprising level of ruthlessness. This must be the training that he has undergone with Karen coming into play.
  
  Then you have Will. Honestly, he was as powerful as you would expect him to be from a former Elite Four member. I have yet to compare his prowess to the Saffron Gym, but for those of you familiar with Tate and Liza, I can easily say that he is the far more formidable threat. He plays both the parts of your controlling puppet master, AND brute force Special Attacker. Don't get too caught up with his supporting moves, because you will eat a Psychic to the face if you're caught off-guard - and your Pokémon might not get up from that. Furthermore, his move pool is extremely varied, and his Pokémon are annoying evasive (especially when they start Teleporting around). Koga might have taken him down, but you and I are not Koga.
  
  I am not ashamed to admit that I did not beat Will on my first attempt. It actually took me three tries for me to figure him out, and I know this isn't even him at his full potential! Bring Dark types if you can, but don't expect them to carry the fight for you. He is more than capable of playing around them.
  
  Currently, I am on the waiting list to challenge the newest Lavender Gym, but I've spoken to a few that already have. From what I've gathered, the Gym might look bare bones, but their Gym Leader lives up to the title of Ghost specialist. It's very fitting that, as the 7th Gym, she possesses a team and strategy that is so unlike the rest of the circuit. Teams reliant on pure brute force will find it very difficult to utilise their strengths when battling against Dorothy. From what I've seen online with Fantina, she fights rather similarly, though her Ghosts are more unique and varied than her Sinnoh counterpart.
  
  I'm just thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't Agatha that we got as a Gym Leader.
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Great writeup! Unfortunately, my day job precedes me from becoming a trainer once again, but I appreciate the analysis nonetheless. I think everyone was surprised with Brock's battle against Lance, and even more that he actually managed to take down a Dragonite! That kid is certainly going places!
  
  The Pewter Gym really has come so far since that whole debacle with Flint! I'm glad for that!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Always happy to see the next generation of Gym Leaders living up to the pride of Kanto. I felt that it was a shame for Agatha to not take up her duties as a Gym Leader - I'm sure she has a few more years of service left in her.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Looking forward to seeing your opinions when you visit us in Sinnoh. Love to know your thoughts about how our Gym Leaders compare to the rest of the world's.
  
  Actually, who do you think is the strongest Gym Leader from all three regions?
  
  PianoLover
  
  Probably biased, but if you don't count Gym Leaders that were formerly Elite Four/Champion, then Volkner has my vote. Despite never holding the position, he's firmly of Elite Four strength. Everyone knows this.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  Nah, Giovanni is stronger. He has the experience. He could easily make it into the Elite Four if he wanted to as well.
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  Honestly just waiting for a Fairy specialist to pop up! But besides that, I'm looking forward to seeing how strong the younger generation of Gym Leaders become. In Indigo, we have Brock, the Waterflower siblings, Janine, and there were also rumours that Sabrina might be taking up her position soon. They're all very talented in their own ways, and I can't wait to see how strong they'd become.
  
  [TERRORISTS STRIKE AT THE THREE LAKES! EXPLOSIONS HEARD! MANY WOUNDED!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of the aftermath of the attack at Lake Valor. The sheer destruction caused by the bombs can be seen as craters littered the once beautiful Lakes.]
  
  Today is a day of unprecedented tragedy, as a group of crazed terrorists have struck at all three Lakes, devastating the surrounding environment with their ruthless bombing streak. However, their attempt did not go unpunished, and the Sinnoh League were quick to swoop in and arrest many at the scene after a very chaotic and destructive battle.
  
  [Pictures of their arrest]
  
  We have yet to receive any further information from the Sinnoh League regarding the purpose of this attack, but Champion Cynthia had this to say at her recent press conference:
  
  "The public of Sinnoh will have my full guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of these terrorists, and I have already authorised the use of psychic interrogations to ensure that every drop of information will be collected from them. From our preliminary findings, we confirm that these horrendous and despicable actions were performed by none other than the escaped remnants of the old Galactic Company, who have betrayed everything that they have once stood for in their insane pursuit of power. As such, we will now dub these bands of terrorists to be known as 'Team Galactic'."
  
  "Though some may disagree with this decision, as Champion of Sinnoh responsible for the well-being and safety of our citizens, it is my duty to call and request for assistance to ensure that this threat is contained and dealt with as effectively as possible so that our people may remain safe and sound. Therefore, I now ask my counterparts from Indigo and Hoenn to send their best and brightest so that we may combat the threat together."
  
  "Rest assured, Team Galactic may have decided to pick a fight with us, but if there is one thing that I can promise you - the Sinnoh League will never lose."
  
  Very striking words from our Champion. Let us know your thoughts about this, and we sincerely hope that none of you were injured or harmed in Team Galactic's attacks.
  
  Comments
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  My sincerest condolences to everything that's happening in Sinnoh. I never expected them to attack with such... evil.
  
  All those innocent Pokémon lost... just like that. Absolutely soul-crushing.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I'm horrified by what I just read. How dare these terrorists defile a cultural site like that? All those poor Pokémon! I'm fuming with righteous anger right now, and I'm so glad many of them were brought to justice.
  
  If Cyrus really turns out to be the leader of these terrorists, then I beg Arceus that we punish him for all that he has done.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  ...I can't believe that Galactic Company would betray everyone like that. How could such evil become one of the largest businesses in Sinnoh? What kind of monster is Cyrus for him to fall to such methods? Disgusting.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I cannot believe that we used to see the Galactic Company's branch office in Eterna with such respect. I'm so glad that it was taken down, but after reading this I went to that place just to spit on the ground that it used to stand on.
  
  Cyrus, I hope you're reading this, because you deserve to rot.
  
  FlamingAfro (Verified POG)
  
  I will use this opportunity to echo Champion Cynthia's words. Team Galactic have decided to enact their wanton destruction on our beautiful region, but they will not get away with their malicious actions.
  
  Alongside Gym Leader Volkner and many brave Jennys, we have managed to personally fight against and capture many of the leaders of Team Galactic. Rest assured that the rest will soon follow. The Sinnoh League will fight back.
  
  A.N. I felt that there needed to be a Pokenet Chapter after the double action chapters that we just had. I hope you liked the little public insight to the events going on and the slightly longer Interlude. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-9 - The Response
  
  We had all gathered around one of the meeting rooms in the Indigo League building. All of us were in attendance for this meeting, whether that be in person or virtually. Every Gym Leader, Elite Four, and Champion.
  
  We were all here to discuss the ongoings in Sinnoh and the capture of the three Lake Guardians.
  
  The latter had yet to be leaked to the public - Cynthia had ordered complete silence on that front, and the other Champions easily agreed to that decision. The last thing we wanted to do was to create further panic amidst the public by informing them that Team Galactic had successfully managed to capture three Legendaries and whisk them away for an unknown purpose. It was why this meeting was done under the strictest of confidence - no one amongst our ranks were allowed to leak any part of this conversation to the outside world.
  
  Fortunately, we weren't operating in the dark. Thanks to the psychic interrogations that were quickly performed on the many grunts and leaders that we captured, we now had an understanding of what they wanted to achieve.
  
  The psychic interrogations revealed much - including the plan and intentions for the attack at the Lake, their members, and even the structure of their leadership. More importantly, strike teams were immediately launched to take down bases that were exposed as a result, and we started to paint a picture of what Team Galactic's remaining manpower looked like after yesterday's operation.
  
  In summary, their capture of the three Lake Guardians came at an extremely heavy price for Team Galactic. In order to ensure the operation's success, Cyrus had thrown away a huge majority of his manpower to distract the Sinnoh League and to capture and escape with the Guardians. Most of the additional manpower he received from absorbing the remnants of Team Rocket, Team Aqua, and Team Magma were nearly all burned through in order to launch this high risk operation.
  
  On my end, I was very surprised to see just who Cyrus had been willing to sacrifice in order to capture the Lake Guardians. So far, the following leaders of Team Galactic had been captured - Archie, Matt, Tabitha, Courtney, Maxie, and Proton.
  
  I didn't care about most of them, but it was interesting to see that both Archie and Maxie had taken part in the operation and were subsequently captured. I thought that Cyrus would have kept them around till the very end, considering they were previously the leaders of Team Aqua and Magma respectively, but maybe they had lost all of their power once they fell under Cyrus' umbrella. Then again, maybe it was just that Cyrus didn't care about who he had to sacrifice in order to reach his goals.
  
  Though, I did make a note about the fact none of the Team Galactic admins had been captured. Maybe he did have favourites.
  
  Nevertheless, his goal was exactly what I hoped it wouldn't be, but stoically expected and accepted nonetheless. Despite the many changes that occurred, my actions had not changed Cyrus' ultimate objective - he wanted to remake the world using the power of Legendaries, ostensibly to create a utopia for all. At least, that was the captured grunts' interpretation of their leader's vision, but with our less fanatical minds, we were a lot more suspect of that goal.
  
  Lucian had put it best, "Legendaries are many things, but aside from Arceus itself, they are not able to create genuine miracles. Everything they create has to be, in some way, related to their aspect that they rule over. Even if you were to somehow combine the powers of all three of the creation trio, you would not be able to create a 'perfect' world like Cyrus proclaims that he can."
  
  "You will certainly be able to make a world, or even multiple, if you had the Legendaries' power in your hands. But that world will never be perfect, because you will still have to shape it in some way; it is a world limited by your own perception of perfection. You cannot simply will a perfect world into being." Cynthia agreed, "Although, for our purposes, the fact that Cyrus might be able to reshape this world is frankly frightening enough."
  
  "...So what happens if that does occur?" Lorelei asked quietly, "What if Cyrus somehow manages to wrest control of a Legendary like the grunts believe he can?"
  
  Well the simple answer was that everyone was going to die, because Cyrus reshaping our world in any way was going to cause disastrous consequences for everyone. However, I didn't voice that thought, because pretty much everyone knew that already and there was no need to bring down the mood even further.
  
  "Then we pray that does not happen. We fight to ensure that it never happens." Wallace said firmly, with his eyes hardened and his mouth sporting a stern frown. It was so unlike his usual aura of serenity, "But there's no point thinking about what-ifs. No matter what happens, no matter if Cyrus is successful in controlling a Legendary or not, every one of us here has a duty to fight to ensure that his plans to do not come into fruition. No matter what."
  
  "And we will be fighting alongside you." Lance added, "Because this is no longer a domestic problem. Cyrus' plans threatens the entire world, and we will do everything we can to ensure that it fails. Legendary or not, we cannot lose."
  
  Then he let out a chuckle, "Besides, I've always wondered how Emperor would match up against a Legendary. This isn't how I'd imagine the opportunity coming my way, but it is a small silver lining."
  
  That got a couple of grins from the group, especially from the more battle-hungry members. Even I cracked a small smile at his words; despite the very real fear of fighting a Legendary, it would be interesting to see how well Tyrant stacked up against one. He was the strongest non-Legendary fighter I knew, so if there was any Pokémon capable of dealing a blow against a Legendary (though not a knockout - that was never going to happen against a Legendary) then it would be him.
  
  "Do we know what Legendary he intends to awaken?" Koga asked, "That may narrow down his future actions."
  
  "We don't have confirmation, but we highly suspect that it will be one of the Creation Trio, considering that the Lake Guardians are known to possess a connection with them." Cynthia answered before I could, "And it makes the most sense considering he intends to reshape the world. The Creation Trio certainly have powers that would fit that description."
  
  "Ah, then it looks like we have Dragons to fight." Drake smirked, "I think many here have plenty of practice against that."
  
  That got a few more chuckles, but that quickly petered off as we continued with the serious discussion.
  
  "So what is the plan moving forwards then?" Sidney asked, "Obviously, finding and capturing Cyrus before he can enact his plans is going to be the main priority. But what do you need us to do specifically? How may we assist?"
  
  "Everyone will be placed on high alert and be expected to called upon to active service when the time arrives." Cynthia explained, "For those in Sinnoh, I have already ordered a reduction in Gym activities as we will call upon you to assist with the manhunt where necessary. Further instructions will be given to you after this meeting."
  
  "Likewise, for the Elite Four, they will be immediately sent over on said rotational basis as discussed before." Lance continued, "In essence, there will be one Elite Four member sent to Sinnoh for two weeks at a time, and a new Elite Four member will be sent over every week. Therefore, there will always be 8 Elite Four members in Sinnoh at any present time, 4 locally, and 4 from Hoenn and Indigo collectively."
  
  "As for the Gym Leaders of Hoenn and Indigo, you will put on standby for the time being." It was Wallace's turn to speak, "It isn't practical to uproot you from your duties to come all the way to a foreign region, especially since the Circuit has just started, but do note that in the case of an emergency we will be calling you to head over to Sinnoh at a moment's notice - so be prepared for that. An emergency line has been or will be set up for all of your personal devices, and if that rings, then you are to drop everything you are doing and head over to Sinnoh as quickly as possible. There are no exceptions to this."
  
  Everyone nodded, all agreeing and understanding the severity of the situation. Even the Psychic Twins, who were by far the youngest of everyone here, didn't show any of their usual childish antics. They all knew that this was a very serious situation that needed us to work together.
  
  "I loathe the disruptions to the Circuit that this will inevitably cause, but we have no choice. The safety of the public must be our first priority." Cynthia said, "So until Cyrus and his Team Galactic are captured, taken down, and completely neutralised, I won't be easing up on such restrictions until it's all over. Despite taking down several more of their bases, we have yet to locate Cyrus or the other leaders of Team Galactic, and so I believe in having as much firepower on hand as possible so that we are able to respond with our full might once an opportunity falls into our hands."
  
  While everyone remained silent as we absorbed her words, I was wracking my head and digging through my meta-knowledge to identify if there was anything else that could make things easier for us. I accepted that this was the moment to finally make use of it, since there was little reason to hide what I knew now.
  
  However, the Sinnoh League and their thorough investigations had already dug up everything I could have told them. Everyone already knew of Cyrus' plans, as well as who the other Team Galactic admins were, but the problem was not what he was going to do, but where he was currently hiding. And my meta-knowledge did not inform me of that, because in the games he just hid at Galactic Headquarters with no one the wiser. Obviously, he wasn't doing that any more.
  
  Still, I eventually picked out one bit of information that could help.
  
  "...If they're planning on awakening the Creation Trio, then they will probably do so at Spear Pillar." I suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention onto me, "From what I remember, Spear Pillar is the one place in Sinnoh that has the most connection with the Creation Trio, as that is where the legends say was the place where they were created. Not only that, but Cyrus clearly intends to summon them using some form of power that he obtains from the captured Lake Guardians, and I truly believe that he will do so at Spear Pillar. That is where he's heading to next."
  
  A thoughtful frown fell on everyone but the Sinnoh contingent, where Lucian was nodding at me, "Yes, you make a good point. It is something that we also suspected once we were confident that Cyrus' plans were going to involve summoning and making use of the power of the Creation Trio, and we have many experts discussing the veracity of the many legends surrounding them so that we might have a better understanding of what to expect. We've already expected him to make use of the Lake Guardians for such a purpose. Rest assured that Spear Pillar has already been marked as a priority location by, and we have set up 24/7 surveillance around the location in case of any Team Galactic intrusion. Elite Four and Gym Leaders will be bolstering said patrols as well."
  
  I nodded, accepting that they had thought of this already. But it was good to make sure.
  
  "Thank you for bringing this up though." Cynthia smiled at me, "If there's anything relevant that you can think of, please let us know."
  
  "And with that, I think we can wrap the meeting up here." Lance stated, "Thank you all for coming, and may Arceus bless us in the coming days and weeks."
  
  No matter where you were in the world, the consequences of the attack at the Lakes could still be felt. Even all the way in Indigo, far away from where Team Galactic had struck, the mood of the general populace was noticeably subdued - a far cry from the usual enthusiasm that you would expect from the many hyped up trainers at the start of any Circuit.
  
  That was what was truly a shame; Cyrus' actions had managed to rob away the joy of a journey's start, tainting it for all these young trainers forever. It was depressing to see, but at least the public weren't overly worried or panicked about the situation yet.
  
  For the time being, it looks like they still had enough trust in the Leagues to protect them, and so they continued on their daily lives as usual. Rather fortunately, there was actually an outcry of public support from Indigo and Hoenn when they had heard the news, and many seemed interested in donating to help those that were injured in attack, whether Pokémon or human, and wished them a safe recovery.
  
  Actually, if there was one person that really helped prevent widespread panic, it was Professor Oak, who made a public announcement in light of the events at Sinnoh.
  
  "The events at Sinnoh are most certainly a tragedy, and one that should and ought to be mourned. To strike and inflict such destruction is certainly a terrible act meant to instil fear within you. However, I do not wish for you to be controlled by this fear, for that is exactly what the terrorists are hoping to do to you. They play games with your mind, making them seem like this terrible, unseen threat, whereas in reality they are nothing more than criminals with delusions of power - striking at the world in a futile effort to vent their own frustrations."
  
  "They do not deserve your fear, nor your worry. At the end of the day, their greed will catch up to them, and they will falter as they always do, time and time again. The League will be there to punish them for their avarice and lust for power. And rest assured, I too shall be joining this fight if my skills are called upon. Retirement or not, there is no world where I would sit back and allow these terrorists free reign. I will see them brought to justice."
  
  It was a speech that had been mirrored many times by many Champions around the world, but coming from Oak, it gave it a different level of gravitas. The respect and trust that people had in Oak within Indigo was still unrivalled, and they heeded his calls for calm while also being reassured from his willingness to fight.
  
  Similarly, back at home, Whitney and my parents were quick to ask me about what had happened, and I hated not being able to give them the full details - knowing that secrecy was paramount. I trusted them wholeheartedly, but it was the principle of the matter. Still, I reassured them as best as I could, but warned that the situation was serious enough that I was going to be sent to Sinnoh very soon.
  
  That was already undergoing, with Lance and Wallace having picked one Elite Four each at random to be sent to Sinnoh tomorrow. For us, that was Koga. And for Hoenn, it was Phoebe. Apparently, a specialised, extra-fast ship was being used to transport important individuals to and from Sinnoh, so that the day's journey from Indigo could be cut down to slightly over half a day.
  
  Drake and I had also asked to be partnered to each other during our 'shift' in Sinnoh, due to our previous working relationship, and the Champions were more than willing to accommodate that. It was determined that we would be going over on the second week, with Karen and Glacia coming after us.
  
  Still, even with everything going on at Sinnoh, that didn't mean my duties in Indigo stopped there. Lance had other meetings to attend to with the Gym Leaders and the Indigo Police to create measures for if and when the Gym Leaders were called away to assist at Sinnoh, in order to cover their Gym Leader duties while they were gone.
  
  But while he had that meeting to go to, us Elite Four had our own meeting to attend to - and that was to get the Sinnoh Police acclimatised to our Pokémon and fighting style. Because we were likely going to have to work with the Sinnoh Police in the future, Cynthia thought it prudent that we make sure that they would at least have a general understanding on how we fought so that they can better support us in battles, and if we had any unique fighting styles that they would have to work around.
  
  For Lorelei and I, our fighting styles were pretty straightforward. We both had a good balance of offense and defense, and we both had supporting moves with Life Dew to keep us and our allies in the fight for longer - which meant they didn't need to bring in a rare Blissey to accompany us just to heal us up between fights.
  
  Yet for Koga and Karen, it wasn't so simple. They were both trainers that heavily relied on speed and status moves, and Koga especially wasn't the greatest at dealing with multiple enemies at once. Furthermore, most of their team favoured more single-target fights compared to myself or Lorelei. This meant that they preferred not to be the centre of attention during fights, requiring the Sinnoh police to have to fight more on the frontlines than usual compared to fighting on the flanks as they usually did.
  
  After that was sorted, Koga then spent some time discussing how to best make use of his and his Pokémon's tracking skills. It was why he was sent over first, so that he could help dig up any leads regarding where Team Galactic had run off to. He also gave everyone another run through of the self-protection lessons that he gave us last time, just to make sure that no one got sloppy when we ended up facing against Team Galactic for real.
  
  By the time everything was done, it was already getting pretty late into the evening. But despite wanting to immediately get into doing some training with my Pokémon, I headed to the Viridian Gym and spoke with Giovanni.
  
  I skipped the preamble entirely, moving to what was most important, "Has Archer managed to uncover anything?"
  
  He shook his head, "The situation was far too dangerous for him. He caught the attack at Lake Valor when it was taking place, but had no way of joining in on the fighting without being caught in the crossfire. He did call me to see if he should fight on regardless of the risk, but I ordered him not to. I am not risking my men like that."
  
  I... ultimately agreed with that decision. He was just looking out for them as their boss, "So what now? Is there anything Archer can do to help? If the situation is as hot as it is?"
  
  "Yes, but not in the way you're thinking." He replied, "You're right in that the situation in Sinnoh is now far too hot for him to operate in with his usual underground methods. The Sinnoh police are really tightening the screws around any criminal activity, so he won't get much done like that. But that just means his time in the underbelly of Sinnoh has come to an end, and it doesn't mean he can't be repurposed. I have already come to an agreement with Sinnoh to send over a group of investigators and trainers on behalf of Silph Co. as a gesture of support and to bolster their manpower. Archer will be there to lead the group publicly, making it so that he will still be on hand to provide assistance without being accidentally labelled a criminal. Though he will no longer be able to make use of his underground methods like he did before."
  
  I nodded in agreement; that seemed like the best use of Archer. However, hearing this made me come to a realisation.
  
  "...Then I guess our covert partnership regarding Team Galactic is now at an end." I said, reminiscing about the moment all that time ago when our partnership first began.
  
  I thought back on how our relationship developed from a cautious partnership to a trusted friendship. I watched as Giovanni went from a paranoid and nationalistic man one step away from committing terrorism just to get what he wanted, to a family man who cared greatly for the men under him and the family that he now swore to protect.
  
  I would never have imagined this outcome for him when I had first met him. But I was all the more grateful that it turned out this way.
  
  "...Yes, it has." He agreed slowly, "And I admit to be glad to clean my hands from all of this criminality. As much as I enjoyed the espionage, I made a promise to myself and Ariana that this would be the last time I engage in such illicit activities in the future. It leads to... temptation, and I no longer wish to be that kind of man anymore. Besides, I think Archer deserves a break from the stress of avoiding arrest. He's worked the hardest out of all of us."
  
  "Maybe you could get him a stable job in the future so that he doesn't have to bounce around different locations all the time." I suggested half-jokingly, "It's not going to be fair on him when you have Petrel sitting in a cozy Gym."
  
  He chuckled, "Maybe. I'll think about it."
  
  A nice moment passed between the two of us as we simply sat there in comfortable silence. But after the moment passed, Giovanni let out a small sigh as a serious frown returned onto his face, "...John, I know that it's been drilled into our heads enough, but I feel like this is going to be the fight. My gut tells me that there will be no more running away for either Team Galactic or us - that our next confrontation will be our last. Cyrus is running out of options, but he's now closer to his goal than he's ever been. The next fight between us will be do or die."
  
  "I know." I replied solemnly, "That's why everyone's preparing as best as we can to ensure that we win. No matter what happens - Team Galactic ends here."
  
  A.N. A slower chapter focused on the aftermath of everything that has happened in Sinnoh, and a demonstration of how the three Leagues are responding to this very real threat. Needless to say, everyone's taking this extremely seriously. And yes, RIP Proton - you'll find out more about what happened to him later.
  
  Also, hope you liked that last bit with Giovanni. He'll still be showing up of course, but it was nice to finally be able to 'end' their collaboration with John on this topic. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-10 - Intermission
  
  The next few days passed with a tense feeling of anticipation. Despite fears that Cyrus was going to immediately use the Lake Trio to enact his plans, it became clear that he wasn't ready to take that final step just yet.
  
  I supposed I should have expected this; I doubted that the forging of the Red Chain like he did in canon was a process that you could just complete with a snap of your fingers. I didn't know how many scientists he still had left in his employ, but that was still going to take some time.
  
  Therefore, the fact that Cyrus didn't intend to attack immediately seemed to settle a few nerves as the shock from the initial attack began to wane, and now the atmosphere had shifted into one of alert patience.
  
  Back in Indigo, while the meetings had died down, as everyone already knew what they were meant to do if it ever came to the worst case scenario, there were many, many interviews that replaced them. Some of them were deliberately held by us to reassure the public that we had things well in hand, but many of them were by overly curious reporters trying to find content for their next headlines.
  
  Those attention seekers targeted anyone that even had an iota of fame - and as an Elite Four member I was certainly not excluded.
  
  So time flew by just like that, but on a more personal level, I was doing everything I can to prepare for the fight that I knew was coming up. Just like how Koga taught us to, I was making sure to prioritise my own protection in a fight, ensuring that my Pokémon knew how best to cover me while in the heat of battle.
  
  Furthermore, we also managed to get glimpses of Cyrus' personal Pokémon, thanks to the psychic interrogations that we had performed. We compared those to the reports that had been dug up about his personal team ever since the manhunt was announced. What we found that while Cyrus was a formidable trainer - certainly far more than you would expect from a wealthy CEO that wasn't Steven - it was nothing that an Elite Four member could not reasonably handle.
  
  That matched what I knew from meta-knowledge. Cyrus was someone you fought before you headed into the Elite Four. Therefore, I had nothing to reasonably fear from Cyrus' team as I trusted my team to be able to overwhelm his. Instead, I dedicated some time to thinking about countermeasures for dealing with the worst case scenario - a scenario where Cyrus managed to summon one of the Creation Trio.
  
  Once upon a time, I believed that it would have been impossible for me to take on a Legendary and win. That thought hadn't exactly changed now, but knowing the stakes behind the upcoming battle, I understood it wasn't a matter if I could logically defeat a Legendary or not. I knew that I had to, no matter what.
  
  Because defeat was not an option. Defeat meant allowing Cyrus to achieve his nihilistic ambitions and destroy the world - dooming all life within it.
  
  Problem was, I didn't have any frame of reference to refer to. There had never been any reliable documented encounter of a battle against a Legendary outside of rumours and legends, and my meta-knowledge didn't help either.
  
  All that I knew was that I was probably safe to assume that none of my Pokémon, not even Tyrant, would be able to comfortably tank a Legendary's attack.
  
  But that didn't mean I couldn't try to prepare my Pokémon for the worst. Thus, I felt that the best thing to do in preparation was to make them aware of their limits, and to try to educate them on what to expect.
  
  I knew that my Pokémon were all brave and determined, but there was a very fine line between bravery and stupidity. And charging a Legendary while it's attacking, even with a Type advantage, is just asking for trouble.
  
  For example, if Palkia was unleashing a Dragon Pulse, I would not be surprised if it could partially ignore the Fairy Type's usual immunity to Dragon moves. Again, I didn't know how powerful a Legendary was, and there was a very real possibility that their attacks just functioned differently to the norm. So I did my best to grill it into my team's minds that dodging and throwing up the strongest Protect shield you could muster was probably the only 'reliable' way of defending against an attack from one of the Creation Trio.
  
  Not only that, but I tried to make them aware of the Legendary's presence. In the games, both Dialga and Palkia had the ability Pressure, and I imagined that would mean that even staring at a Legendary would fill you with some kind of submissive awe. That wasn't something that I could imitate, but I just wanted to make sure that my Pokémon would know to expect this and to be able to fight despite such feelings.
  
  Overall, I recognised that it was a pretty big stab in the dark, but I was determined to be as prepared as possible. I even shared some of my thoughts with my colleagues, though I didn't insist that my thoughts were right. I just reminded them that they should be practicing in case we faced down a Legendary.
  
  I feared that we might need it.
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  Now that he was seeing it in person, he could understand why Roark was so suspicious about the true nature of this place. He had done his fair share of cave diving in the past due to his interest in geology, but he had never come across an iron deposit quite like this before.
  
  Usually with your normal iron deposits, you could still see bits of the underlying stone behind it, as the iron would not be so densely packed together as to not leave any gaps. But the iron in front of him was definitely not like this. It was as if the entire cave opening was custom built from iron. And it wasn't any standard iron either, as the team from Devon Corp that he had brought into assist was currently demonstrating by failing to melt through a slab of the wall with a Flamethrower from a Blaziken.
  
  It was pretty clear why Roark felt that he needed to request for Devon Corp's assistance with iron this dense.
  
  Obviously, they held to their side of the agreement, and a ship full of specialised drilling equipment had promptly arrived in Sinnoh and were transported to these very caves in order to actually break through all of this super dense iron.
  
  Fortunately, the special equipment was doing its job, and they were managing to slowly but steadily break through the reinforced iron. Of course, they weren't all just sitting back and relying solely on the drill, and the stronger among them tried to assist with their own Pokémon. Bruno especially was particularly adamant at using the reinforced iron as a training opportunity for his Pokémon to test themselves against by unleashing their full strength, and his Fighting types were managing to smash several sizeable dents in the walls with each of their blows.
  
  His own team wasn't far behind, though he admitted that Bruno was his superior in this respect. Unlike Bruno, only a few of his Steel types possessed sufficient strength to leave a dent in the iron, whereas Bruno's entire team managed the feat. Though his Metagross was reliably able to punch through the hardened iron with each of its strikes.
  
  Unfortunately, the same feat could not be replicated by neither Byron or Roark, nor the other explorers that were also accompanying them today.
  
  Still, even with their Pokémon's assistance, there was still a lot of waiting around to do. There was a lot of iron to drill through, especially because they didn't exactly know where they were going. According to the reports when the Celestic expedition team went and found the Icicle Plate, they did so by heading downwards. So they were doing the same, having no better option for the time being.
  
  They did that for what felt like an hour, slowly following the drills and their Pokémon as they did their work. Until suddenly they managed to break into a huge cave opening that was filled with the same dense iron that currently surrounded them.
  
  Carefully stepping close to the edge, he peered over to see what was inside, with Bruno's strong arm on his shoulder making sure that he didn't accidentally fall in - and saw that the entire cave opening was practically empty of Pokémon.
  
  This differed heavily to what they were expecting. From the Icicle Plate expedition, they had expected the caves to be filled with Steel types, just like the Snowpoint caves were filled to the brim with Ice types, so seeing none was a little strange.
  
  "Perhaps the Pokémon are merely elsewhere." Roark suggested when Steven expressed his thoughts out loud, "But there's nothing to worry about. We're clearly on the right path. Let's keep heading down."
  
  So that was what they did, first sending down their Pokémon to make sure that there wasn't an ambush waiting for them, before slowly descending down a reinforced rope that they had brought. As the strongest physically amongst them, Bruno was the first trainer that went down so he could help catch anyone that fell.
  
  After they all descended, they continued to slowly explore and made their way further down the new cave. They managed to cover a lot of ground - far more than they would have if they had to dig through all of this. Otherwise, it likely would have taken them over a day to dig through all of this hardened iron.
  
  As they continued to descend, a few of their members took out some kind of equipment that analysed the density of the iron to see if they were going the right way or not, as its density should increase as they got closer to their objective. However, this was when they started to face a few difficulties in their journey - in that it was beginning to become hard to breathe.
  
  The air, which was already stagnant, only continued to grow thinner and thinner as they kept heading down. Worse, because of the heavy levels of iron present, the experienced explorers with them had warned that there was a very real risk of contracting iron oxide poisoning.
  
  Fortunately for all of them, Steven and his team had the presence of mind to bring in many gas masks with plenty of spare air filters for this exact purpose. That did mean that they were on a tighter time limit than if they didn't have to use the gas masks, but they should hopefully locate the Iron Plate before then.
  
  Eventually, they started to stumble across a few Pokémon, all of which were Steel type. They encountered a few Probopass, Bronzong, and Magnezone, which they noted were actually pretty strong compared to the wild Pokémon you were used to seeing, but they weren't a threat to their large group as they easily managed to dispatch them without taking any injuries.
  
  However, it was during these fights against the wild Pokémon that Steven realised something.
  
  "Be careful with your Electric and Fire attacks." He warned everyone, "Iron is a great conductor of both heat and electricity, and we are literally surrounded by it. If you carelessly order your Pokémon to attack with Thunderbolts or Flamethrowers, you might accidentally shock or burn yourself. Stay vigilant, we aren't fighting in usual conditions, and we can scarcely risk taking on injuries ourselves while we're all the way down here."
  
  Luckily, they didn't have that many wild Pokémon to deal with, so Bruno's Fighting types were usually enough to deal with any that they encountered single-handedly. The others helped out as well, and Steven did briefly consider using this opportunity to try to train up some of his newer fossil Pokémon that he had recently added to his team, but that was probably taking too large of a risk.
  
  If he was exploring alone, or just with Bruno, then he would be okay with using weaker Pokémon to defend himself with. But since he was responsible for more than just himself, he didn't want others to get hurt because of his recklessness.
  
  Not wanting to risk getting mobbed by wild Pokémon, they continued their exploration slowly and carefully, even while mindful of the time limits of their gas masks. But there were no great battles to be had, unlike what they all expected, as the wild Pokémon hanging around here were far fewer in number to the caves below Snowpoint.
  
  Therefore, they continued like this for what felt like a few hours, until suddenly he felt a familiar meaty hand tap his shoulder. He quickly turned around to see Bruno pointing ahead of him.
  
  "...Stay quiet." His friend whispered to him, "But that is a new Pokémon."
  
  Steven's head whipped around to where his friend was pointing at, and what he saw caused his eyebrows to jump.
  
  In front of them, just hanging about by itself, was a strange slug-like Pokémon that had its tiny pink head peeking out of a large steel shell. It didn't seem to notice them, as it seemed content to remain slumped over as it rested its head lazily on its shell.
  
  Based on its appearance alone, Steven could confidently say that it was definitely a Steel type of some sort, and his gut told him that it was probably a dual type. But for the life of him he couldn't guess what that other type was. Perhaps Bug? Or Ground? Or even Poison? Considering its coloration?
  
  At this point, the other expedition members had also taken note of this new Pokémon, and they all reacted with similar levels of shock. As per their agreement with Byron, in exchange for the equipment provided and a guarantee that the Iron Plate would remain within Byron's and Roark's hands, Devon Corp would have first priority over any new Pokémon that they found.
  
  But just as they spotted it, the new Pokémon also spotted them. It sported a surprised look on its face before it let out a snarl and hurled a Sludge Bomb at them.
  
  "Machamp, go!"
  
  Bruno's starter instantly intercepted the attack, brushing it off with a Protect shield before slamming into the unknown Pokémon with a heavy Cross Chop.
  
  "Sliggoo?!" The new Steel type let out a cry of pain before a second Brick Break knocked it out. So that was its name.
  
  As it laid there unconscious, Steven captured it with an Ultra Ball. He smiled as he held the ball in his hands; the trainer inside of him wanted to immediately investigate and analyse this new capture and see what Type it was and how it fought, but this was definitely not the time for it. So, with great reluctance, he forced the Sliggoo out of his mind for the time being.
  
  He hoped they would encounter more in the future.
  
  Fortunately, it didn't take long for his wish to come true. As they continued exploring, further Sliggoo continued to be found. They were always too distracted to notice their approach and weren't too hard to take down, so they managed to catch a few extra.
  
  The discovery of Sliggoo already made this expedition a success in Steven's mind, and considering that it had already been several hours since they began this expedition, which didn't even include the waiting around that they had to do when they first began drilling through the tough iron, Steven was willing to call it quits for today and return to the surface.
  
  However, his proposal was rejected by both Byron and Roark. "No. We've already made it down this far, and our readings tells us that the iron density here is thicker than ever." Byron stated, "We have to be close to locating the Iron Plate. We shouldn't go back up now, especially since we still have time on our gas masks."
  
  Personally, he felt that the two were being a little too stubborn, but a quick look at Bruno showed that he didn't disagree with the Gym Leaders' assessment, so he withdrew his proposal and continued onwards. His team from Devon Corp did grumble a bit, but ultimately acquiesced to his judgment. Besides, Bryon did have a point - they should be close to finding the Iron Plate now. Yet before they could continue on, Bruno spoke up.
  
  "We will explore for another two hours. If we do not locate the Iron Plate before then, we will be returning to the surface." His friend asserted commandingly, as if daring someone to refuse, "It is not wise to continue with our dwindling supplies of gas masks and energy. This is not a matter to remain stubborn on. Do I make myself clear?"
  
  None dared to challenge his statement, only nodding obediently in reply. Steven had to fight back the urge to smirk; Bruno didn't seem to think so, but his friend had a naturally commanding presence that even he couldn't replace easily. When it came to being intimidating or making demands, there was hardly anyone better than Bruno.
  
  It was just another reason why he knew Bruno would be an excellent fit for the Elite Four.
  
  After what was probably almost half an hour of uneventful walking, they ended up stumbling across another large drop into yet another big cave opening. However, unlike what they've seen so far, this clearing was completely packed to the brim with all sorts of Steel types. Though he wasn't intimidated by the sight; even despite their large numbers they weren't as numerous as he feared.
  
  But there were two other things that had caught his attention.
  
  The first and most obvious was the steel monument that seemed to have been erected in the centre of the opening that rose all the way to the ceiling. The pillar wasn't even rectangular like normal pillars were, but instead was a twisting mass of iron with several tendrils jutting out from all sides that attached itself to many of its surroundings.
  
  If he were a betting man, then he was willing to state that the source of all this unnatural iron was coming from this very pillar. In the corner of his eye, he could see the excited gleam in Roark's eyes, which confirmed to him that this was probably where the Iron Plate was located.
  
  The other interesting thing of note was what was likely the evolved version of Sliggoo. It was massive, towering over much of the other Steel types hanging around the pillar, and despite its strange depressed and melancholic expression, there was no hiding the strength that it unconsciously exuded.
  
  Now that was a Steel type that he wanted on his team. But first, they needed to clear out the area.
  
  He turned to the rest of the expedition group, "Bruno. You and I are the strongest here, so we'll head down first to create a safe landing spot. Between the two of us, we should be able to fight back their numbers and allow the rest to follow up. However, I'm wary that there are other openings that we aren't able to see from here, and I don't want us to suddenly be swarmed by a wave of reinforcements. So make sure to keep an eye on such openings and shut them down before we get swarmed."
  
  "Also, remember not to use Fire or Electric attacks if at all possible." He reminded, "Let's try to avoid any unnecessary collateral damage yes? And again, make sure to keep a close eye on our flanks. Everyone agree with the plan?"
  
  Seeing that no one did, they put their plan into action. Bruno sent his team down first before jumping down with them, completely fearless at the horde that now surrounded him. And, in typical Bruno fashion, the man wasn't content to just land on his feet. No, he did a full mid-air punch that slugged a Bronzong right in its face, somehow not shattering his own fist on Bronzong's steel frame, before Bruno's Machamp followed up and smashed the Bronzong into the ground with a Brick Break.
  
  That signalled the start of the fight.
  
  His own Metagross immediately took control of the battle, suppressing everything with a powerful Gravity that hindered the wild Pokémon's ability to move. Then, with all of the Steel types forcefully pinned to the ground, that allowed both him and Bruno to easily follow up with a pair of massive Earthquakes that actually managed to cause cracks into the super dense iron.
  
  To his slight surprise, the new evolved form of Sliggoo actually managed to tank through their opening salvo of attacks very effectively, and began to charge up a Flamethrower in its mouth. However, before it could fire it off, Bruno's Primeape came swinging down from above, slamming the evolved Sliggoo's head against the metallic floor before pinning it to the ground while pummelling it in a flurry of Close Combats.
  
  In the meanwhile, one of the Magnezone that was further away had recovered quickly and prepared to fire off a Zap Cannon, but that was when one of his allies' Blaziken crashed down with a High Jump Kick, smashing the Magnezone against a wall and cancelling its attack. In the meanwhile, his own Aggron had thrown up a wall of razor sharp steel around their flanks, violently shredding through a Probopass that had been trying to flank around for a Head Smash.
  
  A bombardment of Focus Blasts then came down on the wild Pokémon, taking out many as they were unprepared and too distracted by the opponents in front of them. All the while Bruno's Fighting types were wreaking havoc amidst their ranks as they tore through their supposedly sturdy Steel type foes like they were nothing more than tinfoil.
  
  His own Metagross was not far behind either, moving around the battlefield like a tank as it crushed and smashed any in its way while also managing to simultaneously support their teammates with well-placed Psychics to either take down or disrupt ranged threats or to move teammates out of bad situations.
  
  In the end, the wild Pokémon were forced to either flee or be knocked unconscious by their Pokémon. Their combined might was too much for them, and their sudden yet overwhelming assault had completely shattered their fighting spirit.
  
  With the battle over, everyone quickly spread out to ensure that no other surprises would be awaiting them, and he swiftly made his way over to where the new Steel type had fallen before capturing it with another Ultra Ball.
  
  He didn't manage to catch its name in the heat of battle.
  
  With his newest capture safely secured on his belt and the area now deemed secure, he moved to where Byron, Roark, and Bruno were standing as the trio stared at the large pillar in the centre of the clearing. They had already placed down one of the drills to try to access whatever was in the middle, but for the first time, the drill was actually incapable of penetrating through the incredibly tough iron. In fact, the drill head actually snapped during the attempt.
  
  Luckily, the drills weren't their only option for breaking through the iron, and when tools failed, you always had Pokémon to back you up.
  
  The four of them ordered their Pokémon forwards, and his Metagross, Bruno's Machamp, Byron's Steelix, and Roark's Golem all smashed into the same part of the pillar simultaneously. With their combined strength, they were able to create a small hole in the iron pillar, and subsequent blows from their powerful Pokémon only continued to widen that hole.
  
  After a few rounds of pummelling, they were able to break through to the core of the pillar. Where the exact item that they were hoping to find was residing at.
  
  The Iron Plate was suspended in the air, in a groove of its own making.
  
  The expedition all let out wide smiles and cheers as they took in the sight of this Legendary artifact, the second of the Plates to be found. Roark and Byron seemed especially excited as they finally had a discovery to rival the many that the Celestic Town Research Centre had been uncovering.
  
  However, unbeknownst to them, as Roark gently placed his hands on the Iron Plate, a pair of familiar grey gemstones attached to a large statue began to light up once more.
  
  Two out of three.
  
  A.N. AND THE IRON PLATE HAS BEEN FOUND! Now it's two out of three! Just one to go! And yes, H-Sliggoo and H-Goodra found! You can bet that Steven's very happy about this find.
  
  As for the expedition part, I wanted to make sure that the expedition would be slightly different from the journey to find the Icicle Plate, with different challenges needing to be overcome. Though I also felt that having two chapters dedicated to it like last time would be too much of a repeat, so I shortened it significantly. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -13-10-Interlude-Galactic
  The New Normal - 13-10 - Interlude - Team Galactic
  
  (Mars POV)
  
  Mars walked up to their leader, who was standing as tall and as unyielding as he always was. Despite the many setbacks that they had suffered and the arrests of many of their faithful, it heartened her to see that her boss was still as driven as ever. His heart never wavered, even amidst all those sacrifices, and remained laser-focused in pursuit of their goal.
  
  They needed to rely on his strength more than ever in times like these, especially since her heart mourned for all the believers that they had lost in order to capture the Lake Guardians. She knew that such a sacrifice was necessary, but she that didn't make the decision any easier.
  
  At least they got rid of that annoyance, Proton. She admitted that the man had fought competently for their cause, but it was obvious for everyone to see that he was never a true believer. His lack of faith could only have led to this downfall, and Mars did not feel an inch of regret as she left him behind while she escaped with the Lake Guardian.
  
  She discarded any thought of that uncivilised brute as she felt Cyrus turn his exquisite attention towards her.
  
  "Boss, the scientists have made great strides with the Lake Guardians. Ahead of schedule." She informed him, "A prototype for the Red Chain is currently being finalised."
  
  Despite her optimistic words, they both knew that time was quickly running out. They couldn't stay hidden from the authorities forever, and only a few scientists remained amidst the scraps that they had left. With so little time available to them, they were forced to scramble and piece together a makeshift model of their theorised Red Chain instead of a fully completed model that they hoped for. And with all prototypes, she was worried that it wouldn't be able to control the Legendaries as they first theorised it might.
  
  Worse, if the authorities ever caught wind of this location, they were never going to be able to extract the Lake Guardians away in time to continue their work. Not only that, but they were also pretty much out of secret bases to hide in. This facility was the last high-tech facility with the necessary equipment required to forge the Red Chain.
  
  The authorities had been annoyingly competent at digging them out.
  
  As if reading her mind, Cyrus comforted her, "If you're concerned about relying on a prototype, do not be. Our cause is true and just, and the scientists working for us have all devoted themselves fully to our grand cause. Trust in their work, for they understand the gravity of what they are working on."
  
  "Do not forget that Arceus' light blesses our path, for we are doing their work in their stead. Correcting the world in their place." He continued with a calm smile, lightly placing his hand on her shoulder, "Hold to your faith, for we are nearing the end of our journey. Your struggles and your unwavering loyalty will be duly rewarded. As it has already been promised. Once you are relaxing in the utopia that you helped to forge, you will think of these trying times as nothing more than a fond memory. A memoir to the struggles that you endured to forge paradise."
  
  She bowed deeply, his words helping to lift the weight off of her shoulders, "My thanks, Cyrus. Is there anything else you need from us?"
  
  "Only that you continue to work hard." He smiled gently, like he always did, "Please give the scientists my best. We might be on a tight schedule, but I have faith they will be able to accomplish this task. Righteousness will motivate them."
  
  She nodded, and he turned away from her, "Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to speak to Saturn. Please call him in."
  
  She went and did so, her heart already lightening from her talks with Cyrus. Yes, she told herself. They were on the right path.
  
  True paradise awaited them all.
  
  (Proton POV)
  
  He never expected to have ended up like this. He had always seen himself as someone who was above the common rabble of criminals, above their stupidity that always led them to be put behind bars. He knew that he had the street smarts and cunning to slip away from the authorities, as he had done time and time again. He knew that he had the skills to avoid arrest.
  
  But of course, the moment he had saddled himself with those fanatical idiots, he had doomed himself to the fate of the other stupid grunts.
  
  Their idiocy led him down this path.
  
  Prison was horrible. There was absolutely nothing to do. He didn't know how long it had been since they threw him in here, but every moment passed by in agonising boredom. His fingers were starting to twitch erratically as he slowly lost his mind from the endless monotony.
  
  He knew this wasn't the norm. From the stories that he had heard from fellow criminals who had been released out of jail, he knew that this level of restriction wasn't usual. But the Sinnoh Police practically never allowed him out of his cell, no matter how much he tried to persuade or goad them.
  
  There was no privacy, no anything. Just eternal confinement.
  
  The only time he had even managed to hold a conversation were with those same idiotic grunts that got him into this mess in the first place, and that was while they were still being held for processing. What was worse was that those grunts seemed to think that being arrested was somehow an 'honour', as if they had 'sacrificed' themselves for a great cause.
  
  "Our leader will reward us for our devotion!" One of those fanatics practically yelled at him when he had asked, "Our salvation will come! Believe in it, Proton!"
  
  Like he'd believe that. No, Cyrus had simply used them as disposable pawns and thrown them away, and they were too blind to see it.
  
  Well, he wouldn't let himself be thrown away just like that. Once the opportunity arose and he managed to break out of this cage, he'd show Cyrus why it was such a bad idea to betray him and turn his former boss into the corpse he already was.
  
  Despite these thoughts, he knew the worst was yet to come. He knew that the Sinnoh League would be coming around to perform their psychic interrogations as they looked to extract everything from his mind. He knew the risks involved if you tried to fight against it, not that he would.
  
  Now that he was in jail, he would happily sell out Cyrus and his secrets. His mind would be an open door for them. He wasn't going to risk brain damage for a fool like Cyrus.
  
  And so, when it came for the day of his psychic interrogation, he managed to remain calm. He didn't fight it when they roughly strapped him in onto a metal table, nor when they locked down his limbs with metallic clamps.
  
  The process was likely going to be painful, but if he didn't resist, then it shouldn't be so bad.
  
  However, as the psychic interrogation began, and he felt the sudden wave of psychic pressure slam into him, he was starting to doubt his initial expectations about how painful the process would be. He felt his mind being twisted and squished as he felt his every thought being ripped out from his mind. The pain was so intense that he let out a loud scream, but that only seemed to make the pressure worse.
  
  He tried to shut his eyes, but they refused to close as they were forcefully held open. He tried to look away, but his eyes refused to obey as his pained screams echoed throughout the soundproofed chamber.
  
  He shouted himself hoarse as he pleaded for help, he pleaded for them to stop, he pleaded for mercy, but his cries all fell on deaf ears as the psychic energy suddenly intensified, and all he was met with was darkness.
  
  A.N. And that's the end of Proton. At the end of the day, he was nothing more than a disposable pawn, the same one that he mocks the other grunts for being. But in his arrogance, he was too blind to notice that until it was far too late. He overrated himself and was punished by it. Furthermore, as a nominal leader of one of the operations to capture the Lake Guardians, the Sinnoh League aren't going to be merciful when it came to the psychic interrogation. They were very thorough.
  
  In a roundabout way, even as the writer I'm a little sad to see Proton go. He's an awful person, but writing his POV allowed me to provide a unique perspective on Team Galactic rather than the fanaticism that you would expect from someone like Mars. But with the big battle coming, his POV is no longer necessary, so I felt this was a good way to end off his character. Hope you enjoyed!#
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-11 - The Raid
  
  Roark's discovery of the Iron Plate came as a pleasant surprise for me. Even for Cynthia, despite being nominal rivals with Roark in her capacity as the de-facto head of the Celestic Town Research Centre, was more pleased than jealous about their big find.
  
  I was a little surprised to hear that Steven and Devon Corp had also been part of the expedition - I didn't even know the man was in Sinnoh, nor how he managed to talk Roark into allowing him on the expedition. Though in hindsight, had I checked the Pokénet, I would have found out. His arrival at Sinnoh wasn't exactly subtle.
  
  Of course, now that the Iron Plate had been found on the Iron Islands, it was now relocated and proudly displayed at the Oreburgh Museum. I heard from Cynthia that there was a bit of an argument between Byron and Roark to determine where the Iron Plate would be displayed, but Roark won out because it was apparently his idea to search the Iron Islands for the Plate.
  
  However, Cynthia and her own group of explorers had not been idle all this while. Using the resources available to them, they spread a wide net all across Sinnoh as they dug through many of the known ruins and caves to see if they could find anything anomalous that could hint towards the existence of a Plate.
  
  When she asked for my opinion, I casually suggested that the area around Stark Mountain would be my go-to area to search for a Plate. Of course, that was based on my metaknowledge of knowing where Regirock was located around Route 228. I justified it by saying that it was the location that hadn't been thoroughly searched yet. Thus, not seeing any reason to not search the area, Cynthia sent over a team of explorers over to Stark Mountain.
  
  Time would tell if my 'suggestion' bears fruit.
  
  Besides the discovery of the Iron Plate, the other big discovery was Hisuian Sliggoo and Goodra, which was now in the sole custody of a very happy Steven Stone. Initially, Steven and his team from Devon Corp had little idea about the origins of Goodra. However, the Celestic Town Research Centre, who were more informed about the types of Pokémon that were active during the Hisuian era, had found out and informed them about their links to Hisui.
  
  There had been recorded descriptions of a monstrously powerful Pokémon that lumbered around with a huge, nearly unbreakable shell on its back - that, when provoked, would unleash a whirlwind of destruction in its resulting rampage. That was a perfect match for the new pair of Hisuian Pokémon, which were now just called 'Sliggoo' and 'Goodra' respectively.
  
  A pair of new discoveries would have been exciting enough for the public, but the fact that the two Pokémon were also part Dragon Type only added more fuel on the fire. Furthermore, Dragon specialists were now salivating over their Steel/Dragon typing, since it meant that these Pokémon were currently the only Dragon Types that was not weak to the new Fairy type; which had been a huge thorn for Dragon specialists around the world. If that wasn't enough, it ALSO was not weak to other Dragon types, which every other Dragon thus far was also weak to.
  
  That type combination was absolutely absurd; and it didn't even factor in the incredible bulk that Hisuian Goodra possessed. It was both specially and physically defensive, while still having formidable firepower in both respects as well. All in all, it was an absolutely incredible Pokémon to have, and I was absolutely certain that only Steven's Metagross would rival it in strength once it grew to its full power.
  
  I knew Lance was practically salivating over it; that was one Dragon he certainly would love to add to his team. He was certainly envious enough to send Steven a personal message requesting for a price for the extra Sliggoo that they had caught, but he had yet to receive a response. Unfortunately, with the expedition team only managing to catch a few Sliggoo, it'd meant that it would take a long while to breed enough for the Sliggoo to be distributed to everyone who wanted one.
  
  And even then, they'd probably be sold for an extraordinarily high price.
  
  Overall, all those discussions about the new discoveries had taken up the news' attention for most of the past few days, which brought some much needed levity and gave everyone a break from the doom and gloom in Sinnoh.
  
  That was, until we received a report from Koga, who informed us via a conference call about the new method that the Sinnoh League had deployed to track down the kidnapped Lake Guardians. Basically, they were going to try to trace their lingering ambient energy signatures from the Lakes, and follow that lead to try to locate where the Lake Guardians had been taken. It was as good of a plan as any, and it certainly beat trying to track down Cyrus' whereabouts without it.
  
  I wished them every success, especially since today was the day that I would be heading over to Sinnoh to join him. I had spent the entirety of the past week preparing everything I could in preparation for my trip to Sinnoh, and I held onto the mindset that I would be going there for war.
  
  This time, my trip to Sinnoh would be very different from the other times that I've been here.
  
  Obviously, on the day of my departure, I had received some worried looks from my parents and my sister (who had visited just to say bye to me). With the situation being as it is, no parent wanted their kid to be in the line of fire, even if it was my responsibility to do so.
  
  However, I reminded them of my duties, the strength of my team, and the oath that I took on the moment I stepped foot into the Elite Four. For all the privileges that I received for my position, now was going to be the time to pay it back. They reluctantly accepted my argument, and sent me off with a worried smile.
  
  I promised them I would make it back.
  
  Those new ships that they requisitioned for our trips to Sinnoh were really fast, to the point where I don't think I could tolerate going on those old slower boats. Even if the cost would significantly increase, I made a mental note to petition for these ships to be made available for all diplomatic trips in the future.
  
  It'd make actually visiting the other regions far less of a hassle.
  
  Having left in the early morning, I arrived in Sinnoh just as evening set in. Koga was there to welcome me, but his face told me that he was there to discuss something serious.
  
  "You've arrived just on time." He told me as soon as I got off the ship, "Remember that new tracking method that the Sinnoh League had been employing to try to locate the Lake Guardians?" I nodded, "Well, they've significantly narrowed down the search area. I predict that they'll find out where Team Galactic has stashed them within the next day or so."
  
  "Really?" My eyes widened, "That's good, but it's much quicker than I expected."
  
  "Don't underestimate the abilities of a League once it wants something done as soon as possible." Koga replied, "Retrieving the Lake Guardians is currently the highest priority, so your girlfriend has made it clear that she wants everyone to put their all into locating them. The hope is that Cyrus won't be far from the Guardians either, so we hope to accomplish both objectives in one strike."
  
  "I see..." I nodded, "Then let me know if we find anything. I'll join in the search efforts if you'll have me."
  
  Koga told me that I would be expected to help, but for today I was to report in to the Sinnoh League and receive a quick briefing about everything that had been going on. That briefing was short, and basically summarised everything I already knew from Cynthia, though at least it gave me the opportunity to at least catch back up with the Sinnoh Elite Four. After all that was done, I returned to my room for the night.
  
  This time, I wasn't residing at the Celestic Town Research Centre for once, as I was placed into one of the designated hotels for foreign dignitaries.
  
  It was easier to reach me this way.
  
  After checking in with Cynthia and messaging her that I had arrived, I decided to rest early that day just so that I was well-rested for the days to come. The following morning, my decision proved extremely prudent, as I was halfway through breakfast when an emergency message blared out of my phone.
  
  The Sinnoh League had managed to locate a hidden facility on the far northern outskirts of Sinnoh, where the energy tracker had identified was likely where the Lake Guardians were being held. It was very remote, and to put it in perspective about how remote it was, the 'closest' landmark to the hidden base was Stark Mountain, which was already considered to be far away from the main cities of Sinnoh.
  
  But with the facility located, the Sinnoh League wasted no time in organising a massive strike team that would be sent in to rescue and secure the Lake Guardians. I was obviously drafted onto that team, and was far from the only Elite Four to be participating.
  
  In total, six Elite Four would be in attendance. Drake (who had arrived in the middle of the night), Phoebe, Flint, Lucian, Koga, and myself would all be heading there. Other than us, a large contingent of Jennys would also be accompanying us, just to make sure that we would always have the numbers advantage and to ensure that the facility was completely surrounded and locked down.
  
  They wouldn't have an opportunity to escape with the Lake Guardians once more.
  
  Everything was done quickly as to ensure that Team Galactic wouldn't have any opportunity to relocate the Lake Guardians before we struck. Thus, we swiftly gathered at the base of Stark Mountain before it even turned noon, already making our final preparations as we prepared to assault the base.
  
  "You know our Champion wanted to come too?" Lucian told me as we waited for a few more members from the Sinnoh Police to arrive.
  
  "She didn't tell me, though I'm not surprised." I replied, "She's never been one to shy away from a battle like this. Especially not with so much at stake."
  
  Flint nodded, "Yeah, she was really insistent about fighting alongside us, but we managed to successfully reason with her to stay put." Flint said, "She can leave the fighting to us. She's needed elsewhere."
  
  "And if anything goes wrong, it's best if our Champion wasn't caught in the crossfire too." Lucian said warningly, "I doubt there would be anything that could overcome our combined strength, but when we know that Team Galactic have been performing all kinds of insane experiments with Legendaries, then common sense goes out the window."
  
  We all nodded, understanding the risks involved. Koga's words echoed through my head; my team and I might be very strong, but all it took was one mistake.
  
  That was when I saw Drake walking up to us, pulling me into an enthusiastic handshake, "After all this waiting, we're finally going to be striking down this fucking bastard. I can't fucking wait to get my hands on him. He's not going to get away with all that he's done."
  
  "Indeed, and in order to do that, we should discuss our formation." Koga interrupted, "Considering our respective strengths, I believe it would be best if we placed John, Drake, and Flint at the front if possible. Their Pokémon would be best served as the frontline. Then, Lucian should focus on our collective protection, while myself and Phoebe will assist on the flanks."
  
  "Sounds good." Phoebe agreed, "Smaller engagements suit me better."
  
  "Then that sounds like a plan to me." Flint said, "Of course, the fight might get a little too chaotic for us to stick to that - I learnt that the hard way in my last fight."
  
  We bantered for a little while longer before we received the signal to move out. Instantly, our friendly demeanours all fell away and were replaced with cold, grim determination.
  
  We had already located the facility to be just a short distance away, so we already had our Pokémon out as we moved forwards as silently as possible. Eventually, we arrived at a large shed that had been deliberately covered in foliage as to make it harder to detect. It also looked intentionally worn down by the elements, as if to make it seem like it had been long abandoned.
  
  If we weren't following the scanner, we would have easily overlooked this.
  
  Despite our best efforts at keeping quiet, we knew that there was little chance that Team Galactic wouldn't have had set up multiple hidden cameras surrounding the entrance, so they likely knew that we had arrived.
  
  Thus, we went loud from the very beginning.
  
  Tyrant violently smashed his fist through the shed, ripping open an entrance for us to follow through. Once inside, we spotted a disguised hatch that led very far down.
  
  Expecting traps, Phoebe sent a few her Ghost types down first to spot and disarm any unwanted surprises. She ended up disabling an electrical array that would have probably fried someone to death if they had been caught in it. Once she was done with that, Drake had his Salamence rip out the hatch entirely before manually creating his own entranceway by tearing apart a new hole into the lab that hid below us.
  
  A Reflect shield and Light Screen formed around our Pokémon as Flint, Drake, and I sent down our Pokémon. The sounds of battle could briefly be heard underneath all of the roars of our Pokémon, but after a while we got an all clear, signalling that it was safe for us to go down.
  
  Koga headed down first to confirm that it was truly safe, then the rest of us followed after him. Once we finally entered into the lab, we paused for a moment to allow the Jennys to catch up as I took a moment to take a look around at just what Team Galactic had been hiding.
  
  Despite the rundown façade of its exterior, the interior was anything but as the entire lab looked like something that had come straight from a sci-fi movie. Everywhere I looked there were a whole bunch of beeping machinery with many glowing lights attached to them, and the walls and floor were built out of some kind of reinforced steel that had now been torn to shreds after our Pokémon were done with them.
  
  Besides that, there were a lot of scattered paperwork and chairs hastily thrown about. I supposed that the scientists that must have been working here had scrambled to escape once they were alerted to our arrival.
  
  Once the Jennys had finally caught up, we moved quickly as we followed after the fleeing scientists, showing no regard for the expensive machinery around us as we tore through everything in our path with our Pokémon. Doorways were forcibly widened, and elevators and stairways were ignored as we created our own way up and down by continually tearing huge holes into the floor and walls.
  
  During one of the times where we ripped out a hole in the wall, we found a scientist hiding in what looked like a supply closet. He scrambled to try to release his Pokémon, but Alakazam had him pinned against the wall way before that.
  
  "Talk." Drake growled at him, "Which way to the Lake Guardians. We know they're here."
  
  The man blubbered, but whatever he was going to say wasn't necessary as his eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head as he fell limp. Alakazam stepped forwards, pressing both of its spoons against the man's temple.
  
  The information was being ripped straight from his mind.
  
  "It's down this way." Lucian pointed down one of the hallways, "Let's go."
  
  One of the Jennys stayed behind to secure him while the rest of us pushed forwards. Eventually, we came across an airlocked door with a few scientists, who had probably been locked out, desperately trying to guard it. Fear was evident on their faces, yet they seem resolved to make this their final stand as they tried to stall for time.
  
  Only for them to not even last a second as our Pokémon simply blew through them AND the door that they were guarding at the same time, revealing a massive room filled to the brim with all sorts of scientists and their Pokémon.
  
  "You're too late!" One of them taunted us, "The project has already been-ARGH!"
  
  Whatever he said was cut off as a Psychic smashed into his stomach, sending him crashing into the wall behind him. Flint then torched everything in front of us with a triple combination of Flamethrowers, sweeping the room with multiple torrents of searing flames that incinerated the many Steel types that were arrayed against us. The rest of the Elite Four weren't even needed, as Flint single-handedly decimated the opposition.
  
  Evidently, these scientists were many things, but they were not good trainers. Their Steel types weren't even able to put up a fight in the face of the roaring inferno unleashed by Flint.
  
  As soon as a majority of the scientists were taken out, Koga ordered his Pokémon forwards as they dashed towards a door on the far side of the large room. His Ariados pried it open, and he gestured for one of Phoebe's Ghost types to be sent in to scout ahead.
  
  But that proved to be unnecessary, as Alakazam suddenly fell to its knees with a pained grunt.
  
  "...Alakazam managed to sense the Lake Guardians, they're right inside." Lucian revealed, "But whatever Team Galactic are doing to the Lake Guardians, it can't be anything good. Alakazam was knocked over from the psychic feedback of their pained cries alone."
  
  With that confirmation, we wasted no time following after our Pokémon as we rushed inside. However, once we made our way in, it was not Cyrus that we found.
  
  But Saturn.
  
  And he was standing right next to the three Lake Guardians, who were trapped within specialised machines.
  
  I was just about to order my Pokémon to subdue him when suddenly I felt myself being flung across the room by a Psychic; with the rest of the Elite Four not far behind me as we were all suddenly pushed back.
  
  "GET DOWN!" Koga's shout echoed throughout the chamber, and I was barely able to register what was going on before an enormous psychic explosion crashed into me.
  
  I was pretty sure I blacked out, because the next thing I knew was that my ears were ringing loudly, my vision was all blurry, and my body wasn't responding to me. I tried to pull myself up, but a familiar looking pink blob slowly and carefully dragged me to a nearby wall and propped me up so that I could recover.
  
  I faintly heard shouting from many people, but my eyes and ears were still too debilitated to make out what they were saying. It took a bit longer, but eventually the ringing in my ears finally began to fade away, and my eyesight slowly started to return to me - enough to at least see and hear what was going on around me.
  
  And the first thing I saw was the frowning face of Lucian and Koga as they stood next to us.
  
  "Bliss! Bliss!" Klee chimed out happily as she saw me snap out of my daze, and Lucian immediately turned towards me.
  
  "John." He kneeled down with a concerned look on his face, "How are you feeling?"
  
  "...Like I just had a truck crash into me." I coughed out painfully, "What in Arceus just happened? Is everyone okay?"
  
  Blinking away the lingering blurriness in my vision, I finally manged to take in the sheer destruction that had just occurred around us. The corridors of the hidden lab that had been narrow a few seconds ago were now blown wide open, looking like a huge bomb had just been detonated within. All kinds of debris had been flung around everywhere, and the entire section of the lab looked like it was moments away from collapsing in on itself.
  
  "Everyone's doing okay, luckily." Lucian explained, and I let out a sigh of relief at that, "Fortunately, we had sent our Pokémon in first. They managed to block most of the explosion and protect us from the worst of it. If we had charged in recklessly by ourselves..." He didn't need to finish the thought, because I immediately understood.
  
  None of us would have survived that.
  
  "Okay... so we managed to avert disaster." I said, "But what happened? What caused the explosion?"
  
  Lucian's face twisted into a grimace, "That explosion was a parting 'gift' from one of Cyrus' subordinates, that the other scientists knew as Saturn." He stated, likely having found out Saturn's name from the minds of the other scientists, "Seeing us coming, he likely figured that he would have been overpowered and quickly captured, so he overloaded the capture machines for the Lake Guardians - causing them to explode with all of their suppressed Psychic energies. I'm guessing he thought he could take us out with him, but luckily for us, he failed."
  
  His words were horrifying, but this was no time for that. I pulled myself off the ground and focused on what was important,"...Fine, but did we secure the Lake Guardians?"
  
  He nodded, "Thankfully, yes. They were badly injured from the explosion and are unconscious, as you might imagine, but we've healed them up to the point where they're stabilised." He said, "They're being guarded in a different room right now."
  
  "And that fucker Saturn is probably never going to wake up again." Drake's growly voice cut in from beside us, "He took the full brunt of the explosion. I don't expect him to even be able to dream."
  
  "...Yes, that's true, but let's focus on other things for now." Lucian said diplomatically, "Either way, we might not have managed to capture Cyrus, but this mission can be considered a success. We've retrieved the Lake Guardians, and since we've captured many scientists from here, a thorough interrogation should reveal what Cyrus had needed the Lake Guardians for. One of them must know something."
  
  "Other than that, we've secured the Lake Guardians again, and will be returning them to their rightful resting places shortly - with a full guard to make sure that this doesn't happen again." He continued, "But for now, I suggest that we all get checked up and rested. Who knows if there were any side effects from that Psychic explosion just now."
  
  "Overall, we did good work today. So let's head back and get ready for the debriefing."
  
  A.N. So the Lake Guardians were retrieved, but it almost ended up in disaster. I wanted to actually show off why Koga had spent so much time warning everyone about the dangers of a real battle, and how that advice had finally paid off. If John and the others had rushed in alone, without Pokémon to clear the way first, that was it for all of them. Team Galactic are really crazy enough to do something like that. But now the Lake Guardians have been retrieved. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-12 - The Final Plate
  
  After recovering the Lake Guardians and returning them to their lakes for a slow but full recovery, we all were pulled out for a mandatory health check up just to make sure there were no lingering side effects from having to withstand that huge psychic explosion. Fortunately, we came back with a mostly clean bill of health, and the Nurse Joys only advised us to keep away from any psychic attacks in the future just in case.
  
  I admit that the one nice thing about being injured meant that you got to be pampered by your girlfriend. Apparently she had gotten a huge shock when news of the explosion reached her, and she rushed down to the Pokémon Centre to check up on all of us, though she made sure to give me more attention as she pulled me into a tight, loving hug.
  
  "...I'm glad you made it out okay." She whispered softly to me, uncaring of the looks that she got from the others, "I had thought the worst when I got the reports."
  
  "It was a pretty close call." I admitted, "But I'm fine, Cynthia. I'm safe, there's no need to worry."
  
  The two of us remained like that for a little bit, but that tender moment didn't last very long as our audience members started to call out.
  
  "I don't know whether I should be offended or not that you seem to be checking up on John more than the rest of us." Flint joked from where he was resting on his bed, "I mean, we're your precious Elite Four, right? Where's our loving hug?"
  
  "The only loving hug you'll be getting is from my Garchomp." She fired back, "I appreciate you, but not in that way."
  
  "Why are you even complaining, Flint? Didn't Volkner run all the way here to check up on you? Why don't you ask him for a 'loving' hug?" I teased back.
  
  "If you're feeling lonely over there, maybe I can come over and wrap my old and wrinkly hands around your neck." Drake laughed, "I'm sure you'll enjoy it."
  
  "I think that's called a strangling, so thanks but no thanks." Flint replied, deliberately inching away from Drake on his bed.
  
  Banter aside, we were all just relieved to have gotten out of that trap in one piece. Fortunately, as the injuries weren't made public, my parents weren't informed of my close call. I didn't want them to make them sick with worry. I also begged Karen, since she was in the information loop, to not tell my parents either.
  
  Regardless, as far as the wider world was concerned, the whole mission was a complete success since we managed to capture many of Cyrus' key subordinates and everyone came out unscathed. Of course, the same could not be said for Saturn.
  
  Just like Drake said, the man was completely gone mentally. Having been right next to the detonation point, he had taken the full brunt of the explosion which had completely overloaded his brain. We couldn't even perform a psychic interrogation on him because there was literally nothing to go through. No memories, no anything.
  
  He might still be breathing, but with him in a permanent coma, the chances of him ever waking up again were extraordinarily slim. Not that anyone really cared; as far as we were concerned he merely reaped what he sowed.
  
  As we were recovering, the Sinnoh Police also managed to extract everything they could from the scientists that we had taken down at the lab. The news was a mixture of good and bad. The good news was that Team Galactic was now officially out of resources. The lab that we had raided was the last functional lab that they had, and we had just destroyed all of the very expensive equipment within it.
  
  Cyrus no longer had the resources to replace them.
  
  All that he was left with were probably one or two hidden bases, but they mostly served as living quarters with no equipment within them. Additionally, we estimated that all he had left was a large group of grunts - certainly still sizeable, but a far cry from the small army that he once had - and his two remaining 'admins' in Mars and Jupiter.
  
  The bad news was that a working prototype for the Red Chain had been completed and passed onto Cyrus. There were plans for the scientists to continue refining the prototype Red Chain, but we had taken them down before such plans could be completed.
  
  From what we extracted, the captured scientists theorised that the prototype Red Chain would be able to summon and control a Legendary, but even the scientists themselves were a little wary about its efficacy. They had created it with significant haste, and they had cut many steps in the process.
  
  Despite this, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Red Chain was still an extraordinary invention. Even if it was created for and by cruelty, and it was too dangerous to leave in the hands of anyone, let alone a crazed madman like Cyrus, but it was still a wonderous creation of science. Any item that could interact with the Legendaries would always be considered as such.
  
  Nevertheless, the fact that Cyrus had an item that could theoretically summon a Legendary sent the Sinnoh League into horrified alarm. Even if Cyrus no longer had any other resources available to him, the fact that he had such an item in his hands was worrisome enough.
  
  Still, the one thing that kept the Sinnoh League from full blown panic was that the scientists' memories revealed that the prototype Red Chain could only activate at places with significant Legendary presence, meaning that Cyrus wasn't just able to randomly summon a Legendary in the middle of Jubilife City, for example, and cause untold amounts of destruction there.
  
  This meant that he was very likely to strike at Spear Pillar, just like we had expected, and it meant that the Sinnoh League could focus most of their defences there. But we couldn't put all our eggs in one basket, as Spear Pillar wasn't the only location with a Legendary presence, and the Sinnoh League also split off a few forces to reinforce other areas such as the Lakes as well.
  
  Just in case.
  
  Though we all knew that the final battle was around the corner, we still had no leads on Cyrus' current location and was forced to wait as the investigators continued their efforts in trying to track him down. As we expected, Cyrus had disseminated information rather carefully amongst his ranks, so not even the captured scientists knew everything about Team Galactic's operations.
  
  Though, for the time being, Koga and I had received a call from Lance to update us about the situation at home.
  
  "First of, I'm glad you're both okay." He said to us, "It would be a grave loss to Indigo if we had lost you to that explosion." Lorelei and Karen stood behind him with mutual frowns on their faces as they nodded in agreement.
  
  "It's not something I'd like to repeat again." I said, "Though I highly suspect that this was a one-time thing. They don't exactly have other machines they could just overload again like that in the future."
  
  "I hope for everyone's sake that you're right; I would hate for anyone else to fall victim to such despicable tactics." He sighed, "Still, I've received the report from Sinnoh. Cyrus having the Red Chain in his possession is definitely a huge cause for concern, and I've already called for several Gym Leaders from Indigo to start making their way over. Wallace has informed me that he will be doing the same from Hoenn. Sinnoh requires all the manpower they can get, and having Gym Leaders be there will help supplement their numbers."
  
  "Good. There is no time for hesitation." Koga nodded, "If Cyrus successfully summons a Legendary to fight on his side, then he has won. We must do everything we can to stop that."
  
  "Yes and no." Lance replied, "You're right that we must do everything we can to stop him, but just because he has summoned a Legendary does not mean he has won. Remember, even if Cyrus summons a Legendary, it is our duty to fight to the end, no matter the odds. If able, I will be in the fight alongside you, so never lose faith."
  
  "My apologies, I misspoke." Koga bowed, "Indeed, victory can only be our course of action." I nodded firmly in agreement.
  
  If worse comes to worst, then we will still fight. For we shall never stand aside and simply allow Cyrus to destroy the world.
  
  We spoke a little more about the details about who was coming and how their Gyms will be supervised in their absence. In summary, Gym Leaders like Giovanni, Surge, and Pryce (the more experienced among them) were coming over and were due to arrive shortly. In the meanwhile, their Gyms would either be closed for the time being or an appointed second would serve as Gym Leader in their stead.
  
  After our meeting was wrapped up, I knew there was one important thing that I had to do - and that was to check up on my Pokémon and thank them for saving me from a terrible fate. So before I went anywhere, I found a nice training field outside the Sinnoh League building and released my full team.
  
  "Sla..." Tyrant immediately headed towards me, a concerned look adorning his usually grumpy face. He made a show of looking me over, before tilting his head with a questioning glance.
  
  "I'm fine, Tyrant." I replied genuinely, "And thank you for getting me out of there in one piece. If it wasn't for you... then I would be in a pretty bad shape. But I'm fine now, don't worry."
  
  "...King..." Despite my words, he still shot me a worried glance. He wasn't the only one. Smough and Klee, who had also been sent out during our fight, also felt bad that they weren't able to better shield me from harm.
  
  "No." I shook my head, gently patting Luna on the head as she wrapped me in a tight hug, "It was never any of your faults. And I don't like you blaming yourselves for it. No one could have expected Saturn to overload the capture machines like that in a suicide attack, and you already did everything you can to keep me safe. So it is not you that needs to apologise - it is me who needs to thank you all for keeping me safe."
  
  I bowed, "So again, thank you all. I might have been far more injured if not for all your efforts to protect me. I hope I can continue to rely on you all for the battles to come. For we still have big battles ahead."
  
  Tyrant, as a representative for my entire team, laid a hand on my shoulder as he patted me with a reassuring smile - as if to tell me that they would all have my back. I smiled back, returning the show of trust and affection.
  
  Even though the threat of Cyrus still lingered in the background, I found a moment of respite as my team and I shared a peaceful moment of silence together. I basked in the love and trust that radiated out of my team, eternally grateful of the unbreakable bonds that we had forged together.
  
  In that moment, I knew that no matter the fights to come, my team would be able to surpass whatever they threw against us.
  
  For they were unstoppable.
  
  However, in that very moment, I felt something pulse into my brain as I suddenly fell to my knees. Klee immediately rushed over to see what was wrong, her face etched with worry about any lingering issues caused by the psychic explosion.
  
  But as she fussed over me, I knew it wasn't that. I didn't know how, but I recognised this sensation. It was the same feeling that I felt when I encountered the sleeping form of Regigigas all that time ago. As if something was guiding my body, I unconsciously turned towards the north, in the direction of Snowpoint Temple.
  
  Regigigas was calling for me.
  
  Unbeknownst to John, as he was shaking off that strange phenomenon that had suddenly engulfed him, the explorers and scientists at Route 228 had been hard at work exploring a hidden underground cave system that they had unearthed.
  
  Learning from the previous expeditions to find the Icicle and Iron Plate, they had brought plenty of devices to identify places where there were anomalous materials that didn't match their surroundings. Usually, even with their unbridled enthusiasm, such a task would take weeks or months to complete, but they had gotten lucky.
  
  Having been pointed to Route 228, on one such inspection, they had realised that a particular cave within Route 228 was comprised of stone that was unusually tougher than what made up your typical cave. Immediately, the team suspected the existence of the Stone Plate, and they quickly brought up all of the specialised equipment that they had brought along. The hardened stone was only able to put up a little resistance against all of the drilling equipment and specialised mining Pokémon that they had brought, allowing the team to dig deep into the underground caverns beneath Route 228.
  
  With experience backing them up, they were able to work much faster than before.
  
  This expedition team, consisting of veterans from the expedition to find the previous Plate, were ready and completely unperturbed at the wild Pokémon that they found, sweeping through them with practiced ease as they made their descent downwards with efficiency and precision. Fortunately, it seems like the environment of this particular cave was not as hostile as the others had been. It was not freezing cold, nor did they risk iron oxide poisoning from the excess amounts of iron.
  
  It was simply just a cave filled with plenty of very tough and sharp rocks.
  
  As they carefully trekked downwards, they unfortunately did not encounter any previously undiscovered Pokémon lying around, but at least it didn't take them that long to find the same central chamber that they had come to expect which contained the Plate. After clearing out the nearby Pokémon, they dug straight into the core of the large stony pillar in the middle of the chamber and managed to unearth the Stone Plate that remained intact at the very centre.
  
  Having dug up the Stone Plate, the eager and excited explorers were all crowding around it to get a better look at the third Legendary Plate that they had uncovered.
  
  Yet, as they did so, a strange light suddenly began to radiate out of all three Plates, and strange dots suddenly appeared on the front and back of the Plates. For the Stone Plate, dots in the shape of a 'H' had appeared. For the Icicle Plate, dots in the shape of a wide cross were lit up. For the Iron Plate, dots in the shape of a hexagon had formed.
  
  All three of the Plates shined brightly, stunning and nearly blinding all who saw it. Back at the Celestic Town Research Centre and the Oreburgh City Museum, the many scientists that had been startled by the sudden lightshow had all crowded around the Plates, all of them trying to observe the strange phenomenon as it happened.
  
  However, after a minute of the Plates literally glowing with power, the light began to slowly fade away, and the three Plates eventually returned to their previously inert state. Yet their glowing dots remained, occasionally flashing with a faint pulse of light.
  
  As the light faded, the scientists immediately rushed to research what exactly had happened, and what the dots of light meant. Calls were instantly made between Celestic Town and Oreburgh to confirm that the same phenomenon had happened with them, and they frantically tried to establish contact with the expedition team that had just located the Stone Plate.
  
  Despite not being able to reach them, everyone figured that they had located another Plate, which had likely triggered such a reaction. With everyone in a state of excited confusion, no one knew what was going on. They had known that the Plates were likely tied to a Legendary, but not which or what. Neither did they recognise the strange patterns that had appeared on each Plate.
  
  Some began digging through the archives to see if they could locate anything of relevance, but so far were unable to find anything that could explain the phenomenon. In the meanwhile, others made calls to the Champion herself to inform her of such Legendary developments.
  
  Her reaction was one of utter disbelief and shock, though she too shared in the confusion of the scientists as she failed to understand what was going on about the Plates or what had caused such a phenomenon to occur in the first place.
  
  However, a few hours later, once the team that had managed to uncover the Stone Plate returned to the surface and were informed about what had happened, Cynthia and Roark came to a mutual agreement. In the interests of discovering what had just happened, they decided to put aside their academic 'rivalry' and work together to uncover the mysteries of the three Plates as they both recognised the significance of what just happened. Therefore, instead of keeping the Plates separately, Roark and the team from Oreburgh agreed to temporarily move the Iron Plate to Celestic Town so that they could research and do tests on all three Plates in one place.
  
  They had also hoped that by having all three Plates together in one place would cause the glowing lights to return, and others hoped that maybe the Plates would combine together into one. But nothing of the sort occurred. The three Plates continued to remain in their semi-inert state, no longer glowing with power like they once did.
  
  Cynthia's academic and scientific side called for her to be there with the other scientists, browsing through ancient texts and working alongside them to figuring out these Legendary artifacts. To dedicate every last drop of her time and attention to figuring out this mystery. But with the threat of Team Galactic deemed more important, the Champion of Sinnoh ruthlessly crushed those ideas and set them aside for the time being, knowing that she had no time to waste on 'academic curiosities' when the very real threat of a madman controlling a Legendary loomed over them.
  
  'It's unfortunate,' She thought to herself, 'But it seems like the mystery of the Plates will have to be delayed for now. Maybe one day in the future will we finally be able to figure out what these Plates were made for.'
  
  Oh how wrong would those thoughts prove to be. Those answers would turn out to be just around the corner.
  
  A.N. A split chapter this time, one part focused on everyone's recovery from the recent raid, and one part the discovery of the final Plate and its consequences. Since we've already gone into detail about how a Plate is discovered, I felt that there was no need to repeat myself a third time, so I cut right to the chase.
  
  And now the time has come. The Plates have been gathered, and everyone's scrambling to find answers about what had just happened. Yet, there is one person that knows, and he will be the key to piecing everything together. I'm sure there's no need to be coy, but the Titan will finally be making an appearance very soon. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -13-12-Interlude-Galactic
  The New Normal - 13-12 - Interlude - Team Galactic
  
  (Mars POV)
  
  For the sake of creating the utopia they all desired, she had told herself that she was willing to put herself through any amount of hardship to ensure that Cyrus' dream was fulfilled. However, when she received the news of Saturn's heroic sacrifice and his subsequent fate, she felt that resolved tested.
  
  She knew they were reaching the end now. After being on the run for so long, the authorities had all but caught onto them. They were nearly completely out of places to hide in, and everyone knew that they had to strike now, or else they would lose the opportunity entirely as their manpower and resources were whittled down day by day.
  
  Once, they had the backing of the richest company in Sinnoh, with nearly infinite resources at their disposal. When they had managed to integrate the fleeing groups from Indigo and Hoenn and show them the light of their cause, their manpower swelled to numbers that anyone could be proud of.
  
  However, all of that was now gone. Besides herself, Jupiter, and Cyrus, the total amount of grunts that they had under their command only amounted to a few dozen. A far cry from the hundreds that they had previously as they had all fallen bravely in service to their cause. Worse, their resources practically only amounted to the Pokémon and equipment that they carried on their person.
  
  Yet despite all of this, they had the one item that would make all of this loss worth it - The Red Chain. With this prototype now in Cyrus' hands, they were finally ready to enact the last step of their plan.
  
  Today was the day that they would create the utopia that they all dreamed of. The day where their sacrifices, both big and small, would finally be rewarded. Today was where it all came to an end.
  
  They just needed to reach Spear Pillar.
  
  In his infinite genius, Cyrus had already prepared a way to circumvent the tight security around Spear Pillar. She had not known this until he told her, but their boss demonstrated his forethought as he had long since planned out a method for them to sneak their way into Spear Pillar when it became necessary.
  
  To do so, he had previously utilised the resources of Galactic Company to dig out a secret underground route from Veilstone City that would get them inside Mt. Coronet.
  
  As he himself explained it, "Long ago, while I was still CEO of Galactic Company, I had this project called the 'Grand Underground' that I intended to pursue. It was meant to be a series of interconnected tunnels running through Sinnoh that would serve as one gigantic mining operation. Yet that project fell through due to lack of funding. However, when I realised that the scope of our plans would likely lead us into conflict with the ignorant Sinnoh League, I had those tunnels maintained in order to ensure that we would be able to traverse around Sinnoh while remaining unbothered by the unfaithful. It was a costly endeavour, though one that has paid off immensely."
  
  Of course, the tunnels didn't lead directly to Spear Pillar since it was at the summit of Mt. Coronet. The tunnels only led to the base of Mt. Coronet, which meant that they would still have to climb up the mountain themselves and fight off whatever resistance that the Sinnoh League had put in place. That was far easier said than done, and if Arceus wanted to challenge their resolve, then the foolish Sinnoh League may have also called up further reinforcements as well.
  
  Fortunately, they did have one trump card. They still had many of the powerful bombs leftover that they previously used to blow up the Lakes - and the will to use them to achieve victory, no matter the cost.
  
  When Cyrus explained that they were going to be using the bombs in such close proximity to their own men, Jupiter had instinctively protested against this, saying that the risk was too great. However, Cyrus insisted that this was the best and only course of action.
  
  "I know that our men and women have the spirit, will, and determination to overcome any adversity. Yet our past experiences have proven that their capabilities unfortunately do not match their unyielding resolve." He said, "Currently, we will always be outnumbered by the unenlightened during our attack on Spear Pillar. No matter our determination, it is fact that if we fight with our willpower and spirit alone, we will be unable to create our utopia."
  
  "I know... I know that such tactics are disgusting and vile." Cyrus frowned, "...But everything can be justified and repaired once the utopia we have long sought after has been created. The bombs will help level the playing field against our enemies, and they will help force a path to Spear Pillar. They will not expect us to make use of such tactics, and so long as I reach Spear Pillar with the Red Chain, then we have won. Utopia will be ours to mould."
  
  Jupiter still looked a little unsure at his words, and Mars could emphasize with her colleagues' inner thoughts. But her faith in Cyrus was stronger, and she crushed those disloyal thoughts and nodded along to their boss' plan.
  
  "It will mean that you both will have to take the lead during our journey to Spear Pillar." He pointed out, "They will undoubtedly target me with everything they have, so it is paramount that I remain hidden and disguised so that they will be unable to do so. We will also have other grunts disguised as me to sow as much confusion as possible, especially once the bombs start exploding."
  
  They agreed and, with the plan set out, they finally decided to make their move. With determined and resolute steps, they snuck into the secret tunnels that were built around the far outskirts of Veilstone City, where there were relatively fewer patrols.
  
  It was risky, sneaking around near the main cities like that, but with Arceus watching over their rightful actions and most of the Sinnoh police focused on protecting other key areas, they made it past the corrupt authorities unscathed and undetected. But even as they made it underground, they all knew that they were in hostile territory and maintained their vigilance as they crept through the surprisingly large and dwindling underground tunnels.
  
  Eventually, after getting turned around and lost a few times in the winding tunnels, they found their way underneath Mt. Coronet. They just needed to break through the roof and they would be where they needed to be.
  
  However, before the operation begun, Cyrus called for all of their remaining grunts to gather together for one last speech.
  
  "Members of Team Galactic. We are at the dawn of a new world. A world free of suffering. A world free of imperfections. A world that we have all worked together to shape into a perfect reality. Many of you have suffered greatly in pursuit of this dream. Many of us have fallen, and are unable to be here today, because of the sacrifices that I regretfully had to make in order for us to be in this position. And I mourn for all those that we have lost on our journey."
  
  "And yet, those losses have not been for nothing. The utopia of our dreams is on the horizon. Several hundred meters are now the final barrier between us and that dream. So even if this may be the hardest battle of your lives, I trust that you all will be willing to lay down your lives in order to create that perfect world that we all seek. Your memories, your conviction, and your sacrifice - they will form the foundation in which our utopia shall stand upon for eternity!"
  
  "Now there is just one battle left! And it's time to give it your all! LET US FIGHT TO THE END! UTOPIA AWAITS US ALL! SO LET'S CLAIM IT WITH OUR VERY OWN HANDS!"
  
  ""FOR CYRUS!""
  
  A.N. We're finally here. After writing the conflict between John and Team Galactic for so long, we're at the showdown now. The next few chapters will focus entirely on the resulting final battle between these two, so I hope you enjoy.
  
  I also hope you liked the use of the Grand Underground and the bombs from the Lake. I felt that it would be interesting to repurpose something most people overlook from the games into something plot relevant. As for the bombs, I've already written Team Galactic as fanatical enough to make use of something like this, so I hope this is in character for them. Thanks for reading!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-13 - The Fight to the Summit
  
  The sensation of being called upon lasted for about a minute before the moment faded away just as quickly as it came, leaving me standing there in dazed confusion as my team continued to worry over me after seeing me act so weirdly all of a sudden.
  
  After reassuring them that everything was okay (at least, I hoped so), I took a moment to try to piece together what exactly just happened. Obviously, I suspected that the last Plate had been found, which subsequently triggered a reaction that led to Regigigas trying to summon me. But that only created more questions.
  
  Why did Regigigas try to summon me of all people? What differentiated me from every other person out there? Was this why I was brought into this world?
  
  ...These were questions I didn't have any answers to. Hoping to find answers, I spoke with my girlfriend and explained everything that I had just felt and asked if she knew what was happening. Fortunately, though she was surprised at what I admitted, she both promised to keep what I just said to herself and confirmed my suspicions. She informed me that the team had likely found the final Plate and that there was a sudden reaction from the Plates as small dots of lights formed on them.
  
  I instantly recognised what those lights represented. Each of them matched the descriptions of the 'eyes' on the three Regis. Therefore, I knew that something must be going on with the Regi trio, and I asked if I could be read in on the discussions just in case.
  
  In the meanwhile, knowing that I couldn't sit around 'recovering' while Cyrus and Team Galactic still lurked in the shadows, I quickly returned to my usual patrols and duties. As planned, our many forces were concentrated at Spear Pillar, with it currently being guarded by the largest contingent of Jennys alongside both Drake and Lucian.
  
  Elsewhere, Aaron and Bertha were in charge of defending Turnback Cave and Lake Valor, given their close proximity with each other. I was put in charge of holding Lake Verity, and Flint in charge of Lake Acuity. Lastly, Koga and Phoebe would be on patrol around the other major cities just in case.
  
  And in a day, further reinforcements would arrive from Hoenn and Indigo that would bolster our forces even further.
  
  However, it seemed like Cyrus was well aware of the noose tightening around his neck as an emergency alert started blaring out of my phone. I took one look at the message before my expression was set into one of grim determination.
  
  Whatever was going on with Regigigas could wait. Team Galactic had finally decided to strike.
  
  The final battle was here.
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  "INTRUDERS!" A Jenny's voice shouted out from his radio, "TEAM GALACTIC HAS BREACHED MT. CORONET! THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THE TUNNELS-!" But whatever she was saying was cut off by the sounds of multiple explosions.
  
  "REPORT!" Lucian barked into his radio, "WHAT WAS THAT EXPLOSION?!"
  
  "BOMBS! THEY'RE USING BOMBS!" One of the Jennys screamed over the sounds of further explosions and the fighting of Pokémon, "THEY'RE BLOWING UP THE INSIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN! THEY'RE RUNNING STRAIGHT FOR SPEAR PILLAR!"
  
  That news caused a wave of grim frowns to spread across the forces gathered here, many of them unable to hide the horror in their eyes at the lengths that Team Galactic would sink to in their fanatical madness.
  
  But to Drake? He was unfazed. He never expected any better from the fuckers, so this was par for the course.
  
  "...How did they even manage to get in here?" One of the Jennys whispered as they readied themselves for battle. They were currently guarding the midway point that led up to Spear Pillar, around the snowy mountains. "Our patrols should have covered everything."
  
  "The Jenny said something about tunnels - so Cyrus probably had those dug in secret to get around our patrols." Lucian frowned, "He must have prepared this for a long time."
  
  "Bah. How they got in doesn't matter." Drake replied, "What matters now is that they are stopped, right here and now. They go no further than us." If he was younger, he probably would have recklessly rushed down to where the fighting was currently happening. But he was older and wiser now. He knew his duty was to guard Spear Pillar. And that was what he would do.
  
  A round of firm nods was his reply as everyone entrenched themselves in their prepared positions. Furthermore, now that Team Galactic were confirmed to be using bombs, some of them took the time to further reinforce the walls and ground around them to make sure that a single blast couldn't destroy the ground from beneath them.
  
  In the meanwhile, the chatter on the radio continued, "This is Aaron. Bertha and I are coming back over. Should be there in five minutes."
  
  "Koga here. Will be longer. Seven minutes."
  
  "This is John. I'm seven minutes away too."
  
  "This is Flint. Ten minutes."
  
  Many others proceeded to give similar statements, but before Drake could respond, a deafening explosion burst out from the ground, sending a waft of thick smoke everywhere that blocked their view.
  
  And then a Hyper Beam pierced through the smoke, threatening to tear through their lines. Fortunately, Lucian's Pokémon reacted quickly, forming an enormous Light Screen that shielded their forces and stopped the Hyper Beam in its tracks. Then someone managed to clear out the smoke, revealing the sight below.
  
  Heavy fighting had taken place, with the wounded scattered around the caves of Mt. Coronet haphazardly. And with a quick scan of his eyes he could see that said caves were also completely wrecked and devastated, resulting from the multiple explosions that they had heard. The once winding caves of Mt. Coronet was now a patchwork of bomb craters, and the natural staircases that previously connected each floor were destroyed. Instead, Team Galactic seemed to have made their own pathway from the rubble of their explosions.
  
  He didn't get to dwell on that for long as Team Galactic continued to rush towards them, seemingly unbothered by the horde of Pokémon amassed in their way. Without needing to tell them, his own Pokémon began to unleash their own barrage of attacks, and he watched as ranks of the grunts' Pokémon were annihilated from a Hydro Pump or Dragon Pulse from his Pokémon - each attack cutting through swaths of their Pokémon like a knife through butter.
  
  His Gyarados especially was like an avatar of destruction as it flung itself into the middle of the enemy before it burst into a rampage. It thrashed everywhere, sending its bone-crushing tail slamming into huge swaths of Pokémon and knocking them all out in one strike.
  
  Lucian was also doing his part as an unending volley of Psychics from his Pokémon knocked out wave after wave of Pokémon and grunt alike. The Jennys were practically unneeded as the sounds of the terrorists' pained screams echoed throughout the caverns of Mt. Coronet.
  
  He was tempted to unleash even more powerful and destructive moves, but in that case the risk of friendly fire would be too great.
  
  Despite this, the grunts were already and completely no match for them. They never were, but now with their diminished numbers, it felt like the battle would be over in an instant. Their suicidal charge into their lines might have been fuelled by their fanaticism and twisted determination, but willpower alone didn't mean anything when you were struck by an Aqua Tail from his Gyarados that pulverised you against a wall.
  
  But, as if to punish him for his hubris, a wave of explosions suddenly detonated from right in front of him, catching them all by surprise. Drake quickly tried to brace himself to little avail as the powerful shockwaves sent him flying backwards. He heard something crack as his back painfully smashed against a nearby wall, causing him to let out a pained grunt.
  
  His ears were ringing loudly, and his body was screaming in pain, yet he refused to yield. Gritting his teeth, he fought through the pain and forced himself to his feet, taking a brief moment to study what the fuck had just happened.
  
  Those fucking terrorists just set off even more bombs. Those fucks must have known they couldn't win without them, and in their insanity they didn't even care about being caught in the crossfire as they just blew everything up.
  
  They were doing everything they could to force their ways through their defences, no matter the cost.
  
  Despite the ruthlessness and vileness of such a tactic, it worked. The second set of explosions had blown up a significant number of their Pokémon. His Gyarados was fine - bombs or not, it wasn't going to go down just like that - but the Jennys were less fortunate. Having thrown their own Pokémon deep into the middle of the fight, their Pokémon had been devastated by the unexpected explosion, and the fallen forms of their Pokémon were now scattered around them. Likewise, the cavern floor around them had been destroyed, and if Drake hadn't been thrown back by the explosion he might have fell all the way down.
  
  But there was good news. The explosion had also taken out much of the grunts' own Pokémon too, and he managed to spot the distinct shade of red and pink hair in the far back of the remaining grunts' ranks.
  
  He recognised those two individuals immediately. Thanks to the information received from their psychic interrogations, he knew they were Mars and Jupiter - two of the leaders of Team Galactic. And if they were here, then it meant that Cyrus would be close by. If they could just take him down, then the fight would be over.
  
  But he had already been punished for his hubris once already, and he didn't intend for that to happen a second time. So, refocusing his attention on the fight, he ordered his Gyarados to continue its destructive rampaging while both he and Lucian reformed their ranks. With the Jennys having taken the brunt of the attack, it mostly fell down to the two of them to hold off Team Galactic before reinforcements arrived. So they rearranged and regrouped their Pokémon, falling back deeper into the upper floors of Mt. Coronet where there was more solid ground to stand on.
  
  However, that was when an opposing Gyarados revealed itself with a wrathful roar as it instantly threw itself against his own, leaving the two Gyarados in a pile of wrath and rage as they rampaged against each other.
  
  In the chaos of battle, he spotted a group of Purugly that had been sneakily trying to land a Hypnosis on his Blastoise, but that attempt was cut off as Lucian's Gallade intercepted the attack. It sliced through their Hypnosis with a clean Night Slash before taking down the offenders with a series of precise and deadly Sacred Swords.
  
  Drake was then forced to duck as a Crobat's limp body came sailing over his head, courtesy of a powerful Psychic from Lucian. His fellow Elite Four member was currently holding back a whole nest of Crobats with his Psychic types, and seemed to have no trouble sniping them out of the air one at a time. A pair of Honchkrow tried to distract his fellow Psychic specialist, but his own Blastoise was quick to retaliate with its own Ice Beams. Blastoise froze over and brought down one while the other was forced away, allowing Lucian to continue taking down Crobats unimpeded.
  
  "BRING DOWN THE ARCHENEMY!" One of the grunts roared, "UTOPIA AWAITS!"
  
  "DRACO BEAM, SALAMENCE!" He ordered, "SEND THEM TO THEIR UTOPIA!"
  
  He was long out of mercy. If these terrorists were so eager to reach their 'promised utopia', then he would bring them there himself. His Salamence fell onto all fours as a blinding blue ray of light was unleashed out of his draconic maw. The laser of pure draconic energies disintegrated everything in its path, completely annihilating anything that it touched.
  
  The grunts' Pokémon were absolutely no exception.
  
  A trio of Bronzong that had previously been throwing up Light Screens and Reflects for the grunts had tried to intercept and block the attack, throwing themselves into the Draco Beam with Protect shields up to try to protect what little remained of their ranks. But their Protect shields were practically non-existent in the face of his most powerful attack, and even though they supposedly 'resisted' the attack, the Bronzong were utterly incinerated.
  
  Now unimpeded, his Draco Beam had practically managed to wipe out an entire section of grunts. None were spared from his attack, and only those who were wise enough to dive out of the way and into heavy cover were still able to fight.
  
  However, in the corner of his eye, he just about managed to spot a dangerous glint from a hidden yet sharpened claw. His body moving on his own, he threw himself to the ground and into a roll, narrowly dodging past a Night Slash that came swinging for his head. Reacting on instinct, he kicked his assailant with his boot, which did little to nothing but enrage the revealed Weavile.
  
  The Weavile snarled at its failed attack, with its Night Slash only managing to cut through his clothes.
  
  Now knowing that it had missed its chance, the Weavile swiftly repositioned itself and ducked under a Hydro Pump from his Blastoise before it dashed over and slammed a quadruply supereffective Ice Punch into the side of his Salamence and interrupting the Draco Beam.
  
  Roaring in fury, Salamence whipped its head around to see who had just dared to strike it. But the Weavile moved quickly, backflipping through the air as it retreated away from the Flamethrower that his Salamence unleashed. At the same time, a Crobat, this time more powerful than the rabble that Lucian had dealt with, dove down from above and slammed into his Salamence with a Cross Poison and a Taunt.
  
  "Drake! Be careful! The leaders are sending out their Pokémon now! They're much stronger!" Lucian shouted to him, though he had already figured that out himself. For right in front of him stood Mars, surrounded by her Pokémon and whatever grunts remained.
  
  Her eyes burned with a mixture of insanity and utter fury as she seemingly tried to incinerate him with her glare alone. She looked at him as if he was nothing less than the scum of the earth.
  
  Ironic, for that was how he saw her.
  
  Luckily, that was his radio sparked to life once more as Aaron's voice came out of it, "Drake, Lucian. We're here. We're running up from the bottom to cut them off from behind."
  
  Mars must have heard that too, as she let out a crazed snarl before she charged at Drake, flanked by a group of Purugly and Skuntank. His Blastoise and Kingdra tried to stop them with a double torrent of powerful Hydro Pumps, but her Purugly actually managed to block the attacks with a joint, well-placed Protect. Meanwhile, their Skuntank continued charging towards him while expelling a noxious cloud of poisonous fog.
  
  But his Flygon stopped them in their tracks as a massive Earthquake knocked them to the floor - their Purugly wasn't able to block two attacks at the same time - before bombarding them with a volley of Stone Edges. Their Skuntank did actually manage to recover quickly from the Earthquake and tried to fend off the Stone Edge, cutting through many of the sharpened spears of stone with their Night Slashes, but there were too many coming their way. They were eventually overwhelmed from the pure numbers of rocks crashing down on it and were subsequently impaled against the wall by multiple rock spears.
  
  Then his Altaria swooped in, having just dealt with and overpowered the Crobat annoying his Salamence, and dispersed the cloud of poison with a quick Defog. Mars' Purugly tried their best to fight on, but then they were suddenly enveloped underneath the looming shadow of his Salamence.
  
  Her Purugly may have been stronger than any of the ones he had seen utilised by the grunts, but that meant little when it came to fighting his Salamence. To his starter, it might as well have been comparing a Wurmple to a Delcatty. The latter was significantly stronger than the former, but what did that matter when faced off against a Pokémon that had fought at the same level of a Champion's own starter?
  
  One of her Purugly's tried to parry a Dragon Claw from his Salamence, only to realise far too late the sheer difference in strength that they had between them - and was unceremoniously thrown aside like it was nothing more than a broken doll. The other fared little better as it successfully managed to block a Dragon Pulse with a Protect, only for Salamence's Dragon Tail to come swinging around like a sledgehammer and brutally smashed it deep into a wall.
  
  Seeing the writing on the wall, Mars made one last attempt to rush towards him, letting out a shout of crazed fury as she looked to fight him herself, but she wasn't even able to make it more than a few steps when his Salamence slammed into her with a Zen Headbutt.
  
  ...She wasn't getting up after that one. If ever. Oh well, good riddance to bad rubbish.
  
  Seeing one of their leaders be taken out, the small group of injured grunts that had somehow remained tried to avenge the loss of their leader with their own Pokémon, but Altaria dealt with them with contemptuous ease.
  
  Now that his side was dealt with, he turned over to where Lucian was fighting and realised that his partner was having a much tougher time. The Psychic specialist was being matched by a horde of Dark types, and if not for Lucian's expert training of his Pokémon, he would have long been overwhelmed like a lesser Psychic specialist would have been in his position.
  
  Even then, Lucian was being gradually pushed back, forcing to give more ground.
  
  In particular, Drake recognised that a trio of three Pokémon were giving Lucian the most trouble - a Houndoom, a Honchkrow, and the Weavile that had failed to assassinate him. They were much more well trained than the usual rabble, almost comparable to the Pokémon you'd expect to see from a Gym Leader or an Elite Four member. Were these Jupiter's Pokémon?
  
  Fortunately, that was when a few friendly voices suddenly came from behind him, "Drake, we're here!" Bertha and Aaron came running towards them, alongside Crasher Wake, Fantina, and several more Jennys, who they likely picked up on the way.
  
  Their reinforcements were here.
  
  They immediately sent their Pokémon out and crashed into the backs of Team Galactic, now making use of their overwhelming numbers to finally bring an end to this fight.
  
  However, when Jupiter turned and saw their reinforcements charging towards them, her face was not one of horror or despair at their impending defeat. No, she instead shoved a person onto the Houndoom before they broke out into a sprint towards the summit of Spear Pillar.
  
  "STOP THEM!" He shouted as he spotted a glimpse of cyan hair underneath the hood that they were wearing, "THAT'S CYRUS!"
  
  His words caused the entire battlefield to turn all of their attention onto the man fleeing on the Houndoom, which blitzed forwards with incredible speed. Without wasting any time, all of them sent their Pokémon charging forwards, desperate to stop Cyrus from being able to reach Spear Pillar and unleash the Red Chain. Likewise, Dragon Pulses, Hydro Pumps, Stone Edges, Bug Buzzes, Focus Blasts, and all other sorts of Special Attacks were fired at the sprinting Houndoom. Even Lucian, who was previously focused on dealing with the threat in front of him, also turned his attention away to take down that Houndoom.
  
  All of them threw everything they could to knock out that Houndoom and its rider. And they did so, for even with its great speed and training, the Houndoom wasn't going to outrun the sheer amount of attacks that bombarded it.
  
  Yet so focused and tunnel-visioned they were on the Houndoom, they failed to notice or stop the Honchkrow from unleashing a Haze, covering the battlefield in a thick and dark smoke that blinded them all from view.
  
  "DEFOG, ALTARIA!" He instantly shouted, already fearing the worst. Everyone else either did the same or moved to fire attacks at Team Galactic's current position.
  
  His Altaria was quick to obey and quickly dispersed the thick cloud of smoke with a flap of its wings.
  
  As vision returned, his eyes immediately moved to locate where Houndoom and its rider had fallen. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that despite the Haze, Houndoom's rider was lying down unconscious on the ground, completely unmoving as he had been thrown against a large rock. Similarly, Jupiter and the grunts around her were doing no better, having been utterly devastated by the overwhelming number of attacks that struck down on them.
  
  However, his relief turned to horror as he heard Lucian shouting out, "CYRUS! STOP!"
  
  His head spun around, only to see a grunt with the typical turquoise hair being carried on a Weavile as it made a mad sprint towards Spear Pillar, having somehow snuck out from wherever it hid in. They had previously sealed up the exit to Spear Pillar with a wall of rocks while also tearing out most of the ground to make it harder for Cyrus to actually enter into Spear Pillar, but Weavile did not care about that.
  
  With speeds that surpassed the previous Houndoom, it leapt over the chasm that they had created and cut through the wall of rocks that blocked its way to Spear Pillar. Just as it did so, a Flash Cannon from someone managed to strike the Weavile dead in the chest, taking it down and knocking off the grunt.
  
  No. As the turquoise bowl-cut wig slid off the man's hair, he realised that this was no mere grunt.
  
  Cyrus didn't waste any time scrambling to his feet and throwing himself through the small exit hole into Spear Pillar. A Dragon Pulse chased after him, literally meters away from eradicating the last remaining stain of Team Galactic from this world.
  
  But he managed to raise a small Red Chain into the air.
  
  A.N. AND IT COMES! Cyrus has finally made his move, making his way to Spear Pillar as he did in canon. Of course, the circumstances are very different, and I reversed the roles as in the games. In the games, you had to fight your way up through many grunts, but this time, Cyrus is the one on the offensive.
  
  I had to rewrite this fight so many times. I really tried my best to make this fight cohesive and understandable, while hopefully keeping it realistic about how Cyrus was able to make it to Spear Pillar despite all that was laid out against him. I really do hope that that has managed to come through, and that you enjoyed this chapter. But now, the Legendaries are coming. Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-14 - The Summoning
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  The Dragon Pulse flew forwards, but instead of shredding Cyrus in two, it suddenly froze in mid-air.
  
  At first, Drake had thought that an invisible barrier was holding back his attack, but as he looked closer, he noticed that the very air around Cyrus was starting to twist and warp. The Dragon Pulse was not just blocked - it was caught and trapped within a space of endless nothing.
  
  And then he realised something. It wasn't just the Dragon Pulse that had stopped moving. In fact, everything had stopped moving.
  
  He tried to take a step forwards, but his leg refused to obey him. No, he was moving, but space itself denied him his movement. He felt his teeth grit as he willed for his leg to move, but no matter how much he struggled, he was completely frozen in place as the normal laws of the world suddenly refused to obey.
  
  Worse, his Salamence, for all of its immense strength, was doing no better. No amount of raw strength would allow it to fight against the twisted laws of space.
  
  His mouth opened as he tried to report the current situation to the rest of the League, but no sound came out. The sound waves that was his voice couldn't even travel far enough for him to hear himself.
  
  He had been turned mute.
  
  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the growing dread in Lucian's eyes as the man stared horrified at Cyrus and the glowing Red Chain that the madman held in his hands. That red and ominous glow grew brighter and brighter, but they were all completely helpless to stop it.
  
  And then it happened.
  
  He didn't know if his eyes were finally failing him after all these years, but he could have sworn that the space in front of Cyrus was suddenly ripped apart, and an otherworldly crack began to tear itself through the fabric of reality. In his eyes, the image of Cyrus turned blurry as light seemed to bend in a manner that it should not, causing Cyrus' figure to ripple and distort chaotically.
  
  A large wave of overwhelming force suddenly erupted out from where Cyrus was standing, causing the many pillars that were dotted around Spear Pillar to shake violently - to the point where some were utterly ripped out from the ground.
  
  However, instead of falling over, some of them floated upwards into the air, while others fell sideways, and others remained standing despite no longer being connected to anything. Then, the sky itself began to shatter as a spiderwebs of cracks somehow started to appear across the once blue sky until the crack grew so large that it ruptured into a large hole.
  
  The Red Chain seemed to pulse once more, and Drake suddenly felt time itself freeze in place - before quickly resuming like nothing happened.
  
  It was like he had just blinked and missed a second of time passing.
  
  However, he wasn't able to dwell on that fact for much longer as he watched in muted horror as space itself grew increasingly shattered and twisted around him. Before long, the view of Spear Pillar in front of him was no longer as it once was, as the natural laws of the world refused to be applied to the area.
  
  Then, he heard it. A single, terrifying roar that seemed to echo unnaturally into his soul. It was so loud that he was sure that the entirety of Sinnoh would have heard it, if not the entire world.
  
  "GAGYAGYAAH!"
  
  A primal fear instantly enveloped him, as if he was now facing a being that should not be. Despite his years of hardened experience, just the sound of the roar itself caused his knees to buckle involuntarily, and he would have collapsed onto the ground if he was allowed to move. Just on the edges of his vision, he could see a flood of terror filling his Salamence's face, and his once unstoppable starter looked like it wanted to do nothing but run away from here.
  
  He was no different.
  
  However, they were not afforded the luxury of retreat, and were forced to continue watching as another large hole began tearing itself open through the fabric of reality.
  
  A singular white and purple claw ripped itself through the hole, revealing a shoulder containing a pink and pearl crystal. That pink crystal then started to glow brightly, before a loud CRACK could be heard, and the sound of shattering glass soon followed.
  
  Space instantly collapsed around it, and the distortion effect that had plagued Spear Pillar momentarily went away as the Legendary of Space forced itself into existence, responding and bound to the call of the Red Chain, which wrapped itself around the Legendary. Then the Legendary pulled itself to its full height, towering over everything as it turned its domineering gaze on the world.
  
  Palkia was here.
  
  Drake's breath was caught in his mouth as his eyes took in the full stature of the Legendary of Space, and the Red Chain that kept it bound to Cyrus' control. However, he wasn't even able to stare at the Legendary for more than a brief second before the Pressure that it emitted was so intense that it felt like an anvil was pressing down on his eyes. He was quickly forced to divert his eyes, his gut screaming at him that he would have been blinded had he chosen to stare further.
  
  Instead, his eyes involuntarily moved towards Cyrus, where he noticed that the former CEO-turned-terrorist's face contained none of the smug satisfaction or relief that he would have expected. Nor did it contain even a hint of sadism or megalomania. Instead, as Cyrus seemed to be immune to the distortions of space happening around him, he merely glanced at Palkia and performed a short nod, but there was no awe or even happiness in his expression.
  
  He remained as blank faced as he always did, like the successful summoning and domination of a Legendary was nothing to him.
  
  As much as it galled him to admit it, Drake knew that everyone here was at the mercy of the madman. With the control of one of the Creation Trio in his hands, and one that held dominion over space itself, there was absolutely nothing they could do at the moment. They were all forced to watch helplessly as Cyrus raised the Red Chain into the air again, seemingly about to give a command to his newly dominated Palkia to enact whatever maddened scheme ran through his insane mind.
  
  ...If only they had a way to break free from the prison of space that they were trapped in.
  
  (John's POV)
  
  As soon as I got the alert about Team Galactic's attack at Mt. Coronet, I quickly saddled up on Port and flew there as quickly as possible, knowing that time was of the utmost essence. I prayed in my heart that the defenders of Spear Pillar would be able to hold the line, and that Cyrus would not be able to enact his plans.
  
  However, even as I rushed over there on Port as quick as I could, I felt the summoning be completed before I even saw it. And the subsequent roar that echoed throughout the sky told me enough about what had just happened.
  
  "GAGYAGYAAH!"
  
  Instantly, Port let out a surprised shriek as he froze up in the air, his body instinctively jerking downwards as he unconsciously tried to land. I could feel the terror radiating out of him, his face turning into one of utmost dread, as if the very idea of flying towards the source of that bellowing roar was anathema to his survival instincts.
  
  The rest of my team were no different, as I felt their Pokéballs rattle with fear as they too felt the terrifying aura of the being that was just unleashed.
  
  The Jennys that accompanied me fared even worse, and their Staraptors fell into an uncontrolled panic as soon as they were blasted by that intimidating aura. Many Jennys were almost thrown off of their saddles as their Flying types flailed around in primal horror.
  
  And I couldn't even blame them. Even though I intellectually knew what kind of being that Cyrus intended to summon, it was a whole different experience actually enduring it in person. I clenched my shaking hands tightly as I forced my heart to settle down, and I wiped away the cold sweat that had formed on my brow.
  
  'No, John. You can't run away.' I repeated firmly to myself, trying to muster up all the determination and courage that I could to fight off the instinctive fear that coursed through my every bone, 'This is a fight for the fate of the world. You have to stay strong. You have to FIGHT.'
  
  I don't know how long had passed as I slowly forced away my fear and cowardice. But eventually, I managed to get enough of a grip of myself to help calm down my own Pokémon.
  
  "...We need to be there, Port." I said to him reassuringly, trying to project as much confidence as I could into my voice, "This is the fight we've been preparing for. We can't wimp out now."
  
  "...Man...Mantine! Mantine!" He remained a little hesitant at first, but fortunately, he was able to gather his resolve.
  
  I smiled proudly at him, thankful for his courage.
  
  Therefore, with renewed determination, Port continued to fly forwards straight towards the source of that power. Unfortunately, the Jennys were taking a little longer to recover from the terror, so I went forwards without them.
  
  There was no time to waste.
  
  However, we didn't get very far when I suddenly felt space shift around us, and all of a sudden we found ourselves 'teleported' back a small distance, as if the last few seconds of movement were somehow reversed. We kept trying to move forwards, with me even having Port try to fire off a few moves to break through whatever it was that was holding us back. Yet despite our best efforts, space itself seemed to deny us our movement as we failed to make any progress with making it to Spear Pillar.
  
  Growling, I took out my phone and reported the situation to Cynthia.
  
  "Cynthia, I'm not able to reach Spear Pillar." I stated, "There's this spatial phenomenon-"
  
  "That's preventing us from getting close, I know." She snarled, "We highly suspect that the Legendary that Cyrus chose to summon was Palkia, which would explain the spatial distortion effects. But we can't get any accurate reports as all communication from within Mt. Coronet have been cut off. We think that has something to do with the spatial distortion."
  
  "If we can't get rid of this warped space, we won't be able to stop Cyrus."
  
  I could hear the desperation and worry in her voice that was so at odds with her usually confident persona. She knew she couldn't express weakness as Champion of Sinnoh in a time like this, but the situation had spiralled completely out of control with Cyrus' successful summoning of Palkia and the fact that we couldn't actually reach him to stop him.
  
  This was Palkia, the Legendary of Space. Nothing could contest it in its domain. No Pokémon, no item, no invention.
  
  But despite those hopeless thoughts, I refused to allow Cyrus to tear the world that I had come to love apart in his insane quest for nihility. I refused to allow all that I had accomplished to fade away into ash and dust. I refused to allow Cyrus to tear me away from my friends and loved ones.
  
  Raw, unfiltered determination blazed through my eyes as I clenched my fists so tightly that it almost drew blood.
  
  He would not win here. I had one last card to play.
  
  "Cynthia." I said, my tone completely even as the plan formed in my mind, "I need you to open up Snowpoint Temple for me. I think I know what to do."
  
  "...What does Snowpoint Temple have to do with this?" She asked, but I wasn't done yet.
  
  "Cynthia." I said again, speaking with a tone of utmost seriousness, "Do you trust me?"
  
  "I do." She replied instantly and firmly, "I will always trust you, John."
  
  Despite the surge of love and affection that ran through me as I heard those words, I knew that this wasn't the time for it. "Then I'm going to need you to open up the Temple for me. And give me access to the three Plates." I said.
  
  "...I see." She had likely figured out my intentions, "Was this the revelation that you felt earlier?... I suppose it doesn't matter right now. Do it. I will help and deal with any consequences of your actions later. If you think this might be the key to dealing with Cyrus, then I am willing to authorise any measure. Collect the Plates and head to the Temple straight away, I'll call ahead."
  
  "Thank you." I replied, honoured by her trust in me, "I promise to not abuse your trust."
  
  "Just stop Cyrus for me." She responded, before her tone fell into a small whisper, "...And John, take care. Stay safe."
  
  "...You too." I replied affectionately.
  
  Not needing to hear anything else, I immediately changed course and flew over to Celestic Town, where the three Plates were being kept. As I landed, I could see many of the residents running around in sheer panic - just as I did, they must have felt the sheer power radiating out from Palkia and knew what was coming. They ran around in fear, as if the world was ending.
  
  And if we failed, then it might actually be true.
  
  Shaking myself from those terrible and unneeded thoughts, I rushed over to where the Plates were being stored, ignoring the wide-eyed looks from the guards and scientists as they ushered me in. I knew many of them had a whole plethora of questions on the tip of their tongues, but they knew that this was not the time or the place to ask them. Instead, the scientists that recognised me all gave me firm nods, which I quickly returned before scooping up all three Plates and heading over to Snowpoint Temple.
  
  I sprinted down to where the inactive Regigigas was, with all three Plates held tightly in my arms. But after a few minutes of tired sprinting, I finally stood in front of the Legendary Titan.
  
  And then, it happened.
  
  I felt my body stiffen up as the same foreign sensation from before suddenly enveloped my entire body once again. I could sense the small tendril of connection connect with my mind, poking around in my brain as if trying to ascertain my intentions.
  
  Suspecting that this was Regigigas itself, I willed the idea of stopping Cyrus to the forefront of my mind as I fell to one knee in front of the Titan.
  
  'I ask of you, oh Legendary Titan. Grant us your strength.' I pleaded to it within the confines of my mind, praying that my words would reach it, 'A villain is seeking to destroy the world, and he has already subverted the power of a Legendary to accomplish his goals. The Legendary of Space under his control has proven too formidable for us to fight, so please, we need your help to stop him. We need your help to save the world.'
  
  'Regigigas, if you can hear me. Please, awaken from your long slumber, and bless us with your strength once more.'
  
  I didn't know how long I stayed in that position, kneeling in front of Regigigas as I was, but my thoughts remained entirely sincere as I prayed for its assistance. No other thought entered into my mind. In my earlier days, I had once bandied around the idea of capturing a Legendary into my team. Yet, in this current moment, none of those thoughts entered into my mind.
  
  My only goal for awakening Regigigas was to stop Cyrus. Nothing more, nothing less.
  
  I wasn't sure if it could actually feel my resolve, but then, I felt the three Plates suddenly being pulled out from my arms. I opened my eyes to see them all glowing brightly; the dotted lights on their 'face' all pulsing with blinding light as they began to float into the air.
  
  The Plates began to circle around Regigigas, spinning around with ever increasing speed as the light being emitted from them grew to a fever pitch. They spun and spun and spun, until suddenly stopping entirely as the three Plates 'stood' upright.
  
  It was there that the incredible happened. The Plates slowly began to expand and grow, with new material somehow manifesting from nothing. At first, small stumps appeared below them, made of Ice, Steel, and Rock respectively. Those stumps grew quickly into legs, and the same process happened for their arms. Their forms stretched until they towered over me, and their forms began to morph into the familiar sights that I was used to.
  
  After a few seconds more, the three restored Regis stood in front of me.
  
  Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, all looming over me in all of their resplendent glory as I continued to kneel in front of them.
  
  Furthermore, I could sense the incredible amount of Ice/Rock/Steel energy that was leaking out from them, to the point where the ground that they were standing on was rapidly being transformed into their respective Types.
  
  It was like the effect that their Plates had but far, far stronger.
  
  I did my best to swallow whatever sense of awe that I felt being in the presence of the three Regis, and before I could say anything, Regirock stepped up to me, gazing down on me with its rocky gaze.
  
  "ÜN ÜN ÜN ÜN ÜN ÜN"
  
  Despite not understanding what Regirock was trying to tell me, I instinctively understood that it was testing me subconsciously. It stared at me for what felt like an eon, before its eyes flashed rapidly once more and it turned to its 'brothers'. Then they turned around again, facing Regigigas as all of their eyes began to flash - communicating silently with the Legendary Titan.
  
  That was when I sensed it.
  
  The chamber started to rumble ominously, and that rumbling quickly turned into violent shaking as the gems on Regigigas' body began to glow with intense light, lighting up the entire chamber in a gray, blue, and red hue.
  
  A large crack suddenly spread out across the ground from beneath Regigigas, and it slowly began to raise its arms into the air - shaking off the moss that had grown on top of its long unused arms. Its legs then began to move, and it took a small step forwards. Despite the sluggishness of the action, the impact from that small step managed to unleash a powerful tremor was enough to knock me over and shatter several pillars that were supporting the Temple, unintentionally demonstrating the power that Regigigas wielded.
  
  At this point, we had caused such a commotion that the Jennys that were guarding the entrance had come down to check out what was going on. I briefly saw the horrified and shocked expressions that were glued to their face as they saw the Legendary Titan come to life once more, but my attention remained locked onto Regigigas.
  
  The Legendary Titan took another step forwards, causing another mini-Earthquake as it did, and it pulled itself to its full height, causing it to tower over even the other Regis. To my surprise, it turned its mighty gaze upon me, which caused my entire team to force themselves out of their Pokéballs as they stood next to me, presenting themselves to the Legendary Titan.
  
  Seeing this, for the first time since I entered the room, I moved to join them, pulling myself off of my now-tired knees as I stood up straight. I stared deeply at the Titan as I mustered up all of the confidence and resolve that I felt.
  
  "Regigigas. Please, help us." Was all I said to it, knowing that it would be up to the will of the Legendary Titan now.
  
  "Sla...king..." Tyrant also said from next to me, reinforcing my own words.
  
  "...Zut...Zutt..." It seemed to respond, and I could tell that there was still a hint of lethargy in its 'voice', which was likely the doing of Slow Start. But that lethargy was quick to leave as it slowly began to build up energy.
  
  "ZUTT. ZUTT! ZUTT!"
  
  It then arched its 'head' back, and raised its arms fully to the skies. The other three Regis mirrored the actions of their progenitor before they all unleashed an almighty roar.
  
  ""REGIIII!""
  
  Their combined roar was so powerful that it released an enormous wave of force that managed to tear out the roof of Snowpoint Temple. Not only that, but I felt the floor itself also rapidly starting to rise, as if Regigigas was ripping out its own chamber from the ground itself.
  
  Somehow, I didn't turn deaf from that.
  
  Tyrant swiftly moved to cover me as loose rocks began falling from the ceiling. The Jennys that had come down to see what was going on also quickly released their own Pokémon to protect them from the falling debris. However, instead of falling to the ground, the rocks all were absorbed into Regirock, like they were being magnetically pulled towards the Regi.
  
  I didn't have time to dwell on that as I found myself in the freezing, snow-covered plains of Snowpoint City once more. I barely heard the questioning shouts from the many other Jennys that had now come to investigate what was going on, and as always, my attention remained firmly on the Legendary Titan.
  
  Regigigas was staring in the direction of Spear Pillar, likely able to sense the power that Palkia was emitting even all the way here. I didn't know what it was thinking, but all I knew was that when it turned its almighty gaze back onto me, I somehow could feel the approval in its eyes as it stared at me.
  
  That approval told me all I needed to know. It would be our ally. I was not in command of it, but I would be fighting alongside it.
  
  That was enough.
  
  Before I could even express my thanks, Regigigas abruptly launched itself into the air, with the three Regis following after it as they all propelled themselves towards Spear Pillar. Shaking myself out of my shock, I quickly returned my entire team and set off after the Regis, feeling a sense of renewed hope and conviction return to me as I flew alongside them.
  
  With Regigigas by my side, it was time to bring the fight to Cyrus.
  
  A.N. Regigigas finally awakens and is now on course for a fight between itself and Palkia! I've had this moment engraved into my mind ever since I figured out how I wanted to end the Team Galactic plotline - it has literally been in my mind for months now. It had been my intention from the very beginning to have Regigigas clash with Palkia, and for John to be allied alongside it. I am very happy to be finally able to write this scene for you all, and I really, really hope you enjoyed it!
  
  Oh, and for those curious about what those roars were from Palkia and Regigigas, those were written as their roars were written in the games. Also, I wonder if anyone caught that the summoning of Dialga actually failed. Again, thanks for reading!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-14 -Interlude-Sinnoh
  The New Normal - 13-14 - Interlude - Sinnoh
  
  (Civilian POV)
  
  The Sinnoh news agencies had yet to publish anything official, but they didn't need to. No matter where you were - in your home, at work, or even if you were simply strolling about, everyone could feel that surge of primal terror that just radiated across the region.
  
  He knew instinctively that something big had just been summoned. What it was specifically, he had no idea. But he highly suspected that only a Legendary could radiate out this much power.
  
  And it was definitely the only thing that could suddenly cause the sky to crack apart like something was trying to tear through the very fabric of reality. Seeing that had nearly made him void his own bowels.
  
  Furthermore, he was far from alone in his fears - pretty much the entirety of Sunyshore had descended into barely controlled panic, with the Jennys doing their best to keep everyone calm.
  
  Yet with the sky looking like it was moments away from somehow shattering into pieces, it was hard for anyone to believe in their comforting words. It didn't help that there were barely any Jennys around at the moment.
  
  If Gym Leader Volkner was here, then perhaps they would have found comfort in the fact that their Gym Leader would protect them. But he wasn't, as he was deployed to help out with the ongoing crisis. As a result, his absence could be keenly felt, and he could tell that many of the residents were another piece of bad news away from leaving the city entirely and trying their luck in the nearby forests just so that they could create as much distance from Mt. Coronet as possible.
  
  Furthermore, he doubted that his city was the only city that was affected by this general panic. He hadn't had time to call up his friends yet, but he suspected they would be in a similar state to him right now. If anything, the other cities were probably worse, considering that Sunyshore was basically as far from Mt. Coronet as it got.
  
  He prayed for this crisis could be resolved soon. He knew the stories and myths, so he knew full well how terrifying a Legendary could be. And truthfully, if that was truly what was causing this phenomenon, he had no idea how the League would try to even fight one. Let alone win.
  
  He really hoped he was wrong.
  
  (Maylene POV)
  
  Though she felt guilty for feeling this way, especially considering the situation they were in, she had mixed feelings about being told to stay behind - which she understood was partially because of her youth and inexperience. A part of her resented the order, even if she knew that her duties in reassuring the public and maintaining order were equally as important.
  
  But despite the dangers of fighting against a Legendary, she wanted to be there - fighting for the future of the world like the heroes of old.
  
  Unfortunately, she was one of the Gym Leaders ordered to remain in place in order to try to calm the public down and maintain a semblance of law and order despite the sky ripping itself apart. That, coupled with the primal surge of terror that exploded out from Spear Pillar, had put everyone on the verge of a panic attack - if they were not having one already.
  
  Therefore, her task was far easier said than done. If anything, she might have preferred to be fighting a Legendary than be tasked with somehow dealing with the sheer chaos that had infected Sinnoh.
  
  All around the streets of Veilstone, no matter where you looked you could see people running around frantically in a chaotic mass of fear as many of them scrambled to try to get as far away as possible from Spear Pillar. She had done her best to work with what few Jennys remained to try to restore some semblance of order and try to stop the people from forming a stampede and trampling over each other, but they found little success.
  
  While a few people managed to retain their trust in the Sinnoh League and maintained their calm, many others could not. They were simply too ridden with fear and terror to listen to their instructions. Some of their Pokémon were no better as they ran in fear alongside their trainer. Worse, some of them could be seen leaving their trainer behind, choosing to simply run ahead without them.
  
  And then there were those who had simply stopped moving - having given into the primal terror as their eyes were filled with nothing else but hopelessness and despair. Their blank eyes stared at the cracked sky aimlessly, as if they had given up on life itself and had simply accepted the doom that was seemingly about to fall upon them.
  
  Those broke her heart to see. It hurt her deeply to see their lifeless eyes like that and not be able to reassure them that things would be okay.
  
  It was like she had failed as a Gym Leader.
  
  Therefore, she prayed for this crisis to be resolved soon. Things were already starting to get out of hand, but if the situation persisted, then things were only going to get worse from here.
  
  But considering what they were up against, she knew they needed a miracle.
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  "...You too." She heard John say to her affectionately, his final words to her before he hung up the phone.
  
  She allowed herself to indulge in that moment of happiness before she shouldered the duties of a Champion once more. Needless to say, the current situation was nothing less than an unmitigated disaster.
  
  Despite everything they had tried, including trying to venture through Mt. Coronet from the bottom up to reach Spear Pillar like Team Galactic had done, nothing worked. The spatial barrier that had been erected around Spear Pillar was completely impenetrable, as expected of a being as powerful as Palkia, which meant that Cyrus currently had free reign to do whatever he wanted.
  
  ...Though, what it was that he was actually doing, she didn't know. While not knowing the actions of a madman was certainly unsettling, Cyrus now had minutes to enact whatever plan he wanted to. However, as far as they were aware, aside from that initial outburst of power from Palkia's summoning, nothing else seemed to happen.
  
  That could be because they had been cut off from all communication from Spear Pillar, and therefore they were blind to whatever was happening in there, but Cyrus' goal was to remake the world. Thus, you would expect with a goal like that for something to be happening - and yet there wasn't.
  
  She decided to consider that a good thing. Maybe Cyrus was having problems executing his insane plans. Perhaps the Red Chain wasn't functioning as well as he intended. Or perhaps Palkia wasn't as omnipotent as he'd liked.
  
  However, it was cold comfort as they still didn't have a way of stopping him - unless John succeeded in awakening Regigigas.
  
  When John had come to her to ask for permission for the Plates, a part of her had immediately questioned just how John knew about the connection between Regigigas and the Plates. Why did he seem so certain that the Plates would be able to awaken the Legendary Titan?
  
  It all came back to that mysterious connection that John had told her about. It likely explained how John had come across such knowledge, as he may have been nudged by the Legendary in the right direction.
  
  Why John? She didn't know, but now wasn't the time to question their bout of good fortune. In her eyes, having John be the one 'chosen' to awaken Regigigas was as good as it got. If he does succeed, she trusted him to not abuse his newfound Legendary power.
  
  And like she had told John, they could deal with the consequences later.
  
  Therefore, she shook herself out of her thoughts as she picked up a call from her fellow Champions.
  
  "Cynthia, any updates about the situation there?" Wallace asked, his voice completely serious and lacking in any of his usual charm, "Have you been able to get eyes on what's happening in Spear Pillar?"
  
  "Unfortunately not." She replied, "But John has come up with a radical solution - he's going to try to awaken Regigigas. We're waiting to see if he's successful, it might be the key we need to achieving victory."
  
  She heard the surprised gasp from Lance, "...Awaken Regigigas? That's..." He sounded completely confused, "What in Arceus is going on there? And why John?"
  
  "Questions for later." Wallace reminded, cutting off Lance's confusion, "Right now, if he's successful, then having a Legendary on our side is likely what we need to fight against Palkia. We felt those shockwaves from all the way here. All that power... the fight ahead won't be easy. How's the situation in the rest of Sinnoh?"
  
  She frowned, "Not good. It's chaos everywhere, and public order has practically collapsed ever since cracks started appearing in the sky. The Jennys and the few Gym Leaders left behind are trying their best, but they've mostly been unsuccessful. Luckily, we haven't seen anything too drastic yet, but it's only a matter of time before the fear and panic of the populace explodes into something nasty-"
  
  Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the sounds of distant rumbling. Even high up in the air as she was, the resulting shockwaves caused her Togekiss to slightly stumble. Instinctively, she turned towards the sound of the rumbling, before realising that she was staring in the direction of Snowpoint City.
  
  Just before she could fully process the implications, a voice in her radio confirmed it for her.
  
  "Champion! John did it! Regigigas has awakened!"
  
  Despite the situation they were in, a huge smile spread across her face. He had really done it. He had really managed to awaken the Legendary Titan. He had accomplished a miracle.
  
  And now it was time to bring the fight to Cyrus.
  
  A.N. I felt that the awakening and summoning of a Legendary deserved to be explored a bit more, as well as the general reaction by the public to everything that was going on. That's why I decided to focus on different perspectives from different people and the despair and terror that they feel. Needless to say, experiencing the Pressure from a Legendary is a very good reason to be afraid. I hope this matches your expectation of what it would be like for the common people if something as powerful as a Legendary is summoned!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-15 - Raid Boss
  
  Flying off with Regigigas and the three Regis was a surreal feeling. I could still feel the aura of domination that radiated out of the Legendary Titan, though I didn't feel the need to bow my head in awe. Instead, the aura seemed to wash around me harmlessly. Unlike Palkia's own aura, which battered into me like a constant and unending storm, Regigigas' seemed to protect me, helping me resist the Pressure from Palkia as we continued to fly forwards.
  
  We managed to fly up to the point where the spatial distortion had previously made the path forwards untraversable, and I turned to Regigigas.
  
  "Can you feel it? The way that the natural laws of space is warped here?" I asked, "That's why I called for you - why we need your help to stop Palkia. We're willing to fight, but we can't even get close to it-"
  
  I was interrupted as Regigigas let out a series of beeps before it punched the sky, causing a huge cracking sound to reverberate through the air. The air itself seemed to break apart from the power of Regigigas' punch, sending forth a massive shockwave that caused Port to tumble backwards from the resulting impact alone.
  
  There were no esoteric effects attached to that punch. No, the sheer power of its punch simply demanded the world to bend to its overwhelming might, breaking through any and all worldly resistances. Palkia's spatial distortion was no different, and it crumpled before the almighty force of the Legendary Titan.
  
  Still, even with all of Regigigas' strength, it was clear it would take several more punches before we could actually reach Spear Pillar, as each punch could only smash through so much of the spatial distortion. Not only that, but I also noticed that the distortion would 'repair' itself after a short while, so Regigigas couldn't just tunnel its way through and leave a path for us to follow. We had to be next to it for the entirety of the way.
  
  It was at this time that my radio sparked to life, "John! We have reports that you awakened Regigigas, can you confirm?!"
  
  Oops, I should have reported back earlier. I was too caught up in the excitement of managing to awaken Regigigas, "Yes, Cynthia. Can confirm. Regigigas has awakened and is an ally."
  
  "Thank Arceus." She let out a sigh of relief, "I knew it wasn't wrong to place my trust in you. So what's the plan now? Is the Legendary Titan as strong as we hoped?"
  
  "Very much so." I confirmed, "Regigigas has already set off towards Spear Pillar, and it actually managed to break through a small portion of the spatial distortion that Palkia had generated."
  
  "That is excellent news." She replied, and I could feel her usual confidence slowly returning to her voice, "In that case, are you able to persuade Regigigas to come over to where we are? If not, can you ask it to hold and wait for us as we run over to you? If we're going to confront Cyrus, we should bring as much firepower as possible."
  
  "Understood." I returned, "Let me get on that now."
  
  I put away the radio and turned to Regigigas, who was continuing to pummel through the spatial distortions as if they were nothing more than flimsy walls blocking its path. Honestly, I was a little mesmerised by the sight; it was incredible to see just how powerful a Legendary was. Yet, as I continued to stare at where the spatial distortion broke on the might of Regigigas' fists, my eyes and head were starting to pulse with pain, and I forced myself to look away.
  
  I don't think the human mind was meant to comprehend a literal hole in reality - where the rules of the world were warped beyond all reason. So I shook myself out of it and turned back to Regigigas.
  
  "Regigigas." I said to it, "Would you please wait and allow my allies to join you? There are safety in numbers, and considering the threat we are about to face, we would like to bring as many of our number as possible."
  
  To my relief, Regigigas actually stopped its pummelling and turned to me with an inspecting look. Yet, instead of responding directly, Regirock floated up to me as it buzzed out a response.
  
  "ÜN."
  
  I had no idea what that meant, but since Regigigas didn't seem to elaborate, I took it as a 'yes' and reported the same to Cynthia.
  
  "Excellent, then we'll head on over to where you are." She said, "Please wait for us. We will be there shortly."
  
  With Cynthia and what I assumed would be the rest of the reinforcements coming, I used that opportunity to take a breather and mentally prepare myself for the battle to come.
  
  But most importantly, I wanted to speak to Regigigas and confirm our battle plans.
  
  "Regigigas." I said to it, turning its attention towards me, "We will all be joining you in your fight against Palkia, but we may need you to be the focus of its blows. I think you are the only one who is capable of actually surviving a hit from Palkia."
  
  Once again, instead of responding, it had Regirock turn and 'stare' at me.
  
  "ÜN."
  
  I blinked in confusion for a moment, before quickly realising that Regigigas was just using the other Regis to communicate for it. It was a bit odd, but I shrugged it off as just being another quirk of a Legendary.
  
  On that note, I made use of our small break to observe the other three Regis, who continued to diligently scan the surroundings for any imminent threats. I noticed that they were more like automatons rather than living Pokémon, as they seemed to solely serve under the will of Regigigas - behaving more akin to a hive mind.
  
  Nevertheless, as we waited, Regigigas seemed to be getting ready for the fight ahead as well. It was flexing its muscles, and I could tell that it was shaking off the rust from its Slow Start.
  
  By the time we reached Palkia, I was confident it would be fighting in peak condition.
  
  After waiting around a few more minutes, I started to see figures flying towards us on the horizon. Recognising the Togekiss that was leading the pack, I quickly spoke up to Regigigas in case it thought that they were enemies.
  
  "These are our allies, Regigigas." I said, "They are here to help."
  
  All three Regis immediately spun towards the newcomers, and their eyes flashed with light for a moment as they scanned the new arrivals. From what I could see, Cynthia was far from alone. Behind her were all three remaining members of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Koga, Phoebe, as well as a few Gym Leaders including Volkner, Byron, and Candice. Basically, most of the forces of Sinnoh had been mustered for the fight ahead.
  
  After completing their scans and determining that the new arrivals were no threat, the three Regis returned to their usual scanning duties while I signalled that it was safe to come over. Cynthia was the first to approach, though she made her way to Regigigas first.
  
  "Legendary Titan, as the highest representative of the people of Sinnoh, we thank you for your aid." She said respectfully as she fell into a polite bow, with everyone else behind her following suit, "We look forward to fighting alongside you in our upcoming battle."
  
  Regirock was once again the speaker, "ÜN."
  
  "That means yes - as I've learned." I helpfully supplied, "I think it uses the Regis to speak on its behalf."
  
  "...Fascinating." Cynthia's eyes sparkled with interest, before she quickly shook that off, "But now's not the time for that. We're here now, and we can't afford to waste any more time. Cyrus must be stopped."
  
  "The battle ahead will undoubtedly be perilous, but victory must be brought about, at any cost." Koga said, "There's too much riding on the line for us today."
  
  "And we will win." Flint nodded, his eyes never leaving Regigigas, "After all, we have our own Legendary by our side, don't we? We can't lose now."
  
  "I'm still amazed that you managed to awaken it, John." Volkner added, "...But I suppose that in such incredulous and extraordinary times, it's unsurprising for such astonishing actions to also occur."
  
  "Just to clarify one thing - Regigigas is hardly mine." I quickly explained, "I awakened it, yes, but Regigigas is very much its own being. I could never dare to truly command a Legendary, only give suggestions. Besides, the awakening itself was very much a joint project. Without everyone working together to locate the Plates, I could have never awakened it in the first place."
  
  "Save your humbleness for later." Bertha interrupted, "For now, we just need to know one thing. Even if you cannot directly command Regigigas, are you utterly certain that it will fight with us?"
  
  I was surprised at her daring question, considering that Regigigas was right there. But I could understand where she was coming from - Legendaries were always considered fickle and were known to operate on a different level to how humans thought. But I already had the answer on the tip of my tongue.
  
  "Yes, I do." I responded with the utmost confidence, feeling the subtle connection between myself and Regigigas, "Regigigas will be our ally in the upcoming fight, I promise you this. Therefore, we will be fighting side-by-side with a Legendary, against a Legendary, to decide the fate of the world. Today will be the battle of Legends - a day that the story writers will write about for the years to come! And with the Legendary Titan on our side, WE WILL NOT FALL HERE!"
  
  To my surprise, as if to punctuate my point, Regigigas let out a roar of its own.
  
  "REGIII!"
  
  A large smile split my face, "YOU SEE?! EVEN REGIGIGAS ACKNOWLEDGES THE FIGHT AHEAD OF US! SO FOLLOW AFTER THE LEGENDARY TITAN, AND FIGHT WITH IT TO SPEAR PILLAR! VICTORY AWAITS!"
  
  Everyone roared loudly in approval, their eyes alight with fighting spirit and unyielding resolve, serving as the signal to begin our assault. Regigigas once again took the lead, clearing a way to Spear Pillar as it restarted its pummelling - breaking through the spatial distortion one punch at a time.
  
  Eventually, Spear Pillar came into view. Or at least, what was left of it.
  
  The last time I was here, Spear Pillar had been a ruin, but one that was meticulously well-kept, like it was frozen in time and carefully preserved in a particular fashion. However, the Spear Pillar of right now was completely different.
  
  Everything had been warped beyond comprehension. The once grand pillars were now suspended in the air in various positions, with some even floating upside down or even sideways. The floor itself looked like it had been broken up into puzzle pieces, with large sections of the floor being lifted into the air while others somehow sunk even deeper into the ground.
  
  And what was even more incomprehensible was that, depending on the angle that you looked at Spear Pillar from, the entire place could even seem shorter, wider, or even completely flat. It was almost like staring at a 2D object even though it was meant to be 3D, and my mind started to hurt just trying to understand it. My companions were no different, and I heard a few groans of pain as they clutched their heads at the sight.
  
  But then I felt a reassuring bond connect to my mind - one that promised equal parts strength, stability, and protection. It was Regigigas reaching out to me, forming a shield around my mind to protect me from the worst of the symptoms. It also extended its protection to the rest of my companions, allowing them to actually refocus themselves.
  
  With us no longer being plagued by unnatural headaches, all of our attention was focused on the figure standing at the centre of Spear Pillar. Cyrus was there, his hands clutched onto the Red Chain. Yet his form was blurred, to the point that he was little more than a blurry silhouette, as he hid behind some kind of protective barrier.
  
  It felt like he wasn't even in our own reality at the moment; as if he was shuffled off to a different reality of space.
  
  However, what was more concerning than Cyrus was the titanic figure behind him. Palkia's enormous form hovered over him protectively, with the Red Chain enslaving it to Cyrus' will.
  
  The moment we got in a little closer, the two Legendaries locked eyes. I felt a pulse of raw anger pulse in my mind as Regigigas was enraged at the enslavement of its fellow Legendary.
  
  It was a defilement that it wouldn't let stand.
  
  "GIGAS!"
  
  With an explosively loud battle cry, Regigigas rocketed forwards and charged towards Palkia. Sensing the imminent threat coming, the pink gem on its right arm began to glow ominously.
  
  Then, it slashed downwards.
  
  And reality was cut in two.
  
  A spatial blade of unreality, which I recognised was likely a Spatial Rend, literally cut the charging Regigigas in half. However, instead of collapsing like I would expect it to, Regigigas exploded with a white glow of its own as it somehow put itself back together just in time for the Legendary Titan to slam into the Legendary of Space.
  
  Of course, Palkia didn't take it lying down, and a primal screech from it caused a formless void to appear on top of Regigigas, sucking it into the black hole. But the Legendary Titan simply reached out, grabbing hold of the black hole and crushed it in its hands - deleting it from existence.
  
  Another Spatial Rend cut cleanly through Regigigas' legs, yet Regigigas did not topple over. It remained standing and its legs simply reformed under it, reappearing instantly like nothing had ever happened.
  
  Knowing we had to support our ally, we quickly landed on Spear Pillar and released our full team. However, even then, we hovered around cautiously, not knowing when was the appropriate time to interfere with the Legendaries' brawl as their battle continued to tear apart the natural laws of this world.
  
  In that respect, we were supported by the other Regis, who had all taken different positions around the two fighting Legendaries as they began their own barrage of attacks. We initially followed their lead, purely relying on ranged attacks because we didn't want to accidentally get caught in middle of the titanic battle taking place in front of us.
  
  As our Pokémon began peppering Palkia intermittently with their Special Attacks, I carefully noted the difference in fighting styles between Palkia and Regigigas. The former's attacks were much more flashy, with it literally ripping out chunks of reality with each strike, or warping its surroundings to an incomprehensible degree. Whereas Regigigas fought much more simply, content to shrugging off Palkia's blows while striking back hard with its own simple, yet devastatingly powerful, punches and making use of its overwhelming strength.
  
  During all of this, Cyrus remained in the middle, safely protected by whatever kind of barrier was shielding him. I saw multiple Spatial Rends cut right through his position, but he remained completely unaffected. It confirmed what I had suspected, being that Cyrus had likely ordered Palkia to separate himself to a different reality entirely so that he would be safe from the battle.
  
  As engrossed as we were in the battle, we didn't realise that the spatial distortion had begun to weaken around us. But we were reminded of that when Drake, Lucian, Crasher Wake, and Fantina came running up to support us, having been freed from their spatial prison.
  
  "Now that was fucking terrifying." Drake admitted, "But it's going to take a little more than that to keep me out of a good fight."
  
  "But we're here to help now." Lucian added, "We have already taken out the remainder of Team Galactic. It's just Cyrus left."
  
  Unfortunately, we weren't able to respond as Palkia's entire figure began glowing an ominous pink, and the pink gem that it had on its shoulder began to shine brightly. I was forced to shut my eyes from the brightness - and when I opened them again I found myself in a void of complete darkness.
  
  There was no floor, no walls, no anything. We were seemingly standing on complete nothingness. Then I blinked again and found myself back in Spear Pillar, but with my position completely changed. Instead of facing Palkia, I was now staring at the sky as the floor had now pointed upwards. My Pokémon, who were previously all next to me, had all been split up, and I briefly saw a few Pokémon falling out of the sky as Palkia had deposited them in the air.
  
  Then the gem shined once more, and this time space warped around me until I found myself falling out of the sky and crashing into a pillar that was falling upwards. I let out a pained gasp as I collapsed onto the floor, only to realise that instead of the floor being attached to the ground, the floor continued to float higher and higher into the sky.
  
  One of Lucian's Psychic types managed to rescue me before I floated away. But as it pulled me towards itself, Palkia exerted its power once more and I was suddenly teleported back to the entrance of Spear Pillar, luckily on actual solid ground this time.
  
  I was far from the only person forcefully relocated. Everyone else had been knocked around and were now sporting various degrees of injuries, though fortunately nothing that would take them out of the fight.
  
  Cynthia and Drake had been unceremoniously thrown off Spear Pillar, but were similarly caught before they could plummet to the ground.
  
  Flint and Volkner were the most unlucky, as they were somehow teleported in front of their own Pokémon's attacks - and if it were not for their Pokémon's split second reaction speed, they would have been knocked out by their own Pokémon.
  
  Furthermore, our Pokémon took the most damage from the sudden relocation as many of them suffered from friendly fire, though fortunately just like us they weren't hurt too badly.
  
  However, I realised that this was the least of our problems - the newly warped laws of space had made fighting from this point onwards impossibly difficult.
  
  Taking a step forwards sometimes meant taking a step back, and charging forwards was always a risk because you could end up charging into an ally that just somehow warped in front of you. Or worse, sometimes your attack would just disappear from in front of you, only to appear somewhere completely different and hit one of your teammates in the face.
  
  Nothing made sense anymore as the space around us just didn't connect correctly.
  
  Therefore, with Palkia twisting space like this, we literally couldn't participate in the fight. It felt like all we could do was watch as Regigigas and Palkia continued its violent and legendary brawl.
  
  But I didn't accept that. I refused to be nothing more than a bystander that could nothing but wait for Regigigas to do all the work. There must be something we could do.
  
  I grit my teeth as I brainstormed for anything that we could do to get ourselves out of this situation. That was when Regirock unexpectedly appeared by my side, and the floating rocks and debris around me instantly fell back into their rightful place. My eyes shot open as I noticed the same repeat itself in the areas around Regice and Registeel.
  
  I immediately understood the implications. The three Regis were immune to the effects of the spatial distortion, much like Regigigas was. Furthermore, the immunity field clearly extended to an area around them. Therefore, I realised that if our Pokémon were positioned around them, they would also be immune to the effects of the spatial distortion.
  
  "EVERYONE! GATHER AROUND THE REGIS!" I shouted out, my voice echoing over the sounds of the battle, "THEY PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST THE SPATIAL DISTORTION! WE NEED TO FIGHT AROUND THE REGIS!"
  
  Then I turned to the Regis themselves, "REGICE! I NEED YOU TO STAY BACK AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE SO THAT OUR SPECIAL ATTACKERS CAN FIGHT AROUND YOU! REGIROCK AND REGISTEEL! I NEED YOU AT THE FRONT NEXT TO REGIGIGAS SO THAT OUR BRAWLERS CAN FIGHT ALONGSIDE IT. BUT STAND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE FIGHT TO MAXIMIZE OUR AVAILABLE SPACE!"
  
  To my surprise, the Regis actually obeyed my commands and began moving into position, and my companions were no different. The Gym Leaders along with Flint, Phoebe, and Lucian took their positions at the back of the fight as they followed after Regice. Meanwhile myself, Drake, Koga, and Cynthia moved to the front alongside the remaining two Regis.
  
  Once we made it into our respective positions, we were finally able to impose some semblance of order in the fight. And the fighting began in earnest.
  
  Our Pokémon would be sidelined no longer. It was finally time for us to join the battle.
  
  Leading the charge forwards was Tyrant, rushing forth at the front of the pack as he took advantage of Palkia's attention on Regigigas. He ducked under a stray Dragon Claw from Palkia before smashing into it with a fully-powered Giga Impact, colliding into it with all of his incredible strength. Palkia stumbled back from the blow, and Tyrant followed that up with a brutal uppercut to the jaw.
  
  Tyrant actually managed to hurt a Legendary.
  
  Seeing this galvanized my comrades, and they sent forth their own bruisers, eager to join in on the fighting. This time, a Spatial Rend came our way, but Regigigas blocked the attack with its own arms and sent a crackling Thunder Punch right into Palkia's face. Capitalising on the opportunity, a duo of Outrage-boosted Dragon Claws ripped into Palkia's side from Salamence and Garchomp, while my Belly-Drum boosted Smough smashed into it with another Giga Impact.
  
  All the while a devastating bombardment of Thunderbolts, Psychics, Ice Beams, Stone Edges, Sludge Bombs, Hydro Pumps, Shadow Balls, and all kinds of other Special Attacks violently exploded on top of Palkia.
  
  The attacks proved effective as Palkia let out a roar of pain. But then the pink gem on its arm began to glow once more. Yet before it could unleash whatever attack it was charging up, Regigigas burst forwards with a Giga Impact of its own.
  
  Once, I had thought that Tyrant's Giga Impact was likely one of the strongest attacks that could ever be produced. That only a Legendary could surpass this feat.
  
  And now I could see how right I was - for Regigigas' Giga Impact put Tyrant's to shame.
  
  Palkia, its own fellow Legendary and a being able to warp space to its will, was launched backwards by the impact. The ensuing vibrations and shockwaves were so powerful that not only were we all knocked completely off our feet and had to be saved from being thrown off of Spear Pillar by the Regis, but the clouds themselves were split in two from the impact. Not only that, but Mt. Coronet seemed to shake violently as it reeled from the blow.
  
  It felt like the world itself staggered from the force of that Giga Impact.
  
  ...It made me realise that the legend that Regigigas moved the continent with ropes was very much not an exaggeration of its strength.
  
  After pulling myself off the ground, I saw that Palkia had been thrown to the ground - having been knocked down for the first time in this fight. Everyone wasted no time taking advantage of this, and an entire mountain of sharp rocks impaled themselves within Palkia, courtesy of Regirock and a Guts-boosted Vordt. Likewise, Special Attacks of all kinds continued to blast it from a distance.
  
  However, once again Palkia's gem quickly flashed pink, and the rocks pinning it down and the attacks that were coming its way were deleted from existence. Though that did absolutely nothing to stop Regigigas, who delivered a devastating Stomp to the face, smashing down with its powerful legs and pinning the Legendary of Space below it.
  
  Palkia moved to swipe at Regigigas with a Dragon Claw, but to my utter surprise, Ornstein dove in front of the attack and blocked it with an Obstruct. The dark barrier that formed around his arms was just barely able to hold up against the almighty Dragon Claw that struck it, and Ornstein fell to his knees from the pain. Yet the very fact that he had mitigated most of the damage was already incredible.
  
  Thanks to Ornstein's efforts, Drake's Gyarados was able to slither forwards and mercilessly swing around a hammering Dragon Tail that smashed Palkia's head back into the ground, which Regigigas followed up on with a crackling Thunder Punch.
  
  At this point of the battle, the tides seemed to be turning in our favour. Palkia was pinned to the ground, with Regigigas looming over it and not allowing it to escape. Our Pokémon were actually free to land a few powerful hits of their own, and they would strike in a series of hit-and-runs to support the Legendary Titan in its violent beatdown of Palkia. All of our powerful bruisers were given a time to shine, and an excited smile appeared on my face as I witnessed our Pokémon actually doing damage to a Legendary.
  
  Never did I think that such a feat was possible. And yet here we were, with our Pokémon delivering blow after blow on the Legendary of Space. A surge of pride filled my heart; knowing that all of my training had actually paid off. Our Pokémon were managing to stand tall and fight an actual Legendary.
  
  And we were winning.
  
  However, that was when a flash of red caught my eye, and I turned to see the blurred figure of Cyrus raising the glowing Red Chain into the air once more.
  
  He had given another command.
  
  Instantly, the Red Chains that had wrapped itself around Palkia glowed and tightened. Palkia let out a roar of pain as Cyrus exerted more of his unnatural control over the Legendary, causing Palkia's gem to light up once more.
  
  We immediately braced for another big attack, yet it didn't come our way. Instead, a small portal opened up right in front of Regigigas as an entire artillery barrage of Draco Meteors suddenly came blasting it in the face. Regigigas let out a pained whirl as it stumbled backwards, but Registeel and Regirock quickly dove in front of the Legendary Titan and tanked most of the blow. At the same time, our healers were working overtime as they threw Life Dew after Life Dew on the Regis, doing their best to heal them back up and patch up most of the damage.
  
  Yet that attack had gotten Palkia out of the pin. This time, instead of focusing on Regigigas like it had previously, Palkia suddenly disappeared and reappeared in the sky. Its form was no longer as pristine as when we first saw it, as the injuries that it had racked up was certainly noticeable. However, that didn't matter when it was now glaring down on us trainers with its eyes glowing ominously - as we now became the target of its focus.
  
  "GAGYAGYAAH!"
  
  My knees buckled involuntarily in terror as we were subjected to the full power of Palkia's Pressure. I felt the wave of unimaginable power pressing down on my shoulders, forcing me to kneel. Every bit of my human brain screamed at me that I had to do all that I could to run away from the Legendary staring down at us - to flee in cowardice in order to spare my own life.
  
  And I couldn't deny it. I almost did so. For all of my determination and resolve, the primal sense of fear that I felt when Palkia turned its attention towards us directly was nearly too much for me. However, before I allowed myself to succumb to cowardice, I turned to look at the rest of my team.
  
  Just like I was, they had also adopted expressions of fear and dread as they were subjected to Palkia's Legendary Pressure. However, despite this fear, their eyes still remained alight with conviction and determination.
  
  Even without communicating with them, I knew they weren't about to back down - they were here to fight to the very end.
  
  And as their trainer, I couldn't disappoint them.
  
  Therefore, with my hands clenched so tightly that it drew blood, I grit my teeth and forced myself to stand, pushing through the domineering Pressure. I stood up, forcing my fear away for good. A newly restored sense of conviction burned through my eyes as I stared up at the Legendary of Space and met its eyes head on.
  
  If Cyrus wanted to have Palkia prioritise knocking us out first, then we weren't going to make it easy for him.
  
  Bring it on.
  
  A.N. I do apologise for splitting the battle, but I didn't think I could cover everything I wanted in one chapter. But yes, I'm very glad I can finally put the thoughts that I had long-planned out into a chapter. I wanted the fight with Palkia to be as different from the other regular fights as possible, as befitting a brawl between two Legendaries. I really tried to be creative, and I hope it came out well.
  
  I wanted to demonstrate just why everyone thinks that Legendaries cannot be beaten, especially one as powerful as Palkia. And I wanted to do the Legendary of Space justice. It isn't just powerful - the fact that it rules over space makes it overwhelmingly so. Spatial Rend isn't just a 100 base power move, it literally shears reality apart. You cannot fight it conventionally.
  
  Which is where Regigigas comes in. As a Legendary itself, I felt that it was only appropriate for its strength to be able to partially override the reality warping abilities of Palkia and bring some order to the fight (as fits its Normal Typing). Not only that, but I also wanted to make sure that John and the others' own Pokémon got a chance to shine too, and that they're able to actually damage the Legendary thanks to all of their training. With so many participants in this battle, I can't highlight every single blow, but I'll try my best to. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-16 - A Fight to the Finish
  
  A flash of pink light was the only warning that we got as the space around us began to rapidly disintegrate.
  
  "INCOMING!"
  
  Palkia slashed down, unleashing a sundering strike that eviscerated reality. A dimensional cut of warped space headed straight towards me, and even though I tried to jump out of the way, I knew I wouldn't make it.
  
  Fortunately, Regice quickly intercepted the attack with a Protect shield and pulled me out of the way.
  
  The Spatial Rend sliced through the Protect shield like it didn't even exist, and cut through the Regice. Even after cutting through the Regi, the attack kept on going, and it nearly sheared Lucian's Bronzong in half before it Teleported out just in time.
  
  Regice was quick to reform itself, but Palkia had already changed targets. With unnatural fury burning in its eyes it dove down towards Drake and his Salamence. Seeing the Legendary coming, Salamence's forced every last bit of energy into its own Outrage and erupted with pure draconic power.
  
  The two Dragons smashed against each other. Claw grappled against claw as the two Pokémon locked themselves into a battle of strength. But for all of Salamence's overwhelming strength, this was a battle it was quickly losing. Salamence was quickly losing its footing, with its face contorted into one of painful exertion, and it looked like it was seconds away from having its arms snapped in half by Palkia.
  
  Yet that was when Vordt smashed into Palkia's side with a Guts-boosted and maxed-Attack Headlong Rush, which was further boosted by a powerful Helping Hand from Lucian's Mr. Mime. Palkia stumbled to the side as it reeled from the blow, giving Salamence space to disengage and fire off a point-blank Draco Beam.
  
  At this point, Regigigas had closed in again, delivering a devastating Mega Punch that had been boosted by a Helping Hand from Fantina's Mismagius that smashed into Palkia's face. Then Regirock came out of nowhere and threw itself onto Palkia, latching onto the Legendary's back before suddenly and violently Exploding.
  
  The Explosion sent powerful shockwaves from all directions, knocking all of us back and turning Spear Pillar into even more of a destroyed wasteland. Not only that, but the Explosion also sent huge chunks of debris and random pillars flying around in all directions, and one of them nearly hit me right in the face before a last-second Psychic knocked it away.
  
  However, the Explosion was just as destructive to Palkia as it was to us, causing the Legendary of Space to let out a pained cry as it fell to the ground once again. Capitalising on this opportunity, Regigigas struck down with an earth-shattering stomp as it bashed the fallen Palkia further into the ground.
  
  "KIA!"
  
  Now thoroughly enraged, Palkia let out a primal roar as it unleashed more of its power. For a brief moment - almost less than a second - I saw the world flash and twist as the laws of space were overturned. In the skies around us, I swear I saw glimpses of Sunyshore, a random cave in Sinnoh, and even Stark Mountain - and the images looked like they were being pulled together into a combined abomination of all three locations.
  
  I didn't know exactly what Palkia was trying to do, but I knew it couldn't be good. Fortunately, a deafening sonic boom echoed throughout Spear Pillar as Regigigas delivered another colossal punch into the distracted Palkia, interrupting the attack and keeping it pinned.
  
  A trio consisting of Bertha's Hippowdon, Byron's Steelix, and Cynthia's Garchomp, who all just so happened to be where Palkia was pinned down, immediately took the opportunity and unleashed a devastating trio of point-blank Earthquakes right on top of Palkia. But even as the explosive tremors ravaged its body, Palkia was still able to retaliate with a blindingly powerful Dragon Pulse - shooting out a beam of draconic energy that was far more potent and wider than any that I had seen before.
  
  Yet before the Dragon Pulse could hit its targets, they were Ally Switched out by Lucian, and his Mr. Mime and Bronzong took their place. With their beneficial Typing and a reinforced Light Screen protecting them, they were just about able to tank the Dragon Pulse without going down. It was very impressive, though after that they had to be quickly pulled to the back and healed up.
  
  Meanwhile, Koga's Seviper bravely capitalised on Palkia's distraction as it slithered over undetected and bit down hard with a vicious Poison Fang. Drop after drop of paralytic venom was injected straight into the Legendary of Space. At the same time, the trio of Phoebe, Fantina, and Volkner all had their Pokémon fire off a barrage of Thunder Waves towards Palkia, hoping to actually paralyse it.
  
  The combination of all those moves actually managed to do so, though as expected the Legendary was far from crippled. It was just slightly slowed down, but that was already a huge win.
  
  I felt a pulse of approval come from my bond with Regigigas, proving to me that we were actually contributing to this battle.
  
  We were more than just spectators.
  
  At this point, our Pokémon had begun to become acclimatised to fighting against a Legendary, with them having gotten used to fighting against the once-terrifying Pressure of Palkia. Therefore, our attacks became much smoother and more coordinated, with our Pokémon able to weave in-and-out and strike in-between the more powerful attacks from the Regis.
  
  Cyrus might have ordered Palkia to focus solely on us, but we were able to hold our own. Our combined teamwork never allowed Palkia to target down one person or Pokémon for too long, and we were all covering each other's weaknesses. Furthermore, the Regis were also doing an amazing job of punishing Palkia every time its attention shifted away from them. Regigigas especially was always ready to give it a painful reminder of why the Titan should never be ignored.
  
  And then came the single most powerful attack of the fight. As Palkia was distracted blocking a Hammer Arm from Registeel, Tyrant and Drake's Salamence managed to slam a powerful blow into the back of one of Palkia's knees, causing the Legendary of Space to momentarily stumble to the ground.
  
  "NOW!"
  
  At my signal, all of our Pokémon that knew Helping Hand collectively used the move on Regigigas - buffing it up to an absolutely insane degree.
  
  "GIGAS!"
  
  Regigigas did not disappoint. With a booming roar, it launched itself into the air before diving down with another almighty, earth-shattering Giga Impact that came crashing down like it was a manifestation of Arceus' wrath - a hammer that could shatter the world. Palkia let out a pained cry as the two Legendaries smashed through Spear Pillar as they tumbled out of the sky.
  
  Not only that, but that attack was finally too much to bear for the summit of Mt. Coronet. The resulting shockwaves from the Giga Impact obliterated what little was left of Spear Pillar, and an entire section of Mt. Coronet literally shattered and cracked apart, leaving us falling out of the sky in a freefall.
  
  Annoyingly, even as the floor broke beneath us, I spotted Cyrus still being tethered in place. He was still floating up in the air, protected by that mysterious energy, even as we all fell.
  
  Fortunately, we were all rescued by our Pokémon and able to mount up before we were nothing more than splatters on the ground. But the battle had been completely transformed. For what was once a battle between two titans on land, now was a battle in the air. Worse, if the battle remained this way, we wouldn't be able to use most of our roster.
  
  But as if the Regis were reading my thoughts, platforms of Rock, Steel, and Ice quickly manifested in the air, giving us 'safe' places to land and fight on. Most of our Pokémon landed on those platforms, but for safety's sake, I remained in the air on Port just in case.
  
  In the meanwhile, Regigigas and Palkia continued brawling through the air, but even though Palkia was far more injured, it was clearly more adept at fighting in the air and was starting to land some serious blows against the Legendary Titan.
  
  Regigigas was simply slower and less agile. It wasn't as noticeable when they were grounded, but in the air, the difference in speed was far more noticeable.
  
  Realising this, we all quickly moved to assist. Making use of the extra space that we now had, Aaron's Yanmega and Koga's Crobat circled around Palkia and fired off an unending barrage of Air Slashes in an attempt to flinch Palkia. Likewise, all of Lucian's Psychic types all used their Helping Hands to boost Cynthia's Milotic, who unleashed an enormous orb of highly concentrated Fairy energy that exploded on the unsuspecting Palkia.
  
  The impact from the Moonblast actually knocked Palkia back and caused it to spin through the air. That was when a large psychic platform formed in the air right next to the stumbling Palkia as all of our strongest Pokémon were Teleported in via Klaus and Alakazam.
  
  Without wasting a second, each of them unleashed their most powerful attacks right at Palkia - with all of us already buffed up to the max - as we ravaged the Legendary of Space with everything that we had.
  
  Gallade's Psycho Cut, three Giga Impacts from my three bruisers, a duo of Dragon Claws from Salamence and Garchomp, a Close Combat from Lucario and Heracross, a point-blank Dragon Pulse from Magmortar and Gyarados, a Moonblast from Milotic and Pixel, a Thunder from Electivire and Froslass, and much, much more all slammed into Palkia.
  
  In that singular moment, trainers from all over the world united together to stand against a Legendary and show off the might and resolve of humanity.
  
  And just as Palkia's pink gem started to flash with power as the Legendary readied a counterattack, Regigigas interrupted that and finished off our combo with another almighty Mega Punch that knocked Palkia through the air once again.
  
  By now, our Pokémon were starting to show signs of fatigue. I had no idea how long the battle had been going on for, but it felt like it had been hours. Even though I was doing none of the actual fighting, I was completely exhausted from the mental toll of the battle, and my Pokémon were not doing much better.
  
  They had been fighting to their absolute limits, and sometimes even beyond that, for who knows how long. Even with all the healers doing their best to keep everyone in the fight, it was only a stopgap measure - and the healers themselves were rapidly tiring out themselves.
  
  Fortunately, our efforts had proven fruitful, and Palkia looked like a shell of its former self. Whereas once it towered over us dominantly and induced terror into us with its overwhelming might and sheer presence alone, it was now starting to slump over. Furthermore, the once pristine pink gem on its shoulder had noticeable cracks on it, and one of its arms and its tail hung slightly limply from all of the injuries it had taken.
  
  So, knowing that we were making a difference, we soldiered onwards. The battle continued.
  
  We maintained our multi-pronged offensive and slowly wore down the Legendary of Space. Every once in a while, Palkia would retaliate by trying to shift the laws of space around us, but by this point our Pokémon had gotten so used to seeking cover behind the Regis that even the warping of space wasn't enough to stop our joint offensive. The only attacks that we really needed to watch out for were its Spacial Rends, but our Pokémon had also adapted to them as well. Even as Palkia occasionally opened up portals in mid-air to fire off a series of Draco Meteors at us, we managed to block those without casualties as well.
  
  While the stakes of the battle hadn't changed, the dynamic of the battle itself had been completely transformed. Now it was more of an endurance test, where the question was whether we could maintain our assault's momentum without slipping up and falling to one of Palkia's attacks.
  
  In the back of my mind, I was incredibly proud to see us working together like this - fighting in sync against a Legendary and actually being on the offensive. The once chaotic battlefield was now like an ordered and controlled raid battle, with all of us moving as a well-oiled machine. Outside of the sounds of battle, the fight was practically taking place in silence as we all instinctively knew what to do.
  
  As Regigigas took up Palkia's attention, our bruisers moved in and pummelled into Palkia's side with a series of devastating punches.
  
  A Moonblast detonated right in front of it before it could turn around.
  
  Thunderbolts rained down from above to stun it for longer and ensure it remained paralysed.
  
  Ice Beams slowed it down further.
  
  As it was distracted, a series of quick, poisonous slashes ripped through its back.
  
  Then before it could counterattack, our Pokémon would retreat away and make space for the Regis to take up the attention once more. This cycle repeated itself over and over again.
  
  With every blow that we dealt, we all realised that the spatial distortion that surrounded Mt. Coronet was slowly receding as Palkia's ability to manipulate and control space began to weaken. The random chunks of rocks that had been floating upwards or sideways around the mountain began to fall down as the normal rules of reality reasserted itself on the area.
  
  And, with that, Koga realised something very important.
  
  "LOOK AT CYRUS!" He shouted, pointing towards where Cyrus had been floating in the air. My head whipped towards where he was pointing - and sure enough, I could just about make out that the mysterious barrier that had once shielded Cyrus from our wrath was starting to fade away. His figure was becoming clearer and easier to see, no longer a blurry silhouette.
  
  He was exposed.
  
  Regigigas must have realised what we did too, as it launched itself straight towards Cyrus. I quickly followed after it, and the two of us flew towards the main culprit behind all this destruction.
  
  But Cyrus just stared at us with his hollow eyes as he raised the Red Chain into the air once more.
  
  Reality glitched and snapped as Palkia was somehow teleported in front of him. The Red Chain that enveloped the Legendary of Space pulled even tighter against its form, gripping so tightly that it dug into Palkia. Then, they began to pulse and glow ominously, and Palkia's eyes turned hollow as it became nothing more than a puppet on strings.
  
  Worse of all, the cracks on Palkia's gem suddenly grew bigger as Cyrus forcefully pushed Palkia to fight to the very end - pushing his control over its spatial abilities to the very limit.
  
  Immediately, a blinding pink light exploded out from Palkia. Even with Regigigas next to me, Palkia's power managed to overwhelm Regigigas' neutralising effect, and the space around us began to shrivel and collapse as a large, expansive void formed around Palkia.
  
  A giant black hole had formed. No, not one. But dozens. And they were everywhere.
  
  The world literally began to disappear in front of me. Everything was being sucked into the nothingness that was the black hole. It consumed everything around us, and I was absolutely no exception.
  
  I instinctively tried to scream for help, but air wouldn't even leave my lungs. My vision quickly blurred, and all I could see were vague coloured spots circling around me, and a singular large spot of white that remained standing in place.
  
  In that moment, I had thought that was this was the end. That we had lost. That it was all over.
  
  Until everything stopped.
  
  Time was frozen in place.
  
  Everything turned still.
  
  I was no longer being sucked in. My vision slowly came back to me, even though my eyes were locked in place so that they couldn't blink. I didn't even know how I was breathing - no, I didn't even need to breathe at all. My lungs were held in stasis, just like everything else was.
  
  I tried my best to look around, but my head wouldn't turn either. But what I saw was beyond my understanding, as random images were flashing through the sky - of places that once existed and didn't. I caught glimpses of Spear Pillar before our devastating battle against Cyrus, I saw glimpses of Mt. Coronet during what looked like the Hisuian times, I saw glimpses of the ominous darkness of the future where all had been consumed by a black hole.
  
  Nothing made any sense.
  
  But the world didn't care about my comprehension. Instead, a blue portal suddenly appeared in front of us, before a loud roar echoed throughout the frozen time.
  
  "GUGYUGUBAH!"
  
  A pair of blue metallic legs stepped out of the portal, before the rest of Dialga's majestic form followed after. The blue gem on its chest was glowing with power, as was its entire form.
  
  Dialga stared at its mind-controlled counterpart, before inclining its head to Regigigas, the only other being that wasn't affected by the temporal stasis. I couldn't read the facial expressions of the Legendaries, but from the slight flashing of light from Regigigas' gems, I could tell that they were communicating something.
  
  Then Dialga turned to Cyrus, who just like the rest of us, was also completely frozen in place.
  
  I thought that Dialga was about to do something, but before it could, something else shattered through the time lock that we were under. Suddenly, the world once again snapped into place, and I fell myself falling onto... the floor of Spear Pillar?
  
  What the fuck?
  
  I blinked in confusion, but seeing the lack of damage as I looked around, I realised that Dialga had likely reset our surroundings to what they were before our destructive fight had taken place, even if the crack in the sky remained. Besides that, my team had also been placed next to me, and quickly recovered from their collective confusion as they immediately moved in front of me protectively, just like the Pokémon of my colleagues' were doing.
  
  And looming over all of us was the tyrannical form of Dialga.
  
  Regigigas was by its side, alongside the other three Regis, and the five of them faced down against the standing form of the dominated Palkia. But before I could even pull myself off the ground, a tide of darkness suddenly flooded over everything, and a pitch black void opened up in front of us.
  
  Then a shadowy figure emerged from within. Its features were completely unreadable, covered in the inky darkness as it was. The only visible features were two glowing red eyes, and six razor sharp spikes that were attached to the end of its unfurled wings.
  
  The darkness itself was impenetrable, as if it had sucked up any and all light around it. As I involuntarily stared at the two glowing eyes that shone through the terrifying void, the very air itself became hard to breathe, and every single hair on my body stood on its ends.
  
  If I was terrified of Palkia before, then this was even worse than that.
  
  As the figure fully emerged from the void, the darkness quickly faded away, revealing the figure of the last of the Creation Trio.
  
  Giratina.
  
  At this point, the combined Pressure from all three of the Creation Trio being present was too much for even the strongest of our Pokémon to bear, and we were instantly forced to the ground while not even being able to lift our heads. We remained pinned there, simply being witnesses to this historic event.
  
  However, all I could feel was a sense of relief that I was not the current target of their combined attention, as I felt that my heart would burst out from my chest from their sheer presence alone.
  
  No, that 'honour' was reserved for Cyrus, who during all this had remained as blank-faced as ever as he tried to force Palkia to move. But no matter how much it was compelled to by the Red Chain, Palkia was locked in place. It was completely suppressed by the three colossal Legendaries staring down at it.
  
  It was then that the gem on Dialga's chest began to glow once again, and the three Legendaries let out an almighty roar in unison.
  
  "GIYGOGAGOHGWOOH!"
  
  "GUGYUGUBAH!"
  
  "REGIII!"
  
  An audible snap echoed throughout the skies, even louder than the bellowing roars of three Legendaries themselves. My eyes turned to the source of the sound, and I saw the Red Chain being broken in half as it crumbled to the ground, shattered and destroyed.
  
  The barrier that had protected him throughout the entirety of our fight instantly disappeared, leaving Cyrus completely exposed. Palkia, now free of its chains, stood back to its full height, and its wounds began to repair themselves at a rapid rate. Even though its expression was hard to read, it wasn't difficult to see the wrath in its eyes as it glared its former master.
  
  And finally, after having previously reacted to everything with the same detached expression, the combined attention of all four of these reality-warping Legendaries finally broke through to Cyrus.
  
  I watched with unimaginable joy as a look of utter terror finally appeared on his face. His knees wobbled and bent, and Cyrus collapsed to the ground, backpedalling desperately from all four Legendaries. He scrambled over to where the Red Chain had shattered, anxiously trying to pick up the broken pieces of the Red Chain one by one in a futile attempt to repair it.
  
  But then reality must have hit him as he turned to stare at the Legendaries with pleading eyes.
  
  "...please...no..." Cyrus begged pathetically, but he didn't even get a chance to finish or react when Giratina suddenly swooped forwards, enveloping Cyrus within its massive wings and pulling him into the Distortion World. The two of them disappeared into the darkness.
  
  There was a moment of silence at Cyrus' sudden disappearance, which was broken when Dialga let out a small growl. It seemed to be content that its job was done, and it too disappeared into a blue portal that appeared before it.
  
  Which only left Palkia and Regigigas as the only two Legendaries remaining.
  
  By this point, the Pressure had eased up enough that we were able to pick ourselves off the ground, though our movements were slow and careful as Palkia now stared at all of us. Yet its gaze wasn't hostile, and in fact seemed to be staring at us with a look of approval - signalling to us that it didn't hold its injuries against us.
  
  A small pink glow radiated out from its gem for the final time, and the sky returned to its peaceful blue as Palkia ended its spatial distortions. Then, it gave us one final inspecting look before a pink portal formed behind it and it promptly disappeared within it, which finally marked the end of our great battle.
  
  It was over. We had won.
  
  I didn't know who it was, but someone burst out into a large cheer. The rest of us quickly followed suit, and soon all of us basked in the joy of our incredible victory.
  
  We did it.
  
  A.N. The final battle is over. Team Galactic is finally dealt with, and the threat to all life has been exterminated. I hoped that this battle was every bit as good as you hoped it would be. I tried to make sure everyone got the attention they deserved in this battle, though I had to compromise for length. Obviously, there are still a few questions left unanswered - but I hope to answer them soon.
  
  But more importantly than that, I would like to give a big thank you for everyone for sticking with me and my first story up to this point. The end of Team Galactic originally marked the end of the story in my plans, but I still have more I'd like to write about before I'm willing to fully conclude this story. So don't worry, there are still more avenues to explore. Still, thank you all very much once again for your readership and support. Seriously, it means a lot, and I don't think I would have managed to maintain the motivation to write all this without you all. I really hoped you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-13-16-Interlude-Battlers
  The New Normal - 13-16 - Interlude - The Battlers
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  He nearly fell onto his knees in exhaustion once Palkia finally returned to whatever fucking Legendary dimension it hailed from.
  
  Honestly, after surviving through the fight of the century, he had quite enough of big, world-ending battles thank you very much. He might be more resilient than most, but that didn't mean he found it any less painful when he had been repeatedly thrown around like a ragdoll during the course of the fight.
  
  He felt like he had broken every single bone in his body.
  
  But despite the pain and bone-deep exhaustion that he felt, it was overshadowed by the immense pride that he had for his Pokémon. They had completely outdone themselves.
  
  No, they had done everything he hoped they would do and more.
  
  It was undeniable proof that the blood, sweat, and tears that he had put into training his Pokémon over the many years of his life had paid off. His Pokémon had proven, without any doubt, that they were strong enough to stand their ground and fight back against a Legendary.
  
  He had never imagined that this day would come. Now that the danger was over, he realised that the entire fight had really been a dream come true for him.
  
  Therefore, even though his legs were screaming in pain, he still hobbled over to his Salamence with a proud grin on his face, "You fucking did it. I always knew you could. Let those fucking Dragon masters in Indigo talk shit about you now, partner. You were the Dragon that took on Palkia. They can blabber all they want about your 'barbarian' and 'weak' origins, but they were not the ones that took on a fucking Legendary. You were."
  
  His starter let out a pleased growl, though it was cut short by its lingering injuries. Still, it wasn't just his starter that deserved this glory, as his entire team had all helped in the fight against Palkia, and he made sure they knew it.
  
  "And all of you as well! Well fucking done! I can't believe you all had gone from the sorry sacks of shit that I found you as into Pokémon capable of damaging a Legendary! That is ABSOLUTELY FUCKING INCREDIBLE! AND I AM HONOURED AND PROUD TO BE YOUR TRAINER! GOOD FUCKING WORK GUYS!"
  
  The loud cheers from his Pokémon sent him into a joyful laugh. They had fought a Legendary! They had damaged a Legendary! They had won against a Legendary!
  
  Let those sensitive fucks dare to tell him that he was too crass and old to be in the Elite Four now!
  
  His blood was still coursing with adrenaline as he replayed the battle in his mind. He would never top this achievement for the rest of his life.
  
  (Flint POV)
  
  He sat down tiredly in one of the corners of Spear Pillar, with a river of sweat running down his face as he exhaustedly chugged down a bottle of water while his friend stood over him.
  
  "How are you feeling?" Volkner asked, looking as tired as he did.
  
  "...Like I just ran a marathon." He admitted with a groan, "My voice is pretty hoarse too."
  
  "Must be from all the shouting, though I'm in the same position." Volkner replied, taking a seat next to him, "My arms are really sore as well. I think my muscles were locked up for the entire fight."
  
  "Heh. At least Jasmine won't complain about all those extra muscles that you've gained." He smirked, though it was noticeably more subdued than usual.
  
  Despite their usual banter, they both knew that they were avoiding the one topic that was on both of their minds.
  
  Eventually, after a moment of silence, he found the courage to bring it up.
  
  "...How are we alive, Volkner?" He asked his friend, "You were there too - you must have saw their power with your very eyes. Even with all of our strength, against the combined might of those Legendaries, we might as well have been Bugs."
  
  "Don't let Aaron hear you say that." Volkner quipped, though he quickly let out a sigh of his own, "But you're not wrong. I don't think I've ever been that terrified in my entire life."
  
  "You and I - we're strong trainers. Even when we fought against those Team Galactic grunts at the Lakes, I was still confident that we would get through it okay." Volkner continued, "Yet today... today was the day that I thought might be my last one. That I wouldn't see you or Jasmine ever again."
  
  It hurt him to see his best friend so vulnerable like that, even though he felt the exact same way. He knew that some people here today might have considered fighting against a Legendary to be a glorious honour, and thought it was a privilege to do so. But after experiencing it for himself, he certainly didn't think so.
  
  Though he knew he would stand up to fight if a similar situation ever arose in the future, he would be glad if he was never in such a position ever again. If that made him a coward, then so be it. The battle only reinforced his belief that Legendaries were not beings that were meant to be challenged by humans.
  
  His head turned to where he saw John conversing with Regigigas - at least, unless you had one on your side.
  
  Both Flint and Volkner remained silent as they tried to process everything that they had just been through today. But, at the very least, they could take comfort in the fact that today was a victory. Cyrus had tried to destroy the world, and he had failed. They had won.
  
  And they both silently vowed that they would ensure that this victory remained that way.
  
  (Koga POV)
  
  He bent down to inspect Cyrus' last position before the Legendary had pulled him into that dark void, just to make sure that the madman hadn't tried to pull a disappearing act on them. However, aside from the crushed remains of the Red Chain, it appeared that Cyrus had truly been whisked away.
  
  Hopefully, that was permanent. Even though he couldn't have possibly challenged the decision, he would have preferred a body - to have seen Cyrus' ultimate demise with his own two eyes. Just to fully make certain that he could never pull something like this off ever again.
  
  He heard footsteps arrive behind him, and he turned to see Bertha staring down at him.
  
  "So, did you find anything?" She asked.
  
  "No." He shook his head, "Cyrus is gone."
  
  "Hopefully for good." Bertha snorted, "And Giratina has never been known to be merciful. Who knows? Perhaps Cyrus is currently suffering a fate worse than death. It would be a fitting end for a man as evil as him."
  
  He nodded, agreeing with her words. He couldn't deny feeling a sense of satisfaction as he watched Cyrus whimper in fear when confronted by all four Legendaries. The monster deserved to be humbled like that.
  
  The two remained silent for a moment as they both looked around at how the other trainers were doing. There was a mixture of reactions from everyone as the battle concluded.
  
  Some were joyful. Some were morose and almost relieved. Others, like himself, were merely contemplative.
  
  He hoped that the battle wouldn't have been too scarring for everyone here. Fighting against what seemed like impossible odds was always daunting, but he had witnessed how they had already overcome their fears during the fight itself. Now they just had to carry over that same willpower to the aftermath. It wouldn't be easy, but he was determined that everyone here could do it.
  
  But his main concern was actually with John, and he watched the young man with a contemplative gaze as he spoke with Regigigas.
  
  It was undoubtedly true that Regigigas's assistance was the sole reason that any of them were even alive right now. Without the Legendary Titan, they could not possibly have fought Palkia, let alone reach it.
  
  Yet now the threat was gone, but Regigigas still remained, and nominally under the control of John.
  
  Cyrus was already a glaring example of the power and danger that a person could wield if they had a Legendary on their side. While he trusted John, and knew that he was not the kind of person that would simply exploit a Legendary's power for his own benefit, having so much power at his fingertips might change him.
  
  Koga knew he was probably being paranoid - and that John did not deserve such mistrust. But after everything that just happened, he hoped for everyone's sake that John was as selfless as he used to be.
  
  They didn't need another Cyrus.
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  She slumped against one of the pillars as soon as the battle was over.
  
  There were a million different thoughts and feelings coursing through her brain at the moment, but all of that were put to the side as she watched John communicating with Regigigas and the three Regis.
  
  She watched as he stood side-by-side with the Legendary Titan. And biased though she may be, she couldn't help but think about how natural it was for him to be standing next to Regigigas - as if he was always meant to be there.
  
  With the crisis now over, she expected that Regigigas would soon return to its usual resting place now that its strength was no longer needed. She didn't expect for John to retain his 'control' over Regigigas, even if they seemed to get along well. Even though she personally wouldn't mind for him to have kept Regigigas, it was probably for the better that Regigigas returned to its slumber - if only for everyone else's peace of mind.
  
  As this battle had shown, Legendaries were incredibly dangerous.
  
  However, as she continued to stare at John and Regigigas, a plan started to form in her mind for a way to keep John around in Sinnoh like she always wanted him to. A way for both of them to finally get over the hurdle that was distance within their relationship.
  
  After all, it was now a proven fact that the Legendary Titan could be reawakened - the mystery of its slumber had been solved. Furthermore, Regigigas had also demonstrated that it very much had the overwhelming amount of power in its possession to fight on equal terms against one of the Creation Trio themselves.
  
  Therefore, even though Cyrus had been dealt with, this demonstration of power from Regigigas would undoubtedly cause more people in the future with nefarious intent to seek out Regigigas for their own crazed ambitions. And though she personally doubted that Regigigas could be tricked like that, there could be a scenario where another madman creates an item similar to the Red Chain that allows them to dominate a Legendary just like Cyrus had done with Palkia.
  
  Thus, the Legendary Titan may need a 'protector' of its own, if only to prevent such a scenario from occurring. Or at least, that was what she would try to convince the public of. And who better to guard Regigigas than the man who had awakened it in the first place and fought alongside it?
  
  ...Yes, it likely needed some tweaking, but the plan just might work.
  
  A.N. After the cataclysmic battle that they've just been through, I felt it was only natural that we have a couple of chapters to cool down from everything that has just happened. Furthermore, I especially wanted to take an opportunity to highlight just how everyone's feeling in the aftermath of such a terrifying battle. There's a whole range of different emotions on display, as befits everyone's different personalities. I hope I captured them all well.
  
  And yes, Cynthia's planning something for John, and she's going to have plenty of time to think things through now that Cyrus' been dealt with. You'll see how it turns out! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  Also, thanks for all the nice comments about the big Legendary fight. I was pretty anxious about it, so I'm really glad you all seemed to like it. Your support put a big smile on my face, so thanks!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 13-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 13-17 - Relief and Answers
  
  Seeing Cyrus being whisked away by Giratina was a moment of profound relief for me, because I knew that the nightmare was finally over. After all that, we had finally put a stop to the plots and schemes of a madman.
  
  We had triumphed in the battle for our lives and the fate of the world.
  
  We had survived in a battle of Legends.
  
  We had finally won. Team Galactic had failed.
  
  Our victory still didn't quite feel real, and I almost collapsed to the ground as all sorts of different emotions rushed through my mind and body. There was undoubtedly a sense of relief, but there was also satisfaction, terror from knowing that I was that close to dying, and also pride in the fact that my Pokémon and I managed to actually beat down a Legendary.
  
  But ultimately, I felt free. Free to continue enjoying my life as a trainer and not have to worry about world ending threats. Free in the knowledge that the madmen had finally been put down.
  
  "...Sla... king..." My starter growled out from next to me, and I turned to him with a large grin.
  
  "You did get in some good punches, I agree." I chuckled at the pride in his voice, "But I don't think I'm going to be asking for a rematch anytime soon."
  
  "King..." He faux-grumbled, pretending to be annoyed about being denied his rematch. Though, with his battle lust, there might be a grain of truth in that.
  
  "I'm afraid I don't share your enthusiasm, Tyrant." Was what I replied instead, "To be honest, I would be perfectly happy if I didn't need to go through something like that again. One battle like that was more than enough for my lifetime."
  
  "Bliss..." "...Clef..." My two support Pokémon quickly chimed out in agreement. They didn't have Tyrant's same enthusiasm for large battles, and they were well-aware of how close that battle was.
  
  "Obsta! Obsta!" In the meanwhile, Ornstein was boasting enthusiastically about his successful parry of Palkia's Dragon Claw, and was repeating his feat to anyone who would give him the slightest bit of attention. Usually, Smough would be tasked to rein him in, but he had slumped over after the battle and was currently taking a quick nap on the floor of Spear Pillar.
  
  It was very typical of him.
  
  It didn't help that Zephyr and Klaus, usually two of my most energetic Pokémon, had joined him. They both must also have been completely exhausted from the fight.
  
  The sound of heavy footsteps brought me back from my thoughts, and I turned to see Regigigas lumbering up to me - a few visible injuries scarring its body.
  
  "Thank you for the help once again, Regigigas." I said to him after quickly straightening up, "Your efforts have won us this day, and have likely saved my life and that of my colleagues' as well. If not for your help, we wouldn't have been able to save the world from Cyrus' machinations. So, thank you again."
  
  "REGI." He said, this time to me directly instead of having Regirock speak for it. Was that a sign of trust?
  
  Nevertheless, there was one important question that I had to ask, "So now that the crisis is over, what will you be doing now? Will you return to your slumber once more?"
  
  At first, I didn't fully see why Legendaries often kept themselves distant from the rest of the world. However, having now seen their sheer almighty power firsthand, I came to understand their decision.
  
  If they were always active and wandering around the world, their power would be impossible to ignore - let alone the damage that they would accidentally cause. Therefore, it was safer for both us humans and Pokémon if they stayed asleep or hidden somewhere, just so that their destructive power would remain inactive.
  
  Regigigas actually paused for a moment before it answered my question. It turned and stared off of Spear Pillar, observing the surroundings below him. Regice, Registeel, and Regirock all hovered around him as they joined the Legendary Titan in its introspection.
  
  After a moment of silence, it turned back towards me, but this time it reached out with a hand pointing towards my head. I felt the connection between us strengthen, and I became able to understand Regigigas more clearly.
  
  Using this newfound connection, it explained to me in a series of buzzes and beeps that it had been tasked with maintaining the natural order of the world. And in connection with this, it unofficially served as a protector of Pokémon and humanity from threats that we were ill-equipped to handle.
  
  The unnatural summoning of Palkia had been one such threat, as it was a subversion of the natural order of the world for a Legendary of its power to have been dominated and be wielded by man. Now that its duty was fulfilled, it was time for it to rest once again.
  
  "I understand." I nodded, "Then what will you be doing about the other three Regis? Will they be released into the wider world?"
  
  "REGI." It replied, stating that it intended for the three Regis to rest alongside it at Snowpoint Temple.
  
  "...Then I have a suggestion, if you could consider it." I said, "Instead of keeping the Regis with you in the Temple, why don't you have them rest at the three Lakes? With the Lake Guardians? They would serve as an extra layer of protection for them, and they might help them prevent getting them captured again."
  
  So that a situation like today would never happen again.
  
  Regigigas seemed to thoughtfully consider my request, but after a while it gave off an affirmative nod. It gestured to the three Regis, and they moved over to me with an assortment of buzzes and beeps that seemed to signify their agreement. Before they left though, I also remembered to politely request if they could keep control of the emission of their natural energies, just so that the Lakes won't suddenly be frozen over or turned to rock or steel respectively.
  
  They agreed. Then, they flew off towards what I could assume was their new resting places at the new Lakes.
  
  I was about to thank Regigigas one more time, but before I could, it suddenly took another step closer to me, and I felt our bond pulse with power as it spoke directly to me.
  
  "GIGAS...REGI..."
  
  Its words were shocking - because it was praising us. It praised our battle together, and the courage that all of the battlers here showed in the face of overwhelming odds. It praised the strength of our teams, and the fact that we managed to even do damage to Palkia in the first place. It praised the trust that our teams had in us, to even be willing to face off against a Legendary in the first place when all of their instincts screamed to run away.
  
  Then it spoke of me personally. It said that it was pleased with my conviction and for awakening it for a genuinely selfless purpose. And while it would never have a master, if a world-ending crisis ever popped up again, it would be content if it could call on my strength to fight alongside it once more, and vice versa.
  
  But more importantly than that, it praised the effort that I put into bettering this world. Having read my memories, it knew that this was my second life. It knew all of my secrets. However, it praised me for not using my knowledge and twisting it for my own selfish purposes. It praised me for striving to create a better world, even if I could have easily indulged in my greed and vices and selfishly hoard things for myself.
  
  It was why it had called to me when it was time for it to awaken.
  
  Hearing this... I had never felt more honoured in my life. To be complimented by a Legendary and to have my efforts acknowledged by one was... almost too much for me. A surge of emotions rushed through me, and I had to forcefully stop myself from tearing up right then and there.
  
  Thankfully, with Regigigas and the rest of my team standing around me, no one was able to see me as I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes before I pulled myself together.
  
  Then, partially in an attempt to distract myself from my swelling emotions, I asked the question that had been on my mind for some time.
  
  "Regigigas, if you don't mind telling me, but why did you awaken? Why did you call to me?" I asked it, "Was it because of the Plates? Or because you sensed the oncoming crisis?"
  
  "REGI." It explained to me that it was a mixture of both. The Plates were actually fragments of its own power, and by bringing them back to its slumbering form, we had returned its lost power back to it.
  
  Regigigas then proceeded to explain what had happened in its previous summoning that had caused its power to split off like that. Previously, another madman had tried to summon the power of the Creation Trio to enact his will. However, instead of summoning Palkia, he summoned Giratina. Regigigas explained that it had woken up that time too, and had fought to subdue Giratina and take down the madman. Yet Regigigas suffered great injuries in the process, and in order to fully recover, it had to split parts of itself off - which ended up crystalising into the Plates.
  
  ...I think I knew who Regigigas was referring to. That sounded like a distant ancestor of a certain someone. I also couldn't help but note that Regigigas had done a lot better in this battle, having suffered relatively few injuries itself. It made me proud to know that our efforts did make a difference.
  
  However, there was something that confused me. From my metaknowledge, I had thought that the Plates that we had found in the caves were actually fragments of Arceus' power, not Regigigas'. But when I asked, the Legendary Titan helpfully clarified it was due to my own misunderstanding that caused this mistake. In summary, I had mislabelled Regice/Regirock/Registeel as the Icicle/Stone/Iron Plates respectively. But in reality, they had always been the Regi trio, just in a different, dormant form.
  
  The real Plates of Arceus were something completely different.
  
  On that note, returning back to my original question, it explained to me that bringing the three Regis back to it were not actually required for it to awaken. If I had not brought the Regis to it, it would have still awakened naturally once Palkia began its rampage - as its duty dictated. However, it had deliberately reached out to me, having already sensed my character and meta-knowledge from our very first meeting all that time ago, and called to me to return the three Regis to it so that it could regain most of its former power.
  
  And now that it had done so, it no longer needed Regice, Regirock, or Registeel to be present if it needed to be awoken once again. It would simply do so when the situation called for it, hence why it was fine with separating from the other three Regis.
  
  That managed to clarify a lot of the questions that I had about what exactly had happened. I asked if I could share this knowledge with the others, and it easily agreed.
  
  "...I just have one last question." I felt a little embarrassed about my seemingly endless stream of questions, but there was still one more thing I had to ask about, "Is the Red Chain fully destroyed? Does it serve as any further threat to us?"
  
  In response, Regigigas moved over to where Koga and Bertha were standing over the shattered Red Chain. Seeing the Legendary coming, they moved out of the way as they allowed Regigigas to inspect the broken remains.
  
  It then stomped down on the broken remains, before confirming its destruction.
  
  However, it had more to say, and the following beeps and buzzes from it told me that the Red Chain that Cyrus had used was incomplete. As a master craftsman, it could tell that the Red Chain - if it had been properly forged - should have been able to summon and control both Palkia and Dialga simultaneously, and the extent of control would have been more powerful.
  
  In other words, due to the rushed nature of Cyrus' Red Chain, Dialga was actually able to resist and reject the summoning. Not only that, but Cyrus would have had a much easier time utilising Palkia's power, which made it likely that he could have made the battle a lot more difficult for us by instantly ramping up its spatial manipulation to the levels of its final attack.
  
  Seeing my dawning look of horror, Regigigas reassured me that Dialga and Giratina would have intervened earlier if such a situation happened - as their duties similarly dictated. Though I noted that it pointedly did not say whether my colleagues and I would be alive by the time they deigned to act. It seemed to catch on to my thoughts, and it stated that at the very least, Palkia would have been stopped before it completely wiped out the world.
  
  Even if most of said world would be partially destroyed by that point.
  
  That was a subtle and humbling reminder that we had not actually 'beaten' Palkia, only a lesser and more limited version of itself. Had Palkia been able to fight us at full strength, the first wave of attacks would likely have wiped us all out.
  
  Thank Arceus we won, though.
  
  A hand tapping on my shoulder dragged me out of my thoughts, and I turned around to see my girlfriend standing next to me.
  
  "Even after the battle is over, you still seem to be so busy." Cynthia said amusedly, though exhaustion too lined her face, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
  
  "No, everything's fine." I replied, "I was just speaking to Regigigas about the future... and for it to answer a few questions that I had." I then gave her a summary of everything we had discussed, from the three Regis new resting places to Regigigas' complimentary words about our performance in the battle, and the true details of its awakening. Though I left out the part about why it chose me specifically.
  
  A wide smile immediately split across her face, "Wow! The scientists are going to go mad with glee once they hear about this. That answers so many questions we've had about the Legendaries." Then she quickly pulled herself together as she faced Regigigas, "But I am glad we were able to live up to your expectations, Titan."
  
  "I hope you didn't mind that I asked the Regis to settle down at the Lakes without asking first." I said sheepishly, "The idea just sprung to my mind."
  
  "It's fine." She waved me off, "If anything, it'll make the Lakes more interesting. So don't worry about it."
  
  She turned back to Regigigas, "Now that Spear Pillar is safe once again, would it be okay if we were to create something to commemorate this fight to be placed here? We were thinking of building a statue in your honour - if you deem it acceptable."
  
  Regigigas let out a beep, signalling that it was fine with it. That caused Cynthia to smile again, "Excellent. That's something we'll have to work on soon. A battle like this should be remembered - to commemorate the time that the world united together to fight against a common threat."
  
  Then her voice took on a darker tone, "And it should serve as a warning for any who are foolish enough to attempt to replicate Cyrus' actions in the future - that any such attempt is doomed to fail."
  
  That got a few cheers from a few people who overheard her speech. But then, Cynthia gestured for silence as she made a show of straightening her back and stepping closer to Regigigas.
  
  "Regigigas." She started off formally, "As the main representative of the Sinnoh League - we humbly thank you for your assistance in taking down this madman and helping to safeguard the wider world. Yet, now that this crisis is over, and you are returning to your resting place, would you accept a guardian to watch over you and await your return? Someone that you trust to fight alongside you if a crisis like this ever appears again so that you would not be awakened for the wrong reasons? Or to prevent a madman from controlling you like Cyrus did with Palkia?"
  
  In response, Regigigas stared down at Cynthia with its full attention, almost as if it was trying to observe her expressions and judge her sincerity. To Cynthia's credit, she didn't flinch, and met its gaze with a firm one of her own.
  
  On my end, I was completely surprised at what she had just proposed, though I quickly understood her intentions, which many of our colleagues did too. She was doing this for me.
  
  I realised that the role as Regigigas' guardian would certainly be mainly ceremonial, though there would undoubtedly be a huge chunk of prestige attached to it. If Cynthia and the Sinnoh League described it in the right way, the position could be just as influential (or maybe even more so) as an Elite Four member. Without any of the usual duties attached to it.
  
  Now, I knew that such a role wasn't actually necessary. Regigigas had just explained to me about how it was able to sense the intentions of others, and there was no actual way that it could be manipulated into fighting for a malicious cause. And even if Cynthia was right that having a human guardian may help prevent a madman from dominating Regigigas directly, such a situation was very unlikely to actually occur.
  
  Though the position wasn't completely frivolous. Regigigas was very much a blunt instrument, and was unsuited to handling threats that required subtlety or finesse. Sometimes, the human element was needed to provide the latter to resolve threats more effectively. For example, if we hadn't forced Cyrus' hand early, his Red Chain would have been completed, and the fight would have been much harder and likely far more destructive.
  
  Yet, at the end of the day, I knew that Cynthia was only suggesting this role so that we could be together while still maintaining an equal level of prestige and influence. Nothing more, nothing less.
  
  However, as if to surprise me yet again, Regigigas actually turned towards me and asked if this was what I wanted. It wasn't concerned about our minor deception, or the political implications of the decision. I felt that it easily saw through Cynthia's true intentions for suggesting this role, and it didn't care.
  
  Instead, it warned me that if I were to take on this position, then I needed to be willing to accept the responsibility of fighting alongside the Legendary Titan if it was called to battle against another Legendary in the future. I would be its partner in battle, no matter what who we'd be facing against.
  
  ...Despite everything that I had said to Tyrant earlier, there was only one answer I could give.
  
  I accepted the responsibility. After all, if there was a threat to the world, then I couldn't just stand aside and let it happen.
  
  No, I would fight.
  
  Receiving my confirmation, Regigigas turned back towards Cynthia and gave off a short nod, causing Cynthia to grin happily.
  
  "Excellent! Thank you for this show of trust, Regigigas." She said to the Legendary Titan, "I swear that it will not be abused. Your guardian, whoever we decide to appoint, will live up to the title."
  
  No one around us believed that lie - they all knew that Cynthia intended for me to be appointed to the position eventually. She just needed to set up the foundation for that to happen.
  
  It wouldn't be easy, since I was still a foreigner being placed into a position with immense security implications tied to it, but after the events of today became known to the public... it was far from impossible.
  
  I was getting excited just thinking about it. Finally, after so long, we finally had an actionable plan about how we would finally be together.
  
  However, I decided to table those thoughts for now as that was a problem for later. For now, there was still a lot of cleanup left to do.
  
  Cyrus might be gone and taken care of, but his actions had still left a significant scar on Sinnoh. Chaos still reigned in the streets due to everything that had happened.
  
  Therefore, after our conversation was over, we spent a little more time checking up on both ourselves and our Pokémon to make sure that we were all okay. After that, Cynthia practically disappeared as she hurriedly returned to her office in order to deal with the larger consequences of Palkia's summoning, and from what I had heard was busy trying to reinstall a sense of order and calm within Sinnoh - reassuring the public that the world wasn't about to end and that they had dealt with the crisis.
  
  Compared to her, I had lucked out significantly, since I wasn't actually a part of Sinnoh and therefore didn't have any immediate duties I had to attend to. Of course, that didn't mean I was going to sit out and do nothing, even if I was tired enough to be tempted to, and I volunteered to help out where I could since Regigigas had also returned to its slumber back at Snowpoint.
  
  Koga and I also reported the situation to Lance, though he had already heard most of it from Cynthia.
  
  "...Let me just say this, John. When I first heard you had allied yourself to Regigigas, I had thought we were about to have another crisis on our hands right after this one ended." He said with a hollow chuckle, "I thought you had captured and unintentionally stolen away with a Legendary from Sinnoh. You don't know how much I thanked Arceus that it didn't happen. No offense. But it would've been an administrative and political nightmare. The scandal that it would have brought about..." He shuddered dramatically.
  
  "None taken." I replied with a chuckle, "I understand how bad it would've been too."
  
  Calling a scenario like that catastrophic would be an understatement. It would completely overturn all of the good relations we had built up with Sinnoh in an instant.
  
  "Anyways, I thought to let you know that I'm not going to recall the Gym Leaders and other reinforcements that are being sent over." He said, "Since they're already on their way, they'll be staying there for a few days to help out. I'd reckon it'll be fine to have them around for a bit for the PR, especially since there likely isn't any more world-ending threats around the corner. Wallace thinks the same too."
  
  Made sense. "They definitely need the help." Koga agreed.
  
  "Plus, there's undoubtedly going to be a few ceremonies that will be hosted to commemorate your victory." Lance continued, "So I'll be sending over the rest of the Elite Four as well so they can be there. You all deserve it - much like you both deserve to have a good night's sleep." He smiled, "I know you must be exhausted out of your minds, and I'm sure you have other people you'd like to talk to. So we can talk more later - just get some rest!"
  
  Yes, we very much needed it. After everything that had happened today, I was exhausted.
  
  A.N. Lots of wrapping up after the battle that just happened, and I hoped this chapter helped to answer a few questions about what had occurred in the past few chapters. I wanted to provide a reason for why Regigigas awakened as it did, and what exactly were the Plates that they had uncovered.
  
  Likewise, I hoped that you liked the setup about where John will be ending up in the future. I struggled long and hard about where I wanted to place John, and I felt that having a position by the side of Regigigas would be suitable. This is as close as it gets to John 'capturing' Regigigas. So I hope you liked the direction I'm taking it.
  
  Furthermore, tomorrow actually marks the two-year anniversary for this story. Honestly, I know I've said this before, but I still can't believe I've written this story for two years, and for it to have gained the support and attention that it has. Thank you again. Because of this, I promise there will be an additional OMAKE chapter (or two, depending on my available free time) coming within the next week or so. I'll do my best to deliver them as soon as possible. So I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 13-18-INTERLUDE-Pokenet
  The New Normal - 13-18 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [SINNOH LEAGUE LAUNCHES SUCCESSFUL RAID INTO SECRET GALACTIC BASE! BUT CYRUS STILL MISSING!] By the Sinnoh News
  
  [A wanted poster of Cyrus is displayed, with a monetary reward provided for any who can provide legitimate information about his whereabouts]
  
  The Sinnoh League have managed to hit back hard after Team Galactic's terrible attack at the Lakes. With the assistance of our foreign allies, a large scale raid was undertaken at a base suspected to be Cyrus' last known location.
  
  From the reports we received, the raid was a massive success, with the Sinnoh League managing to take down one of the key leaders of Team Galactic that was responsible for the attack at the Lakes - avenging all of the pain that they have caused.
  
  However, Cyrus remains elusive. But we hope that this round of arrests will provide clues that will finally stop the madman once in for all.
  
  As always, if you have any relevant information about the whereabouts of Cyrus or any other member of Team Galactic, please report your information here. Your information may save lives, and the Sinnoh League thanks you for your assistance.
  
  Let us know what you think of these events in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Another propaganda piece for the Sinnoh League. But at least this one seems to have some truth in it. I guess it's good to see that the Sinnoh League is making some progress, though I'll only celebrate once this whole debacle is properly wrapped up.
  
  Stay in your homes people. Don't wander out at night.
  
  PianoLover
  
  I'm not afraid at all. Ever since Cynthia took up the position as Champion, if she says that she's working on something then I have the confidence that it would be done. I fully believe in her.
  
  Besides, surely this is the beginning of the end of Team Galactic. They played their hand with the attack at the Lakes, and so many of their members have been arrested. I doubt they're going to be much more of a threat any longer.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Yeah, didn't the Sinnoh League say that they managed to capture a whole lot of grunts from the attack at the Lakes? They can't have that much manpower left. I think Cyrus is just running away scared and everyone's overreacting slightly.
  
  Then again, I don't blame you. If I was in Sinnoh I think I'd be more unnerved too.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  At the end of the day, Cyrus is just one man. A madman, perhaps, but what can he do without access to his resources and manpower? His company has burnt to the ground, his reputation is in tatters, and his men are all arrested. Even Team Rocket were forced to flee Indigo with their tails tucked between their legs once they started to attract too much heat.
  
  Cyrus is not a threat. He's just a coward too scared to show himself.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  As much as I am still reeling from the shock of his betrayal, I agree that the Sinnoh League has probably already dealt with the threat and are just making sure Cyrus can't run away. The man has lost everything; he won't be able to do much by himself.
  
  And no matter how strong he is on a personal level, I doubt he'd be able to be a match for our Elite trainers. He's probably nothing more than a delusional rich businessman with too much time on his hands.
  
  [TOPIC : DISCUSSION - THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS AND PSYCHIC INTERROGATIONS WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THEIR POKÉMON?!] By ChatALot
  
  So does anyone else think that this is just wrong? I know that these guys are supposed to be terrorists and madmen and whatnot, but do you not think that forcefully ripping information out of their minds might be taking things too far?
  
  We're supposed to be the good guys, right? So why are we allowing such torturous procedures to happen? Why is this even a thing? Can normal interrogation methods not work instead since it would be far more painless? I mean, I got nightmares from watching past leaked videos showing off the psychic interrogation already and that was just one person! Imagine how many more people are or are going to be subjected to such a fate?! Shouldn't we doing something to try to stop this?!
  
  Comments
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  No. In times of crisis, any and all methods must be employed to extract any relevant and crucial information that are being withheld by our prisoners. If such methods were to be banned, then how would the League say that they are doing everything they can to protect the people?
  
  Or worse, if their failure to psychically extract information leads to further damage and destruction later on, then wouldn't that damage be entirely preventable had their hands not been tied? Psychic interrogations, gruesome as the methods may seem, are an invaluable tool for us. Besides, the members of Team Galactic deserve to be subjected to such procedures after everything they have done.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Mostly agreed, even if it might be a bit cold for me to say so. I know the process seems barbaric, but I can understand the necessity in order to save more lives and prevent further damage. However, there are already restrictions that limit its use to only emergency situations, which the current crisis in Sinnoh is considered to be.
  
  That being said, we should always remain alert for abuses of the psychic interrogation process, and it should never be the first resort. Standard interrogation methods should always be used first before resorting to such extreme methods. Once this crisis is over, I expect all psychic interrogations to cease.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  They chose to do the crime, so they can suffer its consequences. Weak people like you are what allows these terrorists to get off scot-free instead of being properly punished for their crimes.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  I think that there might be better and more painless ways in the future to obtain such information from our prisoners. Since the most important part is the extracting of information, and not the damage that such a process inflicts, I think science can help refine the process further in the future. It's worth looking into. We should avoid doing harm if possible.
  
  But I have little sympathy for the current captured Team Galactic terrorists. I'm still not comfortable with the process, but I can't say I disagree with all the people who say that they deserve it after what they did to all those poor Pokémon. Who bombs a Lake?!
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  I think it's a little too far - my friends were really scarred by it. The League shouldn't be allowed to do this! They should ban it!
  
  [LIVE : ATTACKS CONFIRMED AT MT. CORONET!? HAS TEAM GALACTIC MADE THEIR MOVE?!] By the Sinnoh News
  
  [A very shaky hand-cam recording of the outside of Mt. Coronet. Explosions, fireballs, and thunderbolts could be seen intermittently.]
  
  I THINK TEAM GALACTIC ARE ATTACKING MT. CORONET! THE LEAGUE ARE CURRENTLY FIGHTING THEM! I DIDN'T SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE WERE BUT I THINK I SAW OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE FIGHTING AT ONCE!
  
  EDIT: This was an article hastily written up by one of our field reporters. We apologise for the shakiness of the footage, and once we obtain more accurate and detailed information, we shall update our readers shortly.
  
  Comments
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Whoever is reporting on that, get out of there, now! Getting a few seconds of footage isn't worth the danger!
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Fuck! Did anyone see Cyrus within that group!? What is the Sinnoh League doing!?
  
  SinnohNews
  
  Further reports confirm that Team Galactic are currently orchestrating a large-scale attack at Spear Pillar, for reasons unknown. However, the Sinnoh League seems to have been aware of such an attack, and have already reinforced the position. The battle you are seeing in the above video clip is a result of such a clash.
  
  We can confirm reports of Gym Leaders and other law enforcement personnel making their way to Mt. Coronet as reinforcements.
  
  For anyone near those areas, the fighting has already begun, and we advise you to leave the immediate area with all due haste for your own safety. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We will be sure to update you as the situation develops.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Obviously this is a false flag operation from Cyrus! Don't you fools see it!? Watch, Cyrus is going to use this opportunity to sneak away to his hidden bases outside of Sinnoh! You fools!
  
  ILoveEterna
  
  ...I know this might sound bad, but anyone kind of optimistic that this will be the end of Cyrus? I mean, surely he's screwed, right? Isn't Spear Pillar just a cultural site with nothing there? What is he even attacking there for? I'm thinking he's pretty much doomed to fail.
  
  Surely the Sinnoh League will stop him.
  
  [TOPIC : GUYS?! IS THE WORLD ENDING?! THE SKY JUST CRACKED?!] By LoveIsEterna
  
  [Pictures of the crack in the sky. For some unexplainable reason, the image is distorted so that the sky seems to be blurry. Furthermore, the clouds do not match up correctly, and the sun seems to be split up into pieces.]
  
  WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON GUYS!?
  
  I KNOW THAT TEAM GALACTIC WERE DOING THEIR THING AND I THOUGHT THEY'D BE CAPTURED BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!
  
  I FELT A PULSE OF POWER THAT BROUGHT ME TO MY KNEES AND THEN I LOOK UP AND THE SKY IS BLURRY AS FUCK AND HAS A MASSIVE CRACK IN IT!
  
  CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY IT LOOKS LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD GUYS HELP!
  
  Comments
  
  GodBidoof
  
  I FELT THAT POWER TOO! CYRUS MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THIS! HE MUST!
  
  Was this his plan all along?! The destruction of the world?! I thought the League was sent to stop them! Or were they too late?!
  
  Has anyone spoken to the Gym Leaders or the Jennys? What's going on?!
  
  PianoLover
  
  I was at Sunyshore and tried speaking to Volkner, but I don't think he's at the Gym! I think he's gone off to fight!
  
  The Jennys weren't any help either, they just told us to stay as calm as possible and stay in our homes! I don't know if that's going to help!
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON! There are lots of people running from Cycling Road as they try to get away from whatever the fuck is happening at Mt. Coronet. Most of us residents at Eterna are running past the Forest to get to Floaroma Town. Hopefully it's safer there.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I don't mean to panic anyone - but I strongly suspect that surge of power can only be from a Legendary. And yes, I'm already shaking in my pants just thinking about it.
  
  I'm currently huddling in one of the caves with many of our Ace trainers and other scientists as we evacuated underground for the time being. It might be safer there.
  
  I've heard that many Gym Leaders were ordered to rush over to Mt. Coronet to combat whatever Team Galactic are doing. Maybe this will all be over soon.
  
  Stay safe, everyone.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  What in Arceus is going on in Sinnoh!? I felt the hairs rising on my skin for a moment, and when I looked up at the sky, I thought that things didn't seem right.
  
  [Attached photo]
  
  And now I hear that the sky apparently has a crack in it!? Can someone please let us know what's going on!?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Just saw many Gym Leaders take off for Sinnoh as well! And even Lance too!
  
  [Picture of a Dragonite in the air]
  
  I think they know what's going on - and it's very serious. We've already sent reinforcements over, so the fact that we're suddenly sending even more is concerning.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Yeah, the same thing is happening over here in Hoenn.
  
  I know this isn't going to help people stay calm, but if even Hoenn, as far as we are from Sinnoh, are also sending additional reinforcements over so urgently, then that doesn't bode well. What in Arceus is Cyrus doing over there?!
  
  ResearchMagnet
  
  I must say... I've never encountered such an interesting spatial phenomenon before - especially not something to this extent. Obviously, we've had solar eclipses in the past... but this is clearly different from that.
  
  EDIT: It frustrates me to admit this, but even my vast scientific knowledge is unable to comprehend what is going on, even after further analysis. Not only that, but a prolonged viewing of the photograph containing the unnatural skies have spawned a headache that only continues to worsen. I fear that this may be beyond what science can naturally explain. Annoying.
  
  FighterMay (Verified POG)
  
  Hello all.
  
  I understand that many are distressed, confused, and nervous about the ongoing crisis. I can sympathise, and I understand that many are seeking answers for the strange, extraordinary phenomenon that has occurred within Sinnoh.
  
  Unfortunately, as much as I would like to say otherwise, I am similarly as in the dark as you are as to what has caused this phenomenon. However, I would strongly urge everyone to maintain their calm as far as possible. I know that the full force of the Sinnoh League, and our friends from overseas, have already been deployed and are actively dealing with this threat.
  
  That being said, I understand if this does not fully reassure you about your safety. If you are insistent on a general evacuation, then all I can advise is that you do so in an orderly manner, and that you hold onto your empathy for your fellow man. Things might be scary for a moment, but if we all support each other, we can get through this situation safely.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Thank you for letting us know, Maylene. I would have liked more answers than this, but I can understand that perhaps some things shouldn't be revealed, or that you are genuinely in the dark. Either way, we appreciate your efforts in keeping the peace. I'm sure you're doing your best.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  ...Guys... I just saw Regigigas flying over to Mt. Coronet. And it's accompanied by what looks like three other 'lesser' Regis...
  
  [Picture of Regigigas, Registeel, Regirock, and Regice flying through the sky. John can be spotted on Port]
  
  ...If Regigigas has awakened from Snowpoint Temple, then I think Cyrus has also summoned his own Legendary.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Wait... what the fuck?! Is that John flying next to Regigigas?! What in Arceus is he doing there?!
  
  [LIVE: THE CHAMPION OF SINNOH MAKES AN ANNOUNCEMENT - THE CRISIS IS OVER!] By the Sinnoh News
  
  [Cynthia is standing on a stage at the Sinnoh League building, hosting a press conference. Unlike her usual appearance, Cynthia looks tired and exhausted. Bags line her eyes, and her outfit is covered in dirt and grime. Yet, there is an unmistakable look of joy and relief in her eyes as she speaks to the many cameras pointed her way]
  
  "To all Sinnohnians, thank you so much for your patience. I can only apologise for not being able to provide you with information regarding what was going on at the time, for it would only have caused further panic. However, I would like to start off my announcement on a good note - the threat of Team Galactic is over. Cyrus has been taken down, and we will not be seeing him again. He will no longer be able to continue his wanton acts of terror."
  
  There is a loud cheer at that, but it is quickly silenced as Cynthia continues.
  
  "In the interest of transparency, I will now explain the events that led up to Cyrus' defeat. First of, in the early afternoon of yesterday, Team Galactic launched a large-scale attack at Mt. Coronet, accessing the mountain through a series of secret tunnels that Cyrus had built during his time as CEO of Galactic Company. Using these tunnels, Team Galactic was able to sneak past most of our patrols, though they were quickly discovered when they emerged from within them and began their assault at Mt. Coronet. We had several Elite Four members and a large contingent of Jennys waiting for them, and a fight subsequently broke out where we managed to subdue all but Cyrus."
  
  "Unfortunately, that was when Cyrus activated a special item of his - one that went against the nature of this world - and summoned Palkia to this world." There was a big gasp from the audience, "Yes, Palkia, the Legendary of Space, was summoned and dominated by Cyrus' foul invention, and it is the source for the strange phenomenon that many must have witnessed yesterday."
  
  "As a result, we had to fight against this threat, and Regigigas, the Legendary Titan, had also awoken to assist us in our duties. It was a very hard and difficult battle, but in the end we came out victorious against Cyrus' mad machinations, and he will never be a threat to our region again."
  
  "Furthermore, I can confirm that the damage at Spear Pillar has been mostly repaired, thanks to the help of...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  On one hand, I'm glad everything's over. But to know that PALKIA was summoned by a madman like Cyrus is crazy!? How did the Sinnoh League win against a Legendary?!
  
  DragonPower
  
  Wait, are you telling me that one of the most powerful Dragons in the world was just summoned? AND I WASN'T THERE TO SEE IT?!
  
  NO NO NO NO NO I WON'T ACCEPT IT! IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME AT THAT FIGHT! NOT THEM!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  ...Even though I know there must be tons of eyewitnesses for such an event, I still can't believe what I'm hearing. The thought of Legendaries making an actual appearance... my word.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ...Fuck, that must have been some battle. I don't really know what to say. How did the Sinnoh League even manage to win?
  
  I mean, I expect Regigigas to have done all the work. Nothing can match up against a Legendary except for another one.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  As callous as this might sound, I would have loved to see a recording of the battle. Seeing two Legendaries slug it out against each other would have been amazing!
  
  Still, very glad that we can finally put this crisis behind us now.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  I think everyone's missing the forest for the trees right now. Whatever the consequences of this attack was, at least it's finally fucking over.
  
  The Sinnoh League might have dropped the ball at some points, but they pulled off a victory where it counted. And I trust them, because the sky is back to normal. Thank fuck for that. I will never take a clear blue sky for granted ever again.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Arceus... they actually managed to survive against a Legendary? How? Can that be considered blasphemous?
  
  RockGetGrunt
  
  ...So it's all over, huh.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  I have to express my greatest respects and praise for those who have participated in that battle. Even from the second hand reports I received, I am awe-struck by the bravery and conviction shown off by our brave fighters.
  
  A madman tried to rule the world, only to find our staunchest defenders standing in his way. And because of their determination and conviction, he failed.
  
  OnePunchMan
  
  I regret not being in the fight. I would have loved to test my strength against a Legendary. But I am gladdened that those that fought were able to stand their ground. Well done. You have all shown off the strength of humanity.
  
  StoneCollector
  
  A fantastic achievement by our proud and brave fighters. I can only hope that the damage that Cyrus has caused was not overly destructive - it saddens me to see a fellow businessman be able to fall to such insane depths.
  
  But we should not let such negativity taint what our brave trainers have achieved today. This is proof that, even when faced against the toughest of challenges, there will always be those that can and will rise to the occasion.
  
  DragonKnight (Verified POGChamp)
  
  Today, the world has come together to prove that, even against overwhelming odds, we will not falter. Our leaders will not back down when a madman threatens to destroy the world. They will fight! And they will triumph!
  
  Let this be a warning to all those who value power over common sense. No matter the stolen power in your hands, you will be stopped.
  
  StageChampion (Verified POGChamp)
  
  To say that all of our brave fighters went above and beyond the call of duty would be an understatement. Today, they fought the battle of their lives - for the fate of this world - and came up victorious.
  
  I bow my head to those valiant trainers. Thank you for keeping us safe.
  
  SamuelOak
  
  I know some may call me a hero, even though I have always felt that I was undeserving of such an epithet. Because I have always felt that there were others more deserving than me for such a title.
  
  And today is proof. Today, the world was shown what it means to be a hero.
  
  [THE HEROES WHO FOUGHT! A CELEBRATION OF THOSE WHO RID THE WORLD OF A MADMAN! DID OUR VERY OWN ELITE JOHN ALLY HIMSELF TO A LEGENDARY?!] by the Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of all of the fighters posing together at Spear Pillar. Regigigas is not in the background]
  
  Our valiant heroes have done it - they have accomplished a feat that would likely never be surpassed within the next several decades, or hopefully forever. Our own Elite Four in John and Koga have gone above and beyond their usual duties and faced off against a Legendary and lived to tell the tale.
  
  But they did not just survive the encounter, no, they triumphed over the Legendary of Space.
  
  Our Elite Four have certainly done our region proud, and our respective Leagues have certainly acknowledged their efforts. Their praises are being sung all around the world - deservingly so - and there will be two different award ceremonies being hosted, one in Sinnoh, and one in Indigo, to commemorate their achievements in solving the crisis and putting an end to the threat of Team Galactic once and for all.
  
  However, at the very end of her press conference, Champion Cynthia had one last bomb to drop on all of us.
  
  "...And before I wrap up this press conference, I must give my sincere thanks to the foreign assistance that we had received - which were instrumental in supporting the Sinnoh League's efforts to take down Cyrus. I can say wholeheartedly that every single trainer at that battle fought with their all, and without their support, we might have faltered in our battle against Team Galactic."
  
  "However - there is one trainer that the entirety of the Elite Four and I collectively wish to express our sincere thanks to - for being the one to have successfully awakened and befriended the Legendary Titan itself, Regigigas. That man is none other than Elite John."
  
  "John. It may have been luck or coincidence that granted you the opportunity to be there for Regigigas' awakening, but it was your character that it must have seen that convinced it to fight alongside us. Regigigas may have never been truly under your control, but the very fact that you were able to ally with it was instrumental in bringing down Cyrus and his schemes. We would not have been able to fight against Palkia if it was not for that."
  
  "Even if Regigigas might have returned to its usual slumber, thanks to your efforts, we can rest easy knowing that humanity has earned another powerful ally it can call upon in case another crisis of this sort happens again. Thus, on behalf of all of Sinnoh, we thank you for your heroic actions. The Sinnoh League owes you a debt, one that we shall endeavour to repay in the future."
  
  Her words came at a huge shock to all of us. We all knew that the Legendary Titan was involved in the battle, but up until now and outside of unconfirmed rumours, we were kept in the dark regarding how it awakened. To think that John was somehow involved in the process, whether through luck or coincidence, is still an extraordinary feat. Of course, we've confirmed that John has by no means 'captured' Regigigas, as blasphemous as that would be, and now that the fight is over Regigigas has already returned to its usual slumber.
  
  Considering all of this, what are all your thoughts on the events that took place in Sinnoh? Do you believe that John was the one to awaken Regigigas, whether by some stroke of luck or coincidence? Or do you believe that this was just an unintended fabrication on Sinnoh's part, because there is no chance that a Legendary would even heed or acknowledge the instructions from a human? Let us know your thoughts down below!
  
  Comments
  
  FlamingAfro (Verified POG)
  
  I'm just going to jump in here before someone accuses our Champion for being biased. Yes, I was there at the battle. Yes, we all knew that John was the one to awaken Regigigas. Yes, even John himself admitted that this whole thing was a huge coincidence that he could not have predicted. And yes, John was fighting alongside Regigigas for the entirety of the fight.
  
  Cynthia did not exaggerate things, and she was not being biased. And my colleagues and I resent the very implication that our Champion would fabricate such an important matter to serve her own interests.
  
  ChillGirl (Verified POG)
  
  Can confirm as well. I saw John and Regigigas taking off into the skies after the Legendary Titan had awakened within Snowpoint Temple - it's why the Temple is currently a destroyed ruin. It's going to need some rebuilding.
  
  Also, the three other Regis were with them. Almost forgot about that.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  SEE?! THIS IS WHY I'M A FAN OF JOHN! WHO ELSE CAN YOU POINT AT THAT HAS MANAGED SOMETHING LIKE THIS!? HE AWAKENED A LEGENDARY, MAN! AND IT WAS A NORMAL TYPE TOO!
  
  I can't believe anyone would still doubt him after this.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Not to bring down the mood... but John obviously doesn't get to 'keep' Regigigas after the fight. So it's not like he's gotten any stronger.
  
  Imagine if he did though. Tyrant was already strong enough, but Regigigas would make him unstoppable.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Such a shame that John let go of Regigigas when he could have potentially captured it. Having Regigigas on our side would have made us unstoppable.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  I don't know about you, but I'm glad he hasn't gone tyrannical on us. Everyone knows power corrupts, and the last thing we need is for John to turn mad with power after a crisis like this. We don't need another Cyrus, especially not a stronger version of him.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I wonder if John being a Normal specialist have anything to do with Regigigas' awakening? I'd imagine the chances are very slim that it was the case, but perhaps there was some sort of resonance between the two?
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I think the most important question on everyone's mind is this - if John can awaken Regigigas once, what's stopping him from doing it again? Not saying that he would, but he could, which is what's most important.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  That's a good point, but since we don't even know how John managed to awaken Regigigas in the first place (and I doubt the League will ever tell us, for good reason), perhaps it was a one-time thing. Regardless, I don't really see the John as the type to abuse this power. I really hope I'm not proven wrong.
  
  EDIT: Also, woah, is it true that the three Regis are now residing at the Lakes? That's awesome!
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Hey, if John was able to speak with Regigigas, why didn't he convince the Legendary Titan to allow trainers to capture the three Regis. Imagine how strong Lorelei could be if she had Regice by her side!
  
  Wasted opportunity.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  As cool as it would be to have the Regis be a part of someone's team, I think everyone can agree that it's best that they remain uncaptured. The three other Regis may be lesser compared to the Legendary Titan, but I sincerely doubt that their strength could be matched by any of our Pokémon.
  
  Although... considering that our very best trainers did just hold their own against a Legendary, maybe I should reconsider that statement.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  YOU'RE ALL SO BLIND AGAIN! How would we know if John doesn't actually have control over Regigigas and is pretending not to?! Cyrus already proved what you can do with a Legendary, so who's to say that John isn't just hiding in the shadows until the time comes?!
  
  FOOLS! You have to take him down, now! Before it's too late!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  What an age that we live in - for Legendaries to be fighting against Legendaries - and for trainers to rise up to actually be an active participant in those kinds of battles. I always thought that Legendaries weren't supposed to interact with us humans, so I'm a little sceptical as to whether John legitimately 'interacted' with Regigigas or if it was purely a coincidence since they had a shared goal.
  
  Still, what an incredible feat. A part of me would have loved to see that fight firsthand, if only to see humans and Legendaries fighting alongside each other. That would be an amazing sight.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Nah, we know from historical texts that Legendaries have always interacted with humans in the past, often on friendly-ish terms. They often isolate themselves from us, true, and they're sometimes known to be quite mercurial and their motives are difficult to understand, but they're hardly unreasonable.
  
  Therefore, I believe it that John was able to 'befriend' Regigigas. I wonder if they'll ever interact again in the future...
  
  A.N. A long-awaited Pokenet Interlude to conclude out this arc with some hints about what's to come in the future. With Team Galactic and this arc wrapped up, there will be some timeskips coming in the future as we move onto the next arc!
  
  Also, since I had the free time and it was this story's anniversary, there is a bonus chapter that has been uploaded to Questionable Questing, labelled '13-18X'. It is NSFW, so feel free to check it out if you're interested.
  
  As always, thank you for sticking with me and this story thus far! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-13-18- Interlude - Smiths
  The New Normal - 13-18 - Interlude - The Smiths
  
  (Angela POV)
  
  She and her husband sat nervously as they huddled around the television at home. They knew that there was an ongoing crisis going on in Sinnoh, and more importantly, that their son was there as part of his duties as an Elite Four.
  
  At first, they weren't too worried - they knew that he was supported by trustworthy and strong companions that would keep each other safe. However, that all changed when they felt an ominous pulse of power, followed by reports on the news that the sky in Sinnoh had suddenly cracked apart.
  
  It was nothing like they had ever since before, and the scientists' confusion and failure to explain what was going on only added to their distress.
  
  Even though the spokesperson from the Sinnoh League urged for calm, that was incredibly hard to do when they now knew that there was something dangerous going on, and their son would be right in the middle of it - as he always was.
  
  They were both incredibly proud of him for always being in the thick of the fighting, doing what's best for the world and standing up for what he felt was right. Yet at the same time, no parent wants their child to ever be in such dangerous scenarios, even if he might have the strength for it. He had been other fights before, some where he even came out injured, but this one seemed far more threatening than all those other ones.
  
  Despite their fears, there was nothing they could really do about it except stew in their nervousness and fear, which had only worsened when Whitney had called home explaining that the Gym was going under lockdown as Samson was called away. They tried calling Katrina after that, but she wasn't able to provide any information.
  
  They stayed like that for a long time, until the news anchors suddenly began showing off images of Sinnoh again. This time, the cracked sky had now returned to normal, and there were reports of people flying in and out of Mt. Coronet. They confirmed that the crisis was over a few minutes later, when Elite Bertha came flying down and spoke to the cameras.
  
  "Team Galactic has been taken down." She told them, "They made one last attempt to enact their plans, but thanks to the combined efforts of everyone today, they have failed. Cyrus has been defeated, and peace has been returned to Sinnoh."
  
  Of course, that led to a storm of questions being asked about what had happened, but Bertha merely dismissed them with a wave, "There is a lot of cleanup to manage right now, so the Champion will be hosting a press conference shortly to answer all your questions. As for now, I have somewhere else urgent to be." And before the reporters could get another word in, she had flown off.
  
  That was a massive sense of relief. But even with Bertha's claims, they still couldn't relax yet as they had not heard back from John, who had yet to respond to their text. It was only after another few minutes later that he finally responded back.
  
  'I'm safe. Sorry for worrying you. But everything's now over.' He texted, 'We won.'
  
  That finally brought an end to their nervousness, and they were finally able to release all of that anxious tension that they had accumulated over the last few hours. They didn't care what John had done, since all they really cared about was that he was safe and well.
  
  They would come to regret that sentiment a few hours later, when the press conference with Cynthia had concluded and she revealed that their son was somehow an instrumental part of awakening a Legendary - which he then befriended. And it wasn't any Legendary either, but the Legendary Titan itself.
  
  Non-battlers they may be, but the significance of that statement could not be understated. Legendaries were not just things you could 'interact' with. They were beings of unimaginable power - avatars of Arceus' will and adjudicators of the natural laws of the world. And their son had just managed to successfully awaken one and fight alongside it - against another Legendary for the fate of the world, no less.
  
  To say that they had a hard time wrapping their heads around that would be a colossal understatement. Of course, they knew that their son had grown very strong over the years, as it was impossible to miss how much the news praised him as likely the strongest member of the Indigo Elite Four. They knew that he was probably a match for the Champion himself, but even then it was difficult to visualize just how much he had grown up since he had went on his journey.
  
  Yet the very fact that he was now at the level where he could interact with a Legendary... that spoke volumes to his growth and strength.
  
  Even beyond the pride and surprise that they felt, they knew that this was the kind of thing that you made stories and legends out of. That statues were built of.
  
  To think that such a thing could happen with their son.
  
  Naturally, they knew that they were probably overstating their son's achievements, as he had not achieved everything alone. His colleagues who fought with him at Spear Pillar were likely instrumental to his victory too, and deserved as much credit as he did. Still, even compared to everything he had done after he had entered the Elite Four, none would be as memorable as what he had just achieved in Sinnoh.
  
  Their feats today would certainly be written down in the history books for the future generations to learn about.
  
  Their son had made a permanent mark on history, one that would not be forgotten anytime soon.
  
  However, despite all of that, it was a parent's prerogative to worry. They knew that a fight between Legendaries for the fate of the world couldn't have been anything less than supremely destructive and dangerous, and even though everyone was praising their son and his companions for their victory, she knew that such a victory may have come at a cost.
  
  They might not be aware of what had happened during the fight itself, and would probably never know for certain, but they doubted their son had been completely unscathed during such a cataclysmic battle. Whether that be physically or mentally.
  
  She shared a concerned look with her husband, and they both nodded in agreement. Her son might have won a great victory and had covered himself in glory, but as his parents, they would do their best to make sure that he wasn't hurt by the events that happened in Sinnoh.
  
  Perhaps they were overreacting, but it was better safe than sorry. It was their duty to make sure that they would always be an open ear for any of his concerns.
  
  Because now that Team Galactic was dealt with - a problem that they knew their son had been struggling and fighting against for a long time now - they recognised that this meant that John would have an abundance of free time now.
  
  Free time to enact all those incredible reforms and changes that were always floating around in that smart little head of his. And they wanted to make sure that he could be completely focused on all those changes he wanted to implement, rather than be weighed down by the horrors of such a battle.
  
  Because they understood the passion that their son had for making the world a better place. It was impossible not to after they had already seen all of the many positive changes that he had brought to not only their region, but to the other two regions as well.
  
  And they knew that this was just the beginning, as they knew that he still had many plans with Cynthia that he had hinted about. Now that he had the time to just focus on his own passions and ambitions, what else could he accomplish?
  
  They were eager to find out.
  
  A.N. And finally, the Arc 13 - The Galactic Calamity arc has been brought to an end. Like I promised, this isn't the end of the story, and there are more things coming in the future that I want to explore. Some have already predicted what those might be, but I'll be keeping silent for now as to not spoil anything. But things will be happening.
  
  As for this chapter specifically, I know John's parents haven't really been a big part of the story, which is why I wanted to briefly highlight their thoughts about everything that has happened in Sinnoh. They're concerned for John, as any parent would be, but they're also very proud of him. I also wanted to show off more of why awakening a Legendary is seen as THAT big of a deal. Hope you enjoyed and are looking forwards for the events to come!
  
  There will be another OMAKE chapter uploaded later today or tomorrow! It won't be anything like I have written before, so I'm excited to see what you think of it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  OMAKE - Meeting a Monster (WormPokemon)
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Meeting a Monster (Worm/Pokémon Crossover)
  
  Jack walked down the rows of burning houses, letting the melody that was the terrorised screams of the town's former inhabitants fill his ears. The sounds of glass shattering and more high-pitched screaming told him that Shatterbird was still having her fun, and that there were still plenty of toys for his Slaughterhouse to enjoy.
  
  Seeing someone running away in the distance, he idly swung his knife, sending out a bladed projection that tore a large cut into the woman's back that sent her sprawling to the ground. Her pained cry was musical, and he relished in watching her stare at him with eyes filled with fear and horror as she begged for her life.
  
  He pretended to look away for a moment, deliberately turning his back to her to give her a moment of false hope that he might spare her - before slowly turning his head back around as he smiled down sadistically at her.
  
  The final look of terrified realisation in her eyes as he cut her throat open was magnificent. And he let that moment stretch out as he watched her bleed out, savouring every moment until the light finally left her eyes.
  
  With that bit of entertainment out of the way, he hummed a jolly tune to himself as he wandered through the village, casually looking for any survivors that were trying to hide away from their inevitable fate. Playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek never failed to be entertaining - he always found it interesting to see the creative spots that people tried to hide in, fuelled by their desperation and fear, even if it was all futile in the end.
  
  However, after a few minutes of walking around, he ended up stumbling across a curious sight. Despite all of the death and mayhem around them, he found a singular man sitting on a bench. Even as the other inhabitants of the village were all running for their lives or screaming for help that would never come, the man seemed to make no effort to move as he simply sat there unbothered.
  
  He looked middle-aged, and had weird and spiky blue hair. But what caught Jack's attention the most was the utter lifelessness in his eyes - the same as the very corpses he had just stepped over. It was almost like the man was waiting to die.
  
  Yet where others would see hopelessness, Jack saw opportunity. He always knew that one of his greatest talents was his ability to twist people to his way of thinking, and he was confident that converting a man with such lifeless eyes over to joining up with his Slaughterhouse would be as easy as stabbing a baby.
  
  After all, the man looked like he was already moments away from turning into a serial killer anyways. He just needed a little nudge.
  
  "Hey there!" He said cheerfully, deliberately keeping his knife out of his hands but still visible on his belt, "You seem a little lost."
  
  The man turned to him with the same blank expression, "Can I help you?"
  
  "Mhm. You can." He grinned, "You see, I have a question. Why aren't you running away like everyone else? Can't you hear the screams? Can't you see the blood and gore staining the streets and walls? Aren't you scared?"
  
  "No." The man shook his head, utterly emotionless, "There is nothing to be terrified of. And that won't change even if you brandish that knife against me."
  
  Jack chuckled at his false bravado, "Come now, no need to be so paranoid. I would never do that. Oh, and where are my manners? My name is Jack Slash, but I'm sure you already knew that."
  
  "I didn't." The man replied instantly, which caused Jack's eyes to twitch. The man had to be lying, there was no way he didn't know his name.
  
  "There's no need to be shy. Everyone knows who I am." He forced out a smile, swallowing down the slight irritation that he felt, "And what's your name? It's rude to not introduce yourself."
  
  "It's Cyrus." The now-named man responded, "And you still haven't told me why you've approached me."
  
  He sat down on the bench next to Cyrus, intentionally inching his way closer to the man as to invade his personal space, "You see, Cyrus, I feel like I can understand you. I see the lifelessness and emptiness in your eyes, and I know what you must be feeling. You must feel like the world had wronged you in some way, and that everything you once thought and believed in was suddenly turned on its head."
  
  The man stayed tellingly silent, which told Jack he was on the right track, "You must be feeling betrayed by the world. And if so, then it's only natural to want to take revenge for its betrayal. You know how screwed up the world is - and how disgusting and vile that people can be. So why not expose that inner ugliness to the rest of the world, to not let the people hide behind their false acts of civility and kindness?"
  
  "Look around you." He gestured to the screams and terror that his Slaughterhouse inflicted. To the mangled corpses and splatters of blood painting the walls of the once-peaceful town, "Don't you agree that this is more real than what the rest of the world pretends? That given the world is already so corrupt and vile anyways, isn't it better to stop pretending to be civilised and simply embrace the chaos and inner darkness that we all have within us? To finally be able to let yourself loose?"
  
  "Don't you want to have... fun, Cyrus?"
  
  From a man with such lifeless eyes, Jack had expected anything ranging from a half-hearted denial to a thoughtful acceptance. From his experience, he knew that his natural charisma was at least enough to make people hesitate and consider his words.
  
  However, what he didn't expect was for Cyrus to firmly shake his head.
  
  "You're half-wrong, Mr. Slash." Cyrus replied, his tone as blank as ever, "I don't disagree with the first part. The world is pointless, and the civility that people put up don't matter in the slightest. However, to simply indulge in wanton murder and hedonism because of that is the wrong way to think about it."
  
  Jack frowned. This was not going as planned, "And why would you think that?"
  
  "Because the ideal world that you envision is one where you're able to indulge in your every desire. Where the world would eternally echo with the terrified screams of your victims, where you are feared as their eternal tormentor." Cyrus said, "But your goals are predictable. I had a subordinate of mine that once wanted the same, because he was a simple-minded man who was easily manipulated by his desires."
  
  "The way you think is akin to a child. A child who is letting out a tantrum because he wasn't able to get what he wants." Cyrus continued, unbothered by the way that Jack's hands clenched menacingly around his knife, "No, if you truly believe that the world is meaningless, then you wouldn't have such short-sighted goals."
  
  "Short-sighted?" Jack scoffed, "How is bringing death and destruction to the world short-sighted?"
  
  "Because your methods are short-sighted." Cyrus countered, "Look at you - playing at a roaming band of killers and murderers. I may not know of your past actions, but my eyes see enough. You're merely a sadist with delusions of grandeur. You think you are some harbinger of destruction. You are not. You are nothing more than a murderer who is trying far too hard to leave your mark on history. That is not a man who understands what needs to be done to purge the world of its corruption."
  
  "Instead, you should be trying to obtain enough power to create a world of nothing, for nothing. If you did understand that nothing matters in the world, then your aim should not be displays of cruelty, but complete and utter annihilation and eradication. Create a world where nothing exists. A world free of falsehoods, of unnecessary emotions, of impure humanity. A world that would be eternally perfect. That is the true way forwards."
  
  Jack blinked incomprehensively as Cyrus stood up, "But I can see it in your eyes that you cannot comprehend my words, which only proves my earlier point. You are no visionary. Your so-called ideals are merely used as an excuse for you to indulge in your own cruel desires, leaving you too blind to understand the right path forwards. So let me make it a bit simpler for you, Mr. Slash."
  
  Cyrus stood up and stepped closer, looming over him as he stared down with his soulless eyes. Jack had to force himself not to flinch away. How? How was this powerless man managing to frighten him?! He could cut him down in an instant - he held all the power here. So why did his instincts scream at him to leave?!
  
  "Your intentions are see-through. You intend to have me join your roving band of murderers as your latest recruit, to twist me to your point of view. But you and I are not the same, and we will never be the same. For you are too childish and exploitable to be anything more than a pawn, and you are too trapped in your own delusions to see otherwise. Had I the power, resources, or time to bend you to my will, I would have already done so by now. But I do not, so I shall simply make my leave."
  
  "Farewell, Mr. Slash. I have places to be. Enjoy your torturing."
  
  And without another word, the man simply walked away, not even bothering to acknowledge Jack again.
  
  Jack stared at Cyrus' retreating figure; his earlier sense of fear now gone as it was replaced by an overwhelming sense of frustration and annoyance. That was not how he imagined the conversation going. His usual silver tongue had failed him today.
  
  He felt his teeth clench. How dare a man like him talk to him like that? How dare he decry his goals and call him delusional?! How dare he walk away from him like he was nothing more than a scolded child?!
  
  Before he knew it, his arm moved on his own, sending a powerful slash that sliced right through Cyrus' arm, causing him to fall over as blood gushed out of his decapitated arm.
  
  Jack sneered down at Cyrus, "Not so high and mighty now wriggling on the ground like that, are you? You think you're better than me-"
  
  "This is exactly what I mean." Cyrus interrupted, his voice completely level despite having just lost an arm. His demeanour didn't even change even as blood poured out of his wound, "You are too impulsive. Too emotional. You couldn't accept me having the last word, so you had to establish your 'dominance' through the only means that you know how to - through unnecessary violence. You are still ruled by your emotions."
  
  "Shut up! SHUT UP!" His knife came down again and stabbed right through his shoulder, but there was no pained reaction from Cyrus. In fact, his expression didn't even so much as twitch even as he was moments away from bleeding out. Instead, Cyrus continued speaking as normal, not even acknowledged his new wounds.
  
  "Think about it a bit more, Mr. Slash." He simply continued, his lifeless eyes staring back unblinkingly even as Jack continued to stab him, "I'm not looking down or you or demeaning you. I'm just teaching you how to be better, how to actually use your talents for something more purposeful than childish violence. If you can just think a little bit further, then you can help shape the world to how it is supposed to be. A world devoid of human spirit; a world of nothing. A utopia of purity-"
  
  Jack had no intention of listening to his insane prattling any longer, and he brought down his knife again and again as he took out his frustrations on Cyrus' helpless body. Each stab was another attempt at regaining his lost pride; to reassert dominance over the man who had dared to insult him.
  
  And yet the actions brought him no satisfaction, for Cyrus did not even react to the pain or his imminent death. He simply lay there - his eyes judging him disappointingly as he waited for his death.
  
  Jack had no idea when Cyrus had even died, for his eyes looked exactly the same even in death. But even as he threw away Cyrus' mutilated body to the side of the road, those judging eyes refused to disappear from his mind - Cyrus' words continuing to haunt him even now.
  
  No, he refused to be proven wrong. He was no child. He was the harbinger of doom - the lord of murder. His name would cause fear to anyone who spoke of it. He would not be bested by a few words from a dead man.
  
  Even if his words rankled at his pride - forming a permanent scar that would never quite go away.
  
  A.N. This was just a one-shot that I had thought up ever since Cyrus' defeat - something completely different that I wanted to write to both challenge myself with writing in a different medium, and because I always thought it would be interesting if Cyrus would meet up with another villain.
  
  I apologise for those unfamiliar with Worm or Jack Slash. But I really wanted to write this scene out, as I thought Cyrus' ideology would contrast enough with Jack Slash to make for an interesting discussion. And yes, the 'monster' described in the chapter's title is Cyrus. Not Jack.
  
  Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought about it! I might do more of these special OMAKEs in the future if I have the time and if inspiration strikes!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-1 - Reaping the rewards
  
  Despite the good night's sleep that I got, there was still a lot to do after the events at Spear Pillar had concluded. Cyrus might be gone, but the chaos that he caused still lingered. I wanted to have another rest day, but there was just too much to do. Everyone was kept busy running around trying to restore order and reassure the public that everything was indeed over.
  
  Cynthia's press conference went a long way into doing that, reassuring the public with her transparent explanation about what had happened at Spear Pillar and why the sky had suddenly cracked apart. She left out some key details of course, especially with the Red Chain, since we didn't want anyone to get bright ideas about trying to replicate it.
  
  Before she held the conference, she had already discussed it with me about my level of involvement with Regigigas. She wanted to double check that I was fine with that knowledge being known to the world, and the scrutiny that it would naturally attract. There was obviously no hiding it, but she asked if I'd rather she not bring any attention to it.
  
  I was fine with it, so long that it was made clear that I was not in direct control of Regigigas and had not captured the Legendary Titan.
  
  Although that press conference helped calm everyone down a lot, I still did my part in helping out wherever I could, aiding a few Gym Leaders in the larger cities or in towns that didn't have such Gyms that things were indeed over and that they could return to their homes and duties.
  
  Many of Sinnoh's law enforcement were busy with the processing and arrest of the Team Galactic terrorists that had fought their way up to Spear Pillar. From what I heard, they confirmed that two commanders (which I suspected were Mars and Jupiter) were also arrested and detained.
  
  Furthermore, I knew from Cynthia that there was some discussions about whether they should be continuing with the psychic interrogations on the new prisoners since the crisis was over, but there hadn't been any conclusion to that argument as of yet. The leaders were almost definitely going to be subjected to it, but the grunts might not be.
  
  Nevertheless, I currently found myself in Floaroma Town, with my Pokémon out in the open to help escort the people that had panicked and fled away from Eterna City, desperately trying to get away from whatever was happening at Mt. Coronet. For those who had simply stayed in Floaroma Town, that was a simple task. But the much harder task was trying to find and rescue everyone that had panickily fled into Eterna Forest, thinking that it was safer there than in the city.
  
  Needless to say, with the wild Pokémon also agitated because of the spatial distortions that rippled across the whole region, Eterna Forest was not a safe place to be. Pokémon panic just like any regular human would, and they were far more likely to attack out of fear. Plus, the maze-like interior of Eterna Forest didn't help either, and there were a bunch of people who had gotten lost inside.
  
  Which was why Gym Leader Gardenia and I were out today trying to find those stragglers before they got themselves badly hurt. Or to get them immediate treatment if they were already hurt.
  
  "...I can't believe how many people fled into the Forest." Gardenia muttered from next to me, "I mean, I know everyone was panicking and desperate, but surely they should know better. At least they didn't choose to hide in the Old Chateau - that place gives me the creeps."
  
  "I can't really blame them, considering that the world was at the risk of ending right then and there. It's actually worse for them, as they didn't actually know what was happening." I replied, "...Still, I agree that some of them should have known better. So many injured people..." I trailed off.
  
  Fortunately, those injuries mostly just consisted of minor scrapes and scratches. There were only a few people so far that were injured enough to warrant an immediate flight to the nearest Pokémon Center.
  
  Gardenia let out a sigh, "Yes, it's pretty bad. But it could have been a lot worse, considering how many wild Pokémon live in Eterna Forest." She said, likely trying to reassure the both of us, "We could have had a lot more injuries, but I guess the wild Pokémon were also too busy fleeing than bothering to attack them."
  
  "...Though that reminds me, we're also going to have to deal with all those Pokémon habitats that have ben disrupted by all this panicked fleeing." She frowned, "That's not going to be fun to deal with. I'm going to have to speak to the rangers about that one."
  
  Then she slapped herself on the forehead, "Look at me. Complaining about my petty troubles to a trainer who fought against a Legendary itself. Sorry if it comes off as whining compared to what you and the others went through."
  
  "It's fine." I waved her off, "I... won't say the battle was easy, because it wasn't. But I can appreciate that everyone has their own problems."
  
  "You know, part of me is a little envious that I wasn't part of that fight. I mean, I can see the glory and praise being piled onto my other colleagues, and I can't deny it makes me a little envious." She said, "But... at the same time, I've spoken a bit with Fantina about what she had experienced. She tried to be her usual dramatic and haughty self, but I could see through that façade of her. She must have been terrified out of her mind during that fight. And I don't blame her."
  
  She turned to me, "...Was the battle really that bad?"
  
  "...Yes and no." I admitted, "At the time, you don't really have a chance to think of much else as you're so focused and concentrated on the actual battle. Against a Legendary, a single mistake is enough to permanently put an end to your fight. Yet there were a few moments in that fight where I genuinely thought it was the end for me."
  
  That moment where Palkia had suddenly formed a black hole right in front of me, and that feeling of utter helplessness where I was rapidly being sucked in, unable to do anything to fight back - that was the moment where I was most reminded of my mortality. I can still remember the moment vividly whenever I close my eyes.
  
  "Those moments do taint the victory." I continued sombrely, "As glorious as it might seem to an outsider, I think that the news reports have understated, perhaps deliberately, just how dangerous it was fighting alongside and with a Legendary. They aren't meant to be fought, not even with the strongest of Pokémon. But sometimes you have to fight, no matter the danger or the odds, and this was one of them."
  
  "At the end of the day, I do not regret the fight. And there were even moments that I will think back upon with pride and joy, such as when I saw with my very own eyes that my Pokémon were actually able to deal damage to a Legendary. However, I will never forget just how precarious our situation was." I finished.
  
  "...Thank you for your honest thoughts, John." Gardenia said after a moment of silence, "Like you said, I had gotten it into my head that the battle was a mostly glorious thing, even if it may have been a little terrifying. But I guess my thoughts were just influenced by the news and that there really wasn't anything to be envious of. Sorry if I seemed insensitive."
  
  "It's not a problem." I said, and it was actually nice to be able to verbalise my feelings on the battle. "There aren't any recordings of the battle, so it's only natural to be curious. I'd be too, in your position."
  
  She smiled, "Thanks. Anyways, I think we've walked around this section of Eterna Forest enough. Let's move on to the next quadrant. Hopefully there aren't too many more people trapped here. I'd love to get some rest before the award ceremony begins. It'll be a nice celebration."
  
  "Having everyone come over for a celebration rather than for a battle would be a nice change of pace." I agreed, "And having a full gathering of all the Elite Four should be fun. We haven't really had that opportunity to meet in person since the Tournament."
  
  She agreed, and we returned to our task of searching through Eterna Forest. Several hours later, we found a couple more, who luckily weren't too injured. One person had even climbed up a tree and was staying there with a bunch of Wormadam. He didn't even want to leave - he was just having fun.
  
  But eventually we had done enough so that we felt comfortable we could leave the remainder to the rangers and Jennys, giving us a little time to rest before the award ceremony took place.
  
  The ceremony, by its very nature, was rushed and a little haphazardly done. From what I knew, everything would take place at Spear Pillar, at the very site of our battle. That meant that the public wouldn't be allowed to come, since there firstly wouldn't be enough space to accommodate them all, and also because most of Mt. Coronet had still been badly damaged by Team Galactic's fight to the top and in need of repairs.
  
  Palkia and/or Dialga may have made repairs, but only at Spear Pillar. The rest of Mt. Coronet was still a partially destroyed mess.
  
  There were some talks about delaying the awards ceremony until after Mt. Coronet was fully repaired, and to change the location to one where the public could attend. But it was ultimately decided that the awards ceremony take place as early as possible, just to show the public that the final nail had been put in the coffin for Cyrus and his band of terrorists.
  
  That they were truly gone and defeated.
  
  So when the awards ceremony came around, I flew over to Spear Pillar - dressed up in casual clothes. That was certainly uncommon for something as prestigious as this, but Cynthia had explicitly told all the participants that had been at the battle at Spear Pillar to wear more casual clothes - like you would wear for an upcoming battle.
  
  That was because she felt that a more battle-ready attire would be more suitable for an award ceremony meant to commemorate a victorious battle.
  
  As I flew, I could see that Mt. Coronet was still cordoned off, and a large host of Jennys were now patrolling the air to make sure there were no trespassers. I even had a small group of Jennys approach me as I flew over, though they quickly moved to escort me once they confirmed my identity.
  
  I landed at the entrance to Spear Pillar. Turning around to look at the interior of Mt. Coronet, I noted the sheer destruction and the litany of scorch marks staining the caverns. It really demonstrated just how desperate the fighting was between us and Team Galactic as the latter tried to fight their way to the top.
  
  But before I could linger any longer on that thought, I was approached by two people that I was not expecting to see at this ceremony. Bruno and Steven were standing there chatting to each other, and they turned to me as I approached.
  
  "John. I'm glad you're uninjured." Steven greeted me with a smile, "That must have been a great battle."
  
  "Thank you." I nodded, "But what are you two doing here? I thought you would have headed back to Hoenn after you found the Iron Plate and got your hands on that Goodra."
  
  "We considered it, but we decided to hang around for a bit longer." He responded, "And then the whole crisis happened, and we decided to lend our assistance."
  
  Ah, that must have been why they were invited.
  
  "Unfortunately, we were not there for the big fight at Spear Pillar." Bruno stated, "However, Steven managed to convince the authorities to allow us to provide assistance in the aftermath. We were happy to lend our support."
  
  Then Steven leaned into me, whispering loudly so that it was obvious Bruno could hear him, "Just between you and me, Bruno's a little disappointed that he didn't get a chance to fight against a Legendary. He was grumbling about not being able to test his Pokémon's strength against one. But knowing him, he'd actually try to punch one with his fists, and I'm not sure if he'll be able to survive the aftermath. He's quite stubborn."
  
  "It would have been a good fight." Bruno grumbled, which only seemed to prove Steven's point.
  
  After talking for probably several more minutes, our conversation came to an end as more people started to arrive at Spear Pillar. For me, the group that I was most looking forward to speaking with was the Indigo contingent, who all arrived at the same time. I knew that they had arrived the day before, but we didn't have a chance to meet because they were immediately conscripted to helping out in other areas like I was.
  
  "Good to see you actually unharmed." Karen said as she arrived, making a show of looking me over.
  
  "What do you mean 'actually'?" I questioned, "Did you not believe my texts?"
  
  She scoffed, "No, because I knew if you were actually injured you wouldn't tell me as you know I'd snitch to your parents when they asked. Glad to see you weren't lying though."
  
  I sighed, though she was right. So instead I just blatantly changed the topic, "Is everything alright back in Indigo? The news reports I've read are quite confusing."
  
  "Well, the events at Sinnoh definitely was a scare for the public." Lorelei answered, "It didn't help that the Sinnoh newscasters were all panicking and dramatizing everything as well. Fortunately, things didn't descend into outright panic - probably because much of the public thought that the distance between us and Sinnoh kept them relatively safe. Not sure how true that would've been, but either way it was a huge relief."
  
  Before she could say anything more, a large shadow engulfed most of Spear Pillar, and a large host of people could be seen landing from their mounts. Though rather than carrying anyone important, the group merely consisted of the reporters that were tasked with attending the ceremony.
  
  Almost as soon as the reporters landed, they immediately split up as they began to ask their questions. Naturally, as someone that was there at the fighting, I was saddled with a bulk of their attention.
  
  Their questions obviously revolved around my contributions to the fight at Spear Pillar, and they were especially interested in whether my Pokémon actually were able to do any significant damage to Palkia as they were fighting.
  
  I was tempted to exaggerate, but I kept my description as matter-of-fact as possible, "My Pokémon contributed as much as any other fighter in that battle did. Thanks to our overwhelming numbers, we were able to set up heavily with our Pokémon and organise them according to their greatest strengths. And then, with Regigigas and the other three Regis taking up the bulk of Palkia's attention, our Pokémon were able to get in a few good hits in. So yes, we did manage to do damage to a Legendary. Not much, but it was there."
  
  "But if you actually managed to do damage to Palkia, does that mean you had a chance of taking it out?" Someone asked, "And who in your opinion did the most damage to Palkia? Or was it yourself? And do you think you could have taken down the Legendary if you had gotten in a few more hits?"
  
  "I can answer neither of those questions, simply because I don't know the answer to that." I replied, "But I'd like to clarify some of the misunderstandings that I've seen. Many think that just because we were to able to deal some powerful blows against Palkia means that we suddenly have a fighting chance against a Legendary. Let me quickly dissuade you of that delusion before people start thinking about trying to pick a fight with a Legendary just because they have 'powerful Pokémon'."
  
  "No. You will be to them what Magikarp are to Tyranitar, and without the potential to evolve. If we had not had Regigigas on our side, we would not even have been able to break through the spatial distortion that it had formed around itself to even reach it. Its attacks warped the very realities of space around us, and it was able to repeatedly displace both trainer and Pokémon during the fight, completely ignoring the natural laws of the world."
  
  "These are attacks that are far more dangerous than you'd expect to see in your typical Pokémon battle." I continued, "Those, you can block with a Protect shield. How could you block an attack that literally rips a hole in reality itself? You can't. You simply lose. Which is why I will always be proud of the bravery that everyone in that battle showed to still stand up against such an overwhelming threat and fight against it with everything they had. Despite our fear, nobody in that fight gave into it. We all held our ground, and because of that, we were able to win the day and take down Cyrus."
  
  "Well said." The voice of my girlfriend came from behind me, and she approached the reporters with a confident gait in her steps, "You can see why the Sinnoh League was so insistent with hosting this award ceremony. Such bravery and fortitude must be appropriately rewarded, especially for our foreign allies who came to help us during our hour of need."
  
  "Elite John! You mentioned the Legendary Titan a lot." Another reporter spoke up, "Everyone knows you awoke it, so will we be able to see the Titan for ourselves? In action, instead of dormant?"
  
  Cynthia and I shared a look before I shrugged, "Unfortunately, Regigigas has returned to its dormancy, and it shall not be awakening any time soon. Though we could visit if it if that's what you want."
  
  "But first, let's get on with this ceremony." Cynthia cut in, "Everyone's arrived."
  
  And so we did. I followed after her as she made her way to the 'front' of Spear Pillar, and we all gathered around in silence as Cynthia and the other Sinnoh Elite Four took to the makeshift podium that had been created.
  
  With cameras flashing from all angles, Cynthia began her speech, "Thank you very much for all coming here. Today marks the day that we defeated a madman, a man insane enough to try to dominate a Legendary in order to use its power to enact his delusional plans. His name shall be one of the many that will be lost to time, as it is only appropriate for a man as villainous as him. Regarding his former organisation, rest assured that we have already begun the process of completely dismantling them and are ensuring that any remnants are found and captured - which shouldn't number any more than a few dozen at most."
  
  "On the other hand, the people that we should commemorate are now standing here before us. Please, if you were at the fighting at Spear Pillar, head on to the stage."
  
  I moved to do so, alongside everyone else that had taken part in that world-changing battle. We all shared a small smile while Cynthia resumed once we were all on stage, "Sinnoh gives their thanks to our brave fighters here, as well as all those that had also helped out in subduing the surge of chaos that unfolded due to Cyrus' actions. The defeat of Team Galactic and its leader has always been a collective effort, stemming from the blood, sweat, and tears of many hard workers. So, as Champion of Sinnoh, I would like to thank every single individual who has helped to take down Team Galactic. Your efforts have been invaluable."
  
  There was a polite smattering of applause from the crowd, and Cynthia continued after a small pause, "However, for those that had the bravery to stand against a Legendary, we felt that a simple round of thanks would be insufficient at showing off our appreciation. For their bravery and determination to hold their ground against a Legendary and fight for the fate of the world, we felt that the award should match such an achievement."
  
  "Therefore, for their act of incredible virtue, the Sinnoh League felt that it was only appropriate if we memorialised their names into history!" She declared, "To etch their names into the very pillars of this place itself for the future generations to see! To leave a mark that demonstrates the courage and valour that they showed in their fight!"
  
  With a wave of her hand, a few Psychic types that had obviously been prepared beforehand started etching our names onto one of the central pillars of Spear Pillar. The following was written:
  
  'In honour of those who have fought alongside the Legendary Titan, Regigigas, in service and in defense of the region of Sinnoh against a Legendary threat. These people have fought heroically and valiantly, triumphing over impossible odds, and their efforts shall be duly remembered:' It was then followed by a list of our names.
  
  That was already an incredible honour, but Cynthia wasn't done yet, "That's not all! A statue of Regigigas shall also be placed here, to give thanks to its efforts and to remind the public of the future that they have a protector in the Legendary Titan - Sinnoh's watchful guardian!"
  
  "Lastly, for those foreign members memorialised on Spear Pillar, we shall also do the same in our newly-created Hall of Fame, where they shall be the first inductees." She announced, obviously excluding herself and her Elite Four from being inducted. That wouldn't look the best. "The Hall of Fame shall be a new ceremonial institution that will serve to honour and venerate those that have served Sinnoh in an exceptional capacity, and the Elite Four and I are in agreement that there can be no one more suitable than them as its first inductees!"
  
  There was a big round of applause as she concluded, but even though we had all been informed of these announcements beforehand, it was still an incredible honour to be showered with such acts of veneration.
  
  I didn't do it for the praise or glory, but it was undeniably nice to receive it.
  
  With the big announcements all done, the award ceremony was followed by a large photoshoot where we all stood next to the new memorial and pictures were taken for tomorrow's headlines. Then the reporters started to go around and talk to those who hadn't participated in the fighting, asking around for their opinions as well as their perspectives of what happened in Sinnoh or what they were doing during it.
  
  As a result, the awards ceremony quickly transformed into a political/social gathering where everyone took the opportunity to reforge and check up on connections with each other, and to reaffirm the bonds between our regions - which should be stronger than ever considering what had just occurred.
  
  On my end, I made to check up on my fellow award-winners, wanting to make sure everyone was doing okay after the fight. For the most part, they were. Which was very relieving.
  
  But my day wasn't done yet, as I was then ferried over to where Regigigas had chosen to return dormant once again with a few reporters in tow to pay my respects one last time before I had to depart from Sinnoh.
  
  I was also accompanied by Lucian, since the rest of the Elite Four remained at Spear Pillar to mingle after the award ceremony was over. On the flight over, I was asked by a reporter if I was happy with the commendations that we received from our efforts, and I made sure to give an answer I knew Cynthia would be pleased with.
  
  "I have no complaints with it, and am actually honoured to be inducted and remembered in this way." I replied firmly, "After all, I was merely doing my duty - the duty of every citizen to stop someone who wanted to end the world in his insanity. I would have been fine had I merely received a pat on the back, so this was far more than I hoped for."
  
  "After all, who wouldn't want their achievements to be remembered?" I finished rhetorically, "That's worth more than any monetary reward."
  
  "It's the least we could do." Lucian added from the side.
  
  The conversation stilled for a moment as we arrived at Snowpoint Temple, or at least, what remained of it. Regigigas' awakening had completely wrecked the surroundings, and the Temple was now a ruin of its former self.
  
  The only thing that even resembled its former appearance was the unmoving figure of Regigigas standing right in the centre. I had always wondered why it chose to rest at Snowpoint - perhaps there was some sentimental reason for it, but I had forgotten to ask about it.
  
  I approached the lone figure of Regigigas. Seeing it unmoving and still like this was strange, given that I had gotten used to seeing it moving around and in action. Similarly, I was used to being around its aura of strength that it naturally exuded, which was significantly muted now that it was inactive again.
  
  And yet, perhaps it was due to my connection with it, I could feel that its incredible strength was merely simmering beneath the surface. It might be inactive, but I felt the link that connected me to it was as strong as ever. It was this slight pull that lingered on the edge of my mind, but one that reminded me of our former bond.
  
  And I made sure to honour that bond.
  
  "There needs to be a new building for Regigigas." I said, ignoring how the reporters were taking my picture as I inspected Regigigas' form, "We can't leave it sitting here in the open like this."
  
  "We're working on that already." Lucian confirmed, "Snowpoint City is going to go through some serious redevelopment, especially now that we've seen the power of Regigigas for ourselves and know that it truly is a protector of Sinnoh. An appropriate building will be designed to house it, with the necessary security measures put in place so that no one disturbs its slumber."
  
  "That's good." I nodded, "...Once it does get built, I think I'd like to be there for the grand opening. I think it'd be fitting."
  
  "And we'd be happy to have you." Lucian agreed, "There'd be no one more suited."
  
  "John!" One of the reporters called out, "Now that you're here, do you think you can awaken Regigigas again? Are those rumours of the bond between you and the Legendary Titan true, since you managed to awaken it in the first place?"
  
  However, to his disappointment, I simply shook my head, "Even if I could, I would not disturb its slumber. A Legendary should not be so carelessly wielded, as Team Galactic has just shown. But I can promise you one thing. Having fought alongside it and even spoken with it, I say with utter certainty that Regigigas is a protector of both humans and Pokémon - a source of stability and order. It has strength aplenty, but only to ensure that it guards us from threats that we cannot handle ourselves. It is a friendly giant, true to its purpose, and will remain our eternal bulwark."
  
  "And we are blessed to have its protection."
  
  A.N. This is going to be John's final chapter in Sinnoh for the time being as we return to Indigo in the next chapter. I wanted to wrap up a few more plot points from what remained after the crisis, and make sure that everyone got their due rewards for their efforts. I included the Hall of Fame because I wanted to integrate it into the world, as something that is always there at the end of every game. I felt it was only appropriate for the victors to be commemorated this way.
  
  Hope you enjoyed are prepared for a few timeskips as we get started on Arc 14 - The Future Arc! They won't be anything too drastic, but there'll be things aplenty to change!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 14-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-2 - Recovery and Plans
  
  With the awards ceremony done, that basically wrapped up everything that we really had left to do in Sinnoh. Despite wanting to obviously spend more time with my girlfriend, I realised that I had stayed for way too long in Sinnoh - and it was about time I returned home.
  
  Besides, there was much work for Cynthia to do as well, and her reputation had taken a blow for allowing Cyrus to get away with summoning a Legendary - even if he was stopped in the end. The panic that people felt during that crisis wasn't going to be forgotten so soon, and her failure to capture Cyrus before he could do so was still placed on her.
  
  At the very least, when I asked about it, she didn't seem upset by the public's reaction.
  
  "I don't blame them. Not at all." She had told me, "The protection of Sinnoh's civilians falls to me, as their Champion. And even if there was little more I could do, they are right to place the blame on me. Those are the responsibilities and burdens that I promised to uphold when I took this position, and I won't try to cast off these responsibilities."
  
  "It just means I'll have to work even harder to earn it back." She stated firmly, "Luckily, I was an active participant in the fighting, so at the very least the public won't be able to label me a coward. I just need to prove to the public that this disaster with Cyrus was a one-time thing, and that the Sinnoh League under me can be trusted."
  
  I wished her all the best with that. Still, from what I read up on the Pokénet, it wasn't like everyone had suddenly turned on Cynthia. Rather, most could understand the extraordinary circumstances that led to Cyrus summoning Palkia, and were sympathetic to her struggles. And they had seen that she had ramped up security measures beforehand anyways, so claims of incompetence weren't always agreed with. Therefore, while she had lost some public support, there were still many that remained confident in her leadership.
  
  Nevertheless, that was out of my control for now, and the Indigo Elite Four and I made our way back to Indigo by the early morning of the very next day. I spent most of the travel time catching up with my colleagues about whatever I had missed back at home, but most of the conversation was dominated by their questions to Koga and I about everything we did in Sinnoh. They evidently wanted to know more, not just about the attack at Spear Pillar, but also the raid that we did to retrieve the Lake Guardians that nearly ended up in disaster.
  
  However, while most of the news about Indigo was positive, there some bits of sad news. Karen had said that, when the reports first started coming in about the sky cracking above Sinnoh, Agatha's health had suddenly taken a turn for the worse as she fell over while walking around the house. The timing was most likely purely a coincidence, and Karen confirmed that she hadn't hurt anything, but she was still forcefully monitoring her health for the time being, despite Agatha's protests about being confined.
  
  Hopefully that would be the end of that. It'd be sad to see her health deteriorate any further.
  
  Once we did arrive back home though, we were greeted with a hero's welcome. Many of the Gym Leaders had gathered at Vermillion to congratulate us for our victory, and banners were raised as they celebrated our return. My sister wasn't actually there, but only because I knew she would there to see me once I got home.
  
  Will was at the forefront of the Gym Leaders, being the first to greet us with a wide smile.
  
  "Absolutely magnificent!" He said as he clasped his hands with mine and Koga's, "When this whole thing with Cyrus started, I never thought it would end like this! But you've really proven yourselves to far more than even an Elite trainer. You especially, John. I can't believe you got to awaken and work in tandem with a Legendary. It makes me honoured to have once stood by your side as a peer and colleague. And after everything you've done, Koga, all of a sudden my loss to you doesn't seem as bad."
  
  "It's only a shame that you couldn't join in on the battle." I said, "You would have shared in the glory."
  
  "Indeed. Your prowess would have not gone amiss." Koga agreed, "Psychic specialists and their support moves were instrumental in that fight. You would have been a great boon for us."
  
  "Oh, how I wish it were true!" He laughed, "But John, I had a few things I wanted to talk about. It's to do with Goldenrod and its future development. Now's not the time for it, but maybe we can arrange to speak privately at a later date."
  
  I agreed easily, though curious about what Will wanted to speak to me about. Given that he mentioned Goldenrod and its development, perhaps there was something he wanted to collaborate on with Cerulean?
  
  Either way, I'd find out later, and I busied myself with speaking with the many other Gym Leaders that had gathered here. Everyone was here to congratulate us - even Pryce, the old grump, had reluctantly made an appearance.
  
  Amongst those that I spoke to, it was my conversation with Giovanni that was the most interesting.
  
  "Is everything actually over?" He asked me.
  
  "It is." I confirmed, "Cyrus will not be returning."
  
  "What about those remnants of Team Rocket that had escaped from here?" He must be talking about Proton. We had to be a little bit more discreet considering we were still in public.
  
  "Gone as well." I answered, "Last I heard, everyone was locked up behind bars. I think their leaders had undergone some rather... substantial psychic interrogations."
  
  He nodded, though I caught a small hint of relief from his expression, "Then I hope we never see them again. They deserve what's coming to them."
  
  As much as I disliked the practice of psychic interrogations, but I couldn't really disagree with that sentiment, "Better than keeping them free. I highly doubt they'll be a problem again."
  
  "Good." He smiled, "I'd rather not deal with such unpleasant business any longer. The future is ripe with plenty of opportunities, and I'd much prefer to focus my attention and manpower on building and creating, rather than hunting and destroying. Today marks the beginning of a new era for everyone."
  
  I agreed wholeheartedly.
  
  Besides the congratulations from the Gym Leaders, Lance also made a speech, stating how both Koga and I would receive similar recognition and commendations from the Indigo League for what we had accomplished. Similar to what Cynthia had done back in Sinnoh, a small plaque would be hung on the walls of the Indigo League building to signify our achievement - to show that we had gone above and beyond the call of duty.
  
  It was a nice honour.
  
  After his speech, there were many reporters interested in an interview with both myself and Koga, and we humoured them for some time as we spoke about what had happened in Sinnoh. However, by this point we had repeated the same story so many times that I was actually getting annoyed talking about it, so we both made our escape once we felt that we had answered enough questions.
  
  After checking with Lance that there was nothing else that I needed to urgently attend to, I just headed straight home, where my family were all there. They greeted me with warm smiles and joyful laughs, and we all settled in for a nice dinner that they had specially prepared for my return.
  
  It was far more lavish than I was used to, and I greatly enjoyed myself as I scarfed down the food - it was the first good meal that I've had in some time, and the fact that it was homecooked made it even better in my biased opinion. Of course, I had to repeat my actions in Sinnoh yet again, but speaking about it to family wasn't a chore at all. I didn't mind it whatsoever.
  
  But after going through everything that I had done over there, I wanted to check up on Whitney and how she was doing, especially with her new Dudunsparce that I had just added to her team.
  
  "I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to train up with it because of how busy the circuit has been so far, but I think it's integrating well into the team." She replied, "You were right about its potential, though. It's able to Dig really fast, to the point where Miltank struggles to hit it with her Rollouts during our spars. And it's even fast enough to Dig out of the ground before Miltank can unleash an Earthquake too."
  
  "Sabie's actually pretty annoyed about it as well, since her Pokémon aren't as good as dodging close range attacks as mine are." She continued, "Like, I've already found out that the best ambushing combo for Dudunsparce is to Dig, then Glare, then transition into a Hyper Drill. That combo is really easy to land, and it does significant damage to frailer Pokémon like Sabie has - and it even pierces through Protect. Also, since Dudunsparce moves so quickly underground with Dig, it's actually able to reposition so much faster than most would expect."
  
  I nodded, not surprised at this development path, but happy that Dudunsparce was working well in her team. Though I made sure to give her a few other tips, just like the fact that Dudunsparce was able to use moves like Tailwind and Baton Pass that would help it play more of a supporting role if needed.
  
  However, after the dinner was over, the mood dropped slightly as I watched a serious expression form on my parents' face. They looked a little concerned.
  
  "John." My dad said carefully, "...How was the fight, truly? I don't mean the glorious parts, but the parts where you were in real danger... surely a fight against a Legendary couldn't be safe."
  
  "...It wasn't." I admitted, "I won't deny that there were a few too many close calls for my liking. Had things even gone slightly differently..." I didn't need to finish that thought. It was clear enough what I meant.
  
  My parents shared a look at my admission, while Whitney frowned at me.
  
  "The news didn't say anything like that." My sister said to me.
  
  "Of course not." I replied with a bitter smile, "They wouldn't want to get the public worried. That fight was not as glorious as the news made it out to be. It was a real struggle for everyone involved, and as much as I know I would stand up and fight again should I be called upon, I would much prefer to never be in a fight like that ever again."
  
  I stared my parents in the face, "That was probably the most scared I've ever been in my life."
  
  ...I didn't intend to say so much, but this admission was something that I hadn't realised that I needed to get off my chest. The talk with Gardenia helped a bit, and my time with Cynthia helped even more, but admitting so in front of my parents was just more... freeing.
  
  Ever since I had come into this world of Pokémon, it had been a world where I had felt safe. Sure, there had been some threats to my life, but never anything as serious as this. The fact that I had come so close to my demise had rattled me - not enough for me to lose my composure, but it was something that lingered in the back of my mind ever for the past few nights ever since that battle took place.
  
  My admission caused an air of silence to fill the room, and I began to feel uncomfortable about the concerned and pitying stares being sent my way.
  
  "...Thank you for telling us, son." My dad finally spoke up, "I'm sorry that you had to go through this, but you don't know how proud your mom and I are that you were able to continue to fight despite such circumstances. And seeing you right now, it's clear that this fear hasn't broken you. Unsettled you, sure, but you're still able to laugh and enjoy life, which proves that you are stronger than that."
  
  "We always knew that there was such a risk when you joined the Elite Four." My mom added, "At first, we had hoped your young age would have excluded you from such dangerous activities, but you quickly disproved that when you helped out at Olivine. Then, we held on to the confidence that your Pokémon and their strength would keep you safe no matter the odds that you faced. Despite all of this, we always knew that there was always something dangerous lurking around the corner for you."
  
  "I know you're old and mature enough to not need to be mothered, so we'll leave it at that for now." My mom said, "But just know that if you need us, for anything at all, just let us know and we'll do our best to help."
  
  "Me too!" My sister chimed up, "...I don't know really know how scary it was, but if you're sad, then I'll do my best to make you not sad!"
  
  My dad then reached out and placed my hand in his. His callous and rough hands just felt warm in mine, "And I know you've probably been told this enough already - but thank you for keeping us all safe, John."
  
  I nodded slowly, grateful for their words. I felt the love and affection that they were sending my way; their feelings wrapping around me like a snug blanket. Despite all the praise that I had received from the public, it was this acknowledgement from my family that truly mattered to me.
  
  Family was everything.
  
  So when I returned to my room and finally laid down on my bed, I slept soundly. I was at peace with what had happened, and was no longer weighed down by the fight.
  
  When I woke up the next morning, I felt ready and refreshed - more than I had felt in the past few days. I stared up at the bright blue sky above, listening to the peaceful chirps of the wild Pidgey, as the morning sun shined brightly in the sky - lighting up all that it touched.
  
  And I let out a relaxed smile.
  
  It was in that moment that I had finally accepted that Cyrus and Team Galactic were finally dealt with.
  
  That we finally had a moment of peace.
  
  I actually sat there by the windowsill for far longer than I expected, simply basking in the morning sun for a moment. However, after sitting there idly for long enough, I finally decided to get a move on with my day.
  
  Now that there was peace, plans upon plans started to flood back into my mind as my nascent ambition of creating a better and happier world rose back up to the surface. With Team Galactic dealt with, there were so many things that I wanted to accomplish.
  
  However, first and foremost, I knew that I needed to keep up with training with my team. Thanks to my public victory over a Legendary, the news had labelled all of our Pokémon as being 'strong enough to beat a Legendary'. Obviously, that was a heavy exaggeration, and most knew it. But from what I saw on the Pokénet, there was a high level of prestige and attention attached to that label.
  
  It was to the point that people online were clambering about wanting to challenge those very Pokémon for themselves to see if they could defeat a Pokémon that had supposedly 'beaten a Legendary'. Apparently, the Sinnoh Gym Leaders that had been in that Legendary fight had already received a long line of challengers looking to fight them at the 8th Badge level just so they could try their hand at defeating one of their Pokémon.
  
  Fortunately, I wasn't a Gym Leader, and I could decline any non-official battles if I wanted to. But it did mean that I should expect to receive more official challenges soon, whether that it be from the Indigo Gym Leaders or otherwise. And in my case specifically, as the one who had been publicly acknowledged to have awoken Regigigas, there was quite a bit of envy aimed my way.
  
  The attention that we got for simply having fought a Legendary was absolutely no joke. It really demonstrated how much the public venerated the Legendaries in their minds.
  
  Personally, I doubted that these challengers wanted to win outright, but they just wanted to take down one of my Pokémon for the prestige. Even the Gym Leaders might not be immune from this. But if that was the case, then I'm certainly not going to make it easy for them - I would make sure that all of my Pokémon would be able to overpower whatever was sent their way.
  
  Besides all of the battling stuff, there were also plenty of political objectives that I wanted to achieve as well. Most were very long-term plans, but I still wanted to see them done one day in the future. Because I had so many ideas, I sat down and jotted some of them down so that I wouldn't forget.
  
  I wanted to improve the Sevii Islands, getting involved with its development and ensuring that it can become the tourist attraction that I believed it could become. This was probably something I could work on alongside Lorelei, given her interest in the Islands as well.
  
  By the same token, I also sought to continue the development of Cerulean and grow the city's prestige and fame even further. I had ideas about setting up new museums, exhibitions, and other cultural sites that would attract tourists to visit. Furthermore, I wanted Cerulean City to expand into Route 25 more, making use of that currently empty stretch of land and turn it into something memorable. I'd have to discuss more with Mayor Henry about what we could do with it.
  
  I was eager to turn my city into the most prestigious city in Kanto, or even Indigo. To that end, maybe another trading port could be built at the end of Route 25? Since it connected to the ocean? Food for thought.
  
  Not only that, I wanted to grow the Smith family name by expanding our businesses. We had gotten a start on our new breeding business, and I wanted to raise the prestige of the Smith breeding farm so that it became the best location for raising powerful Normal type Pokémon. It'd cement us as being like the Normal type variant of the Blackthorns, though hopefully without all their arrogance.
  
  And, even more ambitiously, I wanted to set up better transport systems between our three regions. The recent attacks at Sinnoh had really highlighted how inefficient it was for us to travel from one region to another, and I thought that there must be a better way of going about it. An interregional train network came to mind, even if it would be an incredibly expensive endeavour, but if we could afford it then I felt that it would really bolster our ability to trade and travel between us. The trains of Unova were a good example of this, and I thought that their subway station could be replicated in some way within our own cities sometime in the future.
  
  Having a transport system like that would also help tie our regions closer together. Making it easier to travel from one region to another would hopefully change public perception so that our regions wouldn't be seen as three separate regions, but as one connected whole.
  
  Speaking of Unova, I wanted to help out and locate further regions that we could bring into the fold. There were several reasons for this, with the main one obviously being that I wanted to see more of the world and the Pokémon unique to their regions. However, there was also a more cynical reason - as per the games, every new region would have their own threats to deal with.
  
  I didn't know when Unova or any other further region would be discovered and integrated, but I hoped it would be as soon as possible. This was so that I could still help out and deal with any of those lingering threats before they could take action like Cyrus did. Thoughts of Ghetsis, Lysandre, Lusamine, and Rose came to mind. For better or worse, I wanted to stop them while I was still around to do so.
  
  By the time I finished listing everything down, I realised that the list of my future plans was a rather long one. But that didn't discourage me. Instead, I smiled as I saw that there was still so much for me to do.
  
  So, without waiting for another moment, I rang up Lance. There was so much I wanted to talk to him about.
  
  The future was just so exciting.
  
  At the same time, all the way back at Spear Pillar, the almighty and esoteric energies from the clash of Legendaries continued to linger in the air. The spike of Legendary power that radiated out of the Legendaries could not be hidden or ignored.
  
  To the scanners and observational equipment surveying the area, it was as if an enormous beacon of light had been shot into the air.
  
  And even for those far, far away, they did not fail to notice it.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time, but one that I felt was necessary (and with a little hint of something to come!). I wanted to make sure that John's own personal feelings were addressed after that Legendary battle, while also laying down the foundations for what his plans are now that Team Galactic aren't a threat anymore. With all this free time, there's so much he wants to get done. I hope you like the scope of his plans, because we're about to head into a few timeskips now!
  
  If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to let me know! I'll definitely read through them and I'll do my best to incorporate them into the story if I think they're suitable. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  OMAKE - Legendaries Awaken DLC
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Snippets - Legendaries Awaken DLC
  
  [NEW POKÉMON DLC OUT NOW: LEGENDARIES AWAKEN! LEGENDARIES FINALLY MADE AVAILABLE!] by Earlier Access
  
  [DLC trailer attached]
  
  The long awaited DLC to the biggest and most successful Pokémon mainline game is here! After they released an entire Mystery Dungeon 'spinoff' game to flesh out the story, it was only natural for them to continue on their hot streak with a DLC. And before you ask - yes, the Pokémon company has achieved another slam-dunk with this one as well.
  
  First things first, the title says it all - Legendaries will FINALLY be available to be captured, as shown in the trailer. After being deprived of them for the entirety of the main game despite having so many hints dropped about their eventual awakening (I'm looking at you, Regigigas), the Pokémon company have finally stopped edging us and gave us what we wanted.
  
  However, for those worried that this DLC is merely a cash grab by the company so that you pay for the privilege of catching these Legendaries - be not afraid, because they've introduced a whole new storyline for you to enjoy as well.
  
  I'll try my best to not get into too many spoilers and stick mainly to what's already been revealed in the trailer, but yes, Cyrus is the big bad. A big surprise to many, I'm sure - since he's been nothing but cordial to you when you first explore the Galactic Company's headquarters during your playthrough of the main game. Yet these guys have a dark secret hidden underneath their façade of normalcy, and it is this secret that eventually leads to the awakening of the Legendaries in response to this crisis.
  
  As per the trailer, the Legendaries that you can catch are obviously going to be the Regi trio, including Regigigas, as well as the Lake Guardian Trio. However, I will say that there are FAR more Legendaries out there for you to catch if you just go looking for them. The process will not be easy, with many of them locked behind secret puzzles and areas that are hidden away from the main Routes. You will be searching through every nook and cranny of every city, Route, and area if you want to earn the privilege of catching these Legendaries.
  
  Some Legendaries even require you to have played through the Mystery Dungeon game to unlock!
  
  Trust me, trying to get some of these Legendaries is like playing a puzzle game. I'm sure many of you will search up guides, but it's my recommendation that you don't do so. Part of the challenge is figuring out the method, and it'll make your eventual capture all the more rewarding.
  
  The DLC isn't super long, and I finished the story in about 6-8 hours, though I haven't found all the Legendaries yet. Some have been particularly difficult... but I won't spoil which ones! I'd love to know how you guys are finding the game now that it's out!
  
  Comments
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Okay, didn't expect the twist with Cyrus there. Thought it was pretty forced at first, but turns out that guy is such a huge scumbag?!
  
  Like, out of all of the nonsensical villains introduced in the past Pokémon games, we finally get a villain that's just evil. Not evil for the sake of being evil (like those 'I want to take over the world' nonsense), but evil because he thinks there's no point in the world so he might as well end it all and turn the world into nothing. Pretty grim, but definitely interesting!
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Yeah, I think he's probably the most evil villain that we've been introduced to so far. I played and finished the main story, and I think this was the first time I've genuinely rooted for what happens to the villain at the end. Normally they get off scot-free or are forgotten, but not this time.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  For all those of you who didn't play the Mystery Dungeon game - sucks to be you! You can't catch Regigigas until you've properly played through that game! HAHAHAH!
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Yeah... not sure how I would have managed in the final fight against Cyrus without Regigigas. That fight is legitimately difficult, and Regigigas hard carried my ass through that fight.
  
  GitGud
  
  Git gud. There are so many different team compositions that you could have used. I'm going to be doing a no-Legendary playthrough soon.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Already on that. The any% no-legendary run is underway.
  
  EDIT: Bad news, the Endeavor strat doesn't work.
  
  [SPOILERS: GUIDE TO CATCHING ALL* LEGENDARIES IN THE LEGENDARIES AWAKEN DLC]
  
  DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED AND WANT TO FIGURE OUT SOME OF THE 'PUZZLES' YOURSELVES.
  
  With that disclaimer out of the way, here is a brief guide on how to obtain many of the Legendaries available in the DLC that I have uncovered at time of writing. Obviously, the game is still very new, and not everything has been uncovered yet, but I will edit this space as I find more.
  
  So, first of, we'll start with the Legendaries that have been shown the most in the trailers - the Regi trio, and Regigigas. To get the trio, you'll need to have acquired all of the Plates. Once done, you will have to have played through the Mystery Dungeon - The Legendary Delve game to get access to Regigigas (I won't spoil why that's necessary, play the game! It's 100% worth doing!). Then, go to Snowpoint Temple with the three Plates, and you'll awaken Regigigas.
  
  However, awakening and catching Regigigas are two different things, and you'll have to perform super well in the upcoming fight against Cyrus if you want an opportunity to recruit Regigigas into your team. Make sure you do everything you can to fight alongside it, so don't just stay back and let it do the heavy lifting!
  
  Okay, next are the Lake Guardians, which are pretty simple. After beating Cyrus, just return to the Lakes and if you have enough reputation with the Sinnoh League, you'll be able to capture them. Nothing special, but you're going to need these if you want to capture the last few.
  
  The hardest to capture are going to be the Creation Trio. In fact it's so difficult that I haven't actually found a way to do so yet, only that I know that the Lake Guardians are a piece of the puzzle. The Sinnoh League keep cockblocking me, and I want to know your thoughts about how to capture the Creation Trio. I'll edit this space once I've confirmed the method.
  
  Comments
  
  GitGud
  
  Clickbait title is clickbait.
  
  Still, I agree with how hard it is to get the Creation Trio. We know they're obtainable since they're in the Pokédex, but returning to Spear Pillar, even with the Lake Guardians, does nothing.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  You make it sound like 'returning to Spear Pillar' is easy. The moment you catch the Lake Guardians, you get hounded by the entirety of the Sinnoh League like a wanted criminal. You have to literally fight your way to Spear Pillar, much like how Cyrus did.
  
  And yes, fuck the Elite Four. I used to like them, but not when they've decided to bar your way from finally completing the Pokédex! AND YOU HAVE TO FIGHT CYNTHIA AGAIN WTF!
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Even when he's not in his own region John somehow still manages to be a nuisance. He must have been hanging out with Cynthia or something, because why the FUCK is he continuing to cockblock us from getting a Legendary EVEN IN THE DLC WHERE YOU'RE MEANT TO GET ONE!?
  
  And like, the fight to get to Spear Pillar is actually insanely difficult? You're forced to fight battle after battle after battle non-stop. It's basically like a 6v100 with how many Pokémon you have to fight through - and most of these are Elite Four Pokémon too. How did they expect us to beat this?
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Wait a minute... do you think they're trying to stop us cuz we're the baddies? After all, we're trying to capture the very Legendaries that they worship, right? And we've seen the power that they have in our battle against Cyrus.
  
  Are we the villains?
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  I don't give a fuck about any of that. I just want my Palkia. Seeing it warp space and time was cool as fuck and I want it on my team. NOW!
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  This is giving me The Gauntlet flashbacks... but even worse because these fights are somehow even harder. If only we could have Regigigas for this fight, but no matter what I've tried it refuses to fight alongside us for this battle.
  
  GitGud
  
  WAIT I MADE IT TO THE TOP AND WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!
  
  [Picture of John fighting the player, with Regigigas standing by John's side.]
  
  I THOUGHT WE CAPTURED REGIGIGAS?! WHY THE FUCK IS IT FIGHTING ALONGSIDE JOHN WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKK!
  
  EDIT: REGIGIGAS ONE SHOT MY TEAM HELP AND I HAD TO RESTART FROM THE VERY BEGINNING BECAUSE YOU DON'T GET TO SAVE BETWEEN BATTLES SKLFJSDKFSKDFSJKDFJSD
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Git gud.
  
  Also, yeah, I think we're the bad guys. And John's probably the final boss to stop us like we did against Cyrus.
  
  Fuck.
  
  A.N. I was inspired, so I did another one of these covering the events up to Cyrus' summoning. Once again, please don't any of these too seriously. Hope you enjoyed this take on it!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-3 - Perspectives on the Future
  
  (Civilian POV)
  
  As a resident of Sinnoh, he had always wanted to visit Indigo - ever since the region had been newly 'discovered' alongside Hoenn. But it had taken a long time for him to finally persuade his parents to let him go on this trip. Normally, his parents were much more laid back with their parenting, but after the events at Spear Pillar a few months ago, they had gotten very worried for his safety - so much so that they barely let him out of the house after dark; let alone going to a foreign region all by himself.
  
  Why couldn't they realise that he was already in his mid-teens? He didn't need to be pampered and babysat like this. He was old enough.
  
  But it had been several months since the 'Day of Calamity' as it had been called, and it was clear that there was not about to be a repeat of those events. In fact, things had been very calm since then, with most of the criminals that would have caused trouble having been arrested during that fateful day.
  
  He remembered visiting the memorials that had been erected after that day. His parents had taken him to visit Spear Pillar on the day that it had reopened to the public, just to see the statue of the Legendary Titan for themselves.
  
  He remembered how crowded it was there, as practically all of Sinnoh wanted to see the newly constructed statue of Regigigas with their very own eyes. With the newly rebuilt Snowpoint Temple, which was also renamed to the Temple of the Titan, no longer accessible to the public due to security concerns, the statue of Regigigas was as close as people could get to seeing the Legendary Titan in person.
  
  Despite the huge crowd that was there, making it almost suffocatingly crowded, he admitted that he was glad that his parents had brought him there. They had done a very good job capturing the presence that the Legendary Titan must have had, and the statue was as huge as it was awe-inspiring as it towered over them all. If a mere statue was able to elicit such feelings, he couldn't imagine what it was like to actually see the Legendary Titan in person.
  
  He still had a photo of Regigigas' statue on his phone to this day. He always liked to look at it from time to time.
  
  It was truly a shame that they were no longer allowed to visit the Legendary Titan, or even the three Regis which the Sinnoh League announced were now residing in the caverns of the three Lakes. As, just like they did with the Temple of the Titan, those Lake caverns were under lockdown too and barred from the public.
  
  There were a small minority of people that protested against the League's security measures, demanding that they had no right to bar the public from viewing these Legendary figures for themselves. He agreed with these opinions, but every time he spoke to his parents about it they vehemently disagreed with him - citing that after the events of the Day of Calamity, it just proved that the public should not be allowed anywhere near the Legendaries just in case there was a repeat of that day.
  
  ...He hoped that they would change that policy soon.
  
  Nevertheless, these visits had at least proven to his parents that the region had indeed become safe again for him to travel. So after giving a few promises of his own, and reassuring them that he would be fine staying at his friend's house, they finally gave him the green light to travel to Indigo on his own to explore the region and take in all of the sights.
  
  It had taken him over a day by ship to finally reach Indigo. On the way, he had heard from a few other passengers that there was apparently some talks about building up a new transportation system that would be quicker than just travelling by ship, but that was still in the planning stages. He remembered hearing about it in the news; apparently it was an idea headed jointly by Gym Leader Will and Elite John.
  
  He could see why it was necessary. The ship that he had boarded to take him to Indigo was practically full up, and he knew that the other ships were no better. It was clear that there were a lot of people starting to travel to and from their regions, and just relying on ships might not be efficient for the long-term.
  
  Having the regions be connected by train would be so much better.
  
  After arriving at Vermilion City, he quickly met up with his friend and stored his luggage into his new temporary room. Then, he practically rushed out of the house as he began his adventures in this new land.
  
  One of the main reasons he was so excited to visit Indigo was because he wanted to know more about the people that had made such a big change to their region. While they were certainly on friendly terms with Hoenn, it seemed like all the big moves were initiated by some member of Indigo.
  
  Or more specifically, everyone acknowledged that it was Elite John that facilitated much of their cooperation. In a way, it was fitting that he was dating their Champion.
  
  That was why the first stop that he wanted to visit was Cerulean City, since that was the home town of John. He had heard many good things about how much the city had grown and developed, and he wanted to see that for himself.
  
  On his way there, he coincidentally headed past the Cerulean Cave, which he saw was filled with people. There were many Ace trainers loitering around the entrances, with many looking like they were either about to go inside or were just chatting with their companions with their Pokémon out - which they presumably just caught.
  
  It was nice to see that Sinnoh's tradition of cave diving had found their way to Indigo too.
  
  As soon as he made his way into Cerulean City, the first thing he noticed was that a small arena had been set up in the centre of the city. There, the Waterflower sisters seem to have been hosting a small mini-Tournament for the public, allowing children and young trainers to have a shot at challenging their Gym team and get a feel of what their Gym battle would be like.
  
  There was a huge crowd gathered around them, and their chants of support were deafeningly loud as they cheered on the battlers onstage. He knew that the Cerulean Gym Leaders were popular, and they had managed to garner a considerable online following thanks to their fantastic performances and contests, but seeing it in person was very different.
  
  Though he did notice that not all of the Waterflower sisters were present; he wondered where the others were since the Waterflower sisters were always seen together.
  
  But what really caught his attention was that they were using a Kabuto; a rare fossil Pokémon that not many people had managed to get their hands on yet. As far as he was aware, the Waterflower sisters were one of the few trainers that currently had their hands on a revived fossil. From what he remembered, only Brock, Roxanne, Roark, Byron, and Steven Stone were the others.
  
  He let out a quiet sigh. If only he had the money to afford one for himself. Fossils were pretty cool.
  
  He contemplated whether to stay and watch, but ultimately decided that he had to move on. He was only in Indigo for so long, and he didn't want to waste too much time on this. So instead, he decided to take a thorough walk around the city, just to take a look at everything that the city had to offer.
  
  Something that seemed to have been plastered all over Cerulean City were the hordes of posters and signs that all highlighted and advertised the new renovations that were being built on Route 24 and Route 25. Not only was there a new apartment complex being built, but there was also a new park being built just after Nugget Bridge, which had apparently been inspired by Amity Square from their very own Hearthome City.
  
  He expected the sights to be just as beautiful.
  
  But the other big thing that he spotted was a large tower that was being constructed. According to the pictures that were posted around, this large tower was going to be turned into a new TV station, one that would focus on culture. Made sense, considering all of the many contests that were being hosted here.
  
  ...Maybe he should visit the city again in a few years' time. It would be nice to compare how much it had changed.
  
  After taking his fill of pictures of the picturesque city, his grumbling stomach alerted him that it was about time for lunch. Therefore, he made his way into one of the many restaurants and settled in for a nice meal.
  
  As he chowed down on some delicious food, he idly hoped that he would bump into Elite John while he was in Indigo.
  
  He would love to speak with the man who had awakened the Legendary Titan.
  
  (Misty POV)
  
  She held onto Violet's hand as they alighted onto the port of Ever Grande City. Her feet bounced off the ground as she was hopping up and down in excitement.
  
  "Come, come!" She pulled her older sister, "Drake's waiting for us!"
  
  "We're early, sis." Violet out an amused sigh, "There's no need to rush, he might not be here yet."
  
  "But he promised!" She whined, "He said he'd meet us here!"
  
  "AND HERE I AM!" A booming voice came out from behind them, "How would I ever be late for such lovely young ladies?"
  
  She spun around as she recognised the voice, "Drake!"
  
  Her shout had caught the attention of a few other passengers, and a few of them turned her way as they tried to look for the Elite Four member. However, Drake didn't seem to mind, as he let out a loud laugh at her approach and bent down to rub her head.
  
  "Hello, little Misty." He smiled down at her, "How was your trip here?"
  
  "Boring!" She stated, punctuating her statement by throwing her arms up, "We should have rode the trains here!"
  
  "The League hasn't even voted on whether they would build the trains yet - let alone build them." Violet sighed, "For now, you'll just have to settle with taking the ship like the rest of us. Besides, it's your own fault that you had too much energy and couldn't sleep on the ship."
  
  "That's cause you didn't let me leave the room!" She pouted, deliberately not mentioning the candy that she had sneakily eaten while her sister hadn't been looking.
  
  "And if you left the room while I slept then who would have taken care of you?" Violet responded, "If anything happened to you, your other sisters would kill me."
  
  She continued to pout at that, but they were interrupted when Drake patted her on the back, "Okay, enough bickering. Let's not waste any more time. You guys have lunch yet?"
  
  They both shook their heads, "Then in that case, I know just the place. Follow after me."
  
  Drake took the lead as he pushed through the crowd, ignoring how many called out to him as they spotted who he was. Many were even shouting out their demands for Drake to battle them. Misty felt a little guilty as she followed after him; maybe she shouldn't have called out to him like that so loudly.
  
  Either way, Drake was thick-skinned enough to ignore all of his many fans, and they made a quick detour in the League building to get away from the crowd before they finally headed to their restaurant.
  
  After being seated, it didn't take long for their food to arrive. They talked as they ate, with Drake asking the first question.
  
  "So, how's my favourite little water trainer doing?" He asked her, "Have you been following my training instructions?"
  
  "Yep!" She said with a wide grin, "My Staryu's getting real strong! I think it can reach the level of one of our two-badge Gym Pokémon if I keep it up!"
  
  "Good!" He barked out with a smile, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear. And how about your Psyduck?"
  
  "...Uh... it's doing okay." She lied, only for her sister to instantly burst that bubble.
  
  "Don't try to hide it, sis. We all know your Psyduck needs a lot of work." Violet said, "It's always plagued by its usual headaches and can't seem to focus on anything."
  
  "But its Confusions are powerful!" She insisted.
  
  "Maybe." Violet allowed, "But that doesn't change the fact that it barely listens to you right now. Until it can learn to get control of its headaches, it won't be a good battler."
  
  Drake must have seen the frown that appeared on her face, because he was quick to comfort her, "There's no need to be disappointed by that." He said gently, "Some Pokémon just need more time to get started compared to others. My Magikarp was like that before it evolved into a Gyarados - but look at it now! It's one of my strongest Pokémon! I'm sure it'll be the same for your Psyduck."
  
  "Now, let's quickly finish up on lunch." He gestured to the plate of foods in front of them, "I have a packed schedule planned for you both, and we don't have much time to waste."
  
  His words reminded her why she was here in the first place. Firstly, and most importantly, she wanted to visit Hoenn as she had never been here before. But when she accidentally mentioned that fact to Drake during one of their regular phone calls, Drake immediately offered to house her during her stay here, while also insisting that he help out with her training efforts when she came over.
  
  At first, Violet declined, saying that they didn't want to disturb Drake and waste too much of his time. But he remained adamant, saying that it wouldn't be a bother at all and that he hadn't had much use for his free time anyways, especially during such a period of calm. Ultimately, Drake's stubbornness won out, and so they gratefully accepted his invitation.
  
  So with his reminder of their limited time together, she quickly began scarfing down her lunch, only tempered by Violet's words to slow down. After they all finished up with their food, they set off once again. Instead of walking around, though, she was strapped onto Drake's Altaria as he rode with her into the skies. Violet had to fly separately on her own Mantine.
  
  She let out a squeal of excitement as they flew through the air. Flying on Drake's Altaria was so different when compared to flying on her sister's Mantine. For one, the cotton clouds that Altaria had were so fluffy and warm, and it helped protect her from the cold winds as they flew. It was like flying on a warm pillow!
  
  They flew to Lilycove City, in which Drake explained that it was where his house was. She was awed by the sights of the clear blue sea that surrounded the beautiful city, but instead of focusing on the water, Drake was pointing at a nearby cave that was currently under renovation.
  
  "You see that construction site over there? Wallace got inspired by all these new construction projects being proposed and decided to come up with something of his own for his home city." He explained, "So that's going to be the foundations for a new underwater tunnel system that connects Lilycove and Sootopolis City. It gives us an extra way of accessing the city instead of only relying on ships as we used to."
  
  "Sounds expensive." Violet commented.
  
  "It was." Drake nodded, "I remember there was a lot of fuss being thrown up when Wallace first proposed it, though I honestly can't remember how he resolved it. I was bored stiff listening to all those grandstanding idiots prattling on about this and that, so I'm pretty sure I slept through the whole discussion."
  
  Misty giggled. She could relate; she felt the same way whenever Petrel started to drone on about some administrative aspect of the Cerulean Gym. She knew that this was important, so she tried her best to pay attention, but sometimes it was just so boring.
  
  After that small distraction, they quickly landed near Drake's house, which was not as luxurious as she had expected. She had always thought that Elite Four members and Champions would often have extremely luxurious homes that you only saw on pictures on the Pokénet - but this cottage in front of her was very different from what she had imagined.
  
  "It's small." She blurted out, only to immediately get a glare from Violet.
  
  "Misty! That's rude!" Violet scolded, "Apologise!"
  
  Oops. "I'm sorry, Drake."
  
  He just barked out a laugh, "Nah, kid, I appreciate the honesty. Yeah, my home doesn't look like much - but at least I have this big fuc- ranch out back that I use to train with my Pokémon. Honestly, never saw much of a point of having such a big house, even if I had the money for it. What am I going to do with such a large home when I live by myself?"
  
  "I suppose it's a little different for you guys, since you have such a big family and all." He added, before shaking his head, "Anyways, never mind that, let's head straight to the ranch. I've got a training schedule and everything all planned out!"
  
  Nodding excitedly, she followed after Drake as he headed into his ranch, which had a few inhabitants already there.
  
  There were a few other Water types hanging about in this large pool that he had. She recognised a few that were from Sinnoh, including a Prinplup and a Floatzel. Outside of the pool, she spotted a Swampert and a Gabite playfully sparring against each other as well.
  
  "I didn't know you had so many Water types kept in reserve." Violet mused, "I thought your team consisted only of those that you used in battle."
  
  "Pah. I have the resources and money to train up more, so why wouldn't I?" He asked rhetorically, "And I like training up new Pokémon - it gives me something to think about and work on since every Pokémon needs to be trained up differently. Gives me a way to pass the time."
  
  "Enough about me, though." Drake continued as he walked over to the pool, "I have something else for you guys." He picked up something that he had stashed away.
  
  "Drake. No." Violet immediately said as she saw what Drake had just retrieved, "You've already given us enough. There's no need for more."
  
  "But I insist." He chuckled as he carried over a pair of Eggs and their incubators, "Besides, I had this prepared specifically for the two of you, since I knew you were coming. If I don't give this to you, then it's just going to go to waste."
  
  Violet sighed resignedly, "...What are they?"
  
  He grinned and pointed to the blue and green egg, "This one is a Lotad egg." Then he pointed at the blue and pink egg, "And this one is a Clamperl egg. I got these for you guys. One for the young'un, and one that you oldies can share."
  
  Her sister placed her face in her hands, "Please don't call us that. And why'd you get us these?"
  
  Drake shrugged, "Why not? Gym Leaders you guys might be, but I know that you've had to rely on yourselves for most of your lives. You've done a fine job of it, but why can't an Elite Four like me spoil you guys with some presents every once in a while? It's not like I have anything better to do with my time or money anyways."
  
  "Maybe, but what did we do to deserve such generosity?" Violet continued to question.
  
  "Does everything need a reason?" He grinned shamelessly, "I like you kiddos. I saw your determination in the Tournament, and I'm invested in your success. You lot have so much potential, and I want to see it flourish. Besides, the only other person that I really talk to in Indigo is John - and I can't exactly gift him things nearly as easily, now can I? However, since you're all Water specialists, why shouldn't I help you out from time to time?"
  
  After a bit more back and forth, Violet eventually and reluctantly acquiesced to Drake's stubbornness and gratefully accepted the gifted Eggs from him. Then, she turned to Misty, who had been looking around patiently as the two had their discussion.
  
  "Which one of these do you want, sis?" Violet asked her, giving her the option to choose, "Clamperl or Lotad?"
  
  She gave Drake a look, "Which one is stronger?"
  
  He barked out another laugh, "They're both strong, kid. Lotad is able to eventually evolve into a Ludicolo, which is a really powerful Water/Grass type which makes it not weak to Electric attacks. On the other hand, Clamperl are able to evolve into either a Huntail or a Gorebyss, depending on your chosen evolution item. And both are very capable Water types."
  
  She tapped a finger on her chin as she thought about it for a moment. Even though having a Grass/Water type was tempting, she was more interested in having a Pokémon where she could choose the evolution. That sounded so cool!
  
  "I want the Clamperl!" She decided, and she bounced on her feet in excitement as Violet passed over the pink and blue egg.
  
  This trip to Hoenn was already worth it!
  
  (Lance POV)
  
  He sat down at his desk with a sigh as he stared at the lone document in front of him. It was a proposal that had been written up by one of his advisors - requesting for a small tournament to be held at the end of the circuit where ace trainers would be allowed to challenge the Elite Four, regardless of whether they managed to win the Indigo Conference or not.
  
  Of course, win or lose, the match would not lead to any political consequences. Meaning that the fight was 'for fun', and would not count as someone officially defeating an Elite Four in battle.
  
  Normally, his advisors would never suggest such a thing. Challenges to an Elite Four or Champion were seen as weighty things - and was not something to be done frivolously. However, as a result of the fight in Sinnoh, many were clamouring to fight against Koga or John in an attempt to challenge the Pokémon that had 'beaten' a Legendary.
  
  It was made worse because, thus far, the two of them hadn't entertained any offers for a battle, which only further fuelled the public's desire to challenge them. It was getting to the point where some people deemed it 'unfair' for John and Koga to 'avoid meeting the demands of the public'. That was a ridiculous sentiment and most reasonable people ignored it; but it did highlight that people really wanted a battle.
  
  Therefore, with how much the public seemed to want an opportunity to fight against some of their Elite Four, his advisors had been pushing for him to give the public what they wanted. They argued that it would be a good and easy way to for the League to earn some public goodwill, and more importantly, it would be an excellent fundraiser.
  
  The latter was especially crucial given all those new construction proposals that were currently being discussed. It would make things easier if the League had more money.
  
  Ultimately, he decided that it really wouldn't be a bad thing to host such an event. Of course, he needed to confer with his Elite Four first to check that they were agreeable, but hosting a tournament like this at around the halfway point of the Circuit seemed like a good idea.
  
  Hmm... maybe he could find a way to participate as well...
  
  A.N. A very split chapter this time focusing on developments across multiple regions. I wanted to demonstrate the progress that's been made during the timeskip through other perspectives, as well as hint towards future events to come.
  
  For the civilian, I wanted to demonstrate all of the new developments that were taking place in Cerulean, showing what's changing in John's hometown. For Misty, I wanted to highlight how Drake's taken on more of a mentor role with her, as well as a few changes taking place in Hoenn too. And yes, Drake's like her cool grandpa. With all the war stories included. Finally, with Lance, I wanted to focus on the 'consequences' of John and the others' victory over Palkia and what it's done for their reputation. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-4 - Professorships and Stones
  
  (Blaine POV)
  
  The process of being a Professor was an arduous one, as befits such a prestigious title, and was not something that most could be able to realistically achieve. Professors were expected to be one of the foremost experts on Pokémon in any given region, and on top of that they were also expected to specialise in their own specific field.
  
  It was often the case where you would have to be a scientist or researcher of significant renown to even be considered for the title. That frequently meant that you would had to have invented or discovered something of enough significance before you could earn the title of Professor.
  
  And such standards were rigorously enforced by the community of scientists that oversaw it. Even Samuel, before he became a Professor, was also subjected to these very same standards. The fact that he was made the first Champion of Indigo, and brought peace to everyone, was not a factor for the scientific community. They only considered his invention of the Pokédex, and they deemed his extensive knowledge of Pokémon ecology to be significant enough to earn the Title.
  
  Furthermore, besides proving that you had the requisite expertise and knowledge, you also had to be acknowledged and recommended by other Professors before you could be given the title. Without said acknowledgement, you couldn't be a Professor, no matter your qualifications. Bill, the guy who made the PSS, fell into this trap.
  
  The man was smart, no doubt about it. But he was a reckless loose cannon that failed to consider the bigger picture besides the science in front of him. Thus, especially after the backlash that he got for the poor handling of the PSS, he still hasn't been elevated to the title of Professor yet.
  
  There was a reason why the requirements to become a Professor were so stringent. Being a Professor was akin to being a Gym Leader, where you are held and considered to be a figure to be trusted, except even more so. As a Professor, you word is considered more valuable and important than anyone (excluding other Professors) when it comes to scientific matters within your field of expertise.
  
  In times where it is required, the League and even Champions will defer to a Professor for the final say in relevant scientific matters. For example, when Samuel made the Pokédex, since the data he provided was not refuted by other Professors, it was deemed to be true by the wider populace. Had Champion Pryce, or literally anyone else that wasn't a Professor of equal standing, tried to oppose his word, it wouldn't matter.
  
  That was the power that people had as a Professor, and why the position is as coveted as it is respected. Therefore, it was only natural that the dream and desire of any ambitious scientist was to eventually become a Professor - as it was the ultimate proof that you had truly made it in the field of academics.
  
  It was basically akin to being an Elite Four or Champion for scientists.
  
  And Blaine was no different. Even when he was an Elite Four member, then a Gym Leader, he always had the lingering desire in the back of his mind to become a Professor one day. But for the longest time, he knew that despite all of his knowledge, he didn't have the inventions, discoveries, or connections necessary to become a Professor.
  
  Yet it was very different now. And it was why he was uncharacteristically buzzing with excitement as he nervously paced around his room.
  
  He had submitted his application to become a Professor, and he had just been told that it was now under consideration.
  
  In order to stave off his nerves, his mind kept flipping through the many requirements of becoming a Professor, and whether he managed to meet those high standards or not. Going through them in his head, he was most confident that he had met the requirement of obtaining sufficient recommendations from other Professors. Apart from Samuel, he had reached out to the few other Professors that he occasionally corresponded with - namely Professor Elm in Johto as a Pokémon breeding specialist, Professor Birch of Hoenn as a Pokémon habitats specialist, Professor Carolina of Sinnoh as a Pokémon archaeology specialist, and Professor Rowan of Sinnoh as a Pokémon evolution and form changes specialist.
  
  He was sure that there were more notable Professors out there, but his dislike of socializing meant that his social circle only went so far. Fortunately, the people that he did know were all of significant renown, and that was why he was confident that their recommendations would be enough to fulfil this requirement.
  
  Then, he went through his inventions and discoveries once again. Obviously, the biggest one amongst them would be the discovery of the Fairy Type, since it was a complete paradigm shift that overturned what people used to know about Pokémon Types. However, since that was a shared project between many different Professors and researchers, he wouldn't get too much credit for that one.
  
  Besides the Fairy discovery, he also had the creation of the Magmarizer and the Electirizer under his belt. Again, those were shared discoveries, but he had the paperwork to prove that most of the research and theory crafting was his own work. Not to discredit them, but Shelly and John's (and Volkner, for the Electirizer) involvements were mostly about handling other, non-scientific, matters. The same went for his discovery of the alternate Rotom forms that he worked on with Volkner, as he handled most of the researching for that one.
  
  Furthermore, his discoveries with the PIT Technique, including the discovery of the alternate form of Growlithe and Arcanine, was also another feather in his cap. He had been delayed in making the discovery due to everything that happened with the Cinnabar Eruption, but he had luckily been successful in the end. The new Fire/Rock type was already making waves as something many trainers predicted would be one of the premier offensive Fire type Pokémon in high level battling, and he was happy to include the first one into his own team.
  
  Therefore, considering all of his inventions and discoveries revolved around Pokémon evolution or their alternate forms, it was only natural that he applied under the same title as Professor Rowan to hopefully become a Professor that specialised in Pokémon evolution and form changes.
  
  He really hoped that his current list of inventions and discoveries would be sufficient. He knew that other Professors had been inducted with less than what he had accomplished, but you couldn't rely on the induction committee being lenient all the time.
  
  Realising that he had been pacing around in a circle for some time, he was about to stop himself from continuing to act like an idiot before his computer let out a ping. Turning towards it, he saw that it was an email from the induction committee.
  
  Rapidly throwing himself into his chair, he hastily clicked onto the email and read through its contents. As he did, a wide grin suddenly spread across his face.
  
  At the very same time, his phone started to ring. It was Samuel.
  
  "Sam! What good timing!" He greeted his friend.
  
  Samuel laughed, "Judging by your good mood, I take it that you've read that email?"
  
  "Of course I have." He couldn't stop grinning, "I didn't think they would make a decision that quickly! Wait... how did you find out the same time as I did?"
  
  "Oh, they were on a call with me just now asking for my opinion, and by the time we were done they told me that they were going to make you a Professor." Samuel explained, "While I'm not allowed to reveal who was on the induction committee this time round, I will say that they were very eager to have you elevated to a proper Professor. Their call to me was practically a courtesy - they had pretty much already decided to grant you the title of Professor from your achievements alone."
  
  Blaine hummed thoughtfully as he processed Samuel's words. The fact that the induction committee were so eager to make him a Professor implied that there were probably a bit of politics behind the decision. Thinking through the possible reasons that they would be so 'eager', he believed that his position as a former Gym Leader and Elite Four probably had something to do with it.
  
  As much as scientists liked to pretend that their work and positions were completely separate from politics, everyone knew that this wasn't even remotely true. Ascending someone to become a Professor was a huge deal, and while the League couldn't directly influence the results, they had many ways of making things difficult if an 'inappropriate' candidate was elevated to be a Professor.
  
  'Funding cuts' were the worst nightmare of any scientist.
  
  Nevertheless, he wouldn't complain about this bit of politicking - he very much appreciated that the committee didn't randomly decide to give him a hard time about making him a Professor.
  
  "I'm sure you must have something said that really stoked their interest in me, Samuel." He chuckled, "Thank you for that, by the way. Do you know if the others had been contacted?"
  
  "I think so." Samuel replied, "I think I was the last person they spoke to."
  
  "Ah, okay. Then I need to give them my thanks as well." He nodded.
  
  "You go do that - and maybe we can set up a proper celebration for your elevation to become a Professor." Samuel said, "When's the last time you and I got together for drinks?"
  
  "Must have been years." He responded, thinking back on their past friendship, "You were always too busy as Champion, and I was too engrossed into my research and as an Elite Four."
  
  "I guess neither of us are social Butterfree." Samuel agreed, "But we should change that. You're a Professor now. Such an achievement deserves to be celebrated. You can invite some of your other friends as well."
  
  His first thought went to both Shelly and John, who he would be more than happy to invite as close friends of his. He would send out invitations to the rest as well, on top of thanking them for their recommendations, but he believed that only Elm would reasonably be able to make it to such a celebration. The others, Volkner included, were too far away.
  
  "I'll make the arrangements." He nodded again.
  
  "Then I'll leave it to you." Samuel said, "But congratulations once again - Professor Blaine. That title just sounds right on you, doesn't it?"
  
  His grin returned in full force, "It sure does."
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  "...It looks cute, doesn't it?" He said to Bruno as they both stared at the newly hatched Riolu, watching it turn its head around cutely as it inspected its new surroundings.
  
  "It has great potential." Bruno stated, "But yes, it is quite pleasing to look at. Its muscles are well-defined. It will grow into a strong fighter."
  
  He facepalmed, "That's not what I meant and you know it."
  
  The two of them were back in Hoenn. Despite everything that had gone down in Sinnoh, they had chosen to stay around for a bit longer to accomplish their original goal of fighting through Sinnoh's 8-badge challenges with all of their Gyms. At first, arranging these battles was a difficult task, given that most of the Gym Leaders were still really busy with the cleanup after the Day of Calamity, but eventually things had managed to return back to normal and they got their challenge.
  
  Unsurprisingly, they found Volkner to be the most challenging of the lot. Once the man had heard that they intended to challenge him, the Gym Leader of Sunyshore had taken things one step further and challenged them with his full team in two 3v3 battles.
  
  Needless to say, Volkner's Magnezone had definitely outmatched his own. However, his training with Bruno had really demonstrated itself here, and his Pokémon didn't even falter even when faced against Volkner's powerful paralysis. Bruno had an even easier time - strong as Volkner's Electivire was, Bruno's Hariyama was ridiculously strong and could muscle through even the toughest of blows.
  
  Since Volkner was already considered to be at an Elite Four's level of strength, being able to comfortably overpower him was a good sign for their chances.
  
  Not to demean or discredit the others, but even Candice, who had performed very well in the Tournament to the point where she had reached the finals, couldn't really put up much of a fight against the both of them.
  
  Nevertheless, they weren't disappointed with the fights, and it helped them gain some good experience with their weaker Pokémon, which only helped to shore up the average strength of their teams.
  
  Yet now that they were back in Hoenn, and with the Circuit almost drawing to a close, it meant that the time for the Hoenn Conference was fast approaching. Preparations for both himself and Bruno would have to be finalised, as they were both going to be entering into the Conference together.
  
  It might seem counterproductive for them to do so, considering that there could only be one winner in the end, but if he wanted to be Champion, then he knew that he had to prove himself to be stronger than anyone - that included his friend and training partner.
  
  That was why he had even spoken to his father to temporarily ease up on his duties as the heir to Devon Corp for the time being. The last thing he wanted was to be distracted by unnecessary company affairs and deprive him of his preparation time.
  
  His team was now even larger and stronger than ever before - his time in Sinnoh having proven very fruitful for the both of them. In his case, his time in Sinnoh allowed him to catch both a Piplup and Bronzong, as well as obtaining several resurrected fossils. He didn't intend to have all those resurrected fossils join his primary team, so it would depend on their potential and how he wanted to train them up.
  
  On the other hand, Bruno had seemingly been content with his new Riolu for the time being, and didn't intend to catch anything else while in Sinnoh. He really tried to persuade his friend to at least catch a Croagunk or a Monferno, but Bruno was still quite stubborn and insisted that neither Pokémon matched his preferred fighting style.
  
  However, a few days before they were meant to return, they stumbled across a wild Heracross that really got Bruno's attention. It was incredibly strong for your typical wild Pokémon, and Bruno had been impressed by its self-taught techniques and fighting style. Therefore, Bruno persuaded the Heracross to join his team on the spot, granting him a new team member that might be strong enough to already make use of.
  
  Though knowing his friend, he was probably already subjecting his newest capture to a gruelling training routine to drill it out of any bad habits it might have picked up.
  
  So while Steven's own new Pokémon additions would never be trained up in time to be a proper team member for his primary team for the upcoming Conference, he was certain that they would grow to be powerful enough to be used in the battles to come in the future.
  
  Overall, their current primary team of Pokémon were as follows:
  
  He would be bringing a Mawile, Skarmory, Aggron, Claydol, Goodra (that he found in the quest for the Iron Plate), Magnezone, and his starter Metagross. He might also bring out his Bronzong in certain situations as well if he could train it up in time for the utility.
  
  Bruno would be bringing a Hitmontop, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Primeape, Hariyama, and his starter Machamp - the same team that he used against Elite John, just far more refined. Likewise, he also kept his newly caught Heracross in reserve.
  
  However, as he idly watched Bruno spend time with his newly hatched Riolu, he suddenly received a call from his father. That was unusual, since he had just spoken to him a few days ago upon his return to Hoenn.
  
  "Something the matter, father?" He asked as he picked up the phone.
  
  "Son, I know you're busy with your preparations, but are you able to head to my office right now?" His father asked, "I have something rather important to show you."
  
  "Certainly. I will be right there." He quickly agreed, knowing that his father wasn't one to waste his time.
  
  He left Bruno to his own devices before setting out for Rustboro, quickly making his way into the headquarters for Devon Corp. He made a few perfunctory greetings to their employees in the lobby before swiftly arriving his father's office - where he saw his father idly fiddling around with a small stone in his hands.
  
  "...Isn't that the marble that I got for you as a gift?" He asked as he stepped into his father's office, "I didn't realise you'd like it that much."
  
  "It does have a nice colour." His father nodded, inspecting the orange marble that had a slice of wavy red running through the middle, "But that's not why I'm so interested in it."
  
  "Oh?" He tilted his head, taking a seat opposite of his father, "Does it contain some kind of rare material?"
  
  "Well... I'm not sure, actually." His father admitted, before pushing forwards a report for Steven to read, "At first, I thought it was just another nice stone to add to my collection, but I was doing some routine tests - like I do with any stone I collect - to see if I could uncover anything unusual or interesting about the stone in question."
  
  "That's when I discovered the latent yet dormant power that seemed to reside within this stone." His father explained, "Then I decided to run a few more tests, and I was pretty surprised at what I found."
  
  "...The readings do look familiar." He said as he looked through the report.
  
  "Indeed, I thought the same." His father nodded, "The readings that this mysterious stone gave off was very similar to the ones given off by evolution stones."
  
  His father pushed forwards another report that contained said readings. Comparing the two, Steven could certainly see the similarities.
  
  "...Right, I see it too." He agreed, "But they're not completely the same. There are differences. Minor ones, but they exist."
  
  "Yes, and the other thing was that this particular stone doesn't actually emit or radiate the same energies that the evolution stones do." His father described, "It doesn't radiate Fire Type energy like a Fire Stone would, or any kind of energy that the other evolution stones usually radiate either."
  
  Steven tapped a finger on his chin, "Huh. That's very curious. So does that mean it's not an evolution stone then?"
  
  His father shrugged, "I have no idea at this point. That's why I wanted to ask you if you remembered where you picked this up from - to see if you could help me narrow down on just what this is."
  
  Steven jogged his memory, "...Yes, I think I remember. Some little girl had ran up to me when I was about to depart from Canalave since she said she recognised me and Bruno. I still remember that odd little Shroomish that she had by her side. She had me sign something, and then she gave me this little stone as a nice gift. I wanted to refuse, but she was quite insistent so I accepted it."
  
  He smiled fondly, "Now that I think back on it, it was quite a nice encounter. Usually my fans just demand an autograph or photo. Having someone actually gift something back was quite nice, especially since she seemed to have done her research beforehand about my love of geology."
  
  His father hummed, "Well then you might have stumbled onto something truly extraordinary by complete accident then. Did you at least catch the girl's name? We could try to ask her some questions - though I highly doubt she'd remember where she picked up such a rock. Or, if something truly interesting comes from this, we could reward her for her findings."
  
  He shook his head, "No, I didn't ask for a name. Though... I think she said that she came from Verdanturf and had come to Sinnoh for a vacation."
  
  "...Verdanturf..." His father muttered, "That's quite close by, but I don't think that there's anything interesting in that small town. Is there?"
  
  "It's just your typical sleepy town." Steven confirmed, "Why? Are you thinking about sending a team to search through it to find out more clues? Because I'd highly recommend against that."
  
  "Oh? And why not?" His father leaned forwards curiously.
  
  "Because having Devon Corp members suddenly digging through a sleepy town is going to look bad." He replied, "Worse than that, it'll make people ask questions about what we're doing. Instead, I'll go in person and do some investigating. It'll be better that way."
  
  His father nodded, "Good. Keep me in touch if you do find anything. In the meanwhile, I'm going to keep looking into this weird stone and see if I can pry out its secrets."
  
  Steven stood up to leave, but he had one more question on his mind, "Are you planning on keeping this within Devon Corp? Or are you going to branch out for additional assistance?"
  
  "...I see no reason why we need to ask for outside help for now. It's not like we're devoid of resources here." His father responded after thinking it over, "Call it a gut instinct, but I feel like the less people know about it, the more we can benefit from what this is."
  
  Steven nodded slowly, "I... don't disagree. My gut tells me the same thing. Whatever this is, I think it has the potential to be something truly huge. But try not to be too stubborn about it. If this project proves too nebulous for us to resolve, then there's no harm in reaching for outside help."
  
  His father agreed, "A Poffin shared between many is better than having none at all."
  
  But neither he nor his father would realise just how momentous of a discovery that this small little stone would become. Nor how it would completely overturn the world when it was revealed.
  
  A.N. Professor Blaine is finally here! I wanted to do a bit of worldbuilding and demonstrate the process of becoming a Professor, and just why the requirements are so stringent. But otherwise, I felt no need to drag out Blaine's professorship for any longer. We all knew he was competent enough for the position.
  
  As for Steven's conversation, I'm sure you don't need me to explain what it was that they found - it was a Pidgeotite, just like in the games. Of course, just because we know what it is doesn't mean that people in-story do, so it's still going to be some time before they full uncover what it is that Steven had accidentally stumbled across. I'm sure it's going to be mega interesting when they do.
  
  Also, this will be the end of the primarily timeskip chapters. The next non-interlude chapter will be back to John's POV. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -14-4-Interlude-Whitney
  The New Normal - 14-4 - Interlude - Whitney
  
  She had nearly spent a whole year at the Saffron Gym, and if she was ever asked (and she frequently was), then she could wholeheartedly say that she greatly enjoyed her time here.
  
  There was much that she had learned, and was still learning, and she was very thankful for Gym Leader Samson for being so accommodating with her. Especially because she knew that the Saffron Gym already had plenty of competent trainers filling its ranks. Gym Leader Samson had a good system already in place, and if she wasn't a good friend of Sabrina's, she knew that there was little chance that she could have taken up a position as a Gym Trainer in the first place.
  
  That wasn't to say that she wasn't doing a good job - even the Head Gym Trainer at the Gym had given her praise for her performance - but she knew that she could never realistically ascend any higher than a Gym Trainer if she stayed at the Gym.
  
  Honestly, that didn't bother her too much. She was happy where she was.
  
  However, as per the original promise that she had with her two closest friends, she was going to be spending an equal amount of time in both Saffron and Fuschia. And given that it was nearing a full year that she had spent at Saffron, it was about time she honoured her side of the agreement and move over to Fuschia.
  
  So, despite greatly enjoying her time at Saffron, she was equally as excited to move on to the Fuschia Gym. Not only because she got to spend more time with Janine, who she had admittedly slightly neglected due to their respective duties, but also because it would actually be a benefit for her career.
  
  As Samson pointed out to her, "As much as I'd like you to stay, moving over to Fuschia would be good for you. I've spoken to Koga, and I know that his Gym Trainers are all getting on in years. They're absurdly competent, but they might be looking to retire fairly soon. That might give you the chance to replace them once they do - who knows, maybe you'll even become a Head Gym Trainer in a few years' time or so."
  
  She felt that he was being a bit too optimistic, but she still hoped it would be true.
  
  Preparations were currently being made to accommodate her. Janine was welcoming her with open arms, and her regent and Head Gym Trainer had no problem with it either, given that she was quite the reputable trainer in her own right.
  
  However, it seemed like not everyone was so content with such a transfer. Apparently, one of the newer Gym Trainer recruits had found out about her transfer (it wasn't a secret anyways) and had verbally disagreed with the decision.
  
  "He argued that it was unfair that you didn't have to pass the respective tests to earn the position." Janine previously told her over the phone, "We tried to tell him that your list of achievements would have allowed you to skip over them anyways, but he wouldn't hear it. He challenged you to a fight, claiming that you were only as successful as you were because of your reliance on your older brother."
  
  "...He didn't actually word it that way, did he?" She asked slowly.
  
  "...No." Janine admitted, "He was much more crass about it. I was merely paraphrasing."
  
  "I see - well, in that case, tell him that I accept." She replied, "Just give me a time and place, and I'll be there."
  
  "We'll make the arrangements." Janine nodded, "But just to warn you - he's also made quite the successful run in this year's Indigo Circuit. He went further than we did, in fact. So he isn't some pushover."
  
  "Oh, that won't matter." She responded, feeling a smile creep up on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes, "I'll see him in the arena."
  
  They ended up meeting in two days' time. She had explained the situation to Samson and Sabrina, who were willing to give her some time off to handle the battle. Sabrina was also allowed to accompany her.
  
  Right now, they were in the private training grounds of the Fuschia Gym, where the only spectators were the other Gym Trainers, and Janine and Sabrina. Of course, considering the few phones being held out, she knew that the battle would be on the Pokénet soon enough.
  
  The fight would be a 3v3 fight, with one switch allowed, as was standard practice.
  
  It didn't take long her opponent to come swaggering out, with that confident gait in his step that she recognised from her research into his past battles. Despite the outward look of confidence, she knew that it was merely a façade to hide his nervousness, as betrayed by the occasional tapping of his finger.
  
  He was right to be nervous.
  
  "You know, I thought you wouldn't even accept my challenge." He taunted her, "I thought you would just ask our Gym Leader to 'solve your problem' for you and have me kicked out. It'd fit the nepotism that you're so used to."
  
  Instead of acknowledging his insult, she instead asked a different question.
  
  "May I have your name?" She asked calmly.
  
  "It's Kayden." He replied with a confident smirk, putting his hands in his pocket, "Remember it."
  
  "I shall." She nodded, "Thank you."
  
  He looked puzzled at her sudden thanks, but she didn't elaborate as the referee made themselves known.
  
  "TRAINERS! ENOUGH CHATTER! ARE YOU READY?!" They both nodded.
  
  "THREE!... TWO!... ONE!... GO!"
  
  "Come out, Arbok!"
  
  "Miltank!"
  
  Her Miltank came tumbling out of her Pokéball in her signature Rollout, already speeding across the battlefield towards Arbok. Arbok responded by belching out a wave of deadly poison while also chucking out many Toxic Spikes that littered across the battlefield.
  
  However, that was when her Miltank bounced into the air, uncurling out of her Rollout, before taking Arbok by surprise as she suddenly transitioned into a Giga Impact and performed a lightning fast mid-air dive that sent the Normal type rocketing through the air like a missile.
  
  Completely unprepared, Arbok wasn't able to slither away in time before the meteor that was Miltank came brutally crashing down on it. The Poison type let out a pained gasp as Miltank crushed it underneath her full weight, before delivering a devastating Zen Headbutt that smashed into Arbok's face.
  
  Arbok tried desperately to fight back, spitting out a globule of poison at Miltank, but she remained unfazed as she kept Arbok pinned beneath her as she began to savage and pummel it with a series of ruthless Mega Punches.
  
  Realising his Arbok was completely screwed, Kayden had no choice but to recall it before it was beaten into unconsciousness.
  
  Seeing her prey being sent away, Miltank took the opportunity to heal herself up with a Heal Bell, purging it of the poison that she had been inflicted with when she came into contact with the Toxic Spikes.
  
  "Come out, Nidoking!"
  
  Whitney let out a smile as she saw her opponent release his Nidoking. He must have been thinking that he could match Miltank in a battle of strength.
  
  But that was a fatal mistake. Miltank had been trained up using her brother's Pokémon as the standard - in the hopes that one day, she could match her brother as a peer. And unfortunately for Kayden, his Nidoking failed to meet that very high standard.
  
  Therefore, Miltank wasted no time Rolling forwards, dodging past an Earth Power that tried to knock her off balance. Thinking that Miltank was about to crash into him, Nidoking threw himself forwards with a Superpower, trying to match Miltank's strength with his own.
  
  However, instead of going for the direct hit, Miltank swerved on the spot and rolled around the Nidoking, causing his Superpower to go completely wide. Realising this mistake, Nidoking tried to spin around and block the incoming attack, but it was too late.
  
  "Zen Headbutt!"
  
  A savage Zen Headbutt, honed through many long hours of training with Sabrina, came slamming into his head, knocking Nidoking backwards. He instinctively raised both arms to shield himself from another attack, but Miltank had instead used Iron Tail to bounce backwards before unleashing a rippling Earthquake - the supereffective move sending Nidoking falling onto a knee as he lost his balance.
  
  Miltank immediately pounced onto her foe, striking with a ruthless uppercut that struck with an audible SNAP and swiftly causing Nidoking to collapse to the floor.
  
  "Swing around with an Iron Tail, Nidoking!"
  
  Despite his injuries, Nidoking forced itself up and swung around his reinforced tail like a club that was about to hammer into Miltank's side. But Miltank simply caught it her arms, and with a happy grin that was completely out of place in such a savage battle, proceeded to lift the Nidoking by the tail before brutally slamming it back face first into the ground.
  
  "Earthquake, Miltank! Finish him!"
  
  Her Miltank was all too eager to do so, stomping on the ground and causing another explosive Earthquake to rip through the battlefield. Nidoking's body was bounced up and down as the powerful tremors wrecked through his body. And as it laid there groaning in pain, a vicious Ice Punch came slamming into the back of his head and forced him to eat dirt.
  
  Nidoking didn't get back up after that.
  
  Seeing her opponent's Nidoking get knocked out just like that, she was reminded of her lessons with Karen as she proceeded to give her opponent a calm and pitying smile - provoking him with her façade of false kindness. It did the trick, as Kayden almost exploded with anger at the sight.
  
  "GENGAR! GO!"
  
  His Gengar quickly sank into its own shadow, disappearing from sight. It didn't take long for it to reappear behind Miltank, with a Focus Blast charged up in its hands.
  
  However, she already knew how to beat a Gengar. Karen had already given her a trump card to use.
  
  "Taunt, Miltank!"
  
  Kayden's eyes widened with alarm, "No! Gengar! Stay back!"
  
  His orders came far too late, as the shot of Dark energy rapidly enveloped the Gengar. Rage filled its eyes, and it quickly unleashed a barrage of Focus Blasts at Miltank. Lost to its rage as it was, many Focus Blasts went completely wide, leaving only a handful to come Miltank's way.
  
  The supereffective attacks did hurt, but it was far from enough to bring down her starter.
  
  Demonstrating just how much Kayden had neglected his Pokémon's mental training, Gengar didn't even make a move to dodge as Miltank came barrelling into the Ghost type with another powerful Zen Headbutt. Gengar staggered backwards, but still had the wherewithal to unleash a point-blank Sludge Wave at her Miltank - for all the good that it would do.
  
  Her Miltank simply shrugged it off and finished off the Gengar with a Sucker Punch to the gut. The frail Gengar was launched backwards through the air before it fell limply onto the ground.
  
  She deliberately smirked at her opponent. Letting him know that all three of his Pokémon weren't able to inflict anything more than a scratch against her Miltank, who stood there with her arms proudly around her waist.
  
  "Are you going to try your luck with your wounded Arbok too?" She asked, injecting as much false sweetness into her tone, "Or are you willing to accept your defeat? I can assure you that any further defiance will be futile."
  
  She usually wasn't this... hostile against her opponents. However, even though Janine had not relayed the exact words that he used to insult her, she could imagine what they were.
  
  And she knew that she could not let that stand.
  
  She could see that Kayden was struggling to accept his defeat, but eventually he proved himself to be more disciplined than she had expected as he let out a big sigh.
  
  "I forfeit." He announced.
  
  She nodded at his declaration of defeat, and she was tempted to push for an apology. But instead, she knew that she had to be the better person.
  
  "There's no need for you to apologise to me." She said, a little too sweetly, "Your defeat has already been a sufficient enough of an apology, and I look forward to working alongside you as a colleague in the coming future."
  
  That came out a little more mocking than she intended, but she didn't feel like correcting herself as she turned to walk away. However, just before she exited the arena, she couldn't help herself. Borrowing one more lesson from Karen that she was pretty sure that Karen hadn't meant for her to learn, she turned around to face Kayden one last time.
  
  Sometimes, there was a need to just rub salt on the wound.
  
  "Oh, and Kayden?" He looked up at her, "Thank you for being my Shin. I'm glad I was able to follow in my brother's footsteps in this respect as well."
  
  She could almost hear his teeth gnashing together in rage.
  
  A.N. I had this idea for an Interlude, and it wouldn't leave my mind. I wanted Whitney to have her own 'Shin' moment, though obviously with different circumstances. I only felt that it was appropriate. And yes, Shin is now a meme in-universe thanks to his complete humiliation at the hands of John.
  
  Also, one thing that I keep wanting to show with Whitney is how she's been learning from her different mentors, as well as how her Pokémon are progressing. She's not just following in her brother's footsteps, but is also taking notes from various different fighting styles as well. I might show more of this off later, but Whitney's really angling to become a 'pseudo-generalist' Normal specialist. Hope you enjoyed the slightly longer Interlude!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 14-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-5 - The Gauntlet
  
  So many things had happened in the last few months after Team Galactic was taken care of.
  
  Like I had hoped, there was a return to normalcy, which was the perfect opportunity for me to start working on my more ambitious plans once again. So even though things were peaceful, I was actually swamped with work, of my own accord, because of how many things I was juggling at once.
  
  Starting from the most important of these was the new transport system that was currently being built up in all three regions. It was something that Will and I ended up working together on, as we both realised how much of a boon that would be for our regions - even if there was a huge upfront cost. The economical and commercial benefits would be massive, hence why our idea had gained a lot of traction politically.
  
  However, even with the assistance of Pokémon, building a train system that stretched out that far would take years. Furthermore, there was a whole set of other logistical issues that accompanied such a project, such as ensuring the security of the train guards, protecting the whole structure from wild Pokémon, and having service stations set up so that any faults could be quickly fixed.
  
  Therefore, even with approval, it still wouldn't be completed for a while, and it was going to be a very costly endeavour that I was sure was causing a lot of headaches for many administrators and engineers (though not me, since I scrubbed my hands of the matter after proposing it). But it was clear that it was something everyone wanted done. Air travel was also considered as an alternative.
  
  But once we had some kind of reliable transport system set up, it would just make things so much easier for literally everyone.
  
  Will had told me that part of the reason he wanted to push for this was because it would only further solidify his Goldenrod City as being the commercial hub of Johto. If his city was subsequently connected to both Hoenn and Sinnoh as well, then it'd be all the more prosperous.
  
  In the midst of all that, I didn't realise that my sister had gotten into a battle for her own honour. It was definitely surprising to hear about, and I was pretty furious when I heard that she had been insulted, but after hearing of the outcome I quickly calmed down. After videos of that battle were spread online, she had certainly shown her critics why insulting her like that was such a bad idea.
  
  The battle was a stomp, with her Miltank thoroughly pummelling her opponent's Pokémon into the ground. I was proud of her for that.
  
  Additionally, on other personal matters, I had been keeping track of Daisy's journey through the Indigo Circuit - as was my duty as her unofficial 'mentor'. Slightly unfortunately, she was not able to replicate my sister's own feats at defeating every Gym in the first go. She ended up losing her first attempt against Erika, due to the Poison types.
  
  However, she insisted she didn't need any advice from me and managed to clear through that small roadblock on the second attempt. Now, after a string of successes with the next Gyms, she was currently waiting for her rematch against Dorothy, who she had also lost once to. But after I had helped her with some advice, I was confident she would be successful in her rematch.
  
  In the meanwhile, I knew that Karen had spent a lot of time focusing on Lavender Town, where the new Radio Tower was now up and running. The 'Kanto Radio Tower', as it was now called, with its traditional and cultural-centric broadcasts, had rapidly garnered interest amongst the populace.
  
  Furthermore, there had been a slew of additional renovations and improvements for the Lavender Gym. Dorothy had decided to play up the 'haunted house' theme for the Ghost Type Gym. From what Karen told me, it seemed to have been successful.
  
  On the topic of successes, Cynthia had also made some waves in Sinnoh, earning back some of that goodwill that she had lost, where she decided to develop that small sub-region to the north east of Sinnoh that would later be known as the Battle Zone in canon. Previously, the only interesting thing in the area was Stark Mountain, and everything else was mostly left to their own devices, much like how the Sevii Islands were before development began on it.
  
  However, she had proposed a huge construction project where she would be turning the area around Stark Mountain into a Battle Zone - creating a place that would be the home of her newly proposed Battle Frontier. Much like the games, the Battle Frontier was intended to be the gathering point for experienced trainers to test their skills against each other, while also offering unique challenges through its different battle facilities.
  
  I hoped that her Battle Frontier would be as successful and as popular as it was in the games. I had also given her my own suggestions, including adding in a points system to allow successful trainers to convert their wins for certain prizes. She took my comments under advisement, but told me that she already had a pretty clear vision on what she wanted to do.
  
  Yet, despite all of this politicking and region building, the first and foremost purpose of an Elite Four is to be a symbol of strength for the region. Subsequently, now that we were more than halfway through the Circuit, Lance had informed us of his idea to host a small tournament for the Indigo Elite Four to allow Ace Trainers an opportunity to challenge us, even if they hadn't won the Indigo Conference yet.
  
  It was a one-time thing that was meant to capitalise on the large PR win that Koga and I had for participating in the Day of Calamity in Sinnoh, and to ease up on the public pressure that the both of us were getting from overeager trainers desperately trying to request a battle against us.
  
  Though I suspected that the real reason was to serve as a fundraiser for the League, given that we had so many expensive projects in the pipeline.
  
  However, we soon realised that adopting the usual tournament format wouldn't really work out due to just how many trainers wanted to challenge us. So instead, after some discussion, we revamped the entire idea into a gauntlet run. Lance also was 'given permission' to participate.
  
  Or in other words, he basically ignored the protests of his advisors and decided to participate anyways.
  
  Basically, instead of a usual tournament where we weeded out potential challengers until the best amongst them got to challenge us, we would allow anyone to challenge us in an unending series of 1v1 battles which would keep going until our six chosen Pokémon were knocked out. Therefore, everyone got a chance to battle us, and it would be a test of our Pokémon's strength, endurance, and stamina.
  
  Obviously, we all understood that your average Ace Trainer would not really be much of an opponent for us. However, by pitting us against an endless stream of trainers, it would not be a matter of if they could defeat us, but rather when we would be defeated.
  
  It didn't matter how strong your Pokémon was. They all tired eventually.
  
  With that in mind, we refined the idea further, adding in small prizes for being the one to successfully defeat one of our Pokémon. That added an element of strategy for the Ace Trainers - if they wanted to claim the prize, then they would have to be the one to deal the knockout blow. But since they could only use one Pokémon, they would ideally have to try to time their battles to take advantage of when our Pokémon are most exhausted to secure a knockout. Yet they also couldn't come in too late, or else someone else would take the prize and glory.
  
  We all liked the idea enough, and it was determined that the 'Elite Four Gauntlet', as it was called, was going to be hosted at the partially rebuilt Cinnabar Island - as a way of showing the public that the Island had indeed been gradually returned to its former splendour.
  
  Or hopefully, even more than that.
  
  "Feels like it's been an eon since I've stepped foot on the Island." Karen muttered as us four Elite Four members sat together in the newly built arena at the Cinnabar Islands. It was a grand thing, almost as large as the one on the Indigo Plateau, and was able to host thousands of spectators.
  
  The thing was, it was clear that the Cinnabar council prioritised the building of the stadium over almost everything else. I heavily questioned the rationale behind such a decision, but soon figured that this was likely just a play by the local council of Cinnabar to eventually have the Gym be relocated back here. They probably wanted to show off that since there was now a perfectly suitable stadium to make use of, therefore they were eligible to have their own Gym back.
  
  Though I didn't think that Agatha would relinquish her hold of her new Gym anytime soon, nor would Karen allow it. Perhaps if another Kanto Gym failed, then perhaps Cinnabar Island would be able to regain its Gym.
  
  However, it did feel weird that this giant arena was among one of the first things that the Cinnabar council decided to build when much of the city was still being reconstructed. It felt like they had decided to focus on regaining their lost prestige first rather than anything else.
  
  I shook myself from my thoughts as I replied to Karen, "Eh. There was little reason to with everything still being under construction. Honestly, Lance invited me over once to sit in on one of the planning committees for the rebuilding process, but I didn't know why I was even there. I certainly didn't know anything about how to organise a city to limit the damage from a potential eruption."
  
  "At least they have clearly made the effort to do so." Koga nodded, "It is obvious that the city has been built with safety as its core concern." He gestured to the enormous walls that were being constructed around the Cinnabar Volcano, "If nothing else, I am sure that the ex-residents would at least feel that it is safe to return to their former homes."
  
  "I heard that the monitoring systems were really expensive, amongst all the other protective measures that they've included." Lorelei added, "I doubt they'd be able to afford everything if Lance hadn't granted them a loan on behalf of the League."
  
  "It'll be worth it." Karen said, "Cinnabar has a lot of potential once it's redeveloped. The League will make its money back."
  
  "I hope that they do preserve some of the destroyed remnants from the eruption to serve as a memorial." Koga said, "It will be a good reminder for the people about why such extensive protective measures were put in place, and to not forget the importance of memorising the evacuation procedures. All the protection will be useless if you have people running around in a blind panic when another eruption comes."
  
  The sound of a man's footsteps could be heard before another voice spoke out, "And hear I thought you all would be talking about the gauntlet ahead of you." Lance chuckled, "But of course, I find you all four of you talking about the Island instead."
  
  I shrugged, "It's more interesting. It's not like we'd be nervous for something like this." My colleagues nodded alongside me.
  
  Lance raised an eyebrow, "You say that, but I thought there'd be a competition among you for who will defeat the most challengers."
  
  Now that was an idea.
  
  I deliberately shrugged as casually as I could, "Well that's easy. It's obviously going to be me. There's no chance your Pokémon can match mine with their stamina and endurance."
  
  I was being intentionally boastful just to stoke the flames. And it worked.
  
  "Woah, calm down there with your big head." Karen whacked me lightly on the shoulder, "I think I'm going to have to disagree with your analysis. Most of your Pokémon are bruisers who like to get in close. Even if they'll beat up a few opponents, they'll get worn down quickly by having to always exert their strength. And you won't be able to heal them either since we can't switch out."
  
  "We've worked on our stamina quite a bit too." I remarked, "Besides, you rely too much on Taunts anyways. Eventually someone's going to catch on and you're going to find yourself cornered and overpowered."
  
  "And yet it is not about how long you last, it is about how many Pokémon our six can defeat." Koga spoke up, "My Pokémon may not be able to match yours in stamina, but I believe they will be able to secure enough knockouts for that not to matter."
  
  "A forest of frozen statues will remain in my Pokémon's wake - I promise you." Lorelei added, "You will find yourself eating those words soon enough, John."
  
  It was then that Lance let out a large laugh, "I think you're all forgetting about the Dragon in the room. My Dragons will easily be the victors in this competition. You may as well all prostrate yourselves before me now and accept your defeat."
  
  Even though it was all said in jest, no one could deny the burning competitive spirit in the room. Even if it was for fun, we were all far too competitive to allow ourselves to 'lose' this challenge. At the end of the day, even if it didn't really mean anything since the Ace Trainers we would be fighting against all had different levels of strength, we all wanted to be the one with the most knockouts.
  
  As there was five of us here, and six Pokémon each, it was decided that we would have to take turns since there wouldn't be enough space for all of us to fit at once. After some truly intense games of rock-paper-scissors, I ended up being the first to go. Therefore, I'd be setting the score for my fellow Elite Four members and Champion to beat.
  
  Looking around, there was a truly massive crowd of people that had come to watch our battle today. Many were Ace trainers that were looking to be participants, but many more were merely spectators that had come just to see who were the trainers who would 'beat' an Elite Four/Champion's Pokémon. Or perhaps they were just here to see us in action once again.
  
  As I took up my position on one end of the battlefield, I saw that an utterly enormous line of trainers began to form on the other side of the stadium - all of them waiting their turn to fight me and my colleagues.
  
  It really put into perspective just how popular we were.
  
  Nevertheless, I had already planned out in advance which of my Pokémon I was going to use in this gauntlet. Sufficed to say, any of my 'support' Pokémon would not be used - they simply didn't have the firepower necessary to secure consecutive knockouts.
  
  Therefore, the six Pokémon I had chosen to use would be: Tyrant, Vordt, Smough, Klaus, Winston, and Pixel. Admittedly, the choice to bring out Winston over my more experienced Pokémon may seem odd, considering he wasn't nearly as strong as the others, but there were three main reasons I chose him.
  
  One, this was an excellent way for him to earn battle experience against Pokémon that he didn't normally fight against, since I mostly trained against Karen during my spare time. Secondly, since Pokémon were able to maintain their buffs so long as they weren't switched out or knocked out, I had a strategy in mind where I could set up with an early Belly Drum and then keep that maximized attack against every opponent until Winston fell.
  
  Lastly, I really just wanted to show off just how much stronger he got after the past few months of training.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WHAT A MARVELLOUS OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TODAY! OUR VERY OWN ELITE FOUR AND CHAMPION WILL BE FACING OFF AGAINST AN UNENDING GAUNTLET OF HOPEFUL ACE TRAINERS, WHO I'M SURE ARE ALL CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO BE THE ONES TO TAKE DOWN ONE OF THEIR SIX POKÉMON!"
  
  "REMEMBER, PARTICIPATION IS OPEN TO ALL! SO IF YOU'RE AN ACE TRAINER, THEN WHY DON'T YOU TRY TO TEST YOURSELF AGAINST THE VERY BEST OF THE INDIGO LEAGUE?! MAYBE YOU'LL BE THE ONE TO BRING THEM DOWN YOURSELF!"
  
  "EITHER WAY, I WON'T WASTE ANY MORE OF YOUR TIME, FOR WE HAVE A LOT OF BATTLES TO GO THROUGH TODAY! SO FIRST UP, WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN ELITE JOHN - THE AWAKENER OF LEGENDARIES HIMSELF! WHO WILL BE THE ONES TO BRING DOWN HIS POWERFUL ROSTER OF NORMAL TYPES?!"
  
  I frowned as I heard my new unofficial title. I didn't mind it too much, but I'd rather be known for something else.
  
  "LET'S FIND OUT RIGHT NOW! SEND OUT THE FIRST TRAINER!"
  
  The first Ace Trainer stepped up to me nervously, though his eyes betrayed just how awe-struck he was. That nervousness never really left him as he sent out his first Pokémon.
  
  "Come out, Machamp."
  
  "Go, Pixel."
  
  I wasn't surprised that he sent out a Fighting Type. Unfortunately, unlike with Koga and Lorelei, I didn't really have any Pokémon that could set up something that would benefit my other Pokémon without needing to switch. For example, Koga could set up Toxic Spikes that would linger on the battlefield until they were removed, while Lorelei could set up the Snow.
  
  But my Normal types didn't have such moves to make use of - meaning that it didn't really matter which Pokémon I started off with.
  
  "Conversion - Fairy! Then blast it!"
  
  Wanting to really show off the fruits of Pixel's training, I had Pixel immediately switch its type to Fairy, before firing off a Fairy type Tri-Attack that instantly interrupted Machamp's reckless charge.
  
  My opponent shot me a look of confusion, not understanding just why the Tri-Attack was so effective against his Machamp. I kept my smirk hidden; not wanting to reveal that Pixel had successfully managed to manipulate its Tri-Attack to match its current Type as I had trained it to.
  
  It was a lot of hard work, but it was absolutely worth it. Pixel would now always have a supereffective move that it could bring to bear against any opponent.
  
  The opposing Machamp then tried for an Earthquake, but a swift Magnet Rise quickly nullified any damage that Pixel would have taken before it started blasting Machamp with an unending barrage of Tri-Attacks. The Rock Slide that Machamp threw out defensively was ripped through, providing no protection for Machamp to hide behind - giving Machamp no other options but to dodge.
  
  The Machamp dove to the side, desperately trying to scramble out of the way. It didn't matter, as a Psychic managed to slam into its chest and sending him careening backwards before a Moonblast finished it off.
  
  The crowd went silent for a brief moment as they were stunned by the very quick defeat of an Ace Trainer - who were normally seen as just being one step below your average Gym Leader, and two steps below an Elite Four. And yet I had blown through him like it was nothing; not even breaking a sweat.
  
  My Pokémon had grown to be that far ahead of them in strength. Which sent a message to the challengers to come.
  
  For them, winning would be a miracle.
  
  Seeing what happened to his predecessor, my next opponent looked even more hesitant as she stepped up to face me. She didn't have a trace of confidence in her expression as she sent out her Scizor. It rushed forwards with a Bullet Punch, flying quickly through the air.
  
  Pixel swapped to Fire and fired off a Tri-Attack. Scizor dodged, but a Protect shield from Pixel blocked its Bullet Punch before a surprise Gravity sent it crashing to the ground.
  
  This time, it couldn't dodge. And it was completely immolated by another Fire Tri-Attack. A second one made sure it stayed down for good.
  
  After that came a Kingdra. It landed a glancing blow with a Hydro Pump, only for Pixel to hit back even harder with a critical Fairy type Tri-Attack. Kingdra tried to duel my Pixel with its Special Attacks, but it quickly found out that it most certainly did not win such a battle. So after only a few exchanges, Kingdra fell too.
  
  And then the next challenger came up, with the cycle of defeat repeating itself over and over again.
  
  Pixel left a mound of bodies in its wake. Challenger after challenger fell to its overwhelming might. Any injuries that Pixel may have sustained was quickly healed up with a Recover, ensuring that it was always topped up for the next battle.
  
  With its constant ability to heal itself, Pixel was able to sweep through what felt like dozens of challengers, to the point where some challengers were even feeling demoralised the moment they realised they were going to be next to face off against Pixel.
  
  However, even with such a domineering performance, Pixel inevitably grew tired. Even using Recover wasn't able to make up for the growing exhaustion that it felt. Therefore, Pixel began to slow down, its attacks began to weaken, and it gradually lost a lot of its once-enormous firepower.
  
  Eventually, Pixel's fatigue became too much for it to sustain, and it finally fell to an opposing Heracross, who managed to avoid a very lethargic Psychic and take down Pixel with a well-placed Close Combat.
  
  Seeing Pixel finally fall, and ignoring the loud celebrations of the crowd and the trainer that took Pixel down, I went to take a brief look at the Ace Trainers who were still lining up to face me. I had expected that line to be cut down by a huge amount, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
  
  If anything, it looked like the line actually grew longer, because I saw that it now extended all the way back up to where the seating areas were.
  
  Fuck. And here I was hoping that I could pull off something really cheeky and defeat so many Ace Trainers that there wouldn't be enough to face me down. That would have been quite embarrassing for the event in general, but not for me.
  
  Oh well. I had five more Pokémon to go, and I was going to make sure I would take down as many as we could before we went down.
  
  I stared down my opponent as I withdrew Pixel. He grinned back at me, surging with renewed confidence now that he had taken down one of my Pokémon.
  
  I was going to wipe that smile off his face.
  
  "John's really setting quite the high score." One of the analysts commentated, "How many trainers has he gone through now?"
  
  "I've lost count!" His partner added, "Don't know why we thought that he would slow down after his Porygon-Z went down. Clearly that's not been the case!"
  
  "Can't believe we forgot about his shiny Lickilicky too! I think the last time we really saw it in a public fight like this was when John used it against the new Gym Leader Dorothy - and it was definitely not this strong!"
  
  "Well that's because he's set up with a fully Belly Drum. Just look at it go!"
  
  "Nah, it's way more than just that. With the way it's rolling around like that, doesn't it remind you of his sister's Miltank? It's surprisingly agile!"
  
  "Indeed! Look at that mobility! No wonder his sister's so good with Rollout. It must really roll in the family, hah!"
  
  "Think we'll be seeing more trainers make use of such a move?"
  
  "Most definitely! I used to think Rollout was a weak move, but now I see that it's able to boost a Pokémon's mobility to incredible heights! And it can also be a very powerful attack!"
  
  "...Ooooh and on that note it looks like another challenger has been knocked out! Wow, will his Lickilicky be able to surpass Pixel's record!?"
  
  "And Lickilicky finally goes down! Not quite managing to take out as much as Porygon-Z did - but it looks like John's not giving his opponent any opportunity to breathe as he sends out his Pokémon, his famed Wyrdeer... and oh! They've already secured their first knockout with a powerful Psychic!"
  
  "My word. It's extraordinary to think that the gap in strength between your standard Ace Trainer and an Elite Four like John could be so huge."
  
  "Well that could just be John being John. Don't forget that the man has somehow managed to survive an encounter against a full-on Legendary. Obviously his Pokémon aren't going to be easy to defeat!"
  
  "...Wait, what is that large psychic field that the Wyrdeer just set up?"
  
  "I don't know, but it looks like some kind of psychic terrain to me. Does it increase the damage from Psychic type attacks?"
  
  "...OH! That's a BIG HIT! That Poliwrath just ran straight into that Future Sight trap. And John's Wyrdeer managed to Teleport out of that Dynamic Punch - it's just too mobile for that Fighting type to hit!"
  
  "Mhm. He's really trained up that Psychic type really well, hasn't he? It's almost like he's a Psychic specialist with how quickly his Wyrdeer is able to Teleport around... and that's another knockout! A fine Zen Headbutt to finish the fight..."
  
  It took almost the entirety of the morning, but eventually they managed to bring down all but one of my Pokémon.
  
  Tyrant was my only remaining Pokémon, but what a Pokémon he was.
  
  I don't even remember how many Ace Trainers it took before they managed to take down Vordt, and he wasn't even the strongest of my Pokémon. Now Tyrant was on the field, having already established his complete and utter dominance by thoroughly thrashing a Dodrio and burying it into the ground with absolutely no opportunity to retaliate.
  
  Honestly, by this point, I was actually getting a little tired myself. Though I hadn't done any of the actual fighting, I had spent the past few hours constantly commanding my Pokémon to the best of my ability, and it had worn through my mental stamina. The Ace Trainers that I fought against had long become nothing more than faceless beings that I quickly shuffled through.
  
  So when the next person stepped up to the plate, I didn't even bother sparing them a glance as I got ready for the next fight.
  
  That was, until I heard a very familiar voice call out.
  
  "Aren't you going to say anything, bro."
  
  My head snapped up so quickly that I almost gave myself whiplash. My eyes widened like saucers as I saw my sister standing there opposite me, before all of my tiredness instantly left me as a smile broke out on my face.
  
  "Hello, sis. I didn't know you would be here today."
  
  "I was given the morning off." She replied, "And I was waiting for an opportunity to challenge you at your best. I kept letting others go first until you were just down to just Tyrant."
  
  "I see." I nodded, "So, are you trying to test how far your Miltank can go? I know you've trained her up very well."
  
  "I'm confident she'll be able to give Tyrant a good beating." She grinned, "Let me show you!"
  
  "Go, Miltank!"
  
  Her Miltank came charging out in her signature Rollout, and the battle began. I deliberately held off from giving Tyrant any commands, allowing Miltank to slam a hard hitting Brick Break right into Tyrant's face.
  
  "Counter!"
  
  However, that was the only free hit she was going to get, as Tyrant then glowed a deadly orange as he converted all of that damage and supercharged his next attack, throwing out a lightning fast and devastatingly destructive punch that drove deep into Miltank's stomach.
  
  Miltank was launched backwards by the blow; the attack was too powerful for her to block.
  
  I gave Whitney a look - warning her to not try that again. Against most of the opponents that she would face, having Miltank try to pummel an opponent after slamming into them with a Rollout would be pretty effective. Her Miltank hit hard enough to force an immediate response or risk getting knocked out.
  
  However, she had forgotten that against a superior brawler like Tyrant, that method wouldn't work. Simply put, there was no chance that Miltank could out-brawl Tyrant, and therefore she needed to try something else. If she wanted to make this a good fight, then she was going to have to rely on her other arsenal of moves.
  
  She met my stare with a short nod, and changed up her tactics.
  
  "Belly Drum, Miltank!"
  
  I nodded at her choice, while also acknowledging that she must have intentionally trained up Miltank to learn Belly Drum since Miltank did not naturally learn the move. Still, I didn't make things too easy for her and had Tyrant fire off a volley of Thunderbolts to punish the attempt before also charging forwards with a Brick Break.
  
  As I expected, thanks to her impressive Special Defenses, Miltank practically shrugged off the Thunderbolts like they were nothing. Not only that, but her Belly Drum completed quickly enough that Miltank was able to Rollout away before Tyrant could connect with his Brick Break.
  
  Miltank rolled around to the side before rushing towards my starter once more. Thinking that she was going to go for another direct hit, I had Tyrant prepare a Counter. My starter crossed his arms together as he moved to a defensive stance, getting ready to unleash a devastating counterattack that would have undoubtedly brought down Miltank.
  
  However, I caught a glimpse of pink light glowing out from Miltank. Before I could figure out what that was, Miltank crashed into Tyrant - but the signature flare of a Counter didn't light up.
  
  To my complete surprise, Tyrant actually reeled back from the blow, before Miltank followed up with a crushingly powerful uppercut to his jaw and delivered a brutal, maxed-out Hammer Arm to the face that sent Tyrant flying backwards.
  
  I had absolutely no idea how Whitney managed to circumvent Tyrant's Counter, but that was a problem for later. Instead, I forced myself out of my surprise and immediately ordered Tyrant to keep his distance and start harassing Miltank down at a distance with his Special Attacks.
  
  Seeing this, Miltank immediately returned to her signature Rollout and began to dodge and roll past the incoming barrage of Ice Beams, Thunderbolts, and Psychics. She did so magnificently, and she managed to close the distance once again and was about to slam into Tyrant with another fully-powered Rollout.
  
  I spotted the same pink glow from Miltank just before she crashed into Tyrant, and I acted on my gut instinct.
  
  "SUCKER PUNCH, TYRANT! THEN COUNTER!"
  
  Tyrant struck first, snaking out with a Dark-infused fist and striking Miltank before it could slam down with her Rollout. The Dark energies managed to disrupt whatever Psychic attack it was building up, and Tyrant immediately reformed his Counter.
  
  This time, the moment Miltank struck with her Rollout, Tyrant's Counter activated. And he briefly burned with a blindingly orange light as he converted all of that damage into an earth-shattering Giga Impact.
  
  A loud, deafening BOOM echoed throughout the arena, nearly obliterating the psychic shields from the shockwaves alone.
  
  Sadly for Whitney, that attack proved far too much for her starter, and her Miltank did not get up from such an apocalyptic attack. But she knew there was no shame in that; it was a blow that only a Champion's Pokémon could realistically survive.
  
  Therefore, despite her defeat, she didn't look bothered. Rather, she was shooting me quite the smug look.
  
  "Were you surprised just now?" She grinned at me as she returned her now fallen Miltank back into her Pokéball, "That your Counter didn't work?"
  
  "...I was. What was that?" I asked, "Why didn't your attack trigger it? It must have had to do with whatever Psychic trick you did."
  
  She nodded, "Yep! It's a move I developed with Sabie! I wanted a way to get around tough physical brawlers like your Tyrant, and Sabie wanted her Psychic types to be able to reliably knock out opponents that also had high Special Defense."
  
  "So we came up with a way of switching our Physical Attacks and Special Attacks, making one the other." She explained, "So that strike that Miltank landed on you? It didn't trigger Counter because it was a Special Attack."
  
  ...OH! I see! So she and Sabrina basically developed both Psyshock and a physical variant of it. That was pretty cool.
  
  "That's actually a really neat idea." I praised, "Maybe I'll steal it for myself."
  
  She pouted, "Oi! No copying!"
  
  But then she broke out into a smile, "I'm just kidding. I don't mind. I came into this battle intending to test it out against you, after all. Besides, after this battle, I'm sure people will be trying their best to copy what we did anyways."
  
  "And you're okay with that?" I asked.
  
  She shrugged, "Sabie and I are fine with it. We had to show it off one day anyways, and what better way to do so than against you?"
  
  I chuckled, "Sure. If you're fine with it. But again, this move is honestly incredible. Well done, sis."
  
  "Hehehe." She giggled, "No problem bro. I'm just glad I was able to teach you a thing or two too."
  
  "And I look forward to learning more." I nodded, before my smile turned a little nostalgic, "You really have grown, sis. Who thought this day would come so soon."
  
  I patted her on the head, "You deserve to stand proud. From today onwards, I see you as an equal."
  
  A.N. This chapter really fought with me, and I wanted to try out a slightly different style of battling. As much as I would have liked to write out the full gauntlet run, that would have been impossible. Instead, I hope you enjoyed this kind of more summarised style of battling. It won't be what I use for most of my standard battles, but I hope it worked for this chapter.
  
  Also, this chapter was really meant to cement just how much John has grown in strength since the start of the story. Though take his performance in the Gauntlet with a grain of salt - since these are all 1v1s with little tactics involved. If these were your standard 3v3s or 6v6s, then John's Pokémon would not be so dominant. Still, this chapter aimed to show the difference in strength between John and other ace trainers, just to lay the foundation for the events to come.
  
  For example, the Battle Frontier is coming! More about it will be elaborated on later. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-6 - Changes
  
  I could almost hear the collective sigh of relief being released from the spectating crowd as Tyrant finally went down. He had been an unstoppable monster, knocking down opponent after opponent as if he was able to just shrug off his exhaustion. And worse for them, he always seemed to have just enough energy to take down one more opponent.
  
  I couldn't count the number of times that the commentators thought Tyrant was about to go down, only for him to get ANOTHER second wind; surprising the opponent with a burst of strength that almost always led to their downfall. This repeated itself so many times that even I had stopped trying to give him commands, knowing that my starter was fully operating on his own determination and sheer willpower.
  
  Eventually, and ironically, Tyrant ultimately succumbed when a Gengar took him down with a Destiny Bond. Normally, he would never actually fall for such an obvious trap, since the Gengar wasn't especially proficient with the move anyways, but even with my commands his reaction speed had slowed to the point that he couldn't hold back his Sucker Punch in time.
  
  It was a shame that he had to fall like this - but I was honestly starting to believe that Tyrant was never going to go down otherwise. It had been an extremely dominant demonstration of the sheer difference in strength between my starter and your standard Ace Trainer's.
  
  But with Tyrant going down, it meant that my turn was finally over - and I had lasted far longer than I believed most would have anticipated. My final score was a whopping 164 takedowns, with Tyrant, Vordt, and Pixel managing to secure the most individual takedowns between my six Pokémon.
  
  I made sure to wave at the crowd before returning to the seating area, where Lance immediately clapped me on the back.
  
  "Nice showing there." He grinned at me, "I think you've set the bar quite high."
  
  "Yeah, you really didn't hold back there." Karen muttered, "I think I could see the Ace Trainers getting visibly demotivated after your 50th knockout or so."
  
  "Think you can beat it?" I sent a challenging smirk to my colleagues.
  
  Lorelei snorted, "Of course. Don't look down on us just because you got a high score. My Ice Types will absolutely prove up to the task."
  
  "And it'll be embarrassing if the Champion gets outclassed here." Lance added, "You have undoubtedly trained up your Normal types well, John, but they'll falter against the raw power of my Dragons."
  
  "We'll see about that." I replied, and so we did.
  
  I don't think the organisers had expected the event to go on for so long, because it was already well into the night by the time the 'Gauntlet' event finally concluded. Had we not been the owners of the stadium, we would have ran into some serious trouble for how much we overran on our initial estimations.
  
  Though I doubted that anyone minded; the crowd was equally as excited as they were at the beginning - as their screams of encouragement clearly demonstrated. I bet many would return home with their voices completely gone from all the shouting that they were doing.
  
  But eventually, the event came to a close. And sadly, I was not the victor of our small competition.
  
  Instead, I ranked second, with Lance taking first place. His full team of Dragons had managed to maintain a more consistent rate of knockouts than my own, despite my best efforts. In total, he managed to surpass my own score with a final score of 181 knockouts.
  
  His Emperor was equally as impossible to take down as my Tyrant. I'd thought he would have burned through his own stamina more quickly when he made use of Outrage, but he circumvented that by just not using Outrage - he didn't need the strength anyways when he was already so overwhelmingly strong against his foes. And overall, his team was just naturally more suited for these kinds of tests of endurance than mine were.
  
  Besides that, Lorelei took third place, Karen took fourth, and Koga took last. It was as I expected.
  
  No offense meant to either Karen or Koga, but neither of their Pokémon were suited to taking on so many Pokémon in a row. Koga had it the worst, since his usual poison strategies weren't ideal when you were looking to secure consecutive knockouts; which was further compounded by the fact that he couldn't really heal up any damage that he did take.
  
  He made up for the fact that his Pokémon were generally really agile and were able to secure quick and instant knockouts, but those techniques wore down his Pokémon's stamina just as quickly.
  
  Karen did slightly better thanks to the fact that both her Houndoom and Tyranitar managed to overpower many an opponent, though she still wasn't able to reach Lorelei's score that secured the Ice specialist a convincing third place. Lorelei made an especially good showing with her Avalugg, mainly because quite a few opponents didn't realise that physical attacks were extremely ineffective against it.
  
  However, even once they transitioned to using Special Attacks, Lorelei surprised me a little bit as her Avalugg managed to tank through many of those attacks too, while not being as slow as I expected. Furthermore, Avalugg hit really hard if it managed to get in range, and many of her opponents soon learned to fear her Strong Jaw bites. Moreover, the rest of her Pokémon proved to be just as formidable as their Snow-boosted Blizzards completely annihilated any opponent that was unfortunate enough to be caught within them.
  
  In that respect, her showing today proved to me that she had surpassed Pryce. Her Pokémon had gotten strong.
  
  Nevertheless, Lance was very smug for having won the competition, and he definitely wasn't above letting us know. After he boasted one too many times, we all decided to leave him behind instead of indulging in his ego any further. I went straight home; having been completely exhausted after all that fighting that I had done today.
  
  Over the next few days, all that the news networks were talking about was about the Gauntlet and our respective performances. Commentors and experts from all over Indigo had been discussing how we managed to overpower our opponents and what our performance yesterday revealed about our Pokémon's growing strength.
  
  So while they acknowledged that in a real, official battle, our fights wouldn't just consist of an endless stream of 1v1s, and that in a real 3v3 there would be far more strategies involved - it did reveal to everyone just how far ahead our Pokémon's strengths were individually when compared to your average trainer.
  
  It also reinforced the prestige and status of being in the Elite Four. From what I saw on the Pokénet, there was a gradual change in public perception. Now, being in the Elite Four meant that you were considered to be 'one step below a Champion' rather than 'being stronger than a Gym Leader'. It seemed like an nonsensical distinction, but it mattered.
  
  Additionally, neither Koga nor Karen were mocked for being last place, as most of the public knew that their strengths remained elsewhere. In a normal 6v6 battle, they would be as difficult to defeat as any one of us. Of course, that didn't stop the public from using our performance in the Gauntlet as an 'official' ranking of our respective strengths. Even if it was wholly inaccurate and unrepresentative of our true strengths, I didn't mind it because it only reinforced the fact that I was ranked first amongst my peers. Heh.
  
  Though I heard Karen was pretty miffed that she was ranked lower than Lorelei was, by a considerable margin at that. She had grumbled to me about wanting to reclaim this so-called 'lost prestige'.
  
  However, there was one bit of important news that deviated from all this battle analysis, and that was the growing desire to expand the Gym system to have more than your standard 8 badges per region. When I saw the news, I wasn't too surprised to hear about it, because I felt that this was something that had been simmering beneath the surface for a while now.
  
  Due to all the expansion that all of the regions were doing with their cities, there soon looked to be several cities that wouldn't have a Gym in it, even though they deserved to have one. Having a Gym was a major reason why people would want to visit a town or city, and the argument for having more Gyms was that it was a wasted opportunity if we denied a city to host a Gym simply because we wanted to stick to the arbitrary 8-per-region limit.
  
  Technically, there was no practical reason why a region should only be restricted to having 8 Gyms, and it was only be purely 'lucky coincidence' that all the regions shared this rule. Yet Oak only added more fuel onto the fire when he gave his opinion on the matter:
  
  "The original 8 Gyms were adopted because they were what we had when the Indigo League had been first formed. But even though this has been something ingrained into all of our minds by now, I personally see no reason why we cannot change this number to adapt to the changing times and requirements of the League. Having more Gym Leaders that the public could trust would be beneficial as it would not only allow Indigo to have more leaders, but it would also allow for more talented trainers to also get their recognition that they deserve."
  
  "Of course, this is not a change that we can dive into haphazardly. Making changes to one of the core pillars of the League will have to be done cautiously, and only after much careful consideration. A detailed proposal of how the new Circuit would look like would have to be provided before I would personally be comfortable with such a change. On that note, I welcome all discussion on the topic, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of this."
  
  In other words, he was tentatively supportive of the idea, but only if a new kind of Circuit could be designed to accommodate these new Gyms that the public would be happy with.
  
  Therefore, because of the importance of the topic and how it would massively affect the entire region, Lance called us all up for another meeting to discuss the topic in person.
  
  "...I'm surprised that we're even talking about expanding the number of Gym Leaders, to be honest." Lorelei said, "Ever since I was born, I always thought that there could only be eight Gym Leaders. It's just what's natural, you know?"
  
  "It feels pretty weird for me too." Karen agreed, "Had I even considered that we could have had more than 8 Gyms, then the old hag and I wouldn't have had to stress so much about moving the Gym from Cinnabar to Lavender."
  
  "But Oak is right." Koga said, "It might be traditional for us to have 8 Gyms, but I recognise that this tradition is not rooted in anything other than inertia. So long as the additional Gyms are held to the same high standards as the existing Gyms, then I am not against increasing the number of Gyms."
  
  "Can I assume that we're all supportive of such a change then?" I asked, getting a round of nods from everyone.
  
  Lance tapped a finger on the table, "Well, that was simpler than I expected - I thought there would be more opposition from all of you. But it's good to see that we're all in agreement on this. Though the point is moot until we bring in the Gym Leaders and discuss this with them as well. With something like this, their input would definitely be required."
  
  "Do we have any already proposed suggestions about how these new Gyms would be included into the existing circuit?" Lorelei asked.
  
  "...I think the currently most popular suggestion is one that involves setting up the new Gyms as 'minor Gyms'." Lance tried to recall, "I don't remember all the specifics off the top of my head, but I recall that it was one of the more popular options because it didn't dilute the prestige of the existing 8 Gyms, and the new 'minor Gyms' would serve as optional extras for trainers to challenge after they had completed the regular 8 Gym challenge. That way, it's the best of both worlds. New cities would have the opportunity to host Gyms and gain all the benefits from that, while also not completely altering the Indigo Circuit to be completely different to the Circuit in Hoenn and Sinnoh."
  
  I quite liked that idea, and it seems like my colleagues were also tentatively in favour as well - Lorelei even suggested that if we were going to go for this minor Gym idea, then this would be an excellent opportunity for the Sevii Islands to host a few of its own minor Gyms as well. It made sense, as it would give trainers and tourists more reason to visit the Islands.
  
  Though we were getting ahead of ourselves; the Gym Leaders were still discussing the topic, and we would have to wait to hear back from them before we could even proceed.
  
  Overall, I hoped that they would be willing to be open-minded about this topic, even if this was a really radical change - even for me. But I felt like this was the way to go to help facilitate the region's growth and make Indigo even more prosperous. Therefore, considering the scope of this discussion, I believed that this was going to be the topic that dominated the news for at least the next few weeks.
  
  However, I could not have been any more wrong about that.
  
  (?'s POV)
  
  "...And that's what the readings show, sir." The man reported to his boss, "There was a sharp spike of energy that took place far away - readings that we've frankly never seen before. Not from any Pokémon that we've ever seen or studied. These energy readings far surpass even the readings given off by the strongest of Hydreigon - by an order of magnitude. It's something else entirely."
  
  "Should we be worried then?" His boss frowned, "Do you have any theories about what this could be? And do I need to report this to the Champion?"
  
  He hesitated, knowing that his answer wasn't going to go over well with his boss. But it still had to be said anyways.
  
  "Well... the boys and I had combed over pretty much every available possibility for what could have generated such a large spike of energy, and we've pretty much narrowed it down to two of the most likely scenarios." He said, "One, there is another civilisation out there that has managed to utilise a new kind of technological device that has somehow managed to output such incredible levels of power. Or two, this was caused by an unknown Legendary that was flaring out their power for whatever reason."
  
  His boss frowned and looked like he was about to dismiss him, so he spoke up before he could, "I know it sounds crazy. But everyone here in the lab have spent weeks going through our findings. To the best of our knowledge, these two options are the most likely explanations."
  
  The frown on his boss' face only deepened, until he eventually let out a sigh, "...So we either have an unknown civilisation out there, with technology likely more advanced than anything we could ever produce, or we're dealing with an unknown Legendary that is so powerful that we could feel it from all the way here. I don't know what's worse."
  
  He didn't know the answer to that either, so he stayed silent until his boss finally rose up from his seat, "I'm going to have to report your findings to the Champion. He'll have to make a decision on this - this is much too high for my paygrade."
  
  He held back a wince; knowing what their Champion was like, he didn't expect a response any time soon. Alder's wanderlust and poor work ethic would likely lead to significant delays, as was usual. The usual squabbling from their Committee only exacerbated this issue.
  
  And just like he had expected, the response from the Champion and the Committee came back much, much later. But at least the concerns of his team had been appropriately expressed to the League, as they had ordered for an exploration team to head out there posthaste and uncover the mystery behind this phenomenon.
  
  He really hoped that they would find something. And when they did find something, it wouldn't end up being a horrendous disaster for Unova.
  
  Secretly, he hoped that they would find a whole new civilisation out there. For the longest time, Unova had always been the only civilised region in the world, and even though many suspected that they were more out there, there had never been any concrete proof that other civilised regions existed. Therefore, he hoped that this would finally be the very evidence that they were looking for.
  
  He was excited just thinking about it. He wondered what these new people would be like?
  
  Oh how he regretted not being able to join up with the exploration team this time around. He was usually not one for such journeys, but the possibility of seeing a new civilisation with his very own eyes more than made up for it. Sadly, he had chosen to be a researcher over an explorer.
  
  Still, he wished them every success. And he would be eagerly awaiting to hear back from them.
  
  A.N. So the Gauntlet concludes, with John coming in second place! I was really torn about whether John or Lance would come in first, but after examining their Pokémon more closely, I felt that it only made sense that in the format of the Gauntlet of 1v1s, Lance would come out on top because his Pokémon are all embodiments of pure, brute strength. Furthermore, as for the number of knockouts achieved, I tried to imagine just what a realistic number of takedowns their Pokémon could achieve (after factoring in things like tiredness, exhaustion, type matchup etc.), and I felt 164 takedowns for John was a realistic number to have. Hope you agree.
  
  Furthermore, let me know what you think about the discussion on the idea of minor gyms. It's been an idea I've wanted to implement for some time, and while I haven't gone into detail about just exactly what that would look like in this chapter, just know that it will be elaborated upon in the future.
  
  Likewise, UNOVA IS COMING! After all this time, a new region is finally going to be introduced once again. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-6 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 14-6 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  Taking a step into the meeting room, she felt all four pairs of eyes quickly dart towards her - curiosity present in each and every single one of them.
  
  She could understand; she had been deliberately vague in why she had chosen to invite them. If she weren't Champion, she doubted any of them would have entertained her request at such a short notice.
  
  Nevertheless, they had come. And it was time to introduce her idea to them.
  
  "Thank you for coming." She began, "I'm sure you're a little confused about why you're all here, but don't worry, none of you are in trouble."
  
  "It's totally no problem, Champion." The most fashionable of the four, Dahlia, spoke up, "I'm going to assume this has something to do with your new proposal regarding the Battle Zone that you're building up? After all, everyone here is a prominent Ace Trainer."
  
  "You are most observant." Cynthia nodded, "Indeed, that is the case. I meant to have five members, but the person I intended to invite to be the fifth member unfortunately turned me down due to having other commitments on his time."
  
  She had meant to invite Darach, but he had apparently decided to begin his training as a butler and so turned down the opportunity. He told her that it was his always his dream to do so, so she didn't begrudge him for the refusal.
  
  "Sorry, but I'm still not in the loop here." Palmer said, his fingers tapping on the desk a little impatiently, "Could someone please give me a rundown of what's going on?"
  
  She nodded, "Basically, I'm sure you've heard that I'm setting up a new 'Battle Zone' for Sinnoh, next to Stark Mountain. Essentially, this new Battle Zone will contain a building that I'm dubbing the 'Battle Frontier', which shall be a place for Ace Trainers to freely come and battle not only each other, but also specialised and highly skilled trainers that will allow them to test their skills."
  
  "I intend to have five very skilled and powerful trainers to run this new building, which I am now calling my 'Frontier Brains'. Therefore, I chose you all because I recognised your skills and abilities, and I know that all of you here would have had a very good chance of making it into the Elite Four should you have chosen to. And those skills will be required, as being a Frontier Brain is very similar to being a Gym Leader, in that you will receive challenges by many trainers. Though you won't have to restrict yourself to fighting at a certain level, and there are far less politics to deal with."
  
  "I see. So even if we lose, nothing happens to us." Thornton said.
  
  "Exactly." She nodded, "Of course, if you do lose too frequently, then we may question and reassess your suitability for the position, as you are meant to pose a reasonably difficult challenge for the Ace Trainers to test themselves against, but otherwise there's no stress."
  
  "Assuming a fifth member is found, are we going to be rotating through the five of us when it comes to dealing with challengers?" Argenta asked, "Or are we each going to have our own individual challengers?"
  
  "My idea is that as a 'Frontier Brain', you will all be running different battle facilities that would be unique from each other." She explained, "Therefore, you'd all be designing your own special type of battling facility, allowing challengers to choose between you five and get something new each time. For example, let's say Palmer only does 1v1 battles, while Dahlia does 2v2 battles, and so on."
  
  "It's actually why I wanted to talk to you here so early on, before the Battle Frontier is even fully built. I wanted you all to design your own sections that you would then oversee. You'll be assigned a budget for your designs - so feel free to come up with something creative! Just submit it to the Sinnoh League for approval beforehand."
  
  The very fact that they were allowed to design their own sections seem to spark a wave of enthusiasm within all four members, and they all quickly accepted their roles as Frontier Brains, just like she hoped they would.
  
  Just like she said, every one of these members were veteran Ace Trainers in their own rights, who for whatever reason, just didn't want to take up a formal position as either an Elite Four or Gym Leader. That's why she had specifically reached out to them, knowing that the position of being a Frontier Brain of the Battle Frontier would be an appealing position for them.
  
  Honestly, the position was even quite appealing for her too! If you didn't care too much about fame or politics, then she felt that it would be an ideal position to have, given that you were able to constantly train up your Pokémon against an unending and varied stream of challengers while still being paid for it.
  
  However, as the meeting concluded, she still wanted to find that missing fifth member to take up the last position of Frontier Brain. But as she looked through her list of potential candidates amongst the Ace Trainers from Sinnoh that she had looked up, she felt that none of the remaining candidates would be a good fit for the position.
  
  So instead she reached out to her boyfriend, given that his web of connections was larger than hers, and inquired if he knew anyone that he would recommend and was interested for the position.
  
  After John made a few inquiries of his own, it turned out that he did have someone to recommend. But it was a trainer that she had never heard of before.
  
  He went by the name of Archer.
  
  John had reassured her that he was eminently suitable for the position, and explained to her that Archer was a long-time subordinate and assistant of Gym Leader Giovanni, who likewise could vouch for his competence. He also provided his contact details to her so she could speak with Archer and learn more about him.
  
  So she did so, deciding to call him up immediately.
  
  He picked up quickly, "This is Archer. Is this Champion Cynthia?"
  
  "I am." She replied, "I'm calling because I was hoping to learn more about you. John spoke very highly of you, but from the quick bit of research that I've done, I've never heard of you before. I know you've worked with Giovanni for a long time, so why the sudden desire to take up a posting in Sinnoh?"
  
  "I'll address your concerns in order. Firstly, for many years now I've worked as Giovanni's right-hand man for whatever he needs me to be. Whether that be as a secretary for his work in Silph Co, to helping him run his Gym, or to even serve as a Head Gym Trainer in the Cerulean Gym when they reached out to Giovanni for help. You can consider me as a... handyman of sorts, for Giovanni. But because of the nature of my position, I've not really had much of a chance to step into the spotlight. That's likely why you've not really heard of me until now."
  
  "Similarly, this links to why I'm interested in the position. I've worked with Giovanni for a long time now, and the two of us both felt that it was about time that I try something new - to explore fresh pastures." He explained, "So when John reached out to me, I knew that this was something I was pretty sure I wanted to do."
  
  "That's certainly good to hear." She nodded, "In that case, if your schedule allows, would you mind heading over to Sinnoh? I'd like to speak with you more in person to see if your skills are sufficient for the position."
  
  "Certainly. I'll be there in a few days." He replied, "I'll let you know when I arrive."
  
  "See you then." Their conversation ended there, but from what she had heard already and given that he came highly recommended, if he could prove that he was strong enough then she was fairly certain that Archer was going to be her final chosen Frontier Brain.
  
  And with that, she hoped that her roster of Frontier Brains would be complete.
  
  A.N. SURPRISE! IT'S FRONTIER BRAIN ARCHER! I know Archer's role in the story was mainly to do with sneaking around and helping to deal with Team Galactic, and originally I didn't have him be much more than that. However, just like I've tried to show off the growth in both Giovanni, Petrel, and Ariana, I felt Archer deserved the same. And honestly, I really felt that becoming a Frontier Brain would be a really interesting choice for him. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-7 - Newcomers
  
  Unsurprisingly, discussions on topics as radical as increasing the number of Gym Leaders beyond the traditional eight Gyms wouldn't be resolved so quickly, especially with some people who were outright opposed to the idea of expanding the Gym system at all.
  
  But the idea had been floated out there, and now it was mainly down to the Gym Leaders to come to a consensus.
  
  Fortunately, Cynthia and her new Battle Frontier that was being built was helping with public perception - showing the world that there could be many other battle facilities than just having your standard 8 Gyms.
  
  Furthermore, on the topic of the Battle Frontier, I was surprised to hear when Cynthia came to ask me if I had anyone I wanted to recommend for the Battle Frontier. I was initially about to say no, and I don't know why the thought popped into my head, but I suddenly realised that Archer might have been a good choice for it.
  
  Not only was he a capable trainer - far more than he lets on, I knew that he had a knack for handling the administrative aspects that came with being a Frontier Brain. So I went and asked Giovanni about his thoughts about recommending Archer, and he replied with much enthusiasm.
  
  "This came at a good time." He told me, "Archer's currently been helping me with a few matters at the Viridian Gym, but that's mostly because I didn't really have anywhere to place him. After the events of the Day of Calamity, I didn't have any place which immediately required his expertise, so he should be free to take on this new position of yours."
  
  "But... I'm not going to force him to take up the position. Now that things are settling down, I'm trying to avoid giving a direct order if I can avoid it." Giovanni continued, "I'll let him make his own choices. I'll pass on the idea to him, and he can make his own decisions. I'll tell him to contact Cynthia if he agrees."
  
  After that, from what I heard from Cynthia, Archer had quickly made the trip over to Sinnoh to meet Cynthia in person. And Cynthia very much liked the former Rocket admin. Apparently, while he wasn't as strong as the other Frontier Brains, he made up with it with very creative ideas about what he wanted his Battle Facility to look like in the future - saying that it differed heavily from what all the other Frontier Brains would offer.
  
  Though my girlfriend refused to tell me what his plans were, teasingly insisting that it remained a secret and that I would find out with everyone else. Spoilsport.
  
  Furthermore, with discussions about expanding the Gyms stuck in a deadlock and the Battle Frontier smoothly sailing through, Cynthia and I felt like it was a good time to start planning out how we would execute our plan to have me move to Sinnoh as Regigigas' guardian and have it be accepted by the public.
  
  In this, we ended up finding an unexpected ally in Steven. The man had actually reached out to the both of us, as he had a similar proposal that he wanted to achieve as well.
  
  "I figured the two of you would be planning to propose something along those lines." He said when we asked him why he had wanted to speak to us, "I'm not into gossip, but even I could tell that the relationship between the two of you is going strong - and is likely going to remain strong. And with how ambitious you both are, I highly doubted that you would be satisfied with maintaining your long-distance relationship. Therefore, if I were in your position, I too would try to have John move over to Sinnoh, as that would be easier than the reverse, while maintaining most of his influence and political power. It's a good plan, and hence why I wanted to talk to you."
  
  I nodded; in hindsight, it wasn't surprising that someone like Steven could deduce our plans.
  
  "I'm assuming it's something to do with Bruno, right?" I asked.
  
  "Indeed it is. Once I make Champion, I fully intend to have Bruno join me in the Hoenn Elite Four." Steven replied, "In fact, Wallace already knows the details of my plans, and he's promised to support them if I do earn the position of Champion. Not only that, even if I don't make it, he told me that while it wouldn't be his first priority, he will still do his best so that foreigners like Bruno could still be appointed into important League positions if they were capable enough. He's always been encouraging of similar international policies anyways."
  
  "So that's why I felt like we could work together on this." He explained, "We have a mutual goal here."
  
  "That we do. This is something we could definitely work together on." Cynthia agreed, before pausing to think, "Hmm... actually, let's say you do make Champion. If we can get Lance on board as well, then we'll have all three Champions advocating for a similar policy. With our joint influence, that'll definitely swing the vote in our Committees in our favour."
  
  "I was thinking along those lines too." Steven nodded, "The start of a new Champion's reign is always a great time to enact large sweeping changes. It always faces less pushback, considering no one wants to try to stonewall a new Champion. Most would prefer to get on their good side."
  
  "But more political allies would make things easier too." I added, "Besides us and hopefully Lance, all the other Elite Four should agree too. And if we can get the Gym Leaders, even better."
  
  "Yes, I'll be working on that." Steven said, "But I also have an additional suggestion. In the near future, I'm going to have Bruno running around and showing off his strength by having him 'unofficially' challenge as many strong trainers as he can - ideally that includes members of the Elite Four if possible. Basically, I'm going to treat Bruno like a product that I'm trying to sell. So I'm going to need to show the public just why they should 'buy in' on the idea that Bruno should be in the Elite Four."
  
  "I suggest you do the same, John." He stared at me, "Though obviously you don't need to go to my extent. Your strength is already well-known in all three regions, especially after your recent actions, but you'll need to make sure that this image of strength, as well as your pristine reputation, is never tarnished by anything. The public of Sinnoh will find it a lot easier to accept your move if you have proven to them repeatedly that you are someone they can trust, both in personality and strength, and that you are deserving of such a high honour."
  
  "Good idea. We'll be keeping an eye on that." Cynthia replied for the two of us, and we all continued to discuss a few more ideas about how we could effectively execute our plans.
  
  "...I think that's all I have for now." Steven eventually said, "And thanks again for including me, but I have to head off for now. Let's talk again later."
  
  Our call ended there, and Cynthia and I were both pretty happy to have brought Steven on board with our plans. Especially because it helped us fill in one of the blank spots in our political spheres of influence in Hoenn. Just like we said, if all three regions and their respective leaders were in agreement on one single policy, it was very likely that the public would follow. So even if some Committee members would normally be opposed to it, most would see the writing on the wall and choose to fight another day.
  
  Of course, a big part of this was contingent on Steven actually becoming the new Champion of Hoenn. However, knowing him, I remained very confident that he'd be able to do it.
  
  After all, I wasn't stupid enough to bet against a man like Steven Stone.
  
  Seeing that the both of us didn't have any urgent matters that took up our free time, Cynthia and I made an immediate start on trying to gather up public support.
  
  To this end, I had invited over Karen for dinner to explain what our plans were in hopes that she would support it. She didn't even hesitate before agreeing, and explained that she didn't see this as a political proposal, but rather a personal one. Therefore, as she considered Cynthia and I to be very good friends, she would obviously help us wherever she could.
  
  I was very thankful for her kindness.
  
  However, it was during that joyful dinner that both Karen and I received an alert from Lance. He informed us that one of the usual Pokémon ranger patrols that scouted around the edges of Sinnoh had spotted an unregistered ship heading right towards Sinnoh.
  
  Therefore, fearing that this might be another attack from whatever hidden remains of Team Galactic were out there, the order from Sinnoh was given to forcefully raid and inspect the ship.
  
  Yet that was when the situation got complicated. Instead of finding criminals, they found a whole bunch of explorers and scientists that were apparently looking to investigate the mysterious readings that they had detected all the way from their home region of Unova.
  
  It was like opening a can of Caterpie - everyone realised that we had just stumbled into a new, previously undiscovered region. And the implications were enormous.
  
  Currently, apologies were given for the sudden and hostile raid and they were comfortably settled into the Sinnoh League building. There was a lot of excitement going around in the upper echelons of all three Leagues as we discussed what the introduction of Unova meant for us.
  
  Honestly, I was taken aback too. I didn't know when or how exactly Unova came into contact with the other regions, but considering they said they were here to investigate the source of the strange readings that they had gotten, I suspected that we might have unintentionally pushed up the schedule a little bit because of our earlier battle against Palkia.
  
  Therefore, an urgent conference call was held between the Indigo Elite Four, and a decision was quickly made to send a representative over to Sinnoh as soon as possible to meet with the Unovans in person and hopefully establish cordial relations.
  
  With that in mind, I volunteered to be sent over, but Lance surprisingly denied my request - stating that I've been at the forefront of too many of these issues lately and that someone else should get the opportunity. I was a little disappointed, but could accept the reasoning. Therefore, Lorelei was chosen to be the representative instead. I suspected the reason she was chosen was because, aside from myself, Lorelei was seen as the most internationally focused amongst us.
  
  So off she went, taking the new express ship to Sinnoh alongside a few other officials from Indigo. Her goals were to at least establish friendly communications with the Unovans and begin forming the foundations for future diplomatic relations. Hopefully, Lorelei would also be able to do a preliminary cultural exchange so that we can learn more about the Pokémon that were available exclusively to Unova.
  
  Of course, that wasn't necessary for me as I already knew about them. But it would be nice for everyone else.
  
  My mind instantly flashed to several of the unique Normal types that were available in Unova. Off the top of my head, the two that I was most interested in were a Cinccino and Braviary. The former could be trained up to an agile, deceptively powerful combo attacker with Skill Link, and the other would be a more physically bulky alternative to Zephyr, since he had now taken on a more supportive role.
  
  That wasn't to say the other Normal types weren't powerful enough to join my team. Pokémon such as Stoutland and Bouffalant were certainly no slouches, but I figured that I already had enough bruisers on my team and didn't need more. There would just be too much overlap.
  
  Though those were just my preliminary thoughts for now. IF I got the opportunity to catch Pokémon from Unova, then my opinions may change.
  
  However, the immediate consequences of a sudden new region being introduced was that almost everything else was going to be put on the backburner as we were all focused on dealing with this new region. That meant our political plans too, but that was fine. There was no immediate rush.
  
  I just hoped that we could establish ties with Unova quickly. Having a new friendly region would only be beneficial to us.
  
  (Explorer POV)
  
  If you had told him a few weeks ago that the trip to identify the source of the strange readings that those egghead scientists had observed would have led them to finding a new region, and he would be a part of that trip, he would not have believed you.
  
  He didn't think that he was the kind of person to be lucky enough to be apart of something that was undoubtedly going to shake the status quo of Unova for the future.
  
  However, here he was, lying down on a sinfully comfortable bed in one of the fancier rooms that was undoubtedly meant for charming foreign diplomats and not raggedly explorers like himself. But no one had expected this trip to turn into a diplomatic venture, so besides him and a few other explorers, they were now the first representatives of Unova to set foot on these foreign lands.
  
  He was absolutely unprepared for this position. Why couldn't one of the Gym Leaders or Elite Four be here with him to handle these matters? Or even Champion Alder, assuming you could get the man to stop with his incessant wanderlust and actually do his job.
  
  He didn't know a thing about diplomatic courtesies! Oh Arceus, he really hoped that he wouldn't fuck it up.
  
  "Sir." A voice called out through the door, "Champion Cynthia awaits you in the conference room."
  
  Fuck. It was showtime. "Be right there!"
  
  He stepped out of his luxurious room, and did his best to calm his nerves as he walked to the conference room.
  
  "Who's going to be there?" He asked the person guiding him, desperately hoping that knowing would somehow reassure him slightly.
  
  But the answer definitely did not make him feel any better, "Aside from Champion Cynthia, there are several Elite Four members from Sinnoh, and one Elite Four representative from both Hoenn and Indigo in attendance."
  
  He gulped. That was a scary roster, especially for a nobody like himself. But he wasn't able to think about his fears for much longer as he finally arrived at the meeting room, swinging open the doors and instantly finding all eyes on him. All of them silently judging and assessing him.
  
  Why oh why did he volunteer to be the representative of their little group?
  
  Doing his best to force his fears away, the first thing that caught his attention was the blonde lady sitting at the head of the table. Even though she was one of the younger members here, there was no mistaking that aura of confidence and strength that she naturally exuded.
  
  She couldn't be anything else other than the Champion of Sinnoh. Even Alder didn't seem to possess such a presence.
  
  Sitting next to her were who he assumed to be the Sinnoh Elite Four - who at least seemed a lot more normal when compared to the Unovan Elite Four, or at least more professional. Shantal was infamously overly engrossed in her books and writings... and the less said about Grimsley and his 'habits', the better.
  
  Besides the Sinnoh Elite Four, his eyes turned to the remaining Elite Four members from the other two regions - and found a man with a mohawk that stood out heavily from the others, as well as a prim and proper lady that sat next to him. The former's fashion choice was certainly... interesting, for an Elite Four member.
  
  He was likely a Poison or Dark specialist, if he had to guess.
  
  "Firstly, thank you for agreeing to see us so soon despite the long trip that you must have had." Cynthia began, shaking him out of his observations, "Your team members spoke highly of you as their leader and said they were comfortable with us speaking with you in their place."
  
  More like they were happy to throw him up as bait. Again, just why did he volunteer to represent them?
  
  Despite the annoyance and regret that he felt, he did his best to not let any of that show on his face, "...It was my pleasure. I couldn't be any happier about being the first representative of Unova." He was completely lying through his teeth.
  
  The Champion smirked at him, as if she saw through his lie, but politely chose to not comment and instead just nodded, "So, Christopher? Or may I call you Chris? Let me introduce you to the representatives that have gathered here today. Starting with..."
  
  She then proceeded to introduce everyone by name, allowing him to identify who was who. He was still a little surprised to learn that there were actually two other regions out there that were also connected to Sinnoh, and he asked about that.
  
  "Oh, Sinnoh is actually the newcomer when it comes to the Regional Union - that's the name for the alliance between our three regions." Cynthia explained, "You could consider Indigo to be the unofficial 'founder', as they were the ones to reach out to both us and Hoenn. And Indigo itself is actually comprised of both Kanto and Johto, but they were recently unified after a previous war."
  
  She must have seen the confusion on his face, because she gave him a reassuring smile, "We can give you a more thorough explanation later. For now, we would like to address any primary concerns that you might have had. After all, you said you had originally come here to investigate certain strange readings that you picked up on?"
  
  "That's right." He confirmed, happy that they were back on familiar ground, "The fact that we were able to detect such energies from so far away was alarming enough, but then we weren't even able to identify what and where such energies came from. After discussing it, we feared that the energies may have been created from the residue of a battle between powerful Legendaries, as it was one of two plausible explanations that fit."
  
  "As a result, our exploration team was sent to identify and locate the source of these strange readings and determine whether they constituted a threat to our region." He said, "...We just didn't expect to stumble into an entirely new region in the process."
  
  "That's understandable. We would have done the same thing in your place." Cynthia replied, "And as for those strange readings, we do have answers for you. However, I believe it's better to show you, rather than just telling you. Would you be okay for a quick trip?"
  
  ...He knew better than to say no, so he nodded along and followed after everyone as they saddled up onto their mounts and flew to the nearby mountain that seemed to loom over the entire region. During their brief flight, he openly marvelled at the sights below him.
  
  Seeing all those large cities and landmarks below him, the sheer scale of what they had stumbled across had finally began to settle in.
  
  As they landed near the summit of the mountain, he immediately understood why they brought him here. The entire summit felt strange, as if something was watching him at all times. There was this strange sort of Pressure slightly weighing down on his shoulders. He had not felt anything as strong as this before, even when he helped to scope out Relic Castle.
  
  He didn't even need them to explain what had happened; seeing the statue of an enormous Pokémon told him everything he needed to know.
  
  There could be no mistaken it, that was undoubtedly a Legendary. Which likely meant that a battle must have occurred here if they were immortalising the moment so much.
  
  "I can see that you understand." Cynthia said softly, "Yes indeed. A battle between Legendaries took place here."
  
  "Wait. Legendaries?! Plural?" He had to interrupt, "So more than one fought here?"
  
  "...Yes. By the end of the fight, four different Legendaries of incredible power were involved." The Champion's answer sent him into a stunned silence.
  
  FOUR Legendaries!? What the fuck happened here?!
  
  "Don't worry. It was an extraordinary scenario, caused by a madman that has since been dealt with. Such a battle won't ever happen again on our watch." Cynthia said, though he wasn't sure if that was meant to be reassuring or not.
  
  "...Were you a part of that battle?" He had to ask.
  
  Cynthia nodded solemnly, but what was more interesting was that the Sinnoh Elite Four also joined in. "Yes. And I'm not ashamed to admit that it was the most terrifying battle of our lives. If Regigigas, the Legendary Titan, hadn't assisted us, we would have lost. It truly was a battle for the fate of the world."
  
  Hearing that admission, one made completely devoid of any pride or satisfaction, was both haunting and humbling in equal measure. It allowed him to understand the true calibre of the people that he was currently speaking to.
  
  These weren't just your typical Elite Four and Champion. These were people who, if they had spoken genuinely, had managed to take down a Legendary. Even if they had assistance, that was still extraordinary.
  
  What the fuck was in the water of Sinnoh to produce such incredible trainers?!
  
  "And did anyone else participate in the battle?" He asked, only for Cynthia to point towards a small engraving on one of the pillars next to the Regigigas statue that displayed a list of names.
  
  He carefully read through the list, finding many names that he recognised and didn't. Judging by the 'Elite' prefixed before their names, he inferred that they were also members of the other two regions' Elite Four. They were Elite Koga, Elite Drake, Elite John...
  
  Wait. There was an additional inscription next to John... thanking him for helping to AWAKEN the Legendary Titan?!
  
  "...Who is Elite John?" He had to ask. Did this mean that there was a trainer that actually had control of a Legendary here?! How strong would that make him?
  
  The answer from the Champion only shocked him even further as she released a humorous chuckle.
  
  "Oh, him? He's my boyfriend."
  
  A.N. AND HERE WE GO! Unova is finally introduced to the three regions. I wanted their introduction to be from the Unovan's perspective, to show how he reacts to everything that has happened. Having not lived through or witnessed the events and only learning of it now, he's going to be incredibly shocked. Especially with the people involved. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 14-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-8 - The Unovans
  
  From what Lorelei reported back, the Unovan explorer, Chris, was suitably impressed by the tour of Sinnoh that he got, especially when the events at Spear Pillar were described to him.
  
  I laughed when she told me all about how shocked Chris was when he heard that I had awakened Regigigas. Apparently, he had thought that meant I was the one in control over Regigigas, and so Indigo just had someone walking around with a Legendary at his beck and call. However, once we explained that I was only responsible for awakening it and didn't have control over it, that managed to calm him back down.
  
  Yet he was still pretty shocked to hear that an ordinary human was able to awaken a Legendary in the first place, but it wasn't as bad as the thought of me controlling one directly.
  
  Amusement aside, Chris was unfortunately unable to reach or contact his superiors all the way back in Unova, as the connection didn't reach that far. So instead, he volunteered to head back to Unova to report about what they had discovered while he left a few of his colleagues here so they could familiarise themselves more with our region and get to know us better.
  
  Because of this, we had given him a information packet containing some important information about our regions. This included a general history of our regions, an explanation of our geopolitical relationships, and a summary of the important events that had occurred.
  
  On the other hand, since Chris and his team weren't expecting to stumble into a completely new region, they didn't have any information packets for us to browse through. But they promised to bring a proper representative once they returned. And at the very least he did give a brief summary of the political landscape of Unova.
  
  From what Chris explained, the current Champion of Unova was Champion Alder, with Elite Shauntal, Elite Marshal, Elite Grimsley, and Elite Drayden serving as his current Elite Four.
  
  The fact that Drayden was serving as an Elite Four member was a bit surprising to me. I had thought Caitlin would have been in the Elite Four, but then I recalled that she was supposed to serve as a Frontier Brain first BEFORE becoming an Elite Four. So maybe we were just a little earlier into the schedule, and Drayden being an Elite Four was pretty fitting.
  
  Wait. Does that mean Iris is the Gym Leader of Opelucid City? Does that mean Pokémon White was canon? Hmm...
  
  Nevertheless, my thoughts on canon aside, there was one thing from Lorelei's report that caught my attention - when Lorelei asked Chris what other regions existed outside of Unova that they knew about, the answer was simply none. We were the first foreign region that Unova had discovered. The others didn't seem to have a problem with this, but I definitely found that fact curious.
  
  Because shouldn't Alola be close to Unova? So why is it that Unova hasn't discovered them yet? Or were the two regions actually further than I had expected?
  
  I wasn't going to get answers on this now, but I resolved to check up on it as soon as I could.
  
  With Sinnoh being the region closest to Unova, it was deemed that they would be where further meetings would be held. There were talks about sending someone over to Unova to formally introduce and represent our regions, but ultimately it was decided that it would be better if Chris could give them advance notice of our arrival instead of us just suddenly showing up there.
  
  For the time being, the discovery of a whole new region had yet to be formally announced; though with many of the League officials needing to be informed due to the scale of this event, rumours were already spreading throughout the three Leagues and it was only a matter of time before the public caught wind of this. Despite this, Cynthia wanted to wait for the official delegates from Unova to arrive first before making such an announcement.
  
  It was best to make sure that Unova was actually going to be friendly with us. Not that we suspected anything malicious from Chris' explanation to us, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Plus, there was every chance that Unova might be more isolationist than welcoming, so it was best to ensure that they were at least going to be cordial first before making a show of their arrival.
  
  It would be pretty politically embarrassing if they snubbed us.
  
  Still, everyone in the know was pretty excited about formally meeting the representatives from Unova, though due to the long travel time between Sinnoh and Unova it would be a bit before we would actually be able to meet them.
  
  Let's hope they arrived sooner, rather than later.
  
  (Chris POV)
  
  Normally, he would have been bored stiff being stuck on a ship for so long without anything to do - but the information packet was very good reading material, even if it was a lengthy thing.
  
  The three regions of Sinnoh, Indigo, and Hoenn were extremely interesting to read about.
  
  He learnt about how the Regional Union was formed, and how Indigo was the first region to make contact with the other two. The very idea that regions could work so harmoniously together was enlightening, and even if politics wasn't his thing, he too hoped that they could turn this stroke of fortune into prosperity for Unova.
  
  However, as he continued to read through some of the information, he noticed a familiar name continuing to pop up time and time again.
  
  Elite John.
  
  From what was described, he was a very important proponent for expanding the international community and fostering good relations between all three regions. For an Elite Four, he was unusually active politically. At least he seemed to be the anomaly, rather than the rule, since his peers were nowhere near as active as him. Otherwise, he would be disappointed in their own Unovan Elite Four for their comparative inaction.
  
  However, that really painted an interesting picture for the man. Because, despite not being in control of Regigigas (unlike what he had mistakenly assumed), his list of achievements as a trainer were still extensive, proving many times over that he very much deserved to be in the Elite Four. That did make him wonder why he never challenged Lance for the position of Champion, since he only felt that this was the natural course of action for the man with such strong Pokémon backing him up.
  
  Regardless, it was clear that Elite John was an extremely talented Pokémon trainer.
  
  From Unova, the only person he could think of who could compare was Gym Leader Iris, who was seen as a prodigy of a Dragon Master even at such a young age. There was a reason she was allowed to be a Gym Leader, with Elite Drayden's supervision, even though she was far from her age of majority.
  
  He wasn't the only person to suspect that she was being prepared for a much larger role.
  
  Thoughts about Iris aside, he was very interested in meeting this Elite John if he ever had the opportunity to. He didn't even know if he would be returning to Sinnoh after he reported back, but he hoped he would at least be given an opportunity to explore Indigo and Hoenn. Maybe he'll meet John then.
  
  His cabin remained silent for the rest of the journey home as he silently read through the rest of the information packet. A few other prominent names caught his attention, such as Professor Oak, Champion Lance, Champion Wallace, Champion Cynthia, Gym Leader Pryce, Elite Drake, Elite Lorelei, and Elite Agatha. All of whom seemed to have achieved something significant in recent times that have helped shape their regions to what it is now.
  
  Professor Oak's summary was especially interesting, considering that he was formerly the first Champion of Indigo and the man that managed to secure peace between Kanto and Johto. Now his story read much like a story book, with a slew of many, many achievements - each one already sufficient to earn someone plenty of acclaim and glory - and the fact that he went on to 'retire' to become a successful Professor was the cherry on top.
  
  And he made the Pokédex, a marvellous little invention that really helped trainers with the identification and classification of Pokémon. He wondered just how much time the invention managed to save ever since its creation - it was something that they needed to have back in Unova!
  
  No wonder his section was marked as 'critically important'. If all this was true, then Professor Oak could be seen as a founding member that was almost wholly responsible for the current status quo. No one else matched his level of influence, and there weren't any that could compare from Unova.
  
  So engrossed in his readings as he was, he almost didn't feel the passage of time until he heard the ship's horn blaring out - signalling that he had arrived back home in Unova. As he disembarked, he was surprised to see a League official waiting for him.
  
  "Sir, how was your journey?" The official asked him, "The Elite Four sent me to ascertain your safe return. On behalf of them - did you discover anything of importance?"
  
  "I did." He nodded solemnly, "I discovered that we aren't alone in the world. I stumbled into three regions - named Sinnoh, Indigo, and Hoenn respectively."
  
  The official was certainly surprised and taken aback by what he had just revealed, "...I beg your pardon? Did you say you discovered three new regions?"
  
  "Yes, you heard me correctly." He nodded again. Then he held out the information packets he had been given, "Please ensure that this gets to the Champion. I cannot stress enough how important this all is for the future of Unova."
  
  The official's eyes darted to the information packet, still filled with shock and disbelief. It was only after the shock left his system did the official reach out with shaking hands and carefully took the information packet from him. He held on to it like he had just been given a priceless treasure.
  
  "...I see. The Champion and Elite Four will have to be notified of this." The official quickly tapped out a message on his phone, "Please head to the Pokémon League building as soon as possible. The Champion will wait for you."
  
  He did his best to not let out a sigh. He was tired and his muscles ached. So why was he suddenly expected to meet all these high ranking figures? He was just some explorer...
  
  But he knew that his complaints would go nowhere, and he understood that what he knew was of vital importance to the region, so he toughed it out and allowed himself to be escorted to the Pokémon League building where he was quickly ushered into a meeting room containing the full roster of the Unova Elite Four and their Champion.
  
  ...He felt that he should have been more nervous, being in the same room with the most powerful individuals in all of Unova. And yet, after spending some time in the presence of the leaders of Sinnoh, he was starting to get used to it.
  
  Their Champion spoke first, "Sit down, son. It seems you and your boys found something important." Alder began with an easy-going smile on his face. "You said you stumbled across a new region?"
  
  Inwardly, he was just glad that Alder had even chosen to pause his wanderlust and attend this meeting.
  
  "I did, Champion." He nodded, taking the offered seat while the League official handed over the information packets he was given, "But I believe you should read through these as soon as possible. These were the information packets provided by the Champion of Sinnoh. I believe they'll be able to explain things better than I could."
  
  He then proceeded to sit in silence as the Champion and Elite Four began reading through the provided documents. As they did, he watched their facial expressions carefully to see just how they reacted to this new discovery.
  
  Interestingly, their reactions were all different. Alder looked interested, Shauntal was excited, Grimsley was frowning, Marshal was always glancing at Alder every few moments, while Drayden was stoic as usual.
  
  "...Fascinating." Alder exclaimed, "To think that all this once lied hidden beyond the horizon. How were we so blind to this?"
  
  "Are they a threat to us?" Grimsley asked cautiously, "Because from what they've chosen to reveal, their strength is concerning."
  
  "Then we need to make sure that they do not become a threat to us." Drayden stated, "They seem to be welcoming to us, as their past tendency for internationalism shows. We need to make sure they extend that hand of friendship to us as well."
  
  "You're forgetting that those regions are relatively close together." Grimsley denied, "We're too far away to make the same bonds."
  
  "But we won't know if we don't try." Shauntal said with an eager clap, "I think this might be the opportunity to finally expand our influence beyond our borders!"
  
  "Alder, what do you think we should do?" Marshal deferred to the Champion, as he always did. The Fighting specialist had always looked up to the Champion, and that didn't change even after the man started to slip away from his duties.
  
  "I think the choice has already been made for us." Alder smiled, "Let's put it another way - what if we don't respond to this invitation? Then we would have just publicly snubbed and made an enemy of three regions, whose top trainers apparently have the firepower to take on a Legendary and survive. Now I may have been quite hands-off with my Championship thus far, but I think we can all agree that this isn't a decision we can afford to make, right?"
  
  There were an unanimous round of nods from the rest of the table.
  
  "Excellent. Then our course of action is clear." He said, "We should send a few representatives over, along with an information packet of our own, and prepare to greet our foreign neighbours. Let's do this as soon as possible; we don't want to keep them waiting too long."
  
  "And who should be sent over?" Grimsley asked, "Surely you're not going yourself, Champion. That's taking things a bit too far."
  
  "Who said it would be?" Alder chuckled, brushing off his Elite Four's concerns, "I think heading over to a new region might allow me to find the thing I'm searching for."
  
  Grimsley's face twisted into a scowl as he slammed both his hands on the desk, "-But you can't just abandon everything!"
  
  "And I'm not. I have you guys to handle Unova's ongoings, don't I?" Alder grinned unrepentantly, "Besides, the Champion of Unova personally paying a visit would be a positive sign that we intend to foster friendly relations with them. It shows our sincerity. Drayden, I also want you to come with. You'll be able to help me get their measure. I trust your judgement."
  
  Drayden simply nodded dutifully, not bothering to argue. In the meanwhile, Grimsley's eyes were burning with frustration, probably because he had likely just been saddled with a lot of the paperwork while Alder was gone.
  
  ...Personally, he didn't blame Grimsley for his frustration. Alder's overly lax approach to his reign had always been a source of criticism for many, and what was worse was that he made no effort to change his ways. But he was Champion, and for all his laziness, his strength was the real deal, so no one looked keen to try to challenge him.
  
  "...But before we wrap up this meeting, I think there may be further insights we can obtain from our explorer here." Alder said, turning to face him, "You said you were in a meeting with most of the upper leadership, and you saw the statue of the Legendary Titan that they made. What was your impression of them? What did you observe? Were they telling the truth about them battling a Legendary?"
  
  "I highly doubt they'd lie about the latter, sir. There were too many people involved from many different regions. A lie like that couldn't stand up to any scrutiny." He said, "And while I may not have seen their Pokémon in action, they had a plethora of videos about their past battles for me to look through, which were all very impressive. For example, I know that the current Champion of Sinnoh earned her position by going through the entire gauntlet of Elite Four to make her way up to being Champion."
  
  "That's an impressive feat." Marshal commented, reading through the document containing information about the Champion of Sinnoh, "But what's this here about her being in a relationship with this Indigo Elite Four named John? Surely that's not allowed. They represent different interests."
  
  He shrugged, "I have no idea either. I did ask one of the Sinnoh Elite Four about it, but they just chuckled and laughed it off. So perhaps there's more that we're unaware of."
  
  "Perhaps it's a political relationship?" Shauntal suggested, "I mean, he's apparently quite the prodigy himself. Just look at his achievements thus far. Even excluding his awakening and partnership with a Legendary, he seems like he's involved in quite a lot of things. Perhaps the ambitious Champion of Sinnoh is just trying to tie herself to someone like him for her own benefit."
  
  "Or she's seduced him so that she could make use of that power for herself." Grimsley added cynically, "It wouldn't be the first time something like that has happened." He turned towards him, "Did you manage to meet him in person and get a feel for his personality?"
  
  "No." He shook his head, "I wanted to, but he wasn't there."
  
  "Hmph. Then I doubt he'll be anything less than an arrogant braggart." Grimsley scoffed, "Then again, assuming his achievements aren't merely fabrications or exaggerations, then I suppose it is deservingly so. I doubt I would have acted any different had I been in his position at such a young age. Some people get all the luck."
  
  "Sounds like a person I should meet when I'm there." Alder said with a thoughtful and excited smile, "I can't wait to see what kind of man he is."
  
  "What about the region itself?" Drayden asked him again, "What did you think of Sinnoh? Does it compare to Unova?"
  
  He had to think things through before replying, "...The environment and architecture is very different there. I saw that they had a lot of traditional looking buildings and cities, and they don't have anything remotely close to the likes of Castelia City." He described, "In fact, I didn't really see any skyscrapers when I was flying around Sinnoh. But I don't believe their lack of modern architecture is due to their poor economy; from what I saw they were hardly struggling. I believe that their preference for traditional architecture may be a stylistic decision rather than an economic one."
  
  "Perhaps they just didn't reveal their problems to you." Marshal stated, "Nevertheless, I suppose the Champion shall see it for himself."
  
  "Indeed I shall." Alder nodded, "Let's wrap up the meeting here; I think it's gone on for long enough anyways. I need to get ready and packed for a whole new journey. It's been a long time since I've been this excited. If you have anything else you want to discuss you can do so without me."
  
  "Please come back within a reasonable amount of time." Grimsley pleaded, "Please don't disappear for months on end. We can't even communicate with you once you're over there."
  
  "No promises." Alder grinned.
  
  He didn't miss the audible sigh of frustration and annoyance from Grimsley. Poor guy. His hair was probably going to turn white from all the extra stress that Alder put on him.
  
  At least his job was done. He was just some explorer; he didn't want to be caught up in the complicated internal politics of the Elite Four.
  
  (Lorelei POV)
  
  Almost a week had gone by since the explorers had gone home to relay their information back to the leadership of Unova, and now they had just been informed by a ranger that a ship from Unova had been sighted and was about to arrive.
  
  Even despite all the rumours that were going around, Cynthia had apparently still decided to keep the event a secret from the public for the time being. Only after ascertaining the Unovan's intentions would they make a formal public announcement.
  
  "Who do you think they'll send over?" She asked Lucian, who was standing beside her at the pier of the Sinnoh Pokémon League.
  
  "Probably one of their Elite Four." He replied, "It would be unusual for them to send a Gym Leader or their Champion, considering that Chris told us that their Circuit is also running concurrently with ours."
  
  "I just hope they brought an index of the Pokémon that they have there." She said, "I'm really interested to see just what kind of Ice Types they have over there."
  
  She hoped that there would be powerful Ice Types for her to catch. It was about time she added a new addition to her team.
  
  "I'm sure everyone's thinking the same thing." Lucian replied, "Oh. I think they're arriving now."
  
  Indeed, a giant cruise ship could be seen slowly entering into the port. On the side, the words 'Royal Unova' was plastered in a large font, and there were plenty of luxury facilities scattered across the deck of the boat.
  
  Well... arriving on that was definitely a statement.
  
  She stared eagerly as she watched the retinue from Unova disembark from the ship. At the forefront of their group, a large, wizened man trotted down the steps with an easy-going smile on his face; his red hair standing out amongst his companions.
  
  Standing next to him was a heavily muscled man, with a frankly incredible beard. He almost reminded her of Drake, if he was more muscled and had more impressive facial hair.
  
  Drake could never know her thoughts. She wouldn't hear the end of it otherwise.
  
  Cynthia stepped up to welcome them, "Greetings. I am Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh. It is an honour to welcome you to our great region of Sinnoh."
  
  "Likewise, Champion Cynthia! I am Champion Alder." What?! "And my companion here is Elite Drayden. We appreciate the hospitality that you had shown our explorers. They relayed nothing but praise about their time here."
  
  "Then we will endeavour to repeat our efforts." Cynthia replied smoothly, somehow unfazed at the fact that Unova had decided to send their Champion. "Please, follow me. We will show you to your accommodations."
  
  Alder quickly agreed, and he walked off with Cynthia as the two of them began a private conversation that she wasn't close enough to overhear. In the meanwhile, Elite Drayden had approached her, extending a hand.
  
  "And you must be the representative of Indigo." He began, his voice gruff but surprisingly friendly, "Is it true that the Blackthorns have mastered the ways of Dragon training?"
  
  "They are, and our Champion Lance is the best amongst them." She replied, though she hid the fact that Lance was practically the only Blackthorn that she actually respected. The rest were unworthy of her attention. "I assume you're a Dragon specialist yourself?"
  
  "I am." He confirmed, "I would love to see how our Dragon types compare and differ from each other. The information packet you sent us didn't include a list of the known Pokémon."
  
  That was by intention. Until they confirmed Unova would be friendly, it was probably a bad idea to give away information like that so quickly.
  
  "I believe we'll be exchanging information on that soon." She said, "But that's out of my hands. I'm only a spectator today. Champion Cynthia will be doing most of the negotiation on our behalf."
  
  "I see. So it is true that your three regions have joined together in harmony." Drayden said thoughtfully, "How unique."
  
  Actually, it wasn't completely harmonious. There were still a few kinks that they still needed to work through, but she wasn't about to reveal them here. Instead, she just smiled softly at Drayden.
  
  "It's something we've all worked very hard to accomplish." She said, "So we're naturally quite proud of our unity."
  
  "Mhm. That's good." Drayden nodded, "In time, I hope we can prove as steadfast allies as your neighbours have been. Today may serve as the first step into making that a reality."
  
  A.N. And here comes the first visitors! Alder and Drayden arrive in Sinnoh, and they'll be sure to interact with many people. Also, I tried to lay the groundworks for the personalities of the Unova Elite Four. As always, I tried to make them familiar to what they were in canon, and I hope you liked the first glimpse of them and Alder. Moreover, I hope you were pleased with Drayden replacing Caitlin in the Elite Four; it just fit better in my timeline.
  
  And now that they're here, Unova is going to be taking centre stage as we explore more about the new region.
  
  There will also be an April Fools' chapter coming tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - April Fools-PMD
  The New Normal - OMAKE - April Fools : Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
  
  He had no idea why, but he had always wanted to climb Mt. Coronet. To reach the very top, and see the world from above.
  
  But he knew he was no brave Pokémon. He was merely a Bidoof. A Pokémon known for their weakness and frailty. So in order to achieve his long-held dream, he knew he had to get stronger. And to him, the only way to do so was to join the Wigglytuff Guild.
  
  He had been rejected and denied several times, but after he had trained himself some more, he was finally accepted into the guild. For so long, Diglett's denial had haunted his dreams, but now he was finally allowed in.
  
  Stepping into the Wigglytuff's Guild for the first time, Bidoof was promptly greeted by the guild leader himself, Wigglytuff.
  
  "Hiya! I'm Wigglytuff!" The famed guild master greeted him with a wide and friendly smile, "It's always nice to see an eager recruit like yourself join us."
  
  "...Uh, yes... thank you, guild master." He replied uncertainly, "I'll try not to disappoint."
  
  "And I know you won't!" Wigglytuff continued to smile, "Anyways, why don't you get yourself oriented with Chatot? You came at a good time, we have an expedition that we're planning to go on in a few days' time. So get yourself settled in and maybe you'll be allowed to tag along too."
  
  Really?! Being able to go on an expedition so soon!? He didn't think he would be going on one so soon!
  
  He bobbed his head quickly, "Yes! Certainly! Thank you for the opportunity! Yup Yup!"
  
  "No need. Just keep up that excitement of yours. Remember, smiles go for miles!" Wigglytuff said, before his stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, "Ooh... maybe it's time for me to get something to eat. Go speak to Chatot. I'm going to find myself another Perfect Apple."
  
  Wigglytuff walked away while humming a tune, "Perfect Apple! Perfect Apple! My only wish is for a Perfect Apple! "
  
  ...He didn't know what that was about, but he quickly shrugged off the confusion. There was no time to waste! He had places to be!
  
  So he quickly headed over to where Chatot was standing, eager to introduce himself and receive his first ever instructions.
  
  The next few days passed by in a blur, but that wasn't to say that they were uneventful. No, between all of the orientation he had to go through and the last-minute catchup he needed to do in order to be eligible to join in on the next expedition, he should have been utterly exhausted. But despite all of this, he wasn't tired in the slightest. If anything, he was still raring to go.
  
  He would be going on his very first expedition! He wouldn't pass this for the world!
  
  Next to him were his new friends, Loudred and Corphish. Loudred was loud and extremely energetic, while Corphish was quiet but diligent. He felt like the two of them were complete opposites, but they seemed to have gotten along well.
  
  He was snapped out of his introspection as Chatot began to speak, "Now, remember to always be polite to the humans helping to patrol the caves. Don't forget that without them, the Wigglytuff Guild wouldn't even exist! So I don't know what your interactions with humans were before this, but I can fully vouch for these ones. They are friendly and will never try to capture you in a Pokéball without your say-so. So you don't have to worry about them at all."
  
  They all nodded at that, though Loudred had more to say, "OH! OH! WILL THE LEGEND BE HERE TODAY?!"
  
  "I'm not sure." Chatot replied, "Trainers as powerful as him tend to come and go at random."
  
  "The powerful are often busy!" Wigglytuff nodded, "Especially one that has the taint of a Legendary!"
  
  Ah. He knew what they referred to. He had sensed that trainer before. The trainer that stank of a Legendary - that terrifying aura that had caused him to run away in fear when he had first detected it. If he was a Pokémon that wanted to have a trainer, he wouldn't be able to resist the allure of such a powerful trainer.
  
  But he had always valued his independence more; the life of a trained Pokémon wasn't for him. He didn't know why, but the very thought of being captured in a Pokéball was deeply unsettling to him. He knew that the wilderness was his true calling.
  
  Nevertheless, today was a very special day. The Wigglytuff Guild would be going on their most ambitious expedition yet, as their destination was none other than the infamous Mt. Coronet.
  
  Normally, the Guild would generally only explore around the nearby caves that went under Snowpoint, as they were what was most convenient for them, but with the recent additions of new guild members (including himself!), the Guild had decided that it was time for something new. Something brave.
  
  But it was absolutely perfect for him.
  
  And so after Chatot double-checked all of their preparations and supplies, they set off for Mt. Coronet, taking in the sights as they went. Many humans looked at them with curiosity, but those familiar with the Guild often waved at them and would even sometimes give over any Apples that they might have.
  
  Those Apples were instantly requisitioned by the Guild Leader. To no one's surprise.
  
  It didn't take them long to arrive at Mt. Coronet. And once they did, the atmosphere had immediately shifted.
  
  There was a lingering aura of destruction and terror that filled the empty caverns. Next to him, Chimecho let off a visible shudder.
  
  "...There's something wrong with this place." She murmured, "It's like... we shouldn't be here."
  
  "Oh my gosh! Is it to do with that battle that took place?!" Sunflora exclaimed, "I heard it was pretty bad."
  
  "I THINK 'BAD' IS AN UNDERESTATEMENT! MANY POKÉMON WERE WOUNDED HERE!" Loudred shouted, "BUT THAT SHOULDN'T STOP US! WE'RE BRAVE EXPLORERS! WE KEEP GOING!"
  
  "Well said, Loudred." Wigglytuff nodded regally, though that was undercut by the fact that he was busy chewing down on another Perfect Apple, "Chatot and I've already done some scouting. It's totally safe! And come on, don't you want to see the statute of a Legendary itself? That's the whole reason we've come here!"
  
  That got people moving once again, and with careful steps, they climbed their way up to the top of Mt. Coronet. But their path to the top was not easy, as they were harassed by many different wild Pokémon that had decided to pick a fight against them. Not only that, but they had somehow stumbled into seven different Monster Houses as well!
  
  It was fortunate that they had their Guild Leader with them, as Wigglytuff kicked all of their butts. He just went "YOOM-TAH!" and then all the wild Pokémon scattered away in fear.
  
  Their Guild Master was truly beyond their comprehension.
  
  With the strength of their Guild Master backing them up, the rest of the trip should have been smooth-sailing. But that was until a trio consisting of a Skuntank, Zubat, and a Koffing ended up stealing and running away with one of his Perfect Apples during one of the Monster Houses, causing Wigglytuff to chase after them instead of helping out with the battle.
  
  When their Guild Leader finally made his return, Perfect Apple in hand, he was subjected to a harsh scolding from Chatot.
  
  Despite these distractions, they did eventually make it all the way to Spear Pillar. Yet once they got there, the lingering, unsettling aura that had plagued them throughout their entire journey within Mt. Coronet was suddenly gone.
  
  Instead, it was replaced by a sensation that every Pokémon was instinctively able to recognise in their gut.
  
  The Pressure of a Legendary.
  
  And, for some unknown reason, that energy was circulating around Bidoof himself, surrounding him like a tight cocoon. His form began to radiate with a pure, white light as he quickly began to absorb all of that Legendary energy. As he did so, old memories began surging back into his mind.
  
  Ah, so that was what I was. How amusing that I had forgotten.
  
  Eventually, the cocoon burst open, but the small figure of Bidoof was nowhere to be seen. Instead, what stepped out was the form of creation itself - the four-legged omnipotent progenitor of all.
  
  Arceus.
  
  "YOUR EFFORTS IN RESTORING ME TO MY TRUE FORM HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED." Their voice boomed out, echoing through the skies as if for all to hear, "SPEAK, MORTALS. YOU SHALL BE GRANTED A BOON FOR THIS ACHIEVEMENT."
  
  Spear Pillar was completely silent as the remaining members of the Guild were completely stunned by this unexpected turn of events. They couldn't even meet its gaze, as they had immediately prostrated themselves to the ground in reverence and fear. They would not dare lift their heads in the presence of such magnificence and power.
  
  ...All except one.
  
  "I want a Perfect Apple!" Wigglytuff demanded, smiling as easily as always. He was completely unfazed and unbothered by the appearance of their creator.
  
  It was a completely absurd and ridiculous request. No one in the right mind would waste a boon from Arceus itself on something as stupid as a Perfect Apple.
  
  But Wigglytuff was just built different. For a Pokémon that had already discovered the meaning of life itself, why else wouldn't it wish for a Perfect Apple?
  
  "THEN IT SHALL BE DONE." And Arceus did not deny his request. With a flash of light, a Perfect Apple formed in front of Wigglytuff, who let out a squeal of happiness and instantly began to chow down on it.
  
  With its boon granted, Arceus then disappeared with another flash of light, leaving the Guild alone once again.
  
  They were all flabbergasted, confused, and reeling from shock. But every single one of them turned their eyes onto their Guild Leader, who had just let out a satisfied burp as he finished its Perfect Apple.
  
  Then, as if he had just come to a sudden realisation, Wigglytuff flopped to the ground.
  
  "...I'm so stupid." He murmured to himself, "I should have asked for two Perfect Apples..."
  
  The sounds of a collective facepalm echoed throughout Spear Pillar.
  
  A.N. HAPPY APRIL FOOLS! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't know how I even managed to come up with this, but I hope you liked it anyways! Please don't take it seriously.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-8 - Interlude-Archer
  The New Normal - 14-8 - Interlude - Archer
  
  For most of his adult life, he never would have thought that he'd be doing anything with his life that he hadn't been explicitly ordered to by Giovanni. After everything his boss had done for him, and for the region that he so dearly loved, there was nothing he wouldn't do to repay back what he felt he owed.
  
  This was why both Petrel and Ariana were so loyal to Giovanni as well. All three of Giovanni's closest subordinates were all people that had suffered and despaired due to the poverty that had once ravaged Kanto.
  
  Ariana was a failed researcher. A woman that had just been fired from one of Kanto's many failing laboratories that were all shutting down one by one, and left with very few options to make a decent living. Petrel was a conman, someone forced to lie and cheat just to scrounge up enough money for him to make it through another day without going hungry. And himself? He was nothing more than a petty thief. A man who stole from others because he didn't see any other way that he could survive.
  
  All three of them were headed to live empty and hollow lives. But Giovanni had recognised and acknowledged their talents, and brought them up to what they were today. And they were all much happier for it.
  
  So if his actions in service to Giovanni meant getting his hands dirty with all sorts of underground and very likely illegal activities, to be the silent hand that 'nudged' things from time to time so that his boss could achieve his goals, then so be it.
  
  However, the nature of his tasks meant that his actions and deeds were almost always left unknown to the wider public. As a result, he never really had the opportunity to take credit for his actions - to be able to point at something and publicly say that he did that. But he never really cared about not receiving the glory, since most of his thoughts revolved around serving Giovanni to the best of his ability. As a tool.
  
  Therefore, when Giovanni had approached him and asked if he wanted to become a so-called 'Frontier Brain' and take up a position as part of the new Battle Frontier, completely independent and separated from Giovanni's influence, he was completely taken aback.
  
  This would be his very first position where his name would be in the spotlight. Even when he had taken on other 'official' roles on behalf of Giovanni, such as his time working as an analyst for Silph Co., he was never really more than another nameless face in the crowd. But this time was different. If he were given the position, the level of fame and attention he would receive would turn him into a celebrity overnight.
  
  The idea of being famous and recognised was... unusual, but the more that he thought about it, the more he wanted to give it a shot. After living a life in the shadows, maybe it would be good to spend some time in the sun.
  
  Besides, with Giovanni no longer wanting to involve himself with the criminal world any longer in favour of spending his time with Ariana in raising their son, and with Petrel now wholly occupied with his duties at the Cerulean Gym, he was the one left with nothing to do. So instead of sitting on his empty hands, he decided to take a chance and accept the invitation from Cynthia to meet.
  
  Though the interview with Cynthia proved to be quite simple, at least for him, and he passed through those tests without too much issue.
  
  Naturally, Cynthia demanded a very high level of strength to become a Frontier Brain, but as one of Giovanni's trusted lieutenants, he wouldn't allow his strength to be a disappointment for his boss. He was pretty confident that his strength could match up against your average Gym Leader.
  
  He might not be a Type specialist, but he had a solid roster of Pokémon consisting of a Houndoom, Pinsir, Weezing, Crobat, Mismagius, Claydol, Ursaring, and Cloyster.
  
  He admitted that his team was a rather big mish-mash of many different Pokémon, and unlike many other trainers, he did not have a 'starter' Pokémon or an ace. That was because his team was basically cobbled together over the course of many different missions, and therefore he didn't raise them from scratch as many other trainers usually would.
  
  However, that did not mean his team was weak. They may have been so at first, but after spending so many years together, they had forged themselves into a proper team in truth. It was a team that had gotten him through some pretty tough shit over the years, and he trusted them with his life.
  
  He was confident that they would be able to hold up to his future peers at the Battle Frontier.
  
  Speaking of them, he had arrived at a small restaurant in Jubilife City, having been invited there by his future colleagues as a way of getting to know each other. That was a pleasant surprise, as he was both the latecomer and a foreigner, so he initially thought he would have been snubbed or at least politely ignored.
  
  "Hey, over here, Archer!" A loud blonde man waved him over as he entered into the restaurant, "We saved you a seat!" He made his way over.
  
  "My thanks." He said as he took a seat at the table, "You must be Palmer."
  
  "Sure am." Palmer grinned easily, "And this young man right here is Thorton. Then the two lovely ladies over there are Dahlia and Argenta."
  
  "Not so much of a lady anymore, Palmer. I'm getting on in years." Argenta chuckled.
  
  "Nonsense, you look good for your age!" Dahlia reassured, "I'd be happy if I could maintain my looks like you did once I get to your age."
  
  He supposed he could add a compliment of his own, "Having been partially acquainted with Agatha, I can say for certain that you've aged very well, Argenta. Don't let her know I said that though."
  
  That got a few chuckles, just as he hoped for.
  
  "Say, Archer. You used to work for Silph Co, right?" Thorton asked, "So are you good with technology?"
  
  "Sorry, I only worked there as an analyst." He replied with a shake of his head, "Tech and science-y stuff went completely over my head. I'm definitely more suited to field work over lab work."
  
  "Ah. That's a shame." Thorton said, frowning slightly, "I was hoping someone here could share my interests."
  
  "Don't be like that, Thorton." Palmer clapped him over the shoulder, "I'm sure Archer's just being humble. I bet he's certainly going to be more knowledgeable than me."
  
  The food arrived shortly after that, and the conversation flowed naturally as everyone made small talk and simply tried to get to know each other better. He admitted that the atmosphere was quite enjoyable - everyone was friendly with each other, and while they were all different, their personalities didn't clash.
  
  From his first impressions, Palmer was the loud and excited one, while Thorton was his complete opposite. Yet Dahlia and Argenta were both quite kind and easy-going, which helped smooth over any potential conflicts from the former's differing personalities.
  
  Eventually, after their meal was finished, they moved onto the more important topic.
  
  "So... any of you guys actually thought about how you'd like to design your section of the Battle Frontier?" Palmer asked them, "Because we don't have much time before we need to submit and finalise our proposal to the construction team. And Cynthia made it clear we're supposed to add some kind of 'unique gimmick' to each of our sections."
  
  "Then we should use this opportunity to share and brainstorm on ideas." He said, "It'll ensure that we aren't accidentally overlapping our ideas."
  
  Everyone nodded at that.
  
  "I've already decided on making mine a factory." Thorton said, "And for the gimmick, I want it so that challengers will have to only make use of rented Pokémon that we provide for them. That way, they'll get to have practice with using a whole range of different Pokémon and what their strengths and weaknesses are. It probably won't be super popular, but I'm pretty confident that there will be trainers who will see the benefits of such battles."
  
  That was a pretty interesting idea.
  
  "You could probably have it so that one of the 'special prizes' that you give out is that the challenger is allowed to keep one of their Pokémon that they rented." He suggested, "Might give them incentive to participate."
  
  "True." Thorton nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."
  
  "I think I want to keep things simple for myself, so I'm calling dibs on the 'standard' battle experience." Palmer grinned, "That means hosting 1v1 battles just like you would see in your standard Gym Battle. And I want to call mine the Battle Tower."
  
  "In that case, I've been thinking of having a gauntlet run, in probably what I'll be calling the Battle Hall." Argenta said, "I was inspired from the Indigo Gauntlet show match that they did, and I think it'll be interesting to implement something like that here. Basically, challengers will continuously face other challengers with one Pokémon each and they will keep going until they lose. Their Pokémon won't be healed between battles, so it'll be a good way to train up their Pokémon's endurance and stamina."
  
  "Oh! Me next! I want to do something like an Arcade, and since Palmer's taken the single battles, I'll be focused on multi-battles instead." Dahlia said, "So I'll be doing 2v2 battles! I think it's going to be quite popular since there's been an uptick of people who enjoy doing multi-battles now."
  
  They all turned to him expectantly, waiting for his own answer. Fortunately, he had already come up with something on his way here. One that encapsulated his own unique experiences as a trainer.
  
  "I want to have this big open castle with a maze-like arena with plenty of both easy and difficult to destroy obstacles to hide behind and block line of sight." He said, "So instead of having your typical open arena, challengers will have to face opponents in an unusual and unfamiliar environment, where they'll be able to make use of the terrain to gain an advantage over their opponent. Basically, they'll be training up their own tactical thinking and observational skills, while also preparing them for 'real life' battles."
  
  Despite the strength of his team, he knew that his real strength lied in planning ambushes and attacking from oblique angles. He wanted his section of the Battle Frontier to reflect that, especially since most trainers didn't really practice fighting outside the controlled, flat open spaces of a Gym arena.
  
  "Excellent." Palmer clapped, "It seems like we all have an idea of what we're doing, and I'm very glad that there weren't any overlaps in our ideas. I think we should prioritise finalising and submitting these designs as soon as possible so the construction team can get started on building them."
  
  And thus, they had laid the foundation for the Battle Frontier to take shape. It would prove to be a great success.
  
  A.N. I felt like it would be good to give some backstory into Archer and the other Team Rocket admins and how they ended up working under Giovanni. Given their respective talents in this story, I wanted their backgrounds to reflect that. I hoped you liked that bit of insight and the reasons behind wanting to join the Battle Frontier.
  
  Also, with Archer joining the ranks of the Battle Frontier, I felt that it was good to try to showcase his contribution to the Battle Frontier and what his 'section' would look like. Of course, for the others, I had to make some changes for theirs as well to try to adapt them to a 'real world' scenario - as the way they are formatted in the games would simply not make sense logically. Hope you enjoyed the slightly longer Interlude!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 14-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 14-9 - Champion Alder
  
  Though I wasn't there personally, the rest of the Indigo Elite Four and I were still kept in the loop about what was happening over in Sinnoh thanks to Lance. According to him, both he and Wallace had virtually joined into a meeting with Alder and Cynthia, where they began discussions about establishing preliminary relations between our regions.
  
  It was your usual fare - an exchange of basic information and making verbal promises that there wouldn't be any hostility between us.
  
  However, from the information packet about Unova that was forwarded to me, I was surprised to realise that Unova hadn't done almost any exploration beyond its own region - to the point where we were the first regions that it discovered. It was a shame, but at least that made things simpler for now.
  
  Naturally, with Unova's public arrival, the news couldn't be concealed from the public for much longer. Therefore, our discovery of Unova was properly revealed to the wider world, to the excitement and enthusiasm of many.
  
  Many instantly gravitated to the information about the Unova-exclusive Pokémon that were provided, and the Pokénet became rife with discussions over what they thought about these new additions. As expected, I saw that Hydreigon took up most of the public's attention as Unova's sole Psuedo-Legendary, and both Lance and Karen were eying it up hungrily as it was a Dark/Dragon Type.
  
  Karen was definitely pretty eager to add another powerhouse onto her team, and she had so many options to choose from between Hydreigon, Bisharp, and Krookodile, but she was even more excited to finally be able to obtain a Zoroark.
  
  Ever since I had gotten mine, she had been interested in getting one of her own, despite it not being a Dark Type, simply because its fighting style with Illusion perfectly complimented her own strategies as well. However, she had not been able to do so because another H-Zoroark had not been found yet, and I haven't gone around to start breeding my own one either.
  
  I probably should get started on that sometime soon.
  
  Speaking of Zoroark, the fact that there were two different variants of the Pokémon, and that the one we discovered in the ruins of Sinnoh was noticeably different to Unova's Zoroark, had caught people's attention. From my discussions with Cynthia, this pretty much confirmed that the variant of Zoroark that we found had come from Hisuian times, and thus had diverged from the species that was seen in Unova.
  
  Still, for the sake of clarity, it was pretty easily agreed that we would simply be calling Sinnoh's Zoroark as a Hisuian-Zoroark from now on to avoid confusion.
  
  But we weren't the only ones impressed by what the Unovans had brought. It was more like the reverse, as they were utterly fascinated by the technologies that we had managed to create. Between the Pokédex, the fossil revival machine, and the PSS system that we had implemented throughout all three regions, they marvelled at what these technologies all brought to the table.
  
  Safe to say, Unova was incredibly interested in getting their hands on these themselves.
  
  Despite all of these remarkable inventions, what really blew their minds was the reveal of the Fairy type. They had absolutely no knowledge of the Fairy type and its existence prior to meeting us, and from Lorelei's description, it seems like the existence of a completely new type was as shocking to them as it was here when we initially revealed it.
  
  I knew it was going to take some time for them to wrap their heads around it.
  
  Yet for now, the biggest priority was to set up a communication system that could actually connect to and from Unova, which definitely wasn't going to be easy considering the distance between the regions.
  
  However, once the preliminary discussions were done, Alder surprisingly announced that he would be making a trip to both Indigo and Hoenn to see what it was like there, while he left Drayden in charge of handling the remaining negotiations with Sinnoh.
  
  Everyone had been caught flat-footed by that. If anything, most people thought that it should have been the other way around. However, Lorelei's comments helped contextualise the situation.
  
  "...Alder seems to be a very easy going person." She told us, "He's pretty jovial, charming, and friendly, but it isn't hard to see that he doesn't really care much for the politicking or responsibilities of his position. And I've noticed that he doesn't seem capable of sitting still. I first suspected that this was merely a façade, but Lucian convinced me that it was not."
  
  "Was that why he came all the way in person to greet us?" Karen suggested, "Because he wanted to take a break from his duties?"
  
  "I don't know. But what I can say is that none of the Unovan League officials really look at Alder with much fondness or respect." Lorelei replied, "Compared to how most officials look up to Lance, Wallace, or Cynthia, it's quite different - which tells me that maybe he isn't very well-liked back home."
  
  Her insights matched up with what I remembered of canon. Even though the reason behind his wanderlust had escaped me, I knew that he had chosen to distance himself from the responsibilities of a Champion in the games. Because of this, and the fact that he would eventually lose against N and subsequently be replaced by Iris, I didn't think he was nearly as strong as the current roster of Champions that we had.
  
  Nevertheless, with Alder coming over to visit both Indigo and Hoenn, it was also suggested that we should send someone to visit Unova in turn. Once again, I was quick to volunteer for this task, and this time Lance didn't turn me down.
  
  "Considering your reputation of both strength and diplomacy, I can't deny that sending you over wouldn't be our best choice." He said to me, "But you won't be going alone. Karen - I want the public to see you doing more than just working on Lavender Town. And I trust your diplomatic skills. So head over to Unova with him. I trust you'll both work well together."
  
  Hearing that perked me up. I was actually very excited to go on a trip with Karen again - it had been some time since our last outing together.
  
  "Sure." She nodded, "But when would we be heading over?"
  
  "Not yet. It'd probably be after Alder finishes visiting Indigo and heads over to Hoenn." Lance replied, "I want all of us to be there to greet him. These are very important days ahead, so it's vital that we put our best foot forwards."
  
  "We don't want anyone to underestimate us, after all."
  
  Barely a few days later, all three remaining Elite Four members, plus Lance, gathered at Vermillion City to await the arrival of Alder and Lorelei, who had also accompanied him. We weren't the only ones there, as the public had also come out in droves to see the new members of Unova for themselves.
  
  However, we weren't just there to greet him. Instead, Lance had his own plans that he had revealed to us in the privacy of his office.
  
  "If I think he'll be amenable to it, I'm going to offer him a friendly challenge." He told us, "It'll just be a battle between our starters. I think it'll be good for us to show off our strength here, and I doubt he'd refuse."
  
  "Are you sure about this, Lance?" Koga asked, "It might hinder our attempts to establish friendly relations with them if they think you're acting aggressively."
  
  "Perhaps." Lance admitted, "But it is equally important that they do not look down on us. We need to make it absolutely clear to Alder that Indigo should be treated as equals, and not as a lesser. Besides, Sinnoh has already acted as the velvet glove - showing off all the bountiful treasures that they could have if they worked alongside us. Now it's time for us to be the iron fist - a reminder of why they should not provoke us."
  
  Karen nodded, "Agatha would approve. And if Alder performs well, he also gets the opportunity to show the public of Indigo that Unova are worthy of our respect too."
  
  "A logical line of thinking." Koga also nodded, "But are you certain of your victory? Nothing in their information packets have mentioned Alder's strength in any way. We cannot even ascertain the Type that he specialises in. If you were to lose here, you would accomplish the opposite of what you wanted to achieve."
  
  But Lance just snorted, "If I didn't have confidence in my Dragons to beat anyone I came across, then I wouldn't be your Champion now would I? Koga, you must have more faith in me than that. My Dragons won't falter just because of a bad type matchup, if one does exist. Even if he somehow turns out to be a Fairy specialist, despite not even knowing about the Type until they met us, I've already worked around the new Fairy type. They aren't the universal counter to my Dragons like some think they are."
  
  "Or maybe you just haven't faced off against a true Fairy specialist yet." I smirked, "Maybe you'd rethink your thoughts after that."
  
  "And when one shows up that is worth the name then we'll see." He fired back, "But for now, such a trainer does not exist."
  
  Our banter cut off as we saw the ship from Sinnoh coming into view. We all stood in a line, with Lance in front, as we prepared to welcome our first visitors from Unova onto Indigo soil. For the first time in a while, we really pulled out all the stops for this greeting, and we even rolled out a red carpet for Alder - while a sea of reporters and League officials flanked us from both sides.
  
  Alder stepped out first, his fiery red hair swaying in the wind, an easy-going grin on his face.
  
  "Ah, and here I thought all three of the regions would be as cold as Sinnoh. I'm so glad that that isn't the case." He chuckled, "And you must be the Champion of Indigo."
  
  "I am." Lance nodded, "And it is my great honour to be able to welcome you to our prosperous region of Indigo. I assure you that you will not be disappointed."
  
  "Hah! Elite Lorelei has already regaled me with some of the tales and stories of your region on the ship ride here." He gestured to Lorelei, who had disembarked and had now rejoined our side, "Seems like you've been through quite the exciting history."
  
  "I'm sure Unova must have similar tales to ours." Lance allowed, "But let me be the first to say that we are very glad that you are willing to enter into friendly diplomatic relations with us. I understand the temptation to treat unknown strangers with wariness and hostility, but I can assure you that the Indigo League will expend every effort to ensure that our regions can work alongside each other harmoniously and peacefully."
  
  "On that note, we would like to also send over our own Elite Four to Unova to see your many lovely sights for ourselves." He gestured to Karen and I, "Elite Karen and Elite John have volunteered for the journey - with your permission."
  
  I felt Alder's eyes dart to me as soon as he heard my name, "Ah. So you're Elite John - I've heard many good things about you, and from what everyone's been telling me, you've seem to be involved in a great many things around here. People have had very high praise for you. The Champion of Sinnoh also had much to say about you."
  
  "I'm just often in the right place and the right time." I replied, trying to remain humble, "And I was never alone. My friends and colleagues deserve every bit of the praise that has been laid onto me."
  
  "And yet I can see the respect and admiration that your colleagues look at you with." He countered, "So that tells me your achievements and strength must be noteworthy."
  
  He let out a grin, "Noteworthy enough that I want to see it for myself."
  
  I blinked, not exactly sure how I was meant to respond to that.
  
  But then he let out a chuckle, "You don't have to look all confused. I'm sure you know what I mean. After hearing all about you, my blood itches to get a measure of your strength. And the only way we can do that is with a battle."
  
  He pointed a finger at me, "Me and you, Elite John. I want to see what one of the strongest trainer of Indigo has to offer!"
  
  His declaration was met with shocked looks from not only our people, but also the Unova contingent that Alder had brought alongside him. Given the horrified looks they were shooting to their own Champion, they clearly were not expecting for their Champion to make such an open challenge to a foreign member of the Elite Four that he had just met.
  
  Sure, Lance was planning to challenge him too, but it was different because he was also a Champion. Technically, a fight between them would be as equals as they shared the same position. But a fight between an Elite Four and a Champion was, by its nature, unbalanced. In other words, it wasn't the most politically adept decision to make, and the Unovan League officials clearly knew that - if the horror and shock on their faces were any indication.
  
  Despite this, Alder didn't seem to care at all as he remained staring at me with his usual grin on his face, waiting for my response.
  
  I shared a look with Lance, wanting to confirm our course of action. His silent nod told me what I needed to know.
  
  "...In that case, I will gladly take you up on that offer, Champion Alder." I responded, which only caused the Unovan representatives to become even more alarmed.
  
  "Excellent! I don't think we need to battle with our full teams, I just want to get a glimpse of that strength that everyone seems to acknowledge." Alder said, "Maybe we can keep it to just our starters. How's that sound?"
  
  "You know, John's starter is very capable. He's even taken down my own starter before." Lance spoke up, which got a look of interest from Alder, "We had a duel before between our starters for a fun show match, and his starter ended up beating mine. I wouldn't underestimate him just because he isn't a Champion."
  
  I knew that he was giving one last opportunity for Alder to back out. But he didn't take it.
  
  "Well that just makes me even more excited for the battle!" The warning didn't even seem to have been acknowledged, "Come, let's get into it right away. Surely we have an arena nearby that we can use with enough spectator seats for all of us. I want for all of us here from Unova to witness the strength of Indigo firsthand."
  
  "...Yes, we should have one." Lance replied, who was now a little taken aback by how quickly Alder was rushing into this, "Give me just a short moment to quickly make the arrangements."
  
  One quick call to the Vermillion Gym later, and we had successfully commandeered Surge's Gym for our use.
  
  I inwardly apologised to all those Gym challengers that we had probably just pushed out of the way, but even we didn't expect Alder to be so battle-hungry.
  
  As we walked to the Gym, Alder made his rounds as he spoke to every person on the Elite Four equally, each time asking a different question about a different aspect of Indigo. For example, with Koga he asked a few questions about the Gyms and how they were run, since Koga used to be a Gym Leader. Then with Lorelei he asked about the International Police and how they operated. With Karen he asked about Kanto-Johto relations and what that dynamic was like nowadays.
  
  I wanted to say that he was doing so to fish for information about our politics... but unless he was an incredibly good actor, my gut told me that he was just asking these questions because he was interested, and not because he was trying to extract some kind of political benefit from them. Just like Lorelei had described him, Alder seemed like an amiable and cheery man, but he didn't quite act like how a Champion was supposed to.
  
  He seemed just a little too carefree for that.
  
  It didn't take long for us to arrive at the Vermillion Gym, where Gym Leader Surge was there to greet all of us. Despite his well-known distrust for Johtonians, he was at least able to put on a mask of civility when he greeted the Unovan delegation, offering them all due respect and politeness as he offered them a tour of his Gym.
  
  Alder had taken him up on that offer, though he was at least considerate enough to keep it short. Meanwhile, as he was on the tour, I was deep within my own thoughts as I did my best to try to recall Alder's team. It was... surprisingly difficult to recall what his team was. Not to insult him, but his team just wasn't as memorable as the other Champions I knew.
  
  All I remembered was that his starter was a Volcarona. Which, since this was a battle between our starters, was enough.
  
  I couldn't help but let out a small, excited grin. If it was a battle that Alder wanted, then it was a battle that he was going to get. It was a battle that I wasn't going to hold back on, and I was fully willing to allow Tyrant to unleash his full might since the pride and prestige of Indigo was on the line.
  
  This was going to be the first battle between our two regions - a showcase of both of our regions' potential that would set the tone for the negotiations to come. And I would do my utmost to ensure that we held the advantage.
  
  I hoped Alder wouldn't regret biting off more than he could chew.
  
  After receiving an encouraging pat on the shoulder from my Elite Four colleagues, Alder and I stepped up to take our positions in the arena. The reporters and League officials who had accompanied us were staring us with visible anticipation in their eyes.
  
  I stared down at Alder, droning out the sounds of the referee as I inspected his form. Despite the battle that was about to take place, his laid-back smile never wavered. He looked completely relaxed about the battle, as if he was hardly concerned about the result.
  
  I frowned slightly; a little insulted that he wasn't taking me seriously. Was this arrogance on his part? Or just aloofness?
  
  Either way, let's see if he could maintain that attitude when he faced off against Tyrant.
  
  "Trainers! Let the first friendly match between Unova and Indigo begin! Three! Two! One! FIGHT!"
  
  "Volcarona, it's on you!"
  
  "Tyrant! A show of strength!"
  
  Volcarona emerged within a fiery vortex of flames, rapidly scorching the air around it as it wasted no time in sending forth a huge wave of fire at Tyrant. In response, Tyrant launched himself off the ground with a Mega Kick as he spun through the air - and over the Heat Wave - before retaliating with a barrage of Thunderbolts.
  
  Volcarona easily dashed out of the way with its incredible speed as its eyes flashed, sending forth another enormous tornado of flames in a combination of both Heat Wave and Hurricane. However, instead of ordering Tyrant to form a Protect shield, I decided to make a statement.
  
  "Giga Impact."
  
  Tyrant's form briefly glowed orange before he suddenly rocketed forwards, shooting through the air like a wrathful missile as he tore right through the fiery Hurricane, unbothered even as his fur was scorched black and singed.
  
  His eyes were burning with eager violence; one that promised only pain and brutality.
  
  Alder must not have expected Tyrant to charge through the searing flames, as his aloof expression melted away into one of pure surprise.
  
  "PROTECT!"
  
  Despite the shouts of its trainer, Volcarona was equally as surprised as its trainer and was a little slow in trying to dash out of the way of the incoming meteor strike from Tyrant. Volcarona may have been fast, but right now, Tyrant was simply faster.
  
  The earth shook and cracked as Tyrant's almighty Giga Impact violently slammed into it with so much force that Alder's starter was sent hurling backwards, skidding across the ground face-first and leaving a deep trench in its wake.
  
  "SLAKINGGGGG!" Tyrant's thunderous roar of primal power echoed throughout the arena, and was a sign that his assault wasn't over yet. Burned as he now was, that didn't stop him from stomping on the ground and impaling the fallen Volcarona with an eruption of deadly sharp rocks.
  
  The Fire type tried to retaliate by unleashing six orbs of white-hot flames, one formed from each of its wings, but knowing that he wouldn't be able to get out of the way, Tyrant simply allowed himself to be struck and set aflame by the volley of Fire Blasts as he charged forwards. Despite being engulfed in a burst of white flames, Tyrant's charge did not break and he ferociously pounced on top of Alder's starter and pinned it below him.
  
  Then one of his arms clamped around Volcarona like a vice and the other began to rain down a storm of devastating strikes - each of them serving as a very painful lesson about Tyrant's colossal strength.
  
  Though I usually wasn't one to take pleasure in other's suffering, I couldn't deny that slight sense of satisfaction that I felt as each one of Tyrant's destructive attacks slowly broke through Alder's aloof expressions further and further, with the gravity of the situation slowly dawned on him.
  
  He had just picked a battle against a Pokémon that he was completely unprepared to face.
  
  "OVERHEAT, VOLCARONA! GET IT OFF OF YOU!" He shouted out desperately.
  
  Impressively, even through the beatdown it was receiving, Volcarona proved why it was a Champion's starter as it maintained its concentration and managed to detonate itself in a fiery explosion that sent a wave of searing hot flames burning out in all directions. And Tyrant was just caught right in the epicentre, eating the entire fiery explosion head-on.
  
  Admittedly, it was a very powerful Overheat - easily the most powerful one I had ever seen. An enormous circle around Volcarona was scorched completely black, and even behind the safety of the psychic shields, I could feel the intense heat radiating out from within.
  
  Unfortunately for Alder, it wasn't enough. Tyrant had fought and withstood against attacks far greater than that.
  
  There was only one Pokémon that Tyrant considered to be his rival - and that was Emperor. Not this Volcarona.
  
  So Alder was once again completely taken by surprise as Tyrant refused to let go of the Volcarona even after tanking through the entirety of that Overheat. Instead, he pushed through the searing pain with almost insane-looking grin on his face as he ferociously slammed his two monstrous fists into the ground and unleashed a point-blank Earthquake. A barrage of explosive tremors tore through the pinned Volcarona before a field of rocks also erupted from below, painfully impaling the Fire type with another quadruply supereffective move.
  
  "Whirlwind! Get it away from you!"
  
  "Stone Edge to finish it off."
  
  Now utterly desperate, Volcarona tried to summon up a powerful gust of wind to force Tyrant back, but its attempt was interrupted by a quick Sucker Punch that flinched it.
  
  Then a huge slab of rock was ruthlessly smashed into its face.
  
  The Fire type collapsed to the ground, only for it to be buried under a further tomb of rocks.
  
  Just to make sure that his opponent was actually down, Tyrant showed absolutely no mercy as he raised his arms up once again and got ready to unleash another Earthquake that would almost certainly have been complete overkill.
  
  "Enough! ENOUGH!"
  
  Alder's uncharacteristically frantic voice suddenly cut through the battlefield, causing me to raise a hand to stop Tyrant. Turning towards the Champion of Unova, I was a little surprised at the haunted look in his eyes as he quickly recalled his fallen Volcarona back into his Pokéball.
  
  I frowned inwardly; did I go overboard here? Maybe Tyrant's brutal performance was a little much.
  
  Fortunately, Alder recovered quickly as he took a deep breath, letting out a slightly forced chuckle as his usual smile returned to his face.
  
  "Oops... got a little too emotional there." He ran his fingers through his hair, "But that was a good battle. Are all the Elite Four in Indigo as strong as you?"
  
  "I would like to think so." I replied, rubbing Tyrant's Pokéball affectionately after I recalled him, "I am proud to fight alongside any of them."
  
  "I'm sure you are." He nodded, "Well, I can now fully understand how you just managed to fend off a Legendary now with strength like that. That must have been a good fight!"
  
  I was very aware of the horde of reporters and cameras that were listening into our every word, so I worded my response carefully, "...It was a battle worth fighting for."
  
  Luckily, Lance walked up to us and saved me from answering any more questions on the topic, "I hope you were satisfied with that fight, Champion Alder. Like I said, John's starter has actually beaten mine in a straight fight. Many have called him a Champion in all but title, and I agree."
  
  "And yet you don't seem bothered by that statement." Alder pointedly observed, "I would have thought that a Champion might have been concerned with an overly strong Elite Four member."
  
  "John and I have an understanding." Lance replied vaguely, "We have similar goals and a shared vision on how we can continue to grow Indigo and ensure its prosperity. As a result, we both found it easier to simply work together instead of trying to fight for the position of Champion while the region suffers for it."
  
  I nodded supportively, making sure it was clear that I was backing up Lance's words. I knew why he was saying it so blatantly like this - because he wanted Unova to understand that the leadership of Indigo was solid and unshakeable.
  
  I had just given them a clean demonstration of our fearsome strength, and now Lance wanted to remind them that Indigo was united in purpose as well.
  
  I could see a considering look pass through Alder's eyes, but it quickly vanished as Alder let out a bark of laughter, "Man... you remind me of Marshal and I. That brings back good memories."
  
  "Anyways, I think I made quite the fool of myself today." He said easily, not seeming too bothered about his loss. Though I highly doubted that the other members of Unova would see it the same way, "I wanted to see the strength of Elite John for myself, and I think I got quite the good look at it today."
  
  He let out a big stretch, "But I'm pretty tired now. Champion Lance, would you mind escorting us to our residences?"
  
  "Sure." Lance nodded, "Please, come this way."
  
  While Lance escorted the Unova delegation out, I remained there as my colleagues in the Elite Four approached me.
  
  "...Lorelei, I don't your description of Alder could've been any more accurate." Karen commented, "That man is the most carefree Champion I've ever seen in my life."
  
  "I genuinely thought it was a façade at first, but at this point I'm convinced it's not." Lorelei agreed, "It's just how he is."
  
  "I do not think Alder's behaviour is a facade as well." Koga stated, "I have watched him closely ever since his arrival. There were moments and glimpses where he became serious, but those moments were few and far between. His most expressive moment was when he had that haunted look when you buried his Volcarona."
  
  "...There must be a story there." Karen suggested slowly, "I caught that look from him too. And I'm thinking maybe he lost a Pokémon in the past? It would explain his sudden look of horror."
  
  "Never mind that for now." Lorelei said, before patting me on the shoulder, "Good job out there, John. I was pretty nervous at first, but then I guess I shouldn't have been. You crushed him. But now I'm starting to wonder how the rest of Unova is going to react after you so thoroughly trounced their Champion like that."
  
  Truthfully, I felt that Alder could have done much better than he did. If he had been on his guard and aware of Tyrant's capabilities from the start, I believed he would have done far more to not allow his Volcarona to be so easily caught within Tyrant's grasp like it was. If Volcarona hadn't been caught off-guard, then I felt that it could have made use of its superior speed more effectively.
  
  But until we ever got a rematch, I guess we would never know.
  
  Karen shot me a look, "Think your victory today might complicate things once you head over to Unova?"
  
  Koga answered for me, "It should not. Perhaps it will make them more wary of you, but I do not see that as a negative. On the contrary, such wariness would also generate a level of respect from them. Just like Lance hoped, they have now seen our strength, and they would likely decide to tread carefully around us. This should make it less likely that they would treat the two of you negatively when you do head to Unova."
  
  I sure hoped so. I was really looking forward to that trip to Unova.
  
  A.N. And Alder fights John! Unfortunately for Alder, that wasn't the best performance he could have pulled out. Looking through canon, I've interpreted Alder to not be the strongest of Champions, as he did canonically lose to N and then got replaced by Iris. And I really can't see him being as strong as the other Champions either. That's not to say he's weak, but John is most certainly not an opponent he can afford to take lightly - which he did at first.
  
  Compared to the other Champions, I see Alder's biggest flaw to be that he's too laidback, almost like he's trying to avoid the responsibilities of the position. Alder's character and his political 'weakness' is going to be a plot point moving forwards. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 14-10 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 14-10 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE INDIGO ELITE FOUR'S GAUNTLET RUN! A SHOW OF STRENGTH FROM THE INDIGO LEAGUE! WERE YOU THERE?!] by Battlecast
  
  [Snapshots of the gauntlet run containing various images of the Elite Four fighting. Lance is featured most prominently.]
  
  Ever since the reveal that both John and Koga had participated in the raid against a Legendary in Sinnoh, many have you have been eagerly clambering for an opportunity to challenge and test yourselves against the strength of the Elite Four, especially ones that had held their own against a Legendary. Well, the opportunity has now come and gone, and we really hope that the Ace Trainers among you got your chance to show off your strength!
  
  For those who somehow missed the event, we won't be summarising the event here. Go back and watch the event yourself! It's worth the time investment!
  
  Anyways, as for the final results of the event itself, it should come to no surprise that our Champion Lance came out on top. I know many people were supportive of John and hoped he would win, but despite coming close, Lance's full team of complete powerhouses still managed to out-class him. In a gauntlet format like this was, it was the perfect opportunity for Lance to show off the incredible strength and endurance of his team. John instead came at a respectable second place.
  
  But both Tyrant and Emperor were as unstoppable as ever. It really felt like the both of them were impossible to take down.
  
  However, as much as both Lance and John deserve praise for their amazing performance, it is equally as impressive that both Karen and Koga lasted as long as they did - considering their Types are not traditionally known for being powerhouses. They might have fallen behind Lorelei in terms of number of knockouts, but it just goes to show just how inventive tactics, clever and precise training, and confidence and experience can really push your team to go further beyond their 'expected' limits.
  
  Did anyone manage to take down one of the Elite Four's Pokémon? We'd love to know if you did! Or if you were just a spectator, let us know how you felt watching these battles! Should the League do something like this again?
  
  Comments
  
  DragonPower
  
  THAT'S FUCKING RIGHT! DRAGONS SHOW UP WHEN IT MATTERS! STRENGTH IS EVERYTHING, AND DRAGONS ARE STRENGTH!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  John was so close to beating Lance there! Maybe if his Pokémon had just held on for a little bit longer, or hit just that little bit harder... Still, there's no shame for losing against the Champion. Especially not one as strong and as formidable as Lance.
  
  FutureAce
  
  I WAS THERE AT THE EVENT! FUCK! I wish I was an Ace Trainer so that I could have fought against one of the Elite Four! I saw Lorelei's Froslass flagging really hard; I think I could have taken it down with a good Metal Claw!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Do you think you were the only one to think like that? I had the unfortunate luck of facing off against John's Snorlax. Let me tell you - it's much faster in person than you think. It looks slow and lumbering, but it then suddenly rushes towards you and you have no time to react. My own Hitmonlee wasn't even able to get out of the way before it got knocked out with a single Zen Headbutt! Crazy!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Not surprising, John's Snorlax has always been known to be one of his strongest aces. And it speaks volumes that Bruno was able to match it for as long as he did.
  
  Speaking of Bruno, hasn't he declared his intent to join the Hoenn Conference? That's going to be interesting.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I wish we had something like this take place in Hoenn! I'd love to have the opportunity to challenge one of the Elite Four's Pokémon for myself! I think I could even take down one of Sidney's Pokémon if it's already injured! They might be crafty, but they aren't known for their raw strength.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  That's being very optimistic - I'm sure Sidney definitely has more tricks up his sleeves than that, especially as a Dark specialist.
  
  Speaking of which, isn't Wallace planning to host another Tournament of sorts soon? I hope more details on that gets announced pretty soon! That last one was a banger!
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Shame that Koga got last place here... but you'll always be first in our hearts! This just wasn't suited to your battling style!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Hmph. It seems like there's still a gap between the Johtonian Champion and the Kanto Elite Four. Not unacceptable, but I hope it closes soon.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  While I'm not usually one to boast - I took down Karen's Crawdaunt! Here is the proof!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Hope we get more events like this in the future that involve the public. It's always a bit of good fun. But it also shows off just how much stronger our Elite Four are compared to us. John and Lance even managed to nearly hit TWO HUNDRED knockouts with just six of their Pokémon. If you really spent some time to think about it, that number is insane!
  
  They really are deserving of every last bit of praise we heap on top of them.
  
  [A NEW REGION DISCOVERED? UNOVA DELEGATION ARRIVES IN SINNOH! A HISTORIC FIRST CONTACT BETWEEN TWO REGIONS?!] by Sinnoh News
  
  [Picture of Alder and Drayden taking a photo with Cynthia, the Sinnoh Elite Four, Lorelei, and Sidney]
  
  Today the Sinnoh League has finally decided to dispel with the growing rumours and dropped this bombshell of an announcement on us. While many have been whispering about it for some time, the Sinnoh League has finally confirmed that they have just made contact with another new region - Unova!
  
  Who would have thought that there was yet another region out there, undiscovered until now?! Well they're here now, and now our regions have entered into preliminary discussions with Unova's representatives that have just arrived.
  
  And what a surprise it was for them to send over their very own CHAMPION Alder (standing in the middle), accompanied by Elite Drayden of Unova (standing on the left)!
  
  In their very first speech to the public of Sinnoh, Champion Alder had this to say:
  
  "Thank you very much for the warm welcome to your lovely region. Admittedly, this comes as a very large surprise for us too - we had not expected to uncover a new region like this, but we are all the more happy for it. Unova has never known anything beyond our own borders, so it will be very interesting to explore more of your regions and hopefully forge friendly relations between us."
  
  "In the future, we hope to learn much more about the regions of Sinnoh, Indigo, and Hoenn, and slowly make ourselves familiar with your culture, your Pokémon, and your traditions. Despite the distance between your regions and ours, that is no reason for us to allow that to affect the closeness of our relationship. Personally, I am extremely excited to explore all three of your regions and see all of your wonderous sights for myself! I'm sure I'll be appropriately wowed."
  
  A very friendly message from their Champion, which was further supported by our Champion's own follow-up speech:
  
  "Our meeting and subsequent discovery of Unova might have been a fortunate coincidence, but we have not allowed our shock and surprise to hamper the diplomatic wheels. Champion Alder and I have already entered into preliminary agreements to establish friendly contact between our regions, and we have both expressed our intent to continue to grow closer over the coming weeks and months, which includes a mutual exchange of information that would be performed and announced shortly. Sinnoh has gained much from our connections with Indigo and Hoenn, and it is my sincere hope that the same could be accomplished with Unova too."
  
  "Likewise, as communication with Unova's homeland is currently impossible due to the distance between our regions, we will also be sending our own representatives to Unova soon to confirm our new friendly relations."
  
  That's a bit of good news which should reassure anyone that had been concerned or worried about the new region being hostile or aggressive towards us. Of course, the current discussions are only preliminary, but this writer has faith in both Champion Cynthia and the Sinnoh League to be able to successfully enlighten the delegations of Unova about the benefits of a mutual alliance and bring them over to our side.
  
  What were all your reactions to this new region? Are you excited or worried about their arrival? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  WOAH WOAH WOAH! Definitely didn't expect to see this when I woke up in the morning! A whole new region?! Where did they even come from?! Very excited to see and learn more about them!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Seeing that our first contact ended on a good note I really hope that Unova opens their borders to us soon! I'd love to visit a new region and explore some of the ruins that they have there and learn more about their history! I wonder how much they differ from ours!? I can barely wait!
  
  EDIT: IMAGINE THEIR FOSSILS!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  As exciting as this all is, and it is indeed very exciting, it's very interesting to note that Unova decided to send over their Champion as a representative. Usually, such a role would be performed by an Elite Four member, such as Elite Drayden, because it isn't usually a good idea to have a Champion leaving their own region for an extended period of time like their Champion seems to be doing. And especially not when they couldn't fully be certain about their intentions towards them (since they didn't know we would be friendly).
  
  I wonder what that says about the mindset of Unova and their leaders? Something to think about.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Oh man, how strong do you guys think Champion Alder and Elite Drayden are compared to our current Champions and Elite Four? I mean, first impressions of Drayden alone already screams strength. But for Champion Alder... I don't know, he feels a bit too laid back? But maybe that's just a façade that hides his true strength.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Can't wait for the reveal of their Pokédex. I think that's when we can have a better idea of their strength. They must have some really strong Pokémon! Or better yet, I hope they have new evolutions or alternate forms for currently existing Pokémon that we just haven't discovered yet. That would be so cool!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I hope they get a chance to visit Hoenn soon. We might be furthest away from Unova, but that's no reason to exclude us from any negotiations.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Anyone else think that Drayden has Drake vibes? Or is it just me?
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Nah, if that was Drake he would have dropped four swear words by the time he finished greeting everyone, while also probably giving everyone the finger. Drayden seems far more polite and reserved.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  You FOOLS! Why can't you understand that the only reason Unova sent their CHAMPION over of all things is because they're preparing for an invasion! YOU GUYS ARE BLIND! YOU'RE BEING TRICKED! OPEN YOUR EYES!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Calm down on the conspiracy there buddy. And even if your paranoia-induced thoughts were true, have some trust in our leaders to handle the problem for us. They've proven time and time again that they're both willing and capable of defending us. You've seen what they've managed to achieve recently.
  
  PianoLover
  
  Yeah! Cynthia and co. fended off a Legendary! Unova wouldn't scare them!
  
  [REVEAL OF UNOVA'S POKÉDEX! SO MANY NEW POKÉMON TO CONSIDER! HOW WOULD THIS AFFECT THE BATTLING SCENE IN THE FUTURE?!] by Battlecast
  
  [A graphic containing Unova's full Pokédex. Minus the fossils and the Legendaries, it is the same as in canon]
  
  Finally the reveal of the Unova Pokédex is here - and what a treat it is for us battle lovers! Just look at all those new Pokémon to choose from! This writer can't wait for us to get access to them in the future! But never mind that for the moment, as we're here to discuss the Pokémon that our analysts have estimated to have the most potential amongst them - and there are so many good choices to choose from!
  
  First and foremost, we must take a look at what is clearly the strongest among them - Hydreigon! With its unique Dark/Dragon type, this is clearly going to be a contender for being the strongest Dragon type in the future! Furthermore, unlike most of its draconic counterparts, Hydreigon is primarily a Special Attacker, meaning that it doesn't have to get in close and can devastate your team at a distance with its barrage of incredibly powerful and extremely versatile Special Attacks. It knows far more than just your standard Dragon and Dark moves!
  
  Therefore, it isn't surprising for Dragon lovers to be salivating over this one, as it gives them a whole new artillery Pokémon to make use of! Of course, be very wary of Fairy types, as this Pokémon is quadruply weak to it.
  
  But the Dragons don't stop there, as the pure Dragon Type Haxorus seems to be almost equally as powerful as Hydreigon as a more physical attacking counterpart. With its enormous Attack, there won't be many Pokémon that can resist one of its Dragon Claws, and will more likely just fall to it. We wonder how well it would match up with the current Dragons that we have?
  
  Dragons aside, there are also two incredibly powerful Steel Types in both Bisharp and Excadrill. Most notably, these two Steel types shy away from the usual stereotype of Steel types being mainly defensive but slow Pokémon, as they both pack a serious punch and have the speed to back it up. Their Attack rivals some of the strongest of Pokémon, and this gives Steel specialists another powerful attacker that they could include into their team.
  
  Volcarona and Chandelure also caught our eye, being a pair of Special Attacking Fire Types that...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  DragonPower
  
  YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES HYRDEIGON AND HAXORUS ARE JUST THE ADDITIONS WE NEED TO ONCE AGAIN REMIND EVERYONE OF OUR SUPERIORITY!
  
  LOOK AT YOUR PUNY PSYCHIC AND GHOST TYPES AND TREMBLE BEFORE A DARK AND DRAGON TYPE!
  
  WiggleThatTuff
  
  And yet your new Hydreigon gets completely shutdown by a single Moonblast from a strong Fairy type. Makes me wonder if the Fairy type popped up just because Dragons were getting too strong! Would be pretty funny!
  
  EDIT: ALSO JUST REALISED THAT THERE ISN'T A SINGLE NEW FAIRY TYPE IN UNOVA. WHAT THE FUCK!?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Well, maybe there are, but they just hadn't been identified as a Fairy type yet. Remember that Unova didn't even know about the Fairy type until they discovered us. And we wouldn't have known either if not for the efforts of Professor Oak, John, and the others who helped discover it.
  
  Maybe new Fairy types will be identified once we've had the chance to properly examine all those Pokémon. Don't lose hope!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Interested to see what new fossils are available in Unova as well and what they will revive into. The current list of fossil Pokémon is already impressive - can't wait to see what Unova will add to that list!
  
  EDIT: Also, I WANT A VOLCARONA! IT LOOKS SUPER STRONG!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Very interesting to see that Unova has their own version of Zoroark. Besides the Type differences, Unova's Zoroark looks almost identical to the Sinnoh one. But what this does mean is that, assuming Unova's Zoroark isn't very rare, we're about to see more people running around with a Pokémon that can make use of illusions - I wonder what new strategies people can come up with.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  ANOTHER FIRE/FIGHTING 'STARTER' JUST PROVES ONCE AGAIN THAT EVEN POKÉMON THEMSELVES KNOW THAT FIGHTING TYPE IS THE BEST TYPE!
  
  FutureAce
  
  I really hope we can establish a PSS connection with Unova as quickly as possible! There's so many cool Pokémon that I want! I hope they won't cost too much...
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Considering that Unova's Pokémon are probably going to be in very high demand, it wouldn't surprise me if the Leagues place a restriction on buying Pokémon from Unova for the time being. Or, barring that, the price of an Unovan Pokémon is probably going to skyrocket due to the high demand.
  
  Unless you're made of money, it might be better to wait.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I'm so jealous of the Elite Four/representatives that will get to go to Unova first! They're going to be able to catch and train up the new Pokémon before us! They're so lucky!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  That might not be the case... it depends on whether the Unova League is willing to allow them to capture Pokémon while they're there, and they might not be. I hope they are though - it would symbolise their willingness to welcome us with open arms.
  
  [CHAMPION ALDER DUELS JOHN!? AND JOHN WINS IN A BATTLE OF STARTERS! TYRANT REIGNS SUPREME!] by Battlecast
  
  [A snapshot of the battle between Tyrant and Volcarona. Tyrant can be seen charging straight through the wall of flames with a Giga Impact]
  
  It seems like Champion Alder was eager to test out the prowess of our Indigo League, having quickly made a challenge to our very own Elite Four shortly after arriving in Indigo. Champion Alder must have been quite hungry for a battle if he's so keen on getting into one before he had even had a chance to set down his bags.
  
  We were unfortunately unable to interview Alder about his reasonings for challenging Elite John in particular, as after the battle concluded he had quickly retired for the night before we got an opportunity to interview him. However, after speaking with a few of his associates, they were able to provide a clearer picture of Alder's intentions. One Unovan official said this:
  
  "Ever since we started to learn more about your region and your leaders, Champion Alder has been very intrigued about Elite John in particular - given what he has reportedly done during your 'Day of Calamity'. So he was naturally very excited about seeing that strength for himself, as any Champion would be. Please rest assured that this was merely an act done out of excitement, rather than a probe of one's strength."
  
  However, in his eagerness, it seemed like Champion Alder had bitten off far more than he could chew. John has made the region proud today, as he very convincingly demonstrated the strength of Indigo through the one-sided beatdown delivered by his Tyrant. Alder's own starter, a Volcarona (a powerful Bug/Fire type), was hardly able to put up a fight before it was brutally taken down by Tyrant.
  
  Make no mistake. Alder was strong, and a lesser foe would definitely have faltered against his starter. But not John.
  
  It just serves as another reminder (as if we needed one) that John's past victories were no fluke. Don't forget, this was the man who had managed to fight against Champion Lance's starter and won. Although we have yet to see the full extent of Alder's full generalist team, as a proud resident of Indigo, this writer is pleased to say that Elite John really upheld our prestige today. Alder was dominated quite handedly.
  
  Were you guys able to watch the match between the two of them? What did you think of Champion Alder and his mysterious starter? Let us know more in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  That's right! Don't you dare look down on Kanto just because you're the new kid on the block! Our Elite Four will never lose to anyone!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  ...I doubt that Alder was 'looking down' on anyone. I mean, did you see the Champion's face? I know appearances can be deceiving, but he hardly looks like the arrogant type. I'm convinced that he was probably just excited to test himself against someone as famous as John.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Very interesting to see one of these new Unova Pokémon in action - wish we could have a more extensive fight between the two just so we could see more. But I think after today there's going to be many Fire and Bug specialists who will be quite eager to get their hands on Volcarona. It might have lost, but it looked very good.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  WOOO! Didn't doubt John for a moment there! The moment I saw the headline, I knew that John would win. New Champion or not, John ain't losing.
  
  EDIT: Is Wallace the only Champion remaining that John hasn't fought against in some capacity? Maybe that could be arranged?!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I didn't expect to see a battle between Unova and Indigo so quickly, let alone between their Champion and our own Elite Four no less. I hope there won't be any hard feelings from the Unova side for losing, even if that would be quite petty.
  
  ...But this is why we don't usually see Champions fight outside of official challenges. Unless the position of the Champion is extremely secure (and we don't know what the political situation in Unova is like right now), any sort of loss can be a big political detriment to them since Champions aren't meant to lose. So I'm surprised to see that Alder even offered a battle in the first place.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Hey, on that note - they just released another information packet that details the current Elite Four of Unova. Their current roster consists of: Elite Shauntal (Ghost specialist), Elite Grimsley (Dark specialist), Elite Marshal (Fighting specialist), and Elite Drayden (Dragon specialist).
  
  Anyone else think it's pretty amusing that their Elite Four is basically a mixture of Indigo's and Hoenn's when it comes to Type specialities?
  
  PunchingBag
  
  A FIGHTING ELITE FOUR MEMBER LETS GO! HE WILL BE CHAMPION OF UNOVA SOON! BYE BYE ALDER!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Ooh, very interesting note - it's stated that Marshal is an apprentice of Alder's. Maybe he's being groomed to be a successor? Are we going to see a change in their Champions soon? If so, then that makes Marshal definitely a person of interest that is worth looking into. He might be the next Champion, after all.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  I think Karen's a pretty easy opponent. I think Alder should try to fight against her.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Nice try, Karen. But you've got the 'Verified POG' now. Your anonymity is compromised!
  
  IcyTrainer (Verified POG)
  
  Karen's jokes aside, I want to make it clear that none of the Indigo Elite Four were offended or insulted by Alder's sudden challenge against John. Even had John lost the battle, we are all trainers here. Battling is in our blood. We wouldn't turn down the opportunity for a good battle, let alone be offended by one.
  
  Besides, Alder and the rest of the Unovan delegation have treated us with nothing less than the utmost of respect. Even though he lost, he still bore no ill-feelings against us and simply thanked us for the battle. You could say he took his loss like a Champ.
  
  ...Anyways, his kind temperament ought to be commended.
  
  A.N. This actually marks the end of Arc 14, the Future Arc, and I felt it was only appropriate that we have a Pokenet chapter for everything that has happened over the past few chapters. Naturally, much of the focus is on the arrival of Unova, so I hope you enjoyed!
  
  The next chapter will be the start of Arc 15 - the Unova Arc. No prizes on guessing what that's going to be focusing on. But expect several Unova characters to be introduced and developed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 15-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 15-1 - Journey to Unova
  
  A.N. As a little bonus, and because the Interlude fits better the other way round, you're getting this full chapter today instead of on Friday. Friday's chapter will instead be the Interlude.
  
  Fortunately for both myself and the Sinnoh League, there wasn't any immediate backlash from my victory over Alder. He really was as easy-going as he portrayed himself to be, and he really didn't seem bothered at all by his defeat.
  
  Although the same could not be said for the Unovan delegates that followed after him. It was beyond clear that they were displeased with their Champion's actions, though at least they didn't seem to blame me for the situation. After all, Alder was the one who challenged me, so they felt that the responsibility lied with their own Champion.
  
  After the battle was wrapped up, Alder spent a few more days in Indigo visiting our many cities and exploring the region for himself. Us Elite Four members were assigned to accompany him on a rotational basis, with Lorelei and Karen accompanying him as he visited Johto, and Koga and I in charge of showing him around Kanto.
  
  He made a show of inspecting all of the Gyms, exchanging a few words with the Gym Leaders of the cities that he visited as he did. He was like a kid in the candy store, and his eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity and amazement wherever he went.
  
  I found that part of him rather commendable. It was so rare to see such a pure sense of wonder in a person as experienced as he was. For all that he seemed too carefree, I didn't think there was a malicious bone in his body. Not only that, but he also made for great company. He was a very patient listener and always liked to drag you into a conversation about anything.
  
  Therefore, I couldn't help but like Alder, and my Elite Four colleagues agreed with me. He was just a very easy to like man with a lot of natural charisma, and as a person, I thought he would be a great friend to have. But as a politician and Champion... that was a different story.
  
  However, after managing to at least explore most of what Indigo had to offer, the other Unova officials that accompanied him finally persuaded him that it was time to go. So as much as he wanted to stay, they had insisted that he had already stayed for too long, and that it was about time for him to head over to Hoenn.
  
  Therefore, with a great deal of reluctance, Alder eventually did so - departing from our shores as he set off for Hoenn with the rest of the delegates from Unova. Though he did leave a few people behind to accompany Karen and I on our trip to Hoenn.
  
  Which is where the two of us found ourselves now - on a long, boring ship ride to Unova. Since we were departing from Vermillion City, it would take us several days to reach our destination. Worse, even though the ship was sufficiently luxurious as it was a cruise ship, that didn't really mean much when there was still nothing to do while we were onboard.
  
  Maybe my brain was just addled from being a career trainer, but despite the fact that there were plenty of entertainment facilities scattered across the ship, I didn't care for any of it because it didn't have anything to do with Pokémon battling. I had no idea who designed this ship, but I really, really hated the fact that the designer chose to focus on other facilities rather than setting up a reinforced training field for Pokémon battling.
  
  Furthermore, since we were heading so far away from the mainland, there was no reception, meaning that we couldn't even browse the Pokénet while we waited.
  
  In the end, I did manage to come up with a method to train. I just had Klaus set up psychic platforms on top of the water while my Pokémon ran across them as a way of training up their agility.
  
  At least it helped to pass the boredom, and it was definitely better than just sleeping, eating, or just staring at the waves.
  
  Karen being with me also helped, and I made use of this opportunity to catch up with her.
  
  "I haven't checked up on Agatha and the Gym in some time." I said, "How's that been going?"
  
  "Fortunately, after that little scare, Agatha's health hasn't given us any surprises. She's still holding on, which is all I could really ask for." Karen replied, "And as for the Lavender Gym, I think it's surprised me, but in a good way. I thought she'd be little more than Agatha's puppet, but she's quite proactive in trying to improve the Gym. You must have heard about the new renovations and decorations that we're putting up around the Gym to make it more interesting."
  
  "I have." I nodded, "But I've also heard that the Gym still isn't considered to be very prestigious."
  
  "Well, it is quite new, so perhaps that prestige could grow in time." Karen said, "But you're right. I think one of the problems with the Gym is that a lot of a Gym's prestige is inevitably going to be tied into the reputation of the Gym Leader. If the Gym Leader has a good and popular reputation, then the Gym will be held in the same light and vice versa."
  
  "However, the problem is that, even though I do think that Dorothy has done a more than competent job as a Gym Leader, she hasn't really done anything to show off herself to the public." Karen explained, lying back on her beach chair, "As far as most people are concerned, she's just some Ace Trainer that Agatha plucked out of nowhere to take on the responsibilities of the Gym. Everyone knows she's a formidable Ghost specialist and no one's really complained about her leadership, but neither have they been very impressed by it either. Basically, she hasn't had a big, showy achievement under her name yet, and so most of the Gym's prestige currently relies on Agatha's name and reputation alone."
  
  "I see... so I assume Agatha's looking to correct this." I said.
  
  "Absolutely." She nodded, "The old hag is worried that if she croaks, then the Gym might be taken away from Lavender not because of incompetence, but because a flashier potential Gym Leader shows up that catches the public's eye. I always told her that she was being too paranoid, but she wouldn't listen. So she's now drilling Dorothy to be ready to take advantage of the next opportunity to boost her own image."
  
  She sighed, "Honestly, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that stuff anymore. Doing interviews and setting up battles to boost my own image was tedious. Now that I've proven myself and am in the Elite Four, those days are now behind me."
  
  "Speaking of that, do you have any particular plans for when we arrive in Unova?" I asked, "I know Lance told us to just make a good impression and to establish a line of communication, but I was wondering if you had any other specific goals that you wanted to achieve while we're there."
  
  Lance was pretty liberal about what we could do there, since we weren't able to communicate with him while we were there. Therefore, so long as we didn't accidentally start a war, he trusted us to do the right thing.
  
  She tapped a finger on the armrest, "...I guess one of my goals would be to probe for information about Alder's reputation and if his position as Champion is stable. From the time I spent with him, I actually quite like the man - even if I think he's a bit irresponsible as a Champion. But he actually seems genuinely friendly with us, and I'm concerned that if his position in Unova isn't stable, then we might have to deal with a new Champion that is less willing to establish friendly terms with us."
  
  "I was thinking along similar lines as well." I agreed, "I didn't miss the lack of respect that some of the Unova League officials stared at Alder with. I hope that isn't a premonition for things to come."
  
  I had no idea when Iris was going to replace Alder, or if even she even would after my presence affected things, but I hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon. Working with a stable Unovan government would be easier.
  
  Additionally, there was another objective that I hoped to achieve while I was there - I had to look into the whereabouts and activities of Ghetsis and Team Plasma.
  
  Not that he was as much as a threat than Cyrus. For all his megalomania, Ghetsis at least wanted to have people to rule over and didn't want to destroy the world like Cyrus did. Since the gist of his plan was to trick Unova to releasing all of their Pokémon while he maintained his own, and therefore giving him power over everyone, he was more of a wannabe dictator rather than a world-ending threat.
  
  Still, not being as bad as Cyrus was a pretty low bar to clear. I was still going to try and put a stop to his plans before they ever got going.
  
  After many long hours had passed on that ship, I could finally see the shoreline of Unova just in the distance. As we were notified by the Unovan delegates, they had sent fliers ahead of us so that the Unovan League were informed about our impending arrival at Castelia City.
  
  And that was the other thing. Because we were the first foreign delegates to actually arrive on their shores, they didn't actually have any standard protocols about our accommodations and the like. That's why I overheard the Unova officials scrambling to make some very last-minute preparations ahead of our arrival.
  
  Furthermore, unlike in Indigo, Hoenn, or Sinnoh, Unova didn't actually have a port at their Pokémon League building due to the surrounding geography, hence why we were set to arrive at Castelia.
  
  As the City of Grandeur came into view, I smiled softly as I stared up at the massive skyscrapers that extended high into the sky. The view of the skyscraper-filled metropolis was completely unlike anything you could see in our three regions, which explained the look of awe on Karen's face.
  
  "...Seeing this finally made it set in that we're heading to a whole different region." She muttered, "How would people even live in a city like this?"
  
  I chuckled, "I imagine they live in many of those skyscrapers."
  
  "But surely they'd be crammed together like Remoraid." Karen said, "That can't possibly be comfortable."
  
  "They're probably used to it by now." I shrugged, "Besides, there are probably many other benefits to living in the big city like this. It's probably very convenient."
  
  "...Sure." She said, not quite believing me. But her disbelief made sense, even the busiest city of Kanto couldn't match the sheer density of people that were in Castelia. Hence why apartments were a rare sight in Indigo, and most people chose to live in houses.
  
  Comments on the people's living conditions aside, we remained silent as we slowly docked into Castelia City. A large gathering of people had amassed as they waited patiently for our arrival, and I spotted both Elite Grimsley and Elite Marshal amongst their number.
  
  We made to greet them as soon as we got off board.
  
  "Elite John, Elite Karen, Unova welcomes you warmly." Marshal bowed politely, "I am Marshal, of the Elite Four, and this here is Grimsley. We would like to express our thanks for your kind treatment of our Champion."
  
  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grimsley frown at that comment, but I was tactful enough to not bring it up, "It was our pleasure. The arrival of your Champion was a welcome boon - it has allowed us to accelerate much of the diplomatic process."
  
  Marshal smiled civilly, "Then let us escort you to your residence for the duration of your stay here. We have already arranged for you to rest at our Pokémon League building. We hope these accommodations are to your liking."
  
  "Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like an opportunity to explore Castelia City while I'm here - if I may." Karen suddenly said, "I've never been in a city as large as this, and I'm interested to see how it compares to the cities that I'm familiar with."
  
  Marshal and Grimsley shared a look, before the latter let out a small sigh that I nearly missed before he plastered on a fake smile on his face, "Then I'll be happy to show you around. Please, come this way."
  
  Even without needing to communicate, I understood Karen's intentions. In the information packets that we received, and from the comments we heard from Alder and the others, Castelia City was frequently mentioned to be Unova's 'most prosperous' city. Therefore, it was a good indicator of the economic condition of Unova, which was why Karen wanted to inspect it for herself.
  
  So while she did that, I left with Marshal as we flew over to the Pokémon League building. On the way there, I dropped him a question.
  
  "I don't mean this as an insult, but has your Champion informed you of everything that has happened while he visited our regions?" I asked.
  
  "If you mean that he lost to you, then yes." Marshal replied with a sigh, "We received word of his defeat from the people that he had sent back. I always knew that Alder was impulsive, but I didn't think he would be so bold as to issue a challenge to someone the moment he arrived - nor for him to lose like that. According to him, you trampled over his starter with yours. Hearing about that was definitely a big shock, to say the least."
  
  His eyes studied me carefully, but I didn't sense any hostility from him. Some wariness, but not suspicion. It was like he was conducting a threat assessment of me in his head, just in case.
  
  "...It was only because I caught him by surprise." I offered, trying to make sure he didn't think I was rubbing it in, "If we were to have a rematch, perhaps victory would be his."
  
  He simply nodded silently at that.
  
  After moving on to more casual topics, we landed at the Pokémon League building shortly afterwards. Even though I had spent days lazing around on a ship, I was feeling incredibly tired, so I decided to rest up for the day before we got into any large discussions about the future relationship of our regions.
  
  I used that opportunity to mentally run through the list of things I wanted to discuss with the Unova League.
  
  Firstly, we had to somehow find a way to set up communication systems that could reach both regions, just so that we could easily communicate with each other. That would involve discussions about who would be in charge of construction and how the costs would be split. Then, Unova had made clear that they wanted to get involved with the PSS system and the Pokédex, so we would have to discuss how much they were willing to 'pay' for it - though I expected those payments would be political rather than monetary.
  
  Lastly, we needed a discussion about open borders and the capture of Unova's Pokémon. I didn't expect them to agree immediately to those things, but I at least hoped that the latter could be approved so that Karen and I could catch a few Pokémon for ourselves while we were here.
  
  But then, as I was brainstorming all this, I realised that I had overlooked something. While I couldn't contact my friends and family back in Indigo, my phone would still be able to connect to the Unova Pokénet, which was filled to the brim with past news stories that I could study to get a better understanding of the situation of the region.
  
  And that was what I spent the rest of my night doing, browsing through many past articles as I devoured every bit of gossip and news articles that I read. But eventually, I started to feel the exhaustion creeping up on me, so I decided to call it a night and get some rest for tomorrow's meeting.
  
  I hoped it goes well.
  
  The meeting took up most of the morning, and it bled over into the early afternoon. But eventually, our discussions were wrapped up, and Karen and I plonked ourselves into the seats of a nearby restaurant as soon as it was over.
  
  I let out a tired sigh as we sat down.
  
  "...Could've been worse." Karen said, though she was massaging her head with her hand, "We knew going in that we weren't going to get everything we wanted."
  
  "I suppose so." I relented, "But considering how friendly Alder was, I thought we would have an easier time with asking for open borders."
  
  "...You're thinking a little too optimistically there." Karen replied as she began flipping through the menu. "Even Sinnoh had a transitionary period before they opened their borders fully."
  
  I knew that, but I felt like I still should have tried anyways. Maybe we'd have more luck when the Hoenn delegation arrived.
  
  "And besides, its not like we came out of that meeting with nothing." Karen continued, "I know Lance's going to be pleased that we came to an agreement about those signal towers being built."
  
  "Yeah, especially since they're taking on most of the cost." I chuckled, "He always likes saving money."
  
  In exchange for our Pokédex technology, the Unova League agreed to fund most of the construction. And it definitely wasn't some cheap endeavour.
  
  Furthermore, we also got them to agree to allow the two of us to capture whatever Unova Pokémon we wanted to, within reasonable limits. Karen had actually framed it as a way for Unova to 'advertise' their Pokémon to the trainers back home, since we'd be showing them off in our future battles. And besides, Alder had been given the same offer by all three of our Champions, so it was 'only right' for them to reciprocate.
  
  "But did you notice the atmosphere of the meeting room?" Karen brought up again, "Shauntal was pretty cheerful, but I think she was our only 'friend' in that room. Grimsley did not look happy to see us."
  
  "I did notice that, yes." I agreed, "Though he seemed far more displeased with me than he was with you. I'm pretty sure he was giving me the stink eye during the entire meeting."
  
  "Yeah he really didn't seem to like you." Karen nodded, "Do you think it's because you defeated Alder?"
  
  "That's the only thing I can think of that would explain it." I shrugged, "Or maybe he was just tired. Did you see the bags under his eyes? The man looks like he hasn't had a good night's sleep in days!"
  
  And I didn't think that tiredness was a recent thing either. Maybe Alder's trip to Sinnoh wasn't a carefully planned action after all, and more like Alder just wanted an excuse to slack off on his duties after passing everything over to Grimsley to handle.
  
  I said as much to Karen, who let out a sigh, "...I guess that's a telling sign of Alder's leadership - or lack thereof, in this case. So it seems like Champion Alder isn't as well-liked as we hoped he'd be."
  
  "There's nothing we can really do about it." I said eventually, "We just have to do our best to ensure that our agreements made under Alder's administration aren't going to be overturned by a new one stepping in."
  
  "Mhm, though we should definitely inform Lance about this development." She responded, "But anyways, enough about all this politicking for the time being. We just got given the thumbs up to catch whatever new Pokémon we liked - and I'm definitely going to take advantage of that opportunity."
  
  "...Though I have no idea where to begin." She admitted, "It's not like I would know where to catch all these new Dark types when I'm in a new region like this."
  
  True. Even with my meta-knowledge, I didn't remember a thing about where most Pokémon were located in Unova.
  
  "We need a guide." I stated, "Someone to help us out with locating the Pokémon we'd like to catch."
  
  "We could get one of the Elite Four to help us around." She suggested.
  
  "Maybe, but I think we should reach out to the Gym Leaders instead." I proposed, "We haven't interacted with them thus far, and I think it'll be good to at least make some connections with the Gym Leaders as well."
  
  "Okay, I like that idea." Karen nodded, "So who do you think we should reach out to?"
  
  Well this is where my 'research' on the Pokénet and meta-knowledge came in handy. Out of the current roster of the Unova Gym Leaders, there was one Gym Leader that I especially wanted to get to know better, mainly because of what she would achieve in the future. On top of that, from what I read from browsing the Unova Pokénet yesterday, I knew that she was exceedingly popular with the public too. Therefore, even ignoring her immense potential as a trainer, she was still a useful figure to befriend if only so that we could make a better first impression with the public of Unova.
  
  "I think we should head over to Opelucid City and speak to their Gym Leader." I said, "I think it'll be good to make friends with Gym Leader Iris."
  
  A small smile formed on my face, "I think that it'd be a friendship that would prove to be very useful to have in the future..."
  
  A.N. Karen and John arrives in Unova! This chapter marks the start of Arc 15 - the Unova Arc - and was to set the stage for the events to come in Unova, and more about the region and its inhabitants will be explored in the future. Not only that, but there will be new Pokémon to encounter and possibly catch too.
  
  And here is Iris! I couldn't possibly write a plot about Unova without putting the spotlight on her. She's going to be an important character moving forwards! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-1 -Interlude-Alder
  The New Normal - 15-1 - Interlude - Alder & Iris
  
  (Alder POV)
  
  He let out a content sigh as he reclined on the luxurious armchair that had been generously provided to him in his new accommodations in Hoenn. Unlike Unova, it was immediately obvious that the Hoenn League were very used to receiving foreign guests, for why else would they construct such magnificent rooms for them to rest in?
  
  And they even had the forethought to install air conditioners in the room to keep it cool - a very nice gesture considering he wasn't used to the hot and humid climate of Hoenn. These were all ideas that they had to implement back at home too for any future foreign delegates that came over to visit, when he got around to it.
  
  But speaking of Hoenn, it was good to confirm that their strength was no lesser than their counterparts in Sinnoh and Indigo. It wasn't hard to recognise that Wallace gave off the same aura of strength and power as he had observed in both Lance and Cynthia.
  
  Furthermore, from what he saw of the rest of Hoenn, they didn't seem to be economically any worse off than the other two regions - at least by not any noticeable margin. That meant that the Leagues were all speaking truthfully when they described the relationship between all three regions to be 'of equals'.
  
  None of the three regions seemed to dominate over the others. That bode well for Unova.
  
  Nevertheless, after meeting with the Hoenn Elite Four and Champion, his instincts as a trainer were screaming at him to ask one of them for a battle - to get a measure of their strength. He was especially interested in fighting against Elite Drake, who was stated to have fought alongside John in many of his past battles.
  
  Unfortunately, after his debacle against John, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get away with it. When he first challenged John, he really didn't think he was being arrogant when he thought that the chances of his defeat were slim. Yet he was very quickly proven wrong in that battle, and he had the self-awareness to admit that he had probably been too hasty in offering the challenge.
  
  He had just wanted to see how much of John's many achievements were exaggerated for PR purposes. In that respect, his political instincts had told him that many were overinflated - that John was merely the poster boy of the Indigo League. After that battle, and the pummelling he received, there was no mistaking that John was far more than just that.
  
  ...Perhaps if he had been more involved with politics in the past year, then he wouldn't have made such a costly misjudgement. So while he may be shameless enough to shrug off this defeat, his advisors and other Unova League officials weren't about to do the same. Their Champion losing in his very first battle in a new region was absolutely not a good look, to say the least. He could understand - the defeat had rattled him too.
  
  What if John's strength was considered to just be 'average' in these regions? Did that possibly mean that the quality and calibre of the trainers here were just that much better than Unova's? The very last thing Unova needed was an imbalance in strength. That would put them at a huge disadvantage politically.
  
  Fortunately, after speaking to several other people, he at least managed to confirm that the rest of the upper level trainers of these three regions weren't as overwhelmingly strong in comparison to Unova's own trainers. John was just the one of the few outliers.
  
  Still, after that resounding loss, his reputation had taken another big hit, and he could feel the discontent in the eyes of his own Unova officials when they stared at him. He knew what they were feeling - they looked at him like he was a disappointment and a failure. They wanted him to act more like a Champion, especially after seeing so many good examples of what a Champion should be like in Cynthia, Lance, and Wallace.
  
  He didn't blame them.
  
  However, that didn't change the fact that he felt like he no longer had the strength to do so. To shoulder the many responsibilities of being a Champion as he did in his youth. After the death of his starter... things had just never been the same. When his starter passed away, so did most of his passion for battle. Even thinking about it now only caused those old scars to reopen.
  
  It was like a core part of himself had been ripped away, forever lost.
  
  Therefore, he recognised that he spent most of his days aimlessly, trying but failing to rekindle the spark and passion that he felt in his youth. He tried to wander around, to explore new sights in hopes that he could find inspiration in his surroundings that might revitalise him. But soon that wandering just became another excuse for him to put aside his responsibilities and burdens.
  
  He was man enough to admit his own weakness.
  
  A familiar sigh escaped his lips, one filled with dejection and resignment. Here he was, saddled with a position that he didn't want, but couldn't pass on. Maybe he could have stepped down from the position before, but he never felt like anyone was worthy of taking the position in his place. Furthermore, now that they had discovered that there were other regions out there, that opportunity was now lost.
  
  If Unova were to suddenly switch Champions so abruptly, and without a battle, that would basically be screaming that they were weak and unstable. Even if he no longer wanted to be Champion, he still loved Unova enough that he wouldn't subject his home region to something like that. At least he still had some lingering popularity from his younger days to rely on for the time being.
  
  ...He shrugged himself out of his spiralling thoughts; they'd lead nowhere. What's done is done, and all he could hope for was that a suitable successor be available to take his position soon.
  
  (Iris POV)
  
  She was both excited and sad to see uncle Drayden leaving for Sinnoh. Excited, because he had told her in confidence about the new region that had been discovered by their explorers, and promised to tell her all about it when he got home. And sad, because this was the first time that she would be overseeing the Gym without his 'oversight'.
  
  Admittedly, even after Drayden left, most of the Gym was still staffed with people that they both trusted to help her with the running of the Gym, so it shouldn't be a problem. Still, she wished he could've stayed instead of leaving her to handle the Gym alone. Even though Drayden insisted she was perfect for the job, she didn't feel quite right being the Gym Leader. In her mind, the Opelucid Gym was always going to remain his, after all.
  
  She knew that the one of the main reasons why Drayden had ascended into the Elite Four was because he was trying to nurture her potential. Therefore, he had temporarily passed on the Gym to her so that she could learn more about political management and administration. She struggled a lot at first since it was so different from just being a trainer, but she was slowly starting to get the hang of it.
  
  Thinking about her early days as a Gym Leader, she remembered the huge outcry that broke out when Drayden named her as his successor to the Opelucid Gym. For someone as young as her to be running a Gym was unprecedented, and there were a lot of people who thought she was unsuitable for the position. There were many that also accused the two of them of nepotism.
  
  However, strength spoke volumes, and she was very proud to say that she had that in spades. Even Drayden, who used to dominate her in their matches against each other, now found himself winning just as often as he lost. And she knew that her team of Dragons would only continue to get stronger.
  
  Therefore, after showing off her strengths and talents in a public battle against several of her own Gym Trainers, and dominating the battles against them, the critics gradually fell silent.
  
  She was shaken out of her thoughts as one of her Gym Trainers approached her, "Gym Leader, there's been a request to meet with you."
  
  "Oh! Really? Is this a request for a battle?" Even though her critics were mostly gone now, there were still a few people that always seemed to have a bone to pick with her - thinking that her strength was merely exaggerated.
  
  They always found out the truth, in the end.
  
  But her Gym Trainer shook her head, "No, not this time. In fact, this request is a little special - it's from Elite John and Elite Karen from Indigo. They asked if you were free to escort them on a tour of Unova."
  
  Her eyes bulged, "Wait? Me?! They want me?!" She knew that visitors from Indigo had arrived, but she didn't expect them to reach out to her when there were still so many other Gym Leaders/Elite Four to choose from. "Did they say why?"
  
  "No, they just asked to meet." Her Gym Trainer shrugged, "So, are you going to accept?"
  
  "Well of course I am!" She replied immediately, her excitement buzzing from the opportunity, "Did they say when they wanted to meet?"
  
  "As soon as possible."
  
  "Then... I don't have anything scheduled for the rest of today, right?" Her Gym Trainer shook her head again, "Good! Then tell them to come to Opelucid City. I'll meet up with them now!"
  
  An opportunity to spend time with the new Elite Four of Indigo? Sign her right up!
  
  She didn't know why they chose to meet with her, but she was happy for the opportunity regardless! Meeting two new trainers from an entirely new region... she wondered what they'd be like!
  
  She really hope she wouldn't embarrass herself.
  
  A.N. This was the Interlude chapter that was supposed to come out on Wednesday. As we get started on the new Unova arc, I felt it was only appropriate that we dove a little deeper into the thoughts of the two more important characters of Unova. Alder's trying, but he's in a rough state, while Iris is about to spread her wings. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  The New Normal - 15-2 - Unova Explorations
  
  Thankfully, Iris was pretty quick to accept our request to meet, and so Karen and I quickly headed to meet up with her at her Gym at Opelucid City. We had already been given provisional flying licenses so that we could legally fly around Unova, though we needed to at least report in where we were so that it would be easier to find us in case we go missing.
  
  Thanks to my memories of Unova's geography, it didn't take us long for us to locate and land in Opelucid City. We landed right next to the Gym, where Gym Leader Iris was already there waiting for us.
  
  She was a small thing, smaller than even the two statues of Dragons that flanked the Gym's entrance. She was very young, like she was the same age as Whitney, or maybe even a little younger than that.
  
  But despite the bright and excited smile on her face, she stood with a level of confidence that most wouldn't expect to see on a child that young. When her eyes met ours, while there was a hint of nervousness, most of that was overshadowed by the sense of self-assurance that she unconsciously exuded.
  
  Even if you didn't know who she was, you would be able to tell that she wasn't just some random kid. No, she could be nothing less than a trainer. And a formidable one at that.
  
  "It's so nice to meet you!" Iris' cute voice broke me out of my thoughts, "You really got here quickly! I thought you might have taken longer just to get used to where everything is in Unova."
  
  "I studied the map quite well before we arrived, so I knew approximately where all the major cities were." I replied, lying slightly, "And you can't exactly miss Opelucid City when you're in the air."
  
  She puffed up her chest proudly, "That's right you can't! We're very proud of our traditional aesthetics and architecture. Only Lacunosa Town could compare, but we have the nicer buildings, don't you agree?"
  
  Karen nodded, "It does remind me of a few cities that we have back home. We also put a lot of emphasis on traditions too."
  
  Iris grinned, "Really?! Oh, I'd love to see that for myself! But I have to take care of the Gym..." She said a little sullenly, "...I hope uncle Drayden at least brings back tons of pictures for me to look at."
  
  Then she quickly shook herself out of her funk, "Anyways, sorry about that. You said you wanted to meet me to get a tour of Unova? I do have some time to show you around, but you seem quite familiar with the layout of our region already, so how can I help you?"
  
  "Well we wouldn't have asked to meet up with you if all we wanted was a tour." I replied, "Instead, we were actually looking to capture a few Pokémon from Unova to bring home and train up. And while we can study the map of the region ourselves, we don't actually know where the best locations to catch certain Pokémon are. Thus, we were hoping you could help us with that."
  
  "The Elite Four has already given us permission to make these captures, just in case you were wondering." Karen quickly added to that, "And we'd be happy to pay you back for this, of course, since your time is valuable. Once the PSS system is connected to Unova, we'd be happy to send over a Dragon type or two from our own regions for your assistance today."
  
  Sending her a Pokémon in exchange would also give us another reason to interact with Iris, which would be even better since I absolutely wanted to build a connection with Iris that could be maintained even when I returned to Indigo. She was too important to overlook.
  
  Luckily, the excited look on her face already told us that she wasn't about to decline, "Ooh! I haven't really had the time to go through the new Pokémon in your regions yet. What kind of Dragon types do they have there?"
  
  And so I began to give her a brief description of the many Dragon Types that could be found in our regions. Obviously, I placed particular emphasis on explaining the strengths of Dragonite, Salamence, and Garchomp as they were our respective pseudo-legendaries. Iris was very amazed by my descriptions of them.
  
  "Say, Iris..." Karen spoke up, "I heard you were a Dragon specialist of your own. What kind of Dragon types do you have?"
  
  "Me? Hehe... well I don't actually have a full team yet." She shyly admitted, "I only have the three Pokémon - a Zweilous that I'm still training up that's almost ready to evolve, a Druddigon, and my starter Haxorus. I'm hoping to catch more Pokémon soon, which is why the discovery of your regions was such good timing! I just felt like I was satisfied with the level of training of my current team, and I feel ready to include more Dragons!"
  
  Karen looked shocked at the admission that she only had three Pokémon on her team and yet was made the 8th Badge Gym Leader in the Unova Circuit, the traditionally most important Gym Leader position in the region. Even I was a little taken aback. However, then I realised that even if she only had the three Pokémon, I was certain that those three Pokémon would probably be strong enough to make up for the empty space in her team.
  
  It actually wasn't all that unusual for a Gym Leader to not have a full team. If I remembered correctly, Tate and Liza didn't have a full team either when they were made Gym Leaders - they only had four Pokémon total.
  
  Not only that, but it made sense for a Dragon specialist to not have a full team, especially considering the heavily limited number of Dragons in Unova. Dragons were extremely rare Pokémon in the first place, and they often were much harder to train up due to their innately unruly natures. So the fact that she even managed to train up three in the first place to a level where she was considered talented and strong enough to be made a Gym Leader at her age spoke volumes about how strong her Pokémon were.
  
  And when she did eventually include those other Dragons from our regions to her team in the future... she was absolutely going to be a trainer to be reckoned with.
  
  "-what about you guys?" She asked us, "What do you both specialise in?"
  
  "I'm a Normal specialist." I replied, "And Karen's a Dark specialist."
  
  "Oh, just like Grimsley!" She nodded at Karen, "And I assume you both want to catch Pokémon that match your types?"
  
  "Yep." Karen said, "So if you know where the powerful Dark types are, please bring us there. And please prioritise me first - John doesn't need to get any stronger." She joked.
  
  I didn't have a problem with that; as not only would there be more opportunities in the future for me to catch my Normal types, but I also knew that in general my Normal types would be easier to catch. The Dark types that Karen was looking for would usually be rarer.
  
  So with that settled, Iris decided to bring us to straight to the nearby Route 9, which was conveniently right next to Opelucid City and where many Pawniard could be found. It literally took us all of five minutes before we found our first Pawniard, but it took considerably longer to find a Pawniard that actually wanted to accompany Karen - especially since the Pawniard didn't recognise or was familiar with any of the Pokémon that Karen had since they were from a different region and had never been seen before by them.
  
  Furthermore, Karen's unique looking Pokémon, and the fact that we were accompanying Gym Leader Iris, naturally caused us to attract the attention of many of the nearby trainers that had been hanging around the Route. Most of them were pretty content to take photos of us, but a particularly unruly biker decided to brazenly approach us.
  
  "Oi. You the foreigner that everyone's gotten worked up about?" He demanded from me, a sneer adorned on his face.
  
  "I am." I nodded politely, "I'm part of the Elite Four delegation that was sent over to establish interregional relations with Unova. My name's John."
  
  He snorted at that, "Tch, so you some kind of hotshot back home? You're being mighty familiar with Gym Leader Iris over there."
  
  Even though I could detect a slight hint of hostility aimed towards me, it was also interesting to note that there was an unmistakable tone of respect in his voice when he spoke about Iris. That was a surprise, as I would have thought that this biker was the kind of person that was naturally belligerent against most people they met.
  
  So the fact that Iris seemed to be separate from that likely meant that Iris was more well-liked and respected than I first thought.
  
  "She's been kind enough to show us around when we asked." I replied, shoving that thought aside for the moment, "We asked for help because we were unfamiliar with the region."
  
  "Is that so?" He didn't seem like he cared about my answer, "Well, if you're some kind of hotshot foreigner, surely you'd be willing to back up your words. Maybe the title of Elite Four means something different back in your region."
  
  "Are you challenging me to a battle?" I looked to confirm, while also giving him one last chance to back out.
  
  "And what if I am?" He smirked at me, "You able to prove that you live up to your hoity-toity title?"
  
  Since Karen was currently distracted with trying to catch a Pawniard, I gave a subtle look to Iris signalling that it was out of my hands now. I couldn't turn down such a blatant taunt like that, not when the pride of Indigo was on the line as well - as people had been recording our conversation.
  
  With a simple shrug, I gave my response, "So be it. Show off your strongest Pokémon. I'll be sure to match it."
  
  The biker grinned, "You'll regret those words. I'll have you know I'm actually a veteran Ace Trainer! You won't find me to be an easy opponent!"
  
  "GO! Krookodile!"
  
  "Smough."
  
  Just like its trainer, the Krookodile emerged with a taunting smirk on its face, gesturing with its hands as it dared Smough to approach.
  
  Smough was quite happy to take it up on that offer.
  
  I didn't even need to give a command as Smough charged in, ignoring the Earthquake that split the ground as he simply tanked through the damage. But Krookodile was much faster than a charging Snorlax, and it easily dodged out of the way of Smough's attempted Body Slam as it fired off a Taunt.
  
  As the Taunt set in around Smough, the Krookodile shot off a cocky grin towards him. It was completely unaware of the danger that it was in.
  
  That grin on Krookodile's face did not last long as large rocks suddenly erupted from below, temporarily pinning Krookodile in place. It broke out of the rocks with a quick swing of its tail, but it was then quickly met with a face-full of Smough's belly as he Body Slammed into it.
  
  Had Krookodile actually respected Smough's incredible physical strength, it would have made more distance between themselves instead of getting cocky. But it hadn't, and now it was forced to deal with the consequences of that decision as the two Pokémon were locked into grappling each other.
  
  Yet the biker hadn't realised how bad of a position he was in, and worse for him, seemed content to allow the two Pokémon to duke it out in a battle of strength.
  
  "Outrage yourself, Krookodile! Crush that fatty!"
  
  The biker shot me an arrogant smirk as a blazing blue aura erupted out from Krookodile as the Outrage took effect. Though I didn't even bother acknowledging the look, as I instead remained focus on the two Pokémon.
  
  A huge surge of draconic strength surged into Krookodile, and I could see its muscles bulging with power. Using its newfound power, it let out a vicious roar as it delivered a Brick Break that struck Smough right in the gut - only for Smough to not even move an inch.
  
  Krookodile hissed and grunted in rage, but Smough simply held the Ground type down, refusing to move.
  
  Outrage or not, Smough was still stronger.
  
  I made sure to glance back at the biker and saw the look of realisation that slowly set in for him as he gradually began to understand just how outclassed his Krookodile was. I savoured the look of shocked despair that adorned his face as his inevitable defeat finally set in.
  
  I was tempted to have Smough continue to hold down the Krookodile like that for a bit longer - just to really rub it in - but ultimately I decided to be the better man and gestured for Smough to end the fight.
  
  He easily did so by tripping Krookodile up with a Low Kick and then proceeded to pound Krookodile's face in repeatedly with a brutal pummelling of Ice Punches. It only took three to knock the Ground type out of the fight.
  
  And then to add insult to injury, Smough just let out a yawn before he sat on top of his fallen opponent.
  
  I smiled at my opponent, though inwardly I made a note to reward Smough for his good work, "I hope that was enough of a demonstration for you. I'm always happy to continue if you want to try again with another Pokémon."
  
  "...I think I'm good. You've made your point." He said slowly, trying but failing to keep up a brave face, "Um... good battle. I'm going to head off now." And he ran off with his tail tucked between his legs without saying another word.
  
  "That wasn't even your strongest Pokémon was it?" Iris said accusingly, who approached me from behind now that the fight was over, "You were toying with him from the start."
  
  I shrugged, "Can you blame me? I'm patient, but even my patience has a limit. And he was really testing it."
  
  "Well I guess I can't say he didn't ask for it." Iris sighed, "I suppose I should thank you for that, actually. I know full well how annoying it can get when you have members of the public annoying you for a battle when you don't want one. It sucks!"
  
  "It was way worse when I first became Gym Leader." She continued, "Because at that time no one actually believed that I could do it. I still remember a few of the headlines that were created that repeatedly accused me of incompetence and nepotism, doing all they could to get me thrown out of my position. I really had to struggle in those days to prove myself. It was completely ridiculous."
  
  I was about to respond, but Karen's return cut me off before I could speak, "Wow, John. I leave you for a couple minutes and you already got yourself into a fight?" She chuckled, "I really can't leave you on your own can I?"
  
  "Hey, I was upholding Indigo's honour - and he brought it on himself." I defended with an exaggerated puff of my chest, "Anyways, did you see the match? And did you catch your new Pawniard?"
  
  "I did, to both questions." She replied, "So that's a Krookodile, huh? Looks pretty interesting. But that probably wasn't the best performance from it."
  
  "Usually it should be able to overpower its opponent. Even coming from a Dark type, Krookodile are known for their power." Iris explained, "But... in this case, it didn't really get to show that off. Are you looking to capture one as well?"
  
  "I was torn between that or something from the Hydreigon line." She admitted.
  
  "The Hydreigon line? Are you sure about that?" Iris asked concernedly, "They're notoriously difficult to get to behave and train up. This might sound arrogant, but it takes a certain level of Dragon mastery before you can get them to obey you in battle. I don't know much about you and your team, but I need to warn you anyways."
  
  Karen waved her off with a smile, "It's fine, I'm not offended. Besides, while I'm sure I could handle something from the Hydreigon line, I haven't made my choice yet. Actually, you said you had a Zweilous of your own, right?"
  
  "I do." Iris nodded.
  
  "Excellent. Then if you have the time, would you mind showing off its strength in a battle against me? I'd like to get a measure of it for myself."
  
  "I can do better than that." Iris responded cheerfully, "It's almost about time for me to return to my Gym anyways, so why don't you come with and I'll slot you in for a regular 8th Badge challenge at the end of the day. You can challenge me with your Pokémon, and I can show off my Zweilous to you."
  
  "Done deal." Karen quickly agreed, "So should we head back to Opelucid City now? Wait, then John, what are you going to do?"
  
  "You can head off without me." I replied, "I just saw a few Minccino around the Route already. I'll just hang around here for a bit and catch one - and I'll meet up with you later tonight then."
  
  With that agreed, we proceeded to split off as they returned to Opelucid City while I hung around the Route to catch myself a Minccino.
  
  Out of the many Normal types that Unova had, Minccino was one of the Pokémon that I really wanted to capture. The reason was simple - it was really fast and agile, and gave me a way of attacking at a distance with non-Special Attacks. It also had plenty of useful supporting moves, which were always appreciated.
  
  It would fill a certain niche in my team that hadn't been filled yet.
  
  It didn't take me long for me to spot my first Minccino as they were pretty common around the Route. However, the issue was that I couldn't just catch any Minccino - I needed one that had Skill Link as its ability.
  
  Skill Link functioned differently in the world compared to in the games. In the games, Skill Link allowed any multi-hit attacks to always hit with the maximum possible number of hits. However, in reality, Skill Link made it so that a Pokémon with the ability would be innately proficient at attacks that threw out multiple projectiles, meaning that Pokémon with the ability got really good at attacking really quickly with repeated and 'spammy' attacks. It was pretty similar to how the ability was in the games, just tweaked slightly.
  
  Nevertheless, it meant that I had to identify whether a Minccino actually had the Skill Link ability before I could catch one. Luckily, that wasn't too hard to do. Since its other two abilities were Cute Charm and Technician, it was pretty easy to tell when a Minccino had one of those abilities once I battled against it.
  
  After all, it wasn't difficult to spot when a Minccino would instinctively try to infatuate a target or when its supposedly weak attacks were powered up more than usual.
  
  So I was going around challenging the small horde of Minccino to a battle, using Euphie as she was the least intimidating member on my team, hoping to find one that would be willing to join my team. A few people who had hung around after my battle with the biker saw me doing this and asked why I was going out of my way to catch a Minccino of all things when I had such strong Pokémon already, since Minccino weren't known for their strength.
  
  My answer was simple, "I don't need another Pokémon that has a lot of brute strength - as I have enough of those already. That's why I sought out Minccino, because when it eventually evolves I'm sure that it'll be able to help me patch up a hole in my team and give me another option to make use of in certain battles. With the right training, I really feel like I could unlock the full potential of a Cincinno and turn it into a real powerhouse."
  
  Apparently, a Minccino had been hanging around when I said that, as it cautiously approached me with eyes that looked at me that asked if I meant what I said.
  
  To that, I just nodded, "I do mean it. I'm just looking for the right Minccino to join my team. Do you think you could be the one?"
  
  It bobbed its little head up and down, and I gestured for Euphie to come forwards, "Then prove it. Show me your determination."
  
  Of course, with the huge difference in power between the two, Minccino didn't last long before a weak Moonblast nearly knocked it out. However, in that brief battle, I had observed that it not only had Skill Link as an ability, but it also was very quick on its feet.
  
  It made an attempt to try to dodge around Euphie's Moonblast, and even tried to roll under one to land a Tail Slap against Euphie. For what its worth, that was a respectable attempt, and the fact that it didn't run away when it noticed the sheer power difference between itself and Euphie was commendable. That was definitely not something that a young wild Pokémon were known to do. That made it a cut above the rest.
  
  I had already made the decision before the battle was over, "Okay. I think I've seen enough." I kneeled down slowly so that I was more at its eye level, "Minccino, I think you have what its take to become great. But now it's your turn - do you want to join me?"
  
  It looked at me hesitantly; I could tell it wanted to accept, and Euphie helpfully translated for me that it was still a little doubtful whether I could actually back up my words.
  
  I just grinned in response, "If you need proof, then I'll show you."
  
  "TEAM, COME OUT!"
  
  I threw out all my Pokéballs, causing my entire team to appear around us. There were shocked gasps and even expletives thrown around from the surrounding crowd as they were surprised by the sudden appearance of my full team - consisting of Pokémon that they hadn't even seen before.
  
  However, I ignored all that as I focused my attention on the small Minccino.
  
  "Is this enough proof for you?" I asked, "Know that if you join me, you can one day be as strong as the Pokémon you see here. I promise you that. You will become great."
  
  There was nothing else I needed to say after that. Minccino caught itself on the spot.
  
  And I had a new Pokémon on my team.
  
  A.N. It's been quite some time since either Karen or John has caught a new Pokémon, and what else could be better when they first entered into a new region. Naturally, having a Bisharp would be a great fit for Karen's team, and I promise that Cincinno would be an excellent addition as well. There might be others coming in the future.
  
  Also, I know Iris' team only having three Pokémon is a little strange. But remember that this is Iris before she has reached her full potential, both as a Gym Leader and as the future Champion of Unova. And already, she is talented enough for Drayden to make her Gym Leader without a full team. That should be saying something. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-2-Interlude-Steven
  The New Normal - 15-2 - Interlude - Steven
  
  The Hoenn Conference had begun, and as planned, he and Bruno both entered into it. It was inevitable that they would battle against each other; he had planned it that way. After all, what better way was there to prove that he deserved to be Champion than to beat and overcome his one and only rival?
  
  Besides, he truly wasn't being arrogant when he felt that none of the 'normal' trainers that he or Bruno would fight against would be their match.
  
  Not to look down on their training or anything, but the two of them had really overprepared themselves in preparation for the Hoenn Conference - as they needed to be. His run through the Hoenn Conference needed to be a statement - a demonstration that he was so far above the strength of regular trainers that he was a worthy contender to be Champion of the region.
  
  He just hoped that he wasn't paired off against Bruno too early. If possible, he would prefer if they battled each other in the finals.
  
  It was only fitting.
  
  According to his assistants, his name was already making rounds in the battling community for his string of victories that he had already accomplished in the Hoenn Conference as he achieved flawless victory after flawless victory in the earlier rounds of the Conference.
  
  The unfortunate opponents that he was matched up against all crumbled before the sharpened and refined might of his Steel types.
  
  Yet despite his recent successes, he knew that he couldn't become arrogant. The Hoenn Conference was merely the beginning of his task - even if he didn't include his battle against Bruno, he still had to beat the Elite Four, and then Champion Wallace himself. Those were the battles that he was most concerned about.
  
  They were not going to be easy battles. But he held onto his confidence that he would overcome them all anyways.
  
  After all, they were not Steven Stone.
  
  However, at the current moment, he wasn't thinking about the tough battles ahead of him as he was called back into his father's office to discuss the recent findings regarding the odd stone that his father had taken an interest in. In all honesty, so had he. His gut was telling him that whatever this stone proved to be was going to be very important, and he knew he wanted to be a part of the discovery.
  
  Which was where he found himself now, sitting across his father as he waited for the explanation.
  
  "You remember that I said that this wasn't an ordinary evolution stone right?" His father asked.
  
  "I do." He nodded, "But what kind of clue did you find? I even searched around Verdanturf for you like I promised, and I didn't find anything."
  
  Not that there was too much to look out for. Verdanturf just didn't have all that many places of interest.
  
  "Yes, I read that report." His father said, "That's why I decided to put aside the origins of this mysterious stone for now and focus on its effects. To that end, since I figured that it was some kind of evolution stone, I decided to brute force my way through testing and identify whether it reacted to a Pokémon by running tests on every single Pokémon to see if there was any reaction."
  
  "And in that respect, I got pretty lucky." His father continued, "I was working my way down the Pokedex entries, just for the sake of completeness, and I stumbled across a reaction when I tested it against a Pidgeot."
  
  "...A Pidgeot?" He questioned, "Why that Pokémon?"
  
  His father shrugged, "I haven't a clue. All I know was this lucky break saved us a lot of money."
  
  No kidding. It really was fortunate for them that Pidgeot was pretty early in the Pokédex. If it was one of the later entries, and if his father had to run through and do tests on all the Pokémon in the Pokédex until then, it would have been exorbitantly expensive.
  
  "Okay... so what's the reaction? What did the stone actually do in your tests?" He asked.
  
  "That's the thing that I'm puzzled by - and why I wanted to talk to you about it - there was a identifiable reaction from the stone itself, but the readings were nowhere near what you'd expect from a normal evolution stone." His father explained.
  
  That was very strange, "Maybe the stone is incomplete? Or perhaps it needs another element before it can fully activate?"
  
  His father nodded, "That's what I suspected as well. The issue is that I haven't any idea about where to begin to identify that missing element. I've already tried testing if there was any reaction between this mysterious stone and other evolutionary stones, but to no avail. I tried other evolutionary items and those failed too. Whatever it is that's missing, it's likely something completely different to our usual evolutionary items."
  
  He frowned, "Well that's frustrating. We've completely half of the puzzle, but the other half still eludes us. Perhaps it's something that relies on more... subjective factors, like a Pokémon's strength or a trainer's bond with a Pokémon? Like the conditions that lead a Pokémon to evolve?"
  
  "...Possibly. Maybe you're onto something here." His father said, before unexpectedly passing the stone to him, "But that's why I wanted you to take and hold on to this stone from now on. I don't think I'll be able to accomplish anything else by keeping it in the lab - it'll be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. You're far more active than me, and I know you like exploring new places and sticking your head into those caves and ruins that you so often do, so I think you'll have a better chance of figuring out what this is than I would. You were always the better trainer, and I suspect that being a trainer is going to be important if we want to find out the mystery of this stone."
  
  He nodded slowly; he could see that. So he carefully took the stone off of his father's hands.
  
  "Before you leave, I'll give you a medallion that you can use to keep it stored safely in." His father added.
  
  "Thank you." He said, before a question formed in his mind, "Do you think there will be other stones like this?"
  
  "Most likely." His father confirmed, "If we found one that somehow links to a Pidgeot, then surely there will be other stones that are linked to other Pokémon as well. Try to keep a lookout for them if you can. I'll be doing the same."
  
  "And what are you planning to do if we do find more?" He asked, "Monopolise it under Devon Corp? Or would that be a bit too greedy?"
  
  "We can discuss that when such a scenario becomes relevant. But for now, if it's feasible for us to monopolize this, then yes. I see no reason why we should allow such a golden opportunity to slip away like that." His father answered, "But only if monopolisation is actually a realistic goal - I'm not foolish enough to try to hoard something that should not be hoarded."
  
  "For the time being, just ensure that knowledge about our investigation isn't spread around." His father continued, "Even if we aren't able to monopolise it in the end, I want Devon Corp to at least be a dominant position to profit."
  
  "Of course." He agreed, agreeing with his father's logic. Business was business.
  
  Before he left, he inspected the small and mysterious stone with a careful look. Now that they knew that it was somehow connected to a Pidgeot, the colouration of the stone was starting to make more sense as it matched pretty well with the colouration of a Pidgeot. That could be a hint towards the appearance of other stones.
  
  "You should probably give it a name as well." His father said, "We can't keep calling it a 'mysterious stone' forever."
  
  "Already got one in mind." He replied, "I think we'll call it a Pidgeotite. It seems fitting."
  
  He hoped that his father was right and that the Pidgeotite would only be a start. He smirked inwardly at the thought that there might be such a thing as a Metagrossite. How incredible would that be if his Metagross had access to yet another evolution on top of it?
  
  How strong would it become?
  
  A.N. While they are making progress, unfortunately for Steven and Joseph, unlocking the secrets of the Mega Evolution isn't so simple. If the Mega Stone was all that it required, then sure it would be simple. But the Key Stone is an equally important component, and that's not going to be so easy to figure out even with meta-knowledge. But there will be progress made in the future. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  The New Normal - 15-3 - A Fateful Meeting
  
  The next two days in Unova passed by relatively uneventfully. Karen and I spent most of the time hanging about with Iris or engaging with meetings with the Unova Elite Four. I could have spent that time meeting with the other Gym Leaders of Unova, and we did make arrangements for that to happen, but I felt that it was not as important as forging a deeper connection with Iris.
  
  I also went out to try and catch an Audino, because I felt like it would never be bad to have another supporting Pokémon that was good at healing and had access to a large range of supporting moves (like Simple Beam or Trick Room), but I didn't end up stumbling into one. That was expected, since I knew they were supposed to be rare.
  
  Not only that, but I also managed to see Iris' Dragons in action, as I was able to spectate the match between Iris' Zweilous against Karen's Crawdaunt.
  
  Despite not even being fully evolved, her Zweilous put up a decent fight against Crawdaunt, especially with its unique battling style. I hadn't considered this before, but the fact that a Zweilous had two different heads meant that it could fire attacks in different directions, or prepare two different attacks simultaneously.
  
  What this allowed it to do was to fire attacks that couldn't both be blocked by the same counterattack. For example, it could throw out a Flamethrower and a Dragon Pulse simultaneously, and you had to choose which attack to block. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to deal with once the Zweilous fully evolved itself into a Hydreigon.
  
  However, that power came at a huge drawback - in that Zweilous' heads were constantly at odds with each other, and would frequently attack the other. As Iris described it, she had spent months trying to get Zweilous' heads to actually harmonise with each other enough to actually obey her orders in battle rather than fighting each other.
  
  And apparently, using several months to 'tame' a Zweilous was considered very fast. Most other trainers that weren't as talented as Iris would take years to discipline a Zweilous to the extent that she had. It was one of the reasons she was considered a prodigy.
  
  Once Karen heard that, that really soured her enthusiasm for catching one of the Hydreigon line for her own team. Not because she felt that she couldn't discipline them, but because of the time investment it would require to do. Besides, she already had a Tyranitar of her own already to serve as the unequivocal powerhouse for her team, so she didn't need a Hydreigon that desperately.
  
  She would still catch a Deino or Zweilous if she ever stumbled across one, of course, but it was now just lower on her priority list.
  
  Speaking of my own team, I had also finally decided on a nickname for my new female Minccino. Honestly, in my mind, something as adorable and as cute as she was could only have one nickname.
  
  Tails.
  
  Despite the cute and unassuming nickname that I had for her, I had already gotten started on training her up to become the hyperaggressive, speedy, and disruptive attacker that I knew she could be. The latter was what I wanted to focus on first, which was why I had the newly named Tails focus on training up moves such as Encore, Sing, Thunder Wave, and Charm.
  
  Mixing in those kinds of moves in-between huge combos of Rock Blasts, Bullet Seeds, or Tail Slaps could be devastatingly crippling for an opponent. Later on, I even wanted to train her up with moves such as Super Fang and Endeavor to really develop her trump cards against powerful opponents. That would take much longer to train up - as they were extremely powerful moves.
  
  Although I could've instantly evolved her into a Cinccino with a Shiny Stone if I wanted to, now was definitely too early for such a thing. It was better to wait for now and leave that for later.
  
  For today, Karen and I were busy with a planned meet and greet event where we would give the opportunity for curious Unovans to speak to us about whatever questions that they had about our regions or about us personally.
  
  Originally, we had planned to wait for the Hoenn and Sinnoh delegations to arrive before we did this, but their arrival ended up being delayed. Therefore, we ultimately decided that it would be better anyways if we did our meet and greets separately, as that would allow the public to attend all of the events for each region instead of having to choose between them.
  
  As planned, Karen and I split up for the day, with both of us going to different cities to host the event. She headed to the busy Driftveil City, while I headed to the bustling Nimbasa City.
  
  I spoke with Gym Leader Elesa beforehand, and was pleasantly surprised by her friendly greeting. Though we didn't really get an opportunity to do more than just to introduce ourselves to each other - as apparently she had some kind of fashion event that she had to run off to - we did promise that we would speak more in the future.
  
  Besides that, I felt that the event went pretty smoothly. Even though I had to sit there for hours fielding all sorts of questions from the public, many of the questions were at least respectful and came from a place of genuine curiosity. There were some expected hostility from those that distrusted foreigners like us, especially since they had now heard that I had defeated Alder in a battle, but there wasn't as much hostility as I was expecting.
  
  Or perhaps that was just because the Unova police were out in force to make sure that everyone was behaving. I couldn't tell.
  
  Regardless, most of the questions revolved around two things - the battling scene in Indigo, and what the politics, culture, and people were like. So I spoke a lot about our powerful trainers, such as our Elite Four and Gym Leaders, while I also touched upon important historical events like the war, our unification into Indigo, and our recent steps towards internationalism.
  
  Aside from those topics, there were also many others asking for further clarification on the Fairy type, the Pokédex, and the PSS system, as people wanted to know more about these discoveries as it had been announced in the news that Unova was currently in negotiations to adopt such technologies. Given that I was heavily involved with the former, I was able to lay out my observations and how I ended up stumbling into the new type 'by accident'.
  
  Despite my explanations, I spotted some that were still very sceptical about whether a Fairy type existed at all. However, I was sure that this mindset would change once they got access to more Pokémon from our regions and could see it for themselves.
  
  As the day turned to evening, and after several long hours of answering question after question, the event was finally wrapped up. I gave my thanks to everyone who participated, and expressed my sincere wish for our regions to get along with each other.
  
  I had thought that meant I was done for the day, so I took the time before dinner to wander around Nimbasa City for a bit to take in the sights and perhaps speak to Gym Leader Elesa a bit more while I was here - since I thought that her fashion event should have ended by now.
  
  Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, as I walked around in the park near the Ferris Wheel, a very familiar looking teenager with bright green hair walked up to me. I forced myself to swallow my surprise and shock. There was no mistaking who this was.
  
  Hello, N.
  
  "...I'm very sorry for approaching you like this, Elite John, but I had a few questions of my own that I wanted answered." N said to me, "I hope I could just take up a little more of your time."
  
  As exhausted as I was, I would have turned down the request if it had come from anyone else. However, this was N. I couldn't say no to that.
  
  "Of course." I replied with a small smile, doing my best to hide the fact that I recognised him, "How can I help? Mr...?"
  
  "Please, just call me N." He said, "My full name is a little too much of a mouthful for most people."
  
  Indeed, Natural Harmonia Gropius, that was quite the understatement.
  
  "Sure, N." I said instead, "So, you had a question for me?"
  
  "I do." He nodded, "More specifically, I have a question about the Pokédex and captured Pokémon in general, and I wanted to ask you specifically since you and your Pokémon have experienced many things together."
  
  "Oh?" I pretended to be curious, "And what about them?"
  
  His face twisted into a frown, dropping the fake smile that he had on his face, "Considering everything you have been through with your Pokémon, getting all 8 badges on your first try, making it into the Elite Four at such a young age, and even fighting a Legendary, I'm sure that your bonds with your Pokémon are very strong, right?"
  
  "Yes, I consider them to be all but unbreakable." I confirmed truthfully, "Why?"
  
  "So if you treasure your bonds with your Pokémon so much, how could you condone or accept a society and a system that actively encourages Pokémon to be confined to their Pokéballs? To be shackled to a trainer - even one as loving as you might be. Do they not deserve better than this? Do they not deserve true, unshackled, freedom? To be granted genuine happiness?"
  
  ...Even though I had guessed what he was going to say, his words still managed to annoy me. I knew his intentions were good, but what he was saying was directly attacking the bond that I had with my Pokémon. He was implying that my Pokémon weren't happy with me - that I was somehow mistreating them.
  
  I could not let that slide so easily.
  
  "And what makes you say that?" I replied, keeping my tone level, "You seem to be implying something - that my Pokémon aren't truly happy to be with me. How can you just assume that a Pokémon will be sad just because they're caught in a Pokéball?"
  
  "Because they are." N shook his head sadly, "If you really were someone who sought true happiness for your Pokémon, you would not keep them confined to their Pokéballs. They are nothing more than a prison for them. After all, if the bond between you and your Pokémon are as strong and as unbreakable as you think they are, then it shouldn't matter either way, right?"
  
  "I wouldn't do that, because that would be no different from depriving my Pokémon of a home." I countered, "Because that's what a Pokéball is to them. Not only is it a symbol of the bond between themselves and their trainer, but it is also their home."
  
  I was sure of this. When I was still trying to find my footing as a trainer, I had asked my Pokémon if they preferred to remain out of their Pokéballs for the most part, or if they preferred to remain inside of one. Tyrant, Vordt, and Smough, my three Pokémon at the time, all said that they didn't mind remaining inside of a Pokéball. They even felt proud to do so.
  
  "No, that's- how could you say that something as small and confining as a Pokéball could possibly be their home?!" He almost shouted out, his anger and frustration quickly rising, "How can you look at your Pokémon's cries for freedom and ignore it?"
  
  I sighed, "Look, N - I can tell your intentions are pure and that you want the best for Pokémon. I understand that, and truthfully, I think that you're asking the right questions. Sometimes I do hear about cases of Pokémon abuse, where a trainer mistreats their captured Pokémon. Those cases always sadden and enrage me, because I've always felt that the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon ought to be sacred."
  
  "But at the same time, I know that my Pokémon want to stay by my side. They want me to be their trainer. And every day I am honoured and grateful for the trust and confidence that they've placed in me." I continued, "So I don't agree that my Pokémon are unable to achieve 'true happiness' just because they've been caught in Pokéballs. Rather the opposite, I'm certain that they are truly happy to be fighting alongside me."
  
  "If that wasn't the case, I sincerely doubt that they would have had the strength and willpower to face off against a Legendary by my side."
  
  (N's POV)
  
  He felt the conviction and surety radiating out from John. The man really believed every word that he was saying - like he truly felt that his Pokémon were better and happier being by his side.
  
  But there was one way to confirm if his words were the truth or not. Because he had the ability to actually communicate directly with Pokémon, he could find out the truth from their very mouths.
  
  His ability to speak to Pokémon was different from the general understanding that most people had when they formed a strong enough bond with their Pokémon, as he could actually understand the individual words they were saying. That's why he was so against the idea of Pokéballs, because he could hear their every yearnful cry for freedom from all the Pokémon that Ghetsis had shown him.
  
  "John, would it be possible for me to speak with your Pokémon?" He asked slowly, "I want to speak with them."
  
  "You want to speak with them?" John asked curiously, "You can speak with Pokémon? Truly?"
  
  "I can." He revealed, "It was something I could do since birth."
  
  ...He knew it was wrong for him to reveal this ability. Ghetsis always told him that he needed to keep it a secret. He wasn't even supposed to be out here, speaking to some 'unknown' trainer. That's why he had to sneak out to do so. All because his curiosity about all these newcomers and foreigners could not be satisfied.
  
  His curiosity had to be sated. He had to know more. He had to see this bond for himself.
  
  Even if it was against Ghetsis' orders.
  
  He could not let this opportunity slip away.
  
  "...Fascinating." John remarked, "That's a remarkable ability. I would have loved to have that for myself, in all honesty. But, uh, sure. You can speak with my Pokémon. I'm actually curious to hear what they have to say about me too."
  
  N thanked him, but then remembered something, "Oh, but could you send them out one at a time?" He asked, "It'll be easier that way."
  
  John nodded and sent out his first Pokémon - an oddly coloured Zoroark that he had never seen before. This was probably one of those 'alternate forms' that he had been recently hearing about.
  
  The Zoroark growled at him, but he kept his calm as he responded with a polite smile, "...Hello. Can you understand me?"
  
  The Zoroark visibly flinched at his words, and backpedalled a little bit before letting out a low snarl, "Why can you speak to us?"
  
  "It's my talent. I can speak to Pokémon." He explained, "I asked your trainer to meet you."
  
  "Then ask your question, strange human." Zoroark growled out, having overcome its surprise, "Do not waste my time."
  
  "Why do you follow him?" He asked, "Why allow yourself to be confined into Pokéballs like that when you could have roamed free?"
  
  Zoroark scoffed, "Dumb question, human. If I had wanted to run free, I would have demanded my freedom the day I was caught. If he had been unworthy, I would have smashed my Pokéball before he could stop me. But I didn't, because he showed me what I could become, and he has helped me to reach it. I have grown strong. Very strong."
  
  "But if you and him share a bond like that, then why don't you ask him to release you from the Pokéball since it's become unnecessary?" He pushed.
  
  "NO! That would be no different than asking me to destroy a home." Zoroark snarled, "We are a pack. And a pack does not abandon their own."
  
  The conviction that Zoroark spoke with caused him to flinch backwards. Was that really the case? Did Pokémon think of their Pokéballs not with despair and hatred, but with pride and fondness? Was Ghetsis mistaken?
  
  He looked to John, who was staring at Zoroark with an honoured smile on his face.
  
  Then the next Pokémon came out.
  
  "Because you think like a human, human." John's Wyrdeer said to him, "Pokémon all want to become stronger, and we all understand that having a trainer is one of the best ways to become strong."
  
  "As a Stantler, I thought I would always be weak - that I could never grow strong. But my trainer proved me wrong, and showed me how to utilise the potential that I've always had, but never could achieve. And for that, I am honoured to fight alongside him. No matter the opponent."
  
  "Oh, that's such a silly question." The Blissey giggled, "Every Chansey wants to heal, but not every Chansey wants to just heal. I was one of those Chansey, and I sought a life beyond the Pokémon Center. John gave me that opportunity. And I've never regretted that choice."
  
  "Spending my entire life in a Pokémon Center would have been so boring, you know? But participating in fights, going on grand adventures to all new places, and watching the team grow both in number and strength while also taking care of them along the way - I wouldn't trade it for anything else."
  
  "He helped me become the first recognised Fairy type in the world." Clefable replied cheerfully, "Because of him, I know that so many other Clefairy and Clefable around the world are also able to finally realise our true potential! Even if he hadn't done that, I still would never give up on the bonds that I've made with the other Pokémon here on the team. We're a family now."
  
  "No, I would never want for John to set me free from my Pokéball. Why would I? It's my home. Sure, I like to let myself out every once in a while to stretch my legs, just like you humans do, but the Pokéball is my home."
  
  "He has made me one of the strongest of my species, and he never gave up on me even though I grew weak in comparison to everyone else. When other trainers would have set a Pokémon like me aside, my trainer found new ways for me to grow strong." Pidgeot explained, "And for that, I will always have his back and fight alongside him. Even against a Legendary."
  
  "I have found my home alongside John. And I will never give that up. Not for anything."
  
  "I may not be a member of his team, and I'm not very interested in battling, but I would never allow myself to be separated from my trainer." Mantine stated, "Nor do I understand why you think so negatively of him either. None of us would dare think that our trainer was holding us here against our will."
  
  "I am always happy to transport him wherever he needs to go - no matter the situation - whether that be in battle, towards a Legendary, or just casually. It makes me content."
  
  "He is my father." The Obstagoon said, "When I first hatched from my egg, it was he that I saw first. But even before that, when I was still yet to hatch, I could feel his care and love echo into my egg. He raised me with his team. He taught me how to be strong, how to be respectful, and how to temper my aggression."
  
  Obstagoon then frowned at him, "I don't know why you are asking these questions. Us Pokémon? We're happy to stand by his side."
  
  "QUESTION ILLOGICAL. POKÉMON AND TRAINER ARE FRIENDS." The Porygon buzzed out, "WILL NOT. BE. SEPARATED."
  
  "You don't have to be so negative at how you look at things!" The Sylveon chimed out happily, "It's so sad that the Pokémon you've seen have all been sad! The Pokémon I've seen have all been happy! You should be happy too! There's no need to worry about us!"
  
  "I approached him because I believed in his ability to make me strong." The shiny Lickilicky said, "And he has not let me down. I don't think I could have achieved my evolution without his guidance. He is everything that I hoped for."
  
  "...Are you going to feed me?" Snorlax yawned out, "If not, can you tell my trainer that I'm hungry? Maybe after you get me some food, I'll answer your question."
  
  "Smough, you're not getting fed again." John called out, "You've already eaten!"
  
  The Snorlax sighed, "Never mind then. I'm just going to bed." Then he proceeded to lie back and fall asleep.
  
  "Next to Tyrant, I was there with my trainer for every step of his journey." The Ursaluna growled out, "I watched him grow, and I grew alongside him. I watched how he would treat every one of us with the respect, care, and attention that we needed. How we grew strong and powerful, enough to rival even the greatest of opponents, thanks to his teachings."
  
  "And because of that, when John called for us to stand against a Legendary, all of us did so without hesitation. Even when we all knew the danger that we would be throwing ourselves into, it was our honour to stand by his side. To save the world together. His ideals are our ideals. His dreams are our dreams. And we would fight anyone that denies that."
  
  "You do not need to look at me with such eyes - there's no need to be afraid." The Slaking chuckled at him, "I will not hurt you."
  
  N let out a shaky laugh, "Sorry. Your... presence, just intimidated me for a moment. I'm not used to seeing a Pokémon as strong as you are."
  
  Slaking laughed, and he couldn't help but flinch away from it, "I would hope not. John is very proud of my strength. He would be sad if my strength could be considered normal."
  
  "Then are you about to tell me about John's virtues as well?" He asked a little resignedly, "It seems that all of you really trust in your trainer. As his starter, surely you must agree."
  
  "I do. But I think you've heard enough already." Slaking said, "Instead, I will tell you about my own experiences with other Pokémon and their trainers - seeing how I've met so many as I followed along with my partner on his journey."
  
  "Amongst the many opponents that we have fought, not a single one of the Pokémon that I fought against were unhappy with their trainer. Of them, I guarantee you that any of the Pokémon of an Elite Four or Gym Leader would express similar sentiments to ours. Because no one can become a strong trainer if they are not backed up by the love and care of their own Pokémon. Pokémon and humans are meant to fight side by side with each other. I know this to be the truth of our world."
  
  "And that is why Team Galactic was fated to lose, because their Pokémon were all in despair and mistreated. I pitied them, even as I crushed them under my fists, for they did not deserve the fate that they were given. That was the only time when I saw Pokémon that were held against their will, and that was why all of us gave it our all to bring their abusers to justice."
  
  Then the Slaking turned his full attention onto him, and N felt himself shrink away in fear as Slaking looked down at him with his terrifying eyes, "So I warn you, N. If you are to try and forcefully tear me away from John - I will destroy you. I will bury you into the ground like I have done so many times in my life. If you become my enemy, then I will show you no mercy."
  
  "SO ARE YOU MY ENEMY, N?"
  
  The weight of that question caused his legs to fail him as he fell to his knees. A cold sweat began dripping down his back as he felt the physical weight of that threat pushing down on his shoulders.
  
  Yet, he knew that it was not a threat formed out of hostility. Rather, it was just Slaking's wholehearted desire to protect his trainer - at any cost. It was undeniable proof of the care and affection that John had with his starter.
  
  And because of this, he began to slowly recognise the uncomfortable truth.
  
  That perhaps, he might truly have been mistaken after all.
  
  A.N. N is a very important character to Unova. The whole Team Plasma arc of Unova doesn't even get off the ground if not for N's control of Zekrom/Reshiram. And I felt that having a conversation between him and John was warranted, especially because it gives John a chance to challenge N's beliefs. N will definitely show up more in the future. That's not to say that he will suddenly change his way of thinking from this one conversation - but it's a start.
  
  From that, I felt that having John's Pokémon be given the opportunity to actually talk out loud and speak their thoughts would be nice, even if it was very experimental. I know it's generally a 'taboo' to have Pokémon actually speak human words, but I felt like it was warranted in this scenario. This was just a special occasion, so don't worry about this being the norm. I do hope you enjoyed it.
  
  Also, after a lot of deliberation, I finally settled on calling John's new Minccino 'Tails'. The nickname just fit so well.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 15-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  The New Normal - 15-4 - Clash of Elites
  
  While I couldn't be completely sure about what my Pokémon were saying to N, I could feel the love and affection that they had for me radiating through our bond.
  
  That was all that I needed.
  
  After speaking with Tyrant, N seemed to stare blankly at me - like his mind was filled with thoughts - before quickly bidding goodbye and wandering off to who knows where. He was clearly conflicted with what he had heard, and I supposed that was as much as I could ask for.
  
  During my conversation with him, I had come to the realisation that N was Ghetsis' biggest weakness, as he was what gave his takeover of Unova a sense of so-called 'legitimacy'. N served as the 'benevolent' face of Team Plasma, thanks to his ability to speak and understand Pokémon. So if Ghetsis wanted to rule as a tyrant over Unova, he needed N by his side as a way of maintaining that control.
  
  However, just like N did in the games, his loyalty to Ghetsis was not unconditional - it could be broken. And without N, Ghetsis was no different from any other demagogue. Therefore, if we could cause N to defect from Ghetsis' side, though I knew that wasn't going to be an easy feat, it would be an enormous setback to Ghetsis' plans.
  
  That wasn't to say that Ghetsis wasn't a threat without N, but he was a lot more neutered if they were separated.
  
  That's why I hoped that N took something from our conversation just now. I hoped that he would be able to come to the realisation that Ghetsis had been lying to him for his entire life, and that he deserved better than to follow a scumbag like him. N had incredible potential, both as a trainer and as a leader, and there was no reason for that potential to be stifled by Ghetsis' mad ambitions.
  
  However, for now, the matter was completely out of my hands - it was up to N to make that realisation himself.
  
  Nevertheless, my conversation with N aside, I spent my time in Unova speaking with as many important movers and shakers as possible in hopes of making a good first impression with them. While this was all happening, Karen had caught a Roggenrola to bring back to Indigo for Brock. I had told her that it would make for a great Sandstorm opener since it had the ability Sand Stream.
  
  Unfortunately, I did not get so lucky with an Audino, as the rare Normal type still continued to elude me. Though, in fairness, I wasn't particularly going out of my way to look out for one. Maybe I would dedicate a day to actually hunting one down before I returned to Indigo.
  
  In order to cover more ground, Karen and I split up and met with different Gym Leaders, divided based on who we felt we would find it easier to get along with. Since I did my meet-and-greet event at Nimbasa, I met again with Elesa and then proceeded to meet up with both Burgh and Lenora, as they were an artist and archaeologist respectively they had links to my artistic (through the Waterflower sisters and their contests) and archaeological connections.
  
  In all honesty, I found myself enjoying the talks with Lenora the most, mostly because we actually shared a common interest. Burgh and Elesa just had interests that were a little too different from mine; that wasn't to say that we didn't exchange friendly greetings and small talk, but for the time being it was hard to go beyond that. Though at least the both of them expressed their interest in seeing a few contests for themselves, which wasn't currently a thing here, as they wanted to see if there were elements they could integrate into their own art.
  
  However, with Lenora, it was a completely different story. Not only were we both Normal specialists, which was rare enough, we also shared a similar interest in archaeology. That was where I found myself now, talking with Lenora about our differing experiences when it came to ruins and archaeology. She obviously was more of an expert on the subject, but her eyes shined with fascination as I described the expedition journeys that I've been on.
  
  "Oh how I wished that the Nacrene Museum could be able to display something as grand as a Legendary artifact." She gushed enviously, "Sadly, the Museum's greatest displays all revolve around fossils. It's why we can't wait for when we get our hands on your fossil revival machines! I'd love to see the type of Pokémon we could uncover from that."
  
  "Do you have some of the fossils here?" I asked.
  
  "We do have a large variety, and in particular we've accumulated quite the stock of Cover and Plume fossils here." She replied, "Why do you ask?"
  
  "Well... I'm friendly with the heir to Devon Corp, which was the company that invented the Fossil revival machine in the first place." I explained, "I could reach out to them on your behalf and see if we can get those fossils revived as a priority. So even though Unova might not be ready to open their borders quite yet, I think we can make an exception for something as scientifically interesting as this."
  
  Lenora's eyes shined with excitement, "Did you even need to ask?! Yes! I'd go for it immediately." But then her excitement calmed down, "Though what do you want for this? Nothing comes for free."
  
  "And if I said I just wanted to help out a fellow Normal specialist, would you believe me?" She let out a chuckle at my words, so I gave her a real answer, "Truthfully, I just want there to be more opportunities to show off the benefits that Unova could have if they're willing to join hands with us. Having your fossils revived might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but every little bit helps with winning over public opinion."
  
  She gave me a strange look, "You're really invested into making sure that our regions would be friends, aren't you?"
  
  I shrugged, "Of course I am. My public stance for promoting internationalism wasn't just because I wanted to look good in front of the public. I genuinely believe that it's the way forward for our world, and I don't want to see us as enemies."
  
  She nodded, "Neither do I. I saw your fight against our Champion, and you made him look like a newbie trainer compared to your own starter. If that's the level of strength we should expect from your home regions, then I would much prefer being your friend too."
  
  Then her eyes widened as if she realised something, "Actually, if seeking friends is what you want. Then I think I have just the thing for you. Are you interested in one of our Normal types?"
  
  "I am. I've already caught myself a Minccino while I was here." I replied, "Why do you ask?"
  
  "Well, we actually have a few Gym Pokémon that are starting to grow too strong and are getting close to being needed to be given away anyways." She explained, "So would you like one? It's really nothing much. We've had a few spare Herdier that I've been trying to give away, as they've grown a little too strong for our Gym."
  
  I was about to say no, since I really wasn't interested in a Herdier when I already had so many powerful bruisers that could fulfil a similar role. But then I remembered that Whitney would probably appreciate a new Pokémon from Unova since she wouldn't be able to catch one until much later. I knew she didn't really want me to just gift her more Pokémon, but I can always ask for forgiveness later.
  
  "I'm not really interested in one, but I would like to get one for my sister if that's okay with you." I said truthfully.
  
  "Of course, that's no problem at all." She replied, "Is your sister a Normal specialist like you?"
  
  "Yes indeed." I nodded, "And she's already made great strides of her own. She made it into the Indigo Conference in the first year of her journey, having beaten all of our Gym Leaders on the first try! And she's now working as a Gym Trainer, even though she's a few years younger than me."
  
  Since the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't help but gush about my sister. Fortunately, Lenora took that well as she just smiled at me, "It seems like you're really proud of her."
  
  "I am." I smiled, "I'm sure she will one day be as successful as I managed to become. Or hopefully, even more so."
  
  "In that case, I think such a strong trainer deserves an equally strong Pokémon, don't you think?" She said, "And I have just the one. We have a Herdier with the Scrappy ability. I'm sure she'll be able to make great use of it and turn it into a powerhouse of its own - if you think your sister would like that."
  
  "I'm sure she will." I replied with a small bow, "Thank you."
  
  "It's not a problem." She said, "Like I said, we've been intending to give these away anyways. And I'm sure my Herdier will be in safe hands under your sister's care. I look forward to seeing how powerful it becomes in the future."
  
  Our conversation then moved on to more casual topics, including speaking about our respective Normal type teams. We even had a quick battle, where she fielded her Watchog, Braviary, and Cinccino against my own Winston and Euphie. I didn't need to send out a third - Winston's Rollout tactics caught Lenora completely off-guard and he took down both Watchog and Braviary, while Euphie's Fairy type attacks (that Lenora had never seen before) easily took down Cinccino.
  
  Still, it was nice to see just how swift and agile a fully evolved Cinccino could be. It gave me a good idea of what to visualize when it came time to train up my own.
  
  Despite our pleasant conversation, we both had other duties to attend to, as the delegations from Hoenn was due to arrive today in the late hours of the evening. Sinnoh's delegation would be arriving last, though that didn't really matter for us for as we should have returned to Indigo by that point.
  
  Yet, before I left the museum, there was one other item of importance that I wanted to try to locate - and that was either the Light or Dark Stone that was supposed to just be displayed as an 'ordinary old stone'. I didn't know yet what I would do if it was actually there, but I just wanted to confirm its existence.
  
  However, it turned out that I didn't need to worry about what I would do with it, because the 'ordinary old stone' wasn't there. Despite my searching around, it wasn't on display anywhere. That probably meant that I was too early and the Stone hadn't been dug up yet.
  
  There was nothing I could do about that.
  
  With that sidetrack out of the way, I returned to Castelia City, meeting up with Karen as the two of us found the three members of the Unova Elite Four already gathered there - awaiting the arrival of the Hoenn delegation. They gave us a polite nod, but otherwise kept to themselves.
  
  As the ship carrying the Hoenn delegates arrived, Sidney stepped off first, followed by Drake. The latter was especially surprising, considering that Drake was not known to be a very diplomatic man. If anything he was the opposite of one - but I suppose he was sent over for his prodigious strength instead.
  
  The two Hoenn Elite Four exchanged greetings with their counterparts, but after that, Drake made a beeline towards me.
  
  "John! Glad to see you're doing well!" He slapped me hard over the back, "It's been some time since I've seen you!"
  
  "Likewise." I nodded, doing my best not to topple over, "Everything going well back in Hoenn?"
  
  "Well, pretty much all eyes are on Steven Stone right now." He replied, "Everyone knows that he's going to make a play for being Champion, so we're all getting ready for when that happens. It's why I hope to get this trip to Unova out of the way as soon as possible - I don't want to miss out on that."
  
  "You two seem to get along quite well with each other." Grimsley politely interrupted as he approached us, "Are you two friends?"
  
  "HAH! 'Friends' is too simple a word to use." Drake barked out, "We're battle buddies now. John and I have fought together through some pretty fucked up shit. We've battled together from the very beginning against those stupid fucking terrorists that used to plague our region, until the very end where we fought off a Legendary together. So I trust the man with my life, and I'm sure he feels the same."
  
  I nodded in agreement. I very much did.
  
  "Interesting. Are such bonds very common between foreign Elite Four members?" Grimsley asked.
  
  "They can be. I mean, Sidney and Karen are good friends too." I pointed to where Karen and Sidney were catching up with each other, "It's really not uncommon for Elite Four members from differing regions to be friends with each other."
  
  "Don't forget that John is literally dating the Champion of Sinnoh." Drake reminded, "I think that makes it pretty fucking clear that we're more than happy to work with each other."
  
  Grimsley blinked, "Hm. So you say." He didn't quite seem to believe us, but I could tell that he didn't feel like trying to argue back at the moment. "Though this actually does segue well into a proposal that Marshal had."
  
  "That's right." Marshal suddenly approached us, "I know the incident that took place between you and Alder, but I think the public of Unova, and us included, would like to see the fabled strength of the Elite Four ourselves. A battle would be a good demonstration."
  
  "Fuck yes. I'm not going to turn that down." Drake grinned, getting a supportive nod from Sidney as well, "So how are we doing this? Are we fighting now?"
  
  Marshal looked like he was about to shake his head, but Grimsley cut in first, "Yes. Now would be best. Please, follow me, I've already made the arrangements."
  
  Grimsley then turned away as he gestured for us to follow after him, deliberately ignoring the look that Marshal was shooting his way. I hid a frown; was this a sign of some internal disagreement between the two? Did Marshal actually want to give us time to prepare, only for Grimsley to intervene and deny that to us?
  
  Truthfully, I didn't think a lack of preparation time would matter too much for us, but it was the principle of the matter. I wonder why Grimsley seemed so eager to obtain even the slightest advantage against us?
  
  Was he hoping to win? To send a message that they weren't weaker than us? Or was he trying to prove Unova's superiority over us?
  
  If it was the former, then I didn't mind. But if it was the latter, then I was displeased at such notions.
  
  As we headed over to the Castelia Gym, which had already been prepared to host this battle, I spent some time asking Drake and Sidney about what were Hoenn's impressions of Unova, both their own and the public's.
  
  Just like we did, Sidney explained that he noted Alder's inattentive and frequent wanderlust. Furthermore, he observed Alder's inability to just follow the provided schedule, insisting on staying at certain places so that he could 'see the sights' or whatnot, even if it meant being late to his next big meeting.
  
  It wasn't a huge problem, and Alder more than made up for this with his natural charm and general aura of friendliness, but it was still something to note. I could only hope that his irresponsibleness wouldn't affect any discussions between our regions.
  
  Nevertheless, it didn't take long for us to arrive at the Castelia Gym, with Burgh greeting us all politely before taking a step back and allowing the Unova Elite Four to run the show.
  
  "For this battle, I thought it would be best if you all show how well you are able to fight with each other." Grimsley said, "You've frequently claimed that the bonds of friendship and camaraderie between your regions are strong, and we would like to see it for ourselves."
  
  "Therefore, my proposal is this - since there are four delegates from Indigo and Hoenn combined, how would you guys feel about splitting up into groups of two, with each group comprising of members from different regions?" He proposed, "I believe fighting together like this would be a good way of showcasing to us the bonds of friendship that you've all claimed you possess."
  
  We all shared a look before Karen spoke up for us, "We don't mind. So it'll be a 2v2?"
  
  "Let's keep it simple to just that." Marshal nodded, "There's no need to scare the public into thinking that we're having a real battle. This is just an opportunity to show off your strengths, after all."
  
  "Then I choose to pair with Karen. Sidney, you're with John." Drake said, surprising me a little bit. I had thought he would pair up with me, but then I quickly understood his rationale. Karen and Sidney were both Dark specialists, and their fighting styles wouldn't really compliment each other since they both relied on trickery. However, if they paired up with either myself or Drake, then they would have the power to back up their disruption.
  
  "Since there's only three of us, Grimsley shall partner up with the both of us." Shauntal said, "So it shall be John and Sidney vs myself and Grimsley, and Karen and Drake vs Marshal and Grimsley. Are we all happy with this?"
  
  We all nodded to signify that we understood, before I gestured for Karen and Drake to go up first.
  
  The two of them took their positions opposite of Marshal and Grimsley. I saw Karen and Drake exchange a few quiet whispers before the match begun, and then they both nodded as a plan came into place.
  
  "Salamence! Show off your power!" "Weavile, disrupt them!"
  
  "Bisharp, cut through them!" "Smash them, Conkeldurr!"
  
  All four Pokémon emerged at the same time, but Weavile was the first to make a move as he swiftly dashed in with incredible speed, rapidly closing the distance with Bisharp as he simultaneously threw out a barrage of Ice Shards towards Conkeldurr. The Fighting type blocked the attack with its concrete pillars, but that distracted it for long enough for Salamence's Dragon Pulse to blast it in the face.
  
  As Conkeldurr attempted to block the attack, Weavile had just slid under a Metal Claw from Bisharp, before performing a quadruply supereffective Low Sweep that sent Bisharp tumbling to the ground.
  
  However, instead of following through with the attack, Weavile instead chose to back off and - in an act of mutual cooperation - dove straight towards the Conkeldurr to distract it with another Low Sweep that momentarily knocked Conkeldurr off balance.
  
  Drake did not waste this opportunity.
  
  "OUTRAGE NOW, SALAMENCE! AND EARTHQUAKE!"
  
  "SALAMENCEEEEE!" Drake's starter let out an unholy roar as its draconic aura flared to life, causing the arena to be filled with a suffocating, primal energy. Then, before Conkeldurr could regain its balance, a truly devastating Earthquake ripped right through the field, sending a destructive wave of tectonic energies that tore through Conkeldurr's health.
  
  Then Salamence charged forwards with a Dragon Rush and slammed into Conkeldurr with his full, overpowering might that locked the two of them into a brawl. Salamence savaged the Fighting type with an unrelenting series of brutal Dragon Claws, Zen Headbutts, and Double Edges.
  
  Conkeldurr was holding on, but it seemed to me that Salamence had the upper hand.
  
  Meanwhile, Bisharp was forced into the air to dodge out of the way of such a powerful Earthquake. But Weavile quickly caught up with it with his better speed and precisely ducked under the way of a Brick Break before punishing it with one of his own that struck before Bisharp could block. The quadruply supereffective move sent Bisharp painfully crashing to the ground.
  
  "Stick to Ice Shards and Icy Winds, Weavile! Keep your distance and bring it down slowly!"
  
  Yet instead of trying to go for the decisive knockout blow, Weavile continued to make use of his far superior speed to continually dash in-and-out of the fight against Bisharp, carefully maintaining his distance from Bisharp's gleamingly sharp blades while harassing it with a series of Ice Shards and Icy Winds to slow it down even further.
  
  As I watched this take place, I wondered what kind of strategy that Grimsley had planned to use when he chose to send out his Bisharp. As his starter, it undoubtedly must have something that allowed it to stand apart from its peers, but he didn't seem to be able to show that off in this fight.
  
  Unless it had something to do with Bisharp's bladed arms? I noticed that they looked really sharp when compared to normal. Did he manage buff up with a Swords Dance in-between attacks somehow? I suspected that if Bisharp managed to land a single blow, Weavile would definitely not be able to tank it.
  
  However, having all the attack in the world didn't matter when you were slowly being frozen over by repeated Ice attacks from a Weavile you couldn't catch up with. Furthermore, unlike its opponent, Bisharp didn't seem to possess many attacks that could hit at range outside of a Flash Cannon and Stone Edge - both of which were easily dodged by Weavile. Especially since Bisharp only continued to grow slower and slower.
  
  To its credit, Bisharp valiantly tried to fight back as it occasionally darted forwards with a Sucker Punch, or even tried to catch out Karen's Weavile with a sudden pulse of a Thunder Wave. A lesser Pokémon would definitely have been caught out by it, but as someone who used the same tricks themselves, Weavile was hyper-alert to such moves and didn't allow himself to be caught out by them.
  
  With incredible discipline and self-control, Weavile slowly but methodically continued to attack Bisharp until it was completely frozen over. Once it was, a precise and deadly Focus Punch was able to finish off the Bisharp in a single coup de grâce.
  
  Bisharp instantly crumbled to the ground. There was no getting up from that blow.
  
  Thus, Grimsley was out of the fight just like that. Meaning only Marshal remained.
  
  However, seeing this, Karen raised an arm to stop Weavile from going after Conkeldurr, who was still engaged in a wrestling match against Salamence.
  
  She clearly didn't want to interfere with Drake's battle. She seemed confident he could hold out on his own, and the man probably didn't want the help anyway.
  
  Yet, Marshal's fight was going a lot better than Grimsley's. Despite being forced to brawl against an Outrage-boosted Salamence - something that very few Pokémon wanted to do - his Conkeldurr was holding up surprisingly well.
  
  Unfortunately, Conkeldurr performing 'surprisingly well' didn't mean that it was able to overpower Salamence. The Fighting type certainly gave as good as it got, slamming back with repeated Ice Punches and Stone Edges that actually battered Drake's Salamence and causing visible injuries to form on its draconic body. However, consumed by rage as it was, Salamence was able to recklessly ignore the pain as it continued its brutal savagery against Conkeldurr.
  
  In the end, Conkeldurr managed to inflict heavy injuries against Salamence through the sheer strength that backed up its blows, but the raw draconic might of Salamence proved too overwhelming for Conkeldurr.
  
  Despite its best efforts, this exchange of blows ended with Salamence's victory, as the Fighting type failed to endure through the brutal ferocity of Salamence's attacks. And after taking one too many Dragon Claws to the chest, Conkeldurr too was knocked out.
  
  As Karen and Drake became the victors, there was a polite smattering of applause from the audience, but nothing more. Obviously, the people here were all Unovan, so seeing their Elite Four lose like that was... uncomfortable.
  
  When I noticed this, I was tempted to send out a weaker battle in my battle with Sidney so that a more compelling fight could be had between us. Yet just as I considered it, I realised that it wouldn't work.
  
  Unfortunately, or ironically, my reputation would have sabotaged that plan. Even though they had only recently met me, the Elite Four of Unova certainly knew just how strong I could be since I convincingly dominated a battle against Alder's starter. Therefore, it would be exceedingly obvious if I was to hold back in our next battle, and there was nothing worse than openly sandbagging against an opponent - as it was basically implying that you didn't respect their strength.
  
  No, I wouldn't do that. That would be too disrespectful. So if Grimsley had given us the opportunity to demonstrate our strength, then I was going to make use of this opportunity to firmly engrave into the minds of the Unovans just how I managed to crush Alder in my fight.
  
  I turned to Sidney, my voice dropping low to a whisper, "Let me take the lead in the next fight. Tyrant's coming out."
  
  He nodded slowly, but he looked a little uncertain, "...Are you sure about this? Perhaps you'd like to go for a more... 'balanced' victory."
  
  "No. They would see right through it." I replied, "Choosing a different Pokémon now would just be disrespectful."
  
  "...Fine, I don't disagree." He said, before a small grin began to split his face, "My gut tells me they didn't invite us to a battle for such 'pure' intentions anyways. I think they wanted to fuck with us - or at least Grimsley certainly seems to want to - so we might as well show them why that's a bad idea."
  
  Indeed - I couldn't have worded it better myself.
  
  It's nothing personal, but Tyrant's coming out to play.
  
  A.N. If there's one thing that people in the Pokémon world understand, it's strength. Therefore, one of the best ways to convince someone to work with you is to just show off just how strong you are. Strength matters a lot.
  
  And here I also wanted to give more characterisation for a few of the Unova characters. Not everything about their relationship with the three regions is going to be all sunshine and rainbows, and there's going to be some doubt about their claims, especially when they 'seem' exaggerated.
  
  Unfortunately for Grimsley, he's about to find out that some claims are true. There's a pummelling coming for him. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-4-Interlude-Grimsley
  The New Normal - 15-4 - Interlude - Grimsley
  
  A frown slowly formed on his face as he saw a look of grim determination settle on John's.
  
  He admitted that his performance in the first fight against Karen and Drake was... lacklustre, to say the least. He had underutilised his Bisharp, not expecting for Karen to field a Pokémon that was so fast that his Bisharp would be taken down before it could really utilise its moves.
  
  For a Dark type, his Bisharp had the raw attacking power to match up against even the greatest of Dragons. But that didn't seem to have mattered at all against Karen's Weavile.
  
  He had underestimated the options from the new Dark types. In Unova, the fastest Dark type Pokémon that they had was a Zoroark or a Liepard, but this Weavile of hers had seriously outpaced even his most generous expectations.
  
  It was his mistake. He should have studied up more on the Pokémon that his opponents were going to use before heading into this battle. He had mistakenly assumed that, as a fellow Dark specialist, Karen would be trying to fight with status conditions rather than brute force. It was a rookie error, and he was inwardly beating himself over it.
  
  If only Alder hadn't saddled him with all this work. Then perhaps he could have spent his time more productively...
  
  Even Marshal, that bootlicker of Alder's, had managed to hold up better against that beast of a Salamence.
  
  Originally, he had proposed to fight against the Elite Four of Hoenn and Indigo to regain some of the momentum and prestige that Alder had so foolishly thrown away. His loss against John's starter had done far more harm than their blind Champion would ever know. How were you ever going to convince the new regions to respect Unova if their first ever interaction consisted of their supposedly greatest trainer losing a battle?
  
  Therefore, he knew he had to convince the other members of the Unova Elite Four to organise such a battle - knowing that this was a necessary step to make sure that the other regions (which already outnumber them) would respect Unova's strength. The other two were more hesitant at first, but they eventually saw reason and acquiesced to his proposal.
  
  It wasn't anything personal. He didn't even dislike the foreigners. It was just purely for politics.
  
  However, as he stared down at John's determined eyes, his gut was screaming at him of the impending danger coming his way. He knew instinctively that John's starter was coming out - the starter that had so thoroughly trounced Alder's.
  
  But he squashed down that fear. He always knew that Alder had a bad habit of holding back at times when he really shouldn't. And after rewatching footage of the battle, he was confident that Alder's loss could be explained away by the man being a fool as usual - rather than John's own strength.
  
  Because it was obvious to him that his strength was exaggerated for PR purposes. Given that the man seemed to be heavily involved in helping to bring their three regions closer together, it made sense that their Leagues would make sure that his reputation was as spotless and as extraordinary as possible.
  
  Drayden may have reported back otherwise, stating that John's strength was the real deal, but he would only believe it if he saw it for himself.
  
  "Go! Krookodile!" "Your move, Chandelure!"
  
  "Sableye!" "Tyrant, once again!"
  
  "SLAKINGGGGG!" He flinched as a deafening roar was unleashed from John's Slaking, who wasted no time in charging towards his Krookodile.
  
  His Krookodile instinctively went for a Dig, but Slaking stomped his foot on the ground, causing the dirt beneath Krookodile to erupt upwards and stop it from digging away. Realising that Slaking was about to barrel into it, his Krookodile threw up a hasty Protect shield and threw out his standard Sand Attack Dark Pulse combo at the incoming Slaking.
  
  Most Pokémon would have been deterred by that. Unfortunately, Slaking didn't seem to be one of them as the Normal type slammed into the Protect shield. The Dark Pulse had practically bounced off Slaking's incredibly strong body, but fortunately, the Dark-infused Sand Attack did successfully manage to blind the Slaking.
  
  Despite this, his Krookodile had now entered into Slaking's effective range, and his gut was screaming at him that this was an extremely bad place to be in. Even if Slaking was blinded.
  
  His Krookodile tried to take advantage of Slaking's blindness and darted underneath a blind Brick Break before smashing a Brick Break of his own right into Slaking's face.
  
  However, instead of flinching or stumbling backwards like he had expected, Slaking merely grinned.
  
  Moving quicker than he could have ever expected from such a large beast of a Pokémon, Slaking's arms whipped around and batted aside one of Krookodile's claws before brutally smashing a devastating Hammer Arm right into Krookodile's face.
  
  Krookodile let out a cry of pain as it recoiled from the blow, but as he had trained it, Krookodile used that pain to fuel its wrath, further boosted by a Counter, and the Dark type roared forwards and snapped down hard with its powerful jaws - sinking its razor sharp teeth deep into one of Slaking's arms.
  
  This was the strength of his Krookodile - he had meticulously trained it to harness the power of its innately violent tendencies and use it to skyrocket its own strength. Even if Krookodile were normally seen as less powerful compared to more traditionally strong Pokémon like Haxorus, his Krookodile was different.
  
  For every blow that his Krookodile took, he was confident that it would be repaid back with interest.
  
  ...That was, until today. Because unlike the pained reaction that he had expected to see on Slaking's face as his Krookodile took a large Crunch out of his arm, the bloodthirsty smile on Slaking's face only grew.
  
  Like he had found the pain amusing.
  
  And even though Slaking's eyes still remained covered by a layer of dark sand, he could still feel the raw savagery radiating out of them.
  
  Before Krookodile could react, Slaking sent a powerful kick that smashed into one of Krookodile's knees, instantly causing his Dark type to trip over itself as its leg was kicked aside. Then, even with one arm still trapped within Krookodile's jaws, Slaking used his one remaining arm to parry away his attempted Brick Break before viciously smashing his free fist into Krookodile's gut, causing it to release Slaking's other arm from its mouth as it let out another gasp of pain.
  
  But Slaking wasn't done yet, and he used his free arm to ruthlessly pry Krookodile's mouth open, grabbing onto it with both hands before lifting his Krookodile into the air and violently suplexing it to the ground.
  
  "OUTRAGE AND COUNTER NOW!" He desperately shouted, knowing that in a mere matter of seconds, his Krookodile was somehow already at risk of being knocked out.
  
  A bright blue and orange aura exploded from Krookodile as it unleashed its full, unbound strength. Krookodile charged at Slaking - channelling every last bit of its strength as it slammed into Slaking with a blow powerful enough to knock down any one of Drayden's Dragons.
  
  And for the first time in the battle, Slaking actually let out a pained grunt and stumbled backwards.
  
  Unfortunately, that was all that he did.
  
  And then Slaking flashed orange with a Counter of his own, and Grimsley instinctively knew that the fight was over.
  
  A devastating, Counter-boosted, Hammer Arm crashed down hard into Krookodile's back. Krookodile immediately collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
  
  And Slaking instantly pounced on top of it before brutally stomping down and unleashing a point-blank Earthquake that eviscerated through its health. His pinned Dark type struggled and wriggled, furiously trying to claw and slash at Slaking's arms and legs in a desperate attempt to free itself, but Slaking cared little for its futile struggles.
  
  Instead, Slaking's fist began to glow a bright pink before he ruthlessly began to pummel Krookodile with Fairy-infused fists, raining down blow after blow onto his helpless Dark type. Even after Outraging, Krookodile was completely unable to fight back against the sheer, tyrannical strength of John's Slaking.
  
  All the while, he was forced to stare in horrified realisation at just how outmatched he was in this battle. No, calling it a battle would be too generous. This was a beatdown, pure and simple.
  
  He realised he had lost the moment the battle had begun.
  
  He turned to his partner, Shauntal, wondering what in the fuck she was doing during all of this. However, as he did so, he realised that Shauntal had been completely neutralised in the fight in a different manner to him.
  
  He didn't know how it happened, but Sableye had completely crippled her Chandelure. The once proud Ghost type that was Shauntal's beloved starter was Taunted, Tormented, and it was doing everything it could to prevent itself from being paralysed.
  
  The powerful Fire type was trying to fight back, but the Sableye proved itself to be extremely elusive as it continued to run circles around the enraged Chandelure while harassing it with the occasional Dark Pulse and Night Shade. Occasionally, Chandelure would manage to hit Sableye with a Flamethrower or a Shadow Ball, but most of the damage was healed up with a very quick Recover.
  
  ...Now this was more familiar ground to him. Sidney fought exactly how he had expected Karen to fight, which was likely why Shauntal seemed to be struggling so much against him. Shauntal's Ghosts had never been good at dealing with moves like Taunt and Torment, and even though she had told him that she had been recently trying to train up her Pokémon's mental discipline, it was clear that this was very much still a work in progress.
  
  At least that explained why Shauntal didn't help him. Her Chandelure looked so thoroughly enraged and tunnel visioned that it probably couldn't pay attention to anything else other than the Sableye. It would probably win its fight in the end, since Sableye also wasn't dealing any meaningful damage to it, but definitely not anytime soon.
  
  Because of this, as he turned back to his own fight just in time to witness Slaking picking up his Krookodile by the head and painfully slamming it back into the ground, he inwardly let out a bitter sigh.
  
  He knew that the fight was doomed.
  
  Therefore, he was now no longer blind to the truth - John's victory over Alder was absolutely no fluke. Whether their Champion fought at full strength against John or not, his starter would have lost regardless. Just like him, Alder had lost the moment he issued the challenge.
  
  He let out a bitter sigh. As soon as this battle was over, it would be impossible to hide the fact that the Elite Four of Hoenn and Indigo completely stomped them in a battle, proving that in this current moment, that they were outclassed in terms of strength.
  
  His plan to reclaim some of Unova's lost prestige had just utterly backfired.
  
  Today had proven that Unova was the weaker region, both in terms of political influence, and in the raw strength of their trainers.
  
  Despite only wanting the best for Unova, today, he had instead failed them.
  
  And now there was only one thing he could say at this point.
  
  "Stop. Krookodile, return." He held out Krookodile's Pokéball and watched as his beaten and bruised Pokémon was returned to its Pokéball. Inwardly, he apologised to his fallen Pokémon. It should not have had to fight such a battle in the first place. He had fucked up, having jumped into a series of battles unprepared, and both his Bisharp and Krookodile were the ones to pay the price.
  
  He let out another sigh as he watched the now-freed Slaking wipe the sand out of his face, before he turned his attention onto the lone, crippled Chandelure.
  
  And as he watched the Slaking leap straight over a Flamethrower from the Chandelure before transitioning into a rolling strike that delivered a Dark-infused heel kick right into Chandelure, he hoped that Shauntal could read the writing on the wall and withdraw her Pokémon before it suffered through the same fate as his Krookodile did.
  
  Either way, after this battle, Unova would really have to reconsider how they approached the upcoming negotiations about open borders and the like. He had wanted to resort to a slow and gradual approach at first, but he was heavily reconsidering that now.
  
  Because he realised one thing - Unova could not afford to become enemies of the new regions. With such powerful trainers on their side, if they came to blows, it was looking exceedingly likely that Unova wasn't going to win.
  
  A.N. I felt it would be interesting to show off a Tyrant fight from a POV that isn't John, just to see what it's like to face off against him. And yes, Grimsley is reaping what he has sown. Despite trying to play games with the new arrivals, I've tried to show that Grimsley isn't really a bad guy, he's just doing what he thinks its best for Unova. Unfortunately, he's really fucked up today, and there will be consequences from this loss.
  
  Of course, this was just a battle consisting of 1v1s. In a full battle with all 6 Pokémon available, Grimsley's got far more strategies in the tank waiting to be used. So he'll put up a better performance if it ever comes to that. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  The New Normal - 15-5 - Exploring with Drake
  
  After the battle was over, the mood of the Unova Elite Four, and accompanying spectators, noticeably dropped as they suffered through two back-to-back defeats. But that was to be expected, and after a few more polite words, they left us soon after that.
  
  While I didn't feel all too bad about it, given Grimsley was the one to initiate this less-than-subtle challenge against us, my gut told me that he hadn't done so out of malice. He didn't seem to have any real hostility against us, and was merely doing out for the good of Unova.
  
  Perhaps I would have done the same in his place.
  
  That being said, I didn't regret my actions. As much as I hoped for Unova to be our friends and allies, this battle was a good reminder on why they should be our friends - because they did not want to be our enemies.
  
  Nevertheless, with the battle over, I went over to speak with Drake and Sidney, asking them what they thought of the battle.
  
  "Meh, I would have loved to have battled against their other Dragon trainer." Drake shrugged, "Too bad Drayden wasn't here. I think our battle would have been fun."
  
  "But I saw that Marshal still did a number on your Salamence." Sidney pointed out, "His Conkeldurr was really delivering the pain."
  
  "He's better than every other Fighting specialist I've fought against." Drake allowed, "Though that's probably why he's in the Elite Four."
  
  Sidney nodded, "If anything, I wanted to see more of what they can do. Just fighting a 2v2 like that really doesn't allow you to see the full breath of their capabilities." He looked to Drake, "Maybe we can arrange for a more proper spar between us in the future."
  
  "I'd fucking love that." Drake grinned, "Maybe you can join in too, John."
  
  "Sure, if you'll have me." I agreed, "But good luck convincing them to agree to another battle. They didn't look very pleased with our victory."
  
  "Eh. I'm sure they'll bounce back soon." Drake didn't seem concerned, "They wouldn't have made it to the Elite Four without learning how to shrug off losses."
  
  I certainly hoped so.
  
  Interestingly, Grimsley had made a statement a few hours after our battle praising our strength and thanking us for the great battle. He stated how the Unova Elite Four would be working hard to catch up with our strength and welcomed further cooperation between us.
  
  Both Karen and I suspected that he was trying to get on our good side and smooth over any unfortunate consequences from our display of strength.
  
  Nevertheless, in the early morning of the next day, Drake called me and asked if we could meet up again so that we could explore Unova together and check out a few of the more important sites that the region had to offer.
  
  Having nothing else planned, I quickly took him up on it, after making sure that Karen didn't mind. She didn't, as she coincidentally had her own plans with Sidney too. Therefore, Drake and I ended up heading over to visit Dragonspiral Tower - which had been labelled as one of Unova's cultural landmarks.
  
  However, apparently our movements were not as subtle as we thought, as on the way there we ended up meeting with Gym Leader Brycen from the nearby Icirrus City, who asked if he could join us. He also informed us that we couldn't actually enter the interior of Dragonspiral Tower without a Gym Leader or an Elite Four accompanying us, which was something we overlooked.
  
  Therefore, seeing no reason to decline, we accepted.
  
  "Thank you for accepting my invitation." He said to us as we walked over from Icirrus City, "I had hoped to meet you ever since your arrival. It was nice speaking with Karen, and I very much wanted to reach out to her other colleagues as well."
  
  "Well you have us now." Drake grinned, "Any sort of questions you'd like to ask us?"
  
  "Actually, I had one on my own." It was a question that I had already asked to the other Gym Leaders that I've met, "What are your thoughts about us, now that you've seen us hang about in your region? Are you happy about our arrival?"
  
  Brycen nodded slowly, "...That's a good question, and not one with an easy answer. Personally, as someone with a passion for the arts, the discovery of new regions and cultures is a welcome one, as there will certainly be much inspiration that could be derived from your differing cultures. However, my peers... most of them are cautious. You are a great unknown to us, and so are your intentions."
  
  "From what I've seen thus far, you and Karen have been nothing less than amicable and friendly, but there's every chance that your friendliness is merely a façade." He explained, "Personally, I doubt it. But the concerns are real, especially since your three regions outnumber us so heavily. And your victory over our Elite Four hasn't exactly helped. People are worried about how you would wield your strength against us. Though I can assure you that the public isn't hostile against you yet. Just cautiously wary."
  
  I nodded, "Well I hope you don't personally hold it against us."
  
  "I don't." He replied quickly, "I know full well what Grimsley is like. I know he was the one to challenge you, and I recognise that your victory over them wasn't personal or anything. I just see it as another reminder that we need to be cautious and respectful of your strength."
  
  "Hmph. Well, I know I may not act like it, but I'm not the type of person that likes to pick fights." Drake said, and seeing the incredulous looks he got from both of us, he quickly corrected himself, "At least, not with other regions. After seeing what we're able to do if we work together peacefully, I'd much rather we get along with Unova as friends rather than as enemies."
  
  "And I believe that." Brycen nodded, "But not everyone's convinced of that yet."
  
  This is why I knew we still had a long way to go when it came to becoming truly friends with Unova like we had done with Sinnoh and Hoenn. This initial distrust was hard to remove so soon. Though as long as they weren't hostile towards us, that was good enough for me for now.
  
  Discussions on this aside, Brycen asked us the standard roster of questions - asking on general topics like about Pokémon and the cities. Then he also branched out and asked about the cultural and artistic scene of our regions, explaining to us that he had been a former actor and still dabbled with the arts on occasion.
  
  "...To be honest, I've been pretty torn about whether to continue my duties as a Gym Leader, since recently I've been feeling more of an itch to return full-time to the arts." He admitted to us, "However, then I look at my peers like Elesa and Burgh, who are both able to maintain their artistic careers and Gym Leader positions with little trouble. It makes me wonder why I'm not feeling satisfied with my current balance. But do you also have Gym Leaders who split their time for the arts?"
  
  "We do." I replied, "The Gym Leader of my city, Cerulean City, are also famous contest performers and regularly host shows in-between their Gym Leader duties. Of course, their position as Gym Leader is shared between all three sisters, so I guess they have an easier time of handling both."
  
  "Not only that, but another friend of mine, Blaine, he used to be a Gym Leader and scientist simultaneously. Though he eventually gave up on the former to pursue the latter - as that was where he felt his true passion lied." I continued to explain, "So you aren't the only one that feels this way. And now he's successfully become a Professor. So it's just a matter of realising what you want to pursue into the future."
  
  Brycen nodded at my words, but Drake had a few things to say of his own, "Don't forget, lad, that being a Gym Leader is a prestigious position that rightfully brings much honour and respect, but at the same time, it demands that you put your whole heart into managing the position. So while I'm not accusing you of anything, do remember that as a Gym Leader you would be doing the trainers that look up to you a disservice if you are aren't able to give it your all."
  
  "...You're right." Brycen nodded again, "...Thank you for both for your thoughtful words. I will have much to think about."
  
  "Bah, no need to thank us." Drake waved him off, "We may have just met, but I can tell that your heart is in the right place. Better than a few fucks that I used to know."
  
  I raised an eyebrow, "Anyone that I should know about?"
  
  He shook his head, "Nah, this was before your time, lad. No need to worry about it now. Wallace dealt with them when he became Champion."
  
  Our conversation came to an end right as we arrived at Dragonspiral Tower. It was known as the oldest structure in Unova, and it clearly showed. Unlike Spear Pillar, which still somehow managed to look supernaturally clean, Dragonspiral Tower really showed off its age.
  
  The tower looked like it was seconds away from crumbling down completely. The exterior of the building was heavily chipped and damaged, and almost completely covered in overgrown moss. Also unlike Spear Pillar, Dragonspiral Tower was home to many wild Pokémon, which only made the Tower seem all the more messy and unclean.
  
  Yet despite the age, the moment we stepped foot into the tower, I could feel the familiar presence of a Legendary radiating out of the entire structure. It wasn't nearly as strong as the feeling I felt at Spear Pillar, but it was unmistakably present.
  
  From what I knew from my meta-knowledge, I could understand why that was. Spear Pillar was literally the place where the Creation Trio, and Arceus itself, would manifest. The entire place was practically a birthplace for many of the Legendaries of Sinnoh. On the other hand, Dragonspiral Tower was merely the place where Reshiram and Zekrom were sealed into their respective Light and Dark Stones, and where they would subsequently be reawakened from them.
  
  In other words, the Legendary weight between the two places were like night and day. Spear Pillar was simply far more important.
  
  Maybe because of that, I didn't feel as unnerved as I did when I first visited Spear Pillar. That, or after I had spent time around certain Legendaries, I had just grown immune to the sensation. Regardless, that didn't detract from the uniqueness of Dragonspiral Tower, and it was nice to walk around the interior and inspect the sights for myself.
  
  A part of me was actually kind of hoping to accidentally stumble into the Dark or Light Stone while I was here. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything that even sort of resembled it.
  
  The interior was merely filled with long-broken rubble that had never been cleared up, probably intentionally so.
  
  Honestly, I could understand why this place hadn't been opened to the public, and why we were only allowed in since we were accompanied by Brycen. Not only was this an important cultural site that should be protected, but it was also not safe at all. With how old the place was, the interior pathways looked like they were moments away from crumbling to dust if you stepped on it. And with how tall the tower was, that was very dangerous if you did end up falling.
  
  But I supposed that was part of the rustic charm, and it certainly still made for an interesting visit. Even if we were occasionally harassed by the odd wild Pokémon. Though most were promptly deterred and scared away when Drake and I sent our Pokémon out.
  
  However, after probably half an hour of looking around, both Drake and I felt like we had seen enough and that it was about time to depart. There were still other places we wanted to check out, so we headed back for Icirrus City where we split up from Brycen as he had to return to his usual duties.
  
  After that, we headed for the Desert Resort, where we wanted to visit the famed Relic Castle. Yet, the moment we arrived there, we ended up stumbling across a very unexpected individual - who looked just as surprised to see us as we did. I recognised him the instant I set my eyes on him.
  
  It was the madman himself. The aspiring tyrant. The megalomaniac - Ghetsis.
  
  "...Oh my, what a pleasant surprise this is." Ghetsis smiled at us politely, "You two must be those foreign Elite Four that have recently arrived in Unova, right?"
  
  "We are." Drake nodded, "And you are?"
  
  "Ah, I have overlooked the most important thing." Ghetsis let out a chuckle, "My name is Ghetsis - advocate and leader for the liberation and better treatment of Pokémon, also known as the Pokémon Liberation And Safety Moral Association. Or PLASMA for short. It's a real pleasure to make your acquaintance."
  
  He extended a hand for us to shake, all the while presenting a very cheerful smile that never even faltered even as he spouted such lies at us. Yet, even without relying on my metaknowledge, I wasn't fooled by it. Not after having spoken with Cyrus, who was a much better liar than he was.
  
  Ghetsis was more... obvious, in his desire for power. To me, his inner megalomania was practically screaming to burst out of him, and his eyes revealed a lot more than Cyrus' did. His eyes stared at us condescendingly and arrogantly, as if he believed himself superior to us. Cyrus would never have been so obvious. Ghetsis simply wasn't as good at hiding his true emotions as he thought he was.
  
  So much so that Drake was not fooled by his façade either, as he refused to shake his hand.
  
  "An advocate for Pokémon liberation?" Drake asked as he crossed his arms, "Never heard of anything like that. What's it about?"
  
  I caught Ghetsis' eyes twitch at Drake's refusal, but he maintained his friendly expression as if he wasn't bothered by it, "It's simple. We're a group of people who are taking a moral stand against the harmful exploitation of Pokémon by trainers. Trainers who hold Pokémon against their will and force them to battle-"
  
  "Ah, say no more." Drake interrupted him with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I can already tell that the only thing that your mouth can spout is nonsense - especially on a topic as ridiculous as your so-called 'Pokémon liberation'. I don't need you to waste any more of my fucking time."
  
  Ghetsis' pleasant smile instantly disappeared, and for a split second was replaced by an expression of pure rage, before he quickly hid it behind a mask of false hurt.
  
  "...Why are you so hostile to me?" He asked 'dejectedly', "Or is this the way that Hoenn treats those they deem lesser than them? You haven't even given me your name yet."
  
  "The name's Drake, and don't you fucking forget it." Drake 'introduced' himself, "I would say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but that would be a fucking lie."
  
  Drake then grinned at Ghetsis, but there was no friendliness in it, "You don't need to try to twist my words to suit your needs, not when I can already tell that you're doing that with the 'Pokémon liberation' nonsense that you're spouting. If you were actually sincere about the topic, then maybe I'd give you a moment of my time. But I know that you don't even believe the words you're saying."
  
  That caused Ghetsis to drop the mask of civility altogether, and the man was now glaring at Drake. But that only caused Drake to bark out a laugh, "Yeah, glare at me as hard as you fucking like. But I see you for what you are. I've dealt with terrorists and criminals like you for far too long - so you don't fool me. Your intentions stink more than the shit you peddle. Isn't that right, John?"
  
  Wow, Drake was really going at it. I didn't initially intend to display such overt hostility against Ghetsis, but since Drake had already done so, I wasn't going to let him do it alone. I wouldn't abandon him like that, not after all that we've been through.
  
  "I couldn't agree more." I nodded in solidarity with Drake, "Like Drake said, you don't seem sincere in your words. But even if you were, I'm certain that Pokémon liberation is not the right method of granting our Pokémon happiness. In fact, it'd only make things worse."
  
  At this point Ghetsis was practically fuming with anger, and he looked like he was trying to kill us with his eyes alone with how hard he was glaring at us. But I wasn't scared. How could I be, when I had faced off against threats far worse than he would ever be?
  
  Besides, the very fact that he was losing his temper like this just made him far less intimidating to me, because Cyrus had been so much worse.
  
  Whenever I was unfortunate enough to have to speak with Cyrus, it was like talking to a walking corpse. It was unsettling to see Cyrus' unchanging expression, as if his eyes could see right into your very soul. But with Ghetsis, his temper tantrums just wasn't nearly as disturbing.
  
  "...You both will rue the day that you disrespected me like this." He growled out, "I do not take slights against my person lightly, and I will make sure that you two will suffer for this indignation." Then without another word, he turned away with a swish of his cape before he sent out a Beheeyem and Teleported away.
  
  Once he was gone, Drake let out a scoff, "Good fucking riddance for that. His presence was just slimy."
  
  "It was." I agreed, "But now we have another megalomaniac that we have to deal with."
  
  "Yes... we do." He nodded, "A man like that is bound to be a problem in the future. There's no way that fuck isn't plotting something sinister in the background - I don't believe for a fucking second that his true goal is 'Pokémon liberation'. It's definitely just a means to an end for him."
  
  "I take it you don't agree with the subject?" I asked, a little interested to hear his thoughts.
  
  He scoffed again, "Fuck no. No trainer should ever be compelled to release their Pokémon, unless they're abusing them. But if they're not, then it has to be their own choice. There's nothing else that needs to be said about the matter. You don't separate a trainer from their Pokémon. It's just fucking stupid."
  
  Then he let out a tired sigh, "...There's always another fucking madman on the horizon, isn't there? First we dealt with Cyrus, and now there's another loon waiting to take up the fucking mantle. How many fuckers do we need to bury into the ground before they learn to wise up?"
  
  "The lure of power is too enticing for some people." I said resignedly, "However, I doubt that Ghetsis and his powerbase is as entrenched as Cyrus was. It's not like he's the CEO of some super large business, or else he would have said so. Knowing the man, he probably wouldn't be able to resist showing off."
  
  "True, he did seem quite arrogant." Drake chuckled, though that quickly turned into a frown, "But that doesn't mean it won't change in the future. Maybe we got lucky coming into contact with Unova so early on. If we had done so later, perhaps Ghetsis would have already been too fucking entrenched just like Cyrus was."
  
  "That's true." I agreed.
  
  "Still, we really ought to do something about this before they can grow much more." Drake said thoughtfully, "We don't need to deal with another fucking version of Team Galactic. Once was already more than enough."
  
  "...The problem is that we're not native to Unova." I pointed out, "And I doubt the Unovans will listen to us if we simply tell them to not trust Ghetsis and PLASMA. Arceus, they barely trust us at the moment."
  
  Drake growled, "I hate that it always comes back down to fucking politics. Why can't things ever be fucking simple for once?" He gritted his teeth, "But John, I want to properly crush this problem before it becomes a bigger one. As much as I enjoy a good scrap and fighting alongside you, I'm not going to let these fucking criminals make a mess of other people's livelihood once more. There's been too much of that in recent times."
  
  "It just means that it's all the more important that we form closer bonds with Unova then." I replied, "Once we get International Police jurisdiction in Unova, we can more easily clamp down on Ghetsis and his schemes."
  
  Drake nodded. We've done this rodeo more than once already, so we knew how it was done. The actors might be different, but the process was still the same. Furthermore, like we mentioned, I highly doubted that Ghetsis was as entrenched politically as Cyrus was, meaning that his base of power should be much weaker. That would make things easier, I hoped.
  
  I turned around and stared at the view of the Desert Resort, seeing many trainers from Unova just hanging around the place peacefully, completely unaware of Ghetsis and his evil plans.
  
  I wouldn't let him and PLASMA ruin this.
  
  But then Drake bumped me with his shoulder, "No need to brood like that. As much as I'd prefer if things don't go to shit, but if it does, then you know I'll be by your side as we pummel these fuckers back into the dirt where they belong, right? You and I - our bonds were forged in battle. So I'll always have your back, John."
  
  I smiled, "And I'll always have yours, Drake."
  
  He grinned, "Now enough of this mopey shit. We have a castle to explore." He then pulled me forwards as we headed into Relic Castle, "Oh and did I tell you about my training with Misty? She's a fast learner that one. I was thinking of even introducing a few Dragon types to her to see if she's interested in following in my footsteps..."
  
  A.N. Drake and John's back at it again with another villain to beat down. But this time around, John isn't the only one to sus out Ghetsis' intentions with his meta-knowledge. After having dealt with Cyrus, Drake is more than wary of would-be dictators as well. Ghetsis' evil isn't getting past him, nor is Drake diplomatic enough to not hurl it at Ghetsis' face that he knows. Hope you enjoyed the conversation with Ghetsis, and the demonstration that he isn't nearly as well put together as Cyrus was.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 15-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  The New Normal - 15-6 - The Rise of a Stone
  
  After our 'conversation' with Ghetsis, the rest of our explorations around Unova just wasn't as interesting in comparison. That wasn't to say that the sights were boring, far from it, but the reminder that there was another madman on the horizon did sour our mood a bit.
  
  Furthermore, my time with Unova was fast approaching its end, and it was soon time for Karen and I to return home. That was expected - I knew that this was only supposed to be a short trip anyways, but I hoped that I would be back soon.
  
  I felt that Unova as a region was just brimming with potential. Castelia City was just the perfect example of this, given that I still considered it to be the most interesting sight in all of Unova.
  
  So I did my best to make use of the remaining time I had left to personally check out a few places that I was particularly interested in. For example, I visited Undella Town, since it was the place where Cynthia would eventually purchase a vacation home in canon, and it very much lived up to my expectations.
  
  The entire place had such a relaxing and calming atmosphere to it that it was perfect as a holiday home, and the buildings were appropriately furnished to be at the peak of luxury. Not only that, but I knew that in a few years' time that the Marine Tube would also be constructed, adding yet another amenity and luxury to the location.
  
  Of course, it had a price to match, and it truly was an eye-watering amount. I could still afford it, sure, but seeing that many zeros was a little shocking. Not that it really mattered for the moment, since as a foreigner, I wasn't allowed to buy property in Unova yet. Otherwise, even with the high price, I would have seriously considered making an offer on the spot.
  
  Despite my wandering around, I still hadn't gotten close to exploring the entirety of Unova, and a part of me did want to stay for longer so that I could fully experience everything that Unova had to offer, but I knew that it was best for us to return home. We hadn't been in communication with Lance for some time, and we absolutely needed to report back.
  
  Though during my last moments of exploration, I had finally managed to stumble into the Pokémon I had been looking for all this time - an Audino. In fact, I wasn't even the one to spot it. It had decided to approach me first. According to Klee, who had helpfully translated for me, it could apparently 'hear' that I was a good-hearted person and decided that it wanted to join me.
  
  I was taken aback at first, but in the end I was all too happy to accept and subsequently caught it in one of my spare Pokéballs.
  
  I still hadn't come up with a name for it yet, but I supposed there was no rush for that. There was still much more I wanted to learn about my newest capture.
  
  Right after that, it was time for us to leave. There had been a small departure ceremony for us, and this time Grimsley in particular treated us particularly respectfully, though not to the point of sycophancy. It seemed like the string of losses that they suffered against us really made him readjust his thoughts about us. I hoped that meant he would treat the delegates from Hoenn and Sinnoh with more respect from now on.
  
  "I only hope nothing drastic happens now that we're gone." Karen said as we boarded the ship that would bring us home, "Not that I don't trust him, but Drake isn't the most diplomatic of people - and I heard how he verbally assaulted a guy that you met. Some advocate of sorts?"
  
  "He deserved it." I replied, "Trust me, or else I wouldn't have backed Drake up."
  
  She sighed, "I guess this is what I get from leaving you two battle maniacs alone."
  
  I knew there was no real heat in her words, so I just chuckled.
  
  We talked about a whole host of topics as we relaxed idly on the ship while we waited to be transported back to Indigo. Though most of that time was spent going over and writing down the most important points that we wanted to bring up with Lance when we headed back.
  
  Ghetsis and PLASMA were at the forefront of those points. We absolutely were going to need a plan to deal with them. Especially since Karen reported her own observations about the Unova police. They were not incompetent, but according to her, they were not at the standard of our own.
  
  That might prove problematic down the line.
  
  (Steven's POV)
  
  The Hoenn Conference was hardly a challenge for him or Bruno, which was to be expected. Not to be arrogant, but he didn't do all that preparation only to stumble at the first hurdle. Nevertheless, after a series of honestly monotonous battles, the time had finally come. Although they had wanted to match up in the finals, so that they could have a full 6v6 and not a 3v3, not everything could have played out so perfectly.
  
  He was finally matched up against Bruno.
  
  This was a match that had not only been anticipated by himself and Bruno, but also by the many commentators that took an interest in their joint participation in this year's Hoenn Conference. The two of them were easily the 'trainers to beat', and many had speculated about the outcome if they were matched against each other.
  
  And today was the day the world would find out just how strong the two of them had become. It would also serve as a nice warmup for his upcoming battles against the Elite Four.
  
  So he stepped onto the battlefield, giving Bruno an expectant look as the two of them waited for the battle to begin. There was no need for any further posturing - the two of them had already said all that needed to be said to each other.
  
  Today was the day to fight.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE IN THE FINAL ROUNDS OF THE HOENN CONFERENCE ALREADY - AS TODAY WE HAVE A BATTLE BETWEEN WHAT SOME COULD CONSIDER TO BE THE STRONGEST CONTENDERS FOR THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE. AFTER THEIR RAMPAGE THROUGH THE PRELIMINARIES, THEY NEED NO INTRODUCTION. PLEASE WELCOME STEVEN AND BRUNO!"
  
  The crowd cheered loudly, but the referee kept going, "LET'S NOT WASTE ANY MORE OF YOUR TIME AND GET RIGHT INTO IT! TRAINERS, RELEASE YOUR POKÉMON IN THREE! TWO! ONE! FIGHT!"
  
  "Show off your power, Goodra!"
  
  "Heracross."
  
  As they had mutually agreed earlier, they both decided to start off the battle with their most recent acquisitions. After all, it was their battle, so why couldn't they decide on some ground rules beforehand?
  
  The reveal of his Goodra, which was the first time he had used it in an official battle, got a round of surprised gasps from the audience as they took in its armoured form.
  
  Despite being a Steel/Dragon type and looming over the opposing Heracross with its size, his Goodra didn't have the same terrifying and intimidating aura that its other draconic peers might have. Instead, it looked almost depressed and slimy, and its slumped over posture like it was being weighed down by the heavy shell that it was carrying didn't help either.
  
  Yet, Bruno would not be fooled by this 'weak' appearance, as he had already seen his Goodra in action before in their past training sessions. Behind that miserable expression was a Pokémon of tremendous power just waiting to be unleashed.
  
  And he was about to do just that.
  
  "Fire Blast, Goodra! Torch that Bug!"
  
  "Dig under it, Heracross."
  
  Heracross rapidly burrowed into the ground, narrowly avoiding the searing blast of flames that scorched the ground where it had just stood. Tunnelling quickly, the Fighting type reappeared right next to Goodra and smashed into it with a quick Close Combat.
  
  But supereffective or not, he knew his Goodra was a defensive powerhouse, and he trusted his Pokémon to tank through the blow without flinching from the pain.
  
  "Flamethrower, punish it!"
  
  "Low Kick! Trip it up, Heracross."
  
  Unfortunately, Heracross reacted quicker, channelling power into its now glowing white legs as it knocked Goodra's legs from under it, cancelling the Flamethrower as the Steel type crashed face-first into the ground.
  
  Yet before Heracross could smash down with another Close Combat into Goodra's exposed head, Goodra quickly retracted its head into its shell and into safety as the Close Combat practically bounced off of Goodra's armoured shell. Not only that, but Goodra was able to use the momentum from the Close Combat to start spinning around, transforming its defensive shell into a heavy wrecking ball as it slammed into Heracross, knocking the Fighting type away.
  
  This wouldn't be a manoeuvre that he could use against one of Bruno's more trained Pokémon as they would have had the reaction speed to Counter it, but he knew he could punish the lesser trained Heracross like this.
  
  "Flamethrower, Goodra! While it's vulnerable!"
  
  "Dodge and Seismic Toss, Heracross."
  
  Nevertheless, less trained or not, Heracross was still a Pokémon that had been subjected to Bruno's brutally effective training schemes, and a single Gyro Ball was far from enough to take it out of the battle. Even after being knocked back, it regained momentum by digging a clawed arm into the ground and using it to spin itself around and out of the way of the stream of fire.
  
  Then, Heracross threw itself back at Goodra, ducking under the way of another Flamethrower. As Heracross approached, Goodra tried to fight back with a Fire Punch, but his Steel type was far too slow to hit the nimble Heracross as it proceeded to latch its clawed arms around the Steel's type body. Heracross subsequently lifted Goodra into the air with its strength - before violently hurling it across the battlefield with a Seismic Toss.
  
  Goodra's high Defence was completely ignored by the Seismic Toss, which was why Bruno had made use of the move extensively in previous fights against his heavily defensive Steel types.
  
  However, this is when Goodra's Gooey ability made itself known. For each time that Heracross struck it, it was forced to come into contact with the sticky goo that Goodra naturally excreted from its body. The sticky goo latched onto Heracross' arms and body, gradually slowing the Fighting type down as it failed to remove the adhesive substance from itself.
  
  This was why he was confident that Goodra would win a battle of attrition. And Bruno knew it as well, which was why he had to make every hit count before his Heracross slowed down too much to fight back effectively.
  
  Unfortunately, he wasn't going to make it easy for him.
  
  "Goodra, Shelter."
  
  "Heracross, Swords Dance and buff yourself up."
  
  "Don't let him, Goodra. Flamethrower to distract."
  
  Both Pokémon moved to buff themselves up, but his Goodra's Shelter could be completed much faster than Heracross' Swords Dance, and thus Goodra was able to interrupt the latter with a quick Flamethrower that threw off Heracross' concentration as it was forced to dodge.
  
  From then on, he ordered his Goodra to maintain its distance as it harassed the Heracross with a series of Dragon Breaths, Flamethrowers, and the occasional Flash Cannon. Both trainers knew that Heracross was forced to be the one to get in close, so his Goodra was able to slowly wear down Heracross from the safety of its Special Attacks.
  
  Furthermore, against a 'normal' Heracross, even if the Fighting type did get in close, the almost stupidly high defensives of Goodra, especially after being repeatedly buffed up with Shelters, should have made it so that his Steel type would have taken no damage from Heracross even if it did get a hit in.
  
  However, knowing what Bruno was capable of, he knew better than to think so arrogantly. And he was right to think so, as he noticed that instead of striking as hard as it could, Heracross was carefully analysing and planning out its attacks so that each strike would be an act of pure precision that would deliver a critical hit and bypass all those defensive buffs.
  
  That was to be expected from a Pokémon trained by Bruno.
  
  So he forced his Goodra to stay disciplined and play safe. If it ever was at the slightest risk of taking a hit, it was to immediately retreat into its shell to avoid taking a painful critical hit.
  
  Because of this, the battle ended up lasting much longer than most would have expected, and Bruno even exploited this overly defensive fighting style by feigning an attack before going for a Swords Dance to sharply increase Heracross' Attack.
  
  But, in the end, it was the Gooey ability that saved his fight. The goo had clung onto Heracross' legs, slowing it down just enough so that it just wasn't able to get out of the way from a surprise Iron Tail that smashed into its side. The impact knocked it to the floor, where it was completely exposed to a final, supereffective Fire Blast that finished it off.
  
  It was a hard won battle, but his Goodra just barely managed to scrape by. There were a burst of cheers at his victory, but he tuned them all out. This was just the beginning, and there were far greater threats coming out.
  
  Just as he thought that, Bruno sent out Primeape, which wasted absolutely no time as it charged towards Goodra.
  
  And completely unlike Heracross, there was no hesitation in Primeape's actions as it immediately began smashing fist after fist into Goodra's armoured shell, completely unbothered by the slime that was beginning to coat its fist. Without wasting a second, it ignited its fists, burning off the slime and allowing it to continue with the pummelling unimpeded.
  
  Fighting against Primeape was completely different to Heracross. While Heracross was certainly a formidable fighter, Primeape had grown significantly since its last official battle against John. It now was violence manifest, refusing to even comprehend the thought of a Pokémon that was unable to be broken by its fist.
  
  To it, it wasn't a matter of if a wall could be broken. It was just a question of when.
  
  Therefore, with Goodra having retreated into its shell for protection, the fact that Goodra had the audacity to not break before its fists only served to further fuel Primeape's rage. Though as is typical with Bruno's Pokémon, Primeape was extremely disciplined - it was in control of its rage, rather than the other way around. It never allowed its technique to slip even as its anger continued to grow.
  
  Of course, he wasn't just going to sit there and allow Primeape to pummel his Goodra one-sidedly, so he tried to come up with a counterattack as he ordered his Goodra to perform a Gyro Ball and Heavy Slam combo. Only for Primeape to catch the spinning Goodra in its arms and violently slam it back it down into the ground, cancelling the attack.
  
  Then Primeape flipped the shell over before it dug its arms within and ruthlessly pulled out Goodra's head. Now exposed, Goodra was completely helpless as Primeape unleashed a brutal pummelling right into its face; each punch unleashing all of its pent up rage on its helpless body.
  
  Even with all of its incredible and buffed defenses, Goodra's health was being savagely torn apart.
  
  Goodra did manage to retaliate with a desperate Dragon Breath, which seemed to only enrage Primeape even further before the Fighting type unleashed a killing blow of a Brick Break, smashing down hard into Goodra's exposed neck, and finally knocking out his Steel type.
  
  He wasted no time sending out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Claydol, check it!"
  
  Knowing what he did about Bruno's Primeape, he knew that Claydol would be the perfect counter with it. Without needing him to give it any orders, his Claydol immediately began setting up with an Iron Defense and a Reflect, rapidly buffing its Defense so that Primeape's punches would be blunted.
  
  But Primeape wasn't deterred; the fight against Goodra had already stoked its anger, and it had marked Claydol as its next target to vent its wrath.
  
  However, unlike against Goodra, Primeape's exceptional Fighting type attacks were not very effective against the Psychic Claydol. Furthermore, as if to make the task of bringing down Claydol even more difficult, Claydol managed to land a Confuse Ray onto Primeape, crippling its capabilities further.
  
  But Bruno's Pokémon was unstoppable, and a single Confuse Ray was far from enough to stifle it. Even as Claydol began to bombard it with Psychics and Future Sights, Primeape never let off of the offensive, expertly shattering through most of the incoming Psychic types with its Dark-infused fists.
  
  Yet neither was Claydol sitting still, as it continued to Teleport around the battlefield while also throwing in a Gravity and an Imprison to try and slow down Primeape and kite it out. Those moves did manage to slow down Primeape, but the avatar of wrath refused to be stopped. Even when Claydol began to Levitate into the skies and out of its reach, Primeape remain doggedly focused on its target as it hurled itself into the sky in order to try and land a hit - only for Claydol to Teleport away just before it could do so.
  
  At this point, Primeape didn't even care about the Future Sights or Psychics that it was running into. It just wanted to bring down Claydol, and it only grew further and further enraged with each subsequent miss.
  
  Once again, the battle had turned into another battle of attrition, one that he was confident his Claydol would win in the end. He believed that Primeape would tire itself out first as it was slowly harassed down with an unending barrage of Psychic attacks.
  
  So there Primeape was, stewing in its own immense anger that it was unable to vent out on a target. The veins on its head threatened to burst out from within as its anger reached a boiling point; and even Bruno's well-ingrained discipline was starting to falter as Primeape was beginning to smash its fist randomly on the ground in frustration.
  
  The Confusion that it was inflicted with didn't help matters either. And at one point Primeape had gotten so lost with its so rage that even when Claydol Teleported out of another attack, Claydol continued to strike at the air in pure, uncontrolled anger.
  
  However, that was when things got interesting. Primeape was literally beginning to foam at the mouth. Its eyes had snapped open, looking completely deranged while also pulsing red. It wasn't even moving at this point, allowing Claydol free reign to just blast it with repeated Psychics.
  
  But it wasn't even reacting to the attacks. In fact, it was probably so angry that pain was a feeling that it had forgotten about. All of its training and discipline was long gone as it subsequently threw itself forwards into a fully-maddened charge.
  
  Primeape was completely lost to its rage.
  
  In all of their time training together, he had never managed to make Bruno's Pokémon snap like that. Usually, in their training sessions, they wouldn't push their Pokémon nearly this far. It wasn't healthy for them.
  
  Yet, as it charged forwards, the unexpected happened. A burst of bright white light exploded forth from Primeape. At first, he thought that he had gotten Primeape so mad that it had somehow learned how to Explode from sheer rage alone. But no, this wasn't an Explosion. This was something far more familiar.
  
  The blinding white light forced him to cover his eyes and turn away. And when he turned back around, he was greeted by an expected, yet completely shocking, sight. Not only was his Claydol suddenly pinned to the ground, Primeape's figure had completely changed. It now looked more like a wraith than a Fighting type - like his Primeape had died from its own anger and somehow willed itself back to life as a vengeful spirit.
  
  Before anyone could recover from their shock, the new Pokémon wasted no time as it covered its fist in spectral energy before ferociously slamming it down straight into Claydol. Claydol let out a pained whirl and tried to Teleport away, but that was shut down by a Night Slash that interrupted the escape attempt.
  
  With all of the buffs that Claydol had applied onto itself, he really thought that it would be able to withstand a few more blows. But apparently, whatever Primeape had just evolved into was proving him wrong. Those spectral blows were really hurting, almost liked they were empowered by its rage, and his Claydol ended up being knocked out after a few good hits.
  
  Yet even as his Claydol fell unconscious, the newly evolved Pokémon did not care. Instead, it continued to pummel Claydol's unconscious form, forcing him to withdraw Claydol before it took on any permanent damage.
  
  However, as it was suddenly deprived of its prey, the evolved Primeape's head whipped towards him. Its eyes locked onto his as it glared at him with pure hate in his eyes.
  
  "ANNIHILAPE!" The new Pokémon roared its name out to the skies, its voice tinged with pure, unfiltered, wrath as it charged towards him. Fortunately, Bruno withdrew his Pokémon into its Pokéball before the Annihilape got anywhere close, officially retiring it from the match.
  
  It was likely too much of a danger to be sent out again for the moment.
  
  "...Well, that was unexpected." Was what he managed to say as he got over his shock, "I guess I should be congratulating you on your new evolution?"
  
  Bruno frowned, "...Thank you, I suppose. Though truthfully I do not know if this evolution is a blessing or a curse. It seemed to have nearly lost its mind to rage. A Pokémon that I had personally trained up for so long should never attack another trainer like that."
  
  Yeah, he could see it being a bit of a handful, "I have full trust that you of all people will be able to discipline it." He said instead, "And it is a new evolution. So I'm sure you'll have lots to discover about it."
  
  "I suppose so." Bruno nodded, "Nevertheless, enough talking. We have a fight to finish."
  
  He grinned, "Yes. Let's."
  
  Without waiting for the announcer to finish whatever they were saying, the two of them sent out their final Pokémon. The two Pokémon each of them knew that the other would be sending out.
  
  "Metagross!"
  
  "Machamp!"
  
  The two four-armed Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, and Machamp was the first to make a move, breaking out into a charge as it rushed towards Metagross.
  
  His Metagross' four minds reacted instantly. One responded by firing off a blast of Psychic, another set up a Reflect shield, the next one unleashed an Icy Wind, and the last moved its arms into a defensive stance.
  
  But Machamp was ready for that as it ripped out a slab of rock from the ground, using it as a makeshift shield to block the incoming Psychic and Flash Cannon, before throwing out a Fire Punch to dispel the incoming Icy Wind from Metagross.
  
  Then Machamp got in range, and the two starters clashed against each other. Arm was locked against arm as the two Pokémon wrestled each other for strength, but while Metagross could only make use of two arms at once to fend off Machamp (as the other two were required to keep it upright), Machamp could make use of all four of its arms to push back against Metagross.
  
  Despite being slightly pushed back, this was a position that both Pokémon were very familiar with; having been in this exact same spot in a majority of their spars together. And unfortunately for Bruno, he had always been the more creative of the two.
  
  "As planned, Metagross!"
  
  Without any hesitation, his starter unleashed the Hyper Beam that it had secretly been preparing with one of its four minds, taking Machamp completely by surprise as it was blasted point-blank by the enormous ray of energy.
  
  The powerful Hyper Beam knocked Machamp back - and right into a Future Sight that had been set up behind it, the psychic attack detonating in mid air and sending Machamp flying into the sky, before Gravity suddenly intensified. Machamp was sent crashing back down onto the ground, right into the waiting fists of his Metagross - who slugged it in the face with a devastating Meteor Mash before unleashing another point-blank Earthquake right on top of Machamp.
  
  This combo of attacks was his proof that he had the right to become Champion. His Metagross may not have the raw power of Lance's Emperor, the restorative prowess of Wallace's Milotic, nor the speed and raw discipline of Cynthia's Garchomp, but what he did have was the ability to combo devastating attacks together in a back-to-back series of attacks that offered absolutely no reprieve.
  
  It was the unique advantage of Metagross having four different minds to work with, backed up by the necessary intelligence to calculate all this.
  
  He did feel a little bad for Bruno's starter though. Ever since he perfected this way of attacking with his Metagross, Machamp had never been able to win a serious spar against it. However, he also knew that Metagross was the only Pokémon he had that could actually bring down Machamp. His other Pokémon would not be able to withstand the pure, savage power that Machamp had at its disposal.
  
  And even now, he would not give Machamp an opportunity to make use of said power. He knew just how powerful it was, and it would only take one good hit for Machamp to turn the fight around - so he ruthlessly moved to put Machamp down before it could do anything.
  
  "Again, Metagross! Put it down!"
  
  "Machamp! Evasive manoeuvres! As practiced!"
  
  Despite the Gravity still weighing it down like an anchor, Machamp forced itself to its feet and parried a Psychic out of the way with a Knock Off while another arm blocked a Flash Cannon with a Fire Punch. Then it performed a dodge roll to move out of the way of an incoming Stone Edge, before suddenly closing its eyes entirely even as it broke out into a sprint.
  
  His eyes widened, immediately recognising the move.
  
  "METAGROSS! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
  
  "Focus Punch!"
  
  Machamp's eyes snapped open, and the Fighting type disappeared into a blur as it rocketed forwards with a fist extended. Knowing the attack was coming, Metagross used all four of its minds to throw up four layers of Protect shields - which were all instantly shattered by Machamp as it blew through all of them. The Fighting type brutally slammed into Metagross, delivering a blow so powerful that the resulting shockwave cracked the ground behind it in a 'V' shape, and causing the psychic barriers to flicker violently from the aftermath alone.
  
  Metagross crumbled to the ground from the blow, letting out a pained whirl. This was the exact situation he had wanted to avoid, because Machamp wasted no time igniting all four of its arms and pummelled Metagross with a volley of devastatingly powerful Fire Punches.
  
  Cracks appeared and began to spread across Metagross' metallic frame in just over a few seconds of being subjected to this onslaught of attacks.
  
  But once again, the advantage of having four minds was that Metagross was more resistant to being disoriented, even when being subjected to a brutal pummelling. Quickly calculating the best way to fight back, Metagross executed its plan of action.
  
  First, it sent out a small blast of Psychic that precisely targeted one of Machamp's arms so that it interrupted the incoming Brick Break. Then a Stone Edge came from behind, striking Machamp in the back and causing it to stumble forwards a small step. Simultaneously, a quick Bulldoze sent a pulsating tremor through the ground that helped to unbalance Machamp further. Lastly, it deactivated the Gravity that had been pushing down on Machamp for extra disorientation.
  
  This all took place in less than a split second, and all of that was to just cause Machamp to break off its offensive for a brief moment. But it was enough time to allow Metagross to swing its armoured arms around and bash it with a quick Bullet Punch that Machamp couldn't block in time.
  
  That single Bullet Punch marked the end of Machamp's offensive, granting Metagross the breathing room to do the following:
  
  It set up a single Future Sight behind the Machamp, it quickly struck with a Bullet Punch to the knee, it faked out a Psychic that was actually a Flash Cannon, and it rushed forwards with a Meteor Mash.
  
  The Bullet Punch struck first, forcing Machamp to its knees. Then, thinking that a Psychic was coming, it tried to counter with a Knock Off - which completely failed to block the Flash Cannon that struck it head on. Machamp flinched back slightly from the blow, which allowed the full force of the Meteor Mash to come crashing into its chest, knocking Machamp backwards and right into a Future Sight.
  
  That final combo of attacks inflicted such heavy injuries on Machamp that it crumbled to the ground. Even though its fighting spirit still burned strong in its eyes, the body could not sustain itself on spirit alone.
  
  Weighed down so heavily by its injuries like this, his Metagross finished off Machamp with a relentless series of Icy Winds, Psychics, Flash Cannons, and Stone Edge. All at a safe distance. He would take no risks.
  
  And thus, he had triumphed over his partner. Achieving the first great victory in his climb to the top.
  
  Next, the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  A.N. John gets an Audino! I wouldn't have him leave Unova without one, meaning that he's now acquired two new additions from Unova. It's nickname and personality will be explored much more in a later chapter.
  
  Meanwhile, Steven hasn't had a proper battle in some time, and I wanted to highlight just how strong is he and why he's worthy of being Champion. I also wanted to show off his Goodra as well, and how it's already become one of his strongest defensive Pokémon. But there was a surprise in the battle too as Annihilape makes its appearance. It's why I gave Bruno a Primeape in the first place, and I hoped the way it evolved was to your liking.
  
  Rage Fist is truly a powerful Attack, and was why it was able to bring down Claydol so quickly. In fact, if Annihilape wasn't about to attack Steven from pure rage and was withdrawn, it might have even been able to take out Metagross in the state it was in. Though that's very unlikely, given how injured it already was. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  OMAKE - Anime - Public Reactions
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Pokémon: The Animation - Public Reactions
  
  [Review of the Pokémon: The Animation - a much desired remake of the original anime?!] By Earlier Access
  
  After many years of waiting and public demands, the Pokémon company has finally given us what we wanted - a remake of the original Pokémon anime, with better animations and quality as enabled by modern technology. But more importantly than that, they've also redone the entire plot, starting off from scratch and throwing away the old and confusing anime plot that was clearly just meant to entertain children rather than provide a cohesive story.
  
  Okay, the new anime is still that, but the writers this time have clearly picked up some cues from the recent games, and things are generally more consistent.
  
  But enough about that, as I'm sure most of you here already know all this. I'm just here today to talk about my thoughts on the first mass release of episodes that we got, ending when Ash and Gary make it to Cerulean City after defeating Brock.
  
  And can I just say, I love the new dynamics that they've demonstrated in the story thus far. For one, Gary isn't just some spoilt kid that drives around with cheerleaders waving hm on. He's still a little arrogant, but that's clearly been tempered. I really like the new interactions between Ash and Gary, as they actually feel like best friends that are just ribbing each other from time to time. And their rivalry is way more earned and natural as a result.
  
  On the topic of character interactions, I was really surprised to see that Brock didn't choose to join them on their journey, and with Flint nowhere to be seen. I guess they're going to be focusing on someone else instead to make up the 'trio'? Because we did end up meeting Misty in Cerulean, with a nice callback to how Ash stole her bicycle the first time round, but it doesn't really seem like she's going to be in a position to follow them on their journey either. Or perhaps it really is just Ash and Gary this time around. Not that I would mind if that was the case - as per above.
  
  However, the end of the current episode gave us quite the surprise - as we saw the annoying fucker himself, John, making an appearance. And to my - and likely everyone's - horror, turns out he has a backstory relationship with both Ash and Gary, and is even seen as a pseudo-mentor figure by them. This means that John is probably going to be a large part of the anime as well, much like how he frequently interacts with the player character in the game (and trolls the fuck out of us).
  
  Yet, in a way, I'm kind of happy to see John. He's such a big part of the games, and if he goes on to train Ash and Gary a bit more, then it would make sense why they're able to become such successful trainers in the future. After all, we meme the hell out of John because his fights are legitimately difficult, so it clearly shows that he's an accomplished trainer.
  
  Anyways, I was really happy to see the new fight scenes as well with Brock, and I felt that...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  I'm kinda glad that they tried to keep the same voices for Ash, Gary, and Misty. Though they clearly took on a less cartoon-y direction with their voices, it still sounds mostly the same, and I think the new style really fits the new aesthetic of the anime. They also made Oak so much more competent than the goofball he was before! As befits a former Champion, I suppose.
  
  Like, you could tell that Oak was clearly far more than just some Professor. Even in his voice performance there was this subtle underlying sense of surety in everything he said.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Yeah I was initially pissed off too when I saw John. Then I thought about it a bit more, and I ended up coming around. Real interesting to see what they do with his character, considering he's such a big part of the games. We all know he's a bit of a troll, but he's genuinely so involved with everything that it'll be nice to see him brought to life on the screen rather than just through text.
  
  That, and it'll be nice to have someone to hate on and root against.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I hope they go and explore more about his relationship with Cynthia. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other canonical relationships that they've introduced in the games besides theirs. Can't wait to see how they'd explore that dynamic!
  
  I wouldn't mind seeing a spinoff that focuses on them! Hell, it wouldn't even be that strange for there to be one. John seems to be one of the main characters of the games anyways, considering how often he shows up in the plot!
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Okay okay, enough about John. I really like this new Ash. He's a lot less stupid, which I think was done because the Pokémon company realised that most of their audience are going to be young adults who don't need to have everything explained to us like kids do. Ash is generally far more competent here, and he actually earned his victory over Brock with skill rather than luck. It's a really good change.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  I also really wonder what his team's going to be, since we haven't actually seen Ash catch any new Pokémon since the start of the journey. They're definitely leaning into him having a different team for sure, since he already didn't catch Pidgeotto or a Caterpie.
  
  Thank god. I really didn't like it when Ash had like 20 Pokémon that he never used.
  
  GitGud
  
  Gary's so much better compared to the original. The original Gary was pretty annoying to listen to at times, but now he's actually pretty funny. His 'spoiled rich kid' attitude is played way better here, and I like that Ash and him actually seem like friends rather than as bully and victim like it was in the original.
  
  [Pokémon: The Anime - Cerulean Arc Episode 2 Summary and Review] By Earlier Access
  
  [Pictures of several scenes in the new episode, including Ash's fight against the Waterflower sisters]
  
  For those who didn't watch the episode, this episode mainly focused on Ash and Gary's battle and subsequent victory over the Waterflower sisters, claiming the 2nd Gym Badge for themselves. What's interesting is that, unlike the original, Misty's sisters are far more competent and up to the task of being a Gym Leader.
  
  And fans of Misty will be a little disappointed, as by the end of the episode it's fairly clear that Misty isn't going to be joining them on their journey.
  
  INSTEAD, we get quite the surprise guest who's going to be accompanying the two on their journey - Silver himself. Yes, that's right. Giovanni's son, and one of Ash's many rivals in the old anime. His personality is also completely different to what it was before, as he's far less of an asshole and isn't some criminal who goes around stealing other trainer's Pokémon. Here, he chose to follow Gary and Ash because he recognised Gary as the grandson of Professor Oak and wanted in on that.
  
  I'm really curious to see what they do with Silver's character, as it seems like the main trio for this version of the anime has been established with Ash, Gary, and Silver. Obviously, I expect a lot of exploration into the three's characters in the future.
  
  FURTHERMORE, I wonder if many of you caught the hidden informational on the TV screen that Ash and Gary were watching in the Pokémon Center, which actually introduced all of the current Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and the Champion.
  
  [Screenshot of the TV]
  
  As you can see, it matches up to what we know of the games perfectly. This further establishes that this series to take place at least in a similar timeline and world as to the games, so I wonder if the events that happen there will take place here?
  
  What did you all think of the new episode? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
  
  Comments
  
  DubSuperiority
  
  Fight was fine, Ash won as expected. But the meeting with Silver was such a huge surprise! Does that mean that Giovanni hasn't abandoned Silver? I mean, Giovanni wasn't a bad guy in the games, so maybe that's why this is so different? Honestly can't wait to see how Silver develops.
  
  GitGud
  
  I like how they introduced the Gym Leaders and Elite Four so early, even if it was done pretty subtly. I wish they showed us more about them; as much as I like the new main cast, I really want to see them explore the lives of the Gym Leaders more. That was something they touched upon in the original, but I'd like to see more of it.
  
  Or, barring that, I want to see the Gym Leaders/Elite Four actually interacting with each other. These characters pretty much only talk to us, the player, during the games. So I want to see what they're like outside of that.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Relax, they'd probably do that in the future episodes. Right now it's too early for that. Still, I hope we do see Ash and co. struggle a bit more in their later battles. They're winning a little too easily right now.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Well of course. The first and the second Gym badges aren't supposed to be difficult, and Ash had a good type matchup against the second. Also, he's supposedly been training for years now, unlike in the original, so it makes sense that the early Gyms should be a breeze for him.
  
  Also, can't wait for the episode where they get to fight against Whitney. After being flattened by her Miltank so many times in the games (skill issue, I know), is it bad that I want to see the same happen to Ash and co.?
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  You know I'm really glad that they're taking the time to show off the cities that we know in the games. Like, for both Pewter and Cerulean, they've really managed to demonstrate the scale of these Gyms and why they're supposedly so prestigious. With Cerulean especially, the Gym just looks so grand and majestic! And the city itself just looks so idyllic, with the sunlight sparkling across all of those water fountains.
  
  Hope they keep this up with the other cities and Gyms too.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  I just want to see the true teams of the Elite Four/Gym Leaders/Champion. Those were some hard battles that we had to fight in the games, so I want to see them on the big screen!
  
  Can you imagine seeing John and Cynthia's duo team in action?! Slaking and Garchomp fighting alongside each other?! That'd be so cool!
  
  A.N. Another bout of inspiration led to this chapter being written as well, as a follow up to the other Pokémon: The Animation OMAKE. I'm glad that people seemed to like the first one, so here's something similar but different, as I wanted to maybe highlight the public reactions to the anime episodes. If you enjoy this and I continue writing these sometime in the future, maybe I'll write a mixture of anime episodes and reaction episodes. We'll see, but let me know which kind of style you prefer. Or what you want to see in a future 'anime' episode.
  
  As always, please don't take this too seriously. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-7 - POKENET REACTION
  The New Normal - 15-7 - INTERLUDE - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [THE FIGHT BETWEEN BRUNO AND STEVEN ENDS WITH A HUGE SURPRISE?! THE NEW EVOLUTION OF PRIMEAPE!?] By Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of Annihilape]
  
  Ever since the Hoenn Conference began, the fight between Steven and Bruno has been highly anticipated by many, with both trainers being widely considered to be the strongest contenders for winning this year's Conference.
  
  And while many must have hoped that their battle would come in the finals, it sadly did not. However, the battle we got more than made up for it.
  
  Normally, we would be gushing over the fight itself and the incredible shows of strengths or strategies that each trainer shows off. However, even with Steven's eventual narrow victory, all of that was overshadowed by the completely surprising and unexpected evolution of Bruno's Primeape - turning it into an Annihilape.
  
  Its name is literally all that we know about it right now, as despite our best efforts, our analysts have yet to confirm just how Primeape managed to evolve and what the conditions are for said evolution. We have tried to reach out to Bruno, but he has yet to respond to our communications. We do hope he doesn't keep the evolution method to himself; the public would certainly benefit from the knowledge.
  
  However, this is still a huge deal. Primeape are strong Fighting type Pokémon, but are often overlooked in high-level battling as they do not have the potential of others like Machamp and, according to our sources from Unova, the newly introduced Conkeldurr. But this new evolution, which looks to be like a Ghost/Fighting type, may very well give the Primeape line (or now it's the Annihilape line) the edge that it needs to overcome that weakness. And with this, it might make Primeape and its new evolution the Fighting type to catch!
  
  What do you all think about this mysterious evolution? Did you like the battle between Steven and Bruno? Steven looks primed to win it all - do you agree? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Okay, new evolution aside, I fully expected Steven to win here. He's made it very clear that he intends to go all the way to become Champion, and I'd be very disappointed if he just lost like that.
  
  That being said - DID YOU GUYS SEE HOW POWERFUL THAT NEW PRIMEAPE EVOLUTION WAS?! AND HOW FAST IT TOOK DOWN STEVEN'S CLAYDOL!? How much stronger is it compared to your usual Primeape?!
  
  PunchingBag
  
  Can't believe Bruno lost. First he ran off to Hoenn, then went and bowed his head to some spoiled rich boy and became a sellout, and of course because he's given up on his principles he's now lost. BRUNO, YOU FUCKING TYPE TRAITOR, YOU DON'T DESERVE ANY OF THE PRAISE YOU RECEIVED FOR THE EVOLUTION - YOU PROBABLY FOUND IT OUT BY ACCIDENT!
  
  And of course the new Fighting type evolution is not a pure Fighting type, and instead is partially Ghost type. Bleh. Leave it to Bruno to mash together the best type with one of the worst types.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Ignoring that guy, Annihilape looks so cool! And strong too! It's basically everything I could want aesthetically for a Fighting type, and it's so fitting since it looks just like a spectre of rage. Also can't believe we finally got our first ever Ghost/Fighting type, now Psychic types aren't the hard counter to Fighting types that they used to be.
  
  EDIT: I just remembered the Scrafty line from Unova exists too as a Dark/Fighting type, which also counters Psychic. But another counter for Fighting specialists wouldn't hurt.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  There is so much to talk about with that battle. First of, Steven's new Goodra really showed itself to be an absolutely incredible defensive behemoth. I don't think it's even fully trained up yet, and it's still able to hold itself so well against the incredible strength that Bruno's Pokémon possess. So even with Goodra's rarity and high buying price, I'm sure many rich folk are going to be trying to get their hands on one after that showing.
  
  Also, did you see his Metagross and the combo of moves that it was able to pull off? Now that's a powerful starter - well suited for someone who is aiming to be Champion. I wonder how well it would match up against the other Champions' starters?
  
  Then there's the new Annihilape. I actually think part of the reason for Bruno's silence on the matter might be because he hasn't found a way to control it yet. I mean, did you see how it went straight for Steven - with murder in its eyes? I think the evolution might have caused it to lose its self-control, and if so, that's quite dangerous.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I know everyone's distracted by the new evolution, but people need to remember that this fight was not just between two regular contenders of the Hoenn Conference - it was far more than that. Bruno is an ex-Conference winner and gave John a considerable run for his money. He easily could be considered at the Elite Four level. The fact that Steven has beaten him speaks well for his chances of actually becoming Champion.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  After what Steven showed off in that battle, I don't think anyone has a chance of beating him in the Hoenn Conference. There's no way he'll lose with Pokémon as strong as that. Unless he slips up, which I highly doubt, I'm sure he'll win the whole thing.
  
  I can't wait for his first battle against Sidney. I don't think Sidney's going to be able to match his strength at all, but it'll be really interesting to see if Mr. Diamond Spoon has trained his Pokémon to resist against all those crippling Dark type moves.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  A great fucking fight! Didn't expect anything less from the two of you. I don't think anything else needs to be said - I'll see you when you challenge me. My Salamence eagerly awaits your Metagross.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  You got this, Sidney! Go and show off how frustrating Dark types can be! Or better yet, knock his ambitions right out from under him!
  
  [An introduction to Unova! Cities, Pokémon, Gyms, and more! The unofficial guide to the region!] By the Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures of the various cities of Unova and the Pokémon that can be found within]
  
  It's been some time now since our regions have come into contact with Unova, and with our Elite Four all returning from there carrying juicy information about the new region, it's about time that we compile everything into one big post about the wonders of Unova.
  
  Starting of course, with the many beautiful cities that can be found in Unova. Easily the grandest among them is Castelia City, with an architectural style that is completely different to any of the cities that we have here in Indigo, Hoenn, or Sinnoh. With massive skyscrapers climbing high into the sky, this bustling city serves as the commercial centre for Unova, with the modernities and population to boot.
  
  Then there is the famed Nimbasa City, the home of the entertainment districts and cultural centre of Unova. With plenty of leisure and entertainment facilities scattered throughout the city, as well as a robust train system that travels to and from several surrounding small towns, this is easily one of the most important places to visit once Unova does indeed open their borders to the public.
  
  ...
  
  But of course, what are discussions about the cities without going into details about their Gyms? From the first to last, the Gym Leader of Unova are:
  
  [Graphic of the Gym Leaders of Unova. They follow the Gym Leaders present in Black and White, with Iris serving as the Gym Leader of Opelucid City]
  
  And yes, you aren't seeing that last entry incorrectly. Just like how Tate and Lisa are of such exceptional talent that they're able to run the Mossdeep Gym despite their young age, Gym Leader Iris of Opelucid City is no different. You don't have to trust our word for it - for Elite John and Elite Karen have both met Iris and have recently spoken about her in a recent interview:
  
  "People need to look past Iris' age. Having seen her in action and the way she runs the Gym, I can say that she is no less competent or powerful than any other Gym Leader, whether in Unova or at home." Karen explained, "She may lack a full roster of Pokémon, only having three members thus far, but that by no means suggests that she is weak. Rather, the fact that she is able to be a Gym Leader with ONLY three Pokémon should tell you everything you need to know about how strong and talented she is."
  
  "Nor is she as arrogant or as childish as you might expect." John added, "Sure, she still has a lot of youthful enthusiasm, but that is tempered by her maturity and her appreciation of the responsibilities she carries. I am honoured to have been able to speak with her while I was in Unova, and I greatly look forward to seeing her progress into the future."
  
  Very high praise from our two Elite Four members! And Gym Leader Iris is not the only Gym Leader of note...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Really hoping that Unova opens their borders to us soon. As a trainer I obviously prioritise the new Pokémon first, but I doubt anyone could deny the rush of excitement that you feel when you see a new place for the first time. I can't wait to get to know the people. I hope they're nice.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Overheard a rumour that installation of the transmission towers are already well underway, so it's only going to be a matter of time before we get access to the Unova Pokénet and vice versa. Thus, talking to their people is going to be something we can do (hopefully) quite soon!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Not to be a pessimist, but though the picture that's been painted of Unova has been quite beautiful and idyllic, don't forget that the image of Unova that we have is only at the surface level. I'm sure the people of Unova right now are probably seeing a carefully curated image of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh too.
  
  Not saying that the beauty of Unova is a façade; just remember that things might not live up to your expectations. We all know very well how it was only until recently that our regions were actually as prosperous as we looked.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Very true! Make sure to take everything with a grain of salt. Who knows what kinds of underlying problems in Unova are lurking beneath the surface? I can only hope that whatever it may be isn't as bad or as dangerous as when we had Team Galactic still roaming around.
  
  But I'm probably just being paranoid. I doubt anyone could be as bad as their leader was.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Enough about the cities and stuff. I just want to talk about the Gym Leaders! Look at them! And so many of them have professions outside of their usual Gym Leader duties! I mean, Elesa is a model, Burgh an artist, and Lenora an archaeologist etc. That's pretty sick.
  
  Most of our Gym Leaders are only Gym Leaders. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I just found that pretty interesting.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I wonder if that's a cultural thing. Maybe Gym Leaders are expected to have a secondary occupation to make them more a part of their community? That could be an explanation.
  
  But more importantly, I wonder how well their Gym Leaders will match up against ours? I mean Iris was hyped up in the article, but can she really be that strong with only three Pokémon? Even if they are Dragons? Surely it'd be too easy to work around such a limited team. Giovanni/Clair/Juan/Volkner should be able to beat her.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Hey, if John says she's strong then she's strong. Why are you doubting him?
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Yeah! Maybe in the future we should host another Tri-Regional (or should it be quad-regional now?) Tournament to see how our Gym Leaders and Elite Four match up against each other! Would be really interesting to see!
  
  And my money is still on Volkner as the strongest Gym Leader. I don't think we're going to get a Gym Leader stronger than him (excluding retired ex-Champions/Elite Four).
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I'm just excited to see someone make use of Hydreigon and Volcarona (against an opponent that isn't Tyrant) in a real battle. They look super strong from the pictures! Especially the former - maybe it would be a match for even the likes of Emperor!
  
  [CHAMPION ALDER SAFELY RETURNS FROM THE NEW REGIONS! ELITE GRIMSLEY OPENLY PROPOSING FOR CLOSER RELATIONS?!] by Unova Today
  
  [Picture of Alder and Drayden alighting from the ship, waving to the crowd. To the side, the rest of the Unova Elite Four stand there stoically, greeting them politely.]
  
  The public of Unova have all been waiting with tense anticipation after our Champion Alder set off all those weeks ago to the new regions of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh (now unofficially known as the 'New Regions') to establish diplomatic relations with them. No one really knew what to expect from our foreign counterparts, but with Alder's return, we can all breathe a sigh of relief as the worst has not come to pass, as the New Regions seem to be both friendly and welcoming.
  
  Upon his return, we were fortunate enough to get both Champion Alder and Elite Drayden for an interview discussing the New Regions:
  
  "We've been blessed with a tide of good fortune. Our first foray into foreign diplomacy has been with regions that could not be any more welcoming and hospitable to us. The New Regions are all a staunch proponent of internationalism, and they have done everything they could to extend a friendly hand to us in hopes that we can share in the prosperity that they've nurtured back home." Champion Alder was quoted to have said.
  
  "However, underneath the velvet glove is the iron fist. While I have not encountered anything that would suggest that their friendliness towards us is a façade - and indeed it seems genuine - let us not forget the sheer firepower that they are able to bring to bear against us should we unfortunately fall onto hostile terms. Their leaders are friendly, but they back up their friendliness with an overwhelming amount of strength that we would do well to be wary of. It is unwise to poke the sleeping Dragon." Drayden stated.
  
  Despite his words, this was not a surprising statement for the Elite Four member to make, especially after the events that took place here in Unova. With the visiting Elite Four members having defeated our own in a showmatch between them, it's pretty clear that the calibre of the New Regions' Elite Four members are not to be trifled with.
  
  And after a brief discussion with the returning members, Elite Grimsley made his own declaration. "I can understand the innate distrust that one might feel when encountering a stranger. I can understand that it might not seem wise to so eagerly grab onto a stranger's hand, even if they are greeting you with friendly intentions. Yet I have also come to realise that we cannot afford to not be friends with the New Regions. Their economic resources, political power, and military power, are all very good reasons why we should move closer to them, not further away."
  
  As of the date of this article, open borders are still being discussed between our regions. However, there have been rumours circulating in the Unova League that suggests that this process might be accelerated. What do you all think? Should we be establishing closer ties with the New Regions? Or do you think that we shouldn't be rushing into this? Or should we be keeping away from the New Regions entirely? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  Absolutely not. Why should we have to bow to these foreigners anyways? I don't know what our Elite Four are thinking - they've clearly grown too soft. There's no reason we should be making friends with people we can't even trust, especially since they seem so 'eager' to be our 'friends'. What a load of nonsense. They'll stab us in the back the moment we let them.
  
  Unova must carve our own place in the world. We will be the strongest region in the world, and we will never be able to do that by relying on the 'friendship' from others. On our own merits, we will prove ourselves to be the greatest!
  
  Amoogus
  
  I don't see what's wrong with giving them a chance. The trade opportunities alone would make establishing closer ties worth it. Don't you remember all the Pokémon that they showed off to us from the New Regions? The Pokémon we can find in Unova are a fraction compared to the sheer amount available in the New Regions. Look at all those Dragons! And the Fairy type too! Who knew that there'd be a completely new Type that we all missed?
  
  And that's not even mentioning their technologies. The PSS system alone would completely transform the way we handle Pokémon. We can't afford to isolate ourselves away from all this new stuff, and allowing our paranoia to rule us would be a grave mistake.
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  Man, this whole incident has really shown that Alder has let himself go, hasn't he? Did you see all those rumours about him losing to a foreign Elite Four member in a 1v1? I can't believe his starter Volcarona (a really powerful Pokémon btw) would lose to some foreign Pokémon - whatever a Slaking is.
  
  Besides, I did a little research, and isn't Slaking not that great of a Pokémon anyways? It's not like a Dragonite or something, and it doesn't seem to be a common sight amongst the higher level battlers - which definitely shows that it isn't considered to be all that strong. So is it not embarrassing that Alder lost against that?
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Agreed. How powerful could a Normal type trainer be anyways? I mean, I thought it was really odd that Indigo somehow has an Normal type Elite Four trainer. Don't get me wrong, Lenora's a good Gym Leader, but I couldn't really imagine her being in the Elite Four. Normal types just can't cut it at the highest levels.
  
  I guess it could be different in the New Regions since they have access to more Pokémon than us? But even then it feels weird. So yeah, Alder must have really been slipping if he lost against that.
  
  Amoogus
  
  ?! I think you guys are all fucking blind. Did you not watch that showmatch between our own Elite Four and theirs? Did you see that Slaking in action?! What the fuck do you mean it's not that strong?! Are you fucking serious?! He buried Grimsley's Krookodile like it was nothing.
  
  I don't know what they're feeding those Normal types over there, but clearly they're built different.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  ...Okay, true. I didn't see that battle at first, but now I've looked into it, and yeah I see what you mean. I'll retract my earlier statement. That thing is a monster. I can see why Alder lost now.
  
  No wonder it's said that John managed to defeat his own Champion in a 1v1. Shit.
  
  Amoogus
  
  It's not just John too. I mean, the other Elite Four looked really impressive as well. Maybe because they're all new and shiny to us, but wow, they looked strong. Slaking aside, that 'Salamence' that the old guy had was powerful. I wonder if Drayden would be able to match it in strength? Dragon vs Dragon?
  
  I can't wait for us to have access to their Pokénet. There's so much I want to see and discuss!
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  Hmph. I do not know why you are all putting so much emphasis on a mere showmatch. Our Elite Four are second to none. They were merely testing the waters here. In a true battle, they would not have lost. Mark my words.
  
  ["THE MESSAGE MUST SPREAD!" THE LEADER OF PLASMA MAKES A STATEMENT!] By Unova Today
  
  [A picture of Ghetsis, backed up by a few of the Sages, making a speech]
  
  PLASMA, an organisation dedicated to improving the livelihood of Pokémon, recently made a statement today about the change in goals for their organisation as a result of the discovery of the New Regions. The leader of PLASMA, Ghetsis, had this to say:
  
  "The message of PLASMA has always been that the current treatment of Pokémon as nothing more than tools and slaves is abhorrent and vile. However, we had initially thought that this disgusting practice had been relegated to the region of Unova alone, but it now seems that we were grossly mistaken. The discovery of the New Regions, and their similar practices of Pokémon abuse, have been a shocking eye-opener for the members of PLASMA - and a realisation that the wider world was far worse than we had expected."
  
  "As a result, after some serious discussion, we here at PLASMA hope to spread our message worldwide, to ensure that the abuse of Pokémon perpetrated by the ignorant masses all across the world will be abolished once in for all. So please, now that the New Regions have expanded our goal, PLASMA is welcoming all volunteers to achieve our grand vision! We need all hands on deck if we want to purge this disgusting practice from the world, and grant Pokémon the true happiness that they deserve!"
  
  PLASMA has always been a small, but fiery group that have recently picked up in popularity. Some of you may have seen or heard about their speeches that they host from time to time around the various cities of Unova. Although they have not been a major political influence in our region's politics, this might be a step towards changing that. Perhaps the introduction of these New Regions may allow PLASMA to find like-minded individuals for them to grow their influence.
  
  What do you all think of the organisation and its goals? Do you think that PLASMA is right about their stance about how we use Pokémon in our society? Or do you think that their approach is complete nonsense? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  PLASMA, as ever, have no idea what they're prattling on about. Pokémon are meant to fight alongside trainers. It's how they're able to unlock their true potential! Everyone knows this, so I don't know why PLASMA are so preachy about it.
  
  Not only that, but if there was something wrong with the way that we treat Pokémon, don't you think that the New Regions would fight with their Pokémon differently? Except they fight in the same way as we do. That tells you the current relationship between Pokémon and trainer is natural and desired.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  I dunno. Sometimes I see how brutal some matches can get and I can understand why PLASMA has come to the conclusion that they've come to. I mean, we're basically cheering for two Pokémon to beat each other up until one of them gets knocked out. Putting it like that, doesn't it sound a little barbaric?
  
  Amoogus
  
  But Pokémon do that in the wild all the time. Fighting to defend yourself is practically an instinctual part about being a Pokémon. And in trainer battles, they do so to become stronger - to hone their skills and gain the strength that Pokémon all desire. Saying that we're intentionally mistreating our Pokémon is just wrong.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  No. The thoughts of PLASMA are dangerous and should NEVER be listened to. What happens when we release all of our Pokémon back into the wild like they suggest we do? How would we defend ourselves once a foreign nation comes and attacks us because we've just released all of our military strength out of our control?!
  
  Impossible. Moral implications aside, PLASMA's plan will doom us all. We cannot be deprived of our Pokémon at such a crucial time like this. They must remain firmly in our control, to be used as needed.
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  ...Sigh, it's people like you that make people start supporting PLASMA in the first place. Pokémon aren't tools. They're akin to friends and family. And they should be referred to as such.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  Spare me your naivety. If you want to think that way, then go pray and hope that PLASMA can spread their message to the New Regions and get THEM to release all of their Pokémon. Now that's a message I can approve of.
  
  A.N. Now that John's returned from Unova, I felt that a Pokénet chapter would be nice to have, since it also doubles as a small timeskip. And here you might have noticed that I've introduced a few new 'characters' from Unova, which you will be seeing quite often once the Unova Pokénet gets connected to the rest of the world's. I felt it would be good to show off the difference between Unova's and the New Regions' initial thoughts towards each other were.
  
  Nevertheless, next chapter will be focusing on the development that have occurred at home while John was overseas. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-8 - The Battle Frontier
  
  Things had gone by quickly ever since our return from Unova, though not to my surprise. The first thing that our regions wanted to rush through was the construction of the transmission towers. Therefore, as all of our regions were dedicating a lot of resources to getting them set up as quickly as possible, I was confident that it was only going to be a matter of time before we could actually communicate with them digitally. That would save us from needing to travel to and from there in person.
  
  In the meanwhile, discussions were well at hand for Unova to at least begin opening their borders for businesses. Sinnoh actually proposed to Unova the phased system that they used themselves to integrate with Hoenn and Indigo, and Unova seemed to like that well enough to apply it for their own situation.
  
  On less optimistic news, I had reported everything that Drake and I suspected about Ghetsis and his cultish goals. Having lived through Cyrus' actions, the three Leagues took our warnings very seriously, though obviously they weren't able to do anything directly to Ghetsis while he remained in Unova. For the time being, they would keep a watchful eyes on PLASMA's actions if they ever expanded onto our shores.
  
  So far, that was everything that was concerning Unova. There wouldn't be any 'open' trading between our regions yet, so the Unovan Pokémon were still inaccessible for the majority of the public. Only exceptions like myself, Karen, or the other Elite Four that went over to Unova, were able to have Unova Pokémon for the time being.
  
  Speaking of those Pokémon, I finally decided on a name for my newly caught Audino - Sona. Given that she was the Hearing Pokémon, and a supportive healer, I felt it fit very well.
  
  Fortunately, neither of my new Pokémon from Unova had any problems integrating with the rest of my team. Tails was initially pretty terrified of the likes of Tyrant, Vordt, and Smough at first, but Klee and Luna helped soothe her fears. Meanwhile, Sona was completely calm about the whole thing, and was able to settle in very quickly. The happy smile on her face never faltered.
  
  Thus, with the introductions out of the way, I had begun to train up both Sona and Tails, though obviously they were trained differently. I had paired up Sona with my support Pokémon and got her training with the basics first, while Tails was paired with Ornstein to train up her own speed and physical attacks. It wasn't anything complicated for now, but once they mastered the basics, then I would go into more specialised training.
  
  But it wasn't just my own Pokémon that I had to handle. Upon my return to Indigo, I had also thrown myself deep into helping my parents out with the new breeding farms that we had set up. As I would soon realise, raising a whole bunch of Pokémon with the explicit intention that they were to be sold was a very different thing than raising them for your own team.
  
  For one, you had to have a certain level of detachment with the Pokémon you raised, because ultimately they would not be able to stay with you. You had to be kind and loving to them, but not too much so for them to get overly attached to you. That was a surprisingly difficult balance to maintain, as I was always so used to having a strong and personal relationship with the Pokémon that I was training up that it was strange to not do so.
  
  As my uncle put it, "It's all about making sure that the Pokémon understand your intentions from the get go. Think of yourself as their matron. You are responsible for making sure they grow up strong and loved, and that they will have an equally loving home for them to move on to. Yet they cannot grow dependent on you, or else you selling them off would be a great betrayal to them."
  
  "Striking that balance isn't easy." I admitted.
  
  "It isn't." He nodded, "That's why we have so many other breeders to assist you. Just because you're a great trainer doesn't mean you'd be a great breeder - those are two very different skillsets. Your focus is on the combat aspect of the Pokémon, while the breeders will help make sure that they are able to develop the right mentality to be used by a different trainer. Don't worry too much about it. You're doing a great job so far."
  
  His explanation did help, and things got easier after that. Just like we discussed all that time ago, most of the Pokémon on the farm were Eevee and Teddieursa, though with my sister's suggestion we also included Miltank as well. My sister would be working on the latter.
  
  In fact, helping out with the farm took up so much of my time to the point that I had almost overlooked the fact that Steven ended up winning the Hoenn Conference - though I wasn't all that surprised. After his victory over Bruno, I sincerely doubted anyone still remaining in the Conference stood a chance of beating him, and I was right.
  
  Following his victory, he had publicly challenged Wallace to become the next Champion, and his first fight with Sidney was arranged for the coming week. Judging by his performance against Bruno, I didn't think Steven would have any trouble in the strength department. It was just a matter of seeing whether Sidney or Phoebe's tricks would trip him up.
  
  On that note, Drake had spoken to me about how excited he was for the battle ahead.
  
  "Do you know how long it's been since my last good battle?" He said to me over the phone, "Too fucking long - that's what! Crushing criminals and then fighting a Legendary had been a nice snack, but I'm ready to fight a proper 6v6 again. Steven better live up to the fucking hype, or I'm going to be so disappointed."
  
  "You've any thoughts about him becoming Champion?" I asked, "Or would you rather Wallace stay?"
  
  "Eh, I'm too fucking old to care at this point." He shrugged, "I like Wallace - I think he's been a great Champion for Hoenn and his leadership has held strong even through some pretty fucking turbulent times. But I know Steven and Wallace are friends, and Wallace trusts Steven to do a good job in his place. I also know that Steven won't tarnish the reputation of what it means to be Champion, so I'm confident I can leave it to his hands if he does win. But what do I know? I'm just a rude old man. If you want a more in-depth opinion, ask someone like Sidney."
  
  That was the response I had expected from him.
  
  However, even while Steven was busy with his own challenge against Wallace, he still had the time to advance his agenda in preparing Bruno to join the Hoenn Elite Four by allowing him to earn the necessary accreditations for his appointment so that he would be accepted by the public.
  
  Therefore, right after his loss to Steven, Bruno had immediately begun working at the Dewford Gym as the Head Gym Trainer with Brawly. As a young and inexperienced Gym Leader with little direct political connections, Brawly had been struggling to find competent Gym Trainers that he could trust to assist him with the running of the Gym before the next Circuit came around.
  
  That was where Steven had offered up Bruno, since there was no explicit law preventing a foreigner from serving as a Head Gym Trainer, only as a Gym Leader. Thus, with what was probably a few secret arrangements with Brawly, Bruno was subsequently made to be Head Gym Trainer.
  
  He had been working there for a few days now, and Brawly had nothing but commendations for the man. If anything, Bruno was grossly overqualified for the position, as while he certainly had a one-track mind, Bruno was no slouch when it came to keeping people and Pokémon in line.
  
  Enforcing discipline was second-nature to him as an experienced martial artist, and his training with Steven had helped him with the administrative side of things. He wasn't the greatest at the latter, but his personal strength and leadership abilities more than made up for it.
  
  It was a win-win situation for both sides. Brawly would get help running the Gym and get himself stabilised as Gym Leader, while Bruno would be able to prove himself to the public in preparation for when Steven eventually invited Bruno to join the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  As Steven had likely calculated beforehand, the public reactions to this unorthodox appointment was pretty neutral. Even though being a Head Gym Trainer was a prestigious position, it didn't carry the same political connotations as being a Gym Leader, so no one really batted an eye about a foreigner taking up the position.
  
  Hopefully it was going to stay that way.
  
  Even though Cynthia spoke about it often during our nightly conversations, I had very much underestimated how fast the Battle Frontier could be built. As far as I was aware, it had only been a matter of months since construction initially began, but now much of the Battle Frontier was already built up.
  
  So much so that I was invited over there to participate in its grand opening.
  
  Admittedly, not everything was fully built up yet, but they were still going to host the grand opening regardless. Thus far, only the Battle Tower (run by Palmer), the Battle Arcade (run by Dahlia), and the Battle Castle (run by Archer) had been built and would be shown off in today's grand opening. The Battle Factory (run by Thorton) and the Battle Hall (run by Argenta) was still being built.
  
  As Cynthia explained to me, that was by design.
  
  They were doing it this way so that the public could get a taste of what the Battle Frontier had to offer. And when they saw there were still other facilities being built, it would serve to generate more hype as they could see that there was still more to come.
  
  Therefore, I was travelling over to Sinnoh, having been personally invited there by my girlfriend as the sole foreign representative. Hoenn were meant to send someone as well, but due to Steven's challenge they held off from travelling during this period.
  
  Since Cynthia was busy running around making sure the opening was a success, I was left alone after I arrived, so I spent a bit of time before the ceremony just wandering around the Battle Zone and taking a look at the sights - as the entire place had been transformed.
  
  Before, the area around Stark Mountain was pretty barren, with only a few dozen houses that I could see from on top of Port whenever I flew over the area.
  
  However, now things were completely different. Pokécenters and various shops now lined the streets, while in the distance, several hotels and luxury buildings were either already built or were being built up in the so-called 'Resort Area', which would give wealthy travellers a more luxurious option to spend their vacation time.
  
  Having Pokémon being able to assist us in the building process really sped things up.
  
  After wandering around for a bit and checking up the local shops, it eventually came time for the opening ceremony to begin. Since I was a VIP, I headed backstage where I found Dahlia, Palmer, and Archer all waiting patiently for it to kick off.
  
  "Hey, congratulations on the grand opening." I greeted them, "You must all be excited."
  
  "Sure am." Palmer grinned widely, "I can't wait for the world to see just what my team and I have got in store for them! My subordinates and I have been working really hard to make sure the Battle Tower is going to be an experience that they'll remember and keep coming back to! I'm confident we're going to get a lot of attention from Ace Trainers around the world once this is all set up."
  
  "That's excellent news." I nodded, before turning to Dahlia and Archer, "And you two? You excited as well?"
  
  "Of course! Most people only know me as a star, but this is the opportunity for them to get to know Dahlia the trainer!" She gave me a thumbs up, "So you and Cynthia don't need to worry about a thing. 2v2 battling is going to become really popular after today, I guarantee it."
  
  "I don't think any of us could match Palmer's excitement levels." Archer deadpanned, "But yes, surprisingly, I too am happy with what I've built. In the past, my achievements weren't usually so public... but this has been a nice change of pace."
  
  A small smile appeared on his face, "I can't deny that I feel... happy, with my new role. Not only that, but I found it rather entertaining to come up with different scenarios for upcoming trainers to fight in."
  
  I smiled back, "Glad to hear it, Archer." I wouldn't really call us friends, but it was nice to see him doing well. If only because he would be less inclined to return to a life of crime if he was happy in his new, and legal, position.
  
  Then I realised something, "Wait a minute, is it just you three? Where are Thorton and Argenta?"
  
  "Since their sections are still under construction, they're busy supervising everything." Dahlia replied, "However, don't worry about them being left out. They're going to have their own ceremony once their sections are done as well, and it's also going to be a whole other big event just for them. It's just that Thorton's Battle Factory takes longer to build and organise logistically, and Argenta insisted that the Battle Castle be finished first before her own section, so here we are today."
  
  I nodded understandingly, though Dahlia seemed to have something to ask me as she poked me with her elbow, "Say, John, you seem quite familiar with Archer, right? Do you know what he used to do? After spending time around the guy, we've pretty much all figured out that he's lived a very varied life. I mean, not just in battling, but also in administration and planning. Actually, in the latter I'd say he's better than all of us! So he can't just be your regular ol' trainer."
  
  Luckily, Giovanni had already prepped me for what to say if I ever got questioned like this.
  
  I gave off a nonchalant shrug, "I know he used to work with Giovanni as his right-hand man in the Gym. And he also worked in Silph Co. with Giovanni as well in the same capacity. That probably explains why he's so good at what he does."
  
  "...But that's what he told us too." Dahlia looked like she wanted to ask for more, but she was subsequently cut off as Cynthia took to the stage, beginning the opening ceremony.
  
  "Ladies and gentlemen, trainers from all around the world, I welcome you to the grand opening of the Battle Frontier! A place for any trainer to come and hone their skills against experienced and carefully selected Ace Trainers! It is a place for those that yearn for a challenge beyond the ordinary Gym Circuit, to be able to push their teams even further beyond. Here in the Battle Frontier, you'll be able to match against a wide variety of trainers, all with their own differing teams and specialities. For those seeking strength, you'll come to find that the Battle Frontier is the perfect place to train!"
  
  "Not only that, but as of today's opening there are three different sections of the Battle Frontier for you to choose from, all of which offer a different battling experience for you. AND, like we stated in the promotional material that you might have seen, there are plenty of prizes for you to earn should you prove victorious in your challenges. Feel free to check out the shop at any time to see just what you could exchange for your wins!"
  
  "However, before that, let me introduce the three Frontier Brains that will serve as the leader of each section." She gestured for the three Frontier Brains to step up, "First we have Palmer, head of the Battle Tower. He will be hosting traditional 1v1 battles that most of you are used to. Then we have Dahlia, head of the Battle Arcade. She will be hosting 2v2 battles, giving your Pokémon more opportunities to fight together on the battlefield. And last but certainly not least, we have Archer, head of the Battle Castle. For those of you who want a very different kind of battling experience, one where the battling conditions aim to simulate real life scenarios as much as possible, then the Battle Castle is where you want to be."
  
  There was a roar of excited cheers and applause at that. Though many people here likely knew about the format of the three sections beforehand - as they had been extensively advertised in the news already, this didn't make them any less excited.
  
  However, as the applause died down, Dahlia took up the mic, "Thank you, Champion Cynthia, for that excellent introduction. But I'm sure you've all come here to listen to more than just a speech. I'm sure many of you are trainers here - so what better way to show off our prowess than through a battle!"
  
  "That's right." Archer nodded as he too stepped forward, "Considering that many trainers might not be proficient in 2v2 fights, or the unorthodox type of fights that I offer, a demonstration would be ideal to show off exactly what you could be expecting."
  
  "Therefore!" Dahlia grinned widely, her enthusiastic energy clearly on display, "We invite you into the Battle Arcade, where I will be battling against Champion Cynthia herself!"
  
  "And I will do the same with Elite John, who has graciously offered his assistance today." Archer followed. "So if you would like to spectate that, then please follow me into the Battle Castle."
  
  After more excitement from the crowd, the public eventually split into two fairly even groups as they either followed after Dahlia or Archer. Cynthia and Archer had already asked me earlier if I was willing to participate, to which I quickly accepted. Therefore, I walked over with Archer as the crowd followed us into inside of the Battle Castle.
  
  I actually hadn't been inside before, but it was extremely clear that they had put a lot of effort into designing the aesthetics of this place. Yet, the Battle Castle I stepped into today was also completely unlike the grand and palatial appearance that the one run by Darach and Caitlin would've been like.
  
  The Battle Castle this time was far more medieval and brutal in its design.
  
  The grey and lifeless brick walls, thick steel chains dangling from the roof, and the metal braziers lining the walls made it look more like a dungeon cell than a royal castle.
  
  Then we got to the main arena itself, and it didn't look any less menacing. Instead of a mostly flat arena with tons of open space and clear lines of sight, the arena that Archer had designed was filled with a myriad of obstacles.
  
  Large, uneven rocks were seemingly haphazardly thrown around in a random pattern that scattered across the battleground, while large reinforced pillars were sprung up all over the place as well. There was also a few thick metallic beams lying down, which could be used by smaller Pokémon as cover.
  
  Not only that, but some of the obstacles were out of some super reinforced material, making it so that Pokémon couldn't just break through them with their attacks so easily. Others remained breakable, giving you an opportunity for an unexpected surprise attack.
  
  "Welcome to the Battle Castle, everyone." Archer began as we arrived, "As you can see, the arena we will be fighting on is very different from what you'd usually expect. Like I mentioned earlier, I am trying to replicate the conditions of a real-world battle, where you might have to fight in an enclosed space and non-optimal scenarios. Moving around and spotting your opponent isn't going to be as easy as in a regular battle, and I very much hope that this will be an opportunity for all of you to train up your own tactical awareness when in a battle."
  
  "But that's enough from me - let's head straight into the battle." He nodded to me, "For the sake of this demonstration, John and I have already agreed it for to be a 2v2. However, in your own battles, we are able to do any variation from 1v1s, 2v2s, or 3v3s."
  
  Meanwhile, I headed over to the starting area, my mind already planning out how I wanted this battle to play out. Admittedly, even I was a little uncomfortable fighting in these conditions, but I trusted in my team's past experience to grab the win anyways.
  
  Of course, I realised that the main thing that might scare people off from this type of battling was that you had to follow your Pokémon through the maze-like arena in order to continue giving commands - meaning that you might be in the line of fire. Obviously, directly harming your opponent was not allowed, but that didn't mean you couldn't get hurt by stray attacks.
  
  Fortunately, the Battle Frontier's main target audience were Ace Trainers, who should be more than comfortable in putting themselves into scenarios like this.
  
  But I shook those thoughts out of my head for now. I had a battle to win.
  
  "Trainers! Are you ready?!" I nodded, though I couldn't see if Archer was doing the same. "FIGHT!"
  
  I silently sent out both Klee and Wraith, not announcing them as I usually did because that would give away what my choices were to Archer. I couldn't see what he sent out, but I didn't think I needed to.
  
  I immediately sprinted for one of the corners before I gestured for Wraith to disguise himself on one of the nearby pillars; his form shimmering and fading away as he cloaked himself in his illusion. In the meanwhile, Klee threw up a Reflect and Light Screen around myself, before we hunkered down and both my Pokémon began setting up with Swords Dance and Calm Mind respectively.
  
  Was it scummy, camping it out like this? Yes it was. But I had to play this smartly - I wasn't as familiar with the layout of the arena, and I was willing to bet anything that Archer was better at sneaking around and tracking me down. So instead of wandering around in circles, I simply waited for him to come to me.
  
  Therefore, I remained in place, patiently waiting for Archer to arrive as I kept an ear out for footsteps. I had placed myself just within viewing distance of the pillar that Wraith had camouflaged himself on, though still a good distance from the battle itself so I wouldn't be hurt accidentally, which hopefully meant that in a fight we could flank and attack Archer from two angles.
  
  Eventually, I heard the slight flickering of a flame, and the chittering of an unknown Bug type. I silently gestured for Klee to get ready, and her eyes began to glow blue as she prepared a Psychic.
  
  Then a Fire Blast was suddenly lobbed over the wall that we were hiding behind.
  
  Reacting instantly, Klee threw up a Protect shield and covered herself as the Fire Blast harmlessly exploded above her. Right afterwards, a Houndoom and Pinsir rushed around the corner.
  
  The Fire Blast had merely been a distraction, and Pinsir instantly slammed into Klee with a full-powered Superpower before she could realise what was happening. Just like we did, Pinsir must have maxed out its own attack as well, as my normally incredibly tanky Klee was knocked down to the ground from the supereffective physical hit.
  
  Then before she could get up, Houndoom unleashed a point-blank Fire Blast - that must have also been boosted to the max - as it managed to finish off Klee.
  
  Fuck. That was the risk of fighting this way. Since I was playing so defensively, everyone got an opportunity to boost themselves to the max before the fight began, meaning every hit was almost guaranteed to be a one-hit KO.
  
  However, as Houndoom had been too distracted with finishing off Klee, that was when Wraith revealed himself, leaping off of the wall with a snarl as he ambushed Houndoom from behind - smashing a devastating and fully boosted Focus Punch right into the back of the Houndoom's head. Houndoom let out a pained whine as its face was smashed into the ground, right as another supereffective Brick Break finished the job.
  
  Surprised at the unexpected takedown, Pinsir spun around and with its arms gleaming with Dark energy as it prepared to avenge its teammate. However, it was too slow, and Wraith fired off a Flamethrower that forced Pinsir to throw up a Protect shield.
  
  Then, with his opponent momentarily blinded by the flames, Wraith dashed forwards and lashed out with a Low Kick that tripped and sent Pinsir sprawling to the ground. Pinsir instinctively tried to push Wraith off with a Seismic Toss, only for the attack to do nothing as Wraith was immune to Fighting type attacks.
  
  It was too late once Pinsir realised its mistake as Wraith struck the Bug type with a Foul Play, turning Pinsir's own maxed out Attack against it - knocking the Bug type out.
  
  Unlike a standard fight, ignoring the waiting period, the moment we actually began exchanging moves the entire fight between Archer and I barely took more than twenty seconds. It just goes to show just how different these kinds of fights were compared to your standard fights, where Pokémon may have the time to buff up to the max beforehand.
  
  Of course, other fights could go on for much longer depending on the trainer's preferred fighting style, like if they were to use hit-and-run tactics for example.
  
  And as if he was reading my mind, Archer practically relayed my own thoughts out loud to the spectating crowd, who were clapping loudly at our battle. "Thank you, John, for helping show off how different my facility will be to my peers. As you can see, the fights that take place here in the Battle Castle are going to be very different to what you're used to. Fights can end in a matter of seconds if you're not careful, and being able to leverage your surroundings will be extremely important in securing your victory."
  
  "Therefore, as far as I'm aware, we provide an experience that can't really be found anywhere else in the world. So if you're looking to challenge yourself and train up some important skills that could help you when it truly matters, then come over to the Battle Castle. We greatly anticipate your visit!"
  
  And thus, the Battle Frontier made its grand opening.
  
  A.N. And here's the Battle Frontier! I couldn't pass on the opportunity to expand on it a bit more, especially with the changes that I've made compared to canon. And with Archer now in charge of the Battle Castle, I felt like aesthetically having it be something like a royal palace doesn't quite make sense for a man like him. So instead I went for something more brutish and dark, which should be more appropriate given the experience found within.
  
  As with the show match in the Battle Castle itself, I wanted to show off something very different from your usual style of Pokémon battling. Since there's no easy line-of-sight, you're able to set up with your Pokémon before actually engaging in battle. Of course, there's always the slight risk that you might get ambushed while doing so, so you need to maintain your awareness as well. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-8 - Interlude - N
  The New Normal - 15-8 - Interlude - N
  
  "SO ARE YOU MY ENEMY, N?"
  
  Ever since their fateful conversation, those final parting words from John's Slaking continued to echo within his head. He agonised over them, spending many sleepless nights mentally debating with himself as to whether the path that he followed - the path that Ghetsis had promised him was for the betterment of the wider world - was truly right.
  
  For he could see with his very own eyes that John's Pokémon were truly happy to be with their trainer. It could not have been a lie.
  
  So did that mean Ghetsis was wrong? Or was John and a few others merely the exception, not the rule?
  
  In the end, he wasn't able to make up his mind, so he decided to approach Ghetsis and ask him for advice.
  
  "What do you want, N?" Ghetsis never liked it when N bothered him while he was doing something important, but he couldn't wait any longer.
  
  "I have a question - about the cause that we've dedicated ourselves to." He stated.
  
  "And what about it?" Ghetsis still wasn't looking his way as he continued to scan over several documents laid out in front of him.
  
  "It's just that... are we on the right path?" He asked tentatively, "I mean... are we doing the right thing? Truly?"
  
  Ghetsis' head snapped towards him like a whip, and the man he saw as a father figure glared at him with utter fury in his eyes, "And what makes you think that?! What kind of corruption has been spreading around in your head, you fool? Is this from the time that you ventured outside? I warned you that the outside world was nothing but poison. This is why you need to listen to me."
  
  "It was." He said, "But that's not the point-"
  
  "No, the point was that you DID NOT LISTEN TO ME!" Ghetsis roared out, and N flinched away from his tone, "What have I told you multiple times over? That you shall be our saviour, and guide all Pokémon into a paradise of our own creation. But that is your role. My role is to make sure that the message is spread to as many people as possible and for you to actually be able to be in a position to save all of us! Do you know how HARD that is?!"
  
  N shook his head.
  
  "Exactly." Ghetsis scoffed, "So leave the thinking to me, N. You're still young. So you can still sit around and continue being as naïve as you want to be. But leave dealing with reality to me."
  
  Normally, being told off like that by Ghetsis would be the end of their conversation. As much as he loved Ghetsis for raising and teaching him about the world, he knew that Ghetsis never liked it whenever he talked back. It was disrespectful to do so, he was told, and he never liked seeing Ghetsis upset. Especially not at him.
  
  So usually, whenever Ghetsis got upset at him like this, he knew it would be best to back off. But today... he didn't know why, but he wanted to push for more - he wanted a better answer from Ghetsis. So he pushed through the spike of fear that shot up his spine and asked the question once more.
  
  "...But are you sure that what we're doing is the right thing?" He asked slowly, already bracing for the wrath that he knew was coming but pushing forwards regardless, "I spoke to a few Pokémon when I went outside... and all they tell me is that they love being with their trainer and fighting alongside them. They tell me of the unbreakable bonds between them, and how they would never separate themselves from their trainer. After hearing all of this, how can I believe that what we're doing is right?"
  
  His questions were met with silence from Ghetsis, who simply stared down at N with a stern and disappointed frown on his face. N instinctively retreated into himself as he failed to meet Ghetsis' glare, feeling his father's eyes boring a hole straight through his heart.
  
  "...Are you done spouting your nonsense?" Ghetsis demanded after he allowed the silence to stretch out, "Did you not listen to a single word I just said? You must not have - if you are able to vomit such filth in my face. I taught you better than this, N."
  
  "The world is a cruel and harsh place, made even worse due to the sick and disgusting treatment of Pokémon perpetrated by human beings." Ghetsis stated, "Pokémon 'battling' and 'training' are nothing less than servitude disguised as kindness. But I was able to see through these lies - to see the horrible truth of the world that the masses ignored. I was the one to teach you to see through that as well. I was the one to build you this safe environment, where you were safe from the corruption of the outside world."
  
  "And yet, by asking this very question - I know that you have betrayed ALL THAT I HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" He roared, "You proved that you have been tainted. You have proved to be a disappointment. So I will say it again - do NOT listen to anything else but what I tell you. You may be able to understand what Pokémon are saying, but you do not have the wisdom like I do to understand the pain and suffering that they hide from you. You simply take their words at face value like the naïve simpleton that you are. Their words may sound beautiful, but underneath that they are secretly crying for help - to finally be given their freedom away from their cruel masters. And you were too blind to see it, N. You utter fool."
  
  Despite bracing for it, N's head drooped to the ground despondently at the verbal tongue lashing that he was getting - feeling the full weight of Ghetsis' crushing disappointment fall upon his shoulders. It was why he had hesitated to approach him in the first place.
  
  He supposed he was a fool like Ghestsis said. He shouldn't have brought up such a stupid topic when Ghetsis was so busy thinking about how to alter the plan to take into account of the New Regions.
  
  He felt bad for wasting Ghetsis' time.
  
  Ghetsis must have caught onto his unhappiness, as the man let out a frustrated sigh. "Listen, N. You made a mistake. But it's important to not let your mistakes affect your actions. So do away with those stupid and nonsensical thoughts and put your trust in me. Trust in my judgment, for unlike the rest of you, I do not make mistakes. I can see clearly. So I shall guide the world, and shape it to my vision. You just need to play your part, N."
  
  N nodded dutifully, and before Ghetsis' mood worsened again, he made a quick retreat back into his room before throwing himself onto the bed. Finally returning to the privacy of his own room, he wiped the moisture out of his eyes and rolled over to try to get some sleep.
  
  But sleep wouldn't come for him, as he repeatedly replayed Ghetsis' words in his head, trying to convince himself that all was right as long as he continued to keep faith with the man that had raised him. After all, Ghetsis could do no wrong, right?
  
  Right?
  
  A.N. After that conversation with John, N is stating to think and see through Ghetsis' lies. Of course, he isn't going to be convinced by one conversation alone, and Ghetsis has such a firm chokehold around N that it won't be so easy to break through that brainwashing.
  
  Also, and this was pretty difficult to write because of how unpleasant the subject matter is, I wanted to portray N and Ghetsis' relationship properly. As you saw, it isn't a healthy one. N might THINK of Ghetsis as a father figure, but he certainly isn't a good one. Nor a healthy one. Ultimately, Ghetsis is a terrible and horrible man, in a completely different way to what Cyrus was. Both are monsters, but while Cyrus is more monstrous in his nihilism, I think Ghetsis is more despicable.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-9 - Controversies
  
  As we hoped, the opening of the Battle Frontier was a great success, with trainers from all three regions flocking to the newly opened Battle Area to check out the new facilities and experience the three Battle stages for themselves.
  
  From the statistics that Cynthia told me after the first three days of opening, Palmer and his Battle Tower was unsurprisingly the most popular, as his was the most traditional of the currently available options. Also, there were apparently many Ace Trainers who thought they could 'best' Palmer, especially since he didn't get a 'public demonstration' battle like Archer and Dahlia did, thinking that his veteran Ace Trainer experience was merely for show.
  
  It was not. Palmer was a very formidable trainer, and he proved himself worthy of being in the position of a Frontier Brain. For those who managed to challenge him, none won.
  
  Behind him in popularity were Dahlia and then Archer, as was expected given how unusual Archer's facility was. However, it was good to see that even Archer's more unorthodox battle facility was getting more attention than predicted. We weren't exactly friends, but I still hoped for his success.
  
  But events of the Battle Frontier aside, Unova had came out with a big announcement - due to the unanimous agreement of the Elite Four and Champion, they were strongarming the Unova Committee and successfully proposed for the opening of their borders to businesses from the New Regions. This should coincide with the finished construction of the transmission towers.
  
  And from the reports that we received back, Grimsley had apparently stepped up to the plate and had taken up a more active role in politics. He rallied the Unova Elite Four around the idea that they had to grow closer to our regions and not allow themselves to reject the hand of friendship that we offered them.
  
  That had been a pretty amusing titbit to find out; to know that we had made such a strong impression on him and the others.
  
  However, it wasn't all good news. Given that the Leagues were paying particular attention to PLASMA ever since Drake and I reported our suspicions on them, we had also received reports about how PLASMA were recently becoming more active - as they had been busy running around Unova and doing all that they could to spread their foul message to as many people as would listen to them.
  
  They were obviously setting the stage for when Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were finally connected to Unova. They were preparing to take advantage of that large surge of attention during that initial period where most of the public's attention would be on Unova to get their message out there and into the public's minds.
  
  And while I hated to give them credit for anything, on a surface level, their message seemed sound. Their calls for ensuring the happiness of Pokémon and not subjecting them to what they deemed as 'cruel treatment' wasn't something completely radical or hard to accept. Furthermore, they also had a pretty clean reputation and a proven history of helping out Pokémon in need, given that they were a 'proven' philanthropic organisation, which had been taking care of Pokémon that had been abandoned by trainers and ensuring that they lived a healthy and happy life.
  
  Of course, just because their message was 'easy to understand' didn't mean that it was agreed upon by everyone. There were a very healthy share of critics who were sceptical about the claims that PLASMA were making, which was heartening to see. And PLASMA were nowhere near as entrenched or as trusted in the public's psyche as Galactic Company were. That was probably why they were keeping their statements pretty tame for the time being.
  
  They weren't spewing any of their more radical nonsense like forcing trainers to release their Pokémon or what not - even though it was certainly implied in their statements. Right now, they were mostly just putting forwards questions such as whether the way we interacted with Pokémon was truly for the betterment of their happiness.
  
  Still, I very much preferred if their message wasn't being spread at all, but for now all I could really do was grit my teeth and bear it. Again, they hadn't actually done anything wrong so far (not that we could prove, at least), and Unova would never allow us to interfere without any good reason.
  
  Therefore, I knew that one day I would have to head over there and crush them like we did with Team Galactic. I just hoped that they would make a mistake soon so that we could capitalise on that and get started on breaking them.
  
  But that was a problem for later. Right now, I had been hanging around with Cynthia since I didn't need to head home so soon. So the two of us simply decided to spend some time together since we were both here.
  
  Yet, as we were in the middle of watching a movie together in her room, we suddenly received a call from Steven asking us to watch the news.
  
  We quickly moved to do so, the both of us sitting in front of the television as we listened to the newscaster report about an ongoing development in Hoenn.
  
  "...And now the new Gym Leader Brawly of Dewford Town is under fire for appointing an Indigo resident as his Head Gym Trainer for the Dewford Gym. The trainer in question - Bruno - is far from an unknown quantity, having just recently fought and lost in the Hoenn Conference against his friend and employer, Steven. However, it seems that Bruno has not left quietly after his defeat, and has managed to find himself employed under Brawly as the Head Gym Trainer."
  
  "This decision has sparked a burst of criticism from several members of the public, who denounce Bruno's appointment as a breach of regional sovereignty. They state that as the position of Head Gym Trainer is only second to the Gym Leader themselves, it should and must only be held by a Hoenn resident in order to ensure that the Gym doesn't 'succumb to foreign influences'."
  
  The news reporter went on to talk about how people were angry at both Bruno and, by extension, Brawly for making the appointment happen in the first place. Likewise, they were demanding that Bruno be removed from the position and for a proper Hoenn resident to be appointed instead.
  
  I was extremely confused by this development. I had thought that the public had been pretty neutral about Bruno's appointment, since it wasn't as radical as appointing him as a Gym Leader. So I was completely baffled about where this backlash was even coming from when Bruno had already settled into the position for almost a week already. If there was going to be outrage, it would have taken place when Bruno initially took up the position, and not now.
  
  I asked Cynthia if she knew, but she too just shook her head. We were both blindsided and confused about the situation.
  
  However, for the time being, we simply placed our trust in Steven. We trusted him to sort things out.
  
  (Steven's POV)
  
  Despite his upcoming battle against Sidney in under a week, he knew that this was something that was worth taking the time out of his training to attend to.
  
  And why wouldn't it be, when he had purposefully set up the whole situation himself? This whole controversy was his own creation.
  
  The reason he had done so was because he had realised that this was an extremely useful opportunity for him to exploit to further his goals. Like he had expected, Bruno's appointment was not met with much controversy, which was obviously a good thing. However, now that Bruno had already proven himself capable, he wanted more of the public's eyes on him. He wanted to purposefully show off his competency to the public, and the best way to do that was through a controlled controversy, especially when you could already predict the outcome.
  
  As the heir to Devon Corp, it really wasn't all that difficult to stir something like this up. It wasn't even the first time their company had done something like this to intentionally drum up attention over a product.
  
  There was no better marketing tool than a controversy. And right now, Bruno was merely another product of his to market.
  
  Therefore, as soon as the incident had been reported, he was already at the Dewford Gym, where he privately met with both Bruno and Brawly. Bruno had already been informed beforehand of his plans, but Brawly was kept in the dark.
  
  If this was the Bruno from the past, he likely would never have gone along with such a... 'dishonourable' scheme. But all of their lessons in politics have borne fruit, and now Bruno had a more flexible mindset. He now could understand the necessity of such actions.
  
  So the two's expressions couldn't be any more different. While Bruno was calm and stoic as he always was, Brawly had his head in his hands as he scratched his head anxiously. Signs of stress were also beginning to line his eyes, and the tapping of his foot betrayed his inner anxiety.
  
  Brawly's head whipped over to him as he stepped into the room, "Steven. I'm glad you're here. What should we do about this? I know I shouldn't be panicking about it, but I'm a new Gym Leader. I can't let the Gym be mired in such controversy when I've just taken up the position."
  
  Good. At least Brawly wasn't blaming him for this. It saved Steven from reminding Brawly about the donation of equipment and Pokémon that he received as an 'incentive' to take on Bruno, and why they should remain as allies.
  
  "Don't worry, Brawly. This is actually an opportunity." Steven said, keeping his thoughts to himself, "The news has, as always, overly dramatized just how much people dislike the decision. Bruno has quite the beloved reputation as being the pre-eminent Fighting specialist in the world, and they greatly respect his strength. There are many more who actually support and follow Bruno's journey than those who are against his appointment."
  
  "Therefore, we just have to rally that support and demonstrate it to the public - that Bruno is not only well suited to be Head Gym Trainer of Dewford Town, but that the Gym has much to gain from his appointment."
  
  He turned to Bruno, "I hope you've sharpened your public speaking skills, because we're going to need you to address the public. They're going to have to see just why Brawly didn't make the wrong decision in appointing you. I've already scheduled the press conference in an hour - that should give us enough time to run through what to say."
  
  Bruno nodded sharply, since he already knew that he was going to do this anyways. Meanwhile, Brawly looked shocked at having such a fast timetable, but he proved he wasn't a Gym Leader for nothing as he quickly pulled himself together and started preparing his speech as well.
  
  He helped out with that, having pulled out a list of talking points that he had 'prepared on the way here'. In reality, he had already prepared this well in advance.
  
  Almost an hour later, he could hear the reporters arriving at the Gym, eagerly awaiting for their press conference to begin. Having already fully prepared, Bruno and Brawly stepped out and met the horde of microphones waiting for them while Steven remained inside - it was better for the public to not know about his involvement.
  
  He watched out of the one-way window as Bruno stepped forwards, looking unbothered by the sea of cameras pointing this way. His eyes flicked downwards to the first reporter in front of him, causing the man to flinch backwards as he felt the full weight of Bruno's stare.
  
  "Ask your question." He stated, no, demanded from the poor reporter in front of him.
  
  The man nervously gulped as he was struck with fear, causing the reporter next to him to ask the question instead, "What are your thoughts about the recent scandal pointed your way? Do you think such comments are valid?"
  
  "Of course not." Bruno replied instantly, "The only thing that concerns whether someone should be hired upon as a Head Gym Trainer is their competence in administration and battling skills. What does my heritage or whatever else my critics are saying, have anything to do with that?"
  
  "But some are saying that your foreign heritage would naturally make you ineligible to hold the position." The reporter pressed, "Just as it would be for a Gym Leader-"
  
  "Then whoever claims that is a fool." Bruno interrupted harshly, "And such sentiments should be dismissed. Does a dojo decline an aspiring applicant just because they were born from the wrong region? No, it does not. It accepts any and all comers that proves themselves to be worthy of the position."
  
  "And Bruno is certainly worthy of the position." Brawly cut in, "Despite only having served in this position for a short while, he has gone above and beyond what you would expect from a typical Head Gym Trainer. He has quickly been able to instil a strong sense of discipline into both trainers and Pokémon alike, and many of the other Gym Trainers already look up to him for guidance and as a role model and as a martial artist."
  
  "Are you saying that he could be more competent than you?" A different reporter challenged, "You're saying that he is more worthy of the position of Gym Leader as you are."
  
  From where he was watching, Steven just rolled his eyes at this blatant attempt of trying to start drama. However, Brawly handled it well with his response.
  
  "If I, for whatever reason, needed to temporarily step down from the position, I would feel comfortable leaving the Gym in Bruno's hands." Brawly responded, "And I do not believe that this sentiment would be opposed by any of my other Gym Trainers. Like I said, I am greatly honoured to be able to work alongside him, and there are things about training and discipline that even I am learning from him too. So I can say without a shred of doubt that he has already done much for the Dewford Gym, and has been vital in helping us set up our roots."
  
  "Therefore, I believe that to want to dismiss Bruno from his position merely because of his foreign background is the height of foolishness." Brawly said firmly, "Bruno would be a valued asset for any Gym Leader to have. In fact, I could see him running a Gym by himself if need be. I would be greatly pleased to have him as a peer. I'm sure those who are familiar with Bruno's talents would easily agree with me."
  
  Steven had instructed Brawly to add that last bit in on purpose; to explicitly highlight and plant the idea into the public's minds that Bruno would be a viable and competent candidate as a potential Gym Leader.
  
  The press conference continued on for a while, with more questions (though usually revolving around a similar topic) thrown their way as they tried to scrounge up something 'juicy' they could use for tomorrow's headline. But overall, both Bruno and Brawly remained unfazed, and Brawly continued to list out Bruno's great qualities for the public to listen to. As he hoped.
  
  To wrap everything up, Bruno even offered to fight anyone who dared to question his competency, because there was nothing better to prove someone wrong than to beat them in a Pokémon battle. Of course, the battles would take place in the Gym, and it also served a double purpose in helping the Gym gain more prestige for each victory that Bruno would inevitably achieve.
  
  Steven had full confidence in Bruno's ability to win. After all, Bruno was only allowed to lose to him.
  
  Therefore, after nearly an hour later, the press conference was finally wrapped up. But he knew that was just the beginning. Once the other Gym Leaders and Elite Four got involved with this conversation, as they inevitably would be, then he was very confident that the public would swing onto Bruno's side.
  
  (John's POV)
  
  It was only after the press conference took place that Steven informed us that this had been his very own scheme from the very beginning. To say that we were shocked when he told us was an understatement.
  
  ...What a cunning guy. To think he could pull off something like this. In hindsight, maybe I should have expected it too.
  
  Regardless, just like Steven had hoped, the press conference led to a big surge of support for Bruno and his appointment. And it got even better when the other Gym Leaders got involved as well. Not just in Hoenn, but also in Indigo and Sinnoh too.
  
  We helped out there, as both Cynthia and I reached out to our connections and kindly requested for them to add their own input to the situation.
  
  All of them were happy to do so, and as a result, there was an absolute flood of support from many prominent Gym Leaders from all across the three regions that all agreed that Bruno would easily make for a great Gym Leader.
  
  I felt that Norman's statement was the most powerful, "I have always said that the origins of a trainer matters not, even when they are being considered for something as prestigious as the position of a Gym Leader. And I will remain firm on that stance, as I too was not born in Hoenn - and yet have been given the position of Gym Leader of Petalburg regardless. A position which many agree that I have held competently and honourably for over a decade."
  
  "Of course, some may argue that my circumstances were different, as I had been a long-time resident of Hoenn and chose to live here after marrying my wife." He continued, "Those are valid points, yet they already undermine the argument that this whole controversy has stemmed from. If the person has been judged to be of good character, ability, and standing, just like I was, then there is no reasonable argument to deny them the position of Gym Leader or otherwise."
  
  His statement found the most purchase in the public's psyche, as many didn't even realise that Norman wasn't originally born in Hoenn. There were a few that suddenly turned on Norman after this realisation, stating that he should be removed from his position because of this, but they were ruthlessly shut down by the much larger horde of supporters that very much agreed with the point he was making.
  
  This really helped Bruno's case, as Norman was a clear example of a foreigner that ended up being an effective and competent Gym Leader.
  
  Naturally, with Steven serving us up with such an amazing opportunity like this, it was only natural for us to also capitalise on this. Therefore, not long after the press conference had finished, Cynthia had moved quickly to open up a discussion in the Sinnoh Committee to discuss whether Gym Leaders could be appointed from foreign regions as well. Normally, opening up such a discussion was just asking to get slammed down by all of the nationalists and traditionalists, but thanks to Bruno and Steven's manufactured controversy, we had momentum on our side.
  
  If that wasn't enough, Steven also made his own declaration - stating that one of his main goals once he became Champion was to ensure that people like Bruno would be able to be appointed into leadership positions regardless of their regional affiliations. Some saw this announcement as very premature, given that he had still yet to win his first battle against Sidney, but others saw this as confidence.
  
  I suspected that once his victories did start rolling in, his declaration would be met with much more sincerity and attention.
  
  Because of this, the rest of the world was very interested to see the results of such a discussion. Lance and Wallace had also both expressed their interest to see what the outcome of this would be. And, at least internally, there were also talks about whether this kind of proposal could potentially become an Article in the Regional Union as well.
  
  If it was, then it would be an enormous win for us.
  
  Overall, it looked like the world was in for a large change - one that looked like it was going to reshape how politics would look like in the future.
  
  A.N. It's been some time since we had a fully political chapter, and I've been wanting to write something like this for a while now. Sometimes, big change can happen rather spontaneously, and this is one such opportunity. And I thought that it was only fitting to show off more of another aspect of Steven's character (which isn't directly related to his martial strength) that proves why he should be Champion.
  
  And of course, between Bruno, Steven, John, and Cynthia and their respective connections, they're able to muster up a lot of support on demand and are all incredibly influential people in the political world. Therefore, they're able to really push this small controversy into something far larger and beneficial for them. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-10 - Gyms and Dojos
  
  The 'controversy' involving Bruno was very quick to die down as his critics swiftly realised that they weren't about to win over the public, which was to be expected since Steven manufactured the whole thing to begin with.
  
  However, thanks to the discussions that stemmed from it, which reinvigorated the discussions about whether foreigners could be made into League Officials in other regions, it also led to the topic of the 'Minor Gyms' to be brought up once again.
  
  This was especially prevalent since the reconstruction of Cinnabar Island was now mostly complete. Unlike when I had visited previously, where the entire island was still pretty bare aside from the massive arena that they had prioritised building, now the city had been almost completely rebuilt. Though this time it had a very different layout than before, and I could really see just how meticulously this new city had been planned out.
  
  First and foremost, the entire city was built further away from the volcano this time, and many of the residential districts were placed as close to the nearby ports as possible. Likewise, the ports were also massively expanded from what I remembered, giving ample space for boats to arrive if an evacuation was needed.
  
  Furthermore, the layout of the streets was also far less cluttered, with all of the roads purposely leading to one of the many designated evacuation zones. Additionally, barriers made of specially reinforced and heat-proof material had been built up all around the volcano, while a large moat had been similarly dug out to buy more time if there was an eruption. Not only that, but all of the buildings themselves were spaced out in a way so that if a building did collapse, it was less likely to completely cut off the road or alleyway when it fell.
  
  Overall, from what I heard from Lance and Blaine, they were very happy with the changes, and it was a clear demonstration of the effort that the planning committee had put in place to prevent another disaster that was the previous eruption to occur again. With all of these changes, I trusted that an evacuation in the case of a future eruption would be far smoother, and there wouldn't be as many trapped civilians as last time.
  
  However, with the newly completed renovation of the island, it was time for the Cinnabar council to make some noise again. They had been biding their time, waiting for the construction to be fully completed. And now that it was, they were once again airing their grievances towards the Indigo League and were demanding that their Gym be returned to them.
  
  They weren't even trying to be subtle with it either. Currently, right in the centre of the island, there was a huge, empty plot of land that was suspiciously sized to be the perfect fit for a Gym. They were even blatant enough to put a sign in front that said 'under construction' as well.
  
  It was almost like they were signalling to the world: 'Hey look, there should be a Gym right here!'
  
  To be fair, the Cinnabar council was making good points. For one, Cinnabar Island was now eminently suited to have a Gym be placed there, as once their former residents all returned to the Island (and they were already in the process of doing so), they would certainly have the population to match the current Lavender Town. Not only that, with all the new renovations that were made, there was no doubt that Cinnabar Island would return to its former glory, or even surpass it. Therefore, they rightly argued that it was a huge waste for the island to not possess its own Gym like it did in the past.
  
  On the other hand, there was also no good reason for the Indigo League to withdraw the Gym from Lavender Town. Dorothy had been running it well, and many people didn't have any complaints about their Gym experience there. On the contrary, many lavished the new Lavender Gym with praise, stating that it was very suitable for a 7th Badge experience as Dorothy's Ghosts and their plethora of status moves challenged trainers in a way that the other Gyms didn't. Barring Fuchsia, it was the only other Kanto Gym that forced you to work around a whole variety of crippling status effects.
  
  And even with the newly renovated Cinnabar Islands, the Indigo League was refusing to budge on this point. Now that they had proven competent, they wouldn't rip away the Gym from Lavender Town without good reason.
  
  Therefore, the Cinnabar leadership decided on a different course of action. Instead of trying to butt heads with Lavender and demand they 'return' their Gym, they were choosing to ask the Indigo League to approve of more than the traditional 8 Gyms. In essence, they were promoting the 'Minor Gym' idea that had been circulating around for some time now, since they saw this as their way of getting a Gym back on their island.
  
  On the topic of the Minor Gyms, the idea had found a lot of interest within the Gym Leaders of Indigo, and many were in favour of expanding the number of Gyms from the usual 8 as they recognised the necessity. However, the problem was that the Gym Leaders couldn't agree on how the Minor Gyms would be integrated into the existing Gym system.
  
  That was why Lance had called us in for another meeting to discuss this topic once again - with the aim of finally coming up with a solution that we could submit to the Committee. As soon as I arrived at his office, he handed over a piece of paper to us containing a list of points from the Gym Leaders about their opinions and concerns from their discussions on the Minor Gym system.
  
  From what I read, they were happy to have new Gyms set up on the Sevii Islands and at Cinnabar Island. Lorelei and Pryce had already spoken with them, and they agreed that having three new Gyms set up on One Island, Three Island, and Five Island respectively.
  
  "...You really need to come up with better names for those Islands." I muttered, "There's no way we're just calling these Islands by their numbers."
  
  Lorelei looked away, "Yeah... I'll bring it up with their council soon."
  
  "Why are there only three new Gyms planned for the Sevii Islands?" Karen asked, "If I remember correctly, don't the Sevii Islands have six, no, seven islands? Wouldn't there by one Gym per island?"
  
  "Not all the islands are developed or geographically suited enough to host a Gym." Lorelei replied, "That's why Two Island, despite being somewhat developed, isn't really suited to having a Gym because it's too small. Likewise, a few of the other islands might be big enough, but they don't have the necessary infrastructure to host a Gym right now."
  
  Okay, that made sense. Including Cinnabar Island, that would make four new Gyms that were planning to be set up. Not entirely unreasonable.
  
  However, the main issue came with the value of these 'Minor Gym' badges. From what the Gym Leaders had discussed, a majority of them refused to allow these Minor Gyms badges to be replacements of their own. In other words, they categorically refused to support any idea that would make it so that a trainer could skip over their Gym and challenge a Minor Gym instead to satisfy their badge requirements for the Indigo Conference.
  
  Koga approved when he read this, "If I was still a Gym Leader, I would have said the same. As much as I approve of expanding the Gym system, I would not approve if the new Gyms ended up lowering the 'value' of a 'Major Gym' badge. At the end of the day, it's a matter of politics and influence. If my Gym gets skipped over just because there's an 'easier' alternative out there, then I lose much of my prestige."
  
  "But wouldn't you say that giving trainers more options on which Gyms they could challenge make it more strategic for them? And therefore gives them a better Circuit experience?" Lance asked.
  
  "Perhaps it would." Koga nodded, "And maybe the Gym Leaders know that too. But neither their local councils nor the Gym Leaders themselves would approve of a proposal that would undermine their own Gym's prestige. Politically, it is not realistic."
  
  "It might be selfish, but I see where they're coming from." Karen added, "I wouldn't do anything that would hurt the prestige of Brock's Gym either. He might be overworked as ever during the opening few days of the Circuit, but he would never trade away the importance and prestige of being the 'first Gym' of the Circuit. Nor would his local council allow him to do so either."
  
  I frowned when this was all explained to me, but I could understand their sentiments.
  
  And at the end of the day, we needed the consent of the Gym Leaders if we wanted this to pass. So this was just a compromise we would have to make.
  
  Therefore, just like it was proposed at the beginning to them, the Gym Leaders would only agree to the Minor Gym system if they were added in addition to the existing Gyms, rather than as an alternative to them. At least that made things simpler, since we would be stepping on less toes this way.
  
  Fortunately, in the notes that they wrote, they also understood that there was a need to provide an incentive to challenge these Minor Gyms. Because what was the point of getting these Badges if they weren't going to help them at all with their Circuit run, outside of bragging rights?
  
  As a result, the Gym Leaders suggested an idea. If a trainer was able to collect all four Minor Gym Badges within the same Circuit, then they would be able to skip over the Open Qualifiers for that year's Indigo Conference and start right at the Preliminary Rounds. Their reasoning was that if they were capable of getting all four Minor Gym badges, then that was proof enough that they were strong enough as trainers to not need to be tested in the Open Qualifiers.
  
  Of course, this benefit only applied for that year's Conference. So you would have to challenge through all of the Minor Gyms again in the next Circuit if you wanted to skip over the Open Qualifiers in the next year's Conference too.
  
  Furthermore, because of this, that meant that the Gym Leaders for these Minor Gyms only needed to operate at a 8-badge level, which would heavily simplify their logistics and training requirements. It also meant that these Minor Gym Leaders would have to be just as talented as any other Gym Leader, given the level of challenge they needed to provide.
  
  I personally felt that this was a good incentive. It might have been a very long time since I had last challenged the Indigo Conference, but even then I recognised the value of this benefit.
  
  Since the Open Qualifiers were a series of 1v1s, where a single loss would permanently knock you out of the Conference, even if they were pretty easy most of the time, it would only take a single mistake to end your run.
  
  As Karen put it, "I know many Ace trainers would cherish that opportunity a lot. I mean, I completed my own Indigo Conference run not too long ago, and I would never have passed up on the opportunity to skip right to the Preliminary Rounds. It would have saved me so much hassle. Besides, there are just so many battles that you have to go through in the Open Qualifiers that, even for an experienced trainer like myself, it's just a huge time sink. And you're not even allowed to slip up once or you might risk getting knocked out."
  
  "So you think this is a good enough incentive?" Lance looked to confirm.
  
  "Absolutely." Karen replied immediately, "If we offered this as a reward for clearing the new Minor Gyms, then I can guarantee you that these Gyms would receive a steady flow of trainers looking to earn the reward. Not only would many Ace trainers be challenging them, but you should expect those talented trainers that breeze through the standard 8 Gyms to take a crack at them as well."
  
  "There is an additional benefit that we have not considered." Koga added, "If we were to include this new system, it would also make the battles that occur in the Open Qualifiers to be a bit more fair - since all of the heavily experienced and veteran trainers would likely take the opportunity to skip over right to the Preliminary Rounds. Therefore, the average skill level of the trainers in the Open Qualifiers would be more balanced - ensuring that fairer battles take place."
  
  "Yes, that is a good thing too." Karen agreed, "I did feel bad for the trainers that I beat during my run through the Open Qualifiers that were clearly far below my skill level. I mean, I'll take the win, but I prefer winning against someone who has an actual chance of beating me. In those cases it just felt like I was crushing kids."
  
  It was then that a thought came to my mind, "...Anyone else think that 'Minor Gym' is a bad name for these new Gyms?" I pointed out, "I mean, if you're supposed to challenge them after the existing Gyms, then they aren't going to be 'minor' in the slightest. So having them be called 'Minor Gyms' seems really wrong."
  
  "He makes a good point." Lance said, "We need a better name for this, one that would preferably avoid confusion for the common trainer. Anyone have any suggestions?"
  
  "...What about 'Dojo'?" Karen suggested, "So you could have a Fighting Dojo, a Normal Dojo, a Dark Dojo and so on and so forth. And they should be called Dojo Masters instead of Gym Leaders. That should distinguish them from your standard Gyms. And now that you mention it, we shouldn't call them 'Badges' either. That just makes things confusing. How about calling them... 'Emblems' instead?"
  
  "The term does suggest a certain level of prestige." Koga replied, "I approve of these names."
  
  The rest of us nodded along as well. As Karen said, those were much better names as it helped avoid confusion, especially for foreigners who might not be aware of the difference. Lance proceeded to make a note of it.
  
  "But would you get anything for completing one or two of the four Dojos?" Lorelei asked, "Or would you have to complete all of them to gain the benefit of skipping to the Preliminary Rounds?"
  
  "It should be all or nothing." Karen said firmly, "It shouldn't be so easy to skip over the Open Qualifiers. With such a benefit, we should make them work for it. Otherwise, it'd be too easy for them. That'll make it clear that the Dojos should only be attempted by those who really think they have what it takes to win or make it far in the Indigo Conference, or those who are really seeking out the bragging rights that earning their Emblems gives you. Additionally, if the Dojos prove sufficiently challenging, then earning those Emblems could be something like a minor achievement. It would be good for those trying to distinguish themselves from the common trainer."
  
  "We should keep things simple for now." Koga agreed, "We need not complicate matters any further when we are already introducing a radically new system."
  
  "So if you fail to beat all the Dojos in one go, then the Emblems are purely for bragging rights only?" Lorelei remarked.
  
  "...I think we could leave it at that for now." Lance said, "If we feel that the number of challengers to said Dojos are insufficient, or if there are a large number of people complaining about the lack of incentives, then we could think of additional benefits that we could include during the next Circuit. But I agree with Karen that the current incentives should be fine for now. Since the Dojos need to be challenged every Circuit if you want to reap the benefits, then I think that should allow for a steady number of challengers already."
  
  "Yeah, sure, I can see it." Lorelei said, "The Sevii Islands are definitely going to be really happy with the additional influx of trainers because of this. We could even give these new Dojos a collective name, something like the 'Island Dojo Circuit'. It'll make it seem more prestigious."
  
  "I like it." I nodded.
  
  "Hold on, one more thing." Lance suddenly said, "Do we allow these Dojo Masters to be given the same rights as Gym Leaders - as in, they're allowed to appoint their successors personally and be given the right to challenge the Elite Four or Champion directly?"
  
  "I don't see why not." I shrugged, "If their duties are basically no different from being a Gym Leader, then they should be afforded the same amount of rights. Besides, having more potential challengers for the Elite Four and Champion is a good thing. It strengthens the sense of competition and keeps things from getting too stale."
  
  The others all agreed on that too. And after going back and forth for a little longer, we all came to an agreement with what we wanted to do with these new Gyms - or Dojos, as they were now going to be known as.
  
  Lance made a note and summarised everything that had been discussed today. In short, Cinnabar Island and the Sevii Islands would play host to four new Dojos in total, which would be collectively called the 'Island Dojo Circuit'. These Dojos would offer Emblems that, if you collected all of them, you would be able to skip over the Open Qualifiers in that year's Circuit - though if you wanted to repeat this privilege you would have to re-earn the Dojo Emblems again in the following year as well.
  
  That would be the system in place for now. Although, if things needed tweaking, then those adjustments could be implemented in the following Circuit. We didn't expect to get it perfect on the first try, after all.
  
  However, even though we now had a solid plan in place that took into account of the Gym Leaders ideas and concerns (which meant they shouldn't have a problem with it), we now had the unenviable task of trying to push this through the Committee.
  
  Even though we tried to keep it from being too controversial, a proposal as radical as this was inevitably going to have its detractors.
  
  Besides that, we also had to find suitable trainers that could fulfil the role of these Dojo Masters. That was much easier said than done, since their position was basically equivalent of being a Gym Leader, except they were generally stationed in less important locations that were further away from the mainland.
  
  On that note, we all unceremoniously pushed that duty onto Lance to handle. None of us had any candidates in mind that we wanted to suggest for the position - since the only person I could really think of was Daisy Oak or my sister, but it was far too early for them to do so - so we just saddled him with the responsibility.
  
  There was also the matter of financing all these new Dojos and their construction. While the Cinnabar council had informed us that they were more than willing to help fund the construction of their own Gym (or Dojo, in this case) if it was approved, the same could not be said for the Sevii Islands. Despite the newfound life that was injected into the Islands thanks to the construction of the Regional Union and other development efforts, it was nowhere near the levels of the towns and cities on the mainland.
  
  So Lance, Lorelei, and the local councils of Sevii Islands would have to come to some kind of arrangement as to how they were going to fund the construction of three new Dojos, as well as any of the additional infrastructure that would be needed to accommodate the new Dojos. Most likely, they would need the Indigo League to front most of the costs, which wouldn't be an easy sell to the Committee.
  
  That sounded like a pain in the neck to negotiate, so I was glad I was separate from these conversations.
  
  Nevertheless, the implementation of these new Dojos would not be easy. And I suspected that we would have many more meetings just like this one in the future where we would have to discuss how to adjust this new system to accommodate for any complaints. I could already foresee the headaches that were incoming.
  
  Especially since there were still other problems to consider. Currently, we only had four Dojos planned, but will more be set up in the future too? And if so, how would they be integrated into this new system? Would you still need to earn all of the Emblems to get the privilege of skipping over the Open Qualifiers? Or was a certain number going to be enough?
  
  These were all problems that Lance made a note of for the future.
  
  Yet, despite all of these problems, I didn't really mind. On the contrary, I felt pumped that so many changes were happening at once that would reshape the political landscape for the years to come. We were trying to change things for the better, and I always felt that doing so was a worthwhile goal to work towards.
  
  Stagnancy was always the enemy.
  
  A.N. Another heavy political chapter, but given how radical the newly proposed changes were, I felt that it deserved to have a chapter all to itself to fully flesh out the discussions. This wasn't something I wanted to be decided off-screen, and I wanted the opportunity to elaborate on why certain decisions were made. Otherwise, it might just feel like this came out of nowhere.
  
  This chapter and my thoughts on the new Dojos were inspired from a myriad of different sources, and I did my best to research through a lot of Pokémon stuff as well as your comments to come up with this 'final product'. Even though I tried to be as creative as I could with it, I know it's probably not perfect and everyone's going to have their own ideas on what they could do with this new system.
  
  Also, I promise that the next non-Interlude chapter will be introducing something many of you will hopefully find exciting! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-10 - Interlude-Drake
  The New Normal - 15-10 - Interlude - Drake
  
  He threw open the door to Wallace's office, not even bothering to knock. Wallace had used to tell him off at first, but now the man was just resigned to it.
  
  "Oh? Didn't think I'd get a visit from you today, Drake." Wallace said, looking up from the small pile of paperwork that had stacked up on his desk, "How can I help you?"
  
  "Firstly, why the fuck are you still bothering with the paperwork when you've already got someone challenging you for your position?" He had to ask, "Surely you have better things to do with your time. That paperwork can wait till later."
  
  "Alas, the duties of a Champion does not end just because he has received a challenge." Wallace replied, "This is simply one of the many burdens of my position."
  
  "Well you can tell those burdens to fuck right off." He growled, "If it were me I'd just put all that paper to the torch and forget about it till later."
  
  "...Let's just agree to disagree on that one." Wallace said diplomatically, "But I assume that wasn't your main question."
  
  "Ah, right." He sat himself down opposite of Wallace, "I just realised that I never asked you about what you're going to do if you do lose your battle against Steven."
  
  "Oh? So eager to get rid of me?" Wallace teased.
  
  He sighed, "You know it's not like that. I might be a foul-mouthed bastard, but you know I respect you right? Hoenn couldn't have asked for a better Champion. If it weren't for you, they might have forced me to take up the position solely because of my strength. And Arceus knows what kind of a fucking disaster that would have been."
  
  He was self-aware enough to know that he would have been a horrible Champion. Even Pryce, who pretty much everyone thought was a prick with a log shoved up his ass in his later years, would still have been better than he would ever be as a Champion. Politics just wasn't his thing.
  
  "Thank you for the compliment, Drake." Wallace smiled, "And I think you would have a done a better job that you give yourself credit for. You would have made for a fine Champion."
  
  He snorted inwardly. Not fucking likely.
  
  "But to answer your question, I think I'd appreciate the opportunity to step away from all the major politics for the time being." Wallace explained, "As much as I do enjoy being in the spotlight and my time as a Champion, the weight of my position can get quite heavy every once in a while. I'd like to get away from that."
  
  "So you have nothing else lined up or planned?" He asked.
  
  "Well... I do have something. But it's not confirmed yet." Wallace replied vaguely, "I'll be sure to let you know once it is confirmed."
  
  Then Wallace chuckled, "But why are we talking like my loss has already been decided? Don't you trust your Champion to fend off his first challenger in years? Or perhaps one of you Elite Four will stop him before he even gets to me."
  
  Drake snorted, "If anyone's going to stop him, it'll be me. No offense to the others, but I've seen what Steven's capable of. Unless they pull off something miraculous, Steven's got their number."
  
  "You should have more faith in your colleagues than that." Wallace chided.
  
  "And I do. You know I respect them heavily." Drake said firmly, to which Wallace nodded at, "I'm just being realistic about their chances. Steven's not one of those delusional challengers that thinks he's hot shit just because he won the Hoenn Conference - he's here to win. He might be a rich fuck, but he's a rich fuck that's actually smart about it. The man has a strong fucking team. Though I'm sure you know that already, since you're friends with him and all."
  
  Wallace smiled, "I am. And actually, that brings me to something that I wanted to speak with you about too."
  
  He leaned forwards, "Drake, if I do end up losing and Steven becomes Champion in my place, I hope that you will continue to support him as much as you have with me. I know what Steven's like - he's equally as manipulative as he is charming and intelligent - and I suspect that some aspects of his personality might rub you the wrong way."
  
  "However, as his friend, I can wholeheartedly say this - I believe Steven will be a great Champion for Hoenn." Wallace stated confidently, "He is a man with greater ambitions than I could ever have, yet behind all of his intelligence is a man who genuinely looks out for the betterment of the common people. So I know that he will do all he can to ensure that Hoenn continues to be as prosperous as it is now."
  
  "Don't worry, I won't give him a hard time. At least not without good reason." He promised, "Sidney's already spoken to me earlier. I know Steven's trustworthy."
  
  "Ah, that's good then. I'm glad you see it too." Wallace nodded, "You're a very important member of the Elite Four. Him having your public support will make things a lot easier for everyone."
  
  "Me? An important member of the Elite Four?" He barked out a laugh of disbelief, "Since when did that happen? You must've been mistaking me for Sidney. He's actually got his head screwed on right. I'm just the muscle."
  
  "That's not true at all." Wallace replied with a firm shake of his head, "Drake. You have been in the Elite Four for longer than I have been Champion. Generations have passed under your leadership, and for the public, you have always been the one stable factor in their life. No matter what they're doing or where they are in life, they can always know and be reassured in the fact that Drake of the Elite Four is watching over them."
  
  "Yes, you may not be the most politically astute amongst us. Yes, you may be a little foul mouthed. But when the going gets rough, when our region calls out for someone to protect them, everyone trusts you to answer the call. To come and save the day, as you have done for decades, and will continue to do so until you eventually earn your well-deserved retirement."
  
  "So that is why I am comfortable with leaving my position behind if I do lose my next battle." Wallace gave off a small, but genuine smile, "Not just because I trust Steven's abilities as a Champion. But because I know that you will be there to stand up for the right thing. To be Hoenn's defender when it matters. And it's not just you either. You, Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia - I trust all of you with those duties, as I have done for years already."
  
  "Because, as your Champion, I could not have asked for a better Elite Four to have supported me."
  
  A.N. I know Wallace hasn't had much time in the spotlight, even though he's the Champion of Hoenn. So I felt like having a chapter focused on him would be good, especially on his relationship with Drake and the other Elite Four members.
  
  I also wanted to highlight how, despite Drake being quite rude and blunt (though not to John) most of the time, he has more than earned the admiration and respect of his peers. It's a big reason why he's able to get away with cursing out everyone he meets, because they all trust him to step up when it matters. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 15-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-11 - A New Tournament
  
  Time was quick to pass, and things developed with equal haste. With Unova opening up their borders to business investments, larger businesses such as Silph Co and Devon Corp were very quick to jump in and start setting up their own branch offices in Unova.
  
  Seeing them do so, many other businesses were quick to follow suit, and a nice and healthy amount of foreign investment managed to enter into Unova's coffers. Likewise, the same applied to us as Unova's businesses were welcomed with open arms.
  
  Not only that, but dedicated shipping routes were also being planned out so that when their borders did open, and it was looking like they would definitely be opened rather soon, then tourists would be able to reliably travel from one region to another.
  
  It still wasn't the quickest of journeys, taking several days to go from one region to another, but it was the best we could do for now.
  
  Overall, Unova was on track to opening up to the rest of the wider world.
  
  Of course, we didn't allow ourselves to be blinded by this enthusiasm. All of our regions were still carefully monitoring the new status quo, making sure that there wouldn't be any egregious foreign incidents that took place. However, for the most part, things were thankfully rather peaceful.
  
  Even though our borders weren't open yet, both the communication towers and the PSS system had been successfully integrated in Unova. Not only did that allow us to communicate with the Unovans, but it also meant that trainers from all around the world would now have access to all these new Pokémon, whether they be from our regions or Unova's, and get to try them out for themselves.
  
  Though with demand being as high as it was, Unova Pokémon were really expensive. Even very common Pokémon like Pidove and Woobat were not cheap.
  
  I had spoken with Iris, who I had kept in casual correspondence with, to see just how she was dealing with this new influx of Pokémon.
  
  "It's all been very exciting!" She told me happily, "It's been so interesting being able to see and use all these Pokémon for myself! I already got myself a Bagon, and I can't wait for it to eventually grow into a Salamence!"
  
  She let out a happy laugh, "I'm so excited to finally have another Dragon on my team, and a Flying one at that!"
  
  "Woah, you definitely moved quickly." I replied, "How'd you get one so fast?"
  
  "Oh, Drayden got me it when he was visiting Hoenn." She responded, "Apparently one of the Elite Four there helped him out? It was actually meant for Drayden himself, but he insisted that I take it. He kept saying that he was already an old man and didn't need to have more Pokémon on his team. I didn't like that, but he was too stubborn."
  
  Hearing about how much Drayden cared for Iris made me smile, "Well then you just have to make sure to train it and raise it properly. Though I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that - you already proved to me that you are an excellent trainer."
  
  "Hehe, thanks John." She giggled, "Oh, and speaking of which, me and a few other Gym Leaders from Unova were thinking about making a trip out of Unova just to visit your regions soon. We're still stuck with our Gym Leader duties for now, but it's been something we've all been thinking about."
  
  "That'd be nice." I nodded, "Let me know if you do decide to come over, and I'll make sure to give you a proper tour around Indigo when you arrive."
  
  At the time, I thought that would be the end of things. Iris would come over, and I'd show her around a few places, maybe battle her once or twice, but that'd be it.
  
  However, as I brought it up in idle conversation with my girlfriend, she revealed that this 'simple visit' would quickly become far more than that.
  
  "I've been in talks with both Wallace and Lance. With Unova looking primed and ready to open their borders, we ought to make sure that this occasion is marked with the right amount of ceremony. So as Wallace was already trying to do a repeat of the previous Tournament, I thought why not have a new Tournament - but this time with the Unovans. It'll be a nice way of not only celebrating our new open borders, but also be an entertaining way of introducing our regions and cultures to their people as well."
  
  My eyes widened in amazement, "That is a great idea." It had been a good bit of time since the previous Tournament anyways.
  
  She smiled, "Thanks. Although we haven't actually spoken about it to Alder yet. However, we hope to get all of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four from Unova to participate if possible - if they're willing. We won't force them of course, but the more the merrier. We'll be speaking with him soon to confirm the details."
  
  "Oh yeah, before you go." Cynthia quickly added, "If this does get approved and you do get to come to Sinnoh, I have something important to show and speak with you about."
  
  "Am I in trouble?" I jokingly asked.
  
  "No, not at all. Unless you think you've done something wrong." She chuckled, "In which case - confess now, or you're only going to make things worse for yourself."
  
  I pretended to raise my arms in surrender, while also replying in the most pathetic voice that I could, "I'm innocent! You have to believe me! I didn't do anything!"
  
  "Hmm... I'll believe you for now." She 'warned', "But I'll be checking up on you when you get here. And if I catch a whiff of any deceit, then you're going to be in big trouble mister."
  
  "You're just saying that because you miss my scent." I teased.
  
  She immediately fired back, "And what if I did?"
  
  I laughed, "Then I'll make sure to spend enough time with you to satisfy any craving."
  
  "Good." She nodded, "I'll be sure to expect it."
  
  Our back-and-forth aside, I was very happy to hear that a new Tournament was being planned. And just like she mentioned, unlike the previous Tournament which was hosted in Hoenn, this time the Tournament was planned to be hosted in Sinnoh since it was geographically more convenient.
  
  Furthermore, with Wallace and the rest of the Hoenn Elite Four still wrapped up in Steven's challenge, the timing of the Tournament was quite delicate. We obviously wanted the Hoenn Elite Four to be able to participate, so the Tournament would have to take place after Steven's challenge was concluded. It also needed to take place before the start of the next Circuit, so that the Gym Leaders wouldn't have to return to their duties during the Tournament.
  
  Frankly, I already foresaw that this Tournament would be an absolute administrative nightmare to try and organise - especially on such a tight schedule. But Cynthia insisted that the rewards were worth the hassle.
  
  Sadly for her, I wasn't in a position to help her with any of the planning. So I mentally apologised to her in my head - she was on her own for this one.
  
  Fortunately, it turns out that Alder was immediately sold on the idea - according to Cynthia, he didn't even require any sort of persuasion. The man was just instantly on board, and was delighted that we were even hosting such a thing.
  
  So because of this, Alder actually decided to make use of his influence to push through the opening of Unova's borders as soon as possible. And it quickly became a reality. It was now just matter of waiting for Unova's Gym Leaders and Elite Four to confirm their attendance.
  
  Cynthia did mention that the Unova Elite Four didn't have to participate, since she acknowledged the security concerns about having all of Unova's strongest trainers leave for a foreign region, but Alder assured her that it wouldn't be a problem as he would be staying back to keep an eye on things.
  
  For once, he would keep a lid on his wanderlust in order for Unova's greatest trainers to be able to spend time around their new peers. At least, that's what he told us. But given what I knew of him, that seemed like something he would do. He did seem like the self-sacrificing type. He was also incredibly insistent that all of Unova were to participate - he had declared that this was not an opportunity they could afford to pass up on.
  
  In addition, to ensure that the Tournament could be hosted as soon as possible, all parties involved in Steven's challenge agreed to accelerate their timetable, meaning that there would be less of a break between each battle. Therefore, given that Steven had already defeated Sidney, instead of having a week's break before his next battle against Phoebe, there would only be half a week's break. As a result, assuming Steven won all his battles, it would only take Steven one and a half weeks for him to fight his way through the Elite Four rather than a full three weeks.
  
  That should just be enough time for the Tournament to take place before the start of the next Circuit came around.
  
  Of course, the upcoming Tournament wouldn't follow the same format as before. The partner system was kept in place from last time, with each partner being from a different region to foster cooperation. Furthermore, assuming their participation, the Unovans especially would be split up so that they would ideally have an equal amount of partners from each region just so that they would have more opportunities to interact with people from different regions.
  
  Aside from that, the Tournament - which was to be dubbed as the 'Pokémon World Tournament' - would also have a 'preliminary stage'. In this stage, teams would be randomly fighting each other until they can accrue either three victories or three losses. The former would move onto the next stage, while the latter would be eliminated.
  
  Then the Tournament would enter the elimination stage, where it would be a single elimination format for the Top 14 teams that would go until one group remained, who would be the ultimate victor. Just like last time, a single team would be allowed to be kept in the Tournament after the first round of this stage (to make it so that there were an even number of teams for the Top 8) if they won the public vote.
  
  Going to a point system for the start meant that you wouldn't have pairs that were eliminated in the very first round like the previous Tournament had. It likewise meant that you would have more time fighting together with your partner, which was the whole point of the Tournament in the first place.
  
  Lastly, after some serious discussion with the other Champions, it was decided that the Champions would not be participating in this Tournament whatsoever - to the dismay of both Lance and Cynthia. This was because with Alder's non-participation, having the other Champions participate just wouldn't seem fair. Thus, they were sadly forced to sit out.
  
  Overall, if all went to plan and the entirety of Unova's Gym Leaders and Elite Four were to join, then then World Tournament would consist of a total of 56 participants. 8 Gym Leaders from each region (totalling 40), and 4 Elite Four from each region (totalling 16). These would be spilt into 28 pairs, which would be announced a week before the Tournament starts - coinciding with the planned arrival times of the visitors from Unova.
  
  We were now just waiting for the Unovans to confirm their attendance. And according to Iris, they were going to be discussing that matter very soon.
  
  Once they did, then all of this could be announced to the public - which we expected was going to be a very exciting moment for everyone.
  
  (Iris POV)
  
  Their Champion was not normally one to make requests of them, even though it was fully in his right to do so. Everyone knew about how hands-off Alder liked to be when it came to politics, so to have him personally reach out to each and every one of them and ask them to participate in the upcoming 'Pokémon World Tournament' hosted in Sinnoh was definitely a surprise.
  
  Because of this, the Gym Leaders of Unova had all gotten together to discuss whether they would be attending or not. Therefore, they had all gathered at Driftveil City, with Clay playing host for all of them as he so often did - given that he was seen as the unofficial leader amongst them.
  
  But to her personally, the choice was obvious. She was absolutely going to attend, no matter what. And she knew that the others were likely going to do the same as well.
  
  She realised that this was an opportunity for all of them to start making a name for themselves on the international stage. That was what was so great about this Tournament. No matter what your reputation was like in Unova, the public of the New Regions didn't know about it. Therefore, even if you were previously considered weak, you had an opportunity to start fresh in the minds of the foreign public.
  
  Not only that, but it was also an opportunity to personally experience just how strong their foreign counterparts were. The Unova Elite Four may have previously been defeated by their counterparts, but she assumed that the other Gym Leaders would be eager to ensure that there wouldn't be a repeat of this.
  
  "I won't waste your time now that you're all here." Clay began once they had all arrived, "We're here to discuss whether we're all going to be participating in this Tournament or not. But let me make one thing clear first - we're all going to have to be on the same page and act together. Therefore, we can't just have one or two of us not participating for whatever reason. So whatever decision we make today applies to all of us, got it?"
  
  They all nodded, and Clay continued, "Also, our Elite Four have already confirmed their attendance, probably due to Alder's influence. So we're either gonna be joining them or sitting out entirely. What do y'all think?"
  
  Even though she was the youngest person here by far, just like Drayden had taught her to do, she spoke up first, "I think we would be dumb to not join, especially if our Elite Four have already said that they're going. We can't miss out on something like this."
  
  "Agreed." Elesa nodded, "Staying out of this when everyone else's participating is just stupid. It'd also ruin our image among the foreigners as well."
  
  "Personally, I agree too." Clay said, "This is a big opportunity for us here - to prove that we ain't just some backward region forced to play second-fiddle to the newcomers. No, we have our own pride too, and this is our chance to show it. You agree?"
  
  Just like she expected, they all were. The Gym Leaders all recognised that this was a fantastic opportunity for them, so they wouldn't sit it out.
  
  "Great. So now that's sorted, we do have a slight problem." Clay pointed out, "Thing is, we've got a whole new set of Pokémon to learn about, so that's a whole lot of studying that we're gonna have to do. And it's far more than what the foreigners have to learn about us too. Worse, we don't have a lot of time before this tournament actually begins to do all this studying. So I reckon we could help each other out by pooling our knowledge together about all these new Pokémon and the notable trainers in the New Regions to save everyone time."
  
  "Wait a minute." Skyla interrupted, "Are you sure they'll play fair with us? I mean, the Sinnoh League's going to be deciding our partners right? How do we know they won't just saddle us with the weaker trainers so that we end up looking weak on stage?"
  
  "They won't do that." Iris spoke up, unbothered by the many stares that suddenly turned her way. She reminded herself that she deserved to be here, "I have had the opportunity to speak with two of Indigo's Elite Four members, and I know that they wouldn't do something as petty as that. Plus, since John is openly in a relationship with the Champion of Sinnoh, I'm confident that what he told me will apply to the Sinnoh League too."
  
  "I agree." Brycen nodded, "I also spoke with Elite Drake and Elite John. The former is a very blunt man, but a honest one. They aren't the type to look down on us, and I firmly believe they wouldn't condone such match rigging if it did occur. He would call it out."
  
  Skyla accepted their explanations and backed down, allowing Clay to continue, "Yes, from what I've seen the New Regions aren't the type to be so deceptive with their intentions. I think at the very least they'll give us a fair shot of proving our strength. Now, let's get to talking about their trainers first. Who should we be looking out for, and what Pokémon are they going to be fielding? What are their strengths and weaknesses? And how can we counter them?"
  
  They started with their Gym Leader peers in the New Regions first. Amongst all of the new Gym Leaders, they especially focused on Will, Giovanni, Volkner, and Pryce, as they were all publicly considered to be at the Elite Four level despite being Gym Leaders. With Pryce and Will specifically having previously been Champion or Elite Four respectively before stepping down into their current positions.
  
  It also helped that, aside from Will, the remaining three also shared a Type specialty with their own Gym Leaders, making it easier to compare their strengths. To that end, they ended up watching the recordings from the previous Tri-Regional Tournament to see what their potential future competitors or partners were like in battle.
  
  "...If Volkner hadn't lost to Pryce, there's no way he wouldn't have made it to the Top 3." Elesa was the first to comment after they had watched the highlights of that battle, "Look at those Electric types. No offense to whoever his partner was, but Volkner was easily carrying a bulk of the fighting there. And that... Electivire of his? Definitely one of the most resilient Electric types I've ever seen. I didn't think an Electric type could take that much punishment without going down."
  
  "But Pryce has clearly not let age slow him down." Brycen also pointed out, "Just look at that coordination with his partner. Despite all of that power that Volkner showed, they were still able to completely shut him down. Sure, myself and most other Ice specialists could pull off something similar, but not nearly as well as Pryce did. It's no wonder that man was once a Champion."
  
  Many of the other Gym Leaders threw in their own comments, but Iris wasn't listening to most of it. Instead, her eyes remained locked onto Pryce and Candice's team, studying just how their Ice types fought.
  
  With the point system of the upcoming Tournament, it meant that she had a very real possibility of having to face off against an Ice specialist as capable as Pryce was. And everyone knew that a Dragon's biggest weakness was to Ice, and maybe that new Fairy type as well, so she made sure to pay extra attention to how Pryce and Candice fought so she could come up with a strategy to beat them in case she was matched up against either of them.
  
  Nevertheless, one by one, the Gym Leaders of Unova began to pick apart the strengths and weaknesses of each Gym Leader and tried to come up with something to counter them. Of course, everyone knew that they were working with outdated information, so they also made sure to check up in their own time on some more recent battles to see how these trainers had improved. But for now, footage from the Tournament remained the most relevant at seeing how well they fought with a partner.
  
  The mood remained pretty optimistic as they went through all of the Gym Leaders. They were all pretty strong, but nothing they thought they couldn't handle.
  
  ...But it was a different story when they moved onto the Elite Four.
  
  They had all seen the battle between Karen, John, Drake, and Sidney versus their own Elite Four, where the foreign Elite Four members had won rather dominantly. And now they were expected to potentially fight against such monsters in the upcoming Tournament.
  
  Iris had spoken a lot with Karen, so she knew the path that the Dark specialist had to take to make it to the Elite Four. While she had never seen or met Agatha in person, she knew enough about Karen's character to know that she wouldn't exaggerate her adoptive mother's strength and reputation - and Karen had managed to surpass that to make it into the Elite Four.
  
  No wonder she handled Grimsley so effectively.
  
  Then there was John and Drake. Even all the way here in Unova, the two of them had already very formidable reputations among the public's psyche. They had managed to soundly defeat Marshal, a man that most of Unova saw as one of the stronger Elite Four members. Not only that, but John himself managed to completely dominate Alder's starter with his own in a 1v1 battle - the recording of which had now thoroughly spread across the region.
  
  If that wasn't enough, they had also found and bore witness to the battle between Lance and John where their starters clashed against each other. After they saw that? Well, it was crystal clear that Alder was completely out of his depth when he recklessly decided to ask John for a battle.
  
  ...It was yet another reminder that their Champion was lacking. A Champion was supposed to be like Lance - a man of uncompromising strength. Even with his defeat to John, there were none that could possibly suggest that Lance didn't deserve to be Champion. Not after what they had just witnessed.
  
  Still, this just confirmed to her that this tournament was definitely going to be prove very interesting. With so many amazing and remarkable opponents, this was going to be an opportunity of a lifetime for both her and her team to grow under pressure. She knew it in her gut that this would be her time to shine.
  
  To start making a name for herself beyond just being known as Drayden's apprentice.
  
  A.N. I know this was mentioned many, many chapters ago, but with the introduction of Unova I thought it was about time we had another big tournament to celebrate their inclusion and the opening of their borders. So everyone's going to be here - all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four! Furthermore, I felt that adding the preliminary stage and making it not be single elimination would be better for the tournament. I hope you agree too and that you enjoyed this chapter!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 15-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-12 - Looking into Plasma
  
  With so many different things in the works, there hadn't been much of a chance for me to relax and unwind. But on one particular morning, when I was spending some free time that I had by myself, I received a phone call from an unknown number.
  
  I contemplated on whether to answer or not, but ultimately decided that it was best not to ignore it.
  
  "Hello? Who is this?" I asked, letting a little bit of my annoyance leak into my tone.
  
  "Elite John? Sorry to bother you, but this is Looker. From the International Police." That introduction instantly snapped me out of my relaxation. Looker wouldn't call me for no reason, "I'd like to speak with you in private - about the suspicions that you and Elite Drake have brought back from Unova about PLASMA. There are also a few things I wanted to show you; would you mind arranging a place where we could meet up?"
  
  "That's not a problem at all." I replied, "Come over to my home next to the Cerulean Gym. I'll host you there."
  
  "Thank you." He said, "I'll be right over."
  
  And so I left my family's house and headed over to my own private residence that I often neglected. The most that I did was drop by once a week to clean up and to check if anyone had written to me. If they did (and they usually had), then I might spend a night there to go through those messages that deserved a reply.
  
  Most of it was unimportant fan-mail, but there were an occasional letter or two that had some thoughtful suggestions for me, especially regarding local developments in Cerulean.
  
  Nevertheless, I tidied the place up a bit while I waited for Looker to arrive. After about thirty minutes or so, I heard a knock at my door and saw that he had arrived.
  
  "Thanks for meeting me on such short notice, Elite John." He greeted me, "I know how busy you've been in recent times."
  
  "Don't worry about it." I waved him off, "I know you wouldn't have called me up like this for no reason, especially since it seems like you took the time to find my number. So, what's so important?"
  
  "Well, it'll be easier if I start from the beginning." He said, "When you and Drake came back from Unova, the two of you gave warnings about your suspicions about Ghetsis and the PLASMA organisation that he leads. Your warnings were passed up to the International Police, and I was assigned to investigate PLASMA to see if there were any validity to your claims. I trusted both of your judgments, so I knew that you wouldn't have given out such warnings for no reason. Therefore, I really put my head to the grindstone and did my best to check through anything I could to see whether your suspicions had any merit or not."
  
  "There was just one issue with this. The International Police currently has no jurisdiction in Unova, and I have no authority to conduct a thorough investigation into Ghetsis as I would if he was from one of our regions." He explained, "Therefore, my ability to properly vet him is very limited to unreliable hearsay and whatever is published in the media. Which is basically hardly anything to go on."
  
  "Yes, I could see why that would make things difficult." I nodded.
  
  "Exactly. And that's why I've come to you personally to make a proposal to you. One that, if I were to be transparent, carries quite significant risks to both you and I if you were to approve of it." He warned, "Yet, I hope you do - because I think that this is the only way that we'll be able to prove your suspicions in any reasonable amount of time. And before you ask, I'm doing this because I vehemently do not want a repeat of what happened with Cyrus and Team Galactic."
  
  I crossed my arms together, very interested in what he was about to say, "Go on then. I'm listening."
  
  "Allow me to go deep undercover and infiltrate the ranks of PLASMA." He stated, "That is the best way for me to properly gather information about the ongoings of PLASMA and see if they really are as good-hearted as they claim. The reason I wanted to go to you for this is because I know that my superiors at the International Police would never approve of such... reckless actions. Truthfully, I understand where they're coming from. Our relationship with Unova is still quite new, and my superiors wouldn't want to put that at risk with espionage."
  
  "And that's why you've come to me, as you realised that I would likely grant you the approval that you seek." I realised, "Because you know that I'll take you seriously."
  
  "Yes, exactly." He nodded, "I also know from your past actions that you're not someone who will leave a potential threat unattended. I know how much you tried to stop Cyrus before he became a problem, so I was confident that you want the same here."
  
  He was right; I very much did. While Ghetsis was nowhere near as dangerous as Cyrus, that wasn't some high bar to clear. I still wanted him stopped before he could summon Reshiram/Zekrom using N as a proxy and rule over Unova as he attempted to in the games.
  
  And besides that, I didn't want anyone to fall prey to his insidious manipulations.
  
  Therefore, I realised that there was only one thing I could say, "Tell me how you want me to help you."
  
  "I want your backing and support for my actions so that you can convince my superiors to approve of my infiltration." He stated, "I know the risks of going undercover are very high, and if I were to get exposed, then the International Police and Indigo will suffer a lot of damage from the backlash. But if you were to use your influence, then my superiors in the International Police will have to reluctantly approve of my mission - even if they might not want to."
  
  Then he winced, "Of course, if anything does go wrong, then it's going to be very bad for you." He admitted, "Though I doubt you needed me to tell you that."
  
  He didn't. If Looker's espionage mission got exposed, it would be horrible for the newly built rapport that we had with Unova. It could severely damage all of the trust between us.
  
  "...What are the risks of you being exposed?" I asked, "I'm not familiar with undercover operations, so I'm unfamiliar with the standard level of risk involved, but can't they just read your mind psychically to know that you're not a part of their group?"
  
  "First of, Psychic mind-reading is actually a very uncommon procedure, even among criminal groups." Looker replied, "It sounds strange, but even criminals are generally unwilling to subject their own employees to mind-reading as it is an extreme breach of their personal autonomy. So most people aren't just going to allow themselves to be subject to a psychic mind-read, especially considering the inherent dangers involved with such a process."
  
  Okay, that was fair enough I suppose. I wouldn't want to have my mind-read either, even if it's for security measures. Perhaps, in a more ruthless world, then forcing people to have their mind read would be more prevalent. But fortunately, I wasn't living in that kind of world.
  
  "Secondly, all International Police members have undergone anti-Psychic techniques to prevent mind-reading." He continued, "Of course, it's not fool-proof, and if someone really wants to dig into your mind then there's nothing you can do to stop it. However, I promise you that it'll be enough to trick any cursory psychic reading, which on the very rare occasions that they are performed, should be enough to throw them off."
  
  "Therefore, I can say that my chances of being exposed are pretty low." He concluded, "Undercover operations like mine are undertaken all the time by the International Police, although admittedly their political consequences if they were exposed have never been so high."
  
  "Okay, I get that. But how are you going to be infiltrating their ranks in the first place?" I questioned, "It's not like they're just openly hiring."
  
  Looker shot me a strange look, "...But they are? Look, see for yourself." He pulled up a news article on his phone.
  
  And sure enough, it portrayed an official message from PLASMA stating that they were looking for new volunteers to join their ranks. It was specifically targeted at our regions as well. I guess they were trying to capitalise on the new open borders to expand their ranks while Unova was still in the public eye.
  
  "Oh. I must have overlooked that." I admitted, "But I get it. You're just going to be posing as one of those new recruits, right?"
  
  "Yes, that would be the plan." He confirmed, "I intend to tailor my fake persona so that I would be an immensely attractive option for them to ensure my recruitment. We can discuss further details later as necessary."
  
  I nodded understandingly, falling into deep thought as I weighed up the pros and cons. On the one hand, having an undercover agent within PLASMA's ranks was going to be a huge boon in exposing him. On the other hand, there could be a very big backlash for us if he got exposed.
  
  In the end, I realised that this wasn't my decision to make. There was too much on the line. I had to speak to my colleagues and Lance first, and I said as much to Looker.
  
  "That's fine. I expected you to say something like that too." He revealed, "I just thought it was better for me to explain everything to you first, and then for you to bring it to Champion Lance instead of me. It'd be less awkward this way. You get along better with him than I ever would."
  
  I understood the logic, so I put this discussion on hold as I made a call to Lance, where he quickly arranged a meeting to be held to discuss it further. Once we had all gathered together, I quickly relayed and summarised everything Looker had told me.
  
  "...It's good that Looker didn't just go do this on his own." Lance muttered, "A loose cannon is the last thing we need. But since you were the first to speak to him, what are your personal thoughts on this, John?"
  
  "Even knowing the risks, I want to give him the green light." I stated, "We only need to look at what happened with Cyrus when we let threats like these fester. I am nearly certain that Ghetsis is a threat, so we need to deal with him accordingly. And this is the best way to do so."
  
  Lance nodded, "And what about you, Lorelei? You're the one directly involved with the International Police. What's your opinion on this?"
  
  "I'd say that this is far too risky." Lorelei replied, "I agree with his superior's stance. I know Looker's a competent guy as I've worked with him before to help expose Cyrus, and I appreciate his proactiveness, but this is going a bit far. There isn't a need to rush into some thing like this." She turned to Koga, "What do you think, Koga? You're the most experienced here when it comes to things like this."
  
  "I agree with John." He said, which wasn't all that surprising given his background, "This isn't something we should shy away from just because of the potential for backlash. Potential threats like Ghetsis must be investigated and dealt with swiftly."
  
  "But is the need to do so really that urgent?" Karen asked, "Couldn't we wait until we get official jurisdiction first before we do so? I don't see the need to rush when we can wait."
  
  "That might take too long." Koga denied, "Furthermore, if PLASMA turns out to be the threat that we suspect they are, by the time we have set up the necessary ground work and political influence to launch a proper investigation against them, it might already be too late. As the past has shown, Cyrus managed to exploit such methods to stall out the investigation for long enough for him to launch his own plans, using his entrenched positions against us. Right now, PLASMA is nowhere near as entrenched as Cyrus was, which gives us the perfect moment to strike, especially given their desire for recruitment."
  
  And so, among the Elite Four, we were split 2-2 on whether we wanted to approve or decline this operation. Therefore, the final decision rested with Lance.
  
  After a moment of silence, he let out a breath, "...I think that John and Koga have the right of it. We delayed in taking decisive action with Cyrus, and look where that got us. Risks or not, we can't just sit still and do nothing, not when an opportunity has presented itself like this."
  
  Outwardly, I showed no reaction. But inwardly, I was smiling. I knew that given a choice between backing off or pushing forwards, Lance would always choose the latter. His pride wouldn't allow him to back down.
  
  Still, I made sure to show my appreciation with a bow, "Thank you for your trust."
  
  "There's no need to thank me. You were only doing what you thought was best for Indigo, after all." He replied, before turning to Lorelei, "Lorelei. You and I will have to host a meeting with the higher-ups of the International Police and inform them of this new operation. Bring Looker along as well - I'll want to speak with him too."
  
  Hearing this, I made a mental note to also warn Looker about N and his ability to understand and speak with Pokémon. I didn't want him to be caught out by that.
  
  "Of course." Lorelei nodded.
  
  "As for the rest of you, if the worst case scenario happens and Looker is exposed, I'll take personal responsibility for this mission." Lance said, "There's no need for you to tarnish your own reputations with the backlash-"
  
  "No." Koga firmly interrupted him, "That would not be wise. Instead, place the blame solely on my shoulders. There is no need to taint the Champion of Indigo with something like this. If this does become a scandal, just say that this entire operation was my idea and that you had no knowledge of it. Considering my history as a ninja, this would not be unbelievable for the public, and it would preserve your reputations too."
  
  Of course, that wouldn't mean that everyone would believe that Koga was solely responsible. However, Koga's sacrifice should hopefully cast enough doubt so that only he would be seen as 'untrustworthy' by Unova, while the rest of us would mostly remain clean.
  
  "...You would do this for us?" Lance asked slowly.
  
  "Without hesitation." Koga nodded instantly, "I would do anything for Indigo."
  
  ...Well, there was nothing else we could say to that. And so the arrangements were made.
  
  (N's POV)
  
  He made sure that he made as little sound as possible as he entered into the meeting room, which was already filled with occupants. Around him, he spotted the rest of the Seven Sages in attendance. A few of them dropped him small smiles at his arrival, while the rest ignored him as they were more focused on listening to Ghetsis speak.
  
  "...Recruitment levels aren't reaching the highs we were expecting." Gorm reported, "It appears that our message has not resonated with as many as we had hoped."
  
  "And that's because your 'message' is far too soulless, like I said it was!" Bronius countered, "These are completely new people who have never heard of PLASMA and our ideals before! How could you imagine they be convinced just from a simple speech that they probably glanced over without a second's thought? The only way for our message to be heard is for PLASMA to actually head over to the New Regions and start spreading it in person."
  
  "And abandon our roots here in Unova? That would be the height of foolishness." Ryoku denied, "We have yet to make strong inroads in Unova, despite all of our collective effort, and now you want us distracted with trying to establish ourselves overseas when we haven't even managed to become influential at home? Preposterous!"
  
  "Ghetsis should still be making a tour around the world to get people to know us better. It won't do if we sit around in Unova doing nothing." Rood argued, "Our message is unfortunately quite unique and 'different' from what they're used to. These foreigners are too used to the cycle of abuse that they unintentionally subscribe to, and they need a guiding hand to show them the true path. Only Ghetsis will be able to do that."
  
  All of the Sages looked to Ghetsis, as if waiting for his opinion. However, in a moment of bravery, N decided to speak up.
  
  "...Is it okay if I go instead?" He asked quietly, almost too quiet to be heard, "I think I could be able to convince them."
  
  Some of the Sages, like Rood, lightened up at his suggestion, but the immediate scowl that formed on Ghetsis' face already told him all he needed to know.
  
  "No." Ghetsis declared with finality, "N, you will not be going. You will be staying here to continue your education and to wait until the time is right. You are too precious for us to risk; you cannot afford to be corrupted. You must remain here."
  
  "Nor will I be leaving Unova." Ghetsis turned to the rest of the Sages, "There is still much work to be done here that requires my presence, and I shall not sacrifice that for the New Regions. Not yet. Instead, Zinzolin, you shall go in my place to the New Regions. Spread the message on my behalf; I trust your skills."
  
  Zinzolin bowed deeply, "Thank you for your trust. You shall not be disappointed."
  
  But as Zinzolin rose from his bow, N caught a brief glimpse of something pass between him and Ghetsis. He knew that a silent message had just been communicated, but what could it have been?
  
  Yet he wasn't able to figure it out as Ghetsis continued, "Recruitment may be lower than expected, but there must be some new recruits that are worth mentioning. Are there any standouts? Especially any from the New Regions? It would be ideal if we could have one of the natives help us out with spreading our message. They'll serve as a familiar face."
  
  "...There was one." Giallo slowly recalled, "A veteran Ace Trainer that had apparently retired because he wasn't comfortable with the way his Pokémon were always badly battered in battle. Apparently, he was very taken by our message and wanted to express his willingness to join our cause."
  
  "Did you catch his name? Or the Pokémon that he had?" Zinzolin asked.
  
  Giallo frowned, "...I can't recall his name off the top of my head, but I'll recognise him when I see him - I remember he was quite the looker, so he could be good if we place him in front of a crowd. As for Pokémon? He apparently released them all back into the wild, so all he has now is a Croagunk that insisted to stay with him."
  
  "He's already released them from their Pokéballs?" N couldn't stop himself from asking. That was the first time he had actually heard about someone doing that so quickly after hearing their message! That was incredible!
  
  "Yes, that's what he told me." Giallo nodded, "I thought it was a little too much at first, but I had the opportunity to speak with him over the phone and... he's quite the oddball. I'd even go so far as calling him simple-minded, but at least his eagerness is unrivalled. He was practically buzzing with excitement over the phone about wanting to join our ranks."
  
  "Well being eager is always a good thing." Rood chuckled, "But if he proves capable, we should have him help out with spreading the message, especially since he's going to be more familiar with the New Regions than we would be."
  
  "He would make for a good propaganda piece." Ryoku agreed, "When is he arriving? We should make sure we give him a good first impression of PLASMA and our cause."
  
  "Do not worry. I've already made arrangements to meet him in person tomorrow." Giallo assured, "And he will get to know the righteousness of our cause firsthand."
  
  As the other Sages murmured their agreements, N had to fight down his excitement. This was going to be his first time meeting a foreigner that actually understood their message! His conversation with John had been... thought provoking, but he had come to realise that John had been tainted with an unhealthy amount of scepticism and bias. So this would be the first chance he got to share his views with a foreigner - someone who had seen more of the world than he had - who actually understood.
  
  He couldn't wait!
  
  A.N. I wanted to show the effects that Cyrus has had on this world. Even though I've not deliberately shown people to be 'traumatized' by his actions, I still wanted to highlight how the leadership of Indigo are now far more paranoid against future threats than they were before - to the point where they were willing to take on a risk to infiltrate PLASMA like this. Yet, because of the risks involved, I wanted to highlight the discussions behind the decision and show that it wasn't made without thought.
  
  And this is where Looker makes an appearance in the story again, as who better to infiltrate the ranks of Team Plasma than the man himself! Despite how goofy he can appear in the games, as I've shown previously, Looker really is one of the best agents that the International Police has, and he's going to be showing off that prowess real soon. You'll see how he works around people like N and Ghetsis. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-12 -Interlude-Looker
  The New Normal - 15-12 - Interlude - Looker
  
  It had been a long journey by ship to Unova, but for once, he was grateful for the downtime. It allowed him to brush up on his crafted backstory, not only for the sake of his own memory, but also for his partner Croagunk, who he had brought specifically for this infiltration.
  
  Unlike the previous undercover operations that he had to perform in the past, this one was particularly tricky. Firstly, he had never needed to try to infiltrate a group that purported to be for Pokémon rights. Normally, it was the opposite, as criminal groups tended to be abusive towards their own Pokémon.
  
  Secondly, it was the first time he had to consider the fact that there was someone that could speak directly to his own Pokémon. It meant that his Pokémon could accidentally expose flaws in his cover story unintentionally.
  
  That was why he had chosen to only bring Croagunk along, which he justified in his cover story by stating that he had released his remaining Pokémon back into the wild. Of course, in reality, he had certainly not done something as stupid as that. He and his team had been together for far too long for him to abandon them like that, and the trust that they shared was unbreakable.
  
  Yet, among them, his tiny and unassuming looking Croagunk was his most trusted companion. It was the partner that was assigned to him when he had first joined the International Police, having already been pre-trained, and it instantly stood out compared to all the other Pokémon that he was used to dealing with.
  
  For one, it had no intention of evolving into a Toxicroak, and instead preferred to maintain its unevolved form in order to disguise its true strength. Because despite its harmless looking appearance, his Croagunk was very proficient at quick takedowns, sneaking around, and ambushes. It was by far the most skilled and cunning member of his team.
  
  And just like he had done, Croagunk had trained itself to be equally as resistant to Psychic mind-reading as he was, in spite of its crippling weakness to Psychic.
  
  Perfect for an undercover operator.
  
  Eventually, they had arrived in Unova, and he quickly disposed of his notes so that he wouldn't leave any evidence for PLASMA to find. He tidied up his appearance a bit, making sure that his new look differed heavily from his usual appearance. After ensuring that everything was in place, he stepped off the ship with his Croagunk walking next to him and was immediately greeted by the PLASMA contact.
  
  It was an old man with a long white beard, dressed up in what looked like religious garments - akin to what a bishop would wear.
  
  "Greetings, Hilbert. It's so nice to finally see you in person. I am Giallo, one of the Seven Sages and co-leader of PLASMA. Thank you for coming over so quickly."
  
  The old man shot him a pleasant smile while he said all this, which quickly turned into a surprised frown as Looker, now in his disguise as Hilbert, grabbed onto Giallo's arms with both of his hands and violently shook them with an eagerness found in a rabid fan.
  
  "Oh! It's so nice to finally meet you! You don't know how excited I was when I found out that I wasn't alone in my thinking!" He said, making sure that his smile was wide and near-manic, "All of my former friends and family called me insane! But now I know it's just that I haven't found the right people yet! Isn't that right, Croagunk?"
  
  "Croa!" His partner nodded enthusiastically, before 'accidentally' jabbing him in the leg, making him wince as he 'stumbled' slightly. It was the signal that the person in front of him was starting to get uncomfortable with his over-enthusiasm, so he let go of Giallo and pretended to rub at the place where Croagunk had 'punched' him.
  
  "...Your enthusiasm is certainly appreciated." Giallo responded after a small pause, probably to get over his shock at Hilbert's excitement. "PLASMA is always ready to welcome those who are able to fully understand the message, which you definitely seem to have."
  
  "Of course!" He pounded his chest, "It's how I became an Ace Trainer in the first place! Once I set a goal for myself, I'll see it to the end. No matter what!"
  
  Giallo shot him a small smile, but Looker was able to catch onto the calculating look in the man's eyes. He was studying him, trying to get a good sense of his personality in order to manipulate him. It wasn't even subtle; any rookie could have spotted that. He guessed Giallo was underestimating him because of he looked every bit like a complete simpleton - too naïve and innocent to have any sort of deeper thoughts.
  
  It was just as he hoped. Playing dumb was a tried and true method of lowering someone's guard.
  
  After the brief introductions, Giallo ended up escorting him to a faraway location, almost to the most southeastern part of Unova, in a small little island near Nuvema Town. There were a couple of buildings on this island, which seemed to all be owned by PLASMA and served as their main base of operations.
  
  ...Interesting to note that a supposedly 'publicly' funded group could have access to their own private island of sorts. It might be a small island, with the buildings looking rather rundown, but the fact that they had something like this already demonstrated that PLASMA's origins were not as humble as they liked to pretend.
  
  He made sure to not let any of that show on his face as he asked Giallo another question, "...Is this where I'll be staying? With other people of PLASMA?"
  
  "Originally, we had planned for new recruits to stay together in bunk beds. However, recruitment levels were not as high as we originally anticipated." Giallo explained with an unmistakable tinge of sadness in his voice, "But that's good news for you, as you'll be having a room to yourself. Consider it a reward for your enthusiasm."
  
  Excellent. Not having to share a room with others would make things easier. They would certainly keep the room bugged, but that was easy to work around.
  
  The two of them walked together for a bit longer, and Giallo looked like he was about to split off from him for his other duties when they were suddenly approached by a green-haired teen.
  
  "Ah, Giallo, is this our newest recruit?" The newcomer asked. Looker immediately recognised him as N, the man that John had specifically warned him about.
  
  "It is, Lord N." Giallo nodded, and Looker inwardly noted the very strange title that Giallo had used with N, "I was just about to send him on his way. Would you like a word with him?"
  
  "If he doesn't mind indulging my curiosity." N gave off a small smile towards Looker, "I have a lot of questions to ask."
  
  "Sure! I'd love to speak to someone who finally understands me!" He replied with just the right amount of enthusiasm, "...But maybe you could give me a few minutes? I'd like to put down my stuff and get changed - I've been wearing the same set of clothes for days now."
  
  "Oh, of course. Go right ahead and take your time." N agreed easily, "Though, why don't you leave your Croagunk with me? I've always wanted to spend time with a new Pokémon from Sinnoh."
  
  "If you want to?" Looker turned to Croagunk and gave him a questioning look, communicating silently with his partner. His partner pretended to tilt his head thoughtfully before replying with an eager nod, while also subtly informing him that it remembered its duties.
  
  Croagunk would help him sell his own cover story.
  
  With that, he split off from his partner and headed to his assigned room. As soon as he stepped inside, he took out a miniature scanner from within his coat and turned it on. He received four pings back, letting him know that there were at least four electronic devices found within his room, confirming that he was being monitored.
  
  Unfortunate, but expected. It meant that he couldn't drop the 'Hilbert' façade anytime soon. That might have been draining on any other agent, but not for Looker.
  
  He was born for this kind of thing.
  
  A.N. I felt that it would be good to have a follow-up chapter with Looker's POV as he arrives in Unova. One of the things I wanted to highlight was Looker's future connection with N, with all of the potential changes that could occur from this, as well as the false persona that Looker has crafted for himself.
  
  And I also got inspired and repurposed the 'gag' of Croagunk in the anime, where he always used to mess with Brock whenever Brock got too 'enthusiastic'. I felt like having that kind of fake dynamic with Looker as Hilbert would be interesting. Also, props to those who noticed why I chose 'Hilbert' to be Looker's fake name. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-13 - Planning the Future
  
  The next few days flew past quickly.
  
  Normally, the Leagues were known to be rather slow when it came to pushing anything through. However, with all of the excitement that had been generated from the announcement of the new Pokémon World Tournament, the Sinnoh League put all political matters aside for the moment as they placed all of their focus into organising and setting up this new Tournament.
  
  The entire thing would take place in the new Battle Zone, in one of the newly built stadiums next to the Battle Frontier. Once tickets had been opened to the public, I was told that they had practically sold out in seconds. Not only were the arena seats themselves sold out, but the nearby hotels were also instantly fully booked up too.
  
  Needless to say, the public were really excited about this.
  
  Furthermore, we received confirmation from Unova that they would be arriving in Sinnoh sometime within the next week, which was a little earlier than expected. Which meant that it was also about time for us to depart from Indigo as well. But since there were no pressing duties that needed our attention, Lance gave us the thumbs up to head to Sinnoh early as a sort of 'mini-vacation'.
  
  Unfortunately, he himself could not enjoy this luxury as he was left behind and forced to continue his duties as Champion.
  
  Oh the woes of being Champion.
  
  We did feel a little guilty leaving him behind like that, though that didn't stop us from heading over to Sinnoh as soon as we could. Because of this, we were actually far ahead of schedule, as Steven's challenge hadn't even concluded yet. He had just come off of a victory over Phoebe, and now was getting ready to challenge Glacia.
  
  But that just gave us more time to ourselves.
  
  Sadly, Cynthia had already informed me that her schedule was preoccupied with getting this Tournament organised, so for the time being I didn't have the opportunity to spend time with her. But that was okay, as I had something I wanted to do that I had to do alone anyways.
  
  So, as soon as I arrived in Sinnoh, I gave Cynthia a heads up about what I was doing before I made my way to Snowpoint Temple, now renamed to the Temple of the Titan. I had seen pictures of the reconstructed Temple online, but seeing it in person was completely different.
  
  Originally, the Snowpoint Temple only had vague references to Regigigas as it used to only have the three Regi's eyes etched onto the pillars. But now those pillars had been redesigned to look like the three Regis in their entirety as sculptures of them held up the Temple of the Titan with their arms.
  
  Normally, it was a rule that members of the public weren't allowed to enter into the Temple, with foreign Elite Four members being no exception. However, as the one who reawakened the Legendary Titan, I was exempt from this rule and was allowed free access into the Temple so long as I informed the guards of my presence.
  
  It didn't take long for me to make my way inside, where I had to descend down many flights of stairs, and many more layers of security, until I reached Regigigas' resting place. The guards had escorted me down here, but left me alone as I reached the Legendary Titan itself, giving me my privacy.
  
  I stared up at Regigigas' slumbering form, the visions of our battle flashing through my mind as I recalled the moments where we fought side by side. I could still vividly recall every moment of that battle, and just how powerful the Legendary in front of me was. Despite this, there was still something I had to say.
  
  "...Sorry that it took me so long to visit." I apologised to the Legendary, unsure of whether it was actually able to hear me, "There've been many other matters on my mind, but I should have still taken the time to visit you earlier. So for that, I apologise."
  
  There was no response from the Titan, as I expected. Nevertheless, I kept going, "You know, I still think back on our fight together from time to time. As much as I would prefer to never be in that kind of situation ever again, I can't deny the excitement and honour that I felt when I was able to fight alongside you. And, I haven't forgotten about the promise I made. I'm working very hard to be instated as your 'Guardian', just like I said I would. I know it's been some time since then, but we've been making good progress recently, so I'm confident that I'll be able to honour my words soon."
  
  That actually caused the gemstones on Regigigas' chest to shine for a brief moment, and through our shared connection, I could tell that it was listening to me and approved of what I was telling it. Emboldened and encouraged by this, I continued to speak.
  
  "Furthermore, just to warn you, there's this potential new threat that I've spotted. A different kind of madman to Cyrus, yet with similar tyrannical ambitions. While I'm confident that we'll be able to take on the problem without your help, I'd just thought to let you know."
  
  The gemstones on its chest flashed again, but this time much more violently, and I felt our mental connection intensify as Regigigas suddenly demanded answers for the threat.
  
  I quickly replied, "Your direct intervention is not necessary at the moment. I am confident that we can handle it. We have learnt from our mistakes dealing with Cyrus, and this man is not as threatening as he was. Ideally, we will resolve this matter without needing your assistance."
  
  I understood that Regigigas was not one to casually interfere with the ongoings of us mortals. It may be our Guardian and protector of Order, but it was a proponent of free will. The Legendary Titan did not act to solve every conflict - only those that would threaten the very foundation of human society itself. And I knew that it would not be pleased if it was called upon for any other reason.
  
  ...Admittedly, I wasn't sure if Ghetsis and his insane goals qualified or not. Cyrus' certainly did, as his plan was to remake the world entirely. But Ghetsis' was to merely rule over Unova as a tyrant, which might not necessarily be threatening enough for Regigigas to take action since it technically didn't upset the natural order of the world. Despite this, I still felt that it was right for Regigigas to at least be aware of the threat, even though I doubted anything could get past it.
  
  And if the worst-case scenario happened and either Reshiram/Zekrom were awakened and were rampaging, then its strength would be necessary once again.
  
  Fortunately, Regigigas seemed to accept that and trusted my judgment on the matter, though not without giving me one final reminder that it would provide assistance if need be. Otherwise, it would continue to rest for the time being.
  
  And I hoped that it would never need to wake up once more, for I didn't intend to allow Ghetsis to get anywhere close to achieving his plans.
  
  After my 'reunion' with Regigigas was over, I left the Temple of the Titan behind. The guards that had been escorting me looked like they were torn between their duties and their curiosity to ask what exactly I had spoken with to the Legendary Titan, but they ultimately kept their silence and held back their questions.
  
  With my conversation now done, I was about to start having lunch by myself when I suddenly received a call from Cynthia.
  
  "Have you had lunch yet?" She asked me as I picked up.
  
  "No, not yet." I replied, "Are you inviting me? I thought you had other plans."
  
  "One of my meetings was rescheduled and another got cancelled, so I ended up having the rest of the day free." She told me, "So head over to Solaceon Town. I've found this really nice quiet café that I want you to try."
  
  Well, who was I to refuse?
  
  It didn't take me long to arrive at Solaceon Town, where I quickly met up with Cynthia. She brought me to this very nice corner café that was located right next to the large flower meadows that surrounded the small town.
  
  "It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Cynthia asked as she took an elegant bite out of the sandwich she had ordered, "I always like to come here from time to time just to admire the scenery. Sometimes I think about what it'd be like to be able to see this view every day."
  
  "It is beautiful." I agreed, though inwardly I felt like the food, while good, wasn't worth the price, "But I feel like the sight would get old if I see it all the time."
  
  "Then I hope you don't get sick of looking at me, since you spend so much time looking at me." She teased.
  
  My reply was instant.
  
  "Never. Your beautiful visage will never be unwelcome in my eyes." I flattered a little exaggeratedly, "And if you're still fishing for compliments - don't forget that I also found your character and ambitious equally as beautiful."
  
  "Well... I didn't forget, but it's good to be reminded from time to time." She chuckled, "Even a Champion likes the occasional compliment every once in a while."
  
  I pretended to frown, "I'm not sure if I've given a compliment to Lance anytime recently. Maybe I could call him up and say that the swishing of his cape looks extra dramatic today. He might appreciate that."
  
  My girlfriend laughed, "Please don't. If you actually said that to his face he might get self-conscious and decide to ditch the cape, which is going to be so weird. I've gotten so used to seeing him with a cape on that I literally can't imagine him without one. He'd look underdressed. That cape is part of his identity now."
  
  I laughed alongside her. Yes, I couldn't imagine what Lance would be like without a cape either. He was still the only person I knew that could wear a cape without it looking tacky.
  
  Cynthia shook her head, "Anyways, I did have something I wanted to do with you now that I have the rest of the day free. And since you're going to be here in Sinnoh for the next few weeks, I was thinking that we might as well get started on looking into a house together - unless you think that this is too premature...?"
  
  I was a little stunned by what she was saying, but then a small smile appeared on my face, "No, no. Why would I be offended when we've already spoken about it before? I'd love to get a start on it too."
  
  She smiled back, "Then do you remember where I once told you about where I wanted our dream house to be in?"
  
  "Of course. You said you wanted it in Sandgem, right?" I recalled, "I remember."
  
  "How nice of you to pay attention. Good to know that my boyfriend is such a good listener." She giggled, "But yes, I still feel like we should get a place in Sandgem. I know we only have the rest of the afternoon, but do you at least want to head there and take a look? We could look around and see what would be nice."
  
  "Yes, let's do that." And so we quickly finished off our lunches and headed over to Sandgem Town.
  
  We swiftly arrived there and began walking around hand-in-hand, with her head leaning comfortably on my shoulder. Fortunately, there were very little people around, and so even though we had done nothing to disguise our identities, no one really bothered us.
  
  Actually, Professor Rowan did spot us as he was heading back to his lab from one of the shops, but he must have recognised that we were on a date and so merely greeted us with a friendly nod of the head before walking back to his lab.
  
  As we took a quick wander around the town to see if there was anything to our liking, I quickly realised that Sandgem Town was actually pretty empty. I mean, I knew that in the games it only really had the Pokémon Lab as the only real place of interest, but seeing it in person really demonstrated just how empty this place was. There was literally nothing here other than the lab, a few shops, and a few more houses.
  
  Not that it was necessarily a bad thing since it meant that we were guaranteed to have peace and quiet, but it also meant that there were not a lot for us to look at.
  
  "...What do you think about this place in general, John?" My girlfriend asked me, "I know I said that I wanted to live here, but that's only if you agree. I can compromise with a different location if you don't like it."
  
  I hummed thoughtfully, "...So far I think I'm okay with it."
  
  She turned her eyes to me, "'Okay' means that it isn't perfect." She pointed out, "What do you not like about it? Tell me so that we can discuss things through together."
  
  I obeyed, "Okay, so I like the fact that it's quite peaceful and quiet. I also enjoy that you can feel the pleasant sea breeze from the neighbouring Route 220. However, if I'm not mistaken, then doesn't Sandgem Town attract a lot of foot traffic during the earlier days of the Circuit, because of the Pokémon Research Lab here? So wouldn't there be a lot of new trainers here - trainers that would, undoubtedly, try to bother a Champion in their home if it was too close by? I just feel like that might be a problem."
  
  She frowned, "...I didn't consider that, but you're correct. I'm so used to visiting Sandgem during its more quiet periods that I've forgotten about the rush at the start of the Circuit." She rubbed the sides of her head, "I can't believe I forgot about that. I even knew that Professor Rowan is always particularly busy during the periods leading up to the beginning of the Circuit as well. So if we came here a week or two later, I doubt Sandgem Town would be as quiet as it is now."
  
  "Exactly." I nodded, "I mean, my family and I got lucky that our family home is just far enough from Cerulean that it's inconvenient for trainers to visit, so we're able to maintain our privacy. However, let's say we buy a house in one of these streets. Once the media finds out about it - and it won't be hard for them to do so - our new house will be swarming with overeager new trainers who think that they should be allowed to challenge us just because they now have their very first Pokémon. You know how these new trainers can get when they get their very first Pokémon. So ideally our home should be in a place that's a little further away from Sandgem Town."
  
  Fortunately, the people of this world tended to be far more respecting of one's privacy, perhaps due to a difference in culture. Even reporters were more respectful of one's privacy than I was expecting, as I rarely had any reporters camping outside of my house just for the chance to interview me. And the same went for my peers too.
  
  Therefore, so long as our house wasn't too close to the locations with heavy foot traffic, we should be able to maintain our privacy.
  
  Cynthia agreed and paused to think, "...Then how about we check out the nearby Route 221? Maybe that'd be better?"
  
  "Sure, lead the way." I said, and we proceeded to do just that.
  
  As we arrived in Route 221, I noticed that the Pal Park hadn't been constructed yet, meaning that the Route was practically empty. All there was were trees and shrubbery, and there wasn't a hint of any human habitation or construction anywhere along this Route - it was like the Route had been forgotten about entirely. When I realised this, an idea suddenly sprung to my mind.
  
  Cynthia and I were both rather wealthy individuals, or at least, it wouldn't be difficult for either of us to earn money if we really wanted to. Therefore, between us, it wouldn't be impossible for us to buy up the nearby land on Route 221 and make this ours. If we did that, not only would we be able to construct a house in a place that would be devoid of neighbours, but we'd also be able to make use of all the empty land to build whatever we wanted here - since there was just so much free space!
  
  I said as much to my girlfriend, who nodded agreeingly, "It does sound appealing. It is a little far from the shops, but I guess with our Pokémon that really isn't too much of an issue. And we'd be able to stay far away from nosy visitors since this place is so isolated from everything else. I see why you like the place so much, especially your point about having so much free space to ourselves."
  
  "Is it going to be expensive if we buy up the land here, though?" I had to ask, "I'm not aware of the land market in Sinnoh."
  
  "Neither am I." Cynthia admitted, "But it'll be easy for me to ask around and find out. I doubt it'd be anything too pricey, considering that we seem to be the first people in a long time to even come to Route 221 in the first place."
  
  She made a point of looking around, finding not a single person around this place, "We've really abandoned this place, haven't we? This might be the most neglected Route in the entirety of Sinnoh."
  
  That was probably the case, as even the nearby Route 220 was pretty devoid of trainers too outside of the few swimmers that we saw, and that was only in the area that was close to Sandgem.
  
  However, that only reinforced the idea that Route 221 would be the ideal place for our dream house. My mind was still awhirl with thoughts about what else we could build in this Route, and my girlfriend must have saw that as she lightly tapped me on the head.
  
  "Silly guy, don't think too far into the future. We haven't even purchased the land yet or built our house. Save that thinking for when its actually relevant, okay?" She lightly admonished, but then her lips curled up into a smile, "But I can't deny that it's touching that you're putting so much thought into our future together. It's always nice to see that you care."
  
  "Well of course I do." I replied, "This is likely going to be the home that we're going to spend our future together in. Why wouldn't do all that I can to make sure that it's as perfect as possible?"
  
  "So you think that this place is suitable for our future home?" She looked to confirm.
  
  "Yes." I nodded, "Honestly, now that I'm here, I really can't think of anywhere else that's better. Maybe we can have other vacation homes in the future - maybe somewhere in Unova or something - but for now, I feel like our main home together should be here."
  
  "Okay, I agree. I like this place a lot too." She said as she took another look around, "If we do end up buying up all this land, maybe we can decorate this place so that it could look like those flower meadows in Solaceon Town too. I think that's be good."
  
  "Maybe we could have a ranch be built here too?" I suggested, "There's plenty of space for our Pokémon to train here as well."
  
  "Yes, definitely." She agreed, "And we could also start our own berry farm if you feel like we have the time for it..."
  
  Despite her earlier words about not needing to think too far into the future, Cynthia and I completely forgot about that as we continued making suggestion after suggestion together about what we wanted our new home to look like.
  
  We knew that not everything could be implemented, but the feeling of planning out your future dream home with your partner... it was unforgettable.
  
  And I was pretty sure I was smiling the entire time.
  
  A.N. I read through your comments, and I knew that many of you wanted more Cynthia and John interactions that's more than just the occasional bits and pieces. And I also thought it was about time where I started following through on their past plans. So I hope you enjoyed the discussion between Cynthia and John about the location of their future home.
  
  As John is slowly making his dream a reality, I wanted to describe just how their future would actually look like. I thought Route 221 would be an excellent place for a home, for the reasons stated in the chapter. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 15-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-14 - An Electric Atmosphere
  
  Our dream home planning went well into the evening, and had our stomachs not growled to inform us that we were hungry, I was pretty sure we could have gone on until midnight.
  
  It was a wonderful time. We even released our Pokémon so that they could play around together and check out what was likely going to be their new home as well.
  
  And it made the dinner that we shared together all the more romantic.
  
  Personally, I was overjoyed that we had that discussion. It made our future together seem all the more real.
  
  But of course, building our future home together wasn't something we could do anytime soon, and even after a few days' had passed, Cynthia was still trying to scout out how we could buy everything that we wanted. So that was something we would have to return to later.
  
  While this was all happening, Steven had almost finished up with his challenge through the Elite Four, having soundly defeated Glacia. I had watched the battle that took place between them, and without any offense meant, but Glacia was by far his easiest opponent. Her Ice types were just too weak to his powerful Steel type attacks, and Steven always managed to get off a Taunt to deny her the ability to set up the Snow. In my eyes, he struggled far more against Sidney and Phoebe.
  
  With Sidney, Steven had struggled to take down both his Sableye and Cacturne. Sableye had taken him by surprise by being sent out against his Aggron and quickly trapped it with a Mean Look. Aggron was then subjected to the inevitable barrage of status moves that rapidly crippled it and practically took it out of the battle.
  
  Then with Cacturne, the Dark Sandstorm that it utilised had completely blinded Steven from what was going on during the fight. This meant that his Magnezone, which should have been able to utilise its far superior Special Attacks to bombard Cacturne from afar, was almost completely unable to do so because of the howling storm of Dark-infused sand that surrounded both of them. Therefore, without being able to receive any instructions from Steven, it ended up losing the fight against Cacturne.
  
  And against Phoebe, he ended up losing his Goodra against one of her Banette. It had trapped Goodra with an Encore, forcing it to fire off a Dragon Pulse right into a prepared Destiny Bond - leading to a double knockout. Not only that, but as if to add insult to injury, Steven got his Aggron trapped in a Mean Look again against Phoebe's Dusclops. The Ghost type proceeded to slowly but surely take down Aggron with a Will-O-Wisp and a Curse, completely bypassing Aggron's usual high Defense.
  
  In fact, amongst the three Elite Four members that Steven had fought so far, I felt that Sidney had actually been the one to give him the most trouble, and the public seemed to agree. As a result, after the most recent battles, I noticed that the public had started to rearrange the 'power rankings' of the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  Before Steven's challenge, Sidney was still frequently considered to be the weakest amongst the four. Then it was Phoebe, then Glacia, then Drake as the strongest. However, with their recent performances in mind, Sidney had shot up the rankings so that he was now considered the second strongest, and Phoebe and Glacia were tied for the weakest.
  
  Still, it was now time to see if Drake could be the one to stop his winning streak. His battle was coming up soon, and much like most of the world, I was definitely going to be watching it live. If there was anyone that could throw a wrench into Steven's plans, it was going to be Drake.
  
  I was informed by Lance that once the Hoenn Elite Four had finished their battles, regardless if Steven won his next battle against Wallace, they would be sent over to Sinnoh as soon as possible so that they could prepare for the upcoming Tournament as well.
  
  Nevertheless, Steven's progress aside, since the Unovans hadn't yet arrived in Sinnoh, I still had a bit of free time before the Tournament preparations began in earnest. But with Cynthia occupied with her usual duties, I didn't exactly know what I wanted to do.
  
  I had planned to hang out with Karen, but then a phone call from Volkner changed those plans. Since I was here now, he asked me to come over to visit him in Sunyshore. Not only to catch up, but because he wanted to show me something.
  
  So that was where I headed. I quickly arrived at the Sunyshore Gym, but rather than heading into his office, I was instead taken to a small underground lab that was built right below the Gym itself.
  
  This was apparently Volkner's own private laboratory, which he used for testing out the assortment of machineries that he had built himself. To be fair, it wasn't really a lab, it was more like he had just dug out a chunk out of the cave and just used it as a workshop.
  
  "It's not as messy as I would have expected it to be." Were my words when I first stepped inside, "I honestly thought I was going to see way more machinery lying around."
  
  "Well, it was that, but I've had to do some cleaning up recently thanks to all the Rotom hanging about." Volkner admitted, "Having all sorts of different machineries lying about was fine and all until you've got Rotom randomly possessing every little thing - and then it all becomes pure chaos with a very real risk of cranial injury from all the possessed machinery flying about. After learning that particular lesson, I don't feel the need to learn it again."
  
  I snorted at that imagery, "Is that what you wanted to show me? Something to do with the Rotom?"
  
  "No, it isn't." He said, "Though, now that we're on the topic - would you like a Rotom? Trust me, I've got way too many spares. I can even throw you one of our custom made appliances for it to transform into if that's what you want."
  
  I considered it for a moment before shaking my head, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm good. I don't really need a Rotom in my team. It wouldn't really fit." And with my latest additions from Unova, I wasn't all that eager on getting new team members for the moment.
  
  "Fair enough, just letting you know that the offer's open." Volkner nodded easily, "But anyways, let me show you what I've more or less stumbled into."
  
  He led me deeper into his underground lab, until we stepped up to a reinforced door with a warning sign attached to it that said - 'WARNING: RISK OF ELECTROCUTION'. I shot him a questioning look.
  
  "Okay, let me explain how this all happened. I know this probably, no, definitely breaks a few safety regulations. However, I wasn't keeping an eye on all the Rotom that I have, and so I just let them roam about as I focused on my work." He explained, "Yet what I failed to realise was that there was actually an empty cavern that had been connected to my workshop that the Rotom had been hanging out in when I wasn't paying attention - and they ended up electrifying the whole thing by accident due to their constant and lingering presence."
  
  Okay, he was right. This was most certainly in breach of several safety regulations. But I kept my silence and allowed him to keep going.
  
  "Therefore, when I eventually discovered what they had done, my initial thought was to de-electrify and clean everything up. Yet when I began to do so, all of the Rotom began to stage a protest as they wanted to keep it the way that it was." He continued, "Ultimately, since they kept making a mess of things unless I gave them what they wanted, I conceded to their demands. And since the cavern was pretty much empty of Pokémon anyways, then I thought that there was no harm keeping it as is."
  
  He moved to open the door, "Though, as it turns out, that cavern wasn't nearly as empty of Pokémon as I first thought. Apparently, there were several Rock and Ground types living there - just casually exposed to all this electricity for probably over a year now. And uh... let me show you what happened."
  
  Then he instantly put out a hand to stop me, "Oh, you need to get changed before you go in. Grab that rubber suit and gloves over there so you don't get electrocuted. And bring a Ground type Pokémon if possible, just in case."
  
  Nodding along, I got suited up and followed in after him as we descended into the cavern below.
  
  Just like he said, there weren't many Pokémon around. I spotted one or two Probopass, but I could tell that despite their evolution (that was likely due to the magnetic field here), they were weak and docile - probably because they didn't have any reason to battle. Besides them, there were also a few Graveler and Rhyhorn.
  
  However, more importantly than that, I spotted something that made my eyes widen. In the corner of the cavern were a few special Geodudes that I most definitely recognised.
  
  These were Alolan-Geodude.
  
  "I see you spotted them." Volkner noted.
  
  "...Yes, I definitely did." I replied, "Is this what you wanted to show me? Some kind of Electric variant of Geodude?"
  
  "Yep." He nodded, "Found them completely by accident. The Gravelers here must have been exposed to too much of this electricity for too long and laid an egg that hatched into one of these Electric variants."
  
  I whistled, "Lucky break for you then. New evolutions are always super interesting. Though I'm curious as to why you haven't announced this to the public. You must have discovered this quite some time ago."
  
  "True. And actually, you aren't the first person I've shown this to." He revealed, "I've already shown this to both Flint and Jasmine; they've just promised to not tell anyone, like I hope you will too."
  
  "Of course." I nodded easily, "I'll keep my mouth shut until you make the official announcement. I wouldn't steal credit for your achievement."
  
  "Thank you. And as for your other point, I haven't revealed this to the public yet because I want to show off more than just these Electric Geodudes." He explained, "I want to see if they can evolve into Graveler and Golem respectively, and if those evolutions will also have their own alternate forms as well. That's why I've caught one already, and am in the process of training it up in secret."
  
  "They any strong?" I asked, genuinely curious for his opinion.
  
  "Well, they do have this special ability where they turn all their Normal attacks into Electric attacks." Ah, that must be the Galvanize ability, "Though other than their new Electric typing, which replaces their Ground typing, I don't really see too many differences for now. Perhaps if and when they evolve into a Graveler and Golem it'll be different. Still, I'm more than happy to add a new Rock/Electric type to my team - especially since it's the first Pokémon with that kind of Type combination."
  
  I nodded; though inwardly I wasn't too sure about how good that type combination would prove to be. Being quadruply weak to Ground attacks seemed... inconvenient. Though offensively I was sure it was going to be a great threat, and I said as much to Volkner.
  
  Due to the inherent dangers about staying in an electrocuted zone, and since there was nothing else for Volkner to show me, we stepped out of the area and back into the safety of his lab, where we continued our conversation from there.
  
  "So anyways, you feeling excited about the Tournament coming up?" He asked me, "You have anyone in particular you want to have as a partner?"
  
  "Ideally I'd prefer to be partnered up with someone from Unova, since I'd love to be able to get to know them better and form a deeper connection." I replied, "And if I was allowed to choose... then I'd want to be partnered with Gym Leader Iris. She was the first Gym Leader I spoke to when I was in Unova."
  
  "Makes sense." He nodded, "But unless you're able to whisper your desired partner into our Champion's ear, I doubt they'd pair someone like you with the 8th Gym Leader of Unova. Especially not a Dragon specialist like her."
  
  "That's true." I agreed, "So I'm not holding out hope for it. What about you?"
  
  "Obviously I'd want to be paired with Jasmine." He remarked, "Although I doubt they'd allow us to have the same partners as last time. Otherwise... I'd want someone from Hoenn, since I haven't really had the opportunity to get to know them too well."
  
  "Speaking of Hoenn... I'm sure you watched how Steven dominated his battle against Glacia." He said, "I wonder if we're going to be seeing a new Champion for them soon."
  
  (Steven's POV)
  
  After a long slew of battles, he had finally reached his penultimate opponent and the last of the Hoenn Elite Four - the Dragon master himself, Drake.
  
  Fortunately, even though many speculated that he was foolish to agree to the accelerated challenge schedule, he found it easier to not have to wait so long between battles. His Pokémon were already ready to go, having previously prepared extensively for the battles against the Elite Four, and he saw no reason to delay things when they were already pumped up and roaring for battle.
  
  The first three Elite Four members had been far from pushovers, but they all fell to the raw might of his Pokémon. Neither Sidney nor Phoebe's teams focused on using pure strength to overwhelm their opponents, choosing to instead make use of status moves to wear down and cripple opponents overtime. Unfortunately for them, his training with Bruno meant that his Pokémon had inherited much of his friend's martial discipline, giving them a significant amount of mental resistance to moves like Taunt and Confuse Ray - both moves that Sidney and Phoebe relied on heavily to execute their strategies.
  
  And while Glacia was different, that didn't make her tougher. Rather, her Ice types failed to withstand against the unrelenting might of his Steel types, and after he denied her any opportunity to set up the Snow, they crumbled before his relentless assault.
  
  Thanks to all the training that he did with Bruno, his Pokémon hit hard.
  
  Despite this, even before he had fought against Sidney, he had always known that Drake was going to be his toughest opponent outside of Wallace.
  
  Unlike the others, he fully believed that Drake was his peer in strength. The man's team was easily worthy of a Champion, and he was well aware that only Drake's lack of political ambitions stopped him from challenging Wallace for the title outright.
  
  That was why, during his preparations, he had spent the most time planning out his battle against Drake.
  
  And with all of that preparation, he had no reason to feel nervous as he stepped into the arena. Even though he was about to face Drake's full might, he knew he was ready for it.
  
  Besides, this battle was merely going to serve as the hors d'oeuvres for the battle against Wallace.
  
  If he wasn't able to defeat Drake, then he would stand no chance against the Champion.
  
  He kept those thoughts in mind as he stepped up into the arena, taking his position opposite of the final Elite Four member. His face remained completely stoic, which was in heavy contrast to Drake, who was sporting an excited and battle-hungry grin on his face.
  
  "You don't know how long it's been since I've had a proper challenge like this." Drake said before the battle began, "I saw how you decimated my colleagues - I've seen the strength that your team possesses to do so. I was fucking bursting with excitement to test out that power for myself. So don't you dare try to hold anything back for a 'surprise' against Wallace. If you are to be our Champion, I want to see everything you have."
  
  Steven returned a silent nod in reply, waiting patiently for the announcer to start the battle. After his usual speech, he did so.
  
  "TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?! THE FINAL 6V6 BATTLE BEGINS IN THREE!...TWO!...ONE!...FIGHT!"
  
  "Come out, Mawile!"
  
  "Fight, Flygon!"
  
  He knew that Drake was the type of trainer to send out his stronger Pokémon first in order to gain an advantage and snatch the momentum for himself. Therefore, he had guessed correctly that Drake would send out his Flygon first to try to capitalise on Flygon's Ground type advantage over his Steel types.
  
  And that made him ripe for a nasty surprise.
  
  Drake started off the fight with a powerful Earthquake, but his Mawile predicted this and launched itself into the air. However, instead of attacking, Mawile instead began to set up with a Stockpile and Swords Dance, buffing up its Attack, Special Defense, and Defense all at the same time.
  
  Flygon immediately punished this with a scorching Fire Blast, detonating a huge ball of flame right on top of Mawile. Yet his Mawile held strong and set up with another Stockpile to continue buffing up both of its defenses.
  
  "Outrage, Flygon! Put it down with a Fire Punch!"
  
  Of course, in his usual aggressive fashion, Drake decided that there would be no more setting up. His Flygon exploded forth with incredible power, searing the air around it as it slammed down with a savage Fire Punch right into Mawile.
  
  Had this been before he met Bruno, his Mawile would have likely collapsed right then and there, unable to withstand the sheer power of a Fire Punch from an Outrage-boosted Flygon. But, thanks to all the training that they had done, things were now different. His Mawile had been trained and drilled to resist against attacks of such calibre.
  
  And so, Mawile held the line.
  
  Its face was one of pained determination as its tiny fists grabbed onto Flygon's, locking the overextended Ground type in place before Mawile viciously slammed their heads together with an Iron Head. With all of its Attack boosts, Mawile was actually able to inflict a small flinch onto Flygon even through the Outrage, causing Drake's Pokémon to stagger backwards for a brief moment.
  
  Which gave Mawile all the time it needed to pounce onto it with an Ice Fang into Play Rough combo.
  
  The combined assault from two different supereffective types actually managed to break through Flygon's Outrage, dealing considerable damage and causing it to be inflicted with a bout of confusion as it stumbled around disorientated.
  
  With Flygon momentarily vulnerable like this, it should have been the perfect opportunity for Mawile to follow up with another hard hitting blow. Yet the Steel type did not do so.
  
  Instead, he surprised everyone with his next move.
  
  "Baton Pass, Mawile."
  
  Drake's eyes snapped open with a look of emerging horror, "I retire my Flygon."
  
  The crowd was as shocked as Drake was at seeing the man instantly retiring his Flygon from the fight. Drake was famously known as a trainer that would fight to the end. Retreating like this was very unlike him.
  
  Yet, it was the right decision. Because as soon as his own Mawile was recalled, it had passed its buffs over to the Pokémon he knew would bring him victory in this fight.
  
  "Metagross! DESTROY!"
  
  "Salamence, earn me victory!"
  
  Had his opponent been either Sidney or Phoebe, a Baton Pass trick like this wouldn't work out so well, due to the litany of status moves that they frequently made use of that could cripple a buffed up Pokémon. However, for all the strength that he had, he knew that Drake was not a trainer that made use of status moves often, if at all. As befits a Dragon trainer, he was the type of trainer that would try to match strength for strength. A man who sought out a honest and pure fight.
  
  Which was why he knew how to exploit it.
  
  Drake was going to get the 'honest' fight he wanted, but against his incredibly buffed up Metagross - his prized starter and, even without the buffs, the most powerful Pokémon on his team.
  
  And Steven had studied Salamence extensively before this fight. He knew exactly how strong it was. So he knew that with all these buffs, his Metagross would surpass it.
  
  "Salamence, Outrage! Go all out!"
  
  "As planned, Metagross!"
  
  To his credit, Drake made the right decision going all out from the start. His opponent recognised that sending any of his other Pokémon against a buffed up Metagross would be like nothing more than sending out fodder. The only chance he had now to reverse his position was to go all-out from the start and bring down Metagross before it could buff itself up further.
  
  Unfortunately, he would find that it was already too late.
  
  Salamence shot forwards like a missile, but Metagross had already set up a Reflect and Light Screen, while its remaining two heads were in the process of setting up a Iron Defense and parrying with a Ice Punch.
  
  Therefore, with all those buffs surging through its metallic frame, Metagross hardly even moved as Salamence violently slammed into it with a full-powered, Outrage-boosted Fire Punch and Earthquake combo. A move that was powerful enough to bring down all but the strongest of Pokémon, and even for the latter they would still have to respect it, was tanked just like that.
  
  Steven couldn't help but grin when he saw the frown on Drake's face. Yes, that was the reaction he wanted to see when opponents faced off against his Metagross. His starter may not initially have the raw strength that other Champion's starters would have, not when compared to the likes of Emperor and Tyrant. But with its four different minds working together simultaneously, it was able to rapidly buff itself up to be able to match or even surpass those titans of battle.
  
  Furthermore, with Metagross' Clear Body ability, outside of moves like Haze, you couldn't even reduce those stats after they had been buffed. And now you were faced off against an unstoppable monster of a Pokémon, ready to wreck through your entire team.
  
  Which was exactly what was happening to Drake right now.
  
  For all of his Salamence's vaunted strength, even with the Outrage boost it was being repeatedly pummelled into the ground by his Metagross. Oh, it was fighting back as good as it got, and he knew that Drake's Salamence was one of those Pokémon's where their body would break before their spirit.
  
  But that was perfectly fine by him. In this incredibly violent and vicious brawl that their two starters were entangled in, he remained supremely confident that his Metagross would be the one to come out on top.
  
  After all, it wasn't a fair fight.
  
  Giant steel fists smashed into draconic claws as Ice Punches and Dragon Claws collided against each other. Heads were smashed and bashed together. Torrents of scorching flames were unleashed and held back by a wave of Psychic in equal measure. Enormous Earthquakes and shards of large rocks shredded and devastated the battlefield.
  
  Steel clashed against Dragon as both Pokémon sought victory, no matter the cost.
  
  Yet in the end, just as he predicted, the boots granted by the Baton Pass had given his Metagross an overwhelming advantage against Salamence - and the Dragon's body broke against the incredible might of his starter.
  
  So even as the Dragon's spirit still yearned, nay, demanded for battle, its body refused to obey - beaten and battered as it was by the relentless and brutal assault from his Metagross. In fairness, his Metagross had not come out of the fight unscathed, and its once pristine metal form was now marred by a litany of scrapes, dents, and scorch marks.
  
  Had it been an equal fight to begin with, he was pretty sure that Salamence would have come out on top. But sadly for Drake, he didn't fight fair. He had stacked the deck to ensure that he would win.
  
  So, seeing his starter and most powerful Pokémon go down, Drake let out a bitter laugh, "So that's how it's going to end. One mistake, and this fight is already over."
  
  Steven remained silent, letting Drake continue with a shake of his head, "I suppose I was too eager for a good battle, I forgot all about how cunning an Ekans like you could be. Heh, but maybe someone with your brains would make for a good Champion."
  
  Steven still said nothing, completely unbothered by the backhanded insult from Drake. Because Drake wasn't wrong - Bruno had said as much about him. And as long as he still had Bruno's trust despite his occasional duplicity, then that was all that mattered.
  
  "...But I won't go down without a fight." A grin broke out on Drake's face, his hand reaching for another Pokéball, "Come on then. Show us all just why you deserve to fight our Champion! Show us the strength of a man ready to lead a region!"
  
  That's right. Drake was never someone to give up; he would fight to the bitter end.
  
  So it was only right that he saw it through.
  
  A.N. I had always wanted to bring the Alolan-Geodude line into the story, and I felt that Volkner was probably the best person to discover it. I felt it was only fitting that since Jasmine (his girlfriend) accidentally discovered A-Diglett, it'd be poetic for him to discover A-Geodude in a similar fashion.
  
  Also, I wanted to shine the spotlight on Steven's Champion challenge for a moment. I know I skipped over several of his battles against the other Elite Four, but against Drake, I felt that skipping over his fight entirely would be a disservice. Therefore, I decided to highlight the one, battle-defining moment of the fight, where Steven outplays Drake with a well-timed Baton Pass. This is highlighting another facet of Steven's character - and what makes him differ from the other Champions in Lance and Cynthia. Steven actually fights more like Karen or Sidney does, not necessarily in terms of moves, but in terms of mindset. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-14 -Interlude-Archer
  The New Normal - 15-14 - Interlude - Archer
  
  Today at the Battle Castle had been a particularly long day for him. There were many more challengers than he had expected, and many of them had earned the required number of wins to challenge him directly - which meant that he had to participate in several high intensity battles back-to-back-to-back for several hours without any chance for a break.
  
  But even though he was pretty drained and exhausted from the sheer number of challengers that he had to face, the fact that the popularity of his Battle Castle was growing could only be a good thing. It showed that the unorthodox battling style that he offered had its own unique charm that the public recognised. And more importantly, it meant that he could argue for more budget in the coming budget meetings.
  
  However, the surprising popularity of his Battle Castle wasn't the reason he was smiling right now. No, that was because of the visitors that he was expecting to have.
  
  And the sounds of his door knocking told him that they had just arrived.
  
  "Hello, Archer. I hope we haven't caught you at a bad time." His former boss said as he stepped into his office, with Petrel and Ariana following right behind him, "Although, looking at your face, you seem pretty wrung out. You sure you're doing okay?"
  
  "There's no need to worry about me, boss." He said reassuringly, "I'm actually enjoying myself in this position. Much more than I thought I would."
  
  Yes, he was tired. But it was the good kind of tired. The one that left you feeling fulfilled and satisfied.
  
  "Please, I've already said this before, but you don't need to call me boss anymore. Just Giovanni would do." His boss said as he took a seat opposite him, "Although, knowing you and Petrel, I doubt I'll be able to convince you guys anytime soon."
  
  "We call you 'Boss' as a show of our respect and gratitude." Petrel remarked as he also took a seat, "Even if we may no longer be working under you - our respect for you does not change."
  
  "I'd also be calling you Boss too if I weren't your partner." Ariana added, and a teasing but fond smile appeared on her face, "But I'd much prefer calling you just 'Gio'."
  
  His boss just shook his head in exasperation, before changing the topic completely, "Anyways, how're you doing in your new position, Archer? You said you were enjoying yourself?"
  
  "Yes, I am." He nodded, "I never realised this about myself, but I actually find being able to 'teach' others about my unique kind of battling style to be quite fulfilling. I could never stand in a classroom and lecture, but as a Frontier Brain, I'm able to teach by example. And I can't deny that I find it fun."
  
  "I'm sure the added popularity and attention that you get now also helps too." Ariana smirked.
  
  "I found it difficult to adapt to at first." He admitted, "I wasn't used to being recognised on the streets and being called out by name. At first that made me paranoid, because I felt like I had been exposed. I guess I was just too used to working undercover. And I wasn't all too sure about how to deal with my newfound fans."
  
  "Managing fans is an acquired skill." His boss agreed, "But it's a rewarding skill to learn once you do master it."
  
  "I had some help with that." He said, "I reached out to my colleagues, and Dahlia has been very helpful with teaching me how to manage my newfound fame. She's definitely far more used to the spotlight than I would ever be."
  
  "So does that mean you plan on sticking with your job as a Frontier Brain for the foreseeable future?" Petrel asked.
  
  "...I think so." He nodded, "I don't see any reason why I would quit when I'm enjoying myself. This job pays well, lets me train up my Pokémon more, and allows me to experience a different kind of lifestyle than what I was used to. So overall, I have no complaints. What about you, Petrel? How are you finding your time working in the Cerulean Gym?"
  
  "Rewarding, though I'm sure you already knew that." Petrel answered, "However - recently, I have had thoughts about quitting."
  
  Ariana whirled towards him, "Quitting? That's not like you, Petrel. I thought you adored those girls. You talk about them all the time. Why would you think of quitting?"
  
  "Apologies, I misspoke. I don't intend on quitting anytime soon; as you say, the girls still need me." Petrel clarified, "However, maybe in a few years down the line, when the sisters are able to manage the Gym without my expertise, then I believe I'd like to move onto newer pastures."
  
  "You have something you want to do?" He asked.
  
  Petrel nodded, "I have had thoughts about starting my own management company, mainly for contest performers. This is because I have come to learn, to my horror, that most contest performers and trainers are horrible at managing their own schedule and their own bookings. This is especially true for contest performers, since they often require additional supporting crew, like those that handle lighting and music and so on, to help them. And those need to be organised in advance, which contest performers are terrible at arranging. So that's where I could offer my services to assist them with the tasks that they'd rather not deal with."
  
  "That's a very good idea. Always a good thing to take advantage of an empty spot in the market." His boss smiled, "Let me know if you need any assistance with startup funds or whatnot. I'll always be there to assist."
  
  "That would be most appreciated. Thank you." Petrel bowed deeply towards Giovanni, who merely waved it off and said it wasn't a big deal.
  
  "Actually, now that we're on the topic of future plans, I might as well speak up about what I was thinking of doing to you two since Gio already knows." Ariana said, "Right now I'm occupied with raising Silver. But once he heads out on his journey and becomes mostly independent, I wanted to resume my old position as a researcher - with the aim of eventually becoming a Professor."
  
  He whistled, "That's not an easy task. Not many scientists are able to make it to become a Professor."
  
  "It will be tough." She agreed, "Yet it's something I want to work towards regardless. Hopefully, one day I could be known as 'Professor Ariana - Pokémon Inventions Specialist'. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
  
  She then let out a sigh, "But that dream is still very far away. I'm going to have to make some big discoveries if I want to ever be able to become a Professor."
  
  She was quickly pulled into a one-armed hug by his boss, who was now looking at all of them with a proud smile on his face.
  
  "My, my. Look at you all. Before, if I ever asked you a question about what you wanted to do in the future, you would have all said that you would do whatever I told you to do. However, look at you now. You've all got your own goals and dreams that you want to fulfil. You don't need me to tell you what to do anymore." Giovanni's smile grew wider, "And that just makes me all the more happy to see you all turn over a new leaf in life."
  
  "Well done, everyone. And I hope all of your dreams come true as well. You all deserve it."
  
  The four of them spent an enjoyable hour together just hanging out and catching up with each other, but eventually, his boss and Ariana had to head back to take care of Silver, and Petrel went along with them.
  
  He checked his watch. It was already dinner time, and so he decided that he might as well head down and grab a quick bite to eat.
  
  But that was when he heard another knock on the door, and Dahlia popped her head in with her usual bright smile on her face.
  
  "Was it nice meeting your old friends?" She grinned, "I wanted to ask you earlier if you wanted to grab dinner, but I didn't want to disturb you all."
  
  "Sorry, I could have introduced you if I'd known." He replied, "They would have loved to meet you."
  
  "No, no. It wasn't for me to intrude on such a conversation anyways when it was clearly very personal. And you deserved to have an opportunity to catch up with your old friends." She said, "Anyways, have you had dinner yet?"
  
  "I was about to go eat." He replied.
  
  "Excellent." Her smile grew wider, "Then what do you say we grab something together? A new restaurant just opened up in the Resort Area. I've been hearing many of my challengers talking about it. Want to go check it out?"
  
  "Sure." He went to grab his coat, "Is it just us two? What about the others?"
  
  "Palmer's gone home to eat with his family - I saw him rushing out the door the moment the Battle Frontier closed." She explained as they stepped out of his office.
  
  "He's always in a rush." He smirked, "Palmer never has any patience for anything."
  
  "Well his wife seems to have enough patience for both him and his son, which is frankly extraordinary." Dahlia chuckled, "I wish I had half the patience she had."
  
  "You've met her?" He asked curiously, "Why haven't I seen her yet?"
  
  "She came to visit Palmer a few days before the Battle Frontier opened." She explained, "I think you were busy working out the last minute details of your Battle Castle, so you probably just missed her."
  
  "That's probably it." He nodded, "So you were saying about the others...?"
  
  "Ah, right. Well, Argenta's already eaten. As for Thorton..." She shrugged, "I have no idea where he is. Couldn't find him. He's probably hidden away somewhere. Again."
  
  "So as usual then." He replied amusedly, following after her, "He's likely still obsessing over the plans for his new Battle Factory." This was despite the fact that the Battle Factory was already almost fully built. Thorton was just being overly obsessive about it, as usual.
  
  Thorton's obsessive nature actually made him pretty adorable to all the other Frontier Brains, himself included. They all saw him as the 'child' of the group, in a good way.
  
  "That sounds like him. It's impossible to pry him away from his plans." Dahlia shook her head fondly, "So I hope you don't mind if it's just us two."
  
  "Of course not." He replied, a little quicker than he intended. Then, feeling a little daring, he extended an arm out for Dahlia, "Lead the way then, my lady."
  
  "Oh my." She giggled, but moved her arm so that it slipped inside his, "Keep acting this way, and a lady might get the wrong idea."
  
  He grinned slightly, "It's only wrong if you dislike it."
  
  "Well I didn't say that." She smiled playfully, pulling him along, "Come on, it's already pretty late. We need to move fast or we won't be able to secure any seats..."
  
  A.N. I read the comments about how people wanted to see more of Archer's interactions with the Battle Frontier. And I agreed that the Frontier Brains deserved some attention too. However, I also wanted to add some more story to Giovanni's previous subordinates, and highlight what they wanted for the future. So this was a combination of both. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-15 - New Partners
  
  I ended up watching Steven's battle against Drake with Karen, Lorelei, and Lucian. My girlfriend had other things to attend to, and Koga had apparently gone to speak to Maylene, since he was mentoring her.
  
  I could have teased Lorelei when I saw that Lucian was joining us, but I kept silent for politeness' sake. I had the tact to know that she wouldn't appreciate any such teasing right now. Besides, I was more focused on the battle between Steven and Drake anyways - which ended up as Steven's victory after an excellent Baton Pass to his Metagross.
  
  And with his latest victory, this meant that Steven was one step away from becoming the newest Champion of Hoenn. It also meant that the Hoenn Elite Four were now on their way to Sinnoh so that they could attend and prepare for the Tournament.
  
  Drake had sent me a message confirming the same. When I asked if he was satisfied with his defeat, he told me that he was initially a little disappointed - since Steven had outmanoeuvred him - but he wasn't too bitter about it.
  
  "I've always known that the rich fuck was smarter than me." He told me, "So I'm not ashamed to have been outplayed like this. I just wished we could have had a straight-up fight - a brawl with everything on the line."
  
  "Maybe you'll be able to have one next time." I said comfortingly, "After all, Bruno's going to be challenging the Elite Four next, isn't he? I doubt he'd be one for tricks. You'll probably be able to get the fight that you want."
  
  "Hmph. Maybe." He replied thoughtfully, and I knew that my words had reached him.
  
  Either way, the Elite Four of Hoenn were not the only people coming over to Sinnoh, as our new visitors from Unova were also arriving today.
  
  With everyone about to arrive, the Sinnoh League made an announcement that the partners for the Tournament would be announced following the arrival of the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  For now, I wished to make a good impression with the arrivals from Unova, so I wanted to be there for their arrival. With that in mind, I roped in the other members of the Indigo Elite Four, and we all ended up being there at Canalave to greet the new arrivals.
  
  We weren't the only ones there, of course, as the Sinnoh Elite Four had also come as part of the welcoming committee. And after a short moment, the ship from Unova successfully docked into the port and deposited its occupants.
  
  The Unova Elite Four made their way off the ship first, followed by the Unova Gym Leaders in reverse Gym order. The former stepped up first and exchanged the necessary formalities, making sure to greet us all politely with a brief handshake. After that, they were escorted away by Flint and Aaron as they brought them to some meeting, which left the Gym Leaders free to approach us.
  
  And of course, the smallest of them ran up to us first.
  
  "Karen! John! It's so nice to see you again!" The adorable ball of sunshine that was Iris ran up to the two of us, "I can't believe I'm finally here! You don't understand how boring the journey was!"
  
  Karen giggled, looking like she was holding back the urge to pat Iris' head in front of all the cameras, "Was it really that bad? Didn't you have a lot of people to talk with?"
  
  "Yeah... I guess so. But not having access to the Pokénet sucked!" She complained, "And the ship kept rocking back and forth - I couldn't sleep!"
  
  She let out a yawn as if to emphasize her point, "Actually, could you bring me to the hotel? I'm really, really tired. Sorry, but maybe we can talk later?"
  
  On cue, Lucian cut in from where he had been politely listening in on the conversation, "Right this way, Gym Leader Iris. And for anyone else looking to get some rest, please follow after me."
  
  Several other Unova Gym Leaders followed after him and Bertha, while a few others split up to speak with specific people. In the end, Lorelei, Karen, and I ended up walking around with Burgh, Elesa, and Clay.
  
  "Ah, the sight of such a beautiful city brings my heart much joy." Burgh said as we showed them around. He was looking around while using his fingers to frame what he saw, "These new sights are very different to the designs of Castelia City, but it has its own charms that are aesthetically pleasing in its own way. I can't wait to see more of what Sinnoh has in store for us."
  
  But Clay was focused on something different.
  
  "Is this the largest commercial city in Sinnoh?" He asked.
  
  "No, that would probably be Veilstone or Jubilife." I replied, "Canalave City is just the main port city of Sinnoh."
  
  "And if I remember correctly, Hearthome would be the entertainment centre of Sinnoh, right?" Elesa asked, "Sort of like your version of Nimbasa?"
  
  "Yep." I nodded, "It's quite the beautiful place. Amity Square especially is a very popular attraction."
  
  "Then as the Gym Leader in charge of the entertainment centre of Unova, it's only fitting that I should pay that a visit." Elesa remarked.
  
  "We could head there right now if that's what you want to do." Lorelei offered, "Honestly, there's not much to see in Canalave City. Unless you want to check out the Gym or library?"
  
  "I don't think any of us here are particularly fond of those dusty old tombs." Clay said jokingly, "But it's fine. I'm more interested in speaking with you all than the scenery. We could just walk around."
  
  "Yeah, I'll head to Hearthome in my own time." Elesa agreed, "I'm pretty tired too, so maybe we can just stay around here for the time being."
  
  That was perfectly fine with us.
  
  Burgh chuckled, "I don't think I've visited a library in years. Why do you think I chose to go into the arts? It's because I certainly don't have the smarts to become an academic."
  
  Karen let out a snort, "Too right. Unless you're an overachiever like this guy is," She poked me with her elbow, "then feel free to leave me out of all this science-y stuff too."
  
  "Ah, that's right. I read about your involvement in a couple of recent discoveries, John." Elesa mentioned, "You were involved in the discovery of the Fairy type, I remember. Are you also a scientist yourself? A few, admittedly less reputable, news articles stated that you were."
  
  "Oh, no. I'm definitely no scientist." I quickly clarified, "Just like Karen said, I'm not good with anything to do with academics either. I'm more of a hands-on kind of guy. The reason I got credit with the discovery of the Fairy type was because I was the one that pointed out and provided the initial observations about the inconsistencies in certain Pokémon. The nitty gritty work was done by actual scientists and Professors. The same went for the other projects that I'm credited with; I normally helped out in other, non-scientific ways, like helping to form connections."
  
  "Connections are important." Clay agreed.
  
  "I see... thank you for not trying to brag. I've dealt with enough braggarts for one lifetime." Elesa muttered, "Though, speaking of the Fairy type, are there any prominent trainers that specialise in it? A lot of people are interested about this new Type back in Unova. I did try to look up for any prominent Fairy trainers, but couldn't find any."
  
  "Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any Fairy specialists either." Lorelei responded, "It's a shame, but the lack of Fairy specialists is probably due to the fact that the Type is still too new. There hasn't been enough time for someone to train up a full team of Fairy types to a high level yet."
  
  I knew of one aspiring Fairy specialist, but she definitely wasn't at the level to be considered 'noteworthy' yet. Hopefully in due time Daisy would get the recognition I knew that she deserved.
  
  "Is it really that strong though? The Fairy type?" Burgh asked, "When I first heard of its immunity to Dragon moves, I thought it was going to be the strongest type ever. But is that really the case? My instincts tell me that it's probably too good to be true."
  
  "Oh they absolutely are the counter to Dragons." Karen exclaimed, "A group of Dragon specialists tried to make a big fuss when the Fairy type was first introduced, claiming that there was no way that a new Type would be able to resist against their Dragon moves. Needless to say, they were utterly wrong - and were thoroughly embarrassed."
  
  "It's not just Dragons too. The Fairy type is also very good at dealing with Fighting types, which I assume that Fighting types are as popular in Unova as they are here." I added, "So I can say from first-hand experience that the Fairy type is extremely useful typing for your Pokémon to have, even in high-level battles."
  
  That led them to ask a few more questions about the Fairy type, which I expected. Coming into the Tournament, they would obviously want to know as much as possible about this new Type as they could. Most of the questions were also directed to me, since amongst my colleagues I was the only one that actually fielded Fairy type Pokémon, so I did my best to answer as best as I could.
  
  We even moved to the outskirts of Canalave so that I could give them a physical demonstration of the power of my Fairy types - though obviously I didn't show them everything. Just the basics.
  
  Eventually, as it was starting to get late and the Unovans were already pretty tired from their long journey over here, they asked to retire for the day so that they could rest up.
  
  However, even as my other two companions went to escort the Unovans to their hotel, Clay remained behind. He wanted to ask me a question.
  
  "Sorry to keep you, but I've a few questions about your Gym Leaders I was hoping you could answer for me." He said, and continued as I nodded, "After speaking to you in person a few times now, I reckon I've got your measure. You don't seem to be one of those slimy politicians that lie with their fake smiles, so my instincts tell me that I can trust you. Besides, Iris frequently mentions how much she likes talking with you and Karen - and even as young as she is, I trust her judgment."
  
  "I appreciate the compliment." I remarked, though inwardly I couldn't deny being pleased about that comment from Iris. I was glad that she saw Karen and I as her friends.
  
  He waved me off, "No sweat. Your integrity is clearly something you earned. So tell me, are us Unovans about to get fucked over in this tournament? Is this some kind of inter-regional power play that we're about to walk into?"
  
  "Absolutely not." I replied firmly, a serious frown forming on my face, "We would never do that to you. If you lose, you lose because of your own actions. We would never do anything to deliberately place you Unovans at a disadvantage. I give you my solemn promise on that. The whole point of this tournament is to help foster friendly relations between us, not to sabotage your region's reputation. Neither myself, nor Champion Cynthia, would ever want the latter as an outcome."
  
  He stared at me searchingly, as if he was trying to deduce the truth behind my statement. Eventually, he must have found what he was looking for because he gave me an approving nod.
  
  "Good. You have my apologies if my suspicions were rude - but a man has to make sure he ain't about to walk into a trap. You get me?" He said.
  
  "I understand." I nodded, "It was a valid concern. Perhaps I would have asked the same questions in your place."
  
  "Glad there're no hard feelings." He smiled, before glancing at his watch, "Right. I'm going to head off to the hotel to get some rest. They're announcing the partners soon right? Maybe we'll be paired up together."
  
  "We shall see tomorrow." I agreed, and truthfully I wouldn't mind having Clay as a partner. Not just for his strength, but also because getting to know someone like him better would be nice too.
  
  But like I said, we shall see tomorrow.
  
  The next day, with most of the known world eagerly awaiting for the partners to be announced, Karen and I decided to meet up so that we could hang out as we waited - since we both had nothing better to do anyways.
  
  "Felt like we've been in this exact situation before." Karen said to me as she sipped her drink from where she was sitting opposite me. We were having lunch together in one of the outdoor restaurants in Hearthome City, "The two of us hanging out together while we wait for the partners to be announced for a tournament."
  
  "You mean while I waited." I pointed out, trying my hardest to stifle a chuckle at the fact that Karen's drink was something that I knew was currently 'hip with the kids'. I suspected she only ordered it so that she could better relate to what Brock and his siblings liked. Honestly, that pink and green abomination that she was drinking looked disgusting, but her effort was commendable, at least.
  
  "Last time you were just a spectator rather than a participant." I said instead, "So this is going to be your first ever international tournament; you excited?"
  
  "'Course I am." She replied instantly, "I'm a little uncertain on the partnership aspect, though. I spar a lot with you and Agatha, but I don't do a lot of 2v2 fights very often outside of one-off fights. I hope fighting with a partner doesn't mess up my usual strategies."
  
  "Well you just have to make sure that your partner understands what to do and how you fight." I replied, "I wouldn't worry too much about that. I've trained a lot with you, so I know you're the kind of person that's able to get along well with a partner. Training with one and incorporating their own strategies with yours isn't going to be a problem for you, I guarantee it. Besides, you have plenty of time to adapt anyways. The Tournament isn't starting anytime soon - you still have a full week."
  
  "I appreciate the vote of confidence." She smiled, "I just hope I don't get paired with a stubborn ass like Pryce."
  
  I winced, "...If that happens, then all I can really say is that I wish you the best of luck. Mind you, I wouldn't want to be paired up with someone like Pryce either. Arceus knows he's strong, but having to put up with his personality just isn't worth it."
  
  "I have no idea how Lorelei tolerates him. Even if he's her uncle." Karen muttered, "Oh speaking of partners - have you spoken with Roxanne yet?"
  
  "Uh, no. I haven't." I said sheepishly, "I've already messaged her and asked if she wanted to meet, so hopefully we'll be able to find time for that soon. Just a bit unlucky that our schedules didn't match."
  
  Karen snorted, "You mean you were too occupied spending time with your girlfriend. Heard you were choosing a future home together. Route 221, huh? I looked it up - I see why you two like it so much. Very empty and spacious."
  
  "Thank you." I nodded, "It really is the perfect location."
  
  "I guess that's another box ticked off for your preparations to move to Sinnoh then." She pointed out, "Now that you've found your dream home with Cynthia, do you think you'll be moving out of Indigo soon?"
  
  "...I can't answer that, because I don't know either." I said, "I probably won't be moving out until everything is ready on the Sinnoh side of things, and there's still much to be done. Sorry, I can't really give you a better answer than that."
  
  She waved me off, "Don't worry about it. I'm not upset about your departure or anything, even though I know most of Indigo would definitely be when they eventually hear about it. I've always known that your future was by her side. Just make sure you give me a heads up when you do figure things out."
  
  I nodded, "Of course. That's the least I could do. Besides, Lance definitely won't let me leave without a whole ceremony being planned-"
  
  I was interrupted by the sound of pings coming out from our phones. Which could only mean one thing.
  
  The list of partners had been announced.
  
  The two of us swiftly rushed to the official webpage where the full list of partners had been published, and after one quick scroll later, I found out who my partner for the Pokémon World Tournament was going to be. And I found myself smiling - this was definitely one of the trainers I was hoping to be paired with.
  
  It was Elesa.
  
  That was definitely going to be interesting. Among the Unova Gym Leaders, while I was most familiar and friendly with Iris, I felt like I had spoken enough with Elesa to have her measure.
  
  Currently, she wasn't the most powerful of Gym Leaders, but her status in the Gen 5 games proved that she was competent enough to hold the position throughout while also managing her own fashion line and career as a supermodel. Personality wise, all I really knew is that she treated me positively and respectfully, but was more than enough for now.
  
  As for the synergy between our respective Types of Normal and Electric - admittedly, it wasn't all that great. There were no disadvantages that I could think of, but neither were there any benefits, such as with Water and Electric or Ground and Steel. Normal and Electric were merely neutral with each other.
  
  Which probably explained why we were paired with each other. After last time's performance from Candice and Pryce's duo Ice types, I figured that the Sinnoh League would be extra careful to take into account for beneficial type synergies when creating the partnerships.
  
  I was promptly interrupted from my thoughts as Karen suddenly shot up from her seat.
  
  "YES!" Karen cheered loudly, "I got Iris!"
  
  My eyes bulged, "What?! Are you serious? They paired you with Iris?"
  
  She frowned at me, "Are you implying something? Do you think I'm too good to be paired with Iris?"
  
  "...Well, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." I replied, "You're an Elite Four member. She's the 8th Gym Leader of Unova. If they're trying to make 'balanced' teams, shouldn't they pair you with someone weaker?"
  
  Karen shrugged, "No clue. I'm not the one making these teams. Shouldn't you go ask your girlfriend if you want to know more?"
  
  She then tilted her head thoughtfully, "Although... could it be because they think that Iris isn't as strong because she only has the three Pokémon? She might be the 8th Gym Leader of Unova, but no offense to her, she isn't the strongest Gym Leader of Unova. Not from what I've seen. She definitely will become the strongest, but she isn't right now. She's only the 8th Gym Leader because she inherited the position from Drayden."
  
  "...That's true. That title probably goes to Clay." I muttered, though there was one other factor I considered. Perhaps whoever organised the partnerships, which I believed wasn't actually Cynthia's doing, prioritised trying to boost our relations with Unova instead of obsessing over making 'balanced' teams (which, admittedly, would have been an impossible task anyways).
  
  Therefore, since Karen had the most rapport with Iris, they had paired them together.
  
  But I didn't voice these thoughts to Karen. Instead, I just said, "Okay. I see it. If we think of it like that, then your pairing with her makes sense."
  
  "Either way, I'm not complaining." She said, sitting back down, "Wait, who did you get?"
  
  "Elesa." I answered.
  
  "Oh, the Electric specialist." She nodded, "I don't know much about her strength, but at least she seems easy to work with. She was pretty friendly with us yesterday."
  
  "Yeah, I agree. I look forward to working with her." I remarked, "Anyways, what were the other pairings..."
  
  I went over the list in more detail, going through all the partners for the Unovans. Accordingly, the full list of 28 partners that were participating in the Pokémon World Tournament were as follows:
  
  Karen and Iris
  
  Will and Brycen
  
  Candice and Skyla
  
  Wattson and Clay
  
  John and Elesa
  
  Drake and Burgh
  
  Lucian and Lenora
  
  Phoebe and Cilan/Chili/Cress
  
  Crasher Wake and Marshal
  
  Jasmine and Grimsley
  
  Brawly and Drayden
  
  Fantina and Shauntal
  
  Brock and Bertha
  
  Waterflower sisters and Volkner
  
  Surge and Norman
  
  Erika and Winona
  
  Janine and Flint
  
  Samson and Roxanne
  
  Dorothy and Aaron
  
  Giovanni and Juan
  
  Sidney and Robin (Falkner's father)
  
  Flannery and Koga
  
  Tate/Lisa and Lorelei
  
  Roark and Pryce
  
  Gardenia and Morty
  
  Maylene and Clair
  
  Byron and Chuck
  
  Bugsy and Glacia (Bugsy had recently ascended to become a Gym Leader)
  
  Reading through the full list, I felt that the selections were pretty fair. The Unovans had been equally distributed amongst all three regions so that they could all get a chance to communicate and spend time with people from different regions. Other than that, there were a few partnerships that especially caught my attention.
  
  Volkner and the Waterflower sisters were very interesting, and as someone who had a vested interest in seeing the Gym Leaders of Cerulean grow stronger, I felt that Volkner would serve as an excellent mentor and partner for the sisters, much like their partnership with Drake was. I foresaw that they would have incredible synergy under the Rain, and I looked forward to seeing what they could show off in the fights to come.
  
  Then there were Flint and Janine, and Koga and Flannery. I thought that these pairings were deliberately done to mirror each other. Both pairs consisted of a Fire and Poison specialist, with one individual in the partnership being far more experienced than the other. Both Flint and Koga would likely take up mentor roles, and I felt that the Sinnoh League wanted to drum up some excitement to see which pair would come out on top between them.
  
  I relayed those thoughts out loud to Karen, before asking her what pairs she felt were the most unique. Unsurprisingly, her interest laid with Brock and Bertha, who both had incredible synergy together as Rock and Ground specialists. And with Bertha's guiding hand, Karen felt confident that Brock would be able to make it far in this Tournament. She also knew about Bertha's kind-hearted and patient personality, so she felt relieved knowing that the two would get along well.
  
  There were definitely more to comment on about the pairings, but before I could continue rambling out my thoughts with Karen, I received a phone call from an unknown number. But considering the timing, I already guessed who it was going to be.
  
  It was time to get to know Elesa a bit better. We had a tournament to win.
  
  A.N. Surprise surprise, John's partner isn't Iris, but instead Elesa. There were a few reasons for this, but mainly because a team with John and Iris would be wholly unfair for the rest of the competition. Iris may be inexperienced, but her team is incredibly talented, and her Dragons are strong (if few). John and Iris would practically be like pairing John and Clair, which personalities aside, would be too strong.
  
  But Elesa? Elesa is far from the strongest Gym Leader in Unova (though not weak). And I wanted to write something different to John and Roxanne's dynamic from the last Tournament. Last time, John tried to play more of a supporting role to let Roxanne shine. This time it's going to be the opposite.
  
  Of course, despite the full list of partners being revealed, I won't have time to focus on every single person. Some people will get the spotlight over others. Though do let me know if you are particularly interested in certain pairings. I'll try my best to accommodate. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-16 - Getting Along
  
  I picked up the phone, "Hello, this is John. Am I speaking to Elesa?"
  
  "Yes it is." Elesa replied, "I got your number from Iris, so I hope you don't mind me contacting you out of the blue like this."
  
  "Not at all. I was going to do the same." I said, "But I hope you're glad to be saddled with me as your partner for this tournament. Because I'm an ambitious man, and I intend to be winning the whole thing."
  
  I heard her chuckle, "If Iris didn't get paired up with Karen I think she would have been pouting after seeing us paired together. Out of everyone, she wanted to be paired with you and Karen the most - probably because you two are the closest with her. Though I'm sorry to tell you that you were her second choice."
  
  "Ouch, my poor heart." I said dramatically, "How would I ever recover from this?"
  
  She chuckled, "Must be because Karen's able to relate to her more."
  
  "Nah, I knew that Karen would grow closer to her than I would. Karen's always been very good with children." I replied, "It makes sense that they'd get along so well."
  
  Elesa nodded, "Myself and the other Gym Leaders also get along with Iris quite well too. I've spoken to her quite a lot. At first, I thought she'd really struggle to be a Gym Leader; her talent as a trainer notwithstanding. But while she isn't perfect at it, she's a really attentive and quick learner - so it's been a pleasure to speak with her whenever she asks us for advice."
  
  "But anyways, enough about her for the moment, I called you here to talk about our upcoming partnership." She continued, "Now, I'm not sure how much you know about me, but I've actually done quite a lot of reading up on you beforehand. I've watched the recording of how you stomped over Grimsley's team with your starter several times now, so I definitely don't have any complaints in terms of strength. In fact, I just hope you don't find me lacking - I know I'm the one that's going to be dragging you down."
  
  "You know, my first partner in the previous Tournament said pretty much the same thing, and we ended up making it to the Top 3 and winning the whole thing. So you don't have anything to worry about." I said reassuringly, "And besides, I know you're a hard worker, which is all that I really ask for."
  
  "In that case, I'll thank you in advance for your patience and assistance." She said, "Let's work well together."
  
  I nodded, "We have a full week before our first battle in the Tournament is going to take place, so let's not waste any more time and get right into it. I know we've already burnt through most of the day, but I see no reason why we can't get started today. If you're up for it, could you come meet me at the Celestic Town Research Centre? We can start training there."
  
  "...Why there? Is there a training field there?" Elesa asked confusedly, "And would they even let you use it?"
  
  "Cynthia's the de-facto leader there, and I'm dating her. And I'm also-"
  
  "Never mind. I understand." She interrupted me, "I keep forgetting that you're somehow dating the Champion of Sinnoh. If we have some spare time, I'd love to ask how you both even met and got together."
  
  "Sure, maybe over a meal. If she's free maybe I can ask Cynthia to join us." I said.
  
  "That'd be lovely." I could feel her smiling over the phone, "Anyways, I'll meet you at Celestic Town. See you there."
  
  We reconvened there shortly afterwards, and after exchanging a round of greetings with the researchers and scientists where I introduced Elesa to them, Elesa and I got to work in one of the training fields.
  
  "I think it's best to start off with the Pokémon that we plan to use." I said, "Why don't you start first?"
  
  She nodded and proceeded to release her team - which consisted of two Emolgas, Galvantula, Eelektross, Stunfisk, and finally her starter and ace, Zebstrika.
  
  I inspected her team with a thoughtful glance, though her Emolga, Galvantula, and Zebstrika were the ones that caught my attention the most. I may have yet to see them in action, but from what I knew of these Pokémon based on my metaknowledge, I expected all three of them to be very agile and evasive attackers that could prove useful when fighting in a 2v2.
  
  There was a lot of possibilities there... especially if they were as fast and as mobile as I hoped they were.
  
  In the meantime, I released my full team for her to see. It was pretty amusing seeing her shocked expression when she saw just how varied my team was. From the hulking representations of strength in Tyrant, Smough, and Vordt, the healing supporters in Klee, Luna, and Euphie, and then the 'tricksters' in Ornstein, Wraith, Pixel, and Winston.
  
  I deliberately chose not to send out both Tails and Sona, my Minccino and Audino, for now. Sadly, they weren't going to be strong enough to be a useable option in the tournament, so there was no need to complicate matters.
  
  Elesa took a moment to inspect my full team. I noticed that although the visible strength of my bruisers were clearly the most impressive for her, it was my more 'unique' Pokémon like Wraith, Klee, and Pixel that really caught her interest.
  
  "...I think it would be better if we have a match between us to show off what we can do." She eventually said, "It's probably easier for us both if we can visualize what our teams are capable of."
  
  "That's fine by me." I nodded, and the two of us moved to take our positions as our sparring began. We started with the more 'simple' Pokémon first, leaving the more 'complex' Pokémon like Wraith and Pixel for last.
  
  Therefore, I stood back and observed the battles carefully - my eyes scanning over her Pokémon to take in and absorb every last bit of detail that I could extract. We had deliberately chosen to not give our Pokémon any instructions just so that we could observe them as they fought purely with their trained instincts.
  
  From what I managed to observe, I wasn't all too surprised by her fighting style or competence. Elesa fought exactly how I expected her to, using her Pokémon's natural speed and agility to dodge past attacks while bombarding their foes with high power Electric attacks that would stun and shock them. And when their opponents inevitably got paralysed, this only furthered increased the speed gap between them that made them increasingly vulnerable to being blasted down.
  
  However, what was particularly impressive was that both her Emolgas and Zebstrika had the ability Motor Drive, which would boost their speed whenever they were struck by an Electric attack. So what she did was that her Pokémon would intermittently fire off Discharges or Thunder Shocks that would hit themselves, thereby boosting their speed even further and quickly allowing their Pokémon to reach ridiculous levels of speed. It was like replicating the effects of the Speed Boost ability.
  
  And when her Pokémon got that fast, it was actually a pain to hit them with any direct attacks. When I had Ornstein face off against her Emolga, just to see if he would be able to match the Electric type with his own great speed, I found out the hard way that even with all the speed training that I had done, Ornstein just wasn't fast enough.
  
  At the beginning of the fight their speeds were pretty much equal, but Emolga was rapidly able to ramp up with Motor Drive and simply became too fast for Ornstein to catch as he was whittled down by Thunderbolts and Discharges.
  
  Not only that, but even the likes of Pixel - who mostly relied on Special Attacks - struggled to land a hit on the zooming Emolga. It was only when Pixel swapped to large area-of-effect attacks like Blizzard did it finally manage to catch the Emolga.
  
  However, I noticed that there was a notable weakness in Elesa's team. For all their incredible speed, her Pokémon were incredibly fragile. Maybe it was just because my Pokémon hit harder than your average Pokémon, but a single well-placed Rock Throw from Smough managed to instantly take out Emolga from practically full health. Sure, it was a supereffective hit, but Smough hadn't even buffed himself up yet with Belly Drum.
  
  ...Maybe my standards were just different after what my Pokémon were usually expected to fight against. Perhaps I was being unfair to Elesa about how frail her Pokémon actually was because of my Pokémon's 'above average' strength. But either way, it confirmed to me that if her Pokémon failed to use their great speed to dodge out of the way of an attack, then that attack was going to hurt.
  
  The other weakness was that her firepower was not the best. It was definitely above average, but compared to the other Electric type specialist that I knew, like Volkner, her damage was lacking. For example, Volkner's Electivire was like a one man army in battles, able to unleash a crackling storm of devastation as it pummelled and zapped everything around itself.
  
  In his previous Tournament run, Volkner's starter was even able to match up well against Pryce's own starter - which was a Pokémon that had done significant damage to Emperor. That was a testament of Electivire's incredible strength and firepower.
  
  On the other hand, even Elesa's most powerful attackers in Zebstrika and Eelektross couldn't come close to that level of firepower that Volkner had displayed. I had deliberately matched them against my most defensive Pokémon in Smough and Klee, just to test just how powerful their non-boosted attacks could be. And after some testing, they did manage to do some respectable damage against my two Pokémon, but it would still take many more hits before they could bring my defensive behemoths down.
  
  Meanwhile, the rest of her team... let's just say that they struggled significantly against Smough and Klee in the offense department if they remained unbuffed.
  
  So that made it absolutely clear to me that, against the level of opponents that we were about to face off against, Elesa would struggle heavily to carry a fight on her own - unless she managed to somehow find the time to buff up her Pokémon significantly.
  
  This was very different with Roxanne, as Roxanne had the power and the defenses to both dish out and take damage, but not the speed and mobility.
  
  Despite this, I didn't have a problem with Elesa's relative lack of power, as power was something that I had in spades. In fact, with no offense meant to Roxanne, Elesa's fighting style was more complementary to mine. So after seeing her team and their strengths, I already figured that we were going to be a speed-power duo. With me being the latter, obviously.
  
  It was Ornstein and Smough all over again.
  
  Stupid jokes aside, after we had run through all of our battles, Elesa was very interested in asking me all sorts of questions about my more unique Pokémon. She wanted to know everything she could about Wraith's illusions, Pixel's type switching, and just how resilient my Pokémon could be.
  
  "...I know we have Zoroark back in Unova, but in all my years of being a Gym Leader, I've not fought against a Zoroark or Zorua a single time. They are rare Pokémon." She told me, "Can all Zoroark's do this with their Illusion ability? Or is it just because yours is a Sinnoh variant?"
  
  "From what I've read, I don't think mine being a Sinnoh variant has any effect on its Illusion ability." I replied, "Both of our variants can accomplish this with enough training. Though I am proud to say that my Zoroark would probably be better at it than theirs."
  
  "Fascinating." She remarked, "And what about your Porygon-Z? Are they all able to switch their Types so freely?"
  
  "...Probably, if they're willing to put in a lot of time into training up their Porygon-Z to be like mine." I answered, "I was the first to do it, but I'm sure many others are currently following in my footsteps. Though I have yet to see another Porygon be used in a high level battle so far."
  
  "But I'm assuming that all of our upcoming opponents would likely know of your Pokémon and their capabilities, right?" She asked.
  
  "Yes, that's right." I nodded, "I've made no secret of them, so they should know what to expect."
  
  "...In that case, I think it'd be better for you to be the one that takes the lead in this partnership." She said, "It just makes sense since you're more familiar with our opponents and their capabilities than I am. Not only that, since most of our strategies are going to revolve around the firepower that your Pokémon can bring to bear, it makes more sense for you to organise our strategies."
  
  "Sure." I was happy to accept that, "Then let's go over a few things that I've already thought of..."
  
  Thus, I relayed the basics of what I believed our team strategy should look like, basing it off what I observed were the strengths and weaknesses of her team. I tried my best to explain it in terms where she wouldn't take it as me criticising her, since I didn't want her to think I was insulting her.
  
  Fortunately, Elesa was nowhere near as prideful as I feared, and she was much more thoughtful and analytical too. I quickly came to learn that even though she was a supermodel and one of Unova's greatest fashion icons, she clearly didn't rely on her looks when it came to being a Gym Leader. She was insightful and reflective, and the more that we spoke, the more that I found her to be a great partner to have for the upcoming Tournament.
  
  There was still a lot of work to be done before we could properly work together in a fight. But, so far, I had no complaints about working with Elesa. In fact, I would go as far as to say that we worked well together, and I felt like this was definitely going to be the beginning of a fruitful partnership.
  
  So, since we didn't have much time remaining in the day, as the sky gradually turned dark, I decided that we could take it easy and use the rest of our time today to just allow our Pokémon to get to know each other better. If they could get familiar with each other, then hopefully they would be able to communicate and understand each other better during their fights.
  
  Therefore, Elesa and I sat back and simply allowed our Pokémon to spend time and play around together. And as the two of us leaned back against a tree, we chatted about all kinds of things - some related to the Tournament, some mundane - as we got to actually know each other better. Our conversation flowed easily and smoothly, and I could feel that we were definitely becoming fast friends.
  
  Because of that, the more we talked, the more confident I felt about winning this Tournament.
  
  (Pokémon POV)
  
  While their trainers were talking and getting to know each other better, the Pokémon were doing the same thing.
  
  "So was your trainer telling the truth?" An Emolga asked curiously, "Did you really fight against a Legendary?"
  
  "We did. The battle had left its mark, but we made it out in one piece." Klaus replied, "Make no mistake. We were lucky that our trainer managed to awaken the Legendary Titan and have it fight by our side, or else we likely would not have made it out of that battle."
  
  "But we still would have fought regardless." Vordt added, "Our trainer was never going to run away from such a battle - and we vowed to always stay by his side."
  
  "So if that's story is true, then that probably means all the other stuff that our trainer looked up about yours is true as well, right?" The other Emolga asked, "Where you were all involved in fighting against several criminal organisations?"
  
  "Our pack does not lie." Wraith growled.
  
  Klee nodded, "Recently, it feels like we've fought against more criminals than regular trainers. So I'm glad things have returned to normal. I didn't like hurting all those Pokémon. They didn't deserve it."
  
  "However, knowing our trainer, it's probably only a matter of time before we get wrapped up in a similar situation once again." Luna pointed out, "Our trainer is very active in making sure criminals are dealt with. Speaking of which, have you all dealt with criminal groups before?"
  
  "Rarely." Eelektross answered, "Our trainer is usually more focused on her Gym Leader duties. And it's not like our home had any big criminal outbreaks."
  
  "Lucky." Klee remarked, "Those are never fun."
  
  Then Zebstrika stepped forwards, letting out a small spark of electricity to catch everyone's attention, "We've gone too far off topic. Our trainers want us to be more familiar with each other's capabilities so that we can better fight alongside each other. We have battles to win, after all. Or perhaps we can restart the sparring if you are all amenable to this."
  
  "Didn't we just spar already?" Stunfisk asked lazily as it let out a yawn, "We don't need to go over this again. And besides, Snorlax over there's already asleep."
  
  Stunfisk pointed to the side, where Smough was lying down on his back as he snored loudly, uncaring of the discussions that were happening around him.
  
  "A few quick spars is not going to be sufficient at telling us everything we need to know." Zebstrika countered, "Our opponents in the upcoming battles are going to be tough. And I want to make sure our trainer doesn't get humiliated with an early defeat."
  
  "That is a good attitude to have." A deep, rumbling voice echoed across the training field as Tyrant lumbered forwards towards them. Even though he didn't intend to pick a fight, the sheer terrifying pressure that emanated from him was enough to cause most of Elesa's Pokémon to flinch back instinctively.
  
  Amongst them, only Zebstrika had no reaction.
  
  Tyrant obviously noticed this and merely smiled, "There is no need to be afraid. Your trainer is partnered with mine. We are allies together. My fists will not turn against you. Only our opponents need fear them."
  
  That caused Klaus to let out a sigh, "Tyrant, you're frightening them again. You need to learn to appear more friendly."
  
  "Ah, but being friendly is not my role." Tyrant replied, "That's reserved for our pink friends. If John ever wants a friendly face, then Klee, Luna, and Euphie would suit the role better. I don't think a face as ugly as mine would be suitable. As John would put it - I'm the stick. The strong threat to back up his words."
  
  "...Yes, that seems pretty obvious to us." Eelektross agreed after recovering from his slight shock, though it was still a little wary, "With strength like that, no wonder your trainer seemed so confident that we could win the whole tournament."
  
  "Of course. That should be the expectation." Tyrant smiled, "And now that you're saddled along with us, then that expectation becomes yours too. John would never tolerate aiming for anything other than first place. And - more importantly for you all - neither will I."
  
  The underlying threat in Tyrant's voice only caused another wave of nervous tension to wash over Elesa's Pokémon. It was a purely instinctual response, caused by their natural reaction to a terrifying difference in strength.
  
  Fortunately, that tension was broken as Klee clapped her hands, "Okay-no need to scare them any further, Tyrant. You've done enough. Now shoo, go over there and try to wake up Smough if you can. You know how hungry he gets after a nap, and I doubt our trainer's going to want to feed him again. You're not wanted right now, so shoo, shoo."
  
  As Klee waved him away, Tyrant let out a rumbling laugh, but he obeyed and walked over to where Smough was still asleep. Klee watched him go, before turning back to Elesa's Pokémon with a cheerful smile on her face.
  
  "Sorry about him, everyone. Tyrant can be a bit intense, but he means well. He's just very protective of us and wants us to be the best we can be." She said.
  
  "It's not a problem. I understand the sentiment, and I knew he meant us no harm." Zebstrika replied, unbothered, "I can be the same sometimes."
  
  Elesa's other Pokémon nodded as well, visibly relaxing now that Tyrant was away.
  
  Klee smiled, "I appreciate your understanding. Anyways, let's not worry too much about how we're going to win the entire tournament right now. Instead, we just need to get to know each other better and figure out how we can best work together. Once our teamwork becomes more coordinated, then the wins will come easily! All we need to do is to trust in each other, and I can promise you that all of us are very welcoming! Feel free to ask us whatever you'd like, just like you were doing before!"
  
  "Oh! Oh! In that case, I have another question!" One Emolga chimed up, "What do you guys do in your free time?"
  
  "Honestly, we're pretty boring Pokémon." Klee chuckled, "Our trainer's not like yours. He doesn't really have that many hobbies that we can participate in. He has a lot of meetings though, mostly dealing with 'politics'."
  
  That word caused Wraith to growl, "'Politics'. Disgusting."
  
  "So he doesn't dress you up or bring you to shows?" Emolga asked curiously.
  
  "Yep! He doesn't! And we're okay with that!" Euphie replied, "After all, we knew the type of person he was when we chose to follow him. We wouldn't have done so otherwise. We're all battlers at heart."
  
  "Father is not one for dress up." Ornstein agreed, "Neither is his partner. They have more... practical pursuits."
  
  "Although I would not mind for the public to see my august self from time to time." Winston added while puffing out his chest, "The public deserve to be blessed with my shiny form every once in a while."
  
  "Be quiet, you. You're not blessing anyone with that appearance, shiny or no, with your roly-poly figure." Zephyr squawked, "And no matter what you say, you're never going to be more beautiful than Euphie."
  
  "Hehe, sorry Winston, but it's true." Euphie giggled, "I'm just too cute."
  
  "THAT. STATEMENT. IS. FACTUAL." Pixel agreed.
  
  "Oh, so do the public get to meet you often?" Emolga continued to ask.
  
  "Rarely. Again, our trainer is not the type to show us off." Klee responded, "Our fame comes from our strength and our ability to fight and defeat any opponent that dares challenges our trainer. With such a reputation for strength, there's really no need for us to show off any more."
  
  Luna then pointed a finger forwards at Tyrant, "And that guy over there's the most famous among us. Almost all of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh would be able to recognise him from his name alone. He's as famous as any Champion's starter."
  
  "We know. We watched him defeat our own Champion's starter." Galvantula nodded, "That had been quite the eye-opener."
  
  "Maybe one day we can become that strong and famous too!" Emolga exclaimed.
  
  "You can be." Vordt replied, "This tournament is your opportunity to do so. So if you stick by us, fight alongside us, and prove your strength and ability to the world - then I'm sure you will all earn the recognition you deserve."
  
  "And don't forget to expect the unexpected." Ornstein added, "If there is anything you should know about Father, it's that things are always interesting when he's involved."
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time that was mainly focused on introducing the partnership between John and Elesa. And because I saw comments about people wanting to see more of Pokémon POV, I felt like having a segment where both of their Pokémon are able to communicate with each other could be good. I won't be doing too many of these Pokémon POV sections, but I feel like every once in a while could be a good idea. Let me know if you liked it and I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-16-Interlude-Others
  The New Normal - 15-16 - Interlude - Other Participants
  
  (Brock POV)
  
  When he found out that he was to be paired with Bertha, he realised that he didn't know all that much about the Sinnoh Elite Four outside of the fact that she was a Ground type specialist.
  
  He really regretted not having studied up more about the Gym Leaders and Elite Four from the other regions. But in fairness, he had been legitimately busy with running the Gym, so it wasn't like he had been slacking around.
  
  Fortunately, he didn't make a fool of himself when he met Bertha for the first time. Karen had told him that Bertha was a kind and patient individual, and it really showed with their first interactions.
  
  Even though she could tell that he wasn't very familiar with her or her achievements, she didn't let any of that show on her face as she always maintained a friendly expression with him. Her words were gentle and welcoming, helping him to quickly overcome the initial bout of awkwardness when meeting someone you weren't familiar with.
  
  Furthermore, their Pokémon got along well too. With their Rock and Ground types respectively, they were able to quickly adapt to each other, since they already fought so similarly anyways.
  
  And if that wasn't enough, she even took the time to ask him a very important question.
  
  "Brock, what are your ambitions for this tournament? I know everyone wants to win the whole thing, but it's always good to set realistic goals for yourself." She advised, "Some of my peers are also using this tournament to forge and establish connections with the other participants, some are trying to prove their strength to the public, so what is it that you want out of this tournament? And how can I help you with achieving those goals?"
  
  Brock already had his answer. In the first Tournament, he wasn't ashamed to admit that Sidney had practically carried the two of them to the second round. Compared to the competition, Brock had been far too weak and was little more than an anchor around Sidney's neck. He knew everyone could see that Sidney would have gone much farther in the Tournament if he had been paired up with anyone else but Brock.
  
  So he vowed that this time would be different. He had gotten so much stronger since the Tri-Regional Tournament, and he felt ready for the opponents ahead. This time, he promised not to be a weight that would push down Bertha. And he said as much to her.
  
  She gave off a motherly smile, "You don't have to worry about that with dear old me. Just look at these old bones - one look at me and it's clear that I'm way past my prime. So you don't have to feel bad about 'dragging me down'; pride and glory are things of the past for me. I'm only still in the Elite Four because I know my younger colleagues might need the wisdom of an elder from time to time."
  
  "Still, I want to prove myself." He stated firmly, "I was pitied last time - given the chance to fight again thanks to the audience vote. And while I'm thankful for the public for the second chance, I'm not going to allow myself to rely on the pity of the public once again. I want to prove that I can compete with the best trainers in the world. So while I don't need to win the whole thing, I want for us to be at least seen as strong challengers."
  
  Bertha nodded, "Then that is what we shall do. I like the fire in your eyes, Brock. It reminds me of myself when I was your age. Just remember to not let your ambitions consume you. There are far more important things than prestige and glory."
  
  "I know." Brock nodded, "I've had good people reminding me that."
  
  "Good. Then I shall speak no more of it." Bertha said, "Now, our competitors are no pushovers, so if we want to make it far into this Tournament, then I think this is the way to go..."
  
  (Roxanne POV)
  
  "It is a pleasure to meet you, Roxanne." Samson extended a hand to greet her, "I hope you are looking forward to our partnership as much as I am. Though seeing how well you and John did last time, I suppose I have nothing to worry about on that front." He chuckled to himself.
  
  "Of course, but I don't really deserve much of the credit for how far we got last time. That was all John." She replied truthfully, "I know for a fact that I was next to useless in our fight during the Finals against Agatha and the psychic twins. And, even though John doesn't like it when I say it, but his strength was practically the sole reason we made it into the Top 3. I was just along for the ride."
  
  "Perhaps that might have been the case then, but this is now." Samson said, "You're more experienced now, and I know just how far people can progress in a short amount of time."
  
  He let out a proud chuckle, "I mean, just look at my daughter and her friends. Not too long ago they had just started their journey. Now my daughter is looking poised to succeed me as Gym Leader very soon, Whitney's looking to angle herself to become a new Head Gym Trainer, and Janine's already become a Gym Leader. So don't think too badly about yourself based on what happened then. I'm sure we'll be able to do just as well this time."
  
  "Yes, sorry if I sounded like I was being pessimistic about our chances, that was not my intention." She quickly replied, "In fact, Flannery and I have a bit of a friendly rivalry going. She was disappointed with being knocked out in the first round last time, and she's vowed to do a lot better. And as one of the winners last time, I'm determined to not do any worse than her."
  
  She clenched a fist, "I want to prove that my past victory was not solely due to John's efforts - that I have the ability to stand up on my own two feet as well."
  
  "Good - because speaking of Flannery, I've already been studying Will's strategies from the last Tournament too." Samson said, "I think with our team we could be able to replicate the Helping Hand strategy that he made use of with Flannery. I know they lost in the first round, but let's face it, it was only because they got unlucky with their first opponents. So I believe that having you do most of the active fighting while I focus on supporting you would likely be our go-to strategy for the Tournament."
  
  Roxanne easily agreed; the strategy played to her team's strengths well.
  
  Ever since the previous tournament, she had done all she could to fix and improve her team's sluggish speed. And now, while her Pokémon were still on the slower side, they were at least far more mobile and agile than they were previously. Furthermore, her Pokémon's defenses had improved so that, barring a supereffective move from an extremely powerful Pokémon, her Pokémon would be able to endure through it.
  
  Now it was just time to see if her training had truly paid off.
  
  "But we're going to need more than just that if we're to overcome the level of opponents that we're going to be facing against." He continued, "And we're going to need to be extra prepared if we want to have a good showing against some of the tougher opponents - I'm sure you don't need a reminder of how powerful John and his team were."
  
  "We're going to need to think up countermeasures to deal with John, especially since there's a pretty big chance we might get him during the preliminary stage." She agreed, "We need to find some way to neutralise the incredibly strong bruisers that he and certain other trainers have."
  
  Drake was another trainer that came to mind on that front.
  
  He nodded, "We should get started on that right away. A week isn't as much time as you think it is."
  
  And so the planning begun.
  
  (Roark POV)
  
  Of all the people that he could have gotten paired up with, he had to be paired up with the person that most resembled his father - in the worst way possible.
  
  Even from their very first conversation, he knew that he would hate every single moment of this partnership.
  
  "So you're yet another kid that wants to escape out of their parent's shadow." Pryce said this to him with a dismissive scoff, "Typical. But I hope you at least know how to follow instructions."
  
  "...I do." Was what he eventually said, a little shocked by Pryce's harsh greeting. He wanted to say more, but Pryce interrupted him.
  
  "Good. Then if you listen to me, perhaps we will be able to turn over your previously lacklustre performance at the last Tournament." Pryce frowned, "I remember that you didn't even make it out of the first round. Well, now that you're partnered with me, we aren't going to let that happen again. I won't allow myself to be seen as washed up. So we will need to whip you into shape to make sure that you won't be a disappointment. Is that understood?"
  
  Roark bristled at Pryce's condescending and borderline insulting tone. The man didn't even see him as a partner, merely a subordinate that he could command. It was just like dealing with his father again, but without any of the awkward family relation between them. At least he knew his father cared... somewhere in his heart. But Pryce had none of that.
  
  It was strange to admit that he had finally found a man that was more abrasive than his own father.
  
  But despite how much Pryce rubbed him the wrong way, he did his best to resist the urge to snap back at his partner. For better or worse, he was saddled with the ex-Champion of Indigo now. And, for what it's worth, Pryce was the far more experienced member between them. On paper, listening to him and his advice would probably translate into them being able to go further in the Tournament.
  
  That was, if he had the patience to endure through Pryce's condescension. And that was far easier said than done.
  
  (Giovanni POV)
  
  "Juan, it's a pleasure." He greeted his partner warmly, making sure that he made a good first impression.
  
  In truth, he had been a little disappointed to be partnered with Juan. Unlike his younger peers, he wasn't very interested in becoming the final victor of this Tournament. As long as he used this opportunity to prove that his strength had not faltered, he was more interested in spending this time to forge further connections with those from Unova. So it was a little disappointing that he had not been partnered with one.
  
  ...Maybe that was being unfair on Juan. By all accounts, Juan was the leading Gym Leader in Hoenn, who had a strong and deep connection with Wallace. Moreover, he had heard a few rumours about Wallace replacing Juan as the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City if he lost his impending battle against Steven.
  
  He didn't know if there was any truth to that rumour, but he did intend to find out more from Juan. After they had established a better rapport, of course.
  
  "Hoho, likewise, Giovanni." Juan smiled guilelessly, unaware of his own thoughts, "I did not expect them to pair a Water and Ground specialist together. There's not a lot of synergy between our types. But it should make things interesting, no?"
  
  "Well we are both the 8th Badge Gym Leader for our respective regions. It only makes sense that they would find some ways to weaken us in order to make it fair for the others." Giovanni replied, "Nevertheless, we can only work with what we have. Tell me more about your team, and let's see what we can come up with..."
  
  (Karen POV)
  
  "Karen!" Karen had to brace herself as the small missile that was Iris ran up to her and glomped her in a tight hug, "You don't know how happy I was to get you as my partner!"
  
  She smiled, "Me too, Iris. Out of everyone I could've gotten, I wanted to partner up with you the most."
  
  "Hehehe." Iris giggled into her shirt, before she pulled away and stared up at her with eyes shining with excitement, "In that case, let's not waste any more time! I want to win this whole thing!"
  
  "Woah, win the whole thing? Aren't you ambitious?" She joked.
  
  Iris' head bobbed up and down, "Of course! Drayden always said that I should aim for the top, so why would this be different? Besides - I have you on my side, right? I know you're strong enough to overcome any opponent!"
  
  Before she could respond, Iris grabbed her by the hands and began dragging her along, "Come on, this way, this way! We don't have time to waste! We need to get started right away!"
  
  Karen chuckled to herself as she let herself be dragged along. Yes, this Tournament was definitely going to prove exciting. With someone as enthusiastic as Iris by her side, at least she didn't have to worry about her partner's will to win.
  
  And since Iris fully believed that they would be able to win this whole thing together, she couldn't possibly let her down now.
  
  A.N. I had a bit more time than usual, so I hope you enjoyed the slightly longer Interlude. Like I promised, here are many different perspectives from several of the Gym Leader pairings. While I couldn't cover all of the partners - as you can see, some will get along well, some are neutral, while others aren't going to get along great.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 15-17 - Hanging Out
  
  "...If I had known I would be meeting with the Champion of Sinnoh, I would have taken more time to dress up." Elesa muttered to me as we sat down at a restaurant together in Sunyshore City, pulling slightly at the hem of her shirt, "This is way too casual for a first meeting with a Champion."
  
  We were taking a break from our usual training sessions, and I thought that it might be good to actually spend some more time in a more relaxed setting to build up mutual rapport. Besides, I always welcomed an opportunity to grow closer with another Gym Leader, especially one from Unova.
  
  I made a show of looking her over, "You say that, but you've dressed up quite well - at least I could tell that you've put effort into your appearance. Besides, I wouldn't worry too much about it, Cynthia isn't one for formalities anyways. Not with something like this."
  
  Elesa snorted, "Maybe, but it's not her opinion that I'm solely worried about. You know how the paparazzi are like - they love taking things out of context and then dramatizing them so that the truth is completely warped. They take one picture of us in this restaurant together, and then they imply that I'm dressed 'a little too casually' while speaking to a Champion, and the next thing I know is that there'll be five different articles written about how I was being 'disrespectful' when speaking with a Champion and that I'm 'letting the region down'."
  
  That sounds exactly like something those Carvanha would do, "...You sound like you've dealt with this a lot." I replied sympathetically.
  
  She sighed tiredly, "That's an understatement if I've ever heard one. It's bad enough when you're known as a Gym Leader, but when you add in being one of the most famous models in Unova? Well that just adds fuel to the fire. I don't think I've gone a week without my name popping up in some headline or another. It's not as fun as you think."
  
  "Trust me, I can relate to that." The familiar voice of my girlfriend came from behind us, "Thank Arceus that being an archaeologist doesn't get me nearly as much media attention as other professions might. I already have the gossip rags 'commenting' on my beauty, even though it has nothing to do with my policies or my abilities as a trainer."
  
  "Well there is much to comment on." I added with a shameless grin.
  
  My girlfriend smiled at me, "Flatterer." Then she turned to Elesa, "I know we've met formally, but it's nice to meet you as Elesa the person, rather than as a Gym Leader of Unova."
  
  "Likewise, Champ-Cynthia." Elesa quickly corrected herself when she saw the frown on Cynthia's face, "And thank you for inviting me to this lunch together. I know you would have preferred it to spend it alone with your partner."
  
  "It's alright, I wanted to meet you too as well." She replied, "I know I'm not allowed to be too biased, but I wanted to know more about the person that my boyfriend is partnered up with for the rest of the tournament. So please, feel free to chat about whatever."
  
  At that, Elesa's gaze bounced between the two of us, "In that case... I've always been curious about how the two of you even met or got together. Everything I've heard is about how big of a thing it was that an Elite Four and a Champion from two different regions are dating each other, but I've not heard any of the specifics. So, if it isn't too personal, do you mind satisfying a girl's curiosity?"
  
  Both Cynthia and I let out fond smiles, sharing a knowing look with each other as we reminisced over how we had first met.
  
  I gestured for her to go first, "...Well we met up for the first time in Sinnoh. You see, we had just opened our borders to Hoenn and Indigo, and John was sent over as one of the Indigo representatives. I wasn't Champion yet, but it just so happened that my grandmother had formed a connection with John when she had visited Indigo through their shared interest in science. As a result, she offered me up as a tour guide for when John came over, and he was offered to stay at the Celestic Town Research Centre."
  
  I took it up from there, "Naturally, we ended up spending a lot of time together. Initially, there was nothing inherently romantic about our interactions, nor did I set out from Indigo with the intention of finding a girlfriend in the first place. It kind of... just happened?"
  
  I gently placed one of my hands on top of hers, "I still don't know how to put it into words, but the more we spent time with each other, the more I came to enjoy her presence. And then it got to the point where, despite having to return to Indigo, I knew I would've regretted it if I didn't say anything about how I felt about her."
  
  Cynthia snorted, "You say that, but I confessed to you first. Don't you forget that."
  
  I smiled, "Yes, you did. And I thank Arceus every day for that."
  
  That caused the two of us to just stare into each other's eyes for a moment. The memory of our shared confession flashing through our eyes.
  
  Only for the moment to be broken off from a light cough from Elesa, who was unable to hide the smile on her face, "You're both so sweet together it's almost teeth-rotting." She said, "But then how did you announce it to the public? Did you do it right away?"
  
  "No." I answered for the both of us, "We knew that announcing our relationship to the public would be a challenge, considering our circumstances..." I then went on to explain just how we had gotten together, and how the previous Tournament marked the official 'beginning' of our relationship.
  
  Elesa looked suitably impressed, "...It must have been hard for the two of you, having to deal with so much public attention on something that's supposed to be private. And that's not even including the possible backlash that your relationship might have caused in your professional life."
  
  We shrugged, "It wasn't easy, but we both knew what we were getting into." Cynthia said, "So while it was a challenge, we just saw the reward as worth the difficulty and risk."
  
  She leaned into my shoulder, "As you can see, I'm very much satisfied with the outcome."
  
  I just smiled silently as she leaned into me.
  
  "...Anyways, I think that's enough about us." She said as she quickly pulled herself away, "I know you've probably spoken to John about this, but I haven't had the opportunity to learn anything from him. So tell me more about you. What's it like being a Gym leader and a famous model at the same time? You said it was rough."
  
  Elesa let out a faint huff, "Compared to everything you just said, it does feel like my struggles are a little more mundane in comparison." She chuckled, "But despite all of the trouble with the paparazzi that I have to endure, I can't deny that I enjoy juggling both roles."
  
  "Did you know that I'm seen as the role model for women around Unova?" She asked rhetorically, "A magazine once described me as the 'epitome of beauty, grace, and strength'. It was a very high compliment, and I've done my best to live up to the responsibility. That's why I have to be so careful with my image. Many women look up to me, so I always need to ensure that I act the part."
  
  What was implied but not said was that it likely made her one of the most powerful political figures in shaping public opinion in Unova - she was possibly the fashion icon of Unova. Combine that with her role as Gym Leader, and she was immensely influential to the right audience.
  
  "That does sound like a lot of responsibility to live up to." Cynthia acknowledged, sending me a subtle glance that told me that her thoughts mirrored mine exactly, "Doesn't it sometimes get tiring, having all that responsibility?"
  
  "Mhm. It's a bit different from the responsibility and burdens you have as Champion, I'm sure. But when it comes to my appearance and the like - it's a massive deal. It's why I've been agonising so long about changing up my image." She gestured to her blonde hair, "Of course I change my looks frequently as part of being a model, but I've always retained my blonde hair. But recently, I've been thinking of changing it to black..."
  
  She and my girlfriend proceeded to fall into a discussion about fashion and what certain styles signalled to an onlooker, and whether having dyed hair sent more of a message than keeping the original colour. Unsurprisingly, I wasn't able to follow the conversation at all, and fell back on nodding politely from time to time to make myself seem engaged.
  
  Despite being left out of the conversation, I was happy that Elesa seemed to be getting along well with the two of us. She had been nervous before meeting Cynthia, and there was still a little distance between us when she was with me during our training sessions, but now that hesitation seemed to have disappeared entirely.
  
  She was chatting with Cynthia as if she was catching up with a long time friend. And that was good for the both of them.
  
  Ignoring the political advantages that my girlfriend could gain by befriending Elesa, I was just happy that she was making a new friend. She didn't have too many of those.
  
  Eventually, my girlfriend turned to me with a knowing look, "...I think we should put this conversation on hold for the time being. John looks bored out of his mind, and I know you guys have places to be after this."
  
  "Oh, sorry John!" Elesa apologised, "We didn't mean to leave you out like that. We just got too wrapped up in our own conversation."
  
  "No, no, it's fine." I waved her off, "I'm just happy to see you two getting along. But you're right, we should get going - we have other people to meet."
  
  As today was our scheduled rest day, both to give ourselves and our Pokémon a break from our intense training, I had tried to meet up with as many people as I could.
  
  Hanging out with Elesa might have been my primary goal, but I also wanted to meet up with many of my other friends that I hadn't seen in some time. Elesa offered to tag along, saying that she would welcome the opportunity to meet with other Gym Leaders in a more casual setting too.
  
  So with that in mind, we set off from the restaurant and headed to our next destination. We made our way to Veilstone City, where we met up with a whole bunch of Gym Leaders. Originally, I had only intended to meet up with Roxanne, but she ended up bringing Flannery, who then decided to bring along Janine as the Fire specialist was partnered with Koga.
  
  Too bad my sister or Sabrina wasn't here though. They both had to remain in Indigo, helping to handle their respective Gym Leader's duties since they were indisposed.
  
  We found them standing near the Veilstone Game Corner, "John, over here!" Roxanne called out to me.
  
  We greeted each other with a small hug, "Roxanne, it's so nice to see you again. I hope your preparations are coming along well for the Tournament. And the same goes for the rest of you. I hope you've all been doing well."
  
  "Samson has been very patient with me, like you were." Roxanne replied, "And I've gotten much stronger since the last time we fought together. You'll see!"
  
  "I'm glad to hear it. Maybe I can see it from myself if we match up against each other." I smiled, before gesturing to Elesa, "And before I forget - let me introduce you to the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City, Elesa. She's my partner for this Tournament."
  
  "Hello there." Elesa greeted everyone politely, "John's told me quite a bit about you, Roxanne. He praised you repeatedly about how you performed in the previous tournament together, and he especially complimented your work ethic. I can only hope that I can live up to the high standards that you've set."
  
  Roxanne blushed deeply, "He's exaggerating. If anything, I didn't think I worked hard enough. I definitely felt like there was more I could have done to make things easier for John."
  
  Flannery snorted, "You say that, but you made it to the end with him. And I know all about how you keep that trophy of yours polished and cleaned every week. You're clearly proud that you won, so don't try to undersell yourself."
  
  That only caused Roxanne's cheeks to grow even more red from embarrassment. Meanwhile, I was just happy that she treasured our victory so heavily.
  
  Janine nodded, "That's right. Father always says that it's good to take comfort in your accomplishments, so long as you do not rest on your laurels."
  
  Roxanne looked primed to respond, but Elesa cut her off with a chuckle, "You all get along so well. I don't think us Unovans Gym Leaders are quite as friendly as you all are. And you're from different regions too. Is this the same everywhere?"
  
  "...Not exactly." Roxanne was the one to answer, "We all try to be friendly with each other, I hope. A lot of us do get along well, and I'm honoured to call many other Gym Leaders my friends. But there are still those amongst us who I personally find... difficult to deal with, to say the least."
  
  "I guess that part doesn't change no matter where you come from." Elesa said wryly, "At least in more recent times the Unova Gym Leaders are more or less all cordial with each other. I don't think there's any obvious conflict between us. And there are some that I'm happy to call my friends."
  
  "Things have been friendlier overall in recent times." Flannery agreed.
  
  However, as the five of us just stood there talking, a growing crowd had begun to form around us as people caught on to who we were. They were politely keeping their distance for now, but we all knew that it was only a matter of time before we got swarmed.
  
  Therefore, noticing this, Flannery suggested that we put the conversation on hold for now and for us to move to the Veilstone Department Store, where Elesa had wanted to check out some of the newest fashion designs here in Sinnoh.
  
  We did so, chatting idly all the while. Honestly, we didn't talk about anything important, and were all simply content to just hang out in a casual setting for once and talk about whatever random topic came to mind.
  
  For example, at one point our discussion had devolved into talking about the best and worst kind of food that we could find in each region. Then it quickly shifted to us talking about which region had the best weather (Unova won that, by the way). And right after that we started discussing about the places that Elesa should visit if she ever decided to go to Hoenn.
  
  It was a good time.
  
  Personally, I was just happy to be able to catch up with Roxanne and Janine in person. And the fact that we were all chatting with each other like we were a couple of old friends was proof that they hadn't forgotten about me either.
  
  (Looker's POV)
  
  Ingratiating himself into the ranks of PLASMA was both easier and more difficult than he was expecting. He knew that the backstory that he had crafted for himself was specifically targeted to make him the perfect candidate for recruitment, but he had underestimated just how eager the Sages were to bring him onboard.
  
  Speaking of the Sages, the ones that he had met so far were a far cry from the scheming and megalomanic madmen that he had expected to see. There were still hints of that insanity, but most of that was tempered by a seemingly genuine sense of justice and a desire to do the right thing. From what he observed, he couldn't deny that their motivations were not fuelled entirely by a lust for power - for the most part, they were just misguided individuals manipulated down the wrong path.
  
  Though that didn't change the fact that they were still hypocrites. They were still willing to make use of Pokémon to further their goals - it was a classic case of them believing that the end justified the means.
  
  So the more he spent time around PLASMA, the more he realised that they were nowhere near as evil as Team Galactic were under Cyrus. As low of a bar as that was to clear.
  
  And that was even more so for N, the so-called 'prince' of PLASMA. The young boy, for even though he was in his teens, he was still as naïve as a child. Pure-hearted and innocent.
  
  However, N was clearly being groomed to be the posterchild for PLASMA and their ambitions. After all, N could legitimately speak to Pokémon, and what better way to know if your Pokémon were truly happy than by having someone who could genuinely communicate with them tell it to you?
  
  And this was where he begun to see the dark and evil tendrils that had wrapped themselves around this originally benign organisation, and especially around N. The boy was the epitome of a person being manipulated and brainwashed into adopting a certain way of thinking. After his few conversations with N, he had learned that the boy was almost never allowed outside by himself, and most of his life had been spent stuck confined to his 'home'.
  
  Though, given that John had told Looker about his meeting with N, the latter must have sneaked out a few times. Good on him.
  
  Nevertheless, that painted a pretty grim picture of N's life, and of the boy's father figure - Ghetsis. Who was also the leader of the Seven Sages.
  
  There were no good fathers that would leave their own 'son' confined to a base and restrict them from ever going outside. That spoke of someone trying to restrict the flow of information to a person, making them unable to form their own conclusions and thus rely solely on the information that they provided.
  
  Ghetsis was clearly moulding the boy, and definitely not for the better.
  
  This realisation only made his pity for the young boy to grow. N was not evil. He was just an innocent young boy doing what he thought was best for the world, as he had been taught to from his 'loving' father.
  
  It was disturbing.
  
  What was worse was that Ghetsis was not alone in this endeavour - the other Sages were also participating too. Either out of ignorance or malice, they were following along and accepting of Ghetsis' instructions, and did not see anything wrong with what they were doing to N.
  
  Which only served to further corrupt N and his ideals.
  
  He had documented and reported all of this on his phone, which had a secret function that allowed for encrypted communications to take place while still being disguised as a normal phone. Besides this, he acknowledged in his report that he had not been taken to see anything truly secretive, having merely being shown around the more 'public' facilities and getting some basic training on his future role in the organisation.
  
  However, that seemed to change today, as he was suddenly approached by a Sage that he hadn't met yet - Zinzolin.
  
  "So you're our latest recruit." The Sage spoke to him with a dismissive glance, "What was your name again?"
  
  "Hilbert, sir." He replied, giving his fake name.
  
  "Hmph. Alright. I didn't want to do this, but Giallo said you were ready, and we could use a man like you to help us out for our next task." Zinzolin said, "We're going to be heading over to Sinnoh. There's this new tournament that's being set up that will have all the major Gym Leaders and Elite Four gathered there - with the entire world watching. We will be undertaking a few operations there to spread the message of PLASMA. You'll be helping with that, so get your things packed and ready to go. We'll set off by tomorrow at the latest."
  
  "Yes sir." He gave off a 'clumsy' salute, which Zinzolin scoffed at before walking off, not even deigning to say goodbye. But Looker didn't allow any dissatisfaction to appear on his face; on the contrary, his face was one of utter excitement as his eyes shined. To any passing onlooker, they would have thought that 'Hilbert' was completely ecstatic at being given his first major task.
  
  Yet inwardly, he was already making up plans about how to turn this to his advantage. He had not expected to be included in such a big assignment so soon, as he thought that it would have taken longer to build their trust. However, this was definitely an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
  
  Furthermore, his instincts as a veteran member of the International Police were screaming at him - Zinzolin was not a good man. From the very moment they had met eyes, he knew that Zinzolin was exactly like the power-hungry scum that he had spent his whole career arresting.
  
  This was a man who cared not one whit about saving Pokémon. He was just in it for the power.
  
  Which made it all the more important that he ingratiated himself with Zinzolin. If he was to find a way to identify PLASMA's true goals and their crimes, then that was his way in.
  
  So, making sure that his fake smile of excitement was still on his face, he made a show of skipping over to his room - acting like the clueless fool that he pretended to be - where he cheerfully hugged his Croagunk and began to relay to him the 'good news'. All the while making sure that every single word of naïve excitement that he uttered to his Pokémon would be caught on the hidden recording devices scattered around his room.
  
  This was to ensure that whoever was spying on him would see nothing else but a gullible and naïve fool, ready to do whatever he could to help the cause.
  
  Completely unaware that he was a spy in their midst.
  
  A.N. Definitely a more slice-of-life chapter this time, but I'm also setting the stage for the events to come in the Tournament. This time around, I won't have PLASMA's actions limited to just Unova. They'll be adapting to the new situation too. Too bad for them, Looker's on the case.
  
  This is also the penultimate chapter for this arc, with the next chapter being the Pokenet Interlude. After this, there will be many battles coming as we head into the tournament, so you can consider this to be sort of like a 'calm before the storm'. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 15-18 -Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 15-18 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [THE PAIRINGS FOR THE WORLD TOURNAMENT HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED! WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS?! WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN?] By Battlecast
  
  [Picture of the symbol of the Pokémon World Tournament. It is shaped like a Pokéball divided into four pieces, with each section representing a different region]
  
  Ever since the Pokémon World Tournament was announced to the raucous cheers and excitement of battle lovers everywhere, we have all been waiting in eager anticipation for who will be partnered with who for the upcoming battles ahead. Especially considering the new format that the Tournament will be running - consisting of far more battles than what the previous format allowed for.
  
  With the addition of the new preliminary stage, there are going to be many more battles for us viewers to enjoy as we get to watch the best trainers in the world duke it out to determine who will become the ultimate victor. Like the previous tournament, cooperation between both trainers are going to be an absolute necessity to ensure victory - a single trainer alone will unlikely be able to carry their way through every battle by themselves.
  
  And today, those partners have finally been announced! For those who have missed the announcement, here are the list of partners for the Pokémon World Tournament:
  
  [Graphic listing out all 28 partners]
  
  Of course, we're sure many of you are going to focus on who the previous Tri-Regional Tournament winners will be partnered with this time. Sufficed to say, we here at Battlecast aren't disappointed! John, Drake, and Pryce, who had all shown extremely dominant and powerful performances last time, especially during their fights against the Champions (and John fighting Lance 1v1 and winning - can't forget that!) have all been paired up with someone new.
  
  And it's clear to see that the organizers for the Tournament have meticulously ensured that the teams are as 'balanced' as they can be.
  
  John has been paired with Elesa, a decently experienced Gym Leader and Electric specialist in Unova. Drake with Burgh, a Gym Leader peer of Elesa's and a Bug specialist. Lastly, Pryce with Roark, the young and new Gym Leader at Oreburgh.
  
  Let's focus on John and Elesa first, as this is likely the partnership that many have their eyes on. At first, it might seem like this team has it all - John has the power, and Elesa has the speed. And while that potent combination cannot be denied, there are little Type synergies between Normal and Electric. An ideal partnership for the latter would be either another Electric or Water specialist, so that both trainers can capitalize fully on the Rain. But here, John has nothing that innately supports Elesa's fighting style, and vice versa.
  
  That being said, John has always been known to be able to foster working relationships with people - it is why he is able to be so well-connected politically. And in the last Tournament, it was clear that he took up a supporting role for the earlier fights to give a chance for Roxanne to show off rather than being hidden under his long shadow. So maybe this time John will be able to craft a similarly successful strategy for him and Elesa to make use of so that they can have a repeat of John's past performance. Only time will tell.
  
  And then there's Drake. The man who would have easily been the star of the past Tournament if not for John's fight and victory over Lance's Emperor. He has been paired up with Unova's Gym Leader Burgh, who by our reports is a decently experienced Gym Leader with a mind for the arts. Normally, we aren't ones to discuss a trainer's personality traits when considering their likelihood of victory, but when working effectively with your partner is so important, having non-conflicting personalities is a must.
  
  Which is where Drake might struggle in. The long-time member of the Hoenn Elite Four is certainly one of the prime candidates to win it all, but his blunt and aggressive character have frequently rubbed quite a few people the wrong way in the past. Ignoring both of their strengths as a trainer for a moment, will this clash of personalities undermine the team's potential? Or will Drake manage to find common ground with Burgh?
  
  Moreover, the Typing of Bug and Dragon aren't the most synergistic either...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  You know, I'm not surprised at all that they paired John with an Unovan. He's proven multiple times over that he has a genuine desire for internationalism and forging bridges between regions, so it makes sense that he'll be paired up with one. The Leagues are probably hoping he'll be able to befriend and form a strong connection with one of Unova's Gym Leaders this way.
  
  That being said, the pairing with Elesa did surprise me. I thought he would be paired with Lenora, considering they are both Normal specialists and were seen getting along well in Unova. Maybe this is just the organizers making things harder for him? Arceus knows we need that to make this Tournament fair.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  OMA! Elesa paired up with John!? Isn't he like, super strong or something!? Does that mean our model is actually going to win it all this time?! Luck and beauty really do go together!
  
  And... what if John and Elesa got to know each other a bit better during their partnership? You get what I mean?
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Fat chance of that happening. No offense to Elesa, but that ship has long since sailed. Even if she was trying to throw her hat into the ring, Cynthia's firm hands have got that locked down. Did you see the pictures of them together eating lunch?
  
  [Pictures of the meeting between John, Elesa, and Cynthia. John and Cynthia can be seen looking deeply into each other's eyes with loving affection]
  
  Yeah, Elesa practically looked like a third wheel there. The Cynthia and John ship is too strong. It's not sinking.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Moving on from that derail, I'm personally really interested in seeing how far the Unova Elite Four manage to go! We know they lost in a battle against our own Elite Four, but with the format of the Tournament allowing for many battles, we'll actually get to have a proper comparison of their strengths - maybe even in a rematch! Can't wait!
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  Anyone know anything about Karen? She's been paired with Iris, and we all want her to do well and not get saddled with someone... mediocre.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  As difficult as it is to admit as a proud citizen of Hoenn, Karen managed to defeat Sidney before she even became an Elite Four, meaning that she is very likely the premier Dark Type specialist within Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. While there may be some that say that she's currently the weakest among the Indigo Elite Four... that is by no means an insult to her strength. Not only is this a minority opinion, don't forget that the Indigo Elite Four is the strongest it's ever been.
  
  In my opinion, Iris is in very safe hands. And if the two of them manage to work together where Karen's disruptive tactics can shine, then they might be primed to win the whole Tournament.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Between the double Gym Leader pairings or the Elite Four/Gym Leader pairings, who do you think will (on average) make it further in the Tournament?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Well if the previous Tournament was any indication, most of the Elite Four/Gym Leader pairs made it further than their double Gym Leader counterparts. I mean, out of the final Top 3, only Pryce and Candice were both Gym Leaders, and Pryce was previously an ex-Champion.
  
  I think that shows pretty clearly that having one Elite Four on your team makes your chances of winning noticeably higher. It's unfortunate, but there's no actual way to ensure that the teams are going to be fully balanced. The Sinnoh League can only make do - and I'm certainly satisfied with their attempt.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Honestly, for my own thoughts about which pair might win this, I think everyone's sleeping on Lucian and Lenora. Lucian might not have done so well last time, but this time he should have a partner that he's able to work a lot better with. I did the research, Lenora's a formidable and respected Gym Leader with a flexible team of Pokémon that should be able to adapt well to Lucian's style of fighting.
  
  Another pair I have a lot of hope for is Aaron and Dorothy. Aaron is an Elite Four, and Dorothy is a Gym Leader who trained under Agatha. Sure, Ghost and Bug might not be the strongest Types, but I really feel there's a lot of hidden potential there with these 'unpopular' types working together.
  
  Amoogus
  
  You're all wrong. It's going to be Marshal and Crasher Wake taking the win for sure. Strength matched with strength!
  
  [UNOVA ARRIVES IN SINNOH! What are their thoughts and feelings about our cities and culture? An interview with the foreign Gym Leaders and Elite Four!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of the Unovans arriving in Canalave City]
  
  Just earlier this morning, our guests and visitors from Unova have finally stepped foot onto our shores for the first time ever. Though we have heard about them from second-hand reports and observations from others, this is the first time we'll be able to interact with many of them in person.
  
  It was a truly historic occasion.
  
  Naturally, our reporters were not ones to pass on the chance to interview these newcomers, and we manage to snag a few of them for some questions. First, we asked the Gym Leaders of Unova what their first impressions were of Sinnoh.
  
  "Everything's very different from back home." Gym Leader Burgh told us, "In Unova, we favour skyscrapers and modernity. Here? There is a huge emphasis on Sinnoh's traditions and culture, and that is reflected in your unique architecture. As an artist, I believe both are unique and interesting in their own way, and I couldn't possibly choose one over the other. However, I do like that Canalave City isn't nearly as crowded as Castelia. Still, being in a new region has really stirred up my inner creativity, and I'd love to be able to visit your galleries and museums for additional inspiration whenever I have some free time."
  
  "I heard about what happened to your Galactic Company. Big shame that. It's always a rough one when a business turns their backs against their own customers like that." Gym Leader Clay said, "But I've also heard many good things about your Devon Corp and Silph Co, so it's good to know that the rot didn't spread. I'd actually like to speak with these two companies myself if I could. I'd reckon we'd get along pretty well, and I hope they make time for me. There's a good deal out there just waiting to be signed, I just know it."
  
  Later, we moved on to other questions, like their impressions on the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members that they had met so far.
  
  "It's easy to see why your people hold them in such high regard. I heard about the fight against the Legendary that you had here, and I was initially sceptical that it actually played out in the way that the reports described it. However, having met with your leaders in person, and the determination and resolve that they had when they spoke of the event, I knew that it was no lie." Lenora said, "Because of this, I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to test myself against individuals as capable and as determined as I have seen them to be."
  
  "At first, I was a little nervous to be meeting so many important people from a different region." The young Gym Leader Iris said, "But once we did meet, I discovered that they were all so friendly and welcoming! Even though I haven't known them for a long time, I can tell that your Gym Leaders must all take their responsibilities really seriously! Oh, and I'd love to actually meet with Tate and Lisa! I haven't met them yet, but I heard that they were around my age, so I really want to talk to them and discuss things! Maybe we can learn things from each other!"
  
  Gym Leader Iris seemed especially enthusiastic to talk about her newest experiences in Sinnoh, and she went on to describe her previous meeting with Karen and John...(Click here to continue reading)
  
  Comments
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I don't know much about Clay, but I know he used to be a miner. Think he knows anything about archaeology? I'd love for him to host a scientific panel about the unique geology of Unova.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  The way that everyone describes Sinnoh as 'traditional' and 'historical' makes it sound like they're trying to be polite about the fact that Sinnoh is a backwater region that hasn't embraced the times. And from what I've heard about Indigo and Hoenn, the situation is little better there either. If it weren't for your leaders, Unova could easily be the dominant one in negotiations. Shame!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Oh yeah? Then which was the region that introduced the Pokénet, the PSS, and even the Fairy type to your unenlightened backwater of a region? Oh that's right - it was us. So shut your trap and go back to your overpopulated cities and cry in that tiny and overpriced apartment that you call a 'home'.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  You're both far too patriotic for your own good. As an Unovan myself, I like the cities that we have, but I also find the unique charm of Sinnoh to be really interesting. Sadly, I'm currently caught up in a few things, so I can't make the trip there right now, but I hope to do so soon!
  
  Amoongus
  
  Hey, anyone know who are the best and most popular Gym Leaders in the New Regions? And why they're so popular/great?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Generally Giovanni, Pryce, Clair, Tate and Lisa, and Volkner are amongst the Gym Leaders that people respect the most or consider to be the strongest, for a few different reasons. The obvious ones are Volkner and Clair, who are respected because they are pretty much acknowledged to be at an Elite Four level of strength (especially Volkner, who is seen to be on par with Elite Flint), but chose to not take up the position for one reason or another. Likewise, Tate and Lisa are respected because of their incredible talents, even at a young age. Basically, they're our version of your Gym Leader Iris.
  
  Pryce is respected because he used to be Champion, having 'recently' stepped down. His rule was... controversial, especially towards the end, but he still retains a lot of the support and strength that he used to have. With Giovanni, he's respected for his actions and philanthropy. He's a director at Silph Co, and he's been very active politically with many of the recent changes that many have considered to be a boon to Indigo. He's probably the single most influential Gym Leader out there.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  To elaborate on the above, Giovanni is seen as the 'leader' of the Kanto Gym Leaders, and some have said that he has enough strength to make it into the Elite Four if he wished. Meanwhile, Pryce and Clair 'share' leadership over Johto's. Things are less clear cut in both Hoenn and Sinnoh, as I'm not aware if there is actually a 'leader' amongst their Gym Leaders (could be wrong though). Are things different in Unova?
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  Clay is seen as the leader, given that he's the most experienced and strongest. But I just know that Iris will eventually take up that position! Once her talent and potential finally blooms, there's no way the others won't look to her for guidance!
  
  [AD: What to see in the New Regions! A comprehensive tour guide about all the best sites in Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh!} By Explorers of the Skies
  
  [Shot of a scrapbook that contains scenic pictures from the three regions. Many famous locations are featured prominently]
  
  For those of you looking to visit the newly introduced regions of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, but don't know where to start? Well look no further, as we've compiled a list of the best tourist attractions from every region for you to get a head start on your vacation planning.
  
  We all know you're interested in coming over now that the World Tournament is taking place.
  
  First of, we shall start with the region closest to Unova - Sinnoh. Obviously, the greatest attraction there is the Temple of the Titan, a newly built memorial that currently houses the dormant Legendary Titan. While you're there, you might as well visit Spear Pillar too, as it was the location where the cataclysmic clash of Legendaries took place. Even if you aren't a trainer, you cannot pass up on visiting the location where the greatest battle in recent history took place.
  
  And while you're in Sinnoh, why not visit the newly constructed Fight Area, with the Battle Frontier as its main attraction? You don't need to be a trainer to take in the sights and enjoy the unique competitive atmosphere that is always present in the Fight Area. For those of you with money to splurge, the Fight Area also possesses many luxurious accommodations and facilities that will transform your vacation into something full of decadence and relaxation.
  
  Just trust us - once you've experienced it for yourself, you won't want to leave!
  
  ...
  
  Moving on to Indigo, cities like Celadon and Goldenrod should always be one of the first places you head to - especially if you're a big shopper. Both cities serve as the commercial heart of Kanto and Johto respectively, making it the place to buy any souvenirs, clothing, or whatever other gifts you feel like getting.
  
  But if you want a more cultural experience, then head over to cities like Cerulean, Ecruteak, or Blackthorn. Cerulean is known to be the centre of the arts for Kanto, and you'll be able to experience all kinds of magical performances and contests there - you can even go cave diving in the Cerulean Cave should it tickle your fancy. Likewise, Ecruteak is the centre of culture for all of Indigo, and it is absolutely worth getting tickets for the Kimono Girls performances. You won't regret it!
  
  On the other hand, Blackthorn City are where most of the Dragons of Indigo resides and are raised. Especially for you trainers out there, it's the perfect place to visit. You might even get lucky and catch one in the wild just like that!
  
  Or, if you fancy going a little off the mainland, then there's always the newly renovated Sevii Islands for you to visit. The Sevii Islands are home to the headquarters of the Regional Union, but also possesses many great beaches for you to get your tan on. For those interested in history and politics, it's like combining a study trip with a vacation. It's the best of both worlds.
  
  ...
  
  Last, but certainly not least, is Hoenn. And if you're in Hoenn, then you cannot afford to miss out on the soul-cleansing and relaxing hot springs of Lavaridge Town - you could even visit Mt. Chimney while you're there! Then, if you still have money to splurge after shopping through both Sinnoh and Indigo, then Mauville City is the place to be. It is a massive shopping mall filled to the brim with all kinds of different shops, selling almost anything you could think of. Luxurious accessories, great food, stylish clothes, Pokémon and trainer gear - it's all there.
  
  But if you want to head to somewhere more peaceful and serene, then why not head over to either Fortree City or Pacifidlog Town. The former is a city built in the trees, while the latter is a town built floating on the ocean's surface. Having been to both places, this writer can guarantee that you won't regret experiencing these unique places for yourself.
  
  [Steven vs Wallace! The battle to determine the future of Hoenn is finally here! Who will come up on top?!] By The Hoenn Times
  
  [Picture of Steven and Wallace edited so that they are standing side-by-side, with their respective Pokémon flanking them]
  
  After his convincing victory over Drake, the battle that many had anticipated is finally about to happen.
  
  When Steven first made his announcement to challenge the Champion, there were many that dismissed his challenge as nothing more than the arrogant bragging of a silver-spooned heir that was too consumed by his own pride. However, after his dominant performance against all of Hoenn's Elite Four, it's clear that Steven is very much out to win. He may very well be our next Champion.
  
  Therefore, we felt that it was appropriate to provide a run down of the teams that both trainers' are likely going to field:
  
  [Graphic of Steven and Wallace's teams. Steven is shown to likely make use of a combination of his Skarmory, Magnezone, Aggron, H-Goodra, Claydol, Mawile, and Metagross. Wallace is likely to field a combination of his Wailord, Sharpedo, Tentacruel, Walrein, Ludicolo, Whiscash, Gyarados, and Milotic.]
  
  Though it might sound boring, our analysts here at The Hoenn Times very firmly state that these two are evenly tied in strength. So instead of trying to determine who will win, our focus will be instead on the shift in politics if Steven were to be successful and become the newest Champion of Hoenn.
  
  Surprisingly, from the many interviews that Steven has participated in, it seems like Steven and Wallace are mostly of one mind when it comes to politics. As some of you may already know, Steven and Wallace are actually friends, which possibly explains the reason why the both of them share similar political views.
  
  The only major change that Steven will very likely enact, as he has been speaking openly about doing so for the past few weeks, is that he will be accelerating the proposal that our future leaders could become appointable from any region. This has clearly been something that has been at the forefront of Steven's mind, as he has been looking for ways to help his friend, Bruno. Though it is interesting to note that Wallace has not currently opposed this idea either.
  
  Outside of this and other possible changes to several financial policies that he will be making, we predict that things will mostly follow the current status quo even if Steven were to ascend.
  
  Overall, this writer believes that the relative lack of sweeping changes that Steven will bring post-ascension to be a good thing. Wallace has been there to guide Hoenn through the many changes that have graced our region over the past few years, to great success. He has managed to forge strong foreign ties for our region, building mutually beneficial relationships with Indigo and Sinnoh that have led us into prosperity. So we see it as a good thing that Steven has no intention of going against such decisions.
  
  What do you think? Who do you think is going to win? And if Steven does win, what do you think he will be like as our new Champion? Let us know in the comments below!
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  My opinions on Steven has flip-flopped heavily over the past few weeks. Like many others, I thought he was making the challenge as a way of advertising some Devon Corp product or to advance some kind of mysterious political agenda, but after seeing him earn those wins (his Metagross was insane against Drake), I'm now a supporter.
  
  Don't get me wrong, I like Wallace too, and it's a shame that we can't have both of them be our Champions, so I'll just see where the die lands. I wish both of them luck.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Nah, how could you not be a supporter of Steven after he beat Drake like that? That Baton Pass into his Metagross instantly secured him the fight; Drake was completely outplayed. It really showed off Steven's skill as a trainer - and you can't just buy that with money.
  
  Super excited for his fight against Wallace.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I'm very interested to seeing how Steven will be guiding Hoenn if he does take up the mantle of Champion. However, I'm also interested in seeing what Wallace would do should he lose the upcoming battle. Is he going to step down into a peaceful retirement, content with his years of service and the great political achievements that he has accomplished? Or is he going to try to fight back for his old position, perhaps making his way back into the Elite Four?
  
  I mean, he certainly has the strength to do so if he so chooses. But personally, I'm not sure if he's the sort of person to do that.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  In my opinion he's probably going to take up the mantle of Gym Leader at Sootopolis City if he loses. He used to be its Gym Leader, and everyone knows that Juan only took up the position because Wallace ascended to Champion. I think it makes sense for him to return to his old position. I just don't see Wallace retiring to complete obscurity when he's as capable as he is.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I have a lot of respect for Wallace, and I think it will be a major disservice for Hoenn if he were to lose his position as Champion. Steven may be good too, but Wallace has already proven himself to be a great Champion. I hope he stays, but he does have a hard battle ahead of him. I think both trainers are practically equal in strength.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Nah, Wallace's got this in the bag. Steven's strong, I admit, but don't forget the sheer defensive power of his Milotic that he showed off in the last Tournament. Even Drake and Pryce combined struggled heavily to take it down.
  
  Metagross might be strong, but Milotic will be able to wall it. Trust me.
  
  [PROFESSORS MEETING UP? A GATHERING OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Picture of Professor Oak, Blaine, Rowan, Elm, Birch, and Juniper talking with each other. Another man with blonde hair can be seen in the background, but his face is too blurred out to determine their identity]
  
  It seems that the gathering of many of the best trainers around the world for the Tournament has also caused our greatest minds to come together as well! After all, why wouldn't they? This is the perfect opportunity for them to freely share and discuss their ideas and theories with each other.
  
  Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain an interview with the Professors. Despite this, we here at the Sinnoh News will be keeping an eye on future scientific developments that might crop up as a result of this extraordinary gathering of individuals. As it is very likely that such a gathering of Professors will lead to them working together on some kind of incredible and unforgettable joint project that will completely change the way that we see the world!
  
  Don't forget that the last time this happened, the Fairy Type was discovered!
  
  And if so, we wonder what kind of incredible thing would they discover or create this time? We'll be updating you if and when we receive further information!
  
  A.N. This marks the end of Arc 15 - the Unova Arc. Thank you for everyone for your continued support of The New Normal - it means a lot to me and encourages me to keep on writing. Coming into the next arc, as previously stated, are going to be a lot of battles.
  
  But battles are not the only thing coming. As hinted in this very Pokénet Interlude, and from a few previous chapters, the Professors will be working together on something important too. Props to those who can guess what it is! And unfortunately for John and the others, PLASMA are also going to be taking action as well! Nevertheless, hope you enjoyed! And thank you again for the support!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-15-18-Interlude-Professor
  The New Normal - 15-18 - Interlude - The Professors
  
  (Blaine POV)
  
  For those who didn't know Samuel, they would have thought that the ex-Champion was as spry and as energetic as he used to be in his youth. It wasn't strange for them to think this way, as despite his friend's advanced age, he seemed to move around and act as if he was twenty years younger.
  
  However, Blaine had known his friend for a long time now, and to him, it was impossible to miss the signs of aging afflicting his friend. Sam slept more often, and he was nowhere near as animated as he used to be whenever he went on his usual hour-long tangents. He also took far more breaks every once in a while to regain his energy, and his reaction speeds were no longer as good as they once were.
  
  Despite all of this, it was undeniable that his friend was aging well. It was just a little sad to see that even his friend, who had seemed all but unstoppable in his youth, was still susceptible to the pains of old age.
  
  "You got something you want to say?" Sam asked him, breaking him out of his thoughts, "Might as well get it off your chest before the others arrive."
  
  "No, no. Just lost in my own thoughts for a moment." Blaine shook his head before moving to check the time, "...We didn't misremember the meeting time, right? Surely one of the others should be here by now."
  
  Just like how the Gym Leaders and Elite Four from all four regions were meeting up and getting to know each other, they wanted to do the same as Professors. It would be a nice way for them to not only catch up with each other, but also as a way to introduce themselves to their Unovan counterparts. It would also be an opportunity for all of them to share a few of their own theories or discoveries with each other, and generally just be able to freely discuss and pool together their collective knowledge.
  
  Who knows? Maybe today would be the start of an opportunity for them to all work together on a project once again - much like they did for the reveal of the Fairy type.
  
  Fortunately, before he could begin grumbling about people being late, the rest of the Professors finally showed up.
  
  "Sorry for keeping you waiting." Rowan waved at them at the front of the newly arrived group. Next to him were Professor Elm, Birch, Carolina, Juniper, and one other person that he didn't recognise. "We got caught up on something."
  
  "It's not a problem at all." Sam replied easily, before extending a hand to Juniper, "And you must be Professor Juniper. My name is Samuel Oak. It's a pleasure."
  
  "Oh no, the pleasure's all mine!" Juniper shook Sam's hand eagerly, "I've heard so much about you! I can't believe you invented the Pokédex between all your other achievements! To think you were also the first Champion of Indigo too - you've accomplished so much!"
  
  And then began the gushing that he had come to expect whenever someone met Sam for the first time. Despite this, he wasn't envious of the attention that Sam got - in his mind, his friend deserved all of it.
  
  In the meanwhile, he decided to introduce himself to the newcomer, "Nice to meet you. I'm Professor Blaine, from Indigo."
  
  "Ah! The man who started off the creation of the evolution items. I know you." The man smiled at him, "Oh, where are my manners. My name's Colress. I'm... not exactly a Professor myself, and I consider myself to be more of a freelancer than anything. I usually hop between project to project on whatever catches my interest."
  
  "Don't let him fool you." Juniper piped up from the side, "Colress is a brilliant scientist - it's why I decided to bring him along. I haven't known him for too long, but I can guarantee that his intellect and insights are both incredible. He would be wasted as anything other than a Professor."
  
  Colress maintained his polite smile, "I appreciate the compliment. But I'm just honoured to be tagging along for today. If it suits you, then please feel free to treat me as nothing more than a spectator."
  
  After introductions were all out of the way, they all relocated to the venue that they had booked for this specific meeting. Cameras and microphones were placed all over the room just so that they could have a record of what was discussed, just in case anyone wanted it.
  
  "...So, I guess I should start off first, since I'm the new one here." Juniper began, "I'm a Professor specialising in the origins of Pokémon, and most of my research has been focused around finding out more about how particular Pokémon came to be. I've already compiled a summary of the origins of the Pokémon that can be found in the Unovan Pokédex, so you can go ahead and use those to update your records."
  
  "Thank you." Sam said, "That would be most appreciated."
  
  "Besides that..." She turned to Colress, "Colress, didn't you say you wanted to show off something today?"
  
  "I did say that, thank you for the reminder." Colress confirmed, taking out a small device that was the same size as a television remote, "This is a prototype for my latest invention. For now, I've called it the Colress Machine, for a lack of a better name. But what it does is that it sends out signals that stimulate neural activity within Pokémon, causing them to forcefully awaken. I've done some tests, and it even works on fainted Pokémon too."
  
  "...That can't be healthy." Sam muttered, "Pokémon faint when they're badly injured - it's a part of their natural recovery process. Forcing them awake artificially like that would just hurt them."
  
  "Maybe, but I've felt that there's always been potential here." Colress continued, seemingly unbothered and unaware of the frowns that he got for his lack of care towards the wellbeing of Pokémon, "If I can stimulate neural activity in Pokémon to awaken them, then that also means we can do the reverse. We can use this to calm down agitated Pokémon and prevent a rampage."
  
  That got everyone interested, "Would it really be that easy to accomplish?" Elm asked.
  
  Colress winced, "...Not exactly." He admitted, "Right now all I have is an imperfect prototype. It works more than 85% of the time, but the machine has a tendency to break not long afterwards. And, Pokémon that are forcefully awakened like this often are aggravated and may rampage."
  
  That was not ideal, "So what we're hearing is that there's a lot of things still to work on." Blaine said.
  
  "Let's not be too pessimistic about it." Birch quickly added, "I believe I see a lot of potential with what Colress has described, even in its current form. There might be niche situations where you would want to forcibly awaken a fainted or sleeping Pokémon. Furthermore, dealing with ornery and overly aggressive Pokémon has always been an eternal struggle for our rangers - something that could calm them down forcibly would really help with that."
  
  Then Birch gave Colress an inspecting look, "Is that why you've brought this up? To secure funding?"
  
  "That's right." Colress nodded shamelessly, "Sadly, I've not manage to find much patronage in Unova - Professor Juniper aside. And frankly I was hoping to use this meeting as an opportunity to work alongside some or all of you to bring my ideas into reality. The Colress Machine is only one of my many inventions, after all."
  
  "...You seem like a very intelligent person, why would the people of Unova not fund you?" Rowan asked curiously, "Surely you could qualify for a few grants."
  
  Juniper winced, "Colress is an amazing scientist... but he is horrible at trying to hold a budget. The last time he got given funding to do something, he massively went over the budget and got into a lot of trouble."
  
  "After that, no one really wanted to deal with me in Unova." Colress finished for her. Yet despite his words, he didn't look at all ashamed for what he had done, "Therefore, I was hoping for one or some of you to be able to overlook these flaws of mine and provide funding for my own projects. After all, science should never be held back."
  
  Blaine held back a slight frown; the way that Colress said it really rubbed him the wrong way. It just seemed like the man felt entitled to receive support. But it was strange. Such entitlement didn't seem borne out of arrogance or pride, but from something else entirely. He just couldn't quite place it.
  
  However, it seems like some of his colleagues didn't feel the same way, "I'd be happy to work with you for some time on a provisional basis." Birch said kindly, as expected of the friendliest Professor amongst them, "I can't promise anything right now, but maybe we can come to an agreement after I've seen more of your work."
  
  "That will do nicely, thank you." Colress nodded politely, "Sorry for taking up so much of your time - I know you have other things to discuss."
  
  So that was what they did. They moved onto chatting about all sorts of different topics - and were generally just having a good time.
  
  However, several hours into their discussion, Birch suddenly received an unexpected call. After a brief conversation, they found out that the caller, Joseph Stone, had apparently wanted to speak with all of them.
  
  So Birch set the phone to speaker, "Sorry for interrupting your meeting, but I figured that now was the best time to propose a joint project that I'd like for all of us to work on."
  
  "All of us? Are you sure?" Elm asked, "What kind of project warrants such attention?"
  
  "Something that I will not speak about until I have your signed agreement that you will cooperate. However, I will say that this is a project that I am certain will change our fundamental understanding of our Pokémon's true capabilities." Joseph replied with deliberate ambiguity, "And I have chosen to reach out to you all because, despite the best efforts of Devon Corp, we have not yet been able to uncover its secrets. But we know that there is something there. We just need help finding the key."
  
  Blaine let out a whistle. Devon Corp, while not technically on the same level as a dedicated research lab run by a Professor, was no less competent than one with the sheer amount of manpower and resources that they had on hand. So the fact that Devon Corp was struggling to figure this out was a sign that this was something worth their time.
  
  In the end, with his curiosity unable to be withheld, there was only one answer he could give.
  
  "I'm in. I don't know what it is that you want me working on - but I can tell it's going to be very interesting."
  
  A.N. And here's Colress! In the games, he's primarily attached to Team Plasma, but given that the timetable is so different now, I felt it would be interesting to take a different direction with him. You'll be seeing more of him soon!
  
  As for Joseph's project, I don't need to be coy about it - it's the Mega Research that he had been working on. Yet because he's been hitting a dead end, he's decided to bring the Professors on board to try and help. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-1 - A Battle of Champions
  
  The upcoming battle between Steven and Wallace was probably the most anticipated event in the last few months - even if you take into account all of the political changes that have occurred. Everyone and their families were talking about the implications of a possible Steven victory, and what it would mean for Hoenn's future.
  
  Unlike the previous two challenges for the title of Champion performed by Lance and Cynthia, where it was pretty clear who the public wanted to win, this time public support was split perfectly down the middle.
  
  Wallace was a very popular Champion, and he was accredited with many achievements that solidified his legacy as a great leader. There was no doubt that Hoenn would continue to prosper under him. However, he had also been Champion for some time, and there were always those that craved the new. Besides that, Steven had a very large following of his own - stemming both from his title as heir to Devon Corp and as a powerful trainer, and he had secured many business connections that would pave the way for a smooth transition if he became Champion.
  
  Not only that, but as his victories over the Hoenn Elite Four had proved, Steven very much had the strength that a Champion ought to have.
  
  Elesa and I decided to take a small break as we watched the battle between the two. I had wanted Cynthia to join us, but she was watching the battle with her own advisors in her office so that she could react immediately if Steven actually won.
  
  "What are your thoughts on Steven? Think he'll make a better Champion than Wallace?" Elesa asked from where she was sat next to me in my old room of the Celestic Town Research Centre. But the old TV had been upgraded to a large flatscreen for easier viewing.
  
  "Well, I'm biased due to the political arrangements we have, but yes." I replied, "I'm more friends with Steven than I am with Wallace - even if I respect the two of them equally. Steven might be unreasonably wealthy, but he has a fair temperament. His friendship with Bruno should prove that."
  
  Funnily enough, Steven's very public friendship with Bruno had done wonders for the former's reputation. Despite his best efforts, Steven always had difficulty shedding the 'spoilt heir' label that many automatically slapped on him. But after the public began to see Steven interacting with Bruno, who historically had little tolerance for whiny heirs like so many of Steven's peers, they started to realise that Steven wasn't as bad as they thought he was.
  
  "...Must be nice to have such viable Champion candidates." Elesa said with a surprising amount of bitterness, "Unova... well, I shouldn't say anymore."
  
  It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was getting at. Despite her attempts to hide it, it was clear that she was disappointed with Alder's reign as Champion.
  
  It wasn't that she hated or disliked Alder. In fact, from the occasional comments that she dropped during our training sessions, she still respected the Champion of Unova. But she was just well aware of his shortcomings, especially when compared to our own Champions.
  
  From what I had heard from the others, the rest of the Unova Gym Leaders likely shared similar sentiments.
  
  I respectfully didn't comment on that. Instead, I kept my silence until Wallace and Steven made their way into the arena. They were both dressed as I expected they would - with Steven in his expensive, custom made suit, and Wallace with his usual eye-catching and colourful outfit.
  
  Neither had anything to say to each other as we all waited for the announcer to finish with his introductions. When that was all wrapped up, the battle to decide the Championship of Hoenn finally began.
  
  "Wailord, come!"
  
  "Goodra, go!"
  
  An utterly enormous Wailord slammed down onto the battlefield. Actually, the word 'enormous' was still an understatement, as the ginormous Water type practically took up half of the battlefield with its immense size alone. Steven's H-Goodra - a Pokémon that normally towered over most of its opponents - looked absolutely tiny in comparison.
  
  Wailord was well-known to be Wallace's favoured lead Pokémon, and just like everyone expected, the Rain instantly began to fall. However, Goodra capitalised on the Rain by unleashing a quick and powerful Thunderbolt that crashed down from above.
  
  Yet Wailord seemingly shrugged off the Thunderbolt with its own bulk, before it summoned a large vortex of water around Goodra, trapping it in a Whirlpool. The fast and swirling waters ensnared Goodra tightly within, preventing it from switching out and kept it mostly rooted in place.
  
  "Keep on using Thunder, Goodra. It can't dodge!"
  
  "Amnesia and Aqua Ring, Wailord. You can withstand this!"
  
  A powerful volley of Thunders continued to endlessly bombard Wailord, whose size made it impossible to dodge anything. But Wailord didn't need to dodge when it could swiftly set up with both an Amnesia and Aqua Ring, sharply increasing its own Special Defenses while making it so that it would slowly regenerate its own health overtime.
  
  If Wailord had been like your typical Water type, it would have faltered after taking more than half a dozen direct hits from the Thunders. Especially ones from a H-Goodra and their remarkable Special Attack.
  
  However, Wallace's Wailord was doing just that - with the help of the Special Defense boost from Amnesia, Wailord looked primed to simply tank through the Thunders until Steven's Goodra slowly tired itself out. Its defensive capabilities were extraordinary.
  
  Steven must have realised this too and rapidly changed tactics.
  
  "Acid Spray, Goodra!"
  
  His Goodra proceeded to spit out a poisonous glob of acidic fluid that struck Wailord in the face. The damage that it did was minimal, but Wailord let out a groan of discomfort as the Acid Spray greatly lowered its Special Defense.
  
  Wailord could easily restore that lost Special Defense with another Amnesia, but it was clear that Goodra could reduce it quicker than it could increase it back up again.
  
  Therefore, it was now Wailord's turn to go on the aggressive, and an enormous torrent of Water erupted out from Wailord. The ensuing tidal wave of water completely flooded over Goodra, who blocked some of the damage with a Protect shield. However, in the process, the Water Spout also managed to Soak the Goodra, turning it into a Water type.
  
  Before Goodra could comprehend the forced Type switch, Wailord let out a roar as it suddenly threw itself forwards into a humongous Body Slam that sent it crashing against the far smaller Goodra.
  
  On paper, Wailord's physical attack stat was not as high as many other Pokémon. But that didn't matter when Wailord weighed and was the same size of a steel freight ship - a ship that had just slammed right into you.
  
  When that happened, Goodra was practically roadkill.
  
  Naturally, despite its best efforts, Goodra immediately sent flying backwards and was flattened against the psychic barriers. Wailord quickly followed that up by unleashing a powerful Hydro Pump - looking to finish off Goodra right here and now.
  
  Yet, to Wallace's unpleasant surprise, despite being hit with the full weight and might of his Wailord, and even after losing its Steel resistances thanks to the Soak, Goodra didn't allow its injuries to hinder its focus.
  
  Instead, with its eyes narrowed in determination, it pulled itself off the ground and threw up a Protect shield that managed to block the incoming Hydro Pump, before retaliating with a crackling bolt of Thunder that pierced right through Wailord.
  
  This time, the Thunder finally landed the paralysis. Which caused the already slow Wailord to become even slower - almost cripplingly so.
  
  Goodra capitalised on this lucky break by rapidly healing itself up with a Life Dew. After returning to a mostly functional state, it started barraging Wailord with a wave of Acid Sprays, continually reducing its Special Defenses.
  
  Wailord tried to go for a Mist to prevent further stat drops, but it was already too late. The damage had been done.
  
  With its Special Defenses heavily reduced, and with it now being slowed to a crawl by the paralysis, it was like Wailord had been beached. It could do little as Goodra once again bombarded it with Thunder after Thunder - which this time inflicted significant damage against Wailord.
  
  To its credit, Wailord held on for longer than most people would have expected, even in such bad conditions. It valiantly held its ground, taking every opportunity to throw up a Protect shield to buy more time for the Aqua Ring to heal itself up, and also punishing Goodra with an Earthquake if it failed to fire off a Thunder in time.
  
  Yet, in the end, it wasn't enough to turn the tides. But just as Wailord looked like it was about to go down, Steven made another order.
  
  "Sunny Day, Goodra!"
  
  His Goodra temporarily stopped firing off Thunders as it fired a beam of light into the air, switching the weather over to the Sun. Unfortunately, Wailord could only capitalise on this with one final Earthquake before a final Thunderbolt finished off the Water type.
  
  Wallace wasted no time with sending out his next Pokémon.
  
  "Ludicolo, go!"
  
  I didn't even have time to review the previous battle in my head before Ludicolo had already charged up and fired off a Solar Beam. Goodra barely had a chance to react, forcing it to rely on its instincts as it withdrew into its own shell and took Shelter.
  
  However, Steven had forgotten about one thing - his Goodra had been Soaked and forcefully switched to a Water type. Therefore, it lost the quadruple resistances of its previous Steel/Dragon Type to Grass type moves and was instead weak to the Solar Beam.
  
  Goodra let out a pained cry as the radiating beam of golden light shredded through its defenses, blasting it back and knocking it to the ground in an unsightly heap. Ludicolo swiftly followed up on this by rushing forwards, switched the weather back to Rain, and firing off a Giga Drain that finished off the heavily injured Goodra.
  
  It barely had a chance to fight back.
  
  And now with the Rain and Swift Swim, not only were Ludicolo's Water attacks now highly buffed, it was also now incredibly fast under the Rain.
  
  But when I turned to look at Steven - he didn't look upset by this. Instead, his eyes remained sharp and calculating.
  
  No, this was a man with a plan.
  
  As if he had expected this exact scenario to happen, Steven confidently sent out his Claydol. Wallace's eyes immediately widened with alarm - as if he realised what was about to come - and he instantly moved to recall his Ludicolo.
  
  Unfortunately, he was too slow.
  
  "Sand Tomb, Claydol."
  
  Before Ludicolo could be withdrawn, a vortex of sand was quickly formed around Ludicolo's legs, engulfing them and preventing it from being switched out - causing the beam of red light from its Pokéball to bounce off of Ludicolo.
  
  Subsequently, a large psychic field enveloped the entire arena as Claydol rapidly set up a Trick Room. Within the field, reality bent and twisted so that the speedy and agile Ludicolo was slowed to a crawl, while Claydol sped up significantly.
  
  Ludicolo instinctively responded with a rain-boosted Hydro Pump, but now Claydol was fast enough to easily Teleport out of the way and set up with both a Reflect and Light Screen, neutering any further attacks from the Water type.
  
  "Encore, Ludicolo!"
  
  "Psychic!"
  
  Knowing that his options were very limited, Wallace tried to trap Claydol into repeatedly setting up Light Screens with an Encore. Unfortunately for the Champion, Claydol fired off a quick Psychic before the Encore could land, causing his plan to fail.
  
  In the end, Wallace had just moved a step too slow and had fallen for Steven's trap. In this position, there was little Ludicolo could do against Claydol, trapped and slowed as it was.
  
  Wallace's Ludicolo was infamous for its incredible speed and power - especially when bolstered by the Rain. But Claydol had neutralised and countered both of its greatest advantages, leaving it completely helpless.
  
  Ludicolo did try to fight back, but it was clearly not used to fighting within the Trick Room. And its attacks were either broken by a Psychic from Claydol, or simply shrugged off thanks to the Light Screen.
  
  Knowing that his opponent was helpless and unable to switch out, Steven even took his time with knocking out Ludicolo by allowing the Encore to run out and then having Claydol set up with a few Calm Minds, Cosmic Powers, and Stealth Rocks in preparation for the next opponent. It also switched out the Rain for the Sun.
  
  Eventually, a final Psychic took down Ludicolo - just in time for the Trick Room to fade away.
  
  "...I didn't know that Steven had a Claydol." I heard Elesa mutter, "I didn't think he'd own a non-Steel type."
  
  "He used it in his fight against Bruno." I said, my eyes still glued to the screen. I had a sneaking suspicion that Claydol was meant to be Steven's trump card for the fight. And that feeling was quickly proven right.
  
  Wallace had sent out his Walrein next - a Pokémon that the public had affectionately titled 'The Bane of Dragons'. This was due to its incredible bulk that gave it the ability to tank through all but the most powerful of Dragon attacks, and Walrein had the massive power needed to fight back with hard-hitting Ice Beams.
  
  Many of Drake's Dragons had been broken trying to push past this beast of a Pokémon.
  
  It was pretty ironic that even though Glacia was known to be the premier Ice specialist in Hoenn, and even had a Walrein as her starter and ace, many considered Wallace's Walrein to be almost as strong as hers - and it wasn't even his ace.
  
  Which is why what happened next was so jaw-dropping.
  
  As soon as Walrein emerged from its Pokéball, Claydol immediately trapped it within another Sand Tomb to prevent it from being recalled. Meanwhile, all those Stealth Rocks that had been set up stabbed themselves painfully into Walrein, tearing out a decent portion of its health.
  
  Next, Claydol fired off a Skill Swap, swapping its own Levitate for the much more useful Thick Fat from Walrein. Therefore, with Thick Fat lowering the effectiveness of Ice and Fire type moves, while the Sun halved the effectiveness of Water moves, this basically crippled Walrein's ability to deal any sort of supereffective damage to Claydol.
  
  And this was all before the slow Walrein even got a chance to move.
  
  As Walrein primarily attacked with both Water and Ice moves, this combination of effects meant that Walrein was literally only able to fight back with neutral moves. However, with Claydol already having buffed up its Defenses and Special Defenses with multiple Cosmic Powers, those wouldn't do much damage to the buffed Psychic type.
  
  Right now, the only way for Walrein to claw back any sort of advantage was to make use of a Haze to purge the buffs off of Claydol. However, considering that Walrein hadn't used the move yet, it likely didn't know the move.
  
  I expected Steven to have researched that well in advance and plan his whole strategy around that very fact.
  
  Therefore, much like its ally before it, Walrein had been completely neutered by this nuisance of a Claydol. I noticed that this was very much a repeating pattern in this fight.
  
  Honestly, it was pretty ironic to me that Steven was fighting like a Psychic specialist rather than a Steel one. His approach had been very methodical, looking to stack as many advantages and buffs on himself while debuffing and crippling his opponents as much as possible.
  
  Ironically, in the battle thus far, only his fight with Goodra had remotely resembled anything akin to how a typical Steel specialist would fight - his other two knockouts were secured by his Claydol and its Psychic trickery.
  
  Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this strategy could not be questioned, as it didn't take long for Claydol to secure its second knockout of the fight as it slowly but surely pummelled the trapped Walrein down with a volley of Stored Powers.
  
  However, just before Walrein was knocked out, it had managed to land an Encore on the Claydol, locking it into Stored Power. And before I could realise what Wallace's plan was, he immediately sent out his starter and ace.
  
  His Milotic.
  
  And it instantly threw up a Mirror Coat. The subsequent Stored Power was shot back to its caster at twice the power, obliterating the surprised Claydol and sending it crashing to the ground. Worse, Claydol was still locked in its Encore, meaning it could do nothing as a Haze removed all of its buffs before a powerful Moonblast exploded right on top of it.
  
  Knowing that the battle was lost, Steven acted decisively.
  
  "I retire my Claydol." He announced, shocking the crowd with his declaration.
  
  To the common observer, Steven had no reason to retire his Claydol so early when it still had so much health. However, I nodded approvingly at his decision. With all of its buffs gone and it still locked into an Encore for a few more precious moments, Claydol was just a liability, and would have allowed Milotic to begin setting up.
  
  And Steven could not allow that to happen.
  
  So, he sent out the only Pokémon on his team that could even remotely deal with Milotic - his Metagross.
  
  And now, Ace met against Ace. I expected the battle to be decided in this very moment. If Steven won here, then his victory was in the bag as Wallace likely didn't have enough team members left to make a reversal. On the other hand, Wallace winning here would be the start of a comeback for the current Champion.
  
  "METAAA!!" The four-legged Steel titan landed on the battlefield with an audible thump, causing the ground to shake violently as it announced its presence.
  
  Milotic began the battle by quickly setting up an Aqua Ring and the Rain simultaneously. On the other hand, Metagross' eyes flashed pink as it made use of its four minds, setting up with an Agility, Hone Claws, Iron Defense, and a new set of Light Screens all simultaneously.
  
  However, Wallace made no move to stop it, seemingly content in allowing Metagross to freely buff itself up. Instead, it settled for setting up a further Safeguard and firing off a Whirlpool, trapping Metagross within a vortex of swirling waters and dealing damage over time.
  
  I was curious to see why Wallace was okay with letting Metagross set up like that, and Wallace quickly answered that curiosity.
  
  "Psych Up!"
  
  A swirl of psychic energy radiated out from Milotic as it copied all of Metagross stat boosts, effectively neutralising any advantage that Metagross would have gained from being able to set up with all those buffs.
  
  Therefore, both Pokémon now had highly increased Attack, Defense, Accuracy, and Speed - which all cancelled each other out.
  
  I saw a small frown appear on Steven's face as he realised that Wallace had turned the tables on him, though he didn't seem to hesitate as he ordered his Metagross forwards - its four arms crackling with electricity.
  
  A flurry of Thunder Punches slammed themselves repeatedly into Milotic. But despite it being supereffective, Milotic looked completely unbothered as it shrugged off the hit and replied by slamming down with an Aqua Tail of its own, returning the aggression with its own.
  
  The fight quickly descended into a chaotic brawl.
  
  Slipping past an Aqua Tail, Metagross lifted one of its arms before hammering it downwards right into Milotic's skull.
  
  But Milotic took the hit with barely a flinch and retaliated by unleashing a quick Bulldoze, causing Metagross to stumble as it fell off-balance.
  
  Metagross tried to recover, but Milotic moved first and followed up with a powerful Hydro Pump, forming an enormous ray of water in its mouth.
  
  But a quick pulse of Psychic interrupted the attack, buying enough time for Metagross to blitz forwards and slam its crackling fists against Milotic's jaw in a thunderous uppercut.
  
  Milotic skidded backwards, and Metagross fired off another blast of Psychic while simultaneously trying to set up a Sunny Day.
  
  Yet Milotic broke through the incoming attack with a hammering blow from its Aqua Tail that knocked Metagross aside, interrupting its attempted Sunny Day. And this time, the follow-up Hydro Pump sent Metagross rocketing backwards as it was blasted by a massive torrent of concentrated water.
  
  The two continued to brutalise each other in a violent exchange of moves. However, due to the Rain, I noticed that Milotic's attacks were hitting much harder than Metagross', and the latter was building up injuries far quicker than Milotic. This was made worse by the fact that Milotic was also passively healing itself up with an Aqua Ring, giving it a level of sustainability unmatched by nearly any other Pokémon. Milotic couldn't even be paralysed thanks to the Safeguard it had set up.
  
  It was just like I had witnessed in the previous Tournament when Cynthia and Wallace faced off against the remaining Top 3 winners. There, Wallace's Milotic held off against both Drake's Salamence and Pryce's Mamoswine simultaneously without going down.
  
  Much like it was doing now, it was repeatedly able to shrug off blows that would have easily brought down a lesser Pokémon. So even though Metagross' strikes were powerful enough to form craters in the ground with each strike of its fists, partially thanks to the buffs that it copied through Psych Up, Milotic was able to tank through all of them.
  
  This was Metagross' 'weakness' - if you could even call it that. Unlike Tyrant or Emperor, Metagross' base strength was nowhere near as high as ours. Instead, its advantage was that it could rapidly buff itself up with its four different minds simultaneously, allowing it to quickly match us in strength and defence.
  
  However, that advantage had been countered with the Psych Up from Milotic.
  
  Therefore, at this rate, it would be Milotic that came out on top against Metagross - which was completely insane if you thought about it.
  
  Metagross were considered to be one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world. A Pokémon that represented the pinnacle of strength. Meanwhile, Milotic were often seen as little more than a beautiful Pokémon that were more suited at a contest instead of a battle. And yet, the latter was slowly winning against the former.
  
  If nothing changed, then Steven was about to lose his starter.
  
  I watched as a frown appeared on Steven's face as the man looked like he was wracking his brains for a solution. Unfortunately for him, that was much easier said than done. And all the while the two Pokémon continued their brawl, and for every moment that passed it seemed like Metagross was slowly losing more and more ground as Milotic gradually overpowered it.
  
  But then I caught a small flash of inspiration flicker through his eyes; Steven had thought of something.
  
  "EXPLOSION, NOW!"
  
  Without hesitation, Metagross threw itself forwards, grappling onto Milotic as it trapped the Water type tightly within all four of its arms. A growing white light started to radiate out of Metagross' chest and Milotic quickly threw up a Protect shield to shield against the impact - only for the Protect shield to be expended from a quick Bullet Punch from Metagross. Before Milotic could shove the Steel type away with an Aqua Tail - Metagross Exploded.
  
  And the resulting detonation was equal parts as deafening as it was devastating.
  
  The horrifically destructive shockwaves instantly pulverised the psychic shields around the arena. The audience fell into screams of panic as everything was blown backwards - the chairs and seats that were bolted down onto the ground were no exception. I even saw that the heavily reinforced glass used to protect the VIP section began to crack and shatter from the blast, though it barely held together.
  
  As the dust and chaos cleared, Metagross' fallen form had crumbled to the ground, with Milotic looming over it victoriously - though also heavily injured. Even with all of its incredible defenses, an Explosion was a Pokémon's most powerful move for a reason, and Milotic was reduced to this slumped over wreck, as if it was teetering on the edge of being knocked out.
  
  However, before the announcer could say anything, Steven instantly withdrew his Metagross and sent forth his Magnezone.
  
  "THUNDER!"
  
  A huge bolt of lightning came crashing down from above, painfully electrocuting the already-injured Milotic. More Thunders quickly followed after the first, and with the protection of its Safeguard having expired, Milotic was too injured to slither out of the way and was eventually paralysed.
  
  "ZAP CANNON AND FINISH IT OFF!"
  
  Not giving Milotic any opportunity to regenerate its own health, Magnezone charged up and unleashed an enormous ball of hyper-concentrated electricity that violently exploded right on top of Milotic. The Water type let out a pained cry as it was overloaded with crippling surge of electricity.
  
  But even then, Milotic struggled to keep itself in the fight - refusing to go down just like that. Even as almost every single muscle and nerve in its body was paralysed by electricity, it willed itself to stay upright.
  
  However, Magnezone ruthlessly finished it off with a final Thunderbolt. The lance of thunder speared right through the remnants of Milotic's willpower, and finally brought it down.
  
  "...Wow." It took me a small moment to realise what Steven had done, but once I realised it, I couldn't help but make my admiration known, "I didn't even think of that."
  
  Elesa turned to me confusedly, "Wait, what did he do?"
  
  "Steven took advantage of the fact that Milotic didn't get its Special Defenses buffed up with the Psych Up." I explained, "If you remember the buffs that it copied, it only copied Metagross' Attack, Defense, Accuracy, and Speed buffs. Therefore, it remained susceptible to Special Attacks. Steven capitalised on this by Exploding with his Metagross, heavily injuring the Milotic, before sending out his Magnezone to finish the job with its powerful and supereffective Special Attacks. He was able to do enough damage before Milotic could start regenerating health with its Aqua Ring or Life Dew."
  
  To be able to come up with a plan like this on the spot was very impressive.
  
  And now, with Wallace's ace taken out, it meant that he only had two Pokémon remaining against Steven's three. And as I expected, Wallace chose to send out his sole Ground type against Steven's Electric type.
  
  "Go, Whiscash!"
  
  "Come back, Magnezone! Your turn, Skarmory!"
  
  Steven moved quickly and switched out his Magnezone for his Skarmory, likely intending to preserve the former to deal with Wallace's final Water type. Meanwhile, Whiscash began to set up with a Dragon Dance, but it was only able to complete one before a Taunt from Skarmory cut off any further attempts.
  
  Skarmory then fired off a Sunny Day as a beam of light ascended into the skies, turning the weather back to Sun. Whiscash retaliated by unleashing an avalanche of rocks as it tried to impale Skarmory with a Stone Edge, but Skarmory's impressive defences allowed it to shrug off the attacks as it took to the skies.
  
  Now in the air and safely away from Whiscash, Skarmory began to set up with Iron Defenses, sharply boosting its Defense so that Whiscash's primary form of damage in Rock attacks would just bounce off.
  
  With his Whiscash Taunted, it had few options to take down the agile and defensive Skarmory. So Wallace had no other choice but to switch it out and reveal his final Pokémon.
  
  "Gyarados!"
  
  A large, blue serpentine figure emerged onto the battlefield. However, I immediately realised that something was wrong. Because unlike every other Gyarados that I had seen thus far, Wallace's Gyarados was utterly serene and calm.
  
  It didn't radiate any of the wrathful violence that the others did. Gyarados were supposed to be beings of unending wrath and rage; a being of pure violence. It was definitely not supposed to stare at the airborne Skarmory with a measured and analytical gaze - and yet Wallace's Gyarados was doing just that.
  
  ...I never thought I would see a Gyarados that was not a barely restrained ball of rage. This honestly might be Wallace's most incredible feat.
  
  "Taunt it, Skarmory!"
  
  "Thunderbolt, Gyarados!"
  
  Thinking that Skarmory was temporarily safe in the air, the Steel type shot off a Taunt that enveloped the Gyarados. However, the Taunt barely looked effective as not even the slightest hint of rage appeared in Gyarados' eyes, all the while the Water type unleashed a fast Thunderbolt that struck down and surprised the mid-air Skarmory with its unexpected level of power.
  
  It began to fall out of the air. But before another Thunderbolt could hit it, Skarmory used Roost to both heal itself up and also to temporarily remove its weakness to Electric moves. However, Gyarados simply transitioned to firing off a Flamethrower, accurately predicting the path of Skarmory's descent and scorching the Steel type within a torrent of burning flames - which was further boosted by the Sun.
  
  Once again, much to the pain of Skarmory, Wallace's Gyarados stood out from all of its peers as it seemed to primarily be a Special Attacker rather than a physical one.
  
  However, despite being thoroughly Burned, Skarmory still had the resilience and presence of mind to retaliate with a combo of Dark Pulse and Air Slash, managing to flinch the Gyarados. This bought enough time for Skarmory to unleash an ear-splitting shriek as it threw out a Metal Sound, sharply lowering Gyarados' Special Defenses.
  
  But that was all it could do. Gyarados rapidly recovered from its flinch and retaliated with another Thunderbolt, this time managing to paralyse Skarmory.
  
  "Rock Tomb, Skarmory! You have to slow it down!"
  
  "Fire Blast, Gyarados! Finish it!"
  
  Skarmory valiantly fought through the paralysis and, just as Gyarados unleashed a huge orb of searing flames towards it, succeeded in slamming several pillars of rocks into Gyarados' side with the Rock Tomb - slowing it down. Yet that success came at a price, and Skarmory was unable to move out of the way in time before being completely incinerated by the enormous orb of searing flames.
  
  Skarmory was knocked out.
  
  Magnezone returned to the battlefield. The Electric type instantly unleashed a combined barrage of Discharges, Thunderbolts, and Thunder Waves. Meanwhile, Gyarados threw up a Protect shield while retaliating with its own Earthquakes and Flamethrowers, and the match became another duel between two Special Attackers.
  
  In the end, Magnezone proved itself to be the victor. Wallace's Gyarados may be a much more powerful Special Attacker compared to every other Gyarados I had seen, but Magnezone still overpowered it thanks to the sheer volume of attacks that it could fire off at once.
  
  Gyarados had made a good showing, but it was always going to be at a major disadvantage when facing off a Pokémon that it was quadruply weak to.
  
  That just left Whiscash left as Wallace's final Pokémon, but everyone already knew the outcome was already set in stone. Magnezone took to the skies with a Magnet Rise to get away from any Ground Attacks, and started to harass Whiscash with a series of Supersonic, Tri-Attacks, and even Hyper Beams. Every once in a while it would also throw out a Screech to sharply lower Whiscash's defenses.
  
  Meanwhile, Whiscash initially tried to take down Magnezone by turning the weather back to the Rain and sniping it down with Hydro Pumps. They did considerable damage, but not quickly enough for Wallace's liking. Then, Wallace switched tactics and began to set up with Dragon Dances, hoping to make use of Magnezone's relatively weak damage to buff itself up in preparation for Steven's next Pokémon.
  
  However, the moment he saw this, Steven ordered his Magnezone to Explode, doing as much damage it could before sending out his Aggron to finish the job.
  
  And it did so. With Whiscash already injured and its Defenses sharply reduced, Aggron was able to tear right through it with its signature Ferrous Storm - a unique attack crafted by Steven. A vortex of razor-sharp iron shredded and eviscerated the injured Whiscash, causing it to flinch for long enough that a final Iron Head into Iron Tail combo finished it off.
  
  Thus, with Wallace's final Pokémon going down, Steven had won.
  
  "...AND THE BATTLE IS OVER! WITH A FINAL SCORE OF 6-5, STEVEN MANAGES TO TRIUMPH OVER THE CHAMPION OF HOENN! THE REIGN OF WALLACE IS OVER! STEVEN HAS NOW BECOME THE NEWEST CHAMPION OF HOENN! MAY HE LEAD US TO FURTHER GLORY!"
  
  "STEVEN! STEVEN! STEVEN!"
  
  "ALL HAIL THE NEW CHAMPION!"
  
  And Hoenn welcomed in a new Champion.
  
  A.N. The battle between Wallace and Steven is finally here - as I felt that it was the best thing to have to start off Arc 16 - 'Unity'! After rewriting this battle several times, I hope I did the battle justice. There were several things I wanted to highlight in the battle, and I tried to be as creative as possible so that this battle could stand out from others like it.
  
  With Wallace, I wanted to harken back to the utter resilience that his Milotic had shown in the past Tournament, with how it managed to tank through practically everything thrown at it. And here, I hoped I showed that it was still more than a match for Metagross. Likewise, with Wallace's Gyarados, I felt it would be unique to show a different side to Gyarados that others didn't make use of. I felt it was fitting for Wallace to have the only calm Gyarados shown so far. Overall, with Wallace, I wanted to highlight the resilience and defensive prowess that is shared amongst all his Pokémon, and how - in a straight fight - Wallace might actually be stronger than Steven.
  
  Meanwhile, with Steven, I really wanted to highlight his cunning. The man might be a Steel specialist, but it is his sharp mind that allows him to stand apart from the other Champions. That's why he has a Claydol as a surprise ace, and why he was able to overpower multiple of Wallace's Pokémon not with brute strength (as Lance might have done) but with smart strategies and by maximising his own advantages.
  
  The consequences of his victory will be shown soon. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  A.N. Sorry about the delay. I had a few personal matters to deal with which caused it. I'll try not to let this affect future chapters. Thanks for understanding.
  
  The New Normal - 16-2 - Confrontation
  
  Steven's victory and subsequent ascension to become the new Champion caused many waves, as was to be expected. For one thing, I had asked Lance if it was necessary for us to head over to Hoenn to participate in his ascension ceremony, but was told that it wasn't needed. I only had to go if I wanted to congratulate him in private.
  
  I did, but not enough for me to leave Elesa behind to do so. So I settled for a congratulatory text.
  
  Meanwhile, many were still gushing over his victory over Wallace, to which he gave off a formidable showing. Elesa especially had been particularly excited at seeing his Magnezone in action, and was now very interested in getting her hands on one of them herself. So I simply taught her how to use the PSS and she quickly managed to get herself a Magneton.
  
  Of course, with Steven now becoming Champion, it meant that we could heavily accelerate our political plans. The first thing that he had announced was that he was going to make having Gym Leaders or Elite Four be appointable from any region to be a priority in Hoenn, and something that he was going to do his best to incorporate into the Regional Union.
  
  As a result, while the idea had quite a bit of support before, now with Steven at the helm throwing his full influence into making this a reality, things really accelerated from there. After his convincing victory over Wallace, who had also given his support to his successor, Steven's political momentum was unstoppable. Therefore, a formal vote was already arranged to be held in Hoenn to determine once in for all whether Hoenn was ready to step into this new age of internationalism.
  
  If and when this got approved, then everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Bruno would be made a Gym Leader in truth - only to use it as a stepping stone to enter into the Hoenn Elite Four. That was still some time away, but everyone could see it coming.
  
  Cynthia and I were both glad that things seem to all be coming together.
  
  Of course, I didn't forget to catch up with Drake and ask him about his opinion on the battle.
  
  "Wallace could have won that." He had said to me, "The news might all be praising Steven for his strength, but anyone with eyes could see that his victory was far from guaranteed."
  
  "It was a pretty close battle." I agreed, "But Steven was smart about it."
  
  "His Claydol did a lot of heavy lifting. Fuck, I wasn't expecting that either." Drake said.
  
  "Have you spoken to Steven after he became Champion?" I asked.
  
  "'Course I did. The first thing the fucker did after he sat down in his new chair was call all of us up for a video call. Never mind that it was already fucking dark out and I was in the middle of my dinner." He grumbled, "Do you know how fucking weird it is to be greeting a new Champion when you've got food in your mouth?"
  
  I snorted, "That's quite the image."
  
  "Yeah, well, I kept eating anyways. Still, got nothing to complain about him otherwise. He's a good listener, and I already know he's making preparations to achieve his goals." Drake said, "The rest of the Elite Four and I have another meeting with him tonight - so at least I can't doubt his attentiveness as a Champion."
  
  "You know what he plans to do with Bruno, right?" I reminded, "That means one of you four may have to step down so that Bruno can take your place."
  
  "Oh, we understand." He replied, "But we can leave that for later. I don't think Steven's going to be making such moves until at least after the Tournament ends. He's too fucking busy for the moment."
  
  "Do you want to be the one to fight him?" I asked.
  
  "If no one else offers themselves up, then sure." He replied, grinning, "I do hope he'll challenge me though. Steven's a tricky fucker, and he caught me with my pants down. But Bruno... Bruno won't fight like an Ekans. He'll meet me head on. And that's what I like."
  
  I smiled back, "I'm sure you'll give us a fight to remember."
  
  We then moved on to less serious topics, such as bantering about our respective partners in the Tournament. Drake had been paired up with Burgh, though unlike with myself and Elesa, he wasn't able to generate as good of a rapport as we managed. Sadly, their interests and personalities were just a bit too different.
  
  That wasn't to say that they didn't get along well. They were both professionals and were more than competent trainers, so their training sessions remained productive. However, he did lament about how Burgh's Bug Types didn't really work the best with his Dragons, though he did mention how that was starting to change in their more recent sessions together.
  
  Overall, he remained optimistic about their chances in the tournament, and we shared a promise to try to be the ones to knock the other out.
  
  Unfortunately, it was not all sunshine and rainbows. After one of our training sessions together, I had planned on spending some time with the scientists back at Celestic Town, since it's been a while since we'd last caught up. And I wanted to remind them that I did treasure our friendship.
  
  However, that was when Lance called me about the recent report that he had just received from Looker. In it, Looker explained that that PLASMA intended to stage a protest during the Tournament as a way of spreading their message. That wasn't inherently a bad thing, but Looker emphasised that he greatly suspected that PLASMA had far more nefarious intentions lurking beneath the surface.
  
  Given that Looker's intuition was something that we trusted, his words all placed us on alert.
  
  Therefore, we were once again faced with a situation where an organisation that was seemingly benign on the surface was actually being used as a façade for the evil lurking underneath. Fortunately, we had learnt from our previous mistakes, and knew that we had to take control of the narrative and rip away that façade as quickly as possible.
  
  Right now, PLASMA was still gathering its strength, being nowhere near as strong or as influential as Team Galactic were. That meant dismantling it should be all the more easier.
  
  As a result, Jennys were ordered to patrol around the Fight Area and look out for signs of PLASMA presence. By midday the next day, it didn't take long for a few PLASMA members to be spotted, and they looked like they were just setting things up and trying to attract more people to join in on the upcoming protest by holding a few speeches.
  
  We couldn't just arrest them on the spot - doing so would be far too heavy-handed and would be simply gifting PLASMA a PR win - but there were other things we could do. Instead, we had to attack their reputation.
  
  So after I offered myself up as the one to do so, I made my way to the Fight Area to where the PLASMA members had been spotted. However, I didn't expect for Elesa to be joining me.
  
  "You know you don't have to come with, right?" I said to her as we flew towards the Fight Area, "I just couldn't stop myself from stopping these people from misguiding others with their falsehoods."
  
  At least, that was my made-up reason for crashing the speeches. Elesa wasn't in the know about our operations with Looker.
  
  "Oh, I know that. You always seemed like someone who would always try to step in and do the right thing." She replied, "But I'm the same. PLASMA and I have history. So I highly disapprove with the message that they're trying to spread."
  
  "You very familiar with them?" I asked.
  
  "As a Gym Leader, I have to be." She nodded, "PLASMA may not have gotten a lot of traction back at home, but their message is inflammatory and radical enough for us to take notice. As much as the Unova League would rather they not make a ruckus, they do have the right to their freedom of speech. We can't infringe on that, no matter how we feel about it. So the official word from the Unova League is to just let things play out for now. As long as their actions remain within the law, then we are to maintain our hands-off approach."
  
  That explains quite a lot about how Ghetsis was about to get away with recruiting so openly like this in Unova. At the same time, it just reinforced what I planned to do. Just like we had done with Galactic Company, undermining their message and revealing the falsehoods before they could take control of the narrative would cripple their recruitment efforts.
  
  We could not let them grab a foothold here in Sinnoh.
  
  With that serving as a firm reminder, I refocused my attention on the confrontation to come as the two of us arrived at the Fight Area. Thanks to the help of the Jennys, it didn't take long for us to stumble into one of PLASMA's public speeches.
  
  For the time being, I watched silently from a safe distance as one of PLASMA's grunts was busy trying to convince his listeners about why capturing Pokémon was evil. It was nothing special, he went through the usual points about how Pokémon were not supposed to fight on behalf of trainers and that it was a mindset that we had conditioned them into after years and years of slavery.
  
  What I found far more interesting was the Sage standing off to the side, staring at the crowd with a barely hidden look of disinterest and disdain. Despite supposedly being a 'passionate advocate' of Pokémon's happiness, the Sage that I recognised as Zinzolin looked like anything but.
  
  ...It was also amusing to see Looker standing just a small distance away from Zinzolin. He had done a good job with his disguise - if I hadn't known in advance what his disguised self would look like, I would have had no idea that it was him. He looked nothing like the serious and slightly overworked analyst that I had spoken with. Instead, he looked every bit like your typical gullible idiot, with his too-wide smile and his bubbly enthusiasm. All while proudly presenting the PLASMA logo on his uniform.
  
  No one would dare suspect that the man was actually an undercover agent. The very thought of it was absurd. He blended right in.
  
  However, after a moment had passed, I found the right the right moment to step in.
  
  "...And on what basis do you make such claims?" I asked, stepping forwards into the crowd. The small gathering of listeners all turned to me, shock and surprise evident on their faces as they took in my sudden appearance. "Because from where I'm standing, you all seem to be making a lot of bold claims for which you have nothing to back it up with."
  
  To the man's credit, he didn't look affected by my sudden interruption. He probably was used to such opposition, "The evidence is right in front of you. Pokémon have always lived in the wild - it is only comparatively recently that humans have interfered with their lifestyles by being their so-called 'trainers'. History proves it."
  
  "History does not prove it. If anything, it does the reverse." I countered, "During Hisuian times, Pokémon and humans lived separately, but after the first Pokéballs were created, the wild Pokémon began to see the benefits of training under humans in order to get stronger. There was no time for us to 'condition' them, as you claim they were. They simply saw the difference in strength that trained Pokémon were able to obtain compared to wild Pokémon, and their instincts yearned for the same. It was a natural process, caused by the acknowledgement of the synergistic bond between Pokémon and trainer. We would never need to 'condition' them."
  
  "You are merely twisting the facts to fit your narrative." He shot back, and I had to stop myself from gaping at the audacity of such a statement coming from a PLASMA grunt. "Pokémon can get stronger by themselves. It's why we see such strong wild Pokémon everywhere we look. There is no need for them to rely on a trainer to get stronger. In fact, that kind of logic is something that humans have conditioned both themselves and their Pokémon to believe. It is nothing more than an unnatural manipulation of a Pokémon's instincts. They would be happier in the wild."
  
  "Why do you always seem to insist that just because a Pokémon has been captured by a Pokéball, that you automatically assume that they must be unhappy?" I asked, "Like everyone else here, I've been surrounded by Pokémon for my entire life. Hardly any looked unhappy. If anything, it's quite the opposite. They would be absolutely distraught if they were separated from their trainer - as you seem to be demanding that they do."
  
  "The happiness that they feel is not true happiness." He replied, "If your bonds with your Pokémon are that strong, then they should persist even if you release them back into the wild. It is why we are proposing that there should be a law where everyone should be releasing their Pokémon - to give them back their freedom. It is the only way to achieve happiness for all Pokémon."
  
  Aha. "And that's what I have a problem with." I responded, "Why do you want to force people to release their Pokémon? Even if you seem to prioritise a Pokémon's happiness so highly, why do you seem to want to separate a Pokémon from their trainer? It's hypocritical. You claim to bring true happiness to their Pokémon, but you fail to understand the huge amount of grief that your actions will cause when you forcefully separate Pokémon from trainer! If anything - that will cause far more harm than any potential good."
  
  "But you don't acknowledge that reality, do you?" I continued, "I've read through your manifesto. You make no mention of how your Pokémon will become happy after you release them. You simply assumed that they will be. However, I guarantee you that if you take any Ace Trainer and make them release one of their Pokémon, their happiness will be far from the expected result. All you would have done is spread misery and pain. The pain of being separated from a loved one."
  
  "They will be happier in the long run-" He tried.
  
  "And you are wrong to think so!" I interrupted, not letting him get a word in, "Everyone can see that there's no possible way that your actions will lead to anything but misery! Yet all PLASMA cares about is their final goal - to have all Pokémon be released back into the wild. No matter what their trainer thinks No matter how many bonds you rip apart in your misguided and hypocritical quest for so-called happiness. No matter the tears that will inevitably come from your acts of tyranny and extremism!"
  
  That was the point I wanted to capitalise on. For all of their rhetoric about wanting to spread happiness, the very fact that their intentions were for all trainers around the world to ultimately release their Pokémon to the wild was something I knew I could exploit. Such an idea was far too radical for most to accept, especially when they were forced into it without their consent.
  
  Therefore, all I needed to do was to focus on that one point. To remind the public that for all the logical or emotional arguments they were making, their end goal was something that was cruel to implement.
  
  Perhaps I was a bit too heavy-handed with my approach, but I knew I had my reputation to fall back on here.
  
  We were in Sinnoh, not Unova. I had proven myself with my past actions time and time again, and I was greatly trusted by the public. They would be more inclined to support and trust me rather than some newcomer that they didn't recognise.
  
  And it looked like my words had the intended effect that I wanted. The public, who had previously been listening in attentively towards the PLASMA's speakers words, were now giving them angry looks for their 'deception'. Many were booing and jeering at PLASMA, demanding that they leave their region and to not waste any more of their time with their disgraceful rhetoric.
  
  Of course, all of this was caught on camera, which I knew was going to be uploaded to the Pokénet within minutes. That was exactly what I hoped for, as it would mean that PLASMA's first foray - and the crucial first impression that they would give off to most of the public - would be one of utter failure.
  
  However, seeing the crowd now turn against them, the PLASMA speaker looked to Zinzolin uncertainly as if he was questioning what to do now. Zinzolin frowned, but before he could say anything, Looker (in his disguise) spoke up.
  
  "Gym Leader Elesa!" He called out while running off the stage towards us, "What do you think of all this? As an Unovan, you surely could understand that PLASMA only acts with the best intentions in mind!"
  
  "...You could act with the best of intentions, but your message is still as misguided as ever." She responded, "I thought the same when I first heard of your group, and I still think the same now. Unova has always valued freedom of speech - which is why we have allowed you to preach all that you like. However, if any of PLASMA begin demanding or forcing trainers to release their Pokémon, then we will have issues. And I am saying this as the Gym Leader of Nimbasa."
  
  Looker looked physically hurt at Elesa's words, almost looking like a kicked Houndour. He looked like he was about to say something, and he stared between us with a lost look on his face.
  
  I had absolutely no idea what he was doing with this stunt, but his failed attempt to earn back support seemed to only embolden the public's opposition to PLASMA even further. Which... I suppose may have been the whole point of suddenly calling out to Elesa in the first place. He may have been intentionally sabotaging PLASMA's efforts, because what he did drove the final nail in the coffin.
  
  Knowing that all support was lost, Zinzolin waved his hands and ordered PLASMA to pack up their things and retreat. The crowd continued to jeer at them as they left, making their displeasure heard.
  
  I just smiled.
  
  (Looker POV)
  
  He had been watching Elesa's face for the entirety of John's speech. He knew that she approved of everything that he said, and was simply keeping quiet for politeness' sake. However, when he saw that John had the momentum on his side, and knowing that she would only mirror his words, he decided to finally bring her into the conversation so that she could truly undermine everything that PLASMA had intended to achieve today.
  
  Looking at the sullen and despondent looks of his 'colleagues' around him, he knew that today had been a smashing success - for him. For the rest of PLASMA, today had been an abject failure. And the enraged look on Zinzolin's face further attested to that.
  
  "You are all a disgrace to the cause." Zinzolin growled, "How could you stand there and let them embarrass us like that? Why did no one stand up in support of your comrade?"
  
  Looker kept silent, while the other PLASMA members looked around nervously. Many muttered out half-hearted excuses, but they were all shut down by Zinzolin.
  
  "Pathetic. Is this the limit of your passion? To be cowed by a so-called Elite Four member that you hesitated to speak up when he was defaming us in public like that?" Zinzolin sneered, "Even our latest recruit was willing to speak up. Have you all just collectively lost your tongue?"
  
  No one responded, and eventually Zinzolin let out a tired sigh, "Forget it. I'll be reporting your failure to the rest of the Sages. So get out."
  
  Looker moved to follow after the others, making sure that his head was facing down despondently.
  
  "Not you, Hilbert." But it seems like Zinzolin had other plans.
  
  He turned around to face Zinzolin, waiting until the others had left before speaking up, "How can I be of assistance, Zinzolin?"
  
  "You were at least brave enough to speak up, even if it didn't accomplish anything at the end." Zinzolin said, "Still, you showed more courage than the other louts. So that has to count for something. It seems like your passion for the cause really is real."
  
  "Yes, sir!" He saluted dramatically, deliberately playing into his persona of 'overeager recruit'. "Achieving true happiness for Pokémon is a worthwhile goal!"
  
  Zinzolin smirked, "Yes, I can really feel your... 'passion'. But that is not why I asked you to stay. Since you're a native here, tell me. What other avenues could we use to help the people of Sinnoh see the light of our cause? Only suggestions that remain within the law, of course."
  
  That last part implied that there were definitely plans that involved going beyond the rule of law, but Looker didn't point that out. Instead, he adopted a slightly apologetic expression as he replied, "...I'm sorry sir, but I don't see why we should discontinue our other planned speeches and protests just because of one failure. We might have been driven off today, but if we go at it with enough persistence and determination, I'm sure that people will start to see and be moved by our genuine conviction and actually begin to consider our words. Besides, not every speech will be interrupted like that one was."
  
  ...He truly doubted that would be the case. You can rave and rant as much as you like, but if the public saw you as a lunatic, then they wouldn't listen to you no matter how much you tried. But he didn't want to give actually helpful suggestions, so he just played dumb.
  
  "...I suppose there's no reason to give up so quickly." Zinzolin allowed, "Hmph, but I expected more creativity from you. No matter, your loyalty and passion makes up for that." He seemed to be talking to himself, barely even acknowledging Looker's presence, "Now, leave me. I have things to ponder about."
  
  "Yes, sir." He bowed obediently, walking back to his room. Though inwardly, he was very happy about how today went. He felt like he had earned Zinzolin's 'trust', insofar as the Sage believed that he was at least worthy of keeping around. And he let himself stand out from the others in a positive way.
  
  Hopefully, he'll be able to continue to earn more of Zinzolin's trust. That way, he'll be read in on more of their plans. And once he was...
  
  Well, there's a reason you shouldn't trust a spy.
  
  A.N. The start of the confrontation with PLASMA, but this time the League will have a much easier time dismantling the group. As much as the goals of PLASMA sound righteous, their goals are ultimately still tyrannical. Forcing trainers to release their Pokémon, no matter the reason, is still cruel and evil. Which is why John is pointing that out to the public and taking control of the narrative before PLASMA can. But this won't be the end of PLASMA's presence in Sinnoh - you'll see more of them later! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-2 -Interlude-Steven
  The New Normal - 16-2 - Interlude - Steven
  
  Setting in as a new Champion was a tiring and exhausting process. There were so many things to be read in on, and so many meetings and ceremonies that you had to attend to. That wasn't even including the mountain of 'congratulations' that he got that he was politely expected to respond to.
  
  Even though he had experience dealing with such things as the heir of Devon Corp, it was still a bone-tiring experience.
  
  Speaking of Devon Corp, technically he was no longer the heir to the company now that he was Champion. To avoid any conflicts of interest, you weren't allowed to hold any other titles if you were serving as Champion. As a result, at least on paper, he was no longer affiliated with Devon Corp anymore.
  
  Of course, anyone with a brain could see through that paper-thin façade. He would never abandon Devon Corp. Not even for the position of Champion. But his father still had many years left in him, and there was no rush for him to ascend to the position of Chairman just yet. Therefore, just as he had discussed with his father, he could sit comfortably as Champion for a few years yet before he had to consider his options.
  
  Letting out a big yawn, he finally put aside the last of his paperwork as he was finally finished for the day. It was already late at night, and he yearned to go to bed. However, just as he was about to get up and stretch, there was a knock on his door.
  
  He wasn't expecting anyone at this late of an hour, "Who is it?"
  
  "It's Wallace." His predecessor replied, "Do you have time to chat?"
  
  He was surprised that Wallace felt like paying him a visit, but he wouldn't say no. "Of course not. Please, come in."
  
  Wallace peeked his head inside, making a show of looking around as he let out a whistle, "Whew. And here I thought you would have already removed the decorations that I set up. I know you're the kind of guy that wants to add in their own personal touch."
  
  "I haven't had the time for it." He admitted, "I did mean to get on it, but I've had other things on my plate."
  
  "I know the feeling." Wallace smiled wryly, "But does that mean you don't like my sense of style?"
  
  He snorted, "Your sense of style can be summed up in a single word - flamboyant. I prefer something more... natural and modern."
  
  "Suit yourself." Wallace shrugged, sitting down opposite him. "Say, I'd thought Bruno would be in here."
  
  He shot Wallace a curious look, "Why would you think that? He has better things to do than watch me fill out forms and stamp paperwork."
  
  Wallace chuckled, "True. I guess I was just so used to seeing the two of you attached at the waist that I just assumed you would be together."
  
  ...Steven winced inwardly at Wallace's wording. Not that he said anything wrong, but he really hoped that no one outside got wind of what he just said. He had seen the enormous amount of comments on the Pokénet that suggested he and Bruno were 'more than just friends'.
  
  It was a load of hot air, naturally, and while he wasn't too bothered by them, he would prefer if such comments weren't so widespread. He didn't want to deal with the rumours.
  
  He shook himself out of such ridiculous thoughts and turned his attention back to Wallace, "So, what's the reason for this visit? I assume it's more than just to check up on me."
  
  "Well it's partially for that. I wanted to make sure that you didn't burn the building down in my absence and erect a new branch office of Devon Corp in its place. Although it seems like I needn't have worried; you're doing a great job." Wallace joked, "But anyways, I've come to let you know that I've made my decision. I'll be returning to my old position as the Sootopolis Gym Leader. I've already spoken to Juan, and he's already agreed to step down for me after the Tournament is over. Possibly even before that."
  
  He nodded, having expected this outcome, "Good on you - I'm sure you'll do great. However, are you sure you want to take up a Gym Leader's duties right as the Circuit starts? Won't you be completely overwhelmed?"
  
  Wallace waved him off, "I'll be fine. I'm already being read-in on everything. Now that Juan's gone off to Sinnoh, I'm basically going to be filling in for him until he returns anyways. And most of the Gym Trainers have already been acquainted with me already. So me replacing Juan shouldn't ruffle any feathers."
  
  Technically, you needed to be voted in before you could become a Gym Leader. However, considering this was Wallace that they were talking about, they both knew that such a vote would be nothing more than a formality. With Wallace's popularity and influence, there was absolutely no way he would be rejected.
  
  It would also mean that Wallace was technically able to rechallenge for his position as Champion any time he wanted. But there was no need to bring that up; they both knew it already.
  
  "Well then there's nothing else for me to say. Just let me know if you need help with anything - I still owe you, after all." He said.
  
  Wallace nodded, before leaning back in his chair and asking a different question, "So, when do you plan on having Bruno make his challenge for the Elite Four? You know he can't do that yet because he's not yet eligible to do so."
  
  "There are plans in motion." He said, "Actually... I might fill you in on them once they become relevant, if you're feeling up to help me."
  
  "Sure. It's no skin off my cheek." Wallace replied, "I've spoken with Bruno a lot too. I know I can trust him with a position in the Elite Four. Besides, having someone as stalwart and as incorruptible as him be in the Elite Four would be good for Hoenn. That being said, I'd like to know who you intend for Bruno to challenge."
  
  "...That hasn't been decided yet." Was his answer, "However, I can say for certain that it won't be Sidney. He needs to stay in the Elite Four."
  
  Sidney might not look like it, but he was probably the most political active member of the Elite Four - by a mile. He wasn't as influential as someone like John was, of course, but despite his 'rebellious' appearance, the Dark specialist was a significant political powerhouse in Hoenn. He had to stay.
  
  Wallace hummed, "And that means you'll be keeping Phoebe on too, I assume. Which means it's a choice between Drake and Glacia."
  
  Steven nodded. Because he couldn't remove Sidney, Phoebe was ruled out as an option as well. There were two main reason for this.
  
  One, while Phoebe wasn't as generally influential as Sidney politically, she was very well-connected when it came to the many cultural aspects of Hoenn and was very favoured by many of Hoenn's traditionalists. That made her politically valuable. Secondly, she and Sidney were very good friends - the two of them almost shared a sibling-like relationship. As a result, he would be severely damaging the inter-personal relations within the Hoenn Elite Four if she was removed.
  
  Ideally, he'd like to avoid that. Which was why the choice came down to Drake and Glacia. In a different world, he would have liked to keep them all on. But he couldn't - so he had to choose based on what would be best for him politically.
  
  It wasn't personal. It was just looking out for the best outcome.
  
  Nevertheless, after exchanging a promise to Wallace that he would inform him as soon as he had decided on the target, the two of them chatted for a little while longer before Wallace eventually made his leave as they both decided to retire for the night.
  
  Unfortunately, just as he was about to leave the League building and meet up with Bruno, his phone rang. Given how tired he was, he was tempted to ignore it, but it was from his father.
  
  "Father." He picked up, "Is there something important?"
  
  "Sorry for calling you at such a late hour. But I just thought to let you know that we hit a lucky break and managed to uncover a few other stones like the Pidgeotite." His father said.
  
  "Oh! That's interesting." He replied, "So which did you find?"
  
  His father let out a knowing chuckle, and he could feel his father's smirk as he replied, "We've found a couple - a Cameruptite, Manectite, and a Heracronite. But you're going to be happy about this last one."
  
  "It's a Metagrossite."
  
  Steven's eyes widened almost comically. Immediately, he began thinking about all the possibilities of an extra evolution on top of his already-powerful Metagross, but his father wasn't done yet, and his next words snapped him out of his daydreaming.
  
  "Before you ask - I've already passed all these new stones to the Professors. Maybe this'll help them to figure things out." His father said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure that the Metagrossite especially is kept safe and returned to you in one piece.
  
  He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding, "...Thank you. I hope they'll be able to figure out how to activate these mysterious stones too."
  
  "Likewise." His father agreed, "And if they do find something - I'll make sure you'll be the first to know. I can already tell how excited you are about this Metagrossite."
  
  Of course he was. Because the idea of his Metagross being able to grow even stronger was too much to pass up.
  
  A.N. I haven't forgotten about the Mega Stones! And here's the Metagrossite! Too bad that they still don't have a way of activating it yet, and it certainly won't be easy - but once they do... oh boy. It will be a big, big deal. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-3
  The New Normal - 16-3 - The Tournament Begins
  
  Just as I hoped, the public reception from my confrontation with PLASMA had been favourable. PLASMA had been made to look foolish, and better yet, they were made to be liars.
  
  After our 'debate', whenever they were brought up in conversation over the Pokénet, it was no longer about whether their message was actually worth considering. Instead, everyone was laser-focused on PLASMA's goal to have everyone release their Pokémon by force.
  
  Absolutely no one wanted that - the idea was simply anathema to them. So even as PLASMA tried to do damage control, many had already been swayed away from their cause, and it was too late to salvage their reputation for some.
  
  Furthermore, from the information we received from Looker, we had a very rough idea of the current overall manpower of PLASMA. The numbers showed that PLASMA were still far less of a threat than the previous Team Galactic, as they could not field anywhere near the number of grunts that Team Galactic could during the height of their power.
  
  In other words, PLASMA's current manpower seemed to be more akin to the numbers fielded by the combined Team Aqua and Magma when they were still in Hoenn. Enough to be a threat, but not overly so. And if they failed to recruit many more members, that might seriously stifle their growth and ability to project power.
  
  That was a pretty big win, but that was only the first step. As Cyrus had shown, sometimes the ambition to enact great evil could be enough to cause utter catastrophe. And I knew that Zinzolin wouldn't give up just like that. He would be back for more.
  
  However, for the time being, there was little else we could do against the PLASMA members in Sinnoh as they hadn't committed any crimes for us to act upon. So Cynthia just told me to focus my attention back on other matters.
  
  For one, she had informed me that her inquiries regarding the plot of land in Route 221 had been returned, and it turned out that we had really lucked out there. Like we had hoped, the land could be bought for cheap as there wasn't any future developments planned for the area. No one expected Route 221 to be popular, and we were offered an opportunity to purchase it for a very reasonable price.
  
  Needless to say, the two of us took that offer practically on the spot. We didn't need to be Steven Stone to know that it was a great deal.
  
  For now, we both agreed that we didn't need to start building any large houses or anything, since I wouldn't really be able to live there for the time being anyways and Cynthia still preferred to stay close to Celestic Town. Therefore, we just held onto the land for the moment - we would wait until my permanent move to Sinnoh was closer to becoming a reality before we began planning out what we wanted to do with the land.
  
  I still wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to use the space to build something similar to Pal Park, especially since I didn't know how much such an undertaking would cost. I might be wealthy, but not to the point where I could be completely frivolous with my money.
  
  Again, I was no heir to Devon Corp.
  
  Aside from that, preparing for the Tournament had taken up the majority of my attention. Despite the distractions, Elesa and I had been training up very hard together to make sure that we would have a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing. And I was proud to say that we had made great strides towards that goal.
  
  We worked really hard on fighting in the 'Ornstein and Smough' way, where we perfected having my Pokémon capitalise on Elesa's incredibly quick attacks to deliver hugely powerful blows of their own. For example, we coordinated our attacks so that an occasional well-timed paralysis could allow my Pokémon to score a one-hit KO with their devastating follow-up attacks.
  
  Furthermore, we started to work around each other's buffing moves, making use of each other's incredible strength or speed respectively to buy time for the other to start setting up. Moreover, things became even better when I discovered that she was actually proficient with using Taunt to deny an opponent's setup. Her Taunts weren't anywhere as potent as Karen's, but the speed with which she could deliver them more than made up for it.
  
  Therefore, unless her opponents were just as fast as hers, she could shut down most Pokémon right as the battle starts, denying them an opportunity to disrupt our own team. And with other supporting moves like Encore and Helping Hand on her two Emolga and Zebstrika, she was really coming into her own as an excellent supporter for my own Pokémon.
  
  On my end, I focused more on developing my Pokémon's Electric moves and the speed at which they could be fired off. Not to do damage, but to make sure that I could help power up her Pokémon's own Motor Drives when necessary. Additionally, I also took the time to make sure that even my bruisers, who did not usually take up a supportive position in a fight, also got some more practice in making use of moves like Yawn, Encore and Helping Hand. Smough and Tyrant could use all three moves, while Vordt could use the latter.
  
  I might not end up using them much, but it might be a surprise factor to catch an enemy off-guard as they wouldn't expect such moves to come up my bruisers - who were known for their overwhelming strength and little else.
  
  Overall, I was very pleased with the progress that we had made, and now that we were in our final day of preparation before the Tournament began, I felt that we were ready.
  
  Ready to win it all.
  
  The Fight Area was absolutely packed - way more so than when the Battle Frontier had its opening ceremony. It was like witnessing the crowds during the beginning of a Circuit, only even more intense.
  
  Without any exaggeration, the entire Fight Area was just overflowing with people. The nearby hotels, villas, and other temporary accommodations were utterly filled to the brim with people, and there were still many people lining up outside trying to somehow get their own reservations. The ports had an endless stream of ships trying to dock and discharge their boatful of passengers, which only added more and more people into the already packed Fight Area.
  
  It was truly, seriously, an insane amount of people. It goes to show just how excited people were for this tournament.
  
  Everywhere I looked, Jennys were running around trying to maintain some semblance of order - doing their best to make sure that people were queuing up in orderly lines as they tried to make their way into the massive stadium.
  
  And the stadium was truly the largest I had ever seen, with enough space inside to contain multiple battle arenas. Cynthia told me that it was purpose-built for the Battle Frontier, so that they would have a big space to use if they wanted to host any biannual special events.
  
  As participants, we wouldn't have to wait in line and could enter through one of the back doors. Which was a huge time save, as the line for the stadium was so long that it literally snaked around a good chunk of the Fight Area. It looked like it would take hours just to get everyone inside.
  
  I thanked Arceus that I wasn't in charge of dealing with the logistics for such an event. It wasn't my problem to think about - but it probably explained why Cynthia had bags under her eyes recently.
  
  Elesa and I had chosen to arrive a bit early, and we made our way to the waiting room as there was an opening ceremony that we needed to attend; which Cynthia had hinted was going to be a grand thing. Once that was over, the schedules for our battles would be released, and we would be getting right into the battles for the preliminary stage.
  
  Because of the new preliminary stage, it meant that there were many more battles that needed to take place. Fortunately, the massive size of the stadium meant that there was enough space for multiple battles to take place simultaneously.
  
  As we entered into one of the waiting rooms, we were quick to discover that we were far from alone.
  
  "Hey, glad for you to join us, you two." Flint waved us over to where he was sitting next to Janine, Koga, and Flannery. "We were just talking about you, actually."
  
  "Oh really?" I asked as I sat, "What about us? And where's Volkner? I thought he'd be with you."
  
  "Nah, Volkner hasn't arrived yet. I guess he probably forgot to wake up as usual." Flint chuckled, "But anyways, we were just chatting about who we'd want to face off against in the group stages, where there isn't technically a risk of getting eliminated. We all said that facing your team would be best."
  
  I nodded understandingly. I would probably say the same in his position.
  
  Because you were technically able to lose 'consequence-free' while in the preliminary stage, it was the best time to lose if you wanted to learn from your losses since you only needed to have 3 wins out of 5 battles to make it to the next stage. Whereas a loss in the elimination stage meant you were out of the tournament entirely.
  
  "And why us in particular?" Elesa asked, "Because you want to get a hold of our strategies?"
  
  "Exactly." Flint nodded, "Or to put it another way - we know that unless something completely unexpected happens, you both will likely one of the toughest pairs to beat in the entire tournament. So it's best that we test ourselves against you while we still can afford to lose, rather than later when the stakes are much higher."
  
  "Makes sense." I nodded, "But surely there are other teams more formidable than us? I mean, have you seen the progress that Karen and Iris have made from their posts on the Pokénet? They're no slouches either."
  
  "That is true." Skyla, who had been casually listening into our conversation, agreed as she walked up towards us, "I talk to Iris from time to time, just to make sure she's okay. And she always likes to talk about how strong she's getting and how ready she is for this Tournament. I know some of this might be just her usual enthusiasm, but my gut tells me that they're going to be major contenders to come out on top."
  
  "Not only that, but they're also likely to win the public vote too if they get eliminated early." Candice, Skyla's partner, added, "The public love seeing an underdog story. And while Iris is far from an underdog, her young age makes her look like an underdog. She'll easily be one of the crowd favourites."
  
  Koga snorted, "Perhaps she has some competition in that respect. My daughter has been quite beloved ever since her ascension too."
  
  Janine blushed deeply; but was that Koga trying to show off his own daughter? Wow. That was definitely a rare sight. Though I approved, of course.
  
  "My sister has nothing but praise for Janine too." I added, which only caused Janine to retreat further within herself, "She's been very happy to work under her."
  
  Speaking of her, Whitney was doing well. She was very much on her way to earning sufficient credentials to be a valid candidate to become a Gym Leader herself. She was angling to become a Head Gym Trainer within the next few years or so, though not necessarily at the Fuschia or Saffron Gym. She told me that if the opportunity came in another Gym, she would take it if that means she could be closer to her final goal. Her friends more than understood.
  
  "Wait, on a different topic, I know that the matches are going to be held simultaneously, but how is that going to work?" Flannery asked, "Aren't large or powerful enough attacks going to inevitably affect the other matches?"
  
  "Technically, they shouldn't." Candice replied, "I've heard repeatedly from Cynthia about how the psychic shields that have been set up to split up the fights are extra sturdy for the tournament. So you shouldn't have to worry about that - outside of some really strong attacks, of course." She gave me and Flint a pointed look as she said that, to which we both deliberately ignored.
  
  We continued chatting for a bit longer, occasionally greeting the new arrivals as they came in as we caught up with everyone. Eventually, all of the participants had finally arrived, and there was an announcement for all of us to come to the main arena where the opening ceremony was hosted.
  
  As I stepped into the arena, I saw that a massive stage fit for a contest had been set up right in the middle, tastefully decorated with bright and colourful banners, posters, and the like.
  
  Though I hadn't been informed of the details, Cynthia had told me that she spared no expense with this year's Tournament, both because it was meant to show off Sinnoh's prestige and grandiosity to Unova, and also because the other two regions were also partially helping to fund the Tournament.
  
  That last part was probably the most important factor. No way would she be willing to fund all this extravagance otherwise.
  
  So as we, the many Gym Leaders and Elite Four from all four regions, stood in the middle of the arena, we were bombarded with the screams and cheers from the many, many spectators that surrounded us from all sides. I looked around at the banners that they had brought, and was pleased to see that many of them were cheering for the Unova arrivals, even though they were on foreign soil.
  
  After a solid minute or so of pure cheering, Cynthia finally took to the stage as she served as the announcer for the opening ceremony. "Hello everyone! Whether you are here in person, or are viewing this Tournament from your screens at home, it is my pleasure and honour to welcome you to the first ever Pokémon World Tournament! A Tournament that will encompass all four of our great regions!"
  
  The crowd's cheers exploded once again in a thunderous roar of excitement, and Cynthia's smile only grew as she took in their exhilaration, "That's the kind of excitement I like to hear! So make sure you keep that energy as we introduce the partners for this Tournament! Partners, step forwards!"
  
  We did as ordered, splitting up into groups of two as we stood next to our respective partners. Most, if not all, of the public would have already known and have analysed every detail of our partnerships by now, but this was all for show.
  
  We stood there in our groups, waving to the crowd as the cameras panned across all of us.
  
  "There are a total of 28 different partnerships that will be participating in this Tournament. Only one of them will come out on top. Only one of them will be able to claim the grand prize. Only one of them will prove themselves worthy of being the ultimate victor in the Pokémon World Tournament! And to be the victor, this Tournament will be a test of teamwork. It will be a test of strength. It will be a test of strategy. Everything will be tested if they want to win it all! SO GIVE IT UP FOR YOUR GYM LEADERS AND ELITE FOUR! SHOW THEM YOUR SUPPORT!"
  
  As the public continued to shout themselves hoarse, a curtain of fire suddenly erupted out from the pyrotechnics set up on the stage. Battle music started playing through the loudspeakers, and the contest trainers emerged onto the stage, taking up their positions as they began their performance.
  
  Two Infernape appeared from within the flames, with two Sceptile emerging out of the ground right behind them. The Pokémon began to 'fight', with the Infernapes throwing out Fire Punch after Fire Punch while the Sceptile attempted to parry the blows with well-timed Leaf Blades.
  
  And because this was not a real battle, but rather a show, the Pokémon moved as if they were performing a dance - elegant and mesmerising.
  
  The Infernape dodged a Leaf Blade by performing a backwards somersault as fire trailed after it, only for it to land on the shoulders of its other Infernape and spun off of it to deliver a flaming wheel kick at the opposing Sceptile - the fire trailing after its movements forming a perfect ring of fire in the air.
  
  That Sceptile fell back dramatically, but the other Sceptile stepped forwards with leaves circling around itself that quickly transformed themselves into a spear of multi-coloured leaves that hurled itself towards Infernape. The spear struck true, exploding into burst of vibrant colour in the symbol of a Pokéball that lingered in the air for a brief moment before it was incinerated by Infernape's flames.
  
  The Pokémon continued to exchange blows for a little longer, until a 'critical hit' from Infernape managed to knock a Sceptile off of the stage. Now left alone, the remaining Sceptile let out a roar of determination as a sword of leaves appeared in its hand, and it stood down against the two Infernape like a knight preparing its last stand.
  
  With a wordless charge, the Sceptile rushed towards its two opponents, parrying blow after blow as it twirled its sword around like a blade dancer. For a moment, the Infernape seemed to be pushed back, until suddenly the sword was incinerated by a Flamethrower, and the Sceptile soon fell afterwards.
  
  Just as Sceptile fell, the curtain of flames that served as the background was abruptly extinguished by a huge torrent of water, as a massive waterfall now replaced the doused flames.
  
  A pair of Blastoise appeared, firing off pulsating rings of shining water that sparkled in the air, sending both Infernape tumbling to the ground. The Fire types scrambled to come up with a counterattack, placing their palms together as flames in the shape of a shield formed above them. In response, the Blastoise carefully shaped their orb of water so that it transformed into a sparkling droplet - where the image of a rainbow Pokéball was reflected within - before it crashed down into the fiery shield below.
  
  The shield of fire failed to hold up against the flood of water, and both Infernape 'fainted' as a result.
  
  Suddenly, a shadowy hand emerged from the ground as they dragged both of the fallen Infernape away. Then, an eerie screech echoed throughout the arena as a pair of Sableye and Mismagius floated out from the darkness and ambushed the two Water types from behind.
  
  The two Blastoise stood side-by-side, with their backs facing each other as they did their best to fend off the two Ghost types with a barrage of Hydro Pumps. And yet, the two Ghosts repeatedly evaded the attacks as they continuously disappeared and reappeared in random places around the stage, dancing around the two Blastoise as they perfectly timed their dodges to be at the very last possible moment.
  
  All the while they slowly but surely wore down the Water type pair, until two spectral claws erupted out of the ground at the same time, finishing off the pair of Blastoise.
  
  This cycle repeated itself for some time, with each pair of Pokémon representing a different partnership in this Tournament. Obviously, the performance was meant to demonstrate the battles to come, though wrapped in an artistic exhibition that showcased the beauty of such battles. Furthermore, as more pairs were revealed, the later pairs no longer shared the same typing, and almost always consisted of Pokémon originating from different regions - another nod to our own partnerships.
  
  Sadly, there were no Unovan Pokémon on display, but that was certainly due to logistical and practical limitations rather than any malicious desire to exclude them.
  
  In the end, the performance concluded with a grand spectacle of a battle. A Dragonite and Milotic faced off against a Garchomp and Metagross. They had brawled for a while, but as I saw the Dragonite and Garchomp suddenly start glowing with a blindingly blue aura, I knew that the finale had come.
  
  The skies above suddenly darkened as huge orbs of concentrated draconic energies filled the skies. Both Garchomp and Dragonite were staring each other down as they readied their 'Draco Meteors'. In the meantime, an ocean of rocks and steel began to levitate into the air around Metagross, while Milotic charged up an enormous torrent of water in its mouth.
  
  Then the attacks all came down at the same time. The Draco Meteors that were all shaped like Pokéballs 'exploded' on the ground, causing a wave of draconic energy to harmlessly wash over us (as we had been covered by a psychic shield beforehand). Similarly, the Milotic and Metagross unleashed their attacks, burying the other in a torrent of water and steel respectively.
  
  All four Pokémon collapsed to the ground as they were al overwhelmed by the attacks. Yet, in the midst of all the rubble and smoke, a single Sceptile from the very beginning of the show, which still wielded a half-burnt sword of leaves, limped out from within. It looked like it was moments away from collapsing. But with determination blazing in its eyes, it held firm, walking to the centre of the stage as a golden light shone down from above.
  
  The Sceptile bathed in the golden light as its 'injuries' rapidly healed themselves - with its sword repairing and transforming itself into the shape of a trophy - which it raised high into the air as a symbol of victory.
  
  Thus, the performance came to an end. Everyone, included us participants, cheered and applauded. It was completely unlike all of the other contest performances I had previously watched, as this was more like a battle dance rather than anything else, but it was incredibly fitting and creative for the opening ceremony of the Pokémon World Tournament.
  
  My colleagues around me clearly shared my opinion, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Will practically buzzing with excitement as he seemed like he had found his new inspiration.
  
  "I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT AMAZING PERFORMANCE FROM OUR CONTEST PERFORMERS!" Cynthia spoke up again, "BECAUSE WITH THAT, THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT IS FINALLY UNDERWAY! THE BATTLES HAVE NOW BEGUN! BATTLERS AND SPECTATORS, LOOK TO THE SCREENS ABOVE TO FIND OUT YOUR FIRST MATCHES! MAY LUCK BE ON YOUR SIDE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME AMAZING BATTLES AHEAD!"
  
  We all immediately did so, and I ended up chuckling as I found out who it was. Flint had gotten his wish after all, as our first match was against both him and Janine.
  
  I turned to see Flint staring at me with a challenging smile on his face, which I met with one of my own.
  
  A hand tapped on my shoulder, "Are you ready for our first battle, John?" Elesa asked me. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes betrayed her excitement. She was ready.
  
  I responded with a battle-hungry grin of my own, "I am. Let's win this whole thing, partner."
  
  And so was I.
  
  A.N. AND THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS! This was definitely a set up chapter, but there's going to be tons of battles to come, so I hope you enjoyed! The first one's against Flint and Janine!
  
  As for the contest performance itself, I wanted to experiment writing a battle that wasn't meant to be a battle - but rather, an artistic expression. So I tried my best to add sufficient descriptions so you could envision what it was like in your head. It wasn't easy, so I really hope it worked!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-4 - The First Opponent
  
  Fortunately for my own patience, it turns out that we were among the first people to fight. So we were quickly shuffled away to one side of the arena as several layers of enormous psychic shields were thrown up, causing the once massive arena to be split up into several sections, each one just big enough for a 2v2 battle.
  
  We were given five minutes to run over any last minute strategy adjustments, but in the end, we stuck to what we had already planned long ago. We both trusted in our extensive preparations to be able to carry us through the fight.
  
  Once the five minutes were up, we all took up respective positions across from Flint and Janine, and we stared each other down as we waited for the referee to lower his flag.
  
  "Trainers! This will be a 2v2 battle with FOUR Pokémon total! One switch is allowed per team! The fight begins in THREE! TWO! ONE! FIGHT!"
  
  "Go, Ornstein!" "Emolga, time to show off!"
  
  "Nidoqueen!" "Rapidash, run freely!"
  
  Flint's Rapidash emerged from its ball in a sprint, instantly taking off and leaving a trail of flames around the arena as it built up speed and began to circle around us. Meanwhile, without needing me to say anything, Ornstein immediately blasted Emolga with a quick Thunderbolt, speeding it up with its Motor Drive as it zoomed off to catch up to the sprinting Rapidash.
  
  Usually, Rapidash were incredibly fast Pokémon. They were not Pokémon you were expected to be able to match in speed, which made them perfect for hit-and-run attacks. And Flint's Rapidash was certainly faster than your average one, which only made catching up with it even more difficult.
  
  And yet, thanks to having its speed boosted by Motor Drive, Elesa's Emolga was able to catch up with it in barely over a second. No, not just catch up - Emolga was actually faster than it.
  
  Rapidash even looked surprised that Emolga seemed to be quicker than it, but it still had the wherewithal to throw out an Iron Tail to absorb and redirect the incoming Thunder Wave, sending it harmlessly into the ground and avoiding the paralysis.
  
  Furthermore, realising that it could no longer rely on its speed to outflank both of our Pokémon, Rapidash changed tactics and focused all of its attention on taking down Emolga first.
  
  It pivoted on the spot, before suddenly rushing forwards with a burst of speed as it looked to ram into Emolga with a flaming Quick Attack. However, Rapidash instead went straight through Emolga - as it had only been an afterimage created by a Double Team. The real Emolga had flown back, and caught the unguarded Rapidash with a volley of Air Slashes.
  
  Aside from managing to get a small flinch from Rapidash, those Air Slashes weren't doing much damage. In fact, it was very likely that Emolga might not have the raw strength to take down Rapidash, but that was not its job.
  
  Instead, its sole purpose was to distract Rapidash and buy enough time for Ornstein to finish up his fight. Which it was doing marvellously.
  
  Because while all this was happening, Nidoqueen found herself locked into a battle against Ornstein.
  
  Funnily enough, I recognised that her Nidoqueen was likely the Nidoran that Whitney told me that Janine had caught all that time ago. It was nice to see how much it had grown since then.
  
  Nevertheless, her Nidoqueen had managed to successfully poison my Ornstein with a Toxic, but that was all she was able to do before Ornstein shut down any further status moves with a Taunt. Ironically, even though Ornstein was now on a time limit, being Poisoned had actually just triggered its Guts ability, massively increasing Ornstein's already great Attack.
  
  That Toxic was really going to backfire on her, because Ornstein had just used his far superior speed to lock the two of them in a close-quarters battle.
  
  It was going to be a brawl.
  
  And this was where Ornstein truly excelled at.
  
  Nidoqueen tried to deliver what would be a quadruply supereffective Brick Break against Ornstein, only for it to be perfectly parried by an Obstruct. Ornstein let out a mocking cackle as he stuck his tongue out; giving Nidoqueen a knowing look as the dark energies from the Obstruct seeped into her form, greatly lowering her Defense.
  
  Realising her mistake, Nidoqueen tried to surprise Ornstein as she looked to belch out a Sludge Wave, but Ornstein struck first, hitting hard with a Throat Chop that caused Nidoqueen to choke down the wave of poison that had been gathering in her throat.
  
  "Helping Hand, Emolga!"
  
  Out of nowhere, Emolga managed to find the space to fire off a Helping Hand towards Ornstein, just as we had trained to do. And I reacted instantly with new orders.
  
  "Facade, Ornstein!"
  
  Ornstein let out a vicious grin as he felt the Helping Hand boost take effect in his body, and before Nidoqueen could move to block the attack, he slammed into her with a devastating Façade that had its Attack power doubled because of the Poison.
  
  The ground cracked beneath her as Nidoqueen fell to the ground from the pure power behind that blow, letting out a pained gasp as she did so.
  
  With his opponent now on the ground, Ornstein pinned her down with his knees and mercilessly began pummelling a barrage of Ice Punches onto the downed Nidoqueen, brutally ensuring that she couldn't get back up again.
  
  "Poison Fang and Sludge Wave, Nidoqueen! Just get it off of you!"
  
  Realising the terrible position her Pokémon was in, Janine desperately ordered her Pokémon to do whatever she could to get Ornstein off of her. But as a globule of poison formed in her throat, Ornstein savagely rammed his own arm down her mouth while shielding it with another Obstruct - interrupting the attack before it could even be fired and causing her to choke on her own poison.
  
  Right before another Ice Punch smashed into her face.
  
  At this point, it was pretty clear that Nidoqueen was moments away from falling. That wasn't a failing on Janine's part; no one could reasonably expect such a relatively new Nidoqueen to be able to hold itself against one of my Elite Pokémon. So it was only natural that she was being overpowered right now.
  
  Still, that didn't change the fact that unless Nidoqueen got some immediate assistance, she was going to be knocked out. Flint had to help now.
  
  Unfortunately, the problem for them was that Rapidash was in absolutely no position to assist, as it was still busy trying to knock out Emolga. With the latter outspeeding it, the Fire type was really struggling to find space to help out against Ornstein - especially with how often Rapidash was forced to fend off or jump out of the way of incoming Thunder Waves.
  
  Rapidash really didn't want to get paralysed, as that would cause it to lose out on its main strength. Because of that, it had been forced into a lose-lose situation where it couldn't ignore Emolga, but it also couldn't get away from it either to focus on Ornstein, the far bigger threat, since it was slower. All Rapidash really managed to do was land a few glancing blows or light burns against Emolga - nothing that would hinder its speed.
  
  This left the two of them in a stalemate, meaning that Ornstein was free to beat down on Nidoqueen.
  
  Just like we hoped.
  
  But then, I saw Flint whisper a few words to Janine before his hand went to the Pokéballs on his belt.
  
  "Rapidash, come back! Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"
  
  His Rapidash was submerged in a red light as it was quickly swapped out for his Arcanine. Before Emolga could react and process the change, Arcanine blitzed forwards in an incredible burst of speed - moving even faster than Rapidash did before - and completely taking Emolga off-guard as the new Fire type slammed into it in a burst of searing flames.
  
  Emolga cried out painfully as the scorching flames engulfed its body, and before it could recover, Arcanine savagely bit down with a fierce Fire Fang, silencing Emolga for the rest of the battle.
  
  Arcanine had just secured the first knockout of the Tournament.
  
  As Elesa scrambled to send out Emolga's replacement, Arcanine wasted no time as it rushed over to assist the fallen Nidoqueen - but it was already too late. Ornstein's ruthless assault was too powerful, and a final Ice Punch from Ornstein sealed Nidoqueen's fate, causing her to fall unconscious as her head fell limp to the ground.
  
  Therefore, the incoming flaming Extreme Speed from Arcanine barely missed as Ornstein dashed to the side at the very last moment with a Quick Attack of his own. Ornstein even tried to retaliate with a quick Night Slash, but that went completely wide as Arcanine charged right past him.
  
  Meanwhile, both Elesa and Janine sent out their final Pokémon in her other Emolga and Crobat respectively.
  
  I was a little surprised to see that Janine had chosen to send out her starter so early in the Tournament, which would inevitably show off its capabilities to the others, but I quickly guessed her reasoning. It was likely her only Pokémon that could catch up with Elesa's Emolga, which had already shown itself to be an incredibly fast Pokémon.
  
  But I had a plan in mind to deal with it, "Rain Dance with your Emolga." I told Elesa, "Then distract while I finish the fight."
  
  She nodded and followed through with my instructions. Before Crobat could stop it with a Taunt, Emolga changed the weather to the Rain, greatly weakening Arcanine's Fire type moves. Likewise, I had Ornstein land a Taunt on Arcanine too, just so that it couldn't change the weather back with a Sunny Day.
  
  Unfortunately, choosing to use Rain Dance had left Emolga exposed, and Crobat took the opportunity to strike hard with a powerful Cross Poison - poisoning the Electric type. Emolga immediately tried to Double Team and Quick Attack away to make distance, but just like her father's, Janine's Crobat had the keen eyes of a hunter - it wouldn't let its prey escape.
  
  Emolga let out a desperate Discharge, but Crobat patiently kept its distance as it waited for the Electric attack to dissipate before going in for the kill. It struck with a critical Night Slash, slashing a deep wound into Emolga's side that almost caused it to crash into the ground. Emolga was barely able to keep up its flight.
  
  However, despite being very much similar to her father's own Crobat, Janine's starter was not as skilled as his, nor was it as fast. Therefore, it had overcommitted to its attack, and Emolga quickly capitalised on this as it fired off a practically point-blank Thunder Wave that successfully paralysed and crippled the once-evasive Crobat.
  
  With Crobat now paralysed and Emolga slowed down due to its heavy injuries, the battle in the sky started to turn into another stalemate as both Pokémon lost a lot of their previously incredible speed. As a result, both Pokémon started to rely more on their Special Attacks to bring the other down.
  
  In the meanwhile, the battle on the ground was still going strong. Arcanine's use of Extreme Speed had allowed it to massively outspeed my Ornstein, but only in short bursts. Furthermore, the Fire type's attacks came at predictable angles, meaning once Ornstein got the timing down, he was able to parry and block most of Arcanine's attacks with his Obstructs.
  
  However, even with all of our training, that was far easier said than done, as Ornstein's newfound injuries could attest to. His once white fur was now singed and burnt, and he was panting heavily from exertion as he now sported a noticeable limp. The Toxic was also gradually taking its toll.
  
  On the other hand, Arcanine was mostly uninjured. It had taken a few glancing blows while it went for hit-and-run attacks against Ornstein, but it had managed to avoid any serious injuries. Yet it was also starting to grow tired; its extensive use of Extreme Speed was not easy on the Fire type.
  
  Once I noticed this, I silently signalled to Elesa that I was going for a switch. It was time to end this fight.
  
  "Come back, Ornstein! Crush them, Vordt!"
  
  "URSA!" A mighty and bellowing roar signalled the arrival of Vordt, his massive frame dominating the battlefield. He wasted no time in unleashing a powerful Earthquake, sending wave after wave of explosive tremors through the ground and causing it to crack apart.
  
  "Aerial Ace, Arcanine! Avoid it!"
  
  Arcanine managed to leap into the air in time to avoid the attack, but then the second part of the Seismic Eruption came through as large stone spikes suddenly erupted out from the ground. Flint seemed to have prepared his Pokémon for this though, as his Arcanine just barely had the time to throw up a Protect shield to try to prevent itself from being impaled by the stony spikes.
  
  Unfortunately, the Protect shield that was thrown up was too flimsy, and the Stone Edge pierced right through it. Arcanine let out a pained howl as it fell out of the sky, right into the waiting claws of Vordt.
  
  "Headlong Rush!"
  
  Vordt blitzed forwards in a barely visible blur and slammed into the exposed Arcanine, barrelling straight into the Fire type and sending it crashing into one side of the psychic shields - leaving a deep trench right through the arena in his wake.
  
  But even as it was pinned to the wall, Arcanine valiantly fought through its injuries and bit down as hard as it could with a searing Fire Fang - setting Vordt on fire.
  
  ...And causing his Attack to double as he was boosted up by Guts.
  
  That didn't bode well for Arcanine, who proceeded to be painfully pounded into the psychic wall by Vordt's subsequent Façade, which struck with such force that the supposedly 'extra-reinforced' shields immediately began to ripple and crack from the raw might behind that blow.
  
  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the organisers panicking as they were afraid that the shields were going to break, causing our battle to accidentally spill over into the other ones.
  
  Then Vordt followed up with a devastating Brick Break that shattered Arcanine's jaw.
  
  Seeing its partner getting helplessly pummelled like that, Janine ordered Crobat to try to assist - but it was futile. Even as a volley of Air Slashes sliced into Vordt's back, my Ground type merely ignored it as he remained fully focused into making sure that Arcanine was buried into the ground.
  
  But as it was now distracted, Crobat failed to dodge out of the way as a small Thunder Shock from Emolga struck it from behind. Due to its heavy injuries, the attack was weak, yet it was enough to force Crobat's attention back onto Emolga.
  
  And then, a final CRACK could be heard as Vordt finished off Arcanine with a decisive Hammer Arm to the face - which managed to literally bury Arcanine deep into the ground, to the point where only its hind legs were sticking out.
  
  Needless to say, that Arcanine was not recovering from that blow. It was out of the fight.
  
  Now the only Pokémon were remaining were a paralysed and crippled Crobat, and a Rapidash that had already run itself into exhaustion - against both Vordt and Emolga. Because of this, everyone knew that the battle was lost. Even though the battle might be a 2v2 on paper, there was no chance that these two crippled and exhausted Pokémon could take down a fresh and mostly uninjured Vordt, especially since he was still boosted by Guts.
  
  So before I could give another command, Janine raised her arms in the air, "We forfeit."
  
  And just like that, the battle was over. We had secured our first victory.
  
  The crowd's cheers for our win was a little muted than what I was used to, though that was because our fight was only one of many that were taking place simultaneously. I looked around and saw that we were the first fight to finish as the other fighters were still not done yet, and the sounds of their battles had mostly drowned out most of the cheers for ours.
  
  I felt Elesa tap me on the shoulder, and I turned to see a wide smile on her face. I returned it, and we both clapped our hands together in a high-five as we celebrated our first victory of many.
  
  Moments later, we were approached by both Flint and Janine.
  
  "Phew. What a tough battle. That was well played by you guys." Flint said as he walked over to us, not looking at all disappointed by his loss, "I must say, I underestimated you, Elesa. I knew your Pokémon were fast, but I was too confident in my own Pokémon's speed and didn't think you would be able to match or even be faster than me. That was impressive."
  
  "The recordings we studied did not do your justice." Janine agreed.
  
  "They sure didn't." Flint nodded, "But I suppose that's what happens when all the information you can get for an opponent is from a screen. It becomes difficult to judge just how strong, or in your case, fast a Pokémon truly is. Even though I tried to account for that, you seemed to have surpassed those predictions too."
  
  Flint's words caused a smug smirk to form in my mind. In fact, the recordings about the speed of Elesa's Pokémon were pretty accurate, but most of them only showcased her Pokémon's incredible base speed - they didn't show off or take into account the boost in speed that her Electric types got thanks to Motor Drive or other boosts. Because of that, it really threw off Flint's expectations - exactly like I hoped it would.
  
  Of course, after this battle everyone would come to expect it. But there was no point in hiding it anyways as it wasn't like Motor Drive was some big secret or anything.
  
  Speaking of secret, that was probably why Janine made the 'uncharacteristic' decision to forfeit the battle - she likely didn't want to show off too much of her starter if she didn't have to. So given that her loss was most likely inevitable anyways, it was better to forfeit early and save any tricks for later.
  
  "You give me too much credit." Elesa's words shook me out of my thoughts, "I was merely playing the distraction. Though that had always been plan, I can't deny that John was doing most of the heavy lifting there."
  
  "Nah, nah, you're underselling yourself too much." Flint waved off her words, "My best friend, Volkner, he's an Electric specialist too. But he doesn't fight like you do. He's more power than speed, and while speed alone shouldn't be able to win a battle by itself, it does give you an unique and powerful niche that you can use to great effect - as you showed just now."
  
  "Admittedly, I was excited to battle against you and John mostly because of John." He continued, "I didn't think you were a deadweight, but I went into the fight thinking that John would be the bigger threat. While that wasn't necessarily wrong, I see now that you're a fighter of your own and that I was wrong to overlook you. In fact, I'd love to see a battle between you and Volkner in the future. I really think that would be an exciting fight."
  
  He suddenly took out his phone, "Actually, let me call him right now. You deserve to meet him at least."
  
  Before anyone could respond, Flint took out his phone and began dialling up Volkner... only for the call to fail to connect.
  
  "Must be busy." Flint muttered to himself, "Anyways, I'll let him know to talk to you. Ciao!"
  
  Flint was very much a man that drummed to his own beat, because we didn't even get a chance to respond before he just made his exit from the stage. Meanwhile, looking a little resigned at her partner's antics, Janine simply performed a short bow before joining after her partner.
  
  As they left, I turned to Elesa as if to ask what she thought, who merely returned a shrug. She had previously expressed interest in meeting Volkner anyways, so this was just accelerating the process.
  
  Either way, with our first victory under our belts, we headed off to the spectator stands as we waited for the remaining battles to conclude. With so many fights needing to take place, the battling schedule was far more packed than you would expect. From what we were told beforehand, we might be expected to fight twice in one day during the preliminary stage if that is what the schedule demanded.
  
  And turns out, that was exactly what happened.
  
  Our next fight was scheduled to take place in the late evening, against Bugsy and Glacia. Our fight against them went similarly to our battle against Flint and Janine. Actually, I felt that it went easier than that.
  
  Mostly because Bugsy's inexperience was really obvious; not surprising, given that he was only recently named Gym Leader.
  
  Unlike Janine, who clearly had expert instruction and tons of practice at fighting at a high-level, Bugsy was far more nervous and inexperienced going into this Tournament. Even though he was older, he clearly struggled taking part in battle after battle against so many trainers that were either equally as good or were even better than him.
  
  Unfortunately, because of that, he fumbled. His Bug types, who had the potential to fight like Aaron's did, were unable to bring out their true potential in our fight. They were clearly overwhelmed in our 2v2 fight, and had allowed Elesa to land some pretty easy Thunder Waves on them, which practically took them completely out of the fight.
  
  This allowed both of us to gang up on Glacia and take down her Ice Types in a 2v1. All the while Bugsy struggled to contribute. We managed a swift victory thanks to that.
  
  Glacia was no easy opponent, but since she had absolutely no opportunity to set up the Snow in a 2v1, a lot of her strength and effectiveness was neutered.
  
  Bugsy looked pretty upset with himself, but fortunately, Glacia seemed to understand his situation and was actively working to push him to be better. I hoped that her words would find purchase; it would be a great shame for Bugsy's career as a Gym Leader if his first public showing on a big stage like this was this lacklustre. It would create a bad first impression for the public, and the stain would be hard to remove.
  
  Nevertheless, that put our score at 2-0, meaning that we were one win away from being able to qualify to the elimination stage. So the two of us took the time to get some rest and get ourselves prepared for our next battle and hopefully final battle of the preliminary stage.
  
  For our next battle was against Brawly and Drayden.
  
  A.N. Hope you enjoyed the first two battles of the Tournament. Naturally, with how many battles that will be taking place, I won't be able to shine the spotlight on each and every one of them. So in the interest of making sure that the Tournament doesn't drag on for too long, some battles like this one will be skipped over. I hope you can understand.
  
  However, I will always do my best to show off every battle that I deem are important, especially because I think it's important to show off the strength of all these great trainers. Furthermore, this Tournament won't only be about battles, as I'm going to do my best to make sure that John gets an opportunity to interact with all of the many different trainers that have come over for this Tournament too - especially with those that he hadn't really spent much time with before. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-4 - Interlude -Other
  The New Normal - 16-4 - Interlude - Other Participants
  
  (Giovanni POV)
  
  After winning their first battle against Bryon and Chuck, he and Juan decided to take a small break together since their next battle wasn't until tomorrow.
  
  So, as per usual at this point, Giovanni invited Juan over to a fancy restaurant that Ariana had helped him to reserve. Though she wouldn't be joining them for the dinner tonight, as she had her own people she had wanted to meet.
  
  "Ah... I think I've been here to this place before. Very nice choice." Juan said as the two of them took a seat at the table, "Lovely atmosphere, very naturalistic. This might just be the best restaurant in Canalave. Your missus has really picked well."
  
  "I'll make sure to pass on the compliments." He chuckled, "She always has been more well-travelled than I was. My duties as a Gym Leader compelled me to stay in one place."
  
  "I know how that feels." Juan nodded, letting out a wistful sigh as he turned to stare at the view of Canalave below, "But I suppose my time as a Gym Leader is almost at an end. Ah, time has really passed me by."
  
  "I heard that Wallace was taking your place, now that he's no longer Champion." Giovanni said, "Was this something the two of you planned in advance?"
  
  "Oh yes, certainly so." Juan replied, "Wallace and I are long-time friends. Actually, I was his mentor for a little bit, but it was clear even early on that he was a far more talented trainer than I was. Honestly, I doubted he even needed my tutoring - I'm certain he would have grown to be what he is now even without my help."
  
  "Alas, for reasons he still hasn't yet revealed to me, he submitted himself to my tutoring and quickly proved to be an apt and attentive student." He continued, "I did my best to try and nurture his incredible potential, but despite everything, his talent and splendour was too much for even me, and the student quickly found himself as the mentor - both in the realm of battling and in contests. His elegance, his artistry, and his strength, all surpassed mine."
  
  "Were you ever jealous of that?" Giovanni asked.
  
  "No. No, definitely not." Juan replied, "We all have our different roles to play. Not everyone can be in the spotlight. Some people are simply destined for greatness, and I am humble enough to acknowledge that I am not one of those individuals. And besides, to this day I remain honoured to have had the opportunity to teach a man that would become a Champion. Wallace still credits me for his success you know, even though I've insisted multiple times that it wasn't necessary."
  
  Giovanni nodded in agreement. It was a pretty big honour.
  
  "So will you be running the Gym alongside him? Or do you have other plans in mind?" He asked.
  
  Juan let out a chuckle, "Ohohoho, no. Certainly not. Wallace does not need yours truly looking over his shoulder. I expect him to be able to run the Gym most exquisitely even without my presence. Instead, I shall be looking to take my talents back to the realm of contests once more. After such a long period of absence, the public deserves to see my artistry once again."
  
  Juan took a sip of his drink, "Actually, I reached out to some of my former contacts when I was informed of Wallace's decision. Apparently, the contest scene has much changed since I last graced the stage. And I do not see the need to necessarily tie myself to Hoenn when the contest scenes in other regions are still so new and full of inspiration. That was when a lucky stroke of opportunity fell into my lap. Do you know Will, the Gym Leader of Goldenrod? The man actually reached out to me when he heard of my impending retirement, and he was apparently aware of my history as a contest performer. Thus, he sought after me, requesting for the two of us to become a part-time double-act. I was inclined to agree-"
  
  Giovanni raised a hand as he quickly interrupted Juan, "Wait, wait. Sorry if this is a dumb question - I'm not very familiar with the contest scene, but surely it would be better if you went out on your own, right?"
  
  "Hmm... yes and no." Juan replied, "Yes, in terms of prestige, it would be better if I remained a solo act. However, not only is prestige not really something I care much for anymore, but I also wanted to try performing as a pair. It's not something I've done before. So since it seems like I'm going to be entering a new stage of my life anyways, why should I not try and experience something new? Moreover, Will seems a fine and talented fellow - and from our many conversations I expect great things to come out of my partnership."
  
  "I see... well, then I wish you all the best then." Giovanni said, while inwardly, his mind was already running through the calculations as he processed this new information.
  
  If Juan was going to be staying over in Indigo for a significant period of time, and was going to be tied with Will - a person that he was already acquainted with - then this means that Juan might serve as a link for him to use to grow closer to Will.
  
  Will's star was on the rise lately. The public had already taken note of the many successes achieved by Goldenrod while under his leadership. Many believed that it would only be a matter of time before Will made it back to the Elite Four - and unlike last time, he would be staying for a long time.
  
  So that just meant a friendship with Will was going to be valuable in the future. And Juan might be the key to that. So growing closer to Juan might bring many benefits for the future.
  
  ...Of course, it also helped that he enjoyed spending time with Juan too. The man was well-spoken and experienced, and despite his tenancy to dramatize himself and his actions, he never went overboard.
  
  So he could see Juan being a valuable friend to have.
  
  (Volkner POV)
  
  "You're smiling a little too much, Volkner. Is Jasmine texting you again?" Daisy asked, a teasing lilt present in her voice.
  
  "She was just congratulating me for winning." He replied, no longer embarrassed by their teasing. If there was one thing that having Flint as a best friend was good for, it was that you learnt very quickly to maintain a calm expression. Otherwise, if his teasing provoked a reaction, then he would only escalate.
  
  Case in point, he was no longer embarrassed when someone pointed out his relationship with Jasmine. After all, being embarrassed about it was basically saying that he was ashamed that he was dating Jasmine - and he certainly wasn't! So no, he was proud of his relationship.
  
  He then turned to Daisy, who was trying to look over his shoulder, "Don't you have better things to do than to ask about my relationship? Don't you have your own friends to text?"
  
  "Nope!" She said, popping the 'p'. "I texted them all already."
  
  "What about Misty?" He asked, "You checked up on her too?"
  
  "'Course I did. It was the first thing I did." She replied, "Don't worry. She has supervision, and she told us she's doing well. Nothing's burned down."
  
  "I would be very concerned if your Gym managed to burn down when half of it is filled with water." He deadpanned, "Actually, knowing you and your sisters' shared clumsiness, I could definitely see it happening. Please send me a photo if it does happen - I'll make sure to show it to Flint so that he knows that he's not the best Fire specialist in the world anymore."
  
  "Says you. I've seen pictures of your Gym. It's one big fire hazard!" She shot back, "I don't know how you get away with all those exposed wires lying about!"
  
  "Trade secret." He smiled cheekily.
  
  She let out a disbelieving chuckle as she shook her head, and the two of them fell silent again as their focus returned to their respective phones.
  
  However, after a moment, Daisy spoke up again, "...Say, did you ever have Gym Trainers telling you that they want to move on from the Gym?"
  
  "Occasionally. It's not as rare as you think." He replied, "Being a Gym Trainer might be a prestigious position, but it's also a position without much upward mobility. The best you can reasonably hope for is to be recognised and promoted to a Head Gym Trainer, but that's not easy since there's only one of those positions per Gym. So every once in a while I'd get people asking me that they want to transfer out. Why do you ask?"
  
  "Well... Misty actually made a comment to Lily a few days ago." Daisy revealed, "She said that she wanted to try something different."
  
  "Different? Different how?" He asked.
  
  "A different environment." She replied, "She talked about how she wanted to learn from other Gyms and see how they run so she can see how she can improve our own Gym. But I think that's partially an excuse. I think she's feeling a little stifled at the Gym. And I suspect that might be because we tied her down to the Gym a little too early - before she was able to decide what she really wanted for herself."
  
  "I think that's a very mature way to think about it." He nodded, "Do you have any plans on how to help her?"
  
  "We're trying to reach out to people and see if they could offer her something." She said, "But unfortunately, Misty's just a little too inexperienced right now. It's hard for her to start as a Gym Trainer when she's not even gone on her journey yet. Petrel did say that Giovanni could probably find something, but he also said that it would be best if Misty went on her journey first."
  
  Daisy let out a resigned breath, "So it looks like we're going to have to wait for now. I kinda feel bad for her-"
  
  "I can take her." He said immediately, his mouth moving before his brain did. It was another momentary impulse, and at first he worried that he might have offered something he couldn't actually follow up on. But then, as he thought over it a bit more, he realised it wasn't all that bad of an idea.
  
  He and Flint were both orphans, but they were ones that had beaten the odds and climbed to their current successful positions. But they recognised that they had been the lucky ones.
  
  Therefore, in order to give back to the community, the two of them had set up many programs to help the other orphaned kids to be given opportunities to allow them to get a head start in their careers. Because of this, it was not uncommon for his Gym to have younger children, those who had yet to go on their journeys yet, to take on minor roles in his Gym so that they could be around trainers and Pokémon and get a feel for what it's like. It was like being an intern for a Gym Trainer.
  
  Therefore, it wouldn't be out of place for Misty to do the same. And he said as much to Daisy.
  
  Daisy was very surprised at his offer and instinctively went to refuse, saying that she didn't want to bother him unnecessarily, but he insisted that it was fine. It was really no bother to him, especially since Misty was going to be far more experienced than the usual children that he worked with.
  
  It took a bit more convincing, but it was eventually settled. One phone call later, and Misty was also quickly informed and also quickly agreed. Thus, once the Tournament was over, the Sunyshore Gym would have a new assistant coming.
  
  A.N. I wanted this chapter to really highlight how the more unified regions means that stuff like this happens much easier. With the Regional Union in place, now it isn't so far fetched for people to work in other regions just like this chapter showed. So Juan's going to be working with Will, and Misty's going to be working with Volkner.
  
  With Misty especially, I wanted her to be able to learn from more than just the Cerulean Gym. And much like she's learning from Drake, I felt that learning from Volkner and his Electric types - which directly counters her own Water types - would be invaluable. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-5 - Finishing the Preliminaries
  
  Drayden was the only Unova Elite Four member that I hadn't really had an opportunity to talk to or see in action. But his strength was at least somewhat known to me, thanks to the recordings that I had searched up about his team in action. And Elesa was able to supplement that knowledge as well, giving me a good idea of where his strength lied.
  
  "I think the best way to describe Drayden is much like that Hoenn Elite Four of yours - Drake. They basically fight in the same manner." Elesa said, "However, he is even less flexible than Drake is, purely due to the lack of variety in his team. He only has the 6 Dragons, and of them there are only 3 different Pokémon within. He has two Druddigons, two Haxorus, and two Hydreigon. There's no denying that they all strong Pokémon, but it does heavily limit the strategies he can make use of."
  
  "Does he have an 'ace' Pokémon?" I asked.
  
  "No, each Pokémon just has their own strengths." Elesa answered, "His Druddigon are resilient and tough to take down. His Haxorus are highly aggressive and hit very hard. And his Hydreigon are really powerful Special Attackers that have a varied movepool. But don't expect status effects and the like from him. He's very much a brute-force fighter."
  
  "So the same as Brawly then." I muttered, "That should make things easier."
  
  She snorted, "Don't get cocky. I'm massively oversimplifying the true strength of his team. I compared him to Drake for a reason. I know how much respect that man gets from you all - Drayden's the same for us. Don't look down on him."
  
  "We won't." I nodded.
  
  Therefore, we quickly began making plans for our upcoming battle, with an obvious focus on isolating Drayden and taking him down first.
  
  Personally, compared to my last two battles, I was the most excited for this one. This is the first time I would be fighting a Dragon specialist that I had never fought against before, and I always enjoyed clashes of strength. But I didn't let that excitement translate into carelessness.
  
  And so by the time our battle came rolling around, we headed out into the arena both well-rested and prepared for the fight to come. However, before the fight began, Drayden had apparently wanted to exchange a few words with me.
  
  "I think this is the first time you and I met in person." He said as we shook hands, "I hope you will be satisfied with the battle ahead."
  
  "Likewise." I smiled back.
  
  "I also have to thank you for treating Iris so well." He continued, "Her talents and relative maturity aside, she is still a young child. When I was travelling to Sinnoh, I was worried about leaving her alone back in Unova. An unnecessary worry, perhaps, but it is the prerogative of the elderly to look after the youth."
  
  "I think you've got that backwards." I chuckled, and getting one from him too, "But I'm glad that Iris has someone like you watching over her. She's a good kid."
  
  "She is." He agreed, "She looks up to me too much, though. She always said that I had the potential to be a better trainer than Alder and that I should have been Champion."
  
  "Do you?" I asked curiously.
  
  He shook his head, "It's nothing more than the innocent, yet naïve, thoughts of a child. She merely mislikes Alder because, in her own words, he's always so 'mopey'. But don't take her words as fact. The rest of the Elite Four haven't tried to challenge him for a reason. Alder's a Champion, no matter what anyone says."
  
  "But enough about that, we can chat more after the battle." He said, "May the better trainer win."
  
  "May the better trainer win." I nodded, and we both exchanged one final look together before we made our way to our respective starting positions.
  
  It was time to battle.
  
  "TRAINERS! YOU KNOW THE DRILL! IT'S TIME FOR A BATTLE IN THREE! TWO! ONE! FIGHT!"
  
  "Go, Emolga!" "Luna, your turn!"
  
  "Haxorus!""Hariyama!"
  
  One thing that both Elesa and I had both figured out before this battle was that neither Brawly nor Drayden had anything to counter Fairy types, which in turn completely nullified their greatest strengths. Especially with a Pokémon as defensive as I had trained up Luna to be, I was utterly confident that neither Drayden nor Brawly would be able to break through her.
  
  And therefore it left Elesa's Emolga free to cripple the two of them with Thunder Waves while harassing them from a distance.
  
  Therefore, the plan was to keep things simple and defeat them with a death by a thousand cuts.
  
  At first, the battle went as we had expected. Emolga was able to run circles around our opponents, where Brawly had attempted to snipe it down with Stone Edges and Rock Throws - to no avail. Emolga was able to swoop and dive with such aerial manoeuvrability that even a full barrage of rocks failed to bring it down.
  
  Yet before Emolga could paralyse Hariyama, it had ignited and Burned itself with a Fire Punch first - both triggering its Guts ability and denying the paralysis.
  
  Meanwhile, I had Luna to stay back and simply flood the arena with blast after blast of Dazzling Gleams, knowing that neither of their Pokémon had any good defenses against the move. And when I saw Haxorus come charging forwards with a Double Edge, I had Luna switch over to Moonblast with the intention of shattering it mid-charge.
  
  However, that was not what happened.
  
  Instead, Haxorus gleamed with a silvery glow for a brief moment right as the Moonblast smashed into it. As the resulting explosion of pink energy faded away, instead of having its charge halted, Haxorus continued rushing forwards with its head, tail, and claws all reinforced with an armoured layer of pure Steel.
  
  My eyes widened as I realised what it had done - it had channelled an Iron Head, Metal Claw, and an Iron Tail all at the same time to give itself as much protection as it could against the Fairy type Moonblast, using it like it had donned armour.
  
  I must have underestimated Drayden's ability to adapt to the Fairy type. He had never pulled off something like this before, as there were no recordings of him doing so - probably because this was the first time he had faced off against a Fairy type in a public battle.
  
  It was my mistake.
  
  So, much like me, Luna had not expected for Haxorus to be able to defend against her attack successfully and was left completely unprepared as Haxorus crashed into it with the Double Edge, before following up by cracking their skulls together with a painful Iron Head.
  
  Luna fell to the ground with a pained cry as she reeled from the blow, before instinctively firing off a Moonblast to try to drive Haxorus back. But Haxorus had spun around and used its Iron Tail that both deflected the blow and smashed hard into Luna's side.
  
  Before she could recover, another came violently slamming down on the crown of her head, partially burying her into the ground.
  
  Shit. This was bad. But I acted decisively and reached for her Pokéball, "I'm switching out my Clefable! Go, Pixel!"
  
  I caught Elesa shooting me a concerned look in the corner of my vision, but I ignored it for now as I watched as Pixel let out an excited buzz as it entered the battle.
  
  "Conversion: Fairy!"
  
  "Take it down, Haxorus!"
  
  Pixel quickly began to glow pink as it changed its own type to Fairy. Thinking that it could disrupt it, Haxorus immediately charged towards Pixel with another Double Edge, while once again reinforcing itself with an armour of Steel as it anticipated another Fairy attack coming its way.
  
  But I had learnt my lesson.
  
  "Tri Attack, Pixel!"
  
  Pixel finished its Conversion before Haxorus was even close to reaching it. Then it fired off a triangle of rotating and multicoloured orbs. Which Haxorus charged right into, thinking that it could resist and break through the attack like it did before.
  
  It could not.
  
  The Steel armour it had equipped might have fended off the Ice portion of the attack much like it did with the earlier Moonblast, but covering itself in Steel had only made itself into a better conductor for both the Fire and Electric portions of the Tri Attack. Making both elements all the more potent.
  
  Therefore, Haxorus abruptly stopped as all of its muscles locked up in paralysis, while the layer of Steel that once protected it was set ablaze. Haxorus let out a determined growl as it valiantly struggled in an attempt to force itself to move, but it was suddenly struck by a bolt of Thunder that came crashing down from the skies above.
  
  Emolga had come in with the timely assist.
  
  That extra bit of paralysis kept Haxorus stunned for long enough so that it was unable to do anything as Pixel fired off an enormous orb of pure Fairy energy right towards it. Unable to resist or muster up any sort of defence, Haxorus was sent flying backwards into the psychic shields, crumbling to the ground.
  
  I judged that it was too injured to be a threat anymore, so I quickly directed Pixel to target the unsuspecting Hariyama while it was still distracted trying to take down Emolga.
  
  Despite not being paralysed, Hariyama had not had much success against the much-faster Emolga. Especially not when it was able to fly far out of its reach. For all of its strength, especially with the Guts boost, it just wasn't able to land a single good hit against Emolga.
  
  So the surprise attack from Pixel knocked Hariyama face-first to the ground, where another Thunder speared it right through from above.
  
  With both of our opponents practically incapacitated, I held back from any further attacks as I had Pixel set up with a Nasty Plot, boosting its already high Special Attack to even greater heights. Elesa followed after me and had her Emolga set up with a Light Screen.
  
  Realising that we were simply stalling for time, our opponents both withdrew their Pokémon and sent out their final two.
  
  "Crush them, Hydreigon! Show off your power!"
  
  "Medicham, as we planned!"
  
  Hydreigon instantly became the centre of attention as it came roaring out of its Pokéball. With no delay, it began firing off three different beams of Dragon Pulses from all three of its heads, in a variety of different directions, as it looked to shoot down Emolga out of the sky. Likewise, Pixel was kept distracted as Medicham quickly rushed it down with a Bullet Punch.
  
  It was like we were facing off against a tripled barrelled artillery cannon with how fast Hydreigon was shooting off those attacks.
  
  Therefore, fast as Elesa's Electric type was, even with the Light Screen, it only took one slight mistake for it to be caught by one of those attacks.
  
  And that was exactly what happened. Before Pixel could even try to assist, one of the many Dragon Pulses managed to land a glancing blow on the side of one of Emogla's wings, causing it to spin through the sky wildly as it lost control of its flight.
  
  Now slowed down, Emolga was shot out of the air before it could even hit the ground. The Protect shield that it had desperately tried to throw up had instantly been shattered by another Dragon Pulse, before the remaining torrent of draconic energy ravaged the frail Electric type - knocking it out while it was still mid-air.
  
  Meanwhile, Pixel and Medicham continued their duel. At first, Medicham seemed to have gotten the advantage in close range as it managed to get close and flinch Pixel with a Fake Out, before smashing it hard with a supereffective Bullet Punch since Pixel was still a Fairy type.
  
  However, a quick Discharge forced Medicham back, giving enough space for an intense Gravity to set in - pushing Medicham to the ground.
  
  That gave Pixel enough space to Convert itself into a Ghost type, making it either immune or resistant to most of Medicham's common moves. That had completely ripped away any advantage that Medicham had over it, so that even with its greater proficiency in close-quarter battle, Pixel was now in the better position.
  
  Knowing that it was vital for Hydreigon to not be able to interfere in this duel, Elesa quickly sent out her Galvantula and had it skitter over to Hydreigon to distract and keep it busy. Impressively, Galvantula's Lunge had actually managed to leap over an incoming Flamethrower, allowing Galvantula to strike down hard with both the Lunge and a savage X-Scissor at the same time.
  
  The combo of supereffective attacks actually did significant damage against Hydreigon, but that was all it could do. Before Galvantula could follow up, a triple blast of Hyper Voices forced it back and onto the defensive as Hydreigon renewed its unending torrent of Flamethrowers.
  
  Fully overpowered like this, I knew it was only a matter of time before Galvantula fell. But that was fine, because Medicham was going to fall first.
  
  With Gravity heavily weighing it down, making it lose much of its previous mobility, Medicham was quickly forced to burn through all of its defensive options as it desperately tried to keep itself in the fight against Pixel. But it wasn't enough, and after a quick Ice Beam froze over one of its arms that it had tried to use to block, it was not able to defend itself as a Nasty Plot-boosted Shadow Ball detonated in its face.
  
  Instantly knocking it out.
  
  And with Medicham down, Galvantula - already on its last legs - decided to sacrifice itself to the incoming Flamethrower so that it could provide one final Helping Hand boost towards Pixel, who had now used Conversion to switch back to Fairy type.
  
  Drayden might have given his Pokémon Fairy-resistance training, but it wasn't enough for his Hydreigon. Which had been utterly annihilated by the overpowered Moonblast.
  
  There was absolutely no chance it was getting up from that.
  
  And with that, despite the rocky start when it almost all went wrong, we had secured our third win. Thank Arceus for Pixel. It had really pulled its weight during this fight.
  
  With our third victory, it meant that we had made it into the elimination stage. It also meant that we were afforded a small break, as we still needed to wait for the remaining battles in the preliminary round to conclude. Our next battle shouldn't be for a few days.
  
  That was perfect timing, as it allowed me to catch up on the other political developments that I had put on the backburner during my previous battles.
  
  The World Tournament might take up most of the public's attention right now, but that didn't mean the wheels of politics didn't continue to turn.
  
  And turn it did, as Steven had been hard at work with trying to get his proposal passed for making Hoenn leaders appointable from any region. Thanks to his hard work, today was actually the day where the Hoenn Committee would finally be voting on this proposal - to see whether it would be enacted into law.
  
  Both Lance and Cynthia had expressed their intentions to follow suit in their own Committees if it were to pass, with plans to turn it into another Article of the Regional Union. Cynthia was obviously doing so because of me, but Lance had also agreed because both Steven and Cynthia had promised to owe him a favour each if he did so. That had been too valuable for him to pass up.
  
  That was why I had separated from Elesa for the day as I ended up staying in with Cynthia, with the two of us both watching the news as we awaited the result of the vote.
  
  "This should pass." Cynthia remarked to me as we sat there cuddled on her couch, "Steven's told me about all the prep work he's done for this. There's no reason it shouldn't."
  
  I knew about that too. Steven had capitalised on the momentum of his victory, alongside his own incredible personal influence, to sway most of the Hoenn Committee onto his side.
  
  "Then what's the plan afterwards? Are we going to move forwards with our previous ideas?" I asked.
  
  "First step is to make this into an Article into the Regional Union first so that all leaders from within the Regional Union can be appointed from anywhere within the Union - it'll help expand our options." She explained, "Once that's done, we'll monitor the public response to these changes. If they react well, then I see no reason why we can't start laying the foundations for your eventual move. You know, drumming up public support and the like."
  
  I nodded; that sounded like a good plan to me. I returned my attention to the TV screen, where they had just begun to tally up the votes. Even though I knew that this would most likely pass, I felt my fists clench unconsciously as I watched the two numbers go up. My girlfriend was clearly feeling the same as I felt her grip on my arm tighten slightly.
  
  But then the two of us let out a sigh of relief as the votes were finally tallied - the proposal had passed.
  
  "He's actually done it." I remarked with a smile, "Steven's actually managed to achieve the first step."
  
  "Yes, and it's time we capitalised on it-" Before she could even finish her sentence, her phone began to ring. I saw that it was a conference call from Lance and Steven. I gave her a questioning look, silently asking if I needed to leave, but she told me with her eyes that I could remain seated.
  
  "Cynthia." Lance's face could be seen as she picked up the phone, "I assume you saw the news-oh, John, didn't see you there. I guess you were both watching the vote."
  
  "We were." Cynthia replied, "And good job on that, Steven. As agreed, Lance and I will follow up on this, isn't that right?"
  
  "I will be making a speech to the Indigo Committee tomorrow to bring up this topic." Lance confirmed, "I assume you will do the same in Sinnoh. If this passes in both our regions too, then we'll bring up the topic of including this as an Article in the Regional Union. But only after they pass, not before."
  
  "Reasonable." Cynthia nodded, "Steven, keep us updated on the reaction in Hoenn. We'll discuss things further, but regardless, congratulations on your success."
  
  "Thank you all." He replied, "I'll leave you to it then."
  
  With their conversation over, Cynthia unfortunately had to rush away to get a start on all that. But that was fine, as there was one other person that I wanted to speak to. I had already messaged them beforehand, so they knew to expect me.
  
  Therefore, I left Cynthia's room and made my way over to the nearby hotel where the Unova delegation was staying at, where I was promptly invited into the dining area where I sat down opposite Clay.
  
  "Some mighty fine fighting you did out there." He smiled at me, "Saw you were surprised when Drayden pulled out that trick against you, though."
  
  "I really wasn't expecting that." I admitted, "I thought that having the advantage of Fairy types would be enough to secure me the fight. I guess I should have taken Elesa's words of caution a little more seriously."
  
  "Heh. I guess we Unovans can still surprise someone like you." He chuckled, "But I reckon that fight was good for both Drayden and Elesa. Drayden got to show off that he ain't in the Elite Four for no reason, and Elesa got the opportunity to hold her own against Drayden - even if only for a moment. The public will take notice of that."
  
  "She's doing really well." I agreed, "Our fights would have been much more difficult without her incredibly fast Electric types. And if not for her timely assists, that fight would have been much harder. She has a good eye for battle."
  
  "Glad to see that others from outside of Unova can recognise her talents too - I've always said she's got some serious potential." He nodded, "Now, I assume you didn't ask me here to exchange pleasantries - not that I mind, of course. But I presume you have something for me?"
  
  "I do." I clasped my hands together, "I have a business proposal to bring to you. On behalf of my family."
  
  "Your family?" He asked curiously, "Forgive me, but I didn't know your family had a business. Sorry if I overlooked it."
  
  I waved him off, "We're nowhere near as big as any of the giants like Silph Co. or Devon Corp., so it's totally understandable if you don't know about it. But my family actually runs a Moomoo milk business and a Normal type breeding ranch. The former is our main business, though recently we've been trying to grow out the latter too."
  
  He nodded, "Tell me more about it."
  
  So I did, giving him details about the kinds of products we sold and the size of our business. I told him that we had gone international, with the Smith family products now being sold in both Indigo and Hoenn, and that we were looking to expand into Sinnoh very soon. Likewise, I gave him a rough explanation of our plans regarding the Normal type breeding ranch, and how we were looking to grow it.
  
  "I see..." He muttered, "Then I'm assuming you're looking for a way into Unova?"
  
  "That's exactly right." I confirmed. It was something that my parents and I had already discussed, "We're not going to expand the Moomoo milk business into Unova for now. But we believe that our breeding services might be an extremely attractive commodity in Unova, especially since our Normal types are still considered new and 'interesting' there."
  
  "Well you're right about that. Pokémon from the New Regions are still frequently talked about on the 'net." He agreed, "Okay, so I get your plan. But what do you need me for? I ain't in the breeding business."
  
  "Simple. We need your reputation." I replied, "Just like you proved to me just now, most people in Unova don't even know about the Smith family business. They know about me, but only insofar as my capabilities as a trainer and little else. If we were to try to market our breeding farms to the public of Unova as we are right now, then we doubt that we'd be able to gain much traction. We don't have the level of trust and reputation over there that we've built back home."
  
  "But if you have me on board, then it's a different story." Clay finished the thought for me.
  
  "Exactly." I nodded, "I've done my research. I know you're considered to be one of the premier businessmen in Unova. Even beyond your prestige as a Gym Leader, the public readily acknowledges your business acumen. Therefore, having you endorse our brand would go a long way in helping us establish a foothold within Unova's markets."
  
  It had been a plan that I had brought to my parents ever since I knew that Clay would be coming over for the Tournament. I quickly realised how lucrative the Unova markets would be given how excited their public was for all of the 'new' Pokémon from our regions. And I wanted to get a head start on all the other breeding farms in Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh when it came to the Unova markets, and I was fully willing to utilise my connections from the Elite Four to do so.
  
  "Got it. But what is it for me?" He asked, leaning in like a Sharpedo that smelt blood in the water, "Why should I help you?"
  
  Despite his tone and his Sharpedo-like grin, I knew I had caught Clay's interest. I could tell from his eyes that he wanted to enter into a working relationship with me. He was just looking for the right excuse to do so.
  
  Luckily, I had that very excuse already prepared, "We aren't looking to enter into a partnership with your company - as we understand that you run a mining business and there'd be no logical reason why you'd partnership with a breeding farm. However, we are just looking for an endorsement from you specifically to get us into the public's psyche. We can handle the rest. And in return, we'd offer you a cut of the profits."
  
  "Then I want the same from you." He replied immediately, as if he had already expected my response, "My company's actually been looking to expand into the foreign markets as well - which of course includes Indigo. We sell rare, Unova-exclusive gemstones, evolution stones, and the like. Your endorsement would likewise go a long way for us as well. In return, we can forget about the cut of the profits. I don't need more of it anyways, and I value having friendly connections more."
  
  We went back and forth for a while to hash out the details, but after several minutes of discussion, we had come to a preliminary agreement. Essentially, we would both be endorsing each other's businesses in a personal capacity, with an oral promise of further cooperation down the line. We both could have certainly asked for more, but we both understood that it was better to keep things cordial and use this as an opportunity to build a new connection with each other.
  
  Because we both knew that the connection was what was truly important.
  
  Not only that, but I also recognised that the better that I did in the Tournament with my Normal Types, the more interested the Unova's public would be in them. Which would only benefit my family's breeding business.
  
  I looked forward to seeing it grow.
  
  A.N. A half battle chapter and a half political chapter. I felt it was important to catch up with all of the political developments happening in the background, and Steven has achieved the first big step. There will be further developments coming as well, as you will see soon.
  
  As with the battle with Drayden, I knew from the previous comments that some people wanted to see more from the Unova's Elite Four. So I did just that, showing that Drayden's still got his own tricks up his sleeves. At least when it comes to battling, old age or not, he's a man that can quickly adapt to a new weakness. His trick with the Steel attacks was just one of them. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-6 - Mega Research
  
  My parents had gotten back to me regarding my business arrangements with Clay, and they were happy with what we had agreed to. So, once the Tournament was over, that was another avenue for me to work on when I got back.
  
  As a sort of 'thank you' gift, we would also be sending him one of our newly raised Teddiursa. Hopefully he would appreciate it.
  
  For the time being, the remaining preliminary rounds were still ongoing, as there were teams that still hadn't earned their third win or third loss yet. But, just like Elesa and I managed, there were a few teams that had also managed to move onto the next stage with a 3-0 record.
  
  Karen and Iris, Lucian and Lenora, Will and Brycen, Crasher Wake and Marshal, and Tate/Lisa and Lorelei were amongst those who shared our win record. I was a little surprised to see Drake and Burgh not being on this list, but they actually suffered a defeat against Jasmine and Grimsley.
  
  Grimsley had prepared well for this battle, and he had managed to neutralise Drake's Dragons for long enough for Jasmine to break through Burgh's Bug types. Then, in the resulting 2v1, Drake had nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but he was ultimately overwhelmed and taken down.
  
  That was probably because neither he nor Burgh sent out their stronger Pokémon, likely because they were saving them for later. If he had, I think that the battle would have been his. Still, Drake and Burgh managed an easy victory over Gardenia and Morty after that, so it was all good.
  
  On the other hand, there were already a few teams that had been eliminated from the Tournament, as they had lost all three of their matches in the preliminary rounds.
  
  I truthfully wasn't surprised to see Byron and Chuck having been eliminated, as despite their veteran experience they just weren't able to come up with a synergistic strategy together that utilised both of their strengths. And, from overhearing rumours, I was pretty sure they also suffered from communication issues.
  
  However, what was surprising was seeing Clair and Maylene already out as well.
  
  ...That was a pretty big blow for the extremely prideful Clair. I didn't watch their battles, but from what I heard from the others, Maylene had greatly chafed under Clair's overly tyrannical leadership style and they weren't able to communicate well. They were both basically fighting their own battles rather than as one cohesive team.
  
  I wondered what Lance was going to think about his cousin losing so early in the biggest tournament ever hosted. That was a pretty big hit to the Blackthorn prestige. It also didn't help that Clair was visibly upset about her defeat, and could be seen grumbling about her loss in the public. She didn't explicitly blame Maylene for their loss, but it was pretty clear that she was unhappy with her partner.
  
  Nevertheless, that was a headache for Lance to worry about - the problem of the Blackthorns had nothing to do with me.
  
  In the meanwhile, I had intended to use this break to continue training with Elesa. However, she actually wanted to give her team an actual break for once, since we'd been pushing them really hard for the last week. I agreed, and we intended to hang out together with a few other Gym Leaders, but that those plans were nixed when I received a call from Blaine.
  
  "Professor Blaine!" I deliberately emphasised his new title, "I didn't expect a call from you! Did you need me for something?"
  
  "Heh. Thanks for using my new title. I still haven't gotten over that yet." He chuckled, "I saw you doing well in the Tournament. Good job there. You're really burning through your opposition, aren't you?"
  
  I remained silent in response to this pun, causing him to let out another chuckle, "I'll get you to appreciate my puns one day. Anyways, you're right that I didn't just call you just to chat. Not sure if you knew, but we had a meeting between all of the many different regions' Professors here in Sinnoh."
  
  "...I think I heard about that." I replied.
  
  "Yeah, we didn't try to hide it." He said, "But all the big names were here. Me, Sam, Rowan, Elm, Birch, and Juniper, the new Professor from Unova. She also brought along her friend Colress." That name made my eyes widen in alarm, but Blaine continued on, "At first, we were just comparing notes and sharing discoveries with each other and what not. Yet while we're doing so, Joseph Stone decided to reach out to us with a new research project to work on."
  
  All thoughts of Colress was shoved aside for the moment, "Wait, what? Joseph Stone? What did he want? And are you even allowed to talk about it with me? I'm not even a Professor - or a scientist, for that matter."
  
  I knew that Devon Corp had its own very well-funded R department, so unless the research topic was extraordinarily nebulous, then he should be able to do the research internally without needing to reach out like this. I tried to dig through my memories to think of what Joseph could be trying to research that required him to reach out like this, to no avail.
  
  Fortunately, Blaine had the answers for me, "Joseph already said that it was fine to talk about with anyone that we trusted. We all have own assistants and whatnot, so as long as you don't go babbling this out to the wider world then we should be fine." And he knew I obviously wouldn't do that, "And the project that he's asked us to help with are with these strange evolution stones that he found. He explained to us that the stones, unlike normal evolution stones, are linked with one specific Pokémon. So far, he's found a couple - ones that he's called a Pidgeotite, Cameruptite, Manectite, Heracronite, and a Metagrossite. But despite having found this connection, he hasn't found a way of activating them - hence why he's reached out to us for help."
  
  ...I barely heard the last part of his explanation as my brain was already going haywire as soon as I heard the word 'Pidgeotite'. I obviously knew what these were - they were the Mega Stones.
  
  However, that didn't change the fact that I was extremely confused and shocked to hear about them. I never expected to hear about Mega Stones right now - I thought that they would only show up when we ended up finding Kalos as a region, since Mega Stones and Mega Evolutions were far more prevalent there (and likely originated there).
  
  So I had absolutely no idea that Joseph had been doing research on them already. What sparked this?
  
  Still, from what Blaine told me about how they were stuck with finding a way of 'activating' the Mega Stone, I assumed that they would having trouble figuring out the Key Stone, which was what was needed for these Mega Stones to activate.
  
  But therein lied the problem; I had absolutely no idea about where to source or how to create a Key Stone. From what I remembered, a Key Stone was likely created by making use of the power of Xerneas and Yveltal - neither of which we had access to right now. It's why I hadn't bothered trying look for Mega Stones in the past, since I knew that they would be nothing more than fancy baubles if I couldn't activate them. Not that I remembered where they were either.
  
  However, not all hope was lost. I knew that in the remake of the generation 3 games that Devon Corp would have access to the Key Stone as Steven is the one who gives the player the Mega Bracelet. While I fully understood that this was most likely a case of the game just handing the player an item to let you make use of a cool new mechanic, it gave me a little bit of hope that this might mean that there was an alternate method of sourcing or creating these Key Stones.
  
  Furthermore, if there were any group of Professors that I believed could identify an alternative activation method, then it was these people. However, this did mean that I had no idea on how to help them, as my metaknowledge was completely useless here.
  
  And I said as much to Blaine, expressing my interest in the project but telling him that I had no idea how I would even be able to contribute.
  
  "That's hardly a problem." He insisted, "I'm sure that there will be many other people that are informed that will likely be unable to contribute anything at all as well. But knowing you, I wanted to bring you in the loop so that you could offer up any ideas or resources that you might come across. It's just like what you used to do when we worked together on those Evolution Items."
  
  I accepted that and thanked him for informing me in the first place, while also promising to do my best. I also asked if Shelly was onboard, to which Blaine said she was.
  
  "...I'm really glad to be working on something like this, you know?" Blaine told me, "As soon as I realised the implications of what Joseph was telling us, I already knew that this was going to be the next big scientific thing that gets revealed. It's going to be on par with the Fairy type reveal, I tell you. Finding out that certain Pokémon will have an additional evolution? That's going to be a paradigm shift for both the scientific and battling communities. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it'll change everything."
  
  I couldn't agree more. I was fully aware of how big of a deal Mega Evolution was for the battling scene. Once trainers were able to use Mega Evolutions in fights, then they would have a supremely powerful Ace Pokémon that could win a battle possibly all by itself. While I wasn't sure just how much stronger a Pokémon would become when it Mega Evolved, I knew that the boost in strength was going to be very, very noticeable.
  
  And sure, a part of me acknowledged that with Tyrant unable to Mega Evolve, it meant that there will be more Pokémon that are able to close the gap in strength between themselves and my starter.
  
  But instead of being upset about this, I was actually pretty glad about it.
  
  For one, it'll give Tyrant even more motivation to grow stronger, as what use was all that strength when there was no one to compete against? Having the extra competition would be good for not only him, but also for the rest of my team. So while they never slacked off on their training, it was always better to have a visual goal to train towards.
  
  Therefore, if Mega Evolution really became a thing, then I was sure that my team would want to prove that they were strong enough to not only match up against a Mega Evolved Pokémon, but surpass them as well.
  
  Tyrant especially would see it as a challenge, not a threat.
  
  On the other hand, I also realised that having Mega Evolutions would only widen the gap between 'powerful' trainers and 'regular' trainers, especially given how rare the Mega Stones were.
  
  For example, as of right now there was technically no reason why any regular trainer couldn't train up their own Gible to become as strong as Cynthia's Garchomp. Admittedly, it would take an enormous amount of effort, skill, and time, but it was technically feasible. However, assuming Mega Stones weren't reproducible (which they could be), then there was physically no way your Garchomp could ever be as strong as a Mega Garchomp unless you owned the Mega Stone.
  
  You could always make up for that in skill or in other ways. But if both Garchomp were exactly equal in strength and skill, then the person who owned the Mega Stone was going to win. And that might not be seen as 'fair'.
  
  That was definitely going to have societal implications, as the topic of ownership of the Mega Stones was undoubtedly going to cause problems, but I left that headache for later. I also didn't bring up any of that to Blaine, simply because this was far too much in the future. Though I made a mental note to bring up these potential problems if we ever got to the stage where we were about to announce Mega Evolutions to the world.
  
  So instead, I just said something encouraging in response, "It'll be good for you. This is going to be your first project as a Professor, right? Or at least your first major one?"
  
  "Hmm, yeah it would be." He nodded, "I have a few minor things that I might be publishing soon, mostly to do with other alternate forms that I might find, but that's about it. I've already put a few things on the backburner in preparation so that I can devote my full attention to this. And I'm very excited to be working on a project like this with Sam and the others. It's a great honour."
  
  Yes, it was. And I couldn't wait to see what would come from this.
  
  In fact, the talk of Mega Stones made me realise that I wanted the Pidgeotite for myself. Zephyr was one of the only Pokémon on my team who was eligible to Mega Evolve (the other being Sona, my Audino), and I felt that it really deserved to.
  
  For a while now, Zephyr had been struggling to keep up with the rest of my team's growing strength. Despite all of the effort he put into training, the fact that he was a Pidgeot meant that his potential was harshly limited by his poor base stats. I had been trying to remedy this problem by moving him to a more supportive role and by training up his support moves, but that was just a makeshift solution.
  
  Yet with his Mega Evolution, it would be a completely different story. All of a sudden his strength would skyrocket to match that of my bruisers - or even some cases surpass them. He would become an incredibly powerful Special Attacker with the Speed to match; becoming a more mobile version of what I had trained up Pixel to be.
  
  He might actually become the greatest Special Attacker on my team.
  
  Which is why I wanted the Pidgeotite in my own hands. Right now, it was still owned by Joseph Stone. But now that I knew about the Mega Stones thanks to Blaine, I saw no reason why I couldn't start negotiating for it.
  
  Though instead of speaking to Joseph directly, I felt that it was better to talk with Steven first - given our better working relationship. So I ended up calling him, hoping that he wasn't too busy.
  
  He wasn't, and he quickly picked up, "Hello John, I didn't expect a call from you. Is there something the matter?"
  
  I decided to skip right to the point, "I got read in on the new evolution stone project thanks to Blaine. I heard you had a Pidgeotite, and I want it. What do you want in exchange for it?"
  
  He let out a chuckle, probably at my blatant interest, "You know I can't just give it to you right now. We still need it for research."
  
  "Yes, but I want it in my own two hands after we figured out all of its secrets." I said, "So, name your price."
  
  "And what if I decided that I don't want it to be sold?" He asked probingly.
  
  "You couldn't keep all of these special stones in your possession anyways." I immediately countered, "Not if Blaine and I are right about how much of a game changer this would be. The public wouldn't stand for Devon Corp hoarding all this power for themselves, not when these stones are going to be as impactful as we suspect them to be. If you do try to hoard it, the PR hit would be very difficult for you to deal with. Therefore, it'd be better to sell off the stones to avoid such backlash."
  
  "...You really thought this through, haven't you? Even I haven't been thinking about the implications of these special stones yet, but I can see that you're right." He allowed, "I suppose it wouldn't be a great look if Devon Corp hoarded all of these stones, even if it is within our rights to do so. Still, that doesn't mean I'll just hand it over just like that. What will you offer me in exchange?"
  
  Now this was the issue. How do you value a unique evolution item like this? Technically, it was priceless, and I was certain that the business-savvy Steven Stone knew this too. Furthermore, it wasn't like I had anything to offer him financially - the man was far richer than I was.
  
  He also didn't need my political connections - the man was Champion and heir to Devon Corp besides. He could make all those himself. And he definitely didn't need any Pokémon, as he was already satisfied with his current team and could always find new members by himself.
  
  However, by the same token, no one else could offer him anything either. Given that, I figured that there was only one real thing that I could offer that might catch his interest.
  
  "How about I owe you a favour then; one that you could call in at any time." I said, "I know it might sound ridiculous to offer something as vague as a favour for something as priceless as one of those stones, but I recognise that this is the best I can offer. And just to be clear, that favour is for anything, except for any request that will directly jeopardize the position or bring harm to myself or my loved ones. In that case, we can discuss for alternate ways for me to fulfil your request."
  
  He let out a chuckle, "You seem quite certain that you'll be able to have something that I will ask for in the future."
  
  "Given my track record, I'd like to think I'm not just blowing out hot air." I replied shamelessly, "And I think you know that I honour my word. I give you my solemn promise that I won't back out of the favour right after I receive the Pidgeotite."
  
  He nodded, "That I believe. Your reputation has always been untarnished by scandal."
  
  His head tilted slightly as he fell into thought, "Hmm... how about this. Since I will not be able to hand over the Pidgeotite for the time being anyways, I will make you a verbal promise that I will not give or promise the Pidgeotite to anyone else until after all of this research is over. Considering how nebulous this project has proven to be, it means it could take months or even years to complete - and a lot of things could change in that time. Therefore, we can have this conversation again once we've properly identified just what the Pidgeotite does and what these stones actually are. Does that sound reasonable?"
  
  "That sounds very fair. I agree." I nodded, accepting that this was already a very good deal for me, "Thank you for hearing me out like this."
  
  "No need to worry about it; I would do the same in your shoes too." He waved me off, "In fact, once rumours of this project begins to spread around, I suspect I'll be having similar conversations with many other people. I'm sure there'll be many other trainers out there looking to get their hands on these stones, much like you did."
  
  "You really lucked out by being the first ones to find these stones." I said.
  
  "We were." He agreed, "But I suspect that we won't be the only ones to have found or possess one of these stones. There will undoubtedly be people in the future that manage to get their hands on one of these, even if by accident. Maybe even you'd find one some day."
  
  "Maybe." I chuckled, "I hope to get that lucky."
  
  If I did find one, and it was a Mega Stone that I couldn't use, then it was very likely that I would try to sell it. Not for money, but for another usable Mega Stone - either for myself or my family.
  
  A Mega Audino would be pretty nice to have too.
  
  Nevertheless, with all those discussions with Blaine and Steven wrapped up regarding the Mega Stones, I decided that I had distracted myself enough and that it was time to focus back on the Tournament. The preliminary stage was coming to an end, with only a few more battles to go.
  
  The battle against Drayden had been a slight wake-up call. Not because I was lazy with either my own preparations or the training of my Pokémon, but with the strategies that I employed.
  
  I was getting a little too used with being able to brute force through my opponent's Pokémon. That wasn't inherently a bad thing, since most of my team specialised and were very good at that style of fighting, but there were occasionally safer ways to achieve victory.
  
  I needed to utilise those strategies more if I wanted to maintain my unblemished record of strength. Considering my large political ambitions, having that would be extremely beneficial for me.
  
  However, just when I was about to call up Elesa and ask if she wanted to get in a late evening training session done, my phone buzzed as I received an important message from Looker.
  
  'PLASMA intends to make a public challenge against regions' leadership. Will fight your 'captured' Pokémon with 'free' Pokémon of their own. Intends to humiliate you with Pokémon that have been buffed up or drugged in advance to give them advantage.'
  
  I frowned as I finished reading through the message, which had also been sent to other relevant people and law enforcement officers. It seems like Zinzolin was trying to earn back a lot of the public support that he had lost after I messed things up for them.
  
  I could somewhat understand the logic of their plan. If they managed to defeat a Gym Leader's or even an Elite Four's Pokémon with their own 'freed' Pokémon, that'll give legitimacy to their message and show the world why it is better for us to rely on freed Pokémon. Though in reality, it'd be nothing more than another one of their lies, especially since they seemed to be cheating to win.
  
  Cheating was normally very difficult to pull off in an official battle, namely because of all the pre-battle checks you and your Pokémon had to go through. However, in an 'unofficial' battle hosted in a non-League setting, cheating would be much easier to pull off as those checks didn't exist.
  
  The thing was about cheating - it didn't guarantee that you won. Even though the potency of artificial stimulants could be incredibly powerful, and could skyrocket a Pokémon's stats, it wasn't a foolproof way of winning.
  
  And thanks to Looker informing us about their plan in advance - we could come up with ways of flipping the script on them.
  
  If Zinzolin was looking to humiliate us - then he was in for a very unpleasant surprise.
  
  A.N. Lots of talking about the Mega Stones, but I felt that this chapter was finally a good time to start going in-depth about them. I tried to think about all of the 'realistic' consequences that would crop up as a result of this discovery and the worldbuilding implications as a result, and I hope you enjoyed the discussions regarding the Pidgeotite. I felt that it was about time it was discussed.
  
  Also, PLASMA is making a move again. But thanks to Looker, no one is going to be taken by surprise this time. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-6 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 16-6 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [The World Tournament's preliminary stage is over! Who moved on to the next round, and who were eliminated? Did your favourite teams make it through?] By Battlecast
  
  [A gallery of images all portraying the teams and their fighting. Some look happy, others are upset or disappointed]
  
  For those of you living under a rock and/or somehow didn't have your eyes glued to the screen for the Pokémon World Tournament - the preliminary stage is finally over, paving the way for the elimination stage to begin! And we've already got so much to talk about!
  
  First of all, as in any competition, there are always going to be winners and losers. For those who missed the battles, here is a summary of the win/loss records of all the participants in the preliminary stage:
  
  [Graphic showing the win and loss records for all the participants, organised so that the ones with the cleanest record are shown at the top, while those eliminated are placed at the bottom]
  
  As you can see, there were six teams that managed to achieve a perfect 3-0 record. However, an interesting observation to note is that amongst these teams, all but one had at least one member from Unova - with that exception being Tate/Lisa and Lorelei. Does this potentially mean that our compatriots from Unova are a step above our own Gym Leaders and Elite Four? Or do you think this is nothing more than a lucky coincidence due to their assigned pairings?
  
  On the other hand, we must also unfortunately say goodbye to the teams that didn't manage to achieve their 3 wins. To what should be little surprise, all those teams that were eliminated consisted solely of double Gym Leader pairings. Perhaps this is proof that having a stronger/weaker partner pairing is better than having two partners at an equal strength level...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  LET'S GO JOHN! NO SURPRISES THERE WITH THE 3-0! THIS TOURNAMENT IS HIS TO WIN!
  
  ElesaFan
  
  WOOOOOO! YOU'RE DOING SO WELL ELESA! KEEP IT UP!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Man, anyone else disappointed with Clair's performance? To think that someone who is supposed to serve as the 8th Gym Leader of Johto is out just like that. And it wasn't like it was a narrow loss either - her fights with Maylene were so lacklustre compared to the rest of the competition. It was like they weren't even trying to win.
  
  Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh, but I feel like someone in Clair's position and strength should have done a lot better than that.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  No, that's actually exactly how I'm feeling now as well. People on the Pokénet have always said that Clair deserves to be in the Elite Four from her strength alone, and that the only reason she isn't in the Elite Four already is because Lance is Champion. I used to agree with such sentiments, but after this Tournament I'm starting to see the cracks in Clair's strength.
  
  Specifically the fact that she is as arrogant and as prideful as you would expect from a Blackthorn - and she doesn't quite have the strength to back it up. In her fights, she clearly refused to fight alongside Maylene and always looked like she wanted to win the fight by herself. Quite frankly, such methods are stupid, and she paid the price for it.
  
  If she doesn't take care of that arrogance, I fear that she'd be considered one of the weaker Gym Leaders in truth.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  So you mean charging forwards with your Gyarados by itself and trying to take on a 2v1 without thinking about your partner at all DOESN'T win you matches?! Who could have known?!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  In fairness, that strategy probably worked if Clair's opponents were your regular ol' trainers. But against people stronger or as strong as her? No way. There's a reason this tournament emphasised teamwork.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Honestly, I feel bad for Maylene. Even though she was so much weaker in the first Tournament, her teamwork with Koga really allowed her to punch above her weight. But now, even as she got so much stronger, Clair's unwillingness to cooperate with her has really crippled her ability to perform.
  
  And now she's out of the tournament already. What a fucking shame.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I agree. Poor Maylene. And I can't believe I'm saying this about Pryce, but to his credit, despite how much he and Roark do not mesh together, they seem to have at least formed some kind of working relationship. They did... reasonably well.
  
  But man, it looks like the two of them absolutely despise each other. I doubt they'd make it too far into the elimination stage because of that.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Did you see the recording of Roark visibly trying to hold himself back from punching Pryce in the face while the man lectured him? And this was after Roark and Pryce had won too. I think it's a miracle that they're even winning battles, considering.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Despite his very unlikable personality, Pryce is a professional. Everyone knows how much Candice hated the man last time too, but they still made it to the Top 3. So I think people are looking down on Pryce too much. His interpersonal relationships might be a disaster, but as a trainer, he's certainly formidable.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Is it just me or does anyone else think that all four Leagues are wiping the sweat from their brows to see that at least all of their Elite Four made it through the preliminary stage? It would have been embarrassing if one of them had been knocked out already.
  
  The Sinnoh Elite Four not making it very far last time was pretty disappointing to see.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think the addition of the preliminary rounds really helped with that. It's easy to slip up and make a mistake that will lose you the fight. But it's harder to do so three times in a row. So those who had trained up well and were well-prepared were more likely to make it through to the elimination stage than those who didn't. In other words, 'luck' was less of a factor here.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Was there REALLY not a single Dragon specialist outside of some weak young girl who managed to win 3-0?! Are you FUCKING kidding me?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE IDIOTS DOING!?
  
  PunchingBag
  
  THIS IS WHY FIGHTING TYPES ARE THE BEST TYPES. LET'S GO MARSHAL! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE BUT YOU MUST BE A SMART GUY IF YOU'RE A FIGHTING SPECIALIST! GO SHOW THESE LOSERS WHAT'S UP!
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  Oh who cares about the others?! Karen and Iris are unstoppable! Trust me - they're going to be the ultimate victors! She's not just some 'weak young girl'!
  
  Amoogus
  
  Nah, my money's on Crasher Wake and Marshal. Did you see how those two swept through the preliminary stages? They didn't break a sweat in any of those fights.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Well that's because they were matched up against 'easier' opponents. Not to diminish their achievement, but Clair and Maylene were one of their opponents, and we all know how disastrous that pairing turned out to be.
  
  In the meanwhile, you have other pairs like John and Elesa who were matched up against three Elite Four pairs back-to-back-to-back. It's not the same.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Eh. The randomness is part of the fun. Not every battle has to be fair.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  So glad that Unova has been doing so well in this Tournament! Shows that we aren't any weaker than you lot. In fact, it's quite the opposite! Unova is always going to be number one in the world! You'll see!
  
  [PLASMA MAKES A CHALLENGE TO OUR LEADERS! THEY WANT TO PROVE THAT THEIR MESSAGE IS RIGHT!] by Sinnoh News
  
  [Picture of Zinzolin making his declaration]
  
  It seems like PLASMA's back at it again! Even after being publicly lambasted by an Elite Four last time, it looks like they aren't giving up just yet. This time, they seem to be taking things one step further than just making speeches and are really looking like they're going all-out to try to prove the validity of their message.
  
  They have made a direct challenge to any of the Elite Four or Gym Leaders from all regions, stating that they fully intend to show off the strength and potential of 'truly freed' Pokémon and how much capable they are compared to their 'trapped' counterparts.
  
  As Zinzolin, one of the leaders of PLASMA, puts it:
  
  "One of the main arguments that those in favour of such barbaric practices like to use is the claim that all Pokémon want to become stronger, and that they willingly shackle themselves to a trainer in order to 'unlock their true potential'. However, we here at PLASMA have always stated that such statements were malicious falsehoods - and now we have the opportunity to show the whole world just why that is. Therefore, we will be waiting with open arms to challenge any one of your Gym Leaders or Elite Four, to prove that you don't need to trap Pokémon in Pokéballs for you them to be able to become strong. We will show the world that our very own Pokémon, the ones that are free and truly happy, are able to overpower and defeat your so-called 'strongest' Pokémon."
  
  Those were some very combative words from one of PLASMA's leaders. And while the Gym Leaders and Elite Four have yet to make an official response, we doubt they would allow such a blatant provocation to go unanswered.
  
  What do you guys think of PLASMA? Do you think that this challenge from them is a desperate, last-ditch attempt to salvage a bit of their lost reputation? Or do you think that they legitimately have a chance of winning these fights? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  Amoogus
  
  Not more of this PLASMA nonsense again... I thought they were done after that Elite Four humiliated them in public. Why are they still trying to convert people to their delusions when everyone knows that all they've been spouting are lies?!
  
  ElesaFan
  
  No... I think they have a point. Besides, they wouldn't have made such a challenge if they weren't confident they could win. We've never seen their Pokémon in a proper fight before, and they must have something up their sleeve. I mean, it kind of makes sense, no? Happy Pokémon train harder, and therefore get stronger. Everyone knows this, so I think PLASMA might be onto something.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  I ALWAYS KNEW THAT THE POKÉBALLS WERE A SECRET CONSPIRACY! PLASMA IS DOING THE RIGHT THING EXPOSING THESE LIES TO THE WORLD!
  
  WAKE UP PEOPLE! THE LEAGUE IS GETTING YOU TO USE POKÉBALLS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO CONTROL YOU! THEY MUST BE ABLE TO SECRETLY MAKE YOUR POKÉMON WEAKER/STRONGER WITHIN THOSE BALLS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTROL THE OUTCOME OF A FIGHT! FREE YOUR POKÉMON NOW!
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  PLASMA are as delusional as always if they think they can win with Pokémon that they've just plucked out of the wild like that.
  
  Speaking of delusional, this guy right here.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  Come on Lorelei, this is the perfect opportunity for you! If your stupid colleagues aren't going to step up to the plate, then you should bravely do so in their place! Stomp these idiots and show the world why you're the best!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I'm torn about this declaration. On one hand, I genuinely think that PLASMA have no chance of winning this. But on the other, I don't think they'd be stupid enough to call the League out like this if they didn't think they would at least put on a good showing. It would be utter stupidity otherwise.
  
  I'm going to be looking at this battle with keen interest. Who knows? If PLASMA gives off a good showing, then perhaps there's something to their words after all.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Yeah, agreed. Right now, despite the grand claims that they've made, PLASMA have not actually done anything but spout words. But if they win or put on a good showing in the upcoming battle, then they're finally able to back up their words with definitive evidence.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  Funniest joke I've seen all year.
  
  A.N. Just a short Pokénet Interlude for now as we wrap up the preliminary stage and get ready for the next stage of the Tournament. As you can see with the PLASMA bit, not everyone's so keen on PLASMA's chances. And John's previous humiliation of them has definitely had an effect on the public perception of them. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-7 - Exposed
  
  Looker's plan of personally infiltrating PLASMA's ranks was turning out to be a better decision for each day that passed.
  
  The very fact that we knew exactly what PLASMA planned to do with their challenge meant that the League had ample time to come up with a proper response. We knew that they were going to be cheating, and this was an excellent opportunity to expose that fact to the public.
  
  Cheating in an official Pokémon battle was an incredibly serious crime. But even with unofficial Pokémon battles, cheating was a huge social faux pas. Pokémon battling was one of the major pillars of our culture and tradition, so anything that aimed to tarnish the sanctity of a honest battle was extremely frowned upon.
  
  Therefore, if you were ever caught cheating in an official battle, not only were you immediately stripped of your trainer license and any achievements or badges that you had previously acquired, but you may even face jail time. So while PLASMA's challenge to us technically wasn't an 'official' challenge, as only League-sanctioned battles could be classified as that, if their cheating was exposed then their reputation would be sunk like an anchor.
  
  That was how much people treasured the art of battling.
  
  Furthermore, now that the League understood that PLASMA were willing to exploit underhanded tactics to try to get their way, it cleared out all of their doubts. At first, since the suspicions laid upon on PLASMA only really came from Drake and I, not everyone was completely convinced of their guilt. Now? It was completely different.
  
  Simply because if they were willing to cheat in a battle like this, then what other nefarious schemes could or have they already cooked up?
  
  This meant that there would be a lot more eyes on PLASMA in the future. Not only that, it would also make it easier for me to persuade them to take more drastic actions against PLASMA, should they become necessary.
  
  Therefore, with the challenge date set for the afternoon of the next day, a few select members of the League, including myself and a few of the Unovans, worked through the night as we discussed the best way we would approach it - we wanted to maximize the amount of reputational damage we could do. We also issued orders to the other Gym Leaders and Elite Four to not engage PLASMA independently until a decision had been made.
  
  We also made certain that any information didn't leak back to PLASMA, so that they would have no idea that we were already informed about their cheating.
  
  We didn't even let Looker in on it, just in case his cover was blown between now and tomorrow. Though he knew that we received his message.
  
  In the end, it was decided that the trainers 'tasked' with accepting the challenge would be Drake and I, though we practically volunteered for the position. It really could be no one else other than us, given our already-established reputations for rooting out criminals - our participation would be a subtle message to anyone who paid attention.
  
  It also helped that we were two of the strongest non-Champion trainers out there.
  
  But more importantly than that, we just wanted to be the ones to stomp Zinzolin, and whoever else he sent out, into the ground.
  
  The final thing we discussed is how they would be cheating. We obviously knew that they would try to buff up their Pokémon before the battle, likely using the X items, but what we were more concerned about is if they were making use of any other artificial enhancers that we didn't anticipate.
  
  I actually learnt a lot about artificial Pokémon enhancers during these meetings; it was far more complicated than I had first thought. X items were merely the tip of the iceberg - as those were mostly used by scientists under strict lab conditions - there were many more potent variants out there.
  
  For example, unlike an X item which could only mimic a particular stat increase, certain artificial enhancers could push a Pokémon far over its own natural limits, skyrocketing their offensive or defensive power to dangerous levels. So much so that it could even cause their attacks to become uncontrollable and potentially do a lot of collateral damage, or for their pain receptors to be unnaturally muted.
  
  Worse, these enhancers couldn't be so easily purged out of the system. It wasn't as simple as using a move like Clear Smog to reset their stats. If a Pokémon was subjected to one of the more potent enhancers, it'd take a prolonged trip to the Pokémon Centre to purge out all of the harmful substance.
  
  There was a reason that these kinds of enhancements were strictly prohibited by all of the Leagues. Fortunately, production of the more potent enhancements was difficult and costly, which is why it was only rarely seen, even by criminal groups.
  
  However, since we didn't have any way of knowing what kind of enhancement items PLASMA would be using, and how potentially dangerous their effects were, we instead just organised for plain-clothed members of the Sinnoh Police to hang around the area in case of an emergency. Especially since there was every likelihood that this battle might quickly spiral out of control.
  
  Therefore, as the sun began to rise and with all of the planning out of the way, all that was left to do was to expose PLASMA to the public.
  
  The battle was going to take place on the outskirts of the Fight Area, in a relatively remote area that PLASMA had picked out beforehand. It seemed like they had rented out one of the public arenas to make use of for this battle. We already had our Psychic Pokémon scan the area to see if they had set up any kind of traps or the like, but they weren't able to find anything. So it seemed like their schemes only extended to the battle itself.
  
  Drake and I had decided to arrive together, and once we did we saw that a huge crowd of spectators had already gathered in preparation for the upcoming battle. I suspected that most were here to see PLASMA lose, but there were a few that must have come because they genuinely believed that PLASMA might have a point.
  
  Well, I'd make sure that would change once Drake and I were done with them.
  
  "Are you sure about not using our strongest Pokémon here?" I quietly asked Drake as we landed, "We could always change the plan."
  
  "Yes, I'm sure." Drake replied firmly, "Using our strongest Pokémon would give them an excuse if they lose. Those fucks would whine about how they only lost because we sent out our strongest Pokémon to fight against them. Or they might try to tell the public that they 'did well' even when fighting against our strongest. It's all a lot of fucking nonsense, but there'll always be some who believe it."
  
  He shook his head, "No. Our victory must be fucking perfect. We will show the world that no matter how much they try to cheat in order to win - that none of that matters against us." A savage grin began to appear on his face, "We will thrash them and expose their lies for all to see. We will make sure that PLASMA never dares to set foot on our shores again. That is the only acceptable outcome from today's battle."
  
  I matched his grin - his sentiments matched mine exactly.
  
  We were quickly escorted into the waiting area amidst the cheers of the crowd, most of whom were rooting for our victory.
  
  The battle had yet to start, so I was expecting for us to sit there in silence until the battle begun. However, to my slight surprise, Zinzolin approached the two of us while we waited.
  
  "I am surprised that the League sent out the two of you to respond to our challenge." Zinzolin said to us, "Do they treat us that seriously? Or are they just afraid that our message might be the truth, and are doing everything they can to stop it from spreading? You know that the truth cannot be hidden forever. PLASMA will do all we can to make sure it spreads, no matter your futile efforts."
  
  He must have intended to rile us up, but instead of getting angry, Drake just barked out with laughter, "You really think that the League is so free that it can dedicate time to even thinking about PLASMA? No, you're too small to even register for them. Don't delude yourself with your own sense of importance."
  
  Zinzolin's face remained calm, but I could tell by the clenching of his hands that Drake's words got to him, "Oh? If that's the case, then why have you two come here? Did your masters bark at you, and you followed their orders like the loyal Herdier that you are?"
  
  "No." I replied firmly, "We're here because you disgust me. Because I know everything that PLASMA says about Pokémon is a lie." I met Zinzolin's eyes with my own, "IF your organisation was truly looking out for a Pokémon's happiness, then Drake and I would have left you well enough alone. It would be a respectable goal, if anything. However, let us do away with the pretence - we all know you're lying. And the very fact that your goals have always been to rip our Pokémon away from us is where I draw the line."
  
  "I know why you've hosted this event. You're trying to earn back some of the reputation that you lost after I exposed the truth of PLASMA to the public. You're trying to trick the public into thinking that you might be in the right." My frown hardened, "I will not let that happen."
  
  I was fully aware that there were very likely hidden cameras that they had set up in the room, recording our every word and conversation. If we had said anything too insulting or mocking, PLASMA probably would have published it to make us look bad.
  
  But that's why I wanted to make my stance towards PLASMA crystal clear. I wouldn't try to hide a knife behind a false smile. They would see that I loathed their very existence. That they disgusted me.
  
  And after today, this footage would be unusable for them. Because all it would do was prove me right.
  
  Seeing that he wasn't going to able to provoke the either of us, Zinzolin turned around with a scoff and left us on our own. After a few more minutes of relative silence, we finally received the call to head into the arena.
  
  The fight was about to begin.
  
  Zinzolin stood opposite us, this time with a genial smile on his face as he greeted us politely, as if to pretend that our earlier conversation didn't happen at all.
  
  "Ah, Elite John and Elite Drake - it's so nice for the two of you to join us." He said gently, lying through his teeth, "Are you both the only trainers that the League will be sending out against us?"
  
  Instead of responding to that, a puzzled look appeared on Drake's face, "Are you sure you're doing okay over there Zinzolin? Why are you speaking like we didn't just talk literally three minutes ago? Maybe you should get yourself checked out."
  
  I held back a chuckle as I watched Zinzolin grit his teeth in frustration.
  
  "...So you would not even return my polite greeting." He growled, "Fine, have it your way - we'll get straight to the battle. I propose that we do a 2v2. With both of you sending out one Pokémon and me sending out two-"
  
  "Wait, 'sending out'? I thought the Pokémon you intended to use in this battle were supposed to be 'freed'." I pointed out smugly, gesturing with air quotes for the word 'freed', "After all, isn't the whole point of this battle supposed to be for you to prove that your so-called 'freed' Pokémon are stronger than our trained ones? So how do we know that the Pokémon you intend to use are 'freed' and not trained?"
  
  I didn't initially intend to join in on Drake's mocking, but I couldn't help myself. Still, it was working, as Zinzolin only grew even more furious at the disrespect we were showing him, and more and more cracks appeared in his genial façade.
  
  "Do not worry. Even if you don't trust my word on it-"
  
  "And I don't." I interrupted.
  
  "-We will be releasing evidence after our victory to show that the Pokémon that stand by our side today are doing so of their own free will." He forcefully continued, "They have volunteered to battle against you today because they want to. Because they believe that more Pokémon should be able to receive the happiness that they have achieved."
  
  "Or so you claim." Drake returned, "But I think that's enough chit chat. Are we going to get into the battle or not? We agree with your rules. So can we finally fight already? I'm getting bored."
  
  Zinzolin smiled, though he did not know that would be the last time he did so, "Then let us make sure our guests are thoroughly entertained. Referee, start the battle!"
  
  The referee moved to do so, and after a short countdown, all of us released our Pokémon.
  
  "Come out! Hydreigon! Cryogonal! Show the world the strength of your conviction!"
  
  "Go! Ornstein!" "Crush them, Flygon!"
  
  As Zinzolin didn't make use of Pokéballs, his Hydreigon and Cryogonal came out from the waiting area, where they had been kept before the battle.
  
  But as both of Zinzolin's Pokémon made their way into the field, I could immediately tell that they were absolutely bursting with unnatural power.
  
  A layman might not be able to see it, but to veteran trainers like Drake and I it was abundantly clear that the two Pokémon had been artificially boosted beforehand, whether that be by just natural set up moves or something more nefarious.
  
  However, I didn't get to dwell on that fact for much longer as the Cryogonal fired off an enormous Ice beam in our direction.
  
  It was by far the most powerful Ice Beam that I had ever seen, even managing to surpass those fired off by the likes of Lorelei and Pryce. It shot forwards like a humongous spear of pure frost that threatened to freeze and impale all in their path.
  
  But Ornstein managed to dive in front of Flygon and take the hit for it with a well-timed Obstruct, giving Flygon the space to retaliate with a powerful Stone Edge of its own. An explosion of sharpened rocks erupted out from the ground and impaled the Cryogonal, who made no move to even try to dodge or defend against the attack.
  
  It didn't even flinch, almost like the supereffective attack didn't even register in its mind.
  
  Furthermore, that left Hydreigon unattended, and I had half-expected for it to start wildly firing off a whole artillery's worth of Special Attacks at our Pokémon - just like what most Hydreigon would do. Instead, all three heads let out a manic roar to the skies before it charged at our Pokémon, rushing them down with an enraged Frustration.
  
  "COUNTER, ORNSTEIN!"
  
  Reacting on a dime, Ornstein pivoted on the spot and dashed forwards to meet his foe. He ducked under another Ice Beam and spun his body out of the way, angling himself so that Hydreigon's Frustration was only able to land a glancing blow.
  
  And then he Countered it.
  
  With all of the unnatural boosts that Hydreigon had, Ornstein's fist was literally bursting with orange light from all of that accumulated power, and he returned all of that false power in a single devastating strike.
  
  Hydreigon was launched into the air from the impact - with the resulting shockwaves even managing to cause the psychic shields to flicker and crack as they struggled to absorb the blow.
  
  And the beating wasn't over yet as Drake's Flygon dodged out of another Ice Beam and flew after the Dark type before it slammed it back down into the ground with a hammering blow of its massive Dragon Tail.
  
  Which caused Hydreigon to land right into the waiting arms of Ornstein, who managed to catch the Dark type with a well-placed, critical Cross Chop to the throat.
  
  Hydreigon crumbled to the ground... right until another Earth Power exploded out from under it and launched it right back into the air again.
  
  Hydreigon was literally being juggled. And it was all possible because Drake and I had quickly realised that neither it nor Cryogonal were not anywhere near to our level of training, likely as a result of whatever twisted training regime that PLASMA had made use of.
  
  The two Pokémon that we were faced with were quite literally all power and no skill.
  
  However, despite all of the damage that we had inflicted to it, Hydreigon didn't let out a single cry of pain. Its eyes remained glassed over, and I was pretty sure it barely understood what was even happening. Much like with Cryogonal, the damage wasn't even registering in its mind.
  
  This level of 'endurance' and 'strength' was likely far beyond what you could achieve naturally with buffing moves or X Items. These were some seriously potent and dangerous enhancers that they were on.
  
  Because of this, Hydreigon picked itself off the ground with no issue. All the while, Cryogonal had swapped away from Ice Beams and now was trying to envelop the entire battlefield in a massive, overpowered Blizzard that threatened to freeze everything over.
  
  Flygon would not survive the attack if that happened, so without needing to communicate, we both knew we had to target it down first.
  
  "Helping Hand, Ornstein!"
  
  "Iron Tail, Flygon. Take it down!"
  
  Boosted by Helping Hand, Flygon rushed down Cryogonal and brutally smashed into it with its strongest Iron Tail possible. The impact caused Cryogonal to be literally buried into the ground, and also managed to interrupt its Blizzard before it could form.
  
  Unfortunately, that left Flygon unguarded from Hydreigon, who got its revenge as it charged it down with a very strong Dragon Rush.
  
  Flygon was sent crashing into the side of the arena, letting out a cry of pain as it did so. The unnatural enhancements had skyrocketed Hydreigon's Attack to absurd levels, which almost allowed it to knock Flygon out of the fight with a single hit.
  
  That was how insane the potency of its stimulants were. Something like this would usually be unthinkable for a Pokémon as untrained as this.
  
  But even as hurt as it was, this was Drake's Flygon. It wouldn't go down just like that.
  
  "Outrage, Flygon! Don't let these fucks bring you down!"
  
  Forcing itself up, Flygon roared and exploded with draconic power; a blue aura flaring to life around it. Similarly, before Hydreigon could rush it down again, Ornstein ignited himself to active Guts and delivered a full-powered, point-blank Close Combat right into its unguarded back.
  
  Then, just as another powerful Ice Beam from Cryogonal was about to strike him, he swiftly dodged out of the way with a Quick Attack - making the Ice Beam hit Hydreigon in the back, causing the Dark type to be speared through by a large lance of ice.
  
  Cryogonal probably didn't even care that it had just hit its own partner.
  
  Ironically, this was when the tide of battle began to change, because the unnaturally powerful Ice Beam actually temporarily froze Hydreigon over.
  
  This gave Flygon time not only to rush it down with a hard-hitting Dragon Rush of its own, but also eviscerate it with a furious assault of supereffective Dragon Claws to the face. Meanwhile, Ornstein made sure to keep Cryogonal distracted by pummelling it with Fire Punches, Brick Breaks, and Night Slashes alike.
  
  Cryogonal's raw offensive stats might be higher than I've ever seen before, but due to its lack of training, it didn't know how to deal with Ornstein when he closed the distance like this. All of the Ice Beams had missed and gone wide, and even when Cryogonal tried to get physical and retaliate with a Rapid Spin or Body Slam, it was so clumsy that Ornstein either easily dodged out of the way or parried it with an Obstruct.
  
  The same applied to Hydreigon, who was now slowed down heavily even after it had unfrozen itself, making its attacks sluggish despite all of the unnatural power behind them.
  
  The battle descended into two different separate brawls. With Flygon expertly handling the now-slowed Hydreigon, and Cryogonal getting completely beaten up by Ornstein.
  
  But as the battle ticked on, I began to notice that both Hydreigon and Cryogonal were starting to act more and more erratically. Their attacks were already never precise, but they were starting to become more and more uncontrolled.
  
  For example, Hydreigon had tried to tear into Flygon with a Dragon Claw, only for it to suddenly change its mind and go for a Dragon Tail instead. But all that did was cause Hydreigon to fall over itself as it tried to reverse its own momentum mid-way through the attack, to expected results.
  
  Likewise, Cryogonal's Ice Beams were becoming less accurate, and at some point it was just wildly firing them out without any care about where it hit.
  
  This was a sign that the stimulants were starting to wear off. Or, more likely, whatever extra substance that was included in the enhancers to keep their Pokémon's sanity relatively intact - as there was no way that they could achieve this level of power without some mental damage - was starting to fail.
  
  Zinzolin probably didn't expect the battle to have lasted this long. He probably thought that, with how juiced up his Pokémon were, one or two good hits would have settled the battle in under half a minute.
  
  Yet it didn't. And our Pokémon weren't letting up, with the both of them continuing their vicious assault with no end in sight. It was why Drake and I had specifically chosen to use these two Pokémon, as both his Flygon and my Ornstein were both Pokémon that had a great balance of speed, strength, and stamina.
  
  This was our plan going into this battle. Knowing that we probably couldn't take down our opponents with all of their unnatural enhancements, we were going to put on a show to the public. Our Pokémon would just continually pummel and savage their opponents, demonstrating the sheer cliff in skill between our Pokémon, and make it clearly obvious that there was something very wrong with Zinzolin's Pokémon.
  
  Because there was no way that they should still be in this fight when they were this out-matched in skill.
  
  Their 'enhancements' suddenly running out like this wasn't part of the plan, but we weren't going to complain.
  
  Even better for us, there was nothing Zinzolin could do to stop us. He couldn't even give his Pokémon any orders or 'recall' his Pokémon, as they were supposed to be 'free' from human influence. It would go against the very ideals of PLASMA for him to do so.
  
  Therefore, there was nothing he could do but sit and watch with growing anxiousness as his Pokémon began to fall apart as the enhancers ran their course.
  
  And then suddenly, after probably what was a few more minutes had passed, Hydreigon suddenly spasmed violently and collapsed to the ground. Flygon didn't take any chances and finished it off with one final supereffective Dragon Tail to the face, knocking it out of the fight.
  
  Seconds later, the same happened with Cryogonal and Ornstein knocked it out with a decisive Brick Break.
  
  It was our victory. And the crowd loudly made sure we knew it. Some of them had even begun booing PLASMA, since it was clear that they had done something unnatural to their own Pokémon.
  
  A small twinge of sadness filled me as I took pity on the defeated Pokémon. They did not deserve such a fate, and a big part of me wanted to call for one of the nearby Nurse Joys to deliver them to a Pokémon Centre immediately to get them checked out, but our plan forced me to hold my tongue for a little longer.
  
  Because there was one final thing that had to happen.
  
  And just on cue, a loud and piercing whistle echoed throughout the arena as a Jenny came running out of the waiting area.
  
  "STOP THE BATTLE!" She shouted, "PLASMA IS CHEATING!"
  
  The crowd roared out in outrage. Just as planned.
  
  A.N. As mentioned in chapter, I wanted to do a little bit of worldbuilding into the kinds of artificial enhancements that can be found in the Pokémon world. I wanted there to be more than just the X-Items, and I wanted their effects to be more potent and dangerous than just stat boosts.
  
  Furthermore, I know that this story has frequently shown that speed and skill can be triumphed over using raw power. However, there are always exceptions, and I wanted this battle to show off just why power alone cannot win a fight. Especially when all of that power is used to try to cover up a significant lack of skill.
  
  Both Hydreigon and Cryogonal had their stats buffed up to ludicrous amounts thanks to the artificial stimulants they were given. On paper, they were nigh undefeatable. However, when you strip away an already untrained Pokémon's skill in favour of raw power, then this is the outcome. You get pummelled and demolished.
  
  The next chapter will focus on the consequences of this battle. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-8 - Consequences
  
  (Several minutes earlier...) (Looker POV)
  
  Zinzolin had tried to be subtle about what he had planned to do. He had not told anyone about his decision to drug their own Pokémon in order to give themselves an unfair advantage in the upcoming fight, but Looker wasn't a veteran member of the International Police for nothing.
  
  People always tended to forget that Pokémon were equally as capable of reporting information as any human could be, and therefore tend to be overlooked. Which is why when Zinzolin had sneaked off and drugged the Pokémon's food with whatever nefarious concoction he had brought along with him, Croagunk had caught him in the act and reported back accordingly.
  
  Zinzolin probably didn't even realise that Croagunk was there.
  
  It truly was an act that reeked of both cruelty and hypocrisy. For an organisation that purportedly wanted to bring Pokémon back to their 'natural state' so that they could be 'truly happy', stuffing them full of artificial stimulants was probably as antithetical to that goal as it could get.
  
  Especially since these weren't your standard stimulants either. He was hardly a scientist, and though he didn't know what exactly it was that Zinzolin had just given to their Pokémon, it could not be anything good. But he was willing to bet anything that these were stronger, and more dangerous, than your standard X stimulants.
  
  X stimulants were already pretty unhealthy for Pokémon, though they at least had some medicinal and scientific usage. But most X stimulants that were used to cheat with were produced illegally, which meant that their ingredients couldn't be confirmed. So if X stimulants were already medically harmful, then whatever concoction Zinzolin had just given their Pokémon could only be much, much worse.
  
  It physically hurt that he had to keep silent about this in order to not break his own cover. He was forced to tap into his years of training in order to prevent a disgusted reaction from showing up on his face.
  
  This was one of the worst cases of Pokémon abuse he had ever seen, and he was really struggling to hold himself back from arresting Zinzolin on the spot.
  
  But he couldn't. He needed to maintain his cover. He had to trust the League to do so in his place.
  
  Meanwhile, while all this happening, the other PLASMA members seemed completely unaware of what was going on. Even when the drugged Pokémon took the field and started showcasing a level of firepower that really shouldn't be possible with no training, they didn't seem to be suspicious about it at all.
  
  In fact, many of them were cheering for Zinzolin and was praying for his victory; completely oblivious to Zinzolin's hypocritical actions. It was sad to see just how blinded and indoctrinated they were.
  
  ...But he couldn't deny the slight schadenfreude that he felt when they realised that Zinzolin was beginning to lose.
  
  This was the problem of making use of artificial stimulants to unnaturally boost up your Pokémon's own power. Though he was no expert, he had worked in a few cases relating to Pokémon stimulants and cheating, so he was at least somewhat knowledgeable on the topic.
  
  Therefore, he was able to recognise that the concoction that Zinzolin gave their Pokémon came in two parts. The first part was the massive boost in power that their Pokémon got. Most drugs did so by burning through a Pokémon's own life force in order to power up their attacks. Normally, especially if they gave an incredible boost in power, such drugs would cause a Pokémon to tire out from exhaustion within a few attacks.
  
  However, that was where the second part came in. It served as not only an extremely potent painkiller, but it also contained a type of chemical that forcefully keeps a Pokémon active and fighting. He didn't know the science behind it, but it basically delayed the effects of any buildup of exhaustion for a significant period of time.
  
  This was what allowed Zinzolin's Pokémon to take hit after hit without even flinching, while firing off attacks that would make any Champion proud. Even with all his experience, this was the first time he had seen a chemical concoction this potent to be able to achieve that level of power and endurance.
  
  And yet, even with all that power, they were still unable to bring down their opponents. It was almost ironic, seeing these Pokémon that could fire off attacks as powerful as a Champion's ace be completely outskilled like they were nothing more than a newbie.
  
  He immediately understood what John and Drake's (or rather, the League's) plan was. The two of them likely realised that they weren't going to be able to overpower Zinzolin's Pokémon due to the stimulants they were on, but they didn't need to.
  
  This was a battle that was meant to show to the world the 'prowess' of PLASMA's 'free' Pokémon. It was a battle that was going to be broadcasted to the world. For Zinzolin, this was meant to be a battle that would earn back some of PLASMA's lost reputation by proving the validity of their message and humiliate the League all in one stroke.
  
  But that was definitely not going to happen anymore. Not as time continued to tick by, and it become increasingly obvious that there was something not right with Zinzolin's Pokémon.
  
  John and Drake were going to make it clear that Zinzolin had cheated. And even without a confession from the man himself, it was impossible to hide the telltale sign of a drugged Pokémon - the occasional jittering, the twitching eye movements, and the complete drop in accuracy - all of these would make it obvious, even to a casual spectator, that his Pokémon had been drugged up.
  
  However, as much as he wanted to stay behind and watch the fallout for himself, he knew that he couldn't do so. He still had a role to play.
  
  His time infiltrating PLASMA wasn't over yet.
  
  Therefore, once he made sure that no one was looking at him, he quietly headed back into the waiting room and stripped himself of his PLASMA uniform before changing into a spare outfit that he had Croagunk hide away in advance.
  
  He sent a quick message to the League detailing his plan, before he rushed out of the arena and sprinted all the way back to the makeshift base of operations that PLASMA had been using in Sinnoh.
  
  The reason why? Because he recognised that this was going to be an incredible opportunity for himself to elevate his own position within PLASMA, therefore putting him closer to their leadership. And he knew that in order to do so, he needed achievements - he needed to make a strong impression and be known for something more than just being an over-enthusiastic, but naïve new recruit.
  
  He arrived just outside the PLASMA base after a few minutes of running, but still far enough away that he couldn't be seen. Making sure he looked properly drenched in sweat, he changed back into his PLASMA uniform and waited for the moment in the livestream where the Jenny called out PLASMA for cheating.
  
  The moment she did so, he ran the final stretch and threw open the door to their base.
  
  "GUYS! WE'RE IN HUGE TROUBLE!" He shouted, putting as much desperation and panic into his voice as possible, "THE SINNOH LEAGUE'S JUST ACCUSED US OF CHEATING! CHECK THE LIVESTREAM!"
  
  That got everyone into a frenzy, "WHAT? WHERE'S ZINZOLIN?!"
  
  "HE'S STILL AT THE ARENA!" He replied, making sure he sounded appropriately panicked and confused, "BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. I JUST SAW A SMALL SQUAD OF JENNYS ARRESTING EVERYONE AND I RAN ALL THE WAY BACK HERE BEFORE THEY CAUGHT ME. I THINK THEY'RE COMING AFTER US TOO, SO WE HAVE TO MOVE NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET ARRESTED! QUICK!"
  
  Terrified and frightened, all of the remaining PLAMSA members didn't even bother questioning his words as they scrambled to pack everything up and leave. But knowing that they were out of time, most just decided to just leave as soon as possible and book it for the nearest port to get back to Unova before they were caught by the authorities.
  
  Of course, while all this was happening, none of them saw Looker send another text message on his phone - reporting the entire situation to International Police and what his plans were.
  
  (John POV)
  
  Zinzolin feigned a look of shocked outrage as the Jenny made her accusation, "How dare you slander us like that! On what basis are you making such claims?! Has the League sunk so far that they've resorted to discrediting those that they disagree with?!" His head whirled to mine, "ANSWER ME!"
  
  I had to give the man credit, he put as much indignation into his voice as possible. If I didn't know that they weren't at all innocent, I might have been fooled by the seemingly genuine vitriol in his voice.
  
  Unfortunately for Zinzolin, the Jenny was just as outraged as he was, "YOU DARE LIE?! WHEN IT'S BLATANTLY OBVIOUS THAT YOUR POKÉMON ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL STIMULANTS?!"
  
  Although many had likely already suspected the same, that statement sent out a wave of shocked cries from the crowd, which quickly turned into a cacophony of jeering.
  
  "BOO! LOSERS!"
  
  "THEY TRIED TO CHEAT TO WIN!"
  
  "DID YOU REALLY TRY TO DRUG YOUR OWN POKÉMON!?"
  
  I held back a smile as the crowd continued to pour on their outrage at what PLASMA had done. Though Zinzolin didn't seem like he was going to give up yet, and he stepped forwards towards the Jenny with his face twisted into an enraged snarl.
  
  "YOU CONNIVING EKANS!" He growled at her, "YOU DARE ACCUSE US OF SOMETHING AS GRAVE AS THIS WITHOUT EVIDENCE?! TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE WE CHEATED WHEN OUR POKÉMON'S STRENGTHS WERE SOLELY BORN OUT OF THEIR DESIRE FOR FREEDOM?! YOU DARE TRAMPLE ON YOUR OWN LAWS LIKE THAT?!"
  
  "THEN LET US TEST YOUR POKÉMON!" The Jenny shouted back, "If you are as innocent as you claim to be, then let's bring your fallen Pokémon to a Pokémon Center and have them examined for any foreign substances."
  
  Zinzolin nodded, "That's fine by me-"
  
  "No." Drake interrupted him, "We do the test here and now. Who knows if the chemicals could be flushed out of the Pokémon by the time we bring them to a Pokémon Center." He pointed to one of the nearby Nurse Joys that were always stationed at a battle just in case of emergencies, "You. Do a test on the Hydreigon now. Then bring the other to the Pokémon Center. We can compare the results."
  
  "And let you further tamper with the evidence?" Zinzolin snorted, "How would we know that you and the League hadn't colluded with the Nurse Joy here to falsify the results."
  
  He was trying to waste our time and get us wrapped up in a pointless debate with him, so instead of responding I just spoke to the Jenny and the Nurse Joy, "Ignore him. Let's proceed with the test now. Don't waste any more time."
  
  They both nodded and proceeded to do just that. Zinzolin, naturally, began to protest loudly about this 'illegal treatment' and how this was all a conspiracy to intentionally tarnish PLASMA's reputation because we wanted to silence the 'uncomfortable truth', but we just ignored him.
  
  And when he began to step forwards, I had Ornstein physically restrain him so that he couldn't move or run away.
  
  Meanwhile, the Nurse Joy had sent out a Chansey and also wheeled over some kind of specialised equipment that she had lying around. Or, more accurately, we had anticipated we might need something like this and had one brought over before the battle even began.
  
  And as we waited for the scans to complete, I finally decided to finally respond to Zinzolin's ranting.
  
  "You know your showing was utterly pathetic, right?" I taunted him, "You tried to win by cheating and powering up your own Pokémon with stimulants, and even then you weren't able to bring us down. Alas, all that power, but wielded in the hands of a fool."
  
  Drake also barked out a laugh, "Couldn't have said it any fucking better myself. In all my years as a trainer, not only have I never fought against a trainer that tried to cheat against me, but I have also never fought against a trainer as fucking incompetent as you were. Your Hydreigon was practically bursting with power, and yet you failed to do anything with it. No wonder you PLASMA shits like to preach so much about the 'natural power' of Pokémon and how they don't need a trainer - you must be trying to compensate for the fact that you're such a shitty one! HAH!"
  
  I could practically hear Zinzolin gnashing his teeth in his barely-restrained rage, but I wasn't done yet, "You can try and act all indignant as you like. But everyone here knows that all you are is a slimy, cheating, son-of-a-bitch trying to brainwash more people to your so-called cause. So you can drop the act - you got caught red-handed. You're not fooling anyone."
  
  However, it was at that moment that my phone pinged as I received a message. It was from Looker.
  
  'Have run back to PLASMA base to evacuate with other PLASMA members back to Unova.' He wrote to the group that was in-the-know about his infiltration, 'Request Sinnoh to not arrest and allow our return in order to maintain cover. Will try to use opportunity to entrench myself in PLASMA and climb its ranks.'
  
  So that was what his plan was. I couldn't deny that it was a risk returning like that, especially on the back of what would certainly be a colossal failure for PLASMA, but I understood Looker's logic. He must have felt confident that he would be able to avoid whatever reprisals that might come his way as a result of what happened today.
  
  That was certainly very brave of him, though if it worked out then it would place us in an incredibly good position to learn almost everything about PLASMA's plans so that we could dismantle them completely.
  
  'How many PLASMA members are you leaving with?' Lucian had responded back, 'And how are you planning on returning to Unova?'
  
  'Less than two dozen.' Looker replied back, 'We're trying to leave via ships from Canalave. We will be leaving by the late afternoon.'
  
  'Authorised.' This time it was Cynthia's turn to reply, 'We will make do with those we arrest at the stadium.'
  
  And right on cue, the results from the scan had come back - and it was just as I hoped. Significant traces of substances that were commonly found in Pokémon enhancers were found within Hydreigon, which caused its unnatural spike in power. Furthermore, just liked I predicted, whatever chemical compound that they used was already disappearing rapidly, and if we had waited longer, then all traces would have gone completely, or would have been warped beyond recognition.
  
  That was not to say that there wouldn't be other obvious signs of doping. For one, the Nurse Joy explained that Hydreigon's muscles were rapidly atrophying as a result of whatever had been given to it. Furthermore, its vitality and stamina were also dropping to extremely dangerous levels, so much so that it was at risk of some serious health problems unless it received immediate treatment.
  
  When the Nurse Joy announced this, which had all been captured by the microphone, the crowd once again loudly roared out in pure outrage at the clear signs of Pokémon abuse that was happening. This proved that not only were PLASMA definitely cheating, but it also demonstrated that they were complete and utter hypocrites.
  
  The public now saw that for all of PLASMA's preaching about wanting to achieve true happiness for Pokémon and save them from exploitation - it had all been a lie as they were perfectly willing to subject and exploit their own Pokémon to the very same thing in secret.
  
  With all of this being shown to the rest of the world, I sincerely wished that this would serve as a death knell to PLASMA's reputation and their recruiting efforts. I also hoped that this would also cause several existing members of PLASMA to realise the evil of the organisation that they had joined, and turn their coats before it was too late.
  
  Though I didn't expect this to be the end of PLASMA itself. Most were probably too brainwashed to leave, and I expected Ghetsis to try something to hold the organisation together. But at the very least this would certainly be a huge setback for them.
  
  Nevertheless, with the evidence of PLASMA's cheating now undeniable, the Jennys finally took Zinzolin into custody. He didn't make it easy though, and he lashed out and struggled whenever someone got close. But Drake did what I wanted to do and punched him square in the mouth, knocking him right out.
  
  I gave Drake a thumbs up. That was a good punch.
  
  "Good job out there, you two." Cynthia said to the both of us as we had reconvened for a discussion after everything that had happened. The Sinnoh Elite Four, as well as both Lance and Steven, were also part of this discussion, "I don't think we could have asked for a better outcome."
  
  "Bah. Just doing our jobs." Drake grumbled, "Honestly, I pity those Pokémon. Zinzolin was a real piece of work. They could not have been happy under him."
  
  I couldn't agree more, but I had other things I wanted to focus on, "How's the public reacting to all this?" I asked.
  
  "Just as we hoped they would." Lucian replied, "Tons of outrage, especially once it was confirmed that they were also abusing their Pokémon on top of the cheating. Many are outright asking for PLASMA to be declared a criminal organisation on the spot."
  
  "Could we do that?" I looked to my girlfriend, "It would simplify a lot of things."
  
  "It might be difficult from just one incident alone, since PLASMA could argue that this was just an isolated incident from a rogue agent, but we're already going to performing interrogations on the captured PLASMA members." She said, "Just standard questioning methods this time; this doesn't warrant the use of psychic interrogation. But if we get anything else from them than maybe we'll have enough justification to label PLASMA as a criminal organisation and permanently ban them from entering our shores."
  
  "What's stopping us from doing it now?" Drake asked.
  
  "It wouldn't be impossible - just that it wouldn't set the best of precedents if we did that." Steven explained, "Labelling an organisation as criminal is only really done in when it is beyond all reasonable doubt that said organisation has been created solely and exclusively for the purpose of undergoing criminal activities. As heinous as their recent actions were, it could easily be argued as something that has been carried out by a small batch of 'bad apples' within the group - thus not representative of the group as a whole. I assure you that businesses would not be happy if we were to get too trigger-happy with throwing around such labels."
  
  In other words, since we didn't know for sure that the entirety of PLASMA was conducting criminal activities, aside from Zinzolin, we didn't have sufficient evidence to label them as a criminal organisation yet.
  
  Cynthia tapped me on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it too much, John. Like I said, we still haven't interrogated the prisoners yet, nor have we scoured through all of the evidence. If we find enough proof that PLASMA as a whole is tied to criminal activities, then we'll act on it. You have my word."
  
  "Besides, we've already dropped a few sanctions on PLASMA." Lucian added, "Anyone from their organisation coming into Sinnoh will have to subject themselves to a full ID and background check."
  
  "It won't stop them from entering undercover, of course, but it should deter them from taking any 'official' actions in Sinnoh from now on." Cynthia said, "That should stymie their recruitment efforts."
  
  "Sure. I'm fine with that." I nodded, "But what happens now?"
  
  "Now we try to capitalise on this big win." Lance replied, "While we wait for more evidence from Looker, our next big goal is try to pursue PLASMA in Unova like we did for the previous criminal teams that we fought against. Therefore, us Champions are going to speak with Alder to see if we can start working towards that."
  
  "Even if we have a legitimate reason to do so, I personally doubt it'll be easy to persuade them." Steven said, "We're still very new to the Unovans. They won't trust us that easily. And they certainly wouldn't like us telling them what to do."
  
  "I know." Lance nodded, "But we'll have to try anyways. We should be trying to get the International Police jurisdiction within Unova anyways. This'll just be an extension of that."
  
  "...Right, all this talk is making my old bones fall asleep." Drake grumbled, "So I'm going to leave. Just let me know who I can smack around. I'm heading back to start preparing for the Tournament."
  
  Oh shit. "Yeah, I need to do that too. I've already taken enough time away from practicing with my partner."
  
  "Nah, you should stay and chat some more!" Flint chuckled, "Who needs to train anyways? Trust me, you'll be fine!"
  
  "Don't listen to him." Cynthia smiled, "You're fine to go. I'll fill you in if there are any updates."
  
  Flint pouted, "Is it me or is our Champion rooting for someone not from Sinnoh?"
  
  Bertha whacked him across the head, "Oh do be quiet. You should be used to this by now."
  
  I made my leave as their banter continued, knowing that I had to get back into the swing of things of the Tournament. The elimination stage of the Tournament was just around the corner, and I needed to focus my attention back onto that.
  
  Meanwhile, I hoped that we'd get some good news about PLASMA. It was best if we could take care of them before they got to grow as a threat.
  
  A.N. I wanted to portray the scandal from the perspective of Looker, as well as provide another glimpse into his further plans in PLASMA. I also wanted to showcase Looker's sense of opportunism, and how he is capable of capitalising on a situation to his own benefit. It's a big risk that he's taking, but it might just pay out.
  
  Meanwhile, PLASMA really got hit bad after this one as their schemes are revealed to the world. Although this doesn't mean that it's the end of PLASMA, this has dealt a serious blow that will be very rough for them to recover from. And while the direct consequences from this event hasn't been fully shown yet, it really isn't going to be good for them. But now that this is over it's going to be back to the Tournament! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-8 - Interlude - N
  The New Normal - 16-8 - Interlude - N
  
  He was so glad that Hilbert had joined PLASMA, as he couldn't deny that he had recently begun to feel a little lonely.
  
  He knew why he wasn't allowed outside, but that meant that he wasn't really able to meet new people outside the occasional new recruit that joined PLASMA. And even then, those recruits tended to treat him with a polite distance, meaning he was never really able to form deeper and friendlier connections with them.
  
  But Hilbert was different. Hilbert hadn't hesitated to approach him, and he knew how trustworthy the newest foreign recruit was thanks to his conversations with his Croagunk - who had been all too happy to spill all of Hilbert's secrets to him.
  
  Croagunk had explained how good of a trainer Hilbert was, and how excited they both were to join PLASMA. Croagunk had also told N that Hilbert was someone without a lot of friends too, which only made N all the more interested in befriending him.
  
  It turned out to be a great idea. It was always so nice to see the wonder and joy in their latest recruit's eyes whenever someone spoke to him about PLASMA's true goals of freeing all Pokémon and bringing happiness to all. That enthusiasm was infectious, and Hilbert always made him feel better after their conversations.
  
  So he was both happy and sad for his friend when he heard that Hilbert would be heading over to Sinnoh to assist Zinzolin. Happy, because this was an excellent opportunity for Hilbert to show-off his enthusiasm and be rewarded for it. And sad, because he was now left alone without his only friend.
  
  Still, even though the man was off in Sinnoh now and helping to spread the message, Hilbert still found time to exchange messages with N and tell him more about the 'outside world'. He was both equal parts happy and sad for his friend; he wanted Hilbert to stay with him, but he was also happy that his enthusiasm and work ethic was being recognised.
  
  However, it seemed like PLASMA's first venture into Sinnoh was turning into a complete and utter disaster. He already had a bad feeling when there had been reports back about how John had interrupted one of their speeches and verbally humiliated them in front of a new and foreign audience, slandering PLASMA's message and goals.
  
  That incident alone had caused Ghetsis to fall into a fit of fury in the privacy of his own office, probably not even realising N was there to begin with, as he roared about how John was deliberately out to smear their image and tarnish their reputation.
  
  And while Ghetsis did say in a later meeting that this particular incident was only a minor setback that they could easily recover from, that was not so believable after what happened next.
  
  Because Zinzolin had just been completely defeated in a battle - one that the Sage himself had proposed. That was already humiliating enough, but then the Sinnoh League went one step further and called out Zinzolin for cheating.
  
  Truthfully, he was both shocked and horrified by the accusations laid out against Zinzolin. Creating and making use of artificial stimulants to cheat in a battle? And therefore deliberating hurting their own Pokémon by making them ingest a harmful concoction of chemicals?
  
  It was everything that PLASMA stood against. So he refused to believe the accusations. He knew Zinzolin, the man was one of the more ambitious Sages, sure, but he wouldn't sink to this level.
  
  He wouldn't believe that. He couldn't believe it. One of PLASMA leaders, someone that he looked up, would never do something like this.
  
  Right now, Ghetsis had called up all of the remaining Sages to discuss what they would do in response to such a disaster. Normally, he would never be allowed into such meetings, but Rood had insisted for him to join - saying that he deserved to listen in.
  
  Ghetsis didn't say anything, so he quietly stood in the corner of the room, being as invisible as possible, as the meeting began.
  
  The problem was, none of them actually knew what was going on in Sinnoh. They had practically lost all contact with the team in Sinnoh, and were forced to rely on panicked reports or articles from the Sinnoh League themselves.
  
  But from what they did know, a majority of the PLASMA members that they had sent over to Sinnoh were now under investigation. And Zinzolin himself was taken into custody.
  
  The 'good' news, and the only bright spot of light in this whole catastrophe, was that Hilbert had apparently managed to evacuate with a few other PLASMA members before the authorities got to them. They were currently returning to Unova, having fortunately managed to avoid the authorities, though they weren't able to bring any of their equipment back.
  
  "-This is disastrous." Bronius said as he held his head in his hands, "Our first venture into foreign shores... and this is the result? Do the other Leagues hate us this much?"
  
  "We shouldn't have expected anything different. Zinzolin was a fool for thinking otherwise. He got too greedy and overreached." Ryoku spat out, "And now we're left cleaning up his mess."
  
  "At least Hilbert managed to pull through." Giallo tried to bring back the mood, "Who knew our latest recruit was so decisive? He should be rewarded. If only for the morale."
  
  N perked up slightly after hearing this. Was his friend about to get rewarded? That was a great news!
  
  Rood looked at Ghetsis hesitantly, who had kept silent ever since the beginning of this meeting, "...Maybe it could be a good idea to scale back our goals? It might make things more palatable to the general public-"
  
  "We will not be doing that." Ghetsis' voice came out calmly, but with a undertone of authority, as if daring anyone to disagree. It was a reminder of just who held the power in this room, and it caused the entire room to instantly fall silent as all eyes turned to Ghetsis.
  
  "I did not recruit you to be the Sages of PLASMA just for you to whimper and retreat at the slightest setback." Ghetsis said, "Our goals cannot be compromised upon. The public must be able to see the harm that they are doing by keeping their Pokémon trapped within their Pokéballs. They must see that it would be better for all if they were to release them into the wild. That has not changed. So instead of running around like lost Ducklett, let us actually make use of those brains of yours to come up with an actual plan - without arguing like you are mere children."
  
  N knew that his place was to remain silent and simply listen in on the conversations. Ghetsis never liked it whenever he tried to give his own opinions, so he just kept to himself and focused on his own thoughts. Or more accurately, he was focusing on what Hilbert had previously told him.
  
  Occasionally, his new friend liked talking about his past and how he ended up becoming an Ace trainer. Hilbert did admit to him that not all Pokémon were unhappy to have a trainer, and instead some wanted to be by their trainer's side. When he heard that, N explained to Hilbert that this was just due to humans' manipulating and conditioning Pokémon to feel this way - which is what Ghetsis had told him previously.
  
  Hilbert didn't seem to disagree, but one day, his friend had off-handedly mentioned that perhaps a less radical course of action would be better.
  
  N knew that this had been nothing more than an idle comment from Hilbert, especially since his friend didn't seem to dwell on it before moving on to the next topic. Likewise, he knew that Hilbert was more than dedicated to the cause, and was willing to see it through. However, Hilbert's off-handed comment had provoked some reflection in himself.
  
  Especially after the recent events, he could see for himself just how much the public seemed to hate the very idea of PLASMA forcing their Pokémon to be released. Of course, they were biased due to the recent, unfounded, accusations of cheating, but it did make him think.
  
  Did this refusal to release their Pokémon stem from their desire to keep control of their Pokémon, much like Ghetsis and a few of the other Sages suggested? Or is it because they simply didn't want to be separated their family - which was what these trainers considered their Pokémon to be?
  
  And if it was the latter, then was it right for PLASMA to tear these families apart? Even if it's for the greater good? He currently didn't have an answer to that.
  
  However, realising he had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts, he quickly refocused on the discussion before his daydreaming was caught.
  
  "-No matter what, we need to consolidate whatever support base we have left in Unova as the utmost priority." Gorm said, "We need to launch an aggressive campaign to win back the Unova's public's trust in us. We can't afford to stay low."
  
  "But what about our reputations elsewhere?" Giallo asked.
  
  "That is unsalvageable at this point." Ryoku shook his head, "Gorm's right. We need to focus all our efforts on Unova for now. Maybe in a few years' time, when the public has forgotten about what has happened in Sinnoh, then we can try again. But definitely not anytime soon."
  
  That seemed to be the agreed upon plan, but N noticed that during this entire meeting none of the Sages had even mentioned the supposedly false accusations laid out against Zinzolin - they didn't even seem all that outraged by the accusation itself, only by the consequences that it had caused them. They didn't try to defend their own honour at all.
  
  Was it because they knew that arguing against a rigged case was useless? Or was it because they had already anticipated something like this might happen one day, and were simply rolling with the punches?
  
  That fuelled his suspicions, because he thought that the natural reaction to hearing about Zinzolin committing such acts of hypocrisy would be to be surprised and deny it - as his actions were completely opposite of PLASMA's intended ideals. But they didn't, and instead went simply into damage control straight away. Did this imply that they believed that Zinzolin was actually capable of doing this?
  
  ...His gut was telling him to find out more. This couldn't be the full story.
  
  Perhaps once Hilbert returned, he could talk to his friend about this. Maybe he would offer a different perspective to things.
  
  A.N. I wanted to show that N isn't as radicalised as he might be in the games/canon, and the subsequent reaction from PLASMA's perspective about what just happened in Sinnoh. Thanks to Hilbert/Looker's influence, he finally has someone to talk to that isn't going to try to brainwash him into PLASMA's agenda. He's finally given more agency to think for himself. Which is really bad for Ghetsis. But that being said, he's not seen the light yet. It's going to take far more than this. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-9 - The Elimination Stage
  
  Although I was told by Cynthia to put the matters regarding PLASMA aside and focus on the Tournament, that wasn't completely possible.
  
  Naturally, the news was filled with articles about PLASMA's cheating scandal and the questioning of most of the PLASMA members that had come over to Sinnoh. No formal charges were laid against them for the time being, and from what I heard from Cynthia, most of them seemed genuinely unaware of the horrific plans thought up by Zinzolin. They were just unwilling patsies.
  
  Of course, the same could not be said for Zinzolin, and he was instantly placed under arrest. He was the first person from Unova to be arrested on foreign soil, and naturally, this ran the risk of leading to a diplomatic incident.
  
  Fortunately for everyone, the entire event which he cheated in had been broadcasted to the entire world. Therefore, even those in Unova could see that Zinzolin's actions were very much criminal in nature - or at least, there were justifiable reasons for his imprisonment. Furthermore, the presence of the Unova Elite Four right here in Sinnoh meant that they had the authority to instantly approve of the arrest as well.
  
  Given that Zinzolin's actions constituted a severe case of Pokémon abuse, no one was willing to let him walk free.
  
  Still, the tournament had been delayed by a full day as many people scrambled to figure out what to do with Zinzolin. In the end, it was agreed that the interrogation would take place in Sinnoh as a matter of convenience, with Unova being allowed to attend the interrogation either in person or virtually, then he would eventually be transferred back to Unova to be judged there and would serve his time in a Unovan prison.
  
  Meanwhile, for all of the other PLASMA recruits, since they had technically done nothing wrong (that we could prove beyond reasonable doubt) they were sent back to Unova as well - escorted by members of the International Police. Of course, from now on members of PLASMA were forced to register if they wanted to come back to Sinnoh. But otherwise, for the sake of maintaining friendly relations with Unova, no other measures were taken for the time being.
  
  It was a fairly light-handed approach, but it was a solution that didn't step on any toes. And things quickly returned to usual, at least on the surface. I knew from Cynthia that there were more talks going on under-the-table, but I wasn't currently privy to those.
  
  Meanwhile, I had asked Elesa what she thought about the whole situation.
  
  "Well I can tell you that if people would be outraged at Sinnoh if you simply arrested one of our own without proper cause." She said, "However, Zinzolin's actions definitely warranted immediate action - cheating in battles is just not something that is done. It's against everything being a trainer stands for."
  
  "So they're not angry at us for arresting him?" I asked.
  
  "Some are, undoubtedly. You know, the nationalists and stuff. But those people will hate you no matter what you do." She explained, "However, for the rest of us? Most of us are just angry at Zinzolin for tarnishing our reputation like that. We don't blame you for taking action when there was cheating involved, especially with a substance that greatly endangered their own Pokémon's health. What kind of cruel man does that to his own Pokémon?"
  
  "A man with more ambition than sense." I replied.
  
  "Then good riddance to him." She frowned, "People like him deserve to behind bars."
  
  Then she let out a sigh, "Let's talk about something else. Hearing about Pokémon abuse like this makes me disgusted. So... on a completely different topic, did you hear about who won the public vote?"
  
  I shook my head. Because I was so distracted with everything that had happened with PLASMA, I had almost completely overlooked all of the recent news regarding the Tournament.
  
  Before the elimination stage began, there had been a public vote to see which eliminated pairing got to have a second chance at continuing now that the elimination stage had started.
  
  Unlike last year, where the vote was almost completely one-sided in Brock's favour, this year it was much closer. That's not to say that there were fewer supporters and fans of certain partnerships, but simply because Brock's backstory last year just resonated too strongly with the public, and they overwhelmingly supported giving him and Sidney a second chance.
  
  In the end, Elesa told me that the pair of Gardenia and Morty won the public vote and were allowed to continue, causing me to wrack my memory as I tried to think of any reason why they would win over the other candidates. I came up blank, so I just asked Elesa if she knew.
  
  "I think it's because everyone could tell that they were ramping up after every battle." She said, "At the beginning, I remember they struggled really heavily, probably because Grass and Ghosts don't exactly share any natural synergies between their Types."
  
  I snapped my fingers, "Oh yeah, I remember now. They were really weak at first, but then they started emphasising more on making use of their shared Poison typing that most of their Pokémon had and began to make a comeback. I remember they only took their third loss because they unfortunately got matched up against Lucian and Lenora."
  
  "They probably would have won against anyone else." Elesa agreed, "So that's probably why they were given another chance. Not because of any backstory or anything, but because the public think they have the momentum on their side to go far."
  
  Personally, I could see it. Just because neither Gardenia nor Morty were considered all that strong compared to the rest of the competition, didn't mean you could count them out - especially now that they've proven to be able work well together. So hopefully they'll be able to keep this up.
  
  Although, hearing this also made me feel bad for Maylene. Despite being one of the newer and younger Gym Leaders participating in the Tournament, she had garnered a considerable fanbase for her hard-working personality and desire to improve. She might not be the strongest amongst us, but just like Gardenia and Morty were, she was growing stronger by the day.
  
  However, being partnered with Clair had completely torpedoed her chances of winning the public vote - if only because no one wanted to give Clair a second opportunity after her recent behaviour. Even if they wanted to vote for Maylene because they were a fan of hers, many likely wanted to spite Clair even more. Therefore, Maylene and Clair were officially out of the Tournament.
  
  Those pitying thoughts aside, after talking about the public vote for a little longer, Elesa and I refocused ourselves and returned to training up our Pokémon.
  
  The elimination stage had been delayed for long enough, and our battles were resuming tomorrow. And later that evening, we learned who our opponents were going to be.
  
  I let out a wide smile when I saw who they were.
  
  We were against the only other Normal and Electric pair in the Tournament - Norman and Surge. That was most certainly going to be interesting.
  
  (Norman POV)
  
  "Heh. Looks like someone in the Sinnoh League's got a sense of humour if they're pairing us up against John and Elesa." Surge smirked, "Are they really trying to have us show off the difference in our fighting styes?"
  
  "I'm certain that the draws were random." He replied, "I don't think the Sinnoh League wants to face accusations of rigging this tournament otherwise."
  
  Initially, he did think that they might have matched up the 3-0 winners against those that managed the same, but then he realised that would just be like punishing those who had done well in the preliminary stage by giving them a 'more difficult' opponent. Therefore, he believed that the Sinnoh League kept the draws entirely random on purpose to make the Tournament more fair in its own way.
  
  His partner let out a scoff, "Bah. I still think they might have rigged it in their favour after their last Tournament went so badly for them."
  
  "That's just your natural distrust talking." He said, already having gotten used to how Surge was like. The man was loud, brash, and extremely straight to the point. He was also an unashamed nationalist (though Surge would argue that he was just being patriotic) and tended to see the worst in others if they weren't from Kanto.
  
  That being said, the man must have mellowed out significantly with his vitriol, since Surge was actually pretty friendly with him when they were first partnered up. He had expected some hostility, but Surge had treated him quite well and they were able to quickly form a working partnership together.
  
  Their Pokémon also worked well together. Surge's Electric Types may not have been able to match the speed of Elesa's, but he made up with that by having superior firepower. Out of all the Kanto Gym Leaders, Surge probably had the best Special Attackers amongst them - at least in terms of raw firepower. Combine that with his own Pokémon's impressive physical bulk and power, which was also superior to most of the contestants here, and they had managed to clear through the preliminary stage with only a single loss.
  
  "Hmph." Surge didn't deign to give that a response, "Enough chit chat. Our first battle is only in a few hours, so we need to make sure we go through whatever last minute preparations beforehand. Our opponents might be formidable, but a good soldier never backs down from a fight. That Unovan is the weak link - we must exploit it."
  
  He agreed, though obviously, that was much easier said than done, and they both knew how difficult the battle ahead of them was going to be. Despite the fact that they knew that John and Elesa weren't invincible, as they almost slipped up against Drayden and Brawly, they still managed to recover and win in the end. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that a good portion of the public thought that their performance had been the one of the most dominant amongst the participants so far.
  
  Still, he couldn't deny the rush of anticipation and excitement that he felt now that he was about to face off against John once again. He still remembered their first battle all that time ago, when John had only just joined the Indigo Elite Four. The John that he had met then was fresh-faced, innocent, and still naive to the ways of the world. He may have had the title of Elite Four, but it was clear that he was still learning to act like one. Yet even back then he was still strong; strong enough that his Tyrant had completely dominated his own Slaking in that battle that they had.
  
  It had been a long time since then, and the man that he was about to face off against now was a completely different person. John had gone from success to success, with his strength continuing to grow along the way. He had even managed to fight and survive against a Legendary - that was how strong he had become.
  
  But he hadn't been sitting idly by either. As John grew stronger, so had he and his team. And now, he was eager to see how much the both of them had improved in the time that had passed.
  
  Nevertheless, he knew that Surge was right. If they wanted to win, then targeting Elesa was definitely going to be the right thing to do. Knocking both of her Pokémon out as quickly as possible to allow them to fight John 2v1 was the best way to achieve victory. A part of him did want to duel John in a fair 1v1, but he couldn't sabotage their chances of winning just to sate his own ego.
  
  Therefore, they spent whatever time they had running through past videos of John and Elesa's battles, and picked out the Pokémon that they felt would give them the greatest chances of victory.
  
  So he walked into the arena feeling as prepared as he could ever be, even if he was a little surprised at the sheer audience turnout.
  
  Their battle had been scheduled rather late in the evening as one of the last battles of the day, and most spectators tended to not watch those battles due to a lack of energy after a long day of screaming and shouting. However, it was very different this time, and he suspected that the fact that both pairs consisted of an Electric and Normal specialist had something to do with it.
  
  The public always liked comparisons, and with John being one of two other Normal specialists in the Tournament, the public was eager to see who was better than who.
  
  He put those thoughts aside. Now was no time for distractions - now was the time for victory.
  
  He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar sense of focused calm surging through his veins, and steadied himself for the battle ahead.
  
  It was time for battle.
  
  "TRAINERS! ARE YOU READY!? THREE... TWO... ONE... FIGHT!"
  
  "Get'em, Electrode!" "Go, Exploud!"
  
  "Stunfisk, it's time!" "Klee, you know what to do!"
  
  His eyes widened at Elesa's choice of Pokémon. They had expected an Emolga, as that was the Pokémon she was clearly the most comfortable and familiar with using. That's why they sent out an Electrode and Exploud respectively - Electrode was Surge's only Pokémon that could reliably outspeed Emolga and his Exploud could bombard a huge area all at once with its massive Boombursts.
  
  They had thought that this pair would counter John and Elesa's favoured strategy and secure a quick knockout. However, it looks like John and Elesa were trying something else this time.
  
  And now they were faced off against her Stunfisk. Which, considering its Electric/Ground typing, meant that most of Electrode's moves were completely ineffective against it. Worse, Electrode practically only knew Electric moves, meaning that Surge was going to be forced to burn their only switch very early into the battle.
  
  That was far from ideal, but it was too late for regrets now. He quickly turned to Surge, silently communicating with their eyes. They both realised that though their original plan was kaput, but they still needed to focus on taking down Elesa's Pokémon first.
  
  Hopefully, brute force would allow them to salvage their horrible start.
  
  "Boomburst, Exploud!" "Switch out, Electrode! Get them, Electivire!"
  
  "Protect, Stunfisk." "Thunder Wave the Exploud, Klee."
  
  His Exploud roared out as it unleashed a deafening and powerful wave of sonic energy that flooded over the arena, but despite the massive power behind that attack, their opponents either blocked it or simply tanked through it. The Blissey didn't even stumble backwards at all before it fired off a quick Thunder Wave that managed to paralyse his Exploud while it was stuck firing off the Boomburst.
  
  But now Electivire was on the battlefield. It immediately rushed towards the Stunfisk with a deadly Ice Punch being readied on its fists, with its eyes blazing menacingly as it looked to bash it into the ground. Yet Stunfisk didn't make it easy for Electivire as it unleashed a violent Bulldoze, causing the ground to shake heavily and slowing down the charging Electric type.
  
  Meanwhile, John's Blissey set up with a Reflect to shield against incoming physical attacks before it surprised Norman by charging towards his Exploud. Because of its paralysis, he knew that his Exploud would be too slow to escape, so its only option was to try and force away Blissey by blasting it with another explosively powerful Boomburst.
  
  ...Except, the charging Blissey just threw up a Light Screen that nullified most of the damage from the Boomburst, while just tanking through the rest with ease.
  
  Then, now that the two of them were in striking distance of each other, his Exploud tried for a desperate Hammer Arm to punish Blissey for approaching it - only for a quick Psychic to interrupt the attack. As his Exploud slightly staggered from the blow, the Blissey wrapped its dainty little arms around Exploud and threw it right up into the air with a Seismic Toss.
  
  "NOW, ELESA!"
  
  "THUNDER!"
  
  Despite having to deal with Electivire's flurry of attacks, Stunfisk somehow still had the space and battle instinct to unleash an enormous bolt of pure electricity that came thundering down like a spear of light, impaling right through his airborne Exploud.
  
  His Exploud crashed down into the ground, right into a painful barrage of Focus Blasts that Blissey had prepared. The orbs of fighting energy detonated on his Normal type and sent it flying back into the psychic shields.
  
  He frowned. John really was giving him a painful reminder that his Blissey was more than just a defensive support Pokémon - it was just as capable of hitting back.
  
  Furthermore, as his Exploud was struggling to pull itself up from Blissey's surprising assault, the other side of the battle had entered into a stalemate.
  
  As their research had shown, Stunfisk did not hit hard at all and was not an offensive threat. Unfortunately, it more than made up for that with its defensive prowess.
  
  Therefore, while the constant Bulldozes that Stunfisk fired off weren't doing that much damage to Electivire, it was slowing it down and making it harder to land good strikes. Worse, Stunfisk would occasionally fire off attacks like Mud Slap that would blind Electivire and lower its accuracy, while also making use of regeneration moves like Pain Split to heal up most of the damage that was dealt. Sometimes, it would even Bounce away to make distance and force Electivire to play catchup.
  
  Despite its lazy and lethargic appearance, it was much more of a nuisance than it seemed.
  
  Therefore, by stalling out the fight like it was doing, it completely ruined their plans to take down one of Elesa's Pokémon first. And his Exploud was currently being tossed around like a salad by the Blissey. Its usually powerful Special Attacks - that were normally capable of bringing down even the toughest of opponents - found absolute no purchase when they struck the opposing Blissey.
  
  He had resorted to trying to bring down Blissey using physical attacks instead, but Blissey was remarkably adept at fending them off - probably due to all the training it had done with John's other bruisers.
  
  Hammer Arms and Brick Breaks were forced back by Psychics. Crunches were blasted back by Dazzling Gleams. Take Downs were punished with carefully timed Focus Blasts. Because of this, Exploud was never allowed to land a good hit.
  
  For his Exploud, the Blissey was an impenetrable wall that it could not break through.
  
  With the benefit of hindsight, he realised that they should have swapped targets from the very start. Exploud should have targeted down Stunfisk, while Electivire focused on Blissey. But with Blissey's unending onslaught of attacks, Exploud was no longer in a position to change targets any longer. So it was too late now, and his wounded and tired out Exploud was eventually taken down by a final Psychic to the face.
  
  It had been unable to make a reversal.
  
  So now, with their backs against the wall, Norman sent out his final Pokémon - his Slaking.
  
  Yet, the very moment that his Slaking took to the field, John immediately switched out his Blissey and sent out his own starter in return.
  
  ""SLAKINGGGG!"" Both of their Slaking roared out in unison as they charged towards each other - both of them only having the other in their sights.
  
  This was it. His strongest Pokémon against John's strongest Pokémon. It was time to prove once in for all just how much he had improved since their last battle against each other. Would his Slaking be able to cause the biggest upset ever seen by beating Tyrant in a 1v1?
  
  It was time to see if Tyrant would be knocked off his throne.
  
  However, so focused as he was on the clash of their starters that he almost didn't hear or register Elesa's declaration.
  
  "I'm retiring my Stunfisk from the match! Go, Emolga! Helping Hand!"
  
  Those last two words finally snapped him out of his reverie, and he turned to look at the other side of the battlefield to see what was going on. To his horror, Elesa had retired her Stunfisk (so it didn't count as a switch) and instantly sent out Emolga to buff up Tyrant with a Helping Hand - skyrocketing Tyrant's already ridiculous strength to even greater heights.
  
  Meanwhile, Surge was stuck using his crippled Electivire, who was too slow and injured to effectively counter the incredibly agile Emolga. Furthermore, because they had burned their only switch swapping out Electrode earlier, that meant that they didn't have a switch available. They would have to retire their Electivire if they wanted to send out their Electrode.
  
  However, Surge hesitated for a brief moment. His partner was obviously reluctant to retire one of his strongest attackers when it hadn't gone down yet and could technically still fight. But Norman realised that this hesitation was another costly mistake - the outcome of the fight would be determined by who won the battle between the two Slaking. And unlike Emolga, Surge's Electivire in its current state could not provide much meaningful assistance.
  
  Eventually, Surge did choose to retire his Electivire and send out his Electrode, but it was already too late. With the Helping Hand boost, Tyrant pulverised his own Slaking with an apocalyptically destructive Hammer Arm that rocketed his Slaking right through one of the psychic barriers - tearing a clean hole through them.
  
  The crowd screamed in both excitement and panic, but Tyrant cared little for that as he received another Helping Hand boost and followed up with another devastating Hammer Arm that broke through his Slaking's defences and buried it into the ground; with only its head sticking out like a Diglett.
  
  This was not the honourable duel that he had expected and hoped for. This was a beatdown disguised as a brawl. A decimation of his own starter.
  
  This was one Pokémon asserting its dominance over another, as if to remind him that his Slaking was no challenger. But merely another prey about to be broken by Tyrant's fists.
  
  John did not care about having a 'honourable' 1v1. And that was when he realised his final mistake.
  
  Going into this battle, he had been wrapped up in the singular assumption that this was going to be a battle between two Normal and Electric specialists - with both sides trying to prove who was superior to each other.
  
  That was why, in their original plan, they had anticipated the Slaking duel and would use it to occupy John so that Surge could take out Elesa's Pokémon. They wanted to fight two separate 1v1s, with both trainers trying to show who was the better type specialist between them.
  
  But he had foolishly failed to realise that such a way of thinking was just his ego talking. He had wanted to prove himself, to show off how much he had improved since their previous battle in a memorable 1v1.
  
  He failed to remember that for John, there was nothing to prove.
  
  The man was already the strongest Normal specialist in the world. There was no need for him to go out of his way to prove it. So to him, he just had to defend his title, and that meant using whatever buffs or tactics was necessary to achieve that.
  
  Therefore, even with him retiring his Electivire to switch to his Electrode, Surge was unable to salvage the battle for their team. Even after landing a paralysis on Tyrant with a Thunder Wave, it didn't matter. The damage had already been done to his own Slaking, and the brutal injuries it had suffered were far too severe.
  
  No, they had lost this battle. Their run in the Tournament had come to an end.
  
  And yet... the realisation of their impending defeat was not as bitter as he had expected it to be. It was disappointing, but it was also good to see just how far he needed to go - both in strength and mentality.
  
  After all, it was always nice to have a goal to be aiming for.
  
  A.N. Instead of having the battle entirely from John's perspective, I felt that it might be better to have it from Norman's to give an alternative viewpoint of the battle and show off what it's like fighting against John. I also wanted to highlight the difference in mindset, and how mistakes can compound on each other until you end up losing the battle.
  
  To be clear, this was not to showcase Norman or Surge's lacking battling capabilities. Don't forget, they were always the underdogs coming into this battle, and they tried to come up with a plan to even out the odds a bit - it just didn't work. Sometimes, that just happens, no matter how good your preparations are. That's the reality of a battle. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-10 - Developments
  
  I couldn't deny that winning against Norman and Surge was very satisfying. Not because we were the underdogs or anything going into this battle - we certainly weren't - but because it felt nice winning over another Normal and Electric pair.
  
  Especially since our pre-battle planning worked out so well.
  
  We knew that they were going to target Elesa first. That's why we had chosen to make use of her Stunfisk, her deceptively most defensive Pokémon on her team, to stifle their takedown attempt and turn the tables on them.
  
  We didn't expect for Surge to send out Electrode first, but that was a stroke of luck for us due to its utter inability to damage Ground types with its limited range of attacks, which forced them to use up their only switch.
  
  From there, the fight proceeded methodically. When Norman sent out his Slaking, I was tempted to engage it in a 1v1, for Tyrant to assert his dominance over his fellow Slaking, but I stuck to the original plan of having Emolga Helping Hand boost him to overwhelm it in a contest of strength.
  
  In fact, I was pretty pleased to see how much Elesa's Helping Hands, and other supporting moves, had grown over the course of this Tournament. And it wasn't just me who noticed it either. Elesa told me that our partnership had really opened her eyes to the potential and utility of such moves in her regular battles, and she was trying to utilise them more in our spars.
  
  I was more than happy to help.
  
  Nevertheless, with our victory over Norman and Surge, that put us in at minimum within the Top 8 of the Tournament. There were only three more battles to go before the final victor of the Tournament would be decided.
  
  Time had really flown past quickly, but that was just the nature of the Tournament. Even if everyone would have liked to, we couldn't have the Tournament run on for too long as everyone had their own duties that they eventually had to return to.
  
  Still, since we were one of the first pairs to battle, our remaining opponents hadn't been decided yet. Meanwhile, there had been a few political developments that Cynthia wanted to discuss with me. So after finishing up on one of our routine training sessions together with Elesa, I excused myself and met up with Cynthia at Celestic Town, in her own room.
  
  "I assume you've seen the news?" She asked me as soon I stepped in.
  
  "I did." I nodded. Even though I had been busy with Tournament preparations, this was too important for me to overlook, "The vote for the proposal to make leaders appointable from any region has just passed in Sinnoh, right? I know it was all over the news, though I didn't see the final tally."
  
  The successful passing of the proposal had been broadcasted by every news network in Sinnoh, and every political analyst out there was talking about it and the potential consequences or benefits that this will have for Sinnoh.
  
  Fortunately, most seemed to understand that it had always been a matter of time before this proposal was passed. They understood where the winds of politics were blowing.
  
  "It was more of a narrow victory than I expected, but a victory nonetheless." She replied, "There was some opposition, but we still managed to pass it through anyways."
  
  "Will they be a problem?" I asked, "Will they cause you issues?"
  
  "No. The vote passed fair and square. The majority of the Committee voted for it, so they don't have any grounds to overturn it." She shook her head, "I'll just have to be more careful with my other proposals in the future. I'll probably have to do something to placate them just so they won't do anything regrettable."
  
  I nodded; that was just how politics was. It was always give-and-take.
  
  "You know that means that I'll have to delay introducing the creation of the position to serve as Regigigas' guardian, right?" She told me, "I don't think it'll be wise to rush that through right after we've just passed something as radical as this."
  
  "That's fine. I can wait." I said, "We're already so close to making this a reality. Let's not fuck it up by rushing through the last bit."
  
  She agreed, "We'll make sure that we'll time everything perfectly so that the announcement comes when you're also ready to move on from Indigo. Everything needs to be perfect."
  
  Cynthia and I had discussed this before. Basically, with any new role, whoever was first to take on the position was also going to be the one who could shape the responsibilities and authority of the role for the years to come. Therefore, we wanted to time everything right so that I could be available to immediately take on the position before anyone else could.
  
  And I wanted to make sure that everything was right, because this was a position that I foresaw I would hold for the near future. Since I didn't want to step down from politics entirely, I needed to make sure that my new position would still afford me the same level (or hopefully, a greater level) of political influence as I currently had now.
  
  Admittedly, I wasn't actually emotionally ready to leave Indigo behind yet. There were also still many matters that I wanted to settle before I would be ready to leave. But I'll deal with that when the time comes.
  
  Cynthia interrupted me from my own thoughts, "Anyways, the other Champions and I have already agreed that our next priority is to entrench this policy as an Article in the Regional Union. So that's what we're going to be working on next."
  
  I raised an eyebrow, "Lance didn't say anything about that to me. Not that I disapprove, of course."
  
  She shrugged, "He probably didn't want to bother you with something like this while you're still focused on the Tournament. Oh - and that reminds me, I know you don't need me to tell you this, but try to make sure that you give off a dominant performance in this Tournament. Having the public on your side is going to be very important if you want to become appointed as Regigigas' guardian, and so making sure that your reputation of strength isn't tarnished in the public's eyes is going to be crucial."
  
  She patted me on the shoulder, "So try not to fumble. I expect to see you in the very Finals themselves. Got that?"
  
  I chuckled, "Yes ma'am. I'll be sure not to disappoint."
  
  "Good." She pecked me quickly on the cheek, "Now shoo, shoo. You need to get back to training!"
  
  I obeyed dutifully and returned to Elesa, who I found was slumped over on a table as she idly watched how the other battles in this round were playing out.
  
  I quickly joined in. We had already done a lot of research into our future opponents, but it was always a good idea to see if they pulled out any new tricks that we needed to be aware of.
  
  (Brock POV)
  
  He was very proud to have made it to the elimination rounds, and with a pretty decent score as well. They had gone 3-1 in the preliminary rounds, having only lost a fight to Crasher Wake and Marshal.
  
  But more importantly than that, he was just happy that he was actually managing to pull his own weight in these battles. Of course, Bertha still did most of the heavy lifting, and her Pokémon were generally stronger, bulkier, and more powerful than his own.
  
  But the tricks and strategies that he had meticulously developed on his own (or with the help of Karen) had allowed him to narrow that gap significantly. Therefore, though he still considered himself to be one of the weaker trainers in this Tournament, he felt that he was capable of punching well above his own weight class.
  
  And today was the day that would prove whether these thoughts were justified or not, as their first opponent in the elimination round was against Volkner and the Waterflower sisters.
  
  It was a very fitting match for them. Not only were their type matchups pretty much evenly balanced, but their pair also consisted of a relatively inexperienced Gym Leader being teamed up with someone far more experienced and powerful. In fact, if you considered the fact that Volkner was widely considered to be an Elite Four member disguised as a Gym Leader, which he most certainly did, then the teams were practically equal in strength.
  
  Plus, the comparisons didn't end there. Both himself and the Waterflower sisters were both growing their reputations, and were both considered by the public to be 'competing' for which 'early' Gym was the most successful in Kanto. This battle would likely be seen as merely an extension of that.
  
  It was like the perfect setting for a friendly rivalry to develop between them - one that he was fully determined to win.
  
  Yet, as he stepped into the arena, he met Daisy's gaze with his own and saw the familiar flare of determination burning in her eyes, and he knew that she must be feeling the same way.
  
  He gave off a nod of acknowledgement. They both understood the stakes.
  
  And so the battle begun.
  
  "Go! Sudowoodo!" "Your turn, Hippowdon!"
  
  "Rotom!" "Starmie, dazzle them!"
  
  Thanks to Hippowdon's Sand Stream, a Sandstorm was immediately whipped up, surrounding the battlefield in a thick storm of sand.
  
  This was their greatest advantage in this battle, giving them an instant head-start in the weather war.
  
  However, he frowned slightly as he took in the new form of Volkner's Rotom. Volkner hadn't used it in the Tournament thus far, so this was the first time he had seen Volkner's Rotom in action. Right now, it had possessed a lawnmower, and if he could recall correctly, that made it an Electric/Grass type. A very good combination of types to be against their team.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Starmie! Take out that Hippowdon!""Leaf Storm, Rotom! Do the same!"
  
  "Fake out, Sudowoodo." "Earth Power the Starmie, Hippowdon."
  
  With its incredible speed, the Starmie moved first. The Water type spun across the battlefield as it got ready to fire off what would have been a powerful torrent of water - only for it to be interrupted by a Fake Out from his Sudowoodo. Then, as Starmie flinched, his Sudowoodo swung its arms around and smashed into the Water type with a devastating and supereffective Wood Hammer, knocking the Starmie through the air as it was thrown back. Starmie tried to use Recover, but Sudowoodo also stopped it with a quick Taunt.
  
  However, his partner was having a much harder time. The Leaf Storm that Rotom unleashed had shredded through Bertha's Hippowdon; the supereffective attack having savagely ripped through its health. As a result, Hippowdon wasn't able to fire off that Stone Edge before it was set aflame by a Will-O-Wisp, and it was too slow and immobile to dodge out of the way of the powered up Hex.
  
  Fortunately for them, Hippowdon was one of Bertha's most resilient Pokémon, and even though it had taken a lot of damage so quickly into the battle, he knew that this wasn't going to be enough to bring it down.
  
  As if to prove his point, Hippowdon began to heal itself up with a Slack Off and rapidly restored much of its lost health.
  
  However, its attempt to heal up did not go unpunished. Because of its inaction, Rotom was now given free reign to target down his Sudowoodo alongside Starmie, momentarily putting the fight into a 2v1.
  
  But Sudowoodo was ready for it.
  
  So as a Hydro Pump and Leaf Storm came his way, Sudowoodo used Protect to block against one of the attacks while relying on its buffed-up Special Defenses in the Sand to resist the other. Just like he hoped, Sudowoodo was blasted back by the Hydro Pump, but it wasn't enough to take it down.
  
  And now, that allowed both Hippowdon and Sudowoodo to fire off a Sand Tomb and a Block respectively against both Starmie and Rotom, trapping them both in the fight. Sudowoodo also fired off another Taunt at Rotom before both of their Pokémon began to heal themselves up with Slack Off and Rest (or both, in the case of Hippowdon).
  
  Just as they planned.
  
  This was their strategy - as unorthodox as it was. They were going to trap both of their opponents in the fight, and stall out both of their opponent's Pokémon by repeatedly healing up their own until their opponents tired themselves out.
  
  Naturally, one of the core aspects of their strategy was the Sandstorm, and the Special Defense boost it granted to his Rock types. Thanks to that, his Sudowoodo could almost match the resilience of Bertha's Hippowdon, and they knew that neither Volkner or Daisy would have an easy way of taking either of their Pokémon out - especially without being able to boost up or change the weather thanks to the Taunts.
  
  Karen and Sidney had really taught him well. Thanks to all of their guidance, his Taunts were only slightly weaker than theirs. His opponents wouldn't be breaking free from their effects anytime soon.
  
  All the while their Pokémon would take residual damage over time thanks to the Sandstorm, which helped to slowly wear them down.
  
  Better yet, both of their Pokémon knew Sleep Talk. And due to all of their earlier training, they had specifically trained up their Pokémon to prioritise using defensive setup moves like Amnesia, Iron Defense, and Calm Mind during their Sleep Talk to buff up their defenses even further.
  
  Was it a glamourous way of winning? Absolutely not. Bertha was even surprised and a little shocked when he had proposed this strategy to her. But just like he was taught, you had to use every little advantage you could to secure yourself the best odds of winning, and the two of them were just exploiting their Pokémon's superior defenses.
  
  However, in order to make sure that their strategy would work, the two of them worked deep into the night as they meticulously studied and calculated Volkner and Daisy's offensive capabilities, just to ensure that their Pokémon would be able to survive and heal off their onslaught of attacks. Their whole plan would fall apart if Volkner and Daisy were just able to brute force and power through their defenses.
  
  Fortunately for them, their calculations were correct. Even against the relentless onslaught of attacks that came their way, their Pokémon just about managed to hold on.
  
  Because of all this, Volkner and Daisy were forced into a bad situation. They weren't able to break through their Pokémon, and their repeated blasts of Hydro Pumps and Leaf Storms were just tiring out their own Pokémon as their damage was mostly healed through.
  
  In fact, their strategy was actually working better than he expected, due to the fact that Rotom's own Leaf Storms were lowering its own Special Attack after each use - meaning that it grew progressively weaker as the battle went on. They weren't even able to switch out thanks to the Sand Tomb and Block respectively.
  
  Realising they were trapped and unable to break through their opponents, both Rotom and Starmie switched tactics as they desperately tried to status their Pokémon. They prioritised using moves like Thunderbolt and Ice Beams against his Sudowoodo and Hippowdon respectively in order to try to land a paralysis and/or freeze.
  
  Their attempt was met with mixed success. Sudowoodo did get paralysed, but Hippowdon never got frozen.
  
  However, the paralysis was not enough to stop the both of their Pokémon from eventually knocking out both Rotom and Starmie with a series of Stone Edges, as they had become too exhausted and tired to dodge out of the way, securing them a massive advantage in this fight.
  
  But even with that big win, he was inwardly hoping for a bit more. He had also hoped to also set up with Stealth Rocks in preparation for whatever Pokémon that Volkner and Daisy were going to send out next, but Starmie would constantly clear them out with Rapid Spins.
  
  Nevertheless, he couldn't deny being proud of this win. It had been primarily his strategy that secured them this knockout - and it was only feasible due to the extensive pre-battle research that he had done as well as his own Pokémon's capabilities and training.
  
  Yet when he saw that Volkner and Daisy had sent out their Electivire and Gyarados respectively, he knew that their strategy wouldn't work any longer.
  
  Before they could stop it, Electivire had immediately dispelled the Sandstorm with its own Rain Dance, setting up the Rain for their team. Then Gyarados instantly charged in, rampaging around the battlefield like an avatar of wrath as it brutally slammed into his Sudowoodo with a hammering Aqua Tail. Yet that wasn't all, as a massive Whirlpool had formed beneath his Rock type, trapping it within its swirling depths.
  
  Worse for them, Electivire also wasted no time as it began devastating the Hippowdon in the 1v1. Unfortunately, even Hippowdon's admittedly impressive Defenses was not enough to stand up to the intensity of Electivire's assault. The brutal Electric type rained down a fury of powerful and precise blows against his Hippowdon, striking it with a series of Ice Punches and Cross Chops - the latter frequently landing with a critical hit that each tore through Hippowdon's health.
  
  Therefore, just like he feared, Electivire was doing too much damage for Hippowdon to heal back. And while he desperately tried to get Sudowoodo to assist, his own Pokémon was too busy dealing with the rampaging Gyarados and the Whirlpool that it was trapped in to be in any position to help.
  
  Sure, his Sudowoodo might actually be holding on thanks to a more even distribution of its defensive buffs, but its resilience only seemed to further enrage the Gyarados and cause it to attack with even greater intensity.
  
  In the end, it was Hippowdon that actually broke first, as it was too immobile to get away from the powerful blows of Electivire. Hippowdon tried to fend it off with a series of Earthquakes and Stone Edges - attacks that should have been powerful enough to deter most Electric types - but Electivire seemed to shrug that all off as it continued to pummel into Hippowdon with violent abandon.
  
  Therefore, Hippowdon soon fell, being knocked out by a final critical Cross Chop.
  
  But with Hippowdon's fall, that allowed Bertha to send out her final Pokémon - a Gliscor. The newly emerged Gliscor quickly took to the skies, moving far out of range of any of Electivire's fearsome physical attacks before proceeding to poison itself with a Toxic. This activated its own Poison Heal ability, allowing it to restore its own health overtime.
  
  This was another thing that they had extensively prepared for. Because of the advantage that they had obtained by basically securing two free knockouts of both Volkner's and Daisy's first Pokémon, their opponents were forced to reveal their final Pokémon beforehand. Therefore, because they greatly respected Electivire's impressive physical attacks, they both deemed it necessary to avoid getting close to Electivire at all costs.
  
  That's where Gliscor came in, as it was immune to Electivire's usual barrage of Electric Special Attacks while being able to fly fast enough to stay far away from Electivire's devastating punches.
  
  Following this, even with all of the defensive buffs that it had, Sudowoodo was also unable to withstand against the endless and fierce assault from Gyarados and was similarly knocked unconscious. But this just allowed him to send out his Steelix in return.
  
  Only a few years ago, he could never have imagined that he would have the financial security necessary to safely afford a Metal Coat to evolve his Onix, given how expensive it was to do so. However, with his recent success and the growth of the Pewter Gym, buying a Metal Coat was no longer as prohibitively expensive as it once was.
  
  The days of living in poverty, where he and his family had to scramble to save every last Pokédollar, was now long behind them. They were by no means rich, but even with a family as big as his, they could all live a comfortable life.
  
  And this newly evolved Steelix was going to bring them the victory in this fight. Out of all of his remaining Pokémon, it was the only one that didn't have a quadruple weakness to Water. Additionally, his Steelix boasted the most impressive Defense out of all of his Pokémon, which was especially relevant considering both his opponents were primarily physical attackers.
  
  Therefore, given that Electivire wasn't able to effectively target Gliscor, both it and Gyarados both chose to focus down his Steelix instead. That gave Gliscor free reign to set up the Sandstorm once more, disabling the Rain and doing chip damage to both of their opponents' Pokémon overtime.
  
  So while both Electivire and Gyarados began to pummel and slam into Steelix with their most powerful moves, Gliscor remained in the air and was able to take advantage of their distracted state to badly poison them both with two globules of Toxic.
  
  That put both of their opponents on a timer, which meant his Steelix only needed to do what it did best - defend and hold its ground.
  
  And that was exactly what it did. Their opponents unleashed a vicious and fearsome assault, delivering blow after blow into his Steelix. Critical Cross Chops and powerful Brick Breaks from Electivire smashed into it, while Gyarados powered itself up with an Outrage that only made its Aqua Tail even more potent and destructive.
  
  Steelix did its utmost to hold on. It tried its best to reinforce itself with an Iron Defense, while using Iron Head and Iron Tail to try and parry and fight back against its attackers. But in a 2v1 like this, and with how slow his Steelix was, it was inevitable that his Steelix would be overwhelmed - especially against Pokémon as strong as their opponents were.
  
  But that was fine. Every second that it bought meant that the Toxic and Sandstorm were able to do more and more damage.
  
  And once he judged that Steelix had taken enough punishment, he gave the order.
  
  "Explosion."
  
  Realising what was coming, Electivire and Gyarados immediately tried to backpedal away while simultaneously throwing up Protect shields, but it was already too late for them. Within a second, his Steelix was now glowing a blindingly bright white before it Exploded in a violent detonation that echoed throughout the battlefield.
  
  Both Electivire and Gyarados were caught at the epicentre of the blast, meaning they had taken the full brunt of the damage.
  
  Coupled with the damage that it had already taken from fighting against Hippowdon, the Explosion was almost enough to knock Electivire out of the fight. Yet it held on, valiantly struggling to its feet as it refused to be knocked out.
  
  Only for Gliscor to rip that decision away from it as it unleashed a Swords Dance boosted Earthquake that finished off Electivire.
  
  That left only Gyarados in the fight, and it too had been knocked out of its Outrage by the Steelix' detonation. So while it stumbled around in confusion, Gliscor bombarded the Water type with an avalanche of rocks, eviscerating it with a critical, supereffective Stone Edge.
  
  And once Gyarados was sufficiently injured, Gliscor finally swooped down from its safe position in the sky and crunched down with a quadruply effective Thunder Fang.
  
  So even though it was technically a 1v1, the conditions of both Pokémon couldn't be any more different. Gliscor was completely fresh, and was able to constantly restore its own health with Poison Heal. It didn't take a veteran analyst to determine who would come out on top in that matchup, and indeed, Gyarados eventually succumbed to both its wounds and the ticking poison ravaging through its body.
  
  They were the victors. And what a satisfying victory it was.
  
  (Volkner POV)
  
  He let out a sigh as he watched as his partner's final Pokémon went down. Despite all the preparations they had done, it had proven insufficient at earning them the victory today.
  
  The responsibility of this loss fell on him. As the more experienced of the pair, he should have anticipated the Rest stall tactic. He knew of Brock's unusual tendency to fight like a Dark specialist, so enacting a plan like this was always a reasonable possibility.
  
  Going into this fight, they had mistakenly thought that speed instead of power was the path to victory. They believed they could capitalise on Brock and Bertha's slower Pokémon and outmanoeuvre them with Rotom and Starmie, but that was completely countered by their Rest stalling.
  
  It was a mistake that snowballed into costing them the whole match.
  
  But even though their plan was something that he and Daisy had come up with together, he wanted to shoulder the burden as to prevent Daisy from being overly burdened by this loss. She had done her best, it was just that their opponents fought better.
  
  It was such a shame too. Daisy had really gotten so much stronger over the course of this Tournament - the fact that she was comfortable deploying her Gyarados and for it to be as strong as his Electivire (though less flexible and less disciplined) was clear proof of her growth as a trainer.
  
  "...Sorry about this loss." He apologised to his partner, "There were things that we definitely could have done differently had I been better at predicting their strategies. I was taken off-guard, and that cost us the fight."
  
  "No need to apologise, Volkner. The mistake falls on both of our shoulders." Daisy replied as she gave him a small smile, though she wasn't able to hide the disappointment in her eyes, "We couldn't have won every battle. And I'm just glad we made it this far."
  
  He nodded, knowing that it was natural to feel disappointed. But he still made sure to pat her gently on the shoulder, "Even though we lost - I can wholeheartedly say that you were a great partner to have. Thank you for the effort you put in."
  
  Daisy smiled at that, and the two of them stepped forwards and exchanged a handshake with their opponents. They both congratulated them on their victory, before both him and Daisy started to walk out of the arena for the final time in this Tournament.
  
  "...So are there any new plans for you now that this is all over?" He asked her, "Didn't you say you and your sisters were planning on doing something with the Gym?"
  
  "Yes, we're trying to host more of our water shows in areas outside of our Gym." She explained, "It's one of the benefits of having multiple Gym Leaders. Either Violet or Lily could easily head up the Gym while the rest of us travelled around to do other things, just like how Misty's going over to train up with you. Thanks again for that, by the way. And yeah, we're trying to make the Waterflower sisters more than just a household name in Indigo - we want more of the world to know of our talents and performances."
  
  "Good on you." He smiled back, "If you ever expand to Sinnoh, don't forget to give me a call. Our time as partners might be over, but that doesn't mean we can't keep in contact. Feel free to visit anytime."
  
  And so marked the end of their time in the tournament. But at the end of the day, that was all it was. Just a tournament. Sure, it was sad that they had been eliminated, but the world continued to turn, and they still had their own lives to live.
  
  Speaking of which, he had to run to see how Jasmine was doing. He hoped she would have better luck than he did.
  
  Then he suddenly had a realisation that immediately stopped him in his tracks.
  
  He realised he had been knocked out before Flint.
  
  Fuck.
  
  His friend would never let him hear the end of it.
  
  A.N. A split chapter containing multiple POVs, as I did say that I wanted to place the spotlight on more people than just John and Elesa. So here, I wanted to focus on Brock and the Waterflower sisters (by proxy through Volkner) in particular because they are the Kanto Gym Leaders that are still developing and also have a connection with John. With Brock especially, I wanted to show more of Karen and Sidney's influence on his battling style, and how he diverges very radically from other Rock type specialists. He still relies heavily on his Pokémon's innate defenses, but he also uses that to start trapping his opponents in unfavourable matchups.
  
  I know that Volkner and the Waterflower sisters were one of the stronger contenders for winning this Tournament, but it just takes one bad match to end the chances in the Tournament. Once again, sorry for the delay, but hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-10 -Interlude-Looker
  The New Normal - 16-10 - Interlude - Looker
  
  As expected, the moment he arrived back in Unova, he was immediately summoned for a meeting with the Sages of PLASMA - likely to explain to them just what had happened back in Sinnoh.
  
  Though fortunately, on the 'perilous' trip back, he was able to develop a strong sense of rapport with the other PLASMA members that had escaped with him. They were grateful to him for the advanced warning, and they knew they owed it to him that they weren't currently behind bars alongside Zinzolin and the others who didn't manage to get away in time.
  
  So during their ship ride back, he did his best to learn more about the thoughts of his colleagues. And he had come to learn that they were all as horrified as he had expected them to be at the accusations laid out against Zinzolin.
  
  But they refused to believe that Zinzolin, and by extension PLASMA, would be complicit in this sort of thing. Since it went against everything they believed in. They were in full and complete denial.
  
  Which was both a good and bad thing. Good, because it showed that they still had their sense of morality and they could recognise right from wrong. Bad, because it meant that they were starting to become too loyal to PLASMA to think for themselves. Which meant that they could still be saved from going down this dark path, but it had to be soon.
  
  He just needed to figure out if it was feasible for him to do so.
  
  Alas, that was a thought for later, and he scrubbed his mind from all of these distracting thoughts as he stepped into the meeting room where the Sages awaited him. He did a mental check through to make sure that his persona as Hilbert was firmly in place before he walked into the room with his head bowed low.
  
  "Hilbert." A voice containing a undercurrent of rage called out to him, "We demand an explanation. What happened in Sinnoh?"
  
  The person speaking to him was sat at the very front of the table, and his robes were the most decorated and ceremonial amongst those present. Though he had obviously heard of him before, this was the first time he was meeting him in person. This was Ghetsis - the leader of PLASMA.
  
  And the man most likely behind the darkness lurking underneath PLASMA.
  
  So as he gave his explanation, making sure to sound as clueless and as helpless as he possibly could, he did his best to subtly study Ghetsis' facial expressions. What kind of man was the leader of PLASMA? Was he rash and led by his emotions, or was he calculating and methodical?
  
  Judging by Ghetsis response to his explanation, the leader of PLASMA seemed prone to anger. He kept it well-hidden, but he managed to catch the minute twitches in his expression as he described Zinzolin's failures. Unlike Cyrus, this was a man who could be ruled by their own emotions.
  
  That could be exploitable.
  
  Fortunately, and probably because Ghetsis only saw him as a nameless grunt that held no real importance, he didn't seem to blame Hilbert for what had happened in Sinnoh. In fact, the Sages next to him seemed to look at him with approval when he described how he evacuated from Sinnoh with as many members as he could.
  
  After his explanation was finished, the room was met with silence as Ghetsis seemed to thoughtfully ponder over his words.
  
  "...Despite the disaster that has occurred in Sinnoh, I can see that you've done all that you could to salvage the situation." Ghetsis said slowly, "It is always nice to see such enthusiasm from our newest recruits. It gives me hope that more will be able to see the light of our message."
  
  "Of course!" He replied with false enthusiasm, "I hated having to run away, but the Sinnoh League were intent on arresting us all on false charges, so I knew we had to evacuate. I still can't believe that the Leagues would fall so low as to resort to doing something like this."
  
  "Indeed it was, and one day we shall pay them back for their tyranny." Ghetsis nodded, "But that will not be today. Unfortunately, now that the Sinnoh League has demonstrated that they are willing to make use of oppression to silence our message, I will not risk more of our members. The safety of PLASMA's members has always been my number one priority, and so I have decided that it would be best for us to remain in the safety of Unova for the time being."
  
  He nodded with a thankful expression on his face. Though inwardly, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he doubted the man cared at all for their wellbeing.
  
  "However, as for you - your bravery and quick-thinking has not gone unnoticed." Ghetsis continued, "And after some discussion with the other Sages, Rood especially was very much pleased with your contributions and he has argued heavily for you to be rewarded. I agreed, and as such, you shall be now be one of Rood's personal assistants."
  
  'Perfect.' He thought to himself. That was exactly what he hoped for, as he was no longer at the bottom of the totem pole. Sure, being a 'personal assistant' to Rood was really just a fancy title more than anything, but this gave him more opportunities to work closer with the Sages, which meant that he was likely going to be in a better position to listen in on PLASMA's plans.
  
  Furthermore, he was glad to be working with Rood. Out of all Sages, Rood seemed the most genuine, though it was definitely not a very high bar to clear. But more importantly, besides Ghetsis, Rood was the closest with N. And he knew that this fact would prove extremely valuable.
  
  He made sure to thank the Sages profusely for his promotion. Then after being told to leave the room, he texted N and asked to meet up.
  
  As he waited in the corner of the cafeteria, N practically sprinted over in excitement - almost like a child.
  
  It was strange to think of N that way, as he was almost a young adult, but his wide-eyed innocence and general naivety made him act more like a child than anything else. No wonder he was being so easily moulded and manipulated by the Sages for their own ends.
  
  ...Sadly, he wasn't any different. He too would be exploiting N's innocence and their friendship.
  
  "Hilbert! You're okay!" N looked relieved at his safe return, "Even though I knew you were coming back, I feared the worst. I was scared that the authorities might try to falsely arrest you like they did with poor Zinzolin."
  
  "I'm fine, N. I even got a promotion out of all this. But thanks for looking out for me." He replied.
  
  "I heard! Rood was talking about it earlier. I guess they must have just told you." N revealed with a bright smile, "But I'm happy that you're working with Rood now. He's very nice to me. And out of all the Sages, I like him the best."
  
  "Yeah? Well that's good news." He said, "Honestly, I might need that after the fiasco in Sinnoh."
  
  His words caused N's smile to quickly disappear as a look of both confusion and hesitation appeared on his face. He looked like he was contemplating whether to say anything or not, but after a moment, N leaned in closer and his voice dropped to a whisper.
  
  "...What happened back in Sinnoh, Hilbert? What did we do to anger the authorities so much?" N asked, looking like he was going to explode with curiosity if he didn't answer.
  
  "I don't know either, N." He shrugged helplessly, "I guess they just have it out for us."
  
  "...Do you think the League really came up with this?" N pressed him, "I know this might sound crazy - but I keep feeling that something's not quite adding up. It's been nagging me for days now, and I can't quite seem to shake the thought."
  
  "What's bothering you?" He asked.
  
  N looked at him pleadingly, "Do you think that there might be truth to the League's accusations? You were there, so I trust your judgment. Please, be honest with me."
  
  His words caused Looker to hesitate. Did he tell N the truth, at risk of exposing himself? Or did he tout the party line and continue with the lies that Ghetsis and the others must have been feeding him in order to preserve his cover?
  
  Normally, he would choose the latter without hesitation, rationalising that it wasn't worth the risk. However, there was something in N's earnest and pleading eyes that broke through his cold rationality.
  
  This was a boy heading down a dark path because he didn't know any better. So should he not try to save him from this darkness, while he still had a chance to do so?
  
  ...Fuck it. If it was time to take a risk, it was now. Doing the right thing might not be easy, but you did them anyways. He secretly tapped on his hidden device, making sure that there were no recording devices around him before he began to speak.
  
  "Listen, N... I've seen Elite John and Elite Drake in action many times before. So when Zinzolin told me the plan was to defeat their Pokémon head on with our own, I secretly doubted just how that could possibly happen." He explained slowly and quietly, "John and Drake are many things, but no one doubts their strength. And for all of Zinzolin's many achievements and accomplishments, I didn't think he could somehow win the battle."
  
  "So it came as a huge surprise to me when I saw that Zinzolin's Pokémon were actually able to match the Elite Four's in terms of strength." He continued, "But that made me suspicious. Could a Pokémon really get that strong without any training? I started to have my doubts... and I'm ashamed to admit that those doubts may have increased when the Sinnoh League began their accusations, especially with how unnatural Zinzolin's Pokémon behaved during that battle."
  
  "...You mean to say that the Sinnoh League might be telling the truth?" N asked, horrified at the implications.
  
  "Maybe." He nodded carefully, "I don't want to think anything bad about Zinzolin and PLASMA... but the thought won't leave my mind either."
  
  He turned to look at N, "...You must be thinking the same, right?"
  
  This was it. The moment of truth. If N reported him here, then he was doomed. He was going to have to make a break for it before he could be captured by PLASMA. He already had an escape plan laid out in his mind, and he repeatedly went through it as he waited for N's reply.
  
  Outwardly, he was calm. But inwardly, he was growing increasingly anxious at the continued silence.
  
  However, he trusted in his instincts, and the growing doubt he could see in N's eyes. And he knew that his friendship with N would give him some measure of trust.
  
  So while this was a gamble, he felt like the odds were on his side.
  
  In the end, the gamble seemed to have paid off, as N gave off a short nod.
  
  "Yes, that's what I've been suspecting too." N replied slowly, "When reports of what happened arrived back here, I felt that the Sages' reaction to hearing the news was strange. My gut was telling me it was because some of them knew that it was the truth and wanted to just cover it up."
  
  N's fists clenched, "But how could we do this? How could we treat Pokémon like that while claiming to be looking out for their well-being? I know that the path to true happiness can't be easy, but do we really have to engage in these horrendous actions just to make our dream a reality? Ghetsis never tells me anything about all this, even when I've asked to be a part of the planning process in the past."
  
  N looked at him, looking truly desperate, "Tell me, Hilbert. Do you think we're doing the right thing?"
  
  He was tempted to say no, to push N completely over the edge, but he knew that he had to play this carefully. If he pushed N too far, there was no knowing what N would do as a result. The last thing he wanted was for N to go confronting Ghetsis directly and foolishly try to demand an explanation, which would expose his own actions.
  
  No, that would be going too far. He had to reel it back a bit.
  
  So he replied, "...I'm not sure, but I think it's best if we find out more before we decide. Maybe Zinzolin's actions were purely his own - that he strayed away from the righteous path of PLASMA. Maybe it's just a few bad apples that have been hiding away from the rest of PLASMA. So there's no need to come to any conclusions yet."
  
  N let out a relieved sigh, as if these were the words that he was hoping to hear, "...You're most likely right. I was probably being too paranoid about all this. Sorry, Hilbert. I know you just got back, and here I am burdening you with all this."
  
  "It's totally fine, N. I share your concerns too." He said, "But listen to me. From now on, let's pretend this conversation never happened. In the meanwhile, I'll try to help you root out any bad apples within PLASMA. I'll do my part to make sure that this organisation is as best as it could be. So leave that to me. Despite how I look, I used to be an Ace Trainer too. So I know what I'm doing. You just need to act normal."
  
  "...Okay, I trust you, Hilbert." You really shouldn't, N. And I'm sorry for betraying your trust like this. "And thanks. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you."
  
  As N turned away, he missed the pitying look that Looker gave him. Unlike almost everyone else that he had met in PLASMA, he knew that N's beliefs and ideals were genuine. He just didn't know how to break it to N that his ideals had long since been tainted.
  
  Was it better to remain an ignorant fool and bask in false ideals? Or was it better to be burdened with the harsh truth? He didn't know the answer to that one.
  
  A.N. As I wrote this, I genuinely felt bad for N. All his life he's been raised by lies, and by an abusive father figure that doesn't actually care for him. Then he makes a friend, who also turns out to be a spy. So even though Looker has good intentions here, it doesn't change the fact that his whole friendship with N is built on a lie, and just like Ghetsis, Looker's manipulating him too. Hope you enjoyed the slightly longer Interlude!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-11 - Toughing out the cold
  
  Eventually, after all the other battles had concluded, the final teams that represented the Top 8 had been finalised. They were:
  
  Me and Elesa, Karen and Iris, Lorelei and Tate/Liza, Crasher Wake and Marshal, Drake and Burgh, Janine and Flint, Flannery and Koga, and last but not least, Brock and Bertha.
  
  I was pretty surprised to see Drayden and Brawly not make it, as I thought that the Unovan Dragon specialist would have the strength necessary to make it to the Top 8. However, in their very first elimination match, they ended up being matched against Drake and Burgh, and the two Dragon specialists of Hoenn and Unova respectively duked it out to see who was the stronger trainer among them.
  
  Turns out, it was Drake - and it was a pretty convincing win for him too. That wasn't to disparage Drayden's strength; the man had already proven throughout this Tournament that his strength was more than a match for even other Elite Four members to deal with - and he was the one that had given me the most trouble in the Tournament thus far.
  
  But against Drake, he had faltered. Drake was just slightly stronger, with his Pokémon hitting harder, and he had a larger pool of Pokémon to choose from, so he and Burgh had managed to outmanoeuvre Drayden and Brawly.
  
  I had seen highlights of the battle, so I knew that Drake had made use of his Blastoise extensively as his first Pokémon to whittle down his opponents from a distance. He and Burgh made use of their superior Special Attack to force Drayden and Brawly's Pokémon to get in close, where Burgh bombarded them with status effects and Blastoise blasted them all away with Ice Beams and Dragon Pulses - while also being just too tanky to take down easily.
  
  Then when it eventually came down to Salamence vs Hydreigon, it hadn't been a fair fight at all since Blastoise was able to inflict heavy damage against Hydreigon before going down. That had allowed Salamence to completely overpower the weakened Hydreigon before also taking out Brawly's Hariyama with relative ease, securing them the win.
  
  Additionally, I had also taken the time to watch the match with Brock and Bertha against Volkner and Daisy. Even though Bertha was a member of the Elite Four, I still personally favoured Volkner and the sisters, mainly because I was more familiar with Volkner than I was with Bertha. Furthermore, I thought that with Volkner's Rotom forms that Blaine had previously told me about, he would be able to surprise Brock and Bertha and achieve a clean victory.
  
  So I was surprised to see that the reverse turned out to be true. I knew that Karen had been doing a lot of training with Brock on the side before the Tournament, and that training really showed itself in the battle. I couldn't believe that Brock and Bertha were going for stall tactics against trainers of such calibre, but it worked out and it secured them a massive advantage that they managed to convert into a win.
  
  I felt bad seeing Daisy lose. But honestly, she had nothing to be too sad about. Almost making it to the Top 8 is a worthwhile achievement.
  
  Speaking of Top 8, our next opponent in the Top 8 had already been decided. We were against Lorelei and the psychic twins.
  
  Just like us, they had also been able to maintain a perfect win rate up until this point, and looking at their previous matches they had found great success by utilising the psychic twins' large range of support moves to buff up Lorelei and allow the Ice specialist to carry the fight.
  
  Lorelei had really shown up in this Tournament, having stunned the crowd with her repeated displays of strength where she completely dominated fights with the raw power of her Ice types. And after her recent battles, more and more people were starting to think that she may have surpassed her uncle in strength.
  
  I partially agreed; Pryce's strength had long since stagnated, and the same applied to his tactics and strategies. However, when it came to the fundamentals of being an Ice specialist, there were still some aspects that I felt Pryce did slightly better than Lorelei. For example, his Ice Beams generally came out a little quicker and had a slightly more potent Freeze effect.
  
  Nevertheless, knowing that my next opponent was another member of the Indigo Elite Four only made me more excited for our upcoming fight. Especially since Lorelei was now considered by 'most' of the public to be ranked as the second strongest amongst the Indigo Elite Four.
  
  I was still ranked first. But losing here would probably change that. And I wouldn't allow that to happen.
  
  After all, I still had my own pride.
  
  Elesa was obviously readily on board with earning herself another victory. Especially since she had been thinking about her plans post-Tournament.
  
  "Seeing you run around all the time handling this and that has really made me think about what I can do to better myself back at home." She had told me, "I always felt like I was doing a lot - with my career as a fashion model and as a Gym Leader simultaneously - but compared to you, I feel a little lazy."
  
  "There's really no need to draw such comparisons." I said, "We all have different goals in life. There's nothing wrong with working at your own pace."
  
  "Maybe, but I still got inspired nonetheless." She replied, "Especially after seeing and learning more about what you did with your home city of Cerulean - transforming it from a city purely known for its contests and turning it into something far more - inspired me to try and implement one of my old plans."
  
  "You see, I've always thought that Nimbasa City should have more to do for visitors. We have so many different entertainment facilities, but there is very little to do for those who are only interesting in Pokémon battling, which is a very sizeable portion of people." She explained, "That's why I thought that it would be nice to have some kind of special battling facility built in Nimbasa, and I had previously thought about redesigning the old subway system to implement something like that, though I had put it off due to lack of funds and time."
  
  "But now.... now I think it might be something worth trying." She said, "And if I win this Tournament, then it'll be easier to convince the League to have the new facility be located at Nimbasa."
  
  I realised she must have been referring about the Battle Subway, which had yet to be built. So while I knew that the Battle Subway would eventually come into fruition regardless if she won this Tournament or not, I also hoped that I could help accelerate her plans.
  
  So with determination rushing through our veins, we once again put our heads to the grindstone as we did everything we could to prepare ourselves for the upcoming battle. We made sure to touch up on our Pokémon's training, and then it was time to fight.
  
  The morning before the battle, I had learnt from Whitney that, back at home, this battle had been the one that most of Indigo had been anticipating and were most eager to watch, as it was actually the first time that a pair of Indigo Elite Four members would be facing off against each other in the tournament.
  
  Likewise, it was also the first time that I was fighting against Lorelei, so while I was generally considered to be the favourite to win, the public was eager to see if there would be an upset happening today.
  
  As I stepped onto the field, staring down at my opponents, I would make sure that there wouldn't be.
  
  "TRAINERS! ARE YOU READY?! THE BATTLE BEGINS IN THREE!... TWO!... ONE!... FIGHT!"
  
  "Avalugg! Stick to the plan!" "Claydol, Trick Room!"
  
  "Taunt it, Ornstein!" "Galvantula, Rain Dance!"
  
  Both teams had already come up with their own battle plans beforehand and didn't hesitate to put them into action.
  
  We had expected our opponents to utilise the weather and their large arsenal of support moves to their advantage, which is why we prioritised shutting those down as quickly as possible. That was why we made use of our fastest Pokémon to start off the fight, just so we could ensure that we could fire off a Taunt and Rain Dance respectively.
  
  However, it seems like they weren't entirely relying on the Snow to win this fight, and were instead trying to win via Trick Room. The Taunt would have shut that down, but the miniscule delay of travel time that the Taunt took before it could hit allowed the Trick Room to come into effect.
  
  The space around the battlefield began to warp and twist as our Pokémon's speeds were reversed. This was terrible for the two of us, considering that both Avalugg and Claydol had now become significantly faster than our originally speedy Pokémon.
  
  And Avalugg was quick to make use of that by suddenly blitzing forwards in a light blue blur as it became so fast that it was almost like it had teleported right in front of Ornstein. But it had made a mistake - it had underestimated Ornstein's natural reaction speed and close quarters prowess, even when affected by a Trick Room. So as the Avalugg tried to bite down with a Strong Jaw boosted Ice Fang, Ornstein had already prepared an Obstruct that completely blocked the attack while also sharply lowering Avalugg's Defenses.
  
  After all, the Trick Room had no effect on Ornstein's ingrained skills and techniques.
  
  Realising its mistake, Avalugg rapidly backpedalled out of the way of a retaliatory Brick Break and switched targets to Galvantula. The Avalugg rushed down Galvantula with incredible speed, and as it lacked the reaction speeds that Ornstein had, it failed to block the attack in time.
  
  The subsequent Ice Fang bit down hard, causing Galvantula to let out a pained cry as it flinched.
  
  To make matters worse, an avalanche of rocks crashed down from above onto the flinching Galvantula as Claydol fired off an Ancient Power from all the way in the back.
  
  Meanwhile, due to the Trick Room, Ornstein wasn't able to catch up to either of his opponents. Even Avalugg, which was basically forced to attack at close range, was rushing around the arena so quickly that even I had a difficult time trying to track it with my eyes.
  
  I frowned; this Trick Room was really causing us a lot of issues. Our biggest advantage had become our greatest weakness, and I fully recognised that it was only a matter of time before both of our Pokémon were taken out.
  
  So I knew I had to switch. Fortunately, I had just the Pokémon to deal with the Trick Room.
  
  "Come back, Ornstein. GO! SMOUGH! GET THE CLAYDOL!"
  
  Having my Pokémon's strengths and tactics repeatedly drilled into her, Elesa quickly understood what I was going for and what she needed to do. Therefore, as Smough instantly blitzed down Claydol as he made use of the Trick Room to skyrocket his own speeds to ridiculous levels, Galvantula abandoned any attempt to fight back as it went fully on the defensive - doing everything it can to stay alive in the fight.
  
  Galvantula also learned to make use of the natural rebound force from Volt Switch to bounce itself away from Avalugg, making more space for itself and therefore buying more time. Discharges and Thunder Waves were also used extensively as deterrents.
  
  Of course, this was by no means enough to stop Avalugg for any longer than a couple seconds or so. But that was all the time that Smough needed to absolutely pummel the Claydol into the ground.
  
  Thanks to the earlier Taunt, Claydol was completely denied access to its formidable arsenal of support and status moves. Therefore, because it was unable to Teleport away or set up a Reflect screen, Claydol's only recourse was to try to fend off Smough's relentless assault with Psychics and Earth Powers.
  
  Needless to say, those attacks might as well have bounced off of Smough for all the pitiful damage that they did.
  
  And because of that, Claydol could do little else as Smough utterly brutalised with mighty swings of his fists. He smashed down again and again with a ruthless barrage of savage Ice Punches and Crunches. Claydol's desperate attempts to push it off amounted to nothing, as Smough completely overpowered it.
  
  Thus, in what was likely a moment of panic in seeing their Claydol getting beat down like this, the twins hastily made an attempt to switch out their Claydol before it could be completely taken out.
  
  Unfortunately for them, Smough refused to let it go. As the red beam of light tried to extract Claydol from the battle, Smough roared forwards in a flash of darkness, relentlessly chasing after his prey with a Pursuit, and ripped away any chance of retreat from Claydol as it was mercilessly tackled by a surging Smough back to the ground.
  
  And with it denied its final chance of escaping the battle, Claydol was soon taken out by another few Ice Punches from Smough.
  
  The twins looked momentarily taken aback by their Claydol's swift defeat, but they quickly regained their focus and sent out a fresh Lunatone in its place.
  
  The Lunatone wasted no time as it immediately replaced the earlier Rain by setting up the Snow. Knowing that Smough was still yet to be proficient with weather moves, I doubted that Smough would be able to win the weather war alone against a specialised support in Lunatone. So I didn't bother with that, instead I was going to have Smough do what he did best.
  
  "BREAK IT, SMOUGH! SHATTER IT WITH YOUR FISTS!"
  
  "SNORLAXXX!" And Smough's roar of approval told me everything I needed to know.
  
  Unfortunately, on the other side of the battle, the removal of the Rain served as the death knell for Galvantula. Without the Rain, its Electric type moves were much less of a threat to Avalugg, and Galvantula soon fell to a now empowered Ice Fang from it.
  
  However, thanks to our research, I also knew that the Snow wasn't as big of a benefit for Avalugg as it was for Lorelei's other Ice types. The Snow boosted the chance of a Pokémon being frozen by Ice attacks, but Avalugg was not a Pokémon that relied on Freeze to secure knockouts. Instead, it relied on its own raw power, much like my bruisers did. So the Snow wasn't nearly as beneficial.
  
  Therefore, it should be fine to leave the Snow up for the time being.
  
  With that in mind, Galvantula's defeat allowed Elesa to send out her own slow Electric type - her Eelektross. And now with two Pokémon that were equally as slow, if not slower, than our opponent's Pokémon, that meant that we were able to make use of this Trick Room for our own benefit.
  
  Meanwhile, recognising that Smough planned to take out Lunatone to turn this battle into a 2v1, Avalugg moved quickly to intercept and slammed right into Smough with a full Iron Head. But Smough had caught the incoming charge with his hands, and the two of them quickly descended into a chaotic brawl.
  
  Iron Heads smashed against each other. Hammer Arms were blocked, delivered, and parried with equal speed. Ice Fangs met against Fire Punches. Stone Edges were tanked through. A roar of dominance was quickly silenced as a fist smashed into another's face. An attempt to back away to make more distance was cut off as they slammed into each other with a Body Slam.
  
  Thanks to the Trick Room, both of their attacks came far quicker than you would expect from Pokémon of their size and stature. It was almost an amusing sight - two Pokémon known for being one of the slowest amongst all Pokémon species were suddenly fighting against each other while being almost so fast that it got disorientating.
  
  At one point, the two of were moving so fast that you couldn't even see their arms - they were nothing more than blurs.
  
  Yet thanks to the Thick Fat ability, even with Avalugg's greater Defense over Smough, Smough was slowly but surely gaining the advantage. Not only that, but Smough actually fought more skilfully than Avalugg.
  
  This was something that I had noticed when studying Lorelei's previous battles where she utilised the defensive Ice type. Most of her training had revolved around shoring up Avalugg's critical weaknesses - its extremely poor Special Defenses, and its quadruple weakness to both Steel and Fighting attacks.
  
  However, due to a lack of time, what Lorelei hadn't been specifically focusing on was improving Avalugg's close quarter techniques, since it wasn't an urgent priority. That might have been the correct decision for 99% of battles, but Smough was the 1% exception.
  
  Therefore, if you combined that with the fact that I had trained up Smough for far longer than she had with Avalugg, there was a noticeable gap in their techniques, with Smough being the superior fighter.
  
  So even though Avalugg was supposed to be Lorelei's greatest defensive Pokémon, and her hardiest physical attacker, it still found itself outmatched against the unrelenting might of Smough. As a result, Avalugg found itself slowly losing ground as its injuries slowly began to build up.
  
  While this was all happening, both Lunatone and Eelektross were doing their best to intercede in the fight while stopping the other from doing the same. The problem was, neither Pokémon knew Taunt, so the only real way to stop the other from making use of support moves to assist in the brawl was to force them to focus on themselves instead.
  
  That meant that another, separate, 1v1 had taken place between them. And the attacks came flying.
  
  Eelektross was doing its utmost to not give any room for Lunatone to breathe as it furiously bombarded it with an endless barrage of Thunderbolts. Lunatone had been forced to set up a Light Screen to block some of the incoming damage, but even then it wasn't enough and it was forced to take evasive manoeuvres.
  
  Eelektross was the most Specially powerful of Elesa's Electric types - and it showed.
  
  There were attempts by Lunatone to try and put Eelektross to sleep with a Hypnosis, but because of the Trick Room, Eelektross was actually able to dodge out of the way with its speed. Furthermore, I noticed that despite being one of the twins' starter, Lunatone was not as aggressive or as powerful as other Psychic type specialists I had fought against. It was clearly relegated to more of a supporting role, and that meant the power of its attacks were a little lacking.
  
  And then the Trick Room came to an end.
  
  Instantly, the dynamics of the entire fight shifted. The brawl between Smough and Avalugg slowed to a crawl as both Pokémon lost all of their warped speed from the Trick Room.
  
  However, while Smough had done a lot of speed training thanks to his spars against much faster Pokémon like Ornstein, the same could not be said about Avalugg - who I suspected had not done much speed training against opposing physical attackers that fought like Smough, since no such Pokémon existed on Lorelei's team. Her team primarily consisted of Special Attackers, after all.
  
  Therefore, the loss of the Trick Room only made it even more advantageous for Smough, who was now using its superior speed to outmanoeuvre and punish the attacks from Avalugg, parrying them and retaliating with crushing Hammer Arms of his own.
  
  Yet the same happened with the battle between Eelektross and Lunatone. Now that Eelektross was slower, Lunatone began to have more space to start interfering with the brawl between Smough and Avalugg, and was able to Skill Swap away the Thick Fat from Smough and replace it with the far more useless Levitate.
  
  Likewise, it tried to set up with Reflects to help shield Avalugg, but those were immediately broken by a Brick Break. So instead, Lunatone did its best to cripple Smough with a Hypnosis, shooting one off whenever Eelektross was in-between attacks.
  
  But it was Eelektross that landed the big hit first against Avalugg. Taking advantage of Lunatone's and Avalugg's distracted state, it had fired off a powerful Flash Cannon that struck Avalugg in the side while it was busy fighting against Smough.
  
  The quadruply supereffective attack ripped through Avalugg's pitiful Special Defenses. And with Avalugg already being greatly injured from its brawl against Smough, the Flash Cannon instantly knocked it out of the fight.
  
  Seeing this, Lorelei wasted no time in sending out her final Pokémon - her starter Lapras. Worse, within half a second of it being sent out, it immediately began to form a massive Blizzard right on top of Smough.
  
  He was given absolutely no time to dodge as he was instantly trapped within the vortex of freezing winds. Without Thick Fat, and with the Snow in place, he rapidly began to freeze over.
  
  I was about to shout something out of instinct, but something in my gut held me back. My veteran instincts as a trainer told me that the next few moments was going to decide this fight. I was going to have to be extremely careful about what I did next.
  
  My mind ran the calculations, and I ruthlessly realised that Smough was useless in the upcoming fight against Lapras. With the Trick Room down, his slow speed was a liability. He had to go, and because I was out of switches, it was better to retire him from the fight.
  
  Ornstein had to be the one to win this for me.
  
  So I quickly shouted to Elesa, "CHANGE IT TO THE SUN, NOW!"
  
  Right after that, I made my own declaration, "I'M RETIRING MY SNORAX FROM THE FIGHT! GO, ORNSTEIN!"
  
  "Sunny Day, Eelektross!"
  
  "STOP IT, LUNATONE! HYPNOSIS!"
  
  Also realising how urgent this situation was, Eelektross dropped everything it was doing as it fired off a beam of light into the sky, turning the Snow into Sun literal milliseconds before it was put to sleep by the Hypnosis. But it had been more than worth it.
  
  Lorelei's Pokémon could not be allowed to fight in the Snow. That was just a loss waiting to happen.
  
  So as the Sun began to shine on the battlefield, Ornstein emerged from his Pokéball and instantly fired off a Taunt at both Lapras and Lunatone, denying them both the ability to set up the Snow again. Then, using his incredible speed, he blitzed down Lunatone before Lapras could catch it with an Ice Beam.
  
  Lunatone instinctively fired off a Psychic against Ornstein, but it was completely ineffective and Ornstein ruthlessly delivered a critical Night Slash that sliced deep into its side. Given that Lunatone was already injured from the fight against Eelektross, and with its poor Defense, it only took one more Night Slash for it to go down - leaving the fight as a 2v1.
  
  Lapras did its best to knock out Eelektross before it could wake up, but Ornstein stifled those plans as he unleashed a piercingly loud Screech at Lapras - with it being so loud that it also managed to rip Eelektross out of its forcefully-induced sleep.
  
  Now the fight now a proper 2v1. Not only that, with Lapras Taunted and the Sun up, Lorelei's starter was not only unable to make use of its arsenal of support moves, but all of its Water moves had their power cut in half because of the Sun.
  
  We did literally everything we could to close out this battle as cleanly as possible. Eelektross had paralysed it with a Thunder Wave, while Ornstein kept his distance and threw out repeated Scary Faces to slow down Lapras even further until it was cripplingly slow.
  
  And then, it was just a matter of protecting Eelektross while it bombarded Lapras down from a distance with supereffective Thunderbolts. With all these disadvantages arrayed against it, there was nothing Lapras could do.
  
  Eventually, it could stand up to our attacks no longer, and it fell.
  
  It was easily the hardest battle that we had to face so far in the Tournament - but victory was ours.
  
  A.N. I never had John fight against Lorelei, and while this was a 2v2, I felt like this was a good demonstration of what that fight would be like. I wanted to also show that Lorelei is more than just a one-trick pony with her Ice types, and her Avalugg is almost able to stand up to the likes of Smough. It's just unfortunate for her that her Trick Room strategy was not effective because John's bruisers are also so slow as well.
  
  Yet, I also wanted to highlight that even with all of John's strength, it was his quick thinking and decisive actions that saved this fight. The fight was closer than it seemed. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-12 - Intermission
  
  (Iris POV)
  
  Before Unova stumbled across the New Regions, she had thought that the greatest Dragon specialist and trainer to be her teacher and master, Drayden. In her eyes, he was everything that a Dragon specialist needed to be - strong, unyielding, and absolutely ferocious. Because of this, she thought that Drayden was easily the strongest among the Unova Elite Four.
  
  However, with the introduction of the New Regions and all of their trainers and Pokémon, she had come to realise just how large the wider world truly was. Plus, she had come to realise that there were other contenders for the throne of 'strongest Dragon specialist' - namely Lance and Drake, the latter who also managed to beat Drayden in his previous fight as well.
  
  She had hoped that she would get an opportunity to fight against Drayden, for her to have the opportunity to show off everything she had learned and how much she had grown. But with the defeat of her mentor, she was denied that opportunity. Yet that was almost a blessing in disguise, as Karen had explained that Drake was widely considered to be the best Dragon and Water specialist in the world right now, excluding Champion Lance and Ex-Champion Wallace respectively.
  
  Which was why she was understandably nervous since Drake and Burgh were their next opponents.
  
  As Karen had put it, "Before his friendship with John, Drake was already considered to be the strongest amongst the Hoenn Elite Four. And after everything he has accomplished alongside John over the past few years, his reputation has only grown even more impressive. His Dragons were able to stand against Palkia and survive - so you would be a mad fool to look down on his strength now."
  
  "Do you think I'm stronger than him?" She had asked Karen.
  
  But Karen just shook her head, "I won't lie to you. You are not. If you were to fight 1v1 right now, you would not win. Drake is just too strong for you right now."
  
  She looked down at that, but Karen wasn't done yet, "Don't worry too much. Remember, this is a 2v2 fight - so you will have me to support you. You won't have to deal with Drake by himself, and I'm very familiar with how he fights. I'll be able to come up with something to just even the odds, so just trust me and fight at your very best."
  
  That gave her a surge of conviction that she had carried into the arena during the day of the battle. There were many things on the line for her. Not only was her tournament run on the line, but also her pride as a Dragon specialist.
  
  Yes, she acknowledged that Drake was stronger than her, especially after watching recordings of his past battles. But she wouldn't allow herself to be squashed like a Bug. Even if she was overpowered, her pride as a Dragon specialist demanded that she at least put up a good fight before going down.
  
  She wouldn't accept anything less.
  
  But as they walked into the arena, getting into position for the battle, she had something she had to say to Karen first.
  
  She tapped her partner on the arm, "Karen? No matter if we win or lose this battle, thank you for being so helpful and encouraging. Thanks to you, I really felt myself improving a lot during these last few weeks. And I don't think I could have adapted to all these new changes without you."
  
  Karen really had helped her so much; it was almost impossible to list out the things that she had done for her. Not only did she help her catch a few new Dragons in Horsea and Vibrava, but she had spent so much time teaching her all about the many common threats that Dragon types would often run into.
  
  For example, Karen had once spent an entire evening with her, after already spending a full morning and afternoon training with her, just to run through how best to counter and fight around the new Fairy types.
  
  So it was safe to say, without Karen, she would have been a lot more lost than she was now.
  
  "Aww... you don't have to say that." Karen smiled down at her, "You know I was just happy to help. But you can save those sentiments for later - we aren't about to lose this match. You aren't the only one that has a lot to gain if you beat Drake. Don't forget that you aren't the only ambitious person on this team."
  
  Before she got a chance to ask Karen to elaborate, the crowd's booming roar silenced those thoughts and served as a reminder for the battle to come. So she threw all those thoughts aside and focused on the battle ahead, running through their preparations in her mind one final time.
  
  Karen really had meticulously planned out the battle ahead, and now was just a matter of executing the plan.
  
  Eventually, all of the trainers had taken up their respective positions, and she looked forwards to see Drake grinning at the two of them. In her eyes, Drake's excited smile and bloodthirsty eyes made it seem like he was trying to Intimidate her. She didn't let him get to her though, and she held strong as she threw out her first Pokémon.
  
  "FIGHT, HYDREIGON!" "Spiritomb, disrupt them."
  
  "Break them! Go, Kingdra!" "Go forth, Accelgor."
  
  As both of their Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, she saw that both Drake and Burgh were giving Karen's Spiritomb strange looks - just as they hoped for. Even though her Hydreigon was technically the more threatening Pokémon, Karen was confident that their unfamiliarity with fighting against Spiritomb would give them an advantage.
  
  Karen had explained that there were likely less than two digits of trainers in the entire world that even had a Spiritomb, and certainly none had one as powerful as hers or Agatha's.
  
  And they were going to exploit this lack of knowledge.
  
  The fight began, and Kingdra immediately took on a firing position in the far back while Accelgor zipped forwards with its tremendous speed and began to circle around her own Hydreigon. However, instead of having her Hydreigon target the Accelgor, she instead ordered it to focus all of its attention onto Kingdra - as she fully trusted Karen's Spiritomb to be able to deal with the nimble Bug type.
  
  And indeed it did. Despite its incredible speed, Accelgor found itself surprised when a trio of spectral claws suddenly tore out of the ground and formed a cage around the Bug type. A quick Bug Buzz was able to break through one of the claws, but that didn't stop the others from slashing down with a duo of vicious Shadow Claws while a Taunt slammed into it at the same time.
  
  Moreover, just like so many of their other opponents before it, Karen's Taunts were so potent that Accelgor found itself unable to resist its effects. Therefore, instead of focusing on its original target, Accelgor momentarily lost all sense of rationality as it recklessly charged forwards towards Spiritomb's 'main body' while releasing a repeating stream of Bug Buzzes around itself.
  
  Unfortunately for Burgh's Accelgor, all it was doing was charging headfirst into a trap. In its maddened state, it was too blinded by rage to notice the massive Dark Pulse trap that it was about to run into.
  
  The resulting explosion of darkness engulfed the frail Accelgor, sending it flying through the air and crashing into the ground - right as a Rock Tomb crashed down on top of it.
  
  Barely ten seconds had gone by in the fight, and Accelgor was almost knocked out already.
  
  Safe to say, right now, Burgh was being completely outclassed.
  
  ...And the same could be said for her, because even as powerful as her Hydreigon was (in her eyes), Kingdra outmatched it in every way.
  
  The whole point of her strategy was for Hydreigon to distract Kingdra while Spiritomb dealt with Accelgor. So while the latter was definitely going well, she was really struggling to handle the former.
  
  In a Special Attack duel between her Hydreigon and Kingdra, the latter was easily winning. Kingdra's attacks just came out stronger, as each one of its Ice Beams and Dragon Pulses were able to disintegrate every one of her Hydreigon's attacks.
  
  Only her Thunderbolts were really able to break through, and that was solely because they came from above rather than from the front.
  
  Therefore, every single attack from Kingdra proved to be an existential threat for her own Hydreigon. If her Hydreigon stood still for even a single moment, then it risked being knocked out of the fight entirely from Kingdra's sheer firepower alone. And this was her Hydreigon - the Pokémon that many saw as the most powerful Special Attacker in all of Unova - being completely overpowered by the Kingdra.
  
  Even having three different heads wasn't enough to match against Kingdra's singular one.
  
  What was worse was that she had to keep up the offensive, as her Hydreigon needed to keep Kingdra busy while Spiritomb dealt with Accelgor. That meant that it couldn't just focus on dodging or playing defensive, Hydreigon needed to try and fight back - even at huge risk to itself. Which meant that every once in a while her Hydreigon would get blasted by a devastating Ice Beam or Dragon Pulse that caused all three heads to growl out in pain.
  
  And as the battle went on, and her Hydreigon's injuries began to rapidly build up, that only caused it to grow even weaker, allowing Kingdra to dominate it further and further.
  
  ...It hurt, seeing her Pokémon so outmatched like this. She wasn't used to this. But she understood what Karen had meant now - she would have never stood a chance against Drake alone.
  
  Fortunately, her Hydreigon was saved by Accelgor going down first.
  
  Having been already severely injured by the Dark Pulse trap and also slowed down by the Rock Tomb and Icy Wind that came its way, Accelgor had lost every advantage that it had over Spiritomb.
  
  So naturally, Burgh had realised his mistake and tried to reposition Accelgor to the back so that it could help gang up on Hydreigon first. But Burgh had yet to realise that his Accelgor had been doomed the moment he had allowed his Accelgor to get Taunted by Spiritomb, as before it could make its retreat, Spiritomb suddenly burst forth from within the Bug's shadow and smashed into it with a surprise Phantom Force.
  
  Thanks to the Taunt, Accelgor couldn't even throw up a Protect shield, and instead tried to block the attack by instinctively releasing a point blank Bug Buzz - which the Phantom Force easily shattered through as Spiritomb came smashing into Accelgor.
  
  Accelgor collapsed to the ground once again, only to immediately get hit by a Hypnosis that instantly put it to sleep. What little remained of the frail Accelgor's health was subsequently ripped out of it by repeated Dream Eaters that swiftly knocked out the Bug type.
  
  Hardly a minute into the fight, and Burgh had lost his first Pokémon just like that. And truthfully, it wasn't even a fight. It was merely a stomp.
  
  She caught the deep frown and frustration that formed on Burgh's face as he watched his Pokémon go down. She had come to learn that feeling frustrated when fighting against Karen was a pretty common phenomenon.
  
  There was something about losing against a Dark specialist that really rubbed people the wrong way.
  
  And so, when Burgh sent out his final Pokémon, an Escavalier, she could tell that he wasn't happy about it.
  
  His Escavalier was the complete opposite to his Accelgor. A Pokémon that was incredibly defensive that also boasted a very powerful physical attack, and was rightfully recognised as Burgh's strongest Pokémon. Yet it had a crippling weakness, as it was also awfully slow. Without the aid of any boosts or Trick Room, his Escavalier was quite dependent on its foes running into it to be an actual threat.
  
  ...Which was why Burgh's choice to make use of it was odd. A slow and bulky Pokémon was not good against Spiritomb, who could easily run circles around it while slowly disabling it. So why did Burgh choose to send it out when he had other more mobile options? Or was it a mistake?
  
  Then a bellowing shout instantly snapped her out of her introspection.
  
  "ENOUGH OF THIS, KINGDRA! NO MORE PLAYING WITH YOUR FOOD - DRACO METEOR!"
  
  Her eyes shot open wide as the sky began to darken. Blue orbs of pure draconic might began to form in the air, radiating out so much power that it distorted the very air around them. The battle almost paused as all of the participants braced themselves for the incoming attack - forced to respect the apocalyptic rain heading their way.
  
  This was the pinnacle of what it meant to be a Dragon specialist. To be able to wield such almighty, unmitigated, and indiscriminate destruction.
  
  Even though she immediately ordered her Hydreigon to dedicate every last bit of energy it could to form a Protect shield, she knew it wouldn't be enough. Drake had already demonstrated the sheer destructive power of this attack multiple times in his previous battles. Her Hydreigon would not survive.
  
  ...And as Draco Meteor made impact, the resulting earth-shaking detonation very much proved her point.
  
  As she waited for the dust to clear, she wondered why Drake hadn't used this move from the very beginning. Was it because he didn't want to use such a taxing move so early on? In fear that it would drain Kingdra of most of its energy right at the beginning?
  
  She didn't know the answer to that. But she certainly knew the result of his Draco Meteor.
  
  Just like she predicted, much like most of the arena, her Hydreigon had been completely wiped out by the attack. Karen's Spiritomb was doing little better, as even with all of its defensive moves and natural bulk, it was not able to get out of that attack unscathed. Even Burgh's Escavalier was now sporting a few cuts and scrapes.
  
  Yet such a powerful attack did not come without consequences, and Kingdra was now drooping with exhaustion after unleashing such an immensely powerful attack. So she quickly sent out her Haxorus and went on the offensive.
  
  "Dragon Rush, Haxorus! Bring down that Kingdra!"
  
  Her Haxorus surrounded itself with a burning blue aura as it instantly charged forwards. Escavalier made an attempt to intercept, but Spiritomb forced it out of the way by redirecting its attention towards itself with a Taunt into Will-O-Wisp.
  
  However, even as tired as it was, Kingdra's attacks were no less powerful. Therefore, her Haxorus was forced to dash out of the way of the incoming Dragon Pulse, while another Ice Beam nearly landed a glancing blow against it that her Haxorus narrowly dodged away from.
  
  While this was all happening, much like she had predicted earlier, Escavalier was being subjected to the same treatment as Accelgor was. A seemingly unending army of ghosts hounded Escavalier from all directions, never allowing it any opportunity to interfere in the fight between Haxorus and Kingdra.
  
  Escavalier had resorted to making use of wide-area attacks like Earthquake to try and disperse the many ghosts, but the effectiveness of its Attacks were cut in half by the Burn that it had already been inflicted with.
  
  Better yet, while Escavalier was kept completely occupied by Spiritomb, the Ghost type was still able to send a few of its individual ghosts to help out with the fight against Kingdra.
  
  So thanks to a well-timed volley of Shadow Balls from Spiritomb, that distracted Kingdra for long enough for her Haxorus to finally come slamming into Kingdra with its full strength behind it.
  
  The first Dragon Rush was blocked by a Protect shield, but Kingdra couldn't stop the follow-up Dragon Claws from eviscerating it at close range. Kingdra made a valiant effort of trying to headbutt Haxorus away with an Iron Head to make distance, but its unfamiliarity and poor technique meant that Haxorus easily blocked the Iron Head with a raised claw before continuing to rip into it with vicious Dragon Claws.
  
  At close range like this, it was Kingdra's turn to be outmatched, and it soon fell to Haxorus' unrelenting assault.
  
  Kingdra was quickly recalled from the battlefield, only to be replaced with the Pokémon that everyone knew was going to come out next.
  
  The almighty Dragon made its appearance, signalling its arrival in the fight with a thunderous roar that demanded respect.
  
  "SALAMENCEEEEE!"
  
  Without giving them any time to react, Salamence swooped forwards, completely ignoring Haxorus as it chased down the bigger threat.
  
  It slammed down in the middle of Spiritomb's sea of souls, and the singular Earthquake instantly managed to dispel dozens of ghosts at once - dealing incredible damage against Spiritomb. Then, as Spiritomb was still disoriented and heavily vulnerable from so many of its spirits fainting at once, a radiating blue beam of pure draconic power incinerated Spiritomb's main body.
  
  For all of its trickiness, Spiritomb could do nothing as it was completely annihilated by that devastating Dragon Pulse from Salamence. The blue ray of death rapidly eradicated its health, and it couldn't even get off a Destiny Bond before going down.
  
  In mere seconds, the Pokémon that Burgh had struggled so hard to take down had been knocked out just like that.
  
  And now, with Karen's Spiritomb knocked out of the fight, during the brief moment as Karen swapped out her Pokémon, that meant Salamence only had one target in its sights - her own Haxorus. Letting out a ferocious and thunderous roar, Salamence exploded in an Outrage and charged at her Haxorus, with fiery wrath burning in its eyes.
  
  Knowing what was about to come, she quickly gave an order.
  
  "OUTRAGE, HAXORUS! NOW!"
  
  Her Haxorus was just about able to flare out with an Outrage of its own just as the Salamence came slamming into it like a cannon. Haxorus let out a grunt of exertion, its feet digging deeply into the ground, as it did its best to hold out against Salamence's overwhelming might.
  
  For a brief moment, her Haxorus had unleashed all of its strength - putting every last drop of its energy, technique, and willpower into fending off Salamence's assault - and was just barely able to withstand against the mightiest Dragon of Hoenn. Even a Dragon Claw from Salamence was narrowly blocked by her Haxorus, who tried to match it with one of its own.
  
  The ground itself was howling in pain as the sheer shockwaves coming out from Salamence's moves were enough to cause the ground around them to slowly crack and shatter apart.
  
  Though this burst of strength from Haxorus couldn't last much longer, the very fact that it was able to even buy any amount of time against Salamence was already admirable enough.
  
  It was proof that her presence in this battle was not as useless as she first thought.
  
  It proved that she had the potential to one day reach the heights, or even surpass, what Drake had achieved.
  
  Fortunately, before Haxorus' strength completely broke, another booming roar echoed throughout the battlefield as a Sandstorm was whipped up across the arena. The howling sands signalled the arrival of Karen's Tyranitar, and there was finally a Pokémon that could match up against the rampaging Dragon.
  
  An enormous field of sharp and jagged rocks impaled themselves on the distracted Salamence, causing it to roar out in pain as it dislodged itself from Haxorus. At the same time, Tyranitar shot forth a malicious combination of Taunt, Torment, and a Dark Pulse, which caused Salamence to spiral into completely irrational anger.
  
  As a result, Salamence's enraged eyes spun towards its new target as a blinding ray of light began to form within its draconic maw.
  
  "DRACO BEAM, SALAMENCE! ANNIHILATE IT!"
  
  "PROTECT NOW!"
  
  A gigantic beam of pure draconic energy split through the middle of the arena, crashing into the Protect shield that Tyranitar threw up. That very same Protect shield was quickly being eradicated as the Draco Beam proved too potent to be fully blocked against.
  
  Even Karen's mightiest Pokémon stood little chance in a pure battle of strength against Drake's Salamence. But then again, few could.
  
  Trying to help out its ally, Haxorus tried to interrupt the attack with by unleashing a Stone Edge right from underneath Salamence, but Escavalier had finally managed to join the battle and intercepted Haxorus with an Iron Head.
  
  But Burned as it was, Escavalier's Iron Head didn't do much damage to Haxorus, and her Dragon was able to Counter it and force it away with a Brick Break, making distance between the two.
  
  A follow-up Focus Blast made sure Escavalier couldn't catch back up again. Especially now with its incredibly slow speed.
  
  Meanwhile, the Draco Beam had finally petered out, and Tyranitar immediately fell to its knees as it let out slow and painful breaths. Even with its high defenses and reinforced Protect shield, the Draco Beam still managed to do considerable damage against Tyranitar.
  
  But Tyranitar hadn't just stayed on the defensive. While it was being blasted by the Draco Beam, it had fired off the occasional Dark Pulse that were absorbed into Salamence.
  
  Each time that happened, the continued build-up of Dark Energy was only amplifying the effects of the earlier Taunt and Torment, which had now heavily deteriorated Salamence's mental state, tearing away much of its mental discipline and focus.
  
  It would take an incredible amount of mental discipline to be able to resist such effects, and for all of its monstrous strength, this was not something that Salamence possessed. Especially not when it had used Outrage, which only made it even more susceptible to mental influences.
  
  Because of this, as the Draco Beam subsided, Salamence had all but lost itself to its rage. It wasn't capable of heeding the commands of its trainer as it simply began to rampage uncontrollably, attacking ferociously at whatever target it deemed closest.
  
  Not expecting its partner to suddenly rampage like that, the shockwaves from one of Salamence's Earthquakes knocked Escavalier to the ground, right into a quadruply supereffective Flamethrower from Tyranitar. The torrent of flames fully engulfed the Escavalier, thoroughly incinerating it.
  
  Her own Haxorus added salt onto the wound as it unleashed its own Earthquake, tripping up the scorched Escavalier with wave after wave of explosive tremors and sending it tumbling to the ground.
  
  A second burst of flames managed to knock it out.
  
  And all that was left was the single most powerful rampaging Dragon she had ever faced off against in her life. Even in its current state, she knew that many of the Unova Gym Leaders, including herself, would seriously struggle to take it down without their Pokémon getting utterly annihilated by its furious wrath.
  
  Yet, Karen was an expert at taking down such a threat.
  
  First, she didn't make the mistake of having Tyranitar get in close against Salamence, knowing that even in this state Tyranitar would never win in a close-range engagement. Therefore, her Tyranitar fought like a Special Attacker as it sent out volley after volley of Icy Winds that greatly slowed down Salamence while also doing quadruply supereffective damage.
  
  A subsequent Thunder Wave also paralysed the raging Dragon.
  
  Meanwhile, her Haxorus did the same, staying far back and blasting Salamence with repeated Dragon Pulses that slowly wore it down from a distance.
  
  But even then, even with all these status effects inflicted upon it, Salamence was far from out of the fight. It charged back in, shrugging off the entire minefield of sharp rocks that impaled themselves into it as it rushed through, and broke past Haxorus' guard as it eviscerated her Dragon with a savage Dragon Claw.
  
  Her Haxorus fell to the ground in pain, but thanks to the Torment, Haxorus was barely able to scramble out of the way before the follow-up Dragon Pulse only managed to land a glancing blow on it.
  
  But Salamence was unrelenting, and proceeded to slam their heads together with a brutal Iron Head that caused her Haxorus to flinch. Tyranitar tried to stop it as a storm of rocks erupted out from below Salamence while Ice Beams blasted it from the side, but the Dragon had long gone past the point of feeling pain as it continued its single-minded onslaught against Haxorus.
  
  Her Haxorus managed to hold on for a few more blows, but that was all. Salamence was truly too powerful for her starter to contend with. The difference in strength was just far too overwhelming.
  
  And now there were two. It was Tyranitar versus Salamence. And for a brief moment, it almost looked like Salamence's last stand would be able to make a complete reversal of the fight.
  
  However, to her immense relief, that didn't happen. By this point of the battle, Salamence had taken way too many hits and was severely injured. Not only was it slowed down significantly, it was also paralysed, and visible signs of frost had spread across most of its wingspan.
  
  It was clearly running on anger and rage alone.
  
  The smart play would be for Salamence to fly high into the air and start healing up with a Rest or a Roost, but lost as it was to its own anger, it could only resort to following through on its base instincts.
  
  Which was to rush towards Tyranitar with a Dragon Rush.
  
  Unfortunately for Salamence, Tyranitar easily punished this predictable move by firing off a massive Ice Beam that shattered its charge. At the same time, dark-infused rocks once again erupted out from below, impaling and trapping Salamence on the spot.
  
  Then, as if to add insult to injury, a Mud Slap blinded Salamence, making it completely unable to see where it was going. Karen really was taking no chances.
  
  With that, it was only a matter of time before Salamence eventually fell to a final Stone Edge that brought it down. Its spirit might still be going strong, but its body lied broken.
  
  Drake had lost. It was their victory.
  
  ...But even though she had won, she didn't feel like the victor. Instead, she merely stared at Salamence's unconscious form and bowed her head in deep respect to the Dragon.
  
  Because in her eyes, Salamence had been the victor. For even in defeat, it had shown the world that, at least in Hoenn, it truly had no equal. It was almost able to 2v1 the entire fight.
  
  She wished her Dragons could become that strong, one day.
  
  She wanted to have the strength of a Champion.
  
  (Janine POV)
  
  Even though she tried her best to remain stoic and calm, she was anything but. Her fists remained tightly clenched as she anxiously stared at the battle.
  
  Just like she had requested, her own starter Crobat was now duelling against her father's own while the other two Fire specialists also kept to themselves. It was a battle of skill, agility, and power - the three things most Poison specialists desire in their own Pokémon. Therefore, this battle served as a test for just how far she had managed to come as a Poison specialist, and whether all of her training over the past few years had allowed her to narrow the gap between herself and her father.
  
  Of course, her father's Crobat was superior to hers in all of the three core aspects. Yet, thanks to all of the training she had been doing with Whitney and her overpowered Miltank, the difference in raw power between their Pokémon was not as wide as one would usually expect. Furthermore, because she so frequently had to find a way to break through Miltank's high defenses, it led to her training up her Crobat's Screech to be far more potent than normal.
  
  So because her Crobat successfully landed such a debuff, the difference in strength was all but gone. Which meant that her attacks were actually dealing respectable damage against her father's - something she could have never imagined to be the case only a year ago.
  
  But even with that, as she soon realised, the outcome of their duel was set in stone from the very beginning. Her father's Crobat was just much faster and more skilled. Even though their strength was relatively equal, his Crobat was able to expertly calculate how and when to approach her own Crobat - performing a deadly series of hit-and-run attacks that hers failed to match.
  
  Yet despite this, it was not the outcome that she was most concerned about. No, it was the very fact that her Crobat had managed to hold its own against her father's for more than five whole minutes before going down.
  
  It had stood against a superior foe that outclassed it in almost every way, and it managed to fight back - not crumbling meekly before it.
  
  After the battle was over, Flint had gone off to speak with Flannery - who also managed to prove herself against a superior Fire specialist (though, in the privacy of her own mind, she felt that her own performance was better) - while she remained behind to wait for her father.
  
  Hearing the slight crinkle of the carpet, she turned around to see her father standing behind her.
  
  "It is good to see your senses have not gotten dulled." Her father said, smiling ever so slightly, "I am proud of your training, Janine."
  
  "Thank you, father." She replied dutifully, not allowing her happiness to show on her face. It wouldn't be proper, "Your words honour me greatly."
  
  Koga paused for a brief moment before gesturing towards her, "Come, walk with me. This is not a suitable place for what I want to say."
  
  Curious, but knowing that her father wasn't one to say something like this unnecessarily, she silently followed after him as they moved over to a more private location outside of the arena. Her father spoke when he was sure that they had their privacy.
  
  "You did very well today." His father praised, an arm patting her on the shoulder, "More than well. What your Pokémon showed off today surpassed my expectations. I did not expect your Crobat to be able to fly as fast or hit as hard as it did. You must have been sparring a lot with some tough opponents."
  
  "I train a lot with Whitney's Miltank." She replied.
  
  "Good. It is always important to have a rival to motivate you. It is good that you found one so early." He nodded, "Yet that is not what I wanted to say to you today. From the reports I received, I understand that you are still feeling a little unworthy of the position you now hold. However, I say this now not as a father trying to praise his daughter - but as a mentor to his student."
  
  "From what you have showed me today, I believe you are a worthy trainer to hold the title as the Gym Leader of Fuschia." He stated firmly, with a hint of pride and joy shining in his eyes, "Even if you were not my own daughter, with the training you have done and demonstrated, I would have been content to pass on the position to you anyways - knowing full well that you will one day surpass me. Therefore, even if I were to one day step down from the Elite Four for whatever reason, the Gym would still remain in your proven hands."
  
  "So congratulations, my daughter. You have grown to become someone I deem worthy of being a rival and peer."
  
  Those were the words she had always been waiting to hear - and she couldn't have felt any happier. She didn't even care that she had just been knocked out of the Tournament. This was far more important.
  
  A.N. This chapter was focused heavily on Iris and Janine; two up-and-coming trainers that are rapidly growing to become extremely capable powerhouses on their own. So I felt a chapter on both of them to provide insight into their Tournament run would be good. Furthermore, this chapter was all about showing off their growth, and laying the foundation for what they would eventually grow into. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal -16-12-Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 16-12 - Interlude - Cynthia & Misty
  
  The land that both her and John had agreed upon at Route 221 had finally been purchased, with all of the legalities sorted. The large patch of land was now theirs - free to do whatever they liked with it. Or in this case, free to build their dream house upon.
  
  As she had discussed with John, the best way of making sure that they both got what they wanted was for both of them to individually come up with a design for the house. They would list down what they wanted - such as how big should the house be, whether they wanted extra rooms for guests (or perhaps future children!), the size of the rooms, if there were any special requirements for the material that the house would be built out of, and so on and so forth.
  
  Needless to say, there was a lot to think about. But given that this was literally the part where they planned out their future together, as this was the house that they would be living together in for the foreseeable future, she naturally approached the topic with a lot of enthusiasm. And it didn't take longer than a few days before she had jotted down a rough draft of what she wanted out of their shared home.
  
  First of, she wanted the house to be big. Not something as big as a mansion, but the interior should definitely be sizeable enough to easily fit 4-6 people and a few medium-sized Pokémon should they need to.
  
  Previously, due to a lack of indoor space, their Pokémon (who were mostly all quite sizeable) weren't able to join them indoors. So she hoped that in their new house things would be different, and Pokémon like her Lucario or even her Garchomp could fit comfortably in certain areas of the house.
  
  Also, she fully preferred her house to only have two floors at maximum, though that was not including the attic and/or basement.
  
  Next, she needed the house to be built out of special reinforced material - the kind used to build Gyms, arenas, and the like. That wasn't just to protect themselves from potential attacks from their enemies, though that probably wouldn't happen, but also to shield the house from their own attacks.
  
  Given that they would likely be doing a lot of sparring against each other in the future, it'd be best to ensure that their house wouldn't be at risk of crumbling apart from a stray attack or two.
  
  There were many other things she had written down. She preferred an open kitchen, she wanted a cellar, she wanted her own separate lab for her archaeological research, she saw no reason for an expansive garden as neither of them were gardeners, and she wanted a large swimming pool just because.
  
  Overall, despite her long-list of demands and requirements that definitely bordered on the overly luxurious, she felt that she had been pretty tame with what she had written down. She knew that she definitely could have splurged on the luxury and opulence - transforming their house into a status symbol of their power and wealth.
  
  A small part of her was still tempted to do so.
  
  However, she knew both herself and John, and so she recognised that neither of them were all that materialistic to begin with. And showing off like that was only for people who wanted or needed to prove something about themselves, and thought that flaunting their wealth was the way to do so.
  
  And the both of them were far beyond the point of needing to prove themselves to anyone anymore.
  
  After proof-reading what she had written down twice-over, she finally felt satisfied with it and sent it off to John for his own thoughts. She hoped that he wouldn't find anything offensive in it, though given that he was still going strong in the Tournament, he probably wouldn't have time to deal with such matters until afterwards.
  
  Shame. She was really eager to get a start on this.
  
  (Misty POV)
  
  "You know you can still back out, right?" Violet told her gently, "If you're not comfortable living in Sinnoh without us then you don't have to say yes. I'm sure Volkner would understand - he told us not to pressure you. He even said that he won't be offended if you back out of this."
  
  "I know, but I want to do this." She insisted, "Otherwise, when can I get this chance again?"
  
  She couldn't deny that she was a little nervous and afraid. When Volkner had offered to take her up as an assistant at Sunyshore, she had been very quick to say yes - without thinking through what that would actually mean.
  
  In practice, it meant that she would have to go all the way to Sinnoh and live there by herself; without the support and aid of her ever-present sisters.
  
  Admittedly, there were times that she did find her sisters annoying to be around - with how they overly fussed over her and 'scolded' her for every little thing. The way that they tattled to Petrel whenever she misbehaved, or the way they forced her to eat certain foods or sleep at certain times.
  
  However, despite all of this, she still loved her sisters, and she would never want to be separated from them if she had the choice. But it just wouldn't be practical for one of her sisters to live with her while she was in Sunyshore, since they still had their contests and Gym to run.
  
  It wouldn't be right for one of them to have to serve as a glorified babysitter just for her.
  
  Of course, she wouldn't actually be living alone in Sinnoh, nor would she be travelling alone, as she was still too young. Someone would accompany her on her trip over, and she would be staying with one of Volkner's Gym Trainers that he greatly trusted. So she would still be looked after while in Sinnoh.
  
  Yet she would still be living a completely different life while she was there. For the first time in her life, she would be wholly independent from her sisters. She would be free from their shadows, free to craft whatever life she wanted.
  
  ...It was a scary thought, and she had gone to Drake a few days ago to ask for his opinion.
  
  "It's not my place to say whether this is a good idea or not." He had said, his voice a lot more calm and comforting than he usually acted in public, "At the end of the day, this is your decision to make. However, what I will say is this - Volkner is not only an excellent Gym Leader, but he is also a kind and caring person. I guarantee that you will not only learn a lot under him, allowing many opportunities to be opened up to you, but you will be well-looked after while you are there. Volkner will not neglect you. He's very good with taking care of children."
  
  "So yes, going to a new region and living by yourself is scary. I know. I've been there before. But being able to overcome your fears is a mark of a great trainer and leader - which I know that one day you can become." He said, "So make the decision that feels right for you. And if you need any advice or just someone to talk to, I'm always free."
  
  Drake was always so gentle and patient with her; which was so unlike his usual rough and abrasive behaviour that he showed to the rest of the world. It never failed to comfort her.
  
  So in the end, she decided to accept, and that's why she was standing at the doorway of their house, with everything packed and ready to go.
  
  Violet stared at her, as if trying to search for any falsehoods or indecision from her, before nodding. Then her expression turned soft.
  
  "...I see that you made up your mind." Her sister kneeled down and pulled her into a tight hug, "Since when did my little sister grow up so fast? Now you're already taking your first steps into the wider world... how time flies."
  
  "...Don't worry, sis. I'll make you proud." She replied a little chokingly, trying to stop her tears from forming. She was a big girl now, and big girls don't cry.
  
  But the next few words broke through her composure, "You already have."
  
  With that, they exchanged one final teary hug before she set off for Olivine. Since Violet and Lily were both needed back at the Gym, Petrel was tasked with escorting her.
  
  Yet, as she began walking away from her house, she knew she was taking the first few steps into forging her own future.
  
  A.N. I felt like having a break in-between all of the back-to-back battles, and so I wrote this chapter that focuses on the future. With Cynthia, it relates to John and their new shared home, and I deliberately wrote this chapter because I wanted to offer up the opportunity for suggestions from you guys about what other features/additions could be added into the house.
  
  As for Misty, she's FAR off her canon path now, and she's walking down a completely new road. That's going to lead to many different changes for her. So I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-13 - Interviews
  
  With our victory over Lorelei and the psychic twins secured, we had secured our final place in the Top 4, and it didn't take long for the remaining pairs to be decided.
  
  Besides us, Karen and Iris, Flannery and Koga, and Crasher Wake and Marshal had also made it to the Top 4.
  
  Incredibly, that meant that amongst the remaining teams, only Indigo and Unova had members of their Elite Four remaining in the Tournament. All of the Elite Four members from Hoenn and Sinnoh had been knocked out of the fight. In fact, the only remaining Sinnoh member was Crasher Wake, while the only remaining Hoenn member was Flannery.
  
  Furthermore, three Elite Four members from Indigo were somehow still in the fight. I didn't think that had anything to do with the other regions being weak, or that this was somehow a sign that Indigo was the most powerful region amongst everyone. I personally just felt that there was a whole lot of luck involved, mostly due to the matchups that were randomly assigned to us.
  
  Of course, I knew that this likely wasn't going to be what the public would think. They would probably try to make this out as some kind of sign that Indigo was superior to the other regions. It wasn't.
  
  Speaking of the previous battles, I had been heavily rooting for Brock (and I'm sure Karen had been doing the same) for him to win against Crasher Wake and Marshal. However, he was unfortunately unable to clinch the victory, as Marshal's Pokémon were just a little too strong. Not only that, but Marshal and Wake didn't fall into any of the traps that Brock and Bertha had tried to set up.
  
  Bertha made a valiant attempt to salvage the fight by utilising the raw defensive prowess of her Pokémon - to the point where even Crasher Wake, with his type advantage, still struggled to break through her team - but it wasn't enough in the end. Brock had gone down quite early in the fight, and Bertha had slowly been overwhelmed by the combination of both Marshal and Wake's Pokémon.
  
  Still, it had been a honourable defeat, and I felt that Brock seemed quite pleased even though he had lost. That made sense; he did make it into the Top 8 after all, and so he had more than proved himself already after having taken down trainers that were typically seen as stronger than him.
  
  On the other hand, while I definitely had the most emotional connection to Brock's battle, and the battle between Janine and Koga was tense and exciting, I couldn't help but think that the battle between Karen and Iris against Drake and Burgh had been the most interesting to watch.
  
  I obviously knew that Iris had the potential to grow into becoming the Champion of Unova, and that she was already immensely talented, but I never really had a clear idea on just where she stood in comparison to other Dragon specialists.
  
  Therefore, her duel against Drake was eye-opening. It was clear from the beginning that Drake still outmatched her in almost every respect, but that was to be expected. Drake was the far more experienced trainer, after all.
  
  Admittedly, Karen was the one who carried the fight. Her Dark types had rapidly taken Burgh out of the fight, while also managing to neutralise and cripple Drake's powerful Dragons. But even then, Iris' starter Haxorus being able to briefly hold its own against Drake's Outraging Salamence without immediately breaking was already an insanely impressive feat given her young age.
  
  Browsing the Pokénet, I could see that many, especially those who were very familiar with just how strong Drake was, were stunned at the fact that Iris's Pokémon were able to buy any amount of time against Drake's.
  
  From the subsequent discussions, many saw this as a sign that she was already on her way to surpassing even the likes of Drake in strength. And that she would only need a few more years before she would become as strong as someone like Lance.
  
  Not only that, her performance in this battle had caused Iris' popularity to skyrocket, garnering her an enormous online following from people all around the world.
  
  Before, her popularity was mostly limited to Unova, given that she was the youngest Gym Leader there to be appointed. However, now people from all around the world were cheering for her success due to her outstanding achievements and performance in the Tournament thus far.
  
  Many were even hoping that she would win the whole thing - that the Pokémon World Tournament would serve as the foundation for her ascension into the Elite Four, or even beyond.
  
  And considering that Iris and Karen were about to face off against Crasher Wake and Marshal, we were about to determine who will be the last remaining Unovan representative in the tournament.
  
  Meanwhile, Elesa and I would be facing off against Koga and Flannery.
  
  The moment I saw that, an errant thought had sprung to mind as I realised that there was potentially an incredible opportunity laid out in front of me.
  
  I had just defeated Lorelei, a member of the Indigo Elite Four. I was now about to face off against Koga, another member. And assuming that Karen won her fight alongside us, which I had full faith in her that she would, then our final opponent for this tournament would be her - the last and final member of the Indigo Elite Four.
  
  So if I won against all of them, that meant that I would have defeated every single member of the Indigo Elite Four on my way to the top.
  
  It would be a symbolic demonstration to the public, which would serve as 'proof' for them that I was undoubtedly the strongest trainer in Indigo, second only to the Champion. That would be a very useful reputation to have for me going forwards, especially with the ambitious plans that I have.
  
  But I didn't let that excitement distract me from my preparations, and for (hopefully) the second last time in the tournament, Elesa and I put our heads to the grindstone as we worked out a plan for taking down Koga and play around the many, many tricks that he undoubtedly had up his sleeve.
  
  Last time we battled I had triumphed over him, but that was partially because the battle conditions didn't suit his style of battling. Previously, we had fought in three separate 1v1s, which denied him much of his tactics - and that wouldn't be the case in our upcoming 2v2.
  
  With that in mind, I made sure to inform Elesa extensively about the different methods that Koga liked to use to take out opponents. Considering that we hadn't faced off against a Poison specialist for the entirety of this Tournament, and coupled with the fact that Elesa wasn't actually used to facing off against those since there were no notable Poison specialists in Unova, it meant that I really tried to be diligent with explaining everything I could about how Koga fought.
  
  It wasn't just enough to study their previous battles in the Tournament, I even had to show her footage of Koga's challenge against Will for the position of Elite Four as well.
  
  And if there was one thing I really had to drill into her mind - it was that his Crobat was not something she could beat with raw speed alone. No matter how fast her Electric types were, his starter was simply faster.
  
  However, even before the battle could take place, the final four teams all had to attend a joint interview. No one really wanted to do it, since everyone would much prefer to have the extra time to focus on their preparations, but the Sinnoh League insisted that it was necessary.
  
  We all groaned and complained, but ultimately we all acquiesced. After all, the whole point of the Pokémon World Tournament in the first place was to help bridge relations with Unova, so giving an opportunity for us to speak with the public would definitely help with that.
  
  Cynthia explained that it would be best if we could show that the leaders from all regions were able to get along amicably.
  
  I did understand the logic, but I just preferred to be training.
  
  Nevertheless, we were all ushered into one gigantic press conference that had a sea of reporters attending, with many having come all the way from Unova. As the final four teams took their seats, cameras and microphones from all angles were pointed directly at us, ready to pick up on our every response.
  
  Meanwhile, the reporters were unable to sit still, many already leaning forwards as they looked ready to bombard us with questions.
  
  One reporter at the front was given the lucky honour of starting.
  
  "This question is for those who come from Unova." He began, "This is your first time spending time away from your home region. I know many were asked about your first impressions coming into Sinnoh, but now that you've spent more time here, have your thoughts changed?"
  
  "I'll answer that." Elesa spoke up first, "I think I grew used to it, and I see why many people have come to love this place. At first, I thought the constant cold was annoying and uncomfortable. But once you spend enough time here, your body naturally adapts, and then it's not so bad. Not only that, but colder weathers means people tend to wear more clothes here. And as a fashionista, that means having more material to experiment with. So I quite like it, actually."
  
  Another reporter got their chance to speak, "Then my next question is for Marshal - the sole remaining member of the Unova Elite Four. Now that you've had the opportunity to speak with and fight against many of our own leaders, what are your thoughts about the strength and capabilities of our own Gym Leaders and Elite Four? Does it compare to those back in Unova?"
  
  "From the very beginning, I have never looked down on your strengths. In fact it was quite the opposite - after that show match in Unova, I knew better than to be dismissive after we were defeated that day. And this Tournament has only reinforced those views." Marshal replied, "Every single Gym Leader and Elite Four member that I fought against was worthy of their position and title, and it was very interesting to explore how trainers that shared the same speciality would fight in different ways. There was not a single bad apple amongst you. And that is worthy of praise."
  
  "However, I am equally proud of our own Unovan participants." He continued, "Out of the remaining top 4 teams, there are three members of Unova present. So it is pleasing to see that just because we're the newcomers onto the international stage, our strength is no lesser than your counterparts."
  
  That was a bit patriotic of him for him to say, but not unexpected. Unova was definitely in a weaker position in terms of geopolitics, due to the fact that they were the newcomers and didn't have the established connections that the rest of us had. So performing well here would really help bolster their image.
  
  Then the next reporter asked their question, "Next question is for Gym Leader Iris. As one of the youngest participant in the Tournament, yet still managing to make it into being in the final four teams, what do you think of the opponents that you have beaten? Do you think your victories were easy?"
  
  "Not at all." Iris shook her head, "I know many in Unova like to put labels on me - claiming that I am some generational talent, or a 'genius'. These same people like to overstate my strength, claiming that I am just a few good battles away from making it into the Unova Elite Four. But if you've actually watched my battles during this Tournament carefully, you will see why I am not deserving of such labels, and how far I still need to go if I want to achieve my full ambitions."
  
  "Karen might deny it, but I fully believe that she deserves a majority of the credit for our victories." She stated firmly, "If it wasn't for her, I definitely wouldn't have made it to the top 4. So I'm very glad that she was one of my first foreign friends. Even after this Tournament is over, I definitely hope that our friendship can be maintained into the future."
  
  "Do you think that such a friendship can really last even over such long distances?" The same person prodded her.
  
  "Of course; why wouldn't it?" Iris tilted her head, "Even if I'm from Unova and she's from Indigo, we can still be friends, especially knowing how kind-hearted Karen can be. We may be from different regions, but that won't stop us. I've already given her an open invitation to come over to Unova whenever she wants."
  
  That got a nice and friendly reaction from everyone, with many nodding in approval with how well Iris had articulated herself. Even when faced against such a large group of strangers, she didn't stutter at all and seemed to be her usual self - which said a lot about her confidence.
  
  The reporter nodded, "Do the others feel the same way about your own partners?"
  
  "Definitely." This time it was my turn to speak up, "I've had this conversation with Elesa before, but I'm very thankful for the opportunity that this tournament has provided to allow me to connect more with my peers from Unova. My time in Unova had been brief and very hectic, so I had sadly did not have much of an opportunity to forge many strong connections while I was there."
  
  "However, this tournament has allowed me to rectify those errors." I continued, "After working and fighting alongside Elesa for the last few weeks, she has proven to be a highly competent and an interesting partner. And given that she has a very distinct and unique fighting style, it was a very interesting task to try and adapt my own Pokémon to best supplement her strategies."
  
  "Honestly, that's what I found most fun about this Tournament too." Elesa added, "Most of the Tournaments that we used to hold back in Unova usually had their participants fighting alone. So being paired up here was an unique experience, but also one that made me broaden my own horizons with my Pokémon and their moves. For example, thanks to John's advice, I was able to really drill my Pokémon into learning support moves - something that I had neglected to do in the past because I didn't think it was necessary."
  
  "So would you hope that another such Tournament is hosted again in the future?" Another reporter asked.
  
  "Yes, definitely." Elesa nodded firmly, "Even though this Tournament can be pretty stressful at times, it is undeniably the most fun I've had in a long time. Fighting powerful trainers equal to your strength is always a pleasure. So I would love for there to be another Tournament like this in the future. Maybe one could be hosted in Unova too."
  
  "So do you think that this Pokémon World Tournament has been a success so far?" The same person asked.
  
  "Are you kidding me? Of course it was a success." Elesa replied, "In fact, I'm willing to bet that every person here would easily agree with me that fighting together like this has helped us understand that people from Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn, or Indigo - we're really no different from each other. I know that many from Unova were understandably wary about the introduction of an entire new set of regions. But I can wholeheartedly say that there is nothing to worry about. All of the leaders I have met and spoken with in this Tournament are people that I know I can trust. That they are people who will not undermine Unova purely for their own interests. They are better people than that."
  
  "And I can say the same for those from Unova." I quickly followed up, "We might have had to deal with a few bad apples, but I can confidently say that those people are not indicative of the people of Unova. The Unovan leaders I have met have been nothing less than friendly and welcoming, and are people that I would be more than happy to be friends with."
  
  (Burgh POV)
  
  At first, he had been admittedly worried about his partnership with Drake. Drake had a known reputation for being crass and rude, and was clearly not someone that was interested in the arts. Therefore, he had been worried that their partnership was doomed to fail from the very beginning.
  
  However, it turned out that he had judged Drake way too harshly.
  
  The very first thing the man had said to him was this, "You're an art guy, right?"
  
  "Yes...?" He said slowly, not knowing where this conversation was going.
  
  "Fine. I don't understand fucking shit about art, so I can't pretend to like it if you ever start talking about it." Drake said gruffly, "But we're partners now. And I intend to win this whole tournament. And I know I can't do that if you and I aren't working well together. So even though you and I like different things, let's put all of that aside for now and just focus on fucking winning. I don't care about what your reputation is or was like back in Unova - this is a chance for you to show off yourself to the wider world. I assume you'd want to do your best, so let's skip over any fake small talk and let's get right into it."
  
  It was straight to the point, incredibly blunt, and borderline rude.
  
  And yet, in all honesty, it was just the thing he wanted to hear.
  
  There were many times back in Unova where people that wanted to suck up to him would try and feign their interest in the arts just to get on his good side. He hated that. He hated their fake smiles and their false interests. But with Drake? There was no falsehoods.
  
  He quickly came to learn that this was a man who would tell him to shut the fuck up if he ever started going on one of his artistic tangents - but in an oddly respectful way, as if he wasn't dismissing his interest, but telling him to stop being distracted and focus on the training.
  
  That was why he had come to respect Drake quite a lot. He doubted they would be friends - their interests were still too different - but they were certainly friendly acquaintances.
  
  Hence why he was genuinely disappointed in himself when he ended up losing that battle against Karen and Iris. He knew that their loss was mostly his fault; it was his Pokémon that Karen brought down first.
  
  So he had apologised to Drake, knowing that the man could have gone further - or even win the whole tournament - if not for his failure.
  
  But Drake didn't let him brood for too long, "No need to apologise, lad. We all make mistakes."
  
  "But aren't you upset that we lost?" He asked.
  
  "'Course I am. I promised John that we'd be facing off against each other, and I broke that fucking promise." Drake frowned, "But don't get it twisted. I'm not mad at you. Because I saw that you tried; because I saw that you made a mistake, not out of negligence, but during the heat of battle. And I can't and won't fault you for that."
  
  "Don't forget. I've spent weeks with you now. I know that you've been itching to run around and explore Sinnoh and search out more artistic inspiration for yourself." Drake continued, "But you didn't do that, even though I saw that you were almost fucking twitching to do so. Instead, you forced yourself to train with me, because you understood that you would be throwing me overboard if you ran off and did things by yourself. So I know how much effort you've been putting into the training. I've seen you work your ass off for the past few weeks. So no, I'm not mad at you for losing, for I've seen that you've put in the fucking effort. Just like everyone else."
  
  "...Thanks, Drake." He had eventually said, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was a surprisingly gentle thing for Drake to say, but he appreciated it nonetheless.
  
  And after taking a moment to recompose himself, he spoke up again, "...Say, me and the other Unova Gym Leaders might be meeting up soon as a get-together. Would you like to join?"
  
  "Heh. Are you sure you want an old man like me messing up your party?" Drake chuckled, "I don't think you'd want a grouchy old man like me ruining things."
  
  "I assure you that you will be most welcome." He insisted, "I've spoken about you a lot to them. They'll be happy to speak more with you."
  
  Drake had pretended to grumble and complain, but he eventually accepted the invitation. That was why, a day later, they had all gathered together in a private room at a restaurant while watching the press conference being broadcasted on the television.
  
  "It's good to see Elesa doing so well for herself." Lenora said, "I always thought that she was one of the more influential Gym Leaders among us. It's good to see that she's able to spread that influence overseas as well."
  
  "It seems like both Elesa and Iris had much to gain from this tournament." Skyla agreed, "Any thoughts about who you think will win it all? Or do you think Marshal will?" She turned to the sole Elite Four member from Sinnoh that had joined them, "What do you think, Lucian? Do you think any member of Unova will be able to make it to the finals?"
  
  "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think Marshal will be able to win against Karen and Iris." Lucian said, "On paper, it might seem like Marshal's Fighting types will have the advantage over Karen's Dark types, but those who are familiar with Karen know just how untrue that statement really is. Karen's been training and sparring against John for a long time now, so her Pokémon have trained against bruisers that hit just as hard, if not harder, than what Marshal's Pokémon are capable of. She'll be ready for whatever he brings."
  
  "Hah! You got that right!" Drake barked out, "Marshal's strong, but he ain't stronger than me. If Karen managed to beat me and my Dragons, then I think Marshal's out of luck too."
  
  "The Pokénet will lose their minds if Iris ends up beating Marshal, though." He pointed out, "It'll just add more fuel to the rumours that Iris is looking to enter into the Elite Four."
  
  "I'd reckon the little girl deserves it." Clay chuckled, "About time the wider world recognises and acknowledges her talents."
  
  "You know, no one's pointed out who will win between John and Koga." Lenora said, "Any thoughts on that?"
  
  "If Koga wins, it'll be an enormous upset." Lucian replied instantly, "Though... I suspect that has always been the case with Koga. He is almost never the favourite to win, but he pulls off upset victories regardless."
  
  "No, John won't lose." Drake shook his head, his voice filled with complete certainty, "And those who think otherwise just don't know John well enough. He'll make it to the finals, one way or another."
  
  A.N. One more 'Intermission' chapter before we get right back into the battles next chapter. As I was writing these chapters, I was still feeling that there could have been more opportunities for Gym Leaders and E4 from the different regions to interact with each other. And so I rewrote this entire chapter to include a lot more of the interactions, and also to show just how much the relations between Unova and the rest of the world has progressed. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-14
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-14 - The Semi-Finals
  
  After all of the delays thanks to the press conference, the penultimate battle of the Tournament was finally here. The battle to determine who the finalists would be for this World Tournament was about to take place.
  
  After a coin toss, it was decided that Karen and Iris would be fighting against Crasher Wake and Marshal first, so the rest of us were relegated to the spectator stands for the time being.
  
  On paper, Marshal and Wake had plenty of advantages going into this fight. Marshal had a type advantage on Karen thanks to his Fighting types, and most of their Pokémon were capable of using Ice type attacks to hit Iris' Dragons supereffectively.
  
  Furthermore, while their two types were not inherently synergistic, they made up for it by having very hard hitters. Marshal had proven his strength time and time again over the course of this Tournament, with his Fighting types having defeated many opponents that were typically considered to be 'strong'. Even other Elite Four members, such as Bertha, weren't able to match his strength.
  
  Likewise, Wake was showing off just why he deserved to be considered the second strongest Gym Leader in Sinnoh, just behind Volkner. With many on his team having the ability Swift Swim, letting him set up the Rain was just asking to be handed a quick defeat. His Pokémon were already inherently pretty powerful, and coupled with the incredible speed boost that they got in the Rain, and they were all but unstoppable.
  
  Yet, despite all of the above, I was incredibly confident in Karen and Iris' victory, and so was most of the crowd. It wasn't because we looked down on Marshal and Wake's strength, but it was purely because of the fact that Karen and Iris had just defeated Drake and Burgh in a battle.
  
  For all of the strength that Marshal possessed, he was absolutely not stronger than Drake. Drake's Dragons were just on a different level, and had Drake been the one to face off against Marshal today, I was very confident that it would have been Drake's victory.
  
  Therefore, given that Karen had already proven her ability to punch above her weight, I was confident that we would see something similar against Marshal and Wake today.
  
  ...And I was quickly proven right, considering how the fight was going.
  
  Marshal and Wake had sent out their Conkeldurr and Floatzel respectively, while Karen and Iris had sent out a Spiritomb and Druddigon.
  
  The former's strategy seemed quite simple and obvious to me; they were using one slow but powerful attacker in Conkeldurr and had it paired up with a swift and nimble one in Floatzel. It was the same tactic that I had trained up Ornstein and Smough to make use of.
  
  Unfortunately for them, their execution faltered when faced off against the disruptive arsenal of moves that Karen had in her possession. The moment the battle began, Spiritomb immediately released a Curse that ravaged through Conkeldurr, putting it on a timer as the Curse gradually drained it of its health.
  
  By doing so, it forced Conkeldurr to remain on the offensive. But given its extremely poor type matchup into a Spiritomb, it only had one valid target that it could go for in Druddigon. Floatzel was in a similar state, but that was mostly due to the potent Taunt that it had been inflicted with that overwhelmed its mental defenses, causing Floatzel to target the nearest enemy - which was also Druddigon.
  
  And that was perfect for them, as Iris' Druddigon was her most defensive Pokémon by far. Not only that, but its ability Rough Skin meant that for each successful physical blow that their Pokémon landed against Druddigon, even if the attack was blocked, they would take a little damage back each time.
  
  However, it seemed like Crasher Wake and Marshal had done a lot of preparation into training their Pokémon for this battle, because Floatzel was soon able to break out of its state of maddened rage. It was still affected by the Taunt, but it had regained enough clarity of mind to heed its trainer's orders to bring down Spiritomb first. So it left Marshal's Conkeldurr to deal with Druddigon while it rushed off to bring down Spiritomb, knowing that it could not leave such a disruptive Pokémon unattended to freely wreck havoc in the fight.
  
  And the fight between Conkeldurr and Druddigon definitely favoured the former. Even though Druddigon was supposed to be a defensive titan, Marshal's starter was capable of delivering a world of hurt. Especially after Conkeldurr had set itself aflame with a Fire Punch, activating its Guts ability and skyrocketing its own Attack.
  
  Therefore, Conkeldurr began to devastate Druddigon with a relentless barrage of Ice Punches and Drain Punches that struck with such power that it overwhelmed Druddigon's attempted defense.
  
  Quickly realising that it was outmatched, Druddigon roared out in rage as a bright blue aura flared out from its form as it began to Outrage, temporarily gaining a massive boost in strength.
  
  With its newfound strength, it grappled onto the opposing Conkeldurr, the ground quaking in their wake as the two wrestled for dominance. Druddigon even tried to disorient Conkeldurr by smashing their heads together with an Iron Head, but proving that its opponent still didn't hit hard enough, Conkeldurr merely shrugged off the hit and retaliated with a Counter-boosted Drain Punch to the face - which also restored a big chunk of its lost health.
  
  This brawl was not going in Iris' favour. Luckily, it didn't need to, as it was evident that her main goal was to buy time for Spiritomb to deal with Floatzel.
  
  Much like it had done against Drake and Burgh, Spiritomb was ambushing Floatzel from all kinds of unexpected angles. It had created a false puppet of itself made of shadows, which Floatzel failed to see through until it crashed into it with a Waterfall, causing the puppet to detonate in an explosion of spectral energies.
  
  Floatzel staggered backwards, only for Spiritomb to jump out from its flanks and Burn it with a Will-O-Wisp, crippling Floatzel's main strengths - its physical attacks. Then as if to add insult to injury, Spiritomb set up with a Sunny Day, weakening Floatzel's primarily Water attacks even further.
  
  In a matter of seconds, Floatzel's offensive abilities had been completely crippled.
  
  I noted that this was almost the exact position that Drake and Burgh were in during the previous battle. There, Karen had run circles around Accelgor and basically took it out of the fight in a matter of seconds as well, while Iris bought time against Drake, much like she was doing now.
  
  However, in that last fight, Drake had forcibly broken through the deadlock by unleashing an all-destroying Draco Meteor, which completely annihilated everything on the battlefield. That Draco Meteor had instantly taken out Iris' Hydreigon, while also severely injuring Spiritomb to the point where it could be quickly knocked out by another attack.
  
  Yet here, Marshal and Crasher Wake could not do the same. As far as I was aware, the most powerful move that Marshal's Conkeldurr knew was Earthquake. That was a powerful move, but not enough to match the unrivalled levels of destruction caused by Drake's Draco Meteors.
  
  This was why I rated Drake over Marshal. Marshal's Pokémon specialised in duels, where his Pokémon would hit a single target extremely hard with physical Fighting moves like the elemental punches or Hammer Arm. But he didn't have the same ability to cause widespread destruction like Drake's Dragons did.
  
  As a result, they had no way to break this stalemate. And knowing Karen, she wouldn't allow anything to break her control over the situation.
  
  Similarly, I noticed a shift in tactics from Iris' Druddigon as well. Instead of trying to fight back, it just focused entirely on maintaining the defensive as it prioritised blocking and retreating over counterattacks.
  
  It must have realised that the best thing to do was deny as much healing as possible from Drain Punch so that the Curse could bring down Conkeldurr.
  
  While this was happening, Floatzel was being thoroughly torn apart by Spiritomb's spectral tendrils. It did its best to fight back with Ice Beams, Hydro Pumps, and the occasional Waterfall, but Spiritomb was either too evasive to be hit as it jumped around from shadow to shadow, or it simply allowed itself to take the weak hit before retaliating with a boosted Hex.
  
  With no way to break through the trap, Floatzel was soon knocked out by a Hex from behind. Wake immediately replaced his fallen Pokémon with his starter Gyarados - his physically strongest Pokémon - and had it rush down Spiritomb before it could begin its disruptive actions.
  
  Even in the Sun, Gyarados still moved with incredible speed and power as it blitzed towards Spiritomb while it immediately skyrocketed its own strength with an Outrage, and the Ghost type hardly even moved as it seemingly waited for its opponent to get close.
  
  ...Wait a fucking second. I sat up in my seat as I leaned in closer to the screen. My instincts, honed after so many sparring sessions with Karen, screamed at me that Gyarados was about to rush into a trap.
  
  And my instincts were instantly confirmed as an enraged, Outrage-boosted, Gyarados slammed into an unmoving Spiritomb with a devastating Iron Head into Dragon Tail combo... which caused Spiritomb to instantly collapse to the ground as it was instantly knocked out.
  
  But then, a haunting cackle echoed across the battlefield as two swirling purple lights rose out from the ground, that just radiated with pure maliciousness, and seeped into Gyarados' body. Wake's starter let out a shrill and haunting shriek of agonising pain as the Destiny Bond utterly ravaged it, before being painfully knocked out.
  
  It was Agatha's bread-and-butter, and Karen was just making sure that everyone remembered just who exactly she learned everything from.
  
  And just like that, Wake was out of the fight. It was now a 2v1, with Marshal left alone to face off against a total of three Pokémon from Iris and Karen.
  
  Practically all of this was due to Karen's Spiritomb, which had really been carrying the two of the through the Tournament with how versatile and resilient it has proven to be.
  
  Now that the fight was a 2v1, Druddigon was relieved of much of the offensive pressure from Conkeldurr as the newly sent-out Umbreon was able to freely distract the Fighting type from a safe distance.
  
  Not only that, but Umbreon was able to fully show off its full arsenal of disruptive capabilities.
  
  First off, it had weakened Conkeldurr with a Charm, sharply lowering its Attack. If that wasn't bad enough, Umbreon also used Skill Swap to switch its ability with Conkeldurr's.
  
  This was terrible for the latter, as it had lost its Guts ability for the far less useful Synchronise ability. It also lost its Attack bonus from the Burn, and instead it now had its Attack cut in half.
  
  I knew then and there that Conkeldurr was done for. There was absolutely no chance it could make a comeback after all that.
  
  Its resilience, its strength, its skills - none of that mattered anymore. Umbreon had systematically ripped it all apart. The Conkeldurr that remained was little more than a husk of the original, which didn't take long to fall apart.
  
  That left Marshal with his final Pokémon, which he chose to send out his Mienshao. It was a reasonable choice - it was fast and could hit hard, but I knew it wouldn't be able to turn the fight around for the Unova Elite Four. Not in a 2v1.
  
  Not against Karen and Iris.
  
  So much like all of the Pokémon before it, Mienshao too eventually succumbed to the myriad of status moves coming from Karen's incessantly annoying Pokémon. It did manage to take down Druddigon, though the Dragon had more than done its duty at this point and its defeat only allowed Iris to send out her fresh Haxorus to replace it.
  
  Therefore, it didn't take long for Karen and Iris to be confirmed as the first finalists of the Pokémon World Tournament.
  
  And now it was our turn to prove ourselves worthy of joining them.
  
  Elesa and I stepped forwards into the arena. Even though the stakes were as high as ever, we no longer felt nervous going into the battle. We had fought by each other's side so many times by now that our nerves had long since settled. And we trusted the preparations we made beforehand.
  
  From their past battles, we knew that Flannery tended to be the distraction. She would make use of large, area-of-effect attacks that forced a response, while Koga's Pokémon would sneak around and inflict your Pokémon with deadly poisons. Those very same poisons would not only sap away at your health, but they would also slow you down or sometimes even inflict them with a paralytic effect, making it all but impossible for your Pokémon to dodge out of the way of the massively hot flames coming their way.
  
  Furthermore, Koga fought as disruptively as you would expect from a Dark specialist like Karen or Sidney. He was always mixing in a variety of Taunts and Torments when applicable to break through any prepared plans.
  
  But my Pokémon were not going to be so easy to break mentally. And from the very start of our partnership, I had done as much as I could to train Elesa's Pokémon to share a similar level of mental resilience since I anticipated we would be fighting against another Dark specialist. I was glad that my preparations seemingly paid off.
  
  "TRAINERS! ARE YOU READY?!" The booming voice of the announcer forced me to refocus, "THREE!... TWO!... ONE!... FIGHT!"
  
  "You're up, Ornstein!" "Get'em, Galvantula!"
  
  "Venomoth. Your turn." "Win this, Blaziken!"
  
  All four of our Pokémon began rushing out of their Pokéballs as the battle begun.
  
  Galvantula was the first to move, as it shot out a String Shot and Electro Web combo that looked to trap the charging Blaziken, but a quick Fire Punch burned through all webbing before it could latch onto the Fire type, allowing Blaziken to come slamming into Ornstein.
  
  But Ornstein was ready, and he threw up an Obstruct shield that parried the incoming Hammer Arm that also sharply decreased Blaziken's Defense. However, before he could follow that up with a Brick Break of his own, Venomoth came swooping down from above and released a cloud of poisonous gas right on top of Ornstein, which came into contact with the flames from Blaziken's Fire Punch and instantly exploded.
  
  The surprising explosion caught Ornstein off-guard as he was blasted back and knocked to the ground. Blaziken quickly capitalised on this brief moment of vulnerability as it ruthlessly smashed down with a quadruply supereffective Hammer Arm, causing Ornstein to let out a howl of pain.
  
  Blaziken immediately tried to follow up by stomping down with a flaming Blaze Kick, but a large crackling Thunderbolt came crashing down from above, painfully electrocuting the Fire type and interrupting the attack.
  
  But even that attack from Galvantula did not go unpunished. Rapidly pivoting on the spot, Venomoth dove forwards and threw out a volley of Air Slashes towards Galvantula - some managing to land a glancing blow against the retreating Electric type. Galvantula tried to retaliate with a Thunder Wave, but Venomoth moved too quickly to be hit and blasted the Electric type with a barrage of pulsating sonic waves, inflicting confusion on the Galvantula with a Supersonic.
  
  Yet we had prepared countermeasures for this. So the instant Galvantula realised it was about to be confused, it struck itself with a piercing bolt of lightning that forcefully snapped itself out of the confusion. Thanks to this, Venomoth was kept busy as Galvantula continually bombarded it with Thunderbolts and Discharges, making sure that Koga's Poison type couldn't interfere in the fight between Ornstein and Blaziken.
  
  Despite the rough start, Ornstein had picked himself up off the ground and was fighting back with a vengeance, showing off just why he was the better close-quarters specialist between the two.
  
  The two Pokémon, though they fought similarly, were actually almost complete opposites in terms of their fighting styles. Blaziken fought like an avatar of searing wrath, throwing out lightning fast punches and kicks that only got faster and faster as its speed continued to be enhanced by Speed Boost. On the other hand, Ornstein fought far more defensively, relying more on Obstruct to parry blows and set up opportunities for it to strike back with a hard-hitting Counter.
  
  But whereas Blaziken mostly relied on its superior speed to overwhelm its foes, Ornstein relied on technique and skill.
  
  I was actually impressed that the two of them were so evenly matched. Both Pokémon had grown so much since their previous battle in the Tournament, where Flannery's Blaziken was far less skilled than it was now, and Ornstein was still a Linoone at the start of that battle. Yet now the two of them were equally matched, and the fight between them was like an elaborate battle dance between two martial artists.
  
  Koga must have really helped out with its training.
  
  My admiration aside, I was fully focused on observing the brawl between Ornstein and Blaziken. I knew full well that Blaziken would slowly gain the advantage as it grew faster and faster - especially since Ornstein was already pretty badly injured. Similarly, I understood that it was only a matter of time before Venomoth began to overwhelm Galvantula with its better speed and training, which meant that it could start throwing out Toxic Spikes everywhere and plague us all with its deadly poisons.
  
  If that happened, our chances of victory would plummet.
  
  However, this was why I had chosen to send out Ornstein first, even though I recognised that it wasn't the 'most powerful' choice in this situation. I was worried that Koga would come up with a strategy to instantly bring down or badly cripple whatever I sent out first, so Ornstein was just there to scout out their opening moves.
  
  The real threat was coming out now.
  
  "Parting Shot and Dark Pulse, Ornstein! Retreat! Come and crush them all, Vordt!"
  
  A bellowing and terrifying roar echoed throughout the entire arena as Vordt came erupting onto the battlefield. Instantly, before it could even react as it had flinched from the Dark Pulse, Blaziken found itself suddenly impaled by a field of sharpened rocks as a Stone Edge burst out from beneath it.
  
  It let out a pained cry as it was hoisted into the air by said rocks, and was unable to do anything when a crackling spear of lightning came mercilessly crashing down from above - causing it to be paralysed.
  
  Then the sky itself turned dark as it was enveloped by a tsunami of rocks, all of them bound and controlled by Vordt's geokinesis. Venomoth, who had successfully struck Galvantula with a flurry of Air Slashes while the Electric type was distracted with its previous attack, looked up at the impending avalanche of rocks with a sense of inevitable doom.
  
  The last time that Koga had faced off against Vordt, his Ariados had been completely pulverised by Vordt. It would be little different with his Venomoth.
  
  Compared to Ariados, Venomoth might be able to fly, but it wasn't like that mattered when the sky itself was raining down with rocks - each of them large enough to smash the Bug straight down to the ground.
  
  For Vordt, this was just one of his usual attacks. But for Venomoth and Blaziken, it was like the apocalypse had come early. The Bug swerved through the air, ducking and rolling past the avalanche of rocks that were hurling down around it. It made use of every last bit of speed that it could muster and harnessed every aerial technique that it knew to dodge past all of the incoming rocks. At the same time, Blaziken was forced to move too, and it let out a series of punches and kicks as it tried to shatter the rocks before they could hit it.
  
  Even Galvantula was not spared from this attack. Vordt's unending avalanche of rocks was indiscriminate in its destruction, and since Galvantula was unable to Dig, it was forced to endure the attack alongside our opponents.
  
  Fortunately, we planned for this, and Galvantula skittered across to one side of the arena where there were less rocks falling down in order to stay safe. Likewise, as both Venomoth and Blaziken had realised that the only way to stop the rocks from coming was to break Vordt's concentration, Galvantula began firing off a volley of Thunder Waves and Thunderbolts at them so that they couldn't easily reach Vordt.
  
  Venomoth tried to disrupt Vordt with a Taunt, but Vordt didn't even react even as it was engulfed in a cloud of malicious dark energies. His mental discipline was too good for that.
  
  Eventually, a surprisingly fast Thunderbolt caught Venomoth while it was mid-dive, stunning the Bug for long enough that a huge chunk of rock flattened it against the ground, instantly knocking it out.
  
  "HEADLONG RUSH!"
  
  The second that Venomoth was knocked out, Vordt let go of his geokinesis and suddenly charged forwards at Mach speeds against the distracted Blaziken. Blaziken only had time to widen its eyes in alarm before Vordt came brutally barrelling into it, violently slamming into the Fire type and sending it limply crashing to the ground.
  
  With a ferocious roar, Vordt raised a fist and smashed down with a earth-shaking Hammer Arm, before viciously cracking their heads together in a monstrously powerful Zen Headbutt. Despite being stunned and disoriented, Blaziken still managed to instinctively unleash a scorchingly hot Overheat, igniting all of their surroundings as Blaziken burned with white-hot flames.
  
  Vordt's fur was completely singed black as it was engulfed by the flames. And yet, the Burn only managed to activate its Guts ability.
  
  Now with its Attack heavily increased, the next Hammer Arm that came smashing down not only knocked out Blaziken, but it also shattered the arena below them - sending out a spiderweb of cracks spreading out in all directions. Blaziken was utterly buried into the ground, with only its legs sticking out from within the tomb of reinforced concrete.
  
  Needless to say, it was knocked out of the fight as well.
  
  Suddenly, a purple blur zoomed past Vordt - moving too fast for me to even follow its movements. Then a pained cry echoed out from Galvantula as it fell backwards as it was struck by a lightning fast Brave Bird from Koga's Crobat, which was also infused with deadly toxins that badly poisoned the Galvantula upon contact.
  
  And it seemed like the poison was no normal poison, as it also caused Galvantula's muscles to lock up in paralysis. The poison must have been infused with a paralytic effect.
  
  Galvantula tried to retaliate by unleashing a Discharge, but Crobat perfectly calculated the effective range of the Discharge and fell back just enough so that it was just out of range, before firing off a flurry of Air Slashes that cut deeply into the exposed Bug type.
  
  I hesitated for a brief moment on whether to support Galvantula or not, but Vordt ended up making the choice for me. He let out another thunderous roar as he charged towards the newly released Torkoal, who was in the middle of unleashing a devastating Eruption.
  
  An avalanche of molten rocks came crashing down all around Vordt, their scorching flames boosted even further by the Sun that had been set up thanks to Torkoal's Drought. The boosted-Eruption actually proved powerful enough to break Vordt's charge, forcing him to a halt as the fiery rocks crashed down all around him.
  
  But then Vordt slammed both of his fists into the ground, sending out an earth-shattering Earthquake that devastated the already-destroyed arena even further. Torkoal proved too slow to dodge out of the way of the initial Earthquake, nor the sudden eruption of rocks that burst out of the ground from below it.
  
  Though thanks to its impressive Defenses, Vordt's signature Seismic Eruption had not done nearly as much damage as you would have expected from a supereffective move, but lowering Torkoal's health was all I wanted as it would weaken subsequent Eruptions - Torkoal's most powerful move.
  
  While this was all happening, Galvantula had swiftly fallen to Crobat - having proved completely outmatched and overwhelmed by the sheer speed and mobility of Koga's starter. It was subsequently swapped out for Elesa's starter - Zebstrika - and a duel had begun between the two Pokémon to see who could outspeed the other.
  
  Initially, it was Crobat that proved to be the more mobile of the two. Not only did it simply have more raw speed, but it was also able to fly. However, that rapidly changed as Zebstrika began to strike itself with its own Thunder Shock, activating its Motor Drive and skyrocketing its Speed to insane levels.
  
  Zebstrika shot off like a rocket as it began circling the arena, and the insanely fast Electric type only got faster and faster as it continued to activate Motor Drive again and again.
  
  However, despite all of its speed, Crobat proved no less able to target it as it locked onto the speeding Zebstrika with its keen eyes and unleashed a Supersonic. Of course, Zebstrika wasn't just circling around the arena aimlessly, and had been firing off its own barrage of Thunderbolts at Crobat, but even with the sheer speed of the attacks, Crobat was still able to dodge past all of them while also maintaining its own concentration.
  
  In the end, the perfectly aimed sonic waves struck and confused the Zebstrika, causing it to tumble down to the ground as it lost control of its speed. Crobat immediately swooped in with its wings gleaming purple as it readied to deliver a vicious Cross Poison-
  
  "Stone Edge, Vordt!"
  
  But then a sudden burst of rocks ripped through the ground, surprising the Crobat. Admirably, even though it was caught off-guard by the surprise attack, Crobat managed to perform a hard swerve to the side and narrowly flew out of the way of the Stone Edge, only managing to take a glancing blow from one of the sharp rocks.
  
  However, that was when a crackling Thunderbolt struck it head on - it had forgotten about Zebstrika. A crippling amount of electricity now surged through Crobat's body, and every muscle in its wings began to lock up. Yet, with an immense amount of determination and willpower, Crobat forced itself to keep flapping its wings, just barely keeping it moving in the air and not allowing it to crumble to the ground from the paralysis.
  
  Unfortunately for Crobat, as we both knew that it was the far bigger threat, Elesa and I had both of our Pokémon target it down - even to the point of temporarily ignoring Torkoal. Therefore, taking advantage of Crobat's wounded state, Zebstrika pulled itself up and blitzed forwards in a lightning fast blur as it mercilessly slammed into Crobat with a supereffective Wild Charge.
  
  Crobat managed to block it with a Protect shield, but Vordt was right behind it, and he purposely used his own body to shield Zebstrika from an incoming Lava Plume from Torkoal before crashing into the now exposed Crobat with an Ice-infused Headlong Rush of his own.
  
  The double impact from both of our Pokémon's charges brought Crobat painfully crumbling to the ground. But before Vordt could slam down with a crushingly powerful Ice Punch, Crobat quickly fired out a flurry of Air Slashes that flinched and interrupted Vordt and threw out another Sludge Bomb that completely drenched Zebstrika with an ocean of deadly poison.
  
  Just like with Galvantula, the paralytic effects of Crobat's poison began to circulate through Zebstrika's body, causing its muscles to lock up as it suddenly lost all of its speed and mobility.
  
  Taking advantage of this, Crobat forced itself back into the skies again-
  
  Only for Vordt to suddenly leap into the air and brutally slam it back down again with a Smack Down before delivering crackling Thunder Punch that struck it right in the face.
  
  Ironically, it was Crobat's turn to be paralysed.
  
  However, Torkoal wasn't content to just sit on the sidelines, and it was always dangerous to turn your backs on a Pokémon that could unleash a scorching amount of firepower. Therefore, a torrent of blue flames incinerated Zebstrika from behind, inflicting terrible burns on the Electric type.
  
  The attack didn't end there either, as the flames that were dancing across its body suddenly morphed together and transformed into a fiery vortex of burning flames that completely engulfed Zebstrika, trapping it within a blazing coffin. Zebstrika's whines of pain could barely be heard over the raging conflagration, but seeing its barely visible silhouette collapsing to the ground told me enough about its current condition.
  
  Fortunately, before a second torrent of flames could come for Vordt, he did what he was best at and crushed Crobat with his powerful fists, breaking Koga's starter before it had a chance to fly up into the air again.
  
  And as was always the case when a Pokémon found themselves pinned down by Vordt - Crobat was swiftly defeated.
  
  Unfortunately, that was when a second vortex of flames surrounded Vordt, incinerating him within the tornado of searing-hot flames. Zebstrika had succumbed to those very flames seconds earlier.
  
  The battle was now a 1v1, and I still had Ornstein in reverse. But for now, it was a duel between two injured Pokémon, though Vordt was noticeably more injured from all of the damage he took from the previous battles.
  
  Unfortunately for Torkoal, even in this exhausted state Vordt was never one to give up on a fight. So even as Torkoal unleashed a burning torrent of flames at Vordt with a Flamethrower, Vordt endured through the flames as he charged forwards with a Headlong Rush. The ground around him was completely burnt black, but Vordt kept going until he ferociously slammed into Torkoal and sent it skidding backwards.
  
  Then, with his powerful arms, Vordt latched onto Torkoal and lifted it into the air, before flipping Torkoal onto its back and smashing it face first into the ground. With its shell facing the ground, Torkoal's soft underbelly was now exposed, and Vordt punished this by forming a large, jagged rock in his hand and bashing it right into Torkoal's uncovered belly. It was a critical hit.
  
  Yet that was when a surprise explosion of searing flames engulfed Vordt as Torkoal unleashed a point-blank, Sun-boosted Overheat. It actually managed to force Vordt to release his hold on Torkoal, allowing it to follow-up with a scorchingly hot Lava Plume that struck Vordt in the face.
  
  But it wasn't enough to take Vordt down. Not yet. So before Torkoal could open its mouth again, Vordt darted forwards once more and sent a Drain Punch that crashed right into its jaw, delivering a brutal uppercut that also restored some health for himself and knocking Torkoal back onto its back.
  
  That was the death knell for Torkoal. With its injuries piling on, and with it denied any chance to heal up as it became Taunted, there was little Torkoal could do to fend off Vordt's overwhelming assault. Meanwhile, Vordt could repeatedly heal itself up a little bit at a time with repeated Drain Punches, allowing it to fend off the damage form the Burn.
  
  In the end, it was Torkoal that fell, having been unable to withstand against Vordt's full might.
  
  And with that, we were crowned the winner. We had made it into the finals of the Tournament.
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  "...and so I thought that this would be a good opportunity for me to show off that my victory over Wallace wasn't just a one-off thing." Her fellow Champion said to her over the phone, "I know it's pretty last minute, but I'd like it if it could happen."
  
  It was definitely a surprising request. Originally, the Champions had agreed that they wouldn't be participating in the Tournament. However, as they drew closer and closer to the finale, she had been feeling like the Tournament was missing a little something. She felt that it wouldn't be right for the very first World Tournament to end without a battle against a Champion.
  
  In fact, she had been about to suggest participating herself, so Steven's request came at a very good time.
  
  "I was actually thinking the same thing." She replied, getting a pleased hum from Steven, "The ending for such a grand Tournament should be more... dramatic. I'll be happy to see if we can slot in a battle for us two after the finals are over, Steven."
  
  "That would be excellent, thank you." He nodded.
  
  "But what about me?" Lance asked, almost sounding like he was letting out a whine. Understandable, in his position, since he had always been the most eager to participate, "If the two of you are battling, then where would there be space for me?"
  
  "Hah! I guess there'd be none!" Alder barked out a laugh, "Too bad for us, Lance. But I guess you and I are going to be sitting out of this one. Maybe we can participate next year instead!"
  
  Lance let out a grumble, and she shot him an apologetic smile, "Sorry, but Steven spoke up first. But if you really want to participate I'm sure we could come up with something-"
  
  "No, no, it's fine." He waved her off, "I'm not that upset about it. Besides, we shouldn't have another 3 Champions competing when we did that last time - and it wouldn't be fair on Alder. I can just wait until next year's Tournament to get my licks in. Just don't forget to include me in next year."
  
  She nodded, and after a few more minutes of discussion, the matter was settled. Both her and Steven would be participating in the World Tournament, as a surprise addition for the finalists.
  
  And she definitely had a preferred choice about who she would face.
  
  A.N. These were difficult battles to write, and in particular, this chapter took me 7 rewrites to get right, so I hope the final product is to your liking. There were genuinely so many different things I wanted to focus on, and I kept going back-and-forth about how I wanted both fights to play out.
  
  And surprise! I felt that it was only appropriate to wrap up such a Tournament with one proper final battle against Champions. As for the battle between John's and Koga's teams, I wanted to highlight that it was not a complete stomp unlike last time when John faced off against Koga. Flannery had grown a lot since the last time they fought, and Koga is still very much a formidable opponent. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - Black&White
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Snippets - Pokémon: Black and White
  
  [A review of Pokémon: Black - a worthy sequel? Or a hastily produced rip-off?] by Earlier Access
  
  [A gallery containing the official promotional material of the game. Many Gym Leaders and Pokémon that are exclusive to Unova can be seen]
  
  For those wondering whether it's worth it to buy the game as a casual fan - or if you greatly enjoyed their previous titles - then I will save you the trouble and state that yes, this game is very much worth getting.
  
  As the promotional material showed, the game will include content from the past regions. And having played through the game myself, while I don't want to get into any spoilers, I can say that these past regions of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh haven't just been tacked on - they are an integral part of the game.
  
  Though they are locked to the so-called 'post game', but don't let that term fool you, this game has many hours of content and story on offer, even after the 'main story' has concluded. Because of this, you should expect to see many familiar faces from the past games make an appearance during your journey. There are many welcome, and several unwelcome, surprises amongst that cast. You'll see.
  
  Okay, official review aside, I love this game. It's been a while since we really got a brand-new adventure, and Unova is such a welcome change from all of the regions we've known so far. I also think the plot is one of the most ambitious and interesting stories that they've ever told, and while I won't spoil why, I look forward to seeing your thoughts about the story in the comments.
  
  Comments
  
  GitGud
  
  Man, it's so weird going from the large difficulty spike that we got from the past DLCs to this game. Maybe it's because I've just started the post-game, but the first part of the story taking place in Unova was just so much easier in comparison.
  
  Like, the Elite Four and Champion were tough, sure, but nowhere near as difficult as the battles we got in the Gauntlet or during the quest for the Legendaries.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  That's because those were supposed to be extra challenging. Not every fight needs to be like that last fight against John and Cynthia during the Gauntlet or John and Regigigas during the Legendary hunt. And thank god for that.
  
  The Unova League was tough enough. I definitely struggled more at the start (when I had few Pokémon to choose from) and at the end during the Elite Four. They aren't weak!
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Nah, the Pokémon Company's got balls this time around to write a story about Pokémon freedom and not forcing them into battles. That scene with N was pretty heavy stuff. Honestly, I'm really surprised by this level of writing. Way more mature and thought-provoking than the kiddie stuff that they shovelled out all that time ago.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Well, it's pretty obvious that the Pokémon company is trying to appeal more to a more mature fanbase now, so they probably just assumed we could handle a story like this. And they were right, because I love the change in tone. The story was actually pretty dark at times, especially when Ghetsis' abuse of N is revealed, but that stuff just made me more engaged with the plot.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Look at who I found:
  
  [Screenshot of John saying hi to the player]
  
  The fucker's back!
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Oh boy, can't wait to get completely cucked from catching any Legendaries from now on. Motherfucker's walking around with a Regigigas at his beck and call and doesn't want to share.
  
  Fucking John.
  
  [UNOVA STORY DISCUSSION THREAD! HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!] By LocalEGirl
  
  title. What do you all think about the story? Favourite character? Moment? Villain? Etc.
  
  Comments
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  N was easily my favourite character and villain. Hell, he basically hard-carried the Unova side of the plot by himself. And even now, having played through the whole thing, I still very much don't consider him a villain. In my eyes, he's just the misguided hero.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  True, I really liked N too. His backstory was depressing as fuck, and Ghetsis' treatment of him just hit way too close to home sometimes. Playing as N was definitely the most interesting story beat that I've experienced in a Pokémon game in a long time. It felt like something out of the Mystery Dungeons.
  
  My jaw dropped to the floor when it was revealed that 'Hilbert' was actually Looker. I can't believe they kept such a twist hidden away so well! I was actually so mad for N when it turned out his best friend was a traitor.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  I definitely caught onto a few hints that Hilbert wasn't who he said he would be. For a man as jovial and easily exploited as he said he was, he seemed to be very firm about certain topics. I only knew this because I tried to fully explore the dialogue tree, so I can agree that the twist was very well hidden. Can't believe the man was actually a part of the International Police.
  
  Oh yeah, speaking of which, fuck Ghetsis. I can't believe he managed to top Cyrus' title for being the 'most evil'.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Eh, I'd still say Cyrus was worse. Don't forget that man was actively trying to end the world and kill every single living thing within it. Ghetsis might be a tyrant, but Cyrus could have been the one that brought about the annihilation of the entire world. You just can't compare the two.
  
  But I agree that Ghetsis feels a lot more evil. Cyrus was more like an emotionless robot than an actual human being, but Ghetsis was a power-hungry abuser that was willing to inflict massive amounts of harm just so he could get his way. Maybe I'm just biased because of N, but I found Ghetsis so much worse than Cyrus.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Yeah, genuinely can't believe I would find a villain more repulsive than Cyrus. Honestly, having some parts of the story focusing on N's POV was such a good decision. It makes you sympathise with his perspective so well, and it makes you really feel like you're doing a good thing.
  
  ...Only for all that to be ripped out from under you by Ghetsis. Seriously, fuck that man.
  
  GitGud
  
  Ghetsis and the main story aside (though it was very good), I really enjoyed the post-game even more. First time I arrived back in Sinnoh, I couldn't believe my eyes on how much had changed since we were there in the last game. Saying hi to all the familiar faces was nice, but it was also super interesting to see how the younger trainers have grown. Brock, Misty, Sabrina, Whitney etc. They've all gotten so much more powerful.
  
  And while I won't go into any spoilers, I really liked how they tied the rest of the regions to the plot that takes place in Unova. Looker being the main link really makes a lot of sense when you discover what's been going on from the other three regions. It also proves that this is indeed a sequel to the past games, as events that have happened there are referred to in this one. For example, Steven's Champion now, not Wallace.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Yeah, I really liked being able to explore the past regions too. I also liked how you can actually see the characters interacting with each other - they don't just talk to the player. They move around and you can overhear them talking about their lives and stuff; it's actually super interesting and makes them so much more personable.
  
  But anyone else found it super weird that we weren't able to use any non-Unova Pokémon for the first part of the game? Maybe I'm just rooted in the past, but the new Pokémon don't hit the same.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Nah, definitely just you. I actually really liked that we were restricted to only using the new Pokémon for that portion of the game. I didn't do research intentionally on what the types/abilities of the new Pokémon were, so I could discover them for myself as I played. Definitely made the game way more interesting and harder.
  
  [SPOILERS: THE WORLD TOURNAMENT - THE NEW POSTGAME FOR POKÉMON: BLACK AND WHITE] by SpeedRunner
  
  [Screenshots of the World Tournament ingame]
  
  Anyone reached this part of the game yet? I didn't think they'd include something like this into the base game when they gave us The Gauntlet last time, but it's a very welcome addition.
  
  The fights are really tough! Anyone beat it yet?
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  I caught the World Tournament being foreshadowed on the TV in the player's house, and I immediately thought back to all the resets that I had to do in order to beat The Gauntlet the last time. Please don't tell me it's even harder than that.
  
  I don't want go through all those resets again just to beat John and Cynthia. Please don't make me do that again.
  
  GitGud
  
  Eh... I wouldn't say it's 'harder'. Same rules as before, where you're randomly given a partner and have to fight in a series of 2v2s with them. So the difficulty is about the same.
  
  So yes, that does mean you have to beat John again - and this time he has new Pokémon on his team too!
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  NOT AGAINNN!
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Yup. Given his appearances in the anime, I don't think he's going away any time soon from the mainline games. I think he's like the reverse of a crowd favourite.
  
  GitGud
  
  Oh yeah, and it's not just John. All of the other trainers also got new Pokémon and new moves to deal with. So you can't just reuse the same strategy as last time! Also don't forget that now you have to deal with all the new Gym Leaders and Elite Four from Unova too - so don't look down on them either.
  
  Have fun! Hope you got good from last time!
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  True. Iris' glow up in the Tournament compared to her Gym fight during the story needs to be studied. How much was she holding back? Why does she feel like fighting against Lance all over again?!
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Right now, I'd rate Drayden, Iris, and Marshal to be the most fearsome trainers (not including Alder) out of Unova to face during the Pokémon World Tournament. All of them are really, really powerful. And they're easily as difficult as someone like Drake or Lorelei.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Okay, tbf, jokes on John aside, I think he's a nice addition to the game. Yes, we meme on him, but John always serves as the 'final challenge' to overcome. Both him and Cynthia serve that role, and there's value in that.
  
  After all, we all wanted a challenge, so there he is to give us one.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  I agree with all of that... until he cockblocks you out of another Legendary. All my homies hate John for that. Hope he doesn't do it again here, or I'll be pissed!
  
  GitGud
  
  ...About that...
  
  A.N. Got inspired, so here's another one of these! Again, please don't take any of this too seriously - it was all written for fun. Also, please don't assume that any of the plot developments mentioned here will actually be in the actual story. They may or may not be - so just treat this as some fun. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-15
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-15 - The Finals?
  
  Our victory over Koga and Flannery was definitely not clean, but I couldn't deny being satisfied with it nonetheless.
  
  However, I didn't get much chance to replay that battle in my head as I had to focus on getting ready for the next battle. We were given the rest of the day to rest and heal up our Pokémon before the final battle would take place.
  
  So for the very last time, Elesa and I burned through the midnight fuel as we ran through everything we could find out about Karen and Iris' Pokémon choices and fighting styles, while also coming up with a plan on how to counter them.
  
  Out of all the trainers that were competing in this Tournament, I was fully confident in saying that I knew Karen the best. Having duelled her so many times in the past, I knew every facet of her strategies and tactics, so I knew what she would try to deploy against me. However, the reverse was also true, as Karen also knew practically every trick I had available since she had a lot of experience facing off against my team as well.
  
  So this battle might really be a case of 'I know you will do this so I will do this' and 'but I knew you would do this so I did this thinking that you will do this'. In other words, our plans might break apart much quicker than usual.
  
  But I did my best to ensure that neither Elesa or I stressed over it. Whatever happens tomorrow, happens. The best pair would win.
  
  Strangely enough, just before I went to bed for the day, I received a strange text from Cynthia where she was being unusually coy about something that would take place at the end of the Tournament. I tried pressing her about it, but she refused to give me an answer, which only heightened my suspicions.
  
  I suspected this 'surprise' would be more than just some trophy or prize. But since she refused to elaborate, I supposed I would find out after our battle.
  
  Therefore, after a good night's sleep for both myself and my Pokémon, we returned to the arena for what should be the final time. Despite having already sat through over a week of constant battles, the crowd was no less excited as they cheered us on, with many banners containing our faces and our Pokémon waving amongst them.
  
  But it wasn't just the faceless crowd that cheered us on. In the VIP stands, I could barely make out the forms of many of my friends and colleagues who were also there to cheer for the battlers today.
  
  "You ready for this, John?" My partner asked me as we headed into the arena, "This will be the last time we fight together."
  
  "Yes, it will." I nodded, "And I may have said this before - but I couldn't have gotten a better partner for this Tournament."
  
  "Likewise." She smiled, "So let's end this on a good note. We've come this far. We can win it all."
  
  Nothing else needed to be said between us as we took our positions opposite of Karen and Iris. Karen was trying to say something to us, but I zoned her out as I ran through my strategy in my head again. There was no need to acknowledge anything Karen was saying - she was just trying to rile us up and unsettle us.
  
  Finally, the referee made themselves known, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! AFTER A GRUELLING FIGHT TO THE TOP, WE'VE FINALLY MANAGED TO NARROW DOWN OUR FINAL TWO TEAMS FOR THE FIRST EVER POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT! PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR OUR FINALISTS - ON THE ONE SIDE, WE HAVE ELITE JOHN AND GYM LEADER ELESA. AND ON THE OTHER, WE HAVE ELITE KAREN AND GYM LEADER IRIS!"
  
  "I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ANY MORE OF AN INTRODUCTION TO THESE TWO TEAMS, SO LET'S GET RIGHT INTO THE BATTLE! TRAINERS, ARE YOU READY?!"
  
  "IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN ON THREE!... TWO!... ONE!... FIGHT!"
  
  "Come, Pixel!" "As planned, Emolga!"
  
  "Weavile, get'em!" "Druddigon, it's on you!"
  
  The battle began as a black blur instantly started circling around the battlefield. Weavile had quickly broken out into a sprint as it fired off an equally-fast Taunt at Emolga, but Pixel jumped in the way and intercepted the attack in its place.
  
  This shut down Pixel's ability to make use of its support moves, but it had already done what it needed to. Pixel had immediately swapped its own type to Fairy using Conversion as soon as the battle started.
  
  At the same time, since it wasn't affected by the Taunt, Emolga was able to make distance from everyone as it rocketed into the air, before it began to enact our own plan as it gave a Helping Hand boost to Pixel, heavily powering up the Fairy type Tri-Attack that it just fired out.
  
  Sensing the attack coming, Weavile had tried to interrupt the attack with an Ice Shard, but Pixel relied on its great defenses to just shrug off the attack.
  
  Therefore, an enormous blast of concentrated Fairy energy shot forwards right towards Druddigon, who had been trying to set up with a Hone Claws. Druddigon did successfully manage to boost itself the once, but seeing the overwhelmingly powerful Fairy attack coming, it was forced to cancel what it was doing and hurriedly burrow into the ground with a Dig.
  
  Unfortunately for Druddigon, that wouldn't be enough. The Fairy Tri-Attack was so powerful that it literally ripped a trench through the ground itself, annihilating everything that it touched - with Druddigon being no exception.
  
  Druddigon let out an anguished growl as it was engulfed by an overwhelming amount of Fairy energy and fell to a knee. But though it was certainly injured and breathing heavily, I knew that one attack was far from enough to bring it down.
  
  Meanwhile, before Pixel could fire off another attack, Weavile had dashed in close and went past Pixel's Protect with a Feint, getting inside of Pixel's guard to deliver a vicious and supereffective combo of a Metal Claw into a Poison Jab. Pixel let out a pained whirl as the double-hit of attacks knocked it to the ground.
  
  Yet before Weavile could follow up with another Poison Jab, Emolga suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a Quick Attack and Nuzzle combo, ramming into Weavile from behind before the Dark type could dodge out of the way in a blur of white and yellow. The damage that this attack did was pitiful, even to a Pokémon as frail as Weavile, but that wasn't the point. Thanks to Nuzzle, Weavile was now paralysed, cutting its once incredible speed to more manageable levels.
  
  Emolga immediately made a quick retreat into the air to get out of reach before Weavile could counterattack, and even tried to Charm Weavile to sharply lower its attack, but Weavile - even while affected by paralysis - still fired off a Taunt quicker than Emolga could get off its Charm.
  
  That was how instinctual the use of Taunt was for Weavile. It was basically just another muscle at this point, to the extent that the attack come out almost instantly.
  
  While this was all happening, Druddigon had been staying quiet. I had been trying to keep an eye on it, but it had burrowed itself in the ground with a Dig to stay out of vision and was probably buffing itself up while out of sight.
  
  And just as I was about to warn Elesa about the lurking threat, Druddigon burst out from the ground right next to where our Pokémon had been fighting and launched a massive rock towards Emolga - which caught Emolga by surprise as it landed a glancing blow. Pixel immediately punished this attempt with another Fairy Tri-Attack that struck Druddigon dead on.
  
  However, that glancing blow was enough to momentarily knock Emolga off balance, and right back into Weavile's waiting claws. Weavile let out an enraged snarl as it delivered a hard-hitting Ice Punch right to the face, before burying Emolga in an avalanche of Icicle Crashes.
  
  Small chunks of frost began to spread across its wings, preventing it from taking flight again.
  
  So even though Weavile was paralysed, Weavile was sufficiently resistant to its effects that it refused to allow its muscles to lock up as it continued to absolutely devastate the fallen Emolga. Without having access to its speed to get away, Emolga could do nothing but fire off weak Discharges in a futile attempt to force Weavile off of it.
  
  It didn't work. And the frail Emolga was unable to put up much of a fight against Weavile's vicious strikes and was soon knocked out of the fight.
  
  Yet this wasn't a surprise to us. We knew full well that if Weavile ever got in range of Emolga, the Electric type was absolutely doomed as the Dark type would certainly tear it apart.
  
  But that was fine. We had expected this, and Emolga's sacrifice was not in vain.
  
  Because, while this was all happening, Pixel had broken free of the Taunt thanks to all that mental training it had received, and was able to use Recover to restore its own health while also quickly setting up with a Nasty Plot.
  
  Then Pixel pulled out my favourite trick as it suddenly intensified the Gravity to such a level that the mighty Druddigon was struggling to even move. Weavile fared a little better, since it had trained with my Pokémon before, but even it was slowed down by the crushing weight that was now pressing down on its shoulders.
  
  Furthermore, because Pixel was so proficient in using Gravity, it was able to localise the affected area to just encompass the side of the arena that Weavile and Druddigon were in. Therefore, when Elesa sent out her final Pokémon - her second Emolga - it was unaffected and could stay in the air.
  
  So with both of our opponents' Pokémon slowed down, a glow of shimmering pink filled the entire arena as Pixel prepared a terrifyingly powerful and Helping-Hand boosted Fairy Tri-Attack.
  
  And fired it off straight towards the slowed Weavile like a glowing pink orb of death.
  
  "BLOCK IT WITH YOUR BODY, DRUDDIGON! DRAGON RUSH!"
  
  However, with a ruthlessness and decisiveness that surprised me, Iris' Druddigon heroically forced itself forwards with a Dragon Rush, turning itself into a blue blur as it threw itself in front of Weavile and in the way of the incoming attack - knowing that Weavile was the more important of the two.
  
  The subsequent explosion of Fairy energy absolutely eradicated Druddigon's health. It didn't matter how 'defensively strong' it was - this was not an attack that it was expected to endure through. Especially not with its existing injuries.
  
  It collapsed limply to the ground; its body slightly glowing with a faint colour of pink. It was not going to get up from that.
  
  Yet, despite this takedown evening out the score to 1-1, I was not happy with this development. Druddigon's sacrifice had ruined my plan of taking down Weavile in exchange for Emolga.
  
  And now, before Pixel could recharge and fire off another attack, a volley of Ice Shards immediately came Pixel's way as Weavile moved to avenge its fallen teammate. The Ice Shards served as a cover for Weavile to dash forwards, running past a Thunderbolt from Emolga, before firing off another Taunt towards Pixel.
  
  Even though I had heavily trained up Pixel's mental discipline, that did not make it perfect, and Weavile's Taunts were still potent enough to temporarily interrupt the Fairy Tri-Attack that it was once again trying to charge up.
  
  With both of our Pokémon focused onto Weavile, I almost missed the flare of draconic energy coming out from Iris' newly sent out Haxorus. It was taking advantage of our Pokémon's momentary distraction to power itself up with a Dragon Dance.
  
  Realising this, I hurriedly shouted out.
  
  "ELESA, GET YOUR EMOLGA TO DEAL WITH HAXORUS! DON'T LET IT SET UP!"
  
  "Night Slash, Weavile. Stop it."
  
  Instantly pivoting on the spot, Weavile leapt into the air as it pounced after the fleeing Emolga, intending to cut it down with a vicious Night Slash. But thanks to the fact that it had been paralysed earlier, Weavile wasn't as fast as it usually was, allowing the fresh Emolga to just fly out of range before it was hit.
  
  Emolga quickly flew over to Haxorus, and seeing that it was just about to finish setting up with a second Dragon Dance, Elesa made a split second decision.
  
  "Quick Attack and Nuzzle it, Emolga!"
  
  Instead of going for the safer, but slower, Thunder Wave, Emolga suddenly blurred forwards and slammed into the Haxorus with an electrified Quick Attack, paralysing the Haxorus. Yet that attack did not come without risks, as now Emolga was within slashing distance of a buffed up and enraged Haxorus.
  
  Not wanting to be eviscerated, Emolga rapidly backpedalled with another Quick Attack while also simultaneously throwing out fake afterimages of itself with a Double Team. Haxorus ripped through them like paper, but unlike Weavile, Haxorus wasn't as used to dealing with paralysis as its partner, and it was too slow to react and was unable to catch Emolga before it flew out of its range.
  
  Then, as if to add insult to injury, Elesa still had one more 'gift' for Haxorus.
  
  "Encore, Emolga!"
  
  Haxorus let out a frustrated snarl as it became locked into using its last move - Dragon Claw. Normally, this was by far Haxorus' most used attack, and would usually be the go-to option for most opponents. However, the move had very short range, which wouldn't be useful against the flying Emolga. Even if Haxorus could leap into the air to try to catch Emolga, the latter was simply too fast for it. Furthermore, Pixel was currently a Fairy type, making it immune to the Dragon Claw.
  
  Essentially, until Encore's effect ended, Haxorus had been completely nullified for the time being.
  
  Meanwhile, Weavile and Pixel were still continuing their intense duel. Thanks to all of the training that I had done with Pixel against fast, close-range attackers, it wasn't completely helpless when Weavile managed to get in close against it. A series of well-timed Discharges and even surprise Take Downs prevented Weavile from simply pummelling Pixel into unconsciousness, but even then, it was obvious that Pixel was losing this fight.
  
  Even when slowed down by paralysis, Weavile was still far superior at close range battles, and it was gradually overwhelming Pixel. If nothing changed, then it was inevitable that Pixel would fall first.
  
  But I knew now was the time to enact one of our situational plans that we had planned from the very beginning of the Tournament. I tapped Elesa on the shoulder, signalling to her that to be ready.
  
  Then I raised Pixel's Pokéball, "Switch out, Pixel! Crush them, Vordt!"
  
  Pixel was enveloped in a red light before being returned back to its Pokéball. Seeing its target disappear from in front of it, Weavile quickly dashed backwards to make distance before beginning to set up with a Swords Dance.
  
  Then Vordt emerged onto the field. And the very instant that he did so, a small light blue orb started to form around Emogla's wings as it continued staying far out of reach from Haxorus.
  
  "Speed Swap, Emolga!"
  
  That same orb shot across the battlefield until it was absorbed into Vordt, swapping Emolga's incredible speed with Vordt's.
  
  I caught Karen's eyes widening in alarm as she quickly realised what had just happened. Unfortunately, I didn't give her any moment to recover as I ordered Vordt forwards.
  
  "Ignite yourself and Headlong Rush, Vordt! On Weavile!"
  
  Vordt blitzed forwards with a level of speed that I doubted anyone had seen before. He literally moved so fast, and with so much power, that it was almost like the trench in the ground that he tore up behind him was struggling to catch up to his speed.
  
  He was like a flaming missile of unstoppable destruction.
  
  For the first time in a long while, Weavile actually found itself outsped by Vordt and wasn't able to retreat out of the way in time. In desperation, it tried throwing out Ice Shards to stop his charge, but they might as well have melted from Vordt's flaming body for how little damage they did.
  
  Realising it wasn't able to dodge, it threw up a last-second Protect shield that did nothing as Vordt brutally smashed through it and crashed into the Weavile. Weavile was launched backwards like it had been hit by a high speed missile and its limp body was painfully thrown against the psychic shields.
  
  One hit, and the frail Weavile was knocked out.
  
  But Vordt wasn't done yet. Without wasting a single moment, he spun around and immediately charged towards Haxorus with another Headlong Rush.
  
  At this point, Haxorus had managed to break free of the effects of Encore, and because Emolga had sacrificed and exchanged its own speed for Vordt's, it meant that it was now incredibly slow. So with Emolga being extremely unused to its newfound sluggish speed, it was completely unable to move out of the way as a Rock Slide sent an avalanche of rocks crashing down all around it. Emolga managed to block a few with Protect, but it wasn't enough to stop them all and the Electric type was sent tumbling to the ground.
  
  Then with the boost that it had gained from its earlier Dragon Dances, Haxorus stomped down on the ground and unleashed a terrifying Earthquake - mere moments before Vordt came ferociously barrelling into it with a devastating Play Rough.
  
  "Stop it, Houndoom!"
  
  Vordt came slamming into Haxorus like a freight train, brutally throwing the Dragon type to the ground. But before Vordt could finish it off with another Play Rough, a searing wave of black flames scorched the entire area. Haxorus was just barely out or range to avoid friendly fire, but both Vordt and Emolga were not so lucky. Due to how frail it was, Emolga had really struggled to pull itself back off the ground, and had not done so in time to get out of the way of the incoming blaze.
  
  The conflagration proved too much for Emolga, and it was knocked out.
  
  Knowing that the battle was now a 2v1, I unconsciously clenched one of my fists. This was the situation we had placed all of our past opponents in, and now I was in their shoes. Despite this, I stomped down hard on that small spike of nervousness.
  
  Vordt would win; especially with all of the buffs he had. He had done so against worse odds. I was certain of this.
  
  And I knew that the first priority would be to balance out the fight. So Haxorus had to go.
  
  "Play Rough again, Vordt! Take down Haxorus!"
  
  Obeying my orders, Vordt roared out through the wall of flames that tried to bar him and pounced onto Haxorus, trapping it beneath his monstrously powerful claws. Houndoom unleashed a blackened Fire Blast that exploded and engulfed Vordt in a ball of searing fire, but Vordt pushed through the pain and focused on pummelling Haxorus into the ground. Fortunately, thanks to the Speed Swap that Emolga sacrificed itself for, Vordt's rate of attacks were able to come even faster than normal - faster than our opponents could have prepared themselves for - and the paralysed Haxorus was completely unable to fend off Vordt's unrelenting assault.
  
  Its Dragon Claws were parried. Its Iron Heads were rebuffed. Its Stone Edges were weak and were shrugged off. The speed difference, both from the buffs Vordt received and from the paralysis inflicted on Haxorus, was too much.
  
  Haxorus desperately tried to Outrage, only for the endless barrage of Fairy attacks to knock it right out of it as Vordt easily dispersed the buildup of Dragon energy with repeated and painful Play Roughs.
  
  Houndoom did its best to intervene as it engulfed Vordt in a searing torrent of black flames, but Vordt was locked onto his target and refused to let go as he continued ferociously pummelling into Haxorus and ensuring that it would never be able to get up.
  
  So for all of Haxorus' draconic might, even after it was boosted by Dragon Dances, it was still not a match for a Guts-boosted Vordt.
  
  Maybe one day Haxorus would grow strong enough to match Vordt in strength, but today was not this day.
  
  The Dragon crumbled before Vordt.
  
  That left the battle to be a 1v1, with Karen's untouched Houndoom versus my own injured Vordt. Wisps of blackened embers infected Vordt's frame, slowly spreading around like a dark malaise, steadily sapping away at his mental discipline. Furthermore, knowing that her teammate was doomed, instead of continuing to fire off Flamethrowers, Houndoom made distance and used the time instead to set up with a Nasty Plot, sharply boosting her own Special Attack.
  
  That only caused her next torrent of flames to explode into an even larger inferno, and Vordt was fully engulfed in the fiery, black pyre. It was almost like he was being absorbed into the void itself.
  
  The flames fully scorched and seared his form, blackening his once brilliant fur, but Vordt held strong and stomped down hard on the ground, unleashing a violently destructive Earthquake that effortlessly split the arena apart.
  
  Houndoom immediately leapt into the air to dodge the attack, and knowing what was to come, even managed to dart to the side before the follow-up eruption of rocks could impale her.
  
  However, that was all just a distraction to buy time for Vordt to get in close. He charged forwards with another Headlong Rush, aiming for the location where Houndoom was going to land in. But it had been a trap, and he had charged straight into a pre-prepared explosion of Dark energy, causing him to stumble out of his charge while Houndoom inflicted it with a Taunt and Torment simultaneously.
  
  Thinking that Vordt was temporarily unable to attack, Houndoom landed and prepared to fire off another gigantic Fire Blast. If this was the regular Vordt that she had so often sparred against, then she would be right to think that Vordt could not counterattack. He was simply too slow normally.
  
  But this was not that Vordt. This was Vordt with Emolga's speed, and things were different.
  
  So Houndoom was taken by complete surprise as a single rock shot out from the ground and slammed into the bottom of Houndoom's mouth, forcibly closing it and cancelling the Fire Blast.
  
  Then Vordt was there, having rushed forwards with a ridiculous level of speed, and smashed into the Houndoom with another devastatingly supereffective Headlong Rush. Houndoom managed to partially block it with a last-second Protect, but it was far from enough.
  
  Houndoom was sent flying backwards, but she made use of a Flamethrower to propel herself and twist herself out of the way of Vordt's follow-up Stone Edge. And in order to cover her landing, Houndoom fired off another Dark Pulse while still mid-air in hopes of flinching Vordt.
  
  Already inflicted by so many mental ailments, Vordt did flinch, but was still able to unleash a quick, yet supereffective Earthquake that knocked Houndoom off-balance as she failed to withstand against the burst of tectonic energy.
  
  But at this point - Vordt was no longer in a position to follow up. Even though both Pokémon were wounded, Vordt was in a much worse position.
  
  He was limping, breathing heavily, and every last bit of him was burnt black. You couldn't even make out his expression because of all the black flames clinging to his body.
  
  Not only that, but Vordt would occasionally shake his head, as if he was plagued with some sort of mental affliction. He looked horrible.
  
  Meanwhile, Houndoom was doing a little better. She was visibly injured, though had still managed to pull herself off the ground, and one of her back legs was wobbling heavily - a telltale sign that it was unable to withstand the weight of her body. Furthermore, the normally malicious glint that always seemed present in Houndoom's eyes was gone, and was instead replaced by pained determination.
  
  Karen and I shared a mutual look of understanding - we both knew that this was it. The duel was going to be decided here.
  
  "FLAMETHROWER! TORCH IT!"
  
  "HEADLONG RUSH, GO FOR IT!"
  
  Even though Vordt was clearly on his last legs, he still managed to let out a booming roar as he charged forwards one final time - he no longer was as fast as he used to be due to all of his injuries. Meanwhile, Houndoom unleashed an enormous torrent of black flames, but this time it was surrounded by a vortex of darkness that looked exactly like what you would expect from a Dark Pulse.
  
  Vordt threw up a wall of rocks in front of himself as he met the torrent of flames head on. Said wall practically disintegrated in the face of such a scorching inferno, but Vordt was doing anything he could do lessen the damage coming his way.
  
  Vordt's charge took barely over a second, but to me it felt like a lifetime as I watched the flames rapidly engulf his form. He actually seemed to slow down near the end, but he valiantly maintained the momentum and slammed into Houndoom.
  
  Yet Houndoom refused to be knocked away and instead latched onto Vordt and ruthlessly bit down with a savage Crunch deep into Vordt's neck, causing Vordt to let out a howl of pain. But he retaliated by brutally backhanding Houndoom across the face, knocking her off.
  
  But Houndoom counterattacked with another Dark Pulse, forcing Vordt to flinch once more, before letting out a vicious snarl and this time she slammed into him with a desperate Flare Blitz before biting down as hard as she could with a Fire Fang.
  
  Vordt howled in pain, and this time, his resilience finally faltered, and he succumbed to the flames that had long burned through his body. He went down.
  
  ...But I still had one Pokémon left.
  
  "Pixel, finish the job!"
  
  Pixel reemerged onto the battlefield, and immediately used Conversion to switch its own type to Water just before the Taunt from Houndoom managed to hit.
  
  That didn't stop Pixel from blasting Houndoom with a Water type Tri-Attack, which the latter valiantly tried to fend off with a stream of Dark Pulse.
  
  But Pixel was stronger. Sure, Pixel was injured too, but Houndoom was exhausted. Karen's ace no longer could muster up the power that it once possessed.
  
  Because of that, the defending Dark Pulse was ripped apart by the Tri-Attack, and Houndoom was too tired and injured to dodge out of the way. The Dark type skidded backwards from the impact, only for a rain of Thunderbolts to come crashing down from above, stunning the Houndoom for long enough for a final Tri-Attack to finish it off.
  
  I held my breath as I watched if Houndoom would get back up, but after what felt like an eternity, the referee called the battle.
  
  It was over. We had won. The World Tournament was ours.
  
  There was a moment of silence from everyone as the crowd took a moment to process our victory, but soon there was an enormous roar of cheers as they celebrated our victory.
  
  I shot Pixel a proud smile and returned it to its Pokéball quickly so that it could have a good rest. That smile didn't leave my face as I turned to Elesa, who similarly had a matching smile of her own.
  
  My hand was moving before I even realised it, "High-five! We did it!"
  
  "We did!" Our hands clapped together, before we both raised them into the air as proof of our victory. The crowd somehow cheered even louder at that.
  
  I was about to praise Elesa for everything she had accomplished during this Tournament, but then Cynthia interrupted our moment to make an announcement on the microphone.
  
  "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like with this the final team of this Tournament has been decided! After so many exciting and tense battles during the past week, these two trainers have managed to climb their way to the top! So let's give it up for your first ever World Tournament finalists!"
  
  There was another round of frighteningly loud applause as a cacophony of shouts and cheers echoed throughout the arena once again, and Cynthia waited for it to die down before continuing, "However! After seeing the myriad of jaw-dropping performances from all of our many contestants, I can't deny that it's gotten my blood pumping from just watching all these battles, and I couldn't resist stepping in."
  
  "Therefore, though I initially said otherwise, I will be challenging the team that wins the World Tournament!" My eyes shot open at her declaration - I had not known anything about this.
  
  "But that's not all!" She continued, her voice somehow being heard despite the loud shouts of surprise that she got, "I was not alone in my desire for a battle, and there was one other individual who was equally as excited as I was after seeing these battles - so much so that he asked if he could participate alongside me."
  
  "And that trainer is none other than the recently ascended Champion of Hoenn - Steven!"
  
  Oh, fuck.
  
  A.N. John and Elesa have won! That's it for the World Tournament, except for one final battle! Karen and Iris were definitely the hardest opponents that John and Elesa have had to face, and I hope I portrayed that well in this chapter. I know that some might have wanted John to face off against other opponents, and I do understand that (and if I had the time I would have written out every fight, but I simply don't), but I personally wouldn't have been happy if this final fight had been anything other than this. At the end of the day, these were the fights I wanted to write, as they do link into future events later.
  
  Furthermore, I seriously considered using Tyrant for this fight, but then I thought about it a bit more and realised that Vordt, with Guts boost and a Speed Swap, was actually more deadly than Tyrant. Tyrant's main advantage over Vordt is his flexibility. He has Special Attacks, he has good speed, and he has a bigger arsenal of moves. But here, Vordt had that speed, he had greater Attack thanks to Guts, and his moves were all supereffective already thanks to Play Rough/Ground/Rock moves. So he was no lesser of a choice.
  
  But the battle between John and the two Champions is coming. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 16-16
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-16 - Champions
  
  My first thought was that I was hearing things wrong. I had absolutely no idea that such a thing was going to be sprung on us.
  
  Fuck, this must have been the surprise that Cynthia was hinting to me about. I thought it'd be something newsworthy, but I didn't imagine it would be on a scale like this!
  
  Who drops a battle against two Champions on you out of the blue like that?! We didn't even have any time to prepare!
  
  I turned to Elesa with a questioning look, "Did you know about this?"
  
  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw both Steven and Cynthia walking into the arena as they waved to the crowd. They were saying something, probably to each other or the crowd, but I tuned them out for the moment.
  
  She shook her head violently, "No. Absolutely not." She was as surprised as I was, "I thought you knew something about this and just didn't tell me. Did Cynthia not tell you?"
  
  "She mentioned that there would be some sort of 'surprise' waiting for me, but I definitely didn't expect something like this." I grumbled, though there was no real heat in it. Now that some of my surprise had waned, the excitement and adrenaline was flooding through my veins once again.
  
  I always cherished an opportunity to battle against powerful opponents. And what was more powerful than two Champions at the same time?
  
  Preparations or no, I wasn't one to back out from a fight.
  
  "...Are you ready for such a fight though?" I asked her, "Some of your Pokémon are injured, after all." Although I'm sure our Pokémon would be healed before the fight, that didn't mean that their exhaustion would be gone. That could only be recovered through some proper rest.
  
  "I... I should be fine." Elesa replied, a little hesitantly. Although that hesitation was quickly replaced with a growing sense of confidence, "I never imagined I would be facing off against a Champion, or even two, so soon. But I will cherish and make the most of the opportunity."
  
  Then she shot me a chuckle, "Besides, you'll be fighting besides me, won't you? So Champions or not, what do I have to worry about?"
  
  It wasn't so simple as that, but her confidence was infectious as I shot her a smile, "Sure. Just follow my lead."
  
  The two of us headed over to where Steven and Cynthia were, as they had been waving us over. Karen and Iris were also there.
  
  "Congratulations on your victory, John and Elesa. That last battle of yours was truly a marvel to watch." Steven said, "You truly deserve to be considered the victors of this World Championship."
  
  "Thank you." I replied on our behalf, then I turned to our former opponents, "And you too, Karen. Iris. It was very well fought. That was definitely our toughest battle yet."
  
  Karen snorted, "I couldn't just hand you the win without putting up a decent fight, now could I? And after training together for so long, I'd be disappointed in myself if I couldn't make you sweat a little."
  
  "Well you certainly did that." I replied, "A lucky critical hit or two and that would have been your victory instead of ours."
  
  "Same to you, Iris." Elesa added, "I know a lot of people were still looking down on you as the 8th Gym Leader of Unova. But with how well you did in this Tournament, I think many of your critics will be silenced."
  
  "Thanks, Elesa." Iris smiled cutely, "Karen already said the same, but it's nice to know you think so too. But your own reputation is going to be boosted a lot too, especially if you win the next battle."
  
  "Oh? Do you think they will win against us, Gym Leader Iris?" Steven asked with a disarming smile, letting her know that he wasn't offended with the suggestion.
  
  Iris giggled, "Maybe. I'd like to think Karen and I were pretty strong too, and they still beat us. So yes, I think they can beat you too."
  
  While they continued their merry discussion, I stepped over to Cynthia, "Was this really the surprise you had for me? I know you wanted to keep this a secret, but personally speaking, I would have really appreciated a bit of a heads up. Even if it's only a 2v2."
  
  She laughed, "Well it really was last minute, and telling you too early would have ruined the surprise."
  
  "I think I would have accepted that if that meant I got time to prepare." I shot back.
  
  "I'll make it up to you later." She waved me off, "Besides, I did this for you, you know?"
  
  "Me?" I asked, "What do you- oh, I see."
  
  Giving all of our political talks in the past, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Cynthia had said she wanted my strength to be unquestionable. So what better way would there be to prove that than to put me in a battle against two Champions?
  
  She nodded knowingly, "I see that you understand." Then she chuckled, "But this was just a bonus anyways. Even if you didn't have this battle, while it might not have the same ring as being called a Champion, being a 'World Champion' sounds similar enough, don't you think? It's why I chose to call it a 'World Tournament' to begin with."
  
  "...That's very clever. I wouldn't have thought so far forwards." I admitted with a smile, "Your brain never ceases to amaze me, Cynthia. It really is a beautiful thing."
  
  She laughed softly, "Oh save the compliments for later. And even though I'm doing this for you, you know I won't be holding back, right? Not only would the crowd see through it, but I can't disappoint Steven. This is his first 'official' battle after he's become Champion. I don't want to mess this up for him."
  
  "No wonder he agreed to do this then." I replied, "But yeah, I get it. I would have loved to have more preparation time... but I guess I'll have to make do. I'll just have to win against you both too."
  
  She poked me in the side, "Don't get too arrogant now. This might not be a fight you can win, even though I know you will do everything you can to do so. But win or lose - show the world that you deserve to stand alongside us. Show everyone that your victory against Lance was no fluke. Remind the world and cement the fact that your strength rivals ours."
  
  "Of course." I nodded, "May the best trainer win."
  
  "Likewise." And there was nothing more to be said between us. After exchanging a few more words with Karen and Iris, they left the arena, and everyone took their positions for the actual final battle of the Tournament.
  
  Since we didn't have any time to prepare, I just told Elesa to stick with what she felt comfortable with. There was no point trying to come up with complex strategies now. We just had to trust in each other's instincts, and the rapport and partnership that we had built up over the entire Tournament.
  
  That was actually our one advantage. For all that Steven and Cynthia were the (much) stronger pair on paper, they had never fought together before. Even if they might have been passingly familiar with how each other fought (and I was sure that Cynthia would have done some preparation before our battle), it wouldn't be the same as the entire tournament of battles that Elesa and I had gone through together.
  
  I held onto that thought as we took our positions. A barebones plan came to my mind, and it was time to execute it. Before we sent out our Pokémon, I gave Elesa a quick tap on the shoulder - signalling to her with one of our predetermined messages that we had assigned before the Tournament had even began. She should hopefully know what that means.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ONE FINAL BATTLE HERE TODAY, SO STAY IN YOUR SEATS - THE TOURNAMENT ISN'T OVER YET! WE'RE GETTING A FIGHT BETWEEN OUR LATEST VICTORS AND CHAMPIONS STEVEN AND CYNTHIA! THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A BATTLE TO REMEMBER!"
  
  The crowd roared out in approval; they were even more excited for this battle than the one between me and Karen.
  
  "IN THAT CASE, LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT! THE BATTLE SHALL BE A 2V2, WITH BOTH TEAMS ALLOWED ONE SWITCH ONLY! TRAINERS, I HOPE YOU'RE READY, BECAUSE THE BATTLE WILL BEGIN IN THREE!... TWO!... ONE!... BEGIN!"
  
  "Go, Pixel! Start setting up!" "Maintain your distance, Galvantula!"
  
  "Get them, Kleavor!" "Break them, Aggron!"
  
  Both of our Pokémon hung back while both of them rushed forwards. This was the first time I had seen Cynthia make use of her Kleavor in a public battle, which she had found at the same time that I had found Wraith, and I knew that she had trained Kleavor up just as much as I had done with Wraith.
  
  So with its stone axes brandished threateningly, it easily cut through the attempted Sticky Web from Galvantula as it rushed towards Pixel - who was now glowing a dark brown as it had changed its own Type into a Ground type. Aggron was not far behind, and it unleashed a vortex of razor sharp steel that eviscerated everything that it came into contact with - tearing out a huge chunk of the battlefield as it tried to trap Galvantula within. Fortunately, Galvantula was agile enough to leap out of the way before it was caught within that metallic storm.
  
  At the same time, Kleavor managed to reach Pixel, and its stone axes began to take on a light green sheen as it prepared to slash down with a vicious X-Scissor. Pixel finished whatever it was setting up with and dodged backwards, narrowly avoiding the blow, but Kleavor lunged forwards to follow-up with another one.
  
  Normally, Pixel should not have been able to dodge this. For all its incredible Special Attack, Pixel was not a close-range attacker as our previous match had already proved. When it came to close quarters combat, it lacked the martial skill and technique necessary to win such a fight.
  
  ...However, it was a different story with Wraith.
  
  Shedding his disguise, Wraith let out a malicious smile as he parried away Kleavor's axe to the side with his own reinforced claws. Now completely exposed, Kleavor was unable to block the incoming Will-O-Wisp, causing the Stone type to be Burned and cutting its Attack in half.
  
  Then Wraith ducked under another desperate swing of Kleavor's axe and slashed down with a Shadow Claw, which had been further boosted up by the Swords Dance that he had been setting up with.
  
  The earlier 'Conversion into a Ground type' was merely a smokescreen to disguise said Swords Dance.
  
  Kleavor winced in pain, but before Wraith could press his advantage, he was forced to dodge backwards as an eruption of rocks shot out from the ground where he was just standing. Leaping backwards, Wraith continued to apply pressure onto Kleavor as he fired off a volley of Shadow Balls and a Taunt in its direction.
  
  However, even though it was struck with a Taunt, Kleavor made no sign it was affected by it at all as it kept its concentration and easily slashed through the incoming Shadow Balls with a precise series of Night Slashes, before leaping backwards and making distance from Wraith as well.
  
  It must not have felt confident in engaging Wraith at close range now that it was Burned. In lockstep, Aggron stepped forwards to cover it, allowing Kleavor to safely fall back and change its target.
  
  Meanwhile, Galvantula had been trying to harass and paralyse Aggron with a series of Thunder Waves. Except Aggron's ferro-kinesis was so good that it was able to manipulate the steel around it to form a shield around itself that would attract, absorb, and divert any stray electric currents. Therefore, none of the Thunder Waves were actually able to hit Aggron as they were all redirected harmlessly into the ground.
  
  I caught Elesa frowning as she realised this. But sadly, she wasn't given any opportunity to change up her plans as Kleavor nearly ambushed Galvantula with a powerful Stone Edge from below.
  
  As Kleavor chased after the retreating Galvantula, Wraith was doing the reverse with Aggron. Knowing that Wraith could not win a fight against Aggron at close range, I was relying on his better speed and quadruply supereffective Focus Blasts to try and wear down Aggron from a distance - hoping that it would be enough to break through Aggron's immense endurance.
  
  However, Aggron had taken a page out of Vordt's book and, with a roar to the skies, began burying the entire arena with an unending avalanche of steel and rocks, letting down a torrential rain of steel-tipped rocks that threatened to entomb Wraith from above.
  
  And the attacks were so numerous that there was no chance Wraith could blast through them. His only recourse was to keep on dodging to buy time for an interruption, or hide away with a Dig and risk getting hit by a massive Earthquake.
  
  Fortunately, that interruption came when Galvantula snuck in a quick Electro Ball that zapped Aggron in the back. It didn't manage to paralyse the Steel type, but it still stunned it for long enough to prevent Wraith from being buried in its would-be prison of stone.
  
  But that interruption came at a cost, as Kleavor used this opportunity to break away from its chase after Galvantula, quickly changing its target to Wraith as it disappeared into a sea of afterimages with a Double Team and Quick Attack combo.
  
  The Taunt must have already worn off, though I wasn't surprised by that.
  
  Wraith was suddenly swarmed by a horde of afterimages, all of them brandishing their stone axes menacingly. But Wraith kept his calm and fired off an Icy Wind in a wide cone, dispersing most of the afterimages while also slowing down the original.
  
  He then disappeared into his own shadow just before Kleavor's Stone Axes smashed down on his previous position. The real Kleavor started to spin around, waiting for the counterattack to come - but it never came.
  
  Instead, Aggron suddenly found itself tripped over and brought to the ground as one of its legs was ensnared by a hidden Grass Knot. Wraith chose that moment to show himself before firing a point-blank Focus Blast that struck Aggron in the face.
  
  I wanted to capitalise on that, "Curse it, Wraith! Then Pain Split to heal!"
  
  Wraith let out a haunting cackle that quickly turned into a pained shriek as a spectre of cursed agony tore itself out of his body and leapt over to Aggron, inflicting it with its malicious energies.
  
  Now that the Curse was wrecking havoc inside of Aggron's body, I knew that this was the only real way to deal substantial and reliable damage to Aggron while also putting it on a timer. Now it wasn't a matter of if it would fall, but when.
  
  Aggron tried to go for a counterattack as it swung its powerful tail at Wraith, but a surprise Thunderbolt struck down from above as Galvantula interrupted the attack.
  
  The latter proved to be a mistake, as Kleavor capitalised on this momentary distraction by changing its target again. It blitzed forwards towards the unprepared Galvantula, catching it off-guard and mid-retreat, and ambushed it with a crushing blow from its two massive Stone Axes that brutally slammed down into Galvantula.
  
  Not only that, but the Stone Axes also caused shards of sharpened rocks to scatter around the arena, which were immediately relevant as a second Stone Axe sent Galvantula skidding backwards right into the Stealth Rocks, which jabbed down painfully into two of Galvantula's back legs.
  
  The Electric type let out a cry of pain that was very quickly silenced by Kleavor as a third and final Stone Axe crushed it against the floor of the arena.
  
  Even though it was Burned, Kleavor clearly still had more than enough power to flatten its fellow Bug type.
  
  Seeing this, I immediately realised that there was absolutely no point in trying to rescue Galvantula - it was only going to be a liability. Instead, I had to focus on taking down Aggron and making this a trade.
  
  Fortunately, no matter how much of a defensive behemoth that Aggron might be, the Curse that was ravaging through its body was doing its job. And Wraith was proving too nimble for Aggron to land a good hit against.
  
  Therefore, another Ferrous Storm from Aggron narrowly missed Wraith, before a horde of ghostly resentment burst out of Wraith's form as he struck with his signature move - Bitter Malice. The spectral swarm dove into Aggron, causing an unnatural chill to spread throughout its body as its Attack was lowered. A follow-up Taunt struck Aggron as well before Wraith darted backwards out of the way of Aggron's violent swipe from its Metal Claw.
  
  Unfortunately, by this point, Galvantula had gone down to Kleavor. Elesa quickly switched it out and replaced it with her starter Zebstrika.
  
  Zebstrika immediately began circling around the arena, with Kleavor in hot pursuit, and I trusted that its incredible speed would allow it to keep distance from Kleavor and hopefully buy time. Especially since Zebstrika's speed only continued to increase as it struck itself with weak Thunder Shocks to activate its Motor Drive.
  
  After seeing Kleavor fail to catch up with a Quick Attack, and then miss with a Stone Edge, I was confident that I could keep focusing down Aggron for the time being.
  
  Right now, I knew that Aggron was in a terrible position, even though it had valiantly fended off getting Burned by a Will-O-Wisp by always deflecting the incoming flames with its ferrokinesis. The damage from the Curse simply bypassed all of its inherently high defenses, and Wraith never stood still for even a moment, continuing to make use of his better agility to dodge past any attacks thrown by Aggron.
  
  And even if Aggron managed to land a glancing blow with some wide-area attacks, the Steel type simply didn't hit as hard as it used to with all of the Attack drops from the Bitter Malice.
  
  Normally, Steven would try to get his Aggron out of such a position by making it set up with an Autotomize or a Rock Polish to even out the speed difference, but the constant taunts from Wraith denied it any opportunity to do so.
  
  Aggron might be considered to be Steven's second strongest Pokémon, but against Wraith it had a terrible matchup. Wraith simply countered all of its greatest strengths, which was the whole reason I chose to send it out rather than some of my more 'traditionally' powerful Pokémon. Of course, the surprise factor also helped there too.
  
  Eventually, seeing how ineffective Aggron was against Wraith - Steven simply recalled it back to its Pokéball as he switched it out for his final Pokémon and starter.
  
  The four-legged titan crashed down onto the battlefield. Its eyes glowed a bright pink as it scanned over the battlefield, performing a quick threat assessment on its opponents.
  
  Its emergence was a message - that the real battle had just begun.
  
  Wraith tried to fire off a Taunt to shut down any potential set up moves, but Metagross easily intercepted the attack. It channelled a large amount of Fighting energy into one of its fists and shattered the incoming Taunt with a Brick Break.
  
  ...Someone must have been picking up tricks from Bruno. I still remembered how Bruno did something similar to prevent his Fighting types from being hit by my Psychics.
  
  Then an Icy Wind came Wraith's way, forcing him to retreat into the shadows as he hopped out of the way. Yet Wraith wasn't his only target, as Metagross had perfectly positioned the Icy Wind so that it not only would catch Wraith if he hadn't dodged, but was also right in the way of Zebstrika's movement path.
  
  Not having expected an attack to come from such an angle, Zebstrika was unable to dodge as it was suddenly engulfed by the freezing winds, slowing it down. At the same time, Gravity abruptly intensified around the Electric type, causing Zebstrika to trip and stumble as it was unused to the enormous weight now pressing down on its shoulders.
  
  Having fallen to the ground, Zebstrika was completely exposed to Kleavor, who slashed down with its twin axes. The axes struck deep into Zebstrika, causing it to let out a cry of pain only grew more hoarse as Kleavor followed up with a heavy stomp on the ground that unleashed a violent Earthquake right on top of Zebstrika.
  
  I frowned, knowing that there was little I could do to help. This whole sequence of events to take down Zebstrika had occurred within seconds, and I hadn't expected Metagross to be able to so quickly turn the situation around with Zebstrika into a 2v1 like that.
  
  It was unfortunate that Elesa accomplished so little in this battle, but it was inevitable. She was just outmatched. But there was no shame in being outmatched by Champions.
  
  Wraith tried to punish Metagross for taking its attention off of himself by firing off a barrage of Shadow Balls, but they were completely ineffective. Probably thanks to Metagross having four different minds operating at once, all of the other incoming Shadow Balls were either nullified by a Protect shield, or the Shadow Balls ineffectively impacted against one of its Steel arms that was surrounded by Dark energies.
  
  Another pained cry from Zebstrika told me that it was out of the fight as a large eruption of stone exploded out from underneath it, and now the situation was truly a 2v1.
  
  Unfortunately, Wraith just wasn't built for these kinds of extended fights. He was someone that was incredibly useful at setting up ambushes and capitalising on an opponent's shock, but against something as adaptable and as versatile as Metagross? He couldn't do much. Especially not when he also had to deal with Kleavor at the same time.
  
  So instead, I did the only thing I could do in this scenario.
  
  "Come back, Wraith. You've done enough. But now it's time - GO, TYRANT! BRING ME VICTORY!"
  
  It was time to beat another Champion's starter.
  
  (Steven's POV)
  
  The whole atmosphere of the battle seemed to change when Tyrant entered the field. Even before the battle had begun, Cynthia had warned Steven that the battle before and after John sent out his starter would be like night and day.
  
  He was obviously already familiar with Tyrant's strength - given that Bruno had faced off against him once himself, and because of all the research that he had done - but Cynthia had insisted that it was different when you actually faced off against him in person.
  
  He could see why. The instant that Tyrant came out of his Pokéball, he had immediately rushed over to Kleavor and ambushed it with a very quick Ice Beam to the chest. The ray of frost failed to freeze Kleavor since it was Burned, but it slowed the Rock type for long enough that it was only barely able to lift its stone axes in time to block against the devastating iron-coated fist that swung its way.
  
  Yet it wasn't enough. The sheer strength of Tyrant broke past Kleavor's desperate defenses, and coupled with the injuries that it had already accrued, the subsequent Hammer Arm to the face sent Kleavor flying backwards and into the psychic shields.
  
  Metagross had tried to distract Slaking with a Flash Cannon and Psychic, but his Special Attacks almost seemed like they bounced off harmlessly with how little of a reaction from Tyrant that they garnered. Sure, they were far from his starter's most powerful attacks, but they should have done something. Therefore, realising that Kleavor would do nothing but be a liability at this point, Cynthia retired her Kleavor and sent out her starter as well.
  
  Her Garchomp took to the field.
  
  And the crowd went wild as the battle entered into its final stage. Their three strongest Pokémon were now in the fight - each one of them enough to take on over a dozen or so Pokémon by themselves and win.
  
  Even with all of his training to maintain a cool and stoic composure, he couldn't help it as an eager grin began to split across his face. He could feel his blood pumping through his veins as their strongest Pokémon stared down at each other.
  
  This was why he could never just be a businessman like so many of his peers. The excitement and the adrenaline of a good battle - he could never resist it.
  
  Who knew when he would be able to be in a battle like this again?
  
  A cacophony of thunderous roars boomed out through the battlefield as all three of their Pokémon charged down each other.
  
  Would it have been smarter and more effective to have his Metagross hang back and primarily focus on supporting Garchomp as she clashed against Tyrant? Almost certainly so. Or would it have been better if he just allowed Garchomp to distract Tyrant while he had Metagross buff itself with every setup move that it knew? Yes, definitely.
  
  However, this was not a match with his Champion title on the line. Therefore, why would he have his Metagross stay back and allow Garchomp to hog all the glory? This was his chance to test and prove that his Metagross was as strong and as versatile as any other Champion's Pokémon, even without buffs.
  
  There was no way he would play a supporting role in this fight. Though Metagross did set up with a Reflect and Light Screen, just in case.
  
  Garchomp was the first to reach Tyrant, speeding forwards with a Dragon Rush that Tyrant blocked against. The damage was all stored up in a Counter, but before the monstrous Slaking could swing his Ice-covered fists around in a devastating counterattack, his Metagross intercepted and disrupted the attack with a double blast of Psychics.
  
  Garchomp took advantage of this and slashed down with a ruthless Dragon Claw, slicing a tear through Tyrant's chest. But a quick Ice Beam shot out from Tyrant's mouth, surprising Garchomp with the quadruply supereffective attack and denying her the opportunity to follow up with an Iron Head, as a Brick Break shattered through their two screens.
  
  Yet before Tyrant could step in with another Ice Punch, his Metagross appeared behind him and slammed down with a Hammer Arm to the back of his head. Except Tyrant had activated his Counter once again before spinning around and striking back hard with a boosted Knock Off.
  
  As his Metagross stumbled back, that bought time for Tyrant to swing back around as he tried to smash another Ice Punch into Garchomp's face. But Garchomp was faster as a tidal wave of draconic energy began to pour out of her as she unleashed her Outrage, before she struck him in the gut first with a ferocious Brick Break and Iron Head combo that caused Tyrant to reel backwards.
  
  His Metagross followed up, sending a blast of Psychic that was deliberately targeted at the back of Tyrant's legs to destabilise him before another Hammer Arm simultaneously crashed down from above. Tyrant was brought to his knees, though he retaliated by slamming both fists against the ground and unleashing a point-blank Earthquake that interrupted both of their attacks.
  
  "SLAKINGGG!" Roaring to the skies, Tyrant launched forwards and grabbed onto one of Metagross' legs before he performed a shocking backflip off of its metallic frame, somersaulting through the air in an act of incredible acrobatics as he landed behind Garchomp.
  
  Garchomp spun around, her claws brandished threateningly as she prepared to slash down with another Dragon Claw. Yet Tyrant struck first - uppercutting the Dragon in the jaw with a critical Ice Punch. The attack was so devastatingly powerful that he actually snapped Garchomp out of her Outrage for a brief moment, before a Drain Punch sent it flying backwards and crashing to the ground.
  
  His Metagross charged forwards with a Bullet Punch to put a halt to Tyrant's assault, but Tyrant caught its metallic arm with one of his own - trapping it in his powerful grip - and subsequently unleashing a torrent of flames from his mouth with a Flamethrower.
  
  Yet his Metagross threw up a Protect shield while simultaneously countering with a Stone Edge that erupted out from below. Meanwhile, Garchomp came charging in from the side as she slammed into him with a fully powered Outrage-boosted Dragon Rush, but though he let out a grunt of pain, Tyrant had dug himself into the ground with his feet and refused to budge.
  
  Instead, he let out a roar of his own as he suddenly exploded forwards with the Giga Impact.
  
  Garchomp was literally being kidnapped as Tyrant grabbed a hold of her and dragged her along for the entire length of the Giga Impact until he slammed the both of them into the psychic shields. Needless to say, even reinforced as they were, the psychic shields instantly shattered apart as Tyrant and Garchomp tore through them as they crashed into the bottom of one of the audience stands.
  
  Even as the crowd screamed in panic and desperately tried to get out of the way, the two Pokémon hardly even acknowledged it as they continued to pound away at each other with every last bit of their strength.
  
  But it was clear that Garchomp was losing. So needing to save their partner, Metagross rapidly channelled a Teleport and reappeared behind Tyrant - only to receive a spinning Mega Kick to the face as it did so.
  
  Fortunately, his Metagross resisted the move and punished it by slamming Tyrant's leg into the ground and keeping it pinned below it. The metallic behemoth then blasted Tyrant with another Psychic while simultaneously striking with a lightning fast Bullet Punch into his side, causing Tyrant to stagger. Garchomp took advantage of that and as she roared forwards and smashed another supereffective Brick Break to the face while also trying to pin down his arms with her own.
  
  Yet Tyrant endured through the blow and freed himself from the pin by firing off a point-blank Ice Beam that forced Garchomp back for the moment. Then, with only a single leg of leverage available to him, Tyrant somehow had the strength to pull his Metagross forwards - despite how much his enormously heavy starter weighed - and bashed it in the face with a mighty Drain Punch, which also restored a little bit of health for the Normal type monster.
  
  It spoke volumes that Tyrant was actually somewhat managing to hold his own in this fight - despite it being a 2v1 against two Pokémon that were 'supposed' to be his superior. Though with Tyrant having beaten Lance's Emperor in a 1v1 in the past, perhaps 'equals' was a better label for their Pokémon.
  
  Far away, he could barely make out the referee trying to call for the battle to stop as their trio of Pokémon destroyed more and more of the audience stands. He felt bad for those who had to evacuate from the immediate area, but right now all he could think about was the battle in front of him.
  
  And now that he had some space to move, Tyrant ducked under another Bullet Punch from his Metagross before his arms grabbed hold of its metallic frame and lifted it into the air in a shocking demonstration of his strength. His Metagross fired off another Psychic to try to get Tyrant to drop it, but Tyrant tanked it with a growl before he hurled his Metagross into Garchomp, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
  
  Not satisfied with just that, Tyrant stomped on the ground as another Stone Edge erupted out from below, separating the two Pokémon as Garchomp was knocked higher into the air.
  
  Another sonic boom echoed throughout the arena as Tyrant launched himself into the air with yet another devastating Giga Impact, crashing into Garchomp in mid-air and sending them both crashing into the opposite side of the arena.
  
  However, this time, his Metagross had already calculated their trajectory and where they were going to land. Therefore, he Teleported to their landing spot, and caught Tyrant completely by surprise as he ambushed him with a powerful duo of Hammer Arms. This painful pummelling of blows knocked Tyrant away, buying Garchomp a moment to breathe.
  
  And it was desperately needed for everyone involved. Even though all three of their Pokémon were known for their incredible and almost inexhaustible stamina, fighting at such intensity against such powerful opponents took its toll, especially coupled with the myriad of painful injuries that they had all accrued.
  
  Between them, Garchomp was faring the worst. She had been forced to take the brunt of Tyrant's assault, and he knew from his research that Garchomp was not as physically strong as Tyrant was. She was more adept at attacking in bursts, rather than sustained brawls like the one they just had.
  
  On the other hand, Tyrant was doing little better. With both of their Pokémon ganging up on him, the extent of his injuries matched Garchomp's. He was visibly limping, and one of his arms hung weakly to his side as it had likely been broken. Sweat dripped off his brow as he panted heavily, a tired sense of exhaustion lining his every move.
  
  Meanwhile, his Metagross was doing the best out of all three - though that was only due to its partner taking up all of Tyrant's attention. Yet his metallic frame was no longer shiny as it once was, and a litany of burns and dents were scattered across its body.
  
  However, despite their mutual exhaustion, all of their eyes still burned bright with determination and fighting spirit. They all knew that the fight wasn't over, and they would not be the first to fall amongst them.
  
  Then, suddenly, Tyrant made the first move. He blitzed forwards in another explosive Giga Impact, breaking the sound barrier once again as he barrelled into Garchomp.
  
  But this time Garchomp was ready, and she flared out with every last drop of her draconic strength as she pushed her Outrage to the very limit - losing herself into a primal rage as she sought out as much power as possible. Because of this, as Tyrant came colliding into Garchomp, the Dragon actually managed to hold her ground and somewhat defend against the incoming Giga Impact, giving Metagross the opportunity to slam into Tyrant from behind with a powerful Hammer Arm.
  
  But - to everyone's surprise - Tyrant then spun around towards his Metagross and launched himself forwards with another Giga Impact.
  
  Steven couldn't help but gape at that. Just where did he find the energy from?
  
  Unfortunately, even with this extraordinary demonstration of his unrelenting endurance, his Metagross was known to be a defensive titan for a reason, and even as Tyrant came crashing into his Metagross like a freight train, Metagross held its ground and refused to break.
  
  And when the Giga Impact ended, Tyrant finally grew weak as he had used up what little remained of his energy, allowing his Metagross to bash it across the face with a Brick Break while a Psychic to the legs sent him collapsing to the ground.
  
  From a distance, Garchomp stomped down on the ground and caused a field of sharp rocks to erupt out from below the fallen Tyrant, knocking him into the air.
  
  Normally, this was where his Metagross would get in close and finish the fight with a Bullet Punch into Hammer Arm combo. However, even though Tyrant was on his last legs, he did not dare to underestimate what he was capable of.
  
  A single overextension might be all it took to turn around this fight. Even with Tyrant as injured as it was, he knew that this monster would fight to the very end.
  
  His body would be broken before his spirit. And even then, it was a very close run thing.
  
  At the start of this battle, he had wanted to test out his Metagross in a battle against an opponent that he saw as an equal. However, he now realised that he was completely mistaken in that thought.
  
  Tyrant was not his equal. He was stronger than that. If this battle had been a 1v1, he likely would have lost. Especially if his Metagross couldn't get its buffs up in time.
  
  So acknowledging this fact, he had Metagross keep its distance and take down Tyrant from a distance. Even Cynthia respected the decision and did the same, obviously thinking along the same lines as he was.
  
  Eventually, after an almost uncomfortably long time where Tyrant absolutely refused to go down - like he was too angry to accept defeat - a barrage of Dragon Pulses, Psychics, and Flash Cannons eventually took down the monster.
  
  He let out a sigh of relief as Tyrant finally collapsed to the ground, and his shoulders relaxed as he thought that the battle was over.
  
  That was until he heard John shouting out once more, "WRAITH! FINISH THEM!"
  
  Oh, fuck.
  
  He had completely forgotten that Wraith was still in the fight, wounded and injured as it was. He might still have Aggron in reserve, but Wraith had already proven once that Aggron was a terrible matchup against it.
  
  He needed to win here. But both Garchomp and his Metagross were terribly exhausted as well, having needed to expend far more energy that they expected to take down the undying Tyrant.
  
  He looked on in horror as he watched Wraith leap out from the ground behind Garchomp. Garchomp quickly spun around and slammed down with a Dragon Tail - causing Wraith to be flung to the side.
  
  However, it was nothing more than an illusion. The real Wraith actually appeared in front of Garchomp and eviscerated with a double slash of Shadow Claws. Garchomp fell to her knees, and though she tried to retaliate with a Dragon Claw, Wraith dodged it with a Detect and Sucker Punched the Dragon in the jaw, sending Garchomp reeling backwards.
  
  Wraith was obviously looking to burst down Garchomp before his Metagross could intervene, but unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.
  
  A Flash Cannon suddenly struck Wraith in the back of the head right before he could finish off Garchomp, knocking him to the ground. Wraith let out a frustrated snarl as he disappeared into his own shadow, just in time to dodge out of the way of the incoming Flash Cannon, before reappearing right next to Garchomp.
  
  But even as tired as she was, Garchomp had predicted this, and this time it wasn't an illusion that got hit by the powerful Dragon Tail as Wraith was sent crashing into the side of the arena.
  
  An Earthquake tore through the ground and ravaged Wraith with a flood of rippling tremors of seismic energy. Then Metagross Teleported on top of Wraith and smashed down with a brutal Meteor Mash, burying it deep into the ground.
  
  That spelled the end of John's final Pokémon.
  
  He almost collapsed to the ground from exhaustion - he hadn't even fought in that battle, but he felt equally as tired as his Pokémon were.
  
  In the end, they had won. But for a fight between two Champions in their prime against an Elite Four and a Gym Leader? The fight should not have been that close.
  
  Sure, both of their starters made it out of the fight without being knocked out... but they could have easily lost that battle, had things gone even slightly differently.
  
  That just made him all the more glad that John was Lance's problem to deal with. He would never sit comfortably if he knew someone like that could be angling for his position.
  
  A.N. This was a really tough chapter to write, and it went on for far longer than I had expected it to. However, I didn't want to split up this chapter into two, so I hope you enjoyed the longer chapter.
  
  In the end, John does lose. Tyrant, no matter how immensely strong he is, isn't going to be able to take a 2v1 against both Garchomp and Metagross. However, that doesn't mean he will go down easily, and I wanted to show that even when outmatched, Tyrant is still an absolute monster of a Pokémon.
  
  Of course, please remember that this was merely a show match. As Steven mentions, he could have fought more effectively, which he would have done had this been a real battle. The same goes for John, of course, and he was arguably handicapped by Elesa since she's really too weak to fight in this sort of battle (which isn't her fault). If this was John Drake vs Steven Cynthia, for example, then the chances of John's victory would be much, much higher. Though at the same time, if Steven and Cynthia also fought optimally (hanging far back and sniping from a distance), then that might balance things out too. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-16 -Interlude-Others
  The New Normal - 16-16 - Interlude - Other Participants
  
  (Iris POV)
  
  "...Seeing this... I don't feel so bad that we lost." She remarked to Karen as they watched as John's Slaking valiantly held his ground in a 2v1 against both of the Champion's starters. And it did this without any buffs or setup moves - relying on pure tenacity alone.
  
  "I did say that John was going to be our toughest opponent of the Tournament." Karen said, "We would have had a solid chance to win had Koga taken him down - sadly, no luck for us. Personally, I'm just happy I was able to take down his Ursaluna. I could never consistently do that even in our spars."
  
  "Maybe... but this tournament has really made me think that I need to expand my Pokémon pool more." She said, "I really need more Pokémon on my team so that I can be more flexible and adapt to more situations."
  
  "I'll always be able to help out with that." Karen remarked, "Sure, our partnership might be over, but never be afraid to drop me a call at any time. You know I'll help out."
  
  She smiled, "Thanks, Karen. I'll make sure to do that-"
  
  "Hey, got a sec?" A unfamiliar voice interrupted her, and she turned to see their one of their previous opponents walking up to her.
  
  "Drake?" Karen shot him a curious look, "You want something?"
  
  "I did." He nodded, "I'll be blunt - Iris, do you want another Dragon mentor?"
  
  That question caught her completely off-guard. It had come from absolutely nowhere, and she was a little too stunned to reply. Wasn't there usually more build up before you offered something like this?
  
  But Drake must have taken her silence as approval as he barked out a laugh and handed her a piece of paper, "Here's my number. Just give me a call if you're interested. That's all I wanted to say. I hope you have a great day." Then before she could even give a response, he turned around and left.
  
  Leaving her to stare blankly at the scrap of paper in her hands; her face wracked with pure confusion.
  
  "...What was that?" She couldn't help but ask.
  
  Karen just let out a sigh, "...Don't worry too much about it. Drake has never been the most socially adept person. So it's just like him to brute force his way into becoming your mentor. I'm sorry about him."
  
  "No, no, it's fine." She replied, "It was just... unexpected." She then inspected the string of numbers further, "Do you think I can trust that offer?"
  
  "Yes. Drake is many things, but he isn't a liar." Karen stated firmly, "I've no idea why he decided to approach you like this, but I'm sure he was absolutely sincere in his offer. And he probably doesn't even want anything in return either - he's never been that kind of person. So it's up to you if you want to accept."
  
  "Would you?" She asked.
  
  Karen nodded, "In a heartbeat, but that's just because I know Drake very well. But for you - I don't know what your arrangement is with Drayden, and you probably should speak to him before making a decision. Still, Drake has been one of the strongest trainers in the world for decades now. His experience and wisdom would do you much good. Plus, as a Dragon specialist, he could mentor you better than I ever could. Just be aware that you'll probably learn every swear word under the sun if you stick with him. That's just the price you pay."
  
  Iris accepted that, chuckling, "...Okay then, I'll give him a call later."
  
  (Grimsley POV)
  
  "Hah! And here I was thinking that I could have won my battle against him had things gone a little differently." Drayden chuckled as they watched the battle between the Champion's starters, "Turns out I should have been glad that he didn't choose to send that monster against my own team. I'd stood no chance then."
  
  "I am genuinely surprised that Lance is not afraid of someone like him challenging his position." He remarked, "If I was in Lance's place, I would do all I could to remove John - just so I wouldn't have to deal with such a powerful rival. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed that Lance had some kind of blackmail on John."
  
  "Lance isn't like that." Shauntal shook her head, "The man has more pride than most, but he isn't a bad person."
  
  "Oh, sure. I agree." He nodded, "For all he appears to be a simple brute, he is more and smarter than that."
  
  "You think we could get a trainer this strong one day?" Shauntal pressed.
  
  "Iris will be the John of tomorrow. I promise you." Drayden replied firmly, "This Tournament has only served to refine her talents. Thanks to this, she has now seen the pinnacle of what Pokémon battling should be like. And I'm sure her nascent ambition will not allow her to stop until she can reach this level of strength and power for her Pokémon."
  
  "I agree." Marshal said, "Us Unovans may not be able to match up to the strength of the Champions of the New Regions now, but we've also shown that the average strength of our leaders are no less than those from overseas. And we've proven that we do have our own talents that can one day grow to become equally as strong."
  
  "Elesa really surprised you, didn't she?" He prodded.
  
  "She did." He nodded, "I thought she was more model than trainer; which was perfect for a Gym Leader, but no more than that. But I now see I was very mistaken in thinking this way. She's really pleasantly surprised me with how much she's able to contribute in her past battles, despite being outmatched, and I will make sure to apologise to her after this."
  
  "It'll be a shame heading back to Unova after all this is gone." Drayden remarked, "I can see now why the New Regions are so enthusiastic about forming international alliances, if only so that they can host these kinds of events. This kind of atmosphere - it can't be replicated in Unova alone."
  
  Less than a year ago, he would have scoffed at such sentiments. His innate sense of cynicism would have decried such thoughts as nothing more than childish naivety.
  
  But now... he couldn't disagree.
  
  The feeling of speaking with new people, the thrill of battle, and the sense of community that this fostered - it broke through his cynicism.
  
  Yes, he did enjoy his time here. And what a wonderful thing that was to admit.
  
  (Volkner POV)
  
  "Normally, I would be disappointed and worried if I saw my Champion struggle to win a 2v1 fight against a non-Champion, but for some reason, I'm not." Flint said from his right while they sat side-by-side in the VIP booth.
  
  "That's probably because this 'non-Champion' is a Champion in all but name." Jasmine rolled her eyes from his left, "Or did you think you could do any better if it were you fighting in that battle?"
  
  "Absolutely not." Flint crossed his arms in a 'X', "I would've been flattened in an instant. Thanks but no thanks. I'd rather not subject my Magmortar to an unneeded savaging. I mean, just look at Elesa's Pokémon. No offense to her, but she's hardly contributed to this fight."
  
  "I'm pretty sure this fight is way beyond her capabilities." He deadpanned.
  
  "Who's idea was it to have this fight to begin with?" Flint asked, "I thought our dear Champion said she wouldn't be participating."
  
  "Must have had a change of heart." He shrugged, "She always was quite spontaneous."
  
  "Cynthia? Spontaneous?" Flint shot him an odd look, "Are you sure we're talking about the same person?"
  
  He looked back at his friend, "Is she not?"
  
  Flint shook his head, "No. Cynthia's a planner. She has grand ambitions and understands the steps needed to make them into a reality. I wouldn't call her conniving, but she's the kind of person to twist events into her favour. In fact, I'm pretty sure this entire tournament was thought up by her to serve a particular political purpose."
  
  "Are you complaining?" Jasmine asked.
  
  "Nope." Flint replied, grinning. "If anything, I'm proud that a person like that's our Champion. It's no good if we got a Champion that's all brawns and no smarts. I think Cynthia's a good mix of both, and it also helps that she's charismatic - 'charismatic' enough to ensnare a fellow Elite Four member from a different region into her arms."
  
  "You make it sound like they're already going to be together for life." He replied.
  
  "Oh please, if you think otherwise you haven't seen them together. They're even more lovey-dovey in person than you two." Flint teased, causing Jasmine to blush lightly. He just shot his friend an irritated look, which Flint ignored.
  
  "But anyways, you're missing the point. I'm telling you - if Cynthia is really able to pull John onto our side, it would be the biggest win ever for Sinnoh." Flint said, "Even if we ignore John's strength, the very fact that we get the only person in the world to be able to communicate with the Regis is going to be an enormous boon for us."
  
  "Do you think Indigo will let him go just like that?" Jasmine asked.
  
  Flint shrugged, "Did you watch the same battle that I just did? After seeing that, who in the world is going to tell him 'no'?"
  
  A.N. I rewrote this entire chapter based on the comments from the previous one, since a few of you said you wanted to see more POVs. Sadly, I didn't have time to focus on more than a few perspectives, but I hope that this was a good enough mix for a short Interlude chapter.
  
  Don't worry, there will be a Pokenet Chapter coming at the end of this arc as usual, so there'll be more public reactions there as well. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-17
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-17 - Tournament's End
  
  Ah. So in the end, even with Tyrant's best efforts, it hadn't been enough.
  
  Faced off against the might of two Champions' greatest Pokémon, he had lost. But it had been a valiant attempt nonetheless.
  
  In hindsight, it should have been an expected outcome. Tyrant, at the end of the day, no matter how strong and determined he was, was not so overwhelmingly powerful that he could have been realistically expected to take on a 2v1 against Pokémon of such calibre and win. I did hope that Elesa would be around to even out the odds a little bit, but I should have known that was likely asking too much of her.
  
  I didn't blame her for her early defeat. I knew how strong Cynthia's and Steven's Pokémon were. There was no shame to be had for losing against them.
  
  Despite that, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the fact that I had lost.
  
  But just as I was thinking that, my partner ran up to me with a wide smile on her face, "John! That was... what the fuck was that!?" She uncharacteristically swore, "Was your starter really that strong?!"
  
  What? I thought she would be more upset. "I mean, he still wasn't strong enough in the end, though." I replied.
  
  She shook her head incredulously, "You can't seriously be thinking that - oh, you actually are." She let out a chuckle, "John. I don't know what your expectations were going into that fight, but I had absolutely no confidence that we would win. Not because I didn't trust in your strength - but I knew that I would only be a liability. This was your fight, and the fact that you nearly won in a 2v1 is pure insanity. How do you not see that?!"
  
  I got her point, but emotionally it was a different story. So I shrugged, "I don't know. I just thought I could win. I guess you could say I got used to it."
  
  "Well you were very close to doing so." Steven said as he approached alongside Cynthia, "That was a remarkable performance from you. Cynthia had told me to expect something like that from your Tyrant, but it was completely different seeing it firsthand. I guess I've still got a ways to go with my own Metagross."
  
  "I told you I wasn't exaggerating." Cynthia smiled at me, "Honestly, I had faith that you would be able to beat us both."
  
  I raised an eyebrow, "And yet you did everything you could to stop me."
  
  She smiled, "I told you I wouldn't be holding back. If you wanted to pull something like that off - then you'd need to earn it like everyone else. I'm not just going to hand you a freebie."
  
  Then she gently placed her hand in mine, "Don't worry. I wouldn't have done anything to deliberately sabotage your reputation. You may have lost, but I knew in advance that no one's going to pay much attention to that. They'll be just staring at your Tyrant - thinking about how he nearly managed to beat up both of our starters. That's why I went along with the challenge as I did."
  
  That got me smiling. I trusted her, so I was certain she wouldn't do anything that would hurt me.
  
  "Anyways, you can continue thinking about your battle later." She continued while gesturing to the podium, "You still have an award ceremony to get to, don't you remember? You may have lost to us, but we weren't part of the World Tournament. You and Elesa are still the winners."
  
  I chuckled, "Would you believe me if I said I forgot?"
  
  "That's just like you." Elesa smirked, "But wipe that frown from your face. You've got to look your best for the cameras."
  
  And that was what happened. Elesa and I went to the stage amidst the ravenous cheers of the crowd. Just like everyone had told me, the crowd seemed to cheer for me even louder than before, despite my loss.
  
  That finally brought me out of my, in hindsight frankly ridiculous, funk. And before I walked onto the stage, there was something I had to say to my partner.
  
  "Elesa. I should have said this earlier, but congratulations on the win." I said to her, "I would likely not be standing on this stage if you were not a competent and effective partner. So thank you for your hard work and diligence over the past few weeks."
  
  "Oh, there's really no need to thank me, John. But I appreciate the words all the same." She replied, "And likewise, of course. I won't deny that the past few weeks have been tough, especially once I realised just how big the strength gap was between us, but it's been a good kind of tough. The kind that pushes you to work hard and makes you feel good after you do it. And I really feel like I've gotten a lot stronger thanks to working alongside you. So, if anything, you have my sincerest gratitude as well." She then performed a short bow towards me.
  
  I was about to return it, but then that was cut short as we were called up onto the stage.
  
  "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR YOUR WINNERS OF THE FIRST EVER POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT! YOUR FIRST EVER POKÉMON WORLD CHAMPIONS - ELITE JOHN AND GYM LEADER ELESA!"
  
  The cheers of the crowd grew even louder, and a shower of golden confetti suddenly shot out from all around us. Simultaneously, fireworks were shot off into the sky as they cheerfully exploded in the air in the shape of a crown and a Pokéball.
  
  Then both Cynthia and Steven made their way onto the stage, both of them holding onto identical golden trophies. At the top of the trophy was a Pokéball embossed in gold, with a crown sculpted on top of it. And at the bottom, in large, visible text, was the following engravement:
  
  'John and Elesa - Champions of the 1st Pokémon World Tournament'
  
  They both handed us the trophies with big smiles on their faces, which we both gratefully accepted. Naturally, that was the cue for the cameras to come swinging around as the questions immediately began.
  
  "John, Elesa, how are the two of you feeling right now given that you've just won the biggest international tournament ever hosted?"
  
  I let Elesa answer first, "Ecstatic and happy, of course. And somewhat overwhelmed. I really didn't expect to be standing here when the Tournament had first been announced. Even when I found out who my partner was going to be - I still didn't think I had the skills necessary to make it this far. I was never considered to be all that strong of a trainer by the public, and I must have allowed those words to affect my own judgement of myself as well. But I'm grateful to be standing here, and I'm very proud of what we've both managed to accomplish since I know full well the sheer effort that it took to achieve this grand victory."
  
  Then it was my turn, "I'll admit that I was more confident than my partner going into this Tournament. I wasn't sure if I could win the whole thing, of course, but I couldn't deny that I was one of the favourites - given that I was one of the winners of the previous one. Though that doesn't lessen what I feel right now, and just like Elesa said, I'm glad our hard work has been acknowledged."
  
  "Would you have been happier if you had won your final battle against the two Champions?" I was asked.
  
  "Definitely." I replied instantly, "Perhaps this might sound a bit arrogant for me to say, but even when facing off against two Champions, I still would have liked to have won. Before and even during the battle, I held onto the hope that I had a realistic chance of winning. So because of that, I can't deny that I was a little disappointed that I didn't end up winning."
  
  That reporter stared at me incredulously, "Are you serious? Most people would be elated to have done so well against two Champions. Especially when it was apparent that you did most of the heavy lifting - no offense intended, Gym Leader Elesa."
  
  "None taken." She replied with a casual shrug, "It's the truth anyways. Winner of this tournament I might be, but there's still very clearly a massive gap between me and the Champions. That fight against those two was all on John."
  
  "I am serious." I said, "I don't want my strength to be 'conditional'. If I am to prove myself to be the strongest trainer in the world, that can't just mean that I'm a strongest in a 1v1. I want to be strong enough to be able to beat any opponent, no matter the odds. Therefore, this loss just proves that I still have a ways to go before I can be satisfied. I still need to get stronger than this. Call it greed, but I'm still not satisfied with where I am right now."
  
  "And neither should he be." Cynthia added, "For anyone in our positions, the grind to reach the top is never-ending. Even as a Champion, I know that my position is always precarious - that one day there might come a trainer that would be strong enough to topple me from my title. Therefore, I know that the moment I lose the drive to become stronger, the moment where I feel content and comfortable with my own strength, is the moment that marks the beginning of the end of my reign as Champion."
  
  "Besides," My girlfriend made a show of grabbing my hand, "with how that battle went - even if it was against my own boyfriend - I can't accept that state of affairs. The battle just told me that we Champions need to get stronger too if we are to continue to serve as the symbol of strength for our region."
  
  The reporter nodded before turning her attention to Elesa, "Elesa, what are your thoughts on all this?"
  
  "I think John's thoughts mirror my own." She replied, "As easy as it would be to simply excuse my loss against both Steven and Cynthia as merely a case of being outmatched because I'm just a 'mere' Gym Leader, it wouldn't be the right attitude to have. Being a 'Gym Leader', or an 'Elite Four', or even a 'Champion' - they're all just titles that we use. Being a Champion doesn't automatically mean you're stronger than the former. So to excuse my loss just because of a difference in title would be just like admitting defeat. It's as if I gave up on becoming stronger."
  
  "And I refuse to adopt such a mindset." She continued firmly, "After what John and I accomplished in this Tournament, beating and triumphing over every opponent that we faced, it has really reignited my nascent ambition. Our victory here today proves that even as a Gym Leader, that doesn't mean I can't win against those in the Elite Four or higher. So if I have to say one thing to my colleagues, whether they be from Unova or otherwise, it is to not let yourself feel trapped by your title. You can be more than that."
  
  I clapped politely at her impromptu speech, which both Cynthia and Steven both joined in on. The rest of the crowd followed soon after, evidently approving of her rousing words.
  
  "An excellent sentiment to have." Another reporter said, "But what will you do now that you've won? Should we expect things to change back in Unova?"
  
  "...Perhaps, but I'm not ready to make any grand announcements right now." She said after a small pause, "Just know that a public announcement will come if I can put my plans into action."
  
  The reporters continued to ask us many other questions, most of which revolved around similar topics. Naturally, one of those questions was about whether we wanted another World Tournament to be hosted in the future - to which Elesa and I immediately said yes to.
  
  I said that making something like this to be a regular event could only be beneficial. Not only would it serve as an incentive for Gym Leaders and Elite Four members to get even stronger, if only so that they could perform better in this Tournament, but also because it would help forge new bonds of friendships between foreign trainers.
  
  Considering the roar of support that I got, it was clear that the crowd agreed with me. They would never turn down the opportunity to witness a tournament like this.
  
  Eventually, after what felt like hours of questions, we were finally released as the first Pokémon World Tournament finally came to an end. So with the Tournament now over, it was finally time for me to return to Indigo. I hadn't been back in a few weeks, and I definitely have been longing for home.
  
  But before I left, I wanted to spend more time with Cynthia.
  
  "I had this whole plan where I would pretend to be mad at you for heading straight home instead of spending a few more moments with me before you left." She said as she rested her head on my shoulder, "But now you've spoiled my fun."
  
  "Your 'fun' sounds like my headache." I deadpanned.
  
  "Well, I would have dropped the façade after a few minutes. I just wanted to see how you'd react." She giggled, "But I guess I should have known better. You wouldn't just leave without spending time with me first."
  
  "Of course." I replied, "Gotta make up for all that time that I spent training with Elesa."
  
  "Oh? Did you not want to spend more time getting to know her better?" She asked teasingly, "Did spending all that time with her not spark something in your heart? Like it did with me when we met in Sinnoh?"
  
  I pulled her closer to me with a fond smile, "No. It didn't. My heart's already made its choice. It won't ever change. I am yours, Cynthia."
  
  "And I am yours, John." She smiled back, and the two of us fell silent as we simply basked in the moment.
  
  We could have simply laid there for the rest of the evening, just enjoying each other's presence. But after a few minutes of this, she was the first to break the silence.
  
  "...Did you see all those news articles that were posted online?" She suddenly asked me, "They were all praising your performance. I told you that there was nothing to worry about."
  
  "I know, I know. But it's my prerogative to worry." I said, "Though you're right. I took a quick look at the Pokénet, and I can already see that people from all around the world are now claiming that it's beyond any doubt that I am at the same level as a Champion now. It really used to be only the people from Indigo that said that."
  
  That wasn't to say that there weren't people from Hoenn/Sinnoh/Unova that didn't feel the same way. But the majority of that sentiment used to only come from Indigo.
  
  "Good. That'll help us out a lot for the things to come." She nodded, before pecking me on the cheek, "You did well this tournament. You've cemented that reputation of yours of being one of the strongest trainers in the world for the near future. We can leverage that politically."
  
  Then she got up from her couch, pulling me up with her.
  
  "Anyways, enough about that. Since you're still here, why don't we head over to Route 221 and check out that land that we bought." She suggested, "You have my list of what I wanted our house to look like, right? So why don't we head over there and we can finalise everything for the builders as soon as possible."
  
  I agreed, and so off we went. Flying through the evening sky, it didn't take us long for us to arrive at Route 221, the place of our future home. On the flight over, I checked over what Cynthia had sent me before about what she wanted our house to have and look like.
  
  I didn't have a problem with any of her suggestions. In fact, I was kind of glad that she did most of the thinking for me - I really had been too busy with the tournament to think on this topic. I did find myself blushing slightly when I saw the note that she had about our future children, but it was a relevant concern.
  
  Besides that, even though Cynthia didn't see the need for one, I did feel like I wanted to do a bit of gardening in my free time. It would be nice to be able to grow my own berries that I could give to my Pokémon, or just for poffin making, so a small garden would be nice.
  
  I said as much to Cynthia, who nodded easily, "If that's what you want, then we can include a garden or a greenhouse for you to play around in. I might even join you at times. Maybe I'll come to enjoy it."
  
  With her agreement, it didn't take us that much longer for us to decide on what we wanted our house to look like and have. So after finalising our plans together, Cynthia promised to submit the plans to the builders the following morning.
  
  But for now, the two of us simply stared at the empty plot of land which would one day be the location of our future home. In my own head, I could already begin to envision what it'd look like. And with the plans submitted, it was only a matter of time before it became a reality.
  
  "...And that's one more step towards securing our future together." I muttered quietly, "It almost doesn't feel real."
  
  Cynthia smiled softly, "You know, I'm not sure if I ever apologised to you for making you take on this burden of having to move to a different region just for my sake. You know I would have offered to move myself, except-"
  
  "Except it would be easier for me, so no need to apologise." I interrupted her, "Besides, it's not like you forced me to. This is something I want to do."
  
  "Mhm. And I'm always going to be grateful for that." She said as she leaned into me a little more, "...Once you get back, things are going to be busy for the both of us. We need to make sure everything is set up for your move to Sinnoh."
  
  I nodded, "Yes, I should probably handle the preparations on my end too. Lance knows of my plans already, but I'll give him a further heads up just in case. And my other colleagues in the Elite Four should be informed too."
  
  Now that the proposal where the Sinnoh League approved of appointing foreign leaders had been given some time to settle down, I knew that the proposal to make it an Article into the Regional Union was just around the corner. Once it was, then that would be around the time when my move to Sinnoh would likely be announced.
  
  However, there was still a lot of matters to handle before that could happen. I didn't want my departure to cause any problems for anyone, so I wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible. That meant possibly finding a suitable successor, or if there wasn't one, then ensuring that the other remaining Elite Four members knew how to take on my duties in my place.
  
  My inner thoughts must have been showing on my face, because Cynthia softly grabbed my hand in reassurance, "You don't have to think too hard about it. After all, I'll be there to support you every step of the way. Just let me know if you need any help with anything."
  
  "I know. And you're right," I said, "I can think on this later. Let's not ruin our last night together in Sinnoh."
  
  "That's the spirit." She chuckled, "Now, I know you haven't had dinner yet, and I have this restaurant that I've been meaning to take you to..."
  
  Thus, my final night in Sinnoh for the foreseeable future was as romantic and as peaceful as I hoped, with the both of us just enjoying ourselves until it was time for me to return to Indigo the following morning.
  
  And the next time I would be back in Sinnoh, I hoped that I would finally have a permanent place to call my own - a place that I shared with the love of my life.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter that focuses on wrapping up the First Pokémon World Tournament while also reiterating John and Cynthia's future political goals. The time for John's move to Sinnoh is fast approaching. His preparations for his move to Sinnoh will be a significant focus in the upcoming chapters, but many other things will be happening at the same time - especially from how momentous this move is. Ever since I planned out the relationship with Cynthia, I've always planned out this move to Sinnoh, so I'm excited to write about it and the new roles that John will be taking on.
  
  As promised, the next chapter will be the Pokenet Interlude, and will be the final chapter of this arc. So I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 16-18-Pokenet Reactions
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 16-18 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [A SURPRISE BATTLE?! CYNTHIA AND STEVEN BATTLE AGAINST JOHN AND ELESA!? THE CHAMPIONS FIGHT ONCE AGAIN!] By Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of the battle. Tyrant, Metagross, and Garchomp are featured most prominently]
  
  Despite their positions as being the strongest trainer in a region, everyone should know that it is very rare for a Champion to actually participate in a battle themselves. There are political reasons for this, even if we here at Battlecast personally disagree with those reasonings. But because of how infrequently they battle, it is always extremely exciting when the Champions do decide to take to the battlefield.
  
  Hence why it was even more so when both Champion Cynthia and the newly ascended Champion Steven decided to fight against the winners of the first Pokémon World Tournament - Elesa and John. And judging by the shocked looks on both of the winners' faces when the battle was announced, they must have been as in the dark as we were about their upcoming battle.
  
  And what a battle it was! Even if it was only a 2v2, we ended up seeing some really cool Pokémon in action. Not only did both Champions send out their starters out onto the battlefield, but Cynthia even decided to show off her new Kleavor - the first time she's ever used in a public battle.
  
  Needless to say, this alternate variant of a Scizor really proved that it wasn't just able to match Scizor's already incredible strength, but it likely even surpassed it. Those stone axes that it wielded were certainly hitting really hard, and Kleavor made it look easy when it swiftly took down Elesa's Electric types.
  
  On that note, it was a little sad to see that Elesa wasn't really able to have much of an impact in this battle. In her previous battles during the Tournament, while she had been on the backfoot before in terms of raw strength, she was generally able to overcome that gap by making use of her better speed and supporting capabilities. However, it looks like both Champions weren't holding back at all, because they really showed just how outmatched Elesa was compared to the both of them.
  
  Naturally, this writer doesn't blame Elesa for her quick defeat. And for those who think otherwise, do remember that she was facing off against two Champions. There is never any shame in losing to that.
  
  Yet, in the end, the battle really came down to John trying to face off against both Steven and Cynthia simultaneously... and his Pokémon really just refused to lose.
  
  Even though we had seen Tyrant in action before, and many are familiar with his Champion-level strength (as demonstrated when he managed to defeat Emperor in a 1v1), the very fact that he nearly took down both Metagross and Garchomp was just jaw-dropping and extraordinary.
  
  This is a battle that you really have to watch for yourself to be able to understand just how incredible that feat was. Even our veteran analysts were losing their minds - to think that a Pokémon could be so strong that it almost managed to win against two Champion-level Pokémon simultaneously. That's not a feat that's ever been seen before.
  
  So while John may have 'lost', and he did seem a little disappointed that he did so, for the rest of us with a normal degree of common sense - we here at Battlecast are pretty sure that this should be counted as a victory.
  
  What did you all think of the battle? Were you there to see it live? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  SO CLOSE! ONE OR TWO LUCKY CRITICIAL HITS AND TYRANT WOULD HAVE WON! IMAGINE THAT! A TRAINER SO STRONG HE COULD WIN AGAINST TWO CHAMPIONS AT ONCE!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Two Champions' starters at once. Don't forget that fighting 2v2s and fighting their full teams are a very different story. Let's not overexaggerate.
  
  Still, I'm not made of stone, I too was cheering my lungs out when I saw Tyrant fighting. With neither of his opponents holding back, this really was them going full force to try and take down Tyrant, and they nearly failed. My word. Tyrant was truly like a Legendary with that performance.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  All hail the king.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Praise be Tyrant. May his strength bless your own Normal types.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Praise be. I'm already in the process of erecting a shrine of you in my own home. Please bless my Pokémon.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Anyone else think that this battle was slightly demotivating? I mean, no offense to the battlers, but seeing how strong their Pokémon were kinda reminded me about how weak I am in comparison. And for someone who wants to eventually join the Elite Four one day... I don't think I'll ever be able to reach that level of strength.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I understand where you're coming from, but try not to be too deterred. They are Champions for a reason. Yes, I am including John in that list. I think this performance just completely cements the fact that treating him as a mere Elite Four would be doing a massive disservice to everything he's achieved so far. So that level of strength is not the standard you should be comparing yourself to.
  
  If I were you, I'd study people like Flint, Volkner, Bertha, Glacia, and Phoebe. Those are more 'realistic' levels of strength for an Elite Four.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Boooo! Why did the Champions target down Elesa?! Did they not want an Unovan to show off a good performance?! They really didn't give her any chance to shine!
  
  Luckily John managed to make up for that humiliation! I really like what he's done in this tournament overall - he's gained a new fan!
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  Obviously because they wouldn't dare to allow us 'newcomers' to show them up. If Elesa had actually managed to do well against their Champions, then it'd make them look bad. And they would never allow that.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Let's not be so cynical. I think Elesa did as well as could be expected. After all those battles she had already fought in during the Tournament, it isn't really hard to identify her glaring weakness - her Pokémon's frailty. And trainers like Cynthia and Steven aren't about to ignore such an obvious flaw.
  
  Amoogus
  
  Welp. I guess we can at least say for certain now that Alder didn't lose against some weak, random trainer. Clearly, he just lost to another Champion, which is nothing to be ashamed about.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  You idiots. John obviously threw the match to allow his 'girlfriend' and Steven to win. Could you imagine how bad it would be if the two Champions lost like that? So John was clearly ordered to lose the fight to make them look better! And you fools are too blind to see it! AS ALWAYS!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Ignoring that guy as usual... But how is Lance not sweating his ass off after that kind of performance? Not only did John beat him in a 1v1 against Emperor all that time ago, but now he's gone and done this? And his girlfriend's a Champion too. Isn't the man scared that John will try to make a challenge against him?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  If it was anyone else, then he probably would be. But by this point it's pretty clear that John has no intention of making a challenge. I think he's comfortable where he is right now.
  
  FightClub
  
  AND THAT LOSER MENTALITY IS WHY HE LOST! NORMAL SCRUB. NO SUCH THING AS A 'CLOSE WIN'. THE NOOB LOST. NOTHING ELSE TO SAY.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I bet you that Steven joined this battle because he wanted to show off his strength, but he ended up nearly losing to John. LOL! Imagine if he did lose though; that would be so embarrassing.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Nah not really. He proved that his Metagross was of equal strength to Cynthia's Garchomp, which shows that he's no lesser than his Sinnoh counterpart. I think that's more than enough.
  
  And if you remember Steven's battle against Wallace, Metagross already failed in a 1v1 against Milotic anyways. His true strength was always lied within the flexibility of his full team, not just a singular Pokémon. Same for Cynthia, actually. So I think he'd do better in a full 6v6.
  
  [JOHN AND ELESA WIN THE POKÉMON WORLD TOURNAMENT! AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR FULL RUN!] By Battlecast
  
  [Edited highlight reel of their best moments during the Tournament]
  
  The favourites have done it! After an intense battle against both Karen and Iris, and ignoring the battle against Cynthia and Steven as that will be the subject of a separate article, John and Elesa successfully proved that their strategy of utilising a fast supporter and a strong attacker can really dominate a battle.
  
  Even though many initially thought that their victory would solely rely on John's own actions, anyone with eyes could see that Elesa managed to play an integral part of their shared victory. And in the final battle against Karen and Iris, she really proved herself to be an effective supporter as her Pokémon both served as an annoying distraction and also sacrificed themselves in order to boost up the stats of John's Pokémon - allowing them to carry the fight.
  
  Furthermore, it was really nice to see just how much Elesa had improved over the course of the Tournament, as she visibly became more and more comfortable with fighting alongside her partner and holding her own ground.
  
  However, fun fact, our viewers may be interested to know that over the course of the entire Tournament, John has actually ended up facing off against all of the other Indigo Elite Four, and has managed to beat and surpass them all. In fact, and those who were paying close attention would have spotted this, he actually faced off against Lorelei, Koga, and then Karen in order.
  
  While this isn't proof of anything, since the battles were 2v2s and not full 6v6s, it could be a useful data point for an evaluation of John's relative strength compared to his colleagues... if you for some reason don't count the battle against the Champions. Honestly, this writer believes that the latter should be proof enough of where John stands in the pecking order.
  
  At the very top.
  
  But in celebration of their victory, we will go over some of our personal favourite moments during their full run of the Tournament...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I swear, the League better host more of these big world-wide tournaments in the future as well. They can't just give us this and then tell us that it'd never be hosted again. This was so hype! I didn't think they would be able to surpass the previous Tri-Regional Tournament, but I was so wrong. MORE PLEASE!
  
  FutureAce
  
  SO TRUE! The tournament just ended and I'm already sad that we're not going to get any more! This really has been the best week or so for any Pokémon fan like me! PLEASE GIVE US ANOTHER WORLD TOURNAMENT!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  THERE WE GO! THE INEVITABLE HAPPENED! THE VICTORS WERE LOCKED IN FROM THE VERY START! THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO BE A FAN OF JOHN!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  Excellent victory. As befits an Indigo Elite Four. We could never allow anyone to show us up.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  Good job Elesa. Unova deserved to win. Let none dare say that Unova is any weaker than the others. In fact, this just proves that we're stronger!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  The fact that you the two of you are partially in sync with each other is concerning.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  So so so so PROUD of Elesa! Let this silence her critics! Just because she's a supermodel and a Gym Leader at the same time doesn't mean she's any lesser of a trainer! Her doubters have just been proven wrong! Hope to see more of this from her in the future!
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  So close for Iris! She really deserved that trophy - can't believe it was ripped away from her at the last moment like that...
  
  Hasn't John won enough already?! Why did he need to deprive the most worthy trainer of her deserved trophy!?
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Yeah I was rooting for Iris too, but I wouldn't say she was the most 'deserving' candidate. I think she was the fan favourite by far, and seeing her defeat trainers that are supposed to be so much more experienced than her has been super exciting, but John and Elesa deserve that trophy as much as she does.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  But wait, what do the winners get for winning again? Is it just the trophy?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  There's a monetary reward as well. But... it really isn't a lot. I guess they spent most of the budget on hosting the Tournament itself.
  
  Not that the winners should mind all that much. Neither Elesa nor John are going to be strapped for cash anytime soon. Especially when you consider their other careers.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  Boo! Shame on you for winning! That trophy was ours!
  
  Jokes aside, congratulations. I had a feeling from the very beginning that you would be the one to beat us.
  
  RaisingDragons (Verified POG)
  
  Yeah! Congrats to you both! It was really exciting battling against the both of you! Even though Karen and I didn't end up winning in the end, this has still been really fun! Not only that, I've learnt a lot from everyone too!
  
  Thanks to everyone for the good competition! I really hope we do this again!
  
  DragonKnight (Verified POGChamp)
  
  As expected. Well done, John. Now the rest of the world will realise that you're a 'Champion' alongside me.
  
  Personally, I felt like this was something they should have acknowledged a long time ago. But better late than never, I suppose.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  Bah. I'm mad at myself for losing and missing out on the finals. The both of our teams in a showdown for the trophy would have been fucking amazing!
  
  But that's just me being an old grump. I'm happy for Iris and that she beat me. Always nice to see an up-and-coming Dragon trainer with so much potential.
  
  SpiritedWriter (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations on behalf of the Unova Elite Four. Elesa, seriously, well done. I think all of Unova will be looking at you in a new light now. I look forward to seeing how you'll capitalise on your victory.
  
  And John... keep up the good work. Being at the top can be a burden in it of itself.
  
  [THOUGHTS ON THE NEW REGIONS?! What do the public of Unova say about their new neighbours?] By Unova Today
  
  Now that some time has passed since the introduction of the New Regions to us citizens of Unova, and given that we've all had time to experience the new inventions, cultures, and people that the New Regions have brought along, we here at Unova Today felt like it was a good time to host an opinion poll about our citizens' thoughts on these newcomers.
  
  Originally, many of the civilians we interviewed were leaning between a mix of 'cautiously optimistic' and 'wary concern' in regards to the newcomers. However, now that the World Tournament has come and gone, our recent round of questioning has revealed that there has been a shift in public perception.
  
  Amongst the trainers that we interviewed, Ace Trainers especially were particularly happy with the discovery of the New Regions. They state that the inclusion of all the many new Pokémon, the Pokédex, and the recently implemented PSS system, were all big quality of life improvements for them. Furthermore, for those who have spent time overseas, those trainers all state that there was very little, almost none, of the discrimination or disdain that they initially expected. At least for trainers, nobody cares about where your place of origin was.
  
  They mostly credited the success of the Pokémon World Tournament for this positive attitude.
  
  We also managed to speak to a few Gym Leaders and Elite Four too, who said the following:
  
  "I think that the New Regions have done their hardest to show us their sincerity." Gym Leader Burgh said, "They've clearly tried to demonstrate that they do value us, and want to include us into their 'group'. Otherwise they wouldn't have hosted the World Tournament in the way that they did. And I can say for certain that this attitude is reflected in the Gym Leaders and Elite Four. At least with those that I had interacted with, we can see that they consider us no different from anyone else."
  
  "John has always gone on and on about his future plans and how he wants to better integrate Unova with the rest of the New Regions." Gym Leader Elesa, and winner of the Pokémon World Tournament, stated, "He's told me many times about how hard everyone worked to spread the idea of internationalism in order to create the international community that now exists today. And he wasn't the only person that I talked to that spoke this way - others shared his view too. Because of that, it's impossible for me to see their intentions as anything less than genuine."
  
  "Amongst my colleagues, I believe I was the most wary of the New Regions' intentions to us, considering that we were the newcomers. However, while I still insist on remaining cautious, my stance has shifted." Elite Grimsley said, "Now, I believe that our new neighbours' desire for friendship should be welcomed as a boon, for it will help us to integrate quicker and more effectively with them. In that respect, I welcome further collaboration between our regions."
  
  How about the rest of you? What do you all think about the New Regions, now that enough time has passed to form a solid opinion? Are many of you still wary, or are you more accommodating of them now? Let us know in the comments below!
  
  Comments
  
  Amoogus
  
  While there are still some sore spots, I'm happy with how our regions have interacted thus far. Like many others, I was cautiously optimistic, so I'm very glad to see that they've surpassed my expectations.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  I have always said that the discovery of the so-called 'New Regions' has been nothing less than a disaster for Unova. The fact that we now have enemies proves that our time of peace has come to an end. We should not be welcoming them with open arms, and certainly not as friends. Instead, we should be more alert than ever.
  
  Mark my words. Their friendly intentions are merely disguising the knives they hide behind their backs.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Because of John's partnership with Elesa, I've done a lot of digging on John's past so that I could learn more about him. Initially, I was only interested in his history as a trainer, but I've come to appreciate just how much he's done to shape the current geopolitical landscape of our world. Literally, so many things have happened because of his ambitions. And with the benefit of hindsight, I'm kind of glad that he was the one to take charge.
  
  Therefore, I trust John and his intentions for Unova. I know he'll be a major political factor for us going forwards, but I'm confident we're in safe hands. He wouldn't mistreat us.
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  Champions often serve as reflections for the region that they represent. That's why it was so concerning for me that Alder was, and continues to be, Champion of Unova. For many years now, I know I'm not alone in my opinion when I say that Alder's reign as Champion has been mixed, to say the least.
  
  And contrast that to the Champions of the New Regions. All of them filled with young blood, and each of them burning with ambition. Even Lance, who has come from a clan that is historically known for its pride and arrogance, seems to have tempered that significantly and not allow such historical 'traditions' to taint his rule. Their response to the recent crisis during the Day of Calamity should tell you enough about their convictions and sense of responsibilities.
  
  Furthermore, I've paid careful attention to how these Champions have interacted with those from Unova in the past, especially when in person. And I saw for myself that they've never looked at us with anything less than sincerity, and there is certainly no disdain. I highly doubt they harbour any malicious intent towards us.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I know I'm not able to speak for the majority, but it heartens me to see this kind of positive reaction to our regions. Personally, I know many of us are hoping to see our regions form strong bonds of friendship between us, so it's good to see that some bridges have already been built.
  
  I look forward to our regions working closer together in the future as well!
  
  [NEW ARTICLE ADDED TO THE REGIONAL UNION: LEAGUE OFFICIALS ARE NOW APPOINTABLE FROM ANY REGION!] By The Indigo Post
  
  [Picture of the signing ceremony. Lance and Lorelei are in attendance]
  
  For those who have not been following the political scene in recent times, the implementation of this Article into the Regional Union, likely buoyed by the massive success of the Pokémon World Tournament, serves as a demonstration of the shift in geopolitics. It cements the recent push for internationalism, opening up all three of our regions for even closer integration and cooperation.
  
  For clarification, the new Article allows for any League Official position in Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, to be taken up by any person from any of the regions, assuming that they have sufficient qualifications for that position. And a 'League Official' consists of any official public position within the respective League, which also includes Gym Leaders and Elite Four. Notably, the position of Champion is an exception to this, meaning that you will have to be a native of the region if you want to ascend to become Champion.
  
  Of course, those from Unova will notice that your region is absent from all of these discussions. And while we are not privy to the internal conversations between the higher level League officials, we see no reason why Unova would not eventually be able to join in on the Regional Union as well. The League's recent actions have all shown that they are more than willing to extend a welcoming hand to Unova as well.
  
  What do you think the consequences of this new Article will be? Do you approve of its implementation, or do you lament it? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Not surprised that such an Article was enacted into the Regional Union. Given how things were heading, it was really only a matter of time.
  
  But overall I'm in favour. Right now, I think the political climate and leadership is suited for such a radical change. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that the public trust in their leaders is at an all-time high. So I really doubt there could have been a better time for this.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Big agree. I know some might try to fearmonger and say 'what if there's a war' - but the whole point of implementing these policies is to greatly reduce that a regional conflict would ever break out in the first place. After all, when your regions are so closely integrated, why would there be regional tensions to begin with?
  
  So I can't wait to see our first few foreign appointments!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Well, Steven is definitely going to be happy about this one. It's an open secret that he's been waiting to appoint Bruno into the Elite Four. Now with this Article in place, I can feel that the announcement is going to come any minute now that Bruno will be appointed as a Gym Leader or something before he makes a direct challenge to the Elite Four.
  
  Wonder who he's going to challenge? Probably Sidney or Glacia, given that he has a positive Type matchup against them.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Nah. Bruno isn't some coward. He's not going to be satisfied if he doesn't challenge himself to the fullest. If and when he does make that challenge, he'll either target Phoebe or Drake. Phoebe, because her Ghosts 'supposedly' counter his own, or Drake, because he's Drake.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  AND BRUNO WILL WIN NO MATTER WHO HE FIGHTS! FIGHTING TYPES HAVE NO WEAKNESSES!
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  What a disaster this was. I can't believe something as shortsighted as this could be approved. You can't trust any of these foreigners to lead us. They will just stab us in the back in the end, just watch!
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Okay, Bruno might be looking like the first foreign Elite Four member to be appointed, but who do you guys think will be the first foreign Gym Leader to be appointed? We've had that policy in place for a while now in Indigo, and yet we've still not gotten one.
  
  Amoogus
  
  Will be looking at the developments in your regions with keen interest. I'm really curious to see how this new policy turns out for you guys, and if it goes well, then maybe Unova could join in on it in the future too.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Oh shit, did anyone see what Drake just said?! Link
  
  [DRAKE MAKES A CHALLENGE! BRUNO ACCEPTS!] By Battlecast
  
  [A video clip plays. Steven was just finishing up with a press conference regarding the implementation of the newest Regional Union Article when Drake suddenly pushes his way onto the stage and takes over the microphone.
  
  "Bruno. I know you're there watching this. So let me keep it simple. If you want to earn your place into the Hoenn Elite Four, to prove yourself worthy of being the first foreign Elite Four member ever appointed, then you shall have to go through me. I will test your strength, your determination, and your resolve - to see whether you deserve to be the first foreign Elite Four member to be appointed. Prove to the world that you have what it takes to best me. I shall be waiting."
  
  And then he walked off the stage without any further elaboration. Steven looks completely flabbergasted, and the video clip ends there.]
  
  We immediately went over to interview Bruno about his response, and all he had to say was this:
  
  "I accept."
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  ...The gauntlet has been thrown down.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Wow. Didn't think Drake would go and do something like that. But then again, knowing what he's like, I probably should have expected it.
  
  Notably, Bruno isn't actually eligible to challenge the Elite Four yet, though I doubt that would be a problem for long. I expect some political shenanigans to happen in the very near future so that Bruno can meet Drake's challenge. I really wonder who wins here.
  
  DragonPower
  
  An easy victory for Drake. Bruno was a fool to accept the challenge.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  An easy victory for Bruno. Drake was a fool to challenge him.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Wow. The two of you posted at the exact same time. That's actually incredible.
  
  StageChampion (Verified POG)
  
  Whoever wins, I approve! This is the kind of flair and posturing that I like!
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  That's right! No matter who wins or loses, let's give the public a fight to fucking remember, Bruno!
  
  OnePunchMan
  
  Indeed we shall.
  
  A.N. This marks the end of Arc 16 - 'Unity'. And now there's been a short timeskip since the Pokémon World Tournament is over, as you can tell by the discussions in the chapter. This chapter also serves to set up the events for the next arc, so I hope you enjoyed!
  
  As always, massive thanks to those who have stuck with me so far in the story, even with the recent delays in uploads. Your support is always appreciated, and encourages me to keep on writing despite my busy-ness. So cheers!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal-16-18-Interlude-Blaine
  The New Normal - 16-18 - Interlude - Blaine
  
  When he was first assigned to the mysterious 'evolution stone' project, not only was he honoured to be working alongside such brilliant talents, but he also thought that because of said talent that the project would be a breeze. He thought, with so many incredible and brilliant minds working together on this, that the mysteries of these stones would be revealed to them within the course of a month or so.
  
  And while they were making progress, it was far from what he had initially expected. Perhaps he had been too hasty with his initial assumptions about how fast they could power through this.
  
  Still, he couldn't deny that he was greatly enjoying what he was doing. Despite them all being from different regions, all of the Professors gathered here were able to work collaboratively and effectively.
  
  Even Colress, who was technically the 'lowest rank' member here as he wasn't yet a Professor, was able to keep up with them. In fact, despite his initial feelings about the man, Colress had greatly impressed them with his intellect, methodical thinking, and his meticulous eye for detail.
  
  It was no wonder that Professor Juniper brought him over as an assistant. The man was easily capable of being a Professor himself.
  
  He did actually ask why Colress wasn't already made a Professor, given his talents, and the man simply replied that he wasn't bothered to suck up to the right people to earn the position.
  
  "Being a Professor means taking on political responsibilities." Colress had said, "I have no interest in distracting myself with such frivolities. Nor do I care about being acknowledged and praised for my achievements. The advancement of the sciences is a reward enough for me."
  
  ...Well, they all had their oddities.
  
  Thoughts on his colleagues aside, they had made several important discoveries regarding these mysterious stones - which they were now unofficially calling a 'Mega Stone' in their internal documents.
  
  Through careful study, they all but confirmed that these Mega Stones required some sort of activator to unlock their true potential. Due to that, they tried to reverse engineer the energies that the Mega Stones passively gave off to try and figure out what these Mega Stones needed to activate.
  
  They had already figured that these stones were originally supposed to be evolution stones, but they had been irradiated and warped by some unknown energy to become what they were now. Therefore, their next step was to work out what this unknown energy was and where it came from. Yet that was when things turned interesting.
  
  Their extensive testing had allowed them to discover that these energies were related to 'life' and 'death'. Somehow, these two energies had intermixed with each other in some unnatural combination, which was what created these Mega Stones in the first place.
  
  Colress was the first to say what they were all thinking, "I believe that this points to the fact that a Legendary, or perhaps multiple, were involved in the creation of these Mega Stones. I hypothesize that it was the lingering energies from these Legendaries that led to this."
  
  Samuel responded first, "...Yes, it does look to be that way. Especially since, considering that these Mega Stones are supposed to be able to grant Pokémon the power to evolve beyond their usual limitations, it does seem like something that would require a Legendary's power in order to activate."
  
  "But which Legendary would it be?" Elm asked, "As far as I'm aware - we don't have any Legendaries that are involved with 'life' and 'death' explicitly."
  
  "Arceus itself?" Rowan suggested with a shrug, "It could probably fulfil the requirements."
  
  "Maybe. But my gut is telling me otherwise." Sam said, before turning to Juniper and Colress, "Would there be any Legendaries in Unova that you know of that could fulfil these requirements?"
  
  "...No, I really don't think so." Juniper replied after a moment to think, "Our legends speak of the divided Legendary Dragons. They were supposed to be a single Dragon that had been split into two - one that represents Truth, the other Ideals. And as destructive and as powerful as the legends claim that they can be, I doubt that this is related to that. I just don't see the correlation."
  
  "Actually, we should do some new readings around Spear Pillar, since there are probably still lingering energies from the Legendary battle that took place there." Blaine suggested, "Maybe it'll give us a clue. It probably won't, but we should do our due diligence anyways."
  
  That got a round of agreements, and then Colress had a radical suggestion, "Why don't we try to replicate these energies for ourselves?"
  
  Birch's eyes widened, "You don't mean for us to try and replicate a Legendary's power for ourselves! That's... that's just not done!"
  
  Colress shrugged, unbothered by the outburst, "And why not? We've clearly agreed that whatever Legendary, or Legendaries, were responsible for the creation of these Mega Stones, they aren't part of the legends that we know of right now. So we either give up on the project now, something that I am completely unwilling to do, or we do our best to solve this mystery and advance our scientific understanding even further by replicating such energies for ourselves."
  
  Rowan shook his head, "Attempting to play Arceus is a dangerous thing, Colress. Legendaries are beyond the realm of us humans for a reason."
  
  Colress frowned, "I understand the need to be cautious, but are we not some of the best scientific minds in the known world? If there were any that could be working on a project, I do not believe it would be arrogant of me to say that we would be the best choice by far."
  
  "...He's not wrong." Juniper allowed, "Yes, messing around in the realm of Legendaries is dangerous, I'm not denying that. But we aren't some reckless, power-hungry fools blind to the dangers. Like Colress said, we know what we're doing. And if not us, then who?"
  
  Logically, Blaine could understand where their peers from Unova were coming from. Everyone here understood the importance of safety, and he trusted them to not let things spiral out of control. However, especially after the events of the Day of Calamity, the dangers that messing around with Legendaries could bring to the wider world was very difficult to just 'shrug off'.
  
  And, while there was no logical basis for this, there was always the slight chance that attempting to mimic these unknown Legendaries power could, in fact, summon these Legendaries to the world by accident.
  
  Who knows what kind of damage they could do if that happened?
  
  However, it was where he then had a realisation, "Hey, why don't we ask John what he thinks of this? And by John, I mean we have him talk to Regigigas and ask if it's safe to proceed."
  
  "Why would he... oh, yes, I can't believe I overlooked that." Sam said, "Hmm... that could be an idea."
  
  "Are you sure that Regigigas would even respond to him?" Elm asked, "Hasn't it gone back to its slumber?"
  
  Blaine shrugged, "I've no clue. But if there's anyone that would, it'd be John. Might as well ask him and see what he thinks about it. It's better than nothing."
  
  "I agree. There should be no harm in floating the question to it." Rowan nodded, "Although, please check with John first - I don't want to accidentally get on a Legendary's bad side. No thank you."
  
  The others agreed, and so that was what he did. He rang up John and told him about their conclusions and what they wanted him to do. Fortunately, they had caught him just before he left Sinnoh.
  
  "...This is not what I thought I would be doing a few hours before my ship leaves for Indigo, but sure, I'll speak to Regigigas." He said, "Uh, no guarantees if it responds though."
  
  "If you think the Legendary Titan will be offended at all about our question, PLEASE do not ask it." He hurriedly added.
  
  John chuckled, "No, no, it'll be fine. I won't say I have a complete understanding of Regigigas, but I think I know it well enough to say that it wouldn't be bothered. Just leave it to me. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."
  
  The phone call ended there. And yet, the surrealness of them just casually asking a question to a Legendary finally hit him, and he had to sit down in his chair for a moment as he internally processed this.
  
  ...Well, at the end of the day, he was sure glad that John was somehow 'friends' with a Legendary.
  
  A.N. More development on the Mega Stone! And yes, while I know that the Mega Stones are thought to be created from the energies of Xerneas and Yveltal, but I didn't want that limitation to hinder the development of the Key Stone.
  
  Normally, messing around with the powers of a Legendary (or multiple) are only done by the 'evil teams' due to their fanaticism/insanity. But I wanted to show that they aren't the only ones who will give it a shot. And hey, if there was anyone that could replicate the power of a Legendary, and do so 'safely', it would be these Professors. But before they do so, they gotta ask papa Regigigas for permission first. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-1 - New Direction
  
  With the Tournament now over, I really didn't expect for anything interesting to pop up as I prepared to make my way back home to Indigo. I did speak with both Elesa and Iris before their own ship departed for Unova, exchanging a promise to continue keeping in touch and maintaining our friendships. And if there was ever an opportunity for one of us to visit the other, then we would do so.
  
  However, just as I was about to head to Canalave City, I had gotten a call from Blaine. He had asked, on behalf of the other Professors, for me to speak to Regigigas about whether it was 'safe' for them to replicate a Legendary's powers in order to unlock the secrets of the Mega Stone.
  
  At first, I was utterly shocked at what I heard. I knew, from my meta knowledge, that the Mega Stones were probably created out of Yveltal's and Xerneas' powers, and I had wondered how the group of Professors were going to overcome this limitation - since they obviously wouldn't have access to those Legendaries without having first discovered the region of Kalos.
  
  I absolutely did not expect them to try and replicate this power for themselves. When I heard this, my first thought immediately went to the potential dangers of such an act. Messing around with Legendaries was always a huge risk.
  
  But then I thought it over a bit more, and I supposed that there was no better group to trust than those currently working on the project.
  
  Which was why they had asked me to speak with Regigigas about whether it was safe for them to continue - they had no idea if it would respond, but it would hopefully serve as an additional precaution just in case. So naturally, I agreed to do this for them, and I headed off to the Temple of the Titan, now fully redecorated and rebuilt to house the Legendary Titan, where I was let in with only a brief check to confirm my identity.
  
  I approached Regigigas' still figure, unsure if it would respond to me in its inactive state. Yet I could still feel the faint pulse of the bond that we shared, and I mentally reached out towards it as I asked it a question.
  
  'Regigigas. If you can hear me, I would like for you to see my memories - and tell me if the path that my colleagues will embark on is a safe one or not.'
  
  I had half-expected my query to go unanswered, but then I felt a sudden surge of power infiltrate into my mind as our bond flared to life. But despite my shock, there was no pain. Regigigas' intent simply flowed through me, gently reaching for my memories as it absorbed everything it needed to know.
  
  After a few seconds had passed, even though Regigigas remained unmoving, I felt a singular word, a judgement, resonating throughout my mind.
  
  Approval.
  
  And then the silence returned, with a small smile starting to form on my face.
  
  ...Yet that smile quickly disappeared as I then realised a slight issue - I had no way of proving that Regigigas had just given me its approval. It wasn't like it had left a physical receipt of its approval for me to show others, so all they had to go on was my own word.
  
  Fortunately, when I relayed this information back to Blaine and the others, they didn't question it. As Blaine explained, they were the ones to request for me to ask Regigigas about whether their future course of action was safe or not, and they'd only do so if they trusted me wholeheartedly.
  
  And so, with Regigigas giving them the green light, they were off to try and replicate the power of Xerneas and Yveltal.
  
  I had absolutely no idea about how that was going to go - this was beyond anything from my metaknowledge - but I wished them the best regardless. With Regigigas' approval, I was reasonably confident that their efforts wouldn't end up resulting in something crazy like summoning two hostile Legendaries into the world, but there were still big risks involved.
  
  But it was out of my hands now. It was up to the Professors to see this through.
  
  With that detour out of the way, I said my goodbyes to Cynthia and boarded the ship for Indigo, returning back safe and sound.
  
  Yet there was this strange feeling that refused to leave me upon my return to Indigo. I had initially struggled to understand why, but when I had just about entered into my home, that was when I realised it.
  
  I was starting to see Sinnoh, and my new place with Cynthia, as my new home.
  
  That wasn't to say that I didn't miss my family home in Indigo and didn't want to return. Of course not. I still enjoyed spending time with my parents and my sister, who were all there to greet me upon my return home. But it was the realisation that my future was no longer in Indigo - that I had 'outgrown' the family home.
  
  As much as I loved this place, I knew that I wanted to be by my girlfriend's side more.
  
  And I think my parents must have understood this too, even without me saying it out loud, because upon my return I noticed that their questions mostly focused on my new home with Cynthia in Sinnoh and the type of life that we were planning out for the both of us.
  
  I guessed they must have also realised that it was only a matter of time before I moved out. Fortunately, they didn't seem to have any problems with that - if anything, they seemed to subtly encourage it - though I noticed that they were doing their best to treasure the moments they still had with me before then.
  
  I wasn't looking forward to the moment when I had to tell them. Even if it was something we all understood, leaving your parents behind wasn't easy. At least for me. And that wasn't even including how Whitney was going to handle it.
  
  ...I hoped she wouldn't take it too badly.
  
  Many things had happened since my return to Indigo. Not long after I had come back, Lance and the other Champions managed to successfully propose that the Regional Union would adopt a new Article that League officials within Union-regions were able to be appointed from any of our three regions.
  
  There wasn't as much pushback as I had feared when the topic was brought up, mainly because the idea had already been successfully implemented in all three regions already, and enacting it as an Article was mostly seen as a formality.
  
  But given that this was the first time a new Article had been added to the Regional Union, and one as wide-spread as this one, there were still quite a lot of discussion on it. Though I was actually rather distant from those discussions, as I had my own priorities that I had to focus on - namely, prepping for my eventual move to Sinnoh.
  
  Part of that needed to be handled by Cynthia. With the passing of the Article, she had begun setting the stage in Sinnoh for Regigigas to finally have a League-appointed guardian. Right now, things were merely at the discussion stage. However, given that there was never any precedent for appointing a formal human guardian for a Legendary, and given how prestigious and important this position would definitely be, the position naturally attracted a lot of scrutiny.
  
  There were even discussions to be had about whether it was necessary to assign guardians to the Lake Guardians and their Regi companions as well, or if just having one guard the Legendary Titan was enough.
  
  Similarly, there were also concerns about the guardian being 'corrupted' by external influences, and whether certain measures needed to be implemented to counteract that. It was an understandable concern, given that there was a very real possibility that a corrupted guardian may turn the Legendary's power against the rest of the world.
  
  Although, knowing what I did about Regigigas, I fully believed that this was extremely unlikely to happen unless that person had access to a device like the Red Chain. Otherwise, Regigigas was no fool. It knew right from wrong, and it wouldn't allow itself to be tricked. Then again, the wider public wouldn't be aware of this either, so their concerns were legitimate.
  
  Also, there needed to be discussions about the direct powers of this new position. Would the guardian have the ability to, at their own discretion, awaken the Legendary Titan? Or did they require consent from the Champion first? Did they hold any political voting power in the Sinnoh Committee meetings? Or were they not even eligible from observing in the first place? These were all relevant questions that needed to be answered.
  
  Therefore, with all of these matters that needed to be addressed, Cynthia wanted to wait before she made any kind of formal announcement about her intention to appoint me for the position. That didn't mean that there weren't already rumours being spread around - given that I was the obvious candidate for it - but at least nothing had been officially confirmed.
  
  And on my end, I knew that it was only polite for me to prepare the others for my eventual departure. I still loved Indigo, after all, and I would continue to wish it every success even after I was gone.
  
  So today, with Lance calling us all over for a meeting, I decided that now was the time to give them a heads up, and I told them that my time with the Indigo Elite Four was likely going to come to an end because I intended to take up the position in Sinnoh.
  
  "...I think I can say for all of us that we all expected this to happen eventually." Lorelei replied first, "It doesn't take a genius to see that you and Cynthia were working towards that eventuality, given how eager you were at promoting and pushing for the latest Regional Union Article to be accepted."
  
  "Well, yeah. We weren't exactly being subtle." I allowed, "I just wanted to let you know anyways so that there would be no misunderstandings."
  
  "And we appreciate the transparency." Koga nodded, "However, are you certain of your choice, John? Moving to a new region like this, especially with the political position you currently hold, may prove to be a costly decision."
  
  "I am." I nodded, "Admittedly, it wasn't an easy choice. I have built a life here in Indigo. I have accomplished much here, and there are still things I want to do. For the last few years, I have built up a strong political foundation and web of connections that I am loathe to throw away - though of course I hope to maintain most of that even if I do move to Sinnoh. It's why we've been working on this for so long, since I do want to continue being active in politics even after my move."
  
  "Just out of curiosity, would you still agree to the move, even if you were to give up all of your political power?" Lorelei asked.
  
  "...Yes." I said after a moment, "Yes, I would. It would not be ideal, but... I already see that my future lies next to Cynthia. Call me foolish, but there's a lot I would give up just to be by her side. Besides, I fully believe that even if I were to have to start anew in Sinnoh, I am confident in my own capabilities, and my Pokémon's, that it would only be a matter of time before I could build back my political connections once again. So me moving to Sinnoh wouldn't be the end of my time in politics."
  
  "Knowing him, he wouldn't be able to sit still if he wasn't doing something." Karen smirked at me, "Whether it be here or Sinnoh, he'll still be on the big stage, making changes."
  
  Surprisingly, Koga actually smiled softly at me when he heard my words. It was a rare display of emotion from the normally stoic man, "A good answer. While my own situation was different, I too had to make a similar choice when I decided to marry my wife. I also had to make sacrifices for my love. And, with the benefit of hindsight, I can say wholeheartedly that it was well worth the price. It still would have been even if I had to pay it twice over."
  
  He gently patted me on the shoulder, "So I agree with your decision, John. And while it would be sad to lose a man of your calibre from the Indigo Elite Four, I trust that you will still continue to do good in Sinnoh in the future too."
  
  "...Thank you, Koga." I smiled back, before turning over to Lance, "I'm pretty sure I did tell you that I was going to do something like this before - so do you have anyone you think could replace me in the Elite Four? Even though I am leaving, I would prefer if there'd be someone that you'd all feel comfortable working with in the future."
  
  "You did." Lance nodded, "But sadly, none come to mind right now. Let's be honest, the only person I really was thinking of was Clair. However, after her behaviour in the Tournament... she isn't suitable to be in the Elite Four. She'd be like Will when he first came into the Elite Four, but a lot worse."
  
  We all grimaced. While Will was not all that bad when he first joined, and he got much better as time went on, he definitely rubbed a few of us the wrong way initially. If Clair was worse than that (and I could see it), then I could understand why Lance was hesitant to let her into the Elite Four, even if she was his cousin.
  
  Koga crossed his arms, "Indeed. I greatly misliked the way she treated Maylene after their loss. It was very immature of her."
  
  "I wouldn't get along well with her." Karen agreed, frowning, "There must be other options besides her."
  
  Lance winced, "Her temperament is still a work in progress." Then he returned to a neutral expression as he turned back to me, "Nevertheless, I think it would be best if we all work together to see if there are any new candidates that might be worthy of filling your shoes, John. Are we all agreed on that?"
  
  "What about Will? You did just mention him." Karen suggested, "I mean, I wasn't there when he was working with you guys, but didn't you guys all get along quite well? Couldn't we just invite him back in?"
  
  That was an interesting thought, "But isn't he busy running the Goldenrod Gym?" I remembered, "I'm not sure he's going to be able to just up and leave his old duties just like that."
  
  "We definitely should at least ask." Lorelei said, "Besides, I'd like to continue working with him too. He was very good at his job."
  
  Everyone else agreed with that, and since we all trusted him not to reveal my plans beforehand, we decided to just call him straight up and ask his opinion. Therefore, one phone call later, and we had brought Will up to speed with what was going on.
  
  "...An interesting offer." Will said after we finished with our explanation, "But as much as I'm tempted by it, I'd be loathed to give up on what I've built up here in Goldenrod so soon. Though... perhaps I could continue working on these projects even after I've joined back into the Elite Four. After all, there's no reason why I can't focus on the continued development of Goldenrod even while I'm an Elite Four... yes, maybe that could work."
  
  "Just a warning - if you do take back your old position in this manner, there will be people that look down on you for doing so." Lance warned, "So expect to receive a few challengers."
  
  Will just smirked, "As if that'd be a problem for someone like me. Relax, I wouldn't allow myself to be knocked out of the Elite Four again. Once was certainly enough. If I come back in, I fully intend to show off just how much I've grown in strength."
  
  "But that also means that we'll have to find someone to replace you at the Goldenrod Gym." Karen sighed, "This is so frustrating. It feels like we need to find replacement after replacement."
  
  "True." Will nodded, "I wouldn't want to hand over the Gym to an incompetent."
  
  "We can discuss that later. It'll be easier finding a Gym Leader than it is an Elite Four that you guys want to work with." Lance said, "So Will, just so that it's clear, you're my candidate of choice to replace John for the moment. Of course, the decision remains in your hands, so please let me know if you're certain about making a return to the Elite Four and giving up your position as Gym Leader of Goldenrod."
  
  "I will let you know as soon as possible." Will nodded, "Thank you for reaching out to me. I'll see if I can find anyone I trust to replace me."
  
  "Then let's table the discussion here." Lance stated, "We'll return to this topic once we have a few more things worked out."
  
  With that, the discussion about my departure from Indigo was finally over for now, and we could actually get to the topic that Lance had brought us here to talk about - PLASMA.
  
  "How many of you have been keeping up to date with our infiltration of PLASMA?" Lance asked, looking around at all of us, "I know I've forwarded the reports to all of you to read."
  
  We all nodded, "Good. Then you should know that we're just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Once our informant finds something actionable, then we'll be there to take action."
  
  "Are you sure Unova would welcome our involvement though?" Lorelei asked, "Seems like they might see this as us trampling on their authority. Even with all the goodwill we built with them through the tournament."
  
  "That's a valid concern, which is why I wanted to set up the foundation for our involvement." Lance said, "Especially because both the other two Champions have noticed that the Unova police are not as effective than they should be."
  
  "Corrupt?" Koga asked.
  
  "No. Just understaffed and not as well trained." Lance replied, "However, that means that I'm hesitant to rely solely on them to take down a criminal organisation as large as PLASMA. The last thing we want to happen is for PLASMA to split up and go into hiding. Therefore, I'm going to do all I can to ensure that the International Police be given jurisdiction over Unova as soon as possible."
  
  "Are you sure?" Lorelei asked, "I understand your position, but it feels a little premature..."
  
  "I know. That's why I want all of your help." Lance explained, "I'll need all of you to start leveraging your connections that you've built with Unova's leaders. That means their Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and whatnot. I want you to bring them onto our side, to make sure they understand why our involvement would be beneficial for them. I know it won't be easy, but do your best."
  
  We nodded again. For me, it was simple enough. From my past conversations with Elesa, I knew she was onboard with taking down PLASMA as quickly as possible. And if I could also bring Iris (though I'm sure Karen would be better at convincing her) and Clay onboard too, then that would be a lot of political pressure on Alder to get things done.
  
  It was just a shame that none of us had any direct connection with the Unova Elite Four, given that they were more influential than the Gym Leaders. However, just as I thought that, Koga idly mentioned that he would help speak to Marshal, as apparently they had gotten to talking during the Tournament. So that would definitely help a lot.
  
  Either way, given how the meeting had already overran by a significant margin and Lance was super late for his next meeting because of it, we decided to call the meeting there after a few more minutes of discussion.
  
  But I was happy about the things that we discussed. Not only did were we building a plan of action to deal with PLASMA once in for all, but we also began to plan out who would replace me once I inevitably took up my position in Sinnoh. Overall, it had been a very productive meeting.
  
  Hopefully, it would all turn out well. I wanted to deal with both matters as cleanly as possible.
  
  (Looker POV)
  
  After his previous discussion with N where they agreed to work together to uncover the 'truth' about PLASMA's actions, he had hoped that this would be the beginning of N's 'cleansing', for him to start shaking off the taint of the Sages and let him see the truth for himself.
  
  This was especially true now that he had become Rood's assistant, since now he was more involved with the running of PLASMA and was given a degree of autonomy to do his own snooping around. So far, he hadn't uncovered anything too damning yet, but he felt like it was only a matter of time.
  
  Unfortunately, things did not pan out that way, and things took a turn for the worse. Recently, Ghetsis had been calling up and speaking with N far more than he usually did. Normally, the leader of PLASMA would only speak to N every once in a while, but now that had changed to almost every day.
  
  Looker did try subtly ask what N and Ghetsis were talking about, but even N wasn't too sure.
  
  "He doesn't really tell me to do anything." N had said, "He just talks to me and tries to reaffirm the values of PLASMA within me. I guess he just wants to spend more time with me."
  
  Looker had a feeling that it wasn't so simple; that a man like Ghetsis wouldn't waste his 'precious' time on N unless he wanted something out of him. But each time N was called up to spend more time with Ghetsis, he always gave the same response to Looker.
  
  ...He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that the more time that N spent around Ghetsis, the worse it was going to be.
  
  A.N. Welcome to Arc 17 - "Big Moves". This serves as a set up chapter for what we'll be exploring through the rest of the Arc, with John getting ready to leave Indigo and therefore setting up the necessary preparations for when he does so. Therefore, as mentioned before, Will is back! I think he's obviously the best choice for John's replacement, considering his past. And of course, the Mega Evolution research is going to press onwards as well.
  
  Not only that, Ghetsis is also planning something. But I've deliberately not shown N's POV for now to keep it a mystery. Maybe some of you will be able to guess Ghetsis' plans now that he's spending more time with N. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 17-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-2 - Preparing for Departure
  
  As per Lance's request for us to assist him with mustering up public support so that Alder could be persuaded to allow the International Police to have jurisdiction over Unova, I immediately got to work.
  
  I went to text Elesa first, since I knew that she'd be the easiest to bring onboard. And indeed, it only took a few minutes of conversation before she agreed to at least speak to the other Gym Leaders about it. With her newfound influence thanks to our shared win in the Tournament, her support would help a lot.
  
  However, it was my conversation with Clay that proved even more fruitful. Though we were hardly friends, we did have a business connection thanks to the earlier deal we made regarding our respective businesses. So I used that connection to ask if he was willing to support such an initiative, to which he gave a pretty interesting response.
  
  "Do you truly believe that the intervention of the International Police will be necessary to ensure the complete destruction of PLASMA?" He asked me.
  
  "I do." I nodded firmly, "Having dealt with such criminal organisations before, I've learnt that there's no such thing as overkill."
  
  "And you think we won't be able to deal with it ourselves?" He questioned.
  
  "You might be able to, but why take that risk?" I shot back, "Having more assistance would never be a bad thing. Surely that's all that matters when it comes to ensuring the safety of your people?"
  
  He snorted, "No need to try to manipulate me. I was already going to agree. I'll host a meeting with the rest of the Gym Leaders, and we can come together and discuss this proposal together. How's that sound?"
  
  "That'd be lovely." I said immediately, "Thank you for doing this - it's more than I expected."
  
  "No need to thank me." He replied, "I know of your history. I know why you take these criminal threats so seriously. Your paranoia and concern are justified. And at least I know you're primarily doing this because you're just looking out for us. I can appreciate that. Plus, I may not think that all of PLASMA deserves to be behind bars, but I do agree that a proper investigation must be done after what they did to embarrass us at Sinnoh."
  
  So with that, I was later informed that a meeting between all of the Unova Gym Leaders would be held later within the week. Not only that, but Shauntal and Drayden were also invited to participate so that they could listen in on the discussions and understand the mood of the Gym Leaders too.
  
  I hoped that meeting would prove fruitful.
  
  Speaking of Gym Leaders, there was an interesting development going on in Hoenn as well. Ever since Drake made his official declaration towards Bruno that he expected the Fighting specialist to challenge him if he wanted to make it into the Elite Four, people have been wondering just when and how Bruno was going to do so - since he wasn't eligible to make such a challenge yet.
  
  No one thought that the man was going to wait an entire year for the next Hoenn Conference to come around just to do so - though I did think that this was something that Bruno would actually do if he was doing this alone. Therefore, everyone expected him (or more accurately, for Steven to make the arrangements) to temporarily take on the position of a Gym Leader just to grant him the necessary qualifications to make the challenge.
  
  However, what no one, not even me, expected to happen was for Wallace to announce that he was 'temporarily stepping away from his duties' as Gym Leader of Sootopolis City and offering the position to Bruno.
  
  Everyone knew it was a farce, but no one was going to tell that to Wallace of all people. Despite having stepped down as Champion to become a Gym Leader, Wallace still retained much of his massive influence and popularity that he once had. Furthermore, with him being the one to give Bruno his position, it meant that Wallace was supporting Bruno's actions, which would help neuter whatever criticisms might have come Bruno's way.
  
  And the moment Bruno was made Gym Leader, he instantly made a formal challenge to Drake for his title of Elite Four. In a recent press conference, Bruno explained that he would be holding on to the position of Gym Leader until the date of the battle, and whether he wins or lose, the position would pass back to Wallace. Meanwhile, Wallace was appointed as his 'executive assistant' to run the management of the Gym and its battles.
  
  Or in layman's terms, nothing changed in regards to the Sootopolis Gym.
  
  I had no idea what kind of secret arrangement was made between Steven and Wallace for this to happen, but I supposed I shouldn't have expected anything different from the new Champion.
  
  With that in mind, their battle was scheduled to take place within a fortnight. I had already been asked about my opinion from a few news agencies that were covering the upcoming battle, to which I had this to say:
  
  "Having faced off against both Drake and Bruno, I would say that I am far more familiar with the fighting style of the former, given how often I've fought alongside the man. So I know full well how strong he is, and I know that Drake's recent defeat against Steven means nothing in regards to measuring Drake's strength. The man will be, and has always been, the strongest of the Hoenn Elite Four."
  
  "That being said - Drake, I know you're listening to this - you better take this battle seriously." I grinned into the camera, "You know Steven better than I do at this point. You know he isn't some guy who makes plans without thinking them through, then thinking them through again and again and again. If he thinks that Bruno will beat you, then I would be wary of his confidence. So if you don't want to lose your position, then you best start training up! I don't want to hear excuses if you do end up losing!"
  
  Then I left before the interviewer could recover from their shock; they probably weren't expecting such a response. I let out a chuckle as soon as I was out of sight.
  
  I was probably going to receive a pretty scary text message from Drake later today for my teasing comments, but he's a guy who could take a joke. Besides, it's not like I was wrong - Bruno really had a good chance of winning, so Drake was going to have to bring his A-game for the upcoming battle.
  
  I couldn't wait to see who would win between them.
  
  However, I couldn't just focus on the battle between Drake and Bruno, as I also had to start making preparations from my departure. Just because I had informed Lance and my Elite Four colleagues doesn't mean that this was all I had to do. There were still many more people that I had to meet and make arrangements with.
  
  Most importantly amongst these were the other leaders of Cerulean City - Mayor Henry and the Waterflower sisters.
  
  For a long time now, they've been supported by my influence to help bolster our city's reputation and to ensure its prosperity, and while their reliance on me has lessened over time as the Waterflower sisters continued to prove their worth as Gym Leaders and contest performers, my departure would undoubtedly be a setback for them.
  
  I needed to make sure that they were informed of my departure beforehand, and could make the necessary preparations to adapt when it happens. And for a conversation like this, it was best if I spoke to them in person.
  
  So I arranged for a meeting with them at the Cerulean council offices in the afternoon, and arrived there promptly afterwards. Henry was already there, and we greeted each other with friendly smiles while we made small talk about what the other had been doing - since it had been a while since we last spoke.
  
  A few minutes later, Daisy Waterflower arrived too, and the meeting began.
  
  "So what did you want to discuss with us?" She asked, "You wouldn't have called us here to meet in person if it wasn't something important."
  
  "Before I say anything, I'm going to have to ask you to keep what I'm about to say to yourselves." I said seriously, "It would be problematic if this was leaked before it should be."
  
  They both nodded, signalling that they understood. So I began, "I will be stepping down from the Indigo Elite Four in the near future." That got shocked gasps from the both of them, "But-"
  
  "Why?!" Daisy couldn't help but interrupt, "There's no way you'd step down for no reason!"
  
  "Let me finish, please." I said, "But as I was saying - I am stepping down. And the reason is because, if things go to plan, then there should be a new opening for me in Sinnoh that I'd like to take on so I could be closer to my girlfriend."
  
  "...It must be the new Guardian role that she's proposing, right?" Henry figured me out.
  
  "Yes, exactly." I nodded, "Because of this, I'm trying to make preparations to those who will be most affected so that you won't be blindsided by my move. Obviously, the both of you fall into this category, as I know that my departure will undoubtedly hurt Cerulean city's influence. So if there is anything you think you'll want from me to help you with before I depart, now will be the time to do it. And before you ask, yes, I still care a lot about Cerulean, and I would want it to prosper even after I'm gone."
  
  As the more politically astute of the two, Henry naturally had a question to ask, "Wait, John, do you know who your replacement might be?"
  
  I shook my head, "Nothing's been confirmed yet, so I'm not at liberty to say. However, we do have someone in mind, and that person shouldn't be hostile against your interests."
  
  "So it's someone you consider an ally?" He checked.
  
  "Yes, and a friend." I nodded, "So there shouldn't be any need to worry. Besides, I'm sure that the Cerulean Gym has grown to be influential enough that no one would dare try to replace it, if that's what you're worried about."
  
  "No, I'm not worried about that. I know that the Cerulean Gym has grown to be very prestigious in recent times." Henry denied, giving a smile to Daisy, "But your departure is undoubtedly going to take a bite out of our development funds. You know we've been trying to expand the city as much as we can, and I'm pretty sure that we were only able to do so smoothly was thanks to your influence. With you gone..." He didn't need to finish that, we all knew what he meant.
  
  Even though I wasn't actively seeking out their support, many League officials and Committee members would be frequently trying to earn my favour, or avoiding my ire, and not make things difficult for me by allowing proposals coming from my home city of Cerulean to pass through more easily. This was a commonly accepted practice, and it was sort of a 'reward' for the home city of the appointed Elite Four member.
  
  That would mostly dry up with my departure. But I trusted that these two would still allow Cerulean to prosper even without me.
  
  "So if you're going to be leaving soon..." Henry continued, "Would you be able to make use of your influence one last time and secure us some good deals for the years to come? If it wouldn't be too much trouble for you."
  
  "Same here!" Daisy added, "We've been trying to get a grant to set up a learning facility of sorts for contest performers, but I'm pretty sure our proposal is still stuck behind all the red tape. Could you help us push it forwards, John?"
  
  "I'll see what I can do." I nodded, "But I'm surprised you waited this long to tell me. Surely you could have asked earlier."
  
  Henry coughed, "...Well, we didn't want to bother you. We know how busy you are already, so our concerns are relatively minor in comparison. And besides, we didn't think you would actually step down from the Elite Four anytime soon, so there wasn't any rush for us." He let out a sigh, "...It's a shame that you're leaving. I would try to persuade you to stay, but I know that it would be fruitless. I can see that you've already made up your mind."
  
  He bowed slightly, "So all I can is this - thank you for your service. Because of your efforts, you've made the lives of many Cerulean citizens, and myself, much better."
  
  Daisy nodded too, "Yeah, thanks for getting us in touch with Giovanni too. I don't know what we would have done if not for Petrel."
  
  I felt that it was an exaggeration, that I hadn't really done all that much. But I knew that my words would simply fall on deaf ears, so I just returned a quiet thanks. I also promised to help out, even when I was in Sinnoh, wherever I could. I didn't want to completely abandon Cerulean, even if I was gone.
  
  We chatted for a bit longer, and we went over a few more things that they wanted me to help out with. But overall, none of their requests were going to be particularly difficult for me to help to enact, so I didn't foresee any issues there.
  
  Thus, as we had all plans to attend to, the meeting ended not long after that. I headed straight home, but not to relax, but because there was something I had wanted to discuss with my parents.
  
  It turned out that they weren't home yet, so I spent the time training up both Tails and Sona, since they had been trained up to the point where we could start focusing on more specialised training.
  
  For Tails, that meant actually training her up to make use of her multi-attack moves to not only hit as hard as possible, but to also be able to fired off while moving without losing any speed. This also meant that she had to train up her stamina, as we soon discovered that her style of fighting took a heavy toll on her energy reserves. Therefore, I paired her up with Klaus, since I felt he would be best to help train that aspect up for her.
  
  Then for Sona, I wanted her to be able to make use of certain support moves as quickly as possible, while also developing her mental resilience so that she wouldn't become completely irrational if she fell under a Taunt. Said moves included both Simple Beam and Skill Swap, two moves that I currently don't really make use of in my team. Their effectiveness was self-explanatory; it would help completely shutdown an annoying ability from any opposing Pokémon. Furthermore, Simple Beam would make the target especially vulnerable to debuffing moves such as Baby Doll Eyes and Confide, both moves that Sona was able to learn that could decrease an enemy's Attack or Special Attack respectively.
  
  With such great access to such a varied pool of supportive moves, I foresaw that Sona would become invaluable in any group battle.
  
  I ended up training with my Pokémon for an hour or so before I heard my parents calling out to me from the house - signalling that they had returned home. So I returned all of my Pokémon into their Pokéballs before taking a seat opposite of them on the sofa.
  
  "So, what is it that you want to talk about?" My mom asked, "I saw you heading into the local council building today. Does this have anything to do with that?"
  
  "Sorta." I replied, hesitating a little bit with what I was about to say, even though I expected that they had already figured it out, "Though first of all - I'm sure you must have expected this, but... I do plan to move to Sinnoh with my girlfriend for the foreseeable future. That means I'm leaving for Sinnoh, more than likely permanently."
  
  My mom and dad shared a look before they both nodded slowly, "We knew that it was inevitable. I mean, we figured it out once you went and bought that house with her." My dad chuckled, "So I'm presuming that this conversation is going to have something to do with that?"
  
  "It is." I confirmed, "Namely - I don't want to give up and distance myself from the family business just because I'm no longer living in Indigo. Especially since the breeding business can't exactly operate without me there."
  
  "That's true." My dad nodded, "I'm assuming you have a proposal for us then?"
  
  "I'm thinking we could set up a new branch office in Sinnoh, under me." I said, "Naturally, the breeding business will have to move too. But I should already have a good spot for it - the house that Cynthia and I purchased has a lot of free space next to it, since it's on an unused Route. We could have the breeding farms set up there, since there'll be more than enough space to house all those Pokémon. And before you ask, I already checked with Cynthia - she's okay with it."
  
  I was referring to the place that would, in canon, be where Pal Park was going to be built. However, I wasn't all that interested in building up something like that next to my house, and I felt that having the breeding farm there would be a far better choice. Cynthia easily agreed, and in fact, she said that she'd love to have the opportunity to try her hand at being a Pokémon breeder too if we could agree to an arrangement between us.
  
  "...Well, we do have the funds to support an expansion to Sinnoh. In fact, we had already been thinking of doing so." My mom said thoughtfully, "We had just been delaying it because we wanted to make sure that the new breeding business was running smoothly first."
  
  "However, it isn't a bad idea for you to start running your own branch of the business." She continued, "Your father and I aren't getting any younger, so it's best if you and Whitney could get started actually running the business. In that respect, I think you running a branch office for now would be good for you. Managing a company requires different skills than just being in the Elite Four, after all."
  
  "I hope this whole move isn't too costly." I apologised, "I know the breeding farms were just set up in Johto, so I know it's going to be a hassle to get everything moved to Sinnoh."
  
  "It isn't as much of a problem as you think it'll be." My dad replied, "I mean, the biggest costs would be constructing the new facilities over in Sinnoh. But it's not like the facilities here in Johto will go to waste - we can always repurpose it for something else. So don't you worry about that."
  
  I nodded, accepting the point.
  
  "Also, when exactly do you plan on leaving for Sinnoh?" My mom asked, "Ideally, we'd like to have everything set up in Sinnoh before you do move."
  
  "Well, there's not been an exact date yet as everything's heavily dependent on the political situation over there in Sinnoh." I explained, "I'm trying to get myself appointed into their new 'Guardian' position that's still being discussed - so as soon as that position is made available, I guess I'll be moving out around that time then."
  
  "Okay, then we'll check up on the news and follow along with its progress." My dad nodded, "Speaking of which, your mother and I haven't actually seen your new house yet. We should really do that sometime soon."
  
  "We'll make a tour of it." I agreed, "I assume you'll have to head to Sinnoh to set up the new branch office. Just let me know when you're going and we can make a trip together. We can even bring Whitney along too if she's free."
  
  "Sounds like a deal." My mom nodded too, before suddenly letting out a bittersweet sigh as she reached out and pulled me into a tight hug. Her voice had dropped to a whisper, "...Enjoy your life in Sinnoh, John. I'm sure you'll be happy with Cynthia."
  
  "...I will, mom." I replied gently, "And it's not like you won't be able to see me. You're always free to visit whenever."
  
  "I know, I know. And even though I know you're already a man grown by now - especially with all that you've already done - I don't think any mother would not feel sad when their child leaves the roost. As your parents, it's our duty to worry."
  
  "But please don't feel burdened by us." My dad added, "We support your move wholeheartedly - every Pidgey needs to leave the nest eventually. So don't feel guilty about 'leaving us behind' or whatever. Your mother and I are happy for you."
  
  Their words caused my eyes to moisten, but I did my best to put up my usual smile, "...Thank you. But I'm not leaving yet, so let's make the most of our remaining time together."
  
  Despite the poverty that plagued my youth, I have never, ever, been disappointed in my parents - for I would never take their love and affection for granted.
  
  I would not be here without them.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter focusing on John's eventual departure from Indigo, and wrapping up a few loose ends as a result of it. I debated whether this deserved to be skipped over, but I felt like that would be undermining the impact of the move. John has spent his entire life in Indigo, and this story has also focused so much on the developments happening in Indigo, so I felt like skipping over these moments would be a disservice to this story.
  
  With John and his parents especially, I felt that a conversation between them was absolutely necessary, especially in regards to the family business. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-2-Interlude-Volkner
  The New Normal - 17-2 - Interlude - Volkner
  
  He couldn't deny that his decision to take on Misty as his assistant was partially a spur-of-the-moment thing. Although he had made the offer, and didn't regret it, the realisation of what he had done had only set in later.
  
  Taking on Misty as an assistant, and helping to train her, was different than just training up Gym Trainers. Here was a little girl who had voluntarily left her home behind just so that she could train under him. Not only that, but she was also the youngest sister of competent and famous Gym Leaders, who would have taught her much if she had just stayed. And he had uprooted all of that, even if it was partially at their own request.
  
  So the pressure was real to make sure that he was worth her time.
  
  Fortunately, his worst fears did not manifest. Even though he still didn't think that he was the best of teachers, no matter what Jasmine or Flint tried to tell him, he saw that Misty was learning a lot under his tutelage, despite not getting any new Electric types.
  
  This was the one thing he wanted to emphasise in particular - he was training her, not just gifting her a new and powerful Pokémon for her to use. Sure, perhaps down the line a new Electric type might be gifted to her, but for right now her focus was understanding the Electric type in its entirety. This was especially useful for her as she was undoubtedly going to be a partial Water specialist in the future - given the influence of her sisters and her (surprising) tutelage by Drake - and having a more thorough understanding of one of Water's main weaknesses would definitely be of great use for her.
  
  After all, if you can anticipate the tactics and moves that your opponent would use to counter your own Pokémon, then you're able to turn that around on them too.
  
  That was why he had outfitted her with a full team of common Electric type Pokémon, which right now consisted of a Shinx, a Magnemite, and a Flaffy, just so that she could get used to using them in battle.
  
  That was what they were doing right now - she was having a practice battle against one of his Gym Trainers.
  
  "Flaffy, Thunder Shock!"
  
  "Quick Attack, Eevee. Then Swift."
  
  He watched as the Eevee dashed to the side, dodging away from the Thunder Shock. Her Flaffy tried to fire off another Thunder Shock, but a quick Swift struck it first and interrupted the attack.
  
  "Go for the Take Down, Flaffy!"
  
  "Sand Attack and Dig, Eevee."
  
  Flaffy threw itself forwards and recklessly charged towards Eevee with a Take Down. However, Eevee kicked up a handful of sand that blinded the charging Flaffy before burrowing into the ground to avoid the attack. Then, before Flaffy could reorient itself, Eevee came bursting out of the ground with the supereffective Dig, knocking Flaffy down. A follow-up Quick Attack into a Bite finished the Electric type off.
  
  As he observed from a distance, that battle revealed that Misty still had some bad habits that she needed to break, though they were nothing dire. First of, she fell for the trap that so many young trainers did - she assumed that because Flaffy was technically the most powerful member on her team that she should make use of it in battle.
  
  That wasn't the case. Both Shinx and Magnemite had more advantages against an Eevee than Flaffy did. Shinx had Intimidate to lower Eevee's Attack, and Magnemite's Typing was resistant against most of Eevee's common moves. Furthermore, she was previously told that both Shinx and Magnemite had speed training, whereas Flaffy hadn't, making the latter the slowest out of the trio. Which proved to be detrimental when facing off against the more nimble Eevee.
  
  Her second mistake was not making use of her more powerful Special Attacks, which was Flaffy's greatest strength over Eevee. In general, Electric Pokémon were not physical attackers, so going for that Take Down was a mistake. She needed to learn to prioritise attacks that her Pokémon were actually proficient at, rather than what was technically the most powerful move.
  
  It was then that his phone began to ring - it was Jasmine. Since he saw that his Gym Trainer was already relaying the same advice that he was about to, he stepped away and into his office to pick up the call.
  
  "Hello? Did you need something?" He began.
  
  "Do I need a reason to call you? Can't a girlfriend just want to speak with her boyfriend?" Jasmine teased, and he felt his face going slightly red, "Anyways, I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."
  
  "No, no. It's fine." He said, "I'm not busy anyways."
  
  "Good. Because I wanted to confirm a rumour with you." She said, "Is John actually leaving for Sinnoh soon?"
  
  He blinked, "...He is, but how did you find out?" He had only known because Flint told him.
  
  "There's been rumours floating around the Gym Leaders." She said, "But nothing was confirmed - at least until you told me."
  
  Whoops, sorry John.
  
  "Please don't leak it." He pleaded. "I don't want John and Cynthia to get mad at me."
  
  "Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut. I don't want Lance roaring after me too - I wouldn't want to get on his bad side." She replied easily, "I was just thinking, given that it's now possible for Gym Leaders to be appointable from any region... do you think I could become one in Sinnoh as well? Or vice versa?"
  
  He turned silent. He couldn't deny that he had been thinking of something similar. Just like John and Cynthia, he and Jasmine had similar problems with distance that affected their relationship. They were both Gym Leaders in different regions.
  
  "...In all honesty, I didn't have any plans for leaving Sinnoh." He said, "I know I grumble about it a lot, but I like being Gym Leader of Sunyshore, and I don't want to give this up. I know it sounds selfish of me-"
  
  "No, don't worry, I'm not mad. I feel the same way about Olivine too." She responded, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He was very scared that he had just admitted to something horrible, "I was just airing out my thoughts. Hearing about John and his plans to move over to Sinnoh had just got me thinking."
  
  "Would you like for us to be together? Whether it be in Sinnoh or Indigo?" He asked.
  
  "Of course!" She replied immediately, "But I'm not like John and Cynthia. Those two would move mountains to see their vision through. They're both ambitious and greedy enough to shape the world to their liking; to get the result that they both want. You and I... I don't think we're like that. Not that it's a bad thing, we're just different people."
  
  "That's true." He nodded. Never in a million years would he have thought that it would be possible, and accepted by the public, for a region's leaders to be held by a foreigner. But through their sheer will and ambition alone, John and Cynthia had made it into a reality. All so they could be together while maintaining their political power.
  
  That was an insane level of dedication, and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he couldn't match it.
  
  "So... for the time being, I'm happy just keeping things as we are - as I hope you are too." She said, "Maybe in the future, we can find some way to close the distance between us. But not now. There's no need to rush into things."
  
  "I agree." He replied softly, "Although now that you put it that way, I can't help but feel a little inadequate. Maybe I should have acted like John did and do everything I could to enable our relationship."
  
  "Aww. That's sweet." She giggled, "But I'm not dating John - I'm dating you. And for who you are. So there's no need to compare yourself to others. I'm happy with who you are now."
  
  He really was dating the sweetest and most understanding person in the world. Things like this made enduring Flint's teasing all worth it.
  
  So with a smile that he was sure she could see, even without seeing his face, he replied, "And I feel the same way about you, Jasmine. I wouldn't trade you for the world."
  
  A.N. Been a while since we had a Volkner POV, but I felt like exploring a different long-distance relationship and how theirs differs from John and Cynthia's. While John and Cynthia were willing to do almost everything they could to make their dream a reality, I wanted to show that not everyone shared that same level of ambition. Some could just be happy with less, and that's perfectly fine too.
  
  Also, I know some were curious about the scope and power of John's new role. That will be revealed in the next chapter! But I can promise that a lot of his old powers will be retained. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-3 - Plans
  
  A few days later, which I had been busy running around making preparations and fulfilling my promises to my friends from Cerulean, I received a very interesting call from Will.
  
  "John, I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time, but would it be possible if you could come to the Goldenrod Gym sometime soon?" He said, "I have a proposal for you."
  
  "What kind of proposal?" I asked.
  
  "A political one - but also one that involves your sister." He said, which definitely caught my attention, "Actually, try to bring her along as well, if she can make the time for it. This whole thing involves her, and I think she'd want to be there to discuss things too."
  
  Sufficiently intrigued, that was what I did. So I called up Whitney, who I had just recently told that I was going to be leaving for Sinnoh. Surprisingly, when I did, she wasn't all that torn up about it. Not because she didn't care, but because our relationship had changed.
  
  No longer did she need her big brother to look over her shoulder anymore. She was more than capable of being independent now, and she already had her own life to live - with her own set of friends and her own personal goals. That wasn't to say that she didn't want me around; it was just that things were different now. She obviously still cared a lot, and she definitely made that known, but she understood that our lives would go our separate ways. That's just how things would be.
  
  I couldn't deny that I got a bit emotional when I heard that. To think that my little sister, who I still saw as the same little girl that cried whenever she had to separate from either me or our parents, could now say something like that - it really showed how much she had grown and matured over the past few years.
  
  And I was very proud of her.
  
  Nevertheless, one phone call later, with me emphasising the importance of the meeting, and Whitney was temporarily freed from her duties as a Gym Trainer at the Fuschia Gym. We met up right outside the Goldenrod Gym before heading in together.
  
  We were quickly escorted into Will's office, where the man himself greeted us both with a wide smile.
  
  "Hello to you both! Thanks for coming here so quickly." He said, "I'm sorry from pulling you away when you're both so busy, but I thought that this was a conversation that was best to be had in person."
  
  "That's fine." I replied, "So - what'd you call us for?"
  
  "Like I said, I have a proposal for you both. But first, let me explain that I will be accepting the offer from Lance to replace you in the Elite Four, John." He revealed, "I'll be informing Lance of this right after this."
  
  "Congratulations!" My sister cheered, "You did great before! I'm sure you'll do great this time too!" I nodded along in support.
  
  "Thank you, and I do hope so as well." Will smiled, "Of course, me taking up your old position means that my current position as Gym Leader of Goldenrod will be empty. As is my right, I have already selected a successor."
  
  He gestured to a man on the right, who so far had been standing there silently, "This is Hayden. Currently, he's serving as the Head Gym Trainer here. But I'm having him replace me. Yet this means that I'm also going to need someone to replace him in turn, and that's where you come in."
  
  He turned to my sister, "Whitney - I want you to take up the position as Head Gym Trainer of the Goldenrod Gym."
  
  My sister's eyes opened wide with surprise, but I spoke up first with a question of my own, "That's quite the offer. Although, why would you appoint a newcomer like Whitney? Wouldn't you want to appoint someone already serving in your own Gym? That would be the more 'common' choice, wouldn't it?"
  
  Will nodded, "Yes, I thought you would ask that. Appointing an existing Gym Trainer would be a safe and sensible option. However, I'm thinking more about the political aspects of such an appointment. Or to put it another way, I want to capitalise on the political impact that your departure is going to have in Indigo."
  
  "How do you mean?" I asked.
  
  "John - I don't think it's an exaggeration for me to say that you are probably one of the most influential people in modern politics. The things that you have accomplished while as an Elite Four is truly staggering." He exclaimed, "And now, I'm going to be trying to step into your massive shoes as your replacement. This is going to be the BIGGEST passing of the torch moment since Champion Oak stepped down in favour of Pryce all that time ago. All of Indigo is going to be sad about your departure, and I fully intend on capitalising on that."
  
  "Therefore, if I were to appoint Whitney as Head Gym Trainer here at Goldenrod, this is going to be a massive political win for my city and the Gym." He explained, "It'll be more than enough to overturn any of the political influence that the city would have lost from my departure as its Gym Leader. Not only that, but I've already done my research on Whitney. I know you've had plenty of experience working in a Psychic Gym already, despite being a Normal Type specialist yourself. And I've also spoken with Samson, who had nothing but praise for your work ethic. So I know you have what it takes to be a Head Gym Trainer."
  
  "...Sabie didn't tell me anything about that." My sister muttered quietly to herself.
  
  "Will there be an opportunity for her to eventually promote herself to a Gym Leader?" I asked on her behalf. I stared at Hayden, "No offense intended, but are you looking to be staying as a Gym Leader for the long-term?"
  
  "I haven't decided yet." Hayden replied, "I'm obviously very honoured to be taking up the position from Will, but this was all decided very last minute. No one really expected for you to be suddenly leaving, Elite John, nor did we expect for Will to be considered as a potential replacement, so none of us expected for such radical changes needing to be made for the Gym. I will admit that I don't have the personal charisma that most other Gym Leaders have - nor is being such a public face really something that suits me all that much, but I will do all that I can to ensure that I will not fail Will as his replacement."
  
  "However, at the end of the day, my service is to the city of Goldenrod. So if I feel that there is a better candidate for the position of Gym Leader, then I may step aside for the betterment of Goldenrod City." He finished.
  
  "He's not giving himself enough credit." Will chimed in, "Hayden has been my second for a reason. Ever since I took up the position, he has been highly competent in both administration and as a battler. The Gym Trainers all trust him, and he was basically the one running the Gym before I was offered the position. He'll serve well as a Gym Leader, I trust that."
  
  I nodded, though I didn't miss the hidden implications in Hayden's final statement, and by the looks of it, nor did my sister. I turned towards her, "Well, what do you think? This is all you. Are you happy with this?"
  
  "...I need to speak to Janine first." She said, "But... I can't deny that I'm interested. Even though I'm happy being a Gym Trainer for both Sabrina and Janine for now - I don't want that to be my life forever. Maybe this is greedy of me, but I don't want to be second to them. I want to be their equal."
  
  I pulled her into a one-armed hug, "That's not greedy at all. That's just being ambitious. It's very normal. Why do you think I'm doing all this just to be with Cynthia? If being with her was my only priority, then I would have dropped everything and moved over straight away. But I wanted to keep my position - to stay as her equal. That's why we went through all of this political struggle."
  
  "Indeed!" Will smiled, "Having such goals for yourself is a good thing. And being a Gym Leader next to your friends is definitely a worthwhile goal."
  
  Whitney smiled, "I guess so. I know this is a really incredible opportunity for me. However, I don't feel like I've truly earned it. It feels like something I've only achieved because of my brother's success."
  
  I frowned when I heard that. I didn't realise that my shadow extended out that long. I failed to realise that she was still affected by it.
  
  But Will shook his head, "I wouldn't think that way. Not because you're wrong, but because of the unfortunate reality that you will never be able to escape your brother's shadow. I'm not saying this to ridicule you - it is just what reality is. Trust me, I will be in the exact same position when I rejoin the Elite Four. I promise you that every single one of my moves will be measured and judged against your brother's."
  
  "Yet it is not your brother's influence alone that caused me to offer you this position." He continued, "If you hadn't earned all those achievements yourself, which proved to me that you were a suitable candidate to be considered, then I would have never picked you - no matter how politically beneficial it would be for me to do so. I will not sacrifice the quality and reputation of this Gym, which I've spent so long building up, with an unsuitable political appointment. The Gym Trainers would riot if I did so."
  
  "Therefore, while it is true that your brother may have initially opened up this opportunity, it was your own personal skills and achievements that have allowed you to earn it." Will reassured her.
  
  "...In that case, then I won't say no to it." My sister replied, standing up and falling into a deep bow that was directed towards both Will and Hayden, "Thank you for the opportunity. I will make sure that I won't disappoint you both."
  
  "Excellent!" Will cheered, "Just let me know when you're ready to make the move - assuming that your friends don't have any problem there. Ideally, we should have you ready to join the Goldenrod Gym on the same day that John announces that he's going to be stepping down from the Elite Four. Just let me know if you need me to talk to anyone to help ease this process, and I'll speak up on your behalf."
  
  Then he turned towards me, "And John, I'll be telling this to Lance later, but you and I should have a proper ceremony to celebrate your departure from Indigo, as well as my own ascension." He chuckled, "After all, such a grand event should have the proper amount of gravitas attached to it, no?"
  
  I smiled, "I'm sure Lance will arrange something like that. Don't worry, you'll have your time in the spotlight. I know how much you miss it."
  
  He harrumphed, intentionally playing up his haughtiness, "It is not me that misses the spotlight, but the spotlight that misses me. Do not get it the wrong way round."
  
  Then he dropped the act, "Now, Whitney, before you head off, I'll be passing you some information packets about what you could do to prepare for your transfer..."
  
  Naturally, I was very happy with Will's offer. I knew how big of an opportunity this was for her to progress her career, and if she played her cards right, then this might be how she takes up her canon position in the future. She definitely had a very real opportunity to become promoted to be the Gym Leader of Goldenrod.
  
  Yet, as I found out later that night while on a call with Cynthia, Whitney's new opportunity wasn't the only thing that I had to look forward to.
  
  She had informed me that the Sinnoh Committee had finalised the expected duties and powers of the new position, which they were dubbing the 'Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh'. Or just 'Protector', for short.
  
  I honestly thought that the title was a little too grand, but Cynthia assured me that considering this was the person in charge with interacting with the Legendary Titan, having such a prestigious title was symbolically necessary. In this, the entirety of the Committee unanimously agreed.
  
  Moving on, the powers of the new position had also been decided. At first, there were many in the Committee that didn't want the new position to award any kind of political power to the wearer, as it meant diluting their own powers. However, in a society that so heavily worshipped strength, others pointed out that it would be very strange to entrust the power of a Legendary to a person while also denying them any sort of political influence.
  
  Therefore, it was decided that the position would come with a spot on the Committee, and they would wield voting power equal to that of an Elite Four.
  
  Then there was the scope of the role. There was a lot more discussion revolving around this one, but in the end, the following was decided. Firstly, despite the word 'Guardian' in the title, it was decided that it was realistically extremely impractical to actually have the person be guarding Regigigas 24/7. Instead, a new elite organisation called the 'Keepers of the Titan' would be created, with the Protector-Guardian serving as its leader, that are comprised of experienced Jennys, veteran and trusted Ace Trainers, and/or International Police members. They would be the main guards for the Legendary Titan.
  
  Therefore, the purpose of the Protector-Guardian was to serve as Sinnoh's (and the Regional Union's) last resort measure. They were the trump card that would command and serve alongside Regigigas to deal with a threat that would otherwise be too much for the League to deal with otherwise. Apparently, my actions with Regigigas against Cyrus was used as an example of that.
  
  In that respect, only the Champion could give authorisation for the Protector-Guardian to take action. Regigigas was forbidden to be awaken without the Champion's consent, except in certain extraordinary cases like the incapacitation of said Champion.
  
  I was very happy when I heard this. Mostly because the new role pretty much felt identical to my current duties in the Elite Four, which also meant that most of my political influence would remain intact and could continue to grow in the future. The only real difference was that I was obviously not going to be sent as a foreign representative as much as I did before, since I had to be on-hand to awaken Regigigas if needed.
  
  Lastly, was the matter of succession, and how the new role would be passed down. Unlike the position of Champion or Elite Four, the fact that you needed to be acknowledged by Regigigas prevented the role from being decided purely based on strength alone. As a result, a compromise was made so that the successor of the Protector-Guardian would be chosen by the former Protector, as they were the ones to have the 'approval' of Regigigas, just like a Gym Leader had the right to do.
  
  To appease the Committee, the Protector couldn't just choose from anybody. Instead, their successor had to be at least a Gym Leader or an Elite Four, given that those were already trusted to take on leadership positions. However, it was also stated that a person couldn't hold both the title of Protector and Gym Leader/Elite Four together, so they would have to step down in order to accept the title.
  
  Strangely, such limitations did not apply to the Champion, so you could become both Champion AND Protector at the same time.
  
  Amusingly, once the powers and scope of the new position had been confirmed, there were a few overly ambitious Committee members that instantly wanted to nominate themselves for the position, even though they lacked any of the necessary qualifications.
  
  Not only that, but they also 'requested' to see Regigigas in person, somehow believing that they would be able to obtain the Legendary Titan's approval if they could just meet it in person. They argued that if I could do it, then there was no reason why they couldn't as well.
  
  Obviously, their insane attempts were all shut down.
  
  Overall, Cynthia seemed very pleased when she recounted all of this to me, and so was I. Given that this was going to be my position in the future, I was satisfied with the scope and powers of my new position. It allowed me to maintain most of my political power, just as I hoped, while also not burdening me with too many responsibilities to deny me any sort of freedom of action.
  
  In my eyes, it was a good balance. And it made all of our hard work to set things up like this worth it.
  
  Thus, with that decided, it was just a matter of getting me appointed for the position. Cynthia told me that she had already obtained the support of the other Elite Four members, and starting from the next Committee meeting that was going to be hosted in a few days' time, she was going to try to get the Committee to support my appointment as well.
  
  From what she had already analysed, it shouldn't be all that difficult to push through my appointment. Most importantly, I was the person who awakened Regigigas in the first place, and also fought alongside it. Moreover, there were plenty of trustworthy and credible witnesses that could attest to the bond that I shared with Regigigas, proving that I had its approval. And with my sterling reputation for both diplomacy and strength that I had worked hard to maintain, it meant that I was easily the forerunner candidate.
  
  In fact, I didn't even know if there were realistically any other candidates in contention. The Protector had to be chosen from Gym Leaders and/or the Elite Four, but Cynthia didn't think that anyone was aiming for the new role either. Cynthia believed that this was because most of them should have recognised that the role was tailor-made for me, and they didn't want to interfere with that and suffer for it.
  
  Ultimately, that meant that I had a few weeks at most to wrap up everything I had left to do in Indigo. Furthermore, as soon as she informed the rest of the Committee of her intentions to appoint me, it would immediately confirm the rumours that had already been circulating around the world - that I was stepping down from the Elite Four.
  
  I wondered how the public would react when that happened.
  
  Luckily, with Will already confirmed as my replacement, there wasn't really much else for me to do. And, even after I moved, it wasn't like I couldn't catch up on matters while I was in Sinnoh. I would still maintain the connections that I had here too.
  
  However, there was actually one other thing I had to do. One more thing that I really couldn't put off for any longer.
  
  For all this time, I had known that while my relationship with Cynthia remained long-distance, we could never be anything more than a girlfriend-boyfriend. However, now that I was moving over to Sinnoh and we would actually be living together, it was time to take things a step further.
  
  I had wasted enough time. And now, I wanted, no, needed to propose to her - to formally tie myself to her. Because to leave our relationship as merely being a boyfriend-girlfriend was to do her a disservice. For I could not see myself spending my life with any other person, and it was time to show her that as well.
  
  To show her that we were partners, until death do us part.
  
  Therefore, I needed a ring, because I definitely wasn't going to half-ass this. The thing was, I didn't know a thing about wedding rings, and I felt like just going for the expensive option was going to be a complete cop-out. Besides, expensive didn't even necessarily mean good, and given that this was a gift you could only give once, I wanted to make sure that I put in the effort necessary to make it a lifelong memory for my partner.
  
  So despite some initial reluctance, I ended up pushing through the rising embarrassment as I made a group chat consisting of a few people that I trusted not only to help me with sourcing a ring, but to also keep it a secret from Cynthia.
  
  These were my mother, Karen, and Elesa.
  
  The former two were because they were the two other women in my life that I trusted the most (and I did double check to make sure Karen was comfortable with helping out, which she was more than happy to), and Elesa because I trusted her and because she was a fashionista, so she obviously knew her stuff.
  
  ...And the moment I made the group chat and introduced the topic to them, my phone was instantly bombarded with messages and pictures about many, many different kinds of wedding rings.
  
  Maybe this was a mistake.
  
  A.N. Yes, John is finally going to be proposing to Cynthia. I know this is not an aspect of romance that's shown too often in fanfiction, but I felt that not having this moment would be like John wasn't as invested into the relationship as he should be. I've shown his commitment and his love for her, so I felt to skip over this would be out of character for him. Therefore, with John now permanently living with Cynthia in the foreseeable future, there's no reason why he shouldn't propose to her, given how much he cares for her.
  
  Also, I don't see the need to be coy, so yes, I am setting up the foundation for Whitney's eventual ascension. I hope that the rationale from Will makes sense and was reasonable! Not only that, I also hope you liked what John's new duties would be. It's definitely far more than your typical ceremonial role. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-4
  The New Normal - 17-4 - Ascension
  
  (Bruno POV)
  
  The feeling of someone tapping on his shoulder told him that it was time. His battle against Drake was here.
  
  Opening his eyes, he exited the meditative state that he was in as he wordlessly stood up and walked forwards into the arena. The crowd was loudly cheering their support from all around him, but he allowed none of it to enter into his mind. Right now, his mind was like a cage - bounded by the iron bars of his discipline.
  
  After his loss against John, this would be his second time participating in an official challenge against a member of the Elite Four, where he would be fighting in a full 6v6 battle. And this time, he would not allow a repeat of his first loss to occur again.
  
  Unlike before, he was not doing this just for himself. This was not merely for his own satisfaction. He was well aware of how hard his friend had worked to put him into this position - to grant him the opportunity to fight this battle - and he was not about to let all that hard work go to waste.
  
  Effort must be rewarded - it was one of his core philosophies. So he was here to ensure that it was.
  
  Despite this, he refused to make use of the more 'underhanded' tactics that Steven tried to get him to use for this battle, for the simple reason that winning like that did not feel right - that would not feel like his victory. Besides, he knew that Drake was a man who fought with straightforward tactics, and so was he. So there was no reason to tarnish the simplicity of that.
  
  His opponent stepped into the arena opposite him. Drake was trying to say something to him, but the words never registered in his mind. He had no need to distract himself with idle prattling. Nor did he feel any fear or anxiousness, despite how important this battle was. No, he had surpassed those feelings a long time ago.
  
  The battle was all that mattered. All he cared about was the signal that would start the battle.
  
  "...FIGHT!" And there it was.
  
  "Go, Blastoise!"
  
  "First up, Hariyama!"
  
  He nodded inwardly as he watched his Hariyama emerge onto the battlefield opposite of Drake's Blastoise. This was a good matchup for him, as his Hariyama was the most defensively inclined, but also slowest out of all of his Pokémon - which made it really good at sponging hits while also making it bad at dealing with agile fliers. So Blastoise was the perfect opponent for it.
  
  "Hydro Pump, Blastoise!"
  
  "Protect and Giga Impact, Hariyama."
  
  Two enormous geysers of heavily pressurised water was shot its way like they had just been shot out of a barrel of a cannon. Yet his Hariyama made no move to dodge. Instead, Hariyama exploded out with an orange glow as it threw up a Protect shield and charged forwards into the oncoming Hydro Pump.
  
  The Protect shield rapidly cracked and shattered as the powerful torrent of water slammed and broke through it, but it held on for just long enough for Hariyama to crash into Blastoise with a devastating Giga Impact. And since Hariyama wasn't even winded from using such a powerful attack, it followed up by delivering a bone-shattering uppercut straight to the chin.
  
  But Blastoise had already managed to surround its head with an armour of psychic energy, which allowed it to tank the blow before retaliating with a powerful Zen Headbutt of its own, crashing both of their heads together.
  
  Yet his Hariyama held on and refused to flinch, using its free arm to deliver a powerful Force Palm that struck Blastoise hard in the stomach, forcing it back slightly. Hariyama tried to continue the assault by following up with a Thunder Punch, but it was interrupted as a quick Ice Beam shot out from Blastoise first.
  
  The beam of Ice slowed down Hariyama for long enough so that Blastoise could counterattack as it bashed Hariyama across the face with a vicious Ice Punch.
  
  However, all that damage was instantly stored within a Counter. Then Hariyama's fist was literally glowing with power as it converted all of that stored energy into a brutal and crackling Thunder Punch that ruthlessly slugged the Water type deep in the stomach.
  
  Blastoise bent over in half as it reeled back with a painful groan, and Hariyama mercilessly capitalised on this opportunity by lunging forwards with both arms as it picked up the Blastoise and violently threw it to the ground with a Seismic Toss.
  
  Except Blastoise had quickly retreated into its own shell, preventing it from taking a bulk of the damage, and fired off a spinning Hydro Pump from both barrels that blasted Hariyama back as it skidded across the ground.
  
  Seeing this, Blastoise exited its shell as it swung around with a hammering blow from an Aqua Tail. Yet that was blocked by a raised arm from Hariyama, who once again used Counter to channel all of that power into a Drain Punch to the face - though that too was blocked by a quick Protect from Blastoise.
  
  The battle had devolved into a uncontrolled brawl, where clever strategies and tactics could play little part in the battle. It was merely a test of each Pokémon's respective strengths, techniques, and endurance to see who could overpower the other.
  
  In other words, it was the perfect battle for him.
  
  As he watched the two Pokémon exchange powerful blow after powerful blow that slowly shattered the arena around them - with each of their strikes being strong enough to instantly knockout a lesser and more fragile Pokémon - he noted that Drake's Blastoise had improved significantly in terms of its technique.
  
  Likewise, Blastoise's tenacity and endurance was more than what he had expected, and it was holding on against his Hariyama better than he had evaluated from their past battles. It was to the point that even with Hariyama boosting its own Attack by igniting itself to activate its Guts, Blastoise was not going down that easily.
  
  While other trainers might be upset about such a development, especially in an important battle like this, he was instead pleased to see it. After all, though winning may be his goal, it was only a good win if his opponent was sufficiently challenging. And he was always pleased to see others working hard to improve their skills.
  
  As the battle raged on, the unending brawl between his Hariyama and Blastoise was as brutal as he expected. Both Pokémon were hammering into each other with savage abandon, but he noticed that Blastoise's technique was starting to slip as its injuries began to pile up. In contrast, as a result of his extensive training to drill in a sense of unbreaking discipline, his Hariyama remained as composed and as focused as it was at the beginning of the fight.
  
  Each of its Arm Thrusts, its Brick Breaks, its Thunder Punches - were all in perfect form. The level of energy exerted was always just the right amount, and each strike was carefully aimed to ensure maximum damage. Combined that with the occasional Drain Punch that leeched back some health during periods where Blastoise wasn't able to block, and his Hariyama was slowly but steadily winning their brawl.
  
  In the end, there were no flashy finishers. There were no big combo of moves that showcased the Pokémon's incredible movepool. There were no surprise reversals that was able to completely turnaround a losing fight. Instead, there was only pure grit and tenacity. It was just two Pokémon duking it out to the end, to test their strengths and determination against each other to see who would fall first.
  
  And as his Hariyama stood triumphantly over a fallen Blastoise, it was his Fighting type that proved supreme. It was wounded and bruised, but triumphant nonetheless.
  
  However, that was only one Pokémon down. There were still five to go. The fight was far from over.
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  As he sat in the VIP room with the other three remaining Elite Four members, he felt his fists clench unconsciously as he watched Bruno's Hariyama secure its first knockout against Drake's Blastoise.
  
  Despite the comments and cheers from his new peers, he remained completely silent as he concentrated on the battle below. Bruno may have been able to walk into this battle with an unshakeable will, but he didn't have that same kind of iron discipline as his friend did. He knew he was nervous.
  
  There was a lot riding on this battle. And it was always easier to be nervous on someone else's behalf, since you had no control over what happened.
  
  Letting out a deep breath, he forced himself to loosen up a bit as he unclenched his fists. He didn't want to display such an unseemly image, just in case anyone was looking.
  
  Drake expectedly sent out his Altaria next, as it was the perfect counter against the slow and immobile Hariyama. Altaria instantly took to the air - and out of Hariyama's reach - before beginning to set up with a Dragon Dance.
  
  Fortunately, Hariyama interrupted it with a Taunt, which was crucial at denying further set up moves, and the Fighting type tore up a huge chunk of rock from the ground to act as a shield to block against the incoming Air Slashes that were fired its way.
  
  One would normally expect a Hariyama to be completely incapable of fighting back against an agile and aerial opponent like Altaria. However, Hariyama proved that thought very wrong as it hurled huge chunks of rocks that flew through the air like spears of hardened stone as they shot towards Altaria.
  
  However, even with this amazing display of power, Altaria proved too agile to be hit. Perhaps if the battle had lasted longer, then Hariyama may have been able to land a good hit against the Flying type, but Altaria never allowed the battle to reach that point.
  
  Even while dodging, Altaria continuously fired off a never-ending stream of Air Slashes towards Hariyama. Hariyama did try to block against them, but there were simply too many and they came at it too quickly. And with Hariyama already being so wounded, and with its health slowly ticking away from the Burn that it suffered, even the slightest touch from an Air Slash was enough to cause Hariyama to flinch.
  
  This completely disrupted its ability to chain attacks together and crippled its ability to fight, and in the end, Hariyama soon fell to the onslaught of Air Slashes coming its way.
  
  Personally, he would have swapped out his Hariyama before this point. But Bruno didn't seem to want to. Was he saving his switches for a more important moment?
  
  Without even missing a beat, Bruno immediately sent out his Hitmonchan next. And it instantly began punting sharp rocks through the air at blisteringly fast speeds - even faster than what Hariyama had managed. Hitmonchan might not have any way of physically reaching Altaria, but with how powerful and fast those rocks were being punched through the air, he didn't think it would matter.
  
  And he knew full well how powerful Hitmonchan's anti-air capabilities were. The Fighting type was powerful enough to even force his incredibly defensive Skarmory to have to dodge out of the way or risk being knocked out of the air from the sheer power behind those attacks. So with Altaria being weak to Rock attacks, it made those rocks all the more dangerous.
  
  Just like he predicted, Altaria tried to dodge at first, but it had underestimated the speed at which Hitmonchan could punch those rocks through the sky, and a small careless mistake caused a single sharp rock to cut deep into its one of its wings, causing the Dragon to rapidly fall out of the sky. A second rock smashed into its other wing, and Altaria completely lost control of its flight as it spiralled uncontrollably out of the air.
  
  Yet Altaria gritted through the pain and fired off a sweeping Dragon Pulse, trying to prevent any follow-up attack from Hitmonchan. Though the Fighting type easily dodged past it with a Detect as it slid underneath the sweeping torrent of draconic power and rushed forwards to catch the falling Altaria with a devastating Ice Punch.
  
  However, just as Hitmonchan was about to strike, Altaria suddenly fired off a surprise, almost point-blank Moonblast.
  
  At such close range, there was absolutely no chance for Hitmonchan to dodge out of the way.
  
  A frown formed on his face; he expected to see Hitmonchan being blasted backwards by the surprise supereffective attack. And yet... that wasn't exactly what happened.
  
  Instead, both Altaria and Hitmonchan were somehow knocked back from the blow.
  
  He had no idea what happened, and it was only a few seconds later when he saw the replay did he understand what just happened.
  
  With an insane level of reaction speed, Hitmonchan saw the Moonblast coming and instantly converted its Ice Punch into a Poison Jab. Then it drove one of its Poison-clad fists deep into the incoming Moonblast, while the other delivered an Ice Punch right into Altaria's chest.
  
  The first strike helped nullify some of the incoming damage from the Moonblast, but it wasn't enough to completely break through the Fairy attack. So as a result, both Pokémon took big hits and were knocked to the ground.
  
  It was Altaria that recovered first as the Dragon immediately unleashed a violent Earthquake that ripped the arena apart with a tidal wave of explosive tremors. However, anticipating the attack, Hitmonchan rapidly threw itself into the air to dodge out of the way while simultaneously launching itself forwards.
  
  Altaria punished this attempt by firing off a massive barrage of Air Slashes towards Hitmonchan. The Fighting type tried to block them with a Vacuum Wave while also throwing up a Protect shield. It wasn't successful at blocking all the damage, and Hitmonchan was shredded by the incoming blades of wind, but it bought enough space for Hitmonchan to retain its momentum so that it came crashing into Altaria with a Bullet Punch into Ice Punch combo.
  
  A retaliatory Dragon Claw almost slashed across Hitmonchan's face, but it used Detect to perform a perfectly timed backstep to dodge out of the way before re-engaging with a haymaker Ice Punch to the face.
  
  "This is going to be the pattern in this fight isn't it?" Sidney noted, "As soon as Bruno's Pokémon gets in close with Drake's, the battle is heavily in his favour."
  
  "I'd expect nothing less from him." He nodded, "Drake might be known for his Pokémon's physical prowess and strength, but if you actually take a closer look at his team, he's not exactly the same as someone like Lance. Many of his Pokémon are actually primarily Special Attackers, like Kingdra, Altaria, Blastoise, and even Flygon. Only his Salamence and Gyarados are truly comfortable with fighting at close range."
  
  "Which is unlike Bruno's team, since all of his team are specialised for close-range fights." Phoebe finished.
  
  "Exactly." He said, "And that's not even including the difference in technique, which I can assure you that there are few out there who could surpass Bruno's Pokémon in that respect."
  
  And just like he said, the moment that Altaria was not only grounded, but was also forced to engage Hitmonchan at close range, the resulting brawl was absolutely not in the Dragon's favour. The swipes from Altaria's Dragon Claws were all parried and blocked by Hitmonchan, while Altaria could do little to block against the hammering blows of Ice Punches that repeatedly smashed into it.
  
  "...Think your Ghost types would be able to survive that?" Sidney asked Phoebe, "Because I know my Dark types certainly wouldn't."
  
  "Nah, definitely not." Phoebe shook her head, "I've seen the Dark types moves that his Pokémon can use. I'm in the same spot as you - as soon as he gets close, I lose. But then again, the same thing happens to me against Drake too, so I guess I'm well familiar with this."
  
  It was a sentiment shared among all three of the remaining Elite Four members. Bruno's Fighting types countered both Glacia and Sidney's respective Types, and he had the Dark type moves necessary to punish Phoebe if he ever managed to land a blow against her frail Ghost types.
  
  Because of this, Drake was probably the hardest opponent that Bruno could have challenged - which was probably why he was so quick to accept the battle. His friend never backed down from a challenge, and if he did manage to beat Drake, then he was certainly going to be a contender to be considered the strongest among the Hoenn Elite Four. Similarly, the public would have no choice but to accept his suitability.
  
  Soon, just like they had just discussed, Altaria eventually found itself completely overwhelmed and outmatched and soon was pummelled into unconsciousness by Hitmonchan's deadly fists. Though it wasn't without cost, as Hitmonchan had been battered and eviscerated throughout the course of the battle.
  
  And Altaria was immediately replaced by Drake's most fearsome Pokémon - his Gyarados.
  
  "GYARADOS!" A wrathful roar echoed across the battlefield as the tremendous beast of uncontrollable and unyielding rage descended onto the battlefield. Hitmonchan was barely able to brace itself in time as Gyarados began its rampage of destruction.
  
  The size difference between Gyarados and Hitmonchan made the Water type seem like a goliath in comparison. And the sheer power behind its blows could not be matched by Hitmonchan. To its credit, Hitmonchan tried valiantly to hold its ground as it struck as hard as it could with repeated Thunder punches, but this was not a battle it could win.
  
  It didn't matter that Hitmonchan was more martially skilled. It did not matter that Hitmonchan could strike with far more precision. It did not matter that Hitmonchan was more agile.
  
  Gyarados cared for none of that, for it was pure brutality incarnate. Fighting it head-on at close range was not a matter of skill or speed - it was purely a matter of endurance and strength. It was a test to see if your Pokémon had the power necessary to take down such a monster.
  
  And Hitmonchan was failing this test.
  
  At one point, Hitmonchan had tried to parry an Aqua Tail that came slamming down from above. However, the power behind that Aqua Tail was so massive that Hitmonchan's arm literally broke under the pure savagery of the blow. And now, with one arm hanging limply to the side, Hitmonchan was forcefully punted into the psychic shields as a Waterfall slammed into its side and launched it through the air.
  
  A final Earthquake ensured that Hitmonchan did not get back up again. It was unable to withstand against the sheer might of Gyarados' attacks.
  
  But Steven knew that there was one Pokémon that could.
  
  "It's time, Annihilape."
  
  "ANNIHILAPE!" If Gyarados was the embodiment of wrath, then Annihilape was the god of rage. Its unholy scream of pure and uncontrollable fury actually caused his fists to clench reflexively from the unsettling aura of madness that radiated out of it as the two began to fight.
  
  No, calling it a fight would not be correct. Nor could it be called a brawl. It was merely two Pokémon that had lost themselves to madness, doing everything they could to unleash all of their overflowing anger onto the other.
  
  Annihilape did not fight like any other of Bruno's Pokémon. Ever since it evolved from a Primeape, all of the previously ingrained discipline, skill, and technique had pretty much all been lost. Bruno had done his best to try to train those up again, but it was almost a herculean task. Annihilape's only known emotion was anger, and it did not care who or what it had to unleash that anger on.
  
  Bruno had actually judged Annihilape to be too dangerous to use in most battles, purely because he could not guarantee that his Annihilape could be controlled enough to not accidentally deal unrecoverable damage to a Pokémon. He categorically refused to release it out when next to a trainer, as Annihilape would attack them if he wasn't careful.
  
  But that was why it was the perfect fit to match up against Gyarados. Because all of that uncontrollable, maddened rage had granted Annihilape an obscene level of strength and endurance. From the testing that Bruno did, Annihilape could withstand an outrageous amount of punishment, and then some, before it fell. Furthermore, for every hit that it took, Annihilape's Rage Fist would only grow more and more powerful.
  
  In terms of raw endurance and strength, it had become Bruno's strongest Pokémon. And Drake was about to realise that very soon.
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  What in the fuck is that Pokémon?!
  
  Ever since he had joined the Elite Four all that time ago, he had prided himself in the fact that his Gyarados was nearly unbeatable in the realm of strength. And it certainly was unbeatable when it came to raw, savage anger.
  
  Most trainers would have tried to temper Gyarados' anger, to make it so that their Gyarados would be more disciplined and less prone to explosive outrages. Wallace had done that, and had taken it to another extreme by making his Gyarados completely calm and serene. But he did not do this himself - instead, he trained up his Gyarados to not suppress its own anger, but to convert it all into raw strength.
  
  And because of this, he had thought that he would never see a Pokémon that could match the level of intense rage that his Gyarados could unleash. Not outside of another Gyarados.
  
  That was, until today. Because right now, Bruno's Annihilape was proving all of those assumptions wrong.
  
  At first, his Gyarados seemed to have the advantage, and the ferocious Crunches and Aqua Tails that it struck with looked like they were doing good damage as they flung Annihilape around. But as the battle progressed, the spectral energies that constantly surrounded Annihilape's fists grew brighter and larger, until Annihilape itself was entirely engulfed by this energy - almost like it was surrounded by these shadowy tendrils.
  
  And now, every single blow from Annihilape was so fucking powerful that the resulting shockwaves from its blows were managing to cause the psychic shields behind it to flicker and groan with exertion. Usually, such powerful attacks could only be done intermittently, such as with a Giga Impact or Hyper Beam, but every one of Annihilape's attacks seemed to be backed by that much insane power.
  
  At this point, his Gyarados had already Outraged, and had boosted its own power to a terrifyingly monstrous degree. Even a Champion would have to respect this level of strength that his Gyarados now possessed, and he was sure that even John's Tyrant would have to be wary around it.
  
  However, Annihilape did not even seemed to acknowledge this newfound power. Not because his Gyarados didn't hit hard - it certainly did - but because Annihilape didn't even seem to register the concept of pain itself. Even as a devastating Aqua Tail smashed against its skull, Annihilape only seemed to grow more mad.
  
  ...So this was what it was like to fight his own Gyarados. Fuck, he wasn't a fan.
  
  And his frown only grew as he realised that his Gyarados wasn't going to win this fight. Even with the Outrage, Annihilape didn't look like it was anywhere close to being knocked out. The spectre of wrath just kept on fighting, and for every hit it took, its own strength only continued to grow further and further to an absolutely unreasonable degree.
  
  A part of him realised that he needed to withdraw Gyarados before it fell. But he ruthlessly crushed that errant thought. He would not trample over the pride of his own Pokémon. He knew his Pokémon well, and so he knew that his Gyarados would want to see this battle through to the end, even if it lost. So as its trainer, he had a duty to ensure that its wishes were fulfilled.
  
  He would not deny them this honourable defeat.
  
  As their fight raged on, it transformed the already destroyed arena into a visage of destruction. The ground itself had been so cracked and shattered that there was no longer any flat ground to stand upon - and you could see a few exposed wires that were torn into the open from the sheer damage that they had inflicted. Several of the monitors on the sides of the arena had been broken, either because they accidentally ripped apart the electricity cables or because a stray attack had ripped past the psychic shields and broke them.
  
  Meanwhile, the League had to bring out additional Psychic Pokémon to reinforce the psychic shields, because the shockwaves from their attacks were already straining the existing ones well beyond their limits.
  
  Then a deafening BANG echoed across the battlefield as a brutal haymaker from Annihilape sent his Gyarados flying through the air with so much force that his Water type crashed right through the reinforced psychic barriers - sending it completely out of bounds.
  
  He could see that his Gyarados was utterly bruised and battered. There was no a single part of its body that wasn't littered with injuries, and its mouth and one of its eyes were so heavily bruised that they were sealed shut.
  
  Yet even then, its eyes still burned with the same intense rage as it did at the start of the battle. Gyarados even managed to let out a frustrated snarl, as if demanding to be brought back to the battle.
  
  But despite the spirit being willing, Gyarados' body could no longer withstand the incredibly harsh punishment that it had already endured. He could see it struggling on the ground as it tried to force its body to move, but it was too wounded to obey.
  
  So as its trainer, he knew that he had a duty to look after his own Pokémon, and he made the executive decision to withdraw and retire his Gyarados from the fight before it could take on any more injuries.
  
  Which meant that he was already down to three Pokémon remaining. And with Annihilape as empowered as it was, he knew that none of his Pokémon could dare to fight it at close range anymore. The very fact that he was now facing off against a Pokémon that he knew genuinely overpowered all of his was both humbling and exciting - since even against the likes of Tyrant or Emperor, he was confident that his Pokémon could at least put up a fair fight.
  
  But Annihilape was different. He needed to take it down from afar. Not even his Salamence could comfortably fight against it in the state that it was in now.
  
  So that only left one option - his Kingdra.
  
  And fortunately, it seemed like his Kingdra proved to be a very thorough counter for Annihilape by simply not allowing the enraged Fighting type to get in close to land a hit.
  
  His Kingdra was the artillery of his team - and it certainly proved itself here.
  
  A fearsome and unending torrent of Hydro Pumps and Dragon Pulses ruthlessly blasted and bombarded the Annihilape. And lost to its rage as it was, Annihilape wasn't even bothering with trying to dodge or block the incoming attacks, choosing instead to meet it head on and forcefully tank through them.
  
  That proved to be a foolish decision. Annihilape might be able to shrug off the pain, but it wasn't able to stand its ground against the enormous torrent of power being shot at it and was repeatedly forced backwards - undoing all of its progress in trying to close the distance. Furthermore, an Icy Wind from Kingdra only slowed Annihilape down further.
  
  In the end, Annihilape never even got close to Kingdra, as it refused to block or dodge and had been slowed down to a crawl by the Icy Winds. As a result, it was almost insultingly easy to take down Annihilape, since it had absolutely no survival instinct and only had one method of attack, making its previous display of absolute power even more ridiculous.
  
  ...A lesson for next time, he supposed.
  
  Fittingly, much like his own Gyarados, Annihilape's body broke before its spirit did. It refused to give up, even when both of its arms broke and fell limp from all the hits that it took from the incoming Hydro Pumps, it still resorted to trying to use those limp arms to crawl towards Kingdra on the ground.
  
  And if he thought that Gyarados' eyes were burning with intense rage, then Annihilape's only promised murder and destruction. If Annihilape ever got in range to hit Kingdra, Drake knew that it was going to be a one-hit KO.
  
  Luckily, it never got to that point, as Bruno retired his Annihilape from the battle much like he did.
  
  He let out a small sigh of relief. That fucking monster was finally gone.
  
  (Steven POV)
  
  He leaned back in his chair as he watched Annihilape finally be taken down, and he turned to see how his other colleagues' were reacting. To say that they were surprised would be an understatement, as all of them had expressions of shock on their faces as they watched as Annihilape devastated Drake's Gyarados - a Pokémon that they were well familiar with how powerful it was.
  
  This was Annihilape's first official battle where it was able to unleash its full potential. And after today, it would undoubtedly be considered as one of the strongest Pokémon in all of Hoenn. If Drake still hadn't had his Kingdra available, then Annihilape would have undoubtedly swept through the rest of his team.
  
  Of course, he knew full well that Annihilape's invincibility was very much an illusion - and Drake had probably just figured out the same. Annihilape was basically unbeatable at close range. It didn't matter who it fought against, if you tried to take it down with close-range attacks, you would lose.
  
  But if you disrupted it with support moves, or could stay out of its range either with Special Attacks or with flight/high speed, Annihilape was completely useless. It didn't have the smarts or instincts to perform any kind of fancy manoeuvres to deal with those kinds of opponents - it just knew how to punch hard. And it had such weak mental discipline that most disruption moves would completely cripple it.
  
  Nevertheless, Bruno sent out his Hitmonlee next. Hitmonlee was the fastest Pokémon in Bruno's roster, which was going to be very necessary if it ever wanted to close the distance against Kingdra.
  
  However, that was far easier said than done. Kingdra might be a poor close-range fighter, but it more than made up for that with its incredible ability to control the battlefield.
  
  And it wasn't just Hydro Pumps and Dragon Pulses it had to offer.
  
  So as Hitmonlee charged forwards, a series of Whirlpools suddenly formed all around it, forcing it to leap backwards to avoid being caught within its watery grasp. As it landed, Hitmonlee immediately ducked out of the way as an Ice Beam narrowly sailed past its head - only to be hit by a surprise Twister that had secretly formed underneath it.
  
  Hitmonlee struggled and forced its way out of the Twister, only to be battered by an Icy Wind that slowed it down which also slowly froze it over. The Fighting type threw out a Blaze Kick to melt off the creeping frost, before throwing itself into a combat roll as a powerful torrent of water nearly slammed into it.
  
  Frustrated that it was making no progress, Hitmonlee stomped down on the ground before performing a powerful spinning kick as it launched a huge boulder towards Kingdra while also simultaneously unleashing a powerful Earthquake. Kingdra was ravaged by the Earthquake as the ground shook violently, but it still maintained its careful aim as it precisely sniped the boulder out of the air with a Dragon Pulse.
  
  Of course, these were all just distractions for Hitmonlee to get close, and it dived forwards through the air with a powerful High Jump Kick.
  
  Seeing the attack coming, Kingdra's mouth began to glow threateningly with an blinding ball of energy. Steven's eyes widened as he saw this; he recognised that this attack was the signature move of Drake's Salamence - Draco Beam. And he had now taught it to his Kingdra.
  
  But before Kingdra could fire off the attack, Hitmonlee elongated its own legs while in mid-air, causing its High Jump Kick to connect first - delivering a merciless and savage kick to the face that completely shattered Kingdra's snout. Kingdra let out a pained cry and fell over to the ground, but that was only the start of Hitmonlee's assault.
  
  Before Kingdra could even hit the ground, Hitmonlee darted forwards and drove its knee deep into Kingdra's stomach. Then it ruthlessly smashed a Brick Brick right to the face, before spinning around and unleashing a devastating Axe Kick that hammered hard into Kingdra's side.
  
  But holding on to its training, Kingdra valiantly gritted through the pain and tried to force Hitmonlee away with a Twister that formed below them. The Fighting type was caught by surprise, but it too held to its training and continued focusing down Kingdra - never giving it any opportunity to recover.
  
  Ultimately, despite a few more attempts by Kingdra to fight back, it stood no chance against Hitmonlee's overwhelming assault, and it quickly succumbed to its injuries.
  
  That proved to be the end of Kingdra's time in this battle. Hitmonlee had proven victorious.
  
  And it maintained that momentum as it threw itself against the newly emerged Flygon.
  
  Normally, Flygon should have proved nearly impossible for Bruno's Hitmonlee to take down. Solely because it could fly out of range of Hitmonlee's attacks and slowly wear it down overtime with Dragon Pulses and Earth Powers. Furthermore, thanks to its Ground typing resisting Rock moves, none of Bruno's Pokémon would easily be able to force Flygon down - since they so heavily relied on using rocks to shoot fliers out of the sky.
  
  That was why, he knew that during Bruno's preparation for the battle, one of the main areas that he vigorously drilled his Pokémon in was to take down Flygon before it could fly out of reach.
  
  Therefore, as soon as Flygon emerged onto the battlefield, Hitmonlee instantly launched itself forwards with a Mega Kick before Flygon could do anything else. Hitmonlee chose to use Mega Kick instead of High Jump Kick because it likely expected Flygon to throw up a Protect shield to block the hit, and didn't want to take the ensuing recoil damage.
  
  And just like it predicted, that was what Flygon did. The Protect shield successfully blocked the Mega Kick, allowing Flygon to retaliate with a vicious slash of a Dragon Claw. However, instead of retreating Hitmonlee allowed itself to take the hit so that it could keep up the momentum. Using Endure, it barely tanked through the attack and converted all of that power with a Counter and unleashed a brutal, fully-powered Close Combat right into Flygon.
  
  Flygon was smashed into the ground before an Ice-infused foot stomped down hard into its face. But Flygon held on too, and fired off a point-blank Boomburst that sent Hitmonlee flying backwards before falling face-first into the ground. Before it could get up, a second Boomblast annihilated the area around it, and coupled with its existing injuries, Hitmonlee was knocked out.
  
  However, the damage that it had managed to inflict against Flygon was significant, significant enough that when Bruno's Machamp finally graced the battlefield, Flygon was too slowed by its own injuries to take to the air in time before Machamp painfully buried an Ice Punch deep into its gut.
  
  Flygon let out a pained screech from the quadruply supereffective blow, but that was quickly silenced as another Ice Punch caught it in the throat. Then to make sure it was finished off, Machamp slammed down with all four of its Ice-coated fists, delivering an unbearable amount of Ice energy right into Flygon and knocking it out.
  
  "SALAMENCE!" And therefore, Drake's starter revealed itself in the battle. The greatest Dragon in Hoenn had joined the battle.
  
  (Bruno POV)
  
  His Machamp was not afraid. Despite the raw power that was radiating out of Salamence, his starter met its stare with a calm look of its own. Its many arms waited expectantly as they began to coat themselves with Ice energy once again.
  
  "DRACO BEAM!"
  
  Not bothering with any kind of posturing, Salamence immediately dropped to all fours and quickly fired off a devastating beam of blinding blue light. The enormous torrent of draconic energy annihilated all that it came across, and with the ground already being so torn up, there was nowhere for Machamp to Dig to avoid the attack.
  
  Except, he had no plans to run away. Instead, he was going to put all of his training with his Machamp to the test.
  
  "Go, Machamp."
  
  Rather than dodging, Machamp reinforced all four of its arms with an armour of Steel using Bullet Punch, and charged towards the Salamence - taking the Draco Beam head on. The draconic beam of energy was so powerful that it literally managed to ignite Machamp as soon as it came into contact with it, but his starter merely gritted its teeth and continued to step forwards, one agonisingly painful step at a time.
  
  In an incredible show of pure determination and endurance, Machamp Endured the Draco Beam. Even as the ground around it literally began to char and melt from the sheer amount of heat that the attack radiated, Machamp still stepped forwards. Even as every bone in its arm began to crack and break, Machamp still stepped forwards. Even as its entire form was completely burned black as the flames engulfed its form, Machamp still stepped forwards - fuelled entirely by its own iron will and discipline.
  
  And each time it did, the signature glow of a Counter would only grow brighter and brighter as Machamp stored all of that energy within itself.
  
  Eventually, Salamence could fire off the Draco Beam for no longer, and it let out a coughing wheeze as it ran out of energy. Yet Machamp was doing little better either, as he was barely able to stumble forwards due to all of its injuries, with three of its arms having been shattered by the attack.
  
  But it had endured. Despite all conventional knowledge saying otherwise, his Machamp had survived the attack. His starter, a Pokémon that many would never think could ever match up against a Dragon, had just proved that it could.
  
  And now it was time to deliver the killing blow.
  
  "FINISH IT!"
  
  With a burst of determination, Machamp forced itself forwards. It channelled all of that accumulated energy into one singular blow. A blow so powerful that even the greatest of Pokémon would fall before it.
  
  Because it wasn't just an attack boosted by Counter. It was also a Reversal - an attack that was empowered the lower Machamp's health was. Therefore, with Machamp at such low health, this Counter-boosted Reversal was going to be the single most powerful attack in his arsenal.
  
  This was his trump card - a move that he had slowly developed to be able to bring down John's Tyrant. A move that would represent the pinnacle of martial ability. A move that contained all of the power that Salamence had just tried to overwhelm it with.
  
  A blindingly bright fist coated in ice that glowed with all of that accumulated power was shot forwards.
  
  And Salamence crumbled to the floor, with his Machamp following right after.
  
  It was his victory.
  
  A.N. AND BRUNO WINS! This was a long chapter, and I hope I managed to deliver the battle between Bruno and Drake. I know it could have been longer and more descriptive, but I felt that the chapter was already getting overly long. So I wanted to emphasise certain Pokémon on Bruno's team, especially Annihilape, and I hope it came across well. For Machamp, I wanted to show how a traditionally 'weaker' Pokémon could punch well above his weight with the right combination of moves. To be clear, it was only through a very precise set of circumstances that allowed Machamp this victory. It had accumulated all of that power through absorbing the power from the Draco Beam, and since it was literally close to 1hp, the Reversal was full power. Without this, Machamp could not have done what it did.
  
  I also wanted this battle to be less 'strategy' and more 'endurance', as befits both trainers. I know I've written a lot of battles where one trainer outsmarts the other, or makes use of some tactic, but I wanted this to be different. And I felt like the use of extra POVs would help with that.
  
  I also know that many of you wanted Drake to win, and are upset that he's leaving the Elite Four. But if its any reassurance, this is not the end of Drake's time in this story. He will most certainly continue popping up here and there. I like him too much to stop writing him. So hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-4-Interlude- Drake
  The New Normal - 17-4 - Interlude - Drake
  
  As he watched his beloved starter go down to the single most powerful move he had ever seen, he felt a whole host of different emotions sprung up within him.
  
  On the one hand, he was disappointed in himself. He knew that this was a battle he could have won, had he chosen to make different choices during it. The defeat of his Flygon especially was particularly regretful, as he knew he could have utilised his Ground type far better than he did. Or, had he chosen to be less stubborn with his Gyarados, then perhaps Bruno's Annihilape could have been taken down more cleanly.
  
  On the other hand, he was completely satisfied with the outcome of the battle. Despite the mistakes he had made, he knew that every single one of his Pokémon had given it their all in this battle. They had performed a grand last stand, and he couldn't have been any more proud of them. He was also incredibly thankful to them, as they were willing to accompany this old man for all this time, even when he had long gone past his prime.
  
  After all, he knew it in his bones that his time in the Elite Four had been slowly drawing to an end. So what better way was there to bow out of his old position than with one final battle?
  
  As he looked around the utterly destroyed battlefield, a small smile came to his lips. Yes, that was what the aftermath of a good fucking battle should look like.
  
  The sounds of footsteps drew him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Bruno walking over, "Well fought, Drake."
  
  "Nah, those should be my words." He grinned, "I didn't think you would take down my Salamence that way. Never thought I'd see something like that. That was fucking brilliant! How'd you even think of something like that?"
  
  "It was a move born from the desire to overcome the difference in natural strength between my starter and others." Bruno replied, "As I have learnt when fighting against Steven, there were many times that even with all of the strength that Machamp possessed, it still was not enough to secure the victory. Therefore, I have been working on this combination of moves overtime to grant me a path to overcome this limitation."
  
  "However, because it is a created by combining both Counter and Reversal, it means that it requires a lot of setup before it can be utilised." Bruno continued to explain, "Not only does it require my Machamp to be at low health, but it also needs to be charged up by enduring through a very powerful move as well - whether that be a Special Attack or otherwise. So it is not as versatile as I would prefer, and it is a very high-risk move."
  
  "Hmm... it does seem like the move that you can only pull out as a last-resort." Drake nodded thoughtfully, before then patting Bruno on the shoulder, "But I wouldn't worry too much about that. Last-resort or not, that attack was fucking powerful. I bet some other trainers will be shaking in their pants trying to find a way around that one."
  
  "We definitely will be." Sidney's voice cut in from behind, and the man approached with a smile on his face, "Hey, gramps. Didn't think I'd see the day that you would lose."
  
  "Never to you." He fired back, "I might have lost, but you still don't have what it takes to beat me."
  
  Glacia smiled, "But you have lost to me."
  
  "I have." He allowed, "But I still won more often than not."
  
  He caught the look of mixed emotions coming from his colleagues. Despite the way that they were teasing him, he knew that they were a little sad that he was no longer going to be in the Elite Four.
  
  ...He was honoured by their emotions. He knew what he was like. He was an abrasive fucker that freely spewed insults out of his mouth, and he didn't see himself as all that friendly of a person to hang around with.
  
  But despite all of that, he still managed to form a close relationship with all of his colleagues in the Elite Four. Even though he was so much older than them, and they had so little in common, they still treated him with the same level of friendliness and familiarity.
  
  So he could say without a shred of doubt that he treasured his time in the Elite Four, and he was going to miss the stupid fucking antics that they got up to.
  
  He thought back to a particularly memorable meeting in Wallace's office from a while ago. Where Wallace was droning on about some kind of new policy that he couldn't fucking remember what it was about, because he had fallen asleep half-way during it.
  
  Then he woke up to find that Phoebe had been trying to draw on his face, Sidney was trying to stop her doing it, Glacia was giggling in the background and giving instructions to Phoebe on what to draw, and Wallace had his head in his hands as he realised that no one was listening to him.
  
  He remembered chasing Phoebe around that room, accidentally knocking over a few chairs as he did. He remembered tripping over and nearly falling on top of Glacia, before Sidney caught him at the last second. He remembered the scolding that Wallace gave them all, which no one actually listened to because Sidney was secretly doing faces behind Wallace.
  
  In hindsight, they were all such fucking children sometimes. He couldn't believe that their group of four misfits managed to hold their position in the Elite Four for so long.
  
  But that was why... he was sad to leave. Even though he knew his time was up. If not today, then some other person was going to eventually knock him down one day, once he grew as old and as weak as Agatha was.
  
  So, despite the sadness that he might be feeling now, he was content to give over his position to Bruno, a man that he knew he could trust to take on his duties and guide Hoenn to a better future.
  
  Yes, it was time for him to go.
  
  His eyes met with his long-time colleagues, and almost as if they could read his thoughts from his expression alone, they all stared back at him with bittersweet smiles on their faces. Phoebe and Glacia both even had tears forming in their eyes, and even Sidney was struggling to keep the smile on his face.
  
  And then, as one, they all fell into a deep bow as they all spoke.
  
  ""Thank you for your service!""
  
  A.N. This was a bittersweet departure from Drake. Like I said before, I love writing Drake, and honestly he's been one of my favourite characters to write, but from the very beginning I knew that, much like Agatha, his time in the Elite Four was gradually going to come to an end.
  
  Not because he deserves to leave, but because, at the end of the day, Drake is a good man. He knew that Bruno was going to join the Elite Four no matter what, so instead of having one of his colleagues fight him and (most likely) lose their position, he was going to shoulder the burden himself. After all, like he said, he's an old man now. It's better for him to go instead of the young'uns, and he thinks that they'll do a better job than him.
  
  That being said, Drake might be gone from the Elite Four, but he's definitely not going to be gone from the story. Now that Drake has his freedom once more, you'll definitely be seeing him around. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-5 - Time To Leave
  
  The next week or so passed by both eventfully and quickly, given how much that I had to do.
  
  First and foremost, Drake had lost his battle against Bruno, making Bruno the newest and first ever foreign Elite Four to be appointed.
  
  We had all gathered in Lance's office to watch the battle live, and there were moments during that battle that had shocked all of us. For example, Annihilape's ridiculous damage and endurance was definitely a huge surprise, given how we were all very familiar with how strong Drake's Gyarados was.
  
  "You think Emperor could take that head on?" I asked our Champion, "Because I'm not sure I'm comfortable with sending Tyrant to fight it at close range."
  
  "Normally, I'd scoff at such a statement. But... that Annihilape really is monstrous, isn't it?" He muttered, "It's like the ultimate close range combatant."
  
  "It lacks any sort of ranged option though." Lorelei pointed out, "And I'm sure that Koga and Karen over here could probably think up something that would be able to bring it down without risking their own Pokémon."
  
  "Worst case, you just have Emperor remain in the air and it probably can't do anything to reach him." Karen added, "Unless you're too prideful to do something like that."
  
  Lance snorted, "I wouldn't lower myself to winning that way. Not with Emperor. Worst case, I'll just make use of one of my other Pokémon to take it out."
  
  Aside from Annihilape, Bruno's final one-hit KO move with Machamp was also just as impressive. Personally, I felt that his Machamp's Counter Reversal combo was more threatening than Annihilape.
  
  This was because Annihilape had very clear weaknesses. As long as you never got in its range, it was pretty easy to kite out because it lacked any sort of mental discipline. Therefore, it was just a matter of matching the right kind of Pokémon against it.
  
  But that finisher move for Machamp was far more unpredictable, because it was on a Pokémon that couldn't just be kited out. When I fought Machamp previously, I already felt that it was a very strong Pokémon. It wasn't at the level of Emperor or Drake's Salamence, but it was just slightly below them in strength.
  
  However, after watching it now in its battle, it had clearly gotten stronger than before - to the point where I believed it was just a bit weaker than Salamence in strength at a base level (though it wasn't as tanky). So combine that with Machamp's good speed and the Counter Reversal combo, and you had a Pokémon that could actually take down Tyrant with one good hit. Especially since it was supereffective.
  
  Now that was a threatening Pokémon. Bruno really had improved massively since we last fought, and his victory over Drake proved beyond any doubt that he was worthy of the position.
  
  His ascension was a very historic occasion, and his ascension ceremony was going to be attended by dignitaries from all over the world to celebrate it. I wanted to be there, but given that I was leaving for Sinnoh soon, it was decided that Lorelei should go in my place.
  
  Of course, with every new ascension, there was always going to be someone who had to depart. And the celebratory mood of Bruno's victory was slightly marred by the fact that this meant that Drake would no longer be in the Elite Four.
  
  I admitted that I was sad to see him go. Drake had been such a dominant presence within Hoenn that it'd be weird for him to no longer be there. In a way, Drake was Hoenn's version of Agatha. A foul-mouthed firebrand that took no shit, but had the strength and experience to back up their insults.
  
  His departure marked the end of an era. Now, the only 'elderly' Elite Four remaining in any of our regions was Bertha. Every other member of the old generation had either retired or had been replaced.
  
  Naturally, I had the opportunity to speak with Drake after he was defeated.
  
  "I was expecting your call." He said as he picked up, "But if you're calling just to ask how I'm feeling, then you don't have to worry. I've already come to terms with my defeat and departure. I already did so when I first made the challenge to Bruno."
  
  "And I didn't expect anything else either." I replied, knowing that Drake was absolutely not the kind of person that would mope around after the defeat. "But what now? What do you plan on doing now that you're no longer bound to the Elite Four? And don't tell me you're going to settle down quietly - we both know that's a lie. You aren't that type of person."
  
  "HAH!" He barked out a laugh, "You're fucking right about that. I'm not going to disappear into a Gym like Agatha did at Lavender Town. I've got better things to do with my life than to manage a fucking Gym of all things."
  
  "...Such as?" I asked leadingly.
  
  "At the moment, not a fucking clue!" He replied shamelessly, causing me to facepalm, "What? Did you think I was the kind of person who could plan things out like that? Fuck no. I'll just take things as they come."
  
  I couldn't help but let out a disbelieving chuckle. In hindsight, I probably should have expected this.
  
  I was about to speak up before Drake continued, "Although I'm not entirely without a plan. Recently, I've been coming to enjoy being a mentor to the younger trainers. I've found that a good use for all of my 'experience' that's been clogging up my brain for the last few decades is to teach them to the younger trainers so that they don't repeat the same mistakes as I did. So now that I'm free from my duties in the Elite Four, I thought that I would spend more time with the young'uns and impart to them all that I know."
  
  I nodded, "That sounds great. Which trainers did you have in mind?"
  
  "Well Misty of course. And I was thinking about training up Iris as well." He explained, "I already spoke to her during the Tournament, and I've personally seen and experienced the sheer talent that she possesses. She has the potential to become one of the greatest trainers in the world, and I want to be there to help see it through."
  
  Drake spoke a bit more about his desire to become more mentor-like now that he had retired, and honestly, I was happy for him. It seemed like a goal that was well-suited for a man like him. Just like he said, he couldn't and wouldn't follow the same path as Agatha or even Pryce did. Spending his retirement years running a Gym or getting entangled with local politics just wasn't his thing.
  
  He was far too free-spirited and proactive for that.
  
  So for the time being, I just extended an open invitation to come visit us in Sinnoh at any time, and we made a verbal promise to meet up as often as possible.
  
  Drake was definitely a person I wanted to spend more time with.
  
  However, Drake's departure was not the only thing that we had to prepare for - as my own was also coming up. After Bruno's victory, it basically confirmed that having foreign leaders in our Leagues had become a reality, so it didn't take long for Sinnoh to also formally approve of the new Protector-Guardian position as well, and with it, my own appointment for the position.
  
  In the end, Cynthia hadn't actually needed to do that much politicking to get me approved. Aside from the fact that there was really no other better candidate to take the position aside from me, my sterling reputation in Sinnoh also helped tremendously.
  
  The public of Sinnoh didn't forget about my contributions in saving them all from Cyrus' schemes, and while it was a joint effort, my summoning of Regigigas firmly implanted me in their minds as the 'main character' of the crisis. So to them, it was only fitting that I was appointed as Regigigas' guardian.
  
  It also helped that my appointment means they got to 'steal' me away from Indigo. In other words, they would get another powerful trainer as their protector by appointing me over a local.
  
  Nevertheless, the news was making a very big deal about my successful appointment, especially once I also made a simultaneous announcement stating that I was going to be stepping down from the Elite Four in order to accept the position.
  
  Actually, to say that there was a big reaction to that would be an understatement. The public of Indigo went ballistic upon hearing that I was no longer going to be part of the Elite Four. Apparently I had cultivated my own reputation in Indigo a little too well, because there were protests breaking out around Indigo - and especially in Cerulean - requesting and/or demanding that I stay.
  
  They absolutely did not want me leaving for Sinnoh.
  
  It was pretty ironic that the people of Indigo were actually giving me more problems than those from Sinnoh. The Sinnohnians were eagerly welcoming me with open arms, while those from Indigo were begging me not to leave.
  
  It wasn't just the public of Indigo either. Many Gym Leaders that I was friends with also spoke out or made statements about my departure. Most of them had already predicted the move or knew in advance, so most of their statements were about wishing me luck with my new duties.
  
  It got to the point where, despite us already having arranged for me to make a speech at my leaving ceremony, Lance begged me to make another one to the public in order to calm them down.
  
  So I ended up making a short statement in front of the Indigo League building to the crowd of hungry reporters.
  
  "First of all, let me just say that I am thoroughly honoured and humbled by the outpouring of support from the public. It was a greatly emotional moment when I saw just how many people wanted me to stay in Indigo. I never would have thought that I would ever be able to make such a great impact on so many people, yet I am grateful for it nonetheless."
  
  "However, I shall also clarify that I am not leaving Indigo behind. Indigo has always been, and will always be, the place where I was born. It is where my family and friends live. It is the region that I have dedicated my blood, sweat, and tears into not only protecting, but also improving. It is somewhere I will forever hold close to my heart. Therefore, while I may be moving over to Sinnoh and accepting a position there, that does not mean that I will not be there for you when it matters. With the formation of the Regional Union, and all of our many policies aimed at bringing our regions together, Sinnoh and Indigo will remain heavily connected together. So while I may not be physically in Indigo for the coming future, but that doesn't mean I won't be here in spirit."
  
  "It is because our regions are so connected together that I even accepted this new position in the first place. So I promise all of you that even though I am taking up a position in Sinnoh, you will still see me around helping out Indigo from time-to-time, or whenever the situation calls for it. That I do solemnly vow."
  
  Even though my words were meant to placate the public of Indigo, that didn't make my words any less true. So while I may not be physically present in Indigo, that doesn't mean that my large web of connections with many influential people of Indigo would just disappear. If I wanted to, I could always reach out to my friends and contacts here and help them out if necessary.
  
  I meant what I said - I wouldn't leave Indigo in the lurch just because I wasn't here anymore.
  
  After finishing up with my prepared statement, I quickly left after answering only one or two questions from the reporters, as they would have another opportunity during the actual leaving ceremony, which was going to take place at noon tomorrow.
  
  As my leaving ceremony also served as Will's ascension ceremony, attendance was mandatory for every Gym Leader in Indigo.
  
  And with my final day left in Indigo, I naturally spent most of it with my family. Most of that time was spent with my sister, since despite putting on a brave face and trying to be 'mature' about the situation, I knew she was taking my departure the hardest.
  
  That was more than understandable, given how many big changes were currently ongoing in her life. Between her own move to Goldenrod, where she would be working as a Head Gym Trainer for the first time in her life (and away from her friends), and my own departure, it was easy to see why she was anxious.
  
  But she was being very brave about it. She shed a few tears, but so did I. After all, saying goodbye was never easy.
  
  "You'll come over to visit right?" She asked me, "I'm not sure if I can visit you with my duties."
  
  "I'll find the time to." I promised her, "After all, who's going to stop me? I'll be the second most powerful person in Sinnoh."
  
  "You're still not as powerful as the Champion, though." She giggled, "Maybe Cynthia can say no."
  
  "Let's hope that's the only thing she says no to." I chuckled humourlessly, "It's going to be incredibly awkward otherwise."
  
  "...She won't say no to that." My sister reassured me, lightly squeezing my hand, "And for what it's worth, I think she'll be good for you. You deserve it."
  
  "Thanks, sis." I smiled down at her, "And good luck at your new Gym. I look forward to seeing you in that Gym Leader position. I'm sure you'll be a great one. Just like your friends."
  
  "Same to you, bro." She replied, "I don't know what plans you and Cynthia have for Sinnoh, but knowing the two of you, they'll probably be big ones. So I look forward to seeing you two implement your vision for Sinnoh."
  
  I chuckled again, "We'll try not to disappoint."
  
  After spending my last remaining day in Indigo, it finally came time for the departure ceremony itself. And even though everything was organised very last-minute, Lance had really done all he could to make the ceremony as lavishly grand as possible. It was hosted at the Indigo Plateau, and it reminded me heavily of my own ascension ceremony into the Elite Four all that time ago.
  
  He had even joked to me that maybe they could host one last battle, but his advisors begged him to not go through with it. The optics wouldn't be good for either of us, no matter who won or lost. So we had to scrap it.
  
  Nevertheless, almost everyone I knew was in attendance. My whole family was there, all of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four, Professor Blaine, Agatha, and even Oak and his family had joined too as 'special guests'.
  
  Before the event began, I spent most of my time speaking to my friends as they wished me well for my new adventures ahead.
  
  "If there's anyone deserving to take on such a heavy duty of being a guardian of a Legendary, then I can't think of anyone more suitable than you, John." Oak said to me, "But otherwise, enjoy your life over there. I hope you find yourself as fulfilled and as happy as you are here."
  
  "You don't need to tell him that, Sam. Can't you see the smile on his face?" Blaine pointed at me, "That's the look of a guy who is all fired up to get out of here. Probably so that he can actually spend time with his girlfriend."
  
  A voice that I hadn't heard in quite some time cut in, "Yes, yes, and once he gets used to that 'domestic life' I'm sure he'll forget all about us back in Indigo." Agatha scoffed at us as she approached, "Cynthia'll have him completely wrapped around his finger - more than she already has. Feh, men are always like that. Fools, the lot of you."
  
  I chuckled; I missed Agatha's mocking words, and knew better than to react to them, "Thanks for coming here Agatha. I know you don't like to come to these sorts of things, so I appreciate the effort."
  
  "Ah, she's always been like that." Oak smiled, cutting off whatever Agatha was about to say, "She might say otherwise, but she does care about those that she is close to. I'm glad you found your way into her heart, John. It's not an easy task. But I know she's a lot more caring than she seems."
  
  "Be quiet, Sam-"
  
  "Oh, you still call me that?" Oak teased, "Or don't you remember what you said to me all that time ago- ACK! HELP!" Oak was cut off as Agatha started to strangle him, which caused both Blaine and I to burst out into raucous laughter as Agatha continued her murder attempt.
  
  After exchanging a few more words with Blaine, I slipped out of that conversation before I could be charged as an accessory to Oak's murder as I went to speak to my first 'political' friend - though we were now friends in truth.
  
  "...You've come a long way since we first met." Giovanni reminisced to me, "When you first asked to speak to me, I admit that I thought you were nothing more than a naïve fool that could be easily manipulated. And while you were definitely innocent, I never expected you to have such grand ambitions - nor the strength to properly back it up. The changes you've helped to make..."
  
  "I couldn't have accomplished a lot of what I did if not for your help." I replied, "Especially in my earlier days, when I was still getting settled in as a member of the Elite Four. Without your guidance and foundation, I would have really struggled a lot more."
  
  "We did overthrow Pryce together." He agreed, turning to shoot a mocking smirk at Pryce from across the hall, "I'm still proud of that one."
  
  He then turned back to me, "Anyways, I know you probably won't, but I do hope that you don't forget about Indigo just because you're going to be living in Sinnoh from now on. Even though you've already done a lot for us, there's always more that could be done. And I hope you continue to provide your assistance in the future as well."
  
  "Of course." I nodded, "I was sincere in what I said earlier. Indigo will always have a place in my heart. If you need help with anything, just reach out to me and I'll do my best to help if I can."
  
  "Good." He patted me on the shoulder, "Good luck over there. And don't make the same mistakes as I did. There's nothing more important than your family."
  
  "I will." I promised.
  
  After that, I also exchanged a few words with the Waterflower sisters, Brock, and Daisy Oak. Since I had already spoken with the Waterflower sisters not too long ago, there wasn't much we needed to say except that I promised to look out for Misty as she was in Sinnoh too. As for Brock, I just asked him to take care of Karen since I wouldn't be physically there for her. He easily agreed to that one.
  
  Then there was Daisy, and I started it off with an apology, "I'm sorry that I haven't been as active of a mentor as you might have wanted. I should have-"
  
  "No, no, it's totally fine." She interrupted, "You helped when it mattered, and I wanted to prove that I could stand on my own strength anyways. I purposely tried to limit my requests for assistance because of that. I didn't want to grow dependent on you."
  
  "Well if you need me to help in the future, just let me know." I said, "Or if you're coming over to Sinnoh for whatever reason, I'll help you find a place to stay too. Or maybe I can introduce a few good trainers for you to spar against if that's what you want."
  
  "I'll keep it in mind." She nodded, "Thanks for the offer."
  
  I managed to speak to a few other people as well, but then I received a tap on the shoulder, notifying me that it was time for me to get up onto the stage to make my farewell speech. So I braved the barrage of camera flashes as I went onto the stage, where I received a loud and raucous applause from everyone in the audience.
  
  My speech was mostly a rehash of what I had already said in my earlier press conference, but there was an extra section that I added at the end:
  
  "-As I realised that my time in the Elite Four was coming to an end, I had a moment where I worried about who would be taking on my position - and if they are capable of handling the duties that this position requires. I was momentarily concerned about whether this person could get along well with the rest of the Elite Four, as I had done, and continue the harmonious work environment that we had developed."
  
  "However, I quickly realised that I had no reason to be concerned, because I already knew someone who had already proven to be a very capable Elite Four member - and a person that I am honoured to call my friend. And that person could be no one other than Will. Therefore, after reaching out to him and confirming that he was willing to take up the position in my place, I remembered letting out a deep sigh of relief."
  
  I made a show of turning and smiling at Will, "Because I knew that even though I was leaving, with Will taking my place, the Elite Four of Indigo will continue to be in very capable hands. I know there were many things that Will wished to accomplish before he was replaced by Koga, and now that he's back into the Elite Four, I look forward to seeing what new successes that he's able to accomplish."
  
  Will gave me a thankful nod, and I got another round of applause from everyone. My speech was almost over, but there was one last thing I needed to say.
  
  "And lastly, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you that has helped or assisted me during my time in the Elite Four. When I joined I was nothing more than a newbie, still very naïve to the ways of the world. But thanks to your guidance, I was able to accomplish all that I have. I especially want to give thanks to Karen, Giovanni, Lance, Agatha, Blaine, Samuel, Drake, and of course, Cynthia. You all know what you've done, and I am immensely grateful for the help that you all provided me."
  
  I performed a deep bow, "Thank you. And may Indigo continue to prosper."
  
  After my speech was over, I did my best to quickly step away from the stage so that Will could have his time in the spotlight. My time as a member of the Indigo Elite Four was now over, so I shouldn't be the centre of attention any longer. Will deserved it.
  
  So I slinked into a shadowy corner of the venue as I listened to Will's speech, and I couldn't help but mentally compare it to the one that he gave when he first joined the Elite Four. Unlike his initial speech, though he was as flamboyant as I expected him to be, it was much more subdued and less arrogant than the one he made in the past.
  
  For example, instead of focusing purely on his own achievements, he spoke a lot about how honoured he was to be able to follow up on my legacy and how he was determined to prove to the world that he deserved to stay in the Elite Four for good this time. He gave a verbal promise that he would do his best to ensure that no one would mourn my departure, for he would do as good of a job as I did.
  
  I sincerely hoped that he did. An Elite Four roster consisting of Lorelei, Will, Koga, and Karen was strong. And one that I trusted to run the region alongside Lance even after I was gone.
  
  With the end of the ceremony, it was time for my departure too. And as I was escorted to Olivine City, I ended up reminiscing about my first 'official' trip to Hoenn with Karen all that time ago. Pryce had ordered me there as a way of isolating me from the politics of Indigo, but it ended up being a great opportunity for me to build powerful connections with many important people of Hoenn.
  
  Through that trip, not only was I able to make connections with strong trainers like Norman and Drake, but I also met people like Shelly and Joseph Stone. Because of those meetings, so many projects like the PIT technique, the Premier Ball, the joint subjugation of Team Aqua and Magma, were all born from them.
  
  Thinking about it made me feel all nostalgic.
  
  Naturally, I wasn't the only one that had headed to Olivine City, as I was also accompanied not only by Champion Lance and the rest of the Elite Four, but also my parents and sister too. Everyone else had returned to their usual duties.
  
  As we all stood on the port, a few minutes before my ship was scheduled to depart, Lance walked up to me first.
  
  "John." He patted me on the shoulder, "There are many things I think we could say to each other. But I think what's most important is that I won't forget all that you've done for me. My reign as Champion wouldn't have been as smooth if it wasn't for you."
  
  I smiled back, "...We've accomplished a lot together, haven't we?"
  
  "Yes, we have." He agreed, "But I suspect that you'll be accomplishing a lot more with Cynthia in the future too. I look forward to seeing it. So make sure you have fun over there."
  
  "Maybe we could even visit you from time to time." Lorelei said, "I still haven't gotten a chance to see Regigigas in person. Maybe you could show me if I ever come over."
  
  "I'm not sure if that's going to be allowed." I replied, "But I'll do my best to accommodate any requests."
  
  Koga stepped forwards, "Hopefully we will never have to fight alongside each other ever again. But if we ever need your strength, I would be pleased to fight by your side once more."
  
  "But we'll do all we can to ensure that it never gets to that point." Will added, "And John, I will do all I can to ensure that your legacy of peace will not be broken."
  
  "Feel free to surpass it if you're able." I chuckled, "I won't be mad."
  
  Will grinned, "Who do you take me for? I'll prove to the world that the successor can surpass their predecessor."
  
  I smiled approvingly.
  
  And then I turned to Karen. But before she even said anything, she pulled me into a tight hug which I quickly reciprocated.
  
  "Please take care of my sister when I'm gone." I said to her, "She should be fine on her own, but I'd love it if you could check on her from time to time."
  
  "Of course." She nodded, and I felt my shoulder slowly growing wet, "I'd have done that anyways."
  
  "Thank you." I replied softly, "And... I'm sorry, for leaving you behind like this. You were always my closest friend, and I-"
  
  She put a finger over my lips, "There's no need for that. You don't owe me anything for my friendship. You were there for me too, remember? And you helped me as much as I helped you. So we're even on that front."
  
  She then leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper, "And the next time I see you, I expect to see your ring on her finger."
  
  "...I'll do my best." I replied a little embarrassedly, though I quickly pushed aside that embarrassment as I realised that there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
  
  She laughed and gently pushed me away, "I look forward to it. Now go. Your family still have a few words for you."
  
  We exchanged one final smile before I turned around and walked over to where my family had been patiently waiting for me to finish up with my previous conversations.
  
  "Don't forget - this isn't goodbye." My dad said, "This is just a 'see you later'."
  
  "We'll be there to visit you soon." My mom added, "Just to make sure you're all settled in okay."
  
  "Thank you. I appreciate it." I nodded gratefully, "I'll let Cynthia know to expect you."
  
  A pair of hands wrapped around my back, "See you later, bro. And good luck over there."
  
  "Thanks sis." I returned, "And do your best at the Gym. You've worked very hard to get where you are. So do your best to prove yourself to the world."
  
  My sister nodded firmly, "I will."
  
  The blaring of the ship's horn signalled that it was time for me to leave. So with a slight hint of reluctance, I separated from my family for the final time and headed towards the ship. It was finally time to leave.
  
  However, just before I boarded, I felt like there was one thing I needed to do.
  
  I threw out several Pokéballs from my belt. Tyrant, Vordt, Smough, Zephyr, Luna, Klee, Klaus, and Port all emerged onto the dock. These were all of my Pokémon that I had actually caught in Indigo, so they were natives just as I was.
  
  And without me needing to say anything, we all fell into a deep bow as we faced the crowd.
  
  "Goodbye, Indigo! And thanks for everything!"
  
  A.N. And here it is, John is finally leaving Indigo behind for Sinnoh. This was a pretty nostalgic chapter to write, and I tried to reference many things that John has accomplished while he was here. Maybe I was too wordy with it, but I really wanted to down a trip through memory lane as I recounted many of the events that took place throughout the two years that I've written this story. Turns out that there were actually too much to list, so I tried to focus on certain important accomplishments. And for those who wanted a battle, I'm sorry, but I didn't think that would be appropriate here.
  
  Of course, this isn't the end of John's achievements. He will go on to accomplish a lot more in Sinnoh too, especially with Cynthia properly by his side now. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-6 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 17-6 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [DRAKE FIGHTS BRUNO! THE FIRST-EVER FOREIGNER CHALLENGE TO AN ELITE FOUR MEMBER!] By Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of the battle. Annihilape is featured frequently]
  
  This was the battle that we've all been waiting for. Ever since Drake made his declaration against Bruno, we all knew that the man was going to accept - giving his ambitions to become the first-ever foreign Elite Four member to be appointed.
  
  As a result, the hype for this battle was unreal. Not only because of the political implications for such a battle, but also because of Drake's long-time reputation as the strongest member of the Hoenn Elite Four. Normally, it would be seen as an exceptionally foolish decision to challenge him, but if there was anyone who could do so, then Bruno was definitely going to be it.
  
  And the battle between them very much lived up to all of that hype.
  
  Both trainers really showed off the sheer tenacity and strength of their Pokémon, fuelled by the years of training that both trainers put into them. Unlike other battles that we've seen where the focus revolves more around tricks and clever strategies, the battle between Drake and Bruno seemed completely decided by their Pokémon's prior training - to see which trainer had managed to bring out the most of their Pokémon's potential. In other words, the battle was a complete slugfest.
  
  However, that wasn't to say that there weren't any big surprises! Far from it! Prior to the battle, our analysts here at Battlecast were very curious to see how Bruno would overcome the wall that was Drake's Gyarados. A Pokémon with a proven history of completely dominating any fights of strength, and was considered to be the physically strongest Pokémon in the entire region.
  
  Yet, thanks to Bruno's Annihilape, that is no longer the case. This is the first time we've seen Annihilape in battle since its evolution, and what a performance it was able to show off. We never thought we would see a Pokémon that could muster up more rage than a Gyarados, but here it was.
  
  Annihilape looked utterly unbeatable at close range, and somehow had the strength to even overpower Gyarados while it was Outraging. That is a feat that even Wallace was unable to accomplish while he was still Champion!
  
  And that's not all, as Bruno also showed off a completely new move with his Machamp that managed to land the decisive blow against Salamence...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Never thought I'd see the day when Drake would actually lose an official challenge for his position, but it was a well-fought win for Bruno. All the politics aside, he deserved that victory. No wonder Steven was so confident about his chances.
  
  Though that makes me wonder, how much of his victory was thanks to Steven? Or was it all based on Bruno's own merits?
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Yeah, Bruno really proved that there are Fighting type specialists, and then there are Fighting type specialists. He really was on a different level to the common Fighting type trainers that you see all the time.
  
  Anyone else think that Bruno could have taken on and also won against all the other Elite Four members as well? Given what he showed off against Drake, I really don't think the others really stood much of a chance.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I agree. With Sidney and Glacia both having type specialties that are weak to Fighting, I'm not confident in their chances to beat Bruno. Maybe Phoebe would have a chance, but Bruno already showed off in that battle that he's also very proficient with Dark type moves. So I'm pretty sure he'll have a way to counter Phoebe as well. Though maybe I'm underestimating them too much - Sidney especially feels like he might be able to pull something out to even the scales a bit.
  
  Nevertheless, I know many are praising Bruno for his win, but Drake deserves some love too. After serving in the Elite Four for so many years, it was inevitable that one day he was going to step down. And personally, I feel like he would be happy about losing his position in a glorious battle like this.
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  Actually, I don't think the fact that Drake won't be in the Elite Four anymore has settled in for me. Like, I'm happy for Bruno that he won, but I'm also really sad that Drake has to go. He's just done so much for Hoenn that a part of me just felt like he'd be in the Elite Four till the very end, you know? I know it's impossible, but why can't they both stay?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Personally, I won't deny that Bruno's victory was the outcome that I was hoping for. All respect to Drake, and I'm genuinely sad that he's stepping down, but I want to see how the world will change and adapt to having a foreigner as an Elite Four member.
  
  I'm very excited to see what Bruno will do now.
  
  PunchingBag
  
  CRY AND WEEP DRAGONPOWER! YOUR SHITTY DRAGONS HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ON THE POWER OF FIGHTING TYPES! THIS IS YOUR PROOF RIGHT HERE! BRUNO NUMBER ONE! HE EVEN WON WITH SHITTY NON-PURE FIGHTING TYPES LIKE THAT ANNIHILAPE!
  
  JUST WATCH KIDDOS! NOW THAT BRUNO'S IN THE ELITE FOUR, HE'S GOING TO BE CHAMPION NEXT! NOTHING CAN STOP THE DOMINANCE OF THE FIGHTING TYPE! WEEP AND PROSTRATE YOURSELF NOW!
  
  DragonPower
  
  ?! DRAKE IS SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT! AGAIN, WHY WOULD HE BETRAY HIS DRAGONS LIKE THIS BY INCLUDING WEAK WATER TYPES IN HIS ROSTER?! IT MAKES NO SENSE! HE DESERVED TO LOSE! HE WOULD HAVE WON IF HE JUST SENT OUT 6 DRAGONS LIKE I TOLD HIM TO! FUCKING IDIOT!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Okay, I never expected our first ever Ghost/Fighting type to be this strong. Probably should have expected it, since even Steven looked unnerved when it had first evolved. But WOW! Annihilape managed to overpower a GYARADOS of all things! And it made Drake wary enough to have to resort to taking it down with purely Special Attacks. He never does that.
  
  We're definitely going to see people catch more Mankey and Primeape just to evolve it from now on after that demonstration.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I really think that Pokémon should come with a warning though. Even when Bruno used it, and I consider him to be a great trainer, Annihilape did not look controllable. I fear that lesser trainers might not have the capacity to handle such an unwieldy Pokémon.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  So now Steven has his bodyguard be made into his loyal Elite Four member, giving him further political influence. He's basically got the same arrangement as Lance does with John. What a cunning guy.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Let's be honest, this is pretty much what everyone expected from Steven when he was made Champion. We all knew the kind of scheming that he was likely to get involved in.
  
  That being said, I think that Wallace's implicit approval of Bruno's appointment goes very far into showing his trustworthiness. Given that he was willing to temporarily appoint Bruno as the Gym Leader of Sootopolis just so that he could make a challenge to Drake says a lot. So I'm pretty sure that Steven isn't doing this purely out of selfishness or a desire for more political power.
  
  StageChampion (Verified POG)
  
  Indeed! Though I have not known the man for very long, I can wholeheartedly state that Bruno is man of pure convictions and incorruptible will. After his splendid victory against Drake, I very much look forward to seeing what new things he will be bringing to Hoenn as a member of the Elite Four.
  
  DragonKnight (Verified POGChamp)
  
  Well done, Bruno. We will be watching your career with interest.
  
  DarkRebel (Verified POG)
  
  Good win! Looking forward to working with you!
  
  [BRUNO ASCENDS TO THE ELITE FOUR! WERE YOU THERE AT HIS ASCENSION CEREMONY!?] by The Hoenn Times
  
  [Pictures of Bruno formally being sworn in as an Elite Four member. Drake is there as clapping his hands as well]
  
  Following his impressive victory over Drake, it is now finally time to formally welcome Bruno into the ranks of the Hoenn Elite Four - making it the first time in history that a foreigner was able to take up the post of a region's Elite Four.
  
  And for such a historical occasion, our Champion has definitely ensured that the grandeur of this event was very much on full display. He really rolled out the red carpet for this one, as the entire venue was lavishly decorated with the finest ornaments and extravagance that Hoenn has to offer.
  
  What was equally as interesting was the presence of Drake at the event. It wouldn't have been unusual for him to skip out, considering Bruno had taken his position from him. But we were fortunately able to speak with Drake and ask him directly:
  
  "Why wouldn't I be here? Or did you think just because I lost I would hold a grudge against Bruno? That's pathetic. If anything, I'm pleased to see such young blood take up a leadership position, Arceus knows that it's about time for us oldies to step down."
  
  We then asked him if he had any expectations about Bruno's time in the Elite Four, and if he had any future plans for himself.
  
  "Since when did you all think that I was interested in something as dumb as politics? I don't give a * about what Bruno does now that he's in the Elite Four. Besides, he'd probably do a better job than me anyways. I have a good measure of his character, so I can say for * sure that he'll be more diligent than I ever could be."
  
  "As for my future plans? Well, that's none of your * business now is it?"
  
  A very standard response from Drake. It's good to see that he hasn't taken his loss to heart.
  
  As for the star of the whole ceremony, Bruno himself, he had this to say during his first ever speech as a member of the Elite Four.
  
  "I understand that my ascension has been met with much scepticism and concern, given my background, but I will endeavour to prove to everyone that I am capable of continuing the legacy that Drake has left behind - who I am honoured to have replaced."
  
  "In the past, I would have never imagined myself in the halls of politics, and I was content at being a humble martial artist. Perhaps that is still the case. However, throughout my friendship with Steven, I have come to realise that I have the potential and ability to do good - and I believed it would be a waste for me to not give politics a chance. Especially because I do have my own personal values and beliefs that I would like to uphold and spread to the wider world."
  
  "Therefore, for my first proposal as a member of the Hoenn Elite Four, I am proposing for the establishment of tighter regulation and controls for businesses over a certain size - so that we will never have a repeat of what Cyrus and Galactic Company were able to accomplish. We have already bore witness to the type of damage that big businesses are capable of creating if left unchecked, and so it is in the interests of everyone that we have better regulations and checks on their powers."
  
  Hearing such a proposal coming out of the mouth of the martially-inclined Bruno was an enormous surprise, to the point where the entire venue was in shocked silence for a brief moment as everyone, this writer included, doubted their own ears. No one would have expected a proposal like that to come from Bruno of all things.
  
  Yet, considering what is known of Bruno's character and his righteous personality, perhaps such a proposal to limit corruption is not all that surprising. Furthermore, this could possibly indicate that despite their friendship, Bruno and Steven may not be entirely politically aligned with each other.
  
  What are all your thoughts on Bruno's proposal and ascension? Are you excited for his time in the Elite Four? Do you think he has the strength to hold onto his position? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I think that anyone thinking that Bruno's political views are going to differ from Steven's are highly underestimating Steven's political skills. The first proposal of any new Elite Four member often sets the tone for much of their reign, and so Steven wouldn't pass up on the opportunity to use it to send a message.
  
  In my opinion, Steven is deliberately putting some distance between himself and Bruno. So on paper, this might seem like Bruno has dealt a wound to Steven, but make no mistake, I strongly believe that this was exactly what Steven wanted to happen. Steven and Bruno are very much allies, and anyone trying to separate the two are simply going to find themselves falling into Steven's trap.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Fully agree with that analysis. I know some might think that Bruno's proposal might negatively harm Steven, given his relationship with Devon Corp, but I sincerely doubt that Steven wouldn't have made preparations in advance. In fact, if he plays this right, I'm sure Devon Corp will benefit greatly from this proposal.
  
  With Bruno's ascension into the Elite Four, I am fully certain that both he and Steven will be dominating Hoenn politics for the years to come. And with Bruno's strength, it's not like anyone's going to be knocking him out of the Elite Four anytime soon.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  I mean, can anyone think of any current candidates that might be able to pose a threat to Bruno? Because I'm running through all of our Gym Leaders and I don't think anyone can actually beat him.
  
  Also, interesting that Drake didn't make his own challenge after he lost - as was his right. He could have challenged any of the other Elite Four members, but chose not to. I guess that just shows that he's satisfied with the outcome too.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Why wouldn't he be? The man has worked so hard for so long. And we all knew how much he disliked politics. The man was born to battle, not sit behind a desk in an office.
  
  I also doubt that this is the last we've seen from Drake even now that he's no longer in the Elite Four. Knowing him, he's probably going to be pretty active doing who knows what. But like he said, it's "none of our fucking business" anyways!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I think everyone's going to be observing Bruno and his time in the Elite Four very closely. As the first foreign Elite Four member ever, expectations for him are going to be high. But I'm confident he'll be able to stand up to the task at hand.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  I normally never bother with these posts, but I want to make something clear. Bruno may not be born in Hoenn, but unless you're a fucking idiot, that isn't a reason to look down on him. And if you don't trust my old ass, then trust the others still in the Elite Four. Bruno has their respect too.
  
  Anyways, good luck Bruno. I hope you enjoy dealing with those parasites in the Committee more than I did. If one of them annoys you too much, then feel free to punch them in the face for me. Trust me, it's very cathartic. Even better if you knock their teeth out.
  
  JohnSmith (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations, Bruno. I know you've worked very hard to be where you are today. It was great seeing your battle against Drake - you've really improved a lot since our last battle.
  
  I look forward to working with you in the future as well.
  
  BlondeQueen (Verified POGChamp)
  
  All the best to you, Bruno! Steven's talked about you a lot, so I know you'll settle right in to your new position.
  
  And Drake, I know you're reading this, but if you're looking for something to do now that you're free from your old responsibilities, feel free to come over to Sinnoh if you're feeling up for it!
  
  DragonKnight (Verified POGChamp)
  
  Or, if you're feeling up for visiting some Dragons, I can ensure that the Blackthorn clan gives you a warm welcome. Just a thought.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  Hah! You're both haggling over me like I'm some shiny Magikarp. No need to fret, I'll be sure to give you both a heads up if I ever do come knocking.
  
  [ELITE JOHN STEPPING DOWN FROM THE ELITE FOUR!? GYM LEADER WILL TO TAKE HIS PLACE!?] by The Indigo Post
  
  [Pictures taken of the ascension ceremony. John and Will are featured prominently, with both of them on the podium giving their speeches]
  
  Even for those who were tuned into the latest rumours coming out of the Indigo League, John's surprising decision to depart from the Elite Four would have certainly still been a massive shock. Of course, for those following the news coming out of Sinnoh, then you will know that his departure from the Elite Four is because he has chosen to take up a new position as the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh.
  
  This position is a new role that, as almost every analyst agrees, was deliberately created for John to take over. And it was only natural for him to do so, given that there could be no other better guardian for the Legendary Titan than the man who awoke it in the first place and was the one to fight alongside it against the dominated Legendary of Space.
  
  Considering this, and John's own personal circumstances as Champion Cynthia's partner, it is logical that John would have taken on this new position rather than remain in Indigo. However, all of Indigo would be sure to mourn his loss - we will not forget the many things that he has done for us.
  
  As for his successor, there could be no one better to take up the position than Will, given that he was formerly in the Elite Four until he was ousted by Koga and was a colleague of the current Elite Four roster. Before his departure, Will had been widely considered to be a popular, competent, and business-minded member of the Elite Four. His mind for business actually fills in a gap within the current roster of the Indigo Elite Four, as none of them are quite so financially-minded compared to Will.
  
  On that note, in his ascension speech, Will promised that he would continue with his previously unfinished goals that were cut short by his loss to Koga. Considering that his previous policies have led to great financial success for Indigo, this can only be a good thing.
  
  However, even with this in mind, Will is going to have a tough time trying to fill in the colossal shoes of his predecessor. We here at the Indigo Post firmly believe that it would not be an exaggeration to state that John's reign and achievements during his time in the Elite Four have been the foundation of modern day politics, both regional and international. There will be a follow-up article discussing John's impact on our region in more detail, so keep an eye out for that if you are interested.
  
  Either way, we are very interested to hear about what your reactions and thoughts were when you heard about John's departure.
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  NOOOOO JOHN DON'T LEAVE US PLEASE! WHAT WILL WE DO WITHOUT YOU!? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO SINNOH SURELY YOU CAN BE APPOINTED AS THEIR PROTECTOR WHILE STILL BEING IN THE ELITE FOUR!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Woah John's actually stepping down from the Elite Four?! No fucking way. I thought that with his strength and influence that he would be here to stay forever! What the fuck made him leave?!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Well, I think he would have stayed if not for this new position. And looking from his perspective, there's very little reason why he wouldn't accept. Taking on his new position still allows him to retain most of his political power, as he's basically an Elite Four in all but name, and he gets to be closer not only with his romantic partner, but also with a Legendary that he obviously has a connection with. It's a win-win for him.
  
  ...It's a big shame for Indigo though. John's presence would be sorely missed by everyone.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I mean I saw this coming when that new Protector position got announced. Even before they confirmed John's appointment, it was very obvious that this role was tailor-made for him by Cynthia. I wouldn't even be surprised if this was a political scheme that they've been planning out for years now. Knowing them, they probably did so.
  
  Still, I'm sad that he's leaving too. John has done so much, and if he had stayed, I'm sure he would have done so much more.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  WHY THE FUCK HAVE WE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN?! WHO THE FUCK ALLOWED OUR BEST TRAINER TO JUST LEAVE LIKE THAT!? FIRST BRUNO, AND NOW JOHN!? WHAT KIND OF FUCKING IDIOTS DO WE HAVE RUNNING THIS LEAGUE ANYWAYS TO ALLOW THIS!? FUCKING TRAITORS! ALL OF YOU!
  
  EDIT: After calming down, I've submitted an online petition demanding that John remains in Indigo. For those of you who understand why this necessary, then sign here immediately. John must not leave - and the Indigo League must do all they can to disallow it.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Oh stop it. Why are you trying to tie him down like this anyways? He's free to do what he likes.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  For the good of Indigo, he must stay. He should not be given the choice. His presence and value to our region is too high to allow him to leave. The greater good must prevail. So sign now!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  You cannot force a person to stay.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  THEN THAT MUST BE CHANGED, HERE AND NOW. HE IS TOO GOOD OF A TOOL TO LOSE TO SINNOH. WE MUST HAVE HIS STRENGTH.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  HAHAHAH WE GET JOHN HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I GUESS HAVING A HOT AND BEAUTIFUL CHAMPION HAS ITS OWN PERKS AFTER ALL! HAHAHAHAH
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Okayyyy but this is soooo romantic though?! Like, John and Cynthia were so in love with each other that they went as far as to upturn the entire political scene just so that they could be together!
  
  AND THEY SAY ROMANCE IS DEAD! THEY ARE THE PROOF THAT IT ISN'T!
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Man you guys' politics are soooo weird. I couldn't imagine something like this happening in Unova. But it's a good kind of weird - like watching a drama.
  
  Okay, now we just need a reality TV show into both of John and Cynthia's lives. I'd watch the fuck out of that.
  
  PianoLover
  
  I'm happy for the both of them. And I doubt that this is the last we've seen of John's influence in Indigo. Even though he's moving over to Sinnoh, I know full well that he's still going to be helping out behind-the-scenes.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  That's very true. I'm pretty sure many of John's friends and connections are still going to reach out to him for his assistance from time to time. There's no chance that he's going to be out of the loop just because he's no longer in Indigo.
  
  Don't forget that Lance and John are proven to be very good friends, and with the Regional Union now in place, working together between regions has become easier than ever. So John's presence will still be felt in Indigo, I guarantee it.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Oh, speaking of Lance, now that John's gone (and shame that he is, btw), who do you think is going to be the 'second-in-command' within the Indigo Elite Four?
  
  My money's on Lorelei or Koga. Lorelei, because she's been in the Elite Four the longest amongst them, and because of her influence with the International Police. Or Koga, because of his veteran experience.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I think you guys are all overlooking Karen as a possibility. Everyone knows how close she was to John, and so with him gone, it might be time for her to take up his mantle in his place. Her political views are definitely aligned with his, after all, so she might actually be a better 'successor' than Will.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  LOL Will must be sulking. His recent ascension into the Elite Four is all overshadowed by the fact that John's retiring. It must suck for him.
  
  PsychicWill (Verified POG)
  
  On the contrary, I do not begrudge the public for focusing more on John's departure than myself. If anything, it is well deserved for John to be in the spotlight right now. His exit from Indigo is definitely more important than my own ascension into the Elite Four.
  
  Besides, I already celebrated it once. There's no need for me to do so again, not when I regained this position without a battle.
  
  SkyWalker (Verified POG)
  
  Oh man, I can't believe I missed something like this! The one time I decide to take a week-long trip away from civilisation and this is what happens?! John! I'm sorry I wasn't there! But I'm wishing you the best in your future ventures too!
  
  And Will! Welcome back.
  
  SamuelOak
  
  Thank you for your service, John. May you find happiness in Sinnoh as well. I look forward to seeing what you and Cynthia will be able to craft together.
  
  ChillGirl (Verified POG)
  
  Phew, I still can't believe you're coming over, John. When Cynthia told me about it I almost didn't believe her. Then again, something like this is right up her alley, and I'm glad that you're both finally able to be together.
  
  Let's talk more when you're here!
  
  TheRealBoss (Verified POG)
  
  John, the years that you've spent as a member of our Elite Four has been monumental to our current success and prosperity. I am sincerely and truly honoured to call you a friend.
  
  Indigo will certainly mourn your departure, and so shall I. But you deserve to be with your partner - and that is something I now understand all too well. So all I shall do is wish you all the best. Hopefully we can meet again in person soon.
  
  ElectricModel (Verified POG)
  
  Good luck! I think you and Cynthia are really sweet together, so I'm glad you're able to finally be together!
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  We may not be in the Elite Four anymore, John, but if you need someone to help you crush a few fuckers, then I'm your man. Just call me and I'll rush over as always. See you in Sinnoh!
  
  IcyTrainer (Verified POG)
  
  Whether intentionally or not, you have taught me much about how to survive and thrive in the Elite Four. And it was your successes that I capitalised on to grow my influence to what it is now. So thank you, John, for how much you've done for me. Both as a friend, and as an ally.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  Don't forget. This isn't a "goodbye" - this is just a "see you later". Have fun over there! And I look forward to hearing about you soon!
  
  A.N. With how momentous of an event John's departure is and Bruno's ascension into the Elite Four was, I felt that having a Pokenet Interlude now rather than later was better. This one was definitely more comment-heavy than the others, but that's because I felt that it was better to focus on the comments given the subject matter. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-6 -Interlude-Elite 4
  The New Normal - 17-6 - Interlude - Elite Four
  
  (Karen POV)
  
  A day after John had left, they were all shuffled back into Lance's office for a discussion about their upcoming plans and proposals.
  
  Even though it had only been a day, she had keenly felt the lack of John's presence in the room. Whenever they were called into meetings like this, she had a habit of immediately turning to John - as he was often the reason that the meetings were called in the first place. He was always at the forefront of change, and she admitted that his presence gave them all a sense of direction.
  
  After all, she didn't need to think that hard about how they would work to improve Indigo when she could just let John do most of the thinking for her. All she just had to do was follow after him, because she trusted him to guide the way. That might have been a little bit of an oversimplification, but she knew she wasn't the only one to think so, as she noticed that both Lorelei and even Koga had also unconsciously turned to John for direction during these meetings.
  
  And now he was gone. So it was up to them to steer the ship in his place.
  
  She hoped that they would do a good job. It would be incredibly embarrassing if everything collapsed right after he left.
  
  "Good morning everyone. Thank you for making it here so quickly." Lance greeted them all, "And Will, how does it feel to finally be back in the Elite Four?"
  
  "Well, this wasn't how I wanted to make my comeback." He admitted, and she noticed that he wasn't wearing his usual mask anymore. It was still in his pocket, but at least he wasn't wearing it in a private setting like this - thank Arceus for that.
  
  "I had it all planned out, you see. I was going to have this grand battle against Koga, where I would show off just how much I have improved since our last fight." He explained, gesturing grandly to emphasise his point, "The battle would be long and hard, with plenty of reversals and demonstrations of power - but in the end, I would triumph over him and prove myself worthy of rejoining into the Elite Four."
  
  Then he chuckled, "But you know what they say about plans - sometimes you just take a Taunt to the face and it all goes wrong."
  
  She smiled, "Indeed it does."
  
  "Still, I can't complain. I'm honoured that John chose me to join the Elite Four in his place." Will said, "And I'm eager to prove myself worthy of his trust."
  
  "Good." Lance nodded, "Because, just like before, you should expect challengers to come your way. Especially because you're replacing John. That spot is very highly desired right now."
  
  "Heh. Let them come." Will smirked, "I'm not the kind of trainer that loses twice."
  
  She felt the conviction in those words, and so she knew that it wasn't just some idle boast. He truly meant it, and that could only be a good thing.
  
  As Will then moved on to talking about the things he was working on since he had left the Elite Four, she turned her gaze to the rest of the room.
  
  Will, Koga, herself, Lorelei. With Champion Lance standing proudly above them.
  
  These were the people that John had entrusted the future of Indigo to, and her gut told her that they were going to be the members of the Elite Four for many years to come.
  
  She sincerely hoped that they could live up to John's high expectations.
  
  (Sidney POV)
  
  It was weird stepping into the Champion's office and not hearing at least three expletives come out of Drake's mouth the moment he stepped into the room. It was almost tradition at this point. Drake's swearing was almost part of the atmosphere.
  
  But now he was gone, and in his place was the far more stoic and silent Bruno.
  
  Admittedly, he had initially worried about how Bruno's vastly different personality would affect the mood of the Elite Four. Not politically, of course, since they were all professionals and knew how to argue and put forward their own proposals without stepping too hard on each other's toes.
  
  But as friends.
  
  With Drake, he was always the boisterous and loud one, and his rough words and brutal honesty were always good as a conversation starter. He helped carry a lot of their conversations, and he was never shy to make his presence known.
  
  So he had been concerned about how Bruno's quiet nature would affect their dynamics.
  
  Fortunately, that quickly proved to be a very unnecessary concern. Even though Bruno was very quiet in comparison to Drake, Steven more than made up for it. Their new Champion was incredibly sociable, even more so than Wallace, and he was far more observant as well. He was very good at facilitating a lot of their casual conversations, and Steven had quickly roped both himself and Bruno into their personal dynamics.
  
  And that was when he discovered that Bruno was also a very good listener, much like Glacia was. That was perfect for someone like Phoebe, who was always bright and energetic and full of stuff to talk about. Bruno would listen attentively, and actually extended the conversation by adding his own thoughts and advice whenever prompted. Bruno might not be good at initiating small talk, but he was great at replying to small talk.
  
  Because of this, he already foresaw Bruno and Phoebe becoming fast friends. That was a good thing.
  
  Besides this, Bruno was also far more competent politically than he expected. Not only was he far more patient than Drake would ever be (not that it was a high bar to clear. Drake hated anything that couldn't be summarised in three sentences or less), he was also not just Steven's puppet.
  
  As he had come to learn, Bruno was a very principled man. And though most of his political education came from Steven, there were certain things he would absolutely refuse to budge on. Much like Drake, they were both people with a strong and unwavering sense of integrity.
  
  That could only be a good thing. They needed someone like that within the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  (Flint POV)
  
  As they finished up with one of their usual meetings, he deliberately tapped on Lucian's shoulder. He leaned in, with his voice falling into an exaggerated whisper that still allowed everyone to hear what he was saying.
  
  "Hey, you ever see our Champion so happy like that? I wonder what's gotten her so happy." He was smirking as he said it.
  
  Lucian rolled his eyes, "There's no need to tease her like you do with Volkner. Just make sure you aren't late for when we're there to receive John. Cynthia will not be happy with you."
  
  He raised his arms in surrender, "I know, I know. Don't worry, I wouldn't dare be late for the arrival of our Champion's dearest partner."
  
  "How do you think John's going to get along with us?" Aaron placed both of his hands behind his head, "And I don't mean personally - I know the man is friendly enough. But I mean politically. Do you think that him and Cynthia are just going to dominate us all politically?"
  
  "That won't happen." Lucian replied firmly, his voice conveying a sense of certainty in his words, "Yes, I won't deny that with John here, his proposals will definitely be backed up by Cynthia. And together, they form a very large voting bloc that will undoubtedly be extremely influential with our Committee. However, they are also not the type of people to just ignore our own proposals. They understand the value of cooperation, so they'll at least try to hear us out."
  
  "It's all about finding a compromise with them." Bertha added, "We should already be familiar with the kinds of policies that both Cynthia and John are likely to want to enact. Therefore, just try to plan around it."
  
  "Volkner has always spoken well of John." He agreed, "So if you don't treat him as a threat, then he'll happily be your friend. I'm sure of that."
  
  Lucian nodded, "Most importantly of all, don't forget that John's move to Sinnoh is undoubtedly a good thing for us. Ignoring our Champion's personal feelings for a moment, having a trainer as strong as John join us, especially with his connection to Regigigas, is an enormous boon for us. He is probably the strongest non-Champion trainer at the moment, perhaps even more than that, and tying his prodigious strength to our region is a big win for us. Politically, it gives us many more tools to make use of."
  
  That was true and all, and he acknowledged just how lucky they were to have John joining their ranks, but he couldn't deny that he was far more interested in seeing whether their normally confident and authoritative Champion would turn into a blushing maiden in front of John.
  
  As much as he admired their Champion, she always seemed so well put together - so professional and calm. In front of them, she rarely ever reacted with much emotion. So it would be interesting to see if that would change now that her beloved boyfriend was coming.
  
  And given the photos on the Pokénet that he had seen of them when they were out on their dates, he was willing to be that he was going to find them both very entertaining.
  
  He hoped that it would make their meetings more memorable.
  
  A.N. I wanted a chapter that would go over the thoughts of the Elite Four from our three most familiar regions, given all the changes that have happened around them with John's arrival/departure and Bruno and Drake's ascension and departure respectively. I felt that having a little bit of insight into the new inter-personal dynamics within the Elite Four would be interesting. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-7 - Sworn In
  
  Expectedly, my arrival was met by a ton of fanfare from the Sinnoh League. From the moment I got off the ship, the League wasted absolutely no time as I was immediately escorted to the Temple of the Titan, where an official swearing in ceremony would be held for me as I took on my new position as Sinnoh's first ever Protector-Guardian.
  
  Fortunately, my girlfriend was there to accompany me through every step of the way. Not only that, but as soon as I stepped off the ship, she had wrapped her arm around mine as if to purposefully show off our relationship. She was making it extremely clear that my new position was not just some fancy title - I was deeply connected to her role as Champion.
  
  In other words, it implied that my political influence was tied, and was equal, to the Champion.
  
  I had already seen several articles cropping up on the Pokénet discussing whether and how Cynthia and I would be wielding our newfound political influence. Some had suspected that we would completely dominate Sinnoh politics with our joint power, and had feared that our next steps would be to replace the current Elite Four roster with members that would merely serve as puppets for us - which would make us dictators in all but name.
  
  Naturally, we had no plans on doing that. We had already discussed this together thoroughly, and we agreed that one of the first things we'd do would be to reassure the Sinnoh Elite Four that we would not trample over their authority. They needed to understand that we were looking for cooperation, not domination.
  
  Thoughts on that aside, I had a question to ask Cynthia.
  
  "Have they got the new ceremonial outfit ready?" I asked, "And does it look good?"
  
  "Don't worry, I checked it through myself." She assured me, "They got the size right too."
  
  "Should I be happy or concerned about the fact that you're able to have an accurate measure of my size from memory alone?" I asked jokingly, "It feels like this implies that you look at me far too often."
  
  "Oh shush you." She whacked me lightly on the arm, "Don't forget about all the cameras pointed at us. If their microphones get wind of your teasing, then the next thing you know every single headline in Sinnoh is going to be about your comments and nothing else."
  
  I raised up my hands in surrender, "Fine, fine. I'll be a good boy and leave the teasing for later. It's not like we're on a time limit anymore. I'm here to stay now. You can't get rid of me that easily." I smirked.
  
  For symbolic purposes, a position as grand and as prestigious as being Sinnoh's Protector obviously needed a suitable outfit to match. Not just for myself, but also for the Keepers of the Titan, the new guard unit that would nominally serve under my command in their defence of the Legendary Titan.
  
  Therefore, before my arrival, Cynthia had asked for my opinion on the design for this outfit. At first, she had suggested a ceremonial robe, since that was also what the other Committee members wanted, as they felt it was the most suitable thing to wear for the swearing in ceremony.
  
  The robe would be designed so that it would mirror Regigigas in appearance. After a few run-throughs of the design, we settled on one that was mostly white with the occasional black stripes, and the area around my collar and my wrists would be lined with yellow - much like Regigigas itself. Meanwhile, the back of my robe would have the same three rows of 'eyes' like Regigigas had that were coloured red, blue, and grey respectively.
  
  After seeing the final design, I actually quite liked it, but I made it a condition that I would only be wearing it for the ceremony, or for other official events. This was mainly because I found wearing a robe to be extremely inconvenient for day-to-day life, and if I had to wear a robe in public for the rest of my life, I would absolutely hate it.
  
  It also reminded me too heavily of Ghetsis, and I really didn't like the comparison.
  
  Fortunately, a majority of the members from the newly formed Keepers of the Titan agreed with me. Therefore, for both myself and the Keepers, we decided that a more convenient outfit would be to have the same design but on a jacket.
  
  This would allow us to remain distinguishable from the ordinary Jennys and International Police members, while also not having us be weighed down by having to wear a robe all the time. The robe would be saved for ceremonial occasions only - like the one that I was about to participate in.
  
  The moment we arrived at the Temple of the Titan, I saw that a temporary stage had been set up just outside of the Temple where the ceremony was going to be held. Not only that, but I spotted that practically every important trainer in Sinnoh were in attendance. From Gym Leaders to Elite Four, they were all there.
  
  As we had arrived just in time for the planned start time, I was only allowed to briefly greet everyone, including the Keepers of the Titans, who I would be working closely with in the future, before I was immediately ushered out to the side so that I could get changed into my new ceremonial robes. As expected, it was probably the highest quality clothes that I had ever worn in my life, and it probably cost more to make than my entire wardrobe that I had brought over combined.
  
  Once I had put everything on, I stared at myself in the mirror and I couldn't help but think that I looked like an absolute ponce. Robes like these did not suit me. Perhaps I was just unused to it, but the ceremonial robes were just a little too unwieldy to wear. And I definitely didn't have the sort of 'natural grace' that you needed to move around in them without looking too stiff.
  
  Fortunately, it was different with the jacket. Since the jacket was meant to be worn for day-to-day purposes, it was made of less expensive but more durable material. It was also less gaudy and eye-catching, which I felt was a good thing. It also contained plenty of pockets, which was a very nice addition to have.
  
  Overall, with how comfortable it was to wear, I suspected that just like with my girlfriend's signature black coat, this jacket was going to be part of my usual attire from now on.
  
  "You look good in that." My girlfriend had apparently shown up while I was getting dressed, "The designers did a good job on this."
  
  "I agree with you on the jacket, but I don't like the robe." I replied, "It's just too bulky to wear, and I look like I'm trying too hard to show off."
  
  "It is meant to make you look eye-catching." Cynthia pointed out, "Anyways, trust me when I say that what you're holding now is already a tamer version of what was originally designed. I think this is the... sixth iteration of the robe. You would have hated the first few revisions - they might as well have been made completely out of gold."
  
  I winced. Yeah, that wouldn't have been good. I wasn't rich enough to pull off that look.
  
  Before our banter could continue any longer, one of the League officials tapped me on the shoulder and politely asked for me to make my way onto the stage.
  
  It was showtime.
  
  However, as I was walking onto the stage, one of the League officials hurriedly whispered to me, "Protector, would it be acceptable if you awakened Regigigas just so that it could pose behind you during your speech-"
  
  "Absolutely not." I immediately cut off that train off thought, "What the fuck do you think a Legendary is for? It's not some statue that you can just pose with. Did you really think me trying to awaken it for such a ridiculous purpose would actually be a good idea? Seriously?"
  
  "...Well, it would definitely be symbolic and would help out your image..." He tried, only for me to cut him off again.
  
  "No. The answer's no. I'm definitely not doing that." I stated firmly, and inwardly I was starting to get annoyed at the sheer audacity of the request. "A Legendary should never be woken up for such frivolous purposes. I may share a connection with the Legendary Titan, but that does not mean I'll exploit that connection for something as ridiculous as this. Regigigas should only be awakened when its presence is truly needed. I'll pay my respects to it as part of the ceremony, but I am not asking it to pose with me. That is just ridiculous."
  
  I didn't initially intend to say so much, but I had just managed to spot a microphone being held by a reporter that had somehow found their way backstage. Therefore, knowing my words were going to be published, I made sure to emphasise the fact that I understood the responsibilities of my new position and wouldn't be exploiting it for my own gain.
  
  And then, with that distraction out of the way, I finally stepped onto the stage, flanked by the Keepers of the Titan that marched forwards behind me - and was immediately blinded by the flashing wall of cameras facing my way.
  
  Despite my eyes hurting from all of the flashing lights, I did my best to maintain a polite smile on my face as I waved to the crowd, allowing them a few moments to take my picture. Only once that was done did I gesture for silence and began my prepared speech.
  
  "Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot understate how much of an honour and privilege it is for me to be appointed into this new position as the first ever Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh. I understand that a major reason as to why I was appointed over any other candidate was due to my connection to the Legendary Titan, having been the one to awaken and fight alongside it during the Day of Calamity. However, for those of you that wanted to appoint me because you believed in my character, reputation, or integrity - then not only do I thank you, but I shall also endeavour to prove your belief in me was correct."
  
  "I fully understand that my new position as Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh is a heavy responsibility. While I sincerely hope that there will never be another crisis serious enough to warrant awakening Regigigas once again - I am completely willing and ready to do so if the need arises. And for those worried that I will exploit the power of the Legendary Titan for myself, I promise you now that I shall never wield a Legendary's power for ill. Not that I could do so in the first place. The Legendary Titan may not be very communicative, but from my own experiences, it has a very powerful sense of right and wrong. I am certain that no one would be able to sway it from its duty to uphold the natural laws of this world and protect the lives of both Pokémon and humans alike."
  
  ...That was unless someone made use of an item like the Red Chain to forcefully dominate and control Regigigas. But there was no need to point that out - no need to give them any ideas.
  
  "Furthermore, I would like to emphasise - not only to the public, but also to anyone looking to potentially succeed me in this position - that we Protectors are merely serving as allies of the Legendary Titan. We are most certainly not its trainers. Therefore, we are merely able to give requests, not orders, to Regigigas. It is ultimately on the Titan itself to determine whether it accepts our requests or not. In other words, I am no more than a humble attendant of the Legendary Titan."
  
  The last part was something I really wanted to remind the public about. I didn't want my supporters or my detractors to suddenly believe that I had the power of the Legendary Titan on my side just because I was now serving as the Protector of Sinnoh. In reality, the actual power that I wielded was not all that different from before, so I really wanted to emphasise that I didn't have the ability to just command Regigigas as I willed.
  
  "And lastly, I would also like to thank all those that have volunteered and have been selected to become the Keepers of the Titan." I gestured to the trainers beside me, "It may not be a flashy role, but ensuring the continued safety of the Legendary Titan is a very important duty that cannot be underestimated. So I thank you for your service, and I look forward to working with you in the future."
  
  There was a big round of applause as my speech concluded, and now that my speech was over, it was time to move on to the questions.
  
  A reporter sitting near the left raised up his hand, "Protector John," I was really going to have to get used to my new title, "How long do you foresee yourself holding this position? Do you think you will ever move back to Indigo?"
  
  "I don't have any plans to move away from this position anytime soon. Now that I've been sworn in as the Protector of Sinnoh, I do not foresee myself leaving." I said, "I have already said my goodbyes to Indigo, and while I will undoubtedly miss my home region, and I owe a lot to it, but for the foreseeable future I will consider myself to be a resident of Sinnoh. Hence why I intend to hold onto this position for as long as I can."
  
  "In what situations do you think it is warranted for you to call the Legendary Titan to action?" Another reporter asked.
  
  "That would depend entirely on the Champion and Regigigas itself." I answered, "As stated, I am not able to awaken Regigigas without the express consent of the Champion. Similarly, if Regigigas were to awaken itself for whatever reason, then I will naturally follow in its footsteps."
  
  "How powerful is the Legendary Titan in the first place?" The next reporter asked, "We never got to see footage of the battle that took place at Spear Pillar. So, with no offense intended, would the Legendary Titan be able to protect us from all other Legendaries, if the worst case scenario happens?"
  
  "I can assure you that the strength of the Legendary Titan is no less than even the most powerful of Legendaries." I stated firmly, "Even against Palkia, the Legendary of Space, it managed to not only hold its ground, but also match its power. Furthermore, don't forget that if Regigigas does awaken, so do the other three Regis. The Legendary Titan never fights alone, and I am confident that its strength is more than sufficient at protecting us against whatever extraordinary threats we may face."
  
  "And what about you personally?" Someone else asked, "Do you feel confident in participating in such battles alongside the Legendary Titan?"
  
  "It is not about whether I feel confident or not. It is merely my duty to do so." I replied, "Because if people like me don't fight, then who would? Our duty is to safeguard the people, and no matter the size of the threat, we will fight to the end. No matter what."
  
  I received a few more questions revolving around this topic, before the questions moved on to more political ones about what my plans were for the future. I kept my answers more vague with that one, as I didn't want to give away any of my future plans just yet.
  
  Eventually, enough time had passed for Cynthia to call an end to the questions so that we could move on to the swearing in ceremony, where I would be sworn in in-front of the Legendary Titan.
  
  Therefore, we all stepped inside the Temple of the Titan. We were far from alone, as the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four were also allowed to follow behind us to witness this historic event for themselves, while a few hand-picked reporters also followed after us.
  
  This would be the second time a foreign leader was appointed, and the first time that any human would be appointed as a defender of a Legendary.
  
  After a short descent down the stairs, we arrived at Regigigas' chamber - its slumbering form in the centre of the room towering over all of us. As soon as they laid their eyes on the Legendary, everyone in the room fell silent as a sense of awe and wonder filled their eyes. I couldn't even hear the clicking of any cameras, as even the reporters were momentarily too stunned to move.
  
  I could understand. For most people here, this was the first time they had actually seen the Legendary Titan in person. It was only natural, and expected, that they would be awestruck by its presence.
  
  There were only two people in the room that moved - myself and Cynthia. I took a knee, bowing in the direction of Regigigas while Cynthia stood by my right.
  
  It was time to be sworn in.
  
  "Do you, John Smith, solemnly swear that you will uphold the duties and responsibilities as the Protector-General of Sinnoh?"
  
  "I do." I promised.
  
  "Do you solemnly swear that you will serve and attend the Legendary Titan honourably and faithfully, doing all that you can to maintain a positive and collaborative connection with the Legendary Titan?"
  
  "I do." I pledged.
  
  "Do you solemnly swear that you will only wield the power and authority of the Legendary Titan for the betterment and good of Sinnoh and the wider world?"
  
  "I do." I vowed.
  
  "Do you solemnly swear that you will fight side-by-side with the Legendary Titan against any and all threats that it may one day come across?"
  
  "I do." I swore.
  
  "Then you may now rise. Congratulations on becoming the first Protector-General of Sinnoh. May our region prosper and flourish under your protection."
  
  "Thank you, Champion." We both reached out and made a show of shaking our hands together.
  
  However, just as the cameras began to take our pictures, the unexpected happened. Regigigas, who everyone expected would remain inactive, suddenly pulsed to life.
  
  "Zzzt... ZZZT... ZZZT!"
  
  The whole crowd had gone completely silent with shock as the six coloured gems on its chest began to flicker with light. The rest of its body wasn't moving, but its presence in the room suddenly intensified.
  
  It was like a weight had pressed down on all of our chests, as if an invisible Pressure was pushing down on us, causing the weaker among us to fall to the ground. The Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and even Cynthia were no exception, as they too were held in place by Regigigas' presence - all except for me.
  
  Thanks to my connection, I could tell that it wanted me to stay upright and face towards it.
  
  So I stared at Regigigas, meeting its gaze with a firm one of my own. But I was not alone, as I suddenly felt my Pokémon be ripped out of their Pokéballs as they were also summoned by Regigigas.
  
  So there we all were, facing down Regigigas as we became the sole focus of its attention. And through our connection, I felt it ask us a single question - asking us if we were truly and absolutely certain that we wanted to take on this position for the foreseeable future. To fight alongside it no matter what odds may come our way. Even against potential Legendary threats.
  
  Our reply was immediate and in complete sync with each other.
  
  "Yes, we will." I said firmly, putting as much conviction into my voice as possible. "If such a threat occurs, then I would be on the frontlines regardless. I would never try to cower away. So if I can continue to fight by your side, then I would be most honoured to do so."
  
  "Sla...king." My starter agreed with me, vowing to do the same.
  
  "REGI."
  
  It was a single statement, yet I could perceive the underlying intentions behind it. Through our bond, I sensed its approval, and the fact that it was 'pleased' by our statement. Then, before anyone could say anything else, Regigigas powered down again - returning to its inactive state. The moment it returned dormant, the enormous Pressure that had been pressing down on everyone else also disappeared, allowing everyone to move once again.
  
  "...What just happened?" Flint was the first one to break the ensuing silence.
  
  "I think we may have just been graced with the presence of a Legendary." Lucian remarked, though he too was unable to hide the shock in his voice, "I suppose we should consider it a blessing."
  
  The reporters were too shocked to even ask me a question. They were all just standing there with their mouths agape as they struggled to process what just happened.
  
  "John, what did it say to you?" Cynthia was the only one that stepped forwards to ask me, "Did it approve?"
  
  "It did." A small smile formed on my face, "It was pleased with our promise." I turned to my Pokémon, "Thank you. I'm know I did ask you guys before, but I'm glad we're on the same page."
  
  "King..." Tyrant beat his chest once, once again reaffirming his promise to fight alongside me. My other Pokémon returned similar gestures of their support.
  
  Cynthia smiled at the both of us, "Well, if even Regigigas approves of you, then who are we to disagree? So John, congratulations on being the first Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh, and I look forward to working with you in the future. For everything."
  
  "And I'm happy to be here." I replied back, "May our cooperation be fruitful and prosperous for Sinnoh."
  
  But even as I was sworn in, I knew that there was still one more thing I had to do.
  
  Soon.
  
  A.N. And after much preparation, John's finally sworn into his new position as the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh. I wanted there to be some small worldbuilding, and I felt that it was only right to describe John's new outfit and appearance since this is going to be his new 'look' moving forwards.
  
  Furthermore, with such a ceremony, I couldn't exclude Regigigas from it too. The Legendary Titan naturally had to make an appearance. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-8 - A New Life Together
  
  Naturally, the ceremony wasn't over just because I was sworn in. After formally accepting my new position as the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh, I spent most of the evening mingling with the other guests in attendance as they congratulated me on my new position.
  
  I spent most of that time speaking with many of the attending Gym Leaders that I hadn't yet spoken to. Though I hadn't been the closest with the Sinnoh Gym Leaders - Volkner was the only one that I regularly talked to - I vowed to change that now that Sinnoh was going to be my home.
  
  And fortunately, they were also very interested in speaking with me, as many of them were asking questions about Regigigas and what they had just witnessed. I did try to downplay it as not much of a big deal, but they quite understandably didn't believe me.
  
  Nevertheless, through our conversations, I confirmed that there was no 'leader' among the Gym Leaders in Sinnoh, unlike back home in Indigo or in Hoenn. For Indigo, Giovanni was easily the most influential among the Kanto Gym Leaders, while Clair and Pryce fought for leadership over the Johto Gym Leaders. And in Hoenn, Wallace was undisputably the leader.
  
  However, in Sinnoh, there wasn't really anyone who could take up that mantle. Volkner may be the strongest amongst them, possibly by a pretty sizeable margin, but he had no desire to be a leader. He was more concerned about his own research and engineering projects than politics.
  
  Therefore, with Volkner unwilling to take up the mantle, Byron should have been the natural leader among the Sinnoh Gyms as he was the most veteran and experienced amongst them, especially since his own son was also a Gym Leader. On paper, he seemed poised to be the dominant force behind the Sinnoh Gyms. Except Byron was not very likeable, and he lacked any sort of charisma, so no one really wanted to listen to him.
  
  As a result, the Sinnoh Gym Leaders were more autonomous than the other regions, and decisions were less unanimous here.
  
  A part of me, the one that housed my ambition, saw this as an opportunity. I wanted to change that. So just like I did back in Indigo with Giovanni, I wanted to have a strong and friendly connection with a Gym Leader that would be able to wield significant influence over their colleagues - which in turn, would grant me that influence too.
  
  Unfortunately, I knew Volkner well enough to know that he would never be that person. He was simply too uninterested in politics to take on that role. Therefore, my target moved on to the next best candidate in my eyes - Candice.
  
  There were multiple reasons for this. One, her Gym in Snowpoint was directly connected to the Temple of the Titan anyways, so I would have plenty of reason to interact with her in the first place. Secondly, she was a close and trusted friend of Cynthia's, so it was only natural for us to be friendly with each other too. Furthermore, despite her youth, her strength was on par with all the other non-Volkner Gym Leaders in Sinnoh. Her strength was solidly in the middle of the pack.
  
  Overall, she was someone I was very eager to grow closer to, and that was what I did. For most of the ceremony, I spent my time getting to know her better and speaking about how we could cooperate together with our new duties. It was nothing too serious for now, but it was just enough for us to establish a good working relationship.
  
  Cynthia must have realised my intentions as well, as she joined in to help facilitate our conversations.
  
  However, after a few hours of solid politicking and small talk, the ceremony finally came to an end and we all returned home. And for the first time, I wasn't heading back to my personal room at Celestic Town. Nor was I heading to an assigned room in a hotel at the Sinnoh League.
  
  Instead, I was going to be retiring - with Cynthia - to our new home at Route 221, which had just finished being built. Not everything was done, as we had plans for a further stable, swimming pool, and training area to also be built. But we had a rush job prioritised on finishing up the main building, which was all that was needed for now.
  
  "Are you ready to see what our dream home looks like?" Cynthia asked me as we stood outside of our new home, her voice tinged with emotion, "I've only really been inside once, and that was before the furnishing was done. All I saw was them installing our beds, so I'm going into this basically as blind as you."
  
  "At least we won't be sleeping on the floor then." I joked, but mostly to relieve the tension. I was both nervous and excited to see what our dream home would be like.
  
  Eventually, we both got over our hesitation and stepped into our shared house for the first time.
  
  The first thing I saw was the dining and living room, since they were both one large connected space. It was both sizeable and ornate, giving us plenty of room to host any number of guests. Granted, I doubted that either myself or Cynthia were the type of people to frequently host people in our home, but it was nice to have in case we did decide to do so.
  
  Meanwhile, the living room itself was also incredibly spacious. It wasn't enough room for our larger Pokémon like Tyrant, Vordt, Smough, Garchomp, or Milotic to run around in, sadly, but there was enough space for our more medium-sized Pokémon. Which was good enough.
  
  However, there was something I needed to point out, "I like the look of it - but don't you think it's a little too empty right now? Besides the dining table and television, there really isn't anything else here."
  
  "The interior decorator I hired was only told to furnish us with the basics." She explained, "I wanted to wait for you before we make further decisions on what other furniture we might need. So everything here is just temporary for now."
  
  "Ah, then it's fine then. We can go shopping together later." I nodded, "We can make it a date."
  
  "Sure. I'd love that." She smiled back.
  
  We also checked through the kitchen and the guest bedrooms and found nothing to complain about. Then we went upstairs, where our offices and master bedroom were located. The former were still empty for the time being, save for a single chair and table in each room. But the latter was what I was most interested in.
  
  As I stepped inside, my eyes fixated not on the large king-sized bed in the middle of the room - which was more than spacious enough for two people - but the various decorations that had already been put up.
  
  On one of the dressers, there was a framed photograph of myself and Cynthia, taken during one of our earlier beach dates. Next to that was another photo, this time of the two of us resting within the caves of Celestic Town during one of our earlier expeditions.
  
  I remembered that moment fondly. At the time we hadn't been dating yet, but that was the moment I think I started to fall for her.
  
  "So... this is going to be our life together." I unconsciously muttered, "I won't deny that I'm feeling a lot of different emotions right now."
  
  Cynthia patted me on the shoulder, "That's understandable. I just hope you're happy with all this."
  
  "Happy? I'm ecstatic." I replied, "I just haven't had the time to fully process or appreciate it."
  
  She smiled, "I'm glad then. I was worried you might be getting second thoughts."
  
  "No way." I shook my head while I pulled her into a one-armed hug, "You're stuck with me now."
  
  She reached up and gave me a quick peck on the lips, "And you're stuck with me too. Now come on, it's pretty late. Let's both get ready for bed. We have a whole new future ahead of us now."
  
  As she slipped away to the bathroom and I had another look around the room, my thoughts immediately went to the ring that I had purchased for her. Karen had helped me find a jeweller in Sinnoh to make it, but I haven't had the chance to go and collect it yet.
  
  I realised that I should definitely get around to doing it soon. I didn't want to wait any longer.
  
  Sadly, I didn't have time in the next morning to actually head to the jeweller's - at least without drawing suspicion from Cynthia. The first thing I had to attend to was settling in to all my new duties as the Protector of Sinnoh. That meant checking up with the Keepers of the Titan, organising our schedules, and handling any administrative tasks that required my attention.
  
  To my horror, I learnt that there were many more administrative tasks that I had to oversee as the Protector of Sinnoh compared to when I was just an Elite Four member. As an Elite Four, I didn't have anything specific that I had to manage, and most of my workload greatly depended on whether the Champion had given me something to do or not. And with Lance, outside of emergency situations and important meetings, he wasn't the hardest slavedriver.
  
  But as the Protector of Sinnoh, things were different as I had my own subordinates and 'territory' to manage. I spent a whole hour in a meeting with the head of the Keepers and the Snowpoint branch of the Sinnoh Police just to coordinate patrol routes. Then I also had to check up on the level of training of the Keepers - as they were a representation of my authority - and even though they were supposed to be comprised out of experienced and veteran members of law enforcement, I still wanted them to be even stronger than they already were.
  
  I quickly realised that there was a lot of work to be done on that front, as I unfortunately discovered. The trainers that currently comprised the Keepers were all experienced, sure, but they were not familiar with fighting with each other or their new responsibilities as they often came from different backgrounds. Some had previously been members of the International Police, some were former Jennys, some were former Rangers, and others had been veteran Ace Trainers.
  
  Therefore, despite being expert trainers, they weren't the most experienced with the guard duty that they were now entrusted with. And neither was I. Most of my own experience consisted of fighting in League-approved settings or in a chaotic battlefield where I mostly just fought independently.
  
  So this was something we really had to work on. If the Keepers were called to action, I wanted to make sure that they would be able to coordinate with each other during the battle and cover each other's weaknesses. But the hard part about that was, unlike the Jennys who all (mostly) had the same Pokémon assigned to them, my Keepers all had different Pokémon at their disposal - there was no uniformity in their teams.
  
  Hence, trying to work all this out was going to be a difficult, but necessary, long-term task.
  
  However, even just trying to handle the basics took up the entire morning. Yet even in the afternoon I wasn't freed up either, as I had to attend several Committee meetings to not only introduce myself, but to address any immediate concerns that the Committee members might have had.
  
  It was only when the sun had begun to set that I eventually had time for myself. Cynthia asked me if we wanted to have dinner together at our new home, but I lied and said that Volkner had called me for something, though I would be back for dinner with her right after I was done.
  
  And with that, I rushed over to collect the ring that I had ordered. The jeweller looked very surprised to see me picking the ring up (Karen had helped me order it under a pseudonym), but he was professional enough to not comment on it as he helped me package it. Meanwhile, I just cared about the ring's design - as that had been mostly designed by Karen and Elesa.
  
  The main thing that we all agreed upon when we discussed the design was that we didn't want something too ostentatious and gaudy. That wouldn't match Cynthia's aesthetic. Yet, at the same time, I didn't want the ring to be something too simple, as that would imply that I didn't care enough.
  
  Furthermore, after thinking it over a lot, I also decided that I wanted the ring to just be a ring - I didn't want it to also be a Key Stone ring. There were a few reasons for this. One, I didn't even know if said Key Stone would actually exist anytime soon, and it would look really strange to offer a ring that had a big part of it being used for something that didn't even exist yet.
  
  Second, and more importantly, I personally didn't want the ring to serve a dual purpose. I just wanted this to be the engagement ring - a symbol of my love for her - rather than anything else.
  
  Therefore, in the end, we came up with the final design that I now held in my hands. In the centre was a modestly sized black gemstone, which was then surrounded by four smaller diamonds. There were also small engravings of various fossils around the ring in bone white that stood out amongst the black of the gemstone. Combined together, I felt that it was a nice reference to her position as Champion and the four Elite Four members serving under her while also showing off her roots as an archaeologist.
  
  Overall, I was very happy with how it turned out, and I dearly hoped that Cynthia would feel the same way when she saw it.
  
  Thanking the jeweller, I made a hasty escape from the shop as I carefully pocketed the new ring in my jacket. I absolutely did not want her discovering this before I was ready, so I made sure to conceal it during our dinner together.
  
  Though I only had to hide it for a day - I was planning to propose to her tomorrow. After all, I had already figured out the perfect place to do it.
  
  "...You know, I would consider Celestic Town to be many things, but I wouldn't consider it to be a great date location." My girlfriend said to me as we wandered around her hometown, "So I was very surprised to hear that you wanted to spend time here. I thought we'd be furniture shopping."
  
  "We can do that later. Besides, weren't you the one telling me about the new developments that had taken place here over dinner yesterday?" I fired back, doing my utmost to deflect any suspicion, "So why wouldn't I make a date out of it? We're both free anyways."
  
  I was doing my absolutely best to make sure that my voice remained steady, but inwardly, I was more anxious than I had ever been in my life.
  
  It was a pretty ridiculous situation to be in. Here I was, having been in a life-or-death battle for the fate of the world where I had to fight against a being that could wield the power of space itself, and I was now equally as nervous just waiting to propose to my girlfriend.
  
  Maybe in a few months' time I would think back on this moment and laugh about it. But for right now, the pressure was real.
  
  I quickly snapped myself out of my thoughts as Cynthia responded, "I suppose, though why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" She shot me an assessing look, and I did my best to look nonchalant, "....Well, whatever. Let me show you around some of the new things we've been building. This way."
  
  She first gave me a quick tour around Celestic Town itself, pointing out all of the new homes and shops that have been built up ever since the Town became more popular. She pointed out that Celestic Town was aiming to try to replicate the architecture of Hisui with their buildings, hence why many of their new buildings were deliberately stylised to be that way.
  
  "Our new motto for Celestic Town is that it's going to be the 'home of Hisui'." She explained, "Ideally, we want to transform this place so that it represents a slice of Hisuian culture - that would make it really stand out compare to the other cities and towns in Sinnoh, and would hopefully attract more people to visit."
  
  "It does look very nice." I agreed.
  
  She nodded, "It helps that we've uncovered many documents that contained descriptions about how the old Jubilife Village used to look like, so we're hoping that we can replicate their architecture with Celestic Town. So far, I personally think we're doing a great job on that front."
  
  After that, she brought me to the Research Centre, and she was pointing towards the new wing that had been added to the building.
  
  "This is the new gallery wing that we've built. Just like the rest of the town, it focuses mainly on displaying Hisuian culture and any artifacts that we've found." She said, "It's probably not too interesting for someone like you, but it serves as further promotion for our 'Hisuian restoration' theme."
  
  It was all very interesting, but once again, my focus wasn't on any of that. Instead, the moment we finished touring around the Research Centre, I did my best to seem casual as I led her outside as we began to circle around the building.
  
  We were here. This was going to be the place where I proposed to her. My fists almost clenched reflexively from how nervous I was.
  
  And yet, before I could take that final step, there was still something I had to say. Something that I had kept a secret for all this time that I had to reveal to Cynthia - for she deserved to know the full truth.
  
  Eventually, once we made it to a certain spot, I began.
  
  "...Doesn't it bring back memories, just us two walking about like this?" I said, causing her to turn her head my way, "It brings me back to the first time we met - you weren't even Champion yet."
  
  "Yes, I remember those times too. Back then, I was nothing more than your tour guide. Compared to you, I was practically a nobody." She chuckled, "I had great ambitions at the time, but when we first met I hadn't even gotten started on them yet. I didn't even know if I would succeed. It was only right after you left Sinnoh did I begin to set things in motion."
  
  "And look where we both are now." I said, "You, as Champion of Sinnoh. Me, as the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh."
  
  I let out a wistful smile, "To think that we're now finally able to be together after all this time - that we finally managed to overcome all those barriers and problems that previously barred us from being together. Who knew that my trip to Sinnoh would be so... life-changing for the both of us."
  
  Then I hesitated, "...And yet, there is something that I must tell you. Something that I've kept a secret from everyone. Not even my parents or Karen know about this. But I want you, and only you, to hear it. For you deserve to know."
  
  She shot me a curious look, "Go on. I'm listening."
  
  I took a deep breath, "Ever since I was born... I've had visions of a different life. A life where I was able to see a certain version of the world - a world without me in it. As a result, it allowed me to know things that I shouldn't. The Fairy type, your potential to become Champion, Karen's potential to become an Elite Four - I saw it all before it even happened. It's why I was so hesitant to take full credit of these discoveries, because I didn't think I deserved it when the knowledge was simply granted to me."
  
  There was a brief moment of silence as she processed my words.
  
  "...So you knew who I was before you had even met me." Cynthia said slowly.
  
  "Yes, I did." I nodded, "But I didn't know everything about you. You could say that I was only able to get a very small glimpse of your life. I knew you would become Champion, and I knew what your team would likely be, but other than that I didn't know much else. The same goes for many others - like Blaine, Karen, Lance, and so on. Yet my visions weren't always right, or there were significant blanks left out in what I knew."
  
  "What do you mean?" She asked.
  
  "Blaine is a good example of this." I explained, "From the visions I was granted, he remained a Gym Leader and never retired to become a Professor. Likewise, I never knew Pryce was Champion, nor did I know that Karen was Agatha's apprentice. The Regional Union never became a thing from what I saw, and the Fairy type was only revealed much, much later."
  
  "...I see, so your presence has changed things. Your visions weren't set." She muttered, "Do you think a Legendary gave you these visions? The same visions that allowed you to awaken the Legendary Titan?"
  
  "I don't know." I said truthfully, "I've no idea how it happened, and even when I asked Regigigas, it didn't know either. But it knew everything of what I just told you, and for what it's worth, it approved of the things I've done. I just felt like I had to tell you this because you deserved to know. I didn't want to leave you in the dark about this."
  
  There was a small moment of silence as Cynthia processed what I had just told her, and I grew increasingly tense as I tried to study her reactions, to no avail.
  
  And as the silence stretched on, I felt more and more uncomfortable as I awaited her response. Her judgment. Until eventually, she finally spoke up.
  
  "...Then that's all I really need to hear." She said firmly, "I won't pretend to understand why you were granted these visions, but what I'm sure of is that this doesn't change the fact that I know that you are fundamentally a good person. And I know that for two reasons. One, if you weren't, I sincerely doubt that you could have awakened Regigigas in the first place. And second, you could have just monopolised all of that information for yourself and only used it when it benefitted you directly, but you didn't do that. Instead, you did your best to make the world a better place using that information. That is always commendable."
  
  "I am sorry for keeping it a secret." I said, "I just didn't know how I could reveal what I knew without sounding like I was absolutely insane. Especially since I didn't know if my presence had already changed things from what I've seen - like it has done so many times now."
  
  "No, no, you have nothing to apologise for." She replied, "In fact, I'm honoured you even told me to begin with. If I were in your position... I might have kept silent for the rest of my life."
  
  "I didn't intend to tell anyone at first either." I admitted, "But... it didn't sit right for me to keep you in the dark like this - for you to not realise that my achievements are less impressive than they really are."
  
  "I disagree." She frowned, "Yes, your visions may have made you seem more observant than you really are, I won't deny that. However, like I said, it's about how you chose to make use of that information that's most important, and you chose to use it for good. Not only that, I doubt anyone is so selfless enough to not take advantage of a blessing like that. Sure, you were luckier than most, but you didn't rely solely on that luck to get where you are today. You still had to work hard for it, visions or no, and that person is the person I fell in love with."
  
  I couldn't help but smile when I heard those words, "You mean, nothing changes between us? Even after you heard all of that?"
  
  "Why would it?" She gave me a strange look, "As you said - your visions only revealed a very small part of my life. I trust that, because I saw with my very own eyes that you had to learn everything else by spending time with me. And it's not like you manipulated me into this relationship. It's not like you were hiding your true personality from me. The person that I met all that time ago, the one that I brought cave diving with me, the person I fought against a Legendary together with, is still the same person I'm speaking with today. Our relationship was real, and you are still the person that I wholeheartedly trust. Therefore, everything we've been through, we went through together."
  
  She stared at me with eyes full of love, "You can tell me about the other things you saw in your vision another time. But for the relationship that we share together, my answer doesn't change, John - I. Choose. You."
  
  Ah, I see. A wide and relieved smile spread across my face; I was truly glad to hear that. It meant that the last, and final, obstacle had finally been overcome. In that case, it was finally time for me to do it.
  
  We were in the perfect spot. This was the place where we had both shared our feelings for each other all that time ago. It had to happen now, or never.
  
  "In that case - if you've really chosen me - then I shall give you my answer too." My hand slowly reached out to hers as I fell to a knee. I carefully took out the ring that I had prepared from out of my pocket, and revealed it like an offering to a goddess.
  
  "Cynthia... will you marry me?"
  
  Silence greeted me. And, for a brief moment, I was engulfed by an overwhelming sense of dread that she might reject my proposal.
  
  However, when I stared into her eyes, her reaction was everything I had hoped for.
  
  There was not as much surprise as I would have expected; implying that she might have already sussed out my intentions beforehand. I guess I hadn't been all that subtle. But despite the lack of surprise, her eyes had quickly moistened as tears rolled down her cheeks.
  
  They were tears of happiness, as a wide and beautiful smile bloomed on her face. Even though the afternoon sun was shining down on us, to me, her smile was brighter than any amount of sunlight.
  
  "...Yes, yes, of course I will!" She choked out, "Oh John, you silly man. You don't know how long I was waiting for this!"
  
  Before I could respond, she had already pulled me up and crashed our lips together as she kissed me desperately and deeply, as if she was trying to convey all of her unspoken feelings with that single kiss.
  
  And I made sure to receive every last drop of it. I savoured every last bit of her affections.
  
  Eventually, as all good things had to come to an end, we pulled apart and she took a better look at the ring that I had gotten her.
  
  "...It's beautiful." She muttered softly, "Did you choose this yourself?"
  
  "I had help." I admitted, "I wasn't comfortable relying on my own fashion taste - or lack thereof, in my case. Elesa and Karen helped me with the design. My mom helped out as well, here and there."
  
  "I'll make sure to thank them later then, because this is incredible." She said, picking up the ring and openly admiring it, "Did you collect this yesterday? When you said you had something to meet up with Volkner?"
  
  "I did." I nodded, "I wanted to keep it a surprise. But judging by your reaction, I think you expected this."
  
  "Well I didn't expect everything, and I definitely didn't expect your revelations, but you were being pretty suspicious with dragging me out here." She said, "This was the spot. You wouldn't have brought me here if you didn't have something important to tell me."
  
  "I guess I really can't hide anything from you." I said sheepishly.
  
  "Mhm, but don't worry, your proposal was still everything I hoped for." She gave me another beautiful smile, before she extended out a hand for me.
  
  "Put that ring on for me?" She offered, her cheeks red.
  
  I did so. The ring slipped on as if it was always meant to be there.
  
  And in that very moment, I felt like the happiest man in the world.
  
  A.N. I know many fanfictions don't often describe the proposal part of the romance. I was also pretty conflicted about whether I wanted to write it out. But I wanted to challenge myself, and I felt like the moment was pretty fitting given John and Cynthia's relationship.
  
  Likewise, I felt that it was only fair for John to lay out the truth of his metaknowledge to Cynthia. This was another thing that I had debated to myself about whether to actually reveal (since this is often frowned upon), but in the end, I wanted John to be as transparent as possible. Personally, I didn't think it would be right for John to propose WITHOUT telling her this. I felt like Cynthia (and likely only Cynthia) deserved to know.
  
  Furthermore, I didn't see Cynthia as someone who would be insecure enough to be overly worried about this kind of thing. Like she said, after everything they've gone through, she fully trusts John, so she had no reason to doubt the things he was saying. And their relationship together, regardless of his past visions, was still genuine. To her, that was all that mattered. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-8 - Interlude-Looker
  The New Normal - 17-8 - Interlude - Looker & N
  
  (Looker POV)
  
  Recently, the upper leadership of PLASMA had been meeting far more often - which did not bode well. Ever since their humiliating retreat from Sinnoh, the leadership of PLASMA had all agreed to lay low for the time being; to avoid taking any further action that might accidentally draw the authorities attention onto themselves.
  
  Which was why the recent uptick in meetings was so concerning. If they were supposed to be laying low, then why were they meeting more often?
  
  He had a bad feeling about what they were discussing. Whatever it was, it couldn't be anything good.
  
  Unfortunately, no matter what he tried, he just didn't have the authority to join in on those meetings. He might have been promoted to become an assistant to Rood, but that didn't give him the opportunity to join and listen in on those meetings.
  
  He had done his best to ask Rood for any bits of information, but because he had to do so gently as to avoid suspicion, he wasn't really able to learn much. Just that PLASMA had recently come into a bit of stroke of luck, whatever that meant.
  
  Therefore, his only course of action was to speak with N and to learn things from his friend, but N had been uncharacteristically cagey with him as well.
  
  And that was the other point of concern. N had been spending far less time with not only him, but everyone else in the compound. He had carefully asked around, and he found out that Ghetsis had apparently decided to give N more of his 'personal attention'.
  
  Knowing what he did of Ghetsis, he couldn't think that N getting more attention would be a good thing.
  
  His recent conversation with N only managed to reinforce his concerns.
  
  "...I'm sorry, Hilbert, but Ghetsis told me I really can't talk about this with anyone." N said apologetically to him, "Even though I trust you, I really can't talk about this. I am sorry for keeping you in the dark, but you'll understand why later, I promise."
  
  That was disappointing, but he didn't let the false smile on his face waver as he maintained his casual tone, "Don't worry, I understand. So it must a really big deal then?"
  
  N smiled back, "Yes, it is. Honestly, it was something that PLASMA desperately needed, so I'm very happy about this too. I can't wait to see the expression on your face when it's revealed."
  
  ...That didn't sound good at all. He made a mental note to include this development in his latest report back to his bosses.
  
  But for now, he kept up his smiling façade as he patted N on the shoulder, "Then I'll be here waiting. I look forward to finding out the truth."
  
  (N POV)
  
  After that conversation with Hilbert, he returned back to his father's office where he found the man smiling gently at him. He had been doing that a lot recently.
  
  "Ah, welcome back." Ghetsis said kindly, "Are you trying to spend more time with it?"
  
  "Yes." He replied, "That is - if you don't mind."
  
  "No, no, go ahead. It was meant for you anyways." His father pushed forwards the round, black stone that had been sitting on his desk, "Arceus knows that I can't do anything with this anyways. Haha."
  
  That laugh felt a little forced, but he put all that out of his mind for now as he concentrated his full attention on the object in front of him - the Dark Stone.
  
  He remembered being utterly bewildered when Ghetsis had first presented it to him, though he did remember what Ghetsis had said to him at the time.
  
  "Do you see this, N? This is the very proof that Arceus smiles down on our goals." Ghetsis had said, "After all, why would it bless us with the ability to locate such a Legendary if it did not believe that our goals were righteous? The setbacks in Sinnoh and Zinzolin's unforeseen corruption were all merely tests from Arceus to prove that we were worthy of walking down this path, and our conviction never faltered. Our ideals remained as strong as ever, and it has rewarded us with the power to grant our ideals into reality."
  
  "What exactly is it?" He had asked.
  
  "It is the dormant form of the Legendary Zekrom - you must have heard about the myths surrounding it. I taught you them myself when you were younger." He nodded; he did remember, "Well we had a stroke of luck and came across it during one of our fact-finding expeditions in some underwater ruin. I'll spare you the details, but this is now yours to nurture and take care of. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the one to awaken it."
  
  "Me? Why me?" He asked, "Why not you?"
  
  His father only smiled at him again, "Because there's no one else I'd trust with this responsibility other than you, N. You're my son."
  
  That was really all he needed to hear. It was the most emotional and touching thing that he had ever heard his father say, and he knew at that very moment that he couldn't disappoint him.
  
  A very small part of him, the part which remembered the conversation he had with Hilbert about the potential corruption at the core of PLASMA, warned him that not everything was at it seemed.
  
  But he shoved that part of him aside. After all, Ghetsis couldn't be wrong, right? Not when a Legendary itself now backed their goals. With Zekrom now here in his hands, he knew that they were in the right.
  
  Not only that, but after he had received that gift, the other big change in his life was that Ghetsis had been spending a lot more time with him, and he now treated him with a lot more friendliness and what felt like familial warmth.
  
  He could understand the change; now that they had a Legendary on their side, a lot of the stress that must have been on Ghetsis' shoulders would have been lifted - because they now knew that they were on the right side of history. Because Arceus wouldn't have granted them the Dark Stone if it did not believe that their actions were righteous.
  
  And he was happier for it. Because spending time like this with his Ghetsis, like a proper father and son? It was the best time of his life.
  
  Of course, during such times he always accompanied the Dark Stone as well. He was basically inseparable from it - the moment he had laid his hands on it, he felt a strange compulsion to always be by its side as much as possible.
  
  It helped that Ghetsis frequently encouraged N to spend more time with the Dark Stone as well. It was nice to see his father care so much about his interests.
  
  That being said, he did feel bad about keeping Hilbert in the dark about this, especially because he was also spending less time with his best friend. But he promised to make it up to him at a later date.
  
  He was shaken out of his thoughts as he felt Ghetsis place a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Stay true to your ideals, N. And I promise you that the world will be better for it."
  
  A.N. Given that I've focused heavily on John and his move to Sinnoh, I felt it was only right we focused back on what PLASMA was up to in the meantime. And naturally, I wanted to focus the most on N and Looker, as I wanted to show how their dynamics have shifted. I wanted to show that, despite the progress Looker has made to showing N the truth, the chokehold and influence that Ghetsis has over N is sadly always going to be more influential.
  
  And yes, Ghetsis has managed to get his hands on the Dark Stone, just like he did in canon. More details regarding the Dark Stone will be shown in future chapters! Furthermore, there's a reason I chose the Dark Stone over the Light Stone for N. It'll be revealed later too. And now we're going to go into some small timeskips! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-9 - Intermission
  
  Despite my new engagement to Cynthia, nothing really changed in the wider scope of things. Of course, every time I saw her newly adorned ring, a brand new smile would always grow on my face. Waking up every morning together was also another incredible source of joy.
  
  It truly felt like we had finally begun living our lives together, as it was always meant to be.
  
  We decided that there was no need for a marriage ceremony for the time being. We were both satisfied with just being engaged with each other now, and we didn't really feel like we needed to host a proper wedding ceremony so soon - not when I've just moved to Sinnoh.
  
  We spoke about it, and we both decided that our wedding should only take place after we've achieved most of our political ambitions. Therefore, the wedding ceremony would serve as a symbol that our political careers were winding down, and that it was time to focus more on building a family together. We didn't exactly have an exact date for when this would be, but there was no rush.
  
  After all, we still had our whole lives ahead of us.
  
  Besides, the news were already reporting on the ring that Cynthia now sported on her left hand after she was spotted wearing it on one of our public dates together, as she wasn't exactly trying to hide it. Everyone knew where it had come from and what it symbolised, so for some time my phone was spammed with congratulatory messages from everyone that I knew. Not only that, but the fact that Cynthia was now engaged made our relationship all the more real for the rest of the public - it was proof that I wasn't just dating her, I was serious about her.
  
  And that the first high profile foreign couple was really about to happen.
  
  Despite all the attention that we now got, our lives continued as normal, and time continued to fly by. Months had passed, and the two of us quickly settled into the new dynamic that we found ourselves in.
  
  Most importantly, we came to an agreement about how we would interact professionally. While she was technically my superior through her position as Champion, she did not want to treat me as a subordinate. As we had promised all that time ago, we would be equals, and we worked hard to make sure that everyone else understood that too.
  
  Therefore, while there was still a large disparity in our voting powers - as Champion, she was entitled with a far larger portion of the vote than I was, as my voting power was the same as any other Elite Four member - she made it clear that my opinion would be heavily considered when it came time to a vote.
  
  Of course, we didn't forget to include the Sinnoh Elite Four in the decision making process as well. I came to learn that Cynthia, much like Lance did, frequently hosted meetings with her Elite Four so that they could freely discuss any of the latest proposals that were being heard by the Committee. And generally, she would want for all of us to be completely united when it came to making decisions, as to demonstrate the unity within the upper leadership of the Sinnoh League.
  
  Naturally, after some time had passed, Cynthia brought up the 'visions' that I had, as she wanted to learn more about them. She was understandably curious as to what I had seen, and I offered to tell her everything, but she said she didn't want to hear about it all.
  
  "I don't want to ruin the mystery of the world. I don't want to know about every single discovery that you might have seen before it happens. I think that'll just spoil things for me." She had explained, "So I just want to know the big picture. Is there anything I should watch out for? Are there any threats I can prevent? What have you seen that I can do better to prepare for?"
  
  Based on that, I spent several nights explaining to her the existence of the other regions - with a massive caveat that I wasn't sure if my information was correct. For example, I had a feeling that Galar and Kalos would be close to each other, but I couldn't substantiate that. I also explained that alongside these new regions were all new Pokémon that we have yet to see as well.
  
  Honestly, she wasn't that surprised by this information. She had already suspected the existence of other regions out there, and likewise, expected them to have their own unique set of Pokémon.
  
  She was more interested to hear more about the 'evil teams' that existed. She was horrified to learn about what Ghetsis had done, and promised to redouble all efforts into taking down PLASMA. She was also curious about the differences between my 'visions' and what had actually taken place here.
  
  So I explained what the original roster for the Indigo Elite Four would actually look like if it wasn't for me. She was extremely surprised to learn that neither Bruno nor Lorelei would be within its ranks, or that Lorelei wouldn't even be an Elite Four for very long. And she was floored when she learnt that, yes, Iris really did become Champion at an incredibly young age.
  
  "Was she the best trainer in the world?" She asked me, "Or at least the most talented?"
  
  "The latter... there's definitely an argument for that." I answered uncertainly, "I don't think there was anyone else that could surpass her in that respect. But if I were to pit the two of you against each other, I'd say you would still be the better and stronger trainer."
  
  She rolled her eyes at me, "You don't have to flatter me all the time, you know." But her smile told me a different story.
  
  Lastly, she didn't ask me any questions related to scientific discoveries. As she said, she wanted to learn more about things herself, because the discovery process was what she found interesting. So for the time being, she left the questions at that. Though we would occasionally talk about it from time to time.
  
  And with that, my new life in Sinnoh proceeded smoothly. So my daily schedule in Sinnoh would generally be something like this:
  
  Wake up early in the morning and head straight to the Temple of the Titan to deal with any administrative tasks that needed my attention. This usually took up most, if not all, of the morning. Then I'd participate in the training sessions with the Keepers to ensure that they maintained a good level of strength. Alternatively, if I had been requested to attend any meetings, I would attend those instead. After that was all done, I would deal with any miscellaneous tasks that needed to be handled on a case-by-case basis, and then the rest of the day was mine.
  
  Overall, it wasn't really any busier than what I was used to back when I was in Indigo. Truthfully, my new duties still allowed me to have a healthy amount of free time for myself, which I deeply appreciated. That gave me time to continue training up my Pokémon, or just spending time with Cynthia or my other friends.
  
  It was a nice routine to have fallen into.
  
  (Candice POV)
  
  At first, when she had heard from Cynthia that John would be moving into the Temple of the Titan as the newest Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh, she couldn't deny being a bit nervous about it.
  
  She didn't have any ill feelings about John, of course. She knew him to be a trustworthy and thoroughly competent trainer, who would certainly uphold his new duties with the competence and conviction that she would expect from someone like him.
  
  But that was the issue. A part of her, the more insecure side of her, worried that John might have been too competent for the role. And because of this, her duties and authority as Gym Leader of Snowpoint would be unavoidably challenged because of his newfound position. She knew that it wouldn't even be intentional on John's part - it was just from his sheer presence and influence alone.
  
  And that wasn't even including his newfound engagement with their Champion either. Of course, she was very happy that her friend finally found the love that she deserved - Cynthia had made that very clear how happy she was when she had called her the day after John had proposed to her. Personally, she hadn't been all that surprised by his proposal, knowing what she did of their relationship, as she felt like it was only a matter of time before one of them decided to propose to the other.
  
  But fortunately, as she worked more with John, she was very relieved to find out that John was very careful about not trampling over her authority.
  
  Ever since he had ascended to his new position, John had made frequent visits to the Snowpoint Gym, where he deliberately and publicly displayed his support for her leadership and authority. He had never told her explicitly, but she knew that he was doing this because he wanted the rest of Sinnoh to know that authority over Snowpoint City would be split between himself, her, and the local council, and that he had no intention of dominating it alone.
  
  That made him a lot of fast friends from the councillors especially, who were very happy to see that they weren't about to be sidelined.
  
  Furthermore, through their new and frequent meetings, they had come to develop a fast friendship with each other. Even though they both had their own individual duties, whenever they had time to spare they would often get together to train and spar against each other. Occasionally, they would turn their training sessions into a larger thing as they roped in her Gym Trainers and John's Keepers so that they could participate together as well.
  
  Those training sessions became pseudo-community events for Snowpoint City, and eventually they allowed members of the public to join in and spectate their sessions every once in a while. That made Snowpoint City, even as freezing cold as it was, develop a much warmer dynamic with its citizens.
  
  Not only that, but those sparring sessions were incredibly useful for her own Pokémon, as they got to fight against one of the strongest trainers in the world on a near daily basis. After training like that for several months, and with the guidance that John gave her based on his experience with other Ice type specialists, her Pokémon's raw strength and firepower had improved by leaps and bounds.
  
  For example, her Abomasnow was now capable of withstanding against several Fire Punches while under the Snow without going down when it could hardly do that before. That was how much its defense had improved.
  
  Moreover, her Pokémon were not the only ones to benefit. Thanks to her newfound close association with John and Cynthia, she was occasionally able to learn about certain topics that were being discussed by the Sinnoh leadership that she normally wouldn't be able to. Because of this, the Snowpoint Council had been treating her more respectfully, as they now recognised her growing political influence.
  
  And she had done her best to make use of that growing influence. Inspired by John's efforts in building up his vision for what he wanted for the Temple of the Titan, she was now far more active than she ever used to be in improving and reforming Snowpoint City. She now saw it clearly - Snowpoint City could be far more than just some sleepy city amidst the freezing cold. It had the potential to become much, much more than that.
  
  That was where she really allowed her creativity and nascent ambition to shine, and she had spent many late nights thinking up how she could build up Snowpoint City and make her mark on the world. After much brainstorming, she had realised that one of the major roadblocks preventing Snowpoint City from becoming far more popular was the never-ending rain of thick and freezing snow that blanketed the entire city, no matter the season.
  
  Understandably, the freezing weather conditions made the city a rather hostile place to live, since why would you choose to live up here when you could just as easily live in the other, more comfortable, cities and towns that Sinnoh had to offer.
  
  Therefore, due to the cold, she realised that Snowpoint could never compete with the other cities in terms of the living conditions that it offered. So instead, they had to focus on something else that would encourage people to move into their city.
  
  And then one night, after studying through many brochures about what the other cities had to offer, she had come to an epiphany about how they could develop Snowpoint in an unique direction - trainers schools.
  
  Trainers schools were obviously quite abundant in Sinnoh, as it is the case for any region, but among them, only the trainer school located in Jubilife had any kind of prestige attached to it. The others were... functional, but nothing exceptional. When she was younger, she had attended the Snowpoint Trainer School as well, and so she had first-hand experience about how mediocre it was. If not for her own talents and a few lucky breaks, she would not have been able to reach the heights that she had from the training provided by the school alone.
  
  However, this general sense of mediocrity amongst the trainers schools presented an opportunity for Snowpoint. If they could develop and have the best trainer school in all of Sinnoh, then she didn't doubt that trainers would flock to their city to be able to join and learn from them, and they would even ignore the freezing weather conditions to do so.
  
  What was even better was the presence of John, as his popularity and reputation as one of the strongest trainers in the world would definitely be a large boost in prestige for any trainers schools that were set up - if he was willing to teach there from time to time.
  
  So she brought the idea to him and explained the rationale behind wanting to construct a prestigious trainer school in Snowpoint. Fortunately, John not only immediately agreed with her vision, but also offered to hunt down prominent trainers that would want to teach there.
  
  To her utter surprise, he had even called up the newly retired Drake and asked if he was up to doing a brief stint as a teacher once the newly renovated trainer school was finished. Obviously, Drake's participation would be a huge boon for them, and the man even said that he would consider it.
  
  Hearing that had floored her. She had never thought that a man like Drake would be willing to do something as mundane as teaching. But when she said that to John, he just smiled at her.
  
  "Everyone thinks that Drake is nothing more than a blunt and rude man that only cares about battling." He said, "But that's not exactly true. Oh sure, he's definitely blunt and rude, but he's also more than that. I know the man to be a surprisingly patient and attentive teacher for young trainers, so I'd figured something like this could be right up his alley now that he's got all this free time. He probably wouldn't do it for very long, but I'm sure he'll be happy to give a few lessons from time to time."
  
  He chuckled, "Despite his gruff exterior, he's quite the soft man on the inside. Though if he asks, you didn't hear it from me."
  
  That aside, even if Drake didn't end up joining in, between the two of them they should be able to attract enough prominent trainers to ensure that their newly renovated trainer school would be prestigious enough to attract all sorts of young and aspiring trainers to attend.
  
  So with that settled, it wasn't hard for them to convince the local council to approve of these developments.
  
  And if that wasn't enough, all of her recent actions did not go unnoticed by her peers or the wider public either. A few newspapers had caught on to her plans for Snowpoint, and it had definitely caught the interest of her peers.
  
  Combined with their recognition of her growing strength, since some of her spars with John and the others were made public, and she could tell that her Gym Leader colleagues attributed a little more weight to her opinions during their discussions. Obviously, she wasn't anywhere close from dominating their discussions, but it meant that they no longer looked at her as a 'new' Gym Leader. She felt like she was beginning to be treated as someone with more experience.
  
  She had gushed to Cynthia all night when she noticed it, as she was all too happy to finally be 'moving up' in the world of politics.
  
  (Whitney POV)
  
  Even though she probably should have been thinking more about her brother after he left for Sinnoh, her new duties as the Head Gym Trainer of the Goldenrod Gym had totally dominated her mind. With how busy she was handling all of her new responsibilities, she didn't really have time to think about anything else.
  
  Normally, her duties as Head Gym Trainer shouldn't have been all that busy. But with Will suddenly leaving on such a short notice, there needed to be a lot of reshuffling around in the Gym - far more than even Hayden, their new Gym Leader, expected too.
  
  It also didn't help that as a young newcomer, she didn't have the respect of her other Gym Trainers when she was appointed. Sure, she might have worked at other Gyms before and was commended for her efforts there, but her Gym Trainers didn't care about that at all. All they saw was that someone younger than them had just slid in and took the position of Head Gym Trainer away from them.
  
  It didn't help that Hayden was nowhere near as respected or as well-liked as Will was. Granted, Will made it clear before he left for the Elite Four that Hayden was to be his successor, AND he did explain the reasons why he had chosen to appoint Whitney as the Head Gym Trainer. Yet now that he was gone, his reasonings mattered far less to those that remained.
  
  As a result, if the extra administrative duties that she had to deal with wasn't enough, she was also scrambling to try and reinforce her newfound authority over the other Gym Trainers.
  
  Therefore, the only time she had even thought about her brother's departure was when he texted the family group chat saying that he had proposed to Cynthia. That had been a nice distraction, and she was very happy for the both of them, but within the hour she was back to the grind.
  
  However, as time passed, her duties became more and more manageable for her to handle as things gradually settled down. She had forced her Gym Trainers to respect her by challenging all of them to a fight - using Psychic Pokémon only - and still managing to dominate them regardless. During those battles, besides the use of her Farigiraf, she had only made use of the Gym Pokémon that she was very familiar with to defeat all of the other Gym Trainers.
  
  They respected her more after that, because she had demonstrated that she had the strength - even while handicapping herself - to stand as their superior as a Psychic specialist.
  
  Her training and time at the Saffron Gym had really paid off here.
  
  And now that the Gym Trainers had fallen in line, they were also helping out with her workload from time to time as well, making things much easier for her.
  
  Which allowed her to focus on her own goals - namely, becoming Gym Leader.
  
  During her time at the Goldenrod Gym, she had spoken many times with Hayden privately about her ambitions to become Gym Leader, as she saw no reason to be secretive with it when he already knew about it.
  
  The thing was, Hayden wasn't actually against her replacing him as the Gym Leader. After taking on the duties for himself, he found that he wasn't all that suited to the public-facing aspect of it. Hayden was a competent administrator, but he was no politician or public speaker. He had admitted to her that he found that part of being a Gym Leader to be highly stressful, and because of that, he realised that he didn't really want to be Gym Leader in the long-term.
  
  However, that didn't mean that he was willing to step down and just hand the position over just like that.
  
  She had come to learn, and seen first-hand, that Hayden's first priority was always going to be the prosperity of Goldenrod City, and despite not being the most suited for the position of Gym Leader, he worked very hard to try and maintain the same level of prestige and respect that Will had managed to achieve during his time as Gym Leader.
  
  Therefore, he very reasonably worried that if Goldenrod were to suddenly transition through another change in Gym Leaders so soon, it would send a bad message to the rest of the world. It might seem like Goldenrod was weak and/or incompetent, which was not something any of them wanted to happen.
  
  Furthermore, Whitney had not yet reached her majority, so it would be difficult for the public to accept her appointment.
  
  It would be different had she been some kind of genius talent like the psychic twins or Iris, but sadly, she wasn't. Her achievements were extensive, and would have impressed many, but it still wasn't enough for her to automatically become a Gym Leader.
  
  Despite this, she wasn't impatient - she could wait a few more years. One of the main reasons why she wanted to become Gym Leader was because she didn't want to be left behind compared to her friends, who were all slated to become Gym Leader themselves. Yet, right now, only Janine was a Gym Leader. Sabrina was still working under Samson, and according to her, she wouldn't be replacing him anytime soon.
  
  But while she couldn't be a Gym Leader yet, there was no reason why she couldn't start making preparations for it.
  
  To that end, she had found an unexpected ally in her quest to become a Gym Leader. After finding out about her intentions, the man had reached out to her and offered her not only advice, but the necessary connections to make her transition into a Gym Leader all the more smoother.
  
  And that person was none other than Gym Leader Giovanni.
  
  "Why wouldn't I help one of Silver's first friends?" He had asked her rhetorically, "So feel free to come to me for anything, I'll do all that I can to help out."
  
  She knew that he was being sincere and wouldn't accept any refusal, so she just bowed to him, "Thank you, Giovanni. I promise to repay you for all this help one day."
  
  He smirked, "Well... perhaps you could make Silver into a Gym Trainer one day - if he wants to go down that path. It'd be better for him to work at a Gym that isn't run by his father, since there'll be less accusations of nepotism that way. And knowing how close you two are, both Ariana and I trust you to look after him and assist with his training when he's there."
  
  She nodded easily; that would be an easy request for her to accommodate.
  
  And with Giovanni's advice and introductions, she was able to reach out and introduce herself properly with several other Gym Leaders that she felt like she would get along well with in order for her to start building up a political bloc for herself.
  
  The two Gym Leaders she chose to reach out to first were the Waterflower sisters and Brock. They were of similar age to her, and they already had an established connection with both John and Karen respectively. So it was pretty easy to get along with them since they were basically almost friends already.
  
  Combined with her existing friendship with Sabrina and Janine, she hoped that they could all ally with each other so that their group of five Gym Leaders would become an influential part of the local political ecosystem.
  
  Additionally, Giovanni's introductions also allowed her to speak briefly with other Gym Leaders like Erika, Bugsy, and Jasmine. They weren't as immediately welcoming as the others were, but she hoped that, with time, she would be able to befriend and ally herself with them too.
  
  It would be a massive boon to her influence if she could do so.
  
  Of course, she didn't forget to continue training up and strengthening her team in-between all of this politicking. To that end, she had even caught herself a new Aipom to join her team. And now she was training both it and her new Herdier (which had now evolved into a Stoutland) as the latest additions to her team.
  
  While Aipom was still very much a work-in-progress, Stoutland had proven himself to be one of her best physical attackers on her team - only beaten out by Miltank. He was also extremely well-rounded, boasting high defenses, decent speed, and a solid attack, which meant that there were very few situations where Stoutland wouldn't be a decent choice.
  
  She just hoped that she would have an opportunity to show off that strength soon.
  
  (Lorelei POV)
  
  "John is gone now. Your biggest competitor has decided to abandon his post and followed after his 'love'. So it's time for you to take his place."
  
  Those were the words that her uncle told her right after John's departure for Sinnoh, and she couldn't deny that he was right.
  
  Now that John was gone, there was a small power vacuum in the Indigo Elite Four as the position to be Lance's right-hand man (or woman) was now open. Of course, since they were all friends, it wasn't like the competition was all that serious, but they all had their own ambitions they wanted to accomplish.
  
  Therefore, as advised by Pryce, she had done her best to take the lead in becoming John's replacement. And thanks to the fact that she was head of the International Police, which had only been growing in influence throughout the past few years, she had the distinct advantage over her peers.
  
  Which was why she was now angling to have the International Police be thrown into the forefront of people's mind once again - by establishing their influence over Unova as well. Besides, there was a good cause for this, as there was a very real need to take down PLASMA before they could grow any more dangerous.
  
  Fortunately, her task was made easier by the fact that Lance was fully aligned with her in this respect.
  
  Eventually, after far too many discussions with Unova, they got the approval that they wanted to START having the International Police cooperate with the Unova police for certain matters - mostly financial crime. It wasn't full authorisation for now, though it was a good start.
  
  But even then, they still had their sights on PLASMA, and now they were just waiting for the sufficient evidence to justify a full-on investigation.
  
  And from the reports they were receiving from Looker, that might come soon.
  
  A.N. A catchup and mostly politics-focused chapter with what's been happening during a timeskip. I wanted to make sure that sufficient focus was placed on what was happening back in Indigo, since I didn't want to seem like I had abandoned it now that John was no longer there.
  
  So yes, I wanted to show that with this chapter that the world is still turning and moving, and all three characters here are developing their influence in different ways. Candice is starting to take the lead in local politics, Whitney is paving the way for her future success, and Lorelei is doing her best to earn her place as Lance's second. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-10 - Extraction
  
  (Civilian POV)
  
  It wasn't surprising that John and Cynthia were the power couple that had dominated the headlines for several weeks, especially after their engagement had become public knowledge. It only took a single intrepid reporter at the right place and at the right time to snap a picture of the ring on Cynthia's finger for the whole world to explode from the implications.
  
  Most of known world, especially Sinnoh, were completely stunned and shocked at the reveal that their very own Champion was now actually engaged. But to him, he had foreseen this scenario months ago, though he was still a little surprised when it did happen.
  
  After all, he had been following John's journey very closely for a long time now. So it just made sense for John to propose when he had finally moved over to Sinnoh.
  
  However, despite the enormous amount of public attention that the both of them got as a result of their engagement, both of them refused to talk about it in any capacity. No matter how much the reporters had tried to badger them with questions about their relationship, they simply refused to answer, citing that it was a personal matter that didn't need to be shared with the public.
  
  Naturally, that didn't stop the reporters from trying anyways, and after they did some research, they eventually realised that John and Cynthia were no longer living at Celestic Town - as practically everyone had previously assumed - and instead had purchased a house together in the previously forgotten Route 221.
  
  Frankly, he didn't even remember that the Route even existed, nor did he think that he had ever been there in his life. He had to check a map of Sinnoh just to find out where it was!
  
  Needless to say, after that discovery the reporters had gone over there in droves to try and 'ambush' the pair with questions right outside their house, only for them to be barred from entering by a squad of Jennys that shooed them off the premises. Some tried to push forwards anyways, but they got slapped with trespassing charges and were forcibly escorted away.
  
  Personally, he felt that it was a good thing that the Champion and the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh were entitled to their privacy. They might be public figures, but they deserved to have a private life too.
  
  That being said, he couldn't deny being interested in seeing what their new house was like, especially since there had been a few photos published on the Pokénet about their new home.
  
  So after booking a few days of vacation from his usual job as an analyst, he took a quick trip over to Sinnoh and visited the newly renovated Route 221 as one of his destinations, sticking only to the public areas.
  
  And the moment he arrived there, he was stunned by just how much the place had changed from the old photos that had been published of the place.
  
  The past Route 221 had been completely barren. It was a place that had been practically abandoned by the Sinnoh League. There was literally no reason to visit this place, since there wasn't even a convenient land route to here. Many had even suspected that Route 221 had been a den of criminals, since the Sinnoh police hardly even patrolled the place to begin with. Fortunately, it wasn't the case, as it had just been empty.
  
  Yet now, the sight before him couldn't be any more different.
  
  The most obvious change was the newly built large house that had been erected in the middle of a newly cleared field. Even though he could only view it at a distance, as it was gated off with a few Jennys patrolling around it, he could still tell that the house had been built with very expensive reinforced material that was usually reserved for arenas and the like.
  
  That could not have been a cheap endeavour. Not when the house looked like it was big enough to fit an entire family's worth of people inside, even though it currently only had two occupants within.
  
  ...Obviously, John and Cynthia were likely expecting to use that space sometime in the future, but that wasn't any of his business.
  
  However, the new house wasn't the only thing that had been built in Route 221, as his attention turned to an entire area that had been completely cleared of trees in favour of a massive training field and ranch.
  
  It was easily as large as any of the training fields he had seen attached to a Gym. The same applied to the ranch, which easily expanded to cover a large portion of the Route. And within, he could see several Eevee, Teddieursa, and Miltank running around - which were likely tied to John's family new breeding business that they had just announced would be expanded over to Sinnoh.
  
  He hadn't heard anything about it in the mainstream news so far, but he knew that once the advertisements started to come out, the breeding business would undoubtedly be extremely popular. If only because of John's incredible reputation alone.
  
  After taking a good look at everything, he was about to leave when he heard someone walking up from behind.
  
  Turning around, he was utterly shocked to see who it was - it was Drake.
  
  But he quickly recovered from his surprise and shot Drake a polite and respectful nod before turning away, as he didn't want to be a bother. Except Drake was more chatty than he expected.
  
  "Hey there, stranger. You a friend of John's?" He called out, "It's not usual that we have visitors here. At least, not anymore. Not after those fucking reporters got the boot. Though he didn't say that there was anyone else coming over."
  
  A very small part of himself was tempted to lie, to say that he was a friend of John's, but he quickly recognised that Drake would see through his flimsy deception and so stuck to the truth.
  
  "No, I'm just a visitor." He replied, "I came over from Indigo after hearing about all the fuss about Route 221. I just wanted to see it for myself."
  
  Then he hesitated, "...If I may ask, what are you doing over here, Elite Drake? Are you just here to visit John?"
  
  "Just call me Drake. I'm no Elite. Not anymore." He waved him off, "And to answer your question - I got called here by John and decided to pay him a visit. Everything else is none of your business."
  
  Fair enough, he knew better than to push for more.
  
  He thought that this was going to be the end of their conversation, but to his surprise once again, Drake spoke up, "And what do you think of this new place that John's built up, as someone who isn't part of the upper leadership? After so many years in the Elite Four, I don't believe my own instincts are reliable when judging what the common man would think. So I'd like to hear for your opinion."
  
  The question came with far more gentleness than he had expected; had Drake mellowed out now that he had retired? But he didn't dwell on it for now as he gave his answer.
  
  "If this belonged to anyone else other than the Champion and Protector-General of Sinnoh, then I would think that it's a bit too much." He explained, "After all, I think this is the first time I've ever seen an entire Route be bought out like this - all just for a home. Its comparable to what the Blackthorns did. But because the occupants are who they are, it's understandable why such a place belongs to them. I'd treasure the privacy and training fields myself, if I could afford it. And honestly, I think that it suits their titles. It'd be weird if they lived in some common house, as I don't think that would match their level of prestige."
  
  Besides, it wasn't like their home was all that ostentatious. As he said, it was nothing compared to the Blackthorns, who owned an entire city to themselves. And the Blackthorn temples and homes were far grander and larger than anything he had seen here - in his opinion, almost excessively so.
  
  Additionally, while the Blackthorns were the more extreme example, there were many other Gym Leaders or Elite Four members who owned something similar to John and Cynthia. Pryce owned almost all of Mahogany Town. Same with Giovanni with Viridian City. Even in Hoenn, while Sidney didn't like to advertise it, he was much more well off than he seemed. The man might look like a rebel punk rocker, but he was also very, very wealthy. Not as rich as Steven of course, but Sidney owned quite a lot of high value real estate.
  
  ...Hmm, maybe he could actually write up a post about this on the Pokénet. It could be a discussion-worthy topic, especially if a post came from him - TangelaThoughts.
  
  Drake let out a grunt, shaking him out of his thoughts, "Well I appreciate the honesty. I'll pass on your words to John and Cynthia, I'm sure they'd like to know that their new home hasn't made them too 'out of touch' with the rest of the public. Anyways, I'm going to continue make use of their training field while I'm still here, so you can either head off or stay and watch. I'll get out of your hair."
  
  And without another word, Drake stepped through the gates that led to the ranch, leaving him behind. Seeing the two Jennys that flanked the gates, he knew better than to follow after him, so he simply turned around and made his way out of Route 221, pleased with the rare chance to speak with such an esteemed and long-time member of the Elite Four.
  
  Overall, he could see why the two of them decided to live here. It was a place brimming with tons of potential for future development. Considering how much they'd already built up here, and given how there were clearly still things that were planned to be built, he wouldn't be surprised if Route 221 would eventually transform into a small town thanks to their efforts.
  
  He'd probably make a post about it on the Pokénet if it does happen.
  
  (Looker POV)
  
  He didn't know how it all went so wrong in what felt like such a short period of time, but for every day that passed, he felt his friendship with N slowly start to slip away as N spent more and more time with Ghetsis. Ghetsis now almost completely occupied N's time, and it seemed like N was totally happy with that.
  
  That was bad. It meant that his initial plan to subvert N away from Ghetsis was seriously at risk.
  
  It was like their earlier promise to investigate the darkness behind PLASMA had been forgotten. Ghetsis had his new hooks into his 'child', and was now fully concentrated into moulding N exactly how he wanted him to be.
  
  And in the end, in his last conversation with N, where he had done his best to subtly remind N about the darkness that lurked behind the false smiles of Ghetsis, N had hesitated yet ultimately chose to maintain his belief in Ghetsis over himself.
  
  "...I'm not saying that Ghetsis hadn't made mistakes, but I still believe he's doing the right thing. I don't think what PLASMA is doing is wrong." N had said to him, "I know he wants the best for me and the world. Even the other Sages agree too."
  
  He remembered the small and sad smile that N had given him, "I know you have your doubts, Hilbert. It's understandable, given what you've seen. But like I said to you before, I'm asking you to believe in us. We will make the world a better place. I promise that."
  
  At this point, he knew that there was no convincing N. N had made his choice, and he had chosen Ghetsis over himself. It was disappointing, but he supposed he had been too optimistic about his influence over N.
  
  If that wasn't bad enough, he had realised over the past few days that he was being watched. His instincts were screaming at him that someone, somewhere, was hunting him.
  
  It didn't take a genius to realise that his new hunters were related to Ghetsis. The man must have wanted to clear away any and all influences over N, to ensure that his puppet wouldn't be exposed to any other differing ideas.
  
  He considered trying to push the suspicion off of himself so that he could maintain his cover for longer, but ultimately, he decided it was too much of a risk. All agents were trained to evacuate if they ever felt like their life was going to be at risk, and he definitely felt like it was about to be.
  
  That was when he knew that his time as 'Hilbert' had come to an end. It was time to leave.
  
  So one day, in the dead of night, he made his move. After sending off a full report about everything that he had seen and obtained thanks to his cover as Rood's assistant, he had pretended to go to sleep as he waited for the dead of night, where he knew most of the personnel would be asleep as well. Then when it was time to strike, his Croagunk moved around and destroyed all of the hidden cameras and devices that he had long-since identified. As soon as they were, he snuck out of his room and left the PLASMA headquarters behind.
  
  Since they were on an island, he needed to get to the parked speedboat that Croagunk had hidden away earlier in the day.
  
  However, just as he entered into the clearing where he had left the speedboat, his Croagunk suddenly leapt towards him and narrowly managed to parry a Night Slash that would have taken his head off.
  
  He turned around just in time to see his Croagunk engaged with a single Bisharp, while two more rushed in from behind. Meanwhile, three people dressed up as ninjas emerged from the shadows.
  
  These must be his hunters.
  
  "Surrender." One of them said, an undercurrent of malice present in his tone, "Or you'll just make this more painful for yourself."
  
  He didn't bother to give a response. They weren't worth it. They might have thought of him as an easy mark, as undefended as he looked, but he wouldn't be so easy of a mark to take down. Nor would his Croagunk be easy prey.
  
  As one of the Bisharp engaged his Croagunk, the other two must have thought that it would have been too distracted to stop them from rushing him down.
  
  They were wrong. With an incredible level of martial prowess, Croagunk ducked under another Night Slash as it tripped up the Bisharp with a Low Kick, allowing it to disengage itself so that it could fire off a wide Vacuum Wave at the other two Bisharp, forcing them to cancel their charge and throw up Protect shields.
  
  The third Bisharp recovered the quickest and retaliated with a Metal Claw. Only for Croagunk to parry it out of the way and return the damage with a powerful Counter - sending the Bisharp crashing into a tree. It was instantly knocked out.
  
  The other two tried to take advantage of this, but their follow-up attacks were uncoordinated, allowing Croagunk to block one with a Protect while simultaneously ducking under another and blasting it away with another Vacuum Wave.
  
  From these few exchanges, he had already figured out that these Bisharp - as intimidating as they might look - were nowhere near as strong as they seemed. They were trained only to ambush, meant to take down a Pokémon in a single surprise strike. However, now that they had failed to do so, they were struggling to match his Croagunk's skills in a fair fight.
  
  Perhaps that wasn't all too surprising, given that they were never expected to be in a fair fight to begin with.
  
  Yet it wasn't only the Bisharp that he had to worry about. Seeing their Pokémon unable to secure a swift takedown, the three ninjas themselves also decided to take action and rushed straight for him.
  
  Knowing that Croagunk was already busy enough dealing with Bisharp, he knew that it was time for him to defend himself.
  
  One of the ninjas went for a high kick for his face, but he backpedalled just in time for the kick to narrowly miss. Then before the ninja could recover, he rushed forwards and threw his full weight into a body slam that sent the man into the ground before he bashed him in the face with his fist.
  
  Then he felt his head spinning as he felt something heavy slam into the side of his head. But his trained instincts kept him in the fight as he raised an arm and caught the sucker punch that was aimed for his stomach.
  
  However, before he could try to retaliate, the third ninja snuck up from behind and kicked him hard in the back - sending him sprawling to the ground.
  
  Fortunately, before they could stomp his face in, his Croagunk intervened with a devastating Brick Break that sent one of the ninjas flying through the air. A Bisharp tried to punish this, but Croagunk moved like it had eyes on the back of its head, rolling to the side and out of the way of the Metal Claw as it spun itself in the air and delivered a heel kick into the Bisharp's face.
  
  Looker scrambled up from the ground just as the other Bisharp dashed forwards as it tried to bisect him with a Night Slash. But his Croagunk was faster, rushing over with a Bullet Punch and blocking the blow with its own body. Then it channelled that energy with Counter and fired back with a huge Vacuum Wave that knocked the Bisharp off balance and to the ground.
  
  One of the ninjas tried to capitalise on this distraction as he launched a powerful punch towards him. He blocked it with both hands, before using his caught arm to pull the ninja forwards just so that he could kick him away as hard as he could with a powerful boot to the chest.
  
  He knew he wasn't as skilled as these guys, so his goal was to buy time until Croagunk could take them out. So until then, even as his head was ringing from the blow that he had taken earlier, he knew he had to hold his ground.
  
  A sound from behind had him instinctively throwing himself to the side, just in time to dodge away a roundhouse kick that would have struck him across the back of the head. Then he pulled himself into a forwards roll as he rolled into a bush and around a tree, which gave him a little bit of breathing space to pull himself off the ground.
  
  And then he had to be promptly rescued by Croagunk as one of the Bisharp had nearly snuck up on him with a Sucker Punch, which was only parried away last second by Croagunk. Another Bisharp suddenly appeared from below, erupting out of the ground with a Dig, though another Vacuum Wave from Croagunk forced it back before he was slashed in half.
  
  Knowing he couldn't stay here, he sprinted in the opposite direction of the Bisharp, trying to make as much distance as possible. But he didn't last long before one of the ninja appeared in front of him and tripped him with a leg sweep, sending him painfully crashing face-first into the ground.
  
  Before he could pull himself up, he felt a boot strike the center of his back, causing him to let out a pained gasp as all of the air was forcefully expelled from his lungs. He tried to roll over, but one of the ninjas had kept in pinned in place with his arms around his neck as they strangled him. He desperately tried to push the man off of him, but his oxygen-deprived and flimsy wailing was completely ineffective.
  
  "We need him alive!" He heard one shout, "We need to know what he knows."
  
  Fortunately, before the darkness could envelop him, his Croagunk delivered a bone-crushing Brick Break that sent the ninja crashing into a nearby tree - likely having broken several bones in his body.
  
  He gasped for air as everything hurt, but he still allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by his Croagunk. His body screamed at him to sit back down - to relax and give itself time to recover - but he forced himself to ignore it. He pushed through the pain, knowing that the ninjas had probably already reported his escape attempt back to their bosses and that the whole compound was likely, or was already, hunting for him.
  
  But, probably guessing what he was thinking, his partner gave him a reassuring croak as Croagunk pointed forwards. Following to where it was pointing at, he saw that the remaining two Bisharp had been taken out, both of them having been knocked out and slammed against the various trees and rocks that surrounded them.
  
  The other ninjas were no exception, as they stood no chance against his Croagunk without the assistance of their Pokémon. Considering the sickly pallor of their skin, they were very likely taken out by Croagunk's signature Poison Jabs.
  
  However, he didn't allow himself to waste any more time admiring his Pokémon's handiwork. And with a determined effort, he limped his way over to the speedboat as Croagunk helped to haul their unconscious bodies onboard. This included the Bisharp too, as he didn't want them to be able to give anything away either.
  
  Then he sent out another message from his phone, informing his superiors in the International Police that he was going to be bringing potentially high-value prisoners back home and that he was going to need another method of extraction from Unova.
  
  Their original plan was for him to sneak out to Castelia City, where it would be easy for him to just take a ship home. However, now that he was lugging around all these bodies with him, that was no longer an option anymore. He would look like a kidnapper - which, technically, he was.
  
  Fortunately, after he had gotten everything and everyone onto the boat and was departing from the island, he received a message back from his superiors letting him know that the plan had changed.
  
  They were no longer going to keep Unova in the dark about this operation. Instead, given the value of the prisoners that he had just obtained, they were going to interrogate them alongside the Unova Police to justify a full investigation into PLASMA with International Police support.
  
  The fact that they had undertaken an unauthorised operation within Unova's borders was not going to go over well with the Unova League, but apparently his superiors (or more likely, the Champions/Elite Four that they reported to) had decided that the urgency of the situation was more important than political optics.
  
  They had judged that Unova couldn't afford to be kept in the dark anymore, not when his submitted evidence pointed to major discrepancies in PLASMA's operations that absolutely needed to be investigated.
  
  But that was a concern for later. For now, he had orders to make his way to the nearby Nuvema Town, where a contingent of Jennys from the Unova Police should be waiting to take his prisoners off his hand. After that, he was to cooperate with them, explain everything he had uncovered, and wait for further instructions. More reinforcements were already scheduled to arrive as soon as possible.
  
  However, as he sailed to Nuvema Town, he felt a pang of guilt for leaving N, his friend, behind. Even though his identity as Hilbert had been completely fake, and he had approached N with hidden intentions, that didn't change the fact that their relationship had been mostly genuine. Or at the very least, he had done his best to look out for N, even if it was to use N to subvert PLASMA.
  
  So he felt bad for abandoning him like this. Especially because he knew that N would be devastated when he heard Hilbert had 'left' - no doubt Ghetsis would do all he can to twist the narrative so that he would be painted in a far worse light.
  
  It was truly a shame, but there was nothing he could do about it. At the end of the day, he had an objective to complete, and he prioritised that over everything else.
  
  It was just another day on the job.
  
  A.N. A split chapter this time, since I didn't want the entire chapter to be focused on Looker and wanted to do a bit of worldbuilding with John's new place - especially in the eyes of an outsider. Hope you're happy with the descriptions about how Route 221 is looking; things have really changed a lot!
  
  As with Looker, I've felt that it was about time that his time as an undercover agent in PLASMA should come to an end, given that he had done all he could. And while he tried to sway N over to his side, sadly, Ghetsis just has far too influence over N's life and can make it very difficult for N to break away from his manipulations. I didn't want everything to be smooth sailing, and I felt that it was realistic for Ghetsis to be able to hold onto his manipulations of N, given who he is.
  
  As for the Shadow Triad that Looker confronts, I tried to portray them somewhat realistically compared to what we got in the games. In the games, they can teleport and appear at will - disappearing in a blink of an eye. I found that completely unrealistic and it didn't fit to the existing worldbuilding I've already done for TNN. So instead, they're just very capable martial artists, but not actually superhuman. As for their Pokémon... I didn't see any reason why they should be any stronger than the average. And as I've mentioned before, Looker's Croagunk is far from ordinary, and I wanted to portray another 'real' fight.
  
  Hope you enjoyed! We will be back with John in the next chapter!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-10 - Interlude
  The New Normal - 17-10 - Interlude - Legendary Discussions
  
  (Excerpt from the article: Unovan Mythology - an examination behind the tales of the Twin Heroes and the Legendaries of Unova)
  
  Every child in Unova has heard of the tale of the Twin Heroes - the story of how an unidentified Legendary Pokémon had somehow split into two, with each of the two following after a different Hero. These beings were later recorded as Zekrom and Reshiram, representatives of the concepts of Ideals and Truth respectively. Furthermore, the stories state that these Legendaries are apparently still dormant, but are waiting to be awakened by the right 'hero' that is able to perfectly resonate with their respective concept.
  
  However, little is known about these Legendaries beyond this point - with everything else being seen as nothing more than conjecture. Yet we do have some documentary and written evidence that describes more about these Legendaries, which is why this book shall attempt to piece together what is known about them.
  
  ...
  
  A common misconception is that Zekrom, the being of Ideals, is a pure-hearted and righteous Legendary. It is a simple misconception to have, as one of the oft repeated tales is how Zekrom had apparently annihilated past kingdoms due to their people having lost the 'righteousness in their hearts'.
  
  However, the written evidence reveals otherwise. Legendaries, as they explain, do not think in the same terms as us humans do. In other words, we cannot try to use our terms of morality and apply it to them. They simply operate at a different level than us. To them, their own concept is all that matters.
  
  Moreover, a few written sources have indicated that, in the past, Zekrom has been awakened by what we would consider to be unrighteous people. This directly contradicts the idea that Zekrom can only be awakened by a righteous and moral hero.
  
  Instead, they state that what Zekrom resonates with the most is not a morally good person, but rather, a person who firmly and unwaveringly believes in their own righteousness. This is a major difference, as an 'evil' person may be completely certain of the path they take and think that they are doing so for the greater good, while remaining ignorant to the fact that the path they walk only leads to suffering and misery.
  
  For example, a misguided zealot who is unquestioning in their own beliefs and the supposed 'good' of their actions would be just as likely to resonate with Zekrom and awaken it as a righteous and moral hero would be, even though the former would not be considered to be a 'good' person by our own moral standards.
  
  Therefore, rather than a test of character being the determining factor for awakening Zekrom, it is in fact a matter of willpower and self-belief. This actually makes sense if you take into account the idea that a Legendary thinks differently to us.
  
  This means that there is every likelihood that Zekrom could be wielded in the hands of a dangerous individual, so long as that individual truly and completely believes in the inherent 'righteousness' of their own actions.
  
  ...
  
  Moving on to their destructive potential, based on the tales and myths, it is said that Zekrom and Reshiram are powerful enough to destroy Unova with their lightning and flames respectively. And through the study of past texts, the common consensus among the experts is that these claims are all but confirmed to be true.
  
  It is commonly agreed that the areas that are now known as the Chargestone Cave and the Desert Resort were formed due to the lingering energies from these two Legendaries. For Zekrom's lingering electric powers were the cause of the constant electrification of Chargestone Cave, while the flames of Reshiram had devastated and destroyed the once-lush forests near Nimbasa City, leaving only a harsh desert in its wake.
  
  However, despite how powerful that might seem, this level of power should be expected from a Legendary Pokémon. In fact, their inability to manipulate more esoteric concepts like Time and Space, as can be seen in the likes of Dialga and Palkia respectively, may suggest that the raw destructive potential of these two Legendaries might not be as devastating as their peers. Unfortunately, there were no visual recordings of the battle between Palkia and the Legendary Titan, or else we could have had a better idea of the scope and scale of a Legendary's power.
  
  And of course, this is all based on conjecture. We do not know for certain whether Zekrom or Reshiram would have other powers that have yet to be revealed to us yet that might help balance the scales in this regard. As always when discussing Legendaries, it is safe to assume that their power are beyond the limits of us mortals.
  
  ...
  
  Another misconception is that if either Zekrom or Reshiram awakens, then the other shall awaken in turn. There is simply no evidence to prove that this is the case. More than likely, this idea was born out of a mistaken assumption based on the fact that the two are considered to be evenly matched. Therefore, it is very possible for Zekrom or Reshiram to awaken independently of the other.
  
  This is, frankly, a disturbing and terrifying thought to have, especially when you consider the destructive power behind either one of these Legendaries. This is because if someone were to successfully awaken either Zekrom or Reshiram, then there is no guarantee that the other will awaken so that it could be used to match up against the first. In such a situation, we may be very well forced to accept whatever fate comes our way.
  
  After all, it is common knowledge that the only being that is able to take down a Legendary is another Legendary. One only needs to look at the recent battles that took place during Sinnoh's Day of Calamity to verify this fact.
  
  Therefore, should there come a day where there is a clash of such powerful beings, we may see for ourselves just why Sinnoh decided to label their battle against Palkia as the 'Day of Calamity'.
  
  The Truth remained buried, long-forgotten to the annals of history. It's all-enlightening flames would not burn through the shadow of lies plaguing the world.
  
  Meanwhile, Ideals remained corrupted, held in the hands of a puppet on strings. Their noble intentions twisted and manipulated for someone else's ends, as their Ideals remain blind to the Truth - having rejected its extended hand. And in the end, these Ideals would unknowingly seek to fight against the very goal that they hoped to achieve.
  
  However, when the Truth remains hidden and Ideals fall to corruption, there will always be those that strive for their own sense of righteousness. Who would fight against those very same false Ideals for the betterment of their world.
  
  A.N. Foreshadowing and setup! Also, as for Zekrom specifically, I decided to reinterpret the myths surrounding it. As stated in the chapter, even though Zekrom embodies 'Ideals', those ideals don't necessarily have to be good or bad. It is only one's will to see them through which is all that matters. Hope you enjoyed and can at least understand my reinterpretation of the events!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 17-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-11 - New Operations
  
  When Cynthia received a call late last night while we were trying and failing to make some kind of fancy dinner together, I already knew that something important had just taken place. And after one tense phone call, I quickly found myself in a conference call with not only the rest of the Sinnoh Elite Four, but also my former colleagues from Indigo and those from Hoenn too.
  
  In short, Looker had come in clutch for us. He had managed to capture and extract three key witnesses that were highly involved and knowledgeable of PLASMA's more secretive operations. Of course, he had sacrificed his cover in order to do so, but we all felt that the trade was more than worth it.
  
  Because of this, and the frequent reports that he had sent us regarding the intentions of PLASMA, we had finally decided to bring Unova on board with our investigations - as we deemed it necessary to bring this to their attention, considering that we were going to be undertaking more extensive operations within their borders soon.
  
  Therefore, all three Champions from the Regional Union, one Elite Four member from each region, and myself, were brought into a conference call with our counterparts in Unova as we explained the situation to them.
  
  Naturally, this didn't go over very well with them. They were certainly not happy about our unauthorised acts of espionage. We would probably have to give concessions, but that was for later. For the time being, they at least understood the seriousness of the situation and decided to put political matters aside for the moment as they agreed to cooperate regarding the interrogation of Looker's prisoners.
  
  The topic of whether the situation justified the use of Psychic interrogations on said prisoners was also brought up. Normally, using such an extreme procedure would not be reasonable as the situation did not warrant an emergency. However, after an initial round of standard interrogations, compiled with Looker's own testimony as to their skillset, it was determined that normal interrogation methods were unlikely to yield any results as the prisoners were too skilled and resistant to such methods.
  
  Thus, given the high value information that we hoped to extract from them, Psychic interrogations were reluctantly authorised and would be conducted upon the arrival of witnesses from the International Police.
  
  All of that had been handled yesterday, and today consisted of full on discussions about what we were going to do moving forwards. One of the most important matters was deciding who amongst us would be heading over to Unova to handle things on-site.
  
  I wanted to volunteer, given that I was probably the most experienced person here when it came to dealing with scum like this. However, I recognised that it was probably not the best look if the first official thing I did as the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh was to run off to help deal with a foreign region's affairs, so I reluctantly took a step back.
  
  It was time for someone else to take up that role from me.
  
  So instead of me, it was decided that Lucian be sent over. Alongside him, Lorelei and Bruno respectively were going to be accompanying him too. Personally, I was a little surprised to see Bruno be chosen to go over when he had just taken up his position - I would have thought that he would have preferred to spend more time settling into his new role first and making his face known to the public.
  
  However, this was likely because (as Steven probably recognised) this was an opportunity for him to earn a lot of acclaim for himself. Besides, it wasn't like his great strength would be unwelcome for such an operation - quite the opposite. If the conflict against PLASMA ever escalated to an outright battle, then I was more than glad for his participation.
  
  Meanwhile, while that was happening, we also had to placate the Unova League for our unauthorised acts of espionage. Though we felt confident that they weren't actually as mad as they seemed, and were only acting this way in order to earn a few political concessions from us - we decided to not make things difficult and placate them.
  
  Therefore, a deal was struck as we found an acceptable compromise. In exchange for them not broadcasting our breach of their regional sovereignty with Looker's operation, and instead portraying it so that they 'willingly' invited the International Police to operate in Unova in an act of mutual cooperation, we were to approve of several financial agreements with them that they could benefit from.
  
  This at least smoothed over any hard feelings that might have arisen so that we could focus on our true enemy - taking down PLASMA. Some were thinking that this was going to be a pretty easy job, considering the vast array of forces that were aligned against them.
  
  However, knowing what I did about PLASMA, and from Looker's reports, I knew that it wasn't going to be so simple.
  
  I may not have been able to leave Sinnoh for Unova, but that didn't mean I wasn't able to participate and be a witness to the psychic interrogations that took place.
  
  A few days later, as our own Elite Four members managed to arrive in Unova, an online viewing platform was set up so that relevant people like myself could also be there to oversee the psychic interrogations.
  
  Even though it had been a long time since I had seen one of these, that didn't change how uncomfortable I felt with the technique. Even against individuals that were clearly trained to be resistant to pain like the Shadow Triad were, I knew that this was not going to be a pleasant experience for them in the slightest.
  
  And it wasn't. Even through the microphone of the camera, I could hear the pained groans and the metallic rattling of the clamps that held down the prisoners to the steel table as the relevant information was ripped out of their minds. Fortunately, as they likely recognised that resistance was futile, they didn't put up much of a fight and simply allowed their memories to be read - which made things easier for everyone involved.
  
  So despite the brutality of the procedure, it proved its worth in the value of the information that we were able to extract from the Shadow Triad - though we weren't able to learn everything.
  
  We discovered that while the Shadow Triad were certainly close with Ghetsis and only undertook orders from him directly, they were ironically left in the dark regarding the wider operations of PLASMA that did not involve them directly. As a result, they were only informed of missions that they were personally involved with.
  
  Yet there was already enough incriminating evidence there to warrant a full investigation of PLASMA, and the arrest of their leadership. Just from the information extracted from the Shadow Triad, we learned that Ghetsis was far more vile of a person than we had thought.
  
  For one, calling him a Pokémon abuser would be an understatement. The man practically tortured his own Pokémon in a twisted way of ensuring their obedience. It was complete and utter anathema to everything that you were taught as a trainer, for he did not spare even the slightest modicum of respect for his own Pokémon.
  
  It was frankly miraculous, and disturbing, that Ghetsis' own Hydreigon didn't murder him out of rage by this point for what he had done to it. Actually, it was practically divine intervention that Hydreigon had even managed to survive being under Ghetsis' 'care' when it had been just a Deino.
  
  Aside from the concerning amount of Pokémon abuse, the interrogation of the Shadow Triad also revealed that PLASMA had a history of using intimidation and blackmail to get what they want. Apparently, although this wasn't all that surprising to me, they had informants in the Unova League that had been intimidated or blackmailed into pushing their agenda and reporting information back to them. The Shadow Triad had been involved in obtaining this information under the orders of Ghetsis.
  
  Because of this, we had more than enough evidence from these psychic interrogations to warrant a full-scale investigation and raid into PLASMA. And with such overwhelming evidence against them, there was no way that PLASMA would be able to hide behind the shield of public opinion like Galactic Company had done.
  
  Therefore, within the hour, a strike team had been quickly put together as they prepared to storm PLASMA's headquarters and arrest the leadership of PLASMA and put them under questioning.
  
  However, of course things couldn't be so simple. Obviously, with the Shadow Triad suddenly missing, that had already spooked Ghetsis that a raid was imminent. Coupled with the fact that PLASMA had informants in the Unova League, and we expected most of the leadership to at least have escaped by the time the raid began.
  
  So we moved with the utmost haste, and we had the entirety of the PLASMA headquarters surrounded within the next hour. Seeing the sheer, overwhelming numbers arrayed against them, PLASMA didn't even bother to put up a fight as our forces secured their headquarters.
  
  The successful raid at the PLASMA headquarters managed to secure most of their manpower and equipment, probably because they didn't have time to evacuate. Or, more cynically, Ghetsis and the others might not have informed the grunts of the incoming raid in order to buy time for the leadership of PLASMA to escape.
  
  This idea was reinforced by the fact that, upon an initial interrogation, many of the grunts were very confused about why the raid was happening in the first place, and they confirmed that they had not received any instructions from any of the leadership. Which is why most of them simply volunteered to surrender, as they truly didn't think they had done anything wrong.
  
  To be fair, unlike the grunts of Team Galactic, that might really be the case for some of the PLASMA grunts. As Looker had attested, a good majority of the grunts were simply misled and manipulated; they weren't inherently trying to spread evil. Many of them simply believed that PLASMA was no more than a philanthropic organisation meant to do good, and they might not have ever been exposed to the dark underbelly of their organisation.
  
  Therefore, it would be unjust to paint them all with the same brush as we did with the Galactic grunts. We didn't want to punish those that didn't deserve it.
  
  However, it was then that we received a stroke of luck. After the strike team realised that the Sages had escaped from their raid, they immediately ordered a search around the surrounding areas to see if they could catch any signs from their hasty retreat to see if we can get a lead on where they had run off to.
  
  And we did find one. Ironically, one of the Sages had somehow decided to wander back to PLASMA's headquarters when he was scouted and caught by one of the Jenny's Unfezant. More surprisingly, instead of trying to run away when he was found out, he willingly surrendered himself into our custody.
  
  He was instantly taken for questioning, with a Psychic Pokémon overseeing the interrogation to make sure that he was telling the truth, and that's where we uncovered something very interesting. Firstly, the Sage was called Rood, and he had disagreed with Ghetsis' plan to simply abandon everything in favour of escaping. He protested against leaving the grunts behind to the authorities and insisted that PLASMA was an organisation that had done no wrong.
  
  Because of this, the man was also offering to explain everything that he knew without resistance. He truly believed that PLASMA's crimes were at most minor offences that didn't deserve this level of scrutiny.
  
  When I heard that, I thought that it was the most delusional thing that I had ever heard in my life. Even the fanatics of Team Galactic hadn't said something so foolish; they were just insane.
  
  But Rood was insistent that PLASMA's goals were for the betterment of the world, which is why he chose to come back and look after the grunts that had been captured. He explained that he felt like he would not be upholding his duties as their leader if he did not do so, and he truly cared for their well-being. He wanted to look out for them.
  
  That was why he was willing to speak to us now. He wanted to prove that the people of PLASMA were not criminals and never would be.
  
  Obviously, we were very sceptical of his claims. But we wouldn't turn down the free information and so we allowed him to explain everything he knew.
  
  Through said questioning, we came to learn that, despite being a Sage and one of the leaders of PLASMA, he didn't know everything either. What we learned was that the Seven Sages, while they were supposed to be of equal status with each other on paper and would share leadership over PLASMA, in reality things were different.
  
  In truth, Ghetsis held all of the power. It was him that was the final decision maker, and it was his vision that PLASMA followed.
  
  In fact, as Rood explained, the other Sages could be split into two factions. One that followed Ghetsis, believing that only he had the vision to guide PLASMA to greatness, while the others followed N, believing that N and his unique talents would be the one to bring true happiness to all Pokémon. In the latter case, they saw Ghetsis as merely the guiding hand that would bring out the full potential in N - but he was not seen as the 'true' leader. He was more like a regent.
  
  However, in practice, both factions still allowed Ghetsis to hold all of the power in PLASMA.
  
  Or to put it another way, if we were to envision PLASMA as a company, then Ghetsis would be the chairman, while the other Sages were simply the board members.
  
  Yet what that meant was that not all Sages were privy to the same information that Ghetsis did. And as we were soon to learn, Ghetsis kept several of his plans to himself - or to Sages that he directly trusted to execute them, who would be those that were a part of his 'faction'. Apparently, Zinzolin had been one such individual, as he had been Ghetsis' most loyal follower.
  
  Therefore, in Rood's case, he had been in N's group, which was why he was not included in certain meetings like the rest were.
  
  However, that didn't mean he was uninformed - far from it. He was still a Sage, so he had much to tell us.
  
  Most importantly, he revealed that Ghetsis had uncovered something very important.
  
  "I wasn't told what was found, but I know that there was a sudden shift in Ghetsis' mood in recent times." Rood explained, "Previously, he had been very stressed for the past few months since PLASMA's growth was not as high as we initially projected them to be. Combined that with the massive PR failure at Sinnoh, and our leader was understandably in quite the foul mood for some time. But something changed recently. He's been spending a lot more time with N, and he seems generally much more energetic. It's like the ambition has returned to his eyes, and the visionary leader that we had all devoted ourselves to follow had finally returned."
  
  ...Hearing that definitely didn't bode well. Immediately, I had a strong suspicion that this was likely the Dark Stone or Light Stone that was found. And based on the concerned look on Cynthia's face, she must have remembered what I had told her from my 'visions' as well.
  
  "Who knows about what was found?" One member of the International Police asked.
  
  "Ryoku certainly knows." Rood replied, "Gorm as well. The rest... like me, I doubt they were informed. Ghetsis was pretty insistent on keeping whatever they found a secret, and he stressed that it was a matter of paramount importance."
  
  "Then do you know where your other Sages have run off to?" Lorelei questioned, "What other bases do PLASMA have besides this one?"
  
  "We have the PLASMA Frigate. A large ship that serves as our mobile base of operations." Rood explained, "We normally keep it docked around Castelia City, though we do sail it around from time to time. The others may have fled there. Otherwise... I remember we had a meeting about the construction of a new base. It was supposed to serve as a castle of sorts for our lord N - a symbol of his prestige and status once the rest of Unova and the wider world acknowledged his vision. While the castle may still be under construction, I believe it could still serve as a functioning hiding location."
  
  All of this information was written down, "Where can we find both? Do you have identifying features for the PLASMA Frigate?"
  
  "The castle can be found underneath Victory Road, but I wouldn't know where the Frigate is currently. It can be sailed and moved around freely." Rood said, "As for its appearance, it was intentionally designed to look like a regular large ship so that it could blend into a crowd. However, it does possess large sails. Perhaps you would be able to find it from that. And once you do locate the rest of the Sages, please treat them with care. We are of old age, and I'm sure that you will find that we are indeed innocent."
  
  The reveal of where the castle was located had caused some shocked reactions from the members of the Unova Police. They must have been surprised that PLASMA was even building something like this right underneath their noses - and beneath Victory Road, no less.
  
  Nevertheless, everyone quickly moved to act on this information. While the Unova Police left behind a large group of Jennys to scour through the entirety of PLASMA's headquarters and move the captured grunts to custody for at least an initial round of questioning, the rest split off either to hunt down the PLASMA castle or the Frigate.
  
  Hopefully we'll be able to catch the remaining members of PLASMA there.
  
  (N's POV)
  
  Everything came so suddenly. One moment, he had been spending time with Ghetsis as the two of them took care of the Dark Stone together while on a fishing trip on the PLASMA Frigate. And the next, Ghetsis had suddenly shot out of his seat with an uncharacteristic look of alarm before the two of them immediately evacuated from the Frigate.
  
  He didn't really understand what was going on, but he knew from his father's expression that this was no time for asking questions. He simply allowed himself to be dragged along as the two of them made their escape.
  
  Later, he had come to learn that PLASMA had been caught up in a raid by the Unova Police. He didn't understand why such a raid was necessary, but the League had apparently acted with incredible ruthlessness and violence, and had taken all of the grunts that were at the PLASMA headquarters into custody.
  
  As Ghetsis explained to him, the raid was merely done to make an example of them - to ensure that no one dared challenge their unjust status quo.
  
  N bemoaned the fate of those that were captured, and vowed that he would bring those corrupt authority figures to justice. As his father had said, who were they to suppress the ideals of PLASMA? To crush their vision of the world? When they were in the right?
  
  However, as they settled into their new secret hideout that Ghetsis had brought them to, one that Ghetsis promised that no one knew about, they finally got a full account of what actually took place. The good news was that the other Sages had managed to escape too, except for Rood. According to Ghetsis, Rood had made a heroic last stand and tried to protest their innocence to the Unova League, but they brutally silenced him.
  
  But that was the end of the good news. They had lost their headquarters, and the Unova League were very likely still on the hunt for them, so they weren't safe even now. Not only that, but Ghetsis also revealed something that made his heart both sink with despair and fill with barely restrained anger.
  
  "Hilbert was the spy. As I suspected, he never intended to join PLASMA from the beginning." He said, "And because of his actions, PLASMA is in ruins. Your dreams and ideals are as broken and as shattered as the rest of our organisation. You should never have trusted him."
  
  At first, he didn't want to believe it. His first friend - the one that he had spilled out his heart to - was a traitor.
  
  The implications ravaged him. Was their friendship ever real? Or was he simply just a means to an end for Hilbert - if that was even his name. Was their shared suspicions about the dark underside of PLASMA real, or merely the lies of a man tasked with infiltrating their benign organisation?
  
  He didn't know what was the truth anymore. Everything had suddenly become so murky and confusing. And even his relationship with his father, closer as it had been recently, for some reason didn't feel entirely genuine either.
  
  It felt forced - the way every one of their conversations ended up circling back to the Dark Stone. No matter how much he tried to talk about other casual topics, as he had read that a father and son should, Ghetsis never really gave him the opportunity to do so.
  
  Or maybe he was just spiralling. Maybe Hilbert's betrayal was making him question more things than he normally would. Maybe it was the sudden need to run away that was causing him to panic like this.
  
  At this point, the only thing he knew for real was his ideals. That was the only thing he could hold onto for comfort. Like Ghetsis said, they could take away many things from him-
  
  But his ideals and his dreams would forever be his own.
  
  A.N. After Looker's information is received, it was only natural for the Leagues to finally take action against PLASMA. This was a long time coming, and thanks to the prisoners that Looker brought back, it warranted an immediate raid that completely caught PLASMA off-guard. Unlike with Team Galactic, I didn't think this warranted a big fight scene. That wouldn't have been realistic, so instead, I wanted to take another approach to the situation and portray this a little differently.
  
  Of course, this isn't the end of PLASMA yet. Ghetsis is many things, but he isn't entirely stupid. He has contingencies for this sort of thing. Also, the PLASMA Frigate here isn't the flying ship that we see in the games, since without Colress, the tech doesn't get invented. Right now, its just a ship.
  
  As for N, Looker's infiltration might have made things worse for him. In canon, he was never 'betrayed' like this. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 17-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-12 - Big Developments
  
  However, as successful as the raids were, they were almost too successful. One of the issues that Unova now faced was that they had captured a huge amount of PLASMA's members, and they were actually struggling to keep them all in custody as they were unused to dealing with such a surge of arrests at once.
  
  Not only that, but unlike when we had made our big captures against the criminal Teams all that time ago, we had been able to place them all under psychic interrogation because they had deemed themselves a big enough threat to warrant the use of such barbaric procedures. Yet, in this case, none of PLASMA's members had actually done anything that would justify them being psychically interrogated, which was a good thing, though it did mean that we were restricted to the much slower 'standard' interrogation methods. So processing them was slow going.
  
  Although what those interrogations revealed was that not all of the PLASMA members were deserving to be in prison. Many of the more junior members hadn't even done anything that could be considered a crime, and we didn't have the evidence to prove otherwise. In their minds, they had done nothing more than join an outspoken activist group, and the evidence (or lack thereof) supported that. However, the more higher up the ranks that you got, and the more 'experienced' members of PLASMA were not looking so clean.
  
  Those we kept behind bars for the time being. The rest, we had no choice but to let go because there wasn't really any evidence that warranted their extended stay in custody. And we really did not want a massive legal issue on our hands.
  
  Though we made sure that they were subjected to travel restrictions for the time being. Just in case.
  
  Aside from the arrests themselves, we had also managed to seize a bunch of their equipment, where it turned out that PLASMA were far richer in resources than they pretended to be. We had captured a ton of equipment that seemed to have been specially made for saboteur and espionage operations. Moreover, the PLASMA Frigate, once it was eventually located parked right next to Seaside Cave, was revealed to be where PLASMA had hid most of their physical wealth. The ship had been filled with vaults containing what should be a large portion of PLASMA's emergency funds, which had now all been confiscated.
  
  The rest of the funds were found when we eventually located and raided the PLASMA castle below Victory Road. This was also where we had found where PLASMA had been keeping their 'battling' Pokémon for their own use.
  
  And that was where the horrifying consequences of PLASMA's actions had been exposed. Because all of the Pokémon that we found were showing horrendous and terrible signs of abuse.
  
  It was a complete and utter demonstration of PLASMA's hypocrisy. Because not only were the Pokémon that we had found abused, but they had been subjected to this cruel and vile fate for so long that they had become moulded into nothing more than obedient slaves for PLASMA's use.
  
  As I was stuck in Sinnoh, I couldn't see for myself first-hand just how horrific this all was. But the comments that I received from Lorelei was more than enough to paint the very grim picture of what had taken place.
  
  "When we headed into the unfinished construction of the so-called PLASMA castle, the first thing we noticed was all of the spare Pokéballs that had been shoved into the corner of one of the rooms." She described, "They weren't even piled up nicely as you would normally do - they had just been simply thrown to the floor like a pile of unwanted trash. That was already a big red flag."
  
  "And once we released a few Pokémon from within the Pokéballs to check on their condition, that was when I saw the completely lifeless eyes that all of the Pokémon possessed. They didn't even seem to acknowledge our presence. There was no fear, no weariness. Just a sense of hollowness." She visibly shuddered, "It was as if they had lost their very spark of life, the very instinct that all Pokémon have to grow stronger. They were nothing more than empty dolls, staring back at me with their dead eyes... it was as unsettling as it was pitiful."
  
  "Even the Pokémon that Team Galactic made use of were not as bad as this." Lucian agreed, "Even as twisted as they were, they were at least fighting for something they believed in. I remembered that during our fight against Team Galactic in Mt. Coronet, I could still feel that there was some bond, warped as it might have been, between Pokémon and trainer. But the Pokémon we saw today... there could be no bond. Just the steel chains of servitude. It's... it's honestly insane to say that a doomsday cult had treated their Pokémon better than a group that was meant to be for promoting Pokémon's happiness. And I would laugh at the irony if it wasn't so cruel and vile."
  
  I was almost morbidly curious to find out about just how they managed to achieve this, as normally, abusing Pokémon led them to lash out against their abusers, not submit with complete obedience. Especially not with Pokémon such Scrafty, Gurdurr, and Bisharp, which were the most common types of Pokémon that we had found. These were typically aggressive Pokémon, so seeing them act so subdued like this - almost like they were brainwashed - was incredibly disturbing.
  
  Even once we had taken them to the Pokémon Centers for them to be healed up, the Nurse Joys reported that the physical and mental conditioning would take some time to recover from. That only further reinforced just how bad and cruel PLASMA had treated them.
  
  I was also very curious about how Ghetsis and the other leaders planned to utilise these Pokémon in the future. Considering how unusual they seemed due to the mental conditioning that they've been through, it wouldn't be difficult for even a layman to be able to tell that something was very wrong with them. So if they were seen by the public or any of their regular members, they would know immediately that something wasn't right.
  
  ...Unless Ghetsis didn't plan on using these Pokémon in the first place. Or at least, not where they could be publicly seen. From what I remembered of his original plans, his planned takeover of Unova was meant to be mostly bloodless. He'd be voted into power, and persuade the citizens of Unova to release their Pokémon, and that was that. The brainwashed Pokémon were likely to only be used for emergencies or to be used in the shadows, away from the public eye.
  
  Nevertheless, the good news with all these captures was that it was pretty safe to say that we had completely gutted PLASMA as an organisation. Not only had we wrecked their infrastructure and ripped away most of their resources, we had also released our findings of their Pokémon abuse to practically every news agency in the world, and allowed them to freely publish the crimes of PLASMA.
  
  Needless to say, the backlash that PLASMA got after thatexposé was everything we had hoped for. As Cyrus had painfully showed us, the power of public opinion was not one to be underestimated. But now, with all of their dirty laundry now exposed, PLASMA's reputation was utterly dragged through the mud. Their lies about being a 'humanitarian organisation' was now fully seen through as the sham that it was, and the public was horrified about what we had revealed of the true extent of Pokémon abuse that PLASMA had been trying to hide.
  
  Never again would they trust PLASMA. Their future recruitment efforts, if they even still existed as an organisation after this, were now dead in the water.
  
  Unfortunately, that was where the good news ended. Despite our best efforts, a few Sages still managed to evade our grasp. Though we did manage to capture both Bronius and Gorm, as they both had been hiding out on the PLASMA Frigate and had been found during our raid.
  
  They weren't as willing to open up as Rood was, and so we immediately subjected them to psychic interrogation, as unlike the grunts they had definitely warranted such a level of scrutiny.
  
  That was still ongoing. We hadn't managed to extract everything from them yet, but from the stuff that we did extract, most of the information was pretty much overlapped with what Rood had already spoken about.
  
  More importantly, this meant that Ghetsis and N were still on the loose. And we didn't know where they were hiding.
  
  I suspected that they carried either the Light or Dark Stone with them, and I said as much to Cynthia, since she knew about my 'visions' anyways. I couldn't predict which Stone it was, but either way, that meant that we potentially had another Legendary situation on our hands.
  
  "Do you think it'll be as bad as when we had fought against Palkia?" She asked me.
  
  "No." I shook my head, "Probably not as bad as that. I doubt that Zekrom could be as powerful or as destructive as Palkia. But just because it's slightly less catastrophic than a rampaging Legendary of Space doesn't change the fact that it's going to be a massive disaster anyways. But I've already informed Regigigas - if the worst comes, I'll be there to fight once again."
  
  "We'll focus on hunting down Ghetsis and the others first." Cynthia agreed.
  
  However, hunting down Ghetsis wouldn't be so simple. For one, after our big raid against PLASMA's headquarters, the Unova League was ready to call this a job well done and pack everything home. They wanted to tout this raid as a massive success that showed off the efficiency and competence of their Unova Police, thank the International Police for their assistance, and sell it as a big PR win. Which it was.
  
  There was nothing inherently wrong with this, except for the fact that Ghetsis was still out there and needed to be dealt with. We couldn't rest on our laurels now and get complacent when we had just stirred up the Beedrill nest. Currently, public opinion was on our side. Ghetsis and the remaining Sages were now deeply hated and reviled, and we needed to make the most of this opportunity to take them down before they could recover and retaliate.
  
  Because a retaliation was coming; Ghetsis wouldn't let this slide.
  
  Fortunately, the upper leadership of Unova were willing to listen to reason, and we were able to persuade them to not give up the hunt until all of PLASMA was cleaned up. We just needed to bring up examples of what happened when Cyrus was allowed to roam free as a reminder of just how dangerous someone like Ghetsis could be if left unchecked.
  
  Hopefully, he would be found soon.
  
  While dealing with Ghetsis and the remnants of PLASMA was certainly the most important issue that we needed to handle, there were other considerations that I had to take note of.
  
  For one, the Dojo idea back home in Indigo had finally taken root after quite a few delays due to logistical and political issues. It hadn't been easy getting the idea through the Committee, and once it was, the construction of four new Dojos simultaneously was still no easy task.
  
  Yet now that they were all complete, with the relevant Dojo Leaders brought on to run them, right on time before the next Circuit began. Currently, the new Dojos were of the Fighting, Dark, Grass, and Fire Types respectively. I didn't recognise any of the trainers that had become the new Dojo Leaders, but I had been assured by Karen that Lance wholeheartedly believed they would be suitable for the position. So their competence should be unquestionable.
  
  Furthermore, the introduction of alternate 'Gyms' was something that many other regions took notice of, and were considering if they should implement something similar for themselves. In the case of Sinnoh, the need was not as urgent as we had the Battle Frontier to keep trainers occupied, but Hoenn was seriously considering whether it would be best if they adopted it as well. As, just like Indigo, it had a few spare islands that it currently wasn't doing anything with - such as Mirage Island and the island that would later be used to build the Hoenn Battle Frontier in the games.
  
  So they were very interested in this year's Circuit to determine whether such an idea could truly be feasible or not.
  
  Hoenn and Indigo aside, we here in Sinnoh had our own developments too - and from a very unexpected source.
  
  One day, someone in the Committee had an idea that I couldn't tell whether it was pure insanity or pure brilliance.
  
  They wanted to renovate the leftover system of tunnels that Cyrus had once built, which he later used as a means of infiltrating Mt. Coronet without being detected during the Day of Calamity.
  
  Currently, the tunnels had been completely abandoned. Even I had all but forgotten about it. But the Committee member pointed out that these tunnels, having already been dug out (which was the hardest part) could be used as something instead of just being left to gather dust. He argued that we could turn Cyrus' tool for infiltration into an 'attraction' that could bring benefits to Sinnoh.
  
  He then went on to elaborate on his plan. Basically, he wanted to have this system of tunnels (which he fittingly dubbed 'The Grand Underground') to be connected to Eterna City. Subsequently, tourists could descend underground and explore the large and winding tunnels for themselves, where they could engage in pre-prepared activities like mining for 'rare gems', hunting for 'wild Pokémon', or just enjoy the feeling of being underground.
  
  In other words, it was just like a cave diving experience. Only instead of caves, it was in a tunnel. And the Committee member emphasised that this experience was going to be tailored to be far more causal than your average cave diving experience. He described it like it was going to be an 'underground shopping mall with a playground attached to it'.
  
  I saw the appeal. Better to make use of that space than to waste it, and having an underground 'shopping mall' of sorts was definitely unique - so long as the relevant safety measures could be put in place. It would make for a very appealing tourist attraction, if anything.
  
  With this, you could enjoy the 'atmosphere' of being in a cave without having to suffer through all of the difficulties that come with cave diving. For example, even under a guided experience, going into a cave was understandably pretty daunting. And if you only stuck to the 'safe' upper areas, there wasn't all that much to explore.
  
  However, those problems were mostly alleviated when you were exploring long dug-out tunnels. With these, there was a lot more space for you to walk around in, and those tunnels were wide enough to house massive groups of people simultaneously. It would be like an immersive museum experience.
  
  Yet something like this was undoubtedly going to be a big investment. Even with the tunnels already dug out, doing the necessary renovation and refurbishment work was going to be very costly. So it was going to be up to Eterna City to argue for why they deserve to receive such funding.
  
  Besides all these developments in mainland Sinnoh, there was another bit of development that had initially completely gone under the radar, but had been rapidly rising in prominence as the sheer magnitude of its implications became known.
  
  It was about the region of Kitakami.
  
  Honestly, I had completely forgotten that Kitakami was even a thing. I hadn't heard it come up in any reports, even after I moved to Sinnoh, so I assumed that the place had just been mostly left to its own devices. After all, it was a place that was completely disconnected from the rest of the wider world, as it didn't even have access to the Pokénet, given how far away it was from the mainland of Sinnoh.
  
  And it likely would have remained that way - if not for a group of visitors from Kitakami that had suddenly and recently decided to visit us here in Sinnoh.
  
  While it was definitely rare for the villagers of Kitakami to come all the way to Sinnoh - given the distance between us - it wasn't unheard of. Therefore, if it had been just a regular visit, no one would have paid any attention to it.
  
  However, one of these visitors from Kitakami turned out to be a Pokémon trainer. According to her, she had decided to visit Sinnoh because, much like the rest of the world, she had been affected by the enormous pulse of power that the entire world felt when Palkia was summoned into the world. Even though that had been some time ago, that moment had caused her to eventually make the trip herself to see what could have caused such an extraordinary phenomenon.
  
  Hence her visit to Sinnoh, where she had brought along both of her Pokémon that were native to Kitakami - her Poltchageist and Dipplin. She didn't even think anything of it, assuming that these were just Pokémon that were also available in the mainland.
  
  Oh how wrong she was.
  
  From what was reported, she had apparently stumbled into a random friendly match against a random trainer on the streets, where she had sent out her Dipplin to fight, which caused the opposing trainer to be floored with surprise.
  
  Not unreasonable, considering the circumstances. It wasn't everyday you got to saw an entirely new Pokémon.
  
  Subsequently, that trainer proceeded to record and post the video of their battle on the Pokénet, where both Poltchageist and Dipplin could be seen in action. Naturally, that immediately caught the attention of every League in the world, who were equally surprised to see two completely new Pokémon just casually sent out like that.
  
  Especially since they weren't even new evolutions on existing Pokémon. They were entirely new Pokémon. The fact that Dipplin was reportedly part Dragon type also added to the already-massive interest.
  
  In short, the whole world was freaking about these two new Pokémon, and the trainer from Kitakami - who I learned was called Yukiko - was immediately invited to speak with Professor Rowan so that we could learn more about her two new Pokémon.
  
  Things got even more exciting when, through an interview with Yukiko, we learned that Pokémon like Dipplin and Poltchageist were very common there. Not only that, but after we showed her our Pokédex so that she could compare the Pokémon we knew about to the ones that she had seen, we had also learned that their version of Tentacool was not the same as ours. In fact, they were calling it something entirely different - theirs was known as Toedscool.
  
  Unfortunately, that was the only new addition she pointed out. From what I remembered of Kitakami from the games, there should have been more Pokémon from other generations that we hadn't discovered yet that could be found there. For example, Pokémon like Glimmora and Hattarene. Sadly, it seemed like these Pokémon must have only been brought over after these regions were discovered, as according to Yukiko's testimony those Pokémon didn't exist there.
  
  Nevertheless, this was still a huge and unexpected find, especially when it was revealed that Dipplin was only one of its many possible forms - there were also other forms in Flapple and Appletun.
  
  Because of this, there was a lot of sudden attention placed on Kitakami. As many people were incredibly interested to see if there were other unknown Pokémon species out there waiting to be discovered.
  
  So, practically overnight, Kitakami had gone from a place that no one really cared about, to the main topic of discussion over all of the news channels. It was only fortunate that this took place a few days after theexposé of PLASMA's actions, as this might have even overshadowed that.
  
  Therefore, people were immediately sent over to Kitakami to investigate and learn more about this once-forgotten village for themselves. Furthermore, Yukiko was instantly elevated to be the 'cultural advisor' of Kitakami, and I expected that we would be seeing a lot more of her in the coming months. There was no way that Kitakami would be forgotten with the recent developments.
  
  In fact, even though Aaron had been sent over there first to join in on the investigation, I wanted to head over there just to see everything for myself. Fortunately, even though the conflict with PLASMA hadn't been resolved yet, Kitakami was only going to be around half a day's travel if I flew there, which meant going there for a day trip was very possible.
  
  I mentally made plans to invite Cynthia over there for a quick holiday. It would be nice to do something like this together, especially since we hadn't really had the chance to go on a holiday even after we had gotten engaged.
  
  It was something to look forward to, I suppose.
  
  A.N. I had been wanting to include Kitakami into this story for some time now, but I didn't really know when was the best time to introduce it - considering everything else that had been going on. However, now that John has more than settled down in Sinnoh, I felt like exploring such a development would be interesting, especially since I do like writing about how a region can develop. And I want to make it clear that Sinnoh will get its own developments too in the future.
  
  Also, I understand that Kitakami in canon had a lot more Pokémon from the other regions. However, as mentioned in the chapter, I felt like it wasn't a good idea to introduce so many new Pokémon at the same time - so I've left them out (except for the three Pokémon I introduced in this chapter). I apologise to those who may have wanted more discoveries, but I felt like introducing too many things in one go might be too overwhelming, so keeping it simple was better and made more sense given the worldbuilding I've crafted for TNN.
  
  So yes, both Kitakami and PLASMA will be the focus in the coming chapters. I felt that this would be more balanced than just focusing on the latter. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-12 - Interlude-Aaron
  The New Normal - 17-12 - Interlude - Aaron
  
  The first thing he thought when he had arrived at Kitakami was that this place was truly empty.
  
  He knew as much from the descriptions that Yukiko had given him during their trip here, but hearing about it and seeing it for himself were two different things.
  
  For one, the sole settlement in the entirety of Kitakami was Mossui Town, and calling it a 'town' was already stretching it. Compared to even Solaceon Town or Celestic Town, both locations in Sinnoh which weren't known for their high population count, the amount of people living there would easily dwarf the residents of Mossui Town.
  
  However, that was not to say that this place was a Ghost town or anything. There were still visible signs of life, and from what Yukiko had told him, they were happy with the things that they had. Sure, their lives were very quiet and somewhat uneventful, but living in the wilds had its own appeal.
  
  He could see it. The border between 'civilisation' and 'wilderness' in Kitakami was very blurred, so much so that Yukiko mentioned that it wasn't uncommon for the occasional wild Pokémon to just wander and hang around Mossui Town - something that would almost never happen back in their own cities in Sinnoh.
  
  "You just have to adapt to living alongside the wilderness." Yukiko had said, "Over here, you can't run down to the shops to buy everything. We have to forage a lot of things for ourselves. It's pretty hard work, but it's rewarding in its own way. At least I find it better than your overcrowded cities and towns that you have. I don't know how you live with all this noise around you all the time."
  
  "It's the price of convenience." He had replied.
  
  "Then perhaps it's not a price I'm willing to pay." She responded, "...And I hope that all this newfound attention to Kitakami wouldn't transform us into what you have back in Sinnoh."
  
  "We wouldn't let that happen." He replied firmly, "I won't deny that you'll receive far more attention now than you've ever received before, but we won't do anything that would completely remove the unique culture that you've fostered here. There will be changes of course, but I promise you that your way of life will be protected. I swear."
  
  She had accepted it at the time, but he could tell that she wasn't entirely convinced. That was fine, he fully intended to prove his words to be true.
  
  Regardless, now that he was actually here in Kitakami, his first priority was to actually investigate the new Pokémon that had been pointed out. On that note, Yukiko had brought him and the small group of League officials and researchers accompanying him to Apple Hills, which was appropriately where a large apple orchard was located.
  
  "Applin, and its later evolution Dipplin, are naturally attracted to the scent of apples. Not surprising, considering they live inside of one. So the orchard in Apple Hills is often swarming with them." She explained.
  
  "And do they not eat all of the apples that are growing?" He asked.
  
  "Well, many do." She admitted, "But the point of the apple orchard isn't really to grow food for the village. We already have enough as is. Instead, the orchard is mainly used as a way of fostering friendly relations with the Applin and Dipplin, and they in turn help us out by protecting us against the more ornery wild Pokémon that we occasionally encounter. It's a win-win for the both of us."
  
  He nodded; that was a pretty clever way of doing things. It also once again highlighted just how integrated the people of Kitakami's lives were with the wild Pokémon that surrounded them.
  
  Once he had arrived in the orchard, just as Yukiko had said, there were a large group of Dipplin already there. But it wasn't just them, as there were also a bunch of Appletun and Flapple - which were apparently alternate forms of Dipplin. As Yukiko explained, these differing evolutions were caused by the type of apple that an Applin would frequently eat.
  
  While his accompanying researchers began to document everything, his own his curiosity got the better of him as he walked over to a few apple trees.
  
  "Can I try some of these apples?" He asked, "I want to see what's the difference between them."
  
  "Oh sure, go ahead. The Pokémon shouldn't mind." She said, "Judging by how they're acting, they're all full anyways."
  
  So that was what he did. He grabbed one apple of each type, and took a bite out of each of them, and was pleasantly surprised by each one.
  
  The Tart Apple had an extremely sharp and tangy taste; it was very sour. Yet it wasn't unenjoyable - far from it. The mix of sweet and sour made it a really enjoyable mouthful.
  
  Meanwhile, there were the Sweet and Syrupy Apples. As their name implied, they were both incredibly sweet, with the latter almost being too much for him. It was almost like eating a dessert. He wasn't the biggest fan of sugary foods, but for someone who was, the latter was likely going to be right up their alley.
  
  "I think people back in Sinnoh would love to eat this." Was his conclusion, "With apples this full of taste, there's no way people wouldn't be buying bags of this stuff."
  
  "We have considered it before," She nodded, "but we were never able to grow enough of these apples for us to sell commercially. This one orchard field is all we have. And it's not like we can grow these apples anywhere else - the unique conditions of Kitakami are what allows these apples to be grown in the first place."
  
  "Hmm... true, but I think this is something we could talk about more later." He said, "I definitely see this as potentially becoming one of Kitakami's unique products. It might be something to look into for you guys."
  
  That small distraction aside, with the researchers having documenting everything about the Applin and their evolutions, they moved back to Mossui Town so that they could look at both the new Poltchageist and Toedscool, as one of their other trainers had returned from their foraging trip to show them off.
  
  Admittedly, Poltchageist was less interesting than Dipplin and its evolutions, because even though it was a rare Grass/Ghost type, not having any known evolutions means that there wasn't as much to discuss about it. However, that could change in the future, especially now that there were proper experts here that could do further research on them.
  
  But Toedscool was different. The residents of Kitakami had known about Toedscool's evolution into a Toedscruel, but even after an initial inspection, it was hard to say for certain whether these Pokémon were an alternate version of Tentacool or if they were a new Pokémon entirely that just so happened to look similar to a Tentacool and Tentacruel.
  
  Yet, considering the myriad of similarities, it was judged that they were far too similar for this to just be a mere coincidence. Something must have happened in the past that led to this divergence. Obviously, further study was going to be needed.
  
  However, Kitakami and its surroundings were proving to be a breeding ground for many new Grass types - there were three new evolutionary lines discovered already! And perhaps there were more out there, still waiting to be discovered.
  
  With all these things going for it, he had no doubt that Kitakami was going to be very important in the future.
  
  A.N. I felt like having a short introduction to Kitakami from a non-John perspective would be nice for some worldbuilding. Needless to say, there is a lot that is unique about Kitakami that will be of significant interest to the rest of the world. Of course, even from this there is definitely more out of Kitakami out there to look at, and those aspects will be explored in the coming chapters. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 17-13 - Kitakami
  
  Reports about Kitakami kept flooding in. For practically a whole week, every single news station was talking about something new that they had discovered about Kitakami. Whether it be something about their local culture, rare Pokémon sightings, or an interview with one of the locals, Kitakami was always at the forefront of everyone's minds.
  
  An unintentional consequence of this was that the news about PLASMA had been completely shoved to the side for the time being. There was still the occasional report about what was happening over in Unova, but those were greatly overshadowed by the surge of recent interest in Kitakami.
  
  However, that didn't mean that our efforts at cleaning up PLASMA had stopped - or that the rest of the public had forgotten about PLASMA's ill deeds. We were still working hard in trying to locate Ghetsis, N, and the remaining Sages that had escaped us, and there were plans in the works to hold a public trial for the captured Sages.
  
  That had been Lucian's idea. He too acknowledged the need to completely and utterly destroy PLASMA's public reputation, so he argued that the best way to do so was to literally broadcast their crimes live on television and fully cement in the public's psyche just how hypocritical and vile PLASMA truly were.
  
  Needless to say, I fully agreed with such a plan. But that trial wouldn't be hosted yet - we all wanted to gather more information as we were still processing through all of the arrests made, and with everyone's attention still on Kitakami, it wasn't a good time for something like that. The public was still hungering for more juicy details about the new location, and it was best to wait until some of that excitement died down.
  
  Though there was one person that was especially eager to check out this new area for themselves - Drake.
  
  Now freshly retired, the man had been doing a lot of wandering around ever since he had stepped down from the Elite Four. I had invited him over to teach at the newly renovated Snowpoint Trainer School, which he easily accepted, but construction hadn't finished on it yet. And that wasn't something that would take up more than a few hours of his week anyways, so he had plenty of time to himself.
  
  I had heard that he spent a lot of time around Sunyshore, making himself a nuisance to Volkner as he helped Misty to train, but other than that he seemed to be just enjoying life.
  
  Therefore, now that there was a new area to explore, one that promised plenty of new and interesting sights and Pokémon for him to check out, there was no reason for him to not take a look at it for himself.
  
  However, not all of this interest in Kitakami was a good thing. First of all, the people living there were unused to the sudden surge of attention that they got. Aaron, who was our liaison there, had reported back about the growing dissatisfaction of the locals about the behaviour and attitude of some of the tourists that had come over. He said that they had little respect for the culture of Kitakami - and sometimes went even as far as openly trespassing onto private property just so they could 'check it out' for themselves.
  
  It was especially bad because Mossui Town was not built to sustain such a large amount of people at the same time. It was a very small town by design, and only really had resources to sustain its current population. Now that it was suddenly host to more than several times the original number of residents, there was a serious food and resource shortage there - since most of the food were either grown or scavenged.
  
  As a result, the local food shops all had to close down because they had to keep their food for the actual residents. Furthermore, because many tourists didn't recognise the fact that the residents of Mossui Town lived in conjunction with the wild Pokémon surrounding them, Aaron explained that there were many incidents where a tourist was injured because they reacted inappropriately to the presence of a wild Pokémon and caused the wild Pokémon to retaliate.
  
  Needless to say, even though it had only been a week since Kitakami was in the spotlight, everything was one big mess. And Cynthia was in the thick of it, trying valiantly to resolve this clusterfuck.
  
  I felt bad; I had watched her spend two back-to-back nights burning the midnight oil as she tried her best to establish some semblance of order in Kitakami. But it was tough, especially since the locals of Kitakami were becoming more and more discontent with us the more time we spent there.
  
  Right now, she had implemented a stop-gap measure where a group of Sinnoh police and rangers were out there in force to patrol and establish some kind of order in Kitakami. They were tasked with making sure that the visitors didn't infringe on the local's private space, and that they behaved in a reasonable manner.
  
  Furthermore, the number of visitors to Mossui Town was severely limited. You could still explore other areas of Kitakami, but only a certain number of people were allowed in places where there were people living there.
  
  None of these measures were ever intended to be permanent, but since Kitakami was experiencing an unnatural boom in its popularity which would hopefully die down in a few weeks' time, it was just to make sure that the locals wouldn't suffer any further damage from all the newcomers.
  
  For Cynthia's sake and others, I hoped it could all be resolved soon.
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  He didn't think he would ever admit this out loud - but it turns out that his dislike of watching the news has finally bit him in the fucking ass. Usually, back when he was still in the Elite Four, if it was an emergency, someone would call him to give him the details. But now that was no longer the case. And because of this, he had completely missed the announcement of a whole new, mostly unexplored, region of Sinnoh called Kitakami.
  
  And he had only found out when John called him up and asked him what he thought of it.
  
  ...That had been a pretty embarrassing moment. Though John was polite about it, he could tell that his friend was shocked that he didn't know about Kitakami, since it was all over the fucking news for the better half of a week.
  
  In his defence, he was doing a lot of brainstorming with Misty about how she could become a better trainer in the future, so it wasn't like he had time to go watch TV or something.
  
  Technically, he could have checked his phone, since it was also connected to the news. But that was only something the young kids do. For old grumps like him, the phone was only for calls and texts. Everything else was too complicated.
  
  However, once he heard about it, he knew that he couldn't turn down the opportunity to visit this new location for himself. So with barely a second's thought, he made his way to Kitakami as he flew over on his Altaria and arrived there just before midday.
  
  He had known beforehand that it was going to be crowded, but he truly underestimated just how popular this place was going to be. Even with the new restrictions on the number of people who could visit Mossui Town, the place was packed with people. He could see why the limits were needed; Mossui Town was small. Too small.
  
  Therefore, he decided to skip over the town entirely, and instead decided to explore the wilderness. Fortunately, he had remembered to don a disguise for this trip, because he didn't want to be recognised while out and about in public. He might no longer be in the Elite Four, but his past fame didn't go away, and he was fucking tired of dealing with overenthusiastic fans that 'demanded' to speak with him.
  
  So instead of his usual sailor getup, he swapped that out for an unbuttoned shirt and short pants, and he carried along a big backpack just in case he needed to camp out in the wilds. It had been some time since he had last done so, but he didn't forget how.
  
  He landed right next to the large mountain that was seemingly in the centre of Kitakami. From what he remembered of the maps that had been published, this was supposed to be 'Oni Mountain'. There was no particular reason why he chose this spot over the others - he just fancied some mountain climbing. After all, it had been some time since he had last been very physically active.
  
  Life or death battles against Palkia didn't count. Even though that battle made him more terrified than he would ever admit, getting thrown around while space warps around you like you were in a fucking laundry machine doesn't count as physical exertion. It only counts as an ass beating.
  
  As he landed and inspected his surroundings, he quickly realised that the strength of the wild Pokémon surrounding him were not nearly as high as he had expected. The nearby wild Pokémon mainly consisted of Growlithe, Pichu, and Bonsly. There were probably other Pokémon in the surrounding caves, but either way, these weren't Pokémon that were strong enough to be a threat to his main team.
  
  Luckily, he had brought over a few of his newer additions along for the journey, including his newly acquired Dewott, and this would be the perfect opportunity for them to get some more training in against wild Pokémon.
  
  So that was what he did. As he hiked his way up the mountain, with the goal of reaching the summit, he would occasionally take breaks as his Dewott fought against every wild Pokémon that seemed like they wanted to challenge him.
  
  However, even though he only made use of Dewott, the nearby wild Pokémon were still a little too weak to pose a challenge for it. Both Growlithe and Bonsly were weak to Water types, and Pichu, despite being an Electric type, were just too weak in general to pose a threat.
  
  He wasn't bothered about this though. His main objective for coming here was not to train up his Pokémon, but rather to see the sights for himself. Getting some good training could always come later.
  
  Therefore, he slowly and steadily made his way up the mountain. Just a few hours later, he had made it to the summit. And he wasn't even that tired - meaning that he was (probably) still in good shape! Hah!
  
  From all the way up here, he could take a good look around at the rest of Kitakami. As he took in a breath of fresh air while he admired the view, it really felt like he was young again - hunting through the wilderness purely because he wanted to experience of exploring uncharted territory for himself.
  
  Kitakami was a beautiful land, and the fact that it was untouched by civilisation only added to its natural charm. And it better stay that way, for the wilderness of Kitakami didn't deserve to be chopped down and turned into buildings and shops. That would ruin everything that made Kitakami what it was.
  
  He made a mental note to make sure that those in power wouldn't do something as foolish as that. He'd speak to John soon and ask him to keep an eye on things.
  
  However, the sounds of footsteps approaching him broke him out of his thoughts, and he turned around to see someone approaching him wearing a strange mask on his face.
  
  "You are not one of ours." The masked man said.
  
  "Well, I'd think that was pretty fucking obvious, considering I'm not wearing that stupid mask you have on your face." He shot back, "Is that meant to be intimidating? Or is it a cultural thing? If it's the latter, then I apologise for not knowing. If it's the former - then you look fucking ridiculous."
  
  "It is a tradition of Kitakami to don such masks." Ah fuck, him and his big mouth, "However, I am not offended. Instead, I shall ask you a question. Where are you from? You are not like the other tourists that I have met."
  
  "And what makes you say that?" He asked, "I'm just an old man climbing a mountain. I was just here for the sights."
  
  He didn't want to reveal who he was and make a big deal out of it; he wanted to maintain his anonymity.
  
  But the man just shook his head, "I was watching you on your journey up. You move and act like a trainer far more experienced than any that I've seen so far. In fact, I am certain that you are a better trainer than me."
  
  Drake let out a snort, "You seem to have a high opinion of yourself."
  
  "My words do not come from arrogance, but fact." The man replied unbothered, "Much like you, many other trainers have recently made their way through the wilderness of Kitakami. They were good trainers, but none moved or acted in the same way that I've seen you do. You are much, much better than they are. I am certain of it."
  
  "Okay - say that I am what you claim. What do you want from me then?" He questioned.
  
  "A battle." The man stated firmly, "As I said - I am the greatest trainer in all of Kitakami. Therefore, their safety is partially my responsibility. Now with all of the recent newcomers, who do not understand our culture and our traditions, I fear the worst may occur. So I must know if I have the strength to protect them if the time comes. I ask that you be that test."
  
  Ah. That was an admirable mindset to have. He would do the same in the man's position.
  
  "I see. That is a good reason for a battle. In that case - I shall honour your request." He said, "But I shall not be holding back here. Are you prepared to face off against me at my strongest?"
  
  The man nodded, "I am."
  
  "Good." The both of them held out a Pokéball in their hands. But before the battle began, the masked man fell into a bow.
  
  "My name is Muramasa. I lead the Kitakami Ogre Clan. May our battle be joyous."
  
  "I'm Drake - just a retired old man." He grinned, "And likewise."
  
  Then the battle began.
  
  "Crawdaunt!"
  
  "Flygon, get'em!"
  
  The masked man sent out his Crawdaunt, while he responded with his Flygon. The Crawdaunt acted as he expected - it had tried to blitz him down with a hard-hitting Crabhammer into Night Slash.
  
  And judging by the way that it moved and the way that its eyes blazed with confidence, this seemed like a move that was used to ensure a quick takedown.
  
  Perhaps it would have worked against the plethora of wild Pokémon that it might have gone against. But against his Flygon? It had seriously overstepped.
  
  A Bug Buzz sent out a wave of painful sonic energy its way, dealing supereffective damage against Crawdaunt and interrupted its charge. Before Crawdaunt could recover from its stumbling about, Flygon rushed down and smashed it hard with a Dragon Rush, before a follow-up Thunder Punch bashed it into the ground.
  
  To its credit, Crawdaunt didn't flinch from the blow, and tried to fire back with an Ice Beam. However, his Flygon was too fast for it and dodged out of the way mid-air before slamming down on the ground with its tail as it unleashed another Earthquake.
  
  Crawdaunt barely threw up a Protect in time that managed to block the hit, but it could do nothing to stop the incoming Dragon Pulse that blasted it straight in the face - sending it skidding back across the ground.
  
  Before it could recover, a final Stone Edge erupted from the ground, impaling the Water type in a field of sharp rocks until a Dragon Pulse blasted it in the face.
  
  Crawdaunt was done. It was out of the fight already.
  
  "...My eyes truly did not deceive me." The masked man muttered as he watched his Crawdaunt get knocked out, "You are very much as formidable as I thought you were. I stood no chance."
  
  "Do you want to continue?" Drake asked, "Or do you want to call it here?"
  
  He normally would never want to stop a battle early. But in this case, given the admirable intentions of the masked man, he didn't want to crush his morale any more than he had to.
  
  "I think I've seen enough." He replied, "And despite what you said earlier, I can tell that you're still holding back anyways. Sending out the rest of my team won't change a thing - the gap in our strength is just too large. Nevertheless, I thank you for the battle. You have given me the opportunity to visualize where I must get to if I am to continue serving in my duties to protect Kitakami."
  
  "It's not an easy thing to do." Drake said.
  
  "It is not." Muramasa agreed, "However, if not me and the Kitakami Ogre Clan, then there is no one else that could rise to the occasion. Before, all we had to face off against were the occasional incursion by ornery wild Pokémon. But now, with all this attention on us, both good and bad, our duties will be more important than ever. And now that I know that my strength isn't good enough, I must work even harder to make up for this. For this is our sworn duty."
  
  Hearing this, Drake hesitated. Despite being retired, he did actually have a decently busy schedule. However, that kind of sentiment really resonated with him. It was like he had always said - those with strength ought to be the ones to protect those weaker than them.
  
  In the end, he made a decision.
  
  "...I intend to spend some time in Kitakami anyways before I have to head back. But while I'm here, I could give you a few tips on how you could get stronger." He said slowly, "An old fuck like me might as well be useful for something."
  
  Even behind the mask, he could see Muramasa's eyes widen, "You would do this for me? For a person you have never met before?"
  
  "Normally, my answer would be fuck no." He admitted, though his tone grew softer, "But I know what it's like to be in your position. A long time ago, when this old man was younger, I was in the same spot as you are in now. Fortunately, things went well for me. So I hope it goes well for you too."
  
  "...Who are you really, Drake?" Muramasa asked, "I know you are a formidable trainer, but you speak with more than just experience. You must have been a very capable trainer in your prime."
  
  "Some might say that I still am in my prime." Drake replied with a chuckle, "But you're right. You deserve a proper introduction from me."
  
  He took off the hat that he was wearing as he fell into a small bow.
  
  "As I said, my name is Drake. Formerly of the Hoenn Elite Four." He said, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Muramasa."
  
  "Ah... so that is why the name sounded familiar. I think I overheard one of our other clan members mentioning you before. You are certainly a prestigious individual." Muramasa said, "But if you're serious about your offer for assistance, then I will gladly accept. I will eagerly learn all that I can from a man of your reputation."
  
  Drake raised a hand, "Please - save the flattery. I don't give a shit about that. I just offered to help because I saw myself in you, that's all. I don't want you sucking up to me like some fucking bootlicker. I dealt with enough of those shits back when I was still in the Elite Four."
  
  "Duly noted." Muramasa chuckled, "However, we still haven't discussed what your payment is for this help. There is no way I could just accept your assistance for free."
  
  "Just teach me more about Kitakami. I might not be some smart and bookish scholar, but I have my interests too from time to time." He replied, "I'm sure there are many things there are to learn about this place."
  
  "Of course." Muramasa nodded, "I would be more than happy to."
  
  And so the two of them left the mountain and returned to Mossui Town, where thanks to Muramasa's approval, he was able to skip over all of the checkpoints and enter straight away.
  
  One of the things that he spoke with Muramasa about was that he wanted to keep his identity hidden to the other villagers. He didn't want them to fawn over him just because of his past reputation.
  
  If he was staying here for some time, then he wanted to be welcomed thanks to his own merits.
  
  A.N. Drake might be retired, but I've always had a plan for him after he stepped down from the Elite Four. As promised, he won't be left on the bench forever. Naturally, with Kitakami now open to exploration, he would obviously get involved, and I felt that this was a very in-character decision for him to make that matched his interests. He might be a cranky old man, but he does have a heart. Hope you enjoyed the direction that I'm taking with him!
  
  Also, as for the strength difference between Muramasa (the 'canonical' name of the 'final' Ogre member you fight in Kitakami) and Drake, I felt that it was only right that he was no match for Drake. The land of Kitakami has just recently been exposed to the outside world, so there is no chance that even the 'strongest' trainer amongst them could be a match for someone like Drake. So hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will be the Pokenet Interlude as we wrap up this arc!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 17-14- POKENET REACTION
  The New Normal - 17-14 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [SINNOH WELCOMES IN THEIR FIRST EVER PROTECTOR-GUARDIAN! CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN, FORMERLY OF THE INDIGO ELITE FOUR, FOR HIS ASCENSION!] by Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of John at his ascension ceremony. He can be seen wearing his new outfit]
  
  For those of you who were keeping an eye out on the local news, it should come as no surprise that John was eventually selected to become the first ever Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh. And a foreign one at that!
  
  This makes him the second trainer in the world to receive a position as a high-ranking League official as a foreigner. The first, of course, being the recently ascended Elite Bruno of the Hoenn Elite Four.
  
  For those somehow unaware, the position of being the Protector of Sinnoh was newly created, and was meant to be a position of equal prestige (if not more) than that of the Elite Four. Their main duties include looking over and being an advisor/representative of the Legendary Titan itself. Needless to say, the role is incredibly prestigious and very important, which is why it came to no surprise that John was appointed for the position - considering he easily has the strongest ties to Regigigas itself.
  
  And that could not have been any more clear than when the Legendary Titan actually gave its own approval to John's ascension. During the ceremony, it was reported that when John swore his vows in front of the Titan, it had momentarily awakened in a show of support for John - it even spoke! Fortunately, one quick-thinking reporter managed to record the entire interaction, or else we wouldn't have believed it!
  
  [Short recording of Regigigas's momentary awakening]
  
  Furthermore, if the Legendary Titan's approval for John's new position wasn't enough, we also went around and spoke to Sinnoh's greatest trainers to see what they also thought about John's ascension.
  
  "It couldn't have been anyone else." Gym Leader Volkner said, "Literally, his appointment was uncontested. It didn't matter how prestigious or attractive the title was, no one wanted to be the person opposing John here - not when his appointment was all but confirmed. Everyone knows that he was the one that the Legendary Titan approved of."
  
  "Foreigner or not, I don't think anyone's going to care about John's origins after all that he's done for us." Gym Leader Candice had answered, "Not when he's credited for being one of the main people that managed to save all of Sinnoh during the Day of Calamity. I'm pretty sure this position could only really be filled by him, which is why I'm greatly looking forward to working together in the future."
  
  So what are all your thoughts about this new position? Are you happy that such a role now exists? Do you think John will do a good job here? Do you think someone else could do a better job? Let us know in the comments below!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Easily the most obvious and uncontested appointment ever made. Like the others said, it could have been no one else.
  
  For those who think otherwise - don't forget that this position technically requires Regigigas' approval as well. Do you really think there could be anyone else other than John who would be earn more of its approval than he did? The answer is no.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I know that the people of Indigo will probably burn me at the stake for this - but I'm really happy to see a trainer as strong and as reputable as John take up a leadership role here. Especially since his new role is basically asking him to serve as our last line of defence - it just seems very fitting, considering what he's already done for us.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  And as I've said before - JOHN IS TOO GOOD FOR YOU SINNOHNIANS. HOW COULD YOU SWINDLE HIM AWAY FROM HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN INDIGO?!
  
  We need our own Legendary guardian, now. We cannot fall behind in this respect. And it better be from Kanto. I will not accept a so-called 'Johto' Legendary looking over us, for I could never trust it.
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  Give it a rest already. You've been going on and on about this in other posts ever since John's 'retirement' ceremony. I bet that guy protesting in front of the League building was you too. Just let John make his own decisions and live his own life.
  
  KantoRepresent
  
  [Temporary banned: Going into personal attacks is too far.]
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Wait, does that mean that John basically has Regigigas under his control now? Wtf?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Not exactly. While this is probably as close as anyone will realistically get to having 'control' over a Legendary, he can't exactly command it like he would his own Pokémon (or at least, that's what we would assume).
  
  As far as I can tell, John's new position and duties are technically identical to what he used to do as an Elite Four member. However, now he's just got the added on responsibility of awakening Regigigas when the time calls for it. Otherwise, for 99% of the time, he would be no different to how he was in the past.
  
  GodBidoof
  
  Okay, but what about the other Regis then? Like Regice, Regirock, and Registeel? Does he command those?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  No clue. But I'd imagine the only way to find out is if you ask John himself.
  
  ANormalFan
  
  I didn't want him to leave Indigo... but I'm also happy for John now that he's in such a powerful position in Sinnoh. I've always said that he was meant to be more than just an Elite Four. And while at the time I was thinking that he deserved to be Champion, this is a perfectly fine alternative too.
  
  Also, that new outfit is COOOOL! Very fitting!
  
  PianoLover
  
  Don't forget that he's currently dating our Champion as well. They are literally the power couple of all time.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  nods head* That's the most important part.
  
  StoneCollector (Verified POGChamp)
  
  John, you have my apologies for not being able to make it to your ascension ceremony. However, as much as I would prefer if there would never be a crisis that requires you to fulfil the full extent of your new duties, I at least can rest assured in the fact that we will always have the Legendary Titan to fight by our side in our time of need.
  
  DragonKnight (Verified POGChamp)
  
  I know I said this to you in person, but as much as it has been a loss for Indigo to see you go, I know it has been a boon for the world at large for you to be entrusted with this responsibility. The world is blessed that it can have you and Regigigas serving as its defenders.
  
  [CHAMPION CYNTHIA SPORTING A NEW RING? IS OUR CHAMPION OF SINNOH NOW ENGAGED?!] By Baby Doll Eyes
  
  [Pictures of Cynthia, mostly consisting of zoomed in photos of her ring. Most shots seemed to be taken in secret]
  
  GUYS! HAS IT FINALLY HAPPENED!? ARE JOHN AND CYNTHIA NOW FINALLY ENGAGED?!
  
  OMA! DOES ANYONE KNOW MORE?! WHO DROPPED THE QUESTION FIRST?! WHY DIDN'T THEY MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT IT AHHHHHHH!
  
  Comments
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WOOOOOO BABY THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! LITERALLY BEEN BLOGGING ABOUT THIS FOR SO LONG!
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  About time. Feels like these two were teasing us with how much they showed off their 'lovey dovey' stuff in public. Can't believe they didn't announce this though - surely as two public figures we deserve to know about their relationship.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Can't believe I'm learning about something as important as this from a source like this. But anyways, I'm definitely happy for them. I had a suspicion that something like this would happen now that they're actually living in the same region together, though I didn't think it would happen so soon.
  
  Methinks that John got impatient. I wonder when the wedding would be. Would it even be a public event?
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  Actually so true! I guess even someone like John gets worried that someone will 'steal away' Cynthia from him. So I'm willing to bet that he's the one to make a move first.
  
  EDIT: ALSO, can we talk about that ring? It's hard to see in those photographs, but it looks expensive.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Found a better picture of the ring: [Link]. Looks like it's a black gemstone surrounded by 4 small diamonds. And I think I see small fossil engravings too! Looks good!
  
  Honestly, considering both of their statuses, I thought the ring would be a little pricier and more luxurious. However, I can also see the appeal of keeping it minimalistic. Neither of them seem the type to flaunt their wealth like that.
  
  BeautyIsFree
  
  Wait, are John and Cynthia that wealthy? I never hear anything about their financial situation.
  
  Gardevoir34
  
  The short answer is yes, they are. The long answer is that they're not as rich as a few others in a similar position to them, but that's just because they haven't really focused on earning money for themselves. It really wouldn't be hard for them to do so if they wanted to.
  
  I mean, have you SEEN their new house?!
  
  [A SUDDEN COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE UNOVA LEAGUE AND THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE?! RAIDS ON PLASMA TAKE PLACE!] By Unova Today
  
  [Pictures of the aftermath of the raids. Many PLASMA members can be seen in cuffs in the background]
  
  Taking everyone by surprise, our Unova League suddenly announced that they would be collaborating with the International Police to perform a full investigation into PLASMA's actions, with the explicit intention of placing the leadership of PLASMA under arrest.
  
  While we cannot ascertain what triggered this sudden investigation, there have been reliable rumours spreading around the Unova League that new evidence had been uncovered about PLASMA that led to this joint raid against the organisation. Trainers like Lorelei, Lucian, and Bruno could be seen arriving in Unova to participate in offensive operations, which clearly demonstrates just how seriously they are taking the situation.
  
  This is the first time that the International Police could be seen operating on Unova soil. Could this be the beginning of a future of mutual cooperation?
  
  This writer wonders what sort of crime has PLASMA committed that would warrant this level of response? Previously, while PLASMA's reputation was never the best, they were mostly known for their fiery and passionate speeches. And as a philanthropic group that purportedly works to spread true happiness for all Pokémon, it used to be hard to imagine them being the perpetrators of serious crime.
  
  However, this image has changed in recent times with the recent arrest of Zinzolin in Sinnoh. And now with these new raids and arrests, could there be something darker lurking beneath the surface?
  
  Fortunately, we managed to snag an interview with our very own Elite Marshal as he explained the situation.
  
  "We have recently come into a concerning amount of evidence against PLASMA that warranted such an investigation. Both ourselves and the International Police were in joint agreement that this could not go unanswered, and that a full raid against them was justified so that we can properly question those involved."
  
  We tried to ask for more information, but Marshal stonewalled us, "I'm afraid I can't give you any more than that. After all, this is an ongoing investigation, and certain elements must be kept a secret in order to sustain future operations. Yet I can assure you that we have not acted for no reason - the evidence that we have received absolutely warrants such a large and decisive response."
  
  Those were some ominous words coming from our very own Elite Four. PLASMA have yet to give a proper response to this situation, but the large number of arrests and the confiscation of most of their resources suggests that something bad has indeed happened.
  
  So what do you all think of this sudden raid? Do you think the actions of the League and the International Police were justified? Or do you think they were too heavy-handed? Let us know!
  
  Comments
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Always thought that this raid was a long time coming. PLASMA never sat right with me - I never really felt that they truly believed what they preached. However, what kind of heinous crime have they done to get the International Police involved as well? It almost seems excessive.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  To think that we would invite foreigners to help out with a purely domestic matter. Disgusting and treasonous. Are the other regions implying that Unova isn't able to handle our own matters? They look down on us too much.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  Here we go, another League trying to silence those that dare question the false status quo! Wake up people! The League are not your friends!
  
  Amoogus
  
  Hmm... the fact that even prominent members from each region have come over is certainly concerning. Plus the fact that the cooperation with the International Police seems very hastily done. Like the article mentions, this implies that the situation of PLASMA is probably pretty serious if so many important people are involved. I wonder what kind of shit they got up to?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Agreed. If the International Police is involved, then the situation is critical enough to warrant their assistance. Don't forget that Lorelei is the head of the International Police. I know that John has traditionally overshadowed her importance, but Lorelei is an incredibly influential person in her own right too. She'd only come along like this if she knew the matter was important.
  
  As an aside, now that John's gone from Indigo, this might be her moment to cement herself as Lance's second.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Anyone else sad to see Drake not being there? Feels like this would be the exact situation where we would see him in, cursing at literally everybody he sees. Sad that he's now absent.
  
  [WIDE-SCALE AND SYSTEMATIC ABUSE CARRIED OUT BY PLASMA?! CORRUPTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL?! WHAT IS GOING ON!?] by Unova Today
  
  [Picture of the abused Pokémon that was taken next to a police station. Although the picture is partially censored, it is still very easy to see the signs of abuse on the Pokémon]
  
  For those wondering why the Unova League recently decided to take action against PLASMA - you needn't look any further. As the recent reports from the investigation revealed, PLASMA were absolutely not just your benevolent philanthropic organisation.
  
  Instead, they have been revealed to be horrible hypocrites of the highest level as the authorities have found levels of Pokémon abuse perpetrated by them that have never been replicated before.
  
  And if that wasn't bad enough, PLASMA were also found to have a significant amount of funds that were illegally acquired. As of the time of writing, the Unova League have not disclosed how those funds were obtained or what they were spent on, but given what has already been unveiled this writer highly doubts that it could be anything good.
  
  However, not all is bad news. Notably, the Unova League have made an announcement stating that, for the most part, the ordinary members of PLASMA were unaware of such evil being undertaken by their own organisation. Therefore, it seems that the rot has been confined to only the upper leadership of PLASMA. This is a small silver lining, though unfortunately ruined by the fact that most of said upper leadership has yet to be taken into custody as of the time of writing.
  
  This writer was personally speechless and utterly disgusted by the sheer hypocrisy that was revealed. But what are all your thoughts on the situation?
  
  Comments
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Anyone who isn't disgusted by this that owns Pokémon doesn't deserve them. As a trainer, there is no possible way that you could brush off such extreme levels of Pokémon abuse. It is truly, truly, horrid and disgusting. And the whole situation is even more vile when you remember that PLASMA was committing these acts of abuse while also pretending to be advocating for Pokémon's happiness!
  
  I hope they all rot in jail. All of them. And forever.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  So the organisation that was purportedly trying to spread awareness of Pokémon rights were actually abusing them in secret? Who would have thought? What hypocrites!
  
  ANormalFan
  
  Again, John did! Did you all forget about the 'debate' that he had against those PLASMA members the first time they came over to Sinnoh during the World Tournament? He called them out right then and there - said that their ideology was full of shit! Looks like he was right on the money, as always!
  
  Amoogus
  
  What I don't understand is what PLASMA's plans were? Okay, I get that they were hypocrites and everything (and wasn't that a kick in the nuts to anyone who once believed in them!), but why would they abuse their own Pokémon so heavily either? My first thought that it was just for money, but even for money you wouldn't need to carry out such systematic and cruel abuse.
  
  For better or worse, abused Pokémon don't sell as well because they aren't as responsive to commands in battle, so buyers in the 'black market' aren't going to be as willing to shill out that much money for them. So it makes no sense if they're just abusing them so that they can be sold.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  You make a good point. However, don't forget that the reports about these abused Pokémon show that these Pokémon were so heavily abused that they actually reverted back into being completely obedient to whatever trainer gave them commands. It's actually frightening and terrifying just how 'thorough' their abuse was - read the reports yourself if you can stomach it.
  
  In my personal opinion, I suspect that PLASMA may have done this in order to gain a 'loyal' army of Pokémon that they could use and pass out to their members. If this is the case, then PLASMA might be resembling something like Team Galactic - and isn't that a scary thought!
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  A very reasonable, and horrifying, conclusion. To think that we could have another criminal team in-the-making, and so soon after Team Galactic had been dealt with. I guess the silver lining is that we struck early.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  What's so scary about these 'criminal teams' anyways? I've looked around at a few foreign news articles from Sinnoh, and they frequently make comparisons between PLASMA and Galactic. So what gives? What's the big deal?
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Here is a relevant article that you can refer to as to why Sinnoh in particular places such emphasis on what happened with Team Galactic, even if you might already know about the Day of Calamity. Needless to say, all of that wouldn't have happened if not for the insanity of one madman.
  
  JohnSmith (Verified POG)
  
  And I'm sure that all of our Leagues will do everything we can so that a similar situation will not reoccur in Unova. We have learnt many lessons from what happened with Team Galactic, and we will not hesitate to take decisive action to ensure that our regions will remain safe from similar threats.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  So even after my retirement there still seems to be more people that need a beating, isn't that right John? Well, anyone important should already have my number. So just hit me up if you need me to put down another madman for you. It'll be a fucking pleasure.
  
  DarkRebel (Verified POG)
  
  Of course, Drake. Retired or not, who could ever forget about you?
  
  [NEW POKÉMON DISCOVERED IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF SINNOH!? WHAT IS KITAKAMI, AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT THIS ONCE-FORGOTTEN AREA?!] by Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of Kitakami, mainly of Mossui Town, though there are some pictures taken of the nearby wilderness. There are also pictures of the new Pokémon]
  
  Despite all of the recent talk about the crimes committed by PLASMA, for us Pokémon enthusiasts we've been blessed with some good news!
  
  Three new evolutionary lines of Pokémon have been found - the Poltchageist line, the Dipplin line, and the Toedscruel line. Yes, you read that right. That's three new different evolutionary lines of Pokémon, which is an incredibly huge find!
  
  Coincidentally, all three of these new Pokémon all share the Grass typing, meaning that Grass specialists are going to be eating good tonight! What an exciting time it must be for them. Especially since all three of these Grass types share either rare, or completely unique type pairings!
  
  Poltchageist is a Grass/Ghost type, Dipplin is a Grass/Dragon type (the first ever of its kind!), and Toedscruel is a Grass/Ground type.
  
  And all these Pokémon were discovered in the, formerly forgotten and overlooked, area of Kitakami. For the majority of you that would likely be unaware of where Kitakami is, Kitakami is a location in Sinnoh that is deep in the countryside - far away from the main cities. It is practically located in the middle of nowhere, and as you can see from the pictures, is completely surrounded by untamed wilderness.
  
  Therefore, it truly was a stroke of luck that we even found out about all these new Pokémon that had been living there in the first place, as they were fortunately brought over by a trainer from Kitakami that had been visiting the mainland. Without them, we might never have realised that we had all these completely different Pokémon living next to us this whole time!
  
  However, despite how interesting this all sounds, we have been asked by the Sinnoh League to deliver a cautionary warning. For the many of you that will likely try to head to Kitakami - please do your best to follow the instructions of the Jennys stationed there and be on your best behaviour. The inhabitants of Kitakami are few, and they are very much unused to the sudden surge of people taking an interest in their land. Please respect their boundaries.
  
  Okay, with that over with, let's go into what we know about the capabilities of these new Pokémon, starting with...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Okay, did anyone read the part where it states that Dipplin is actually just one alternate form among three? So that means that there are two other different versions of Dipplin that the people of Kitakami just know about, and we've completely overlooked all three for all this time? What the fuck!?
  
  There's Dipplin, Appletun, and Flapple. All of them sharing the same Grass/Dragon typing, but all fighting in slightly different ways. If I read it correctly, then Appletun is the slow but defensive Special Attacker. Flapple is the 'speedier' but more frail physical attacker. And Dipplin is somewhere in between. Very interesting!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  As cool as it might be for us to finally have our very first Grass/Dragon type, let's not get taken in by the hype too much. Even if that type combination might sound really unique, its partial Grass typing only makes it even more susceptible to one of Dragon's biggest weaknesses - Ice types - and it also does nothing to resist against Fairy type moves.
  
  Therefore, as a Type combination for high level battling, it might not be all that great. Though those are just my initial thoughts on it - I wouldn't mind if I was proven wrong!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  That's true. A Grass/Dragon type might have a quadruple resistance against Water moves, but most Water Pokémon would likely be able to make use of a few Ice moves anyways, which completely circumvents this resistance.
  
  DragonPower
  
  ...They really aren't that Dragon looking... are we sure we got the type right? These so-called 'Dragons' look pathetic!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Okay, but why isn't anyone talking about Toedscool and Toedscruel? Not only are they (most likely) the alternate forms of already existing Pokémon, but just look at their Speed! Aren't they one of the fastest Grass type Pokémon out there right now? There is so much potential there!
  
  And that's not even including their unique ability too. Mycelium Might allowing them to guarantee their status effects against opponents, no matter their ability, has some serious potential as well. That means no relying on abilities like Limber or Vital Spirit to avoid getting paralysed or put to sleep respectively.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Not only that, but these are possibly not the only new Pokémon that are living in Kitakami. There's every chance that there are more that we just haven't found out about yet! Sounds like a thing for our explorers to get on!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Right, I know everyone's rightfully really excited about all of the new Pokémon and stuff - and so am I - but I've just headed over to Kitakami, and let's just say that there's a reason why the Sinnoh League put up that warning.
  
  [Picture]
  
  Needless to say, this place is crowded. And you don't really get a feel for how small Mossui Town (the only settlement in Kitakami) is until you see it for yourself. This place is tiny in comparison to what we're used to, so it's no wonder that they're feeling overwhelmed. If even a fifth of the people living in Jubilife were suddenly crammed into Mossui Town, the place would be completely devoid of space to live in.
  
  FlamingAfro (Verified POG)
  
  Thank you for saying so, and I would like to follow up on that with a few words of my own.
  
  The Sinnoh League understands that there is a lot more excitement surrounding Kitakami; and rightfully so. We understand that many of you are excited to head over to this 'new land' and catch all these new Pokémon for yourself. However, please be aware that over-catching can bring some serious harm to the local Pokémon population of Kitakami, which is why the Sinnoh League have dispatched both the Sinnoh Police and the Rangers to patrol the surrounding areas to ensure that this doesn't happen.
  
  Please adhere to their instructions. We are only placing these restrictions in order to ensure that no harm comes to the beautiful region of Kitakami as an unintentional consequence of our actions. Thank you.
  
  BlondeQueen (Verified POGChamp)
  
  And this goes without saying - but any poachers found will be persecuted harshly. Take this as your only warning.
  
  A.N. And this brings Arc 17 - 'Big Moves' to an end. Thank you to all those still supporting this story - it really does mean a lot to me. Your support is what motivates me to keep on writing, so thank you once again.
  
  I know this arc was mostly focused on setup, and I can promise you that the next arc will be different. So hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  OMAKE - Anime - Public Reactions 2
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Pokémon: The Animation - Public Reactions 2
  
  [Pokémon: The Anime - 'The Dinner Party' Episode Summary and Review] by Earlier Access
  
  [Pictures of the dinner party, with Ash, Gary, Silver, Giovanni, Ariana, Petrel, Karen, John, Whitney, Sabrina, and Janine all in attendance]
  
  Just like most of you probably did, when I saw what this episode was titled, I was fully expecting to watch through one of your typical filler episodes where nothing really gets done and its all just for fanservice. Truthfully, I didn't mind too much, as the anime had been pretty respectful with our time so far.
  
  I mean, Ash and co. have just defeated the fourth Gym. So with Erika's defeat, I felt like some downtime was justified.
  
  However, now having watched this episode, I think this might be one of my favourite episodes so far, and it doesn't have a single bit of action in it. It was all dialogue, but it was so good at allowing us to learn more about the Gym Leaders and Elite Four of Indigo.
  
  Frankly, I was pretty shocked to see some of the people in attendance. Who could have expected to see Giovanni, Ariana, and Petrel (who have historically been villains back in the old games) sitting next to people like Whitney, Sabrina, Janine, Karen, and John - who are all trusted members of authority. And for them to be just happily chatting and eating dinner together no less - it was a crazy sight.
  
  That being said, I was smiling throughout the entire episode. The whole dinner was so cozy and the conversation between everyone actually felt like they were friends that had known each other for a long time. I know it was hinted at in the recent games, but I really didn't expect for John and Giovanni to get along so well together.
  
  Speaking of John, he really was the main character of that episode - Ash and co. were just there as spectators. Giovanni might have hosted the party, but it was John that dominated the conversation. Rightfully so, considering just how involved he is in so many different things. He really does seem like he has a finger in many, many pies.
  
  It's no wonder that Ash, Gary, and Silver all look up to him so much. To them, John's probably more than just a great trainer - he's probably like a beloved politician as well.
  
  Not only that, but we also got to learn so much about Silver's backstory with Whitney, Sabrina, and Janine. Turns out, the rude brat's not so rude to his 'first friends'. It was actually so funny seeing the usually sarcastic and snarky Silver transform into this meek little boy when he's talking with the girls. Oh, I doubt it's anything romantic, but he clearly sees them as like the sisters he never had. Honestly, amusement aside, it's pretty cute.
  
  Okay, this post's gone on long enough. What did you guys think of the episode?
  
  Comments
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Fuck, if this is the quality for the 'filler' episodes that we get, then I'm not going to fucking complain. This shit was so good. It was like a slice-of-life episode, but instead of boring fanservice like unwanted beach episodes, we get proper backstory development that makes the world feel so much more alive.
  
  It reminds us all that, while we focus on Ash, Gary, and Silver, they aren't necessarily the 'MC' of the world itself. Everyone else's got their own part to play, and that's a good thing.
  
  DubSuperiority
  
  The VAs killed it for this episode. They really made it feel like a genuine conversation. The back-and-forth was so good.
  
  EDIT: I can't believe I'm saying this, but Ariana's VA sounds hot af.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I mean, I know it's unrealistic since Sinnoh is so far away and all, but I really wanted to see John and Cynthia interacting in a more private setting. They're one of the few canon relationships specifically mentioned in the games, and this was a pretty good time to showcase that.
  
  Still, at least we get to see why John keeps fucking cockblocking us everywhere in the games. Because as this episode shows, the man is literally juggling so many different things at once. It really reaffirms the fact that while Lance might be the Champion, John's no less politically active than he is.
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  What this episode also shows is that Ash's goal to "become the very best, like no one ever was" isn't as simple as just becoming the greatest and strongest trainer out there, and I think he even realises that in the episode itself. As John and Giovanni show, there's a lot more to becoming a famous trainer than just battling skill.
  
  As strange as this might sound for what is technically a children's TV show, politics is also an incredibly big part of becoming 'the greatest'. I'm not sure if they'll ever go into more detail on that, since it might be too complex for kids, but I really hope they do. I'd love to learn more about the world of Pokémon.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  I mean, the fact that they were willing to give us an episode like this probably suggests that we'll learn more about the other aspects of being a Pokémon trainer. But personally, I hope they take it easy on the politics. I came here to watch Pokémon, not the news.
  
  EDIT: That being said, I wouldn't mind more scenes like this. Watching these 'super famous' trainers all trying to prepare food together in the kitchen was hilarious.
  
  GitGud
  
  True! Seeing Petrel bitching about how the tea wasn't made right was so funny. Or how, surprisingly, Sabrina is the picky eater out of the trio between her, Whitney, and Janine. Or Karen being so friendly and always checking on Ash and co. to make sure they're okay. These small little quirks really let their personalities shine.
  
  [Okay, so who actually is John?] By LocalEGirl
  
  After that recent dinner episode where we got to learn a bit more about John, I felt like making a post so that we could all discuss the infamous cockblocker and what he actually does.
  
  With how frequently he's mentioned in the games and anime, there's no doubt that he'll take up a larger role in the future. But we actually don't know all that much about his backstory - or at least I don't think it's been explicitly said. So let's discuss.
  
  Comments
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  So there's a few things that should be readily apparent. One, he's likely one of the strongest trainers in the world - akin to a Champion, or even more so. Two, he has control over Regigigas, somehow. Three, many, many people look up to him with respect and admiration, and he's apparently very friendly with a lot of people (the dinner scene made that very clear).
  
  I would imagine he's in the Top 3 most important trainers in the world because of that.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Big agree. And don't forget that his appearances in the games are always when something big is happening. It's always him too - its hardly anyone else. I suspect that he's the main 'fixer' of the League, and he handles these big problems for them. Because of that, he really does feel like one of the main characters of the Pokémon world.
  
  Also, did anyone catch the fact that in the recent episode Karen said that John was now living in Sinnoh with Cynthia? Since when did that happen?
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Yeah, I caught that too. They really need to show us how John and Cynthia got together. They've been teasing us about this for so long that we really deserve to know. I wonder if this is a political thing?
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Honestly, I care more about finding out just how he managed to catch Regigigas. Like, after an entire game where you don't get to catch a Legendary and then this motherfucker shows up with Regigigas next to him like what the fuck how is that fair!?
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Honestly, I really want to see John vs Ash at some point. We know just how badly he can kick our ass in the games, so I want to see how Ash matches up against him.
  
  GitGud
  
  You're kidding right? If Ash goes up against John, he's cooked. Even if all three of the main trio fight him right now, they're not fucking winning. We need to wait for like 6 more seasons and like 3 special edition movies to come out or something before that becomes a reality LMAO.
  
  Don't forget that his Slaking DOESN'T HAVE TRUANT! AND HE SOMEHOW HAS A REGIGIGAS BY HIS SIDE! Power of friendship or not it won't fucking matter.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  LOL okay now you reminded me I totally want to see him just toss out Regigigas in a random fight now. Just imagine him going up against some young trainer and stomping their ass with the Legendary Titan of all things LOLOLOLOL
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  WAIT LOOK AT THIS - LINK. THEY'RE ANNOUNCING THAT THEY'RE RELEASING SIDE EPISODES FOR THE ANIME THAT FOCUSES ON DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. NO FUCKING WAY!
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  HOLY SHIT THAT'S REAL! Okay, we better have an episode or two about the Champions. Enough of this talk about John, I want to see a Lance/Steven/Cynthia POV PLEASEEEEEEEEEE.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Honestly, seeing the life of a Champion would be super interesting. We know that they're supposed to be the leaders of the regions, but what do they actually do in their day-to-day? It would be interesting to see!
  
  A.N. Had a spark of inspiration for another one of these chapters, so I hope you enjoyed this. For this 'anime episode' I wanted to shift the focus back on John and the other characters (hence why I mentioned the sidestory section at the end). If you guys preferred this over the focus on Ash, then maybe that's where I'll focus on next time as well.
  
  Or if you want to see other characters POV in the 'anime', let me know as well. If I have the inspiration, I'll write it up! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-1 - Public Trial
  
  As I stepped into the courtroom, I realised that this might be the first time that I've ever found myself in one of them. Fortunately, I was not in any trouble, and I was only there to be a spectator. I wasn't going to be on the stand - that was reserved for the three Sages from PLASMA that we had captured from our earlier raids in Unova.
  
  And it wasn't just them, as we were going to bring out one final Sage back into the spotlight once again - Zinzolin. He had previously been rotting away in prison, but now he was called up so that he could be charged for further crimes that he committed while he operated as a leader of PLASMA.
  
  Although, truth be told, this was mostly a show trial. With how much overwhelming evidence we had against them, it was extremely unlikely (read: impossible) for them to walk out of the courtroom without being given a life sentence.
  
  Usually, we wouldn't be able to make use of information obtained from Psychic interrogations in a trial, mostly because the use of psychic interrogations in the first place would have been disallowed. However, as this was now deemed a matter of international security, it was a different matter.
  
  So, given that their crimes had been so severe and so utterly monstrous, mostly due to the horrible levels of Pokémon abuse that were committed or orchestrated by them, that we knew that it was almost a guarantee that they wouldn't be walking out of here scot-free. The jury would not allow for that to happen.
  
  That was why we were doing this. On paper, we were giving them one final opportunity for them to defend themselves as it was proper. But in reality, we were just doing this so that we could fully air out all of PLASMA's crimes in a public setting one more time - just to make sure that the entire world really, and fully knew what they had done wrong.
  
  Being slandered in the news wasn't enough. We had to make it 'official' by laying everything out in a trial.
  
  We also hoped to set a precedent for any future cases of Pokémon abuse - we wanted to show that all of the Leagues were willing and able to crack down extremely hard on any such cases. There would be no leniency here.
  
  So today, four different trials would take place - one for each Sage that we had captured, and Zinzolin.
  
  Rood was up first, as he was the most cooperative among the Sages. In fact, even after his capture, he continued to remain quite talkative - especially after we revealed to him that we had captured two more Sages.
  
  And he was almost broken when he heard about the full extent of the vile Pokémon abuse that PLASMA had subjected their own Pokémon to. Obviously, we were initially sceptical about how he didn't know about this, considering that he was a Sage himself, but our Psychic scans proved that he was not lying. Of course, he wasn't completely unaware, and he knew that many of PLASMA's Pokémon were taken to a secret facility for 'check ups', but he didn't realise the extent of the abuse that was carried out on them.
  
  However, it was more out of selective blindness than anything else. From what he told us, he should have known that these things were happening, and if he were a better person, he should have moved to stop it. But he was either too trusting of PLASMA's goals to doubt their actions, or he overlooked them because he wanted to preserve his conscience. Either way, he wasn't a good person, but at least he seemed willing to repent.
  
  The same could not be said for the other Sages that we had captured, and they were far more culpable. Bronius himself was in fact in charge of most of PLASMA's finances, and therefore was fully aware of the illicit activities that they were taking part of. Likewise, Gorm was overseeing the construction of PLASMA castle, so he definitely knew about what acts of horror were being committed there.
  
  He just didn't care. The way he saw it, whatever means was necessary to ensure N's ascension as King of Unova was justified. He was a true fanatic, much like the Galactic Commanders were.
  
  My thoughts were pushed aside as I heard someone sit down next to me.
  
  "You doing good?" Flint asked.
  
  "...I am, but why wouldn't I be?" I returned curiously.
  
  "Well I thought that our dear Champion might be bringing the work back home with her. And given how busy she was these days - I was concerned that if she did, you'd be dragged down alongside her." He replied, "Especially considering that she's trying to juggle dealing with both what's going on over in Kitakami, and this upcoming trial. You know how it is for people like us - we don't have usual work hours, but that just means we have to work whenever we're called for. And when it does rain, it pours."
  
  I nodded, accepting the point, "Fortunately, the situation in Kitakami has mostly calmed down by now." I said, "There's not much that requires her direct attention anymore. The Sinnoh Police and Rangers stationed there can pretty much handle everything independently now. Didn't you know that she put Aaron in charge of most of the work anyways?"
  
  "Ah. I didn't hear about that, no. But poor guy." Flint replied, before he leaned back as he placed his hands on the back of his head, "Welp. Better him than us I guess."
  
  It was then that I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Good to see you again, John. Been a while."
  
  I turned around to see Lorelei smiling down at me, "Oh, hey! Yeah, same." I said as I patted the seat next to me, gesturing for her to take a seat, "You enjoying being in Indigo without me? I do hear your name a lot more often on the news nowadays than I did before, so it seems like you're doing well."
  
  Thanks to the recent raids against PLASMA, the International Police were once again in the spotlight. Naturally, as Lorelei was their leader, that meant that her political influence was growing too.
  
  "It's been going quite well. The takedown of PLASMA has bolstered the International Police's reputation by a significant margin." She admitted, "Though it feels dirty to be benefitting off of such... vile actions, even if only tangentially. The things they've done..."
  
  "You were there for the raid at the PLASMA castle, weren't you?" I asked, "The one where they found all those abused Pokémon?"
  
  "I was." She nodded, a slightly haunted look in her eye, "And let's just say that after what I saw there... I consider throwing these Sages in jail to be a mercy. They deserve far, far worse for what they've done."
  
  I couldn't agree more.
  
  A short wait later, and the court was finally in session. Reporters had swarmed into the courtroom, and cameras were set up all the place as they prepared to televise the whole proceedings to the entire world.
  
  Meanwhile, I remained in the VIP area, with the Sinnoh Elite Four, Lorelei, and Cynthia all sitting next to me.
  
  A solemn silence descended on the entire room as the judge banged his gavel and began the proceedings.
  
  As planned, Rood went up first. His hands were shackled, and he was escorted by two Jennys - both with two Arcanine also flanking them - as he took to the witness stand. However, despite this entourage, he looked neither nervous nor afraid. Instead, he seemed resigned, with just a hint of resolution in his eyes.
  
  Then it began, and the prosecution thoroughly laid out all that he had done wrong on behalf of PLASMA. They laid out the horrible acts of abuse committed by them, the illegal funds that they had corrupted themselves to obtain, and the brainwashing that they had tried to enact on their new recruits to 'encourage' them to follow in their footsteps.
  
  Team Galactic was mentioned a lot, and many comparisons were drawn between the actions of PLASMA and those of Team Galactic. To the public, there were many uncomfortable and terrible similarities between the two.
  
  Rood admitted to all of it. However, when he was given the right to speak, he did his best to defend what PLASMA did.
  
  "It was not meant to be like this." He said sorrowfully, "When I joined PLASMA, we were just a fledgling group with only a few members in it. We Sages were the first to join - and we joined because we truly believed in a dream. We were convinced that Pokémon deserved more than the happiness that they currently felt. That while Pokémon trainers can sometimes bring happiness and fulfilment to their Pokémon, it was the rare exception, not the rule. We felt that Pokémon would be better off if they returned to the wild, without being at risk of being shackled to the whims of a trainer."
  
  "In my younger days, I've seen all too much the horrors that trainers are able to inflict upon their own Pokémon, and even though a Pokémon may have the strength to fight back, they are conditioned not to. So they merely subject themselves to the abuse, often not having any recourse unless another trainer notices it and takes pity on them. But if not for that, then they will forever be trapped."
  
  "And I rejected that. I loathed seeing their sadness with every fibre of my being. I loved Pokémon too, and much like everyone else, I wanted to continue to be around them. I wanted to be able to co-exist with them, as we have done for so many years now. But at the time, I felt that, as much as it would hurt to do so, it was better to let them go - because human traditions and culture were corrupting them by making them artificially dependent on us. So if they would be happier without us trainers, then that cost would be something I was willing to pay in order to ensure their happiness."
  
  "It was that dream that spawned PLASMA as an organisation. I believed in it wholeheartedly, and in my younger days, I know I would have done anything to achieve it. I still remember my first few talks with Ghetsis..." Rood reached out with a hand, as if trying to grab onto something in front of him that didn't actually exist, "He painted such a beautiful picture for us... and it touched something in my heart. I truly thought that we were doing good. All of us did. After all, trying to bring true happiness for Pokémon couldn't possibly be a bad goal, right?"
  
  Then he let out a bitter sigh, as if all of the fight and resolve had left his body, "However... however, hearing all of these crimes laid out against us - I now see that we've lost our way. That beautiful dream of ours has been tainted. Our once noble intentions were corrupted by our greed and false justifications. And I think I had been too blind to see it, since I was still reaching for the sun."
  
  A tear began to roll down from his eye, "...I didn't want this." His voice had fallen into a whisper, "I didn't want this... it shouldn't have ended like this. We should have been better."
  
  ...Despite knowing all the evil that he had done, or had allowed to be committed while he himself turned a blind eye, I felt for him. His heartfelt statement - his regret - had really shown through in his voice.
  
  This wasn't the man putting on an act to earn himself sympathy for a lighter sentence. No, this was a man who had finally seen the dark path that he had been walking down, and was now bitterly despairing at the choices that had led him down it.
  
  Because of that, I couldn't see him as an evil man. A man who had done a lot of wrong, certainly, and he still deserved to be punished for those actions, but he wasn't inherently malicious. He was misguided and corrupted, much like I'm sure many other members of PLASMA were.
  
  And he said as much in his final statement, "...I do not ask clemency for myself. I know the wrong that I have done. I know that my actions were inexcusable. However, I ask for the remaining members of PLASMA, the ones that had no knowledge of the actions of the Sages like myself, to not be treated so harshly. They were as innocent as we were when we first started, and had it not been for our insidious whisperings, they would not have fallen down the same path that we did. We were the ones to approach them with a blackened hand - so place the blame on us. Not them."
  
  It was a moving request. And truthfully, it was the stance that the League had also chosen to take with the PLASMA members, hence why most of the recruits that we had arrested during the raids were let go unless there was solid evidence against them. Though that wasn't a blanket statement - some of the older members had definitely committed crimes that warranted their arrests, but in order for it to be 'just', the fate of each member needed to be decided on a case-by-case basis.
  
  We didn't want to be too harsh here, both because it wouldn't be just and also because it would make us look bad.
  
  Nevertheless, Rood's confession, while emotional and tearful to some, didn't save him from being charged to spending his life in prison (since he was already quite old). However, with good behaviour, he might be granted parole in his later years and be allowed to see the outside world again.
  
  It could be said by some that Rood got off lightly. But there was a reason he was up first.
  
  We wanted to show the public that we weren't going to paint all of the PLASMA members with the same brush - that those who were repentant and understood their wrongdoing, could be given a lighter sentence. Because it shows that they were willing to do better. Again, it showed that we were willing to be fair.
  
  And more importantly, we wanted him to contrast against his fellow Sages, who were coming up next. The audience now knew what the 'Good' guy was like, so now they were going to see how different the 'bad' ones were.
  
  Just as we hoped, the Sages that came after were nowhere near as repentant as Rood. And their expressions were filled with far more righteous indignity as they were dragged onto the witness stand. If anything, they seemed enraged that Rood went away so meekly.
  
  Upon being questioned, they were nowhere near as sympathetic. They raged and raved, ridiculing us for stopping them from achieving their final goal of freeing all Pokémon. It was clear to everyone they did not see anything wrong in the path that they were walking down - they were merely doubling down on their beliefs.
  
  Though at one point, Gorm did try to justify PLASMA from his perspective.
  
  "You denounce us for spreading evil - but don't you understand that our greater goal is worth whatever sacrifices that we have to make to pave the way for true happiness? We did not mean to bring suffering to Pokémon, but we understand that without strength, we are unable to change the world. If you and your Leagues were not too blind to see the truth - we would not have to resort to such measures. So if you dare condemn us for your actions, you had better condemn yourself first!"
  
  "For it is not we that sank into the darkness first." He growled, "We are merely trying to fix the mistakes that you made. Our lord N - the great prince - he knows the way to break all Pokémon free from their shackles, and he will save us all!"
  
  But all that did was evoke more of the extremely uncomfortable similarities between PLASMA and Team Galactic - as this was exactly the kind of rhetoric used by the latter to justify their atrocities and mad plans.
  
  So, rather than making himself look better, Gorm had just doomed both himself and Bronius with his words. The spectator stands erupted in boos and jeers, and it took five bangs of the gavel from the judge and a full minute after that to properly silence them.
  
  In the end, both Gorm and Bronius were given life sentences without any chance of parole. Their lack of any guilt, and their obvious madness, sealed their fate.
  
  So once Zinzolin was dragged to the witness stand, we thought that it would be more of the same. Except it wasn't.
  
  Because if we thought the other two Sages were bad... then Zinzolin was far, far, more insane. For all he said was a single statement.
  
  "You will come to regret this, I promise you that. You may have bound me in chains now, but it will not hold me down for long. The day will soon come that Ghetsis will reward us with our rightful place in the world - and I look forward to the day that you are all destroyed." He said this as he glared up to the VIP stands, with eyes shining with pure evil and malice, "I will enjoy savouring your last moments with my eyes."
  
  He snapped into a salute, "GLORY TO GHETSIS! LORD OF UNOVA!"
  
  ...Needless to say, he was dragged out of the witness stands. There was no need to listen to any more of his ramblings.
  
  I glared at him as he left. Not because I was bothered by what he said, but because I was making a promise of my own.
  
  His words would never come to pass.
  
  Much like his peers, Zinzolin was sentenced to life in prison, with no chance for parole. If there was a harsher sentence that we could have given him, then I was sure that it would have been done.
  
  With Zinzolin as the final member to be sentenced, the trial came to a close. All four of the Sages would be imprisoned in maximum security prisons, not just in Sinnoh, but in all the other regions too. Coincidentally, there happened to be four Sages, which meant that each region got one. This was to separate them and prevent a possible breakout to be able to free all of the Sages at once.
  
  Also, it was politically uncomfortable if the Sages, who were all citizens of Unova, were all imprisoned outside of their own region. Even if it was smarter to do so, we had at least give them one of the Sages just for 'appearances'.
  
  Because of this, Unova actually got Rood. The reason was that Rood was the Sage that had 'openly betrayed' PLASMA, and was very likely the one that they valued the least. So he was the least likely member that PLASMA would go out of their way to break out. Or even if they did break him up, he was the least likely to be cooperative with them after everything that had happened.
  
  Overall, the trial went about as we had expected, and considering the public's reaction to it, it had been a resounding success.
  
  The immediate reaction from the public was pure outrage, especially when they realised that most of the Sages were completely unrepentant about their actions. Even though it was nothing new, and they had heard it all in the news before, the recent trial had seared their wrongdoings into their memory.
  
  And with the whole trial being broadcasted to the world, this was officially the end of PLASMA.
  
  Now it was just time to mop up all that remained.
  
  A.N. This is the start of Arc 18 - Ideals. Also, as promised, this will be quite the action-filled arc as we deal with the final remnants of Team PLASMA, which will not be going down easily. This is why I chose to start off with this trial, as unlike with Cyrus and Team Galactic (who had some public support up until the very end), I felt that it would be good to show how the League have learnt their lesson and are now much more thorough with their actions to deny any possibility of a resurgence.
  
  Not only that, but I wanted to hint towards the Black and White 2 Storyline here and show that not all Sages were of the same mindset.
  
  And as always, thank you for your support. I know I've said it before, but your support is directly related to why I kept writing this story after the Galactic arc was over. Thank you, and hope you enjoyed.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-2 - Awakening
  
  (N POV)
  
  In just a span of a few weeks, his whole life had come apart. Just a few weeks ago, he was living in the comfort of his friends and family, in the safety of PLASMA's headquarters. He would always have people to talk to, whether that be the other members of PLASMA or the Sages themselves, and even Ghetsis had been increasingly friendly with him - to the point where they almost felt like family.
  
  Then the raid happened, and they were forced to be on the run. And then the trial happened, and PLASMA were turned into the most hated organisation in the world overnight.
  
  The worst part was that the whole trial was a sham. He agreed with Ghetsis that the League had hosted it purely to make a mockery of their ideals.
  
  But sadly enough, it had worked. The public was convinced, and he knew that the two of them were to be hunted on sight.
  
  Originally, they had stayed incognito in a few of Unova's less popular towns, but after the trial was broadcasted to the entire world, Ghetsis had deemed it too dangerous for them to even be around any people.
  
  Therefore, they were forced on the run once more, to the point where he didn't even know where they were anymore. They had been running away for so long that he legitimately couldn't tell where in Unova they were. All he knew that he was somewhere in the countryside, and that no humans ever wandered here.
  
  The worst part about all this wasn't the living conditions - it was the isolation. Ghetsis might have been with him physically, but his father was no longer here in spirit. The growing friendliness and familial spirit that he had shared with his father before the raids took place had entirely disappeared, and now conversations with Ghetsis was almost impossible, as the man was now so absorbed within his own thoughts.
  
  The trial must have broken something in Ghetsis.
  
  He didn't blame him. For his dream and the embodiment of his lifelong ambition - PLASMA - had been torn apart and destroyed. Their name was now anathema, and all of the hard work that they had put into this project was now truly gone. It was a completely irrecoverable loss.
  
  Not only that, but when he had watched the trial since they still had Pokénet access, he was horrified to see just how the League had managed to break Rood so completely. The Sage that he saw as an honorary uncle had completely broken down into wreckful sobs on the stand while he tearfully confessed to crimes that the Leagues had falsely planted on them.
  
  To N, that had been a soul-crushing sight. Besides Ghetsis, Rood had always been the most passionate about PLASMA's goals, and he was always optimistic about their success. He was the one who often went out of his way to check on not only N, but the other members of PLASMA as well. He was literally one of the kindest people that N knew - and he had been completely reduced to this... sobbing mess.
  
  It hurt. It was like someone had managed to take a knife to his heart. He almost wanted to throw up watching it.
  
  And Ghetsis reminded him that all of this pain and suffering was caused by the betrayal of a single man. A person that he once thought to be his first friend. The monster - Hilbert.
  
  The bad news didn't even end there though. While four of their Sages were now behind bars, the remaining two Sages - Giallo and Ryoku - were nowhere to be found. He had asked Ghetsis to try to reach out to them, but Ghetsis vetoed it, stating that it was too risky right now.
  
  "There's every chance that Giallo and Ryoku have already been taken into custody in secret. The Leagues just aren't announcing it because they are trying to bait us out; for us to reach out to them so that they can swoop in and arrest us too." Ghetsis explained with a growl, "I will not let them. So long as one member of PLASMA roams free, the ideals of our organization will never die. So long as I live on, our defeat is NOT set in stone."
  
  It was a painful but necessary calculation to make. But without the other Sages, and with them being completely cut off from any support from either the public or the other PLASMA members who still believed in them, all that was left of PLASMA was him and Ghetsis.
  
  And the Dark Stone that he still had clutched in his arms.
  
  It had vibrated more and more in recent times, which had been the only bright spark in these trying times - for both himself and Ghetsis. His father now only smiled whenever he talked about the movement of the Dark Stone, and even then it was a minute and almost miniscule thing, but at least it was something.
  
  He ignored the thoughts in his mind about how Ghetsis seem to care more about the Dark Stone than he himself.
  
  But if it were not for that and the occasional wild Pokémon that he got a chance to speak with, he felt like he would have gone insane a long time ago. And luckily, his talents had been put to great use here, as the nearby wild Pokémon always helped him with finding food and shelter.
  
  So that was why he was particularly enthusiastic when Ghetsis said that he had something he wanted to speak with him about today once he had come back from his daily foraging session.
  
  "You know I don't like to push you like this, N, but you have to understand that the Dark Stone - the Legendary artifact I've entrusted to you - is the sole factor that could bring about the revitalization of PLASMA." Ghetsis said as he sat down next to him.
  
  "...But how?" N asked, "I know what it contains. But even if I successfully awaken a Legendary, PLASMA's reputation is already tarnished beyond repair. We'll never be able to bring people to our side. Not when the League has successfully converted them away from us."
  
  "That's where you're wrong, son." Ghetsis replied, "Did you think I did all this to earn the love of the people? No, I am not as vain as that. PLASMA has always been for the happiness of Pokémon, not personal prestige. You're right in that even with a Legendary on our side, we won't be able to win back the people. But you're wrong that their opinion matters. Not anymore."
  
  "As distasteful as this might sound to your pure heart - strength is all that matters in this world. Why do you think it is the Champions, the strongest trainers, that rule? So if we are able to subjugate the corrupt League, then we can spend the rest of our future making sure that the public are free from their blindness." Ghetsis said, "All that matters is if we win."
  
  "...But aren't we going to cause them a lot of pain if we do it that way?" He asked carefully and uncertainly, "If we use force, then innocent Pokémon are going to get hurt too."
  
  "Yes, they will be." Ghetsis agreed ruthlessly, but with an air of conviction, "But don't you remember what I said before? Our goal is to achieve and grant true happiness for Pokémon. It is... regrettable, that a small portion of Pokémon need to be hurt for us to do this, but the ends will justify this. The few tears that will fall from our actions will simply be the price to pay for a better, happier world."
  
  "And don't forget - if it wasn't for the League and their corrupt actions, we would never have to go this far in the first place." Ghetsis reminded firmly, "If they did not try to stop us at every turn, and did not try to fabricate evidence to use against us, more of the public would have been able to see the light and join us with our goals. We would have more support, and we wouldn't have to resort to such despicable tactics to win. Remember that the original plan was for a bloodless victory."
  
  "So we had no choice but to do this." N muttered. The Dark Stone shook a little bit more in his hands.
  
  "Exactly. It is the League that forced our hand." Ghetsis agreed with a menacing growl, "But if we give up now - then it'll all be for nothing. All of the sacrifices that everyone has made, it'll all be for naught. The League will have won, and true happiness for Pokémon will be gone forever."
  
  His hands tightened as the stone shook again, "...There really is no other way?" He asked softly, despite already knowing the answer.
  
  "There isn't." Ghetsis shook his head, "We have been given no other option. The Leagues have denied us any other option."
  
  Then Ghetsis crouched down and lowered himself so that he was now face-to-face with N, "PLASMA and its goals are all on your shoulders now. There is nothing more I can do in this position. I did all I could to develop PLASMA as a legitimate organization, but I was too merciful of a person to realise that the League would go to such lengths to destroy us. So it's all on you now, N. My son. Our saviour."
  
  "Awaken Zekrom. And show the world the beauty of your ideals."
  
  Yes. That was all he could do now. Even as everything fell apart around him, he had still been hesitating. Unsure about if PLASMA was really doing the right thing.
  
  He still remembered what Hilbert had said to him once. About how there was a lingering darkness underneath the façade of PLASMA. How things were not as it seemed. He remembered agreeing with Hilbert back then, thinking that his friend might have had a point.
  
  But then he was betrayed, and his whole world was turned upside down in an instant. Hilbert had played him like a puppet - siphoning him for information, and then leaving his discarded corpse by the side now that his use was over!
  
  No. The traitor's words were never real in the first place. There was no Truth to be found in the depths of PLASMA. He already knew the truth - that his ideals were the only thing that mattered. That the only thing he could do now was to set everything to rights by breaking the chains shackled around all Pokémon! To show them true freedom!
  
  His hands clutched around the Dark Stone, gripping it with all his strength. There was no time for doubts. Not anymore. Not when it was all down to him to bring happiness to all Pokémon!
  
  This was the only way forwards.
  
  He had to make his Ideals a reality. He had to. He MUST!
  
  For what was his life for, if not for this?
  
  He refused to allow his Ideals to die out just like that. He had to FIGHT! He would make the world of his dreams!
  
  HE WOULD BE THE HERO THAT WOULD SAVE THE WORLD!
  
  As his thoughts and resolve crystallized in his mind, the Dark Stone shook more and more violently in his hands, before he suddenly felt a sharp connection pierce through his brain.
  
  The Dark Stone began to levitate in the air, spinning around ominously. A dark circle formed in the air around it, spinning alongside the Dark Stone.
  
  Then from each of the 'grooves' on the Dark Stone, large tendrils of dark energy shot out of each of them as they began to drain away the surrounding energies, sucking them into the Dark Stone.
  
  N instinctively took a step back with Ghetsis as every hair on his body stood on end. His instincts as a human being screamed at him to run, and yet that newfound connection that he had felt forced him to remain. His eyes remained fully locked onto the Dark Stone, unable to turn away as the stone sucked in more and more energy until it started to glow with an unsettling aura of purple.
  
  The Dark Stone continued to spin faster and faster, matching the growing intensity of its purple aura.
  
  But then, as if the world had somehow abruptly paused for a brief moment, the Dark Stone suddenly disappeared from existence. It didn't break apart, crumble, or even turn into dust. It simply vanished on the spot, as if it had been snapped out of reality.
  
  And then it was back.
  
  Except this time, instead of the Dark Stone, it was a nebulous orb of energy that looked like a blackened void. From within, a tiny figure could barely be seen, though it rapidly grew larger and larger as the mysterious energy continued to violently swirl around inside this void - with the figure inside growing until it towered over them all.
  
  His eyes widened into saucers, and his breath was caught in his throat as he recognized the being inside.
  
  Its pure black form, its large and massive wings, its menacing red eyes - there was no mistaking what it was.
  
  Zekrom had awakened, emerging into this world once more.
  
  The newly revived Legendary of Ideals landed on the ground with a massive stomp, shaking the earth beneath it with its humongous frame. But even more threatening than its appearance was the rotating tail that radiated out with blue light.
  
  The once grassy fields that surrounded them now surged with an overwhelming amount of electricity - to the point where it had managed to scorch everything around them. Not only that, but the ground itself rapidly became electrocuted just from the sheer amount of electricity that Zekrom naturally exuded, to the point where Ghetsis was forced to retreat away before he was accidentally fried by all this electricity.
  
  And his experiences with Pokémon told him that this was no normal electricity either. No, comparing this to your regular household electricity, or even the Electric moves used by even the most powerful of Electric type Pokémon, would be like comparing a Gravity to a real black hole.
  
  They weren't even in the same league as each other. He didn't know how, but he knew instinctively that even a Ground type would not be able to be immune to such an attack.
  
  It was such a casual display of its own power, and a perfect reminder to the world that this was a Legendary. Type matchups could not constrain them.
  
  The world trembled at their appearance - forced to prostrate itself before their almighty power.
  
  The only reason he knew he was fine because that new connection that he had with Zekrom told him that he was safe to be here. For anyone else, if they stood this close to Zekrom without it actively suppressing its own electricity, they would not be able to survive.
  
  Admittedly, this newfound sensation of being bound to a Legendary Pokémon was... strange. He was not used to it, having another presence in his mind like this. But it wasn't a painful sensation - it was almost like Zekrom had always been there with him.
  
  As far as he remembered, the only person in recent times who would have experienced the same was John with Regigigas. Was this how he felt?
  
  So, knowing that he was safe, he stepped up to the Legendary of Ideals as he ignored the crackling electricity zapping all around him.
  
  "Zekrom. Do you know why you have awakened?" He asked.
  
  Instead of responding, a single image flashed through his head, and he saw it. He saw the world of his dreams - a world where humans and Pokémon coexisted in perfect harmony with each other. Where bonds of pure friendship, not Pokéballs, formed the basis of their relationship.
  
  Zekrom had showed him the ideals that he dreamed of.
  
  And he smiled, knowing that he was finally about to make it into a reality.
  
  Ghetsis immediately rushed over to him, worry evident on his face. Though he still kept his distance.
  
  "N? What's wrong?" He sounded concerned, "Did it respond to you?"
  
  "It did." He replied, "It... it showed me our dream. The dream of our shared utopia. A manifestation of our very ideals."
  
  Ghetsis smiled widely, shooting him a smile that was full of teeth, "Excellent. I'm very glad to hear that. And does it obey you?"
  
  "...I think so." He said as he turned back to Zekrom, "Zekrom, electrocute that tree!"
  
  A burst of bright blue light exploded out from Zekrom's tail as it began to rapidly spin up until a bolt of pure blue shot out from it - creating a spear of electric destruction that sheared right through an entire row of trees like lightning through paper. The large, thick trees didn't even offer any kind of resistance as they were completely and utterly eradicated by Zekrom's lightning.
  
  They literally crumbled to ash upon impact. A lesser Pokémon would be knocked out in one hit from that.
  
  And he knew that Zekrom wasn't even trying. This was just its most basic attack, and it was already this destructive.
  
  He looked at this vision of destruction with awe, marvelling at the power that he now held in his hands. Though he had never been a Pokémon trainer, he can see why many people got so addicted to having control of such powerful Pokémon.
  
  But he would never let that be him. He knew that Zekrom's power was only a means to an end. They needed the Legendary of Ideals for their ideals. But he was no tyrant. He wouldn't use Zekrom's power for what he saw as evil - and the Legendary likely knew that too, or it would have abandoned him on the spot.
  
  In the corner of his eye, he could see Ghetsis with a feral smile on his face as he stared gleefully at the sheer destructive power that Zekrom's possessed.
  
  "That was magnificent." Ghetsis smiled, but it was not a kind one, "How powerful would you say that attack was? Can Zekrom fire off attacks stronger than that?"
  
  "Much stronger." He confirmed.
  
  "Excellent. If we have that level of power on our side, then PLASMA will be able to accomplish our goals after all." Ghetsis said as he patted N on the shoulder, "...Great job, N. Please know that I do regret having to ask you to do this, but this is your chance to prove that you have what it takes to shoulder this burden on behalf of the greater good. We finally have the strength necessary to see our plans through, and you'll be at the forefront of that."
  
  Ghetsis spread out his arms wide, "Rejoice, N. With Zekrom here, your ideals will finally become a reality. Now go - and create utopia!"
  
  (John's POV)
  
  I felt a familiar sensation in my head - the pulsing of a connection that I knew all too well. It was like the gentle pull, a calm call to action.
  
  Regigigas was calling for me.
  
  It was what I had feared, but partially expected. For there was only one reason why Regigigas would be calling out to me - we had another Legendary on the horizon.
  
  So it seemed that PLASMA succeeded after all. I guess some things just couldn't be stopped.
  
  Not everything could go our way.
  
  But despite knowing the fearsome battle to come, a sense of calm filled my bones as I leaned onto that feeling of strength that Regigigas naturally exuded, and I let out a breath as I got myself ready for another Legendary fight.
  
  I needed to make a few calls, but after that, it was time to take down another Legendary.
  
  Let's go, Regigigas. Once more into the fray.
  
  A.N. Not everything can go John's way sadly. Even with the dismantling of PLASMA, the Dark Stone being in N's hands always meant that this was only going to end in one way - with a battle between Legendaries.
  
  I debated on whether to give this more setup, but after really thinking it over and doing some rough drafts, I ended up deciding that 'more setup' would just mean stretching things out too long, and I didn't want to delay this fight any longer. PLASMA has been burnt to the ground - their reputation in complete tatters, and now their only way forward is through tyranny.
  
  I hope you enjoyed Zekrom's awakening scene. I especially wanted to emphasise how important Looker (as Hilbert)'s betrayal was to N's mindset. And how his betrayal inadvertently caused N to be even more susceptible to Ghetsis' manipulations. It is supposed to be tragic - N is, and still remains, a good person, or at least he still thinks he's doing the right thing. If not, Zekrom would not have awakened. But now that Zekrom is here, then now a battle is inevitable. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-2 - Interlude-Allies
  The New Normal - 18-2 - Interlude - Allies
  
  (Cynthia POV)
  
  "...I see."
  
  There were a few words that she never wanted to hear from John, and these were a few of them. But she wasn't afraid or nervous - she had expected this day to come, even if it was a little sooner than she had expected.
  
  It seems that John's worst fears and visions of PLASMA had manifested. As befitting madmen, they would never stand down unless you put them down with force.
  
  And much like Cyrus did, the entire crux of their plan seemed to revolve around obtaining the power of a Legendary. Because they knew that for all of their vile rhetoric, the people of the world would be too smart to fall for it.
  
  Oh sure, they may gain a sizeable minority, but the majority of the wider public will never be on their side. The Leagues and the authorities will never condone their victory. Because we can all see them for what they are - fanatical madmen.
  
  That's why, in the end, they are always forced to impose their insane plans by force. In their madness, they thought that the rest of the world would simply bend over if they managed to wield the powers of a Legendary for themselves.
  
  Cyrus had thought so. But in the end, even with the power of Palkia at his side, he failed.
  
  And now Ghetsis was going to learn the same.
  
  "You have authorisation." She replied to the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh, "Go, John. Awaken Regigigas - and bring us victory once more. We will await your success."
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  "...I see."
  
  It seems like, even in his retirement, the world continued to spin, and the madmen continued to plot. And now, once again, they seemed to have done something as fucking stupid as awakening a Legendary to fight on their side.
  
  Once again, retirement or not, Drake was asked to answer the call. To fight to defend his homeland and its allies once more.
  
  He was an old man. And even then, this was going to be the second time he was asked to head into a potentially world-ending battle against a Legendary.
  
  The first time he had done so, he had nearly died, along with the rest of his team. They were literally moments away from being wiped out from the fabric of reality by a being that overpowered them so heavily that they still struggled and nearly lost against it, even when they had their own Legendary fighting by their side.
  
  So even though he had been elated and had been filled with an immense sense of pride and joy in his team when the battle was over, he knew full well how close he was to losing almost everything he cared about. That had been the most dangerous fight of his life - as you would expect a fight against a Legendary to be - and now he was just asked to go into another one.
  
  He had no obligation to fight. He was retired now, and old besides. No one would begrudge him if he sat this battle out.
  
  Maybe a small part of himself even agreed with that.
  
  But he knew he could never stay away from a fight. Even though he no longer needed to adhere to any formal duties, this was a duty that he had imposed on himself. One he would never give up on.
  
  To fight to protect the world, no matter the danger. No matter the cost. No matter what was asked of him. For he could never live with himself if he simply chose to cower away.
  
  Therefore, there was only one response he could give.
  
  "Count me in, John." He grinned, "The moment I saw that fucker Ghetsis, I always figured he'd pull of some shit like this. I wanted to punch him in the face right then and there - but it looks like I'll be able to make up for all that lost time."
  
  (Lance POV)
  
  "...I see." Steven muttered, "Thank you for letting us know."
  
  Currently, all four Champions had gathered together for a call as Cynthia reported what John had sensed, thanks to his link to Regigigas.
  
  Unlike the last time a Legendary awakened, where the effects of its summoning could be felt across the world, this time it appeared that the presence of a Legendary was a lot more muted.
  
  That being said, he doubted anyone here would underestimate the newly awakened Legendary simply because of this. After all, Legendaries came in all different forms. But the one universal and common factor between them was that their power was beyond them. They were simply overwhelmingly strong.
  
  He might not have been in the battle against Palkia, but the reports he received back told him enough. And now the situation was happening all over again, just with a different Legendary.
  
  "We didn't feel anything over here in Unova." Alder said, "Not to cast any doubt, but are you sure that a Legendary has awoken? We cannot afford for this to be a false alarm."
  
  "I am certain." Cynthia replied firmly, "John would not be mistaken about this. Not with his connection to Regigigas, and he is already on his way back to the Temple of the Titan to awaken Regigigas."
  
  Alder nodded, "Fine. I'll trust that. But what do you need from us? You are all more experienced at dealing with such a threat than we are - so we'll let you take the lead on this. A hostile Legendary is a good reason to put aside any regional political concerns for now, isn't it?"
  
  That response was fortuitous for them, because it meant that Alder knew that this wasn't the time for politics or pride. It was a time for action.
  
  "I will immediately mobilise the Indigo Elite Four. Steven, you should do the same over in Hoenn." His Hoenn counterpart merely nodded, deferring to his greater experience in this, "In Unova, I request that you put all your Gym Leaders on high alert and demand that they get ready for immediate action. Suspend all circuit activities for now until the threat is dealt with, as the Gym Leaders may need to be called to action to help out in the fight."
  
  "Every extra bit of strength matters." Cynthia added, "Another Pokémon in the battle means another point of distraction during the battle against the Legendary."
  
  "It'll be done." Alder nodded, "What else?"
  
  "Beef up any patrols or scouting efforts that you might have." Lance said, "The most important thing to do right now is to locate where the Legendary is and make sure that we have an eye on it at all times. The destructive power of a Legendary is absolutely immense, and the potential lost of life from a single one of their attacks is extraordinary. We cannot afford for that to happen."
  
  "So do we need a generalised evacuation?" Alder asked, "We do have underground and reinforced shelters for such a purpose."
  
  "Yes, they should be evacuated there." Cynthia said, "Admittedly, it might not be enough to protect against a Legendary that's going all-out, but it's better than nothing. More importantly, it's better than allowing the public to just panic in the streets - which is what happened back in Sinnoh when we were fighting against Palkia. Make sure to order your Gym Leaders to help to maintain order. It'll still be chaos, but a more-or-less controlled chaos is better than completely losing control of the situation."
  
  "We still have members of the International Police there. I'll make sure they assist with those efforts." Lance added.
  
  "Thank you both. I'll get on that right away-"
  
  "Oh, one more thing." Cynthia cut in, "If you do get eyes on this new Legendary, do not engage it. I know it might seem tempting, especially if the leaders of PLASMA are right there in front of you. But I promise you wholeheartedly - you will lose that fight. Wait for reinforcements, and more importantly, wait for the arrival of Regigigas."
  
  "Once they're here, then you can take the fight to them. But no sooner than that." She finished.
  
  "...Got it. Anything else we should do?" Alder asked again, noticeably rattled but making a valiant attempt to keep his calm.
  
  "Pray." Was his response, "Pray and hope that we can get through this unscathed. Then swallow those prayers and use it as fuel for your courage and conviction. We will need it for the coming days ahead."
  
  Cynthia nodded, "It's time for us to earn our worth. Let's not disappoint the Legendary Titan."
  
  They all agreed with that, and after a few more moments of discussion, the meeting came to an end. As he let out a tired breath and took a look outside his window, he saw dark thunderclouds ominously looming in the distance.
  
  War was here once again.
  
  A.N. As befits the awakening of a Legendary, the world naturally responds to it. But this time around, I wanted to highlight the difference in reactions between Palkia's awakening and Zekrom's. Thanks to their past experiences, the Leagues are acting much more calmly now. After all, they've done it once before. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-3 - Into the Breach
  
  I landed just outside the Temple of the Titan and quickly stepped inside. The Keepers of the Titan all saluted me as they flanked me, accompanying me down to Regigigas.
  
  They had already been informed about what was to come.
  
  As I stepped into Regigigas' chamber, I felt the bond of connection between us pulse even stronger, like it was bursting to come out.
  
  But there was no pain. Instead, the moment I approached Regigigas' dormant form - I felt it. The familiar sensation of strength wrapped around me as the Legendary Titan began to move.
  
  This time, there was no need for any complicated summoning ritual.
  
  Our bond was built on mutual trust. The moment it had felt that a new Legendary had emerged, Regigigas had 'nudged' me with our bond and alerted me to the situation. With this information, it was on me to decide whether its assistance was needed or not - and if so, then I was to call upon it and reawaken it.
  
  Therefore, as soon as I called for it, it was already ready for me.
  
  Like before, Regigigas' awakening process was slow and lumbering, as if it was shaking off the rust after its long dormancy - though it was moving faster than before since it was dormant for a much shorter period of time. Furthermore, thanks to all the new renovations built around the Temple, this time the Temple did not fall and crumble apart from the slightest movement of Regigigas.
  
  Instead, as soon as I confirmed the awakening, the ceiling above Regigigas began to open up, making space for the Legendary Titan so it wouldn't have to break through the floor to get above ground.
  
  "GIGAS!"
  
  Regigigas' titanic roar still managed to shake the earth itself, and many Keepers, even though they were trained to expect it, still flinched away from the sheer, terrifying power that Regigigas unconsciously emitted. Even their Pokémon, which were veteran of many battles, were momentarily frightened by Regigigas' presence, and they all backed off - quickly leaving the room.
  
  Except for me. Instead, I calmly took a knee in front of the Titan.
  
  "Welcome back, Regigigas." I said solemnly, "We have need of your strength once again. A Legendary has awoken in hostile hands, and its potential for collateral damage is immense. We need to stop it before it can rampage around and destroy all that it comes across."
  
  Regigigas 'stared' at me, and through our connection I could understand the unasked question.
  
  "I cannot know for sure which Legendary it is - but it should be either Zekrom or Reshiram." I replied, explaining the situation just in case it didn't know (though it probably already did), "But this situation shouldn't be the same as Cyrus' - I don't think N would have unnaturally subjugated either Zekrom or Reshiram. I believe they follow him willingly, because N truly embodies their concepts."
  
  Another question came my way.
  
  I nodded, "Yes. It probably is the same situation as it was in my 'memories'. N's probably just a puppet for Ghetsis - who is the true villain here. I don't think that N is all that hostile towards us. But I do have a question, Regigigas... would you allow Zekrom or Reshiram to stay if they don't prove themselves a threat?"
  
  I asked this because I knew that, in the first Black and White game, after you defeat N he departs on top of his Legendary before returning later in Black and White 2. That meant that, during the intermediary period, there was a wild Legendary just roaming around the world without causing widespread destruction.
  
  Therefore, I wanted to know if a similar situation would happen here, assuming that N proves to be friendly and non-hostile after we take down Ghetsis. Or if the threat of a Legendary roaming free, friendly or not, would be too much for the Legendary Titan to allow.
  
  In this case, I knew full well that the final decision rested on Regigigas' shoulders. As I knew that it was only with Regigigas' power that we would be able to take down Zekrom for good.
  
  So it was best to find out Regigigas' position on this in case we accidentally acted in conflict with its interests.
  
  There was an uncharacteristic moment of silence as Regigigas stopped for a brief moment, as if to process my question. As I waited, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the reinforced material that was used to build the Temple, that was specially designed to somewhat resist the effects of Regigigas' raw power, was slowly starting to crack just from the unconscious power that was leaking out of the Legendary Titan.
  
  Considering that it was already made from the sturdiest material that we could find, this was just another reminder about how strong the Legendary Titan truly was. Maybe we would have to somehow find even sturdier material in the future?
  
  I did not know what kinds of calculation went through its head, but after about a minute, Regigigas stared down at me and let out a heavy rumble. My connection with it told me what it was saying.
  
  "...I see." Its answer was a simple thing. Basically, as a fellow Legendary, so long as Zekrom was not actively destroying the world in a mindless rampage, then Regigigas would not interfere with its existence. After all, it was not in its purview to do so, so Regigigas would not dictate to it whether it was allowed to remain in the world or not.
  
  That was an... unfortunate response, but understandable. Obviously, as much as I could emphasise with N's situation, myself and the rest of the Leagues would definitely prefer if Zekrom/Reshiram was sealed and returned to its dormancy once more instead of roaming free.
  
  It was just a matter of practicality. A roaming Legendary was an active Legendary, and active Legendaries had a tendency to accidentally destroy entire cities on a whim. Sure, Zekrom/Reshiram might not do this, but it would be more comforting for us if it just returned back into its Stone form.
  
  If it was allowed to remain active, then I could already foresee the massive headache that would arise just from trying to organise how we would monitor the Legendary - both to check up on what it was doing and to make sure that it wasn't about to suddenly rampage for no reason. Legendaries were always a fickle thing.
  
  Of course, Regigigas didn't care about any of this. These were human concerns, and it was only focused on protecting the natural order - and if it trusted Zekrom/Reshiram to not do damage, then that was that. I understood this, so I didn't begrudge it or try to persuade it. That would be going a step too far.
  
  So I just said this, "Our other allies are going to be joining us soon. Are we going to have the Regi Trio joining us?"
  
  Instead of a response, I suddenly felt three new connections snap into my mind. I flinched from the unfamiliar sensation, but relaxed when I realised what this was.
  
  I just smiled at Regigigas, "Thank you for the trust. I will make sure not to abuse this new authority."
  
  The moment I finished saying that, I felt three new figures rocketing through the air as they proceeded to land right next to me. Regice, Regirock, and Registeel had all awoken - likely the same time that Regigigas did - and had immediately made their way here.
  
  And I was now connected to them, much like I was to Regigigas. Much like with the Legendary Titan, I did not have full command over the Regi Trio. However, I now had a direct line of communication with them as well, without having to go through Regigigas like I did previously.
  
  "ÜN ÜN ÜN"
  
  I smiled at Regirock's 'greeting'. "Thank you for joining us too, but I think we've wasted enough time with introductions. We best get a move on before the Legendary starts rampaging."
  
  The Regis agreed, and we finally departed from the Temple of the Titan. The four of them rocketed into the air, with me 'riding' on top of Registeel.
  
  Normally, I would be flying on Port or Zephyr. However, considering the distance between Unova and Sinnoh, riding on one of the Regis was the quickest way there.
  
  It just wasn't very comfortable - Registeel was many things, but it was definitely not built for comfort. Though at least it was marginally better than riding on Regice or Regirock.
  
  Before we got out of the signal range of Sinnoh, I made sure to contact Cynthia and inform them of our current situation.
  
  "Understood." Cynthia replied, "The Elite Four for all regions have been rallied, and are on their way to Unova now. However, given the distance, we will be the first to arrive."
  
  "How will you be getting there? Because I'm getting carried by a Legendary." I asked.
  
  "We're on fast-moving Staraptor bred and used by our rangers for long-range travel. They are much faster than the regular ships." She explained, "So we should be there in a day's time."
  
  "Okay. Tell the Unova League to expect me." I said, "I'm not going to be wasting any time. The moment we arrive, then I'm going to start the hunt straight away. I'm not going to ask the Legendary Titan to hold back."
  
  "Got it." She replied, "I'll let them know to expect you."
  
  I arrived in Unova in half a day's time - much faster than I would have if I had travelled by conventional means. They might not look like it, as they looked like slow and lumbering titans, but the Regis were able to move much faster than you'd expect.
  
  I was probably protected by some sort of invisible shield, because at the speeds they were flying at, either I would have been heavily battered by the oncoming winds or would have just fallen off them entirely.
  
  However, neither of those things occurred, and I landed on the outskirts of Mistralton City. Given that I had already contacted the Unova League about my impending arrival as soon as I entered signal range, Drayden was already there waiting for me when I arrived.
  
  I noticed Drayden's eyes widen with surprise as he saw me flanked by all four Regis, but he managed to compose himself quickly as he greeted me, "Thank you for coming so quickly."
  
  "It's no issue." I replied, "What's the situation? I don't want to waste any time."
  
  "We've still not spotted the Legendary that you've detected." He replied with a concerned frown, "However, we can confirm that a sudden surge of unknown energy has been detected by our sensors - which confirms that a Legendary has likely awakened. We just don't know where it is, since that energy was spread across a large and general area."
  
  "I guess it means it hasn't destroyed anything yet at least." I said.
  
  "Indeed, I suppose we can consider that a silver lining." He nodded, "Most of the population have already been alerted and ordered to evacuate to their nearest shelters. However, as we've not had to use such emergency procedures in a while, things were more disorganised than anticipated."
  
  Not unexpected. The fact that Unova had these shelters in the first place, which I knew were left over from a war that happened a long time ago, was already a big and unexpected benefit. Admittedly, most of them were probably in disrepair, but it was better than letting the public run around in a panic.
  
  "The rest of the Elite Four are currently working with the Unova Police and Rangers to track down this Legendary." He continued, "But we are confident that it is not located in or near any of Unova's main cities. They must be in the wilderness somewhere."
  
  "Got it. I'll help out there then." With Regigigas by my side, I hoped that I would have an easier time than the others, since I believed that a Legendary should be able to detect another Legendary.
  
  And already, without needing me to say anything, Regigigas suddenly took off into the air as it flew over to the north. Did it already detect something?
  
  I quickly said as much to Drayden before I rushed after Regigigas, once again on Registeel. Drayden meanwhile took off on his Hydreigon as he flew after us.
  
  I didn't know where we were headed, but after a short flight, we landed somewhere in the middle of absolutely nowhere. All that surrounded us were trees and an untamed wilderness. But there was nothing here. There were no signs of Zekrom or Reshiram.
  
  However, I understood just why Regigigas brought us here. It was impossible to miss the lingering ripples of electricity that somehow persisted in the very ground itself. I even got a nasty shock once I stepped over a particularly electrified patch of grass. So the fact that this electricity was not dissipating already told me what I needed to know.
  
  Zekrom had been awakened - and it had done so right here.
  
  The lingering energies must have been what Regigigas had detected, which is why it had brought us here. But N and Zekrom weren't here anymore.
  
  "...This feeling... I don't like it. It feels like every hair on my body is standing on its ends." Drayden muttered, "What happened here? Is this where the Legendary awakened?"
  
  "I believe that's the only thing that could explain this feeling." I nodded, before turning back to Regigigas, "Zekrom must have awakened here. It is the only Legendary that could emit this kind of energy."
  
  "...The Legendary of Ideals..." Drayden muttered, a frown appearing on his face, "How obsessed must they be for their goals that they'd be able to awaken Zekrom of all things?"
  
  "Never underestimate the determination of a madmen." I stated, "We learnt that lesson after dealing with Cyrus. But we've gone off track."
  
  I turned back to Regigigas, who had been inspecting the surroundings, "Regigigas, are you able to detect where Zekrom has gone?"
  
  A denial pulsed through our bond as Regigigas explained that it could only really detect Zekrom if it let out a lot of ambient energy, as it did with its awakening. Meaning that unless it started rampaging and using its power freely, Regigigas was not suited to tracking it down.
  
  I let out a frustrated sigh; I had been hoping for this to not be the case, but it seemed like we were going to do this the hard way. I had hoped that Regigigas would just somehow be able to know where Zekrom was at all times, but it wasn't to be.
  
  We were going to have to hunt down N and Zekrom the hard way.
  
  I quickly realised that this fight might turn out to be a mirror of my fight against Cyrus and Palkia. With Cyrus, there was no time for subterfuge or clever tactics. We all knew where he was, so there was no need to 'track' him down, we just had to get through to Spear Pillar and stop him before he destroyed the world.
  
  With N and Zekrom, it appeared that things were less simple. As far as I was aware, they didn't have a specific goal in mind except 'make PLASMA win'. Of course, knowing Ghetsis, he was going to do so by manipulating N to making use of Zekrom to subdue the population of Unova, and to do that he was going to need to terrorise the population into submission.
  
  Except, unlike Cyrus, there was no 'main target' that he had to go for. He could strike anywhere with Zekrom, and there was little anyone could do to stop him when he was backed up by the power of said Legendary. If he relied on hit-and-run attacks alone, then I wouldn't be surprised if he could completely destroy and level multiple cities before we could take him down.
  
  ...Which is why I was incredibly confused by the fact that he had not done so yet. Knowing what Ghetsis was like, he was absolutely not the type of person to extend any sense of mercy. If he had his way, he would be eradicating every city in Unova without delay.
  
  I knew he was perfectly fine ruling over a pile of ashes, so long as it was him ruling in the end.
  
  So the fact that he hadn't been doing that told me that there was something I was missing. Something was causing Zekrom to hold back, whether that be something to do with the Legendary itself or with N.
  
  I didn't know what it was, but I hoped I was right. I really didn't want Unova to turn into a wasteland.
  
  I said as much to Drayden, who nodded in horrified agreement, "...The fact that well-being of Unova rests on a hunch like that is alarming. But there must be something we could do to limit the damage done. The other Champions explicitly told Alder that we should take account of your suggestions for this matter - given you are more experienced than we are with situations like this."
  
  I gave that question some serious thought before replying.
  
  "Keep up the monitoring efforts for now." I said, "The most important part is locating Zekrom and preventing it from striking any of the cities of Unova. To that end, I'll have the Regis split up and support all patrolling efforts - while also prioritising the more populous cities. If Zekrom is spotted and this devolves into a fight, do not engage unless you are backed up by a Regi. Make sure that this is perfectly understood by all law enforcement members. You will not put up a fight otherwise."
  
  During the fight against Palkia, the Legendary of Space was able to literally hold us in place by manipulating the space around it. If it weren't for the Regis and their aura of normalcy that reset the warped space back to normal, we would never have been able to fight against Palkia.
  
  I didn't know if Zekrom could pull off something similar with its 'special' electricity, or if its aspect of Ideals could be utilised in a way that could somehow neutralise our fighting ability, so it was crucial that we fought alongside the Regis and their ability to cancel out such effects.
  
  It was better safe than sorry.
  
  "Understood." He nodded, before lowering his head to speak into the walkie-talkie that he had attached to his shirt, "You heard that, Marshal?"
  
  "I did." Marshal's voice filtered through the walkie-talkie, "Is there anything else you'd suggest we do?"
  
  "Given that Zekrom's primary attack Type is Electric, it would be prudent to arm your trainers with as many strong Ground types as possible in preparation for a fight." I said, "However, don't forget that Legendaries operate under different rules than your typical Type restrictions. I can tell you from experience that type immunities do not apply when it comes to an attack from a Legendary. Always assume that your Pokémon will not be able to survive an attack from a Legendary. Dodging is always preferred."
  
  I really wanted that particular point drilled into their head. You could not afford to take any risks when you're fighting against a Legendary.
  
  "-Meanwhile, it would be better if we could wait for the reinforcements to arrive before a confrontation, but of course I understand that this is out of our control." I continued, "Other than that... what's the situation with the public? I know they've been evacuated, but how's public sentiment?"
  
  "Not great." Drayden replied instead, "Like I said before, the evacuation was disorganised and very abrupt. Emergency measures such as these haven't been used in a long time, and the public weren't happy about having their daily lives disrupted like that. They're not protesting now, but discontent is rising. Things will only get worse if they're forced to stay in those shelters for a long period of time - which they might have to do since we haven't even found Zekrom yet."
  
  "We're doing our best to ferry as many people as we can out of Unova." Marshal added, "Alder's already in communication with your Champions to accommodate the evacuees from Unova. Being forced to leave is probably not any better, but at least it'll be better than keeping them confined in shelters that haven't been maintained in a long time."
  
  "It's a thankless task, but it's best if we can do all we can to get them out of the line of fire." I agreed.
  
  "Keeping the public safe is our number one priority - it is our greatest duty." Drayden stated firmly, "They can hate us, but so long as they are alive and well to do so, then I will gladly accept their anger. But we've talked enough, we need to get back to patrolling."
  
  He turned around and released his Hydreigon again, "I will not allow PLASMA to threaten us into submission. Legendary or not, reinforcements or not, they will break the next time we meet."
  
  I smiled, "That's the spirit. I look forward to fighting alongside you all. I promise you, no matter what, Zekrom will fall. It will not win against us. The Legendary Titan will ensure it."
  
  And from behind me, as if to punctuate my point, Regigigas stomped on the ground - causing an enormous shockwave of destruction to ripple out in all directions.
  
  "REGI!"
  
  It was a display of power. A challenge to Zekrom, demanding that it show itself for a proper fight. At the same time, it was a physical reminder to all of our new allies that even though Zekrom was a Legendary, with all that entailed, we had one of our own.
  
  And I was willing to bet that Regigigas was stronger.
  
  A.N. I wanted this Legendary battle to be slightly different from the fight against Cyrus, obviously due to the differing circumstances between the two situations. With Cyrus, his objective was to destroy the entire world by awakening Palkia at Spear Pillar and using its power to end the world.
  
  With Ghetsis/N, their objectives are less static. Ghetsis wants to rule over Unova, and is using Zekrom to force obedience with overwhelming power. Therefore, he doesn't need to be/strike at a specific place, because his goals are more vague than Cyrus'. So John and the authorities are forced to track and hunt him down, and I felt that this needed to be emphasised in this chapter to properly set the scene for the battle and to show off all the preparations that will be done by the Leagues to get ready for this battle. But don't worry, the battle's coming soon (within the next 2 main chapters, I promise!). Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 18-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-4 - War Preparations
  
  Despite the tension that gripped the entirety of Unova, as everyone waited in stiff anticipation for where and when Zekrom would strike - nothing happened.
  
  Even as a few days passed and reinforcements from Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Indigo all arrived in Unova, Zekrom had still not made an appearance. No one had even seen even a glimpse of the Legendary of Ideals.
  
  And that was with Regigigas and the other three Regis helping to patrol around Unova. Even with their assistance, Zekrom and N just couldn't be found. There were just too much ground to cover. We even tried to make use of the tracking device that we had used last time to help track down where the Lake Trio when Team Galactic had kidnapped them - but to no avail.
  
  If Regigigas itself couldn't detect Zekrom, then a fancy device wouldn't be any better.
  
  Drake in particular was pretty upset that there wasn't a fight already there and waiting for him. But despite his grumbling, I could see that he was relieved too. No one wanted to walk into a smouldering ruin of what was once a city.
  
  I was just pleased to see that he was here. Even though I had many other allies beside him, it just didn't feel right going into this without him by my side. As we had done so many times already.
  
  "Should I be jealous that you seem to trust Drake more than me when it comes to battles like these?" Cynthia jokingly asked me.
  
  "It's a different thing." I explained, "Bonds built in battle are just as special, even if they are different, than those built from romance and love. Much like how I would trust you with my life, I trust Drake with mine too."
  
  "I know. I was just teasing." She smiled, "I'm glad that you've managed to forge such strong bonds for yourself. And for all his crassness, I trust Drake with your life too."
  
  However, despite the fact that we had yet to spot Zekrom, it wasn't all bad news. For one, we were using all of this extra time to do everything we could to make sure that we could limit the amount of damage that could be done by Zekrom.
  
  For one, a sizeable portion of Unova's population had now been successfully evacuated out of the region. Many were initially unhappy about this, as we expected, but the Leagues helped to soften the blow by basically providing 'emergency funds' for them to use while they were overseas.
  
  In other words, we were bribing them. They could spend the funds on whatever they wanted during their overseas stay, and while each person didn't get all that much money, it stacked up if you went with your whole family. So basically, since they were both getting a free stay and their expenses would be pretty much all paid for, people were treating it like a holiday and were happily following through on the evacuation protocols.
  
  At first, I thought that offering such incentives would be hugely costly for our regions. However, Cynthia explained to me that since the money had to be used while you were overseas, most of that money will just re-enter into the local economy anyways as they used it to purchase food, gifts, clothes, or whatever other souvenirs that they wanted to buy. Therefore, it wasn't as big of a financial loss as it first appeared to be.
  
  Meanwhile, for those that decided to remain in Unova, they were unfortunately asked to remain in the shelters for the time being until the crisis was resolved. However, since Zekrom still wasn't attacking, we made use of the extra time to not only reinforce said shelters, but we also made them more inhabitable and comfortable for those within.
  
  That was where I had asked Regirock for assistance. Initially, I wasn't sure if it was 'okay' with being used as a glorified construction worker, but since its actions to reinforce the shelters were done for the sole purpose of providing extra protection to those within - and therefore was meant to help preserve their lives against a Legendary threat - Regirock willingly provided its assistance.
  
  And with Regirock and Registeel lending their aid, the reinforcing process was done more efficiently than ever. For one, there was no need to source for any kind of reinforced material when the two Regis could literally form it with their very own hands. Secondly, with their perfect control of geokinesis and ferrokinesis respectively, reshaping and adding the new material onto the existing structures became easier than ever.
  
  It only took a day to reinforce all of the shelters in all of the major cities, and another two days to do the same with the other shelters scattered across Unova. So with all of the new additions and renovations done, the Unova League was confident that the shelters would be impervious to everything but a directly-aimed attack from a Legendary.
  
  Of course, it still wasn't perfect, but it was as good as we were going to get.
  
  Aside from helping with reinforcing the shelters and the regular patrols that I went on, the other thing that took up most of my time was the conversations and discussions that I was having with Regigigas.
  
  Unlike when it had previously awakened to fight against Cyrus, where I had really only spent barely over half a day with it, this time I was in its presence for multiple consecutive days. As a result, I wanted to learn more about Regigigas - beyond the power that it wielded.
  
  As its assigned 'Protector', it was disappointing that I knew so little about Regigigas' true capabilities. All I really knew about it was that it was incredibly strong, obviously, and that it was able to neutralise any esoteric effects that went against the natural laws of the world, like when it had punched through the warped space created by Palkia.
  
  However, aside from those two facts, I didn't know much else about it. I had a vague idea about its craftmanship abilities, since it did supposedly mould the Regi Trio with its own hands, and so that was something I wanted to explore more of.
  
  What else could it craft? Could it create anything that would help us in the upcoming battle? Could it make something that would help protect the cities and livelihoods of those who lived here? I didn't want weapons - I wanted shields.
  
  I wanted as much protection as I could possibly have, not for myself, but for those I was duty-bound to protect.
  
  To that end, what I learnt both pleased and saddened me.
  
  Basically, while Regigigas was an incredible craftsman, it was only really suited for producing large-scale creations, which is why its main creations were the Regi trio. It had the ability to manipulate all sorts of elements, much like the other Regis did, but it generally didn't like to 'build' anything because it went against its own purpose.
  
  It was not supposed to dictate the development of human or Pokémon society. None of the Legendaries were. It was merely a protector. Therefore, it was reluctant to build anything that would last and be relied upon by humans or Pokémon because it saw that as an overstep of its own authority. As a result, it initially refused to create anything that could serve as a 'shield' for the cities of Unova - not because it couldn't, but it didn't see the destruction of buildings (which weren't alive) as something that was a danger to the continuation of human and Pokémon society.
  
  Regigigas wasn't being malicious or apathetic about it, it literally just didn't realise that the destruction of these buildings would be 'harmful' to humans at all. After all, buildings could be rebuilt. It wasn't like Zekrom was permanently scouring the land of all life.
  
  That was the difference between the mindset of a Legendary and a regular human/Pokémon. They just thought differently to us.
  
  So it took me a long while to persuade it to reconsider - for me to explain to Regigigas that, if Zekrom were to rampage and destroy a good portion of a city, that its 'special' electricity might lead to lingering and permanent damage that would forever affect the livelihood of both the Pokémon and humans living here. Damage that couldn't be fixed without the help of a Legendary.
  
  I used the example of Chargestone Cave, and how it remained permanently electrified even after all these years due to one of Zekrom's attacks in the past. I explained how I didn't want the same thing to happen to the cities of Unova, so if there was anything that Regigigas could do to help reinforce the cities itself from any potential attack from Zekrom, then it would be greatly appreciated.
  
  I was very careful to not make it seem like I was commanding Regigigas to do something. Despite our bond, I knew that I was by no means the dominant one in this relationship. I was more of an advisor rather than a commander.
  
  Fortunately, Regigigas acquiesced to that request. Thanks to our connection, I knew that it could sense the earnestness in my plea, and it deemed that my request still fell within the scope of its authority.
  
  Therefore, in all of the major cities, Regigigas crafted and installed a pillar that was made out some extraordinary amalgamation of steel and rock that would somehow absorb and neutralise any electricity that lingering in the ground. It wouldn't protect the buildings themselves against a direct attack, but at least it meant that there would be no lasting damage from a potential Zekrom attack as the 'insulators' would help rapidly de-electrify the land.
  
  Regigigas explained to me that these pillars were basically all but indestructible, and they were somehow safe to touch even if they had just absorbed a ton of electricity.
  
  ...I was pretty sure that went against my understanding of science, but I supposed that Legendaries didn't necessarily need to operate within such boundaries.
  
  However, Regigigas intended to have these pillars be removed after the battle was over. Knowing that I couldn't really argue against that, and it had been very accommodating already, I didn't protest the decision - as much as I wanted these pillars to be a mainstay of every city.
  
  Furthermore, besides the things that I was working on myself, my colleagues both from Sinnoh and otherwise were also working hard to prepare for the upcoming battle. The four Champions were coordinating patrols, evacuation efforts, and allocating everyone into specific 'raid teams' that would be responsible for patrolling a different part of Unova. For example, since I was going to be the centre of any assault, Regigigas and I were placed near the most populous cities.
  
  Moreover, many Nurse Joys and their Chansey/Blissey/Audino were allocated to each raid team as well, just to make sure that any and all healing needs would be met. The same applied for the Jennys, as even though they weren't as strong as the Gym Leaders/Elite Four, every little bit mattered.
  
  This was different to the last time when we confronted Palkia. Palkia's awakening had caught us all by surprise, without any chance to prepare, and took place in a location that we had to attack into. But now, we were able to prepare the battlefield beforehand, so there was no reason why we couldn't stack the deck in our favour as much as possible.
  
  When Zekrom came to attack, it was going to be facing off against the entirety of our collective might.
  
  Overall, between the reinforcing of the shelters, the construction of city-wide 'insulators', and the temporary evacuation of most of Unova's population out of the region, we had really done all that we could in preparation for Zekrom's inevitable assault.
  
  And eventually, almost a full week after I had first detected Zekrom's awakening, the day finally came for us to battle.
  
  (N's POV)
  
  Fortunately, for both himself and Ghetsis, Zekrom had been able to very effectively 'mask' its own presence, and despite his worst fears, the League never found them hiding amidst the outskirts of Unova in the middle of absolutely nowhere.
  
  Of course, Zekrom still naturally radiated out some electricity, but it was a relatively small amount that was no different from the amount you'd expect from an attack from any random Electric Pokémon. It was likely thanks to this that they were able to remain hidden, buying time for N to get used to their new bond together.
  
  Ghetsis had wanted him to attack earlier; to attack immediately after Zekrom's initial awakening. But he was hesitant, and he made the excuse that he wanted to grow more accustomed to his bond first.
  
  Though that wasn't untrue, as now that a few days had passed, he could feel the vision of his ideals becoming sharper and clearer than ever. Now, the more time he spent around Zekrom, the more he felt completely and utterly certain that he would be able to turn his ideals into reality. His soul, and that of Zekrom's, just continued to resonate more and more deeply as the days passed to the point where he couldn't imagine not being by Zekrom's side.
  
  Granted, they didn't have much of an opportunity to test out the true extent of Zekrom's power, since they didn't want the League from finding out where they were, but just through his connection with Zekrom he knew that victory was all but inevitable.
  
  But that had been why he was hesitant to attack. First, it was partially out of fear, but now, it wasn't because he felt that he couldn't win, but because he felt that a fight was all but unnecessary. With such overwhelming strength by his side, the League might see the futility of resistance and should offer a clean surrender, allowing them a bloodless victory.
  
  But that plan was scuttled as one day, Zekrom suddenly warned him of an incoming threat. Through their bond, it informed him that Regigigas had awoken and had roared out a challenge. Daring Zekrom to come and fight. Demanding that they see who was the stronger Legendary amongst them.
  
  He wanted to accept. He wanted to show that his Legendary was no weaker than John's. But Ghetsis refused, stating that they would just be walking into a trap.
  
  "I'm afraid that with Regigigas by their side, the Leagues will be too arrogant to accept your offer for a peaceful surrender, N." Ghetsis said to him sadly, "I know you wanted this to go differently, but like I told you from the very start, the League will never bow down to you unless you force them to with violence. It's just how the world works, unfortunately."
  
  Eventually, he agreed with what Ghetsis was saying, and with a hardened heart, he asked Ghetsis about what to do next. After spending so much time with Zekrom, his resolve had crystallised. He knew he was ready for a fight.
  
  "We only have this one chance, N. We have only the one opportunity to save PLASMA and create the dream that I've worked so hard to help you create. So now the time for hiding is over, we need to strike now and at a target that they wouldn't dare to overlook." Ghetsis explained, "That is why we must strike at the heart of Unova, and the crowning jewel of their beloved region - Castelia City. It is the Unova's League symbol of their corruption and false power. If we were to take it down, it would show the entire region and the rest of the world that PLASMA is not yet defeated, and our ideals are strong enough to destroy even the greatest stronghold of the old and corrupt order."
  
  "The League will be ready for us, though." He said.
  
  Ghetsis snorted, "And what difference would that make to you? You and Zekrom will have the power to overcome any foe - even if they might be backed up by a Legendary themselves. Don't forget, even with Regigigas by their side, they still struggled to take down another dominated Legendary who wasn't even at full power. So you and Zekrom should be able to overpower them easily. Why do you think that, despite the myriad of options I had available to me - thanks to my great intellect - that I chose to go down this path? Because I am fully certain that no matter what kind of obstacles lay in your path, Zekrom will be able to break through them all."
  
  Then Ghetsis let out a dark laugh, "Besides, if anything, my decision to hold you back for a few days has definitely made them drop their guard. They won't be ready for you, I promise that."
  
  ...He definitely recalled differently; Ghetsis had never 'held him back' at all. His father had been getting more and more erratic the longer they stayed out in the wilderness like this. The poor living conditions must have been getting to him.
  
  And, for some reason, Zekrom never approved of Ghetsis' words. Every time his father opened his mouth, he always felt a slight twinge run through his bond with Zekrom. He never quite understood it, because nothing that his father said was wrong.
  
  "However, there is no reason we can't do this smartly." Ghetsis continued, "Zekrom might be very strong, but you aren't. Knowing the League, they will not hesitate to assassinate you if they think that it will bring them victory."
  
  "...They're willing to stoop to such levels?" N muttered, horrified. Yet at the same time, he knew it was the truth.
  
  As much as John seemed like a kind person when he met him, he remembered the threatening words from John's starter - Tyrant would not hesitate to bury him if he was deemed a threat. And the other trainers would likely be no different. It... probably wasn't out of cruelty, just necessity. They were too blinded and too defensive of their false ideals.
  
  "Definitely. They will do all they can to stop us from winning - even if it means putting you down." Ghetsis nodded gravely, "So you have to do all you can to protect yourself in a fight, but against so many enemies, that won't be easy. Therefore, when you get into a fight, there are two things you should do."
  
  "One, you should always ensure that Zekrom is protecting you at all times. Surround yourself with an electric shield or whatever - like you've practiced - just make sure to keep yourself safe. Secondly, have your Zekrom divide the battlefield as much as possible. I know that it will win no matter the numbers arrayed against it, but if we can divide our opponent's forces, then all the better." Ghetsis instructed.
  
  He nodded, "Okay. I understand. But what about you? Will you join us in battle?"
  
  "No, I'll be nothing more than a liability." Ghetsis shook his head, "Zekrom will already have its hands full taking care of you. I'll just be a burden if I join you. But don't worry, I'll be rooting for our shared victory. I will be there for the triumphant moment."
  
  Ghetsis placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't forget, N. I've done all that I can to prepare you for this moment. I've taught you everything you know. But there's nothing else for me to do now, the stage is all yours. This is now your time to shine, not mine. So prove to me, to the world, that the effort I've dedicated to you were not wasted."
  
  He nodded firmly, "It won't be. I know what I have to do." Even if he hated it. He knew it was the only way forward.
  
  PLASMA had to win. For his ideals. For the better world of his dreams. Or it would be all for nothing.
  
  "Good." Ghetsis smiled, "Then go. Once you're done, I'll find a way to meet back up with you. Even after you win over the League, there'll no doubt be many pockets of resistance out there that need to be destroyed. I'll help you with managing everything once it's all done, and I'll help you create the world of your ideals."
  
  Ghetsis straightened and looked down at N like a king proclaiming his decree, "Don't forget. You are the embodiment of PLASMA. The very symbol of our ideals! So go and show the world the strength of your dreams! The determination to create the perfect utopia! All of our enemies are going to be gathered in one place, so now's the time to destroy them all! Destroy them in the name of the greater good for all Pokémon! Destroy them in the name of happiness! Destroy them in the name of PLASMA!"
  
  "And go and save the world, N. For only you can do so!"
  
  He kept those words in his heart as he flew off on Zekrom for Castelia City. His blood rushed with tense and nervous anticipation as he prepared himself for the battle ahead.
  
  Even if battling was not in his blood, he knew that his bond with Zekrom would carry the day. It had to.
  
  It must.
  
  A.N. One last set-up chapter before the fight ahead, because unlike the fight with Palkia, this time preparation is going to play a big part for the battle. I really didn't want to gloss over this, because I felt that this was one of the main difference points between this battle and the fight against Palkia. Furthermore, I wanted to emphasise how Regigigas can help out more compared to other Legendaries thanks to its craftsmanship abilities, which I wanted to highlight here.
  
  Also for the N sections, as you probably already know, but don't treat anything of what Ghetsis says as the truth. The man speaks almost entirely in half-truths to N.
  
  But yes, the battle is coming in the very next chapter. All of the fighters are in play, and the battle for the fate of Unova is finally here. This will be one more clash of Legendaries! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-4 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 18-4 - Interlude - Pokenet Reactions
  
  [EMERGENCY EVACUATION: ALL CITIZENS OF UNOVA ARE ORDERED TO EVACUATE TO THE NEAREST POKÉMON SHELTER AT ONCE!] By Unova Today
  
  EVACUATE TO THE NEAREST SHELTER AT ONCE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR PHONE. GATHER ONLY THE NECESSITIES!
  
  A POTENTIALLY HOSTILE LEGENDARY HAS BEEN DETECTED.
  
  MARTIAL LAW WILL BE DECLARED. CURFEW WIILL BE ENFORCED. ANY CITIZENS FOUND OUTSIDE THEIR SHELTERS BY THE END OF TODAY WILL BE ARRESTED AND TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
  
  YOU ARE TO REMAIN IN YOUR SHELTERS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
  
  Comments
  
  Comments have been disabled for this article.
  
  [Topic: So... how's everyone doing down here?] by Amoogus
  
  Didn't even remember we had these shelters. I'm pretty sure the Unova League's forgotten about them too, because mine looks like it's going to take one good hit before the entire thing collapses on us.
  
  I honestly feel safer in my own house than I will here. These things are ancient, and not in a good way. So I'm really not sure that these things will be able to withstand against an attack from a Legendary anyways.
  
  My fear of imminent death aside, anyone know what Legendary we're talking about here and why one suddenly awakened? Or better yet, anyone know when we can leave these fucking shelters? I'm getting cabin fever just sitting here. There's no privacy!
  
  Comments
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Wait does your shelter have those divided rooms? Or do you all sleep together in one big room?
  
  Amoogus
  
  We have a few rooms for sleeping, but each room contains dozens of beds. It's more communal than private, and it's horrible. What's worse is you don't really get tired because there's nothing to do but sit around and wait, and the beds are hard as nails.
  
  I just want out of here. Please.
  
  Iris4Champion
  
  ...We probably aren't going to get let out for some time. If the League willingly announced that there was a potentially hostile Legendary out there, evacuating us into the shelters is probably the right thing to do.
  
  UnovaNo1
  
  But what about our essential workers? Are we just going to allow Unova's economy to stop functioning just like that? All the while the other regions continue to do business and make money?! ABSOLUTELY NOT!
  
  The Unova League cannot afford to halt everything just because of a so-called 'Legendary threat'. We should be back home and working! RISE AND GRIND PEOPLE!
  
  ElesaFan
  
  No thanks. I'll take the free vacation. I'm salaried anyways.
  
  [FULL EVACUATION OF UNOVA ORDERED! THE ELITE FOUR TAKE OFF FOR UNOVA! A NEW LEGENDARY THREAT LOOMS OVER UNOVA!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Zoomed-in picture of the Sinnoh Elite Four flying through the air. There is also another zoomed-in and blurry picture of John flying on Registeel]
  
  An emergency warning has been issued today in Unova, requesting for all citizens to evacuate to their nearest shelter as a potentially hostile Legendary has been detected. Likewise, all of the Elite Four from Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh have been immediately deployed to assist.
  
  Protector John was also seen flying over with Regigigas and the Regi trio to provide assistance, which just goes to show just how serious they are taking this situation.
  
  Likewise, all Gym activities have been temporarily suspended as all Gym Leaders are to be placed on high alert in response to this crisis.
  
  As of the time of writing, no other information have been provided by the Leagues about what Legendary has been awakened and/or who awakened them. We will let you know once we have further information.
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  What a terrifying thing to wake up to. I thought that after the Day of Calamity was over we wouldn't see another Legendary crisis like this for at least a decade or so. I really didn't expect we'd get another one so soon.
  
  My gut instincts tell me that PLASMA has something to do with this. As far as I'm aware, they are the only major criminal group remaining. Or maybe I'm overthinking this and this was simply caused by a Legendary deciding to emerge into the world for whatever reason. But since it's in Unova... I'm really leaning towards the former, unfortunately.
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  Same. The timing of events is too much of a coincidence for it to not be related to PLASMA. I don't know what the fuck those scumbags are trying to pull this time, but whatever they're trying to do - we already took down one madman that tried to utilise the power of a Legendary, so we can take down another.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  I'm sending my thoughts and sympathies to those in Unova. I'm sorry that you have to go through something like this, but at least things seem better organised than when we had to deal with a rampaging Legendary of our own. May the lessons we learned be helpful.
  
  If anyone from Unova is reading this, please be assured that the threat will be dealt with as soon as possible. John and Regigigas are already confirmed to be on their way there, and they'll definitely be ready to stand up against any Legendary. So please just sit tight and wait it out!
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  How does something like this even happen? Did all four Leagues really get no warning that a Legendary was going to awaken?
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I don't think it's possible to have a 'early detection system' for a Legendary's awakening/emergence. It's not like an earthquake or tsunami - there just aren't any early warning signs to detect. They kind of just appear, sadly.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I know this might sound callous, but if we do get a Legendary vs Legendary fight once again, I really hope that someone's going to record the battle and post it online.
  
  With the fight against Cyrus, I know that everyone was fighting for their lives and the sake of the world and all - and I do greatly appreciate their efforts - but the trainer in me laments that there was never any footage of the fight. I mean, from all of the descriptions we got from that battle, it sounded like a truly epic fight that would easily be worthy of the history books. I just want to be able to see a battle like that for myself.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Same, actually! This is the second time that Regigigas has been active, so hopefully we can all see what it's truly capable of and why it deserves to be called a Legendary! Same goes for the Regi Trio too!
  
  PhantomDancer (Verified POG)
  
  I have had the unique pleasure of speaking and fighting alongside John during the Day of Calamity. I was there when we confronted Palkia and took down Cyrus.
  
  Many would think that Regigigas carried the day, and without it we would have lost. That is true, but John's ability to command and give suggestions to Regigigas saved us from an untimely demise multiple times over. So I have full confidence that this time will be no different.
  
  TheLightHouse (Verified POG)
  
  To repeat what Fantina said - things will be different this time. Last time, excluding Flint and I, there were fourteen other Gym Leaders or Elite Four members participating in that battle against Palkia. This time, against whatever Legendary's been awoken in Unova? There will be much more than fourteen people confronting it. The League's best and greatest will stand together against whatever threat is coming their way. I have full confidence in our victory.
  
  StageChampion (Verified POG)
  
  I understand that the public are understandably nervous about such sudden developments. Hostile Legendaries are never fun to deal with. However, much like the others have said, I know for certain that we will stand firm. No matter the threat that comes our way, I have full trust in our great trainers to hold the line and repel the threat - especially with our own Legendary on our side.
  
  We will not break! We would not allow some maligned terrorist to force their twisted ideals onto us!
  
  [Topic: So... how are you finding your vacation in Sinnoh?] By ElesaFan
  
  I mean it beats staying in a shelter all the time. Though I did hear that they were doing a lot of renovation work before we left.
  
  Did anyone choose to stay? Honestly, pretty dumb decision if you did. Can't believe they'd even give us an allowance when we came over to Sinnoh. I guess the Sinnoh League was feeling generous!
  
  Comments
  
  Amoogus
  
  'A lot of renovation work' doesn't even cover it - in fact, it's a huge understatement. I chose to stay in Unova, and at first I significantly regretted doing so, even though I really didn't feel comfortable leaving my region behind while it was 'under attack'. But now, I'm kinda happy with my decision, especially after seeing the Unova League has been working harder than I've ever seen them.
  
  First of, all of our shelters were rapidly renovated. THEY EVEN GOT THE REGIS TO ASSIST! Now that was REALLY cool, seeing the Regis in person like that. And they did incredible work, as our entire shelter was practically rebuilt from the ground up in like under an hour. These Regis are SO powerful, I wish Unova had a few of our own.
  
  [Picture of Regirock and Registeel]
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Okay, those pictures are pretty cool. It almost made me regret not staying, if only to see the Legendaries in person like that. But I still think leaving to Sinnoh was better, though at least they haven't forgotten about you guys who chose to remain.
  
  Amoogus
  
  Like I said, the Unova League's working hard. I spoke with one of the Jennys, and they told me that many cities are also being reinforced as well to hopefully minimize the potential collateral damage. They've really thought things through. Good job, Alder.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Wait, NO WAY YOU GOT TO SEE THE REGIS IN PERSON!? YOU'RE SO LUCKY WTF I WANT TO DO THAT! DID THEY TALK TO YOU OR ANYTHING?
  
  Amoogus
  
  Nope. They just entered into the shelter, started manipulating the surrounding metal and rocks, and then rebuilt everything before leaving.
  
  The only 'communication' they had was when Regirock went "ÜN ÜN ÜN" or something. No idea what that meant, but it's kind of catchy.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Woah, didn't expect a discussion about Legendaries to be on a post like this - glad I found it though. This might be the first time we've seen real Legendaries helping out with 'mundane' tasks, which is really cool and interesting. I would have really loved to see this for myself.
  
  How strong would you say the lesser Regis are? I doubt they'd show off their true power when helping with construction work, but how much stronger do you think they are compared to the average Pokémon? And do you have video evidence?
  
  Amoogus
  
  In terms of pure geokinesis and ferrokinesis respectively, I'm pretty sure they're second to none. I have not seen a Pokémon manipulate, shape, or reinforce steel and rock with such ease as the Regis do. It was like the material was a part of themselves, which perhaps is the case. So even though they haven't shown off their raw strength, their proficiency in manipulating the elements already tells me a lot about how strong they are.
  
  And seeing them now in action, I can see why many are saying to not be worried. If Regigigas is even stronger than the Regi Trio I've seen, then I'm confident that we can overpower whatever threat comes our way.
  
  EDIT: Also sadly, no videos.
  
  ElectricModel (Verified POG)
  
  For those remaining in Unova, please rest assured that us Gym Leaders have been in constant communication with both our Elite Four and Champions, as well as those who have arrived from overseas. We have yet to come into contact with the potentially hostile Legendary, but every preparation and precaution are being made to ensure that if this turns into a fight, the amount of collateral damage will be minimised as much as possible.
  
  I do understand how disruptive all this might be for most of you, but once this crisis is resolved, you will be returned home safe and sound as soon as possible.
  
  SpiritedWriter (Verified POG)
  
  What Elesa said! And on behalf of the Unova Elite Four, we do apologise for the inconvenience caused. But we take your safety as our utmost priority, which is why we have come to the decisions that we have.
  
  But we will weather this storm, and things will return to normal soon. Thank you for your understanding.
  
  [EMERGENCY ALERT: LEAVE CASTELIA CITY NOW!] By Unova Today
  
  FOR THOSE IN CASTELIA'S SHELTERS - FOLLOW EVACUATION PROCEDURES NOW! THE HOSTILE LEGENDARY IS APPROACHING! LEAVE NOW FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY! LEAVE ALL BELONGINGS BEHIND!
  
  LEAVE NOW! AND DO NOT RETURN TO THE CITY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! ALL TRESPASSERS WILL BE ARRESTED!
  
  Comments
  
  Comments are disabled for this article.
  
  A.N. I felt like showing the public reaction to the upcoming battle would be good. Originally, this Interlude didn't even exist, and today might not have an upload, but I found some time to write it - so here it is. Hope you enjoyed! As promised, next chapter is the battle!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-5
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-5 - The Power of Ideals
  
  The alarms blared halfway during the day around the entirety of Unova, instantly pulling us to full alertness.
  
  Before I could even say anything, Regigigas had already rocketed into the sky, and I was forcefully dragged along for the ride as Registeel picked me up and flew after it.
  
  My radio became swarmed with voices as everyone scrambled to respond and find out more about the situation, but one thing was evidently clear to everyone.
  
  Zekrom had finally shown up. And it was flying far faster than we had expected.
  
  It was initially spotted just north of Icirrus City. Fortunately, even though it was well within its capability to do so, Zekrom didn't rain down a barrage of destructive thunderbolts on the isolated city, and simply flew past it harmlessly. It instead was making a beeline for the largest city in Unova - Castelia City.
  
  Several fliers were immediately ordered to intercept Zekrom, but it was no use. Even the fastest Flying Pokémon we had was no match for Zekrom's speed as the Legendary flew forwards while leaving a crackling trail of electricity in its wake.
  
  With how it had encased itself in a sphere of lightning, it was almost like it was moving as fast as a real current of electricity.
  
  But we were ready for it. Given that Castelia City was the largest and most populous city in Unova, we had given it extra attention and reinforcements, since we figured that Castelia was going to be one of their likeliest targets.
  
  Therefore, the second that we got the alert and had figured out Zekrom's intended destination, an army of Jennys and International Police members stormed the Castelia shelter with as many Psychic types as possible as they Teleported everyone out of the shelter and into a different one.
  
  Meanwhile, the trainers that were on guard duty instantly sent out their full teams and began to have them all buff up with as many setup moves as possible.
  
  By the time I arrived with Regigigas, it was like an army of Ground types had flooded into the streets of Castelia. And they weren't just on the streets either - there were many Rangers that had set up on the roofs with their Pokémon, just to give us another angle of attack.
  
  Personally, I thought that it took a very brave person to willingly fight on an elevated position that could easily be destroyed, which meant that you were at risk from plummeting to the ground. It was undoubtedly dangerous, since it risked great injury unless you were caught by your Pokémon, but I admired their courage.
  
  And if that wasn't enough, sandbags and other fortifications had been set up all over the streets, with Nurse Joys tents dotted around every few dozen meters or so.
  
  The entire city had been transformed into a battlefield. Or more accurately, a kill zone.
  
  I landed near one of the medical tents, which I saw was fully stocked up with all sorts of Potions, Revives, Ethers, and many other recovery items that had been brought over for the emergency. Not only that, rubber suits and boots of all kinds were brought over for us to change into as an extra layer of protection.
  
  One of the Jennys escorted me to the changing area for me to do so, and once I was fully decked out in my rubber suit, I looked around and realised that I was one of the first to arrive. But there were already a few trainers there that I recognised.
  
  Burgh, Elesa, Lenora, Karen, Sidney, and Marshal were there already. All wearing the same rubber gear that I was.
  
  It looked a little ridiculous, but safety was what was most important.
  
  "You came quickly." Burgh greeted me, his Pokémon flanking them as they all began to setup. Mine were doing the same, "We probably have just under two minutes before arrival. The others have already signalled that they're on their way and should arrive just a minute or two after that. And Alder said he's on his way from the League building too with Lance and Cynthia."
  
  "Got it." I nodded, "You ready for this?"
  
  Elesa nodded slowly, her hair looking more windswept and unruly than I had ever seen it before. She must have rushed over here like I did.
  
  "I hope so, but I've never been in a battle like this before." She said, "Legendaries were supposed to be things of myth - I never thought I'd be in a situation to actually fight one. But I know my duty, so whether I'm actually ready or not, I'll be fighting alongside you all. Even if I'm not sure how my Electric types will be that helpful against Zekrom."
  
  "It's not always about doing damage." I replied reassuringly, "I mean, no offense intended to Flint, but when we fought against Palkia his Fire types weren't the most useful either. But every little bit helps, and you can always take up a more supportive role - just like you did when we fought together. Make use of Helping Hands, or use your Electric types to help defend against attacks if you think it's safe to do so. Be creative about it. You can contribute in many other ways than just damage."
  
  "Well said." Marshal agreed, "We are currently in an extraordinary situation, but that doesn't mean we can make excuses. The livelihood of Unovans depend on us. We must make sure we are worthy of their trust."
  
  Lenora chuckled, "This isn't the way I wanted to study a Legendary, but I guess you have to make do sometimes." Then she turned to me, "Oh, and I never thanked you for the tips you shared, John. They really helped."
  
  As part of our preparations, those who had been in the battle against Palkia had freely shared their own experiences during it, just to give everyone an idea of what to expect in the battle. Part of that retelling was how we were all basically thrown around like ragdolls as Palkia forcefully manipulated the space around us.
  
  We didn't hide the fact that we nearly died either, as we felt that it was very important to have realistic expectations going into the battle. It was better to be overprepared than to overestimate yourself and get yourself seriously hurt.
  
  So I just smiled back, "No problem. I hope they helped. Just... brace yourself for some pain. Like I said before, the Legendaries don't care if you're in the line of fire. So I hope you have good pain tolerance."
  
  "Was it really that bad last time?" Elesa frowned.
  
  "After I got thrown against the stone floor multiple times? My back hurt for days after the battle." I replied seriously, "So just get ready for that."
  
  Elesa looked like she was about to reply, but she was interrupted as many other fliers started landing around us. Many of them were either more members of the Unova Police and Rangers, or were members of the International Police that had come to assist. Among them, many of my former colleagues and other Elite Four members had also arrived too. I spotted both Cynthia, Drake, Bruno, Steven and Lance somewhere among the crowd as well.
  
  It wasn't hard to recognise their signature Pokémon.
  
  But we didn't get a chance to greet each other as a massive thundercloud suddenly appeared in the sky above us, causing the sky to instantly darken. The sky crackled and thundered with electricity, and I felt every hair on my body stand on their ends.
  
  And, as if to signal its grand entrance, an enormous wall of electricity was instantly erected around the entirety of Castelia City, trapping us within the tremendous barrier of lightning.
  
  All around me, I saw trainers unconsciously flinching as their bodies screamed at them to run away, with many of them unknowingly taking a step back as a sense of primal fear started to consume them.
  
  However, I had been through this once already. So instead of flinching, I rushed forwards towards Zekrom with my Pokémon and Regigigas by my side.
  
  But then my instincts suddenly screamed out at me. And I looked up with grim realisation as I watched as a horrifying tsunami of blue electricity wash over the entirety of Castelia City - electrocuting all in its wake. Buildings, telephone poles, and our very own bodies - nothing was spared.
  
  Fortunately, Registeel appeared right in front of me and took the hit for me, absorbing all of that electricity into itself while remaining mostly unaffected.
  
  My peers were less lucky. Some of their Pokémon were quick enough to tank the blow for their trainers, although their protection came at a great cost as Zekrom's attack ripped straight through and all Protect shields, which practically guaranteed a paralysis on any Pokémon that was hit.
  
  And for those who weren't protected by their Pokémon? They all collapsed to the ground as their bodies were painfully overloaded by the enormous surge of electricity - their rubber suits doing little to help insulate them.
  
  Luckily, the electricity didn't linger for too long as Regigigas' 'insulators' proved their worth and absorbed all of the excess lightning, preventing the ground from remaining electrocuted.
  
  However, that one opening attack from Zekrom had been eye-opening for many. In just one move, Zekrom proved that it was capable of wiping out our entire army's worth of trainers and Pokémon with utter ease. For those that never fought against Palkia and seen the power of the Legendary of Space for themselves, Zekrom's power looked all but unbeatable.
  
  But for me, I was actually a little relieved. I was worried that Zekrom would have some esoteric powers that would affect our ability to fight back, much like how Palkia warped space and held us back from counterattacking. Zekrom was still incredibly destructive, but at least it was the kind of destructiveness that remained understandable.
  
  Nevertheless, as the first tidal wave of electricity receded away, the army of Nurse Joys and their accompanying Blissey, Chansey, and Audino all sprinted into action. Potions and Full Heals were rapidly applied as they worked to counteract the effect of Zekrom's attack and free the Pokémon from their Paralysis.
  
  In the meanwhile, our own counterattack begun. From almost every direction within Castelia, every sort of attack imaginable all bombarded Zekrom's position in the air - like we had just unleashed multiple's artilleries worth of attacks. There was no thought or reasoning behind our attacks. Everyone just threw out their most powerful attacks in Zekrom's general direction.
  
  Ice Beams, Dragon Pulses, Stone Edges, Moonblasts, Dazzling Gleams, Fire Blasts, Psychics, Shadow Balls - it didn't matter if the attack was supereffective or not, they were still sent Zekrom's way. With all of us boosted to the max with the setup moves that we did, we were demonstrating to Zekrom that we were not just some meek Mareep waiting to be slaughtered - we were willing to fight!
  
  At the same time, multiple Helping Hand boosts were set up, while Light Screens and Reflect shields covered almost everyone in the city, bolstering our offense and defence even further.
  
  However, taking down Zekrom would not be so easy. Most of our attacks bounced off a massive shield of electricity that Zekrom had wrapped around itself, and it looked like we were barely making a dent in it since Zekrom kept repairing it by absorbing the lingering Electric energies from its surrounding.
  
  Worse, Zekrom wasn't content remaining on the defensive. It let out another ferocious roar to the skies, causing a storm of devastating Thunderbolts to come raining down like electric artillery shells from above.
  
  But before they could hit their targets, Registeel suddenly exploded with power as it became surrounded by a glowing, silvery aura. The ground around it began to rapidly metallicize as it flared out its Steel aura as much as possible before launching itself high into the air, and right into the path of the incoming Thunderbolts.
  
  Registeel had transformed itself into a walking lightning rod, causing the many bolts of lightning to be redirected into its metallic body, sparing many of the nearby buildings from a grisly fate. Furthermore, Regirock had latched onto Registeel as well, and used its own body to help dissipate the buildup of electricity before it could overwhelm Registeel.
  
  Meanwhile, Regice remained in the air and fired off massive chunks of Ice towards Zekrom, each of them threatening to penetrate through its electric shield and completely freeze it over. So far, with Zekrom out of reach in the air, Regice was actually our most offensive attacker in this fight.
  
  However, even with that, it still wasn't enough to fully blunt Zekrom's offensive. Registeel could only absorb so much electricity, so for the areas where it couldn't protect, enormous spears of pure blue lightning ripped right through entire buildings, apartments, and skyscrapers - towering behemoths of pure steel - like scissors shearing through paper.
  
  In a matter of seconds, large portions of the once beautiful city had been turning into a smouldering and electrified ruin by the destructive powers of Zekrom. And there was nothing we could do about it.
  
  Yet in its mindless destruction, it failed to notice that our attacks were merely a distraction to buy time for Regigigas to get in close. Zekrom didn't even see it coming before an almighty Giga Impact smashed right into it.
  
  A deafening explosion rippled out across the city from the force of the impact alone - the swarm of dark clouds that had been hovering above the battlefield were completely split in half, almost like they were running away in fear of Regigigas' sheer might. The city wasn't spared either, as windows and glass fences were all shattered from the resulting shockwave, while traffic signs and lights were thrown around randomly, almost as if the city had been devastated by an Earthquake.
  
  This was our true reply to Zekrom's power. It's blue electricity might look cool and all, but I had still not seen anything that could match the pure physical power of Regigigas' fist.
  
  Before it could fire back, Regigigas slammed another fist into Zekrom's face, ripping apart the electric shield that it had surrounded itself with and causing it to fall out of the sky. The instant that it did, all three of the other Regis rushed forwards as they threw themselves onto Zekrom and Exploded at point-blank range.
  
  Something akin to a pained growl came out of Zekrom's mouth - the first sign of injury that I had seen on it since the battle had first started.
  
  However, it was then I had realised something even more important.
  
  Unlike Cyrus, who had been protected by Palkia by having the Legendary of Space place him in a different dimension from us - therefore making him immune to our attacks - N had been riding on top of Zekrom while being protected by another thick shield of lightning and had been actively giving it commands during the battle.
  
  However, because of that, the triple detonations of point-blank Explosions right on top of Zekrom pierced right through whatever protections Zekrom had given him, and caused N to be launched away from his Legendary mount.
  
  And he was now flying through the air like a limp ragdoll.
  
  I wasn't the only person to spot this either, and without any hesitation, someone sniped him out of the air with a precise Ice Beam, turning N into a frozen statue before a Thunderbolt ripped right through him.
  
  Seconds later, I heard a radio announcement that N was confirmed deceased.
  
  ...I momentarily stopped what I was doing as I failed to comprehend those words. I almost didn't believe what I was hearing.
  
  I didn't have many interactions in person with N, but I knew that his fate in canon was not as grim as this. In canon, he was allowed to live and become a better person. And in truth, he was an innocent and talented boy, who had been subjected to the manipulations of Ghetsis, leading to his beautiful ideals being twisted into something far more nefarious. But at his core, I knew he could be redeemed.
  
  He didn't deserve to be put down so unceremoniously like this - as if he was nothing more than yet another villain. And I felt a wave of sadness flood into me at that realisation.
  
  However, I didn't blame or begrudge whoever landed the final blow, as it would be completely hypocritical for me to do so. I understood that right now, N was the enemy. He was the controller of Zekrom, and had just launched an attack that had already devastated most of Castelia City. If not dealt with, he would grow into (and already was) a region-wide threat. Taking him down was perhaps ruthless, but it was undoubtedly the right thing to do since it could mean that the fight could end right then and there. Without a controller and the person who awakened it, Zekrom might not continue fighting. So I couldn't blame them for taking this chance.
  
  I just regretted that it had to come to this, because I knew that this could have all been avoided had things been a little different.
  
  But before I could think too much on the topic, a deafening and ear-shatteringly loud ROAR blasted through the entire battlefield.
  
  "BAZZAZZAZASH!"
  
  I was forced to the ground as I began to bleed out of my ears from the sheer volume of Zekrom's roar. And as I eventually recovered and managed to look up, I watched with growing horror as Zekrom's tail started to glow a brighter and brighter blue.
  
  Worse, the storm clouds above us began to change colour. Before, they were dark like your typical thunderstorm, but now they too began to take on an ominous blue glow.
  
  Oh shit. I was pretty sure that taking out its summoner just pissed it off.
  
  My thoughts were immediately proved right as a massive blue orb of crackling electricity suddenly formed in the air, growing bigger and bigger for each second that passed, until it grew to be almost as large as an entire street.
  
  My mind finally realised what I was looking at. A Fusion Bolt was coming.
  
  "REGISTEEL!" I shouted out desperately, hoping that it could understand what I wanted it to do. Luckily, as if it could read my mind, Registeel had managed to quickly reform itself after its previous Explosion and threw itself right into the centre of the Bolt Strike after wrapping itself with a Protect shield.
  
  The instant that Registeel came into contact with the growing Fusion Bolt, it triggered an enormous detonation that sent a massive amount of electricity flying everywhere, which overloaded almost every electronic device in the area and sent us all sprawling to the ground as our muscles all painfully twitched with electricity.
  
  Radios? Walkie-talkies? Earpieces? Phones? Computers? Healing pods? Everything was wiped out. The Fusion Bolt spared nothing, and Castelia City suffered for it.
  
  And even then, I knew that this result was already far tamer than it could have been if not for Registeel.
  
  However, Regigigas had not been standing about idly while we were doing this, and it had shrugged off the enormous electric attack as it took advantage of Zekrom's distracted state to sneak up on it and smash into the back of it with another devastating Giga Impact. Zekrom tried to retaliate with a Dragon Claw, but Regigigas clamped its arms around Zekrom's neck and brutally threw it down into the ground.
  
  It simply could not match Regigigas' strength.
  
  Meanwhile, my own Pokémon had managed to heal themselves off from the paralysis thanks to repeated Heal Bells from Klee, and were topped up with Life Dews from my other supporters. Meaning that they were roaring to get back into the fight.
  
  Tyrant took the lead as he always did, and he was the first to reach Zekrom as he violently slammed into it with a Helping Hand-boosted Play Rough that sent Zekrom stumbling forwards.
  
  All of our other Pokémon were quick to follow suit. Vordt followed it up by mercilessly smashing into its side with a Headlong Rush. Drake's Salamence and Lance's Emperor quickly did the same with a pair of powerful Outrage-boosted Dragon Rushes that slammed in from the other side.
  
  Zekrom tried to retaliate with a Dragon Claw of its own, but that was interrupted by an enormous volley of Psychics from Lucian's and Will's Pokémon - causing Zekrom to flinch for a brief moment before Regice blasted it with another freezing Ice Beam from above. Taking advantage of the chaos, Cynthia's Lucario and Garchomp erupted out of the ground as they ambushed Zekrom with a Dig into point-blank Earthquake combo - before retreating away as Bertha's Hippowdon tanked the incoming Thunderbolt for them.
  
  Not wanting to be left out, Bruno's Annihilape - who had just been tanking hits for the entire battle - appeared like a spectre of violence as it threw itself around Zekrom's neck as it began to furiously pummel it with its massively powered-up Rage Fists. Zekrom managed to force it away by exploding outwards with a massive wave of electricity, but a volley of Dragon Pulses and Ice Beams from Drayden and Lorelei respectively blasted it in the face for its efforts.
  
  All the while, the Nurse Joys were working overtime as they extracted any Pokémon that were wounded and were rapidly applying as many healing items as possible onto them, ensuring that they could stay in the fight for as long as possible.
  
  Any time a Pokémon got injured, they were literally doused with Life Dews and Heal Pulses before being sent back into the battle after a quick checkup.
  
  We were like a well-oiled machine as the battle continued in this fashion. And with the addition of the immense strength of Regigigas and the Regi Trio, Zekrom was completely suppressed in this battle. That single Fusion Strike that it tried at the beginning was the only major attack that it could really get off, because now it was forced to make use of quicker but weaker counterattacks just to try to make some space for itself.
  
  Which just gave our Pokémon the opportunity to continue blasting and pummelling it with everything they had. Although each one of our attacks might not do all that much damage, but combined, the damage was starting to really rack up.
  
  This was the difference between this fight and our fight against Palkia. With Palkia, we only had a certain number of trainers in the battle to fight against us. Our numbers advantage was not nearly as overwhelming as this. However, in this battle, we literally had hundreds of trainers and their Pokémon all attacking at the same time. We were not a squad, but a small army. And Legendary or not, it was starting to feel the pain.
  
  Zekrom was being completely outmatched.
  
  ...At least until it reminded everyone why it was the Legendary of Ideals.
  
  As suddenly, even as it took a Mega Punch from Regigigas to the chest, Zekrom still managed to let out a strange roar that echoed through the air.
  
  But unlike last time, where its roar was nothing more than a straightforward display of power, I knew immediately that this roar was different, because I instantly found myself losing control of my body as my eyes began to glaze over.
  
  The battlefield in front of me rapidly began to disappear.
  
  The destructive horrors of our battle against Zekrom faded into nothing.
  
  The slight tingling sensation I felt throughout my whole body from the pain of being repeatedly electrocuted went away.
  
  And instead, all of this was replaced by a beautiful dream.
  
  As my eyes opened up again, the image around me was completely different. All around me, all I could see were the sounds and sights of Pokémon playing happily in the ruins of Castelia City. But Castelia City was not in ruins due to a battle, but instead, it merely looked like it had been abandoned for decades as vegetation had grown over everything.
  
  Furthermore, amidst these very ruins, all sorts of Pokémon could be seen living harmoniously with each other. No matter where I looked, all I could see was the joy and happiness on the faces of all of the Pokémon.
  
  The cheerful chirping of the Pidove. The adorable flapping of Cottonee's wings. The playful antics of the Timburr. Everything that I saw just radiated a sense of pure and idyllic bliss.
  
  And in the centre of it all was N, surrounded by all of these friendly Pokémon as he cheerfully talked with each and every one of them. Behind him were the Seven Sages, including Ghetsis, as they smiled on with pride and joy as they watched N play around with these Pokémon. Besides myself, they were the only humans here - and it just felt so right.
  
  ...It was so beautiful. Why would I ever want to leave such a paradise? Why would I ever want a world that didn't look like this? From the moment I saw this vision, I knew that this was the world I wanted to create.
  
  I wanted to live in this dream. I wanted to live in this ideal world. I wanted to experience this happiness for myself-
  
  "GIGAS!"
  
  I was forcefully ripped out from this vision as Regigigas' roar echoed through my head, causing me to collapse to the ground as my legs gave out from underneath me.
  
  My mind raged with a massive headache, and I let out heaving breaths as I tried to recover from whatever that was. Before I could stop myself, the contents of my stomach evicted themselves from my mouth as I threw up onto the ground.
  
  I could barely think straight as the headache threatened to overwhelm me. Fortunately, the pain receded quickly, and as I regained my ability to actually think, I realised with horror what Zekrom had done to us.
  
  I had no idea that Zekrom was able to mess with our minds like this. It was not something it had ever displayed in either the games or anime. All that it demonstrated there was its incredible Electric powers. Not something as esoteric and as abstract as this.
  
  Now that I could think straight and was free from its influence, I could tell that I had seen a vision of N's ideals - what he imagined and hoped the world could be. That was why the Sages were there and no one else was, as he likely didn't have any other human contact outside of them.
  
  It had been a beautiful world, a place of utter peace and harmony, and a small part of me wanted to return to that false ideal - to lose myself in that vision once more. Even though I knew that it wasn't real, that it had been no more than a projection of a dead man's dream, it had a way of drawing you back in. And if it wasn't for my connection to Regigigas pulling me out, I might have allowed it to do so.
  
  This was Zekrom's true power, and why it was known as the Legendary of Ideals. It wasn't exactly mind control, it just showed you a vision of the ideals of its awakener and 'persuaded' you to willingly stand down - to embrace their ideals as your own.
  
  That didn't make it any less terrifying to deal with. Losing control of one's own bodily autonomy was never something that could just be shrugged off.
  
  And as I looked around, I realised that I was not the only one affected by Zekrom's power. All around me, our once unified army of trainers and their Pokémon were now afflicted by the same condition that I was just in. Except, without their connection to Regigigas, they weren't able to break free from this false vision as I was.
  
  They were all just standing there with their eyes completely glazed over. I tried calling out to a few of them, but I wasn't even able to garner even the slightest reaction from them.
  
  They were completely lost in the false vision of N's ideals. It didn't matter if they were a Jenny, a Ranger, a Gym Leader, a member of the Elite Four, or a Champion. Their personal strength meant nothing when it came to a mental attack like this.
  
  And unlike with Palkia, where Regigigas and the Regi Trio were able to disperse the twisted areas of space around them, they couldn't do the same with what Zekrom had just done. Probably because Palkia affected the world around us, which meant that it could be neutralised by Regigigas, while Zekrom's seems to be a mental thing.
  
  I suspected that only Reshiram's flames of Truth would be able to disperse this effect. And I was only spared from it thanks to my connection to Regigigas.
  
  So knowing that the others needed me, even though every part of my body screamed at me to rest, and my legs were almost refusing to support the rest of my weight, I forced myself off the ground and refocused myself to continue the fight.
  
  Fortunately, thanks to the connection that I shared with my Pokémon, they were also, in turn, able to snap out of Zekrom's false visions as well.
  
  But it was only us. Everyone else was still trapped in Zekrom's false visions, and unfortunately, I couldn't think of any way of pulling them out of it.
  
  Which meant from now on, it was just going to be me, my team, the Regi trio, and Regigigas against Zekrom.
  
  Fuck it. If the others weren't able to help, then I'll do it myself.
  
  It was time to solo a Legendary.
  
  A.N. I spent a good bit of time thinking about and rewriting how I wanted this fight to play out, and just like with the fight against Palkia, I wanted to show off something that REALLY showed why Zekrom is considered a Legendary - besides its lightning powers. I wanted for Zekrom to be able to show off why it was known as the Legendary of Ideals, and this is what I came up with (And yes, that random scream from Zekrom is the transcript of its ingame roar).
  
  It might seem overpowered, but just to put it into context, if Palkia wasn't being held back by Cyrus' false control over it, if it had truly released its true powers - the world would be gone in a blink of an eye. Zekrom cannot do this, nor can Regigigas. So while Zekrom's ability might look quite powerful, it isn't anything compared to the instant destruction of an entire world.
  
  Also, I debated heavily on what I wanted to do with N. Like I said in the chapter, I actually like N, and a part of me didn't want to kill him off like this. However, I also recognised that his survival was just not feasible given the circumstances he was in. Therefore, instead of giving him plot armour, he was unfortunately put down.
  
  It was a decision that I'm still not sure with, but now that I've written it, I will stick with it and the consequences of it. Sadly, and I am sorry for this, but not everyone can get a redemption arc. Some fucked around and found out. But anyways, hope you enjoyed!
  
  Also, regarding ZA, I haven't looked into it beyond the designs of the Mega Evolutions, as I haven't had the time to do so. So I don't know anything about it.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 18-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-6 - Solo Raid
  
  As much as I wanted to charge in, I knew that there was something else I had to handle first. With my allies now all completely incapable of defending themselves, I couldn't leave them like this, where they were still at such great risk of further injury.
  
  Therefore, I quickly gave out orders to Klaus, Klee, and Luna to start Teleporting as many of them out of the line of fire as possible. There was still a massive electric barrier that surrounded the entirety of Castelia City, but I could at least have my Pokémon bring them to a safer place beforehand.
  
  But even still, I knew I wouldn't be able to rescue them all, and definitely not quickly. Even with the combined abilities of my Elite-level Pokémon, trying to evacuate so many individuals and their Pokémon all at the same time was a herculean task. Doing this also deprived me of some of my best support Pokémon in the fight against Zekrom.
  
  Yet I still needed to at least try, because my conscience wouldn't just allow me to ignore them and leave them where they were.
  
  So after giving out the orders, I finally turned my attention back to Zekrom - who had been staring down at me with what seemed like eyes filled with curiosity. It was as if it was questioning how I remained unaffected by its power.
  
  However, I also recognized that behind that curiosity was a burning and furious rage caused by the loss of its awakener. I knew it in my gut the termination of its connection with N was what triggered it to making use of its full power - N's control over it had actually held it back at first.
  
  But there was no time for regrets now. It was time to fight.
  
  "FORWARDS! FIGHT WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH!"
  
  Fittingly, it wasn't Regigigas or any of the Regi Trio that charged in first, but Tyrant himself. He launched himself forwards, leaping through the air as he jumped over a massive shockwave that washed over the ground, and used a Protect shield to partially block against another Thunderbolt before delivering an almighty Hammer Arm right into Zekrom's face. Thanks to Tyrant already being fully buffed up, Zekrom once again stumbled backwards from the blow.
  
  While all this was happening, I took flight on top of Zephyr, who had been staying back and buffing up the team with a fresh Tailwind. Similarly, Pixel flew next to us as it transformed itself into a Ground type and was blasting out repeated Tri-Attacks against Zekrom.
  
  Not willing to be left behind, Regigigas followed up next with a massive Mega Punch that put Zekrom into the ground. Then, with their powers combined, a trio consisting of Vordt, Smough, and Regirock all unleashed a combined Earthquake Stone Edge combo directly onto the fallen Zekrom. The powerful explosive tremors actually threw Zekrom into the sky, and it was less than a second away from being sniped in the air with an Ice Beam from Regice when it suddenly detonated with blue electricity.
  
  Massive tendrils of blue electricity started flying everywhere, completely destroying everything that it touched. My Pokémon were instantly forced to take cover, as none wanted to take the risk of getting hit by any attack from a Legendary.
  
  However, my slower Pokémon, such as Vordt and Smough, were unable to dodge out of the way in time and were brutally overloaded with electricity. Even though Vordt was supposed to be immune to Electric attacks, that immunity didn't matter at all as Zekrom's blue electricity fully paralysed both him and Smough and sent them collapsing to the ground in a twitching pile of limbs.
  
  Similarly, the Regi Trio had not bothered to dodge either, and all three of them were hit by the blue bolts of Thunder. All three of them instantly shut down as well, as their golem bodies became fully paralysed too.
  
  Zekrom immediately took advantage of our retreat by encasing itself in a blindingly blue draconic aura and charged forwards right into the middle of my team. Ornstein dashed forwards in a valiant attempt to try to block and parry the attack with an Obstruct, but Zekrom shot out another bolt of Thunder that forced Ornstein back. Regigigas did the same, but it was a little too slow.
  
  Leaving Zekrom free to rush towards its intended target - Tyrant.
  
  Many Pokémon, when they saw an enraged Legendary charging their way with a powerful attack, would likely scream and panic. They would be engulfed in fear, and abandon their previous training out of pure desperation. It was more than understandable, as the common Pokémon wasn't ever expected to fight against a Legendary.
  
  But not Tyrant. Tyrant had been through worse.
  
  So when he realised that he was Zekrom's target, all he did was let out a determined grunt as he crossed his arms defensively and braced himself for the attack.
  
  The Protect shield that he threw up was instantly shattered by Zekrom, and Tyrant let out a growl of pain as Zekrom ferociously smashed into him with a devastating Dragon Rush. Even though I was a small distance away, I felt every bone in Tyrant's arms shatter as he did all that he could to defend against the attack. His knees buckled as he forced himself to remain grounded - to not lose grip on the ground and be launched backwards by the impact.
  
  This was the single, most powerful attack that Tyrant had ever had to endure against. Even when we had fought against Palkia, Tyrant was never in such a position where he had to take the full brunt of a Legendary's attack.
  
  So this was the moment when all of his previous training, all of his strength and endurance, was put to the test. Did he have the strength to actually withstand a real, unshielded hit from a Legendary? Would his determination be enough to hold his ground?
  
  And Tyrant, as always, was up to the challenge. Even though he was pushed to the limit, the fierce and bloodthirsty smile never left his face. Channelling every last bit of willpower and fighting spirit that he had, even as every bone in his arms were crushed and broken, he did not break. He did not bow.
  
  He held the line.
  
  Because Tyrant never lost to anyone. Not even a Legendary!
  
  And then, even as his body screamed in pain - Tyrant let out a savage roar, hiding his pain behind his typical veneer of strength. His eyes were mocking, as if he was taunting Zekrom for not being strong enough.
  
  Better yet, he was now utterly glowing with power as he had converted all that stored energy into a Counter.
  
  "SLAKINGGG!"
  
  With a roar that shook the skies, Tyrant valiantly pushed through his own injures as he rocketed forwards with his broken fist glowing brightly.
  
  But it did not glow merely because of the power behind it.
  
  It glowed because it contained the full and complete fighting spirit of a Pokémon that had already fought against Legends, and was now determined to match them in strength.
  
  It glowed because it was the representation of Tyrant's willpower - the desire to never lose a battle, no matter how strong the opponent.
  
  It glowed because he demanded Zekrom to yield to his strength.
  
  And that glowing fist violently smashed into Zekrom's face, forcing the Legendary into the ground as a deafening sonic boom exploded out from the point of impact. The resulting shockwave caused a deep, V-shaped trench to be ripped out from behind Zekrom, tearing through multiple streets in its wake.
  
  Even with his arms both shattered and broken, it was the single most powerful blow that he had ever thrown in his life. And I knew right then and that this blow was almost as powerful in strength to Regigigas' Giga Impact.
  
  Tyrant had actually done it. Even if only for a single blow, he had actually matched a Legendary in strength.
  
  So even though Tyrant collapsed soon after from the sheer extent of his injuries, he did so with a proud and satisfied smile on his face. For he had achieved something that would likely never be beaten for the rest of my lifetime.
  
  Even if there might not be anyone recording this battle, Tyrant had proven to the world itself something that we had all thought was impossible.
  
  He had shown the world that it was possible for a non-Legendary Pokémon to match a Legendary blow-for-blow.
  
  Watching that nearly brought a tear to my eye. For I knew full well how much that meant to Tyrant.
  
  But I couldn't be distracted for long, because now that Zekrom had fallen to the ground, now was the time to pile on the attacks.
  
  Regigigas, seemingly not wanting to be overshadowed, rushed forwards and delivered a crushing Stomp that smashed Zekrom further into the ground. The Legendary of Ideals tried to fire off a blast of blue Thunder at Regigigas, but the electricity merely bounced off the Legendary Titan.
  
  A 'weak' attack like that wasn't even worth defending against for Regigigas, who continued to brutally pound Zekrom into the ground.
  
  That was something that I had noticed about Regigigas. Unlike Zekrom and Palkia, it didn't have some kind of 'special move' that could instantly change the course of the fight. It didn't have some esoteric power to make you lose yourself in an 'Ideal', nor could it warp space like it was putty. So in that sense, Regigigas lacked the raw destructive potential that the other two had.
  
  However, the Legendary Titan made up for this by being all but unbeatable in a fist-to-fist fight. Its endurance and raw strength were second to none, even amongst Legendaries. That was why Zekrom, for all of its electrical power, was completely suppressed by Regigigas now that it was pinned to the ground like this.
  
  And that wasn't even including the assistance that Regigagas got from the Regi Trio or my own Pokémon.
  
  I found it only fitting that Regigigas fought so much like Tyrant did.
  
  The fight proceeded like this for some time. Now that Zekrom was visibly injured, it wasn't nearly as aggressive as it used to be. As a result, my Pokémon fell back to taking on more supportive roles, as they focused on supporting the Regis while they did most of the damage.
  
  Even for my bruisers, or at least the ones that were still in the fight, it just wasn't worth getting in close to land a hit on Zekrom when that ran the risk of interrupting a much more powerful attack from Regigigas.
  
  It was slightly unfortunate that they couldn't get their 'moment' like Tyrant did, but they understood that it was not the time for ego and pride. Even with Zekrom suppressed like this, one single misstep could easily make things go wrong.
  
  And just as I was thinking that, Zekrom let out another ear-splitting shriek that immediately caused me to stumble as my eyes momentarily glazed over. Simultaneously, it released out a massive burst of radiant electricity that shot straight towards Regigigas.
  
  For a millisecond, I saw images of that false utopia flash through my eyes before I quickly snapped back to reality.
  
  I growled; Zekrom had tried to control me again. But it had failed.
  
  However, my Pokémon were also momentarily affected by that power too, and in that moment, they had stopped their attacks. Furthermore, Regigigas was completely speared through by that massive blue bolt of lightning, momentarily forcing it back as the attack was too powerful for it to simply shrug it off.
  
  Zekrom quickly made use of that small window of opportunity to blitz up into the air, rapidly making distance from the Legendary Titan.
  
  It was visibly wounded, with a litany of marks scarring its once-pristine black exterior. However, its eyes still blazed with determination - and the desire to see its awakener's Ideals through to the very end - as it let out a roar of power so loud that it reached Arceus itself.
  
  "ROOOOOMMMM!"
  
  An enormous orb of blindingly blue energy formed above its head - that crackled and burned with power. The sky itself quickly turned blurry from the sheer amount of Legendary power radiating out of it, which only increased as the orb grew bigger and bigger in size.
  
  Almost as if the orb contained the full power of Zekrom itself - an almighty combination of both of its full Dragon and Electric power.
  
  The sky, which had already been turned blue and black from Zekrom's earlier attacks, were now all cleared away as Zekrom ripped out all of the electricity from within them. The same went for every single electronic device or machine in the vicinity - they were all absorbed by Zekrom in a demonstration of its total control over electricity.
  
  My Pokémon tried to interrupt the attack with everything they could, but their attacks were literally disappearing once before they could even get close to Zekrom because of that orb.
  
  I knew it in my gut that I was not going to survive this attack, nor was anyone else in Castelia. Zekrom was done with this fight.
  
  And this was the ultimate attack from a Legendary, something that was supposed to be able to reshape the very world itself.
  
  This was a natural disaster embodied in the form of an attack. And I was in the way.
  
  My Pokémon could not block this attack. Tyrant had done his best last time, but even he wouldn't be able to resist against something like this. And even if he could, the resulting collateral damage would instantly annihilate me regardless. Not just me, I was willing to bet that this was going to destroy the majority of the southern half of Unova. The resulting devastation would turn this entire place into a completely uninhabitable wasteland in an instant.
  
  That was the true, destructive power of a Legendary.
  
  No, the battle had escalated to the point where my contribution as a human being could no longer affect the course of the battle. It was just like how Palkia went all out and formed a blackhole right in front of me - there was nothing I could have done to save myself.
  
  Worse, Zekrom was doing this of its own free will. It wanted to do so because it had inherited the will of N. Morality? Loss of lives? The destruction of a good chunk of human civilisation? None of that mattered to it. Not because it was evil, or actively sought destruction, but because it likely saw this as the path to enacting N's ideals on the world, based on N's last intentions before he passed away.
  
  That was what it meant to be a Legendary - to them, only its concept mattered.
  
  However, despite the incoming meteor of unrivalled destruction coming my way, I knew that there was one Pokémon willing to step up to save the day. One Pokémon that I knew I could rely on to save humanity whenever they were needed. One Pokémon that could defend against this attack.
  
  "REGIGIGAS! PROTECT US ALL!"
  
  The Legendary Titan stepped up to the plate, with both arms extended as if it was holding up an invisible shield. But that wasn't all, as I noticed that a mysterious swirling energy had formed around Regigigas' hands.
  
  I didn't recognise what it was but had no time to think on it as the attack from Zekrom came crashing down.
  
  My instincts as a trainer suddenly screamed at me, and I quickly recalled every one of my Pokémon back into their Pokéballs for their own protection. At the same time, Regice, Regirock, and Registeel all surrounded me and formed up multiple layers of Protect shields to protect me against the incoming orb of annihilation.
  
  And the moment the orb came into contact with Regigigas, a blindingly bright and deafening explosion detonated out in all directions.
  
  The entire world went white. Like a nuclear bomb had just detonated in front of me.
  
  All of the air left my lungs as I instantly fell to my knees from the resulting shockwave, which managed to pierce through all three layers of the Regi Trio's Protect shields. Pain pierced through every part of my body as I felt the shockwaves ravage my insides. I involuntarily let out a pained gasp for air, but found none, as if a vacuum had just been formed from the attack alone.
  
  Fortunately, I had shut my eyes reflexively, or I might have turned blind from just how explosively bright that detonation was.
  
  I didn't know how long had passed as I remained on the ground, twitching in pain and desperately grasping for air, but eventually, as the pain started to fade away, I was able to pick myself off the ground as I finally managed to catch my breath.
  
  And the sight that I saw completely stunned me.
  
  Regigigas was there, holding back Zekrom with both of its arms. Zekrom was trying to push forwards, while still surrounded by the very orb of overwhelming draconic and electric power that it had just formed. But somehow, Regigigas didn't even move an inch.
  
  Instead, the Legendary Titan seemed to be draining away the energy from Zekrom's attacks with the swirling energies around its hands.
  
  Regigigas was siphoning away Zekrom's power and was transforming it into something else.
  
  Of course, Zekrom didn't just stand there and allow it to happen, but the Legendary Titan proved why it was possessed the title as it held down Zekrom with its titanic strength. Even if Zekrom was using its full power, the moment that it got into range of Regigigas's colossal arms, the battle had shifted back into the latter's favour.
  
  Better yet, Zekrom was growing weaker and weaker as time ticked on as Regigigas continued to siphon away more of its power until its hands began glowing with the distinct blue and yellow aura of Dragon and Electric power respectively.
  
  Eventually, the once massive orb of pure, seemingly unstoppable, force of destruction had weakened down into something much more reasonable. Regigigas had fully blunted Zekrom's assault, and now it was its turn.
  
  "REGI!"
  
  Letting out a deafening roar of its own, Regigigas smashed one of its colossal fists right into Zekrom, sending it skidding back. But instead of counterattacking, Zekrom slumped to the ground, having completely exhausted itself with that one attack.
  
  I immediately sent out my Pokémon again as I looked to capitalise on the opportunity, yet I felt a sharp warning through my connection to Regigigas that told me not to.
  
  For the Legendary Titan wasn't done yet.
  
  Lifting both of its arms into the air, the energy that it had siphoned off from Zekrom began to coalesce around its arms. Even though the energy looked harmless, I knew that this was the same level of energy that just now threatened to destroy most of the southern half of Unova.
  
  Then Regigigas slammed both of its fists into the ground, letting all of that accumulated power flow into the ground - before they began to take shape into something that caused my eyes to fully widen.
  
  Two forms began to be moulded from that very energy. One, made from Electric energy. The other, from Dragon. Slowly, they began to take the shape of Pokémon that I very much recognised, but never would have expected to see be created like this.
  
  And then, once Regigigas was done with its craftmanship, it was like the world had frozen for a brief moment as the two new Regis were crafted into being.
  
  Regigigas had just created life. And its names were Regieleki and Regidrago.
  
  The Regi trio now welcomed two new Regis to their group.
  
  I stared in undisguised awe as I took in the forms of the two new Regis. I had always thought that Regieleki and Regidrago were something that had already been created by Regigigas, but were just left dormant in Galar. Did something change? Or was I wrong about the history?
  
  However, now was not the time for questions. We still had a fight to finish. But with the newly created Regieleki and Regidrago, the fight had once again turned against Zekrom.
  
  Thanks to their ability to fully manipulate Electric and Dragon energy respectively, much of Zekrom's offensive power was neutered by them.
  
  It was different to when Registeel served as a lightning rod to absorb its Electric attacks, because that was more of a roundabout solution since Registeel would always take damage from the resulting electric overload. Now with Regieleki and Regidrago, every attack that came out of Zekrom that matched one of their types would be redirected into them.
  
  Zekrom had even tried to make use of another Fusion Bolt, only for most of the gathered electricity to be ripped away and reabsorbed back into Regieleki - turning the once powerful attack into nothing more than a regular Wild Charge. Powerful enough to really hurt a regular Pokémon, but not nearly enough to put a dent in something like Regigigas. Likewise, the same happened whenever it tried to make use of any Dragon attacks, as Regidrago just did the same.
  
  It was almost unfair how neutralised Zekrom had become. And Regigigas was proving that it could do much more than just brute strength.
  
  At the same time, attacks from the other Regis and my own Pokémon kept on coming. Because of this, Zekrom was never given a chance to recover as we bombarded it with a myriad of different attacks. Not only that, but with so much of its offensive power now stripped away from it, and with it already so injured and tired, my own bruisers were more willing to get in close and land big hits on the distracted Zekrom.
  
  Even the Pokémon that I had previously sent to help Teleport the others back to safety had now returned, and had joined in on the fighting.
  
  But of course, Regigigas was the star of the show. With every swing of its titanic fists, it devastated the already-injured Zekrom with an unstoppable barrage of punches. Despite having just created Regieleki and Regidrago, Regigigas hardly even seem winded, and each of its strikes were backed up by the same immense level of power that it always had.
  
  At this point, I realised that the fight was won. We were no longer in a fight for the continued survival of Unova, for Zekrom no longer posed a threat anymore as Regigigas dominated over it.
  
  The once-unstoppable Legendary of Ideals had been badly beaten and had been drained of almost all of its energy.
  
  Somehow, we had successfully tired out a Legendary Pokémon.
  
  And then, a final Ice Punch shattered Zekrom's chin, knocking the Legendary of Ideals straight to the ground.
  
  Its eyes were closed, and the signature glowing blue light coming out from its tail went dark.
  
  We had done it. The Legendary of Ideals had gone down.
  
  Then the world stopped in place.
  
  I stood there frozen. Not out of fear, but because my body wasn't responding to me. I couldn't even look around, as my head was forced to stay in place.
  
  It was almost like time itself had suddenly stood still.
  
  But then I saw it. The Legendary of Ideals began to rapidly shrink in size, and it continued to do so until it was nothing more than a small black orb. Reality quickly reasserted itself as my mobility returned to me, and now the only thing in front of me was a familiar orb - the Dark Stone.
  
  Zekrom had returned to its dormancy once more.
  
  And now, seeing the Dark Stone in front of me finally allowed the situation to set in.
  
  We had won.
  
  We had actually defeated Zekrom.
  
  Not driven off. Not survived. We had beaten a Legendary in a fight and knocked it out.
  
  Before I could even realise what I was doing, I was already running towards my Pokémon as I pulled as many of them as I could into a tight hug. My body was in serious pain, but I didn't care for the moment. All that mattered was the hug, and the relief of victory.
  
  Someone, probably me, let out a loud cheer.
  
  WE HAD WON!
  
  A.N. I was very excited to write another Legendary Battle, and I hope that this full battle was as satisfying as the previous one. Like I said in the previous chapter, I tried to make sure that this fight didn't reuse the same strategies as last time, as I wanted each fight to be distinct from each other.
  
  And surprise! Here are Regieleki and Regidrago. I had been planning on introducing both of these Regis ever since I planned out the Unova arc, and they're finally here. I understand that both of these Regis are normally found in-game in the Split Decision Ruins in Galar. However, the lore behind that was always shaky and felt a bit contrived, and so I wanted to 'reinterpret' their creation and introduce them this way. Furthermore, I also felt like this was a way to showcase Regigigas' craftmanship abilities, which are often overlooked. Good job for those who guessed this early!
  
  As for the fight itself, I wanted to emphasise the difference between Regigigas' strengths and Zekrom's. Like I said in the chapter, Zekrom is more destructive because it has better area-of-effect attacks. But with Regigigas, I wanted to show why it lived up to its namesake as the Legendary Titan, so I made sure that its physical strength was superior even to other Legendaries to make up for its lack of raw destructive power. Similarly, I also wanted Tyrant to have his moment too, as I only felt that he deserved it.
  
  I hope you enjoyed this battle. The consequences will be discussed soon - and there will be many! And no, I haven't forgotten about Ghetsis and the others yet. They'll show up soon!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-6 -Interlude-Pokemon
  The New Normal - 18-6 - Interlude - Pokémon
  
  After they pulled away from their trainer's hug, many of the team slumped to the ground as the battle against the Legendary was finally over. Even though this was their second time fighting against one, it didn't make it any less difficult or tiring.
  
  They were all completely exhausted after that battle. And many of them sported many notable injuries that needed to be treated.
  
  But despite their exhaustion and injuries, there was one other feeling that surpassed both of these - joy.
  
  For they had won. For they had taken part in a battle for the future of an entire region and came out victorious. For they had gone against a Legendary going fully all-out, and had held their ground.
  
  "I can't believe we did it!" Euphie chimed up happily, "I can't believe we actually took down a Legendary."
  
  "Never mind that for now. Is everyone doing okay? Does anyone need any healing?" Klee asked around worriedly, "Don't try to tough things out. If you need healing, then come get it right away."
  
  "Relax, Klee. I can sense that we are all fine. No one's in need of immediate care - you can take your time." Klaus replied gently, "And you should get some rest yourself too, Klee. You worked just as hard as everyone else here."
  
  "...I'm hungry." Smough moaned out pitifully as he gestured to his stomach, "Anyone got food?"
  
  "Of course not." Ornstein growled, "And you're not the only one that's hungry. We just fought against a Legendary and expended all of our energy doing so. We're all starving."
  
  But Smough didn't seem to hear him as he simply continued to complain, "Food..." he moaned out piteously.
  
  "Don't worry, Smough. I'm sure we'll get some food later." Luna comforted him, "John's probably just going to be tidying things up, and then he'll feed us. Just give a bit longer."
  
  "...Okay." Smough nodded, before rolling onto his back and immediately falling asleep, his snores echoing throughout the empty field.
  
  "...Smough really doesn't care that we just defeated a Legendary, doesn't he?" Vordt chuckled, though he winced in pain as he did, "Oh if only we could be as carefree as he is."
  
  "His laziness is his greatest weakness." Wraith snarled, "But he did fight well."
  
  As everyone continued to bicker, especially after John had rushed over to congratulate and thank all of them for their hard work, Tyrant had separated from the group as he limped over to where the Regis were standing there idly.
  
  He fell into an uncharacteristic bow, his waist fully bent in a display of utmost respect, "Thank you for protecting our trainer during that battle. You did what we could not."
  
  Regirock was the one to respond, "ÜN ÜN ÜN"
  
  Much like how humans couldn't directly understand Pokémon, neither could Pokémon directly understand Legendaries. They were just too different from each other. However, they could understand the general intent of what they were saying, so Tyrant understood what Regirock was trying to convey.
  
  It said that they were simply following through on their assigned duties. Regigigas had assigned them to John for the duration of this battle, so they would naturally protect him as well.
  
  "Nevertheless, I must thank you anyways." Tyrant insisted, "John would not have survived if it was not for your assistance. So thank you - thank you for protecting him. To us, he is everything, and his loss would have been an unfathomable tragedy for us."
  
  Regirock didn't reply to that as it walked away, though the small tilt of its head told Tyrant that it had acknowledged his thanks.
  
  Satified with that, Tyrant was about to turn around and head back to the rest of his family when he heard Regigigas stomping over to him.
  
  "REGI."
  
  A single question was asked. Regigigas was asking Tyrant why he rejected the Zekrom's visions that he was forced to see. It could sense that Tyrant had been the first to break free from Zekrom's influence, and all Regigigas had to do was give him a slight nudge.
  
  To that, Tyrant could only let out a chuckle, "I knew it was not real, and I knew my trainer was still out there battling for his life and the lives of others. I could not allow myself to indulge in mere fantasy while he still needs me to fight."
  
  "...But, the more important reason is that I simply do not care all that much about 'other Pokémon'." Tyrant admitted, "To me, my priority has always been protecting those that I deem are my family. No matter what happens, so long as they are safe, then I can accept that outcome. Which is why I do not care about creating a paradise 'for all Pokémon'. Because John would not be in it. Because I knew that he would not be there for us. Therefore, it would not be a paradise for me. And so I would always reject that reality with every fibre of my being."
  
  It was an answer that came from his very heart. He wasn't like Klee, Luna, or even Vordt. They had far more compassion for other Pokémon than he did. They cared more, and were more willing to lend a helping hand to others. That was why he usually remained silent whenever they encountered and spoke with new people and their Pokémon, because they were often friendlier and more welcoming than he could ever be.
  
  He did not mind that, because he knew that John was always someone that treasured and welcomed new friends. But if it was a choice between them and those that were a part of their team? He would abandon them all in a heartbeat. He would break them all apart before they ever posed a threat to them.
  
  Was it selfish? Absolutely. But his family was always the reason why he fought so hard. It was why he managed to find the willpower to stand against a direct attack from a Legendary, and strike back as hard as he could.
  
  It didn't matter that it was a Legendary. It didn't matter of Zekrom had enough power to possibly annihilate him with a single attack.
  
  Zekrom was a threat. And threats had to be taken down, no matter what they were.
  
  So while he was proud of his victory over Zekrom, the feeling that he most resonated with was relief. Relief that everyone was safe. Relief in that he had managed to protect them once again. Relief that they could all go home safe and sound.
  
  That was all that mattered.
  
  "In fact, I could ask you the same question." Tyrant fired back, "John has explained that you fight to help preserve the natural order of the world. So why did you agree to join up with John and fight against Zekrom, when it wasn't doing anything to upset the natural order of the world?"
  
  To most Pokémon, asking a question like that to a Legendary would be seen as immensely disrespectful. After all, the 'common' expectation was that you were simply meant to bow and obey whenever you were in the presence of a Legendary.
  
  But Tyrant knew that Legendaries couldn't care less if you bowed or flattered them. They did not care about your respect, or lack thereof. Likewise, 'pride' was not a concept they understood or cared about.
  
  And most importantly, Tyrant was no longer afraid of them. He respected them, but did not fear them. Which is why he had the courage to ask them the question.
  
  "GIGAS."
  
  The reply came quickly. Regigigas explained that N's ideals would not have allowed humans to coexist with Pokémon. It was a false utopia, one that would have only benefitted Pokémon, not humans.
  
  A world where humans were forbidden from training Pokémon meant that our current state of peaceful coexistence and cooperation would be destroyed. And in return, the world would be split into 'humans' vs 'Pokémon', and both would be worse off for it. When that happened, the Pokémon would, over time, devolve into their more primal instincts, and they would lose all sense of cooperation and unity.
  
  After that, it would be inevitable that humans would eventually be wiped out by Pokémon, due to the sheer difference in strength between the two.
  
  As a result, N's utopia was built on a false assumption. He dreamed of a world where both humans and Pokémon could live both in freedom and harmony.
  
  Yet, human and Pokémon civilisation would not survive in his reality. Not in the way he dreamed of.
  
  Therefore, Regigigas could not allow that to happen. Its very concept forbid it, which is why it fought Zekrom.
  
  And with that answer, Regigigas turned away and returned to doing what it was doing with the other Regis. Meanwhile, Tyrant returned to his family, a small yet content smile spreading across his injured face as he saw that they were all hale and hearty - happily chatting with each other as they all celebrated in their victory.
  
  Yes, this was why he had fought.
  
  It had all been worth it.
  
  A.N. I know we haven't had an Interlude that focused on Tyrant before, and I felt like now was a good time for it. It's a bit late, but I wanted to showcase more of Tyrant's personality and why he acts the way that he does. I know I've shown him off as menacing and protective, but I wanted to give a bit of insight as to his reasonings. I also wanted to demonstrate that while he is John's closest partner, he does not have the same personality as John himself, and can even have differing thoughts from him. Yet that doesn't detract from the unbreakable bond that the two share. I hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 18-7 - New Ideals
  
  I didn't know how long I spent wrapped up in the familiar arms of my Pokémon, but I knew it was for a while as we celebrated our victory.
  
  But then I was snapped out of it as I felt a lingering presence in my mind suddenly vanish. I quickly realised that it was the lingering feelings of the false visions of N's ideals that Zekrom had implanted in me. But now that the Legendary of Ideals had returned to its dormancy, that had all faded away too.
  
  Which meant that everyone else was about to awaken from their false visions too.
  
  Knowing that they were bound to be confused, since they had all been Teleported to a safe location by my Pokémon, I knew I had to be there to calm them all down before they started panicking or making unwise decisions.
  
  So with a quick nod to Klaus, I was promptly Teleported to where all of the other trainers that had accompanied me in this battle had been taken to.
  
  Not too surprisingly, I found myself on the outskirts of Castelia City, in the area just before Skyarrow Bridge. It was just beyond the Electric barrier that had once walled off the entire city. Klaus and the others must have been able to Teleport past them, which was definitely a smart choice considering the widespread destruction of Castelia City caused by Zekrom.
  
  As soon as I arrived, I was immediately approached by practically every member of the Elite Four. And they were all talking over each other.
  
  "Status report." Drayden practically ordered, "What happened to us?"
  
  "Where's Zekrom?" Grismley asked, "What happened to Castelia?"
  
  "Is Regigigas not with you?" Lucian asked, "Did something happen?"
  
  "FUCK!" Drake shouted out, "What the FUCK happened to me?!"
  
  "John! Are you doing okay?" Karen tried to check over me, "Why did you teleport us all here? Were we in danger?"
  
  "Is the fight over?" Bruno asked, "Is everyone safe?"
  
  "Woah, woah, hold on. Too many questions." I extended both arms out and pushed them back slightly, "I know you have questions, so I'll go through them one at a time."
  
  I then proceeded to explain everything that had happened since their incapacitation. I explained that N's death had triggered Zekrom to unleash its full power, and it had imposed a false vision of N's ideals onto everyone. That had placed everyone in a trance, and I had ordered my Pokémon to Teleport them out of the battle for their own safety.
  
  After that, I explained how it was down to me, my Pokémon, and the Regis to take down Zekrom - which we did eventually. I also explained how Regigigas also managed to harness Zekrom's power to create two new Regis - Regieleki and Regidrago.
  
  That had caught everyone's attention, "Wait, so Regigigas just created two new Legendaries? Just like that?" Flint exclaimed, "Since when could it even do something like this?"
  
  "Regigigas has always been described as a crafter, so I suppose it doing something like this was always possible." Lucian replied before I could, "Still, I can't deny my surprise either. I didn't think it could just create two new Legendaries on the spot, and during a battle against another Legendary no less. John, did you ask it why it chose to do so?"
  
  "No, but I can tell you that the creation of Regieleki and Regidrago spelled the beginning of the end for Zekrom in the fight." I said, "We were already overwhelming it to the point where Zekrom had taken on some serious injuries, but having Regieleki and Regidrago joining in on the fight practically neutralised all of Zekrom's offensive power, as most of its attacks could be safely redirected towards them."
  
  "I see." Lucian nodded, "Well if you haven't planned on doing so already, please ask Regigigas what it intends to do with these new Regis in the future, and if they will return dormant just like the current Regi Trio-"
  
  "I'm sorry to interrupt," Drayden cut in, "But what is the state of Castelia City? And can you confirm that Zekrom is properly subdued?"
  
  "Yes, I saw it with my very own eyes that Zekrom has returned to its dormant state as the Dark Stone." I replied firmly, "I left the Dark Stone over with Regigigas while I came to pick you all up and explain everything to you all."
  
  Then I winced, "...As for Castelia City... I'm afraid that the city has been pretty devastated by Zekrom's attacks. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to protect it."
  
  "Don't blame yourself." Marshal said, "We all knew to expect heavy collateral damage when we faced off against Zekrom. In fact, you could say that we got lucky that the damage was limited to Castelia City. Knowing the power that Zekrom possesses, it could have probably destroyed all of Unova in its rampage had we not stopped it."
  
  That was true, but it was still cold comfort. I was no engineer or builder, but I knew that it was probably going to take at least a solid month to rebuild everything that had been destroyed. That might not seem like too long, but considering that Castelia City was basically the heart of Unova's economy, it was a cripplingly long time.
  
  Naturally, I told the Unovas that I could ask the Regis if they were willing to assist in the reconstruction efforts before they returned to their dormant states.
  
  "...Only do so if you if you believe it won't be offensive to them." Marshal said slowly, "We would of course appreciate any and all assistance, but we've already made use of them as common labourers once. At least that time it was 'justified' because it was an emergency scenario, but if you don't think that reasoning will hold up to them again them it might be better not to ask. Of course, you're the expert here, John, so we'll leave it up to you."
  
  "I'll see what I can do." I nodded.
  
  "Don't worry, you can trust him." Cynthia chimed in in support, "If it's anything to do with the Legendary Titans, just trust John. He'll know what to say."
  
  I just smiled at her, silently thanking her for her support. I wanted to hug her too and make sure she was okay, but now was not the time for this. For right now, we were still Champion and Guardian.
  
  Of course, everyone else still had a million and one questions to ask, and I did my best to answer the more pressing among them as we all moved back to Castelia City, where everyone else got to finally lay their eyes on the true extent of the damage done by Zekrom's rampage.
  
  Needless to say, the once shining jewel of Unova was now nothing more than a smouldering ruin. Almost half of the city was on fire, probably from several stray attacks, and the rest was just destroyed. The city could not be considered 'habitable' in the current state it was in.
  
  Office buildings, apartments, high-rises, skyscrapers - none were spared. And if that wasn't bad enough, every single electronic device that had been plugged in to the mainframe of Unova was now completely dead. The sheer amount of electricity that they were overloaded with meant that they were irreparably damaged, and were going to need to be replaced.
  
  I heard people muttering in sadness or horror as they took stock of the damage done to Castelia City. I think I heard Burgh break out into a sob from behind me - understandable, since this was his city.
  
  I hoped he wouldn't blame himself. There was nothing more he could have done.
  
  Meanwhile, I had approached Regigigas and the other Regis, who had been standing there idly as they awaited my return.
  
  "I'm not sure if I've said it yet, but thank you once again for helping us with the fight." I said to it, "Your assistance was invaluable."
  
  Regigigas let out an affirmative buzz, so I continued, "May I ask what your plans are now? Are you going to return to your dormancy? If so, where will the new Regis retire to?"
  
  It buzzed out a reply, and I smiled.
  
  "Thank you for letting me choose." Regigigas had just told me that it was going to let me choose where it would be best for Regieleki and Regidrago to return dormant at.
  
  Obviously, this was a really important decision. Placing a Regi somewhere would be akin to placing a permanent guardian there, which is why I had requested for the original Regi Trio to be placed at the three Lakes of Sinnoh.
  
  Therefore, I made sure to think through before giving a response, "...In that case, I would like for both Regieleki and Regidrago to reside at Spear Pillar. That way, they'll be able to respond immediately if one of the Creation Trio turns hostile against us. Meanwhile, Regice, Registeel, and Regirock will remain at one of the three Lakes to guard the Lake Guardians. Would this be an acceptable arrangement for you?"
  
  All of the Regis let out a buzz of affirmation, confirming that they were okay with this arrangement.
  
  "I appreciate it. Though I have two more things to ask of you." I said, pointing towards the Dark Stone that was somehow currently floating in front of Regidrago, "First - what will you be doing with the Dark Stone? Will you be keeping it?"
  
  If it was the latter, then I was almost certain that the rest of Unova would not be happy. Recent events aside, they'd never be okay if the Dark Stone was taken away right from underneath them to a foreign region, since it was supposed to be a 'Unovan' Legendary.
  
  Of course, if Regigigas insisted on it, then it wasn't like there was anything any of us could do to stop it. Today had just been even more proof about how destructive fights between Legendaries could be, so no one would be dumb enough to intentionally aggravate one.
  
  Fortunately, Regigigas didn't insist on taking away the Dark Stone. In fact, the Legendary Titan stated that the Dark Stone must be kept in Unova's borders.
  
  "I see. Good to know then." I replied, "And just one more thing - will you be amenable to helping out with the reconstruction efforts at Castelia City? You must have seen how destructive our fight was against Zekrom, so any help you can offer in fixing up the damage would be appreciated."
  
  There was a small moment of silence. Through my connection with the Regis, I could tell that they were deliberating on my request. I knew that their instinct was to refuse - Legendaries generally tended to avoid interfering with human society as much as possible. However, due to the fact that this damage was caused by Zekrom, they eventually agreed to help out with some reconstruction efforts.
  
  They wouldn't help with repairing any of the interiors or anything, but they would help clean up most of the infrastructure damage. That was already a big help.
  
  So as soon as I heard that, I immediately relayed Regigigas' words to the Unova contingent.
  
  Alder let out a relieved sigh, "Phew. Okay, that's good news. We were worried that Regigigas was going to confiscate it or something. That really wouldn't have gone over well with the rest of the public. Did it provide any suggestions on what we need to do with it?"
  
  "No." I shook my head, "All it said was that the Dark Stone had to be kept within Unova. It didn't specify why, but I suspect that it's probably due to the fact that Zekrom is a Legendary from Unova, and in the spirit of preserving the natural order, the Dark Stone needs to stay in Unova as well."
  
  "I see... in that case, could we ask Regigigas to hold onto the Dark Stone for now while we discuss where we're going to keep it?" He asked, "We'll try to come to a decision before you guys depart from Unova."
  
  "Oh, and one more thing, has anyone seen Ghetsis anywhere?" I asked, "Or is he still on the loose?"
  
  "If he's been found - I haven't been told about it." Marshal replied, "But we've already sent people out to hunt him down. Hopefully he'll be found soon."
  
  Despite us all being completely tired from the battle, dealing with the aftermath was a thankless yet gruelling and necessary task that we all had to handle. Fortunately for me, I had a comparatively much easier job than everyone else.
  
  Since the Regis were roaming around and helping with the reconstruction efforts, I had assigned myself to be their 'overseer' and just watch over them. In reality, I didn't actually have to do anything as the Regis didn't need me to give them any specific instructions, so I got to stand around and look busy while everyone else was doing the actual work.
  
  Honestly, Regigigas was pretty much in the same position. It too was just standing around as it watched the other Regis do all the hard work for it.
  
  I suppose even Legendaries understood the joys of delegation.
  
  Nevertheless, it was still amazing to see how much of a help the Regis were in fixing up the damage done by Zekrom. Entire roads, pavements, and walls were rebuilt in an instant with the help of Regirock and Registeel. Likewise, any materials that had been destroyed during the battle were quickly recycled into something usable, as plenty of shattered and partially melted steel beams were reconstructed so that they were as good as new.
  
  Even the greatest of construction Pokémon couldn't match the speed at which Regirock and Registeel worked.
  
  Meanwhile, Regieleki was busy serving as a portable charger for most of the city's electricity. It had connected itself to the Castelia City's power supply, and was currently serving as an emergency generator for the entire city so that essential devices could function. The previous emergency generators had all been destroyed by Zekrom.
  
  Similarly, Regice and Regidrago had mainly helped out with putting out a few of the lingering fires that had been slowly spreading around certain parts of the city, since the fires caused by Zekrom's draconic energies weren't so easy to extinguish by common means.
  
  While this was all happening, everyone else was hard at work at reinstating order. For those who remained in Unova and had been bunking in the shelters, they were allowed to finally exit as the threat was now over. Furthermore, the same announcement had been broadcasted to those who had evacuated overseas - though of course, they could stay for longer if they wanted an extended holiday.
  
  There was still the threat of Ghetsis, as he was still out in the wild, but I was confident that he would be eventually found soon. Without the resources of PLASMA, I knew he was not a threat on his own unless he somehow managed to get his hands on another Legendary - but that was awfully unlikely.
  
  Then there was the topic of N and the Dark Stone. I had actually gone over to where N had been struck down and inspected his still body. It was a mangled and... unsightly mess, and I genuinely felt bad seeing him like this.
  
  I could only hope that he wasn't in pain for very long before he met his end.
  
  I got a few strange looks for asking to see the body, but turns out I wasn't the only one. Looker was there too, with a much more troubled and regretful expression on his face than I had.
  
  "I'm sorry for your loss." I told him, "I know you were... close."
  
  "I was manipulating him to gather more information against PLASMA. Our friendship was built on lies and falsehoods." He said, before letting out a deep sigh, "That being said, I regret that I wasn't able to tear him away from the destructive and ultimately doomed path he was on. If I had, maybe things wouldn't have ended up this way."
  
  "You did your best, and it's not your fault." I replied, "The choice was his to make."
  
  "Was it? Or was it just him following through on what Ghetsis told him to do?" He shot back, "Was it really his choice when he was manipulated into it? Can a puppet really choose the words that a master tells it to say?"
  
  I stayed silent, knowing that Looker had a point. N was not someone who would resort to enacting his ideals with force. Ghetsis must have pressured and/or manipulated him into this.
  
  Looker let out a tired sigh, "He deserves better than this fate. You know he'll be reviled as one of the greatest terrorists Unova has ever known right? His name and reputation will be tarnished for generations to come. In the history books, they'll write him right next to Cyrus as one of the greatest villains that the world has ever seen."
  
  "...If we take down Ghetsis, perhaps we can clear his name." I suggested, "Not completely, of course, but we can show the world that N was manipulated into this by Ghetsis' actions if we get the man himself to admit to his wrongdoings. It won't bring N back to life, but it'll at least salvage his reputation. You're right - he doesn't deserve to be spoken alongside Cyrus."
  
  Looker nodded, "Perhaps that is the best we can hope for... You know, this might be the first time I have gone undercover and regretted abandoning the bonds that I made. That might be because all of the other 'bonds' I made in previous undercover missions were with hardened criminals and terrorists who were overall just unpleasant and far from innocent people. But it was different with N. It's hard to see him as the same sort of person as them."
  
  I nodded understandingly.
  
  After a short moment of silence, Looker kneeled down slowly and placed his hands over N's eyes, closing them for him, "...I'm sorry that it ended up this way, N. May you find the paradise you wished for. I promise I will clear your name, at the very least. Ghetsis will pay for all that he has done to you."
  
  I silently said the same in my heart.
  
  Goodbye, N. And while I never agreed with your ideals, I promise to create a balanced world where both trainers and Pokémon can peacefully and happily coincide with each other.
  
  It might not be the utopia that you envisioned, but it will be close to one nonetheless. I promise.
  
  During all this, Cynthia must have seen what I was doing, and she walked up to me and patted me comfortingly on the shoulder, which I leaned into. Thanks to my shared metaknowledge, she also knew that N's fate was different to what had happened to him today. So she knew how I was feeling.
  
  Nevertheless, after seeing N off, the final matter that I had to help out with was the safekeeping of the Dark Stone. Basically, the Unova League had decided that the Dark Stone was too dangerous to be kept out in the open, given how potentially destructive another Zekrom awakening would be.
  
  Admittedly, doing this was pretty unfair for Zekrom. Zekrom was not an inherently malicious being, it merely followed through on the ideals of its awakener. So it could be argued that it was not right to try to keep it locked up for all of eternity. But just like N had just demonstrated, a rampaging Zekrom was a region-wide threat. So for the sake of the continued prosperity of Unova, Zekrom had to be kept away.
  
  Notably, when I brought this all up to Regigigas, it didn't seem to have a problem with it either - almost as if it didn't understand my query at all. Perhaps this was because Legendaries really do not care about where they remained dormant in.
  
  But, at the same time, they couldn't just keep the Dark Stone locked away in a vault. Technically, there was nothing stopping them from doing that, but they just deemed it to be culturally inappropriate - which I could understand. The Dark Stone was ultimately still one of Unova's most important treasures, so locking it away like that didn't feel right at all.
  
  As Lance put it, "Ultimately, this is still a Legendary artifact. When the Plates were discovered in Sinnoh, they weren't just hidden away. They were displayed for all to see. I just don't believe it to be right if we hide all of this away from the public just in the name of 'safety'."
  
  "Agreed." Alder nodded, "We should not let our paranoia rule us today. Don't forget, the Dark Stone is Zekrom, so it should be afforded the appropriate level of respect."
  
  So in the end, they decided that it would be kept in display in the Unova League building, in a specialised gallery made just for it. It would be heavily reinforced, and trackers would be placed literally everywhere so that the Dark Stone could always be retrieved if it somehow got stolen. That way, the public still got to visit and look at it, but it should remain safe enough that no one could just steal it for themselves.
  
  It was the most balanced solution that the League could think of. And this was something that the other Champions in attendance also agreed with.
  
  However, I had to remind them of something.
  
  "It's all well and good to keep the Dark Stone out of the hands of the public, but don't forget that Reshiram is still out there." I said, "Its Light Stone is still in the wild, and someone like N could get their hands on it and awaken it. If that happens, and for whatever reason Regigigas is unable to assist you, you might have to awaken Zekrom yourself in order to fight against Reshiram. Do remember that."
  
  Using Regigigas to defeat Zekrom was definitely not the 'intended' method of doing so. We had used brute force of a 'foreign' Legendary to take it down. But the 'proper' way was to match Zekrom's strength with Reshiram's, and vice versa. That's why I had to remind them that having Zekrom be 'available' was going to be important.
  
  "...We won't forget that." Alder nodded, "Thank you for the reminder."
  
  And with that, my time in Unova had come to an end. I stayed around for a bit longer to help out with some of the reconstruction efforts, and I also made sure to chat with all of my friends to make sure that everyone was okay, but eventually Regigigas had informed me that it was time for it to return to its dormancy - as it had overstayed its welcome - and so I once again prepared to hitch a ride on Registeel and returned to Sinnoh.
  
  Overall, it was a mission success. Our secondary Legendary battle had resulted in another great victory.
  
  And even better than that, just before I left, I heard even greater news from Looker.
  
  "We found him."
  
  (Looker POV)
  
  While everyone else was busy with the reconstruction efforts, he knew that his talents were better suited to the manhunt for Ghetsis. So after he finished paying his respects to N, he returned to hunting down the man that he ultimately held responsible for this attack.
  
  His colleagues believed that finding Ghetsis would be like finding a needle in a haystack - an impossible task due to the size of Unova. They argued that Ghetsis could be hiding literally anywhere, and it would take a miracle to find him.
  
  But he knew better. Even though he had hardly met the man in person, he already had a good enough read of the man to know what he was like.
  
  Ghetsis liked to portray himself as a genius manipulator. A man with plans upon plans upon plans. A man who could outthink and outwit any of his opponents with cold, hard rationality.
  
  Yet, in reality, that was not the case. Because he knew that, more than anything else, Ghetsis was a man ruled by his megalomania. He was a man ruled by the need to be acknowledged as being superior to you.
  
  It was why he feared Cyrus far more than he would ever fear Ghetsis. By all accounts, Cyrus, up until his last moments, was a true monster. An unfeeling corpse of nihilism that cared for little else than the completion of his plans. And was only stopped because the very forces of the world combined to stop him.
  
  Ghetsis was not that. No matter how much he thought himself to be a monster. He was merely a false tyrant pretending to be one.
  
  So he knew with utter certainty that Ghetsis would never miss out on this battle. Even though it was objectively foolish and stupid to do so, he was certain that Ghetsis would be here, at Castelia City, waiting to see the League be crushed by Zekrom.
  
  He was too prideful to not be. He would not even consider the possibility that his plan would fail. He could not pass up on the opportunity to witness his so-called 'superiority' for himself.
  
  And in the end, after probably over a few hours of searching, he found exactly what he was looking for.
  
  Just on the edges of Castelia City, a tattered cloak that was once colourful and ornately decorated, now burnt and sheared apart, lied face down on the ground.
  
  And next to it was a mangled corpse. Its face twisted into a rictus of pain and suffering. The smell of burns lingered in the air, which said enough about the man's fate.
  
  It was Ghetsis, and by the looks of it, he was likely electrocuted to death by one of Zekrom's stray attacks.
  
  ...How ironic.
  
  But - just in case - he dropped a cinder brick on his head too. The body didn't even twitch. The man was dead.
  
  Good.
  
  A.N. A slower chapter this time so that we can focus on the aftermath of the battle. I once again wanted to highlight the 'utility' of the Regis, and how they can help out in the real world outside of battles. I tried to be careful with how much I had the Regis doing, since I wanted to make sure that 'Legendaries' and 'normals' were kept separate - since Legendaries should aim to limit their interaction with the world.
  
  Also, as promised, I didn't forget about Ghetsis. And yes, there was no big fight. There was no last stand for the man. He simply dies off-screen, as I felt was fitting for him. I always felt that although Ghetsis was the 'big bad' of Unova, the screentime belonged to N. N was the main driving force of PLASMA, and he was the real reason why PLASMA was able to do what it can. So Ghetsis is nothing more than a parasite that has leeched onto N - and I felt that he deserves a similar fate. Though do remember that Looker's views about N are biased, so don't take them as gospel.
  
  A Pokenet Chapter will be coming soon. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-8 - POKENET REACTION
  The New Normal - 18-8 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [NEVER BEFORE SEEN RECORDING OF THE LEGENDARY BATTLE IN UNOVA! FIRST TIME SEEING LEGENDARIES IN ACTION! SECOND CATACLYSMIC BATTLE OF THE CENTURY?! NEW REGIS SPOTTED?!] By Batttlecast
  
  [A long, shaky live recording of the Legendary battle between Regigigas, the Regi Trio, and Zekrom. The camera is mostly focused on Regigigas, but once Zekrom makes use of its first, large-scale Electric attack, the camera suddenly turns off as the electronics are fried.]
  
  [A second video containing another live recording. This time, the battle with Zekrom is already over, and the person is recording the Regis helping to repair the city]
  
  When it was announced that there were no video recordings of the battle at Spear Pillar, where the Legendary of Space clashed against the Legendary Titan - many around the world despaired. For we would be unable to witness a battle that had seemingly come from the myths themselves.
  
  But now, recordings of the battle between the Legendary of Ideals and the Legendary Titan have now begun circling across the Pokénet. Most of these consist of bodycam footage from the participants on that fateful day.
  
  Oh, who are we kidding. You've probably already seen the videos themselves. So let's get right into the analysis.
  
  First, we were sadly unable to get a full recording of the battle, as all of the electronics were fried after Zekrom's first attack. But for a brief few seconds, you could just see how different a battle between Legendaries are compared to your average battle. That singular, opening attack from Zekrom - which was not even its most powerful attack - was already enough to devastate practically every electronic device located in Castelia City.
  
  That is just not something that could ever be replicated even by the strongest of Pokémon. No wonder it was always as John said, "You need a Legendary to fight against a Legendary. Nothing else will do."
  
  I guess we can all see now with our very eyes just exactly why that is the case.
  
  Furthermore, while there were no recordings of the later half of the battle, when you cut to the second recording of the Regis repairing the aftermath, you can see just how destructive the battle was. The entirety of Castelia City was completely destroyed, and little remained of the shining jewel of Unova.
  
  However, what was destroyed could always be rebuilt, and that statement has never been more true than when you have the Regis working hard and helping out to repair everything. In that second recording, if you paid close attention, you can just see how proficient Regirock and Registeel are at manipulating their own elements.
  
  And it is likely this ability to have nearly perfect control over their own elements that have allowed them to be such effective fighters, even when matched up against another Legendary. For some time now, many have questioned just how much stronger the Regi Trio were against a regular Pokémon. Some even believed that the Regi Trio were only classified as Legendary simply because of their relation to Regigigas, and not because of their own strength.
  
  However, we can see now the folly of such a line of thinking. If the Regis are able to manipulate their own elements so well when they are merely helping out with construction work, then it isn't difficult to imagine how powerful they could be in an actual fight.
  
  Speaking of the Regis... THERE WERE TWO NEW REGIS THAT COULD BE SEEN IN THAT SECOND RECORDING!? WHY WAS THERE NO ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THAT?! Even we here at Battlecast were completely taken aback when our analysts combed through that second video, and we are eagerly waiting to learn more about these two new Regis.
  
  But from what we can see, one of them is definitely tied to the Electric Type, while the other looks like it is Dragon Type, meaning that this is likely a Electric and Dragon variant of the Regis respectively...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Absolutely stunning. I can't believe the day has finally come where I was able to witness a battle between Legendaries second-hand. And as much as I wish we could have gotten the full battle, I'm already more than satisfied with the snippets that we got.
  
  I've probably watched the recordings over a dozen times now, and I'm still hitting the 'replay' button every time I've finished. It's absolutely jaw-dropping.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  OMA. That battle was every bit as incredible and overwhelming as my imagination thought it would be. PLEASE TELL ME SOMEONE HAS THE FULL VIDEO OF THE BATTLE I BEG I BEG I BEG!
  
  Amoogus
  
  I don't think the battle was meant to be recorded in the first place. From what the video showed, everyone there was either a member of law enforcement, or was some sort of high-ranking League official and trainer.
  
  Still, glad we got to see a glimpse of the battle. As much as it hurts seeing Castelia City destroyed like this, at least we suffered from relatively few casualties.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Did they announce what happened to Zekrom at the end? Did we actually defeat it or did it just run away?
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  There was a very brief announcement from the Unova League that the crisis was over and that Zekrom has returned to its 'dormant state'. But there is no explicit mention if it had been defeated, or much like the reports said about Palkia, simply retreated after the battle was over.
  
  However, they did announce that the mastermind behind the entire event, and the one in control of Zekrom, had been KIA during the battle. Good riddance, in my opinion.
  
  FutureAce
  
  How do you guys think the fight played out? Do you think the regular trainers played a big role in Zekrom's defeat? Probably not, right? I know they're all well equipped and that we heavily outnumber Zekrom, but after seeing an attack like that its hard to see how any non-Legendary could possibly have done anything in that battle. Or am I wrong?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  I wouldn't be so sure of that assumption. We know from trusted testimony that our Gym Leaders and Elite Four managed to participate and legitimately help out in the fight against Palkia, so I don't see why the same can't/didn't happen here.
  
  Also, genuinely surprised that no one's talking about the two new Regis that were briefly shown in the video. Though their figures are really blurry so its hard to make out exactly what they look like. But more importantly, how did they even come to be? Did Regigigas just make them on the spot?
  
  GodBidoof
  
  IKR?! I literally SCREAMED when I saw the new Regis!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  TangelaThoughts That is very likely the case. We know that Regigigas is capable of moulding elements like Ice, Rock, and Steel and somehow turn them into living automatons with enough power to be considered a Legendary. So there was always a precedent. Therefore, creating two more Regis is hardly out of the realm of possibility for it - though I too was surprised that it created them in the midst of a fight. Did it deem their creation necessary for victory?
  
  ElesaFan
  
  Maybe Zekrom was too strong for it by itself? So it needed backup? I think that's a very reasonable assumption.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  Okay, but why didn't it do the same when it fought against Palkia then? I don't want to get into Versus comparisons, as trying to compare the difference in strength between Legendaries is an exercise in futility. However, do remember that when Palkia awakened we felt its power all across the world - Zekrom's awakening didn't have the same effect.
  
  So perhaps it was due to a difference in circumstances? Probably the only person that could know is John. Hopefully he'll be able to provide some insight into this.
  
  Amoogus
  
  I'm just happy that they're helping out with the reconstruction. I know how efficient they are since I've seen it first hand when they were helping to reinforce all the shelters. Hopefully they'll stay around for longer - Castelia City will be rebuilt in no time with their help.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  It's such a shame that Legendaries are known to avoid interfering with human/Pokémon civilisation. Imagine how much could be done if we had them to assist/fight alongside us.
  
  But then again... that's probably why they don't interfere and keep their distance from us. We'd probably be too reliant on them if that was the case. They probably want humans and regular Pokémon to develop on their own and not fully be reliant on them - that must be Arceus' will.
  
  [VIDEO: INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE LEGENDARY BATTLE FOR CASTELIA CITY!? DID JOHN TAKE DOWN ZEKROM BY HIMSELF?!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Below are an edited transcription containing mainly the highlights of the interviews made with several Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Jennys that had participated in the Battle for Castelia City.]
  
  "We didn't even get to help beyond the opening acts of the battle." A Jenny had said, "I don't know about the others, but I actually came into the fight feeling confident. We had arrayed over a hundred powerful trainers all in Castelia City, and we had our own set of Legendaries to back us up. At first, I didn't even think that it would even be a battle as we would completely overpower Zekrom. How wrong I was."
  
  "I should have known better when its first act was to form enormous wall of electricity that surrounded the entirety of Castelia City. Then its next attack wiped out pretty much every electronic device within the city - if it was not for our rubber suits, I think all of us would have suffered through a very painful electrocution. It didn't matter how far back or how high you were, Zekrom's lightning reached you all the same. It really was an eye-opening experience to see just how outmatched we were."
  
  ...
  
  "I know this is going to sound difficult to believe - but that entire fight was carried by John and his Regigigas." Flint said, "At one point, Zekrom made use of some crazy power that completely paralysed us and entrapped us within a false vision. And to my shame, we all succumbed to this vision - as it was one of a majestic paradise - and we were all taken out of the fight. I'm not exactly sure how John snapped out of it, but he was the one to win the fight against Zekrom. We were all literally just trapped within that vision when we were suddenly brought out of it, and John just told us that he had everything handled and that it was now time to help out with the cleanup. It was... both awe-inspiring, humbling, and embarrassing. I wanted to help too."
  
  ...
  
  "I felt guilty. We should have done more for the fight. Even though John might have Regigigas by his side, we shouldn't have allowed him to fight against Zekrom on his own." Sidney grimaced, "I know it's easy to make excuses, to say that we were ensnared by a Legendary's power, but I don't accept those excuses for myself. I went into this fight expecting for all of us to fight against Zekrom together. Even though we did that to start with, for John to have ended up fighting it alone was a disgrace on my part. And even though John will never believe he needs my apology, I must give it to him anyways."
  
  ...
  
  "I woke up to the sight of Castelia City having been completely destroyed. My city was gone - reduced to nothing more than a partially smouldering pile of rubble. It was a despairing sight." Burgh recounted sadly, visibly holding back tears, "The worse part was knowing that there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. We all know the stories of Legendaries, but now I know first hand that the accounts of their terrifying power did not do them justice. Their destructive power is unrivalled, save for other Legendaries themselves. The greatest trainers from around the world had all gathered here to battle against one, and we were nothing more than fodder to be shrugged off. It was almost like we didn't matter at all."
  
  ...
  
  "Legendaries are dangerous; I don't think anyone was disputing that." Cynthia said, "But today, I saw another aspect to Legendaries, aside from their capability for raw destruction. I saw their potential for creation, I saw how the Legendary Titan literally formed two completely new existences out of nothing. I saw how the Regis helped to rebuild Castelia City with an unbeatable level of efficiency. I saw that just because a Legendary is destructive, doesn't mean that destruction is all that they are capable of. And so I am all the more thankful that we had the assistance of the Legendary Titan with us here today. For without it, our fight against Zekrom would have led to far more casualties."
  
  ...
  
  "Of course I don't f*cking regret joining in on the fight." Drake barked out, "Or what? Did you think that just because I was retired suddenly made me weak and infirmed? Bah. Old as I may be, but the world still called for me to fight, so of course I answered the call. And yes, I am f*cking mad that I got sidelined in that f*cking battle. In the first fight against Palkia I got trapped in some warped space and couldn't move. Now this time I got trapped in some false vision of some f*cker's dumb-as-sh*t ideals. I swear, if there was ever a next time, I won't let myself be trapped like that again. I'll find some f*cking way to break my Pokémon free - mark my words."
  
  ...
  
  "I do not begrudge the others for becoming trapped in that false vision imposed upon them by Zekrom. After all, that vision was fuelled by the full, unleashed, power of a Legendary - it was impossible for them to resist, no matter their willpower." John said, "I only managed to break free thanks to the connection that I share with Regigigas. Without it, I would have been as helpless as the rest of them."
  
  "As for the fight itself - I won't bother trying to describe what happened, since you probably won't believe me anyways. There is too much that happened there for me to talk about anyways. But for what its worth, I was very proud of my Pokémon. They did an incredible job - more than I would have ever ask of them." He continued, "Besides that, all that you need to know is that the creation of Regieleki and Regidrago completely turned the tide of battle, and our combined forces managed to subdue Zekrom and stop its rampage. Zekrom has now returned to its dormant state, and no longer poses a threat to the world at large."
  
  ...
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  So TLDR for those who aren't bothered to listen through the whole thing:
  
  -Zekrom made use of some kind of mysterious power that trapped everyone under false visions, making them unable to participate in the battle.
  
  -As a result, John had to fight the battle against Zekrom alone with only his Pokémon and the Regis, since his connection with them allowed him to resist Zekrom's power.
  
  -During this battle, Regieleki and Regidrago (the names of the Electric Regi and Dragon Regi respectively) were created by Regigigas. Their creation helped close out the fight.
  
  -Zekrom is subdued and has returned to its dormant state. However, most of Castelia City has been destroyed in the aftermath, though the Regis have been helping out to rebuild.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Wait how do you guys think Regieleki and Regidrago were able to turn the fight? Did they absorb the Electric and Dragon attacks from Zekrom!? Are they really able to do that?!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  "..since you probably won't believe me anyways." What kind of amazing things happened during John's fight with Regigigas for him to say something like that? Did the Regis pull out something cool? Or did his Pokémon do something? PLEASE ELABORATE JOHN!
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  I guess I underestimated Zekrom's power. I didn't know why I didn't realise that Zekrom would probably have some kind of attack related to its own concept. But I think it's this 'power' that puts Legendaries above your average Pokémon.
  
  As the battlers have testified, it's not the destructive Electric or Dragon attacks that wiped everyone off the fight - but this other attack from Zekrom that trapped them within a false vision, and they weren't even able to fight back. That's the scary part about fighting them; you never know what kind of esoteric power they'll be able to whip up.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Wait, so if Palkia could warp space, and Zekrom can trap you within a vision, what can Regigigas do that's special? Or is it just 'create other Regis'? That doesn't seem as powerful.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  ?! You're saying that the casual creation of completely new life, that are powerful enough to be considered a Legendary, is not as strong? Are you serious? That's already more than powerful enough!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  So are we just crowning John as the greatest trainer in the world now? I know he technically doesn't have 'control' over Regigigas or whatever, but it's still true that he is the only one that can communicate with it. And given that this is the second Legendary fight where John was instrumental to the victory, how are we not acknowledging the fact that he's probably beyond the strength of any Champion at this point?
  
  I don't mean in official battles, but I mean the overall strength that he is able to call upon for emergencies like these. With him being able to call upon Regigigas, and the Legendary Titan proving just how strong it is, surely John should be considered the strongest, right?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  For emergency situations like these - probably. Can't deny that John's really living up to his new role as Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh; clearly he understands that his position is more than just political.
  
  EDIT: NEW VIDEO RELEASED OF THE BATTLE LOOK AT IT NOW! OMA! LINK
  
  [NEW VIDEO RELEASED OF THE BATTLE! TYRANT VS ZEKROM?!] by Battlecast
  
  [Video plays from a body cam. It is situated on a roof, and the clip starts with Klaus teleporting in and out, causing the camera to fall to the ground as the person it was attached to was teleported out. The clip lasts for just a few seconds, but during that time, you can see Zekrom charging at Tyrant, and Tyrant holding the line and retaliating with a colossal punch that ended up knocking the camera away. The clip ends there.]
  
  This is the latest video clip that has just resurfaced from the Legendary battle of Unova. It was a miracle that this footage could even be salvaged from the battle, since most of the electronics should have been destroyed by Zekrom's initial attack. But we won't question this stroke of luck at all, and just accept it as a miracle from Arceus for all of us battle lovers.
  
  And as for the footage that this managed to record? Invaluable. Not just for battle lovers, but for researchers and historians as well.
  
  Because this showed that, with enough training and strength, even a regular Pokémon could - if only briefly - match the strength of a Legendary.
  
  If Tyrant's name hadn't been immortalised already, then it definitely would after today. For being the first Pokémon in recorded history to match and fight back against a Legendary in a one-on-one battle of strength.
  
  What are all your thoughts on this?
  
  Comments
  
  ANormalFan
  
  THAT'S FUCKING RIGHT! YOU SEE WHY I'M A FAN OF JOHN NOW!? WHAT OTHER TRAINER COULD MANAGE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?! NO ONE! IT JUST SHOWS THAT EVEN AGAINST A LEGENDARY HIS POKÉMON DON'T BACK DOWN!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  ...I'm awestruck. Genuinely. My mouth is still hanging open.
  
  But at the same time, I'm proud. Not just of John or Tyrant, but also of humanity in gneral. It shows that we have a chance, even against a Legendary, to hold our own. And I think that's what we should learn from this moment.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  No wonder John said nobody would believe him. Because yeah, I wouldn't have either if not for this recording. What the fuck did I just witness?!
  
  FutureAce
  
  OMA this was SO COOOOOL! I HOPE MY OWN POKÉMON CAN BE STRONG LIKE THAT ONE DAY!
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I think that's going to be the goal of a lot of new trainers in the future. Maybe it won't be, "I want to be as strong as a Champion", and instead it could be, "I want to be strong enough to fight against a Legendary."
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Well, that sentiment is a little dangerous. Not to be a spoilsport, but let's not forget that fighting against a Legendary is not someone anyone should be doing unless they literally have no other choice.
  
  Amoongus
  
  Wow... I wonder if anything like this has happened in our own legends before, just that it wasn't recorded. Or is this the first time a non-Legendary Pokémon has managed to match up against one too? But still... having seen the power of a Legendary Pokémon myself, I really didn't think a non-Legendary could be as strong as one - this was really eye opening.
  
  ElesaFan
  
  I really hope we can see more Pokémon be as strong as Tyrant. We need more Pokémon that can stand up to a Legendary and hold their own, if only for our protection. For example, in Indigo, Emperor was almost able to beat Tyrant. Do we have anyone in Unova like that?
  
  VeryBalanced (Verified POG)
  
  Congratulations, John. Your Tyrant has proven to be the epitome of all Slaking everywhere. I hope my own could be as strong as yours one day.
  
  OnePunchMan (Verified POG)
  
  An incredible feat, and well deserved. I will do all I can to ensure that my Pokémon can replicate it.
  
  BugInTheFrame (Verified POG)
  
  Ah... so I was wrong. We could have made a difference after all. Thank you for opening my eyes, John... that feels so much better now. You're an inspiration to us all.
  
  SeaDrake (Verified POG)
  
  FUCK I MISSED OUT ON THIS?! AND YOU DIDN'T SAY SHIT ABOUT THIS TO ME? WHAT THE FUCK, JOHN?!
  
  SpiritedWriter (Verified POG)
  
  John, I know I said this to you in person, but seeing footage of this battle again, you really do deserve our utmost thanks for going above and beyond what was expected of you. The title of 'Protector-Guardian' really does suit you.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  I couldn't agree more. It was of course a sad day for us all when you decided to leave Indigo, but I don't think anyone else could be more fitting of this title than you were. And you've already proven why.
  
  [RETURN OF THE HEROES! TRAINERS RETURN FROM UNOVA! THE REGIS FIND THEIR NEW HOMES?!] By Sinnoh News
  
  [Picture of the trainers returning from Sinnoh. None of the Regis are present.]
  
  [Another picture taken at Spear Pillar, showing Regieleki and Regidrago's dormant forms guarding the entrance to Spear Pillar]
  
  Our trainers from Unova have made a triumphant return to Sinnoh after having yet again repelled another potentially hostile Legendary from wrecking untold amounts of destruction.
  
  However, with the good comes the bad, as the Regis have now been confirmed to have returned to their dormancy following the resolution of this threat - so we shall no longer be blessed with their presence for the foreseeable future. And yet, thanks to John, we were informed that the locations of where the Regis are dormant at, as shown in the attached graphic:
  
  [Graphic containing all of the Regis locations. Registeel, Regirock, and Regice are at one of the three Lakes respectively. Regidrago and Regieleki are at Spear Pillar. And Regigigas has returned to the Temple of the Titan.]
  
  At the homecoming, John was naturally asked to speak on behalf of everyone.
  
  "Although this was my first time attending a Legendary battle as the Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh, for several of us here, this was our second battle against a Legendary - and I can say for certain that the added familiarity did not make the upcoming fight any easier. Despite our extensive preparations for the battle, it was still not an easy fight. And no two fights against a Legendary are the same - the battle against Palkia forced us to operate with very different obstacles compared to our recent fight against Zekrom. They truly are a one-of-a-kind beings that operate at a different level of strength to us."
  
  "However, I do not say this out of a sense of helplessness. As despite everything I just said, this is twice that we managed to come out on top against a rampaging Legendary. Which just proves one thing - we might be far weaker than a Legendary, but with our combined efforts, even a Legendary can be driven off. We have proven twice now that the Regis are willing to help us out in our times of need, and I can say, on behalf of Regigigas, that it will continue to offer us their protection for the generations to come! So if we do ever have to go through dark days in the future, just remember to not succumb to your own fears - that everything can and will be resolved with enough effort and determination."
  
  It was a very hopeful, and relieving, speech that came from our Protector. And the hopeful announcements didn't end there, as our Champion had something to add of her own.
  
  "I've been asked by the Unova League to make this announcement on their behalf - but they would like to thank each and every volunteer that has participated in the Battle for Castelia City. The Unova League expresses their deepest gratitude for your assistance in this fight, and they will ensure that all participants would be properly rewarded. Therefore, they said that once Castelia City has been rebuilt, a proper ceremony will be hosted to not only serve as the grand reopening of Castelia, but to properly celebrate and honour those who helped out in the fight during Unova's time of need. So for those who were involved, invitations will be sent out shortly."
  
  "That's all from them. But from me, I would be remiss if I did not give my thanks and gratitude to those who participated too. Sinnoh called upon you to assist an ally, and you answered the call. Your bravery and conviction will be remembered and honoured for the years to come. I have already asked that a memorial be put in place in Castelia City to as a tribute to those who fought. You will be able to see it at the award ceremony hosted in Castelia."
  
  "And one last thing - I understand that many will be interested in taking a look at the dormant forms of the Regis themselves at Spear Pillar, since the location is still open to the public. I only ask that we show respect to these protectors, and not treat them as merely tourists attractions. Thank you."
  
  After that, our Champion went on to talk about...[Click here to continue reading]
  
  Comments
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Definitely will be heading over to Spear Pillar as soon as I can. I want to see Regieleki and Regidrago for myself! I wonder how different they'd be to the existing Regis?
  
  ILoveGoldenRod
  
  First of, thank you to everyone who helped fight. Even though Unova might be far away from us, stopping a Legendary before it could destroy a whole region is just called doing the right thing. So for those who fought, I salute your bravery.
  
  Now, that being said, I really wish that we had a protector Legendary of our own back in Indigo. I can't deny that I feel a little jealous seeing Sinnoh have so many different Legendaries that people have actually managed to interact with. How many is it now?
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  If you count the Lake Trio, Regigigas, and the Regi Quintet (are we calling them that now? Regi Trio doesn't sound right anymore when there's 5 of them) - which makes a total of 9 Legendaries present in Sinnoh.
  
  ...I guess when you put it that way the numbers don't feel all that even.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Yeah, why can't Hoenn have something like that either? Or why can't some of the 'spare' Regis be sent over? Surely you don't need all five in Sinnoh.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I think I can say that everyone in Sinnoh is cheering for the fact that John decided to take up the position as Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh. I literally can't imagine anyone else in that position. Especially not when that footage came out.
  
  DragonPower
  
  Well if John managed to awaken one Legendary it, then why can't someone else just go do so too? It's probably only a matter of strength and willpower - surely someone else will be able to match John in those respects.
  
  DarkManager (Verified POG)
  
  As much as I agree with the sentiment that Indigo should have its own Legendary guardian, I must still say that, on behalf of the Indigo League, please do not attempt to awaken a Legendary and take control of it yourself.
  
  GhostGirl (Verified POG)
  
  Yeah, just to mirror what Karen said, the Hoenn League will not take any attempt to awaken a Legendary lightly. Another one merely awakening is already a worldwide crisis. So please, do not act recklessly. Thank you.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  I think it's safe to say that only the insane would ever do something like that. Don't get consumed by your greed, people!
  
  Anyways, LoveIsEterna brought up a good point. While John is probably happy in his current position as Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh, he won't be there forever. Does anyone know if he's planning on having a successor?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  That's probably thinking too far into the future. However, if John ever brought it up and was openly looking for a successor, I doubt there would be any shortage of volunteers.
  
  I mean, who wouldn't want to be the link to a Legendary?
  
  A.N. As promised, here is the Pokénet Interlude, which is obviously focused on the aftermath of the attack. I tried to fit in as many perspectives as possible in the news articles. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 18-8-Interlude-Juniper
  The New Normal - 18-8 - Interlude - Juniper & Colress
  
  (Juniper POV)
  
  Naturally, as the resident leading Professor of Unova, she was asked to come to Castelia City after the battle was over to make sure that there wouldn't be any lasting damage or harmful effects from the battle between Legendaries.
  
  She would have joined in the battle herself, except for the fact that she was certainly no veteran trainer. Her skills definitely leaned more to the theoretical, rather than the practical. So even if she had been in the battle, she would be no more than a liability.
  
  That was why she so greatly admired her counterparts that were both a Professor and a trainer. Samuel, Blaine, and even Colress - they were all a good mix of both.
  
  Speaking of Colress, she had been very pleasantly surprised by the contributions that he brought to their group of Professors. Initially, she introduced him because she felt that someone of his talents didn't deserve to be wasted away just because of his, admittedly difficult, personality. She felt that there was a lot that Colress could bring to the table, given how smart and inventive he was.
  
  And she was very quickly proven right.
  
  Colress had finished up on his 'Colress Machine', which was now properly renamed to the Pokémon Stabilizer. It was now fully capable of both forcefully awakening and subduing a Pokémon, assuming that they were weak enough to succumb to its effects. But even against stronger Pokémon, the Stabilizer still could affect them, just to a lesser degree.
  
  Thanks to Birch, who was his primary sponsor, the Pokémon Stabilizer had seen prototypes sent out to both Rangers and Nurses, who would hopefully welcome having such a tool in their arsenal. Already, the preliminary reports from them said that the Rangers especially enjoyed having such a convenient device on hand, because it made dealing with problematic Pokémon much easier.
  
  It also helped that it was small and compact, making it easy to bring along into the field.
  
  But besides the Pokémon Stabilizer, Colress' true contribution to their group was his work on the Mega Stone project. After they had discovered that the Stones required 'Life' and 'Death' energy in order to activate, Colress had been hard at work with trying to create a functional substitute.
  
  If anything, he was the hardest working amongst them. And always the most creative.
  
  So what Colress had recognised after much more rigorous testing was that the Mega Stones only needed this energy in order to activate - after activation, whatever evolution process it will induce into the Pokémon will be fuelled by the Pokémon's own energy. Therefore, the overall process didn't require much external energy at all.
  
  Furthermore, he had been experimenting with trying to replicate this special 'Life' energy. He deduced that healing moves like Life Dew and Wish would have similar properties, though obviously they would not be completely the same as these weren't moves used by Legendaries. Likewise, moves like 'Memento' and 'Curse' were also tested, to see if they could mimic the opposite 'Death' energy in extreme enough concentrations.
  
  Likewise, he had theorised that it might be possible to induce these restorative properties into the lingering energies from a Legendary in order to create something that could be used to activate these Mega Stones.
  
  His theory was met with an understandable amount of scepticism, but Sam had given his approval anyways, stating that they didn't have any better lines of inquiry to follow through anyways.
  
  Which was why she was at Castelia City, not only to check on the aftermath, but to collect some samples of the lingering energies from the battle.
  
  Hopefully they would be enough to make things work.
  
  (Colress POV)
  
  Juniper had got back to him with the samples only a few days later - much quicker than he had expected. Of course, she didn't come all the way to Hoenn by herself, she sent some faceless assistant over to deliver them.
  
  ...He should probably find some assistants of his own instead of relying solely on Birch's. The increase in efficiency would be worth it.
  
  Speaking of efficiency, he couldn't deny that working with Birch and the other Professors had its ups and downs compared to when he was independent. When he was working alone, he never had to care about the opinions of others. He ran his experiments and tests at his own pace, unhindered by something as inane as 'safety regulations' or 'proper authorisation'. He had always felt that those things merely slowed down the progress of science.
  
  He had not changed his stance on that. He still felt that the progression of science was worth any price, but he was forced to 'play by the rules' now that he was a group with the other Professors. They didn't share the same level of ambition as he did, and so he was forced to adhere to their rules and regulations in order to continue working with them.
  
  Honestly, he never thought he would be in a situation like this. After his reputation was tarnished in Unova, he had assumed that he would never find official work again. At the time, he was fine with that, and he was more than fine with reaching out for less scrupulous projects if it meant he got the funds necessary to do his own research. For that was the only thing that mattered.
  
  That being said, now that he was working once again in an official team of Professors, he felt that the trade-off for following the safety protocols was worth it. He was never one for arrogance, so he could fully appreciate how useful it was to be able to bounce off ideas with minds of equal intelligence. It significantly smoothened the brainstorming process.
  
  That was why, now that he had the samples of Legendary power in front of him, he and the other Professors had all gotten into a conference call as they watched the experiment play out in real time.
  
  This was their first round of tests where they would be infusing as much 'restorative' energy from healing moves and trying to combine it with the extracted Legendary energy. The amount of energy that they would be infusing consisted of almost a whole month's worth of stored power, since they doubted anything less would suffice.
  
  Fortunately, they had built a new machine that would help do everything for them - at a safe distance - as everything was done under strict lab conditions, with every relevant safety protocol already run through just in case.
  
  Messing around with something like this always carried its risks. If it was up to him, he would have moved on regardless of the risks, but the others were all in favour of taking things slowly.
  
  "Activating it now." He said into the microphone, "Does anyone else have any last-minute disagreements to this course of action?"
  
  None did, so he continued, "Okay, combining the two in three... two... one... it's activated."
  
  The conference call fell silent as they all stared at the machine, watching its every movement. The silence was loud, almost deafening, as all of them waited for the results of the experiment to be revealed.
  
  This was probably not the first time someone had tried to experiment with a Legendary's power, since Team Galactic had most certainly tampered around with something similar when they ended up creating the Red Chain, but this was probably the first time it was done in an official setting, in a project that was sanctioned by the League.
  
  After what felt like a whole minute of pure silence, with only the whirling of the machine as the only background noise, the machine let out a 'ding' as it signified the completion of the experiment.
  
  Inside a custom built glass container, which was almost the size of a regular test tube, contained a small orb, almost looking like a shiny marble, that served as the fruit of their experiment.
  
  Had they just managed to convert the lingering energies from a Legendary into something else?
  
  He carefully took this container, with the small marble-like object inside, and brought it over to Birch, who immediately begun running tests on it to see if his theory was right.
  
  A couple of minutes later, Birch nodded, "...It worked. This is probably as close as we can get to crystallizing the energy that is used for the Mega Stone."
  
  "Is it safe to touch?" Blaine asked.
  
  "The results do not suggest otherwise." Birch replied after a moment, "There are no harmful energies that could be detected radiating out from it. It should be safe for human contact."
  
  "Never mind that." He quickly interrupted, "We should get it tested with a Mega Stone right away. We don't know if this 'Life' energy will decay overtime. We need to run the tests now." He didn't understand why anyone would wait.
  
  Birch considered his words for a moment, before turning to the rest of the Conference call, "Are we all in agreement with this?"
  
  Fortunately, they all were. "Which Mega Stones do you have with you now, Birch?" Rowan asked.
  
  "I kept the Pidgeotite and Cameruptite with me." Birch replied, "Should we do tests on those?"
  
  "Start with the Pidgeotite first." Sam said, "I'll also call up Joseph and let him know that we've succeeded. I've already been filling in him on everything else."
  
  "Make sure everything's recorded for him." Blaine added, "Like it or not, he's the one funding us. He deserves to be part of this."
  
  Someone went and did just that. Meanwhile, he helped out Birch as the man went to grab the Pidgeotite and his own personal Pidgeot for testing.
  
  Once Birch was back, Joseph had joined in on the call as well, and they all once again turned to stare at the Pidgeotite as Birch carefully placed it in contact with the marble that they had created.
  
  Immediately, the stone began to glow brightly, sending out rays of light in all directions that nearly blinded the entire room.
  
  And the Pidgeot began to glow white as well as it reacted to its Mega Stone.
  
  Once the blinding light finally receded, they were all staring at the proof of their success.
  
  As a proud new Pokémon stared back at them.
  
  A.N. AND MEGA EVOLUTION IS FINALLY HERE! I know it took a while and has been on the backburner, but I was just trying to set up the pieces for Mega Evolution to finally become a thing. I also felt that it was fitting for Colress to be the main driver behind its discovery.
  
  In canon, he was working to 'unlock the true potential of Pokémon', which arguably is what Mega Evolution is. Furthermore, with how vague the explanations behind Mega Evolution are, I felt that this gave me the creative freedom to try and come up with my own explanation of how I could 'recreate' it without making use of Xerneas and Yveltal. I hope you enjoy the roundabout solution I came up with, and it will be explored more in a later chapter. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  Also, I know this was a shorter arc, but this marks the last chapter of 'Arc 18 - Ideals', as I've covered everything I wanted to for this arc. Next chapter will be the start of Arc 19. Thanks for your support as always! It's always appreciated!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-1
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-1 - Mega Evolution
  
  A.N. Please read the A.N at the end. Thank you.
  
  I had thought that with Zekrom, and by extension Team Plasma, dealt with, I would be free from any heart-pounding surprises for a good period of time.
  
  I was completely wrong about that. Because only after a few days after I had gone home, I received a call from Blaine asking me to head over to Hoenn for a meetup. He insisted that it was urgent, and that it was well worth my time since it was related to the Mega Stone project.
  
  He didn't need to say anymore than that. After making sure with Cynthia that I wasn't needed for anything else, I quickly took a day-trip to Hoenn so that I could meet up with the other Professors.
  
  I was told to arrive early in the afternoon at Birch's Research Lab at Littleroot Town. Thankfully, it was pretty quiet at this time of day, so no one had even recognised me as I walked into the lab.
  
  Heading inside, I found out that I was the last person to arrive - everyone else was already there. All of the Professors were there, as well as both Colress and Joseph Stone. Steven had even participated virtually through a video call.
  
  "Welcome, John. Glad you could make it." Blaine greeted me as we shook hands, "Sorry if I pulled you away from anything, but I really thought you'd want to see this in person."
  
  "Not a problem. I would have dropped many things to come over anyways." I replied, "I know how important this project is, so I'd obviously want to be here in person."
  
  "I'm in the same position." Steven chuckled through the microphone, "While I couldn't extract myself from my office, not when I'm still dealing with the aftermath of everything that went down in Unova, I still felt the need to at least attend virtually."
  
  After a quick round of greetings, we got to the heart of the matter as the Professors moved to show me what they had discovered. On a projector, they threw up images of a very familiar form of Pidgeot - its Mega form.
  
  I had suspected they had succeeded with something like this, though I didn't know that Pidgeot would be the first Pokémon they were successful with. Pidgeot was not their only success, of course, as they tested on other Pokémon to make sure that their first attempt wasn't just a fluke.
  
  Therefore, there were also pictures of a Mega Camerupt, Mega Heracross, and a Mega Manetric, with their new forms proudly on display next to a very detailed sheets of documentation filled with complex scientific jargon that I didn't quite understand.
  
  But I sat there and looked appropriately fascinated as the Professors all went on to describe the new forms and how much more powerful they were. They also went on to explain that the Mega Evolution wasn't something that was permanent, and could only last as long as the Mega Evolving Pokémon was able to fuel its Mega Evolution with its own energy.
  
  That last part caught my attention, because it meant that a Mega Evolution might not necessarily last for an entire battle, as it had with the games. Because the Mega Evolution was dependent on the Pokémon's own energy, it was very likely that exhaustion could cut the evolution short in the middle of the battle.
  
  Blaine explained that if this happened, then the Pokémon would basically be out of the fight. The reverse transformation of the Mega Evolution due to a lack of energy would mean that the Pokémon had no more left to give, and would soon be knocked out.
  
  I had a question I had to ask, "So would you say that a Mega Evolved Pokémon would generally run out of stamina faster than a non-Mega evolved Pokémon?"
  
  "Yes. That's what the readings suggest so far." Birch nodded, "You can imagine Mega Evolution to be a more extreme version of something like Outrage. Tons of raw power, and sometimes new abilities, but the trade-off is a more rapid consumption of a Pokémon's stamina and energy. Furthermore, we've discovered that, for some reason, a Pokémon's bond with their trainer also affects how efficient they are able to make use of this energy. A Pokémon with a stronger bond can Mega-Evolve for longer than those without."
  
  That was similar to what I remembered. In other words, you could technically Mega Evolve any Pokémon, but only Pokémon that you shared a strong bond with would be able to effectively make use of Mega Evolution.
  
  "I actually like it that way." Samuel cut in, "It means that Mega Evolution isn't going to be a direct upgrade in all situations. You'll have to think about whether its worth mega evolving during a fight, or when it is the best time to do so. Considering the rapid drain in stamina, it might not be the best idea to Mega evolve at a start of the fight. On the flip side, evolving in the midst of a fight might not be a good idea either, as though the Mega Evolution process is pretty quick, that's still a second or two that your opponent could use to punish you."
  
  I nodded understandingly; this was yet another difference from the main games. But I also agreed with Samuel here - it meant that Mega Evolution wasn't an instant 'I win' button that you should use in every scenario.
  
  Considering the consequences, a poorly timed Mega Evolution might actually doom your fight rather than save it. For example, Mega Evolving too early in a fight of attrition would mean your Pokémon would be the one to tire out first - assuming the additional increase in power still wasn't enough to break through your opponent.
  
  Therefore, there was a level of strategy involved, which was always good.
  
  "But what about the device used to Mega Evolve our Pokémon?" Steven asked, "First, does it have a name? And second, does it have a limit of Mega Evolutions it can induce before it needs to recharge? Do the Mega Stones themselves need recharging?"
  
  Colress held up the small, marble-looking object for all to see, "For now, we're calling it the Key Stone. As for your other questions, let me explain the process of Mega Evolution so you can understand what's going on..."
  
  He proceeded to do so. He explained that Mega Evolution was possible by making use of the replicated 'Life' and 'Death' energy that they had been able to artificially recreate from their own experiments. This energy was crystallised into a Key Stone, which could be used to activate Mega Evolutions.
  
  However, since this false energy was produced by repurposing the lingering energies from the Legendary battle that took place in Unova, there was a very limited supply of this.
  
  Everything had already been extracted from the aftermath of the battle, which admittedly was a solid amount, but any more of this energy could only be created if another Legendary battle took place - which obviously, no one wanted.
  
  Fortunately, the process of Mega Evolution itself did not actually require any external energy - since it was all fuelled by the Pokémon themselves, so the 'Life' or 'Death' energy were merely used to 'activate' the evolution in the first place.
  
  Because of this, despite the limited supply of 'Life' or 'Death' energy, none of it was actually consumed in the Mega Evolution process. Meaning that with just a small amount of it, assuming that things were stored properly, the Mega Evolution process could be repeated indefinitely with a single Key Stone.
  
  That explained why, in the games, the Mega Rings or Mega Bracelets seem to be powered from nowhere. It made complete sense that their source of energy was renewable.
  
  "Got it, so how many Mega Stones do we have now? I know we found a couple more since the last time I checked in." Steven asked.
  
  "...Give me a second, let me check that for you." Birch muttered as he dug through a few files on his computer, "Ah, here it is. Right, so far we have a total of 12 Mega Stones, consisting of Altarianite, Sharpedonite, Cameruptite, Manectite, Pidgeotite, Metagrossite, Beedrillite, Alakazamite, Scizorite, Heracronite, Garchompite, and Houndoominite."
  
  I whistled; that was a very good variety. There were also several Mega Stones among that list that definitely caught my attention. Obviously, the Garchompite, Pidgeotite, Houndoominite were the most interesting for me, given my closeness with Cynthia and Karen. And of course for myself.
  
  Sad that a Tyranitarite hadn't popped up, but the current selection that we did have was still very impressive.
  
  "Before you ask, Devon Corp does not take ownership of the entire lot. We will only have ownership of the ones that we have directly found." Joseph said, "That being the Pidgeotite, Cameruptite, Manectite, Metagrossite, Garchompite, and Sharpedonite. The rest are under the joint property of the Professors, who can decide on what they will do with the Mega Stones they have."
  
  "...This does pose another problem though." Sam spoke up, "Right now, even with 12 Mega Stones here - this really isn't enough for the entire world. And since we still haven't found a way of replicating these Mega Stones yet, it is very likely that for the foreseeable future, only a few dozen people around the world will get their hands on a Mega Stone."
  
  "And that's a problem, because the Mega Stones are able to potentially change the course of the fight by themselves, but only a handful of people will be able to make use of it." He continued, "Which means that these Stones are going to be in extremely high demand. So much so that I'm willing to bet that people are going to want to steal them and sell it on the black market for exorbitant amount of money."
  
  "I can see that." Steven agreed, "I'm sure when we announce the Mega Stone research to the wider world, there'll be plenty of people reaching out to all of us asking to get their hands on one of these Mega Stones. They'll probably offer their entire fortunes to try to get it."
  
  "The bigger issue is that one of the core tenets of Pokémon battling is that, during a battle, both trainers are on the same playing field - all preparation should have already been done before the battle had begun." Blaine pointed out, "Therefore, use of external items, berries, and the like are all banned. However, the Mega Stone is something that needs to be activated during a battle, which breaches this core rule. And I can already tell you, people will not be happy with that, as it gives those with the Mega Stone an enormous advantage that cannot be replicated without your own Mega Stone."
  
  These were all points that I had thought up a long time ago when I first realised that Mega Evolution was going to be a thing, but I was glad to see that the Professors had also mirrored my own thoughts. So I agreed; this was a problem that needed solving.
  
  "...What about banning the use of Mega Stones in official battles?" Elm asked.
  
  "That would be a rather draconian measure." Steven replied with a shake of his head, "After all, most of the appeal of having these Mega Stones is to be able to show off and make use of the powerful Mega Evolutions in a fight. So if you just ban their use, then what's the point of having them when you can't even use it in a battle?"
  
  "Then how about having it so that you must Mega Evolve your Pokémon the moment they are sent out into the fight." Birch suggested, "If the issue is that the Mega Stone is an 'item' that can be used in the middle of a battle, then just have it so that you have to use it at the start. Therefore, you will know from the moment that the Pokémon is sent out whether you are fighting against the Mega Evolved version or the standard version. That way, Mega Evolution can be treated as something like a Rotom form change, which means that it won't be in breach of the core tenets of Pokémon battling."
  
  ...After thinking it over, I found it to be an acceptable compromise and agreed with Birch's suggestion. By doing it this way, the Mega Stone becomes just another thing you have to prepare for before a battle begins, much like you would do with any other Pokémon or strategy.
  
  Understandably, there were still going to be people upset about this. And there will be people saying that Mega Evolutions should be allowed to be used whenever. But since outright banning of the Mega Stone was not possible, and allowing the Mega Stones to be used whenever was in breach of battling traditions, I found this to be a reasonable solution.
  
  The others clearly felt the same, as there were a round of nods from everyone in the room.
  
  "I like it." Steven said, "I think it's a fair compromise. I'll be looking to see if we can implement this as a new rule once Mega Evolution is released to the wider world. Though, in all honesty, with how rare these Mega Stones are, we'll probably only see this rule in effect once in a blue moon. Professors, are we sure that these Mega Stones aren't able to be replicated?"
  
  "No, we are not certain. And admittedly we have not dedicated much of our efforts to trying to reproduce a Mega Stone." Colress replied, "Our focus thus far was on unlocking its secrets first and foremost."
  
  "We can change our focus if that's what is preferred." Rowan offered, "I'm pretty sure we've discovered all that we could regarding how these Mega Stones are used."
  
  "That would be appreciated." Joseph responded before Steven could, "If this is the research path you will be going down, then we'll continue our collaboration for a bit longer. You'll continue to receive your funding, but we can discuss further finances at a later date."
  
  "Sounds good to us." Sam nodded, before turning to Steven and I, "So, Steven, John, are there any other questions you guys have for us? Were there any other concepts you needed clarification on?"
  
  Steven and I shared a look before we shook our heads, with myself answering on our behalf, "No. You've explained things very clearly. Thank you again for inviting me here."
  
  "Oh, John." Steven suddenly interrupted me, "If you have the time, come over to my office. Let's continue our previous discussions on the Pidgeotite."
  
  "Sure." I nodded, "I'll head over right away."
  
  I quickly made my way to Steven's office, with no one really bothering me as I stepped through the Hoenn League building.
  
  "Thanks for coming." Steven greeted me as I arrived, "I do apologise for rushing into this so quickly - but I feel like it would be better for the both of us if we negotiate this as soon as possible."
  
  "No problem, I agree as well." I replied, "Speaking of which, do you actually have any plans on selling these Mega Stones to others? Or am I the first and only person you're considering?"
  
  "No, you're the first I've spoken to about a sale like this." He said, "I intend to use our trade as a benchmark for the others to come. So, is it just the Pidgeotite that you want?"
  
  "...I would be remiss if I did not ask for the Garchompite too." I said, "Cynthia would be most disappointed with me if she found out I didn't even try to negotiate for it too."
  
  "Fair enough; I would probably have done the same in your place." He replied easily, "But this actually segues very well into the point I wanted to make regarding the price. I know you previously said that you were willing to offer me a favour in exchange for the Pidgeotite, but I have a different offer in mind."
  
  "Instead of doing all of that, how about I offer both the Garchompite and Pidgeotite for the both of you as a diplomatic gesture. Meanwhile, I will be establishing a new office as an a subordinate institution of the Regional Union - the Mega Stone Foundation. Simply put, it will be an organisation tasked with the supervision and monitoring of all currently known Mega Stones, including who are the trainers that currently possess a Mega Stone. That way, all current owners will be properly catalogued."
  
  "...Will that really be necessary?" I asked slowly, not entirely sure why he was suggesting this.
  
  "Of course it will be." He replied firmly, "Once the Mega Evolution research is released to the world, I can guarantee you that having a Mega Stone will be seen as a status symbol across the entire world. Even if the Mega Stones can be replicated, each one will be exorbitantly expensive because of how impactful they will be in a battle. Therefore, making sure that all known holders of a Mega Stone are properly catalogued and registered is going to be incredibly important, not only for trainers, but also to crack down on the inevitable rise in Mega Stone-related theft. The Mega Stone Foundation will be incredibly important for the future."
  
  I nodded, now understanding why he had brought this up, "And I assume you'll want this stationed in Hoenn."
  
  "Exactly." He smiled, "Right now, Hoenn doesn't have anything going for it compared to the other two regions in our Union. Indigo has the headquarters for the Regional Union, while Sinnoh has your Legendaries and is the main point of communication between us and Unova. Through no fault of our own, we've been left to the lurch, and I intend to change that with the reveal of the Mega Stone. I want Hoenn to be the location for anything Mega Stone related. And this Foundation will be the start."
  
  "That's why I'm offering both the Pidgeotite and Garchompite to you and Cynthia respectively, and I will be also handing one over to the others as well once I find a suitable Mega Stone for them." He continued, "Politically, this will be a very big win for me if I get this set up. So in return, I want both you and Cynthia's full support for all Mega Stone related projects to be directed towards Hoenn for the foreseeable future. I want Hoenn to be known to be the capital of Mega Evolution, much like how Sinnoh is the capital of Legendaries."
  
  ...I was impressed by the scale of Steven's vision, and I could see why it was so appealing to him. What he intended for Hoenn was almost like he was building a 'brand'; so that the public would from now on associate Hoenn with Mega Evolution. There would be many benefits to this, as I'm sure Steven had already calculated.
  
  In comparison, him giving away the Mega Stones was hardly a big deal. He couldn't use them anyways, and it wasn't like he needed the money from selling them.
  
  "I can't agree on Cynthia's behalf, but I doubt she'll have any opposition to your proposal." I eventually said, "In fact, would you be okay if I called her right now and fill her in on our discussions?"
  
  "Sure." He agreed, "I'll have to fill her in time anyways. So you might as well save me the trouble."
  
  So I did just that, calling up Cynthia and explaining everything I could about Mega Evolution. Fortunately, she was very quick on the uptake, and it didn't take long for her to understand the implications of what I'd just told her.
  
  "Very interesting. And you say you have the Garchompite on you right now, and you have the authority to give it away?" Cynthia asked.
  
  "Most certainly." Steven confirmed, "We found it - and my father has given me full authority over what to do with it."
  
  "In that case, I can't turn down a generous offer like that." Cynthia said, "We need to make the reveal of a Mega Evolution a big thing though. We need to get Lance and Alder involved and have it be a joint showcase by the Regional Union and Unova. We need show that this is a joint discovery, and something worth celebrating after what happened in Unova."
  
  "I'll make the arrangements with both Lance and Alder." Steven said, "Meanwhile, I hope you don't mind if I keep holding onto the Mega Stones for now. Don't worry, you'll be given them when its time for the reveal. We'll probably do it on stage too."
  
  "I'll help to bring Lance and Alder on board if you need assistance." Cynthia added.
  
  And with that, the stage had been set for Mega Evolution to be revealed to the public. I couldn't wait to see what kind of interesting new tactics will be created as a result.
  
  A.N. I hope you enjoyed my new rules for Mega Evolution and that they make sense for the worldbuilding I've done. I obviously tried to keep things as close to the game canon as possible, but I felt like a small adaption was necessary for the world I built for TNN.
  
  But more importantly, Welcome to Arc 19 - The New Normal. And as much as it saddens me to announce this, in the interest of transparency, this will likely mark the beginning of the end of The New Normal, and Arc 19 will be the final main arc of this story. But let me be clear, TNN is not ending anytime soon. There are still more chapters coming, and there will be a proper Epilogue Arc and maybe other bonus arcs too, but I am going to be working to wrap up all of the story beats into a conclusive and hopefully satisfying ending.
  
  I have written TNN for over 2.5 years now, and it has been a big part of my life for the last few years. Anytime I would have free time, I would be planning or writing this story, because I was very passionate about it and wanted to deliver an interesting and exciting story for you all - and your continued support has been instrumental into fuelling that passion. However, as much as I know there are many other things I could write about for TNN, I originally intended this story to end with Cyrus' defeat. Everything else since then has been extra, and now, I feel like I'm starting to come to an end with what I want to explore with this story in particular. I know this will disappoint many of you, and I do understand and apologize, but I would rather try my best to come up with a proper conclusion for TNN rather than being burnt out, run out of ideas, and then just never finishing this story.
  
  This does not mean I am giving up on writing, or Pokémon. I have more ideas I want to explore with Pokémon, and other fandoms, and I will continue writing even after TNN has concluded. For example, without spoiling too much, I have another Pokémon story that I have been planning that will take place in the mainline regions that I haven't covered in TNN.
  
  So as TNN slowly starts to come to an end, don't be surprised if new stories get started that I will be writing out.
  
  Nevertheless, I would just like to take this opportunity once again to thank all of you for the support, feedback, and engagement that you've given this story. Honestly, I really didn't want to start planning the ending of this story, but I knew I would be doing both this story and all of you a disservice if I just kept it dragging along endlessly. So thank you, and I hope you can understand my decision. And hope you enjoyed the chapter.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 19-2
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-2 - Mega Changes
  
  Since I was still in Hoenn, I made sure to pay a visit to my friends while I was there. So I made a brief stop over to visit Roxanne and Norman so that I could catch up with them.
  
  They mostly congratulated me on my time in Unova and the fight against N, but otherwise, I hung out with them individually for about an hour each before I had to head back to Sinnoh to deal with everything else.
  
  And time quickly flew by after that. The people of Unova quickly returned back to their homes, and Castelia City was hastily yet efficiently rebuilt to much of its former glory. A nice and unintended side benefit from the destruction of the city was that many of the forgotten alleyways, which had been left to rot and decay overtime, were able to be rebuilt and properly restored.
  
  Furthermore, this also gave the builders an opportunity to redesign some of the alleyways of Castelia City, making them less cramped and more organised in general. Overall, it was like the city had gone through some much needed refurbishments.
  
  Now that the city was rebuilt, it was time for the numerous award ceremonies to take place. Honestly, though they were all a good time, most of the award ceremonies blurred together for me. I understood why they were necessary, and I was more than happy that everyone else who participated was able to be honoured and be properly rewarded for their bravery, but they were a little repetitive.
  
  Don't get me wrong, the rewards were nice. The Unova League had built a large monument in the centre of Castelia City to honour those who fought in this battle, and a long list of names were etched into the monument - much like what had been done at Spear Pillar after our battle against Palkia.
  
  But for me, I found it more valuable to use the award ceremony as an opportunity to catch up and speak with a whole bunch of people. I never was one to waste an opportunity to schmooze.
  
  "Really didn't think my life would go from winning the Pokémon World Tournament to immediately fighting against a Legendary." Elesa muttered, "I don't know what I did to receive such an exciting life."
  
  "You'll think back on these events fondly." I replied reassuringly, "Yes, it might have been terrifying to face off against a Legendary. But it is also proof of your bravery and conviction - that when Unova needed you, you chose to step up and defend your region. You'll sleep well thinking about that, I promise you."
  
  "Well, yeah, when you put it that way, I guess it was good that I went through all that." Elesa said, a small smile forming on her face, "Honestly, I think I got off easy compared to most. I wasn't in the thick of the fighting; I was off to the side at a mostly safe distance just helping to support other Pokémon since my Electric moves were mostly ineffective. I can imagine the experience being a lot worse for those who were more up close and personal with their fight against Zekrom. Like you were." She finished while giving me a look of concern.
  
  I waved her off, "Don't worry about me. I got over most of my fears after my fight against Palkia. Trust me, this fight was not nearly as bad as that one. That fight was much, much worse."
  
  "I'll take your word for it." Elesa nodded, "Say, did you check on Iris lately? I hope she's doing okay after that fight. I was shocked to see her in the fight when she's so young. I only spoke to her briefly over text."
  
  "Same, actually. But I heard enough from Karen - she's been speaking to her the most." I said, "Fortunately, Iris seems okay. She wasn't in the middle of the fighting either, so she wasn't hurt outside of some hairs being singed from Zekrom's Electric attacks, but nothing major. In a way, Zekrom taking everyone out of the fight with its false visions was a blessing in disguise, as it spared everyone from experiencing the worst of the fighting."
  
  "Only because you Teleported everyone to safely." Elesa pointed out.
  
  I shrugged, "I suppose. But I was only doing what I had to. I'm sure everyone else would do the same too, in my place. Besides, I'd rather Iris suffer through some false visions than exposing someone as young as her to the full horrors of a battle against a Legendary. We were lucky that we got away with so few casualties that day."
  
  "...I suppose so." Elesa agreed, "But you know, I'm surprised you aren't the main character of this award show. I thought you'd be the centrepiece for today's events, considering everything that you did."
  
  "I explicitly asked for that not to be the case." I revealed, "I didn't think I need further accolades, and I really didn't want the public to put me more on a pedestal than they already have. Besides, I was the one charging into the fight with multiple Legendaries backing me up. Everyone else did it without those Legendaries - which I find to be much braver. So you could argue that me doing everything that I did was merely what was expected, since I was the one with the Legendaries."
  
  "Hmm... I don't think you'll see many subscribing to that point of view, but I won't try to argue against it." Elesa said, "Anyways, in case you somehow haven't heard this already, but thanks for your assistance. Unova appreciates it."
  
  "I'll always be there to help." I promised sincerely.
  
  I spoke with other people as well at the ceremony, including Iris, before making my way back to Sinnoh. Which was all in good time, because the Professors had revealed that it was about time to show off Mega Evolution to the wider world, and we needed to prepare for the consequences.
  
  Technically, this was supposed to be a discussion only between the Champions, but Cynthia insisted that I participate, and no one had a problem with that.
  
  Steven had honoured his promise to us, and he was in the process of handing over both the Pidgeotite and Garchompite to both me and Cynthia respectively. He said that he wanted to make sure that we were at least familiar with the process of Mega Evolution, as he wanted us to show off our Mega Evolutions during the press conference. That's why we were also getting a Mega Bracelet in advance - which was just a fancy storage compartment for the Key Stone.
  
  The Mega Bracelet itself was merely a prototype, and it definitely favoured functionality over form. It was plain, thick, and pretty ugly. But this was just to ensure that the Key Stone was as protected as possible, and I knew later designs would be more visually appealing.
  
  Similarly, as Steven said he would, Lance and Alder also received their own Mega Stones, though not ones that immediately suited them. The only Mega Stone that we had that actually was for a Dragon type (besides the Garchompite) was the Altarianite, so that was given to Lance. However, for Alder, things were a lot trickier as none of his Pokémon matched any of the Mega Stones we currently had.
  
  Because of this, Steven had even debated about delaying the reveal just so that we could find a Mega Stone that would fit Alder. But after speaking with the man himself, he insisted that the Mega Stone reveal proceed as is, because he didn't want a reveal as momentous as this to be delayed at all.
  
  Therefore, after some discussion, he was given the Manectite, with a Manetric being loaned to him so that he could make use of it. It wasn't ideal, but Steven said he would make a public announcement that both Lance and Alder could trade their Mega Stones in the future for something more suitable from Devon Corp's inventory if they'd like. And this was only really for the announcement anyways. Still, both parties seemed okay with it, so I guess it wasn't an issue.
  
  But then came the meat of the matter - how to deal with the fallout.
  
  Lance spoke first, "We should do what we did when the Fairy reveal happened. Big lockdowns for the first week. Restrict access to certain areas to prevent over-catching. Police out in force, etc."
  
  "...That wouldn't really work this time." Steven said, "With the Fairy reveal, people went crazy over catching the new Fairy types. But Mega Evolution is about the stones, not the Pokémon."
  
  "So how do we stop people from digging up every random stone we see then?" Lance asked, "Because you know that's what's going to happen."
  
  "We'll close down important areas that we can't afford the public to violate." Cynthia said, "Areas such as the Lakes and Spear Pillar will all be temporary closed to the public. Otherwise, areas such as the Oreburgh Mines will also be closed to the public, for obvious reasons. But besides that, I don't really see what else we can do. We can't exactly stop people from digging up rocks."
  
  "Museums and other geology related exhibitions should also have extra security assigned to them." I pointed out, "You never know if you'll have people trying to steal artifacts thinking that they're Mega Stones or whatever."
  
  We all continued to hash out the details of the orders that would be put in place when it came time for the Mega Stone to be revealed, which mostly focused on the security arrangements. After all that was done, we then moved on to how the reveal was going to happen in the first place.
  
  "I want this all done in Hoenn." Steven said, "Ideally, I would like all Champions to join me here in Hoenn when we make the announcement so you can show off all of the Mega Stones on stage. We'll even have a test fight to show off the newfound power of your Pokémon. Alder, I know this is the hardest for you, given that you are the furthest away, but would this be acceptable?"
  
  "I've no problem with this." He said, "I've been meaning to head to Indigo anyways to make a show of exploring the Regional Union building. You know, showing my face and all that. Just to set the stage for what's to come. So visiting Hoenn would be easily accommodated."
  
  Ah, I could read between the lines here. Alder was basically saying that Unova was planning on slowly integrating themselves with the Regional Union, and was making sure that the public got hints about their intentions before it was time for the big announcement. Pretty standard policy.
  
  However, I was a little surprised at the fact that they were looking to join so quickly - it hadn't been that long since we first met them. Then again, considering that we all rallied to their aid when PLASMA started to terrorise Unova with Zekrom, I guess it was pretty easy to understand how we earned their trust.
  
  Furthermore, considering that the other Champions didn't look surprised at this comment meant that they had probably been discussing this for some time now. So it was just me that was out of the loop.
  
  "Is it just us that are going to be participating?" I asked, "Or will the Gym Leaders or Elite Four get involved as well?"
  
  "Sadly, we don't really have enough Mega Stones to go around, and I'm not a charitable enough person to just hand out what few Mega Stones remain in my possession for free." Steven said, "So yes, it'll just have to be us. The Gym Leaders or Elite Four are of course going to be informed ahead of time so they won't be caught off guard by this development, and they'll be free to attend if they wish."
  
  And not long after that, everything was planned out. It was just a matter of executing the reveal. But first things first, I wanted to play around with the new Mega Stones a bit first.
  
  "...I thought this would look more impressive." Cynthia said to me as we both stared down at the freshly opened package we had just received. In it contained both of our Mega Bracelets, as well as our Mega Stones. She was holding the Mega Bracelets in her hands as she inspected them.
  
  "The Key Stone isn't all that big to begin with." I pointed out, "So it makes sense that the Mega Bracelets don't need to be all that bulky."
  
  "Yeah... but couldn't they have gone with a better design? Why couldn't they have gone for a smaller design, so it doesn't look as tacky?" She grumbled, twirling the Mega Bracelet around, "I mean, really? Why is it all grey? Were there really no better colours to use?"
  
  "Pretty sure Colress designed these." I said, "I don't think the word 'fashion' even registers in his internal dictionary. He probably just came up with whatever was most efficient, knowing him. That said, this was supposed to be made with some reinforced material to prevent the Key Stone from accidentally breaking, which might explain the utilitarian appearance."
  
  She sighed, "I know, I'm just complaining for the sake of it. But enough grumbling from me, I can't wait to see how powerful my Garchomp will be with its new Mega Evolution. Come, let's get training."
  
  I quickly followed after her as the two of us made our way to our home's private training field. Our Pokémon were all there already, and were mostly sitting around as they waiting excitedly for what was about to happen. They were obviously all informed beforehand about what was going to happen.
  
  Once we got close, Zephyr and Garchomp rushed over to us as soon as we approached. Both of their eyes were laser-focused on the two Mega Stones that we held in our hand, as if some primal force was directing their attention.
  
  "Are you both ready?" I asked the two of them, "We'll have you sparring right after this. Don't hold back - make sure to give it all you got. We want to really test out your newfound power, got it?"
  
  They both nodded, and Cynthia and I activated their Mega Stones for the very first time. We pressed their Mega Stones against our respective Mega Bracelets, which instantly caused a reaction.
  
  A blindingly bright rainbow of lights immediately began to shine out from both of our Pokémon as they resonated with their respective Mega Stones.
  
  And as the light faded away, the two new forms of our Mega Pidgeot and Mega Garchomp blessed our eyes. Zephyr especially was preening with pride and excitement as he inspected his new form - and the power that it contained.
  
  This must have been everything he had ever wanted, for he finally had the power to match his skills.
  
  "...They're beautiful." Cynthia gasped out, "People really are going to go crazy over these new Mega Evolutions when they see them."
  
  "Well let's make sure we get some practice in with their new forms." I said, "Come, let's not waste more time. I'm sure our Pokémon are also itching to try out their newfound power as well."
  
  Cynthia agreed, and we made sure to make enough space from each other before the spar began.
  
  Instantly, I was able to tell the difference between Zephyr's non-Mega and Mega form. Not only was he so much faster now, as he swerved through the skies at lightning-fast speeds, but his Air Slashes were so much more potent than before as they cut through the sky like a hot knife through butter.
  
  Even Garchomp, with its respectable Special Defense, actually flinched when it got struck by a volley of them. It helped that Zepyhr's new No Guard ability also increased his attacking power at the cost of his own defenses.
  
  Naturally, even with all of this newfound power, I knew full well that a single hit from this Mega-Garchomp would instantly take Zephyr out of the fight. If I remembered correctly, Mega-Garchomp's offensive power was actually greater than Tyrant's at a base level, which meant that Zephyr would absolutely not be able to take a hit from it.
  
  So instead of getting close, Zephyr stayed high in the air as he fired off Hurricanes and Air Slashes simultaneously - something that he couldn't do before - while also making use of Quick Attacks to dash out of the way of incoming Stone Edges and Rock Slides.
  
  Naturally, as this was just a spar, neither of us went for the killing blow, and we were both content to allow our Pokémon to test out their attacks as much as possible.
  
  Something I realised was that with his newfound speed and base power, using setup moves on Zephyr to boost up his own stats was more effective than ever. Before, he had to make use of repeated Work Ups just to reach a level of parity against most of his opponents. But now, if Zephyr was allowed to set up with two or three Work Ups, then his already-high Special Attack would skyrocket to threateningly high levels.
  
  Therefore, with just a few of those boosts, a single Air Slash from Zephyr managed to be more potent or even surpass the attacks from other very powerful Special Attackers like Drake's Kingdra. And if you added Zephyr's incredible mobility on top of that as well, then you had a Pokémon that was both incredibly difficult to hit and could also eviscerate your Pokémon from a completely safe distance.
  
  So while Zephyr likely couldn't match the raw power of other Mega Evolutions, the fact that he was both quick and powerful more than made up for it. Because what use was all that power when you couldn't land a hit - as Garchomp was currently demonstrating, since it really wasn't able to land a single good hit against the incredibly agile Zephyr.
  
  Eventually, we swapped tests so that Zephyr was paired up against someone who could also fly in Cynthia's Togekiss, while Garchomp was paired up against Tyrant so we could see just how much the difference in power was between its Mega and non-Mega forms. The former went almost completely as expected, with Zephyr completely dominating his fight against Togekiss, but the latter was more evenly matched.
  
  Before it Mega-Evolved, Garchomp was not as strong as Tyrant. It could never take him on in a head-on fight, and had to rely on flanking around or hit-and-run attacks to slowly wear down Tyrant. Of course, that was much easier said than done, and in all of our sparring sessions Tyrant had always come out on top, simply because his arsenal of both physical and Special moves made him impossible to kite.
  
  However, it was a very different story now. Even without its Sand Force ability active, Garchomp's attacks now easily mirrored the likes of Emperor, and Tyrant was forced to respect its power. Every one of Garchomp's Dragon Claws were a massive threat, and my starter let out an uncharacteristic growl of pain as one slashed into him.
  
  Tyrant quickly realised that he couldn't just shrug off attacks anymore. He had to play this smart with more blocks and parries.
  
  Ironically, the roles in the fight were reversed. Instead of Garchomp making use of hit-and-run attacks to deal short bursts of damage, it was Tyrant doing that very thing. He was keeping his distance, firing off Ice Beams and Icy Winds before backing off and out of Garchomp's striking range. This wasn't all that effective, as Garchomp's Mega Evolution also bolstered its defences, making it much more durable and harder to bring down.
  
  But after he got readjusted to Garchomp's new level of strength, Tyrant stopped playing it safe and shifted back into offense.
  
  He dashed in close, using his ice-covered fists to block against the incoming Dragon Claw, before firing off a point-blank Ice Beam that momentarily flinched Garchomp. That gave him the opportunity to barrel into Garchomp with a Play Rough, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
  
  Garchomp released a retaliatory Dragon Pulse that struck Tyrant in the face, but expecting the counterattack, Tyrant had already thrown up a Protect shield in advance. He then sent an Ice Punch that struck Garchomp hard in the throat, before backing away while firing off another Ice Beam that caught Garchomp in the leg.
  
  The fact that he even retreated in the first place said a lot about how much Tyrant was respecting Garchomp's newfound strength. Normally, when he had thrown an opponent to the floor like that, the fight was usually over. Tyrant would just mercilessly pummel that foe into the ground, and they would have no chance to get back up. It was what usually happened in our previous spars.
  
  But I doubted that Tyrant could hold Garchomp down in a pin for very long in its Mega state. So he made the right decision to back off.
  
  So as the sparring progressed, I started to notice something - Tyrant was actually far more technically skilled than Garchomp was when it came to fisticuffs. It wasn't something that mattered a lot of the time, because Tyrant was usually just so much physically stronger than any of his opponents that technique didn't matter all that much, but all those years of experience was really starting to show themselves here.
  
  In the end, it was Garchomp's unfamiliarity with its new Mega Form that dictated the winner of our spar. Since this was its first time mega evolving, it hadn't yet grown accustomed to its newfound power, and I believe it burned through its own stamina far quicker than it should've. So with it being unused to the heavy stamina drain needed to maintain its Mega Evolution, it faltered and slipped up, and Tyrant capitalised on this to end the fight with a devastating Counter-boosted Ice Punch to the cranium.
  
  Nevertheless, I was pleased with the result, and so was Cynthia. For me, I was just glad to see that even with this new Mega Evolution, it didn't automatically mean that Tyrant was going to lose. In fact, he still had a very good chance of winning - he just had to fight smarter.
  
  And for Cynthia, she was happy because her Garchomp was now finally an equal of Tyrant's. It now finally served as a proper challenge for Tyrant.
  
  Likewise, I made sure to also compliment Zephyr for his powerful showing - I wouldn't forget about him. In fact, I felt like Zephyr's Mega form was going to be far more powerful than people expected it to be, just because the combination of power, speed, and flight was just so hard for most Pokémon to deal with.
  
  Honestly, after seeing what our Megas could do firsthand, I was now more excited than ever for Mega Evolution to be revealed to the world. I couldn't wait to see how battles were going to change in the future.
  
  The reveal couldn't come any quicker.
  
  A.N. Here are Mega Evolutions! And of course I wanted to show off Tyrant vs Mega Garchomp. I wanted to particularly emphasise how Tyrant can no longer brute force through his opponents, but he still has many other techniques and moves that he can use to work around this newfound power.
  
  Also, a reminder regarding 'No Guard' - I am reimagining the ability from how it works in the games, since that obviously wouldn't work here. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!
  
  And thank you to all your kind comments from the previous chapter. I was very happy to see so many of you still so supportive and excited for my new stories. While I can't promise an ETA, since I am still very busy at this moment, I will be posting out new stories later. As mentioned before, some stories might be short snippets. Others might be long-form. Or some may start as snippets but transform into long-form if you guys like it enough. So we'll see. But thanks again for all the support.
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-2-Interlude-Roxanne
  The New Normal - 19-2 - Interlude - Roxanne
  
  (Roxanne POV)
  
  "So... how much do you know about what's about to happen?" Her best friend, Flannery, leaned in and asked her while they were walking over to the League building where the 'big reveal' was going to take place, "Did anyone tell you anything more about the Mega Evolutions?"
  
  "I don't know what you're expecting from me. What kind of friends in high places do you think I have?" She deadpanned.
  
  "I mean, didn't John visit you not too long ago?" Flannery questioned, "I saw it on the Pokénet that he came over to your Gym while he was in Hoenn. Didn't he talk to you about Mega Evolutions then?"
  
  "No, he didn't. We just caught up. Neither of us talked about anything serious." She explained, "So I only know as much as you do about this."
  
  Flannery's drooped her head, "Shame. I was hoping you would know more. The information that they leaked to tell us was already so interesting! I can't believe that there are Pokémon out there with yet another evolution waiting to be awakened. Even if it's temporary, that's still so cool."
  
  She nodded, "Yeah, I really hope I can get my hands on a Mega Stone too. But... I really doubt it. Steven did emphasise how rare they were."
  
  But even though it was extremely unlikely, she really wanted to get her hands on a Mega Stone for her Golem - if one existed. Given the explosive burst of power that a Mega Evolution would provide, having her Golem be able to Mega Evolve would give her team another needed ace that would really help balance out her team.
  
  A Mega Sudowoodo would be cool too.
  
  They chit-chatted about this and that for a bit longer until they finally arrived at where the press conference was going to take place. They made their way to the very front, to where the Gym Leaders were going to be seated, and soon found themselves surrounded by their peers.
  
  She made sure to greet Wallace first out of respect, giving him a polite nod before she made her way over to her own seat. But to her surprise, Wallace invited both her and Flannery to sit next to him, to which they graciously accepted.
  
  "You girls excited about what's about to be shown off?" He asked, "I honestly can't believe that we're about to have another paradigm shift in the world of battling. It still feels like yesterday that the Fairy type was just revealed to the world."
  
  Flannery nodded, "Mhm. But did Steven tell you about how much more powerful these Mega Evolutions are going to be? Do your Pokémon really gain as much power as they would in a regular evolution?"
  
  "From what I've heard, yes - that's probably the case." Wallace replied, "Honestly, I don't envy being in Steven's position right now. The public's going to go crazy when they find out about this. I still remember how busy I was when the PSS and the Fairy type got revealed; this is going to be as bad as that."
  
  "Wahahaha! You must be glad that you're no longer Champion any longer, eh Wallace?" Wattson barged in with his signature laugh, "Say, did Steven or Devon Corp reach out to you and offer to hand you a Mega Stone? That's what they did for the other Champions, so I was wondering if you were included."
  
  Wallace chuckled and shook his head, "Sadly not. Guess I'm no longer important now that I'm not Champion anymore. Alas, I am no longer in my prime." He joked.
  
  ...That couldn't have been any less true. Even though Wallace was now just a Gym Leader, there was no denying how many important businessmen or other politicians still reached out to him for advice and/or to make use of his influence.
  
  It was only Wallace's own self-imposed distance from politics that stopped him from continuing to dominate local politics in Hoenn. If he so chose, Wallace would be no less influential Steven.
  
  Nevertheless, she shook off those thoughts as Steven made his way onto the stage, being flanked by all of the other Champions and John. Amusingly, she couldn't help but feel that John deserved to be there, even though he wasn't a Champion.
  
  It was almost like the title of 'Champion' no longer mattered to someone like John. For all that the man had done, he deserved to be standing next to these Champions, even if he wasn't one himself.
  
  After they stepped up, many other Professors also joined them on stage - many of them were as renowned as the Champions themselves. Professor Oak especially got an enormous round of applause when he appeared, even though he wasn't the star of the show.
  
  Steven waited for the applause to die down before he began, "Thank you, everyone, for making your way over here. I'm sure you are all very excited to hear about what we're about to announce, and I can promise you all that this will not be a waste of your time. In fact, I can guarantee that what we're about to reveal today will change the very way you look at Pokémon battles in the future."
  
  "But first, before I make the reveal, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to every member of the scientific community standing behind me." He said, gesturing to them, "This discovery would not have been possible without them. And yes, as you can see by the calibre of the Professors gathered here, this discovery was only possible due to a long-term and rigorous collaboration between some of the best minds in the world. It is proof that if we look beyond the borders of our regions, we are able to work together to discover and build something truly remarkable."
  
  "However, that's enough stalling from me." He spread his arms out wide, "Trainers! Show them your newfound power!"
  
  All of the trainers stepped forwards and released their Pokémon onto the stage. The crowd gasped as they took in the forms of their chosen Pokémon. For some, it wasn't anything unusual - like Cynthia's Garchomp or Steven's Metagross - but for others like John, Lance, and Alder, many of them shot them curious looks as they sent out their Pidgeot, Altaria, and Manectric respectively.
  
  ...Since when did Alder have a Manectric?
  
  But then those gasps turned to shock as a blinding bright light suddenly engulfed all of the arrayed Pokémon, causing all of them to reflexively cover their eyes. But as the light cleared, she heard a massive gasp from the audience as all of the Pokémon had completely changed their forms.
  
  Even though she knew what to expect in advance, she was just as shocked as everyone else around her. Especially since this was her first time actually seeing these Mega Evolutions in person.
  
  They looked absolutely majestic. Every single one of their appearances just exuded with power and strength. It was likely what every child envisioned a Pokémon's final evolution to be.
  
  If she didn't know better, she would automatically assume that these were all of their Ace Pokémon. But they weren't, though they didn't feel any less powerful.
  
  After allowing the hype to die down a bit, Steven then explained what these 'Mega Evolutions' were, and how they served as a temporary evolution for these Pokémon that were powered by something called a Mega Stone and a Key Stone - basically, everything that they already knew from the information packets that they were given.
  
  But to the public, who weren't privy to this information beforehand, they were salivating over each and every drop of information. The row of reporters behind them had all stood up and were leaning forwards so heavily that she was afraid that some might fall over entirely.
  
  "...But you don't have to hear it from me, let's get straight into the demonstration-"
  
  Before Steven could even finish, the bombardment of questions already began.
  
  "What are Mega Stones?! How do you even get them?!"
  
  "Is this possible for everyone?! Are all Pokémon able to do this?!"
  
  "Why are there only Champions on stage?! Is this a power only given to those who share that title?! But then why does John have it?!"
  
  "How could you keep something like this from the public! We should have been told about this long ago!"
  
  "Is this process safe?! Are you sure we aren't hurting our Pokémon in some way?! Are we not at risk of repeating the actions of PLASMA?!"
  
  "Why is the evolution only temporary? Did our scientists fail at making something permanent?! Should more research have been done before revealing it to the world?!"
  
  "Why are you the ones making the announcement?! Why aren't the Professors doing it?"
  
  ...Yeah, if the reporters were already losing their minds like this, then the public was going to go insane over this.
  
  This was absolutely going to be a shitshow.
  
  A.N. I wanted to have an Interlude chapter during the reveal itself so that the in-the-moment reaction doesn't get skipped over, and I felt like Roxanne was the best POV for this as a spectator. As you can see, the public is absolutely going to lose their minds over this, as expected. The fallout will be in the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-3
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-3 - Mega Reveal
  
  A.N. Please see the A.N. at the end, thank you.
  
  The reveal went as smoothly, or as chaotically, as I had expected. Standing on the stage, we had barely shown off our new Pokémon's forms for over a second before the shouting and questions came firing our way. The reporters were literally frothing at the bit to get their questions out, and many of them were even trying to push forwards onto the stage to try and ensure that their questions were heard and had to be forcibly held back by security.
  
  Even with a microphone, Steven struggled to speak over all the noise, and eventually we just had to put the demonstration on pause as we all answered a few of the questions first. Because it wasn't practical otherwise.
  
  Their curiosity needed to be sated.
  
  Although I was glad to see that the Professors also got time in the spotlight as well - the questions weren't just directed towards us. I felt that it was only fair as we were merely the test subjects and/or figureheads; the Professors were the ones that did all the work.
  
  Cynthia and Steven also spoke a bit more about their thoughts about this new Mega Evolution, and how much stronger it made their Pokémon compared to before. They expressed their hopes for Mega Evolution, and how they wanted to see the new heights we could achieve in Pokémon battling.
  
  Fortunately, after the reporters' curiosity were at least partially satisfied, we were allowed to get on with our planned demonstration.
  
  As planned, Cynthia and I 'faced off' against Lance and Alder, though it wasn't at all a serious fight since the stage and location of the press conference could not handle a sustained battle like that. But we did our best to have a proper battle despite these conditions, and the public definitely lapped it up.
  
  Obviously, since Lance and Alder were using Pokémon that they weren't actually used to, it really wasn't much of a fight. Zephyr and Garchomp were easily able to overpower and outmanoeuvre both of our opponents, and it was clear that we had a lot more practice done with our Mega Evolutions compared to them.
  
  Zephyr simply out-sped our enemies, serving as a very effective and annoying distraction for them as he whittled them down from the safety of the skies. Altaria, for all of its efforts, could do nothing to catch up to him with his sheer speed. Meanwhile, Garchomp completely overpowered Manetric - it wasn't even close, especially thanks to Garchomp's favourable type matchup.
  
  So, in the end, it was a very clean victory for us. Though again, this was only supposed to be a showcase. I don't think any of us were trying particularly hard.
  
  However, after the demonstration was completed, that was when things took a turn for the controversial. As the questions continued, the reporters found out that the Mega Stones that were used for Mega Evolution were in extremely limited supply. Steven had explained that they had currently only found around a dozen Mega Stones and, as of right now, they weren't replicable.
  
  Things got worse when the Professors chimed in and explained that the Key Stone, which was the tool used to activate the Mega Stone, was also in limited supply as it made use of a very special energy that was also impossible to reproduce.
  
  They were pressed about what kind of energy was needed, but the Professors refused to explain, stating that it was a classified secret. That inflamed the reporters, though I felt like it was a wise decision.
  
  It was probably best not to reveal to the public that the Key Stones were made by using Legendary energy. There really was no need to add any kind of fuel that might encourage people to hunt down Legendaries.
  
  But the thing that the public were most enraged about was the fact that the Mega Stones wouldn't be available to 99.9% of the public because of how rare it was. Since Mega Stones were likely a one in a million find, if you weren't that extremely lucky person, then you won't have access to the Mega Evolution.
  
  This was a very different case to when the Fairy type was revealed. That was controversial because not many people had believed that there was this whole new type that they had somehow overlooked. Yet this time, people were mad because this was seen as something only accessible to the 'elites'.
  
  As one reporter pointed out, "Are you not concerned that this Mega Evolution will only be accessible and used by already established high-tier trainers? What hope does the regular trainer have for getting access to Mega Evolution? Would this not just widen the gap between the elites and regular trainers?"
  
  Steven did his best to respond, "We are aware of this, and we acknowledge the unfortunate consequences of this reveal in increasing the disparity between trainers with access to more resources and those with access to less. As of right now, our Professors are still hard at work with identifying if there are ways of creating new Mega Stones so that more of the public will gain access to them."
  
  "However, in the meanwhile, the other Champions and I have agreed that we will be putting temporary policies in place across our regions to prevent the use of Mega Stones in official battles and challenges." He continued, "This policy will not last forever, but it is a mere stopgap to ensure that those who were fortunate to have gotten a Mega Stone would not gain an unfair and unreasonable advantage over their opponents in the short term. And when the Mega Stones and their Mega Evolutions are going to be a bit more widespread, then we will readjust these measure as necessary."
  
  Initially, we didn't plan to ban the use of Mega Evolutions. But after doing some further discussions, we realised that the pushback to this reveal was going to be insane, so a full-out ban for the time being was necessary to at least placate the masses.
  
  In truth, this measure probably wouldn't affect more than a few dozen people, since Mega Stones were so rare anyways. But this measure needed to be introduced anyways to show the public that the Leagues were aware of the disparity, and were working to mitigate it as much as possible.
  
  "Will there be any other measures in place?" Someone else asked, "What kind of restrictions will be placed on Mega Evolutions in the long-term?"
  
  Steven then went onto explain how Mega Evolutions would be restricted so that you had to use it the moment you sent out your Mega-evolvable Pokémon into the fight - it wasn't something you couldn't do midway during a battle. He then went on to describing the new Mega Stone Foundation that he was planning on setting up, and how Hoenn would be the new headquarters for all things Mega Stone related.
  
  That last part was received very well by much of the local audience, as they recognized how much of a big win it was for Hoenn to be able to be the centre point for all these new Mega Evolutions.
  
  But as the press conference was wrapped up, it was time to see how the rest of the world would react to this new paradigm shift.
  
  Well, turns out that the public reaction was just as explosive as we expected it to be.
  
  There was a lot of excitement of course, but that was all mostly covered up by the endless flood of comments who were enraged about how 'elitist' the whole Mega Evolution process was. I saw many comments on the Pokénet describing it as an 'Ace for the Elite', implying that it wasn't something that the majority of the public could get their hands on.
  
  I didn't escape the line of fire either. When the public found out that Steven had gifted a few Mega Stones to all of the Champions and myself as a 'show of friendship' (or in less charitable terms, a political bribe), it only reinforced the narrative that Mega Stones were going to be out of the public's hands.
  
  Fortunately, the outrage wasn't personally directed at anyone. The public was rational enough to understand that we didn't design the Mega Stones this way; it was just a fact of reality. Therefore, their outrage was less directed and more just general frustration at the fact that there were potentially really cool forms for so many different Pokémon out there that they potentially would never be able to have for themselves due to how rare the Mega Stones were.
  
  Things didn't end there, as more concerningly than all this outrage, was the fact that people were now, as we expected, going absolutely crazy in their hunt for Mega Stones. We had posted pictures about what these Mega Stones looked like on the Pokénet alongside their official reveal, so the public knew what to look for.
  
  And it was like everyone had suddenly turned into amateur geologists with how they were picking up and inspecting every odd-looking stone they found - thinking that it would be another Mega Stone. The more annoying among them would then go run to their nearest research lab and start bombarding them with requests for an 'official inspection' to see if what they had found was a Mega Stone or not.
  
  Obviously, that caused all of the scientists and researchers to get severely annoyed at these frequent and useless interruptions, hence why Steven decided to make an announcement that all identification procedures could be done at the newly constructed headquarters (actually just a repurposed office building for the time being) of the Mega Stone Foundation.
  
  Each person was allowed one inspection per week, and there was a small fee to do it each time. But this was a pretty clever move from Steven, as it not only gave the public a place where they could submit their rocks for identification - meaning that they wouldn't be bothering your average research lab any longer, but it also helped to entrench the idea of the Mega Stone Foundation into people's minds and how it would be the go-to place for anything Mega Stone related.
  
  The new policies seemed to have worked out, and the complaints from the researchers and scientists seemed to have stopped. Though that didn't stop the public from continuing to tear up everything they came across as they eagerly searched for any Mega Stones.
  
  None had been found yet officially, though I suspected that someone had likely found a Mega Stone but had yet to report it. That said, I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before someone got lucky, which would just fuel more people to look for it.
  
  It was almost like the Pokémon equivalent of the gold rush. If anything, a Mega Stone was many times more valuable than gold.
  
  On a more personal note, there were also a lot of reporters trying to get an interview with myself or Cynthia as they wanted to ask us questions about our new Mega Evolutions and how we were adapting to it. We gave them a simple answer, basically saying a whole lot of nothing, but they were eager for more and were now badgering us more than ever.
  
  Which meant that we now had cameras pointing at our training fields as they hoped to catch a glimpse of our training with the Mega evolutions. Fortunately, the Jennys assigned to maintaining our privacy sent them packing, but I knew they'd be back. Just more subtly.
  
  But it was not all bad news. This whole project was seen as a massive success from the Professors, and many people were hoping for more inter-regional cooperation between all of the Regions to see if further developments could be made regarding Mega Evolutions. Not only that, but this served as a perfect foundation for Alder's public visit to the Regional Union headquarters, as people seemed more interested than ever in seeing Unova joining the Regional Union.
  
  Furthermore, I also heard that Colress was finally given the recognition that he deserved. He was credited as being an instrumental and one of the main factors behind the discovery of Mega Evolutions, and was instantly elevated as someone to watch in the scientific community.
  
  He became a source of regional pride for Unovans, as they rejoiced in the fact that the main contributor to such a monumental discovery was a person born from their region. As a result, I heard from Blaine that he immediately got swarmed with offers from all types of companies who were looking to hire him onto their research team - with a lot of money offered up.
  
  He would no longer be starved for grants.
  
  However, in typical Colress fashion, he declined all of them. He cared not one whit for the money, as he was solely interested in the pursuit of science. Therefore, he remained with Birch, continuing to serve as the Professor's 'assistant', since he believed that working with all the other Professors was the best way forwards for scientific progress.
  
  Despite PLASMA having already been crushed and scattered to the wind, I was now fully certain that we would never see Colress joining an 'evil team' again. Not because he 'saw the light', so to speak, but because I knew he was a pragmatic person and would see that staying on the side of the authorities would give him an easier path to continue to develop the realm of science.
  
  Good for him.
  
  Honestly, I was more than happy to put all the chaos kicked up by the reveal of the Mega Evolution behind me, and I was just content to wait it out in the comfort of my home. Of course, Cynthia had no such luxury, but things weren't so bad in Sinnoh since the majority of the hype revolved around Hoenn and Indigo.
  
  The public did not fail to realise that all of the currently discovered Mega Evolutions were mostly for Pokémon that could be found in either Indigo or Hoenn - so the hunt for Mega Stones was far more intense there.
  
  However, that was when an unexpected, but familiar, visitor came knocking on our door.
  
  "Oi!" Even before opening the door, I already knew who it was. There was only one person that would greet me like that, "Anyone home?!"
  
  So I was smiling as I opened the door, "Drake. I thought you were busy in Kitakami."
  
  "Bah, had to take a break from training those locals. So I told them to do some 'independent training' while I fucked off back to Sinnoh." He explained, "But while I was here, thought I might as well pay you a visit too. Though I seem to have picked a good time; since when did you have the time to make a discovery as fucking crazy as Mega Evolutions? And why didn't you give me a Mega Stone?"
  
  I raised my hands in surrender, "Hey, if I had found one, I would have definitely offered it to you. And second, I might have been 'on the team' working on the Mega Stones, but I literally didn't do anything. That was all done by the Professors."
  
  That wasn't precisely true, as I was the one that gave them the 'authorisation' to collect samples of Legendary energy, but Drake didn't need to know that.
  
  "Hmm... for some reason, I don't quite believe you." He murmured, before immediately shrugging it off, "Eh, whatever. Good on you anyways." He then plopped himself on our couch, "Got anything to drink? I literally just landed back in Sinnoh half an hour ago, so I'm fucking parched. And I got something I wanted to talk to you about."
  
  I shot him a curious look at that, but kept my silence as I went to fetch a drink. Once he was fully hydrated, he began.
  
  "So, while I was over at Kitakami training up those locals, one of them asked me if I had ever taken on an apprentice or a successor or sorts." He explained, "I told them I didn't have one, and they all gave me curious looks and asked me why. I just told them that I never was interested in getting one, though I was happy to help train people who asked."
  
  I nodded, following along, "But then that night, I was thinking over it a bit and then I had a small bit of a realisation." He looked me dead in the eye, "John - you need a successor."
  
  I blinked, "Me?" I pointed to myself, "Why me? And weren't you literally just talking about yourself?"
  
  "Yes. You." He pointed to me, "You see. I'm just an old ass man who's way past my prime. If I got a successor, it'll just be someone that I spend some time with and train up. But they would have no position to inherit; no responsibilities that they would need to take up. But it's very different for you."
  
  "Like it or not, John, you know full well that I'm being honest when I say that you are in a very unique political position." He continued, "I might not be one for politics, but even I can see that your position as the link with Regigigas is probably the single most important position in the known world right now. If it weren't for Regigigas, the whole world might have already been fucking destroyed by Cyrus' insanity, or Unova might have been turned into an electrified wasteland by Zekrom. So don't try and be humble right now - you need to acknowledge the power you hold in your hands."
  
  I nodded, "I do, but-"
  
  "Let me finish." He cut me off as he held up a hand, his tone more serious than usual, "Right now, the entire world trusts you with this power because you've proven yourself many times over. Arceus, I don't think that there could be anyone more suited to holding the position than you. But that's the fucking problem - what happens when you become an old man like me and retire? I know you're young now, but you aren't going to be young forever. Time will eventually catch up with you, and you'll get fucked over like I did. What happens when you can no longer hold on to your position due to your stagnating strength? Who do you pass on your very important role to?"
  
  "And that's you need a successor - one that has been raised and trained by you - to take on your position when it's time for you to step down." He finished, "Not because you want to 'build a legacy' or some nonsense, but because I know you are the type of person that wants the best for the world, and I know you won't rest easy unless you have someone who you can trust to properly handle your responsibilities when the time comes. So it's best to start now, while you still have plenty of time on your hands."
  
  I had realised it midway through his explanation, but... Fuck. Drake was right.
  
  "You're right." I replied, "I really need to get on that."
  
  "Of course I'm fucking right." He smirked, but he quickly returned to his serious demeanour, "Anyways, sorry for dropping this on you like this. I know it's really not my place to tell you about how you handle your personal business, but I felt that it was important that you hear this from someone. Besides, if you want help with that, feel free to ask me. I'll help out however I can."
  
  "Thank you." I gave him a short bow, both for the advice and the offer, "I'll take you up on that."
  
  Drake patted me on the shoulder for the moment before leaning back on the couch, falling back to his usual laid-back expression, "You could even train them together with Cynthia. Honestly, I think any trainer that gets properly trained up by the two of you will become an absolute fucking monster after a few years' time. It'll probably be a nice activity you can do together."
  
  "I'll bring it up with her." I chuckled, "But that's a good suggestion."
  
  "You got anyone you training up now?" He asked, "Wait no. I think you mentioned it to me before - I fucking can't remember their name though. What was their name?"
  
  "Daisy." I said, "Daisy Oak. Granddaughter of Professor Oak."
  
  He snapped his fingers, "Right. That's the one you mentioned. You speak to her recently?"
  
  "...Not recently." I admitted, "I think I was too busy with handling everything with Unova, and then the Mega reveal right after that. But that's just excuses - I probably should have reached out to her more."
  
  "Got anyone else you're training besides her?" He asked, "Or anyone you have in mind that could possibly take up your position when you're gone?"
  
  "...Not really." I said, "I mean, the two people I'm spending most of my time 'training' are Daisy and Whitney. But honestly I don't even do much - they're already doing their own thing. They don't really need me hovering over their shoulders anymore. Nor do I think they're all that interested in taking up the mantle of Protector-Guardian of Sinnoh; I'm pretty sure they're both angling to become Gym Leaders."
  
  Drake nodded, "Don't worry about it too much. Like I said, you've got plenty of time. I just wanted to talk to you about it today since I was already here. You don't have to decide on a successor now, though I do hope you will continue to think about it in the coming future."
  
  "Yeah, I will. Don't worry." I nodded, "I always appreciate the reminder."
  
  Drake and I chatted a bit longer, on topics both serious and not so, and then we ended up sparring against each other since Drake wanted to test himself against my new Mega-Pidgeot.
  
  He had wanted to see how well his Salamence would do against my new Mega Evolution, and I was pleasantly surprised by Zephyr's performance. Thanks to his now much improved speed and offensive power, Zephyr was both agile enough and powerful enough to deal considerable and respectable damage against Salamence, and it couldn't just shrug off his attacks like it could before he Mega Evolved.
  
  However, Salamence was also a beast of endurance, and Zephyr still wasn't fully comfortable with his new Mega evolved form. So as he tired out, Salamence capitalised on this and sniped Zephyr out of the air with a Stone Edge, before trapping Zephyr underneath his razor-sharp Dragon Claws.
  
  The fight was basically over after that, as Zephyr was no more defensive than he was previously.
  
  But that was still an optimistic result from Zephyr - it was far more than he could have accomplished before. In the past, without his Mega Evolution, he wouldn't have even been able to put up a fight against Salamence, let alone harass and injure it like he did just now. Maybe with some more training, Zephyr might actually be strong enough to seriously injure Salamence - or even take it out entirely with a bit of luck (though personally, I doubted that. Salamence was a bad matchup for Zephyr).
  
  Regardless, as the evening sun began to fall and Cynthia returned home, we invited Drake to stay over for dinner and spend the night here since he hadn't remembered to book a hotel room - as was typical of the man.
  
  Yet, as I went to sleep for the night, my mind was still rolling with thoughts as I thought about Drake's question.
  
  Who could I train up to be a potential successor? I didn't need them to necessarily take on my current position, but like Drake said, it was always a good idea to have a selection of people I could trust to follow in my footsteps.
  
  And it wasn't just strength that I valued. If I were to have a successor, I wanted them to have the strength of character necessary to not be corrupted by their strength. I wanted someone who was genuinely good. A person that was incorruptible.
  
  Just who could that person be?
  
  ...And then it hit me. I almost laughed out loud by how obvious the answer was. Knowing who they were, I couldn't believe I didn't think of it earlier.
  
  I nearly facepalmed - Yes, there was only one person that it could have been. Who else but the original protagonist of this entire world?
  
  Ash.
  
  A.N. And the story gets all tied together. I have been planning this for quite some time, as I felt it would be completely disingenuous to write a Pokémon story and have Ash only show up as a cameo appearance. I always intended for John to train someone up as a successor, and who better person for that to be than Ash himself.
  
  There's literally no one better. Ash, outside his childishness, is easily the original saviour of the world. He wouldn't abuse his responsibilities and position, and he is sufficiently heroic and also ambitious enough to want such a position. And so I felt it was only natural for John to take him under his wing, and train him up to be strong and worthy enough to help hold up the world that John has created. You'll see more about this in the future!
  
  As for the Mega reveal, there will be a Pokenet Chapter coming in the future to show more of how the public reacted to this! So hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  On a completely different note, I am afraid that I am actually quite sick, and have been actively getting worse over the past 2 months. So starting from next week, I am unsure if you will be able to get your chapters at the regularly scheduled time. You will perhaps get your chapter on Monday, but subsequent chapters on Wednesday and Friday are complete unknowns. I will do my best to update you on the situation and will try my utmost to get your chapters to you as soon as possible, but since my health is the way that it is, this might be difficult. So expect some changes to the upload schedule for at least the next few weeks, though I will continue to do my best to make sure you can still get the same amount of chapters per week.
  
  I do apologise for this, and I hate having to break my weekly upload schedule - but I simply do not know if I will be in any position to write or edit with the visits that I will have to be doing. Sorry, and I hope you can understand.
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 19-4
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-4 - Students
  
  (Ash POV)
  
  In all honesty, he had never expected John to reach out to him in the way that he did. If anything, he thought that his one encounter with the Elite Four after the eruption at Cinnabar would really be the only time he would get to speak with the famed Elite Four member.
  
  Well, ex-Elite Four member now, but John would always be a member of the Elite Four in his own mind.
  
  However, in what might have been a stroke of luck, just when he was paying a visit to Professor Oak, he had stumbled into John doing the same as the man had taken a small vacation to visit his family back in Indigo.
  
  At first, he didn't think much of it, though he was happy at the opportunity to speak with such a famous trainer. But then the conversation suddenly took a very interesting turn.
  
  "Have you spoken a lot with your sister lately, Gary?" John asked his best friend, "How's she holding up?"
  
  "Uh... a little bit." Gary replied uncertainly, "I think she was heading over to Hoenn to do the Gym Challenge there and catch more Pokémon. Aside from that, I think she's pretty happy. She was talking my ear off about her newly evolve Togetic. But shouldn't you know this already? I thought you were training her."
  
  John scratched his head with an apologetic expression on his face, "I'm not really her teacher or anything; I just check in on her from time to time. But one of my friends recently called me out for being too inattentive, so I've been trying to correct things."
  
  "Wait! Since when were you training up Daisy?!" He had to interrupt, his head whirling over towards Gary, "You didn't tell me this!"
  
  Gary shot him a strange look, "...Why would I tell you about what my sister's been doing? You know I don't like talking about her."
  
  "I know, but... but this is different!" He insisted, "You know how much I like talking about strong trainers! So why didn't you say that your sister was being trained up by John!"
  
  Gary shrugged, "You never asked. And it was supposed to be a secret anyways."
  
  He stepped forwards as he was about to grab onto his friend and violently shake him for his idiocy, but John interrupted that as he let out a chuckle, "Are they always like this, Sam?"
  
  "Oh yes. But you get used to the noise." Professor Oak laughed, "And honestly, it beats the silence. Besides, Ash comes over so often that I basically treat him as a second son."
  
  He blushed, "...Thanks, Professor."
  
  Oak chuckled, "No need. I'm just happy you're a good friend and rival for Gary. I've always said that he needed one. Though - in regards to my granddaughter - you do have my apologies. It was me that insisted, on her behalf, to keep her mentorship under John as a secret. I didn't want her to be plagued by any unwanted attention that might arise as a result, so I hope you understand."
  
  He nodded. He knew how the Pokénet and the news always liked to focus on any trainers that got the attention of a Gym Leader/Elite Four/Champion, so Daisy would have been under the spotlight if her connection with John ever got revealed.
  
  It was then that John suddenly dropped the two of them a question, "Say, Gary, Ash, what do you both want to be when you grow up? Of course I know you both want to be trainers, but do you have a specific goal you'd like to work towards?"
  
  "I want to be a Professor like gramps!" Gary declared passionately, "I want to make big discoveries like he did - and like you as well! I want to discover something as interesting as the Mega Evolutions or the Fairy type!"
  
  Oak smiled proudly at his grandson's answer, and so did John before he turned to him, "And what about you, Ash? What kind of ambitions do you have? What is your dream?"
  
  "I want to be the very best!" He professed, "Like no one ever was!"
  
  John actually laughed at that, but there was no mockery in it, "That's an ambitious answer - a good answer, even. But I wanted something more specific. Do you want to be a Gym Leader? Elite Four? Champion? Is there a specific position you're aiming for?"
  
  Was there a title he wanted to earn? He never really thought about it that way. Of course he wanted to be the strongest trainer in the world, but what did that actually mean? Did he want to be Champion? Maybe... but for some reason he didn't think the position suited him all that well.
  
  He heard enough from Professor Oak about how being a Champion was not all fun and games. It was a position that demanded far more than just your skills as a trainer - it tested your administrative and political skills too.
  
  As he had put it, "Being Champion is like being a teacher for a class full of unruly students. Every single day is spent trying to keep everyone in line, all the while trying to get them to listen to you as you try to guide them into the right direction. And every once in a while you'll have some student try to challenge you for your position, so you have to make sure you're strong enough to teach them a lesson and maintain your authority."
  
  He remembered asking, "So is it not just about being strong?"
  
  "Sort of." Oak had replied, "Being strong is what allows you to be a Champion in the first place, but what differentiates a great Champion from a decent Champion are the administrative and political skills I just mentioned. Or to put it another way - how many times has Lance needed to fight off challengers ever since he has become Champion? The answer is zero. Champion Lance has not fought a single challenger, even though its been years since he ascended. Even I only had to fight off less than a dozen in my entire time as Champion. So for a majority of the time, being a Champion requires you to be good at far more than just 'being strong'."
  
  After that very enlightening explanation from Professor Oak, he wasn't sure that he wanted to be Champion anymore. Sure, the title was still nice, but he knew it in his gut that he was not the kind of person that wanted to sit behind a desk for most of his life.
  
  No, he wanted to be able to explore the world with his Pokémon by his side.
  
  So what is it that he wanted to do? Just get strong? That seemed like it was a little too... aimless.
  
  But then, a thought popped into his mind, and he came to the realisation about the type of trainer he wanted to grow into.
  
  "I think I want to be like you, John." He said confidently, "I want to have the power and freedom that you have. I want to be strong enough to be in fights that would help protect the world!"
  
  John smiled at that answer, "Are you sure about that though? I can promise you that some of the battles I've been through... they weren't easy. I won't lie - I almost died a few times, and had things gone even a little differently, I wouldn't be here talking to you today."
  
  "I know." He nodded, "But you still fought anyways, right? Because you knew you had to keep us safe?"
  
  "I did." John agreed.
  
  "Exactly! So I want to be in your shoes too!" He pumped his fists into the air, "I want to have the strength to protect people! That's why I want to be the very best, like no one ever was!"
  
  There was a brief moment of silence at his declaration, but before he could start feeling awkward about it, John nodded.
  
  "You know, I've been looking to train up a new student, especially since I've got a lot more free time on my hands now." John said, looking intently at him, "And I can't deny it - I like what I just heard."
  
  He understood the implication of John's words immediately, "Really!?"
  
  "Yes." John nodded, "It's not too difficult to find a talented trainer. I'm sure there would be many on offer if I just went to look. But many talented trainers don't have the same level of ambition that I'm looking for. They want to be Gym Leaders or Elite Four or Champion. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the path I walked, and will teach you to walk, will be a bit different from what is considered 'normal'."
  
  "But hearing your words just now, I think you have the potential to be a worthy student." John continued, reaching out a hand, "So what do you say, Ash? Do you want to learn under me, in an official capacity this time?"
  
  What else could he say to that but yes? It was the easiest decision of his life.
  
  (John POV)
  
  Honestly, it was a stroke of luck that I was able to recruit Ash so easily. I had intended to slowly broach the topic with him over several visits, and slowly ease him into the idea of becoming my student.
  
  That was why I decided to visit Professor Oak in the first place, because I wanted to 'coincidentally' meet up with him and subtly start to probe his interest.
  
  However, all that went out of the window when Ash said what he did. In hindsight, hearing something like that from Ash was not unexpected - in the anime, I could never see him settling down as a Gym Leader or an Elite Four member either. Even his title as 'Champion' would never see him forced to handle administrative duties, especially not in a show meant for kids.
  
  So perhaps it was only natural that Ash's goals coincided so well with my own.
  
  And while I knew that Ash wasn't the strongest trainer I could have recruited, like I said, it wasn't strength that I was looking for in particular. I just knew that Ash would not be corruptible, and would always be a force for good.
  
  That alone put him so much higher than many other candidates I could have chosen. After all, strength was much easier to instil than character.
  
  I didn't know if he was definitely going to be my 'successor', since there could be other candidates in the future, but having him under my wing could never be a bad thing.
  
  That being said, though Ash had taken me up on my offer, we didn't become teacher and student right then and there. There were still many things we had to handle.
  
  First of, we had to inform Ash's mother about all this, and get her agreement on this too. Not only that, but we had to figure out some way to deal with the logistics of it all, since I lived in Sinnoh and Ash in Kanto.
  
  While we could maintain a long-distance mentorship, it wouldn't be ideal since we wouldn't be able to spar in person. So either one of us would have to visit often, or he would have to move to Sinnoh since I couldn't.
  
  Not only that, but I didn't forget about Gary, who looked at me with stars in his eyes as I made the offer to Ash. His eyes stared at me pleadingly, as if to beg me to make him the same offer, and I hesitated.
  
  I wasn't sure I could fully devote my time in training up both Ash and Gary at the same time, and give them both the same level of attention. Not when I also had other commitments on my time - Ash would probably be enough of a handful by himself. So I had to gently turn him down, but not completely.
  
  "It's not that I don't think you have the potential or anything." I said to him, "It's just that I'm not sure if I'll have the time to properly train you if I'm already training up Ash. It's not as simple as just training you together - if I want to do a proper job of being a mentor, that requires a lot of time and attention. It's not something I want to do with anything less than my full attention. It'll be a disservice to you."
  
  Gary stared down sullenly, "...I understand."
  
  "Hey, hey, no need to be so down. I wasn't done yet." I gently lifted his head back up, "I said I couldn't be your mentor, not that I can't train you or help you. I'm more than happy to pop in from time to time to help you out if you'll have me. That's no problem for me."
  
  "Yes! Please!" Gary practically shouted out in excitement, "I can't fall behind Ash or Daisy!"
  
  I chuckled, "Then I'll be glad to have you. But don't forget, I'm not doing this so you can compete with your sister, and you shouldn't be thinking of this as a competition either. I hope you can focus on growing strong not because you want to beat your friend or sister, but because you want to achieve your own personal goals."
  
  "It's something I've been trying to teach him too." Professor Oak nodded, "Growing strong just so that you can be better than someone else is a shallow goal, and you will not find fulfilment that way, Gary. I'd much rather you use your dream of becoming a Professor to become the driving force behind your journey as a trainer."
  
  Gary blushed and ducked his head, looking away shyly, "...I'll do my best, gramps."
  
  Oak smiled, "That's all I expect."
  
  So that was me getting another 'student' of sorts to train up, but I was definitely not going to complain about being given the opportunity to train up Gary Oak. His talent as a trainer was undeniable, so I knew he would be a worthy battler in the future.
  
  However, while in canon he was the one to eventually replace Giovanni as Gym Leader of Viridian in the games, but that was something that was likely not going to happen here. I doubted Giovanni would ever step down as a Gym Leader for whatever reason, and even if he did, I had no doubt that it would be Silver that would take up the mantle after him.
  
  Therefore, I expected him to end up more like how he did in the anime, as a researcher instead. But hopefully, with the training I was going to help him with, he could be more than just that. Perhaps I could introduce him to some other scientists that I knew in the future?
  
  After that was all sorted, it was very fortunate that my follow-up meeting with Delia, Ash's mother, helped solved a lot of the issues with her son. When I had first explained to her what was going on, she was very surprised to hear that her son was receiving such a 'prestigious' opportunity from me, and she definitely made that known.
  
  "...Not that I want to question my son's fortunes, but can I ask why you chose him over any of the other candidates that you could have chosen?" She asked, "I'm just very curious, since I don't think you've known him all that well. Sorry if it feels like I'm questioning your intentions or anything. I know you're not like that."
  
  "It's not a problem at all. It's only natural for a mother to worry." I waved her off, "But to answer your question - it was your son's heart that confirmed my choice. Your son doesn't want to walk the traditional path, he isn't aiming to become Gym Leader or Elite Four, or even an Ace trainer. He wants something different, something similar to the positions I now hold. So combine that with the talent that I've been told and can see that he holds, I think it was an easy choice for me."
  
  That last sentence was partially a lie. No one ever told me about Ash's talent, since the only person that even knew about Ash was Professor Oak, and he wouldn't be randomly talking to me about a pre-journey child like that. Especially since, for all of Ash's eventual achievements, he was no genius of battling. His skills were something that were slowly and gradually developed overtime; very different from someone like Tate/Liza or Iris.
  
  But Delia didn't need to know that, and she believed my words. Especially since Ash did get training from Professor Oak, which was obviously helpful in developing his skills as a trainer.
  
  "Well in that case... who am I to turn this down?" She chuckled, "But! I'm not comfortable having Ash leave the home so soon, especially since he's still not old enough to go on his journey yet - he'll be doing that next year." She said to me, "Yet I also don't want to be the one to stifle his progress. I know he's eager; so I'm willing to let him travel to Sinnoh for certain periods at a time until he goes on his journey, so long as he is accompanied by an adult. Once that happens, I'll let him have his freedom."
  
  That was basically as good as I hoped for. Ash coming over for short bursts was definitely good enough, since that would allow us to have a good balance of him having his own individual training (which was good at developing his own habits and creativity), and some joint training so I can guide him on how he could best improve himself.
  
  It was just a matter of finding someone that could help escort Ash from Kanto to Sinnoh since Delia couldn't really do that herself. But I could always hire someone to do that for me.
  
  With that sorted out, we could finally get to the fun part - learning more about Ash and his Pokémon. Although I already had an idea of what he had, I just wanted to see it for myself. So we moved back to Professor Oak's ranch, where I got Ash to show off his Pokémon.
  
  "I only have the one Pokémon right now." He said to me, almost embarrassed, "He doesn't like to be kept in his Pokéball, so I left him playing around in the ranch. Let me get him real quick - PIKACHU! COME HERE!"
  
  A small yellow object came rushing out of the nearby foliage, and the most famous Pokémon to have ever graced existence stared at me with a cautious look on his face.
  
  "Pika?" He gave his trainer a questioning look.
  
  "Yes, this is John. You probably recognise him, right?" Pikachu nodded at that, causing me to smile, "He's going to be training us from now on. Isn't that exciting?"
  
  "Pika!" Pikachu clapped his hands happily, mirroring the excitement of his trainer, "Pika pika?"
  
  "He's asking you to prove your strength." Ash helpfully translated, though he seemed reasonably wary about that prospect, "He wants to test himself against your Pokémon."
  
  "Are you sure?" I asked Pikachu, "Do you think you can win?"
  
  "Pika!" He nodded confidently, though in my eyes I only saw it as arrogance. Which tracks; Pikachu wasn't the most humble of Pokémon early on.
  
  Oh well, baby steps. "In that case - take your time, Sona."
  
  I sent out my Audino, and Pikachu reeled back cautiously, having likely never seen one before. But his cheeks sparked with electricity, and he shot Sona a confident smirk as he postured for battle.
  
  ...Sadly for Pikachu, that confidence was quickly wiped off his face as Sona easily tanked through a Thunder Shock and blasted Pikachu backwards with a Dazzling Gleam.
  
  There really wasn't anything more to it. Pikachu just wasn't strong enough, which was to be expected.
  
  Despite being so outmatched like this, I caught glimpses of the unstoppable monster that I knew it would grow to become. The determination and the unbreakable will to fight - they were already present in his eyes, even as he struggled to his feet from his injuries.
  
  I suspected that, unlike in canon, Ash already had time to train up with his Pikachu against Gary. Given their rivalry, they must have sparred a lot together, meaning that Pikachu was already getting good training and had learned to work with his trainer.
  
  But right now, it was time to show Pikachu just what he needed to work towards. He needed a visual representation of just how much stronger he needed to get.
  
  And Sona would serve as the brick wall for him to break himself against.
  
  In the end, it only took several more Thunder Shocks for Pikachu to finally accept that he wasn't breaking through Sona, especially since she just restored her own health every time she got hit, yet he couldn't do anything with that realisation as a Hyper Voice blasted him back - putting him on the brink of being knocked out.
  
  "Let's stop there." I halted the battle there; there was no point knocking Pikachu out when I wanted him to learn, "What did you think of your own performance, Ash? Try to be truthful."
  
  "...I think we fought too simply." He said after a moment, "Pikachu's strongest moves are his Special Attacks, so I just kept on using them. I'd thought we maybe could eventually break through."
  
  "Sure." I nodded, "But was there anything else you could have done?"
  
  "Maybe we could have tried to set up? Pikachu does know Nasty Plot." He thought out loud, "But... I didn't do so because we're not very proficient in it. That's something we need to work on."
  
  "Good. That was the conclusion I was hoping you'd come to on your own too, so I'm glad you did." I smiled, "That's also what I'll be getting you to work on now. Basic moves like Thunder Shock or Thunderbolt I'm sure you can work on by yourself, but status moves and setup moves are what I can help you out with. So let's get started there."
  
  I then spent the rest of the afternoon helping Pikachu to train up his support moves. Fortunately, there was no pushback on either Ash or Pikachu's part. They were fully in agreement that this was something they needed to work on, and they were very diligent learners. Pikachu had also become especially docile after his defeat, and he lost all of that earlier arrogance.
  
  I was glad he was so quickly able to learn his lesson.
  
  After that, I held a discussion with Ash as we grabbed some dinner, "Ash, what kind of trainer do you want to be? Does being a specialist interest you?"
  
  "Nope. I don't want to be a Type specialist at all." He shook his head, "I want to be able to train up whatever Pokémon I like... would that make me weaker?"
  
  "No, generalists can be strong. My fiancé is a great example of this." I replied, "But even among generalists, there are different styles of battling. For example, Cynthia's focus is on versatility. Her entire team is composed of Pokémon that all fulfil many different roles. Her Roserade and Togekiss are her more supportive Pokémon, her Milotic and Spiritomb are her defensive Pokémon, and her Garchomp, Lucario, and Kleavor are her offensive Pokémon - she basically has a Pokémon for each role."
  
  "Is that better?" He asked.
  
  "Well it's also what I do, since my Ursaluna, Porygon-Z, and Blissey, for example, all fulfil different roles in my team too even though they're mostly all Normal types." I replied, "But it's not necessarily 'better'. Being a generalist tends to mean you have fewer weaknesses, but it also might be harder to develop a particular strength. It's also harder to train them up, since with differing Pokémon Types you will have a difficult time passing down skills and techniques from one Pokémon to another."
  
  "Drake and Lance are a good example of someone who've done the opposite - they are both pure offense." I continued, "Their teams don't have any 'support' Pokémon or the like, and that makes them more vulnerable to disruptive attackers like most Dark types are, but also gives them incredible raw power. So they all have their pros and cons - it's up to you to see what you prefer or are comfortable with."
  
  "I see..." He muttered, "I once had a list of Pokémon I wanted to catch. Do you want to see it?"
  
  "Sure." I nodded, and he went on his phone and texted me a crudely put-together list of Pokémon that he had wanted to catch.
  
  As expected, many of his choices were commonly popular selections like Tyranitar, Charizard, or Dragonite - the Pokémon everyone wanted to have. I skipped over those, since those were unrealistic choices and could even cripple his development if he couldn't handle them right.
  
  But there were other, more interesting selections. For example, he included Pokémon like Gligar and Gallade onto his list - both Pokémon which were genuinely incredible Pokémon in the right hands. There were other suggestions like Honchkrow and Darminitan, which were equally as good.
  
  I was just happy to see very reasonable and sensible Pokémon suggestions there. At least the list wasn't just 12 Dragons, and I told him the same.
  
  Of course, just because I saw this list doesn't mean I was going to get Ash any of these Pokémon. That would be too much; I wasn't comfortable just gifting someone a Pokémon when they hadn't had much time training up with their existing Pokémon yet. Even with Whitney, I only gifted her a Whismur because I knew she had plenty of practice with her Miltank already, and Whismur was weak enough so that it wouldn't steal the spotlight.
  
  That was maybe a consideration for another time, and I said as much to Ash, who easily agreed.
  
  "That's fine, I... probably wouldn't like it if you just gifted me a Pokémon anyways. I want to earn my victories." He said, "If you just gift me powerful Pokémon, then I might feel like I only won because of you, and I don't want to feel that way."
  
  It was a very mature answer, and I patted his head in appreciation.
  
  Nevertheless, our first day of training together eventually came to an end. I still had another day here in Indigo before I had to head home, but I started to draft out a few lesson plans that he could follow through on his own while I was away.
  
  But overall, I'd consider this a big success. I couldn't wait to see how strong Ash would get under my tutelage.
  
  A.N. Luckily I had most of this pre-written and pre-edited, so I just had to make some finishing touches in order to upload this. Though just to reiterate, I am not sure if I can get Wednesday's chapter out in time, or Friday's. But so long as it wouldn't be too taxing for me, I will do my best to do so, or will at least upload as soon as I can.
  
  And the training session with Ash begins! Of course, I understand that this Ash is different from the Ash we see at the beginning of canon, but why would they be the same? They've gone through different things, and this Ash is miles more prepared than the one in canon. So I wanted to show a bit of that here.
  
  And I haven't forgotten about Cynthia either. She'll have her own apprentices/students in time as well. You'll see! I really wanted both Cynthia and John to start being mentors to the new generation. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-4 -Interlude-Cynthia
  The New Normal - 19-4 - Interlude - Cynthia
  
  She let out a loud yawn as she blinked her tired eyes, trying to force the sleepiness out of them. Then, almost unconsciously, she let out a frown of disappointment as she could not feel the familiar warmth that was supposed to be lying in the bed next to her.
  
  It had become a routine to wake up next to her fiancé that it felt strange now that he wasn't here. But he was off in Indigo, both to catch up with a few people that he knew, and also because he was hunting down a candidate that he had been very eager to make his student.
  
  She obviously probed him for more information, as she was naturally curious about whichever trainer caught his attention, but she had no idea who this 'Ash' person was. She did her research, but she still couldn't find anything about him.
  
  When did John even meet him? She didn't realise he had his eye out for someone like him for this long now.
  
  That thought remained in her mind as she walked down the stairs into the living room, where she found their newest resident hanging about with his legs lounging up on the coffee table.
  
  "Good morning." Drake greeted her, "Sleep well?"
  
  "Yeah, not bad. Wish John was here though." She replied, getting a snort from Drake, "Actually, I was just thinking - do you know anything about this 'Ash' person that he's gone to make a student?"
  
  "Not a clue." Drake shook his head, "I was pretty surprised that he had a candidate in mind so soon after our talks, but then again, John and I don't really talk about this sort of stuff. I'm really not the best person for small talk. I'd thought you know more."
  
  She shrugged, "He hasn't told me anything about him either - I guess I'll find out more for myself when I meet him." Then she chuckled, "Isn't it funny that it almost seems like he listens to you more than he listens to me? One talk from you and here he goes rushing over to Indigo."
  
  He grinned, "Well - I do have my roguish charms. Don't be jealous, I'm sure you'll be able to do the same - if not more so - if you just dress nicely. He'll listen to anything you say if you do that."
  
  She snorted, "Are you implying I'm not dressed nicely now?"
  
  "Fuck no." Drake replied immediately, "You walked down here in nothing more than a crumpled t-shirt and baggy pants. What the fuck do you think I was going to say?"
  
  She laughed, and the two of them had breakfast together as they chatted about random topics.
  
  But just as she finished up with a piece of toast, she realised that she did have something she wanted to ask of Drake.
  
  "Hey, I want your honest opinion on something-"
  
  "I'm always honest." He interrupted.
  
  "-About Kitakami." She continued over his interruption, "As far as I'm aware, you're the only person that's really seen the situation on the ground. I've heard many other things from my advisors, but frankly, I don't trust their second-hand information."
  
  "Smart." Drake nodded, "Those fucks don't know anything. I've rarely seen them give good advice."
  
  "Yes, well, that's why I wanted to ask you." She said to him, though she mentally disagreed with that statement, "I want to know how Sinnoh can help with Kitakami - I want to make sure they see us as their friends, not their enemies. Is there anything specifically that we can help them with?"
  
  "...That's a good question." He said, leaning back on the couch, "...I think something that would be really appreciated is if you and other important individuals could help sponsor and attend one of their cultural festivals. Make it a big event that's televised. The locals I've spoken to are very proud of their culture and their traditions, and they'd want to make sure it doesn't die with them. It shows that you care, and it'll make them feel more of a part of the wider community too. I remember the local council mentioning something along these lines before too."
  
  "That sounds very reasonable." She agreed, "How big of an event do you think they'll want?"
  
  "I'll get back to you on that one." He said, "I'll speak to them and make sure they're actually okay with this first. Though I'm sure they won't say no; this is what they want."
  
  She nodded, "Thanks. I'll wait to hear back from you."
  
  "...You ever think of getting an apprentice or a student yourself?" Her friend, Candice, asked her as they were hanging out for lunch. Officially, she was here to 'inspect' the Keepers of the Titan, but it was really just an excuse to get away from her afternoon meetings.
  
  Lucian could handle them in her place.
  
  "I haven't really thought about it." She replied, "I don't even have anyone in mind right now anyways. But... do you think I should have one?"
  
  "I mean, if you think you have the time and energy, then yeah, why not?" Her friend said, "Especially since you told me that John's getting someone to train up for himself. Knowing you, I promise you'll be feeling left out if you don't find someone for yourself. You and John are both way too competitive for your own good."
  
  "Yeah... I guess you're right." She sighed, "But I don't even know where to start looking. It's not like I have all that much free time anyways to look for upcoming talents."
  
  "Why not check out the Snowpoint Trainer School from time to time?" Candice suggested none-too-subtly, "Maybe you'll find someone that catches your eye there."
  
  She narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Was this all some elaborate setup for me to visit your new Trainer school? John told me it was already doing quite well - surely you don't need me to drop in to boost up the numbers."
  
  "Everything and anything is always appreciated." Candice smiled shamelessly, "But I was being serious. Just drop in and have a look. I wasn't lying when I said we've got some pretty nice talents attending the school right now. Even Drake said the same."
  
  "...Drake gives praise very easily when it comes to young children." She pointed out.
  
  Candice chuckled, "Yeah, maybe. But that doesn't mean what I said was untrue. Anyways, stop trying to come up with excuses and just follow after me. You've already thrown everything onto Lucian anyways - you can spend some time with me."
  
  Spurred on by her friend's insistence, she agreed to pay the Snowpoint Trainer School a visit.
  
  Stepping inside, she could see why the newly built up Trainer School got as much attention as it did. The facilities were all brand new, and more importantly, the Pokémon utilised by the teachers were all of higher quality than what you would typically expect from such trainers, which was a strong indication of their strength and level of training.
  
  Of course, just because they were strong trainers didn't necessarily mean they were also good teachers, but considering that John was also part of the hiring process then she was sure that he'd pick good people. The good reviews that the School was also getting definitely showed that they hadn't picked wrong.
  
  As she didn't want to disturb any of the ongoing classes, she asked Candice to not announce her presence as she quietly made her way to the viewing area overlooking one of the two training fields. A few of the teachers that were there were surprised by her appearance, but they were professional enough to maintain their focus and continue watching the students' matches below.
  
  She joined them in watching the battle taking place below, where two young children - who were definitely far from starting their journey - were battling below.
  
  Well... calling it a battle would be a stretch, as the girl was completely dominating the battle with her Piplup. It wasn't even close, and her skill, even at such a young age, was clearly on display.
  
  There was a lot she could improve upon, of course, but her gut told her that this girl was a diamond in the rough.
  
  "That's a rare Pokémon for someone her age to have." She pointed out to one of the instructors, "How did she get it?"
  
  "Professor Rowan had been running a small tournament for pre-journey children, and they were expected to use only Pokémon provided from the lab. The winner got a Sinnoh starter of their choice." The instructor explained, "She was the one to win it. Not surprising, given her talents. She's one of our students that we've pretty much all agree has the most potential here."
  
  "Didn't her whole family move to Snowpoint just so that she could attend this school?" Another instructor added, "We met her mother not too long ago who said something along those lines, right?"
  
  "We did." The first instructor nodded, "I remember the mother telling us about how serious they were trying to nurture her talents. Understandable, given what she's capable of."
  
  She nodded, "What's her name?"
  
  "Dawn." The instructor replied.
  
  Dawn, huh?
  
  Thinking back on her conversation with Candice... maybe she would ask someone to record Dawn's matches and send them to her. She felt like this was a trainer worth watching.
  
  A.N. Firstly, thank you very much for your patience with dealing with the delays. I had some time where I wasn't feeling too bad, so I managed to edit out and finish off this chapter. But sadly, I'm afraid that this erratic upload schedule will continue for a bit longer. I thank you for your understanding and I am sorry about this; hopefully I can recover soon so that things will be back to normal.
  
  Naturally, John can't be the only person finding an apprentice, and Cynthia isn't going to be left out. I'm not saying exactly that Dawn is going to be Cynthia's successor, but from this chapter alone it should hopefully be obvious that Cynthia's interested in Dawn in some capacity. You'll definitely see more of her later.
  
  Also, I know that the age of Dawn is a little wonky, but since I always felt that the ages of the Pokémon characters were a little off anyways, I just decided she was going to be of similar (though not the same) age to Ash - which isn't even far off canon as Ash doesn't age.
  
  Not only that, but this chapter was also a setup chapter for the events to come. So hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-5 - Pokenet Reaction
  The New Normal - 19-5 - INTERLUDE - POKENET REACTIONS
  
  [MEGA EVOLUTIONS REVEALED?! COMPLETELY NEW FORMS OF POKÉMON?! WHAT ARE MEGA STONES, AND HOW DO YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON ONE?! IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR POKÉMON BATTLING?] By Battlecast
  
  [Pictures taken during the press conference. John, Lance, Alder, Cynthia, and Steven's Mega Evolutions are shown prominently at the front]
  
  After the reveal of the Fairy type, and then the subsequent awakening of Regigigas - we didn't think we would be getting any more eye-opening discoveries from our scientists and Professors in the near future, but how wrong we were.
  
  The Professors have really been cooking something in secret, because there were somehow no leaks or rumours about this completely new project that they were working on. Considering that this was a joint project that included the involvement of Professors from every region - that's surprising.
  
  But at today's press conference, they finally revealed what they had been working on - Mega Evolution.
  
  To summarise, Mega Evolutions are all new, temporary, evolutions for your Pokémon. They utilise a Mega Stone and a Key Stone to trigger the evolution (don't ask us how, we didn't understand any of the science-y talk either).
  
  These Mega Evolutions are then more powerful versions of your own Pokémon, and they generally give boosts to a Pokémon's stats. However, each Mega Evolution is different for every Pokémon. Some Pokémon gain completely new abilities alongside their new stats. Some gain power in one or two areas - for example, Mega Pidgeot - and some gain an all-round boost like Mega Garchomp.
  
  Also, can we say just now that the idea of a Champion's ace Pokémon being even stronger than they already were is just equal parts terrifying and exciting?! They were already strong enough without the new Mega Evolutions, but with them it seems like they're all but unbeatable. Especially after the Champions showed off a little of their Pokémon's newfound power.
  
  The best example was John's Pidgeot. Normally, it is a Pokémon that John has rarely used in recent times. Understandably so, given its relative lack of power compared to the rest of his team. However, with its newfound Mega Evolution, Pidgeot is no longer a Pokémon that can be overlooked as it has transformed itself into a true powerhouse.
  
  And there's no need to talk about Pokémon that were already so strong. We can't WAIT to see just how powerful Mega Garchomp and Mega Metagross can get with their new forms!
  
  Tyrant has basically been at the pinnacle of Pokémon strength for a long time now. But will this new Mega Evolution phenomenon finally topple the Tyrant from his throne? We've yet to see - but we bet that John and Cynthia have already tested this out for themselves. Hopefully they'll share the results with us soon.
  
  What are your thoughts on this new Mega Evolution - from a purely battling perspective. We here at Battlecast understand that there's a lot of controversy around the topic, and we can understand where the valid criticism is coming from, but we're just here to talk about Pokémon battles. So let us know what you think!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Agreed. Let's keep the political discussion for a different time. Personally, I'm just really excited to see the kinds of Pokémon that will have this Mega Evolution. The Professors did say that their current hypothesis is that not every Pokémon will be eligible to Mega Evolve, so I wonder which Pokémon are going to be lucky enough to have one?
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Does anyone think that perhaps one of the main reasons that Mega Evolutions look so strong is because of the Pokémon that they're Mega Evolving are already so strong to begin with, since all of the Pokémon belong to Champions? I mean, they might have done tests with other non-Champion Pokémon, but the massive power spike might be because of the increase in power is exponential.
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  That's definitely one possibility. In the, admittedly small, sample size we've seen so far, all of the Pokémon that have Mega Evolved are all fully evolved Pokémon. This probably implies that the Pokémon must reach a certain level of power before they can Mega Evolve.
  
  SlugmaBalls
  
  Okay, I know we're not meant to be discussing the politics behind this, but I'm honestly pretty glad that Steven announced that Mega Evolutions won't be usable in battle for the time being. It gives everyone a chance to catch up and (hopefully) get their own Mega Evolutions as well.
  
  Which means that there's more time to me to find one! Hurrah!
  
  DragonPower
  
  Fat chance of that happening. A nobody like you - who doesn't even know how to appreciate the best type in the world - would never be blessed with a Mega Stone. How unfortunate. Had you been more faithful, and more believing, Arceus might have rewarded you with a lucky find. Too bad for you. This is just punishment for your inability to see the truth.
  
  Just watch - most of the Mega Evolutions will be for Dragon types.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Why is everyone coming up to me and asking if I know where to find Mega Stones?! I may be an archaeologist, but it's not like we have some kind of special radar to find these things. We found out about this at the same time as the rest of you!
  
  AlluteNinja
  
  I know everyone's all hyping up how Mega Evolutions will make existing strong Pokémon even stronger, but I'm honestly excited to see how Mega Evolutions will turn traditionally weak Pokémon into something respectable.
  
  Pidgeot was a decent example, but I'm thinking of Pokémon like Beedrill or Butterfree. Pokémon that almost never get used in high level battling. I want to see how/if Mega Evolutions will unlock their real potential.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  That's a very interesting point, and I totally agree. Likewise, I'd like to see Mega Evolutions that give their Pokémon more than just raw power. Since we know that Mega Evolutions are capable of giving Pokémon a whole new ability, I want to see a Mega Evolution that completely change up the way a Pokémon is able to fight.
  
  For example, a defensive Pokémon turning into an offensive threat or vice versa. I'm thinking of something like a Slowbro suddenly becoming a fast and agile threat. I know it's probably not going to happen, but it's very interesting to think about nonetheless.
  
  FutureAce
  
  PLEASE GIVE ME A MEGA STONE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
  
  GodBidoof
  
  ...You and the rest of the world, pal.
  
  [TOPIC: Discussing the two new Mega Stones that have been found - Glalitite and Absolite. Now that it's been some time since the reveal, what are your thoughts on the new Mega Evolutions?] By TangelaThoughts
  
  As the title said. Just curious on what are all your thoughts on the new discovery of the Mega Evolution. Now that reality has set in for most of us as we all collectively realise that we'll probably never be lucky enough to find a Mega Stone, do you think the rarity of Mega Evolutions will lead to unfairness?
  
  Personally, I think this is an impossible situation for the League. They can't take away Mega Evolutions, because they've already announced it to the world as a thing. And they couldn't have not announced it either, since that would be deliberately holding back the progress of science.
  
  At the same time, the very fact that Mega Evolutions require the super rare Mega Stones and Key Stones is a massive issue, since it gives some trainers an almost insurmountable advantage over someone else in an equal position but who does not have a Mega Stone. It just makes the rich trainers (whether in money or connections) even richer.
  
  ...I really don't think there's a workaround to this. So I hope that the Professor are able to make Mega Stones replicable so we can at least make Mega Evolutions more accessible to more people.
  
  Comments
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  While much like you said, I can't blame the League for this as this was not something that they could have controlled, I do hate the fact that it just means that the trainers with means will be able to gain a bigger advantage than they already have.
  
  We've already seen how rich trainers are able to have the best tutors and experts help them out with the training of their Pokémon, giving them an advantage against those who had to handle everything by themselves. And now the ownership of a Mega Stone only adds to this. The gap is widening!
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Anyone else think that Mega Stones are going to be as important - or more important - than some family heirloom? I mean, a Mega Stone is probably going to be something that you will want to pass down to your children and their children too.
  
  Does anyone remember what the current 'market' price for the newly discovered Absolite and Glalitite are?
  
  FutureAce
  
  Yeah, I went to check just recently, because I'm deluded enough to think the price will change. Fortunately, the price is simple - they're not selling.
  
  Smart. I would do the same thing in their positions too.
  
  FearTheRat
  
  I know the news was touting Mega Evolution as something that could 'win a battle by itself', and everyone bought into the hype at the time. But now that we've had a better look at things, do people still think this is the case?
  
  Personally, I don't think that Mega Evolution is that powerful. I agree that it's able to give your Pokémon a massive boost in power, but I also don't believe that the boost in power is enough to allow your Pokémon to solo an entire team by itself - especially in full 6v6 fights.
  
  GroundedForLife
  
  Agreed. I think people got overhyped and exaggerated how strong Mega Evolutions actually were. It's definitely not the instant-win that people said it was.
  
  Still a massive advantage though.
  
  RuinsManiac
  
  Truthfully, I'm not much into Pokémon battling, but I can't imagine how much pressure the Professors are currently in as they try their best to identify whether they can replicate these Mega Stones or not.
  
  Because the League is undoubtedly watching them like a Noctowl right now - making Mega Stones replicable would solve so many of their problems. But if they can't and deem it impossible... it's going to be tough.
  
  DetectivePikachu
  
  As I've been telling you all for literal years, this is just all a part of the Leagues' grand conspiracy! Mega Evolutions are just another step for them so that they can eventually solidify their power! Soon, you'll only have Champions that were hand-picked by them as they will be able to control who gets a Mega Evolution!
  
  WAKE UP PEOPLE! You're all just puppets dancing on strings!
  
  DarkRebel (Verified POG)
  
  I know it might not be my place to say this - but I do understand where the public's frustrations are coming from. The fact that most of the public won't have access to Mega Evolutions for the near future, when they are so exciting, is easily and understandably infuriating. I'm in the same position, in all honesty.
  
  But I can promise you that the Leagues are really doing everything they can to try and ensure that things are as fair as possible. Trust me, I've sat through the meetings myself. But the idea of incorporating Mega Evolutions into our usual battles is a very new concept for the Leagues as well, so we'll be trying out multiple new policies in the near future to see what can ensure as much fairness as possible.
  
  FlamingAfro (Verified POG)
  
  If I can just add onto what Sidney said, even if we do find that the Mega Stones are not replicable, we will do all we can to make sure the appropriate accommodations are in place to ensure that Mega Stones will not completely warp the battles around them. We will be working hard to find a balanced solution that will not overly cripple the capabilities of a Mega Evolution, while also not allowing them to completely dominate Pokémon battling for the years to come.
  
  We understand that such a balance will not be easy to find. But we shall do our best nonetheless to ensure that the official battling experience will be as exciting and as fair as it can be, as always. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  [FIRST 'PUBLIC' MEGA EVOLUTION BATTLE! CHAMPION LANCE DUELS ELITE LORELEI!] by Battlecast
  
  [Pictures of the battle. Lance can be seen using his new Mega Altaria, which is facing off against Lorelei's Froslass]
  
  I think we were all taken aback when Lance suddenly decided to host a surprise duel against Lorelei while making use of his own Mega Evolution, but it was definitely a good kind of surprise. This was the first public battle where a Mega Evolved Pokémon would be used in a battle, and we got to see just how strong it was.
  
  To set the stage, Altaria, despite being a Dragon type, is not a Pokémon that is often used by Lance. In fact, before today, Lance had never used an Altaria in battle before, as he favoured his trio of Dragonites or other non-Dragon but Dragon-related Pokémon like Gyarados or Charizard. Which was understandable, given that Altaria are rarely known to be as powerful as the other Pokémon on his team.
  
  However, that might all change after today, because he showed off just how powerful a properly trained and utilised Mega Evolved Pokémon can be compared to its non Mega-Evolved form.
  
  Ironically, the new Mega Altaria is actually a Dragon/Fairy type - the first of its kind. And it was pretty amusing to see Lance trying to make use of a type that was generally seen to be complete anathema for Dragons in general. Especially since the new Mega Altaria seems to be more Fairy than Dragon, as its Pixilate ability converted all of its Normal type attacks to Fairy.
  
  Yet, what was very interesting to note was that even with this new Mega Evolution, this Mega-Altaria was not as strong as Lance's Emperor - not even close. Even with all this newfound power, Mega-Altaria mostly served as a long-range yet bulky Special Attacker that primarily made use of its high damage Fairy attacks and wide range of supporting and setup moves to slowly wear down an opponent. Yet when it comes to raw power, it's still got a long way to go compared to the likes of Emperor or Tyrant.
  
  Not only that, but you could tell that Lance wasn't exactly used to this kind of fighting style, as he definitely had a tendency to have his Altaria fight at close-range rather than just hanging back. This allowed Lorelei to capitalise on this, and her Froslass was quickly able to slow and freeze Altaria over.
  
  After that, Froslass' natural evasiveness, even without the Snow, eventually ended up securing her the win as Altaria struggled to land a good hit - probably due to its unfamiliarity with its power.
  
  This just proves that a Mega Evolution by itself is not an instant win button. And sometimes trying to forcibly include a Mega Evolution into your team, when you are not suited to fighting that way, may make things worse for you. For example, we are absolutely certain that if Lance chose to make use of his Gyarados or his Charizard - Pokémon that he's much more familiar with and suit his fighting style a lot better - then he would have easily dominated that fight.
  
  What were your thoughts on the battle? Were you just as surprised as we were? Did you think Lance should have won that? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Okay, that's pretty funny seeing a Dragon master like Lance make use of a Dragon/Fairy type. I honestly don't even think he used a single Dragon type move during that entire battle; I'm pretty sure he primarily made use of Fire and Fairy moves only. That's crazy.
  
  DragonPower
  
  ?! Why in the FUCK is there a Dragon/Fairy type?! Why would Lance use an abomination like that?! IS HE BEING CORRUPTED?! SHAME ON HIM!
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Honestly, I think having a Pokémon that's able to use powerful Fairy moves is a good thing for Lance since it'll force him to understand just how Fairy types - the type that Dragons are most weak to - are able to fight. This'll give him and his Pokémon some great experience when going against other future Fairy types.
  
  That being said, surprised that Mega Altaria actually lost to Froslass. But I guess, like the article pointed out, perhaps Lance was unused to fighting with it.
  
  IceColdSimp
  
  HAH! Of course Lorelei was going to win! Mega Evolution or not, Lance just threw in a Dragon against her Ice types! What kind of outcome did he expect?!
  
  This is definitely a sign that Lance is weakening as a Champion. And with John now gone, I think it's about time we saw Lorelei walk in her uncle's footsteps and become Champion just like him!
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Yeah, no. This one win by Lorelei, while impressive, really isn't enough to say that she would beat Lance's full team. I'd argue that this was Lance's weakest Pokémon, even with the Mega Evolution, as he clearly seemed very unused to using it. It'll be another matter entirely if Lance faced off against Lorelei with his full team.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Okay, I know no one's really been discussing trading Mega Stones (since none of us have one), but do you think that Lance is someone who would trade his Mega Stone for another? Because honestly, that Mega Altaria does not fit him at all. It's primarily a Fairy Pokémon, not a Dragon, and I don't really see him doing well with it.
  
  I mean, if someone ever found a Mega Stone for a Dragonite in the future, I think he would trade for it in a heartbeat.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Okay true, but who in the right mind would trade a Mega Stone for a Dragonite for one for an Altaria? The former is clearly more valuable than the latter. You would be insane to make that trade as is.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  That actually brings up a good point - will certain Mega Stones be more valuable than others? Probably so, I'd imagine. The price of a Mega Stone will probably correspond with the Pokémon's original popularity. So the perception of a Pokémon's strength (not necessarily their actual strength) will likely determine their value.
  
  So I'd imagine Mega Stones for the starters (if they did exist) would be incredibly valuable, since they are both common Pokémon and also very powerful.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Wait, so isn't John's Pidgeotite pretty valuable then? Because everyone has a Pidgeot (or can easily get one), so it's going to be in super high demand, no?
  
  FearTheRat
  
  Yeah, but good luck getting him to sell it. He's already basically a Champion and will be marrying another. Seriously, what do you think he's going to sell it for besides another Mega Stone (and even then he might not).
  
  [KITAKAMI PROUDLY WELCOMES YOU TO THE FESTIVAL OF MASKS! ENJOY A SLICE OF THE LOCAL TRADITIONS! BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!] by Sinnoh News
  
  [Pictures of past Festival of Masks held by the locals of Kitakami]
  
  While the 'newly discovered' region of Kitakami has managed to fly under the radar for quite some time because of all the excitement and controversy surrounding the Mega Evolutions, it is nice to know that the locals of Kitakami are doing their best to integrate themselves with the rest of the wider world.
  
  And this new announcement is just another step to that end, as they have now cordially invited the public to attend their yearly Festival of Masks. You'll have to buy a ticket to attend, but all ticket sales are going to simply contribute to the Kitakami development fund.
  
  What is the Festival of Masks? Well, it is an old tradition of the Kitakami locals to honour and worship the sacrifices made by the Loyal Three - a trio of Pokémon that were said to have protected Kitakami against a monstrous villain that threatened to destroy the entire village. A common folk's tale, but one that has lasted for generations.
  
  And this time, they're really sprucing things up a bit. Usually, the Festival of Masks is not exactly an eye-opening event, as it mostly just consists of street stores that serve both food and games - fittingly so, given their small population. However, as this is an event that was co-sponsored by the Sinnoh League, naturally the scale of the event was adjusted accordingly.
  
  Therefore, the Kitakami council have announced that this year's Festival of Masks will be the biggest ever seen, with battle arenas, mini-tournaments for many different activities like battling, fishing, berry-picking, poffin-making, and much more! Not only that, but they are also hosting a community run where the public will get to run together with their Pokémon as they hike up Oni Mountain - which has been secured beforehand to ensure there will be no wild Pokémon interference.
  
  And those are just the things that have been announced thus far by the Kitakami council, so we're pretty sure that there are definitely going to be more events to come!
  
  Even better, many prominent trainers have confirmed their attendance, including the Champion and Protector of Sinnoh, and the retired Drake - who was rumoured to have a large part in creating this event in the first place.
  
  So are you guys interested in heading over and checking out this new festival? What are your thoughts on Kitakami so far? Let us know in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Already bought the tickets. I would have bought them anyways, but it feels better knowing that the money is going to a good cause. Very excited to attend this event - I hope it's going to be a good one! It'll set the stage for future festivals and events to come!
  
  NotTooMuchWater
  
  I saw a few rumours floating around that Drake was spending a lot of time in Kitakami. I didn't think too much of that at the time, but now I'm pretty sure that Drake's integrated pretty well with the locals. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he played a bigger part in the creation of this event than what we've been told.
  
  If so, then good for him. I've always felt that he wasn't the type of person to sit still. Knowing him, he's probably finding some new people to terrorise teach.
  
  FutureAce
  
  Sorry for being clueless, but why is the Sinnoh League doing this? Why are they helping to co-sponsor the development of Kitakami when, before their 'discovery', they were perfectly fine with taking care of themselves without such financial assistance. Can someone fill me in? What's in it for the League?
  
  FlyingHigh
  
  Good question, and I'll try my best to answer it as simply as possible (based on my own reasoning). Basically, Kitakami is a place that's bursting with potential for development - lots of empty land, new Pokémon, new environments. It's perfect for economic development, and it's a natural expansion of Sinnoh's existing borders. Right now it might still be empty outside of Mossui Town, but give it a few years or so, and that can all change. Kitakami might be transformed into a mini-Sinnoh, with its own cities and towns scattered across the region.
  
  Of course, not everyone will be happy with these redevelopment efforts, as they might (rightfully) claim that the League is just bulldozing over all of the old traditions of Kitakami in the name of progress and development. That's why it's important to strike a balance between economic development and the preservation of old traditions. This is why hosting events like this is such a good idea, since it's a win-win for both aspects.
  
  TangelaThoughts
  
  Very well put! But I'd just like to add one thing - the development of Kitakami is not going to be a fast process. There's still a lot of uncharted/unclaimed wilderness, which are areas that are not going to be easy to build in as they are teeming with wild Pokémon. I'm decently familiar with development efforts, so I know that it is a slow and careful process as the Leagues will do their best not to overly disturb the natural ecosystem that's been built up. So don't expect any large changes anytime soon.
  
  LoveIsEterna
  
  I wonder who else will be participating in this festival besides John and Cynthia. Surely there will be other Elite Four members there too, right? I mean, if you're looking to get their autograph or meet them in person, this might be the best place to do it.
  
  GeneralistGeneral
  
  Oh, true! Can't believe I didn't think of that. I've always wanted to get something signed by Cynthia!
  
  PianoLover
  
  I don't know why, but my gut tells me that this will be a very interesting festival! Can't wait for what happens!
  
  A.N. I meant to upload this yesterday, but I wasn't feeling the greatest and couldn't concentrate at all, so I had to push this back to today. My apologies.
  
  But this chapter also serves as a timeskip as we also go over the reactions to the Mega Evolutions. Also, for those of you with sharp eyes, maybe you can guess at what's about to happen with Kitakami. It's definitely NOT just going to be a Festival. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-6
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-6 - INTERMISSION
  
  (Whitney POV)
  
  As was tradition whenever there was a big announcement or reveal that would affect the entire region of Indigo, the Gym Leaders of their region would gather together to host a discussion about how they would collectively respond to the changes.
  
  It was something Giovanni always loved to host, and as the man himself told her during one of their conversations:
  
  "It's about being acknowledged and recognised." He said, "I might be known as the strongest and most influential Gym Leader, but those are just words - empty by themselves. It's all meaningless unless you actually put it into action. That's why I host these meetings, both to serve as a way to facilitate conversation and discussion between us, but also as a reminder to everyone about my status and influence. You'll have to be good at doing this if you want to be a successful Gym Leader one day."
  
  "Are you teaching Silver the same thing?" She asked about her friend.
  
  "Of course." Giovanni nodded, "Though he's a bit young for it now, I will be training him so that he will become a proper successor. I know he doesn't have the patience for it at the moment, but being able to do things like this is very important if you want to maintain your influence. Gym Leaders that focus only on battling will never become all that influential."
  
  "Just look at Volkner." He continued, "The man is probably the strongest Gym Leader in the world - even I admit I would struggle to win a fight against him. But despite his strength, his lack of interest in playing politics, or wielding his political influence, causes him to be unable to obtain the leadership of the Sinnoh Gym Leaders."
  
  "...Knowing Volkner, he probably doesn't even want it." She replied, thinking about all the stories that her brother had said about Volkner, "I don't think he cares very much for politics."
  
  "Some people are like that." Giovanni agreed, "But having influence is always useful - you'll understand that if you ever come across a situation one day where you NEED to have influence but don't have it."
  
  She had kept that lesson to heart as she upheld her duties as the Head Gym Trainer of the Goldenrod Gym. So even though she was technically subordinated to their Gym Leader, Hayden, she always tried to make sure that she could participate in many events as she could - to be seen by the public as doing something. As being relevant and competent.
  
  She wanted to associate the name 'Whitney' with the Goldenrod Gym in the public's psyche.
  
  That was why she had kindly asked Hayden for the opportunity to join in on the next Gym Leader meeting held by Giovanni. Fortunately, Hayden had accepted, which is why they were both at Viridian, about to step into one of the meeting rooms that Giovanni had booked for this meeting.
  
  "You can speak up and voice your opinion if you feel like its warranted. I won't keep you silent." Hayden said to her as they walked into the meeting room. They were the first ones here apparently, as Giovanni had likely stepped out for whatever reason, "Just... try to match your opinions with my own. We don't want the others to feel like there's any disagreement between us."
  
  "Sure." She nodded, "And again, thanks for bringing me along."
  
  He shrugged, "It wasn't an issue. Giovanni didn't have a problem with it, and I felt like it was good for you to get used to these kinds of meetings for when you become a Gym Leader."
  
  Oh, she would definitely do her best to do so. Within the Goldenrod Gym, it was basically an open secret that she was eying to take on the position of Gym Leader, which would supplant Hayden from his position.
  
  Normally, having such an ambitious Head Gym Trainer would not be good for a Gym Leader. Many of them preferred having their own chosen successors take their positions, so they could keep control of the Gym within those that they had influence over (whether that be family or otherwise).
  
  But Hayden was not your usual Gym Leader - as in, he had 'lucked' into his position when Will ascended to the Elite Four. The man didn't actually want the position, but he held onto it out of a sense of duty and because, at the time, there was no better choice.
  
  Furthermore, Hayden was not a particularly strong trainer. Not weak, but he had nothing that stood out. He was a perfectly competent and, in the words of Sabrina, a boring Psychic specialist.
  
  And this had been noticed by the public as well. They acknowledged Hayden's administrative skills, but his strength was just 'fine'. They didn't see it as anything impressive, which unfortunately, did negatively impact the prestige of the Goldenrod Gym.
  
  According to the opinion polls that they held, the Gym's prestige had taken a slight backslide ever since Will left the position when he moved back up to the Elite Four. And out of all of them, it was Hayden that had taken that the worst, as he only had the wellbeing of Goldenrod in his mind.
  
  That was why he was okay with her ambitions, because he knew that she would be a better Gym Leader than he ever could be, and could bring Goldenrod to higher heights than he could - he said so as much to her.
  
  ...She remembered that conversation very well. She remembered being awed and impressed by the humility that he showed.
  
  It took a very special kind of person to be so accepting of one's own failings, and to prioritise the wellbeing of a city over their own personal achievements. It was not something she could do herself, not right now at least, which is why she still held Hayden in so much respect.
  
  She inwardly promised to make him proud when she took over his spot as Gym Leader. She would not disappoint him.
  
  The sound of other people entering into the room snapped her out of her own thoughts. The Gym Leaders and Dojo Leaders had all arrived one after the other, and she greeted all those that she recognised - obviously, Sabrina (who came as an 'assistant' to Samson, much like herself) and Janine were among those people - before quietly taking her seat next to Hayden as the meeting began.
  
  "...Right then, I'm assuming you all got the memo about why I've gathered you here today." Giovanni began, "For those who didn't bother to read it - or more accurately, forgot to get their assistants to read it out for them - shame on you." There were a few chuckles at that, "But it's about the Mega Evolutions. Sadly, none of us here have gotten our hands on a Mega Stone, so the process of Mega Evolution is not something we can utilise in our Gym Battles for the time being."
  
  "Given that we might be seeing Mega Evolutions in our own Gym Battles in the future, Champion Lance has asked us for our opinions on the matter." He continued, "He wants to know what kind of contingencies or policies we would like in order to preserve the fairness of our Gyms now that Mega Evolution is in play. Our decision today might shape the battling scene for the years to come, so we should approach this topic carefully."
  
  "I'll go first then, since I've already given this topic some thought." Dorothy spoke up, "There should be no Mega Evolutions allowed until you earned your 8th Gym badge. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, we here all know that trainers who haven't yet earned their 8th Gym Badge occasionally would have trouble controlling their own Pokémon. If you add a Mega Evolution on top of that, then we might see situations where a Trainer will be unable to control their own Mega Evolved Pokémon, which would be disastrous, to say the least. Having it be a requirement that you must earn 8Gym Badges so that you can prove your ability to handle a Mega Evolved Pokémon is very reasonable."
  
  "The second reason for this is because it prevents lucky trainers - those who have Mega Stones - from simply powering through our Gyms with brute force." She continued, "Our Gyms are meant to be a test, an examination of a trainer's own skills. Admittedly, we will always get trainers that have managed to obtain powerful enough Pokémon to brute force their way through our Gyms anyways, but denying them the use of Mega Evolution would make that harder."
  
  "Good points." Erika agreed, "But would they accept that though?"
  
  "Of course they will. Most of them won't even be able to acquire a Mega Stone in their lives - they won't be affected by such a rule at all." Pryce replied dismissively, "And for those that do have one? They'll just have to learn to suck it up."
  
  "...I wouldn't put it that way, but I agree that this shouldn't be a hard rule to pass through." Jasmine said, "Clair, do you think Lance will think the same way?"
  
  "I think he'll go along with whatever we agree on today." Clair replied, "He was pretty insistent that he wanted to listen to the voices of the Gym Leaders."
  
  "As he should. I'd be pissed if he made a rule regarding Gym Leaders without consulting us first." Surge grumbled.
  
  There was a bit more back and forth between everyone, but it was pretty clear that they all unanimously agreed to ban the use of Mega Evolutions until the acquisition of the 8th Gym Badge. The Dojo Leaders were also in agreement too, since they only offered post-8 Badge challenge anyways.
  
  "So are we agreed on this?" Giovanni asked everyone, "Does everyone think it is right for us to forbid the use of Mega Stones until they have acquired their 8th Gym Badge? And no sooner?"
  
  There was a round of agreements from everyone in the mood, and it didn't seem like anyone was going to object, which allowed Giovanni to continue with a smile, "Excellent. I'm glad that was sorted out without any fuss. I'll be reaching out to the other Gym Leaders from the other regions to make sure that this is something they can agree on as well. Now that we're all part of the Regional Union, we should all try to unify our policies as much as possible."
  
  It was then that Brock raised a hand, "What do we do if we are the ones that have a Mega Stone? When will we be allowed to use it?"
  
  "I think using it only for 8th Badge challenges is reasonable." Samson replied, "It wouldn't be fair if we could make use of Mega Evolutions in battles where we've banned our challengers from doing the same. Besides, considering the power of these Mega Evolutions, I doubt we would ever use them in our regular Gym Battles anyways. They'd be too much."
  
  "Wait, does that mean that Giovanni and Clair will be able to use it for their challengers?" Janine asked, "Or is it only for those who have already acquired 8 Badges and are just challenging us again for the prestige?"
  
  "The latter is more suitable, I believe." Giovanni answered, "We will make that distinction clear. Mega Evolutions are only for those who have already earned their 8 Badges. Not for those who are looking to challenge for their 8th Badge. The same rule applies to us."
  
  The discussion went on for a little longer, but to Whitney, it looked like most of the important matters had already been wrapped up in the first few minutes of conversation. Everything else was just filler - as if everyone was trying to 'look' busy. And she was already growing bored just listening to their meaningless rambling.
  
  Well, she guessed she understood why Hayden's favourite saying was - "This could have been an email."
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  The Festival of Masks was really proving to be a big event. Usually, the event was only really hosted for probably around a hundred or so people at most, since that was basically the entire population of Kitakami.
  
  However, now that this was going to be a League-sponsored event, the scale of everything had completely turned around. Now, the entire Festival had to be massively sized up to accommodate the thousands of people that were going to come and participate in the event.
  
  At first, the locals had panicked and were alarmed at the sheer number of visitors. Even with the League's assistance, they didn't think they could handle so many people at once, nor were they accustomed to doing so.
  
  That was why they had roped him into helping out. Apparently, they 'trusted' him to handle negotiations with the League, and to make sure that the event and the large influx of people wouldn't cause damage to their beautiful region.
  
  In other words, they had brought him on as a security officer. It was not the worst role he could have taken, in all honesty.
  
  At least they didn't try to have him play politics. He didn't retire just to be thrown back into that shit again.
  
  Of course, before he could actually help out, there was something that he had to go through first.
  
  "Master Drake." One of his 'students', one of the members of the Kitakami Ogre Clan, called out to him, "The ritual is ready for you."
  
  "And as I've said a dozen fucking times, you don't need to do this for me." He grumbled back, "Your thanks was enough."
  
  "No, we do this because we believe in honouring those that have taken their time to better our community." The man replied, "We do not do this because of who you are, but merely what you have done for us. It is very rare for a stranger and outsider to display such level of concern for us."
  
  He snorted, "All I've done is train you lot. That's not a whole lot of 'concern' to me." He was trying to downplay his own actions - he really didn't like being thanked.
  
  But the man shook his head, "We can see otherwise." The man insisted, "Please, Master Drake. We insist. Follow after us."
  
  Realising that he wasn't going to win this argument, he let out a reluctant sigh as he followed after his 'students' as they escorted him to a special and culturally important location for the locals of Kitakami.
  
  He had heard bits and pieces about what they were about to show him, as it was related to the Festival of Masks. Basically, they were about to head to the graves of the Loyal Three, and he was to be 'blessed' by them - which, according to the traditions of Kitakami, would grant him 'Kindness', 'Success', and 'Fortune'.
  
  Truthfully, he didn't believe in such rituals, as he had first-hand experience of how little the Legendaries of the world truly cared about them - even Regigigas, for all its stated goals of protecting humanity, only really cared about the collective, not the individual. But their apathy was to humanity's benefit, as any kind of Legendary intervention often led to destructive and disastrous results for humankind - whether intentionally or not.
  
  Therefore, he had very little faith that the Loyal Three, Pokémon that weren't really deserving to be called a 'Legendary' based on their lack of raw power alone, would actually be able to grant him their respective blessings.
  
  Of course, he had the tact to not say any of that out loud. Blunt and sailor-mouthed he might be, but disrespecting a foreign culture like that was just not done.
  
  So instead, he pretended to listen interestedly as his students regaled him with the tales of the Loyal Three as they walked to the Three's Monument. Once they were there, a village shaman was already there waiting for them, and in front of her, was a plate of white coloured mochi - ones that he recognised were the signature dish of Kitakami.
  
  It was their aptly named 'Kitakami Mochi'.
  
  He was actually happy to be offered some. He had tried to ask to try some when he had stayed in the village, since he was curious to see what the fuss was about, but he was refused. Not because he was an outsider, but because the Mochi was only meant to be eaten on very special occasions, including the Festival of Masks, as they were meant to be served as offerings to the Loyal Three - or in special occasions like this.
  
  He had tuned out the shaman's speech, but he made sure that he didn't look bored as he kept his head down and munched down on the offered Mochi.
  
  It was... a very unique taste. Not in a bad way, but it was like nothing else he had tasted before. It tasted neither sweet nor bitter, nor sour or salty. It almost liked eating flour, but for some reason, he felt good just by eating it.
  
  Huh. It was weirdly nice.
  
  Eventually, after a few more minutes, the ritual was over and he walked away 'blessed' by the Loyal Three. The other locals that had attended were all smiling at him, and another one of his students - Muramasa - walked up to him with a similar smile on his face.
  
  "You're one of the first outsiders to be welcomed to our village." He said to him, "I hope you understand why I insisted you go through this ritual. I know you are not someone for traditions, but I know you respect ours nonetheless, and I had to make sure that the other locals understood this too."
  
  "So you did this so that I would be accepted here?" He asked. Obviously, the Clan Leader was an influential man of the village.
  
  "Yes. That was the purpose." His student confirmed, "The others of course already know of your contributions to our village, but this just demonstrated to them that even our very Legends support your stay as well."
  
  "Well thank you, then." He appreciated the gesture, "But now that's it's over with, let's get back into the planning. Tell me, what's the plan for the Festival? I already know the events, but what arrangements do you have to prevent interference from wild Pokémon?"
  
  There were certain events that had been planned, such as the hike up Oni Mountain, which was going to be an absolute nightmare to properly secure. Even the battle arenas that were going to be set up had to be cleared out and patrolled in advance as well, because unlike in mainland Sinnoh, most of the surrounding wilderness of Kitakami was still largely inhabited by wild Pokémon.
  
  "The Sinnoh League have already promised to send their Rangers and Jennys to help us out. Apparently they're going to be field testing a new device? It's supposed to be used to help tame and calm down wild Pokémon." His student replied, "But we were unsure about their deployment. We are not used to their presence, and we are unfamiliar with how they operate. Hence your assistance."
  
  That was easy enough for him. He had done this multiple times before, so none of this was new to him.
  
  Therefore, he wasted no time in taking charge and helping to organise the security around the Festival. The law enforcement members of the Sinnoh League were initially very surprised to see him suddenly ordering them around, but whether out of respect for his past position or simply because he had a very persuasive voice, they didn't question his orders at all and just followed through on whatever he suggested.
  
  Oni Mountain was vigorously patrolled, and most of the Pokémon within were either carefully (with approval of the locals to know that it was okay and wouldn't disrupt anything) driven out, or they were captured if they wanted a trainer. Larger threats, like particularly strong wild Pokémon, were 'encouraged' to leave using the strength of his Pokémon.
  
  At first, he was worried that this aggressive reclamation of territory from the wild Pokémon would cause long-term damage to the surrounding ecosystem. But the locals had repeatedly reassured him that such actions needed to be done anyways.
  
  "Oni Mountain is a little too close to Mossui Town anyways, and the strength of the wild Pokémon there means we occasionally we get a strong invader that comes rampaging across or close to our town that needs to be stopped." The Clan Leader had explained, "So now that we have the manpower to do so, making Oni Mountain safe from wild Pokémon will help to safeguard Mossui Town in the future and also pave way for a potential expansion. So don't worry, the Kitakami Council have all approved of this action."
  
  That gave him the peace of mind to continue with his actions. And actually, things went much more smoothly than he had expected. There weren't as many Pokémon here as he had expected, and those that were didn't really have the strength to be a challenge to either his own team or the Jennys/Rangers either.
  
  And once that was done, the patrols were all put in place, while every nook and cranny of the surrounding areas were secured with checkpoints to make sure that no wild Pokémon could sneak in and accidentally injure the participants.
  
  It took over a week's worth of preparations, but the result was worth it. And he smiled to himself as he watched the Jennys and Rangers all moving around like a well-oiled machine.
  
  It was always nice seeing a job well done.
  
  However, unbeknownst to Drake, the large-scale movements on Oni Mountain had awakened something that had long since been left to slumber.
  
  A Pokémon that had been framed and scorned for an act that it did not do. A Pokémon that bore the timeless resentment of the people that it had once tried to protect. A Pokémon that just wanted to live with the people that it once admired, but was now driven to isolation.
  
  It had heard the noise. It had felt the hive of activity taken place above it. And for the first time in centuries, it began to stir.
  
  A.N. This whole chapter was setup for the events to come. I added in a Whitney portion because I wanted to highlight her own actions as well, and because I felt like it's been some time since she's been in the spotlight. I haven't forgotten about her!
  
  However, I'm sure most of you will be able to pick up the events to come that this chapter was foreshadowing! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - OMAKE - Kitakami DLC
  The New Normal - OMAKE - Ingame Snippets - Kitakami DLC
  
  [The release of the newest Pokémon DLC - Kitakami! A whole new subregion to explore! New Pokémon and Legendaries abound! A whole new story awaits!] by Earlier Access
  
  [Pictures containing snapshots of the games. Ogerpon is briefly shown, but not emphasised - as if trying to hide the fact that it is a Legendary] [Attached trailer of the DLC]
  
  Well, considering the success of the original game, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the Pokémon company came up with a new DLC to cash in on their success. Fortunately, the Kitakami DLC is far from some cheap cash grab, and serves as a worthy expansion of the original.
  
  The only criticism I do have is that the story, while good, is entirely separate from the previous plot. Meaning that the plot of the DLC is its own self-contained story, which some might prefer, and some might not like. That's just my warning.
  
  Moving swiftly on from that, as you can probably work out from the name, the DLC contains a new 'subregion' of Sinnoh in Kitakami - but don't be fooled by the term 'subregion' - the area is massive. And unlike every other city/location that we've been to before, Kitakami is almost completely surrounded by wilderness - you won't find many cities to explore here.
  
  Therefore, a lot of the focus of the DLC is on free roaming and making full use of the open-world nature of the game. There are no new Gyms to fight, and nothing to restrict your progress like with HMs or any of that. Pretty much from the moment you start the DLC, the entire region of Kitakami is open for you to explore and discover on your own - with all of the hidden secrets and special areas that come along with it.
  
  Because trust me, as hinted at in the trailer, there is far more than meets the eye. This region has way more to offer than just some plain wilderness and wild Pokémon, I assure you.
  
  And of course, there will be new Legendaries and Pokémon that are introduced during the story and as you play through the DLC. I won't be spoiling what they are now, as their discovery is a big part of the DLC's progression system.
  
  If you're worried about whether you'll be too over levelled for the DLC since you've already beaten the endgame - don't be. The DLC and their wild Pokémon will scale to your level. Not only that, but the wild Pokémon have also been completely revamped, and they also have new behaviour patterns. Some are territorial, some are cowardly, and some are extremely aggressive. It makes the wild Pokémon feel more dynamic to interact with.
  
  For those of you who've already played - what are your thoughts on the game so far? Game-changing? Lazy? Somewhere in the middle? Tell us in the comments!
  
  Comments
  
  NoGameNoLife
  
  Honestly, I'm glad that they gave us a different kind of DLC to just 'more battles'. We've gotten the Gauntlet from last time, and I'm really glad this that one is a whole new change of place. Kitakami's really cool, and it's basically like exploring a whole new mini-region - and sometimes a whole new game.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  I'm just glad they didn't retcon the lore to suddenly introducing super powerful Legendaries in the DLC. I'm already at the point where you encounter the first one (no spoilers), and I think they fit enough within the current lore that it makes sense for them to exist.
  
  I know people don't really play these games for the story, but the story that they did for Black and White was really good with N and his false ideals. So I'm glad they didn't completely ruin their ability to tell a coherent story with the DLC. In fact, I'd say the story's pretty good so far.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I was surprised at the amount of 'cameo' appearances from the other members of the story. I thought we would be introduced with a whole new cast of characters when we got to Kitakami (as you would expect when you go into a new region), and while we definitely got that, there were so many reoccurring characters too.
  
  Some we expected. Like Cynthia and John - the mainstay couple - but there were more unexpected figures like Drake as well. Honestly, I'm actually really glad for how often they appear in the story. Some might say its fanservice, and while I'm sure that's partially true, remember that Kitakami is supposed to be a completely new area for the Sinnoh League as well, so it makes sense that they're exploring the area alongside us. So having characters like that show up makes the world feel more 'lived in'.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Agreed. The fact that you can see them actively walking about the place and 'doing stuff' also helps to reinforce the fact that you aren't the only person here - the others are also trying to learn more about the new regions alongside you.
  
  GitGud
  
  You know damn well if this was a more mature game Drake would probably be swearing up a storm every time you encounter him. I swear in every situation we see him in he's shouting at someone (to train them, ostensibly) and he reminds me of a drill instructor.
  
  I could TOTALLY imagine Drake dropping like 5 F-bombs every two sentences or so. He definitely could swear like a sailor.
  
  [SPOILERS: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW LEGENDARIES OF KITAKAMI?!] by LocalEGirl
  
  As per the title. I was pleasantly surprised by how things were handled regarding the Legendaries this time. What about you guys?
  
  Comments
  
  GitGud
  
  I was honestly, genuinely surprised that we didn't get cucked this time. I thought when John said hello to us that it was fucking OVER, that we would never get our hands on a Legendary.
  
  Turns out, that's not true. I guess the man is losing his edge.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Yeah, but he has a Regigigas already. Even with a 'Legendary' of our own, he still flexes on you.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  Actually, I think it's decently consistent with the behaviour John (and the Leagues, since I'm sure he's acting on their behalf) has shown. What do we know about John? He's a man that ALWAYS intervenes whenever someone threatens the status quo with unnatural means - whether that be criminal groups or otherwise.
  
  So he ALWAYS stops you if you try to get your hands on a Legendary, because Legendaries are too powerful to be commanded and are unstoppable beings of destruction. And let's face it - the 'Legendaries' of Kitakami are nowhere near that level. Like, just think back to the N and Zekrom and how destructive those were. The Legendaries of Kitakami are so much weaker in comparison.
  
  BackseatGamer
  
  Well reasoned - I agree with that analysis. I think that John would have intervened had the Legendaries of Kitakami been stronger, but they're probably just as strong as a Champion's Ace or something. Maybe not even that. So nothing that would completely break the status quo or threaten the regions that John so preciously holds up.
  
  And I don't know if it's just me, but I'm actually fine that we got 'Legendaries' that weren't super powerful gods or whatever. I liked their backstories enough, and they at least have their own unique traits that make them stand out from regular Pokémon. Ogerpon-Wellspring superiority, by the way.
  
  GitGud
  
  All other choices besides Teal Mask Ogerpon are just wrong. Accept that fact or weep at your own delusions.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  That opinion is so wrong it's almost comical. Ogerpon-Hearthflame is easily the best one. It's not even close - its attacking potential is just so much better than the others.
  
  MadCuzBad
  
  Anyone a fan of Ogerpon-Cornerstone?
  
  GitGud
  
  Hell no. Get out of here with that idiotic opinion.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  Normally, I'd say that was too harsh. But agreed. Huge L take.
  
  [TOPIC: WAIT, THE FINAL BOSS OF KITAKAMI IS INSANE!] by MadCuzBad
  
  No spoilers as per forum rules, but if you know you know. What the FUCK is that boss?! I love it though! So unique!
  
  Comments
  
  GitGud
  
  Git gud.
  
  BUT - agreed on the boss. Very unique, and I didn't think that the Pokémon company would do something like this.
  
  LocalEGirl
  
  I just reached that section! AND I AGREE ITS SO DIFFICULT! BUT yeah, pretty unique spin on things. Honestly, the whole Kitakami DLC has been pretty unique so far with its fights, and this was no different.
  
  SpeedRunner
  
  IMO the other fight was better, but that's just a subjective preference. I'm glad they actually showed the impact of fighting against a Legendary though.
  
  A.N. Had a moment of inspiration, so I ended up writing this up. As always, don't take this too seriously - this is just me exploring a few ideas I had. And don't take this as an outline of the events to come, or maybe it will? Still, hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 19-7
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-7 - The Festival of Masks
  
  Time flew by as the planning of the Kitakami Festival was underway. And for once, I was thankful for the down time, as I had definitely had enough fill of excitement. I was just happy to spend most of my time training up my Pokémon, and/or helping Ash and Gary (my new students) to train up as well.
  
  Ash had actually visited Sinnoh during this time, escorted by Delia. It was his first time doing so, so I gave him a quick tour around the region. I mostly focused on showing him around the main cities and introduced him to all of the Gyms that we had, as that was what was most interesting for him.
  
  And as expected, practically all of his questions revolved around whether a certain Gym was stronger than a certain Gym back at Indigo.
  
  Honestly, it was a pretty interesting question to think about. Besides a few Gyms that I was more familiar with, I hadn't really thought about whether the Sinnoh Gyms as a whole were on average stronger than the Gyms back in Kanto. Assuming you excluded any Gyms that were run by former Elite Four or Champions, since that would be unfair.
  
  So, on the one hand, Sinnoh had Volkner - the strongest Gym Leader in the world. Not even the likes of Clay, Giovanni, or Clair were seen to be stronger than him. That wasn't to say they couldn't win against him, and Clay and Giovanni especially had a big Type advantage over him, but on average they saw Volkner as being a more powerful Gym Leader than those three.
  
  But on the other hand, the earlier Gym Leaders of Kanto were definitely stronger than their Sinnoh counterparts. For example, I was completely certain that Brock, the Waterflower sisters, and Surge were stronger than Roark, Gardenia, and Maylene respectively.
  
  Therefore, it was just the middle of the pack that was a little harder to judge. Between Crasher Wake, Fantina, Byron, and Candice for Sinnoh, against Erika, Janine, Samson, and Dorothy for Kanto - it was really hard to tell who was stronger overall.
  
  Personally, and this was the answer I gave Ash, I would say that the Sinnoh contingent was stronger on average. Or in other words, their strength was more consistent.
  
  The Kanto Gym Leaders, especially Janine and Dorothy, often relied on tricks and deceit to secure an advantage against an opponent. But if they failed to do so, then their Pokémon were typically not as strong as opponents of the same calibre. However, the Sinnoh Gym Leaders were more straightforward with their strength - they were just stronger than you and used less fancy tricks overall (besides Fantina).
  
  It was then that I had a small realisation. The Kanto Gym Leaders, more often than not, were more tricky and deceitful than their Sinnoh counterparts. Among them, Brock, Erika, Janine, Samson, and Dorothy all fought in non-traditional manners. But among the Sinnoh group, only Fantina could say the same.
  
  When I said as much to Ash, he looked pretty enlightened by that answer.
  
  "So different fighting styles might fare better in different regions?" He asked.
  
  "Of course." I replied, "And that's a thing you're going to have to come to accept as you grow as a trainer. Sometimes, to no fault of your own, you're just going to be at a disadvantage because of your choice of Pokémon. There's nothing you can do about it. Even as a generalist, you will one day have to fight an opponent that you won't match up well against. All you can do in that scenario is to suck it up and take extra time to plan out the battle."
  
  "Planning wins fights." He nodded, repeating the mantra I had done my best to instil in him over the course of our training sessions.
  
  It was the one big thing that I wanted to drill into his head. A lot of times, the battle was won or lost in the first instance of the fight, when you choose which Pokémon you send out - as demonstrated in so many of my previous battles.
  
  Obviously, Ash knew that intellectually but knowing that you needed to prepare and getting into the habit of actually doing so were two different things entirely. That's why I wanted to make sure that Ash would get into that habit as early as possible, and I was also teaching him how to take good notes and how to keep them organised.
  
  Honestly, I felt like an academic tutor at times. But it was fun, and I couldn't deny being happy and proud when I saw Ash's progress.
  
  I also came to learn that while Ash was not the smartest tool in the shed (he wasn't dumb, but he wasn't the type that liked to study), he was extremely passionate about Pokémon battling. So as long as I couched any lessons as being related to becoming a better trainer, he would take to it like a Psyduck to water.
  
  Of course, I wasn't the only one training up a new student. Cynthia had hinted to me that she was interested in finding a student for herself, as she had been inspired by my own efforts, and she had recently found someone that caught her eye.
  
  She didn't tell me who it was, no matter how much I tried to pry it out of her.
  
  Oh well, I'll probably find out later. I just knew that, whoever it was, they couldn't be just some ordinary talent. If they managed to catch her eye, they must be someone that would definitely grow into a very powerful trainer in the future.
  
  I looked forward to finding out who that was.
  
  However, it wasn't just my personal life that had their own developments, as the world continued to spin as time went on.
  
  On the scientific front, another Mega Stone had been found after both the Absolite and Glalilite - the Gardevoirite. Much like the other Mega Stones that had been found recently, this stone hadn't been found by some prominent Psychic specialist like Samson or Will, but rather just some random trainer that accidentally stumbled across it while they were submitting random stones that they had picked up to the League.
  
  In this case, the Gardevoirite had been found in Verdanturf. And the trainer that found it, a woman named Sherrel, had been skyrocketed to international fame overnight.
  
  It was just completely tragic that she wasn't even a trainer to begin with. She literally only had her starter Pokémon - one that just helped her out with the household chores and was more of a 'pet' than teammate. So because of that, she didn't have any use for the Gardevoirite.
  
  And as she had no family members to really pass this on to, she made the decision to sell the Gardevoirite. It was the first time anyone had placed a Mega Stone on the open market like that, and one of the bigger auction houses in Hoenn freely offered their services to host the auction for the first-ever Mega Stone to be put on sale.
  
  Obviously, such a sale immediately became front page news on basically every newspaper and article, with many expressing their interest to become a potential buyer - even though the starting price for the Mega Stone was enough to buy an entire house outright. And that was just the starting price - the final bid price was likely going to be multiple times higher than that.
  
  People got even more excited when Steven announced that he wouldn't be participating in the auction, since that meant that the others had more of a chance to win.
  
  Cynthia did off-handedly ask during dinner one day if I had any interest in participating in the auction, to which I said:
  
  "Absolutely not." I shook my head, "I've better things to do than to throw away money like that. Besides, no matter how well-off I am now, that's still way out of my price range. Why? Were you considering participating?"
  
  "No, I was just curious about what your thoughts were on this. I'm already satisfied with the Garchompite, so I don't need another Mega Stone." She explained, "Especially not one for a Pokémon I don't have."
  
  "...Although, aren't you friends with other Psychic specialists like Samson and Will?" She continued, "Did they say they would participate? I know Lucian's going to be participating remotely, but only to scout out the competition. He doesn't realistically think he can get his hands on it."
  
  "Samson's not bothering with it at all." I replied, "But I think Will's in the same boat as Lucian. He's definitely interested in it, but I doubt he could match some of the wealthier bidders."
  
  Will was wealthy. However, while he styled himself as a businessman, he didn't actually own any businesses himself. Instead, most of that wealth came from his investments and connections to other wealthy individuals who WERE actually running their own businesses - people like Steven Stone. So in reality, there was a big gap in wealth between himself and those other businessmen. Meaning that he wouldn't realistically be able to afford the Mega Stone.
  
  Speaking of Pokémon though, the developments with the Mega Stone were far from the only thing that had happened, as Cynthia had recently acquired two more Pokémon for herself.
  
  She had gotten herself a Gothita and a Darumaka.
  
  It was following one of our discussions that we had as we watched TV together. She said that with her Kleavor becoming strong enough to enter her main team, she needed more Pokémon to train up. And she was especially interested in training up Pokémon from Unova, as she had yet to do so.
  
  Therefore, after discussing it over with me to glean my thoughts, she decided to get two Pokémon that would fill in the current gaps in her team, as she lacked both a Psychic and Fire type.
  
  There was actually a little bit of debate over which Psychic type from Unova she wanted to get. She had some difficulty deciding between Gothitelle and Reuniclus, as they were both very similar Pokémon. They were both defensively inclined Psychic types with a large arsenal of support moves, but while Reuniclus was much better in Trick Room and had Magic Guard, I insisted that Gothitelle would be the better choice.
  
  This was purely because of its Shadow Tag ability combined with Gothitelle's ability to learn Mirror Coat, Taunt, Torment, and Hypnosis.
  
  This combination of moves were incredibly deadly and extremely difficult to fight around. Shadow Tag meant that the moment Gothitelle entered the battle, any non-Ghost type would instantly be forced to stay in and fight. When that happened, if that Pokémon was a Special Attacker, then they would have their attacks countered and reflected back into them thanks to Mirror Coat. And they would be 'encouraged' to attack thanks to moves like Taunt and Torment.
  
  Alternatively, if the opposing Pokémon refused to attack, then they could be put to sleep with a Hypnosis. This would allow Gothitelle to begin setting up with Nasty Plots. Or in 2v2 battles, then Gothitelle could be an extreme nuisance by not only making use of the aforementioned moves, but it could also severely disrupt opponents with Skill Swap or Ally Switch.
  
  In the end, Cynthia agreed with me that Gothitelle was the better choice, since it was an incredibly powerful support Pokémon that she desperately needed, which would give her a Pokémon that would finally open up some more options for her in battle when it came to enabling her other battlers in a fight. Or it could serve as a trap card for very specific opponents.
  
  The other Pokémon she had gotten was her new Darumaka, where she was trying to train it up so that it could master the ability Zen Mode and switch forms mid-battle. If it could master that, that would allow it to switch forms and become a Physical/Special Attacker at will, allowing it to fight with two completely different fighting styles.
  
  Honestly, it was pretty ambitious of her, and I doubted that it would be easy. Usually, once a Darmanitan was injured enough, it would automatically switch forms and would stay in its Zen Form until the end of the battle. This would transform Darmanitan from a relatively speedy and incredibly hard-hitting physical attacker to a slow, but bulky and equally as hard-hitting Special Attacker.
  
  Right now, this was a pretty difficult to utilise niche, which was why Darmanitan were not really seen at higher levels of fighting. And if they were, they mostly ran their other ability - Sheer Force - since that was more straightforward and easier to make use of. Its Zen Mode ability was actually seen more as a liability than as an aid, since switching forms once it was injured was crippling in a close-range fight, which a Darmanitan often found itself involved in.
  
  However, I knew that with Cynthia, things could be different. I knew that if there was anyone that could show off the effectiveness and power of the Zen Mode ability, it would be her.
  
  Because who else could it be?
  
  So, naturally, I had full faith in her to be able to accomplish this, and I said as much to her. And once she did, I was certain that her Darmanitan would easily be one of the most powerful Pokémon in her roster thanks to its incredible offensive power, both physically and specially.
  
  Especially since Darmanitan also had access to a decent range of support moves too like Taunt, Encore, and Yawn, while also having great setup moves like Belly Drum and Work Up. In other words, a properly trained Darmanitan under Cynthia would definitely prove to be a very versatile threat.
  
  Seeing her begin to train up her own Pokémon had me pumped to do the same with Sona and Tails. Obviously, I still trained with them regularly, just like I do with my other Pokémon, but now that they had 'rivals' of their own, I wanted to make sure that they would surpass Cynthia's new Pokémon.
  
  And I knew she felt the same way. We were both competitive like that.
  
  Therefore, with Tails especially, I wanted her to get ready for her impending evolution. Right now, she was still a Minccino. But with all of the training that she had gone through, she was more than ready to evolve into a Cinccino. It was just a matter of when.
  
  She had already mastered all of the fundamentals that I had taught her. Not only had she gotten good at making use of support moves like Helping Hand, Encore, Charm, Sing, Mud Slap, and Thunder Wave, she had also become sufficiently proficient at making use of multi-hit moves like Tail Slap and Bullet Seed.
  
  Currently, we were in the process of training up Baton Pass and Triple Axel. And Tails and I verbally agreed that she would evolve once she had mastered those moves.
  
  Unlike Winston, she cared not about when she evolved. She was not as prideful and was just happy to contribute and get stronger.
  
  Nevertheless, with all of that out of the way, it was time for the main event. The Festival of Masks was finally underway, and as one of the guests of honour, it was time for Cynthia and I to make a trip to Kitakami to view the festivities for ourselves.
  
  So we flew over on our respective mounts before landing in a designated arrival spot that was just a small distance away from Mossui Town. And I immediately noticed just how much had changed with Kitakami in preparation for this event.
  
  Before, Mossui Town looked a little rundown and empty. Even though it was the only village in Kitakami, it had always looked quite barren and hardly lived in.
  
  That was all different now. While Mossui Town itself didn't really get a makeover, the surroundings definitely did. A large swathe of land had been transformed into a sea of shops and stalls, all of them selling all kinds of different knick-knacks or foods. The smoke from the many kitchens wafted into the air, scenting the air with the smells of grilled delicacies.
  
  Meanwhile, the sounds of Pokémon and trainers from all walks of life, many of them wearing very recognisable masks on their face, resonated throughout the entire place. It was noisy and chaotic, but in a good way. Like a festival should be.
  
  There were two people waiting for us as we arrived, "Champion Cynthia. Protector John. Thank you for making your way here."
  
  "We should be the ones to say that." Cynthia replied, shaking their hands, "I know how hard you've all worked to making the Festival a success. We're honoured to be able to see it through with everyone else."
  
  "We appreciate your words, and for the opportunity you have granted us." One of them replied formally, "We have other events scheduled for later that we cordially invite you to participate in, but for now, please enjoy the atmosphere."
  
  "Thank you, we will." I said, and we did just that, since it had been quite some time since we had last gone on a date together.
  
  One of the first things we did was to buy a mask, because we definitely weren't going to be walking around this festival while undisguised. I bought two pairs of Teal Masks for myself and Cynthia, as I wasn't comfortable wearing the masks for the Loyal Trio, since I knew the truth of their actions.
  
  We allowed ourselves to enjoy the festivities of the moment, blending into the crowd with our arms linked together as if we were one of the many dozens of couples that had come to this Festival. We currently were not the leaders of Sinnoh, but just two couples spending time together just like everyone else.
  
  "Feels like it's been so long since we went out like this." She muttered to me as she leaned against my shoulder, "Normally our dates just consist of dinners together."
  
  "...I'm sorry. Maybe I'll try to organise more things we can do as a couple." I replied.
  
  "No, it's not your fault. We're both busy. Besides, the dinners themselves are something I always look forward to." She said, "But it's nice to be able to walk around like this with you, with nothing to worry about but each other."
  
  I gently squeezed her hand, "Same."
  
  We continued walking about like that, just taking in the sights for a moment, before Cynthia suddenly pointed towards one of the stalls, "Hey John, remember when we went fishing in Ecruteak?"
  
  I chuckled, "Yeah, and we were both horrible at it. Why? Do you want to try it again?"
  
  She nodded, "Surely we couldn't be any worse than before. Not after everything we've been through."
  
  I gave her a strange look, "And tell me how does fighting against two Legendaries make us better at fishing...? I'm pretty sure there aren't any transferrable skills there, unless you want me to ask Regigigas to help out with the fishing. Though I'm pretty sure it'd suck too." I chuckled, "Just imagine the Legendary Titan trying to hold a comically small fishing rod in its hands. It'd look so ridiculous."
  
  She snorted, "...Now that's a cursed image. But enough stalling, let's go now while there's still no line."
  
  So that's what we did. We paid the money, got a few Old Rods, and began to do some fishing. And even with the fixed conditions that we were in, we still sucked.
  
  We were terrible at putting the bait on the hook, and we were equally terrible at throwing the Rod into the water. So while we did catch a few things, our performance was as lacklustre as we expected.
  
  Fishing up Pokémon was a serious test of your own strength. The Fishing Rods you got helped a little bit, but even when fishing up 'weak' Pokémon like Magikarp, Finneon, or Mantyke, those Pokémon could really pull hard.
  
  That being said, I did suspect that this fishing game was a lot harder than what you would see in the stalls back on the mainland. For one, we were fishing actual wild Pokémon - Pokémon that, until recently, had been fighting for their lives in the natural laws of the jungle. Therefore, they were much stronger and fiercer than the mostly domesticated Pokémon back at home.
  
  To make matters worse, Drake ended up showing up as he was patrolling the event. He immediately realised who we were, though he didn't expose us, but I was pretty sure he winced and cringed every time we tried throwing the rod into the water. So that was embarrassing.
  
  After that, both Cynthia and I vowed that if there were any fishing-related events in the future, whether official or otherwise, we would sit out of it in order to preserve our reputations.
  
  "I still caught more than you though." She teased as she stuck out her tongue.
  
  "Okay, that's a load of crap. Your side of the pond had way more things to catch than mine did!" I pointed out, "You had a way easier time than me."
  
  She giggled, "Aww... is someone mad that they lost? It's not like you to be a sore loser."
  
  "I'll see if you can stay so smug after you lose the next one." I replied, before pointing at another stall, "We're doing that one."
  
  She turned to see what I was pointing at, before rolling her eyes once she did, "...Really? Poffin making. That's what you want to be doing? You do realise that I'm the better cook between us."
  
  "Yeah right, you and I hardly cook at all. Since when was the last time either of us actually made use of our kitchen to actually cook something that couldn't be prepared in around half an hour?" I asked rhetorically, "You and I live entirely off of takeout."
  
  "...We should probably stop eating so much of that." She muttered.
  
  "True. But unless you want to start doing meal prep, we're out of options." I pointed out.
  
  "I mean, we could. We generally have more free time over the weekends. Want to make that a thing to do together?" She asked hopefully.
  
  "Sure." I smiled easily, which she returned, before it turned competitive, "But enough of that. I'm going to win this one."
  
  She scoffed, "You wish."
  
  The activity was actually berry-picking AND poffin-making at the same time, and you were expected to participate with your Pokémon. For the berry-picking, instead of doing it all by yourself, you had your partner Pokémon to assist you in collecting all of the berries under timed conditions. Then once that was done, you could make use of a few of the berries to make your own poffins, which of course you could share with said Pokémon.
  
  It was a pretty simple game, and the only goal was to set the best time. But it had been a long time since we played around with our Pokémon like this in public, so Cynthia and I sent our weaker Pokémon (as sending out anything greater than that would be complete overkill) with her new Gothita and my Tails that we played around with.
  
  Fortunately, our Pokémon were common enough that no one recognised us from their presence.
  
  In the end, I ended up picking more berries than Cynthia, as I was a bit more athletic than she was, but I ended up fucking up the poffin-making process and mine came out slightly burned.
  
  So even though I had more ingredients to work with, since I fucked up my poffin, she ended up winning again.
  
  She definitely rubbed that victory in.
  
  After that failure (on my end), we decided to take a quick rest as we went to get some drinks and find a place to sit down. We still had a little bit of time before the main events started, which we would need to be there in person, and so we decided to take a little breather to regain some of our energy.
  
  But as we both were browsing our phones, an amused snort came out of Cynthia.
  
  "Something funny?" I asked her.
  
  "Something like that." She replied amusedly, "Just got a text from a... former acquaintance of mine. I honestly didn't think he would be reaching out to me again."
  
  "Who? And what about?" I asked.
  
  "His name's Darach. I'm not sure if you remember him - he's one of the candidates I had in mind to become a Frontier Brain, but he declined the position due to him having prior commitments. He said he wanted to fulfil his dreams of becoming a butler, so I respected that choice and sent him on his way." She explained, and I nodded to showed that I remembered, "But, coincidentally, he's apparently here at the Festival with his new charge. He told me that his charge had found out that we were here and wanted to meet me, and asked if that would be okay."
  
  "Sure, I don't have a problem with that if you don't." I replied. I greatly suspected that his 'charge' was someone that I was very familiar with - Caitlin, though I obviously didn't say that out loud, "Did he say why?"
  
  "No clue." She shrugged, "But he's waiting for us near one of the stalls near where we landed. So let's go see what they want."
  
  And we did just that. Honestly, I was pretty excited about this.
  
  If the person we were about to meet really was Caitlin, then I was really interested in speaking with her and getting to know more about her. As we walked, the political side of my brain was running a mile a minute as I prepared what to say to her.
  
  Caitlin was someone who had the potential to become a member of the Unova Elite Four. She wasn't one yet, but considering that she made it there in canon and kept that position, it was definitely only a matter of time before she made it in.
  
  And the ambitious part of myself wanted to make sure she viewed us favourably before that. After all, influence was always important to have.
  
  A.N. A slower catch-up chapter this time around as we go through a quick timeskip. The Festival will be the main event for the next few chapters, but I didn't want to rush into it without describing the things that had happened in the background. I hope you enjoyed the new Pokémon choices that I selected for Cynthia; I only felt that it made sense for her and I tried to pick out Pokémon that were more 'unique' than the rest. And I also wanted this chapter to serve as another mini 'date' chapter between John and Cynthia, since its been some since the last one.
  
  And yes, I am about to have John meet Caitlin. And as John has already described in-chapter, he has his own plans for her already. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-8
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-8 - A Festive Meeting
  
  It didn't take long for us to head to the meeting area where Darach was waiting for us, and as soon as we got there, a small smile formed on my face as I immediately recognised the other person that was there.
  
  Caitlin stood there, her arms crossed together as Darach held up a parasol for her that shielded her from the sun.
  
  With her pure white outfit that stood out heavily from the green wilderness surrounding her, and eyes that looked filled with boredom and impatience, she looked every bit like a sheltered noble lady that was accompanied by her dutiful butler.
  
  Seeing her like that caused an errant thought to spring to mind, as I realised that I didn't know anything about Caitlin. Of course, I knew of her potential to become one of the greatest Psychic specialists in the world, but aside from her talents as a trainer, I knew nothing else about her.
  
  Considering the way she dressed and acted, and the fact that she had a personal butler, I greatly suspected that she had a more-than-wealthy background. But was that from her family? Or did she earn her way to wealth through her own actions?
  
  As we approached, I supposed we were about to find out.
  
  "Ah, our guests of honour." Darach greeted us first with a polite smile on his face, "Cynthia, John, thank you so much for accepting our invitation. We are very fortunate for your company."
  
  "It's not a problem, Darach." Cynthia replied, "And I hope you've come to enjoy your new duties as a butler."
  
  "He is serving me, so of course he is." Caitlin harrumphed as she extended out a hand to both of us, "Champion, Protector, it is a pleasure to meet the both of you. Although I would have preferred to have met in a more... proper environment, I suppose this would have to do."
  
  "What she means to say is that she has been very eager to meet you, but couldn't find the confidence to do so." Darach added dutifully, "It was only because of my insistence, and a little bit of coincidence, that we got to meet today. She was very happy when she had heard you would be coming over."
  
  "Darach! That is untrue!" Caitlin whirled her head to her butler, "I was just trying to say that a meeting between such important individuals should be done in more luxurious circumstances. Meeting in the middle of a crowded field like this is not how things should be done. Not for people of our positions."
  
  "And what my lady is trying to say is that she is unused to being outside and would feel much more comfortable if she was indoors." Darach explained with a smile, "She is a... sheltered individual."
  
  "I am not!" Caitlin fired back, "Please do not make up such lies about me in front of the two greatest people in Sinnoh. I may allow you to run your mouth, but you are currently tarnishing my reputation."
  
  She turned to us, "Please, push all of what my impudent butler has just said out of your mind. He says the most random things at times. He hasn't been fully trained up yet."
  
  "If you say so, my lady." Darach cut in smoothly, as if he hadn't heard what Caitlin just said, "Now, before we go off on any more of a tangent, shall we head over to a nearby stall? Surely it would be more comfortable than standing up."
  
  I was too busy being amused by the back-and-forth between Caitlin and Darach, so Cynthia had to nod for me.
  
  But, as we were walking, I couldn't hold it back any longer and I allowed a short laugh to escape me.
  
  "You guys are too funny." I said with a chuckle, very much amused with their antics, "I didn't know butlers were allowed to expose their lady's secrets like that."
  
  It had become very clear that their relationship was not a typical one - it was definitely not as simple as a butler and his master. Caitlin might seem like the latter, but from their interactions just now, it was very clear that their relationship was more equal than I first thought.
  
  And Caitlin confirmed it seconds later, "Hmph. He is impudent, but I suppose that this is the privilege of someone that deserves to stand next to me. After all, he has a storied history of competence, and he has lent his assistance to my august self on more than one occasion. I suppose it is only right that he gets to express his own thoughts."
  
  "We did not get along very well to begin with." Darach admitted, "It might be unorthodox, but after I proved my strength to her with a battle, she began to treat me with much more warmth."
  
  "It was only because I saw for myself that you weren't a mere sycophant looking to ride on my coattails." Caitlin said, "I saw that you had attached yourself to me not because you wanted to benefit off of me and wealth and abilities, but because you wanted to serve. I respected that and gave you the respect you deserved."
  
  "So as you can see, we don't have the most normal of relationships." Darach continued on smoothly, "But I do hope we aren't making any kind of bad impression because of this."
  
  "Oh, believe me, that is far from the case." Cynthia replied, "If anything, seeing the bond between the two of you is refreshing. You are far from the only wealthy person that I've met, and I can promise you that some of them... they think they are owed the world simply because they were born to the right parents."
  
  "Ah." Darach nodded slowly, "I think I know exactly what you are referring to. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, my lady's personal circumstances have always made her... different, to the rest of her peers. Which I have had the unfortunate pleasure of having to interact with."
  
  "Of course I would be." Caitlin flicked her hair back, "Being born a talented Psychic would naturally separate me from the rest of the common chaff. My talents are not something money can buy."
  
  "Wait, so what is it that you can actually do?" I asked, "My sister is best friends with Sabrina, and she's already a very talented Psychic. How do you differ from what she can do?"
  
  "Well, I do not know what your friend is capable of, but often times when people find out I am psychically gifted they automatically assume that I can accomplish anything with my mind - that is simply not true." She explained, "I have some basic telekinesis, and I do have the ability to read the surface thoughts of others, but this never applies to any competent trainer. Their bond with their Pokémon protects them, and no matter how talented I may be, a Psychic Pokémon could easily do everything I can but better."
  
  "However, her natural psychic talents makes her have an extremely high affinity with Psychic type Pokémon." Darach said, "To the point where I would consider her to the one of the pre-eminent Psychic specialists in the world."
  
  That was the perfect segue for me, as it was her talents as a trainer that I specifically wanted to focus on, "How strong is she?"
  
  "Very capable." Darach replied, "I was actually-"
  
  "Excuse me, but I think I can talk about myself, thank you very much." Caitlin quickly interrupted him, as she cleared her throat with a 'A-hem' before continuing, "Although I was never in the public eye, I can assure you that I am a most capable trainer. In fact, I would not consider it to be an exaggeration to say, ever since I filled out my full team, that I have been undefeated in my time as a Psychic trainer."
  
  Of course, neither Cynthia and I took that at face value, "But what kind of opponents have you faced off against? If you're undefeated back in Unova, surely the public would know about you?"
  
  "That's because they do not understand enough to appreciate my talents-"
  
  "What she means," This time it was Darach's turn to cut off his master, "Is that many of her opponents were specifically invited to fight her in a private battle. Admittedly, these opponents have not been paid to lose against her - quite the opposite, they were paid to give her a real challenge, and they were even incentivised to try and win with a prize for any victories. Furthermore, all of these trainers were respected and skilled Ace trainers that had a proven history of Conference successes. In that respect, my lady has triumphed over all of them without a single loss. And she fights me to an even level."
  
  That last part was saying a lot, considering that Darach was strong enough to become a Frontier Brain.
  
  "But if she's only fighting Ace trainers in private battles, that means she hasn't really fought against the Gym Leaders or Elite Four." I pointed out.
  
  "Yes, that is exactly right." Darach confirmed, getting a pout from Caitlin, "She won't ever admit it, but she's a little too sheltered to reach out for those kinds of battles. But I've been slowly encouraging her to leave her shell, and that's why we're on this trip to Sinnoh."
  
  "You said that it was for a vacation." Caitlin argued, "That's the only reason why I agreed."
  
  "I lied for your sake, my lady." Darach replied smoothly, completely unashamed at what he had done, "It was the only way you would come. And you weren't unhappy when I revealed my deception to you anyways, so I suspect you were also in agreement as well."
  
  "Be quiet." Caitlin quickly shushed him, "I think you've mouthed off enough for one day. I hope you're happy after thoroughly embarrassing me in front of the Champion and the Protector. They probably think less of me now because of you."
  
  "We don't mind at all." I chuckled, before changing the topic so that I could ask the question I've been meaning to ask for a while now, "So actually, why did you ask to see us? I assume you had a reason other than just wanting to say hi."
  
  "Yes, that's correct." Darach nodded, "We actually came to ask you personally, Champion Cynthia, if there was any availability in the Battle Frontier. Not as a Frontier Brain - I know that my lady is not qualified enough for that - but as one of their employed trainers. I believe that would give my lady plenty of experience with battling against many different trainers."
  
  My eyes widened slightly. I was surprised at that request - I would have thought that they were about to request something else.
  
  Cynthia must have felt the same, as she shot them a curious look, "Is that all? You know you could have applied directly to the Battle Frontier. If you applied based on your own merits, I'm sure you would have gotten in anyways - if Caitlin is as talented as you say she is."
  
  "We agree." Darach nodded again, "But, if we could be fully transparent with our intentions for a moment, we were just looking to make a connection with you."
  
  "I have great aspirations and ambitions." Caitlin continued, "But I recognised that I was lacking in the right connections to assist with those aspirations. Currently, my political sphere contains only of wealthy sycophants that only provide lip-service to me in order to further their own interests. I do not have any solid allies, and I am looking to change that. So when Darach said that he knew you, and that you were coincidentally going to be at the same Festival that we were attending, we both realised that it would be best if we reached out and ask you for this favour."
  
  I nodded, understanding their logic. In other words, while they could easily have gotten into the Battle Frontier by themselves, they deliberately wanted to owe Cynthia a favour so that a connection would be built between us.
  
  And I didn't begrudge them for making use of a connection like this - everyone did so, and at least they were very upfront about it.
  
  Cynthia agreed too, as she also nodded, "I've no problem with that. I always regretted that we couldn't get Darach as a Frontier Brain, so I'll put a word in for you. But you'll have to work your way up the ranks yourself."
  
  "That would be most appreciated." Caitlin replied formally, giving us both a small bow, "Of course, if you ever need any assistance with anything related to Unova, please do not hesitate to give us a call. My family may not be able to rival the wealth of your Mr. Stone, but we are no less affluent."
  
  "Old money?" I asked.
  
  "Very." Darach was the one to reply, "They're practically nobility, if that still existed."
  
  Ah. That said a lot then. Well, that probably explained a good portion of why Caitlin was able to remain in the Elite Four for so long. If she was truly from such a powerful and affluent family, then their influence alone would be enough to support her continued time in the Elite Four.
  
  ...Which made her all the more enticing to get to know better and form a connection with. Caitlin and Darach were not the only ones making political calculations, as Cynthia and I were too.
  
  Today was a pretty good start, but I really hoped we could foster this connection into something more. And seeing the familiar gleam in Cynthia's eyes as she gave me a quick look, I knew she was feeling the same way.
  
  Despite this small detour, we eventually had to split off from Caitlin and Darach as it was time for the Festival to begin in earnest.
  
  The first big event that was to be hosted was the marathon, which also doubled as a hike. We would be running (or more likely, jogging) up Oni Mountain. We could be accompanied by our Pokémon, but ONLY if doing so wouldn't give us any kind of physical advantage.
  
  It wasn't really a race, but it was still a test of one's endurance.
  
  We were going to be running up the entirety of Oni Mountain, all the way up until we reached the summit. And that wasn't all, as many small mini-games were setup throughout the entire course that we had to complete before we could make it up to the top.
  
  This was all done to showcase the natural beauty of Kitakami, as the entire thing was going to be broadcasted to the rest of the world. Naturally, as Cynthia and I were the most famous people here, we would be the heavy focus of the broadcast.
  
  Unsurprisingly, many people wanted to see us in action. But we weren't the only ones doing this. A small distance away, I spotted both Thorton, Archer, Dahlia, and Palmer participating too, alongside Flint, Volkner, and many other prominent trainers.
  
  I remembered that the organisers wanted all of us to run together in one large group, but that was deemed logistically impossible. Everyone ran at their own pace, and it wouldn't be convenient for some people to have to slow down to wait for the others. Besides, there was truly too many people here participating in this marathon, so that wouldn't be feasible either. Instead, everyone just gathered into small groups.
  
  Despite the heavy focus on televising this event, I didn't think too much about it. I was just really here to have fun, and maybe have the people laugh at my expense when they see me physically struggle.
  
  Because that was exactly what happened. The entire marathon was scheduled to take several hours to complete, and by the end of the first hour, I was dying, and so was Cynthia.
  
  We were both physically fit - being a trainer helped a lot with that, but I came to learn very quickly that there was a massive difference between being fit and being able to jog up a mountain. Especially one as steep as Oni Mountain.
  
  I had personally, never, jogged up Mt. Silver or Mt. Coronet. Every time I've had to traverse through either of those locations, I was assisted by my Pokémon. And both of those mountains had some built-in infrastructure to help with ascending or descending the mountain.
  
  Oni Mountain had none of that. The organisers didn't build anything that would make things easier for us. It was just a truly gruelling experience all around. It didn't help that the sun was out in force, making the whole place just unnecessarily hot.
  
  So by the time we reached the second checkpoint, both of our faces were drenched with sweat, and exhaustion plagued our bodies. The normally photogenetic form of Cynthia was completely gone, replaced with a shambling and panting mess of a person that was visibly struggling to maintain their pace. And I was not any better.
  
  However, despite our exhaustion-laden forms, we were still doing pretty well all things considered, and we were definitely near the front of the pack. At the very front were the locals, the ones that had done this hike up Oni Mountain probably over a thousand times in their life. They were barely even sweating as they lightly jogged ahead of us.
  
  Though the mini-games and water breaks definitely helped with recovering our stamina.
  
  "...I'm already dreading tomorrow's papers." Cynthia said to me as we both chugged down our drinks, "I can't wait to see what kind of unflattering photos show up there."
  
  "I still think you look good, though." I chimed in cheekily.
  
  She snorted, "Nice try, but I won't accept that right now. I know I look like a right mess, and I can't wait to see my exhausted face all over tomorrow's headlines."
  
  "Well if it's any consolation I'll be right there next to you." I said, "So they'll laugh at the both of us together."
  
  She smiled, more amused than tired, "True."
  
  And as the hike went on, I started to get used to the exhaustion, and things started to feel easier. My legs were probably going to be sore for the next week when this was all done, but I couldn't deny that this was at least a unique and enjoyable experience, and I just spent the time chatting with my fiancé as we helped each other push through the marathon.
  
  So even though we were both tired, it was a very enjoyable time for the both of us. So as we chatted, joked, and laughed together, the sounds of the rest of the runners and the cheering of the crowd faded away into the background, and it just became the two of us as we jogged alongside each other.
  
  Which is why I was completely taken aback when a loud and sharp whistle pierced through the air.
  
  "IF EVERYONE CAN HOLD YOUR POSITIONS FOR JUST A MOMENT! WE'RE PUTTING THE MARATHON ON HOLD WHILE WE DEAL WITH AN UNEXPECTED INTRUSION OF A WILD POKÉMON!" One of the nearby Jennys shouted out, "PLEASE BEAR WITH US! THE SITUATION WILL BE HANDLED SHORTLY!"
  
  Instantly, as our experience taught us, both Cynthia and I sent out two of our Pokémon each - Klee and Pixel for me, and Lucario and Togekiss for her.
  
  "What's wrong?" Cynthia was immediately in full work mode as she approached the Jenny, "Is the situation handled?"
  
  The Jenny shook her head, "No. Apparently the intruding Pokémon is one we've never seen before, and it broke out of a hole in the mountain that we previously didn't know about, but it isn't hostile. But as per our orders, we paused the marathon just in case to keep everyone safe."
  
  "Good thinking." I replied, "But where is it? We'll help deal with the situation."
  
  The Jenny hesitated for a moment, and I could tell that she was instinctively about to refuse - probably because they had the situation handled - before she remembered who exactly she was talking to and quickly changed her mind, "Of course. If you just head down that way." She pointed in a direction, and we quickly flew off that way.
  
  It didn't take us long to find the source of the commotion, as a large squad of Jennys and Rangers had all surrounded one singular lone Pokémon - which had clearly just broken out of some hole in the wall. It didn't seem immediately hostile, but it was shooting wary looks at all the humans nearby, as if it didn't know what to do with them.
  
  But even at a distance, its distinctly round and green appearance, as well as the teal mask on its head, already told me everything I needed to know about who this was.
  
  Ogerpon had just woken up.
  
  A.N. I know the introduction of Caitlin took up a good portion of this chapter, but since I was introducing a new character so late into this story, I felt like it deserved some screentime so that the new connection feels earned. Initially that section was much shorter, but I didn't like that version because you didn't get to see or know enough about Caitlin. I hope you liked the descriptions.
  
  And yes, Ogerpon is here, as I'm sure many of you have guessed. More things to come in Kitakami! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  In better news, I'm feeling better, and the doctors confirmed that the worst-case scenario has not come to pass. So I just need to focus on recovering. Though I'm still sick, hopefully, that means I'll be more active and able to write for you guys - meaning a return to a 'normal' schedule. Fingers crossed that this is the case!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-8-Interlude-Pokemon
  The New Normal - 19-8 - Interlude - Pokémon
  
  Ogerpon looked around warily at all of these unfamiliar faces - at the humans looking at her with the same wariness and the slightest edge of hostility that still burned in her memories, even after all these years.
  
  They saw her as a threat. She saw it in their eyes, and with the way that they were posturing with their Pokémon. They were ready for a battle.
  
  But she couldn't help but notice that the humans also looked so different to the humans that she remembered that she had met before her isolation. Back then, she still remembered that the humans didn't look like this. They looked less colourful, and they all looked different - unlike the humans she saw in front of her, which all looked the same in blue.
  
  And then there were the Pokémon. Much like the humans, they were beings that she had never seen before. They were unfamiliar, and more importantly, they looked strong.
  
  And despite her strength, she knew that it had been many, many years since she had last fought a battle. Her self-imposed isolation had caused her strength to wane, she knew, and she wasn't certain if her instincts had returned yet.
  
  But she didn't allow any of that rising fear to show on her face. She knew was strong in the past - very strong. She saved the humans from the greedy trio, even if they never appreciated her for it, and that Trio was stronger than any of the individual Pokémon laid out against her.
  
  Yet she didn't want this to turn into a fight. That wasn't the reason why she had broken out of her cave.
  
  As she was slumbering, she had suddenly felt a sudden surge of the presence of humans. She had never felt such a large amount of humans nearby in her entire life, and she had been extremely curious as to why the humans had gathered here.
  
  Did their settlement expand to her cave? If so, then would she have to leave in case she got discovered and was hunted down? Or should she stay put and hope that the humans would leave, knowing that they wouldn't welcome her presence? Or maybe they'd forget who she was and let her stay?
  
  In the end, her curiosity won out, and she decided - for the first time in years - to exit her self-imposed isolation. And immediately after doing so, she found herself surrounded by the very same humans and Pokémon that she was facing off against now.
  
  She wanted to say something. To tell everyone that she was not their enemy - that she came in peace. But her vocal cords, atrophied after having not been used for decades, failed her, and all she managed was a discordant croak.
  
  And immediately, that one action caused the surrounding Pokémon and humans to react with trained vigilance as their Pokémon readied their attacks and prepared their defenses.
  
  She saw it in their eyes. They were going to fight her.
  
  And that hurt her more than she realised. To think that even after all these years, the humans still distrusted her. Even though she had once saved them.
  
  She had hoped, deep in her heart, that they would have forgiven her by now. Or that the truth would come out. But it seemed that there was no such luck for her. And that her destiny was to be alone.
  
  But then, just as she was about to ready herself for a battle, she felt a shift in the air as the presence of a few powerful Pokémon approached her from above. Looking up to the skies, she saw two humans landing down next to her, flanked by those very same Pokémon.
  
  Immediately, she could tell that these were not your ordinary humans. And though her memories might be a little hazy given how long it's been, she knew that she had never seen humans as strong as this. The same applied to their Pokémon, who looked extremely well trained and powerful.
  
  Her instincts immediately warned her that this was likely not a fight she could win.
  
  And yet, despite fearing the worst, their presence suddenly caused the entire atmosphere to shift. The wariness and hostility in the eyes of the Pokémon were instantly subdued as the two humans stepped forwards, and all of the other humans took a step back as they bowed politely to the new arrivals.
  
  That only caused Ogerpon to grow more curious, as she unconsciously stood up straighter. What did they want with them?
  
  They began to speak something, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. Fortunately, their Pokémon translated for her.
  
  "What are your intentions here?" The black and blue Pokémon growled out, "If your intention is to cause harm, then I would suggest you turn around. You will not like the consequences."
  
  "ANALYSIS - NO THREAT DETECTED." The strange-looking pink and blue Pokémon buzzed out, "EYES SHOW WARINESS, BUT NOT HOSTILITY."
  
  "Then we should do the same!" The big pink one giggled merrily, "Lucario, let's not scare the poor thing. This is not something we need Tyrant for."
  
  She was taken aback by the friendliness(?) coming from the Pokémon. Given their strength, she had expected them to act as she knew all strong Pokémon to act - with threats and fierceness. It was what you needed to do if you wanted to survive in the wilds.
  
  So to see them being so friendly with her was... strange, and slightly uncomfortable. She wasn't used to this.
  
  And the pink one must have seen this too, as she stepped closer, her expression joyful and friendly, "Please don't be scared. We don't mean you any harm as long as you don't try to hurt us. We just wanted to know where you came from. Your appearance scared a lot of people, and we're just here to make sure everything's okay."
  
  ...She wanted to believe them, but this sudden act of friendship went against everything she knew about how strong Pokémon were meant to act. A part of her was wary of their falsehoods. But another part of her wanted to believe them - to believe in her dream that the humans hadn't all abandoned her.
  
  In the end, that small, almost extinguished flame of hope won out.
  
  So she stepped forwards slowly, making sure that there were no sudden movements that could be accidentally taken for hostility, and she forced her decayed vocal cords to work once more.
  
  "...Hi." She croaked out, her voice scratchy after years upon years of lack of use, "...I just...woke up and... wanted to see... what was going on... I don't... mean... harm..."
  
  "DECEIT UNLIKELY." The pink and blue one buzzed out once more, its strange eyes scanning over her like it was trying to study her every expression, "NERVOUS AND WARY. BUT NOT HOSTILE."
  
  Meanwhile, the blue and black one just crossed its arms and hung back, though its eyes also never left her, but it allowed the cheerful pink one to keep talking, "Oh! That's great to hear! Though we're sorry that we disturbed your rest, we were doing this big event! I can help escort you to safety if you want."
  
  "...No, it's okay. I'm... strong enough... to take care of myself." She replied slowly, "...Can I... Can I ask what you're doing? What kind of... 'event' is happening? Is that... why there's so many people?"
  
  The pink Pokémon nodded, "Yep yep! It's a big event covering the whole of Kitakami!" She remembered that name, it was where she was right now. How much had changed around here for there to be so many people now? "But how about we take this conversation elsewhere? It's not your fault, but we're disturbing the event right now."
  
  "Oh, okay." She didn't realise her appearance would cause such a commotion. Maybe she should have waited a little longer before exiting the cave? Did she make another mistake again?
  
  Despite her growing self-doubts and criticisms, she slowly followed after the pink Pokémon, not sure about what to do but trusting in her gut that they didn't mean any harm. Meanwhile, many of the other humans and their Pokémon watched them, not with wariness, but with interest and curiosity.
  
  She hoped that would change soon. She longed for the days that the humans would see her as a friend.
  
  A.N. I felt that this was a very important chapter for what's to come. I know I rarely have full chapters (even Interludes) dedicated to a Pokémon's POV, but I felt this was necessary to develop Ogerpon. And I felt that showing her personality straight up is going to be important for later. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-9
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-9 - Ogerpon
  
  I hung back and remained silent as I watched as our Pokémon attempted to communicate with Ogerpon, but it was hard to remain completely calm.
  
  Ogerpon, while nowhere near as powerful as other Legendaries, was still considered to be one. I had no idea how much more powerful it was compared to a regular trained Pokémon, but I was extremely curious to find out if it was stronger than our Pokémon.
  
  And more importantly, I was curious to find out why it had awakened. What had caused it to wake up? I didn't remember the details of its original awakening all that clearly, but this seems far ahead of schedule.
  
  Was it the marathon that woke it up? Did we disturb it by accident?
  
  Fortunately, Ogerpon didn't seem hostile towards us, despite being fully surrounded by trainers and Pokémon that were one sudden move away from attacking. With the benefit of having meta-knowledge, that might have been a poor course of action for the Jennys and Rangers, since there was a very real possibility that Ogerpon might be strong enough to defeat everyone here, but they were just following protocol. So they were blameless.
  
  After a few moments more of back-and-forth between our Pokémon and Ogerpon, it eventually agreed to be escorted away to a less crowded area where we could continue our conversation. Obviously, we followed after it, though not before I asked one of the nearby Jennys to contact the Kitakami locals to come over as soon as possible.
  
  I knew that Ogerpon was a big part of their culture, and they needed to be here for this.
  
  "...The mask looks familiar." Cynthia muttered as we walked, "Does it ring any bells for you? I think you mentioned this before."
  
  "I think this is what the Festival is based on." I said, "This must be the 'Ogre' that the locals always refer to."
  
  She nodded, "I suspected the same when I saw it too. You know that means that this is probably one of the most culturally significant Pokémon in Kitakami, right?"
  
  "I know. So what now?" I asked, "Got any plans?"
  
  "I've not a clue." She shrugged, "We'll see how this plays out. Worst case, we get a fight. Best case, we get a new protector like Regigigas. Did you get the Pokémon's name? It was Ogre... something."
  
  "Ogerpon." I replied.
  
  She snapped her fingers, "That's it. Hopefully Ogerpon will be receptive to us. And I hope the same applies to the locals... I remember Ogerpon not being the most kindly regarded in their legends."
  
  That was true. I really didn't know how the locals would react to Ogerpon. Would they react kindly to it, understanding that the legends were merely just that - legends? Or would they react with hostility, thinking that Ogerpon was the one to 'slay' the Loyal Three? The trio of Pokémon that they currently worshipped.
  
  Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long to find out our answer, as the appearance of a small flock of Staraptor informed us that the locals had arrived. And accompanying them was, surprisingly, Drake himself.
  
  "Why am I not surprised that you had something to do with this John?" Was the first thing Drake said to me.
  
  I raised my hands up in surrender, "Don't blame me, I had nothing to do with this. The Jennys were the ones to inform us that there was something wrong. Cynthia and I were just dying in the marathon."
  
  He chuckled, "I saw that. You looked like you were really struggling there. Haven't seen you so petered out in a while."
  
  "I may have... overestimated my physical stamina." I said, "Anyways, let's get back to the topic at hand." I turned to the locals, "Thanks for coming. I'm sure you understand what we're looking at here."
  
  "We do." One of them said gravely, "We always knew that our legends were based on truth, but to see it with our very own eyes..."
  
  "Has it acted in any way hostile?" Another asked.
  
  "No." I replied, "Our Pokémon were able to begin and hold a conversation with it. It seems relatively friendly, or at least non-harmful."
  
  "Perhaps time has tempered its anger." Another local suggested, though due to how wrong he was, I felt like I had to interrupt.
  
  "It's not displayed any sign of anger or hostility so far. I trust my Pokémon to not mislead me on this." I said, "So I do not think we should approach it with any sort of hostile or unfriendly intentions - we should treat it just like we would with any usual wild Pokémon."
  
  "But it's history-"
  
  "I know." I cut him off, "But that was a long time ago, and those were only legends. You should all know how oral retellings can fade and alter with time, distorting the truth into something unrecognisable. I know you're predisposed of thinking of Ogerpon in a certain way, but let's try to put that aside for the moment."
  
  "Yet-"
  
  "Listen to John." Drake barked out, "I know you're all worried about the 'consequences' and the 'dangers', but we survived fighting against two big FUCKING Legendaries because we followed John's instincts and orders. So if he tells you to play nice, then you fucking play nice. Got it!?"
  
  There was some grumbling from the locals, but they seemed to respect Drake's authority enough as they quieted down. I even heard one of them go, "Yes, master!", which caused Drake to cringe.
  
  I wanted to tease him so bad, and he knew it too. He could see it in my barely concealed smirk. The very idea that someone would call Drake their 'master' was just too funny, especially because I knew how much he hated titles like that.
  
  Alas, this wasn't the time to indulge in my humour, so I swallowed the laugh that threatened to leak out and I refocused myself on the task at hand. Even though I said Ogerpon was mostly harmless, it was a bad idea to underestimate a Pokémon that could potentially go toe-to-toe with a Champion's Pokémon.
  
  Meanwhile, Cynthia was the first to step forwards to Ogerpon, and she kneeled down so that she was eye-level with it.
  
  "Are you able to understand me?" She asked it, with her Pokémon serving as a translator, "We just wanted to let you know again that we mean you no harm."
  
  Ogerpon looked at her warily, but eventually nodded to her words.
  
  Cynthia smiled gently, "That's good. And are you the same Pokémon that once attacked the land of Kitakami all that time ago? Don't worry if you are - we just wanted to learn more about our history. No matter your answer, it won't change how we treat you."
  
  To the surprise of everyone but me, Ogerpon shook its head at that question, and even replied back, "Oger...pon...Oger..."
  
  Lucario translated that back to Cynthia, who nodded, "Ogerpon says that it's not the Pokémon that attacked the village. In fact, she says that there's been a misunderstanding. She was the one to protect the village of Kitakami, NOT the Loyal Three."
  
  "Impossible." One of the locals immediately declared, "It lies."
  
  "My Pokémon disagree with that." Cynthia shook her head, "Lucario would see through any such lies. Ogerpon did not lie. At least not about this."
  
  "Pixel did not detect any falsehoods either." I agreed.
  
  "But it could have deceived you anyways-"
  
  "Enough bickering." Drake cut them off, and he took a step forwards so that he was in front of the Kitakami locals, "Do you trust me and my judgment? Do you trust that I have your best interests in mind?"
  
  There was a short pause, but eventually one of them responded, "...We do."
  
  "Good. In that case, just let this play out for a moment." He 'ordered', "I know you guys are wary, but you're also too fucking biased right now. Let's calm down for a moment and listen to what Ogerpon has to say."
  
  Once again, Drake's words caused the locals to grow quiet, and this time I inwardly marvelled at the level of trust that Drake had earned from them. I knew he had recently interacted with the locals a lot, but I was very surprised to see how much they trusted him and his judgment.
  
  Either way, their obedience was a good thing for us, and it allowed Cynthia to continue chatting with Ogerpon. Eventually, after a couple more back-and-forth, Ogerpon had managed to give us the full picture of what had happened to her and why she chose to isolate herself, with Cynthia helping to translate and relay everything to the locals.
  
  Essentially, it was just as I remembered from my meta knowledge. Ogerpon used to have a human friend, and they travelled together throughout the wilderness until they eventually stumbled across Kitakami. There, they arrived at Mossui Town, but were driven off because the locals at the time were unused to having Pokémon living and working side-by-side with humans, and were fearful of her power.
  
  So they reluctantly left, but they were fortunate enough to be met with a mask maker that took pity on their situation. The mask maker proceeded to craft masks for them in order for them to hide their appearance, as well as a large costume for the latter, so that Ogerpon would be disguised as a 'normal' human, which worked and they were allowed into the town. But these masks were no ordinary masks, and Ogerpon described them as being very luxurious and made of rare materials.
  
  The locals all nodded along to that, as that followed what they knew from their own tales and legends. However, it was the next part that shocked them, as Ogerpon then revealed that the masks were stolen from them by a group of four Pokémon, who mortally wounded her friend in the process.
  
  In a fit of rage, Ogerpon chased after them back to Mossui Town where she overpowered them and defeated them all, with the final member of the four having managed to escape. But the humans at the time thought that she was the one attacking them, and incorrectly came to the assumption that they had been deceived by the mask-wearing Ogerpon (as they recognised her and thought she was a human), the humans forcefully and violently drove her out - pelting her with stones as they did.
  
  As a result of this eviction, Ogerpon became incredibly depressed and self-loathing, as she had not only lost the trust of the villagers, but she had also lost her friend and long-time travelling companion. Her partner.
  
  All in an extremely short period of time.
  
  Because of this, she decided that the outside world was just too cruel and decided to isolate herself from the rest of the world, hoping that time would cause the pain to fade away.
  
  And only by pure coincidence that our recent marathon caused it to reawaken.
  
  Hearing the full story from Ogerpon's mouth had caused the locals to fall into a state of shock and disbelief. Many of them had their mouths hung open in pure surprise, but I couldn't blame them. I could tell that they struggled to believe the story, but neither did they reject it outright either.
  
  I spoke up before their doubts could fully resurface, "I know this goes against what you have said in your legends, so why don't we maintain an open mind while we have someone keep an eye on Ogerpon."
  
  One of the locals protested at this, "But it might cause damage if it starts to rampage like it did before..."
  
  "Then we'll look after it instead." Cynthia cut them off, "Our Pokémon will be more than strong enough to keep it in check if it does decide to get... ornery. Besides, the situation we are in now is not the same as your ancestors would have had to deal with in the past. We have many more Pokémon on hand now, and I promise you that Ogerpon won't be able to overpower us all."
  
  "...We can accept that for now." One of the locals eventually replied, "But we're going to have to host a proper discussion on our official stance on this matter."
  
  Cynthia nodded, "We look forward to hearing that."
  
  With that, Drake and the locals subsequently left as they headed back to discuss this incident with the rest of the Kitakami council. As they left, I saw many of them whispering to each other as they repeatedly glanced back at Ogerpon. Either with concern, wariness, or confusion in their eyes.
  
  I didn't know what they were going to decide, but seeing the look on Cynthia's face, I knew that she wouldn't allow Ogerpon to be abandoned any longer. She fully believed that Ogerpon was innocent, and more importantly, that she so clearly desired human connections.
  
  So Cynthia was too kind-hearted to leave her alone after knowing that. No matter what the locals decided, she was going to find some way to keep Ogerpon happy.
  
  For the time being, we had moved to the side, a small distance away from Oni Mountain so that we wouldn't disturb the festivities going on there (the marathon had been allowed to continue after the 'incident' was dealt with).
  
  Throughout all of this, Cynthia kept up the small talk with Ogerpon as she tried her best to get to know more about her and vice versa. I joined in from time to time, though I was happy to let Cynthia carry most of the conversation.
  
  I could see it in her eyes that she was very eager to recruit Ogerpon into her team, if that was at all possible.
  
  And I was content with letting her do that. A small part of me did want to see if I could try my hand at recruiting Ogerpon into my own team, but seeing my fiancé chatting away so excitedly and happily like that, I decided that I wasn't going to try and compete with her for Ogerpon's favour.
  
  I was happy to just sit back and let her try and win over Ogerpon with her charm. And she was taking the slow and steady approach; she hadn't broached the topic at all about having her join her team. She was just being friendly with Ogerpon and making sure that she could feel comfortable around us and our Pokémon.
  
  And that was working very well, because it was so blatantly obvious that Ogerpon was touch and contact-starved. It was honestly pretty depressing to see, because it reminded me so much of the few Pokémon abuse cases that I had heard about from my colleagues.
  
  So even though I wanted to ask Ogerpon about the Loyal Three and how powerful they were, I felt like that conversation could be saved for later. There was no need to drudge up more bad memories for the time being, and there was no rush anyways.
  
  Hopefully she would understand that us humans were no longer as hostile towards her as we once were.
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  He had no idea why the locals invited him to join in on their discussions regarding Ogerpon. Honestly, he still felt like he was an outsider and did not deserve to be here, listening into these kinds of discussions. But his students insisted that he stayed, because they needed to know the 'outsider' perspective.
  
  He let out a tired breath as he stood in the corner of the town hall, with his posture slumped over in boredom. He didn't want to be here, listening to this inane back and forth about whether Ogerpon was telling the truth or not.
  
  To be frank, he didn't give a fuck about whether Ogerpon was lying or not. He felt that she wasn't, but even if she was, so what? If she turns out to be hostile, then a good Draco Beam from his Salamence should do the trick.
  
  "Drake." He was snapped out of his thoughts as one of the locals called upon him, "What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you think Ogerpon is telling the truth or not?"
  
  "I think that it doesn't at all matter if she's telling the truth." He replied bluntly, uncaring about how his words would be received, "I think all that matters is if you're willing to piss off the Champion by calling her a liar."
  
  "What do you mean?" Someone else asked.
  
  He sighed, "Let's put it another way. Cynthia - the CHAMPION OF SINNOH and the person who technically has authority over your home - has been convinced that Ogerpon is not lying. I saw the way she looked at Ogerpon. She looks at Ogerpon like she's been a victim of abuse and wants to take care of her. I don't think you'll be able to convince her otherwise, and if you try to, I really don't think she'll be all that happy with it. So let's try to be fucking practical about this, yeah? If I were you, I wouldn't go around trying to piss off one of the most powerful trainers in the world. And that's not even including her fiancé, the man who has control over Regigigas - the Legendary Titan."
  
  That got them to reconsider things, and the crowd fell into silent contemplation as they considered his words. After a moment, one of them spoke up again.
  
  "Let's say we do take the stance that Ogerpon's words are the truth." The man said, "Then what would we do about the Loyal Three? Our worship of them is based purely on the fact that they once defended us when Mossui Town was at its weakest. Without them, we believed that Ogerpon would have destroyed us all. It is whole reason why we worship them so. If we tell this to the others, that their belief was all a lie? When they have worshipped and prayed to these Pokémon for not only their entire lives? But for generations before that as well? There would be outrage."
  
  "Times change. Beliefs need to adapt with them." Drake cut in, "Once upon a time, we all thought that each region ought to be separate from another. That the regions of Indigo, Hoenn, and Sinnoh would never be more than cordial acquaintances with each other. That all changed in recent years, when one man - the very partner of the Champion - decided that he wouldn't accept that."
  
  "Yes, there was outrage. Yes, there were many that protested and bitched about how this change would 'doom the world' or whatnot. But in the end, peace was restored, and things were all the more better for it." He stated, "Or did you think that the Sinnoh League would be so free to offer their support to Kitakami if not for their past successes? So trust me when I say it is better to rip the bandage off - assuming you do take Ogerpon's words as truth."
  
  In the end, there was a lot more discussion on the topic, and the meeting went on for hours. But it was eventually decided that the best course of action for the Kitakami council to take was to acknowledge Ogerpon's version of events. Not necessarily as the truth, but they would at least not dismiss it out of hand. Therefore, this would mean revising the story about the Loyal Three, and admitting that their retelling of the story may have had errors.
  
  It was a compromise. And one that no one was really happy with, but it was the only practical decision to make.
  
  Unfortunately for everyone, all of that discussion would prove fruitless very soon.
  
  Fortunately, after what was a few hours of discussion, the Kitakami council decided to, reluctantly, accept Ogerpon's side of the story for now. They weren't decided on what to do about the Loyal Three, but for the time being, they promised not to treat Ogerpon with any hostility (at least officially).
  
  So in a gesture of friendship, they allowed Ogerpon to wander through the streets of Mossui Town, though she was accompanied by a guard of Pokémon.
  
  Just in case.
  
  Naturally, Cynthia and I both accompanied Ogerpon, and we both tried to cheer it up as she walked through the streets with equal parts disbelief, happiness, and wariness. Her eyes kept darting around as if she was expecting threats or insults to come, but aside from some wary looks, nothing happened.
  
  Cynthia made sure to gently pat her on the head from time to time, reminding her that she was safe with us.
  
  As agreed with the locals, we brought her to the Loyal Three Monument.
  
  Honestly, compared to all of the other Legendary monuments and locations that I've been to, the Loyal Three Monument was nothing impressive. It looked like just any other shrine, and there was no sort of extraordinary presence that lingered around the other areas.
  
  However, that all changed when Ogerpon approached the Monument.
  
  At first, nothing happened. And Ogerpon simply stared at the statutes of the Loyal Three with a mixture of betrayal, anger, and yearning.
  
  At that moment, I couldn't help but wonder what Ogerpon was thinking of. Was she angry? Or just resigned? Or a mix of both?
  
  But then I noticed that the ground was beginning to shake. It was a small rumble at first, but it rapidly grew into an earthquake that shook the earth.
  
  Then the statutes themselves began to crack apart.
  
  I was thrown to the ground from the sudden earthquake, but not before I instinctively threw out several Pokéballs as my team emerged to defend me. Tyrant and Vordt stood over me protectively, and the same happened with Cynthia.
  
  "What... what is happening?!" The local cried out in alarm, before whirling his head towards Ogerpon, "It's the Ogre's doing! It's trying to destroy the town!"
  
  "No! She's not! She's-" Whatever Cynthia was about to say was cut off as the ground in front of us was ripped and split apart as three gigantic and recognisable figures emerged out from the ground. Our heads were forced to crane upwards as they towered over all of us; they were practically the same height as Regigigas itself.
  
  And the skies echoed with their dominating roars as they made their presence known to the entire world.
  
  The Loyal Three had awakened once again.
  
  A.N. Naturally, the reveal of Ogerpon is obviously going to lead to the reveal of the Loyal Three. This is the first time that the world is going to be seeing 'Titan' Pokémon in all of their glory. Obviously, a fight is coming, and the powers of the Loyal Three will be explored more thoroughly. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 19-10
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-10 - False Titans
  
  As I stared up at the newly emerged titans, I had a dozen different questions running through my head. Why did the Loyal Three suddenly awaken? I couldn't remember if their awakening was explained in the games, but surely we were far ahead of schedule. Was it the presence of Ogerpon that triggered their reawakening? And why and how did they activate their titan forms? I couldn't remember the exact reasoning for it.
  
  Nevertheless, despite my questions and my surprise at this unexpected turn of events, my years of experience had kept me from panicking and kept me focused.
  
  For all of their size and power, I did not feel the overwhelming presence of a Legendary pushing down on my shoulders. Not like when I had been fighting against both Palkia or Zekrom.
  
  So as large as they were, and as powerful as they seemed, I wasn't afraid. I knew we were up to the challenge.
  
  I felt a slight tingle in my head as my connection with Regigigas started to pulse with life. It was an unexpected offer of assistance, as if the Legendary Titan could sense the impending fight that was about to happen.
  
  However, as much as I appreciated the offer, I rejected it. Not out of pride or because I wanted more glory for myself, but because I knew that this fight was not worthy of Regigigas' attention. At least not yet.
  
  As per our implicit agreement as its guardian, Regigigas should only be summoned in cases of a genuine threat to the continued survival of human society.
  
  This was not one of them.
  
  So having Regigigas interfere in this would be a breach of my duties. Of my promise to the Legendary Titan.
  
  No, this was a fight that we would be handling ourselves. With our own strength and determination.
  
  And my Pokémon must have thought the same, because Tyrant instantly threw himself forwards with a devastating Giga Impact as he came slamming into Munkidori, who was unfortunate enough to be the victim of his wrath.
  
  Tyrant had completely blindsided it with his Giga Impact, catching Munkidori completely off-guard as he let out a pained growl from the impact, and a follow-up Knock Off ruthlessly slammed in from the side and sent it reeling backwards.
  
  Which set Vordt up perfectly as he came crashing into the vulnerable Munkidori with his own Guts-boosted, supereffective Headlong Rush, causing Munkidori to come falling down onto its knees as it failed to resist the blow.
  
  Naturally, Cynthia and her Pokémon weren't far behind either, and a duo of powerful Stone Edges came ripping out from the ground as Lucario and Garchomp impaled it from below.
  
  Meanwhile, the rest of my team immediately began taking up defensive measures as a Light Screen and Reflect were quickly set up around us.
  
  "...What the fuck is happening?!" The Kitakami local shouted out fearfully from next to me. I hadn't even remembered that he was here.
  
  "Go call for help and start the evacuation." I ordered, my voice perfectly calm, "We'll do our best to contain it here. And get Drake to come here. We might need his help."
  
  "But why are the Loyal Three alive right now? I thought they were-"
  
  "Enough. Now's not the time for this." Cynthia cut him off, "I've already triggered the emergency alarm. So run back and make sure the rest of your people are cooperating with the evacuation. We need to make sure that the public is as far away from this battle as possible."
  
  "...Okay, got it." And then he was off, allowing us to return our attention to the battle.
  
  However, more importantly than that was the reaction from Ogerpon. Initially, she had panicked and looked ready to run away when the fight took place. Her eyes had been filled with fear and alarm as she took in the Titan forms of the Loyal Three for the first time.
  
  But perhaps, after seeing us fighting back against these beings with a calm sense of efficiency, as I watched the initial burst of fear slowly recede from her eyes, she slowly regained her resolve.
  
  And for the first time in what was likely centuries, she once again found herself fighting against the Loyal Three in order to protect Mossui Town.
  
  And it was clear that the years had not deteriorated her strength as she sent forth a massive Power Whip that let out a loud crack as it struck the side of Munkidori's head. Not very effective or not, the force behind the attack was enough to cause it to stumble backwards once more.
  
  Munkidori tried to retaliate as it unleashed a massive burst of Psychic energy towards us, but Spiritomb and Wraith were ready for that as they both retaliated with powerful Dark Pulses of their own, softening the incoming blow enough so that the Light Screens could protect us.
  
  From that attack alone, it just confirmed to me what I had already suspected - that Munkidori, in Titan form or not, was not at the same level of power as the other Legendaries that I had faced off against.
  
  So this was a fight that we could win.
  
  Of course, the remaining two members of the Loyal Three were not going to just allow us to beat down on Munkidori alone, and they quickly joined in on the fighting.
  
  Okidogi landed in front of Tyrant and interposed himself between him and Munkidori, catching the incoming Mega Punch from Tyrant that was meant for Munkidori. Okidogi grinned down at Tyrant with an arrogant smirk on its face, as if to taunt Tyrant for his weakness - only for that smirk to be instantly wiped off his face as Tyrant unleashed a point blank Earthquake that tripped up Okidogi, before he launched himself into the air, dodging over a blind grab from Okidogi, before he slammed their heads together with a quadruply supereffective Zen Headbutt that knocked Okidogi right down to the ground from the sheer power behind that blow.
  
  Okidogi might be several times bigger than Tyrant, but since when did size matter in a fight like this?
  
  The only thing that mattered was strength, and Tyrant had that in spades.
  
  He even matched against Zekrom. So who was this overgrown fraud to challenge him?
  
  Munkidori tried to assist its ally by throwing a massive Sludge Wave in Tyrant's direction, but he easily dodged out of the way by performing an aerial somersault using Aerial Ace that also sliced into the recovering Okidogi, forcing it back onto its knees once again.
  
  And then an enormous Ivy Cudgel came brutally hammering down from above as Ogerpon unleashed her years of pent-up wrath onto Okidogi, embedding it into the ground before she followed that up by bashing their heads together with a powerful, supereffective, Zen Headbutt of her own.
  
  Then as a Sludge Wave from Munkidori came her way, Tyrant leapt forwards and protected her with a Protect shield of his own, giving Ogerpon space to throw forth a few Leech Seeds that buried into Okidogi as they began to drain its health over time.
  
  However, an ear-piercing screech flooded over us from Fezandipiti, causing all of us to stumble uncertainly as our eyes glazed over from the artificial charm that it had tried to douse us with. Yet its attempt to paralyse us with its charm failed as we were rapidly able to regain our senses, and all that Fezandipiti had done was enrage us.
  
  Which is why two orbs of blindingly bright light started to fill the battlefield as both Zephyr and Garchomp were enveloped in the signature glow of a Mega Evolution - the first time we would be using it in an actual battle. And what better way was there for them to debut their newfound power than in a battle like this?
  
  Zephyr was the first to emerge from his cocoon of light, and he instantly sent forth a massive Hurricane that ravaged through the battlefield, tearing up trees and shrubbery and destroying all in its wake. His target was Fezandipiti, but even Munkidori was forced to leap out of the way as it too was in the path of the Hurricane.
  
  Fezandipiti tried to dodge, but several Psychics slammed into it and kept in it place, causing it to be painfully eviscerated by the howling gale winds, and before it could recover, the now-Mega Evolved Garchomp came roaring forwards as she slammed their heads together with a brutal and supereffective Iron Head, causing it to let out a melodic screech of pain as it reeled back from the blow.
  
  Ironically, thanks to its larger size, Fezandipiti actually became easier to hit, and it wasn't capable of being as evasive as it would have been if it was smaller.
  
  Therefore, it wasn't hard for one of our Pokémon to be able to follow-up on our Megas' assault as one of them landed a glancing blow on one of its wings with a thrown Stone Edge, breaking its ability to fly and causing Fezandpiti to spiral uncontrollably as it fell out of the air.
  
  And now that it was deprived of its ability to fly, its poor defensive typing allowed us to ferociously pummel it with attacks as our Pokémon worked together like a well-oiled machine of destruction.
  
  Lucario and Ornstein were dashing in-and-out of the fight, performing an unending series of hit-and-run attacks as they would strike or slash at Fezandipiti with Bullet Punches or Night Slashes respectively. Then from a distance, Psychics would blast it from all directions to keep it pinned down and distracted, while Taunts, Torments, and various other debuffs like Charms and Encores also bombarded it, making sure that it remained disorientated and unable to fight back effectively.
  
  So titan form or not, its newfound size and power meant nothing if it couldn't land a good hit.
  
  Meanwhile, in the distance, Munkidori was kept busy as it faced off against Vordt, Smough, Winston, Pixel, Milotic, and Kleavor. It had been trying to fend them off by inflicting a debilitating confusion on them, yet thanks to the Safeguard from Milotic, it kept them all safe from both the confusion and from being Badly Poisoned by the Toxic Chain ability.
  
  All the while, our healers were hard at work making sure that our Pokémon were all topped up with health as they repeatedly made use of Life Dews and Heal Pulses. Most of their attention was focused on Tyrant and Ogerpon, who were currently duelling Okidogi to a standstill.
  
  Therefore, as the battle broke out into three different sections, and though the three titans were likely individually stronger than any of our Pokémon, that difference in strength was completely neutralised by the sheer amount of defensive and support buffs that our Pokémon received - from Helping Hands to Heal Pulses - they was easily able to hold their own.
  
  And that wasn't even including the number advantage that we had.
  
  So the fact that the battle had been split three ways was actually a good thing for us. The last thing we wanted was for the Loyal Three to combine their strengths together and make use of teamwork, so forcibly keeping them split like this was massively advantageous for us.
  
  I also began to notice that the Loyal Three were not as resilient as I expected. Despite their massive size and the power that imbued each of their attacks thanks to their titan forms, they were really bad at taking hits as they often recoiled in loud, painful moans, completely interrupting their concentration.
  
  I suspected that this was because their strength was borrowed - they didn't actually have much in the way of combat experience. Or if they did, then it was against foes that were no match for them and wouldn't require any skill on the part of the Loyal Three to defeat.
  
  Perhaps that was why they got thrashed by Ogerpon.
  
  Because of this, as the battle raged on, I noticed that their once arrogant and confident smirks had long since faded away and were replaced with a wary sense of caution and alarm as they realised that this was not a fight they could easily win.
  
  Or perhaps, were even losing.
  
  Because our Pokémon were not giving them an inch to breathe or recover.
  
  Fezandipiti especially was getting absolutely pummelled by our Pokémon, as it had the majority of our Pokémon's attention on it as well as two Mega Evolutions. It really had tried everything it could to create distance and force our Pokémon away so that it could take back to the skies again, but our Pokémon never allowed it to.
  
  Heat Waves and Dazzling Gleams were all covered by a reinforced layer of Light Screens, while any attempt to Poison or Charm our Pokémon were either immediately purged off with a Heal Bell, or was just blocked entirely by a Safeguard. Likewise, trying to make use of physical moves like Cross Poison or Wing Attack to force our Pokémon away was ineffective as well, as our Pokémon (especially Garchomp, Lucario, and Ornstein) would just parry the blow and return it with a hard-hitting Iron Head or Counter respectively.
  
  Therefore, Fezandipiti stood absolutely no match against our Pokémon. In both technique and power, it was completely overwhelmed.
  
  Likewise, the remaining two members of the Loyal Three must have realised how badly the fight was going for them. They watched as Fezandipiti let out repeating shrieks and cries of pain, and yet they were unable to rescue or support their brethren as our Pokémon kept them busy and suppressed.
  
  Okidogi especially had been trying to fight his way over to support Fezandipiti, but Tyrant and Ogerpon stood in its way.
  
  And they did not let him pass.
  
  Which is why they suddenly switched tactics - surprising us with the most infamous tactic known to both humans and Pokémon-
  
  They ran away.
  
  Okidogi was the first to flee. It had the least amount of Pokémon on it, and neither Tyrant nor Ogerpon had the brute strength necessary to force it to stay in place. Therefore, it was pretty easy for Okidogi to just leap away, using its enormous size to make huge strides across Kitakami as it cowardly fled away from the battle.
  
  Munkidori had a rougher time making its escape, but it eventually managed to do so after a sneaky Grass Knot tripped over Vordt, and a combination of both Sludge Wave and Focus Blasts forced our Pokémon onto the defensive - buying enough time for it to U-Turn and make a retreat.
  
  Our Pokémon did try to chase after it, but just like with Okidogi, Munkidori not only moved too quickly, but the attacks that it fired back at our Pokémon were not easily shrugged off, since they still packed quite the punch.
  
  As a result, we were forced to let them flee. But not for free.
  
  "Fliers! Keep an eye on them!" Cynthia immediately ordered, "Track them from a distance. Stay safe, but report where they are to us!"
  
  Our fliers quickly responded, and Togekiss, Port, and even Zephyr chased after the two fleeing titans. Meanwhile, we focused our attention on the remaining member of the Loyal Three that hadn't managed to escape our grasp - Fezandipiti.
  
  And now that it had been abandoned by the other members of the trio, it meant that its fate was sealed as all of our other Pokémon, which were previously dealing with either Okidogi or Munkidori, were now free to join in on the beatdown.
  
  Needless to say, titan form or not, Fezandipiti stood no chance against the full might of our combined teams. The combination of both Tyrant and Mega Garchomp and their repeated supereffective Iron Heads was especially deadly for Fezandipiti, and it didn't take long to be knocked out by our unending barrage of attacks.
  
  Interestingly enough, its defeat also caused it to shrink back down to its regular size as its titan form faded away. But Tyrant made sure to bash it one more time just to make sure that it was properly knocked out.
  
  It was.
  
  "...We're going to have to chase after the rest." Cynthia said with a frown, "We can't just let them escape."
  
  "Not by ourselves." I shook my head, "We got lucky with the fight just now. They were not ready for our level of firepower. If they had chosen to focus on destruction rather than fighting us, they could have caused a lot of harm. We were lucky they chose to retreat. So we should gather up a proper strike team to take them down."
  
  "The locals might not like that." She pointed out, "Just a few hours ago they were worshipping the Loyal Three, and now they've suddenly come back to life and are now rampaging all over Kitakami. Not all of them would agree to fight back against them, not without seeing the full picture."
  
  I shook my head, "It doesn't matter what they think. They might not be as powerful as a 'proper' Legendary, but there can be no doubt that the amount of widespread destruction they can inflict on our cities is immense. Even if we receive backlash from them, they have to be contained first and foremost."
  
  "True." She was quick to agree with me, "Okay, I'll speak with the Jennys and the Rangers and have them join us in the battle. We'll overwhelm them with numbers and contain them."
  
  "What about this one though?" I pointed to Fezandipiti, "We can't just leave it here. And the locals really won't like it if we caught it in a Pokéball."
  
  "The Rangers should have the equipment necessary to keep it contained." She replied, before she let out another sigh as she plopped down on the ground, "...Phew. I didn't expect for today to be so interesting. Who knew we would go from running a marathon up a mountain into a battle against three reawakened 'Legendaries'."
  
  "...Same here. But at least our Pokémon managed to show that they've come a long way since their first fight against Palkia. Today, we technically held our ground against a Legendary basically by ourselves." I stated, "And it ended up being a good test for our Mega Evolutions too. Your Garchomp in particular really put in the hurt."
  
  "Well, we didn't do all that training for nothing." Then she turned and smiled at Ogerpon, "You too, Ogerpon. Thanks for helping us out today."
  
  Ogerpon nodded back, and this time her posture was a lot more confident and self-assured; as if the battle just now had reignited her confidence.
  
  "...Speaking of which, Ogerpon, do you know what happened just now? Why did the Loyal Three suddenly come back to life?" Cynthia asked her, "Did you do something?"
  
  Ogerpon frantically shook her head, clearly indicating that she didn't know either.
  
  Cynthia frowned, "That's annoying. As much as I like a good mystery, I'd really prefer if I had something definitive to tell the locals later when they question why the Loyal Three suddenly woke back up again when they're supposed to be dead. In any case - this does show that their oral stories about the Loyal Three were inaccurate. I just hope that they don't blame Ogerpon for the Loyal Three's sudden reawakening and rampage."
  
  Ogerpon looked saddened as she heard that, so Cynthia let out a comforting smile as she patted Ogerpon on the head, "Don't worry, I know you didn't mean it. And no matter what they say, I know you're innocent and I will defend you in front of them. You won't be alone."
  
  "Same." I added, "Even though you didn't necessarily have to join in on that fight, you still did. So, you helped play a part in protecting the locals of Kitakami from the Loyal Three's rampage. You can be proud of yourself for that."
  
  Ogerpon smiled, and with the help of Klee to translate her words, she also promised to help us finish off the remaining two members of the Loyal Three. Amusingly, she did not offer this purely because she wanted to help us out, but because she wanted revenge against them.
  
  Understandably, she still hadn't let go of the grudge that she had against them. And she was very determined to get her payback.
  
  Well, I wasn't going to stand in her way.
  
  My thoughts were cut off as I heard a large horde of footsteps coming this way, and I didn't have to turn around to see that our reinforcements had finally arrived as the evacuation efforts were finished.
  
  Good. That meant that we could focus on taking down the remaining members of the Loyal Three.
  
  We could discuss what we would do with them afterwards.
  
  A.N. And here's the fight against the Loyal Three! Naturally, this fight isn't going to be nearly as devastating as a fight against a proper Legendary, as even in their titan forms, I never saw the Loyal Three to be THAT strong. That's obviously not to say that they're weak, but against the likes of Cynthia and John and how strong their Pokémon have gotten, the Loyal Three won't be overpowering them so easily.
  
  But the fight isn't over here. There's still more to come! Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-10-Interlude-Various
  The New Normal - 19-10 - Interlude - Various
  
  (Caitlin POV)
  
  "My lady, I don't think now is the right time to be a spectator. We should follow the instructions of the Rangers and join in on the evacuation." Her faithful servant and butler urged her forwards as the blaring of an emergency horn echoed throughout the entirety of the festival.
  
  "...You don't think I could be of help?" She asked flatly, though she was not offended by the comment, "I thought you were one of the ones to actually believe in my strength."
  
  The rest of her family certainly didn't - despite her psychic potential.
  
  They always labelled her as 'lazy' and 'unmotivated', especially since she expressed her disinterest in being a part of the family business. No matter how many times she tried to explain that her so-called 'laziness' was just a consequence of her high affinity as a psychic. She processed more information than the average human, so of course she would be tired!
  
  She shook herself out of her thoughts as Darach responded, "No, my lady. But considering that your assistance has not been asked for, I fear that your participation will add chaos into an already chaotic situation."
  
  She was about to respond to that when she suddenly heard a deafening explosion echo out from a distance. Turning her head, thanks to the elevated position that they were currently in, she could just about see three titanic figures rising up into the air.
  
  Before a familiar white blur suddenly sent one of them tumbling back to the ground as it was smashed in the face.
  
  "Looks like John and Cynthia are currently engaged in battle." She muttered, her eyes not moving away from the battle below them.
  
  "And they will be able to handle it." Darach said, before pulling her along, "Come on, let's not stand here gawking. We should get to safety first."
  
  Somewhat reluctantly, she allowed herself to be pulled along. But that image of John and Cynthia immediately rushing forwards to fight against an unknown threat like that, despite the potential dangers of such a confrontation, had stuck with her.
  
  She knew that she wasn't as strong as the Elite Four or the Champions, at least not right now, but she had always assumed that with her talents, she would make up that difference in a matter of time. Call it confidence or arrogance, but she always felt that there was no way she was destined for anything less than greatness.
  
  However, she had never really thought about how she would do as an Elite Four even after she made it there. She obviously believed she would be strong, but today she had realised that there was more to being an Elite Four than just being strong.
  
  She had to be brave too. She had to be a protector for the people and put herself in a dangerous situation just so that others would not be.
  
  And she was self-aware enough to know that, right now, she was not that kind of person. She knew that she was not the easiest to deal with, and that Darach had been an unusually patient person to put up with her... unique behaviour. It was why he was the only butler that hadn't 'politely' asked to be reassigned to some other family member after spending more than one week with her.
  
  In other words, she was well-aware of how sheltered she was.
  
  Therefore, she knew that it was not in her instincts to charge into a fight that dangerous without any initial preparation, as John and Cynthia had done. Because such a decision was foolish, since you could never know how powerful a threat was until you've studied her.
  
  But that was what you had to do in a crisis like this - because the threat wasn't going to just stand by idly as they waited for you to study it. Not when there were people to protect.
  
  So could she really be the defender of the public like the others were? Could she really charge in bravely, willing to risk herself to protect others?
  
  ...It was something she had to work on.
  
  (Carmine POV)
  
  The day had turned from the most exciting day to her life to the most terrifying day of her life as soon as those emergency horns began to blare out.
  
  She didn't know what had happened. All she knew that she had been cheering on the runners of the marathon before suddenly everything took a turn for the worst.
  
  She knew that first emergency was a bad omen!
  
  So with her little brother Kieran clutching tightly to her own hand, she followed after the Rangers and the Jennys as they evacuated them away from the dangers.
  
  She tried to ask about what that danger was, but they didn't respond to her. They just escorted them out with all the other children.
  
  Eventually, they brought everyone over to this large opening that was absolutely surrounded by all sorts of trained Pokémon - many of them she had never seen in her life.
  
  She had never left Kitakami, and while she knew that there was a whole world out there for her to explore, she was finally able to get a glimpse of just how vast that outside world truly was, and just how much she was ignorant to before.
  
  But despite that, she still sat there nervously as the emergency horns continued to blare out. Even with all these powerful Pokémon surrounding them, she didn't allow herself to relax or drop her guard.
  
  For Kieran's sake.
  
  "...Are we not able to do anything to fight back?" Her little brother asked her as they hugged each other for comfort, "Can we not do anything to help?"
  
  "No, brother. We can't. We're not strong enough." She replied to him, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, "Maybe when we're older."
  
  Her brother sulked at that, and he didn't look very happy with that answer, but he at least fell quiet and didn't argue.
  
  Putting that aside for the moment, she looked around and, to her relief, managed to spot many familiar faces among the evacuees - which meant that the evacuation of Mossui Town must have been a success too.
  
  In particular, she spotted the old shopkeeper of Peachy's, who was smiling back at her too.
  
  "Ah. Carmine, Kieran. I'm glad you both made it out okay." She said to them.
  
  "That should be our line!" Carmine replied, "I hope the evacuation wasn't too tough on you."
  
  "Feh. The Rangers were very nice people. They carefully bundled this old fart onto one of their new Pokémon of theirs and brought me over here." She explained, "Honestly, I wanted to stay behind to look after the store, but they wouldn't let me."
  
  Carmine chuckled, "I thought you'd at least bring along the Never-Rotting Peach along. I didn't think you'd ever let it leave your sight."
  
  "I wanted to, my dear, I really wanted to. But they wouldn't let me." The old shopkeeper replied, "I can only hope that the Peach is still there when I return. I hope one of the outsiders don't try and steal it. It's one of the most valuable possessions that I have!"
  
  She frowned at that, but before she could respond, she was cut off as the sound of a distant earthquake rippled out from below.
  
  And she turned her head to see something incredible. Something that she never expected to see in her life.
  
  Okidogi, a member of the Loyal Three, and with its appearance being much larger than she could have ever imagined, was running away and into the wilderness of Kitakami. Behind it were several Flying types that relentlessly pursued after it, harassing it with various attacks while staying far out of its range.
  
  And Okidogi looked injured - like it had just taken a beating.
  
  ...Just what was happening down there?
  
  (Drake POV)
  
  "...I'm surprised you aren't rushing into the fight." The voice said over the phone, "I didn't think you could physically hold yourself back from a battle like that."
  
  "Hmph. I was tempted to, but I know my duties need me here." He replied, "I am the only person that the locals trust, and the only person that can give immediate commands to the Jennys and Rangers. I'm more useful here than in a fight at the moment, and besides, I trust John and Cynthia to handle the fight for now. But enough side-tracking - when are the reinforcements arriving, Lucian?"
  
  "Give or take 10 minutes." The Elite Four member replied, "You have my apologies for the delay, but we weren't expecting an incident like that to break out."
  
  "Neither were we." He grumbled, "No idea why the Loyal Three chose now of all fucking times to cause a ruckus - or why they're three times as big as the stories say they are, but we can only play the hand we're dealt. No matter how shitty it is."
  
  "You're right about that." Lucian nodded, "Anyways, I won't distract you for any longer. Call me if you need any more assistance from us back here on the mainland. Otherwise, I trust that Cynthia, John, and Flint will be able to handle things over there."
  
  The phone call ended there, which was just in time as his phone started to ring once more. It was a call from John.
  
  "Still alive?" He asked, "Any wounded?"
  
  "Still alive. No major injuries; just some exhaustion." John confirmed, "We managed to capture one of the Loyal Three. The other two ran off. We've eyes on them for now, but we'll need to take them down before they can do any more damage. We can't take the risk without knowing what their intentions are."
  
  "Understood. I'll start organising a raiding group now." He nodded.
  
  "And I need you to send a group of trusted locals over here to inspect the fallen form of the Loyal Three." John said, "You should come with them. They trust you, so make them understand that we had to take them down in order to protect Kitakami - and that the Loyal Three attacked us first."
  
  "Will do. I'll be over there shortly."
  
  He knew that convincing the locals probably wasn't going to be an easy task, especially since he wasn't the most persuasive of people, but it had been the role he was saddled with. And even if he hated being some kind of 'diplomat', he still had to do his duty in order to make sure that there wouldn't be any unnecessary conflicts between the League and the locals of Kitakami.
  
  Inwardly, he let out a sigh. Even after leaving the Elite Four, it seemed like he could never let go of the mindset of being one.
  
  Oh well. At least he got to fight against another 'Legendary'.
  
  He would not be side-lined this time.
  
  A.N. I wanted this chapter to focus on the side perspective of other characters involved in the incident. With Caitlin. I wanted this chapter to be an opportunity to expand a little more about them and to hint at some future developments with them. Also some minor foreshadowing if you could spot it for what's to come!
  
  As for Drake, I just wanted to make it clear that retirement or no, he's still a man of action and service. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
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  The New Normal - 19-11
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-11 - The Loyal Three
  
  It didn't take long for everyone else to arrive at the scene of the battle, and as soon as the locals arrived, the shock was clear on their faces as they took in the fallen form of Fezandipiti.
  
  Some even glared at us for 'daring' to take down a member of the Loyal Three. Others questioned us for fighting against the Loyal Three in the first place, as they were 'sure that they meant no harm'. Fortunately, not all of them were like that, and some were just curious as to how the Loyal Three awoke in the first place.
  
  To that, I had no answers, but I did recount to them everything that happened relating to the awakening.
  
  I told them about how the Loyal Three had suddenly revived themselves and taken on their 'titan' forms - which was another unexplained oddity. Why were the Loyal Three so massive to begin with?
  
  "This might be the true power of the Loyal Three." One of the locals said.
  
  "No, impossible." Another denied, "If that was the case, then our myths and tales would not have ended with them sacrificing themselves to drive away Ogerpon. If they were actually this strong, then they would have won the fight."
  
  "So why did they grow so fucking big then?" Drake asked. "That should be the real question."
  
  "We should table this discussion for now and leave that for the Professors to find out." Cynthia said.
  
  I kept my silence. I felt like I knew the reason for their titan forms, but I didn't know if that was still the case now. Furthermore, it was better to get proper scientific confirmation than to speculate at this moment.
  
  "...Then does anyone else know if Ogerpon would also able to grow to that size?" Another suggested.
  
  "Likely not. If that was true, then your stories regarding Ogerpon would have gone very differently. Someone would have definitely mentioned if Ogerpon could grow to the size of a building." I couldn't help but point out, "But we're going off topic. We really shouldn't be discussing this when we need to focus on what we do next."
  
  "Agreed." Drake nodded, "I've already begun organising the strike teams, and we've got an entire squad of Flying Pokémon in the air to patrol and keep track of the remaining members of the Loyal Three."
  
  "Any reports about that?" Cynthia asked.
  
  "No, they seem to be focused on gaining as much distance as possible. Seems like you gave them a good fucking scare." He chuckled, "The Rangers were looking at if there were any areas of interest that they might be targeting, but so far, we've not found any."
  
  "As long as they're heading away from Mossui Town, then I'll be relieved." Cynthia replied, getting a nod from me as well. The safety of the locals was the biggest priority.
  
  "But what should be done with the evacuated people? We can keep them here, or we can start sending them elsewhere if the situation's too dangerous." Drake asked seriously, "Lucian said that they're ready back at Sinnoh if you need to house them somewhere."
  
  "...No, I don't think that's necessary right now." Cynthia declared after a moment to think, "The situation is not so dire as to require a full evacuation. At least not for the locals. I'm sure they'd rather stay and try to defend their homes instead of running away from the threat, right?" The locals that were with us nodded firmly at that, "Exactly. But we should offer rides back home for those who were just visitors here. They don't need to be exposed to unnecessary danger if they don't want to."
  
  "Understood." One of the accompanying Jennys bowed slightly, "I'll start making the arrangements now."
  
  "As for everyone else, we need to focus on bringing down the remaining members of the Loyal Three as our first priority." Cynthia continued, and she put up a hand towards the locals to forestall any possible protest from them, "I know you might find this distasteful. But my duties as Champion is to ensure that those under my authority are safeguarded from any and all dangers that might threaten their livelihood. And like it or not, the Loyal Three present a very grave threat to their lives, and so it is my duty to ensure that they will not pose any harm or risk towards them."
  
  One of the locals protested this, "But they are on our side-"
  
  "Maybe. Perhaps you might be right, but I'm not taking that risk." She cut them off, "And before you say anything else, Ogerpon has my trust. She assisted us in that battle, despite not having to, and I fully trust my own Pokémon when they tell me that Ogerpon is not a threat to us. The same cannot be said of the Loyal Three thus far, which is why we should incapacitate them first. If they do eventually prove to be trustworthy, then you shall have my sincere apologies, and we can work something out from there."
  
  That got most of the locals on our side for the time being, but there were still some that looked discontent - they even looked to me as if I would somehow disagree with Cynthia. I obviously didn't, and I just glared at those who even dared to assume such a thing of me.
  
  They didn't meet my gaze.
  
  And with that, we got to work.
  
  Fezandipiti was secured and moved to a safe location, where a whole squad of Rangers came over and placed it under some kind of contraption that kept it contained in some kind of special electrical field.
  
  "We primarily use this device to keep the particularly strong wild Pokémon contained - it's sturdy enough to hold down the ornery or rampaging Pokémon at Mt. Silver." One of the Rangers told me when I asked about how reliable this device was at keeping Fezandipiti restrained, "And we've further devices as backup in case they break through this one. Don't worry, as long as it doesn't grow back to its 'huge' form, it won't be breaking free from this."
  
  I was satisfied with that explanation, though I reminded them that this was technically still likely a Legendary, so it was best to err on the side of caution. That being said, Fezandipiti and the other members of the Loyal Three were really only Legendaries on paper - their strength couldn't even match the likes of the Lake Guardians unless they were in their titan forms.
  
  And even then, a sufficiently large group of trainers should be able to take them down regardless.
  
  Therefore, with Fezandipiti secured and declared a problem for later, we could finally refocus our efforts on taking down the remaining two members of the Loyal Three, who had split up from each other into different areas of Kitakami.
  
  There was only one small problem. Knowing that they were being hunted, neither Munkidori nor Okidogi took time to stop. Their survival instincts forced them to keep running, and so they weren't standing idle in an area waiting to be attacked.
  
  Fortunately, they couldn't outrun our fliers, and even in their titan forms, they were beginning to slow down as they gradually got more and more exhausted.
  
  This was our biggest advantage over them, and was why the difference in manpower was so important. We literally never had to engage them in a proper fight, because it was just so much safer to wear them down overtime until they eventually ran out of energy.
  
  Was it a glorious method of taking them down? Absolutely not. But it was certainly effective, and that was all that really mattered in the end.
  
  This method was especially useful against Okidogi, because it had no real way of fighting back against our incredible range advantage. Almost all of its attacks were physical and close-range, meaning that it could do nothing to retaliate against the squad of Flying types firing off repeated supereffective Air Slashes towards it. It was purely relegated to the defensive, and its Rock Tombs were very ineffective at striking down our agile Flying types.
  
  On the other hand, Munkidori was more problematic, as it could actually fight back with powerful Psychics, Sludge Waves, and other notable Special Attacks, so our Flying types had been more defensive against it. Not only that, but as it was actually pretty speedy, especially since its titan form allowed it to cover more ground with its humongous size, which meant that our fliers had to prioritise more on keeping up with it than actually attacking.
  
  So from the reports we received from the Rangers that had been assigned to monitor and accompany our fliers, Okidogi was basically all but neutered. With it being constantly whittled down by Air Slashes and other Special Attacks, it was basically only a matter of time before it went down.
  
  From that, taking down Munkidori was our first and utmost priority. But it was going to be a running battle.
  
  And since Zephyr and Port, my two main Flying types, were already occupied with chasing after Munkidori, that meant that I didn't have a mount to use. The same applied to Cynthia, who's Togekiss was similarly preoccupied.
  
  Luckily, the Rangers had an abundant amount of Flying types on-hand that we could borrow from to use. These were mainly Staraptor, and while they were nowhere as trained in combat as Zephyr or Togekiss, they were incredible fliers.
  
  It was different to how I had trained up Port. Port had trained up to ensure that his stamina and endurance was as good as possible, so he was trained up for long-range flights. Of course, he had a lot of speed training as well, but he was more of a marathon-runner, not a sprinter.
  
  Meanwhile, these Staraptor were definitely sprinters. They prioritised speed over almost everything else, although they also had some basic fighting skills so that they weren't completely useless in a fight, which made sense because these were only used in emergency situations. That made them perfect for the current situation.
  
  So I quickly got myself saddled onto the Staraptor. It was time for Round 2.
  
  After what felt like several minutes of high-speed flight, I finally could catch a glimpse of Munkidori's retreating figure.
  
  We had received a constant stream of reports about the situation, and its appearance matched that perfectly. It was definitely showing signs of exhaustion, and it was visibly injured - though not enough to hinder its movement.
  
  Upon the arrival of our reinforcements, Munkidori looked at us with extreme alarm as its eyes widened almost comically as it quickly understood the danger that it was now in.
  
  With a look of fear, it scrambled to make a retreat, not even bothering to try to fight back against our completely overwhelming numbers.
  
  But we didn't give it a chance to run.
  
  Using our fliers' better speed, we split up our group and circled around to surround Munkidori from all angles.
  
  The only way it was going to escape was going to be through us.
  
  It must have realised that too, as it suddenly let out a roar of determination as it fired off an enormous wave of Psychic at Cynthia's group as it looked to break through there.
  
  Unfortunately, an entire wall of Light Screens, Protect shields, and Dark Pulses were thrown up immediately, forming an impenetrable barrier that neutralised the Psychic before it could do any damage.
  
  And then an Outraging Salamence came roaring through the skies as it violently slammed into the unsuspecting Munkidori, keeping it pinned in place as the Dragon wrestled against the titan.
  
  But that wasn't all, as the Salamence had a rider. A rider that was burning with vengeance.
  
  Ogerpon.
  
  The Mask Pokémon came hammering down with a powerful Ivy Cudgel that bludgeoned Munkidori over the head. Even if the blow might be, on paper, not very effective due to Munkidori's Poison typing, the sheer force behind that attack as an enormous hammer of hardened grass slammed into Munkidori's head more than made up for it.
  
  And that marked the signal for the rest of us to join in.
  
  Before Munkidori could even recover, Salamence followed up with a deadly Dragon Claw that viciously raked across its face. Simultaneously, multiple Earthquakes violently began to ripple through the ground, while several Stone Edges erupted out from below, impaling Munkidori in a field of sharpened rocks.
  
  Then Ice Beams, Thunderbolts, Psychics, Shadow Balls, and Dark Pulses came raining down from all angles as our attacks completely overwhelmed Munkidori. If that wasn't enough, Tyrant and Mega Garchomp had both pounced forwards as they used their enormous strength to each keep one of Munkidori's arms pinned down beneath them - preventing it from moving or making use of any physical attacks.
  
  All the while, a barrage of Encores, Taunts, Torments, and other status moves also bombarded it as we did everything we could to disrupt its concentration.
  
  ...This was not a fight.
  
  'Legendary' Pokémon or not, this was a beatdown.
  
  For all of its vaunted size, Munkidori was completely, absolutely, and thoroughly overwhelmed by our Pokémon.
  
  For it could do nothing to fend off the sheer amount of firepower arrayed against it.
  
  The most it had to fight back against us was with a few Psychics and Sludge Waves at best. Granted, Munkidori's use of these attacks were likely to be more powerful than what any of us trainers could achieve with our own Pokémon, but it wasn't enough against our combined forces.
  
  The massive numbers advantage we had against it was too overwhelming, and it only served as another reminder of just why strength in numbers was so important.
  
  No matter how strong a single individual was, barring a strong enough Legendary (which it certainly wasn't), it could never hold out against such incredible numbers.
  
  So while I would say that Munkidori put up a fight before being knocked out... it really didn't. It spent most of the fight being knocked around and staggered that it could barely even fire off any counterattacks of its own, and after a few short minutes, the battle came to an anti-climatic end as we were just able to knock it out of the fight.
  
  I almost felt bad for it. Almost.
  
  So, much like with Fezandipiti, once it was taken down, Munkidori had also rapidly shrunk down to its normal size as the effects of the titanification ended. The Rangers moved quickly to secure it in the same contraption that was used to restrain Fezandipiti, and we quickly moved to haul it back to Kitakami where it could be properly contained.
  
  The same happened with Okidogi too, though that fight was even easier than with Munkidori. Okidogi was simply too battered and injured so that, by the time we arrived, Tyrant and Garchomp by themselves were able to finish off Okidogi and cleanly knock it out as well.
  
  I had a moment where I looked down at Okidogi's fallen form, and I felt a slight bit of pride at what we managed to accomplish. While the Loyal Three were not as big of a threat as other Legendaries would have been, I was proud of us for being able to react so quickly and decisively in a situation where we were completely caught off-guard, and for the situation to be resolved so soon and without much issue.
  
  And now I was looking forward to discovering more about the Loyal Three, and more specifically, about how they managed to grow into their titan forms.
  
  I wasn't exactly sure if this was related to the Gigantamax process from Galar, but perhaps the scientists and Professors might be able to figure something out. If there was anyone that could find out about it, it would be them.
  
  Nevertheless, I thought that the crisis was all wrapped up now. The Loyal Three had all been taken out and secured, and now all we had to do was to deal with the aftermath and to reassure the public that the crisis was over.
  
  ...But I really should have learnt to be less optimistic, because as soon as I thought that, my radio crackled to life.
  
  "WE'VE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION BACK AT MOSSUI TOWN." A panicked voice of a Jenny could be heard through it, "THERE'S AN UNKNOWN POKÉMON WHO HAS SOMEHOW MIND-CONTROLLED MOST OF THE POPULATION. TRAINERS AND POKÉMON ALIKE ARE UNRESPONSIVE AND SEEM TO BE DOMINATED BY THIS UNKNOWN EFFECT."
  
  Fuck.
  
  (A few minutes earlier) (Carmine POV)
  
  Returning to Mossui Town was a huge relief, and the familiar sights of her hometown finally allowed her to relax as she knew that the situation was over and dealt with.
  
  From what the Rangers had told them, the Loyal Three had awakened, gone on a brief rampage, but had already been driven away and were now in the process of being recaptured. The situation wasn't fully resolved yet, but the Rangers had said that the situation was basically under control, and it was just a matter of wrapping things up.
  
  Though the residents of Mossui Town would still be under their continued protection for the time being, just in case there were any complications. They would also be allowing them to decide the fate of the Loyal Three once the situation was over.
  
  That was all well and good to her, but at the end of the day, it was none of her business. She was just glad she and Kieran were both safe, and that they could return to their normal lives.
  
  So, as she gave a quick thanks to the Jennys who had escorted them back home, she returned to their home and let out a big sigh of relief. Knowing that the crisis was basically over, every single muscle in her body was hurting - likely from the stress. And looking at her younger brother's tired expression, she knew that he was feeling the same way.
  
  They both really needed to unwind after everything that had happened.
  
  And that was what they did. They both took a nice hot bath that they both desperately needed, and then they got changed into some fresh new clothes - it was a ritual that they always liked to do to recover after a hard day of work.
  
  With that all done, they were both ready to sit back and enjoy some freshly harvested apples from the orchard when they suddenly heard some distant shouting.
  
  She was instantly on alert, but Kieran waved her down, "Someone probably dropped something. If it was an actual emergency, the horns would be blaring again. Don't worry, sis, it's probably nothing."
  
  That did make sense, so she calmed down again. But even as time ticked on, the nagging feeling in her gut refused to leave her, and she couldn't relax.
  
  Eventually, there was a knock at the door that had her shooting up from her seat. Checking through the peephole, she saw the top of her neighbour's head, but otherwise, didn't see anything else concerning.
  
  So she opened the door.
  
  And the instant that she did, a purple chain whipped forwards faster than she could react and snapped around her neck.
  
  She tried to resist, but that resistance lasted for all but a brief moment before her body went slack and her eyes turned glassy - all conscious thought immediately leaving her body.
  
  The last thing she remembered was the shout of alarm from Kieran, before the exact same thing happened to him too.
  
  A.N. As foreshadowed in the previous chapter, Pecharunt is now here and is making its play, and its going to be quite different from the battles we've seen thus far. That's actually why I wanted to focus on it more than the Loyal Three, because I felt that the Loyal Three were less 'interesting' in the way that they fought, as there already has been multiple 'raid battles' in this story thus far. But with Pecharunt, things will be different. Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapternext chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 19-12
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-12 - Toxic Influence
  
  After hearing that emergency report from the Jenny, we quickly rushed back to Mossui Town on our mounts as soon as we could, our hearts already fearing the worst.
  
  On the way over, we received further reports about what was going on. Apparently, many of the villagers, as well as several Jennys and Rangers, had been shackled by this purple chain that had wrapped itself around their necks, and this chain would cause the victims to lose all control of their body as their minds were shackled to a foreign entity's will.
  
  So from what the scattered reports had said, these victims had become mindless and unthinking. Almost zombie-like. And what was worse was that the amount of affected people was spreading, as the purple chain would wrap around every and all nearby entities - people and Pokémon alike.
  
  Fortunately, thanks to some aerial shots that were taken of those afflicted, it was immediately obvious to everyone that this chain contained many similarities with the chains that had also wrapped themselves around the Loyal Three.
  
  No one missed the implications of that - as it meant that it was extremely likely that the Loyal Three's actions were not their own, and that, much like the affected people and Pokémon, they were bound to the will of something else's.
  
  Granted, based on what I knew from my metaknowledge, I really didn't think that was the case. I was pretty confident that the Loyal Three were just naturally that greedy on their own and had acted on their own free will.
  
  Nevertheless, that wasn't an important distinction for now, as this was where I pulled Cynthia to the side and revealed to her in private that this might have been caused by the Pokémon Pecharunt. Since she already knew that I had visions 'received from Legendaries', she didn't question my statement at all and just asked me what I think should be done in this scenario.
  
  "This entire crisis would be solved if we can locate and take down Pecharunt." I said to her, "And from what I know, it isn't a Pokémon that is particularly strong on its own."
  
  "Is it as strong as the Loyal Three?" She asked.
  
  "I don't know. But even if it was, I doubt it'd be significantly stronger." I replied, "Which is also why I believe that this isn't a threat that Regigigas needs to be called in to deal with either. Not only should we be able to take care of Pecharunt for ourselves, but more importantly, this situation requires a much more... gentler touch. Something that Regigigas would not have."
  
  "Agreed. The hostages make this a problem." Cynthia nodded with a frown.
  
  That was the main source of difficulty with this situation. As a threat, I knew that Pecharunt wasn't all that difficult to deal with. Especially with the sheer numbers arrayed against it, we should be able to take it out without breaking a sweat much like we did with the Loyal Three.
  
  However, it was a completely different story when it had taken hostages like this. Every single one of its mind-controlled victims needed to be handled and restrained gently, and the fact that Pecharunt was very likely hiding somewhere within Mossui Town meant that we had to be quite careful about collateral damage since it would be best if we didn't destroy the village in the process.
  
  Of course, the safety of the people and the Pokémon were more of a priority, but unnecessary collateral damage was definitely frowned upon.
  
  Because of these issues, we couldn't just charge in like we normally would. We had to think of a way of knocking out the mind-controlled victims without also exposing our own Pokémon to the threat, or otherwise, they would be shackled and controlled as well.
  
  Unfortunately, the 'easy' solution of just bombarding everything from the skies wasn't an option either. Because that would mean causing indiscriminate casualties, something that all of us would never allow.
  
  So we were going to have to do this the very hard way.
  
  For the time being, we undertook a few preliminary actions. First of all, the fallen forms of the Loyal Three were quickly moved to the top of Oni Mountain, where they would be safe from Pecharunt (as we likely suspected that it might be going after its fallen vassals). Secondly, an enormous perimeter was formed around the outskirts of Mossui Town, where we ensured that no Pokémon or human were allowed in or out, whether by land or sky.
  
  That perimeter was triply reinforced as much as possible, as we tried to cover any and all avenues of escape. We even had multiple Ground Pokémon scattered across the entire perimeter to make sure that they could detect any underground movement.
  
  Then we hosted a discussion about how we were meant to subdue the mind-controlled Pokémon and humans. And fortunately, one of the Rangers came up with a very reasonable suggestion.
  
  Colress' Machine - The Pokémon Stabilizer.
  
  Thanks to their ability to forcibly put Pokémon to sleep without inflicting any damage onto the Pokémon, this made them perfect for helping to subdue these Pokémon. Especially since it is very likely that the Pokémon's willpower would be reduced since they were being mind-controlled.
  
  Of course, we wouldn't be reliant on the device alone, and we would supplement it with good old-fashioned violence.
  
  Still, that didn't help with the fact that our Pokémon were also at risk of being shackled and mind-controlled as well. However, thanks to a few videos that were once again taken from the skies, we had a better idea of how the chain spread from one entity to another.
  
  Basically, the range that the chain could spread was about the length of an arm. Meaning that so long as our Pokémon didn't make use of physical attacks, they should be able to stay out of range in theory.
  
  Of course, that was much easier said than done. And when there were likely over a hundred or so humans and even more Pokémon currently inside Mossui Town, it wouldn't be easy making sure that NONE of them reached our defensive line.
  
  And worse, if any one of our Pokémon got shackled, it might cause a chain reaction that would lead to even more of our Pokémon being mind-controlled as well. Likewise, we couldn't confirm what happened when a mind-controlled Pokémon was knocked out. Did that mean they were free from the influence? Or would the purple chain still spread even after a host was knocked out?
  
  None of us were comfortable with how many unknown details there were.
  
  However, we did have one trump card - Ogerpon. According to herself, she promised and guaranteed that she would be immune to the mind-controlling effects, which meant that she was free to get in up-close and personal without any risk. She couldn't guarantee that she could free others from the effects, but this was still a huge boon regardless.
  
  Ideally, we would have loved to have more time to think about our approach here, but time was of the essence. The longer we waited, the worse the situation could get. So that meant that we couldn't just wait for all of the reinforcements from mainland Sinnoh to arrive - though at least Flint was already here and ready to help out.
  
  The discussion went on for a little longer, but we all eventually realised that we were just talking in circles. There were no further preparations that could be made - we just had to go for it.
  
  And that was what we did. We split up into several large teams, where each team would be formed with a powerful trainer at the core. So that meant myself, Flint, Drake, and Cynthia were all split up into our own groups.
  
  "We really shouldn't be splitting up like this." Flint had argued, "We need to stick together and maximise our firepower."
  
  "No, splitting up would be better." Drake countered, "If this was a normal fight then I'd agree with you. But with the very limited space that we have, if our Pokémon are too bunched up together, then we just increase the risk of friendly fire. Not only that, but our Pokémon would also have much less fucking space to move around."
  
  "I agree. We should split into groups - and just trust that each other has the capabilities to handle the situation." Cynthia said before glancing at her watch, "We strike at sundown. That gives everyone just under an hour to discuss things with their groups. Make sure you're all ready and able to work with each other. Remember, only Special Attackers. And any person or Pokémon you defeat must be marked with a flare and treated as a hazard - DO NOT go close to them until we can properly confirm if the mind-control effect still spreads from their unconscious forms."
  
  We all nodded at that, and without wasting any more time, we got to work with the final round of preparations. Our attack would come in four different angles - one from the North, East, South, and West respectively.
  
  But just as we were about to set off, Drake pulled me, Flint, and Cynthia aside as he had something to tell us in private.
  
  "No matter what happens today. Put the blame on me." He said seriously, "I know you're supposed to be our 'representatives' in the League and you're not supposed to do anything that would hurt our image. I get it. But this mission is not going to be easy, not one fucking bit. Having to hold back in a situation like this is fucking dangerous. So if you need to use a bit more force than usual in order to ensure your own safety and to continue the mission - then do so. And tell yourself that you did it because I told you to, okay? I don't want you doubting yourself while you're in the middle of a fight, so just act first, and blame me for any consequences."
  
  I tried to stop him, "You don't have to do this for us, Drake-"
  
  "No. Trust this old man." He cut me off, "You guys are good people. Sometimes, too good. You care too much. And as much as I care about these locals like you lot do, I know that the world doesn't always allow us to go for the gentler option. So do as you must. I'll help shoulder the burden later."
  
  Neither of us knew what to say to that, but Drake simply nodded as if he had expected this silence before patting us all on the shoulder as he left us alone to stew with our thoughts.
  
  I remained thoughtfully silent for a moment as well as I processed Drake's words, and when I looked back up, I saw it in Cynthia's eyes that she must have came to the same conclusion as I did.
  
  We agreed with Drake.
  
  And with that last piece of reassurance, just as the sun began to set, we finally began our assault.
  
  "On the right! That Corphish!" A Jenny shouted out from the right, her voice barely audible through the sounds of the battle. Fortunately, we all had headsets on, and a quick Thunderbolt took out that Corphish before it even got close.
  
  "Pair of Yanma! In the air! Approaching quickly-" Another Ranger shouted out but was cut off as a sweeping Ice Beam from Pixel took out both Yanma and froze them right out of the sky. Then before their frozen bodies could even fall down, they were blasted away by a Psychic from Klaus so that we wouldn't be anywhere near their fallen bodies.
  
  "2 Poliwrath! From the front!" I turned and saw the two Poliwrath charging right at us with their glassy eyes and their fists glowing brightly. But they didn't make it far at all as a Pixilated Hyper Voice blasted them backwards before the ground erupted out from below them as a Stone Edge kept them pinned in place. Seconds later, a Thunderbolt finished them right off.
  
  "Controlled civilian! Left!" Two civilians had literally broken out into a sprint as they charged towards us, only for them to be tripped up by a pair of Grass Knots from the Jennys' Tangela, sending them sprawling to the ground. Before they could pick themselves up from the ground, a Staraptor gently blew them away with a Gust, pushing them into a nearby tree as a Claydol Hypnotised them to sleep.
  
  ...As we expected, the battlefield was an absolute clusterfuck.
  
  At the beginning of the fight, I had split up my own Pokémon into two separate rows. The first row consisted of my most powerful Special Attackers, like Pixel, Klaus, Euphie, and Wraith, with Zephyr also supporting from the skies (he wasn't Mega Evolved, as power was not what we needed right now). Then in the second row, I had everyone else, with my mainly physical attackers relying more on attacks like Stone Edge or Focus Blast to be able to contribute while also keeping their distance. Naturally, my healers were also there, making sure everyone was buffed up and topped up whenever possible.
  
  My Pokémon were placed in the very centre and front of the formation, and we were in charge of taking the lead and clearing out the area first. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Jennys would be in charge of covering the flanks and our rear, to make sure no one snuck up on us. Us trainers were mostly positioned in the middle, so that we could be protected by our Pokémon.
  
  Unfortunately, in the chaos of the battlefield, our formation broke down very quickly. Not because we were undisciplined, but because as we knocked out more Pokémon and people, their fallen bodies would create another physical hazard that we had to avoid getting close to in order to avoid the risk of getting mind-controlled.
  
  Therefore, we would have to change our pathing and break our formation in order to steer clear of these hazards. Or sometimes the geography would force us to have to shuffle around as well in order to fit.
  
  Furthermore, we also had to waste time relocating some of the fallen into a neat pile somewhere to the side so that they wouldn't get in the away - and more importantly, wouldn't get hurt by a stray attack.
  
  And things only got worse from there, as minutes into the battle, several of our Pokémon were shackled by the mind-controlling chains. It was inevitable when you had extremely speedy Pokémon like Staraptor dive-bombing from the air - moving too quickly to properly react to. This surprise attack costed us a few Pokémon, and they had to be immediately blasted away from our lines before the shackles could spread to the others.
  
  Though there was a small silver lining, which was the fact that the purple chain did not spread instantly. It took a few seconds for the connection to be made - probably only like two or three seconds, but it was still better than it being instant. Sadly, we also quickly found out that unconscious or not, any person/Pokémon with the chain could still spread it - likely because the connection to Pecharunt still persisted.
  
  So even fallen Pokémon and humans were still a threat.
  
  Because of all these issues, even after what felt like at least an hour into the fight (though it was probably nowhere near that), we had barely made any progress moving into Mossui Town. And from the reports that we received from the other squads, they were doing as well as we were - which was not very well at all.
  
  Only Cynthia's team were making any steady progress, and that was because she had Ogerpon by her side. The fact that Ogerpon was immune to the chain made it so that she could frontline risk-free while the other Pokémon stacked buffs and defenses on her. Sadly, the rest of us didn't have the same option.
  
  But on a more optimistic note, our aerial observers had pointed out that the numbers from within Mossui Town were thinning. The enemy had no way of replenishing their numbers, so we could slowly but surely thin them out given enough time - so long as more of our own didn't get shackled and mind controlled, of course.
  
  So we continued pushing deeper into the town, as we had now reached the part of the city that contained all of the houses and buildings.
  
  And immediately, this more-urban environment made things even more difficult for us because we not only had to be more careful to avoid unnecessary collateral damage to the buildings, but it also significantly reduced our line of sight, making us more vulnerable to ambushes.
  
  As a result, we had to slow down our approach even more as our Pokémon scanned every nook and cranny for any potential attackers, making sure that every area was properly cleared out of any threats before we moved on to the next one. Our Psychic types did help with that, but it was not foolproof as Dark types could fool their senses.
  
  It was a very methodical and slow way of fighting - one that I had not been a part of before. Even though I had plenty of experience in other real battles, those had been more of a search and destroy, where we would be moving fast and hard to surprise, shock, and overwhelm all threats before they became a problem.
  
  Previously, we wouldn't have to be so careful about checking every corner for threats, because we knew that even if we missed one or two of them, we could rely on our powerful Reflect, Light Screens, and Protect to cover for any mistakes. But it wasn't the same here, as the mind-controlling shackles ignored all defenses.
  
  And what was worse was that our enemy was changing and adapting to us. At the start of the battle, when we were still fighting on the outskirts of Mossui Town, it had thrown its mind-controlled forces at us recklessly, likely believing that it had the numbers to overwhelm our firepower.
  
  However, after it failed to do so, it had seemingly learned from its mistakes and was now much more conservative with its forces. Instead of attacking us without any sense of strategy, our enemy now hid and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike.
  
  Which just made it all the more tense and nerve-wracking for us. Because while we could hear the sounds of battle coming out from the other groups, there was absolutely nothing happening here.
  
  No Pokémon.
  
  No action.
  
  Nothing.
  
  Just row upon row of seemingly empty buildings, with each one potentially being a threat. Yet we still had to check through all of them so that we wouldn't get flanked in the future and to continue our search for Pecharunt.
  
  The quiet and silence were stifling. We twitched at even the slightest hint of noise as we were all waiting for the dreaded attack.
  
  And then, as we entered into a particularly narrow street that was surrounded by all sides by several shops, the attack that we feared finally happened.
  
  The sound of wood shattering signalled the beginning of the ambush as a small horde of Pokémon poured out from the windows. Small but nimble Pokémon like Skorupi and Aipom jumped down from above, while a small group of Ground types burst out from the ground. And from the doorways, both humans and Pokémon alike came charging out as they broke out into a dead sprint towards us.
  
  Due to the narrowness of the street, we couldn't bring our full numbers to bear. But seeing the forces arrayed against us, our Pokémon immediately tried to unleash their most powerful attacks - collateral damage be damned. And yet it was not enough.
  
  From the corner of my eye, I heard the scream of a Jenny as she was tackled to the ground by one of the locals, while another Ranger's Arcanine had been Volt Tackled by a Luxio. From next to me, the Ground types that had tried to ambush us all went down to a sweeping Ice Beam, but one of our Luxray failed to spot the Starly that landed next to it and the purple chain was spread to the Electric type. Another friendly Ursaring went down in a similar fashion, and our front-line was rapidly crumbling.
  
  "FALL BACK!" It wasn't me that shouted that, but I agreed all the same. The situation was fucked.
  
  We had to get back into the open.
  
  In the haze of battle, I didn't manage to spot who it was, but someone threw up a massive wall of stone that ripped apart several of the buildings but did a great job at temporarily walling off some of the attackers.
  
  Then a massive wave of Psychic energy ripped apart a small group of hostiles that had been trying to flank around from the side, knocking them all out before they even got close - they didn't care that that group partially comprised of humans either.
  
  We continued making our fighting retreat, but then that stone wall broke apart as I watched as a trio consisting of the Arcanine, Luxray, and Ursaring - Pokémon that were formerly our allies - break through the wall and rush towards us. Worse, their better training meant that they didn't go down as easily as the other Pokémon, and so whether through their unnatural willpower or otherwise, they managed to endure through the first wave of Psychic that had tried to blast them back.
  
  It then took another Moonblast from Pixel before a massive Stone Edge from Vordt finally put a stop to their assault.
  
  Unfortunately, that small delay in taking them down had bought the enemy time and space, and before I could do anything to stop it, I saw a trio of Ambipom rush towards my direction.
  
  A Focus Blast from someone took down one of them, and a trio of Stone Edges took down the second.
  
  But then an Earthquake from afar caused the ground below us to shake violently, knocking over an Arcanine that had tried to intercept the final Ambipom.
  
  Fortunately, Pixel saved the day by freezing it over with an Ice Beam, before a Psychic sent it flying away just before it could breach our lines.
  
  Yet, amidst the smoke and debris that enveloped the battlefield, that was when a small Aipom tackled me to the ground.
  
  I was taken completely by surprise. A coughing gasp left my lungs as my breath was forcefully expunged from within as I desperately tried to kick it off me. But it was no use, and I watched with mounting horror as I saw the purple chains around its neck spread across to mine.
  
  And just as the Ambipom was blasted away by one of our Pokémon, I heard the sound of the signature 'snap' quietly echo in my ears.
  
  The chain had snapped in place.
  
  I immediately lost control of my body. My arms and legs refused to move, no matter how much my mind commanded them to. My head felt like it was turning to mush as a growing feeling of nausea rose up from within me.
  
  My vision turned blurrier and blurrier, even though my eyes remained open, until I could see nothing but a tint of hazy purple.
  
  It was over.
  
  ...
  
  ...
  
  ...
  
  Until it wasn't.
  
  Because, somehow, even though all of my senses were denied to me, there was one part of my mind that I could still feel.
  
  A part of me that the toxic chains of Pecharunt failed to override.
  
  A part of me that it could not tear away.
  
  A part of me that refused to be suppressed by Pecharunt's power.
  
  And even through the chains of my shackled mind, I recognised what it was. For it was my one connection to something that Pecharunt could never hold sway over.
  
  Something that was so far beyond its power of domination.
  
  And the Legendary Titan made it known - that it was NOT welcome here.
  
  So, in the midst of my own shackled mind, I felt something suddenly bursting with power as my bond with Regigigas flared to life, and a single word echoed throughout my soul - a roar that represented the natural order of the world.
  
  "REGI!"
  
  I felt my soul on fire as a burning sensation flared out through my entire body. But it was painless, I felt my sight rapidly returning to me.
  
  I was free. I was back.
  
  Yet, when I picked myself up from the ground to the shock and surprise of my peers and Pokémon, I realised that Regigigas had done more than just free me from Pecharunt's influence. Because now, in the depths of my own mind, I could feel my bond with Regigigas pulsing with more life than ever.
  
  It was a burning feeling, deep in my soul.
  
  What did this mean for me? I had no fucking clue right now. All I knew, with full certainty, was that Pecharunt's chains couldn't affect me again.
  
  And I didn't have time to think about anything else, because I had a battle to return to.
  
  A.N. Like I had promised, I wanted to write a very different battle to what we usually see John in, and I hoped this battle (though it isn't over yet) lived up to the expectations. I know this isn't what Pecharunt's fight is like in the games, but then again, that fight was quite disappointing and lacklustre. I wanted to really imagine and come up with what a realistic fight against a hostile Pecharunt would be like, and I hope you liked this. I would have loved to have finished this battle in one chapter, but I simply didn't have time for it and didn't want to half-ass it.
  
  Also, I only felt that it was right for Regigigas to make an 'appearance' in this fight, even if it's not a physical one. And what better way than for it to overpower the mind-controlling shackles of Pecharunt? Hope you enjoyed!
  
  And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
  
  previous chapterchapter list
  The New Normal - 19-13
  John's Team
  
  Tyrant - Slaking
  
  Vordt - Ursaluna
  
  Smough - Snorlax
  
  Klee - Blissey
  
  Port - Mantine
  
  Zephyr - Pidgeot
  
  Klaus - Wyrdeer
  
  Luna - Clefable
  
  Pixel - Porygon-Z
  
  Euphie - Sylveon
  
  Ornstein - Obstagoon
  
  Wraith - H-Zoroark
  
  Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)
  
  Tails - Minccino
  
  Sona - Audino
  
  The New Normal - 19-13 - Pecharunt
  
  A.N. I forgot to mention that this chapter would come first before the Interlude, which has been moved to Friday instead.
  
  Even though I knew that I was now immune to the mind-controlling effects of Pecharunt's chains, that didn't mean that I was any safer from the actual attacks from their Pokémon. So before I could be knocked down from a second time, I made a hasty retreat behind our own lines as Klaus stepped out in front of me, firing a massive Psychic that pushed back several Pokémon at once.
  
  And from the back, a double blast of Dazzling Gleams knocked out the rest of the attackers - which also marked the end of the ambush as their numbers had run dry.
  
  "Protector!" One of the Jennys immediately rushed to my side, "Are you okay? Actually, how are you okay?! We all saw you go down!"
  
  "Regigigas did something." I answered, and that quickly silenced what they were about to say, "I don't know what it did exactly, but it helped me to break free from those mind-controlling shackles. But before you ask, I don't think this is something I can grant to you guys as well. Frankly, I don't understand either why the Legendary Titan decided to help me out here. It might be because of our connection, but until I can ask it a question in-person, I guess I'll be left to speculate."
  
  "...Well, that's good then. We're all glad you're okay. Losing you would be a big setback." She replied, recovering quickly from the shock of what I had just said, "Anyways, we've lost a considerable number of our squad. More than a third of us were mind-controlled during that ambush and had to be taken down. But we're ready to continue pushing inwards, unless you have other orders for us."
  
  "How are the other squads doing?" I asked, "Are they doing better or worse than we are?"
  
  "From the reports, casualty rates are pretty even throughout, except for the Champion's group. But we've managed to push towards the city centre - you can probably see them in the distance if you squint." The Jenny gestured to a direction, and indeed, I could barely make out the signs of a battle going on from over there.
  
  I nodded, "Anything from the aerial reports about the enemy's remaining numbers? Surely they must have thinned out by now."
  
  "Yes. That's what the reports estimate too." The Jenny confirmed, "After the other squads mop up with their own battles, our enemy should only have sufficient numbers for one final attack. But we've still not a clue where the controller is hiding."
  
  "...In that case, then I think we need to start dedicating manpower to guarding the fallen Pokémon and humans." I said after thinking it through, "We really can't just leave them all like this - not when they are so numerous. We can't risk them getting back up again."
  
  "We can deal with that." One of the Rangers spoke up, "The gear we brought along can keep them suppressed for at least a few hours. That should be enough time, right?"
  
  "Yes, good. Then stay behind and deal with that. We should have enough firepower." I replied, then I spoke to the Jenny, "I'll contact the other teams. We should all make the final push together to maximize our firepower so that even if the enemy makes one final attack, we'll be able to safely overwhelm it anyways."
  
  And that was what we did. After making sure that everyone was okay, we continued pushing forwards through the now-ruined and destroyed streets of Mossui Town. In our desperation from that ambush, none of our Pokémon held back with their attacks, and we were now looking at the consequences of that.
  
  But that was a problem for later. For now, even though we knew that another attack was unlikely, we still did our absolute best to maintain constant vigilance just so that a repeat of that ambush wouldn't happen again.
  
  Except an attack never came. Not even as we slowly made our way forwards through Mossui Town, until the Community Centre - the very centre point of Mossui Town - finally came into view.
  
  But we weren't the first ones there, as Cynthia and her squad had already arrived and had already formed a makeshift perimeter around the area.
  
  She immediately wrapped me in a tight hug.
  
  "I heard you got mind-controlled for a moment. Gave me quite the scare when I heard." She whispered softly to me, and I could hear the worry in her voice.
  
  "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." I apologised, "I got unlucky or careless, I suppose."
  
  "No need to apologise to me. As long as you stay safe from now on, that's enough for me." She replied with a fond smile, before quickly returning serious once more. "We're going to be waiting for Flint and Drake's squads to finish up with their battles before they make their way over here. Thanks to Ogerpon, we already know that Pecharunt is confirmed to be inside. We don't know how strong it is exactly, so like you said earlier, we'll be waiting for everyone before going in."
  
  "Actually." She turned back to me, her voice dropping lower once more, "Did your visions tell you anything about whether it can grow large like the Loyal Three did?"
  
  "No. Nothing of the sort. I'm as in the dark as you are." I said, and I wasn't lying. From my metaknowledge, Pecharunt wasn't able to grow into a titan like the other members of the Loyal Three could. But just because it couldn't then doesn't mean it couldn't happen here. So best not to give anyone any false assumptions.
  
  "Unfortunate, but expected." She muttered, "It's fine. I'm sure we'll make do with what we have."
  
  "What are the containment procedures?" I asked.
  
  "The Rangers have come up with something." She replied, "We can't confirm that it's foolproof, not without knowing more of our enemy's capabilities, but it should be sufficient so long as they can't actively spread the poison chain while they are incapacitated. I've also sent orders back home to get the researchers working on something that could possibly help prevent a Pokémon or human from getting mind-controlled by Pecharunt in the future."
  
  Good. That would be helpful for dealing with the aftermath.
  
  Cynthia and I chatted for a bit longer, and about a few minutes later, both Flint and Drake had finished up with their battles as they arrived.
  
  They looked pretty bad. Flint had some visible scorch marks on his skin, and parts of his shirt was burnt off. Meanwhile, Drake's sailor hat had been shredded, and he had visible cuts on his face and arm that had been hastily bandaged up. And I noticed that much of their squad had been reduced in number.
  
  Clearly, things hadn't been easy for them either.
  
  But once they had arrived, we didn't waste any more time with introductions or catchups or status reports. We already knew what to do, so as one, we gathered all of our Pokémon together as we began the assault on the community centre. Sadly, we didn't have any remote-control cameras on hand, or else we could have used them to scout out the community centre in advance.
  
  Furthermore, as we anticipated that space was going to be an issue, since we had so many Pokémon trying to fit in the relatively small space that was the community centre, we prioritised making use of our medium-sized Pokémon during our initial breach.
  
  Meanwhile, our larger sized Pokémon would be hanging back outside, ready and waiting to provide supportive fire. We just had to be careful for friendly fire, since we weren't going to be holding anything back.
  
  We already knew that the community centre itself wouldn't be surviving this encounter. Not with the firepower that we were about to level it with.
  
  And after a whistle was blow, the attack began, and we slammed open the doors to the community centre. Our Pokémon charged in first with Ogerpon right at the vanguard.
  
  We were immediately greeted with a horde of Pokémon that had been hiding away in every nook and cranny of the community centre as they all charged towards us in a feral stampede of mindless violence.
  
  However, I noticed that none of these Pokémon were much larger than a Rattata, nor were they much stronger than one too. And more importantly, there were no humans left, which did make things easier. So the mind-controlled Pokémon arrayed against us seems to be the dregs that remained from our previous battles. And there weren't many left.
  
  We expected as much, as we would have likely spotted any larger Pokémon through the windows of the community centre.
  
  Fortunately for us, this means that a combined sweep of Ice Beams, Psychics, and Moonblasts from our team basically annihilated the first wave of enemies before they could even reach us. The Skorupi, Stunky, Buizel, Starly, and Shinx couldn't even get close to us before they were all completely wiped out.
  
  It hadn't even been a fight. Just a slaughter.
  
  Then with some careful application of telekinesis, and with the efficiency of an army of highly trained Pokémon, each and every fallen body was carefully lifted and transported out of the way so that the mind-controlling chains wouldn't spread to us.
  
  As that was happening, it didn't take long for Wraith to point out that our enemy was on the second floor.
  
  The instant that it pointed this out to us, the entire second floor was torn and ripped apart as we demolished it with our attacks.
  
  But as soon as we did, a long purple chain quickly came ripping through the dust and smoke, only for Ogerpon to slap it away at the very last minute before it could shackle around Wraith.
  
  Unfortunately, that wasn't the only chain that it had shot our way, and a second chain came swinging around from the side - too far away for Ogerpon to knock away - straight towards our Pokémon. I reacted on instinct, and I trusted my immunity to the mind-controlling effects as I dived towards the Toxic Chain, offering myself as a sacrifice.
  
  Except the chains didn't go for me. Almost as if Pecharunt remembered that I was immune to its effects, it skipped over me and instead not only wrapped themselves around Flint - who was unfortunate enough to be standing right behind me - but also his Magmortar too.
  
  Unlike before, these chains just had to touch you for the mind-control to take effect.
  
  Fortunately, before the chains could infect any more of us, a massive Psychic from Klaus and Spiritomb blasted the chains away for the moment. Meanwhile, Drake immediately slugged Flint across the face and kicked him hard in the stomach in order to put some distance between us and him, preventing himself from being mind-controlled in turn.
  
  Meanwhile, before Magmortar could turn around and incinerate us all with a Flamethrower, a barrage of Stone Edges came slamming into it from below, before another Hydro Pump sent it flying backwards as it crashed through the outer wall of the community centre. The second that it did, four more Stone Edges erupted out from below it as all of our Pokémon that had been on standby outside moved to finish it off as quickly as possible.
  
  So even though this was an Elite Four's Pokémon, it couldn't withstand against the overwhelming amount of attacks that it just received and was swiftly knocked out.
  
  Meanwhile, the fight against Pecharunt continued, with our Pokémon staying as far back as possible as we continuously bombarded it with a myriad of different Special Attacks. We fired off Psychics, Shadow Balls, Thunderbolts, Ice Beams, Moonblasts, Dark Pulses - basically any Special Attack you could think of towards Pecharunt.
  
  Seeing the attacks coming its way, Pecharunt immediately retreated into its own shell - taking up a defensive stance that allowed it to weather the incoming attacks. However, by doing so, it was also forced to retract its own chains, as they could not remain extended while it had retreated into its own shell.
  
  Unfortunately, that didn't mean it was helpless, as Pecharunt began emitting a thick, purple fog that rapidly enveloped the entire room. Blastoise and Lucario, who were near the front, were instantly caught within this poisonous cloud.
  
  They immediately descended into a fit of choking coughs as their skin quickly took on a sickly pallor. We already had a Safeguard setup beforehand, and Lucario was also a Steel type - a type that was traditionally immune to Poison moves, but that didn't seem to matter much at all.
  
  And they were far from the only ones affected as the poisonous cloud rapidly grew larger and larger. Several of the Jennys and Rangers' Pokémon who had accompanied us also failed to extract themselves in time and began to choke on that poison as well.
  
  Realising that, we all rapidly backpedalled out of the community centre, knowing that staying in such an enclosed space would be disastrous. But the damage had already been done.
  
  My eyes were on Lucario and Blastoise, the two strongest Pokémon that had been afflicted by the poison, as they began to lose control over their minds. Their eyes darted around wildly, and their movements became erratic as the poison gradually corrupted their minds - and the two of them lost themselves to the poison-induced confusion.
  
  With a crazed snarl, the two of them began to throw out attacks wildly in all directions. Focus Blasts, Aura Spheres, Hydro Pumps, and Ice Beams were shot out randomly and indiscriminately, not caring at all what they hit.
  
  Several of those stray attacks were aimed towards our Pokémon, forcing us to throw up Protect shields to block against them. Meanwhile, several of our fliers split off from the group and flanked around to and began focusing down Lucario and Blastoise, just to minimise any further damage from their end.
  
  Furthermore, while this was all happening, Pecharunt came back out its shell and launched both of its chains towards us. Ogerpon dove forwards and focused on batting away one of them - but the other was heading straight towards us.
  
  But then, a white, rolling blur shot forwards from besides me as Winston rocketed himself forwards towards the chains. He crashed down onto one of them with his full weight, slamming it into the ground. Simultaneously, he wrapped his tongue around the same chain like a rope - anchoring it in place.
  
  Of course, Winston's eyes almost immediately turned glassy as he was quickly subjected to the mind-controlling effects of Pecharunt. Yet he had bought us time, as though his body had gone limp, he was still, physically, sitting on top of one of the chains while his tongue kept it stuck in place.
  
  And with Ogerpon dealing with the other chain, that meant that, for a brief moment, both chains were kept occupied and unable to harm us.
  
  Winston's brave sacrifice had bought us time.
  
  And we immediately capitalised on that, "Full power! Bombard it with everything!"
  
  "SALAMENCEEE!"
  
  "GARCHOMPPP!"
  
  "SLAKINGGGG!"
  
  All three of our most powerful Pokémon unleashed their most powerful attacks - an Outrage-boosted Draco Beam and Dragon Pulse came from Salamence and Mega-Garchomp respectively, and Tyrant joined in with a blindingly bright Hyper Beam of his own.
  
  Pecharunt tried to retract its chains in time so that it could once again hide within its own shell, but it was too late. The triple laser beams that represented the combined, full power of our Pokémon shot through the air - literally igniting the air around it as it eradicated all in its path - before it speared right through Pecharunt's core.
  
  Pecharunt was literally set aflame from the sheer amount of concentrated energy contained in that attack, and it let out a pained rattle as its health was annihilated by our combined strike.
  
  In what felt like a second, its defences were completely overwhelmed and its burning form fell out of the sky, with its chains collapsing limply alongside it.
  
  And that was far from the end of it, as all of our other Pokémon joined in with their own arsenal of attacks, with everyone doing everything that they could to make sure Pecharunt would not have the opportunity to recover from this.
  
  At the same time, several attacks also came Winston's way, as he had lost his mind to Pecharunt's poison. But before he could become a threat, he was held in place by a trio of Psychics before several Focus Blasts slammed into him from all directions. He tried to parry a few with his tongue, but there were just too many attacks coming his way, and he wasn't even able to transition into his signature Rollout before he was taken out of the fight.
  
  And with that, for a brief moment, silence descended across the battlefield as we saw Pecharunt's fallen form. Was it over?
  
  But the silence was interrupted from a bark from Drake, "Don't let it play dead! Keep at it!"
  
  Our Pokémon moved instinctually, and further attacks crashed down onto Pecharunt before a final series of Stone Edges erupted out from below, impaling Pecharunt's fallen form with an armoury of stone spears.
  
  And indeed, Pecharunt was faking it, as at soon as it realised that its ruse hadn't worked, even in its injured state it still forced itself off the ground as it chains shot forwards once more. Unfortunately for our enemy, we were absolutely ready, and just as its chains began to move, an artillery fire's worth of Psychics, Shadow Balls, and Dark Pulses rained down from all directions onto Pecharunt, with crackling Thunderbolts coming crashing down from above for good measure.
  
  With that, the chains couldn't even get close to us before Pecharunt was swiftly knocked right back out again - for real this time. We even fired a few more attacks just in case, with Salamence scorching the ground around it thoroughly with a massive Draco Beam, but Pecharunt really was knocked out this time.
  
  ...Victory was ours. The battle was over.
  
  Yet amidst the smoke and ash, I took the opportunity to look around and survey the damage that had been done.
  
  Needless to say, the community centre was completely devastated, and so was the surrounding area. Our attacks had transformed the centre of Mossui Town into a ravaged wasteland, and scattered across the town were lingering embers of draconic energies and patches of ice and fire that scarred the surroundings.
  
  Not only that, but while I hadn't realised this during the fight as I had been so focused, many of our auxiliary and supporting Pokémon brought along by the Jennys had gone down to Pecharunt's poisons - and had to be knocked out by our own.
  
  Fortunately, most of the 'Elite' team, including my own Pokémon, were mostly unscathed. Winston had been the only one to go down. The rest of my team were tired, but mostly uninjured.
  
  "...So what now?" I heard Drake ask as he walked up to me, one of his arms hanging limply by his side as he must have taken a stray attack or so, "We won, right?"
  
  "We did." Cynthia nodded, "Now it's just a matter of tidying up."
  
  "Heh. Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to fucking leave before Flint wakes up and remembers that I punched him across the face." He chuckled.
  
  "You going to apologise to him?" I asked humorously.
  
  "Sure, if he asks for one. Otherwise, I'll just label it as self-defence. I'm sure he'll understand." He sent one final smirk our way before leaving, probably to receive some medical assistance from the injuries he had sustained.
  
  I chuckled softly as I watched him leave, amused by the very thought of Flint's reaction when he woke up. But then I quickly wiped the smile off my face as I regained my focus. It wasn't over yet.
  
  Without needing to be told, I immediately began working with the Jennys as we began the cleanup procedures. Ogerpon had rejoined us, and though she was tired too, she also helped out with separating all of the incapacitated Pokémon to make it easier for our Psychic types to safely drag them away.
  
  They were dragged off into their own separate containment fields that had been set up by the Rangers while the battle had been going on. Here, the mind-controlled Pokémon would be contained until we found a surefire way to reverse the effects of Pecharunt's poison.
  
  I made sure to assist her, and Ogerpon and I worked as a team to make sure that we could get everyone to safety. In truth, as the stronger one between us, she did most of the work, whereas I was just making sure we didn't miss anyone by doing a thorough check of the area.
  
  There were several concerns and questions about whether Pecharunt's poisons would still persist even after it was knocked out. But fortunately, or unfortunately, depending how you looked at it, we were able to quickly find out our answer as some of the affected people and Pokémon began to wake up.
  
  However, they did not awaken to their normal selves. Instead, they remained completely still and didn't react to any kind of stimulation - it was as if they were still being dominated by the effects of the poison, except they didn't have any commands since Pecharunt (their controller) was unconscious.
  
  ...That was somewhat worrying, and I really hoped that the effects weren't permanent. But, at least for the time being, they weren't going to be a threat to us anymore.
  
  Eventually, right as the sun was about to fully set, we had finished up with all the tidying up. All the Pokémon and humans that had been mind-controlled were now contained within several containment fields, and Pecharunt had been very carefully lifted away - far from any kind of civilisation - where it would be contained separately from everything else.
  
  We weren't sure what to do with it yet.
  
  Surprisingly, in an ironic twist of the situation with the Loyal Three, the locals wanted it dead. When they had found out what exactly had happened, they were enraged that their home had been destroyed by Pecharunt (they didn't blame us for the collateral damage, luckily) and they were even more incensed by the fact that Pecharunt had mind-controlled so many of their friends and family into attacking us - and getting them hurt as a result.
  
  It was even worse when they found out that the Loyal Three were merely its pawns as well. Admittedly, from my metaknowledge, the Loyal Three joined up with Pecharunt willingly, and their subservience was entirely voluntarily. But no one else knew that, and so to assume that the Loyal Three had been forced to act by Pecharunt was a very reasonable assumption.
  
  Though that was going to be a problem for later. For now, a tired breath escaped me as I plopped down on one of the nearby benches that somehow hadn't been destroyed by the attack, and I reflected on the battle that had taken place.
  
  More importantly, I remembered how much of a role that Ogerpon played in helping us resolve this crisis - and how helpful it was towards us, such as how it was checking up on everyone and helping to tend to the wounded. That bode well for Cynthia's recruitment chances.
  
  But even with its assistance, this was the first time that we had dealt with a 'Legendary' threat mainly with our own strength. Ogerpon's assistance was appreciated, but unlike with Palkia or Zekrom, we did not depend on a Legendary's assistance to win.
  
  We did it ourselves.
  
  And I couldn't help but feel proud of that.
  
  A.N Also, just a reminder that the next chapter on Friday will be the Interlude, as they have been switched around for this.
  
  Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to the battle against Pecharunt and the Loyal Three! I know the stakes weren't as high as the other Legendary battles, and the fights weren't as 'epic', but I felt that having such high stakes wouldn't be as appropriate here. I wanted this battle to be a final display of how far John and the others have come, where whether by their own strength or the combined strength of their allies, they are able to fight off a 'Legendary' threat mostly by themselves.
  
  The aftermath of this incident will be coming soon. And yes, what happened with John and Regigigas will be explained later, as well as what will happen to the Loyal Three, Ogerpon, and Pecharunt. Hope you enjoyed!
   And to anyone who wants to support me, please check out my p atreon at CartecTNN where you can read 8 advanced chapters! Thanks to those who have supported me already!
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